Chapter 9.
Hinata could no longer stand the pitiful looks people were giving her these recent days.
She was at the market, picking eggplants for Kakashi's favorite dish, before deciding she's had enough of their sympathy. Quickly paying, she rushed home, trying to cover the dark blue bruise on her left eye with a hood. Almost a week had passed since her spar with Kakashi, and the damn thing was still as noticeable as when she'd just gotten it.
She was a daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, she knew the rumors were bound to appear. She just didn't expect people to be so obvious about it. When she went out to town, people noticed her black eye, immediately jumping to conclusions. Even her friends and family were prone to it. It took a lot of convincing to persuade them from taking revenge on Kakashi for his supposed abuse of her. Her father was rather angry, but not 'I'm going to kill him' kind of angry. It was more of a displeased expression. After a short explanation from her he quickly went back to his stoic self. Hinata didn't know if he believed her or just didn't care enough. She hoped he was angry on behalf of his daughter and not the clan's honor.
She thought locking herself up in the house for the time being would solve the problem; that people would forget about her soon enough. Well, she was mistaken. Apparently, it was enough for a handful of people to see her bruise, before it became an object of gossip for the whole village.
She sighed looking at the food she brought, relieved that at least she did not forget anything in her haste. Kakashi and Hanabi were supposed to come today. They left six days ago, and from what she knew, it takes three days just to travel. No matter how you look at it, they had to rush on their way back if they wanted to arrive today. She hoped they won't encounter those rumors, although with the way everyone was talking about it, it seemed unlikely. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
"Neesan, I'm back."
Hinata stood and went to greet Hanabi and Kakashi. She was met with her little sister only.
"Welcome back, Hanabi-chan," she said. "Where is Kakashi?"
"He had some urgent business. We had to rush all the way from Suna." She huffed, "He carried me most of the way."
'Because she couldn't keep up' Hinata finished for her. Well, she thought, it must be really important if he raced the way back. Hopefully it was nothing concerning her bruise, her father did promise to not pursue the issue.
"Come on," she said, "help me with cooking."
Hinata smirked when she heard her sister asking what exactly they were cooking.
Hanabi's whining was inevitable as soon as she saw the eggplant.
Kakashi sat at the table of a spacious guest room. Councilor Homura's house was ancient, but sturdy and tastefully built. He had no time appreciating the patterns on a rosewood table as its owner and his colleague were watching him. Homura and Koharu were a contentious pair, but not unreasonable. He hoped their loyalty to Konoha outweighed their pride in the upcoming conversation. Danzou expected him to make them retire by the end of this week, and he had until tomorrow to convince them. He had only himself to blame if this doesn't work, he spent most of his time on a trip to Suna after all.
"Esteemed councilors, Homura-sama, Koharu-sama," he started.
"Spare us the pleasantries," Koharu cut him off. "Why are you here? In case you didn't know, we are busy people, you better have a good reason to disturb our already scant resting time."
"Of course," he replied smoothly, leveling the pair with a business-like look. "It is about Danzou."
Koharu raised an eyebrow. Homura kept his face impassive. It seemed the old councilman was content letting the woman do the talking.
"What is it about our Lord Hokage?" the tone in Koharu's voice barely concealed irritation.
"He wants you to retire," Kakashi bluntly spoke. "Your and Konoha's interests no longer align."
Koharu huffed, hardly surprised by Hatake's words, "You mean our and Danzou's interests."
"You know Danzou longer than I do," the masked man spoke, ignoring her reply. "I am sure I don't need to tell you that he is used to get what he wants."
"So, he would kill us," finished Homura.
For a moment, a tiny, dim glimmer of hurt passed across both councilors' eyes. Danzou was their lifelong friend afterall. Even after all these years of dealing with the ruthless man the remnants of a bond they'd made during their childhood seemed to persist, a testament to Konoha's famous Will of Fire.
"And I am sure you didn't come here just to warn us," Koharu spoke up again, graciously recovering. Whatever emotion that was present a moment ago completely wiped from her hard eyes.
"No," Kakashi nodded. "I came here to convince you to retire peacefully. And before you start interrupting me, I would like you to listen," he said, looking sharply at them and raising his palm.
The elders held their tongues. Reclining back in their seats, they invited him to speak with identical expectant looks.
"It is no secret that our current government… causes much discontent," he continued, trying to be as open about his intentions as possible. "It is only expected for a strong opposition to arise." The masked man looked meaningfully at the two. "I suggest you retire without announcing it. An unofficial retirement so to speak. You'll have your positions and power on paper but refrain from using it for now. When the time comes, you can use your voice to… fix the situation."
The councilors looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between the two. Kakashi imagined their meetings with Sandaime were much like this, with the three elders sitting in total silence for hours, just exchanging meaningful looks. Finally, they seemed to come to a decision.
"You want us to betray Konoha?" Homura narrowed his eyes.
"Not Konoha. Danzou. As Lady Koharu pointed out, Konoha's interests are not Danzou's interests."
"And whose interests are Konoha's? Yours?" huffed Koharu.
"Konoha's interests are those of her people. I am not asking you to support anyone, I merely suggest holding your voice until later. It would be your choice to speak up or not."
"Our voice, huh." Homura scoffed, stroking his beard. They understood what he meant by "voice" – their influence and connections. "When does this 'later' happen?"
They wanted specifics. Understandable, considering he was trying to convince them into a coup. The problem was that he himself was not sure when it was going to happen at this point. There were too many variables and he couldn't initiate anything until they no longer presented a problem and the path was clear.
"All I can say is that it will happen," Kakashi assured.
The elders looked thoughtful for a moment more, scrutinizing their guest's expression, before allowing their postures to relax back a fraction.
