Chapter 23
Beta'd by Black Sparrow
The next morning Shiori was awoken by the smell of breakfast. The black haired woman smiled softly into her pillow while she stretched languidly in her bed before she finally decided to leave it. Once up she put on some clothes, did her morning absolutions and walked down into the living room. Her husband was just finishing with frying the fish when she ambled closer and snuggled into his back. While Kakashi wasn't a very practiced cook he still did an excellent job with the few dishes that he could cook, breakfast being one of his best. Now and then he would randomly take over kitchen duty and every time Shiori felt content while she watched him move around in what was normally her domain.
Today he also had already set the table when she arrived and so she just had to sit down in her usual place while he brought the food over. Thanking Kakashi, Shiori was just about lifting her chopsticks when she remembered her supplements and hurried to take one pill of each container. Kakashi watched her curiously and after she sat the containers down on the table he read through the descriptions on the side.
"Chakra supplements and folic acid?" the shinobi asked slightly worried.
"Don't worry. The folic acid is given to all expecting mothers and the chakra supplements are because you are a ninja and I am a civilian. Our child's chakra system will develop earlier because of your genes and the supplements are there so I don't feel tired all the time," Shiori reassured him.
Kakashi nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead before he turned back to his food.
"What are you going to do today?" Kakashi asked while he ate his miso soup.
"Visiting the tea house and checking over the storage and after that I am negotiating a new contract for our chocolate shipment. With the amounts we have been ordering, Kyoya-san should be approachable for a discount." Shiori smirked.
She always had a lot of fun during the meetings with the old merchant; he pretended to be surly and stern but tended to give into her demands sooner or later and the quality of his products was nothing to sneeze at so it was a win-win situation for Shiori.
Kakashi just shook his head, huffing in amusement before he became somewhat more serious. "Be careful please."
"I will, don't worry. When can I expect you home?" Shiori asked contently.
"I'm not sure, but if I have a mission I will send a clone," her husband promised.
Nodding to this Shiori gave him a gentle kiss before he left the house.
It turned out that Kakashi really was sent out on a mission, his clone informed her that it shouldn't take longer than a week at most and that she should take care of herself and the little one. Ten days went by and Shiori was slowly beginning to worry, Kakashi and his team must have run into some trouble because he normally was pretty accurate about his mission length.
When her husband finally arrived back at their home he wasn't alone.
After eating lunch alone Shiori had started to tend to her raspberry bushes when Kakashi suddenly jumped into the middle of the yard, Shiori let loose a startled shriek before she recognized the silhouette of her husband. He was carrying another ninja on his back and a third one only touched down a second behind him, said man wobbled for a moment before he braced himself against the lawn mower. Taking in the scene Shiori instantly ushered them inside, Kakashi as far as she could see had his arm in a sling and was hobbling slightly.
"All of us have more or less severe chakra exhaustion and some injuries but those were already checked over in the hospital. I'm sorry that we scared you," Kakashi said uncommonly serious.
"Don't be silly. I'm glad you are home," Shiori scolded slightly before she removed his mask and kissed him on the lips.
She then quickly stepped back and opened the door to the guest room. Since Kakashi had tentatively admitted that the situation with Genma was not an isolated case but more of the norm with him and his comrades, Shiori had insisted on getting a second bed as well as a pull out couch for the room, it was big enough after all. With some quick steps Shiori vanished into the bathroom to get the emergency kit there. Since Kakashi's confession about his habit of breaking out of the hospital, Shiori finally had a reason to stock up on store made chakra supplements, which while not that effective, still helped somewhat.
In the meantime Kakashi had sat down the barely conscious ninja on his back on one of the beds while the other one had eased himself onto the couch. When Shiori returned out of the adjourning room she just caught the sentence, "…and who is she?" from the ninja with the face scar lying on the bed.
"Right," Kakashi said in a fake cheerful voice, "Shiori-chan, that guy on the bed is Namiashi Raido, while the one sitting on the couch is my cute little kohai Tenzo-kun. Raido, Tenzo this is Shiori-chan, my wife."
There was a long stretched silence in the room, before Raido-san snorted and said, "I must be hallucinating," and his eyes promptly rolled into the back of his head.
Tenzo on the other hand, while still being completely caught off guard nodded politely into Shiori's direction on reflex and said, "It's nice to meet you Hatake-san."
