Chapter 45!
Title:'Characters and Karaoke: Part 1'
Note: This chapter was actually supposed to be a LOT shorter, but I got carried away with the pacing and the details, so, instead, I'm gonna upload TWO chapters at once this time (Just like I did with chapters 31 and 32 'Doors and Distractions Pt.1 and 2')
Hope you guys are up for that! :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
I turned over onto my side tiredly after rubbing some sleepiness from my eyes.
I eyed the little clock on the wall that had traditional Japanese numbers and little bamboo hands.
It had been nearly two hours since I laid down for a nap.
But I was still up twenty minutes early. I sighed.
My mind wandered back to what had happened after the hot spring. When we had dried off and walked back to our rooms.
……...........….
'You two get changed and explore a little.' Kakashi ordered Naruto and Sai to do some parameter-sweeping as casually as a man on vacation with three teenagers would. 'Meet back here at four.' He finished, setting a deadline that no one except him knew what it was for.
Why four? What're we gonna do at four? That's still two hours from now...
Then an even more important question came to mind:
What was going to happen during the two hours till then?
He walked through the door of the Couples' Suite ahead of me without a second thought after we had both waited for Sai and Naruto to disappear into their own room to get changed. I trudged into the room, following Kakashi, after a moment's sigh.
I was in pretty low spirits after my conversation at the bath.
It wasn't anything that that lady said… just what I couldn't stop thinking of.
'I'm a secret he has to hide from society… from everyone…' My steps slowed as the thought reentered and echoed in my mind.
But before I could mope any longer on that depressong subject I realized something. Or, moreover, realized something was missing.
Where was Kakashi?
I looked up from my feet only to realize that he had walked away somewhere while I wasn't paying attention.
Of course he was just in another one of the rooms, but this was a little strange…
… I would've thought that he had some sort of plan to make my life hell for the next two hours. Knowing Kakashi, he wouldn't let an opportunity like this slide. I glared out the open back-door of our room, deep in depressing thought.
When he suddenly walked into the room from the left doorway, wearing a yukata as well as his usual mask, carrying a bag, I jumped a little with surprise.
How'd he change so fast?
I didn't focus on that weird question when he suddenly walked passed me, talking in a light, playful voice.
"You're not going to get much sleep tonight, so you might want to use this time to take a catnap." He had teased me a little with that.
I shot him a glare, "Don't say it like that." I corrected him a little harshly.
"Fine. However I say it, I still think you should get as much sleep as possible." He replied, not losing his playful tone as he went through the bag he had been carrying on the table.
"You're not going to be here till four?" I asked a little warily, peeking into his bag. He closed it just before I could figure out whether I really did just see a few vials of some sort of purple liquid in the mess of items in that bag.
"Sorry, Sakura." He apologized lightly, using my first name softly, catching me off-guard. "Can't stay and play. Work comes first right now." He shot a smile full of his juvenile charm at me.
"I wasn't asking you to stay or anything." I nearly yelled, my face feeling a degree warmer. I wouldn't have had a problem with saying I kind of wanted him around a bit longer, but when he made fun of me like that, I always lost a little of my temper.
Just as I finished the last syllable of that sentence I felt a hand fall onto the top of my head gently. I readied myself for another kiss, closing my eyes without a second thought, thankful that I got the chance to see this one coming… it was always awkward for me whenever he kissed me before I saw it coming.
A moment passed. Nothing.
I opened my eyes a little.
He was only staring at me, his face only a few inches from mine.
He smiled cheekily… like he had just made me fall for some sort of trick.
He leaned in only a fraction, his masked lips falling just below my right temple, I cringed a little with embarrassment.
Jeez… he's really having to much fun… I thought to myself with a groan.
"Hey-"
"I'll come back before four with further orders." He interrupted me with his teacher-voice, successfully halting any sort of reaction from me.
His hand fell from the top of my head, his fingers ran through my hair a little, and he turned towards the door, opening it calmly… all the while I couldn't stop staring at him. Either with annoyance or admiration… I couldn't decide yet. I just couldn't stop looking at him.
