Once again, thank you all for reading the story, and a special thank you to everyone who's taken the time to leave a review.
Since it wasn't raining anymore, there were a lot people walking down Konoha streets. They all bowed their heads respectfully at the Hokage, someone greeted him, but they all mainly stared and whispered among themselves. Asuka was sure she had seen some women glare at her.
"Is it that unusual for you to walk with a woman?" She asked Kakashi, who chuckled.
"I guess so. Also, it's not like you're blending into the crowd that much," he replied, glancing at her clothes.
Asuka sighed. Of course, she would have stared too if, in Ruma, she had seen someone dressed in Konoha style. Even her training gear was way different from what she used to wear as a kid.
Konoha clothes mixed layers and fabrics and were at times complicated to figure out, but the overall effect was way humbler than that of Western clothing, that instead stood out a great lot for its bright colors and peculiar fabrics, even though the garments in themselves were simpler.
Not that she had much choice for clothes, anyway.
Asuka shrugged. "Well, it's not like I've had much time or money to shop, recently. And I do like this style," she confessed, looking down at her fluffy mustard coat, which was hiding a burgundy turtleneck wool dress. Her legs were covered in black low-heels, thigh-high boots.
"Yeah, I like it too," Kakashi commented; after all, she had always dressed differently than most kunoichi, always opting for bright colors (when not in her anbu uniform, of course) and a seemingly effortless style.
They arrived in front of the T&I headquarters just before 9. "That's huge..." Asuka commented. She did not remember the building being so big.
"When we rebuilt it, we annexed the prison to it. It's more practical." Asuka hummed in response and dried her sweaty hands onto her coat when Kakashi pushed the door open. "Ok," she sighed. "Let's go."
Stares.
People whispering.
Try to ignore them. Remember to breathe.
She couldn't afford to look at every single ninja there and try to remember them. Not at that moment, at least.
Kakashi walked her to a closed door and knocked. A thundering voice immediately replied, inviting them to enter. Asuka had read the name on the door.
Morino Ibiki.
She remembered him; he had interrogated her when she had punched the Hyuuga and had been sentenced to prison. He was, like, one year her senior, but he already was huge and muscular. Intimidating, to say the least. He had freaked the hell out of her with his stories on how to beat people without having them pass out so that they could still spill their guts.
So, he had become the chief of the division; she should have seen that coming.
If Morino had recognized her, he didn't show. He was impassive and greeted the Hokage with deference. "No need to be so formal," Kakashi said, sighing.
Next to the man stood a young girl. Her long, blond hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing a two-piece purple dress. She smiled at both Kakashi and her, greeting them. Asuka mirrored her smile and saw a small blush forming on the girl's cheeks. Such a delicate girl didn't seem to fit in that division. She had to have had some hidden skills.
"Is everything set up?" Kakashi asked, and the two shinobi nodded. He then turned to Asuka.
"You'll first talk with Morino-san, after that, Ino will scan you mind."
The woman nodded and looked at the imposing man in front of her. "It's good to see you again, Ibiki-san." The man narrowed his eyes and walked past her. "Follow me," he prompted. Asuka turned to comply, but noticed that Kakashi was not moving. She gave him a questioning look.
"I'm sorry, I won't be in the interrogation room with you." Her eyes widened slightly. She had to stay in an interrogation room, alone, with the scariest man on earth, again?
"You'll do great," Kakashi encouraged, his palm raised in a greeting.
She felt like throwing her hands around his neck and strangle him.
Asuka entered a bare room with grey walls, a grey floor, a metal table and two metal chairs. The perfect room to put people at ease. Asuka took off her coat, then took one of the chairs and sat down, folding the coat on her lap. She briefly looked at the mirror in front of her and wondered if Kakashi was beyond it, in another room.
"So," Morino said, dragging a chair on the floor and plopping down.
Asuka grimaced at the metallic sound.
"State your name, affiliation and status."
She held his gaze. No need to be agitated. She wasn't hiding anything.
"Sarutobi Asuka. Daughter of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, shinobi of the Leaf village."
"What?"
Kakashi looked at Ino, beside him. She and Ibiki had been warned, the day before, about the arrival of a kunoichi named Asuka Sarutobi. The Hokage had demanded they conducted interrogation and mind reading on her, even though he seemed already convinced the woman had nothing to hide.
But Ino would have never thought that the woman in the other room would be the daughter of Sandaime. That made her also Asuma-sensei's sister. She started feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement, Ino," Kakashi said.
Funny how he should be telling those same things to himself.
"I thought that Sarutobi Asuka had disappeared fourteen years ago."
Ibiki took a folder he had on the table and skimmed through it, reading aloud some words here and there.
"… gravely hurt by a demon… ineffective seal… a potential danger to Konoha."
Asuka bit her lower lip. Those words hurt.
She started telling him about that fateful mission.
"In the end, I was sent away by the Hokage to search for a solution," she said.
She told him about her life in the Western Continent, and noticed that he took notes while she was telling her story.
"Have you found a solution?"
Asuka nodded. "I tamed the spirit. I was coming back to Konoha when I met with Rokudaime by chance in the Land of Lightning, and he gave me permission to come back."
"By chance, uh?" The man asked her, his eyebrow raised. Asuka nodded hastily. "Yes. We were both shocked at seeing each other again."
"I know you two were in a relationship, before you went away." Asuka frowned. "I don't see the point in that statement. What if we were?"