"Shiori is just fine Tenzo-san. Kakashi if you or Tenzo-san even think about moving around while I am gone, there will be consequences! Sit down while I get you water and something to eat," the black haired woman said before she hastily left the room.
She returned only minutes later with the leftovers from lunch, a bowl full of homemade cookies and three water glasses.
"Haven't moved," Kakashi said cheerfully from his place beside Tenzo.
Shiori's lips twitched before she sent him a disbelieving look. "Right."
After all she saw that Raido was now covered in a blanket and was also missing his vest, equipment and shoes, which were neatly stacked beside his feet. After another quick look at the unconscious shinobi Shiori handed the water and some of the chakra pills to both Kakashi and Tenzo.
"Take the pills and after that I want you two to eat something before sleeping until dinner is ready," Shiori stated in a calm voice, she was finally back into her Zone.
Kakashi just nodded while he easily accepted the glass and the pills, which after some hesitation Tenzo emulated. Shiori in the meantime took out extra sheets and blankets from the closet beside the door, while she was listening to the conversation.
"Take the bed Tenzo," Kakashi ordered.
"But Taicho…" Tenzo tried to protest.
"Don't argue, I won't sleep here in the evening anyway, so you may as well get used to it. Besides the couch is just as comfortable, Shiori and I made sure before we bought it," Kakashi's voice didn't allow any further arguments and Tenzo just mumbled "Hai" before he staggered to the bed and started to remove his equipment with slightly shaking fingers.
Shiori dropped the extra sheets on the table she had left the food on and helped Kakashi up from the couch before she gently but firmly pushed him slightly back and opened up the couch. With a few quick movements she had it ready for use and Kakashi sat down once more. She then handed the food to the two conscious shinobi before she filled the water glasses once more and placed the still full glass and the chakra pills on Raido's bedside table. She was careful to not move too fast when she approached the recovering shinobi and quickly left his immediate vicinity when she was finished.
Kakashi visibly relaxed after Shiori was out of Raido's direct reach and quickly kissed her before he said, "Thank you…I'm sorry that I dropped this on you without a warning."
"It's fine anata. I'm glad you and your teammates are home," Shiori reassured him and gave him a quick squeeze to his uninjured shoulder, out of the corner of her eye she could see Tenzo shift uncomfortably.
Kakashi nodded while he smiled thankfully at his wife. "Wake us when you are done with the cooking, but don't come in until we all are awake, just call from the door!" he insisted worriedly.
"Got it," Shiori simply stated before she hugged him once more and left the room, she would have to feed three ravenous shinobi in a few hours.
After a quick look through the fridge and the pantry Shiori sighed, the food that she had there wouldn't be enough for them, a trip to the market was inevitable. After consulting her stack of recipes and writing a list Shiori made her way to the local market. Not only would she get the groceries cheaper than from the stores that were more common in Konoha's centre but the market also offered a slightly better quality.
The black haired civilian had been shopping for nearly an hour and was starting to get tired when she ran across Genma in one of the lesser populated side alleys of the market district.
After a casual look around to see if anybody was watching Genma smiled at Shiori. "Stocking up for Kakashi's return?"
Shiori snorted tiredly, she could feel the headache building. "Yeah and what a return it was, I now have three shinobi in the house suffering from chakra exhaustion and general stubbornness. But don't mind me, how are you?"
Genma chuckled at this. "Oh I'm fine don't worry, but it looks like you have a busy afternoon in front of you, want me to give you a lift? Those groceries look pretty heavy."
Shiori bit her lip, she didn't want to inconvenience Genma, but when he offered?
"Would you? I'm sorry but I really have a lot to do and the bags are getting heavier with the minute," she asked tentatively.
Genma's smirk turned back into a genuine smile. "Of course, do you need anything else?" to which Shiori shook her head, "Good.".
He took the two bags out of Shiori's hands and secured them with one against his body, with his other hand he grabbed Shiori's shoulder and then he shunshined them directly to her house. A quick chakra probe informed Genma about the identity of the injured shinobi in the house and that there were no other threats in near vicinity.
"Thank you, Genma-san," Shiori thanked the helpful senbon wielder while she tried to gain her balance back and then relieved him from her groceries.
"Don't worry about it, Shiori-san," Genma reassured the black haired woman before him with a smile; it really didn't bother him to help her out like this.
"Are you free this evening?" came the next question of the new wife.
