"Wake up, Sunshine, it's getting lat-"
"Fucking son of a bitch," Asuka groaned, smacking her hand upon the alarm clock on her night stand. The night before, she had forgotten to set it at the right time, and now it had gone off one hour earlier. For the umpteenth time Asuka cursed Nina, her friend in Ita who had given her the clock for her birthday, two years before. She hated its childish sound, it gave her the creeps. Yet, she was too lazy (or maybe too cheap, or maybe it was after all something that reminded her of a friend, and she didn't really want to get rid of such a memory) to buy another one.
Her mood was immediately uplifted, though, as her gaze fell upon the playful eyes of the man sharing her bed. "Such a pure and chaste mouth," he joked. "Have you ever thought of working in a kindergarten?" For as long as Kakashi had known her, she had always been foul-mouthed; she used to blame that on her ANBU's teammates who, according to Asuka, had a bad influence on her femininity and manners.
The man gladly sustained Asuka's weight as she rolled on the bed and on top of him, planting kisses along his jawline and neck, her left hand reaching down to grope him, feeling him harden under her touch and making him grunt in pleasure. "Would you prefer it, if my mouth were pure and chaste, Kakashi?" She whispered in his ear, her hot breath sending shivers down his spine. They looked at each other with lust-filled eyes.
Kakashi thought about what that very mouth had done and said to him the night before, and his arousal grew even more. He smirked, trying to contain himself and not crush his lips to hers, remove her hand from his member and impale her there. "It would be so boring," he instead managed to say.
Asuka, on the other hand, did not feel any need to contain herself and crushed her mouth on Kakashi's, letting their tongues intertwine and taste each other's. Her hand released its grip and she moved her hips so that she could feel his tip at her entrance, then slowly moved down. Her tongue stopped moving as she moaned aloud with the penetration, her eyes rolling upwards. She propped herself up until her torso was towering over Kakashi's lying body, and she began rocking her hips up and down, her arms stretched back and holding onto Kakashi's thighs for support. Kakashi's hands were firmly squeezing her butt. His eyes took in the sight of Asuka's face, her eyes closed in pleasure, and her mouth open and moaning. His gaze then fell on her bouncing breast and he felt his mouth salivating. His eyes followed the central line of her abdomen to her belly button and down to their connecting crotches. He licked his lips before moving his right hand to the front, sliding his thumb between her lips and rubbing her clitoris. He smirked when he heard Asuka's gasp and saw her eyes widen, as she gave him a crooked smile. He intensified the movement following the volume-increasing moans coming from Asuka, feeling a little pain as her nails dug into the flesh of his thigh, pain that was immediately replaced by pleasure as the rocking of her hips accelerated.
She gave Kakashi a nasty look before removing the hand he still had on her butt and positioning it where his right hand already was, prompting him to continue his ministrations with the fingers of his left hand, as she took his right hand's thumb and brought it into her mouth, sucking hard and swirling her tongue around it, still looking at him. Kakashi could not divert his eyes from hers, as every cell in his body was on the verge of exploding. He gave a particularly energetic rub with his thumb and felt Asuka bite into his finger (which sent an electric jolt down to his lower region), then the woman gave out a long and loud moan and shivered with pleasure. The sight of her coming apart like that sent him over the edge, too.
"Hey, Kakashi, I'm about to go, would you mind doing me a favor?" Asuka asked, poking her head inside the bathroom and addressing the man currently in the shower. She heard a humming and took that as a 'yes'. "Would you mind telling B to come to the arena next to the Blue Orchid and not to our usual rehearsal hall? Yesterday I was taken by surprise when he mentioned about the training and I forgot to tell him we've changed location. And if you could also tell him to come before noon so that we could rehearse together for Friday, that would be awesome." The water stopped flowing and what seemed like a bored Kakashi stepped out of the shower. Asuka stared unashamedly at his muscular, yet lean body, and fought hard against her dirty impulse to take off her own clothes and assault the man. They had indulged in their own carnal appetite a little more than an hour earlier, and even though morning sex was a favorite for Asuka, she had other things to do. She was professional, and on time for rehearsal; she couldn't afford to run late fooling around with him. Even though the thought was very alluring.
"Pervert," Asuka heard him whisper and noticed his smirk as he had caught on her frivolous thoughts. She rolled her eyes upwards and sighed. "Well, it's not my fault if you've got that body. I'm simply admiring a very pleasant view," she defended. Asuka wondered if the snake that had tempted Adam and Eve, in that story Nina had told her about her religion, had the form of the shinobi in front of her. She would have fallen into temptation more than once. In spite of her former resolution, Asuka strode towards Kakashi, who in the meantime was drying himself with a towel. "So, will you tell him?" She asked, tracing his pectorals with her index finger. He looked at her face, his eyes half lidded.
"Yeah. What do you need to rehearse together?" She shrugged. "Oh, just this song he wants to perform with me on Friday night."
