Yuki woke up in a terrible mood. When Kakashi got up for work in the morning, she stayed in bed pretending to be asleep. After their conversation last night she had no desire to talk to him. Yuki hated being in fights she knew she couldn't win and having to deal with the accusing pain of guilt clutching at her chest. After he had left, Yuki tossed and turned for a while in the sheets. Her vain attempts to comfort herself with additional sleep didn't pan out so she dragged herself out of bed to face the day.

It was cloudy and gross. These clouds weren't the inviting, fluffy white blankets that meant snow was coming. These were ominous black clouds. They were so pregnant with warm, late summer rain that the air felt sticky. She grumbled to herself as she threw together some oatmeal and choked it down with bitter coffee. No matter what she tried to work on, be it her sewing, meditating, or any kind of housework, Yuki could find no peace. Every time she looked around, Yuki was surrounded by constant reminders of Kakashi. This was his house and she was squatting in it. The mounting agitation and inescapable malaise forced her to action: Yuki had to leave the house. She tossed on some comfortable exercise clothes and left with no specific destination in mind.

As she walked, Yuki did her best to avoid thinking about the way the weather plastered her hair to her face and instead mulled over her situation. Her entire life, Yukihana had been a free spirit. Her time on the shrine had taught her to be a woman above the laws of man, free to pursue her soul wherever it led her. During her brief tenure as a shinobi not even a man's life was sacred to her. She cleaved as she willed, she spared as she wanted. Seiichiro respected her and gave her plenty of free reign, their die hard lifestyle too similar to cause much conflict. After the ice and her "death", however, Yuki was essentially freed of all formal responsibility. She had no village, no priestesses, and no husband to answer to. Yuki was a mother, yes, but she was free to parent Haruka however she pleased. But now it seemed like that ultimate freedom was being chipped away. Yuki had attached herself to someone she thought was just as untethered only to find they came with a hefty burden.

The internal turmoil roiling around inside Yuki's chest would have felled men twice her size. The first thing that crossed her mind was that she loved her freedom. Coming and going, fighting and fleeing, sliding under the radar all the time was fun. It was one of the little ways Yuki validated herself. She was better than those who let her slip by. Money and her behavior had never been a concern. Strip clubs, mercenary work, all of it was available to her. If she ever got too far on the wrong side of the law, Yuki could just blow out of town with no consequences. Her only true attachment was her daughter. With Yuki's own hard work, however, Beki was taken care of. She had everything set up in such a way that if Yuki ever had to disappear, Beki would be given a monthly allowance out of Yuki's savings. Although, to be fair, the Hyuga would never leave one of their own wanting, even if she had just married in. As much as it would irk Yuki to leave Beki on her own, she was a grown woman and could handle herself. If possible, Yuki would let her daughter know where she ended up. That way, if Beki really did have an emergency, she could always get ahold of her mother.

With all that in mind, it seemed completely plausible for Yuki to continue being who she had always been. It had never really been a problem before and the only thing that had ever compelled Yuki to change her ways was popping out a little half-Yuki almost twenty years before. To Yuki that was an internal change. Having a baby inside her had changed her brain chemistry; even her senses had been altered. Nothing external, though. No outside power had ever compelled Yuki to change her ways. Then, enter the Sixth Hokage.

From the very beginning, or at least, as far back as Yuki could remember, Kakashi had an allure she couldn't ignore. Maybe it was the calculated aloofness; the impulse control of a true predator. No matter what she threw at the man, he withstood her charms. No seduction, no wiles, not a single trick up Yuki's sleeve phased him for a moment. That sort of resolve was attractive. As much as she hated to admit it, her life seemed to be a series of storms to sail through. When Kakashi came into her life, the man instantly became a shelter. He was something she could trust to hold up against the raging of the sea. For some reason, he had decided to be there for her with genuine interest and concern. Someone so selfless was an enigma to Yuki. It simultaneously drew her in and revolted her. How dare he love her? How dare he entice her into loving him back? That love was burden enough; before the war, she had submitted herself to that bondage. Together they had a chance at true happiness. For hope, for healing, and for trustworthy companionship.

In the beginning, he had accepted Yuki just as she was. Yuki was a force of nature and man couldn't change the color of the snow. Why now did Kakashi think he could change her? Even more than her anger and frustration towards him, a fair portion was directed at herself. Yuki knew what she was, what she had always been, and what she always would be. Why now of all times was she flirting with the idea of accommodating him? Of handing away more and more of herself, giving away all her freedoms until she was a caged beast? Yuki was a wolf. Not somebody's lapdog. Yet here she was, promising not to cause storms when she felt like it. Agreeing to swallow her pride. And worst of all, Yuki felt like all this discomfort was her fault. She wasn't putting the blame where it should have gone: at Kakashi's feet. He was the one that up and decided to be one of the five most recognizable shinobi in the world. He decided to forge all that paperwork and spin this conspiratorial web around Yuki and Beki. It was all his doing, his decisions. Not hers. Yuki should have no responsibilities based on what he decided to do, regardless of if she benefited from it.

