[A/N: Apologies in advance! Jet lagged to shit from returning from an international axe throwing tournament so my editing skills may be subpar at best. Enjoy the fluff chapter that has been entirely planned and pre-written, not written simply because I feel like trash. It is what it is]

A few days later, Nishira strolled through the town easily, it had been a day or so since leaving the hospital and she'd been camping out in the library since. While walking, she pondered what to eat for dinner while she prepared for this mysterious last task. Hadn't bothered with any shopping, take out from Don's and a movie wrapped in a cozy oversized blanket seemed like the ideal ending to the day. Maybe, if the mood struck, Nishira would get around to sweeping out the accumulating spiderwebs and dust bunnies running rampant in her apartment, but it seemed like a lower priority than comfy pajamas and a stiff drink.
"Nishira!"
Turning towards the voice, a person she'd never seen before waved at her from the open patio of a restaurant. The first thing Nishira noticed was the ruby red eyes that pierced through her, she noticed that was an extra ring around them, giving them a rich stare. Her hair was so carefree, flowing down her back so elegantly with spirited curls. Nishira tentatively waved back feeling very underdressed in her everyday clothes, soiled from work and crusted milk tea on the lapel from a few days prior and the deep stubborn bags that lined the underside of her eyes. The woman gestured for her to come over. As Nishira tentatively approached the woman beaming at her, she pieced together who she was with a heavy falling sensation in her gut.
"Hi Nishira, I'm Kurenai, it's so nice to finally meet you."
"You too."
"Come, we're about to order. You're just in time!"
With dawning horror of what she had agreed to while in a state of shock, Nishira looked around to see Gai, Asuma, and Kakashi at the table. The last looking up almost bored. She awkwardly waved to the group and stood there until Kurenai forcibly pushed her into a seat.
"We've heard so much about you. It's so nice to put such a pretty face to the name at last."
Nishira's eyes drifted towards Kakashi, narrowing suspiciously, who seemed to be looking innocently towards the kitchen where their server had gone.
"But Kurenai, surely, I have already met this young lady before! The last time I challenged Kakashi and lost to my eternal rival, I persevered and completed my punishment of 300 laps around the village on my hands. She witnessed my impressive harnessing of power as I carried out my dutiful binding promise."
Asuma flicked his cigarette before giving her a friendly wink.
"Kakashi says you did well in the exams. Congratulations on graduating!"
Asuma's candor made Nishira feel at ease, even as she frowned at him for realizing whose graduation they were celebrating. His mischievous smile was contagious, as she struggled to keep the frown, scrunching her face until it finally broke into a smile.
"Are you all jonin?"
Kurenai's face lit up, radiance coming from her whimsical smile.
"Yes, we all went to the academy together, some of us were even on teams together. And now we all have our own teams of genin. It's funny how time flies."
"Some of them were in the academy with you." It was the first thing Kakashi said to her since arriving. Kurenai looked curiously at her with renewed interest.
"Oh yes, I heard about you. The girl they found in Enyama. The oldest student the academy ever graduated."
Nishira pressed her lips together in a sudden uneasiness.
"Oh, dear, don't be embarrassed. If anything, I think it was incredibly brave to do that. Imagine it, going back to the academy now. I remember struggling so much with my jutsus, and now they seem so easy. But the awkwardness and all the drama!"
Kurenai's laugh was as graceful as she, Nishira was simply mesmerized.
"I spent most of my time trying to impress the ladies!" Kurenai lightly elbowed Asuma for his comment, prompting him to give a cheeky wink in his comrades' direction.
"My time at the academy was the time of spring for the power of youth! Eternal friends and rivals! Battling it out to show our mastery! It was the spirit of competition and a time to feel so alive!"
Gai threatened to stand in his spirited proclamation, almost knocking the server arriving with steaming plates of sizzling food. Nishira couldn't help liking him. Under the lame proclamations and exaggerated speech, Gai had a passion like flames burning in his eyes. You could always pick him out in a crowd. There was something so utterly charming about his fire, his zest that permeated every word and every flapping gesture. She thought that anybody would be lucky to have Gai as a friend.

