"You look like shit."
Asuka turned her eyes to her right, doing her best to only glare at Shikamaru and not vomit on him.
"Maybe that's because I feel like one," she said, turning around and collapsing on the floor of the boat, her back against the railing and her head thrown backwards.
"Fuck… How long is this gonna take?"
Shikamaru was glad he was not sea-sick. That seemed a lot to bear. He looked down at the pitiful woman he had come to know in the past month or so, who was keeping her eyes closed and her mouth open, panting slightly, her complexion now a yellowish-greenish color, and he genuinely felt a glint of pity towards her.
"We should arrive later today, then it's about a week walk to Konoha," he said, handing her a tissue to wipe what he hoped was saliva from the side of her mouth.
"Thanks," she uttered, accepting the tissue.
"I guess you don't want to play shogi, uh…"
Asuka eyed him. "I'm not moving from this spot 'till we land. I'm not even thinking 'till we land. I'll just stay here and revert to a larval stage."
"Man, what a drag…" he complained. Apart from zombie-Asuka and the few sailors that were operating the boat, there was nobody there. He almost missed B; they had left him in Kumo five days before and proceeded to the Land of Fire.
The last month had been relatively easy. Shikamaru suspected Kakashi had told him to go along just to prevent B from hitting on Asuka, more than actually supervising over her training as he had sold it, but Shikamaru had to admit he had enjoyed himself. He had had time to train, stay by himself and look at the clouds, an activity he knew he would have no time for once he came back to Konoha. Moreover, he had somehow grown attached to the strange jinchuuriki and to the troublesome woman who shared his master's blood.
Training had gone relatively smooth for Asuka. The first days had been rough, and a couple of time Amanozako had taken over and seriously threatened their lives, but B had always managed to contain her. And, about halfway through her training, Asuka had actually succeeded in taming the demon. The woman hadn't wanted to tell how she had managed to, but after that moment, her power was finally controlled and steady.
And she was powerful as hell. She could control earth, wind and water release, and also yin and yang chakra with her fuuinjutsu ability. All accompanied by a huge amount of chakra. She might not be the most subtle shinobi out there, and she was surely crappy at genjutsu, but she would certainly represent an important asset for Konoha. Too bad she hadn't been around during the fourth ninja war.
His eyes travelled to Asuka's neck, scanning the scar she had there. She usually wore clothes that would hide it, either a scarf or a high-neck top, but he figured she was so sick that she hadn't bothered to cover her neck.
"Who did that to you?" Shikamaru asked, tracing his index across his neck, hinting at what he wanted to know. Asuka shrugged and looked at the fire. He glanced at B, who tightened his lips, as if he already knew something and regarded his question as highly inappropriate. Sometimes, being the youngest there made him feel as if he was looked down on, and he hated that.
He was simply curious as to how a person could survive after such an injury.
Asuka sighed, turning the stick with the fish B had caught over the bonfire, probably overcooking it. "I did it myself." She anticipated his reply. "Don't say you're sorry. It's not like you have any responsibility. And it was a legitimate question."
Asuka sighed. "I had my reasons for it. Sometimes… that's the easiest solution." Her eyes then bore into Shikamaru's. "But, right now, I'm just so glad that didn't work."
"Hey, Shikamaru." Her voice was weak. Asuka was still sitting on the floor with her back against the boat railing and her head thrown back, with her eyes closed.
"Hn."
"Would you mind talking to me about Konoha, for a while?" His eyes raised to the sky. Sometimes she would make such requests to him. He was not the type of guy who liked to spend his time talking. He preferred silence. By a great lot. But he had always complied. He somehow liked the strange woman by his side. She wasn't like Asuma, at all, didn't look like him, she was optimistic, loud and at times obnoxious, just like Naruto, but she had that warmth around her that somehow made Shikamaru feel safe. Just like when he was with Asuma. He wanted her to meet Choji and Ino, and ask them what they think of her.
"What do you want to know?"
Asuka shrugged, her eyes still closed. "Whatever could make me think about anything else but my stomach doing back-flips."
"What about when I became chuunin?" Asuka smiled and nodded, her eyes still closed.
Shikamaru suddenly realized that the chuunin exam back then corresponded to the Konoha crush incident, in which Asuka's father died. He decided he would stop his tale just before that.
"Rokudaime-sama, is it ok for you to space out like that? No offense, but you've been doing that a lot."
Kakashi glared at Shizune and focused back on the documents in front of him. Mission requests that needed his evaluation and approval. At least they were not bureaucratic stuff he really didn't know anything about. "Stop calling me that, Shizune. Just Kakashi is fine." The kunoichi raised her eyes and sighed. Sometimes she regretted Lady Tsunade's tenure. It was surely harsh, and the woman was a lot more difficult than Kakashi, but at least she showed more commitment to the job and to her formal position as the village leader.
Kakashi knew he was supposed to focus on Konoha's matters, but his mind kept drifting away. A few days before, he had received a message from Shikamaru, announcing they would be back in about a week. 'They,' as in the boy and Asuka. She had made it. She had tamed Amanozako and would finally be returning to Konoha. Her home, the place where she belonged. His heart started beating faster just thinking about that. He wanted to see her so badly. It was strange for him, who was usually calm and collected and rarely impatient, and the result was his inability to focus on work.
