"Mmmh.. I see."
The Raikage crossed his arms and looked out of the window of the restaurant they had had dinner at, the attic of the tallest building in the whole Land of Lightning. He looked at the city skyline and then at Kakashi's reflection on the window glass, and sighed. "This could be a problem."
The Hokage frowned. "I guarantee she is not a spy, as I've already told you; Asuka was believed long-dead by everyone in Konoha, and she had no ill intentions whatsoever in staying here. Heh, she would have gone to Kumogakure if she had had, not to the Capital."
Kakashi had told A about Asuka's true identity, as he really didn't want to cause useless ruckus about a possible trivial misunderstanding, and even though the man was seemingly calm about that, his last remark had made Kakashi doubt about it. "Oh, I'm not talking about the little singer, here. I believe in your story. I'm talking about my overdramatic brother." The Raikage turned to look at Kakashi in the eye. "I know he'll overreact. He always does," he added, sighing. "I'll speak to him in person." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I know exactly where to find him, now. Willing to come with me for a drink?"
"Here, my treat."
B startled lightly at the unexpected glass slamming on the table, and his brother's powerful slap on his back. He glared at him, annoyed to have missed a few words of Asuka's new song for that night, even if that was a cover of an old song he already knew by heart.
"Oh, hey, Hokage-sama," he greeted, noticing the silver-haired man sitting down beside him. "How was dinner?"
Kakashi smiled at him. "Very nice, actually." He found quite amusing how B's eyes found it hard to keep focused on him and A as they made small talk, and how his gaze constantly went back to Asuka.
Kakashi had never considered Asuka for her looks. Or better, he had always thought of her as good-looking, but he had never given much thought in it; that didn't mean, though, that she wasn't beautiful. Even though her facial features and hair and eye color were quite standard, in comparison to Kurenai with her red eyes, or Yugao and her violet hair, she always seemed to stand out among them. Maybe it was because of her more feminine body, that made her look older than her friends. However, Kakashi thought it was due to her personality, her brightness and her wit. That was what had made him fall for her.
That night, however, he had to admit she was stunning. She was wearing a two-piece blue dress, which exposed only a thin strip of her stomach. The top part was very tight and had a high neck and long sleeves, while the skirt was long and flowy, and had a tantalizing slit reaching way up her left thigh. At her feet, a pair of stiletto-heeled sandals with a sparkling ankle strap. Kakashi felt his mouth water, and took a sip of his sake to look away from her. She hadn't pulled her hair up, and her bangs and waves framed her face. Dark color around her eyes, enhancing the green of her orbs, and dark red lips, opening and revealing her white teeth as she sang. She had grown into the most sensual woman he had ever met. He diverted his gaze and looked around himself. Usually, in the kind of fancy bars they were in now, music was only a background tune that would never get much attention. Just another background sound adding to the clinking of glasses and the chatting of people. The people there, anyway, seemed to have come to the bar only to hear her music. Like that, Asuka was as attractive as a magnet. He couldn't help but notice some lustful eyes from a couple of men in the audience, and he growled lowly. When he looked at Asuka again, her eyes bore into his, and when she ended the song the corner of her lips were gently pulling upwards. He smiled under his mask.
Kakashi had told her he was going to tell Raikage about her, but they had agreed on pretending they didn't know each other well for the time being, not to attract unwanted and unnecessary attention on themselves. But as he crossed B's eyes, Kakashi knew he was in for some unnecessary and mostly unwanted remark.
"Stop," B said.
The Hokage played dumb. "Stop what?" he asked.
"Stop staring at her like she's some chunk of meat," B grumbled. He was quivering with indignation for the filthy looks of the men there.
"She's as pure as an angel."
Kakashi pondered over telling B what he and Asuka had done the night before, earlier that afternoon, and would probably do later that night, or telling him instead about her killing record, just to make the man understand that Asuka was many thing, but a pure angel she was not. Instead, he offered the jinchuuriki a condescending smile.
