Work Text:
1) Tree Walking (originally posted in a comment)
It took Kakashi a moment to comprehend the sight outside the kitchen window. The old redwood tree stood proud and tall in the backyard as usual, but the tiny figure near the top gave him pause. Even at a distance the silver hair of his eldest was apparent and the figure slipped a step and recovered. Underneath, his pack sat with wagging tails so surely Yuuki would be fine.
On the other hand, Yuuki was only four and shouldn’t be walking up a tree older than Konoha like he was going to the park or something. Was it normal for kids to tree-walk at that age? And hadn’t he already explained to his kids that any chakra usage was supposed to be monitored by an adult? Preferably Sakura, because she at least had a rough idea of what normal development looked like. Kakashi took a sip of his coffee.
Yuuki was almost at the top now, a speck against the trunk. Ha. That would be a great picture to show Gai. Had they unpacked the camera yet? He hadn’t seen it, but he had been in the bedroom doing the last minute painting. There was a soft padding of footsteps behind him, followed by a gasp.
He glanced back at his wife as she gaped in horror. “Kakashi! What the hell are you doing drinking coffee!? Yuuki is almost 100 feet in the air!”
“I think it’s closer to 150, maybe 200.”
Hindsight being what it was, he probably should have expected the firm grip on the back of his vest throwing him out the backdoor and at the tree in question.
2) Haruno Sakura: Professional Fucker-up of Uchiha
It was a rare day that Kisame saw his partner on the defense. He could actually count it on one hand. None of them ever had candy pink-hair either. Even Sharingan no Kakashi hadn’t stood a chance against Itachi.
Which was why watching the kunoichi lay a beat down was concerning- especially since this taijutsu master wouldn’t let Kisame get anywhere near the fight.
Even worse, from the brief moments Kisame saw, Itachi looked worried.
The fight was dragging on- had been since the woman landed and seen the Konoha-nin down for the count. The kunoichi stared at him fearlessly and brushed off genjutsu like- well like she was an Uchiha. Her fists left craters, and kicks shattered trees and if she landed a hit on Itachi- Kisame would need to get a new partner. “Where the hell has she been hiding?”
“Sakura-chan?” His opponent’s grin widened, “She enjoys ambiguity.” The grin turned to a frown, “However, she and Kakashi have been celebrating their youthfulness by going steady.” The roundhouse kick the man landed pushed Kisame back- a first. “She is not known for her mercy.”
It gave him just enough time to see the woman, Sakura, land a punch in Itachi’s stomach and promptly grip the Uchiha by the neck as he fell forward, blood spattering from his lips. She lifted him one-handed and brought him forward close enough to say something Kisame didn’t catch.
She tossed the Uchiha back hard enough to crack a tree and Kisame took a chance. Samehada blocked the follow-up kick with a groan, the effort shaking his arm. Grabbing his fallen partner, he made an escape- and hoped that they wouldn’t be followed.
3) Meeting Team 7 (sort of)
Sasuke didn’t know what to think, what to believe. He stood in a hospital room, door yawning open. His sensei’s, who wasn’t strong enough to even challenge his brother. “You defeated my brother.”
Seafoam eyes. Pink hair. Distinctive, but not someone he ever remembered seeing around the village. Lithe build with no sign of her abilities, no hint of how she apparently sent his brother packing with his tail between his legs. She leaned up against the wall, Jounin uniform in place, and gaze firmly on the still form in the bed. Watching the steady rise and fall of Kakashi’s chest.
Her voice was tired, empty. Certain. “If I had my team I would have killed him.”
A shiver ran down Sasuke’s spine. He swallowed. It was like being in the Forest of Death all over again- when he suddenly realized his team didn’t have a chance. That this was what a real shinobi looked like.
She continued on, quiet. “And if Kakashi hadn’t gotten lazy about his training, he could have done it on his own.”
A plan formed. Orochimaru promised power- but this woman had already proved she could take on and defeat his brother. Without a scratch. The words left his lips before he could think about it. “Train me.”
She blinked slowly, turning her head to look at him- stare him straight in the eye in a way no other adult would. The Sharingan didn’t scare her. Not in the least. He could see her assessing him, appraising him, before smiling brightly. “You’ll regret that.”
