Nishira perched on a chair at her dining table, the one she'd thrifted from a moving neighbor. She'd scrounged for discarded scraps from the wood worker's trash and put in the elbow grease into making it look relatively presentable. The one leg still wobbled dangerously when she leaned on it and something sticky stubbornly remained hardened on the surface, resisting her many attempts to vigorously sand it off and still stood out with a generous coat of bright paint over it. On top of the spot squatted the box. The box they had retrieved from the temple. It had been a few days since their return from the Land of Birds, and she'd left it there with the intention of opening once she'd finally slept and showered and ate something other than dried rations. Instead, the young woman sat in the chair, and simply gazing stupidly at the box. In the soft daylight of her apartment, the box seemed older, less regal and more like discarded junk you'd find at a clearance sale. Nishira peered uneasily at it, trying to will herself to open it, but something held her frozen to her spot, leaving her only to keep staring at it.
A knock on the door interrupted her frozen prison reverie. Hibi stood outside the door to collect Nishira for team twenty-two's meeting with Lord Hokage. Her sensei's dark eyes were kind, like a warm hug, but too sickly warm for Nishira's dour mood. She was grateful that her sensei didn't ask any prying and uncomfortable questions. With no other sign of coddling her, they walked to meet the other members of their team outside the Hokage building at the core of the village.
Toma's bearded face held a sympathetic smile, not quite meeting her eyes. Sekawa on the other hand stared at her, wordlessly. Her big brown eyes boring deeply into hers and unwavering as though she could pierce Nishira's very core. Nishira rubbed her arms instinctively, protecting herself. This was enough for Sekawa to ask when she came in range, her strong voice forcefully needling into Nishira.
"Nishi, you HAVE to tell me what happened? What was that? Who was that guy? Why? What? Explain!"
Nishira was startled from Sekawa's outburst but didn't deign to answer, not quite sure how to summarize it quickly. Not that Sekawa gave her a chance with questions coming rapid fire from her mouth.
"Oh don't you dare ignore me! You-you you jerk!" Sekawa's booted foot stomped the ground harshly. "What happened? Nobody told us anything and then you were already gone, and everyone was so serious and secretive! I thought you died or left with that creep! Argh!"
She threw her hands up and stamped away. Nishira looked from her charging form bacl to Toma, who shrugged, still not quite meeting her eyes.
"It's true, they didn't tell us anything. Sekawa was going absolutely crazy! You should have seen it! She-"
"Don't you dare say another word! Toma or I swear I will-!"
Hibi held up her hands in between the group.
"Guys, guys, guys, we will have time to catch up and share answers afterwards."
The group stood before the closed door leading into the Hokage's office. The tension of wanting to know their exam results were palpable. Hibi was the only one who moved at ease, her shoulders slumped, her smile, easy and freely given to them. Nishira was grateful for that small bit of reassurance. But it stood that Nishira had lost her match, it was likely, she thought uneasily, that she'd end up on another team, and would have to repeat the process. The feeling of repeating the exam sat arduously heavy on her chest. Hibi disturbed her wandering thoughts with a gentle hand on her shoulder as she looked at her team of genin.
"Ready, everyone?"
Toma rapped his fist against the door and a voice answered. He opened the door and the Hokage looked up from his desk, he waved his hand and they entered, standing four in a row at attention, eagerness plain on their faces.
"Team twenty-two, welcome back from Iwagakure and… abroad."
He threw a conspiratal wink at Nishira. "You three represented Konohagakure well during your exam. The reports on your first two tasks were deemed satisfactory and your performance in the third task was also satisfactory. Nara Toma, and Tadato Sekawa, you both have attained the rank of chunin. Congratulations to you both."
Toma's tense face broke into a smile that lit his whole face, his eyes fluttering in relief. He instinctively gripped Sekawa in a tight hug, who returned it enthusiastically.
"Finally! We did it! Toma! We're chunin!"
Toma squeezed her again, before looking over at Nishira and then back at the old man, the light on his face dimming slightly. Lord Hokage smirked and looked over at the third member of team twenty-two. Nishira stood perfectly still, face coached into a neutral expression as she waited for the results, not eager for anything that would be coming from this conversation since she hadn't been made chunin.
"Kagechi Nishira, you have hereby achieved the rank of jonin."
