Hey everyone! Yes, kakashi now knows what Moriko looks like. So what do you think? Does it seem like kakashi has a thing for our heroine? I got a message saying that Moriko should get kidnapped by akatsuki later in the story, and that one of the members should harbor feelings for her. So, comment or message me on who you think should have a crush on her.
Chapter thirteen: Kakashi and Moriko, on a date?!
It had been over three months since that day in Ichiraku, and neither Kakashi nor moriko had brought it back up. However, things had been rather odd since then. Sakura and Sasuke both had kept trying to see under her mask, both pulling sneaky and underhanded plans to do so. All had backfired horrendously on them, much to Moriko's bemusement. To her surprise, Kakashi had helped foil these plans in hilarious ways. Never again would moriko see a decorative chopstick without chuckling in amusement. Iruka had become busy, teaching the next generation of genin. Naruto had introduced her to his fanclub, which had screamed and yelled in awe over seeing her.
Konohamaru, who she had learned was the Hokage's grandson, begged her to teach him some of her jutsu, much to Naruto's horror. Smiling, she told him that she was planning on teaching Naruto a few, and that he would teach him in turn. Naruto grinned at her happily, before showing off the gleaming obsidian daggers she had given him as a graduation gift. He had absolutely adored the decoration on the handle; the familiar red and black swirl that adorned his jacket. He had grown awe-struck when she told him she had crafted them herself.
They had become one of his most prized possessions, along with a picture of the team. Kakashi and Moriko stood in the back, with the three genin in front of them. They had tried persuading her to take her mask off for the picture, but she refused, pacifying them by saying that she would take another with them, when she chose to take the mask off. That had settled them down, but they were far from happy. Moriko's copy of the picture rested in a cherry wood frame, on her nightstand, next to her own obsidian daggers, which had a decoration of a howling wolf on the handle.
As Moriko crawled out of bed to prepare for the day, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the picture, the tips of her fingers caressing the frame. It had become one of her prized possessions as well. On the other side of her bed, on another nightstand, was an old, worn picture of her as a child, bruised but smiling with Deidara-nii-san, holding a stuffed wolf close to her chest. The wolf, in question, rested on her bed, it's once soft fur matted with stuffing spilling out of its side. The light grey color had darkened with grime and dirt and age. She lifted it from the bed, lightly fingering an ear that hung valiantly by a thread.
"I'll have to fix Okami after the mission. I think a wash and a sew are in order." Giving the stuffed toy one last hug, she placed it back on the bed and began her daily ritual. After a quick wash in the shower, she scrubbed her body dry with a nearby towel, yanking on her black pants, grey tank top, and blood-red cloak. Checking the clock, she realized she had a couple hours before she needed to go meet the team. After her hair had dried and her mask and modulator were in place, she left her apartment and hurried out into the street. The streets weren't as busy, with the children at the academy and most of the citizens still in their homes. Feeling a bit peckish, she decided to head to the nearby dango shop to grab breakfast. As she turned the corner she ran into someone, causing them both to topple over, with her landing on top of the other.
Dazed and confused, she glanced up, only to grow red with mortification. "K-kakashi!" Sure enough, it was the silver-haired wonder himself, who was grinning up at her in amusement. Realizing that she was still laying on top of him, she immediately leapt up, helping him to his feet. "S-sorry about that, I didn't expect you to be around the corner." Silently cursing herself for stuttering, she almost missed the warm chuckle of amusement in his voice. "There's no harm, where are you heading so early?" "Getting some dango for breakfast. I didn't feel like having ramen or onigiri."
Her face flushed darker, as she remembered the sculpted features under that mask. "Damn you face! Quit blushing!" Thanking god for what seemed the millionth time for her mask, she forced the blush to slowly disappear from her face. "Oh, mind if I join you?" Her face flushed up in another blush. "Alright, fighting the blush is obviously a lost cause…" "s-sure, I could use the company." The two walked silently beside one another, enjoying each other's company. The silence didn't feel awkward, nor did they feel the need to force conversation. She glanced over to see him reading a familiar orange book. "Are you reading Icha Icha paradise? God, I can't remember the last time I read that series." Kakashi gaped at her in shock, not used to anyone else claiming to be a fan. "You've read Icha Icha?"