"That was not my intention at all, B-san. I was just admiring her amazing voice. But I must tell you, I think you have a bit of a twisted mental image of her."
Kakashi felt Raikage's kick to his leg, under the table. 'Don't play with fire,' it warned. The ninja across him was fuming. Kakashi offered B a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry I've been rude to you, B-san." The man grunted, and went back to admire his angel. A sighed and waited for the song to end, thinking of the best way to tell B the truth.
In the meantime, Asuka had announced the band would take a break. That was the perfect opportunity to speak to his brother. "By the way, B, there is something we… I need to tell you." His eyebrow twitched when B did not turn to his direction, but was instead staring at Asuka, talking to some man in the audience. "It's about the little singer there." He added, and at that remark the man's head snapped towards him. "Is she in danger?" He asked, worry visible on his face. "What… no, she's not!" A replied, taken aback.
Kakashi noticed the man's shoulder slump a bit. 'Was he hoping she was actually in danger, so he could rescue her?' He grimaced under his mask.
"Well, the fact is that… you know she said she's from a small village in the Land of Fire, right?" B shrugged. "Yeah. So what?" He really couldn't understand what his brother was trying to tell him. "Well, that small village is… Konohagakure."
B's eyes set on Kakashi. "Is she a singer there, too?" The Hokage's eyes flashed to A who sighed. "More like a ninja."
B's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow, oddly amused by the other's reaction.
"She's been MIA for more than ten years, to tell the truth, but she used to be a very skilled kunoichi, and the daughter of our late Third Hokage, actually." He replied. B was shaking his head. He would not buy any of the bullshit that fucking idiot was trying to sell him.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Hatake?" He thundered, standing up and beating his fists on the table.
Silence fell upon the bar; all the eyes of the customers were set on the three men at the table. Two security guards menacingly approached the table, but as soon as they recognized who the three men were, they retreated, laughing nervously. "For fuck sake, B, you can't cause a commotion wherever you go." A sighed, and Kakashi thought that remark could have been directed to the Raikage, too. Indeed, very rowdy brothers. "I know it may sound odd, but this was a surprise to the Hokage, as well." B opened his arms, exasperated. "But! If what you said is true, then… for a month… she has lied to me? She was pretending to be a civilian when instead she was a kunoichi…"
Kakashi was still sitting on his chair, quietly slipping from his sake. "B-san, I think you're overreacting a little, here." He glanced at Asuka, who was looking at them, and motioned for her to come to the table. "She has been living more like a civilian than a kunoichi for quite some time," he said, watching the woman approaching. "And she never intended to fool you, either."
Oh. Kakashi must have told them about her. Those puppy eyes B-san was looking at her with were brimming with tears of betrayal. And she thought she had never given any hope to him… Heh, they had barely even talked, after all. She knew better than to meddle with ninjas from other countries.
"Asuka, Raikage and B-san here know about you," Kakashi said, "maybe you could offer them an explanation." She smiled and nodded. Kakashi and her had rehearsed that speech before dinner.
"My name is Sarutobi Asuka, daughter of the late Third Hokage and ninja of the Leaf village." B deadpanned. The daughter of that old geezer?
"I'm sorry I never revealed my identity to you, but I've been living like a civilian for a few years, now. The truth is that I had an accident on a mission, many years ago, and I had to go away, and I haven't been able to use chakra since then. Up until a few months ago, actually. When my chakra returned, I decided to go back to Konoha but had to earn money along my journey, and that's why I had to stop here. I really didn't mean to deceive you in any way, Raikage-sama, B-san," she concluded, smiling. Perfect acting, Kakashi pondered.
"You could never deceive me, Asuka-chan!" B beamed, receiving an incredulous glare by his brother, and an annoyed look by Kakashi. The man had been on the verge of crying his heart out just a few minutes before. B grasped his opportunity and hugged the woman tightly, lifting her in midair. Asuka visibly stiffened, as their first contact made them realize… they looked at each other in the eye for a moment, then Asuka averted her eyes. "Please, B-san, put me down. I need to get back on stage." B let her go and quietly sat on his chair. He then looked gravely at Kakashi.
