I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 3
Day one of dropping Ichiraku's off at the Tower had gone well, most notably without running into the Hokage. Day two hadn't really happened because she had Sundays off but today, day three, Ayame was hoping would go as day one had. The sun was bright in the sky, children were laughing, it was sweater whether and nothing could go wrong. She was wearing her cutest warm cardigan over her uniform and she was going to have a good day darn it.
She entered the administration building that led to the reconstructed Tower and the Ninja Academy. There were other hallways and doors inside but she wasn't exactly learned in the Konohagakure shinobi infrastructure—she was also more than sure as a civilian she wasn't allowed to know. But if she were being honest, and true to her curious nature, she totally wanted to run up and down the place and touch everything. There were so many cool frames and hung scrolls! Just yesterday she had seen kids learning to walk up trees in the Academy's yard. Walk up trees! The most impressive thing she could do in a tree was get stuck in it and then need rescue because she would not be able to get herself down.
She approached the information desk with a cheerful smile. "Good morning!"
The receptionist bite into an apple, glasses at the end of her nose, eyes inspecting Ayame up and down. She kept a very neat, gray bun on top of her head and wore the strongest perfume Ayame had ever smelt. "It's you again," she said, raspy voice matching a chain smoker's.
Ayame held up the paper bag she'd been carrying, filled with Ichiraku's Monday special: Chicken tsuemen with extra sides. And, of course, more rolls. "Another gift, for the honorable Rokudaime," she said, using Otori and her father's words verbatim. She refrained from asking for that tax exemption.
"How nice."
The receptionist glanced somewhere off to the right where students were laughing just outside of the glass doors, where one of the pretty hedge gardens were at. She grumbled some words Ayame would never repeat. The older woman then walked around the desk. "These kids. How many times do I have to say they ain't supposed to play out there. Hey sweetheart, why don't ya take that up to the office yourself? They'll be a few guards up there but you just gotta let them know Kaede sent you."
Being spoken to, Ayame dragged her gaze away from the group of snickering kids. They were circled around something. She wondered what it was. Maybe like a ninja thing?
"I'm sorry?" she said.
The receptionist stared at her for a second. "You ain't the sharpest kunai in the pouch, are ya?" Before Ayame could retort at the quip, both women jumped at the sudden noise—
"Ayame-nechan!"
It was Naruto. Ayame smiled. "Hey you! What're you up to?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning. It was a habit he had ever since she could remember. He would do it whenever he was feeling bashful to share news or nervous. "Well, you know. Studying for the jonin exams."
"That's so great!" she cheered, absolutely thrilled for him. She knew he had been working on stuff like that for the past two years, but she wasn't exactly sure what it all meant. She was super excited for him either way. Naruto deserved everything and more. As a wedding present, Otousan offered him free ramen for life.
As a shark a mile away from a bleeding wound, Naruto's eyes landed on the bag in her hand. "What's that?"
The receptionist sighed, still looking out the glass doors. "It's for Kakashi-sama. Hey brats, you stop playing with that poor critter!" She ran slashed hobbled away and Ayame gasped as a lizard splatted on the glass door. That was definitely not a ninja thing!
Her attention went back to Naruto as he leaned down and sniffed the bag. "Tsuemen noodles and vegetables rolls. These are for sensei?"
Ayame nodded and then, excitedly, she said, "Could you take this up to him?"
Naruto eyed her suspiciously, and maybe even a little hurt. "What's in it for me?"
Ayame stared him down. "You eat free at Ichiraku's. Every day."
"But I'm not there right now."
"I see your point. I will give you one rice roll."
"Two and we have a deal." His blue eyes narrowed as she remained quiet for a few seconds. He drove a hard bargain but she was willing to meet him halfway.
"Fine, two. But you say nothing about this to Otousan. I have to do this for a week. If he finds out I'm slacking in serving the Hokage, I'll get chewed out. Understand?"
"Yes!" Naruto cheered and it made Ayame's heart happy. Reaching for the bag, he said, "You've got yourself a deal. Now I'll just take my share and then take this up to Kakashi-sensei—"
"Take what up to me?"
