Akami Ketsueki is an Anbu Black Op and Root Operative. Praised for her vicious nature and cold heart. When Itachi slaughters the Clan she makes the decision to take in Sasuke. Forced to reevaluate her life and priorities now that she’s playing caretaker. How will she keep Sasuke from the darkness when she finds it so hard to live in the light
Warnings: Mild mentions of injury/gore, sexual content, implied/referenced suicide
Word count: 4.3k
Previous Chapters [x]
Akami laid awake for hours, it had been almost three weeks since she’d last seen Kakashi at the spring festival. Presumably he was on a mission, so she couldn’t hold it against him. She wanted to know where they stood. Forced time away gave her time to think, too much time.
She tried to keep busy by fixing the house; painting, cleaning, unpacking. It’d been months since Sasuke first came to live with her. Months since he lost everything. He was getting used to their routine and started sleeping on his own for the most part. Sasuke spent most of the day at the Academy, did his homework and trained in the yard. She helped him when he accepted it. Akami could barely recall the last time she trained herself. She felt more like a housewife than a ninja, cooking and cleaning all day; she needed something to do.
She didn’t trust the Hokage or Council enough to leave Sasuke alone in the Village, so returning to active duty was out of the question. She couldn’t see herself teaching brats or taking on genin. Sasuke was plenty enough on that front. And the thought of D-rank missions inside the Village disgusted her too, but she needed to figure something out before she lost her mind.
Akami sighed rolling on to her back, she just wanted to sleep and think about it all tomorrow. She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration and her thoughts lingered back to Kakashi. She didn’t want to think about him, but it was easier than trying to figure out every other aspect of her life.
First and foremost he was her friend, her best friend and Akami didn’t want to do anything to lose that. She hoped that something as trivial as sex wouldn’t be enough to alter the nature of their friendship. But at first it was weird, though maybe that was because she kept playing that night over and over in her head. She couldn't stop thinking about it, about him.
God that insufferable prick just has to be good (so very good) at everything. She directed her next sigh at the ceiling, now free of paint chips. Yet somehow it still held that same sardonic cruelty...perhaps due to the aptly named shade of white. If she knew a paint color could be labeled something as ridiculous as 'on cloud nine’ she would have picked a different color entirely.
Akami glared at the ceiling one last time before turning away in mild defeat. In regards to Kakashi she decided that she would do nothing, pretend as though nothing happened. If they hooked up again they hooked up again, if they didn't well then they didn't. What she needed right now was a friend.
**
A few hours after finally succumbing to sleep she was alerted by a noise, like the squeaking of a door.
She kept a kunai near her bed and she was staring right at its hidden presence. The noise she now registered more clearly as her window. She wanted to wait, see what the intruder would do but then she thought of Sasuke sleeping in the next room. Akami grabbed the kunai and whipped it at the intruder. The man dodged just in time, she threw herself across the room and made for the katana hanging on the wall. She turned to face him in the dark but was met with the single red glow of a sharingan.
“Kakashi?” She whispered, lowering her blade.
“Are you trying to kill me?” He asked nonchalantly, staring at the knife lodged in the wall where his head had been a moment ago.
“What the fuck, I didn’t know you were back! Why didn’t you use the front door!” She yelled at him though it was more of a whisper.
“Old habits,” he shrugged. Though the act hurt and he grunted.
She sheathed the unnecessary blade and flicked on the light to find Kakashi was still dressed in his anbu gear, armor and all. Blood and dirt clinging to him like a second skin.
He pulled down his hitai-ate and clutched his side. ''I was hoping you could stitch me up. You still owe me for helping you move,” he said, straining to laugh.
Summary: On a stormy night a 4 year old Sarada wakes up scared due to thunders. Her papa comes to the rescue.
Notes: I just love papasuke being soft for Sarada. Why did I name it Kirin? Because I suck at titles lol.
It was pouring rain that night which didn’t happen frequently in Konoha. The streets were empty and in total darkness, you could only hear the sounds of the water hitting the ground along with the wind and thunders.
Sakura was still at the hospital working, she wasn’t going to be back until the early morning. Sasuke was sitting on their bed reading a book when a lightning struck nearby, probably waking up the whole neighborhood. The lights went out, and then he heard Sarada scream, he was in her room in seconds, Sharingan activated.
She was sitting on her bed, covered in her blankets, hugging one of her stuffed animals and crying.
‘’Sarada, what’s wrong? Are you okay?’’ He asked after checking out her room and not finding anything wrong.
‘’I’m scared papa, it’s dark.’ She cried out. And that’s when he remembered, Sarada had never experienced a thunderstorm before, she was probably awakened by the thunder, on top of that her room was pitch black.
He sat next to her on the bed petting her head affectionately, trying to calm her down. ‘’It’s okay Sarada, it was just the thunder.’’
‘’What is that?’’ She questioned. Sarada was a very curious girl, always asking questions. Just like her mother, she loved to learn about everything and anything.
He picked her up and carried her to the window. ‘’Look at the sky Sarada, do you see the dark clouds?’’ She nodded. ‘’Those puffy clouds have ice and water inside and when they bump into each other, electricity builds up inside the cloud and it creates lightning.’’
