Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character as much as I would love to have a few of them hidden in my closet. They all belong to Mr. Kishimoto. Any of the characters you may not recognize of the canon story belong to me.

A Second Chance

By Shihori

Their Circumstances

Dancing on the streets was something Guy would do, and Kakashi would have objected to it if Guy, Tenma and Asuma were not so drunk it would be pointless. Music filled the streets and fireworks boomed above the village. Sandaime and Yondaime had declared the war over a week ago and the entire village had looked forward to tonight's celebration. Those out on the field had returned to the village and were accounted for.

When those three broke into song, Kakashi kept a good distance from them. Unlike his friends, drinking tonight had far from lightened his spirits. Hands in pockets, he turned left and walked away from the main street, away from all the noise and the embarrassing trio.

Kakashi walked for a long time, not noticing where his feet led him.

"I guess I'm not the only one here after all."

He looked up, recognizing her voice. "Akiha." He stepped closer, "Why is it that we never meet in broad daylight?"

She laughed, "That's an odd question Kakashi." She took a step back and scrunching her nose. "You reek of sake. Even you would get caught up in the festivities huh?"

"It's a fair question." He said, looking around somewhat disoriented. Part of him wanted to go home and sleep off his bad mood, while the other part wanted to head to the cemetery and never leave it again.

However, he had found a distraction. "Every time we meet you're walking around in the dark or pressed between something and someone."

The moment the words left his mouth he wanted to take it back, even more so when he felt her recoil from him.

"After tonight, don't ever drink Hatake." Akiha began walking towards the way he had arrived. "It brings out the asshole in you."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry." With a sigh, he added, "That was-"

"It doesn't matter." She pulled her hand back and when he tightened his grip, she sighed. "What's the matter?"

He frowned, studying her annoyed face. "Am I the only one?"

"The only one what?" She asked.

"The only one feeling lost." He looked behind him, where the music was loud and villagers were happily celebrating. "It's been so long. Lost so many."

"You're not the only one who has lost someone." Akiha pointed out as she tried to pull her arm away again, unsuccessfully, and added, "You should count your blessings Hatake, like everyone else instead of moping now when it is finally over."

"Why did you take that mission?" He suddenly blurted out.

Akiha swallowed with difficulty at that question. That mission had cost her a lot more than she wanted to admit. It had gone wrong in so many ways after it had seemed she would make it out unscathed. Despite being warned that a rescue was not likely if things did not go to plan, she had taken it on, believing it was a necessary evil. And they did rescue her for the sake of the information, not before she was taught what the enemy could do to female enemy spies.

When she pleaded to be killed already, it seemed that would be the only relief that would be denied to her. Then the team sent to retrieve her had arrived and she had been extracted, not without cost. Ibiki, the only person she considered a friend, had been captured and when he returned, something had died in him.

A lot had been lost besides lives, but Akiha refused to give it hold of her life.

"I received orders," She said, glaring at him. "Just like you still do I'm sure. Are we going to argue about this now Hatake-san? Because this cannon fodder is pretty tired of fighting."

Kakashi winced as if she had hit him. He shook his head, letting go of her wrist. Her hand fell back and he immediately missed the warmth of her hand. He felt frozen from head to toes. "I shouldn't have brought this up."

Rubbing his face over the mask and the forehead protector covering his left eye, he added. "Sulking while drunk. That's not what I normally do after a few cups."

"I think you went over a few." She pointed out still reeling from his impertinence. "You should head on home and sleep it off."

"Which way are you going?" He asked, not wanting to watch her walk away again.

Akiha sighed, telling herself it was pointless to stay mad at a drunkard. She rubbed her arms before crossing them over her chest. "Home. I had a long talk with mom and did not notice the time. It's pretty chilly for a summer night."

"Your house burnt down." He pointed out. Back then he had wondered what had happened to her after he left her that day.

"I have an apartment now." She said in a deadpan tone.

It was clear to him she did not feel comfortable with him right now and part of him wanted to let her go so he could stop being an ass to her for no good reason. The other wanted to keep her with him as long as he could.

Kakashi had not dealt with the way he felt betrayed when Yondaime told him what was going to happen with Akiha. Yondaime had explained how her chakra type made her the best candidate to gather that intel, but it did not make him less resentful of the whole situation and its players, including Yondaime.

The only reason he received an explanation was because Yondaime had heard from the rumor mill what had happened only that morning. He did not have to inform him of her mission, but he respected his former student that much. It had taken him a while to reconcile in his mind with his sensei. Yondaime had realized that much, giving him the space needed.

He did not know how long he had been lost in his thoughts but her exasperated sigh made him look up at her. When she smiled at him, he could tell she was going to attempt to take the high road and end their pointless spat.

"It's been a long time Kakashi. How about I treat you to a hot meal? I do owe you one."

"Do you?" He frowned, trying to remember.

"Its a very old debt." Akiha laughed, "But it's a debt all the same."

Reaching out to him, she pulled on the sleeve of his uniform and forced him to start walking. "Come on. I feel like donburi."

Food was the last thing in his mind but he followed her all the same. If she had not crossed his path, he would have continued the train of thought that had led him down the path to the cemetery. He had done his part to end the war. Konoha had taken all he could give already. He wanted to be done with his shinobi life. In the past few months somehow he had lost the confidence he had held on to tightly. For some reason, her company was what he craved now like a famished man.'

They did not speak on their way to the restaurant. The streets had been packed with people, so she took lead and pulled him along by the sleeve. Akiha ordered everything for take-out, preferring to eat at a quiet spot.

When he added a pair of bottles of sake to the order, she gave him grief, but all he did was shrug it off. Bags in hand they found a good spot on Shodai Hokage's headband to watch the second wave of fireworks of the night.

"Gods, I'm freezing!" She exclaimed, cracking open the container with his order of soba noodles. "But this is an awesome spot." She added as a dragon exploded into the sky.

As she pulled her container out, he heard her sing to herself and if he was not mistaken, wiggled her hips slightly, "Donburi, donburi...o-ya-ko donburi!"

Kakashi burst out laughing at that. "How old are you?"

"I would like to know too." She said with a cheeky grin as the chopsticks on her hands came apart.

Kakashi chuckled as she dug into the bowl and her face lit even more as she savored the meal. Looking at his own, he figured they were far away from any crowd and pulled down his mask and leaned back on the stone to comfortably eat his noodles.

"I think I owe you once more." He said as she leaned back on the stone too.

Akiha looked at him and smiled at him mockingly. "What imaginary thing did I do now, that makes you in my debt?"

For keeping me from following on my father's steps.

Kakashi opened up the sake bottle. He doubted she would not know what he was referring to since it was common knowledge how the White Fang had died, so he did not voice his thoughts.

"Is that really a good idea?" She asked while giving the sake bottle a concerned look. "I brought you here to sober you up, not make you wasted."

"I did not eat earlier." He pointed out and waved the bottle between them. "It will warm you up."

"Thanks but if you trip from here in your drunken stupor I would like to be the sober person who says I told you so." She grinned and returned to her food, occasionally taking sips from the flask of water she'd carried in her bag.

As soon as they finished eating, she placed it all back in the take out bags, except for his second bottle of sake.

"Did you mean you owe me because of dinner?" She asked suddenly, uncrossing her legs at the ankles and bringing them to her chest. "Or for distracting you from your sullen mood?"

"Take a guess." He asked, taking the last drink from the first bottle.

"Those were my guesses." She said, resting her chin on her arms over the knees. "Hey!" She suddenly sat up again and gave him an suspicious glare. "Better not be because I treated you to dinner. I fully expect you to return the favor if we meet in the dark again in a grouchy mood."

Kakashi knew he had to feel ashamed for earlier but the way she threw it at his face was too funny, or he was too relaxed -not drunk, with sake. He braced himself against his propped knee as he laughed it out of his system.

"Hey," She said in a surly tone, "You're making me imagine you rolling off this ledge."

"I'm not going to apologize again." He said between chuckles, turning his face to her, "But I'll treat you next time we meet in daylight."

Akiha rested her head sideways on her knees, meeting his eyes with hers. "Sounds like a deal to me, Tensai-kun."

"We have a deal Second." He said, chuckling at the annoyance in her eyes and the slight pout. "Stop calling me that and I'll stop calling you Second."

She straightened up and leaned closer. "That's not fair. You got called a genius, which is not a lie, by everyone. I have no idea why you call me Second."

"Hmm..." He pretended to think about it as he opened the second bottle and said, "Maybe one day I'll clue you into it."

Rolling her eyes, she huffed and leaned back. "Oh well. One day you better fess up and not to my grave."

The drink he had just taken burned on its way down his throat. In his chest, unreasonable anger bloomed from those words. After all, he knew how far gone she had been when the rescue team had brought her back to the village. He had even visited her after Yondaime had let him know, but she was heavily sedated then. Unable to deal with what he saw in that hospital bed, he had not gone to see her again.

A passing thought crossed his mind about being too drunk as he brought the bottle back to his lips but her words rang in his ears. Death -hers- anyone's, was a thought he did not want to ponder about anymore. Not tonight.