It was along this trail of thought Yuki was ambling when she heard her name called. Her head snapped up and she looked over her shoulder at the man rapidly approaching.

"Gai," Yuki blinked. "What's up?"

"Oh Yuki," Gai pulled up alongside her in his wheelchair. "Fancy meeting you here. How are you doing this beautiful morning?"

Yuki furrowed her brow. "I mean it could be better."

"Things could always be better," Gai gave her a thumbs up. "But what's on your mind? Something I could assist with?"

"Well," Yuki shuffled. "Maybe you could. You and Kakashi are friends, right?"

"Yes!" Gai punched the air enthusiastically. "Do you need help picking a wedding gift? I have so many ideas!"

"No," Yuki chuckled uncomfortably. "It's not like that. It's...I'm struggling. We're struggling. I don't think I'm getting through to him. How can I help him understand that I didn't ask for any of his help, so he can't hold it over my head?"

Gai blinked, the smile slipping off his face. "What do you mean?"

Yuki ran her fingers through her hair. "He's just always on my case about stuff. I didn't ask him to become Hokage, you know. So why should I have to deal with all the fallout for his decisions?"

For a while Gai was quiet, staring dead ahead with an expression that betrayed the troubled thoughts stewing in his mind. "Walk with me," Gai said as he began to roll away. Yuki swallowed a chuckle at the irony of his statement. Very quickly, though, any humor that had been hanging around in her brain was lost. Gai's pace in his chair was nearly a run for Yuki. She struggled to keep up with him over the uneven terrain in the less than Yuki friendly weather.

"Okay, Gai," Yuki puffed. "What's on your mind?"

They had reached the edge of Konoha where the training yards began. Few were occupied; the weather threatening to turn so nasty discouraged normal training. Shinobi though they were, senseis were unlikely to take out their little genin when a riverbank might give way or a flash flood could come down on them at any moment. Gai stopped abruptly; Yuki nearly stumbled with the sudden change of momentum. He folded his hands in his lap as he surveyed the scenic overlook. For Yuki, this was the strangest of exchanges. She had spent time with Gai in passing, occasionally joining the boys for a dinner every so often or running into each other when family events overlapped with Team Gai's events. The man had never spoken to her alone, let alone with such gravity. Yuki's mind raced with the possibilities. Before she could ponder far, he spoke:

"When they asked Kakashi to become the Sixth Hokage, he wasn't interested," Gai began with a matter-of-fact tone. "But he knew after a war like the Fourth, good men were few and far between. Let alone men that could support this shaky peace and demand the fear and respect the office of kage deserves. It ate him up. Day in, day out, he was there. Serving his village with single minded determination. His misery was so palpable you could almost smell it."

"Most of it was because you had died. Before the war, when you guys were getting serious, he had told me how excited he had been. He thought he'd found the girl he was going to marry. You were even bringing him around to the idea of maybe having kids. He was the happiest he had ever been. When you died, you took all that hope and joy with you. What you left behind wasn't a man, it wasn't even a shell. He was a corpse waiting to finally collapse and get rolled into a grave with everyone he had ever loved." Gai stared fixedly ahead. "When you came back from the dead, I was sure that would make him happy. How could it not? Before you had died had been the highlight of his life, and after everything that man has been through he deserved that kind of joy. But no. To be honest, things haven't gotten better for him. In fact, I think you've made matters worse."

"Excuse me?" Yuki was shocked, almost as if the man had stood up and backhanded her across the face.

"You heard me," Gai looked up at her, the intensity of his gaze enough to melt glass. "I'm not going to mince words with you, Yuki. You don't deserve Kakashi."

Yuki was too dumbstruck to respond, so he continued. "You are a miserable selfish woman. The only person I have ever seen you be giving with is your daughter, and what little empathy you can muster for her could barely fill a thimble to capacity."

"Jeez, Gai, come on," Yuki shrugged and gave him a half smile, attempting to bring levity to the situation with some off-the-cuff humor. "Take it easy on me. At least you only went after Madara with your fists."

"That's because at least Madara stood for something," Gai stared her down. "I can't say the same for you. What do you stand for, Yuki? Do you even know? Do you even care?"

The smile slid off her face. "What?"

"Other than yourself," Gai clarified. "Do you love anyone? Do you care about anyone?"

"Of course I do," Yuki spat. "I love my daughter. I love my grandson. I love Kakashi, in my own way."

"No," Gai shook his head. "There's no 'your ways' or 'my ways' about it. If you love someone, you act like it. Your daughter clearly loves you, for putting up with all the nonsense you've put her through since you walked back into her life. The humiliation and the embarrassment of your behavior, for example. For someone so much younger than you she gets full marks for doing everything she can to grow up and become a respectable adult. No one can say the same for you. My students had more discipline and teamwork than you when they were right out of the academy."

"You're saying I don't love my family-" Yuki began to raise her voice but Gai shut her down.

"I think even the way you love is selfish," Gai scoffed. "Look at everything Kakashi has done for you. He is risking everything he has ever earned, the respect people have for him, his reputation, his job, his very village, because he loves you. I have never seen Kakashi bend a rule in his life. Yet, he's forging paperwork, fabricating identities, and making sure reports get shredded before they see the light of day to protect you. Hell, he's even doing it to protect your daughter and her child. Which again, to be fair, of the two of you, at least she's contributed to this village. She knows who her people are and she does everything she can to help them."