Lord Hokage smiled his grandfatherly style and waited for Nishira's response. The expression etched into her face didn't change. Instead, after a moment, she bowed at the waist.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
She remained bowed, ignoring Sekawa's squinted eyes and harsh expression, a contrast to Toma's overexcited exuberance.
"Congratulations team twenty-two. Go and see my assistant for your new uniforms on the way out. You are dismissed."
The team turned towards the door.
"A moment, Nishira, if you will."
She nodded towards the man and turned without saying anything to the other members, returning to a formal stance before Lord Hokage: Hands behind her back and facing forward but not quite meeting anyone's eye. Hibi corralled the other two before they could protest, openly shoving them out and closed the door behind them. After a moment, the old man chuckled.
"You will be happy to know, Nishira, that your little problem with a certain advisor has been resolved."
Her stare never waivered. The old man continued.
"As you are recognized to be of the age of adulthood, you are allowed to go wherever you please. He has no legal control over you or your estate any longer. I am told that the temple now belongs to you."
A knock signaled the arrival of another person. The door opening revealed an elder man wrapped in copious snow white bandages, with wrappings covering his right eye. His black hair resembled the top of a carrot as the bandaged wrapped around his forehead. His right arm was cradled into his robe, the other held the handle of a cane that accompanied him. But under those stark bandages, was a stern face that scrutinized everything in its site, including the back of the student standing before him. She barely glanced his way as he came into view next to Lord Hokage's desk.
"Nishira, this is Shimura Danzo, leader of the ANBU Black Ops. I am assigning you to ANBU as fulfillment of your recruitment contract."
"Yes, my lord."
Danzo was pleased with what stood before him, but his hard face did not soften. His serious face remained stoic as ever, despite the pleasure of this meeting.
"You will begin immediately but first recover from the exams and get your affairs in order. Then come to the ANBU base of operations. There you will meet your trainers before being issued a full kit and assigned to your squad."
With a grunt and a nod, Danzo left leaving no room for questions. Nishira broke her stoic stance to watch him go, something intrigued her about his strict demeanor, his cold eyes devoid of any warmth, the eyes of a killer now retired but the lethality did not dwindle with his age. She turned back to Lord Hokage, a stark contrast to Danzo in his warmth and gentleness, but a strength still prevailed with him, but his face held many smile lines, as though he had found much to enjoy in his lifetime.
"Nishira, you are now and always will be part of the Konoha family. The village counts on you to protect it. I look forward to seeing the great things you'll do here. Congratulations on passing. You are dismissed."
Nishira bowed her head and left without another word, quietly closing the door behind her. After a few moments, Lord Hokage's assistant poked his head in.
"Sorry for the interruption my lord, but I thought you said I needed three flak jackets for the passing shinobi. I only gave out two."
Lord Hokage nodded his head as though anticipating this turn of events.
"Izukoro, have you ever seen a bird before it takes flight?"
"No, my Lord."
"When they perceive a predator they cannot win against, they eye their opponent up, carefully not to challenge them, but they never take their eyes off of their enemy. When there is a moment, they flee, flying high into the sky, far away from the predator that had spotted them."
"My Lord?"
"Please summon Hatake Kakashi immediately."
Kakashi walked up the covered veranda leading to Nishira's apartment, in his hand he held a green flak jacket pressed and stored in a clear bag. His conversation with Lord Hokage had been brief, informing him of Nishira's promotion and recruitment into ANBU. His orders were to deliver the package to her immediately. Without further explanation, the elderly man turned in his chair, dismissing the jonin. Kakashi swore he saw a small smirk on his face before returning to his pipe.
Nearing the door, Kakashi paused spotting it halfway open. Gently and quietly pushing the door open, he was met with a sight of disaster. The couch cushions were massacred haphazardly tossed, their stuffing covering the floor in clumps of the off-white of old fluff. The cupboard doors hung ajar, their contents strewn about carelessly. Kakashi looked to his left, seeing the bag that normally lived there had moved, a tell-tale dust free ring on the floor proved that. On the small console table next to him lay a stack of papers and a passport booklet. He opened it to see his student's photo staring up at him, but the name of the owner was listed as a 'Homuku, Nishira'.