Reaching out, he brought her back from her thoughts and pulled her closer by the neck.

Surprised, she began to form a question but he took advantage of that half second and pressed his mouth to hers. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he forced her to drink from his mouth. At the taste of the rice liquor, she tried to push him away. He knew he was being all kinds of an ass as he ignored her attempts to break away from him, but what had began as a drunken, angry kiss was making him wish for more, right then and there. To hell with everything.

With his other arm he pulled her against him, keeping her in place with the hand at her neck. A small sob escaped between their lips. Instead of letting her go his hold on her tightened.

Give in, he silently pleaded, Just give in.

He wanted to believe that if he was truly hurting her, other than her pride, she would have bitten off his tongue by now and made a bloody mess of him.

The hands gripping his uniform sweater unfurled at last and caressed his neck instead of strangling it. He loosened his grip on her, and tentatively he began to be gentler at her mouth. Nipping at her lower lip a few times, he risked pulling back and looking at her face. When all she did was frown at him but not push him away, he decided he could not apologize for this.

Her hands slid up over the bunched up mask at his neck and while one went around to touch his hair, the other gently touched his lips. "We will regret this." She whispered.

"I have many regrets. This minute, I do not care." He said and sucked in her forefinger.

A gasp escaped her lips. Pulling her finger out, she leaned in for a kiss. Kakashi slid his hands down from her waist to cup her ass, bringing her closer and leaned against the stone again. She needed no more encouragement to straddle his lap and mold herself to him.

Kakashi found the knot holding the fabric belt around her waist and undid it. She pulled back from his lips then and reached over the left shoulder of the dress and undid the clasps hidden under the embroidery. He watched her part the dress to reveal the matching pair of black underwear underneath. He was particularly mesmerized by the lace cups restraining her breasts.

She then reached around his head to untie his headband, allowing him to see her with both eyes. When she traced the scar over his eye, he realized he actually felt comfortable with her in every way. Usually he did not allow women to touch that particular scar. In fact when he met the few women he enjoyed having sex with, he would keep that eye covered with an eye patch. But with her, he had no concern for that scar or the eye. All he worried about was how to enjoy her the most.

Leaning in, she kissed the scar under the eye and smiled encouragingly at him.

His hands snaked from her rear onto the skin of her waist. Coming closer he nibbled at her chin, tasting some of the sake on her skin there. Following the liquor trail down her neck until it ended where the blouse's collar had been, he continued sucking and nibbling at her delicate skin. Between half closed eyes he could see the blush on her skin, deepen in color. It thrilled him to know he was causing it –the blush and the gasps coming from her swollen lips, but most importantly he loved the slow undulation of her hips over his.

Undoing the clasp on the band, he set it aside as he made his way downward with his lips. He had felt the welts on her back on that particular area, but it did not matter how her body had changed since their last encounter. All that matter was to get reacquainted with it. His hands moved under her breasts, pushing them up slightly.

Her hands played with his hair as she waited. He could feel it on the rapid pulse under her skin, but just as he got closer, he denied them the pleasure for a moment more. Looking up at her, he could not help but chuckle at the rebellious glint in her eyes.

"I want to take my time with them." He said, "But I want to be fair to you."

"Have I asked for it?" She said impatiently. "You do know we're in plain view of the entire village. Someone is bound to come check who's up here."

He laughed and proceeded to take off his shirt. He arranged it as best as he could on the spot where she had been sitting moments earlier. "Your dress won't be noticed but my black getup will be, and they'll definitely come to check, so let's make the most of it before I'm yelled at to pull my pants back up."

Akiha burst out laughing at that reminder. "Wonder if it will be a rookie or a senior that gets that honor?"

"I don't know." He leaned in to give her shoulder a quick nibble and then lifted her off his lap. She sat down on his shirt, keeping her knees together, and smiling up at him. He knelt at her feet, watching his fill and letting her watch what she wanted.

Now why do I find that more alluring with her than when the others do it, he wondered as he undid the fastenings of the standard issue weapons belt and pants.

Bending down, he kissed each knee first before pulling them apart with his hands. One hand trailed down a calf while the other lifted her leg by the ankle to nibble at the corner between knee and the back of it. The tension on her leg muscles and the small gasp, let him know what he had been wondering was correct and decided to play with that area later.

"Kakashi..." She said in a pleading tone. "Please stop teasing me."

Setting her foot down again he chuckled as he moved over her. "I look forward to you saying that again later." Looking down at her breasts, he smiled at the dark pebbles, pointed slightly to the sides. The chill in the air and their previous petting had done its work so it was time for him to enjoy them.

"Later?" She asked, confused.

"Definitely." He said, cupping the left breast and licking the pebbled nipple slowly bringing a low groan from her. Smiling at the sudden press of her legs at his hips, he said, "Later." And began suckling the nipple steadily while the other got pinched and pulled.

"Ah!" Akiha gasped when he bit down, not so gently. "Kakashi!"

He could spend hours just teasing her breasts only to hear her moan and feel her squirm under him, but once that mental note was made, he decided his cock could not take much longer of her moaning without causing some of its own. Parting for the moment from her chest, not without making sure the nipples were quite wet and painfully aroused, he moved from between her legs to lie down next to her. As if by habit, her knees came back together, leaving just a V shape for him to see of her underwear.

Her eyes, half dazed searched for his, and the silent question in them made him smile. "The midnight fireworks will start soon."

Again she frowned at him, "You were keeping track of that?"

Chuckling he kissed her, teasing her tongue into his mouth. Keeping it short he pulled back and kissed her earlobe. "It seems we are yet to be noticed up here." He said and nibbled at it, "But before we move on, I want to get you to promise me something."

"What is it?" She asked, somewhat amused.

"If someone finds us here, you're not going to tell me you won't come home with me." He grinned as she laughed. The sound of her laugh had pretty much the same effect in him as her moans. "I'm not letting you tell me you've lost interest."

"Or that you can't scratch my itch?" She turned to her side and caressed the dips and hardness of his chest and abdomen, only to stop at the edge of the undone pants. "I promise I won't leave you hanging."

Leaning in close, she pressed her lips to his left pectoral and closed her teeth on the skin. Giving the nipple a quick lick she looked up and said softly, "Now, will you please fuck me?"

Without reply, he stood up to step out of the pants and enjoyed the hunger in her eyes as she looked at him. "Lie on the other side, facing that way." He said as he lied down next to her again.

She did as told, lifting her head when he slipped his forearm under her neck. "Don't you want me to take off the rest of my clothes?" She asked as he pressed his chest to her back and hard cock to her ass.

Nibbling at her ear and neck he said, "If someone does come check on Shodaime's no longer pristine headband, I would prefer to keep them from seeing you fully naked." He ran his free hand over her breasts and soft abdomen.

Turning her head slightly, she wrapped a hand on his neck and kissed him. As their tongues mimicked the next step, his hand slid under the black fabric at the apex of her thighs. It was all he had to do for her to lift her leg and hook it over his. He probed between the wet folds, caressing and gently tugging at the nerve nub. The moans against his lips and the bucking of her hips against his, made him stop teasing her and torturing himself.

Pulling away from her he said at her ear, "Bring your knee to your chest."

Quietly, she did as told. He pulled the crotch of the panties aside and pressed the swollen head of his cock into her wet channel slowly, enjoying the sighs and low moans coming from her.

Letting go of the fabric, he brought that arm to her raised leg and supported its weight by hooking the back of the knee to his forearm. Then he thrust the remaining length into her.

"Ah!" She groaned at the sudden force, and whispered, "You're so deep!"

"Am I hurting you?" He asked, concerned but hoping he would not have to change positions. The way her muscles tightened around his cock was too delicious to forfeit. So he did not move in the meantime to let her body get used to having him inside.

"Don't hate me for saying this." She said softly with a small frown, making him tense up. "It's the first time someone gets this deep in me."

"Call me a selfish bastard." He kissed her cheek, temple and ear. "But I just want to be as deep as I can in you. Knowing that only makes me want to take you this way even more."

Then he began to pull back and thrust in, slowly at first but quickly the speed changed up. Each time Akiha called his name out or moaned it, he felt his control let go a little more. And when she began crying out 'more!' it was his undoing.

He shifted the angle of their bodies by bringing his other arm out from under her head, forcing her to lie on her belly. With her leg still propped high by his arm, the angle deepened his thrusts. He planted kisses and bites on her shoulders and neck when he gave her a small respite of the constant thrusts, but soon she would buck her hips towards him as much as the odd position allowed. He could hear her even through the booming sound of the fireworks being launched into the midnight sky.

"Kakashi...Please!" She cried out, grabbing his sweater underneath her. "Oh god...don't! Don't stop!"

"Come Akiha..." He grunted onto her hair, "I want you to come!"

Kakashi thrust into her twice more, sending her over the edge. One more thrust and he spilled inside her, groaning into the curtain of her hair. Before he could drop over her, he rolled them onto the side and hugged her tightly. Her hands came to rest on his arm.