‘’And why makes a big noise papa? I don’t like it’’
Sasuke continued. ‘’The lightning is so hot that it heats up, it’s like a very big waterfall of electricity and it goes boom, that’s what you hear.’’
‘’Ligh..’’ She struggled to pronounce the word. ‘’lightnings are scary.’’
‘’They can be.’’ He agreed. ‘’ But you don’t need to be afraid, your papa is here with you, do you wanna know something interesting?
‘’Yes,’’ She cheered excitedly.
‘’Your papa can make lightning.’’
‘’Can you show me?’’ She pleaded, clapping her hands with excitement.
‘’Not now, but if you are a good girl and go back to sleep I can show you tomorrow.’’
‘’Can you sleep with me tonight papa?’’ She asked him wearily as she plopped down onto the bed.
‘’Your mama won’t be very happy’’ Sasuke responded already laying down and covering her with a blanket, he could never say no to her.
‘’Papa, can my eyes glow like yours?’’ She asked mesmerized by his glowing red eyes, she was at the age where she found everything incredible and amazing. She knew both of her parents were powerful shinobi but she never really had the chance to see them in action.
‘’Yes, someday they will, but now it's time to go to sleep Sarada.’’
‘Goodnight Papa.’’
And that's how Sakura found them the next morning. All snuggled up in Sarada’s way too small for an adult bed.
Can I request a Neji x reader where the reader is ANBU or maybe some other super classified group? Headcanons?
Neji dating an ANBU member headcanons♡
A/N: I'm fairly new at hcs tbh so I hope you like them. Like and show love please Beautifuls. Peace out.
Neji would absolutely date someone who is a skilled shinobi, I don’t think in any scenario would he date someone averagely skilled in the ninja arts. (I’m not talking about marriage, because he would unquestionably indulge in arranged marriage with any sort of person if his clan demands that of him. He good like that, but if he has the choice to choose his partner he undeniably wants a good, level-headed skilled kunoichi.)
He needs to respect his partner and I really don’t think he has reverence for anyone who takes the sparring and practicing lightly. The only way to even hold significance in Neji’s world would be to be remarkably diligent and meticulous in your field, preferably as a ninja.
That’s where you come in, since you are an ANBU member, the other missions you take/used to take without your identity concealed were accomplished with the same finesse, and the ones you executed with him made him acknowledge you.
With that acknowledgement came approval, which turned into admiration for your flairs and talents. When he got to know your beautiful personality and your radiant charisma, the thin line between admiration and adoration was crossed.
Neji needs good spirits and chirpiness in his life, no one can convince me otherwise. And since I believe Neji to be a traditional lad, there is no doubt he believes in soulmates (Destiny and that belief are borderline the same🤷♀️🤷♀️)
Your relationship is kind of smooth, when he actually asks you out like a proper gentlemen with flowers and dinner, but that comes to an end sadly. When the dates are cancelled abruptly and you don’t contact him for days on end, the poor baby is confused, like tons.
He feels a smidge dejected and perplexed when you don’t provide him proper answers as well. And man, is he hurt. He truly thought you were the one for him (well it took him months to select you from the rest) and to see you don’t give him all your efforts saddened him.
Of course, that wasn’t the case, you were so tired of balancing the secret and Rank A missions and the severe injuries that had you in the hospital for days at end. And when he tried to break things up with you, the dam broke under the pressure and strain and you blurted the truth out to not let him snatch away the only solace you had, your only comfort in the stress filled life you led.
For a child prodigy, Neji felt so utterly stupid. He was so furious at himself for not figuring it out sooner. What good were his smarts if he wasn’t able to deduce that about his girlfriend? He was infuriated by his ignorance, but that was nothing in comparison to the heaps of relief that filled him.
He now fathomed the real reason behind every cancellation of your nights out, his worry multiplied a thousand times when he got to learn the stories of your scars. With every near death experience you recited with humour, his veneration for you amplified.
Five years into the future, as everything was out on the table between you and him already, I would certainly congratulate you both as you are for sure engaged now with a wedding date set, if not married already.
Even though no one else in your friend circle is aware of your secret, Neji is proud of you beyond words which more than compensates for your friends’ praises.
Sharing the secret with someone, after several years of burying it, feels good. Because there is someone out there that recognises your efforts and the pride in his eyes to call you ‘his’ almost makes your assassin self cry.
And even though you miss some important anniversaries and date nights and family celebrations, Neji understands it all. The snide comments about your absence never really faze him, and he always has your back. He could never stab you in the back because he knew there is a possibility you might be getting stabbed out there for real, protecting these haters and him by risking yourself.
He does sleep very lightly, his mind anxious for your arrival in his subconscious state but he trusts that destiny brought you home every time and he trusts that it will again.
A/N: thanks for making it to the end. Sending love your way.
alright so i figured i’d post my first ever fic here, plsss send notes and ideas! constructive criticism welcomed!
loosely inspired by Dont - Ed Sheeran, but don’t need to know the song to read!
just some sasunaru fluff◡̈
-B
———————————————-
Don't fuck with my love, That heart is so cold.