"Well, let's hope it happens before we die," Koharu half-joked, half-threatened. "I believe our conversation is finished."
With these words, the councilors showed him out, returning to whatever leisure they were having at the last hours of the weekend. He too had to go back home. Unconsciously, he picked up his pace ever so little. He was looking forward to meeting Hinata. Somehow, a week apart was enough to make him miss her comforting presence.
Kakashi arrived home to a delicious smell of salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. That immediately put a smile on his tired face. He knew that Hanabi was there too even before he checked the chakra signatures in the house. As always, Hanabi was talking Hinata's ear off. The older Hyuga did not seem to mind, though. She turned her attention to him and smiled, gesturing for him to take a seat at the table. After serving the food, she went back to listening to Hanabi's stories from their trip to Suna. Kakashi noticed the camera on the table, deducing that the girl had already shown all the pictures she'd taken.
Kakashi ate quietly, listening to the girls' chatter. It all reminded him of evenings he used to have in another lifetime, when Kushina-sama and them were talking just like the girls before him. Minato-sensei would sit where Kakashi himself was currently sitting, and listen to his wife and students, just like he was doing right now. His teacher would sit with a content smile on his face, occasionally making a comment about Obito exaggerating the truth. Kakashi found himself doing just that, when Hanabi complained about how he worked her to the bone when they were running to Suna.
Hinata giggled after a particularly funny remark of Kakashi's that spurred a verbal match with her little sister. All in good spirit of course. The bickering pair presented quite a site, with all the teasing and childish competition between the two.
Honestly, Kakashi was so good for her little sister, Hinata thought. He probably didn't even realize it, but he'd started to become a brother-figure of sorts to the girl. With their constant banter, him teaching her all kinds of things, taking her out on a journey – he'd shown more kindness to Hanabi than all her tutors and clansmen combined. For that, Hinata will forever be thankful to the older man. And it's not like he wasn't kind towards her either. He reassured her, tried to help whenever she had any problems, tried to listen. He… cared. Actually cared! Apart from her teammates and sister nobody had shown her such attention. It warmed her heart to know that a reclusive man like Kakashi allowed himself to open up to her and enjoyed her company.
It hurt her all the more to know just what kinds of rumors were going around about her husband. After her "black eye" incident, the engines of slander started up anew, dropping his reputation down another mile. All because of her. If she were smart enough to wait until the bruise faded or hide it somehow, there would be no such problems… Screw that, she knew medical techniques! Nothing prevented her from healing the bruise, except for the fact that injuries like that shouldn't be interfered with. She remembered Sakura warning her about using jutsu to heal minor injuries. It weakened the body, and resulted in side effects, much like using drugs. Still, Hinata thought, she should've made an exception just this once.
"Are you alright?" she heard Kakashi ask.
He always noticed when someone was distressed.
Hinata had no doubts that he deserved to know, so she spoke.
"Remember how I got this during our spar?" she started, pointing to her bruised eye. "It's still healing, so when I went out people noticed. They… started to talk…" Hinata looked apologetic, it was eating her from the inside.
With the corner of her eye she spied Hanabi's tense expression. Her sister too, it seemed, was concerned for her good-brother.
"It's fine," Kakashi replied, seemingly unaffected. "People always talk. They will forget about it eventually. My image has already been ruined, no need to worry," he added nonchalantly, trying to dismiss the whole situation.
Hinata shook her head, frowning.
"Your image is not ruined, you are the great Copy Ninja," she argued, "and I will always worry."
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. He exchanged a glance with Hanabi, who didn't seem fazed at all, as if expecting nothing else from her sister. His wife spoke with absolute conviction, not a trace of doubt in her voice. This woman…
"I'm sorry," she finished, deflated. "It's all my fault."
No need to say sorry, he thought, feeling lighter than ever.
She will always worry.
Truly, that woman's compassion was endless. He wanted to smile for her, but he always smiled for her. He wanted to pat her head, but she was not his student, nor was she a child. He wanted to convey his emotions, to let her know how special she was. Pathetically, eye contact was the only thing that came to his mind.
"Thank you, Hinata."
He hoped he'd put enough emotion in his tone and expression to make her understand. Understand what he himself was not able to fully fathom. But she was so much better at discerning emotions, he thought. So, he hoped she'd know without him having to voice his feelings.
Hinata dared to take a look at him. Kakashi looked so vulnerable, unguarded. She saw the raw emotion underneath those pools of black and gray. Gratitude, happiness, trust, she could see it all. The tone with which he spoke, it was strong and full of feeling. She couldn't betray this feeling.
Trust earned from Kakashi was an honor. Not something fragile, to protect and cherish, no. She felt like this man's trust is given for life. No matter how many times you betray it, how little appreciation you show it, he would keep trusting you. That made Hinata want to cherish it anyway. She found herself smiling, and just like that, she felt accepting the trust bestowed upon her by her husband, who crinkled his eyes in a happy expression.
"Ahem," the adults heard, turning to look at Hanabi, breaking whatever spell was between them. "Aren't you supposed to bring me back home?" the girl asked.
Indeed, it was time to return Hanabi to Hiashi, before the curfew starts. She must attend her lessons tomorrow, so better to bring her back tonight.
Kakashi nodded, standing up. And just like that Hinata snapped out of their moment of intimacy. She stood up as well.
"I'm going too."
And so, they went together. Hanabi made a point to insert herself in between the two adults, forcing a shy smile from Hinata and a confused shrug from Kakashi.
Observing the two as usual, the jounin still somehow kept catching dirty looks from the passersby. Hinata wasn't kidding when she said people gossiped. It seemed every man, woman and even some children were adamant to level him with a topnotch glare. Thankfully, Hanabi's demanding attitude managed to distract her sister from all the drama unfolding around his person. Seriously, couldn't these people mind their own business?
