Author's Note: Surprise! An early update! I wanted some light-hearted content so you're getting some light-hearted content. Later. After the angst. Get through the angst and you'll get it. We're in Kakashi's perspective for this chapter. Also, I'm not doing a full play-by-play of the Chunin Exams. We'll follow it a little bit for continuity, but we're here for Kakashi and Avurin, not the story we already know. We're going to continue the theme of following them with tasteful timeskips if I can manage it. (Not sure if y'all have noticed, but I'm so detail-oriented that timeskips physically hurt me.) If this is a problem, I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it as dynamic as possible.

Chapter Note: The pups have caught a scent and don't know how to leave well enough alone.

Kakashi groaned as he rolled over on his bed, waking with the early morning light. His hip was still bothering him but he was pushing through it. He didn't have time to lay in bed for a week. He also didn't have time to get caught up in Avurin's research despite how badly he wanted to be around her constantly. He already knew more than he should and he wanted to investigate the party that took interest in her clan's secrets. He didn't want her to panic so he couldn't let her know that he suspected it was ROOT. She was still getting used to the politics in the village and to learn that ROOT was an active branch of ANBU that answered to Danzo would set her off. Especially if she found out that it was only operational behind the Hokage's back and it was some kind of open secret among the top Jonin.

He knew she was a skilled kunoichi and admired her for her skills despite having not been in the village for a decade, but he could also acknowledge that she still needed training and needed to learn not to charge into things. She was hard headed and would directly confront people if given the chance. Her toned-down reaction to Danzo the previous day was commendable, but she hadn't fully controlled herself when she had subconsciously taken a defensive posture against the man. He likely already knew that they had gotten something worthwhile from their mission and it was also likely that he was the one having her watched.

Kakashi yawned and pulled himself out of bed. As frustrating as dealing with the politics of Konoha was, there wasn't anything he could really do about it at the moment. It hadn't been announced to the rest of the village yet, but the Chunin Exams were going to be happening sooner rather than later. He had already decided that his team would have the option to participate. He suspected that the Hokage would announce the exams to the rest of the Jonin sensei sometime soon but, in the meantime, Kakashi was going to start forcing his team to pick up their feet. They needed to start working as a team and they only had so much time to figure it out.

He got dressed slowly, wanting to stick to his usual schedule for the day. A visit to the Memorial Stone for a few hours was definitely due. After that, he was going to collect his team for a few more D-Rank missions. He had gone several years without being so distracted, much less by one still-living person, and he needed to get his head on straight for the pups.

After the incident that occurred the day before they arrived back in Konoha, the taste of Avurin's blood still sat heavy on his tongue, completely committed to memory, and it was driving him into a frenzy. His mind was practically screaming at him with joy at 'marking her,' especially when he'd heard that nurse tell her that it may scar. He'd had thoughts about biting her a lot lately, especially when he had his face buried in her neck while they were sharing the bed at the mansion, and it disturbed him. He knew that it wasn't normal.

The books he had on the Hatakes had explained that they would claim their mates by biting their mates on the neck deep enough to leave a scar. He was terrified of the concept. He couldn't see himself hurting Avurin that way. The mating bite would establish a weak 'bond' between the Hatake and their mate, but there weren't any details on that bond and, in Kakashi's opinion, it didn't sound worth the pain. He was the last Hatake. If it was a claiming thing, there wouldn't be any other Hatake around to know what the bite meant. It would just be an intimate scar on Avurin that he put there for all of their friends and acquaintances to question while their backs were turned.

So why did he want it so badly?

Sighing, he finished getting dressed and left his apartment, making his way to the Memorial Stone, just barely covering up the limp in his gait. The sun was starting to rise and the chill of the morning air was a nice feeling after being stuffed in that mansion for so long. That mission was another thing that continued to plague his thoughts. Avurin had discovered so much on that mission and was obviously disturbed by her family history. She had a lot to think about and didn't need him to distract her with his own concerning family traits. On top of that, she was obviously insecure about the stability of a relationship between them. She had valid concerns, of course, but it still hurt.