Morino looked at her in the eye, his glare cold enough that it could have frozen her. "Did you seduce him into letting you come back?"
Asuka gasped, outraged, and stood up.
"What?!" She exclaimed. She wanted to punch him straight into his face.
"Do you think I'm a whore? Do you really think I would do something that lame?"
He was unfazed by her reaction. "I don't know. I'm trying to evaluate that. You might be a spy, for all I know."
"A spy!" She exclaimed. "A spy for whom? I didn't know Kakashi had become Hokage before I met him! I didn't know there had been a Fourth Ninja War before he told me! I didn't even know my father and my brothers had died!" She slammed her palm on the table. "What do you want to know, uh? You want to know if Kakashi and I have had sex since we met? Yes, we did. A lot. But that was NOT a way to persuade him to allow me back to Konoha, nor a way to spy on him or obtain information." She had leaned towards Morino and was looking him straight in the eye, not seemingly intimidated by him.
"Behave, Asuka…" Kakashi whispered. He glanced at Ino. Her cheeks were red.
"I don't have to remind you that everything you're hearing now, and everything you're going to see in her mind, is to be treated as confidential information, do I?"
She shook her head. "Of course, Lord Hokage."
"Sarutobi Asuka? Are you serious? How many years have passed?" The giant man asked.
Ino raised a blond eyebrow. Who was she? The girl had never heard of a kunoichi with that name.
Kakashi sighed. "Fourteen years. I know, it's hard to believe, yet it's just like that. I expect discretion from you." Ino stood upright, clicking her heels together. "Sure, Lord Hokage!"
"Lord Hokage," Morino said, "You do realize that, if I am to conduct the interrogation, I will ask personal questions, that might involve people close to her, don't you?"
Kakashi eyed the man. He admired his fortitude and integrity.
"Of course. Please do so."
"What did you do in the Western Continent?" Asuka looked at him, confused by that change of topic. She sat back on the chair, seemingly calmed down. "I… told you. I worked as a waitress in a café. And I sang there, too."
"Were you a waitress or a singer?" The woman looked at him dumbfounded. What kind of question was that? "Both," she replied. "I served tables in the morning or in the afternoon, and I sang there at night. Not professionally, it was just to supplement my salary."
"Have you ever used taijutsu or ninjutsu while being there?"
Asuka shrugged. "I tried to train as much as I could. I went to the gym, even though it was not proper taijutsu, while being chakra-deprived, I couldn't use ninjutsu at all."
"So, when did that change?" She looked down to her left, then back at him.
She told him about the Soga family. Sometimes, the looks Morino gave her seemed uncredulous, but she always told him the truth.
"Have you killed any civilian while you were away?"
Her answer came out as a whisper. "Yes, I have."
She told him all about Amanozako's urges. If she wanted to be accepted, she had to let them know everything. She had to trust them.
"I think that's all." Morino said, after a while. "You can proceed to the second part."
Asuka was exhausted. How much time had passed?
"You've become stricter than I remembered, Ibiki-san. And I mean, last time you interrogated me, I was glad when I had to go to prison. At least, I wouldn't have to see you anymore."
For the first time that day, Morino smiled. A crooked inclination of his lips, but it was still a smile. She cringed when the man put his hand on her shoulder. Her first reaction was to flee, but she stood there, nonetheless.
"It's good to see you're back," he offered. Asuka was taken aback by those words; she would have never expected them. Asuka smiled lightly at him. "Thank you."
Morino ushered Asuka out of the interrogation room. Kakashi was there, waiting for her. The head of the T&I division left them to meet with Ino.
When they were alone together, Asuka tuned to Kakashi, an annoyed look in her eyes.
"What was it… 'I'll be there with you during the interrogation,' uh?"
The Hokage scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… sorry. You know Ibiki-san is particularly strict." She huffed, punching his arm. "Let's go. Round two." She eyed the bag in Kakashi's hand. "What's that?"
Kakashi handed the bag to her. "It's midday. I thought you might want to have lunch, first." Midday? Her interrogation had lasted almost three hours? No doubt she was drained.
Asuka eyed the content of the bag.
Katsudon sandwiches.
Kakashi just knew how to make amends.
The room dedicated to the Analysis Team was very different from the interrogation room. It was big and bright, and had a curved table and a strange semicircular structure at the center of the room. At the table were three men, who were eyeing Asuka suspiciously.
She knew two of them. Not well, but whatever. She remembered one of them being the teacher of one of her classmates after graduating from the Academy, while the other was a couple of years her junior.
She smiled sheepishly at them, but they did not reply. A good start, indeed.
Right then, Ino entered the room, followed by Ibiki Morino. The girl smiled warmly at Asuka, who smiled back.
"Asuka-san, my name's Yamanaka Ino, I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself earlier. I'm going to perform Psycho Mind Transmission on you." A Yamanaka, uh. That explained why that girl was there.
She was probably the daughter of Inoichi. Yeah, she remembered he had had a girl.
"This equipment here will help decrease the time it'll take to scan your mind." Asuka nodded. She liked that girl. She was professional and self-confident. Her eyes travelled to Morino, next to the girl.
The beauty and the beast, indeed.
Asuka had to enter the semicircular structure. It was made so that she could sit inside. Once there, only her head stuck out.
She looked over to Kakashi, who was looking at her smiling. She gave him a look that said Don't you dare abandon me here before turning her attention to Ino.
