You go out of your way to step on a particularly dry looking leaf along the path—stained a deep, golden colour and curling at the edges where it rests waiting for the weight of your foot—just to hear the way it crunches beneath the sole of your shoe. At your side, Kakashi's attention is still on the book in his hand, the pages spread open only with his thumb and pinkie finger while the other three support the cracked spine. He doesn't spare you a glance, but he does deign to respond with a curious little hum.
"That's an awfully big word."
The lazy way he says it is enough to irritate you, but his condescending words are almost too much for you to bear. You stop in your tracks, fists curled tightly at your sides, and the white haired young man doesn't so much as slow in recognition of it.
It's fall in Konoha, and while the days are still warm and bright, the breeze that whisks through the village's winding streets is cool. The annoyance you feel prickling under your skin is enough to insulate you from the chill. To numb you to its bite.
You swoop down, dragging your hand lightly along the path to retrieve a handful of small, smooth stones—no larger than the tips of your fingers. Without a moment's contemplation, you launch one at the back of Kakashi's head, and watch as it bounces off dully.
He keeps walking.
"Irksome."
Another pebble hits the ground after ricocheting off the back of his headband.
"Vexatious."
The next makes contact with his right shoulderblade.
"Antagonistic."
He catches this one—just like he could have caught any of the previous three—without even turning around to watch you throw it. His hand, the one not holding his book, shoots up to protect his ear before the pebble can make contact. He holds it pinched between his thumb and forefinger for a moment, still leisurely walking away from you, before he flicks it to the ground.
"You're being so childish today," Kakashi calls back over his shoulder. "Are you sure I'm the antagonist here?"
You hear it then, the smile in his voice, and even though it would only serve to legitimize his accusation it almost makes you stomp your foot petulantly.
"Kakashi!"
Finally, he turns to face you, and even though his mask conceals most of his expression, you can tell it's hiding a grin beneath it. He tilts his head to the side, as though waiting for you to continue.
"How many times have you read that stupid book?"
The familiar novel is closed now, and his page marked, though you're not entirely certain when he did either of those things. He glances at the paperback, as though considering it carefully.
"How many times am I allowed to admit to before you call me a pervert?" he asks.
"You are a pervert," you answer, immediate and sure, while slowly walking towards him to close the gap he put between the two of you. "And you would be even if you were illiterate."
"That's not very nice of you to say," he says, tipping his head back and sighing profoundly as though your insult caused him great pain.
"It's the truth, though."
Kakashi peeks down at you from the corner of his eye as you stand by his side. Without thinking, you reach out and grab the sleeve of his jacket, averting your gaze.
It's quiet for a moment. Just the two of you, the fall breeze, the scattered pebbles, and that atrocious romance book.
"You've been gone for a month," your voice is quiet when you finally speak again. So soft it risks being carried away with the wind.
Kakashi didn't even tell you he was leaving before he was sent off on this last mission; you had to find out from another shinobi the next morning, and all they could tell you was he was gone and they weren't sure when he'd be back.
This isn't unusual with Kakashi. It's happened more times than you care to count. Missions that force him to leave the village at short notice are unavoidable—assignments like that to be expected for any shinobi, but particularly for one of Kakashi's rank.
It doesn't make it any easier.
You've thought about bringing this up to him before. Thought about asking him to tell you when these sorts of things come up. Thought about explaining to him how awful it feels to be the last to know. Thought about telling him what those long days apart feel like in this village without him.
But you don't.
Part of it is pride, you think. You're too stubborn to be the one to show your hand like that. To be vulnerable in front of him in such a mortifying, humbling way. Somehow the mere idea of making any of those admissions seems more embarrassing than trailing along behind him tossing rocks at the back of his head.
Another part is fear. You don't want to be the one to speak this thing between the two of you into existence. To give it shape. To breathe life into it by giving it a name. You and Kakashi have always lived in intentional ambiguity. A certain uncertainty. You're not quite friends, you're not quite lovers, you're not quite anything at all.
You're just the one who's left waiting for him to come home.
And then there's the last part—the biggest part—that holds you back. The part you don't quite know how to explain. The part that tells you to bear the pain of missing him, to swallow down your longing, for his sake if not your own. The last thing Kakashi needs is the burden of knowing his duty makes you ache while he's away. That his absence keeps you awake at night. He's got enough he needs to shoulder without you adding to the weight, and this is the least you can do to try and help him carry it.