He looked over his shoulder at me, catching me staring at him, he chuckled.
"Don't get too lonely." He said lastly.
The door closed behind him only a moment later.
I stood there, silent, for at least ten seconds before my reaction could bubble.
AGH!
I lost my composure, pacing a little angrily through the rooms, my hands in my hair.
What was that?!
'Don't get too lonely.'!?
Why did he have to sound so cool?!
Why did I want to smile?!
That was so stupid!
...
But I liked it... I liked it!!
Yet another point for him!
At this rate he'll win before I even get a chance to do anything about it!
I didn't know when I had turned this into something of a competition... but if he was going to treat everything like a game, I was going to treat everything like a challenge!
... now all I need are 'points'...
I immediately collapsed onto the futon in the third room… already tired from my momentary freak-out.
Whatever… it doesn't matter.
I just have to sleep and get over it.
It took me twenty minutes to shut my brain up before I could sleeep.
………………
And here I am, right where I left off.
Lying on a futon, not sleepy, and having a mental freak-out over Kakashi-sensei.
It sort of reminded me of the days I would either sleep or read away, just waiting for night, when Kakashi could visit me without risking anybody seeing us.
I tried not to dwell on such fond memories when I was somewhat of a disturbed mood.
What is he planning?
Why didn't he tell Sai and Naruto to take a 'catnap'? I remembered his exact choice of words… unfortunately.
Are they going to be able to sleep tonight?
Wait…
Why am I the only one who won't be sleeping tonight?!
That just sounds really… bad…
... wait...
I'm just getting paranoid again….
I tried to calm myself down, telling myself not to worry, but only more questions came to mind.
And what were those vials for?
… The mixture inside them was purple. A sort of dark violet.
I let my mind travel back to my medical and chemistry training for a moment.
The purple is caused by the excess use of chemicals that cause hormone disrupting enzymes, the best way to reach that color is by using Takoa root.
But Takoa root's only used for energy-enhancers, neurological-impairment drugs, and aphrodisiacs…
One word stood out.
… aphrodisiacs…
…
No!... They're gonna be used for something else. Something important for the mission… right?
I quickly flung the thin covers off of me, wanting to fling those thoughts from my mind with the same ease… but it was a lot harder to stop thinking about something when you tell yourself to stop thinking about it.
My eyes wandered aimlessly through the room as if I was looking for answers to the dozens of questions floating through my head, instead I found something that stole my attention from everything else.
A pile of white cloth was folded right in front of the door which Kakashi had disappeared behind a little less than two hours ago.
I stared at it for a while, thinking.
Maybe a servant dropped it off?
No, we didn't request any… cloth… (I still had no idea what it was).
Then again… we weren't making a lot of mutual decisions lately.
I nearly grumbled to myself that though.
He's been running this mission since .before we got here… no… he's probably had this all planned out the moment Yamatou-taichou told us about this onsen-mission.
That sounds more like him…
…
I shook my head a little, trying to stay focused on the issue at hand. (Although a seemingly harmless lump of cloth might not seem to be an 'issue', I could just feel the trouble radiating off of it.)
Feeling that it's useless to just sit here and think about what this cloth might be for, I decided to go check it out for myself.
I left behind my slightly messy futon and knelt beside the pile of white fabric.
I picked up the top, but as I lifted it up farther from the rest of the pile it grew longer revealing it all to be one piece of fabric.
I shook it a little, unfolding the little cloth there was of it, it looked sort of tangled.
Before I could give a look at the form of this cloth a little paper slipped out of the folds. It fluttered to the tatami floor beneath me.
A note…
I looked at it curiously for a moment.
I picked it up, unfolding it in the same wary way I unfolded the cloth.
As soon as I recognized Kakashi's handwriting a wave of déjà-vu hit me.
This wasn't the first time he left me a note like this.
I pushed that out of my mind and focused on the little words.
