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Chapter Text

She could hear dripping against the cold, wet stone as she slowly opened her eyes. She had fallen unconscious again. Her arms were suspended above her head with chakra-binding shackles that were fixed low into the wall, forcing her to sit on the wet floor with her back to the wall. The position of her arms had already pushed her to the point of dislocating one of her shoulders when she had decided to attempt an escape shortly after her capture. Had that already been so long ago? She didn't even have the energy to shake her head to herself.

She had not seen daylight since being tossed into this dark cell. It had smooth, stone walls that seemed to fade into black nothingness in the corners where the light of the one candle in the room did not reach. There were no windows or furniture in the room. It was simply an empty room with plain walls and a single candle for her to look at, always flickering unevenly. There hadn't been any indicators of time in this cell with the exception of the candle. She had noticed it was consistently replaced as soon as the last of the wax had pooled into the plate beneath it and the flame was starting to die. This meant someone was always watching or they knew how long it took for a candle to melt and knew when to replace it.

She had started to time the candle from the time it was lit to the time it was replaced by keeping count of the seconds, minutes, and hours in her head. Once she determined the average consistency of each candle's duration, she started to just count the candles as they were replaced. She had a general idea of how much time had passed, at least from the time she had started to time the candles which could have already been a couple of days after her capture. However, the few times she was tortured to unconsciousness, lost consciousness due to lack of food, or passed out from exhaustion, she did lose count or didn't know if she had missed an entire candle or two. So far, she had counted up to two weeks' worth of candles so she knew she had been here longer than two weeks. She needed to get home, to warn them...

The dripping was starting to irritate her. She vaguely recalled that there had not been a leak in the cell prior to when she had been knocked out with a sharp blow to the head. She had refused to answer any questions since being imprisoned and would not betray her village for something as trivial as her life. She followed the source of the dripping and glanced to her right side. It sounded like it was right next to her. Her eyes widened from what little adrenaline she had left spiked in her veins at the amount of blood on the floor. The puddle had spread from right next to her, soaking into different areas of the floor where the stone was cracked. She could feel the wetness of the bottom of her pants where she was sitting in her own blood.

She had gotten used to the sensation of not feeling her arms since they had such extremely limited circulation from the moment she had been fixed into the shackles. However, she found herself completely unnerved to look at her mangled arm where deep gashes had streams of blood flowing slowly towards gravity. The drip was coming from her elbow where the slight angle was allowing the blood to drip to the floor. She could feel the sticky sensation of her clothes sticking to her skin in a patch running completely down the right side of her torso as well. She felt a familiar acidic burn crawling up her throat as her mouth watered from nausea and knowing what was to come.

Had he continued to torture her after she had lost consciousness? Was she drugged so she had no memory of the remainder of the torture session? Was she put under a genjutsu and tortured while she was unaware? Had she given away the information? 'I am seriously going to puke again...' she thought before doing just that. To her left was a bucket that was placed next to her after the first several days of vomiting on the floor. Her captor had determined that sitting in her own puke was just downright disgusting and made the process of interrogation that much harder.

Normally, this would be a great opportunity for further psychological torture, however, she would see the mess and empty the contents of her stomach again, making it impossible to answer questions as she hardly kept her eyes open and struggled to breathe before the process repeated. This was also around the time her captor had decided that she may have an infectious disease and ordered a "quarantine" placed on her until further notice.

After throwing up what meager portion she had been given a couple of hours prior (which was usually just a couple of large spoonfuls of bland and dry white rice), she groaned as her lower stomach cramped. She knew she would die of malnourishment if this kept up, as long as her captors didn't decide she was so useless they would get rid of her permanently. The very thought made her stomach turn again. She had just gotten everything she wanted in life, friends and family, and she was about to be ripped from it. The room became blurry and her eyes burned for a few moments. This was really it, wasn't it?

A noise outside of her cell caught her attention and she looked towards the door. It had sounded like scraping metal, not one of the nearby cell doors or the usual footsteps. This sounded... dangerous. If she weren't restrained, she would know who was behind the door. Or, at least, how much of a threat they were to her. The uncertainty put her on high alert. Would it pass? Would that door be opened? Was her interrogator returning for another session, this time bringing a new toy to test? She felt her legs shake just slightly.

She heard a short shout that was quickly cut off, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. Her eyes narrowed. "This is either a rescue or this is about to get very dangerous..." She waited patiently as she started to hear light, slow footsteps coming closer to her cell door. She saw a shadow of someone stop in front of her door. The adrenaline would normally have sharpened her senses to prepare for a possible fight, however her body couldn't gather enough energy to even keep her eyes focused. There was the sound of a key turning in the lock of the door.

As the door slowly opened, she felt her breath catch hard enough to disturb her broken ribs and she bit her lip at the predicament she was in, even if it was to help keep her from dropping her jaw in shock.

"Avurin Okita... a very interesting surprise to see you here and the dog not at your side," a deep voice that didn't match the man she saw in front of her interrupted her thoughts. She coughed slightly and gave him a small smirk, ignoring the throbbing of her jaw from where it had been grabbed several times during interrogations.

"Sasuke Uchiha. A pleasure to see you again. I'm assuming this isn't a big, happy reunion, is it?" she muttered, barely able to speak above a whisper through the pain in her throat. She coughed again, this time a bone deep, rattling cough that tugged on her dislocated shoulder again. She glanced at the man in front of him and noticed he had some friends tagging along. A boy with white hair, sharp teeth, and Zabuza's Executioner's Blade strapped to his back stood to Sasuke's right side. A girl with bright red hair, red eyes, glasses, with her nose turned up at the smell in the room stood to his left. Finally, a tall man with uneasy eyes and orange hair stood behind Sasuke, watching the interaction over Sasuke's shoulder. That man was wearing prisoner clothes.

"No. Again, you were an unexpected surprise. You can't stand in my way in your current state and I see no reason to kill you. The dog would have my ass if he ever discovered I had any role in your harm." Sasuke spat the last sentence with a mix of boredom with a hint of spite. "I'm actually here to give you an offer. I'll get you out of here and dump you somewhere for your dog to come retrieve you as long as Konoha agrees not to track my movements anymore. My mission is my business. There is only one man I want to kill. Anyone who stands in my way is forfeiting their lives and hindering my mission. If Konoha calls off its dogs, you are free to go." She openly glared at him.

"You know I can't promise anything. You've hurt enough people as one of Konoha's missing nin that they can't turn a blind eye to you anymore. I've also calculated that I've been here for over two weeks now, possibly three. I have no clue where you stand currently or what you've been doing. If you leave me here though, I will surely die soon. I've done nothing to stand in the way of your mission, including when you were a child. You know I'm not usually the type to beg, however I would like to live. Whether Konoha will agree or not is not my decision. Get me out of here and heal me though, and I will negotiate for you. That is the best I can do." After speaking for so long, her throat sounding more strained with each word and another cough building in her lungs, she turned towards the bucket and gagged, coughing up as much as she could.

She turned back to Sasuke and his group to see a small flash of... concern, that was definitely concern, flash through Sasuke's eyes. She didn't intentionally want to look pathetic in front of Kakashi's former student, but it was currently doing her an important favor. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus on breathing for a moment. When she opened them again, the girl with the red hair was staring at her, eyes wide and almost... panicked. Avurin gave her a questioning look but the girl averted her eyes, instead looking towards Sasuke with a shocked expression, begging to tell him something she didn't want Avurin to hear. He shook his head.

"Avurin, we're going to do this and you are staying with us until we get word from Konoha that our movements will not be tracked in the future. You will not leave our sight. You will be healed, however if Konoha refuses to agree, your life is forfeit. This will be a statement to Konoha and you are the hostage. Understood?" he asked. His bored tone was grating on her nerves but she understood the precarious situation she had found herself in. She nodded. Sasuke turned to his red-haired friend.

"Karin, we're going to get her out of the shackles and drop her arms. Stabilize her immediately after she's released so we can leave. She'll need your special ability just for her to be able to walk." With that, he drew his sword and walked towards her. Her heart raced as the shine of the sword caught the light of the candle. She heard a clang above her head and she fell over onto her side as the only support that was holding her up was released. The shackles broke into pieces and she knew her arms were most likely in bad positions. She still couldn't feel them.

"You're about to be in a lot of pain as the blood rushes back to your arms. I'll explain this later, but you need to bite me and absorb the chakra that flows to you. This won't fix much but it will give you enough for us to get you somewhere stable." Karin held her arm to Avurin's mouth, the sleeve drawn back and a look of apprehension on her face. She leaned down to Avurin to whisper. "There is something extremely important that you need to know. I won't tell you now but we do need to get you somewhere safe for a while. I'll handle Sasuke. For now, just get this over with so we can get you out of here."

Avurin groaned but nodded. Her fingers were starting to tingle. Not the mild tingling from an arm that fell asleep for a couple of minutes, no, this was intensifying and felt like she was being poked with needles to the bone. She looked at the arm held in front of her and used what little energy she had to lean forward and bite down enough to draw blood. A rush of chakra almost overwhelmed her and her heart started to beat faster. She let go after only a moment and took a moment to process the information she was feeling after not having access to chakra for so long. Sharp pains climbed from her hands up her forearms. She couldn't see the color of her hands with just the light of the candle, but she was willing to bet they were white from being above her head for so long.

Karin apparently had a roll of bandages on her and she had started wrapping Avurin's mangled arm while she was still laying down and recovering. Avurin looked up at Sasuke, observing him. She hadn't seen him in years and he'd definitely grown. She gave him a small smirk. Yet, he was still a self-absorbed asshole, she could see it in the way his little posse looked at him for every comment and the forced casual behavior. Yet, he was saving her right now. He still had a heart. He lifted an eyebrow at her then scoffed and turned around to walk out of the cell door. The other men followed him as Karin started to help her onto her feet. She could barely keep her balance and had to lean on Karin.

"Where are we anyway?" she eventually asked. Karin glanced at her, looking confused by the question.

"What do you mean? You don't know what this place is?"

"No. I was unconscious when I was brought in and my interrogator never identified himself. Just kept asking questions about the inner workings of Konoha." Karin frowned at this and looked towards Sasuke's back as they followed him through the torch-lit hallways of what looked like an extremely elaborate bunker.

"This is one of Orochimaru's hideouts. One that specializes in human experimentation." That simple statement made Avurin think back to every interrogation with an ice cold feeling running through her veins. Had they been experimenting on her while she was unconscious? The nausea was building up in her throat again. She pitched herself away from Karin to lean against the wall of the hallway, retching against the wall with nothing but acid hitting the floor. She heard the footsteps of the group stop while Karin walked towards her. She felt two hands grab her to turn her around, forcing her to look into the red eyes in front of her. Something in Karin's eyes told her that there was something going on and Karin knew exactly what it was.

"Look, if he did anything to you, I'll be able to fix it. For now, we need to focus and get out of here." With that, Karin grabbed her by the non-injured arm and started dragging her towards the exit, leaving the men to follow. She had more energy yet she almost felt sicker than before. What had they done to her while she was here? She didn't notice her vision tunneling until her face was about to meet the floor. Everything went dark.

Chapter Text

"No! Please! Don't do this!"

She was screaming, tears streaming down her face as she backed into a large tree. The boys across the small clearing from her were staring at her with disgust in their eyes. They each had a kunai in their hands turned towards her. One of them snarled at her.

"Oh, shut up already! You've been nothing but a pain in our ass since we started this mission. In fact, you've been a pain in our ass since we were assigned on the same Genin team, and you're obviously the slowest out of all of us. We don't have the speed to outrun the enemy and you're dead weight. You're either going to run a diversion willingly and die doing it or we're going to cut you down and leave you here to keep them distracted. Your choice." She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She looked back in the direction that they had come from and could feel the enemy nin getting closer. They were missing nin that had caught their scent while they were on a routine mission near the Land of Water, however they were more powerful than a Chunin team was able to handle.

In that moment of hesitation, her teammates made the decision for her. She barely had time to feel herself get grabbed from behind and take a blow to the temple. She didn't black out but she was disoriented and blood flew through the air in the split second she had been reorienting herself. She fell to her knees as the two other Chunin jumped back to put distance between themselves and her. She had two large, deep gashes cutting across the top of both of her forearms. She could see the fleshy layers of her own arm through the cuts, they were deep and could be fatal.

Gasping and struggling for air as the pain set in, she crumpled even further, putting her forehead to the ground as she curled in on herself. She was losing so much blood so fast.

"She's done. She won't move from here and the enemy will take care of her as soon as they get to this location. Maybe they'll have a little fun with her and give us more time. We need to go. Now."

She heard the two Chunin start running in another direction as her heart pounded in her ears. There was blood everywhere. The ground beneath her was soaked and the grass was dark under her. After a moment of catching her breath, she mustered up the strength to walk away from the spot, going towards where the trees were dense, hoping for cover. She found an outcrop that formed a cave-like hole in the wall, it just wasn't deep enough to be called a cave. It would work. She sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall of the not-cave as the first scent of rain and ozone blew past her with a quick breeze.

She had never done anything to those two for this to happen. Everything had been fine through their Genin days and they had even cheered each other on during the Chunin exams. She thought they were her friends. Sure, she was only fourteen while they were sixteen and they wanted Jonin positions, but that couldn't have been enough to do this. They had been acting differently for a couple of months, more lifeless and less patient, almost aggravated constantly. Today must have been the breaking point. She didn't know why they did this to her but she was not dying today.

Taking deep breaths, she dug through her kunai pouch and produced two rolls of bandages. She always came prepared for reckless behavior, just not this reckless. She quickly wrapped her arms as tight as she could without cutting off circulation to keep the skin of her arms held shut until she could get stitches. With her arms wrapped, at the very least she wouldn't be openly bleeding everywhere and with the upcoming rain, she could be impossible to track as long as she covered her trail. From there, it would just be a matter of getting back to Konoha...

She frowned and stared at a nearby tree with a blank glare. Did she even want to go back at this point? Her teammates would say everything was a big misunderstanding and that she was obviously injured by the enemy and she would be ignored again. This wasn't the first time she'd considered leaving the village. This time, however, she had a chance. She knew they were in the Southeast region of the Land of Fire and knew that there were small towns in the area that would accept a new face with no questions asked.

She sighed and leaned her head against the wall. She could just run away right now. Get away from the enemy nin, from Konoha, and just leave the life of a ninja behind. Yeah, that was what she was going to do. Just run away. She had the perfect opportunity in front of her. She just had to get away. Her balance was off and she stumbled as she tried to orient herself.

She stumbled through the woods and the pouring rain long enough for the sun to go down and darkness took her senses as the rain slowed to a drizzle. After catching her shoulder on several trees, she dropped to her knees and gripped the damp grass under her fingers. It was okay to take a break now, right? Looking at the bandages on her arms, they were completely soaked through with blood and rain. The gashes in her arms were going to need stitches. She knew how to do it, but could she do it herself? Not right now. She didn't have the supplies and she could see how bad her hands were shaking even pressed against the ground. Her breathing was ragged and it only took a few deep breaths for everything to go dark, her thoughts swirling with panic.

-10 Years Later -

Avurin took a deep breath of fresh air from the forest as she walked a worn path towards the nearby creek. She had made this trip almost every single day since she had started living in the woods just outside of a nearby town. Collecting fauna she knew was edible in a leather foraging pouch she kept strapped to her belt, she felt a small smile creep across her face. This was peace. The sun was peeking through the leaves, the birds were calling to each other, and she could hear the creek burbling not far ahead. She couldn't call it happiness, living off of her own resources in the woods for over a decade, but she knew she was living in peace.

As she approached the creek, she took in the scent of wet dirt and fresh water flowing through the area. This was her favorite spot in the entire forest. It was quiet and the sounds of the creek helped calm her thoughts on her bad days. She could hear the ground squelching under her sandals as she walked down to the bank. Squatting down on the bank, she pulled a small sifter from the bag she carried with her and dug it into the silt of the bank.

Shaking the silt out of the sifter into the water, her eyes brightened at the new treasures revealed in front of her. Shells, small pieces of metal from upstream, and, surprisingly, a small fossil of an old crustacean. She quickly pocketed the new finds in a pouch strapped to her belt. As she was cleaning the sifter, she noticed a light pinkish tint to the water. Ribbons of pink and red flowed with the current over her hands as she pulled the sifter out of the water. She slowly looked upstream and froze.

A body lay on the bank, dressed completely in black with a gray vest and exposed arms, one proudly displaying the tattoo from the Leaf. He was covered in deep wounds that bled into the creek, some slashes down his arms looked worse than others but the worst of the blood was coming from stab wounds to his stomach and side. She could also see silver hair and a white dog mask from where she was crouched a couple of meters downstream from the body. Her eyes narrowed. They were Konoha Anbu, she would recognize her nation's masks and that tattoo anywhere. As she crept closer to the man, she could see that he was curled in on himself in pain and his breathing was stuttering. His face was just barely out of the water while the rest of his body was bleeding into the creek. She debated notching an arrow into the bow slung across her shoulder and ending his life right then. He was Anbu, Konoha wouldn't look for him if he disappeared.

She huffed and shook her head to herself. She was too soft. She couldn't leave him here like this and she couldn't put him down like an animal. Stepping closer to him, she moved slowly in the event that he was still conscious, trying not to startle him. She gently grabbed under his arms and started dragging him out of the water on his back, knowing that the smooth river stones under him would not hurt him any worse than he already had been. She pulled him into the grass above the bank where the sun was shining through the leaves, hoping the sun would help dry him off since she didn't have any other way to dry him.

Pulling her first aid pouch around her waist, she dug into it looking for her med kit. She always kept it fully stocked with a combination of homemade medical ointments as well as the very few supplies she could get when she went into the nearby town. She was regarded as a "witch of the woods" in these parts and not everyone was willing to do business with her. Using an alcohol bottle and medical ointment, she started to disinfect and patch the deeper wounds over the man's body. She had to stop the bleeding before she moved him any more. After several of the wounds were patched to the best of her ability with her limited supplies, she pulled one of his arms over her shoulders and started dragging him back to her cabin.

He wasn't heavy to her since she had been doing hard manual labor for years just to keep a roof above her head but he was taller than her and the angle was awkward. His feet were dragged across the dirt as she took slow and steady steps down the familiar path to her cabin. She felt the water from his clothes seeping through her own and dampening her back. She huffed to herself and continued to put one step in front of the other. Why was she doing this? She would have to pretend to be as civilian as possible around him until he was well enough to walk back home. Her ninja gear was well hidden but an Anbu could be trouble. They liked to investigate things even if they had no business doing so.

As she finally approached her cabin, she let out a sigh of relief. At least she could lay him down in the spare bedroom and let him rest while she thought about how to go about remaining as inconspicuous as possible. The steps into the cabin were a challenge but she managed to get through the front door before kneeling down to set the Anbu on the floor, taking a short break. She looked him over and determined that two of his wounds were going to need stitches and if the paleness of his skin was any indication, he'd need fluids as soon as possible to heal from the blood loss. Carefully, she lifted his upper body off of the floor and held him under the arms as she pulled him to the guest bedroom, laying him on the floor next to the futon. He was still bleeding and until that was fixed, she wasn't going to let him ruin the sheets.

Taking another glance at him, she stepped back into her living room and started gathering everything she had for medical treatment. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for what he needed right now. Coming back into the guest bedroom, she was surprised to see him gasping and clutching at his white mask, ripping it off of his face and looking around the room frantically. She quirked an eyebrow at the face covering underneath that covered his mouth and neck. He had a scar over one of his eyes that he kept closed. Something about him felt awfully familiar... Being a decent host, she waited at the door as she spoke to avoid prompting any defensive reactions from him.

"I found you in the creek near my home and you're heavily injured. I'm currently treating you with what I have available and then you can be on your way when you're well enough to walk." She spoke as evenly as possible so that he knew the facts and could assess his options. He didn't take much time to consider before nodding and relaxing against the floor, giving her silent permission to start healing his wounds.

"Not much for words, are you? Fine by me. I've been living alone for long enough that I'm happy to enjoy the silence." She muttered as she leaned over him. "I do have to take this vest off of you though if you want me to be able to stitch these up well enough to heal. You've been stabbed a few times. I patched you up temporarily to get you here but I need the vest out of the way to actually fix this. Can you sit up?" she asked, looking directly into his one exposed eye.

"Yeah... I think. Just take it all off. I'd rather have this done right than worry about my modesty." His voice was scratchy as he spoke but his deep voice was still clear and held no room for argument. He sounded resigned and tired. His face cringed as he shakily pushed himself up and she put a hand behind his shoulders to help him. Once he was sitting up, he unstrapped the clasps for his vest and she pulled it over his head with minimal movement on his part. Her eyes focused on where his face mask met the skin-tight shirt he was wearing and looked around the room. She found a bandana she kept around the house for her work in the garden and handed it to him.

"I know a thing or two about privacy. I'll pull the shirt over your head and you put that on over your face. I'll keep my eyes elsewhere." she muttered quietly. He nodded and gave her a small smile that crinkled the corner of his eye. She did exactly as she said and pulled his shirt over his head, taking it along with the vest to the corner of the room to make sure he had time to fasten the bandana.

"You can look. Thank you." He spoke softly, possibly from blood loss or he could actually be appreciative, she wasn't going to even give it a second thought. She turned back around to see him shirtless, slowly laying himself back on the floor. She kneeled next to him again as soon as he was flat on his back.

"You're welcome. I'm going to have to stitch two of these so if you need something to bite onto let me know. It won't be quick."

"No, it's fine."

"Suit yourself."

With that, she began thoroughly disinfecting, cleaning, and stitching the two largest stab wounds on his stomach and his side. He occasionally groaned and his fingers would dig into the wood under him when the pain was enough to break his composure. She wanted to feel bad for the pain she was causing but he was right, it was better for this to be done right so he could get back to his village. She finished with the stitches and wrapped gauze and bandages around his torso before moving on to the smaller gashes on his arms and other areas. Using the ointments she had made earlier in the season, she was liberal with application before using more gauze and bandages to wrap the wounds. At this point, the Anbu was breathing steadily and he looked to be fighting off sleep. She knew he was exhausted but she needed to get him onto the futon.

"I need to get you onto the futon. I can drag you up there or you can try to work with me. Just don't rip your stitches." He nodded in response and took a deep, shaky breath. He sat himself up slowly, her hand supporting his back again and he rolled himself over to crawl onto the futon that was on the ground. She had already pulled the covers back and as he laid himself back down, she pulled the covers over him, silently giving him a glass of water from the table next to the bed. She had brought it in earlier, knowing he had to drink something while he was conscious. He took the glass from her with shaky hands and she turned away as he moved the bandana to drink. Once he'd emptied the glass, she took it from him and dimmed the lamp in the room.

"You need anything, you yell for me, okay?" She hoped her stern voice conveyed how serious the situation was. His eye softened.

"I promise. I just have one question though." he said quietly as she walked to the door. She stopped at the doorway and turned her head.

"What is it?" she asked. There were a lot of questions he could ask and it made her anxious he was even asking a question.

"What's your name?"

She turned towards him and looked him in the eye.

"Avie. That's all you need to know." With that, she turned back to the hallway and closed the door. 

Chapter Text

As she opened her eyes the next morning, she took in the sunlight peering in through her window and reflected on the events of the previous day. She had an Anbu operative in her home at this very moment and had seen behind the standard issue white mask. This would usually be a death sentence, yet she was still alive. Shutting her eyes as tightly as possible for a moment, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was okay, her peace was disturbed but it would be over soon.

She dragged herself out of bed and walked to her dresser with light footsteps. Pulling out a pair of black khaki pants lined with pockets and a dark green tank top that matched her eyes, she quickly got dressed and pulled the skin-tight white forearm coverings she had made a few years ago over her arms to cover her scars. She hadn't had them on the day before, not expecting company, but she doubted the Anbu had seen the scars. He had been very out of it the day before so even if he had seen them, he likely wouldn't remember. Tying her thick, auburn hair into a high ponytail with her bangs free to frame her face, she was ready to face the day.

Walking to her kitchen area, she started putting together a fish soup from a fish she had caught and stored two days prior as well as eggplant she had picked from her garden. She didn't have much in terms of variety when it came to food, so this would have to be the best she could give him to help him get his energy up. As she was cooking, she heard a floorboard creak from across the room and her eyes quickly found the source. The man was standing with one arm against the wall and a lazy glint in his eye which was pinched like he was smiling.

"Something smells absolutely amazing in here," he stated as he leaned further into the wall. She put the ladle down that she had been stirring the soup with and moved the pot from the heat before walking across the room with long strides to stand right in front of the man. As she looked up into his eye, she suddenly noticed the height difference between the two. He was only a few inches taller but he definitely had the form to be considered much bigger than her physically. She trained, sure, but he definitely had the edge. She scowled at him.

"You are supposed to be resting. Not getting up and walking around, trying to rip your stitches. Go sit down on the couch or go back to bed and don't get up for the rest of the day." She poked him in the chest as she spoke sternly, getting the point across. She needed this man healed and out of her life. His smile only seemed to grow behind the bandana and he waved a hand at her, almost looking apologetic.

"Mah, mah, relax. I've had worse. I'll make myself comfortable on the couch. Thank you for your hospitality, Avie." The nickname she had given him the night before rolled off his tongue casually in a way she found almost flirty. She rolled her eyes and hoped he didn't see the light blush darkening the spatter of freckles on her face.

"Whatever. Let me get you the soup. You need to keep drinking fluids today while you're resting. I'll be around the cabin all day today so you tell me if you need anything. Don't go getting things by yourself, Anbu guy. What should I even call you anyway?" She snorted as she turned away from him and started getting the bowls for the soup. She heard him walk further into the room towards her and she turned around after filling both bowls to meet an intense one-eyed stare just a few feet away from her.

"You aren't supposed to know about Anbu..." he stated simply. She blinked once at his demeanor and her eyebrows came together in a scowl.

"Everyone knows. We just don't talk about it. You can hide your movements but you can't hide your entire existence. I saw your white mask and I've seen what's underneath. If you're going to kill me over it, at least wait until I've set the soup down so it'll just be blood staining my good clothes." she snapped. His shoulders slumped and he looked towards the ground, almost looking ashamed at being accused of threatening to kill her.

"I'm not going to kill you, but I don't think you understand the danger you're in just knowing what's behind the mask. When I exit this cabin, I can't be seen as an Anbu operative leaving the area. You'll get tied into the mission report." He sighed deeply as he grabbed his bowl of soup and a spoon before he stumbled over to the couch and carefully sat down. He put one of his arms over the back of the couch and made eye contact with her again, the almost amused glint back in his eye.

"I'll be Hatake Kakashi, just coming back from my vacation in the Southeast shores of the Land of Fire. And you, Avie, will simply be a kind merchant I ran into on the way home." Her thoughts screeched to a stop as she looked at him. Was he serious? Did she really have Kakashi from the bingo books in her home right now? The Kakashi from her class back in Konoha? Of course she had her suspicions when she saw the gray hair and face mask, but she had been desperately hoping she was wrong. She pressed her fingers to her temple and glared at his smiling face.

"Fine. Eat your soup and be on your way when you can walk whether that's in a few hours or a few days. I don't need a high profile nin in my home ruining the peace I've created here. And when you're gone, forget I ever existed." she spat before stomping out of the front door, slamming it behind her. She realized she hadn't eaten her soup but she wasn't going back inside for it. Instead, she headed to the garden and snatched a tomato off of one of the vines next to the cabin. Taking a bite out of it, she stalked towards the wood pile around the back of the house and picked up the ax wedged into the chopping block.

She finished the tomato and grabbed a log off the pile to chop into pieces for her winter stash of wood. She brought the ax down hard, splinters flying from the wood as the pieces fell evenly to the sides. Picking up another log, she repeated the process. She continued this for hours until she had run out of logs to cut. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she wedged the ax back into the chopping block. Her stomach grumbled and she bit back a snarl.

She didn't have a problem with Kakashi himself, he hadn't done anything to personally wrong her (yet), she had a problem with the fact that her past was coming too close to her present and he was a danger to her current peaceful life. He was the prodigy that had left his class in the dust as he ascended the ranks under Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage. Kakashi had barely been around anyone his age as he took on higher and higher risk missions, even leaving his own team behind at some point. Of course he was Anbu. And of course that stick-up-the-ass brat was lying and would be reporting all of this word-for-word when he got back to the village.

From what she remembered about him, he was obsessed with rules and laws after his father passed away, he wouldn't just twist them to make life easier for her. If he hadn't caught onto her identity yet, he would if he was around long enough. He was extremely smart and very good at digging into things that weren't his business. There were only so many people with her features that he could have met in his lifetime and if he remembered anything about his classmates, she was going to get dragged back to Konoha by the very man she had decided to heal out of the goodness of her heart. She had seen the bingo book. 'Kakashi of the Sharingan' was dangerous and she was no match for him if it came to her resisting him.

She stewed in her thoughts as she went back to the garden to pick broccoli and green beans for a stir fry she could make for a late lunch. She needed to keep it together and not act too differently around him. She'd already let her knowledge of Anbu slip. It wouldn't be long before he realized that she was a shinobi from Konoha and started digging.

Shaking her head, she walked back into the cabin and brought the vegetables to the kitchen to rinse them in clean water she'd collected from the creek two days ago. She glanced at the couch when she noticed it was oddly quiet in the room and saw Kakashi laid down across the couch, one of her books from the bookshelf laying open on his chest, dead asleep. She snorted to herself and started cutting the vegetables to prepare them for the stir fry. She paused for a moment when she saw two clean bowls and spoons sitting on her drying rack. Running a hand through her bangs and taking a deep breath, she looked back at the man passed out on her couch. She'd told him to rest, not do chores...

She finished cutting the vegetables quickly and pulled a small sack of oysters from a cool bin that she'd added a seal to in order to keep everything inside cold enough to act as a fridge. She'd built this cabin with her bare hands but technology was something she couldn't get her hands on out here so she made do. She dug the meat from several oysters and tossed them on a pan that she'd started to heat with some oil. She'd caught the oysters herself the last time she'd gone to the coast and knew they needed to be eaten soon or they'd go bad. She left a few for her to use later that night but most of the oysters were in the pan starting to sizzle. She was adding the vegetables and sauce when she heard a groan from across the room.

Looking back at Kakashi, he was half sitting up and half laying down, his eyebrows knit together in pain as he forced himself to a sitting position, catching the book that he'd fallen asleep reading and setting it next to him on the couch. As he settled, he opened both eyes for a moment and looked up at her with a soft sadness in his eyes. Had he been dreaming during his nap? The red of the Sharingan was unnerving to look at but she knew that if he'd intended to use it against her, it would've already been too late for her since she'd already looked at it.

"Hey..." he muttered, suddenly sounding as exhausted as he looked. She frowned at him and set the stir fry to simmer as she walked over to him. He looked up at her with drooping eyes as she put the back of her hand to his forehead. Sure enough, he was very hot to the touch. She clicked her tongue.

"You have a fever. Once lunch is done I'm going to check your wounds. Hopefully it's not an infection. I'll add broth to your food so there's more liquid for you. I thought you were doing much better so I was going to give you just solid food but that's not the case." He nodded at her assessment and leaned into her cool hand before she removed it. He had a red tinge to his cheeks and he felt clammy.

"Can you get to bed by yourself?" she asked as she crouched down to eye level with him. His Sharingan was still focused on her as he nodded. She put one hand on his still naked shoulder and wordlessly told him to go back to bed. He didn't even argue. He pulled himself off the couch and stumbled down the hall, using the wall for support while she watched his retreating back. She frowned. It was possible it could just be from healing but she was concerned about the sudden fever.

She went back to work on the stir fry, finishing it as fast as possible and then making a quick bone broth to add to Kakashi's. Grabbing a glass of water to bring to his room, she started walking across the living room when the book he'd been reading caught her eye. Icha Icha Paradise... she'd been gifted it years ago when some pervert with white spiky hair came through the nearby town while she was there, telling her it was a signed first edition and she looked like she needed romance in her life.

She'd eagerly told him thank you at the time but when she got home, she realized the book was almost pure porn. She rolled her eyes and tucked the book under her arm before she kept walking to Kakashi's room. Leave it to the asshole to read porn in her home. Walking into Kakashi's room, she was happy to see he'd made it to bed by himself, though he was laying on top of the covers and he was breathing in light pants.

Setting the food and water down on the table, she started pulling the dressing off of the two largest wounds. Looking at them, they looked irritated but had no sign of infection or ripped stitches. She rewrapped them and sighed.

"No infection or rips. I'm not sure why you're feverish but I think it could just be part of the healing process. Eat and drink what you can right now and then get settled for bed. Stay in bed tomorrow. No sneaking around or witty comebacks." She put an arm around his shoulders and helped him sit up as she gave him his bowl. He was sweating and shivering. She absentmindedly started to rub small circles into his back. He took small spoonfuls with his head turned away so she couldn't see his face. He managed to finish the entire bowl as well as a glass of water before she laid him back down and pulled the blanket over him. She turned to the clean water bowl and clean rag she'd brought in the night before, thankful for her own foresight. She filled the rag with cold water and wrung it out, folding it and placing it on Kakashi's forehead. He let out a sigh of relief and cracked one eye to look at her.

"You're a good cook, you know that?" he said softly with a small smile. Avurin looked away.

"I'm glad you like it. Please go to sleep and get some rest." she muttered. When she looked back at him, his eyes were closed and he looked like he was already asleep. The sun was still up, casting mid-afternoon shadows through the window, but she was done for the day. She needed to watch over him until this fever passed. She used the rag to wipe some of the sweat from his hairline and rinsed it, placing it back on his forehead.

What had she gotten herself into?

Chapter Text

Avurin stayed in Kakashi's bedroom for several hours, wiping sweat from Kakashi's face with the rag and occasionally waking him to get him to drink water. He was never fitful in his sleep and never fought with her about his care. Part of her was relieved that he wasn't pushing her away the way most prideful shinobi would. She felt her eyelids becoming heavy sometime during the night and fought sleep as she laid her head on the edge of the futon. Just as she felt herself slipping into a nap, she felt something brush against the crown of her head. She carefully opened her eyes and looked at the offending hand hovering over her head.

"You know, I think I'm feeling much better. You should go to your own bed and let me rest on my own tonight and tomorrow. I'll call you if I need you." a rough, low voice told her. Kakashi was looking at her through hooded eyes, his Sharingan focused on her. She was prepared to argue but he narrowed his eyes sharply, a look that told her not to ask questions. Nodding slowly, she pushed herself up and started walking towards the door.

"Okay. If you need anything, just tell me." she muttered as she walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She was confused and felt pushed out of the room despite him not putting his hands on her or directly telling her to get out. She knew he was most likely not any better than earlier and she hadn't felt like she was going to be allowed to check. Something about him felt dangerous and on-edge. She wouldn't push back on this, she almost felt like she couldn't.

She dragged her feet to her room. Something about this situation had taken a turn and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. Shaking her head, she changed into softer clothes for the night, leaving her arm coverings on, and laid down in bed. She was worried for him, but why? Why did she care if he lived or if he refused treatment? Rolling over facing away from the door, she forced herself to go to sleep.

The next day, she walked into the hallway to see a note on the floor under Kakashi's door.

"Do not come in here until I leave another note. Just leave food and water outside of the door and I'll get it from there. I'm very sorry."

The handwriting was shaky and it was written on the piece of paper she'd kept in Icha Icha Paradise as a bookmark. She shoved the paper in her pocket and stomped into the living room. What the hell was going on? She started preparing a small breakfast of rice and eggs with a side of miso soup and when she finished, she placed Kakashi's meal on a tray with a glass of water and left it outside of his door like he'd asked.

Throughout the day, she did small chores around the cabin to see if she could get a glimpse of the man around mealtimes, however he always managed to open the door at the exact moment she wasn't looking or happened to be out of view. He left the dishes from his meals on the tray outside of his door after a few minutes each time and she never heard a noise from the room. If she didn't know any better, she would think that he'd placed a silencing seal on the room.

Despite the infuriating situation with no answers, she continued the process for a couple of days and even started a project of making him a proper cloth face mask for him to use instead of bandana when he was finally ready to leave the room. She'd had scraps of black cloth from previous clothing projects that she decided to use to make a simple face mask. It was while she was finishing some of the stitching on the mask that she heard the door open and feet softly padding into the living room. She looked up from her place on the couch and Kakashi gave her an apologetic smile, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey. Sorry about that." he said. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the mask as he sat on the other end of the couch. He wasn't going to give an explanation and she didn't need one. Whatever that was, it was his own business.

"How are your wounds?" she asked stiffly. Right at that moment, she accidentally poked herself in the finger with the needle she was using. Hissing and putting her finger in her mouth, she heard a chuckle from the gray-haired shinobi currently lounging on her couch.

"Much better, actually. Thank you. I kept the stitches intact. You did really good work." She felt her face flush at the compliment while she still had her finger in her mouth. She pulled her finger out and looked at the needle poke to make sure it wasn't still bleeding. Kakashi shifted slightly closer to her to look at the cloth in her hands. "What's that?" he asked.

"This is a new mask that isn't part of your destroyed shirt. I wasn't sure if you had a spare with you or storage scrolls when you got attacked but I figured you'd be more comfortable with an actual mask instead of my bandana. It's not going to be perfect but it'll hold you over until you get home." she said casually, holding up the mask in front of her to make sure she had sown everything together evenly. Kakashi carefully took the mask from her fingers and held it up. It was a wraparound mask that he could just pull over his head to sit around his neck and then pull over his face.

"It's perfect. Thank you for thinking of me. I'll put it on right now." She turned her head away to allow him the privacy to switch to the new mask. It was better if she didn't know what was under the mask and it was a good thing she hadn't taken it off at any point during his time here. She remembered that the mask was a lifeline of his when they were younger. He tapped her shoulder to tell her it was okay for her to turn around and was met with a smiling Kakashi, both of his eyes closed with happiness.

"It fits well enough. If you need me to adjust anything, just say something and I'll fix it. It's not exactly Anbu-grade so try not to get caught in a fire jutsu but it'll hold you over. Can you breathe okay?" she asked, tugging one of the corners next to his ear where the stitching was. He tilted his head to let her look at her work.

"I can breathe just fine, thank you. This is actually very comfortable and feels durable enough. I think I might just wear it back home." She could hear the smile in his words and appreciation. Determining that the stitching was up to her standards, she stepped back and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm glad. Dinner will be in a few hours so if you're feeling well enough, feel free to raid my books again. I won't ask questions about what happened but if it happens again, I'll expect some sort of explanation. I'm going back down to the creek today so I'll be gone for a little bit. I'm sick of fish at this point so I'm going to get us something fresh to eat."

She left the cabin with Kakashi reading another book from her bookshelf, looking content to sit for a few hours. She had made sure he knew where to get fresh water so he could keep drinking fluids before leaving with her bow slung across her shoulder. She was hoping to find rabbits today to add to a stew she'd been wanting to make and she'd brought her sifter in case she had free time to look for more treasures.

Walking the familiar path to the creek, she sighed at the realization that the past few days had been so different from what she'd been living for the past decade. She'd taken in strangers for the night before that couldn't afford a room in the nearby town or desperately needed to stop on a long journey, but none of her visitors had been like Kakashi. So close to a piece of her past, yet casually nothing like what she remembered. She tried not to think about where she came from or how the people from her past were doing after a decade of her absence, but something like this forced her to dwell on the thoughts.

Her parents had been shinobi as well and had died on two separate missions. Her mother had lost her life first on a mission in Iwa while tensions were high. Her father had been so distraught that he took a mission far above his capabilities being as emotionally compromised as he was and his entire team was wiped out by a missing nin during the mission. That left her by herself, a Genin who wasted no time fighting to become a Chunin so she could pay rent and not lose her family home. She threw it all away in a single rainy night covered in blood, determined not to follow in her parents' footsteps and die on the cold ground during a mission for a village who wouldn't even know her name if it wasn't on a mission report mentioning her death.

Did she have a grave back home? The thought made her stop walking for a moment. Had people missed her? She'd only had a few friends. Asuma was always nice to her, even after she'd become emotionally distant following the loss of her parents. Kurenai as well. And Gai... She pressed her hand to her face, feeling a familiar ache behind her eyes. She'd probably devastated the overenthusiastic green-clad fool. She sat down at the base of a tree near the creek, pulling her knees to her chest. It had been ten years, they had to be over it by now. She was dead on paper and they never needed to know that she was actually alive.

Gathering herself together, she used her chakra to walk up the tree and perch herself on a low branch. Bringing her hands together for a few simple signs, she camouflaged herself. Now she just had to wait.

-

After two hours at the creek, she'd collected three rabbits and a few shells from the creek. Focusing on hunting had banished her thoughts back to where they belonged. She was happy with her hunt and what she'd found in the creek and was excited to start on the stew she had planned.

"I'm back!" she called into the cabin as she walked through the door, taking her sandals off.

"Ah, so you are. I have a few questions." Kakashi stared at her from the kitchen table, her Konoha headband on display in the middle of her mementos from her time as a shinobi. Her blood ran cold. A bingo book from ten years ago, her kunai from that rainy night, still covered in dried blood, and a photo of her with Asuma and Gai as Genin fresh out of academy. She had almost forgotten about the photo, it had been shoved into the bottom of the kunai bag Kakashi had dug each of the items from.

"And that, Kakashi, is why I should have just sent you on your way this morning. Always snooping through people's things and wanting to set things right by the law. Are you going to drag me back?" she glowered, dropping the rabbits in her sink to get them out of her hands. Kakashi was not impressed with her assessment.

"They thought you died. I stood with Gai at your funeral. Yet, here you are. I knew you looked familiar so I did some digging, yes. You didn't hide these very well, a loose floorboard is easy to spot by anyone worth their position as a shinobi. My question is, why?" He'd completely ignored her question, instead glaring daggers at her. She glared right back as she dug a bottle of sake from one of her cabinets, slamming it down on the table with two worn cups. She dragged a chair out, threw herself down, and poured them both a cup.

"Fine. You want to play that game, let's talk." She downed the entire cup in front of him and pulled the arm bands off of her arms, exposing the knotted skin from the massive scars she'd received years ago. They had never been stitched, only held together by tight bandages as they healed. The skin was knotted in places, smooth and shiny in others. It wasn't pretty. "Teammates willing to do this to a teammate for a village unwilling to accept an incomplete mission deserve to be punished. Instead, I was the one punished for months for lying about two well-qualified shinobi. A trip during a high-stakes chase here, a loose kunai swipe there, and many more incidents putting me in the line of fire made me question my loyalties. Especially when I was the one left behind each time or used as bait." She poured herself another drink, downing it and slamming the cup on the table.

"No one would accept that teammates would willingly do this to their third teammate. Not shinobi with such a great record of success, in line to become Jonin. I was told I had to have been under a genjutsu, or I had to have been hallucinating from blood loss every time I was dragged back heavily injured. I fought hard, sometimes the only thing saving me from certain death on those missions was my own strength to complete the mission by myself. My teammates would be waiting back home, laughing about leaving me behind every time, wondering if I'd died that time. They didn't want me on their team. They called me slow, they said there was nothing special about me. I wasn't Hatake Kakashi, I wasn't Asuma with the pedigree to get me anywhere, and I wasn't an Uchiha with Sharingan. They wanted someone special, not me." She put her arms on the table, scars on full display.

"The only way they could get me off of their team was for me to die. So while we were being chased by rogue nin through this area, they cut me down and left me for bait. Said maybe they'd have a little fun with me, a fourteen year old girl, and it would give them enough time to get home and report the success of our official mission. I bled out in this very forest, barely managing to wrap myself up enough to get to the nearby village. I was given care for two days and told to get moving so I did. I wasn't going back to Konoha just to be told I was lying again. I wasn't going to be bait again. I was done. I am done. So there you have it, Kakashi. The reason for Okita Avurin's death. She is dead. Gone. Never coming back. It's been ten years, I won't reopen old wounds for the few people who cared about me by returning." With that, she poured herself another cup and drank the entire thing. She needed the numbness of her fingers and her mind to lay this out for the prodigy of her class, the law-abiding shinobi everyone looked up to.

He sighed and looked down at her headband, still scratched and dented from the several close calls. The blood on her kunai pouch had been her own, she'd never bothered to wash it. When she had built the cabin, she had built the compartment in the floor of her own bedroom to bury the memories. Now it was out in the open and the air in the room felt heavy. She watched Kakashi take his own cup, pulling his mask down enough for his mouth to show, and downed the entire thing, gently setting down the cup and replacing his mask. She couldn't even bring herself to feel any sort of shock at seeing part of his face, she was too upset.

"I'm sorry." he stated simply. He picked up the photo off of the table and took a few moments to look at the happiness on the Genin's faces, gently setting it back down with a sigh. "You were alive this entire time. It's hard to comprehend given how much I got to know you through Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai shortly after your funeral. I'd never really paid attention to anyone in the academy, too focused on moving up. I didn't pay attention to anything other than myself during that time. You were being tortured on every mission right under everyone's noses and while I was too stubborn and too focused on my own success to say I should have noticed, I'm disturbed that no one else did. I understand. Some things are better left alone. So that's what I'll do, leave it alone. I'll be gone in the morning and Avurin will still be dead to everyone in Konoha."

He poured himself another cup and downed it, letting her process her thoughts. She stared at him for a moment before shoving her chair back, standing to grab her Konoha headband, throwing it as hard as she could at the wall. The ache in her eyes was growing, and she could feel the tears soaking her face. Gritting her teeth, she turned back to Kakashi.

"You will never understand! I made everything in this home by hand, I fought long and hard to achieve this peace and buried the Okita name under a floorboard where it should have stayed. Then you get yourself hurt and I'm so fucking soft that I take you into my home, my peaceful existence, and you dig this shit up while I'm trying to get you healthy enough to go home. You told me your fucking name in my living room and I recognized you right then. I've agonized over keeping someone so nosy and fucking self-absorbed so close to my secrets. And you say something like that? You understand?! You're going to leave me to my peaceful existence as a hermit? Fat fucking chance, Kakashi! You're a by-the-book asshole that's going to report this as soon as you get back! You're going to find a way to drag me back there and I'm going to be miserable all over again!" She was screaming, her mind screaming to tear the entire house down. Every ounce of effort she'd put into it meant nothing now.

"Despite what you may think, having not been hidden away from the world for a decade, some of us have learned some hard lessons in those ten years. I lost my entire team, one I had to leave behind to save the other, he gave me a parting gift and told me to leave, to protect the other with my life." His hand lightly covered his eye that held the Sharingan. "The other was put in a position where if I didn't do something, she was going to destroy the village. She killed herself jumping into one of my attacks and I still feel her blood flowing down my arm when I think of her. Those who fail the mission are trash, but those who leave their teammates behind are worse than trash. I'm discovering today that those who injure their teammates intentionally and leave them behind are even worse than that." He sighed heavily, pouring himself another cup but not drinking it just yet.

"I've learned that most shinobi can't even look beyond themselves and their own goals. I've turned down so many Genin teams at this point based on that very principle that I'm convinced our shinobi will never reach a point where they'll understand what I'm talking about. You do. I won't go against your wishes on this and I'm not dragging you back. I would do the same thing if I didn't have a promise to keep." He drank this cup more slowly, his mask just barely pulled down below his lips. Avurin looked away, staring at her headband on the floor against the wall. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"You'll really just leave? You won't tell them I'm here?" she asked quietly before slowly looking back towards him. She had to be a mess in his eyes at this moment, but she couldn't bring herself to care. He put his elbows on the table and leaned against it.

"I'll leave when you want me gone. No one has to know that you're here. You've made a home for yourself and you've found peace. There is no reason to bring you back and force you to serve a village that has wronged you. If you ever do decide to come back, I'll be there. So will Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai. It will be your decision and yours alone. As far as I'm concerned, I met a wonderful merchant named Aki while I was on vacation. That's that." He took another sip from his cup and smiled softly. She huffed and sat back down across from him.

"Thank you."

Chapter Text

That night, she made the rabbit stew in silence, still drinking sake to drown the previous events of the night as Kakashi read one of her books at the table. He didn't ask any further questions, he'd actually put her things, including the headband, back into the kunai pouch and returned it to the spot under the floorboard where he'd found it. She was content to pretend he'd never found it, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"So, did you train or learn anything new over the last ten years?" he casually asked as she stirred the stew. She put the ladle down and looked at him over her shoulder. His face was still buried in the book.

"I've kept up my training but no, I haven't learned anything new. I'm on my own out here, there isn't anyone to learn from and I don't want to learn anything new. I'm not a shinobi anymore." She hoped that got the message across. She didn't want to talk about training.

"Mah, don't be upset. I was just curious. I do need to get out and stretch soon to make sure I can make it home without pulling something. I was thinking about some light training in the morning to assess my health before I start the journey home. Easier to do with a partner, though." Her eye twitched and she turned back to the stew.

"Do your stretches on your own. There's a clearing behind the house. No jutsu unless you go out further. You do anything to my home, I will hurt you all over again and pay someone to take you back to Konoha on the back of a cart." she threatened, waving the ladle at him. He put the book down quickly, his palms up towards her in defense.

"No need for that! I'll go into the woods so I don't ruin your quaint little cottage." he laughed, picking the book back up off of the table. The room returned to a comfortable silence as Avurin finished the stew. Pouring it into two bowls, she brought dinner to the table along with the bottle of sake she had been drinking from. She could feel the heat in her cheeks from the alcohol.

"Eat. You still need to drink more fluids. You did lose a lot of blood not even a week ago. I'll check your injuries after dinner and we'll see if the bandages can come off. And before you ask, I have no medical ninjutsu experience so no, I would not have been able to heal you that way regardless of my secret. I've been using homemade salves and ointments for your injuries." She grumbled, sitting down to start eating her food. Kakashi put his hands together saying thank you for the food before eating. She had noticed he wasn't quite as secretive about his face anymore but she wasn't going to ask about it. He did still keep it mostly covered and she tended to look away when he reached for the mask. She hadn't really seen much of his features.

"You know, I do appreciate your hospitality, medical ninjutsu or not. I would've died in that creek if you hadn't taken me in. That was a rough battle and the guy had caught me by surprise with some stabs before throwing me into the currents upstream. Those were easily fatal. So, thank you." He had a glint in his eye as he thanked her and she felt her cheeks redden further.

"Like I said, I was too damn soft. Don't thank me until you're back in Konoha, safe. That's the real test to see if my patchwork was enough to get you back on your own two feet. I'm not carrying you again." she mumbled. Kakashi laughed softly and ate a spoonful of the stew.

"I can't imagine you carrying me here but I'm thankful you did. You'll have to show me the creek you found me in tomorrow before I leave. Also, I don't know what I'm going to do without your cooking after this. Maybe I'll just stick around for the homemade dinners." he joked. Her face grew even warmer. She ate another bite of the stew.

"It's simple woodland food prepared by a hermit, Kakashi. There are plenty of restaurants in Konoha that cook better than this."

"Oh I don't believe so. There's something special about a homemade meal."

"Well, in that case you should learn how to cook. You have plenty of resources back home."

"But nothing compares to a dinner made by a beautiful woman who knows her way around the kitchen!"

"Oh, that's it! It's time for bed! I'm going to sleep and you're going to shut your mouth before I shut it for you!" she snapped. She was not entertaining his ridiculous logic, especially if this was some sort of backwards proposition. She collected her bowl and put it in the sink, sulking off to her room. He was insufferable.

Throwing herself into the bed, she pulled the blanket over herself and huffed. She was tired and was not looking forward to the mental gymnastics a healthy, overly comfortable Kakashi was going to throw at her the next day. As she was falling asleep, she realized she'd forgotten to check his wounds before she had fled and groaned as she rolled over. She'd check in the morning.

-

She woke up to the sound of a pan hitting the floor in the kitchen and groaned. Her head was pounding. She hadn't drank alcohol in at least a year and she'd pretty much finished the bottle last night. Sulking, she rolled out of her bed and changed into a fresh set of clothes, this time opting for gray cargo pants and a black tank top. She had a feeling she'd either be doing some heavy lifting today or getting dragged into something she didn't want to do, likely training.

She walked down the hall rubbing her temples, wondering what Kakashi could be doing that involved one of her pans. The smell of eggs and fish cooking hit her as she walked into the living room area. In the kitchen, Kakashi was cooking. He had on a shirt which she didn't even know he had since he'd been shirtless the last few days. He was also in dark gray Jonin pants with tape around his ankles. Her eyes narrowed. Had he been lounging around her home shirtless and in dirty pants on purpose this entire time?

"Good morning. Eggs and whatever fish was in your cooling box thing will be ready soon." he happily chirped.

"Have you had clothes with you this entire time?" she spat. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"Yeah, they were in a storage scroll. I wanted to wait until my wounds were healed so I wouldn't ruin the one spare shirt I had before using it. I checked the wounds earlier and they look mostly healed so I went ahead and pulled the stitches and got dressed. Sorry!" He didn't look the least bit sorry.

"Let me see. I need to make sure you didn't screw something up." she ground out. He shrugged and pulled up his shirt, the pink lines on his torso in full view. They were still fresh, but closed. The ointments had done their job. She nodded and he put his shirt back down.

"If you wanted to undress me, all you'd have to do is ask." She felt her cheeks burn and she took a few steps back.

"Shut up and focus on cooking since you couldn't wait for me to wake up." she snapped, walking away to look out of the window. It was a nice day and she was looking forward to visiting the creek today. A few minutes later, she heard plates being set down on the table and took a seat.

"Thank you for the food," she mumbled before taking a bite of the fish. Humming at the taste, she started eating in earnest. So, the man could cook something at least.

"Better slow down or you'll get stomach cramps," he said with a soft laugh, eating his own food at a leisurely pace. She glared at him but slowed down.

After they were finished, she grabbed her longbow from beside the door as well as a katana she'd trained with since she was a child. Kakashi followed her out and closed the door behind him. He seemed to take a deep breath, appreciating the fresh air of the forest.

"Head that direction if you want to train. I'm going to the creek. I'll check on you in an hour or so if I don't see you at the cabin when I get back." She pointed in the direction he was supposed to go before turning around to follow the path to the creek. She heard footsteps following her and her eye twitched.

"You're not training at the creek. Anbu-level jutsu will destroy my favorite spot and I'll have to kill you for it."

"Mah, relax. I just wanted to visit the creek before training. I may need a babysitter to make sure I don't overdo it. You shouldn't send me off to do things by myself while I'm still healing." He winked at her and she growled. They walked in silence to the creek and she immediately went to the bank, taking out her sifter. She could hear him walking around behind her, moving further upstream to take in the sight.

"This really is a beautiful place. I should've brought a book." he commented as he sat on a large, flat rock just outside the reach of the water.

"I don't really like to distract myself too much when I come here. It's always best to just observe and enjoy the nature. If you're curious about where I found you, you're sitting right in front of the spot." she replied calmly, sifting some shells out of the silt. One was larger than the others with brown banding. She put it in her pouch for safekeeping.

"I know. I can smell the blood. Always had a good sense of smell with things like this." he commented as he tapped his nose. She scrunched her own nose. How could he smell that when it had been a week ago?

"Well now you see the lengths I had to go to carry you out of here."

"I still don't know how you managed it but thank you again."

"I'm stronger than I look." She continued to sift, putting shells that caught her eye into the pouch. She sifted one last time for the day and pulled out a large, gray and white clam shell. It was unusual for the size and color and she was interested to know where it came from.

"Do you always dig through the mud here to find pretty things to take home?" his voice suddenly appeared right next to her ear. She jumped lightly, clutching the shell in her hand as she tried not to fall over.

"Hey! Don't sneak around like that! Yes, I do dig through the mud for shells and other things. It's interesting. I didn't take you for someone that judged other people's hobbies." She looked down at the shell and rubbed her thumb against the smooth underside.

"It's just interesting. What do you do with what you find?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Sometimes I use them for small decorations but most of them are kept in a box. Here, have this one. Start your own collection." She handed him the shell with a smirk. "Don't break it. They're fragile!" With that, she started walking back to the path that would take them to the cabin. Why had she given him a shell? She actually really liked that one.

"I'll keep it safe," she heard from behind her in a soft voice. The sound of a zipper, likely one of his pouches he had hidden in his clothes, told her he'd put it somewhere on his person. It would probably end up broken if he was too rough during training. She rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Let's go this way. There's a clearing over here that you can use for your training. No fire jutsu though. There's some dry wood around here and the last thing we need is a fire out here." She led him through the trees off the path they'd been on and after a few minutes of walking, they reached the clearing. She took a seat at the base of one of the trees as he started stretching, hiding a wince when some of his muscles protested.

Surprisingly, he didn't ask her to join him as he went through his katas and fought an imaginary enemy in the clearing. She could barely track his movements as he flashed through the area, throwing kicks and punches, occasionally unleashing jutsu that could easily kill a person. As promised, he kept his chakra limited and avoided large-scale jutsu that could disturb the forest. She felt her eyes starting to close and she slumped against the tree, falling asleep to the sounds of the forest and the light sounds of Kakashi breathing through his training.

-

She felt herself waking to the sound of nothing but the wind rustling the leaves of the trees around her and the sun starting to set. She was about to shoot up from her spot when she realized that she was laying down against something warm. Looking up, Kakashi was asleep with his arms crossed, back against the tree with her head in his lap. When had they ended up like this? She lifted her head slightly and heard a quiet rumbling noise come from the man she was currently laying on. Cocking an eyebrow, she laid her head back down and looked up at his face. Was that a growl? His eyes were still closed but his eyebrows were scrunched together.

She lay there for a few minutes just watching as the sky changed colors from a bright orange to a dark purple, the sun setting somewhere past the forest. She had to admit, she was comfortable. Closer to Kakashi than she wanted, but comfortable. As the clearing was getting darker, she felt a shift under her head and looked back up at Kakashi. His eyes opened slowly, the Sharingan almost glowing as he realized where he was and what the weight in his lap was. She smiled up at him nervously and lifted her head off of his lap, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head.

"You could have woken me up sooner," he groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes. She laughed lightly.

"You growled at me when I tried to get up. So I decided to just let you wake up on your own." She could see his cheeks color slightly.

"Oh. I must have been dreaming. Sorry about that. Let's get back to your adorable cottage and make dinner." He avoided eye contact with her as he gently took her hand and tugged her back in the direction of the cottage. She felt her own blush covering her cheeks as his warm, calloused hand held her firmly and pulled her through the trees. She had blushed so many times around this man that she was embarrassed by the concept at this point.

They reached the cabin and they both took their shoes off at the front door, dropping their bags and weapons by the door as well. Dinner was casual and quick, she made fried fish with eggplant from the garden and set the plates down at the table where Kakashi was waiting.

"Thank you for the food," he muttered quietly. She could tell something was bothering him but didn't want to ask. He answered the unspoken question anyway after taking his first bite of the food, humming from the taste.

"I think I'll be getting out of your hair tomorrow morning. I'm well enough to train without hurting myself and I know I can make it home without any problems. I'll pack my things tonight and leave when the sun's up tomorrow." She felt a small pang in her chest but she hid her reaction and just sighed.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to get you fixed up. Just remember what we talked about. No one needs to know I'm here. If you find yourself in the area again though, don't be a stranger. It does... get lonely out here." she admitted. She heard a scoff and looked up from her food.

"You know where to go if it gets to be too much. Despite what you think, you'll always have a home in Konoha. I won't drag you back there but I know-" She cut him off.

"You know the answer to that, Kakashi. I don't mind you dropping in but it's different to go back and you know that. I'll be fine." she grumbled, stabbing at the fish in front of her. He sighed and she heard him continue eating.

They ate in an almost awkward silence until they were finished. She picked up both of their dishes and put them in the sink, not having the will to wash them immediately.

"Get to bed, you'll need your rest before leaving. Wake me up before you head out. I can give you some ointments and supplies." she mumbled, walking slowly down the hall and not looking in his direction. When she got to her room and closed the door behind her, she felt all of her energy leave her immediately and her shoulders slumped. She fell down onto the bed and hugged her pillow tightly, closing her eyes. Things would not be changing. She was happy with the peace she found here and was happy Kakashi would keep her secret, protecting the slice of peace she had. She reassured herself of this a couple times before she fell asleep.

-

When she woke up the next day, he was gone. And so was her copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

Chapter Text

‘This was supposed to be a routine C-Rank mission…’ Kakashi groaned in his head. He was trapped in a Water Prison created by Zabuza of the Hidden Mist, watching his cute little Genin fight an easily S-Rank missing nin. Their teamwork had improved, that much was apparent, but it wouldn’t be enough for an enemy this far above them in skill. He watched carefully as Naruto got lucky, throwing a kunai at Zabuza that he couldn’t dodge, forcing him to drop the Water Prison. Kakashi sprung into action and started to engage Zabuza, copying every ninjutsu the missing nin threw at him. After several passes at each other, Kakashi landed one of the copied attacks on Zabuza, pushing him back. As Zabuza started preparing to jump back at Kakashi, they were interrupted.

“YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU BURNED MY FUCKING HOUSE DOWN!” There wasn’t time for Zabuza to even look in the direction of the voice before a foot connected with his cheek, kicking him onto the ground. Kakashi took in the familiar features of someone he had resigned himself to never seeing again. Long auburn hair was tied into a high ponytail, bangs framing a familiar face with freckles dusting her cheeks, white arm bands covering scars he had seen with his own eyes, and infuriated green eyes focused entirely on Zabuza. 

 “You bitch!” Zabuza spat as he put his fingers to a cut on his forehead. Everything stopped as a quiet whistle cut through the air, senbon lodging into Zabuza’s neck. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell backwards. A short individual with a white mask and Hidden Mist Hunter Nin robes appeared through the mist, leaning down to press their fingers to Zabuza’s neck.

“I am a Hunter Nin from the Hidden Mist that was sent to kill Zabuza. Thank you for providing the opportunity. I will take it from here. This body holds many secrets and can’t fall into the wrong hands.” The Hunter Nin took the body and disappeared, leaving three shocked Genin, a heaving Avurin glaring at the spot they were just in, and Kakashi staring at the spot in confusion. Was it really over? Just like that? Kakashi was overtaken by a sudden wave of lightheadedness and felt himself falling. Arms caught him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

-

“What the hell?” Avurin yelped as she caught Kakashi’s weight. Dragging him over to the team of kids and a civilian old man, she gently laid him on the ground and looked over the team.

“Fill me in. What the hell is going on? There is no reason a bunch of kids like you should have been facing off against Zabuza.” The kids looked at her with varying degrees of distrust before she found a kunai wedged against her throat and another pressed against her back. The black-haired kid was glaring at her from the front as the kunai at her back shook slightly, betraying the yellow-haired kid’s unease with the situation.

“Who the hell are you?” the kid in front of her demanded. She smirked at him and flashed out of his grip, appearing behind him and putting him in a headlock.

“Oh, you know, just an old friend of dear old Kakashi… and I’m angry. Don’t test me, boy. I asked for an update on your mission.” she growled in his ear. The yellow-haired one looked at her with a determined look but didn’t move. She decided to elaborate. “I saved Kakashi’s life about two years ago. He owes me one. Preferably an explanation for why he brought kids into this area while a missing nin is on the loose out here. If he’s out of commission, you need a superior to direct your mission until he’s back up to speed.” She pulled her headband out her kunai pouch and held it in front of the kid’s face. “Now, update me on the mission before I drag your asses back to Konoha for disobeying an order.”

She watched them stare at the headband in deliberation. They were smart not to trust her upfront, very smart. She admired the determination to protect Kakashi so quickly. She felt horrible about commanding them despite not really being their superior on paper, but she did technically outrank them. With nowhere to go home to at this point, she was resigned to the fact that she would be tangled into Kakashi’s life from this mission since they just so happened to run into each other again as if directed by fate. Which meant she would be brought back to Konoha and would face the consequences of her abandonment. At this point, her peace was already ruined. All good things must come to an end.

“Fine. Let him go. If Sensei wakes up and finds out we really did give her a bunch of trouble and is upset with us, he’s going to really kill us this time. She caught him when he fell so at least we know she cares even a little.” She felt like there was something familiar about the yellow-haired kid in front of her. He looked like Lord Fourth, but she didn’t recall him ever talking about having children and when she’d left she hadn’t really been close to him so she had no idea if he even had a girlfriend at the time. She’d ask Kakashi later. She dropped the black-haired kid and turned to the civilian.

“Are you alright, sir? I apologize for all of the confusion and violence in this situation. I was in the area looking for Zabuza when I heard the skirmish.” The old man huffed and looked at the unconscious and soaked Kakashi on the ground.

“I’m fine. You should look after that one first though. He took on Zabuza all on his own for quite a while before you showed up. I don’t know who you are but if you are able to carry him, we can get to my home before nightfall and I can provide a bed.” Avurin nodded and looked at the Genin expectantly. 

 “We are tasked with escorting Tazuna the Bridge Builder to the construction site for a bridge to unite the Land of Fire and the Hidden Mist. We are to protect him from bandits until he completes the bridge. Sensei was not expecting any missing nin and the mission is classified as a C-Rank mission, our first C-Rank. My name is Sakura Haruno, this is Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. Kakashi is our Jonin Sensei.” The pink-haired girl spoke shakily, giving Avurin the mission scroll. Avurin nodded and read the scroll. Everything Sakura told her matched the scroll. She closed it and put it in her pouch.

“Very well. I’ll lead you to Tazuna’s home and we’ll get Kakashi back on his feet.” She walked back to Kakashi and checked his pulse, weak but not in any danger of stopping. She sighed and pulled one of his arms over her shoulder, hauling him up until she was standing. “He’ll be fine, he’s just exhausted. Probably from using his eye copying all of those jutsu. Lead the way, Tazuna.” She nodded to the bridge builder who started walking down the path they must have originally been following. The kids eyed their Sensei but followed diligently as they started walking. She would never mention that she had done a little bit of research on the gray-haired Jonin after their meeting and had learned about his various titles like the “Copy Nin” due to his Sharingan. She had an idea of where he’d gotten it after their conversation in the cabin years ago, but the details were up to Kakashi to discuss when he felt like it. Avurin grumbled and looked at Kakashi’s face.

“You’re still fucking heavy, what the fuck have you been eating?” she muttered. She knew that the Uchiha had picked up her comment by the tilt of his head but didn’t say anything. It took them several hours to arrive at Tazuna’s home where a child coldly greeted them. Tazuna brushed it off and Avurin didn’t even want to focus on something so trivial with Kakashi’s weight becoming enough for her legs to start shaking. She gently laid Kakashi in a futon that Tazuna directed them to and unzipped his still damp Jonin jacket, pulling it off of him as well as his shoes. His clothes were damp but she wasn’t going to get caught changing him completely. As she pulled off the jacket, she noticed that the mask he was wearing wasn’t a part of his shirt like the last one had been. Looking at the side of his neck, she confirmed her suspicions with a sigh. The stitching was slightly stretched but this idiot was wearing the mask she’d made for him.

 Setting the jacket down next to his bag that Naruto had offered to carry for the walk along with her own bag, bow, and katana that she’d brought, she felt his forehead with her hand and was happy to know he wasn’t too hot or too cold. He was just tired. Turning off the lamp in the room and covering him with the comforter, she stepped out of the room and walked into the living room where the Genin and Tazuna were gathered. She bowed to Tazuna.

“Thank you for taking us into your home. I know the strain it can put on a family to house others as guests and I am willing to compensate wherever you deem necessary with chores. Kakashi will need to rest for a few days so anything I can do to help, please just let me know.” she told him. Tazuna scoffed and folded his arms.

“Miss, you don’t need to do anything. You’re doing your job and that’s more than enough. We were prepared to house the team during the time it would take for the bridge to be completed. Focus on your friend for now.” His tone was harsh but his words were kind. Her eyes softened.

“Thank you for your hospitality. The offer still stands while I am not otherwise occupied. I understand what it means to take people into your home. Zabuza burned my own home down after I offered the same kindness.” She knew the Genin were interested to learn more about her, but that would have to wait. Tazuna just waved his hand at her and gestured to an empty seat at the table.

“Dinner will be ready soon. Talk with those three. They’ve been following that gray haired fellow like lost ducklings this entire time.” With that, he walked into where she assumed the kitchen was, leaving her with the Genin. She sat down at the table and assessed each of the Genin. Naruto was staring at Sakura as Sakura was taking things out of her kunai pouch, counting everything and organizing her supplies. Sasuke was staring directly at Avurin who stared right back.

“He’s right. We need to talk.” Avurin stated, gaining the attention of all three children. She sighed and placed her elbow on the table, holding her head up with her hand. “I’m a friend of Kakashi’s. My name is Avurin Okita.  You may recognize my name if you visit the cemetery often and happen to read the gravestones for fun. I am dead on paper. Kakashi kept my secret for me after I fixed him up and sent him home a few years ago. I found him after a mission that went bad and he found out my secret. I won’t go into details, you’re not owed any explanation for my past, but I trust Kakashi and he trusts me. I already know he’s going to drag me back to Konoha with him and this time, I’ll go with him without a fight since I now don’t have my own home to return to. I’m here for this mission whether you three like it or not. I’m not nice, I’m not easy to work with, and I won’t baby you. I will assist Kakashi through this mission and then I will face whatever consequences there will be for my actions when we get back to Konoha. Until then, acknowledge me as your superior and trust me. This is no longer a C-Rank mission, this is A-Rank. Zabuza and Haku are dangerous and you need an extra person.”

“Wait, Zabuza is dead! Who is Haku?” Naruto exclaimed, putting both hands on the table and leaning towards her. She rubbed her temple.

“Zabuza isn’t dead. The ‘Hunter Nin’ that took him was Haku. Haku is his partner. Haku is the reason I took them in when he was injured and ended up getting my house burned down while I was asleep in it to ‘get rid of the evidence.’ They will be back and you will need to get stronger before then. Zabuza does not take defeat lightly and Haku’s little trick was used to bail him out of a fight he wasn’t going to be able to finish.” she answered.

“Do you think Sensei will be well enough to fight soon? This isn’t good.” Sakura asked, sounding worried. She seemed to worry a lot.

“It won’t matter! Avurin kicked Zabuza in his face hard enough for that Haku person to bail him out! She can take him!” Naruto laughed. Avurin shook her head and sighed.

“Naruto, Kakashi is much stronger than I am. I’m a Chunin and a rusty one at that. I only landed that hit because Zabuza was distracted. Like I told Tazuna earlier, it’ll take Kakashi a few days to recover. He’s exhausted his chakra and I’m no medic nin, I can’t fix it for him. He’ll have to recover his chakra with rest, food, and water. The best thing you can do during those few days is train so we can help Kakashi when Zabuza attacks again. That  Haku kid is no laughing matter either. I don’t know the details but I know he has some strong jutsu that are hard to counter. You three will likely end up fighting him.” Silence filled the room as the kids realized they were going to be fighting, whether they wanted to or not.

“You’ll take care of him, right? You’ll have Sensei’s back?” Sakura asked. Avurin smiled.

“Yes, I will. We need to live through this so I can get my fucking book back from him that he stole from me.” she joked. The three Genin groaned.

“Please don’t tell me…”

“It has to be…”

“It’s that pervy book with the orange cover isn’t it?” Sasuke asked, obviously mortified to even ask. Avurin laughed.

“That’s the one! Don’t tell me he’s been reading it around you kids?”

“All the time! He never puts it down! He has to have read it a million times already!” Naruto yelled, holding his head and putting his face to the table. Her face grew warm at the idea that he had been reading her book over and over. Had he really loved it that much? It was pure porn!

“Well, at least it’s been well-loved while he’s had it. I’m still taking it back, though. He stole it.”

“Good! He shouldn’t be reading that in public either!” Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

“He reads it in public?” Avurin asked, her cheeks growing hotter. He was a pervert, wasn’t he?

“All the time! He reads it when he’s training us too! He won’t even pay attention to us!” Naruto pouted in frustration.

 “I’ll see what I can do.” She put her face in her hands in mortification as she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. A bowl of fishy-smelling soup was placed in front of her as well as the Genin before Tazuna and a young woman sat down at the table.

“Thank you for the food,” they all said as they started eating. Everyone was obviously tired from the excitement of the day and needed to get to bed. After dinner, as Tazuna was showing everyone to their rooms getting the kids settled in, Avurin helped the woman collect the dishes from dinner and wash them. Tazuna returned to the kitchen after dinner was finished and made a small bowl of broth as well as a glass with water, handing them to Avurin.

“I was expecting only a team of four. The kids are in one room and they all brought sleeping bags. I don’t have another spare room but you seem close enough with the kids’ teacher that I thought it wouldn’t be too inappropriate to ask if you wanted to share a room with him. I can provide another sleeping bag. If you don’t want to, you can share the room with the kids.” Tazuna offered. Avurin blushed but nodded, taking the broth and water for Kakashi. She wanted to keep an eye on him while he got better anyway.

“I’ll take this to him and check his bag for a sleeping bag. Don’t worry about finding one unless I can’t find his. I’ll keep an eye on him tonight to make sure he doesn’t need anything. This wouldn’t be the first time, he’s a troublemaker.” She laughed, nervous. Tazuna seemed to agree and nodded towards the hallway. She walked into Kakashi’s room, turning on the lamp and noting that Kakashi hadn’t moved since she’d laid him down on the futon. She sat by his side and pressed a hand to his forehead again. He was fine. Gently shaking his shoulder, she saw his eye open slightly, slowly focusing on her face.

-

It was cold and he was alone in his apartment, laying on his back in his bed. It had been a few months since he’d returned to Konoha after his accidental run-in with the ghost that was Avurin Okita. Yet, she continued to occupy his mind. He knew he shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye but  he couldn’t bring himself to wake her up that morning just to leave. He hadn’t wanted to leave and the thought had scared him. He was comfortable with the fiery, broken woman in her cute little cottage hidden in the woods and really, it didn’t just scare him, it terrified him. He’d spent so long alone and a woman who was supposed to be dead had wormed her way into his heart too quickly for comfort.

He heard a loud boom outside of his window and glanced lazily to his left, seeing the falling sparks of a firework that had gone off. He sighed. It was the New Year and here he was, lounging in bed reminiscing about a woman he had no idea if he would see again in his lifetime. He had been acting more reclusive since coming back and his friends had noticed, yet he couldn’t bring himself to care. They knew that if they asked what was bothering him, he wouldn’t answer. He knew what was happening, he just refused to accept it.

He hadn’t marked her, he hadn’t even touched her, yet he yearned for her to be by his side. The books on the Hatake clan that had been brought to him from his family home at his request had mentioned the symptoms of encountering a potential mate and he was adamant about squashing down the feelings as they came. He had no guarantee of seeing her again and he wasn’t an animal, he wasn’t going to go take her from her home and bring her to his just to claim her as his own. He was more than his instincts that he’d battled throughout his entire life.

The cold sheets on the empty side of his bed taunted him as he sat up, bringing his hand to his face and pulling down the handmade mask from his face. Her scent had completely faded from the mask, yet he couldn’t bring himself to take it off. He justified himself by believing it was just as good as any other mask, it even fit to his face perfectly with hardly noticeable differences from his usual masks. The stitching down the side had been slightly stretched but it still fit perfectly and he refused to part from it. It was a gift from a potential mate… no… a merchant he had met on his travels and he preferred the comfort of the fabric used to make it.

Growling low to himself, he took a deep breath and tried to imagine the scents he’d encountered in her home. He couldn’t forget the smell of the wood she had made her cabin from, the smell was accentuated by the  summer months bringing out the earthy smells in the wood, along with the slight smell of dirt from the well-maintained garden next to the cabin. His thoughts turned to the smell he’d picked up of dried blood which had led him to her room, possessing him to pull up the loose floorboard and invade her privacy the way he had. He’d recognized the smell and matched it with her own blood from when she’d pricked her finger making his mask. The kunai bag he’d retrieved had been covered in her own blood, not even washed before it was stored, and he had felt the need for answers immediately.

Looking back, he didn’t know if he was ashamed or happy with the results of the conversation that had occurred when he’d confronted her with his findings. While he wanted to say he was surprised, there were certain things about a trained shinobi that couldn’t be easily hidden. Light footsteps, the strength to carry a fully grown man all the way from the creek to the cabin, the guarded answers, the eyes that saw everything that occurred in that cabin as it happened, and the dismissal of odd situations when they happened. His rut had occurred at the worst possible time, yet she hadn’t questioned him or become irate with him like a normal civilian. He’d had his suspicions about her, but the secrets he uncovered were beyond what he expected. The ache in his chest didn’t feel like his own when he’d discovered her secrets, yet he felt just as betrayed as his friends that had mourned her.

Yet, here he was, longing for her like a lovesick puppy. He missed her and had no right to. He sighed and decided to get up to make himself some tea. Maybe he’d actually get some peaceful sleep tonight without her plaguing his thoughts. He scoffed at himself. Yeah, right…

-

“Hey, we’ll talk more tomorrow but I’m here. Tazuna sent some broth from the soup we had for dinner and some water. Can you drink liquids right now?” she asked, almost nervous to have his eye on her again after so long of not seeing him. His gaze was intense and she almost had doubts about being the one to be there to take care of him for the next few days.

“Yeah… I’m just tired. It will probably be a week before I recover. This isn’t the first time. I used the Sharingan too much today.” She looked at him with so much concern that almost had him looking away just to avoid having her full attention on him. He was enjoying the feeling too much and he knew he couldn’t allow himself to get too used to it.

“You should be careful with that. Your cute little students are worried about you.” she mumbled as she helped him sit up, handing him the bowl of broth. His hands were shaking so badly that she took it back immediately before he dropped it. “You’re in no shape to even hold a bowl. I’ll look away but I’m holding the bowl and the spoon. You need to eat and drink.”

“You can look. Nothing you haven’t seen before.” he mumbled back. His head was still foggy from his dream, no, his memory. She nodded and pulled his mask down just below his lips, trying not to focus on the intimacy of the moment before preparing a spoon of broth for him. Holding the spoon to his mouth, she started the process of helping him eat what was in the bowl before helping him with the glass of water. After he was finished, he flashed her a small, almost shy smile. She stopped and stared.

“Is that… Do you have fangs?” she asked, curious. His smile had been intentional, he wouldn’t have shown his teeth if he didn’t want her to see them while his mask was down. He closed his mouth but nodded, still relaxed, but his tone was more serious.

“I’m a Hatake and we’re a clan closely related to wolves. It’s a little different but we do have fangs and an amazing sense of smell. My father had the traits as well. It’s not too different from the Inuzuka clan.” he told her. She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, nothing to be ashamed of. They’re pretty cool. The sense of smell probably isn’t great on any missions where shit stinks but hey, tracking just got a lot easier.” she told him with a smile. He smiled back more confidently, fangs on full display for her. He hadn’t even shared this secret with his teammates before they’d died, yet here he was revealing himself to a woman he’d been obsessed with in silence for years.

“You’re the first to see my teeth besides my father and he’s been gone for a while. I have to keep my mask up around the cute little Genin though. They keep trying to figure out what’s underneath and it’s just too fun to mess with them. If they ever ask, you either saw and won’t tell or you didn’t see anything.” He laughed softly as he said this before closing his eyes and pressing a hand to his head. There was a dull ache behind his Sharingan eye and he felt a pressure in his temples. She helped him lay back down and pulled his mask back up over his nose.

“Get some sleep. Do you have a sleeping bag in your pack? I’m staying in here tonight.” He nodded and she started digging through his pack. While she was turned away from him, he internally agonized over having her so close to him during the night. He also had to resign himself to his sleeping bag smelling like her for the foreseeable future which was torture in its own right. Pulling out Kakashi’s sleeping bag, she laid it down beside the futon and got comfortable. Leaning up to turn the lamp off, Kakashi’s eyes tracked her movements until the light was gone from the room, enveloping them in the dark. As she settled down, she heard him adjust himself slightly.

“Did he really burn your cute little cottage down?” Kakashi asked, tone carefully even. She turned in his direction.

“Yeah. I helped him out when his partner was injured and he decided he needed to erase the evidence. I woke up to the smell of smoke and grabbed what I could. I brought the hidden bag and my weapons and I took off to find the fucker that ruined my peace. You can take me back to Konoha if we make it through this since everything I did to stay away in my own little corner of peace has now been destroyed. I was going to tell you tomorrow but the asshole is still alive. The kid that took him is his partner. They had a plan to bail Zabuza out if he got in over his head. He’s working for a guy named Gato that wants to monopolize all of the imports and exports to and from the Hidden Mist. I’ve been tracking him for a little bit. Your bridge builder has himself in deep with it. If the bridge is built, it’ll ruin everything for Gato. He’ll do anything to stop the bridge. Your Genin are in a bad position, Kakashi.”

Kakashi was silent for a moment and she almost worried he was asleep. She could hear the hitch in his breath as he realized the depth of the situation.

“This is too much for a C-Rank. I should send a message to the Hokage to send a more experienced team to handle this. I can’t lose them.” he said calmly. She couldn’t see him in the dark, but she still stared at him as hard as possible.

“Don’t back down on the mission. Train your Genin and prepare them. This will be an important lesson. I have your back. I think between me and you, we should be able to pull this off. You know, those kids of yours held me up with kunai to my neck and back the second I asked for details on the mission. They were fiercely protective of you. Give them a chance.” She didn’t know why she was advocating for the brats, but something about the determination in their eyes told her that they could get through this.

“You’re here to stay?” Kakashi asked, fighting to keep a hopeful tone from his voice. The doubt and disbelief in his own thoughts had him holding his breath as she thought for a moment.

“For this mission, yeah. And if I’m not locked up when we get back, I’ll stay in Konoha. Maybe I’ll test to be a Jonin so I can get my own cute little Genins to train.” she said with a resigned smile. She heard a rustle from Kakashi’s futon and a hand covered hers in the dark.

“That sounds like a plan. We’ll figure something out.” he told her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile on her face. 

Chapter Text

The next morning, she was woken up by the sound of the kids bursting through the door. The warmth from her hand was gone in an instant and she silently thanked Kakashi for avoiding the situation that would have occurred if the kids had seen them holding hands, even if it was just friendly support. She rested, keeping her eyes closed and her body turned away from the rest of the room, while he explained the situation to them, despite her having spoken with them the previous night. He stressed the danger of the situation, yet was careful not to scare them. 

“Avurin told us that this mission was very dangerous last night. We just need to train to get stronger so we can give you and Avurin as much help as we can and then we can complete the mission!” Naruto shouted enthusiastically. Another child’s voice chimed in, yelling about them losing their lives for opposing Gato and storming out. Naruto was pretty upset and left to follow him. She mentally rolled her eyes. Civilians. Shinobi signed up for the dangers of these missions knowing they could lose their lives. It was good that Naruto was having the stress of the situation presented, but it was still irritating to deal with distressed civilians. 

“Sakura, Sasuke, go get your training equipment. We’re going to train today. There’s a very important lesson that I think you are ready for.” Kakashi told them, sending them out of the room. Avurin groaned once they were out of the room and sat up, knowing her hair was sticking out at odd angles from the ponytail that had loosened during the night. Tazuna and the young woman were still there, giving Kakashi an apologetic look. 

“We’re sorry for Inari’s behavior. He lost his father to Gato’s gang. He’s young and doesn’t understand that shinobi are trained to handle these things.” The young woman spoke before bowing and leaving the room. Tazuna followed after, shutting the door carefully after him. Avurin looked at Kakashi, dreading the next week. She was more of an active duty born-from-war shinobi, not one for soothing the worries of civilians. Her team hadn’t been anything but jerks to civilians when she was a Genin and they didn’t improve on their social skills even when they were promoted to Chunin. After dealing with their behavior for years, originally just as flippant shinobi that didn’t care for much other than war and later as completely emotionally disconnected shinobi, she had lost all motivation for trying to sooth the negative emotions of upset civilians. 

“Let’s get ready to train some cute little kids about the dangers of life-threatening missions, hm?” Kakashi chirped as he pulled himself from the bed. She nodded and went over to their packs, grabbing his jacket which had dried out overnight. It was heavy, obviously full of hidden weapons and other equipment. She laughed quietly to herself, remembering how he’d tucked the shell she’d given him into one of the pockets and she’d told him it would break. If it hadn’t, she’d be surprised.

She wordlessly helped Kakashi put his jacket and shoes on before taking a pair of crutches that were placed near the door and putting them under his arms. She took a moment to go through her own pack, putting her kunai pouch on and taking her Konoha headband out of it, holding it in front of her. 

“I won’t think any less of you if you don’t want to wear it,” Kakashi commented from next to the door as he waited for her to finish getting ready. She shook her head and fixed her ponytail before tying the headband on her upper left arm. 

“I’m here and I’m reclaiming my position as a Konoha Chunin. It’s an obligation. Have to look the part, even if I don’t feel like it.” she spat bitterly. She grabbed some ointments from her pack and put them in the pouch before grabbing her bow and katana. 

“You know, I noticed you never carry arrows with that thing but you did kill a couple of rabbits with it. Never figured that part out.” Kakashi said as he hobbled towards the door. She shrugged. 

“Chakra. I just focus it into a shape and send it flying. No arrows to make and retrieve. My hope when I was on some of my last missions was that I’d be able to find out my chakra affinity and infuse it with the ‘arrows’ I was shooting.” She opened the door and they walked into the hallway. Kakashi narrowed his eye at her in an almost deadpan look. 

“They let you make Chunin without knowing your Chakra affinity?” he asked. She shrugged again. 

“You know how it was back then. We were fodder. If you passed the test, you made the rank. I passed the test and I advanced. My sensei didn’t expect me to live long enough for that training to be useful.” Kakashi stopped and stared at her with a hard gaze. 

“You really were wronged by everyone close to you, weren’t you?” he asked, voice edging on a dangerous note. 

“Yeah. I was. So you understand why I feel like I’m walking to the trenches facing the Yellow Flash in war, right?” she snapped. His eyes fell to the floor. They were interrupted by Sakura and Sasuke with Naruto in tow. 

“We’re ready! Tazuna said that there is a clearing to the East that we can use for training!” Naruto shouted. Avurin pinched the bridge of her nose. It was going to be a long day. 

-

At the training ground, a beginner’s course of chakra control was conducted and Avurin found herself yawning. After several weeks of tracking Zabuza with little sleep, she was exhausted. Kakashi demonstrated walking up a tree and gave each of the Genin a kunai to mark the tree at the highest points they can reach. She had to admire his patience with the team, especially with the loudmouth that Naruto was. Sakura, of course, had it on the first try. Avurin was starting to worry about the skill level of the team if they couldn’t even climb trees with chakra.

They were more inexperienced than she expected. They had to be fresh out of the Academy. Sure, this was supposed to be their first C-Rank mission but she would have expected them to be further along in their training than this. Kakashi was calm as ever as he watched their progress while he was upside down on a tree. She could sense Tazuna’s grandson watching before getting bored and leaving. Shaking her head, she put her hands in her pockets and walked up the tree to sit on the branch Kakashi was standing on. She was surprised when he walked around the branch and sat down next to her, putting the crutches across his lap. She watched, curious, as he opened one of his jacket pockets and gave her a piece of paper. 

“Push chakra into it. You’ll know your primary affinity by what happens.” She shot a look at him with wide eyes and back at the paper between her hands. He was just carrying around chakra paper when her own sensei didn’t bother to ever offer her one? She pushed a small amount of chakra into the paper and it wrinkled, a small tingling feeling spreading over the pads of her fingers. Kakashi threw an arm over her shoulder and leaned close to her ear. 

“That’s lightning. Lucky for you, you happen to know the best lightning user in Konoha and we have a week of training Genin which has some free time. I don’t see the point in watching them bounce off the ground for hours with nothing to do. What do you say?” She could hardly contain her excitement as he whispered in her ear. She turned to him after he finished whispering and smiled. 

“Let’s do it. I can’t believe I finally know my affinity…” She looked back down at the paper and tucked it into her kunai pouch. He pulled her close with the arm over her shoulders for a moment before letting her go and standing to walk slowly down the tree. She followed and observed the kids. 

