Yep, another chapter. Hope you'll all like this one too. ^_^"" I'm going
to be away for awhile, so the update will take longer. I'm also guessing
about three more chapters until the end.
Continued:
Kakashi rushed forward and fell to his knees grasping Suzue's wrists and looking straight into her eyes. The broken glass lay between them, Suzue never lifting her eyes off of the strewn pieces. She barely even noticed Kakashi there in front of her. He furrowed his brow and took in a deep breath, disturbed by her grievance and lack of reaction.
"I'm sorry. . . I didn't mean to hurt you like this. Please, let me explain. Suzue?" he said, now holding onto her shoulders tightly as if she were about to run away. Suzue's head slowly lifted and looked directly at him. Kakashi felt his heart twist into knots at the expression on her face and how dull her eyes had become. They seemed a matted black, like charcoal.
"Why?" she said weakly to him. Suzue read Kakashi's body language and knew he felt the pain inside too, wrenching into a tight ball. She knew that he was truly sorry, begging for her forgiveness. And she knew that her heart could do nothing but forgive him. That was the way her love for him worked. That was the way it would always be. The words 'aishite iru kara shiawase hitsuyounai no naite yo sore tomo waratte*' came to mind.
"Why. . ." he echoed. "I don't know why. I wish I did so I could tell you. I only know what happened."
Suzue simply nodded and swallowed deeply. Her hand tightened around the shard of glass in her hand, cutting the tip of an index finger. "Ah!" she gasped. Blood balled up and ran down her finger; with it she felt her grief and pain flow out of her system. Kakashi looked down at the blood and said nothing. Instead her took her injured hand in his own gloved one and brought the cut up to his mouth, licking the blood away and sucking on the small wound. She blinked a few times and watched him.
"Kakashi." She couldn't hold it back anymore. Suzue lunged forward and hugged Kakashi tightly, squeezing the breath out of him, never wanting to let go. He hugged her back and closed his eyes, the taste of her blood still on his tongue.
It was his turn to say, "I love you."
What had happened that night was, Kakashi had been asked to work as a body guard for the young actress, herself paying big money for a jounin to do the job. She was a very cynical woman and trusted few people, seeing herself vainly as an ideal target for thugs and unruly men. Kakashi arrived late, as usual, and she was furious. After a long session of hearing about her important appointments and how urgent it was for her to be on time, they were finally able to proceed with travelling through the town. The woman felt uncomfortable not being able to see Kakashi's face and forced him to go maskless. Upon seeing his face, however, she took it upon herself to force him to go to dinner with her as a penalty for being late. He had only agreed to do so because she was going to pay. At the restaurant, Kakashi felt awkward being in such a high-class place with everyone looking at him and even more so when the actress tried small talk with him. She was growing flustered by his lack of interest in her, and how he seemed to avoid answering any questions she asked about him. After they ate, she decided it was all or nothing, and that he would never be able to resist a kiss from her. The actress kissed him while he was in mid sentence, Suzue turning away at this moment, and a second later Kakashi jumping back and standing up. He looked sorely at the actress and simply stated that he was "taken". Kakashi told her to pay the bill and that he was going to only take her home safely and be gone. Luckily she never tried any other advancement on the ninja, and left the town the next day.
"So, Kakashi. . . anything interesting happen while I was 'out'?" asked Suzue, a small smile playing about her lips. Her eyes were their bright, obsidian black once more, gleaming in the light. They were strolling along outside, soaking in the sun together as if nothing had ever happened between them. In fact, it seemed as though they were closer than ever. Kakashi only shrugged and kept walking, looking around with his one exposed eye. They both turned as they felt the presence of another ninja running towards them. He quickly arrived and stopped in front of Suzue, bowing slightly.
"I see you are feeling better, Miss Atsui?" he said. Suzue nodded and he continued. "I also see that Kakashi has found you before I was even able to give him the orders from Lord Hokage. . ." the shinobi added. Suzue bristled instead of nodding this time. He was looking for her? That probably wasn't a good sign.
"Did you have news to tell me, or did you just stop by to say hi?" she asked chuckling despite herself. Just being outside again with her love was more than uplifting. Her soul felt as though it had just been freed from a dark, dank prison. One that she had built with her own hands and feelings.
"Atsui, you have been put on the Earth Country team. You will be leaving tomorrow. I can brief you on the details and I, uh, suggest that you prepare right away," he answered.
