Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just own my OCs.
The contents of the small box that was tucked under his arm gently rattled and rubbed against each other with every step Kakashi took. The trek from his home to the large official red building took longer than it should have due to some of the villagers wanting to give him their congratulations, words of praise, and well wishes.
Still not accustomed to the attention and recognition, he managed to stutter out his thanks and appreciation only to question his etiquette as a newly appointed official of the village. Did he bow too many times when he was speaking with that mother and her child? Did bend low enough when he came across that elderly man?
Since the announcement of his taking on the Hokage position a week ago, the well-wishing was becoming more and more frequent. Tsunade told him to relax and not to worry, and that he would eventually get used to it. He mentally sighed when she said that. It was easier for her – being the granddaughter of the first Hokage, she was practically royalty. She was used to the notoriety; having been exposed to it her entire life. And the role she left for him to fill was intimidating, to say the least.
Lost in his thoughts, he had unknowingly arrived at the door that led him into his new office. The door itself was unimpressive. In fact, it looked like all the other doors in the building. He had walked through it countless times throughout his shinobi career, but it was different this time. He exhaled and turned the knob.
The circular room was lightly cluttered with various-sized boxes and disorganized from being mixed with his things and some of Tsunade's things that she had yet to move. Walking further in, he set the small box onto the cleared-off desk and started to organize his things. He had just situated his framed photo of Team 7 on the left side of his desk when a knock came on the door.
Tsunade stood at the threshold while casually leaning against the doorframe with a bright smile on her youthful face.
"Getting settled?"
He sighed and nodded. "Almost. Though I haven't gotten very far with my unpacking."
She further entered her old office and noticed that he did not have many personal belongings. A stack of books sat on one side of the desk while scrolls sat on the other next to a picture frame of Kakashi and his Genin. She almost commented on the lack of personal belongings he decided to bring, but then reminded herself that he was the type to keep his personal life separate from his work life. He would soon learn that with this new position, separation of the two was going to be difficult.
"The rest of my things will be gone by today," she promised.
"It's no rush."
"Given that your inauguration is tomorrow, I disagree." She gave him a cheeky grin and a dreamy sigh. "It'll be so nice to be officially retired."
A year after the Fourth Shinobi War ended, Tsunade was more than ready to pass the title on to him. The position was signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered to him. All he had to do was accept. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had lost the Sharingan, and with that the proper handling of his Chidori as well. Without the two, he felt unqualified for the position. It wasn't until his recent mission to Nami no Kuni and the incident regarding the Tobishachimaru did Tsunade agreed to his terms regarding Kahyō's sentencing – on the condition that it would be his first official act as the Rokudaime.
"Hai, hai…" Kakashi sheepishly chuckled and continued to move items and adjust some shelves around the room.
They continued to converse and Tsunade found herself leaning against the desk as Kakashi slowly turned the office into a more personal space. She noticed the nearly empty small box that was in the middle of the desk and saw another frame next to a small potted plant inside it. It was smaller than the one already situated on the desk.
Curiously, she picked it up and stared at the photo it protected. "Well, this is certainly a rare moment," Tsunade commented with a disbelieving smile. "I don't think I've ever seen her smile like this."
Kakashi looked from across the room, about to ask what she meant but stopped himself when he saw the frame in her hands. A small smile formed beneath his mask as he shelved one more book before making his way over to Tsunade.
"Did you take it?" she asked while handing over the frame.
He gently took it from her hands before putting it upright on the desk. He heavily contemplated even bringing it and hadn't even fully decided if he should leave it here in his new office or just take it back to his new residence.
"Yeah."
"It's very good."
"Thanks. It's an older one but still one of my favorites."
"How long has it been?" she cautiously asked, making sure to tread carefully.
He sighed and took a seat in the large swivel chair. It had been a little over a year since the war ended, and she was gone a few months after. "A little over seven months," he breathed and looked at the picture once more. After verbalizing it out loud, the reality of just how much time had gone by sunk into his mind.