You let his sleeve slip from your grasp.
"Sorry," you mutter under your breath, shaking yourself from your momentary stupor.
"Are you acting out because I haven't given you enough attention?" Kakashi asks, only his voice is different now than it was a moment prior. Sincere in a way that upsets you more than when he's being intentionally annoying.
You finally bring yourself to look at him, but only to shoot him a narrow-eyed glare.
His own gaze is disarmingly soft when you meet it. Unexpectedly tender. Perceptive in ways you usually choose to overlook.
So much so, in fact, that you're too stunned to even flinch when he taps his book against your forehead.
"Ok, ok," he says with a shrug, spinning on his heel and continuing on down the path at an idle pace, leaving you dumbfounded in his wake. "If you wanted to borrow it, you could've just asked!"
Took me a while to nail down Kakashi, but i managed!
I will be breaking down this one shot into 3 parts, so beware of cliffhanger!
pt2
pt3
pt4
Kakashi sighed, signing off yet ANOTHER paper.
Papers, papers… They just never seemed to end…
He groaned and set the pen on the desk. "Sensei, how did you manage all this paperwork?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, remembering his former Sensei and Fourth Hokage, Minato.
These past few days have been a havoc, people getting ready for the upcoming winter holidays and whatnot. Honestly, If you asked him, it was just their excuse to get a break and get paid for it. Kakashi couldn't blame them. Most of the people of Konoha worked hard all year round. It's how their village got by, to begin with.
Well, everyone got a break except the Hokage, meaning him.
He sulked. "Oh, Icha icha, how I miss you…" He whined, looking up at the ceiling. His mood was worsened by the sheer fact that his damned right arm had been itching for a few days now. It wasn't fair! It was like fate just hated him and that was that.
Making random gibberish noises, he sighed and looked at the paperwork.
…
Before that damned itch came back, but this time, it burned like a bitch.
He hissed and rolled up his sleeve hurriedly. Was he having some sort of allergic reaction? What was this feeling?! It made him want to rip the skin off his arm to make it stop itching!
He inspected the burning area, only to blink.
There in bold, cursive letters was written "Y/N L/N"
The burning pain subsided eventually, leaving him with a writing on his forearm.
A soulmate…?
He had a soulmate…?
Him?
HIM?
Hatake Kakashi had a soulmate?!
Finally, the sixth Hokage managed to pick his jaw off of the floor and leaned back in his chair, his eyes wide as saucers.
"I have a soulmate…" He breathed out. "I have a soulmate. A… A soulmate?" He kept repeating for a good twenty minutes before a knock on the door snapped him out.
"Hokage-sama-… Oh… Uhhh, did I come in a bad time?" Shikamaru scratched his head, looking around.
Kakashi cleared his throat and rolled down his sleeve. "Uh, no. Come in. What is it?" He tried to direct his attention back to reality, and not towards the arm that now made itself known in his subconscious. It was as if it was mocking him, saying "Hey! I'm here! Don't you wanna find your soulmate?~"
Shikamaru entered and set more paperwork down. "I came back with reports from Sai about the shady behaviors that have been going on in the black ops…" Shikamaru announced, but he saw the distracted look on Kakashi's face. "Um, Hokage-sama…?" he tilted his head. Kakashi blinked and looked at Shikamaru. "Huh? Oh, right- um… Sai and Black Ops… Or something. Also, didn't tell you to quit it with the "Sama"? Just Kakashi will do!" He sighed tiredly, he really seemed to repeat this phrase a lot lately, didn't he? He was so over the "Kakashi-sama this, Kakashi-sama that!" bullshit! Oh, how he wished Naruto could suddenly get smart and take his title, already! He wasn't even supposed to be here to begin with! This role was involuntarily forced onto him, really!
The Nara's eyes squinted. "Right. Kakashi- Are you sure you're okay? You seem distracted." He noted, eyeing the older.
Kakashi bit his lip behind his mask, thinking for a moment or two. No, distractions would hinder his work, he thought before getting up. "Hey, Shika-kun, could you replace me for a bit? Thanks!" He removed his hat, placing it on Shikamaru's head, and waved, not giving the Nara time to react, and went out through an open window. Shikamaru stood there, baffled. When he came to, he sighed, removing his hat. "What a drag… I swear that man is losing it every passing day…" He grumbled before looking over at the desk piled with paperwork. "I guess I should tell Temari I won't be making it home today…" He sighed and sat on the Hokage chair and got to work.