"Earth Country team?! Are you serious? That's a long-term mission, isn't it? Wait, no, tell me: why he is adding me to this late. I'm no outstanding shinobi. Tell me!" Suzue was biting her lower lip. Could this be because she hadn't been showing up for her duties for a week? She knew it was. Just looking at the guy's face told her everything. "I see. . . I will go and ask the Lord Hokage about this myself than." Suzue had calmed down and looked to Kakashi questioningly. He simply nodded. He would go with her when she asked.
Suzue stood before the Hokage listening to his explanation of the mission. Though she had asked several times about why he had put her on the team, he would only reply with "I know you are able to help the Leaf this way". Not much of an answer in her opinion, but she accepted respectfully. The majority of her assignment was to gather information about the Earth Country. It sounded almost. . . boring, but when the Hokage mentioned how long she would be there, Suzue almost let out a small scream.
"Your mission will last five years. . ." the Hokage said.
"F-five years?" She could barely believe it. Half a decade on a mission that was already sounding boring, but what had bothered her most about it was that she wouldn't be able to see Kakashi for that long. Her only hope was that the time would pass by quickly. Real quickly. Her mind could only focus on the things that she would miss while she was away. Her and Kakashi turning legal drinking age, the chuunin exam, her father's dog having its puppies, the construction of the new bath house and everything else she could possibly imagine. Apparently her dismal showed on her face for the Hokage smiled sadly and asked her a simple question.
"Why did you become a ninja, Suzue?" It was not said accusingly, but more curiously than anything else.
"Er. . ." she had been taken by surprise by the question. "To serve the Leaf, of course, Lord Hokage." Suzue bowed causally.
He nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, I can see that is in your heart now. I mean when you were a child? You certainly weren't having a good time the first year. You threatened to quit every week. So what made you change your mind?" He looked at her, still smiling.
"Oh. I stayed because I wanted to be with Kakashi," Suzue replied, quickly turning a deep shade of red afterwards. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. The Hokage said nothing for a moment, then turned to Kakashi who was leaning on a wall nearby with his hands in his pockets. Kakashi tilted his head to the side slightly at the other man's stare.
"I'm sorry I have to separate you two for so long. Good luck on your task, Suzue." The Hokage left the room, bowing to the two before hand and leaving them alone together.
The next morning Kakashi and Suzue said their good byes, a long passionate kiss still tingling on their lips. She waved to him from the end of the road and slowly disappeared from sight. His words were imprinted deep into her mind. Simple words anyone would say, and yet, they held true meaning to her.
"I will wait for you."
*Means: I love you, so I don't need happiness. Crying or laughing.
Continued:
Kakashi rushed forward and fell to his knees grasping Suzue's wrists and looking straight into her eyes. The broken glass lay between them, Suzue never lifting her eyes off of the strewn pieces. She barely even noticed Kakashi there in front of her. He furrowed his brow and took in a deep breath, disturbed by her grievance and lack of reaction.
"I'm sorry. . . I didn't mean to hurt you like this. Please, let me explain. Suzue?" he said, now holding onto her shoulders tightly as if she were about to run away. Suzue's head slowly lifted and looked directly at him. Kakashi felt his heart twist into knots at the expression on her face and how dull her eyes had become. They seemed a matted black, like charcoal.
"Why?" she said weakly to him. Suzue read Kakashi's body language and knew he felt the pain inside too, wrenching into a tight ball. She knew that he was truly sorry, begging for her forgiveness. And she knew that her heart could do nothing but forgive him. That was the way her love for him worked. That was the way it would always be. The words 'aishite iru kara shiawase hitsuyounai no naite yo sore tomo waratte*' came to mind.
"Why. . ." he echoed. "I don't know why. I wish I did so I could tell you. I only know what happened."
Suzue simply nodded and swallowed deeply. Her hand tightened around the shard of glass in her hand, cutting the tip of an index finger. "Ah!" she gasped. Blood balled up and ran down her finger; with it she felt her grief and pain flow out of her system. Kakashi looked down at the blood and said nothing. Instead her took her injured hand in his own gloved one and brought the cut up to his mouth, licking the blood away and sucking on the small wound. She blinked a few times and watched him.
"Kakashi." She couldn't hold it back anymore. Suzue lunged forward and hugged Kakashi tightly, squeezing the breath out of him, never wanting to let go. He hugged her back and closed his eyes, the taste of her blood still on his tongue.
It was his turn to say, "I love you."
