This is for @harunosakuraweek, Day One, Prompt: Hanami
Sakura rubbed her eyes and fought to focus on the words in front of her. She’d spent the entire day in her office, trying to catch up on paperwork that should have been completed days if not weeks ago. She could never find never enough time to finish everything, especially when she saw patients during the day.
Blinking away the bleariness, Sakura returned to the row of numbers that indicated shinobi fatalities over the past month. She compared it to the previous month’s tally, then studied the past six months as a whole. There had been an uptick in deaths the previous two months, possibly attributable to the change to spring. However, the annual view showed an upward trend as well, and that couldn’t be attributed to the weather. There had to be extenuating factors. Maybe it was tied to the rise in the immigrant population—
A knock at the door pulled Sakura’s attention from her work. She growled and tossed the report onto her desk with a clatter. When she called out, she didn’t even try to moderate her tone. “Yes?”
A familiar grey head peeked around the door, then Kakashi stepped through. His eyes creased into his ever present eye smile. “So, you are still alive down here after all.”
“Yes, and I’m busy,” Sakura snipped, her annoyance with paperwork bleeding through at the first person she’d seen all day. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Kakashi closed the door behind him before crossing the office. He nodded. “As a matter of fact, there is.”
When the man didn’t continue, Sakura raised one eyebrow in his direction. “Did I mention that I was busy?”
“You did.” Kakashi rested one hip against the edge of Sakura’s desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “But, it’s going to have to wait. Official order of the Hokage, I’m afraid.”
Sakura tapped her pen against the palm of her opposite hand and narrowed her eyes. “Kakashi, I don’t have time for one of your games today. This paperwork needed done weeks ago, and I—
“And, you’ve been locked in here all day. You need to get out,” Kakashi finished. He leveled his gaze at Sakura. “You still have to eat, don’t you? And, all of this will still be here when you get back.
“I’ll order takeout,” Sakura countered, turning her attention back to her paperwork.
Kakashi plucked the report from Sakura’s hands. “I’m afraid not.” He lifted the pages out of Sakura’s reach when she shot to her feet. “I’m serious. This is for your own good.”
Growling, Sakura launched herself toward Kakashi, but he danced out of reach. After three unsuccessful attempts, she huffed and glared up at his smug expression. “If I agree to dinner, will you let me get back to work after?”
“If you still want to, yes.” Kakashi lowered the report, leaving himself wide open to Sakura’s fist. She didn’t put any chakra behind the punch; she used just enough force to remind him that she could have. The air whooshing out of the man’s lungs was more pleasant than she’d anticipated.
“Don’t manipulate me again,” Sakura warned, taking the pages back from Kakashi’s hand. She set the report back on her desk and shook her head. She knew a losing battle when she saw one. She turned to Kakashi who still hadn’t spoken and raised one hand to his shoulder. “Too hard?”
The man shook his head, letting a tentative breath. When it didn’t hurt, Kakashi nodded. “Okay, point taken. Are you ready to go?”
Sighing, Sakura flipped off the light on her desk and gave her work one last glance before turning away. She followed Kakashi out of the hospital and down the street. They passed Ichiraku, Sakura’s favorite sushi restaurant, the Korean BBQ, then the Chinese place that they’d been meaning to try. When they continued past Kakashi’s apartment, Sakura frowned. “Where exactly are you taking me?”
“Do you trust me?” Kakashi didn’t turn back or wait for Sakura’s answer; he already knew it. They’d been dating for a few months now, so it wasn’t completely unusual for him to surprise her with things like this, but it was rare.
The pair cut through the village, moving between buildings until Sakura began to wonder if Kakashi had lost his mind. There were no restaurants this way. When Kakashi stopped, Sakura almost ran into his back. She opened her mouth to complain, then stopped short at the scene before them.
The last time that Sakura had walked past this park, it had been a drab expanse of green and brown with the occasional splash of. It had erupted in shades of pink and white that swayed on every breeze. Dozens of people filled the space, colorful blankets spread over the scant spring grass. Sakura gazed around in wonder before turning back to face Kakashi.
“I didn’t want you to miss it,’ the man offered by way of explanation. “You’ve been so busy lately, I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
Kakashi led Sakura through the crowd, wading deeper into the sea of blossoms. He paused near the largest tree where a red and white blanket covered the ground. A heavy basket held the fabric in place. Sakura’s eyebrows crept upward again. “How did you manage all of this?”