"Why? Are you asking me out on a date?" Genma said playfully.
"If you don't mind the other three participants?" Shiori gave dryly back.
Genma snorted and then waggled with his eyebrows before sending her a teasing smirk that turned into a warm smile. "No I have nothing planned."
"Good, I expect you at six pm at the latest. Feel free to drop in before then," Shiori stated while she shook her head, 'and then there were four stubborn shinobi' was her only thought.
"Will do. Bye." Genma nodded before he puffed away, he had some errands to do before he could enjoy Shiori's cooking.
The next two hours were used to cut the vegetables and marinate and prepare the fish and meat before the ingredients were put back into the fridge. Shiori then made two sheets of apple cobbler and a lot of pancake batter with raisins and cinnamon which she moved into the fridge when she took out the ingredients for the main dishes.
It was shortly after five pm when Genma knocked on her front door, he had brought her flowers as a thank you for the dinner invitation.
"You shouldn't have," Shiori said while her beaming smile negated her sentence.
"Hey that is the least I could do after you asked me out," Genma said playfully.
The shinobi was thankful that Shiori understood that it was nothing more than hot air and fun, Kakashi and especially Genma himself would never forgive him for making a pass on Shiori that was perceived as more than some playing around. No matter how beautiful and kind she was and how much Genma fancied himself a lady killer, there were some lines that he wouldn't cross and that included the girlfriends and especially wives of his friends and colleagues.
Shiori just snorted as an answer before she said, "I'm a little bit occupied. Could you put them into the glass vase on the side table over there? And give them some water too, please!"
Genma did as he was told before he walked over to Shiori and sat down at one of the bar chairs and watched her whirl around the kitchen. They kept a light and lazy banter going back and forth for some time until Genma remembered what he had done beforehand.
"Right, before I forget it. I stopped at Raido's and Tenzo's apartments and brought them some spare clothes," Genma said after he had swallowed his latest bite.
The senbon specialist had been covertly taste-testing some of the already finished kaarage while Shiori had her back turned to him.
"Thank you, I'm sure they will be grateful for some fresh clothes…but Genma-san? Did you really think I wouldn't notice you sneaking food?" Shiori asked amused when she turned around.
Genma sent her a sheepish grin, not the least bit apologetic, her cooking was divine.
"Just as bad as Kakashi," Shiori murmured before she quickly filled a plate with bits and pieces of the already finished dishes and handed it over.
Genma just mumbled his thanks under his breath and savored the morsels she had given him.
"I will be finished in about twenty minutes; can you go and wake the three?" Shiori asked when she had two thirds of the meal done.
"Sure," Genma said while he nodded and then made his way to the guest room.
On the way through the house he noted the additions in the library and the new curtains in front of the windows of Shiori's work room. Before he opened the door that led to his sleeping comrades, he flashed his chakra in the recognition code of their old team which woke all three of them instantly.
"Genma?" Kakashi asked confused while he rubbed his head to stall the impending headache that always accompanied his recovery from chakra exhaustion.
"Morning you three, I have been sent to wake you up from you beauty sleep. Shiori-san is nearly finished with dinner, time enough to get a shower and put some new clothes on," the senbon wielder said lazily before he unsealed the extra clothes he had grabbed from their respective flats.
"How did you know that we would be here?" Tenzo asked confused while he yawned and stretched carefully, his whole body was aching.
"I ran into Shiori-san in the market and gave her a lift, as a thanks she invited me to dinner," Genma answered.
As an answer he only received grunts before Raido said disbelieving, "So I wasn't hallucinating? The woman from before is your wife, Kakashi?"
"Yeah, I married her two months ago," Kakashi happily supplied while he carefully checked over the muscles in his injured arm.
Raido just shook his head. "Hatake Kakashi is married…unbelievable."
Genma snorted and said grinningly, "What is unbelievable is Shiori's cooking, now get a move on there is a pretty woman and some sweet and sour pork waiting for me."
Kakashi smiled dangerously in Genma's direction. "Careful there, that's my wife."
"Yeah don't I know it. God knows why she has married you," Genma bemoaned playfully while he shook his head mournfully.
The senbon wielders laments only elicited a grunt from Kakashi; he himself still couldn't believe that he had somehow convinced her to become permanently his.
"Well then, see you three later," Kakashi said before he made his way through the house in direction of his pregnant wife.