The rain drops bounced off lilac flower petals onto the already damp ground. The sun has yet to rise over the mountains, but Naruto Uzumaki is wide awake.
He hasn't been able to sleep since Sasuke left for a mission a few days ago. Although he should be back in a week, he haunts Naruto's brain and consumes every last bit. It was always on his mind what his black haired best friend was doing, what he was thinking, how he was.
He wonders if what he said had even really affected him, he was just scared that Sasuke would hurt him. He has never asked me on a date before, and now? Before a mission? It just didn't add up.
He knows how Sasuke has never been one for relationships, that's what made this so much harder. What if he's joking? What if its a prank? Why would Sasuke even do that? Did he really want to be with me?
His bright blue eyes squeezed shut and a single tear fell.
He had to make up for it, he had to tell the raven haired boy how he actually felt, how he wants him and only him. Always have.
But then I jumped right in a week later, returned I reckoned he was only looking for a lover to burn.
He's back.
I have to tell him.
Jumping through the crowds of people, Naruto dodged and ran to get to the Hokages office. I have to tell him.
"Sasuke!" The tall man stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder.
"Hn," Rolling his eyes, he went to continue walking. A warm hand reached out to grab his wrist.
"Please Sasuke. Listen to me." Tears already finding their way back to the surface, his voice hoarse from having not slept. His hair was slightly falling into his face and he was flushed from running through the crowd.
"1 minute.”
"Okay." A deep breath.
Baby, if you wanted me then you should have just said.
"I love you. I know what I said was harsh, I was shocked - I wasn't thinking," He wasn't even looking at Sasuke at this point, but he knew black eyes stared right into him.
"I was scared, I didn't think you ever had any feelings for me, I thought you didn't even look at people that way! I thought you were joking with me-"
"You thought I was pranking you?" Slight anger rose up in his voice. Narutos voice started to stutter.
"I-I.. Yes okay! Fuck, no one has ever felt this way for me! No one has ever actually wanted me." More tears. He hated looking weak in front of anyone, but especially Sasuke, but his body was betraying him now.
What he didn't expect was for Sasuke to pull him into his chest and hold him tightly. His chin laid on top of the blondes head, one hand in his hair and the other holding him as close as possible.
"You're an idiot."
He couldn't even hear the hollow insult. He was in Sasuke's arms, listening to his heartbeat. Who would have guessed it.
"My heart is warmer because of you." He wasn't lying. His eyes were soft and unmoving, a warm aura surrounded him completely. No laughing, no grinning, just genuine admiration as he looked down at Naruto still wrapped in his arms, only pulling back slightly.
The world was in slow motion. People coming and going, none stopping to bother the 2 men confessing their love. It was no longer raining but the clouds had yet to move. He wasn't sure if it was suppose to rain again, he didn't care. It felt as if they were completely alone in the world. Just a fox and his raven.
"I'm so happy you're back. I couldn't sleep, I-I hated how we ended things. Please, forgive me."
He was suddenly aware of how close Sasuke's lips were to his own. Gently licking his lips, he heard a low chuckle.
"Something on my lips?"
"No! Sorry! I-I.. I wasn't trying to-"
He was cut off by the feeling of lips onto his. Soft, but firm. Both caught up in the way the other tastes; they waited years for this. Sasuke's hands immediately went to the back of his blondes head, pulling him in firmly, not risking him slipping away. Naruto's body was close, arms clenching onto the mans black robe.
Naruto's head was spinning, he was finally kissing the man he loves. The man who had always been there, pushing him in the right direction, keeping him grounded, on his feet. How didn't he see it before?
They wanted this. They deserved this.
He finally got his happiness, he got all he ever wanted out of life.
"Don't fuck with my love," this time, they both chuckled. Soft kisses placed along Sasuke's jawline, he hummed as if nothing could ever go wrong now that his blonde was in his arms. Both smiling from ear to ear.
Neither of them would even want to fuck it up now, not ever.
Prompt: "You promised you wouldn't hurt anyone if I came with you willingly to heal your friend!" Kakasaku please! (and if you're okay with it, maybe Kakashi is the one abducting Sakura to heal Obito...? I wasn't sure if abduction counted as 'forced') Thank you!!
Sorry for the delay! This is set after the fourth great war, assuming Obito’s body is somewhere to be found.
Chrysalis
Kakashi had been different recently. Changed. Sakura hadn’t paid specific attention to it till their team meeting where Kakashi had zoned out completely. Normally he was never an active participator in conversation, but he was always present. The small crinkling of his eye when he heard something funny, or the furrow in his brow when Naruto plunged on about Sasuke. But this time was different. He was absent somehow, a vague distance in his eyes.
Nobody else noticed and somehow that bothered her more.
So, on that fateful night, when Kakashi crawled through her window, shrouded in the darkness and rain, Sakura was surprised but not that surprised.
More pissed off than anything that he had taken down three of her potted plants in his ungraceful manoeuvre.
