Standard Disclaimers: I own nothing of Naruto. I may, possibly, own the reoccurring squirrel.
The light thump on the rooftop could have been the result of a bird landing, a particularly dainty squirrel hopping or a Hokage joining her teammate. Kakashi didn't need to turn around to tell it was the last of the three. Instead, he remained at the edge of the roof, standing over a very promising window just a couple stories below.
That window was, without a doubt, the very best way for the shinobi to slip into the mansion. He'd had more than enough time to survey every other opportunity, weigh various factors like effort and the likelihood of being spotted from the street, and even run through some speculative scenarios about what might be waiting on the other side of each entry point.
So he was certain.
"Do you remember what we're looking for, brat?" Tsunade asked from behind him. Her voice held nothing but her usual mild irritation. However, Kakashi found it telling that she stayed where she was, some two yards away. By the shifting of fabric he heard, her arms were probably crossed over her chest.
It was going to be like that then?
"Well," Kakashi said with deliberate nonchalance, "I thought we were looking for a sample of the poison being used, or even better, a sample of an antidote? Did something change?"
"No," Tsunade returned. "But we need to talk before we go any further."
"Mmm?" Kakashi was more than a little wary at this announcement. He found himself thinking longingly of missions with Guy or Yamato. They were good, solid men who, if they'd been unlucky (or lucky) enough to have to kiss him in order to distract an innkeeper, wouldn't have felt the need to talk about it afterwards.
Of course, that led immediately to picturing actually kissing either man.
Or both.
Kakashi winced, sighed and sadly mused that sometimes his imagination was too vivid for his own good.
"…can't happen again." Tsunade was saying.
Kakashi frowned, focusing back on Tsunade. "With all due respect, I'm not sure that's something we can control." He raised a hand, "Don't get me wrong! Obviously, avoiding the… uhh… situation is better. But sometimes a mission takes an unexpected turn and things like that happen."
"And sometimes a mission can be lost because things like that happen," Tsunade returned firmly. "We're Konoha ninja. We're better than that. Besides, if we decide where the lines are ahead of time, it never has to get that far."
Decide where the lines were? What, like whether he should keep his hands at waist level or above? (He'd meant to. His hands had just sort of drifted.)
Any good ninja, or even any ninja who'd been on more than a handful of missions, knew that plans seldom survived a first encounter. You only built in contingencies for things that were mission critical or for things that truly mattered. Anything else was a waste of time and a cluttering of tactics. Tsunade had to know that…
No, she did know that.
So the question was: why did structuring an improvised gesture of affection mean so much to Tsunade? It had just been a kiss.
Alright. It had been a rather heated kiss, but still…
Suspicions bloomed and the implications of what might have caused such a need for control brought Kakashi up short. He looked sharply at Tsunade, searching intently for confirmation.
She stood mission-ready, garb and hair fiercely utilitarian. She'd uncrossed her arms from earlier and her expression was neutral, perfectly and flawlessly neutral.
His gut tightened. Neutrality was not a mask he was used to seeing on Tsunade's face. She was loud and aggressive. Hiding her reactions was not her usual way of handling a matter.
He thought back to her expression and body language right after they'd kissed.
Eyes wide, stance subtly defensive, voice tight with tension. And, had her hands been shaking?
…
His hands clenched into fists.
"Alright," Kakashi said very calmly. He'd break into Tsunade's files when they got back to Kohona. It might be difficult but it wasn't beyond his skill. There would be a lot of mission reports to sift through, and he might have to do some cross-referencing, but it didn't matter. One way or another, he'd find out who was responsible for Tsunade's fear. And if the people who'd hurt his Hokage were not already dead, they would be very shortly. "So what lines then?"
"As much as it pains me to admit it," Tsunade shifted her weight, "I think that I'll have to resign myself to following your lead."
"What?" Kakashi was surprised by the gesture of trust.
Tsunade's jaw tightened, "What? I'm not blind, Kakashi-san. You've got more experience than I do. So, I'll trust your judgment on the best way to do things."
Kakashi supposed that was true. But somehow he wouldn't have thought that his experience (such as it was) would be important. But then again, if it came to the mission, selling a kiss without crossing a line would be a matter of experience wouldn't it?
Something felt off about all of this. But, the important thing was that Tsunade was putting a great deal of trust in him, personally. And that made him feel… he shook his head, getting his unruly thoughts back in order. "Maa, I… appreciate that."
Tsunade raised one finger, "I have two exceptions, though."
That sounded a little more reasonable. After all, hand-wandering could certainly become a potential issue of contention.
"I am the medical ninja on this mission and I am still the Hokage," Tsunade said firmly, "So if I give an order based on those factors, I expect to be obeyed."
Kakashi stared at her.
"I don't think it will come to that," Tsunade apparently took his silence for an argument, "You are the mission leader and I acknowledge that. But just as I'm trusting you with the mission decisions in general, you'll need to trust me if something comes up in regards to the poison or something with political implications."
"Ahh," Kakashi bought himself a moment. Then he smiled at her, "Of course, you're right. I think that makes perfect sense."
Her eyes narrowed, "Kakashi."
"Mmm?"
"What did you think we were talking about just now?"
"Nothing! Oh, look! Here's a window in. Let's get going, Tsunade-sama. We're losing valuable time."
Without another word he stepped off the roof and swung into the mansion.