They reached Hyuga compound soon enough. The guard respectfully greeted the Hyuga daughters and didn't forget to throw Kakashi a suspicious look. It was becoming a custom for the guards, no matter the clan, Copy Nin mused. Kakashi considered Hyuga guards' attitude almost professional, since the Inuzuka guards the other day plain glared at him and nearly refused the entry.
They passed the gates and entered a broad courtyard with neat gardens and a pavement leading to the mansion itself. The true beauty started inside the compound, Kakashi knew. The garden at the front was nothing compared to an exquisite work of art that were the gardens within the individual houses' courts.
One of the conditions of their agreement with Hiashi was that he was to personally bring Hanabi back, after which they discussed her progress together. Kakashi suspected the man wanted more than just talk about his daughter's studies, but he did not care. As long as Hanabi could meet with her sister every week he would gladly listen to whatever Hiashi had to say just as often.
As soon as they stepped in one of the gardens Kakashi spotted his wife's father. Hiashi Hyuga seemed to be enjoying outdoors tea. The garden's ample lighting making the man's expression clearly visible despite the evening hour. His ever-serious face looking almost relaxed when the customary frown was absent from it. Kakashi didn't find it hard to believe. Even someone like Hiashi would find a little peace in such a place.
That garden was serene, the arbor facing a gentle sight of a calm stream with water lilies, surrounded by a relief of rocks and grassy knolls with various bushes, some of them flowery. The sound of the current and crickets completed the impression, making the night wondrously tranquil. As they walked the curve of the paved garden road, Hinata and Hanabi fidgeted beside Kakashi, which didn't escape his notice.
"Father usually comes here when he needs to calm down," Hanabi explained with a whisper.
Kakashi could see how such an activity could help ease one's mind, perhaps he could build something similar at his own house. That was a thought to mull on in another time, for Hiashi noticed them approach.
"Good evening, Hiashi-sama," Kakashi started first, with a polite smile. "I brought Hanabi-chan. Hinata wished to accompany us."
Said daughters greeted their father politely, to which Hiashi gave a nod of acknowledgement.
"Good evening to you too, Kakashi-sama," the man greeted in response, not bothering to smile. "Would you care to join me this fine night?" he made a small gesture towards the tea set on the table.
Kakashi sat without saying a word. Hiashi looked at Hinata and Hanabi expectantly – they seemed to know what to do without anyone asking anything. Hinata sat beside Kakashi, while Hanabi prepared to serve men the tea.
"Hanabi-chan is a sharp and perceptive girl," Kakashi began his usual report, feeling weird to speak about her when she was right there. "She is a strong-minded individual, but she always listens if given a good explanation."
His words seemed to surprise Hanabi, who was in a process of pouring a cup for her father. Her eyes widened and she nearly spilled the drink.
"And how do you find her background?" asked Hiashi, receiving his tea. The fact that his cup was full to the brim seemingly not bothering him.
"Her schooling is adequate," Kakashi replied doing the same, but offering his cup to Hinata instead.
His wife seemed bewildered, but only for a moment, for she graciously accepted the tea with a small smile. Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Whether it was due to his words or his actions remained unknown. Hanabi was less discreet, not avoiding spilling a little of her drink this time.
"For that reason, I mostly focused on improving her physical aspects, as well as giving her a practical approach at certain things," continued Kakashi, silently wiping her wet tray with a handkerchief.
"I see. And what would those 'certain things' be?"
"Battle tactics, politics, surviving skills," Kakashi listed, "anything I deem appropriate."
Hinata and Hanabi listened with careful attention. For some reason, hearing these two men talk was like going back to being kids, hanging on adults' every conversation. Both girls reasoned that it was probably due to the placid atmosphere of the tea garden channeling their focus on the two shinobi.
Seeming to be satisfied with Hanabi's progress, Hiashi switched on to his other daughter.
"How does Hinata fare? I hear you took to sparring with her too." Despite his daughters being there, Hiashi's eyes never left the Copy Nin's face. His expression hardened, sharp voice cutting through the peaceful mood. Hinata tensed, no doubt her father talking about her bruise. She thought they had cleared up that misunderstanding…
"My dear wife is doing as well as could be expected in her… circumstance." It was Kakashi's turn to steel his speech in a poorly veiled accusation. 'You know what I am talking about,' they seemed to say. "Although I think you should ask her yourself," he spoke in a much more cheerful voice, contrasting to the hardness he displayed a moment prior.
Hiashi's eyes briefly turned to his eldest daughter before he closed them in a thoughtful expression. Once they opened again, he was already back watching Kakashi. He nodded almost imperceptibly, before taking a sip from his cup and averting his eyes to the garden.
"Hinata, Hanabi," he said, still looking away, "Would you please leave us for a moment. I would like to speak to Kakashi-sama alone."
His daughters need not to be told twice. After they left, Hiashi remained silent for a long moment.
"Your gardens are beautiful," Kakashi commented offhandedly. "One finds that a place like this can help soothe one's mind," he continued in the same barely interested voice. "Especially after a disastrous meeting."
This last remark made the Hyuga head turn towards the masked man.
"Rarely do I come here," he said, pouring his guest another cup.
"I don't know if I should envy you or pity you," Kakashi said jokingly.
"Why so?"
Hiashi was curious of the man's response. People's blunt honesty with him was almost as rare as his visits to this garden. He'd be damned if he didn't use the rare chance to learn something honest about himself.
"You have such a lovely garden, and yet you seldom visit here, which is a shame," his guest reasoned. "However, the fact that you don't come often means you don't often have a reason to. This only proves that your meetings usually end to your satisfaction, and that is a luxury from one's point of view."
