Chapter 42

The soft trickle of water was the only sound to fill the apartment. Tea had always had a soothing effect on her. The smell was nostalgic. Bringing back memories of nights with Naruto and trying to tutor him, or even further back to memories of her uncle. Back when she was very young and sore from her training. He had always brewed them some to share together.

But, now, there was no one to share it with. Sitting in her empty apartment with only the wind howling outside her window as company. Her uncle was in the Land of Iron, certainly having worked his way up in the ranks of their military. Her father wasn't particularly a fan of the beverage. All of the other shinobi she knew well enough to share a cup with were always so busy, but so was she. Finding meaningful time with anyone was becoming a chore in and of itself.

The village was still recovering from Orochimaru's attack. While nearly all the construction was completed, it was no secret among the higher ranks that finances and men were in short supply. To rebuild a village took time, money, and resources. Thanks to this, every able bodied shinobi was going on missions with only a few days to recover in between. That included herself and Kakashi.

Taking a seat on the couch she glanced at the door. How much longer before Kakashi returned? She had returned from her most recent mission the previous day with only a minor injury to her arm. Nothing that would stop her from being sent out again in short order.

Her eyes lingered there longingly. Kakashi had planned on being back sometime within the last three days, and as time went on she only grew more and more concerned. Of course, you could never be certain how long a mission could take. Unforeseen circumstances had a way of uprooting plans. But, Kakashi had a knack for knowing just how long a mission would take and he was seldom wrong. Unless, of course, something did go wrong.

Slender fingers tightened around her teacup. No. She would not think that way. Something had just come up and he would be gone longer than expected. If nothing else, she would get to see him in the morning before her next mission. They had been lucky enough to have their rest time overlap at least a little in between missions. It wasn't nearly enough. She only wanted to see him before she left again.

Keiko sighed, rubbing her temple, "God, I sound like Sakura."

It was true though. It had been nearly three months since Kakashi had confessed how he felt, since she considered them a couple. When they were both in the village it was almost sickening how much time they spent in each other's presence. Or, that's what Asuma had said at least when they had been out together. But, not for her. For Keiko that time was a blessing. If you had told her a year ago that Kakashi and herself would grow to be romantically involved, she would have laughed thinking it was a joke.

When she had first met him he had been so quiet and reserved. Thinking back on it now, he was dull. From the way he acted to the look in his eye, he was dull. Almost lifeless on his feet. Only acting as he was bid to by the village. She remembered wondering why he was that way. Why he seemed to be trapped within himself. Admittedly, this was what first intrigued her about him. During her time as Guy's partner she watched their rivalry with interest. Slowly realizing that Kakashi wasn't as dull as he seemed. Hidden behind that quiet exterior was someone who was incredibly loyal, overly blunt, and who had a rather unique sense of humor.

It wasn't until she became partners with him that she began to dive deeper into who he was as a person. When she began to piece together what Guy had been trying to tell her about Kakashi. He was kind and softhearted, yet there were things from his past that haunted him. Things that, to this day, she still didn't know the full story. The deaths of his teammates weighed heavily on him and after learning this she only grew to care and respect him even more. Contrary to what enemy ninja thought, he was human.

Lately, there had been a change in him. He no longer had that dull look in his eye. There was a spark there, appreciation. He wasn't a different person by any means, but Keiko could tell that Kakashi had changed. Changed for the better. He was a little more open, a little more talkative, a little more warm…

She smiled to herself. If she were honest, he was much warmer. She never would have guessed Kakashi to be such a cuddle bug. When they were home alone it was not uncommon for them to lounge on the couch reading their books or curl up in bed taking a nap. She missed that time and desperately wanted his touch.

Her eyes closed and she sighed deeply. She had to be patient.

Suddenly, she heard the window slide open and a familiar presence made itself known.

Keiko smiled brightly in his direction, knowing exactly who it was. Her mouth opened to greet him but she was shocked still when she saw him. Gasping, "Kakashi!"

Making his way through the window, was Kakashi Hatake himself as she expected. What she didn't expect was the bandaged wrapping around his head. They were just beginning to turn pink. He was bleeding.

Despite this, he shut the window nonchalantly with one hand and saluted with the other. "Yo."