She wanted a normal relationship with the option to break things off if she can't handle it. He would lie and pretend to provide that, but his biology wasn't something he could just pretend didn't affect every aspect of this situation. He knew that if she left, even with their current standing, he wouldn't survive. His heart ached just thinking about it. She had barely warmed up to the idea of giving them 'a try' and he'd had to make a lot of empty promises that hid his own overwhelming feelings just to give her the out that she wanted. It wasn't healthy for him but it was completely normal for her. That was a conversation they would have to have yet again as things escalated.

For now, he would do what he did best. Avoid the situation, avoid the awkward conversations they had been having on the mission, avoid… her.

He needed to center himself and she needed space. He couldn't keep overwhelming her like he did on the mission. He wasn't even completely sure that she wanted him or if she was giving into the pressure of his own feelings. Pakkun had done a fine job of planting even more insecurity on her end about the situation while not pulling any punches the way Kakashi had been. He really should just leave her alone for a while.

The Memorial Stone was as lonely as it always was. He sat in silence for a long while, just staring at the names he consistently looked for each time he visited.

Uchiha Obito - Nohara Rin - Namikaze Minato - Uzumaki Kushina

Kushina would have already punched him and meddled to set him up with Avurin. She would have loved the fiery former-hermit of a kunoichi he'd chosen. Minato would have calmly given him some embarrassing talk about love and listened to him patiently while he spilled his guts to his sensei.

Rin… Kakashi couldn't say that Rin would have approved. He had thwarted her advances on him over the years, writing off her feelings as a childhood crush. He'd had no interest in her or anyone else. For him to be head over heels in love with someone he barely knew from day one… Rin would have had a fit.

Kakashi gently ran a finger over Obito's name.

"You would have definitely punched me by now for delaying things. Your heart was always too big and sappy. You would be telling me to just dive straight in and go after her. What if I hurt her, Obito? I can't hurt her. I won't lose her too…" Kakashi trailed off, feeling slightly choked up. It was a new feeling for him. He hadn't even cried when his father, his best friends, and his sensei had been buried. Yet, here he was, a tightening in his throat and an agonizing ache in his chest at the very thought of hurting the woman he was so quick to fall in love with.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stepped away from the stone. The sun had risen into the sky and he needed to find his team. He'd told them to continue group training while he was gone so they should all be together somewhere in the village. It wouldn't take long to find them. Their teamwork was still awful but they would continue to work on it. That lesson probably wouldn't actually stick until the Chunin Exams were underway. They would have to work as a team to get through the exams and, if they failed, he knew that just the disappointment of it would be enough to nail that lesson into their heads after the fact.

After about an hour of lazily walking through the village, his face buried in Icha Icha Paradise, he found his team. He narrowed his eyes at their harsh whispers from the little circle they had made on the bridge. The pups were scheming something. Using his chakra to root his feet to the bottom of the bridge they were on that overlooked the Naka River, he made his way to the edge of the bridge and started listening in on the conversation.

"Sensei should be back from his mission with Avurin, shouldn't he? I heard from the receptionist at the mission desk that the paperwork was submitted for their return last night." Sakura's voice whispered. Kakashi sighed quietly. He had forgotten to send them some sort of message to let them know he was back.

"Oh, yeah! They should definitely be back! What do you think they were doing, anyway? Secret date?" Naruto's voice certainly carried and Kakashi dearly hoped there wasn't anyone listening in to the kids' speculations. A loud smack echoed across the water of the Naka river.

"Shut up! Don't say that stuff so loud! Even if it was, it's not like he'd tell us!" Sakura's voice screeched. After a moment, she continued. "I do wonder what she is to him, though. They knew each other when we were in the Land of Waves. Maybe she is a secret girlfriend? Or an ex? Why would Kakashi-sensei hide her from us, though?" Kakashi could almost hear a pin drop from the silence on top of the bridge.