…And slightly wishing she were dressed better than her ratty shorts and cropped t-shirt, no bra and tub of chocolate ice-cream shamelessly half-eaten in hand.
“Kakashi!” She exclaimed aghast and chastising all in one.
Her outrage fell on deaf ears and all she heard was the broken rasp as he called her voice, “Sakura,” agonised and conflicted.
“What- What’s wrong sensei?” Suddenly, her motherly concern overtook every other self-conscious thought, and she plonked the tub on the table and walked over to him hands outstretched ready to help.
But he turned away from her caring gaze, instinctively shied away from her.
“You have to come with me.” Was all he said and not a word more, eyes still glued to her pink carpet.
“Sensei, what do you mean? Where to?” She added when he offered no further information, her concern growing to panic.
“I-” he stopped, swallowing thickly. Sakura had never heard him hesitate in her life. “You need to heal someone.”
Sakura exhaled in a huff of relief, “Of course Sensei. Who? Actually, never mind, where are they? Let’s bring them to the hospital, or are they already there?”
Immediately tying her hair in a messy bun, and walking around her apartment looking for the all the right items to make her decent, she didn’t notice Kakashi’s stillness till she was hopping back through her kitchen, looking for her other shoe.
“Sensei what is it?”
He said nothing so she stopped her manic dressing and looked at him, but his head was turned away.
“Sensei,” she repeated, a hardness to her voice.
“We can’t bring them to the hospital. We have to go to them.”
“Uh okay, then we’ll have to stop by the hokage tower for the permission slip-” she paused thinking aloud, “Actually we might have to stop by Kotetsu’s office direct since it’s probably after hours.”
“Sakura.” Kakashi raised his head for the first time since arriving, and in his eyes she saw all the thunder and darkness he had brought in from the outside. “We are not getting permission.”
“But Sensei-”
“Pack your things. We are leaving now.”
Crossing her arms across her chest, Sakura’s expression was tight as she replied, “Do I have a choice?”
He said nothing, but his dark expression said it all.
“Fine.” Was all she said, as she stormed off into her room and threw her mission and medic items into her bag, grabbing a few extra weapons and body-guards just in case.
When she returned to her living room, Kakashi was standing ready to leave, her potted plants tidied and moved aside, and her window locked.
“How do we even-” Sakura questioned bitterly, but Kakashi interrupted her.
“Follow me.”
In the next day or so the pair did nothing but travel in absolute silence. Sakura, though wanting to bridge the uncomfortable gap, struggled to squash her hurt pride at Kakashi’s lack of trusting her with information. Eventually though, the silence grew too much, and just as Sakura had resolved to break it with some inane topic, her words morphed into a scream as she plunged from the height of the tree that had been her footfall, her shoes - unsuitable for this terrain - how was she to know! - squealing against the wet bark as she slipped.
Strong fingers wrapped around her wrist, catching her mid-fall. Though he had been a good few trees ahead of her Kakashi had got to her quick. Silently he pulled her up, sliding a hand around her back and pulling her up by the waist once she was close enough.
The bark was thin and covered in wet moss. Kakashi held absolutely still to prevent them tumbling over the edge. Grabbing onto his vest to steady herself, her eyes met with Kakashi’s for the first time that night.
There was a sadness she wished to soothe away, her fingers twitching in response. Kakashi too, did not pull away like usual, he held on a beat longer than he normally would have.
Then, in the blink of an eye the walls were up again, and instead of the inches between them there was a chasm.
In one step he had turned away and leaped to the next branch, leading the way, but not before a few unexpected words of reassurance slipped out, “We’re almost there”.
Sure enough, half a mile or so later, Kakashi slowed down before dropping silently to the ground below. The ground was wet and mossy, little light filtered through the thick canopy of trees overhead.
Kakashi led them to a large overgrown fern, twice Sakura’s height. He reached in and peeled apart the two walls of leaves which camouflaged some kind of entrance. They stepped inside to a dark, eerily silent space. Sakura couldn’t tell if it was a cave or a hollowed out tree.
Kakashi stopped wordlessly at the far end of the circular space, placing his hand gently onto what looking like a sort of ledge. Sakura walked slowly closer till she was by his side, her footsteps squelching in the wet mud. As she passed around the broad cover of Kakashi’s back her eyes laid upon what wasn’t a ledge but some sort of glass coffin.
The gasp got caught in her throat as she realised it wasn’t glass but some kind of membrane. She reached out her fingers to touch it, but a hand clamped down on her wrist stopping her fingers just before they touched.
“It’ll break.”
“W-who set this up?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you are going to make it work.” There was a long pause after which he turned around and walked out the small space, announcing in a low voice, “I’m going to get firewood, get started.”
Sakura stared at the coffin in disbelief, sending chakra to her fingers to feel it out. She shuddered on first contact, immediately understanding who and what was inside.
She turned around and sprinted out the enclosure, panting like she couldn’t breathe. Once outside she used her chakra to get some indication as to how far Kakashi had gone and took off running in the opposite direction.
She barely made it three miles before she skidded to a stop, almost colliding face-first with an anbu mask. She hesitated confused, not sure in their eyes which side she was on.