“Being Hokage has some perks.” Kakashi eye smiled again then settled on the blanket. He offered one hand as if Sakura weren’t perfectly capable of joining him. She took it anyway, feeling a flush of warmth course through her. Kakashi held her hand for a moment, then released it. “Honestly, Shikamaru did most of this, but the thought was mine.”
“That’s what counts,” Sakura said, finally realizing how special the day really was. She had been so busy with work that she’d almost missed her chance to see their cherry blossoms at their peak. She gazed up at the tree above them; the soft petals of pink and white scented the air. So much beauty would be wiped away in just a few days. It seemed like such a waste, but at the same time, she knew that she wouldn’t appreciate them if they were always available. For one week, they would exist in perfection, then they would disappear as if they’d never been.
Exhaling, Sakura turned to find Kakashi watching her with a tender expression. A flush crept up her cheeks. “Thank you for this.”
“Maa.” Kakashi waved away the sentiment and began digging food and drinks out of the picnic basket. “I know how much you enjoy the flower viewing, but you were so caught up in work. I thought it might be a nice surprise.”
Sakura nodded, unable to hide the color on her face. She imagined that she must look something like the flowers overhead in the various stages of pink and could only hope that Kakashi didn’t notice. Reaching out, she helped him remove containers of their favorite foods without speaking. Sakura hoped that her actions conveyed her appreciation in a way that words couldn’t.
For a few minutes, Sakura felt every eye drawn to them. While she and Kakashi hadn’t been secretive about their relationship, they didn’t openly advertise it either. This was a big step for Kakashi, to put their lives so much in the public eye. The flower viewing was always crowded, but after a few minutes people went back to their own conversations. Sakura felt the tension bleed out of her shoulders.
“Thanks again,” Sakura murmured, leaning close enough to pitch the words for Kakashi’s ears alone. He turned the answer, and there was surprise in his eyes at how close they were. She closed the distance to meet his mouth in a kiss through the mask. “I love you.”
Kakashi tipped his head to the side, seeming to savor the closeness of the moment, then he smiled and brushed a strand of pink hair behind Sakura’s ear. “So, do you think you can hold off on returning to work for the rest of the night?”
Sakura leaned into the touch, and smiled. “I suppose you made a convincing argument, this time.”
For @vibgyoroygbiv lovely art that you can find here. I’ve been meaning to write this forever. Thank you for always sharing your amazing art with all of us! Just a day late for Valentine’s day.
Glancing at the clock from the corner of one eye, Tenzo tightened his hand into a fist then released the tension hoping to work some blood flow back into his tired fingers. He was nearly finished with his project, but it was almost time for Kakashi to be home as well. Tenzo frowned at the open book on the table beside him and reread the diagram for the hundredth time, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. Huffing, he snipped out the stitches that he’d just done and started again.
When Tenzo finished, he eyed the plush toy in his hands. The head protector was longer on one side, and the eyes were a bit too close together. The felt that he’d found for the hair was more auburn than brown and stiffer than he’d wanted to use. He sighed, closed Learning to Sew for Dummies, and tucked it away in a drawer. Tenzo would take it back to the library tomorrow. It hadn’t been much help anyway.
Tenzo thought about the stuffed Kakashi that Sakura had gifted him a couple of months ago. Kakashi’s original jealousy had been adorable, but the man had eventually come around to appreciate the smaller version of himself, even liking it though he’d never admit as much. Tenzo routinely moved the plush around the apartment to surprise Kakashi, letting it get into all kinds of mischief. The man had laughed for days after they’d found Little Kakashi reading Icha, Icha on the couch one morning.
Everything had been going well until Kakashi decided that he needed a plush Yamato to match. Fifteen stores and a lot of frustration later, Kakashi gave up. He hadn’t liked Tenzo’s reasoning that Team Seven had been the heroes of the war so of course there were replicas to be found Yamato and Sai were insignificant afterthoughts compared to the founding members. Tenzo hadn’t meant anything by it and he didn’t feel any jealousy over the spotlight the four of them shared, but the words bothered Kakashi.