They lay there quietly, catching their breaths and watching the final fireworks of the night. No one did check the Hashirama monument, but Kakashi still whispered at her sleeping face, "You're still coming home with me."

Kakashi woke her up the minute he noticed the blood on her knees and apologized as he tried to help out with the cut. She had just muttered it was alright and asked for a kunai to cut up the fabric belt. She bandaged up the cut and dabbed at the other minor scratches on her thighs. She had not said much other than having to get home to clean up.

Kakashi dressed quickly, not wishing to give her time to head on without him. She picked up the bags and slipped into the flat, black slippers. No heels, he noticed for the first time as he came up behind her and kissed her shoulder. He had grown taller than her, he realized with some satisfaction as he pulled the mask over his face again.

"We should head down." She said softly, looking at the way they had come up.

Without asking, he grabbed the bags from her hand, hooked them on his arms and picked her up.

"I can walk." She immediately protested.

"Of course you can." He pointed out, "I only fucked you senseless on a stone bed. I did not cut your feet off." Giving her a deadpan look, he added. "Now put your arms around my neck Second and let me carry you home."

Her sudden cold attitude was putting him off his good mood, so he bid his time. After a while, he gave up and tried once more.

All he could come up with as he carried her down the quiet streets was, "Are you angry?"

His apartment building was thankfully at a quieter corner of the village and close to the monument, so it would be a short walk.

"I'm angry that we may have ruined a perfectly good friendship." Akiha said with a serious tone while her eyes stared at the lower half of his face. "Sex never leads to anything good for me in the end."

"Friendship has never been in my mind when it came to you and you know that well." He pointed out, "Not even the first time we met did I think we could be friends. And I think earlier ended pretty good despite the cut on your knee."

A little annoyance showed in his tone as he asked, looking down at her, "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt."

She blushed and turned her face to his shoulder. "I did not notice."

After a heartbeat, she glared up at him. "Stop smirking."

"How would you know if I am?" He countered, grinning wider.

"I am very observant." Akiha's glare intensified.

"Don't hate me Akiha." He chuckled softly, allowing her to stew in his arms in silence.

She spoke again a few minutes later. "If I don't want to be hurt," She said looking into his eyes. "I should leave now, on my own."

"I don't want to let you go," He replied immediately, surprised by her words, but somewhat resigned to the idea that this was not only up to him. "I will if you insist though."

Closing her eyes, she bit her lower lip while she pondered about it. He was tempted to suck that lip away from its prison, but he would bid his time. If today was not so emotionally charged for him, he probably would not have lost control, even with the sake. He was off duty for two weeks so he had planned a trip for tomorrow, but the one girl -woman- from this village, who actually disturbed him had crossed his path.

Opening her eyes, she looked up at him again. Her eyes were less confused and he could feel confidence wrapping around her. It was up to him now, he figured.

"What do you think of me?" She asked.

"That's a loaded question." He answered, "Should I answer even when I know you might hate what I have to say?"

"Your only other choice is to let go of me and walk away." Akiha pointed out.

"I'll take my chances then." Kakashi stopped walking and looked at her. "I think you are the strongest woman I've ever met. Only someone of mental strength could have taken such a responsibility during the war. And my respect for you, despite my behavior at times, has no limits Akiha. I count myself lucky to know you."

"I'm no longer an evening bloom, just so you know." Akiha suddenly said as if that was necessary information. "It seems that it had upset you that I had taken that mission but it allowed me to demand my release of that role."

"It does not matter to me now, but I am glad for you." He said, hoping she would believe it as much as he did.

Kakashi knew that no matter how confident she seemed to be, she still needed reassurance that in his mind she had not left the impression other men had of her. So he added to his previous statement, "I have always been stunned by the fire in your eyes Akiha and the beauty of your smile."

"Not to mention that you are beautiful all around." He leaned in and kissed her lips through the mask. "Can you blame me for taking a chance when I see it?"

"A chance." She repeated and then sighed. "I will probably stick to glue to you if you're not careful. I can tell by the lack of stories about you –other than you being gay or a virgin, that you are not the girlfriend type. After all you did say relationships were not your thing."

"You're right." He said right away, not wanting her to head down that rabbit hole.

She seemed to find that amusing for she chuckled and shook her head, patting his shoulder. "Let me down please."

This time he did as asked and frowned at her smile. "I told you sex never ends well for me. There's only been two men I have been with without a mission involved. You are one."

"And the other?" He couldn't help asking.

Akiha tilted her head to a side, considering her words, but that cryptic, noncommittal smile of hers meant no real answer would be forthcoming. "You don't need to know to make my point."

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she stood on tiptoes and nipped on his lips over the mask. "I truly enjoyed being with you tonight, every moment of it."

Letting go, she stepped away from him. "I am famished in here." She said, pressing a hand to her chest. "For the sake of this thing we have between us, I'm telling you right now, let's greet each other when we see the other on the street, otherwise it would be too sad, but let's not do this again."

When he did not reply, she attempted an aloof smile. "Good night Kakashi."

Kakashi watched her walk away with a slight limp. Turning his eyes away, he stood rooted in that spot for a long time so as to not follow her and try to change her mind. Akiha had made it clear to him without spelling it to him. She had changed again. A few months ago she did not care for a relationship either and now what she wanted was not what he was seeking.

The war was over. It was only natural that she would want to live a normal life –or as normal as it can be for shinobi. But then, she was not truly a fully fledged shinobi. She was a civilian with a permanent off-duty card. And she had read it in him that a relationship was not what he wanted. Long ago he had decided to stay away from that kind of commitments and all they entailed, because in the long run he did not want someone to mean too much to him. He had been selfish enough tonight, so he turned to the opposite direction and took the long way home.

Two years after Kyuubi attack.

Kakashi was unsure of what devil had possessed him tonight but it had brought him to her door after the mission. Since that summer night he had done his best to be friendly with her, but for some reason he always ended up riling her up. It was not exactly a relationship what he was looking for but he needed her desperately. He needed to know that she would not disappear too. The aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack had resulted in more loss. Yondaime was someone he had looked up to as an older brother and in a way a father figure. His wife had always been kind and caring towards him too.

Loss made him want to hold onto Akiha even more and as unfair as it was to her, it did not stop him from seeking her out. They were 'together' for a few months but she would refuse to have sex with him when he attempted to take things beyond kisses. It was her way of saying 'all or nothing' with more than just words.

It was childish of him, he knew, wanting her but not wanting to give her what she was seeking. If he had to be honest with himself, he was too worried about growing too terribly attached to her only to have her ripped away by circumstance, by fate, by death.

When he tried explaining that to her, she had ended up hurt with his words since he had made poor sense that day. He had insulted her strength and capability by calling her a weak link to make a point of how fragile she seemed to him when it came to the battlefield.

"That's awfully selfish of you Kakashi." She had glared at him through the wetness gathering in her eyes. "This-" Waving her hand between them, she said with finality, "Stops now Hatake. Find someone else and stop wasting my time."

Akiha had walked away as she always did after their time together, but this time he had lost the courage to approach her again. He had already grown too attached to her but he did not have the guts to face the consequences. Her medic training went on after the war and even though it was over, there were still rogue shinobi in the country side. Without regard to his objections, she had signed up to be a field medic under her supervisor's recommendation. Medics were always the first to fall in battle if the team was not successful to prevent the first attack, usually aimed at that valued asset.

After that last date, he saw her very little, and the few times he had her as medic in his team, she kept their conversations crisp and professional. With time, they grew farther apart but he heard from the town fishwives –Genma and Guy, every bit of news they got hold of on her.

Genma had ended up besotted with her after one mission together. Unfortunately, they had all been drinking and Kakashi did not take well to the way his ANBU teammate gushed about her. He had let the cat out of the box and after that the two fishwives had kept him apprised of what she did whether he wanted to know or not.

With time she began dating again and he could not help staring at her when their paths did cross. He envied every man she went out with, but knew they were giving her the normalcy she craved for. Soon she ended up going steady with someone. That's when he told himself to stop pining over her.

And he had, or so he had fooled himself into believing until the night previous to his mission. Guy had dropped her name again out of the blue in their conversation much to his annoyance, but it had been Asuma who had given him the unwanted piece of information. He was friends with them and knew her boyfriend planned to ask her to marry him. That was all he needed to obsess over her during the entire mission.

Staring at the door, he decided there was no going back. It made no difference to his need that his brain kept saying over and over again she will turn you away. Then he would answer to his pessimist side that he had to give it a try.

The sharp sting on the left shoulder blade reassured him she would at least give him five minutes of her time. With that reassuring thought, he knocked on her apartment door.

It took a few tries but it was to be expected at two in the morning. He heard her voice through the door a few heartbeats before the door chain was removed and the door opened a smidgen to keep the cold air out.

"You? Why are you here?" Akiha asked in a sleepy voice. "Do you know what time it is?"