"Your outlook on things is a… peculiar one," Hiashi commented, swirling the contents of his cup. Although it shouldn't be a surprise for him, as their Jounin Commander was less than unpopular among Konoha's clans. No wonder most of his meetings with said clans turned out to be very stressful on the man. "Alas, you are right. The reason I'm here is because of a meeting."
"Would you care to elaborate?" Kakashi asked, busy scrutinizing the assortment of desserts on the tray. "We are relatives now. I would be happy to assist."
Hiashi considered the offer. There was no harm letting the man know, he decided, taking a generous sip of the chamomile tea. How he hated its taste. Like drinking grass. It helped with stress though, or so he liked to think. So, he took to drinking it from time to time. The nasty taste was worth enduring for the soothing effects it brought.
Hiashi almost snorted, realizing something.
Dealing with the man in front of him was a lot like drinking chamomile tea – helpful but left an unpleasant aftertaste. He was getting used to the tea though…
"Before you arrived," he decided that there was no other choice than to request the man's services, "I had a conversation with Hageshi."
Kakashi's face visibly scrunched up at the mention of the man.
"I do not blame you," the masked man said, expression sour. "I am afraid a simple visit to a tea garden is not sufficient to remedy the day after meeting that son of a bitch."
Hiashi's lips tugged at the corner in a ghost of a smirk. His son-in-law could sometimes be amusing, he had to admit. Unfortunately, what he said was correct, which is why he was talking to him in the first place.
"No, it's not," he agreed. "Especially after I tell you the contents of our discussion."
So, the head of the Hyuga clan proceeded to explain how Hageshi was targeting the clan, buying their businesses for such low tariffs that it was practically a robbery. He was abusing Danzou's protectionism, destroying their subsidiaries with the monopolies he built, cutting the clan's supply of funds. It was slowly suffocating the Hyugas, since their numerous and prestigious clan constantly required considerable expenses. Simply put, they kept spending at the same rate while their profits dwindled.
"I see," Kakashi said, after hearing the problem. He directed his look at the water at his side, the steady stream helping him formulate his thoughts. "He came to you and demanded you give up your ventures. Truly, that man's audacity has no bounds."
The problem was complicated by the fact that Hyugas needed their money. He understood that a clan must keep the pretense of being wealthy, so cutting on expenses was not an option. Even if they managed to cut their budget, it would be but a temporary fix. They had to get back on track with their businesses. For that, they absolutely had to eliminate Hageshi.
They could always kill him off, but then all the funds and assets he'd managed to gain would be lost to them. The only way to punish Hageshi and restore all the money he stole from Konoha would be to make him do it through legal action. For that, they needed Danzou's approval.
"How about you try to reduce the expenditures of your clan for the time being. I will see what I can do with Hageshi," Kakashi suggested, determined to think on the matter later when his head was not full with other problems.
Hiashi nodded. This was all he could ask for now. He knew that placing his hopes on Kakashi could be a dubious idea, but there was no other choice. If anyone could deal with Danzou and Hageshi, it's him.
"I thank you for your assistance," he replied with a slight incline of his head. "Have a safe journey back."
Kakashi stood up, looking at the sky. He whistled.
"Look at the time," he said, putting his empty cup back on the tray. "Was a pleasure."
It did not escape Hiashi's attention that the man had taken the last almond biscuit with him, leaving him with only kanten. If he were younger, he would've called the man a bastard.
He stoically nibbled on the kanten instead.
"Oh, by the way," Kakashi turned back to the Hyuga head, "chamomile can be mixed with green tea. I heard it tastes better that way."
With those words he left. Hiashi turned his attention back to his half-finished cup of tea. 'Green tea, huh.'
On the next day, Kakashi went to the Hokage Tower to make his report. He had planned to go out for dinner with Hinata later today, so he hoped there were no missions for him. He entered the office, using the door, mind you, no need to displease Danzou over trivial matters. Especially if he planned to convince him of anything.
"Ah, Kakashi, you are here at last," he heard his Hokage say.
"Good day, Lord Hokage. Here to report," Kakashi rapped out.
"I am listening."
"Sunagakure accepts our conditions," he began. "I do not expect our relations to deteriorate as a result of our agreement."
Danzou barely lifted his eyes from his paperwork. "What of our councilmen?"
"As promised, they will no longer involve themselves with Konoha's matters. However, they would not like to publicly announce their retirement."
"So, they are too proud to confirm their incompetence officially?" Danzou deduced. "It matters not. They will no longer interfere, and that was our goal. If they wish to keep their councilmen status then so be it," he sneered, before directing a pleased look at Kakashi. "Excellent work, Kakashi. As always."
It was hard to determine whether Danzou was aware that without an official retirement their power and influence remained. In any case, he did not argue with their decision, so Kakashi could relax. He was afraid Danzou would demand them to retire officially, ruining his plans, but it seemed the man was too arrogant, not even considering the old councilors a threat.
"I serve Konoha, Hokage-sama."
Every time he called the man Hokage he felt like he was betraying his village. He couldn't bring himself to pledge loyalty to Hokage directly, like many of Danzou's suck-ups. Fools. The man only respected those who respect themselves. He did not tolerate flunkeys, preferring to use them as pawns and canon fodder. He had to give it to the man where credit was due – as much as Danzou demanded loyalty, he also welcomed a backbone in his subordinates.
Kakashi made sure, however, to claim loyalty to Konoha. Danzou saw himself as one with the village, so it probably did not matter to the man. Displays were as important in building trust as actions themselves. For that reason, Kakashi had to be the model subordinate.