Kakashi’s disappointment had woken something in Tenzo, a desire to surprise the man in a way that he never had before. Now, looking at the imperfect miniature of himself, he wondered if he shouldn’t have taken another route. His creation looked nothing like the professional quality of the one Sakura had gotten him. It was obviously handmade, and the imperfections were glaring. Tenzo sighed and looked at the head protector again. The leaf had been giving him trouble, so he’d changed it to a heart instead. The entire thing looked so pathetic that he considered stuffing it in the drawer beside the book and--
The sound of a key in the lock pulled Tenzo from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock in shock, surprised that he’d spent so much time trying to perfect the final details. He swiped everything from the desk and dumped it into the open drawer, leaving the plush where it sat, slumped by the lamp. Tenzo hurried toward the door. Kakashi groaned as he stepped through the door, but his eyes brightened when they fell on his lover. “I thought you’d still be at work. Didn’t you have some reporting to finish up?”
“It didn’t take as long as I thought it would,” Tenzo offered, especially since I had Sai do most of it. But, Kakashi didn’t need to know that. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“Of course,” Kakashi answered, planting a light kiss on Tenzo’s cheek. He shook his head while taking off his sandals. “But, having you home early makes it a little hard to surprise you with Valentines dinner.”
Tenzo chuckled and inclined his head. “It’s difficult to surprise me with it, yes. But you can cook and do the dishes, and I’ll act surprised if you like.”
Laughing, Kakashi started toward the kitchen. Halfway across the room, he paused. “What’s Little Ka--” the man cut off mid-sentence and walked closer to the desk. He picked up the plush, eying the obvious brown hair where he’d expected silver. “What’s this?”
“I wanted to make you something, but turns out that I’m not very good at sewing.” Tenzo rubbed the back of his neck as a blush colored his cheeks. Kakashi didn’t answer, tracing his fingers over the hair then the heart on the headband. The heat in Tenzo’s face deepened toward crimson. “I thought I might be able to use it as a template for someone in the village to make a better one.”
“No,” Kakashi interrupted before the argument could fully form. “Don’t you dare think of letting someone else change him. He’s perfect.”
Tenzo laughed, shaking his head. “He’s far from it. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to do those pockets on the flak vest. That’s why the ones on the right are loose and--”
The words died when Kakashi half tackled Tenzo in a hug that pressed the plush between them. Before he could ask for an explanation, Kakashi’s mouth was against his in a kiss that made his excuses seem insignificant. The room spun when they broke apart. “He’s perfect,” Kakashi repeated against Tenzo’s lips, grey eyes surprisingly intent. ”And, you’re perfect.”
If Tenzo had blushed before, it was nothing compared to now. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he murmured.
Kakashi smiled and caught Tenzo’s hand. “Come on, let’s go introduce them to each other.” The man flashed a smirk over his shoulder, increasing Tenzo’s heart rate exponentially. “Then, I’m going to show you just how much I appreciate this, so we’ll probably want to cover their eyes.”
I was tagged by @cinlat and I'm going to tag @bouncyirwin @uchihasass @mrssakurahatake @petriikore and anyone else who wants to do this.
I have a confession to make. When I wrote I'll be the Moon, I actually started a second chapter of that story, but never did anything with it. I keep coming back to it lately, so the work in progress is from that. won't promise a happy endings to this fic, nor will I guarantee that it'll see the light of day. But here's a snippet lol
Before having a child, Sakura had never realized how much work went into a birthday party. That’s why there’s usually two people, a traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind. Her eyes turned to the place on the wall where the picture of her and Sasuke usually hung. Sakura had meant to pick up a new frame for the one that she and Kakashi had broken, but she hadn’t gotten around to it. It was somewhere on her list of impossible things to accomplish each day after work.
“Mama?” The small voice drew Sakura from her multitude of worries. She turned to find the girl walking down the hall, face beaming. Blue, red, and yellow streaks marred the girl’s face and arms, smeared her clothes, and clung to her hair in sticky strands.
“Sarada!” Sakura’s tone brought the girl up short. Her lower lip puckered out, on the edge of crying. Sakura tried counting to ten under her breath, but only reached four. “What did you do?”
Tears formed in the girl’s eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I painted us, mama.”