"A few times, Jiraiya's gotten better at writing, that's for sure." Kakashi stared at her, as if thinking of something.
Putting the book back in his pouch, he grasped both of her hands in his. "Marry me?" Her face burnt a bright red, a swirl of emotion churning in her gut. She forced a nervous laugh out of her, desperately attempting to ignore the pleasant heat his hands emitted into hers. "S-stop joking around kakashi." She unwillingly pulled her hands from his, already missing the warmth of his hands. Moriko grabbed his bicep, noting the muscle tone of his arm beneath his shirt. She pulled him after her, blushing furiously beneath her mask. "L-let's just get lunch, yeah?" Neither of them had noticed Kurenai and Gai following them, both grinning happily.
"Looks like Kakashi has a love interest…. His youthful vigor as he chases after his beloved. It's so beautiful, Kurenai!" Manly tears streamed down his face as he watched his rival get dragged away by the mortified legend. Kurenai chuckled, her gaze soft as she watched them. "Their youth is admirable!" Kurenai sighed. "They're getting away, Gai…. Wanna watch them on their date?" Gai nodded, manly tears still streaming down his cheeks. The two hopped after them, easily spotting them in the crowd.
"Kakashi, I am capable of buying my own breakfast, there's really no need." Kakashi chuckled, handing the cashier money. "Too bad, I just paid." Moriko sighed, having to chuckle at his stubbornness. "Fine, but I'm buying next time." The two walked to an empty table, sitting across one another. She was startled as he leaned over, his hand brushing against her mask. He gently unclipped it, pulling his hand and her mask away to reveal her flushed, horrified face. "Relax, I put a genjutsu up, no one can see our faces." He pulled his own mask down, smiling at her. Her blush darkened, which he immediately noticed. "You're not getting sick, are you?" She quickly shook her head, her blush growing darker. "Dammit face! Quit blushing!" He chuckled, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"You're blushing. You're not embarrassed, are you?" "He's onto me!" Across the street, the three genin stared at the pair, their jaws slack in shock. "K-kakashi and Red are on a date?!" The shop went quiet, glancing at the pair. The genjutsu held strong, making it seem as though they were just chatting. Sakura sighed. "It's a genjutsu." Putting her hands in a ram seal, she sent her chakra to attack the genjutsu; a puff of smoke appearing. Caught off guard, Moriko grabbed her mask, barely putting her mask up to shield her face in time. Kakashi's mask was already up. The smoke cleared, revealing two obviously embarrassed ninja.
"Sensei, you're on a date with Red? He's a boy!" Moriko's eye twitched. She slowly stood up, grabbing the now empty boxes of dango and tossing them in the trash. Kakashi walked up next to her, and they walked out of the store. "Oh, by the way Sakura… I'm a girl." The pinkette gaped as the two disappeared from the shop. Sasuke's left eye twitched slightly. His rolemodel, was a woman? How was that possible? Something occurred to him, and he smirked. "If she's a woman, she'd make a good candidate to help me restore the Uchiha clan…" Sakura sighed. "Damn, now I want to know what she looks like even more." "Maybe she's a red-head, or a pinkette, like me! Well, as long as she doesn't go after my Sasuke-kun, I doesn't matter."
Kakashi and Moriko landed on top of the Academy, smiling at one another. "So how long do you think it'll take before the whole village knows I'm a woman?" Kakashi tilted his head, thinking. "Maybe a few hours?" "Sounds about right." She chuckled, her mask still being held up by her hand. He shot her a crooked grin, causing her heart to go into overdrive. She glanced down at the village, a soft smile on her face. The smile slipped as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait, don't we have a mission at noon?" "Yeah, why?" "It's twelve thirty."
He sighed, not wanting to leave just yet. "Want to walk there together?" She gave him a shy smile, nodding. As the two walked side by side, Moriko's mask now secured to her face, there was a comfortable silence between them. There was no need for conversation, no need for words. All they had was the silence and the other's company, and for now, that was enough.