After his report, they proceeded to discuss other matters. Kakashi brought some administrative and social problems of the village to his attention. As usual, Danzou dismissed most of them, but he agreed to listen to the most important one, the one concerning Hyugas. Their clan was powerful, they couldn't afford to displease them, the fact Danzou was all too aware of. Additionally, Kakashi's success at his previous assignments meant that his chances of getting Danzou's approval were pretty high. Sometimes, it was not how but rather when the proposition was made that made the difference.
"We cannot simply kill Hageshi," mulled Danzou, confirming Kakashi's concerns. "He's established himself in the whole of the Land of Fire, not just Konoha. As such, his influence exceeds our village's borders. We have no access to all of his assets. As pliable as he is, I am sure he has a lot hidden from even my access. It would be prudent to gain as much as possible from him before he is removed," he looked meaningfully at his right-hand man.
"I understand. We must be cautious with our proceedings," Kakashi agreed, relieved to get Danzou's approval.
Danzou's ambitions complicate things, but at the same time they made it easier to convince the man to eliminate Hageshi. The man grew too powerful for Danzou to control. And if the Village Hidden in the Leaves marks someone for elimination, then that person better be powerful indeed to have any chance of evading it. The question was how exactly were they going to get rid of him. Perhaps through a tribunal? With those thoughts cooking in mind Kakashi moved on to other matters that required Danzou's attention.
On his way back from the meeting that dragged on longer than he expected, Kakashi had an urge to visit the Memorial Stone. There was plenty of time until his dinner with Hinata, so he figured he'd spend some of it in peace and quiet. He liked to contemplate there. Despite the village's diligent care of the monument, it wasn't a popular place. People came by occasionally to leave flowers, but nobody stayed there as long as Kakashi. It was a perfect place for him to think and reflect.
Kakashi figured even bastards like Danzou need someone who they could entrust with at least a fraction of their responsibilities. It was good that he was that man for Danzou. He could directly influence the village behind Hokage's back. What an irony, he thought. Kakashi was doing exactly what Danzou used to do when Sandaime was Hokage. He could only reassure himself that he was different than Danzou, and his methods were not as ruthless.
'But what excuse did you have for putting your student in prison?' said a treacherous voice in his head, eliciting a tired groan.
Why was it so hard to shake those feelings of guilt off? Wallowing in guilt and self-pity was not going to help him fix everything. He had to focus on more productive things, he knew, but that guilt still would plague his mind every now and then. Sure, he thought there was no other way, but that was hardly an excuse. Perhaps they could have made a stance at that pivotal moment a year ago, when they still had everyone. Perhaps Naruto could have pulled another miracle only he was capable of and win the fight against all odds. Perhaps, if he wasn't so overly cautious…
'Screw it', he decided, not wanting to ruminate on what ifs and things that were already set in stone.
"Might as well visit Rin and Obito while I am at it," he muttered, trying to force himself from thinking about his past decisions.
Visiting their graves always helped him to calm, to unwind. So, he went to the Yamanaka's for his usual – white lilies. Entering their spacious flower shop, he hoped to avoid meeting anyone he knew, especially from his wife's generation. Those were the most troublesome. He internally groaned when he saw who was at the counter.
"Welcome," he heard Ino Yamanaka cheerfully say, before she looked up to him from her magazine and all her friendliness instantly vanished.
'It had to be her,' Kakashi lamented. Why of all Yamanakas it had to be their head of clan? From Hinata's generation, no less.
"Yo," he said with his usual disinterested expression, giving a two-finger salute. "I'll have my usual."
He only bought lilies, so even if Ino did not work here as often as she used to, she still should know what he wanted.
Kakashi was correct, as the blonde quickly and without any word retrieved a bunch of white lilies. She put them on the counter for him to take.
"Thanks," he said, handing her the money.
Ino just glared at him, not hurrying to accept the money. They stood like that, him with his hand awkwardly extended towards her, until she rolled her eyes. She huffed, looking pointedly at the counter and back at him. He raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless put the money on the counter. She did not even spare a glance at the clanking coins below, keeping her eyes on him instead. As if she was expecting something else from him.
"Okay…" Kakashi said, slightly unnerved by Ino's behavior. And they called him weird. "Well, I'll be going now."
"Wait."
He turned around, curious as to what the woman could possibly want this time.
"You forgot something."
"I did?" he asked, surprised. He was sure he'd left more money than the flowers costed, unless the price had increased…
"It's not money," Ino said, sensing his confusion.
Her words did not help to alleviate said confusion, though. If anything, the man was even more befuddled. He stood there, in the middle of her shop, trying to remember something he had no idea he might've forgotten. Ino decided to take pity on the man.
"You forgot to buy flowers," she said.
The masked man looked at the flowers he held, actually counting them one by one. This elicited another eye rolling response from Ino.
"Not those flowers," she told him.
"I'm afraid I don't understa–"
His words were cut off by a loud groan and another exaggerated huff from the woman. What's up with those sassy expressions?
"Flowers for your date, genius!" she said, throwing her hands up in surrender.
Ino thought she'd caused the man's brain to short circuit. Honestly, how can men be so dense? However, Kakashi seemed to finally understand her. Evidently, he was the genius among them, she thought sarcastically.
"It's not a date, though," she heard him say. "We are just going out to eat."
Ino found herself rolling her eyes once again.
"When a man and a woman go out to eat it's generally considered a date," she said.
"What if we are just friends?"
Her response was a lift of an eyebrow, 'Are you just friends?'
"Stop arguing and just take these," she handed him a bouquet of carnations. They were a lovely thing, white petals on the outside, with a reddish-pink gradient towards the center of the flower.
"Thank you?" he said, not knowing how else to respond.
Heck, he didn't even know how much they costed. He was about to ask exactly that when Ino got ahead of him.
"The money you left would be enough," she said, clearly wanting him to leave now that their business was done.