She was in front of him in an instant. Her hand reached up to inspect the wrappings on the side of his head, "Oh my god, are you alright?" Now that she was closer she could see just how pale he had become. A few beads of sweat trailing down his face and it seemed as though he was working on controlling his breathing.

Kakashi reached up and grasped her hand with his, holding it gently. "I'm fine." He pulled her hand down and behind him, forcing her body to clash against his. He buried his nose in her hair and wrapped his arms around her tightly. His voice was just above a whisper, "I just need this."

Her face flushed at his words. When it came to his feelings toward her, Kakashi often acted rather than said anything. So, hearing him say that only made her smile and she wrapped her arms around him in return.

They stayed that way for several long moments, drinking in the other's presence. Keiko was content to stay that way indefinitely.

Until she suddenly felt most of Kakashi's weight begin to crush her.

Her eyes widened and she steadied them, gripping him tighter to prevent them from falling. "Kakashi!?"

A very tired and exhausted laugh escaped his lips. "I'll be fine. Just need rest."

Keiko huffed, dragging him over to the couch where she forced him to sit. "Why didn't you go to the hospital before coming here?" Her hands worked at the zipper of his flak jacket, helping him take it off and tossing it aside. "To be frank, you look horrible."

He shrugged, sinking back into the soft cushions. Thankful that the bulky texture of his jacket wasn't in the way of enjoying the small pleasure. He lifted his headband and dropped it on the couch next to him, allowing her full access to the bandages he knew she would be inspecting. As her hands began to gingerly unwrap them he sighed, "I didn't know if you would still be awake."

Her hands paused at his words. She shook her head and gave a small smile, "Kakashi, you know you could have woken me up and I wouldn't care."

Kakashi watched as she stood from the couch, taking the used and bloody bandages with her. How could he explain it to her? This painful and intense sense of longing that filled him when she wasn't near him. It had been nearly two weeks since they had last seen each other and every fiber of his being was crying out for her. He didn't care about how exhausted he felt or the wound he carried. As soon as he saw her smile he felt instant relief. His eyes closed, a sudden wave of dizziness making the room around him sway.

They didn't open until a cool cloth was pressed to the side of his face. Keiko was there, sitting next to him and she had brought a bowl of water, cloth and a first aid kit. She started dabbing the wound gently, inspecting the deep cut that ran just above his ear. He closed his eyes again, ignoring the stinging sensation as she tended to it. "You're lucky I don't drag you to the medics right now."

"They've seen enough of us, don't you think?" Kakashi offered lightheartedly.

She sighed, "You can't keep using that as an excuse to not go. I don't like it any more than you do." Kakashi had taken to using their time bedridden and in a coma as a joke. A joke in poor taste, but a joke nonetheless, as a way of saying they had spent enough time there. She had her own distaste for the place but she didn't avoid it nearly as much as Kakashi tried to.

"Relax." He told her calmly, reaching a hand out to settle on her thigh as she worked. "Toshio already took a look at it on the way back. It's nothing some rest won't fix." Of course, Toshio had limited knowledge in medical jutsu, but at least the man could be certain Kakashi wasn't in any danger of dying. That was good enough for him.

While her eyes and hands were fixed upon his wound she couldn't help but grin when she felt his hand. He applied gentle pressure and his thumb began to rub small circles where it lay. Her eyes softened, easily recognizing his need for contact. "Gonna tell me what happened?"

"Just a noble who got into dealing with the wrong crowd. Rogue ninja from Kusagakure ambushed the caravan. They were stronger than expected." His opponent had been fast. The initial attack left him with the deep cut Keiko was now cleaning. Thankfully they had reached their destination quickly enough after the encounter and were able to return to Konoha.

Keiko nodded in understanding. She cleaned the wound, noticing that the wound did appear to be a few days old, but had reopened. "You kept pushing yourself, hm?" She began to wrap his head in fresh bandages, silently betting that he was suffering from some chakra exhaustion as well.

He opened one dark eye and turned to look at her, "No, why would you think that?"

She scoffed playfully, "Playing dumb doesn't suit you." As soon as she had finished with her task, she felt herself being pulled onto him. Kakashi had swiftly changed their position, leaning his head back on the arm of the couch to stretch out and pulling Keiko with him. She found herself flush against him with his hands tightly around her and his face buried in her hair. "Kakashi?"