He tentatively glanced up from the papers sprawled on his desk, and found Shizune's stern eyes glaring at him, silently threatening him to keep working. He sighed loudly. "Shizune, you should relax a little. You're never gonna find a husband if you're only showing that stiff side of you," he lamented. The woman stiffened even more, her cheeks turning red, but she quickly recomposed herself. "Nice try, Rokudaime-sama," she replied. "Keep doing paperwork."
Just as the man was wondering if the bitchy kunoichi would stay there all day monitoring him, he heard a 'puff' and a cloud of smoke appeared in his office. He abruptly stood up as he noticed a fawn in the middle of the room, a message tied to its still short antler. That was Shikamaru's summon. "Hokage-sama," the animal said, bowing its head respectfully. Kakashi approached the animal and patted its neck, then carefully took the paper from the antler and unfolded it.
"Is everything okay?" Shizune asked, hearing Kakashi chuckle. Shikamaru had been away for more than a month. When Kakashi had returned from the Kage Summit alone, she had gotten worried over the boy, but the Hokage had explained he had been requested for a mission together with Raikage's brother, B.
Kakashi nodded, looking at her. If Shizune hadn't known him better, she would have sworn his eyes were shining. "Good news?" She asked. The Hokage nodded again. He didn't trust himself enough to speak; he feared his excitement would be too evident.
'I'll bring back the troublesome luggage later tonight. After that, I'm taking at least three days off work.'
"I'll be busy out of the office all day tomorrow, Shizune." Kakashi told the kunoichi, his tone suddenly serious. The woman looked at him, questioningly. "What is the matter?"
He looked down on his desk and pointed at Shikamaru's message. "I'm waiting for a guest Shikamaru's bringing along." He hadn't told anyone about Asuka; that had been her explicit request. She wanted to make sure she could control Amanozako and be officially accepted into the village before revealing herself.
"What kind of guest?" Shizune asked, somewhat annoyed by the very short notice. Who would have the guts to come to Konoha uninvited, with no prior notification, no time to make preparations and directly ask for the Hokage? Then, she suddenly gasped.
"Is it the Daimyo?" If so, she needed to act quickly, call the cleaning company and have the mess they called Hokage Tower thoroughly cleaned, call the Yamanaka Flower shop to decorate the building, and…
"Nothing like that," Kakashi responded. "You don't have to do anything, don't worry. I'll personally take care of everything." Shizune eyed him suspiciously. Who could be so important to deserve the Hokage's undivided attention? Maybe an actor, or a famous writer? "Can't you at least tell me who this mysterious guest is?"
The man shook his head and gave her a sheepish smile, hidden behind his mask. "If everything goes as planned, you'll discover it no later than tomorrow night. Now, just go back to your duties. I won't slack off, I promise." Shizune's lips pursed into a pout, but she bowed lightly. "As you wish, Hokage-sama."
A little over than a month earlier
Kakashi stepped into the arena with the other Kage and their advisors. It was Friday night, and they had all been officially invited to Asuka's concert by the manager of The Blue Orchid. They were immediately welcomed by a very polite member of the staff who accompanied them to the vip section of the venue, which was a small room with comfortable seats, a rich buffet and an open bar. There was a door that led to the actual seats, directly in front of the stage right across the parterre, from where they could enjoy the show.
Kakashi had already been at the venue the previous nights, but he had always gone there disguised as a civilian. He didn't need to attract unnecessary attention upon himself. Of course, the parterre where he had been and the room he was in now were total opposites.
"So, the singer is a Konoha shinobi, correct?" Mizukage asked. Kakashi had informed the other Kage about Asuka a couple of days before, just to avoid any possibility for a diplomatic incident. As he had expected, though, his revelation had hardly received a reaction. Nobody frankly cared about a random kunoichi who was also a singer. He wouldn't have cared too, if it hadn't been someone from the Leaf.
Kakashi nodded in response to the Mizukage, then grabbed a glass of sake from the bar and took a sip. Very good sake, indeed.
As Asuka got on stage, Kakashi couldn't help but smirk. 'It's just clothes,' she had said. But she had indeed changed her outfit. The scandalous bare-back dress was not there, Asuka had substituted it with a black lace dress which covered her neck and her arms, with a flowing sheer skirt that reached down to her knees. She was barefoot, and Kakashi's eyes focused on the little scarecrow tattoo on her ankle.
"Wow, she's gorgeous," Tsuchikage said, whistling, making Kakashi clench his teeth behind his mask. He really needed to restrain that territorial part of him. The other Kage was a very old man, and his intentions couldn't be farther from sexual.
"Thank you very much for being here. Tonight's my last show, and I really hope you will like it." The crowd started cheering as the music started playing. "As you can see, I'm not wearing shoes tonight. That's 'cause I wanna dance. And I hope you'll dance along, too," she concluded her introduction just as the bass drum powerfully resounded in the arena. A moment of silence, then she started singing.
"Where's B-san, Raikage-sama?" Temari asked after a while. The man sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, I promised to keep my mouth shut. But I think you'll find that out soon."
