Kakashi wants nothing right now but to fall on his bed, face first, and fall deep asleep with Shizune once her job at the hospital is done.
But, alas, being a Hokage meant he had to oversee so many administrative tasks and a bunch of paperwork to read, review and sign in relation to the recent event before he can even think about sleeping.
Right after the fight, he had ordered the clean-up of the bodies and do a composite sketch of the rogues since they don't carry any identification with them. He ordered his ninjas to cremate them, since that's custom that the Land of Snow follows and the urns will be sent to their homeland. They may be criminals but Kakashi would still let them have the dignity of having decent funeral rites. After that, he had to go the building of Interrogation Corps to see the criminals that they managed to capture and the remaining Yuki ninjas. There, he found two of the rogues, restrained inside their cells while Ibiki reported to him that third one – which was Sota Miho himself – was being treated in the hospital due to the injuries that he sustained from a certain Inuzuka Kiba. Kakashi made a mental note to give the dog-user additional off days as a reward for catching their most valuable witness and suspect.
Ibiki's subordinates were already interrogating the Yuki shinobi, the Jounin reported, but Kakashi instructed that they should still be subjected to a Yamanaka mind reading tomorrow, along with the rebels. He's not taking his chances anymore with these people and he will no longer put the lives of his villagers at risk. He already learned his lesson.
He was about to leave when one of the interrogation rooms opened and Nobuko Osamu, one of the Yuki shinobi, stepped out of the room with one of Ibiki's colleagues escorting him out of the room. His wrists were cuffed behind his back and his ankles were shackled. Osamu looked up and his miserable expression turned into a desperate one.
"Hokage-sama!" he exclaimed and, suddenly, he fell to his knees, looking up at Kakashi pleadingly.
"Hey, get up!" Ibiki ordered but the man paid him no mind, still kneeling stubbornly in front of Kakashi.
"Hokage-sama," Osamu said in a calmer voice but the desperation is still clear, "You have to believe our innocence! The four of us – we never knew of Miho's plan! Yukigakure is not a part of his… his madness and Koyuki-sama is not a part of his schemes, I'm sure of it! Please, Hokage-sama, I beseech you!"
Kakashi stared coldly at the man before him. Truth be told, he's inclined to believe with this man's statement, which was also supported by Setsuko's earlier pleading. However, he couldn't let himself forget about Miho's betrayal of their village's trust and he's not about to take his chances.
"You and your comrades will be interrogated further tomorrow," the Hokage replied evenly and with a tone of finality, "Until we get answers and evidence that proves your innocence, you will be held here as prisoners."
Kakashi watched as the hope left Osamu's eyes, replaced with resignation and reluctant acceptance. Innocent or not, he should know that the drastic action of one of his companions is something that they have to bear collectively; they should've known sooner of Miho's treacherous intent.
The guards took hold of Osamu's arms from behind. This time, he didn't fight back and he let himself to be pulled up by his elbows. The guards took him away to his holding cell.
"What now, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki asked beside him.
Kakashi began to walk towards the door, "Now, I'll be going to the Tower. There are so many things that I have to do there and Shikamaru's already waiting. Also, we'll have to contact Yukigakure immediately regarding this."
"I see," the Jounin replied shortly. Kakashi stood by the threshold of the door. He can sense that the burly man still had something to say and he patiently waited for him to speak.
Ibiki cleared his throat, "Kakashi, what if..?"
"Let's hope that it's not," Kakashi answered the unfinished question. He cannot, will not, allow himself to overthink and jump into conclusion that this is on a larger scale.
He knows it's a possibility that this entire mess is in collusion between the rebels and the Land of Snow but there are a few plot holes in that theory. For starters, what will their country gain? Land of Snow is thousands of miles away from the Land of Fire and to take Konoha is not favorable for their country. Furthermore, Konoha is already in an alliance with the Four Great Nations; for them to attack the village while they're in a strong connection with Kumo, Iwa, Suna and Kiri would be beyond foolish and an outright suicide for their ninjas. The Land of Snow will only gain then more enemies and leave their ranks in disarray.
Ibiki studied him for a moment and then nodded in understanding.