4) Rokudaime
The laughter hadn’t ceased since he told his wife the news. It rang throughout their home, bright and cheery, bouncing off of the polished wood and through paper screens. Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “You can stop laughing at any time.”
That just set Sakura off again, she howled with laughter, hand on her chest and she leaned back against the kitchen cabinets. Yuuki, all of eight, peered into the kitchen behind his mother, took a long look at the scene before slowly creeping out the backdoor. Pakkun at his heels. The traitors. Hopefully they would at least keep Rin away until Sakura had calmed down.
The laughter finally died to wheezed chuckles as Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes. “Oh my-,” She held her breath for a moment, grinning, “Tsunade-sama got you. She got you real good.”
“I would have thought you would show more respect for your venerable husband.” Kakashi sniffed, mock hurt.
His wife, and being able to have that reality would never get old, rolled her eyes. “Maybe if I didn’t know you.”
“Mah, what about respect for your future Hokage?”
Sakura barked out a laugh, “I’m just trying to picture you stuck at a desk all day.”
Okay. She had a point. The flush on her cheeks was interesting. “Mah. It’s just until Naruto is ready. Keeping the seat warm and all that.”
She coughed, smile wide. Warm and cheerful- the woman who made this place a home. “You’ll do great, Kakashi. I know you will. And you will be more than a seat-warmer and you and I both know it.” Sakura pushed away from her spot.
She stepped into his space, idly picking imaginary fluff off his vest. A hand ruffled through his bangs, and her smile genuine. “I’m proud of you, you know that right?”
“Hmm,” He dipped his head down to rest his forehead against hers, a finger tugging his mask down as he leaned in for a chaste kiss, “Maybe you need to remind me.”
Sakura, being Sakura, promptly pulled him in for a much more thorough kiss. His wife was great like that.
5) Roses
Sakura was different.
Kakashi couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Her uniform sat as snugly as it ever had, tight fitted and neatly pressed. She slid into the booth across from him and Tenzou. If the mission rosters could be trusted, she hadn’t left the village in a few weeks, still recovering from a particularly long mission to somewhere classified.
Her smile though, was wide enough to crinkle her eyes.
He inhaled, and caught a whiff of something floral on the edge of the unscented everything else she used. Sakura was too good to leave a trace, and kept track of those little details like scent where everyone else focused on the physical trackers. “Did you change your shampoo?”
Kakashi watched as her cheeks turned a shade darker than her hair. She coughed, “No. I didn’t.”
Tenzou had one of the best poker faces in the forces. More than once had they put it to use cleaning out the lunch money from every other team in the corps. Without missing a beat, Tenzou asked, “Did Shisui finally get off his butt and buy out all the florists in Konoha?”
That was oddly specific. Kakashi glanced at his teammate, almost intrigued enough to ask. His attention was diverted by the even darker flush on Sakura’s face- this time reaching her ears and forehead.
“And if he did?” Sakura put her nose in the air, shoulders tensed.
“Did he go with the roses? I told him you’d appreciate those more.”
“You were the one that told him I liked roses?”
“Yes. And if he did, I just won a free meal.”
Kakashi heard the squeak of indignation, and idly leaned away from Tenzou. It wouldn’t do to be caught in the line of fire. Sakura huffed, seafoam eyes narrowing sharply on her teammate. “What do you mean won? Who the hell was betting on my relationship?”
That was a question Kakashi actually knew the answer to, “Well, before I was sent to-”
“Banished,” Tenzou cut in serenely.
“- Snow Country I recall hearing some chatter about it. Also, not a banishment.”
Sakura turned sharply to look at him. “Snow Country? You were there for six months. It was a banishment.”
Oh that crafty bastard. Now Kakashi had Sakura’s full attention and therefore ire. Great. “It was not a banishment.”
“You were sent there, in winter, after being late to a debrief. Banishment.”
“Unfortunate timing for a very serious mission. Can we get back to the roses?”
“No.” Sakura leaned back against the booth, arms flexing as she crossed them. “What Shisui did or did not do for me is none of your business.”
It was probably the worst thing to say if she wanted to make them go away. Kakashi glanced at Tenzou, who arched a single brow. Agreed then.