Kakashi stood at the opening of a hallway in all his kage robed glory sans hat. He was also slouching and looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Ayame immediately bowed. There were two old people standing behind him, also in formal robes—a man and a woman whose eyes could no longer be seen thanks to time's glorious socket wrinkles. Ayame was vaguely sure they were a part of some sort of council the Konoha leadership kept around. The receptionist that was hysterically chasing a group of students outside went ignored.
Naruto held up the paper bag as if it were a grand prize he was delivering to the Hokage. "Ayame-nechan is bringing you food for a whole week! Isn't that great, ya know?"
Kakashi barely glanced at her. After dismissing him the other night, Ayame admitted she deserved the cool nonchalance. It was what she had asked for. "You can leave it in the jonin lounge. I have some business to attend to."
Naruto was immediately offended. "If I leave it there someone will eat it."
Ayame placed her hand on his arm. "It's alright." Only a few more days of this and she would never have to see Hatake Kakashi outside of a formal event ever again.
The next morning—day four—Ayame entered the administration building and nearly went right back out the door. Hatake Kakashi stood at the information desk making small talk with the receptionist. Today he wasn't wearing formal robes. Instead, he wore a gray flak jacket and a red band around his left bicep that read 'sixth fire.' Not for the first time, Ayame wondered why he used a mask. He was a handsomely put together man and seemed completely relaxed within himself. She quickly shoved those thoughts away and reminded herself he had offered her stuff.
The receptionist giggled and covered her reddening cheeks at whatever Kakashi had said. He was leaning an elbow on the counter and his other hand rested on his chest, as if talking about himself. Apparently the receptionist noticed her first, although Ayame sincerely disbelieved that.
Kakashi followed the receptionist's gaze. "Oh, Ayame-chan," he said, apparently surprised he had just detected her. She held back the urge from throwing the stupid bag at his stupid mask and his stupid ninja boots. "What brings you here?"
It seemed he had changed his mind about treating her with a cool nonchalance and decided on creepily cheery behavior. His eyes were crinkled in that manner she used to see him do to a young team seven when he would take them out to Ichiraku's. They would say or do something not entirely proper and he would just give them that look, as if nothing phased him but deep down he was fiercely judging them. It was the same look he had given her at the wedding when she had kissed the exposed part of his cheek.
Today she decided to respond with a quick bow. "Lunch from Ichiraku's. Have a good day." She exited the building and didn't look back.
Day five was worse. The receptionist, whose name was Kaede, had been specifically instructed to escort Ayame into the Hokage's office and promptly abandon her at the threshold with a beefy Anbu guard whose main purpose seemed to be a door opener. Never in all her days had Ayame ever thought she would step foot in the Hokage's office, but alas, here she was, forced to interrupt what looked to be an important assembly.
Kakashi cheerfully waved at her as he sat at a desk stacked with a ton of scrolls, a picture frame and a closed laptop. She tried not to scowl at a mug that said "I'm the Boss" with a colorful pinwheel in it. Most of the office's upper walls were window panels that oversaw a lot of the village. Also, the room was filled with a least a dozen masked Anbu, whom all for some reason were finding her to be the most interesting thing in the world. To their credit, she was standing there like an idiot, having interrupted presumably a very serious meeting. Serious because, well, these were freaking Anbu. She tightened her grip on the brown bag and held her chin up. She didn't know why he was doing this, but she could handle anything he threw at her.
If he could not treat her as before, then she most definitely would.
So on day six, when she was forced to interrupt another meeting, this time with the Tsuchikage and Fire Daimyo, she simply bowed, personally handed Kakashi the food, bowed three more times, answered basic questions with the greatest manners she had ever put into practice, was talked into serving the Hokage's guests, bowed one more time and then politely left. Only when she had exited the building had she freaked out and run home.
She was sure day seven would have been just as traumatizing but she called off, much to her father's disappointment and later to her frustration, because Otousan decided to hold off delivering the last lunch until she returned. She woke up nauseas and spent the entire morning throwing up. And then when there was nothing left in her stomach, she threw up liquids. A worry seeded itself in her mind because her period had not come last week as she thought it would. Her breasts were unprecedentedly sore and she had never felt so dizzy in her life. She pushed the seedling of worry into the farthest reaches of her mind (because there was absolutely no freaking way) and slept the day away.
On day eight, she also stayed home.