About halfway through the show, Asuka announced she was going to sing a duet, and introduced B. The crowd started howling. Everyone in the Land of Lightning knew and loved the man, as he was seen as some kind of war hero, of course, and his boisterous attitude was only fueled by the cheering crowd. He jumped on stage and started his rap.
"That's… actually… not bad," Temari commented, listening to the song. Everybody knew B was clearly not meant to become a rapper, but he was making a good impression overall. Him and Asuka playfully interacted on the stage, and their voices mixed well together. A far cry from the usual pitiful rap B would perform.
When the song ended, Asuka thanked B and the two hugged. As B left the stage, the woman introduced the next song. Not every one of the songs had been written by her. 'Love song, probably not mine. Depressing stuff, could be mine; ghosts, definitely mine. If you already know that, it's a cover,' was the rule of thumb Asuka had offered Kakashi the day before, when he had asked her about her musical activity. He would recognize a few songs he had already listened to when they were teenagers, and he was sure he could tell many of her songs were for him. No false modesty, he just could feel that.
The vip seats were fairly comfortable, even though Kakashi had preferred being in the parterre. He did not like crowded places, but he had thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere Asuka and the band had created.
It seemed a little colder, staying in those seats. Kakashi looked at the crowd of people beneath him. They were jumping and dancing excitedly, mimicking Asuka, on stage. Kakashi was extremely relieved she had recovered from her break-down, only two days before. He had been utterly terrified, finding her in the bathtub, almost trying to choke herself to death, and had been preoccupied ever since. But she seemed to be fine, now. Her energy was contagious. He remembered he once compared her to his teacher, Minato. They both had that warm aura around them that made people gravitate towards them. Such a unique, powerful ability.
After a couple of hours, the concert ended. Asuka was very excited and could still feel adrenaline rush through her veins. As the musicians got backstage and into their dressing room, they shared a long group hug. Asuka bowed deeply and heartedly thanked the band.
"It's been a true pleasure working with you. You're all' amazing people and I'm going to miss you all." She could have sworn that the blonde pianist had tears brimming her eyes.
They talked and hung out for a while, then Asuka glanced at the clock and decided it was best to go home; she would leave for her special training on Sunday morning, while Kakashi was bound to go back to Konoha the following morning. She did not want to miss out on the chance to spend time with him.
When she exited from the back door, Kakashi was there, waiting for her. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. The alley was dimly lit by a distant streetlamp and empty, there was nobody who could spot them.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," she said, apologizing, "I was saying goodbye to everyone." He pulled down his mask to plant a brief kiss on her lips, then looked at her in the eye.
"It's okay, I figured as much. I have actually just gone out of the vip room. I had never reflected on all the benefits of being a Kage." Asuka's raised eyebrow prompted him to continue. "Like free food and alcohol. And the most beautiful women," he concluded, whispering into the woman's ear and squeezing her butt. She chuckled.
Drunk Kakashi was way more doting than normal Kakashi, but Asuka loved them equally. "I think the term you're looking for is 'abuse of power,' you know…" she joked, nuzzling the man's neck. Their hands were travelling all over each other's body. They were practically doing spirited foreplay in that filthy alley, but neither one wanted to detach from the other.
"Oh, shut up," Kakashi chuckled. "You've always had a thing for powerful men. Like your veneration for the Hokage…" Asuka leaned back, a mischievous grin on her face. "Could you blame me? Minato was a total hunk, and if the photos do them justice, both Shodaime and Nidaime were hot as hell!"
Kakashi smirked. "So you base your loyalty on looks?" The woman shrugged. "Well, Sandaime was my father, and every daughter has a little Electra complex. Godaime… I haven't had the pleasure of serving under her, but she did use to be one of the Sannin. And Rokudaime-sama…" She let her finger slide down Kakashi's flak jacket and felt his grip on her waist tighten. Usually, Kakashi did not like being called so formally, but he had to admit that hearing those words from her was turning him on.
"He's the 'hunkest' of them all." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "So hunk, I'd blow him right here and now."
Asuka's back hit the wall, and as her mouth opened to let her catch her breath, Kakashi's lips closed on hers and his tongue entered her mouth. The man had pinned her to the wall and Asuka brought her legs around his waist, Kakashi's hands immediately travelling down her body to grope her butt.
"Say that again," he prompted, panting, as their kiss ended. "My title," he then offered. This time, Asuka held his gaze, smirking maliciously and leaning in, until their noses were almost touching. "What are your orders to this loyal kunoichi, Rokudaime Hokage-sama?" She moaned softly as Kakashi's grip on her butt tightened and his hips grounded against her.
His eyes briefly darted to the door their left. "Hold on tight," he whispered, focusing his chakra in his legs and feet and jumping high, stomping his feet once or twice on the wall of the building and gracefully landing on the roof of the arena, just as the back door they were near a few seconds before opened and some people exited, joking and laughing.
Asuka released her grip around Kakashi's neck and placed her feet on the ground. She observed the members of the band down on the street leaving the place. A little grin spread on her face as she noticed the pianist and the guitarist walking hand in hand.