He nuzzled his nose into her hair further, "Hmm?" One of his hands found its way under her top, stroking the smooth skin of her lower back. His other hand found its way into her hair, relishing the feeling of it between his fingers.

Keiko relaxed into his embrace and muttered into his collar, "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, just stay like this for a while."

~0~

Keiko slowly became more and more used to seeing Tsunade sit behind that desk. The Lady Hokage had sent her on several missions with several different squads. With the ranks as messed up as they were now there was a lot of restructuring that needed to occur. Things were slowly getting better but there was a long road ahead of them yet.

That morning had been a struggle to get Kakashi into the infirmary where he had been given strict orders to rest. He was off missions for several days at least. Plenty of time to read his book and be alone with his thoughts. When she had left him to come to Hokage Tower she could have sworn he had sulked. It wasn't anything huge, but to her she could see the metaphorical tail droop.

Now, she was once again in front of their new Hokage. Nearly three months into her new position and filling the role nicely. Tsunade sat at her desk, leaning forward with her fingers laced together as she usually did. "Good, you're here. Your mission team should be here shortly."

Keiko smiled in greeting, "Of course. Who might I be accompanied by this time?"

Tsunade smirked, "You know them. In fact, I specially chose them for that reason."

"Oh?" Who could they be? Everyone she could think of was already on a mission or had set teams of their own.

Just as she was mulling it over, the door to the office burst open. "Keiko!" A loud and cheerful voice called out.

Her head snapped back to see Remi Inuzuka and Iruka Umino entering the room. This was certainly not who she was expecting. Her smile widened, "Well, hello you two, fancy seeing you here."

Iruka chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "Nice to see you too. Not too often I get to be on this side of the desk."

Remi smiled widely, her hands clasped behind her back. "It's a nice change of pace."

Tsunade cleared her throat, gaining their attention. In an instant they were lined up in front of her giving their full attention. "Now," she began, "I'm sending you three on a very important mission. To the Land of Iron." The shocked faces were not lost on her and she held up a scroll. "We received this just last night. It's an offer from the Land of Iron to commence a trade agreement for aid. It would seem, while we have done well to maintain our strength they have seen the cracks. Supposedly, they wish to help."

A long moment of silence passed before Iruka broke it. His voice betraying just how shocked he was. "Wait, the Land of Iron has always been neutral. Why would they want to get involved now?"

Brown eyes narrowed, "Yes, suspicious, isn't it?" Tsunade sat the scroll on the desk in front of her, opening it for the three of them to see she wasn't lying. "It would seem that your uncle had a hand in this, Takahashi."

Keiko stood there. Stiff as a board. Her eyes slowly looked over the writing until they fell on a familiar signature on the bottom among the official seals. Her uncle's.

Miura Takahashi.

"This is precisely why I chose you three for this mission." The Hokage stated. "Keiko, you know the Land of Iron and it's customs. This makes you a perfect candidate for this mission of diplomacy. You are the bridge between the two cultures, so to speak. Use that to your advantage. You three are to travel to the Land of Iron and meet with Miura and other members of the Council. See if their offer is genuine or not."

Keiko nodded, still trying to wrap her head around it. In the back of her mind she always knew that it was a possibility to see her homeland again, but she never thought it would be under these circumstances. Her eyes scanned the document again and again. There was no mistaking it's authenticity. This was real. She would get to see the Land of Iron again after nearly thirteen years. See her uncle again.

"But, why us?" Iruka questioned.

"Simple. This is a mission of diplomacy. If their concern is genuine, then it is in our best interest to show as a united front. Show them that we were willing and able to accept one of their own into our ranks. Your chemistry should be more than enough to show this."

Keiko blinked. So, that was why. Tsunade wanted to send her with people who knew and accepted her openly. Since achieving the rank of Jonin, the vast majority of people had gotten over her foreigner status. Or, at least if they had an issue they kept it to themselves. Iruka was the first person to openly accept her as a member of the village. While Remi was accepting of nearly everyone.