Kakashi remembered B's boisterous leave from the Kage's meeting the day before. So that was the surprise he was referring to. He grimaced, thinking about the man's pitiful excuse for rap. "He sucks," was his honest comment.
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Well, just wait and see for yourself. The band and I can do miracles, you know?" Kakashi chuckled, and passed an arm around Asuka's waist, kissing her on the lips. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss, but did not pull away from his hug. "I should really go now, I'm almost running late…" The man just pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. "We could make it quick," he suggested. His hot breath on her neck had Asuka tremble in anticipation.
'Remember, you are a professional!' her inner self screamed. "I… Have to…"
Kakashi interrupted her words, his hand sliding along her thigh and bringing Asuka's leg to his waist. "I'm already naked," he said, caressing her private parts through the thin fabric of her underwear, "and you're wearing this very practical miniskirt…" As if to support his words, he rolled her skirt up to her hips and pulled the fabric of her panties to the side, grinding against her crotch. Her breath was caught in her throat. "That's good reasoning," she managed to say. "I'm not that late anyway."
He chuckled as he kissed her, then made her turn and lean on the sink, positioning himself behind her, anchoring his hand at her hip and slipping his other hand under her shirt and bra, cupping her breast. Asuka raised her arm and hooked it around Kakashi's neck, looking at their reflection in the mirror in front of them, a little misted over because of the moisture from the shower, and met his gaze. They both smiled, and looked as their bodies came together in synchronous movements and moans.
"Are you happy, Asuka?" The woman looked at the guitarist that had welcomed her into the arena, fully aware of her beaming, possibly idiotic face. He was a handsome man, more or less as old as Asuka. The two had gotten along pretty well from the beginning.
Asuka took a look around herself. Apart from the violin player, a beautiful dark-skinned woman with afro black hair, no-one had arrived yet. She was not that late; luckily for her, her fellow musicians were chronic latecomers. She grinned widely and nodded at the man.
"You can bet your sorry ass I am!" She mentally replayed the events from that morning and the previous night. Her heart pounded faster, and she felt her cheeks heat up. She had reverted to a teenager in love, but she couldn't care less about that.
"Someone got laid, uh?" the pianist teased, entering the hall, and chuckled at Asuka's wide grin. It had taken a while for the two women to get along. At the beginning, the beautiful blonde pianist had shunned Asuka, criticizing her style as 'too dramatic'. However, once Asuka had assured her that she was going to stay with them only temporarily, and that she didn't have any love interest towards the guitarist, the two had started to get along and had become friends.
Asuka nodded, a cocky expression on her face and a victory sign made with her fingers. "Several times." The woman snorted and pushed Asuka out of his way, playfully putting a hand on her face. "Pervert," she teased.
The guitarist and band leader clapped his hands together as everyone had arrived. "So, I've spoken with the boss. Since rumors about Asuka leaving have spread, he is expecting a lot of people these days. That's why, as you know, from tonight until Friday we are performing here. Also, we are free to choose the entire playlist." A choir of whistles and howls was heard in the arena. That was the way for those musicians to express their surprise and excitement.
Asuka was frankly shocked by that freedom. The Blue Orchid's manager had always wanted to supervise on their musical choices. When she had told him she would be leaving at the end of the week, he had seemed extremely annoyed. After all, Asuka had been a sort of a golden goose for his business, appearing only a little over a month before asking if their "singer wanted" sign was still valid, and immediately making every client fall in love with her voice and performance. Even though he could not stop her from leaving, though, he could exploit her to the maximum while she was still there. Of course, all the catering would be provided by the Blue Orchid, and he had already sold a lot of tickets.
The drummer whistled. "That's great. This is such a nice venue." Asuka nodded, then looked at the pit and balconies. It was huge, but she felt more excited than afraid. "All right! Let's begin!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"Ohi, Asuka, just because you were lucky last night doesn't mean you can be so friggin' noisy this early in the morning…" the harpist complained, his hand on his chest and a stressed expression on his face. Asuka scoffed. "Yeah, as if we're not going to play music in two minutes, Ryouga," she teased.
"What an idiot."
Shikamaru didn't even bother to keep his voice low as he commented the grown-up man in front of him making a fool of himself. "For fuck's sake, B, she's covered from head to toe. How can you still drool over her?" He glanced at Asuka and realized her annoyance by the tightness of her lips. Even though her clothes were tight fitting, she overall looked very modest. She had changed into a training outfit, meaning a long-sleeved, high-necked black shirt, and a pair of black leggings that completely covered her legs. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a worn-out pair of trainers. Her face was free from make-up, which made her look younger than she actually was.
"I'll have you know, my dear Shikamaru, that you it's fairly difficult to find such a delicate, yet strong, fine piece of meat like me," Asuka said, pointing at herself with her thumb. "When I was a teenager, I was once nicknamed 'the most eligible bachelorette in the Shinobi world,' you know." Asuka looked at the boy with proud eyes, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes upwards, mentally cursing the Hokage for wanting him there with those two assholes.