In a hurry, Nishira entered from a doorway, jamming a sweater into the canvas bag. She barreled towards a closet, ripping open the door, her hands flying to scoop items into her bag.
"Nishira?"
The girl responded to her name with wide eyes that dwarfed her amber irises, frozen mid rip as she tore a cereal box mostly in half, two stacks of banded bills fell from the box, landing at her feet with a guilty thud.
"Fuck!"
With that, she scooped faster, drawing the string that closed the opening with a practiced flourish. Kakashi crossed the room in a leap as she hoisted the bag onto her back, he snatched the bag handle.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Her voice rumbled with fury. In a neat trick, she rammed the bag back into Kakashi's torso before booking it for the door, her hand outstretched to nab the passport and papers. Kakashi slammed the bag down haphazardly before going after her, his hand shoving the front door closed, the momentum of the leap pinning Nishira between him and the door. The papers in her hand fluttered to the ground. Releasing her from the hold caged between his arms but still keeping his distance close to prevent another escape, he gently turned Nishira to face him.
"Nishira, what's going on?"
She looked up, her eyes flicking between his, searching, like a trapped animal trying to escape the snare.
"I-I was… I don't know what I was doing." In a heartbeat her demeanor changed, her clenched hands uncurled, her eyes softened, and she tilted her head up to him. "But maybe there's something else we can do."
With a devilish look, her hands spread around him, pulling him close. Her leg snaked around his waist, pressing him to her firmly. Her tongue flicked over her lips, watching as Kakashi struggled under her gaze. But he resolved his internal debate with a firm frown, removing her hands, knowing it was simply a ploy to evade him, the disappointment burning like red hot embers.
"No, first we need to talk."
Nishira pouted, her eyes flashed first with hurt and then immediate rage. She shoved her hands against his chest, but Kakashi remained firm and unflinching. She shoved him again, half heartedly, frowning deeply.
"Nishira."
She gave him a heavy shove that threatened to knock him over. Kakashi snatched her wrist and pulled it as he stepped to the side, desperate to stop this. Nishira stumbled forward over the back of the couch and rolling onto the floor, before immediately hopping onto her feet, hands balled into fists, before opening them to show Kakashi her palms.
"Sensei, just let me go. I walk out that door and you never see me again."
"Nishira-"
"No, it works out for both of us. I'll run until they catch me, and you never have to worry about maintaining your integrity. We both know this would end terribly if we're being honest. So, I propose that you let me go through that door and you never have to think of me, and I'll forget all about this place."
Kakashi threw up his hands in exasperation.
"What happened? You were doing so well."
She dropped her hands frowning, slumping her shoulders. The words stung more than Nishira cared to admit.
"Yeah, well I'll probably just end up collateral damage in the field anyway, so this is a mercy."
"What? Are you afraid of dying?"
"Oh god, no." She chuckled guiltily; It wasn't something she meant to say out loud. "Look, we both know I'm not cut out for this. I'm just a pretender. Let someone who deserves it take my place. I'm damaged. I don't deserve this. I don't belong here."
Before he could protest such dramatically untrue statements, Nishira stepped, catapulting off the couch, leaping with her foot outstretched towards the door, aiming for his belly. Kakashi moved only a little to avoid it, and her boot smashed into the door, the material giving way with a crackle. Yanking her foot back from the boot, Kakashi remained stoic despite watching her almost fall as the boot refused to part from the door. Regaining her composure, a stubborn embarrassed flush remained.
"Nishira, if you want to leave this apartment, you'll have to kill me first."
He'd said it so casually with his arms folded across his chest. He wasn't expecting Nishira to draw a kunai out immediately, her composure gone just as fast as it came.
"Do you think I won't?!"
There was the barest hint of a flinch in her hand holding the kunai and Kakashi knew.
"Fine, go for it. I won't stop you."
He was about to keep goading her, he couldn't resist the wildness in that face, even if right now it appeared to want to injure him. Before he could get the chance, she swung her arm holding the blade with deadly aim. Kakashi's eye closed instinctually, and only opened up when he didn't feel the cutting edge of the blade. Nishira stood before him, glaring as her hand held the kunai an inch from his face, her hand trembling. Kakashi spoke softly, seeing the precipice she stood on.
"Nishira, do you really believe that? That you don't belong here?"
