[The following morning the ferry finally reaches the Land of Fire. Masami uses supreme speed jutsu to race through the landscape at a furious pace. The rain is still pouring down across the land, soaking Masami to the bone at every stop. She reaches the Hidden Leaf Village by midmorning, exhausted and almost out of chakra she goes immediately to the hokage's office. Masami bursts into the room, interrupting a meeting between Tsunade, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai who were dissecting the mission they just returned from yesterday. Tsunade almost erupts in anger when she realizes the panting, wet, creature that just collasped on her floor is Masami]

"EVERYBODY OUT! SHIZUNE, GET A BLANKET!"

[Everyone except Kakashi moves to exit the room. Tsunade looks at him and sighs, letting him stay. Shizune hurries back and Kakashi takes the blanket from her, wrapping it around Masami. Tsunade intently asks]

"What happened?"

[Masami's breath is still ragged and Kakashi isn't entirely sure if she's shivering from being cold or if it's something else]

"Did something happen with the lord of the Land of Water?"

"no"

"The Village Hidden in the Mist?"

"no"

"Then what is it!?"

"Akatsuki"

[The mention of the clan sends shivers down the spines of everyone present. Tsunade decreases her intensity and looks in Masami's eyes]

"Who did you see?"

"Kisame and..."

[Masami trails off into tears, still feeling exceptionally vulnerable after the attack]

"Itachi Uchiha"

[Growls Tsunade. Kakashi recalls his battle against Itachi and his blood begins to boil thinking about what Itachi could have possibly done to Masami. Kakashi wanted Masami home, but not like this. Understanding she won't get anywhere with Masami like this, Tsunade stops pushing the issue for now]

"Kakashi, please take her home and get her cleaned up and fed"

"Yes ma'am"

[They exit and Kakashi takes the bag out of Masami's hand. Keeping an arm wrapped around her, as they prepare to step back out into the rain he holds an umbrella over both of them as he leads her back to his apartment. Masami speaks in a flat voice]

"I'm pretty sure Lady Tsunade meant her home"

"Well, she didn't specify that."

[Masami remains lost in her thoughts as they continue walking through the rain. Once they enter his abode, she walks wordlessly to the bathroom and takes a shower. While she's in there Kakashi prepares some food for them both. Out of the shower she sits silently as his table. He sits next to her and moves her hair out of her face, as his hand brushes her cheek she squeezes her eyes tightly shut. She's run out of tears but Kakashi can read the pain across her face. He moves to hold Masami tightly against his body, at first she's stiff and rigid but gradually she softens]

(Kakashi thinking) "Itachi you bastard... I know what you can do with your tortuous Tsukuyomi... You will die if we ever cross paths again"

[Masami lets Kakashi lead her back to his bed. There he just holds her close and waits for her to warm up. After a while she finally speaks]

"He trapped me... In my mind..."

"Did he torment you with an endless cycle of pain?"

"Worse"

[Kakashi's breathing changes as his anger grows, but Masami continues]

"He took my most painful memories, and made me relive them..."

"It's okay, it's over..."

"...then he took one of my most intimate recollections with you, and he twisted them replacing you with himself..."

[Kakashi's gaze hardens]

"...it was awful! I couldn't stop him. I begged him to make it end, but he let the manipulated memory run it's full course..."

[Kakashi struggles not to shake with rage as Masami trembles in his arms]

"...I could feel everything. Everything that felt perfect and amazing with you was excruciating and agonizing with him. Finally he broke his genjutsu by kissing me and he let me escape."

[All the anguish and misery Kakashi experienced under Itachi's power, he would willingly experience again ten fold if that meant he could undo the mental rape Itachi did to Masami. Kakashi watches the rain pelting down outside as it knocks the jasmine blooms off the shrub. He fantasizes all the ways he could kill Itachi if he ever gets the chance. The steady sound of the rain lulls Masami to sleep, and as soon as she deeply under the weather takes an ironic turn and the clouds part as the sun shines through. A warm beam of light falls on her, and reflecting off her white sleeping clothes she looks like a glowing, heavenly creature. Kakashi admires how peaceful she looks as the light intensifies the purple of her hair and enhances the natural blush of her cheeks. Letting her sleep, he puts away the uneaten food and cleans up]

[Masami awakes late in the afternoon as the sun has already dipped halfway down in the sky. As her eyes clear, she recognizes Kakashi sitting at his desk filing some paperwork. Hearing her shift around on the bed, he turns around to see her sitting up. Kakashi immediately drops everything and moves onto the bed. He slides his hands under her hair and kisses her. Breaking the kiss and pulling back, he sees she's giving him a half smile. He asks]

"Are you alright?"

"No. But I'm here with you so I must not be too far from it"

[Kakashi squeezes her tightly and breathes in the scent of her hair; he hadn't realized how much he missed it]

"Are you hungry now?"