"I didn't ask for any of this!" Yuki shouted. "I didn't ask him to protect me. I didn't ask him to help with Beki! It was his decision to make everything so complicated-"

"It doesn't matter if you asked him to or not. He did it. Kakashi decided that as a man, the right thing to do was to protect you, knowing full well what a little monster you are." Gai scowled. "He knows you could ruin him. You could ruin everything but he did it all anyway because he really loves you. God knows how. Maybe it's the hounds. Plenty of them were too vicious for other people to love but he managed." Gai gave a dark chuckle. "Then again, the hounds can be trained."

"You asked me to go for a walk with you," Yuki stuffed her hands in her pockets. "And in no uncertain terms have basically told me that I'm a ruthless, heartless bitch with no redeeming qualities. I'm unwanted, a burden on society, and selfish to a fault."

"Oh, I'm not finished," Gai shook his head. "Next we need to talk about this whole 'I don't care what people think about me' act. You brush everyone off like they're beneath you, yet you parade around half dressed, doing your damndest to flirt with almost every man and boy you encounter. You care so much you can't stand the thought that anyone's eyes would be elsewhere. It gets even more pathetic when you take into consideration the fact that you've only been with two men in your life. It's pitiful. How do you think that makes Kakashi look? How it makes him feel? He has to walk around reassuring himself that you don't mean it, has to bear the snickering of everyone who's been on the receiving end of your attention."

Yuki looked down at the man. Might Gai was considered a hero. There wasn't a single person who had an ill word to say about him, and as far as Yuki knew there wasn't anyone Gai hated. Until today. Yuki found out that the one person Gai despised was her. She was worse than the man who had conspired with Kaguya to destroy the planet. Yuki was tough. Her whole life, she hadn't given a single damn what people thought about her. No one had ever been this direct. No one had ever had the balls to get right up in her face and say, "Hey, you're a trash can and nobody should love you because you're a dick." It hurt. It hurt in a way Yuki was unfamiliar, almost in the same skin crawling way her guilt with Kakashi the night before had made her feel. She was surprised to feel her eyes burn and her nose run. She sniffled, blinking back tears. "Those are strong words coming from someone who isn't in a relationship."

"I don't need to be in a relationship to see that you're hurting my friend," Gai folded his arms. "I don't need to be in a relationship to know that he loves you desperately. It makes me feel sick to my stomach that he cares so much about you, and you're out here pissing on him because his love makes things inconvenient for you."

"So you can't even see my side of things?" Yuki threw up her hands. "I'm one hundred percent off the mark here?"

"Again, Yuki, when you love people you don't care about who is right and who is wrong. Love is about forgiveness and acceptance. And it has to go both ways," Gai explained. "Unfortunately you seem to be much better at receiving than giving."

"What are you asking of me?" Yuki threw up her hands. "All I've heard you say is I'm an asshole. There's nothing redeemable about me, so why even try? I'll just go lay down in the riverbed. Maybe I'll be more useful as fish food."

"Do you think I want Kakashi to be more miserable? How dare you. I just finished telling you how your death almost dragged him into the grave with you. He barely survived it the first time. Kakashi is tough, but it would literally kill him to lose you again, Yuki. Get over yourself," Gai scoffed. "Maybe, somewhere, deep down inside you, underneath the piles of selfish garbage that litter your soul, there's some shred of humility. If you can reach down and take ahold of that humility, there's some hope for you. And if you really love Kakashi, I think that's a good place to start. Be grateful to him. Stop taking everything he does for you for granted. You could start there: thank the man. Make a list of each good thing he's done for you and thank him out loud for each one. Do that every day until you do it without thinking about it."

Yuki desperately wanted to fight him. She wanted to call him every name but sunshine, tell him he was wrong, and storm off. But there was a tiny voice inside Yuki that told her Gai might be right. There was a chance that right now, she really was being a selfish bitch. This conversation hadn't been so much of a revelation as it had been a house collapsing. Yuki thought she was strong and independent; a person to be feared if not respected. Gai came through like summer storm and the whole building came in on itself. The roof caved in, the walls collapsed; nothing was left. Yuki could either crawl her way back inside the wreckage and continue to lie to herself. She could insist that this was fine, that her house was just as good as anyone else's, or she could listen to Gai. She could try. She could try to rebuild herself for Kakashi. If anyone ever deserved the effort, it was him. Afterall, he certainly believed in her more than he should have. Hell, he might even help her fix herself up if she let him.

"Are you even listening to me or am I wasting my breath here?" Gai's words cut through her thoughts like the fine honed blade they were. She shook her head and wiped her nose on her sleeve, a few tears coming free in the process. She ignored them. She ignored Gai's eyes on the trails they left on her freckled cheeks.