"I don't believe it, I know it. Do me the mercy and let me bow out or kill me."
"No. You belong here. Nishira, you're scared," he said the next part quietly. "Please don't go. I need you."
"Why?" She shouted it at him. "Do I flatter your ego? Do you get some sick joy stringing me along? I'm just a show pony, Kakashi, I hoped you had enough empathy to be understanding. You said nothing would happen between us, and I know you meant it."
Nishira lowered the kunai.
"There's nothing for me to stay. I'll give you the choice; let the rogue shinobi trackers take me out or do it for them. Between Konoha and my uncle, I won't be in this world long."
She picked up his hand and placed the hilt of the weapon there, before placing the tip to her chest.
"Do it. I'd rather it be you."
He stared wordlessly, caught by the rogue tear that seeped from the eyes that pleaded with him, her hands trembling over his that curled around the blade handle.
"DO IT."
More tears flowed with her shrill demand.
"Oh Nishira, you still don't know a damn thing."
He dropped the knife to her confusion, his other hand winding around her waist, pulling her flush to him. Nishira watched with apt disbelief as he rolled his mask down his face.
"You're not my student anymore. You're my equal."
She met the bruising power of his lips crashing onto hers and allowed her hands to grip his hair as though he could slip away at any moment.
"Wait, wait, wait-"
"What, Nishira?" He growled in a frustration.
"Are you just saying that, so I'll cooperate? If this is a dirty trick, I swear-"
His arm around her tightened and slipped her between him and the door, pressing against her deliberately. His breath came out in a shuddering groan.
"Maybe I should stop. If you're not in the right frame of mind, I can't take advantage of you."
"If you mean what you said before, don't you dare stop."
The words had been spoken directly into his ear, her hot breath stroking his mind like velvet, beckoning him closer to the fire that he had tried to resist. She welcomed him back greedily, her hands gripped his.
"Kakashi… touch me!"
Her hands ran over his clothes, grabbing at the zipper and ripping it down with haste. She pulled it off his shoulders and he let it fall off along with the gloves, she grabbed her own jacket and threw it blindly behind her. They came together again, lips searching for the other. Nishira's persistent hands fiddled with the button on his pants as his now bare hands roamed steadily across her shoulders and back pressing the bare skin there. Kakashi ran one hand through her hair, clutching the black strands tightly near her neck and pulling her closer, eliciting a moan from her panting mouth close to his gritted teeth.
He let his free hand wander, caressing her breast and kneading it roughly. She gave another small gasp into his mouth, and he felt the fire burn in his belly for her at her pathetic noises. Nishira's hand explored him brazenly, touching his hips, his back, his chest and traveled down and he growled when her warm hand snaked into his boxers and wrapped around his member, which stood at attention for her. She nibbled on his lip to keep them connected as they desperately tried to remove anything that stood in their way. Kakashi lifted Nishira, who wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, and pressed herself on his body.
"More, Kakashi, touch me more. I need you. I need you to ground me, I feel like I'll fall."
"Do you have a condom? I don't have one. I didn't expect-" He gave a devilish smile as his eyes raked over her.
"No, it's fine, it's fine, I…" she let out a thready breath. "I can't get pregnant. I'm clean. Please, just kiss me more."
Kakashi scooped her legs around his waist and slowly walked further into the apartment, the first door opening to a room as disastrous as the main one. Clothes littered on every surface, drawers half open, the floor barely visible. The bed that took up most of the small room sat in the corner and lay mostly bare. Kakashi laid her there and propped himself up to look at her. He saw her plentiful curves and her bare smooth skin in a ray of warm light, giving her skin a glowing feel that he couldn't resist touching. Under the weight of his gaze, Nishira's hands moved to try and cover herself, her face blushing furiously the longer as the breathless moments ticked by.
"Don't hide, you've hidden far too long from me."
"Then stop staring, it's embarrassing."
He chuckled before obliging, nestling between her legs. His hands roamed, as his tongue explored her mouth, mingling with hers. Her body flushed as his hand traveled in between her legs, gently caressing her velvety folds. Moaning her excitement into his mouth, it spurned Kakashi to delve a little deeper, her slickness coating his fingers. Nishira's arms wrapped around his neck, fingers combing through his hair freely, she began to rock against his hand, breaking the kiss to throw her head back and pant helplessly.
