Chapter Text
To say Takayo was lost after having been pulled from her mission was an understatement. She raised Naruto for five years and then all of a sudden he wasn’t to be in her life anymore? It hurt her. She found herself staring off into space often wondering if he missed her, if he was eating correctly, if he was behaving well enough. She found herself staring off into space again while working in the flower shop.
She was now twenty-two herself and it felt weird to no longer have a child attached to her hip. A twenty-two year old shouldn’t feel like that, She thought somewhat bitterly. She wondered how she would function now that Naruto was grown enough to have her no longer in his life . She could do whatever she wanted now without worrying about the child back at home. She rested her chin on her palm,leaning on the counter. She could go out with her friends and eat and drink if she wanted to. She perked up hearing the door chime as people walked in. she could think about this later.She had a job to do.
Later that night she found herself walking along the roads of Konoha’s marketplace. She walked up to the BBQ place that she knew that her friends frequently went to. Most of the ninja around her age ate here as a hang out spot for after missions. She had no idea why but it was nice to get everyone in one place. She walked inside and was overwhelmed with the smell of cooking food and people chattering.
"Is that Takayo? Takayo! Over here!" Kurenai waved over to the older ninja who smiled hesitantly. Takayo knew that she was friends with Kakashi so apparently that meant they were friends? Takayo was confused but allowed it as she squished herself in the large booth that Kakashi and his friends were in. She felt weird being here. Like she had to rush home and make dinner for the kid and herself but… those days were done with now.
"Takayo. It's nice to see you out of the flower shop." Kakashi said to her, making her blush slightly with embarrassment.
"I'm not always in the flower shop. Sometimes I train." She tries to argue getting a small laugh from the ninja who she had spent so much time with growing up.
"Right." He joked , throwing an arm around her shoulder and looking a little more at ease now. She wondered if her being there helped or if it was the sake the group had been sharing. She looked around the table seeing familiar faces from Kakashi's pictures. Except no Rin or Obito anymore. She knew what had happened to them. And how much it hurt Kakashi. She wondered how things would have been different if they were sitting at the table with them? She leaned her head on Kakashi’s shoulder before hearing a loud remark.
“Kakashi! How could you not tell your rival that you had a girlfriend?” Takayo stayed silent as she turned around to see a face she heard a lot about. Might Gai. She broke out into laughter, snorting loudly. She covered her face as Kakashi rolled his visible eye. “She’s not my girlfriend Gai. We are just close that’s it.” Kakashi deadpanned as he looked over at Takayo who was still snorting with laughter, unable to breath. “You.. Me.. THATS.. AHHH!” she managed to get out, squealing loudly and making the others at the table laugh at her laughter.
“Gai. I think you killed her.” Asuma joked, taking the bottle of sake and taking a swing before he passed it to Kurenai. Kurenai chuckled and nodded her head in a thank you manner before taking a drink and watching Takayo finally calm down.
“Sorry. That’s just too funny. Me and Kakashi. He’s like a little brother to me. So no. He didn’t need to tell you he’s got a girlfriend because he doesn’t have one.” Takayo told the younger man.
Gai nodded and scooted in next to her. He smiled briefly at her before talking to Kurenai about a mission she had recently. Takayo felt somewhat left out. She was still a genin- terrified of being a chunin or higher because of past experiences. And her last mission was 5 years long. She hummed softly as she took some of the food off Kakashi’s plate. She wondered now if she would have a new mission soon. Something that a genin could do.
Gai turned to her and looked over her. “You’re still a genin right Takayo?”
“Yep!” She said, popping the “p” before taking a mouthful of the meat she had snuck away from Kakashi’s plate.
“Hm. I bet you have a lot of secrets. But don’t worry! I will find them out and I won’t tell anyone.” Gai gave her a thumbs up, making her smile slightly.
“Thanks Gai. But I don’t really have any secrets. Besides flower arranging skills.” She laughed, getting a little nervous. It was true she was a genin but she trained as hard as anyone to protect her village. Mainly to protect Naruto however. She dealt with a number of assassins trying to take out the boy when he was a baby but she dealt with them all with her clan’s justus. She guessed that would be secrets. She furrowed her eyebrows.
“Gai.. Please don’t go snooping in places you aren’t welcomed.” Kakashi scolded. “Let her be. She hasn’t interacted with people in years.” The table grew quiet. It was no secret that Takayo had cared for Naruto. Everyone in the village knew. Most assumed that naruto was her child with an uzumaki who had passed through the village at some point. She looked at the table and smiled softly.
“Kakashi I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. Now pass over the sake.” she nudged Gai who nodded and passed it over to her from Kurenai. Takayo curled up next to Kakashi more as she took a long swig of the sake.
After another bottle of shared sake the group dispersed, leaving Gai and Kakashi alone with Takayo. “Which one of you wants to walk me home?” She asked softly, looking between the two. Kakashi gave her a peace sign and teleported away making her swear at the spot he was just in. “Kakashi you can’t just.. Ugh.” She rubbed her forehead and leaned against Gai. “Looks like my hero tonight is you Gai.” She smiled up at him, face flushed with alcohol entering her system heavily. He chuckled and bent down as Takayo stared at him for a moment before clumsily climbing onto his back. “You know I can walk.” she muttered into his ear making him laugh again. “What kind of hero would I be if i let the flower princess walk all the way back home?” “Not a good one I guess.” She chuckled , wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into the back of his neck.