Suddenly, a gush of cold air hit her. "As much as I'd like to stick to my words about blowing you right here, I think it's better if we head home," she said, shivering. The wind was blowing hard at that height. She looked at Kakashi in the eye and smiled. "Sorry," she said, "I'm actually freezing." The man hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and trying to warm her. The cold air had somewhat sobered him up. "Don't worry," he said, lifting her up again and jumping towards her house, enjoying Asuka's amused giggles whenever he bounced on rooftops.
Kakashi liked sex with Asuka. A lot. He just couldn't seem to get tired of her body, of her smell, of her voice. But he wouldn't have minded if she wasn't feeling like having sex, provided they stayed together. He needed to physically stay with her, even if only chatting, chilling on the sofa, or sleeping.
That would not be the case, however. When they arrived home, Asuka happily took him by the hand and hurried to her room, where she pushed him on the bed and crawled on top of him. Back to square one, then; he liked sex with Asuka. A whole lot.
"You should wake up…"
Asuka's soft voice sounded light and delicate to Kakashi's ear. He didn't open his eyes, choosing instead to circle his arms around the woman's waist and let her warm, naked body cradle his head for a while. He didn't want to leave.
"Understood. Five more minutes, then," she whispered. Kakashi snuggled closer to her womb. "Make it ten."
Asuka giggled softly, and her fingers started combing his hair, delicately untangling a few knots here and there, in that same gesture she used to do when they were teenagers.
When he reluctantly had to get up and get ready ("Remember you have reservation for the boat, don't be too late," nagging reminder courtesy of Nara Shikamaru), Asuka put on an oversized t-shirt she used to sleep in and waited for him in the living room. When he stepped out of the bathroom, they had breakfast, still in silence, Kakashi's hand gently rubbing Asuka's on the table. After a while, the Hokage glanced at the clock and sighed, standing up. "I should really go." Asuka nodded and walked to the door. They had agreed she wouldn't go see him off at the port.
Kakashi stood outside the door frame, stroking Asuka's cheek. She leaned in and hugged him tightly, feeling his head resting on top of hers and planting a kiss there. When they parted, Kakashi spoke. "I have an order for you, as the Hokage." Asuka changed her stance, her back straighter. "Tame Amanozako, and come back to Konoha. I know you can do that. You're strong." The woman smiled warmly and nodded. He smiled, too, and turned to leave.
Asuka closed the door behind her and exhaled. Those five days had been a whirlwind of emotions. Seeing Kakashi again had sent her mind in an overexcited state. There had been some downs, but she felt as if she had been on a prolonged drug-induced high. She had been so happy with him, but reality was now sinking in. What if she could not control Amanozako? What if she injured – or worse, killed – B, or Shikamaru? She couldn't bear that thought. She would betray Konoha, betray Kakashi, and she certainly didn't want to. She wanted to see him again. To touch him. To stay with him. She could not wait.
She opened her door not even thinking. He had probably already left the building. Instead, he was still there, facing her. She didn't need anything more. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him deeply, trying to convey all of her feelings for him. She kissed him as if her life depended on it, as if she was never going to see him again – which she dreaded could actually happen – and he just responded with equal passion.
She didn't even know how much time had passed. Could have been seconds or hours. But, after a while, Kakashi pulled back and leant his forehead against hers, looking at her in the eye.
Asuka pulled the fabric of Kakashi's mask back onto his face.
"I'll see you in a month."
I love you.
With the hand he still had on her nape, he pulled her towards him and kissed her forehead.
"I'll be waiting."
I love you.
Kakashi walked out of the building, while Asuka walked into her apartment to pack her things.
Present
"What about this one: Why can't you trust trees?"
Shikamaru eyed the woman to his right, annoyance written all over his face.
"Because they're shady!"
The teenager groaned loudly. "That's probably the shittiest one you've said so far. And you've been telling very shitty jokes. Can't you just shut up?"
She couldn't. Telling lame jokes helped her not to think too much about the heaviness she felt in her chest, and all the doubts that had crept into her mind. She had successfully controlled Amanozako, in the probably least epic and heroic way one could imagine. But she had done so, nonetheless. Now that she had her full chakra back, and that she could freely use the spirit's power, too, she should be feeling invincible.
Except, she wasn't.
She was utterly terrified. Provided she passed the interrogation part (which she was fairly optimistic about, given her trust in Kakashi's words), she would need to integrate into Konoha's life. Some people might still remember her, but how would they react to her presence? Would they ignore her? Would they accept her? Or would they be angry at her? The village had gone through so much during those years, who was she to come back and wanting to be accepted by her past friends?
Would she fit into the ingrained mechanisms of the Leaf Shinobi? Was she to go back to the Anbu division? Was Team Mu still there? And if so… What about their members?
Then, she would need to face reality. Her family was basically not there anymore. Kakashi had told her about her relatives' deaths, but she still had not let the news completely sink in. She had lived away for so long without hearing from them, let alone seeing them, and sometimes she had wondered if her father would still be alive when she came back. But she had always had less concerns about Asuma and Toshiro. They were strong as hell, particular her eldest brother, so they wouldn't die early. Or so she thought. She had often dreamt about their reunion.
