Chapter 4: Acceptance

It had been nearly a week since his meeting with Hiashi and Kakashi still found himself mulling over the very real possibility of a marriage to Hinata Hyuuga. In one aspect, the thought made him sick to his stomach. She was young—very young in his eyes—just barely old enough to be married and to a man in his thirties at that. Kakashi didn't consider himself to be especially old, but at 32, he knew he had far more experience than she did, and not just the worldly kind. The marriage between them would be a political arrangement and nothing more. While he found Hinata to be quite beautiful, the thought of touching her— stealing all of her firsts—that was unsettling.

'An 18-year-old virgin. Any other man in my position would be elated.'

But elated he was not. Apprehensive. Anxious. Perturbed. Those words would more accurately describe his feelings.

'I don't even know if the village will celebrate this match or condemn it. I can think of a few people who will make a ruckus over it.'

Visions of ravenous dogs and swarms of poisonous insects came to mind, accompanied by the sounds of Naruto raving about his for sensei's sexual depravity from atop Hokage Rock. Kakashi rubbed his temples and sighed.

'If she agrees, I'll never live this down.' But the potential consequences of rejection were unfathomable. The current Fire Daimyo was an easily swayed man, but from what he heard of the heir apparent, Ikkyu Madoka was not. He'd certainly be suspicious of a barren wife, regardless of what their intentions were with Hinata. It was best for Hinata to accept a marriage to himself, but even that was far from ideal.

It was far too early in the morning to be having these thoughts, the sun just coming up along the horizon. He had been unable to sleep the night before and the night before last. Marriage was a haunting topic that had never really crossed his mind. While his parents were happily married, he saw what the loss of his mother had done to his father. Having experienced enough of loss to know its lasting pain, he didn't see the point as a shinobi to fall in love with someone who was likely to be violently ripped away. The very same had happened to his sensei, the Fourth Hokage. Kakashi had experienced firsthand the love between his predecessor and his wife and their joy at conceiving a child. And then he witnessed the way both had perished, leaving behind their child. Only recently did he understand the unintentional role he played in that and just how fragile the human heart was.

Standing in front of the memorial as he had done nearly everyday for the last several years, he idly wondered what Obito and Rin would have said if they knew he was getting married. With his mind adrift, he nearly missed the presence of someone approaching him.

"G-good morning, Lord Hokage," came the gently spoken greeting of his prospective bride and current source of stress. "I'm sorry to, um, to approach you like this, b-but I thought it would be good to talk...and less…less officially."

Only a handful of people knew that Kakashi came to the memorial almost every morning. Even fewer knew that it was often the reason he was late. It was something Hinata had gathered about Kakashi when she was still just a genin. Every so often, she would come to the memorial and to pay her respects to the fallen members of the Hyuuga clan so that their memory and sacrifice would never be forgotten. It was the duty of the main branch to ensure the legacy of the clan, and this applied to her, even if she was no longer the heir. It was a duty she took to heart. It also didn't hurt that it was near the cemetery where her mother was buried and that her uncle's name had been carved there, though the body was never returned.

'This is where I first met him,' she internally recalled, not sure that he would have any recollection of it. 'He still comes here then, every morning. I wasn't wrong.' Though her assertion was correct, she felt a sense of sorrow about it. 'I thought I'd get here before him. He must've been up all night. Like me.'

Kakashi eyed her up and down. She was feminine and petite, the top of her head falling well below his chin, and she always seemed to wear the loosest clothes she could find. It was hard to make out her exact form, but her breasts were still quite noticeable implying an ample size and feminine physique. While it wasn't entirely improper to think about his potential wife's breasts, he curbed the thought before it went too far.

"I won't pretend I don't know the subject you want to discuss, and I'd prefer not to drag it out either," he coolly stated. "The choice, what little there is of one, is yours. Have you decided?"

He locked his eyes on hers and watched as a dusty shade of pink painted her face, her fingers interlocking and twirling at her midsection. She wasn't expecting him to jump right into it—she wasn't even expecting him to be present yet. But there he was, one step ahead of her.

"I…I will accept your offer, Lord Hokage," she voiced firmly and adamantly with her upper body coming to a bow.

Kakashi wasn't surprised by her choice. As he told her, there was hardly a choice to begin with, but he was surprised by the confidence in her answer.

"Hinata," he began softly. The sound of her name startled her. It wasn't often she heard him call it. "This will be a lifetime commitment. Are you certain? You won't be disappointing someone?"

Hinata understood the meaning behind his question. He wanted to give her one more chance to say no, to perhaps marry another if there were a willing and eligible suitor. But the man she once loved—the man for whom she was willing to die on more than one occasion—had hardly noticed her as a woman, though he'd begun to respect her as a kunoichi.

"I am…unattached," she answered with a just a hint of sorrow. "Is there…will you be disappointing anyone?" She offered him the same out, but he shook his head.

"So, then it's settled," he sighed. "We'll hold a meeting with the council and inform them of our engagement." The word felt foreign on his tongue. "Your father can't keep the daimyo waiting much longer, so it'll be sooner rather than later."

Hinata solemnly nodded and glanced up at her now fiancé. "I…I understand that this is a matter of duty, but…but I…I'll do my best to fulfill your… expectations." She bowed so deeply before him that it unnerved him. He was almost certain that she was on the verge of tears.

'This isn't any easier for her,' he rationalized. Not certain what to do in this situation and not wanting to see her cry, he pulled her into an embrace, one arm wrapping around her waist and his head positioned over hers. He sighed once more.

"I have no expectations," he assured her, and held her till her tears stopped. Whether the heat was coming from her sobbing or her embarrassment, or if it was radiating from his body, she couldn't tell, but she was warm. They stayed like that until the sun assumed its rightful position in the sky, then she both thanked him and apologized and bowed for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

Kakashi remained at the memorial for some time after his bride-to-be had left.

"Obito…" he started, "it looks like I'm getting married."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

That night, in the candlelight of her father's study, she and Kakashi signed a blood oath, dated 3 months prior, to be wed in early summer. They agreed to inform the council of their pending nuptials after sending word to the daimyo.

"Better to ask for forgiveness than permission," Kakashi had advised.

Ordinarily, the council would have no dealings with the personal life of the Hokage, and it was better not to inform many others that their oath was back dated or in response to the daimyo. "Let them just believe we fell in love," he started, "or that I wouldn't send you off to the Sand Village. Let them draw their own conclusions."

"No." Hiashi stated firmly. "It's better they believe you're in love."

'Love.' The two wondered. If only it were that simple.

-End Chapter 4-