'It's regretful that you took my advice, I would've liked to have talked with you in private about tonight…'
Eh?!
He shouldn't give me the 'advice' if he didn't want me to take it!
He could've woken me up if he really wanted to talk to me!
And what the heck is he planning on doing tonight that requires him to talk to me 'in private'?!
Trying to forget my growing irritation I read the next lines on the paper, hoping they'd redeem my lost patience.
"We'll meet at 4:30, room 4B
I picked this out especially for you.
Wear it."
I looked back to the tangled, thin, piece of white cloth.
This is something to wear?!
It's as big as a pillowcase!
And what's with the 'Wear it.'?! Not even a 'please'?!
I looked back to the note, searching for the next instructions or possibly some sort of explanation; instead I found a single word several inches below the line before it.
...
'Please.'
. . .
I gave a sigh, trying not to smile…
Either he knows me too well… or he's just playing with me…
I gave the bit of fabric an inspecting glare, stretching it as much as I could, checking to see if there wasn't any more fabric folded into it or that it was some sort of stretchy-dress that I could somehow make more appropriate looking. But it seemed hopeless… even when no one was wearing this thing; it still seemed kinda… really…skimpy…
I could only dread how it would look on me.
But, once again, more than dread or irritation, I felt like a little puppet. He was pulling my strings and playing with my head.
This feeling would increase triple-fold when I read the last line on the little paper.
……………..
I tugged at the thin, white fabric I was wearing, (I couldn't call it a 'dress') as I started walking through the hallways to find this '4B' place.
It was basically a really short skirt with a twist-top.
I took me forever to figure out how the top part went on. It had no sleeves, it was basically two crisscrossed bands of fabric that only covered my chest, leaving most of my stomach and even more of my neckline exposed. It was so thin that every breeze felt like a gust of wind.
Where the hell did he get this thing?!
And why did he think he could make me wear it!?
…
Wait… I am wearing it.
.. Damn it!
I followed his orders again without even putting up a fight!
Somewhere a voice of reason whispered to me.
He is your team-captain, first and foremost.
You have to obey him.
I swatted that little voice out of my head as I picked up my pace, holding the little note in my hand tightly, wrinkling it.
How can I 'obey' him when he's pulling this kind of stuff!?
Well… I probably would've followed his orders, no matter how strange they were, if we weren't… involved… Because I wouldn't know just how 'playful' he can get when he's like this!
Then again, would he have picked out this pillowcase for me if we weren't involved?!
This is definitely all some type of joke he's pulling on me!!
My pace sped up even more, my slippers grated against the tatami-mats with a sort of awkward beat.
Here I was, getting flustered, and looking completely awkward; tugging at my clothes and dragging my feet like I was a little kid. But I didn't really care right now.
I turned a corner sharply after reading the sign 'Employees Only' on the doorway above the hallway I was walking towards. I almost lost track of where I was going, but I was somewhat forced to slow down and keep my composure when I realized I wasn't the only one walking through this new hallway.
There was a young couple walking down the hallway, towards me, both in robes, arms linked, both smiling, giggling, whispering like a pair of teenagers or something.
They seemed like the stereotypical 'newlyweds'.
…
…'Newlyweds'… Fiancés…
....
My mood took a sudden turn with that chain of thought.
My mind flashed to the cover Kakashi gave us… 'fiancés'
I glanced at the couple.
Were we supposed to act like that?
A strange and disturbing picture of linking arms with Kakashi-sensei, both of us smiling and giggling and blushing came to mind…
No!... We're not like that anyways… Even when we're alone.
We're different.
… I guess it's because our relationship is different…
The couple was about to pass me in the hallway.
I looked at the note in my hand, trying to avoid eye contact; they both seemed a little shocked by my attire.
I tried not to feel embarrassed.
I focused on the last line of the note as a distraction, rereading it for the third time.
It still bothered me:
'P.S.: Oh yeah… no matter what happens, don't break character.'