"But I must admit that he's creeping me out," Asuka added in a low voice to the boy's ear. Shikamaru sighed, again. "Let's go training," he said. "We've already wasted enough time here."
"So, Asuka-chan, first of all I would like to know what kind of spirit's inside of you. The Hokage told me it is not a bijuu, and I need to evaluate if the type of training I'm thinking about can be applied to your situation. Do you think you can summon it?"
They had reached the forest outside the city where Asuka had trained with Kakashi the day before. The woman brought her thumb to her mouth and nervously bit her nail. She didn't want to show Amanozako to them.
'Come on, Princess, let's just show off a bit to these insects,' the spirit prompted, giggling.
For three years, Asuka and Amanozako had somewhat gotten along, the latter letting Asuka gain part of her chakra back, to the point where the goddess would lend the woman part of her own chakra if she needed some, just like during her fight with those violet-eyed freaks.
Asuka was somewhat ok with revealing Amanozako to B. After all, he had a monster inside of him, too. But she did not feel like showing Amanozako to Shikamaru. He was a kid, and he just wouldn't understand. He would only be scared of her, and she didn't want that. He was her brother's pupil and Shikaku-taicho's son, after all. He was from Konoha. She didn't want to feel feared by those close to her.
"I think that would be a bad idea, B-san." She said, looking at the ground. The man cocked his head to the side. "But Asuka-chan, you need to train your chakra control, and…" Her head snapped up. "That's it. Chakra control. It hasn't got anything to do with what's inside me." She interrupted, subconsciously bringing her hand to her stomach. It was bullshit, and she knew it.
Shikamaru sighed loudly. "Don't be an idiot," he said, ignoring B's outraged reaction at the insult towards Asuka. "If you don't show him whatever it is you have inside, how can he help you?"
Asuka bit her lips. The boy was right. She was acting like an idiot. What she wanted most was to go back to Konoha, and stay there for the rest of her life. It was her home, the place she loved the most. To fulfil her dream, she needed to keep Amanozako under control. She had to leave her fear of being left alone behind herself and react. She looked at B in the eye, and this time the man could see a determined spark inside them.
"Summoning her… it's something I've actually never done. But I'll give it a try." Asuka glanced at B. "Please stay alert; don't hesitate to beat me unconscious if I do anything strange."
The seriousness in her voice made the man understand she was afraid of her power. Just like it had been for him when he first had the Hachibi sealed into him, and how it had been with Naruto, when he had trained the boy. They all had gone through that. That nagging thought, 'what if I run wild and hurt the people close to me?'
Judging by her eyes, that had actually happened to Asuka. "Don't worry. I got your back." For the first time, he had spoken to her without hesitation, and was rewarded by her genuine smile.
The day before, during their fight, Shikamaru had thought that Asuka was indeed good, but not exceptional, even though she had admitted to being chakra deprived and a little rusty. He was curious about her true ability level. After all, she had the Hokage's trust – even though the implications of their relationship might have rendered the man a little biased towards her – she was his mentor's sister and the Third's daughter. She needed to have some aces up her sleeve.
Shikamaru had always been a practical teenager, and he prided himself in that definition. He always acted rationally, his mind always racing miles ahead that of other people. He knew the tailed beasts that were called demons were physical chakra manifestations, beings that had been created by the Sage of the Six Paths dividing the chakra of the Ten-Tail. That, he believed. He had seen them with his own eyes. But he had never thought that those stories about ghouls, ghosts and oni could be true. He didn't believe in any god or demon, simply because he had never seen one. Those were only stories the elders liked to tell their grandchildren to scare them and make them behave. So, when Kakashi had told him that morning that Asuka had something inside her that he should pay attention to, he had assumed it was a sort of tailed beast, not the demonic god-like spirit he had mentioned. Those sorts of things, he firmly believed, did not exist.
Yet, as Asuka's body was taken over by that thing, Shikamaru could not help but doubt his beliefs. The woman's eyes had turned completely black, and the skin on her face had reddened. Her canines had elongated and were now similar to fangs, just like her now claw-like nails. Around her body was a fine layer of smoke, much like an aura made of chakra.
Shikamaru felt more than a bead of sweat rolling down his back. Asuka was looking intensely at him, an evil grin on her deformed face. "Look who's here. The son of the hideous man who once bound me." Her voice was high pitched and creaking. He startled as Asuka leapt forwards, landing just before him. He barely had the time to put his arms in front of him to shield himself. But the woman only leaned towards him, that evil smirk always present. "Your filthy father bound me with his shadows, then tried to kill me slashing my guts… how I wish I could have eaten his insides," she leaned forward, her face a few inches away from his neck. Shikamaru could feel her breath on his skin. "You look way tastier than him, though. Kids' flesh is always more tender than adults." He shivered as her giggle resonated in his ear, but he could not move; he was paralyzed with fear.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Hearing the scream, the woman suddenly pulled back from Shikamaru and turned to her left, easily guarding against B's attack. Asuka chuckled. "Oh, but I was really having fun here! Am I not allowed to go a little wild? Why did you want me out there, then?"