Kakashi ran through the roofs of the buildings he knew all too well, driven by pure adrenaline, and ended up on the Hokage Mountain with his heart hammering in his ears. He panted and rolled up his sleeve again, not believing his eyes. He wanted to double-check.
Kakashi ended up staring at the writing for a whole hour straight. Finally, he fell back onto the grass. The last Hatake glanced up at the partially cloudy sky, blinking. Was this one of the universe's sick jokes? It had to be. His life was already cruel as it was; having to lose his father to the cruelty of the very people he fought for, then lost teammate to a boulder, then he got forced to kill his other teammate by ripping a Chidori through her heart and then was only able to watch as he lost both his Sensei and his wife that Kakashi was supposed to protect by the demon who's very vessel he taught at some point and led, having to watch the said boy suffer through mistreatment and hardships as he chased after a lost cause, who was too similar to him when he was their age, and he still managed to fuck that up, letting them go rouge and abandoning the last precious student that actually needed him the most at that time.
He sighed; Life was indeed, cruel to him and he had poor judgment, he would admit. He wondered what he had done, who he had killed or upset to deserve such a barbaric fate.
He sighed for the umpteenth time. 'But if there's a chance there's really someone out there… Could I be that confident to actually risk being selfish for once…?' He thought before venting out a heavy sigh, he was a skeptic when it came to soulmates and all that but.. If there was the slightest chance that a person was out there, made for him, to be his other half…
"Nothing ever goes right in my life, does it?" He mumbles to himself, before standing up, dusting off his pants, and descending the Hokage mountain with a heavy mind. 'Even if I do… What are the chances they would respond positively? Am I willing to take the chances…?' He thought as he finally approached the rocky ground of the village.
He looked at the sky, before he took a deep breath, deciding. "I'll give it a shot. If they don't want me, then I'll move on. What do I have left to lose, anyway?" He finally convinced himself. He stood more straightly and walked more confidently with a new goal in mind:
Find Y/N L/N, learn more about them, and find out if the whole soulmate thing could work between them.
Though, in the back of his mind, that voice nagged him that he was just going to get another person hurt.
He ignored the little pest.
Surely, he deserved happiness too, right…?
it's a little strange to have the aspect of an emotion change. in the beginning, it was just admiration, for what Kakashi taught him, what his then sensei showed him. then it was infatuation. they were no longer a team, just comrades fighting together. Naruto doesn't know when it morphed into desire and then love. he knows, however, that his former sensei and now hokage doesn't feel the same, that's why his muscles are failing him. Hanahaki is a bitch.
OR
Kakanaru!au where hanahaki is a thing, but instead of coughing up flowers your tendons turn to vines, your muscles turn to wood, and your skin turns to bark. Slowly.
I want to talk about naruto womans because they are for me not that deep and the portrayal of female them is problematic.
I don’t see Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke as love at all. To me, it’s clearly an obsession. What people call “loyalty” or “not giving up” is actually the core of that obsession. Sasuke went as far as trying to kill her and harming others, yet Sakura kept ignoring all of it and continued to defend him. That’s not love. Love doesn’t mean blindly overlooking someone’s actions, especially when those actions are dangerous and harmful. It doesn’t mean losing your self-respect or your sense of identity just to stay attached to someone.
The same applies to her refusal to let go. People often interpret it as emotional strength or devotion, but in reality, it looks more like an unhealthy attachment. Her feelings are one-sided for most of the story, and instead of growing independently, she remains emotionally dependent on someone who doesn’t give her the same in return. That’s why I don’t see any real love here, just obsession in its purest form.
And this isn’t just a Sakura problem. It reflects a larger issue with how female characters are written in Naruto. Many of them are defined by their connection to male characters rather than their own identities.
Hinata, for example, has potential with her struggles and background, but most of her development revolves around Naruto. Her growth feels tied to him instead of coming from within herself. If Naruto didn’t exist, it’s unclear how much of her character would remain.
Konan is one of the few exceptions. She has a unique ability set, a strong presence, and a clear sense of purpose. However, even she is underused. Despite her potential, she gets very limited screen time and doesn’t receive the depth or focus she deserves.
