Marked for You Pt. 1
18+ content, Minors do NOT interact
Pairing: Kakashi x F!Reader
Summery: After your village is raided by a ruthless gang, the Leaf Anbu rescue you and guide you back to their village were you are free to start over. During your physical Sakura discovers a soulmark on your body, realizing you are soulmates with her sensei. The village buzzes with excitement and once he's home from a long mission you meet.
Warnings: Mentions of murder and human trafficking
Word Count: 4.9k
Reader Request I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4
The ground shakes and explosions boom beyond the walls of your workplace. Panic rises in your chest as you look for cover. There’s a steel table in the kitchen of the bakery you work at. Crawling on your hands and knees, containers of flower and sugar vibrate off the counter. The stainless steel bowls roll on their rims, the dust of baking ingredients clouding the air and slowly settling on the floor while coating your cheeks in white powder.
The sound of the bell attached to the front door rings. People have come inside, but what kind? Were they enemies? Were they civilians? Or were they something else?
You reach for the cast iron griddle and prop it up in front of you. Either you can use it as a shield or a weapon, depending on what horrors await. Heavy footfalls enter the kitchen and it feels as if the cast iron were sitting in your stomach instead of your hands.
When your eyes pan up you see them, masked men holding kunai in their fists, you could feel your body go rigid. This was it, the notorious masked rouge shinobi who’d been raiding the surrounding villages are here in your friend’s bakery, ready to kill or worse. And yes, that is exactly what you mean, because you know with certainty there are many fates worse than death.
Knuckles whitening from the grip your fingers have on the griddle, you lift it up ready to swing when all three men fall to their knees. Bewilderment covers your face, then you look behind them. More masked men with red and white animal masks come into view. You gulp and continue to raise your makeshift weapon when one of them raises his hand and drops his knives from the other.
“We don’t mean you any harm.”
“H-how do I know this isn’t a trap?” you say, voice hoarse with fear.
One of the men remove their facemask. “We were sent here from the Hidden Leaf. We were asked to take out the Ishikozume.”
Your shaking legs barely allow you to stand as you straighten up and see beyond the broken shop window. The scene before you is one of war. So many buildings have been destroyed. Your village is all but ruins. “Some job you did. They’ve nearly leveled the place.”
“We’re sorry ma’am. We came as soon as we got word.”
“So what are we supposed to do now?”
“Unfortunately ma’am, this is not the entire gang. Most of them did not join this attack.”
“This is what only part of the gang can do?!”
“The Ishikozume are ruthless. I am so sorry but it’s not safe to stay here. If the rest of the gang come to check out the attack, they are sure to kill any remaining survivors. I implore you to come with us.”
“Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice.”
“It seems not.”
Your eyes take in the scene around you. The shop destroyed, the street turned to rubble and your city brought to its knees by only a fraction of the Ishikozume. With a trembling body you step forward. “Lead the way.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Reluctantly, as you step onto the street you soak in the view of what was once your home. These violent rebels have been ransacking cities, trafficking it’s women and children, stealing their riches, and burning its structures to ashes just for the fun of it. Your stomach twisted wondering what your friend’s face will look like when she comes home to this. To find her life is nothing like it was when she left. For now though, you’d follow these men somewhere safe. Somewhere with walls and protection because here, in the scraps of your beloved village, is not where you want to be.
The trip to the Hidden Leaf was long. You walked through the woods for miles, even stopping to sleep for a few hours. The ninja, who you learned are a special group called the Anbu, escorted you most of the way home. They informed you that they normally wouldn’t be responsible for bringing refugees with them and normally a group of Chunin would do that job but the Ishikozume were considered such a viable threat that they didn’t feel comfortable leaving you and the other survivors in the hands of anyone less than themselves.
Before the sun even rose the next morning you were back on your feet marching through the trees to get to the great city. Once finally there, the tall walls welcomed you like a doormat. It was like a fortress and you’d accept nothing less after your recent experience.
The men checked you in at the front gate and guided you over to the hospital. You were greeted by a girl in a white jacket with pink hair.
“My name is Sakura. All of you will be required to go through a thorough physical exam prior to being allowed long term residence here in the village. After your examination you will meet with the Hokage who is prepping living arrangements and possible work for you based on the information that some of the Anbu brought back with them early this morning prior to your arrival.”
“That’s a pretty efficient system.”
“We take these matters very seriously. We wish we could have intervened quicker. We didn’t know of the raid till it was already underway. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes cast down and you believed her. She wasn’t trying to seem like some superhero, just a girl trying to give you a place to go after your home was ripped away from you.