Tsunade looked at him with sympathy. "I know it's been hard. The war took so much from so many." She brought a hand to rest on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "Just give it more time."
"Yeah," he nodded.
She peered into the box once more and picked up a stack of envelopes that were banded together. One envelope on the very bottom ended up not being banded with the stack and fell to the floor. She briefly paused when she bent to pick up the fallen letter. It was different from the rest; shorter in length with a lovely faint floral fragrance that emitted from it. Only his name was written on the envelope with a different style of handwriting.
'Is this…?'
Kakashi quickly and gently pulled the envelope out of her hand and placed it back into the box while placing the banded stack into one of the desk drawers.
"So, the rumors are true then?"
His movements halted as his body froze and a dreaded feeling began to manifest.
'Not you too, Tsunade-sama…'
"Well, given your current situation, you can't blame them for thinking that. I mean… it's been seven months… and given how it all-"
"I'm alright, and you're overthinking this. I must have accidentally mixed it in with the other letters." A tone of finality could be heard when he spoke.
She gave him a look of concern. "Kakashi…" she chose her words carefully. "… forgive me for being so bold, but maybe it's time to consider di-"
"I appreciate yours and everyone else's concern," he was not going to have this conversation. "But everything is fine – I'm fine," he stressed and reiterated. "And there's nothing going on between Kahyō and me."
"You don't have to tell me. Naruto was the one spreading it."
He was aware and had already confronted his former student about it. Kakashi could only sigh now. "The fire has spread to the point where all I can do now is just let this ridiculous rumor burn itself out."
She knew not to press the matter further. She of all people knew firsthand just how difficult it was to let go of a loved one. "Well," she cleared her throat. "I think I've distracted you enough for today. I'll take what I can now and have Kotetsu and Izumo get the rest." She moved away from the desk and grabbed one of the larger boxes before walking out the door.
"Wait, Tsunade-sama!" he pulled open one of the drawers and took out a pale porcelain bottle that was full and unopened. "I found this earlier."
She laughed after recognizing the bottle and its contents inside. "You sure you don't want to keep it for yourself?"
He chuckled while carefully placing it into the box in her arms. "No, thanks."
"Don't be afraid to call me if you need anything."
"Hai. Enjoy your retirement."
She gave him one final nod before leaving. Alone again in his office, he sat back down in the chair and leaned back. Taking a deep breath, he loudly breathed out all his unease and trepidation. Coming back into a more upright position, he looked at the framed photo in the middle of the desk and picked it back up.
"Tomorrow…" he mumbled. "… tomorrow, I will officially be Hokage."
'And you're not here'
The colored photo was of a woman. Her long ebony locks loosely fell around a beautiful face that comprised purple eyes and naturally red lips that were pulled back into a small loving smile that lit up her entire face. He almost didn't bring the photo – thinking it best to leave it at home. But days like today, when he would unwillingly fall prey to his troubled thoughts, it helped to keep them at bay and caused him to think about the happier times.
The day the photo was taken was like any other. They had the day off from their shinobi duties and spent it laying in the grass along a favored riverbank. She was there first and he made his way to meet her with a camera on his person. It wasn't something he normally carried, but that day he was glad he did.
It started out as a civilian cover alter ego for missions or information gathering, but slowly turned into a hobby. He was no professional by any means, but his photos were more than decent and he was only getting better.
…
"You brought a camera," Her head was tilted back, having to look up at him from her seated place in the grass.
"I did."
"Any reason why?"
"Not really. Just felt like it."
She nodded and resumed reading. He remained standing and casually surveyed the area before a thought occurred.
"Hey, close your eyes."
She tilted her head back again, only this time it was with a wary stare. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Humor me."
She stared at him for a few moments before reluctantly complying. "No pranks, please."
He chuckled and promised before leaning down while lowering his mask. Using one hand to tilt her head back and chin up, he leaned in for a deep kiss that she quickly reciprocated.