She nodded, speaking for the first time since the mission was brought up. "And… if it is not genuine?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Then, I guess you'll be right in your element, won't you?" She closed the scroll and folded her hands in front of her, "This mission should be an A-Rank, seeing as you will be overseeing potential government matters. You are to scope out the situation. See if what they offer is true and report back as soon as possible. You leave in one hour. Be sure to bring your winter gear, it's cold where you're going."

The Hokage said a few words before allowing Iruka and Remi to leave the room. Just as Keiko was about to follow them, Tsunade called out, "Keiko. Stay behind for a moment."

Keiko exchanged a glance with the two Chunin and nodded, allowing them to leave before turning her attention back to the Hokage. "Yes, Lady Hokage?"

There was a pause before Tsunade spoke, "You should know, the council felt I should not send you on this mission."

Somehow, she wasn't surprised by this. Keiko smiled a mirthless smile, "Is it my abilities or my loyalty that they question?"

"I think you know the answer to that better than anyone." Tsunade said easily. "I fought for your right to be on this mission. It's time for this petty behavior to stop and by sending you on this mission you'll prove to the council and to me that Konoha is your home."

Keiko blinked, not expecting anything like this to come out of her Hokage. "L-Lady Hokage, why-?"

"Because I'm sick and tired of seeing this pattern." She held up a file and let it fall onto the table. Old mission reports no doubt. "One of our best Jonin, left out to dry on numerous occasions. It's about goddamn time someone put some faith in you and it starts now."

The Jonin watched in astonishment as the blonde huffed, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. She never thought Tsunade felt so strongly about this…

"Not to mention," Tsunade began again, "Sarutobi Sensei was a good judge of character."

They held eye contact, the rest not needing to be said. Keiko could have sworn she saw the Third for a split second, but when she blinked he was gone. She smiled, "Thank you, My Lady."

~0~

An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Remi and Iruka stood at the main village gates clad in their winter ponchos, waiting patiently for their team leader. Remi swayed from side to side, casting a glance over at Iruka. "So," she drawled, "how long has it been since you've been on a real mission?"

Iruka jumped, feeling an embarrassed blush creep onto his cheeks, "Oh, um, probably close to a few years now."

She scooted closer to him, poking him in the shoulder, "Nervous?"

He scoffed, crossing his arms under the poncho, "Of course not. There's nothing to be nervous about."

Remi hummed, tapping a finger to her lips in thought, "Well, there's the fact that you haven't really fought any enemy ninja since then. Unless you count Mizuki, of course."

Iruka stiffened next to her. She was right. It really had been a long time. He sighed, casting a quick glance over toward the check-in station on the other end of the gate. "Fine," he whispered, "maybe I am a little nervous. I train nearly everyday but dodging pre-genin is hardly a good replacement for field work."

His face flushed crimson when Remi suddenly placed a quick kiss on his cheek, "You got me and Keiko with ya. No worries, Iruka."

Sitting at the check-in station were Izumo and Kotetsu. The two Chunin saw the quick display of affection. Izumo sighed, resting his cheek on his fist, "Damn. Didn't think the school teacher would be so lucky." He had to admit, the two made a cute couple. But, judging by Iruka's behavior, he guessed that either they weren't public or things were just picking up between them.

Kotetsu snickered and jabbed his thumb toward another couple walking toward them. "Guess who else is lucky." Down the road they could see Kakashi and Keiko approaching the gates. Iruka and Remi stood watching them, ready to go as soon as Keiko gave the word.

When they made it to the gates Keiko stepped in front of Kakashi, smiling brightly. "I let you come this far. Now get home and get some rest. You're lucky I didn't make you summon Pakkun to have him babysit you."

Kakashi felt himself smile behind the mask, his eye crinkling softly to show it. "I'll be fine."

"You better be. Or else Lady Tsunade will give me hell when I get back." There was a long pause as she took in their small audience. "Oh, one more thing, Kakashi."

"Hm?" He answered curiously.

In a single swift action, Keiko had used one hand to raise her poncho up like a curtain, hiding their faces. With her other hand, pulling down his mask and delivering a swift and deep kiss to his lips. She pulled away slowly, whispering, "Be back before ya know it."