"At the beginning you'll feel a little dizzy, don't worry though, as that's normal with this jutsu. After a while you'll fall asleep, and I'll be able to scan your mind. Ibiki-san has already told me what events I should concentrate on, so it won't take too long." Asuka nodded, then smiled.
"Just so you know, that are lots of x-rated stuff there… I hope you don't get easily embarrassed."
Ino giggled and put her hand on Asuka's head.
"Seriously, I'm sorry for what you're gonna see," she said, before feeling her eyelids heavy.
As the jutsu progressed and Ino scanned Asuka's mind, Kakashi noticed how the girl's complexion paled. After two hours, she stopped.
"I need to take a break," she said, trembling.
"It's strange for you to run out of chakra so quickly, Yamanaka-san," one of the three men behind the table said.
She nodded, her lips tight. Kakashi looked at the girl exiting quickly.
The problem was not with her chakra.
"Are you ok?"
Looking up, Ino saw Kakashi, gently handing her a soda.
She hurriedly wiped the tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes and stood up.
"Lord Hokage!"
He chuckled and sat onto the grass, next to where she had been just a few moments earlier.
"Was it that bad, what you saw in her mind?"
Ino sat down again, accepting the can Kakashi had offered her.
"You know… Usually, when we perform this kind of jutsu, we do that to get information from enemies, or criminals, but here… I have only seen sadness, and desperation. It's heartbreaking. I really don't know how a person could endure all that."
Kakashi shrugged. "She's Sandaime's daughter. He used to say that the Will of Fire was burning strong inside her. I think he was right."
Ino nodded. "Let's go back and finish."
"You know, I think Ino has a soft spot for you."
Asuka glanced at Kakashi upon hearing those words. "I like her, too. She's a very sweet girl."
He nodded. "She was also one of Asuma's students." She had figured that out, already. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation was a Konoha tradition, and they would be usually trained by a member of the Sarutobi clan.
"Where are we going now?" Asuka asked. They still had not exited the T&I building.
"To the prison. I need to check on a person there. It'll be quick." The woman shrugged. It seemed fair to her.
Kakashi had really stayed by her side all day, but still, he was the Hokage. She didn't even want to begin thinking about all the stuff he should have done that day instead of babysitting her.
"Kakashi, I really appreciate you being here with me. I'm sorry you had to neglect your duty as the Hokage."
The man snorted. "Don't worry. I actually wish there were more days like this."
Asuka gently elbowed him in the ribs, laughing. "How they have chosen you as the village leader, that's still beyond me."
They reached the entrance to the prison. Asuka looked at the imposing door. "That's impressive," she commented. "When I got locked up, it hadn't seemed so sturdy.
Kakashi chuckled beside her. "Feeling nostalgic, uh?"
Asuka faked a glare towards him. "Shut up, Hatake."
The Hokage laughed lightly before opening the door. Once inside, they were met with two guards inside a lodge. They were both young chuunin, and they stood up and respectfully bowed their heads to the Hokage, then their eyes scrutinized Asuka, whose reaction was to close the coat she had on her shoulders to her front.
"I'm here to see the Uchiha," Kakashi said, and one of the guards nodded. He then turned to Asuka and smiled at her. "I'll be back in a moment."
She nodded and looked around herself. There was a bench on one side of the room, and she decided to sit there. She could feel the guard's eyes on her. They were not malicious or suspicious, just curious. When she raised her head to look at the chuunin, he blushed and looked away.
After a while, Asuka heard hurried steps beyond the door.
"I'm telling you, if he's not here then I've run out of places where he could be!" A voice urged from the outside, before the door opened again and two ninja came running.
"Please Kikuchi, tell me that Lord Hokage is here!" The guard nodded and pointed to the corridor to his right. "He's with the Uchiha." The one who had spoken sighed. "Thank goodness."
"He's come just a while ago with her," the guard added, pointing at Asuka. When the two ninja turned around, they gasped.
"He-hello," one of them offered.
Asuka couldn't remember if he was Izumo or Kotetsu. She had never known, actually. They were her brother's friends, not hers'.
The one with bandages across his nose approached Asuka with a knowing smile.
"I'm Kotetsu Hagane, my Lady. Can I help you? I don't know why, but I feel like I already know you… maybe we met in a dream."
Asuka laughed. "I hope not. I can imagine what kind of dreams you mean." Izumo burst into laughter.
"But yes, we already know each other…" She smiled at the confused looks in their faces. It was then that Izumo gasped.
"Holy fuck! Sarutobi Asuka-san?" The woman nodded. "Yup. Flesh and bone."
Kotetsu, then, seemed to remember. His eyes widened and he put his hands on top of his head, just like his mouth.
"Holy crap! How… why… weren't you dead?" She shook her head. "Long story. But I'm back."
"Oh, Izumo, Kotetsu. What are you doing here?"
Upon hearing their names, said ninja turned and bowed to the Hokage, who had just gotten back to the room.
"Lord Hokage, Shizune was searching for you! We've been looking for you for a while, now!"
Kakashi's eyes rolled to the ceiling, then to Asuka.
"I told her I would be staying out of the office, today… talk about nagging assistants."
"It seems like the injured civilian Lee brought back from his mission is now awake and ready to talk, Lord Hokage. Shizune's already headed to the hospital."
"Aah… Good. I'm headed there too. Just go ahead and tell her I'll join her in a while." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Asuka gulp.
The two ninja nodded and prepared to leave. "It's been a pleasure seeing you again, Asuka-san. Maybe some other time we could talk about the good old times."
