Late the next morning, Sakura and Kakashi were huddled together by a campfire, mugs of coffee in their hands and sleep still in their eyes when Gai and Tenzo showed up with an electrician and plumber in tow. Sensing that the couple still wasn't quite ready to start their day after an extended mission and late return, Gai quickly took charge of directing the two men while Kakashi and Sakura sipped their beverages and watched.
While the plumber and electrician were inside working on their respective tasks, Tenzo and Gai were busy on the roof, scraping away the last decade's worth of moss and lichen as well as stripping away the damaged portions. By the time Kakashi and Sakura meandered over to the house, it was just after noon.
"Why don't you guys come down?" Kakashi called up to them, holding his hand to his brow to block the sun as he looked up. "I'll catch us some fish, and we can all have some lunch."
"What a perfect idea!" Gai called down, his voice much too enthusiastic for Sakura, who winced at his volume. Kakashi chuckled, letting his masked lips ghost over the top of her head before he began heading for the river. She peeked her head around the house, her eyes watching him just long enough to see his shirt come off before her face blazed a deep shade of red.
Deciding she'd rather not catch flack for being caught gawking, Sakura busied herself with gathering more kindling for the fire, though she couldn't help but peek glances at Kakashi in the river. She was in the middle of admiring the way his back muscles flexed when she heard a deep chuckle coming her way and a blush crept its way from her neck all the way to her ears as Gai and Tenzo plopped onto the grass on either side of her.
"You know, he looks at you the same way," Gai told her as he plopped into the grass across the fire from her, a grin plastered on his face. "Of course, he doesn't go all red in the face..." he laughed, and she felt the heat in her cheeks beginning to rise as he continued with a more serious tone, "It's nice to see, Sakura. I think he's happier now than he's been in a very long time and for that, I thank you."
She could hear the sincerity in his words, his eyes shining with true joy for his best friend's new-found happiness. "He saved me, I think," she admitted quietly as they shared a glance. "After the invasion and...Everything after," she mumbled. Even five months later, she still found it difficult to think about Sasuke, much less talk about him. After a short pause, she added, "He was the only person who was there for me for awhile."
Gai's eyes softened, and he smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like my eternal rival. He'll never leave a comrade behind."
The air between them settled into a comfortable silence and Sakura closed her eyes, the bright sun warm on her face and the chirps and calls of the forest's birds like a song on her ears. After a moment, she heard another plop on the ground and felt the brush of a knee against hers and opened her eyes to find Tenzo sitting next to her.
"I think Gai and I will be finished cleaning up the roof by this evening," he told her as she looked up at the house, which was missing several patches of its previous roofing. "It won't rain tonight, so it'll be fine until we can get the new bundles up and attached tomorrow."
"Kakashi and I can bundle the rows while you're up there," Sakura offered with a smile. "That way tomorrow's work goes quickly. If the electricity and plumbing are working by then, maybe we can have a meal in the house afterwards."
"I didn't know you cook, Sakura," Gai said, arching his eyebrow. "Are you much better than Kakashi?"
She scoffed, poking the fire and sending the charred wood to the bottom. "He's actually a great cook, I'll have you know."
He laughed again, the sound of it rich and warm, and she couldn't help but find it infectious as she began giggling. Kakashi walked up then, his eyes narrowed in playful suspicion. "You wouldn't happen to be laughing at imy/i expense, would you?"
The laughter and giggles became louder and the silver-haired man gave a long sigh as he sat in the grass next to her. "So, so cruel," he sighed as he tugged his mask down with his face turned away from his friends. He leaned in to Sakura's cheek and planted a gentle kiss there. She smiled, turning her face at the last second to capture his lips in a sweet kiss. Kakashi pulled away only when Gai cleared his throat loudly and he lifted his mask before turning to face his friend with an arched eyebrow. "Yes, Gai?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Gai grinned. "I was just wondering when you planned on cleaning the fish so we can all enjoy the fruits of your labor."
Sakura blushed again, letting her head lean against Kakashi's shoulder as he tossed one of the fish across the fire at his friend, giggling at the look on the muscular man's face as it grazed his cheek before flopping into his lap.
"It goes faster with help," Kakashi grinned, placing the basket where Gai could reach the fish. Tenzo let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose even as the man replied.