He broke the kiss after a few seconds and then told her to open her eyes. When she opened them, she was quickly met with a click and his mask-less face hidden behind the camera that was angled down at her face. The dreamy feeling and look changed into shock and embarrassment.
"You said no pranks!"
She quickly rose to her feet and tried to reach for the camera. She was unsuccessful due to his height advantage, and the hand holding the camera over both their heads only made it more difficult.
"It wasn't a prank!" He laughed while keeping her away.
"You could have warned me what you planned to do!"
"But then the raw and genuine moment would have been lost! And the idea just came to mind! Besides," he spun and smoothly maneuvered around her and managed to pull her into his embrace. "it's a beautiful picture." His lips lightly brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered into it.
"How can you know that when it has not even been developed?"
He kissed her forehead. "Because you're in it, my ningyō." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
His words of sincerity and adoration reddened her face, even more, causing her to bury it into his chest to hide it. He couldn't help but laugh once more as he tightened his hold around her.
…
He missed her, but the reminiscing ended when another knock came on the door.
"It's us – Izumo and Kotetsu."
Kakashi set the frame aside facedown and cleared his mind. "Come in."
"Apologies if we're interrupting Kakashi- er I mean Rokudaime-sama!"
"There's no need for the "Lord". We're long-time comrades. Kakashi is fine."
The two Chunins seemed to disregard his words as they continued the conversation. "We passed by Tsunade-sama as she was leaving and was told to come by here to gather the last of her things."
Kakashi hummed and stood to indicate what was supposed to stay and what needed to go. "Thanks for your help." He waved them off before returning to the task of organizing the office now that all of Tsunade's things were gone.
About an hour and a half later, every item was put in its preferred place. Looking around, he wondered how long he would be able to keep it this way. His stare fell back to the black framed photo on his desk. Choosing to place it directly beside the photo of him and his Genin, he continued to stare at it for a few more seconds before leaning back again and closing his eyes.
"The day is almost over…"
His mind wandered again. But instead, he thought about his father, knowing that there would be a look of pride on his face if he could see him now. Then it wandered to Minato-sensei where he hoped to be just as great as him when he was Hokage. And then finally, he thought about Obito. His best friend: the one who gave him the Sharingan that allowed him to become the shinobi that he is now.
Having done everything that was needed to be done, he properly discarded the moving boxes and decided to end the day with a visit to the Memorial Stone, a more proper way to think of his fallen loved ones.
"I told you he'd be here!"
At the sound of Naruto's voice, Kakashi turned around to see Naruto, Sakura, and Sai approaching.
"Oi, Kakashi-sensei! We've been looking for you!" Naruto yelled out as he ran up to him.
"What for?"
"We're taking you out to celebrate you becoming Hokage!"
"Let's go sensei!"
Naruto and Sakura grabbed his arms and started to tug him along.
"And where exactly are we going?"
"Wherever you'd like!" Naruto said.
"But I thought we said Yakiniku because-"
Sakura immediately gave Sai a glare that silently with deadly undertones screamed: "Shut up or I'll end you!". She quickly turned back to Kakashi with a laugh. "He doesn't know what he's saying! But since Sai suggested it, how about Yakiniku Kyū instead? Is that alright with you, sensei?"
"Only if you're paying."
"O-of course!"
Kakashi smiled and hummed in agreement. "Sounds good. Lead the way."
"SURPRISE!"
At the entrance of the restaurant, Kakashi was completely caught off guard. "Wh-wha-?"
Team members from Asuma, Kurenai, a Gai were all there along with their team leaders. There was also Tenzō, Tsunade, Shizune, and even Mirai. The sound of a camera shutter clicking and an instant flash brought him back to reality.
"We're all here to celebrate you becoming Hokage, Kakashi-sensei!" Ino cheekily smiled from behind the camera.
"And Tsunade obaa-chan's official retirement!" Naruto chimed before Sakura smacked him over the head.
"You will be missed, shishō!"