Tsunade is another exception to some extent. She is powerful, experienced, and holds a leadership role. She has a more complete character compared to others. But even then, parts of her are often reduced to repetitive traits or sidelined when it comes to major narrative focus.
Overall, the female characters in Naruto may be strong in terms of abilities, but they rarely show meaningful personal growth outside of their relationships. Their inner conflicts are either underdeveloped or quickly abandoned, and they are rarely given the same narrative weight as male characters.
That’s why I believe the issue goes beyond just Sakura. It’s a broader writing problem where female characters are not given the same depth, independence, or long-term development. In the end, they don’t feel like fully realized individuals, but rather characters whose roles are limited by the story’s focus on male-driven narratives.
Kakashi Hatake x reader / Kakashi Hatake and his son
requested by @revasserium - I have no idea what this is
His name is Sakumo.
His name is Sakumo and he’s barely two weeks old, tiny hands curled around the blanket he’s wrapped in, tiny nose crunched up as he lets out a first whimper. It’s a warning, the beginning of a storm, eardrum-shattering wails, arms flailing in clear distaste.
His name is Sakumo and Kakashi can’t stop looking at him.
Ages ago, when your relationship had not yet been defined by words, the edges still of it still blurred by fear, he’d brought back a dog from his mission.
It had been a mutt from the streets, its fur a dirty mix between black and white, but his eyes had been a deep and trusting brown.
He’d called it Ume and brought it home and his instinct had been right. You loved it dearly.
Ume slept in your bed when he was away, and brought in the newspaper early when you refused to wake up after a mission ending late. Sometimes he even came home to Pakkun curled up under Ume’s massive paw.
Kakashi liked to think that your communication did not need words. That it transcended beyond the written or spoken language.
One time - he had been drunk - he even prided himself in being able to read your desires off the curve of your eyebrows. Thankfully it had only been Guy who had been witness to that and he’d sworn his friend to secrecy back then when it turned out that he, Kakashi, could do many things. But if he could have read your desires he sure as hell would not have come home wasted.
But even with a few hiccups here and there, he knew what you meant when you looked at him and you knew what he meant when he curled his fingers or scrunched up his nose.
It made his home life quiet and his relationship so unspectacular that even the worst gossipers decided to look past the two of you.
Until you came back home from a mission with a baby bound to your back.
It wasn’t his as much as it wasn’t yours. At least biologically.
But he could read it from the curve of your eyebrows and the slope of your nose that you had tied your life to this child, had thrown your heart at it and lept after it.
And who was he but your devoted disciple?
“His name is Sakumo.” You told him and placed the tiny bundle into his arms, the red of the blanket so fitting against his Hokage coat.
Sakumo’s face was scrunched up, his head covered by a fluff of white hair and Kakashi could not lie. He fell in love for the second time in his life.
There is a risk in adopting a child from outside the village.
The information you’d been able to gather about him was sparse but sadly promising.
He had no other relatives, no Clan to call his own. His mother had died bringing him to life, her last wish uttered as she had wrapped her hands around yours and begged you to take her son in.
No one would come looking for him and Kakashi, who knew all to well how that felt like, vowed to always look after him.
As a child, he’d learned that there were two worlds.
The one adults made up and the one children had to live in.
Adults like to tell him that his father had been a coward, a disgrace to Konoha, someone not worth remembering.
But Kakashi had known the truth and had to live with the reality. No father, no mother, no one who’d come looking if he didn’t come home from training.
Sakumo would have a different life.
Sakumo would grow up in the Hokage tower and see the village as it is.
Filled with people who tried their best under rules that were meant to be bent when necessary.
Sakumo would learn the truth.
That those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash, but, even more important, that he’d always have someone looking out for him.
His name is Sakumo Hatake.
He has white hair but is six years old.
He is the son of Kakashi of the Sharingan but has no Kekkai Genkai.
He has two dogs but loves cats a little bit more.
He can tell you a lot of lies, but he knows the truth:
NaruSaku - FanFiction - What could have been... (Part1)
— Mom, I’m heading out!
Sakura adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder, clutching a few books to her chest.
— Already, dear? But you just had lunch… — Her mother appeared in the kitchen, holding a container. — Are you going to visit Ino? Take this to the Yamanaka family.
— O-of course! — she quickly nodded.
