Dinner and Unexpected Chaos
~1,288 words
Summary: After a week of careful, awkward morning rituals, Kakashi finally invites Suna to dinner at Yakiniku Q. The date is going smoothly until a familiar, loud trio—Asuma, Kurenai, and Anko—crashes the party, resulting in a shocking, tackle-hug reunion that reveals Suna is not as new to Konoha's wild side as Kakashi thought.
The established morning routine continued for the rest of the week, with slight but meaningful variations. Tuesday brought a brief discussion about a new dango flavor. Wednesday featured a shared complaint about the overly complex naming conventions at Chakrabucks. Thursday, Suna laughed harder than usual when Pakkun, materializing silently from Kakashi’s shoulder, executed a surprise jump-scare on Bisuke, who was resting by Kakashi’s feet. Bisuke yelped and bolted to the opposite side of the park, and Pakkun calmly settled into the now-vacated spot next to Kakashi, looking quite pleased with his dominance. Each day, the distance between them shrank by an inch, replaced by a comfortable, quiet familiarity.
On Friday morning, Kakashi felt a distinct shift in the air, a blend of anxiety and anticipation that surpassed any S-rank mission briefing. He had planned this, reviewed it, and still felt utterly unprepared.
This was it.
He waited until Meatball and Bisuke were mid-tussle and Pakkun was fully absorbed in his sun-drenched nap. Suna stood leaning against the wall, her thumb tracing a slow circle on the Chakrabucks logo printed on the paper cup holder.
This was it.
“Suna-san,” Kakashi started, his voice coming out unnervingly steady.
Her eyes, warm hazel and now easily meeting his, lifted from her cup. “Yes, Kakashi-san?”
He cleared his throat, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets. “I was wondering... since you’re officially settled back in the village now, and since we’ve managed to successfully navigate four and a half mornings of awkward dog park etiquette together...” He paused, and a small, shared chuckle escaped them both at the truth of his statement. “would you consider joining me for dinner this evening? I was thinking Yakiniku Q.”
“Yakiniku Q?” Suna blinked, a momentary flicker of surprise passing over her tired features. Then, a genuine, delighted smile—one that reached her eyes—widened. “That’s a very polite invitation, Kakashi-san. I’d like that very much.”
“Great,” he said, feeling an entirely unwarranted rush of victory. He chose Yakiniku Q because tending the barbecue would hopefully make any silences less awkward. “Is seven too late?”
“Seven is perfect.” She gave him a slight nod, her smile broadening. Her watch alarm chirped, a familiar sound. Then a final, warm smile before whistling for Meatball, "See you later Kakashi-san" she bowed, her usual abrupt departure softened by the promise of the evening. Leaving Kakashi with a racing pulse and a suddenly very judgmental pug.
Kakashi walked home in a daze, tossing his flak jacket onto the small table by the door.
Dinner.
With Suna.
He hadn’t felt this nervous since... well, since never, really.
"So," Pakkun's gruff voice cut through his thoughts. Kakashi looked down at his pug, who was now perched on the armrest of his armchair, fixing him with a knowing stare. "Finally made a move, huh? About time."
Kakashi sighed. "Pakkun, please."
"What? I'm just saying. All that lurking and 'blending in' with us dogs. It was getting embarrassing." Pakkun paused, then added, "She must have terrible taste in men, though. Honestly, the silent, brooding type? It's so cliché."
"You're not helping Pakkun…" Kakashi muttered, rubbing his temple. He was, surprisingly, actually nervous. What did one even talk about on a dinner… get-together? Was it a date? He hadn't been on a 'date' in… well, he didn't even know. He realized they hadn't discussed anything deeper than their dogs and the weather. What would he talk about for a full dinner?
"Just be yourself," Pakkun advised, then snorted. "No, wait. Don't be yourself. Maybe try a little less Icha Icha Paradaisu tonight, eh?"
Kakashi ignored him, heading towards the shower. This was going to be an interesting evening.
Seven o’clock. Kakashi swore under his breath as he checked the clock. He was late already. Rookie mistake. He sprinted through the streets, mentally rehearsing apologies.
He skidded to a halt outside Yakiniku Q. Relief washed over him as he scanned the windows. She was just arriving, her raspberry hair a vibrant splash of color against the dimming light. She seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, perhaps just as rushed as he was. She had changed out of her uniform and was now wearing black skinny pants, a dark gray fitted shirt with a long open front cardigan. Kakashi, regretting his decision to go out in his standard Jōnin flak jacket and dark shirt, felt instantly underdressed and foolish.
Their eyes met, and a sheepish smile spread across her face. "Oh, Kakashi-san! Sorry I'm late! I'm still getting used to navigating around town."
"No, no, my apologies, Suna-san. I just got here myself," he replied, thankful for their shared tardiness.
They settled at a table with an integrated barbecue pit, the shared sense of being slightly rushed creating an immediate, comfortable camaraderie. They discussed village life, her long assignments away, and even shared a few amusing anecdotes about their dogs, the easy work of grilling the meat serving as a natural distraction whenever a silence threatened to linger.
Their laughter was light and easy. After finishing their meal, Suna wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I think this is my new favorite restaurant in the village! Thanks, Kakashi."
“My pleasure,” he answered. “Would you be up for a drink somewhere else? There's a quiet little place not far from here.”
"I'd love to," she agreed, her eyes sparkling.
They walked side by side, their conversation continuing effortlessly. They found a quiet corner booth at a cozy Izakaya, the low lighting setting a perfect intimate mood.
As the sake began to flow, however, the guards began to drop.