"She… she's like me?" he asked. The black chakra inside her, beside her own, was unmistakable. The Hokage looked at Asuka swiftly going back on stage and put on a carefree mask on her face. "Not a bijuu, but still, yes, you could say she's a sort of jinchuuriki." A eyed Kakashi. "You didn't mention it before," he said, his voice lower. The Hokage scratched the back of his neck. "It's more like a kekkei genkai or a puppet than an actual tailed-beast. You don't have to worry about that," he lied, and knew that neither A nor B were buying it.
"It's under control, at least," he concluded.
"Actually, B-san, I could use your help for the rest of the week, here." Said man turned his attention to Kakashi.
"Well, you know, us Kages are somewhat busy with meetings, but I would prefer that Asuka could master her chakra control the way she used to before going back to Konoha. I was thinking you could train her a bit. If you're willing to, that is…
He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth. The expression on B's face made him want to punch that jackass on the nose. Too bad the man was a valuable and powerful ninja, and as jinchuuriki, he could possibly understand Asuka's situation better than anyone else. "I'll take your expression as a yes," Kakashi said. 'But I'll kill you if you try to make a move on her,' was what he wanted to add. Not that Asuka could possibly ever accept B's court. It was only his alpha-male side speaking.
After the concert, the woman reached the table with the ninjas to chat with them and hopefully avoid any possibility for a war because of her. 'A little overdramatic, I guess…' she thought, laughing to herself.
"Asuka-chan, you've been as amazing as ever! Tonight there were so many love songs… were you trying to impress someone? Because… you know… I was very impressed," B said, winking at her and wiggling his eyebrows. Beside him, A face-palmed while Kakashi chugged another glass of sake to fight the urge to punch B. He had repeated that same action a lot, that night. A drop of sweat fell down Asuka's forehead.
"Actually, the songs were decided by the owner of the bar. You will have certainly noticed they were all covers. I'm not good at love songs," she said. "And I fear you tend to be unnecessarily impressed by way too many things, B-san," she added, smiling. Kakashi snorted, and promptly turned his face as a red-faced B glared at him.
"Are you going home now? Do you want me to walk you back?" B asked her, not giving up. The Raikage intervened, sensing that Asuka was trying her best not to rudely turn down his brother. "No you won't, B. You're coming with me. Let our little singer go home with her actual boss. Kakashi, will you walk her home?" Kakashi looked at the Raikage. He wasn't sure if he had some kind of clue about their relationship, but whatever. He wouldn't let that opportunity go to waste. And he was also feeling somewhat light-headed. The sake there was very strong, indeed. "No problem." He turned to Asuka, who nodded.
"Then, Asuka-chan, I'll see you tomorrow for our training! Just let me know when it most suits you and I'll be there!" The woman raised her eyebrow. Training with B? She glanced at Kakashi, who diverted his eyes. Must have been his idea, then. She smiled at the man. "Sure! I'm rehearsing with the band in the morning, tomorrow, so what about early afternoon?" B gave her a double thumbs up and his signature grin.
Kakashi stood right at that moment and put a hand on Asuka's lower back, gently shoving her towards the exit. "Shall we go?" He said. "Raikage-sama, B-san, thank you for your company. I'll see you tomorrow." A waved goodbye at the Hokage and the woman, while B was staring at him dumbfounded. How could he so casually put his dirty hand on Asuka-chan's body? Asuka, however, didn't seem to mind his vicinity. She smiled and greeted them, and the two went out of the bar.
"B, man, forget about her. You're only making a fool of yourself," was his brother's remark.
"Training with B-san?" Asuka asked Kakashi once they got out. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the sky. It was dark, but the moon was still up. "It's called diplomacy. I had to grant something in exchange for not making your whole staying here a big deal." He glanced at the woman next to him. "He's one of the most powerful men in Kumogakure, even though he's an idiot," he added. Asuka looked at him. "Is he a jinchuuriki? Before, when he hugged me, I could sense another chakra inside of him; it felt like when I tried to approach Naruto after sealing Amanozako inside of me." Kakashi nodded. "He understood you have something inside of you, too, but I haven't told him exactly what it is. However, him being a jinchuuriki is exactly the reason why I think your training with him might turn up for the best." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes; she seemed thoughtful.