From behind her back, the girl produced a torn piece of paper that Sakura couldn’t help but wonder where it had come from. Two blobs that might have been vaguely humanoid stared back at her, thick finger paint threatening to drip from the edge. Sakura moved on instinct, scooping the paper and Sarada from the floor in one movement. It was only as she started to carry them both to the kitchen that she thought about the mess it would make.
“You like it?” Guiltless black eyes stared up at Sakara as she settled Sarada on the counter, tears still threatening to reappear at any moment.
Sakura forced herself to take another breath as she pulled the picture away from her daughter, laying it beside them. She smiled through the stress that built at the back of her mind and nodded. “I do, but you aren’t supposed to be using the finger paints without mama, are you?”
Sarada considered for a moment, then shook her head. “No.”
“Then, why did you?” Sakura continued, wondering if trying to teach a child logic grew easier. Three years into it and she was starting to think she’d be repeating herself forever.
The grin that split Sarada’s cheek, would have normally melted Sakura’s annoyance. “I don’t know.”
Okay, I know Altered Reality is years overdue, but I can't help but share this with you, mostly because it cracked me up. Think of this as the Kakasaku flip side of AR that may never be posted (@birkastan2018 I think you'd really enjoy this chaos) but I need people to giggle with me:
Kakashi jerked awake with the sickening sensation of falling, stomach leaping into his throat. His hands splayed wide, grabbing for purchase only to be met by open air on one side and smooth sheet on the other. When his eyes opened, the familiar moonlight drenched ceiling welcomed his gaze. Despite the familiarity, his heart thundered in his chest. He’d been dreaming about--Kakakshi couldn’t grasp the memory.
A sleepy mumble to Kakashi’s left eased his tension almost immediately. Whatever he’d been dreaming about had been replaced by reality. He rolled onto his side and hooked one arm around his wife. She mumbled under her breath, but snuggled backward at the warm insistence of his hand. Determined to chase the last of the dream away, Kakashi nuzzled against her neck. He pulled up short at the scent of unfamiliar shampoo.
“This is different,” Kakashi murmured, lifting a strand of hair. It slid through his fingers too quickly. Frowning, he half pushed up onto one elbow.
“What is,” the woman asked, turning to look over her shoulder.
Bright green eyes reflected the silver light, and Kakashi’s heart stopped. He scrambled backward. The edge of the bed surprised him and he fell onto the floor with a resounding crash, only to realize his distinct lack of clothing. Kakashi grabbed for the blanket, meaning to wrap it around his middle, and successfully pulled it away from the woman beside him. His mind temporarily short circuited as he followed the trail of her spine downward.
Crimson burned Kakashi’s cheeks as he spun to face the wall. His heart beat an uneasy staccato against his ribs as his mind reeled. He heard a rustle from the bed behind him. “Kakashi?”
A hand touched Kakashi’s back and he jumped half a foot into the air. He couldn’t help but glance back as he landed. Sakura managed to disentangle herself from the blankets with more ease than he had, mostly because she left them on the bed. He forced his eyes to stay above her collar bone while attempting to ignore the dusting of freckles across the pale skin. “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?! Kakashi would have laughed if he’d had control of his vocal cords. They seemed to be making a high pitched whimper entirely of their own accord. What’s right? What the fuck? How are you--Why are you here? Where the hell are your clothes?
Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat. “I--uh--Sakura?”
“Yeah?” The pinkette arched one eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Kakashi’s own. He’d known as soon as he saw the combination of pink and green. Somehow he’d known, but the rest of it--Kakashi’s mind couldn’t get past it. Shame and shock warred for control of his emotions.
“Um,” Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the tangle of clothing on the floor. His ears flamed at the insinuation. One problem at a time. “How old are you?”
Sakura growled low in her throat. “Don’t start this shit again.” The girl--woman--snagged the shirt that Kakashi had been eyeing and pulled it over her head. At least, he thought she did by the play of shadows on the wall. “I’m nineteen, and if you start that same old argument, I promise I will knock you into next week.”
Nineteen? Kakashi’s mouth fell open and he spun despite his promise not to look at anything except the wall. His shirt hung loosely off Sakura’s frame, barely offering her any modesty. Long legs glowed in the moonlight and she paused in the act of tugging her hair up in a ponytail, watching him warily. Oh Kami.
“You know,” Sakura grinned, tipping her head to the side. “It would probably cause more of a stir to know that I’m sleeping with the Hokage than my age.”