Kakashi tried not to wince at the way she said you and explained right away to avoid having the door slammed at his face. "The hospital is running on a skeleton crew due to the snowstorm and my teammates needed more help than I. So I came to see the only nurse friend I have."

He tried not to smile when the sleepiness in her green eyes vanished in a blink, doing a quick check over of him.

"It's my shoulder. Need a few stitches, most likely."

Opening the door wider, she said as she walked back in with a brisk step. "You're in ANBU gear. Are you certain you should have come here? Isn't it a violation of the rule book?"

Closing the door behind him, he slipped out of the black, standard boots at the small square entry way tiled with gray stone. Taking two steps on the tatami covered floor, he stood at the edge of the tiny room. Everything seemed to be within a four step reach.

"If it's not bad you should have waited." Was the reprimand coming from his right. She was standing on a stool, reaching for the first aid kit inside the top kitchen cabinet.

He was tempted to get closer with the pretense of helping her out, but decided that might be pushing his luck. Hoping to not stare at her bare legs under the long sleeved, god awful green, sleep shirt, he looked around and took in the small apartment in. Everything was tidy and clean. It made it feel livable instead of unbearable due to the cramped space. And he had believed his place was tiny, but then, he was not a good housekeeper.

"Where exactly are you hurt?" She asked, putting away the stool under the sink cabinet and grabbing the tool box sized kit.

"Left shoulder. I can't tell how bad since I took a pill to numb the pain. I had to carry one of the unconscious ones." He explained, "One of the other guys stuck some gauze under the shirt but I can tell it's bled enough to soak it."

"Thank god for black huh?" She muttered a she walked towards the futon. Sitting down on the floor between the rumpled futon and the round table, she gave him an impatient look. "I'm hoping to go back to sleep soon, so whenever you're ready."

He sat down, giving his back to her, trying to tamper down his nervousness. He felt her fingers probe around the gap on his gray leather vest.

"Can you lift your arm?" She asked. "We have to remove this."

Unsnapping the shoulder strap and the vest on the side, he was able to take off the vest with the right hand. Looking over his shoulder, he said, "Just cut the sweater. It's useless now anyways." and removed his mask, so it would not get damaged in the process.

Kakashi bid his time while she snipped at the fabric just enough to reveal the wound and removed the gauze from his wound. She informed him that it would indeed need stitches and after that she quietly worked on it.

"I'd like to try something." She said once the stitching was done.

Kakashi had felt every stitch, since the pill had worn out around the time he had returned to the village, but he had no intention to let her know that. However, he was not sure about the tone of her voice. She sounded unsure, but eager. All the same, he asked, "What's that?"

"Daisuke-sensei, helped me figure out how to tap onto my chakra for healing." She said, gently patting around the wound with a damp gauze. "I haven't had many opportunities to practice other than on pig skin."

He turned his head slightly over the right shoulder. "Are you asking if I want to be your guinea pig? I don't know Second...you might do some real damage and then what will I do if I can't go back to my regular activities. But sure, go ahead and do your worst."

She glared daggers at him. It made him smile despite knowing he was in for an earful.

"What I meant in all seriousness is how are you going to repay me for waking me up at this ungodly hour on this bloody frozen night and asking me to patch you up Mr. I've never seen you as a friend but easily invoke a non-existent friendship when it tickles my fancy."

He winced at that and scratched a non-existent itch on his brow as he turned his face away. "I was only teasing Akiha, but I deserved that."

"You did. You also deserved me slamming the door on your face, but I guess I'm that much of an idiot." She snapped at his back. "So what is it going to be Hatake?"

"I'll be glad to help you out with your practice." He said, "And I'm not being facetious when I say that."

"Thank you," She said through gritted teeth as she stood up. "But I'm sure I can find enough practice at the hospital if I head in now."

He watched her pick up quickly with slightly trembling hands the bloody strips and squares she'd used on him before giving him wide berth by going around the table.

Kakashi got on his feet and stepped behind her without a second to waste. Reaching around her torso with his good arm, he clamped the hand onto her left shoulder, pulling her body tight against his.

When she tried to push away, he simply pressed more firmly with his forearm at her breast bone and curled into her, whispering onto her hair close to her ear, "I'm always an idiot with you Akiha. Forgive me."

"If you're only apologizing to get me to spread my legs again, then you might as well head out the door now Hatake." She hissed, "Go find someone to release your post mission stress elsewhere."

"That is not why I am here!" He said more forcefully than he meant to. "I did not come here asking for your help hoping to get a quick fuck out of you."

And in a way it was true what he was saying. Oddly enough, he had started to crave something more than sex whenever he thought of her. The idea of her finding someone to have that with had pushed him over the edge.

"Save it Hatake. I'm not interested." Her hands still held the bloody gauze in the sink and they closed on the mess tightly. Despite the gloves it looked wrong to him for her to have his blood on her hands. "Just go please."

"Am I too late?" He muttered before he could censor that thought. She tensed even more in his hold. He might as well trudge on. "Did you say yes?"

She scoffed and glared at him over her shoulder, "Is that what this is about? What is it to you Hatake?"

Kakashi frowned, tightening his hold on her. "I am a childish idiot Akiha but knowing that you will be out of my reach for certain threw me out of my senses. I don't want to accept the idea of another man and you."

Akiha's sudden burst of laughter hurt his ears. "You're unbelievable! You lost your chance Kakashi! All this time it could have been you, but you chose not to be!"

Kakashi stared down at the crown of her head as she shook with anger in his arm. Gritting his teeth, he let go and took a step back. She rounded on him right away.

"Your self-centered ways have no limits do they?" She pushed on his chest to make him step back more, staining it with his blood.

"Your fear of losing those you love kept you from taking a chance on me. And what did it get you, you ass!"

She sneered at him as she pushed him again. "How many more graves do you have in your visiting list now Tensai-kun? The fear of mine being part of your list kept you from having the past two years with me! Did you enjoy mourning on your own? Did it make the pain more your own?"

"We could have been there for each other Hatake. You did not only deny yourself that, you took that chance from me too! And now you show up here, hoping for what? Answer that first Hatake!"

Kakashi stared at her reddened face and the way her frame shook in anger. He wondered if he had made a mistake coming tonight, forcing her to bear his frustrations once more. And then he remembered how he had felt on his way back to the village, wounded and desperate to see her.

All he could think was of how he could have had her safe in his bed, where he could reach out to her and shake the numbness in him after a mission like that one. More importantly, he wanted to know what it would be like to have her next to him always. The idea of her giving all she could offer to another man had driven him mad with jealousy.

"I want to interfere." He said, not sure the possessiveness of his thoughts would gain him any points with her, so he kept it toned down. "I want you Akiha and everything it entails. I want to be with you."

It seemed an eternity to him, but some of the negative tension in her body slid away with a slowly released breath from her lips. He stared at her and allowed himself to hope when she smiled at him, but her words brought that hope to a quick death.

"I am leaving Konoha." She said with a final tone. "I'm not marrying him, Kakashi. I cannot be with someone, love or not, who cannot accept who I have been and who I want to be."

Without her giving him any details, he knew she had told her boyfriend about her time as an evening bloom and that part of her life had made him rescind his proposal.

Akiha shook her head as if clearing her head. "Kakashi, I truly wish we could have had more, but I understand how you feel. The idea of you not coming back from a mission was my demon to deal with too back then when we dated, as short as it was. And that is not going to change whether we give it a try now."

Kakashi took her face in his hands and wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks even as she forced herself to smile. "Is there really no way Second? Give us an honest chance."

"You're the strong asset Kakashi." She pointed out patting his chest. "I'm the weak link right? You will bury me if I remain in Konoha because I won't stop going out as a field medic. Part of me needs to be out there and I won't deny my calling for the sake of someone else, regardless of my feelings for him."

"And if I don't die, there will come a time when you will fight me on that again and win because I'll be so beyond my common sense that I will want to do anything to make you happy at the cost of my identity as a shinobi of this village."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "And then I will be that woman sitting alone at night wondering when. When will you return from the mission, when will I lose you to the battlefield. When will I die to be with you again. Because unlike me, you don't have a choice to make Kakashi. You are part of the heart that keeps Konoha beating and such assets never really stop beating until they are six feet under."

Shuddering, she let a small laugh escape. "Those worries never came up with him, you know? That is why I stayed with him that long. He had that worry, but I did not. I was free to live and die without regrets." Her green eyes bright with tears turned up to him again. "Just like you are free to live and die without worry of the ones you leave behind."

Listening to her Kakashi understood at last what had kept him from holding onto her back then and why she kept walking away. They had fallen hard for each other long ago but their fear of losing someone so close to their hearts was paralyzing just like the desire for each other was intoxicating. Emotions between them were always intense, good or bad. He knew she was right.

"We are too screwed up aren't we Second?" He said softly, pulling her closer by the nape of her neck to which she just choked on a sob.

He leaned down to lay his forehead on hers. A part of him refused to give in, give up, let go, while the other wondered when they had grown so close and apart at the same time; when had she become shorter than him and when had she truly given up on him.