“You know,” Suna murmured, swirling the clear liquid in her cup, “I spent so long watching other people live their lives, charting their routines, learning their fears, that I forgot how to have my own. Just sitting here, watching the lights reflect on the smoke... it’s foreign, but nice.”
“It’s a different kind of mission,” Kakashi agreed quietly. “Living without a mask.”
Her eyes, suddenly intense, met his across the low table. “You’d know all about masks, wouldn’t you?” she challenged gently, a ghost of her morning mischief returning.
He gave a soft, conceding eye-smile. “I’m still working on that briefing.”
The sudden influx of noise, confidence, and sheer, loud presence caused every head in the room to swivel. Standing in the doorway were Hatake Kakashi’s peers: Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Mitarashi Anko, who was already halfway across the room, shouting.
“Kurenai, I told you that new dango flavor was a terrible idea! Too much sesame, not enough sweetness!” Anko declared, before her eyes landed squarely on Suna.
Anko froze. The massive, raucous smile vanished instantly, replaced by wide-eyed shock. Suna, who had been mid-sentence, went utterly still, the color draining from her face.
A moment of agonizing silence stretched across the bar, broken only by the crackle of Asuma’s cigarette.
“...You,” Anko breathed, her voice a low, rough whisper. Then, with a scream that defied the laws of physics, she launched herself across the intervening tables and chairs. “SUNA YAMISORA, YOU SON OF A–!”
The reunion was violent, loud, and utterly unrestrained. Anko tackled Suna, wrapping her into a tight, nearly crushing embrace while simultaneously punching her in the shoulder with surprising affection. Suna shrieked and hugged back with equal force, and the two friends scrambled to their feet, dissolving into a fit of raw, relieved laughter.
“Anko! I knew that smell of burnt sugar and questionable life choices had to be you!” Suna shouted back, pulling away just long enough to smack Anko hard on the arm.
Anko demanded, "What the hell are you doing back? I thought you were never coming back to the Leaf! You're still causing trouble, I hope?"
"Not since the day I left your side," Suna laughed. She turned to Kakashi, whose visible eye was wide with bewildered astonishment. "So Kakashi-san, you know Anko? We were trouble-making classmates back at the Academy."
Anko immediately clapped on Suna’s shoulder, giving her a quick, hard pat. She then leaned in close to Suna’s ear and muttered, “So you finally went for the quiet, mysterious type, tsk! Suna, you’re predictable!” Anko then turned to Asuma and Kurenai. "Guys, come here! This is Suna. She’s the only other person in the village who knows how to sneak into the Hokage Kitchens without getting caught!"
The small table instantly became crowded. As Kakashi made room for the newcomers, he found Suna now seated immediately beside him. He privately thanked his peers for the sudden, unexpected chaos, which resulted in having her so close. Suna handled the intrusion effortlessly. She was initially polite with Kurenai and Asuma, but quickly matched Anko's chaotic energy, laughing loudly at their jokes. She was a natural, blending her own brand of funny, outrageous storytelling with their established camaraderie.
As the conversation evolved, Suna leaned into Kakashi, her hand casually settling on his lap under the table. The warmth of her touch was a sudden, intense jolt that sent a shockwave through him. Kakashi froze, the loud conversation around him fading into a distant hum. It felt like a genjutsu, dragging him into a reality where only the electric warmth of her hand existed.
Suna looked up at him, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief, her finger drawing a slow, deliberate circle on the fabric of his pants. She whispered, her voice a soft murmur that only he could hear, "So, Kakashi-san, what do you think...?"
He blinked, lost in the feeling of her touch. He had no idea what she was talking about. He just nodded, his throat suddenly dry. "Yeah, sounds great," he mumbled, his voice a little hoarse.
Her hand left his lap, as she ordered another round of sake and the spell broke. The sound came rushing back—Anko’s cackle, Asuma’s deep laugh, the clinking of glasses. Shaking his head slightly to clear the fog, he grabbed his cup of sake and threw himself back into the conversation.
The Suna who wrestled her best friend on the sticky floor of a bar, who was loud, who smelled like sake and genuine, unmasked joy, was entirely new. He was fascinated. He had spent the entire evening carefully breaking down Suna’s walls, only for Anko to smash them down in thirty seconds flat.
This was the light, the warmth, Suna had talked about protecting in her heart—and seeing her fully immersed in it, unguarded, solidified Kakashi's newfound, inconvenient attraction.
When Anko started recounting a wild story from her Genin days, Suna leaned forward, a conspiratorial glint in her eyes. "Oh, you think that's bad?" she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "On a previous assignment, we had to pose as a traveling circus... and my act was the escape artist." She then proceeded to spin a completely absurd, over-the-top tale of escaping from a cage full of venomous scorpions, all with a straight face, making even the cynical Anko howl with laughter.
As the sake flowed, Kurenai and Asuma took great delight in sharing some of Kakashi's most embarrassing moments from their early years. There was the time he got hopelessly lost on a mission he was leading, the time he tried to use a genjutsu on a giant hornet's nest only to enrage it, and his legendary inability to cook a proper meal without setting off the smoke alarm. Kakashi laughed, feigning annoyance as he tried to explain himself, but even he had to admit the stories were funny.
Suna, now completely comfortable, laughed along with them. She leaned over and playfully poked Kakashi's arm. "So, you're the great Copy Ninja, but you can't copy a recipe?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.
The teasing was easy, natural. As she laughed and joked with his friends, it felt as if they had known each other for years, not just a few days. The line between stranger and friend had been completely erased. For Kakashi, who had spent so long building walls, it was both a terrifying and an exhilarating feeling. He realized he was looking not at a potential dinner partner, but at a puzzle box he desperately wanted to solve.