"I bet I can clean more of them," Gai challenged, a gleam in his eye and a wide grin stretching across his face. Kakashi scoffed, pulling his pocket knife out and waiting for his friend to do the same.
"Loser has to pay for a night's rounds at the bar?" He asked Gai with a smirk.
"You're on," Gai accepted the terms. "On three, then."
Fifteen minutes later, Kakashi was cooking a pile of fish two at a time with a smug grin on his face while Gai grumbled about how he was going to spend the night working on his knife skills. The fish cooked quickly and as they were eating, the group made small talk about what Kakashi's plans were for the house and the rest of the property.
A few hours later, Gai and Tenzo had finished cleaning the roof and had prepared it for the new hay they'd be attaching the next day. Once they were done for the afternoon, they'd said goodbye and left for Konoha, leaving Kakashi and Sakura to finish up bundling the rows of hay in the yard. They had just finished the last row when the electrician walked out of the house, making his way towards the two of them with a friendly smile.
"Well, I've got the electricity working in the kitchen and that upstairs bathroom," he told Kakashi. "I should be able to get the rest on by tomorrow, maybe the day after. The wiring and circuit box weren't as bad off as your friend thought."
"Thank you," Kakashi told the man, who nodded and then turned to head back to the village. Sakura felt a surge of excitement as she peeked around his shoulder, a grin breaking across her face when she saw the warm glow of the kitchen window shining into the yard.
"It's really coming together," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "It won't be long and you'll be able to move in."
"Maybe tomorrow while Tenzo and Gai are working on the roof, we can work in the house," he suggested with a smile, draping an arm across her shoulder as they walked towards the building. She nodded, pressing her lips to his arm in a tender kiss.
"I told them we could have a meal in the house if the power was on. We'll have to run in to town and get some things, but..." she trailed off, glancing up at him with a hopeful smile. "I was thinking maybe we could do that tonight and we could stop and see my parents."
"I like that plan," Kakashi nodded, a small smile curling his lips as he added, "Maybe your mother will make a nice cup of tea for us."
"And ithen/i," she whispered, stopping in the grass and moving in front of him with a coy smile. "Maybe we can come back here and you can keep me warm."
Kakashi's grey eye darkened to nearly black as he felt her fingertips ghosting across his bicep. "I like that idea a lot," he murmured, reaching up to tug his mask down. His tongue flicked across his bottom lip and he smirked when he heard the hitch in her breath. He leaned in, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss. She pulled away only when her lungs were burning for air and she looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.
"You know, we could always go in to town in the morning, after all," she breathed out, her fingers clinging to his arms. He chuckled, shaking his head as he began leading her through the yard again.
"I really want that cup of tea," he told her, his grey eye gleaming mischievously. "And besides, we need to go shopping, don't we? I know how much you appreciate the view, after all," he added with a grin.
Her face flushed red as she looked up at him. "You knew?" She squeaked, remembering back to when they'd gone shopping together the last time, the day before the lagoon. The memory of seeing the seat of his pants being stretched tightly across his ass, showcasing just how muscular his entire body was. She bit her bottom lip to stop a smile from tugging at her lips.
He nodded, his eye crinkled as he glanced down at her. "Of course I knew. I hope you don't think you were the only one enjoying the show that night. You did put the groceries away, after all. I couldn't take my eyes off you, Sakura."
She was a lovely shade of pink as they entered the house. She waited in the entryway while he first went upstairs to make sure the bathroom light was switched off before he went downstairs to the kitchen and did the same. As they were exiting the house, he grabbed their camping gear and she helped him carry it to the campfire. They walked hand in hand and Sakura led him towards the edge of the forest path they'd taken when he'd first brought her to the farm, wanting to see what it looked like now that autumn had fallen upon them.
By the time they arrived in Konoha, the sun had only just set and they decided to stop at her parents' place first before shopping on their way out of the village later. It was a cool night, the air crisp, and Sakura couldn't help but smile at the way Kakashi pulled his arm tighter around her shoulder. She was wearing the coat he'd gotten for her, excited for what her mother's reaction would be.
Her mother was just closing down the shop when they turned the corner. Mebuki lifted her head, grinning when she saw her daughter approaching. She opened her arms wide and Sakura hugged her tight.