On day nine, even though it was a Sunday and she still felt nauseas, she held her breakfast down and decided to deliver that last lunch to get it out of the way. She had to suck it up. Staying at her apartment would only disquiet her further. The seedling from two days ago turned into a red oak and she was scared out of her mind. Work usually helped with stress. Well, except when work led her to the man that had planted the red oak in the first place. Oh God above, she sincerely prayed Kakashi hadn't planted anything besides unnecessary worry.
She approached the administration building. What traumatizing thing could Kakashi have prepared for her today? Whatever it was, she was not sure she would play it cool like before. Today officially sucked butt so hard—
Hatake Kakashi dropped from the sky and landed at her feet. She screamed and threw the bag of food at him. He expertly caught it without any of the contents spilling.
"Hello, Ayame-chan."
Ayame concentrated on breathing and looked up, hand gripping her chest. Where had he jumped from? The roof? One day someone would drop dead from a heart attack and it would be all thanks to ninjas' preferable method of travel. She should be used to it by now but her nerves were just so worked up and—oh no—it was happening. Her equilibrium titled and Ayame hurried to a hedge nearby. There was a lot of dry heaving before she actually vomited and she had to hold her bangs out of the way. By the time she finished, she was on her knees. She lifted the end of her apron against her mouth.
"Ayame-chan?" Kakashi's voice was right behind her and she tried not to get affected at how concerned he sounded, as if he cared. "How can I help?"
She was so embarrassed right now. Why did this have to happen in front Kakashi of all people? Oh no—she would not cry. By pure force of will she conserved her tears inside her eye sockets. Kakashi touched her shoulder and she quickly stood to smack his hand away but her equipoise hadn't returned so halfway through the attack she decided to use him as an anchor opposed to a punching bag. She gripped the end of his sleeve.
The sides of his eyes creased. "Better?"
"If you don't stop smiling I'm going to throw up on your boots." Gone was the formal attitude she had decided to treat him with. She felt so sick she didn't care!
"Hmm. Duly noted. Should we find somewhere to sit?"
There was an influx in population and not everyone had the proper immigration papers in order. Kakashi had to strengthen the borders to help establish easier access to documentation. Of course only if the immigrant was a suitable asset to their community. He sent administers to get a village census. But at this point, Konoha was becoming less of a village and more of the metropolis of Hi no Kuni. There was plenty of room within their walls but in a decade he was not sure if there would be. He had been thinking to physically expand the village but finding the right geographical angle would be difficult.
The protective wall around Konohagakure could not be expanded and he was hesitant to create another wall outside of the original one. It would not be on purpose, but an outer wall would therefore create an inner wall that would mostly hold longtime residents and would separate newcomers. Any opportunity for hostile division was not a good idea.
Notwithstanding what Koharu and Homura believed, Kakashi thought about this predicament very seriously. He was a man with nerves to spare—for everybody except them. They had good intentions, with the village's best interest at heart one hundred percent, but they had a way about them that screamed extreme conservatism. Tsunade had been right to prepare him. He was all for old fashioned things, but paranoia was not his go-to emotion. He would not have lived very long in his line of work and was still confused on how they had.
So when his Anbu guard had hinted at the elders' incoming, using their prearranged warning of a loud sneeze, Kakashi slid a window panel open. He made a mental note to give Fuko a raise. The red head was always looking out.
Kakashi jumped onto the terracotta shingles. He scanned the parameter for propriety's sake and saw Ayame making her way to the administration building with a bag and a pretty little cardigan. Oh. He thought she had finished bringing Ichiraku's two days ago.
She had proved to be a great source of amusement, much to her melancholy. It was a small, harmless retribution from his part for having been ignored. He supposed abusing his title was not the greatest exercise of power but if she wanted to remain a humble subject then who was he to direct her otherwise? Being Hokage had its advantages. What he said usually went and no one questioned his odd request to have a simple girl disturb confidential conferences.
When she had walked in on the Tsuchikage and the Fire Daimyo holding that paper bag, the older men had been just as amused as Kakashi—and also very curious as to what tasty treat was so important to the Hokage that he would allow an otherwise unprecedented interruption. Hiding astonishment very poorly, Ayame had bowed deeply to each influential man and offered rolls which they happily took. Of course, after their attendants had taste tested for poison, leaving Ayame mortified.