Kakashi laughed. "Thanks for coming out, everyone."
"I'm so happy we managed to pull it off. I thought for sure Naruto and Sai were going to ruin the whole thing." Sakura sighed. "Now, c'mon, sensei!" she pulled him further into the restaurant. "Let's celebrate!"
The usual floor plan of the restaurant had been altered with tables being moved to make one long table for everyone to sit at. Tsunade wasted no time in seating herself down and quickly ordered a few bottles of saké to start off the night.
"Make sure to keep it away from Lee!"
"It was the one time, Tenten!"
Naruto and Sakura forcefully sat Kakashi down at the head of the table before finding their own seats. The grills were lit and quickly heating up with the meat entrees quickly coming out of the kitchen.
"So, how long has this been planned?" Kakashi asked.
Tsunade smiled. "Your team came up with the idea a few weeks ago."
"Tsunade-sama was the one who arranged it all," Sakura added. "And Sai and Naruto were placed in charge of inviting everyone."
"It was mostly Naruto inviting everyone, I just followed him around," Sai commented.
Kakashi nodded and smiled again. "Thank you, everyone. This means a lot."
"Hai, hai!" Tsunade spoke up. "Now drink up, Kakashi! It's rude to let me drink alone!"
His cup and everyone else's cups that were old enough to drink were quickly filled.
"Pace yourself, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune made sure to be nearby.
"Kakashi! I challenge you to a drinking contest!" Gai shouted despite being seated only three seats away. "We're currently 51-50 in your favor!"
"Oh! Count me in as well!" Tsunade laughed.
"No!" Gai shouted while crossing his arms into an 'X'. "These are strictly between me and Kakashi!"
"I don't think that would be wise, with my inauguration being tomorrow."
"Then how about plate balancing?!" Gai countered as he started to collect the quickly accumulating empty plates.
"Gai-sensei, put those down!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"You're going to break them!"
A staff member and the manager quickly came over. "Sir! Please, don't!"
"Sounds like you're chickening out!" Naruto chimed in.
"How about an eating challenge instead?" Choji suggested. "You can count me in!"
Gai adamantly shook his head and crossed his arms to make another 'X'. "No, no! We've already done an eating challenge! And I already said that it must be between only Kakashi and me!"
"How about we just enjoy tonight the way it already is?" Kakashi suggested.
"But who knows when you'll be available to participate in any other challenges after becoming Hokage!"
"Don't be ridiculous. There will always be time," Kakashi promised.
Tears that flowed like rapid waterfalls were suddenly flowing down Gai's cheeks. "You would say something so reassuring like that, my rival! That's why the Power of Youth resonates within you so strongly and deeply!"
Kakashi suddenly found himself in Gai's very tight embrace and getting splashed by his tears. The feeling was short-lived and ended with Kakashi substituting himself with Sai – who just so happened to be sitting next to him.
The younger, former ANBU member remained in Gai's tight grip and managed to pull out his trusty handbook of social interactions to skim through it. "I am not familiar with this type of social interaction. But if Gai-san and Kakashi-sensei regularly interact this way then…" he eyed Naruto and held his arms out. "Naruto, come."
"NO! That isn't normal!" Naruto yelled when Sai started to lean towards him, with Gai still bound to him.
It was a great way to end the day. There were many portions of meat ordered with almost just as many bottles of saké. The younger generation of shinobi quickly learned how obnoxious Tsunade and Gai got the more they drank.
There were even moments when curious eyes attempted to take this opportunity to try and see Kakashi's face, but, like every other time, it proved futile.
"There's definitely some kinda high power. There's gotta be…" Kiba muttered after another failed attempt of trying to see Kakashi's face.
She wasn't as disheartened as her comrades, but Hinata's glum expression was not easily missed. "Even the plan of having Sai get a glimpse and then drawing it seemed foolproof yet it still ended up failing."
Tsunade was quite intoxicated by the time Shizune cut her off and ushered her to leave for the night, with others following their lead.
