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Tenzo would be the first to admit, he didn’t understand everything about life outside of Root. He’d been raised and trained—groomed, really—in a completely different way than the Shinobi his age in the village. Even the ANBU, who he had always considered the other side of the coin that was Root, treated him like he was different. He supposed it made sense why they wouldn’t necessarily trust him; he had no real name, no history, and until recently, he had denied all emotion. It wasn’t like that, he found, for all Shinobi.
It had been a few years since Kakashi had come for him, a few years since he’d adopted the name given to him by a young girl who turned to smoke. Years serving on an ANBU squad, among Shinobi who had families both in and outside of the organization they served. Tenzo still, sometimes, struggled to navigate the social aspect of his new life. He knew that his new comrades would think of his life over the mission wherever they could. He knew that, if he wanted, there was a village full of his peers who would welcome him into a seat at their table for a night out. All of this was still new and strange, but Tenzo’s heart was full with the hope that one day, he may be used to it. He hoped that, even if the wonder ceased, the joy remained.
Despite the differences between his old and new life, there were some constants. The missions he ran were still long, cruel, and brutal at times. He’d sometimes still wake in the middle of the night from nightmares of being submerged in a glass tank, only able to watch as his only companions gradually disappeared. He supposed those were to be constants forever. And, while neither was particularly pleasant, the familiarity was something of a comfort. Two things, at least, in his life that he never had to question.
But still, as he grew more comfortable with his new life over time, he found it less and less hard to call himself a Konoha Shinobi. Though he didn’t understand a lot of it still, the things he did understand, he clung to.
And he understood, clear as day, that his ANBU superiors were not supposed to flirt shamelessly with him on missions.
At first, he thought he was just blowing things out of proportion. Kakashi was a strange man, that was one thing everyone seemed to readily agree on. Tenzo had almost managed to convince himself, after the first cheesy and badly-timed innuendo, that he’d misheard what Kakashi had said. Sure, the other operative working with them had also done a visible double-take, but that didn’t mean she didn’t also mishear him. Kakashi had more sense than to make dirty jokes while on a mission.
The second time it happened, Tenzo was certain that he did not mishear. He was in the middle of offering up a suggested strategy that time, and Kakashi’s less-than-subtle interjection caused Tenzo to blush and stumble on his words for several seconds after the fact. After the strategy meeting adjourned, he shot Kakashi a strong glare that he hoped spoke the volumes of you know exactly what you did!
He couldn’t be certain, thanks to Kakashi’s mask, but Tenzo was willing to bet his entire paycheck from this mission that he was smirking.
Despite the cold glares that eventually lead up to impatient swats, Kakashi continued his crusade of brazen flirtations and innuendos at inopportune times. And where once, Tenzo was confused and flustered, he’d grown increasingly more irritated. He didn’t understand why Kakashi was doing this. Kakashi had always teased him, sure. But this…if Kakashi was trying to embarrass him, it was certainly working. On more than one occasion, Tenzo found himself nervously wondering if Kakashi knew. If maybe, this shameless, teasing flirtatiousness was Kakashi’s way of letting Tenzo know exactly how he felt about his crush on Kakashi. It was a joke, a brush-off, something they should laugh at and move on from. It stung a little, but was hardly the worst pain he’d ever gone through.
That being said, he wished Kakashi would let it go now that he’d gotten the message. All it was doing now was causing whispers and glances behind their backs from fellow ANBU operatives. Worse still, it wasn’t making Tenzo’s stupid crush go anywhere. It was days like these that a part of him wished he’d clung a little harder to his Root training, that he was still a blank, emotionless canvas. He could respond to Kakashi with practiced cold indifference, or a world-weary scolding, but the color in his cheeks would still give him away. He was grateful for his mask whenever he had it, and for his curtains of long hair when he did not. Though hiding in his hair was hardly any less subtle than the blushing was.
Though, like the rest of his new life in Konoha, Tenzo was getting used to the flirting. It didn’t make him lose his words anymore, not unless Kakashi was particularly crude. The blush, he supposed, would never leave. Not as long as he was secretly wishing for there to be any shred of truth to Kakashi’s words. But his sarcastic responses came faster, he admonished Kakashi’s childishness with growing ease. It became something of a back-and-forth between them; Kakashi would tease, Tenzo would glare, and Kakashi would just smirk in silence as they returned to the task at hand. Another constant in Tenzo’s new life.
It would be a comfort, too, if it weren’t for the fact that Tenzo was certain it would be the death of him. He was reluctant to consider himself desperate, but he was reaching his wit’s end with the whole situation. He just wanted to know what Kakashi got out of all this. But for now, he’d have to settle for suffering in silence. However, if Kakashi made another remark about his kunai in relation to his pockets, he may have to kill him.
The mission they were on was simple; a two-man A-rank involving infiltration, reconnaissance, and bringing information back to the village. Or, at least, it should have been simple. Whether through deliberate enemy misguidance or simple mistake, it was obvious upon arrival that the information given to Kakashi and Tenzo had greatly underestimated the enemy forces they could reasonably expect to be waiting for them.
Which is how he found himself up the far side of a cliff, in a hole so shallow it could be considered a cave only by the barest stretch of the imagination, squished in next to Kakashi as they tried to hastily re-formulate their plan. Skilled as they both were, they easily recognized when they were in over their heads. As it were, the two of them had been attempting a new strategy for at least an hour. Tenzo’s limbs were starting to go numb from the cramped position they were in, and his frustration was only growing. Kakashi didn’t seem to be taking it nearly as seriously as he should have been, considering if they fucked up now they could both end up dead.