B pointed his finger at the woman, his other hand on his hip. "You! What happened to my beautiful Asuka-chan? Your ugly face is ruining her perfect features! What are you exactly?" He felt the Hachibi stirring inside him. 'B, I would advise against angering her… Can't you feel this ominous chakra?' B gritted his teeth, hearing that being laughing. How could Asuka keep something like that hidden inside her body and not feel affected in the slightest?
"My name is Amanozako, the Queen of all demons, Goddess of despair and devastation. How can I help you, you dickless boar?"
B flinched at the woman's introduction. Had she just insulted him? Oh God, he had to contain himself so much not to punch that wench in the face. That monster's container was his dear Asuka-chan, after all. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and a little of his pride went down as well.
"Are you a type of bijuu?" He asked. "Excuse me?" The woman said, turning around and putting a hand on her butt. "Do you see a tail, here? Don't lump me together with those inferior monsters, boar. I told you. I'm a Goddess." B felt the Hachibi growl inside of him. He was getting angry. 'Please, B. Let me come out and give her a lesson.'
Amanozako crossed her arms in front of her chest, smirking evilly. "So, are you going to fight me, or shall I just have a snack?" That said, she looked at Shikamaru and winked at him. "So tasty."
After what B and Shikamaru had told him, Kakashi was expecting to find Asuka soundly sleeping in her bed. The training that afternoon had lasted only an hour, but it seemed as though Asuka had put on a show there. Right from the start, it was clear that it was Amanozako who had control over Asuka's chakra. Compared to their training the day before, Shikamaru had said, when Asuka summoned Amanozako, she easily had fifty times more chakra. And B was convinced it could be a lot more, had they co-operated. But that didn't happen. Right now, all of Asuka's efforts had been aimed at containing the spirit inside her and relegate it in her deepest core, subconsciously blocking part of her chakra herself, while Amanozako strived to unleash her power and free herself. That was potentially dangerous for Asuka's well-being and for the world.
It was around four in the afternoon; his meeting with the other Kages was over for the day, and Kakashi was currently on his way to Asuka's apartment, mentally rehearsing what he would be saying to the woman.
When he opened the door, Kakashi's eyes widened slightly at the sight in front of him. There were five… no, six Asukas inside the kunoichi's apartment. Namely, three of them were trying out clothes, one was seemingly judging their outfits, and the fifth and sixth Asukas were singing, one of them playing the guitar.
As Kakashi entered, the girls all turned towards him and fell silent. Then, suddenly, the three Asukas who were trying on clothes threw themselves at the Hokage.
"Hey, Kakashi! So glad you're here!" One exclaimed, kissing his mouth through the mask.
"Me too, I'm happier than her! What do you think of my outfit?" The other asked, promptly pushing the first Asuka out of her way and continuing to kiss him.
"Shut up, bitch, and get off him! I'm the best-looking one, here!" The third exclaimed, shoving the other aside. She then turned to Kakashi, leaning on him. "Isn't it true?"
Before Kakashi barely had time to think of an answer, the two Asukas who were singing interrupted their activity to yell at their clones. "You all should shut up, you stupid hens! We're trying to rehearse, here!" They were both shown three middle fingers and insults, so they decided to disappear in a puff of smoke and a waterfall of swearing.
'Guess Naruto's not the only one to have issues with the personality of their shadow clones, uh…' Kakashi thought, sweat-dropping. He looked at the remaining Asuka who was still sitting on the sofa and eyeing him suspiciously. She seemed… worried?
But his thoughts were interrupted by the first Asuka, bringing his attention to the dress she was wearing. "What do you think we should wear for tonight's concert, Kakashi?" She asked, spinning around. "These are the options," she continued, pointing at the woman to her right and the one to her left, "It's not like the useless other me over there could come up with a decision." Kakashi had more serious matters to discuss with Asuka, but… seeing four copies of her simultaneously in front of him was proving to be a hard time. He tried to maintain his composure and cleared his throat, in an attempt to erase the dirty thoughts his mind was suggesting, then examined the three clones' outfits.
The first was wearing bell-bottom jeans, a sheer high-necked blouse and a leather jacket. Nice, but he could see her bra under the blouse. Rejected.
The second had a dark green high-necked and long-sleeved bodycon dress that reached to her mid-thigh. Very nice, but the way her curves were hugged was a little too revealing. Rejected.