Sakura was exhausted but had been consistently practicing walking all over the tree. Naruto had barely made any progress, and none of that progress was legitimate considering he just ran at the tree and the marks were about as high as he could physically jump without chakra. Sasuke had made some progress, but nothing significant yet. Naruto was whispering to Sakura, likely asking for help. She had to admit that was personal growth she wasn’t expecting. 

She could sense an immense amount of chakra in the kid but would save her questions for when Kakashi and her were completely alone. Possibly after they returned to Konoha if everything went well. She didn’t want to pry. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the kid looked like Lord Fourth and had so much chakra. She knew she would be missing several years of events in Konoha so it wouldn't be a stretch to assume Minato Namikaze had a kid. 

They called it quits when the sun started to set and headed back to the house. As Kakashi gave the kids some tips and a small lecture at the table, she helped the young woman in the kitchen to make another fish-based dinner. 

“Inari wandered into the woods earlier. I’m sorry if he interrupted your training today. I’m his mother and sometimes it’s almost like he forgets that I exist.” she said sadly. Avurin placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. 

“He didn’t interrupt anything. This can be hard to face, especially since he lost his father to those goons. He cares, he just has a harsh way of showing it.” Avurin saw some of the light return to the woman’s eyes and turned away from her to continue cooking. Avurin didn’t know where the sudden words of compassion had come from, but she couldn’t run away from the conversation while she was helping to make dinner.

“Yes, I guess that’s true. You seem to care an awful lot for the kids’ teacher as well.” the woman teased. Avurin fought the blush rising on her cheeks. She gently set down the knife she was using to clean the fish and looked at the woman over her shoulder. 

“Please don’t talk about that here. Things are very tense in this situation, even if it doesn’t look like it. I’m here to assist with the mission, that’s all there is to it. The kids can’t catch wind of anything like that or it will be harder when we get back to the village. I have some things to answer for when we get there and I can’t have them trying to butt into it for the sake of their sensei’s friend who cares a little too much. So, please, don’t say a word about it again.” Her patience was running thin and while civilians didn’t have to worry about information like this being out in the open in what could be innocent teasing, the situation was tense and the kids really couldn’t catch wind of this. It would be fun to accept the teasing, but she couldn’t put Kakashi or his students in that position in the event that she was going to be arrested when she arrived at the village. Kakashi would accept it, the kids wouldn’t. Especially Naruto. 

“Ah, I apologize. Here, let me handle dinner and you go spend time with your friends. Besides, if Dad catches you in here helping, he’ll make you leave the kitchen in a less friendly manner.” The woman smiled at Avurin, gently pushing her out of the kitchen. Avurin huffed and walked into the dining room, seeing Naruto and Sasuke glaring at each other at the table and Kakashi reading Icha Icha Paradise. She stomped over to his chair and snatched the book out of his hand. He looked at her with a chilling gaze that almost made her shiver from the pure animosity hidden in his eye but she held her ground. 

“It’s mine. You stole it.” she stated matter-of-factly. The kids had gone silent to watch the two shinobi. Kakashi looked like he was fighting a smile. 

“Ah, I suppose it is. It was just so good and I needed something for the trip home. Would you mind if I continued to borrow it? Every time I read it, it’s like reading it for the first time all over again.” Kakashi asked, the same cold feeling radiating off of him, except she could also feel a hint of embarrassment. It was a show for the kids. They had to have been trying to get the book out of his hands for some time. 

“What would I get out of it? You owe me for a two year loan and this book is actually quite valuable nowadays, being a signed first edition.” She was playing with fire and she knew it. Why did she continue to dig the hole? 

“Anything you want, Avie. Anything.” he promised, a heavy suggestion in his voice. Her face was likely red to the tips of her ears at this point partly from the use of the nickname but she crossed her arms with the book trapped against her chest. He wouldn’t dare reach towards her chest in front of the kids. He may be trying to pressure her to give it back through embarrassment, but she had her own tricks.

“I’ll have to think about it. In the meantime, I’ll be holding onto this.” Kakashi’s eyes fell to the book held against her chest and her eye twitched. This was escalating way too far. 

“Sensei! Stop being a pervert!” Sakura screeched, apparently having enough of her sensei’s behavior. Kakashi seemed to come to his senses and turned back to his highly embarrassed, red-faced Genin. 

“Mah, mah, calm down. Just friendly teasing, right Avie?” he asked, sliding a sly eye to her. She huffed and plopped down into the chair next to him, holding the book close. 

“Of course. No harm done. This book is perverted, though. Some white-haired asshole passing through town gave it to me shortly after I built the cabin and it was the first book on my shelf. It holds sentimental value and that’s the only reason I had it. We’ll discuss what you can trade for it later.” She wasn’t promising anything, but the glint in his eye made her feel like she had just fallen for some sort of trap despite holding all of the cards or in this case, the book. The young woman walked into the room with Tazuna and Inari, carrying the food as they set the table, effectively ending that conversation. 

Dinner was calm and quiet, everyone eating what they could after a day of training. Everyone said their goodnights and Avurin found herself following Kakashi to his room, still hobbling on his crutches. Was it still okay for her to stay in his room? He didn’t need her to watch over him now that he was already walking around and could feed himself. He seemed to pick up on her sudden spike of anxiety as they walked into the room and he closed the door behind him. 

“You know that I was joking, right?” he asked as he set the crutches down and took his jacket off, setting it next to their bags like it had been the previous night. She nodded but looked down at the book in her hands. 

“And you know that I actually do really value this book, right?” she asked. He nodded as well as he sat down on the futon, not settling down for bed yet. 

“I… I didn’t really think about it when I took it. I just didn’t have much to remember that calm little cottage by and that book is about as close as I could get. I still have the shell you gave me, it’s at home on my own bookshelf.” He was genuine, yet embarrassed. She sighed and set the book down next to their things. Of course he still had the shell.

“I get it. Those few days were really nice. You were different from what I expected and I lived with doubts about what would happen if I went back to Konoha after you left. It was crippling sometimes. I felt like the peace I had was an empty shell of what life could be. You made me think about it and when you left, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kind of started feeling miserable.” She laughed softly to herself, pulling her hair out of the ponytail she’d kept it in. Slipping her arm covers off, she sat down on top of Kakashi’s sleeping bag next to where he was sitting on the futon. The scars were prominent in the light of sunset and she traced one with her fingers. 

“I can’t let go of the past, but a future with friends and maybe a family someday, that was too tempting to ignore. I was lonely, I just wanted to pretend it was what I wanted. I’m willing to face the consequences in Konoha for a chance at that kind of future. We’re not at war anymore even if things are still tense. It isn’t the same. And after meeting your cute little team, I think there’s some hope for the next generation.” She looked at him with a smile so bright her eyes were closed. She felt the sharp prick of tears at the corners of her eyes. 

A hand touched her cheek and wiped one of the tears as it fell. 

“I promised that you would have a home in Konoha if you chose to come back. I’ll do what I can to make that happen when we get home, okay?” he promised. She sniffled a little and looked at his uncovered eye.

“Okay. That will be the trade for the book. If I can go back to Konoha and life can be better, I’ll give you the book back. Sound good?” she asked. She felt like a fool for bartering such a silly promise for a book she really cared about, but to her it felt like anything Kakashi promised her right then would be met. He nodded and in the growing darkness of the room, she saw him pull his mask down. His hand was still on her cheek, warm and calloused from a life of war and battles hard fought. He leaned forward and she met him in the middle, a light shiver running down her body from the overwhelming emotions. 

Their lips met as the last of the light of the sun left the room.

Chapter Text

She pulled back sharply, Kakashi’s hand dropping from her cheek as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand, face burning hot and a whimper escaping her. Kakashi just sighed and she could see him in the dimly lit room pulling his mask back up. 

“I’m sorry,” she said before she could stop herself. He hadn’t stopped looking at her as her gaze dropped to the ground between them. 

“What are you sorry for?” he asked, sounding tired. 

“I… that was my first kiss… and I really need time to think about this. We don’t know what’s going to happen to me when we get back to Konoha. We can’t put ourselves in a position to get hurt if I’m thrown in a cell or worse… Not that I don’t feel like this could be something to try, I just can’t accept it if I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.” She was mumbling, suddenly feeling ashamed for not being able to control herself. A hand on her shoulder brought her eyes back up to meet his. 

“You won’t be thrown in a cell ‘or worse.’ I know it’s hard, but trust me. I won’t lie and say everything is going to be fine, but we’ll figure it out. We can come back to this when you’re ready.” They were simple words but the honesty meant a lot to her. She nodded and he dropped his hand from her shoulder. 

“Let’s get some sleep,” she mumbled. He nodded and laid down on his futon. She wrapped herself in the sleeping bag she was borrowing, ignoring that his scent was surrounding her. At least that’s what she told herself as she nuzzled closer into the fabric. 

-

The next day, they pretended that nothing had happened. Kakashi was his usual self but she could tell that he was still exhausted and he was using the day to rest so she didn’t bother him aside from meals throughout the day. She spent time with Inari’s mother, helping with chores around the home while Tazuna wasn’t there to tell her not to. She could tell Inari’s mother was thankful for the help. 

At the end of the day, everyone was sitting around the dinner table. Naruto and Sasuke were eating furiously until they both finally threw up. Apparently it was a competition. After Sakura and Kakashi were finished giving their own lectures, Avurin stood, putting her hands down on the table firmly. 

“Boys, Inari’s mother and I worked very hard on that food and even made extra to help you recover your energy for your training. Be respectful at the table and put your competitions aside when you walk through the door to this home, no, any home for that matter. You won’t be getting any more food tonight. Clean up your mess.” She was gritting her teeth as she took her plate to the sink, cleaning it quickly and stomping out of the room. She knew they were kids but they were disrespectful and getting more and more irritating to deal with as the days passed. 

She went up to her and Kakashi’s room, shutting the door behind her. She was already stressed enough with the impending battle with Zabuza and Haku, then after that she would have to face Konoha’s punishment if she survived. She couldn’t handle bickering children. She dug through her bag in the corner of the room, pulling out Icha Icha Paradise before sitting cross-legged on the sleeping bag she was borrowing from Kakashi. The cover looked well-worn at this point and the pages were yellowed from use. 

Propping herself against Kakashi’s futon, she opened the book and started reading. She hadn’t actually read the book in its entirety since that old pervert had given it to her, she had just barely read enough to understand that it was just porn before it found a permanent place on her bookshelf. She didn’t have anything better to do so she thought reading it at this point would at least be entertaining.

“Mah, making me jealous?” Kakashi chimed in from the doorway as she was finishing the first chapter. She glanced up at him and carefully turned the page. 

“Just seeing what there is to love about this now, thanks to you, worn down old book. If you’re reading it as often as your students say you are, there has to be something thrilling about it.” She tried to stay as calm as possible as he took off his jacket and sat down next to her. He peeked over her shoulder and she snapped the book shut. 

“Hey! If you’re going to hold onto it, at least let me read it too!” he mocked being hurt as she tossed the book back into the pile of their things. 

“Nope! You’ve had enough time to read it and be a pervert in front of your cute little self-centered, over-competitive students. I choose when I want to read it and you can deal with that.” She huffed, moving to sit down on the sleeping bag. He raised an eyebrow at her. 

“So, you’re still upset with them.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. She crossed her arms. 

“I’ll get over it. They needed the lesson on respect to those making their food.” Kakashi sighed and tilted his head, looking at the ceiling in exasperation. 

“I doubt it’ll stick. Don’t get too upset about it or hold it against them. I still have trouble making lessons matter to them when they get so caught up in their competitions or little fights.” He sounded as tired as he looked in that moment. She relaxed a little and leaned back with her hands on the floor. 

“So, how exactly did the Kakashi that I remember get stuck with such a troublesome team? Payback from the Hokage, perhaps?” she teased. He sighed again and closed his exposed eye. She hated that his face was covered, he had a handsome face and his Sharingan was almost mesmerizing. Yet, she understood the need for some privacy, especially with his traits that would have people asking questions left and right. 

“Something like that, I’m sure. I’ve been through a lot since I was that snarky little brat that you remember. I wouldn’t put it past Lord Third to stick me with some snarky brats to remind me of where I came from.” She bristled. 

“Lord Third? What happened to Lord Fourth?” she asked before she could stop herself. She had been so isolated in that cabin that she had never gotten any updates on the state of things in Konoha. She hadn’t wanted to know at the time, however, she had to know this kind of information before she just skipped back into the village. From the drop in Kakashi’s shoulders and the very serious darkness that took over Kakashi’s eye, she knew it wasn’t good. 

“You don’t know anything about what happened after you left the village, do you?” he asked, voice dry. She felt her breath hitch and sat up straight, crossing her legs. 

“No. I thought I would never go back. I need to know before I walk back into this mess.” she stated as calmly as she could. Kakashi straightened as best that he could to convey the gravity of the situation before explaining, his tone grave. 

“You left just before Lord Fourth married his wife. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki and she was a Jinchuriki and carried the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of her. After they were married, she became pregnant and they planned a ritual for the day that she gave birth to prevent the Kyuubi from escaping. I… I was given the day off, apparently a plan from the beginning by Lord Fourth so that I wouldn’t put myself in danger in case things didn’t go well. Of course, something went wrong and the Kyuubi destroyed large parts of Konoha until Lord Fourth and Kushina sacrificed themselves to save Konoha and sealed the Kyuubi into their newborn baby boy. The boy’s name is Naruto Uzumaki.” He gave her a moment to process this before sighing and finishing. “Lord Third came out of retirement and took the hat after the incident and he will be the Hokage until a new Hokage is appointed.” He finished with a quiet tone and Avurin felt herself shivering, tears coming to her eyes. 

“I’m… I’m so sorry…” she said quietly as she felt the tears fall down. She hadn’t paid much attention to the other teams due to her own struggles but she knew that Lord Fourth had been a Jonin instructor and Kakashi had been on his team as a Genin and Chunin. He had a reputation so there had been a lot of talk of Kakashi from her own teammates as well as Gai and Asuma. Minato Namikaze had been named Hokage shortly before she had left. It was safe to say that Kakashi had been at least close to his instructor and to be teaching his Sensei’s child after losing his own Sensei had to be difficult. The guilt of leaving before the destruction of her own village ate at her and she closed her eyes, letting out a quiet sob. Her throat hurt, constricting her breathing, and her heart ached as she gave in to the emotions hitting her like a tsunami.

“I should have been there…” she whispered, covering her face with shaking hands. Gloved hands pulled her own from her face, revealing her beet red face, tears, and a runny nose to the man that she had kissed the previous night and who had been the one to lose his Sensei that night. She kept her eyes shut so she couldn’t see the look on the Jonin’s face, watching this girl break down in front of him. 

“You couldn’t have known. None of us saw it coming. The only one who seemed to have an idea was Lord Fourth and that was only because he was actually quite paranoid. Don’t blame yourself for running away, Avurin. We lost a lot of good shinobi that day and I’m glad that you weren’t there to lose your life as well. You had good reason to be away and now you’re coming back. The rest will fall into place. The past is the past.” The shushing words from Kakashi didn’t stop the flow of tears but the heat from his hands holding hers was reassuring. 

“I-I know it’s not completely rational to be so upset. I just… I just can’t believe that I covered my eyes and ears to everything that was happening in Konoha and just… just stuck my head in the sand while my home was destroyed and innocent people died…'' she sobbed. The hands holding hers slipped away for a moment only to come back, holding the back of her head and wrapping around the back of her shoulders. She found her face pressed against a dark blue shirt and cried harder, letting out a pitiful, muted wail into Kakashi’s chest. 

“You called it ‘my home…’” Kakashi’s voice rumbled next to her ear. She sniffled and nodded. “Everything will fall into place, Avurin. What has already happened can’t be changed as much as we wish it could. We can just protect our home and the people in it until the next generation takes over for us. That’s why I’m helping teach the next generation. That boy wants to become Hokage… Some people can’t stand to hear it from the child carrying the demon that killed their loved ones. However, he doesn’t give up. He has the Will of Fire. He doesn’t know who his parents are or what happened, it’s a law in the village currently to not tell him. One day, he’ll discover it on his own and I plan to be there to stoke the flame as he charges forward to fulfill his dream and prove those people wrong. He’s leading the next generation and wants to bring peace. We just need to protect him and teach him until he can. You care. We need more shinobi that care. That’s why I know that everything will be okay when you come back.” 

She started to calm down, her breathing evening out as exhaustion started to take over. She nodded into Kakashi’s chest again. The message was clear. Mourn now and move on. Teach the next generation to not make the same mistakes. The past may be soaked with blood, but the future doesn’t have to be. She started to notice the situation she was in as her awareness came back to her. She was in Kakashi’s lap from how close he had pulled her, the arm that had been around her shoulders was now around her lower back and the other was pressing her face to his chest in a firm hold. His chin was on top of her head, his breathing slightly hitched. She pulled her face from his shirt, wincing at the stickiness of her tears and runny nose made itself apparent. 

She should have been mortified and embarrassed, but she was comfortable. She could admit to herself that the comfort felt nice after so long on her own. She hadn’t had someone to hug when things hurt since she had been around Gai and Asuma and even then, Gai’s hugs hadn’t always been consensual. They definitely hadn’t been in a position as intimate as this one. She adjusted herself to bring her arms around Kakashi’s midsection, clutching at the back of his shirt and pressing her forehead against his chest, keeping her head down, hoping she wasn’t pushing Kakashi past what was comfortable.

“Let’s get to bed, Avie,” Kakashi whispered. She sighed and pulled herself away from his chest, pulling her hands away at the same time he did. She sat back, pushing herself out of his lap while rubbing at her eyes. Her head hurt and the loss of the brief comfort left her feeling empty. She silently berated herself for the moment of weakness and for pushing for too much in her touch-starved thoughts. Kakashi stood with a quiet groan, taking off his gloves and pushing his forehead protector back over his eye. Her own eyes narrowed. When had he revealed his Sharingan and why? He seemed to notice her suspicion and shrugged, nonchalant. “I was just making sure no one could hear or see us.” 

“Makes sense,” she sighed. Stretching her arms above her head, she shook her head to try to get the fogginess to go away. Kakashi settled on the futon and looked in her direction, a hesitant look in his eye. He hadn’t pulled the comforter over himself. 

“I know the sudden bad news is hard to just ignore. I still respect your decision but you look like you don’t exactly want to sleep by yourself.” He avoided eye contact with her and the question he was trying not to outright ask became obvious. He had made room for her on the futon. She thought for a moment before throwing her reservations to the wind. Nodding and laying down next to him, she pulled the comforter over both of them as she turned off the lamp in the room. 

“Thank you…” she whispered to him in the dark. She felt his arm pressed against her own from where they were laid side-by-side on the small futon, the warmth being a comfort by itself. She couldn’t help but want what he’d been willing to give her earlier and with how emotionally drained she was, her hesitations about asking were almost nonexistent. “You can… you know…” she mumbled, turning over on her side facing away from him. He seemed to take the hint without giving her any trouble and she felt him press against her back, an arm slowly wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. His grip was firm but comfortable, no hesitation in his actions once she didn’t express any discomfort. It was comforting and almost protective. She hadn’t shared a bed with a man before this but she was finding that she was already becoming very reliant on the comfort that it offered in this vulnerable moment. 

“Sleep well…” he whispered from right behind her head. She felt a light blush on her face but didn’t hesitate in returning the statement. 

“Sleep well, Kakashi.” 

Chapter Text

After that night, they didn’t share the futon again. Inari’s mother had walked in the next morning and found them sleeping together, apparently wrapped in each other so tightly that she didn’t bother them but left a cup of water on the floor next to them to let them know that she had been there. Kakashi had woken when she had walked into the room but had waited until she was gone before gently waking Avurin up, letting her know that they had a visitor while they had been sleeping. She had been too tired to be embarrassed and had simply unwrapped herself from Kakashi, moving on with her day. 

The kids continued training, the competition high as the marks on the trees grew higher and higher. Avurin watched the training occasionally just to make sure they were actually focusing on the training instead of fighting each other, seeing Naruto from a new light as he reached new heights each day. Her and Kakashi had decided to wait until they got back to the village before working on her own training with her newly discovered lightning nature. He had explained that there were certain jutsu that he planned to teach her but he needed to be at full strength to do them and the kids currently needed a lot more attention before the impending battle. The family that they had been staying with had a lot of history with Gato’s little group and Inari had to be lectured by Kakashi on Naruto’s history to get the kid to stop spreading his pessimistic views on the situation. 

Finally, a week had passed and Kakashi was back to normal. He moved with a casual demeanor but Avurin could see occasional glimpses of the training he had endured over the years. A quick flash from one location to the next, a kick that seemed to materialize from thin air, catching anything that was thrown at him without blinking. She was watching him a lot more closely as they prepared for the reunion with Zabuza and Haku. She was worried. She wanted to get to know him. She wanted to go home with him and see her friends again. She wanted to live. 

With Kakashi back to full health, they decided to escort Tazuna to the bridge together after tensions started to run high. Tazuna was making great progress with the bridge and if something was going to happen, it would happen soon to prevent the finishing of the bridge. Naruto had finally reached the top of the tree the previous day but had exhausted his chakra doing it so Kakashi had decided to leave Naruto at the house to recover. Apparently that had not been the right decision. 

When they arrived at the bridge, the workers were scattered throughout the area, having been attacked just prior to their arrival, and a mist was rolling into the area. 

“What happened?! Someone got to them!” Tazuna yelled, looking at his men scattered over the bridge. Kakashi’s eye narrowed and he glanced at Avurin. She nodded. Everyone put their backs to each other, forming a circle. Avurin unsheathed her katana, holding it out in front of her as Sasuke and Sakura put their hands on their own weapons. Kakashi prepared his hands to create a jutsu at any given moment. 

“Sorry I kept you waiting, Kakashi. I see you still have the harlot and the brats with you. That one is still trembling.” Zabuza’s voice rang through the area before several clones surrounded the circle. 

“I’m trembling with excitement.” Sasuke stated from next to Avurin as he looked one of the clones in the eyes. She would have rolled her own eyes if they weren’t in a standoff. 

‘What a fucking psychopathic child…’ she thought at the same time Kakashi voiced his approval. Sasuke quickly took care of the water clones and Avurin actually rolled her eyes. ‘Little show-off, too. I guess Kakashi knows how to get the kid to train seriously.’ 

“Looks like you have a rival, Haku,” Zabuza drawled as Kakashi and Sasuke faced the real Zabuza with Haku at his side. 

“Looks like you were right, Avurin. They ran a scam to get the jump on us as long as we thought Zabuza was dead.” Kakashi said, glancing at her and smiling. She smirked. 

“I’d recognize the fuckers that burned down my home, behind a mask or not. I overheard too many conversations between the two in my own home not to use the information. Repaying my kindness with that kind of bullshit deserves having their little scam ruined before they even had a chance.” She smirked in Zabuza’s direction, knowing he could hear her. “You fucked with the wrong ‘harlot,’ Zabuza.” 

“Oh shut your mouth, you run it too much. You should have kept your dog home with that mouth choking on his-” Zabuza was cut off by Kakashi speaking, obviously uncomfortable with the explicit turn of the conversation.

“Who does that kid hiding behind the mask think he’s fooling?” Kakashi teased from behind gritted teeth. Avurin winced. Zabuza was starting to strike a nerve. 

“Speak for yourself, Sensei!” Sakura chimed in. 

“That’s it. I’m taking him out. Who does he think he’s fooling, hiding behind a mask like some sort of clown?” Sasuke asked. If Avurin rolled her eyes any harder, they’d get stuck that way. Kakashi had just said that.

“Sasuke, you’re so cool!” Sakura cheered and Avurin felt a vein in her forehead tick slightly. She felt a fluctuation in chakra from Haku and turned her attention back to the standoff. 

Haku lunged with light feet, twisting into a small tornado as he charged Sasuke who was smiling like a little lunatic. They met in the middle, senbon to kunai. Avurin was surprised Sasuke had managed to keep up with Haku but was glad that he had a chance. They needed every hand they could get in this fight. 

“Sakura, stay with Tazuna and stay close to me. Avurin, stay with her but watch my back.” Avurin nodded, standing closer to Tazuna and Sakura with her katana still drawn. They watched as Sasuke and Haku traded blows, talking to each other quietly as they stood at a standstill for a moment. Avurin felt her eyes widen along with Kakashi’s as Haku started using hand signs with only one hand. This was beyond advanced. Avurin found herself worrying about Sasuke’s ability to keep up with an opponent that could use advanced skills like that.

The water around Sasuke and Haku began to float before sharpening into several needles, converging on the two before Kakashi or Avurin could do anything to prevent it. Haku jumped back at the last second and Avurin caught the flash of Sasuke shooting into the air to avoid the needles, following the attack with several shuriken aimed at Haku. Haku avoided them with ease, however with some footwork, Sasuke managed to land a kick to Haku, sending him flying back to Zabuza who looked on in shock. 

“You made a big mistake insulting these Genin. It brings out Sasuke’s attitude and he’s one of Konoha’s best young fighters. Sakura is our sharpest mind and Naruto is as unpredictable as always. He’s the number one hyperactive knucklehead.” Kakashi bragged across the bridge. Avurin elbowed him and glared. 

“Stop gloating. This is serious.” she growled. Zabuza seemed to laugh before sending Haku to attack Sasuke again. Avurin watched as ice formed into a dome of mirrors around Sasuke before Haku merged into the mirrors, appearing on each one. Kakashi growled and lunged towards the dome, fully intending on stopping the attack, however Zabuza blocked him. Avurin moved to join Kakashi but he subtly put a hand up behind his back to stop her. 

“If you try to jump in, you’re fighting me and I’m killing those three. Including your little harlot that you seem so fond of.” Zabuza said with a smirk behind the bandages on his face. Kakashi hesitated and they watched as senbon started cutting into Sasuke from every angle. A kunai flew from over Avurin’s shoulder, aiming into the dome but Haku caught it. Avurin looked back to Sakura and saw the look of horror on the girl’s face. In that brief moment where Haku was vulnerable, a shuriken flew from the air and knocked Haku out of his mirror. Avurin watched as Naruto appeared in a dramatic puff of smoke. 

After a flashy show of Naruto blocking senbon seemingly by luck alone, Avurin was shocked to hear Kakashi give him a very thorough dressing down in the middle of the battle. While she agreed that Naruto should have remained hidden and not just charged in and revealed everything from the get-go, that harsh tone was certainly a team Captain’s voice from a battlefield. Naruto didn’t seem affected in the least, however. He was sorry, sure, but there was no true fear or urgency in his whining. 

Haku demanded to fight Naruto as well as Sasuke which Zabuza allowed. Avurin’s eyes narrowed at Zabuza. He was playing a game with them and keeping Kakashi held off on the side would only work for so long. There was only so much to be observed from Haku who had the opportunity to kill Sasuke ten times over, yet didn’t hit a single vital spot on Sasuke. Something wasn’t connecting between Zabuza and his partner. 

“Don’t even think about it! Same goes for you, harlot! Remember the score, if either of you step in, I go after the bridge builder.” Zabuza snapped as Kakashi took a step towards Naruto. She couldn’t blame Kakashi for wanting to protect his team, however he was currently keeping Zabuza out of the fight. By breaking the battles up like this, the kids may have a chance without Zabuza just committing a massacre of all of them right off the bat. Haku and Zabuza weren’t working together at the moment and that was an advantage they sorely needed. 

Kakashi could leave her to protect Tazuna despite Zabuza’s threat to go after him if Kakashi tried to protect his students, however something was holding him back. Her eyes narrowed at the back of Kakashi’s head. This worked right now, but he could trust her abilities if it came down to it. She didn’t want Zabuza jumping in if he was content to watch the Genin fight his pet. She wasn’t planning on jumping in to save the Genin either, she knew she would get into trouble and cause trouble for Kakashi. He was the Captain of this mission and she was in no place to act outside of his orders. 

The kids were arguing inside of the mirror dome and while there were flames being blown into the mirrors and shadow clones exploding, she could see Haku was just toying with the kids. 

“I’ve got it! It’s a kekkei genkai!” Kakashi exclaimed. After an on-the-spot lesson on bloodline traits for Sakura, they all watched on in horror with the implication that the jutsu being used couldn’t be broken. After the explosions stopped, they could hear Haku speaking about not wanting to kill them but he would just to protect a special person and his dream. Avurin glared in Zabuza’s direction. What had he done to this kid for such loyalty?

“Naruto! Sasuke! Take him out! You can do it!” Sakura shouted towards her teammates. Kakashi turned towards her with a dark look in his eye. 

“Don’t, Sakura. Don’t push them. Even if they somehow found the way to overcome this mirror jutsu, they wouldn’t have the strength to defeat the ninja.” Avurin froze. Kakashi almost sounded like he had given up on them but he had to have a plan, right?

“How can you be so sure?!” Sakura yelled, obviously upset. 

“They have the desire to win but they don’t have the instinct to kill. That boy is a whole other breed. He lives for pain and thrives on it.” Kakashi stated, his voice deep. Avurin had seen her fair share of battle and knew about killing intent. It could be felt similar to chakra in some extreme cases. It didn’t roll off of Haku the way it did for Zabuza, but she understood what was being implied. Haku’s demeanor could change at any moment. They were in a very precarious situation if Haku made up his mind. Sakura didn’t need the lecture about killing intent in the middle of this battle, they didn’t need to scare her any more with that kind of information. All she needed to know was that some people had an instinct to kill in some cases and right now, Haku should be treated as such. 

“Your village has become complacent. Your trainees never learned the most important lesson. To kill the feelings in their own hearts and crush an opponent mercilessly.” Zabuza’s killing intent rolled off of him in waves, intensifying as he spoke. The Demon of the Mist was known for his bloodlust and Avurin had spent her fair share of the last month watching the man kill like it was a sport.

“What are we going to do?” Sakura asked. 

Kakashi took a moment to assess his options before putting his hand up towards his headband, intending on revealing his Sharingan. Zabuza had faced it before, though, and despite his standing and reasoning, he wasn’t an idiot.

“That same trick won’t work on me,” Zabuza said as he lodged a kunai in Kakashi’s hand that had flashed forward to protect his face. Kakashi’s blood dripped to the ground and Avurin froze.

“Sensei!” 

“Kakashi!” Avurin felt herself yell. She didn’t expect him to get hit so easily. 

“If it’s the same trick, why stop me?” Kakashi asked, his own killing intent starting to come off of him. Avurin could feel the tension building between the two. 

“Let your opponent see your jutsu too many times and he’ll find a way to use it against you.”

“Count yourself lucky, you’re the only man alive to see my Sharingan twice. Show’s over. There won’t be a third time.” Kakashi growled. His voice had dropped to a deep rumble that carried a very serious warning. Avurin shivered. It was like watching animals squaring up to fight to the death. Zabuza seemed to enjoy it if the smile under the bandages was anything to go by. 

“Even if you did defeat me, you’d have no chance against Haku. I trained him in the most advanced ninja techniques. I taught him everything I know in addition to his own special abilities. His power has surpassed even mine. I’ve created a perfect tool, unlike your useless pups!” Zabuza told Kakashi. There was a sharp spike in the killing intent coming from Kakashi. Avurin had a feeling calling his Genin his pups may have been a little on-the-head for him. Kakashi had mentioned that some wolf traits had carried over, were his Genin his pups in this case?

“Let’s finish this, now!” Kakashi snarled as he pulled his headband up and his eye honed in on Zabuza. Zabuza growled back and revealed that Haku had observed everything about Kakashi’s Sharingan during their last battle, reiterating that there wasn’t anything about Kakashi’s Sharingan that Zabuza felt like he couldn’t counter. The mist became thicker around them, blinding everyone. Avurin inched closer to Tazuna as she heard Kakashi tell Sakura to do the same. 

“Stay close!” Avurin yelled to both of them as she started focusing on feeling chakra signatures close to them. Kakashi and Zabuza hadn’t moved just yet but she needed to know if she had to get Tazuna to safety if they got too close. She had a feeling this battle was going to get very, very messy. 

The sounds of battle started from Kakashi and Zabuza’s position. 

“Without your Sharingan, you are nothing. You wanted me to believe you could see anything, even time. I’m still alive, you’re a fraud. The Sharingan is just a cheap trick. It has two elements, the hypnotic eye to mesmerize your opponent and the piercing eye that sees everything. All you’re doing is copying me like a monkey. A very simple plan can defeat you. Neutralizing your piercing eye with the mist and neutralizing your hypnotic eye by keeping my eyes closed, you can’t use it.” Zabuza’s voice cut through the mist. That was what he was doing? Neutralizing the Sharingan? Kakashi was stronger than the eye but Zabuza didn’t know that. The entire time Avurin was in the village, his achievements were earned without that eye. 

After a few silent moments, Avurin’s eyes widened and she swung her katana to her left as Zabuza’s shadow appeared in the mist. She pulled back at just the last second as a green flak jacket appeared between her and Zabuza. She couldn’t completely stop the swing and she felt it make contact on Kakashi’s leg, leaving a scratch as blood flew through the air from a slash hitting Kakashi in the front. Zabuza had hit him as well. 

“YOU IDIOT!” Avurin screamed, flashing to stand next to him, one arm held out in front of him with her katana ready and pointed at Zabuza. Chakra flowed down the length of the blade in her anger. “JUMP IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN AND I’M TAKING YOUR LEG OFF, YOU HEAR ME?!” she yelled at Kakashi who kept his eyes focused on Zabuza. His lack of answer didn’t surprise her but she could feel his killing intent reeling back sharply as she moved to stand in front of him. 

“Your harlot is quite mouthy but she’s quick, Kakashi. She might have caught me with that little stick she’s carrying if you hadn’t jumped in. Quite a protective little thing. You’re made for eachother.” Zabuza teased, eyes wide and obviously enjoying the infighting he was inciting. 

“You, shut up! You seem to forget that there’s another shinobi in this equation! Counter this!” she shouted at Zabuza who only seemed to grow more excited. 

“And what, pray tell, should I be countering?” he asked, stretching with his sword off to the side, lazily swinging. Avurin smirked. 

“You may have taken away sight, but you haven’t countered sound, asshole!” She made a quick hand sign and felt the chakra building in her eyes and throat. “ Shut up.” Her voice came out even and smooth and Zabuza just raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth as if to retort before his eyes widened. 

“What did you do?” Sakura asked, clueless behind them. Avurin looked towards her, still holding the hand sign, watching as Sakura’s eyes widened. Avurin knew her eyes were glowing golden in the mist but did not speak. 

“Zabuza’s not the only one with a kekkei genkai on his side, is he?” Kakashi asked, sounding not in the least bit surprised. If anything, he sounded relieved and almost teasing. Avurin nodded, still holding the hand sign. They saw Zabuza disappear back into the mist but she held the hand sign, still feeling her chakra trickling into her eyes and throat. Her control was rusty, she didn’t know how long she could hold it, but she’d revealed her cards and she wasn’t going to give Zabuza a chance to communicate it to Haku. 

“Wait, if this is a kekkei genkai too, what is happening? Zabuza just left but she didn’t hurt him!” Sakura said and Avurin rolled her eyes, giving a pointed look to Kakashi. She knew he knew more than he was letting on. She couldn’t speak directly to anyone or they would be affected. He could explain.

“Avurin, I’m deeply sorry for this but I did look at your file when I got back to Konoha after meeting you. Sakura, Avurin has a kekkei genkai passed down in her family that only appears every couple of generations. There was speculation that she may have had it when we were Chunin, but no one had seen it in over fifty years prior to her birth and she never confirmed that she had it. This kekkei genkai can control people with the voice of the user. Everything from simple commands to demanding someone die right in front of them. It matures over time with use, starting simple, but it can be extremely powerful. However, she can only speak directly to the person she wants the command to act on while it’s activated which is why she isn’t speaking to you. She told Zabuza to shut up, so he did. Anything she tells you to do while it is activated, you will do it even if it ends in your death.” Kakashi explained. Avurin wanted to be irate with him at the complete invasion of privacy, but the bead of sweat running down her face and the level of concentration one simple command was requiring was forcing her to focus entirely on holding up the jutsu. 

She had kept this hidden for years, especially while she was a Chunin, so she wouldn’t be put on any pedestals like Kakashi or the Uchiha. Her father had explained to her prior to his passing that she may not ever develop it but it had only taken the first mission of being injured by her teammates to use it to kill their enemies out of desperation before they killed her as easy prey. After that, every time she found herself in that situation, the same thing occurred. She always came back by the saving grace of a bloodline trait she never thought she would develop. The last thing she needed was her greedy teammates running her to the ground using it on every mission and then striking her down while she was weak from chakra use. 

“Why hasn’t she told us about it?” Sakura asked. Kakashi sighed. 

“Not everyone looks at kekkei genkai as a great thing to have. It can be dangerous, especially with a jutsu as strong as this one. A stigma that she could use it against anyone for the smallest reasons could have gotten her into a lot of trouble. Some kekkei genkai are kept as clan secrets. Avurin and I will discuss it with the Hokage directly but you are not to speak of it to anyone under any circumstances unless the Hokage asks you directly. Not even Naruto and Sasuke unless she reveals it to them on this mission.” Kakashi stated firmly. Sakura’s silence was enough of an answer. 

“I have faith in Naruto and Sasuke to get past Haku. Avurin may not need to show them. I’m sure Naruto would think it’s the coolest thing but I understand.” Sakura finally said. Avurin liked her determination, even if she was way too obsessed with a certain black-haired broody member of her team.

“I have faith in them too. Naruto as the number one knucklehead ninja and Sasuke as the heir to the most powerful bloodline in Konoha.” A gasp was heard from the mist. Zabuza was listening. “That’s right, Zabuza. His name is Sasuke Uchiha and he carries the most powerful bloodline trait in Konoha.” Kakashi confirmed. Avurin knew the kid was an Uchiha, but the heir? Now that was a pedigree. They heard Zabuza ready his sword in the mist. 

“Avurin, release the jutsu. I’ll handle him. Save your chakra and stay with Tazuna. With your jutsu, no one will be able to get close enough to Tazuna to hurt him. You’re the most valuable player we have on the board right now.” Kakashi said before taking off into the mist. Avurin took a deep breath and let the jutsu release, slumping slightly. She wiped the sweat off her brow and turned to Sakura. Her eyes were back to normal so she knew Sakura would know that her request was not backed by the jutsu but was still just as serious.

“He’s right about one thing. Do not breathe a word of this. My story is not to be told just yet.” Avurin stated simply. A frown etched into her face and she huffed. The simple command had taken too much chakra. She was rusty and she needed to fix that. However, training this kind of jutsu was difficult to do in controlled environments without hurting someone. If she was jailed when they got to Konoha… the type of restraints they used for this kind of jutsu were not pretty. She shook her head. She couldn’t focus on that right now. Her thoughts were cut off as a giant wave of killing intent came from the direction of Naruto and Sasuke. It was so strong Avurin leaned over to throw up on the ground, eyes wide. Her vision was swimming from the sheer power and bloodlust.

“What’s wrong, Avurin?!” Sakura asked as she ran to Avurin. Avurin stared at the ground with wide, unseeing eyes. It was so… evil… She stood straight up and grabbed Sakura by the arm. 

“Take Tazuna and get him as far away as you can! Even if it’s just the end of the bridge!” Avurin whispered harshly, praying Kakashi and Zabuza were far enough away that they didn’t hear her. She didn’t have time to explain this. Sakura looked scared but nodded. Tazuna looked at Avurin with confusion but understanding. Shinobi could sense things civilians couldn’t and he looked like he wasn’t going to question it. 

The sound of shattering glass shocked Avurin into movement. She started running towards the source. Naruto and Sasuke were going to die! As she arrived in the area, she saw Naruto standing in the middle of the shattered mirrors, glaring at Haku with the most feral look on his face that Avurin had ever seen on a person. Bright orange, almost red chakra whipped around him as he lunged for Haku. Kakashi had said that the Kyuubi was inside of this kid, what was happening? It was a seal that held it in, right? She had no idea how Jinchuriki seals worked! As Naruto approached Haku, the chakra seemed to slip away and he stopped before landing the blow to Haku. 

Avurin heard mumbled words exchanged before Naruto threw a punch at Haku, laying the kid out on the bridge. Haku got back up and they started speaking. Haku was giving a lecture and Naruto was yelling. Avurin watched from the mist, knowing they couldn’t see her. Haku didn’t know about her kekkei genkai just yet and she was going to use it if Naruto was in danger. After a few minutes, Haku’s cadence sounded like he was telling a story. Avurin stayed hidden longer. Naruto was learning something very important if this conversation was as important as she thought it was. Enemies that knew they may not make it sometimes spilled their stories. This would be good for Naruto, even if it hurt to hear. Kakashi was correct, Naruto needed to learn many stories and lessons if he wanted to be Hokage. He needed all perspectives. She would protect him if things turned for the worst.

The distant sound of dogs barking and growling caught her attention but the two in front of her didn’t seem to notice. She couldn’t be concerned about it at the moment, but she was curious. She had a feeling it had something to do with Kakashi. Soon after, a very high pitched chirping came from the same area. Was that… Chidori? She’d heard of it, the chirping of a thousand birds being the reason for its name. Kakashi had been testing it on missions when she had left. It was a signature of his. She smirked. This would be over soon. 

Naruto finally lunged and Haku blocked him, saying a few words to Naruto, before disappearing. Shortly after, a huge shockwave ran down the length of the bridge from where the sound of the Chidori was the loudest it had been. Avurin quickly flashed over to Kakashi’s location, seeing that the mist was starting to clear. The scene that greeted her made her blood run cold. 

Chapter Text

Kakashi’s hand was buried in Haku’s chest, blood covering both Kakashi and Zabuza who were in range of the destruction caused by Chidori. She could see the burnt flesh from where she was standing and had to keep her face in a neutral expression through force. This was what he had meant years ago in her cabin while they were both drinking and spilling their guts about past experiences with their teams. His teammate had jumped on this attack… he said he could still feel her blood running down his arm at the time. Now, he’d done it again. On a mission. Only this time, it was a kid following orders. Zabuza was covered in dog bites of varying sizes which had to have been one of Kakashi’s attacks but the dogs were nowhere to be seen. He must have been restrained and Haku had decided to sacrifice himself for him. Haku had grabbed Kakashi’s arm, holding Kakashi in place as he spoke to Zabuza. 

“Zabuza…” the boy mumbled. Zabuza laughed to himself and Kakashi watched in horror as Zabuza prepared to swing his sword through Haku to kill him. Doing the only sensible thing, Kakashi grabbed Haku, still impaled around his wrist, and jumped. Kakashi set Haku down and closed his glassy eyes, the boy was officially gone. Naruto had followed the sounds of the battle and had tried to interfere but Kakashi shouted at him to stay out of it. Avurin flashed next to Kakashi. 

“Orders?” Avurin asked, keeping her voice calm. She needed Kakashi’s head in the game right now, he was obviously getting caught up in what had happened. Put him back in the position of Captain and drag him back, her mind screamed at her. She heard him grunt as he stood. 

“Watch the Genin. Gather them and check for injuries. Get them and Tazuna out of here. I’m handling Zabuza.” he spat. Avurin nodded and flashed away. She was getting the kids away from this immediately. This was bordering on S-Rank level if it wasn’t already there. The kids didn’t need to see anymore of this. She went to Naruto and glared at Sakura. 

“I thought I told you to get him out of here.” She pinned Sakura with her glare, not caring about the feelings of the kids right now. They needed to handle this carefully. 

“I tried but the mist made things difficult. We decided to stay put so you or Kakashi could come get us if the mist didn’t let up.” Sakura explained. Avurin nodded. The reasoning was logical. 

“Fine. However, next time myself or Kakashi gives you an order in the middle of a battle, follow it to the best of your ability. Naruto, where’s Sasuke? Is he still near where the mirrors were?” she asked. Naruto’s eyes went blank and he stared at the ground. Sakura started demanding answers from Naruto and Avurin’s eyes hardened. “He’s still alive! I can sense his chakra even though it’s weak. Stop your yammering and moping and let’s go get him. Kakashi will hold things down here.” Avurin stated, grabbing both kids by their hands and nodding to Tazuna. “Please stay with us. There’s a high chance I’ll need to administer emergency medical aid and I can’t let you out of my sight.” 

They all started running to Sasuke’s position, the kids gaining their energy back, almost sweeping Avurin off of her feet as they ran as fast as they could. She didn’t want to leave Tazuna behind so she eventually let go of their hands to let them bolt. The knowledge that their teammate was still alive had lit a fire in them and she wasn’t going to stop them. Tazuna was panting but he understood the urgency. 

“You’ve seen a lot of war, haven’t you?” Tazuna asked as they ran. Avurin looked towards him. 

“Yes. You don’t earn scars like mine without being on the receiving end of malicious intent. My ability also unlocked due to trauma and desperation. I know how to take orders and give them. Right now is not the time to be tangled up in emotions. Kakashi knows that and I know that. This mission is so far beyond these kids’ abilities mentally and physically that this is a serious liability and Kakashi needs the space to pull all of the stops without worrying about them.” As she finished, they came upon Sasuke. Avurin assessed the senbon sticking out of him from every angle and already knew there was a complicated mess on his back where he had fallen on the ones that were likely just as consistently stuck in his back. Sakura and Tazuna were gaping at the sight with Sakura on the verge of tears. 

“Remember what I said! He’s alive! I know it looks horrible but give me room. No time for grieving.” Avurin stated as she dropped to her knees, her shaking hands being her only indicator that she was upset as she started digging through her bag. She had packed extra medical supplies before leaving to track Zabuza and Haku and she was never more thankful for being paranoid. Pulling senbon out as quickly as possible and patching the areas with small dabs of ointment and plasters she had splurged too much money on for a quick patch, she took a few minutes to assess his vitals. He was cold but he was breathing and his heart was beating. 

“Sakura, Naruto, he’s stable. You and Tazuna get to the far end of the bridge and hide. The mist is clearing and I can feel chakra signatures getting close to Kakashi and Zabuza. This time, I expect you to follow this directive because I’m about to break one of my own. Kakashi might yell at me for this one but I have a bad feeling.” Avurin stood and nodded to Sakura. “He’ll be okay. I’m sorry for being harsh but we need to get you guys out of this situation and bring you home in one piece. Naruto is in shock and I need you guys to keep full awareness until this is over. This is going to be too much for Kakashi at this point and he needs the backup. Tazuna, please forgive me for asking this of you since we’re supposed to be guarding you, but please watch after them. They are still kids and this is a difficult situation.” She bowed low to Tazuna and straightened up quickly before flashing back to Kakashi’s position. 

Assessing the situation, Zabuza’s arms were hanging limply with kunai buried into both, courtesy of Kakashi. She felt one of the chakra signatures get closer followed by a crowd of more, all giving off an almost suffocating cloud of killing intent. The sharp sound of a cane being clacked against the ground caught everyone’s attention. A short, heavyset man with a mustache, brown hair sticking up in every direction with a receding hairline, and glasses was standing between them and the part of the bridge that was still being built. Kakashi only raised an eyebrow, almost looking irritated at being interrupted. 

“Did quite a job on you, didn’t he, Zabuza? You look like shit. I’m disappointed. There’s been a change of plans. You’ll die here. You’re too expensive. Of course, even these thugs cost something so if you can kill a few of them before you die, I’d appreciate it.” The man was smug, obviously the ring leader. This had to be Gato. Avurin’s eyes narrowed at the man. He was mocking Zabuza, having his thugs laugh at him. While Zabuza was evil to the bone, there were some underhanded things that civilians had no say in and an honorable ninja fight to the death was one of them. Especially overweight pigs like this one. Zabuza and Kakashi seemed to come to an agreement now that Zabuza was no longer working for Gato. Standing side by side, they stared down the crowd of thugs. She walked up to stand next to Kakashi. 

“I know I’m intruding on a super honorable ninja battle that seems to have come to an end and I’m totally ignoring orders, but I want in. Fuck that guy. And fuck you, Zabuza, for burning down my house.” She growled as she spoke and Kakashi eyed her warily. Zabuza snorted. 

“That cute little cottage of yours was going to fall down at some point. You couldn’t just pretend to be a cute little forager all your life. When you become a ninja, you don’t get to back out. I could see it in the way you watched us. You just needed the push.” He chuckled and she glared at him. 

“Fuck you.” 

“Not today, harlot. Not everyone is like your dog here.” 

“I’m going to fucking ruin what’s left of your life after this is taken care of.”

“I’d love to see you try. Your dog could barely handle me.”

“It just takes a few words, asshole.” 

“Now is not the time, Avie.” Kakashi interrupted, sounding as exasperated as she expected. She smirked. The smirk dropped off of her face as Gato walked towards Haku’s body, kicking his face lightly and rambling about Haku almost breaking his arm. She could see why Haku would do that. She wanted to break the pig’s arm. A harsh kick to Haku’s body had an inner rage burning in her and from the looks on Kakashi and Zabuza’s faces, they could feel it too. This man was dying today. Zabuza could pretend all he wanted that Haku meant nothing to him, but at the end of the day, the killing intent rolling off of him while he watched his former employer kick Haku’s dead body didn’t lie. 

“Give me a kunai.” Zabuza’s voice shook her out of her anger-hazed thoughts. She looked to him to see he’d taken the bandages off of his face and had a few tears rolling down his cheek. He was human, even if he didn’t want to be. She picked up her katana. 

“I’ll do you one better.” His eyes brightened a little and she tossed the katana to him, watching him clench the grip in his teeth before lunging at the thugs. He cut through several thugs and was stabbed several times but his path was clear. He stabbed Gato straight through the chest with the katana, getting stabbed by the thugs multiple times the second he pulled away. He put the fear of Hell in the man before slicing him across the throat, pushing him off the bridge. Zabuza had several pikes and swords sticking out of his back, but he kept his grip on the katana. He turned his gaze back to Haku and the thugs scattered to make a path. He stumbled, finally dropping the katana before collapsing. The thugs didn’t move. A gasp from behind them had Avurin looking at Naruto, staring where Zabuza had fallen. 

“This is the end for many who travel the path of a warrior, Naruto. Don’t look away.” Kakashi said, his exhausted voice snapping Naruto out of his daze. As they silently mourned for a moment, another gasp from behind Naruto was heard along with Sakura’s doting voice as Sasuke sat up. Avurin’s eyes softened. They’d made it. 

“Hey! Party’s not over!” “Who’s going to pay us now that Gato’s gone?” “We’re not leaving here empty-handed! We’re going to raid that village nearby for our pay!” Cheers went up from the crowd of thugs as they started charging in their direction. 

“Looks like you’ll have to fight each other to the death for your pay. Can’t let that guy next to you take your money. And when you win, you’ll celebrate by jumping off the bridge.” The words were out of her mouth and the hand sign in front of her before she even thought of the consequences. An arrow landed in front of the thugs from the crowd of villagers at their backs, ready to defend their village. She hadn’t noticed them. It was too late. Several of the thugs had suddenly turned to each other. There was no hesitation as they started slashing each other down. Sure enough, the last one alive was standing within the next minute and he jumped off the bridge with a cheer. The villagers were murmuring to each other while Naruto and Sasuke stared in shock. Avurin felt her legs get weak and collapsed. A strong pair of arms caught her and laid her down. 

“Well, that takes care of it, but that was stupid.” Kakashi muttered as he pushed a piece of hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ear. 

“I spent the whole time watching. I needed my piece of the pie.” she mumbled back. He chuckled. 

“Well now a whole village knows that for some reason they all just killed each other. We’ll tell Tazuna to tell them it was a Genjutsu if anyone asks. We’ll have to explain it to Naruto and Sasuke though.” She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. That one jutsu had used up all of the chakra she had, but the problem was gone for good. No thug was left alive from today to terrorize the village out of any sense of revenge years down the line. 

“I’ll be back in a moment, Avie. Let me handle Zabuza. Rest for a minute.” she heard, followed by footsteps leaving to go towards Zabuza’s body. 

“Hey, Avurin, you okay?” Naruto asked. She cracked an eye open and saw him leaning over her along with the other Genin. She smiled. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’ll explain later. Just reassure the villagers that it was a Genjutsu and I hadn’t realized we had backup when I used the jutsu. They were very brave to show up to help and we appreciate it, but it was our job to protect them. Can you do that for me, Naruto?” she asked. Naruto’s smile was almost blinding. 

“Of course! I’ll go talk to them right now!” He took off and she sighed, looking at the other two Genin. Sasuke had plasters all over him and looked like he was upset about something but she wasn’t going to ask. Sakura looked worried but trusted her when she said she was fine. 

“You alright, Sasuke? Sorry for the patch job.” Avurin chuckled as his face took on a light pink tone. He crossed his arms and looked away. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you.” Short and to-the-point. 

“What about you, Sakura? Today was rough. Do you want to help me make soba when we get back to Tazuna’s? I’m starving and that’s my favorite.” Sakura clasped her hands together and her eyes practically sparkled. 

“Of course! I didn’t know that was your favorite! I think tonight we’ll eat more fish, bleh, and then we’ll make it tomorrow if you’re feeling well enough!” Avurin laughed lightly. She didn’t know Sakura was sick of all of the fish they had been eating, but it made sense. She felt a cold prick on her face and saw snow falling from the dark sky. Looking towards where Kakashi had gone, she saw Kakashi laying Zabuza down beside Haku. Everyone was silent in his final moments. The sun’s rays started peaking through the clouds, creating a beautiful scene. She closed her eyes and sighed. 

She’d survived. Now, would she live?

Chapter Text

They buried Zabuza and Haku before the end of the day, wedging Zabuza’s sword into a memorial on a cliff that overlooked the bridge with two small wooden crosses and wreaths adorning them. A lesson occurred about the principles of being shinobi between Kakashi and his students while Avurin sat at the base of a nearby tree, cleaning her katana that Kakashi had retrieved for her. It had sharp bite marks on the grip that would never come out, but she didn’t find herself upset about it. The lesson with the Genin was a long, important conversation with an existential crisis many shinobi had experienced, now being questioned by kids who had seen too much on their very first C-Rank mission. She smiled softly, listening to Naruto declaring he would follow his own shinobi way. Kakashi was right, this next generation would change things for the better if this kid was the one leading them. 

After a few days of rest and an unspoken agreement between Kakashi and Avurin that they would be sharing the futon for the rest of the days that they were in the village, clinging to each other all night to keep the nightmares at bay, they attended the opening ceremony for the bridge where they named the bridge after Naruto. After the celebration, they had packed their things and prepared for the trip home… Avurin had started to think of Konoha as home since she didn’t have her cabin to go back to. It was technically home, but she could admit she was afraid. Her smile wavered as they waved to the villagers in the village, Naruto and Inari having a competition over who would cry first even though they both ended up crying. 

The entire walk home, Naruto rambled about ramen, Sakura tried to convince Sasuke to spend time with her when they got back, and Kakashi walked silently. She walked silently beside him, feeling herself grow more tense as they got closer to Konoha over the next three days, their relaxed pace extending the travel time. She wanted to trust Kakashi, but she was still worried. She was a deserter. There were punishments for deserting and a social stigma that came with it. Kakashi knew the consequences of abandoning a mission all too well after what happened to his father, the infamous White Fang. It was a cautionary tale as well as a tragedy. Now that she was in the same shoes, she was terrified. 

Konoha’s red gates appeared much sooner than Avurin wanted to see them. The kids, mainly Naruto, ran into the village after Kakashi gave them the go-ahead, yelling about showers and food, just excited to be home. Kakashi stopped by the guards at the gate and filled out the paperwork for returning to the village. He waved her over and she quietly approached. 

“Fill out the form for coming into the village. We’re going straight to the Hokage to discuss everything. Try to relax. You look like a terrified rabbit about to get eaten by a wolf.” Kakashi teased. She gave him a glance that conveyed her terror and his expression shifted to an apologetic look. She filled out the form with her basic information and handed it to the shinobi with a long bandage over his nose, Kotetsu, if he was who she remembered. His eyes widened when he saw her name on the paper and threw a glance at Kakashi who nodded. 

“Welcome back. We’ll handle the paperwork from here. Kakashi, you’re expected for a report.” Kotetsu said as he put the paper in a folder behind his desk. Kakashi sighed loudly, making a show of looking exasperated with the whole process and the unnecessary reminder. 

“Yeah, yeah. We’re on our way there right now. Mah, this is going to be a long meeting.” With that, they started walking through the village towards the Hokage tower. Avurin took the time to observe some of the major changes to the village as well as the small ways that it was still the same. Kakashi walked in front of her as he led her through the village and she had a suspicion that he was walking so slowly so she had time to collect her thoughts. The walk into the Hokage tower was familiar and after only a couple of minutes, she was climbing the stairs with heavy steps. Kakashi must have seen the resignation on her face and stopped her on a landing in between flights of stairs. 

“Avie, I promise you that I will do everything I can to help. Just be honest, from the beginning. The rest will fall into place. I’ll be right here with you.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and she nodded, though she was still feeling a sense of dread. Kakashi sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to be able to ease her terror the way he wanted to. They continued up the steps until they arrived at the office of Hokage. Kakashi knocked and waited for the “Come in” from the Hokage. 

“Ah, Kakashi. How was your team’s first C-Rank mission? And who is this?” Hiruzen asked as he took a puff from his pipe. Kakashi took a packet of paper from his backpack and put it down in front of the Hokage. 

“That mission was at least A-Rank by the end of it. All of the details are in this report. I would have turned it into the mission desk, but I felt it would be better to give this to you personally. Essentially, there was pushback on the bridge being built and the S-Rank missing nin, Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist, was the main enemy for the duration of the mission. There were a lot of injuries on our part and my team will need time to recover.” He paused, gesturing for Avurin to step forward. “This is Avurin Okita. She joined us during our mission.” Hiruzen kept a calm demeanor but he set down his pipe, folding his hands and focused his attention to Avurin. 

“Ah. It’s not often that we have a shinobi claim to be one of our deceased. I believe it’s been several years since Avurin Okita walked in our village. What happened?” he asked. Avurin bowed deeply, her face red with  an overwhelming feeling of humiliation at the circumstances she was about to explain. She straightened her back and faced the Hokage as she recalled Kakashi telling her to be honest and start from the beginning, so that was what she did.

Explaining everything from the treatment from her team members to her time in Southeast Konoha to hunting down Zabuza and Haku, then running into Kakashi and his team by chance. The only part that she had omitted was the previous run-in with Kakashi. She included her involvement in the mission as well as the current state of her Kekkei Genkai, sweating as she confessed to having had it since she was first promoted to Chunin and the circumstances of its development. She provided the picture of her with Gai and Asuma as well as her last mission detail scroll which had been kept separate from her kunai pouch. Kakashi hadn’t known that she had it but she knew it would be best to provide any and all evidence she had. She had been practically possessed to grab it in the fire at her cabin, not knowing if it would be important if she returned to Konoha. Hiruzen contemplated her for a moment. 

“I would like to verify your story with a mind-probe from Inoichi Yamanaka. While I do personally believe you and understand that you have been through quite the journey prior to your return, I must have the verification before I allow you to wander the village. Will you consent to a mind search?” Hiruzen asked. Avurin ducked her head down and didn’t allow herself to think too much into the violation of privacy she would have to endure. 

“Yes, I understand your reasoning and will consent to the mind-probe,” she answered. Her fists were clenched through the sudden waves of anxiety that overtook her thinking. As the Hokage organized for Inoichi Yamanaka to come to his office, speaking with someone outside of the door, Avurin jumped as a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked back at the person the hand was attached to and met Kakashi’s eye. 

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much. I’m right here with you.” Kakashi reassured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She nodded and he took a few steps away as the Hokage refocused his attention on the two, walking back to his desk to sit down. He gave Kakashi a curious glance right before someone knocked on the door. The person on the other side waited a moment before coming in. 

“Good afternoon, Lord Third. You summoned me?” A blonde man walked into the office, bowing to the Hokage as he noticed the other two people in the room. Hiruzen sighed and gestured to Avurin. 

“Yes. This is Avurin Okita. She’s been presumed deceased for over a decade now but she is a former resident of Konoha. Kakashi found her during his last mission and brought her back to the village. There are some key points in her story that I would like you to verify before I start putting together the paperwork and report for her return.” Hiruzen explained. “This is Inoichi Yamanaka, he will be the one performing the mind-probe.” Avurin shivered involuntarily but smiled at the blonde man. He seemed kind enough with the small smile he offered back. 

The Hokage and Inoichi discussed some of the details that he would be looking for in the mind-probe while Avurin shifted on her feet. They would be looking for childhood memories of her father to confirm her identity, memories of her teammates’ behavior towards her, memories of using her Kekkei Genkai, memories of the cabin, memories of her chase for Zabuza, and anything else of note. 

“The memories will be brought forward during the mind-probe and will feel as if you are experiencing them again as I observe them so please take a moment to prepare yourself. This procedure can be… taxing to the mind. Please don’t resist it or you could end up with a nasty headache. You may also want to sit down while we do this.” Inoichi told her as he gestured to the couch pushed against the wall in the office that Kakashi was currently standing in front of. Avurin nodded to confirm that she’d heard everything he told her as she took her place on the couch. 

“I don’t have anything to hide so do what you need to do,” Avurin muttered, crossing her arms and leaning back against the hard couch cushions. Inoichi crouched in front of her and held his hand out over the crown of her head. 

“Are you ready?” he asked. She nodded and he placed his hand on her head.

The jutsu was almost instantaneous as she was dragged into an unfamiliar place in her mind. As her surroundings became more clear, she could see what used to be a library, torn and burned around her. Several large, wooden bookshelves looked as if they’d been broken in several places and others were covered in scorch marks. The room was dark, appearing to be lit by firelight, yet there was no fire. Books were scattered across the ground, several of them burned beyond recognition. As she turned to look around the area, Inoichi appeared with crossed arms, taking in the area with narrowed eyes. 

“What is this place?” Avurin asked. Inoichi replied without taking his eyes off of the damaged wood of a nearby bookshelf. 

“This is your mindscape. Everyone has a different mindscape depending on their experiences in their lives. Some see it as a safe haven, others see a neat area to organize thoughts, and some avoid it all together. Most don’t know how to access it without prior training. However, it almost looks like yours was organized at one point. You don’t recognize it?” he asked, turning back to her with a frown on his face. She tensed. 

“No, I’ve never been here before. I don’t think I’ve even physically been in a library like this.” she answered, feeling defensive. Inoichi sighed and walked towards a book that looked like it had survived the fire. 

“If I’m correct, your memories and thoughts could be in these books. Why they would be destroyed, I don’t know. You’re saying you’ve never been here but the only people capable of making a library like this to organize their thoughts are those that have been extensively trained in mind-walking. To have it burned down, someone else could have come in here and done this or you did this on your own at one point in time. Give me a few minutes to search and see if I can find the memories I need to verify your identity and give the Hokage what he needs.” Inoichi didn’t wait for her answer as he started walking through the broken wood, occasionally picking up books that looked legible. 

She was a little upset that she had no clue what was going on in her own mind, but if anyone could help her figure out her new problem, it was the resident mind-walker currently digging through her thoughts. He returned after only a few minutes with a couple of books, smiling softly. He held the books as if they would shatter at any moment. 

“Well, it’s not quite as bad as I thought. Your memories are still organized and it looks like only a couple were lost, likely small ones. It’s almost like the books were placed after the library was burned. These were actually pretty easy to find once I figured out they were placed chronologically and had titles on the covers. Let’s begin, shall we?” he asked. She nodded. He opened the first book and she was pulled into a memory of her parents doting on her, likely one of her birthdays considering there was a cake on the table in the background and she was unwrapping a gift. Her father’s face was smiling down at her and she could feel the overwhelming love in just that one moment. 

She was drawn from the memory just as quickly as she’d been pulled into it. Inoichi gave her a smile and set the book down on a nearby intact shelf. She braced herself for the next one. This one was during her early training days with her team as Genin. At that time, they were all friendly with each other despite occasional spats. They teased her for not being the third teammate they wanted but they still tried to support her as a member of their team. That memory passed quickly. This time, Inoichi didn’t waste much time in opening the next one. 

This memory was of a mission that occurred only a year before her final mission. The feelings of confusion and hurt flooded her mind as her once-friendly teammates had suddenly turned on her with icy glares, discussing the logistics of what would happen if they cut her down and left her in enemy territory. Sure enough, they had put her under a strong Genjutsu, taking advantage of her dazed state to hit her in the head, making her vision swim and a pounding pain in her head blur her vision. She had fallen to the ground, unable to get back up as her teammates left, quickly abandoning the area as enemy shinobi closed in on her position. That had been the first time she used her Kekkei Genkai to convince her enemies to turn on each other, giving herself the opening to get back onto her feet and start running back to Konoha. She had reported to her Jonin sensei who had dismissed her concerns completely.

The next memory was of her final mission with those teammates, her conflict in deciding to not return to Konoha was overwhelming and Avurin had to keep herself from crying. She clutched at her arms where the scars were, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes to the memory. It was over quickly, Inoichi having decided he’d seen enough of that particular moment. 

The memory after that was one of her struggling to build her cabin, learning how to properly cut wood and insulate the quaint structure she was building. The villagers had offered some advice but no one wanted to be acquainted with the shinobi that had shown up there, covered in blood, only a month prior. Flashes of concerned looks from the villagers, some hateful interactions, and a flash of her being handed a copy of Icha Icha Paradise by a large set of hands were brought up. She blushed lightly at the memory of receiving that book. The man’s face was blurred in the memory, likely already forgotten. However, she could tell he wasn’t the frail old pervert she had thought she remembered giving her the book. He was tall with impossibly thick, white hair that was tied back. He had told her the book was signed and to take good care of it. 

Inoichi seemed uncomfortable as he closed that book in her mindscape. She raised an eyebrow in his direction but he just shook his head and sighed. He opened the next book. 

Avurin wanted to slam the book closed as soon as he opened it. The memory he had opened was as clear as the day it had happened. An Anbu agent bleeding out in the creek, the long walk as she took him back to her cabin, removing his Anbu mask to reveal the one and only Kakashi Hatake, the days of his recovery. The revealing of her secrets at that kitchen table, Kakashi’s cold demeanor as he demanded answers, his promise to not report her as the memory got blurry with the alcohol. Kakashi’s departure, stealing her book before he left. 

Inoichi slammed that book closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Avurin stared at the ground at her feet. She knew that this implicated Kakashi and hinted at a previous relationship prior to running into him in the Land of Waves. 

“Please… please don’t say anything to the Hokage. I don’t want Kakashi to get into trouble for that. It was… complicated.” She found herself whispering. Inoichi gave her a stern look. 

“I won’t, only because my mission here today is to verify the ones he listed. This happened a while ago so there’s no point in bringing it up. However, you need to be careful. If I find anything else that implicates you or Kakashi as a conspiracy to keep you hidden, I’ll have to report it.” Inoichi sighed and set that book aside. The next few memories were easy enough to get through, tearing through the country to get to Zabuza and Haku, meeting Team 7 in the Land of Waves, genuine surprise at finding Kakashi again, and completing the mission. Inoichi had thankfully stuck with the main points in the memory and nothing about her and Kakashi’s intimate moments came up. Inoichi closed the book and smiled. 

“I think I have what I need.”

Avurin sat up on the couch with a gasp, clutching at her head. The sensation of returning to her body was almost overwhelming and she felt nauseous. 

“Take a moment to get your bearings and I’ll explain what I found. Lord Third…” She could hear Inoichi but she was too focused on trying not to throw up to pay attention to what he was saying. She felt a hand on her shoulder and relaxed as much as she could. She knew it was Kakashi. She had the urge to push him away after what Inoichi had found but she knew there was no point. As she swallowed down the last of her nausea, Inoichi smiled at her and waved, officially dismissed from the office. She turned her attention to Lord Third who smiled kindly. She stood from the couch, walking to stand in front of his desk. 

“On behalf of the village, I would like to welcome you back to Konoha. I’m glad that you’ve decided to return, it certainly would have been understandable if you hadn’t. I sincerely apologize for your treatment here, I will personally investigate why your concerns were never escalated despite the blatant discrepancies. You will be pleased to know that your previous teammates are believed to have lost their lives during the Kyuubi attack, so you will not have any trouble with them in the future. Unfortunately, after your passing, your home was destroyed by the Nine Tailed Fox during the attack. If you need help finding housing accommodations, please let me know and we will find something for you.” Kakashi interrupted. 

“Actually, with the estimated distrust that may occur in the village with the reappearance of the heir to the Okita clan previously believed to be deceased, in addition to the information regarding an abandoned mission, I would like to provide either my apartment or my family home for her depending on her preference. At least, until she can start missions again and save enough for her own accommodations if she chooses to move later on.” Avurin stared at Kakashi in shock and sputtered, unable to get a word out. 

“That’s very kind of you, Kakashi. If she accepts, I will happily accommodate the situation. Please let me know if another decision is made or if you need anything to settle into the village, Avurin. You are dismissed.” Hiruzen picked his pipe back up and Avurin felt a hand grab her upper arm, practically dragging her out of the office through her shock. They were halfway back down the stairs before she rounded on Kakashi, grabbing him by the shoulders and pinning him to the wall. Her eyes were wide and her breathing frantic. 

“Why are you helping me?” Tears pricked her eyes and Kakashi’s visible eye softened. 

“The village is very different from how you remember it. I told you that we needed more shinobi who care. Right now, Lord Third and I care and we will do whatever we can to make you feel welcome back home.” The tears fell and she rushed into a hug, clutching his vest tightly as he put an arm around her, gently patting her back. He gently shushed her and she accepted the comfort before pulling away. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. 

“Thank you…” She took his hand and pulled him down the steps. “Let’s go get some food! Some actual food! I’m starving!” Her earlier apprehension and anxiety fell off of her shoulders, giving her a sudden explosion of energy she could barely contain. She didn’t notice the looks pointed at them as she dragged Kakashi out of the Hokage Tower. She also didn’t notice the smile on his face under his mask as he let himself be pulled by his hand through the streets. 

They went to a noodle shop that she knew by heart. She was pleased to see that it was still standing and even the sign outside was exactly the same as she remembered it. Her father had brought her to this shop frequently after training sessions when she was young and seeing it again brought several pleasant memories to the front of her mind, pushing away the remnants of the memories that Inoichi had observed. Inside, she ate cold soba, happy to eat real food after so long of living in her cabin, being on the road, and eating Tazuna’s family’s completely fish-based diet. 

Kakashi had simply ordered some tea for himself and watched her, content to have finally convinced her to come home. Despite the foreign feeling, he knew he was falling, whether his instincts were playing a part or not. He was falling hard for this woman who was eating her weight in cold soba noodles and excitedly talking about all of the things she wanted to do now that she was back in the village. 

After she had eaten, she pulled him along behind her through the streets of Konoha, committing the new layout of the village to her memory and comparing the parts that were still the same. She just couldn’t wait to see the village, knowing that she was officially back home. After some time, she wasn’t pulling Kakashi with her anymore, yet he still followed her despite knowing that they were supposed to go to his apartment after eating so she could get settled in. She wandered for almost an hour before turning to him, raising an eyebrow. 

“Where are we going?” she asked. He shrugged. 

“You tell me, Captain. I was just following.” he teased. She huffed and crossed her arms. 

“You were just going to let me keep going, weren’t you?” 

“Well, you’ve been enjoying yourself so far. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I’m pretty tired so lead the way, Captain. I feel like I could sleep in the middle of the street after the interrogation and walking all over the place.’” 

“Of course, Avie.”

He took the lead, realizing he missed their joined hands more than he should as they walked to his apartment. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and forced himself into a familiar casual slouch. It wasn’t far and he took his time, allowing for her slow steps to keep up. All of the energy she seemed to have earlier must have been sapped straight out of her. Climbing the stairs to the second floor of the apartment building, he pulled out his keys and opened the door. She walked in, looking around at the sparse apartment. 

“Home, sweet home!” he said with a quiet laugh. She scrunched her nose, taking her shoes off at the door. 

“Do you own anything personal? This place looks like a hotel room.” she commented, walking further into the apartment. Kakashi scratched the back of his head, trying to calm his nerves at having her actually here in his apartment, before pointing to the plant on his window sill. 

“I have Mr. Ukki. He was a gift from Naruto. I also had my Icha Icha book but that was repossessed.” She smirked at him, taking the book out of her bag as she was setting her bag down. 

“Oh, you mean this? What ever will you do without porn to read in public? At least get a picture to hang on the wall.” She stuck her tongue and put the book back in her bag, her arms suddenly feeling heavier than they did before. She sighed. “So, judging by the two doors down that hall, one is a bathroom and the other is the bedroom. Who is taking the bed tonight?” she asked, almost nervous to even ask that question. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her, slowly taking his jacket off. 

“I thought you may want to share until I can take you to my family compound. We can do that tomorrow if you’d like so you know that you have other options. If you don’t want to share, I’ll take the couch.” He hung his jacket up on a small hook protruding from the inside of his apartment door. She laughed. 

“We can share. We’ve been sharing for at least a week at this point. A bed sounds so nice right now…” she trailed off and yawned. He pulled his mask down and smiled. 

“Like I said, home sweet home. All the extra things are just decoration for the true goal, the bed.” She playfully swatted at him before walking into the bathroom to take a quick shower, washing off the sweat of the trip from the Land of Waves back home and taking a moment to just enjoy having warm water available. When she built her cabin, she knew she wasn’t a plumbing expert and had opted to bathe more traditionally, bringing water from the creek to her home to take a lukewarm or very cold bath depending on the day. Sometimes she just bathed in the creek to save multiple trips back and forth unless she absolutely had to heat the water at the cabin. 

After her much-needed shower, she left her hair down and changed into a comfortable undershirt and loose sweatpants. She opted not to wear her arm sleeves since Kakashi had already seen the scars. She felt like she could sleep for a week. Walking out of the bathroom, she saw that Kakashi had also opted to change into something comfortable since he had switched to a sleeveless, form-fitting undershirt that had a mask attached along with a pair of sweatpants. The mask remained pooled around his neck, leaving his face revealed for her to see. He had also removed his headband, allowing his bangs to fall into his eyes.

“I’m crashing. Are you joining me? I know the sun is still setting…” She shifted from foot to foot, nervous, as he took in her relaxed appearance. She hadn’t properly prepared for bed in over a month since her cabin was burned down and frankly, she didn’t care if he wanted to sit there and stare at her all night. She knew that after the kiss they had shared, they would have to have an important talk soon but that was not a conversation for that moment. She cared about him and was thankful for his help, but a relationship was the last thing she needed during this whirlwind part of her life. 

He seemed to catch himself staring and just nodded, following her into the bedroom. She wasn’t surprised to see that it was just as sparse as the rest of the apartment with only a picture of him with the Genin by the bed along with another picture of a young Kakashi with his own team. The bed was pushed against the left side of the wall and it was small but it was a bed and she was more than happy to sleep in a bed after so long of not having one. Putting her arms out, she fell into the bed and groaned. It wasn’t fluffy but it wasn’t the floor or a thin futon. 

“I wish I could say it was easy to get you into my bed but it did take a few years, a life-changing mission, the approval of my pups, and a meeting with the Hokage.” he joked as he slid into the bed next to her. She grumbled into the pillow, not appreciating his innuendo and barely making a mental note about him acknowledging his Genin as being his pups, but she was too tired to do anything about it or tease back. She felt him pull the sheets over them and an arm slip around her waist, turning her on her side and gently pulling her towards him. They were both clingy and at this point, they weren’t lying to each other about it. She closed her eyes and her breathing slowed. 

She was home.

Chapter Text

*Engawa: Essentially the “wrap around porch” surrounding most older Japanese homes. Usually just extended flooring made of wood or bamboo.

...

The next morning, the sun was shining softly through the window and Avurin buried herself in Kakashi’s chest, soft snores coming from the man clinging to her. She was comfortable and she was happy. She let herself close her eyes and just relaxed in his hold, listening to him breathe while his heart beat under her ear. 

This wasn't a dream, was it? She'd been surprised at his willingness to help her and was still surprised. She wasn’t ignorant. She knew she was letting him get too close, too fast. She needed to establish herself and see her friends again. She couldn’t be attached to Kakashi every second of every day, she needed to be self-sustaining and live the life that was gifted to her. She appreciated Kakashi and knew she had feelings developing for him too, but she couldn’t just come to the village and be swept off of her feet so fast. She was used to being alone and she could feel herself becoming uneasy with the sudden closeness. Yet, she was drawn to him and she couldn’t imagine giving away this warmth. A deep sigh from the man under her head distracted her from her thoughts. 

“Good morning,” Kakashi whispered, the pitch of his voice was so low that it was almost a rumble next to her ear. Grumbling, he pulled her closer, obviously still tired from the mission that he had just come back from and he was enjoying being in his own bed.

“Good morning,” she whispered back, despite knowing he was likely asleep again with how slow his breathing had dropped and the light snore she could hear coming from him. She tried to lift the arm he had over her to try to slip out of bed so she could get moving for the day. The offending arm just tightened more and a low growl came from Kakashi in his sleep. She sighed. This couldn’t continue. While she did appreciate his protective nature, both in battle and in front of the Hokage just the day before, she still felt like she shouldn’t be worth warranting this reaction when she was just trying to escape his embrace. They barely knew each other and had shared a futon to ward off the nightmares from the mission they had been on, yet Kakashi was acting like she was his to protect from the rising sun. 

Trying again, being slightly more forceful with her push, she found herself rolled onto her back in a quick jolt, Kakashi on all fours above her, both eyes open and the tomoe of his Sharingan eye were lazily spinning. She was almost entranced by the eye, however the current position they were in quickly brought her attention back to reality. A blush threatened to rise to her cheeks. 

“Where are you going?” Kakashi asked, a dangerous glint in his eye. His breathing hitched as she adjusted herself. She crossed her arms to put a barrier between them as she tried her best to glare. 

“Well, I believe we had plans today and I don’t intend on being in bed all day.” Kakashi hummed at her response and sat back on his heels, still watching her with the Sharingan. 

“Mah, I just wanted a little extra rest and didn’t intend to keep you in bed as well. I apologize for keeping you.” His voice sounded polite and to-the-point but Avurin noticed a slight slump in his shoulders. Was he that bothered by her trying to get out of the bed? She huffed as he moved back to his side of the bed and flopped back down on the bed, pressing his face into his pillow and keeping his hands to himself. She swung her legs over the side and walked out of the room with only a glance back at Kakashi. 

In the kitchen, she started preparing tea while she was checking the cabinets and fridge for food to make for breakfast. She was successful in finding eggs, seasonings, and rice, however the rest of the kitchen was rather sparse. Setting the rice to cook in a rice cooker she found in the cabinet, she poured herself a cup of tea. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to bask in the peacefulness of the morning despite Kakashi’s strange behavior. She enjoyed the comfort of being held at night, but when she needed to get up in the morning, she needed to be able to leave the bed without activating the man’s wolf-brain.

She set her cup down and started making fried eggs that were only lightly cooked so the yolks would be completely runny after cooking. She was making a comfort food that she loved to eat as a child when her parents were on missions. The rice cooker went off and she prepared a bowl of rice, seasoning it with the few seasonings she could find in Kakashi’s kitchen and adding two of the fried eggs she had made right on top. Pouring some soy sauce on top, she brought the bowl to the table along with her tea. She looked at the hallway and raised an eyebrow as footsteps padded down the hallway, revealing a yawning Kakashi as he walked into the kitchen. He was keeping his Sharingan eye closed now and she was starting to have her suspicions about that eye. She knew when he used it, it took away large amounts of chakra. Yet, she didn't know the specifics of his casual use around her. 

“Help yourself. Rice is in the cooker, there are two eggs on the plate next to it that I just finished cooking, and tea in the pot on the stove.” Avurin told him as she picked up her chopsticks. Kakashi just hummed and scooped the rice into his own bowl along with seasonings and the eggs. Pouring a cup of tea for himself, he joined her at the table. She finally popped the eggs sitting on the top of the rice and gave it a thorough mix until the rice and egg mixture was fluffy. Kakashi opted to just cut into the eggs before eating the pieces and moving on to the rice. 

After she finished, she sat back in her chair with her cup of tea in her hands, completely content and happy with her meal choice for the morning. Kakashi still hadn’t said much and she felt like something was bothering him despite his casual demeanor. 

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, finally breaking the silence. Kakashi avoided her eyes. 

“I’m fine,” he said simply. She huffed and set her cup on the table, glaring at him. 

“Bullshit. What’s wrong?” she demanded. He almost visibly flinched and she forced herself to soften her gaze. She was just worried. 

“Ah, really it’s nothing. Just not quite feeling like myself today. I find myself lost without Icha Icha Paradise in my hand these days.” He waved her off and she saw through his blatant attempt at humor as a distraction. 

“Look, if you’re worried about this morning, don’t. I get it. It’s instinct. We do still need to address it, but I’m not upset with you. I do think we both need to start learning to sleep on our own again for a little while so I’m eager to visit your family home and determine how we’re going to do this. I also need to decide if I want an apartment instead. I need to get back on my feet in the village first before exploring… this.” She gestured between the two of them and watched him closely for any hints that would betray his feelings on the subjects brought up. He simply shrugged, almost robotically. 

“I understand. Thank you. I’m still sorry, but thank you. We can go to the Hatake estate anytime so whenever you’re ready, we can visit. I do think you’ll choose to live there, however. There’s something I want to show you there that I think you’ll like. As usual, I respect your decisions either way.” His voice was devoid of much emotion, speaking as if he was discussing mission details with the Hokage. Her eyes narrowed but he didn’t give in. It was the best she was going to get. With a sigh, she took her bowl and cup to the sink. She was just about to start washing them when she felt herself being gently nudged out of the way. 

“I’ll take care of the dishes. You cooked. Go get ready.” Kakashi told her with a small smile as he started washing the dishes. She nodded and went back to his bedroom. She changed into her usual gear quickly, pulling on her arm sleeves and finishing the outfit by tying her Konoha headband around her upper left arm. She decided to follow her normal routine in strapping her katana to her waist and slinging her bow over one shoulder. While it may not be normal for a Konoha shinobi to flaunt their weapons on the streets, she felt safer this way.

She met Kakashi in the living room who was somehow already fully dressed and ready to go. He tended to do things quickly without anyone noticing and she was curious as to when he did these things. The Genin had been grumbling about his eating habits when he didn't want anyone to see behind his mask so it had to just be a strange habit. 

His mood was significantly improved and she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he locked the apartment door behind them. He hadn’t even said anything, he didn’t need to. It was almost like she could feel the air around Kakashi change with his attitude at this point. Had they been around each other that much over the last few weeks? 

“So, the Hatake Compound is close to the outskirts of the village. I don’t live there due to family history that I’m sure you can figure out on your own. I pay a team of cleaners to visit every month to keep the place clean so everything will be clean for you if you choose to move in. There is plenty of property for training, however try to avoid changing the landscape of the place. The compound has been in my family since the founding of Konoha with the other Founding Clans. At the end of the day, the decision will be yours. However, there is something I want to show you before you decide.” As Kakashi spoke, she realized what a big deal it was that he was just casually offering the home to her for as long as she needed it. She knew about the White Fang’s death and she knew it likely occurred in the very home they were about to visit. Kakashi had even implied that the event was the reason that he didn’t visit. Would moving in at the compound force him to stay away from her? She didn’t want him to actively avoid her when she was there just because of the home. 

They arrived at the gates which were sealed shut. Kakashi simply hopped on top of the fence and she could see through the gaps in the fence that he had tampered with a seal on the other side before calling her to do the same. Hopping the fence, he pointed to the seals around the interior of the fence every few feet from each other. 

“These are wards to protect the home from intruders. They’re old but they’re very strong. There are some pretty invaluable clan belongings still in the home. I’m going to add your chakra to the wards so you can come and go as you please. Can you prick your thumb for me?” he asked. She did it without asking questions through sheer force of will. She had a lot of questions, however she wasn’t the one giving the tour. One of those questions was why he was giving someone he’d only known for a few weeks complete access to this home when he’d made it obvious it meant so much to his family and even contained heirlooms and antiques inside. She kept her mouth shut. He took her hand and pressed her thumb against one of the seals. 

“There. You can come and go as you please now. If anyone crosses these wards that aren't registered with the wards, both myself and you will feel it. No one enters the property without us knowing.” She nodded along with his words. She felt safe with that information. At least the place was secure. They walked towards the main house of the compound and she couldn’t help but admire the extensive land on the property, she couldn’t even see where the fences ended. They walked through the front door and they were greeted with a fully furnished home that almost looked lived in with bookshelves full of books, blankets neatly folded and laid on the ends of the couches, and tables that had small worn spots that had obviously been used for years. 

“This is the main house. I don’t visit it often and we won’t tour the rooms inside but if you ever want to come here, you can.” Kakashi stated with a quiet tone, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he stared at a particularly bare corner of the room. She could tell he was reminiscing. This must have been the home he’d grown up in. She didn’t move from the spot she was at as she observed the home. 

“So, what is it that you wanted to show me when we got here?” she asked, trying to distract him. His body fell into the familiar casual slouch she was used to as he sighed. 

“Ah, well, this compound has more than one house on it. There’s a particular home I thought you might like when I proposed my family compound as a potential living option for you. If you follow me, I’ll show it to you and you can decide if you would like to use it for the time being.” He directed her towards the sliding door in the back of the home and she walked out onto the engawa wrapping around the home. 

The main home extended in a U-shape surrounding a small, well-kept courtyard. They followed the stairs into the courtyard and he led her out of the back of the courtyard to reveal a few small cabins a short distance away from the main home. 

“I think you’ll like this one in particular,” he told her as he led her to the small cabin furthest away from the main home. They climbed the stairs to the engawa wrapping around the small cabin and he opened the front door, directing her to where she should take her shoes off as they stepped into the home. 

It was a more classic home than her own little cabin, but she could easily tell why Kakashi thought she might like it. The living room and kitchen were only separated by a waist-high counter coming from the wall, making the main portion of the home feel very open. The windows in the living room were large, letting natural light fill the room which complimented the neutral light gray and white colors of the home. A light green mat was spread across the ground, adding a pop of color in the living room where a couch, bookshelf, and a low coffee table were positioned to face the windows and sliding doors leading to the area behind the house. A kitchen table made of dark stained wood sat in an open portion of the kitchen with room to seat four people. 

"Yes," she felt herself saying after only a moment of consideration. 

"You haven't seen the rest of the house yet." Kakashi teased with a soft laugh. She turned to look at him and smiled. 

"I don't need to. This one is perfect. It reminds me of home." Her eyes burned with unshed tears but promised herself that she wouldn't cry over this. The kindness that Kakashi was giving her was more than enough to owe him a thousand favors, but she couldn't let this kind of opportunity slip through her fingers when the little home brought such a great feeling of belonging and comfort just from seeing it for a few seconds. 

"I'm glad. I had a feeling you would like it. I don't think it was ever really used, it was built just after the clan started to dwindle and may have housed a visitor or two, but the family never expanded enough to use it. You can make it your home unless you decide to move elsewhere at a later date. I don't usually visit the compound and it's out of the way so you shouldn't have any unwanted visitors dropping in. It'll be good to have someone here to use the home and property instead of continuing to let it sit empty…" he trailed off. She turned back to the room in front of her and crossed her arms. 

"I'll be happy here, Kakashi. I'm still shocked by your kindness but I appreciate it more than you know. I hope my being here brings you around the compound more often. After being on my own for so long, I'm excited to rebuild my life here in Konoha and I'm glad you convinced my stubborn ass that this was an option for me. Thank you." She took his hand and pulled him towards her. Wrapping her arms around his midsection, she gave him the most comforting hug she could muster, hoping to draw him from whatever thoughts were bothering him in that moment. His arms slowly wrapped around her and pulled her close. She could feel him rest his chin on her shoulder, taking a deep breath before relaxing. 

"I'm glad you chose this. I'll come visit anytime you want me here." His voice was low next to her ear and she felt herself gently pulling away from the hug. She wanted to stay in his arms but she also knew that she wanted to establish a boundary on touching each other in such intimate ways until she was stable. She had a feeling that Kakashi’s genetics wouldn't allow him to do things like this halfway if he got too close. Attachment was already difficult for humans without enhanced instincts and he'd not only emphasized those instincts when he'd told her about them, he'd reinforced the emphasis on them when he protected his pups in a life or death battle. She was making a lot of assumptions, but she hoped those assumptions would help Kakashi keep his patience in the matter of their relationship until she could make a decision on what she wanted from this without the emotions of being back in Konoha clouding her judgment. 