She nodded and waved them goodbye, a worried look on her face.
"I'm not going to the hospital," she stated.
"Yes, you are. We need to make sure that everything's all right with your body." Kakashi replied, matter-of-factly.
She scoffed. "Of course it is! I really couldn't feel better!"
"Great. So the examination will be shorter." Kakashi sentenced.
"Come on, Kakashi… there's no need for me to go to the hospital. I feel great! I haven't been in one since… I don't know, about twenty years ago?"
She pouted as Kakashi pinched her nose. "All the more reason to go. I thought you'd overcome your fear of hospitals," he said, shoving her to the exit, noticing how stiff she had become.
"Now, please, be a good girl and come with me. I have a special prize for good girls, you know?" He encouraged, smiling at her.
Asuka eyed him gravely. "I hope this is not something sexual. Your statement would be very creepy, if it were."
Kakashi chuckled. "It's not. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it too."
When they arrived in front of the hospital, Asuka looked up and took in the height of the building.
'It's just an examination, nothing too bad, relax. You've been here before. Breathe,' she thought, trying to encourage her subconscious.
She was accompanied into a room and was told to take off her clothes and sit on the examination bed.
"If I leave for a while to take care of an important matter upstairs, will you promise not to flee?" Kakashi asked. Asuka huffed and looked away, blushing. She was feeling so stupid. She knew she was being childish and irrational, but she couldn't help it. Hospitals had always made her feel extremely uncomfortable. The smell of disinfectant was already upsetting her stomach, all that white and green of the walls and floors, instead of calming her, was giving her the creepiest sensations.
She clenched her teeth. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Go and play Hokage as long as you'd like."
Kakashi looked at the door, then swiftly pulled down his mask and kissed Asuka on the lips. God, just how much had he missed those lips that day. She had to be feeling the same, judging by how quickly she leaned in and responded. He parted reluctantly, when all he wanted was to stick his tongue in her mouth. "Good girl," he said, softly, before turning and leaving.
Once alone, Asuka started looking around herself. She jumped down the bed and approached a series of cabinets against the wall. She looked at the books on the shelves, read through the titles, examined little bottles and instruments of all sorts.
"Oh fuck," she whispered, her heart increasing her beating, "I hope they're not going to use those on me…"
"Well, you don't seem like a 9-month pregnant woman, so I guess I wouldn't need to use forceps…" a crystalline voice behind Asuka giggled.
Asuka's head dropped. She turned slowly, her face red, suddenly self-conscious of being in her underwear.
"S-Sorry, I'm not that comfortable around hospitals," she confessed, smiling. Her eyes widened in surprise when she looked at the medic. She knew her. Well, not personally. But those pink hair were unmistakable. Kakashi's student.
"My name is Haruno Sakura, I'll be examining you today. Miss…" She said, glancing at the folder in her hands.
"Sarutobi Asuka." Sakura raised her eyes to look at her for a second. The girl seemed surprised, but she immediately recovered.
"Please, don't stay there standing, Miss Sarutobi, the floor is cold. Just put this on and sit on the bed."
Asuka did as was asked. She took the gown Sakura was handing her, put that on and sat on the bed, letting her legs hang loose. She still felt uncomfortable for being there, and also somewhat ashamed that a 30-year-old woman as herself was treated almost like a child by a teenager.
"Are you a civilian, Miss Sarutobi?" Sakura asked.
"I'm a Leaf ninja," she replied, and immediately noticed the look in the medic's eyes. "I've been away for 14 years," she explained. "I came back yesterday, and today I've been interrogated and mind-read already. Being here is just the icing on the cake."
Sakura gave her a sympathetic look. "Even though I don't have memories about you, as a fellow shinobi, I'm glad to meet you. Welcome back," she said, smiling. Asuka looked down to her lap, embarrassed.
"So, let's begin with the examination, shall we?" Sakura said, clapping her hands together. "First, I need to ask you some questions. Some will be very personal and specific, but they are necessary to have a better evaluation of your health status. Got it?" Asuka nodded.
"How old are you, Miss Sarutobi?" Easy questions first.
"I'll actually turn thirty-one tomorrow." Funny how she had almost forgotten about that, with all that had happened to her.
"It's bad luck to wish happy birthday in advance, so I'll refrain. Maybe we'll see each other tomorrow." Asuka shrugged. She didn't care about those traditions that much.
"Do you drink, smoke or do drugs?" The woman shook her head.
"Are you taking any medication?" Sakura asked, writing on Asuka's record.
"Uhm… I took a contraceptive pill for, like, 15 years, but I entered early menopause about two years ago, so…" Sakura looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Have you investigated on the causes of that condition?"
Asuka shrugged. "I was in the Western Continent. I went to a clinic there and they visited me, took some blood samples and then told me it was all ok. I didn't give much thought to that, to be honest." Sakura nodded, writing on her record.
"Did your mother or grandmothers suffer from early menopause, too?"
Asuka shook her head, feeling growing discomfort in her chest area.
"I… They passed away when I was young, so I never got a chance to ask them."
"Do you have a family history of either hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks or strokes?"
Fuck. The clenching in her heart increased. Inhale. Apnoea. Exhale. Apnoea. Inhale. Speak.
"I don't know. Before I left, both my father and brothers were all healthy. They died when I was away, so I don't know much about their health."
Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry." Asuka shrugged, doing her best to ignore the pain in her chest.