She really was an expressive creature.
Now Ayame and he quietly sat on a stone bench outside the administration building. There was an isolated hedge garden off to the right of the entrance, one of many others. It was a circular plot with tall bushes as walls. A fountain stood in the center of the garden, in radius to the bench. The hedges kept them out-of-the-way and would give Ayame a moment's time to compose herself.
He wanted to ask if she was feeling better but he could tell she was not. Her lips were pale and her palms clammy. She was peaky and he could see she had lost weight in the two days she had not come. She also sat as far from him as the bench allowed with the paper bag between them, small fingers tightly intertwined on her lap. They were her only focal point of interest.
He already knew how his presence made her feel so he treaded carefully. "Should I take you to the hospital?"
"No!" They both seemed taken aback by the outburst. And then there was silence and it was awkward. She had asked for things to remain as they were before the affair but he had not treated her as she had asked. But he could start now.
For reference, he thought of the times he had seen her throughout the years. He remembered when she would play with Kushina as a little girl and run circles around Minato so he'd scoop her up and toss her in the air.
There was a distinct memory of the last time he saw Minato and Kushina alive. Kushina had been very pregnant, eating ramen at Ichiraku's. Minato had asked a fourteen year old Kakashi to meet them there. He had arrived and a very young Ayame had her cheek pressed against Kushina's belly. Teuchi had tried to peel his daughter off of the Hokage's wife but she had refused, vehemently believing she was having a full on conversation with an unborn Naruto.
Kakashi got an idea. "Ayame-chan, is there anyone you would like me to call? Your father, or maybe..." Ayame sat, quiet but listening. "Naruto is at the Academy. Should I call him?" The reaction was quick. A minuscule smile formed at the mention of the young Uzumaki. She turned to him and nodded.
Kakashi did a one handed tiger sign and Fuko morphed out from the gravel before them. Ayame watched in fascination as the Anbu slowly rose out of the cobblestone. He stayed positioned in a low bow, one fist and knee touching the ground.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Fuko, tell Uzumaki Naruto to come find us."
"Understood!" Fuko transfigured back into the gravel.
"That's amazing." Ayame leaned forward, concentrating on the area where Fuko had disappeared. "How did he do that?"
"The Anbu Black Ops are all marked in order to be directly summoned by the Hokage."
"Marked?" She seemed curious, enough so that she forewent silence. He took it as a chance to perhaps create an impasse between them.
"Like a tattoo. You may have noticed it." He meant that she may have noticed it on Fuko, but her enormous eyes fell from his face to his left arm and she blushed. Kakashi coughed, feeling a little flushed himself. "Oh, right."
She hesitated at first, but she said, "Is that what that is?"
He was glad she did not emotionally withdraw again so he followed her line of conversation. She was also getting some color back. "After the Third War, the Yondaime appointed me to Anbu. He thought it would be good for me."
"Was it?"
Kakashi shrugged a shoulder. "For a time."
"Can you do that thing?"
He chuckled. "Yes. But the Godaime would have to summon me."
Ayame's eyes widened. "Tsunade-sama can still do it?"
"Have you heard of an animal summoning?" She was really into the conversation. That was good.
She nodded. "Hm-mm! I don't remember much but jutsu theory is a common subject civilians take throughout school. It teaches those of us that can't use chakra to understand those who can."
"That's right. Animal summons function the same way as an Anbu summon. More than one person can have a contract with an animal. Similarly, more than one Hokage can summon a contracted Anbu member." He was puzzled at her sudden willingness to participate in conversation with him. He recognized her lack of stubbornness probably had to do with him being less of a patronizing arse. Also, whatever illness she was enduring undoubtedly had waning affects on her reasoning. She was very dehydrated—maybe the flu? Either way, she was acting like her old self with him. If it was temporary, then it was fine. He liked this.
At the very least he could keep her distracted until Naruto arrived.
Uzumaki Naruto was having the year of his life. He started it by marrying one Hyuuga Hinata, the kindest, most beautiful, hard working shinobi he had ever known. And sexy. And now Sasuke had agreed to stay a couple more weeks. Apparently Sakura's letter had done more than everybody else had thought it would. Not only that, but Naruto was exceedingly ready to take that jonin exam. Iruka had given him two mock exams, and to both their excitements, he passed with flying colors. And to top it all off, he was on lunch break.