"They have to get along somewhat, right? They wouldn't go on a two-week mission together if they didn't! And you saw how she was when Sensei was injured on that mission! She's totally in love with him!" Naruto argued in a loud whisper. Sasuke tsk'd and Kakashi was genuinely curious about what he had to say on the matter.

"You idiots. They literally slept in the same bed on that mission and the entire trip back. I caught them a few times. They are either complete morons who don't know they like each other or they're together. There's no 'ex' business happening there. She's mean but she dotes on him and he's completely in love with her. She didn't say it when she was explaining everything back on the mission in the Land of Waves, but it's pretty obvious she was hiding to avoid coming back. He convinced her to come back with us and she's probably been busy while he's been training us. I don't think she would have come back if she didn't at least feel something for him. Even if they did like each other, they don't have time for that stuff." Kakashi couldn't help a small snort at Sasuke's observation skills. That kid was too mature for his age.

"Even if they only have a little time, wouldn't they be able to say something to each other at some point? Like, 'Hey I like you!' and then do that gross kissy stuff? They just had two weeks together! It was probably a vacation for them!" Naruto gagged as if it had just occurred to him that adults do, in fact, do 'gross kissy stuff' when they like each other. Kakashi was too amused and surprised to even try to interrupt the conversation.

"That's what I'm saying, idiot! It's not that easy! Kakashi is spending a lot of time with us that he could be spending getting to hang out with her instead. How do you think that's going to affect his progress on getting her to be his girlfriend? They're adults and they have more stuff to worry about than 'gross kissy stuff.'" Sasuke snarked back.

"I know! We should totally set them up!" Sakura almost shouted. Kakashi rubbed at the bridge of his nose. That plan wouldn't end well. "We can invite her to train with us when we see her in the village! Or we can take her with us to get ramen! Then, when Sensei is totally invested in her like he was on the mission, we leave! Then they'll have time to admit their feelings and kiss!" Okay, Kakashi needed to put an end to this. While it was kind of cute, he couldn't have the kids putting off their training based on misunderstandings regarding his relationship status. He walked over the side of the bridge and hopped down off the railing to land next to the pups.

They screamed and jumped away from him. He just smiled.

"Now, what are my adorable Genin up to?" he teased. Naruto was quick to recover, pointing a finger in Kakashi's face and immediately yelling.

"How much of that did you hear?! How long were you there?!" Kakashi chuckled and pocketed Icha Icha Paradise before straightening his back to stand at full height.

"Enough," he replied. He kept his tone light and a smile on his face, but he knew he needed to end this little train of thought for the kids.

"Then is Avurin your girlfriend?!" Naruto screamed. Kakashi couldn't help the flinch as he glanced around to see if anyone had heard the irate child. He caught Sasuke's eye and the brooding kid just turned away, pretending he hadn't been involved. Sakura was blushing so hard Kakashi worried she'd faint.

"Not yet." Two gasps were heard and he braced himself for the inevitable.

"Then why won't you let us help? If you like her, we can help make some time for you two!" Sakura interjected, clamping a hand down on Naruto's shoulder to push him out of the way. Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not that simple. Besides, you guys really do need the training. We're not cutting into training time just to chase Avurin. She's busy with her own work." He was exhausted just thinking about the logistics of training the kids while trying to thwart their attempts at setting him up.

"How was your mission, Kakashi-sensei? You two spent a lot of time together, didn't you?" Sasuke asked quietly from where he was standing at a distance. Kakashi's gaze hardened slightly. The pups could NOT have any involvement in that mission, regardless of their good intentions and innocent line of questioning. He didn't know who could be listening.

"It was fine. That mission was confidential and it certainly wasn't a vacation. Don't pry." His tone was a little more stern and judging by the wilting gazes of his students, he knew it wasn't going to earn him any points with his students. He had a lot to hide from that mission, regardless of feelings and his relationship with Avurin.

"We have to know, though! You are going to make a move, right? She's scary but she's so cool and strong! You would be a very cute couple!" Sakura pressed after she recovered from the stern reprimand about the mission. She practically had hearts in her eyes. Kakashi sighed, he wasn't ready for the obsession that teenage kunoichi had with relationships. He didn't understand it.