After the door was closed behind him, Ino let out a huff of irritation. She promised herself to believe in Kakashi and support their relationship with Hinata, but even her patience was not limitless. Just what Hinata saw in that man, anyway?
Kakashi suspected Ino didn't even know how much money he'd left on the counter but shrugged his shoulders and left anyway. He didn't want to think about how Ino knew about their "date" and why did she bother to help him. Anyhow, Kakashi wasn't one to turn a gift down, so he took extra care not to mess up the flowers. Now he had a gift to deliver after visiting Rin and Obito's graves.
A smile tugged on his lips. Somehow, his spontaneous idea to go out with Hinata seemed like the best one he had so far. Perhaps that magazine he borrowed (stole) from Hanabi was not as useless as he thought... He wondered what other kinds of life advice from that magazine were applicable to him.
Hinata just finished reading yet another one of the numerous books her husband owned. The library in his study contained an impressive assortment, with various genres and from many different authors. Predictably, a lot of them were about ninja arts. She found manuals, scrolls, strategy and tactics, books on taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu. Nevertheless, there were other books too, even a couple cookbooks.
Putting the book aside, her thoughts went back to their conversation the other day. Kakashi suggested they go out to eat. She agreed, choosing Ichiraku's. She did not know of the reason he asked her out, and he didn't say anything. Just asked her and went back to what he was doing after hearing her agree. The man was strange like that – always doing something sudden, with no prerequisites. It always ended up either pleasant or beneficial, though. She wished he wasn't so secretive all the time. Deciding to tackle that issue later, she just hoped it was going to be one of the pleasant ones this time. As much as she liked training, she did not fancy having to capture him in a forest or climbing a mountain with her hand tied behind her back. Again. His training has helped immensely, and she could see the improvements in her stamina, speed and strength, but she really did hope tonight was just a simple dinner at Ichiraku's, just as he'd told her.
It was 7 pm when he came back. He brought her flowers, too. She couldn't help but smile shyly at the gift. That was a pleasant surprise, she had to admit. She was sure Ino had something to do with it. Just today she talked with her, mentioning their "date" with Kakashi. Ino insisted it was a date, so she probably tracked him at some point after their conversation and shoved the flowers in his hands just so that he could give them to her.
He gave her some time to change, seeing as he was already fully clothed. Speaking of clothes, Hinata always wondered where Kakashi's were. All she ever saw him wear was his standard jounin uniform. All she managed to find in the house was a black formal suit, likely reserved for funerals, and a few casual articles that he only wore at home. Even her own wardrobe was more impressive. Oh yeah, there was also this one set of clothes that she was sure she saw in the past. It consisted of a long green overcoat and a brown scarf. But how could she remember it if he never wore them?
Well, she will certainly have things to ask him about during their way to Ichiraku's, Hinata thought as they left the house. They walked at a leisurely pace, finding it very easy to converse with each other. Although Kakashi didn't speak much, he still seemed to talk significantly more with her than usual.
They didn't even notice that they were nearing their destination until crashing sounds reached their ears. The pair immediately took in their surroundings. The sounds of wreckage were followed by screams and shouts for help. By the looks of it, someone was very angry, it sounded like things were being broken.
"It comes from Ichiraku's!" Hinata rushed to aid in whatever was going on there.
She did not stay to hear Kakashi's words of warning. Her husband was too cautious sometimes. All she knew was that somebody was in danger and they needed help. She burst inside the small shop, to a sight of an enraged ninja holding an equally furious man by the collar. A few ramen bowls were lying shattered on the floor, their contents spilled. Teuchi and Ayame, the proprietors of said establishment were trying to diffuse the situation to no avail.
"You take your words back!" yelled the unknown ninja.
"Why would I?" the man in his hold said bravely. "It's all true!"
Hinata immediately interfered, trying to resolve things peacefully.
"What's going on here?" she asked, hoping at least someone would answer.
"Not your business, missy," she heard the ninja say. The others were too preoccupied to give any reply.
In any case, no answer was really needed. Hinata could clearly enough see for herself what was going on there.
Shinobi that was threatening a civilian seemed to be no higher in rank than chunin. It wasn't unheard of for ninjas to have prejudice against civilians, but in Konoha it rarely resulted in violence. The incidence of ninja-civilian conflicts had increased over the past year of Danzou's rule. She remembered Tenten's grumpy demeanor whenever they got to meet, it was especially hard to her since she had many civilian friends and relatives. This hassle before her was a regular occurrence by now. Every now and then, a particularly embittered civilian will say something about ninjas, which will be heard by one who wouldn't take the insult lightly. One thing will lead to another, and a fight ensues, obviously resulting in shinobi's victory, which would drive the animosity between the two worlds further.
The two brawlers before her were only proving her thoughts with their unseemly attitude.
Having had enough, Hinata decided to break the two apart. With a few swift motions she forcefully separated the shinobi from his civilian adversary. The man stumbled back a few steps, surprised. He even looked like he was about to strike her in retaliation, before finally noticing whom he was up against. Everyone knew better than to mess with Hyuga, especially a daughter of Hiashi. Knowing when to admit defeat, the chunin went away, leaving behind a thrashed shop.
He did not, however, depart without having the last word. "Must suck that there is still someone whom your daddy cannot protect you from," he sneered, looking at her fading bruise.
"Are you alright?" Hinata turned to the second man, ignoring the jab.
The civilian just glared at her, ego bruised that a girl had saved him. He huffed and proceeded to wordlessly leave as well.
It seemed Kakashi was observing their exchange the whole time, for he was standing there at the entrance, eyes following the instigators out.
"You could at least help clean up if you decided to stand aside during the fight," she told him, hoping that he didn't hear what that shinobi said before.