He had missed his window of opportunity to have the woman he wanted to know and love for as long as he had a breath in his body. How other shinobi did it –having a relationship and a family, was a mystery to him.

"You have to go." She said, choking on the words and leaning away from him onto the counter behind her. "Please..."

He nodded, feeling numb from head to toes, but all the same he turned away and grabbed his things. Just as he opened the door and tried to at least thank her, for everything, she walked up to him and pulled him down by the neck to lay a soft press of lips on his.

"This is yours." Her voice was raw with emotion as she pressed something onto his hand. "Thank you for lending it to me. It gave me a lot of strength." With a smile she added, "I could not let you go without telling you that."

Before he could look at what she gave him, she pushed him out the door and closed it behind him. He stared at the door but found he could not reach out and open it again.

Opening his fist, he stared at something from his past. He had watched his mother go into the casket with the matching hair pin. Closing his hand around the pin, he pulled his mask over his face again, muttering softly at the door, "Let's meet again in another life, Second."

Thirteen years later...

There was no reasoning with someone driven to madness by loss. Kakashi knew that first hand, but unlike Obito, he had a lifeline during the darkest days. However, Naruto had managed to get through to him. He had watched most of the final moments of this war through his link to Obito and never had he felt more proud or relieved in his life.

Kakashi watched from the corner of his eye as he was carried away on the stretcher. The tree from hell was slowly falling apart, like a withering flower's petals falling to the ground.

He had escaped the alternate pocket in which Obito had left him, but it had taken most of his chakra and terribly good timing to come through. All the same he was glad to be able to witness it, even if not all of it. His wound was starting to go septic and Tsunade-sama had worn herself out healing the masses through Katsuyu. Sakura-chan was looking after Naruto. It was up to the rest of the medic staff to look after the heavily wounded.

"Hold on Hatake-san!" The medic running alongside his stretcher encouraged him as he tried to control the infection with his chakra. "The field hospital mobilized closer to the battlefield. Just hold on a little longer."

Closing his eyes, he sent the same prayer to his pupil. Hold on Naruto...you have to enjoy what you have achieved.

Kakashi opened his eyes to a dull yellow light. His mouth was dry as cotton and his entire body felt swollen and sore to the marrow. Close to him, he could hear low moans and at times someone's sobs. He figured he was in one of the recovery tents.

His body did not want to respond when he tried to move. Taking slow breaths he tried to calm down the rising fear. How long had he been there? What had happened?

Footsteps grew closer and then he saw someone in the medic team jacket, checking on the person across him. The white stripe on her bicep indicated that she was a level five medic. Clearing his throat had hurt but it had brought her attention to him even if for a split second before she went back to checking the other shinobi. He closed his eyes again, certain that he would be looked at next.

He first felt her fingers around his wrists and then heard her call his name in low, throaty voice he never hoped to hear again. Opening his eyes, he found her sitting on a stool next to the cot.

"Second." He croaked. His pulse sped up and her smirk let him know she had noticed, but all the same she did not take her eyes away from the watch.

"I can break all your bones and mend them in odd angles so that you will never walk straight again." She looked at him, letting go of his wrist. "Please, do call me that again."

Kakashi choked on his sudden laughter which made him sound more like a strangled dog. When the coughing stopped, he felt her hand under his neck helping him prop up slightly and the cup of water against his lips. He took small sips as she indicated and felt a little more alive then.

He said in a teasing tone, "Good to see you too Second."

Akiha sat down on the stool again, a small smile on her lips. "Likewise."

Her hair was pulled up in a birds' nest and there were dark half moons under her eyes, but even in the dull lamp light hanging somewhere nearby, her eyes seemed to shine bright. It was something he had always found attractive in her.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You are a pain to keep alive, that's what." She smiled, "It's been a week since you were brought in. The alliance won. Your kids have come to see you a few times now. They're in better shape than you are. Most people are thanks to Tsunade-sama, who is comatose but stable."

Kakashi made an attempt to raise his arm to lay it over his eyes. It was painful to even twitch his fingers, so he opted for the next best thing, he turned his face away.

"You have been receiving a strong cocktail of antibiotics, muscle relaxants and sedatives. How you're awake, I have no clue." She pointed out, "Obito planted a nasty venom in you."

Looking up from the chart where she had been scribbling on while she talked, she said in a soft tone, "You were not supposed to make it through this time Hatake."

That bit of news did not surprise him, but he could get past that. What mattered now was that it was all over. The worst part was done and over. Rebuilding, mending, learning to live in an alliance and managing it, that would be the best part and he was still alive to see it. Letting out a slow breath, he blinked the tears away, and chuckled under his breath. He was too old, he realized, if such news could make him cry.

Kakashi felt her hand set on his right hand and gently pressed the other hand to his forehead. Warmth, gentle and soothing, spread through him. Kakashi kept his eyes closed. The heaviness in his chest slightly less than before.

"You are out of the woods Tensai-kun." He heard her say close to his ear. "Sleep now and get well." With the comfort of her touch, he drifted back to sleep.

When he woke up again, Kakashi wanted to cough up whatever had died in his throat, again. He felt weak and disoriented.

"You're awake Kakashi, you ol' dog. Wait up. I'll get you fresh water."

Kakashi turned his head to the left and saw the green beast walk away with a water jug in hand. Blinking, he tried to get rid of the dryness of his eyes. Sore from head to toes, he had no idea how long he had been on his back but he had to move, to sit up.

Struggling to do so was how Guy found him.

"You can't stay put for a moment huh? That's why they pumped all those drugs in you." He snickered, setting the jug down and helping him out to lean on the wood wall. "Don't bother refusing, old friend. Anyone would need help after what you've gone through. You've been three weeks semi-unconscious."

"Weeks?" Kakashi croaked. Annoyed, he looked at the water jug.

"Yes." Guy handed him a paper cup. "Slowly. Akiha-chan gave everyone strict instructions for when you woke up."

"Akiha." Kakashi licked his lips, frowning at the fact that they were not chapped, and brought his fingers to them. "I thought she was an apparition."

"No." Guy sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "She joined the ranks from the start as senior medic."

"Anyhow...you had three broken ribs you ass, and still headed on to the main battle." Guy said in a reproaching tone. "You almost didn't make it."

"So she said." Kakashi sighed, rubbing his face, wincing at how sore every inch of his body felt. "Did they really have to keep me down so bad?"

Guy raised his hand to ward off the complaint. "You've been awfully active for an unconscious person. You went from stock still one week to chatter box in your sleep and when the sedatives wore off you would move around. The venom had to be extracted slowly, daily for two weeks. When you did the smallest movement it would continue to advance towards your heart."

"What was I talking about?" Kakashi frowned wondering what he could have said and suddenly it came to him.

He had been dreaming the whole time. Seeing Guy look away guiltily, he heard him mutter, "The others thought it was due to your lack of female company and too many of those books by Jiraiya-sama at first. Then you called out her name. Questions came up right away from your team. Who knew they were that gossipy."

I did, Kakashi thought morosely.

As an afterthought, Guy added, "I truly think she kept you immobilized and sedated to take vengeance on you somehow."

"Most likely." Kakashi smirked imagining how annoyed she had to be. His had always dreamed vividly.

With a sigh, he said, "Old friend, could you call her? I really would like to know when I'm getting out of here."

Guy gave him an apologetic smile. "Akiha-chan left a week ago. She went back to the town she has been living at."

Before Kakashi could ask where that was, Guy added, "One of the Juubi's blasts cut close to it so the area is barely habitable. She's going to bring her family back to Konoha."

"Her family." Kakashi repeated, feeling older than thirty-two suddenly and more worn out than ever. Of course she would have one. They had both moved on, albeit in different ways.

Guy's firm hand on his shoulder that made him snap out of his quiet misery. "Look, she did not say it was a secret so I guess it's alright if I tell you." Guy then added, "After all no one wants that Kakashi back. You were truly a miserable fuck when she left Konoha."

"What are you going on about?" Kakashi had little patience right now, despite all his friend had done for him. The reminder of how he had dealt with that loss was unnecessary.

Guy smirked, "She's not married Kakashi. She adopted a baby girl. With the summons to the front line for all medics, she had to leave her with a friend who helps her out. Luckily they are safe and sound." He gave him a thumb up and usual confident grin. "She is bringing them back to Konoha so you will see her again."

Kakashi had not expected that at all. Suddenly, he felt as if his soul had come back to his body.

Guy laughed at him. "I see now why you wear that mask, man. You're so damn readable without it."

Kakashi laughed with him, shaking his head. "Too tired to keep up the poker face." Rubbing his face again, he muttered "Damn...I want out of here. Guy, find me anyone that can give me a time frame or I'll go crazy here."

Laughing still, Guy patted his shoulder. "Will do Kakashi." With a grin, he added. "I'll bring Sakura-chan here right away. She's only next door."

Before he could ask for anyone else, Guy left chuckling away. Kakashi swore under his breath but he could not stay annoyed long. Instead, he just promised to kick Guy's ass to hell and back next time he came up with another stupid challenge. Then he prepared himself for the interrogation that was sure to follow.