"I guess so, but still… B-san is a very nice guy, but, he's a little too… intruding. I think he has a crush on me," she said, crossing her arms. "I mean, look at me, it's perfectly understandable," she joked, chuckling, "but it could be somewhat embarrassing…"
Kakashi thought back to B's awkward attempts at being noticed by her, that night, and felt his blood boil. Or maybe it was the alcohol in his veins.
"Don't worry. I'll have Shikamaru be there, too. There's no way I'm letting that asshole make a move on you." Asuka stopped, and stared at Kakashi, smirking. "Are you jealous?"
Kakashi raised his eyes. "As if I could be jealous of that dork."
Asuka started laughing, poking his side with her finger. "You are!" She giggled, "Admit it!"
In a split second, Asuka felt her hands blocked by Kakashi. He pushed her quickly in a dark side alley and pinned her to the wall, tugged his mask down and started voraciously kissing her. She kissed him back passionately, moaning as she felt his hand grip her butt. She could distinctly taste sake in his mouth. As they separated for air, she chuckled.
"Oh, so you're drunk, uh? Did you want to drown your jealousy in alcohol?" She teased, then felt his teeth graze her ear and bit her lobe, and she couldn't help a small yelp coming from her mouth. She was getting more and more turned on by the second.
"I'm not drunk. Just a little tipsy," she heard. "And if you think that me wanting to crack that idiot's skull open for hugging you, or kicking the sorry ass of all those men who were staring at you while you sang, if that is jealousy, then yes, I am fucking jealous."
Asuka felt her mouth water and a peculiar tingle between her thighs at Kakashi's admission. She could feel his hard-on against her, and for a split second she thought he was going to fuck her there. Not that she would have minded, anyway. Instead, he lifted her and jumped on the roof of the building, sprinting towards her house.
"I could have run too, you know," Asuka said, trailing kisses along Kakashi's jawline. "Not fast enough with your heels and your dress," he replied, looking at her in the eye. His eyes were dark with desire. "I thought you liked my shoes and my dress. You looked like you wanted to eat me when you saw me at the bar." She remarked, pouting. He smirked.
"I'm going to." Asuka felt her heart rate speed up with anticipation and wished Kakashi would run faster.
Asuka quickly unlocked the door to her apartment. She absent-mindedly wondered how she could have managed to, given her shaky hands and the weight of Kakashi's body on hers, his hands all over her figure.
When they entered, she didn't even have the time to turn on the lights before Kakashi slammed her against the closing door and engulfed her mouth in his. She registered his hands sliding her panties down her thighs, and she wiggled her hips a little to have them fall on the floor. He passed a hand inside the slit of her dress and grabbed her butt cheek, then lifted her leg, holding it behind her knee, and ground his pelvis against her crotch, reveling in the moan that escaped her lips.
He crouched and kneeled, supporting Asuka's raised leg with his shoulder. In the darkness of her home, the woman could not see Kakashi's actions, and she startled a little as she felt his tongue lick along her private parts and gently stimulate her clitoris. Her head snapped back and she closed her eyes when the man's fingers entered her and started delicately pumping in and out. Her raised leg reflexively bent more and pressed on Kakashi's back, pushing him further against her womanhood.
As he continued with his ministrations, her left hand grabbed the shelf near her for support, while her right hand closed around the man's head, gently pulling his hair. For a moment, she feared her other leg would give way and she would collapse on the floor, but Kakashi had hooked his left arm around it, supporting her weight.
In the back of her head she wondered if her moans were too loud – she knew they were, indeed – and thought that probably whoever passed in front of her door would hear her, but she was too into her sensations to frankly care. 'Let the neighbors think what the hell they want, this is so fucking amazing," she thought. As her hips started rocking back and forth, meeting Kakashi's fingers, she knew she was nearing her climax.
