Kotori didn't even bother to go home after her mission debriefing in the Hokage's office. She quickly showered the sweat and grime from her mission off in the ANBU locker room before grabbing her spare set of jonin fatigues.
Kotori had been out of the village for the last three weeks, repairing the gaps in her chakra bird network. She could tell where the Akatsuki had been based on the holes she needed to fill. Itachi knew of her chakra bird network and so her greatest strength was rendered useless against the Akatsuki. They killed any of her little birds they came across. She had never even been able to gleam so much as their appearance. It was largely why she had been excluded from the Akatsuki Task Force. But with her focus on village security - and her investigation on Danzo reaching a standstill - she had been pulled into discussions on increasing security for the inevitable day that the Akatsuki came looking for Naruto and their attention turned towards Konoha.
Word had reached her while she was away that Naruto was finally back in the village after his two and a half year training trip with Jiraiya. The Akatsuki were on the move, having targeted their allies in Suna. And now Orochimaru had been seen for the first time in years. It was as if the wheels had been suddenly lurched into motion after standing still for so long.
Kotori landed on the windowsill of Kakashi's hospital room. She had heard he had been bedridden for over a week after a fight with two members of the Akatsuki, Sasori and Deidara. Sasori had been confirmed dead while Deidara was still assumed dead. That left seven more members of the Akatsuki, two of them being Itachi and Kisame. She slid open the glass pane and hopped inside. To see that she wasn't his only visitor. Asuma was leaning against the windowsill and Shikamaru was standing, his hands in his pockets.
"Hey there," Kotori greeted when the three of them went silent. She climbed into the room. "Well, don't stop on my account."
In the past two years since they had resumed their relationship, Kakashi and Kotori hadn't been open about it. But they weren't exactly denying it either. Besides, Kakashi's mission schedule was so intense that he was rarely in the village and they could only spend a night or two before he would be sent out again. Kotori's work keep her closer to home, but no less busy. Those precious days together - no matter how few or infrequent - was the tiny light that was getting her through the increasingly dark days that stretched ahead of them.
Kakashi's eye curved into a smile. "Good timing. We were just discussing the Akatsuki and their interest in Naruto."
"I'm sure you were hoping to speak to Kakashi privately on that matter," Shikamaru added in a tone that was much too casual, folding his arms behind his head.
"Oh?"
"You're not as subtle as you think you are. It doesn't take a genius to work out - " Kotori arched an eyebrow. However, that did not deter Shikamaru. If anything, his smirk only grew. "- that you were both in ANBU."
"I don't think either of us ever denied that," Kakashi calmly said. "Although we do keep it private for security reasons."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I haven't said anything. Anyway, we should leave you two alone."
"Appreciated," Kotori said, keeping a sincere smile on her face. "Actually, Shikamaru, before you leave, I wanted to ask. How did things go with Temari? You know, the chunin exams?"
Shikamaru ignored her obvious bait, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "The chunin exams went well. There were some promising candidates. I was going to head over and join the others for lunch. See you!"
"Bye Shikamaru!" Kotori cheerfully called out.
Only years of being an ANBU and suppressing her emotions while on duty kept her face neutral. Until she turned around and made eye contact with Asuma and Kakashi. The three of them started cracking up.
"I shouldn't have teased him. He's got enough of a complex about women," Kotori giggled.
"Now, now if he can dish it out, he can take it," Asuma sagely replied. "My team has finally figured out about Kurenai and have been relentless."
"Only took them three years?" Kakashi said. "I wonder how long it will take my team to catch on. That should make for good a training exercise; they need to work on their observational skills. Naruto especially."
"You might need to leave them hints," Asuma wryly said.
"Hints don't work with Naruto," Kakashi sighed. "They have to be the size of an anvil and dropped directly over his head."
Asuma chuckled as he made his excuses and left Kotori and Kakashi alone.
"Hey." She tried to convey as much feeling and longing in that simple greeting. It had been a month? At least since they both saw each other.
"Hey." His eye curved into a crescent and she knew he was just as happy to see her.
"What do you say we get you out of here?"
Kotori knew all too well Kakashi's disdain for the hospital. Usually he would crash at her place to avoid it. If he hadn't been able to escape on his own, he must have been extremely drained. Even after several days in the hospital, he still needed to lean on her for support as she helped him towards her apartment. After cocooning him in a mound of blankets on her couch, she made them both a cup of tea. Kotori curled up next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. Her hands wrapped around her own cup to keep it from spilling.