"Don't worry about a thing, Kakashi," Shizune said after apologizing again for Tsunade's demeanor. "The manager has told me that everything has been taken care of."
Kakashi bowed. "Thank you for this. Give my thanks to Tsunade as well."
Shizune nodded. "See you in the morning, Hokage-sama!"
"There's no need for the "Lord"." He mumbled as he waved goodbye.
"Make sure he gets home, Yamato-taicho!" Naruto lightly ordered with a heavy pat on his other captain's shoulder.
Naruto, Sai, and Sakura were also going in the direction of their homes.
"I'm not that drunk."
"Consider it a precaution, senpai."
Kakashi shrugged. "Very well."
Tenzō chuckled. "Who would have known your tolerance was higher than Gai's."
Konoha's Noble Green Beast had left a while ago due to being too drunk and being louder and more obnoxious than normal. His young team members were the ones to escort him home. Despite declining to a drinking contest, one somehow ended up happening anyway.
"It's always good to be underestimated." Kakashi noticed Tenzō's stare had returned. "You look like you have something to say."
"I didn't want to bring it up during the dinner, but now that it's over… I noticed that she didn't come."
Kakashi hummed in agreement. "It's complicated and a topic that requires more drinks if we're going to talk about it."
"Er- what? We've already had several! Is this wise?"
Kakashi shrugged and started to aimlessly walk. "Probably not, but what do I know? I've been drinking."
"Senpai! Where are you going?! Wait for me!"
Tenzō learned that Kakashi was more inebriated than he let on. He managed to smoothly deter his senpai away from the lively nightlife district of the village and back towards the quiet residential side by draping Kakashi's arm around his shoulder.
"Almost home, senpai."
"We're going… the wrong way…" Kakashi drunkenly lifted his arm to point in the opposite direction. "That way… to-towar-towards the Hokage Building."
"You decided to move in?"
"Yeah, 'cause it's closer. 'Sides… no one's home anyways."
A look of surprise appeared when Tenzō caught Kakashi's slurred words. "What do you mean? Is Jai-san out of the village?"
Kakashi hummed a confirming response. "Gone… 'bout seven months now…"
"Seven months?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Kakashi drunkenly shrugged his shoulders. "Haven't seen ya 'round…"
Tenzō calmed himself. "Fair enough."
After the pardoning of Orochimaru, the village made sure to always keep the rogue shinobi under strict observation by stationing an ANBU unit outside one of his many active hideouts. Which meant that Tenzō was outside of the village more often than in it.
"So, it's true then – the rumors about you and Kahyō-"
"Not. At. All." Kakashi grumbled. The juicy gossip of Kakashi and Kahyō's relationship was started by Naruto's blabber mouth seemed to have no boundaries and was well on its way to reaching the other nations. "We're still married. Just apart right now."
"You're separated."
Kakashi grumbled again. "It's not what you think, but yeah, we're… technically separated."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No… not really…"
They eventually made it to the Hokage Residence building. It was one of the largest buildings in the village and was newly reconstructed. They even made sure to repaint the kanji for "Fire" on the roof. Coming upon the building, Tenzō noticed that some lights were turned on.
"You left the light on, senpai."
"Did I?"
They were now at the front door. "Yep. Where's your key?"
Kakashi's head was tilted back and his body was now solely being supported by Tenzō. "It's… somewhere…" he muttered and patted his flak jacket before eventually moving down to his pants pockets before limply falling to his sides.
All the alcohol that was consumed during the evening was finally taking effect and making Kakashi an incoherent, heavily swaying, bag of dense muscle and bones. Tenzō quietly wondered what was stopping him from just dropping his senpai where they stood. Before he could answer his own question, the front door opened from the other side of the threshold, causing Tenzō to tense and become defensive.
A woman of average height with fair skin and long ebony locks stood on the interior side of the threshold. Her purple irises were wide in surprise when they fell on him and his intoxicated companion that hung around his shoulders.
"Jai-senpai?"