"Hokage-sama, what should we do first?" Shikamaru asked the moment Kakashi sat down behind his desk.
The Hokage sighed quietly. He knows that what Shikamaru wants right now is to go home and laze around their house and he is eternally grateful that the young advisor had volunteered to help him with the paper works. Kakashi glanced at the clock. It's almost eight in the evening.
"We'll call Yuki first," he replied as he reached for the telephone, "If we do this later, they might've left the office by then."
Shikamaru nodded and drew a chair closer to the desk. As Kakashi dialed the number of the young leader's office, he couldn't help his mind from wandering to Shizune. Now that the fighting is over, he can finally think about their conversation over the phone earlier. He confessed. He proposed. He did all that over the phone. A wave of shame ran all over him as they listened to the dial tone. He confessed and proposed to his girlfriend over the phone because he thought he was going to die and, right now, he wants to crawl into a hole and never come out.
But he would be an idiot if he didn't remember the fact that she said that she loves him too and that, yes, she will marry him.
Shame left his body and was replaced with a warm feeling that started from his chest, a warmth that spread allover his body to his fingertips and toes and he absolutely reveled in the feeling as his mind replayed her words to him earlier. It's true that their confession is ill-timed and kind of dramatic and straight out of a romantic novel but, Kakashi thought as the click of the telephone resounds throughout the room, he wouldn't want it any other way.
"Hello?" the young leader herself had answered. To Kakashi, Kazahana Koyuki sounded tired.
"Good evening, Koyuki-sama. This is Hatake Kakashi," he replied immediately.
"Hokage-sama? What's the matter? I'd assume that it's something urgent if you're calling me this late," the young leader surmised.
"Yes, it is something urgent," Kakashi said evenly, "Earlier, our village was attacked by the rogue group that you were hunting and with them is Miho, your personal guard. In fact, we just finished fighting them an hour ago."
Koyuki gasped and, from the other line, there was a sound of books falling. The young leader was quiet for a few seconds and Kakashi waited patiently on how she will react.
"Hokage-sama, please tell me everything," she finally replied, her voice uncharacteristically high and almost pleading.
So, Kakashi told her everything: the rebel's actions against their ninjas that morning, Miho's desertion and betrayal, the arrest of her remaining ninjas, the attack, the explosions, the arrest of Miho and two other accomplices. All the while, Koyuki was silent and listened attentively at his words. When he finished, the young leader was rendered speechless once again.
"Koyuki-sama, be honest with me," Kakashi said firmly, "Is there anything that you would like to tell us?"
Koyuki remained silent for a few more moments, no doubt mulling over the implications of Kakashi's words. He hadn't been exactly subtle with what he's hinting.
She sighed, "Hokage-sama, I completely understand that you're looking at our country with doubt right now. I understand that. But, please, I beg of you, believe me when I say that we have no knowledge of Miho and the rebel's actions and plans. We have no hand in that. Not me, not my council and certainly not the remaining ninjas at my disposal, including the ones that you have arrested. I know that's a hypocritical thing to say – considering the fact that Miho was right under our noses and planning in secret – but I assure you, Hokage-sama, that we have uprooted the very last ones of my uncle's followers from our remaining ranks."
Kakashi's eyebrows rose in challenge even though the young leader can't see it, "With all due respect, Koyuki-sama, but the last time you assured us, you vouched for Miho's loyalty, only to find out that he was part of this organization."
Koyuki sighed again, resigned, "What must we do to earn your trust again, Hokage-sama?"
"We can't let this happen again, Koyuki-sama. Some of my shinobi were mortally wounded, my hospital in a state of chaos. We can't live in constant fear and anxiety, thinking about our ninjas out there for a mission, worrying if they will return to our village with an injury or if they will ever return at all," Kakashi replied.
"Then, Hokage-sama, I absolutely assure you that this will be the last time that this kind of mess will happen. I know that you and your ninjas have already taken care of the remaining rogues. There will be no more Yuki rebels that will disrupt the hard-earned peace of Konoha," Koyuki declared.
It was Kakashi's turn to be silent as be contemplated the young daimyo's statement. Her words are not enough for him; after all, they were already betrayed by one of her personal guard. But, Kakashi grudgingly concedes, that is the only thing that he and the village can hold on to.