"Kakashi, Kakashi, please." She nuzzled into his neck, gripping him harder, giving him a small bite on the sensitive skin there before her lips lingered on the spot. Kakashi shuddered at the touch, his eyes closed as he panted.
"Please, Kakashi, I need you."
Her neediness had him twitching with desire. Kakashi happily obliged, carefully guiding himself into her. She quivered around him, squeezing, ripping out a satisfied grunt from his throat. Once he was fully in, he paused to simply look at her. Nishira's eyes were glassy, her mouth open in a breathless pant, the blush deepening. They were connected completely, Nishira marveling at the fullness she felt, like they belonged like this. She was already hot, already primed. The heightened adrenaline of anxiety had shifted easily to lust, as her heart hammered in her chest. Nishira knew once he started moving, it wouldn't take long until she unraveled completely in his arms. The raw need from the anticipation overriding everything else except this moment.
His hips moved, slowly at first, feeling her relax a little around him and tilt her hips up for a deeper angle. He increased the rhythm, encouraged by her noises and sighs, and her head tilted away with a low deep moan that vibrated in him. His blood quickened and his heart began to race. Enraptured, Kakashi couldn't hold himself back anymore and thrusted faster. All control fell away as he grasped the high, going harder and faster, chasing after it as far as he could go.
"Oh! Kusso!"
Her cries and muttered obscenities spurned him on, and he continued mercilessly, her breasts bouncing from the force of it, her hands gripped the sheets for purchase, and he felt her clench around him, her panting become louder and more ragged. A small whine came from her throat, weak against him as she kept trying to push up from the bed. Kakashi bent forward wrapping himself over her, her hips resting on his thighs before pumping again just as hard and fast and her moans were in his ear, for only him to hear. He was close. He forced himself faster, his heart threatening to beat from his chest, his cock primed to release.
"Kakashi, I-I'm cumming, ah, I'm cumming!"
Nishira arched her back, her hair spilling over the bedspread like a black pool. Her eyes closed as the orgasm raked her body, clenching and holding him deep within her core, trying to keep him there. Kakashi pumped a couple more time and felt the rushing release of an orgasm. His grunts were primal and ragged, all words lost in the haze, her leg clutched around his back, pulling him in closer still. Until she slacked and he lay on top of her, breathing heavily into the sheets under her, inhaling her scent with every laboured breath. She kissed the side of his neck, her hot breath on his throat sent a wave of euphoria through him. He propped his elbow on the mattress and supported his head in his hand. When she sat up and turned to look at him, he couldn't help but smile as parts of her hair stuck up in random directions, her face flushed with a rosy hue that he wanted to see again soon.
Catching his breath, Kakashi's eyes lingered on the tattoo on her back, for the mere moment the vibrant red spider lilies captured his gaze. Kakashi's eyes curiously followed the design to what appeared as a wooden bird cage. Hidden neatly in the petals and art, stood a sealing jutsu. Before he could ask, Nishira rose, and Kakashi gladly watched her walk away, without any trace of embarrassment. He heard her fiddle around in a cupboard in the bathroom and then return with a towel, chucking it at him from the doorway before disappearing into the bathroom once more. When she returned, she flumped into the bed next to him, with a satisfied smile, but it disappeared in a moment of uncertainty.
"Kakashi, did you mean it?"
He gave her a devilish smile.
"Which part? I'm pretty sure I meant all of it." She blushed, her eyes avoiding his without answering. The reaction interested him. "So does that mean you'll stay?"
She shrugged.
"It can't hurt to try, I guess. If they don't like me, they can fire me." Nishira rose and snagged some of the pieces of cloth from the floor, hastily pulling on a shirt, hopping as she pulled up a pair of slacks. When done, she obsessed over the wrappings on her elbows. Kakashi noticed she was actively avoiding meeting his eyes.
"Come on, I'm starving. I don't have any groceries in the fridge, so we have to go out." Nishira was about to leave the room again when she paused at the door frame, not turning back to face him.
"Kakashi, thank you. But you don't have to stay if you don't want to."
In that moment, it was apparent that while Nishira had not physically left, the mask that had fallen off before was firmly back in place, leaving the room a little colder in its wake.