Many of your neighbors and random faces from back home went before you. Your mind was too lost in the static of what you endured yesterday to really care about the changes that await after your physical but soon the pool of people to choose from narrows and you’re up next.
“Ma’am, please follow me.”
Almost like an out of body experience you walk down the hall of the sterile building. Everyone here is so clean and put together. No one has a scratch on them, splotches of mud don’t stain their clothes and faces, but here you are, dirtying their floors with the ashes of your village. Heck you’re pretty sure you still have some flour or sugar to sprinkle in your wake.
The girl named Sakura comes to a stop and gestures for you to go into the room before her.
The exam begins like all the rest. She weighs you, takes some vials of your blood for testing, checks your pulse and blood pressure, and then begins examining your skin for any lacerations or bruises.
“I apologize, but I’d like you to remove your clothing. I need to make sure you have no skin conditions or injuries and I will also be performing some gynecological testing if that’s okay.”
You silently nod as you begin to remove your clothes starting with your shirt. The garment is folded neatly and placed on a nearby chair before you unbutton your pants. As you disrobe you hear the girl with pink hair gasp. Quickly you start to pull your pants back on assuming the worst.
“What?! What is it?!”
“Your hip!”
“Is something wrong with it? Did I get stabbed? I didn’t even feel anything!”
“No! Nothing like that.”
“Then what on earth was that gasp for?!” you say a little louder than you meant. The adrenaline still pumped through you from yesterday’s tragedy and the instant regret twinges in your heart as you see the girl flinch from your tone.
“Your birthmark,”
“What about it?”
“It’s a soulmark.”
“What on earth is a soulmark?” You begin to feel irritated again, waiting for her to get to the point. What could possibly be so ‘gasp-worthy’ about a silly birthmark.
“It’s a birthmark in the shape of your soulmate.”
At this you laugh out loud. Stress seems to allow you to rocket between emotions in a single heartbeat. You always kinda liked your birthmark cause it was unique, an imperfect grid of nine square-like freckles resting on the upper portion of your back hip only visible from behind when you’re wearing a thong or a bikini.
“I doubt my soulmate is a square!” you wheeze out between giggle fits.
“No! It doesn’t look like the man, it’s his crest! Nine squares fit together in a larger square, that’s the Hatake crest! Look!”
From a nearby display of pamphlets, Sakura pulls one that is a history of the village, including the many great clans and powerful ninja. Your fingers trace the page down to the geometric crest, running your prints along the lines of the Hatake square. “You sure of this?”
The grin on her face says it all. “You wanna see what he looks like?”
“How do you know which member of this family I’m ‘destined’ for?”
“Well- uh- see, he-” then her shoulders softly deflate, “he’s the last one.”
Your face turns to sympathy as you let the bit of news resonate. The last of his clan… you can sympathize easily after just experiencing the extermination of many from your home. You wonder how many clans were wiped out just yesterday.
The girl then fumbles through other non-medical pamphlets in the little wall display till she finds the one talking about the great shinobi, past and present. She unfolds it till her eyes light up and she shoves the paper into your hands. “That one. That’s Kakashi-sensei.”
“Sensei?” you ask with a raised brow.
“He was my sensei when I was a Genin. He’s super talented, amazing really. He had us play this game where we had to take a bell from him and when we tried it again a few years ago he weaved hand signs so fast his fingers were nothing but a blur!”
Without realizing it, your mouth fell open and your eyes pan down to the image of a silver haired ninja with 75% of his face covered.
“How do you know what he looks like? All you can see is one eye.”
“He likes to cover his sharingan.”
The word’s significance doesn’t register so you press on, “And the rest of his face?”
She simply shrugs, “I dunno, it hasn’t stopped other women from liking him”
Something about her statement brings out a tinge of jealousy. You take another look at the pamphlet. As you take a second look you start to see the merits of the man. Despite the mask, you could tell he had a strong jawline from how it clings to his face. His figure was slender with poorly disguised biceps and his signature hair swoop was a flattering statement that paired nicely with the mysterious mask. After reconsideration you concede that the man is indeed attractive.
“I guess you’re right. I can see why other women would like him.”
“So does that mean you think he’s cute?”
You roll your eyes, “Yes, I think he’s cute.”
“I knew you’d like him! Kakashi-sensei is the best!”
You offer a soft smile and begin to pull your pants back down so she can resume the physical. “So tell me more about him.”
“Well, he’s an amazing shinobi. Really respected. He graduated from the academy at 5, became a Jonin at 12, joined the Anbu at 13 and served them for 10 years before becoming my sensei.”
“Sounds impressive but a little scary. Is he nice?”