Okay… I was trying not to be paranoid, but how can I not suspect something when he says 'no matter what'?!
What exactly was going to happen tonight?!
And what was my character supposed to be?
…
Wait… I think that's my job. Coming up with an alter-ego to be while I'm undercover…
A character.... a character....
…
Well, I'm engaged, so I should be at least 18. And since Kakashi-sensei's my… fiancé… then I should probably act more like a fiancé to him….
My mind revisited the picture of me and Kakashi as that mushy couple I saw just now.
That would be really tough.
It goes against my grain to even think about treating Kakashi like we're in a relationship in public.
… Wait…
What do I even need a character for anyway?
And what's Room 4B about!?
And, as if the universe was answering my last frantic mental-question, I suddenly walked passed a sign:
'Karaoke Rooms 4A – 4E'
Karaoke?
Wh-
No… I've got to stop this.
I've got to stop questioning every little thing.
Even though he might be treating me like a toy or puppet, he's still the responsible and hard-working Kakashi-sensei we knew as kids… I just don't see a lot of that side of him anymore because he shouldn't be a teacher to me when we're alone.
I'm just being paranoid.
He has a plan.
Just like always.
I repeated those words to me mentally when I reached the door with the little symbols '4B'.
I opened it.
He knows what he's doi-
I suddenly heard a familiar, screechy voice.
"Yeah, Yeah, Ye-ah, Honey!~~"
I opened the door all the way to find Naruto standing in front of the karaoke monitor, holding the mic like a guitar, his other hand strumming invisible strings as he was trying to keep up with the guitar solo in the song. Sai was sitting on the left sofa, setting down a cup of soda on the little table between the two gaudy, pink, couches.
"Ah, Sakura-san." Sai greeted me over the music and Naruto's inventive singing with a bit of surprise as I could see his eyes fall momentarily to my 'pillowcase' at the exact moment I realized what these two were wearing.
I don't know where they got the suits… (more than surely, Kakashi-sensei)… but it looked like they were dressed up for more than just karaokeing.
Naruto turned around as soon as Sai finished my name.
"Sakura-chya-" He stopped mid-suffix as his eyes found my 'dress', or more specifically, when his eyes found the areas the 'dress' wasn't covering.
He just stood there staring at me.
He seemed to lose his voice, and his decency, as I caught his eyes paying more than a momentary glance, unlike Sai, and was plain gawking. Not even trying to look away.
"You-" He started to say something as his eyes met my face, but when he saw the look I was giving him, he immediately knew, the same way a small animal knew not to pick on a more powerful, angrier animal, not to say anything about my pillowcase.
His expression froze with a little fear, he simply turned away slowly, trying not to make sudden movements, and went back to choosing another song for the karaoke. He mumbled something to himself, "Scary."
I didn't care right now.
I couldn't really blame him for being so shocked. He knows I'm more of a conservative dresser. Compared to the dress I wore to the Masquerade, that strawberry-pink dress was like nun-clothing.
I tried not to think about it.
Instead I was distracted by something else that was missing besides large amounts of fabric from my dress.
"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" I asked Sai as casually as possible as I sat down, tugging on the fabric around my legs, trying to keep the hem of my dress from showing too much thigh.
I wish I had brought my leggings…I complained to myself momentarily… I really have to have a talk with that man about how appropriately he can dress his underage 'fiancée'…
Naruto flipped through the songs on the monitor seriously, trying hard not to even look at me… good call.
"He was here a few minutes ago." Sai explained, sipping his soda with both hands, as if it were tea. "He said he'd be back before we 'needed him'."
Yet another vague message left behind by Kakashi-sensei.
I was becoming rather used to all these surprises.
Or at least I thought, but I still jumped up from my seat when I heard a voice speak up as the door suddenly opened.
"You haven't needed me since then, right?"
Speak of the devil…
He walked into the room as casually as ever, walking in here the same way he would always just walk in out of nowhere when he called team-meetings.