"I was beginning to wonder when we'd see you again," her mother told her against the shoulder of her coat. The woman's eyes met Kakashi's and he felt his body stiffen for just a moment; their last conversation had not been forgotten, and he remembered exactly how angry Sakura's mother had been with him, even with how much restraint she'd shown. He'd gotten the message loud and clear, and when he saw the warm smile on her mouth as she discreetly nodded at him, he felt himself relax.
"I'm sorry I didn't stop by when we got back last night," Sakura apologized to her mother with a small smile as they pulled away from one another. "We didn't get back until late. Kakashi's been fixing up his old farmhouse, so we stayed out there."
Mebuki hummed in thought as she turned the lock in the door before she began leading them up the staircase towards the loft. "Well, you'll have to tell me all about it over a nice cup of tea, Kakashi-sama."
"That would be lovely," Kakashi nodded with a smile.
"I'm afraid I'm out of your favorite, but I did just get a lovely new blend from the Land of Woods. I think you'll quite enjoy it," Mebuki told him as they reached the top of the landing. As she opened the door, she turned to face her daughter with a bright smile. "That coat is beautiful, dear. Did you pick it up during your mission?"
Sakura beamed, glancing down at the coat. "Kakashi actually found it and surprised me with it while we were going through Ine."
Mebuki lifted her gaze to Kakashi and he couldn't help but smile as she gave him an approving nod as the three of them made their way into the house. Sakura's mother walked into the kitchen, moving about quietly as she prepared the tea while the two of them took their seats at the dining room table.
After a few minutes of silence, Sakura frowned as she looked around the room before she looked up at her mother, asking, "Is Haha-san on a mission?"
Mebuki flicked her eyes towards her daughter just as the kettle began whistling, shaking her head. "No. In fact, he should be home shortly. Lady Tsunade has had him taking guard duty down at the police station. Apparently there's been a rise in petty crime, and the prison is overfull already. They've been keeping some of them in the holding cells there."
Sakura glanced at Kakashi over the rim of her teacup as she took a slow sip. He looked troubled, but the shadow lasted only a moment before he was giving her a crinkled eye smile across the table.
"I'm sure it's boring work. Kotetsu and Izumo are always complaining when they get scheduled there," he reassured her before taking a drink of his own tea. He hummed as he did so, inhaling the earthy scent that had a hint of juniper and fir. He smiled at Mebuki as he said, "You were right. This is a great blend."
The three were just finishing their first cup of tea when the sound of the front door opening and shutting rang throughout the house.
"I'm sorry I'm late, dear," Hizashi called from the entryway. There was the soft ithump/i of his shoes hitting the floor as he removed them, still speaking. "There was an incident at the station today, and it was a complete mess, I tell you."
"Darling, we have company," Mebuki replied to him, her voice raised just enough for him to hear her. "Sakura is home from her mission."
"Sakura!" Her father exclaimed her name happily as he rounded the corner into the dining room with a wide smile that shined in his eyes. "What a wonderful surprise!"
As Sakura and her father caught up, Mebuki began preparing a second round of tea for the group while Kakashi sat in thought, his eyebrows furrowed. There had only been ione/i inmate being kept at the police station that he was aware of. As he looked up at Hizashi, Kakashi wondered if the man even knew, or if he was being kept in the dark. His eyes darkened at that thought, not liking the idea that Tsunade would have anyone working in any capacity on assignments connected to Danzo and Root without their explicit knowledge. He knew how dangerous the man was. So did Tsunade.
Then again, he thought as he studied Sakura's father, Hizashi wasn't an unintelligent man. He may have lost the physical prowess of his youth, but Kakashi knew from a few missions early in his career that the older man was quite adept as a spy. It was he, after all, who had tracked down the lead about Karasu's killers all those months ago. Really, it had been Kizashi who had opened this can of worms. Surely he had isome/i idea as to what was going on.
"Dear, Kakashi-sama was just getting ready to tell me all about his family's farmhouse," Mebuki pulled him out of his thoughts as he heard his name. Hizashi cut himself off mid-sentence as he looked across the table, his face surprised.