“He’s really nice! You wouldn’t think so since he’s been through a lot but he’s really big on teamwork and protecting his friends. Sometimes he’s a little withdrawn cause he doesn’t like all the attention but he’s a real stand up guy.”
That last bit makes you happy and she can see it on your face. Sakura directs you to hop up on the exam table.
“When was the last time you were checked?”
“It’s been a few years. I don’t really have a doctor back home.”
“Do you want me to perform the usual?”
“Yes please.”
“Feet in the stirrups and scooch to the edge of the table.”
You shift under the paper blanket she provided and do as she asks.
“You’ll feel something cool slide in and then a little pressure. Try to relax.”
You nod and stare at the ceiling. “So when do I meet my so-called soulmate?”
“It’ll be a few weeks still. He’s been gone on a mission for the past four months.”
“Four months?! For a mission?”
“Sometimes we travel across several nations. It takes time.”
“You act like this is normal. Do shinobi usually have spouses and stuff?”
“Usually, but Kakashi sensei is different. He’s never had a girlfriend. He’s lost a lot of the people he’s loved. I don’t think he’s really allowed himself to entertain the idea. But you have a soulmark! He’s bound to fall for you. The gods have literally branded you for him.”
The pink haired ninja puts the sample she collected on her tray and signals for you to sit back up.
“You make it all sound so romantic, like it’s destiny or something.”
“It is destiny. Just like me and Sasuke. We’ll be together one day, when he comes to his senses and returns home.”
“I don’t know who Sasuke is but I hope you’re right. You have me over here almost believing you.”
Sakura gives you a determined look solidifying her stance on the matter. “I’ll send this and your bloodwork off to the lab for testing but everything looks good down there. The rest of your physical shows you’re healthy. I’m going to send you over to Lady Tsunade so she can help you find housing and work.”
“Thank you Sakura.”
“And Y/N,” you turn your head to her, “Welcome to the Leaf.”
“Thank you.” you hum through your smile. After everything you went through yesterday and today, you’re glad to feel safe and offered a chance to live in the protection of one of the five great nations.
After Sakura clears the room and you redress, your eyes glance over to the pamphlet left behind. Is he really as amazing as they say he is? Finishing the fastens of your clothes, your hands grab the pages and bring them close to your face. You scrutinize the image. He does look very handsome here, secret identity and all. You bet he’s even more handsome beneath the mask.
“I wish I didn’t have to wait a few weeks to meet you.” you mutter to the paper, before folding it and tucking it away. It was nice to have something positive to think about after the horrors of 24 hours ago. With one last sweep of the medical room to make sure you didn’t forget anything, you exit the hospital and start for headquarters where the Hokage is waiting.
“So we’re going to put you here.” The painted red nail of the hokage points to a small apartment building near the center of town. “They’re not the most glamorous apartments but it should do for now. If you find a higher paying job, you are welcome to move.”
“Thank you Lady Tsunade.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“And what am I doing for work in the meantime?”
“One of the Anbu had mentioned you said something about being able to bake so I asked him to talk to one of the bakeries in town to see if they required any staff. Fortunately for us, they’re looking for someone. They’d like you to report at 4:30am so that you can finish the pastries before the morning rush.”
You nod, accepting the papers she hands over to you. One has a map of the village with several circles and two starts. One star over your new home, the other over your new job. The rest of the markings seem to indicate places to shop and eat.
“I appreciate this Lady Tsunade. May I ask how long I’m allowed to stay?”
She looks you over, “As long as you’d like. Assuming you don’t cause trouble.” she adds with a wink.
“May I ask another question?”
“Sure.”
“Sakura mentioned something about her sensei. She said he was out on a mission for a few more weeks. Do you know when he’s supposed to return?”
“Kakashi? He’s scheduled to return in 16 days. Why?”
“She found a soulmark on my body. She thinks he and I are destined to be soulmates and while I don’t believe in that kind of stuff, I’d like to at least have an introduction. It can’t hurt, right?”
The hokage’s mouth falls open. “You have a soulmark?”
Shyness starts to creep in. “That’s what she said.”
“Oh, this is wonderful news! I’d love for Kakashi to finally have someone! Sure beats being single in your 50’s”
“He seems well liked.”
“He’s had a hard life. He lost a lot of people he admired and has limited his romantic interests to reading a book.” A questioning brow is raised at that last part. “He enjoys Jiraiya’s stupid romance books.” she says with an annoyed edge.
“Oh.”
“Anyways, in 16 days you’ll know for yourself. Also, good luck. You’re about to become a celebrity.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“A foreigner with a soulmark for the Copy Ninja? You’ll be famous by the end of the week.”
