The next morning, beneath the Hokage building, Kakashi stepped forward—and immediately bumped into Shizune.
Kakashi raised his hand with an easy smile. "Good morning, Shizune!"
Shizune snorted and completely ignored him.
She walked past him without even sparing a glance.
Ignoring him was the only correct response.
After all—yesterday was a disaster.
On what was supposed to be their first date, she ended up eating ramen alone, while he finished his food and left before she'd even gotten halfway through.
Who does that?
What kind of human leaves someone alone on a date like that?
She'd gone home furious, stewing in her anger until around one in the morning before sleep finally claimed her.
Kakashi watched her brush past him and enter the building. He scratched his head awkwardly before following her inside.
Morning
Inside the office, they both worked as if nothing had happened.
Shizune was diligently processing reports; Kakashi was organizing past mission files and administrative documents.
Trying to soften the tension, Kakashi got up and walked over with a water kettle. "Shizune, let me refill your cup—"
Shizune immediately pulled her cup out of reach without even looking up.
Kakashi froze mid-pour, embarrassed but understanding.
Yeah… she was absolutely angry.
He sighed silently and returned to his seat.
Shizune secretly peeked at him.
Seeing Kakashi calmly writing, without any visible guilt, her annoyance only grew stronger.
Tch! She let out a cold snort and went back to work.
Kakashi heard the sound but saw nothing when he glanced up, so he continued reading.
Noon
Determined to make up for last night, Kakashi stood and approached her.
"Shizune, let's go out for a casual meal at lunch!"
Shizune didn't look at him. She packed up her documents, set them aside, and responded coldly:
"No. I don't want someone to run away while I'm still eating."
Kakashi opened his mouth, stepping forward with a nervous smile.
"That's because I had a reason. I just—"
Before he could finish, Shizune walked out of the office on her own.
She would rather eat in the cafeteria with strangers than repeat yesterday.
Kakashi stood there, helpless.
Great.
He'd spent half the night rethinking everything, promising himself he wouldn't run away again… and now the situation had become worse.
Kakashi dragged a hand through his hair.
"What were you thinking last night? Why'd you run? Just walk her home—how hard is that?!"
He sighed deeply and left the office.
Lunch at the Cafeteria
In the cafeteria, Kakashi carried his lunch tray toward Shizune—only to see her sit down with several female ninjas first: Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and Ino.
Kakashi could only sit alone, quietly eating.
From time to time he glanced in Shizune's direction.
She was smiling and laughing with them.
He exhaled slowly and focused on his meal.
I'll wait for another chance to apologize properly.
Afternoon
Shizune received a message from Tsunade—she needed help preparing for Tsunade's upcoming marriage ceremony. Sakura and Ino were already there; Tenten and Hinata were on their way too.
Shizune approached Kakashi's desk.
"Hokage, I'm going to Tsunade's."
"Ah, no problem," Kakashi said.
Shizune turned to leave, but Kakashi quickly called out, "Shizune!"
She paused.
Kakashi took a breath. "About last night… I'm sorry. I didn't understand some things myself, so I left early. I'm really sorry."
Shizune looked at him.
She had been furious, determined not to forgive him. But his sincere apology softened her heart.
"It's okay," she said with a small smile. "I don't take it to heart."
Kakashi brightened. "Then… let me treat you again sometime. Properly, this time."
Shizune gave a small nod and walked out.
Kakashi leaned back in relief.
One thing off his chest.
He returned to his documents. Nothing major was left for the afternoon.
"Alright… let's go check the preparations for Jiraiya's ceremony."
He stood and left the office.
Konoha Streets – Inspection
After verifying arrangements with the event coordinators and ensuring everything was smooth, Kakashi nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work. Please stay cautious and make sure nothing goes wrong."
"Yes, Hokage!"
Finished with inspection, Kakashi walked through the village streets, his thoughts drifting.
Next time I ask her out… what do I say? Just dinner? But where? What if she thinks it's the same as before?
He sighed heavily.
Kakashi might know every scenario inside an Icha Icha Paradise romance scene, but in reality?
When it came to himself… he was hopeless.
Completely clueless.
"This won't work. I need a strategist."
Shikaku would normally be his go-to—but Shikaku would laugh himself senseless if Kakashi asked for dating advice. And he absolutely could not let Shikaku know.
So who?
After much thinking, the answer came:
Naruto.
Naruto had encouraged him before.
Naruto was honest.
Naruto was fearless.
And somehow, Kakashi felt only Naruto could help him now.
Immediately, he changed direction and headed to find the Seventh Hokage-to-be.
Evening – The Park Bench
The sun hung low, bathing the park in orange light.
Kakashi sat on a bench beside Naruto, who was listening seriously.
Naruto frowned.
"So, you're saying that next time you want to ask Shizune for dinner, you don't know where to take her, what to do, or what to talk about, right?"
Kakashi nodded. "Exactly."
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"You asked her to ramen last time, then left early. She got angry. You apologized. Now you want to ask her again."
Naruto leaned back.
"To be honest, Kakashi, I don't agree with asking her to dinner again."
Kakashi blinked. "Why?"
Naruto looked straight at him.
"Think about it. Your first dinner date ended badly. So if you ask her for dinner again, she'll remember the unpleasant experience. That's not how you create a new impression."
Kakashi slowly nodded. "That… actually makes sense."
Naruto continued confidently:
"You're finally taking this relationship seriously and trying to approach Shizune properly. So if you're going to make a move… you have to be direct. Clear. Full effort. Just choose a sensitive place!"
Kakashi frowned. "A sensitive place?"
Naruto nodded firmly. "Yes. A sensitive place."
Kakashi glanced around, making sure nobody was nearby, then leaned closer. "Where?"
Naruto took a breath and said:
"Bathroom. Invite her to take a bath."
Kakashi's eye widened. "Take a bath?! Naruto, are you out of your mind?!"
Naruto laughed.
"Relax, Kakashi! Shikamaru told me this was his successful method. I'm just passing it on."
Kakashi looked horrified. "Shikamaru… did that too?"
Naruto patted Kakashi on the shoulder.
"Let me explain! The bathroom is a sensitive place, right? So if you send Shizune an invitation like that, she knows what it means."
Naruto held up one finger.
"If she guesses what it means and still comes… that means she's already accepted the possibility."
Kakashi frowned. "So it means she's thought about what might happen… and she accepts it."
Naruto snapped his fingers. "Exactly! It's a way of asking her attitude. If she comes, it means the relationship moves forward—no need to overthink anything."
"Just take a bath together, and after that, everything will naturally progress."
Kakashi blinked.
"…Oh. That… makes sense."
"By the way, Naruto—what if Shizune doesn't come?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Isn't that better? At least you showed your attitude. You tried. You won't have regrets. Even Tsunade can't blame you after that."
Kakashi nodded slowly.
That actually… makes sense too.
Naruto grinned.
"So? You gonna do it?"
Kakashi exhaled deeply.
"Don't say it… don't say it…"
But he already knew.
He was going to try.
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