“Are you here for me? Can you help?” Sakura asked in a shaky voice.
The woman paused, caught off-guard by the Godaime’s apprentices’ words.
“Haruno-sama, you left the village without permission early this morning. Was this against your will?”
It was Sakura’s turn to pause. Would this be selling Kakashi out?
“Well...”
She didn’t have time to debate her principles because Kakashi appeared behind the woman, slick as a shadow and with a speedy chop she was at their feet like a sack of potatoes.
When Sakura met Kakashi’s eyes there was a darkness she couldn’t quite make out.
“Okay, okay.” Laughing nervously, Sakura held up her hands in resignation. “I’ll come help heal your friend, just... just don’t hurt anyone else.”
Kakashi was silent but Sakura couldn’t take his stony exterior and turned away, walking stiffly back the way she had come.
A few paces in they froze as another anbu member appeared from the trees and Sakura opened her mouth to explain holding her hands up placatingly, but before she had a chance the man’s eyes went wide and foam from his mouth escaped the bottom of his mask, before he hit the ground with a thud.
Sakura shuddered as the thick, oppressive wave of a genjustu passed over her.
Kakashi without his Sharingan was just as powerful and terrifying as he was with.
But the fear lasted only a few second as she regained courage and spun around, slamming her fists on her teacher’s chest.
And from Sakura that shit actually hurt.
“You promised you wouldn’t hurt anyone!”
“I promised no such thing.” He hissed in a low voice.
Sakura turned away angrily, realising he was correct, but that only fuelled her anger at him. Because she had expected the answer to her earlier request to be a given.
“Huh, that’s funny,” she scoffed mirthlessly, “I guess I mistook you for the Kakashi that actually gave a fuck and didn’t even need to be asked.”
Launching into a sprint, Sakura was back at the enclosure in a few minutes, her extra speed fuelled by anger and frustration. Kakashi silently kept up with her, wordless as he entered behind her.
Glowing with a deep green like the colour of her eyes, Sakura drew her hands across the top of the coffin, breathing deeply as she tried to concentrate and calm her emotions.
It could have been hours or mere minutes that Sakura stood there pulling her chakra across the vessel and exploring deep inside with Kakashi a silent protective or restrictive - whichever way you looked at it - presence behind her.
After analysing the structure Sakura began to prod, slipping beneath the skin and using her energy to pull the tissue together and stitch the seams.
A firm hand on her shoulder shocked Sakura out of concentration, and she extricated herself from the inner view of the tissue she hand been focusing on and looked over her shoulder.
Kakashi was watching her with a concerned look on his face. The same Kakashi as always. Only then did she realise the sweat dripping down her face and soaking the small of her back. The breath seemed to leave her the second she stopped the flow of chakra to her hands, and she slumped forward, body heading for the ground.
Kakashi caught her against himself, holding her still while she caught her breath. Eventually when it became apparent Sakura wouldn’t be moving any further, he slipped his arms around her waist and hauled her up, moving her to the other side of the enclosure where he had at some point, laid out tarp and blankets as a makeshift bed. It was clear he had visited here more than once, and over a long period of time too.
It carried on like a routine, for several days Sakura pushed herself to the absolute brink of exhaustion whilst she healed. Kakashi said nothing, he knew her well enough to know when Sakura became determined like this there was no stopping her. All he could contribute in his silence, was support in the way of catching her when she fell and putting her to rest, waking her after a few hours and guiding her half asleep to eat, before she fell asleep, woke up and repeated the cycle again.
Guilt clawed at his heart like a cancer and the longer it went on, the deeper their silence became.
Till one night, Sakura who had aside from that first experience, been stopping of her own volition, fainted and Kakashi who had been nearby just barely made it to catch her. He gently laid her down onto the bedding but was surprised as his fingers brushed her skin. She was burning up. Ripping his gloves off and pushing her hair from her face, he pressed the back of his palm against her forehead, cursing under his breath at the heat of her skin.
Her body convulsed slightly, and he noticed she was shivering, sweat had been pouring out of her skin and now her wet clothes were sticking to her body, causing her to tremble from the cold. Hesitating he pulled back the cover, and carefully lifted her soaked shirt over her head, rapidly pulling off his flack jacket and long sleeve shirt. Taking great care not to jostle her too much, he pulled his long sleeve top over her, aching at how the fabric drowned her small frame.
His hands stopped at her exposed legs, fingers lingering at the waist band to her skirt and shorts. With light touches he could feel their dampness but was battling with himself on what to do. Eventually he withdrew his hands, rummaging instead for the cloak they had worn during their travels and wrapping it around her body tightly.
Appraising her still shivering form, Kakashi clad only in his sleeveless mask-attached under-top, climbed under the thin blanket, and settled next to his student. Awkward at first, he agonised over how to position himself, before eventually he managed to shift her onto her side and he his, turning over to envelop her, resting her head against his chest, and his legs tangled with hers.
He thought he would never sleep that night. From the worry, the stress and mostly the guilt.