Izumo and Kotetsu watched the farewell openly. Watching as the three shinobi waved and headed off, and how Kakashi lingered a few minutes longer than they thought he would. He looked out in the direction they left before slowly turning and heading back to the village.

"Lucky guy indeed."

~0~

Days had passed and Kakashi often found himself posted up in his apartment. Waiting. Waiting for his next mission or for Keiko to return from hers. Books would help to pass the time, reading Make Out Paradise again and again. As if he hadn't already memorized every line.

He sat up in bed and groaned. His strength was returning and no doubt he would be summoned for his next mission whether he was ready or not. It had been four days already and he was getting antsy for something to happen. While he was a fan of peace and quiet, he couldn't go too long without some kind of stimulation. His book just wasn't cutting it anymore.

As he began to get dressed for the day he spotted a small songbird settle outside his window. It sang a chime he knew all too well. So, it was time.

Kakashi sighed and zipped up his flak jacket. If he were lucky he would be given a mission that he could complete in a week or less. Then perhaps he could be back in time to see her when she returned. She said she thought it would take a little over a week. It was a silent agreement between them that they would only talk about missions that were completed. That way there was no unnecessary worry while it was ongoing. Every mission carried some risk. But, she seemed happy to be going on this mission, possibly even a little nervous. But, not the anxious kind of nervous someone gets from being put on a life or death mission. It was the kind you got when someone told you they had a surprise waiting for you. The kind of nervousness he felt when she entered a room.

She had smiled that day, like she always did. And, like always, he burned the sight into his memory. He knew there would be no greater gift than to have her smile to start his day. It was brighter than any sunrise and set a fire within him. When he thought about how he used to shrug it off or ignore it in the past he wanted to kick himself. To think that he could have possibly had all of this sooner… he only wished he had grown a pair sooner than he did.

The warmth she had brought into his life was invaluable. She accepted him as who he was, not who he had been or who he would be. Faults and all. And, boy, did he have his. Though he couldn't look himself in the mirror somedays Keiko was there to usher him forward. He didn't go to bed wondering if tonight there would be another nightmare, not anymore.

Instead, his dreams were filled with other images. Images and scenes suited for his books. He would stir from slumber, his body aching and crying out for hers but unable to satiate the thirst. They had done plenty of exploring already but he had to wonder just how long it would be until they would completely give themselves to one another. Each time they started, they would go further and further, inching their way to the finish line. It was always incredible, and only gave his mind more fuel for those fantasies.

Even now, as he walked down the hall to meet with the Hokage he could feel that insatiable longing for her touch. He would never admit it, but that was the worst part of it all. If he were only craving the release she could give to him, he could take care of that himself. It was when all he wanted was to feel her. To touch her. Run his hands through her hair and over the smooth skin of her back and hips. To hold her. Nothing he could do would ever be able to recreate those sensations. Not when he craved to just have her near.

He knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. Waiting a moment before opening the door. To his surprise, there were already several people there. It wasn't until he noticed who was all gathered that alarm bells started ringing in his head.

Danzo, Homura and Koharu stood to the side, refusing to meet his gaze. Their presence was already more than enough to set him on edge. On the other side there was Shizune and Genma who also refused to look at him. Guy stood in front of her desk, back facing him and his head down. Tsunade sat behind her desk as she usually did. She was the only one who openly looked him in the eye.

He wished she hadn't. Because in those brown eyes was a well of pity.

His heart dropped to his stomach.

Dread slowly crawled its way up from the depths of his soul.

"What happened?" He said, his voice strained.

Guy turned stiffly to meet the gaze of his eternal rival, his eyes matched those of their Hokage. Tears were building and he looked away sharply. "Kakashi," Guy bit out through clenched teeth. With Guy turned partly to him it opened up Kakashi's view of the desk, his eyes catching a glimmer of red and silver.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't hear Guy. He was too focused on the long tresses of raven black hair laying upon the desk. Held together by an all too familiar pendant.

dun. DUN. DUUNNN!

Don't hate me for what I am about to do. This entire story has been building to this arc and I can only hope and pray that it is as epic on paper as it is in my head. If you have liked the story so far, you have this chapter and the following chapters to thank for it. Really looking forward to seeing how you guys like it!

Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!

Posted - 1/9/22