"Let's go get lunch. I'm starving!" She told him, hoping her distraction wasn't obvious. His slightly narrowed eyes told her it was but he nodded. 

"Let me guess, cold soba noodles again?" he teased. She laughed and shook her head. 

"There's plenty of things to try in Konoha. I think we should try something else today. What do you think? Is there a place you prefer to go to?" she asked. He contemplated the question for a moment. 

"I do like a particular barbecue place that sells meats and vegetables you can cook at your table." She nodded enthusiastically. It sounded perfect for the day they were having. 

"That sounds great! Let's get going!" She ran back to the front door and put on her sandals as Kakashi followed casually, almost laughing to himself. 

"You remind me of a certain headstrong Genin I happen to have on my team when it comes to food," he commented as she practically dragged him out of the house and started a brisk pace to the gate of the compound. She stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Hey, just because I like food from great places doesn't mean I'm driven by my stomach like your cute little student." Kakashi just laughed at her as they hopped over the fence and he led her towards the direction of the restaurant. 

"Really? I couldn't tell." His casual teasing had Avurin grinning as they walked back into the bustling streets of Konoha. 

When they arrived at the restaurant, they found that it was surprisingly not busy and were seated quickly. She didn’t protest as Kakashi sat next to her instead of across from her, seemingly boxing her into the booth they were seated at. She had a feeling it was to protect her from prying eyes considering she was still a new addition to the village. Kakashi ordered for them both as she sat patiently, sipping at a cup of tea that had been placed at the table when they sat down. The peace was short-lived, however. 

“My rival! How surprising to find you at such a place that serves large portions of food! I must challenge you to a contest to see who can eat the most at such an establishment!” A loud voice cut through the quiet restaurant. In a flash, Kakashi was physically blocking Avurin from the intruder. A low growl had escaped from him but he didn’t seem any more tense than anyone else who had just been surprised from a sudden yell. SHe didn’t bother to peek over his shoulder to know who was on the other side of him. She knew that voice. 

“Gai, I’m afraid I’m preoccupied today. I can’t take you up on any challenges.” Kakashi told him, visibly relaxing. Avurin couldn’t help herself, tempted with the idea that one of her childhood best friends was right next to her as she carefully looked over Kakashi’s shoulder. 

“Ah! I see! Our famous bachelor has a lady friend with him! Kakashi! You must reveal the amazing woman that has you embracing the true spirit of the Springtime of Youth!” Gai exclaimed loudly, not lowering his voice at all. Avurin tapped Kakashi on the shoulder and he turned back to look at her. She just nodded, telling him it was okay. He sighed and moved out of her way, getting up to stand next to the booth. Avurin lowered her eyes. 

“Gai… I can explain.”

Chapter Text

Despite Avurin’s assumption of how her reunion with Gai would go, him crying and immediately hugging her, blubbering about knowing all along that she had to be okay, was not her expectation. She was shocked he wasn’t yelling and screaming at her for betraying him, for making him feel such grief over her faked death. The almost unbearably strong embrace was definitely not something that she had expected. 

“Asuma and I had a feeling that everything was not as they said it was! No one had an explanation for why your body was not recovered other than it being related to the war! Sure, several noble shinobi were declared Missing in Action, however we believed it would have been possible for you to want to leave after all of the horrible things you endured! I’m so happy that you decided to return, good friend! Oh, how we have missed you!” he continued to rant right into her ear as he squeezed her even harder. Despite her shock, she giggled and hugged him back. 

“I never intended to betray you and Asuma, Gai. I’m so sorry for the grief I had to put you through. I’m back now, though, and I’m here to stay.” She found herself reassuring her friend as he continued to squeeze her hard enough for her breathing to be restricted. Kakashi had been watching the reunion quietly but she could see his lazy smile under that mask. 

“We tried not to give into despair in such a situation and I am happy you are safe! And to see you with my rival on a lovely outing such as this, oh how my heart blooms with the Power of Youth between you two!” Gai enthusiastically yelled in her ear, prompting her to pull away from him and hold him at arm’s length. She smiled and patted him on the shoulder firmly. 

“Ah I’m not sure about the Power of Youth between us, we’ve both matured quite a lot over the years, but it was Kakashi that brought me home. We are actually here since I just agreed to let him help me find somewhere to live since my family home was destroyed in the Nine-Tails attack. He’s helped a lot since we ran into each other and I’m happy to say he’s a good friend to me now.” She carefully avoided mentioning that Kakashi had offered his family home to her, not knowing how the silver-haired man would feel about that information being out in the open so soon. 

“Mah, Gai, you’re intruding on our lunch. You’ll have plenty of time with Avie later after I get her settled. I’ll take a challenge from you later today.” Kakashi drawled, pulling Avurin away from Gai and carefully pulling her to his side. Avurin would have chastised him for being rude, however she knew Gai wouldn’t feel that way. 

“I sincerely apologize for interrupting your lunch! I will take my leave now and run one hundred laps around the village as punishment but I will certainly find you later today! I must be almost late for training with Lee!” Gai yelled before bolting out of the restaurant. Avurin sighed and moved to sit back in the booth, slumping her shoulders as she sunk into the seat. 

“He is still…” she trailed off. 

“Exhausting?” Kakashi offered as he handed her a menu from where they had remained untouched after Gai’s interruption. She just nodded and sighed again as she looked over the options. 

Their lunch was mostly silent as they ate, both content to just eat and be on their way after the exhausting reunion for Avurin. 

...

After they finished, Avurin was happy to accompany Kakashi on a walk through the village, getting time to enjoy the sights of the village that she had only gotten glimpses of the previous day. The new face of Lord Fourth on the mountain was familiar, yet at the same time, it wasn’t and it brought a deep ache to her chest to remember what had happened while she had been gone. While she couldn’t say that she regretted running away, she was still upset. 

Kakashi distracted her from her thoughts by mumbling about how he would love to have a certain book in his hand while they walked through the village and she would occasionally snap back that she wasn’t sure she should give it back to him after all of the grief he’d put his Genin through by being a pervert. They’d fallen into easy banter as they strolled through the streets with Kakashi taking the lead, seemingly without a destination in mind. She didn’t pay attention to the direction that they were going until she started to notice that they were wandering into the fields that served as training grounds. 

“Hey, Kakashi! Where are you taking me?” she asked with her arms crossed, already knowing that there was a half-brained plan forming in that handsome head of his if they were going into the training grounds. She heard him laugh lightly as he lifted his shoulders into a shrug. 

“Mah, I thought we could spend some of the day training. If you’re going to commit to being a Konoha shinobi, we have to make sure you’re up for the task.” He gave her one of those smiles that crinkled his visible eye over his shoulder. She huffed back at him as he turned back to watch where he was going, navigating easily through the trees. 

“I didn’t agree to training the day after getting back from an insane mission. You do remember that my chakra reserves are still pretty low, right?” she countered. She could see him tilt his head in a contemplative gesture but she knew she had already lost this fight. 

“We’ll take it easy. I just want to see what might need improving if you’re serious about testing to become a Jonin. I don’t believe you’ll have a problem with that, though. You stood your ground against Zabuza and you have great instincts in battle.” He absentmindedly put a hand over his side where she remembered her katana had scratched him. She had been on high-alert and any shinobi worth their vest knew not to jump in front of a comrade’s attack, especially with a sharp weapon and little to no visibility. She wouldn’t apologize for his mistake. 

“I won’t be using the Kekkei Genkai. Not against a comrade. That jutsu is reserved for emergencies in battle. If that’s what you’re hoping to get out of this, just know I won’t be using it in practice. Ever.” Her voice was firm and Kakashi’s back straightened as he looked back over his shoulder with a serious expression. He stopped for a moment and she stopped with him. 

“I won’t tell you what to do with your bloodline trait, but I do think you should consider training it in the future. From what we understand about it, you’ll only improve your use of it with practice and if you only use it for life-or-death situations, you’ll end up exhausting your chakra at the end of every battle just like last time. I’m not saying it has to be today or with me, but just consider it. I’m more interested in your talents outside of your Kekkei Genkai.” Kakashi was firm but not overbearing and Avurin could appreciate that. However, she was also firm in not using such a jutsu against comrades for the sake of getting practice. It could be damaging and that kind of control required an unbreakable amount of trust from both sides. 

“Fine. I’ll think about it. For today, though, I’m not using it.” She sighed and nodded towards the break in the trees as a gesture for him to continue walking. He gave her a pleased look and she knew she’d just agreed to training despite her initial aversion to it. The reassurance that she didn’t need to use the Kekkei Genkai during training had helped, but she still knew she was going to be kicked around like a ragdoll by the Jonin next to her due to her lack of training for the last decade. It had been a miracle she’d been able to do what she had in the Land of Waves. 

They walked into the center of the clearing and Kakashi turned to face her, a glint in his eye as he put one of his hands in his pocket. He pulled out a pair of silver bells tied together, waving them slightly so they jingled. He untied them from each other and tied one to each side of his vest. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at how ridiculous he looked. 

“I think we both know that you’re concerned about keeping up with me so I’ll give you the same test I gave my Genin. Considering they usually take this test as a team of three, I think it balances out that you’ll be on your own. The goal is to get these bells from me before the sun sets. If you can get one of them, I’ll buy you dinner for tonight. If you get both, I’ll buy dinner and write a recommendation letter for your Jonin test when you decide to apply. You will only be able to get these bells if you come at me full force without holding anything back. I will only attack if you drag me into battle or I am forced to defend the bells. Sound fair?” She could tell he had a shit-eating grin under that mask and despite his obvious joy in taunting her with bells of all things, she knew she would take the challenge. She casually placed a hand on the hilt of her katana and sighed. 

“Fine. Sunset, right? So that’s a few hours. Let’s get this over with.” She grumbled. He nodded and before she knew it, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, a log falling to the ground to take his place. She sighed and looked around the clearing, senses reaching out to feel for his chakra signature. She felt a small flicker of it about a hundred feet to her right and brought her hands up for a hand sign, disappearing in a quick flash to appear a hundred feet directly behind where she had originally been. She knew she couldn’t go to him directly, he would see her before she even got close. 

Masking her chakra, she started jumping along the highest branches of the trees as she followed his chakra signature. She was going to attempt to flank him by putting him between her and the clearing. Hopefully he would still be watching the clearing for any signs of her but she knew he was baiting her and would probably just be waiting for her to show up, likely to fall into a trap. In her opinion, the best way to handle a trap was to trigger it. 

Closing in on his position, she slowed down and assessed the area between where she could feel his chakra. She couldn’t see any traps laid but she didn’t want to take the risk. Carefully maneuvering through the trees, she finally could see him lounging on a low branch, arms crossed behind his head as if he were taking a nap. She internally scoffed at his disrespect but if this was an act, she didn’t know what he would do once he knew she was nearby. Taking her bow off of her shoulder, she carefully got into position and pulled the string back, feeling as chakra slipped through her fingers and created a barely-visible arrow in the bow. 

She released it with barely a whisper in the air, sending it straight for his chest. To her surprise, he didn’t move at all and it pierced him, creating a puff of smoke that quickly cleared and left a large indentation in the branch he had been laying on. She silently cursed. That had been a shadow clone, definitely bait. While most shinobi would not be able to trace the chakra arrow back to the shooter’s location due to its transparency, Kakashi had the Sharingan. Her cover was blown. 

“An arrow to the heart? That’s pretty brutal.” She heard the rumble of his voice right behind her ear as a kunai appeared in front of her neck, yet didn’t press any closer. She formed a quick hand sign and flashed to a branch a few feet away, effectively getting out of his reach just as he grabbed another kunai. She slung her bow over her shoulder again and drew her katana quickly, not taking her eyes off of Kakashi as he watched her with an amused look in his eye. 

“You did say to give it all I had. In a stealth mission, your aim has to be true and end in a swift death for success.” she countered. He chuckled as she lunged for him, her katana cutting downwards towards his face as he brought the two kunai in front of him, crossed together to block the strike. The metal of the blades screeched together, creating small sparks as she slid the katana out of the block and decided to make a swipe for one of his legs. He jumped out of the way quickly, landing on a nearby branch slightly higher than the one she was on. He let out a low whistle and twirled one of the kunai. 

“You follow the rules very clearly. However, I’m starting to think you don’t even want the bells.” He was teasing her again and she grit her teeth. He looked as if he’d just woken up, he wasn’t even breathing any harder than when they had started. His casual slouch was still present and she could tell through his mask that he was grinning at her. 

“I’ll have to knock you down to even get a chance at them. We have all afternoon and I’m just getting started.” she shot back as she lunged for him again, this time making the hand signs for a Water Release that she knew wouldn’t take too much of her chakra, Water Bullet. Spitting out the water bullets in his direction as a distraction, she quickly followed behind the jutsu, swinging her katana at his midsection where the strings of the bells were exposed. Kakashi avoided the water bullets with little trouble, only one of them grazed his shoulder and cut a small line through his vest, before he jumped out of the way of her katana. She cursed but knew they were still in the early phases of their battle. She would need to wear him down before she'd be able to actually hit him. 

They continued dancing around each other for a few minutes before Kakashi waved at her, taunting her again before he disappeared, leaving another log in his place. She fought back a frustrated scream as she paused and assessed the area around her, waiting in case he decided to attack in her hesitation. She knew that he had said he wouldn’t attack unless it was to defend the bells or fend her off, but she was still cautious. He was having too much fun with this. 

After a few moments, she felt for his chakra again. This time, she couldn’t even find a flicker. He was at least taking her seriously now. She glanced at the branch he had disappeared from and saw a very light scuff on the branch, likely from his shoe as he had disappeared. It was barely noticeable, but the scuff showed her the direction he’d propelled himself at the last moment. He had gone back towards the clearing. She cautiously jumped among the branches back towards the clearing. Sure enough, he was sitting in the middle of the clearing, casually reading a very familiar bright orange book. Her eyes narrowed and she felt her jaw protest from how hard she was clenching her teeth together. He’d taken her book while she hadn’t been looking that morning. 

Keeping her emotions in check, she used her bow to aim another chakra arrow at his midsection. She smirked to herself as she let it loose. This one would be triggered to explode with the force of a paper bomb on contact and he had no way of knowing that. He may have also been expecting her to react more haphazardly to him stealing her book again and wanted her to charge in, yet it was obvious bait. She wouldn’t fall for it every time. She also knew he wouldn’t fall for such an obvious ranged attack. 

As expected, he simply moved out of the way, attempting to continue to taunt her by continuing to read the book. However, as the arrow sailed past him, she couldn’t help but laugh a little to herself. It met the ground behind him and exploded on impact, enveloping the area in smoke. She put her bow over her shoulder and drew her katana again. This wasn’t a game of tag. As soon as she caught a glimpse of silver hair followed by the rest of Kakashi jumping out of the smoke, she lunged. 

He wasn’t as surprised by the explosion as she had wanted judging by the almost bored look in his eyes but the distraction had done its job. She appeared next to him as he was lunging out of the way of the smoke and slid her katana just under his arm, cutting the string of one of the bells. The scene seemed to move in slow motion as she lunged for the bell that was falling, her hand outstretched to grab it as soon as she was close enough. 

Her world turned upside down within the blink of an eye and the bell fell into the grass right in front of her. Above her, Kakashi chuckled as he pinned her wrists above her head with one hand, leaning his weight on the one hand, keeping her pinned just barely out of reach of the bell. She glared at him with everything she had, forcing herself not to shiver at the Sharingan she was making eye contact with. 

“Very clever. However, not enough. Want to try again?” he asked as he glanced at the sky, forcing her to acknowledge that it was getting later in the afternoon. The sun wasn’t quite setting just yet, but they were approaching the golden hour of the day. 

“You wouldn’t leave me to find dinner myself, would you? You know I don’t have any money.” She smiled almost coyly, putting off an air of sly confidence, tilting her head just so while maintaining eye contact with the Jonin above her. She was usually above such low tactics, but she couldn’t deny the effect it had on the man. Kakashi’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second and the grip on her wrists loosened enough for her to pull both of her wrists out of his grip, quickly snatching the bell off the ground. She felt his weight fall on her for a moment before he pushed himself up enough to not crush her. She turned her head back to face him, realizing she was very close to his face as she held the bell in between them, still smiling. 

“It seems I won’t have to face that dilemma tonight…” Kakashi muttered as he gently took the bell from her, putting it in his front vest pocket. After a moment of just staring at each other, he slowly pushed himself up to sit on his haunches, holding out a hand to help her sit up. She took it and smiled in thanks. 

“I think we’re done for today. You owe me dinner!” She pulled herself to her feet and laughed at the look of betrayal on Kakashi’s face from where he was still sitting. “Don’t take it personally, ‘Kashi. Utilizing the weaknesses of your enemy, even in a spar, is a key component to being successful in a mission.” Kakashi seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts as he stood from the ground, scratching the nape of his neck as he laughed softly. 

“You’re right. I guess my weakness is a little too obvious in that kind of situation. You did well today but you still didn’t get the second bell. You’re free to train with me anytime to get it, though.” She nodded and held her hand out. 

“Shake on it. I’ll take you up on it again soon. I’m rusty and I’ll need the workout.” she told him, fighting not to let her hand waver. He looked down at her hand and smiled before gently shaking it. 

“Of course. Anytime. Let’s go get your dinner.”

Chapter Text

Avurin settled in well in Konoha. After seeing Gai during her lunch with Kakashi, she was quickly re-introduced to Asuma and Kurenai who were quick to let her know that they had agreed with Gai. They hadn’t believed she’d actually died but hadn’t kept their hopes up about seeing her again. Now that she was back, she found herself being invited out at least twice a week to meet with them and other Jonin in the village at nearby bars and restaurants. 

Over time, she found herself drinking with them and sharing stories from her time in her cabin while they got her up to date on the gossip of the village. She had lost her ‘lightweight’ status quickly and was known by her friends at these meetings to immediately dive into a bottle of sake that she refused to share. While it wasn’t healthy, she found herself enjoying her time without worrying about the decade she’d lost when she was drinking. 

She had noticed that Kakashi had mysteriously disappeared for a few weeks after their training session, only appearing by chance throughout the village whether he was accompanying his Genin team or was being dragged into a challenge by Gai. They had only shared a quick wave and a smile during these chance meetings before moving on with their lives. Each night, she returned to the cabin in the Hatake compound. 

While she had initially appreciated the quiet that came with the secluded area, she found herself avoiding sleeping in the bed so she didn’t have to think about what she was missing from when she had shared the space with Kakashi on their mission in the Land of Waves. She had taken to sleeping on the couch in the living room for the sake of not having any spare space to stare at during the night. 

She found herself starting to get restless in the village and decided to put in the official request to start taking missions. The Hokage was eager to give her B-Rank missions with assigned teams, however from what she understood, the council was holding him back. This meant she was racking up D-Rank missions quickly with the addition of one or two C-Rank missions. She very rarely left the village and she was starting to get frustrated after the third or fourth time catching the same cat that seemed to get out of its owner’s home twice a week. 

The Hokage reassured her that he was making a case to increase the ranking of her missions, however he told her it would take time and she’d need to be patient. She was still a newly returned missing-nin that was thought to be dead and the council was not easily trusting of the situation, especially given her Kekkei Genkai that they had very little understanding of. It was after this conversation that she found herself at the bar with the Jonin of the village, drinking herself into the table and whining about it.

“I don’t know why they don’t just send me with one of your teams on a B-Rank! You guys can already babysit your little Genin, why can’t you babysit me too?” she grumbled as she poured herself another cup from her third bottle of sake that she was still refusing to share. Asuma sighed and she knew Kurenai was looking at her with pity. 

“Look, the council controls everything here. You just have to wait until they can get their heads out of their asses and then you’re good as gold. Just hang in there, Avurin.” Asuma reassured her as he took a drink out of his beer, tapping the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray at the table. Avurin whined and crossed her arms, pouting. 

“They keep giving me D-Ranks! Way more than C-Ranks! I haven’t seen the outside of the village since last week when I had to escort a messenger to the next small village and back! It barely took a few hours! I’m just so tired of being cooped up here!” she argued, slamming a fist on the table. “What do I have to do to prove I’m trustworthy enough and strong enough to take on a few B-Ranks? I mean, c’mon!” She put her head on the table and whined again. 

“Mah, now this is a sight.” Avurin lifted her head after hearing the familiar drawl of a certain gray-haired Jonin. She glared at him and took a sip out of her cup. 

“Oh, hush! Don’t act like you haven’t seen me like this before.” she grumbled, remembering the night that she had drank the only sake she’d kept in the cabin just to bear the pain of her past as she spilled everything she’d gone through to Kakashi. Kakashi just chuckled and slipped into the booth next to her. “Where’s Gai, anyway? We all know he’s the only one that successfully drags you to these things.” She set her cup down and refilled it from the bottle on the table, ignoring Asuma and Kurenai’s questioning gaze at the familiarity between Avurin and their more elusive friend. They knew that she had been brought back by Kakashi but didn’t know much in regards to the personal details. She’d refused to talk about any of her interactions with the Copy-Nin for the sake of avoiding questioning.

“He’s getting another round of drinks. However, I don’t think you really need another round. You’re looking pretty red in the ears there, Avie.” he teased. She glared at him and thumped him hard on the arm. 

“I can do what I damn well please, ‘Kashi. Another round sounds perfect after the day I’ve had.” 

“What, were you chasing that cat again? Maybe helping deliver the mail around the village? Or construction? I would have thought you’d be able to handle-” Kakashi found a hand pressing hard against his mouth through his mask and a very angry Avurin glaring him down. 

“Another word, Kakashi, and I will end you right here at the table. Besides, it’s not like you’ve been around lately. You could be helping me convince the Hokage to let me take a B-Rank at least every once in a while. I’ve been stuck doing D-Ranks for the last few weeks and I’m losing my mind! You know what I’m capable of! This is torture!” She let go of him and put her head back on the table, whining again at the unfairness of the situation. Kakashi chuckled as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear and gently patted her back. They both missed the growing shock and slight horror growing on the faces of Asuma and Kurenai as they watched the scene unfold in front of them. 

“Well, drowning your sorrows in alcohol may not be the best choice but if that’s what you feel like doing, go for it. You still haven’t contacted me for our next training session and you still have a second bell to get from me.” Avurin’s face heated and she turned to face Kakashi with her glare still in place. 

“Well I would if I could fucking find you! I’ve gone by your apartment, I’ve asked Gai to find you once, I’ve checked the training grounds, it’s like you disappeared! How am I supposed to set up our next training session if I can’t even reach you!” she shouted with a pout. Kakashi put his hands up in defense. 

“Mah, I’ve been on a couple of missions with the pups lately. We just recently got word that the Chunin exams will be held in Konoha this year and I want to make sure they’re ready. They just started taking more involved C-Rank missions and I’ve increased their training. I know it’s not an excuse, but you can always leave a letter at my apartment and I’ll get it when I return.” he explained. Avurin blushed so hard her face hurt and she quickly finished the cup in her hands, refilling it and tossing the next one back just as quickly. 

“Sorry, I didn’t consider that. I’ll keep that in mind. Are you available soon?” she asked. Kakashi shrugged. 

“I should be able to meet you tomorrow but we’ll talk about that tomorrow morning if you’re not dead asleep with a hangover,” he teased. Gai appeared with the next round of drinks and was met with a dead silent table. Avurin felt her mortification grow with Asuma and Kurenai staring very intently at her and Kakashi while Gai announced what he’d brought over before the energetic Jonin saw another friend and ran off.  Kakashi just sighed and popped open a beer, pointing it at Asuma. 

“Nothing is happening. Get it out of your head.” he almost growled. Avurin just hid her face in her crossed arms on the table. 

“Are you sure about that? You two seem pretty close. She even knows where your apartment is, Mr. Secretive.” Kurenai teased as she leaned forward, resting her chin in one hand and a sly smile on her face. Avurin buried her face further into her arms. 

“It was a necessity. She’d just gotten back into the village and we needed to find her a place to stay. She stayed over ONE night and I slept on the couch. Get your minds out of the gutter.” Kakashi grumbled as he took a sip of his beer in his usual quick manner that ensured no one saw his face. Avurin peeked out from her arms. 

“It’s true. It was just one night and we found a place for me to stay the next day. It’s really not like that.” she mumbled pathetically, watching Kurenai’s eyes light up with amusement. 

“Just be glad Anko didn’t get a whiff of this. Rumors would be swirling through Konoha so fast you two wouldn’t have a choice. Personally, I’ve never seen you this worked up, Kakashi. You’ve never let anyone come by your apartment except for Asuma and Gai. Maybe you two should consider how well you compliment each other.” Avurin glanced at Kakashi to see him looking at her with that ‘please don’t make a big deal about this’ look on his face. She sighed and threw back another cup of sake. 

“Kurenai, maybe we should just leave them be. Avurin looks about ready to die of humiliation over there.” Asuma teased a little, nudging Kurenai’s arm. Kakashi just sighed and Avurin noticed half of his beer was already gone. She took a spare cup for sake and filled it, passing it over to him. He gave her a grateful look and it disappeared just as quickly as his sips of beer had. 

“See? She’s even sharing her sake with him. She hardly shares with us. I think it’s cute.” Kurenai said with a warm look in her eyes as she looked at Avurin. Avurin sighed and sat back in the booth. 

“Look, don’t you guys think I should figure out some of my problems with my missions and a team before I start worrying about things like whether or not Kakashi and I should be dating? Sorry, no offense, ‘Kashi.” She knew her and Kakashi had already talked about the problem that was currently being discussed, but she didn’t want their friends to know that the casual behavior between her and Kakashi was something that had been happening practically since day one and had already warranted that discussion. 

“I don’t see why it should stop you. Life is short, sometimes shorter than we expect in our line of work. Even if you don’t like Kakashi that way, you really shouldn’t put a hold on that kind of thing just because of things as simple as working up the mission ranking ladder.” Asuma chimed in. Avurin huffed and crossed her arms. 

“I came here to rant to you guys about the unfairness of ‘working up the mission ranking ladder,’ not talk about my romantic interests. If you guys are just going to grill me about it, I’m just going to go home. It’s getting late anyway and apparently I have a chance to train tomorrow.” Finishing her bottle of sake in a couple of swigs straight from the bottle, she pushed Kakashi until he let her out of the booth and stumbled towards the door. Her mood had soured at the pushing from her friends, but she knew they had a valid point. Why was she holding back? As she walked out into the cool night air, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders to steady her. She hadn’t even realized she was swaying dangerously enough to warrant the support. 

“I’ll walk you back. I know it’s a bit of a walk.” Kakashi’s low voice whispered from next to her and she nodded. After a couple of minutes of walking in silence, her mouth decided that her thoughts needed to be spoken. 

“I missed you. I guess they have a point. Why am I waiting?” she mumbled. Kakashi hummed next to her and she felt his arm tighten around her slightly. 

“Because you have a reasonable head on your shoulders. You want things to be stable when you choose to be with someone. If that someone happens to be me, you’ll definitely need that stability. There’s a lot you still don’t know about me and I’m sure you’ve already realized that my instincts won’t let me do things halfway. Hatake’s mate for life. It’s a hard decision to make and it’s a difficult decision to reverse after things get too entangled. You’re smart and waiting is something I can do until you’ve made a decision. It’s not like I have a second choice since this is the first time I’ve met someone I’m willing to ‘try’ with. That’s not to say that if you decide to try things with me, it’s set in stone that you’re in it for life, but it’s still an important decision.” Kakashi rambled, looking away to avoid eye contact as he spoke. Avurin ducked her head down, bringing a hand to rub at her forehead at the new revelations he just provided her. If she thought the pressure was high before, her head felt like it was about to explode with the implication that any decision she made would be very serious and couldn’t be done halfway.

“For what it’s worth, this is the first time I’ve met someone I’m willing to ‘try’ with too. I just… I need to make sure I’m not making a decision influenced by everything else going on. I want to know that I’m thinking clearly when I decide. Especially not because some friends decided to play matchmaker at a bar while I’m drunk out of my mind and ranting about shitty missions of all things.” she muttered quietly as they approached the gates of the compound. He stopped and turned her by her shoulders to look at him. She shivered at the intensity of his gaze but maintained eye contact. 

“Just knowing that you’re feeling the same way is enough for me right now. Do what you have to and I’ll be here when you’re ready, okay?” he reassured her. She nodded. His smile returned as he helped her hop over the gate to the compound and she let him walk her to the cabin without any complaints. 

“I think I can get myself to bed from here. Thank you, Kakashi.” she whispered as she turned to take the first step up the stairs. Sure enough, she tripped and strong arms caught her. A quiet laugh rang out next to her ear and she huffed. 

“I’ll help you get inside. Can’t have you hurting yourself before our training session, can we?” he teased. She groaned and hit him in the shoulder weakly as he helped her back to her feet. She managed to climb the next two steps and open the front door. She could feel Kakashi’s eyes on her as she stumbled to the couch where she had already made a little nest of blankets and pillows. He walked into the home as she plopped down onto the couch. 

“Have you been sleeping on the couch this whole time? I know I made sure there was a bed in here before I offered it to you.” he asked, concern laced into his voice as she nuzzled into a pillow on the couch. Her whole world was swirling with the change in orientation from standing to lying down. 

“Doesn’t feel right…” she mumbled. She heard him huff before arms wedged themselves under her shoulders and behind her knees. She squeaked as she was picked up and looked at Kakashi with wide eyes. His mask was pulled down and both of his eyes were open. 

“I know the feeling. I know you said we should get used to sleeping separately and we have been for weeks now, but I think this will do us both some good.” With that, he swept her away to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. He went back to the living room to grab a couple of pillows and the comforter that had originally been on the bed, throwing them on top of her as she stared at him in shock. 

“Hey! I didn’t agree to this!” she whined and he just smirked at her. 

“Well, this is the best way to make sure you’re up early so we can go to training. Get comfortable. I’m not letting you sleep on the couch tonight.” he told her as he pulled his jacket and shirt off, tossing them on the floor in the corner of the room. She felt her face burning as he turned off the light and she felt him adjust one of the pillows before plopping down onto the bed next to her. Arms wrapped around her midsection and a familiar warmth pressed against her back. 

“Sleep well…”

Chapter Text

The next morning, Avurin found herself in a familiar situation. Arms were tightly wrapped around her midsection and a face was buried against the nape of her neck, breathing softly with light snores. She smiled to herself as she felt the arms around her tighten for a moment, Kakashi readjusting his face as he pressed his cheek against the back of her neck. His breathing hitched as he nuzzled closer to her, pulling her as close as possible. She shifted her arm to tuck it under the pillow her head was resting on and sighed. She wasn’t going to try to escape from him this time, especially not after what had happened a couple of weeks ago. She didn’t want Kakashi berating himself during their training over behavior that he seemingly couldn’t control. 

She had to admit that she also just enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped up in the warm embrace that she had been craving for weeks. While she had tried not to be affected by Kakashi’s absence, she had to acknowledge that she had been fighting herself not to think about him each day she was forced to take a boring D-Rank mission with more time on her hands than she had expected when she came back to the village. While she enjoyed the outings with her friends, she always found herself missing a certain silver-haired Jonin that hadn’t left her side throughout the entire mission in The Land of Waves. She didn’t consider herself codependent, but she felt reassured and comfortable when Kakashi was with her. His absence had brought light to that fact about herself that she hadn’t noticed during their mission. 

She didn’t want this to just be some fleeting fascination with the man that had crashed into her life and brought her home two years later during a chance meeting. She liked Kakashi, yet she could acknowledge that she truly didn’t know too much about him. She knew some things that others likely didn’t know, such as where he’d gotten his Sharingan, but those little facts could be chalked up to his frustration during the night that they had fought over her hiding her past. The time they’d spent together only added up to about three or four weeks of constantly being in each other’s presence and everything they’d done in that time was not considered traditional. 

Bonds through traumatic experiences were a well-known concept among shinobi, mostly being between teammates where one had saved the other in a life-threatening battle, but those relationships often ended with one or the other party becoming distant and less interested after the fascination had worn off over time. Some relationships formed from those experiences lasted, however it was something to be wary of. Especially with how invested he was in her and how out-of-character it was for him, judging by the reactions of their friends.

Throughout her short time in Konoha, she’d heard the common gossip about Kakashi. He kept to himself, never really showed any intense emotions - even on the battlefield, his friend circle was extremely small, and while several kunoichi in the village were interested in the mysterious man, he never took anyone home or showed any interest in relationships. Overall, he was not a cuddly, flirty, emotionally-involved person, which was the exact opposite of what Avurin had come to know from him. While she had saved his life two years ago, the form of bond based on trauma was very unlikely to form for a front-line shinobi that had served in the Third Great Ninja War, had been a Jonin since he was still a child, and had lost almost everyone that was close to him at one point. If anything, she expected someone like Kakashi to be shying away from such an emotionally-loaded situation. However, as he’d explained to her the previous night, his instincts had other ideas and while he may have been able to control them for years, apparently they had given way when he’d laid eyes on her. 

“Good morning…” Kakashi mumbled from where he was practically burrowed into her neck. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. 

“Good morning. I thought we were training early today?” she asked. She felt him sigh and a hand that was around her waist lightly stroked her hip. 

“Mah, I said we’d be training today. Nothing about it being early.” His voice was a low drawl as he took his hand away and rolled over onto his back, finally relinquishing his hold. She pulled herself into a sitting position and smiled at him as he laid there with his eyes closed, one arm thrown over his face. Without really thinking, she started carding her fingers through his hair. He hummed and leaned into the touch which brought out a laugh from her. 

“Well, come on, sleepyhead. We have some training to-” She was cut off by a sharp pecking noise at her window. Kakashi was instantly alert as he got out of the bed, walking to the window where a messenger hawk was patiently waiting. As he opened the window, Avurin’s eyes narrowed at the innocent hawk, wondering if the letter it carried was actually addressed to her or if someone knew that Kakashi had stayed the night. Kakashi shut the window with the scroll in his hand as the hawk flew away, back to its station. It wouldn’t have given the scroll to him if it wasn’t intended for him, so someone knew he was here. 

“It’s addressed to both of us,” Kakashi told her as he walked back to the bed, untying the string around the scroll. Her brows furrowed together as she stared intently at the scroll. 

“What could a letter addressed to both of us be for? It looks like a summons by the Hokage.” Avurin muttered as Kakashi opened it without any hesitation. Glancing over it, he sighed and gave her a weary smile. 

“It is. We’re being summoned to the Hokage’s office for a mission. It looks like you might be finally getting that B-Rank you were hoping for.” He smiled more genuinely as he passed the scroll to her for her to confirm what he was saying. There weren’t any details regarding a mission, it simply requested their presence in the Hokage’s office immediately. By all means, it looked like a typical mission summons. 

“Sounds like we need to get ready!” she laughed as she jumped off of the bed. She was still dressed in her clothes from the previous night and she could smell the stale alcohol on her shirt as she ran to the dresser to get a change of clothes. She shooed Kakashi out of her room as he rolled his eyes with a smile as he complied, taking his shirt and flak jacket with him. She got dressed quickly, opting for the official Chunin uniform that included a black long sleeve undershirt with the Konoha red emblem on the upper arm and the Chunin vest she’d been reinstated when she started taking missions again. She stuck with her black cargo pants for her missions, finding that the more pockets she had, the better. 

Wrapping her ankles in white tape to finish the typical uniform, she quickly tied off the tape and put on her kunai pouch, ensuring Icha Icha and her storage scrolls were safely tucked into the pouch, before practically bolting out of her room. Sure enough, Kakashi was ready to go and waiting for her as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her weapons, grinning the entire time. Kakashi smiled back at her through the mask that she was quickly growing to despise as he held the door open for her, leading her out into the yard of the compound. 

“First one to the Hokage’s office gets the rights to Icha Icha Paradise for the mission!” Avurin shouted behind her as she ran across the yard, quickly flashing over the gate and running towards the city. She knew better than to look back for Kakashi, he would do anything to have that book back in his hand and was likely already gone. She utilized every speed-based jutsu she had, flashing across the rooftops of the buildings in the city as she raced to the Hokage’s office. 

As she closed in on the tower, she saw that the window was open to the Hokage’s office and made a quick decision to utilize it. She couldn’t let Kakashi have Icha Icha back so soon, could she? Smirking to herself, she leapt up to the window and perched herself on the edge, trying her best to hide her heavy breathing from the exertion as she smiled at the Hokage. 

“Did I win?” she asked. The Hokage glared at her before sitting up straight at his desk and coughing once into his fist. 

“No, Kakashi is already here,” he informed her in the most diplomatic voice he could. She glanced into the room and saw the man in question lounging back on the couch as if he’d been there for hours. He smiled at her through his mask and gave her a quick two-fingered salute. 

“Dammit! Here, you pervert!” she shouted as she grabbed Icha Icha Paradise out of her kunai pouch and launched it at his head. He caught it with a look of pure glee and tucked it into his own pouch. 

“I didn’t pin you for a sore loser, Avie. You made the rules, I simply followed them.” Kakashi teased as she climbed into the office, taking a place in front of the Hokage’s desk to stand at attention the way she knew she was supposed to. As Kakashi joined her, she snorted. 

“I’m not a sore loser, you’re just a jerk when you win. You couldn’t have gotten here that much sooner than I did.” she shot back with a half-hearted glare. Kakashi just chuckled as they turned their attention to the Hokage who was patiently waiting for them to finish, looking completely and utterly tired of listening to the banter between the two. 

“I see you two are doing well. I won’t question why the messenger hawk only needed to make one stop before returning or why Kakashi is actually on time for a mission summons.” A pointed look was thrown in Kakashi’s direction but the Jonin just shrugged, completely unbothered with the implication while Avurin felt her face grow heated. The Hokage took the moment of silence to continue.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Avurin, you are being assigned a B-Rank mission as a personal request from myself with the agreement of the council. This particular mission was created with a member of the Okita family in mind due to information that has been stored in the archives for several years. We originally abandoned the topic after the death of what we believed was the last of the Okita family. However, with your return, we have decided to reopen the file and assign an investigative mission.” Hiruzen began. Avurin nodded along but could feel her stomach sinking as she wondered what B-Rank mission could involve the Okita family, likely with the involvement of her Kekkei Genkai. Kakashi stiffened next to her and she could tell he had come to the same conclusion. 

“Avurin has very little training with her Kekkei Genkai and doesn’t intend to use it for missions if that’s what the council is pushing for. With no disrespect, I won’t stand for a mission to be placed on her that will require the use of her jutsu. As the one who brought her to Konoha and accepted her conditions for returning on behalf of Konoha, I would like to interject that requesting a mission of that nature would go against her wishes and conditions for returning.” Kakashi spat, arms crossed and his anger barely reigned in. Avurin put a hand on his arm, the effect instantaneous as Kakashi’s shoulders dropped, no longer practically bristling in anger. 

“Let’s let him finish and find out what’s going on. He just said that it’s investigative. I’ll make the decision when we hear the details. Calm down.” she stated firmly and Kakashi just gave her a small nod, his eye still focused on the Hokage who was patiently waiting to finish the mission details. Avurin nodded to Hiruzen who nodded back with a sigh. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. 

“Thank you, Avurin. This is an investigative mission and we do not expect you to have to use your Kekkei Genkai. That wasn’t why you were chosen for this mission. We have records of an estate near the coast facing the Land of Whirlpools that belonged to the Okita family that we would like you to investigate in the event that there is any information on your family that you can utilize personally. All we expect on our end is to know whether there are any missing nin in that area, possibly using the home as a shelter or base. It’s been abandoned for decades, possibly longer than you’ve been alive and we have reason to believe there are some missing nin in that area. That is why Kakashi will be joining you for this mission.” He glanced in Kakashi’s direction, the man staring out of the open window with his arms crossed, likely upset with his own assumption.

“I expect Kakashi to protect you and clear the area while you investigate your family’s home. Effectively, you will be designated as the captain for this mission and Kakashi will simply support you throughout the mission. If you find anything of personal use there, please report to me directly with any information you are willing to provide. However, I must stress that clan secrets are clan secrets and the Okita family is a clan of Konoha, therefore you are under no obligation to share those secrets as long as they do not put Konoha in danger. Anything that would put Konoha in danger, however, must be reported. Do you accept the mission?” Hiruzen asked, an eyebrow raised in Avurin’s direction. It was extremely rare to have an option to accept a mission, especially a personal one that appeared to be for her own benefit. She quickly nodded. 

“Absolutely. Kakashi will be a great help on this mission and we’ll report what we find, whether that’s any missing nin or information that helps me with my Kekkei Genkai. When should we leave?” she asked as Hiruzen handed her the detailed scroll with the exact location of the estate and other mission details. 

“I would recommend leaving as soon as possible. Since it’s still early, leaving today would put you on schedule to arrive at the estate in 3-4 days time. I expect this mission to be thorough, take your time as you investigate. If you find any missing nin that are beyond Kakashi’s capabilities, send a message and I will send Anbu reinforcements to handle the situation, allowing you the time you need to thoroughly investigate the estate safely. This mission is classified as a B-Rank to satisfy the council regarding your ranking and abilities, however please treat it as an A-Rank if things get difficult. I will expect you back in two weeks.” He nodded his dismissal and Avurin bowed low, the significance of this being her first B-Rank mission since returning to Konoha was not lost on her. 

“Thank you very much, Lord Third. I hope this will be an enlightening journey for me.” She quickly turned back to the door of the office and Kakashi followed her out into the hallway. She glanced at him and smiled shyly, holding out the scroll with the mission details. “If you want to familiarize yourself with the route, I’ll let you take the lead. I haven’t traveled in that area and you have more experience so clearly, you’ll be the Captain on this one.” He gently took the scroll and pinned her with a stern look. 

“You are the Captain on this mission, Avurin. This is a mission intended solely for you to investigate a personal lead for yourself. I’m simply here to accompany you and keep you safe. You will be leading the mission.” His stern look quickly morphed into a very comforting smile. “However, I’ll lead you to your family estate if you’d like. I do have to protect you so being on point will be the best option anyway. Do you need to pack anything before we leave?” he asked. She shook her head. She had brought her last-minute mission storage scrolls with her when it was implied that she’d be going on her first B-Rank mission. 

“I have what I need for the mission and I get the feeling you do too. I say let’s get a head start! If this is the estate I’m thinking it might be, there will be several clan secrets there that my dad never got to tell me or show me. Let’s go!” She felt her smile grow as she turned to leave the Hokage tower, running down the stairs with increasing speed, knowing Kakashi would keep up. As she was running down the main street of the village with Kakashi in tow, some villagers turned their heads and whispered to themselves. 

She’d made the village’s top gossips flap their lips for the last few weeks and while not everything that was said was good, she couldn’t care less. The return of an Okita in the village brought some tension, especially once someone caught wind that she was the first in several generations to possess the Okita Kekkei Genkai. Some villagers had outright refused to speak with her or make eye contact, others had welcomed her back as if she was a long lost family member. She knew who her friends were and that was what mattered. 

The village gates appeared in front of them within minutes of leaving the office, Avurin practically hopping with excitement as she checked in with Kotetsu and Izumo. They had been formally introduced during one of Avurin’s outings with Kurenai and Asuma and she found the two gatekeepers to be great friends in the village during their rare downtime. 

“Good luck!” Izumo said as he stamped their outgoing paperwork for leaving the village. 

“Have fun with Kakashi!” Kotetsu leered from next to his best friend and Avurin threw a warning glare at him. 

“I’ll kick your ass when we get back, pervert!” she yelled as she grabbed Kakashi by the arm and pulled him away from the gate. They took to the trees quickly and Avurin set a comfortable but quick pace before Kakashi took the lead, directing her to the East. 

“You said that you may have an idea of what’s at this estate we’re headed to. Did your parents mention it?” Kakashi asked after several minutes of jumping from tree to tree, finally comfortable enough to speak freely. Avurin nodded and smiled. 

“Yeah, my dad mentioned it once or twice. All he said about it was that my great-grandparents lived there until their deaths before I was born and that one day he’d take me to see it. Of course, he didn’t know that I was going to develop the Kekkei Genkai, but he mentioned that it was important for me to know the history of the clan. I’m hoping this is the estate he was talking about. He never got to take me…” her words trailed off and Kakashi didn’t say anything as she collected her thoughts. “Anyway, if it is the estate he wanted to take me to, it’s a good thing the Hokage isn’t expecting us back for a little while. There is likely some very important information there.” Kakashi nodded and gave her an eye smile. 

“Well, hopefully it’s empty and in good condition. You’ll have plenty of time to dig around and I’ll be there to make sure you don’t get interrupted. The Hokage was right to assume that it’s possible there are missing nin in the area so we can only hope everything goes smoothly. I’ll handle them if we come across any.” Kakashi told her, his tone taking a dangerous edge to it, one she could only describe as bloodthirsty at the prospect of killing anyone that would try to harm her. Normally, she would bristle and retort that she could take care of herself, yet she already knew Kakashi would do everything he could to return her to Konoha without a single scratch on her. She also knew she couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him.

“I trust you.” 

Chapter Text

Traveling with Kakashi was easy in Avurin’s opinion. He listened to her ramble throughout the journey, occasionally offering his input and teasing her when he felt like it, he read Icha Icha Paradise at night by the fire, knew exactly when she needed breaks throughout the day, but kept the pace she had set on the first day, and always joined her in her sleeping bag each night to hold her. He was proficient in wards and he didn’t hesitate to put several around the perimeter of their camp each night that would alert him immediately if there was an intruder, so neither of them had to take watch and lose sleep during their travels. 

As they approached the area the estate was in, Kakashi started scouting ahead at regular intervals and Avurin checked their surroundings for chakra signatures. They grew more tense as they approached the estate, things seemingly too calm. As the tension grew, conversations were short, limited to whispers and hand signs as they continued to survey the areas they were moving into. Their pace slowed and they were careful with their steps. The estate came into view on the end of their third day of travel, a low, crumbling rock wall surrounding the expansive plot of land that a mansion sat on, unassuming and peaceful. They observed the land the estate sat on, watching for any activity for several hours. Avurin felt the ache in her shoulders and thighs from crouching on one of the high tree branches overlooking the property as Kakashi assessed the property from different angles, sticking to the trees forming a ring around the cleared area. 

“Everything seems clear. However, I did notice the smell of death near the Southern wall. I couldn’t find the source, I just know that the smell was rather strong so it’s been there a while. It may have been inside of the wall. We’ll have to check it out when we move in.” Kakashi whispered. Avurin nodded, her stomach rolling at the thought of finding any bodies on the estate. There shouldn’t be any reason for a body to be present. She couldn’t feel the presence of anyone else nearby so it was likely the house was empty. Kakashi gave the go-ahead and they walked down the overgrown path towards the front gate of the estate. The wall was low enough to easily jump over, possibly just to step over if someone was tall enough. It couldn’t have been more than four feet high. However, something was telling her not to try. 

As they approached the front gate, a small wooden gate with a faded emblem on the front, Avurin pressed her hand to the wood but didn’t push. A golden light pulsed from the emblem and Kakashi gestured for her to look at him. His visible eye barely contained his shock. 

“Your eyes are glowing like they do when you use your Kekkei Genkai. I’m not sure if you should talk while you’re touching that.” he told her. She nodded and focused back on the emblem. After a moment, the glow faded and the gate opened without her even pressing against it. She hesitated for a moment before stepping past the gate. Looking to her right, she noticed wards lining the inside of the wall that were all glowing gold as if activated by her presence. She looked back at Kakashi and shook her head, holding out a hand so he wouldn’t follow her. Walking to one of the wards, she took in the intricate details carved into the stone wall. It was old, ancient really. She didn’t know the first thing about wards but she knew these wards were far more complicated than the ones at the Hatake compound. 

Taking out a scroll she’d brought for taking notes, she quickly copied the design of the ward on the paper, taking care not to put any chakra into it. When she finished, she brought it back to Kakashi and showed him the design with a furrowed brow. She wouldn’t dare speak while her Kekkei Genkai was activated, she couldn’t accidentally force Kakashi to comply with a request, no matter how simple. He pulled his headband back to reveal his Sharingan, tomoe spinning as he absorbed the details of the ward. 

“It’s old, very old, and very complicated. It was intended to protect the property from anyone that didn’t carry Okita blood. I’ve seen similar wards in older family compounds within Konoha. I don’t think it was ever intended to be reversed or deactivated. If I had to guess, it’ll kill anyone who walks past the wards without an explicit command by an Okita to enter the property. I could be wrong, but we need to be safe. Your Kekkei Genkai is still activated, likely triggered by the wards.” Kakashi said with a sigh as he pulled his headband back down. She stared down at the design and bit her lip. That had to be the reason for the body on the other side of the property, especially if it was just behind the wall. 

She wanted, no, she needed Kakashi to come with her, she wasn’t going to leave him outside of the wall for the week they would be there. She needed a second pair of eyes to witness the secrets that would be found in her family home and she wanted to share this with him. Bringing her eyes to look into his own, she contemplated how this could all go wrong in less than a second if she didn’t do this properly. She took out her brush that she’d used to draw the ward design and wrote a question on it, holding it out to him. 

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ the note said. Kakashi scoffed as he looked around at the clearing around them, the walls, and finally the mansion behind her. 

“Well, it is my mission to protect you on your mission. Do it.” He spoke with certainty, no fear in his voice. She trembled as she put the scroll and the brush away. She thought about using one hand in the hand sign she usually used for performing the jutsu but decided against it, knowing her jutsu was already activated if her eyes were glowing. She reached over the threshold of the gate, taking his hand in hers. 

“I give you permission to enter the gate. Please follow me into the mansion.” As she spoke, she felt the familiar warm feeling in her throat along with the terror of using this power on Kakashi. His visible eye lost all awareness as he stepped forward, still holding onto her hand. She held her breath as his foot made contact with the path on the other side, followed by his other foot. She tugged his hand and he followed her, eyes glazed as he walked with slow steps. As the gate they’d walked through shut behind them, she swallowed the lump in her throat. He was alive and was complying with the order to its completion. His assessment of the ward hadn’t been incorrect. They needed to get into the mansion. 

She kept a firm hold on his hand as they walked down the pathway to the front door. She noticed that the body Kakashi had smelled earlier was not the only trespasser that had attempted to get inside the property, there were several piles of clothes and bones scattered along the inside of the wall. She didn’t distract herself with the worries of who they could have been, she had to get Kakashi into the mansion so the command would relinquish its hold. She’d specifically included getting him to follow her into the mansion as an extra layer of precaution, just in case the wards wouldn’t allow him to wander the outside of the property without the invitation inside of the mansion itself. 

As they approached the front door, she was surprised to find it unlocked as she turned the handle, pushing the door open and bringing them both inside. As she had hoped, Kakashi’s eye immediately widened as awareness came back to him and he put a hand to his head, looking at her in wonder. She nodded and let go of his hand. 

“Your eyes aren’t glowing anymore. I think it’s safe for you to talk again.” he whispered. She cleared her throat and used a test phrase she’d used in the past to verify if her jutsu was truly deactivated. 

“Find me an orange,” she muttered. He looked at her, visibly confused at the question, and her shoulders slumped with relief. “Sorry, it’s a phrase I used to use to make sure the jutsu was deactivated when I was still figuring out the details of it. If it wasn’t deactivated, you would have searched for an orange for a little while or gotten one out of your pack. Usually it just confuses people if they’re reacting normally. God, I never want to do that to you again.” She was rambling and her hands were shaking. Kakashi was quick to grab one of her hands, holding it firmly. 

“You did what you had to do. It wasn’t unpleasant. It just felt like I was asleep and dreaming. That’s all. No harm done.” She shook her head at his reassurances. She knew her power was terrifying to those that didn’t understand it. Very few people fell under that particular jutsu and still had their lives afterwards. That reason alone was why so many people in Konoha were terrified of her. 

“Those dreams are usually nightmares for the people that experience that jutsu, Kakashi. It doesn’t feel right to use it on someone I care about. It won’t ever be ‘okay’ to me. Let’s just forget that it even happened. We have a mission we need to get started on.” She pulled her hand away and turned away from him, ignoring the stinging in her eyes. In front of her was a large main room with an imperial stairway leading to a half-landing, splitting two ways to lead to balconies overlooking the main entryway.

She could see the doors on the second level that likely led to bedrooms, offices, and other private rooms, as well as hallways that led further into the home. She prayed that one of them held the information she was looking for, even if she had no idea what exactly she was looking for. To her right, a small doorway was left open that led to a small sitting room. To her left was a more formal sitting room that had a large archway leading into it, obviously decorated and open for more esteemed guests. She could see doorways on both sides of the stairs as well, likely leading to more main rooms of the home.

Without checking with Kakashi, she made her way to the sitting room on the right. It was obviously a private sitting room, likely for the residents to use when they weren’t entertaining any guests since the door could be closed to prevent any visitors from venturing into the room. She would be more likely to find private information in that room than in the rooms intended for entertaining guests. As she walked across the main room, the wooden floorboards creaked and she carefully listened for any cracks, however nothing concerning made itself apparent. While the home was old and there was a light layer of dust on everything, the interior had been very well cared for while the residents were still alive and it appeared structurally sound. 

As she walked into the private sitting room, she mused that it looked more like a well-lived-in normal-sized living room. Blankets were neatly folded on one end of the couch inside and trinkets littered the fireplace mantle. There were a couple of bookshelves against the wall next to the fireplace, given the room a comfortably cluttered feeling. A teacup sat on the low table inside, a ring of brown on the inside telling her that it had still been full of tea when it was abandoned, the tea long since evaporated. The air was slightly musty and the windows had a layer of dust that made it difficult to see outside of the home. Walking to the fireplace, she took her time to look over the trinkets littering the mantle and smiled when she saw a doll of a kitten curled up in a basket that could easily fit in the palm of her hand, appearing to be asleep. It had been made with soft fur pressed into what was likely felt or another cloth material, looking soft to the touch. 

Next to the kitten, she saw several vases, a kunai that looked like it had seen better days, and a dusty framed painting of an older man and woman, smiling as they stood in front of the home. Tearing her eyes away from the painting, she turned back to the rest of the room to see Kakashi staring very intently at a black and white drawing of a tree on the wall behind the couch. Walking closer to the drawing to stand next to him, she noticed that each branch on the tree had a name. 

It wasn’t overly extensive, but she could see on the trunk where one name resided. Souji Okita. A famous samurai who dedicated his life to the Land of Fire during the establishment of the elemental nations, well known for never losing a battle during the period of constant wars as borders were fought over. In the end, an unknown illness took his life. Before he’d died, he’d had three kids, two sons and a daughter. It was thought that Souji had a Kekkei Genkai that gave him an advantage in battle, making him the war machine he was known to be, but it was never confirmed and Avurin’s parents had never mentioned that the Okita clan was derived from Souji Okita. 

“Well that suddenly makes sense.” Kakashi’s voice cut through the silence with a light laugh. Avurin found herself smiling dryly at the comment. 

“Yeah, I guess it does. I wonder how current this is.” she muttered as she looked towards the tops of the tree branches, where the newest members of the family had been added. As she scanned the branches, she finally found a name she recognized. Kaito Okita, her father’s name. If this home had belonged to her great-grandparents, then they had been alive long enough to update the tree when her father was born. 

Tracing the branches back down from her father’s name, she took note of the names of her grandparents before landing on her great-grandparents. Jiro Okita and Miyumi Okita . She’d never met them or even heard of them, but she felt her heart swell at the newfound knowledge of her family’s names. As she followed several branches of the tree, she started to notice a pattern. Most of the branches ended much shorter than her father’s, either because they didn’t have kids or they had died before having kids. Several may not have even married. Only two other branches went as far as her father’s branch did, giving her hope that she may have some living relatives from those branches. 

She wished she had a way to record the information on the tree quickly, there was still so much of the house to explore and she didn’t want to spend several hours drawing out the tree or writing everything down in a way that she knew she’d be able to understand when she got back to Konoha. She looked to Kakashi. 

“I want to find a way to write this down that isn’t confusing. I may have a couple of cousins that are still alive that I could reconnect with. Remind me to come by for a few hours while we’re here to record this. I don’t want to touch anything or remove this from the wall.” Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her and then chuckled, lifting his headband to reveal his Sharingan. 

“No need. I can memorize this with the Sharingan and recite it to you when we get back home. I’m sure there will be more here than just the family tree.” She stared at him in shock and her eyes narrowed as some of his past behaviors suddenly made sense. 

“You use that to record things often, don’t you?” she started. He seemed to realize his mistake and scratched the back of his head with an apologetic look. 

“Mah, only sometimes when there’s something I want to remember. You know, menus at restaurants I like or mission details…” he trailed off as her glare didn’t falter. 

“And little moments with certain girls you like, huh?” she pressed. She’d noticed that eye trained on her several times now, starting on certain afternoons back at her cabin. There was no other reason for that eye to be out, he had to have been using it for that purpose. “And you didn’t think it would be important to mention while you were ogling me with that eye over the last few weeks, did you?” Her tone grew hard and she felt her walls coming down, effectively cutting off any affectionate feelings she could have for the Jonin in that moment. How could he have done that? She had no way of knowing he could record those moments and he’d just watched her, recording her anyway during times that should have been private.

“I mean, I use it for things I just really want to commit to memory. It’s not like I can show it to anyone else. I just… sometimes it feels like you’ll just disappear again and maybe I won’t ever see you again and I try to commit certain things to memory… I’m sorry…” he explained with an ashamed stutter as he stared at the ground, carefully avoiding looking at her with the eye. Her anger still simmered but she stomped it down for the sake of not forcing him to dig the hole any further. Crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air, she huffed. 

“I get it. Still, you could have told me sooner. I’m not sure what exactly you have committed to memory from being around me, but finding out after the fact isn’t exactly pleasant. I’ll know from now on, though. I won’t hesitate to blind you if you use it to remember anything embarrassing. It’s fucking rude. You probably already have something embarrassing on me that I’ll never be able to wipe from your memory.” Her words lacked the bite that she felt but the message was clear.

“I’m sorry. For the mission though, it is pretty important for me to use it. I can commit anything about this mansion to memory for you. I committed the gate wards to memory as well for future use if you ever need them. I can do the same thing with books. It takes a lot of chakra but I’ll use it for the mission. Now that you know, you can tell me to stop anytime I decide to use it.” 

“Fine. Take your time with the tree and let’s get moving. We’re only in the first room.” 

“Yes, m’lady!” She swatted him. 

“Don’t say that! God, you’re ridiculous.” Her angry muttering continued as she opened a door that branched off of the living room. She was surprised to find a quaint kitchen on the other side, the counters yellowed from age and dust collected in the corners. “Huh, weird place for a kitchen… and small for such a large home.” she mumbled as she looked around the area. On the other side of the kitchen, an archway led to another room where she could see another door leading outside and an opening to the left, likely leading to a larger room in the home. If she had to guess, the larger room was the room the doors next to the stairs opened up to. She would wait for Kakashi before moving out of the kitchen. 

She started opening cabinets as she waited, finding old cans of food and average dishes that had small chips in them, mugs, teapots, teacups, and several other normal kitchen items. There were also ornamental dishes that were likely passed down in the family since they were packaged very carefully so that they didn’t touch each other, likely not used for anything other than royalty coming by the home. She saw a pantry door and opened it, surprised to find it completely empty. There was a panel at the back of the pantry, seemingly just a decorative panel built into the wall, yet something was off about it and she found herself investigating further. 

When she pushed on the panel, it clicked and opened quietly without even a squeak in the hinges to reveal a narrow staircase. Eyebrows raised and eyes wide with shock, she backed away from the secret entrance. A mansion with a secret hideaway in the back of a pantry was never a safe mansion. The likelihood of tripping a trap raised drastically with just that one discovery. Kakashi chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, standing behind her as she backed up, running into him and tripping. He caught her quickly and looked into the pantry she had just backed out of. 

“Is that a secret door?” he asked. She nodded, not really trusting herself to speak. Why did her family need a secret door? Was this the entrance to the room with the clan secrets hidden away? Was it that easy? Kakashi made sure she was back on her feet before poking his head through the doorway, humming lightly to himself before stepping inside to take a step up the dark staircase. He looked back at her. “Do you have one of those glow sticks that were given to us a week ago? The ones you can crack to make light?” She quickly shuffled through her kunai pouch and produced one of the sticks. 

They were a new scientific development that had been given to shinobi for mass use, however they lasted for several hours and were considered a liability on the field since they couldn’t exactly be put out like a torch and gave away positions if they weren’t properly hidden. They were good for a situation like this one, however. They had a very low chance of running into enemies and would be in the home for at least a week, a glow stick would be more of a help than a hindrance, especially if they were trying to avoid traps. Kakashi cracked the glow stick, shaking it a few times until it started to glow a bright green light. He held it up as he looked up the stairs. 

“There’s a tripwire about halfway up and a seal on the wall shortly after that. I’ll deactivate the wire and look at the seal before we touch it. Be careful coming up behind me.” he told her as he took a few more steps up the stairs, leaving her field of vision. She pulled out another glow stick, cracking it and shaking it to reveal an orange one. She’d asked for several colors and hadn’t bothered to sort them, she liked the fun of never knowing what color she’d get if she ever needed one. 

She stepped into the hidden stairwell, looking up to see Kakashi bent over one end of the tripwire. She had a perfect view of his backside and had to fight a blush. She’d just berated him for possibly ogling her and recording it to his memory so this just made her feel like a hypocrite. He was a very attractive man and that fact was not lost on her, despite how embarrassed she was to be openly staring at him as he worked on disabling the trap. He hissed suddenly and yanked a finger away from the wire as it gave, disabled with a little bit of trouble. 

“One down, one to go,” he mumbled. She could see him wrap his finger with his other hand as he took the next few steps up the stairs. His glowstick was tucked into one of the front pockets of his vest as he used the Sharingan to assess the seal on the wall. He gestured for her to come up to him. “This one is for you. It’s another Okita seal. I think this one just needs you to push chakra into it to deactivate and can be reactivated the same way later.” He stepped to the side of the narrow passage as she squeezed past him, blushing intensely at how obscenely they had to press together for her to pass him, her back against his front. Why had this staircase been designed to be so small? 

She pressed her hand against the seal and pushed a small amount of chakra into it, causing the seal to flicker that same golden light she’d seen in the wards of the gate before fading quickly. A click above them had both of them looking up the stairway, ready to jump into action if something had been triggered by the seal’s release. After a few moments of silence, they both let out a breath and continued up the stairs. Avurin kept her eyes open for any traps, but it appeared as if the seal was the last defense. Considering how powerful the wards for the property were, she didn’t want to know what the seal would have done if she hadn’t deactivated it. 

They found a door at the top of the stairs, unlocked. The seal had likely unlocked the door for her, causing the click they had heard. She gently pushed the door open and brought her glow stick in front of her to observe the immediate surroundings of the room the stairway had led them to. Not seeing anything concerning, she took a couple of cautious steps into the room. The floorboards in this room didn’t squeak at all and a glance down at her feet revealed a firm floor without a speck of dust on it. Kakashi followed her into the room, a kunai ready in the event that they stumbled across a trap or anything worse. As she wandered further into the room, she found a bed adorned with white sheets and an intricate quilt. It was very neatly made and likely hadn’t been touched for decades. Following the bed, she found a nightstand with an oil lamp on it. 

Fumbling with her kunai pouch, she found her pack of matches and lit one, lighting up the lamp, bathing the room in a soft orange light. While the glow sticks were great in a pinch, their light didn’t provide much for their surroundings in an open room compared to a narrow staircase. The room itself was completely enclosed, there weren’t any windows and she could see the ceiling slant at an angle, indicating that they were right under the roof on the right side of the house just above the kitchen. The room was almost bare with just the bed, nightstands on both sides of the bed, and a shogi board on a low table placed against the wall. Kakashi bristled and looked around the room with a wrinkled nose. 

“I don’t like the smells in this room. I smell blood. It’s old but I smell it. I also don’t understand why it’s so clean when the rest of the house is so dusty. This is… this is a slave’s quarters, Avurin.” Kakashi muttered as the disturbed look on his face became more prominent. Avurin covered her mouth in horror as she felt bile collect in her throat. A slave’s quarters? What the hell? That had been outlawed so long ago in most of the Elemental Nations, especially in The Land of Fire.

“It’s a very old home, it’s possible it was built with this when slaves were still commonplace. As much as I hate that my family likely had them, it would make sense for this room to still be here even if it sat empty after they were outlawed…” Avurin choked out as she continued to take in the details of the room. “I just don’t know why it’s so clean… It's like it hasn’t been touched since the last time someone was staying in here.” She wandered to the other side of the bed, opening the drawer of the other nightstand. 

Inside was a worn book with a leather cover. It looked like a journal. Carefully picking it up and opening it, she was surprised to find almost every page filled with handwritten entries. The handwriting was neat and flowing, possibly a woman’s handwriting. Shutting it, she turned to Kakashi. “We’ll find answers in this. Right now, let’s get out of here. I don’t like this at all and I don’t want you to have to smell this any longer than you have to if you’re smelling blood in here.” She nodded to him, putting out the lamp before gesturing for Kakashi to take the lead down the stairs. She shut the door behind her and reactivated the seal on the way down the stairs. She was NOT going to leave that room unlocked while they were here. The click from the door at the top of the stairs confirmed part of the seal’s function and she was quick to follow Kakashi into the kitchen. 

The kitchen was dimmer than before, the sun was setting and she could feel the weariness in her bones as she tried to relax her muscles from where they were tensed, ready to fight an unknown enemy in a room that had set her survival instincts on fire. That room had been unsettling. Kakashi appeared to be doing the same, actually going as far as to pull the mask from his face and waving it lightly as if he were airing it out. He let out a whole-body sneeze and she found herself feeling horrible for keeping him up there during her short search.

“Hey, I’m going to go sit in the living room if you want to do a quick scout of the other rooms to make sure everything is safe and find a room for us to sleep. I want to see what’s in this journal so maybe I’ll have some answers for that room. I think it should also be safe for you to go outside if you need some fresh air in the front yard. Just don’t leave the grounds or I’ll have to come get you.” She told him, her voice carefully even. She didn’t want him to think she was sending him away, but she wanted him away from that room for some reason. The book in her hand felt heavy and she wasn’t completely sure if she wanted to read it, but she wanted answers. 

“I’ll scout the rest of the house. I don’t want to leave you in this house by yourself. Stay in the living room with both of the doors closed and locked until I come back.” With that, he swiftly left through the door that would take him through the sitting room and to the main room. She watched him leave, feeling confused but didn’t want to ask questions. Something had really bothered him about that room, more than she was and she was still shaking off the feeling of being somewhere she shouldn’t have been. Following his instructions, she walked into the living room and locked both of the doors. 

The smell was getting to her too so she decided to open one of the windows, using this as an opportunity to air out the musty smell and shake some of the dust out of the cushions of the couch outside of the open window. She lightly cleaned the room of dust, careful not to disturb anything, even the teacup that was still sitting on the table. At the very least, if Kakashi didn’t find a suitable place for them to sleep that night, they had this room and the couch that was in it. Once the dust was cleared from several of the surfaces and the couch, Avurin sat herself down on one of the cushions at the low table in the room, setting the journal on the table in front of her. Opening it carefully and avoiding cracking any of the frail pages, she began to read. 

I have been here for what feels like several days but I can’t tell the days from nights without windows and I have long since lost count of the seconds, minutes, and days. Kei Okita-san, my future mother-in-law, provided me with this journal as a way to write down my thoughts in an attempt to make me feel “more comfortable.” I don’t understand why my future husband’s family has this tradition and I pray that I am not here much longer. Our wedding shouldn’t be long now. While arranged, Riku has been a gentleman during our courting and was pleasant enough to warn me regarding this tradition, however I find myself concerned at the amount of time that has passed since I was led into this room. 

Avurin felt a sense of foreboding given how this was the first page of a long journal, written entirely by the same person. She turned the page and continued to read. 

I don’t understand what is happening. I was released from this room as the Okita tradition mentions and my wedding with Riku was beautiful. He is the only son of the main Okita family branch and no expense was spared. However, right after the wedding, he brought me back to this room and told me I needed to be here just a little longer and he would return soon. This was not mentioned when he told me about this tradition. We were supposed to move into this beautiful home with his family and start our own family here. So why am I in this room again? Why can’t I see the sun and enjoy tea with his family? Did my own family know about this before offering my hand in marriage?

Avurin turned to the next page and scanned it. The woman rambled again on the next page, asking the same questions. She sounded so confused and as she reached the end of the page, the woman sounded frustrated as well. She must have been from a high class family and Riku must have been very sought after at the time. She turned to the tree on the wall and could see the funneling of the branches earlier in her own family branch where a single name stood, Riku Okita . He’d been the only child of Kei Okita and a man named Isamu Aoki . 

Kei was the only daughter of the previous generation. They must have been under some sort of pressure in regards to heirs. Avurin’s stomach churned as the pieces started coming together. She skimmed the next few pages of the journal before coming across the page she was hoping she wouldn’t find. The handwriting had become shaky and pieces of the paper looked as if they’d gotten wet and then dried.

I didn’t expect this to be a marriage of horror. I understood when I was selected to marry Riku that the Okita family would need heirs, my own mother and my grandmother had provided many heirs to great families and we are very fertile, but why would they go so far as to arrange a wedding and keep the wife as a slave? Riku consummated our marriage last night, forcing himself upon me as his parents ensured our consummation was proper as witnesses. His eyes were so bright in the darkness of the room and I had no control over my body when he did as he pleased. He whispered sweet nothings as he took my innocence from me on this horrid bed. 

He promised his parents he would do this often to provide heirs. How can I endure this? How can I tell my family when this cursed family won’t let me see them? Kei-san told my family that I was sent to The Land of Earth for a much-needed extended honeymoon, my family won’t look for me here. I have done everything as they have asked, I have been patient. I was happy to be married into this family! I haven’t opposed them once! What did I do for this to happen to me???  

Avurin sniffled to herself and felt the tears running down her own face as she turned the page of the journal. She had to finish, she had to know what happened to this woman. She had started using the glow stick to illuminate the pages as the sun disappeared from view, enveloping the room in suffocating darkness. The woman wasn’t on the family tree, yet Riku Okita had provided 6 male strong male heirs that had been legitimate enough to be recorded on the tree. Several of the following pages were lamenting the woman’s loneliness in the room and repeated visits from Riku, each more horrible than the last. The man had been horrific in some of the accounts and Avurin had to take moments to breathe through hiccups and sobs on more than one occasion. So many of the accounts involved him using their precious Kekkei Genkai to take what he wanted and she feared her power more than ever. This woman’s life was so full of anguish and pain. As she continued to read, she found the passages recounting the news of the woman’s first pregnancy. 

It has been confirmed that Riku and I have conceived our first child together. Kei-san has been bringing frequent and lavish meals to the room as well as books to read. I appreciate the gestures, however I am still a caged animal and Riku holds the key to this cage. He has continued to whisper sweet nothings to me in my bed, praising my ability to carry his heirs and how quickly we were able to conceive. He hasn’t hurt me since the symptoms began, however I still find myself pulling away from his embrace. I am very scared to lose this child. I may lose my life if Riku has another one of his fits, this time over a lost child. Something is telling me I will not be able to carry to term, something is wrong. I can feel it. I’m scared. 

Avurin turned the page and quickly skimmed over it, not willing to read it word-for-word. The woman had miscarried as she had predicted, waking to find blood in the bed and Riku had beat her senseless, making her clean her sheets in a tub of soapy water he’d brought up to the room specifically to force her to do this one chore. Avurin felt sick to her core by the acts depicted in the journal, knowing she was a direct descendant of Riku and the unknown woman. She skipped ahead, finding passages where the woman announced her next pregnancy, excited and feeling as if things were right this time. The Okita family treated her well when she was pregnant and she looked forward to the treatment she would receive. As her due date came closer, Riku doted on her and was even physically affectionate with her. Unfortunately, that behavior didn’t last. 

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy yesterday. They won’t let me see him. I didn’t get to give him the name I’d chosen either. I wanted him to be named Hiroto, but Kei-san informed me after he’d been taken from me that his name would be Yuto Okita, a more distinguished name. I had thrown a book at her and screamed at her to leave the room, a grave mistake. Riku punished me swiftly. I feel my sanity slipping each day I spend without my baby, wondering if he is being cared for properly without his mother. I delivered without a nurse, Kei-san delivered him herself and promised she would be delivering all of my future children. I am in so much pain from the birth that I find myself unable to even sleep. I will be given a month to heal before the next heir is planned to be conceived. I am so tired.

Avurin read through the next passages with care as the unknown woman recounted her next few childrens’ births, each the same as the last. The baby was taken away and she was left in pain, Riku repeating his actions with her only a month later. Kei was horrific as well, growing more and more insufferable as she continued to push the woman emotionally. It was later revealed that they had kept the woman hidden from view so as to not tarnish the Okita name. Her family had been rich, sure, but they were not well known and the Okitas were considered borderline royalty at that point in time. Avurin found herself on the last page of the journal, wiping away some of her tears. 

I am very weak, I have not left the bed in so long that I fear I will die soon. I have not seen my family or my children. I know it has been several years, at least six or seven. After giving birth to my youngest son, I believe I was injured and Kei-san refuses to call a doctor. I feel faint and can hardly eat. I think I am ready to die. However, I can die knowing I completed my mission. The Okita bloodline has been soiled. Out of my six sons, at least two of them will carry my very own family Kekkei Genkai. I believe them to be Hiroto and Kōji, though Kei-san calls Kōji “Minoru.” They were both born with my red hair and green eyes, traits of my family, the Sasaki clan. It is likely that they will develop the Kekkei Genkai as well. I only pray that they bring peace to this horrid clan after my death. My parents knew my mission, though they may not know the horrible things I had to do to complete it. Hiroto and Kōji are undeniably my sons, they will know I completed my mission. I can die peacefully. May the Okita clan burn and begin anew. 

Avurin finished the journal and gently closed it, keeping a hand placed on the back cover. Her sobs picked up again as she pulled her own hair around to look at it in front of her face, seeing the copper color shining through the brown base, knowing now where the color came from. She let go of her hair and clutched at the fabric of her pants, bringing her head down into a bow in front of the book. 

“Sasaki-san, please forgive me for reading your private journal. I promise you that the Okita clan is no longer as it once was. I hope to find good words in regards to your sons and how they changed the clan for the better. Please forgive my ancestors for the pain that they put you through, leading to the end of your life. I promise to find out your name and properly add you to the family tree. As one of my past grandmothers, you deserve to be recognized for saving my clan. Thank you. I will return your journal to its rightful place when it is safe to do so.” Avurin prayed, keeping her head bowed to the journal.

It was painful to read, painful to acknowledge, and painful to think about, however she hoped that her unknown ancestor had found peace in her final days as her life slipped away. Wiping her face, eyes likely red from the crying she’d been doing, she heard a soft knock on the door that led to the main room. She stood on wobbly legs and opened the door already knowing it was Kakashi from feeling his chakra signature. The sun had fully set by this time and the whole house was dark with the exception of their glow sticks. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Kakashi asked as he walked into the room, his eyes landing on the journal. “I heard you crying so I left you to yourself for an hour or so. I assume nothing good was in that journal?” She shook her head and sniffled, walking back to the table to pick up the journal even more carefully than she had before. 

“This belonged to one of my ancestors. She belongs at this point on the tree.” Avurin pointed to the empty spot next to Riku Okita’s name. “She’s the reason I have red in my hair and green eyes. Two of her sons were born with her traits. She came from the Sasaki clan and claimed to carry another Kekkei Genkai in her final days. She called it her mission to soil the Okita bloodline with her bloodline trait. I’m not sure if she was insane in her final days since she’d gotten so sick from an injury, but it’s another lead we can look into after we complete this mission. I don’t know her first name, but I hope I can find mention of her when we dig further into the house. She… she died in that room after giving birth to all six of her sons in there, one after another. That was the blood you were smelling. She didn’t deserve any of it, it sounds like she hadn’t fought the arranged marriage and she even loved her husband before he trapped her in there.” Avurin trailed off, glancing at Kakashi as she held the book against her chest in a protective hold. Kakashi didn’t show any reaction to the revelation but he did put a hand on her shoulder to support her. 

“Every clan has their dark times where atrocities were committed. We are not our family, much less our ancestors. Your clan has dwindled so much from this tree that I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the last remaining Okita related to the main branch. Knowing her legacy and acknowledging her as your ancestor is a step in the right direction. From how close to the trunk of the tree those names are placed, nearly direct grandchildren from Souji himself with only first and second cousins existing at that point, this had to have happened shortly after the home was built. Your family may have been honoring her by sealing it the way they have, allowing her space to remain hers after her death instead of repurposing it. There is honor in that.” Kakashi muttered, suddenly much closer than she remembered.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind, crossing over her chest where the journal rested. She felt him rest his chin on her shoulder as they looked at the tree, Avurin realized what a massive undertaking it would be to sort through the history of most of the members on the tree. The story of one member was enough to shake her to the core, how many more stories about her family were soaked in blood and horror? She took a shaky breath, leaning back against Kakashi. 

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

“I searched the entire home and it’s definitely empty. There are some bedrooms upstairs we can use if you want, they’re just dusty.” Kakashi told her as he pulled away from their embrace, immediately regretting the distance between them. He knew the death grip she had on the journal was a reflex and he mentally flinched at the contents of it. He couldn’t say that he hadn’t expected such gut-wrenching topics in the contents of the journal, but he didn’t expect it to be so barbaric towards someone who seemingly didn’t need to be contained the way they had been.

“Let’s pick one and go to sleep. It’s been a long day. Let me put this back and we’ll go together.” She turned back to the door that led to the kitchen, unlocking it and moving straight for the secret passage. Kakashi turned back to the family tree on the wall, wondering what other secrets they would find in the mansion. The home was very old, yet had been maintained over so many generations to the point that even after decades of being abandoned, the only indication that it wasn’t currently occupied was limited to the dust.

He knew Avurin was disturbed by the first secret they had uncovered in the home. While shinobi were taught to compartmentalize their emotions, this was a personal mission and he didn’t expect her to be stone-faced through their investigations. However, he had to make sure she stayed on track and didn’t shy from the details of her family history. They had a lot of space to cover over the next several days and she needed to be prepared for what she would find. He was interrupted from his thoughts as she quickly swept back into the room, almost slamming the pantry door behind her.

“Lead the way,” she mumbled. Kakashi nodded and put his hands in his pockets, walking towards the main room. He could smell the scent of the room coming off of her faintly and had to fight not to wrinkle his nose at the scent. He hadn’t mentioned it previously, but he had smelled more than just blood in that room. The layers of mixed smells in the room had told him the story of rape, several labors, and overall horrible conditions despite the cleanliness of the room. He had smelled some horrible scents in his days in Anbu but the smell of distress and labor accompanied by the other smells was too much even for him.

“Most of the rooms upstairs are bedrooms. I found a library, an office, and a craft room as well. There are some more hidden areas but there aren’t any chakra signatures in the home. We should be safe.” Kakashi explained as he led her up the stairs, taking a left turn at the landing. He approached the first door that appeared, opening it for her and allowing her to walk in first. Inside, there was a large four-poster bed with a chest at the foot of it. The room was relatively bare, nothing personal on the dresser or on the walls. Kakashi had specifically chosen this room during his search. “I think this used to be a guest room,” Kakashi told her as he walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. 

She just nodded, her shoulders dropping as she walked to the bed. Kakashi knew the room was still dusty but they had been limited on their choices. She swept the top blanket off of the bed and onto the floor, instead opting to get her own blanket from one of her storage scrolls. He could see that she was tired and didn’t want to worry about the cleanliness of their sleeping arrangements. Since the blanket had covered the bed, the sheets underneath weren’t nearly as dusty, yet they still had a musty smell to them. Kakashi’s nose wrinkled at the smells that had assaulted him when he was exploring the mansion and had tightened his mask over his nose earlier in the afternoon, especially after their discovery of the secret room above the kitchen. She stripped the pillows of their pillow cases and threw them on the floor with the blanket. Unzipping her Chunin vest, she tossed it to the side, setting the glow stick she’d been carrying on the nightstand next to the bed. She plopped down on the bed, sighing as the weight of the day left her shoulders as she sank into the mattress. He felt his own shoulders drop from exhaustion. 

He unzipped his own vest, pulling down his mask to sit around his neck after some of the dust had settled, and completely removed his headband as he settled on the bed next to her. He felt her shift and met her eyes as she turned to face him. Both of his eyes were open, yet he was being careful with his Sharingan after her earlier outburst. He hadn’t expected her to be so upset but, in hindsight, he could see why she was. It hadn’t been right for him to do what he did without her consent, he just couldn’t help himself when the opportunities presented themselves, wanting to never forget the moments he spent with her.

“This wasn’t what I expected…” she mumbled. He slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted to, before pulling her close. She pressed her face into his chest and a demented part of his mind preened at the fact she was seeking him for comfort. He could smell the salt from her tears as they started to wet his shirt. He didn’t mind, he knew she needed this. She clutched at Kakashi’s shirt, pulling him as close as she could get him. 

“I’m sorry… I’ve been so emotional lately and it goes against everything a shinobi should be but I can’t just stay unaffected by this. My family… a woman suffered for so long so my clan could continue. What else am I going to find here?” she whimpered, making his heart crack just a little bit despite the fact that it was already shattered by his own losses and secrets he could never tell. He rubbed her back as the tears continued to flow. 

“You are not your ancestors. Just remember that. You don’t have to carry the guilt of their decisions. You’ll find that you’re not alone in that regard. It’s also not expected for you to be completely okay with this. This mission is personal.” Kakashi reassured her. She nodded against his chest and took a deep breath. He nestled his face into her hair, holding her in a firm grip that he hoped felt supportive. She smelled like dried sweat, the sheets they were on, and the distinct scent of the forests of the Land of Fire that they had been traveling through. 

Despite neither of them having showered since leaving the village, he found her scent calming. However, he could also smell the distress coming off of her in waves, carrying a bitter undertone that made his chest ache with an intense need to find a way to fix this for her. His hand continued to rub her back for a few moments before he felt her sag in his arms. “Go to sleep. We’re safe.” Kakashi whispered as she finally stopped fighting sleep. 

…

The next morning, they didn’t speak about the information they’d found the previous day. They had a simple breakfast in the living room of the house, quietly discussing how they would start searching the home for more secrets. Kakashi adamantly refused to split up, insisting on staying with her in the event that there were more traps. He wouldn’t tell her that his instincts had already bonded him to her, physically hurting him at the thought of not protecting her in a mysterious and potentially dangerous place. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight him on the topic, if anything she encouraged it. The relief in her eyes at his rejection of a plan that involved being away from each other betrayed her thoughts. He had his mission to protect her and she had her mission to investigate, he would do anything to see his mission to completion, regardless of the risks.

“I think it’s time that you met someone that will be helpful in the future, particularly in scouting this house for more hidden rooms,” Kakashi said as they stopped in the main room of the house. Avurin paused with a raised eyebrow at him as he hid a smug smile. He had talked to his pack years ago about his troubles with his feelings regarding a potential mate and they had been helpful in navigating the symptoms even if they relentlessly berated him for abandoning her. He felt now was a good time for an introduction. He smiled at her and bit his thumb with a canine, making sure to raise blood from the pad of his thumb, pressing it to the ground where a summoning seal formed. In a puff of smoke, a small pug with a blue vest and headband materialized, sitting on the floor with an unimpressed look on his wrinkled face. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” Avurin’s eyes widened in shock as she looked between a too-smug Kakashi and the pug. A talking dog wasn’t an everyday occurrence and he enjoyed watching the wheels turn in her head as she tried to make sense of the situation.

“Pakkun, I’d like you to meet Avurin. We’re currently on an investigative mission in her family estate. We need help finding some of the hidden rooms throughout the estate.” Kakashi briefed the pug who nodded along with the instructions. 

“Sure, boss. Hey, is this the girl you-” 

“We’ll talk about that later, Pakkun. The sooner you find the hidden areas of the home, the sooner we can start digging into the secrets this place has.” He cut the dog off before he could say anything incriminating. Pakkun gave him a look that promised a long talk later but nodded. 

“You got it, boss. Nice to meet you, Avurin. I’ll find you after I’ve done a thorough search. Could take a while, just summon me if you need me before I’m done.” Pakkun told him before hopping off to start in the rooms on the first floor. Kakashi could see Avurin shaking her head, her eyes following Pakkun until he was out of sight. 

“You have summons?” she asked. Kakashi shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. 

“Yeah, a few. I signed a contract with them when my dad was still alive. I’ve raised Pakkun since he was a puppy. In total, I have eight dog summons I can bring to battle or for recon if I need to. They all have special skills but they are all helpful for investigating a place like this. Pakkun is the smallest so he’ll fit into small spaces if he finds any.” Kakashi explained, watching her face as her expression went from shock to wonder. 

“I’m surprised you haven’t used them sooner,” was her only response to the information. Kakashi sighed, tilting his head to the side. 

“I could have but I try not to use them too often. They have their own lives in the summoning realm and I usually summon them mid-battle so I like to keep them as a last-resort surprise. Pakkun is always available so I summon him more often. There’s also the introductions, especially on missions like this.” Kakashi drawled. Answering to the pack was always a pain after certain introductions and Avurin would be especially interesting to the pack as a potential mate for their summoner. 

“Hey, that also explains the barking I heard when you were fighting Zabuza! You summoned them there?” she asked as they started walking up the stairs to start picking through the rooms on the second level. Kakashi nodded. 

“I summoned all eight in a split second decision to pin down Zabuza so I could hit him. It takes a toll to summon all of them but I was running out of choices.” They climbed the right side of the imperial staircase and he led the way to the first door. 

“I can’t believe I missed it. Are they usually friendly? Pakkun seemed pretty polite.” she asked as he opened the door. He knew this was one of the offices on this floor and it would likely have information on the logistics of the clan as opposed to secrets since it was so easily accessible. 

“They each have their own personalities but they can all be won over with a treat or two,” he commented, finishing the conversation as she took in the room. He could smell the old books on the bookshelves and dried inkwells that sat on the desk. “I’ll help you with this room. I’ll need to use the Sharingan quite a bit today so try to take as many notes as you can and I’ll memorize the more detailed and important pieces of information that we find.” He moved to the bookshelves and skimmed the spines, not recognizing any of the titles. They had to assume that any of the books could contain information, whether it was tucked into one of the pages or a handwritten record or journal. He sighed and put a hand to his forehead. He loved reading but there had to be at least 300 books in this room alone. 

“Let’s get started, then. I don’t want to spend longer than two days in this room. We can come back to it if we need to take a break and look through another room.” She sat down at the dusty desk, immediately opening all of the drawers, finding one locked. Logically, that was the best place to start and locked drawers had information in them. He pulled out his lock pick and quickly opened it for her. She pulled it open to find a stack of paperwork with handwritten notes that she removed and set on the desk to start sorting through. 

…

They spent hours in the office, Kakashi skimming through several of the books and making a pile of potential information for Avurin to review later when she finished sorting through the paperwork that was in the desk. So far, they’d found accounting sheets that spanned several generations of the Okita family, contracts with other clans for everything from arranged marriages to simple trading of resources, and letters that had been sent and received by several heads of the clan. They had only had to use the Sharingan a couple of times for a few documents involving commissions to and from Konoha, everything else had been pretty much meaningless for their current mission. 

At one point, one of the letters had Avurin blushing, looking extremely horrified at its contents and throwing it in Kakashi’s direction, telling him that he’d get a kick out of reading it. He felt his own cheeks heat at the pornographic descriptions of the writer’s wife’s assets as he detailed a weekend without any other family in the home. Icha Icha was one thing, this was just depraved. On top of that, he doubted the man’s wife would have been too happy to see a letter like this written about her and sent to a friend of her husband’s.