On his part, Kakashi was having a hard time thinking straight. He was intoxicated by Asuka's scent and by the taste of her flesh, and even the pressure of her thighs closing against his head, threatening to smother him, only aroused him more. She was getting wetter and hotter by the second, and he bent his fingers a little inside of her, rubbing a particular spot that knew would make her lose her mind, or at least used to have that effect.
He smirked as he heard Asuka's moans intensify until her orgasm hit her. He tightened his grip around her leg, as he felt it was shaking, but he let it bend so that she could sit on the floor, her back sliding down the wall, her head against the wall, panting hard to regain control of herself, her legs finding their way around Kakashi's waist.
He couldn't see her in the dark, but he knew she was smiling. Her fingers were still tangled in Kakashi's hair; she slid them down his face and to the back of his neck, and pulled him towards her, touching his forehead with her lips. In the back of his mind, he wondered when he had taken off his Konoha protector. Oh, yes, just before he kneeled in front of Asuka. She started butterfly-kissing his forehead, his eyes, his cheeks and finally his mouth, then passed her tongue over his lips, tasting her own taste, the one that drove Kakashi crazy. Her tongue became more and more avid and hungry, until he opened his mouth and met it with his own.
When they parted, she was panting heavy. "Have I left you so out of breath?" he joked. "Yes," was her simple answer. She then took his hand, kissed his fingers and put his index finger in her mouth. Kakashi gasped as Asuka started sucking on his finger, her tongue swirling around it, enjoying her taste mixed with the taste of his skin. With her other hand, she was caressing the bulge his erection had created in his pants. Even that light contact through his clothes was enough to send an electric spark through his body, and he nearly missed Asuka's words. "It's my turn, now."
Kakashi heard a muffled thud as Asuka's shoes hit the ground, then she put her hands on his shoulders to support herself as she stood up – her legs still weak after the wave of pleasure from a few moments earlier – and grabbed Kakashi's arm to make him follow her. He stood up, too, and walked after her into the living room. It was not as dark as the entrance; the moonlight entered through the big French window behind the sofa and reflected on Asuka's blue dress. In his eyes, she seemed like a fairy, almost shining.
As she turned and looked at him, though, such delicate thoughts disappeared, as her look was more that of a wild beast ready to feast on a puppy. Kakashi felt his pants tighten even more. Asuka put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him onto the couch, then took off her top and skirt and stood naked in front of Kakashi, letting his eyes roam on her exposed skin. The moonlight hitting her exalted her pale hue, light and shadow playing on her body, highlighting her every curve.
Even though slim, Asuka had always been… rounder than her friends, who were pretty much skinnier and lacked feminine curves. She instead had big breasts – not like Tsunade's, but big enough to make his teenage male friends, back in the days, turn their heads as she passed or try to take a peek when she was at the public bath – a thin waist, round hips and lean, well-toned legs. A body that would have been more fitted to give birth to many children than to become a fighter, but that was not an option during the war. Her looks, combined with her being the daughter of the Third, then, had automatically rendered her 'the most eligible bachelorette in Konoha.' She hated that nickname, however, and gave her best to prove herself as a valuable shinobi above all else.
But that night, Asuka was not a shinobi. She was just a gorgeous woman who wanted to prove her feelings to him. "You're so beautiful," was the comment that escaped Kakashi's lips.
Less than two days together, and Kakashi had told her more loving words than what he had ever done in their two years together. He truly had changed; his emotional intelligence had grown from that of a fungus to that of a sub-normal person, a very big jump indeed. The smile she rewarded him with, though, was worth the awkwardness he felt when opening up about his feelings.