She took the plastic container and placed it in her backpack, avoiding her mother’s keen gaze at all costs. If she looked at her for too long, everything would be lost. Sakura wouldn’t be able to leave the house. So, she forced herself to smile convincingly, trying to dispel any suspicion.
— It’s pork ribs. You said Ino liked them a lot, didn’t you?
Her mother dried her hands on the colorful dish towel tied around her apron. Her watchful eyes settled on her daughter. Sakura was never good at lying.
— Y-yeah! — she replied, adjusting her backpack again. — Well, I’m off, Mom. Ino needs a lot of help with the Chūnin Exams.
— I see… Be back before dark, okay?
Her mother’s gaze was meticulous. The way Sakura behaved gave something away. If she were just going to Ino’s house to study, she would be chattering about current topics. Besides, her full backpack only increased suspicion. Still, her mother sighed, resigned. If she forbade her daughter from leaving, she would find a way — as she had done many times before. She would create an illusion with her ninjutsu and fool them completely. In the end, there was no way to stop her from living her youth.
Her mother smiled softly, accepting that this was Sakura’s journey.
— Send my regards to the Yamanaka family. I hope they like the pork ribs.
— I’m sure they’ll love them, Mom.
Sakura turned the doorknob and, before stepping out, glanced back and waved.
— Bye, Mom.
— Be careful, okay? And come back for dinner!
Those last words made her hesitate for a moment. She almost blushed but kept her composure. Her mother knew her well. Even so, it wasn’t enough for Sakura to be completely honest. It was too embarrassing to say out loud. That she was growing up. That she was maturing.
As she walked through the streets of Konoha, her footsteps echoed in the silence, occasionally interrupted by the distant murmur of the village. The warm breeze gently rustled the leaves, while the rhythmic sound of her steps seemed to blend with the rapid beating of her heart. The day continued as usual, but for Sakura, everything felt like it was in slow motion. Every detail caught her attention in an unusual way, as if the city was giving her time to reflect.
Not that she regretted her decision, but she should have thought it through more. Her heart pounded, keeping pace with the muffled music escaping from some distant shop. The rhythm swelled, heightening her restlessness as she approached his street. She knew this path all too well.
The tilted lampposts, the faded graffiti on the walls, the yellowed posters stuck haphazardly — every detail was familiar. The uneven ground, marked by worn stones, made her tread more carefully. When she lifted her gaze, she spotted the house with its orange-tiled roof, the shingles weathered by time.
And then she saw him.
At the open window, his spiky blond hair stood out against the evening light. It was impossible to mistake him. His disregard for his own appearance remained unchanged, his hair tousled and messy from the wind. Living on the first floor made him even easier to spot. Besides, few houses here deviated from the village’s architectural norms — taller buildings were usually reserved for businesses or administrative offices.
She took a deep breath before climbing the stairs.
The cold railing under her hands was an anchor as she moved forward, each step intensifying her nervous anticipation. It wasn’t exactly about the person she was about to meet, but the situation itself. Rare were the moments they would be alone under the same roof. No supervision. No one else around. Just the two of them in that big house.
The creaking steps beneath her feet mixed with the faint hum of the wind cutting through the hallway. Each step required control, but her apprehension grew along with her proximity to the door. Sakura ran her hand along the railing, gripping it lightly as she ascended the final steps.
Now she was there, standing at the entrance. The fluttering in her stomach gave her no respite.
[ - Cottage (fem!reader) + Rose (yandere) + Garra (Naruto) + Tea (beauty and the beast au) - ] Anon's ask
Summary: You made a deal with the beast that in exchange for your father's release from prison you will be the one to stay.
Additional warnings/tags: fairytale au, death to multiple characters, dark themes, beauty and the beast has stockholm syndrome in the story with a violent ml, not a "good" ending
[ - Fairytale Picnic Event - closed - ]
Such a cruel thing for faith to do trapped alone in a castle... you lived with a monster as his prisoner.
Or maybe it was not? When you choose to come here in exchange for your father who stole a rose from the rose garden. The monster was horrible and cruel to him trapping your father in a small tiny cage alone left to rot.
He would have died if he was left there... with tears in your eyes you begged for his release. But the monster would not let him go, so in exchange for your father's life, you choose to sacrifice yourself and your life. Your father begged you not to do so, told you that it was a horrible decision but the deal was already made as the monster dragged him away from your arms out of the castle.