Kakashi inhaled deeply, "I'll trust your words for now, Koyuki-sama."
She sighed in relief, "Thank you very much, Hokage-sama. I'll make it certain that this group is gone from our country."
"In the meantime, we need you to claim the corpses of the fallen rebels; their families deserve that much."
"Alright," she readily agreed, "We'll have some of our ninjas leave first thing in the morning in all haste. They'll be be there in five days or less."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Koyuki-sama and have a good evening," he replied.
"I should be the one to thank you and your village, Hokage-sama. You managed to get rid of our long-time problem and we gave you nothing but headache and problem," Koyuki replied, an amused tone in her voice, "So, thank you, Hokage-sama. And I'm sorry that this dilemma had reached your village."
When Kakashi hung up the call, he leaned back on his seat and sighed tiredly. One task done, probably a hundred more to go.
"You really think she'll stay true to her words, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru asked, dragging the chair to the front of the Hokage's desk.
Kakashi ran one through his hair then reached for the paper on top of the tall pile, "For the record, I don't really think she's involved with any of… this. However, if she is, in fact, related to any of this, I don't think she'll do anything threatening. If knows what's best for her country, she will not take any drastic actions against us."
The Hokage sighed again and reached for a pen, "Also, I don't think it's lost on her that we have the support of the other four nations. She'd have to think twice, if that's the case."
Shikamaru smirked knowingly and sat down, took a paper and began to read.
"Besides," Kakashi continued as his hands began to write down the events, "We have four of her ninjas in captivity, along with her personal guard Miho. They'll be subjected to Yamanaka mind-reading tomorrow and, if anyone knows the truth about Koyuki, it'd be Miho."
"You're right, Hokage-sama."
"Why are you hiding in here?" the blonde asked the younger woman who was sitting behind the desk, her body leaning against the doorjamb of the small office.
Shizune looked up from her paperwork, meeting the honey eyes of her adoptive mother, "What do you mean, Tsunade-sama? I'm not hiding; I'm working."
The older woman stepped inside the office, locking the door behind her. She sat down on the chair before the desk and peered at the paper that her former assistant was perusing, "A patient's report? You know you can do that tomorrow, right?"
Shizune glared at the blonde, "That's not true. Nor is it ethical. Everything about a patient should be documented immediately –!"
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that ethical blabber, I know that," she gave the younger woman a knowing smirk, "Still can't face him?"
Despite keeping her face blank, Shizune can still feel the heat that crept up from her neck to her face. Damn her tendency to easily blush.
The blush, which easily gave away Shizune's answer to her question, was not lost to Tsunade. Her smirk turned into a full-on smug grin.
"Gotcha," the older woman muttered triumphantly, "What are you worried of?! The man that you love asked you to marry him literally five hours ago! What's the matter?"
Shizune leaned back on the chair, letting the pen on her hand clutter to her desk. She knows that Tsunade will not leave her alone unless she gives an answer.
"I really don't know, Tsunade-sama," she sighed, "I love him, I really do, and I don't doubt the fact that he loves me."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Then what's the matter?"
The younger woman brushed away the hair that was falling on her eyes before answering, "He proposed but what if it's a spur of the moment decision? What if he doesn't really want to marry me but he felt obligated to propose because he thought he was going to die? What if-!"
"I miss Jiraiya, you know," Tsunade muttered almost quietly, cutting off Shizune's ramblings. When her dark eyes settled on her former mentor, she noticed that Tsunade's eyes had a faraway look on them. She knows the look on her mistress' face: she's reminiscing something.
"Do you know how many times he proposed to me? I can't even count them," Tsunade continued and then chuckled, "The number of times that he proposed was also the number of times that I rejected him."
"You know why I always rejected him?" the blonde asked and turned to look at Shizune. The dark-haired kunoichi was stunned to silence to even utter an answer. Shizune knows full well the extent of the blonde's feelings toward the white-haired sage. In Shizune's eyes, they were more than teammates or friends, more than lovers; what Jiraiya and Tsunade had was something that no words can ever express.
And this is the first time that Tsunade spoke so freely about Jiraiya since his death and it's actually a surprise to her that the older woman was opening up.
Without waiting for an answer, she spoke again, "Because of those damned 'what ifs'. 'What if he won't stay loyal?' 'What if he lost interest in me?' 'What if he stays as a womanizer?' So many what ifs. All those doubts, those insecurities, are what kept me from being with him. And, up until this day, I still regret every single rejection that I've ever given him."
Tsunade sighed and leaned back on her seat, "If only I allowed myself to feel, if only I hadn't listened to those damned insecurities, there's a high chance that he's still here, laughing and drinking and gambling with me during our retirement."
The blonde blinked, as if snapping out of her daze, "Shizune, stop thinking about anything and everything for a second and let yourself to just… feel. You love him, don't you?"
"Of course," Shizune's reply was instantaneous.
"You want to spend the rest of your life with him?"
"Of course, I do."
"Do you see yourself anywhere else than by his side?"
"Not really."
"Do you see him anywhere else than by your side?"
Shizune paused for a moment, "…No."
Tsunade nodded, satisfied with her answers, "That makes it clear, then. My point is, the opportunity is there, Shizune. Take it. Talk to him, make everything clear with him. I know the two of you will work it out eventually. It's clear that the two of you loves each other. Don't let your doubts get in the way with what you feel about him."
It was almost one in the morning when Shizune arrived at the Tower, a bag bento boxes and water bottles gripped on one hand.
"Good evening, Hokage-sama, Shikamaru," she said as she stepped inside the office and Kakashi determinedly ignored the pounding of his heart as he looked at his girlfriend (fiancée, his mind corrected), "I know you haven't eaten dinner yet so I brought some."
Shikamaru smiled tiredly, "Thank you, Shizune-san! I'm really hungry!"
"Thank you, Shizune," the Hokage said without looking up from his paperwork.
Kakashi stubbornly kept his eyes on the papers in front of him. Thinking about Shizune and their impromptu confessions is one thing. Having her here, in front of him, is a whole other thing. He still didn't come into terms with himself with the way he handled things and told her all about his feelings and having her so damn near to him was making his heart stutter and his mind to turn into a mush.
Shizune was talking while she was taking the boxes put of the way, ignoring the way her heart jumped at the sight of Kakashi, alive, breathing, working behind his desk. He was looking away from her, as if something is still bothering him, but she doesn't let it deter her. Whatever lies between them now, they will talk it out and smooth things out.
She put one of the bento boxes near Shikamaru's hand, "Sorry, it took too long. I had to go back to my apartment and cook this food first since most restaurants were already closed by the time I finished work at the hospital."
Shikamaru glanced between them, his eyes lingering on the way that the Hokage was avoiding his girlfriend's gaze and the faint blush that had started to creep up on the kunoichi's face and he let a small smirk grace his lips, an idea popping up on his mind. The young advisor then made quick work on the paper that he was perusing.
"I'm done here, Hokage-sama," he said as he put the pen down on the desk, just as Shizune was putting the other box beside Kakashi's hand.
Kakashi's head snapped up and eyes widening slightly, something akin to panic rising up his throat. He doesn't think he can be alone with Shizune right now. Not when he's feeling awkward and nervous and shy and she's not exactly helping since she's so close to him and Kakashi can smell the shower gel that she so often used and –
"Shizune-san, is it alright if I take this food with me? I think if I eat this here, I'll immediately fall asleep on these papers," Shikamaru asked, a glint in his eyes.
His assistant readily nods, "Go on ahead, then, Shikamaru. I know you're tired from the fight and then you had to do the work here. Good night!"
The young advisor stood up, grabbed the bento box and turned to leave. Shizune busied herself with tidying the papers cluttered on the desk. Kakashi was left staring incredulously at the back of the young man. Before Shikamaru grasped the door knob, he turned back around, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Good night, Shizune-san! Hokage-sama!" he greeted cheerfully and left the office.
That damned pineapple-head!
Shizune, unaware of what happened, turned back to look at the door, "What happened to him?"
Kakashi blinked and looked back down at his paper, "No idea."
Shizune sat down at the seat vacated by Shikamaru and stared at Kakashi. He can feel the weight of her gaze and he tried very hard not to flinch.
She had enough. She reached across the table and snatched the papers from his hands. He finally looked up, eyes finally meeting hers.
"Wha-?"
Determination spurred her to speak, "I'll do this. These are the only ones left right?"
At his affirmative nod, she gestured at the food, "Go ahead and eat. I know you're tired and hungry. I can handle these and then we'll talk."
He blinked, "But Shizune…"
Whatever it is that he was going to say was cut off when she glared at him.
She's incredibly confused, tired and more than ready to fall into deep slumber. But she wouldn't go to bed unless this is smoothed out.
She pointed at the box, "Eat," she ordered. She didn't remove her eyes from him until he pulled his mask down, reached for the food and finally opened the box.
Shizune sighed quietly and began to read the paper on her hands, the crack of the chopsticks and Kakashi's eating are the only sounds in the spacious office.
Kakashi stole a glance at his fiancée. Her eyes were trained on the paper, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, shoulders hunched in weariness and lips pursed in irritation. On the brief moment that Kakashi met her eyes earlier, he can clearly see the exhaustion shining in her eyes, which is understandable. She'd been working at the hospital since this morning, she had to deal with numerous patients and a life-changing call all in one day; she's probably more tired than he is and she still took the time to cook him dinner.
Shizune gathered her thoughts as she wrote on the document. She knows exactly what she wants but what does he want? She has no idea but she will soon find out. She won't allow this night to end without knowing his real motive. She put the paper aside for his signature and went on to the next paper.
However, she had to make herself clear that she's not here to force her wants. What she intends to do is to talk: talk what they want to do, where do they go from here, to work around their differences and to compromise, because, from her limited experience in relationships, that's what lovers do. Communicate, understand and compromise.
She was down to her last paper when he spoke again, "Thank you for the food."
Shizune glanced up and gestured at the papers that she finished, "These ones need your signature. Give me a moment, this is the last one."
Kakashi nodded and put the bento box aside, tossing the chopsticks to the trash bin and clearing a space in front of him to sign the papers. He took his time eating the food that she brought and, yet, he still didn't know what to tell her. His mind was racing while he signed the papers that she approved. Nerves are getting to him. He chugged the water and looked at Shizune. She was still writing but it appeared that she's almost done.
A short moment later, she was handing him the paper for signature.
Shizune stared at him intently as he signed the last paper that she gave him and took a small victory as he tried hard not to flinch under her gaze. She didn't mean to make him uncomfortable but she couldn't help herself from glaring at him. Once he put the paper on top of its companions, she started to speak.
"Kakashi," she started as evenly as she can and waited for him to look at her before continuing, "I'm not here to argue with you – that's the last thing that I want to do right now. I want us to talk, to clarify this," she gestured her hands in front of her in a wild manner, "This thing between us."
He gulped. What is going on? Is she going to break –
"No, I'm not going to break up with you," she answered his unspoken question with a huff and a light glare.
Kakashi breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Shizune glared a little more and then sighed, trying to release some of the tension inside her body. Her shoulders hunched slightly and she leaned her tired body back on the seat.
Kakashi noticed her slouched posture, her face pale with exhaustion, her tired and half-closed eyes, "You need to rest. We can talk tomorrow."
He watched as the familiar look of determination took over her face. If anything, Shizune Kato is one kunoichi who persevered towards her goal.
"No, we'll talk tonight," she responded after a few moments and met his worried gaze, "Before I lose my courage."
He nodded.
She took a deep breath, "I know exactly what I want, Kakashi. What about you?"
He blinked, his mind going blank, "Wha-?"
Shizune folded her hands on her lap, her thumbs twiddling as her fingers intertwined with each other and she kept her gaze on him, "I meant what I said on the phone, Kakashi. I love you. I really, really do and I want nothing but to spend the remaining years of my life with you. But I want to know what you want. When you proposed over the phone, I didn't hesitate to answer because that's exactly what I want: to be with you."
She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, "I want to know, Kakashi, is marrying me what you really want?"
Kakashi can only stare at her with wide eyes. This was not what he expected when she came into his office. He expected awkwardness, tension, confusion. He didn't expect his feelings to be doubted.
"Shizune, are you doubting my words?" he asked after a few seconds of tensed silence, trying to ignore the sting in his heart at the thought.
Her eyebrows furrowed, "What?"
He stood up and paced behind his desk, running his hand through his hair. His fingers itched to put his mask back to his face, just to hide the expression of heartbreak that he was sure is showing.
"Shizune, I poured my heart out to you earlier today. I told you how much I feel about you, how much I care. Why are you asking me this?" he asked, agitation evident in his voice and face as he stopped and looked at her.
It was Shizune's turn to be slack-jawed.
"You… you think I'm doubting you?" she asked incredulously.
"Are you not?" he snapped as he continued his pacing.
She stood up as well, her hands clenched tight, "Kakashi," she called out, a hint of anger in her voice, "I'm not doubting your love. I know you love me as much as I love you. What I want to know is if you really want to marry me!"
He stopped and looked back at her, his eyes wide with varying emotions, "What?!"
Shizune took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, "You proposed in the most unconventional way, when you thought you were going to… to die."
He didn't say anything and Shizune took that as a permission to continue, "I really want to be with you, Kakashi, for the rest of my life but we don't need to rush things. I'm perfectly fine with being your girlfriend for a while if you're not yet comfortable at the thought of having a fiancée. I know engagement and marriage is a big step forward and you wanted to take things slowly but I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do yet. A relationship needs to compromise for it to work."
She was startled when he began to chuckle.
Kakashi couldn't help himself and his light chuckles evolved to a full-blown laughter. This drama, this anxiety, all because of a little misunderstanding.
"I… I'm so… sorry," he managed to gasp out between his laughter, "Just… just give me a moment… please."
Shizune fell silent as she watched Kakashi's attempt to compose himself. Once he's calms enough and his laughter had subsided, he finally looked at her, his eyes shining with a mixture of mirth and affection.
"Oh, Shizune," he said tenderly, "You have no idea how much I love you."
Her heart skipped a beat at his words. She opened her mouth to reply but he had already ducked down, reaching for something in his drawer. She remained on her spot, curiosity gnawing at her until he straightened up, his hand clenched around something.
"Shizune," he spoke quietly, his voice low and his gaze determined, "I love you. Don't ever forget that."
She inhaled sharply and she nodded, her mouth going inexplicably dry, "I won't."
He nodded absentmindedly and stood in front of her. One of his hands took hers in a gentle yet firm grip, "What I said over the phone – all of it – was true."
He took a deep breath through his nose, "I never thought I'd be in the position that I am now, and I'm not referring to my appointment as a Hokage. What I mean is that, I never knew that I would love someone so much that I want to spend the remainder of my life with them."
He looked deeply in her eyes that were now shining with unshed tears.
"I'm not good with romance and you know that. So, I'm just going to do what I want to do," he declared as he went down on one knee and presented her the open box of ring, hearing her gasp.
"Shizune Kato, I'm asking you again because I want you to know that this is what I want. Will you do me the honor of being your husband?" he asked, looking up at her. Her hands were covering her mouth and tears were streaming silently down her cheeks.
She looked down at him, feeling overwhelmed with the emotions swimming in his eyes: apprehension, nervousness, love.
She fell to her knees and grasped his hands tightly and managed to gasp out an answer, "Yes, Kakashi, I will marry you."
Kakashi felt his heart burst from all the emotions that are welling inside his chest and he can only grin widely. She was still crying and giggling at the same time but he never thought someone would be so damn beautiful while crying. He couldn't help himself and he surged forward, catching her lips in a chaste yet passionate kiss. When he leaned back, she was grinning, and he let himself bask in the happiness that they're both feeling.
With shaking fingers, he took the ring from the box, held her hand in the other, dropping the red box on the floor and slid the ring on her left ring finger. Just as he thought, the ring looked absolutely perfect on her hand once it was settled on her finger. She admired the jewelry on her hand, her eyes shining once again. Then, she cupped her hands on his face, looking deeply into his eyes, her lips stretched in a wide smile.
"I love you, Kakashi," she whispered before she leaned closer and kissed him.
And I love you too.