Kakashi gave a content sigh. "I've been waiting for this all week."
"Well, sorry to have kept you waiting," Kotori teased. In truth, she too had been waiting all week to see him. There was so much to talk about. "So, Naruto's back."
"Yeah - He's grown."
"Kids tend to do that," Kotori agreed. She thought of her own students, Mimi and Kouta were nineteen while Ryoku would be turning nineteen at the end of the year. Her genin had long since left the nest. No longer kids, but fully grown shinobi. Kouta was even a jonin now while all three were still in ANBU. Fortunately they occasionally still paid their old sensei a visit now and then. She missed having students. She still hoped when everything calmed down she would be able to take another team and go back to teaching.
Kotori's heart warmed as she listened to Kakashi, well, gush over his former students' growth. He started with their repeat of the bell test and how each of them had become more formidable over the last two years. How Sakura had been able to save Kankuro and hold her own against Sasori. How Naruto was stronger and more mature, not as impulsive as he had once been.
And for a vivid moment, Kotori could envision the two of them with cups of tea in hand as Kakashi spoke about their own child with that same glowing, almost paternal, tone.
She wanted that vision. So badly it left an ache in her chest. Most days she tried to ignore her growing desire to have a family of their own. Especially as more of her peers settled down and begun having little ones. She had yet to even voice it to Kakashi. She knew he would only feel bad over it. They were both so busy and so stressed. It didn't seem fair to bring a child into the world just yet. But perhaps - perhaps there would be a time after the threat of the Akatsuki where that might be a possibility.
And just once, Kotori allowed herself to daydream a little of what that might be like.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked.
She smiled into her cup. "It's just - I like hearing you talk about your students. It's not just them who's grown, you know?"
Kakashi's cheeks turned red.
"Well, just don't ask Tenzo how his mission went." Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "His report was less than glowing. Naruto and Sakura were a little territorial over the thought of a replacement for Sasuke."
Kotori giggled into her cup. She could only imagine.
"Less territorial over the idea of Tenzo replacing me. I believe they said Captain Yamato is the new leader of Team Kakashi. That's his new codename, but the way."
"Really?"
Kakashi crossed his arms, feigning annoyance. "They were easily bought. He treated them to a stay at an onsen during the mission. As 'team bonding'."
"He never treated us to a stay at an onsen. I might have forgiven you sooner."
Kakashi ruefully shook his head. "No, he probably would have locked us in a wooden cage to sort out our differences."
"Yeah that sounds more like him."
Of course, Kakashi wasn't gushing over Naruto's growth five days later when he was finally recovered enough to start their new training regime.
"Everything I tell him goes in one ear and out the other," Kakashi grumbled. "No wonder he has a wind affinity."
Kakashi was used to being the best at everything. Things came so naturally to him that he sometimes had a hard time dumbing them down enough for Naruto. And well, Naruto needed things broken down into the simplest explanations.
"If only you knew someone with a wind affinity you could ask to help him."
"Tori-chan," he said. There was love and devotion in his one visible eye.
"You owe me," she said. It was purely out of love that she would agree to teach his most challenging student anything. Especially on her day off.
"I'll treat you to dinner," he said.
"Not what I had in mind, but it would be a start."
"I'll make it worth your while tonight."
She pretended to think about his offer. They both knew she would say yes or she wouldn't have brought it up to begin with.
"You might be on to something there," she coyly responded.
xXx
"Naruto, I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is Kotori. She's one of the few in the village born with a wind affinity, like yourself and Asuma."
"Really?" Naruto eagerly asked, his attention turned to her.
"Hi there!" Kotori crossed her legs at her ankles, waving at him. Naruto probably didn't recognize her from their brief interactions before.
Tenzo grinned at her from where he had set up. "Hey Kotori, it's been a while."
They had met the night before as Team Ro and Team Ke had been consolidated under her leadership for the time being. Tsunade stated that Naruto would be a long term assignment for Tenzo. Kotori had asked to keep the name Team Ro. Even if only she, Yugao and Satoshi were remaining from the old squad. Some part of her wasn't ready to let their old team go.
"Alright, I'll leave you three to it. I'll just be over there if you need me." Kakashi eye-smiled at them, pulling out Icha Icha from his back pocket and disappearing in a poof of smoke.
Naruto scoffed. "How many times is he going to read that stupid book? It's not even that good."