"It was more like an encounter," he shrugged. "Besides, you managed just fine by yourself."
"Helping is not about whether the person you are trying to help can manage by themselves, Kakashi," Hinata sighed. "Teuchi-san and Ayame-san can clean all this mess themselves, but it doesn't mean I cannot help them."
Without any words, Kakashi came over and began gathering the shards left from the bowls. Ayame brought a rag, wiping away the residual food from the floor, while Hinata and Kakashi cleared all the stools from her way. They finished quickly.
"Thank you, Hinata-chan, Kakashi-sama." The man's tone was polite, but expression betrayed wariness when talking to Kakashi. Her husband's negative reputation was well established, it seemed. Even someone so nonjudgemental like Teuchi seemed cautious around the Copy Nin.
"No problem, Teuchi-san," Hinata smiled, taking a sit at the counter. "We came here to eat but it seems we had to work up our appetites first," she joked in hopes to lighten up the atmosphere.
"Ah, say no more! Two bowls of ramen coming up! Extra-large!"
With those words the older man and his daughter set back on to cooking. Kakashi thanked them and sat near Hinata. Ayame was throwing funny looks at them every now and then, which made Hinata slightly uncomfortable.
"Sorry about that," she heard Kakashi say. She turned to him, noting how troubled he seemed to look. "I heard what that man said when he was leaving." Copy Nin avoided looking at her bruise.
"It's alright. Remember, you yourself said that the rumors don't bother you? If you don't care, then I shouldn't either."
Afterall, all she could get were petty insults, while Kakashi had it much rougher. Hinata gave him a reassuring smile to which he responded with a nod of relief. He didn't give any indication that he wanted to continue their conversation, so Hinata set to wait for their food in silence.
Turns out, her husband did have something to say.
"I meant to speak to you about our marriage," he quietly spoke, fiddling with his gloves. "Why it all happened."
"What about it?" Hinata tried to sound nonchalant, but she wouldn't lie, she always wanted to know why Kakashi suddenly proposed this marriage to her father seemingly out of the blue.
"It's no secret that Hyuga is the most powerful of Konoha's clans," Kakashi started explaining, "and naturally, Danzou fears them. There was a time when he seriously considered directly interfering with the clan's affairs."
Hinata had a hunch where he was going with that line of thought, but remained silent, not wishing to interrupt her husband's revelation.
"No amount of persuasion from me or the councilors seemed to work. Danzou was dead set on teaching Hiashi a lesson. He spoke about how he could use Hiashi's daughters as a leverage…"
Hinata gasped. She knew that Danzou was ruthless, but to threaten someone with harm to their children was just beyond lowly. In hindsight, she could easily see such a thought to come to their Hokage. By taking her or Hanabi hostage, Danzou could force Hiashi into obedience. Or that was what Hinata thought anyway, unsure if her father would be willing to yield even when his daughters' lives were at stake.
"...That's when I panicked…" Kakashi continued, refusing to meet her eyes. "I came up with this ludicrous idea of marriage. I reasoned that it was a smoother way to make his daughter a hostage, and that Hiashi would think twice before doing anything that could harm his relations with the government. It would also appease to Hyuga clan elders, as they will have ties with a prominent member of Konoha elite…"
'So that was the reason Kakashi proposed our marriage,' Hinata thought, feeling anger on behalf of her husband. 'How could anyone be forced to make those kinds of decisions?'
Kakashi, however, seemed to misinterpret the look on her face, thinking the anger was directed at him.
"I know that it doesn't mean much, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said, eyes firmly locked down on the counter. His guilty expression clearly reflected on the polished surface.
Hinata was immediately pulled out of her angry thoughts, realizing that she had to finally say something.
"How can I be angry at you?" she asked, gently taking his hand in hers. She ignored his instinctive flinch and only tightened her hold. "It's not your fault in the least!"
Kakashi's eyes widened at Hinata's words and the comforting touch. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to say something, anything that would convey his gratitude to the woman who despite everything stood by his side, but was interrupted by the sound of their food's arrival.
"Here we go, two extra large classic ramens," said Ayame, placing the steaming bowls in front of each customer. The woman could see that the atmosphere changed while she was away cooking, so decided to promptly leave the two in privacy.
Thanking the woman, Kakashi and Hinata sluggishly dug in, each still digesting the newfound knowledge.
As their moment was interrupted, none of them felt the desire to talk about Danzou and politics any longer. As such, Kakashi was only too happy when Hinata changed the subject by inquiring more about their training with Hanabi. She was making a lot of progress, learning some new techniques and improving her battle skills. They continued in that direction, gradually shifting to other things, even the everyday mundane.
It was no secret that Hinata liked ramen, but Kakashi seemed unaware until tonight. When she ordered a second, he just shrugged, taking out his Icha Icha instead to have some read while she was eating. When she ordered yet another portion, however, he couldn't stop from raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't know you liked ramen so much."
"It's one of my favorite foods," she said, slurping the noodles. Then she continued, a little embarrassed, "I once ate 46 bowls."
Kakashi's normally apathetic expression gave way to that of awe.
"Forty-six?!" he asked, incredulous, making sure he heard that right. "That's impressive! You got to tell me how you managed. Did you use any jutsu? A trick?"
For his every guess she shook her head. There was no trick, she told him. Hinata just loved ramen.
"I see," he said, wrapping his head around the possibility of someone being capable of gobbling down such an enormous amount of food. "If only I had your appetite. I wouldn't lose a single eating challenge to Gai."
An amused smile appeared on Hinata's face upon recalling the two jounins' silly competitions. Kurenai-sensei once mentioned that they started their tradition of challenges when they were kids, and they still kept the score.
"What is your current score with Gai-sensei?"
"Hmm," Kakashi scratched his chin. "We usually reset the score every year, but we didn't have many opportunities for challenges last year, so we decided to keep the score from that. It is fifty-one to fifty in my favor," he said somewhat proudly.
The twinkle in his eyes only brightened when Hinata praised him for taking a lead in his with Gai challenges. And so, Kakashi began talking in great detail about some of their more exciting competitions.
"... and so the goose chased Gai away while I took the eggs," he finished his tale, strangely smug about his victory, even though it involved such underhanded tactics.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Hinata playfully scolded.
"When the snipe and clam quarrel, the fisherman wins," her husband defended. "It's not like Gai doesn't cheat," he pouted.
She almost sputtered out the broth of the third ramen bowl she'd finished, which was rather unladylike. She did not care, however, what she heard during the course of their dinner was too ridiculous to pay any heed to manners.
"You guys are insane!"
"Well, Gai and I are not exactly a level-headed pair."
Kakashi glanced at her behind his book, as if thinking on something. She waited patiently for him to voice it, but it seemed he decided against it, returning to his book.
'What is so good about that book anyway?' she thought, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
After asking that question out loud, she got the most ridiculous and at the same time adorable explanation she ever heard. For such activity anyway. Apparently, it started out as an attempt to satiate his curiosity. It was all because of a conversation he had with Jiraya once. The two were actually close, with him visiting the hermit from time to time, and the Sannin always having a piece of advice for Kakashi. One such time, Jiraya mentioned that he wanted Kakashi to become a man he would base a character of his novel after.
"So hurry up and become the man I would write a book about, Kakashi," the masked man relayed Jiraya's words. "I guess, after some time I got curious. What if he did write a book about me?" Kakashi's expression turned wistful, "I read his every book, but I didn't find any character who would resemble me, even remotely."
Hinata sensed some sadness in Kakashi's tone. Could it be that he was disappointed that Jiraya didn't write about him? He looked up to the man, that much was evident when Kakashi spoke about the Sannin.
"I am sure he didn't have any because he was holding his next big title for you," she told him, taking his hand in her own for the second time that evening.
Hinata gave him a smile; nervous, hesitant. Kakashi no longer flinched at the contact, readily gifting her a soft smile of his own. Although the man never pulled down his mask except for when putting food in his mouth, she learned to detect the smiles he gave away.
"Anyway," he said, and Hinata could swear she saw his face redden at the brim of the mask. "I enjoyed his books, so I kept reading. Over time, it turned into a hobby of sorts."
The rest of the evening they spoke of literature and why they liked certain books. Kakashi proceeded to defend Jiraya's "masterpieces", saying that the explicit content was merely an addition to the rich plot and a lively world filled with colorful characters. He assured her that Icha Icha was more of a romance than smut, offering up any of his to read at any time. She jokingly asked which of them he would recommend reading first, to which he immediately replied that the very first, Icha Icha Paradise, was the absolute best. However, he suggested her to read Innocence, claiming that she would enjoy it more. The way he said it was so genuine that Hinata felt compelled to at least give it a try.
"I– I think I'll try Innocence," she stammered, although his rapturous reviews of Paradise did spark her interest as well. He wouldn't be so serious about it if there was nothing good about those books. Right?
She decided to take it easy with Icha Icha. If she were to choose, then the Innocence would be the lesser evil. She informed him of as much.
Kakashi looked astounded, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hinata's face got redder by the second. She was entertaining ditching the idea, but one look at Kakashi's gleeful, excited face made her immediately banish the thought of backing down. He was probably thrilled to find someone to share his passion with. Right there and then she resolved to not only read the book but finish it completely. Hinata prided herself on her open-mindedness, so who knows, maybe she will like it.
Cannot judge a book by its cover, after all.
While some people talked about Icha Icha during their dinner, others were busy reading it.
Or rather, they had nothing else to do but to read it.
Miles from Konoha, in the center of a volcano, a prison stood imposing and ominous. Konoha Strict Correctional Facility was not just a regular prison, though. It detained the most dangerous and powerful criminals in all of Land of Fire. But none of them were as dangerous, nor as powerful as Naruto Uzumaki. Ironically, he was the one least deserving to be there.
Naruto didn't allow this unfortunate (duh) circumstance to dishearten him. He was lounging on his bunk, one foot dangling from the edge, and skimming through the Icha Icha Paradise he'd gotten from Kakashi. Perhaps it was his boredom coupled with complete lack of any other activity, but the blond jinchuuriki found Jiraya's novels quite enjoyable. He lifted his eyes from the worn pages when the sound of footsteps echoed from outside of his cell. Was it already his dinner time? He could never tell, his little compartment lacked windows so there was no way for him to distinguish day from night.
It was only when the reinforced door opened with a sharp creak to allow a feminine figure inside his cell that Naruto knew what was going on.
"It's already time?" he asked, pocketing the orange book. "Oh, man, I kinda liked staying here. It doesn't smell as bad as the previous cells."
Said guest only slightly narrowed her eyes in disapproval. She came up to the compliant if not overly talkative prisoner and began administering his sedative.
"Tell those guys to be more careful this time, dattebayo!" Naruto complained to the medic halfheartedly. The last time they spontaneously decided to move his cell they dislocated his arm. It was hard enough to read a book with only one arm, he didn't want to have that sole arm injured on top of that.
Predictably, the woman did not reply. She never did. It didn't mean anything, though. Naruto knew that when the time comes, she will; for her silence was not a product of her unfriendliness.
He sighed, feeling his senses begin to dull and body surrender to the familiar tranquilizer-induced sleep. He yawned, wishing for Kakashi and guys to come and get him out of there already.
For now, he'll have to wait for his friends to sort everything by themselves. His time will come later.