Tenzo had just sat through Kakashi’s first full draft of a new plan, his irritation growing stronger with his headache. His silence must have spoken volume, because Kakashi’s visible eye narrowed as he leaned closer.
“Tenzo, you’re pouting,” Kakashi raised his eyebrow. “What is it?”
Tenzo huffed out a strong breath, sending a glare towards Kakashi as he attempted to shift so he could feel his feet again. “I don’t know, Senpai. It just—for your first attempt at a plan, it seems very much like a last-ditch effort.”
Kakashi laughed then, a low, quiet chuckle that made the hairs on the back of Tenzo’s neck stand up with a small shiver.
“It is a last-ditch effort,” Kakashi murmured, his own frustration and exhaustion evident in his voice. “Desperate times, as they say. There’s no way we’ll both be able to get in there, not with the numbers we’ve observed. Both our presences together are more likely to cause suspicion. If I go in alone we have a chance at me making it out undetected.”
“And I’m supposed to just wait here? I won’t be able to get in in time to help you if something goes wrong.”
“Nothing will go wrong.”
“You don’t know that,” Tenzo’s voice rose to a dangerous volume before he got himself back in check. “Kakashi, it’s too much for just us. We should report back to the village and get a bigger team.”
Kakashi paused, his brow furrowing at Tenzo’s suggestion. Tenzo knew Kakashi didn’t like failure, who did? But both of them returning in one piece may be the only success they could realistically hope for.
“I think we should try.”
“Senpai—”
“I won’t do anything reckless, I promise,” Kakashi insisted. “If I can’t get what we need in thirty minutes, I’ll come back.”
“And if you’re compromised?” Tenzo hated how shaky his voice was.
“I won’t be.”
Tenzo set his jaw tightly, wanting to argue but knowing it would only fall on stubborn deaf ears.
“I can’t stop you from doing this,” he muttered. “But just know that I hate this idea. It’s unnecessarily risky, even for you.”
Kakashi just shrugged, moving to stand. “Don’t you know I’m a cold-hearted genius? I’ll do fine.”
“Be serious, Senpai,” Tenzo scowled.
“I’m always serious,” Kakashi adjusted his armor, sparing another glance toward Tenzo. “If you’re worried, you could always give me a kiss for good luck.”
Tenzo let out a noise that could only really be described as a snarl, clenching his hands hard into fists. If there was ever a worst time for Kakashi’s always ill-timed jokes, Tenzo would have picked this mission. He was exhausted, he was stressed, and there was a very high probability that his ANBU captain, mission partner, and only friend was going to die. And he was cracking jokes.
If Tenzo hadn’t been so emotionally compromised already, he never would have done this. But if Kakashi was going to carelessly make jokes at Tenzo’s expense, Tenzo thought it only fair that he give Kakashi exactly what he asked for.
Tenzo stood up and grabbed the straps of Kakashi’s armor in one motion, pulling him close and crashing his lips against Kakashi’s. He may have actually missed Kakashi’s lips slightly, it was a little hard to aim with the mask. He pulled back with an impatient huff and a glare, knowing that his face was burning bright red.
Honestly, Tenzo should have done this ages ago. It didn’t make all of the teasing worth it, not exactly, but it gave Tenzo a deep sense of petty satisfaction to bear witness to the look on Kakashi’s face in that moment. His visible eye was blown wide with shock, the tops of his cheeks and the tips of his ears were flushed bright pink, and his entire body was frozen and tense.
“Um,” Kakashi’s voice was considerably higher than usual, and slightly croaky. “I—what?”
“Wh—you asked for it!” Tenzo spluttered. “You’ve been—I—for years, Kakashi! You always—with the worst pickup lines, by the way, and just—there. Desperate times, right? Well there’s your goddamn kiss for good luck!”
Kakashi stood in front of Tenzo in silence for several long seconds, before his shoulders started to shake with badly suppressed laughter. His laughing only made Tenzo’s ire grow, and he shoved at Kakashi’s shoulders firmly.
“What? What’s so funny, Senpai?”
“You were always so angry and disapproving, I thought you’d never want—” Kakashi froze again, his entire demeanor changing. “I mean. You do, right? You. Um. You want to, uh. Kiss me for good luck, and stuff?”
Tenzo’s eyes widened as Kakashi twisted his own hands together nervously. Kakashi fucking meant everything, the whole time. Oh, Tenzo was an idiot.
No. Kakashi was definitely the idiot.
“Yes,” Tenzo admitted, rolling his eyes. “And if you die pulling stupid stunts on this mission and I never get to kiss you for real, I’ll figure out a way to bring you back just so I can kill you myself.”
“You could always kiss me for real right now.”
“No!” Tenzo squawked, swatting at Kakashi’s chest when he moved closer. “Consider this your motivation not to fuck up, like you promised. And also payback for being a jerk!”
“I guess I deserve that,” Kakashi seemed to deflate a little, but just before he pulled his hound mask on once again, he turned to face Tenzo again. “Once I get back from this mission, though, you’ll kiss me? For real?”
Tenzo felt heat creeping back onto his face again, but nodded. “Come back alive, and I’ll kiss you as much as you want.”
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “As much as I want, or as much as you want?”
Tenzo grinned. “Definitely as much as I want.”
“I’m holding you to that.”