"Maybe Konohamaru or Kurenai know something more about that…"
Sakura raised her eyebrow. "Konohamaru?"
Asuka nodded. "Yes. I'm his aunt. Even though I've never met him."
The cogwheels in Sakura's mind started working. "I was Sandaime's daughter," Asuka offered.
Sakura's jaw dropped. She had imagined that the woman might be a far relative of the late Hokage, given her surname, but she would have never thought she was his daughter. She noticed Asuka was looking curiously at her and blushed.
"Uhm, sorry… I hadn't expected that. So… Let's continue," Sakura said, bringing her hair behind her ear.
"Are you sexually active?" She asked. At Asuka's nod, she continued.
"Do you have a stable relationship or occasional partners?"
She was being professional with those questions, but Asuka noticed Sakura's red cheeks.
"Well, I guess you could call it 'stable relationship'." She and Kakashi had even confessed their love for each other, after all. "I had occasional partners in the past, though." A lot of them, to be honest.
Sakura glanced at her. "Did you use protection during those occasional encounters?" Asuka shrugged.
Most of them, she had had sex with under Amanozako's urges. She wasn't even thinking then.
"Not always," she admitted. "But when they told me I had entered menopause, they also screened me for venereal diseases and found nothing. After that, if I had occasional encounters, I used condoms."
"Okay," Sakura noted that down, then smiled. "The quiz part has ended. I'm going to visit you, now."
"Oh, uhm… Maybe I should tell you I have a spirit sealed inside me."
Sakura looked at her with wide eyes. Yeah, maybe she should have mentioned something like that earlier. "What kind of spirit?" The medic enquired.
"Sort of a demon. Chakra manifestation, Something like that," she offered.
'I'm a goddess,' the voice inside her pointed out.
"Uh… ok… Just take off your gown now, I'll first feel your pulse, lungs and pressure, then I'll check your chakra condition."
Asuka giggled embarrassed. "Oh, yeah. I probably should also mention that I have been chakra deprived for a while, then my chakra was back but fuck-, I mean, messed up, but now it should be ok and good." Sakura sighed. That could be more complicated than she had anticipated.
Sakura's fingers on her skin were delicate yet decided. They travelled through her body, checking her chakra points.
"Are these scars from self-inflicted injuries?" She whispered, brushing her fingers on Asuka's stomach. "Yeah. From many years ago." The woman saw the pinkette's lips pucker. "Who treated the wounds?"
"Nobody. I mean… I sort of have regenerative powers," she confessed.
Sakura's hand then moved to Asuka's womb, and she frowned. "Does it hurt?" She asked.
Asuka shook her head. "I'm really not feeling a thing." Sakura hummed, and kept working on Asuka's womb.
"Your reproductive system is atrophied. The second chakra you possess, I mean… the one from the demon inside you, is concentrated around this area, and… I think its presence is what caused the atrophy of your organs there, and thus the consequent early menopause."
Asuka looked at Sakura. "Ok," she replied. It was not something she didn't know, but at least she had an explanation for it. "I'm sorry about it. Were you planning to have children?"
"No," Asuka replied, then turned her head to the side. She had never really wanted to.
When she was in Konoha, she was too young. Thinking about her future, she could see herself forming a family, but it was always many years in the future. She had her hands full with Naruto, then, who was like a little brother to her.
When she was in the Western Continent, she had honestly other things in mind, namely taming Amanozako and getting her chakra back.
She was an adult now, but that desire was still not there. Was she expected to become a mother?
Kakashi and her had never really spoken about forming a family, so Asuka wasn't sure about the man's opinion, but if he did want children, then, she would not be able to fulfil his dream. However, how right would it be to make children just to fulfil another person's wish?
Was there something wrong with her? A feeling of guilt and discomfort crawled through her. They would need to talk about that matter.
"What about the other organs?" Asuka asked, suddenly realizing the full meaning of Sakura's words. If Amanozako's chakra had caused such a damage to her body, was she going to slowly die, her organs impaired little by little?
Sakura smiled sympathetically. "Everything, apart from your uterus and ovaries, is fine. Great, actually." Asuka sighed, relieved.
At that moment, they heard a knock on the door, and Kakashi's head peeked out from behind the door. Sakura hastily threw the hospital gown onto Asuka's body, covering her as best as she could.
"Kakashi-sensei! I'm in the middle of an examination," she shrieked.
"I'm so sorry," the medic hastily apologized to Asuka, keeping her body covered, "our Hokage is a genius, but rather inappropriate at times." The woman laughed. "It's okay, don't worry," she said, chuckling.
"Yo," Kakashi said, approaching the examination bed, circling around it to avoid getting closer to Sakura, whose angry look had him rather worried about his own well-being. "How is it going?" He then asked.
"Kakashi-sensei, you know it's rude to barge into the middle of an examination, on a lady, what's more?!"
Asuka would have laughed hard at the man's scared face, had she not been pinned down on the bed by an inhuman strength.
"Aah, but Sakura, she told you it's ok…" The girl's glare hardened. "Still, you should NOT enter an examination room without permission from the medic. People might think you're a pervert and try to stop you." Her veiled menace had Kakashi gulp.
Asuka couldn't hold herself anymore. She burst out laughing, startling Sakura, who loosened her grip on the gown, and flustering Kakashi. She propped herself up to a sitting position and placed her hand over Sakura's shoulder.
"Thank you for trying to protect my… what's the word… respectability? But I really don't have any problems in him seeing me naked. He is my 'stable relationship,' after all."