There was a pregnant pause, no one wanting to disturb it until Asuma looked at the server.
"I think we'd all like a round of drinks. What do ya think guys? Sake? Beer? Cocktails? What's on special?"
The server informed them of a mouth puckering, nose scrunching shot, and to Nishira's horror, he ordered a round of them earning a half-hearted steely gaze from Kurenai.
"The bartender will be pleased; he's trying out new recipes."
She left with a bow and returned shortly with a tray of neon yellow glasses with a lime wedge on top, Nishira's lips pressed together as the server placed each cup gently in front of each person.
"That looks atrocious! Asuma, what did you order?"
"Well, Nishira, we're going to find out!"
Gai took one of the cups enthusiastically raising it to the group.
"To the Power of Youth!"
Nishira was moved to take one and raised it to meet Gai's, outstretched glass, prompting the others.
"The Power of Youth!"
The glasses clinked on the ground before reaching their open mouths, and were met with coughs and sputtering. The shot was simultaneously sour enough to pucker her whole body, but also so sweet like thick molasses syrup on the tongue.
"What the-?!"
"Asuma! What monstrosity…?"
"Why is it hot?"
Asuma just laughed. He looked at the horrified waitress.
"Another round, please!"
"Oh my god! No!"
"Asuma!"

Kakashi walked with Nishira, heading towards her place. She drunkenly wobbled and rested her head on his firm shoulder.
"Oof I shouldn't have had that last shot. Asuma sure can put them away."
She snuggled into his arm, wrapping it with both of her own arms.
"Why did you leave ANBU?"
"Hm?"
"It came up. One of the reasons you were stuck with me-"
"-stuck with you?"
"Yes, you had to deal with me because you were once an operative and they trusted your opinion."
"No I dealt with you because you scared the other sensei's off."
Nishira harumphed but didn't abandon the question.
"Why'd you leave?"
He didn't answer right away.
"The Hokage thought it was time for me to start training students. He uh- Listen, Nishira, I've wanted to say something…"
"Hm?"
"Don't let them ruin you."
"Ruin me?"
Kakashi stopped to look at her face.
"ANBU, they recruit a type. Cold, unfeeling, hardened. You can be those things."
He let out a breath.
"But, you can also be so much more. Funny, and smart and you have this smile…"
"My smile?"
"Never mind. Forget it." He turned to keep walking, approaching the base of her building.
"No! Tell me about my smile. Please, Kakashi, you can't say that and not tell me!"
He helped her climb the stairs.
"It's the one when you think no one is looking, but you also have one when you've figured something out and there's this… sparkle in your eyes. Don't lie, you like it when Naruto is up to his antics. You light up when his plans go horribly awry, and you love it!"
"Ha ha! I really do! He just lives with his heart on his sleeve. He can't keep a single secret to himself. Everything is just out there on his stupidly adorable face!"
She smiled, her eyes looking down envisioning the face in question with warmth, before it slipped.
"Why do you care so much?"
"I'm not sure, maybe its because I think we're a little alike. But I have other people, like the team, and my friends from the academy. You are on the path of pushing everyone away, even me."
Nishira let go of his arm, wrapping her arms around herself as if for stability. She frowned and avoided his eyes as they stopped in front of her door.
"I read that if ANBU operatives die, we're supposed to do everything to destroy our own body. Leave no trace of it behind. It seems fitting that I would belong there. You might think I'm cold and hard, but I had to be to survive, and now it seems like that's exactly what ANBU wants. So, maybe everyone wins if I keep doing it. Good night, Kakashi. I- I had a nice time."
She reached to open the door, before feeling Kakashi pushing up behind her, his arm reaching beside her, palm pressed on the door.
"Ask me something me!"
"What?"
"You said you didn't know anything about me. Let's change that."
"Stop it! Just stop it!" He could hear the quiver in her voice, betraying the arrival of tears that threatened to fall, her rage swelled at the sheer amount of times she had cried in the past six months. "You and I may both be orphans, but you, you had people. You had friends at the academy who tried to befriend you and help you. The village looked after you and made sure you were fed and clothed. It's nice for people in the village that takes care of its own. You want to know who helped me when I got here? People who wanted something. I was enrolled in the academy as a tool, I was given an empty place and told to fill it myself with whatever I could find in the dumpsters. I had a few ryo for food, but nobody cuts an outsider a break, looking at me like I'm about to rob them of everything. I'm just a tool, and I will continue to be a tool."