Kotori knew that Kakashi had indeed reread the latest novel several times, but even he had limits. He was most likely using a henge to disguise what he was really reading - and teasing Naruto in the process. Kakashi had checked out Tobirama's autobiography from the secured library. It was one of the few first hand accounts of all nine of the tailed beasts and their power. But Kotori had also noticed her favourite romance-fantasy novel about the angsty half-demon and the bow-wielding mortal princess had recently gone missing so he was most likely reading that.
"Alright Naruto, let's start with the basics. What have you been able to do so far?"
"Asuma-sensei showed me how to channel wind chakra with his chakra blades. But I haven't been able to get it on my own."
"Right, you won't always have a special ninja tool that allows you to focus your chakra along it. That's why Kakashi asked me to teach you a few wind style techniques to get you used to it before applying it to your Rasengan."
"Alright!" Naruto's blue eyes were full of determination.
"To start - wind chakra is circular in nature. You can picture two halves grinding against each other as they rotate in opposite directions, creating a sharp edge between them."
"Oh yeah, Asuma-sensei said something about splitting your chakra in half and grinding the blade."
"Exactly. This is the first wind technique I ever learned," Kotori explained. "Wind Slicing Jutsu. It's close to what Asuma does with his chakra blades."
Kotori walked through the exercises and instructions her uncle had given her as a little girl. She had been only six when she had learned and mastered this jutsu so she thought it was a good beginner jutsu for Naruto. It had taken her months of practice after school until she had finally been able to get it. While Naruto didn't have months - he did have something else that sped up the time considerably. It was an effective training method and one uniquely suited to Naruto. Trust Kakashi to come up with something like it.
Trying to control a field of one hundred Naruto's throwing wind jutsu around was not for the faint of heart. Eventually Tenzo created a line of one hundred wooden training posts for Naruto to aim at. Every thirty minutes or so, Kotori would signal for him to dispel the shadow clones and reflect on the training his clones had done so far. It also gave Tenzo a much needed break. He had barrier seals in place and was controlling the nine tails from losing control as Naruto exhausted his chakra with this training method.
Kotori found that teaching Naruto wasn't actually that much harder than teaching Mimi. While both were easily distracted and a whirlwind of energy, they were also highly motivated and willing to put in the hard work. Kotori also noticed Naruto also responded well to praise, beaming like the sun whenever he came close to getting the jutsu right.
After practicing throughout the morning, Naruto and his clones were able to consistently slice the training posts at the thin red line she painted on them. She clapped her hands and called for a break.
"Here, Naruto. I made us lunch."
Naruto perked up at the sight of the bento she unsealed from one of her storage scrolls. She handed a bento to Tenzo who gratefully took it, releasing his barrier and lying down. She set aside one for Kakashi who was snoozing on a wooden bench Tenzo made, his novel covering his face.
"You made me lunch too?" Naruto asked. He seemed in awe.
"Oh, yeah. I asked Kakashi what you liked. Other than ramen. There's lots of protein in there - and carbs. Since you've been working hard all morning and we still have a long ways to go. I've also made tea. Here."
And while Kotori hadn't included ramen, she had cheekily added three narutomaki in one of the containers. Naruto smiled softly as he picked up one.
"Wow, you really are nice. Asuma-sensei made me promise to take his teach out for lunch when they get back and that was for one tip! I should have at least bought you ramen or something for showing me your techniques. Where did you learn them anyway?"
"Ah, well, my clan taught me when I was younger."
"Wait your clan?" She could feel Naruto's eyes on the light blue armband she wore. It served to hide the ANBU tattoo on her upper arm, but also as a connection to her family. His brow was frowning as if he was trying to place the symbol. He probably wouldn't have learned about it in the academy. Konoha tended to whitewash the gruesome history of their village. The many shinobi and clans that had been lost since its founding. Naruto probably didn't even know his own clan history.
"Sorano," she answered the unasked question. "Not much of a clan these days. We've mostly died out."
"I'm sorry," he sincerely said.
Some phantom memory of the nine tails fox came bubbling up. Its angry red eyes as it roared with anger inside the Sorano compound that terrible night. But there were no traces of that anger or hatred in Naruto's sincere blue eyes.
Kotori gently smiled at him. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."
After lunch, Kotori decided on a whim that she had enough time to try and teach Naruto a second wind technique. It didn't hurt to have more jutsu in his arsenal and a wider range of experience using wind nature.