It took a moment for Sakura to connect the dots. For a while, she simply stared at them, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. "I think you broke her," Kakashi eventually commented. At that, Sakura startled and seemed to be on earth again. "What?!" She shrieked.
Kakashi rolled his eyes to the ceiling and dismissed Sakura's request for an explanation with a wave of his hand. "Now, now, don't make a fuss over it. Is she fine?"
Little by little, Sakura's face went back to normal, even though her cheeks were still red. "I… I was telling her that her vitals and overall health status is great. The problem with her uterus doesn't seem to affect her system at all. However, I recommend you periodically get a checkup to control the parasitic activity of the spirit inside you," the medic said, addressing Asuka with her last sentence.
Noticing Kakashi frown, Asuka hastened to clarify. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll explain later," she offered, smiling.
'If she calls me again a parasite, Princess, I'll slice her throat open,' an annoyed voice in her head rang.
'Well, she's not that wrong. You'd better not atrophy my other organs, too. I can leave without a uterus, but not without a liver,' she scolded.
'Sheesh, I needed space. Next time you'll think twice before sealing something inside your own body.'
"You can put your clothes back on, Miss Sarutobi," Sakura said, turning to her desk to fill in the woman's records.
She glanced at the couple by the window. She had never seen such an expression on her teacher. When he looked at Naruto or Sasuke (and her, of course), he would sometimes have an affectionate look in his eyes. Right now, it was similar to that, but somehow totally different. She smiled at the sight.
Sakura had been impressed by her first encounter with Asuka. She seemed fun and easy going, in addition to her beautiful features. Every kunoichi had a fit, athletic body, but most of them were more muscular, sinewy. Instead, she was also delicate, warm, and had a certain softness in her being. And, seeing her now fully dressed, Sakura had to admit she loved her style. She was like a movie star. Her and Kakashi made a perfect couple.
She couldn't wait to tell Naruto about that. She should definitely search him out the following day, when he's back from his mission. That would be a huuuuge gossip. The blond boy was still sulking about Sasuke's imprisonment, and the news that Kakashi had a girlfriend might cheer him up a bit. Her own heart, though, suddenly ached when thinking about Sasuke. She wanted to see him, but nobody except the Hokage and a few shinobi from the T&I division were allowed to. How long would it last?
"Hey, Sakura, are you still here?" Kakashi asked, playfully, waving his hand in front of her face.
She started but quickly recomposed herself. "Sure, sure! Then, Miss Sarutobi, here is a report of today's examination. Please come back in six months and bring it along, it will help us monitor your situation."
The woman nodded. "Thank you very much. Oh, and just call me Asuka," she said, smiling, then she and Kakashi exited the room.
Kakashi wanted to ask Asuka about what kind of problem she had. Sakura had mentioned something regarding her uterus, but he also didn't want to sound too intruding. She had already gone through a lot in less than a day.
He decided to cut her some slack and just listen to her whenever she would be feeling like talking.
"I know you hate hospitals, but… would you mind accompanying me to visit a friend? I'm sure you'll be happy to see him."
Asuka nodded. "Sure. Who's that?"
"Gai." The woman's face lit up. She had known him only after she and Kakashi got together, but she liked that boy, so outgoing and funny. And, strong as hell. She often sparred with him.
"Why is he here?" She inquired. Kakashi sighed, looking down. "During the war he fought against Madara. It was an epic battle, but he had to give it his all… His leg has been irreversibly damaged. However, since he's an idiot, he has immediately strained himself after being released from the hospital, and now he's back here."
He peeked into his room and saw him on the floor, doing sit-ups, incited by Rock Lee.
"On second thought, you don't actually want to see that," Kakashi whispered to Asuka, who giggled and took a peek, too. She looked back amusedly at Kakashi, who just sighed.
"Talk about soulmates," he sentenced.
"Do you want to overexert yourself again, Gai?" The Hokage said, entering the room. Both Lee and Gai stiffened at being caught red-handed.
"My eternal rival! You know I just cannot sit back and do noth- Eeh?" He exclaimed, looking at the woman who had just entered beside Kakashi. He grabbed his crutches and, in a millisecond, he was in front of her, scrutinizing her face.
She smiled sheepishly at him. "It's good to see you again, Gai," she offered.
Kakashi doubted Gai would recognize Asuka. The ninja sucked at remembering faces. However, a flash of recognition passed through the man's eyes and he immediately teared up. He threw his arms around her, effectively trapping her in a piton-like embrace.
"Asuka-chan!" He started wailing, "You're back! You had us all so worried about you! I almost thought you were dead!" He then parted slightly from her to look her better in the eye.
"I knew the spring of your youth was not over! You're such a sight to behold! Look at you!"
Asuka did not seem to mind all that manhandling, and just hugged Gai back. "I'm glad to be home, too. I missed you all."
The woman accompanied Gai back to his bed and made him lay there, while she grabbed a chair and plopped down beside him. She wanted to catch up with him. People always made fun of Gai's behavior, back in the days, but Asuka had always found that refreshing, almost innocent. She started questioning him about his training, about the challenges between him and Kakashi, about his students.
Rock Lee, sensing he was somehow not needed there, slid out the room and was joined by Kakashi. "I spoke with the man you brought back from your mission," he told Lee. His eyes widened slightly. "How is he?"