"Say, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto blinked, slightly blinded by the sun. "Weren't you told not to push it? Sakura-chan will chew your head off."

Kakashi lowered once more on his right hand while keeping perfect balance on the bench with his legs straight up into the air. It had been two months after his five week stay in between the field hospital and the village one.

Akiha had arrived to the village days before the end of his hospital stay and he had managed to talk to her as much as he could during her first visit to his room when she came back to work. She had kept it all very professional. The first thing she did was to do a check up and to sign his release. Sakura-chan was assigned to his follow ups right there and then, so he did not see her again in a doctor/patient setting. In fact, he had barely seen her.

Through third parties who seemed determined to keep him appraised, he heard what she was up to. Guy had helped her move in to a house in one of the new neighborhoods with a small family clinic attached to it. She had made a life as a family doctor and planned to continue doing so in the village. So she had no plans to leave again apparently.

During one of his follow up visits to the hospital Sakura, just like Guy, had gushed about the six months old baby Akiha had named Natsume. She had met her one day they met by chance at a store. And with no compunction pointed out he really should go visit Chisawa-sensei cause it was plain pathetic to not do so. Someone really had to put a lid on that opinionated side of his star pupil, so he had told her not to be so nosy.

To which she laughed and grinned at him, "You're not getting any younger sensei! What do have to lose?"

Undeterred by his 'shut it' glare, Sakura added, "Who knew you liked older women Kakashi-sensei!" Chuckling, she did not stop. "Although now that I've seen you without your mask, you are the one who looks older."

Scribbling some notes on his chart, she went on. "I wonder what she does for her beauty routine." Looking up from the paper and patting her face. "I should ask her next time. I could use some help."

Kakashi chuckled at the sudden way she had strayed from her nosiness. Getting up from his chair next to the desk, he set a hand on her pink head and said, "It's called flawless genes, brat. Her mother was a stunner too." And for petty revenge he rapped his knuckles on her head.

"Ow! No need to be mean!" She rubbed her head. "See you next week sensei."

Kakashi appreciated that everyone seemed to be concerned with his nonexistent love life, but short of telling them to back off, there was nothing that would stop them from talking about her to him or discussing them.

Once or twice he saw her on her own downtown and if her eyes met his, she would smile and wave and so would he, but he had not considered approaching her. She had kept her distance too.

So Kakashi concentrated on returning to his former shape, aiding in the reconstruction of the village wherever he could, and at times sitting in at meetings as part of Tsunade-sama's council along with Shikamaru and Anko, especially when he was asked to give his input on Sasuke's and Obito's rehabilitation.

That had taken precedence on his list. The alliance had, after a lot of arguing, pardoned the Uchiha traitors and given the management of their sentence to Konoha. Naruto had lobbied the most for it and succeeded. Obito willingly subjected himself to having his chakra sealed, while Sasuke was permitted to remain as he was as a concession to Uchiha Itachi's life of service to Konoha. Both were currently in prison.

Kakashi pushed off the bench and landed on his feet without a hitch. He felt back to normal already but until Sakura said so he had to 'behave'. Sticking his hands in his pants' pockets, he walked over to Naruto.

"Only if you tell her." He said, referring to Sakura giving him grief for not following instructions.

"What do you take me for?" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Anyways, now that you're done, I'll treat you to dinner."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at that. "What have you done with the real Naruto?"

"Hey!" Naruto started walking towards the forest line. "I can afford to treat you to a meal now and then sensei! Besides, we need to talk about Sasuke's mates."

Kakashi went along with Naruto, discussing the two individuals from team Taka that had willingly given themselves up to Konoha, Juugo and Karin. His pupil was a great believer in second chances and was invested on giving those chances to everyone he could.

The only time he stopped talking about them was to complain about not having ramen for supper.

Kakashi shrugged and kept walking past the ramen stand. "Sakura will chew your head off if you feed me that Naruto. I'm still on recovery in her books."

He slightly paled at that reminder and did not pursue the ramen idea. "You'd be in bed, wrapped up like a baby and drinking bone broth if it were up to her." Naruto exaggerated -a bit, but it was all in good fun. "Yakiniku then?"

In the end, Kakashi ended up paying for the meal since Naruto had forgotten to grab his wallet in his hurry to find him. The restaurant owner had offered to put it on a tab for Naruto, but Kakashi decided to extract a debt from Naruto instead. He would not accidentally mention to Sakura what he had been up to and they would be even. Somehow he had developed a healthy survival instinct when it came to his doctor, even if he would not admit it to any of them.

Kakashi paid up while Naruto stepped out of the restaurant first. Slouching slightly to go across the low restaurant door, he stepped out to find Naruto grinning away, poking the cheek of a drooling baby determined to put his finger in her mouth.

Akiha turned her face his way, noting the sudden presence of another person, and smiled at him. "Hey there." She nodded towards Naruto. "Did you ever teach your student not to bully small ones?"

"She seems to be enjoying it." Kakashi pointed out, smirking at the way the baby attached to her chest by a carrier kicked away happily as she caught Naruto's hand. The squeal she let out was nothing short of a victory cry.

"That she is." Akiha smiled at Naruto. "Thank you for picking up her chew toy Naruto and saving my hearing."

"Anytime Chisawa-sensei." Naruto said, leaning over to drop the little, drool soaked, happy faced worm in the grocery bag Akiha held out for him.

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, I'll talk to you another time. Thanks for the meal!" Naruto grinned at him and saluted at him, before poking the baby one more time. "Bye sensei." And in a flash he was gone.

Kakashi would have rolled his eyes at how fast he had disappeared, if the baby had not taken offense to Naruto's sudden departure.

"Oh dear..." Akiha muttered and shifted one bag to the other hand to wrap a comforting arm around the baby.

Her daughter, Kakashi corrected himself silently as he took her bags from her hand. "Let me help."

She looked up gratefully with laughing green eyes as she cooed the crying baby. "There, there darling." She said, unfastening the baby from her pouch to bring her to her shoulder, and began walking away from the restaurant.

"I know right?" Akiha said to the baby as she patted her back. "How dare he break your heart like that?"

Kakashi walked behind them, watching and listening. The promise of revenge next time they met the heart breaker made him chuckle. About ten minutes later, the wailing had come to an end with heavy lidded eyes and a yawn.

"Hmm, yes." Akiha giggled as the baby grabbed a handful of her hair, making herself comfortable on the shoulder. "I figured you would crash soon silly girl."

As if remembering him suddenly, she stopped and turned to him, speaking in a soft voice. "I'm sorry Hatake. I can take the bags now." She outstretched the hand she had been patting the baby's back with towards him.

Kakashi gave her hand an annoyed look before nodding forward. "Keep walking Second."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the hand returned to rubbing the baby's back. They walked in silence down the busy street. As night fell, they left behind the noisy downtown and walked down the quieter neighborhood street, except for the occasional kids running home. He knew his time was up when he saw the sign for the clinic only a few houses down.

Kakashi racked his brain for something to say, anything to hold on to this moment, but he did not want to force her to be around him. After all, they had both kept their distance from each other until now.

Akiha stopped at the gate to the house and opened it, but stopped from going through. She turned her face to him and asked softly as to not disturb her child, "Would you like to come in?"

He did not answer right away, so she added, "That is, if you're not busy."

"I'm not." He said in a low voice. "I would like to."

Nodding, she went ahead.

Taking a deep breath, he closed the gate behind him and followed her in. She was nowhere in sight, so he took off his sandals and walked down the hallway. He found her setting the baby down in a frilly bassinet on the floor next to the table. She stood up and pulled on the string for the ceiling fan.

"Would you like some tea?" She asked, turning towards the kitchen next door, unsnapping the contraption at her back.

He followed her in and set the bags on the kitchen counter next to the stove. Leaning against it, he watched her fill up the kettle and bring it over to the stove. The domesticity of it all was foreign to him and at the same time, it felt right to see her like that.

"Thank you for helping me out." She said, keeping her voice low. "I'd invite you to dinner but I guess you already ate."

"Not really." He lied right away.

Akiha chuckled, shaking her head, "You're a terrible liar." Taking a pair of teacups from the covert, she asked, "How are you doing? Have you healed properly?"

"I am fine." He said, taking a seat across her when she sat down at the kitchen table. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for all you did."

"I could do no less. I'm just glad you made it through." Akiha smiled, crossing her arms on the table. "How is Obito-kun? Besides the official announcement, I have not heard more of him."

"He is healthier physically." Kakashi said, glad for the middle ground. "He talks very little but then, he has a lot in his mind to conciliate with." He did not mention their visit to Rin's grave or how Obito had broken apart as he apologized for everything. It was a very raw moment for both of them.

Akiha nodded. "I imagine he does."

The kettle whistled right then so silence fell between them while she brought out a glass teapot and added the dry leaves to the basket.

While she poured the water, he said, "It's odd seeing you like this."

She looked up and smiled, "Like what?" Turning to the stove again, she set the kettle down.