They’d break into her apartment when Shisui took her out on a date that night.
6) Massacre
Silent.
Nothing moved.
It wasn’t Hound’s idea to bring Mouse to the call to the Uchiha Compound. She was one of the best, a trusted companion when missions went FUBAR, but even the best could be foiled by personal matters. Within the corps it was a known fact she had been involved with a teammate; the two of them had been joined at the hip since their genin team days. An Uchiha who vanished while within village walls only a handful of weeks ago. A sinister coincidence given their current mission.
If it bothered her, Mouse didn’t show it. Given everything he knew about her, the lack of outburst was far more worrying. With this mission, quell a rebellion from the Uchiha, a part of him wondered if she would be able to keep it together.
Hindsight being what it was, he probably should have been more worried about their youngest team member. Weasel was off-duty, living in the compound, but skilled and wise enough to keep his head down until they arrived. Tiger was an impassive shadow on his right, Deer to his left. A steadying presence no matter what the night might bring.
The compound was silent. Silent in a way hundreds of living people couldn’t be.
Hound had seen horrible scenes before, but none compared to what they found that night. He was thankful for the mask dulling his sense of smell. A barrier between him and the gore littered in the streets.
Blood ran into the drains in little rivets.
“Captain?”
Hound took a steadying breath. “Pair off and fan out. See if you can find any survivors but keep your guard up. Whoever did this might still be here.”
There was one survivor. Found only after two hours of search. Initially thought just to be a dead body until Mouse realized he was breathing. A child. One of the many children found in the compound. Whoever murdered this clan knew no mercy- their blade cut the young and old just the same.
Weasel was missing. Hound didn’t like the picture coming together.
Mouse muttered basic diagnostic jutsu under her breath, hands glowing with the field first aid all ANBU knew. She shook her head. “He has no visible injuries or signs of physical trauma. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“Do you know who he is?”
She was quiet for a long time. “This is Uchiha Sasuke, second son of the Uchiha Clan Head. He is Weasel’s younger brother.”
Uchiha Fugaku and his wife had been found in their home. Unlike the others in the street who had been cut down almost haphazardly, the Head Couple had been deliberately executed.
No, Hound mused as Mouse picked the boy up with a gentleness not normally seen in the corps, he didn’t like this picture at all.
7) Late
Sakura tapped the table with a finger. The book she was reading, a new theory on using genjustu as a form of therapy from Kiri of all places, was interesting. Not interesting enough to distract her from the fact the meal in front of her was cold. She had spent a better part of the afternoon on it: a full spread of favourite dishes.
Or that the space beside her was empty, dishes untouched.
The kids were with Tenzou and hopefully not driving him up the wall. Yuuki had been a handful since he figured out how to walk but Rin had the face of an angel and knew it.
Giving her reading up for a lost cause, Sakura closed the journal and considered her options. She could go retrieve her husband from the office, but the duties of the Hokage never ceased. Something had probably come up. He likely wouldn’t be home.
She had thought herself prepared for his promotion. She didn’t understand how her sensei managed it with her own husband. Then again, Kushina-sensei hadn’t gotten the opportunity to grow old.
Gods, Sakura missed her. Over twenty years on, and she still missed her. The first person to believe in her when no one else thought a civilian-born kunoichi could amount to anything. All the teammates who never came home. Shisui.
Kushina-sensei wouldn’t wait around for someone, Sakura mused with a smile. Today was supposed to be a happy day. She should go make it so.
The food was away in the fridge quickly. Dishes left in the sink to soak or returned to the cupboard. She slipped on her sandals, turned off the lights and made her way into town through the treetops.
Konoha had been booming since the end of the war. Every time she looked around, it seemed like another building was going up. But some things stayed the same. Her favourite BBQ joint was one of them- it was hard to top great food and cold beer. No beer for her tonight.
Nibbling her way through an appetizer, Sakura keep her focus on the people making their way down the street. The young families heading home. Couples holding hands and whispering to each other. No one paid her any attention. The way she liked it.
Her student might be wandering back into town soon. She’ll have to track him down and get him to stay for a meal and humour his old sensei. Getting stories out of him was like pulling teeth but Sakura had a gift. It also helped Sasuke, for all his skill and power, still had a residual fear of her that masked itself as respect.