"You're sleeping with Minato?" The question left Kakashi's mouth before his mind caught up. Nausea roiled in his stomach, and the room spun. One minute he’d been standing beside the bed, and the next he was sitting on the floor in a heap of blankets.
Sakura wakes to pain and the unfamiliar sensation of someone running their fingers through her hair. Blurry images flit in and out of her vision, making it impossible to see where she is. She attempts to lift her head, but the agony is too great. Daggers stab behind her eyes, and her stomach roils, almost spilling its contents on the ground.
“Lay still, you're fine.” Kakashi’s words are hushed and tense. She recognizes the lie, but it's intended to be comforting. Exhaling, Sakura surrenders to the insistent pull of sleep.
—-
When the tension bleeds out of Sakura’s body, Kakashi sighs in relief. His nervous fingers continue to brush through the pink tresses while he tries to formulate a plan. There’s little else that he can do. Bruises are already spreading over her beautiful cheeks, red splotches coloring her porcelain skin. Kakashi wiped the worst of the blood away from her temple and bandaged the wounds that he could earlier. Now, only a trained medic can do more.
Sakura was supposed to be the one to fix us if something went wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be her. Kakashi squashes the frantic thought as soon as it runs through his mind.
After the battle, Kakashi carried Sakura to a nearby cave then sent Naruto for help. Under any other circumstance, the jonin would have gone himself. But, not with Sakura injured. Nothing short of a direct order from the Hokage could have moved him, and even that was questionable.
A low fire burns to Kakashi’s left, fighting back the chill of the night air and adding life to Sakura’s pale cheeks. Tracing the soft curve with his thumb, Kakashi wonders how severe the woman’s injuries are. His stint in Anbu gave him more than enough practice with treating wounds in the field. Broken ribs are likely after the impact. An explosion threw her a dozen feet into the air, before she connected with the trees behind her.
When Kakashi reached Sakura, she’d been unconscious. In addition to the broken ribs, the woman probably had a concussion. When the medic wakes, she’ll be furious that Kakashi moved her, but he could hardly leave her on the battlefield. He’ll worry about Sakura’s anger when there’s time to do so. Right now, he can only focus on saving her life.
“One thing at a time, right?” Kakashi mumbles the question to himself, and Sakura doesn't answer. He knew that she wouldn't, even as he silently prayed to hear her voice. He continues talking, even if only to keep his fears at bay. “Naruto will be back soon.”
Kakashi thinks back to the surprise in the boy’s eyes when he found Kakashi cradling Sakura’s body. The shock lasted only a moment, then something like understanding flitted through them. The idea that Naruto could see something that Kakashi tried to hide for so long was unnerving. But, again that’s a problem for another time.
Wincing, Kakashi sinks backward against the stone wall. The wounds that he’d taken during the fight cover his body, bleeding his strength away. Blackness flickers at the edges of his vision, near chakra exhaustion tugging at his body’s consciousness. Tendrils of pain tease the edges of his mind, wrapping around his heart, but he forces that away and compartmentalizes it.
Time creeps forward in the shadows that lengthen across the forest, in the heartbeats that slow by increments when Kakashi checks Sakura’s pulse. She should be stronger than this, Kakashi thinks, then gets frustrated at himself for the traitorous thought. Naruto has been gone for half an hour, maybe longer. That should have been long enough to find a medic, Sai, or someone that could help transport Sakura. Kakashi’s fingers tap a rhythm against the ground as he considers the options.
Sakura is injured, perhaps badly, and not in a way that Kakashi can fix. There’s no flow of blood to staunch, no bones to set. Whatever is wrong with the woman goes deeper than the surface. He studies the swelling bump on her left temple, and watches the blood darkening beneath the skin. The bruising decides him.
Kakashi uses just enough chakra to scratch a stylized leaf onto the rock wall. Then, gathering the remainder of his energy, he pushes to his feet and gathers Sakura in his arms. He’s come too far to lose her now.
This is for @adrilari who requested a YamaSaku with the prompt “We were never just friends, and you know it” “I know it, but you deserve someone better than me”. I took some liberties with this prompt to fit the story, hope that’s okay!
Also, I’m still accepting requests from this prompt list if there’s anything you’d like to see!