Surprisingly however he was out like a light. It seemed with Sakura firmly tucked in his arms, he finally had the mental peace to close his eyes and enter a state of deep sleep for the first time in days.
---------
Sakura awoke to a persistent thudding against her ear. Thinking she had slept too heavily on one side, she shifted to try roll over, only to find her body pinned in place. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find her view blocked, that combined with the familiar scent of rain which she associated with her Sensei, Sakura looked up in surprise to find it was Kakashi who was pinning her.
Craning her neck upwards, her surprise quickly dissipated when she saw the look on Kakashi’s face. For days he had slept beside her, and while she had been borderline comatose most of the time, whenever she had woken briefly in the night, the look on Kakashi’s face always bothered on her.
Now was different. He seemed almost peaceful. His breathing steady and even, his eyebrows relaxed, his mouth...
Without thinking twice Sakura’s fingers crept up, carefully pinching the edge of the mask.
Slowly she inched the material down, anticipating some form of horrific revelation or divine retribution as she carried out what felt like borderline sacrilege. Instead, she was incredibly surprised at the completely normal soft, pink, top lip that appeared, contrasted by the dark of the mask as it cinched in the gap between his lips.
Sakura’s heart thudded in her chest, not quite wanting to admit to herself why her current view made her feel this way.
Glancing surreptitiously up at Kakashi before she made the final tug to reveal the rest of his no doubt completely normal and annoyingly handsome face, Sakura startled when her eyes met slate grey ones, half covered by long lashes.
Frozen like a delinquent caught in the middle of a crime, Kakashi moved so quick she didn’t have a chance to worry about being reprimanded. His eyes were wide with sudden awareness and swiftly he switched their positions, rolling Sakura onto her back so he could assess her with wide eyes.
Sakura could hardly breathe when, pushing his forehead protector and fringe out of the way, Kakashi leaned over and pressed his forehead against hers, checking her temperature.
She felt his warm breath across her cheeks as he sighed deeply in relief, realising belatedly she only felt it because she had pulled his mask half-off. Distracted by the fact, and with his face in better view on top of her, Sakura couldn’t stop herself reaching up and slipping her finger back into the edge.
Long fingers curled around her wrist stopped her, and she found her hand pinned above her head before she knew it. A smirk found its way onto her face. There were many things she couldn’t keep up with her teammates on, but competitiveness was not one of them. She stretched up across the short distance between them, tilting her head and daringly grabbing the edge of the mask between her teeth.
Even Kakashi didn’t know how to react, frozen as he was.
Pinching and pulling the material, she stopped when her lips brushed against his warm ones, the gravity of their closeness finally sinking in. Her teeth parted and the material slipped from between them, her lips still barely against his.
She didn’t know who started it. If she bridged that hairsbreadth gap or if he pushed down first, their slightly parted lips finally pressed together. It was gentle at first, his eyes closed as he seemed to sigh in almost relief, before the life returned to his eyes. Kakashi was back. The same Kakashi that was fire and fangs and cutting intelligence on the battlefield was viciously moving his lips against hers, heavy breaths barely escaping in between, before his hand not pinning her wrist grabbed her jaw and held it tight, coaxing it open. His tongue slipped in, hot and wet and then he froze. Almost as if he remembered what he was and who he was with.
He pulled back, his lips not wanting to separate from her swollen ones, but he only made it a handspan away from her before he found himself thrown sideways, flipped onto his back and pinned down by his student.
Sakura smirked darkly, she recognised his reaction, knew what he would do, and knew she wouldn’t let it happen. He wasn’t allowed to retreat now and act like nothing had happened. Not after that.
Pressing her lithe body against his, she leaned down and gently brushed her lips against his, parting them only to draw her tongue across his lower lip before she pressed down in a fierce kiss. He resisted valiantly for all of ten seconds, before his lips parted, his mouth opened, and he gasped as he let her in. Strong hands grasped the thighs straddling his wait, squeezing the soft flesh as his mouth was ravaged. Unable to take inactivity anymore, one hand reached up and around her back, threading his fingers in her soft hair and tilting her head to the side whilst he moved his mouth down, biting her bottom lip, nipping along her jaw, drawing a wet trail down to her neck where his teeth pinched sharply before sucking on the reddened skin.
It seemed to be a weak spot for Sakura as a shaky exhale mixed with a soft moan escaped her. She craned her neck further to the side to give him better access, whilst her body naturally melded closer against his, her hips rubbing against his and oh sweet heavens did she just grind against her sensei’s-
Sakura’s thought process was interrupted as her body lilted to the side and was overtaken with a numbness and tingling that was most definitely not pleasure.
“Kaka-” Sakura gasped; the light-headed sensation combined with Kakashi assaulting her neck was proving too much to think around.
Clumsily she managed to extricate one hand from his chest and slide it up to her neck where she all but slapped it across his face. For a moment Kakashi hadn’t caught up and his tongue slid against her hand and between her fingers and oh my god that’s way sexier than it has any right to be and maybe it’ll be ok if I let him keep going and pass out like this...