What had happened that night was, Kakashi had been asked to work as a body guard for the young actress, herself paying big money for a jounin to do the job. She was a very cynical woman and trusted few people, seeing herself vainly as an ideal target for thugs and unruly men. Kakashi arrived late, as usual, and she was furious. After a long session of hearing about her important appointments and how urgent it was for her to be on time, they were finally able to proceed with travelling through the town. The woman felt uncomfortable not being able to see Kakashi's face and forced him to go maskless. Upon seeing his face, however, she took it upon herself to force him to go to dinner with her as a penalty for being late. He had only agreed to do so because she was going to pay. At the restaurant, Kakashi felt awkward being in such a high-class place with everyone looking at him and even more so when the actress tried small talk with him. She was growing flustered by his lack of interest in her, and how he seemed to avoid answering any questions she asked about him. After they ate, she decided it was all or nothing, and that he would never be able to resist a kiss from her. The actress kissed him while he was in mid sentence, Suzue turning away at this moment, and a second later Kakashi jumping back and standing up. He looked sorely at the actress and simply stated that he was "taken". Kakashi told her to pay the bill and that he was going to only take her home safely and be gone. Luckily she never tried any other advancement on the ninja, and left the town the next day.
"So, Kakashi. . . anything interesting happen while I was 'out'?" asked Suzue, a small smile playing about her lips. Her eyes were their bright, obsidian black once more, gleaming in the light. They were strolling along outside, soaking in the sun together as if nothing had ever happened between them. In fact, it seemed as though they were closer than ever. Kakashi only shrugged and kept walking, looking around with his one exposed eye. They both turned as they felt the presence of another ninja running towards them. He quickly arrived and stopped in front of Suzue, bowing slightly.
"I see you are feeling better, Miss Atsui?" he said. Suzue nodded and he continued. "I also see that Kakashi has found you before I was even able to give him the orders from Lord Hokage. . ." the shinobi added. Suzue bristled instead of nodding this time. He was looking for her? That probably wasn't a good sign.
"Did you have news to tell me, or did you just stop by to say hi?" she asked chuckling despite herself. Just being outside again with her love was more than uplifting. Her soul felt as though it had just been freed from a dark, dank prison. One that she had built with her own hands and feelings.
"Atsui, you have been put on the Earth Country team. You will be leaving tomorrow. I can brief you on the details and I, uh, suggest that you prepare right away," he answered.
"Earth Country team?! Are you serious? That's a long-term mission, isn't it? Wait, no, tell me: why he is adding me to this late. I'm no outstanding shinobi. Tell me!" Suzue was biting her lower lip. Could this be because she hadn't been showing up for her duties for a week? She knew it was. Just looking at the guy's face told her everything. "I see. . . I will go and ask the Lord Hokage about this myself than." Suzue had calmed down and looked to Kakashi questioningly. He simply nodded. He would go with her when she asked.
Suzue stood before the Hokage listening to his explanation of the mission. Though she had asked several times about why he had put her on the team, he would only reply with "I know you are able to help the Leaf this way". Not much of an answer in her opinion, but she accepted respectfully. The majority of her assignment was to gather information about the Earth Country. It sounded almost. . . boring, but when the Hokage mentioned how long she would be there, Suzue almost let out a small scream.
"Your mission will last five years. . ." the Hokage said.
"F-five years?" She could barely believe it. Half a decade on a mission that was already sounding boring, but what had bothered her most about it was that she wouldn't be able to see Kakashi for that long. Her only hope was that the time would pass by quickly. Real quickly. Her mind could only focus on the things that she would miss while she was away. Her and Kakashi turning legal drinking age, the chuunin exam, her father's dog having its puppies, the construction of the new bath house and everything else she could possibly imagine. Apparently her dismal showed on her face for the Hokage smiled sadly and asked her a simple question.
"Why did you become a ninja, Suzue?" It was not said accusingly, but more curiously than anything else.
"Er. . ." she had been taken by surprise by the question. "To serve the Leaf, of course, Lord Hokage." Suzue bowed causally.
He nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, I can see that is in your heart now. I mean when you were a child? You certainly weren't having a good time the first year. You threatened to quit every week. So what made you change your mind?" He looked at her, still smiling.
"Oh. I stayed because I wanted to be with Kakashi," Suzue replied, quickly turning a deep shade of red afterwards. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. The Hokage said nothing for a moment, then turned to Kakashi who was leaning on a wall nearby with his hands in his pockets. Kakashi tilted his head to the side slightly at the other man's stare.
"I'm sorry I have to separate you two for so long. Good luck on your task, Suzue." The Hokage left the room, bowing to the two before hand and leaving them alone together.
The next morning Kakashi and Suzue said their good byes, a long passionate kiss still tingling on their lips. She waved to him from the end of the road and slowly disappeared from sight. His words were imprinted deep into her mind. Simple words anyone would say, and yet, they held true meaning to her.
"I will wait for you."
*Means: I love you, so I don't need happiness. Crying or laughing.