She turned within the embrace of his arms and glared at him, the rims of her eyes filling with tears stubbornly unshed.
"Leave me alone, you make my head spin, I can't think straight when you're around, and you're filling my head with these things that seem impossibly good and I don't know how to deal with it. I'm so terrified. I was okay before you started to make me feel something! This is your fault!"
He didn't let her continue her angry tirade. Kakashi pressed against her and tilted her head up to meet his. She didn't fight it, instead wrapping her arms around his black, her fingers digging into his back like trying to find hold in a storm. He pulled his mask down and let his mouth snatch hers.
"Kakashi… I hate you."
"No you don't."
"No, I don't"
Kakashi smiled at her easy agreement. He reached for the broken doorknob that opened with a gentle wiggle and whipped them inside, pressing her back to the door, the hole from her boot covered by a nailed flat piece of wood.
"Let me take care of you tonight."
Kakashi's mouth plundered hers, giving her everything. He pulled away from her dazed face that had developed a flush and dropped sit on the floor. Gripping Nishira's pants, undoing them with an aggressive pull and deftly removing them with her panties. His eyes lingering on a small tattoo of square of black ink on her hip bone. Despite the attempt to block out an old mark, Kakashi could make out the edges of a character but not what it read. Nishira's hand came down to preserve her modesty, he simply smirked up at her, watching her shiver for a moment.
"Wait, wait. Stop."
"What's wrong?"
He watched a wicked blush spread, almost into a deep maroon.
"No one, I mean. I haven't. Never -what, uh, you don't-"
Her words died on her tongue, and she felt the blood pulsing in her cheeks as Kakashi sat stunned into silence.
"Will you let me do this?"
He waited for her consent before lowering his face to the crevice between her legs, gently pulling her hand out of the way, his tongue deftly tasting along the folds. Nishira gasped and jolted at the touch. He lifted one of her legs and placed it on his shoulder before caressing her deeper. Working his fingers into her tight pussy, his mouth savoring the bundle of sensitive nerves of her clit. Her arms splayed out to the sides as he stroked her tenderly, trying to find grip on the smooth door. Encouraged by her expressive reactions, he continued, and she shivered and moaned freely, he peeked up to see the blush not letting up, spreading over the rest of her beautiful face, eyelashes fluttering. Her hand was pressed to her mouth to stifle the noises that were becoming louder.
"No, don't s-stop!"
Kakashi took her at her word and continued hungrily, lapping in her sweet scent. Her leg on his shoulder started to tense and tremble. Her free hand gripped aggressively in his hair, goading him on, pulling him in. She rocked against his mouth as he relentlessly carried on. And as her voice built up, creeping up louder and louder, her whole body clenched and pulled Kakashi into a vice grip, momentarily smothering him as the orgasm rocked her body announced with a sharp cry before her voice strained as she tried to contain it. He moved his tongue a little more and she twitched and made wispy cries in response. When he pulled away, she slumped down the door in front of him as she caught her breath.
"Why? Why did you-?"
"Because you're too stubborn, and you deserve to be taken care of. And I wanted to."
"But. But…" Her eyelids fluttered trying to stay awake.
"No buts, no, let me carry you."
She whined as he effortlessly lifted her and carried her half asleep towards her bedroom. Kakashi delicately sat her down, helped her undress, and put on the oversized shirt she pointed at.
"You don't have to do-"
"Shh, just let it happen."
Nishira complied, and lay down. She looked up at his towering figure, who let out a small chuckle before turning away.
"Good night, Nishira."
"I still don't understand why you'd bother. I'm nobody, not worth-"
"Shh, sleep now."
It wasn't long before a soft snore came from her as she snuggled deeper into the quilt. Kakashi smiled and considered the appeal of staying there, before putting on his mask, her taste still on his lips, and leaving into the night.