"We're adults. You kids shouldn't be worrying about these things. We have more important things to worry about anyway. I picked up a few D-Rank missions for us to work on today and we need to get them done."

Three groans from the kids were his answer as he walked away towards the location of the first mission. They would follow.

It was getting close to sunset and Kakashi was restless. He grumbled to himself as he kicked a rock down the dirt road he found himself walking down, ignoring the merchant stalls he was passing. He was irritated with himself and Iruka after the outburst the Genin's former teacher had during the meeting with the Hokage. The announcement for the Chunin Exams put more pressure on him than he knew what to do with. They only had a week. Seven days. He knew the kids were inexperienced but he wasn't going to coddle them. They needed the experience of the Chunin Exams.

Iruka openly questioning his judgment had triggered something in Kakashi and having Kurenai essentially tell him to behave himself as he dressed down the academy instructor in front of everyone had left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He hadn't meant to directly insult Iruka, much less stake an undeniable claim on the kids. It just happened. He felt like his behavior was almost out of control as the day went on, his mood plummeting further and further as the minutes passed.

After seeing the Hokage's summoning hawk, he'd dismissed the kids as soon as the D-Ranks for the day were finished so they could be doing anything at the moment. He wasn't going to call them back late in the day. Yet, he felt extremely restless and frustrated. His thoughts were also constantly tugging at him to go to Avurin. He had wanted to leave her alone for the day so she could recover from the mission but he was constantly worrying about her. It was as if she would disappear if he wasn't right next to her.

He had barely given her a day! He knew that she had wanted him to stay with her the previous night and he'd walked away for his own sanity, yet here he was. If he went to visit her, he probably wouldn't leave.

He stopped at a tea vendor, getting an expensive green tea that he knew had a good reputation. It would be a good apology for leaving the night before. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset after being on her own for the day. She wasn't going to be taking missions for a while and if she had chosen to go through the information that had been in the chest, she may not be up for a visitor. At least it would give him a reason to drop by, check on her, drop the tea off if she wanted to be alone, and move on with his night.

Making his way to the Hatake compound, his nerves were making him jittery. He gripped the paper bag that had the tea in it and tried to force himself to calm down. It was just Avurin. He just missed her. He knew he couldn't jump her as soon as he saw her, yet his mind was telling him that he should. It was so outside of his normal behavior to barely contain himself.

Climbing the bordering fence, he winced as he landed, jarring his hip. He'd almost forgotten about the injury with how much effort he'd put into ignoring it throughout the day. Before he could talk himself out of it, he approached her cabin and knocked on the door.

"I'm back here!" Avurin's voice chimed from behind the cabin. Following the engawa around the house, he found her sitting on the back portion of the engawa, toying with a shell she must have collected at some point. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, just taking in the view.

The sun was setting right at that moment, casting the area in a rich, red-orange light. Her hair was down and she was dressed casually, a loose gray shirt with black sweatpants. Her arm coverings were nowhere to be found, fully exposing the scars on her arms. The shell in her hand was about the size of her palm with a dark black outer layer while the inside was a light gray color with an iridescent shine to it. She was sitting cross-legged facing the 'backyard' of her cabin, a gentle look on her face. She seemed to be at peace.

"Well, are you going to join me?" she teased as she patted the spot next to her. He let out a deep sigh, letting his shoulders drop. He's quick to sit down next to her, putting the bag with the tea in between them as he leaned back on the palms of his hands, stretching out his legs.

"What's this?" Kakashi smiles at her through his mask.

"A gift. I missed you today," he confesses. To his surprise, she smiled brightly as she picked up the bag, looking inside.

"I missed you too. How was your day?"

Just like that, conversation was easy between them. He told her about the missions he took the kids on, the meeting with the Hokage, the confrontation with Iruka, and his worries about the Chunin Exams happening in just a week.