I was about to give him some sort of glare just to let him know how unforgiving I was about the amount confusion and frustration he's put me through since this afternoon, but I was distracted by what he was wearing… a suit.
A really nice one, too.
And, like at the hot springs, I couldn't quite look away when I wanted to. He always looked good in suits.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto tossed aside the little microphone as the song blared in the background. He practically jumped over the middle table to greet Kakashi with a question we had all been wondering.
"What's going on?!' He asked with more blind excitement than curiosity.
"I'm afraid I don't have enough time to explain everything in detail. You're just going to have to wait and see." He answered calmly, just like he always did. But I think I was the only one who thought that maybe he didn't want to tell us what his plans were.
No… there's probably a reason why he can't tell us… I'm sure.
... Wait…
What did he say about not having enough time?
What's about to happen?
As I suddenly thought of a new question, Naruto asked his own, "But why are we dressed like this!?' Naruto asked excitedly, picking at his suit-jacket a little happily, not seeming to mind as much as I did about his clothing arrangements as I did about mine.
At that moment I saw Kakashi shoot a glance towards me for longer than a moment.
Even though he didn't even look down to my pillowcase-dress, something about that look was a little too… suggestive… I wondered whether the other two noticed, but it didn't look like it.
I guess they wouldn't recognize Kakashi-sensei's 'maybe-suggestive' looks if they saw one.
All of a sudden he turned away from us and towards the door.
"The Boss likes to have well-dressed friends. It makes him feel classy."
"Eh?" I asked nonsensically.
I looked to my other teammates expecting the same confusion, but both of them seemed to immediately understand who 'The Boss' was, and how what Kakashi-sensei just said made sense.
Just then a deep knocking hit the closed door. Kakashi leaned in to answer it.
I leaned over to Sai for a moment, more than a little confused.
"Who's the Boss?" I asked at an extremely low volume. Only other ninjas would be able to hear me, so unless there were some other undercover ninjas on the other side of that door which Kakashi was now opening, they wouldn't be able to hear me.
"The reason we're here…" He answered with the same volume. "Motae Momoshita."
… Something in that name clicked.
"'Momo-kun'?" I whispered to myself as Kakashi suddenly moved out of the way of the door, smiling behind his mask with incredible fake charm, revealing the short, aged, tattooed man with a face that didn't seem used to smiling in the doorway, surrounded by a dozen other very well-dressed men.
They were the same group of men who Kakashi-sensei had gone through so much trouble to befriend this afternoon.
I was frozen for a moment as I noticed just how dangerous this was getting.
Here was a mob-boss… one famous enough to get put on the Konoha mission-list and a dozen of his really tall, tough-looking bodyguards.
And we're supposed to karaoke with them…
… Only Kakashi would come up with a plan like this…
Had this been on the battlefield I would know how to handle this, but this isn't about pummeling the enemy, this is about winning them over with fake charm and fake identities.
I was never as good an actor as Kakashi-sensei…
"Thanks for the invite, Kyousuke-kun." Momoshita smiled as genuinely as his face could let him as he patted Kakashi-sensei on the back, who was also smiling as genuinely as his act would let him.
"Of course, Motae-sama." Kakashi answered as they both walked further into the room.
"You can drop the '-sama' already." 'Momo' replied casually. Kakashi objected politely a little. Momoshita just laughed.
"'Kyousuke-kun'?" I leaned a little to Sai, asking with a low volume again.
"His alias. Kyousuke Satake."
Kakashi has an alias?
… Was I supposed to think of one, too?
I panicked for a moment.
"Don't worry. He knows what he's doing." Sai added quietly with another one of his little smiles, probably sensing my sudden tension.
None of the men seemed to notice my words with Sai, all of them were either talking or laughing at each other as they all tried to pile into the room at once. All of them were almost identical with their suits and haircuts. Except one guy that had bleached-blond hair and a little golden chain connecting his nose and ear piercing… I remembered seeing him at the hot springs before… something about him caught my eye (other than his strange originality in this group of look-a-likes). What was it, again?