The first bite of pork tasted funny, and she ordered the chicken. When the plate was polished and she had crafted the most elaborate story for the elderly couple sitting in the booth across from her, Sakura pulled out her wallet to pay. Tomorrow, she’d have to remember to bring the article with her to the hospital. What if she could use genjutsu to treat trauma? A interesting challenge given all the genjutsu she knew were for fooling the mind in an exploitable way.
To home or to somewhere else? With the kids out of the way, she could enjoy a quiet evening. Doing what was another matter. Ah- when was the last time she had been to the movies? There was probably a rom-com playing, or maybe a good horror film.
It was the rom-com in the end. She sat in the back, popcorn in hand, and barely managed to refrain from stabbing her husband when he silent slipped into the seat beside her. “You’re a hard woman to find,” Kakashi murmured quietly.
Sakura shushed him without looking.
Intermission came up just as the on-screen couple walked off into the night in separate directions, and the lights warmed the room a bit. “You’re late.”
Her husband’s shoulders slumped, “Mah, I got caught up at the office with some unexpected developments.”
She hummed.
Kakashi shifted in his seat. If he expected her to say anything else he was in for a rude awakening. Softly, he added, “You weren’t there when I got home. I was worried.”
“It’s our anniversary,” Sakura said flatly, “and I wanted to enjoy myself tonight so I went out. If you are hungry, there’s food in the fridge at home. I’ll be picking up the kids tomorrow.”
Her husband stayed quiet through the rest of intermission and the second half of the film. He stayed quiet on the walk home and as they prepared for bed. Only when she had settled on her half did he whisper, “I love you.”
Sakura closed her eyes, and replied with her second thought, “I know.”
An arm settled across her waist and pulled her close to a warm body. She still felt cold.
~*~*~
To her surprise, Kakashi was still in the house when she woke up the next morning. The even greater surprise was the sight of him cooking breakfast while wearing her apron. A frilly pink one Tenzou had given as a gag gift for her wedding. “What are you doing?”
Her husband smiled at her, both eyes closed and holding a spatula like it was a weapon, “Making you breakfast.”
“I see that.” Sakura adjusted her housecoat, “I mean what are you doing at home?”
“I just told you,” he gestured to the table, one chair pulled and a steaming cup of coffee in front of it. Warily, Sakura sat down. “Don’t worry about picking up the kids. I’ve already spoken to Tenzou and he going to hold onto them a little longer. Though I think he is teaching Yuuki some techniques… Probably nothing to worry about.”
The coffee was perfect. Just the way she liked it. “This is good.”
“Thank you.”
Sakura set the mug back down, openly staring at her husband. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve already answered that.”
She licked her lips and squared her shoulders, “Why aren’t you at the office?”
Kakashi flipped an egg. “I am taking a personal day.”
“Are you allowed to do that?”
This time his smile seemed to have an edge to it. “Well, one of the perks of being the Hokage is that no one can tell me what to do. If they have a problem with that they can meet me at the training grounds.”
Still not what Sakura was looking for, “And why are you taking a personal day?”
The egg was pulled off the stove and set on a bowl of rice. Miso soup was dished out and a fried fish she hadn’t noticed before sat on a plate. Kakashi delivered the dishes to her with a flourish, a hand resting on her shoulder as he pulled back. “Because I have neglected my duties to my wife and family. All of whom deserve better from me.”
Her cheeks warmed, though she resolutely did not cry. “Thank you for this meal.”
The brush of lips against her cheek startled her, “I’m also implementing a new policy. I’m taking every Sunday off. There will probably be a bit of chaos for the first month, but it should settle down.”
“Ah.” Sakura felt her lips twinge into a smile. She waited until he joined her at the table and had starting eating to add, “I suppose then it is only fair I tell you some news.”
Her husband knew her well enough that he froze, chopsticks to his mouth, and eyed her warily.
She smiled at him as if it would reassure him, “I’m late.”
Kakashi swallowed hard and coughed once, “Are you, you know?”
Sakura nodded, steadying herself as she held up two fingers.
“Huh,” Kakashi said faintly, “And here I thought you only wanted three.”