"Your father's old place?" He asked Kakashi, who nodded. The older man continued, "I don't think I've been out there since...Well, you were just a toddler, I suppose. Are you fixing it up to sell it?"
"No," Kakashi answered, his lips twitching in a smile as he felt Sakura's foot cross over his underneath the table. "I'm hoping to be moved in by the first cold snap, actually. I thought it would be a nice change of pace, after the apartment was destroyed."
Hizashi's face darkened with a shadow. "A dark day for the entire village," he sighed, taking a sip of the fresh tea that Mebuki had placed in front of him. He smiled up at her, thanking her for the beverage before he added, "I hear the Hokage is hard at work trying to find those responsible, though. I'm sure she'll have them in custody in no time at all. Now, tell us," he waved his hand, as if to wave the tension that had settled over the table away. "What renovations are you doing first?"
Kakashi smiled as he began to tell Sakura's father about the work they'd done on the roof that afternoon. Detail after detail spilled from his mouth and both Hizashi and Mebuki listened on with both patience and clear excitement for Kakashi's plans. Sakura sat quietly as she listened to him talking to her parents, answering their questions easily and she learned some things herself. She hadn't realized he planned on refinishing the deck after winter passed, or that he had ideas of fixing the barn up, too.
They had been there for two hours before Sakura and Kakashi were making their way down the street and towards the market to get their shopping done. As soon as they were around the corner from the loft, her hand slipped into his and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Do you think they'll like tomato curry?" She asked him with a small smile.
He hummed, nodding. "I think so," he told her. "We can find a nice chuck roast and tenderloin to go with it. Knowing their stomachs, I'm sure there won't be any leftovers. I'll get us some nice sake to go with it."
A few moments of silence passed before she looked up at him, this time with concern in her eyes. "Kakashi," she said his name slowly. "What do you think was the incident my father was talking about?"
He sighed, stopping in the street for a moment, his hands in his pockets. "I don't know," he answered her her honestly. "But I intend to find out."
"Why don't I do the shopping? The police station is only a few blocks away. You can meet me back at the market when you're done," she suggested as they continued to walk.
He nodded and neither said another word for the rest of the short stroll. At the doors of the market, he dropped her off with a gentle kiss and enough money to cover the groceries before he made his way two blocks down and one block over to the large police station, where he found an ANBU agent in a familiar white porcelain mask standing guard at the front door.
"Yugao," he greeted the younger woman with a nod of his head before his gaze sharpened. "What happened here today didn't have anything to do with a certain Aburame, did it?"
Her posture stiffened and she gave a curt nod of her head. "Yes," she confirmed before lowering her voice, "He was found dead in his holding cell this evening."
Kakashi's back straightened, his jaw tightening. "Any clues left behind?" He asked, fully expecting her to tell him no. Whoever Danzo had gotten to assassinate Yoji would have left no trace of-
"Yes, actually," Yugao cut his train of thought off, and his eyes narrowed. "A single crow's feather. Kakashi," she stopped and he could see the worry in her eyes even through her mask. "Tell me ihe/i isn't involved in this mess."
Kakashi kept his face even, giving his former underling no hint of his knowledge of any such thing. "I don't know," he answered her with an easy lie. Despite his lack of trust for Itachi, he had no doubt that the elder Uchiha was only involved as far as his child and Danzo's desire to obtain her was concerned. "I suppose he'll be autopsied?"
"His body is there now, under Boar's guard," Yugao nodded her head. "Results should be in by tomorrow is the last I heard. The lab has a rush on it."
"Thank you," Kakashi spoke, turning on his heel to head back to the market. A few feet away, he turned to glance at her over his shoulder and added, "Keep your eyes sharp, Yugao."
With that, he began walking again. He wondered what Itachi's reasoning for killing Yoji had been. His mind drifted back to the past, remembering the elder Uchiha brother's friendship with an old acquaintance of his, Uchiha Shisui. As far as Kakashi knew, the man had tragically killed himself by tossing himself into a raging river. But he was beginning to realize that in Konoha, nothing was ever as it seemed. He determined that ultimately, Itachi's reasons didn't really matter. With Yoji dead, he had one less thing to worry about. And perhaps, he thought, his former teammate's death and the secrets his body held would help unravel the shit storm he was caught up in.