"Tenzō?"
"What're you doing here?"
"What are you doing here? And what is wrong with Kakashi?" She rushed over the threshold to check on the incapacitated shinobi, her medical instincts taking over.
"I'm bringing him home. He may have had a bit too much to drink."
She pried open Kakashi's unscarred eye to try and wake him when he failed to respond. "How much has he had?"
"Uh…" Tenzō thought back to the night's earlier events and tried to count the bottles and refills. "I think it was about 12 bottles of saké at Yakiniku. But it only got worse when an unintentional drinking contest developed between Gai and Kakashi-senpai."
She sighed, immediately knowing what had transpired, and helped Tenzō with carrying the newly appointed Hokage into the residence. There was no point in trying to wake him now. It was awkward, but they both managed to carry him up the stairs and placed him into bed after Jai removed his flak jacket and hitai-ate.
"Thank you for escorting him, Tenzō." She pulled the blanket up to Kakashi's chest after removing his Hitai-ate.
"No need to thank me, senpai."
"How was tonight?"
"It was great. Everyone had a good time. Tsunade-sama certainly went all out. I wonder if she was coherent enough to comprehend the total cost of everything."
"She does not need to worry about that."
"Hmm? How come?"
"Because I paid for everything."
"Eh?! You?! But you weren't there!"
His sudden outburst caused Kakashi to lightly stir in the bed. She gently ran her hand through his hair in comfort.
"Shall we go downstairs and let him rest?"
"Of course."
They left Kakashi to sleep off the alcohol and silently made their way back down to the first floor and into the kitchen.
"If it is not too late for you, I can make some tea for us. It has been a while since we last spoke."
"Uh… well… I don't want to impose…"
Jai gave him a small smile. "Not at all. It may take me longer than normal since I am not familiar with this new environment."
A few minutes later, the tea was poured and some senbei and fruit were laid out to go along with the tea.
"Thanks, senpai." He took a sip of the hot beverage. The temperature and bitterness of the tea seemed to help dimmish the alcohol in his system. "Why weren't you at tonight's dinner?"
"I wanted to, but I returned later than anticipated. I also did not want to deter the attention away from Kakashi with my presence. It was his night, after all."
"You mean you just got back?"
She nodded. "Hai, about 45 minutes ago. I intended to be back earlier this afternoon but ended up being delayed."
"He said that you've been gone for about seven months. Is everything okay between you two?"
"We are okay. I just… had to leave. And it was no one's fault but my own."
"I'm so out of the loop of everything with my current assignment. I didn't even know you'd left. What happened? Where did you go?"
She was grateful for Tenzō's concern. He was one of the few people that she considered to be a close friend. Their upbringings were similar; both had started their shinobi careers at a young age with ties to the ANBU division.
"I needed some distance after everything with the war and the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Her gaze turned solemn thinking back to it. Tenzō chose not to press her anymore. There were so many that struggled with living in the real world after having been trapped in that powerful Genjutsu.
"I understand, senpai."
And he truly did. There were some people that remembered their dreams, and then there were some that only remembered bits and pieces. Then there were the lucky ones – at least in his eyes they were lucky – that didn't remember their dreams at all. He wasn't one of the lucky ones.
His dream was perfect. To the point where he wouldn't have minded never waking up because it was so perfect and felt so real. But he did wake up. And he woke up on a desolate battlefield confused and exhausted.
"Tell me, what did you do during your time away?"
"Tsunade-sama was gracious enough to grant me a sabbatical from my duties to the village, so I decided to travel to Kusagakure where I stayed with Satoshi-san and Takeru."
"So, you were there all this time?"
"For the first three months, I was. But I received a letter from Tsunade-sama regarding Sakura's and Ino's plans of opening mental health clinics for children. She asked if I would be interested in helping by reaching out and traveling to other villages. I saw an opportunity to accomplish two things at the same time. So, I accepted."
"What else were you doing?"