Now, their reunion would happen in a graveyard. She was not sure she could bear that.
Every step towards their destination felt so heavy. Even though it was November, she was sweating. Her palms were drenched.
Asuka heard Shikamaru sigh beside her. "I'm sure you'll be welcomed to Konoha."
The boy was lying. He wasn't sure about that at all. When growing up, he had never heard anyone talk about Asuka, so he assumed it was a sort of prohibited topic there. Either that, or nobody actually gave a shit about her, and considered her as one of the many Shinobi who had given their lives for the village. Except she didn't even had her name inscribed on the memorial stone. Maybe she had just been forgotten, like many others. But, fuck, she was the daughter of the Third. How could anyone forget about that?
"Yeah… sorry… I'm just a bit nervous," Asuka apologized. They had been running for many hours and limited their breaks to only strictly necessary ones. She had to be tired, too, as Shikamaru was. He had never been the endurance type.
"What would you like to do first when we arrive?" He asked, in an attempt to raise her spirits. Asuka smirked. "You don't want to know." Shikamaru turned his face towards her, his eyebrow raised in a questioning look. "You're still a child," she explained.
"I'm not!" The boy retorted, annoyed. To think he had even gone so far as to actually care about her, now she was calling him a child.
Asuka laughed. "Well, if you want to know so badly, I'm going to have Kakashi fuck my brains out."
Shikamaru tripped on a branch and fell face first onto the ground. When he looked up, Asuka burst out laughing at his dark red face. "See? You can say what you want, but you're still a child!" She teased him, halting beside him.
"And you're a pervert!" He retorted, still blushing. "That's something you shouldn't tell anyone!"
Asuka shrugged. "Why not? It's not like I'm gonna tell you exactly what we'll do." She hoped they would do a lot of things. Her eyes looked upwards to the left as she anticipated the night and smirked, letting out an excited giggle. "Stop that!" Shikamaru exclaimed, exasperated, bringing his fingers to the bridge of his nose, trying to stop a massive headache from forming. "Discretion… do you know the meaning of this word?"
Asuka sighed. "It's as good a topic as any else. It's not my fault if your pure little virgin ears are too innocent for this." The boy's face turned even redder. "That's got nothing to do with your loud mouth! And your perverted being!"
Asuka's eyebrow started wiggling as she elbowed Shikamaru in the ribs. "Oh, come on! I'm sure the blonde chick from Suna who came to check on us two weeks ago would be more than willing to entertain you… if you know what I mean…" She laughed out loud when she eyed the boy's flustered face.
Teasing Shikamaru had really become one of her favorite pastimes.
Temari had indeed gone to their training ground, apparently sent by Kazekage in order to check if everything was alright. Shikamaru would lie if he said he didn't find her attractive, but... Come on, she was scary as hell. "I would prefer someone plainer," he sentenced. What he had always dreamt of. A plain life, a plain wife, living as unnoticed as possible. Less of a drag. "Booooring," Asuka chanted, while the boy's lips tightened in a scowl. "You look like a child, here. And you could be my mother… Ouch!" He grunted, as the woman pinched his cheek. "Mind your words, you rude, prude boy! I'm still young!"
Shikamaru stared at Asuka for a moment, then let out a chuckle. "Let's go… I wouldn't want to be in your and Lord Kakashi's way any longer." Asuka put a hand on his head, ruffling his hair as best as she could, given he had it tied in his usual ponytail. "Good boy!"
"Asuka-chan, why did you choose a scarecrow for a tattoo?"
B, Shikamaru and Asuka were taking a break in a clearance by the river. The woman, feeling hot after her training, had taken off her shoes and sunk her feet into the water.
Asuka looked at B, her eyebrow raised. She thought he had figured that out by now. She felt like she was constantly speaking about Kakashi and Konoha. She then glanced at her ankle and smiled. "To remind me what's most important to me." B tilted his head to the side and scratched his temple. "I still don't get it," he confessed.
"What a drag. B, a scarecrow. A 'Kakashi'. As in 'Lord Kakashi'. You get it now?" Shikamaru interposed. He was frankly fed up with B's lamely, constantly courting Asuka. When it was so clear she couldn't care less about the man.
B's poker face was as shitty as his rap. Shikamaru was sure he had heard every single crack forming in the man's heart.
It was around 9 p.m. and it was pouring, which was common in that time of the year in Konoha.
"Rokudaime-sama, are you waiting for someone?" One of the guards at Konoha's main gate questioned. Kakashi nodded. "You don't need to stay out here in this rain, we'll warn you as soon as we see them coming. May I ask you who you're waiting for?" Kakashi looked at the ninja and noticed his light shiver and labored breath.
"You're the one who should not be here right now. When does your shift end?"
"In half an hour, sir."
Kakashi put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Just go home now. I'll stay here for you. I actually don't know exactly when the people I'm waiting for will arrive. This rain might have slowed them down."
The ninja kneeled before Kakashi. "Rokudaime-sama, I can't accept your offer. It would be so rude of me to leave you here…"
"Just do what I said. It's an order. Besides, your partner will still be here, and in half an hour other two ninja will come to take your post, am I right?"