"So for the afternoon, I'm going to teach you Typhoon Wind," she explained before giving a demonstration. "While Wind Slicing is a good offensive jutsu, Typhoon Wind can be both offensive and defensive. And it'll show you the wild and unpredictable style of wind nature."
"Hehe, I understand!"
Considering Naruto's own wild and unpredictable nature, Kotori thought wind nature suited him perfectly.
"You're familiar with Gaara's sister, Temari? She's also a wind style user. This is more like her fighting style. Like Asuma, Temari uses a ninja tool to channel her chakra nature and has a lot more control over it than I do. Typhoon Wind jutsu!"
Kotori released her jutsu, sending it ripping down the valley before it eventually fizzled out.
"The more chakra you give it, the more powerful it becomes. But also, the more uncontrollable."
"Wow. You must have a lot of chakra."
"No, in fact I have far less chakra than Kakashi. Most of my techniques favour precise chakra control rather than explosive attacks like this one. This jutsu takes a lot out of me and is more of a last resort. But you have the chakra for it. You can also control how much or how little chakra you give it."
Kotori had him create only five shadow clones this time, not wanting too much chaos and destruction as Naruto practiced.
"Remember, wind is circular. Try feeling it circle as it builds in your hand. Then release it."
"I think I get it. The Rasengan is also rotating. If I can get the wind to rotate like my Rasengan."
"Yes. That's why I believe you'll be able to do it. The Rasengan was created for a wind style user like yourself. It's the perfect jutsu for you."
Naruto beamed at her. "You really think so?"
"I know so."
"Thank you Captain Kotori, for all your help," Naruto said. Both of his hands were curled into fists. "I'm one step closer to creating this jutsu!"
"Then I think it's time you showed Kakashi what we've been working on," Kotori told Naruto, with a mischievous smile.
Naruto immediately picked up on her intention. And people thought he was dumb.
"Sure thing, Captain Kotori!" Naruto brightly said. He carefully moved through the seals, "Typhoon Wind jutsu"
Kakashi disappeared from the bench he had been sleeping on before the typhoon could knock him over. Tenzo was not so lucky.
"Seriously?" Tenzo yelled at them.
Kakashi landed on a tree branch above them. "I see you two are getting along," he deadpanned.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei. Check this out! Wind Slicing Jutsu," Naruto hurdled his next jutsu, slicing through the branch Kakashi was standing on. He leapt on the ground next to them.
"Now, I believe Kakashi you owe me dinner. How does Ichiraku sound?"
"Well if Kakashi-sensei is paying," Naruto happily said. She doubted he would have said no regardless of who was paying.
"He is," Kotori confirmed.
Kakashi sighed as he placed his hands in his pockets. Well, he knew this favour was going to cost him. He wrongly assumed he would be treating her to dinner.
xXx
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, why haven't you asked her out yet?"
"Ah, ask who out?" Kakashi blinked in surprise. Leave it to Naruto. The two of them were sitting with Yamato, taking a brief break from Naruto's training the next day.
Yamato coughed into his sleeve, no doubt trying not to laugh.
"Sheesh! Captain Kotori! Who else would I be talking about? You should ask her out." Naruto dug his elbow into Kakashi's side. "She's really pretty! And she's super nice and a good cook and lots of fun."
"Kotori huh," he commented. As if he had never considered her before and the very sound of her name wasn't enough to make his heart flutter. "I suppose she's cute."
Yamato's coughing fit continued.
"Yeah! Yeah! She was smiling at you all softly! I think she likes you. Jiraiya taught me all about women, I know these things," Naruto sagely said with a nod of his head.
"Do you now," Kakashi dryly responded. He wondered if Naruto had picked up on a certain girl who blushed and stammered and smiled softly at him.
"I can help you out, give you a few pointers," Naruto brightly offered.
"Does my cute little student really think I'm so hopeless?"
"Well, you kinda are." Naruto folded his arms behind his head as he squinted at Kakashi. "And quit making things weird. I'm not little anymore. I've grown a lot, you know."
Kakashi grinned beneath the mask. As much as Naruto had grown and matured over his trip, some things still stayed the same.
AN: Kakashi basically has 2 secrets he keeps from Team 7 and enjoys trolling them over 1 - what's under the mask. 2 - his relationship status.
I am curious, which member of the Akatsuki would you be most interested in seeing Kotori fight against ?