It was around midday that Kakashi stood from where he was sitting on the floor, stretching his arms above his head, being rewarded with the feeling of his back popping in several places. Avurin looked like she needed a break as well from the way she was hunched over the desk, one hand buried in her hair, holding her bangs away from her face as she held her head up. She was heavily invested in the particular forms in front of her and his curiosity peaked.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat lunch and we’ll come back to this.” Kakashi said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Looking at the paper she was reviewing, he felt a shock run down his back and he instinctively bristled, barely stopping himself from snarling at the offending parchment. There was a title to the contract, Marriage Proposal - Hatake and Okita . Avurin shook her head and looked up at him, removing her hand from her hair. She pointed to a large red stamp on the bottom of the paper where a signature would have been.

“It never went through and was rejected by the head of my clan. They were proposing that one of your great-great-grandmothers be married to my great-grandfather.” she muttered. “It was rejected on the grounds of reputation and age of the bride-to-be. She was older than my great-grandfather by almost a decade, pretty much guaranteed to not be a virgin, and there’s handwritten notes left by the head of the clan wondering why she hadn’t been married off sooner. Apparently the Hatakes had a reputation of being pretty brutal warriors at the time and she wasn’t exactly the demure maiden they wanted married into the family.” Folding her hands in front of her and sighed. “Probably had something to do with the Hatake traits too, but I couldn’t find any notes related to it.” Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“It makes sense. That was around the time my clan started to dwindle. Without heirs to support the clan, it started to die out. That’s why the compound is so large despite me being the only remaining Hatake. From what I understand, it became difficult to find marriage candidates as our reputation grew. Our traits were intentionally kept as a clan secret but I don’t doubt that some clan heads had their suspicions. Even now, the Hyuuga and Aburame clan suspect I have some secrets but know better than to ask.” The explanation felt lackluster and he felt bitter about the reasons for the dwindling of his clan. This marriage proposal must have been a shot in the dark to renew the clan with force by marrying off one of the women in the clan despite the fact that she wouldn’t carry the Hatake name anymore. At the very least, their clan would have continued through the Okita name. 

“It’s a good thing this didn’t go through then. We wouldn’t have had a chance together if it had. I’m not into inbreeding.” Avurin said with a laugh as she stood, almost knocking Kakashi over from where he’d rooted himself to the spot at her comment. It took a moment for him to shake the suddenly hopeful thoughts from his head and before he could stop himself, he reached out to grab her hand while she was making her way to the door. 

“Do you really mean that? A chance?” he asked, trying to keep the desperation from his voice. Avurin blushed and avoided his eyes but nodded. 

“A chance. I’m still thinking about it.” she whispered. He felt his grip on her hand slacken as he let her go. 

“A chance is better than a no,” he muttered. She nodded once and continued to walk out of the room, leaving him in the office. He watched her go down the stairs, sweeping down the steps and bolting to the living room they had been using as a base for their investigations. He sighed and put a hand to his forehead. His instincts screamed at him constantly to hold her, protect her, and constantly be around her. It was an internal battle each time she left his sight. Even if they did get that chance, he couldn’t always watch over her and some part of him had to make peace with that. Turning back to the parchment on the desk, he used his Sharingan to record the details of the form and the handwritten note that was with it. There was no telling if that information would be important later. 

He decided to follow her downstairs after a moment but was much slower in his descent of the stairs. As he stepped off the last step of the stairs and walked towards the living room, he could hear Avurin speaking and wanted to slap himself. Of course, Pakkun was likely done with his search. Walking in the room, he was surprised to see Avurin sitting on the couch with the pug in her lap, lightly petting his head as she told him about some of the interesting things they had found in the office. 

“Sounds like you found the clan drama. That can be just as interesting as the clan secrets.” Pakkun told her as Kakashi tried to commit the scene to his memory the normal way. Pakkun never wanted to be held or coddled so it was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence to witness. 

“Oh, for sure. We even found a letter that was basically porn. It even made Kakashi blush! Eh, ‘Kashi? Too much for you?” she teased as she tilted her head in his direction. At the acknowledgement of his summoner, Pakkun hopped off of her lap and stood in front of him. 

“Mah, it was just raunchy. Without the entertainment we have nowadays with Icha Icha and other more sophisticated romantic novels, clan heads had to find their entertainment somewhere.” Kakashi teased right back. Pakkun snorted and Kakashi focused on the dog in front of him. “Find anything?” he asked. Pakkun tilted his head. 

“Well, I found a couple of odd scents that I followed. Some ended at some odd points such as a wall in the office behind the nicer sitting room. There might be a secret entrance there. The scent indicated that it used to be used frequently by one particular member of the home. Of course, I could smell that you two had already discovered the one in the kitchen. I avoided that one for reasons I’m sure you understand. There were a couple of chests with odd scents in the upstairs bedrooms, nothing unpleasant but still odd. I also found a crawlspace in one of the bathrooms upstairs. It hadn’t been used anytime in the last century, though. Nothing as offensive as the one in the kitchen as far as I could tell.” Pakkun reported and Kakashi felt his shoulders sag in relief. Hopefully the secret room above the kitchen was the worst of the secrets hidden in the home. 

“I would like to mention the smell of mold in the crawlspace, though. Not the usual dust and mold you’re smelling through the house. It smells like there was a leak of some sort that was never properly cleaned. Please be careful while investigating that area.” Pakkun finished. Kakashi nodded. 

“Thank you for checking everything for us. We’re going to eat and then I think we’ll investigate the wall in the office you had mentioned. I’d like you to stay with us for a bit so we can make sure there aren’t any surprises.” Kakashi turned to Avurin who gave a nod. A secret entrance in the office downstairs was likely going to hold more secrets than any other area. He’d originally written off that office as pure decoration since there hadn’t been any papers on the desk and the books on the shelves were all very common titles. They would have investigated it anyway, but the likelihood of finding anything in there had been minimal until now. 

“Sure thing, boss,” Pakkun said before hopping back on the couch to lay down on the cushion next to Avurin. She smiled and gave him a gentle pat on his head. 

“Well, I have some ration bars or we can try to prepare something. I think the oven in the kitchen is a wood-fire oven so we should be able to use it. I saw some wood outside through the kitchen window that should be dry enough to use. It was probably cut a long time ago, though, so if there’s anything wrong with it we’ll stick with ration bars. I don’t want to leave the walls of the estate until we’re ready to go.” Avurin said as she stood. Kakashi found himself walking towards the kitchen, taking in the iron oven. 

“This should work. I’ll go check the wood while you get it cleaned up. What did you bring that would need an oven to cook?” he asked. They usually only brought food that was prepared to be eaten in the field so it wasn’t protocol to bring anything that would need to be prepared. Of course, Avurin liked to keep surprising him. She smiled and opened a storage scroll on the counter, a couple of vegetables appearing in a puff of smoke including some carrots, eggplant, potatoes, and green onion. 

“Well, you never know what you could need on a mission. Vegetables are great in a pinch if you’re tired of ration bars. It’s all edible at the end of the day. I figured I’d make a little bit of a stew with some water, the vegetables, and some seasonings I brought for shits and giggles.” she commented, flipping her hair with a flourish intended to tease him. Or at least it felt like she was teasing him. Her hair was soft and framed her face so perfectly, even in the heat of battle. He shook himself from his thoughts. She was just being cocky. 

“If you can find some dishes that aren’t too difficult to clean, it sounds like a plan. No point in letting good vegetables go to waste.” he called over his shoulder as he moved to walk out of the back door. She shouted back an affirmative and he heard a clatter as she yanked out a wooden drawer, likely looking for silverware. Sighing, he walked through the door and closed it behind him with a creak. His nose instantly picked up the scent he’d smelled when they first arrived and his eyes found the source quickly. A decomposed body was slouched against the wall in the backyard, likely a trespasser that didn’t even have the chance to realize their mistake. He could handle the smell, he’d had to deal with that scent on several occasions, but it was still offensive and nearly ruined his appetite. 

He quickly found the wood Avurin had been talking about sitting neatly in a rack against the wall outside of the kitchen. He could see Avurin through the kitchen window, fretting over a pot that she’d found and was trying to clean with their limited supplies. He couldn’t help but smile. She was so perfect. She would make an amazing mate, cooking for him like today, greeting him when he came home from missions, and rearing his future pups with an iron fist. That last thought made him freeze and choke on his own spit. Sure, his thoughts had been derailed lately and he’d been indulging his instincts more than what could be considered safe for the sanity of his mind, but rearing pups? Cooking for him? What had gotten into him? 

He pinched himself on the wrist and bit his lip hard enough to draw a pinprick of blood, hoping the pain would get his mind back on track. He needed to get the wood for the food. He walked to the stack of wood and was happy to find dry, healthy wood on the rack. There was quite a bit of it, too. They could continue to cook while they were here and wouldn’t be forced to eat ration bars and soldier pills the entire time they were there. He grabbed several pieces of the wood, carefully inspecting it for any insects or other unsavory hitchhikers or any mold. His eyebrows furrowed at the almost-perfect condition of the wood. 

If anything, it looked like it had been placed there a week ago, not decades prior. Something about this place was very off and the discrepancies were making themselves very apparent. First the slave’s quarters being in near-perfect condition and now a stack of wood? Something wasn’t right. He filed away that thought for later and brought the wood inside, purposefully not looking towards the corpse he had to pass to get back inside. It was several yards away, yet that smell was just overwhelming in such a peaceful place. 

“Found the wood. It’s all in good condition so we can cook the entire week we’re here if you’ve brought enough food that needs it.” Kakashi called out as he brought the wood inside. The scene that greeted him in the kitchen had him holding back a full-blown laugh by only a thread.

Chapter Text

“Don’t say a word.” The warning was an outright threat with so much of that adorable fury behind it that he felt his resolve breaking. 

“I haven’t said anything.”

“I can see the smile on your face through that mask, asshole.” His smirk only grew.

“I still haven’t said a word about it.” Her glare only intensified.

“You just did.” Her eyes were full of fury and embarrassment. He’d never been so attracted to her at that moment. She was so expressive.

“No, you brought it up first,” he teased.

“Just put that down and help me clean this up.” He did as she asked, setting the wood down on the floor. Walking over to his distressed teammate, he kept his hands in his pockets with a casual slouch of his shoulders. 

“How in the world did you do that?” he asked. He could see why she was so embarrassed. During her search of the cabinets, it appeared that there had been several large sacks of flour precariously balanced in a very large, high shelf. She must have opened the cabinet and triggered the unintentional trap, bringing down hundreds of pounds of flour on top of her where it had exploded. Long story short, she was covered in flour, the floor was covered in flour, even Pakkun was covered in flour from where he’d been standing next to her, having apparently joined her in the kitchen after Kakashi had gone outside. Avurin huffed and Kakashi’s amusement skyrocketed as flour flew into the air with her breath. 

“I think you can see how it happened. Please tell me you know something that can clean this up? You’re supposed to know a thousand jutsu, aren’t you?” she whined. Kakashi chuckled. 

“Unfortunately I don’t have anything that’ll help with this. We’ll have to take care of this the old fashioned way.” Pakkun sneezed as he shook himself off, grumbling as he wandered back into the living room and Kakashi felt a little sorry for the small pug. Avurin tilted her head down and the flour that was on her head fell to the floor in a puff. She stood and shook as much of the powdery substance off of herself as she could manage, glaring at the pile of flour on the floor as if it had personally offended her. A layer of the substance still dusted her hair and clothes and Kakashi knew they would have to figure out a bathing situation before they went to bed tonight. It couldn’t be comfortable.

“Why don’t you start on lunch and I’ll find something to clean this up?” Kakashi suggested. He wouldn’t admit it but he was quite hungry and didn’t want her to waste much time focusing on cleaning when she already had everything ready to cook. 

“Okay, but I’m cleaning up our bedroom later.” Kakashi’s attention focused on her for a moment, seeing the conflicting emotions on her face as she turned away from the mess to start cooking. Had he said something wrong? They didn’t have to trade responsibilities when it came to cleaning. She didn’t have to clean up the bedroom, he could clean it while she was sorting through everything in the office if it came down to it. He would clean the entire house if she wanted him to. He kept his thoughts to himself as he looked for a broom, finding one close to the back door. As he cleaned, Avurin quietly put the wood in the stove and used a fire release to start the oven. She prepared the vegetables quickly and had filled the pot she’d found with water, adding the vegetables and seasonings. At one point he saw her take some of the flour from one of the opened sacks, checking it to make sure it was safe, before adding it to the concoction in the pot. 

His eye trailed to the sacks of flour that were laying on the floor and the pile in front of him. Yet again, something that should have been long spoiled or rotten was nearly perfect as if it had just been purchased and stored. If it was safe like the wood outside, he wouldn’t stop her from using it. However, he knew Avurin was smart and that she had to have picked up on the odd situation where old flour looked and smelled like it was fresh. He would mention it later. 

He finished cleaning what was on the floor, taking the sacks of flour that had busted outside so they wouldn’t attract pests when they left the house to go back to Konoha. One of the hundred-pound sacks that hadn’t busted was placed back in its original cabinet for the sake of possibly using it for future meals. The hundred-pound sacks were adorned with old logos of companies that had long since fallen to larger corporations and at this point he was coming to the conclusion that something was keeping certain parts of the house in a time stasis or something similar.

“Lunch is ready. Sorry if it’s not great, I don’t exactly have any other fresh ingredients with me.” Avurin told him as she gave him a bowl of the food and a spoon, gesturing for him to follow her into the living room. Since they had been using it so often and Avurin was insistent about opening the window in that room when they were in there, it was starting to feel like they were simply visiting another person’s house when they were in the room. Some areas were still dusty, but Avurin had been working hard to remove the dust from the areas they used frequently, like the table.

“I’m sure it will be great, Avie,” Kakashi found himself saying as they took their places at the low coffee table, kneeling down on the cushions and setting their bowls in front of them. They both used their canteens for drinking and Kakashi was starting to get worried about their dwindling water supply. Avurin’s canteen was looking particularly light as she took sips from it during their meal and Kakashi realized she had used her own water for their food. He pulled down his mask and started eating, surprised to find the vegetables and broth full of flavor and he couldn’t stop himself from eating quickly, barely keeping himself under control as his stomach cramped from the lack of a home-cooked meal over the last four days. Ration bars and soldier pills would keep someone alive but the stomach would never be satisfied until a full meal was eaten either during or after the mission. 

“If you throw that up, I’m going to make you clean it up and not feed you again until dinner,” Avurin growled from across the table. He smiled at her as he took his last bite, flashing a fang over his bottom lip. 

“I’m not my students, Avie. I’ll be alright. The food you made was just so good that I couldn’t help myself.” He was teasing her and the red dusting her cheeks made him preen to himself in satisfaction. 

“Just warning you. There’s only so much food in my scrolls.” she grumbled. He sighed, content as he leaned back to rest his hands on the floor. Breathing without the mask over his face was a rare luxury for him, especially after a meal, and he was taking full advantage of it. 

“Mah, I was thinking, we should find a clean source of water soon. After we investigate the office, I want to see if there are any rivers nearby so we can collect some water for our stay here.” Kakashi carefully started. He didn’t want to imply that she needed a bath, but the flour that covered her was already spreading to every surface she touched and he could see her fidgeting as if she had an itch under her shirt that was making her uncomfortable. Fear flashed through her eyes as she looked at him but she nodded with only a little bit of hesitation. 

“I can go look after we’ve checked the office,” she told him. His eye narrowed at her and he felt a frown fall on his face. 

“We can both go, I don’t want to leave you alone while we’re here,” he countered. Her shoulders stiffened and she put her spoon in her almost empty bowl. 

“I don’t want to have to command you to come back through the gate. I’ll go. I can come and go as I please if the gates lock behind me.” A part of him screamed at him to fight her on it but her logic was sound. She was uncomfortable with their entry to this place and he could understand why, despite not having been harmed. If anything, he’d felt like he was sleep walking in a dream, just following the flow of the dream as he was directed. He trusted her not to hurt him with her jutsu, but it seemed that she still didn’t trust herself. With the discovery of the journal, she’d been even more sensitive about the subject. 

“Alright, but you’re taking Pakkun with you. He can release himself before coming back onto the property.” It was a compromise that he knew she’d accept. She liked Pakkun and he could tell Pakkun was already bonding with her, likely already seeing her as part of his pack. Pakkun would also be able to smell a river nearby and shorten the duration of the trip, bringing her back to Kakashi quicker than if she went out by herself.

“Okay. We can do that.” Avurin agreed. He nodded in approval and pulled his mask back up, standing to stretch as he grabbed his bowl and spoon, taking them to the kitchen. He set them in the sink to clean later when they had water. Avurin followed him quietly, doing the same. 

“Let’s look at the office and get it out of the way. There’s no telling what we’ll find and if it’s anything like the office upstairs, we could be there for a while.” Kakashi told her as he walked towards the back of the house, already knowing that the dining room underneath the stairs led to the office in the far left corner of the house. Avurin followed, seemingly lost in thought. He didn’t disturb her until they arrived in the office, seeing that it was as bare as he remembered from his first scouting of the house. 

“Pakkun, where did you say the scent disappeared to?” he asked the pug who had followed them quietly, his feet padding across the hardwood floor with the clicking of tiny nails. Pakkun started sniffing the ground, following an invisible trail of scent until he reached a bookshelf on the wall. 

“Right here, boss,” Pakkun replied. Kakashi nodded and walked towards the bookshelf. Even if it was one of those intricate hidden doors where you pulled a book and it opened, they didn’t have time to sit down and figure out the puzzle. He put his hands on both sides of the bookshelf and pulled gently, feeling the bookshelf move slightly on the left which meant it was hinged on the right. He pulled again but felt a click, indicating the door was locked. Huffing, he stepped back from the door. 

“It’s locked. We might be able to find a book or something that opens it from the outside.” Kakashi told Avurin who nodded. They started pulling on books one by one, hoping to find the lucky book that would open the special door. It was such a classic trick that Kakashi almost doubted that the lock was engaged by a book by the time they had made it through half the shelf. Then again, this door may have been designed before the trick was well known. It was close to the bottom of the shelf that Avurin pulled a book with a blue cover and a click was heard. The bookshelf was easily pulled away from the wall and a wooden door sat behind it, engraved with the same symbol that had been engraved in the fence when they had approached the gates of the estate. 

“I might be the only one able to get through this door,” Avurin told him, sounding almost uncertain. Kakashi pulled his headband up and assessed the door before sighing and re-covering the Sharingan. 

“I think you might be right. This one has more than one ward on it, there are four more on the corners of the door frame that might be part of a deterrent for anyone that isn’t supposed to be in there. I’ll wait for you here. If anything happens, shout and I’ll find a way to get to you.” Kakashi said as he crossed his arms, eye narrowed at the door. He didn’t like this at all. If they were lucky, the door itself was the only catch and she would be able to assess everything inside without any backup, yet something in his gut told him something was wrong. He watched her put her hand on the engraving on the door, a familiar golden light emitting from the ward and filling the irises of her eyes. It was always disconcerting to see her eyes change from their soft evergreen color to a bright gold that glowed so intensely, however he’d started to come to expect it on this mission. 

She looked to him expectantly as the door unlocked and opened on its own. He nodded and glanced at the narrow stairway behind the door. Another hidden room in the home with no indication of where that stairway led. He felt goosebumps form on his arms at how intense the darkness was behind the door. His instincts were screaming at him, yet he didn’t have any arguments that would validate preventing her from going up there. She carried Okita blood, hopefully that would be enough for the seals in the hidden room not to reject her. Avurin cracked one of the glowsticks she kept with her and turned towards the stairs. He held his breath as she disappeared from sight. 

…

Avurin slowly walked up the narrow staircase, the small hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention. She didn’t like leaving Kakashi behind for this particular adventure. She understood that Kakashi likely would have been very seriously hurt by the seals, yet she felt vulnerable. It almost felt like there were eyes on her in the narrow confines of the stairway. She could protect herself, there was no denying that, but the instinct to have backup in a situation like this was impossible to ignore. She climbed each small step carefully, not seeing any seals on the walls or tripwires like what they had encountered in the stairway behind the pantry. 

Shortly after she started climbing the steps, enough to be out of Kakashi’s sight, the stairs she was following leveled into a very narrow hallway that took a sharp right turn. She fought to keep her breath steady, knowing she was currently in the walls of the home. Mentally, she had a general idea of where she was, yet she also knew that it would be impossible to convey her location to Kakashi if something happened. The supports of the walls and framework of the home made itself apparent as she accidentally brushed a stray wooden board laying against the wall. The pathway was littered with dust and a few spiderwebs, making the experience all the more terrifying. She hadn’t expected so many creepy things to be hidden away in this house. 

She stopped sharply as she almost ran into another door. This door had the same seal on it and she already knew to place her hand on the door, allowing the golden light to fill the area as the door unlocked and opened without a sound. She walked into the small room behind the door, now completely disoriented and wondering where this room was hidden in the floorplan of the home. She had to be on the second level or somewhere between levels, likely on the far left side of the house. They hadn’t explored that side yet and she was uncertain of where she could possibly be if she needed to get out. 

As she assessed the room she was in, she was surprised to find that the room was very similar to the room that had been above the kitchen. There wasn’t a speck of dust in the tiny office, in fact, it almost looked like someone had been in there just the day before. There was only a small desk in the room adorned with an inkwell still full of fresh ink, a quill, some empty papers on the desk, and a chest to the right of the desk. There wasn’t even a chair in the small space. She assessed the area and couldn’t find any traps or wards so she started pulling out the drawers of the desk, irritated to find it completely empty. She turned to the chest and flipped open one of the clasps holding it shut. 

Everything went to shit. 

Avurin jumped back against the wall as the door to the room slammed shut and the sound of rushing water started above her. She ran to the door and was horrified to find that it didn’t have a handle on the inside. She had checked the room for seals! There was no reason for a trap to be set off! She took in more details of the room, looking for any form of escape as the sound of the water grew louder. To her horror, she noticed that the walls appeared to be made of completely solid stone. This room had been designed to drown anyone that had tried to access that chest. The water suddenly started gushing down from a small cut-out portion of the ceiling. She grit her teeth and jumped on top of the desk. How was she going to tell Kakashi? He wouldn’t be able to get in here and open the door from the other side! She had no way of communicating with him! She tried to calm her breathing as she held her glowstick above her, watching in horror as the water started filling the room. 

…

Kakashi stood diligently by the open door. He had sent Pakkun upstairs to investigate the crawl space as their next objective out of boredom as he found himself just waiting patiently for Avurin to come out of the hidden room. He knew that if she had found something, she would likely either bring what she found out of the hidden area to assess with him or would quickly disregard what was in there if it wasn’t significant. 

He nearly jumped as the door next to him slammed shut, clicking to indicate it had locked itself. He immediately jumped into action, trying to pry the door open. He activated his Sharingan, watching the door for anything that would help him get the door open. Something had been triggered which meant Avurin was likely in danger. He would risk his life to get to her and he would not hesitate about it. He didn’t know what the seals would do to him and, at this point, he didn’t care. Unfortunately, the door wouldn’t budge. He turned his head towards the door that led to the dining room as he heard the clicking of Pakkun’s paws bolting in his direction. 

“Boss! There are some serious rushing water sounds coming through the crawl space upstairs! Something was triggered and water is rushing somewhere in the house!” Pakkun reported quickly. Kakashi looked back at the door and back at Pakkun. 

“It’s Avurin! Lead me to the source of the water!” Kakashi ordered as he ran into the dining room, through the open door leading to the main room, and flew up the stairs. Pakkun caught up with him quickly and took the lead, running towards an open door that led to a bathroom on the left wing of the second floor. 

“In here, boss! I can smell it through that cabinet there! There’s a small crawl space through the cabinet but I haven’t been down there yet. Be careful!” Pakkun warned as Kakashi immediately cracked a glowstick, pulling his mask down and putting the glowstick between his teeth as he got on his knees and started crawling into the hole in the wall through the cabinet. He knew keeping the mask over his face was a liability when water was involved and Avurin had already seen his face, so it didn’t matter if he had it on at this point. He was internally scoffing at the Okita’s incompetence at hiding some of their hidden rooms and spaces in such obvious places, yet he could commend them on their traps. This was another classic, yet very morbid and dangerous with multiple methods of execution. He was crawling through the dark, mold-ridden space with his Sharingan activated, looking for a seal he hoped was the source of the water. He just hoped he could deactivate it before it was too late.

…

Avurin watched the water rise quickly, already lapping at the top of the desk. The chest she’d tried to get into was already submerged and she mentally lamented the lost information that had likely been inside of it. She didn’t have much time to think since she’d soon lose the ability to think at all, drowning in a hidden room without Kakashi even knowing for who knows how long. She didn’t want to give up so quickly, however she was out of options. The room was dark and the water looked black as it crested over the desk she was standing on, causing the wood to start to float. It was unstable and quickly flipped, submerging her in the ice cold water. She gasped and shivered, feeling like she’d been dunked in an ice bath. 

Not only was her own family going to drown her, they were going to make her freeze while they did. She didn’t want anything to do with the Okita name at this point. They were psychotic and demented. She grit her teeth and stood in the water, still holding the glow stick above her to look for any possible escape routes. She couldn’t find anything even though she felt a small bit of hope at seeing that the ceiling was made of wood. She just might be able to cut her way through the ceiling when the water level brought her close to it, but she didn’t have a lot of time and certainly wouldn’t have that time when she got high enough to reach the ceiling. The last thing she wanted to do was desecrate her family home, but again, she was out of options. 

… 

Kakashi dragged himself through the crawl space, wincing at the feeling of slimy mold sliding under his stomach and across the front of his clothes from where it was clinging to dense wooden planks. It was making his hands and knees slip as he tried to get to his destination quickly and the smell was overwhelming with his mask down. He was so limited on space that he wouldn’t be able to even reach his other pockets if he needed to, being forced to keep his arms in front of him, pulling himself through the space. His Sharingan was constantly scanning the walls, looking for any seals or any indication that he was getting close to the source of the water. He could hear the rushing water growing louder and knew he was getting close, but as he got closer he was losing his grip on the wood under him, resorting to pulling on the occasional wood supports along the sides of the crawl space. 

He started feeling the humidity seeping through his clothes as he was finally greeted with the sight of a T-shaped split in the crawl space, water spraying from a specific point on the wall on the left side of the T, rushing down a small but open drain on the right side of the T, backing up into the space he was crawling through. He could see that the side of the T that the drain was on was slightly extended and he hoped that there was some sort of trap door or other option for accessing the room from the top in the darkness of that side. He quickly found himself laying in an inch of water, struggling to get around the corner to get close to where the water was gushing. He prayed it was a seal, he couldn’t tell through the pressure of the water spraying in front of him. He pulled the glow stick from his mouth, clipping it to the front of his vest with the small hook that it was designed with. It limited his vision but he had the Sharingan and he needed to be able to speak.

“Avurin!” his voice boomed, directed towards the drain, sounding more desperate than he meant for it to. He heard a gasp from down the drain. 

“Kakashi!” she yelled back. 

“How much time do you think we have?!” he shouted as he pushed himself further towards the rushing water, feeling stray droplets stinging his face. The pressure from the source was immense and his muscles burned as he fought the current.

“Not long! A minute at most! I’m getting close to the ceiling!” she shouted. He cursed. Wherever she was, it was sealed tight and there was nowhere else for the water to go. 

“I think it’s a seal! Hold on!” His voice wavered as he started pushing himself directly against the rush of water, propping his feet against the corner of the way he had come from. He was now in the top part of the T, laying between the gushing water and the drain. His hands met a solid wall at the source of the water and he wanted to yell in relief. A seal would be so much easier to fix than a mechanical trap. He felt around the wall, trying to map out the seal in his head as his fingers struggled to trace the lines carved into the wall. If he knew the seal, he may be able to directly deactivate it. The wall was made of stone on this particular side of the space and he had a feeling that it was an extension of the room Avurin was in if it was as sealed off as he thought it was. 

“Hurry!” she screamed, sounding strained. He could hear scraping sounds from the wood on the other side of the drain and felt his blood run cold. She was trying to cut through the ceiling to get into the crawl space. There wasn’t an exit there. From how cold the water was, he had a feeling she didn’t have much energy left to even cast a jutsu to get herself out through the ceiling. She was probably using a kunai or her katana and she wouldn’t be able to get enough force behind her strikes to cut through. He cursed and sent an overcharged wave of chakra through the seal, trying to overwhelm the seal. When it didn’t immediately work, he continued to pour chakra into the seal. Panic started to set in as the scraping sounds stopped. 

“Avurin!” he yelled. No response. He reached behind him to pull out a kunai, ignoring the tearing feeling in his shoulder at brute-forcing his own arm through the small space. He brought the kunai back up, feeling the water rising around him. It had completely filled the room she was in and was now flooding the crawl space. He slashed as hard as he could at the seal, feeling the kunai scrape hard into the wall. The water cut off abruptly, the seal destroyed. He hadn’t wanted to destroy it in case they could investigate it later, but if it meant saving Avurin’s life, they didn’t need it.

Kakashi didn’t allow himself a moment of relief, immediately maneuvering himself to back up into the part of the T where he had come from, turning around to go past the drain towards where he’d heard Avurin scraping the ceiling of the room she was trapped in. His shoulder was on fire and he suspected that it was dislocated or he’d torn something, yet he was starting to grow frantic as adrenaline took away most of the pain. He brought his hands together for a hand sign. Using the water in the crawl space to create a water shuriken, he quickly directed it towards the wood and watched it shred the wood to pieces, finally reaching the room Avurin was in. The water level didn’t change at all. Once the hole was large enough, he dove in. 

The room was completely black but he kept his Sharingan open. He could see the orange light of Avurin’s glow stick slowly sinking further into the room. He swam towards it, his own glow stick still fixed to the front of his vest. His lungs already burned, the cold of the water seeping into his bones and stealing away the energy he had left after fighting against the current of the seal and keeping his Sharingan activated for so long. He pushed himself, diving after the orange glow. At the bottom of the room, he felt himself brush against her in the darkness. He grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him before using his feet to propel them from the bottom of the room towards where the opening was. 

It was still only large enough for one person to go through and he pulled himself up first, twisting to turn around to face her in a way that made his hips stretch until there was an agonizing pop, all while keeping a bruising grip on her arm. He backed up into the tunnel, pulling her after him so that she was laying on her back. Her face finally reached the air and he listened intently for her to breathe. She didn’t. He put his hands on the center of her chest, pushing hard in quick succession. 

“No… No…” he muttered as he kept pushing, ignoring the shooting pain running down his arm stemming from his injured shoulder. He put his mouth to hers, pushing air into her lungs. This wasn’t how he wanted to do this. There was hardly any space and they were still sitting in two or three inches of water. She was cold and clammy to the touch and he was hissing in pain with every push on her chest. He pushed more air into her lungs, continuing the compressions. “Please… don’t do this to me…” he begged, his voice starting to shake and his eyes burning. He couldn’t do this again. He’d lost so much already. 

She coughed. He turned her head to the side, using his hand to prop her head up as she coughed again, water coming from her lungs. After a few seconds of him waiting with a bated breath, she retched, suddenly breaking out in violent coughing and kicking her legs out where they were still submerged in the gap in the ceiling of the room. He kept her head propped up, using his other arm to keep her from flailing. 

“You’re okay! Breathe!” he reassured her, waiting for her to calm down. She looked towards him with wild eyes before recognition started to fill her face. She went limp, taking gasping breaths while maintaining eye contact with him. She moved her mouth as if to speak and he shook his head. “Don’t speak. Recover your strength. We’re going to have to crawl back to the exit and I don’t want you to pass out on the way.” He knew he was being firm but he really didn’t have the strength to drag her back to the exit. She would have to make the crawl with her own strength. 

He felt his thoughts screech to a halt as a soft, cold hand met his exposed face. He took in her face as a soft smile spread across her face. He sighed and let himself relax, slumping down to press his forehead into her shoulder, tilting his head enough that he didn’t put his face into the water. His arm was on fire, his left hip felt like he had torn something at the joint, and his head hurt from using the Sharingan. He wanted to sleep. He could feel Avurin’s hand trail into his soaked hair, gently massaging the side of his head. He closed his eyes for a moment before forcing himself to pull away. He knew the risks of falling asleep cold and wet, especially in a space this small with a room underneath them that could easily drown them. 

“Come on. Let’s start making our way back. We can rest when we get out of here.” he mumbled. She nodded and sighed, her breathing finally calmed after the near-death experience. He pushed himself up as much as he could, hissing at the strain on his hips. He backed up, putting himself in the part of the T that the seal had been in. Avurin slowly turned over on her stomach, crawling after him. “Go down that way. I’m right behind you. Pakkun will meet us at the exit.” He was whispering, feeling the adrenaline rush falling from him, he knew he was crashing. 

“O-Okay,” she stuttered, her voice so hoarse his own throat hurt from hearing it. She pulled herself into the part of the T he had come from, starting the crawl down the long path ahead of them. He followed her as promised, barely managing to pull himself along. She was going slow, obviously just as exhausted as he was. It had to be at least twenty feet of just crawling with no space to actually move. Avurin was less broad so she had an easier time but he could tell there were times that she struggled to get a grip on the slimy floor. He wrinkled his nose at the mold. That trap was activated after so many other safeguards, it didn’t make sense for it to be used frequently so there really shouldn’t be so much mold. He wasn’t going to investigate it now, though. 

“Avurin! Boss!” Pakkun’s voice chimed from the exit as Avurin pulled herself through the cabinet and collapsed on the floor in the bathroom. Kakashi quickly followed, wincing as he plopped down on the dusty floor. “Boss! You made it!” Pakkun yipped in his face and he growled, his head pounding. Pakkun didn’t flinch but he took a step back, raising what could be considered one of his eyebrows at Kakashi. “Don’t growl at me, pup. Let’s get you two to a bedroom. You look like a couple of drowned cats.” Kakashi just sighed, not moving from his spot on the ground. Avurin seemed to be doing better than him, sitting up and leaning against the lavish clawfoot bathtub in the bathroom. 

“Give us a second, Pakkun. I’m pretty sure I was clinically dead for a minute before Kakashi saved me and it seems like he pulled some insane gymnastics to get us out of there. Frankly, I could sleep right here.” Avurin muttered, her voice scratchy but already sounding better than it had. Pakkun nodded, moving towards the door.

“I’ll give you guys a little bit to catch your breath. Call me if you need me, but please try to make it to the bedroom and get out of those clothes. The last thing you two need is to catch a cold when you’re not even halfway through this mission.” Kakashi just glared at the pug until he left the room, not even having the energy to argue. 

They sat in silence for a while, Kakashi laying on his stomach in the middle of the bathroom just fighting sleep and feeling the pain in his body slowly make itself known as the adrenaline completely left his system. Avurin was leaning back against the tub, also just breathing and fighting to keep her eyes open. They were both soaked to the bone and sure enough, they had started shivering. Kakashi groaned and tried to push himself up, yelping as his shoulder finally gave out and he slammed into the floor, narrowly avoiding breaking his nose as his face came dangerously close to smashing into the floor. 

“I would ask if you’re okay but you’re obviously not. I’m going to help you get to our room, just tell me which shoulder to avoid.” Avurin muttered as she pulled herself to her feet. Kakashi glowered and avoided her eyes. 

“Right arm and left hip,” he mumbled. She clicked her tongue and put a hand on his left shoulder, gently pulling him up. His hips shifted and he hissed, but eventually he found himself in a sitting position with Avurin getting ready to pull him to his feet. He braced himself as she pulled him, bringing him to a standing position where he wavered. She quickly wedged herself under his right shoulder and pulled him towards her so he was leaning his weight into her. They made the slow walk to the bedroom they had used the previous night, Kakashi groaning low in his throat with each shift of his hips and hissing occasionally when his arm swung in the wrong direction. 

When they reached the room, they were both shivering and Kakashi was feeling faint. He carefully sat down in the chair in the corner of the room, starting to unzip his vest. Avurin noticed what he was doing and quickly moved to kneel in front of him, a determined look in her eyes. She pulled the zipper of his vest down, carefully removing the heavy piece of clothing. She looked at him with hesitation, glancing at his shoulder. 

“It looks dislocated,” she told him. He nodded. 

“Do it.”

“I’m going to count down.”

“Don’t, you know that makes it so much worse.” She gave him a sadistic grin and he found himself mock glaring at her. 

“5… 4…” She suddenly popped his shoulder back into place, eliciting a sharp yelp from him. He brought his other hand up to his shoulder, instantly rubbing the sore joint to try to soothe the pain. 

“That was rude,” he mumbled. She just smiled at him, slowly unzipping her own vest and dropping it to the floor next to where she’d dropped his. He found himself taking in every inch of her, the soaked black shirt she was wearing left very little to the imagination. The way it clung to her waist and chest was so tempting, yet he was so tired. That thought brought a whole new kind of frustration. Of course he would finally get to see the most tantalizing view of her while he was in pain and exhausted. He sighed and leaned back in the chair as she untied her hair, wringing it out over the rug in the room. He rolled his eyes, letting his head roll back so he could stare at the ceiling as she went about trying to get the water out of her hair. The blatant disrespect to her family home was not lost on him. 

*Surprise! This Chapter’s Song: I GUESS I’M IN LOVE by Clinton Kane*

“You know, I think I’m done waiting,” he heard her whisper. He raised an eyebrow as he picked his head back up, not quite sure where she was going with that comment. Lips were on his in less than a second, a hand coming around to cup the back of his head. Her lips were warm this time, not cold and on the brink of death. He groaned low in his chest, bringing his good arm around her shoulders so he could pull her as close as physically possible. It was as if the floodgates had opened, all of his emotions pouring into the kiss that was quickly turning frantic. He felt her lips pressing against his and wanted more. Using one of his fangs, he gently nipped at her bottom lip, making her gasp. Taking the opening, he pushed his tongue between her lips, quickly invading her mouth. 

Another groan slipped from him as he tasted her, his hand clutching at the wet fabric of the back of her shirt. She gently settled her weight in his lap, carefully avoiding his left side. There was a dull ache as she settled on top of him but he didn’t care. His hand let go of her shirt to wander, running along her side and pulling her hip against him in a bruising grip as he pushed further into her mouth. He opened both of his eyes as she broke away, panting as she tried to recover her breath. This moment with her was worth the slap he could earn for committing the memory through his Sharingan. 

“I’m not waiting anymore. I want this.” She spoke with certainty, not leaving any doubts. It made the wait worth it to know that she was fully committed to this, not a single insecurity or doubt showing on her face or betraying her in her voice. He nodded. 

“I want this, too. I almost lost you today. Whether you were going to give me a chance or not, I realized I couldn’t lose you.” he admitted. Her eyes softened and she leaned forward, giving him a short and sweet peck on the lips. 

“There is no one else I would trust with my life as much as I trust you, ‘Kashi. Thank you.” she whispered as she hugged him. He brought his arm around her, pulling her tightly against him. He leaned close to her ear. 

“I guess this means we should be comfortable taking our clothes off in front of each other. I’m starting to freeze.” he teased. He felt her tense before pushing against his chest, leaning back to glare at him. 

“As much as you’re right, I’ll still punch you for that. Later. When you’re not broken.” The blush on her face was beautiful and he found himself cupping her cheek, his chest growing warm when she leaned into his touch. She sighed and pulled away, getting off of him as she looked towards the bed. “Let’s get settled. I need a nap.” 

He found himself smiling at her, happier than he had been in years.

Chapter Text

They slept wrapped around each other well into the afternoon. Avurin felt like things had drastically changed after giving in to her feelings after their near-death experience. Kakashi held her impossibly close, keeping his nose buried in the junction of neck and shoulder, occasionally rubbing his cheek against her neck. They had stripped most of their clothes to get warm in the bed so their skin was sticking together in some places but she didn’t care. He was incredibly clingy and she loved every second of it. When she’d woken from her nap, he was still dead asleep next to her, snoring softly next to her ear. She smiled to herself and brought a hand up to stroke the arm that was wrapped around her waist. 

She didn’t regret the decision to give him this chance so soon. Her admission in the office had really been her agreement to try, she just didn’t know when she would have that talk with Kakashi. It seemed as if the world had created the scenario in the hidden room just for her to jump into it, bringing her feelings to the front of her mind by making them impossible to ignore. The look of pure pain and desperation on Kakashi’s unmasked face in that tunnel, illuminated by one of those stupid glow sticks, had sent her feelings over the edge. He’d hurt himself pretty badly just to get her out of that room and she had no idea how he’d even found a way to get to her before she’d died. 

She remembered seeing the shredded wood of the ceiling of that room after she’d regained consciousness. It had been at least half a foot thick and he’d found a way to tear through it to get to her. She sighed, letting the thoughts drift. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to go into another small, dark, wet place like that ever again after that experience. She’d been panicking shortly after coughing up what felt like a gallon of water until his voice brought her awareness back to her. He’d grounded her in that moment. She’d never felt so relieved and safe despite the oppressive, stuffy air in that crawl space and the freezing water they were sitting in. 

She tilted her head slightly to glance at his still-drying hair. At least they’d both gotten a bath. She giggled softly to herself. Silver linings were funny like that. He grumbled and tightened his grip for a moment before going lax again. She hummed quietly, bringing a hand up to run it through his hair. It was still damp and tangled but she could see it starting to regain its fluffy nature. She gently untangled the strands that she could reach with her fingers, careful not to pull on his scalp. He had stopped snoring but his breathing was still soft and even. He would likely wake up in the next few minutes and she intended to spend that time running her fingers through his soft, silver hair that she couldn’t believe she hadn’t touched before that moment.

Sure enough, after a couple of minutes of playing with his hair, he started to shift and groan, the pain of the day probably catching up to him. He pulled away slightly, his eyes bleary as he woke to see her watching him with a soft smile, her hand still buried in his hair. He blinked and stared for a moment before tightening his grip again, burying his face back in her neck. She giggled and gently tugged on his hair, earning a soft growl from the man. 

“You smell good,” he mumbled as his nose tickled her neck. She squirmed a little, pulling away slightly. 

“And that tickles!” she laughed. He pulled away with a crooked smile on his face, the scar that had taken his eye went so far down his cheek that it tugged on the skin near the corner of his mouth and she found herself wanting to kiss that crooked side of his smile. So she did. The blush that dusted his cheeks was well worth it. She removed her hand from his hair to turn to face him, bringing her arm around his midsection so she could gently scratch his back. He let out a low rumble that she almost wanted to call a purr. Wasn’t he related to wolves? They don’t purr. She giggled again and continued to scratch, feeling him slump against her. 

“You are too nice. You can’t possibly be real.” His voice was dazed and she outright laughed. 

“Oh, I’m real. I’m only nice when I want to be and you look like you need someone to touch you with some affection.” She smiled brightly at his confused look before pulling away to stretch her arms high above her head, feeling a satisfying pop in her spine. She sat up in the bed, running a hand through her own hair to find that it wasn’t any better than Kakashi’s had been before she’d made it her personal mission to groom him. She winced as she found a small bump on her head, wondering where it had come from. So much had happened just earlier in the day that it could have happened at any point during their great escape. 

“Please tell me that you packed another set of clean clothes,” she heard Kakashi whisper. She turned to look back at him to see him averting his eyes towards a bare corner of the room. She looked down at herself, quickly realizing her mistake as her hand shot out to grab at the blankets, pulling them to cover herself. She had forgotten they’d stripped down to their basics so they could dry off. She was only in her underwear and the bindings that wrapped around her chest. Her face was hot and she could feel the embarrassment growing. 

“Turn around so I can put them on!” she yelped. Kakashi groaned as he flipped himself so he’d stare at the opposite wall. She gave his back a concerned look, knowing he was still in pain. She would have to check her scrolls and kunai pouch to see if she’d packed painkillers. She usually did but with her luck on this mission, it was possible she had run out or forgot to pack them. She got out of the bed and quickly sorted through her storage scrolls, finding the one that had her spare clothes. Releasing it, she found a comfortable pair of black pants, a mesh shirt, and a green and white haori that she kept around for undercover missions. She quickly dressed before digging through her kunai pouch. Finding the painkillers, she let out a sigh of relief. 

“Okay, it’s safe. I also have something for you to take.” she told him as she took out her canteen. She was running dangerously low on water but by the angle of the shadows she could see through the window and the orange hue that had enveloped the backyard, she knew the trip to find fresh water was going to be delayed until the next day. Kakashi slowly sat up in the bed with a hiss as she passed him the pills and the canteen. He took them in one gulp, chasing them with a small sip of water. 

“Thank you,” he muttered, still sounding exhausted. She nodded and took her canteen back, taking a sip of water from it. Despite almost drowning in the refreshing substance, she felt parched. She emptied the canteen and sighed, setting it down next to Kakashi’s backpack. Their soaked vests were still piled in the corner of the room and she wrinkled her nose. Those were going to smell if she didn’t set them out where they could dry. 

“Stay up here for a little bit. I’m going to put these on the front porch where they can air out.” She picked up the vests, wincing as her sore arms protested at the weight of the soaked clothing. 

“I don’t think I could get up if I wanted to,” Kakashi grumbled from the bed. She glanced back at him, seeing that he had pulled his blanket around him and was facing the darkness on the other side of the room, likely nursing a headache along with his various injuries. Sighing, she carried the vests out of the room and down the stairs. She eyed the front door for a moment, entertaining her paranoia over exiting the house for a moment, before shaking her head and opening the door. She stepped out onto the front porch and quickly found a place to spread out their vests where they would be able to dry before the next morning. 

Walking back into the house, she was hit with the reality that Kakashi was likely seriously injured and they were currently stranded in the outskirts of the Land of Fire without a medic. They would either have to cut the mission short to get him back to Konoha for medical attention or try to wait out his injury to see if it would heal on its own which could extend the mission, causing some unwarranted concern for his students and their friends. She detoured to the living room of the house and sat on the couch, sighing. She didn’t mind cutting this adventure short at this point. She’d learned more than she truly wanted to and there was nothing here that would benefit her or Konoha. She’d learned her family history and, if anything, she had more fear for her Kekkei Genkai than she’d had prior to the mission. 

Yet, she had this nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was missing something. She had noticed Kakashi observing every nook and cranny of the home since the day prior and was curious to learn what he’d noticed that warranted his increasingly thorough investigation into the home lately. Walking back into their room, she saw the slow rise and fall of his back from where he’d laid down on his front on the bed. The sun was fully setting now and she knew it would be best for them both to get a full night’s sleep after their adventure. While she knew that she had rested plenty in their nap since the incident, she still felt exhausted. 

Returning to bed, she left her civilian clothes on and left some distance between her and Kakashi, hoping not to irritate his injuries if she could help it. However, that didn’t last long as the man turned to face her and dragged her to his side, nuzzling her shoulder yet again. She sighed with a smile and fell into a dreamless sleep. 

…

The next morning, they decided on a plan of action. There was still too much that needed to be sorted through in the mansion. Kakashi managed to get down the stairs with her supporting most of his weight to set himself up on the couch in the sitting room next to the kitchen, a stack of documents laid out for him to memorize with the Sharingan. Avurin diligently dove into everything she could find in the upstairs office they had been digging through, finding important political documents that could be copied back in Konoha and continued to add to the stack for Kakashi as the day pressed on. Around lunch time, however, she decided they needed water. Both of them had been ignoring it but she was pretty sure Kakashi’s mouth felt like hers, sticky and dry. Cotton-mouth, some villages in the South called it. 

While Kakashi was hesitant to let her go on her own to find water nearby, Pakkun’s presence on her excursion was enough to calm him down enough to promise to rest while they were gone. It was agreed that having Pakkun available to smell any water in the area would shorten the trip and he would be able to dismiss himself if the wards wouldn’t let him back onto the property without using Avurin’s kekkei genkai. 

Avurin shut the back door to the mansion, almost gagging when she inhaled the air of the backyard of the home. She remembered Kakashi mentioning a body on the property, but apparently it was still decomposing against the back fence not far from the back door. 

“That’s disgusting. Let’s get out of here and start looking for water so we can get back quickly.” Pakkun suggested with a wrinkled nose as he started walking across the yard to get to a break in the fence where an old wooden gate to the outside of the property stood. It wasn’t warded as heavily as the rest of the fence so Avurin was able to easily open it to let him out as she quickly followed. 

Kakashi hadn’t spoken about what had occurred the previous day and she was too nervous to bring it up while they were still supposed to be working on the goal of the mission. She was still debating whether they should go back to Konoha and cut the mission short or try to extend the mission.

“I caught a trail. Smells like a small river or creek not far from here. It’s fresh water and will be more than enough for you two to stock up.” Pakkun told her as she continued to follow him. They followed an unknown path until she could hear the burbling of the body of water they were approaching. Her throat was dry and she could feel the effects of dehydration starting to set in. 

The trees parted for a small creek and she was quick to run to it, dunking her canteen in the water and taking a few sips to soothe her throat. They would boil the water when they got back to the mansion but for now, she could drink some of it without too much risk. After making sure she wouldn’t perish from the beginning stages of dehydration, she filled both of their canteens to the top and took in the calm atmosphere of the creek. It was smaller than the one that had been near her cabin, yet it brought a smile to her face. It reminded her of home. She almost reached for a sifter that she knew she wasn’t carrying. 

Looking at the bed of the creek, she could already see small shells and smooth stones settled gently into the silt. Using her hands, she pulled a few out, feeling something in her chest uncoil and relax at the familiar activity. Sorting through her findings, she stopped at a small shell, similar to the one she had given Kakashi years ago at the cabin. It was dark gray, reminding her of his eyes, with an iridescent sheen on the inside. It was completely intact, not having been tumbled through the rocks for too long. Making a quick decision, she dried it off and pocketed it, happy to have found something familiar to ground her throughout the chaos of what she’d been finding in the mansion. She took a seat on the bank of the creek, just taking a few moments to breathe.

If she was honest with herself, she felt like she was suffocating in the home. Between the emotional turmoil of the hidden room, the trap in the hidden office, and the sudden emotions between her and Kakashi, she was overwhelmed. When she was living in her cabin, every day was the same. It was a routine that she clung to and was content with. Since coming back to the village, very little of her previous life remained and every day was inconsistent, always throwing something at her that she felt like she wasn’t prepared for. 

While she had complained about being assigned D-Rank missions constantly, at least it was consistent. Not that she would go back to it. She just appreciated having a routine at this point and she still felt like she hadn’t truly settled into Konoha enough to have a consistent routine that sat well with her. She originally hadn’t given Kakashi any of her time aside from seeing him on occasion because she knew a relationship would only further shake up the rudimentary routines she had. She knew that things would change yet again once they returned to the village and could focus on this new step between the two of them. 

“Pakkun, has Kakashi had anyone in his life like he seems to want to have me? Or even just to satisfy himself?” she found herself asking the pug. Pakkun seemed to think for a moment before sitting down next to her.

“No, Avurin, he hasn’t. It’s not my place to butt into Boss’s personal affairs, but I also know he won’t discuss this with you until it’s too late anyway. I don’t even think he knows why he’s doing half of the things he’s doing. I’m sure you already know that Hatakes just don’t see these things the same way as the rest of you humans. They build packs, mate for life, and their bonds are difficult to break. Boss already has his pack with his pups, Gai, yourself, and a select few others. However, not once has he taken a mate. There have never been any potential mates that caught his attention…” Pakkun trailed off before making eye contact with Avurin. 

“Why?” she asked. It was no secret in a shinobi village full of emotionally suppressed shinobi that engagements without feelings were commonplace. So why had Kakashi never indulged? She wouldn’t be upset if he had, he was attractive and he certainly had several admirers from what she’d heard around the village. It was genuinely strange that he hadn’t brought anyone into his life, even once. 

“Hatakes very rarely find a mate that ‘checks all the boxes’ but when they do, they don’t let go. His father was the exact same way with his mother. For Boss, you are perfect. His instincts won’t allow him to ignore it. When he first saw you on that mission that had gone sideways, he bonded with you despite not knowing a thing about you based on your appearance, your scent, your actions, and demeanor. You are complementary to him. You fill the gaps in himself. You make up for his own shortcomings. Pairings such as yours are intended to build on each other’s strengths and fill in the weaknesses. What you humans consider ‘flings,’ just don’t happen in our world. Those urges are only to be satisfied with a mate that you intend to keep and he’s never had that. That being said, I think your pairing is beneficial for the both of you. He cares about you even if it’s borderline pining. He’s spent too long as a lone wolf, pun intended.” Pakkun snorted, looking back at the creek. 

“What if I’m worried? I still have myself to look after and even you just said that we hardly know each other. What if I find out that this isn’t what I want?” Avurin gritted her teeth, finding herself clutching at the fabric of her pants as she glared at the creek. She always had an escape plan for everything after what had happened to her. She couldn’t go into this knowing she couldn’t back out if she had to. Kakashi had given her plenty of warnings and even Pakkun was digging the knife of the situation deeper. 

“Keep your distance until you’re sure. He’s already utterly enraptured with you. Frankly, there isn’t much you would be able to do at this point. It’s a hard ‘no’ or a definitive ‘yes’ within the next few weeks. You can’t keep him on the sidelines after your decision. Although, I believe you already made that choice just yesterday.” Pakkun gave her a pointed look before continuing. “He’ll reassure you that you can back out at any point, however I won’t soften the blow of this. At this point, if you reject him, he won’t recover. He won’t repeat the actions of his father on principle alone, but I’ve seen him at his worst. He’ll become a shadow of the village and make himself useful elsewhere with no regard to his own well-being. He’s already self-sacrificing enough, he won’t make it another few years like that. He’ll pine for you until the day he dies. Give it a few weeks and make a decision but if you decide you don’t want this, you need to acknowledge what it’ll do to him. He may be the alpha of his pack, but as a mate you would be the control he needs and the light to bring him home.” 

Pakkun stood and stretched as she slumped, drawing her knees to her chest to hug them tightly. Did she want to be the reason Kakashi would be a shadow of the village or did she want to be the light that brings him home?

Chapter Text

The walk back to the mansion was silent, Avurin brooding over the hard talk she’d had with the pug. Pakkun seemed content to let her stew in the information he’d given her as he led her back to the gate of the property, dispelling himself before even attempting to enter. She let herself in and walked to the front door, her mood still not any better. She closed the door behind her and walked into the kitchen, taking out a large pot and lighting the wood in the oven so she could boil the water. She heard shuffling and a grunt followed by uneven footsteps. She turned to the doorway to see Kakashi standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the sitting room. He was leaning against the frame to take his weight off of his injured hip while he barely avoided accidentally ruining the makeshift sling holding his arm for the sake of his healing shoulder. She scowled.

“Lay back down. You won’t heal if you keep aggravating your injuries.” She knew her words sounded harsh to her own ears, but the slight widening of Kakashi’s visible eye had her quickly turning to stare at the pot in front of her as she started pouring water from their canteens into it. 

“Everything alright?” he asked. Damn him and his soft concern for her. He was always so attentive to everything involving her and she could see how his obsession with her could be overwhelming. Knowing why he was that way, she’d been willfully ignoring it, yet she could acknowledge that the way they interacted and his hyper-attentive observations of her were not normal. 

“Everything’s fine. Just thinking.” she muttered as the water started to steam. Kakashi moved further into the kitchen and she bit her lip to not snap at him to lay down. A hand gently tugged at her shoulder and she turned to face him, meeting a concerned eye. 

“Did Pakkun say something to you?” he gently pressed. She let out a sigh and slumped. 

“That obvious, huh?” She avoided his gaze again, instead focusing on the papers visible on the coffee table through the doorway. 

“I can smell that he was pretty close to you and you were gone for a bit longer than expected. I’m assuming he gave you some sort of shovel talk?” A hint of amusement colored his tone and she brought a hand to rub at the bridge of her nose in frustration, huffing. 

“Something like that. Just… just be honest with me for a minute, please. If I were to walk away from this today, in a week, in a year, would your reaction to it change? Would it get worse? Or are you already so bonded to me that the worst thing would happen right off the bat if I said something to end this today?” she asked, not able to bring herself to meet his eyes. The twitch of his fingers and the way she felt the air tense with unexpected bitterness was enough to have her wince slightly. 

“It would be the same,” he answered quietly. She closed her eyes tight and clenched her fists. 

“Then I guess I’m in this for the long run, aren’t I? Do I even get a choice?” she grit out, still not looking at him. As soon as the words left her mouth, bitter on her tongue, the hand on her shoulder jerked back as if burned. 

“No, you have a choice. My feelings don’t mean anything if you don’t want anything to do with me. It’s just a part of me I can’t ignore. I can try, but it’s hard. I can’t pretend everything is normal if that were to happen, though. Is that how you feel right now?” His confidence was shaken, she could hear it in his voice. He was hurt. She finally chanced a glimpse at him and felt her own heart shattering at the look of complete dejection on the man’s face. 

“No, that’s not how I feel right now. I want this now but what if I decide I don’t in a week, a month, a year? Are you going to go and get yourself killed because I rejected you? It only hit me after the talk with Pakkun that this isn’t normal, at all. This is a lot. I might get overwhelmed. I want things to be calm, to be normal again. I miss the comforts of things just being normal.” The admission had her curling in on herself, her arms crossing to hug herself tightly. “I’m just… I like knowing I have options. I don’t want this to be sealed as my fate so early if I give in right now. I know I want this right now, I know I like you, I know I like how you pull me close and hold me like I’m the most precious thing in the world, I like how you would find me first in a room before anyone else, I like that you’re willing to do anything to protect me. Things can change, though. And I don’t want you to die just because I might one day say I don’t want it anymore.” 

Kakashi was silent for a few heartbeats before Avurin found herself pressed against his chest, his good arm holding her tightly and his chin resting on top of her head. 

“I can’t guarantee anything in the future. I can’t guarantee what I would do if you one day walked away from me and went on with your life. Yet, I don’t think anyone can promise such things. I know this is a lot and I know it’s not normal. A chance with you is worth anything to me. Nothing will change between today and ten years from today on what I’ll feel if you choose to move on without me. I feel my own mind tearing itself apart to get to you every chance I can. I can’t help it. As a human, though, I will always let you have your choice. You aren’t responsible for any of my actions. If you are ever in a position that you don’t want to be with me, I fully expect you to completely turn your back on me and not look back.” A hand ran through the back of her hair which had been left down after they had gotten out of bed. 

“I understand,” she mumbled into his chest. She felt a little better, but the reality of the situation was still concerning. She worried for him. Yet, that worry for his wellbeing also solidified her thoughts on the matter in her own way. She cared about him and what would happen to him. She pulled herself back slightly, ignoring his startled growl at her pulling away, pushing herself on her toes to bring her lips to his. His mask was pooled around his neck like it had been earlier in the morning and she took advantage of the exposed skin to bring a hand up to his face and run her thumb along his cheek. 

He groaned in response and she licked at his bottom lip, tempting him to open his mouth to her. He was quick to oblige, letting her slip her tongue into his mouth with a softness that didn’t reflect the chaos in her head. Her whole body felt warm and her stomach was fluttering from the heady feeling of kissing him again. His available hand ran down her back, scratching lightly enough to make her gasp into the kiss. As quickly as it started, it was over and they both pulled away to pant only an inch from each other’s faces. 

“Water’s boiling,” he mentioned quietly as he caught his breath. Her mind caught up with her current situation and she quickly turned away from him to take the pot of water off of the heat to set it on a cloth on the counter. She needed to wait for it to cool before she put it back in their canteens. Turning back to Kakashi, her gaze caught the readjusted sling for his arm and the slight wince as he readjusted his footing. 

“Go lay back down. I was serious about you aggravating those injuries, especially your hip. You said it felt like you had just pulled something near the joint?” she asked as she ducked under his uninjured arm to help hold his weight and lead him back into the sitting room. 

“That’s what it feels like. Just sore at this point. I don’t think anything is broken,” he reassured her as she set him down on the couch again, helping him adjust his legs to take the weight off of his hip. She crossed her arms and sat down at the coffee table, eyeing the documents sitting on the table. 

“I’ve been debating whether to get you back to Konoha for medical attention or sending a message to the Hokage to let him know that we’ll be extending our little trip for the sake of ‘further research’ so you have a chance of healing before we head back. I have a feeling I’m still missing something big here but I’m not exactly equipped to help you and we’re going to run out of painkillers pretty quick.” She watched his gaze sharpen before he replied. She wanted him to have a choice in this matter since he was the one that knew his injuries best in this situation. Going back to Konoha while he was still injured would extend their travel time but it would be worth it to get him into a hospital sooner if his injuries warranted it. 

“We should stay. This is hardly the first time I’ve been injured in the field and pulling things is hardly severe enough to need immediate medical attention. We can continue to investigate things here for a few more days and head back when I can make the trip without having to be carried.” She nodded with his answer. 

“That’s fine. I just wanted to give you the option. This place is suffocating and I need to find something decent soon that isn’t traumatizing or boring or I’m going to start ripping my hair out.” She looked at the document sitting on top of the stack on the table, sighing at seeing a simple 30-year-old mission assignment from Konoha that had been kept for some reason. Kakashi chuckled from his place on the couch. 

“Well, not everything can be war decrees and peace treaties and instruction manuals on tricky kekkei genkai,” he replied and she let out an unamused huff. 

“I know but I didn’t expect this to be so damn boring aside from nearly dying. As much as we could joke about it, I was actually hoping to find something about this stupid kekkei genkai like different ways to use it or how to train it. My family had to have procedures for this, wouldn’t they? So where would those kinds of secrets be stored for training future generations?” she grumbled, running her hand through her bangs. She certainly felt cleaner after her dunk in the torturous death tank the day before, but she was already missing the comforts of warm running water in Konoha. She’d only had access to proper amenities for a few weeks and she was already missing the luxuries the village provided compared to her cabin. 

“When I scouted the outside area of the estate, there weren’t any training grounds or anything that would indicate any training happened here. Either the information was verbally passed down through family members or there’s written documents here that we just need to find. Was there anything in that room yesterday that would have been important enough to trigger the trap?” he asked. They had avoided talking about the room throughout the morning since the memory of the trap was still fresh, yet Avurin knew that such an extreme trap had to be protecting something in that room. 

“Yeah, actually. The seal activated when I attempted to open a big chest in that room. It didn’t float when the water started rising so it had to be pretty heavy. Whatever was in there, especially if it was an actual training manual written on paper, has to be ruined by now. Everything was made of stone and I doubt the room has a way to drain so it’s likely the whole room is still sitting there full of water.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared at a blank scroll sitting on the table in front of her. Kakashi must have switched to manually writing down information, meaning he still didn’t have a lot of chakra for his Sharingan. “It has to be in that chest. We need to figure out how to get in there without flooding the house or drowning again. It’s not like we can go back through the top and drag the chest out. It’ll be too heavy. And the door I walked in through opened inwards so the weight of the water will be pressing against it to keep it closed.” She sighed, dropping her hands to pick at her nails in frustration. 

“Well, I don’t see why they would set a trap like that unless they had a way to drain it. Worst case scenario, if you’re absolutely sure that the chest has something important in it, we can use one of my jutsu to drain the room by making a hole in the floor. I can’t guarantee that it won't flood the house though.” Kakashi offered, also looking frustrated with the thought. 

“What if we sent Pakkun down the tunnel to see if the room did drain? Maybe there’s a timer set to activate a seal to drain the room considering my family apparently dabbled in a few seals for warding and traps anyway.” Avurin looked towards Kakashi for his reaction. He nodded. 

“Give me a day to get my chakra reserves back up and we’ll summon Pakkun. For now, we should focus on getting the rest of this information either recorded in scrolls or I’ll look at them with my eye. We still might find something in all of this.” Kakashi sat up with a small wince, eyes taking in the information that they had already recorded and what was being disregarded. The Okita family had kept very thorough records over the years and so far, it had all been routine documents with only a few correspondences with Konoha. They were recording the information that seemed relevant and would sort through everything later, making connections and comparing notes back in Konoha when they had the luxury of time and possibly extra eyes. 

Avurin personally wanted these notes kept hidden in the Hatake compound until she knew who she could trust with any information related to her clan. Just from going through what they had found, the clan was secretive and had kept everything locked down in the estate. Her own parents hadn’t kept any information about the clan on-hand, only giving her vague answers when she had questions about the Okita kekkei genkai or about her family in general. 

She wouldn’t claim to know who to trust in the village right now, aside from Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai. Even then, she was only comfortable with sharing this information with Kakashi. If that chest had the kind of information she was looking for, he would also know her weaknesses and training methods by the end of this trip and she had no intentions of sharing that information with anyone else. She had a feeling there were people in power, especially on the Council that had been holding her back, that would literally kill her for this information. Bloodline thieves hadn’t been around for several years, yet she knew she couldn’t be too careful. This kekkei genkai could have a removable part similar to the Uchiha’s eyes.

“Let’s get to work, then. Save your energy and we’ll tackle it tomorrow.” 

-The Next Day-

“Pakkun, I need you to run down into the tunnel and let me know if the water in the room I pulled Avurin out of has receded. If it hasn’t, we need to come up with a plan to drain it.” Kakashi directed the pug from the entrance of the crawlspace in the bathroom. Avurin sat on the edge of the tub with her arms crossed, currently pouting after being dragged out of bed early by a particularly motivated Kakashi. 

The previous day’s work of manually recording documents together from the upstairs office and other parts of the house had grated on their nerves and really stressed that they were wasting time with otherwise irrelevant documents throughout this mission. They had found a mention or two of noble families being ‘influenced’ by members of the clan during political talks over fifty years ago, yet they couldn’t directly say that it was a mention of the kekkei genkai and Avurin already knew she wasn’t going to investigate it. 

Aside from that, there had been no mention of the family using their power for anything other than regular missions passed along through Konoha. Nothing was personal, no mentions of how the clan felt about their distance from Konoha or how they were treated on missions due to their concerning amount of power, nothing. Needless to say, they both went to bed without saying much to each other. Lack of results on a mission after a harsh reminder that they were on a mission would drive any shinobi into a sour mood.

“You got it, Boss!” Pakkun took off into the tunnel with enthusiasm, likely also sick and tired of running around through the same house for days on end. Avurin watched Kakashi as he kept his eyes on the entrance of the tunnel, waiting for Pakkun to get back. 

“So, I say if we find this information today, we pack the whole thing up in a storage scroll and get out of here. I’m ready to get home.” Avurin mumbled as she waited for Kakashi’s reaction. She saw how his shoulders slumped as he sighed. 

“That’s probably for the best. We can sort everything out back in the village. We’ll take today to figure this out and leave first thing in the morning if we don’t run into any trouble. We’re approaching the deadline as it is and I already know I’m going to slow us down.” Kakashi grumbled, his good arm moving down to lightly massage his hip. He hadn’t needed a crutch to get around but he was obviously still in pain. He described it as just being sore but after a few days of travel, that pain could become agonizing. Avurin already planned on carrying him on the last day if she could tell he was in too much pain by then. Kakashi kept his arm in the sling for the sake of letting his arm heal while they were relatively safe, but she already knew he could use it if he needed to. 

“The water has gone down, Boss! I couldn’t see into the room but it appeared clear and I couldn’t hear any dripping that would indicate standing water in there. Should be safe to enter.” Pakkun reported as he walked out of the tunnel. He shook himself to rid himself of residual dampness and kicked his paws out against the floor a few times, leaving streaks of mold that had clung to his paws. 

“Good work. I’ll call on you if I need you again sometime today. We’re going to wrap this up and head back tomorrow morning.” Kakashi informed the pug before he was dispelled. Both of the shinobi let out a sigh of relief. If the water had drained, they could at least attempt to open the door from the other side. Or, at least, Avurin could. They still had to avoid the wards behind the bookshelf in the downstairs office so Kakashi would have to wait until she came out. Pulling out a heavy duty storage scroll, she held it up to him and he nodded. She was going to store the chest in the scroll and bring it out of the room before attempting to open it. A secondary trap following the one that had already been set off wasn’t a high possibility, but they needed to be careful. 

“Let’s go”

Chapter Text

Avurin gulped as she opened the door to the hidden office, completely unprepared for going back into the room that almost killed her. What would it be this time? Fire? Kakashi was tense beside her, even more guarded than he had been the previous time she’d gone to that room. She took a deep breath as she cracked another of her glow sticks, walking over the threshold of the doorway. She looked back at Kakashi, knowing her kekkei genkai wasn’t still activated from opening the door. 

“I’ll find a way to alert you if something else happens. I’m just going to get the chest and run back this way. If I’m in there for longer than a few minutes, you know the way to get into the room if it locks again.” She knew the words weren’t very reassuring since they didn’t exactly have a backup plan, but it was the best she could offer. After he gave her a stiff nod, she started walking up the steps to get back to the room. 

This time, she was quick to get to the office. The door was still shut so she used her kekkei genkai to open it, surprised when it opened the exact same way it had before. After what had happened last time, she made sure to wedge one of the loose boards that was against one of the walls into the space between the door and the frame. It shouldn’t be able to shut on her this time. 

She was careful as she crept into the office, still smelling the water that had soaked into the few pieces of furniture in the room. It brought back the memory of her near-drowning but she forced the thoughts back, focusing on her mission. The chest was in the exact same place it had been before. She didn’t know if whatever was in it had been soaked through and she didn’t care. 

She laid down the large storage scroll she’d brought, biting her thumb and pressing it against the paper before touching the chest with it. The chest disappeared in a puff of smoke and she froze, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she let out a long breath that she’d been holding before bolting to the door. She got through the door without an issue, running through the narrow passage and nearly tripping as she jumped down the final flight of stairs, nearly bowling over Kakashi who was standing right at the door. 

“Everything alright?” Kakashi asked quickly. She nodded and dusted herself off, suppressing a shiver. 

“Yeah, I just have a very healthy fear of dark stone rooms that smell like water now…” she mumbled as the door slowly shut on its own with her exit. He pushed the bookshelf back to its original position. 

“You got the chest?” She nodded, holding out the scroll. 

“I didn’t run into any trouble sealing it. It hadn’t budged from the flooding.” Avurin told him as she unsealed the scroll, letting the chest pop into existence in front of her and Kakashi. “Frankly, I want to just open it. I’ll keep my Kekkei Genkai on in case it’s trapped for anyone except my family but I really don’t think there’s anything else tied to it. I don’t see any wards or seals on it.” She held her hand in the usual sign to activate her kekkei genkai before Kakashi could protest. 

“I guess we’ll just do it then…” Kakashi muttered, resigned. Avurin snorted. She knew he was just as eager to know if they’d completed their mission. She pressed her hand to the chest and sure enough, it glowed with a series of seals on the wood before both clasps popped open on their own. She lifted the lid of the chest and let her kekkei genkai fade away, getting the feeling that it was safe to do so. 

Inside the chest were several journals, books that looked as if they’d been printed and bound by hand, a dark brown fur mantle, and a stack of seal paper with pre-drawn seals. She glanced at Kakashi who had his Sharingan active, recording the event. Reaching into the chest, she pulled out the first few journals and one of the books. The chest was crammed with books, filling every inch of space. If this was what they were looking for, it would take a very long time to go through all of it. She would be taking this chest back to Konoha and it would be locked and sealed away to keep any prying eyes out of it. She opened the first journal. 

I could not complete my research with Father dwelling in the house but with his passing finally allowing my status to shift to the Clan Head, I am taking it upon myself to investigate the bloody history of the Okita family. We have spent two generations hiding an unknown bloodline’s kekkei genkai that has started to make itself more prevalent in my cousins. Great-Grandmother Kei and Grandfather Riku were insistent on ‘culling’ the bloodline after finding the new traits among them but Father had stopped them by begging for mercy. We barely avoided infanticide in our family. 

After both of their passing, especially Grandfather’s passing, my cousins were allowed to continue about their lives. Father insisted that he would not acknowledge the impending destruction of the Okita kekkei genkai and that meant not acknowledging my cousins. With his passing, I arranged a meeting with my cousins following the abuse that was suffered by those that presented the kekkei genkai and, in a fit, Hisaki committed suicide in the upstairs bathroom on the second night of the meetings and discussions regarding the future of the clan. He suffered the worst out of us, his hair was bright red and the kekkei genkai was hardly controllable. My uncle did not have the trait and had beat him into compliance for years until his own passing. 

Those of us remaining have all come to an agreement that continuing to reproduce with the exception of the main line is not in our best interest.

I have spent my life dreading the possible appearance of this unknown bloodline trait in my own family, however, I believe Father was satisfied that I have shown no such traits. It is believed that the muddying of our bloodline was brought in by my Grandmother that I am not permitted to speak of, however we do not have any details. This bloodline trait has not been spoken of or investigated since it began presenting. All we know is that the Okita kekkei genkai is NOT present in any of our bloodline that present the new kekkei genkai. Something is preventing our trait from passing and my Father was resigned to the extinction of our kekkei genkai until I presented with it.

This chest will remain locked away from the family while I complete my research. We need answers if we have any hope of saving the family and cleansing our ancestry of so much blood.

• Jiro Okita, son of Yuto Okita - previously Hiroto Okita, grandson of Riku Okita

Avurin let out a shuddering sigh. More journals and more traumatizing history, this time promising answers. Her great-grandfather, Jiro Okita, who previously resided in the home, had taken it upon himself to find the answers she needed so desperately. Yet, just in one page, she knew she was the last of her line. Her grand-uncles and aunts had taken an oath of celibacy for the sake of destroying the kekkei genkai that the unknown Sasaki that had married in had ‘infected’ the clan with. All driven by the actions of her own family and abuse. If this kekkei genkai was so uncontrollable in some, she could understand. Yet, why hadn’t they taken the time to find a way to utilize it like every other family utilized their kekkei genkai?

“Let’s move this to the living room. We have plenty of daylight to get through some of this today and you might find what you’re looking for.” Kakashi said softly as he put a hand on her shoulder. He had been reading the page over her shoulder. She nodded and closed the journal, putting it back in the chest. She closed the chest and stored it again, following Kakashi to the living room. It was a lot. There was so much information in one chest and it dwarfed everything else they had found in the house.

Settling into the living room, she pulled the chest from storage and opened it again, pulling the journal she’d been reading out. Kakashi stayed quiet as he picked up one of the books that looked like a formal records book. They both settled down on the couch, Kakashi laying down with his feet in her lap. Opening the journal again, she turned to the next page. 

I have found a journal in a hidden room through the kitchen. Sasaki-san fills the gap in the family tree and I would have killed my grandfather if he weren’t already deceased. I am horrified by the series of events that brought about my Father’s birth as well as mine and my cousins. Regardless, she left her family name for me to investigate and I have found very few records of her family. From what we understand, the kekkei genkai that she possessed was a time jutsu, freezing time in localized areas that would not be undone unless the caster removed the jutsu. From the state of the room upstairs, I believe this jutsu continues after death and that she had cast it in her final days akin to a curse on the family. It is powerful. 

I also have reason to believe my father had the trait. He never presented with the Okita kekkei genkai despite my own manifesting of the vocal jutsu. He was very withdrawn and had banned any questions regarding the Sasaki kekkei genkai. Yet, I find signs of its use throughout the home. We never seem to have expired goods despite how long they sit in the cabinets. I have checked for seals that could explain such a phenomenon and there were none. I don’t know what constitutes the range of the ‘frozen’ areas in the home or how the borders are set, much less how the jutsu is initiated. I only know that now that I am aware of its nature, I am able to see the signs of its use. 

When Hisaki would have his episodes as a child, he could freeze the blood in someone’s veins, at least long enough to kill a person. It was after such incidents that he received his beatings and he was isolated from us for several years. It is not unbelievable to think that he had power that would be incredibly useful in battle, yet he was never permitted to take any missions sent to us by Konoha. I have only taken a couple since my standing in the clan has been updated, yet there have been questions regarding the health of the clan that are too specific for comfort. After reading Sasaki-san’s journal, I have reason to believe that she was assigned to ruin the Okita bloodline from the inside. People have reason to fear us enough to conduct such a mission, however the matter of who would do such a thing is still in question. 

Avurin nodded to herself, seeing the pieces start to come together. The Sasaki’s involvement when it came to heirs for the Okita clan wouldn’t be an unheard of method for diluting a prominent family’s bloodline. It was part of why the Uchiha had always been so careful about who they had kids with prior to the massacre, not wanting any of the branches to be ‘watered down’ or ‘infected'.’ The fact that this had not only occurred to the Okita clan but was also kept so tightly under wraps despite the severity of it was shocking. 

As she continued reading, she was disappointed to realize that her great-grandfather hadn’t found much on the bloodline. From the theories to the drawn-out diagrams that he mentioned having crammed into the chest in front of her, even going as far as to take trips to the Land of Earth where the Sasaki clan was supposed to be from and stealing books from there, there just wasn’t much to solidify the information he’d found. The chest would be full of theories and history, but nothing to explain everything. Some passages in his journal were even used like a normal diary, detailing the events of certain days and just barely mentioning anything about the family. About halfway through the journal, she noticed that the handwriting on one of the pages was more jagged, almost as if it were written in a panic. 

My only son, Ryoichi, has manifested the Time-Freeze Jutsu. He is only seven years old, yet I witnessed him freezing one of his toys, a wooden sphere he likes to roll across the floor. As he let go of the toy, it froze on the floor and did not move until he released the jutsu. He spent quite some time playing with it, freezing it at certain points during its travels across the floor and then just as easily releasing it. We did not teach him how to do this and I had worried for him when he was born with red in his hair, however I now have to worry that he will use it to harm someone or something without knowing what he did. I do not wish to repeat what occurred with Hisaki. If anything, I believe I may be the best suited to help him. I will take notes regarding his progress. Hopefully this will provide some insight on this still-unknown kekkei genkai. 

Avurin had hoped that the kekkei genkai had died out with Yuto Okita, Jiro’s father. She didn’t want to think that she would be carrying the gene herself. However, since Jiro had the Okita kekkei genkai and his son had manifested the Sasaki kekkei genkai, it was suddenly a very real possibility that any future kids Avurin had may manifest the Sasaki kekkei genkai. It had already skipped a generation, showing a pattern she really didn’t like. For that alone, she wanted to learn as much as she could about it. She barely restrained herself from glancing at Kakashi at the thought. Maybe one day they would get that far. For now, she’d keep this information to herself.  

The notes following that entry in the journal were all short and to-the-point. Jiro spent as much time as he could with Ryoichi to help him, yet he describes the Sasaki kekkei genkai as being almost instinctive. There were no hand signs that triggered it, simply touch. They had a couple of mishaps, one of the squirrels outside getting frozen in time and later released only to collapse as if it had been shot through with an arrow at the exact moment the jutsu was released. Jiro theorized that the jutsu could not be used to keep someone safe, it would only kill someone if their bodily functions were frozen. It wasn’t like being frozen in a zone of time, the body just couldn’t handle not breathing or functioning while it was ‘frozen.’ 

From the tone of his writings, at the very least, he was patient with Ryoichi. She remembered meeting her grandfather one time when she was young. He had visited the village with his wife to visit her father and catch up, although she wasn’t so sure that it wasn’t an important visit with what she’d learned. It sounded like the Okitas didn’t leave this house unless they had a mission. Now that she thought about it, it was actually incredibly odd that she was raised in Konoha by her father and mother. This was especially true if there were any concerns about her hair since the red tones in it had been more prominent when she was younger. As she grew older, the brown color had become more prominent and now, it only really had a red tint to it under certain lights. 

From what she remembered, her grandfather was very quiet. He had a stern look on his face but he never spoke much above a whisper. The looks he gave her as a child were uncomfortable, as if he was carefully analyzing everything she did. Maybe it had been out of worry? She didn’t know for certain. 

By the end of Jiro’s journal, there wasn’t much that had been figured out or discovered. Jiro had prevented several incidents with Ryoichi’s kekkei genkai by simply appealing to his morals and explaining why that jutsu couldn’t be used for certain things. The squirrel had been a pivotal moment for the both of them and Ryoichi had promised not to use it on living things after that point. Jiro had lived a long time but had passed away from an injury he received on a mission, an agonizing and slow death. He knew his end was coming and had passed on the Clan Head title to Ryoichi with little fanfare, even entrusting the house to him. One passage near the bottom of the final page caught Avurin’s attention just as she was about to close the journal. 

Ryoichi tells me that he has an heir on the way. I have spoken with him at length regarding my research and our family history, I made him promise to pass along these secrets to each heir going forward. The Okita name is dwindling and it won’t do us any favors to have any heirs pass on the name without knowing the blood that comes with it. I dearly hope one of the future heirs reads this journal and, if that is the case, I wish you luck. 

I have included my own ancestors’ work on the Okita bloodline in this chest in the event that you have manifested the Okita kekkei genkai. If you are reading this, I fear that the worst has come to pass and you may need this information. All that is contained in this chest are considered Okita clan secrets and should be treated with care.

- Jiro Okita

Avurin sighed and closed the journal. Her emotions had been so stretched thin throughout the entire mission that she couldn’t bring herself to feel much about being directly addressed by an ancestor of hers. If anything, she felt pretty empty and was just taking the information for what it was, a warning. Given the notes from Jiro about the cousins meeting and refusing to pass down their name, she was the last Okita. Her choice in having heirs would decide the fate of the clan. 

Glancing at Kakashi, she let a small smile grow on her face. They had more in common than she had expected. He was the last Hatake, she was the last Okita, their kids would be strong and a total middle finger to everything her clan would have wanted. The mixing of their genes would be interesting if they ever decided to have kids and it would have her ancestors rolling in their graves. 

Kakashi looked up from the book he was reading and gave her a lopsided smile. 

“Something on your mind?” he asked, setting the book down in his lap. She just shrugged. 

“I have a lot of things on my mind. I just think I’m ready to go home.” She hoped her smile conveyed the peace she’d found. They had what they needed and she was happy with the results. “Grandpa Jiro just confirmed that what I need is in the chest and, frankly, I think it can wait until we get home. I’m done with this for right now and I need a break.” She put the journal back in the chest along with the book Kakashi handed her. After she shut the chest and put it back into the storage scroll, she felt a hand grab her own, turning her to face Kakashi who was now sitting on the couch with his feet on the floor. 

He pulled her gently, adjusting her movements so she could settle in his lap, their faces only a couple of inches from each other. He wound his arms around the small of her back, pulling her closer. She leaned down to give him a small kiss. He smiled and brought one hand up to her face to push a stray hair behind her ear. 

“Then let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

Avurin would never get used to waking up in Kakashi’s arms. However, she could get frustrated enough to want to kick him off the bed. Honestly, if he weren’t injured, she already would have. It was already past sunrise and the man had her almost in a chokehold, one arm crossed against her chest, the muscles of his forearm pressing against her collarbone, his hand holding onto the shoulder she wasn’t lying on. His other hand, however, was wandering. She didn’t know if he was awake and she didn’t care. She wanted to kick his ass. 

When his wandering hand gave her ass a firm squeeze, she felt her face heat up. Was he really doing this in his sleep? One thing she was starting to get used to (despite the awkwardness of it) was the familiar hardness pressing against her rear that tended to be prominent in their mornings together. They usually just ignored it when they started getting ready for their day and he never mentioned doing anything about it. However, this time, Kakashi was either dreaming about something promiscuous or was having a very enjoyable morning with her. He was gently rutting against her, his wandering hand moving between stroking her side and grabbing at her ass while his other arm held her in place. 

“K-Kakashi…” she whispered. He needed to wake up. This was not happening in this musty house while he was injured and they desperately needed to get back to the village for new clothes and actual showers. Did she want to run away from the uncomfortable topic and not just the current predicament? Absolutely. This was something they needed to take slowly. She was not letting him have his way with her while he was still asleep. 

He grunted and hiked his hips against her again and she took a deep breath so she could think for a moment. His bare arm was right in front of her. She didn’t know what he would do if she went through with this train of thought but she needed him awake and to back off. She opened her mouth… and clamped down on his arm. 

She may not have his sharp canines but a bite was a bite. She just wanted his attention so this would just be a pinch to him and this wasn’t her proudest moment, but even his dog-brain should pick up on a bite. 

And it certainly did. Just not the way she wanted it to. 

He groaned loudly in her ear, only slightly muffled by his face pressing against her neck, and she felt him press against her, a warm pulsing feeling pressed firmly against her ass. They still had two layers of clothes between them but she knew what it was. He just finished whatever dream he was having. She bit him and his response was to cum his own pants. She let out a humiliated whimper and gave up. This was an impossible situation. 

Unfortunately, Kakashi finding his peak was apparently the key to waking up for the silver-haired man. She knew she was flushed up to the tips of her ears and there was going to be no hiding the mess in his pants or the way he had her pinned down. His grumbling as he woke up was about the only normal reaction he would have until he came to his senses. 

Sure enough, the second he realized what he’d done, he jerked back and nearly fell off the bed. She just rolled over onto her back and brought her hands up to scrub at her face. 

“Good dream?” she asked. She didn’t dare look at him. He coughed a little and slid off the bed, already moving towards the storage scrolls where he would have his spare clothes. 

“Uh, yeah. Very good dream.” he mumbled back. She sighed and rolled off the bed. She was dressed in the clothes she would be wearing for the trip back, a black sleeveless shirt and gray pants, she just needed to wrap her ankles in tape and get her shoes on. She collected her things quickly and left the room, letting Kakashi have the privacy to clean himself up. Her face was still beet red as she made her way down to the living room. They had put everything away the previous evening, making sure the storage scrolls with everything important were secured with seals that Avurin would be able to disable when she was ready to open them. 

Avurin had also decided to make sure the dishes were clean and the house was returned back to its original state to the best of her ability. It was only respectful. She almost saw this place as a memorial or a shrine to her family. She wanted it to remain as it was when they had originally arrived. She had a claim to the mansion as the last remaining member of her family but she had no clue what to do with it. She would figure it out eventually, but right now it would stay protected by the wards her family had used to preserve it. She would come back to it eventually. 

She wasn’t waiting long before Kakashi joined her, fully dressed in his normal attire with the exception of his Jonin jacket which was still on the front porch with hers. He had even pulled his mask up and his headband covered his Sharingan. She was almost uncomfortable with how used to his relaxed appearance she’d been. She missed his face already. 

“Ready?” he asked. She nodded and gave him a pointed look. He’d taken off the arm sling but she still worried about his hip. 

“What about you? Will you actually tell me if we need to stop during this trip?” she pointed out. He shrugged. 

“We’ll see. I’m pretty eager to get home and I’ve dealt with worse.” Avurin felt her eye twitch. 

“I’d rather get home and have you still standing when we get there. We have the time. Take it easy and take breaks when it hurts or I’ll just decide when I need breaks and you’ll have to take them with me.” she snapped. He just gave her one of those closed-eyed smiles. 

Whipping open the front door to the house, she walked onto the porch and grabbed her jacket, shaking it out before putting it on. Kakashi did the same and they looked out at the path leading to the gate. 

“Pakkun was able to leave without any commands so I think you’ll be fine as long as you’re leaving. I think the wards are only meant to keep things out.” Avurin told him, actually surprised to find that she wasn’t as paranoid about the wards as she had been. She was fairly confident Kakashi wouldn’t have trouble leaving the grounds. 

A few minutes later, she was happy to see that she was right as they left the mansion behind through the gate. Taking to the trees, she let her legs stretch and enjoyed the fresh air as they set a casual pace back in the direction of Konoha. 

…

They kept to the same pace throughout the day, only stopping for food and water breaks. Kakashi swore he was fine, if still a little sore, so they kept going. When they made camp for the night, Kakashi only bothered to set up one tent while Avurin caught some fish from a nearby river to eat for dinner. She didn’t say anything but she could tell from the tense lines around his visible eye that he was starting to feel the strain of pushing himself through the day. 

At their current pace, it would take them at least three days to get back to the village and that timeline would only be extended if they took more frequent breaks. While Avurin understood his need to keep pushing through the pain, the mission they were on wasn’t life or death and he could afford to take it easy as far as she was concerned. If he was already feeling the strain after the first day, they would have to pace themselves if he was going to be on his own two feet when they walked through the village gates. 

Avurin picked at the fish she’d cooked over the fire Kakashi built for the two of them as the last of the sunlight disappeared from the sky. The stars spread out above them, she couldn’t help but feel very at-peace in the moment. Things weren't perfect, sure, but they had found what they were looking for and Kakashi wasn’t going to die from a sprain. She would take the time to go through the information they had found at her own pace when they got back, she wouldn’t have the pressure of a mission timeline to deal with after this. 