Hinata sometimes prepared bentos and today was her off day so she had gone all out. He wanted her to come visit him for lunch but she had made plans with her family. He had kept her all to himself for the past two weeks.
"Hinataaaaaaaaaaaa," he said to himself, missing her. She was so sweet and good and better than he deserved. She would try telling him different by furrowing her brows and frowning, but all that did was make her look adorable and make him feel some type of way. Her shyness would sometimes get in the way of their communication but he wouldn't have it any other way. Mostly, he was awed by her. God, he loved her.
Naruto finished the last onigiri in one bite and he sensed Fuko before the Anbu knocked at the classroom door.
"Hey!" He rolled up the scroll he had been scanning.
Fuko gave a quick nod of acknowledgment. "Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage requests to see you. He is outside of the admin building, in one of the hedge gardens." Carrying out his orders, Fuko turned and left.
Naruto jumped out the window. In one of the hedge gardens? He closed his eyes to summon sage chakra and opened them to scan the area. There were five different hedges that represented each of the shinobi villages. At the center of each circle was one aesthetic object that represented a village: fountain, sand hourglass, stone garden, lightening statue and a pillar of fire that Konoha had sealed to be eternally ignited.
Pin pointing Kakashi's direction, Naruto jumped from the Academy's roof to the admin's. Kakashi was with someone—a woman obviously because she was pregnant. The little extra glow of chakra was undeniable and lived below that of the mother's. Naruto smiled thinking of the future and how Hinata would one day be the mother of his children.
Not wasting time, Naruto mightily propelled himself to land within the fountain hedge. "Hey!" he said before registering Kakashi's companion.
"Naruto!" Ayame smiled and waved. She was pale but otherwise happy to see him. She sat on a bench with sensei, a paper bag between them. She stood up and swayed, but continued to walk towards him. Naruto's eyes did not miss the way Kakashi reached to steady her but retracted last minute, abstaining from touching her. He remained sitting.
"Nechan?" Was Ayame really going to have a baby? Naruto never knew she was married, or, um, could it be something else? Naruto allowed his sage sensory to focus at her chakra's base. There, right below it was a strong pulse of living chakra entirely independent of hers.
"Your eyes have eyeshadow again!" Ayame joked lightly.
Naruto good naturedly glared, sage chakra dispersing. "Are you making fun of me?"
Ayame shrugged and then elbowed him, a sign of mutual jesting. She opened her mouth to say something but then shut it and promptly lost balance. Naruto easily caught her.
"Hey, nechan, you don't look so good." Here she was sick and still bringing Ichiraku's to sensei. Ayame was such a champ. He really wanted to know what was going on with her, but maybe they weren't as close as he thought since she never made mention of a boyfriend. When he had returned engaged to Hinata, he had told everybody every day. He'd been so excited. Ayame seemed like the same type to share good news, but maybe he was wrong about that too.
In his arms, she smiled weakly and shrugged again. "Eh. It's a bug."
Naruto then wondered if she knew. It wouldn't be the first time his sensory skills detected conception before a mother did. The first time he was confused, thinking something had been sealed within them like a tailed beast, but he realized easily enough that it was just a baby. He also learned not to publicly blurt out congratulations when the extra flare of chakra was so small. Women didn't always know.
Kakashi stood. "I was hoping you could take her home."
Naruto shrugged one shoulder. "Sure. Come on, nechan. Mind if I carry you?"
"You better not." She narrowed her eyes. He picked her up anyway and she squeaked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Not so tight!"
She squeezed harder and he coughed. "That's what you get!"
"I will drop you!"
"I will hold on so tight I'll take you down with me!"
"I will use my jutsu to disappear!"
"I will haunt you forever and ever!"
"I totally won that."
Ayame laughed faintly again. "You did."
Naruto regarded Kakashi and grinned. "Off we go, sensei."
"Naruto..." Kakashi hesitated. It wasn't common but Naruto had seen a conflicted expression on his sensei before but he found it curious nonetheless.
"Yeah?"
"She's dehydrated from vomiting. Have her drink some water. "
"Oh. Sure!"