"Last time we had an actual conversation you were determined to be out on the field." He said, "We met again in a similar situation. We never had a domestic stage you could say."

Setting down a plate with senbei crackers, she sat down again and poured his cup first. "No, we did not. I guess this would seem out of place to you."

She set down the teapot, smiling at him. "I did remain as a field medic for several years after. A close call with death on a mission made me decide to leave it behind and I was assigned to a small clinic in a village neighboring the Land of Waves."

She smiled at his surprise, "I left before the Naruto Bridge was built though. It's a pity. I would have liked to meet your students back then." Taking the cup in her hands, she blew at the brew before taking a careful sip.

"They would have interrogated you mercilessly." He smirked at the look she gave him.

"It would have been easier to fend them off at that age." She chuckled, "Haruno-san was quite persistent."

"What did you tell them?" He was curious as to how she had handled the interrogation.

She laughed, "That it was none of their business, but when she didn't get an answer from me, she turned to Guy."

"So I owe him all the pestering I've been receiving from Sakura." He shook his head, "I should have known."

"Have your kids been giving you a hard time?" She grinned at him. "Poor you."

"They mean well, most of the time." Lowering his mask, he took a sip from his cup and did not pull it back up. "So I heard you adopted Natsume?"

At the mention of her daughter, her green eyes seemed to glow with bliss. "Yes. I've never been happier I'd say."

Her smile waned slightly as she continued, "Sadly her birth mother passed away during childbirth. She arrived alone to town only months before birth and she never shared the father's name, so no one claimed the child. I waited a month before officially adopting her"

"But enough about me." She said, waving her hand at him. "Tell me about you?"

"Guy the fishwife did not fill you in on my every movement for the past thirteen years?" He asked with a smirk.

Akiha laughed, "He attempted to, but I told him I'd ask you myself when you were better."

Kakashi smiled and began by talking about his students, the closest he had to a family. They laughed together at the earlier antics of team seven and he told her about all the struggles they had gone through during and after their time as a team.

The tea cups were empty and the crackers almost gone when the sudden cry coming from the living room interrupted their chap.

"Break time is over." Akiha jumped to her feet and hurried to the other room.

"I best get going." Kakashi said, following her to the other room.

Akiha turned to him with the baby cradled in her arms. "Thank you for helping me out."

Unable to help himself, he covered the back of her neck with one hand and kissed her forehead. "Anything, anytime Second." Before he did something stupid like push his luck, he pulled the mask over and stepped away from her.

When he was sitting at the entrance, strapping his sandals up, she stepped out of the room. "Kakashi, did anyone tell you?"

At his lost look, she added, "That you flat lined twice on that first week. Whenever I thought you were in the clear, the venom would reappear."

Kakashi had heard from Sakura. She had been surprised that Chisawa-sensei had not mentioned it to him on the final check-up, if not to inform him at least to scare him into behaving as she was attempting to do. Sakura had not wasted time during their first appointment to get into the details of his condition. It had been necessary to keep him nearly comatose.

In the meantime, Akiha had worked to keep his vitals stable while Sakura managed to gather her strength after spending it on Naruto and Tsunade-sama, who despite the official statement, had indeed pushed herself beyond her limit. It had taken Sakura almost a week to recover her chakra levels and to help out with the extraction of the poison.

"Guy told me that makes three times now." She added, as she swayed slowly to keep the baby in her arms calm.

Kakashi turned away, staring at the closed door for a moment. Making his decision, he unstrapped the sandals and stepped back onto the hallway. "Yes," He said stopping before her. "That makes three times I've died for those who are counting."

"You are not?" She gave him a reproachful look.

Kakashi smirked, pulling off his head band out of the way so he could stare at her with both eyes. "I'm counting the times I've been given one more chance."

Staring down at the Konoha insignia on the headband plate he added. "You know the weight of this Akiha."

She nodded, "I can only imagine at how it feels to you though." She added, staring at it too. "I was free to choose."

"I have been on the brink of choosing to lead a different life or death Akiha." He smirked, remembering that each time, she had appeared to him. "The first time I got reprimanded for not taking good care of myself while in the hospital when I was a strong asset to Konoha and needed for who and what I could be beyond that."

"What a meddlesome person." She said, shaking her head.

"That she certainly was." Kakashi chuckled, reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. "I have no one waiting for me at home Second. Never have. Let's talk."

Akiha nodded slightly, looking down at her daughter who was sucking her thumb like there was no tomorrow. "I have to take care of her and it will take a while."

"I won't go if you don't want me to." He smiled at the picture they made. Even if she wanted him to go, he would find a way to talk her out of it, but offering was the proper thing to do.

Turning away, she said softly, "Make yourself at home." And walked down the hallway to the room at the end, closing the door behind her.

Kakashi walked back to the living room and took a look at the wall peg where the baby's bag and carrier hung. The other peg had a white coat with the red cross band stitched on an arm. Only two people in that home. Without a second though, he hung his headband from the peg with her medic coat. Unsnapping his kunai holder at his left thigh, he hung that too by the strap. He was on downtime but it did not keep him from weapon training.

Their voices traveled down the hallway, but he could not make out what Akiha was saying. Unable to settle down, he paced the small space of the room. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but they reappeared -Akiha looking a little more tired and the baby looking refreshed in her bedtime getup.

"Sorry." Akiha said as she knelt before the bassinet, trying to pry the little hands away from her hair. "Reiko keeps telling me to stick to the schedule she's made up for Sume-chan." Sighing, she gave the baby a stern look. "Darling, you have to let go if you want your bottle."

The battle of the stares and hair pulling lasted by his calculations, not even a minute. The end result had Akiha sighing again and walking into the kitchen with the victor in her arms. Kakashi kept any comments to himself as he followed them.

When Akiha began pulling out the things she needed, he came up to her and rubbed her back. "I'll hold her if that helps."

Akiha looked at him as if he had grown another head and then down to Natsume who had a tight grip on a strand of her hair with one hand and a forgotten chew toy on the other. "You have to free my hair first." She said with some hope in her voice.

Chuckling at the big eyed stares he was getting, he pulled her hair out of the chubby hand gently. Once released, Akiha changed her grip on her and offered the frowning baby at him. "You've held a baby before?"

"Kurenai asked the same thing." He laughed, taking the baby with mutinous eyes from her hands and setting her against his chest. "Did you know she has a boy? Asuma's."

Just as Natsume started pouting and pushing away from him, he grabbed a strand of Akiha's hair and tickled her cheek with it. The chubby hand grabbed onto it like a safety blanket while studying him.

"Kurenai and Asuma?" Akiha said in surprise, adding water from the kettle to the powder in a bottle. "Never imagined that. Asuma had a different type back then."

"Funny what time does." He rubbed Natsume's back the way he had seen Akiha do and she gave in, settling her head on his shoulder while pulling on Akiha's hair, chew toy in her mouth.

"Ready." She said, turning back to him and smiling as she took Natsume from his arms. "Here you go little sloth." She cradled Natsume in an arm while holding the bottle for her. Natsume latched on to it right away, chew toy forgotten on her chest.

Kakashi pulled a chair at the table and she muttered her thanks as she sat down. They remained in silence while the baby drank her fill other than the occasional coo from Akiha towards Natsume. After burping her, Akiha asked him to hold her while she cleaned up if he didn't mind.

"Chores piled up." She said with an apologetic smile, "I really want to talk to you uninterrupted but I think I'm need to take advantage of you right now."

Kakashi had been with them only a few hours but he was glad to feel like he could belong there. Gladly, he took the baby who seemed less concerned about whose arms she was in now that she was fed. With a chuckle, he said "Go on. We'll get along."

He knew that she probably needed some time to herself to think about why she had let him stay longer or what to do about it. And spending time with a four month old girl seemed less daunting than what their conversation later might bring up.

Taking her into the living room, obviously her playroom too, he had no trouble spotting something to entertain her with. It all seemed so normal -right, that it made his chest hurt with the realization of how badly he had wanted this when he had thought of her throughout the years. The idea of her having it with someone else had hurt, but with time he had learned to change the way he thought of Akiha. He wanted her to be happy, whichever way she could possibly be.

Akiha laughed at him when he brought a giggling Natsume at arms length kicking chubby legs. "Your love has come to an end?"

"Not at all." He scrunched his nose, "But I have no idea what to do in this area."

Akiha laughed all the way out the room with a squealing baby. When she returned, he didn't even ask, simply took her from her arms again and settled on the floor with a picture book at hand. It was only a matter of minutes for the little one to be asleep again. The nickname of sloth was indeed suitable to her.

"Thank you Kakashi." Akiha whispered as she took the baby from his arms. "Give me a moment."

Kakashi watched them go into the room they obviously shared. He decided to open the garden sliding doors now that the baby was not around to catch a chill with the slight drop of temperature. Sitting down, he propped on foot on the edge of the walkway and waited. When she came back, she sat down next to him, smoothing the skirt of her summer dress.

"I bet that's not how you were planning to spend your evening." Akiha said softly. "Thank you for helping me out. Even with my friend Reiko watching her while I work, it is not easy."