“Come here,” Kakashi muttered, setting down the stick that his own fish had been on before he’d picked it clean. Avurin’s eyes narrowed  in suspicion but she set down her own stick to shuffle next to him. They were sitting next to each other in the grass staring at the fire for a moment before he pulled on her wrist, prompting her to get in his lap like she had the day prior. Careful of his hip, she settled down on his thighs as he pulled down his mask. 

Lips were on hers in the time it took for her to take a short breath. Kakashi’s kisses were gentle, his hands ghosting down her sides and up her back, repeating a careful pattern with light touches as if he was scared that she’d pull away. He carefully pulled away from the kiss, his eyes downcast. 

“I’m sorry about this morning,” he whispered, not meeting her eyes. Her own gaze softened as she brought a hand to his cheek, tracing the scar under his eye. 

“Hey, it’s fine. There’s only so much I can judge you for and having a good dream while you’re in bed with a girl you like is hardly something I’m going to kill you for.” Avurin found herself giggling. Kakashi cracked a smile at that and finally looked up at her. 

“I guess that’s true. It might also be the fact that I actually have you to myself and we’re actually going to try to do this.” His hands settled on her lower back. “I was dreaming about you, you know…” He leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, his warm breath tickling her. 

“Oh, really now…” she mumbled, already feeling as if she didn’t have enough air to fill her lungs. She felt him start laying kisses on her neck, his hands moving lower to cup her ass, gently squeezing. She let out a small whimper. 

He was on her within a second, flipping their positions so that he was on top of her with his tongue in her mouth. He was more aggressive with his movements and she found that she wasn’t opposed to it. If anything, she encouraged him by wrapping her legs around his hips, pulling him close as her hand tangled in his hair. She knew they would have to stop soon but Kakashi’s attention on her just felt so damn good. So much for taking things slow…

A sharp pain on her lip had her gasp as the coppery taste of blood started intruding on the kiss. She didn’t mind it, yet Kakashi tore himself away and stared down at her, panting over her with a smear of her blood on his mouth. She ran her tongue over the cut on her lip. It stung but it didn’t feel like anything worth stopping things over. His canine must have nicked her. 

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Kakashi pushed himself up to stand quickly, pulling his mask back over his face. Avurin couldn’t help but feel hurt by his quick retreat as she carefully pulled herself up to stand in front of him. 

“Hey, it’s not that bad. I don’t mind.” She got her feet under her and walked towards him, ignoring the small drip of blood leaving a wet trail on her chin. It was deep but it would heal on its own. Kakashi took a step back as she got closer so she stopped, her eyebrows knit together in concern. 

“No, it’s not okay. I don’t want to hurt you when we get close like this. I’m just… I don’t know how it happened. I was trying to be careful and-” She cut him off by taking the final steps to close the space between them, sweeping him into another kiss. Her mouth had blood in it but she didn’t really care. He needed to shut up. He grunted and pulled away, only leaving an inch between them this time. 

“Are you sure? It might happen again.” He sounded broken, like he wasn’t sure that he would be able to keep from hurting her. She put her arms over his shoulders, one of her hands weaving into his hair at the nape of his neck. 

“I’m sure…” she whispered, bringing him back in to kiss her again. She felt the tension fall from his shoulders and one of his hands ran up her back to press her closer. The kiss stayed light until she felt his tongue run across the cut on her lip. She barely held back a hiss and he took that as permission for… whatever it was he thought he was doing. He started lapping at her lip, cleaning the blood from the wound and licking at it as if it would soothe the pain. She rolled her eyes behind closed lids and let him do what he needed to do. He licked down her chin to clean her up before licking into her mouth, his tongue making calculated swipes as if he was looking for something. 

It took at least a minute before he was satisfied, pulling away slowly with a few final licks at her lip. It didn’t feel like it was bleeding anymore and she was surprised to find that the coppery taste on her tongue was mostly gone. Slowly opening her eyes, she took in his own cleaned up mouth, tongue poking out from between his exposed teeth as he breathed a little harder than he had been. She almost laughed at the image, he looked like a dog with his tongue almost hanging out from his open mouth while he panted. She did allow a small smile, ignoring the tug on her lip from the cut. 

“Thank you for that,” she teased. His cheeks gained some color as he seemed to collect himself, closing his mouth with his tongue safely put away. He rubbed at the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“Well, I just listened to what my head was telling me. Sometimes it’s useful.” he told her while averting his gaze, still embarrassed. She sighed and leaned forward to hug him. 

“If that’s the kind of thing your brain tells you, I guess we’ll just get used to it. It wasn’t unpleasant, just strange. Then again, you’re strange. So it works out.” She couldn’t help but tease him again, wanting to see his smile. As expected, he did give in and smile a little at the tease. 

“You’re pretty strange yourself and you don’t see me complaining,” he countered, the soft look in his eyes making the comment more endearing than anything. She gave him a soft punch to the shoulder before fully pulling away from him. 

“Let’s go to bed. I’m tired and I’m sure you’re sore.” He nodded in agreement and they put out the fire, making their way into the tent where they stripped off their jackets and took off their shoes. They crashed into the sleeping bag together and Kakashi immediately pulled Avurin close. She was tired enough not to object.

She fell into the world of dreams with only one person in mind.

Chapter Text

The rest of the trip home was taken slowly with frequent breaks. By the time they finally walked through Konoha’s gates and handed in their paperwork to Kotetsu, they were dead on their feet. Kakashi was leaning to one side with an obvious limp and the cut on Avurin’s lip was still healing so they were both directed to the hospital prior to meeting with the Hokage. 

The cut on Avurin’s lip was a simple excuse to bring her in but the medic that was looking them over had done a full-body checkup just to make sure she didn’t have any further injuries. Of course, Avurin had lied about the cut and told the medic she’d busted it when she got caught up in a trap on their mission. The medic had simply said that it was healing really well, almost unnaturally quick actually, but it might scar. Avurin had shrugged. 

Kakashi, however, was told to take it easy for at least a week. He had a sprained hip, as he’d guessed before they left the Okita mansion, and the travel back to Konoha had made it worse. Avurin was worried about that but she knew they would both get at least a week off from missions after this one considering what they’d dealt with and what they’d found. 

Avurin fully expected to be given time to research what was in the chest while she was back in the village and she would not be accepting any D-Ranks after this. She was fully capable of completing C-Ranks and the constant D-Ranks were a complete waste of her skills. She would also need to hunker down and actually look into how the Okita kekkei genkai was trained. If there was a safe way to do it, she was finally ready to do it. 

Kakashi had given her one look after they were freed from the hospital and she knew they were headed straight for Hokage Tower. If anyone needed to be updated on where things stood with the research she needed to work on and Kakashi’s injury, it was the Hokage. Only the Hokage. They were technically carrying clan secrets that needed to be secured immediately. 

Which was how they found themselves at the Hokage’s door, knocking and waiting to be admitted. 

“It feels odd to enter the office this way,” Kakashi said with obvious amusement in his tone. Avurin crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. 

“Well considering you’re injured, we’re not using the window this time. Have some common courtesy every once in a while!” she snapped at him. He just laughed, slipping his hands into his pockets as the door in front of them opened. Kakashi’s quiet laughing cut off immediately at the faces coming out of the office. Avurin was still getting reacquainted with the concept of the elders that were on the council that the Hokage answered to but she had already figured out there was something off about some of them, especially Danzo. 

The man that was currently staring her down like a freshly cut piece of meat. 

“Ah, welcome back to the village, Avurin Okita. I don’t believe we’ve had a chance to meet since your return.” Danzo’s voice made her want to physically step away from the man. Something about him just wasn’t right. Knowing she couldn’t act on instinct alone, she just nodded to him. 

“Thank you. No, we haven’t had a chance to meet. I’ve been focusing on reintegrating into the village.” she countered carefully. Just seeing him now, she already knew he was one of the people in this village that should never have the information she was currently carrying in her storage scrolls. The man tilted his head to the side and smiled. Avurin internally winced. He was so creepy. 

“Ah, yes. We’ve noticed your progress on your missions lately and we hope your most recent mission was met with success. You look exhausted so I assume you just got back. Please, don’t let us keep you any longer.” Danzo inclined his head in a very small bow and she repeated the gesture. 

“Have a good evening,” she responded as he turned to walk away with two other elders who gave her calculating looks. Kakashi’s hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her into the Hokage’s office where the door was shut as quickly as possible. 

“Welcome back, you two. I trust the mission was a success?” Hiruzen asked as he tapped his pipe into the ashtray at his desk. Kakashi stepped forward. 

“I would recommend activating the silencing seals for the office and treating this report with utmost discretion,” Kakashi asserted and Avurin nodded her agreement. Hiruzen waved to the Anbu in the rafters who disappeared, one of them coming down to activate the seals for the office and taking a place next to the Hokage for the conversation. 

“By your reaction, I’m assuming that you found some very sensitive information?” Hiruzen probed. Avurin stepped forward, brushing Kakashi’s shoulder with her own, and nodded. 

“Yes, I found everything that I was looking for. Kakashi has memorized what was relevant for Konoha, however we did find more than we thought we would in regards to the clan secrets. I will be withholding that information for the safety of myself and those that wish to use this kekkei genkai for reasons I don’t agree with. The only things I can confirm are that the mansion we were sent to was the Okita estate, a home base for them of sorts, and it is heavily warded.” Avurin took a deep breath. 

“There will be no tampering there, I am the only one who can enter and only I know the way to bring an additional person with me. I am the last remaining Okita. That was confirmed by a family tree and extensive records kept at the estate. The secrets I found will live and die with me. Kakashi is not aware of most of them but he is free to tell you of the records that he memorized. A lot of it was just political records going so far back that there was talk of the Warring States era. I trust him with that information and to know what I do and don’t want revealed.” She glanced at Kakashi who nodded. He knew more than she was willing to confess, a promise of safety between the two of them. He knew what to say and what to keep to himself.

Hiruzen sighed before taking a puff of his pipe, digesting the information he was given. He set down the pipe to lace his fingers together in front of him. 

“I want a written report for the mission. However, I don’t want any mention of finding these clan secrets in that report. Reveal what you are okay with revealing in detail and include what Kakashi has memorized. If you must, lie and say you were disappointed not to find what you were looking for. I don’t think I need to say that there are prying eyes that may not take kindly to clan secrets being kept as just that, clan secrets. You are the last remaining member so you don’t have the strength of a clan to protect what you have found. Find a good place to hide your findings.” Hiruzen explained. 

“We have a place in mind. I will be assisting her with her training and other related research. Unfortunately, the mansion was filled with traps and we were caught in one that resulted in injury, so I will be out of commission for at least a week.” Kakashi paused, shuffling his feet. Hiruzen nodded, taking note of the small flinch that Kakashi attempted to hide. Kakashi took that as a cue to continue.

“I will be meeting with my Genin team to discuss the upcoming Chunin Exams so I will not be able to take any missions outside of the village for quite a while. Avurin will need time to process the information and train so I would recommend keeping her in the village as well. With the upcoming exams, I’m sure you already planned to tighten up security. We will provide our skills in that for the foreseeable future unless there is an emergency.” Avurin almost ran a hand through her hair in frustration. That wasn’t very eloquently put. If anyone was going to jump the gun and immediately tell the Hokage they weren’t going to do their job for a while, it would be Kakashi. 

Hiruzen just smiled. 

“I understand. I’ll prepare the paperwork for the Chunin Exam applications. The official announcement for the Chunin Exams will be in a few days. You two have a couple of days before I expect the report on your mission. In the meantime, please, go get some rest. You’re dismissed.” Avurin immediately swiveled on her heel and made for the door. She was exhausted and she wasn’t going to try to pick apart conversations that seemed to have double meanings. She was missing something there and she couldn’t bring herself to care for what it was. 

Maybe it was the fact that they had been around each other constantly for the last few weeks but she only barely registered Kakashi’s footsteps following her as she made her way back to the Hatake compound. She couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes staring at her back and the storage scrolls she had in her backpack felt heavy. Kakashi was willing to protect her secrets with his life, but she knew he wouldn’t always be able to save her if someone decided they wanted to use underhanded tactics to get access to her clan’s information. She still didn’t know what exactly was vital information on the kekkei genkai or not. Just the information regarding the Sasaki kekkei genkai was enough to ruin any positive reputation her clan still had left. 

It wasn’t until they were within the walls of the Hatake compound that Avurin felt that unsettling feeling dissipate. Kakashi took the lead and, instead of directing her to the cabin, he walked towards the main house on the property. They didn’t say a word just in case there were listening ears but Avurin had a feeling Kakashi was putting his own feelings aside to show her the safest place for the information she was carrying despite how badly he wanted to avoid it, the main house. 

The sun was setting as they walked into the home, toeing off their shoes at the front door. Avurin followed Kakashi to the living room as he touched various corners of the room, activating small seals that were carefully hidden among curtains near the windows and along the seams of sliding doors. She settled down at the kotatsu in the middle of the living room, unclipping her backpack next to her and waiting until he finished. Once he gave her a quiet thumbs-up and sat down across from her, she let out a breath. 

“That was tense,” she mumbled as she pulled out the scrolls and laid them on the table, a chaotic stack that they had left unmarked for the sake of not revealing their contents. Kakashi pulled his mask down and gave her a small smile. 

“Well, you may have a few people keeping an eye on you but you can always come back to the compound if anything happens. The wards will keep intruders out for the most part. I won’t say this place is completely impenetrable, but it would take quite a scene to get inside. I don’t think anyone will do anything yet, they’ll want to observe before possibly making any moves.” If Kakashi was trying to be reassuring, Avurin wasn’t feeling reassured. She did not enjoy the thought of being stalked. 

“I’ll keep that in mind. For now, what do we do with these?” She gestured to the pile of scrolls. She would need to be able to easily access them but they needed to be secure. Did the Hatake keep their own records locked away behind traps like her family had?

“There’s a sealed room in this house that you can put them in. We’ll blend them in with the rest of the collection. It’s disguised as a hidden office and a well-placed genjustu will keep them well hidden. I’ve been doing the same thing for the Hatake records.” Avurin nodded. It was as good as she was going to get at the moment. She took several of the scrolls while Kakashi picked up the rest, leading her to the back of the house. They walked into what looked like a normal office before Kakashi pushed a tatami mat aside, revealing a hatch that led to an underground room. 

Once they climbed the ladder down into the hidden room, Avurin was surprised to see that the room under the house was just as well-furnished and taken care of as the rest of the house. It felt pleasant despite the faint buzz of the seals she could feel just on the edge of her senses. She was not a sensor by any means, so the fact that she could feel the seals without consciously looking for them meant that they were very strong. 

She followed his example and wedged the scrolls in with other stacked scrolls and hid some under some of the bookshelves. She mentally kept track of where she was setting them before returning to the middle of the room, watching Kakashi make a hand sign and reveal his Sharingan, casting a genjutsu that would divert the eyes of anyone looking for the scrolls. Avurin would remember where she put them and since they were still going to physically be in the locations she chose, she would still be able to pick them out and study them without relying on him to find them in the office. 

She followed him out of the room silently, knowing that the longer they stayed in the room, the more likely it could be discovered if anyone with a strong sensing ability was able to pinpoint their location from nearby. Kakashi was quick to shut the hatch, locking it and sealing it, before covering it back up with the rug. They both glanced at each other before making their way out of the room and going back to the living room. The sun had fully set and Avurin could hear the crickets outside. 

The weight of their mission seemed to crash down on her all at once as she slumped down at the kotatsu. 

“‘Kashi, I’m tired…” She let her head rest on the table as her eyes started to shut on their own. A hand on her shoulder had her sighing and leaning into the touch. 

“Let’s get you back to the cabin.” He pulled on her shoulder and she stumbled back up to stand, grumbling about having to move. 

It was as Kakashi was tucking her into her bed in the cabin and turning to leave that she finally got enough energy to hold herself up. 

“Where are you going?” Kakashi turned back to her, an odd look on his covered face. He must have pulled his mask back up before they left the main house. 

“I’m going home tonight. I need to get some energy to deal with the pups tomorrow and start their training for the exams.” It was a logical choice, yet Avurin felt herself sag back into the bed. He had responsibilities and his Genin team had been without their sensei for a solid two weeks. She couldn’t hijack his time constantly, he was one of the most trusted shinobi in the village and he had to take care of his team. The Chunin Exams were a big deal and he was right, the kids would need him. 

“Oh, okay.” She laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. They both needed rest. She shouldn’t expect to have him at her beck and call constantly. 

“Goodnight, Avie.” She ignored the door sliding shut behind him and chose to roll over in the bed, facing away from the door. 

Wait, didn’t the medic tell him to take it easy for a week?

Chapter Text

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. 

Chapter Text

The week leading up to the Chunin Exams was so full of tension that the whole village felt like it was in a frenzy. Avurin could feel it in the air when she left the compound and she only saw Kakashi when he returned to her bed at night to sleep. She was spending as much time as she could studying what was in the chest they had gotten from the mansion but she hadn’t dared to ask Kakashi for any sort of help with her training while he was focused on his Genin. She could tell he was stressed and in the rare moments that he’d taken the time to talk to her about it, she knew that he was struggling with his decision to recommend them. Even Gai had planted a seed of doubt in his head and it was only his stubbornness and his faith in his students that kept him from trying to back out of the situation. 

There wasn’t much she could do, though. He was busy with preparing the kids and she was focused on memorizing the information in the chest as quickly as possible. The best thing she could give him was their time together at night, cuddled together in each other’s arms with occasional lazy kisses before they went to sleep.

Some of the training for her kekkei genkai was easy enough, small steps in control that could be done on her own that she had never had the thought to try prior to reading the notes left by her family. Each day, she would wake up to find Kakashi’s side of the bed already vacated and cold. She would activate her kekkei genkai and continue her morning, making breakfast and having tea on the engawa while she read a book. According to the training scrolls, it was important not to actively use the kekkei genkai during this stage, so she couldn’t speak. The point of the exercise was to fine-tune her control including activation, deactivation, and endurance. The drain on her chakra wasn’t much in this passive state but it was still present. By lunch, she was usually tired enough that she needed to deactivate it just to have enough energy to get through the rest of her day. 

She would take the time to study the other scrolls included in the chest for a few hours before going back outside to practice katas with her katana, reactivating her kekkei genkai for as long as she could stand. By the end of the day, she would have just enough energy to make dinner and leave something out for Kakashi to eat when he got back before slipping into bed. She had given up on waiting for him pretty quickly when he had only returned in the early hours of the morning the first night. He blamed the kids but she knew he wouldn’t drive them into the ground so hard that they would be getting home that late. She didn’t ask questions, she just made sure he had food waiting when he got back and that his side of the bed was ready for him. 

It went against her usual method of ‘brute force any and all explanations’ from people but she had the feeling that he had a lot more going on than just the Chunin Exams. He was worried and stressed. Right now, neither of them were available for any deep, emotional talks. They just needed to get through this week and then they would talk about it. It was an unfamiliar concept for her since she was usually so direct but she had a feeling this would help Kakashi with whatever was on his mind. 

The day before the Chunin Exams, Kakashi came back early. 

Avurin was training in the backyard with her kekkei genkai activated, already moving through her katas as quickly as possible and working up a sweat. She was panting from the effort of moving while keeping her kekkei genkai activated. She was happy to find that her endurance had already improved since the first day of utilizing this training method. Normally, by that point of the day, she would already be laid out on the ground catching her breath and psyching herself up to make the walk inside. Kakashi had calmly walked through the back door of the cabin, likely after searching for her inside for a minute before realizing she was outside. He sat quietly on the engawa and watched her train until she finished, deactivating her kekkei genkai and sheathing her katana. 

“Welcome back,” she greeted, panting in shallow breaths as she made her way to the engawa on shaky legs, taking the steps slowly. He hummed and held a bowl out towards her along with a pair of chopsticks. Sitting next to him, she took the bowl and smelled the amazing ramen waiting for her. It had to be takeout from Ichiraku’s. 

“The pups are at home resting for the rest of the day. Figured I’d come back and have an afternoon with you before the exams start tomorrow.” Kakashi had a bowl in his hand and was pulling his mask down to start eating. Avurin ate a small portion of the noodles and smiled. 

“Well, I’m glad. I feel like we haven’t seen each other in a week despite staying in the same bed every night.” She couldn’t help but tease him a little. Kakashi’s sigh and the slump in his shoulders wasn’t unexpected but she still felt a spark of concern. 

“I’m… sorry about that. It’s been a long week. Things should get a little more normal after the exams. You were requested to observe the kids during the first portion, weren’t you?” Kakashi asked. 

Avurin nodded, her concern growing as she got a better look at the exhaustion etched into Kakashi's features. She reached out and gently placed her hand on his, offering a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about it too much. I know how busy you've been." Kakashi managed a small, appreciative smile. 

"Thank you, Avurin. Your patience with me has been just what I needed through this." They continued to eat their ramen in comfortable silence, savoring the familiar taste of the broth that Avurin hadn’t had in several weeks by this point. The setting sun cast a warm, orange glow over the backyard, creating a serene atmosphere that quieted the thoughts surrounding the chaos of their lives. Avurin cherished the moment of respite with Kakashi, away from the stresses of their responsibilities, even if it was just for an afternoon.

As they finished their meal, Avurin placed her empty bowl aside and leaned closer to Kakashi, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"You know, you don't have to carry all this weight on your own," she said softly. "We're a team, and we can support each other through these things. I know this is new for both of us, but you don’t have to shut down when I’m here and want to help." Kakashi turned his head to look at her, his visible eye warm and grateful. 

"I know," he replied, his voice equally soft. "And I appreciate having you by my side."

Their eyes locked, and the air between them became charged with a mix of affection and desire. It had been a challenging week, and the Chunin Exams loomed ahead, but in that moment, all that mattered was the closeness they had been missing for the most part of the week. Kakashi leaned in, and their lips met in a slow, tender kiss.

The sun dipped below the horizon as Avurin was pulled into Kakashi’s lap. His tongue was slow and soft as it pushed into her mouth, drawing out a low sound from Avurin as she clutched at his jacket. She’d missed him so much and ignoring that feeling hadn’t done her any favors. His hands drew small patterns down her back before falling lower, gently cupping her ass and pulling her closer. They broke away from the kiss for a moment and Avurin pulled his headband off, wanting to look into both of his eyes. 

She would never get over how pretty the red of his Sharingan was. This moment would be recorded in his mind until the day he died and she found some possessive pleasure in that fact. 

“Let’s go inside,” she whispered, slowly climbing off of his lap and gathering their bowls to take inside. He was quick to follow her as she dropped the bowls in the sink and sandals were left by the front door as they made their way into the bedroom. 

It was as if a switch had flipped. 

Kakashi was on her the second the door was closed, pulling her as close as possible while shoving his tongue into her mouth again, completely disregarding the fact that she was still sweaty from training. His hands were everywhere, running down her sides and brushing under her shirt to rub circles into the small of her back. She couldn’t help the moan that slipped from her as his hands drifted low to grip the back of her thighs, pulling her off of her feet. She followed Kakashi’s lead and wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together as he supported her weight, seemingly without any effort. It didn’t register that they were stumbling to the bed until they fell down onto it, his weight pinning her down until she slowly let go of him, watching as he pulled away for just a moment. He ripped off his jacket along with his shirt before throwing them both on the floor. She only had a moment to stare before he was on top of her again, stealing her breath away.

She was overwhelmed but she knew she wanted this. She wanted him. She also knew that he wanted her and this week had been a trial for the both of them. Running a hand down his back, she couldn’t help but shudder as she felt the scars in various places. She had her own, sure, but he was definitely much stronger than her and had been consistently fighting enemies of The Leaf for over fifteen years. His body was almost completely solid muscle under her hands and his loose shirts and Jonin jacket did not do him any justice. 

“Please… please tell me you want this…” Kakashi was panting next to her ear, his words desperate. She brought a hand up to cup the back of his head and pull his hair slightly. 

“Don’t stop. Don’t you dare stop.” She was playing with fire and she didn’t care. She wasn’t some teenager who thought their first time was going to be all sunshine and rainbows and gentle love. She’d made her choice and Kakashi was not the type of man that would be able to hold himself back after being denied for so long like this. He’d respected her choices and held himself back since they’d met again in the Land of Waves. She’d strung him along and made him worry about this. He could have what he wanted tonight. 

His mouth was on hers again, a low rumble coming from his chest as he invaded her mouth and his fangs caught on her lower lip again, only lightly nicking them this time. She observed him for a moment, terrified that he would pull away the way he had the last time he’d accidentally cut her. No, the opposite was happening this time. He groaned low in his throat and lapped at the small cuts, his hands tightening on her hips where he had pinned her down. His tongue ran over the small scar left behind from the last time he’d accidentally bit her and she couldn’t help but whimper under him.

One of those hands wandered under her shirt again, this time going over her stomach with a ghost of a touch, moving further up towards her chest. She didn’t wear bras, instead opting to wrap her chest since she wasn’t so well-endowed that a wrap wouldn’t be sufficient and the wrap was just more comfortable for her. However, in that moment, it would be a hindrance for the man on top of her. 

Well, it would have been if he wasn’t quite literally one of the strongest shinobi in the village. He ripped straight through it with a tug and a pull at just the right spots, throwing the pieces on the ground with his clothes. She didn’t care, she could replace it. 

A high-pitched whine escaped her mouth as his hand started gently squeezing her breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple. She had touched herself when she was lonely in her cabin prior to meeting him, but this was nothing like the touches she had used just to get the job done. His fingers were calloused and his hands were rough, definitely much larger than her own. He moved on from her mouth, starting to lick and kiss her neck, slowly making his way down to her shoulder. 

She gently scratched at his back, arching up into the touch and moving her head at an angle that gave him more access to her neck. His free hand joined the other, fondling her breasts as he continued to assault her neck. His teeth were now involved, nipping and sucking at certain points on her neck that made pleasure shoot straight down to her core. The feeling was entirely new to her and she was enjoying every second of it. 

“I think we should get rid of this…” Kakashi whispered, his hands leaving her chest to tug at the bottom of her shirt. The question was implied as everything stopped for a moment. She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and barely contained harsh breaths. 

“I think I agree,” she whispered back. He leaned back, pulling her up to a sitting position with him before taking the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up over her head. She couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her body at being exposed to him. Her body wasn’t impressive, she didn’t have a large set of boobs that guys would turn heads to look at, yet Kakashi’s gaze on her made her feel like she was about to get eaten alive. 

She was pushed back down onto the sheets and she eagerly spread her legs for Kakashi to kneel between as he went back to sucking on her neck, his hands now free to grope her without the restriction of her shirt. His mouth started moving further down, lightly nipping at her collarbone before moving down to her chest. 

When his mouth made contact with her nipple, she arched off the bed and her hand immediately gripped the hair on the back of his head. She didn’t pull him away, just held him as he took a moment to look up at her, making sure she was okay. She nodded and he focused back on his task, his tongue swirling around her nipple before his mouth surrounded it, sucking with a small amount of pressure. She could feel his tongue flicking it in his mouth and, by now, she wasn’t holding back her whimpers at the image in front of her. 

He switched nipples after what felt like the shortest minute of her life, his hands starting to trail lower on her hips while she was distracted. When his hands started pulling at the waistband of her pants, she caught his gaze on her again. 

“Yes… please…” she whispered. Things had slowed down since they’d entered the room and she was finding herself pleasantly surprised at how attentive Kakashi was being. She had gone into this with an expectation, thinking he was so desperate to take this step with her that he would rush the entire thing, and yet he was being so gentle and loving as things progressed. The initial urgency was still there, but it was tightly controlled. 

Her pants were off before she could get lost in thought. He’d left her panties on to give her a layer of modesty for the moment, yet she could still feel the cool air on the wetness that had made itself apparent through the thin layer of fabric. She was incredibly wet and she could tell Kakashi had somehow noticed despite being preoccupied with discovering how sensitive her nipples were. His hands ran down her thighs before he pulled himself away, sitting on his knees over her. He put his hands on his own waistband, cocking an eyebrow at her in a silent question. 

“Oh my God, ‘Kashi! Just get to it!” she snapped. She was growing impatient which she knew was hypocritical given her previous train of thought. She didn’t want to rush him but she was excited about this. She was already two seconds away from drooling over him, any longer and she would flip their positions and do it herself. His eyes narrowed and he pulled his pants down, taking his underwear with them. Her eyes widened at the sight of what she was about to take inside of her. 

His cock was hard and already shining with precum, pressing against his navel. She wasn’t an idiot, she knew what a guy's package looked like and how sex worked. However, he was a little larger than expected and she was starting to realize this wasn’t going to be a quick process. There wouldn’t be any ‘just put it in’ with him. At least, not tonight. 

“Well? Still sure about this?” Kakashi asked, his voice husky and low. She swallowed but nodded. 

“Yes. Absolutely, yes. I want you, Kakashi.” She met his eyes and saw the moment he broke. His growled low in his throat as he moved back down to kneel between her legs, his fingers tracing her thigh before running over the wet fabric between her legs. She let out a choked off moan before he applied more pressure, rubbing his fingers in a small circle on the nub above her entrance through her panties. 

“You’re so eager for it. Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” he asked, close to panting as he watched his own fingers press against her. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. 

“Y-Yeah… This is my first time but I’m not an idiot. You stole Icha Icha from me, did you think I didn’t at least read it?” she quipped back. He laughed quietly, not stopping his movements. 

“Well, the real thing isn’t like those books. I’m limited on my own experience but at least I know a few things.” He stopped for a moment, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. He nuzzled into her neck, giving her a long lick from her shoulder up to her ear. “I’ll take care of you.” 

His fingers were in her panties in the next second, slowly tracing around her entrance for a moment, sliding through the wetness that had been accumulating for the last several minutes. She bit back a moan as one of his fingers slipped into her, slowly pressing in until his entire finger was inside. She felt him crook his finger and something inside of her tightened, the feeling of pressure slowly building. 

“Does that feel alright?” he asked, moving his finger in a slow pumping motion. She didn’t trust herself to speak so she just nodded. A second finger joined the first on the next slow thrust inside of her. The stretch stung slightly but it wasn’t anything that she wasn’t used to from pleasuring herself. After a moment, the uncomfortable stretching sensation dulled and he was crooking both of his fingers inside of her, dragging them along the front of her walls and hitting a certain spot in her that had her seeing stars. The pressure inside of her was increasing. 

“Ready for another?” She nodded. The third finger stung a little more but he was quick to distract her, using his other hand to rub circles on her clit, bringing her almost instant pleasure. She hadn’t touched herself since Zabuza burned down her cabin so she wasn’t used to anything stretching her open or bringing her the familiar build up of pleasure from her clit. The sting of it was quickly going away like it always did, but she wondered if it would be worse when Kakashi was finally inside of her. 

“I’m taking these off.” Her panties were pulled down off of her and thrown to the floor with everything else. She was completely naked, he was completely naked, this was happening. She spread her legs a little further for him, glancing at his face through half-lidded eyes. He was completely focused on the sight of her stretched around his fingers and it didn’t look like anything could distract him from the sight. She bit back a small laugh at the thought. 

After a few moments of him pumping his fingers in and out of her in a slow rhythm, he pulled his fingers out and glanced up at her. Looking back down at his fingers that he’d brought close to his face, she almost shouted at him not to do what he was thinking. However, she didn’t think she’d be able to stop him even if she really wanted to. He licked at one of his fingers, his eyes widening for a moment before he started licking at his fingers frantically. 

After his fingers were completely cleaned off and Avurin’s face was burning with mortification that he had just licked her wetness like it was his favorite treat, he turned back to her exposed pussy, a contemplative look on his face. 

“Don’t you dare…” Her hands rose to cover her face. She couldn’t watch him anymore. There was a shift on the bed and she felt her legs being raised by hands placed under her knees, pushing her legs towards her chest to nearly bend her in half. “That is… so not right…” she choked out. She couldn’t stop him. He was going to do it. 

His tongue ran along her inner lips and she shouted, her hand gripping the back of his head again. This time, she pulled on his hair with a little more force. He groaned but didn’t budge. He lapped at her before he pressed into her, creating obscene, wet noises that started to fill the room. When he moved to suck at her clit, she let out a scream. Kakashi may have been onto something with this. 

He continued for only a few more seconds before he pulled away on his own. He was panting, his face was wet, and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth. His hair stuck out in several directions and there was a flush to his cheeks. Avurin had never seen him so completely debauched by anything in the short time she’d known him. She leaned back against the pillows and his gaze flicked to hers. His mouth shut quickly as he seemed to collect himself before he worked his way back up her body to loom over her. 

“I’m not stopping from this point on,” he ground out. His cock was already pressing against her entrance and she felt like she could pass out from how worked up she was. 

“Wouldn’t ask you to,” she whispered. He grunted and used one of his hands to grip his cock, guiding it to press more firmly against her. When he started pressing in, Avurin fought not to squirm. He was bigger than his fingers. He was going slow, yet she could still feel the stretch as he split her open. She whined and gripped his shoulders, biting her lip at the feeling. He stopped for a second, readjusting so he was on his elbows to keep his weight off of her, before taking her lips in a slow, languid kiss. She could taste herself on his tongue and while the thought should have disgusted her, she was finding that she was actually enjoying it as she let her own tongue slip into his mouth. 

She felt ridiculously full when he finally bottomed out, pulling away from the kiss for a moment so she could catch her breath. She took his unspoken suggestion to breathe and relax, waiting as the stinging sensation ebbed away with each breath. After maybe a minute, possibly two, she nodded for him to continue. 

He pulled out just as slowly and she was slightly disappointed at the feeling, however, that was short lived. He pushed back into her with more force, pushing her up against the pillows. The feeling was indescribable. When he did it again, she wrapped her legs around his hips and held on. He took that as his cue to go faster. 

Before she could think to encourage him any further, he was pounding into her and panting against her neck, biting down with slightly more force than before. She had a feeling there would be visible marks and bruises on her the next day. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to care. He was hitting that same spot inside of her over and over and the pressure she had felt while he was fingering her was increasing. She wanted to release it, so she did. 

Her vision blacked out around the edges and she keened, scratching at his back as she came on his cock. He didn’t change his pace, still pumping deep inside of her as she came. When it was over, her muscles didn’t seem to want to cooperate with her as she slumped down into the bed and let go of him, closing her eyes to prevent the tears in the corner of her eyes from falling as he continued to fuck into her. The overwhelming sensations were so much to handle and she was enjoying every second of it.

“I-I’m getting close, Avie…” he rasped from above her. She ran her hand along his shoulder where his muscles were coiled like a spring. 

“Come for me, ‘Kashi…” she whispered. He groaned right into her ear and his back tensed before he sat up quickly, pulling out of her. He sat on his haunches and pumped himself over her, cumming in ropes over her stomach. She knew this would make a massive mess for them to clean up but it was better than the alternative. She would have to get on birth control as soon as physically possible. 

As he squeezed the last of his seed out of himself, he panted and took in the image that was in front of him. Avurin had a feeling whatever instincts he was dealing with were very happy to see her thoroughly fucked out, covered in cum, and laid out under him. 

His shoulders slumped and she had a moment where she was worried he would fall on top of her. The moment passed as he sighed, running his clean hand through his hair. 

“Let’s go get cleaned up,” he whispered, still catching his breath. She laughed lightly and sat up, ignoring the way her arms and legs shook with the effort.

“That sounds amazing right now.” 

Chapter Text

Getting fucked out of her senses for several rounds the night before something as taxing and important as the Chunin Exams wasn’t a great idea. Avurin wouldn’t be so undignified as to limp through the streets of the village but the ache was there. She had also noticed that Kakashi had bitten her harder than she’d initially thought. There were very evident bite marks down the length of her neck and she could even make out where his canines had drawn blood in a few spots. He’d left early in the morning with a kiss and told her he’d see her after the first round of the exams so she had a feeling he hadn’t even seen what he’d done. 

She’d had to find a high-collared sleeveless workout shirt to wear under her Chunin jacket after seeing the mess Kakashi had left on her neck. She was technically out of uniform for this part of the exams since the other ‘sentinels’ were dressed in weird khaki suits but no one was going to say anything to her. They never provided her with the uniform and it was too late to change now.

“Alright, all of you are going to be assisting me in proctoring the first portion of the exam. This is going to be staged as a written test for the Genin. However, the questions on the test are all advanced Chunin-level questions. We don’t expect them to pass the test itself. The goal of this test is to see who can get away with cheating without getting caught. That’s where you come in. If you catch any of the Genin cheating with a blatantly obvious method and they reach five times that they’ve been caught as a team, you are to call them out and they will immediately be disqualified. You can disregard the examinees that have more advanced tactics if you happen to notice them. We have planted a few answer sheets with disguised Chunin pretending to be taking the same test throughout the room. I will give you the positions of these Chunin so that you can focus on them and see who is getting answers from them. The forms on the clipboards that have been provided include the numbers of the examinees in the same columns as their teammates for better record-keeping. Any questions?” 

Ibiki Moreno was an intimidating figure but Avurin wasn’t too impressed with his explanation. This was being handled pretty loosely for an exam that held so much weight for the Genin. 

“What about anyone that has any personal relation to the Genin? We can’t have any favoritism.” Kotetsu chimed in. Avurin turned to glance at him only to find his gaze already locked on her with a shit-eating grin on his face. She rolled her eyes. 

“That is why we have so many of you. If any of you attempt to not report anything obvious that you see, another proctor can just as easily call out the Genin that cheated. However, I would highly recommend just doing your job so that won’t be an issue.” Ibiki countered. Avurin crossed her arms. She wasn’t going to take it easy on the pups. Kakashi wouldn’t appreciate it and, frankly, if they were stupid enough to get caught doing something stupid, they deserved to stay Genin for another year. “Any other questions?” No one else chimed in. 

“Alright, let’s get in there and get this started.” Ibiki started leading them down the hall. The Chunin who had passed the preliminary test would already be gathered in Room 301 for the test. Avurin was irritated she had even gotten roped into this. She did not appreciate babysitting the Genin during their test but it was a given that since she wasn’t on a mission and was a Chunin, she was expected to help with the exams. 

“So, you and Kakashi, eh?” Kotetsu teased as he threw an arm over her shoulders. She had to reign herself in from snarling at him. 

“What about it?” she asked through gritted teeth. She was usually really friendly with Kotetsu when she saw him at the gates but he was thoroughly grating on her nerves just from touching her and jumping straight into a sensitive topic. 

“Just curious. Never thought the guy would actually settle down and find someone. And you forgot to cover up this one.” He prodded at a spot just under her ear and she swore under her breath, brushing him off of her. 

“It’s none of your business, Kotetsu. Get a few drinks in me with the usual group and then maybe I’ll talk. Right now, I don’t appreciate the prying and I get the feeling he wouldn’t either.” Avurin snapped. She was blushing by this point, bringing a hand to cover the spot on her neck she could have sworn she’d smeared some concealer on that morning. She didn’t wear makeup but she’d kept some around for disguises in her travels to chase Zabuza. She had thought it had been a lifesaver that morning. Apparently, it didn’t hold up. 

“Sounds good. We’ll get the group together after the exams, go get some drinks, then you two are spilling the beans.” Kotetsu left her alone to walk with Izumo as they approached the classroom. Avurin was too tired to care about the mark if everyone had already seen it. She just hoped the kids didn’t see it. That would put a quick end to her and Kakashi’s little game of gaslighting them for the foreseeable future. 

…

Avurin lied. She was so happy to be there to watch every one of the Genin in the classroom go through all stages of grief at the same time once they got a look at the test. This was a special kind of torture that only the head of T&I could come up with. Ibiki was a genius. All of the conditions and rules at the beginning of the test had put so much pressure on the Genin that they were all having a crisis. Naruto was making the most hilarious faces while Sakura actually had a chance to work out some of the questions. Sasuke was a stone wall which could have meant that he either knew something or didn’t. 

She had even caught two Genin attempting to cheat already! The system for writing down the names and keeping count until five incidents was really just a guess system but it just made the situation all the more frustrating for the Genin! They were just sorting out the ones that were absolutely terrible enough to get caught multiple times. 

‘Holy shit, is Naruto fucking crying?’ Avurin thought as she watched the Genin literally vibrate in his chair. Sakura and Sasuke seemed to have calmed down and picked up what was being put down by Ibiki’s hints at the beginning of the exam. Naruto, however, was a little too dumb to realize what was happening. She shrugged and wrote down the name of one of the Land of Earth Genin. They had really tried to slip a piece of paper three chairs over and didn’t think they would get caught. 

There were some great methods being used to cheat on the test that she could see. She assumed that those methods, such as the Aburame's bugs, were the type of cheating they were willfully ignoring. There were others that were using hand signs that occasionally got caught if they were too obvious and some were using well-placed mirrors. That one was frankly a little too obvious but none of the other sentinels had called it out. It was pretty smart. 

Teams started getting violently called out for their fifth offenses, yelling and screaming that they were innocent and getting dragged out while their teammates glared at them for getting them caught. It was quite the show and Avurin was enjoying the turmoil. 

When the time came for her to call out a team for their fifth offense, she was happy to do it. The looks of shock on Kakashi's pups' faces were so worth it. She had been seated towards the back so it wasn't likely they had noticed her up until that point. Judging by the horrified looks on Sasuke and Sakura's faces, they knew she wouldn't take it easy on them if they got caught. 

The special question at the end of the test was something that even had Avurin questioning Ibiki. He technically couldn’t prevent the Genin from taking the exam in the future… could he? He was genuinely sadistic if this was all an act. Answer the question and get it wrong, the Genin would fail and wouldn’t be able to come back to take the test ever again. Back out of the question and they’d get to try again next year. Her own Chunin Exams were taxing when it came to the Torture and Interrogation part but they were at war at the time. This wasn’t preparation for war, this was just a game. Right?

She almost felt bad for Kakashi’s Genin. From where she was stationed, she could see that Naruto hadn’t answered a single question on his test. They would have to make a choice to stick it out or back out and try again another day. Ah, that was it, wasn’t it? Ibiki was testing their resilience for future missions. She didn’t quite agree with this lesson but she wasn’t in a position to oppose him. Either take a mission without knowing the true consequences of it, possibly with the result of dying or ending their career, with no option for failure. That, or they could back out right in the middle of it to fight another day but take the shame of walking out. 

To her horror, several teams walked out before the final question. Those teams did not include Team 7. She grit her teeth. There was a fine line between taking a mission and seeing it through until the end, but there were also several factors to bring into this. If all three kids went into the question and failed, all three would be prevented from testing again in the future and that was a harsh consequence for them to consider, fake or not. If even just one of them retreated for the sake of preserving the team, there shouldn’t be shame in that decision. That thought process was exactly what killed The White Fang. For now, this simple test could be written off as testing their determination to complete a mission without running off like a coward, but in the future this could lead to more deaths. Tactical retreats were something she would have to tell Kakashi to explain to his team at some point in the future. 

Then Naruto had to go and put his foot down, telling Ibiki to his face that he wouldn’t back down. Avurin had to cover up a snort behind a cough. Of course, he would pass this test through pure guts alone. After a few silent moments, Ibiki looked around the room, making eye contact with several of the sentinels before his gaze landed on her. She gave a short nod. They’d filtered through a good portion of the examinees and Naruto wasn’t backing down. 

“Well then, you’ve all passed the first exam.” Avurin let a small smile slip. The pups had gotten through the first part of a long and tedious process. There weren’t any guarantees for the next two sections but at least they had gotten through this part. Admittedly, this was more psychological than the other portions would be, but she was proud nonetheless. While Ibiki was taking the time to explain the lesson to the kids, she couldn’t help but wonder where Kakashi was. He was probably sitting somewhere wondering if the kids had actually managed to pass. She still wasn’t sure why she was asked to be a sentinel for this portion of the test since she was the only odd one out, but she had a feeling it was either at the Hokage’s request or Kakashi’s. 

A figure burst through the window and Avurin was immediately on guard, watching as a cape billowed out and revealed a slightly familiar face. She had only seen this woman in passing, usually sitting at the bar while Avurin was drinking with Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai. She was obnoxious. She introduced herself to the remaining candidates as Anko Mitarashi and Avurin sighed. She’d heard horror stories about Anko. Crashing through the window was probably the least this psychopath would do to make an impression. 

Avurin leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling as Anko and Ibiki bickered, something about her being early and Ibiki passing too many candidates. Avurin just wanted to get out of this stuffy classroom. At the final dismissal from Anko, she scrambled out of her chair and bolted out of the door, hearing the squawking of Kakashi’s team as they realized she was taking off. 

She had finally managed to reach the window at the end of the hallway and had it halfway open when their footsteps caught up to her. 

“Avurin! Kakashi-sensei didn’t tell us you’d be helping with the Chunin Exams!”

“Why haven’t you come to see us since you got back to the village?”

“Can we go get ramen together? Let’s go get Kakashi-sensei!”

Avurin turned to glare at the pups. Sasuke was staying out of the way with his hands in his pockets, obviously trying not to be part of the chaos that was drawing the attention of the other examinees that were leaving the exam room. Meanwhile, Naruto looked like he was about two seconds from grabbing her to keep her from jumping out of the window and Sakura just looked dejected at having not heard from Avurin in a while. 

“You three need to focus on the exams and not worry about seeing me! I’ve been busy!” she snapped, pulling the window all the way open. Naruto wrapped his arms around her torso and dug his heels into the floor. 

“We are focused on the exams! We don’t have to do the next part until tomorrow! Pleeeaasssseeee! Let’s go get ramen!” Naruto wailed. Avurin wanted to slap him. 

“Ah, Avie. They seem to miss you.” A familiar drawl came from the window she had been pulled from. Turning her head, sure enough, there was Kakashi, perched on the window sill. 

“‘Kashi! Get your brat off of me!” Avurin tried to pry Naruto off of her but, if anything, his grip on her tightened. Kakashi’s muffled chuckle had her flushing in embarrassment. They were making a scene. “Fine! Let’s go get ramen! Let go of me!” Naruto finally let go of her, doing a small victory dance. Kakashi pulled himself into the hallway, standing next to her with his hands in his pockets.

“Ramen does sound pretty good right now. How was the test?” Kakashi asked, starting to lead them through the hallway to get to the stairs. Of course, Naruto started ranting about how easy it was and how he was going to be Hokage in no time, leading to Sakura smacking him on the side of the head and telling him he was an idiot. 

“Naruto, I know for a fact you didn’t answer a single question on that test. You got lucky. The next two tests won’t have any trick ‘final questions’ you can just bulldoze your way through with pure stubbornness.” Avurin scolded. He screeched about her calling him out just as Ibiki walked out of the exam room that they were passing. Naruto hid behind Kakashi as quickly as possible as Ibiki approached the group, coming to a stop in front of Avurin. 

“Avurin Okita, correct?” he asked. She nodded. He gestured for her to follow him back to the exam room. “We need to talk. Alone. I have a proposal for you.” She swallowed around the dryness of her tongue and made to follow him when Kakashi’s hand grabbed her shoulder in a firm grip. 

“What’s this about, Ibiki?” he asked, his tone low and cold. Ibiki looked over his shoulder, focusing on the hand Kakashi had put on her shoulder. 

“I think you know what this is about. The Okitas have had a special privilege in T&I historically and I would like to make the same offer to our resident Okita.” At least he was careful with his words around the kids. However, the message was clear for Avurin. Dread settled low in her stomach. 

“She’s not interested.” Kakashi was answering for her now? She shrugged off his hand. 

“I’ll talk with him. Go get ramen with the kids. I’ll catch up to you.” Kakashi gave her a disapproving and worried stare. She simply met his stare with the same stubborn look that usually had him giving into her every whim. 

“Fine. We’ll see you at Ichiraku’s. Don’t take too long, okay?” Kakashi gave in. The kids seemed to know that there was something going on but, thankfully, they didn’t say anything. Avurin nodded and started following Ibiki back into the exam room. He closed the door behind her and she took a seat at one of the desks near the door, turning the chair to face him. 

“He’s right. I’m not interested if this is exactly what I’m expecting. My kekkei genkai isn’t an interrogation tool,” she stated calmly, crossing one leg over the other. Ibiki sighed and took a seat at the desk across the walkway in the middle of the room, keeping the distance between them. 

“I understand. However, from what I’ve also heard, you need to train that kekkei genkai of yours. What I’m offering is simple question-and-answer interrogations that would take five to ten minutes out of your day every couple of days. We have some stubborn prisoners that haven’t responded to anything else and I would be a fool not to at least ask the remaining Okita if they would be willing to help. We pay well, the prisoners would be cleaned up prior to you being there, and we could even gag them until you’re ready to make them spill. I’m willing to make any accommodations you need just to get the answers these people are holding. It could save lives.” Well, if he put it like that…

“I can’t guarantee it will work every time. I would ask how you know that I’ve been training with it, but as the head of ANBU T&I, I shouldn’t be surprised. My main concern is that if there are any weaknesses in my kekkei genkai that are revealed in these interrogations, all loose ends would have to be snipped. The prisoner, anyone in the room, etcetera. Ideally, I would want to be alone in the room with them so no one else can be compelled to obey the commands I speak. If someone has to observe, it would have to be you alone. Would you be willing to make those kinds of accommodations, Ibiki? That’s a pretty big security risk.” Avurin pressed, leaning against the desk next to her. Ibiki nodded and she was actually surprised. That was a lot of concession, especially with how tight she expected security around these matters to be. 

“I would make it all happen. We can lose a prisoner or two that are already at the end of their rope. The only ones you would be seeing would be the ones that would be facing death anyway for refusing to comply. You’re, quite literally, the last resort. You make the rules on this. I will observe and keep my ears covered for it but, other than that, I’m giving you the freedom to choose how you want to do this. I imagine that there are a few unique methods for training that you will need to utilize and I’m willing to allow it as long as we get the answers we need.” Avurin blinked, running a hand through her bangs. She knew the interrogation rooms weren’t pretty, so really, this was a matter of if she was willing to scar herself for life in order to follow the training manuals for her kekkei genkai. She knew she wouldn’t use any of the techniques in those manuals against Kakashi, it didn’t matter how willing he was. 

Standing, she held the hand sign for her kekkei genkai, knowing her eyes were changing color in front of Ibiki. 

“Answer this for me, Ibiki. Are you aware that there are several entities in the village that I don’t want to know the extent of my kekkei genkai? How will you hide this information for me?” It was a risk, but it would prove her point. She was serious about this and this moment would leave a lasting impression on the man in front of her. She watched as his eyes glazed over. 

“I am aware. It is a clan secret and the Hokage himself has passed down orders not to pursue any information about you aside from a routine guard. I will hide your involvement by omitting your name from the documents regarding the information acquired from the prisoners and control the influx of information acquired so no one is suspicious of our sudden success.” Ibiki’s voice was flat and Avurin felt the odd crawling sensation on the back of her neck that usually came from putting a person under her jutsu. It was just creepy. She hated it. Releasing the jutsu, she took a deep breath and smiled, going for a chilling and cocksure smile. 

“Thank you. Let me know when you have someone ready for me.” With that, she left Ibiki to regain his bearings as she left the room. The chakra drain on such simple questions was substantial, but not enough to make her genuinely exhausted. If anything, she was actually more hungry for ramen than she had been. 

She took to the rooftops as soon as she was outside, wanting to avoid any other confrontations as she made her way to Ichiraku’s. It wasn’t a long trip and, as soon as the smell of ramen hit her like a train, she was crashing into the stand to sit next to Kakashi. The kids still had menus in front of them so she wasn’t running too far behind. Peeking over his shoulder, she quickly decided on her usual, the Tonkatsu ramen with extra seasoned eggs and butter, as Kakashi gave her a pointed side-eyed look. She just smiled, hoping to reassure him. She was fine. 

At least, she wanted to think so.

Chapter Text

“Avurin! What did that guy want?” Naruto interrupted loudly from his seat on the other side of Kakashi. Avurin glared. 

“None of your business, kid. Just some talk about job prospects,” she answered. She felt Kakashi stiffen from where she was leaning over him to speak to his student and pulled away from him slightly. 

“Really? THAT guy wants you to work for him? He’s scary!” Sakura chimed in. Avurin nodded. 

“He’s a very scary guy but he’s well-respected. I think I scared him pretty bad, though.” Avurin couldn’t help but smirk as the kids stared at her with varying reactions of disbelief, fear, and excitement. She glanced at Kakashi to see his reaction, internally preening at the soft, approving look he was giving her. 

“What did you do?” Kakashi asked, his voice a low rumble in his chest, obviously feeling a little too strongly about her defending herself against Ibiki. She smiled coyly and fluttered her eyelashes a little dramatically. 

“Well, I interrogated him, of course. He had some answers I needed and my kekkei genkai was up for discussion so I figured I would give him a demonstration.” Kakashi’s visible eye darkened slightly. He looked like he wanted to just pull her out of her seat and take off with her into the night. 

“Did you get the answers you wanted?” he asked. She nodded. 

“Of course I did. I’ll tell you the rest at home, yeah?” she teased, lightly booping his nose through his mask. He swallowed audibly before nodding. 

“What. Was. That?!” Sakura screeched from her seat. Avurin looked back at the kids and covered her mouth so she wouldn’t burst out laughing. Looks of shock from Naruto, disgust from Sasuke, and hope from Sakura greeted her. 

“Nothing, brats. Just messing with ‘Kashi. Close your mouths and order your food or you’ll swallow flies and starve.” The kids were quick to start placing their orders with Teuchi. When he got to Kakashi and Avurin, they both ordered their usual orders and the man gave them a knowing look before turning away to start cooking. 

Dinner was relatively normal after that, with the kids squabbling over various things and recounting their experiences with the first portion of the Chunin Exams. Avurin ate like an animal since she hadn’t eaten since earlier that morning while Kakashi left his untouched for a while. Then she noticed the stares from the kids. She muffled another laugh that threatened to bubble out of her. They wanted to see Kakashi eat so that they would get a chance to see his face. 

A small commotion that sounded like a wagon had lost a wheel outside of the shop momentarily distracted the kids. She watched as Kakashi somehow ate his food in a split second, gently adjusting his mask afterwards just as the kids looked back at him. Multiple groans and screams of disappointment rang out through the small food stall. She let the bubbling laugh out then, giving Kakashi a pat on the shoulder as he smugly just asked the kids what was wrong. 

The moment felt nice. Avurin didn’t get to see Kakashi with the kids often, if ever, so it was actually sweet to see how he teased them and ran circles around them with something as simple as seeing his face. To her, his face was a secret between the two of them and she knew that she was probably one of maybe two or three people in this world that had seen his face. She would feel possessive over that fact until the day she died. If he revealed his face for anyone just passing by to see, she wouldn’t have enough energy to beat the women away from him every time they went out.

“Alright, I need to escort Avurin home and you kids need to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be tough so make sure you’re prepared for anything when we leave for the next part of the exam, okay? Meet me at our usual place around eight in the morning and I’ll escort you to the exam grounds.” The kids nodded with bright smiles on their faces before waving their goodbyes. Kakashi pulled out some money to pay for the ramen and gave it to Teuchi before pulling Avurin out of the stall. 

The walk back to the Hatake compound was quiet and Avurin found herself winding one of her arms around his, enjoying the small amount of time they were getting together before the next stage of the exam. She could see why Kakashi was stressed. She wasn’t sure if he knew exactly what was going to happen for the next stage but just from the impression she got of Anko and how she’d bragged about how she was going to fail half of the remaining examinees, it wasn’t going to be easy. 

When they got back into the cabin and toed off their shoes, Kakashi was quick to pull down his mask and sweep her into a kiss, gently pressing her against the wall of the entryway. She let herself melt against him, running her hands along his arms as he pulled her close. He let go of her mouth to nuzzle at her neck and her breathing hitched. She’d forgotten about the marks. 

“Not your usual outfit. Everything alright?” he mumbled into her ear as he mouthed at the high collar of her shirt. She gently ran a hand through his hair and nodded. 

“I’m fine. You left some marks though. I’m okay with it, I just didn’t want to walk into the exam room with them visible.” He stiffened against her before pulling away sharply, pointedly staring at her covered neck. She brought a hand up to cover the spot where the worst of the bites was located through the collar of her shirt, yet continued to meet his eyes. She wasn’t bothered by the bites but she already knew from his previous reactions that he would be. “I told you, I’m okay. This is okay. Don’t freak out on me, ‘Kashi.” 

“Show me.” Of course he would demand that immediately. Sighing, she pulled her hand away and started pulling down the collar of her shirt, ignoring the way his breath hitched. It didn’t look good that morning when they were fresh and she doubted the marks looked any better after being left to bruise even further for an entire day. 

“I told you it’s okay, I’m really not-” He cut her off. 

“Don’t. I hurt you and that’s exactly what I didn’t want to do last night.” He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her. She squashed down the sudden feeling of insecurity and dejection at his reaction. Of course he would be upset. Not upset with her, but with himself. 

When he turned back around to look at her again, to stare at the marks on her neck, she could see the cogs turning in his head as he tried to think of a way to either pull away from her or otherwise fix what he considered to be a ‘problem.’ She sighed and let the collar of her shirt go, moving to walk further into the house. 

“I’m changing into something more comfortable. If you want to look at these a little better, you can come talk to me when you’re ready.” There, the offer was there. Going to her bedroom, she pulled out some casual clothes for the night and started to change. Kakashi didn’t join her but she tried not to let it bother her. Moving into the bathroom to brush her teeth, she glanced at her neck in the mirror and winced. 

The bites were extremely prominent. Bruises ran down both sides of her neck where the bites had broken blood vessels with punctures where Kakashi’s canines had pierced several spots on her neck. There were hickeys in between the bites too but she wasn’t worried about that. She could see why Kakashi was upset. When she touched one of the worst of the bruises, she winced at the dull ache. A gentle hand pulled her own away from the bruises and she caught Kakashi’s eye in the mirror. 

“You’re sure it’s fine?” His voice was breathy with a wavering lilt she couldn't fully blame on his anxiety. She tilted her head to the side, noticing the mark near her ear that Kotetsu had noticed. 

“Yeah, I don’t mind. I guess it was so good last night that you got lost in the moment?” She laughed softly but she knew a small joke wouldn’t fix Kakashi’s mood. However, from the way his face visibly relaxed, she knew she had at least soothed some of the doubts he was having. 

His arms wrapped around her midsection and he rested his chin on her shoulder, maintaining eye contact with her in the mirror. There was almost a decisive air in the stuffy bathroom as he seemed to search her eyes for any doubts or hesitation. 

"I wanted to do it. I've been fighting it for a while but I've wanted to see you like this for weeks." She carefully controlled her breathing as one of his fingers traced the deepest of the bites on one side of her neck. Kakashi kept his eyes on her though, almost pinning her with his gaze alone. Time seemed to freeze and she had a feeling this was about more than what could be considered a really great night of sex. "I read about it a few years ago when I was studying my clan, trying to figure out what was normal and what wasn't so that I could blend in a little better. This isn't something that's only going to happen occasionally when I'm 'lost in the moment.' It's going to happen again and eventually I'm going to put one on you that's going to scar and that one bite is going to have meaning to me. So, I'm going to ask you again. Is this really okay?"

Avurin stared into his eyes, taking note of the exposed Sharingan recording this moment for him to revisit at any point for the rest of his life. This was important to him. To anyone else, this would just look like the result of a few rounds of insanely rough sex with a man that had a biting kink. To him, this was some ritual dictated by his biology. He fought against it and he lost. He admitted to it for the sake of being honest and not trying to hold himself back with her anymore. There would be questions from the people around her if they saw what he did to her, some would spread ignorance in the form of rumors. A scar in the form of a bite? That was a commitment and she would have to accept it as a part of him just like everything else. This time, it was visible and directly affected her. 

"Yes, Kakashi. It's okay. We're okay." She spoke with a note of conviction she only saved for the most serious moments in her life. The visible relief in Kakashi’s eyes was completely worth the stress of having to even discuss what she had initially thought was no big deal. 

He placed a gentle kiss on the bruise he had been tracing, followed by another, and another. His breath grazed the sensitive and abused skin of her neck as he continued to kiss each mark down that side, all the way down to her shoulder where another deep bite had visibly broken the skin. His kisses continued, crossing over the nape of her neck where he'd left a small mark, before starting on her other shoulder and working his way up the other side. She tilted her head to give him better access and his thumb started rubbing small circles against her side. Nothing about it was sexual, if anything, the moment was simply intimate and relaxing, lowering her guard as she melted into his arms. When he was finished, he gave her one more chaste peck on her temple. 

"You're amazing. I hope you know that.” His chin was resting on her shoulder with his arms wrapped around her, both of them looking at each other in the mirror. She leaned into him and almost let out a light laugh at the hardness that pressed against her. She may be a little crazy, but she really enjoyed finding out about each of Kakashi’s quirks. She really didn’t mind the bites and she found satisfaction in how it obviously affected Kakashi. 

“I’ll happily accept more frequent reminders,” she replied with a small laugh. His hand trailed upwards to cup her chin, pulling her face close to his to bring them together for a kiss. It wasn’t rushed, just a slow pressing of lips in a languid kiss. After a moment, they separated, taking deep breaths only an inch away from each other. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. She gave him a quick lick to his lips, intending to tease him. 

“I’m perfectly fine. How are you?” she teased. The way his eyes narrowed on her had her squeezing her legs together to ease an ache that she hadn’t realized was accumulating to that point. 

“I’m thinking we should go to bed.” It was the only statement he gave her before she was being directed back to her bedroom by two firm hands on her shoulders. Finding herself being pushed into the bed, she felt herself bounce off of the mattress with a smile. She was finding herself surprisingly happy with the situation. Kakashi was on top of her within a few seconds, licking and kissing her neck. He was gentle, mindful of her bruises.

To her surprise, after a moment of having Kakashi ravish her neck, he settled down with his arms wrapped around her, smothering her into the bed. His face was buried into the crook of her neck and he was breathing softly, warm puffs of air brushing against her as she relaxed into the comforter. It wasn’t about sex tonight. Having him so close and accepting a new part of him was enough for them tonight. 

They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. 

…

The rest of the Chunin Exams seemed to be going well. Avurin kept her distance during the second exam, not wanting to participate as things seemed to take a more suspicious turn. She hadn’t missed the fact that foreign Genin were actively bullying Leaf Genin, specifically Team 7. Naruto’s status as a jinchuriki wasn’t exactly a secret, but the hyperfixation on Team 7 couldn’t be blamed on anything else. 

The exam in the Forest of Death made things more complicated. Avurin watched with a bated breath in the waiting room as Team 7 made their way through the exam and Kakashi remained tense. Something had happened and she wasn’t quite sure what it was. 

It wasn’t until she found herself following Kakashi to a small room downstairs under the arena for the preliminaries with Sasuke in tow that she realized something very serious was occurring right under their noses. An intricate setup was created with Kakashi’s blood that seemed to indicate that he was creating a seal. Sasuke was overall compliant but Avurin questioned her involvement with the procedure. Kakashi had swept her away after Sasuke’s intense preliminary battle without a word, silently asking her to follow along with what was going on without questioning a thing in the meantime.

She trusted him, yet the mysterious seal on Sasuke’s neck provided little to go off of in terms of the situation. It didn’t help that he’d been so focused on the exams for the last three days that she had been forced to wait for the second stage of the Chunin exams to get close to a conclusion before she had even gotten a glimpse of him. It was on the last day of the second stage that Kakashi had brought her to the observation room to sit with him, a tense silence taking over the room as each instructor watched their teams either succeed in their mission or fail. Team 7 was part of a lucky few that managed to pass. 

After their passing result, he had simply stood from his position and brought her to watch the preliminary matches. She couldn’t help but notice that he had taken a very specific interest in Sasuke throughout those matches and her observations were only confirmed after he had brought both of them down to the room he had chosen for this sealing ritual. Avurin felt like she had missed something incredibly important. 

The inscriptions were written in blood, it had to be serious. Avurin felt a pang of worry run through her as she watched Kakashi whisper to Sasuke from where she was safely placed outside of the circle. When he completed the hand signs for the jutsu he was using, Sasuke’s screams of agony rang in her ears. She wasn’t expecting any of this and had certainly not prepared herself. 

“Kakashi, what the hell-” He held up a finger to silence her and she stomped out the immediate feeling of indignation that wanted to rise at being dismissed. After a few words were exchanged about the strength of the seal being derived from Sasuke’s will, the boy collapsed on the ground and Avurin grit her teeth. She wouldn’t run to help the kid, but the obvious dismissal from Kakashi still grated against her nerves since she was now in an awkward position of just watching the scene without knowing why she was there. 

"My, you've grown, Kakashi. To successfully use curse sealing techniques, I'm impressed." A hissing voice approached from the entrance to the room and Avurin tensed, turning around as quickly as she could to locate the intruder. An oppressive aura of intense Killing Intent took over the room, forcing her to freeze in a feeling of terror she hadn’t felt in quite a while. 

“Orochimaru…” Kakashi muttered from behind her. She was directly between them and she found that she couldn’t take her eyes off of the intruder, Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin. Her fear increased at the knowledge of just who had interrupted them and she fought not to shudder. 

“Unfortunately, I’m not here for you. I’m here for the boy you have hidden behind you. However, I didn’t expect this little gift to be here. Tell me, what makes an Okita’s kekkei genkai function? Do you know?” the man hissed as he took a step closer. Avurin wanted to fall back a step to get away from him, but she was frozen. 

“Leave her out of this! You’re not getting either of them!” Kakashi bellowed from where he was positioned in front of Sasuke. Avurin willed her legs to move and begged her body to cooperate with her. She remained frozen like prey staring into the eyes of a predator. 

“There are theories that the kekkei genkai stems from a genetic difference in the vocal cords, however there hasn’t been any advanced research done on an Okita that could use the kekkei genkai to confirm this theory. Why is it that only select individuals in each generation can use it? Another piece of the puzzle the Okita family has kept under lock and key. I’m very curious.” He took another step towards her and she found herself finally able to draw her katana with shaking hands. 

“N-Not another step closer!” she yelled. Her kekkei genkai wasn’t activated and she was hesitating for very good reasons. If there was one person that she had to keep her family’s secrets from, it was Orochimaru. He was a missing nin and his interest in her and Sasuke was more than reason for concern. 

“Kakashi, you have to understand. You have a gift of your own. Is it so bad that I want the Uchiha’s secrets for myself? And to have an Okita here as well… This is simply too good of an opportunity to pass up.” Avurin couldn’t contain the shiver this time. He was ignoring her, she wasn’t a true threat to him. 

“What game are you playing? You’re deep in enemy territory. This is bold, even for you.” Kakashi growled out. Avurin was still working through her fear but she listened carefully. If they were able to survive this encounter, they may get vital information from the situation. 

“The Sound Village? That was my creation. I have my little pawns here and there to sacrifice and it got me here.” Orochimaru was so casual with his speech, it was as if he truly wasn’t bothered by the threat of Kakashi and a shinobi that could tell him to do something and he would be forced to comply. 

When Orochimaru stepped closer to Avurin, now only a few feet from her, the chirping of a thousand birds filled the room. 

“Step any closer and one of us is going to die here, Orochimaru.” His voice was nearly feral, a tone Avurin hadn’t heard from prior to that moment. Orochimaru’s smirk only grew and his eyes gained a manic light. 

“Sometimes I forget that you’re a Hatake. Your father was more open with his special features that made your clan unique. You’ve always kept that mask on and never showed signs that you would ever be more Hatake than your non-clan mother. I see it just took the right push.” Orochimaru’s eyes trained on Avurin, blatantly staring at her covered neck. 

“You won’t touch her and you’re not taking Sasuke! I’m ending this today!” Kakashi screamed, the chirping of the Chidori getting louder as he pushed more chakra into the jutsu. Avurin’s eyes narrowed and she shifted her feet, backing away from Orochimaru slowly until she was standing several feet to Kakashi’s side, making sure to stay out of range of the flickering electricity in the air. He was here for Sasuke, they couldn’t let him get the last Uchiha. She had to get herself together. 

Orochimaru laughed. 

“You really think that seal is going to hold? He desires power. He will come to me on his own. You won’t be able to stop it.” Orochimaru turned away from the couple and Avurin’s blade wavered as she shivered. 

“Leave. Now.” The command slipped out from her mouth despite the terror of engaging with the snake. The chakra drain of forcing such a powerful shinobi into a command like that was immediate and her knees shook as Orochimaru’s feet started a steady pace towards the exit. She hadn’t used a hand sign that time, yet she couldn’t celebrate her small progress from her training while they were in such a dangerous situation. She would take notes on it later.

“Such an amazing jutsu. I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study it so I won’t kill you today, Okita. I can’t wait to see you again.” His voice trailed off as he left the room and Avurin fell to her knees, taking gasping breaths through grit teeth as she stared at where the man had been standing. Kakashi’s Chidori fizzled out but he remained in place, a barely-there shaking in his hands giving away how shaken he was by the situation. 

“Let’s get him to the hospital. He’s not safe here anymore.” Kakashi told her as he turned around to pick up the teenager. She pulled herself to her feet and sheathed her katana, trying to shake the shivering from her frame. She silently followed Kakashi as they made their way through several underground tunnels until they got to the hospital. She didn’t ask how he knew about the tunnels and she didn’t really want to know. She had a feeling it was related to Anbu but she didn’t care. They were useful to avoid carrying an unconscious, shirtless teenager through populated streets. 

Kakashi was efficient in getting a private room for Sasuke, even going as far as to send a missive by hawk to the Hokage to request Anbu guards for him. Avurin didn’t quite know what to do with herself as Kakashi laid Sasuke in the bed before straightening his back with a heavy sigh. 

“I’ll protect you from Orochimaru. He won’t get either of you. I’ll be long dead before that happens.” Kakashi grumbled as he turned to face her, his expression grave. She crossed her arms and stared at the ground in front of her. She had been absolutely useless. She didn’t need protection, she needed to be able to protect herself. 

A hand on her shoulder jolted her from her thoughts. 

“We’ll talk about training once the exams are done. I know what you’re thinking and we’re going to get you where you need to be as soon as these kids make Chunin. For now, stay with him until the Anbu guard arrives and collect your thoughts. I need to get back to the exams to keep an eye on Naruto and Sakura.” 

He left quickly, not giving her time to respond. Her mouth twisted into a firm line on her face and she sat down heavily in the chair next to Sasuke’s bed. Putting her head in her hands, she scratched lightly at her scalp and stared blankly at the floor. 

She had really needed a hug from the man that had left so quickly.

Chapter Text

A month. An entire month of intense training was planned just for Sasuke prior to the Chunin exams. Kakashi had told her about his plan to train Sasuke the night after the preliminaries and they had argued over it. She couldn’t believe he was completely focusing on one of his three students for this exam when it was obvious Naruto and Sakura needed much more training than Sasuke did. He had explained the curse mark to her as well as Orochimaru’s warning, but she still couldn’t wrap her head around it. 

As a teacher, he knew better. He acknowledged that he knew better. However, his excuse was that he couldn’t ignore the threat of Sasuke defecting to pursue Orochimaru or, worse, being taken against his will. She understood that part. However, he couldn’t just ditch his other two students and pray they ‘figured it out’ before the exams. So, he had come up with a solution she didn’t quite agree with, saying it would be good for her. Naruto didn’t take it well. 

“Wait, so you’re not training me? You’re going to train Sasuke, aren’t you?!” Naruto yelled in the lobby of the hospital. Avurin pinched the bridge of her nose as Kakashi waved him off, trying to sell the opportunity of training with Avurin as a major positive for him. She didn’t know the first thing about training Genin. She had told him as much. It wouldn’t be her fault if Naruto came out of this more fucked up than he could have been with Kakashi’s mentorship. 

“Naruto, let’s go. I’m not happy about this either. We need to find Sakura so that she can train as well.” Avurin grumbled as she put a firm hand on the pup’s shoulder. Shooting a glare at Kakashi, she was quick to direct the Genin out of the hospital. A few days had passed since their fight about his decision and she had made it extremely clear she wasn’t happy with how he was handling things. Sasuke acted like a spoiled brat and this one-on-one training would absolutely not help with that personality quirk. He would be unbearable when they returned. Kakashi had attempted to get close with her the previous night and she had been quick to push him away. If they would have to live without each other for a month due to one of Kakashi’s whims, they could start a day early. 

It hurt, though. She wanted him close and she wanted the intimacy that they’d only recently found together. However, she wasn’t going to allow it one night just to deal with the misery of not having it for an entire month afterwards. The entire thing left a sour taste on her tongue and the pitiful looks from Kakashi didn’t help. She knew she was being slightly cruel, but he hadn’t exactly considered her in his decision or anyone else for that matter. 

“You’re grumpier than usual,” Naruto pouted next to her, his arms crossed and his lower lip sticking out in an exaggerated expression. She crossed her own arms and glared. 

“I just got saddled with training you and Sakura for a month with the expectation that it’ll help you pass the final stage of the Chunin Exams. That’s a lot of weight to have on my shoulders, especially since I’m not a Jonin and not technically qualified for this shit.” Avurin wouldn’t lie to him. She didn’t lie to anyone, really. Not when it mattered. Naruto may be young, but he wasn’t completely stupid. She wouldn’t hide the situation from him. 

“Yeah, that does sound like it sucks. I’m glad it’s you, though. I mean, I wish Sensei would have just trained us himself but you’re strong too. Why aren’t you a Jonin?” Naruto asked, putting his hands behind his head as they started walking the streets of Konoha. Avurin knew where Sakura’s house was and was hoping to catch her there before she left for the day. 

“I just never tested for it. I was gone for ten years so I still have a lot of catching up to do before I can test for it. I’ll get my turn to train with ‘Kashi after you kids get your Chunin vests.” She pulled a kunai from her pouch and started twirling it around her finger. She wouldn’t say it, but she was nervous to train these kids. Their failures would weigh on her as the person entrusted with their training.

“I’m sure you’ll pass! Why do you even need him to train you, anyway? You could learn from anyone! I’m sure you know all of the Jonin in the village!” Avurin felt a small smile spread across her lips. She ruffled Naruto’s hair, ignoring his indignant squawk. 

“Well, I could say the same thing to you. Why do you need him to teach you when there are others like me running around? I’m sure I can teach you some things that will give you an edge in your final exam.” She still wasn’t confident in her ability to train him, yet Naruto beamed up at her as they approached Sakura’s home. Avurin gently knocked on the front door and it swung open almost immediately. 

“Ah, hello! I don’t believe we were expecting any visitors…” The woman at the door trailed off before she noticed Naruto standing on the doorstep as well, glancing back at Avurin with an obvious question in her gaze. Avurin cleared her throat. 

“Good morning. My name is Avurin Okita. Kakashi has some rather urgent business that has to be taken care of over the next few weeks so I’ve been delegated to oversee Naruto and Sakura’s training for the next month.” Avurin held a hand out to shake the woman’s hand but the woman’s eyes betrayed her knowledge of the name Okita. Even the civilians knew her family’s reputation, apparently. 

“Why were you chosen? Surely there would be someone a little better suited to train our daughter in her Sensei’s absence?” Sakura’s mother asked, the almost-pleasant tone in her voice obviously forced. Avurin felt the smile fall from her face and she was about to respond when Naruto pushed her to the side, holding a finger up to point at Sakura’s mother. 

“Hey! Avurin is awesome and strong and she really cares about us! If anyone is going to train us while Kakashi-sensei is away, she’s the best! I can’t wait to learn from her and we’re late for training so we need Sakura to come with us as soon as she’s ready!” Naruto was nearly shouting with his enthusiasm as Avurin clapped a hand over his mouth. 

“Ignore him. I’m currently the best option and I can’t guarantee your daughter will get any training for the next month if you won’t allow her to train with me. If you’ve already made your decision, Naruto and I will take our leave.” Avurin didn’t bother keeping her tone light or putting a smile on her face. The woman looked slightly taken aback but gave Avurin a short nod, turning her head to yell up the stairs of their townhouse. 

“Sakura! Ms. Okita and Naruto are here to get you for training! Are you decent?” Avurin waited patiently as Sakura and her mother yelled back and forth through the stairwell until Sakura was stumbling through the door with a quick bow. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know we were training today! I’m ready to go!” she stammered out. Avurin cocked an eyebrow at her before nodding, turning to leave. 

“Let’s go. There are a couple of things I want to talk with you two about before we officially start, anyway.” She led them to the usual training grounds, ignoring Naruto’s yammering about how excited he was to get training from Avurin and Sakura’s quiet questioning about how Sasuke was doing. Once they arrived, she led them to a clearing near the river that ran through the training grounds and plopped down in a cross-legged position, patting the grass in front of her to gesture for her two new students to sit across from her. 

Once they sat down, she took a deep breath. 

“Kakashi will be gone until the final stage of the Chunin Exams. He is

focusing on training Sasuke due to unforeseen events that occurred during the second stage. You two aren’t stupid and I’m not going to lie to you about their whereabouts. Kakashi and I argued about it for a few days and he’s sticking to the plan which means I will be in charge of training you two or finding new instructors for you to prepare you for the final stage of the exams. Sakura, I lied to your mother. You have options. Naruto is aware that he does too.” She sighed, running a hand through her bangs and was secretly grateful that the kids hadn’t interrupted her so far. 

“I have a reputation in this village because of my family name. Sakura, you’ve witnessed the power of my kekkei genkai. I can tell someone to do something and they will do it, even if it ends in their injury or death. This village is terrified of that kind of power and some even refuse to do business with me out of fear that I will steal from them or otherwise manipulate their business. That is why your mother was defensive with me. You may be asked if I’m manipulating you and I want you to be able to say with certainty that you’re not.” Taking a shuddering breath, she saw the brief confusion in the kids’ eyes at the implication that she wasn’t a trusted shinobi despite her loyalty to the village. 

“This will not be easy, I don’t baby kids that are old enough to put their lives on the line for the sake of the village. You will come home with cuts and bruises but you will get stronger. Kakashi has been negligent in your training so far and has only let you learn through experience. I’m not like that. You can back out at any time but I will do my best to make sure that Naruto will pass the final stage of the exams and Sakura will get enough training to be better prepared for future missions. Any questions?” Raising her eyes to look at the two Genin, she was surprised to see determined looks on their faces. 

“Are you and Sensei fighting? You don’t usually criticize him this much.” Sakura asked. Avurin scoffed, crossing her arms. 

“We had a disagreement about your training, that’s all. It ended with him telling me that if I cared so much for your training that I may as well train you myself. Regardless, he has his priorities and I have my concerns. That’s why we’re here.” She felt like she was explaining to her own children why their daddy wouldn’t come home for a while. It was humiliating. 

“Well, I think that just shows that you care! Not that Kakashi-sensei doesn’t, it’s just nice for you to offer to train us! Please take care of us, Sensei!” Sakura said with an enthusiastic bow. Naruto nodded to himself before giving her a small bow as well. 

“Take care of us, Avie-sensei!” Naruto practically yelled. 

Avurin liked to think she was colder than she was. The way her heart felt like it was melting at the blind trust the two pups were giving her was enough for her eyes to soften and she found herself smiling. Leaning forward, she ruffled both of their hair. 

“Alright! We can do this. Let’s get started with today’s lesson, yeah?” Keeping a smile on her face, she stood and gestured for the kids to follow her to the river. Better to start with the basics. 

…

Dragging two drenched Genin to Ichiraku’s later that evening was a chore in itself. Sakura had picked up on water-walking with grace within the first hour so Avurin had to increase the difficulty for her throughout the afternoon. Adding waves, some light sparring, and other distractions while Naruto couldn’t even get his feet under him on top of the water. Nothing was working with him and Avurin was so incredibly confused and frustrated. She had a feeling it was related to his Jinchuriki status, but she didn’t know how to even begin to address that. The kid had no chakra control to speak of despite having a massive amount of chakra to draw from. 

The only thing that had gotten Naruto out of his depressed slump at the end of the day’s training was a promise of ramen. Sakura was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the training session but had a smile on her face when her own stomach grumbled, signaling that they would definitely be going out for ramen to recover from the day. 

Which was how Avurin found herself almost dragging Sakura through the street while Naruto ran ahead of them, screaming about how hungry he was. Avurin cringed at the abuse her wallet was going to face. When Naruto slammed face-first into someone, the first thing Avurin wanted to do was scream at Naruto for running through the street so haphazardly. However, a shock of spiky white hair and a familiar red sleeveless haori brought her thoughts to a screeching halt. 

“Hey! Old man! Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing here?!” she screeched, pointing at the man currently splayed out on the ground. He gave her a questioning look before his eyes wandered further South, obviously eyeing her chest with a critical eye. 

“I feel like I’ve met you before…” he trailed off. She resisted the urge to kick him as she stomped closer to him. 

“I asked you a question, pervert! Who are you and what are you doing here?!” The man waved his arms around with a smile on his face, getting defensive as if it were a familiar song and dance. 

“I was just dropping by! I like to wander, you know? Seriously, I feel like I’ve met you! Who are you?” he questioned as he started pulling himself up off of the ground. Avurin found herself angling her head up to look him in the eyes, doing her best not to acknowledge the obvious height difference. The ridiculous geta he was wearing didn’t help matters. 

“Avurin Okita. We met in Southern Fire Country a few years ago and you gave me a signed copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Now, I’m going to ask again, who the fuck are you?” She found herself growling and was surprised at how Kakashi’s mannerisms were starting to rub off on her. She didn’t know who this guy was but it couldn’t be a coincidence that she had run into him a second time. He was obviously a pervert and she didn’t want him near the kids. 

“Oh! I do remember! You had a little cabin out in the woods and the villagers had a bunch of rumors going around about you! An Okita, you say? What were you doing all the way down there?” Avurin felt her face turning red with rage. She wanted answers, she didn’t agree to be interrogated. This was the fucking author of Icha Icha, the man was disgusting and she didn’t want her village tainted with his vile nature. 

“I’ll answer your questions when you tell me who the fuck you are!” she shouted, not bothering to worry about catching the eyes of the people passing by. Apparently, the man in front of her did care about the attention they were attracting. He was quick to put his hands on her shoulders, shushing her with an irritated smile on his face that almost looked pained at the fact people were now openly staring. 

“Hey! Why don’t we take this somewhere quieter and we’ll talk, hm? These your brats?” he asked, gesturing to Naruto who looked ready to attack him like a guard dog and Sakura who was borderline hiding behind her. Avurin shrugged his hands off of her and crossed her arms, scowling. 

“I’m in charge of them while their sensei is away. We’re getting ramen.” While she didn’t want to invite him, she was curious and she did want answers. He was asking too many questions so he obviously knew something to attempt to dig for answers about her whereabouts for the last several years. And he knew the Okita name… Her eyes narrowed. “Let’s go.” She put a protective arm over Sakura’s shoulders and started to guide her down the street before leaning down to whisper in her ear. 

“Go ahead and head home. We’ll get ramen again after training tomorrow. I’m going to see what this guy’s up to.” Avurin muttered. Sakura gave her a barely-there nod before giving her an unexpected hug. Avurin gently patted her back before Sakura pulled away and took off down the street. 

“Hey! Where’s Sakura going?” Naruto asked as he turned around from where he’d been leading the small group to Ichiraku’s. Avurin coughed into her fist and gave the man walking beside her a pointed look. 

“She wasn’t feeling too well after training today. She decided to go home and get some rest before we continue our training tomorrow.” Naruto groaned and the man next to her looked almost pained at what had been implied. Avurin didn’t take chances with perverts to his degree. She was still consciously keeping herself from crossing her arms over her chest to prevent further glances.

When they arrived at the ramen stall, she was shocked to find Teuchi greeting the man as if they’d known each other for years. His name was ‘Jiraiya.’ Jiraiya, as in one of the Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. She knew the name, everyone in the village did. 

Naruto, the innocent child that he was, ordered his ramen and seemed to be sufficiently distracted from the adults. 

“Could’ve just told me who you were without all of the roundabout shit, Jiraiya. Who would’ve guessed that one of the legendary Sannin was a massive pervert?” Avurin almost pouted as she sipped at her tea that she’d ordered, slumping to one side. Jiraiya’s face was nearly cherry red and he had a constipated look on his face. 

“Will you stop making accusations like that?! Look, I know I’m not perfect and we can talk about that later but don’t go screaming about it in public!” Jiraiya hissed, pulling a bottle of sake from his sleeve. Avurin quirked an eyebrow in interest. She hadn’t had sake in what felt like quite a long time and she could use a drink. After watching Jiraiya take a swig straight from the bottle, her mouth curled in disgust. She disregarded the train of thought that was leading her to consider asking if she could have some.

“Whatever. What do you want to know? You were pretty adamant about getting answers from me earlier-” She was cut off as Teuchi set her ramen in front of her along with Jiraiya and Naruto’s. Teuchi hadn’t even asked for the adults’ orders, just bringing them what she knew was at least her regular order. Naruto had been suspiciously quiet until the moment the ramen was in front of him, cheering happily before starting to slurp up the still-hot noodles. 

“I want to know how you went from being some witch in a forest to showing up here in Konoha as a missing Okita heir. This isn’t exactly how I expected to find you again after so many years. The last time I saw you, you were basically still a kid building some cabin and begging for scraps from villagers. I was sent out there conducting research when I stumbled on you. I did a little bit of a background check but nothing came back about you being an Okita. I remember your face. So, tell me, what happened?” 

Avurin glanced at Naruto who was enthusiastically ordering a second bowl from Teuchi. 

“It’s a long story…”

“I have plenty of time. Start talking.”

Chapter Text

Avurin spent quite a while explaining how she had met Kakashi and how it had led to her being brought back to the village. She carefully left out the details of their current relationship along with their most recent mission to the Okita mansion, not quite comfortable sharing that information just yet. While there were several individuals in the village she didn’t completely trust with the story, she could tell Jiraiya was a different story. She had a feeling she didn’t really care for the story, he just wanted to judge whether there were gaps in her story and how those gaps could be a threat to Konoha as a whole. 

“So yeah, I’m saddled with Naruto and Sakura while Kakashi is training his third student for the month. They’re preparing for the Chunin Exams and I just feel like I’m in over my head. Not that you would really care, it’s just been a long day.” Avurin finished her story along with her bowl of ramen, gently pushing the empty bowl away from herself as she glared down at the empty bottom of it. She was still bitter about the events of that morning and the story-telling hadn’t quite soothed the irritation. 

“I think you’re doing great, Avie-sensei! Who needs Kakashi-sensei anyway when he forgot to teach us how to walk on water!” Naruto shouted as he slammed his chopsticks into one of his empty bowls, crossing his arms. Avurin sighed and put her head in her hands. 

“Naruto, Kakashi didn’t forget to teach that to you. He just hadn’t gotten to it yet. I told you and Sakura I would be pushing you guys and that involved working on chakra control since you guys were lacking. Either way, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t you be heading home? We’re going to be up early tomorrow so you need to get your rest.” Avurin waved her hand at him as if she was going to manage to shoo him out of the ramen stall. 

“I guess you’re right. Are you going to be alright with the pervy guy if I go home?” Naruto was entirely suspicious, his eyes narrowed comically as he sized up Jiraiya, probably an attempt to look threatening. Avurin ran a hand through her hair and groaned. 

“I’ll be perfectly fine. Go home, Naruto. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Naruto gave Jiraiya what she guessed was his most intimidating glare before getting out of his chair to leave. 

“Alright, but you need to sleep too, Avie-sensei! I’ll see you tomorrow!” With that, he ran out of the stall, leaving several empty bowls that would definitely leave a dent in Avurin’s wallet. She glanced at Jiraiya to see an oddly serious look on his face. 

“Are you having trouble with the fox?” he asked. She felt her eyes widen slightly at his bluntness but then carefully nodded, sagging against the counter. 

“He has no chakra control to speak of. It’s been frustrating. I don’t know how to explain things to him in a way that will actually help. When he finally gets a step forward in the right direction, it’s as if something is physically pushing him back another two steps. He can create hundreds of shadow clones but he can’t walk on water. I’m extremely underqualified for dealing with him.” With a sigh, she wrapped her hand around her teacup and swirled it, already knowing that it had gone cold. 