"Fine, his life is not in danger anymore. He managed to tell us something about what happened before you showed up. It seems some kind of crazy, violent cult has been spreading in that area since the end of the war. I want you to keep investigating on that matter. Just come to the Hokage tower tomorrow morning with your team, and I'll provide you with the details." Lee nodded, then bowed his head and took his leave.
"So, that's the reason why you've being slacking off, today."
Kakashi turned towards the well-known voice and sighed.
"Lady Tsunade," he greeted. Behind her stood a disapprovingly-looking Shizune. Sakura had to have told something to the older medics.
"I had to make sure that she had no hidden agenda for her return," he lied, knowing full well that the former Hokage would see right through him. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Do you think I'm a stupid?" She asked, then her gaze softened. She had been reminded of her own teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"I met her when I was in the Land of Lightning. She has trained with Killer B for a month before coming back," he explained.
"You could have told me, Lord Hokage. She was my friend, too," Shizune said, somewhat irritated, and Kakashi just shrugged.
"She asked me to not tell anyone until she was sure she could come back as a Leaf ninja," he said.
Shizune just huffed and entered the room. Kakashi heard excited words coming from inside and smiled.
"Sakura informed me about her examination, and I had already read through her file during my tenure," Tsunade said, lowering her voice. "Is it going to be okay, having two jinchuuriki in Konoha?"
Kakashi looked gravely at her. "Sandaime's will was for his daughter to tame the spirit inside her and come back to the village. That's what she did. I had Shikamaru stay with her for a month, and he established she'd make a powerful asset for Konoha. Moreover, Asuka looked after Naruto after he was born, and was very fond of him. I really don't think there will be any problems. Also, I have already thought about a possible mission to give her."
Tsunade nodded, seemingly convinced. "No wonder you've been so spaced out lately," she said, teasing him, chuckling at his embarrassment.
"I must admit I'm pretty tired," Asuka said, as she and Kakashi exited the hospital. The sun had already set, and it was starting to rain. She would have liked to visit the graveyard, that day, but there had been no time. Hopefully she would go there the following day.
"You've done a lot, indeed," the man replied, smiling. "Now, since you've been a good girl, it's time for your prize."
Teuchi was cleaning some bowls when he wondered if he had just had a stroke. For a moment, he had thought he had seen Kakashi walking into his stand with Asuka-chan, Sandaime's daughter. They used to dine there a lot, many years before. But then, suddenly, the girl had disappeared, and nobody would speak about her again.
He shook his head, closing and opening his eyes, but Asuka was still there. And she was smiling. "It's so good to see you again, oji-san."
Such a realistic hallucination. "A-Ayame," he said, stuttering. "Has anyone just showed up?" His daughter looked at him as if he had suddenly turned crazy.
"What are you saying, dad? Hokage-sama and a beautiful woman have just entered," she whispered to him.
It was true. "Asuka-chan?" He asked, tentatively. She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it's been quite some time. How are you, oji-san?"
Ichiraku's was definitely the best ramen Asuka had ever eaten. As she slurped through her bowl, she excitedly told Teuchi of all the food she had eaten in the Western Continent.
"They have this thing called 'pizza,' it's sort of a dough disc with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on top, and that's so simple yet so good, and their pasta is amazing, and 'risotto,' which is like our rice but cooked differently, but I'm telling you, oji-san, this is by far my most favorite food of all," she said, pointing at the bowl in her hands.
The man smiled fondly at her. "Rokudaime-sama, when yesterday you told me about a surprise, I really did not expect something like this. But I think it's one of the best things that could happen." Kakashi smiled and looked at Asuka, who was still enjoying her ramen.
When they finished, Kakashi handed some money to Teuchi but the man refused, claiming the food was on the house because of the beautiful surprise of Asuka's return.
They were walking along the river; the rain had stopped and the temperature was pleasant.
"I guess I should really give you your prize, now," Kakashi said, and Asuka looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought it was ramen," she stated.
Kakashi seemed pensive for a while. "Your second prize, then," he corrected, handing Asuka an envelope.
She took it and opened it, extracting different paper sheets. As she skimmed through the pages, her face lit up.
"Based on Shikamaru's, Ibiki's and Ino's reports, you are considered able to serve Konoha and can resume your Leaf shinobi status starting now."
The last page was signed by Kakashi as Rokudaime Hokage.
"I… I…" Asuka was at a loss for words.
"You know, given how lazy Shikamaru is, I wasn't expecting his report to come this quickly.
Despite what he had said, Kakashi had kept his dogs at his office for most of the day, so that they could notify him immediately if something happened. When Pakkun had informed Kakashi that Shikamaru had handed him his report, the Hokage had been fairly surprised. Nonetheless, he had been also very grateful to the boy.
"Take these, please," Asuka whispered to Kakashi, handing him the documents. As he grabbed them, the woman started running along the river, screaming at the top of her lungs, jumping, spinning. Kakashi watched that joyful outburst with an amused smile. After a while she came back, panting, her hair sticking to her forehead due to her sweat and to the humidity in the air, her face illuminated by a radiant smile. She grabbed the envelope with her permit and threw her arms around Kakashi's neck, laughing.
"Thank you," she said.
"Do you think I'll be able to see Naruto, tomorrow?" Asuka asked. She was looking at the photo of Team 7 on the windowsill.
"He should be back from his mission tomorrow afternoon, so I guess the answer to your question is 'yes'."