The ninja's head lowered. "Thank you very much, Rokudaime-sama."
Kakashi hummed in response. "Don't come until you've recovered, ok? Just notify your superior so they can arrange shifts."
That said, Kakashi was left alone. He stared in the distance, but with the darkness and the rain it was fairly difficult to distinguish anything.
After a while, his heart increased its pace as he could feel two familiar chakra signatures approach.
Asuka didn't mind the rain. If anything, she liked it very much. When she was a child, she would always sneak outside during storms, just to get drenched, stay under the rain with her mouth open or jump into pools. And her grandmother would scold her oh so much, while her mum laughed her ass off at her.
But she had other thoughts in her head, now. She could already make out the shape of Konoha gate in the distance. Her pace sped up, and she started running, ignoring Shikamaru complaints. As she got nearer, she could see a cloaked figure standing. When he pulled back his hood, Asuka's legs ran even faster, and she threw herself into Kakashi's arms. He squeezed her tight, as if he were afraid she could go away. "Welcome back," he whispered, and felt her arms tighten around him.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion here, but…" Kakashi and Asuka parted. The Hokage smiled at the boy. "Welcome back, Shikamaru. Glad to see you're fine." He glanced at Asuka, who was peeking at the village beyond the gate. "Yeah. As I wrote, I delivered the troublesome luggage. Now, can I take those days off as I asked?" Kakashi chuckled. "Of course. Just remember to file in your report by the end of the week." Shikamaru nodded and bowed respectfully. "I'll see you around, I guess." He told Asuka, who smiled and nodded, then he started walking to his home.
"Shall we go?" Kakashi asked, pulling his hood back up to his head. Asuka smiled warmly and nodded. Before she started walking, she felt the man's hand around her neck, and her face collided with his chest. His masked lips rested upon her head for a while, before letting her go. He was so glad to see her there.
When they approached the gate, they were halted by a guard, the partner of the sick ninja Kakashi had let go home earlier. The guard asked for Asuka's documents, which she handed with shaky hands. The guard frowned and looked at Asuka's face, again. "Sarutobi Asuka, born in Konohagakure? I've never seen you here." He stated, his eyebrow raised. Of course, the ninja was barely twenty years old. He surely did not know about her. "It's okay, she's with me," the man at her right said, and only then did the guard look at him, immediately widening his eyes at the sudden realization.
"Rokudaime-sama! I hadn't recognized you! Pardon my rudeness!" He exclaimed, kneeling before him. Kakashi raised his hands in front of him. "It's ok, it's ok, no need to kneel." He was always embarrassed by such behaviors. "Anyways, I came here personally to give you this," he said, handing the man a piece of paper. Specifically, a written authorization for Asuka to enter Konoha. "It will become a permanent permit starting from tomorrow," he added. The guard looked at it and nodded. "Very well," he then smiled at Asuka. "You're free to enter, Sarutobi-san."
The woman nodded slightly in a silent acknowledgement and took a deep breath, before crossing the gate.
Kakashi walked by her, not saying a word. He didn't want to distract her from her contemplation of the village. It was still raining and the streets were somewhat empty, the occasional passers-by bundled up in their cloaks or under umbrellas, not taking into account the couple walking. The streetlamps lighting the road, reflecting on the water on the ground, made it seem as if the streets were glistening. Kakashi eyed Asuka. He could see only the lower part of her face, her lips sealed in a tight smile. It seemed as though she was refraining herself from crying, or screaming. After Pain's attack, the village had been destroyed and rebuild, so Asuka would probably not recognize every building, but Kakashi knew that the feeling of the original village was still there.
"This way," he said, turning to a street to the left.
"I thought your house was the other way… bad memory," Asuka said, giggling.
"It was, but I moved out that house years ago."
"Why? It was such a nice house." Essential, clean and neat, just like Kakashi.
"It was too big for only one person."
He had refused when Tenzo asked him where he should rebuild it after it was destroyed. That house was full of memories. About his father, the time they spent together training or simply chilling out. About Obito and Rin, coming to visit him. About Asuka, who basically was always there when they were together. It was pointless to rebuild a house that would only be inhabited by ghosts.
Asuka felt a pang of guilt at Kakashi's concise explanation. She felt somewhat responsible for that decision. Had there never been Amanozako, would they have started living together, got married, had a few kids? The house would surely have been livelier then. She had never really fancied the idea of having children, but she wouldn't have minded having little Kakashis around.
"Here we are," he said, as the two got in front of a large apartment building. They went up quite a few set of stairs and reached the top floor. Kakashi reached under his cloak and inside the pocket of his pants, grabbed the key and unlocked the door, letting Asuka inside. They left their cloaks and shoes to dry at the entrance and stepped into the living room/kitchen open space. It was essential, clean and neat. A sofa in front of a basic TV set, a small table with two chairs, and a small but functional kitchen. A basic bachelor house.
"Boss, you weren't joking. She's really alive." Asuka's head snapped towards the direction the voice came from. Pakkun. She stared at him and at the rest of the ninken that had grouped there. "Yo, Asuka. You've become smoking hot," the pug greeted her, making her blush. She wasn't easily embarrassed, but a dog complimenting her on her looks was just too strange. The other dogs started howling in approval of Pakkun's words.