"Then what, Gai? What am I supposed to do?" This was an opportunity. Her entire life, bad things had just happened to Yuki. They were a series of runaway trains, careening towards cliffs and the brakes were out. Yuki had been utterly powerless to save her parents, her sister, to stop Orochimaru, to rescue Seiichiro, or to be a good parent for Beki. Her only option had been to stand on the overpass looking over the wreckage until enough dust cleared for her to go in and try to salvage something. This time was different. Her and Kakashi were in trouble but Yuki could stop it. Or at least she could give it an honest try. That way if things didn't work out, she wouldn't be a victim this time. She could look herself in the mirror and honestly believe it when she told herself she had done everything she could.

"Ask him what he needs you to do," Gai's expression had softened with his tone. He was talking to her the way she'd heard him talk to Neji. She'd admitted there was a problem. She was listening so he could teach, just like he'd taught so many others. The way a good person like him would try to help anyone. That idea struck Yuki profoundly, to the extent that more tears welled in her eyes. If Yuki was so great, why had she never taken students? Why had she passed nothing on? It was selfishness and laziness. The only person she had ever taught anything to was Beki, and that was after Seiichiro had already done all the heavy lifting. It was more like Beki was a cut diamond and Yuki tried to take credit for her because she had done the final polishing. A sob escaped Yuki's lips and she jumped at the sound, clapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her cheeks burned with shame. Shame? This is what that felt like? Was this how she made Kakashi feel? Is this the feeling Beki had come to associate with her mother?

"Lastly," Gai looked back out over the fields. "Even if he doesn't say he needs help, you find a way to help him. Little things, like making him lunches. For you, the bigger things would be restraining your less intelligent impulses. Can you do that, Yuki? Are you strong enough?"

Yuki bit her lip hard to keep the tears at bay, but it was no use. They were free now and there was nothing she could do to keep them back. She nodded, sniffling quietly.

"Alright, come on now," Gai sighed. "Shinobi don't cry."

"I'm not a shinobi," Yuki grumbled.

"Life is tough, Yuki," Gai said sagely. "I don't know the details of your life but I figure you've seen enough trouble to understand that. The trick is you always have to be tougher. And when you're a teacher, if you see someone stumbling, you have to set them straight before they fall. It isn't fun, it doesn't feel good, but that's what we have to do. We have to break them so they don't bring the whole team down. People have to break to really see how strong they are. Your whole time here, you have been trying to prove how strong you are. You keep people at a distance and maintain this persona, hiding your true self. You think that by keeping everyone far away you'll never fall. That's immature thinking. A strong person isn't one who is never knocked down, a strong person finds a way to get back up no matter how much pain they are in. They use that experience to reach out and help others get back on their feet. Standing so far from anyone that you don't fall down isn't strength, its weakness. So I want you to show me how strong you can be. Go show Kakashi how strong you can be.

Yuki nodded in silent acceptance and sat down in the grass beside him. He pat her shoulder from time to time as she cried it out. For the first time in her life, Yuki had been parented. It was by someone who was not that much older than her and barely had anything to do with her. Somehow, though, Yuki intrinsically knew that Gai both meant well and was trying to help her. From here it was just up to Yuki to follow through. She had to try to grow up, too. Something needed to change, she needed to change.

…

Yuki's first stop was the library. Her daughter went a few times a month to borrow and return various books. Yuki tagged along from time to time for company, but the building had little to offer her. She couldn't cook, didn't like fiction novels, and had about as much interest in reading a Leafling's biography as she did having a stranger pour out their life's story on the bus. Yuki had grown up devouring classic texts, tales of the Three Maidens, and the history of Getsugakure. Nothing in Konoha could possibly be relevant to Yuki. But after her talk with Gai, as Yuki perused the aisle, she quickly realized just how far behind she was. She started with some in depth books on the history of the foundation of Konoha and some biographies on the first few kage. Maybe if Yuki could understand them, she could understand the town better. As she checked out, Yuki's mind kept three steps ahead, wondering if she could possibly get Tsunade to have a lunch with her. If she could pick the brain of the Fifth, maybe Yuki could better serve the Sixth.

When she walked out under the increasingly darkening sky, Yuki was reaching her breaking point. She was a cornered animal. She was having so much stacked on top of her, all this responsibility and pressure, Yuki felt like she was going to pop. Her instincts kicked in, begging her to do something drastic. If she was so horrible, all Yuki had to do was act the way they expected her to. Go be free, the voice inside her said. Do something rash and impulsive because you can. Because it feels good. Who gives a crap what Gai thinks? You aren't Mrs. Hatake yet. You might not ever be Mrs. Hatake. But who you are, who you will always be, no matter how many books you read or what clothes you wear, you will be Asou Yukihana.

The snow listens not to the cries of the freezing man. The snow can do nothing, as you can do nothing, so only in the lens of the detachment of nature can you find peace. Only in embracing the true ice of your nature can you be happy.

The sky opened its floodgates as if mourning her relapse. Yuki swore and took refuge under the nearest awning, hugging her bag protectively to save the borrowed books from the rain. When she had left the house this morning, Yuki had no idea she would be out so long. She felt like an idiot for not thinking to bring an umbrella. Her eyes scanned the surrounding buildings, but none of them offered either shelter or a possibility for the purchase of an umbrella. Yuki scoffed, weighing whether or not she should make a break for home (freezing the air around her so it was harmless snow) or honoring her promise not to cause unseasonable weather changes and just wait out the rain under the awning.

