Sasuke groaned aloud, irritated - he spent this morning with Gai and Lee. Gai had explained and attempted to teach him the technique, but it wasn't as simple as Kakashi made it out to be.

To properly use the technique, he needed to be a true master in all taijutsu and effectively recognize his opponent's style from their feet.

Sasuke respectfully thanked Gai and Lee for their time but explained he wanted to explore other options as Gai's technique required extensive knowledge and practice that Sasuke was not sure he could achieve quickly.

Sasuke sighed, rubbing at his temple before opening the door.

The smell of flowers hits him instantly, and he finds his female teacher in his living room, humming as she folds origami. She sat comfortably in her pastel blue camisole dress.

"Tadaima."

"Okaeri Sasuke. How was training with Gai?"

Sasuke wrinkled his nose; the amusement in her eyes was evident. There was a reason Rina did not support Sasuke's decision to try a hand with Gai on his technique.

"It would only be effective for a seasoned ninja. I need more experience and training before I could even dream of using it."

"Hmm, looks like it taught you something after all."

Sasuke joined her on the couch, looking at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"As Kakashi and I have been trying to tell you - you need not rush to kill Itachi. Let us help you get stronger, advance to become better and when you are ready to take on your brother, we will support you and protect what matters most to you."

Sasuke purses his lips, thinking deeply.

Rina had a point; his teachers only aimed to coach him to his highest potential. He was just being stubborn and impatient. He had to do the work like he promised Hiashi. No shortcuts.

Kakashi comes out of the kitchen with coffee in his hand and finds Sasuke picking up a coloured piece of origami paper so Rina can show him how to fold the paper into the flowers like the ones she has been doing all day. He smiles underneath his mask, seeing Sasuke so relaxed. If only he were like this more often.

Naruto approached Ino cautiously at the flower shop, he needed help, and Ino was the only girl he felt comfortable with aside from his family and Sakura.

Ino noticed Naruto as he walked in, greeting him with a grin but frowned momentarily, noticing his nervousness. Eventually, Naruto explains that he needed help picking out a gift for Karin because her birthday was coming up. Ino was happy that Naruto came to her for advice. Naruto mentioned that Rina and a few genin she hired were helping her fold various origami flowers for Karin's birthday decorations. Still, he had no idea what to get for her himself.

Ino ushered him to a seat next to her, and Naruto smiled gratefully before sitting down and brainstorming with his crush on what present to get for his cousin.

Karin sneezed, suddenly startling Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress collects herself and passes her friend a tissue before returning to check the patient's sealed lunch meal sets.

"Somebody must be talking about me."

Hinata smiles, "Well, you are pretty, Karin-chan. Maybe it's a boy thinking about you."

The spectacled Uzamaki rolled her eyes before clearing her nose properly and throwing the used tissue into the bin. She changes the subject.

"So, how is it going with you and Sasuke?"

"He kissed me the other day."

Karin teases her friend after hearing this. It was evident in Hinata's demeanour that she was happy with this development.

"Sasuke is gentle with you, I'm guessing?"

Hinata nods before continuing to pack the food into her cart, and Karin watches, bemused.

"I'm curious about what a mild-mannered Sasuke is like."

Hinata laughs, "Sasuke is not mild-mannered. He's usually brash and headstrong, but he has tender moments."

The redhead scoffs, "Are you talking about Naru or Sasuke?"

"They are more alike than you think."

Karin disagreed with a scoff but said nothing. Instead, she listened to Hinata recount her day with Team 8 before coming to the hospital. Karin silently wondered if she would find anyone to make her happy too.

Later, Sasuke was so engrossed in folding the flower origami with Kakashi that he did not realize that dinnertime had passed.

When Rina calls for Sasuke and Kakashi for dinner, the genin feels terrible that he inconvenienced her by having to cook for them, but the guilt is gone when he sees the spread she prepared.

There was a large pot of thick creamy tomato soup with croutons. For sides, there was baked broccoli and roasted potatoes. Rina also made lemon cucumber water for drinks. Sasuke was sure his mouth was watering as he looked at the scrumptious-looking food. He marvelled at the array of colours and swore his stomach grumbled when the scent of homemade cooking, not his own, reached his nose . Kakashi pulled out a chair for his girlfriend, and she sat down gratefully.

Sasuke scarfed down the food with vigour no one knew he had. Rina couldn't help but smile as she watched him; he always so cheerily ate her food, and even though he was older, that seemed unlikely to change. Kakashi does not comment on his student's uncharacteristically enthusiastic eating. Eventually, Sasuke took seconds and finished the whole pot, much to the other's amazement. Kakashi convinced his ward to shower first since he didn't get to when he came home earlier. Sasuke thanked Rina for the meal, and he blushed as a loud burp escaped his lips as he left the kitchen. Rina helped Kakashi clean up despite his attempts to persuade her that he could handle it alone.