"Behave, guys." Kakashi warned, his tone low, receiving a loud grunt in response. "I'm not the one smelling like a horny teenager," the pug commented, his eyes half-lidded. Asuka snorted and hid her smile behind a hand, looking away from Kakashi's flustered face.
"Go to your room. Now." Kakashi ordered, glaring at the animals. The pack moved to a door on the right, next to the kitchen. Bull, the biggest of Kakashi's dogs, approached Asuka and gently licked her hand. "It's good to have you back." The woman kneeled and hugged the mastiff. It felt so good to be welcomed home.
"Are you hungry?" Kakashi asked Asuka while the dogs walked away. She shrugged. She had been feeling a knot in her stomach since stepping into Konoha, a mixture of excitement and fear that was clamping her stomach. "A shower would be better, before," she replied, pointing at her damp hair and clothes. Kakashi nodded. "I can cook something while you're in the shower."
Asuka looked at the man and blushed lightly. She scratched her cheek with a finger. "Uhm… I mean… We could take a shower together." She had meant what she had told Shikamaru earlier that day; she wanted Kakashi. The man was proving to be very sensitive towards her by giving her space. He probably knew she was being overwhelmed by a whirlwind of different emotions, but she still craved for his touch. A month not seeing him had been tough.
Also, sex was a clever and very enjoyable way to avoid thinking about the following day, a.k.a. Judgement Day, as Asuka had nicknamed it.
Kakashi's strong hand closed around Asuka's, guided her to his bathroom and closed the door behind them. He stepped into the shower and started the water. "It takes a moment to turn hot," he mumbled, before pulling his mask down and placing his hands on either side on Asuka's face, kissing her. She tilted her head upwards and parted her lips to contently meet his tongue. Her hands immediately ran to his flak jacket, unzipping it and unceremoniously letting it fall to the floor, then lifting his sweater, breaking their kiss long just enough for them to discard their clothes. Kakashi looked at Asuka's body, her more defined muscles due to the intensive training she had, and his throat went dry while his hands rested on her breasts, gently massaging them as he kissed her neck.
"Is it ready yet?" Asuka asked between labored breaths, as she kissed and sucked Kakashi's neck and fondled him. The man let his hands roam to her back and down to her butt, giving it a firm squeeze before lifting the woman and stepping into the shower with her. Asuka gasped when the hot jet hit her back and at the sudden relieving feeling of the cold tiles of the wall Kakashi had pinned her to. They kissed passionately, Asuka's back arching when the man's hands travelled from her hips upwards, stroking her rib cage and her breasts, then bringing her arms over her head and around his neck, leaning his body more into hers.
When they parted for air, Kakashi put his hands on either side of Asuka's face, gently pulling some hair out of her face, looking at her in the eye, panting slightly. "I… I've been imagining this moment for the past month. The moment you would finally be here." He gently stroke her cheek. "Is this how you imagined things would go?" She asked, her voice soft and panting. He smiled. "You're here, I can touch you. This is much better than anything I've imagined." Asuka's heart overflowed with joy, and she closed the gap between their mouths once more, while her legs tightened around his waist, propping herself up a little so that she could feel his member at her opening. Kakashi easily slipped inside her, causing a moan to form in her throat. He opened his eyes and looked at Asuka, her eyebrows knitted together, her eyes closed and her mouth open and moaning, and he thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. "I love you," he whispered, thrusting into her, kissing and sucking her ear lobe. He felt her fingers dig into his back. "I love you," she panted in his ear.
"Now I'm hungry," Asuka said, as she and Kakashi got dressed after their shower. "Like, starving!" She added, smiling. The man laughed and looked at her with a fond expression. "If you trust my cooking, I could make something quickly." Kakashi replied.
"Well, it will surely be better than anything I could cook." She said, shrugging. Her cooking abilities didn't go far beyond the simple cup of tea or scrambled eggs.
The fish and vegetables Kakashi had grilled were amazing. Asuka's taste buds were doing back-flips in her mouth. How could the man be a genius at whatever he did was beyond her knowledge.
He observed her eat with a small smile on his lips and his head resting on his hand. They spent the following hour pleasantly chatting. Asuka told Kakashi about her training and how she managed to tame Amanozako, and he also asked her a few things about the Western Continent she hadn't told him about, while he updated her on what he intended to do for Konoha as the Hokage. All the while, the rain kept falling down, the raindrops hitting the apartment windows.
Asuka woke up at 6 a.m., feeling somewhat anxious. She needed to pee. She could hear Kakashi's light snores and feel the weight of his arm wrapped around her waist. She stirred a little and felt the man tighten his grip, pulling her towards his warm, naked body. She really wanted to stay there, yet she also really needed to pee. She sighed and lifted Kakashi's limb, hearing him grumble. "I'll be right back," she whispered, swiftly but reluctantly getting off the bed. She picked up from the floor a t-shirt that had been discarded earlier that night and put it on. It had to be Kakashi's, since it was somewhat long and oversize, but he wouldn't have minded. She tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, sitting on the toilet and sighing in relief. She eyed the door and gave a little start when she saw Pakkun staring at her. "What the hell?!" She exclaimed.