In the minute it took her to take refuge, another person came rushing under the awning. It was a handsome young man with brown hair. With a cursory glance, Yuki wondered if he had taken up shelter to protect the paint over his eyes and cheeks. That was something that had never made sense to Yuki: the Leafling's seeming adoration of war paint. Then she noticed the small case he was cradling protectively at his abdomen. Yuki could be mistaken, but it looked like a camera case.

"Phew," He leered out at the storm, brushing some of the water droplets out of his hair. "That came out of nowhere."

"Not really," Yuki stared up at the sky. "It's been threatening to storm all morning."

"Oh," He chuckled. "I guess you're right. I just meant that there was no ease into it, you know? Usually it drizzles a little at first but this, it's pouring buckets out here."

"Yeah," Yuki sighed as she looked the stranger over. He had a good-looking face and was muscular and well built. Not too old or too young either. Yuki liked his friendly, easygoing smile.

His attention was fixed on the storm. Yuki sized him up, leaning back ever so slightly to observe him from behind. Her eyes hovered on his rear and she smirked with what a passerby would see as approval. The young man glanced at her casually. As he went to return his attention to the rain, his eyes went wide and he did a double take. "Wait a second," His eyes sparkled and his face broke out in a charming grin. "I know you! You're the Hokage's fiancé, Asou Yukihana?"

"Guilty," Yuki smiled mischievously. "What about it?"

"Sukae's the name," He beamed. "I'm a photographer for the paper-"

"Nope!" Yuki pulled her hair out of its ponytail. The humidity had almost doubled its normal volume, so with about two shakes of her head she resembled the demonic apparition of a horror movie. It would be impossible for the most skilled photographers to get even a clear shot of her nose. "No reporters."

His face fell in a puppy dog show of disappointment. "Miss, please. Literally ever man, woman, and child in this village is curious about you. I really don't want to cause you any trouble, but if you could find it in your heart to give me a few minutes of your time…" His brow furrowed and he sighed, his eyes trailing back to the rain. "Never mind. It's okay."

"What, would it get you promoted or something?" Yuki cocked an eyebrow under her mounds of hair.

"No, it's just, um," He rubbed the back of his neck beneath his scarf self-consciously. "They've been talking about making some cuts, you know, and photographers are dime a dozen these days. If I could land a scoop like this, they would run it for sure. Maybe it could save my job, Miss."

"Hmmm," Yuki watched him closely. "Alright, handsome. I'll help you out this once, IF you can manage to offer me appropriate compensation for my time."

He blinked. "And how would you propose I do that?"

Yuki playfully hip bumped him. "I dunno. We'll put our heads together and think of something."

He chuckled conspiratorially. "Well, alright then! Here," He held out his camera case to her. "Please wait here just a few minutes. I'll go grab us an umbrella and we can do the interview at my studio."

"Your studio?" Yuki smirked. "I thought you said you worked for the paper."

"I do, I just do shoots on the side for slush money." He waved as he walked towards the storm. "I'll be right back!"

He pulled his scarf up over his head and jogged off around the corner up ahead. Just when he was out of sight, Sukae stopped and pressed up against the building as he picked up the umbrella he had stashed there. Just as he expected her to, Yuki had gone for the bait. She had popped open the camera case and was clicking back through the pictures he had taken. Kakashi had specifically picked a digital camera just for that reason, as it could buy his disguise some credibility. For the last week, he had been taking pretty nature shots or sneaking candid photos of day-to-day Konoha; exactly the sort of thing you would expect to see in the paper. What shocked Kakashi, though, was what Yuki did next. She checked around for anyone watching, pulled out the hem of her shirt and stuck the camera inside. He saw a flash and she quickly retracted. Yuki surveyed her work with a look of smug satisfaction and popped the camera back in its case.

"That little skank…" Kakashi muttered under his breath. Yuki had always leaned on the flirtatious side but Kakashi never would have guessed it went this far. His initial intention with the Sukae reporter disguise was to build Yuki's trust and then, off the record, have her tell him how she really felt about Kakashi, their marriage, their future, that sort of thing. Now Kakashi had a whole different set of worries. Had this sort of behavior been going on behind his back all along and he had just been too blind to see it? A strange mixture of disgust and curiosity gripped his chest.

Kakashi had a new goal: find out just how far Yuki would let this go.

He stepped out into the rain for a minute, letting it soak him a little before he popped open the umbrella and jogged back around the corner. "Sorry about the wait," He puffed. "I practically had to fight somebody. This was their last one."

"Well I'm glad you managed," Yuki handed him back his camera. She stepped out from under the awning and into the protective field of his umbrella. It wasn't quite big enough so they had to press close to both be covered. Kakashi's first instinct was to put his arm around her shoulder like he always did but he stopped himself. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Yuki's waist. Yuki didn't protest and Kakashi screamed internally.

"So where's your studio?" Yuki asked, still hugging her backpack protectively.