The third was wearing a long, velvety black dress with a slit up her right thigh and a halter top that covered her cleavage and her neck, while her arms were hugged by gloves reaching up to her elbows. Overall, that was the most modest of the three, so he would pick tha- holy fuck! The third Asuka had slightly turned around and seductively winked at Kakashi, exposing her back, bare to almost her butt-crack. 'There's no way I'm going to let the audience see that,' he thought, by 'audience' picturing a crowd of drooling B's.
He briefly glanced and the other two Asukas and made his decision, choosing the lesser evil. "I like your clothes," he told to the jeans-clad Asuka, turning around her just to be sure she was not hiding any other skimpy fashion surprise. The chosen clone jumped up and down in happiness and hugged Kakashi, tugged his mask down and gave him a heartfelt kiss, biting his lower lip in a tantalizing way.
"Ok, so I guess this one is for tomorrow," Kakashi heard the bodycon-dressed Asuka say, and his head snapped to her. What?!
"Yeah, and this is for Friday. Well, it's actually the perfect dress for the last concert," she looked at Kakashi, smiling widely. "Nice choice!" She exclaimed, showing him a thumbs up. She then frowned. "I'll have to use a concealer on this, though…" She said, looking at the tattoo on her arm revealing she was once part of the ANBU squad.
The three Asukas repeated their thanks to Kakashi and released the jutsu, leaving three lumps of clothes on the floor and a shocked Kakashi in the middle of the now silent living room. He had a nagging feeling he had been tricked. He heard a light giggling behind him and felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. The Asuka that had been sitting on the sofa had approached him and seemed to somehow be teasing him. "You've gotten a lot more territorial than I remembered," she whispered in his ear, then leant her forehead against his nape. "It's just clothes."
"Revealing clothes," he corrected. He didn't like to act that possessively, it made him feel as if he was one of those jealous men who did not trust their wives, but he just couldn't help it. The mere thought of other men thinking nasty stuff about her made his blood boil.
"But I'm yours." Her hand clutched Kakashi's flak jacket. She didn't have to say anything else. He understood. A light smile spread upon his face, and he squeezed her hand back. He turned around and looked at the mass of brown hair against his chest. She was the Asuka who had looked preoccupied ever since he walked into the apartment.
"Where is she?" Kakashi asked, softly, noticing the woman's body stiffen in his arms. She probably thought he was convinced that she was the original. Asuka's copy tightened her hold around Kakashi.
"She wants to be left alone now." Asuka had expressly ordered her copy not to tell anyone, and specifically Kakashi, where she was.
"I really need to talk to her." His tone was serious. "As the Hokage," he added. The copy stepped back, looking down, the uneasy feeling of betraying her own self evident in her stance.
"In the bathroom," she said, in a low tone. The deference Asuka showed towards the Hokage was incredible, in Kakashi's opinion. She was still a loyal ninja to the core. The man took a step towards the copy and hugged her, thanking her. As he stepped back, she brought her hands in front of her chest, ready to release the jutsu, but looked one last time at him.
"I beg you… Don't forsake me… her." He frowned deeply, realizing the implications behind her words. Right now, Asuka's mind was probably on a thin line between control and break down. His talk with Shikamaru and B made him understand Asuka's return to Konoha would probably not happen as smoothly as he had anticipated, and she most likely already knew that.
As much as she hated being on a boat, on a ship, or whatever floated on water, Asuka had always loved to be immersed in it. There was a certain feeling of protection in being completely underwater. It hindered movements, dampened sounds, distorted vision, so that she could completely focus on the stillness of her body and the beating of her heart. That slow, steady rhythm that calmed her.
She had been a total fool. She had been too excited about seeing Kakashi again, and completely misjudged her situation. The training, that afternoon, had made her realize she still had a long road ahead before she could say she had control over Amanozako. As if on cue, the spirit started speaking in her mind.
'You've seen them, Princess. The utterly disgusted look in their eyes. The terror in that kid's eyes when I teased him…' she said, cackling.
'Why are you still acting like that? I thought we were getting along fine!' Asuka retorted.
'We were, Princess. But our goals are different, you know that well. You stole my freedom.'
'Even if I hadn't been there, you would still have been sealed away. Konoha ninjas are strong.' Amanozako snorted.
'Your devotion towards that village is disgusting. You're still a stupid, naïve little girl at heart, and you think you'll be welcomed back to Konoha. Such a pure heart and stupid mind are frankly revolting. I'll never get tired of telling this to you: men are evil. The people you love will forsake you eventually, when they discover what you've done. And you'll be alone again.'
She had had enough of it. She had lived almost half of her life away from her home, from her family, all for a stupid mistake she had done when she was still a stupid teenager. And now she didn't have a family to return to anymore, and how could she even go back home where Kakashi – her last sheet anchor – was, if all the stages she thought she had cleared were still not enough? Hadn't she paid for her mistake? Hadn't she redeemed herself? The beating of her heart increased, her chest clutching. She hadn't had a panic attack in years; was she having a fit right now?