But it was too late, Kakashi had caught up and awareness was bright in his eyes though understandably not yet down below. He leaned up on his elbows, his hands immediately circling her face, tilting her head towards him so he could assess her.
“M’ok,” Sakura mumbled, dropping her head against the palms holding her cheeks. “Just a bit faint,” she sighed breathlessly.
“Sakura.” His voice was thick with emotion and rough around the edges in a way she had never heard it before. “I’m so-”
Sakura interrupted him, fingers covering his mouth as she rested her head more fully on his shoulder, her voice muffled by his body, “Don’t. It was me too.”
He was silent as he manoeuvred her body to be more comfortable on him, but Sakura could practically hear his guilt and worry.
“Just... help feed me some water.” Kakashi sat them both carefully up, bringing the canteen to her lips and guiding her to drink. Sakura couldn’t help but marvel at the strangeness of it, they had gone from anger on her part and silence on his end, to passionately making out, with no discussions or resolution of conflict in between. The weirdest thing of all was how natural it had been. And how much she hadn’t wanted it to end. Sakura had no idea she had such inclinations towards Kakashi till now. Sure, there had been the odd thought here and there, but it had never been something manifestable in reality. Judging from the deep, bewildered concentration on Kakashi’s face, it seemed he felt the same way. Behind his upfront concern for her, it seemed he too was contemplating what had just happened and why they had reacted the way they had.
Granted, she was still very much cradled in his lap with her head resting on his shoulder, so maybe now really wasn’t the time for such musings.
Sakura didn’t move till she felt truly stable and ready and Kakashi didn’t hurry her either. A part of her feared the distance he would put between them the second she was on her feet, and so she revelled in the attention as he carefully helped her sip water and supported her sluggish body against his own. After the last week of painful awkwardness and distance between them, this was a welcome excuse for closeness, and Sakura enjoyed it so much she had to hold herself back from snuggling against his neck and chest.
Eventually she felt stable enough to raise her head, and she did so tentatively, pausing for a moment whilst the ringing in her ears passed. Nodding to herself once, she looked up at Kakashi who had been watching her intently.
“Help me up.”
Wordlessly he slipped his hands around her slim waist as he crouched and gradually brought himself into a standing position, carefully bringing her with him.
Once up, she leaned heavily against him as the blood rushed through her body, and while she waited for the sensation to settle Sakura was reminded of Kakashi’s tall, lean form as she pressed against him. Clad only in his undershirt, his muscles stood out through the thin material, his naked arms even more so.
Since when did Kakashi get so hot? Or more like why has it taken me so long to notice!
Sakura sighed at the blindness of her youth, wasted away on trivial teenage boys that never returned her affection or valued her abilities.
And yet here was someone who valued her enough to kidnap her and use her for a top-secret project which he had asked of no one else. To Sakura, who had always been kept in the dark, always the last to know, she felt almost honoured by the inclusion, if it hadn’t been shrouded in such secrecy.
Returning to the matter at hand, Sakura slowly stepped away from Kakashi and towards the chrysalis, her fingers gently stretching out. A firm hand around her wrist stopped her and Sakura looked up at Kakashi who bore an angered, agonised expression.
“That’s enough!” He bit out between clenched teeth, and Sakura could tell he was angrier at himself for making her do this than he was with her for wanting to continue.
Sakura smiled softly, turning her wrist around and slipping her hand into his. Gently she turned his hand over so her palm lay atop his.
“It is.” Sakura began in a quiet voice. “It’s enough. This is the best I can do; the rest is down to nature and him to finish the process.” Sakura looked at Kakashi meaningfully, spreading the glow of chakra through both their hands so he could see what she saw too.
“I’m sure you knew this already when you bought him to such a place, but this chrysalis heals at its own rate, we cannot control it. I’ve repaired the structural damage to the organic form of the capsule and connected his body to it, so it should start to work now.”
Kakashi’s eyes were tight as she continued, glistening from the reflected light of her chakra. “It could take months, years or even decades for it to draw from nature all the energy it needs and naturally heal his body. Now there is nothing more we can do.”
“I know.” As Sakura had thought Kakashi did understand the workings of the chrysalis, and if it wasn’t Kakashi then she would be surprised he was willing to wait and even miss the revival of his friend. As it were, she knew all it really matter to him was that he lived eventually, be it now or in many years, that one day he would get to live the normal life they had, and that he had missed out on.
Kakashi’s voice was quiet as he spoke, withdrawing his hand from beneath hers.
“Thank you, Sakura.” His head was low and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Sakura placed her fingertips on the edge of his jaw, the dim light casting shadows on his handsome, distraught face.
“If you had just asked, I would have done it. If you had just told me from the start.”
“I know.” Kakashi replied, voice low.
A slow smile spread across her face as she drew closer to him, speaking his true intentions aloud, “But you didn’t ask because if we were caught, you didn’t want me to be held accountable.”
“Oh Kakashi.”
Kakashi looked away, swallowing thickly, he replied, “I’m sorry Sakura. For everything.”
Slipping her hands around his waist, she hugged him tightly until he put his arms around her. Drawing back slightly she touched his face delicately, her expression one of deep empathy.