"Let me touch you," he whispered, extending his hand towards her. Asuka grabbed his hand and straddled him, letting Kakashi touch her breast. She smirked, seeing his flushed expression as she rocked her hips against his, his hand tightening his grip on her breast and his head bending backwards, with his lips parted. She kissed his jawline and neck, taking off his flak jacket in the meantime, then slipped her hands under his shirt and raised it, kissing his torso and gently biting his skin, trailing her lips down to his abdomen as he took off his own shirt. Asuka then knelt on the floor in front of him and slipped off his sandals, then tugged at the waistband of his pants, prompting Kakashi to stand up a little so that she could slip them off him. As he sat back on the couch, she put her hands on his knees, spreading his legs and sneaking in between them. She leaned towards his crotch and licked from the base to the tip of his shaft, swallowing some of the fluid that had already formed there, all the while looking at Kakashi, enjoying his aroused expression. As her mouth engulfed his manhood, Kakashi's head bent backwards, resting on the back cushion of the sofa, and his hand reflexively grabbed her hair. His breathing accelerated with every movement of her head and tongue. Asuka reveled in seeing Kakashi come apart under her ministrations. Seeing one of the strongest men she had ever met so fragile and exposed made her feel powerful and trusted. She felt warmth crawling through her heart, and a feeling of devotion overcame her. She wanted to satisfy that man, to make him feel what she felt towards him.
Asuka felt Kakashi's body tense and a muffled grunt escape his lips just before he came inside her mouth. He then relaxed against the sofa, sighing contently. She put her hands on either side of him and supported herself to her feet from her kneeling position, then snuggled into his side on the sofa. His arm immediately found its way around her back and his hand rested on her waist. He leaned his face towards her forehead and kissed her there, still panting slightly. She raised her head and they comfortably looked at each other in the eye.
"There was one thing I regretted the most when I had to leave," she whispered, after some time.
She knew full well that she could ruin everything there and then, but she had to tell him. Even though it sounded so corny. Even though he might not be able to stand the weight of her words. Kakashi wasn't saying anything, he was just waiting for her to speak. And he was strangely calm.
"I felt so bad for telling you I would support you, that I wanted to be your sun, and then leaving you not even a month later. I have always feared you would hate me forever." In the pale moonlight, he could see that her eyes were glossy.
"I've always had such bad timing when doing things. Even now, even though we met yesterday, I feel like nothing's changed… I'm so happy just staying like this… as if I had never left… but I don't want to regret not saying anything to you, again, Kakashi…" she blurted out her words quickly, as if her mouth was on fire.
"I'm sorry if this is too much for you, I know you suck at managing feelings, just like how I suck at genjutsu," Kakashi chuckled at her joke, but couldn't deny the truth behind her words. She took his face and held it with her hands at either side, squeezing lightly, as if to prevent him from running away. "Here it is, the thing I regretted not saying to you." She took a deep breath. "I love you."
She lowered her eyes, still holding Kakashi's face in her hands, and reverted to her 16-year-old self-conscious self, embarrassing herself when proposing she and Kakashi had sex for the first time.
"Fuck, this is so awkward. I mean, it's been only one day, and I've already made a fool of myself. Fourteen years have passed, we have grown up, we've both changed. You've been through hell during the Fourth War, you're the Hokage now, you have so much responsibility upon your shoulders and the last thing you need is a fucked-up ninja confessing her feelings to you. You, the king of Feeling-phobia-land! I mean, no offense, but the first time I opened up to you and told about my grandma, you ran away! And now I've come and, like, thrown this huge boulder at you as if it were a volleyball, asking you to pass it back to m-"
His lips on her mouth felt light and heavy at the same time. He had grabbed her hands and forcibly made her release her hold on his face. Kakashi closed his eyes as he smiled. "I'm sorry, I needed a way to quit your blabbering." He playfully pinched her cheek. "I love you too."
Asuka had always thought that upon hearing those words coming from someone she cared so deeply about would have caused her a stroke. Instead, her heart rate remained regular and stable, and all she felt was calmness and peace. It was natural, as it had always been between them, like the first kiss they had shared.
She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, hugging him. That felt so good.
"Also, I feel like I have to apologize to you," he said, after a while, bringing his hand to the back of his neck and scratching his skin there. She looked at him questioningly. "Please don't tell me you're married," she pleaded, making him scoff.