'Free me, and you'll be able to go back there.' Asuka's mind registered her words and, for the first time in fourteen years, she considered them. Her heartbeat was steadily increasing, and she felt her throat close. What if she gave up? What if she set Amanozako free and let someone else deal with it? Couldn't she afford to be selfish, just for once?
The memories from her shadow clone came to her, but she didn't pay them much attention. They were just a blur in the back of her mind, just like the ringing cackling she was hearing in the background, as she focused on the increasing clutching of her chest.
Her head was heavy, her hair was slowly floating around her. Her throat was close and burning. Her hands slowly crept around her neck, her fingers trailing the long scar she had there, tightening their grip around it. She wanted to end that sensation. Would she feel fine, afterwards?
She opened her eyes abruptly when she felt two hands on her shoulders lifting her back up. Reality suddenly came back to her as her senses started functioning properly again. She could feel the moist air on her skin, she could hear the labored breath of the man in front of her, and she could clearly see his eyes. As well as the fear in them. Fresh air filled her lungs and she started breathing again, her throat opening as Kakashi forcibly pulled her hands away from her neck, her chest relaxing and her heartbeat slowing down.
Asuka stared into Kakashi's eyes, her lips slightly apart as she panted, regaining her breath. The man stared back at her, his brows high, his astonished expression clear even though the lower half of his face was covered. Her mouth quivered, her mind travelling at the speed of light to try and give an explanation for what she had just done, failing miserably. She let her head hang low, shame overcoming her.
For a few minutes, they both stayed still and did not speak. To Asuka, it seemed as if hours had passed, before silence was broken.
"Can you stand?" Kakashi asked her, receiving a slight nod as an answer. He passed his arms under her armpits and gently lifted her up and out of the bathtub, then grabbed her robe and wrapped her in it. He patted her hair with a towel, then kneeled before her and dried her feet.
"You would think that at almost 31 years of age one would have learnt how to properly take a bath..." He sighed, as he passed the towel on her legs, then raised his head and looked at her, his eyes half-closed in a sweet smile.
The image of that very man doing the same actions fourteen years before invaded her mind. A corner of Asuka's lips raised, and she snorted slightly at his joke.
"I'm sorry you found me like that," she whispered. Kakashi shrugged. "Don't worry about me," he replied, standing up and placing his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I know it's hard. If there were a way for me to take that weight off your shoulder, I would gladly do that. But… Unfortunately, I can't."
Asuka leant her head in Kakashi's hand, then slowly put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, feeling the man's arms wrap around her waist. "It's ok, it was just a moment of weakness. You don't have to do anything. Just… please… Stand by me." Her words were muffled as Asuka spoke against the collar of Kakashi's flak jacket, but he heard them clearly and for a moment, a pang of guilt crushed his insides. He had been the one who had told her they would go back to Konoha together, and now he had to go back on his words. Naruto would have punched him straight in the face, and he would deserve it.
"Asuka… I spoke with B. We need to talk." At first, the woman didn't move, and Kakashi wondered if he had actually uttered those words or if he had only thought about them. Then, slowly, Asuka released his neck and looked at him in the eye. She looked pale and beat. "I can… come back to Konoha, can't I?" she asked, whispering. Kakashi took her hand and guided her towards the living room, where he gestured for her to seat on the sofa. Perceiving her growing discomfort, he proceeded to explain the situation.
"B told me about your training. He was very clear about the power you potentially possess. You could be a major asset for all of the ninja world. However, he told me there's still a lot to do before you can control it properly. He could see how you've lacked a proper training since you sealed Amanozako, and right now, he deems it would be dangerous to go back to Konoha. For the village's sake, but for your sake as well. So, that's why he suggested you two train together for a month, in a location where he himself managed to tame the Hachibi. And, incidentally, where Naruto tamed the Kyuubi."
Asuka had stopped listening to Kakashi's words after he said she would be a danger to Konoha. After that, only muffled sounds had come to her ears.
So, that was it. Amanozako was right. She wouldn't be able to go back. Everyone was forsaking her, after giving her false hope.
Her heartbeat sped up, the clutching in her chest and the lump in her throat coming back even more powerfully than they had been in the bathtub.
But then the person who rescued her was the last person she thought would ever help her.
'Idiotic Princess, listen to your man.'
Asuka snapped to. She blinked a few times and looked at Kakashi. He was staring back at her with furrowed brows and a confused expression in his eyes. "Are you ok?" He asked. She bit her lower lip. "Could you repeat the last part of what you said, please?" She asked, her voice trembling.