"Not far," Sukae shook his head. He laughed nervously. "It's, uh, little rundown. Nothing like the kind of places I'm sure a lady of your standing has been."

It was Yuki's turn to laugh. "Sweetheart, you have no idea." Yuki vaguely glanced around from time to time to survey their surroundings as they proceeded. The motion seemed to be more out of curiosity than safety.

On top of his mounting sense of betrayal, a seed of concern was quickly taking root. Yuki was letting a strange man lead her into a shady part of town, seemingly without an ounce of hesitation. He knew she was used to living dangerously. It made Kakashi truly believe that Yuki had no concept of what the life of a kage's wife would be like. No more would her adversaries be impulsive ronin or men blinded by personal vendettas. Yuki would be a target for organized operations. Cold, cruel professionals who would abduct her for information, a ransom, or blackmail against Kakashi. Every step the pair took, Kakashi's doubts doubled. Today was not going to go well and there was a good chance he would end up sleeping alone for the rest of his life. That raised a whole new set of questions. What was Kakashi going to do without Yuki? Could he trust himself to allow her to remain in the village? He doubted they could remain friends. With the relationship they had, if they broke up and hung around each other they would fall for one another again or end up bitterest enemies. Yuki would have to leave. She would have to remain somewhere within the Land of Fire to maintain his protection, but he doubted she would go quietly. Kakashi tried not to let his inner turmoil loose. He had a show to put on.

They arrived at the studio Kakashi had set up over the last week. It was sparse, the Spartan sort of arrangement Yuki would immediately recognize as a bachelor pad. The front half was the studio, with lights, a screen, a camera, and a few boxes piled behind with various props and cloths spilling over. A small standing screen separated the "studio" from the tiny kitchenette and a bed. "Sorry about the mess," Sukae hurried around the space, shoving things in cabinets and stacking them on tables. "I was not expecting company."

Yuki shrugged. She walked behind his picture screen and he could hear her taking off her backpack. "I've seen worse."

"Is the Hokage this messy?" Sukae chuckled as he peeled off his damp coat.

"Hardly," Yuki stretched, letting out a small seductive noise in her enjoyment as she plopped onto the stool. "Half the time the only sign he's been somewhere is a sprinkling of dog hair."

"Is that so…?" Sukae pulled a notebook out of a pile of papers and flipped through it to a blank page. He pulled up his own stool across from Yuki, close enough that their feet touched, and clicked his pen. He took a deep breath and sat there blinking for a moment. "This is so embarrassing. Interview of the year and I can't think of a single question."

"Well," Yuki rested her chin on her hand, setting her elbow on her knee and giving him a clear view of her cleavage. "What are people saying about me?"

He shuffled uncomfortably. "It's a mixed bag, really. And mind you, people can't be blamed for their gossip. You're an absolute enigma around here. The Hokage is a well-known local who historically had few friends and even fewer possible romantic interests. To be honest, you're the only woman anyone is even sure has gone out on more than a friendly lunch with him."

"I don't see how that's juicy gossip, Sukae," There was a lilt to how she said his name, almost like she was tasting it. That tone could bring almost any man's guard down. Kakashi had to remind himself to seem charmed by the attention.

"How should I put this, Miss Asou…" He leaned in closer. "As far as anyone knows, you're a foreign shinobi of unknown origin. You just sort of…popped up in Konoha several years ago. After the war, there's a gap no one can quite account for. You show up again out of nowhere and now you and the Hokage are engaged to be married. To most people that sounds suspicious, to say the least."

"Suspicious how?" Yuki giggled. "Look at me, grilling the reporter. Sorry. Go on."

He chuckled. "No, its fine." He adjusted on his stool so he was squared off with her. "Its just, to most people, you come off as some foreign spy. I'd heard the rumors but now I'm forced to almost agree with them."

Yuki ran a hand through her tousled hair and wrinkled her nose with a half-smile. "Just being a foreigner makes me all that bad?"

"You're clearly a very bright young woman," Sukae offered. "Conversation aside, I can see it in your eyes. On top of that, you have the age difference between you and the Hokage. It's not a serious gap in age but it is enough to draw attention. Don't even get me started on how good looking you are-"

"How good looking do you think I am?" Yuki purred. This was a game to her. Just another way for Yuki's massive ego to get stroked. Kakashi knew what he was doing, knew that this would bring her guard down, but she still hadn't done anything criminal yet. He had to dial up the temptation.

"You're extremely attractive," Sukae said with all seriousness. "Up close like this, I would venture so far as to call your beauty obscene."

Yuki swatted his leg. "Stop, you'll make be blush."

"But in all seriousness, for the Hokage to have such a change of character around you...is there some sort of secret technique you've used on him?" Sukae pressed. "A genjutsu, some sort of herbal concoction...?"

Yuki tossed her hair over her shoulder flirtatiously. "No tricks. I'd like to think it was my personality, but..." She winked as she ran a hand across her chest. "It could have been something else."