Your back stiffens at the idea of being famous in a new city. You’ve never been one to enjoy notoriety, preferring peace and quiet instead. “Right, well, thank you my Lady. I have a lot to get acquainted with.”
“You’re welcome, I’ll check on you in a few days.”
“See you then.” you smile before slipping out of the tall door at the front of her office. Now that all the formalities are out of the way, you head out of the building and enjoy a peaceful walk home, free of the terrors of bandits and rogue shinobi. You didn’t fear the shadows the way you would’ve back home, just the prospect of your looming fame. You sincerely hope if your silly birthmark is going to make you the talk of the town, the man surrounding this gossip better be worth it, otherwise your second chance is going to be ruined by this soulmark business.
True to her word, Lady Tsunade is absolutely right. For the past two weeks, word of a woman with the Hatake clan crest as a soulmark on her hip spread through the village like the flu. A frustrating amount of traffic came through the front door of your new bakery job so people could meet the lucky woman destined for the gorgeous Kakashi of the Sharingan.
One group of women that you had the displeasure of meeting, felt it necessary to mock you when you didn’t know Kakashi had a special eye that you never heard of. “Some soulmate, she doesn’t even know what a Sharigan is. Looks like the gods messed up on this one.”
You rolled your eyes and asked if they were ready for their order. If this is the kind of reception you receive before even meeting the man, how bad will it be if you actually do start dating him? One thing that has been comforting is that with this kind of buzz surrounding the man, including several visits from a certain blonde haired boy who happens to live in the same building as you, the man in question must be pretty great. You’d lie if you said you weren’t excited. You try to convince yourself that it’s all made up kids stuff but the warmth in your chest grows each time you think about meeting him.
Your boss is thrilled with your new found celebrity status because it means a constant stream of traffic into his shop, something he hasn’t had in years. You almost feel a certain degree of pressure for the meeting between you and Kakashi to go well so that the line of people entering the bakery doesn’t stop.
The days till Kakashi’s homecoming have flown by faster than expected. This particular night as you close the shop after your second shift of the day, a tuft of spiky blonde hair appears at the door. You notice through the kitchen window and put down the pans that you were scrubbing to go unlock the front door.
“Evening Naruto!”
“Good Evening Sweet Lady!”
You smile and shake your head at your new nickname. “What can I help you with tonight?” you say, walking behind the counter. Naruto’s eyes wander over the case of treats before pointing to a few colorful balls. You grab a small plate and pull them out before passing them along to his outstretched hands. “Mind following me to the kitchen while I finish up?”
With an eager nod the two of you move to the back where you resume scrubbing out the mixing bowl and scouring the caramelized sugar off of the pans.
“So what brings you by tonight? It can’t just be for the sweets cause your smile is too big.”
“Well, I heard Kakashi-sensei is headed back to the village. Apparently he’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That’s early.”
“Yeah, I thought you’d be excited.”
“I’m not-not excited. But I am very nervous.”
“Why?”
“Cause all I’ve heard for two weeks is how amazing this guy is. What if he doesn’t like me?”
“He will. We like you, so he’ll like you too.”
You fold the towel you were using to dry your hands. “That’s sweet of you but still, you can’t force a person’s feelings.”
Naruto sits himself on the counter and kicks his legs carefree. “I think, even without that mark, he’d like you. Anyways, if you want to run into him tomorrow, there’s a bar he usually goes to after missions. He likes their barbeque. If you go there, you’re sure to see him.”
You pull out the map Lady Tsunade gave you when you first came to the village, “Alright, circle it here. Let's see if true love exists.”
Happily the boy grabs a marker and puts a thick circle around the spot. You note it’s not too far from where you both live. “Do you mind showing me on the way home?”
“Sure thing sweet lady.”
You smile and look down. “Ready when you are.”
With that the boy jumps off the counter and follows you out the door. You stop to lock it behind him and close the metal gate over the door. Then you follow Naruto home with a brief stop at the Barbeque Bar you’ll be visiting tomorrow.
The night has come. You try to keep your nerves calm but after the way the village has built up this moment, you can’t help but feel jittery. You did your hair in waves, wore a simple satin black dress with a cowl neckline, and kept the simplicity going with neutral makeup and light shimmer highlights. If you’re being honest, it’s the most effort you’ve ever put into your appearance even though the goal was simplicity. You’re not sure why you care so much. Maybe it’s cause of the excitement and buzz of the village, but you try to remember this isn’t something that you’d normally get worked up about. Yet, however hard you fight it your body trembles with nerves. Now the time has come and you sit at the bar by yourself, sipping on cold sake just to steel your nerves as the seconds tick towards meeting your soulmate.