Asuka's hands were cold and sweaty. Kakashi took them in his hands and rubbed them. "You and B will train together for one more month. He thinks you will be able to tame Amanozako in that time. After that, you'll be able to come back to Konoha." Asuka stared at Kakashi with her eyes wide open and her mouth half-closed. Kakashi looked down at his lap. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stay with you there, though." He squeezed her hands, feeling them warm up. "If only I were not Hokage, I wou-" he was interrupted by Asuka throwing herself at him. She didn't speak, she only reveled in her feeling, her arms tight around the man's neck, as if to convince herself that he was there, everything was real, and she was not dreaming.
One month. Only one more month, then she would be allowed to go back home.
Or… would she? She needed to be completely honest with Kakashi. Because, if after that month, access to Konoha would still be denied, she might seriously lose her mind.
"There's something I need to tell you. About what I've done during these years." Kakashi raised a brow but did not say anything. Asuka looked down, then back at the man. "It's just… I think you should know it, as it's something the sensory team will most likely see during interrogation. I want you to know everything beforehand."
So, she told him. About the villages she had stayed in, about the people she had met, but most of all, about Amanozako's urges. About the people she had mindlessly fucked, killed or – what she felt most ashamed for, even if the instances had been rare – about the people she had eaten. She told him what happened the time she had taken drugs or alcohol. About her fight with those Soga freaks.
Kakashi listened in silence, every now and then subconsciously bringing a hand to his masked mouth or sighing ever so slightly, but he never interrupted her. He listened to her words flooding out of her mouth, sometimes lacking any spatial or temporal order, but he listened attentively.
"I realize the gravity of my situation, and I am disgusted at myself for what I've done. As much as I want to come back, I guess I'd understand if you didn't want me to," She concluded. That was the most difficult thing she had ever said, and she felt that familiar lump once again forming in her throat, and the corners of her eyes tingling.
Asuka lowered her gaze and took Kakashi's hand in hers, looking at his fingers intertwine with hers. Was it a good sign?
"Disgusted? I am so sorry you had to go through all this. I… I just can't imagine how I would have acted in such a situation. I probably would have freaked out." He gently stroked her cheek. Kakashi couldn't help but think about what hatred and pain had done to Obito, how they had changed him, his most generous friend, and turned him into a heartless killer. "I'm not disgusted by you. I'm amazed. At how you still have your humanity, at how you managed to remain such a caring person." Asuka tentatively raised her eyes and met Kakashi's gaze. It was so sincere, so sweet. Her lips tightened, as she felt a tear roll down her cheek and meet the man's hand.
Kakashi was not a selfish person. If anything, he would gladly give his life and sacrifice himself for his village. That was what being a Hokage meant to him. Yet, when it came to Asuka, he felt as if he couldn't help but put her in the first place. His sun. He wanted to stay beside her at all time now that he had found her again. For a while, he regretted accepting Godaime's invitation to take her place so soon. However, being the Hokage, he had a lot more influence than being a simple jounin.
For once, he could afford to be selfish.
"I'll be there with you during your interrogation. I'll personally make sure you'll be admitted to Konoha, and welcomed there." The volume of her tears intensified. He had never seen her cry so openly. She had always concealed her face the few times she had actually cried in his presence.
"I think you're a hero of the village, Asuka."
Now, the stream of tears was falling uncontrollably from her eyes. Asuka grabbed Kakashi's hand and kissed his palm. She felt so relieved. She cried silently, gulping every now and then, for a few minutes. Then, realizing she was still holding the man's hand at her mouth, and that it was probably being covered in tears and snot, she stifled a laugh, wiping Kakashi's hand on the collar of her bathrobe.
"Sorry, I've become such a crybaby these days," she said, smiling, wiping her tears off her face with the sleeve of her bathrobe. He let out a chuckle, relieved to see her smile.
"Thank you." Asuka said. She thought she must have looked a mess, eyes swollen from crying, hair still damp and probably shapeless, and constantly sniveling, but Kakashi didn't seem to mind. His eyes bore the sweetest expression she had ever seen, and when he tugged off his mask and gently kissed her lips, it felt as if pain was suddenly lifted from her body.
Kakashi raised his eyes from the pages of his book and glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 6.30 p.m. An hour had passed, but there was still time for Asuka to rest before she needed to get ready for her show, that night. His hand was still stroking the legs she had put on his lap, while his other hand was busy holding the romance book he had extracted from his jacket pocket just as Asuka had fallen asleep.
After a while, his nose caught a scent he very much liked, coming from the sleeping woman next to him. She was probably dreaming of something very pleasant. After reading the same sentence for the fourth time, he cast a sideway glance at her face. His eyebrow rose when he realized Asuka was awake, and looking intently at him. As their eyes met, one corner of her lips raised.
"You're very handsome." As she said those words, her leg brushed against Kakashi's crotch area. The contact had been so light that the man would have thought it had been unintentional, had it not seen her tongue quickly passing on her lips.
He gave her a smug grin and pretended to go back to reading his book, while he was just looking at the same words over and over again, failing to understand their meaning, his mind busy with other thoughts.
"What are you reading?" Asuka asked, her voice curious. "You seem very concentrated."