Sukae cocked an eyebrow. What was she trying to do now? She seemed to be crossing the line from flirtatious to seductive. He already knew every inch of her body, but he molded Sukae's expression into one of disbelief. "You're trying to convince me that your body is so tantalizing you brought one of the five strongest shinobi in the world to their knees?"

Yuki's look darkened. "Are you saying you don't believe me?"

Sukae swallowed. "How would you prove such a thing?"

"Well..." Yuki's hands slid down the front of her shirt, accentuating the bulge of her breasts against the tautness of the fabric. Her fingers tucked under the hem and she gave a seductive shrug. "I guess I have to just show you."

Kakashi subconsciously held his breath as Yuki's bare stomach came into view while she pulled off her shirt at a tantalizingly slow pace. She yanked both the shirt and the bra off in one go and Kakashi felt his heart skip a beat. Her breasts were so damn perky. They were like bouncy clouds of happiness. Kakashi chided himself. He had seen Yuki do this a million times but it still made his head spin. She held her hands up on either side of her breasts and gave him a smug grin as she covered them again with just her hands. "Soooo?"

This is absolutely ridiculous, Kakashi thought with a twinge of disgust. She was disrobing for a reporter. There was no shame on her face. In fact, the way she was playfully biting her lip in what looked like an invitation. He was tempted to throw off the disguise and chew her out right there. Again, though, curiosity got the better of him. "Sorry. Still not enough to determine whether you're that much of a knockout."

Yuki laughed and dropped her hands, her breasts swaying a bit from the motion. "The nerve on you! Well, fine. You want a show, I'll give you one!" Yuki slid off the stool silkily, her gaze locked with Sukae's. Her eyes were filled with desire. She knew exactly how to manipulate a man. There was a saunter to her step, something she picked up during her time in the strip club he imagined. Even though she was in perfectly normal attire, it gave her an attitude, an irresistible edge that would have made another woman clad only in lingerie seem infinitely less appealing.

Yuki walked close to him brushed both of her hands down his shoulders, giving him a close up of her breasts. Kakashi felt his breath turn hot as he watched the globes bounce in front of him. He could feel his need for her build in his stomach. He wanted to throw her to the ground and teach her a lesson about temptation. But there was also a massive pit of anger in his gut. How dare she do this with some random guy?

Yuki walked back and turned around a few feet away once she was sure he had a good view of her. With the same measured and seductive snail pace, Yuki tugged on one of draw strings of her shorts. The knot began to loosen ever so slowly. When the second one fell from her hand with a plop, Sukae swallowed hard. In a completely unnecessary but calculated move, Yuki turned around so her rear was facing him and began to remove her bottoms. She slid her thumbs into either side of the waistband and began to shimmy them down her hips. Once the shorts had passed her underwear, which were a modest cut but made of completely see through blue lace, Yuki bent forward to slide the shorts the rest of the way to her ankles. Kakashi caught himself staring dumbly at the butt literally shoved up in his face and had to remind himself he was angry at her. Furious, in fact.

As choreographed as her disrobing had been. Yuki plopped unceremoniously back on the stool. "So? What do you think now, Mr. Reporter?" Her voice was sultry and the intensity of her gaze seemed to be raising the temperature in the room every moment.

Kakashi had no idea what to think. It was clear she was willing to do all this for some random reporter. Was she this desperate for attention? Kakashi was started to feel sick but his curiosity was unstoppable. How far was she really willing to go? Did their relationship mean nothing? Sukae cleared his throat and stammered a moment. "I must admit, your claims seem to be true. That is of course unless this is a genjutsu. You could be lounging in the corner fully dressed, reading a magazine while I'm sitting here imagining all this."

Yuki rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Ye of little faith." She sighed. "I guess I have no choice then." Sukae felt his breath catch in his throat as she hopped off the stool, stomped over in front of him, took ahold of his hands and clapped them on her breasts. "Does that feel like a genjutsu?"

Kakashi forced himself to raise both eyebrows in wonder. "Now that is impressive. This must be one of the best genjustus I've seen."

Yuki laughed. It wasn't a funny laugh. It was a taunting laugh. She knew she was being challenged. And Yuki would die before she backed down from a challenge. Yuki took the young reporter's hand and slid it down her body until it slipped into her panties. She pushed his hand between her legs and let out a purposefully seductive moan.

Kakashi's heart hammered in his ears. The heat coming off Yuki was like a shot of pure alcohol. His mind was starting to abandon reason. He could feel himself giving into the wanton need when suddenly, Yuki's lips crashed against his own. There was no guise to her actions. Her lips pulled at his own, begging them to open up and let her tongue inside. Kakashi could not resist and his body returned the kiss like it had so many times before.

Yuki moaned again, her hot breath warming Sukae's lips. "Does that feel like a genjutsu?"

Kakashi wanted to answer her, but he couldn't find the words. He wanted to respond. He wanted to chide her for speaking like a desperate stripper. But his mind only wanted more. More Yuki.

Kakashi kissed her again. His hand matched his ferocity and Yuki shivered. He knew from experience that he had landed a solid hit.

"F-Fuck, Kakashi..."