“Listen, I normally would be the last person to volunteer for a position that would take away from my missions and my research, but I think it’s fair to tell you that I was the sensei to his father and I know exactly what seal was placed on him to contain the fox. If I can work with him, I might be able to figure out the problem just for the sake of him not blowing up the village. Has he had any outbursts? Any massive waves of killing intent? Chakra that just isn’t his?” Avurin froze and stared at the cold tea, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought back to the Land of Waves mission. 

“Yeah. There was one incident that I was there to witness. I’m not sure if it’s happened since then but it’s exactly how you described it. That chakra wasn’t his and the killing intent nearly knocked me off of my feet. I could only assume at the time that it was the fox. Kakashi hasn’t done anything about it and I’m guessing he doesn’t know what to do either. He’s all but abandoned Naruto’s training at this point.” She felt her hand tighten around the cup as she started to grit her teeth. She hated that she couldn’t do anything to help Naruto but if Jiraiya truly knew more about the seal on Naruto that contained the Nine-Tailed Fox, then it was better that Jiraiya work with him. 

“That kid… He really just shoved two of his students on you to run off with the third? I’m assuming there’s more to the story there but I won’t push for more tonight. Frankly, I’m surprised he would practically abandon two of his students that he likely considers his pups by now with someone who’s only been back in the village for what, a couple of months? He must really trust you.” Jiraiya’s eyes gained a gleam that Avurin immediately decided she didn’t like. 

“For the sake of ruining the mystery, Kakashi and I are already public with our relationship according to Konoha’s gossip mills. The only ones that probably don’t know are the kids and we haven’t told them simply to mess with them. You’ll hear the rumors pretty quickly just being in Konoha, it’s the newest development in our otherwise boring lives.” Avurin tried not to feel defensive but she couldn’t help it. Her relationship with Kakashi was still entirely new and they had, essentially, already had their first disagreement. She didn’t need another stranger prodding her about it, especially a known pervert. 

“Oh, relax! Enjoy the joys of being in love! I’m just surprised that dog finally found someone to settle down with, much less trust with his students! He was always such a prickly kid and it didn’t matter how many times I tried to set him up, he was always such a prude! He doesn’t just take after his father in looks, apparently!” Jiraiya’s casual demeanor and his boisterous laugh encouraged her shoulders to relax as she dropped her hands into her lap. 

“He’s very… loyal…” she muttered, starting to pick at her fingers. She didn’t know how to respond with Jiraiya’s comparison to Kakashi’s father since it was a topic she carefully avoided with Kakashi himself. She’d heard of the White Fang but she didn’t actually know anything about him. She remembered seeing Kakashi in passing when they were kids and prickly was certainly one way to describe him, but to hear it from someone she didn’t know at all was strange. 

“That’s the Hatake line for ya! Their pack comes before everything else. They’re primitive, that’s for sure, but some ladies are into it so who am I to judge?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Avurin snapped out of her contemplation to glare at him. 

“I think we’re done talking for the night. Find me tomorrow at the training grounds to talk to Naruto. I need to go home and sleep.” Slamming her hands down on the counter, she pulled herself out of the stool she was sitting in and ignored his squawking as she left him with the bill for the night. She’d wasted enough time dealing with him so he could pay for her and Naruto’s dinner. 

Making her way back to the compound, the silence of the night was almost oppressive. The trees rustled slightly with every light breeze and she found herself fighting with her instincts to jump at every noise. Since Kakashi was gone, she had started feeling wary of traveling alone knowing that someone had started monitoring her movements. Kakashi had warned her about certain tails that had taken an interest in her and she could only admit to herself that the concept scared her. She was able to defend herself, sure, but she had a feeling it went deeper than just a simple tail to check on her periodically. 

Jumping over the walls of the compound brought relief she hadn’t expected as she jogged to her cabin, not wanting to be outside any longer than she had to be. The wards were safe and she knew it would take a decent amount of power to break through them. The Hatake compound, despite its dark and abandoned nature, was starting to feel more and more comforting. 

She slept in fits that night, not quite sure what was bothering her but her senses kept her awake as much as possible to her ever-increasing frustration. 

…

The next day, she met the kids at the training grounds exactly at the time she’d set. They were still drowsy from the early morning meeting time along with the exhaustion from the previous day but she knew they would wake up once they started moving. She had decided the previous day to continue to press them to walk on water, not wanting Naruto to fall behind simply because Sakura was taking to it quicker. 

“Naruto! Just focus your chakra on your feet! It’s really not that hard!” Sakura screamed as they neared lunch time. Naruto was just barely holding it together on the water, his feet wavering as he bobbed between sinking up to his ankles and standing on the water. Avurin could understand Sakura’s frustration since she wasn’t able to advance any further without Naruto keeping up, but she couldn’t condone it. 

“Sakura, everyone learns at different rates. Naruto just struggles with chakra control, which is exactly why I’m focusing more time on this subject. What may be simple to you may not be as simple to everyone else.” Really, she felt like she was making excuses. Naruto didn’t make it easy with his loud screeching every time he fell in the water and his own mounting frustration. 

“Hey! I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Jiraiya’s overly cheery voice interrupted the moment, distracting Naruto enough to fall into the water again with a scream. Avurin turned to Jiraiya and gave him a tense smile as she listened to Naruto pull himself from the water in the background, his grumbling reaching new creative heights. 

“You’re just in time for lunch. Brats! Time for a break!” She pulled out a storage scroll, unsealing a large basket with several varieties of onigiri, some simple stew she had made the previous night, and dango for dessert. She had made extra to account for Naruto’s appetite as well as expecting Jiraiya to follow through on her invitation. 

“Avie-sensei! This looks so good! Did you make this yourself?” Naruto was nearly drooling as he sat down abruptly in the grass, still soaked from his training in the river. Avurin nodded as she sat down a few feet from him, prompting Sakura to do the same. Jiraiya hesitated for a moment before joining them and Sakura was directing questioning glances at Avurin. 

“Naruto, I didn’t give you a proper introduction last night and Sakura, I hadn’t realized who we were talking to when I sent you home. This is Jiraiya, one of the three Legendary Sannin of Konoha. He is a master in seals and has summons with the toads. I had met him a few years ago but I didn’t realize who he was until last night.” Avurin explained calmly, picking a tuna onigiri from the pile and carefully unwrapping it. 

“That doesn’t mean he isn’t pervy…” Naruto grumbled as he also picked an onigiri. Sakura seemed to agree with him on that as they pointedly turned away from Jiraiya. The white-haired ninja had an expression on his face that could have been considered pure betrayal. 

“That is true. However, Naruto, I think you should spend some time getting to know him. We’ve been struggling to find ways that would help you manage your chakra and Jiraiya happens to be an expert on your particular situation. I invited him today so I could suggest that you train with him prior to the Chunin exams.” The silence following Avurin’s statement was nearly suffocating and she started sweating as she started to nibble on the onigiri in her hands. 

“No! I’m not training with anyone else! First Kakashi-sensei pushes me off to you and now you’re pushing me off on this pervert?!” Naruto yelled, jumping to his feet. Avurin winced. She had thought about how this would look to Naruto and that image had been part of what had kept her up the previous night. 

“Naruto, this isn’t about pushing you off to someone. I’m perfectly capable of teaching you the basics but that’s it. Jiraiya is better equipped to help you learn how to do the things that you’ve been struggling with.” Avurin knew her explanation sounded weak but she really needed Naruto to agree or she would be kicking herself over the incident for weeks after this. One way or another, he was going to start his training with Jiraiya after that day. 

“You just don’t want to train me! I know I’m a little slow but I’m getting it! I promise I’ll start keeping up! You can’t leave me behind too!” Oh, that broke her heart. His lower lip was wobbling and she sighed, getting up to stand in front of him. He flinched slightly as she put a hand on his shoulder, leaning down so that she was at eye-level with him. 

“Naruto, I haven’t hidden from you that I am not qualified to train you. I wouldn’t have suggested Jiraiya as your new sensei if I didn’t believe he would do a better job than I could. I expect updates from you and we’ll still get ramen together. I want you to be the best ninja you can be and having me as your sensei will not get you there. Don’t you still want to be Hokage someday?” His lip continued to wobble and he sniffled, rubbing his forearm across his face as he nodded. 

“Believe it. You promise that I’ll still see you a lot, right?” His voice was so much quieter than Avurin was used to hearing from him and she felt her gaze soften. 

“I promise. I’ll be here in the village and I’ll be there to cheer you on at the Chunin Exams. Even if you don’t like Jiraiya-sensei, you need to get better at being a ninja. Sometimes we don’t always agree with people but we can still learn from them. So, chin up, wipe that pout off of your face, and get stronger.” She tilted his chin up and he sniffled, not managing to grit his teeth past the overwhelming feelings. Still, he nodded. “Now, sit down and eat.” 

They spent the next thirty minutes eating as Jiraiya started telling Naruto more about himself. Avurin felt herself start to unwind from how tense she had been for the conversation with Naruto as he started expressing interest in what Jiraiya had to offer. She felt better about her choice to allow Jiraiya to teach him, knowing that she was completely out of her league in dealing with a Jinchuriki. If something was wrong with Naruto’s chakra because of the fox, Jiraiya could handle it. 

That left her with Sakura.

Chapter Text

The damage was immense, there were fires taking over various buildings and blood was soaking into the ground. Avurin struggled not to focus on just how overwhelming the situation was as she struggled to search for the Genin in the chaos. 

An attack on Konoha in the middle of the Chunin Exams had taken everyone by surprise. 

Avurin had kept her promise to attend the Chunin Exams to cheer on Naruto. The change in Naruto was very obvious and she was glad that she’d made the decision to take Jiraiya on his offer to work with him. She knew she wouldn’t have been able to get him to that point without help. Sakura, however, she could take full responsibility for. 

…

“I wonder how Sasuke’s doing…” Sakura muttered as she practiced her aim with kunai. Avurin was reading a book against the tree Sakura was aiming for, the wooden target sitting above her head. Sakura was weak in terms of confidence and emotional issues so Avurin had stressed that Sakura would need to get over the possibility of hitting Avurin to improve her aim. 

It could be considered cruel to tell a kid to just ‘get over it’ when they expressed concern for harming their sensei, but Avurin was tired of handling Sakura with any sort of care. The girl needed to grow a backbone. 

“Sakura, stop. I can guarantee that Sasuke isn’t thinking about you right now and this is painful to watch. I get it, you have a crush and there are a few rivals with the same crush, but you need to stop lowering yourself to the same level as a squealing child for him. You have the potential to be a strong young woman and you don’t need a boy, or a man later in life, to look in your direction for you to find validation. Besides, he’s an asshole. You can do better.” Avurin didn’t look up from her book as another kunai made a resounding thunk above her head. 

“He’s not an… an asshole! He’s strong and handsome! What would you be doing without Kakashi-sensei, then?! You say I don’t need a man to look at me but he’s done everything for you!” Avurin felt her eye twitch and she slammed her book shut, glaring at her student who was mid-throw with another kunai. Sakura was glaring as well, her own attitude having been on the edge of catty with Avurin for the last week. 

“I would be in my cabin half a nation away, happy and living in peace and quiet. I would still have my kekkei genkai along with my previous training and I would have died later in life away from the shinobi world. Kakashi forced his way into my life and I pushed back against him as often as possible to keep my independence. I don’t rely on his looks, his money, or his reputation for anything. THAT is being an independent woman. Kakashi could break up with me tomorrow and I would be able to continue my life. Him, not so much. Can you say the same about Sasuke if he were to break your heart? A kunoichi who is so easy to manipulate with good looks and childish fascination is a liability, Sakura. Stand on your own two feet.” Avurin stood and turned towards the target to see if Sakura’s aim was improving. 

Turning her back to Sakura while she was angry was as much of an opportunity for the girl to collect herself as it was for her to bury a kunai in Avurin’s back. Avurin pulled the kunai from the target with a scowl. Sakura hadn’t shown any improvement in her aim throughout the day and it was starting to look obvious that the girl wasn’t focused at all. She had a good enough aim to pass the Academy but she was lazy about it. Avurin turned back to Sakura who was red in the face by this point. 

“What do you mean if Kakashi breaks up with you?! Since when are you two together-together?!” Avurin smiled as she brought the kunai back to Sakura. 

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag. We wanted to keep it a secret to mess with you guys but with everyone split up like this, there’s really not a point to it anymore. It’s a complicated matter but yes, we are ‘together-together.’ That’s why he entrusted me with your training. Kakashi and I had our first major fight over his decision to train Sasuke and leave you two behind so I stepped in. That being said, I’m a little upset with him at the moment.” Dumping the pile of kunai in front of Sakura, she took one and threw it without looking, knowing by the solid thunk that she’d hit the center. 

“Which plays into my point perfectly. I don’t need Kakashi to be a capable kunoichi. I was fine without him. A relationship should never be your sole focus in life. Relationships just make life a little better. When it starts to negatively affect you and your abilities in this world, you shouldn’t put so much energy into it. You should be putting that energy into yourself. Just watching you over the last few months, I know you’re capable of being a great kunoichi. The only hangup I’ve seen from you is anything to do with Sasuke. You could have done so much better today if you’d stopped focusing so much on him and instead put that energy into improving.” Avurin sighed and sat down in the grass next to Sakura, eyeing the target. 

“So… you’re not really telling me I shouldn’t have a relationship with someone. You just don’t want me getting distracted. Which is exactly what everyone else says, just in more words?” Sakura sounded confused, yet Avurin was happy the point had gotten through. 

“Exactly. You’re listening now, aren’t you? I don’t want to treat you like a child, Sakura. You’re going to be considered a young woman soon. I would hate to see you so caught up in a boy that you let yourself get lazy like you did today. That could mean life or death on an important mission later. Kakashi and I have put aside our own relationship for you guys several times just as any good shinobi should do for their missions. It’s completely okay to have a relationship, you just can’t let it distract you.” 

She hadn’t expected to give her the ‘boys talk’ so soon, hoping Sakura’s mother would have had this conversation with her already. Though, from the sound of it, Sakura had already been given this talk a few times in the usual lectures. From the look of quiet contemplation on Sakura’s face, it seemed like she was taking Avurin’s words into consideration. She wouldn’t hold out hope for it sticking, though. The second Sasuke came back, Avurin was sure Sakura wouldn’t be able to resist him. 

A kunai whistled through the air, landing in the center of the target. 

“I guess I should start focusing more. Thank you, sensei.” 

… 

Avurin was proud of Sakura. She had started to mature from that moment on, putting everything she had into her training. Avurin took the opportunity to introduce Sakura to several new weapons including senbon and katanas along with several basic jutsu to get a feel for what was comfortable. Sakura was still in the starting stages of finding what she liked, but she was improving. Her ditsy behavior was still an issue at times and she had quite a temper but Avurin was proud nonetheless. 

Avurin was only informed that Sakura wasn’t participating in the final round after Sakura had decided to have a meltdown when things had come to head after a particularly long day of training. Avurin had been pushing her as hard as she could with the Chunin Exams final stage as the goal and Sakura had finally snapped to tell her that there was no reason for her to train so hard when she wouldn’t be participating in the fights anyway. Avurin had nearly left to track down Kakashi in that moment to slap him for not passing on that information. That particular spat between the sensei and student had ended with Avurin’s confession that she hadn’t known but she wasn’t going to let up. Sakura still had too much to learn.

During the final round of the exams, Naruto had done well in his fight. Avurin couldn’t claim to know anything about his own training or how his chakra worked with the fox, she just knew he was still stubborn and he refused to stay down. 

Sasuke’s appearance just as he was about to be eliminated as a no-show had been simply stupid. However, Avurin couldn’t help but feel her entire being relax, shedding layers of stress she hadn’t even realized she had been carrying like a fifty-pound backpack, as she caught sight of Kakashi. She hadn’t seen him the entire time they were training the kids and she was starting to move past the anger she’d felt about his decision given how things had turned out. She missed him. 

He had to have also missed her as well given how quickly his eyes found hers in the crowd. Her heart leapt to her throat as he flashed from the arena to stand next to her in the stands. They didn’t speak as the fight started, but the silence was filled with loaded emotions. She hated how empty her bed had felt while he was gone and she was looking forward to the day’s end so that they could talk and hopefully share the bed. 

Then, everything had fallen apart. An explosion near the Hokage’s seat had just been the beginning. The crowd had fallen under a genjutsu and Avurin found herself among the few that had managed to avoid it. Kakashi was quick to take charge, directing the others that had managed to avoid the genjutsu to help fend off the enemies that seemed to appear from thin air. As enemies continued to reveal themselves, Avurin found herself sticking to Kakashi’s side, watching his back as things continued to get worse. 

She’d heard the screams in the distance as a loud rumbling crash echoed through Konoha. The walls that had stood for generations, protecting the village, were crumbling in a major attack. It hadn’t taken long from there to realize that the enemies were the Wind and Sound shinobi that had infiltrated as participants in the exams. Seeing Orochimaru holding the Hokage with a kunai to his neck was enough to shock everyone that saw it. From the way Kakashi had frozen, Avurin couldn’t help but freeze as well. 

Things seemed to start moving before Avurin was ready as the enemies started attacking. With a stadium full of civilians under a genjutsu, fighting was difficult. Sakura had managed to avoid the genjutsu, but her skills weren’t enough to defend herself, so Avurin and Kakashi had found themselves staying close by. When Kakashi directed Sakura to start waking  a couple of the Genin so they could start searching for Sasuke, they moved with her. Their goal was to protect the vulnerable civilians lying unconscious along with their students. It was a precarious position to be in, especially in close combat. Gai seemed to be thriving in the chaos as he supported them from a more upfront role. 

Watching the kids take off to retrieve their missing teammate scared Avurin. Kakashi worded it as an A-ranked mission and Avurin was quick to understand that they would be needed at the epicenter, especially with Orochimaru present. Their only option was to send the Genin away. Despite the logic, the idea of their students running into potential danger was enough for her to start panicking about the situation.

Avurin found herself back-to-back with Kakashi for quite a while, doing her best not to get separated from him as she used her katana to cut down enemies that got too close. However, it was inevitable that the enemy would notice. Avurin was separated from Kakashi as a group of enemies overwhelmed the pair, driving her closer to the building where the barrier was erected for Orochimaru’s fight with the Hokage. She let them chase her, getting closer to the battle that had escalated within the barrier, as she picked off the enemies one by one at her own pace with her bow and chakra arrows. 

Sitting on the roof just outside of the barrier, she was able to see the battle up close and cursed quietly to herself. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Orochimaru. A flash of blue armor inside of the barrier caught her attention and she took a moment to watch, taking note of the Anbu also watching the battle from outside of the barrier, unable to do anything to defend their Hokage. 

Her feet were rooted to the spot she was standing in as the flashes of blue and red sets of armor became clearer, painting a very disturbing and utterly terrifying image. She didn’t know how and she didn’t want to know when Orochimaru had figured out the logistics of such a jutsu. However, she couldn’t deny what her eyes were seeing and what her low-level chakra sensing was telling her. There were two powerhouses of chakra fighting Hiruzen while Orochimaru was watching from the sidelines. Two coffin-like boxes were open next to him. It didn’t take a genius to put two-and-two together. 

The faces of the two shinobi were familiar as they flashed near the barrier where she could see them. She would know those faces well considering they were carved into the side of the cliff that overlooked Konoha. The first and second Hokage, Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, were attacking Hiruzen. Red eyes caught her own through the barrier and she instinctively flinched. She hadn’t known that Tobirama had red eyes. There were photos of the Hokages in the main office of Hokage Tower but the photos from Hashirama and Tobirama’s time were grainy and not as clear as current photography. The small details had been lost. 

Tobirama had only caught her eye for a moment before continuing the attack, the slump in his back and the way he dragged his feet betraying that he truly wasn’t in control, much less truly alive. He was fast in his attacks but every time he or Hashirama slowed down, they almost looked drunk in the way they swayed and stumbled. Avurin couldn’t tear her eyes away from the spectacle, knowing there would never be such a battle in front of her again. Three Hokages, two of which were dead, were battling with everything they had. 

When Hiruzen fell to the ground, Avurin wanted to shout. The Anbu were already getting louder, trying to get the Hokage to stand. As Orochimaru stood above him, holding him by the collar of his shirt, she did shout. She slammed her closed fists against the barrier, screaming for Orochimaru to let him go. 

“Oh, don’t worry about him, Ms. Okita. You’re next.” Orochimaru had hissed back, making her physically recoil from the barrier. Tobirama’s sharp eyes had immediately focused on her at the mention of her name and she desperately wanted to know what had caught his attention. He didn’t speak, so she could only conclude that he couldn’t. There was something unsettling about looking into the eyes of the dead, yet she couldn’t look away even as she backed away from the barrier. She was startled as Hiruzen made a series of movements to push Orochimaru back and momentarily disable the brothers. 

She felt hope in that moment, only for it to shatter within the next few minutes. 

Orochimaru confessed to planning to take over Sasuke’s body as part of a horrifying process to achieve immortality. Trees filled the entire space of the barrier within another moment, blocking her view as well as the Anbu’s. While the Anbu panicked, she took a look around the area, utilizing her high vantage point to assess the situation. She was pleased to see that Kakashi and Gai had made progress in handling the enemies threatening the civilians. 

The trees retracted slightly and she was able to see inside again, just in time for Hiruzen to begin a complicated jutsu. As the battle wore on, Avurin witnessed the power of the Reaper Death Seal as Hiruzen used it to take down the first and second Hokage, the very soul of their bodies appearing to dissolve into thin air. 

The true consequences of the jutsu weren’t apparent until the Third Hokage took part of Orochimaru’s soul, the man’s arms hanging uselessly at his sides as Hiruzen fell backwards. It didn’t take amazing sensing ability to know that the Third Hokage was dead. 

Avurin stumbled away, running off of the roof to jump down and join Kakashi again. Orochimaru was essentially incapacitated, but they’d lost their Hokage. She stumbled as she rejoined Kakashi, Genma, and Gai in the middle of the arena where they had regrouped, the enemies in the area successfully handled. She fell to her knees and stared at the blades of grass between her fingers. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Kakashi had immediately kneeled by her side, his hand on her back. She couldn’t fight the choking ache in her throat as the events of just the last fifteen minutes fully came back to her. 

“L-Lord Third… he’s gone…” she muttered, stunning Kakashi, Gai, and Genma into silence. “Orochimaru is injured. I don’t know if he’ll retreat or if the attack will continue. Lord Third made sure that he couldn’t perform any jutsu for the foreseeable future.” She made sure to include Orochimaru’s state just for the sake of not pushing everyone into a panic. 

The barrier fell shortly after that and Orochimaru retreated along with Kabuto, one of his followers that had disguised himself as an Anbu agent, and the Sand Jonin that had obviously been a part of the plan. Avurin needed to get away from the area to collect her thoughts, so she told Kakashi she was going to start looking for the Genin within the village. She knew they probably weren’t there and Kakashi knew that as well from the way he simply nodded before leaving in the direction the Genin had actually gone in. 

… 

So, there she stood among the wreckage of what was once the proud village of Konoha. She helped the other shinobi collect bodies, storing them in body scrolls for later identification and proper burials, as well as worked with search teams to find civilians that had been hidden in various areas throughout the village. The forces that had infiltrated the village had either been killed or retreated after being given an unknown signal, leaving them with nothing but suspicions about the plan that had been enacted. 

At the end of the day, she stumbled back to her cabin at the Hatake compound. The wards had held and the compound was thankfully untouched, especially with it being located far from the chaos of the inner village. She nearly crawled over the bordering wall, too tired and emotionally wrecked to bother putting any energy into jumping over it. 

Stumbling into the cabin, she kicked her shoes off. It hit her all at once as she took in the unchanged layout of the living room, looking exactly the way it had when she’d left it that morning. It started with a choked off whimper followed with her knees hitting the floor hard enough to bruise. Aside from the Anbu operatives, she had been the only one to witness the death of the Third Hokage that day. She would tell the full story to Kakashi later, but she was just as equally mourning the second deaths of the First and Second Hokages. Who would ever deserve to be brought back from death just to die again?

She screamed with her hands pressed against her head, nails digging into her scalp. Not only had they lost their Hokage, the village was a wreck and they had lost so many good shinobi in what was essentially a pointless attack. And for what? For Orochimaru to brag that he was going to kidnap Sasuke and fight Lord Third to the death? She didn’t even know what had actually happened to the Genin when they left. For all she knew, they could’ve died. Yet, here she was, wailing and crying on the floor of her untouched home.

She didn’t hear the door open behind her as she continued to cry, her screams turning into unintelligible gibberish with mucus running down her face. She’d come back to the village just in time for another catastrophic disaster, just in time to witness the brutal death of the village’s leader. They were on the brink of another war just from that act alone. 

“Avie… c’mon… let’s get cleaned up and go to bed.” Kakashi’s voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear it and she visibly startled when he put his hand on her shoulder. She broke into another sob but stood on shaky legs before allowing him to lead her to the bathroom. As they undressed, Avurin was unable to care about being bare in front of him. He’d already seen every part of her, even if it had been before he left. She let him guide her into the shower and they washed quickly, her mind starting to go blissfully numb as she started to shut out the events of the day.

Making it to the bed, Kakashi pulled one of his own t-shirts over her head to dress her, forgoing anything else for the sake of getting her under the covers. He left himself bare with the exception of a pair of boxers as he joined her. She was staring at the ceiling for a few moments before realizing that Kakashi was just looking at her, looking hesitant to even move. She turned her head towards him, ignoring the stinging in her eyes from how much she had cried. 

“I missed you…” she muttered, taking in the concerned look on his exposed face. She knew he wasn’t unaffected by the day's events, but next to him, she felt like she was overreacting. 

“I missed you too. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to spend that long away from you again, even if it’s for the village or the pups.” His confession shocked her a little and she searched his eyes for the lie. There was only heartbreaking honesty. 

“Don’t put me before the village or the next generation, ‘Kashi… I’m not worth it.” Her voice was weak as her own self-doubt shone through. The man was entirely dedicated to the village and the future generations, it drove every action from him. To put her above that was to put her above any other reason he had for living. She couldn’t even do anything to defend their Hokage, she wasn’t worth his devotion.

“I would put you before anything. When you were chased away from my side earlier, I nearly went mad. I wanted to follow and Gai had to shake some sense in me to protect the civilians. If I had to do it again, I would have followed you so you wouldn’t have been alone today.” His arm carefully wrapped around her waist as she turned on her side to face him. She felt her eyes starting to sting with more unshed tears. 

“‘Kashi, I love you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m glad I have you.” She buried her face in his chest to avoid crying in front of him again. She could feel the way he seemed to melt, curling around her as one of his hands held the back of her head, pulling her as close as possible. 

“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

The funeral was a somber affair for the entire village and Avurin had been called in for a statement just prior to it. She told Ibiki everything, including the few times she had caught Tobirama’s eyes, speculating that he’d been mentally present despite the situation. It was explained to her that the jutsu used was called Edo Tensei and Tobirama himself had been the one to invent the forbidden jutsu. It was highly likely that their souls had actually been summoned and they were actually present for the fight despite their actions under Orochimaru’s control.

After the funeral, Avurin’s days swayed between completely normal and completely off-kilter. Sasuke was struggling, Kakashi explained. He was rebelling more and it all came to head when the teenager followed Jiraiya and Naruto on a mission to find Lady Tsunade, a mission in hopes of finding their Fifth Hokage. A confrontation with his brother had opened an entirely new case of concern for Kakashi as it only seemed to worsen the Uchiha’s behavior. 

Avurin continued to study her family’s notes and, over time, started making significant progress with her kekkei genkai. Her commands were much harder to get out of and her chakra usage was becoming more efficient. Interrogations were at an all-time high with tensions rising between Konoha and nearby villages following the attack. She was getting plenty of practice. After the attack on Konoha, she had mentally shut down her will to protest any torture and interrogation work, knowing her work was preventing further attacks or at least thwarting any new plans. Her patience for peaceful options had run completely thin and she could feel the war-time mentalities coming to light not just in her, but in everyone else around her that had been trained during a war.

She trained with Sakura occasionally, but neither of them really had the heart for it anymore. Sakura was spending more time with her family following the attack as well as watching her Genin team fall apart in front of her eyes. Kakashi had explained that getting any of them to work together when they had been in one place had become so much of a nightmare he was giving up entirely. With Naruto officially seeking out Jiraiya more often for training and Sasuke’s rebellion, he was too tired to try anymore. 

There had been a day that had given Kakashi some hope prior to the run-in with Itachi, a day where the team had come together to try to see under his mask. Avurin had helpfully contributed as Kakashi’s girlfriend to pretend to lure him into traps. Seeing Kakashi in disguise as Sukea, she had playfully flirted with him in front of the kids just to get their reactions. 

Being forcefully dragged away by Naruto, lectured by Sakura on fidelity, and having Sasuke call ‘Sukea’ and homewrecker to his face was easily at the top of some of her favorite memories. 

When Naruto and Jiraiya returned with Tsunade, Avurin immediately butted heads with the woman. She had respect for Tsunade, that much she could admit, but they were too similar. Neither of them had any tact or patience for pleasantries, and Avurin was too casual with her cursing and lack of attention to her appearance. At least, that was what Tsunade accused her of. Avurin could admit that she didn’t care much for getting her hair cut more than twice a year, always kept it in the same style, and she didn’t bother with getting manicures or painting her nails. She wasn’t a standard kunoichi by any means. 

There had also been several discussions regarding her family line and what Tsunade expected in terms of conducting herself with such a powerful kekkei genkai. Avurin had taken offense to the implied control Tsunade was putting over her and that had led to another disagreement. By that point, Shizune and Kakashi had given up on stepping between the two. It was during their disagreements that they had the best discussions, however. Avurin trusted Tsunade with a lot more than she’d trusted Hiruzen. That being said, when Sakura began gravitating to Tsunade for training, Avurin trusted the new Hokage with her former temporary student more than anyone else. 

Kakashi and Avurin spent some time together, going on some small dates when they could. However, Kakashi was focused on getting the Genin on more missions and Tsunade had thrown out the orders that Avurin couldn’t leave the village as soon as she’d entered the office. There had been several conversations about her Chunin Rank and it was determined that her Jonin Rank would be considered a priority to focus on for the upcoming months. Avurin was finding herself on more B-Rank missions and had even completed a couple of A-Ranks in the span of a few months. Needless to say, the couple were busy with separate obligations. 

When Sasuke left, the entire village felt the difference. Naruto and Sakura hid themselves in their homes without saying a word for quite a while. When they did finally come out, Kakashi tried to keep things normal by scheduling their missions and trying to make-do without Sasuke. Avurin could tell he was just as hurt by Sasuke’s defection. The training he’d given the boy was being used to the advantage of an enemy and it had sent the man into his own form of depression for several weeks. 

When Naruto left to train with Jiraiya, Avurin was standing next to Kakashi as they saw him off. Sakura had chosen to see off her teammate as well, but she was withdrawn and obviously hurting. Her team was officially dissolved at that point and Avurin knew that she would have to make a point to check in with the girl periodically. Avurin was happy to see Naruto getting what he needed from Jiraiya and she could tell Kakashi was just as relieved. 

That left them by themselves with more time on their hands than they expected. They were actually able to develop a routine, something they never had the privilege of utilizing. While they did take missions occasionally, Kakashi’s sometimes taking him out of the village for weeks at a time, they had more free time. That meant training. 

…

“I’ve decided that I’m going to teach you Chidori.” Avurin hadn’t expected Kakashi to ever consider passing on his jutsu to her, so when they’d arrived at the training grounds a couple of months into their light training sessions in preparation for her Jonin assessments and he’d dropped that bomb on her, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in his direction. 

“Are you sure I’m ready for that? We’ve been going pretty easy on my training and I’ve only mastered a couple of lightning jutsus.” She wasn’t necessarily questioning his judgment, she just didn’t want to get electrocuted. With smaller lightning jutsus, at least the accidental electrocution wasn’t deadly. With Chidori, it would be. 

“I’m confident that you’ll be able to handle it just fine. Your chakra control is much better just from training your kekkei genkai and the other lightning jutsus were more for practice. If I could teach it to a thirteen year old boy, I think I can teach my girlfriend.” They didn’t bring up Sasuke often since it was a sore point for Kakashi, so she simply nodded and listened as he explained the intricacies of the jutsu that put fear into the hearts of friends and foes alike. 

…

After a year and a half, there was a topic that needed to be thoroughly talked about. Kakashi had kept his apartment despite spending nearly every night in Avurin’s cabin and the only times she’d seen him use it were a week about six months after Naruto had left and a week about six months after that. He’d woken up feverish both times, panting through his mask as he rushed out of the door, only telling her that he’d be gone for a week and that he would be back. It reminded her of the time he’d locked himself in the guest bedroom of her cabin when she’d first met him and she felt that she was finally entitled to answers. 

“Why do you disappear every six months? What’s going on?” she’d finally asked at the dinner table one night, her senses telling her that the pattern would repeat again within the next few weeks. Kakashi had dropped the spoon he was holding into the miso soup they’d been eating, staring at her with a guilty and shocked expression. Then, his face had done the most curious thing. He’d blushed. 

“Well… it’s related to my… quirks. Do you really want to know? It’s kind of… awkward…” Seeing Kakashi shy and flustered was a very rare occasion and Avurin’s curiosity peaked. This was obviously a very embarrassing part of his genetics and she didn’t want him to feel cornered. Folding her hands together in front of her, she’d smiled and leaned forward, giving him her full attention. 

“I think we’re long past the point of being awkward with each other ‘Kashi. Is it something intimate?” She kept her tone light, only lightly teasing. His face was nearly beet red, so she didn’t want to push too much. 

“K-Kind of… I go into what the books on Hatake biology call a ‘rut.’ It’s… a mating thing. For a week every six months I just get… overwhelmed by my instincts. It’s an instinct intended for successful b-breeding…” The man was mortified and Avurin was surprised. They didn’t speak for a moment as she contemplated this new aspect of their relationship. 

“So you’ve been running off to your apartment to jack off for a week? You realize I’m right here, right? I’ll happily let you ‘mate’ with me anytime you want. If it’s a week long thing, we can just prepare with food and water and take time off together. You don’t have to do it by yourself.” She really didn’t understand why he’d kept this information from her for a year and a half. They had a more than happy sex life, even if it meant she had to wear high-collared shirts more often than not. Kakashi rubbed at his face with his hands. 

“It’s not… that. I’m extremely fertile when I’m in a rut. Even if you’re diligent about drinking your tea in the morning that will prevent a pregnancy, it may fail. And I’m out of my mind during a rut so I don’t exactly have the sanity to remember to put a condom on between rounds. I’ve been going back to the apartment so I don’t jump you and accidentally get you pregnant. I’m actually not fertile at all outside of my ruts, which is why I haven’t bothered with much protection here at home.” Avurin dropped her own spoon in her soup, staring at Kakashi. 

“Oh.” It was all she could say to that admission. They hadn’t talked about kids even once, so she could understand his apprehension. An explanation for the lack of protection outside of the ruts was suddenly a lot more reassuring, however.  “Do you want kids someday?” She had to ask. It was an important question that even she didn’t know the answer to, but she had a feeling it was a good question to ask at this point in their relationship. 

“Yes. Someday. I want my life to be stable and the village be at peace before bringing children into the world. Which is exactly why I’ve been handling this on my own.” Avurin was reassured by his answer, though she didn’t know why. She hadn’t given much thought to children, only passing thoughts when her genetics were in question regarding the two kekkei genkai that were currently battling each other in her family line. Which, she guessed, would be an important thing to mention. 

“While we were going through the records for my family, the patterns suggested that any children I produce would be due for the time freeze kekkei genkai. We’ll need to keep that in mind for when we do decide to have them.” She resumed eating her soup as Kakashi thought about it for a moment. Neither of them made any comment about the presumption that they would have kids together someday. It was a given that they were secure enough with each other that it was most likely they would stay together and likely never find new partners even if they did break up.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out. You’ve had family members that were able to live with it and we have some of the strongest shinobi in the world to help raise them.” And that was that. 

… 

For Kakashi’s next rut only a week later, he retreated to his apartment with several items of Avurin’s clothes. She didn’t ask, she just assumed it had something to do with his increased sense of smell. It was a little odd that she was willingly encouraging him to handle his business without her, but she agreed with him. They weren’t ready for kids, even if she was curious about his ruts. She had stopped drinking the nasty tea she’d bought to prevent an accident outside of his ruts, not wanting to put her body through forcefully adjusting her hormones anymore when it was no longer needed. 

When he’d returned, she could almost smell the difference in his hormones and it drew her close to him for a few days, demanding as much physical contact as she could get from him. He had laughed it off and they’d moved on with their lives as if it were just a normal part of their relationship. Things were so casual between them when work wasn’t involved and Avurin thrived in their new dynamic. 

Tsunade also threw them a bone occasionally, scheduling them on missions together for the sake of ‘getting the love-birds out of her village for a week.’ The missions were usually easy and Avurin genuinely believed Tsunade was sending them on scheduled vacations for some of them, even if she claimed it was just so she wouldn’t have to hear Avurin’s voice for a week. One in particular had been entirely a vacation, a simple ‘inspection’ of an onsen in the Southern area of the Land of Fire. They hadn’t even been told what to look for. 

…

Avurin slumped in the hot water of the onsen, sighing. The onsen they had been sent to was co-ed so Kakashi would be joining her soon. She hadn’t ever been to an onsen before and she was enjoying the experience thoroughly. They were spending an entire week at the onsen, all expenses paid from the village’s budget since it was part of a ‘mission.’ What had surprised her was that they were the only visitors at the onsen for the next few days and the business was fully catering to them under the impression that they were on their honeymoon. Neither her nor Kakashi had corrected them. 

“Well you look comfortable,” Kakashi quietly interrupted from where he’d left the dressing room. Avurin glanced up at him, surprised to see his face fully exposed and a towel wrapped around his hips. She had fully expected him to guard his face for the entire trip, even in the onsen. 

“This place is amazing. I’ve never been to an onsen before.” She made a point to sink slightly deeper into the water, carefully watching him from the corner of her eye as he removed his towel, stepping down into the water. She didn’t care if he caught her staring, he was attractive. She would never understand what she’d done to deserve him. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’m starting to think Tsunade really doesn’t want you in the village with how many vacations she’s been sending us on recently.” Kakashi chuckled with a long sigh as he sat down in the water, stretching out his legs. 

“It’s not my fault she can’t stand me. If it keeps getting us free vacations though, I might just continue to badger her when we get back.” Avurin giggled slightly as she felt Kakashi’s hand rest on her thigh under the water. Feeling a little brave, she brought her leg over his, settling herself on his lap to face him. Leaning down, she gave him a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“If you can be quiet, we can have a little bit of fun out here. It’s late in the day so most of the staff has already gone home.” Kakashi muttered, his hands resting on her hips. Putting her hand under the water, she reached for his rapidly stiffening erection, running her fingers along the underside in a whisper of a touch. The answering twitch of interest brought a smirk to her lips as she leaned close to whisper in Kakashi’s ear. 

“I promise I’ll be quiet. Please?” His answering growl and the way his hands gripped her hips tight enough to leave bruises were enough for her to tilt her head for him, allowing his mouth to find all of her favorite spots. She still had fading bruises down both sides of her neck from their last coupling and she knew Kakashi wouldn’t stand to let them fade. 

“You are so beautiful. I love seeing you like this,” he whispered against her neck before his teeth bit down gently, lightly teasing the skin. She let out an involuntary whimper, her arms coming out of the water to rest on his shoulders. The movement shifted her closer to him so that their chests were pressed together with his cock trapped between the two of them. “Shh. You promised to be quiet.” His hands fell lower, sinking into the water to start squeezing her ass, his touch firm and confident. 

She buried her face in his neck as one of his hands went even lower, his fingers finding her entrance in the water past the curve of her ass. Within moments, he had two fingers diving into her, curling slightly to prompt the smallest noises from her against her will. Taking a page from his book, she bit down lightly on his neck, doing her best to muffle her soft moans and quiet gasps. 

She’d bitten him before and it always set him off. She didn’t know why she’d expected anything different for that particular occasion. They were well-practiced after being together for nearly two years so it was safe for him to slide into her immediately, already too impatient to continue teasing her following the bite. She readjusted to bury her teeth at the junction of his neck and his shoulder, trying not to bite too hard as she narrowly avoided screaming. 

He groaned, the sound a long, low, and quiet noise as he started to thrust into her. She was bouncing in his lap, attempting to assist the process given how short his thrusts were being limited to with their position. She just barely noticed how loud the splashing was getting when he gripped her hips even tighter, holding her completely still slightly above him. 

“Quiet. Have to be quiet in the water.” His words were short and his tone was low, a growl barely contained in his throat. She let go of his neck, shocked to see how deep she’d bitten him. There were small areas that had blood beading on the skin. Unable to help herself, she licked at the bite, earning a hiss from Kakashi and the resuming of his thrusts. 

The water was calmer with the adjustment, but Avurin couldn’t hold back all of the noises she let out as Kakashi’s thrusts escalated to a more frantic pace. Quiet moans and whimpers left her mouth as he continued to pound into her, his own teeth burying themselves in her neck to renew the marks he kept leaving on her. She felt herself starting to peak and covered her mouth with her hand, desperately trying to contain herself. When she came, she arched her back, slightly pulling away from him as he continued to fuck her through it.

She was pulled down harshly on him as he came, filling her with warmth with an almost too-loud growl. After a few moments, Avurin pulled herself off of his lap to sit next to him, her legs shaking. The water was starting to feel too hot in their post-orgasm afterglow so they made the decision to go back inside where they proceeded to have a second round. 

…

She was fairly certain the staff at that onsen knew about most of their activities and had simply given them the decency of pretending they’d had privacy. They were supposed to be on their ‘honeymoon,’ after all. 

They hadn’t talked about getting married and Kakashi hadn’t brought up the ‘bite that would matter to him’ during their time together. She knew it was truly a lifelong commitment if they decided to tie the knot. Honestly, she didn’t mind. They weren’t in any rush. Things were calm in the village and outside of it. While there were still things to worry about such as Sasuke’s whereabouts, they were able to enjoy their time together and their relationship had solidified over the last two years. 

Sure, they still bickered and fought occasionally, but she was surprised to find that their minor spats were usually easily remedied. They made a great team in their personal lives as well as on the field, their shared training building a completely new dynamic between the two of them. 

She wasn’t ready for what her life would become over the next year.

Chapter Text

They hadn’t known it at the time, but Naruto would be returning in a month. Avurin had woken up to Kakashi thrashing in the bed, his body covered in sweat and his fangs more prominent than usual. Thinking back, she realized what it was. He’d gone into rut slightly early and he hadn’t caught it early enough to safely move himself to the apartment. Avurin had thought about the situation after his last rut and had come to a decision she’d wanted to tell him the next week. 

Even with the risks, she’d wanted to share this rut with him for the sake of seeing this side of him. She didn’t want him to feel as if he had to hide this part of him when she had made a point to accept all of his previous traits. She’d stocked up on the tea she was going to drink each morning and she had been planning to hide condoms throughout the room so she could put them on him when she had the opportunity. However, his rut was early and she had to make a decision. 

She started to shake him awake. She didn’t typically touch him if he was having a nightmare or otherwise try to disturb his sleep, his reactions fitting a shinobi of his caliber, but she knew that if she wanted to talk to him while he was still in his right mind, she needed to wake him up. He startled so violently she almost fell off of the bed. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth slightly, his face flushed and panting. 

“‘Kashi? You with me?” she asked gently. His pupils were blown wide but he seemed to collect himself as he realized the situation he was in, his mouth closing and his eyes widening in horror. 

“Y-Yes? F-Fuck, it came early this time. I-I can still go…” Avurin shook her head, pushing his sweaty bangs away from his eyes. 

“I was going to talk to you about this next week but I want to share this one with you. I’ve prepared the best that I can. Will you stay this time?” A low whine left his throat and he started panting again, writhing slightly on the bed. 

“I-I’ll stay…” he said with a slight gasp. Avurin nodded and started to pull her clothes off. 

“What do you need right now?” she asked, leaning over the upper half of his body, pressing herself against him. His eyes seemed to be taking in every detail and she knew the Sharingan was recording this moment. He hadn’t bothered to close that eye or cover it and she knew his chakra would be depleted if it wasn’t covered within the next hour or so. His low grumble brought her thoughts back to him as he sat up in the bed, pushing her back to sit up completely, his eyes completely focused on her. 

“Just you.” He pounced on her, shoving her down into the bed with enough force for her to bounce on the soft mattress. His mouth was immediately on her neck, his cock straining against his boxers as he rubbed it against her thigh in aborted thrusts. She could see why he’d said that he was completely out of control during ruts. It was almost animalistic how he’d fallen to his base instincts so quickly. 

She did her best to go along with what he wanted, adjusting her legs when he started pawing at her thighs, even helping him pull down his boxers so that he could get to the part that would actually sate his instincts. With her knees pressed close to her head, he leaned down to bring their mouths together in a rough kiss, teeth biting at her lips and his tongue invading her mouth. 

As he buried himself inside of her, she couldn’t help the startled shout that left her mouth. He felt bigger and his thrusts were frantic, chasing his own pleasure without any regard for her own. It was hotter than she’d expected and she fell into her own headspace as he took her. 

When he came, it was a lot. She could feel it leaking out of her from around where he was still pressed deep inside of her, the warmth in her stomach accompanied by a pressure she wasn’t familiar with but wasn’t complaining about. She felt so full of him that it was overwhelming. A whine left her throat as he pulled out but didn’t let her legs go. He kept her folded in half as he pushed as much cushioning under her hips as possible. While she would probably ask about it later, she continued to go with what he thought was best. 

Then his fingers were tracing where his cum was leaking out of her, catching the trail on his fingers before pressing it back into her, forcing a loud keen from her throat.

“Can’t wait to see you carry my pups. My mate.” He was growling and grumbling, nearly obsessive as he continued to press his fingers into her. She obediently kept her knees pulled towards her chest, only one of her legs currently held in his bruising grip. Then his mouth was on her, licking into her with a frantic pace that could only be described as desperation. Avurin threw her head back and groaned, not sure how to respond to his words. She had a feeling she didn’t need to respond to him. She knew the way he was talking was instantly creating a pooling wetness between her legs, yet he was licking it up as quickly as it was coming out of her. 

“Need you to cum. You have to cum so the seed will take.” His frantic harsh whispering against her pussy brought her closer to the edge as he started to focus on her clit, gently sucking on it and tweaking it with his tongue. After a full minute, he was starting to grow impatient if his increasingly loud growls were anything to go by but she was close. One more flick with his tongue unraveled her and she came with a scream. Thoughts flickered through her head that she hadn’t expected to find an almost feral pleasure in. She would play along with the game and enjoy it, she had her teas and she also had medication she would be taking when he was done with her. It had been hard to find but it would do the job. This wouldn’t be the last time she would spend his rut with him while still preventing kids, she had guaranteed it. 

Feeling drunk on the feeling, she was surprised as he entered her again with a snarl, his mouth immediately finding her neck to latch on for a single, deep bite. She whined and whimpered under him, not quite sure what was coming over her as she took what he was giving her. 

…

She just barely managed to get a letter sent to Tsunade telling her that they would be out of commission for a week while Kakashi had been asleep. She’d discovered that with his Sharingan constantly on and draining his chakra, she could get breaks when he finally passed out from the usage of his eye. While she loved him dearly and was enjoying the experience, she needed the short breaks. The downtime was also a good time for her to drink her tea, not even bothering to put on clothes as she moved around the house. He’d ripped off her clothes when she’d tried after his first nap, leaving the fabric in tatters in the living room. He’d woken up in a frenzy to find her and was not patient enough for her to take them off. 

His rut didn’t last a full week like she’d expected, it had ended abruptly after four days. She’d woken up to find him sleeping soundly next to her, all signs of the rut wiped away and replaced with a relaxed laziness that she knew meant he was thoroughly exhausted. She’d gotten up to shower, grimacing in the mirror as she looked at a single bite on her neck that genuinely hurt. It was deep, much deeper than any other he’d left on her. As she traced it with her fingers in the mirror, a realization hit her like a load of bricks. 

This bite was going to scar. This bite was likely the bite that Kakashi had been talking about when they’d last discussed the marks at the beginning of their relationship. He’d latched himself onto her neck in that one spot so many times during his rut that this had to have been fully intentional. Eyeing the medication on the counter that she’d bought for the sole intention of spending this time with him, she picked up a mug from the counter and filled it with water from the sink. Taking the medication was easy enough, she just hoped there weren’t side effects. It had been stressed to her that it would prevent a pregnancy but not many used it so there wasn’t much that could be said about how it interacted with different people. She’d gotten it from a nearby village at Anko’s recommendation after an hour of humiliating conversation surrounding the topic. 

Kakashi was going to wake up soon so she shook her head and started the shower. She intended to be as clean as possible before seeing him again that morning since he’d left so much of a mess on her. 

She was slightly surprised when he groggily walked into the bathroom while she was showering, grumbling a ‘good morning’ as he took his morning piss. They’d reached a casual balance between the two of them so it wasn’t abnormal to share the bathroom in that manner. She finished her shower quickly, grabbing a towel from the stool next to the shower stall before walking out. He was leaning over the sink staring at himself in the mirror, his Sharingan eye closed. 

“Good morning. Feeling okay?” she asked as she pushed herself next to him, grabbing her comb to start working through some of the knots in her hair. His eyes immediately caught sight of the slightly off-center bite only partially visible from one side of her neck and he gently placed his hand on her nape, his thumb lightly tracing it. 

“Yeah. I feel great, actually. That was… intense. I know we haven’t talked about it seriously but I’m sorry. This… I didn’t expect to do this to you so soon.” His gaze on her was concerned but there wasn’t a trace of his previous self-deprecating thoughts from the last time he’d left marks on her he hadn’t asked about previously. If anything, he looked resigned. Avurin sighed, leaning into his hand. 

“It’s okay, ‘Kashi. I think you and I both knew we were going to be mates by your definition eventually. All that’s left is to get married and we’d be sealing the deal. I wasn’t expecting it this early either but I’m not surprised.” His hand moved to her cheek and she continued to lean into the touch, bringing her own hand up to cup his. 

“I love you.” He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her lips and she smiled. 

“I love you too. You’re the one stuck with me for life now. I hope you’ve made your peace.” She laughed lightly and a smile spread across his face. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

…

A month later, Naruto returned to the village. Avurin hadn’t given much thought to the medication she had taken since it didn’t seem to produce any side effects, for that she was thankful. Taking that as a good sign, she’d reassured Kakashi that they could share his next rut together and that everything had gone exactly as planned. 

Seeing Naruto again was a shock. He was no longer the young child that he had been. He was fifteen and had grown by at least a foot. One of the first things he’d done after returning was find his teammates, Sakura and Kakashi. The fact that he’d tried to enter the Hatake compound without being keyed into the wards was an entire incident as he’d been repelled by the wards repeatedly until Kakashi and Avurin had run out to see what the commotion was about. 

No one knew when he was returning so greetings were loud and sudden. When Avurin was swept into a hug by the young man, picked up off of her feet by his own strength, she’d felt dazed. He’d grown so much since she’d last seen him that he was almost an entirely different person. Then he’d demanded ramen with them and she was reminded that this was entirely the Naruto that she knew. 

“And then Pervy Sage threw me off of a cliff and I was able to use more of my chakra! I’ve had way better control of my chakra since then.” Avurin was nearly in shock. She’d trusted Jiraiya with Naruto’s training and he’d thrown a child off of a cliff? What exactly was his idea of training the next generation? He could’ve killed Naruto! 

“Oh, did he now? Maybe I should pay him a visit after this,” Avurin muttered into her ramen, not bothering to hold back the waves of Killing Intent that she knew were permeating the ramen stall. Naruto laughed nervously, waving a hand dismissively. 

“It’s fine, Avie-sensei! I’m perfectly okay! Jiraiya-sensei would have never let me actually die!” Naruto’s nervous laughter did nothing to make her feel better. A hand gently rested on her shoulder and she leaned towards Kakashi. 

“Relax, Avie. I’ll handle it. It’ll look like an accident.” Naruto’s nervous laughter was cut off by a choked noise. 

“Hey, guys! Let’s not do anything rash! I’m okay, see? I’m okay! Why are you two suddenly so protective? It’s not like you’re my parents so you don’t have to worry about me!” Avurin’s anger froze in her veins and she carefully kept her gaze focused on the ramen in front of her. 

The silence was stifling for a few minutes, no one really knowing how to follow the statement. Avurin knew Naruto was right. He wasn’t their child. Yet, they cared about him. He was part of the pack and Kakashi had always looked at him as one of his own. At some point, Avurin had as well. 

They said goodbye to Naruto shortly after, sending him on his way to greet his friends in the village. They knew they couldn’t keep him all to themselves. 

“Is it weird that I actually do feel like a parental figure to the kids?” Avurin asked as they walked the familiar path to the Hokage Tower. They had both been asked by Tsunade to surprise Naruto with a spar to test his skills when he returned to the village. They hadn’t expected to run into him prior to the spar but it had been a pleasant surprise that he’d come to find them. 

She knew Kakashi felt the same way about Naruto’s relation to them, but she wanted to hear someone else say that it wasn’t that strange. Seeing Naruto as a growing teenager had made her heart ache in a way that she hadn’t expected. 

“No, I don’t think it’s weird at all. You already know how I feel about the kids. They’re my pups even if they aren’t really mine. It may be selfish, but you know that I view family units as a pack.” Avurin nodded along, reassured despite already knowing his answer prior to asking the question. 

“We haven’t exactly explained the pack dynamic to the kids, much less Naruto. I think Sakura has her suspicions since she’s around us more often. I don’t know if I’d expect him to be excited about the concept or weirded out the way he can get sometimes.” Avurin sighed, putting her arms behind her head to stretch as they continued their walk. 

She was fully prepared to bring out the best in Naruto so she had made sure she was fully equipped. Her katana swung at her side with each step and the bowstring of her bow dug slightly into her shoulder. Tsunade had been clear that they were both going to test Naruto in two separate assessments and that Avurin’s spar against Naruto would also provide a good idea of her own skills since she only really trained against Kakashi nowadays. 

“We’ll tell him eventually. Now that he’s back in the village, I’m sure that he’ll start to notice some things. The fact that he knew to track both of us down at the compound when he knew where to find my apartment was telling enough.” Kakashi let out a small laugh and Avurin couldn’t help but smile. 

“I guess we’re that couple in the village that everyone knows can’t really be separated. I’m kind of glad that no one bothers us about it since we never hid when we actually got together. They pestered us so much more when they thought it would be a challenge to set us up. Kurenai has definitely backed off lately.” Avurin lifted her hand to gently press against the still-pink flesh of the developing scar on her neck. The high-collared shirts she’d been wearing to cover their previous activities felt like a disrespect to the permanent mark on her so she’d stopped wearing them the day after Kakashi had finished his rut. 

Tsunade had given them a thorough talking to about the Hatake genetics and what was acceptable in regards to public displays but had admitted that she couldn’t ask them to hide something this significant. Though, they were warned that Hatake tendencies weren’t common knowledge so it was likely they would have to answer some questions. Avurin had gotten odd looks, especially from Sakura when the wrapping around the bite was safe to come off not even a week later, leaving a barely healed wound behind. However, no one had been brave enough to ask yet. 

“The questions will start at some point. It’s a miracle Naruto didn’t notice or he would have made a big deal about it. You can cover it up if you want, I won’t be upset. You know that.” She did know and she’d repeatedly told him that it was fine. She’d compared it to a wedding ring that she could openly wear, even in battle. There was no reason to hide it. 

“I know.” When they arrived at the Hokage Tower, they used their usual method of climbing the wall to perch themselves outside of the window of Tsunade’s office. After a few minutes, Naruto leaned outside of the window. 

“Kakashi-sensei! Avie-sensei! Are you going to be my opponents?” Avurin rolled her eyes. Tsunade was clearly playing a game with the kid regarding his assessment. 

“You will face us in two separate spars. Avurin has her own assessment to complete and we’ve decided that sparring against you would be a good opportunity.” Kakashi hopped up onto the window ledge, pointing at Naruto then directing his attention to Sakura. “Both of you will be my opponents for my part of the assessment.” Kakashi sounded cheerful and Avurin couldn’t help but smile. Facing his two remaining students in a test was something that he’d been looking forward to for the better part of the last year. He didn’t openly admit it, but he’d missed his team. 

“Oh, Kakashi-sensei! I have something for you!” Naruto dug through his kunai pouch before pulling out a book with a green cover. Avurin’s eyes caught the title of the book and she lunged, wrapping an arm around Kakashi’s chest from behind before he could get the book. 

“It’s the first copy of the new Icha Icha book!” Naruto proudly announced, holding up the book. Avurin shot a glare in Jiraiya’s direction as she adjusted her hold to nearly put Kakashi in a chokehold. 

“Give that to me, Naruto! You know he can’t be trusted with this shit!” Avurin growled, holding out her free hand over Kakashi’s shoulder, slapping his own hand down in a wrestle to keep him away from the book. Naruto gulped and passed over the book quickly, Kakashi jerking in her grip to attempt to get to it before she did. Her hand gripped the book and pulled it out of his reach as Kakashi stood to his full height, her grip on him forcing her to dangle behind his back from their height difference. She quickly hid the book in her own kunai pouch, ignoring Kakashi’s squawking as he struggled to reach behind him to get a grip on her. She knew he could easily get out of the grip, he was being a fool for the kids’ sake. 

“We’ll discuss this later. We’ll meet you guys at the training grounds later. Naruto, go get rested up. Both of you should probably work on a strategy for this.” Avurin ground out as she tightened her grip on Kakashi’s throat, forcing him to bend backwards to avoid choking. Dragging him to the window, she made a hand sign to flash them a few buildings away. 

“You can’t keep that book away from me!” Kakashi growled as he rolled away from her, getting into a genuine stance as if he was going to fight her for it. She laughed and pulled the book out, dangling it in the air. 

“Watch me.”

Chapter Text

An obvious cough interrupted them and Avurin’s gaze fixed on Jiraiya’s across the rooftop. 

“As flattering as it is to watch you two lovebirds fight over my book, I believe we need to talk about a few things.” Avurin’s eyes narrowed as she put the book back in her kunai pouch while Kakashi straightened his back and started to follow Jiraiya. Avurin joined them as they began talking lightly about Naruto’s abilities. 

“You’re lucky you’re not strung up from the top of Hokage Tower by your toes,” Avurin muttered as Jiraiya talked about what a great job he did training Naruto. 

“I only did what I had to do. He’s much better than he was. I dare you to underestimate him.” Jiraiya was confident, she could give him that. Despite not being a sensor, she could feel the calmness to Naruto’s chakra that hadn’t been there prior to Jiraiya’s training. 

“We won’t. I just don’t agree with throwing kids off of cliffs.” Her tone was nearly a growl and Jiraiya smirked. 

“Those Hatake genes are rubbing off on you, girl. I can also see congratulations are in order.” He gestured to the scar on her neck and Kakashi nearly puffed out his chest in pride. She scowled at the two of them as Jiraiya clapped a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. “Really, though. I’m happy for you two. That’s a big step. Your dad would be proud of you, kid. She’s a spitfire and I can already tell that she’s keeping up with you not just in bed, but on the training grounds. You’ve been working hard, I can see it.” 

Jiraiya’s proud gaze on her made her skin itch. It wasn’t a feeling she was used to. There wasn’t anyone other than Kakashi that had noticed her progress. Tsunade had acknowledged her increased chakra control and improvement in speed and reaction time but it was usually followed by a list of things she needed to improve before she could reach Jonin status. While the elders didn’t hold much sway over Tsunade, she was still being held back. There were kids from Naruto’s class that had reached Jonin ranking already and she could see the bias in front of her eyes. To have her progress acknowledged without a ‘but’ to follow was a new feeling. 

“Thanks, I guess. I’m still not quite where I want to be but I’m improving.” She crossed her arms and focused on the ground in front of her. She missed the concerned glance from Jiraiya and the slight shake of Kakashi’s head to tell him to drop the subject. They continued walking towards an empty dango stand and she noticed the conversation had turned more serious. 

She knew about the current operations to track the Akatsuki. There wasn’t much known about the group just yet so the entire matter was being kept on a need-to-know basis. Kakashi only told her about some of the information because he was part of the scouting missions to find more information about the group. There was also the incident with Itachi. That was the most likely driving factor for him confessing the nature of the missions. The missions were S-Rank and extremely dangerous. He hadn’t needed to tell her when he was leaving for those missions, seeing his retired Anbu mask back on his face as he left the cabin was enough for her heart to ache as she watched him leave. 

“The group we’ve been watching is on the move. They want the fox in Naruto. We’re boosting security along with all of our allies since we can only assume that they’re after all of the Jinchuriki. We don’t know what their goal is, but they’re dangerous.” Avurin held a cup of rapidly cooling tea in her hands, fighting not to shiver. While it wasn’t war between villages, this group may as well hold the same danger as an impending war on the horizon. 

“We’ll keep our eyes open. With security heightened and several of us ready to catch them when they make a move, we may get more information in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully they make a mistake and we can utilize it.” Kakashi’s words were quiet as Jiraiya finished the last of the dango on the plate in the center of the table. Avurin hadn’t been able to bring herself to eat any. 

“Just keep yourselves safe. They will come after Naruto eventually. Be ready to fight when they do. I have some business to handle before I head out again so I’ll leave you two alone. Congratulations on the union!” Jiraiya left quickly and Avurin felt her eyebrows knit together in contemplation. They would have to fight soon, she could feel it. The danger felt like it was right around the corner and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to face it. 

Kakashi’s hand covered hers gently and she sighed, letting the thoughts go. 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we can  have some fun with the pups. Ready?” His tone was gentle and she found herself relaxing. Sure, things were about to be more difficult. However, she could enjoy the day for what it was knowing that they wouldn’t have much time to enjoy it in the upcoming weeks. She smiled and set her tea down. 

“I’m ready. Let’s get going.”

…

“Sorry to keep you guys waiting. We ran into this old lady-” 

“Give us a break! You were probably making out with Avie-sensei somewhere!” Naruto yelled as Kakashi and Avurin appeared on the fence of the training grounds. Avurin couldn’t help but chuckle and smirk. She wished that was what they had been doing while their precious students had been waiting on them. Kakashi didn’t seem the least bit ashamed in letting the pups assume that was the case since he didn’t bother to correct Naruto. 

Leading them back into the training grounds, they passed three posts half buried into the ground. The kids’ moods immediately dropped as they looked around the area. 

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Naruto asked quietly.

“This was the site of your very first lesson, wasn’t it?” Kakashi agreed just as quietly. Avurin took in the scene with new eyes. She had heard the story from Kakashi but seeing the area with the context was entirely different. 

Kakashi pulled out a pair of familiar bells from his pocket, explaining the rules. The kids seemed to put away their dour emotions as they straightened their backs, determination in their eyes. They were training hard to bring back Sasuke and that wasn’t forgotten as Kakashi egged them on. Avurin was surprised to see him reveal his Sharingan, completely prepared for what they could use against him. At least he wasn’t underestimating them.

She knew Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya were hidden in the trees to observe the assessments. It wouldn’t have made sense to do this without witnesses. Taking the hint, Avurin flashed away from the clearing to join them as Naruto lunged for Kakashi. This wasn’t her fight. She would keep herself clear from the battle and watch. Finding a perch in one of the trees a few branches away from Jiraiya, she watched as Kakashi toyed with the kids. 

They had definitely improved. Naruto’s use of his shadow clones was much better timed, his new experience shining through. Avurin knew they weren’t actually a match for Kakashi, but she couldn’t deny that they were giving him a workout. 

Sakura’s strength had improved under Tsunade’s tutelage and Avurin had to bite back the jealousy from how well Sakura had taken to Tsunade’s methods. Avurin had hoped to pass something on to the young kunoichi but she really hadn’t been able to connect with Sakura the way Tsunade had. 

She hadn’t expected the fight to end abruptly and cheaply after only an hour of playing cat and mouse. Naruto was certainly creative, wearing Kakashi down before threatening him with spoilers for the book in Avurin’s kunai pouch. Of course Kakashi would fall for it. By then, night had fallen and she still had to complete her own assessment. 

“Avurin, change of plans. Naruto has completed his assessment just in that fight. Kakashi still has plenty of chakra left so you’ll be facing him for your own assessment.” Tsunade spoke from under the tree. She sounded smug, as if it had been planned all along. Avurin rolled her eyes.

“You sure he’ll be able to handle it? We’ve been beating each other into the ground for almost two years now. I can keep up with him a lot better than I used to.” Avurin couldn’t help but be snarky. She knew that Tsunade could understand her concerns were legitimate, especially considering that she could tell Kakashi was still catching his breath even in the distance. 

“I’ll heal him before you two have your spar. It’ll replenish his chakra. Follow me.” Tsunade and Shizune started making their way towards Kakashi and his students so Avurin had no choice but to follow. 

“Naruto, Sakura, you did great work today. However, I want you two to stay here and watch the next assessment. We’ve had a change of plans so Avurin will be sparring against Kakashi for this one. Once that’s done, I have an announcement to make. Kakashi, come here. I'm going to restore some of your chakra for this.” Kakashi complied, only looking slightly tired from chasing his students through the forest. He’d recovered quickly just in the time it had taken them to meet him where the battle had ended. Avurin took a moment to smile at the two pups. 

“You guys are something else. You've both come so far in the last few years.” She couldn't help but ruffle Naruto’s hair despite his scramble to avoid it. “I feel like it was just yesterday that I met you kids and almost got stabbed for coming near your sensei. You've both grown so much. Keep it up.” Avurin wasn't known for being soft with them so this was probably already more than what was expected judging from Naruto’s confusion and Sakura's borderline discomfort. 

“Avurin, are you ready?” Kakashi asked from behind her. Tsunade had been very quick with replenishing his chakra, not having any injuries to heal. She rolled her shoulders and turned to face him, a smirk on her face. 

“I should be asking you the same thing. Think you can keep up?” she teased, putting a hand on the hilt of her katana. Kakashi let out a low laugh that sent shivers down her spine. 

“That’s enough, you two. Start when you’re ready but make sure we’re out of range before you use any large jutsu. I fully expect both of you to give it your all. Don’t hold back.” Avurin nodded to Tsunade without breaking eye contact with Kakashi. His headband was already pushed back, his Sharingan nearly glowing in the dark. 

An unspoken signal seemed to pass between them as Avurin activated her kekkei genkai at the same time Kakashi drew several shuriken to throw in her direction. 

“ Catch me if you can, ‘Kashi! ” She purposefully used the command to force him to follow her as she darted into the trees, leading him towards the clearing. She quickly let the command dissipate, not wanting to take away his will for the duration of their spar. It was a simple reminder of her power, to let him know that she was willing to use it. 

Startled voices from the group they had left behind scrambled to follow them at a distance, the necessity of observing the assessment more trouble than they had probably expected. Naruto’s voice was exceptionally loud as he loudly complained about not having any warning. Avurin let out a quiet laugh as she cleared the trees, landing at the edge of the clearing. She could hear Kakashi behind her, already knowing he was enjoying this as much as she was. 

While the mating bite was still new, she had noticed that she could feel a whisper of his emotions through the rudimentary bond between the two of them. He had discussed this with her in passing before, telling her that a non-Hatake could feel parts of the bond while a Hatake felt it entirely. His attentiveness to her moods since he had marked her was definitely a bonus. Knowing that he was enjoying himself brought a smile to her lips as he launched himself out of the trees, a kunai in hand. 

Drawing her katana, she met his strike easily. He was crafty, though. Using a combination of shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags, he was able to push her further into the clearing as they fought. Training together as often as they did, he knew that she preferred the coverage of the trees in order to use her bow. He didn’t appreciate the long-distance attacks so he tried to mitigate the risk by pushing her further away from her preferred territory. 

She grunted as she blocked another strike of a kunai with her katana, his own physical strength pushing her back as their blades locked. She avoided looking into the Sharingan despite how close they were, keeping her focus on his hands and feet. Things were quickly devolving into taijutsu as he forced his way past her defenses. 

When her katana was finally knocked from her grip, sticking into the ground several feet away from her, she started meeting his blows hand-to-hand. She grit her teeth as a punch managed to graze her forearm, a glancing blow but a blow nonetheless. It would certainly bruise. A kick to her calf almost brought her down to her knees but she held her ground despite the ache. She wouldn’t stand a chance against him if they continued using taijutsu, she just didn’t have the physical strength to match his. He was bigger than her and stronger. 

Weaving a quick series of signs, she unleashed a water dragon from the nearby river. While she wasn’t as proficient in suiton jutsu, she could still use them when she needed to, especially as a complimentary part of using lightning. The dragon rushed them, forcing Kakashi to back off in order to counter with a mud wall. The dragon was weak but it served its purpose in distracting him. Avurin flashed away into the trees, drawing her bow as she positioned herself to watch Kakashi. 

By now, he was used to her tricks. Using the chaos of the dragon meeting the mud wall, he had disappeared. Avurin didn’t let herself lose her head as she notched a chakra arrow, keeping her senses as open as possible so that he couldn’t sneak up on her while she was looking for him. A light rustling in the leaves several feet below her caught her attention and she started searching the area. She knew around that point would be when Kakashi would start using shadow clones and genjustu to throw her off-guard. She had to be careful. 

A rustle behind her made the back of her neck itch but she trusted her still-developing sensing abilities. He wasn’t within her range. It was a distraction. 

A kunai flew past her face, embedding itself in the tree she was sitting on. Turning in the direction it had come from, she let the arrow go. It was an explosive arrow, intended to flush him out if he revealed where he was. A ‘pop’ was heard shortly after the explosion and she cursed quietly. She’d hit a shadow clone and completely given away her position. Adjusting quickly, she weaved a familiar set of hand signs, unleashing a fireball in the exact opposite direction of where the clone had been positioned. 

Kakashi had explained when he’d trained her on the jutsu that it was typically used by the Uchiha. She could see why. It was spectacular with enough power behind it and incredibly destructive. The trees had a decent hole burned through them in a clear line from her position and several scorched branches fell down to the ground below following the dissipation of the fireball. It had rained the previous day so she didn’t have to worry about the fire spreading. Even if it did, she knew Tsunade would handle it for the sake of not distracting the two from the assessment. 

Kakashi lunged for her following the fireball, his Sharingan shining bright in the night as his own hands followed the motions of a specific set of signs faster than she could track them. The sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the forest and Avurin scrambled to put her bow away, weaving her own signs to counter the Chidori with her own. The jutsu took a lot out of her but she knew it took even more from Kakashi given his use of the Sharingan while he used it. It was her best hope of countering him. 

He was entirely too fast, nearly in her face with the deadly jutsu within a fraction of a second, ready to kill her. Her own Chidori was barely developed as he forced her back, swinging at her head with the electricity. She knew he didn’t move to kill unless he was entirely confident that the hit would land so she was confused when he missed and didn’t seem bothered by that fact. She brought her own Chidori to swing at his side as he passed her, following his momentum from his lunge to land the attack to her head. 

Chidori wasn’t heavy, per say, it just felt like it was given how much wild chakra was being swung around. When attacking with it, the user had to follow through with their movement in their entirety in order to avoid having any sort of backlash or accidental contact with another part of the body. It had been one of the first lessons Kakashi had taught her about it, explaining that she had to be completely confident in her movement when she did choose to attack with it. For him to miss a hit while using it, much less not go for center-mass with it, she was suspicious. 

Her Chidori made contact with his side followed by a quick popping noise. Another shadow clone. Narrowing her eyes, the forest was oddly silent. She was starting to feel like she was being hunted since he was choosing to toy with her at this point. Activating her kekkei genkai as a last-resort safety measure, she continued to sense for his chakra as she moved through the trees to circle the clearing. Kakashi had been subjected to her kekkei genkai very few times during their training, usually by forcing her into a corner until she had to use it. She knew he didn’t have much defense against it and she could easily use it to slip out of his grip if he managed to corner her again. 

She felt a small spark of his chakra to her right and she froze, crouching as close to the branch she was sitting on as possible. His shadow clones had faint traces of his chakra and she was able to tell the difference between them and the real thing, even if it was just barely. This chakra signature felt like the real thing but she didn’t know for sure. He had pulled out all of the stops in this spar and was revealing some new tricks she wasn’t used to. 

She tossed a kunai when she felt him move further behind her. A fleshy sticking noise followed by a quiet grunt told her she’d gotten him. She was still suspicious. He was playing a game that she wasn’t familiar with and she didn’t trust any of it. He never let himself get caught off guard by a simple kunai. 

“That hurt.” His voice from right over her shoulder caught her off guard and she barely stopped herself from jumping in surprise. She carefully turned to face him, still avoiding looking into the Sharingan. A kunai was sticking out of his shoulder, a small patch of blood surrounding it, soaking through his Jonin jacket. She didn’t speak, knowing her kekkei genkai was still activated. Her eyes were likely glowing in the dark so she knew that he was aware of that fact. Why he would allow himself to be so close to her when she was primed and ready to unleash a command was so suspicious she was genuinely unsettled. 

“You’re thinking too hard,” he whispered in her ear, his hand lightly tracing her side through the thin shirt she was wearing. Her breath hitched and she did the best thing she could think to do in that situation. She used a substitution jutsu to flash across the clearing, just barely landing inside of the tree line. Avoiding the clearing was a familiar game for her since he was always adamant about pushing her into the clearing. What wasn’t familiar was the feeling of running away as if she was a rabbit avoiding the jaws of a wolf. Their spars, while serious, typically followed a routine and a small set of rules. 

She narrowly avoided the tripwire set across several trees, almost forming a web. He’d driven her exactly where he wanted her. Looking around herself, she was surrounded by several wires that were likely all rigged to either trap her or explode, possibly both. Getting out of the literal minefield of traps would be difficult and it would take time that she didn’t have. Using a pair of shuriken, she set off two of them in the distance. One snapped to reveal that it had been set to loop around whatever limp tripped it, razor sharp and ready to maim a limb. The other was explosive, setting off several others in the vicinity. 

As expected, he wasn’t playing around. Taking in her surroundings, she knew he was watching her from a vantage point. There had to be a method to the madness surrounding her. There would be no other way for him to lay so many traps and get out of them without setting them off. She was happy to find that there weren’t any tangled above her and she leapt higher into the trees, getting herself out of the web without risking touching any of them. Leaving that particular area, she let out a small sigh of relief. Now, to rinse and repeat the process of trying to find Kakashi while avoiding his tricks. 

A solid, full-body tackle caught her off guard. Knocked to the side, she fell past several branches before slamming into the ground, another body on top of her. The wind was knocked out of her and a kunai was held to her neck, sharp enough that she could feel her blood already rising to meet the cool metal pressed against her. Resorting to her instincts, she bucked her hips, throwing Kakashi over her head, his grip on the kunai lost in the unexpected movement. 

Growling to herself, she pulled out her own kunai and righted herself, lunging for him as he started to regain his bearings. Slicing into his arm in a quick scramble between them, she was surprised when blood immediately coated the blade and started running down his arm. Despite her surprise at having the original Kakashi under her, she didn’t let up. Wrestling him to the ground, she ground her hips down on his own, knowing it was a dirty trick. 

“ Stay still…” she muttered, forcing his hands above his head to pin them to the ground. The command took hold quickly, his eyes glazing over in a now-familiar distant expression, and she pressed her kunai against his neck. “Yield.” As he opened his mouth to speak, the familiar bite of a kunai against her own neck registered. 

“Actually, I think you should yield before Jiraiya ruins his pants.” Blinking, her surroundings seemed to dissolve, revealing a very pleased looking white-haired pervert underneath her with a faraway and dazed look on his face. Jolting backwards, her back met a pair of knees as she scrambled away from Jiraiya, releasing her kekkei genkai immediately. 

“When did you…?” she muttered to herself, tilting her head to look up at the man looming over her with an amused glint in his eyes. 

“You met my eye right before I used Chidori. I stepped away while the genjutsu took hold which was why I missed you. It was pretty funny to watch you swing a Chidori around in the air. Some of it was reality. The traps weren’t as extensive as you thought, but there were still traps that you managed to avoid. Swapping myself for Jiraiya in the final scuffle was easy enough. I was the one to bring you to the ground, he just happened to be nearby.” After the explanation, she couldn’t help but feel her mood sour. She felt like a complete idiot. Most of the fight she’d experienced had been entirely a genjutsu and, while she had been suspicious, she hadn’t thought to try to disperse a genjutsu. 

“There were some tells now that I think about it. Appearing out of nowhere is a specialty of yours but duplicating yourself isn’t possible.” She took note of his injuries, noticing that the kunai in his shoulder and the slice on his arm were still present. Seeing her confusion, he chuckled and helped her stand up, entirely ignoring Jiraiya’s light groan as he sat up on his own. 

“We still fought and you did well. You caught me off guard when you threw the kunai. You weren’t supposed to notice where I was and I let my guard down. I also switched with Jiraiya right after you cut me. You did good work, Avie.” His hand rested on her shoulder and his words were gentle but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Of all things, recognizing and dispelling a genjutsu was a basic concept that she should have been able to manage. 

“He’s right. You had him all over the place keeping up the authenticity of that genjutsu. It was extremely high-level work that I honestly wouldn’t have expected some of our S-Rank enemies to figure out until it was too late. In the end, you almost had him.” Tsunade’s voice was calm, almost proud. Avurin shrugged, not resisting the urge to pout. 

“He left clues. They were subtle and I noticed them but didn’t think to dispel the genjutsu or I would’ve won.” She was grumbling, her arms crossed to hide how her hands were shaking following the fight. Having your reality completely controlled down to the last second was not an experience she wanted to repeat. 

“Actually, I didn’t leave anything on purpose. I didn’t expect you to get out of it. I was still testing your abilities with it and getting out of it would have been a plus towards your assessment but it wasn’t expected. Using your senses to find the small things that I couldn’t cover up was even more unexpected. That genjutsu would have broken if you’d taken a lucky guess. Actually figuring it out wasn’t even in the cards.” Kakashi informed, drawing nods from Tsunade and Shizune. Naruto and Sakura looked almost starstruck in the background, watching the entire interaction with barely concealed amazement. 

“That’s reassuring. I do want more training on genjustu though. I don’t want that to happen again.” Avurin finally met Kakashi’s eyes, determined to remedy what she’d fallen short on. 

Tsunade clapped her hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. 

“Avurin, I’m hereby announcing that you have passed your assessment. As of today, you are a Jonin of Konoha. You can pick up your jacket from the mission desk later today.” Avurin almost felt light-headed, not expecting to finally reach the rank. Tsunade didn’t give her time to process the information, however. “That being said, Naruto, Sakura, you have also passed your own assessment. Starting today, Avurin, Sakura, and Naruto will be joining Kakashi as a new team under the name ‘Team Kakashi.’ You will work as equals in the field with Kakashi as your Captain. I expect great things from all of you.” 

Avurin’s gaze shot to Kakashi who winked at her. He’d known all along and had strung her along. She didn’t know whether to be overwhelmingly happy or whether to punch him into the next week. 

“Avurin, Kakashi, if I find out that either of you exposed these kids to any sort of indecency, I’ll replace both of you. Don’t get cocky.” With Tsunade’s final warning, she gestured for Shizune to follow her on the path back into the village. Avurin felt a blush rising to her cheeks. 

“Ha! She thinks that just because we’re younger than you guys that we haven’t seen people kiss! Don’t worry! We won’t tell!” Naruto’s obnoxious comment forced Avurin to bury her face in her hands to hide her mortification. Sakura, helpfully, punched him for his pure idiocy. 

An arm over her shoulders brought her focus back to her surroundings. Kakashi was smirking down at her through his mask, his arm tight against her. 

“Let’s go home and celebrate.”

Chapter Text

The morning Avurin was set to leave with Team Kakashi following an urgent missive detailing the kidnapping of the Kazekage, she found herself heaving into the toilet. Kakashi had left early, telling her to meet them at the front gates after he took care of the paperwork and picked up the mission details. When she’d stepped out of bed, her vision swam and her head was pounding. She had barely made it to the bathroom in time for her to empty her stomach, gagging over the rim of the toilet with tears falling from her eyes. 

Thinking back, they had eaten a large meal at the barbeque restaurant Asuma’s team frequented the previous night. It was currently sitting in front of her in the bowl. They had been rushing through cooking everything at the table’s barbeque pit so it wasn’t impossible that she could have eaten some partially raw meat. Wiping her mouth with a towel that they kept on the counter, she flushed the toilet and fell backwards to sit on the floor, her back audibly thumping against the wall. 

She felt awful and she knew Kakashi wouldn’t let her go on a mission if she wasn’t completely fit and ready to go. She also couldn’t hide this from him. He would smell it a mile away, even if she took a shower. He always knew a day before she would get sick with anything, claiming her scent would change prior to her immune system failing to prevent a sickness. 

He hadn’t made any comments about it the previous day but, then again, he’d been distracted by the chaos surrounding the kidnapping of the Kazekage. They had only been allowed to sleep for a couple of hours before they were set to leave that morning, the missive having arrived extremely late at night. 

She none-too-gently hit the back of her head lightly against the wall, gritting her teeth. Even if this was a simple case of food poisoning, she was going to be taken off of the mission. There was no avoiding it. She should have been ready and leaving the house by that point but she didn’t even try to get ready. While it would delay Kakashi by a few minutes, she would stay put so he could find her. 

Sure enough, after about ten minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor cradling her head, Kakashi nearly busted down the door. 

“You feel distressed. What’s going on?” Oh, right, the bond. Awfully convenient. She groaned and pushed herself to stand on wobbling legs, wrapping her arm around her midsection. 

“As inconvenient as this is, I’ve been throwing up and I have a headache. I might be sick. I was waiting for you to come back so I could tell you not to wait for me. I know you wouldn’t risk the mission by bringing a potentially sick member of the team.” She turned the sink on and started washing her face, hiding the bitter look on her face. She’d been looking forward to joining her new team for the mission, especially one that she felt she could actually make a difference in. 

“It’s for the best, Avie. You know it is. I won’t risk you getting hurt because you’re sick.” Kakashi gave her a soft hug from behind, his Jonin jacket rigid against the soft fabric of her haori. It wasn’t exactly comfortable but she leaned into him regardless. “We’ll be back before you know it. Rest and get better while we’re gone.” With a quick kiss to her cheek that was partially blocked by his mask, he stepped towards the door. She turned to him, feeling very exposed and helpless for once in her life. She didn’t want him to go. 

“Be safe, please. If you die, I’m going to bring you back just to kill you again.” She didn’t bother to hide the slight hitch in her voice as she spoke. She did, however, manage to fight back the stinging that started developing in her eyes. He chuckled lightly, turning to leave. 

“I’ll be fine. Go lay down and rest, Avie.” 

…

He was not fine. When Avurin received the message from one of Tsunade’s messenger hawks a couple of days later, she bolted for the hospital as quickly as possible. Her sickness was still persistent, random nausea throughout her days accompanied by a headache. She hadn’t thought to visit Tsunade just yet, not quite feeling so sick that she needed treatment. As much shit as she gave Kakashi for avoiding the hospital, she was just as bad. 

This time, however, she ran through the hallways as if she had enemy shinobi on her tail. Tsunade had helpfully provided the room number in her message, so Avurin was able to find it without a problem, saving a lot of time on her part. Swinging the door open, Kakashi was laid out on a bed, the sheet pulled up to cover his face. Tsunade was standing next to him, writing a few things on a clipboard. 

“How is he?” Avurin asked, walking into the room and closing the door as she caught her breath. Tsunade looked up from the clipboard with a sigh, tapping her pen thoughtfully. 

“He has chakra exhaustion. He used his Mangekyo Sharingan on the mission and knocked himself out. He’ll need a week to recover, possibly longer. Nothing permanent, though.” Avurin let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Kakashi was safe, just tired. She was still upset with him but at least he was alive. 

“What about everyone else?” she couldn’t help but ask. Tsunade hummed quietly, setting the clipboard on a table on the side of the room. 

“Everyone’s fine. They got pretty lucky. Several battles with Akatsuki members broke out but the mission was a success. The Kazekage was retrieved, however the One-Tailed Beast was extracted from him and several measures had to be taken to revive him after the removal.” Tsunade delivered the information calmly but Avurin could tell there was a lot more to the story. The fact that the Kazekage was blatantly attacked in his own village and brought down even with the full power of a tailed beast spoke volumes about the enemies they were dealing with. “I’ll leave you with him. The kids may drop by to see him so don’t be surprised if this room starts getting crowded. There’s a stool in the corner if you want to sit with him.” 

Tsunade left without saying anything else, the silence in the room was oppressive given the setting and the situation. Avurin sighed, picking up the stool Tsunade had offered and set it down next to Kakashi’s bed. Running her fingers through his hair, she let her mind stay carefully blank for a while. She had spent the last couple of days so worried about him, that she could physically feel the weight lifting off of her shoulders knowing he was breathing and safe. 

“Avie-sensei! Are you feeling better? Kakashi-sensei said that you were sick!” Naruto’s voice snapped her out of her daze and she pulled her hand from Kakashi’s hair. 

“I’m feeling a little better but I definitely wasn’t well enough to go on the mission. How are you guys?” Pleasantries didn’t feel right at the moment but since it was Naruto, she was a little more comfortable talking with him. She was tired. She could feel a deep ache in her arms and legs that betrayed how little sleep she had gotten lately along with the frequent trips to empty her stomach. 

“We’re all okay! Kakashi-sensei pretty much collapsed out there but from what we heard, he’s just tired so that’s good.” They were cut off as more kids walked into the room along with Gai, all of them starting to converse about the mission. Kakashi let out a quiet groan, waking up slowly. 

“Hey there, sleepyhead…” she muttered, brushing his bangs away from his forehead. 

The kids were chattering as Tsunade re-entered the room and started recounting the mission, congratulating the teams. While she was speaking, Kakashi flinched slightly, the sheet on his face lowering just a little bit. Avurin watched with a twitch in her eye as Naruto started getting curious, leaning over Kakashi to try to glimpse his face. Without saying a word, she gently pulled the sheet back over Kakashi’s nose, glaring at the pup. Naruto rolled his eyes in response before crossing his arms and pouting.

When they cleared out, Avurin let out a sigh of relief. Kakashi was still tired, his forehead starting to sweat from the strain of staying awake. Wetting a cloth with a provided bucket of cold water, she wrung it out and placed it on his forehead. He didn’t have a fever but Tsunade had explained that it could be some comfort to him if he started struggling.

He fell into a fitful sleep, tossing his head occasionally with his eyes flickering behind his eyelids. She could only imagine that he was reliving the fight while he was unconscious. Tsunade didn’t bother to tell her to leave when visiting time was over, already knowing she wouldn’t. When the room started to darken with the setting of the sun, she didn’t wait to ask permission. Sliding into the bed carefully at Kakashi’s side, she did her best not to disturb him. She hadn’t slept well in days, she was taking the opportunity, even if it wasn’t ideal. 

…

He was permitted to go home the next day under strict orders of remaining on bedrest. Avurin didn’t argue and didn’t allow him to argue either. She was still feeling sick in waves throughout the day and would much rather spend her time at home, preferably with him there as well. She could tell that Tsunade was suspicious of her condition and on the edge of dragging her into an examination room to diagnose her with what she suspected was a virus. 

Kakashi was escorted home by Gai since he was still struggling to walk. It was awkward even though they made sure to move under the cover of night, not wanting any rumors to spread. Avurin had to throw up behind a tree during the walk, telling Gai to keep walking towards the Hatake compound when he’d tried to stop and wait for her. When she caught up with them at the gates, she was surprised to see that Gai was already acknowledged by the wards as a safe presence. They leapt over the wall, deciding that undoing the chains on the gate would be more trouble. 

“We’re going to my cabin in the back,” Avurin directed with a shaky breath when she noticed Gai was going towards the main house. Gai raised an eyebrow but didn’t reply with any witty comments and she immediately felt unsure of the situation. Gai was unnaturally serious and it made her stomach turn uncomfortably. 