My attention was drawn back to Kakashi-… 'Kyousuke'-sensei and 'Momo' as they were suddenly walking over to this side of the table, Kakashi raising his arm toward Sai.
"You already know Mori-kun." Kakashi-Kyousuke said as Sai bowed deeply to show extra respect, 'Momo' nodded faintly back with a crooked smile.
"And over here, Koichi." Kakashi-Kyousuke then gestured to Naruto, who also seemed to be a little stiff.
"Ah, the loud one." Momo pointed out jokingly, laughing a little.
I took a moment to think about that name. Koichi… Koichi…
Ah, the demon-kid!
I could only take a moment to wonder whether Kakashi intentionally renamed Naruto after that evil fifteen-year-old from all that time ago since the sensation of my stomach turning over woke me up from those thoughts after I saw Kyousuke-Kakashi direct Momoshita's attention in my direction.
"And Hanako." 'Kyousuke' gave me my new name on the spot, his eyes not moving from my own as he said the name.
I would've paid more attention to my new name had it not been for that eye-contact.
The look he was giving me.
It was his look.
Unfiltered and unhidden.
He was staring at me the way he always does when we're alone.
Soft eyes full of pride and longing.
I was caught off guard by that… it was totally out of place… He was looking at me like that in front of so many people, in such a loud and dangerous room… he was probably already 'in character'. He was a doting fiancé who would look at his fiancée like that in public, but I couldn't focus longer than a few moments on that when I suddenly remembered my manners (which are very crucial when meeting new people, especially mob-bosses) and was suddenly obliged to bow.
Just as I was about to tilt my head downward I was interrupted by a stubby, rough hand grabbing my own.
I stood up straight again, leaning forward slightly as 'Momo' pulled my hand closer.
"So this is the soon-to-be Mrs. Hanako Satake."
I didn't say anything. Not because I was scared… but because I literally had nothing to say.
What could I say to that?
'Yes', 'I hope so'?
I only nodded shyly.
Maybe that should be my character? Maybe I'm shy! Then I don't have to talk.
Wait… would a shy person be wearing this pillowcase?
Maybe that's why Kakashi picked this out… for my character… does he want me to be confident?
My inner-thoughts came to a screeching halt when I suddenly felt a pair of small, dry lips peck the back of my hand.
"Uh-" Naruto's voice stammered a little as he lost his cool for a second.
I held back the reflex to snatch my hand away from any pair of lips other than Kakashi's.
I tried to hold back a grimace.
I checked Kakashi for a moment. His eyes were closed for the moment, like he just didn't want to see this, or that he didn't want others to see his own reaction.
… That wasn't very helpful for me.
But I did my best to act courteous.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." I said with more sweetness in my voice than I thought I was capable of at that moment.
"Pleasure's mine, young lady." He replied with his strange smile.
I tried not to grimace…
"Ah, yes, well…" 'Kyousuke' stepped in and directed 'Momo' away from me, further into the room.
Kakashi gave me one last glance before he walked away.
In that moment I saw something that replenished my seriously wavering amount of confidence.
Pride.
He was proud of me, that I didn't mess up the meeting, (although I still felt like I needed to wash my hand)…
I sat down again, on the center cushion of the right couch, across from Sai who also sat down. I made sure my 'dress' wasn't showing too much, and gave a little sigh.
Why was it that after spending half the day cursing him and the way we strings me along sometimes, all he has to do is give me one look and I'm already in a forgiving mood? I thought to myself with a hint of vindictiveness.
I looked over to Kakashi-Kyousuke who was now using Naruto to show Momoshita how to use the karaoke machine.
The other men in the room were either hovering next to the wall, talking, hovering next to Momoshita protectively, or crashing down onto the left couch with Sai, squishing him between them.
But none of them so much as came over to my side of the room.
I wondered for a moment why none of them sat over here.