While thinking about how ridiculous you’re being, you notice the door open and in walks a six foot, slender man with tall silver hair, a black compression shirt, loose black sweats, and a black mask paired with a ninja’s headband covering his face. Your heart races as you see him before you. He’s gorgeous. The pictures in the pamphlet are insulting compared to how he looks in person.
Your back straightens and your cheeks flush. You’ve never seen someone as handsome as him. It makes the idea that he’s supposed to be interested in you ludicrous. You start to throw back your sake, trying to draw the courage to go sit next to him. Just as you finished and ordered a drink to carry over to him, You catch his eye. The flush that takes over is furious. The heat of his gaze has you sweating from its intensity. Then the other bartender brings over two shots and a drink for the man.
Curiosity strikes you. From everything everyone said about him, you got the feeling that he wasn’t a big drinker. Even Naruto said he came here for the barbeque, so what’s with the three drinks on top of the drink he just finished?
You watch as the man throws back both shots before chasing them with the whiskey. The heavy drinking soured your opinion of him and you wondered if you should still go introduce yourself. Kakashi’s eye locks on you again but after seeing your hesitation he looks away.
Unfortunately for you, a different girl approaches him. You recognize her as one of the girls who mocked you at the bakery. Your face scrunches as you see her lean against him. Having successfully caught the attention of the former Anbu the girl dares a glance at you, winking before carding her fingers through his hair.
Hurt, you turn away. The bartender, who knew about your mark, gives you a look of sympathy. As you look back at the nice man, tears begin to well in your eyes.
“He doesn’t normally act like this.” the man defends.
You pull out your cash to pay your tab, and just as the tears spill past you say, “It’s not like he knew anyways.”
“Ma’am-”
“Don’t tell him about this, please.”
“I-of course.” The look on his face makes it all worse. The pity let you know exactly how broken you must appear. You tuck your chin trying to hide your face as the tears stream down. You don’t even wait for your change, you just turn and leave the building. Soon, the cool night air smacks your face as you step out of the bar on your hurried walk home.
How dumb are you to think there’s such a thing as destiny or soulmates? You let the people of this village make you believe in something so silly. Love isn’t some mystery destined by the Gods, you meet someone who feels like a friend and the affection grows. You just fooled yourself into thinking that this seemingly perfect pretty boy was somehow cosmically claimed by you. When all it took was some jealous hussy to flirt with him drunk to prove you were only kidding yourself and now you’ve turned yourself into the village joke.
Everyone will know your shame in a day and you doubt he’ll even feel bad. However, even if by some chance he does, you don’t think you could find it in yourself to give him a chance. Not when his rejection hurts this much. Your foolish little lovesick fantasies that you tried so hard to pretend weren’t taking over your mind now haunt you.
This silly little love game squashed the tragedies of your village. It let you focus on something happy instead of wallowing in the grief of all you’ve lost, but all that did was build up this man in your head. How could you be so stupid? Then you think about Sakura and Naruto. Will they still look at you in awe, their eyes full of love and affection? Or will they forget about you? Their attention turned to the woman straddling him in the bar tonight. Chills run down your arms as the frigid night air closes in on you.
You speed walk home, allowing the tears to drip from your chin, not bothering to wipe them as your feet race forward. You shuffle up the stairs, breezing past Naruto who opens his door, and hurriedly unlock your own so you can slam it shut behind you.
Your purse slumps onto the floor as your body slides down against the wood of the door. The sounds of Naruto’s feet can be heard outside and you swear you hear him inhale like he’s afraid to knock, but ultimately he chooses to walk away and you’re so grateful he does. Once his footfalls fade away your shoulders begin to shake.
Seriously, how could you be so stupid? He’s gorgeous and talented. In what world would he be reserved for you?
Of course you’d have competition. But the way everyone talked made it seem like he didn’t date or entertain women. You thought all you’d have to do is introduce yourself. But of course there would be women lining up to see him. How many girls looked at you with envy? How many women have had feelings for him longer than you?
The only thing you can say with certainty is that you never want to think of the silver-haired dog again.
Using the back of your hand, you wipe your face and get up to your feet. Pulling the silken fabric off your body as you walk towards your bedroom, you decide to put this whole Kakashi business behind you. You’ll focus on yourself and your fresh start in a new village like you should’ve from the beginning. You survived the Ishikozume gang for crying out loud. It’s gonna take more than a pretty face to crush you.
…at least that’s what you tell yourself.
Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4 I Masterlist