“I am so sorry for you Kakashi, for everything you went through, and for dealing with this alone.”
It was the first time anyone had ever acknowledged Kakashi’s losses, even months after the war was finished and over, due to his laidback disposition no one ever realised how much he had suffered, how much he had lost.
With a fierceness she wasn’t expecting, Kakashi returned her hug tightly, burying his face in her hair, his tall form trembling. Sakura rubbed his back soothingly, returning the embrace with as much strength as she could muster, feeling like it was only her arms holding the pieces of this man together.
Eventually he pulled back, pressing his forehead against Sakura’s, he whispered a thanks against her lips before he drew away.
Placing a hand on the chrysalis Kakashi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and uttered, “Goodbye Obito,” before turning away.
Within minutes they were packing their stuff and clearing away their bedding, ready to leave.
Suddenly Sakura froze, a very obvious realisation dawning.
“Did-did you change me?”
Kakashi rolled his eyes at her, “That’s what your worried about?”
Considering this for a moment, Sakura conceded with a shrug, “fair point,” and returned to packing.
The journey back to Konoha was far less stressful and they took it at a relaxed, sedate pace; though a knot of anxiety did sit in the pit of Sakura’s stomach at what would happen upon their return.
“Hokage-sama!”
Sakura snapped her neck around at the sound, searching for the voice and its direction which seemed to be them?
“Hokage!?” Sakura turned incredulously towards Kakashi.
It all made sense. He wanted to square of all his debts before taking on the heavy title of hokage, which had been his teammates dream.
Sakura smiled to herself, shaking her head in disbelief, as she went over to the desk to sign her name in for leaving and returning, then quietly snuck away leaving Kakashi to deal with Shikamaru’s badgering. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Kakashi, head slightly bowed as he sheepishly apologised and offered a half-hearted explanation.
She made it only a block away before she was pulled into a secluded area between buildings, and before she could yelp in surprise Kakashi’s familiar face came into view. She opened her mouth to protest, a million questions on her lips, but closed it, knowing Kakashi would explain when he was ready or knowing him probably never.
As she stared silently at him for those few seconds, she struggled to decipher his expression. It was… soft almost?
Kakashi’s gloved hands circled her face, the warm tips of his fingers brushing her cheekbones. Her eyes fell to his lips, though she could not see them as he leaned close and whispered in low voice, slightly rough around the edges, “Thank you”.
She felt the gentle press of his warm lips against her forehead, lingering only for a moment extra, before she looked up and he was gone in a swirl of leaves.
Sakura chuckled to herself, the madness of the past few days starting to settle in as was the now glaring fact that she apparently had a massive crush on not only her Sensei, but also her village’s hokage.
Well, she shrugged to herself in thought as she continued the trek back to her apartment, at the very least he probably has a crush on me too.
Summary: Ino confronts Kakashi about both of them watching Sakura from afar.
Notes: For @kanamesharisenwrites for the Kakashi Lounge 30 Minutes to Dog Days of Summer gift exchange. Hope you like it! This complete story was done in 30 minutes, so excuse any mistakes!
Sneak-Peak:
She leans against the side of the stand by his side and offers him a sip of her tall glass of iced tea. Kakashi is not thirsty, but takes it nonetheless, the liquid refreshing and sweet when it goes down his throat. Trust is built, they say.
“You are not as subtle as you think you are,” she says while he is still holding the glass, and honestly, if she is trying to unsettle him, she is doing one hell of a job. “For a shinobi of your caliber, it’s a bit sad, actually.”
I finally took enough courage and posted my first story on Ao3. It’s a Naruto AU fic centered around Temari and Shikamaru’s ship (and mostly around the character of Temari cause I basically love her and it’s her week, so I thought it proper). The story is settled in modern Japan and it delves with a bunch of different topics and genres. It has a lot of references to Japanese mythology as well as a nod to Japanese culture and history. Besides it was inspired by the various believes around the world over the existence and by the movie Wings of Desire. So yeah, it was quite a risky shot to elaborate something with such a heavy basis in it’s theoretical content but I ended up falling in love with the idea of the story. I just hope my selection of words can make it justice and make it us interesting for readers as it is for me.
Hopefully, this will lead me to create more content for the platform. I have so many ideas running in my head and if there are people that enjoy reading them it’s just more than I could ask for.
Here I leave you the summary of the story. If you want and can give it a shot I would be more than grateful. Any advise, criticism and recommendation is also more than welcomed. Have a nice day!
Summary
What would happen if you were an spirit of death? Those beings in charge of guiding those souls in sorrow to their ultimate and, mostly, not that well regarded death. Wander through the earth, observing the human world, watching over them till the awaited moment where they’ll meet their end, that final breath.
What would happen if you become fond of them? If you grow to care for them, maybe even love? What if you find yourself captivated by one of them, even though you know you shouldn’t? Even though you know she’ll die, in a violent and bloody manner, and that you’ll be the one there when it happens, to take with you her soul for the final judgement.
But it's inevitable. It’ll happen either now or in a distant future. So, why stop it? After all, death is unavoidable, inescapable.