…
I guess it was probably inappropriate to sit so close to the inappropriately-dressed fiancée of The Boss's new friend who was also only a few feet away.
… It was strange how they, for criminals, had personal conduct rules, too.
But I realized, too soon, that although they may follow a conduct of not sitting next to me, it doesn't stop them from staring at me.
I tried to keep my eyes on Kakashi, not only to avoid awkward eye-contact with those men, but to somehow tell them that I'm only interested in 'Kyousuke's' attention.
Also, it wouldn't hurt if Kakashi would turn around and witness the problems his fashion-choice was giving me!
The guys on the couch, all of them tough-looking and tall, were talking loudly amongst themselves about fights or money/drug-deals. Some of them were shooting some prolonged glances at me every once in a while which wouldn't have been half as bad if there wasn't that one guy who was just continuously staring at me.
I could only see him out of the corner of my eye. (I didn't want to look at him eye-to-eye, or he might get the wrong message.)
But I was more than pretty sure which one it was.
The blonde-haired, piercing guy.
He was slouching back into the left corner of the couch, his arm hanging over the back, his right ankle resting on his left knee. It looked like he was staring towards Momshita and Naruto, as if they were a form of entertainment, but, being trained in sensing when an enemy is even staring at me, I could tell he was constantly looking back at me. I could almost feel his eyes wander down and up my legs, to my stomach, focusing on my chest, and then staring at my face the longest, as if he was just waiting for me to look at his only slightly handsome face.
That's when I remembered this guy. I had seen him at the hot springs, and he did look at me a little strangely... but I didn't think much of it, then...
This was not going to be a fun night.
Then again, when did karaokeing with a famous mob-boss and his lackeys while you're an undercover ninja ever sound particularly fun?
"FOOD'S HERE!" There was a sudden explosion of cheering. I nearly jumped out of my seat.
There was a wave of suited men heading for the door, each coming back with a tray of several assortments of finger-foods and sushi. Even Naruto had forgotten his stiffness and was now one of the many suited guys grabbing a tray and bringing it to the terribly undersized table between me and the previously mellow men on the other couch, who had turned into larger versions of a ramen-jonesing Naruto.
But what was even more curious was the fact that even though space was definitely limited, still none of the men sat next to me.
It was a little admirable.
I smiled faintly.
Maybe a room-full of Narutos might be better than a room full of hit-men with staring problems.
The food seems to be doing a great job of making them forget all about me.
"I'm sorry for their manners, Kyousuke-kun. No word of gratitude after you agreed to pay for the most expensive buffet for them." Momoshita-sama's voice was louder than normal… he was trying to tell his lackeys something.
"Thank you very much for the food." The men suddenly chorused with the utmost courtesy, but most of them had mouths full of food.
"It's fine." Kyousuke-Kakashi answered casually. "But I do have something else for you." He added with a certain tone that sounded like he was talking to grade-schoolers… which these full-grown men were somewhat acting like.
Kakashi waved at the half-scared waitress on the other side of the door who had just been ransacked of all the food on her wheelie-table in less than twenty-seconds and then forgotten only a moment later.
She nodded a little shakily.
She disappeared from the frame of the door for a moment before shakingly wheeling a tray into sight.
On the two shelves of this serving tray there were four big jugs of-
"SAKE!" The room exploded with even louder cheers as the men who weren't eating lunged for the alcohol as if they were men dying of dehydration.
My hopes for a room full of Narutos was suddenly shattered…. Now it's going to be a room full of drunken Rock Lees wasn't it?
Momoshita let out a loud laughter, patting 'Kyousuke' on the back like an uncle would a nephew.
'Kyousuke' only smiled back.
… And even though I could tell that his smile was fake I still couldn't look away.
In a matter of hours, this man had turned one the scariest groups of mobsters, who have a deep hatred for and from ninjas, into close friends of his…
And again, I just had to realize how exceptional Kakashi-sensei was.
I was suddenly distracted from my shameless staring when I noticed Kakashi point towards me for a moment.