Getting Kakashi settled into their bed was easy enough, the man even let out a long groan of relief as his head settled into the pillows. Gai met Avurin’s eyes over the bed and tilted his head towards the door. Nodding, she smoothed Kakashi’s hair back from his forehead and followed Gai into the living room. 

“Will you be okay watching him for the rest of the week? You’re not looking good, Avurin.” Gai’s serious stare was enough for Avurin to shift on her feet, feeling oddly self-conscious. 

“I’m fine. It’s just occasional nausea and a headache. I should be recovered in just a few days considering I’ve already been sick since you guys left for the mission. I just haven’t been sleeping well so I’m more tired than usual.” Avurin crossed her arms, holding back a small shiver that wanted to creep down her back. She could handle interrogations, however, interrogations from Gai were something that she never wanted to ever find herself on the receiving end of. Gai’s answering sigh had her staring at the floor, mentally noting the knots in the wood paneling. 

“Okay, but don’t hesitate to come get one of us if either of you get worse. I know my rival makes a point to take care of you as much as possible, but he needs to be taken care of every once in a while too. Even if he doesn’t want it.” Gai’s smile was back on his face as he walked back to the door, putting his shoes on. Giving her a thumbs up, he nearly ripped the door off of its hinges in his haste to leave. Smiling to herself, Avurin decided to go to the kitchen and make herself a cup of ginger tea. While she normally enjoyed different teas, the ginger tea had been helping significantly in settling her stomach before bed. 

…

As the next few days progressed, Avurin doted on Kakashi. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was doting. Her stomach had started to settle more as Kakashi’s condition improved and she was sleeping completely through the night, wrapped around him in their bed like a cuddly octopus. She soaked in his presence like a sunflower soaked in the sun. Letting him out of her sight had become unbearable, her neck itching near her mating bite anytime she couldn’t see him. 

Was it healthy? Absolutely not. Did she care? No. She was absorbing every second with him as if it would be their last. She spent most of her day in bed when he needed to rest, cuddling as close as physically possible. He didn’t really protest since he spent most of his time sleeping. When he was awake, he simply reminded her that they needed to eat or shower when those things were due. He told her about the mission on the third day as well as what he had learned about the Akatsuki. 

Avurin’s concern peaked and her drive to stay near him only increased with the newfound information of how dangerous their enemies were. When Tsunade sent letters to check in on them, she sent simple replies only stating that they were fine and still recovering. 

On the fifth day, Kakashi was wandering out of bed at every opportunity. That day had been the first morning of that week that she’d woken up without him at her side and it had sent her into a panic. She found him in the backyard after a few frantic minutes, stretching innocently with his shirt off and his pants riding low on his hips. Without any hesitation, she ran into the grass with bare feet, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the bed. He protested, telling her he was starting to feel better and he needed to get his blood flowing, that he couldn’t spend the entire week in bed. 

“Tsunade said a week of bedrest, not five days of bedrest and then going straight back to training. Please come back to bed?” Her voice had wavered and she’d pouted, something she rarely did for him. He’d nearly melted if his expression was anything to go by, allowing her to lead him by his arm back to their bed just to pull him under the covers and wrap herself around him again. She’d spent the rest of the day pulling him back into the bed, preventing him from even getting up to make himself a snack. 

On the seventh day, she’d woken up to his nose buried in her neck, taking long, deep breaths. He must have noticed that she was awake when she turned her head to give him more access because his hands on her hips tightened. 

“You smell… sweet. I don’t know why but you just smell amazing,” he grumbled into her ear, his erection grinding against her thigh as his hips made a short thrust. Normally, she would turn to face him and encourage him, willing to take whatever he was promising to give her. However, her stomach had other ideas. 

“Mmm, ‘Kashi. I love you, but I’m hungry. Really hungry. Later tonight if you’re feeling better, okay?” she mumbled, pulling herself away from him slightly. He let out a disappointed whine but allowed her to pull away. She stumbled to the kitchen and started digging through the cabinets, trying to find something substantial but easy to make. 

They were both going to report to the hospital per Tsunade’s orders that morning. Kakashi needed to have an assessment done to ensure he didn’t have permanent damage to his chakra coils and, following a report Avurin sent out saying that she was feeling better, Tsunade wanted to speak with her.  A nagging voice in the back of her head, suspiciously close to Tsunade’s own voice, told her that she was due for a mission. 

Missing the last mission simply for being sick had not gone over well with Tsunade. Among other things, she was told that getting a stomach ache in high stress situations was uncalled for. Throwing up in the potted plant in the Hokage’s office was a resounding reply to that assessment. Since then, the topic was carefully danced around but Avurin knew that she needed to ‘get back to work’ at some point. 

Preparing a hearty breakfast with a heavy helping of rice, she brought two plates to the kitchen table and walked back to the bedroom. 

“I made breakfast. Since you’re no longer on bed rest, you should come join me at the table.” She didn’t delay, leaving him to get himself ready for the day as she made her way back to the kitchen, sitting down and starting the task of eating her food. She hadn’t kept down much over the last week and a half which made controlling the pace of her eating difficult, wanting nothing more than to stuff her face as much as possible. 

For the first time in a while, she didn’t feel nauseous in the slightest. It was a significant improvement and she considered herself finally over the ridiculous virus that had plagued her since the mission to rescue Gaara. 

“Take a second to breathe, Avie. The food isn’t going to grow legs and run away,” Kakashi teased as he entered the room, sitting down at the table across from her. He brought his hands together in a quick thanks for the food before pulling his mask down to start eating, humming occasionally in appreciation. 

Avurin had been making food for him while he was on bed rest, but between sleeping for the sake of recovering and the other physical ailments that came with chakra exhaustion, she could guess that he hadn’t really had the energy to appreciate the food over the last week. Taking his words into consideration, she tried to slow down her own eating, not deeming his comment worthy of a response. 

When they finished, he took their plates to the sink and washed them, giving her a moment to sit and process the food she’d eaten. She took a few seconds to take in his appearance, almost disappointed to find that he was fully dressed in his uniform in preparation for the day. His mask was still bunched around his neck, the same mask that she had made for him back in the cabin, which indicated he wasn’t expecting anything taxing from his day. 

She needed to make him a new one, she could see how stretched the stitching was now that she was taking a moment to look at it. It was a miracle that it still hugged his face correctly.

“Tsunade wants us to meet her at the hospital in an hour. I’ve been exchanging letters with her while you were recovering and this should just be an appointment to check your chakra coils for permanent damage. I received an official summons for the same time and place though, so I might be taking a mission now that I’m feeling better.” Avurin explained, picking at her nails. She wasn’t mentally prepared to take a mission with the current climate of the world, but she would if she had to. She felt completely useless after her blunder with the recovery mission. 

“We’ll see what she has to say. Want to leave early and stretch our legs?” Kakashi suggested as he finished drying the dishes. She groaned but nodded, hauling herself up from her place at the table. She was feeling tired despite the week that she’d been in bed with Kakashi. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Kakashi asked as they left the cabin, walking casually through the property on their way to the gate. Approaching the entrance, Avurin eyed the chains around the actual gate of the compound. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Hey, why do you keep this place chained up? Shouldn’t the wards be enough to keep threats out?” The question had been bothering Avurin since they had brought Kakashi back from the hospital. While they were healthy, the gate wasn’t an obstacle but watching Gai jump the fence with Kakashi on his back had brought up the concern. 

“Mah, I’m just too lazy to take them off if I’m honest. We can remove them anytime, there really wasn’t a reason for them aside from dissuading any civilian intruders from trying to get in while it was unoccupied.” Kakashi answered, his hands stuffed into his pockets with the familiar casual slouch to his back. Avurin sighed, jumping the fence with him as they kept their casual pace to the hospital. 

“I think we should take them off. I’ve been getting tired of jumping the fence every time we come and go from the compound.” They kept up the small talk as they walked through the streets of Konoha, slowly making their way to the hospital. 

Arriving at the hospital, Avurin suppressed the queasy feeling in her stomach. She was partially excited for a potential mission but she wasn’t quite as excited for the potential scolding from Tsunade. 

When they were led to a room, Kakashi sat down on the bed as the official ‘patient’ for the day. Tsunade arrived only a minute later, a scowl already firmly set in place on her face. Avurin tried not to feel cowed under the pointed glare thrown her way. 

“Kakashi, I’m going to look you over but you’re still not leaving the village for another week until your chakra is fully replenished so don’t get any ideas. I’m sure Avurin has already suspected that she’s about to be sent on a mission to make up for the complete circus her absence the last time resulted in.” Tsunade’s hands glowed a faint green color as she started assessing Kakashi’s chakra coils. “And on that, you’re right. Avurin, you’re being sent on a mission. This mission will be A-Rank so I’m kicking Kakashi out as soon as I’m done with him. Standard protocol.” Kakashi’s visible eye narrowed in Tsunade’s direction and Avurin crossed her arms, huffing to herself. She hadn’t had an A-Rank mission before but with her status as a Jonin, it was expected. 

“She just got over being sick. Are you sure this is a good idea, Tsunade?” Kakashi grumbled as she continued her assessment. A harsh thwack against his back forced him to cough as the breath was knocked out of him. 

“She’s fully capable and I still don’t believe that she was actually that sick. She looks fine. Use your head for once instead of your dick and let your wife go on a mission without you.” Kakashi muttered under his breath as she stepped away, her hands on her hips and a stern scowl on her face. “Both of you know that there can’t be too much conflict of interest in these things or we’re all in trouble. I need Avurin’s skills specifically for this mission. That being said, get out. I don’t need you moping around in here while I talk with her about this. You’re on light duty for a week, your coils are recovered so now it’s just a matter of recovering your chakra.” Kakashi openly glared at Tsunade as he stalked out of the room. 

“What’s going on, Tsunade? I’m assuming you need my kekkei genkai?” Avurin asked as Tsunade placed silencing seals on all four corners of the room, higher ranked and more complicated than the standard seals in each hospital room. 

“I lied to Kakashi. This mission is actually S-Rank in nature. You’re going to be scouting out a potential lab of Orochimaru’s.” Tsunade leaned against the hospital bed that Kakashi had been sitting on, carefully observing Avurin. Avurin couldn’t help the shiver that crept down her spine. “Given your previous interactions with him, I believe you’ll be the only one able to fend him off if he catches you. Your kekkei genkai is strong after all of the practice you’ve had in T&I so you have a failsafe on the off chance that Orochimaru realizes you’re nearby. The main concern I have is that you’re not a sensor. Don’t allow a sneak attack or fall into any traps, remaining unseen is the priority. I’ve detailed the information we’re looking for in this mission scroll.” Tsunade pulled a scroll from her sleeve, a black wax seal prominent on the edge of the paper. 

“And if he finds a way to neutralize my kekkei genkai? He’s been pretty open about how ‘curious’ he is about it. You do realize that my capture could be detrimental to the safety of Konoha? Even if he just gets my body after death, if he unlocks any secrets, you’re in for a lot of trouble.” Avurin couldn’t help but be worried. Her kekkei genkai was purely hers as the last remaining Okita and the secrecy around the jutsu she used was high on her priority list. Orochimaru was a direct threat to her. Tsunade’s heavy sigh in response didn’t sit right with her.

“You’re being given the standard Anbu seals in case that situation comes to pass. I expect you to survive this, Avurin. It’s a simple surveillance mission. The subject of the surveillance is what raises the rank. We need to know if he’s actively using this base and I want to get some idea of the size and what it’s being used for. I expect this to take you between two and three weeks. If you don’t come back by the beginning of the fourth week, I’ll assume that you’re captured. I want you back before that fourth week. Use any means to survive if you are captured. Only use the last resort tags if all hope is lost. Best case scenario, the base is empty or is being used only as a safehouse for that snake.” Avurin felt sick but she nodded. This was what she signed up for by returning to Konoha and continuing to climb the ranks. 

“I understand. When do I leave?” she asked, carefully opening the scroll in her hands. The seal broke the exact same way as any other seal would. Unraveling the scroll, she took in the information. The base was in the Northern portion of the Land of Fire, hidden in a dusty area full of rocky outcroppings and plateaus. Her entire route was planned, her supplies were sealed in a separate scroll that she would pick up from Kotetsu and Izumo on her way out of the village, even her clothes were going to be provided so she could blend into the environment. Memorizing the information, she activated the burn seal that reduced the scroll to dust. Nothing to track. 

“Tomorrow morning. Tell your dog to be on his best behavior or I’m neutering him.” Avurin rolled her eyes. 

“You know I can’t control his ass. All I can say is good luck with him.” Avurin laughed, but she couldn’t help how dry it sounded. Tsunade noticed immediately but didn’t respond other than to narrow her eyes. “I guess I’ll head home and pack. I’ll head out before the sun rises so contact me before then if there are any changes.” Tsunade gave her a simple nod before Avurin turned around, dismissing herself. This kind of meeting with the Hokage wasn’t standard by any means, but Avurin had her suspicions that this was being done under the table in some way.

Kakashi was waiting for her as soon as she exited the room. She plastered on her best smile for him, hiding her nerves to the best of her ability. 

“Let’s go get some soba. I head out in the morning so I’d like to have a nice date with my mate before I leave.”

Chapter Text

Looking back, Avurin knew to trust her gut and she wished that she had. The mission had started without a hitch. She left early in the morning and kissed Kakashi goodbye, reassuring him that everything would be fine. Taking her sealing scrolls with her own supplies for the mission, she’d left dressed in a black sleeveless shirt with a high collar accompanied by tan standard mission pants. She’d properly wrapped her ankles and opted to wear standard black sandals, not wanting anything on her to be traced back to Konoha. She’d left her headband on the counter in the cabin, knowing she shouldn’t bring it for this. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Kakashi felt when he’d left for Anbu missions prior to meeting her. 

Picking up her supplies from Kotetsu was a quick affair, the gatekeeper oddly serious as he passed over her supplies. The gatekeepers were an extension of the mission desk for certain missions so she knew he had to have some information on her mission for such a formal sendoff. 

After picking up her supplies, she was off. The travel time was short for such an important mission on foot, however she had to be careful. Her senses were wide open, knowing she was considered almost blind in terms of sensing. She had to use every skill she had for the mission, even if she was lacking in certain areas. Tsunade had been clear that her kekkei genkai was her escape plan and she’d been chosen simply for the fact that she was likely the only one in Konoha capable of literally talking her way out of captivity if she was caught. Her best characteristic in this situation was just an escape plan. 

The first week went by easily enough. She followed the exact schedule that had been included with the mission scroll, rotating her location each night to get different perspectives on the base while not staying in one place. So far, she hadn’t seen much activity other than one shinobi coming and going on occasion from the hole in the side of the outcropping that the base was carved into. She wrote down her best guesses on the dimensions of the mountain the base was in as well as noted the entrance the shinobi was coming and going from. It was a simple hole in the wall with a door that seemed to open and close without any seals or prompting. There weren’t secret passwords or otherwise intricate processes to get in or out. The lack of security was suspicious in itself. 

It was on the ninth day that she found herself in a bad spot. The shinobi had been following a schedule, leaving at a certain time in the morning and returning at a certain time in the evening. That evening, he hadn’t returned. As night fell, she kept her eyes peeled for the individual, not liking the change in schedule. Her mission wasn’t to get closer to the base, simply to observe. With her current assessment, she was leaning heavily towards this base simply being a safehouse. However, the sheer size of it and the scheduled activity wasn’t sitting well with her. 

A blow to the back of her head knocked her to the ground so quickly she couldn’t even put her hands up to catch herself. Her jaw slammed into hard rock and a knee on her back forced her to remain still. Activating her kekkei genkai was second nature at that moment, her throat feeling warm with chakra gathering for the jutsu as she fought down the panic of being trapped so quickly. A hand on the back of her head shoved her jaw harder into the ground, the skin of her chin already grinding against the particles of sand trapped between her and the stony ground. Fingers dug into her hair, pulling slightly as the person on top of her adjusted to keep her pressed into the ground.

“Don’t speak, Okita. Orochimaru has been waiting for you. Behave and we won’t have to do this the hard way.” The man on top of her sounded too enthusiastic about her capture. His voice irritated her, his tone openly condescending, borderline leering at her. She didn’t speak, waiting for him to loosen his grip enough on her hair that she would be able to speak at the right moment. If he was trying to capture her, he would have to let her up eventually. Compliance would get her to that point quicker with less injury. She forced herself to relax under the man’s weight, keeping her hands in sight. It wasn’t currently known among anyone other than herself, Kakashi, and Ibiki that she didn’t need hand signs for her kekkei genkai anymore. If she was lucky, Orochimaru wouldn’t know it either. If they believed that she needed her hands to use the jutsu, she may have an advantage considering it was already activated.

The idea that the snake was waiting for her was sickening and she wanted out of this as quickly as possible. 

“Good girl,” the man purred. She felt cold metal against her arm and her eyes widened. A chakra binding cuff was being secured to one of her wrists. The lack of chakra just from a single cuff was enough to throw her plans of compliance out of her mind. She bucked under where the man was still kneeling on her back, his knee digging into her spine in response to her struggling. She tried to move her head to face the side so she would have mobility in her jaw but the man’s hand tightened in her hair, shoving her chin into the ground so hard her teeth started to ache from being pressed against each other with so much pressure. 

“This base was bait, Okita. Where I’m taking you, no one is going to find you. Orochimaru is going to have a field day with you.” Panic overwhelmed her and she thrashed as much as she could, trying to rip her arm from the hand that wasn’t holding her down. He had an iron grip, however, and she felt panic start to bleed into terror. The first cuff was on. The warmth in her throat slipped away and she bit back an aborted scream. The second cuff followed quickly and she felt her grip on her chakra completely disappear. She was done. The seals she had written off as a mere precaution were suddenly all the more important for her to get her hands on. They were in one of the hidden pockets in the pants she had gotten from the supplies scroll she’d been provided. 

Was she ready to die? Could she face the consequences of living in Orochimaru’s captivity?

Another blow to her head knocked her out.

…

She could hear dripping against the cold, wet stone as she slowly opened her eyes. She had fallen unconscious again. Her arms were suspended above her head with chakra-binding shackles that were fixed low into the wall, forcing her to sit on the wet floor with her back to the wall. The position of her arms had already pushed her to the point of dislocating one of her shoulders when she had decided to attempt an escape shortly after her capture. Had that already been so long ago? She didn’t even have the energy to shake her head to herself. 

She had not seen daylight since being tossed into this dark cell. It had smooth, stone walls that seemed to fade into black nothingness in the corners where the light of the one candle in the room did not reach. There were no windows or furniture in the room. It was simply an empty room with plain walls and a single candle for her to look at, always flickering unevenly. There hadn’t been any indicators of time in this cell with the exception of the candle. She had noticed it was consistently replaced as soon as the last of the wax had pooled into the plate beneath it and the flame was starting to die. This meant someone was always watching or they knew how long it took for a candle to melt and knew when to replace it. 

She had started to time the candle from the time it was lit to the time it was replaced by keeping count of the seconds, minutes, and hours in her head. Once she determined the average consistency of each candle’s duration, she started to just count the candles as they were replaced. She had a general idea of how much time had passed, at least from the time she had started to time the candles which could have already been a couple of days after her capture. However, the few times she was tortured to unconsciousness, lost consciousness due to lack of food, or passed out from exhaustion, she did lose count or didn’t know if she had missed an entire candle or two. So far, she had counted up to two weeks’ worth of candles so she knew she had been here longer than two weeks. She needed to get home, to warn them…

The dripping was starting to irritate her. She vaguely recalled that there had not been a leak in the cell prior to when she had been knocked out with a sharp blow to the head. She had refused to answer any questions since being imprisoned and would not betray her village for something as trivial as her life. She followed the source of the dripping and glanced to her right side. It sounded like it was right next to her. Her eyes widened from what little adrenaline she had left spiked in her veins at the amount of blood on the floor. The puddle had spread from right next to her, soaking into different areas of the floor where the stone was cracked. She could feel the wetness of the bottom of her pants where she was sitting in her own blood. 

She had gotten used to the sensation of not feeling her arms since they had such extremely limited circulation from the moment she had been fixed into the shackles. However, she found herself completely unnerved to look at her mangled arm where deep gashes had streams of blood flowing slowly towards gravity. The drip was coming from her elbow where the slight angle was allowing the blood to drip to the floor. She could feel the sticky sensation of her clothes sticking to her skin in a patch running completely down the right side of her torso as well. She felt a familiar acidic burn crawling up her throat as her mouth watered from nausea and knowing what was to come. 

Had he continued to torture her after she had lost consciousness? Was she drugged so she had no memory of the remainder of the torture session? Was she put under a genjutsu and tortured while she was unaware? Had she given away the information? ‘I am seriously going to puke again…’ she thought before doing just that. To her left was a bucket that was placed next to her after the first several days of vomiting on the floor. Her captor had determined that sitting in her own puke was just downright disgusting and made the process of interrogation that much harder. 

Normally, this would be a great opportunity for further psychological torture, however, she would see the mess and empty the contents of her stomach again, making it impossible to answer questions as she hardly kept her eyes open and struggled to breathe before the process repeated. This was also around the time her captor had decided that she may have an infectious disease and ordered a “quarantine” placed on her until further notice. 

After throwing up what meager portion she had been given a couple of hours prior (which was usually just a couple of large spoonfuls of bland and dry white rice), she groaned as her lower stomach cramped. She knew she would die of malnourishment if this kept up, as long as her captors didn’t decide she was so useless they would get rid of her permanently. The very thought made her stomach turn again. She had just gotten everything she wanted in life, friends and family, and she was about to be ripped from it. The room became blurry and her eyes burned for a few moments. This was really it, wasn’t it?

A noise outside of her cell caught her attention and she looked towards the door. It had sounded like scraping metal, not one of the nearby cell doors or the usual footsteps. This sounded… dangerous. If she weren’t restrained, she would know who was behind the door. Or, at least, how much of a threat they were to her. The uncertainty put her on high alert. Would it pass? Would that door be opened? Was her interrogator returning for another session, this time bringing a new toy to test? She felt her legs shake just slightly. 

She heard a short shout that was quickly cut off, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. Her eyes narrowed. ‘This is either a rescue or this is about to get very dangerous…’ She waited patiently as she started to hear light, slow footsteps coming closer to her cell door. She saw a shadow of someone stop in front of her door. The adrenaline would normally have sharpened her senses to prepare for a possible fight, however her body couldn’t gather enough energy to even keep her eyes focused. There was the sound of a key turning in the lock of the door. 

As the door slowly opened, she felt her breath catch hard enough to disturb her broken ribs and she bit her lip at the predicament she was in, even if it was to help keep her from dropping her jaw in shock. 

“Avurin Okita… a very interesting surprise to see you here and the dog not at your side,” a deep voice that didn’t match the man she saw in front of her interrupted her thoughts. She coughed slightly and gave him a small smirk, ignoring the throbbing of her jaw from where it had been grabbed several times during interrogations. 

“Sasuke Uchiha. A pleasure to see you again. I’m assuming this isn’t a big, happy reunion, is it?” she muttered, barely able to speak above a whisper through the pain in her throat. She coughed again, this time a bone deep, rattling cough that tugged on her dislocated shoulder again. She glanced at the man in front of him and noticed he had some friends tagging along. A boy with white hair, sharp teeth, and Zabuza’s Executioner’s Blade strapped to his back stood to Sasuke’s right side. A girl with bright red hair, red eyes, glasses, with her nose turned up at the smell in the room stood to his left. Finally, a tall man with uneasy eyes and orange hair stood behind Sasuke, watching the interaction over Sasuke’s shoulder. That man was wearing prisoner clothes.

“No. Again, you were an unexpected surprise. You can’t stand in my way in your current state and I see no reason to kill you. The dog would have my ass if he ever discovered I had any role in your harm.” Sasuke spat the last sentence with a mix of boredom with a hint of spite. “I’m actually here to give you an offer. I’ll get you out of here and dump you somewhere for your dog to come retrieve you as long as Konoha agrees not to track my movements anymore. My mission is my business. There is only one man I want to kill. Anyone who stands in my way is forfeiting their lives and hindering my mission. If Konoha calls off its dogs, you are free to go.” She openly glared at him. 

“You know I can’t promise anything. You’ve hurt enough people as one of Konoha’s missing nin that they can’t turn a blind eye to you anymore. I’ve also calculated that I’ve been here for over two weeks now, possibly three. I have no clue where you stand currently or what you’ve been doing. If you leave me here though, I will surely die soon. I’ve done nothing to stand in the way of your mission, including when you were a child. You know I’m not usually the type to beg, however I would like to live. Whether Konoha will agree or not is not my decision. Get me out of here and heal me though, and I will negotiate for you. That is the best I can do.” After speaking for so long, her throat sounding more strained with each word and another cough building in her lungs, she turned towards the bucket and gagged, coughing up as much as she could.

She turned back to Sasuke and his group to see a small flash of… concern, that was definitely concern, flash through Sasuke’s eyes. She didn’t intentionally want to look pathetic in front of Kakashi’s former student, but it was currently doing her an important favor. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus on breathing for a moment. When she opened them again, the girl with the red hair was staring at her, eyes wide and almost… panicked. Avurin gave her a questioning look but the girl averted her eyes, instead looking towards Sasuke with a shocked expression, begging to tell him something she didn’t want Avurin to hear. He shook his head.

“Avurin, we’re going to do this and you are staying with us until we get word from Konoha that our movements will not be tracked in the future. You will not leave our sight. You will be healed, however if Konoha refuses to agree, your life is forfeit. This will be a statement to Konoha and you are the hostage. Understood?” he asked. His bored tone was grating on her nerves but she understood the precarious situation she had found herself in. She nodded. Sasuke turned to his red-haired friend. 

“Karin, we’re going to get her out of the shackles and drop her arms. Stabilize her immediately after she’s released so we can leave. She’ll need your special ability just for her to be able to walk.” With that, he drew his sword and walked towards her. Her heart raced as the shine of the sword caught the light of the candle. She heard a clang above her head and she fell over onto her side as the only support that was holding her up was released. The shackles broke into pieces and she knew her arms were most likely in bad positions. She still couldn’t feel them. 

“You’re about to be in a lot of pain as the blood rushes back to your arms. I’ll explain this later, but you need to bite me and absorb the chakra that flows to you. This won’t fix much but it will give you enough for us to get you somewhere stable.” Karin held her arm to Avurin’s mouth, the sleeve drawn back and a look of apprehension on her face. She leaned down to Avurin to whisper. “There is something extremely important that you need to know. I won’t tell you now but we do need to get you somewhere safe for a while. I’ll handle Sasuke. For now, just get this over with so we can get you out of here.” 

Avurin groaned but nodded. Her fingers were starting to tingle. Not the mild tingling from an arm that fell asleep for a couple of minutes, no, this was intensifying and felt like she was being poked with needles to the bone. She looked at the arm held in front of her and used what little energy she had to lean forward and bite down enough to draw blood. A rush of chakra almost overwhelmed her and her heart started to beat faster. She let go after only a moment and took a moment to process the information she was feeling after not having access to chakra for so long. Sharp pains climbed from her hands up her forearms. She couldn’t see the color of her hands with just the light of the candle, but she was willing to bet they were white from being above her head for so long. 

Karin apparently had a roll of bandages on her and she had started wrapping Avurin’s mangled arm while she was still laying down and recovering. Avurin looked up at Sasuke, observing him. She hadn’t seen him in years and he’d definitely grown. She gave him a small smirk. Yet, he was still a self-absorbed asshole, she could see it in the way his little posse looked at him for every comment and the forced casual behavior. Yet, he was saving her right now. He still had a heart. He lifted an eyebrow at her then scoffed and turned around to walk out of the cell door. The other men followed him as Karin started to help her onto her feet. She could barely keep her balance and had to lean on Karin. 

“Where are we anyway?” she eventually asked. Karin glanced at her, looking confused by the question. 

“What do you mean? You don’t know what this place is?”

“No. I was unconscious when I was brought in and my interrogator never identified himself. Just kept asking questions about the inner workings of Konoha.” Karin frowned at this and looked towards Sasuke’s back as they followed him through the torch-lit hallways of what looked like an extremely elaborate bunker. 

“This is one of Orochimaru’s hideouts. One that specializes in human experimentation.” That simple statement made Avurin think back to every interrogation with an ice cold feeling running through her veins. Had they been experimenting on her while she was unconscious? The nausea was building up in her throat again. She pitched herself away from Karin to lean against the wall of the hallway, retching against the wall with nothing but acid hitting the floor. She heard the footsteps of the group stop while Karin walked towards her. She felt two hands grab her to turn her around, forcing her to look into the red eyes in front of her. Something in Karin’s eyes told her that there was something going on and Karin knew exactly what it was. 

“Look, if he did anything to you, I’ll be able to fix it. For now, we need to focus and get out of here.” With that, Karin grabbed her by the non-injured arm and started dragging her towards the exit, leaving the men to follow. She had more energy yet she almost felt sicker than before. What had they done to her while she was here? She didn’t notice her vision tunneling until her face was about to meet the floor. Everything went dark. 

…

Her consciousness came back to her in increments. First, her hearing. Sasuke and Karin were arguing. 

“Sasuke, we can’t keep her with us! I may be pretty self-centered but this could be disastrous if the Copy-Nin finds out what’s going on! He’ll kill us!” Karin was nearly yelling and Avurin couldn’t help but wince at the ache in her head from Karin’s raised voice. 

“This is all the more reason that they will want her back as soon as possible. He’ll comply with anything we ask as long as we have her.” Sasuke responded, his tone dry and not at all impressed with Karin’s theatrics. 

Avurin’s sense of touch was starting to come back. She could feel that she was being held against someone’s chest. They were walking, a gentle sway as the two other members of the group argued. Given how small the white-haired member was, she had to guess she was being carried by the bigger one with the orange hair. 

“Sasuke! Listen to yourself! This is more than a gamble at this point! Konoha isn’t going to react well to us holding both the Okita Clan Head and the heir to not only the Okita Clan, but the Hatake Clan in our possession! She needs actual medical attention immediately! She’s going to lose the baby at this rate!” Avurin’s sluggish thoughts were suddenly brought to a sharpened, frozen state. Baby? Clan heir? What?

“You may be right, but we still have to use this to our advantage.” Sasuke’s voice brought her back to the present and she cracked her eyes open, closing them again as soon as the light of the sun sent a wave of pain through her head. She groaned, bringing attention to the person carrying her. 

“She’s awake,” the man simply stated. They stopped walking, the sudden stillness and silence was a relief as Avurin opened her eyes again, wincing at the light but forcing herself to take in her surroundings. Finding Karin’s bright red hair, she ground her teeth as she mulled over the best way to ask for clarification on what was being discussed. 

“B-Baby?” she muttered, her abused throat not able to articulate much more than that. Karin’s eyes were immediately sympathetic as she rushed to Avurin who was being set down against a dry tree, likely one that was already dead in such a harsh climate. Karin’s hand on her forehead was cool and she leaned into it with a sigh, ignoring the fact that she still couldn’t move her arms. 

“Yes. A baby. You’re pregnant and you need medical attention.” A pointed glare in Sasuke’s direction did not go unnoticed. “She’s running a fever. I’m serious, Sasuke. If she dies, you know we’re all going to get murdered by that dog of hers. Her chakra is a complete mess right now and the baby is barely holding on. Here, bite me again. It’ll help heal some of your injuries and send some nourishment to the baby.” Avurin didn’t have enough energy to nod but she opened her mouth, letting Karin put her arm against her mouth. Biting down on her arm again, she soaked in the rush of chakra and could feel the warmth in her arms as the chakra actively started healing some of her injuries. 

A baby? A child? She’d taken the medication. She’d drank the tea. She’d done everything possible to avoid a child before her and Kakashi were ready. What if… She had been in captivity for a while. She was unconscious for most of it. That man had been all too interested in her.

“Hey! No! Focus!” Karin lightly tapped her face a few times and she blinked, not expecting the tears she found pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I can’t tell you what exactly is going on, but you need to stay aware and don’t think too much about this just yet. Don’t think about what you were just thinking about. We’re going to get you to a hospital and they’ll be able to do whatever is necessary to address this. If Orochimaru did this to you, they’ll fix it. Do you understand?” Avurin fought back a sniffle and nodded with the little energy she had. 

Survive. That was her mission. Survive. She could do that. 

“Don’t make promises to her. I haven’t made a decision yet.” Sasuke’s condescending tone was hardly noticed as Avurin focused on her breathing. Breathe. Survive. Get home. Find Kakashi. He would take care of everything. She knew he would. She needed to get back to him. 

“This is a threat to our mission. I think you know what we have to do.” Karin countered, staring directly into Sasuke’s eyes. Avurin could tell this wasn’t how they usually interacted given Sasuke’s constipated expression with a hint of disbelief. 

“Fine. We’ll find a cave near here and drop her off. When we get to our next destination, I’ll send a guard for her and a letter to Konoha. The demands will be in the letter.” Sasuke’s agreement was bitter as he turned away from the group, continuing the trek to their destination. Karin gently felt over Avurin’s arms, running her hands across the bandages on her right arm. 

“You’re already healing really well. I’m a sensor and a medic-nin. That’s how… that’s how I knew.” Karin explained as her hands gently grazed over different sections of Avurin’s body. She was assessing her condition, Avurin realized. She relaxed against the tree, allowing the examination even as those hands focused on her midsection. “Baby is healthy. We got there just in time. The chakra I gave to you through my kekkei genkai immediately went to the baby. Your healing will be slow but you will heal once you get to a hospital. Jugo, go ahead and pick her up again. We need to get her settled somewhere and get to our next destination as fast as possible.” Strong arms settled under Avurin’s shoulders and her knees, lifting her off of the ground again. 

Traveling to a nearby ‘drop-point’ as Sasuke called it, didn’t take long. They found a fairly deep but closed off cave and Avurin found herself laid down on a rollout, being force-fed rations and water. 

“Karin, stop dawdling. It’s a half-day’s trip to our next stop.” Sasuke’s sharp tone demanded compliance and Karin couldn’t disobey from what Avurin had picked up from their short interactions. Openly defying Sasuke wasn’t exactly a repeat offense that Karin could afford judging from the tense lines in Sasuke’s shoulders and the dangerous glint in his eye. Karin’s cool hand slipped away from Avurin’s forehead. 

“Go to sleep. Help will be here soon.” Karin reassured her before leaving the cave to follow her companions. Avurin couldn’t help but let a few tears fall from her eyes as soon as she was sure they wouldn’t be coming back. How had her life completely been turned upside down so quickly? The uncertainty around the child she was carrying was killing her. She desperately hoped it was Kakashi’s. The timing was right despite the medication and tea. However, her captivity left her questioning everything. 

She didn’t know what to do or think while she waited. She fell asleep after an hour of endless, increasingly despair-riddled thoughts.

Chapter Text

When she woke up from her pain-induced nap, she found a cat sitting at the mouth of the cave, facing the outside as if it were surveying the surrounding area. With a groan, she reached for one of the waterskins that Karin had left for her. Her left arm was sluggish but functional as she started to drink, nearly crying at how much relief she felt from the cool water on her sore throat. 

“You’re awake,” a voice chimed from the direction of the mouth of the cave. Avurin sealed the waterskin and pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing as her right arm continued to lay limp at her side. 

“W-Who?” Avurin mumbled, her tongue numb in her mouth as she stared at the cat that had turned to face her. It was a black and gray tabby with a small vest and a serious expression despite being an animal. 

“I’m a ninken bound to the Uchiha clan. At Sasuke Uchiha’s orders, I was asked to watch over you until your village comes to get you. You can call me Miwahi.” The cat’s voice was decidedly male. Avurin could only nod, taking in the fact that the light outside of the cave was darkening. “It’s getting close to sunset. I would recommend eating something before continuing to sleep. You reek of sickness and injury. You will need the energy for the upcoming days.” The ninken spoke matter-of-factly in a tone that demanded compliance. 

“Okay,” she whispered as she laid back down. She wasn’t hungry. Karin had left rations but her stomach was still extremely agitated and she doubted she could keep it down. She was worried about the condition she would be found in by whoever Konoha sent to retrieve her. She knew she had vomit stuck to her clothes along with blood and other fluids. Karin hadn’t had the time or supplies to change her clothes given whatever rush Sasuke was in. 

Settling back down, she closed her eyes and sighed. She could definitely take advantage of the time to rest. She was incredibly tired. 

…

A hand on her shoulder shook her out of sleep almost aggressively and she found herself reaching for her weapons that weren't on her. 

“Avie! Hey! She's awake!” Kakashi’s voice brought an overwhelming wave of emotion as she was pulled into a gentle hug. It took a moment to register that the chest she was leaning against was wracked with harsh breaths and the arms holding her were shaking. 

“‘Kashi?” she whispered, her left hand shaking as she gripped onto his sleeve as tightly as possible, begging him not to let go of her. 

“I'm here. Fuck, I'm here. W-We were looking everywhere for you.” Kakashi’s voice rasped as he spoke, his grip tightening around her. “Tsunade told me everything after the third week. I was assigned with a team to retrieve you. Fuck, I never should of let you go on your own!” One of his hands cupped the back of her head and she buried her face in his vest. Her cheeks were wet with tears she hadn't even realized she was shedding and she started to feel that same wet feeling on top of her head. Kakashi’s shoulders shook violently and a loud sob ripped itself from the man. Avurin froze as he ran his fingers through her hair, ignoring the filth that covered her. 

“I-It was trap. Orochimaru expected me to show up.” Avurin’s vice voice shook as she tried not to think about her capture and the subsequent weeks of torture. “I don't know what he did to me.” It was hard to admit but she really didn't know what had been done to her. The memories were already starting to blur and compartmentalize where they weren't easy to recollect on a whim. 

“We're going back to Konoha and getting you to the hospital.” Another voice echoed off of the cave walls and Avurin knew it despite only running into the man a few times. Tenzo. He was in charge of Team Kakashi while their captain was recovering. Avurin was struck by panic just from knowing he was here. 

“The kids?” she asked, tilting her head up to look up at Kakashi, only able to get her eyes level with his neck considering how he was wrapped around her, his chin resting against the top of her head. 

“They're outside the cave. We put up a privacy seal and told them to go survey the area while we get you cleaned up and ready for the trip.” Tenzo answered. “Kakashi, you're going to have to let go of her for a few minutes. We really need to get her changed and cleaned before we let Naruto see her.” Tenzo's voice was almost gentle as he approached the couple, placing a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. Her mate tensed and for a moment she worried that his protective nature was going to take things a step too far. To her relief, he loosened his hold on her and pulled away slightly, still keeping his hands on her. 

“He's right. I brought some of your clothes, half an infirmary, and plenty of water. Yamato, can you step outside for a few minutes?” Kakashi asked, wiping away the breakdown he'd just had as quickly as possible. 

“Yeah, but don't take too long. Naruto is bound to be back any minute.” Tenzo stepped outside and Kakashi pulled back completely. Avurin couldn't meet his eye as he took in her condition, instead choosing to stare at the far end of the cave. 

“Let's get you cleaned up,” Kakashi muttered as he unsealed a scroll, revealing several medical supplies and a few sets of her clothes. 

She was in a daze as he cut away what was left of her current clothes, not wanting to move her arms too much given how her right arm was still wrapped tight in bandages and her left was covered in visible bruises. He was so careful with her that she almost felt the need to hurry him along as he used water and travel soap to clean her skin where he could. It wasn't exactly a shower but it helped. 

By the time he had changed her into new pants and a loose mesh shirt with one of her most comfortable haoris, leaving her left arm inside of the loose fabric instead of forcing her to maneuver it through the sleeve, she was in a comfortably sedated state. She knew she felt better but her head wasn't catching up with the situation. Within twenty-four hours she'd gone from the most miserable captive situation to being back in her favorite clothes with her mate doting over her injuries. 

Kakashi’s silence was near deafening after he'd gotten a full look at her injuries. She could tell he was barely holding back from hunting down Orochimaru himself.

“Let's go home.” She was lifted with a gentle grip, tucking her against his chest in a comfortable bridal carry after he'd sealed their supplies along with all of the traces of her stay in the cave. The cat was mysteriously gone, she realized. It must have left after Team Kakashi found her. She kept her right arm tucked against her chest while her left arm gripped his vest, not willing to let go of him. 

She had the passing thought that the current situation was a genjutsu. She wasn't willing to try to dispel it, though. Even if it was part of some torture scheme, she was going to take what little comfort she could get.

“I'm going to move ahead with her. I don't think it would be a good idea for her to be overwhelmed by the team just yet.” Kakashi spoke quietly to Tenzo as they joined him at the mouth of the cave. Avurin could feel Tenzo observing her despite choosing to stare blankly at the wall of the cave in front of her. 

“I agree. She's been through a lot. Get her back to the village. I'll turn the team towards Sasuke’s direction. After that letter, I don't think he'll take kindly to us tracking him from this location but you know Naruto.” She could imagine Tenzo was shrugging in exasperation. Frankly, after seeing Sasuke’s shitty attitude only being worse after a few years, she felt that the teenager deserved to have Naruto catch up to him. 

“Good plan. Be safe.” Kakashi left quickly, keeping his steps measured to avoid jostling her too much as they fled the area before the team would notice. She was content with hiding for now. Shame was starting to creep into her at how bad she must have looked. Sure, no one was going to smell like daisies and look like a bright ray of sunshine after spending weeks in a cell. However, she felt like she was a particularly horrible case. The weeks of expelling stomach acid on herself or nearby in addition to the wounds that had spent so long untreated had to have left a lasting impression that would only be soothed with an actual shower. 

Then there was… the child. How was she supposed to explain this? What could really be done to make sure it was Kakashi’s? What if it wasn't? Would they have to wait another eight months and pray it popped out with a full head of his gray hair just to confirm she hadn't been raped in her sleep? 

“Hey, it'll be okay. Whatever is sending you into a panic, it's okay. We're okay. We'll get this figured out.” Kakashi’s quiet words helped a little but she still worried. If it wasn't his, would he reject her? Would his instincts dictate how he would react? Could he even reject her if they were mates? 

Her thoughts continued to circle through her head as the scenery changed from the barren land of Northern Land of Fire to the familiar forests that surrounded Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was appropriately named, Avurin thought. She dozed lightly for an hour or so, surrounded by the familiar sounds and smells of the forest. Kakashi seemed to relax as her emotions calmed, his pace less rigid as he jumped from tree to tree, not letting up in his rush to get back to the village. She had forgotten about the bond that tipped him off to her emotional state. Everything just felt like a haze after a few hours of travel. 

When they entered the village, Kakashi didn't stop as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop to get to the hospital. Everything was a whirlwind of action once they were inside. Kakashi was led to a private hospital room that was already prepped for her and Tsunade was there within minutes to assess her. 

Kakashi held her hand as Tsunade’s green chakra swept over her. 

“Two broken ribs, a punctured lung, an already healing concussion, burns on the tops of her thighs from some sort of heated metal, deep bruising all  over, a few broken toes from blunt force, severe malnutrition. And that's before I even get to the arm. It looks like both arms suffered severe lack of circulation long-term but the right arm was recently broken in several places along with four gashes cut down to the bone. She's received some sort of healing since but it hasn't done much.” Tsunade took a deep breath as her hand hovered over Avurin’s midsection. She watched with a hitched breath as Tsunade went through several emotions trying to think of every possibility for her ‘surprise condition’ within the span of a few seconds. 

“Is there more?” Kakashi demanded, likely not liking the stricken expression on Tsunade’s face. Tsunade’s hand lightly pressed on Avurin’s lower stomach and, against her will, Avurin let out an almost inhuman growl as her gaze snapped to the offender that had gotten too close to where her pup was growing. She honestly couldn't pinpoint what had come over her as her left hand reached for Tsunade’s to pull her away. 

“There are some barely noticeable punctures to the lower abdomen. They look like needle punctures. On top of that… Avurin, you're pregnant.” The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped by several degrees at the admission. Tsunade took a respectful step back and Avurin felt the wave of protectiveness fade away, sluggishly shaking her head to dispel the odd moment. 

“Can you tell if it's Kakashi’s?” Her voice sounded loud to her ears but she knew she was still very quiet to the other two occupants of the silent room. 

“Do you recall there being a reason why it wouldn't be?” Tsunade questioned, her voice carefully even as she glanced at the man in question. Avurin shook her head. 

“That's the problem. I don't remember something like that happening to me but I was unconscious for a lot of my time there. If there's a way to test the child for our peace of mind, I want it done. Not just paternity, everything.” Avurin wouldn't let there be any questioning of the child's paternity or heath if she could help it. The punctures around her stomach had to have been done while she was asleep. Given that the base she was kept at specialized in human experimentation, there was no telling what had been done to the life growing inside of her. Kakashi’s hand tightening around hers told her that it was the right decision, even if he didn't want to express any doubt in her. 

“I can take samples now if you’re comfortable with it. Since Kakashi’s rut was over eight weeks ago, we'll know without a doubt if it's his with the test I can run. If it's anyone else's, we'll have to test again in a few weeks. The rest of the testing will be done through your blood and will take a few days.” Avurin nodded and watched as Tsunade took several vials of blood, likely more than she actually needed for the sake of possible retesting and any mistakes that could happen. After she was done with the blood samples, she gave Kakashi a swab and directed him to scrub it against the inside of both of his cheeks for several seconds each while she wasn't looking at his face. He did as she asked, as thorough as he could be with a simple test. His eyebrows were drawn together in concentration and concern as he did it, glancing at Avurin with a careful side-eye before pulling his mask up and giving Tsunade the swab. 

“I'll rush the test as much as possible. Avurin, you're staying here for at least two weeks. That's not a suggestion, that's an order. Until you are completely healed, you are not to leave this room. Am I completely clear?” Tsunade crossed her arms and met Avurin’s distant gaze as exhaustion started to creep into the slouch in her shoulders. Avurin nodded slowly and Tsunade nodded back, silently reassuring her that she would handle everything. “I'm going to start an IV for you and then you can go to sleep. You’re dehydrated.” 

Once the IV was set, Tsunade left the room. Avurin continued to stare blankly at the door, both completely overwhelmed and so exhausted she could hardly form a thought. 

“Avie, I'm so sorry.” Kakashi was sitting on the edge of her bed, clutching at her hand with his head hung low. “I felt you. Through the bond. You were so scared and suddenly everything went silent. I… I thought you were gone.” His thumb lightly traced the back of her left hand. “I did everything I could to find you as soon as I convinced Tsunade something was wrong. We tracked your scent outside of the hideout, we broke into it, we tore everything apart in that base to find you and there wasn't a trace of you except for your weapons. We'd gotten back and… it wasn't until a week later that we got the letter. I was a mess. I should have kept looking. I'm so sorry.” Kakashi’s voice hitched and she squeezed his hand. 

“I'm alive, aren't I? You still found me. Sasuke may still be a prick but he has some humanity left in him.” Her voice was quiet and less teasing than she wanted to be but it seemed to help him in that moment. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

“Yeah, you're alive. And so is this little one. I don't really need the test to know. It's definitely mine.” Kakashi’s voice was fond and quiet as his hand gently pressed against her abdomen, likely feeling for the tiny chakra signature that Avurin couldn't even feel herself. “I knew something was off about your scent before you left. You smelled a little sweeter than usual. I just didn’t know what it was. Now, even though you might think you smell horrible, that scent is almost overwhelming. You left the village already pregnant. I just hope whatever testing Tsunade is doing will make sure the pup hasn't been tampered with. Regardless, this is ours.” Avurin finally let herself feel relief about the situation as  she laid back in the bed, a sigh escaping her. Her eyes itched horribly with more unshed tears as Kakashi continued to smile at her, pulling down his mask and inhaling deeply. “I can honestly say that this scent is my new favorite.” She let out a quiet laugh as her cheeks became wet again. 

“I'm sorry this is happening so soon. I know we wanted to wait. I even took medication for it after your rut and drank my tea every morning. You weren't kidding when you said you were fertile.” She let out another watery laugh and Kakashi gently laid down on his side next to her, propping his head up with his hand. 

“It'll be fine. We're fully capable adults and it's not like we're struggling for money. A pup of our own is hardly a reason to be sorry. It was a risk we both knew the consequences of.” He gently rubbed small circles into her stomach and she closed her eyes, enjoying the attention. “Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up.” She nodded and let herself slip back into unconsciousness. She really did need to get better.

Not just for her but for the pup too. 

…

The next morning, Kakashi was asleep next to her when she woke up. Tsunade was in the room, quietly putting together several bottles of medication and vitamins. There were several needles on the counter, each containing a dose of things that Avurin could only guess were an effort to bring her back to a reasonable state as quickly as possible. Kakashi was snoring loudly, one of his arms slung over her waist in a protective hold. 

“I didn’t want to wake him up. He hasn’t slept much since you disappeared and I’m not going to be the one to try to pull him away from you.” Tsunade whispered. Avurin took a moment to look at Kakashi’s face, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the unusual paleness of his face. “Hold out your arm and I’ll take care of the injections. They’re a round of vitamins for everything that you’re lacking right now. The medications can be started around dinner time.” Avurin did as she was told, holding out her left arm over Kakashi’s head. He was laying on her left side to avoid jostling her right arm so the positioning was awkward but Tsunade made it work. Avurin noticed that she wasn’t directly injecting the vitamins into the inside of her elbow, instead pricking her upper arm with the series of shots.

“You’re being too nice to me,” Avurin teased quietly as Tsunade finished, gently massaging the area to reduce later soreness. Tsunade shot her a half-hearted glare. 

“You just spent weeks being tortured on a mission that I sent you on. On top of that, you come back pregnant with signs that the fetus was tampered with while you were in captivity. I have no clue how you’re still able to have a sense of humor.” Tsunade hissed, putting a patch of gauze on the injection site before wrapping it with a bandage. Avurin glanced down at where Kakashi’s arm was still protectively wrapped around her midsection. 

“Kakashi told me yesterday that I left the village pregnant, he just didn’t know it at the time. I’m feeling a little better with that information, at least. A member of Sasuke’s team was a sensor and told me that the baby looks healthy. I know there are still things that could go wrong but at least I know that I’m not carrying a monster’s child and the baby isn’t in danger anymore. Injuries will heal and I’m in capable hands here. Whatever comes of what was done while I was there, we’ll get through it.” Avurin brought her hand to hold Kakashi’s over her stomach, gently running her thumb along the edges of his glove that he hadn’t taken off in his rush to get her to bed. 

“The paternity test did match. I was going to tell you later today. There are a few strange genetic markers that I’m still trying to find sources for but the father isn’t in question, at least. I’m still waiting for the other tests to come back. I can’t guarantee that there won’t be anything wrong just from those tests, we won’t know for sure until the baby is born. There’s only so much we can test for this early in development. The baby does look healthy, though, all things considered.” Avurin nodded with Tsunade’s assessment, letting her mind drift a little. 

“Use my genetics for testing as well. There are some odd things about my own bloodline that may explain the inconsistencies. Clan secrets. May narrow down your questions if there’s a match with any recessive genes.” Avurin muttered, knowing the possibility of the child having the Time Freeze Jutsu was high. If that was the inconsistency, at least it would show up on her own genetic testing. 

“Of course. I hadn’t thought of comparing yours since, well, you’re obviously carrying the baby and it’s Kakashi’s. I’ll run the test and let you know if it explains the inconsistencies. If not, we may not be able to get an idea of what’s going on until the baby is here.” Tsunade looked contemplative before she sighed, turning to her clipboard on the counter and making a few notes. “Ibiki is going to be here later today. He may bring Inoichi. We need to get as much information as possible from your time in the base. There’s been rumors that Sasuke killed Orochimaru so we’re trying to get as much context as possible. Be prepared. It won’t be pleasant but we need to do this while your memories are still fresh.” With that, Tsunade left Avurin to her thoughts. 

Kakashi was still snoring next to her, dead asleep. She was surprised that he had slept through that conversation given how much of a light sleeper he was. She ran her left hand through his gravity-defying hair, reveling in the feeling of being back in his arms. She wasn’t looking forward to going through her memories of her capture and she wasn’t sure if she wanted Kakashi to be around for the recounting of it. She already had a feeling Ibiki was going to kick him out of the room. 

What worried her more was Inoichi’s mind walking. After spending some years around him working in T&I, she knew that he was capable of pulling memories that were either so traumatic the captive boxed them away to forget about or memories from when a captive was ‘unconscious.’ She didn’t want to learn more about her captivity. She didn’t want to face the pitfalls of her own mind trying to protect her. 

Running her hand over the side of Kakashi’s face, she sighed. She was starting to feel like she was just a passenger in her own life. She didn’t like the feeling. She closed her eyes and settled back into the bed, not wanting to think about it anymore. 

…

When she woke up next, Tsunade and Kakashi were calmly discussing her new vitamin schedule. Kakashi had pulled up a chair next to the bed and was taking notes in a small book Avurin knew he kept tucked away in his pocket in case he needed to take field notes during missions. It sounded extensive. 

“Oh good, you’re awake. Ibiki and Inoichi are here. Kakashi has agreed to step out for the debriefing but he’ll be right outside.” Tsunade gave Kakashi a pointed glare as the man put his notebook away and pulled himself up to his feet. He leaned over the bed to give Avurin a kiss to her forehead, squeezing her hand for reassurance. 

“Tell Ibiki to come get me if you need me,” he muttered before pulling away, following Tsunade out of the room with his feet nearly dragging across the floor. He was so much more expressive than he used to be and Avurin took a little pride in that change, even if he was currently pouting like a child. 

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. 

“Come in.” Ibiki was the first to walk into the room, his tall form shouldering into the room hastily. His eyes took in Avurin’s state and he glanced down at the clipboard in his hands, huffing as if he were irritated. 

“Inoichi will be here in a moment. We’ll start with basic questions until he gets here. I want to get this done as thoroughly as possible and as quickly as possible so we can get out of your hair. From what I understand, there’s a lot going on so we’re going to try not to take up too much of your time.” Avurin nodded, her left hand fidgeting slightly on top of the blanket. Her right arm could move, she knew it could, but she also knew she should probably not try to use it. Especially to fidget. 

Ibiki took a seat at the chair Kakashi had been sitting in, flipping to a blank page on his clipboard. 

“This is going to be pretty impersonal but you already know this is procedure. I want you to walk me through your mission from the second you left Konoha to your capture. Easy stuff first. Then we’ll dig into everything chronologically. By the time we get to the harder parts, Inoichi will be here to help. Start when you’re ready.” Avurin took a deep breath before reciting her exact steps from the moment she left Konoha’s gates. By the time she started discussing the day that the guard’s schedule had changed, Inoichi knocked on the door. 

“Hey! I hope I didn’t miss too much. I apologize for the delay, there were some matters that had to be handled in T&I. Mind bringing me up to date?” Inoichi was a naturally calming presence. Avurin could already feel herself relaxing from the tension she was beginning to build up throughout her report in anticipation of explaining her capture. 

“We’ve covered her trip to the surveillance site and she was just explaining that there had been a change in the guard’s schedule. Avurin, please continue.” Ibiki focused on his clipboard where he’d been taking notes as she spoke. She recounted the attack, explaining that she had been caught completely unaware. She didn’t leave out what the shinobi had told her, making sure Ibiki made notes about Orochimaru’s assumption that she would be the one sent on this particular mission. 

“He knew I was coming and the shinobi that captured me identified me before I even knew that he was aware of my presence. I was neutralized immediately. Orochimaru had plenty of information on the Okita clan that he shouldn’t have had. It isn’t commonly noted that I’ve reached a point where I can use my kekkei genkai without hand signs but the shinobi that captured me seemed to know this and kept my jaw neutralized the entire time so that I couldn’t speak until he put chakra cuffs on me.” 

“How did he neutralize your jaw?”

“My chin was pressed into the ground and he kept a hold on my head so my jaw couldn’t move. My chin was bruised for at least a week afterwards and my teeth were compressed to the point of pain in the process.”

“What about the rest of your body?”

“He put his weight onto my back and used his other hand to apply the chakra cuffs.”

“What happened after the cuffs were applied?”

“My kekkei genkai deactivated against my will and he knocked me out with a blow to the head. I lost track of time between that moment and when I woke up at the second location.” 

“Let’s go ahead and stop here for a moment. Inoichi is going to mind-walk with you for some of the next portions. Do you need a few minutes?” Ibiki made a point to set down his pen, giving her a pointed look. He didn’t want her pushing herself too far, she realized. They were worried about a breakdown occurring. 

“No, let’s continue. I’d like to get this over with.” 

As the debriefing continued, she recited what was done to her while she was conscious. She explained her method of tracking time using the candles and the questions she was asked during the interrogations, all simple questions about Konoha’s inner workings. She knew that she didn’t give any information away while she was conscious, but she still worried about any lapses in her lucidity. 

When there were holes in her memory, Inoichi would walk through her memory to make sure that there wasn’t anything she was missing. Midway through the interview, Inoichi was reporting that it was pretty straight-cut and that she was just losing consciousness each time there was a blank spot. 

“We’ve been briefed on your injury report. So far, there hasn’t been any mention of… tampering with your pregnancy and Inoichi hasn’t found anything either. It appears that they had a pattern of starting small like any normal interrogation. It’s very likely that the next few mind-walks may bring some things up. Mentally prepare yourself for a moment.” Ibiki stopped the interview with a tap of his pen against his clipboard before making a few additional notes in the margins of the report. Avurin took a minute to breathe and collect herself before nodding, giving them the signal to continue. 

The memories did get more intense as the torture increased. The burns on her thighs itched as she recalled the hot metal that had been used to demand more answers about Konoha. A new pattern started to emerge following the ‘quarantine’ that was ordered on her, the physical torture completely changing to more mental torture. There were more holes in her memory as the time progressed in her recollection. 

That was when things started to get difficult. Inoichi finally found a lost memory in a mind-walk, a blurry, nauseating memory. She had accepted a cup of what she had assumed was water following an interrogation. She didn’t remember ever accepting a drink from her captor. Water was usually stale and forced down her throat with meals. In the memory, her mind had started to dull and her body had started reacting sluggishly. She had been brought from the interrogation room to a lab instead of her cell. 

In the lab, Orochimaru had been present, oddly serious from the tone of his muddled voice that she could hear in the memory. The words weren’t clear and she struggled to understand what was being said. There were hands on her abdomen, foreign chakra washing over the area in what was likely a diagnostic jutsu. Then there was a menacing cackle followed by a string of words spoken with… excitement? 

The memory ended with her being brought back to her cell. 

“That must have been the moment that he discovered your pregnancy. In previous memories, you mentioned that you had struggled with persistent nausea that made keeping any food down nearly impossible. That must have been what tipped them off.” Ibiki noted with a sigh, writing a few notes. Avurin could only nod, oddly upset that she couldn’t recall that particular memory ever happening. It was likely that the drug that had been used was meant to sedate her while also wiping her short-term memory of the interaction. 

“Let’s go ahead and continue. The quicker we get through this, the quicker you can continue the path to recovery.” Ibiki’s voice was oddly sympathetic and she took that as her cue to continue. 

Memories were pulled that continued to disturb her, several of Orochimaru having her drugged and brought back to that lab. Injections to her stomach were noticed and noted in the report but the drug they had given her had made it impossible to get any context from the words spoken in the room. It was as if she’d had cotton stuffed in her ears each time they drugged her. She could tell it was frustrating for Inoichi, he was likely weighing the pros and cons of recalling these memories if they couldn’t get anything useful out of them. She knew he had her best interests in mind when it came to that conflicting decision. 

By the end of it, they had also recovered the memory of her right arm being mutilated. The shinobi that had captured her was frustrated about the rumors that Orochimaru had been killed. He’d wanted to kill her, somehow believing that her capture had something to do with the new instability in Orochimaru’s network. However, there was a sentence that caught both her and Inoichi’s attention. She hadn’t been drugged for the torture so his words were clear. Why the memory was otherwise inaccessible was a mystery. She was most likely overwhelmed by the trauma and pain she’d been in at the time, Inoichi theorized. 

“His research that he worked so hard to use on your kid is going to pay off, whether he’s dead or not. I’ll keep you alive to make sure of it. Just you wait until you pop. It won’t take you too long to put the pieces together, Okita.” 

She had fallen unconscious shortly after that, which had led to her ‘rescue’ by Sasuke’s group. Recalling the extraction up to the point she was in Kakashi’s arms felt like crossing a finish line after running around the border of Konoha fifty times. She would know, she’d done it with Gai once. 

“Try not to ruminate too much on that last memory with the interrogator. It was likely that he was panicking over the collapse of Orochimaru’s network. You’re in good hands with Tsunade. We’ve gotten everything that we need but we’ll send word if there are any questions or developments.” Ibiki placed a firm hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. “Just focus on getting better, Avurin. You’ve got a kid to worry about now, leave the rest to us.” She nodded mutely before Ibiki and Inoichi left the room. 

When Kakashi came back into the room not even a full minute later, she pushed herself to one side of the bed and he didn’t need any further prompting. He was cleaned up, his hair damp from a shower and he’d changed into more comfortable clothes. Slipping into the bed, he held up his arm to allow her to nuzzle into his chest with a sigh. Her mind was carefully blank again, trying not to think about what she’d learned over the course of the last hour. 

“Get some more sleep. Tsunade will be back in a few hours so you have time.” Kakashi murmured, gently running a hand down her back. She took a deep breath, letting herself slip into the comfort of his scent and warmth. 

“I love you,” she whispered. A kiss was pressed to the top of her head. 

“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

The recovery process was tedious and Avurin spent most of it sleeping. Two weeks didn’t seem like a long time, but for a shinobi of Kakashi’s caliber in the middle of high international tensions, it was too long. He couldn’t stay with her constantly. He still had a job to do. As much as she wanted him by her side constantly, he had a job to do. She could tell it hurt him to leave her side so often and for so long just as much as it hurt her, if not worse. He spent as much of his time in the village at her side, keeping her updated on the situation and quietly cuddling her, carefully stroking her stomach when he thought she was asleep and wouldn’t know. 

They didn’t talk about the baby often. Both of them had insecurities with allowing themselves to have hope about something when it was still possible something could go wrong. Orochimaru’s experimentation on their child was a source of serious anxiety between them and Avurin knew that was the driving force behind her own anxiety. If something went wrong and his ‘experiment’ failed, taking their baby as well, she didn’t know what she would do. Emotionally distancing herself was her only way of handling the chance of falling off a cliff of despair if something happened to their child.  

On top of the stress of an unexpected pregnancy that had been tampered with by an enemy, tensions in the nation had only gotten worse while she was captured. The Akatsuki were a very real threat and Kakashi was actively tracking Itachi Uchiha as part of the mission to track Sasuke’s movements and address the increasing threats to the tailed beasts. Taking the time to find Avurin had taken Kakashi from several important missions and the second she’d found out, she found herself drowning in guilt. Having nothing better to do than lay in bed, she was mentally kicking herself for not being able to help. 

Tsunade had made her point very clear the only time Avurin had mentioned that she wanted to help. She was pregnant with not only the Hatake heir, but her own as well. Accident or not, the safety of future generations was the priority of not only herself, but the entirety of the village. She was now no higher on the totem pole than a civilian. A very important, now heavily monitored and guarded civilian, but essentially just a civilian and not the capable and reliable kunoichi she had been. In Tsunade’s own words, it was Kakashi’s job to fight for her now as part of the village. She was now the pregnant wife that stayed behind and prayed for her mate’s safe return. 

While Avurin understood, it was almost demeaning. She was strong and she wanted to fight. She wasn’t even showing yet since the baby was barely the size of a walnut. 

However, she could already feel the changes in her body. Tsunade’s twice-a-day visits to heal her wounds were now down to just once-a-day visits given how well she was progressing. Her arm was almost back to normal, though she was warned that she had extensive nerve damage that would likely never heal. It brought a sense of concern about her ability to wield her weapons, but after only a day of wallowing, she wrote it off since it wasn’t a priority in her current state. 

What was a priority was her inability to keep food down. Tsunade was extremely worried about it since she couldn’t tell if it was a side effect of her captivity or morning sickness. Regardless of why it was happening, she wasn’t taking in enough nutrients. On the second day of her hospital stay, Tsunade already had an IV connected to give her the nutrients she wasn’t getting from food and was putting together a nutrition plan. 

What was becoming more prominent was her own behavior. She was extremely protective of her midsection. After the first incident of growling at Tsunade, Kakashi had promised he would check the Hatake records to see if this was a normal occurrence for non-Hatake mates. Unfortunately, he hadn’t exactly had the time to do that. Her instincts were strong and she was navigating the ups and downs of having new instincts essentially on her own. 

The day Kurenai came to visit with a week left of her bed rest orders, she almost cried the second she laid eyes on her heavily pregnant friend. Kurenai was due in November and it was already the beginning of September. She had just gotten herself cleaned up after another round of emptying her stomach when Kurenai walked in, her round belly prominent in her outfit. She was certainly glowing and it hit Avurin like a cart full of bricks that this was her future in only a few short months. But Kurenai didn’t have Asuma to help her like Avurin had Kakashi. 

When Asuma passed, everyone mourned. They had lost a great friend in the fight against the Akatsuki and, looking back, it really hadn’t been that long ago. The wound was still fresh for everyone. While Kurenai had moments of overwhelming depression from time to time, somehow the woman put aside her mourning and continued to check in on everyone. Avurin didn’t doubt that she kept her pain behind closed doors and her strength was a front. Asuma hadn’t even known that they were expecting when he’d left for what would be his last mission. Avurin admired her and had caught herself thinking that, if anyone deserved to be a mother, it was Kurenai. She could now also relate to her as another expecting mother taken off the battlefield. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Kurenai asked as she carefully sat down on the stool next to the bed. Avurin choked back a sarcastic laugh. 

“Awful. Still can’t keep much food down and Tsunade still can’t figure out what was done to the pup. All the tests are coming back saying they’re healthy but we won’t actually know until they’re born or until later in life. Kakashi’s out who knows where risking his life and I’m stuck here. I-I feel so u-useless…” The tears started and Avurin coughed, suddenly flooded with emotion over the situation. Kurenai’s hand gently laid on top of her own as she rubbed at her eyes, willing her emotions to return to the box she kept them hidden in. 

“You’re not useless. You’ve done so much since you came back to the village. Now you just have another role to take. I miss Asuma every day but knowing I’m bringing our child into the world is what keeps me going. I’m excited. Has anyone even given you the chance to be excited about this?” Kurenai’s words brought Avurin back to herself as she sniffled, her right hand shakily pressing against her stomach where new life was growing. 

“Not really. Not since we confirmed that the baby is Kakashi’s and no one else touched me while I was in that cell… fuck, I’m so sorry Kurenai. I sound so selfish right now. I’m so stressed that I’m just not thinking straight.” She allowed herself to gently caress her stomach, taking a moment to really focus on Kurenai’s words. The timing wasn’t great, but weren’t they considering kids later in life anyway? Kurenai’s hand joined hers and Avurin felt a small smile come to her lips despite how badly she wanted to melt into the sheets and sob for the rest of the day.

“It’s okay. This is a lot. I’m sure Tsunade has already started trying to drill this in your head, but stress really is bad for a growing baby. Let’s think about the exciting things. Have you guys considered where you’ll be putting the nursery?” Kurenai’s question had good intentions but the thought sent a lance of panic down Avurin’s spine. 

“Shit. I’m literally living in a one-bedroom cabin in the Hatake compound right now. Kakashi still has his apartment but that’s even smaller… we’re going to have to move. We haven’t been talking about any plans since we weren’t sure if… if we’d lose it because of the experiments…” A fresh wave of warm tears stained her face but she continued to stroke her belly, Kurenai’s hand providing gentle support.

“The baby is healthy right now. That’s as good of a sign as any that either something took or it didn’t. Let yourself be happy, Avurin. It’s a scary concept right now but you can’t spend the rest of your pregnancy terrified. What about the gender? Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? And don’t give me some crap about how you haven’t thought about it or you don’t care. Every mother thinks about it at some point when they find out they’re expecting.” Kurenai had a teasing tone that forced Avurin to smile again as she thought about the hopes she had that she hadn’t been able to voice since being admitted.

“A boy. He’s definitely going to be a boy. With my luck, he’ll look exactly like Kakashi. I’ve seen pictures of the White Fang and those Hatake genes are strong. God forbid we end up with a clone of me.” She laughed lightly, letting herself imagine a miniature version of Kakashi. Hopefully they wouldn’t take after their father in his mask-wearing habit. Kakashi had a handsome face and if their kid inherited those genes, it would be a tragedy if they chose to cover it up.

“That’s the spirit. A boy, huh? Either way, at least our kids will get to grow up together. Now I don’t have to worry about making too many mom friends to schedule playdates. I really hope our kids end up being close.” Kurenai was smiling so brightly that Avurin couldn’t help but use the sleeve of her haori to dry her tears and smile back.

“That would be amazing. They’ll also be in the same class! I hope they’ll be friends as they grow up. It’s nice to know they’ll have at least one friend from the second they’re born.” 

They talked for a couple of hours, daydreaming about bringing their kids to school together, babysitting each other’s kids when they needed breaks, playdates, and even joking about setting them up to date in the future. Tsunade had dropped in near the end of the visit, quietly drawing more blood from Avurin to run more tests. It was a pattern they were repeating to see if they could find any more clues about the seemingly random genetic markers in the baby’s DNA. 

It wasn’t unusual for a child to carry genetics that didn’t completely match either parent. Recessive genes from different members of each family could materialize in children. Genetic studies weren’t very well developed in Konoha so there was only so much Tsunade could do but she was trying to find answers. She was mostly investigating off of a gut feeling that something just wasn’t quite making sense. 

Tsunade had been upfront with Avurin about the experimental nature of the tests so Avurin knew not to really expect answers. As Tsunade drew her blood, she smiled softly as she watched Avurin's expressions brighten, openly acknowledging the daydreams of motherhood with Kurenai. It was a change that was sorely needed after watching the traumatized Okita heir wallow in anxiety and guilt. She had been the one to recommend that Kurenai visit after her own checkup that day. She was glad she did.

Tsunade left the room with her samples, a weight lifted off her shoulders after witnessing Avurin coming back to herself.

Avurin was sad to see Kurenai go at the end of visiting hours but she knew she couldn’t hijack Kurenai’s time. Kurenai had promised to visit as often as she could during the last week of her bed rest.

That night, she didn’t throw up her dinner. 

Chapter Text

When Kakashi returned from his latest mission the night before her release from the hospital, she could tell he was exhausted. The mission had been unusually long and it had grated on her new emotions revolving around an overwhelming need to have him at her side constantly. He’d collapsed in the bed next to her, careful not to jostle her, before falling asleep with a quiet groan. She had just sighed and settled down for the night.

When they woke up the next morning, Kakashi was quiet. Unusually quiet. It was uncomfortable. Tsunade was just as quiet as she briefed Avurin on her discharge instructions without any banter, just direct statements given with a distant expression that made Avurin anxious. With a bag of vitamins and paperwork, they made their way out of the hospital with an oppressive cloud of unspoken tension looming over them. The recovering bond that had been mostly muted due to the strain on her body over the previous weeks was adding to the building concern, a dark and depressing feeling coming from Kakashi in waves. Kakashi didn’t speak until they reached the compound where he directed her towards the main house instead of her cabin. 

Avurin followed him, almost shaking from the tension and the struggle to keep her questions to herself until Kakashi spoke. Taking their shoes off at the front door, he led her to the living room and sighed. Running a hand through his hair, she could see the moment his walls crumbled. His shoulders slumped and his voice was dry, forcibly devoid of emotion as he spoke his next words.

“Jiraiya is gone. We just got word that he lost his life during his last mission. I’ll be retrieving Naruto in an hour to take him to Tsunade so she can break the news to him.” Her knees gave out before she could even register that her body was reacting to the news faster than her mind could. Kakashi’s arms wrapped around her midsection quickly, his expression pinched but not surprised at her reaction. He gently lowered her to the floor, allowing her to sit on her heels as her mind worked to process what had just been said. 

“H-He…” She couldn’t continue. Her eyes were dry but her chest was constricting. She’d just cried her eyes out for weeks straight, why couldn’t she summon the tears for this? Clenching her fists in her lap, she grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. This was not happening. A hand on her shoulder made her jolt, her eyes immediately meeting Kakashi’s exposed eye. He was crouched in front of her, his expression weary and somber. 

“W-We believe he found information on the leader of the Akatsuki. He left a coded message. We will keep moving forward with what he left for us. We can’t… we can’t stop everything because of this. You deserve to know. I only found out last night.” His voice cracked slightly and she put her left hand over his own that was starting to clench on her shoulder, not enough to hurt but enough to be a firm pressure. 

“I’m so sorry, ‘Kashi,” she muttered, screwing her eyes shut again. She internally cursed at her inability to cry. Jiraiya hadn’t exactly been a consistent presence in her life, not even really a close friend. He had been someone that had unknowingly stumbled upon her during her time in seclusion, only to later see her in the village rebuilding her life from scratch. He was much closer to Kakashi, even going as far as to congratulate the both of them on their bonding. He was the only one to congratulate them without a ‘but’ attached to the statement or outright ignore the situation. 

He had been genuinely happy for them, even giving Kakashi the reassurance he needed when it came to how his father would have felt about the bonding. Jiraiya had known the White Fang. He had probably been a constant in Kakashi’s life despite his flighty personality. 

Kakashi’s breathing hitched before he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, his face buried in her shoulder as he took deep, shuddering breaths. 

“W-We just have to keep going. I know you already know this, but stress is bad for the baby. Please promise me that you’ll try to relax today until I can get back? The situation with the Akatsuki is getting worse and I need to know that you’re safe here.” His breath was hot against her neck as he whispered, almost pleading with her to stay where he knew she would be okay while he dealt with one of the hardest conversations he will probably ever have to have in his life. She nodded and ran a hand along his back, firm so that he could feel it through his flak vest. 

When he pulled away, she could see him shutting down his emotions as his face dropped into a more relaxed but serious expression. Compartmentalization was a great skill for any shinobi, but at that moment, it was just heartbreaking.

“Just do what you have to, ‘Kashi. We’ll be fine.” With a gentle smile that prompted an answering sad crinkle to Kakashi’s eyes, he was quick to leave the cabin before he could talk himself out of dealing with the new traumas of the day. 

Turning to face the inside of the cabin, her home, for the first time since her capture, Avurin scrubbed at one of her itchy, dry eyes and gently ran a hand over her stomach. She wouldn’t be showing for quite a while yet, but she felt at ease knowing she was finally home. 

“Now, where in the world are we going to set up a nursery for you, little one?” With a humorless laugh, she decided to distract herself with planning for the new life that would be joining them in less than a year. The recent events were too much to process. She was done thinking for the day.

…

When Kakashi returned, the sun was setting and his expression told Avurin everything she needed to know. He was devastated. Toeing off his shoes at the door, he shed his vest and shirt on his way to the bedroom, dropping the clothing on the back of the couch without pausing, not saying a word. She had been taking inventory of what was still edible in the pantry and fridge, the possibility of making dinner for both of them tossed to the back of her mind as she followed him quietly. He was hurting even worse than he had been that morning and she could feel it through the bond like a gaping wound in his chest.

He fell into the bed face down, bringing his arms up to hug the pillow under his head tightly as he buried his face in it, his shoulders tense. She took a moment to realize that this was the most vulnerable she had ever seen him. He… looked like a child trying to comfort themselves knowing no one would be there to help. She gently laid down on the bed next to him, running a hand down his back in a comforting gesture, tracing the scars on his skin occasionally. She took a few minutes to appreciate the reminder of how strong he was to survive for so long in so many similar situations like what had taken Jiraiya from them. 

They didn’t need to exchange words as she carefully unraveled his arms from the death grip he had on the pillow. She didn’t need to ask as she pushed herself as close to him as possible, forcing him to turn on his side to hug her instead. He wasn’t used to having someone there to comfort him and they had never experienced this level of loss in their relationship before so this was an entirely new situation for them to navigate. He had been destroyed when he’d found her after her capture, but loss was different than knowing there was a chance of saving someone important to you. Jiraiya was already gone, there was nothing they could do about it and that kind of grief ran deeper than any rescue mission. Redirecting his self-soothing to focus on getting comfort from her, arguably the healthier way of handling this level of grief, was so simple, yet carried the weight of correcting years of loneliness for both of them. 

She laid a gentle kiss on his uncovered chin, the mask left with his shirt in the living room, and wasn’t surprised to find his skin wet with salty tears. The last few weeks had tried him in every possible way, losing her and finding her weeks later tortured to near-death, discovering the growing life they had made and coming to terms with the uncertainty around Orochimaru’s tampering, then Jiraiya… She would put aside everything she still needed to heal from just to help him get through yet another traumatizing part of his already trauma-filled life. Her heart hurt to see him so destroyed. 

He sniffled lightly before nuzzling her head, letting out a quiet whine. The sound itself didn’t sound human and it broke her heart further. Bringing a hand up to cup the back of his neck, she massaged the tense muscles there as he continued to bury his nose in her hair, breathing as deeply as he could while letting out intermittent whines and hiccups. He wasn’t a loud crier and his arms were gentle despite the firm grip as he pulled her as close as possible. 

After nearly an hour, possibly longer, Kakashi’s small noises quieted and Avurin was fighting sleep. She had a feeling he wasn’t completely asleep since he wasn’t quite snoring yet, but he was definitely exhausted in the way only crying yourself to sleep could wear someone out. 

That was when she heard a timid knock on the door. She could see that it was late from the darkness through the window. Kakashi groaned loudly as he pulled himself up, already on alert even though he was drowsy. He was on his feet before she could force him to lay back down and allow her to greet whoever was at the door. Her sensing was still abysmal so she knew it was best to trust Kakashi to know who was there, but she wanted him to stay in bed and let her handle it. Stifling a huff of frustration at the man who insisted on doing everything himself, she followed him to the door. 

Before she had a chance to remind him that he didn’t have his mask on, he opened the door to a sobbing Naruto. Her heart broke for the third time that day seeing the teenager in his casual nighttime shirt and shorts, clutching a melted popsicle stick in his hand with an arm scrubbing at his face to hide the evidence of his tears. Something in her chest squeezed tightly and before she could think twice about it, she was rushing onto the porch and pulling Naruto into a hug, nearly dragging him into the cabin. Naruto didn’t seem to mind, the hand not holding the popsicle stick coming around to clutch at the back of her shirt as he let out a particularly loud sob into her shoulder.

Kakashi closed the door behind them as Avurin inched them into the kitchen area, turning on a lamp to preserve everyone’s already irritated eyes from the amount of crying Jiraiya’s loss had wreaked on the trio. Naruto didn’t let go of her and Kakashi must have felt a similar tug in his own instincts because from one second to the next, Kakashi had his arms wrapped around them both, Naruto squeezed in between them as the pup nearly wailed in his grief. 

“I-I c-can’t b-believe… h-he’s gone!” Naruto cried as he held Avurin tighter. He babbled incoherent sentences about how he couldn’t sleep and had run into Iruka while wandering the village and while he was proud to be one of Jiraiya’s students and he didn’t want to be sad because Jiraiya wouldn’t want that, he couldn’t help it. Avurin ran a hand through his slightly greasy, tangled hair and shushed him quietly, gently rocking him. Kakashi went along with the motion, continuing to provide as much contact as he could to the young man that they both considered an adopted pup of-sorts. It wasn’t often Naruto would even consider coming to either of them for his troubles but the fact that he came to them tonight of all nights warmed Avurin’s heart, knowing he trusted them with this. 

“It’s okay to grieve, Naruto. Everyone grieves differently but those who don’t feel anything for a loss like this aren’t truly the friends and family of the one who was lost. We’re here. We know it hurts. We’re grieving with you.” Avurin kept her tone gentle, emulating the tone her mother used when she was little from what memories she had left of being comforted by her mother. After several minutes of whispered comforting words and gentle rocking, Naruto eventually sniffled and took a deep breath, seeming to come back to himself. Avurin let go of him and Kakashi also backed off, letting Naruto stand on his own for a few seconds as he wiped his face. 

“Sit down. I was going to throw something together for dinner earlier but ‘Kashi and I had our own feelings to deal with so I didn’t get a chance. I’ll make some tea and you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.” She went into the kitchen to start putting together tea and a quick snack to keep the boy calm long enough for her to put something together for dinner. When she came back to the table, Naruto was staring at Kakashi with wide eyes. 

“T-This is what you look like without a mask?” he asked, clearly in awe. Avurin laughed lightly as she set down a teapot infused with one of her favorite red teas, imported by one particular ship through the Land of Tea from a country she could only guess as to the location of. She set out three cups and a plate of plain crackers as Kakashi cracked his first smile of the night, a handsome smile that she would never be able to come to terms with as belonging to her mate. His fangs were on full display and Naruto’s eyes widened to the point Avurin worried they would actually roll out of his head.

“Not what you expected?” Kakashi asked, his tone teasing despite the scratchy hint in his voice from his own episode earlier in the night. 

“You’re actually attractive! You don’t have big lips or buck teeth! Are those fangs? What the hell? No wonder Avurin keeps you covered up!” Naruto’s nearly shrill tone was a breath of fresh air as his ridiculous exclamations brought the best of his personality back into the light of the depressing night. Kakashi outright laughed at the teenager’s indignation. 

“Big lips? Buck teeth? Is that what you kids thought was behind that?” He covered the bottom half of his face with his hand to mock covering it with the mask before pulling it away again. “I just wear that thing to keep the ladies off of me and so I won’t start rumors about being a vampire. My teeth are sharper than any Inuzuka’s so there would be questions and Avie would kill any woman that laid eyes on this face. It also keeps everyone guessing!” Kakashi leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table and resting his cheek on his hand. “The only reason you’re seeing my face tonight is because no one will believe you if you try to tell them what you saw.” 

Naruto’s jaw dropped and a fire lit behind his eyes. “You-!” 

“Now, boys. We don’t need any rumors floating around that my husband is hotter than sin or there will be some unexplained missing persons cases in the next few weeks. I think we can come to an agreement, right Naruto?” Avurin fluttered her eyelashes despite the malicious smirk on her face, knowing it would unnerve the boy into compliance. Naruto groaned, pouting, and put his head in his hands despite the pinch to his lips that betrayed his fear of her. 

“Yes, ma’am! But since I’m here, I’m taking this in! I’m so telling Sakura, at least!” Naruto nearly shouted as Kakashi poured two cups of tea for himself and Naruto. Avurin laughed as she moved back to the kitchen, pulling out the ingredients for a simple udon dish since she could use mostly non-perishables for it. Canned vegetables and various other filler options weren’t perfect, but it would be decent and would warm their bellies. 

Listening to Naruto and Kakashi go back and forth about the mask and the generally relaxed atmosphere of the night brought a sense of satisfaction Avurin couldn’t help but glow about. She had comforted a grieving pup as well as her grieving mate. She was providing for them and they would heal. There was still an underlying air of melancholy, but the conversation was carefully being directed by Kakashi to avoid any further meltdowns, an attempt to give Naruto at least a night of reprieve before life would catch up to him the next morning. 

When the food was finished, she poured the hot broth into three bowls, one filled nearly to the brim after the udon noodles were added. That one was for Naruto. It wouldn’t be Ichiraku quality, but she knew it would get some nutrients into Naruto, especially if he hadn’t eaten that day since the meeting that morning. 

“Thank you so much, Avie-sensei! You’re the best!” Naruto said his thanks before he dug into the noodles with as much gusto as he would at Ichiraku’s. Kakashi gave her a soft smile from across the table, his eyes slightly misty as he bowed his head in thanks, carefully starting to eat. Avurin was nearly as hungry as Naruto but tried to keep some order as she ate. A comfortable silence fell over the table, only broken by Naruto’s slurping at the broth and noodles and occasional grunts and groans as he ate. 

“There’s more in the pot for you, Naruto. Eat as much as you want,” Avurin assured him just as he finished the bowl, pouting at being out of food so soon. His expression lit up as he went to the kitchen to get the second serving for himself. Avurin finished her food while he was in the kitchen, standing from the table. Kakashi gave her a questioning look but she found herself walking into the living room and clearing a large area on the floor. Something… wasn’t right. She wanted the area to be right. 

Finding herself in the bedroom, she dug through the closet until she found a spare futon and two spare comforters, dragging them into the living room. Naruto was talking animatedly with Kakashi, keeping the older man from questioning her with anything more than a look as she started spreading the futon and comforters on the ground. She needed pillows. Or soft things. Anything comfortable, really. Going back to the bedroom, she found several spare pillows as well as blankets and sheets. Taking every piece of bedding she could find, she brought everything to the living room and started working on a very large… nest? 

Over the next fifteen minutes, she started incorporating clothes and other soft items. She didn’t notice the dawning realization on Kakashi’s face or Naruto’s whispered questions to Kakashi as he started to notice the odd actions from the woman. Once she was satisfied, she stood over the nest with her hands on her hips, satisfied with what she had put together based on pure instinct. Her mind was content with her actions despite the logical part of her brain being extremely confused by what was happening. A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her conflicting thoughts. Kakashi was blushing but not hiding his face or showing any awkwardness despite the odd situation. 

“It looks lovely, Avie. Do you know why you made it?” His question was leading, knowing she didn’t know what was happening but his tone gave her the comfort of knowing he knew her intentions, even if she didn’t. His compliment on her construction lit something in the back of her mind, sending a wave of pure satisfaction and relief through her. She shook her head shyly at his question, though she had an idea. 

“It’s a nest for your pack, sweet mate of mine. It seems like the baby is influencing you a little more than we expected. I know we didn’t get to talk about the research I was doing in the Hatake archives before I left, but this was one of the things I found. You’re providing for the pack out of instinct and doing wonderfully. Thank you.” Kakashi hugged her from behind, his hands gently resting on her still-flat stomach. Now she was blushing. After a short moment between them, Kakashi held her hand as he stepped into it tentatively, his eyes meeting hers with a question. He was asking permission. She nodded shyly, her face warm with a hint of embarrassment, and he sat down in the nest, adjusting himself to get comfortable. 

“Naruto, get over here. This wasn’t built for just Avie and I. You’re part of this. Make sure you ask permission first, but I have a feeling you’re stuck here for the night.” Kakashi was only lightly teasing as he reclined against one of the bulkier cushions in one of the corners, a large couch cushion buried under a comforter and a few of his own shirts. Tentative footsteps padded from the table to the edge of the nest where Avurin was still watching her mate settle himself, deeply satisfied that Kakashi liked what she had made. 

“Avie-sensei? Is this really okay? Can I stay with you guys tonight? I… kind of don’t want to be by myself.” Naruto’s voice was quiet again, his mood dropping. She held his hand and led him into the nest, pushing him close to Kakashi’s side as she took the other side of her mate, burying herself into the cushioning. 

“Stay, Naruto. I wouldn’t let you leave our sight tonight, anyway. You’re one of our pups and you’re hurting. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.” Avurin mumbled as she pulled one of the sheets to cover herself and passed it to Kakashi so he could cover all three of them as Naruto settled, his eyes wide in wonder. This wasn’t normal by general human standards, but they had never hidden Kakashi’s own instincts from the kids, so they knew to expect odd things from anything and anyone related to their sensei and they also knew to keep quiet about it. Avurin took a moment to note that the lamp was dim enough that they could leave it on without disturbing their sleep for the night. She wouldn’t admit to it just yet, but she didn’t want to be in a completely dark room again for a very, very long time.

Naruto pulled the sheet up to his chin and wiggled around a bit to make himself comfortable. 

“This is probably the most comfortable thing I’ve ever laid down on, Avie-sensei. Is it true you guys… you’re gonna have a baby?” Naruto’s voice was small and hesitant as he’d asked. It hadn’t occurred to Avurin that Naruto had been on a mission since her return from Orochimaru’s hideout and hadn’t heard the news just yet. Kakashi answered for her as her mind scrambled to come up with the best way to deliver the news. 

“We are. It was unexpected but we’re excited. Do you want to be their big brother?” Kakashi’s question had the blonde shooting into a sitting position to stare at both of them with unbridled surprise and happiness on his face. Tears were already pricking the corner of the teenager’s eyes. 