Kakashi turned the book so that she could see clearly the cover and read its title. "It's the latest sequel of the book you gave me for my eighteenth birthday." Asuka raised a brow. "Wasn't that porn?" She received a cold look. "It's spicy romance," he replied. The woman stifled a laugh. "What are you, a horny housewife?"
Kakashi shrugged. "It's no use, Jiraya-sama. Like throwing pearls to pigs," he mumbled to himself, sighing. Asuka was curious. "What did that pervy idiot do?"
The Hokage pointed at the book. "He wrote these."
Asuka sighed, bringing a hand to her face in a dramatic facepalm. "I should have expected something like that. What?" She asked, noticing Kakashi's grin.
"Well, he's also the author of 'The utterly gutsy Ninja' that you wanted to give me so badly that time, you know." The woman snorted, leaning back once more on the sofa. "Who would have ever thought that an idiot like him would have a penchant for literature?"
After a while, Asuka looked at Kakashi, again. She wanted him, and she felt like playing a little. After that intense afternoon, she deserved some frivolous time with him, didn't she? She sighed deeply, dirty thoughts filling her mind.
"So… What is it about?" She asked, gently patting the cover of the book with her foot, then placing her leg back down directly on Kakashi's crotch, lightly brushing the area. She brought her other leg up on the backrest of the sofa, stretching it behind the man's neck. She snickered silently at his pitiful attempt to concentrate on her eyes and not look between her legs. She had suddenly and shamelessly reminded him she was naked under the bathrobe.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed at Asuka's teasing expression and at the vision of her private parts in display for his own enjoyment, and he smirked under his mask. 'Two can play at that game.'
He diverted his eyes – not effortlessly – from such burst of feminine power and went back to his book. "It's a love story between a man and a woman and their journey to find happiness."
"Are they star-crossed lovers?"
Kakashi took some time to think. "In a sense… it's not like anything too dramatic or artificial ever happens. I don't like that kind of books. This is more… introspective, focused on constant everyday-life challenges."
Asuka was laughing hard inside her own mind. That man… that strong, intelligent man – the Hokage! – was talking about a smutty book as if it was a masterpiece of world literature.
"I see… And what's happening, now?" The look Kakashi gave her sent a tickle of anticipation through her body.
"The heroine is trying to seduce the hero," he said, his hand firmly closing around her ankle, letting his fingers trace her foot.
"Oh, really? And what is she doing, exactly?"
"Well, she's very subtle, actually. Light contact, naughty eyes, a glimpse of her skin." Kakashi's fingers were now making circles around Asuka's ankle.
"Do you think she should be more explicit? The hero's not going to understands she wants him."
Kakashi smirked. "Oh, he does."
"Then, why isn't he taking action? Is he an asshole?" Asuka asked, letting out a bit of frustration with her veiled insult. Kakashi's smirk turned into a chuckle.
"Well, he might be. But he also likes to tease her. He wants to see where she can push herself."
"Oh, I see. A true asshole, then." She giggled. "Maybe she could be a little more explicit, then."
Kakashi's eyes darkened. "What would you suggest?"
"Mmm, I don't know… Maybe she could reveal her body a little more," she replied, untying the bow of her bathrobe belt and let the garment open to her sides. Kakashi's eyes immediately traveled to her body, taking in the sight of her breasts, down to her stomach and her private parts, now in full display. His fingers on her leg intensified their touch.
"Yeah, that's an idea. He loves seeing her naked. But he is capable of keeping his composure." Asuka sighed deeply, arching her back and shifting her leg, so that her foot brushed against Kakashi's lap. She smirked, feeling the area was bigger and harder than before.
"Then, she could tease him some more, showing him what she wants him to do to her…" She placed her hands on her front, one on her stomach and the other cupping her breast, stimulating her nipple with her fingers and continuing her movement with her foot. "Do you think the hero would like this?"
Kakashi just nodded. His mouth had passed from complete dryness to hypersalivation, and he gulped. When the hand she had on her stomach started going downwards, he knew he was done for.
"But in the end, I bet the hero knows his heroine is an independent woman…" Her fingers traced along her slit, gently stimulating her. She let out a soft moan, then intensified her movements, inserting a finger inside her opening and caressing her clitoris with her thumb. Kakashi absent-mindedly tugged down his mask, finding it hard to breathe properly through it because of his accelerated breath.
'And now for the final strike,' Asuka thought, seeing how Kakashi was entranced by her show. She slowly, deliberately, extracted her finger and put it into her mouth, sucking slowly.
Less than a second later, Kakashi was on her, kissing her hungrily. As they stopped to catch their breath, Asuka laughed loud. "I won," she teased, giggling. "For the first time in my life, I won against you." She laughed again at the man's annoyed expression. "Sore loser," she chanted.
"Oh, just shut up, will you," Kakashi said, before closing her mouth with his.