Momoshita laughed and nodded before turning back to the karaoke monitor with curiosity.
Kakashi-Kyousuke finally left the mob-boss's side and was now walking over here.
I looked at him questioningly, but before I could think of even asking a question, he walked right in front of me and to my left, sitting down on the couch that I had been isolated on before then.
The moment he sat down I was suddenly at loss of what to do.
…
What could I do?
Here he was sitting next to me.
My 'fiance'…
How should I act?
My mind flashed back to that embarrassing couple I saw in the hallway.
… God, no.
Then before I thought of anything I simply felt his arm fall onto the back of the couch behind me.
…
That's it? I asked myself a little… disappointed, no… just confused.
…
I suddenly spotted Naruto out of the crowd of ravenous men. He was staying perfectly still, just staring at us. A little pouty.
He went back to eating, his spirits a little low, visibly disturbed by what he saw.
….
His arm is on the chair behind my back!!
It's not like he's kissing me or anything!
Jeez, Naruto…
…
But I guess this would be weird for Naruto.
He's still in the mindset I was for years before this. The mindset that can't really accept any thoughts of Kakashi-sensei being romantic (especially towards a student, at least), the mindset that Kakashi-sensei is only 'sensei', that he doesn't have any emotions he doesn't show us, or any desires we don't already know, or any sort of personal life whatsoever… when in reality he's actually one of the most complex and amazing men I've ever known.
My mood softening with that thought a little, I suddenly felt my posture ease.
I didn't feel so nervous anymore.
Not with Kakashi here.
I leaned back, my head resting on his arm a little.
He didn't react, he just kept looking at the group of ravenous lackeys with a polite smile…
He was keeping up the act…
We're 'fiancés', this isn't unnatural… right?
I still felt the need to inch away from Kakashi a little, just to be safe… but I didn't. I tried ignoring that feeling.
I was distracted from my thoughts when a little crash was heard from the other side of the room.
A couple of the men started laughing, their noses already red from the alcohol, at their unconscious friend on the ground.
"That guy can never hold his liquor, he's always out like a light after one cup." I heard a random voice say lightly, a couple of the words muffled by food.
"Whatever, more sake for us!" One of them cheered.
The others followed, grabbing their cups as one of the men went around filling them to the rim.
One of the men even shoved cup into Kakashi's left hand, he accepted more graciously than the others.
"To Kyousuke-san!" Some of them shouted, the others skipping that part of the toast and were already drinking.
And as I sat here, one of his arms around the back of my seat, his other hand holding the sake cup, I suddenly felt like I had just been thrust into the 'adult-world'... That might sound weird, but remembering what it felt like during the Masquerade, to feel completely blocked from Kakashi because he belonged with the other adults who drank and were probably even more irresponsible partiers than us teenagers, to be with him now... it actually felt a little... exciting... to be on this side of the spectrum.
He could just be an adult and not have to worry about how I, as a teenager can handle the situation, and I can be with him and not feel like he's constantly worried that I can't handle such a situation.
I resurfaced from my momentary thought-process as Kakashi only smiled politely before drinking the cup's entire contents in less than five seconds.
I had heard Kakashi-sensei was an experienced drinker… but… I wasn't used to seeing Kakashi drink so much... or at all, really.
He held out his cup for more after a moment.
The others cheered again, like, by doing that, he was joining them.
… It hit me that with guys, drinking for the sake of getting drunk and eating until your stomach can't take anymore like this was actually something of a bonding-experience.
And that was when I realized that this little moment of peace would be over soon enough.
And that tonight was definitely not going to get any easier.
…
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Now for Part 2!!
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Oh, and you might want this for the next chapter:
http: //www. you tube .com/ watch?v= 6Bslv6USiWQ
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(When you put the address in, you'll have to delete all the spaces I put into it [I had to put the space in so that this site won't delete the entire link, thinking it's spam]
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Oh, and don't listen to it just yet, wait till about halfway through the next chapter… you'll know when to use it. :)