“Really? Can I?” Naruto whispered, obviously in shock at the question. Avurin realized that while he had just had one of the worst days of his life, they were about to make it one of the best for the child that had been orphaned for his entire life. 

“Naruto, there is no one else better for the job. You’re part of the pack and have been for a long time. I think you’ll be the best big brother to the little one.” She smiled and laughed as Naruto dove from his position to wiggle between them, hugging Avurin tightly and rolling slightly in joy, jostling both of them and tangling the sheet around them. As he sat up again, a blush dusting his cheeks, he stared intently at Avurin’s belly through her shirt. 

“Just you wait, I’m going to be the best big brother! We’re going to have so much fun! I’m going to show them all of my favorite places in the village and take them out for ramen all the time! Oh! And I’ll be Hokage when they start training so they get to have the Hokage as their big brother and their sensei! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Naruto’s excitement was infectious and Avurin laughed even harder as Kakashi wrapped his arms around Naruto’s middle and flipped the boy back to his side of the nest, jostling some of the cushions. 

A light growl from Avurin was enough to keep them from escalating their tussle to a full wrestling match that would ruin the nest, but the lighthearted air was so full of contentment and happiness that she couldn’t help but watch as Kakashi casually put Naruto in his place in the nest, just like he would any unruly pup. 

She found herself wishing she could bottle the feeling to keep forever. 

Chapter Text

The next few days were strained for everyone that was involved with the Akatsuki mission and the research into a code Jiraiya had left before he died. Avurin was steadily regaining her strength and had even convinced Kakashi to help her with light training at home when he wasn’t being pulled one way or another to help with upcoming plans. When he wasn’t home, she was pushing herself as much as was safe for herself and the growing life within her.

Naruto had left in a rush to begin training at Mount Myoboku in hopes of following some of Jiraiya’s footsteps as the looming threat of the Akatsuki grew. Avurin hadn’t discussed it with Kakashi or Tsunade, but she had a feeling things were going to get out of hand before anyone could be prepared. She wanted to help and wasn’t going to take no for an answer, regardless of the fact that she was pregnant and still recovering. She refused to be a liability. 

While she had come to terms with the idea that she would have a life to care for in several months, she also knew that if a life-or-death battle was coming, she would be participating. She wouldn’t be a bystander with a child she couldn’t protect during a war or in the aftermath. She was strong and she had power she could use to help her mate and her village if it came down to it. She wasn’t hindered by her pregnancy just yet and she would fight until it just wasn’t possible anymore. 

The feeling of rising tension was nearly suffocating only a few days after Naruto left. She made a habit of training behind the cabin, Kakashi gone each day planning with Tsunade to figure out their next steps. She had been relieved to find that her control over her kekkei genkai was still strong and the jutsu itself was still just as efficient as it had been before her capture. She assumed that since she had spent so much time training prior to the mission to scope out Orochimaru’s operations, the process of using it was similar to a muscle memory as opposed to physical training. The mental strength and control she needed to utilize the kekkei genkai wasn’t something she was going to lose after only a few weeks of not being used, unlike her muscles and body mass. 

She was struggling with physical training, her muscles screaming as they were used far beyond what they were capable of. She was recovering fast but it took time to regain lost weight and burning calories by forcing intense training was creating an uphill battle. She tried to focus on more technical body movements as opposed to brute strength, especially relying on her weapons that had been recovered shortly before her own recovery. However, she knew it would be several weeks, possibly months, before she was back to original condition and by then, the pregnancy would force her to slow down again. 

She knew her body was going to change with the pregnancy. She had trained as hard as she could stand to gain the strength she had when she had battled with Kakashi to achieve her Jonin status. She considered that point in time to have been the strongest and healthiest she had ever been. To have gotten a taste of what she was capable of just to have it ripped from her by her capture and an unexpected pregnancy… she found herself taking out her frustration on the air in front of her every chance she had. 

If Kakashi noticed how she ached every night as she made a quick dinner and curled her body into her nest with an exhausted groan, he didn’t say anything. He simply curled his body around hers and fell asleep as quickly as she did, likely just as exhausted from the constant planning and stress of inevitably facing an enemy they knew so little about. He was always the first to wake each morning, getting dressed quickly and leaving with a small kiss to her forehead and a few reassuring words exchanged. 

When explosions boomed from the direction of the village only several days after Naruto’s departure and smoke began rising in the air, Avurin’s heart dropped. She ran into the cabin from where she had just started her katas, pulling on her uniform vest and shoes as fast as possible, slinging her bow over her shoulder and making sure her katana was fixed to her hip. Her kunai pouch was fastened around her waist and she was running across the compound to leap over the fence before she could let herself have any second thoughts. 

The attack was so sudden that she knew no one was prepared, even if they were neck-deep in the Akatsuki mission. They only knew a couple of things about the Akatsuki and that intel consisted of very little information about their mission for the tailed beasts. That was only in addition to what they could get from Jiraiya’s message along with the body and the witness he had managed to send with the toads from his final battle. They weren’t ready for a battle with them if the group was responsible for the destruction of the village that was unfolding in front of Avurin. 

As she ran further into the village, her eyes grew wide with horror. Buildings were crumbling, some completely reduced to piles of debris with bodies of civilians and shinobi alike littering the ground. She could hear nearly constant explosions in other parts of the village, the warpath the Akatsuki had initiated was spreading as fast as possible. 

“Avurin! Watch out!” A voice screamed from her left side just as a large, orange centipede-like creature tore through a building to her right. She leapt back, drawing her bow and letting loose a series of chakra arrows at the head of the creature. The arrows didn’t fly straight, warping around a black spike sticking through the head of the creature before hitting the body. The spike had an almost magnetic-like reaction to her arrows, bending them towards and around it but not stopping them. The centipede didn’t seem bothered by the arrows, however, its armored body mostly unaffected. 

Disregarding the idea to use the bow, she put it back over her shoulder before bringing her hands together for the sign to create a Chidori. The centipede was actively targeting her now, it’s attention on the lightning gathering in her palm. 

Glancing to her left, she saw one of Naruto’s classmates watching, likely the one who had yelled for her. He was the Inuzuka kid, though she couldn’t see his dog with him in the quick glance she had managed to take in his direction. If he knew Kakashi or had at least seen him in battle, he would know to stay out of the way when a Chidori was involved. She hoped he would only step in if she needed to get pulled away at the last second. 

She let the Chidori gain more energy and size as the centipede started preparing for a charge. It was quick and she expected it to give her as little warning as possible. 

It shot in her direction between one blink and the next. Leaping as high as she could at the very last fraction of a second, the centipede missed her by only a foot. Bringing the Chidori down as gravity took hold of her again, the centipede’s thick exoskeleton cracked under the force of the electricity. After a tense moment, she penetrated the armor, her hand sinking into the body of the large creature. It let out a roar as the electricity shot through the flesh inside of its body and she held onto the armor on the edge of the wound with her free hand as it thrashed. 

After a few seconds of violent thrashing, it went limp and she let the Chidori dissolve, pulling her hand out of the fried insides of the insect. Shaking her hand to rid it of excess bug guts, she stood tall on top of the centipede, using her slightly higher vantage point to look for any other nearby enemies. The Inuzuka kid jumped down from the ruined building he had watched the battle from, running towards her with a panicked look on his face. 

“Avurin! You shouldn’t be out here! The Akatsuki are razing the place to the ground trying to find Naruto! They’re killing everyone they can find!” She scoffed as she jumped off of the centipede, crossing her arms with a sneer on her face. 

“I’ll be perfectly fine! I’m not going to stand aside while our home is being ripped apart! We need every available hand for this! Do you know where Kakashi is?” Her tone was harsh but this was war and she knew how to handle war. There wasn’t time for babying anyone on the battlefield, especially if that battlefield was your own home. The Inuzuka, Kiba, she remembered, put his hands up in defense. 

“We’re just trying to prevent injuries at this point! The only thing we’ve been able to focus on is making sure we’re minimizing damage after the initial attack. As for Kakashi, I have no idea. I haven’t seen him yet. He may be tracking down the ringleader or he may be with Tsunade. I have to regroup, so you’re welcome to come with me or try to find him. We don’t have time to work out plans until we get marching orders.” He was rushed and panicked but she couldn’t blame him. Shaking her head, she drew her katana and turned away from him. 

“I’m going to try to find Kakashi and do what I can. Go regroup and wait for any word from Tsunade. If I can’t find Kakashi in the next few minutes, I’m going to head in the direction of Hokage tower. I’ll regroup with whoever I find in that area at that point. Stay safe.” She heard a bark from the general direction Kiba was likely planning on going and footsteps running in that direction shortly after. There wasn’t any time for talking in a situation like this. Staying on their feet and moving was the best thing they could do. 

She was careful as she navigated the area, now knowing that there were literal animalistic monsters infesting the village that were difficult to take down. The Chidori she’d used against the centipede took enough of her chakra that she only had one more large jutsu in her arsenal before she would be exhausted. She had to make it count. 

She passed several injured shinobi and civilians among the wreckage as she moved, but she couldn’t stop to help. She wasn’t a healer and she didn’t have any semblance of good bedside manner. She couldn’t hold a stranger’s hand as they breathed their last breaths. She couldn’t reassure a child that everything would be okay. She couldn’t lie and she couldn’t bring herself to be soft when there was a war to fight. 

A large explosion rocked the ground near her position as she ran through a relatively abandoned, if wrecked, street. Seeing a flash of a green Jonin vest, she skidded to stop to see Iruka helping someone lay down in the street, checking them for injuries. She was about to continue her search, knowing she was running out of time before she would have to start making her way to Hokage Tower, when a black cloak with red clouds took over her view of Iruka. 

The man was tall with orange hair but that was all she could see from her point of view behind him. She was hidden from his view as he spoke to Iruka, the teacher sniping back about not telling him a thing. She narrowed her eyes, knowing they were looking for Naruto. As quickly as the centipede she had encountered only a few minutes before, the man had a sharp rod in his hand and was aiming it at Iruka. She jumped forward at the exact moment a familiar figure flashed into the space between Iruka and the man, catching the rod before it could make contact. 

They stood for a few moments, Kakashi sending Iruka on his way with the injured man over his shoulder. Some words were exchanged but Avurin couldn’t hear them over the sounds of battle echoing throughout the village. She was technically out in the open at that point, but neither man seemed to notice her. At least, she thought they hadn’t noticed her until a very light genjutsu brushed her mind, Kakashi’s voice echoing in her head. She must have accidentally made eye contact with his Sharingan in the distance for him to be able to project something to her.

“I’m not going to ask the stupid question of why you’re here, but stay away from this man and this battle. He is the leader and he is dangerous. I’ll handle it. Go somewhere safe.” It was a short message but it stroked something inside of her that was ferocious. She would not leave him by himself if this man was the leader of the Akatsuki. 

The battle started quickly and a mud wall was erected between her and the two men from the start, blocking her view and preventing the enemy from noticing her presence. She heard a short exchange from the other side of the wall before a massive explosion rocked the area, the ground under her feet suddenly uneven and debris from the wall flying in all directions. She carefully avoided getting hit, an arm in front of her midsection as an extra precaution as she fought to withstand the blast. She was still blown back into one of the damaged buildings by the force, though she took most of the impact to her back. 

She clenched her jaw as she tried to shake the ringing from her ears, looking at the new layout of the recently flattened area. She was completely in the open now, tucked against a building at the edge of the flattened circle created by the explosion. The sound of Kakashi’s Chidori cut through the cotton-stuffed feeling in her ears and her eyes struggled to track what was going on in the clearing. Forcing herself to stand and shaking the dust off of her vest, she watched as Kakashi’s jutsu essentially dissolved in thin air before ever making contact with the enemy. 

Fear was a feeling she was well acquainted with. However, bone-deep terror was something she hadn’t felt for quite a while. Even during her capture, she was never this terrified of her torturer or even Orochimaru. For an enemy to remain completely untouched by Chidori and to be strong enough to create a blast that large and intense in such a short amount of time without any indication of what they were going to do, she knew they were in deep shit. Kakashi seemed to have the same realization just before another figure joined, adorned in an Akatsuki cloak and similarly pierced like the first man. 

He was bald and, frankly, uncomfortable to look at. He was grinning as he removed his arm and unleashed several small missiles in Kakashi’s direction. Kakashi was fine, of course, and unleashed another Chidori at the newcomer who swiftly avoided it. Avurin’s panic began to rise as she watched them gather themselves, the two Akatsuki members standing together against Kakashi as the man caught his breath, blood running from his shoulder. She had to do something, but what?

The newcomer removed his cloak, revealing a heavily mutated body equipped with everything from extra limbs to weapons. She wanted to retch. She’d had enough talk of body horror lately when it came to experimentation on her own still-growing child. The lengths people would go to cause mass destruction was beyond her understanding. She allowed a familiar warmth to build in her throat, waiting for a good time to give her kekkei genkai a try against the impossibly strong enemy that was about to tear her mate to pieces. 

She almost stepped in when a magnetic-like field started pulling Kakashi towards the weaponized man, the blade ready to run him through. When Kakashi used a chain to tie himself to a nearby rock, she felt the wash of another light genjutsu on her mind. 

“Don’t move. It’s a clone. Waiting for backup.” She nodded in the general direction of where she assumed Kakashi might be hiding before starting to map the area around her. If he was hiding, she needed to find a good spot to camp out as well. Waiting for backup and keeping these two busy was the ideal strategy for this situation. She wasn’t stupid enough to think she could just jump in and save the day if Kakashi was in imminent danger. She would try if it came down to it, but she was going to need to have some visible self-preservation skills if she didn’t want Kakashi to knock her out and send her with the civilians to the shelters for the duration of the battle. 

She knew that he wasn’t happy she was here. She didn’t need him to tell her that. She wasn’t happy he was here either but they were valuable shinobi and this wasn’t a time to pull helpful hands from the battlefield. 

When backup arrived, it was immediate chaos. Shinobi converged on the enemy from every direction only to have their attacks repelled by an almost explosive force that Avurin was, unfortunately, still in the range of. She was shoved into the wall by the force and she could only grit her teeth and pray she wasn’t hit by flying weapons or debris. Her ribs felt like they were being crushed and she knew her back would be littered with bruises from simply being shoved into the crushed wall behind her.

Once things seemed to get quiet, a cloud of dust was obscuring the area. Not knowing where anyone was, including the enemy, she carefully pulled herself away from the wall and stumbled around it to get cover. Mentally, she was slapping herself silly for being so stupid as to be completely uncovered through the mess that the battle had turned into. She kept her steps as quiet as possible and cringed any time she made a sound as she picked her way through the debris to put some distance between her and the unknown assailant. She was in way over her head. 

Finding a higher vantage point on top of one of the crumbling buildings, she crouched down to catch her breath. She hoped that she would be able to keep an eye on Kakashi from the place she’d selected for herself while still having an advantage of seeing any enemies that got too close to her. When the clashing began again, she could only hear the sound of chains and shouting in the cloud of dust. The Chidori’s chirping caught her attention and she tried to follow the sound so she wouldn’t lose Kakashi in the chaos. Her eyes burned and her throat ached but she refused to let her kekkei genkai deactivate. For all she knew, it could be the only thing that could save her life if she ended up face to face with one of the enemies. 

Another explosion rocked the clearing and she braced herself against the roof of the building, holding onto the ledge tightly as a gust of air blew over her from the force. Once it had dissipated, she pulled herself forward to glance over the edge. The explosion had blown away the dust that had been suspended in the air and her breath caught at the scene in front of her. Kakashi was wedged between two large pieces of debris with the enemy standing several feet away from him, perfectly unscathed. 

She couldn’t hear what was being said, she could only see the moment that Kakashi realized he couldn’t move. The man had something in his hand, holding it out to Kakashi. Was he… no…

She wanted to lunge, she wanted to scream, she had to do something! She was rooted to the spot as something shot from the man’s hand and Kakashi’s head jerked back as if he’d been hit. A scream was bubbling in her throat. Logically, she knew she shouldn’t give away her position. She had seen the power of the enemy and was in a position to pass information on to those who could do something about it. But… 

The man flickered away before she could do a single thing. A brush of reassurance at the back of her mind brought her attention back to her mate, the man who had put everything he had into being a first line of defense against a seemingly unstoppable opponent. He was slumped, seemingly motionless. Yet, she could still feel that barely-there connection. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she let her kekkei genkai deactivate. 

Making up her mind, she jumped from where she had been hiding and sprinted to Kakashi. Ignoring the Akimichi heir crying over his father, she scraped her knees as she kneeled by Kakashi just as he began speaking to the kid. 

“Run! Don’t let Choza’s sacrifice be in vain. Tell Tsunade what you saw here.” Kakashi was telling him. Avurin began assessing the debris that had Kakashi pinned in the ground, debating how she was going to get him out of this. 

“Avie… you need to go.” His quiet voice was resigned and her eyes blurred as she started pulling at the rocks holding him, scraping her fingers in the process. 

“No! I’m not leaving you here! We can survive this if I get you out of here!” she screamed, hiccuping with a strong sob as she struggled with the sharp edges that just didn’t want to give into her clawing and pulling. She would chip away the rocks if she had to. Fuck the siege! 

“I was thinking… did you have any names picked yet?” he asked, his voice weak. She stopped digging into the rocks and nearly slapped him with her bloody hands. 

“Of course I do! And you’re going to be there when we give him one! You’re not dying today!” Cupping his face in her hands, she made eye contact with the Sharingan he was still choosing to use despite the drain on his chakra. She almost hated him in that moment. He was the most self-sacrificing moron she had ever met and she refused to leave him there to die. Allowing a hard sob to wrack her frame, she curled in on herself. “S-Sakuma. His name is going to be Sakuma.” 

Kakashi’s eye widened in shock for a moment before settling to a look of unrestrained fondness and love. 

“It’s perfect. Thank you-” His sentence was cut off as his eye widened into pure terror, staring at something over her shoulder. She strained her neck with how fast she turned to see what was about to happen.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as flesh began sprouting from the grotesque body of the previously fallen enemy. The Akimichi heir began sprinting towards the direction of the Hokage tower as a missile shot from the enemy, its path directed straight for him. Avurin turned back to Kakashi in time to see his eye change right in front of her, the pattern converting to what she knew was the Mangekyo Sharingan. 

She stood, preparing to do… something. She hadn’t felt so helpless since she was a Chunin. What could she do?

The missile disappeared with nothing but a dark warp in the space it had previously been in. The boy kept running, disappearing from sight. The body that had shot it fell over, that missile having been the last shot it could muster. 

Looking back at Kakashi, she understood why he thought he was going to die prior to that last shot. He was panting, staring aimlessly at the sky. His open eye was dull and his skin was pale. She didn’t have to be a medic to know that he had just exhausted what little chakra he had left to ensure the survival of herself, the future generation, and the information that had been acquired in their battle with the leader. 

Crumbling to the ground next to him, she couldn’t help but hold his head close to her chest, screwing her eyes shut as more tears trailed down her cheeks. 

“Y-You fucking i-idiot…” she muttered, gently stroking his hair. He couldn’t catch his breath and she could feel the bond between them weakening. “I love you so much…” 

She felt the life slip from him within seconds, not another word exchanged between them. The bond broke and she felt something in her chest shatter, the pain indescribable.

Her kekkei genkai flared to life and she screamed, giving her pain to anyone that was listening.

Chapter Text

-Kakashi-

An echoing scream sent a pang of pure despair through his chest as he felt himself sink into the cold clutches of death. He hadn’t meant to hurt her… He’d known from the moment he’d gotten too attached to her that his death was a possibility and that possibility could destroy her. With her promotion to Jonin, her own death was also a possibility and he wouldn’t have survived if she’d gone to the afterlife before him. Was he any better than his father, leaving his child alone without a father before they were even born? At least they would never have to grapple with the trauma of sharing memories with him before losing him. Avurin would be a great mother, he knew she would raise their child to be the best they could possibly be even if he wasn’t with them. 

His head and chest ached so fiercely that he wanted to scream. He had left her alone to raise their child by herself. He had been stupid to waste the last of his chakra, knowing what was at stake. He clutched at his chest as he fell to his knees in a soundless, dark void. Was this the afterlife? Was he condemned to spend eternity in darkness? His mask was stuck to his face and his breathing was labored, his throat constricting. A sob ripped itself from his throat as he realized he was crying. He would never meet his son. 

He had abandoned them. He was worse than scum. 

Curling in on himself, he wanted to rip into his own chest with his Chidori just to make the pain stop. He couldn’t feel her through the bond. Where there had once been a part of his mind dedicated to her ever-changing moods throughout the day, there was a void. The emptiness felt worse than any other absence he had experienced. Was this hell? 

He didn’t register purposefully loud footsteps as they approached his crumpled form until a hand rested on his back, gently rubbing back and forth in a comforting motion. It didn’t help. Nothing would. The hand gently wrapped over one shoulder before he was pulled into someone’s chest. The familiar scent of weapon oil and earthy clothing only made him further break down and he felt himself start ripping his mask down to hyperventilate without the cloth in the way as he buried his face in his hands, mouth open in a soundless scream. 

“I’d hoped you would never experience this pain while you lived, son, but I think we both agree that you would rather it be this way than the other way around. She’s not here with you so she’s still alive and hopefully it’ll be a while before you see her again.” Kakashi could only continue to drop into the pit of the worst pain he had ever felt. Was this all a hallucination? Was he finally losing his mind now that he was dead? Were all of his actions in life finally breaking him?

He felt himself being pulled up to his feet and led somewhere, his feet dragging and stumbling. There was warmth and the smell of a campfire, the logs crackling with a sound that echoed ominously into the void. His father pushed him down to sit on what felt like a large stone and he could only curl into himself, clutching at his face in an effort to contain the pure devastation tearing him apart. 

“The Okita were a fierce clan. Their kekkai genkai is strong enough to transcend death in this case. You’re feeling this way not just because of your own loss, but because she shared her pain with you. Her scream was heard throughout this entire realm and I had to fight the wave of emotion when I heard it. The power of the Okita has always been massively not understood. Knowing how powerful she is, do you believe she will follow you here before her time comes?” Sakumo’s words were barely heard past the ringing in Kakashi’s ears. 

"I left them," he rasped, voice raw. "I left her." His voice cracked as more sobs wracked his frame. “Just like you left me…” 

The shifting of fabric and a hand on his shoulder hardly registered as he scrubbed at his aching eyes. 

“You did what you had to do. For the village, for the people you care about, for the future. Just like I did.” 

“It’s not the same!” Kakashi snapped, brushing Sakumo’s hand off of him as the despair filling his chest and head broke for a moment in his anger. “What you did… you left me for the wrong reasons! It was selfish! I shouldered the village’s ire and disdain for you when you left me! I didn’t think when I did what I did! I just did what I knew would give Konoha a chance at survival! I didn’t sacrifice my mission, I completed it! My only regret is leaving the people I care about behind and that makes me worse than the scum beneath our feet! I just… you can’t… leave a comrade behind…” His anger gave way to understanding as Sakumo’s lips curved into a soft smile as he poked at the fire with a stick, encouraging the embers to glow brighter in the darkness. 

“Like I said, you did what you had to do. You managed to give everyone else a chance to live at the sacrifice of your own life. There is no greater honor as a shinobi. I failed in my own mission to achieve that and it destroyed the both of us. For that, I’m sorry. Again, do you really think she won’t be able to continue without you? I have a hard time believing that my son would choose to mate with someone weak enough to abandon the future you’ve granted her, even if every day hurts until the day her time comes and she joins you here.” Kakashi ignored the twitch to his eye at the implication that Avurin could ever be so weak as to join him here just because she missed him. 

His fingers twitched where they rested against his knees. 

"She’s strong. I know that. But that doesn’t mean I should have left her. She shouldn’t have to raise our child alone. She shouldn’t have to live every day thinking about what could have been the way I did when I lost you. Our child shouldn’t have to wonder who their father was and hate me because I wasn’t a part of their life. I’m supposed to be there with her, helping our son grow in an era of peace.” Another wave of emotion swept over him and he dug his fingers into his thighs as he bent over, letting out another agonized sob. 

“She knew the risks of being with someone who is in the business of fighting for the village. I may not know her, but I’m sure it’s not a stretch to assume she’s also a shinobi. Both of you knew the risks. It’s a chance everyone has to take when they decide to fight for their village.” It wasn’t meant to be cruel, Kakashi knew that statement was the truth. Avurin had always known the risks of loving a shinobi just as he’d known the risks. Either of them could lose their lives with any mission, they just blissfully ignored the possibility. Or, at least, he had. She had understood the weight of the life they led. But understanding didn’t erase pain and it wouldn’t make the loss any easier for either of them.

"She will grieve you and she may even curse you some days, but she will also live. She will have that chance to live and raise your son because you loved her enough to make sure she could." His voice was calm and steady, bringing a sense of comfort to Kakashi that he hadn’t felt since he was just a kid needing the comfort of his father over small, toddler-level world problems. "You did what you had to, Kakashi. You gave your life so that the village, including her and your son, could keep theirs."

Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut. He could still feel the warmth of Avurin’s touch, the memory of her fingers threading through his hair to comfort him on nights he couldn’t bother to hide his emotions. His breath hitched, and the overwhelming feeling of such a deep, suffocating ache settled heavily in his bones. Now that he thought about it, he had always imagined himself dying in battle, but he had never imagined it would feel like this.

Sakumo shifted, moving closer. 

"I know it hurts," he said softly. "But you are not the first shinobi to die with unfinished business."

Kakashi let out a short, bitter laugh. "That, I don’t doubt."

"You think you failed them," Sakumo continued, his gaze searching as he met Kakashi’s sore eyes that stared blankly at the fire in front of him. "But if you had lived and let the village be destroyed, would you have been able to look them in the eyes, knowing you chose to live over the future of the people around you?"

Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath. It was a cruel question and it was a question that didn’t have a good answer, if there was an answer at all. If he had turned his back on Konoha, he would have lost himself. If he had chosen his family, countless others would have lost theirs. There had never been a choice, not really.

Sakumo must have seen the resignation settle in his son’s shoulders because he sighed and leaned back slightly. 

"She won’t be alone, Kakashi, and neither will your son. They’re surrounded by people that love them, of that I have no doubt. If she chose you and you were mates, then she has a pack to take care of her." Kakashi swallowed hard. He wanted to believe that. He needed to believe that.

"Still…" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I should have been there."

"You were," Sakumo said simply. "And you always will be."

Silence stretched between them, but it was no longer suffocating. Kakashi still felt the grief coiled tight in his chest, still felt the unbearable ache of knowing he had left behind the people he loved most. He would have to learn to carry it until he saw Avurin again. 

He lifted his head, meeting his father’s gaze. "Does the pain ever stop?"

Sakumo’s smile was sad, knowing. "No, but it changes. You’ll carry it differently as time continues to move on."

Kakashi exhaled slowly and finally, for the first time since arriving here, he let himself breathe.

“Now, tell me your story. I want to know about this woman and what your life has been like.”

…

-Avurin-

The scream she let out echoed throughout the entire valley, guttural and pained. 

Shinobi, enemy, and creature alike struggled to move as overwhelming grief sunk into their chests like lodestones, bringing anyone that heard that scream to their knees. Some shed tears, not knowing where the grief was coming from, others completely collapsed, and a rare few only cringed and attempted to keep moving to take advantage of the lapse in movement on the battlefield. 

A part of Katsuyu had slipped into the area quickly, crawling onto Kakashi’s body as Avurin was wracked with sobs and screams, still holding Kakashi’s head against her chest. 

Avurin could hear the slug speaking, though it sounded like she was relaying information to Tsunade. Avurin didn’t care. Her world was effectively destroyed in front of her eyes. 

The grief didn’t last long as anger overtook her features, her golden eyes narrowed into the distance where she could feel the man responsible for this. She wasn’t a sensor, had never been able to properly sense someone even if they were in the same room, but she just knew he was there. 

“Avurin, Lady Tsunade wants you to report to the Hokage Tower. Please, don’t make any rash decisions. You could hurt yourself or the baby.” Katsuyu said softly, sliding around Kakashi’s body to attach herself to Avurin’s arm as she flooded the shinobi’s body with healing chakra. Avurin continued to glare in the direction of that man. She could feel his unnatural chakra. Her throat was warm and sore as her vocal cords strained to handle the amount of chakra she was pushing into them. It was instinct as she pushed and pushed, forcing her body to accommodate the chakra. 

“Avurin, please. Let go of your jutsu and report to Lady Tsunade. I have healed you and provided you with as much chakra as I’m able to.” Avurin continued to ignore the slug as she stood, the slug slipping off of her arm as she started walking in the direction of the man responsible for her mate’s death. “Avurin! That man has power unlike anything we have ever seen! Lady Tsu-”

“Katsuyu, please forget that I am present on this battlefield.” It was a simple statement, but the effect took hold immediately. The slug went quiet before slinking away, likely to find another body to attempt to heal. It may have been cruel to use her jutsu against someone who only cared about her well-being, but no one was going to stop her. 

…

“Katsuyu! What happened?! Where is Avurin?!” Tsunade demanded as the slug became suspiciously silent after the attempts at retrieving Avurin were going unanswered. 

“Avurin is not present on the battlefield.” The statement was almost robotic coming from the soft-spoken companion. Tsunade didn’t need to ask to know what Avurin had done. 

“Very well. Please inform all Anbu that if they see Avurin, she is to be restrained and brought to me as soon as possible. She is now carrying the last of the Hatake and I cannot, in good conscience, allow her to have a part on this battlefield with that responsibility. Instruct Anbu that they are to bring her here by any means necessary short of injury or death.” 

…

The chakra was split between several bodies, she could see that now. It didn’t make sense but each chakra was both the same, yet different. She walked calmly in the direction that most of them seemed to be congregating. 

After only a couple of minutes of walking, the ground underneath her feet rocked and several yells and screeches filled the air. It didn’t take a genius to realize more monsters had been set loose with all of the inhuman roars and howls that were reaching her ears. They seemed to meet each other before moving towards another area. Her focus was on one particular chakra, though. She remembered the exact feeling of the man who had killed Kakashi and she felt magnetized to it. 

A kunai embedded itself on the ground in front of her and she stopped, staring at it for a long moment. It was a Konoha kunai. Glancing up at where it had come from, she narrowed her eyes at the Anbu that had thrown it, likely just trying to get her attention. 

“Lady Hatake, Lady Tsunade has officially ordered you to meet her at the Hokage Tower. This is not optional and any further obstruction of this order will put both yourself and others in danger. Please, come with me or I have been instructed to use force to bring you to her.” The Anbu’s tone was even and held every bit of command that the moment called for, but Avurin could tell from the subtle flinch the Anbu gave away as her eyes scanned them that they knew they couldn’t bring her by force. It wouldn’t be possible. 

“Go back to her and tell her to go fuck herself.” Avurin commanded. The Anbu’s back straightened and they turned in the direction of the Hokage Tower, flashing away without another word. Avurin’s commands were undeniable and strong with how much force she was putting into her jutsu, likely scrambling the memory of who she was talking to in addition to lacing in a command. While she would normally take some care into issuing a command, she was currently brute-forcing commands with more chakra than was necessary. She could only hope she didn’t hurt anyone. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, she just wanted to get her revenge. 

Shortly after that Anbu disappeared, another took his place. 

“I said-” 

“I currently have earplugs in, Lady Hatake. You will not be able to command me. I assume the order was given to you so now I will bring you to Lady Tsunade. Please, come quietly.” The Anbu’s voice was oddly toned, so he wasn’t lying. He couldn't even hear himself speak. Avurin could count herself lucky that only Anbu had picked up on the most obvious weakness of her jutsu, though it was annoying. 

She didn’t bother saying anything else as she lunged forward, forcing the Anbu to take a step back and block a blow to their head. She had been aiming to use the rounded side of her kunai to hit their temple, hoping to just knock them out and be on her way. She wasn’t surprised the blow had been blocked. 

“Lady Hatake-”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” she screeched, reaching for her katana. “HE’S FUCKING DEAD! QUIT RUBBING MY FACE IN IT!” A harsh, uncoordinated slash of her katana didn’t even reach the Anbu as they hopped back, just out of reach. Another slash had similar results. She was panting, the exertion of keeping up her jutsu unnecessarily for so long catching up to her despite the refresh to her reserves that Katsuyu had given her. Tears were falling down her face as she took another step forward, swinging again with the strength leaving her so quickly she couldn’t help the collapse to her knees when she finally gave in. 

A wail rang into the air yet again as the grief overtook her in a second wave, realization and acknowledgement too much to handle. She’d known she wouldn’t make it far and even if she’d reached that man, she would’ve died and taken her and Kakashi’s son with her. 

Was she so weak that she was willing to put herself on a suicide mission just to join Kakashi in the afterlife?

Another hard sob accompanied by a pained hiccup made her groan. She was exhausted. 

“Let’s go, Lady Okita.” The Anbu held his hand out to her kneeling frame and she took it with a shaky grip and a dead stare as she let go of her kekkei genkai. 

…

“Katsuyu, inform the Anbu to move Avurin to a safe location. I repeat, do NOT bring her here.” Tsunade whispered to the slug on her shoulder as she stared at the orange-haired man across from her on the roof of Hokage Tower.

“Understood, Lady Tsunade,” Katsuyu whispered back. 

…

It was during the walk to the Hokage Tower that the Anbu changed course, turning towards the faces on the cliffside. No words were exchanged, but Avurin could tell something had happened. She accepted it, feeling dazed and not truly caring where she was led. She’d given up so easily against her crusade and she felt like a failure. She had no choice but to comply. Yet again demoted to the level of a civilian. 

She was interrupted from her thoughts as a bright light filled the sky, blinding her for a moment. That moment was all it took for the sudden sound of crashing and destruction to begin encroaching on her and the Anbu’s position. 

Before she could scream or even take a hurried step away, there was darkness. 

…

She coughed, her mouth full of dirt as something pressed against her back. It was wet, wriggling as she started attempting to sit up. 

“Lady Hatake! Please! Be very careful getting up! I attempted to cover all of you but I wasn’t able to generate into a larger body as quickly as I’d hoped. I’m healing a large wound on your leg currently. Please, stay still until I’m finished.” Katsuyu’s voice filled her ear and Avurin let out another dry cough, clenching her fists as the pain of either a broken or slashed leg started to register. 

“The baby?” Avurin asked, needing to know that her piece of Kakashi was okay. 

“He’s okay. You instinctively protected him with your chakra. You should know that the village was destroyed just now and Pain is still at large. We currently do not have eyes on him and the village is currently getting back on their feet. Everyone is recovering right now. Please, be patient and stay right here for now. Once you’re healed, we will regroup per Lady Tsunade’s orders.” Katsuyu was still soft-spoken as always, but she held more command than usual. Avurin relaxed into the dirt, so overwhelmed she didn’t even want to get up. 

After a few minutes, the pain receded. As Katsuyu moved off of her, she sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest, taking in the destruction around her. The Anbu she had been following lay a few feet away, injured beyond the point of saving. She stared without feeling anything, wondering why Katsuyu had been available to help her but not the Anbu. 

“That Anbu was carrying a small part of me for communication with Lady Tsunade. When Lady Tsunade expended her chakra to boost my own chakra so I could help the villagers, I was able to expand but I could only save one of you, especially so close to the center of the blast. Per Lady Tsunade, you were to take priority.” Katsuyu sounded grave and Avurin could understand. Why would they choose her over a valued Anbu? She pulled her knees closer to her and hugged them, thankful but still more than a little upset with the split second choice. 

“Avurin, I would highly recommend regrouping with nearby shinobi. Naruto has entered the battlefield and is currently fighting Pain. However, if he releases another large-scale attack, we need everyone to be safely out of range.” Avurin glared at the ground in front of her. 

“No. I’m actually going to get out of the village for a bit. I have nothing left here for me and I need room to think.” The words tasted like ash on her tongue but the truth was a hard pill to swallow. Without Kakashi, she would be happy to return to another small village, build a cabin, and raise their son on her own in solitude. She didn’t need the village that had yet again disappointed her and hurt her. 

“Avurin, I can’t let you do that. Please, don’t make any decisions right now.” Avurin stood, brushing herself off as she ignored the slug. Taking in the new terrain of the area, she glanced at the Hokage faces, grimacing. 

She started walking in the opposite direction, towards the ridge at the edge of the explosion site that was least likely to have people that would stop her. 

“Avurin! Stop!” She tuned out Katsuyu’s raised voice as she continued walking.

…

Hardly anyone glanced at her as she left the village, everyone attending to the injured and focusing on their friends and family that had been killed or hurt by the explosion. From the ridge, she had been able to see where Naruto was fighting Pain, even if it was from a distance. It didn’t look like it was going well but she couldn’t tell. It had taken her at least half an hour to get to the ridge with the destroyed paths and rocks everywhere while also avoiding other shinobi that could possibly stop her.

She had no doubt Katsuyu would relay her defection to Tsunade and either whoever was available would be sent to retrieve her, or the Hokage would cut her losses and let her go in order to keep the few able-bodied and alive shinobi she had close to her. 

‘If anyone would understand ditching the village over losing a loved one, it would be Tsunade,’ Avurin thought bitterly as she took to the trees outside of the village. It hurt to leave behind the village Kakashi gave his life to protect, especially after spending so much time accepting it as home again. However, she knew she wouldn’t be able to even look at the people she knew without thinking about the man that had brought her into the fold. It was cowardly, but she wasn’t above being selfish and abandoning Konoha to face their own problems. 

This destruction had nothing to do with her. 

Just like the Third World War, the fighting would only hurt her for reasons unknown to her. She didn’t have any emotional investment in the battle now that Kakashi was gone. 

A quiet conversation in the middle of the forest, at least ten minutes from the village, had her softening her steps, becoming dead silent in the trees as she stopped, her ears focused on the voices. She hadn’t expected anyone to try to confront her, so it was a surprise. She hadn’t exactly been moving quickly but it would have still taken a ridiculous pace to overtake her this soon after the explosion and her conversation with Katsuyu. 

“It doesn’t matter who won or lost.” Her eyes widened. That was Naruto’s voice! What was he doing out here if he was supposed to be fighting Pain in the village center? Had the fight ended right after she’d left? How had he gotten ahead of her so fast?

“Tell us what happened.” She knew the voices that started contributing to the conversation and she screwed her eyes shut. They weren’t here for her. Something drastic had happened.

She shouldn’t be hearing any of this. But something was tugging at her chest to listen, something achingly close to hope. Something about this interaction, with Naruto’s tone and words, was dragging her back into Konoha’s problems. Why did she care? She couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe she was finally losing what little sanity she had left. 

“It doesn’t matter. I’m on my way to see the real Pain right now. Please, don’t try to follow me. I need to go alone.” 

“There’s something I need to check out.” 

“I’m going to talk to him. The real Pain.” 

“You think I forgive him?! I wanna crush him for what he did to our village and to everyone! Avurin-sensei is missing and Kakashi-sensei is gone! You think I don’t feel the same way you do?!” 

“Thank you, Shikaku.” 

Avurin was frozen, covering her mouth as tears ran down her face. As she heard Naruto’s feet scuff against the tree branches, she moved to follow, not bothering to smother the sound of her steps.

A firm hand on her arm stopped her. 

“Avurin, please. Tsunade sent out an order to find you not too long ago. Don’t follow him. It’s too dangerous.” Shikaku’s gaze was overly sympathetic and she snarled. 

“You don’t understand! I have to find that motherfucker! He took everything from me!” she screamed, trying to yank her arm free. She started hyperventilating when she realized Shikaku wasn’t letting go. 

“I do, and so does most of the village right now. But if we have any chance of ending this once and for all, Naruto has to do what he’s planning to do. On top of that, you are in no state to fight anyone. Emotions are high and everyone is making rash decisions right now. But Kakashi wouldn’t want-”

“Don’t tell me what he’d want,” she growled, interrupting Shikaku who composed himself quickly. 

“You’re right. Let’s just get back to the village. Give yourself some time to breathe and process everything. With Naruto chasing the real Pain, the village is safe for right now.” 

The tears wouldn’t stop and the sniffle she let out was involuntary. Furiously scrubbing at her eyes and glaring at the three men in front of her, she shoved her way past them and started making her way back to the village. If Tsunade was so hell-bent on keeping her in the village, then she’d have to make it work. She was going to be hunted down otherwise once everyone got back on their feet. 

She still didn’t understand what was so important that Tsunade couldn’t just leave her alone. If it was something as stupid as her son being the heir to the Hatake and Okita clans and she was going to be chained to the village for the ‘continuation of both nearly-extinct clans’, she was going to throw all reservation and good behavior out of her mind and lunge for the woman’s throat. 

Returning to the ledge surrounding the bowl that was once Konoha, Avurin glared down at the remains of the village. 

She was a prisoner. 

…

Returning to Tsunade and the others that surrounded her made her feet feel as if they were filled with lead. Tsunade was obviously exhausted, not even mustering an angry expression when she took in Avurin’s blank stare accompanied by a tight expression. 

“Avurin…” Tsunade started, gathering the attention of everyone in the area. Avurin only crossed her arms, her glare intensifying. “I’m so glad to see that you’re safe.” Tsunade muttered, avoiding eye contact with the angry Okita. 

“I’ve been tossed around like a ball on a kickball field this entire time, only able to really watch what’s happening as my life crumbles into the dirt, all in order to stay ‘safe’ so everyone wouldn’t yell at me. So yeah, I’m safe. I’m also extremely angry and wish I could’ve done something without being dragged back into ‘safety’ since I’m still fucking competent. So, pray tell, why the fuck have I been dragged back into this literal hole in the ground when I could have moved on with my life elsewhere and done what I’d done for a decade following the Third War? What is it, Tsunade? What’s so important that you just have to have me here?” Avurin’s anger won out, her hoarse voice screaming at her Hokage by the time she was demanding answers. She was so tired of crying and tired of her world being turned upside down. Being kidnapped by Orochimaru, finding out she was pregnant, her son being experimented on in the womb, the unknown consequences of said experimentation, the attack on the village, Kakashi’s death, and now the destruction of everything around her was just too much. 

“Do you really want to know? Right here in front of everyone? Do you really want me to spill out what makes you so valuable to this village right now?” Tsunade answered back, her energy coming back into her ever so slightly in her raised voice and narrowed eyes. Avurin stomped her foot and snarled. 

“Yes! For kami’s sake! If it’s about the value of my son and how he’s going to be some awesome Hatake-Okita heir that needs to belong to Konoha, then you can just go fuck yourself! I won’t be a prisoner here!” Her screaming was drawing more attention, some Anbu even putting their hands on their weapons in preparation for having to protect the Hokage if she decided to attack. 

“You know what, fine! The village is gone and there won’t be any semblance of privacy until we can start reconstruction so we may as well just air this out! The DNA results I was working on came up with a result before everything went to hell! Are you sure you want to hear this right now?! Can you take another heartbreak?!” Tsunade was downright cruel as she sneered at Avurin. Avurin could only match the energy, knowing her eyes were flashing gold in the daylight as she struggled to control her chakra as her emotions ran high. 

“Spit it the fuck out, Tsunade!” 

“The unknown genetic markers we found are Senju!” 

Silence overtook the area as Avurin froze, her eyes widening a fraction. 

“What?” The question slipped out in a quiet breath before she could stop it. 

“I tested the genetic markers versus my own DNA on a whim. Your son carries Senju genes. Given Orochimaru’s past experiments, it’s likely he injected Hashirama’s DNA into your son while you were captive in hopes of securing the Mokuton by a different method.” The energy Tsunade had mustered seemed to leave her in a breath, her shoulders slumping and her gaze falling to the ground. “If that is the case, your son has everything he will need genetically to be the most powerful shinobi the world has ever seen. He needs to be kept safe. Not just as the Hatake and Okita heir, but as a potential weapon to be used by anyone who can get their hands on him. This goes beyond just needing to control that power. It’s about protecting an innocent life that didn’t ask for this burden. Orochimaru is still at large and if he’s playing the long game, he will come for your son later on.” 

All of the breath seemed to leave Avurin as she screwed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, her nails biting into the palms of her hands. 

“Are you sure?” she asked, nearly whispering. 

“I can confirm that it’s Senju DNA but I can’t guarantee anything other than that. The next step was to compare the DNA with the source or a similar subject. The attack on the village destroyed everything.” 

Avurin turned away from Tsunade and let out a deep breath, opening her tired eyes to stare at the dirt in front of her. 

“Alright. We’ll figure it out. Once the baby’s born and we can verify that information, I will decide how to move forward. Not you, not any future Hokage, nobody but me will decide how to handle this. I will not be a prisoner in my home village.” 

“I understand.” Tsunade’s weary voice sealed the deal as Avurin started walking away. 

Avurin nearly rolled her eyes as a small pop echoed through the bowl that used to be the village, already feeling sarcastic about another thing happening on the worst day of her life. If it was another attack on the village, she might just let herself die. She was too tired to keep running. 

However, as gasps started filling the area and bodies that were previously deceased started sitting up after exposure to an odd green, snow-like energy, a cold wave of shock rolled down her body from her head to her toes. People were being resurrected. It wasn’t until Choji ran to her, panting and red in the face, pointing in a vague direction and struggling to get words out of his mouth, that she took off in a dead sprint in the direction she felt a sudden presence directing her to go. No one stopped her and several people actually jumped out of her way as she charged towards one specific body that she hadn’t seen since the moment he died. 

The part of her mind that had been a painful void for the last hour or two was suddenly full of confusion and exhaustion. Most of all, there was an overwhelming emotion coming from the other side of the bond and that emotion was worry. Worry for her, for their son, for the state of the village, for his pack. 

“KAKASHI!” she screamed as she laid eyes on the man who was sitting up, looking confused more than anything as Katsuyu was explaining what had happened while he was gone. 

Avurin didn’t bother to slow down as she dove for him, wrapping her arms around him and falling on top of him on the ground, slamming his back down onto the hard rock underneath him. 

“Avie…” his breathless confusion made her start laughing as more tears fell and she held onto him with as much strength as she could muster. 

“Don’t you EVER do that to me again! You fucking selfless hero! I was going to take our son and ditch this sorry excuse for a village if you weren't going to be there with me to raise him! Goddammit, Kakashi! Y-You’re a f-fucking m-moron!” Her sobs were so strong that she couldn’t help but hiccup against his neck as she clung to him. “This has been the worst day of my fucking life!” she wailed into his ear, ignoring how he pulled his head away to save his hearing. 

A hand started stroking up and down her back and his face pressed against her neck. 

“I’m right here, Avie. I’m here.” His soft whispers slowly calmed her down as she slowly loosened her grip, pulling back enough to look down at the face of the man she was sitting on. Cupping both of his cheeks, she laid a soft kiss against his masked lips. 

“Never do that to me again, Kakashi. A life without you isn't a life worth living. I would’ve only lived for Sakuma. If I hadn’t had him to worry about, I wouldn’t have survived another minute without you.” She pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes, her tears still falling and landing on his face. 

His own gloved hand cupped one side of her face and she leaned into it, her face screwing into an agonized grimace. 

“I’ll do my best, Avie. You know I can’t promise I won’t protect you and those we care about.” She let out a whimper but nodded in agreement. 

“It’s a promise. We’ll do our best,” she agreed in a quiet whisper. 

“The good news is, I’m apparently healed. And it’s likely Naruto is responsible for this. What do you say we go get him? He’s probably exhausted from everything he’s done today.” Kakashi teased, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. She nodded, smiling. 

“I’ve been awfully selfish today, running around and avoiding all the danger like everyone wanted me to. Let’s go make sure our adopted pup is alright after fighting the big villain of the day.” 

…

Watching Kakashi catch an obviously exhausted Naruto as he finally gave in and fell in the forest on his way back from his big fight brought a smile to Avurin’s face, happy to see that Naruto was okay, even if he was absolutely wiped. She could tell from the look on Kakashi’s face that he was savoring the moment, realizing that Naruto wasn’t a pup anymore but stepping in and taking care of him in one of the few ways he could. 

Watching the village welcome Naruto with a hero’s welcome made her eyes water and her smile was so big that her cheeks hurt. As the crowd hijacked Naruto with questions and admiration, Kakashi and Avurin stood to the side, watching with pride as the village finally welcomed Naruto. 

“Hey, want to go see if the Hatake compound survived? I could really go for a good nap right about now and if I think I’ve mapped this out right in my head, I think we might still have a home to come back to since the compound was so far in the outskirts.” Avurin nudged Kakashi with her elbow, smiling. There was a chance she was wrong and they had lost everything, but it was better to check.

“Sure, let’s go home.” 

Chapter Text

The compound was still standing. Avurin couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the lack of damage. The fact that it was only a few meters from the edge of the crater in the ground was nothing short of a miracle. 

“Should we invite the kids to stay over? I’m sure a lot of them lost their homes…” Avurin trailed off as her and Kakashi walked the perimeter of the compound as the sun was setting, just making sure no stray debris had landed anywhere on the property. They were purposefully avoiding talking about the events of the day, trying to settle into the idea that their lives would continue, they would just be rebuilding Konoha for the foreseeable future. Avurin didn’t want to acknowledge her moments of being a flight risk and Kakashi didn’t want to ask about it. 

“That’s a good idea. You and I can move into the main house and start preparing for Sakuma. The kids can take the guest houses and cabins. Naruto and Sakura can stay in the main house for a bit if they need to so they’re close and safe. There’s plenty of room.” Kakashi contributed, his hands in his pockets as he looked at the property with new eyes. 

He’d forgiven his father by the time he’d been pulled back into the world of the living. The horrible feelings he’d felt about the main house of the compound were no longer there. He’d gotten to talk to his father and make amends, they’d come to an understanding. The house no longer held the same ghosts that had haunted him with so much resentment. 

Avurin side-eyed him, unsure about his complete change of mood towards the main house. He always seemed to treat that house as if it contained a plague the world didn’t know about and she had understood why he felt that way, she just didn’t understand the sudden change of heart. 

“That would be perfect. We’ll need to set up a nursery and start collecting supplies anyway. I’m not due until March but it would be best to be prepared…” She yawned, stretching her arms above her head as they circled back to the front gate. 

Kakashi put a hand against her lower back, guiding her to the main house. “Let’s move your things over to the main house and get situated. We’ll talk to the pups tomorrow. You need rest.” Avurin nodded sleepily as Kakashi guided her up the steps and into the house. It was still dark inside but she had recently cleaned it in a fit of ‘nesting behavior’ so at least it wasn’t dusty. 

She sat down at the low living room table, leaning against it in her exhaustion. 

“I’ll be right back with our bedding, clothes, weapons, and the nest you built… are you going to be okay rebuilding it here?” he asked, a cringe obvious in his expression. It must be a huge no-no to move a nest once it’s been built. She nodded, fully trusting him to do what he could to make the transition easier. It was better that they did it sooner rather than later anyway.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” With that, he left the house and made his way to the cabin. 

Avurin felt herself nodding off at the table and before she knew it, she was already slipping into blissful sleep with her head pillowed in her crossed arms on the table. 

She was woken up what felt like seconds later to Kakashi pulling her into his arms, carrying her to their new room. 

“I decided to just bring everything since you were already asleep. The kitchen is stocked with everything that was in the cabin and all of the clothes and weapons are in the bedroom. We’ll rearrange everything in the morning before we start looking for the pups.” Kakashi reassured her as he slid open the door to their room. She buried her face in his chest as he walked to the futon on the floor, laying down with her still pressed against him. 

He slowly started pulling off their Jonin jackets, shoes, and weapons holsters to at least get comfortable and she was lulled back to sleep by his gentle movements. A blanket was pulled over them and she snuggled closer to him, still reeling from the fact that she almost lost him but unable to fight her exhaustion. 

…

*knock* *knock* … *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* … *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

Kakashi startled awake, jerking Avurin out of sleep as well as they heard knocks at the front door. The seals at the gate were also flaring, letting them know that someone had crossed the gates without being programmed into them. They had adjusted the seals to allow guests to reach the door after the incident with Naruto returning from training with Jiraiya, leading to him bouncing off of the sealed area several times before they could get to him, but the seals would still alert them if there was a trespasser.

Kakashi thumped his head back on the pillow, rubbing at his eyes. 

“It’s the kids.” Avurin grumbled as she pulled herself up, making sure she was decent as Kakashi did the same in preparation for who was at the door. Despite being utterly exhausted, they were quick to leave the room.

Standing in the entryway, Kakashi slid open the door to reveal several of the kids from Naruto’s class. At a glance, Avurin could tell there were at least two or three teams on their doorstep in addition to Naruto and Sakura for a total of eleven teenagers.

“Kakashi-sensei! We have come to ask if we can stay with you until the village is rebuilt! All of our houses have been destroyed!” Naruto boldly declared, making Avurin flinch at his volume. 

Behind Naruto, Sakura looked embarrassed but the bags under her eyes were heavy, Shikamaru carried a pillow and a blanket with an exhausted look on his face, Choji was eating a bag of chips furiously, likely out of stress, and Kiba was outright passed out on Akamaru’s back while Akamaru’s ears sagged with exhaustion. Lee was swaying on his feet while also managing to carry Tenten on his back who was already asleep, Ino was scrubbing at her eyes, Shino was off in the distance staring at the trees, Neji was scowling with his arms crossed, obviously cranky, and Hinata was hiding near the back of the group with a bright red blush. 

“I told Dad it was fine if we camped out with the adults in the woods but he insisted we come here if there was a chance we could have a roof over our heads. He made schematics of the damage earlier with Ino’s dad and realized your compound was pretty much the only large structure that survived outside of some residential housing further out.” Shikamaru muttered, scratching at his head with closed eyes. 

Sakura’s embarrassment must have finally won out as she bowed and immediately started apologizing. “Kakashi-sensei! Avie-sensei! We really apologize for barging in like this! Even if we can just sleep on the floor, we’ll be happy to-”

“Mah, none of that.” Kakashi waved a hand dismissively, obviously uncomfortable with the apologies. “There are several cabins throughout the property for guests that have long gone unused. Avurin and I were already discussing bringing this up with you tomorrow. Naruto and Sakura, there are guest rooms for you two in the main house with us. The rest of you, split up however you want and pick a cabin. If anyone can’t find a spare cabin, please come back to the main house and I will assign you a few rooms in one of the wings. The cabins are better maintained than the house, though, so do your best to make the cabins work.” 

With several quiet thank you’s, the kids started heading in the direction of the cabins. Avurin doubted they would be very picky and would likely crash on the floors of each one despite there being a bed, couch, and spare futon in each. She would know, she’d gone through each to check the amenities on an off day recently. 

And Kakashi was right, the cabins were pretty well maintained. She guessed that he’d thought of keeping guests in them at some point, whether to offer a roof over a friend’s head if they needed it, potential rented housing, or some other reason. He had them regularly cleaned and the wood was consistently checked so there weren’t any leaks or rotting planks. 

The house, however, was another story. The main part of the home in the front was alright, likely because it housed relics and whatever was left of Kakashi’s childhood, but the wings that spanned into the back of the property on each side of the house, surrounding a neglected garden area, weren’t quite “safe” according to Kakashi. Kakashi had already boarded off both wings to prevent any animals or weather-related moisture from creeping through one of the wings into the front of the house. He’d told her that there was rotting wood and leaks in the roof in various areas of each wing. Maybe he would get around to repairing the wings of the home now that they would be making it their permanent residence. 

That would be a repair they would have to make before Sakuma joined them. 

“Are you sure this is alright, sensei?” Sakura’s abnormally timid voice asked from the darkness of the entryway. She had just taken off her shoes and was looking around the home, taking in the living area, her eyes lingering on the clan crest displayed on the wall in the living room. 

Kakashi started leading the way to a pair of rooms across from their own, passing the sealed room that Avurin found herself bowing her head in respect to as subtly as possible. “It’s fine, Sakura. I have all of this space and only just started deciding to use it. After today, I think all of you deserve to have a good night’s sleep with a roof above your head and a bed to sleep on.” He slid open both doors, presenting two guest rooms that had basic futons on the floor and were nearly bare aside from that. “You kids did well today, you deserve to be taken care of.” Kakashi muttered, letting his own exhaustion slip into his voice. 

He let out a surprised oomph as Naruto slammed into him with a hug. 

“Thank you so much, sensei!” Naruto’s voice was muffled into Kakashi’s chest as he patted the pup’s blonde hair, smiling under his mask. 

“You’re welcome. Now, get some sleep. We’ll talk about everything in the morning, alright?” 

…

Avurin woke the next morning to the feeling of warm arms around her, her face buried into a shirt that smelled like dirt, blood, and sweat. She pulled away slightly with a wince, her nose scrunching at the smell coming off of Kakashi’s shirt while the light of the morning peeking through the window, enough light for her to be fully awake in seconds. 

Kakashi grumbled low in his chest and tightened his arms. 

She rolled her eyes.

She started poking Kakashi in the ribs, trying to wake him up so he’d let her go. It was the same song and dance she was used to and she fought the wave of emotion that threatened to make her cry over the fact that she’d almost lost this forever. 

Her efforts were useless, but a pot crashing on the floor in the kitchen wasn’t. 

Kakashi shot up out of sleep, his eyes bleary as he took in the room they were in. He seemed to remember that the kids were staying with them since his shoulders slumped and he started rubbing at his eyes as soon as the momentary panic left his body. 

Avurin laughed quietly, brushing Kakashi’s hair out of his eyes before leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. “I’ll go see what they’re up to. I’d recommend you find some clean clothes.” She playfully tugged at his sleeve before stepping away, leaving him to discover how strong the smell of his clothes actually was.

She was quiet as she slipped out of the room, only wearing her black tank top from the day before along with the black leggings she wore under her pants. Her bare feet padded along the hardwood as she snuck towards the kitchen, curious to see what trouble the kids were getting into. 

“Naruto! Give me that!” Sakura’s hushed whisper broke through the silence and there was a quiet thump that sounded suspiciously similar to metal meeting a hard skull. “You’re an idiot. We aren’t going to raid their groceries. It’s not polite!” Another thump followed by a whimper. 

“But I’m hungry! They won’t mind if we have some of the eggs they have in the fridge!” Naruto whined as a cupboard opened and the sound of metal being set gently on wood met Avurin’s ears. She was holding back a giggle as she was listening to the two pups quarrel over food. She would cook them breakfast, that wasn’t even a question. They had a hard day of work ahead of them and they would need a good meal. 

“It’s still not polite! Either wait for them to wake up or leave to go find food somewhere else! Everyone else is going to be in the same boat for a while since all of our supplies and groceries were destroyed. They probably have the only good groceries left in the village and who knows when our trade routes will be reestablished. We’ll be living on rations for a while. Seriously, Naruto, we can’t steal this stuff. It’s… valuable…” Sakura’s voice trailed off quietly and Naruto was suspiciously silent. The weight of what had happened the previous day was suddenly oppressive in the silence. Avurin’s own small smile dropped at the realization that the last grocery run she’d made was going to have to last. 

An arm wrapping around her midsection from behind would have startled a yelp out of her if the bond hadn’t overwhelmed her with comforting thoughts prior to the touch. Kakashi leaned against her back, pressing his chin against her shoulder. Silent support. He’d likely heard the conversation. 

After a moment of sinking into Kakashi, Avurin pulled away gently, walking around the corner and taking in the two teenagers in her kitchen. They both looked depressed, the bags under their eyes from the stress and exertion of the previous day. Avurin clapped her hands once, both teenagers looking at her with wide, startled eyes.

“Alright, you two. Enough of that. I’m going to make everyone a small breakfast. Don’t worry about groceries or trade routes or any of that right now. Go get your friends and we’ll all eat in here this morning. You all have a long day ahead of you and you can’t go on an empty stomach. The village won’t build itself back up in a day but it will rebuild.” Avurin gave them each a stern look. “Keep your chins up or you won’t be welcome here anymore. We lived and that’s what matters.” 

Both Sakura and Naruto’s eyes widened comically and with a pointed finger at the door from Avurin, they both ran out of the door to go get their friends. 

“You’re really going to be a no-nonsense mother, aren’t you?” Kakashi teased as she started setting eggs, bacon, and her homemade concentrate for miso soup out. 

“They can’t mope. Not here. Not over our own fucking groceries. I won’t be able to handle it,” she said shortly as she started mixing several eggs, scrambling them. She wouldn’t be able to give the kids much, but it would be enough to get their day started. “There’s too much work to do for us to grieve, especially when those that perished are still standing among us.” She gave him a pointed look. His own expression grew serious as he met her eyes. 

“I met my father.” It was a quiet, calm statement but Avurin froze, her hand clenching the chopsticks she was using to mix the eggs a little too tightly. “We talked. A lot. I’ve forgiven him and he wishes us well. I didn’t expect to come back and it tore me apart the same way it did for you. I was preparing myself to wait however long it would take to see you again. It still hurts. Everyone is hurting. Everyone is going to throw themselves into fixing the village but the fact is, there are a lot of things that aren’t going to be the same for a while. It’s okay to hurt right now. It only happened yesterday.” 

Her eyes watered but she refused to cry again. Not after feeling so much just the previous day. “Alright, but right now, it’ll be best if we’re the strong ones of the village. People look up to you, to Naruto, to Sakura, and to all the shinobi that are going to be breaking their backs to fix this place up. If we do it with enthusiasm, it’ll hurt less than dragging our feet. Can you at least see my point in that?” She continued to mix the eggs despite knowing they were about as mixed as they were going to get. She added some seasoning, something she’d found she really enjoyed in her eggs lately. 

“I understand. Just don’t give the kids a hard time for feeling so many things today. For them, this is the first major tragedy of their lives, especially being displaced from their homes. They’re not used to it, not like you and I are.” There was an exhausted sigh before arms wrapped around her from behind again, Kakashi burying his face in the back of her neck after leaving a chaste kiss to the now scarred over bite mark he’d left on her only a few months prior. “It’ll be alright. We’ll get through this. I appreciate you doing what you can to get them started off on the right foot today.” Avurin sighed and set down the chopsticks, leaning into Kakashi. 

“It’s the only thing I can think of doing right now,” she muttered. Just as Kakashi was turning her head for a kiss, his finger starting to pull his mask down, the front door slammed open and a loud gasp was heard. 

“Kakashi-sensei! Leave her alone so she can cook, you pig!” Sakura yelled, stomping into the kitchen area as Kakashi quickly stepped away from Avurin who was blushing so hard her ears were burning. 

“Is the coast clear?!” Naruto yelled from outside and Sakura huffed. 

“Yes! Everyone come inside and leave your shoes at the door! Some of you are still dirty!” Sakura yelled back. 

And just like that, Avurin had a living room and dining table full of hungry teenagers waiting patiently for their breakfast, varying looks of exhaustion, depression, and disassociation on each face with a few exceptions. Ino and Sakura were arguing over the prioritization of rebuilding different vital structures of the village and in what order, what needed to be improved now that they had a chance to change what they needed to, and how they were going to propose their changes to Tsunade. Choji and Shikamaru were sitting in a corner, Choji whining over having eaten his last bag of chips for the foreseeable future the previous night out of stress and Shikamaru still hugging his pillow, taking a short nap. 

Kiba and Akamaru were checking on each other in the living room, Kiba digging through Akamaru’s paw pads to make sure the hound hadn’t stepped on anything sharp the previous day or had anything stuck, while Akamaru kept licking Kiba’s hair in a half-attempt at grooming. Shino was lounging in the living room as well, seemingly just sitting still and staring into space, though Avurin could only assume he was communicating with his family’s swarms to take stock of the damage done to their clan’s livelihood. 

Hinata had joined her in the kitchen, quietly helping with the miso soup while Avurin made a small pile of cooked bacon and eggs, distributing portions among small plates for everyone and setting out bowls for the soup. Kakashi watched from the corner where the hallway met the kitchen, leaning against the wall and keeping an eye on everyone. Apparently, Lee, Tenten, and Neji had been hauled away for survival training and rebuilding by Guy early in the morning so they had really only gotten to sleep for the night before being dragged back out into the world. 

Hinata helped pass out the food to everyone and Avurin couldn’t help but appreciate the girl’s silent help. The reactions to the food varied but it was expected. Some, like Shikamaru and Ino, only took small bites as if they weren’t hungry at all, while others, like Choji, Naruto, and Kiba, wolfed down their food like they’d been starved. Avurin knew the feelings of both sides, trauma did unexpected things. 

“When you guys are finished, go ahead and regroup with the Jonin in charge of rebuilding. The sooner we get to work, the sooner we’ll have a new and improved Konoha. I’ll be joining everyone shortly.” Kakashi said casually as he quickly finished his food without revealing his face. Naruto groaned and put his head on the table where he’d managed to secure a seat in the dining area. 

“It’s going to be so much work!” he whined, which drew a gentle laugh from Hinata. 

“Just think of how new everything will be after we’re done, even Ichiraku’s is going to be brand new.” Hinata’s encouragement seemed to give Naruto a shot of adrenaline as he hopped up from his seat, looking ready to sprint out of the door. 

“You’re right! We can build an even bigger and better ramen stand for Mr. Teuchi! C’mon guys! Let’s go!” Naruto ran out of the door before anyone could even stand to follow him. Avurin couldn’t help but laugh. 

“This entire village is going to be even bigger and better when everyone is done rebuilding,” she muttered with a hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh. Everyone seemed to pick up on the bright side of the situation being revealed as they stacked their plates and bowls in the sink, bowing and thanking Avurin for the meal, before running out of the door to follow Naruto. 

“Are you coming, Avie-sensei?” Sakura asked as she was setting her own bowl and plate in the sink. Avurin’s smile dropped as she shook her head wistfully. 

“No, I’ll have to stay here. It’s extremely important that I’m not in any danger for a little while.” Avurin gave a reassuring squeeze to Sakura’s shoulder as she avoided her eyes. They hadn’t exactly been open about her pregnancy, but after the open screaming match between her and Tsunade, she knew news would travel fast. 

That was why she was surprised when Sakura gave her a questioning look. 

“Why?” So, Sakura hadn’t heard. Whatever had been said in that clearing must have been locked down under the threat of death by Tsunade. 

“We’re expecting. Avurin is to take it easy until the baby is born. She’s been through too much in this pregnancy and we need to keep her safe.” Kakashi’s voice was direct but carried a hint of pride. Sakura’s eyes lit up with understanding, quickly followed by tears. Avurin was caught off guard by the hug she was swept into by the teenager. 

“I’m so happy for you two! This village is going to be better than ever for your baby when they’re born! May I?” Sakura pulled away, a hand hovering over Avurin’s abdomen, already glowing green with chakra. Her excitement was barely contained, her hand showing the faintest of tremors as Avurin nodded and took her hand, placing it against her stomach where she knew their son was growing. 

Sakura’s tears fell down her face as she adjusted her hand, taking in the information her jutsu was giving her. 

“They feel… so bright…” she muttered, her eyebrows coming together in concentration, the excited and teary-eyed expression dropping from her face, completely taken over by her professional side. “They’re healthy, the perfect weight for about 10ish weeks…” She maneuvered her hand again, her eyes unfocused as if she were trying to solve a problem she didn’t know the answer to. “They’re also unusually well developed in their chakra presence. Like, extremely well developed. I can already feel the tenketsu points throughout the body and those should barely be developed at this point. They’re well-defined. But it’s obvious you’re only about ten weeks along, the body’s development is perfect for that estimate. What in the world…” 

Sakura pulled away, realizing she was digging deep into something that was otherwise private. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done that!” Avurin let out a small giggle. 

“No, it’s alright. This isn’t an average pregnancy so there are some things that will be a little strange. Tsunade has been monitoring me but she’s going to be busy with the rebuild so, please, feel free to check on the baby any time.” Kakashi nodded his agreement with Avurin’s request for extra monitoring, the relief of having someone to monitor the unusual aspects of development for their baby not lost on him. 

“I’ll talk with Tsunade and we’ll work out a plan for you while the village is being rebuilt. Even though the hospital was destroyed, we’ll write up a new file for you so we can track everything that’s going on. I’m going to join the others but please don’t hesitate to send for me if you notice anything unusual or if there’s an emergency. Don’t put anything off, Avie-sensei!” Sakura’s stern voice only prompted a smile from Avurin as she nodded. 

“I won’t. We won’t risk anything with the little one. Now, go help the others. I’m sure there are some injured that need their best medic to help them.” She waved her hand, dismissing Sakura with a light teasing note. Sakura nodded seriously before running out of the door, picking up her pace to catch up with the others. 

“Kakashi-” 

“Avie-” 

The couple stared at each other after interrupting each other. Avurin was practically buzzing in her skin, needing to share what she had learned from Tsunade the previous day. 

“What is it?” Kakashi asked, likely seeing the desperation and slight panic in his mate’s eyes. 

“Tsunade told me something yesterday. She apparently ran a test before the hospital was destroyed. It’s a big part of why the baby is developing so quickly.” The words left her in a rush, her eyes locked onto Kakashi’s. She needed to tell him, he had a right to know. 

“What? What test? Is the baby in danger?” Kakashi met her panic with calm firmness, searching her eyes for the answer as if he would be able to read her mind before her mouth spoke. 

“Do you remember the random genetic markers Tsunade was talking about before I left the hospital?” 

“Yes, I do. Does it have something to do with that?”

“Tsunade tested the baby’s DNA against her own on a whim. Those markers are Senju. She thinks Orochimaru might have tried another method for getting Hashirama’s Mokuton. If she’s right, Orochimaru might come after our son after he’s born. She bound me to the village when I tried to leave because of the risks that would fall on our son. There’s a chance our son is going to be one of the most powerful shinobi to walk this land if what she thinks is happening is true. Especially… especially with Sakura’s little observation a minute ago.” Avurin’s voice was shaking as she delivered the news, watching as Kakashi’s eyes widened. 

His arms engulfed her and he squeezed her tightly. His breaths were heavy in her ear and she couldn’t help but clutch at his back just as tightly. 

“No matter what, I will do what it takes to keep both of you safe. I know you hate it, but you have to stay safe. I won’t risk either of you, Senju genetics or not. Our son is not going to be dictated by his DNA inside or outside of this village. Stay home today and don’t come out until we have a better idea of what life is going to look like for a few months, okay? The village isn’t secure anymore and this compound is the safest place you can be. I’ll come home as soon as possible. I’ll talk to Tsunade, okay? Depending on Sakura’s role in the village, I might manage to have her make daily check-ins. Just please-” 

“I know. I’ll stay safe. After all of the excitement we’ve dealt with the last few weeks, I don’t think I want to go exploring anytime soon.” She laid a kiss on his masked cheek before grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him around, pushing him towards the door. “Go help rebuild our village.”

…

When Kakashi returned not even two hours later, Avurin was surprised. The look on his face was grave. 

“Tsunade is in a coma from her efforts yesterday. Danzo is currently the acting Hokage in her absence and Sasuke has joined the Akatsuki.” 

The plate in her hands shattered against the floor.

Chapter Text

The decision to lock Avurin inside the walls of the compound wasn’t a light one. Avurin knew this, but the stress thrumming through her body, knowing Kakashi was essentially going against the “acting” Hokage’s orders as he took a self-imposed mission with other shinobi of the village to set the wrongs of the last few days right, it just didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t want to lose him again. 

“I’m sorry, Avie. I have to do this to make sure we have a future. We won’t have a future under Danzo and Sasuke has to be stopped. I’m so, so sorry.” A kiss to her forehead was all she was given before Kakashi had grabbed a pack of essentials and left, pressing on a seal at the gates that glowed bright orange in the air as he left. 

She had quickly discovered that he’d locked her inside using the original seals that had been placed on the gates. While they could keep things out, apparently they could also keep things in. She knew there had to be some way to unlock them since he wouldn’t have left her there without a way to get out if he didn’t return, it would just take some desperation and digging through the Hatake records hidden under the floor where she had placed her own clan secrets what felt like so long ago. The large duffel bag of rations and as much non-perishable food that could possibly fit in the bag didn’t give her much hope that he would be back anytime soon. He’d dropped it at the door when he’d come back from his two-hour visit in the village, not bringing attention to it even as he left. 

She understood quickly that his surprise mission was premeditated. He’d gone into the village, found out the information that had flipped their worlds upside down once again, and had stolen enough food to keep her alive for several weeks if that’s what it took for him to finish his mission. 

She didn’t know where the teenagers were, likely joining him on his “mission,” especially if Sasuke was involved. There was no guarantee that anyone within the village would even know she was there. 

So, yet again, she was a prisoner. 

This time, her own mate had been the one to hold the keys.

… 

She really tried to stay calm. She cleaned obsessively, even going so far as to check on all of the cabins the kids had slept in and started straightening each of them out, washing sheets, sweeping, and airing out each structure. She’d explored the more run-down wings of the main house, surprised to see that they weren’t unsalvageable. The floors needed a little work and some spots in the roof leaked but nothing had collapsed and the rotten wood in some areas could be easily replaced. 

She rationed out her food, unsure of how long she’d be on her own. No one had come by the compound in a few days so it was safe to assume everyone was involved in the plan to set things right for the future of Konoha. 

She’d gone through different stages of disbelief, anger, depression, and finally, acceptance. She didn’t know the official stages of grief, she just knew what feelings had overtaken her in phases after Kakashi locked her in. She’d accepted that he thought this was the best course of action to keep her safe, especially with so many players on the world stage that would be willing to kidnap or kill her for her part in whatever he was doing. 

Danzo was a concern that sat in the back of her mind for a while, but after a day or two without any interference from him or any of his agents, she convinced herself that he was being kept busy. Tsunade’s coma was what scared her the most. They hadn’t left things off on good terms and, while normally that wouldn’t bother her, Tsunade knew the details of what was happening with the baby and Avurin felt like she would need her help to get through this pregnancy. 

Sure, Sakura was available and willing to help, but Tsunade held the keys to the genetic mystery that was the life inside of her. Any information they could put together before the birth would help them prepare for the future. If the baby truly was intended to be a part of Hashirama, they needed to be prepared and start creating a plan to neutralize Orochimaru. He couldn’t continue to wander the nations if there was a risk that he would try to get his hands on the Okita-Hatake heir. Avurin would be damned if her child lived in a protective bubble for his entire life. He deserved his freedom. 

The days felt long but she tried to keep her chin up, the same way she’d encouraged the kids to keep their own optimism from leaving them. 

…

Thinking back, she could say she’d been on her own for two weeks. Depression had fully set in, doubts about Kakashi’s return filling her head. She only knew that he was alive because of the sliver of the bond that still occupied her mind. His distance muted his emotions, but the void that had filled her head and chest when he’d died hadn’t returned. The strength of the bond varied, telling her that he had moved long distances several times, sometimes coming very close to Konoha before fading into the distance again. 

She just kept reassuring herself that she’d know if he died. 

The food was lasting and she did her best to keep her diet balanced the way Tsunade had stressed was important for the baby’s development. She wasn’t at any risk of running out anytime soon. She trusted Kakashi to know how much food he’d left her with and that he’d return before she could even get close to running out. He wasn’t stupid. He did stupid shit sometimes like locking her inside the compound for a few weeks, but he wasn’t going to forget about her and the baby. 

Right?

… 

When Kakashi did return, the seals were disabled with the touch of his thumb as he ran to the front door of the main house. Avurin was taking a nap, resting from the overwhelming exhaustion she’d started feeling around the middle of the day for the past several days, when she felt the brush of his presence through the bond, strong and not at all vague like it had been. Pulling herself out of bed as fast as possible, she threw on a haori and rushed out of the room, stumbling around the corner as she skidded on her feet to get traction to run down the hallway. 

They collided with each other in the entryway, Avurin tackling him to the ground. 

What caught him off guard was the punch to his chest that knocked the breath out of him. 

“You’re a fucking asshole!” she sobbed as she threw another punch. He winced. His ribs would definitely be bruised. 

“I’m sorry!” he apologized lamely as she grabbed the front of his vest, dragging his shoulders off of the ground and yanked down his mask, pulling him into a brutal kiss. He leaned into it, just as desperate for her touch. When they separated, she put her forehead to his, catching her breath. 

“Did you do it? What happened?” she whispered. He swallowed, nervous to explain everything that had happened. 

“It’s a very long story. I can’t claim things are better, but Danzo is dead. Sasuke killed him. I might be named the next Hokage since Tsunade is still in a coma. And… we’re going to war.” The grip on his vest tightened and Avurin took a deep, shuddering breath. 

“War?” she questioned quietly, as if she were afraid to say the word. “With who?” 

“One of the Akatsuki, the one we’ve been worried about named Tobi. He claims that he’s Madara Uchiha in the flesh, but there’s still a lot we don’t understand. The Kage summit went completely sideways and now there’s a proposal for all of the nations to come together as the Allied Shinobi Forces. Avie… you’re going to have to stay here again. We can’t risk it.” 

“NO! I will not stay here while the entire world is taking up arms to defend ourselves! If the world is at risk, this stupid compound won’t save me! Are you fucking insane?!” She shook him by his vest as she yelled. She wouldn’t stay behind again. This went beyond clan and village politics. 

“Please! You have to-” 

“Stay safe! I fucking know! And I’m telling you, as a person with my own body and a brain that can make my own decisions, that I will NOT stay here and worry about you again! The last few weeks have been hell waiting for you to come back, only for you to tell me that the entire world is at risk and we’re going to fucking war again! I’m not weak! I won’t stand by and watch the world get taken over and destroyed! I’d rather die by your side in that same war than live in the aftermath of whatever that madman has planned!” 

Kakashi went silent as he watched the emotions play on Avurin’s face. She could only hope he understood where she was coming from. She was so damn tired of having her independence taken away from her. She was strong, she had power that could literally change the tides of war if she used it right and she wasn't conceited in knowing that fact. She couldn't leave her fate in the hands of others, regardless of how much she believed in the people around her. 

“Okay…” Kakashi muttered, obviously unhappy with the decision. “Just please promise me you'll do everything you can to survive.” 

“‘Kashi-”

“No! I need you to promise me!” The agony in his eyes as he put a trembling hand on one of her own hands that still had a white-knuckled grip on his vest stopped her in her tracks. “You need to promise me that you'll live, even if you're facing the destruction of the world, even if I'm not right there with you. Give Sakuma a chance to have a future. Please.” Her chest constricted as she loosened her grip, letting him sit up on his own as she allowed his fingers to intertwine with hers. 

“Okay. I can promise that.” 

…

She didn't know exactly what had changed, only that there was change. Her Jonin pants fit more snugly and dug into her hips despite the soft give in the waistband, and her vest was tight. Not too tight, certainly not tight enough to really notice unless someone was looking, just… tight. She didn't exactly have a ‘baby bump’ just yet but she looked… more filled. 

Within a few weeks, she'd gained weight and she hadn't noticed. She'd been tired, sure, and occasionally fought bouts of random nausea, but she'd kept up with her katas and exercise in Kakashi's absence and she hadn't changed much in her diet. Kakashi had left her with mostly non-perishable foods with rations packed as a last resort for when the food ran out, likely ransacked or stolen before decent food had gotten scarce due to Pain's attack. So, it wasn't the food and it wasn't the exercise. 

It was the fact she was growing an entirely new human inside of her. 

It was about time something started changing, bringing attention to the very real issue of why pregnancy was going to limit her ability to do what she was pressuring her mate to allow at this very moment. 

Conceptually, she had known she was pregnant. She knew they had to worry about a little pup in some short months from now, that parenting was going to be a challenge that they weren’t prepared for. There were going to be hurdles in her life that she had no clue how to even begin navigating. They had to worry about the genetic experimentation and how it would affect the pup and their future, they had to worry about Orochimaru and the world’s perception of their child, they had a truly unknown situation with an uncertain future ahead of them. 

It was all starting with a little weight gain.

Reality was setting in. 

Her body was changing already. 

Getting situated in her uniform in preparation for what could be her last mission felt like she was putting someone else’s clothes on for a job she wasn’t qualified for. It didn’t feel like slipping on an old shoe. She’d expected to feel more secure in her own element. 

When had she ever felt secure as a shinobi, though?

Her life had consisted of her getting backstabbed by her teammates on missions, the expectations of her kekkei genkai, and constantly arguing for people to take her seriously. Knowing she was a pawn on the chessboard of the world stage she lived in was just a reality she grew up with, and she’d accepted it without trying to fight anymore when Kakashi brought her back to Konoha. 

That wasn’t so long ago, either. 

Pulling the black compression sleeves of her uniform over her forearms, she glared at the scars on her arms. The reality of what her life had been compared to the little time she’d been happy. 

Had she been happier on her own? She missed her cabin in the woods, finding shells in the creek near her home and growing her own food. It had been a hard-worked ten years before she was brought back to Konoha without any way of going back to her little peaceful corner of the world. ‘Fuck Zabuza for burning down my fucking cabin…’ she thought as she tightened the bandages around her ankles, making sure her pant legs were completely restricted from getting loose. 

At least half of those ten years had been spent getting on her feet. Learning how to cut down a tree without wearing herself out, learning how to cut that tree into planks, learning how to put those planks together without nails since the village wouldn’t trade with her and she didn’t have money, figuring out every small thing that it takes to make a cabin last without falling apart at the seams every two weeks, hunting, foraging, fishing with collected materials, and finally finding a balance that could be considered comfort. She’d been happy. 

Shaking her head with a tired sigh, she pushed herself off of the bed she’d been sitting on while she got ready so she was standing. She needed to meet with Kakashi soon, the sun would be rising soon. Their packs were thoroughly stuffed, sitting by the door to be picked up at any moment’s notice, and she knew he was just as resigned as she was to the possibility that they may never come back to their home once they were called to war. The compound could be destroyed depending on what world-dominating plans this Madara character had planned, they could die, enslavement was a possibility. Honestly, the chances were looking slim. 

There would never be any going back to her little cabin. She wished there was some way to guarantee the same wouldn’t happen to her new home with Kakashi. She knew what reality was, though. Life was cruel and had a funny way of repeating itself when dealing out misery. She was prepared. At least she knew how to build a cabin in the woods and support herself if everything gets destroyed and she somehow survives the way Kakashi wants her to. 

Every day was tense. 

Reconstruction of the village was a priority, but Kakashi was suddenly catapulted into politics, filling a power vacuum left behind by Danzo while Tsunade still laid in a makeshift hospital bed in a coma. With the establishment of the Shinobi Allied Forces, Konoha needed someone to fill the shoes. They were any day from officially handing Kakashi the hat. 

She stayed by his side when she could, but he also put her to work. She couldn’t blame him, he was lacking hands and heads where he needed them. Trust was something he didn’t give people easily and she was his most trusted person aside from some of the other Jonin from their generation. Which meant she did a lot of running for him, directing and supervising projects as an extension of himself. She put out fires both figuratively and literally throughout the village as reconstruction and resource management continued. The civilians were delegated to most of the construction starting with their homes and supply depots throughout the village. 

With the Allied Shinobi Forces, resources were better managed. Villages in better positions had mobilized to bring steady supplies to Konoha through expedited trade routes, a debt that would be paid back to the other villages for generations. Creating supply depots throughout the village had been a no-brainer, it was rationing and allocating that became difficult. Some of Avurin’s responsibilities lay in making sure supplies were secure, theft being a massive issue for the first day they had supplies. Everyone was promised a portion of what arrived. The economy was in shambles. 

Kakashi was left with a mess. There were late night talks where he would just put his head down and admit that he never had a mind for economics and politics, only fighting. Avurin knew it, everyone knew it. Yet, he was the best choice for the hat because he cared. If he didn’t know something, he did what he could to learn and make the best choice for the situation. 

They hardly had the opportunity to sleep. 

Kakashi often slept away from the house, usually bunking down somewhere in the village for short naps before continuing round-the-clock strategizing. His priorities were more focused on communicating with the Allied Shinobi Forces to plan for war. She would do the same, however, he was extremely strict on making sure she went home at a decent time and got rest. 

With the implied desperation for her to take care of herself and, in turn, keep their child healthy, she stopped arguing. He was letting her help and that was enough. The exhaustion at the end of the day was more than enough for her to allow herself to be a little selfish and allow the mandated clock-out time to stand. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, she wasn’t running at full energy. Her chakra levels were perfectly fine, if anything feeling a little boosted, but her body was tired. 

Stepping out onto the porch, she double checked her equipment, both ready for the call to war while also keeping it light, not wanting to carry around extra weight for another day of running. They hadn’t been doing this for more than a few days, but she’d learned from her mistake on the first day that carrying everything was just that, a mistake. Not only did it leave her more exhausted, but it weighed her down and she slowed down too much during the day. 

What she wouldn’t give to have the Yellow Flash’s hiraishin. 

Taking her first steps outside of the compound for the day, she prepared herself for another day of not seeing Kakashi except to take running orders and to check in before she went home for the day. 

If she was lucky, she’d get some time to bring him lunch. 

…

Today was apparently the meeting to instate Kakashi as the Hokage. She’d been so busy she hadn’t been told. It was not going to be an event full of fanfare, only a quiet transition in a meeting room with very few people. 

Then Tsunade woke up, as if brought back to the world by the pure notion of resolving unfinished business. 

Avurin could admit she shed a few tears. 

The woman was tenacious and seemed to have a drive that wasn’t there prior to the mess they’d found themselves in. Naruto left the village, sent on a ‘mission’ by Tsunade to keep him away from the eyes of the Akatsuki. In fact, the majority of the kids at Chunin level or higher were sent on various missions between collecting herbs and running communications with other villages. It was a very different change of pace from the internalized operation Kakashi had been attempting to run. 

…

“I’m keeping Kakashi’s orders the same. In fact, I agree with him that you should be in bed resting but knowing your stubborn ass, it’s better to direct you than it is to stop you. Sakura’s observations over the last few weeks in addition to what I’ve now seen do confirm that your child has a highly developed chakra network extremely early in development. This could very well be a second coming of my grandfather genetically and, as the Hokage, it would be my duty to lock you down until you give birth safely.” Tsunade pulled her glowing hand away from Avurin’s abdomen, ignoring Avurin’s sneer at the mention of confining her. 

“But, that being said, I need all hands on deck. I’ll need both of you for the heavy tasks I can’t trust others in this kami-forsaken village to do competently. Keeping Konoha functioning during reconstruction is just as important as planning for the war alongside the other villages. I need both of you to keep your heads on straight.” Tsunade let out a heavy sigh, her head dipping and shoulders slumping as she stared at the ground for a moment. 

“You two did a great job keeping this place from burning down in chaos. I expect the same behavior when this is all said and done. Kakashi, you ARE going to be the next Hokage when we get through this. If things turn out the way they’re supposed to, you’ll have time to learn and transition on our own timeline. But know this, you won’t be getting out of this. I don’t think there is anyone else in this village that could have kept this place together as well as you two have given the circumstances.” She met both of their eyes with a stubborn glare. “Now, get out. Both of you have work to do.”

…

Kakashi was sleeping next to her in their own bed again. They may not cuddle together all night and whisper sweet nothings the way they used to, instead sprawled over each other and fighting over the blanket in their sleep, but Avurin couldn’t be happier. Some nights were getting cool as they approached the early winter months and Kakashi was a furnace when they did have the energy to wrap around each other for the night. Knowing he was there, exhausted but safe, busy but present, was enough for her to keep pushing as the looming war hung in the air like a thick fog. 

The tension was continuing to build, nearly suffocating everyone that knew of the impending evil about to bring the world to its knees if they weren’t careful. The village was coming along, temporary housing already built with civilians and children all sleeping in warm futons every night. Supplies were finally reaching a point of having some excess, storage areas still secure from the occasional hoarder but no one was left in need of food, water, or other supplies. 

Avurin wished she had the energy to worry about the kids. Naruto, especially, was a key part of the enemy’s plans and even thinking about it brought on a wave of nausea. That knucklehead stood between the world as they knew it and complete annihilation. She wanted to believe in him and a part of her did, the other part of her knew not to put all of her belief in one person or outcome or she would completely lose herself if they failed. 

Failure was not an option. 

This was the Will of Fire and they all knew it. 

It was do or die and they didn’t have the luxury of having someone magically coming to save them. Everyone had to do their part. 

…

She felt as if she knew the day was upon them before the call was made. War announced itself before the first runner could even speak past panting breaths.