“Tell me it’s all in my head,” Sakura challenged, pushing a strand of sweaty hair behind one ear. “Tell me that you don’t feel the same way I do, and I’ll drop it.”
Tenzo sighed, letting his katana lower to the ground. He wondered how a simple spar had exploded into this, and how he was supposed to fix it. Sakura stood less than an inch away, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling with accusation. Fury was written in her posture, in the quiver of nervous energy coursing through her body.
“We’re friends,” Tenzo answered, words breaking through the heavy silence. Sakura scoffed under her breath and turned away. He followed, resting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re one of my best friends.”
“Does the lie make it easier?” Sakura didn’t turn to face Tenzo as she shook her head, chuckling humorlessly.
Tenzo eyed the woman without speaking. He felt like he’d stepped into a trap that hadn’t closed around his leg yet, but it was just a matter of time. Sakura flung the kunai in her hand toward the ground near their packs. Tenzo barely whipped his hand away in time. “I’m sorry, I just—”
Before Tenzo could finish the sentiment, Sakura spun. The fury in her eye ratcheted higher as she pushed into his personal space. “We haven’t been just friends in a long time, and you know it.”
Tenzo opened his mouth to argue that Sakura was wrong, that she had no idea what she was talking about, but he couldn’t force the words out. He thought about the sacrifices that started out as friendship, then ended up being something more. He recalled the warmth of Sakura’s presence in his life, and the hope that she’d rekindled. But, it hadn’t always been easy. Tenzo remembered the drawn expression on Sakura’s face when she woke him from a nightmare, and the fear in her eyes when he lashed out in blind anger. He couldn’t risk that again.
Sakura slammed a finger into Tenzo’s chest hard enough to bring his attention back to the present. “For once in your life, just tell me the truth, Yamato,” she growled.
Tenzo winced at the use of his code name. Sakura hadn’t called him that in months. She meant the words to wound him, and she’d hit her mark. He sighed and gazed down at her upturned face, looking close enough to see the pain beneath the anger. Tenzo almost reached for her, but he wasn’t sure that she would welcome his touch. He breathed her name in hopes of defusing the situation.
“Say it,” Sakura demanded, tears in her eyes. “Tell me that all you feel is friendship.”
As much as he wanted to, Tenzo couldn’t force the lie out. “I can’t.” Before Sakura could latch onto the hope that they might have a chance, he continued. “What I feel doesn’t matter. You deserve someone so much better than me.”
For a moment, the statement hung in the air between them. Sakura shook her head. “You don’t get to decide that.”
“Maybe not, but I can stop you from making that mistake.” Tenzo smiled sadly, feeling his chest squeeze on the admission. “By removing myself from the equation.”
Sakura placed a hand on Tenzo’s arm, sliding it to his shoulder. The warmth made it hard to think, as did the wistful expression on her face. “And if I refuse to let you?”
“I can’t—” The words sputtered out when Sakura rose on her tiptoes to brush her lips against Tenzo’s. An electric current shot through his body, and his hands moved of their own accord, closing around Sakura’s waist to pull her closer. Months of timid flirting and deepening friendship had led them to this moment, but Tenzo still couldn’t believe it was real. When they broke apart, Tenzo exhaled against Sakura’s lips. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not—”
“Shh,” Sakura chided, resting her cheek against Tenzo’s chest. “We can figure the rest of it out together, but for now, can we just stay here?”
Tenzo kissed the top of Sakura’s head and closed his eyes, wondering how he’d ever be enough. He hummed in agreement. “For as long as you want.”
The scent of dried sweat and piss filled the air, accentuated by the coppery undertones of blood. An overhead light flickered on and off, throwing the room into uncertain shadow. Gabe tried to blink the blurriness from his vision, but didn’t manage to change it. HIs left eye was swollen shut, and the right painted the room in a red haze. When he’d first been captured, he’d assumed that his captors would eventually tired of hitting him, or at least give him a reason. But, he’d lost count of how long he’d been here. His initial injuries had developed injuries of their own, though.
“Ready to talk?” The sneered voice gave Gabe a sense of where he was. He tipped his head to the side, watching the masked man without speaking. As he climbed to his knees, a casual backhand knocked him back to the floor. The movement had been obvious, but Gabe hadn’t been fast enough to move away. That wasn’t a good sign.