"Daiki-san and I organized a disaster relief fund and program for those that are still attempting to recover from the war by using the Minami Corporation's resources. We are turning some of the hotels and inns that we own into temporary long-term homes and opening some of the onsens at no cost to people. I traveled and established the children's clinics while providing aid to neighboring villages and nations."
Tenzō stared in awe. "That is very generous of you, but – and forgive me for coming across as pessimistic – it also seems like it'll be quite costly to the Minami Corporation."
"Daiki-san said the same thing but doing the math we realized that cutting my salary and using it to cover costs would be feasible. I also told him that he could access my accounts if it would not be enough."
His eyes bulged in disbelief and his mouth fell open as he tried to fathom the numbers in his head. "H-How much is your salary?! I-I mean, not that it's any of my business…!"
"I do not mind the question. Um…" Jai sat and pondered to herself. "I think Daiki-san said about 25 million ryō a year."
Tenzō swore he felt his heart stop beating. It had to since he knew he stopped breathing after Jai spoke. Or maybe he choked on his own tongue because he was pretty sure he could no longer speak too.
'25 million ryō a year! A year! A YEAR!'
He could never see her the same way after learning this new information about his senpai.
"Tenzō, are you alright? You look pale."
"Jai-senpai… that's… you're…" His mind finally seemed to reboot itself. "I had no idea you were that well off.
"I suppose I am, but for the last 10 years I've donated a majority of my salary from the Minami Corporation."
Tenzō couldn't help the green monster known as envy flow through his mind and gut as Jai continued to speak. But it went away just as quickly as it appeared. She was thoughtful and gracious to do something like that. A majority of people would keep it all for themselves.
"Donate to me next time, Jai-senpai!" Tenzō joked.
"Of course. Just tell me how much."
He chuckled before drinking his tea thinking she was playing along. But then he saw the look on her face and realized that she was serious. How could he forget?
'She was never good at understanding jokes and sarcasm…'
"Er-… N-No, senpai. I wasn't being serious."
"Are you sure? I do not mind. I never use it. The money I make from shinobi and medical duties is more than enough for me to live. Whenever I die, one-third of it will go to Takeru, then another third will go to Kakashi, and the last third of it will be split and donated to charities. And if Kakashi dies before me, then his portion will be halved to Takeru and more charities."
"You're too kind, Jai-senpai. But I really was just joking."
"I see. Well, if you ever do need it, promise me that you will let me know?"
"I promise, senpai. Did you accomplish everything that you wanted?"
"I did. I was busy and time flew by and let me recover. There are still some small loose ends to finish, but Daiki-san was gracious to complete them for me. I came very close to being late, but I made it home in time before Kakashi's inauguration ceremony. I am just uncertain as to how he will react when he sees me."
"Surely you both kept in contact with each other, right?"
"Of course. But I cannot help but feel that I abandoned him, even though we both agreed to my sabbatical."
Tenzō reached and squeezed her hand that loosely held her cup of tea. "He'll be happy when he sees you, senpai. To him, you're worth waiting for."
Jai smiled. "Thank you, Tenzō."
He nodded and finished his cup of tea before standing. "I should get going, senpai. Thank you for the tea and I'm glad we got to catch up with each other."
Jai stood as well. "I will walk you out."
"No need. I'm sure you're tired from traveling. I can see myself out. Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, again, for bringing Kakashi back."
"You're welcome. Make sure he isn't late tomorrow."
The rising morning sun was normally kept at bay by the curtains over the windows, but these were not the same windows and the curtains were open instead of closed. The beam of light shot through the windowpanes and directly onto Kakashi's face when it reached the proper height in the sky.
His serene face twisted into annoyance when the light roused him from his slumber. He turned away and carefully opened his eyes. His vision showed a bedside table that was unfamiliar to him with a tall glass of water sitting near the edge next to two white tablets. The sight of the water made his body ache in wanting, or maybe that was his joints aching after his night of drinking.