He didn't hurt you... at least not really, so close when he screamed death threats at you when you wanted to get away. You were not allowed to run away but now that your father was gone and safe you tried to.
But he was watching you. Multiple of times you tried to leave only to be caught by the monster.
One way or another you found out his name, Gaara. He wasn't human no matter how you looked at him. He was a monster made out of sand with ears and tail.
He had a hard time showing affection or kindness through speech but in the end, he let you out of the prison where your father was once locked.
That had to be counted for something you thought.
So long as you don't run away you were actually free to do whatever you want, and when you didn't plot your escape you looked around the castle towers curious about what each room held. He let you do as you please, he didn't get angry tho there would be a warning glare every so often.
You don't know how it happened or what cause you to say it, but after a few days of bumping him in the corridors and gardens, you asked him if he could join you for lunch. The weird look that he gave soon turned into a glare as he told you not to get any funny ideas.
You told him you didn't which surprised him, and after an awkward lunch, you left wondering if he was really that bad. Not that you have a choice either way when he started to join your meal times whether you liked it or not.
He was a weird monster you genuinely thought when he constantly stared at you while you were eating. While you were nervous the first time you started to grow used to it and sometimes choose to stare back.
It was a slow thing really, something that neither you nor he realized when you started to talk with each other more and more often. Mostly the books in the library would be your only topic but with how many books there were in the library you were sure it would be a while before you run out of topics.
You didn't love him, not really but you were starting to become a little comfortable around him. Sometimes you would throw jokes at him that he would not understand, but he was quiet he wasn't angry as he watched you laugh or smile at your own joke.
The more time you spent with him, the more you smiled as you walked around the gardens or help each other with searching for an interesting book. You never thought you would have a reading buddy, you didn't think he would be interested in books, but seeing him read right beside you made you understand that your thoughts that he was nothing but a monster was… wrong.
That was your first mistake.
Even as you started to have a lovely time here you started to miss your home. Homesickness made you yearn for your home yet unable to reach and when it was particularly painful that one night unable to sleep you left your bed to the garden.
You didn't think you would see a familiar face that night hiding in the bushes calling to you. Your father and friends. Shock you were you told them to return even as tears fell from your eyes but they refuse to do so unless you were coming with them. You decided to hope.
That was your second mistake.
You were so close to running away, with your father and friends... so close.
Who would have thought that he was watching you, always awake and looking to see what you would do? You begged him to let them go, the shock when he ripped your friend's arm out and how your friend screamed in agony will forever stay in your mind the corps of your father and friends on the floor dead.
You belonged to him the moment you signed your life in exchange for your father’s. And Gaara would make sure of it as he pushed you into your room locking the door so that you would not be able to leave. You can never escape.
"Kakashi.." A hand smoothed over his silver hair, brushing back loose stands that fell into his face once more when the process was repeated. "It's time to wake up."
The voice belonged to his love who whispered sweet good mornings into his ear as a way to coax him out of bed before dawn even broke out over the horizon. His right eye peeked tiredly open to glance up at you, letting out a content sigh before burying his face back into his pillow while you sat up in the shared space beside him. As much as he loved waking up next to you he also enjoyed the peace when the two of you would lay in each other's arms in a comfortable silence minus the soft snores and the sound of your hearts beating together.
"What time is it?" He finally mumbled, turning so he was on his side instead of his stomach, watching as you glanced over your shoulder to double check what the alarm clock on the nightstand read.
"5:37" You answered before reminding him of his mission that he was supposed to go on today with his students.
"They've been training hard as of late. I'm sure they can handle it." Kakashi brushed it off as if it could be solved that easily.
You let out a light chuckle at your partner's behavior expecting something like this from him, trying not to give into his warmth as he inched closer and pressed his head into your stomach now.
"Kakashi they are still genin and this is a C-ranked mission, is it not? They still need you to guide them."
His students were lucky he had you around. They didn't need to meet up at the gate of Kohona till 7:00 since they had to get an early start but thanks to you he might be a little closer to being on time even if he was still late like he usually was.
"Mind getting the coffee started while I take a shower?" Kakashi let out a yawn as he rose to his feet to gather his clothes. The bare skin of his chest combined with the coolness of the damp morning made him miss the warmth given off by your embrace. If given the choice he might have chosen to stay in bed with you for most of the day but instead, he ignored the shivers and made his way towards the bathroom door.