Fingers tangled in dark hair, lifting Gabe to his feet. He forced a smile through the blood on his busted lip. “About what? My cell’s a bit on the chilly—” The second blow took Gabe by surprise, and he spit a mouthful of pink saliva at the man’s feet.
“Funny,” the man chuckled darkly, taking a sucker punch at Gabe’s kidney. He winced, twisting away from the blow as his second guard tapped the butt of his rifle against the door. For a moment, Gabe entertained the idea of showing the man just how ineffective the long range weapon was in close quarters, but stopped himself. He didn’t plan to die here.
With one last vicious jab at Gabe’s side, the first guard shook out his hand. “Maybe next time, you’ll keep that smart mouth of yours shut.”
“Unlikely,” Gabe answered, letting his voice sound more amused then he felt. The second guard grabbed Gabe and dragged him into a poorly lit hallway. Sucking a shallow breath, he let himself be goaded into an overbright room.
Gabe blinked in confusion at the woman sitting behind a stainless steel table, one knee crossed over the other. Her high heel tapped an impatient rhythm in the air. The crisp business suit looked like it belonged to a different world, one that Gabe hadn’t seen in weeks. Crimson lips pulled into a frown. “So, you’re the Gabriel Reyes that everyone keeps talking about? Huh, I thought you’d be more impressive.”
Smirking in the woman’s direction, Gabe thrust his hips forward. “I’m impressive enough where it matt—”
Pain cut off the rest of Gabe’s words, doubling him over. He knew there would be retribution for the remark, but he’d expected it to stop. Kicks and punches rained down until he couldn’t draw a breath. The woman watched without emotion, lacquered fingernails accentuating the attacks like they’d been planned. Unconsciousness loomed on the horizon by the time she waved away the guards.
Spots danced at the edges of Gabe’s vision, but he clung stubbornly to consciousness. The steady click of heels told him that the woman had approached, but he couldn’t lift his head to meet her gaze. She knelt beside him, and someone dragged Gabriel back up to meet her gaze. The woman’s smile held no warmth. “That’s what they all say. If you cooperate, maybe I’ll let you keep it.”
Gabe arched one eyebrow, but the woman continued before he could think of a reply. “Now, you’re going to tell me everything you know about Overwatch and Jack Morrison. Then, we’re going to destroy them.”
For a moment, confusion swam in Gabe’s chest. He’d assumed he’d pissed someone off on a mission or during SEP. It always came back to Overwatch and Jack. “Do we understand one another?”
Mustering the last bit of moisture in his mouth, Gabe spat in the woman’s direction. The shock on her face was worth the ringing in his ears when a hand cracked against his temple. She wiped the bloody liquid away with a handkerchief and sighed. “I was so hoping that you would cooperate with me. You won’t be the first man I break, nor will you be the last.”
“Bitch, if you—” Gabe’s threat died when something tightened around his throat. The pressure closed off his windpipe, crushing it. Panic arched in his chest as the air swelled in his lungs; his fingers struggled to get a grip on the cord wrapped around his neck. Smirking, ruby lips followed him into the darkness.
Genma, sauntering into the Anbu barracks: look what I found
Kakashi, eyeing her up and down: we don't take strays
Genma, gesturing at Tenzo
Kakashi: fine, just the one, and she better pull her weight
I demand this in drabble form! This is your fault. You started this. Anbu Fynta is a must. 😂
Leaning over the map, Kakashi frowned at the pencil marking near the border of The Land of Fire and The Land of Rivers. He traced his finger in a lazy circle around the X and sighed, trying to recall the layout of the forest there. “Is this the best they’ve got?”
“Unfortunately.” Tenzo raised his shoulders in a shrug from the opposite side of the small desk where they worked. “The team has no idea what happened. Genma was there one minute and gone the next. They agreed on an explosion of some sort, like lightning from a clear sky, and a tremendous amount of chakra in the air.”
Kakashi huffed another sigh and dropped into the chair. He popped each finger methodically, trying to work through a problem that his mind didn’t fully grasp. “It’s been two weeks and all we have is a weird energy fluctuation? What does that even mean?”