"Yes, please"

[Kakashi warms the food from earlier as Masami gets herself something to drink. As she's reaching up for a glass, Kakashi presses his body behind hers and wraps his arms around her waist. He kisses her neck and shoulders. Masami speaks]

"I missed you too... but I'm not ready yet"

[Understanding what she means, he turns her around and kisses her sweetly on the forehead before letting her continue and he returns his focus to the food. As Kakashi and Masami eat, he holds her hand as he roves his thumb over her knuckles. He's amused how many things they're sharing without words right now as compared to the last few months of letters always left something to be said.]

[They spend the rest of the afternoon quietly. Kakashi resumes his paperwork at his desk, and Masami sits on his bed reviewing her reports for Tsunade. As the evening encroaches, she sits up and stretches then enters the bathroom to ready herself. When she comes out fully dressed, Kakashi looks at her surprised]

"I've had enough sitting still, let's go for a walk"

"You can never stay in one place for very long, can you?"

"Sorry, I'm afraid not"

[Seeing Masami slowly falling back into her usual self makes Kakashi feel more at ease. As they step outside his apartment, she takes his arm and they stroll through the village]

:::::

[Iruka is eating ramen and wondering how Naruto is doing when he spies upon Kakashi and Masami walking together. A curious pang hits his chest as it's a combination of old unrequited feelings, jealousy, bitterness, and an odd touch of gratefulness mixed in as well. While Iruka doesn't feel as strongly about her now as he did before, he can't ignore he still has a soft spot for her. He's still a bit envious of Kakashi, but he won't let anything rise up again that would interfere with their working relationship. However it still irks Iruka the way Masami soundly defeated him at the jonin trial, but he was thankful to return to his students.]

[Quickly finishing his meal, Iruka stands up and pays for his food. He slides his hands into his pockets and takes a big sigh as he leaves. He walks quickly hoping to avoid any possible interaction]

[In Masami's peripheral vision, she notices Iruka leaving. She slightly turns her head to watch him go and she gently sighs. Kakashi noticing her deep breath looks in the direction of her gaze and noticing who is in the path of it, he turns her attentions elsewhere]

:::::

[Guy looks casually down into the streets out of the window of his apartment. He notices Kakashi, but quickly zeroes in on Masami. It'd been months since he'd seen her last, and all of the emotions in his chest fire into overdrive. As he watches the pair greeting various people below, he begins to feel some guilt. His Masami puppet pales in comparison to the real thing and he believes the puppet can sense his thoughts, so he tells her]

"Honey, you have nothing to worry about"

"Are you so sure?"

"Yes of course! You're more than enough for me!"

"How can I be sure?"

"Look, there can never be a me and that creature with Kakashi, ever. Tsunade even said so"

[Guy moves to the bed and kisses her on the head to assure her]

"Come now beloved, let us have some supper"

"Okay, good. There's a new recipe I've been wanting to make for you for some time now..."

[They move into the kitchen together but Guy can't get seeing the real Masami out of his head]

(Guy thinking) "Maybe if i just have a photo of her, I'll be able to look at it as much as I need to and I'll be alright..."

[After dinner, his Masami lays down to rest. Guy leaves his apartment and heads for a camera store, as he's walking he passes by Asuma and Kurenai who are talking about meeting some friends for tea after those friends finish eating at Yakiniku Q. Guessing Asuma and Kurenai are talking about Kakashi and Masami, Guy hurries at the store. There he picks out a suitable camera and couple different telescopic lenses and has the shop owner give him a quick tutorial. Heading back over towards Yakiniku Q, he scans the street and picks out the best spot for surveillance atop a building across the street. Perching up there he hopes he hasn't missed them already as he sets up his camera. Guy is in luck as just moments later he sees Kakashi exit then hold the door open. The shutter fires rapidly as Masami steps out of the building. As she takes Kakashi's arm, Guy gets a shot of her over Kakashi's shoulder giving him a half smile. Guy pauses thinking her smile doesn't look the same as before, but he quickly picks up his equipment to move across the rooftops to keep up with the couple walking below. Kakashi and Masami enter the Dango shop and slide into a booth opposite from Asuma and Kurenai. With Guy's view being mostly obscured, he sighs in frustration. Guilt hits him again as his Masami is probably at home wondering where he is, so he packs up and heads back. She's still in the bedroom as he enters the dwelling, so he hides his new tools then seeks her out. Later that night laying in the dark, Guy runs his hand up and down her arm as he's conflicted as to whether or not he's treating her right]

:::::

[Asuma and Kurenai walk towards her apartment after saying goodbye to Kakashi and Masami at the Dango Shop. Kurenai speaks first]

"I feel terrible for her. Something serious happened to her out there"

"Did you pick up on how Kakashi was keeping his anger under wraps?"

"Yes, I noticed it too... "

"What would you do if anything ever happened to me out in the field?"

"Well that's a rather morbid thing to ask"

"I'm being serious. I want to know"

"I don't know honestly, I've never considered it before"

"Well I'd want you to keep going and stay you. I don't want you to spend too much grieving and I don't want you to seek revenge. I don't want vengeance to corrupt the will of fire within you."

[They've arrived at Kurenai's apartment]

"If we ever have to cross that bridge in the future, I'll remember that. But for now lets focus on tonight"

[Asuma leans in to kiss Kurenai and she wraps her arms around his neck. Then she pulls him into her apartment and closes the door]

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