While Kakashi took the time to get himself ready, you began preparing a small breakfast the two of you could share together before he headed off, making sure that the coffee would be ready by the time he came back out.
"I know it's not much, but does some eggs with a slice of toast sound good?" You asked, hearing the door open and the silver haired man came up from behind you, brushing his wet hair against your skin as he moved to peer over your shoulder.
"Sounds great." Kakashi smiled, showing a lot of love with just his one eye that wasn't covered. "Give me a minute and I'll join you, okay?"
You could only nod as he pulled away from you again causing you to let out a shiver of your own. You weren't sure if it was because he still needed to finish drying off and a few water droplets hit your cheek cause he was so close or if it was the closeness in general that made you weak in the knees. He still managed to have that effect on you even after a year of being together.
"How long will you be away for this time?" You asked once you both sat at the table. Before you could pick up your fork you brushed a few loose stands away from your face, making a note to slip in the shower yourself once you were left on your own.
"As long as everything goes smoothly it could be three days but if any complications occur an extra day or two could be added." Kakashi answered, lowering his mask just enough to take a bite of his eggs before slipping it back up. Thoughts began to cloud your mind so you didn't pay any attention to the movement, the shift of your eyes wandering downward not going unnoticed by him.
"Now, what is that look for?"
"Huh?" You lifted your head back up to see Kakashi looking at you with a tilt of his head already knowing you were experiencing some concern. You've held that expression before and he didn't blame you. He was a jonin who was sent out on dangerous missions on a regular while you were just a civilian who prayed he would return home to you in one peace.
"It's like you said this is a C-rank mission." Kakashi reminded that Lord Third wouldn't send him on anything too dangerous while his students were still getting the feel of being out on the battlefield. With talk of the chunin exams approaching that would soon change but he knew that wouldn't ease your mind at the moment.
"I'm sorry." You apologized, feeling a little embarrassed for feeling this way when you should be used to it by now. You've known the man since you were children afterall but knowing what has become of his teammates and Sensei..
"I know.." Kakashi voiced, feeling the same as you did. Even if you weren't a shinobi like he was, the thought of someone or something taking you away from him never failed to cross his mind. As much as he promised to return home to you, you had to promise that you would be here waiting for him with open arms.
"Thank you for the meal, Y/n" Kakashi smiled, beginning to take care of his plate. "When I return I ought to treat you to a homecooked dinner."
The thought of Kakashi cooking your favorite foods and knowing be would be back soon enough to have a special date night with you eased some of the worry that you harbored. You smiled at him in return, offering to clean up while he finished getting himself ready.
Before both of you knew it the time had reached, 6:55. If he left now he would be right on schedule to meet Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto at the gate. The sun was starting to peek out a little more, evident by the slight increase in temperature and the small bit of light shining though the curtains; having you give off a glow that made you even more beautiful to him.
"I'm all yours for a few days once I return." Kakashi squeezed your hand while the other held the strap of his bag up on his shoulder. "And I mean it this time."
There had been times where he thought he would be able to sleep in and spend a day or so with you but then he would be on call for yet another mission, cutting the time between the two of you short. He'd make sure to give you the attention you deserved though. He owed you so much for staying by his side and loving him the way you did.
Moving his hand from his strap to his mask, he slipped it down so it was tucked under his chin. Something he only did around you during moments like this when he would lean forward and capture your lips with his own. He never failed to give you a goodbye kiss before having to part ways with you. Feeling you reach up to place your hand on the back of his neck to bring him closer, Kakashi slid his arm around your waist so you were pressed against him and intertwined your fingers together with your other hand. Minutes went by as you stayed like that, coming up for air only to repeat the process a few more times until you realized you were keeping him from going anywhere, forcing yourself to pull away.
"Looks like you're not going to be right on time again." You spoke once you caught your breath. His students were probably used to it by now but you didn't want to hold him up any longer.
"Eh, so I'm a little late." Kakashi gave you a closed-eye smile in amusement as he slipped his mask back on. At least he would have a better excuse this time. How he looked at it, any moment with you was worth it and he looked forward to more times the two of you would share together.
"I love you," Kakashi told you before closing the door on his way out finally heading in the direction of the village gates. Standing alone in the room now, you smiled to yourself wondering how you managed to gain the attention of such a caring man as him.