Tenzo shrugged again and ran his fingers through his hair, combing out a stray tangle. Kakashi watched the movement, wondering when he should tell the boy that it would be better to cut the locks short so that they couldn’t be used against him in combat. So far, Tenzo hadn’t needed the warning and Kakashi hadn’t convinced himself to bring it up. “They didn’t have a better way to describe it. If you’d read the report about it—”
“Maa, maa,” Kakashi grumbled, ignoring the guilt for not combing through the background of every mission that he took. He hated this part of being a team leader and had cited it as the reason that he wasn’t qualified to do so at every opportunity. Nobody listened. “I guess there is nothing we can do except go out there and see--”
The door swinging open cut Kakashi’s words short. The man that sauntered into the room looked out of place. Kakashi had expected the familiar grey and black of Anbu since they were in the barracks, but this was something foreign. Dark grey pants glowed with a leather like sheen in the pale light cast by the single lightbulb above the desk. The deep maroon long sleeved shirt strained against the muscles in the man’s shoulders, and a thick black leather strap circled high around the man’s chest. A thinner piece hung over one shoulder, securing something high on his ribs. Another piece strapped to the man’s thigh.
Weapons, the subconscious part of Kakahsi’s mind warned. He reached for a kunai as his gaze slid higher. It took Kakashi’s mind a stuttering moment to recognize the face staring back at him with a self-assured grin. Genma wasn’t wearing his signature bandana, and the senbon that clung to his lips was missing. Fury and relief welled in Kakashi’s chest. “Where the hell have you been?”
“You wouldn’t fucking believe me if I told you.” Genma laughed and nodded behind him as he stepped into the room. “Look what I found.”
Kakashi realized for the first time that an unfamiliar woman stood behind Genma. The way that she stood at his side spoke of familiarity. Kakashi’s grey eyes narrowed as he took in the newcomer. She stood a head shorter than Genma, dark eyes throwing a challenge at Kakashi. Her thick blond hair was tied away from her face in a braid, and her lips were pulled down in a frown as she looked at Tenzo and Kakashi.
Kakashi scoffed under his breath then shook his head. “Take her back to wherever you found her. We don’t take strays.”
“I’m not—” The woman growled, only to be cut off immediately.
Genma raised one eyebrow in Tenzo’s direction and scoffed under his breath. “Oh, really?”
Kakashi bristled at the suggestion, looking at the younger man that he’d taken under his wing. Tenzo was hardly untried or under prepared for Anbu. He’d come from Root for kami’s sake; that required more training and secrecy than Anbu. The woman glaring at Kakashi from Genma’s side could have been anyone. He sighed, looking at Tenzo again and felt something behind his sternum tighten as he shrugged. “Fine, but she better pull her weight.”
Laughing, Genma slung an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “See? I told you there was nothing to worry about. Kakashi, meet Fynta. Fynta, Kakashi.”
Fynta dipped her chin in greeting, but the scowl on her face remained as she stared at Genma. “Why do I feel like you just signed me up for another tour with the SIS?”
Kakashi frowned, wondering what the words meant as Genma’s grin sharpened. “Look on the bright side, at least this gets Theron off of our backs for a little while.”
“I get the feeling that he’s not much different.” Fynta nodded toward Kakashi, brushing her hand over the pouch that hung at one hip.
Kakashi followed the movement with narrowed eyes. “You know I can hear you, right? Are you going to tell me where the hell you’ve been for the past two weeks?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Genma chuckled, shaking his head. Then, he frowned. “Wait, did you say weeks?”
“You’ve been missing for two weeks; your team only just made it back to Konoha.” Kakashi gestured at the map that he and Tenzo had been studying.
Genma moved closer and ran a finger over the markings along the border, frowning to himself. The woman followed him toward the table, then started laughing. “He was kriffing right, wasn’t he?”
“Maybe,” Genma sighed, chewing his lower lip in place of his senbon. “But, he must have made a mistake somewhere. Otherwise, the timeline would have dropped me back where it was supposed to, alone.”
“Will someone please explain what the hell is going on here?” Kakashi growled; the annoyance at being left in the dark for so long sharpened his tone. Genma and Fynta were rambling about things that made no sense. Kakashi still hadn’t been able to place the woman’s dialect. “And who the hell is she?”
Genma snapped out of his thought process to glance at Fynta, then sighed at Kakashi. “I think you better sit down, this might take a while.”