"No need to thank me." Kakashi said, "I want to be here."

When she did not reply to that, he spoke again. "I always thought that if I ever saw you again you would be married and with at least three children in tow like a mother hen with chicks."

Akiha laughed at the picture he described. "I thought so too. But after a few relationships I figured I was better off on my own. I had a knack for choosing men who wanted to control me more than love me."

She asked, "What about you? I thought by now there would be one or two more silver haired geniuses out and about."

"I never sought out that path." Kakashi said, "I never felt as strongly for another woman as I did for you."

Akiha looked away and with a self depreciating scoff, she said. "It makes no sense. We were hardly good for each other."

"We were dysfunctional Second. Children turned into adults before their time." He took her hand in his and gave in a squeeze. "It did not mean we weren't good for one another."

She looked at their hands clasped together with longing but didn't pull away or say a word. It encouraged him to say what he had not properly said before all those years ago. All the things he had come to understand with time.

"You know, whenever I saw you come back with a minor wound or exhausted from a mission, I wanted to keep you away from the horror out there."

Turning his face a way, he said, "I grew used to a life of war. I could kill and know it was my duty and live with it. I did not want you to face someone like me one day."

"Until Obito, Rin and sensei, I had not cared for anyone as strongly besides my parents." Letting go of her hand, he fixed his sitting position so his right leg was bent behind her. It brought him as close as he could get to her and it made her turn sideways to face him.

Taking her hand again and letting them rest on her lap, he went on. "When I met you I had lost most of them. After knowing you I lost the two left."

Kakashi frowned, "Without realizing it, I grew attached to you, the one person I was intrigued by but saw so sporadically that I soaked in every minute, every word, every touch."

"Akiha...I chose you." Squeezing her hand once more, he added. "The fear of losing you was something the child I was deep down could not deal with."

"Our time was short but what I found with you I could not find anywhere else. We were good for each other, I firmly believe so." He added when she looked back at him. "We were just too young to see it and to appreciate it."

Akiha let out a breath slowly, blinking the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

"But you know all that already, don't you?" Kakashi grabbed a strand of her hair with his free hand. "Despite the way we parted, there were no hard feelings between us."

Akiha smiled, saying softly, "We understood each other too well." Her free hand went up to his face and touched the scar on his left eye. "But we were too immature to take care of something so fragile."

Pulling down his mask, Kakashi pressed his lips to her palm. "Thirteen years is long enough, don't you think Second?"

Wrinkling her nose at the nickname, she laughed softly. "I knew with time I'd lose my senses when it came to you. I can't even get annoyed at that name anymore. In fact I kind of missed it."

Grinning, he leaned closer to her. "I'm sure we'll find something else to spat over and make up." Gently sucking on her lower lip he added, "If not, you can always pretend it annoys you."

"Idiot." She chuckled, pulling gently on the neck of his shirt. "Stop talking and kiss me Hatake."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a teasing grin before kissing the corner of her mouth. "Don't want to know why I call you that?"

"Tell me another day." She whispered, pressing her lips to his.

Kakashi kissed her tenderly, wrapping his arms around her waist just as hers wrapped around his neck. They savored the moment, getting to know each other again slowly. After all, they had the rest of their lives together.

Thirty years later...

Laughter rang about the Hatake household. Friends and family had gathered to celebrate the couple's thirtieth wedding anniversary. Natsume, Chizuru, and Akihana had made a big deal about properly celebrating that day, much to her mother's complaints. She only gave in when she extracted a promise of all of them to clean up after and leave her house spotless. They had promised to take care of every single detail from start to finish.

It was a large gathering alone with the Hatake brood, but they added on to it their parent's closest friends, the original team seven and their brood, and the other two sets of pupils their father had. All in all, it was more people than the house they had built for the growing family could handle.

Akihana, caught in a tug war with her younger nephew over her silver hair, turned onto her brother. "Everyone is here now I think. Where's Natsume? I could use some help getting this brat off me."

Kakeru laughed at his elder sister's predicament. He was the youngest at fifteen, without a care in the world. "I have no clue. I got roped into dealing with the other brats." And took off after a the cluster of black haired devils chasing their older cousin with streamers. "Hey you! Leave Erika alone boys!"

"Kakeru-niisan!" cried out the silver haired, eight year old as she ran towards him.

"Has anyone seen mom and dad?" Natsume asked as she stepped out to the yard where the tables had been set up and everyone had gotten comfortable chatting and eating away.

"You lost them?" Chizuru asked, walking out with a tray of finger food for the kids. "Erika, stop clinging to your uncle pretending to be upset and get that little gang of monkeys to the table!" She turned stern green eyes to Kakeru, who just grinned at her. "Stop coddling her and help out brat."

"Naruto-niisan," Natsume put a hand on his shoulder, "I saw you talking to dad last. Do you know where he went?"

"I have no clue Sume-chan." He looked at his wife. "Did you notice where he went Hinata-chan?"

Hinata shook her head, answering in her usual soft tone. "No. Not really."

"Lost in the road of life most likely Rokudaime-sama." Mitsuru, one of Kakashi's pupils, helpfully added to the conversation with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Everyone around him chuckled.

"Have you thought of searching one of their usual places Natsume?" Asuma offered from the other end of the table.

"Darling, I have no time to check every single one of their hideouts." Natsume gave him an annoyed glare. "How about you help me out? You can get to Shodaime faster than I. Chohaku-kun, could you check the river spot?" Turning around to yell at her brother, "Kakeru! Head on out to the clearing will you?"

"You go nee-san!" Kakeru gave her a disgusted look. "I'm scarred for life thanks to you sending me over there last time!"

Natsume rolled her eyes and yelled back. "Get over it and go!"

The nature of the conversation made everyone laugh, knowing well what Kakashi and Akiha were usually up to when they disappeared like that. Leading a healthy, happy life had a lot to do with it.

"I take offense." Akiha smirked as she watched her little captain order everyone around from the roof of their house.

She was the short one of the brood, the twins and Kakeru towered over her, but she ruled them all with an iron hand. "The way they talk is as if we were going at it like rabbits. When did we lose the right to have sex? Was it at fifty?"

"I think it's when Kakeru was born wasn't it? Natsume ordered us not to have anymore that day I think." Kakashi chuckled and planted a kiss on the side of her head. "We have become rather infamous. Can't blame them love."

"Hmmm...How long do you think it will take them to realize where we are?" She asked, patting his knee.

"Obito and Reiko spotted us long ago." Kakashi nodded towards their friends, who seemed to be enjoying the moment.

"We really have to find another place." Akiha muttered. "I could use some peace and quiet."

"You're such a grouch Second." Kakashi rubbed her back, chuckling. "But if you insist, you know I live to please you."

Akiha smiled at him. "You know...I never thought to ask again why you decided on that nickname."

"Thirty years later...you sure you want an answer to that?" Kakashi grinned. "Not sure I want to answer actually. It might get in trouble."

"I figure it's better than waiting til the next life." Akiha reached over to wrap a finger on his shoulder length hair. "So?"

"You had mentioned being in second grade with me. When we met again I did consider calling you Midori since I didn't know anything about you besides being a meddling volunteer, but I loved your green eyes from the start." He said with a chuckle. "But Second had a better ring to it."

Akiha scoffed, smacking him on his chest. "And they call you a genius."

"So do you. And you know well I am." Kakashi laughed, bringing her closer with a hand at her neck. Kissing her neck at the opposite side he whispered, "Now about that other place..."

"Oh geez!" Kakeru said, disgusted from the yard. "You guys know I like sitting there at night! Dad just leave mom alone already! Don't look Erika-chan!"

Kakashi and Akiha laughed. To traumatize their son more, Kakashi kissed her slowly, which only earned them cheering from their friends and two in-laws, and groans from their children.

"I don't say it enough I think." Kakashi kissed her forehead and then her hand. "Thank you Second for all the love you've given me."

"It goes both ways Tensai-kun." She smiled and tugged on the lapel of his white hakama, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Now let's head down before Natsume burns us into cinders."

Kakashi picked her up in his arms and jumped off with ease. Letting her down, he took her hand and led her over to the place assigned to them. For the rest of the evening, he behaved only because Akiha asked him to -not because their children demanded it, and she promised to make it worth his time. There was an advantage after all to leading a shinobi life after all.

Toasting to their love and life together, they prayed for more years together, in this life and the next one.

The End.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this fic. Every now and then I miss writing about my favorite characters and end up revisiting them. This story was originally written soon after Don't Let Go from 2012, -my first KakashixOC fic. But since it felt it too rushed back then, I let go of it for almost a year. This one was rewritten and revised in five days. I had to get it out of my system prior to NanoWrimo 2013 or I would spend a whole month ignoring the challenge and writing a longer fic. I think it came out better than I had originally intended so I hope you all forgive my fixation with Kakashi and his love life.

Until next time. Thanks for reading. Cheers! :) - Shihori.

Final Check: 7/31/2014

Final Copy.