He gratefully grabbed the glass and moved to pull down his mask, only to realize it was already off. He chugged it after placing the two tablets in his mouth. Many questions floated around his drowsy mind. How did he get back to the Hokage Residence? Who brought him? Who did he have to thank for the water and pain pills? And what time was it? His flak jacket was laid out on a nearby chair and his shirt was also missing, leaving him in his undershirt. He looked to the other side of the bed and noticed that the pillow sheet was rumpled along with the covers.
'Oh God… did I…?!'
He calmed his mind. He could have easily rolled around while sleeping. The sound of foot patter approaching the door told him that all his questions were going to soon be answered as soon as the door opened.
His breath got caught in his slightly dry throat as his eyes widened in total surprise and disbelief.
"You…"
He really hoped he wasn't dreaming. She was here. In this house. The love of his life was standing right there by the door with a look of relief. Was his intoxicated mind playing a cruel joke on him by preying on his desperation?
"Good morning," she said as she approached and placed a hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling?"
He could only stare until the warmth of her hand on his skin and her light floral scent broke his trance.
'Has to be real…'
When she moved to retract her hand, he gently grabbed it before it could fall back to her side. "Are you really here, or am I dreaming?"
'Please be real…'
She caressed his face and gave a small yet warm smile. "Not a dream. I am here."
Those words were all the affirmation he needed. A firm tug of her hand brought her onto his lap. Strong muscled arms wrapped around her body, hands slowly moving up and down her backside until one rested at the base of her head to become entangled in her dark, thick locks. The tugging of her hair was enough to ensure excitement; not enough to cause pain, but enough to incite pleasure. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent as his lips lightly nibbled the surrounding skin, eliciting a breathy moan from her full lips.
'Oh, yeah… definitely real'
Those dark thoughts of him leaving her were kicked out of her mind to make room for feelings of desire and want. His nibbles became firmer with the edges of his teeth and the suckling of her skin was sure to leave a mark. Her arms autonomously fell over his shoulders as her hands buried in his hair for something to grip.
"Kakashi…" her breathing was quick and heavy. "… I don't think now-"
His lips fell over hers in a deep kiss, cutting off her words. His tongue infiltrating and claiming what he was deprived of for so long. No way was he going to let her talk herself out of this.
"… your inauguration ceremony…" She managed to separate their lips from each other, only to have him go back to her neck and shoulder. "… you have to get ready…"
Screw the ceremony. He would rather they stay in bed and… rediscover each other after all this time apart.
"How much time?" he murmured against her shoulder while still leaving kisses against her skin.
"It starts in an hour. I made breakfast to help with your hangover," she managed to say between deep pants of breath. "It should be enough time for you to eat and freshen up. We should also… a-ah!" her words stumbled when he heavily sucked a sensitive area.
Her hands gently pulled his head back to separate his lips from her body to stare into his eyes. "… we need to talk. Don't we?"
"I think our actions speak louder than any words that can be said. Your being here tells me everything I already need to know. And I believe my reaction to you being here is everything you need to know."
An hour to shower, get dressed, eat, and get to the Hokage Building. Thankfully, the last one was so close that he could be there in under five minutes if he rushed.
"You said an hour…" An hour to shower, get dressed, eat, and get to the Hokage Building. Thankfully, the last one was so close that he could be there in under five minutes if he rushed.
"That's plenty of time, but to ensure extra time," He maneuvered her upper body to fall over his shoulder as he stood from the bed, her rear now by his head. "you're showering with me."
"Eh?! What?! Put me down! I do not need to shower! We don't have time for this!"
A quick and firm slap to her behind erupted a squeak from her mouth and her face to redden. "Not going to take 'no' for an answer, my ningyō."
Despite the newly added extracurricular activity to the day's itinerary, Kakashi was on time for his Hokage Inauguration ceremony with his wife at his side.
And after about three months of being in office, did everyone in the village find out about the Rokudaime of Konohagakure no Sato, Hatake Kakashi, and his secret – but not so secret – wife.