His unusually attentive ears nearly missed the quiet moan escape from Yuki's lips. Her taunting smile was gone and a fierce craving had replaced it. Did she seriously cry out MY name while with another man? His body went cold from the sudden confusion and his movements slowed.

Yuki grabbed his chin. "You aren't getting soft on me, are you?" Yuki got on her knees and pulled Sukae's pants down. "Do you want me to turn into someone else as well or am I ruining the fantasy?"

Kakashi's mind went numb.

"W-Wha..."

Yuki frowned. "This whole 'somebody else' thing. I wouldn't mind turning into a redhead. That could be pretty exciting. You can call me Suki!" Yuki took ahold of his manhood and Kakakshi thrust his hand in front of her face.

"Stop! What are you talking about?" Kakashi wasn't an emotional person typically, but he could feel the beginnings of tears forming in his throat.

Yuki stood up and placed her hands on her hips. Her face was contorted in thought for a moment. "Did you actually think I thought you were Sukae?"

Kakashi was speechless. Did she figure out his deception at some point? Did he say something that gave it away? Or was she just aware the whole time? How could that be? "How could you have known?"

"Kakashi!" Yuki burst out laughing. "Do you seriously think I wouldn't recognize you? You can change your hair, your voice, even how you act, but there are a few things you can't change. There's the obvious things you can see, like the way you walk and the way you look at me. Then there's other things..." She ran her hands over his chest. "Like the feel of your skin, the smell of you..." She pulled him close and clapped her hands on his rear. "And this ass, my God! If you think I haven't studied this thing nonstop all these years, you're dead wrong. I could spot this puppy in a lineup, anywhere, anytime."

Kakashi just stared. Yuki was laughing. She looked happy. There was no guilt or shame written on her face and she was a pretty expressive person when you got to know her. She was serious. She had known the whole time. She just played along thinking it was some sort of fantasy role play. It made perfect sense thinking back. The tone of her voice, her seductive actions, the drive to get him alone. She had been playing it all up just for him.

Tears began to build up in his eyes. He hadn't felt the burn of tears in quite some time. Kakashi didn't know if it was relief, regret, or shame, but it felt disgusting. He had lost faith in Yuki. He had acted like a child.

Yuki noticed Kakashi trembling. "Oh geez, sweetie. Come here, my Hatakage." Yuki wrapped her arms around Kakashi and nuzzled her face against his chest. Her thoughts drifted back towards Guy's words. Maybe Kakashi really was worried about her flirting? Maybe he had just been bottling it up this whole time. Yuki felt a familiar pang of guilt drop into her stomach. "Listen Kakashi. I know I haven't been the most supportive partner recently. I really haven't been a good partner to you at all. I'm selfish and oblivious to your troubles. But I promise that things will get better. And I had been thinking that maybe, for the time being, if I can't support you emotionally, the least I could do is support you physically. It's all I could think of." Yuki had to choke back tears at the end. Her own failures weighed heavy of her chest and seeing Kakashi cry had already dealt a massive emotional blow.

The two stood there for a moment, Kakashi pantless and Yuki topless and neither of them caring. They were naked in more ways than one.

...

The two lay bundled up on the small bed in the back. A single blanket was all that separated their bare flesh from the cool of the evening air. "I've been meaning to ask," Yuki adjusted as she spoke. She was laying with her head on his chest, gently running her nails over the skin of his torso in small circles. "Whose apartment is this?"

"The building is condemned," Kakashi shrugged. "I might have abused my job just a bit."

Yuki's eyes darted nervously around the ceiling. "Condemned for what?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and stared at the roof as if recalling the memory. "I seem to remember something about termites."

Yuki reached up and grabbed him by the chin. "I swear if so much as ONE bug skitters across my body, I will go full Yukionna on this entire city block."

Kakashi shrugged. "I mean, if you contain it to the building that might actually solve the problem."

Yuki socked his arm and he chuckled, patting her rear affectionately.

A moment of pensive silence passed between them as the gravity of the days events settled like the dust on the floor. "So, uh," Yuki shuffled. "Our communication kind of sucks."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'd have to say so."

"I mean, it's inevitable in my case that I have poor people skills," Yuki folded her arms. "I had a sheltered childhood and I've spent almost a total of 20 years locked away in ice."

"I spend more time with my hounds than I do with people," Kakashi pondered. "So I agree its something we both struggle with."

"Maybe we should try talking about things instead of setting up convoluted skits or schemes," Yuki sighed. "Are we gonna be okay, Kakashi? Do you think we're going to make it?"

Kakashi ran his hand gently up and down her arm. "Well, I think that we definitely love each other," Yuki opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand and nodded. "I know. 'Love isn't enough', you've said it a billion times. What I was going to say is that we both want this. I think that's something we both realized today. Despite our differences and our shortcomings, you and I both really want to see this through."

"So even if its just baby steps, improvement is improvement and we won't give up on each other?" Yuki asked.

Kakashi smiled and kissed her temple. "Sounds good to me."

Yuki snuggled back into him, enjoying the warmth radiated by his skin. "Honey? What would you have done if I didn't know it was you and I'd acted like that?"

The smile on his face didn't falter for a moment: "Run you through with the Lightning Blade."