“Now are we going back to the flower shop or ..Naruto’s?” he asked softly. “Flower shop. My mission is over now.” He nodded curtly before walking towards the flower shop. “You were basically his mother right? You weren’t actually his mother. I don’t remember seeing you pregnant…” He furrowed his brows as he tried to recall that awful night 5 years ago. “I can’t really tell you much about that. You know that Gai…”she whispered. “But I know I’m going to miss him. He was my life for years and now I’m not going to be anything to him.”
Gai nodded again and chuckled. “You know. That’s the power of youth.” Takayo snorted with laughter and closed her eyes. “Thanks. Kakashi wouldn’t have been this entertaining to talk to .” “You’re welcome. “ he squeezed her leg in a comforting manner and picked up his pace a little bit.
“It's late…” She muttered as she looked up to see the moon crawling up into the sky. “Do you want to sleep on my couch?” She asked.
“I’ll be fine. I didn’t drink as much as you did.”
“True.” She laughed again as they approached her apartment next to the flower shop. “Offer stands though.”
He looked down the path next to her house before turning back to her with a thumbs up. “How can I turn down the flower princess? I’ll rest on your couch and leave when the sun rises.” Takayo frowned. He wouldn’t normally be so easy to get him to change his mind. Unless. Were more people after her again? Ugh would it ever end? “Thank you Gai.” She unlocked her door and felt something was off the moment she walked in. Gai was on edge and pushed passed her, looking around the room before someone came out of hiding , throwing kunai at them. Takayo and Gai easily dodged them before Gai rushed to the couch where the kunai came from, kneeing the person in the face. Takayo heard another sound coming from the doorway and quickly swept her feet under the person who had tried to walk in. She grabbed a kunai from the ground and pointed it at the intruder’s throat.
“Move and you die.” She hissed as Gai came up to her and placed a hand on her lower back. “You got the other one Gai?”
“Yes. They won’t be waking up any time soon.” The one on the ground tried to move to grab something making Takayo press the kunai closer to their throat.
“I said don’t move.”
“You damn monster loving bitch.” They hissed. She rolled her eyes and punched their masked face with ease, shattering the mask and knocking the - now revealed- lady out cold.
Gai looked at her and smirked. “Wow that’s some punch. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that.” He laughed as Kakashi appeared with backup. She frowned and crossed her arms. “You two knew I had people following me didn’t you?” Gai sheepishly looked at the ground before shrugging at her. “I figured it out as Kakashi left. He would have never left without saying an actual goodbye. Especially if you two are so close.”
Takayo slid to the ground as the ANBU ninja gathered up the intruders and took off into the night with them. Kakashi looked over Takayo and frowned. “You should sleep somewhere else for a while. Just until we can figure out what they want with you and how they figured this all out.” Takayo nodded numbly and groaned. She was not in the mood for this all. She wanted to sleep it all off now. Sleep off the emotions that she was feeling. Sleep off the sake. Gai leaned down and scooped her up. “I can let her sleep at my house. It’s no hassle. I’ll consider it a mission from the hokage himself to protect her.” He grinned at Kakashi who nodded and leaned in and kissed Takayo’s forehead. “You dumbass. You really think people would not be after you after taking care of the brat?” He shook her head and chuckled at the small whine she gave him. “Make sure she gets some sleep Gai. I’m trusting you with her.” Gai nodded as Takayo curled up into his arms. He looked down at her with a soft look before heading off to his own place. Takayo frowned and laid her head against his chest as they made their way towards Gai’s house.
“I’m that weak I need someone to protect me?” she asked softly , making a tsk sound as Gai’s chest rumbled with laughter.
“No.. You are much stronger than you think. It’s just best to have someone have your back right now. It’s like a three man squad. They aren’t weak to have someone have their back are they?” He raised the question, getting silence in return from Takayo for a moment before a grumbled out ‘no’ came from her lips. “Don’t worry Takayo. You are strong. My father was a genin all his life but he was a strong man.” Gai told her as she remembered that his dad gave up his life to protect Gai and his team. “Yeah.. I just want to protect this village and Naruto. Is that too much to ask?” She asked softly. “Without being a chunin that’s hard but I’m as strong as all you chunin and jonin. It's just… “
“Your team all died right after them became chunins right?” He asked softly as they got to his house.
“Yeah.. Not the best. And then my teacher died during the Nine Tails attack… It leaves a bad taste in your mouth if that sort of stuff happens.” She shifted out of his arms and placed her feet on the ground. Gai shifted around for his keys and unlocked the door for them.
Takayo started towards the bedroom and looked back at Gai. “Do you have clothing i can wear to bed?” He stammered for a moment before clearing his throat and going into the house after her. “Yes. Yes. you can wear an old shirt of mine if you would like.” He walked into his room, pulling out a shirt from his dresser and handing over to. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Gai… thank you.” she whispered as he started for the door.
The night went on uneventfully but Takayo couldn’t help but think about how kind Gai had been with her the whole night. He wasn’t treating her softer then he needed to and wasn’t mean to her either. Which were either of the two options that people acted out towards her. She felt her face flush as she buried her face into his pillow. Nope she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight.