They went back to her apartment together, sleeping soundly and their arms wrapped around one another in exhaustion. Kakashi didn't mind; they're both weary and in need of some rest – Shizune even more so – before they face their duties again in the morning.

When Kakashi began to wake, his hands reached for Shizune warmth, only to feel the cold and empty sheets against his fingers. He blearily opened his eyes, blinking a few times against the bright sunlight that seeped in through the thin curtain. Shizune's not in bed anymore. She must be preparing breakfast. He sat up and sighed. If the sun is already this high, then it's quite late and they have to get ready for the day.

He stood up and pulled on the shirt that he left on one of her drawers and made a quick trio to the bathroom. When he stepped out of the room, Shizune was already setting up the table with the breakfast that she prepared, their bento boxes neatly stacked on the other side table. She smiled when he walked in and his heart made a little jump when the sunlight hit her left hand and made the ring on her finger glimmer proudly.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully. Kakashi stepped close to her, cupped her face with his hands and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, there was a light blush dusting her cheeks and he couldn't help but smirk.

"Good morning, my dear fiancée," he murmured, hands still holding her face.

Her blush deepened and his smirk widened at the desired reaction, "That… takes some time to get used to."

The Hokage leaned his forehead against hers, "Hm? Would you be more comfortable if it's… Mrs. Hatake?"

She giggled, her blush darkening, leaning in and giving him a chaste kiss, "It's nearly 7:30, Hokage-sama. Let's get ready for work."

He pouted and sighed dramatically, earning another giggle from the woman. She kissed him again and pulled away, taking his hand and directing him towards the table. She really prepared a hearty breakfast and they ate in comfortable silence.

They were almost done when Shizune spoke again, "So, you'll be questioning them today."

Kakashi swallowed the last of his tea and shook his head, "Not really. Our Yamanaka ninjas and personnel will go ahead and perform their clan's hidenjutsu on the rogues and the Yuki ninjas. I'll be there to observe and ask for any information they had managed to glean from them for a little while before going to the office."

She stirred her tea slowly, "You think it's necessary? Subjecting the Yuki ninjas to that jutsu, I mean."

He absently took her free hand, "I think so, yeah. I don't think we can afford to be lousy now and not be as thorough on our actions as we did before."

She nodded in understanding, "I see. But don't you think Koyuki will be offended?"

He snorted, "I honestly don't care if she gets offended or whatever she would feel about this. She withheld so much important information from us when we're already being terrorized by the people caused by their incompetence. Our village and its people were the ones who faced the consequences of their inadequacy."

She stared at him, silent for almost a minute, "That's… some strong emotions right there, Kakashi."

He chuckled and rubbed her hand in a comforting manner, "Maybe I'm still tired?"

It was her turn to chuckle and she stood up, pulling her hand away from his grasp, "Perhaps. Come on, Hokage-sama! The earlier we start our work, the earlier we can finish for the day!"

"Good morning, Hokage-sama!" one of Ibiki's subordinates greeted.

Kakashi nodded as an acknowledgement, "Have they started?"

They nodded in confirmation and led him to the room, where several Yamanakas and the equipment that they needed to perform their task. One of them was Ino, who had her eyes closed as she held the top of Miho's head. Ibiki was standing close to them with his arms crossed.

Kakashi walked to stand beside the burly man, "Anything?"

The Jounin nodded, "We found out that he had been working as a mole in the Yuki's ranks in favor of the rogue's group, informing them of when the Land of Snow is preparing an ambush against their group or if their hideout was discovered. So far, we found no evidence that the Snow's leaders, government or any of those ninjas sent by Koyuki-sama is part of this mess."

Kakashi stared at the closed eyed Miho and clenched his teeth, his jaw tensing in anger, "Any motive?"

Ibiki scoffed lightly, "Aside from his 'unending and unyielding loyalty to Doto-sama' – his words, not mine – there's no other clear motive that we found so far."

Kakashi sighed. All of this mess, all of his ninjas that were injured, all of them had risked their lives all because this sons of bitches are a bunch of fanatics who followed a dead man's ideology blindly.

The Hokage relaxed his jaw and spoke in a more neutral tone, "The Yuki ninjas? The rogues?"

"They're being held in the other rooms and are being subjected to this by the other Yamanaka clan members," Ibiki replied.

Kakashi nodded and turned to leave the room, "I'll check on them, then."

First, he went to the rooms where the Yuki shinobi were being held and the personnel that was reviewing their records all said the same thing: that the Yuki ninjas appeared to have no affiliation to the rebels and they also had no knowledge of Miho's involvement. Somewhat satisfied, he moved on to the other rooms, where the two other captured criminals were still being 'questioned'.

One of Ibiki's men was standing by the door, their back leaning against the wall. Kakashi nodded in gratitude as they opened the door for him. The Yamanaka holding the head of the rebel didn't even flinch when the door slammed heavily behind Kakashi. The Hokage turned to the ninja that was reviewing the information that they managed to procure from the man's head.

"Did you find anything?" Kakashi asked.

They looked up, "Nothing to incriminate the Yuki government nor their ninjas, Hokage-sama. It appears that they really are innocent."

Kakashi nearly breathed a sigh of relief. He was already making contingency plans and anticipating peace talks in his head and it definitely alleviated his worries, to know that this organized group is confirmed to have absolutely no connection to the government of the Land of Snow. He gave the personnel a nod and turned to leave.

He entered the room next door, where the last of the criminals is being held. The personnel from the other side of the door frantically opened the door for him as he entered.

"They're almost finished early, Hokage-sama," they told him.

Kakashi's eyebrow rose in surprise and he chanced a glance at the one being subjected to the jutsu, "So soon?"

They nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama. Turns out this one was just a new recruit – a member for only a few months."

His forehead knitted in confusion, "What do you mean? All the other members were at least 25 years old or above."

"This young man was a son of a former member of their organization," they explained as they held out the papers to Kakashi containing the information about the criminal, "A few months ago, he was persuaded by his father when he was 15 to join the group since the father is dying of some disease. Reason why he only held little information."

Kakashi's eyes skimmed over the documents, confirming the facts that was said to him. The young man's father was a former Jounin under Doto's reign and rebelled when Koyuki took back the Land of Snow, leaving behind a wife and two children to fend for themselves in the harsh conditions of Yuki. The young man just reached 15, already a Chuunin of the Yuki, and he was out on a mission when his father came to talk to him while he was on night watch. He was persuaded by his father and left his group, who were still sleeping in their tents.

He handed the papers back to the ninja tasked with studying the records, "Thank you for telling me. If there's anything that will happen, I'll be at the Tower. We still need to properly coordinate this incident with the Land of Snow."

The personnel nodded and bowed respectfully. As Kakashi turned to leave, another voice spoke from behind him.

"What do you intend to do with us, Hokage-sama?"

He turned around saw the young man's eyes already open, his hands and feet already bound by shackles. Kakashi stared at him. He's too young, his eyes too wide but also too tired. His shoulders were hunched, as if the world was resting on his shoulders. Kakashi couldn't stop the pangs of pity that coursed through him. He was once a young man faced with the cruelty of the shinobi world and he can fully understand where the young man's mourning and grimness is coming from. But justice for these criminals doesn't belong in his hands. And their village deserve justice from the pain that they inflicted against his shinobi.

"We already informed the Land of Snow of your arrest," he said evenly, the visible part of his face showing nothing, "They will be the one to decide what they're going to do with you."

With that, Kakashi left the interrogation room.

The arrival of the Yuki ninjas to retrieve their comrades, their fallen and the rogue criminals was a rather uneventful day.

A group of 10 Yuki ninjas arrived three days after Kakashi informed them that their problem had been solved, two days earlier than they anticipated. Luckily, Shizune had already made the necessary preparations for their imminent arrival the day after the fateful fight. They were welcomed by Shikamaru, Kotetsu and Izumo and was led to the Tower immediately.

Kakashi sat behind his desk, donning his Hokage robe and hat while Shizune stood a few feet behind him when the door opened and Kotetsu announced the arrival of the ninjas. They entered one by one, standing in a single file in his office. Shikamaru, Kotetsu and Izumo then moved to stand beside him.

One of the ninjas stepped forward and bowed down to him respectfully, "Thank you for welcoming us, Hokage-sama. Your hospitality is very much appreciated."

Kakashi gave her a nod, "We welcome you to Konohagakure. I hope your journey had been favorable to you."

The ninja nodded, "It is, Hokage-sama. We hurried with our pace and, thankfully, made our travel quick."

He clasped his hands on his desk and stared at the woman squarely, "I understand that you're going to have a long journey back home. So I suppose you'd want to get down to business immediately?"

"If it's alright with you, Hokage-sama."

Shizune moved forward and handed him a pile of papers, "These are the composite sketches of the rebels that died in the skirmish the other night."

Kakashi handed some of the papers to the woman in front, to which she skimmed with her eyes, "I do recognize some of them. Thank you for the effort, Hokage-sama."

He shook his head, "No, don't thank me. Those were the works of the ninjas in the morgue. If I may ask, would you take the criminals we captured back to your village or will they be sent to Hozuki castle?"

The Yuki ninja looked up, "We're not certain yet. Kazahana-sama is still conferring and consulting with the village council with regards to these renegades. Which reminds me, Hokage-sama," the woman's expression turned almost apologetic, "Please believe that Yuki and its people are innocent and have no hand at what had transpired. Sota Miho is a spy and a criminal who compromised the safety of the people of your village and, for that, he will certainly face the consequences of his actions."

Kakashi looked down thoughtfully at the papers still on his desk, "These are the information that we managed to gather from the rogues that had been captured. It's evident and it proves that the government and the leaders of the Land of Snow is not, in any way, involved in the mess that these people have created. And I believe the sources that we have."

The woman nodded in grim understanding as she handed the sketches to her companion, "I… we completely understand, Hokage-sama. Thank you for hearing us out. If we may kindly ask, can our innocent comrades be freed already?"

Kakashi glanced at Shikamaru, "My advisor, Nara Shikamaru, and some of my ninjas will lead you to the building where they're being held. I would assume that they will be also be utilized as guards of the criminals?"

She nodded affirmatively, "We want them to have the most guards so they don't try anything to escape."

"That's a good and a very necessary decision. Thank you," he replied gratefully "Now, Shikamaru will be escorting you to the building."

Shikamaru nodded, "If you'll please follow me."

One by one, the Yuki ninjas and Shikamaru left the office, the door closing softly behind them and leaving Kakashi and Shizune alone. The Hokage leaned back on his seat and heaved a great sigh.

"Tired?" Shizune asked in amusement as she stepped closer and stood behind his chair. Kakashi swiveled his chair around and gave her a grin behind his mask.

"I'm actually relieved," he corrected and he placed his hands upon her hips, "It's really over now, my soon-to-be wife. We finally have the time to plan our wedding."

She looked to the side for a moment, a look of contemplation in her face as she settled her hands on his shoulders, "Yeah… about that…" she muttered, her thumbs running nervous circles on the fabric of his Hokage robe.

Kakashi looked up at her in alarm, "What's wrong?"

Her eyes snapped to his, "It's nothing, I swear! I just… I'm just thinking…"

He frowned, "What is it?"

Shizune took a deep breath, "I'm just thinking about the wedding. I know it's supposed to be grand since you're the Hokage."

"But…?" He prompted.

"But… I'm not so comfortable with so many people around us on our special day," she said in a rush, her words coming out in a single breath.

Kakashi stared at her with confusion, "Wha...?"

"Don't get me wrong!" she exclaimed, "I'm proud and honored to marry you but… I don't want that whole spectacle that happened during Naruto's wedding and I'm not that comfortable with so many guests around," she explained.

Kakashi's face brightened with realization. Shizune and their friends had recounted to him the whole fiasco that occurred while planning Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Considering his position as the Hokage, it is expected that his nuptial is as grand as Naruto's. However, he can't just ignore his fiancée's discomfort when that day comes. It is their wedding, after all. They should be the one to decide what will happen.

His mind was running a mile a minute when an idea came to his mind and a grin made it's way to his lips, "I have a solution to that."

He explained his plan to her and she patiently listened, not even interrupting once to protest even if she looked unsure. When he finished, Shizune still looked hesitant.

"Kakashi," she asked with worry in her voice, "Are you sure about this?"

He stood up and kissed her cheek, "I'm the Hokage, a little abuse of position wouldn't hurt anyone," he gave her a cheeky grin, "Come on, Shizune, what do you think?"

She pouted, "…it's not so bad, after all. You know what? Fine, fine. Let's do this."

His grin widened and he began to take off his Hokage robe and hat, leaving him in his dark uniform, "I'll be right back. You make the calls while I'm out."

He ran the streets of Konoha excitedly, a certain destination pushing his feet to move forward. As he entered the street where the night market will be, he slowed down a bit and his face brightened when he spotted the jewelry store.

He entered and the store owner welcomed him with a wide smile, "Good afternoon, Hokage-sama!"

He smiled back, "Good afternoon to you, too. Hey, about those things that I ordered…"

"They're ready now, Hokage-sama!" the owner declared and turned, reaching down towards the cabinet behind him. After a few seconds of rummaging around, he straightened himself and presented the blue velvet box to Kakashi proudly.

"Just as you asked, Hokage-sama," the owner grinned. Kakashi took the box and opened it, studying the gold bands that rests inside.

"Simple, just as you requested," the owner declared. Kakashi snapped the box shut and dug into his pocket, pulling out the money that he needed.

"Thank you for making it so quick," the Hokage stated as the man accepted the cash.

The owner waved a hand, "Don't worry about it, Hokage-sama. It's the least I can do for keeping our village safe."

Kakashi gave him a grateful smile and left the store.

When Kakashi arrived at the office, Gai was already in his office with Kurenai as his companion. Shizune was chatting with them and the two Jounins gave him a quizzical look the moment he entered the room.

"Kakashi, nice to see you," Kurenai said with a smile, "What is this meeting about?"

"Oh, I know!" the former Taijutsu expert said, "Eternal Rival! I knew you'd take my challenge of a swimsuit competition someday!" Gai exclaimed with a bright grin.

Kakashi locked the office door and held up his hands, "No, it's not for that Gai. We called you here for the very important event of our lives."

Kurenai's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Shizune moved to stand beside him and Kakashi grasped her left hand with his right one, "We're getting married."

Their eyes widened before a wide grin appeared on Kurenai's lips, "That's so great! Congratulations! When –"

She was cut off when a sudden sob was heard throughout the room. They looked at Gai, who had tears running down his face. Nonetheless, he was smiling a genuine smile.

"Kakashi," the normally loud man was speaking softly, his voice ringing with happiness and pride, "I am so happy for you, my friend. Sakumo-san would've been so proud of you."

The Hokage felt tears prickle his eyes at the words of his best friend. Letting go of Shizune's hand, he stood in front of Gai and placed a hand on his soulder.

"Thank you, Gai," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "You're my best friend. What you said… it means a lot to me."

"So," Kurenai interjected with a clap of her hand, "When's the wedding?"

Kakashi glanced at Shizune and, seeing the determined look on her face, he answered for the both of them.

"Today."

Kurenai blinked, "Today? As in… later? After work?"

Shizune stepped closer to her friend, "No. Today as in right now. We're just waiting for Tsunade to officiate the wedding."

Gai and Kurenai gaped at the two of them, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Wha-?"

"Ho-?"

"Now?!" the two chorused.

Shizune gave the two a happy grin, "Yes, right now. I just… I realized that I want our wedding to be intimate and not something that's not so grand. We just want our two best friends to be here as the witnesses and we'll have a celebration later tonight as a post-reception."

The two still had a shocked look on their faces that made Kakashi grin behind his mask, "I'm sorry you had to know this way," he apologized half-heartedly.

Kurenai recovered first, "Oh, you guys, I am honored that you chose us as your witnesses!" she exclaimed.

Shizune took Kurenai's hand between her own and spoke with tears in her eyes, "You guys have no idea how much this means to us."

The raven-haired woman gave her a grin, "Anything for you, my friend."

A knocked interrupted their conversation. Shizune opened the door and revealed Tsunade, who looked pissed off.

"Really, Hatake?" she demanded as she stepped into the room, "In the middle of the day? When it's not even lunch yet?"

Kakashi grinned sheepishly, "My apologies, Tsunade-sama, but I just couldn't wait any longer."

Tsunade waved a dismissive hand and made her way behind the desk, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, where's that paper?"

Kakashi reached under the piles of paper on his desk and pulled out the certificate that they needed. Shizune handed her the booklet that the blonde needed to perform the ceremony. Kakashi and Shizune the stood in front of the desk and their two friends took their position beside them. Tsunade opened the booklet to the right page, cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Friends, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Hatake Kakashi and Kato Shizune…"

The ceremony had been quick. There were no vows exchanged, the words were clipped the rings were slipped on almost carelessly and the signatures made on the paper were hastily scribbled. Duty will call soon and they need to get back to their work. Right after, the three left the office, with the promise of making the reservation at the restaurant and inviting their friends for the reception party. That left the newly wed couple alone in his office. Kakashi turned to face his wife and gave her a grin.

"So, Mrs. Hatake Shizune…" he teased and his grin widened when she blushed.

She giggled, her face still tinged pink, "Yes, Mr. Hatake?"

"We never really got to say our vows," he began.

She blinked, "Are saying that your going to recite a vow… for me? For our wedding?" she asked with surprise, her voice tremulous.

He nodded, taking her hands in his and cleared his throat, "Shizune," he began, "I love you because you are happy and independent and strong. I love you because you love your family and friends just as fiercely as I love mine. You are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could have ever imagined and more loved than I ever thought was possible. You make me unbelievably proud and I promise that I will make you proud as your husband."

He looked straight into her eyes, almost getting lost in the dark pools that are now brimming with tears, and he continued his speech, "I vow to listen to you and learn from you. I vow to laugh with you and cry with you. I vow to value our differences just as much as our common ground. I vow to put all my effort into strengthening our marriage and giving you the best version of myself, on good days or bad days, rain or shine. I'll love you forever. I am so lucky that you are mine."

A tear ran down her face and she pulled his mask down to kiss him, "Kakashi," she whispered once they pulled away, "Oh, Kakashi you made me so happy right now and I didn't even prepare a vow!"

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her frame, "Shizune, it's alright. We're not really expected to do this today."

She hummed and buried her face on the crook of his neck. They stayed that way for a little while longer, savoring in the warmth of their love, until Shizune pulled away.

"I thought of something," she declared.

"What?"

"Hatake Kakashi, I choose you to be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you and trusting who you will become. I will respect and honor you always and in all ways. With you, I pledge to repair one small piece of the world. I promise you that I am the woman who will love you like no one else can and you will always be the man that pushes me to live the longest for. I take you to be my spouse, to have and to hold, in tears and in laughter, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, in this world and the next," she finished.

It was Kakashi's turn tear up and to kiss his sweet, beautiful and simply wonderful wife, Hatake Shizune.

A/N: im so sorry that the update is late! i was in the hospital yesterday because of a severe allergic reaction that had me gasping for air. thankfully, i was rushed immediately to the hospital and im still alive xD

anyway! i hope you enjoyed this chapter! there will be an epilogue in a few days, i swear. maybe by wednesday it will be posted :)))