"On top of all of that, do you want to know what I found the pups talking about when I found them this morning?" He'd fully laid out on his back, jacket taken off and laying a few feet from him, sandals disregarded, and his mask was down. The sun had long since set and they were enjoying talking beneath the stars with the sounds of crickets chirping.

"Do I even want to know?" Avurin teased. She'd also laid down on the engawa, head turned towards him to give him her undivided attention. He laughed.

"They were conspiring about whether you were my girlfriend, an estranged ex, or if we were both idiots that didn't know what we felt for each other since apparently 'it's just so obvious!' I listened for a while until they started planning how to set us up and I had to put a stop to it." Avurin broke down into a full-blown cackle, curling up to hold her belly as she laughed. Kakashi could listen to that sound forever.

"According to Sakura, you're cool, scary, and strong, so that's enough to tick my boxes for potential partners in their eyes. She told me we'd be 'a cute couple' and I swear I saw hearts in her eyes. I'll never understand the pre-teen girl fascination with relationships. She's apparently very invested in our relationship now." Kakashi continued. Avurin continued to giggle.

"Well, we do make a pretty awesome power couple if you think about it. I just need to train a bit more so I'll at least have a chance of being close to your level." Kakashi turned to lay on his side to look at her. Her cheeks were red from laughing so hard and the smile on her face was almost blinding.

"You have a little ways to go before you're able to keep up with me but we'll get you there," he teases. Avurin playfully swatted at him and he couldn't help but smile as he caught her hand, bringing it to his lips to give her a small kiss on the back of her hand. "There was another thing that they grilled me about but I wanted to talk to you first. They were asking if you were my girlfriend and I deflected since I didn't want to make assumptions." He let her hand slip away as she turned on her side to face him. She had an easy smile on her face as she reached out to pull his headband up and off of his head, revealing his Sharingan.

"Would that be so bad? We can put a label on it since we're committed. I'd love to be your girlfriend." She spoke softly and the moment suddenly felt much more intimate than it had been. His entire world focuses to a point… her.

"I'd be happy to have you as my girlfriend. I just… I worry about my enemies targeting you. I have a reputation and people will target you for being close to me. I've realized that I worry about you anytime I can't see you. I usually keep people at a distance so this isn't usually a concern for me but this is unavoidable. I'll worry about you pretty much constantly. Can you deal with that?" Kakashi couldn't help but let out a humorless laugh. Avurin's hand was on his cheek within a second, holding him with a gentle grip and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"You'll just have to help me train, then. I can deal with you being overbearing, that's nothing new. We can't be a power couple if I can't defend myself, though. Think you can help me with that?" Kakashi couldn't bring himself to say anything so he just nodded with wide eyes. Her hand left his cheek and she turned over to lay on her back again. "I hate being defenseless. It was obvious during our mission that you were leagues ahead of me. I hate the idea of being some damsel in distress that needs saving. I'm planning to train my kekkei genkai as soon as I get into the notes for it. You won't have to worry about me for long." Her voice went quiet and Kakashi sighed, reaching out to push a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I'll always worry about you, it won't matter how strong you get. Especially since you're my girlfriend now. Should we tell the kids?" Kakashi teased, knowing there's no point in dwelling on the difference in power between the two of them right now. He would rather die than leave her alone. Her laugh startled him out of his thoughts.

"Nah, let's see how long we can string them along since they want to be nosey little shits." Kakashi laughed, the smile on his face starting to make his cheeks hurt as they fell into a comfortable silence. After a few moments, he shifted to take her hand in his.

"Can I stay the night?" he asked as quietly as possible. He was fully prepared for her to say no after having left her alone for the whole day. Yet, she hadn't brought it up or dragged him into a talk about his feelings and why he did what he did. Her hand squeezed his and he glanced at her as she smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask. I'm pretty sure you've conditioned me to where I can't sleep without you now." With a breathy laugh, she sat up before pulling him to stand, dragging him into the cabin.

While he was worried about her, he didn't think he really wanted to fight his instincts when it came to her anymore.