"About that… sun speech. I'm sorry about that. You were in a frail state of mind and I just burdened you with my expectations… I was an idiot." She looked seriously at him, and he continued. "If there is something I learnt, it's that there can't be light if there is no darkness. The sun would have no meaning if there wasn't the moon. And a person can not entirely be light or darkness." Asuka caressed his cheek. "That's a deep thought." Kakashi closed his eyes, sighing. "It's a lesson I learnt from Naruto and Sasuke. Uchiha. He was also in my team. They were like the sun and the moon, two true opposites. They had both suffered, but as no-one understood each other's pain, they fought a lot. Naruto strived to have Sasuke acknowledge him, he was the first person he considered a friend, I guess. Even when Sasuke became a missing nin, Naruto didn't give up and in the end, he managed to bring him back. What I'm trying to say is… Naruto might have saved Sasuke, but he wouldn't be who he is now without him. The sun needs the darkness to shine brighter. If you try to do everything on your own, you'll only be overwhelmed and break down, eventually."
Asuka stayed silent and studied Kakashi's face. Her eyes moved from his eyes, to his nose, his lips, the mole on his chin, his jawline, then back up to his eyebrows and his forehead, hidden under his hair, then she raised her finger and poked his cheeks. Kakashi frowned. "What are you doing?" She continued touching him with her fingertip. "Just checking." His eyebrow rose. "Checking what?" he asked. Then she touched his neck and collarbone. "Checking to see if it's the real you or some kind of robot. I suspected something like that seeing how you've behaved all night, but I can't believe you could say things like that without any artificial intelligence in you."
Her eyes then met his, her playful expression versus his annoyed look, and she burst out laughing. "After all these years, you're still an idiot," he said, sighing, then giving up his annoyance as he heard her laugh even harder, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him down on the sofa on top of her. "Yes, but you loooove this idiot," she said, giggling, before kissing him.
"Listen, Asuka, once we arrive at Konoha…" Kakashi had to tell her. He felt bad just thinking about that, as he felt it seemed he didn't trust her, but… The two were now in bed, one next to the other. Even though it was not hot, they lay there naked and uncovered. Asuka crossed her arms under her head and didn't let Kakashi end his speech.
"Well, first, I guess I'll be in for some interrogation or mind reading… Why that frown?" She asked, eyeing the man next to her. Kakashi sighed. She had got to the point. "I've been away for so many years, it's only logical I'd be expected to prove my identity and my intentions…"
That was what Shikamaru had told him, earlier that night, when Kakashi had told him Asuka would go back to Konoha with them.
"Yeah, it's just… I trust you. I think it's unnecessary." She turned to him and flicked his nose. "You're the Hokage! The safety of the village comes before everything else. I won't certainly be mad at you for thinking about the Leaf."
She smiled warmly at him. "But thank you for your trust. It means a lot to me."
Asuka then turned on her back again and stared at the ceiling.
"Then, when I'm done, I'll have a big bowl of ramen… is Ichiraku still there?" She balled her hand in a fist at Kakashi's nodding.
"Yes! Then I'd like to go and see my family. I mean, what has remained of the Hida and Sarutobi clans, they were all a bunch of old people back in the day… oh, and I want to see Konohamaru and Mirai. And then I want to meet Naruto, and see how he's grown… even if he won't certainly remember who I am." On her smile crept a veil of sadness, and she bit her lips.
"Then I want to say hi to mom and dad, to Asuma, Toshiro and Mira, tell them that I'm ok and that I'm back… that I'm sorry I'm late but as always I have to screw things up…"
She wasn't crying, but Kakashi knew she was close to doing so. His arm found its way under her neck and his hand squeezed her shoulder, pulling her towards him. He felt Asuka's arm close around his waist and her face bury in the crook of his neck. Kakashi listened as her breath became steadier and more regular, until he could tell she had fallen asleep. He gently kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, not minding the numbness in the arm that was still under the woman.