"We are having a dinner party at my house for Karin's birthday week. If Sasuke is willing to help, he and Naruto could cook the meal with Jiraiya. Hinata and Hanabi are preparing our cherry blossom viewing in the morning."

Kakashi passes her the plate to dry, "So what's the plan?"

"I will use the flower origami to decorate all over the house. Then in the morning, we have our cherry blossom viewing. Afterwards, I will take Karin shopping while the boys handle supper."

Kakashi nodded. It sounded like she had thought it through already. "Any idea what you want them to cook?"

Rina giggles, "Naruto and I already planned out the menu. Since Karin likes spicy food, we are making rice, tofu, soup, and beef stir fry with her favourite peach iced tea for refreshments."

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle, seeing Rina so animated, "You're excited."

"It's her first birthday in Konoha, and it's the first time she will celebrate it since her mother passed. I want to make it special for her."

Kakashi did not miss the melancholy in her voice; he knew parts of her history and instantly turned and pressed his forehead against her to comfort her. "Your parents would be so damn proud of you."

"You think?" she asks as she dries her hands with the towel.

"I don't think. I know. A multi-talented kunoichi like you would make anyone proud."

Rina smiles, and Kakashi pulls down his mask, sealing her lips with a kiss.

Her scent filled his nose, hints of fresh vanilla and wisteria seeking to rage his desire. Rina's lips were always soft, his tongue carefully probing the soft pillow of her mouth. After a while, they heard the bathroom door clicks as it opened, so they broke apart, and Kakashi pulled up his mask quickly in case Sasuke came by the kitchen. The jounin turns to her and sees the look in her eyes, causing his breath to hitch.

Oh, Kami

Without another word, he picks her up bridal style causing Rina to smirk. Kakashi hurries to his room with his girlfriend before Sasuke can see them. He shushes her when he notices her trying to silence her laughter at his sudden eagerness.

He locks the door behind them, and Rina gets down so he can take off his mask - his face in full view as Rina presses against him, his back against the door as she kisses him again. Kakashi moans in her mouth, his hands cupping her face as she impatiently begs him to touch her more in between breaths.

"Fuck I love you so damn much, Mashiro Rina."

Rina nibbles on his lip, not saying anything at first until Kakashi moves his arms around her waist, and she looks up at him with the most seductive yet sweet face.

Damn, it's the same one she made the first time they were together.

"You mean it?"

"Damn right. Come here."

Rina quickly strips off her dress, letting it fall to her ankles as Kakashi takes the skin of her neck in his mouth, and she mewls in his ear.

Mine

Rina woke up in the morning to find Sasuke up and already finishing making breakfast. "Morning, Sasuke"

"Morning, Anueu"

Sasuke turns, putting down the fried rice on the table. Rina smiles gratefully at him and begins to scoop the rice onto plates for her, Kakashi and Sasuke. The genin pours the orange juice into three cups and sits at the table just in time for his guardian to come into the room and sit with them after ruffling his hair.

"This looks great Sasuke. Itadakimasu."

As usual, Kakashi ate his food at speed Sasuke could not fathom, and the genin glared at the finished plate and cup before him. He tries not to let it bother him and acts casually, shrugging his shoulders, "Anue cooked for us yesterday."

"I was happy too. I can cook too, Sasuke. You know that."

The teenager nods, "I know. I like cooking, but would you teach me how you made that tomato soup?"

"Of course, Sasake."

She smirks at him but stops when she notices that he looks startled.

"What's the matter?"

Sasuke pointed to a spot on her neck, and Kakashi flushed under his mask, realizing that Sasuke was pointing to the love bite he had given his girlfriend the night before. Rina's head had tilted, and her side ponytail moved, revealing the tiny blemish on her skin.

Kakashi flushes under his mask and tries to explain that it is a kiss mark, but Sasuke frowns, arguing that it looks more like a bruise. Kakashi assures his ward that things like that happen during consensual sex, causing Sasuke's face to redden.

"Is that what g-girls like?"

Rina blinks, her embarrassment forgotten, realizing that Kakashi had opened the floodgates.

Sex talk?

Rina cleared her throat, "Erm, not all girls. It depends. That's why both parties need to communicate in a relationship."

Kakashi exhaled with relief that Rina managed to word her reply without involving the term sex.

"It looks painful."

Rina's lips quirked into a tiny smile, adoring the concerned expression on her student's face. Slowly, she explains that pleasure and pain link to the dopamine and opioid parts of the brain. Thus, the 'high' experienced by some people who find painful sensations sexually arousing is similar to that experienced by athletes as they push their bodies to the limit.

Sasuke looks thoughtful but accepts the explanation eventually. Rina was forthcoming and factual, so he wasn't embarrassed by the conversation anymore, but he could tell Kakashi got immensely uncomfortable.

The Uchiha smirked, realizing he knew what to do the next time Kakashi annoyed him. He turns to look at Rina, enjoying the food he made, and he hoped she and Kakashi would continue dating so that she could spend time with him like this.

Sasuke liked having her around.