Kakashi's eyes followed Asuka's profile, admiring her forehead, nose and chin, down to her long neck, the naked skin of her shoulder, the curve of her breast that was partially hidden behind her arm, her rib cage, her waist, her legs… he absent-mindedly licked his lips. It was beyond him how intoxicated he was by the woman, as if he could never get enough of her.
He noticed that she was looking at the little packet between the photos and eventually took it in her hands. "Why haven't you opened it? It looks pretty old," she inquired. Kakashi shrugged. "It was not a present for me." At his reply, Asuka immediately put the item down. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stick my nose into private matters." What if it was something for his father, or Rin, or Obito? God, how indiscreet that would have been.
Kakashi laughed. "Well, I guess you can open it." Asuka looked questioningly at him, and he smiled. "It was supposed to be my present for your eighteenth birthday, but you kinda disappeared before I could give it to you."
Asuka's cheeks flashed. That was the last thing she would have thought of. She took the packet in her hand and looked at it again. It was light, but she could feel something hard and rigid move inside when she tilted it to look for an opening. She tried to handle the packet with utmost care.
"You can rip it, if you prefer, there's nothing fragile inside," Kakashi said, noticing her lack of delicacy. She tore off the top part of the packet and tilted it, so that the present would fall on her hand.
She frowned lightly when her eyes looked at a key. Nothing else. Mmh. She needed some explanation, there.
Kakashi chuckled. "That's the key to my old house. I thought you could have it so you could come whenever you wanted, even if I was not there. I thought you could move some of your stuff there, make it more yours. As in, you know, living together." He looked away, his cheeks a little redder than before. Asuka was staring at him dumbfounded. He scratched his neck and stood up from the bed. "But you know," he said, opening the door of his room and stepping out, leaving Asuka on the bed, still staring at his naked figure. "That house is not there anymore," she heard him saying, as he fumbled through his keys, then coming back to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
He sat back on the bed and glanced at the clock. "It's past midnight, so it's appropriate to give this to you now." He handed her the key to his apartment. "Sort of a recycled gift, but the intention is still the same. Happy birthday," he concluded.
Asuka was looking at him with the stupidest expression she could have managed. Unintentionally, of course.
"I can't have children."
'What did I ask her?' Kakashi asked himself. Maybe his mouth had uttered words he wasn't thinking.
"What?" he asked.
Asuka looked at him in the eye, her eyebrows knitted together in a worried expression. "I can't have children. Sakura told me my uterus is atrophied, something like that. A side effect of Amanozako's chakra."
"Is this a way to ignore my proposal?" He asked, unsure of why, of all times, she had decided to choose that moment to inform him about her health.
Asuka's eyebrows raised, realizing she hadn't explained all the connections she had instead done in her head. "No! I mean… I'm super happy you asked me to live together, I really am… I can't even begin to express it, but… if you want to start a family, have kids… I can't do that."
What was she thinking? Was she afraid he would abandon her because of that?
"I'm not looking that much into the future, Asuka, and if I have to be honest, I don't care about that." He took her hand. "I mean… you've always been explicit about not wanting children, and I've never been that inclined, too. Now, with me being Hokage, I really don't see myself physically able to care about a child. It's like… the whole village is my child, right now. I just want to be with you, now."
He sighed. "Maybe it is my selfish side speaking, but I also feel like I want you all for myself. I don't want to share you with a little baby. Everybody knows they're adorable, and I couldn't certainly compete with that."
Asuka giggled, and Kakashi playfully circled his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"What if you changed your mind?" She asked, nuzzling his neck, letting her hands roam on his back, feeling its muscles ripple under the skin.
Kakashi lifted her and laid her on her back onto the bed, trailing kisses down her jaw, her neck, arriving at her clavicle and letting his mouth kiss along that bone. "If we changed our mind," he said softly, "then we could adopt a child. Or two, or three, how many you'd like."
His mouth directed downwards, closing around her nipple and starting sucking. He heard Asuka gasp slightly as her hand grabbed his head.
"I'll retire from the Hokage position, and buy a nice house just outside Konoha," Kakashi continued, proceeding to the nipple that had been left unattended. He could smell Asuka's arousal, he could hear her panting, and as he looked at her face, he could see she was looking at him. She was turned on, yet attentively listening to him.
Kakashi's mouth let go of Asuka's breast and continued its descent. As he trailed the skin of her stomach, he left butterfly kisses all over the area. "I'll work the land there, you'll quit being a shinobi because you'll need to tend to the kids, and you'll spend your days cleaning, cooking, changing diapers and waiting for me to come home. When they're old enough, they'll start working with me, they'll get married and have tons of children we could spoil however we want."
He was now kissing the skin under her belly button, which he had discovered was a powerful sensitive area for her. His arm was hooked around her thigh, making it rest on his shoulder, while his other hand was teasing her, very slowly moving his fingers in and out of her.
Kakashi felt her grip on his hair tighten as Asuka gently pulled his head closer to her face.
"What do you think?" He asked, when they were face to face. She smiled, letting her hand slide from his hair to the back of his neck. "Sounds like a nice plan," she replied, "I like it."
They both knew that would never come true.
Shinobi didn't change their lives so easily. Especially those who were so important, like Kakashi, or so devoted to their village, like Asuka. But it was nice to imagine they had an escape route to only think about themselves.
"Will you live with me, then?" Kakashi asked. He didn't exactly know why, but he needed to hear Asuka say those words. She was quick to respond, circling both her arms around his neck, bringing his face just a few centimeters from hers.
"Yes."