Ayame watched as Naruto jumped from roof to roof at the most leisure pace she had ever seen any shinobi go. She felt as if she were on a ferris wheel. Sure she was sick, but anytime he landed maybe a little too rough, he'd look horrified and apologized profusely. She didn't miss the way he looked at her tummy either.
Being the citizen of a village with the world's highest shinobi population, Ayame had her fair share of ninja rescues, haphazardly launching from place to place. It was always rough and turbulent. Understandably as the few times she had been carried the village was under a state of emergency.
This wasn't really an emergency and sure she was sick, but he kept looking at her—
"Naruto..."
"Yeah?" They landed oh so gently on the rooftop of her apartment building.
"Please tell me what you see." She had to ask. There was no way she could walk into the hospital and ask to be tested. Her father was a well-known artisan and she would not dare risk the humiliation if it was all for nothing but a flu. No one could know about this fear, especially if it was not true.
Naruto's eyes widened and looked up to the clouds. "Uhhh, a blue sky—HAHAHA!"
The tears that she withheld from Kakashi began to fall. This was Naruto. She could trust him with her life and her vulnerability. "Please, tell me if you see something here." She touched her lower abdomen as he held her there on a January afternoon.
Having the laughter taken right out of him, Naruto calmed, figuring it was time to be serious. His blue eyes darkened with intuition and consideration. The skin around them turned red again and his gaze landed where her hands were.
"There's definitely something there…another chakra."
She turned her face into his neck and cried.
"Hey, nechan...did someone hurt you?" His voice was the most serious she had heard it. She shook her head and felt him relax a good deal as his shoulders dropped. "That's good."
He said that it was good but he sounded as confused as she felt. She couldn't be pregnant. She just couldn't. It had been a mistake. She had been lonely and Kakashi had been so willing and so present. He had looked at her like she was the only one that could take the ache away and she had shared the sentiment very strongly.
The worse of the mistake was supposed to be a painful conversation that she would one day have with a future fiancé, as they confessed notable milestones that were taken too early and without one another. They would forgive each other and move on, more excited about a future together than anything else.
But this was different. There was a person inside of her and people would know. It would grow and grow and Kakashi would know—Oh God—her Otousan would know. He would be so disappointed. What was she supposed to do?
"Nechan, what should I do?"
Wiping at her face, one arm still around Naruto's shoulder, Ayame sniffled. "I guess just take me home."
"Should we...is the dad...?" He genuinely seemed concerned and Ayame didn't even know what to tell him. He wasn't really asking whole questions anyway. Maybe he thought she was a floozy—the thought of Uzumaki Naruto having a low opinion of her made her burst into loud sobs.
Naruto knew he could sometimes miss social cues that were evident to others, and perhaps jump to conclusions when he felt information was being withheld or incomplete. So he tried not to today. The situation seemed really delicate.
He led Ayame to her apartment, helped her to bed, and made sure she drank a whole glass of water—like sensei had asked. She must've been incredibly dehydrated after all the vomiting and crying. She was really upset too, knowing about the baby. He had never actually seen her become upset with anything except rude customers. He had always thought a baby was a good thing, but he supposed having a baby when there was no dad around was hard.
Naruto washed and dried the glass cup, setting it on a towel with embroidered edges. She had a lot of embroidery themed materials in her apartment: curtains, tablecloths, towels, pillows, seat cushions—even the quilt laid out on the sofa. She liked that frilly stuff even more than Hinata and Sakura did.
Maybe he could call Sakura to come take a look at Ayame. He glanced towards her room from the kitchen. It was the middle of the day and she was sound asleep. She had asked him to keep everything a secret—that she would eventually have a plan and that he didn't need to worry about her. But how could he not worry? She seemed really sad and just as confused as he was.
Old man Teuchi and Ayame had always been kind to him, before the fame and the glory, and he owed them for everything they'd done for him. They had looked out when no one but Iruka and the Sandaime had. She was part of the original group of people who cared—who weren't biologically related but might as well have been.
Naruto wanted to know who did this to her. They had taken what they wanted and now they weren't around. She was crying all by herself—but what could he do? He could not fix this with his fists or well-meaning words.
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:—
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
-Lord G.G. Byron, Stanza III of "When we two parted"