"Yo, Asuka." Had Kakashi not taught them to let people have a wee in peace? She hastily wiped herself, flushed the toilet and washed her hands, all the while feeling the dog's inquisitive eyes on her.
She got out of the bathroom and glared at Pakkun. "You don't spy on ladies doing their business, you know?" She scolded him.
The pug rolled his eyes and huffed. "I'm a dog. I have no interest in human females."
"That's not the point!" She said, yelling yet whispering. "I was embarrassed!"
Pakkun shrugged. "I don't see the point in being embarrassed over being seen during bodily functions and not over being seen while Boss is licking your private parts."
Asuka's jaw dropped open. "You were watching us?!" The dog shook his head. "Not me, Shiba. But it's not like that's the first time we have seen you two mate, you know. You went at it all the time back then."
Asuka could frankly not believe she was talking about her sexual life with a dog. "That's it, let's end it here," she said, exasperated. She wondered if she could run to the bedroom, get into bed and bury herself under the blankets.
"That's not what I wanted to tell you, though," Pakkun said. Asuka looked at him and nodded. He seemed serious.
"We may not look like it, but we care about the Boss. In these years we've been together, we've seen him at his highest and his lowest. One of his lowest points was after you left. He reverted back to a killing machine, you know… just like after Rin died." Asuka hadn't known him at that point in time, but anyone in the Anbu knew him as the cold-hearted killer of the division; no emotions, no mercy. She bit her lip and glanced at the sleeping figure in the bedroom. He seemed so peaceful. "One of his highest peaks has been the entire past month, since he came back from the Land of Lightning, namely after seeing you again. What I mean to say is that you affect him a lot. So, if you're not serious about him, or if you think you will have to leave again, please do so now. We don't want to see him suffer."
If Asuka hadn't known better, she would have considered Pakkun's words as a cute attempt at demonstrating affection towards its owner, just like a father giving "the speech" to his future son-in-law just before marrying his daughter. But she knew that the ninja dog meant every word he was saying and that he was speaking for Kakashi's sake.
"That said, we understand you had your own shit to take care of. And we're happy to see you back and well. We do hope you'll stay."
The pug grunted ever so slightly when he felt his body lifted up and hugged. He was not a fucking pet, for God's sake! But he had to admit that Asuka's body was soft and warm, and the fact she was smelling like his owner made it more bearable.
"I don't intend to leave. I'm here to stay. I regret so much what I've done, but that was the only thing I could do. Now I'm here, and I want to stay by his side, I really do." From the shadow emerged the rest of the ninken and they started licking her legs and rubbing against her. She sat on the floor and let the animals cuddle her. The rain had stopped, and now looking outside the window of Kakashi's living room, Asuka could see the dawn-colored sky and the Hokage monument. She looked at the heads of the village leaders, Tsunade's had been added while she was away, and Kakashi's was just in the making.
It was true. She was there.
It didn't take long before she felt tears streaming down her face, and she hid her head in a fluffy fur.
She got back into the bedroom a while later. It was still early; she was expected at the T&I division around 9. Even though she could still sleep a bit more, she wasn't that sleepy. She looked around the room, a faint light seeping through from the window behind the bed. On the windowsill she noticed two photographs, which she hadn't seen the previous night (she had been engaged in other kind of activities, then). She smiled when her eyes set on the smiling face of Minato-sensei and his team. Kakashi and Obito were visibly annoyed, while Rin smiled cheerfully between them. Asuka hadn't bonded with Rin and Obito that much, as they had never been in the same class, but they seemed a nice team. When she looked at the other photograph, she feared she would start crying again, so she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from becoming a complete crybaby. In that photo, Kakashi was the teacher, smiling – as much as what his mask and forehead protector on his eyes allowed to be seen – behind a beaming, pretty, pink-haired kunoichi ('Sakura's powerful as hell. When she started, I hadn't given her that much credit, but she's studied under Tsunade and has matured into a skilled medic and ninja'), an annoyed, cool black-haired boy ('Sasuke was a prodigy, good at everything he did, but socially challenged. I kind of saw myself in him') and a blond boy she immediately recognized ('Naruto was loud, obnoxious and annoying. I had not many hopes for him, but he has proven everybody wrong and has worked hard to have people acknowledge his strength. I do respect him from the bottom of my heart'). She let her finger run over Naruto's face, and wondered if she would be able to see him again soon. She couldn't wait.
Next to the frames, there was a small package, wrapped up as if it was a present, but looking very old. The paper along its borders was cracked, and its green color was faded. She didn't give it much thought, though, as she felt Kakashi's arms around her waist. "Come here, we still have time," he mumbled, pulling her close to him and nuzzling her stomach, planting small kisses here and there. She looked playfully at him.
"Before we do anything more, let me tell you that your dogs like to watch x-rated stuff, front row. If you know what I mean." He opened one eye and looked at her, seemingly annoyed. "Thanks for sharing. I'll give them a piece of their mind, later. For the moment, just close the door."