The steam curled quietly through the hot spring, wrapping the room in a warm haze. Kakashi leaned back against the stone edge, trying to let the heat settle his nerves. But Shizune's earlier question now echoed in his mind like a thrown kunai ricocheting endlessly.
"So… are you attracted to me?"
Kakashi had been stunned when she said it. For a moment, time genuinely felt as if it had stopped. His heartbeat skipped, then hammered up into his throat so hard he felt it in his ears. They were already in an intimate situation, alone, water shimmering softly around them—so when Shizune asked that question, it hit him like a lightning strike.
He stared at her, speechless. Shizune lowered her gaze slightly, her cheeks blooming with nervous color, the faintest tremble at the corner of her lip. She had asked so bluntly, yet her eyes carried shyness, fear, and anticipation all at once.
The silence grew thick—too thick.
Kakashi felt like his thoughts were a pile of scattered papers in a storm. For years, Shizune had been his teammate in missions, his companion in medical operations, his reliable partner in countless emergencies. She was familiar, steady, constant.
But now, looking at her, really looking, Kakashi felt his assumptions shifting. Something deeper stirred, something he'd refused to examine until now.
Shizune, seeing he hadn't answered, turned slightly away as if trying to hide her embarrassment. Kakashi flinched internally. Her shoulders dipped just slightly—only someone who knew her could notice.
Finally, Kakashi exhaled softly.
"…I'm sorry, Shizune," he began. "I don't know how to answer right away."
Her eyes lifted again.
He continued, choosing his words with care. "Lately, after talking with Tsunade and Naruto, I realized my feelings toward you had changed. They pushed me to face it, to stop hiding behind a mask I didn't know I was wearing." He laughed weakly. "If I say I'm not moved by you… well, that wouldn't be true. But I still don't know what this feeling is."
Shizune inhaled slowly, her chest rising, determination gathering in her expression. She met his eyes—firm, unwavering.
"Kakashi," she said softly but confidently, "watching Tsunade get married… it made me realize how much I long for love too. I'm not young anymore. And honestly, I want someone to share my life with."
Kakashi blinked, surprised by her vulnerability.
"When Tsunade suggested I spend more time with you, I didn't think it would go anywhere. You always seemed distant when it came to emotions." She smiled slightly. "But today, after really talking to you, I realized you're much more sensitive than you pretend to be. Tsunade was right… you really do live behind a mask."
She moved closer by just a breath of distance.
"So I tried breaking that mask today. I took the initiative. And through that… I hoped you would feel how I feel." Her voice softened even further. "I changed the way I look at you recently. And I agree with Tsunade—love doesn't come to people who stay still. You must pursue it."
A pause.
Then, with resolve lighting her eyes, she extended her hand toward him above the water.
"Kakashi," she said clearly, "I don't want to hide my feelings anymore. I want to be your girlfriend. Is that okay?"
Kakashi froze—not from fear, but from total shock. Shizune looked so steady, so brave, so heartbreakingly real. Her hand hovered between them, trembling only slightly.
Kakashi inhaled deeply.
Naruto's words echoed. Just try.
He reached forward and gently took her hand. "Okay, Shizune. I… I'd like to try. I want to be a good boyfriend, if you'll have me."
Shizune smiled—soft, fulfilling, relieved.
The awkwardness dissolved instantly into something warm and bright.
She released his hand lightly and said, "Whether we end up together forever is another thing. For now, we're boyfriend and girlfriend. Let's try being a couple. If we truly respond to each other… even better."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Honestly, I don't know what my reactions are supposed to be right now. I suddenly have a girlfriend, and I'm not sure how to feel."
Shizune gave him a teasing sideways glance. "Oh? In that case… let me test you."
Before Kakashi could react, Shizune slipped out of her towel and stepped toward him in the water. The steam swirled around them as the distance closed, their eyes locking.
Kakashi swallowed. Hard.
"Shizune—this… this isn't a good idea—"
She felt just as nervous, but her determination outweighed it. Tsunade's words rang clear in her mind. A girl chasing a boy is only separated by a thin veil.
"Isn't this what couples do?" Shizune whispered. "I want to see if you react to me."
Kakashi looked away instinctively, face red. "N-No… nothing will happen just because you're doing this—"
"Oh?" Shizune murmured, amused.
Determined to test him, she reached forward and tugged open the towel around Kakashi's waist, then pressed herself gently against him. Kakashi inhaled sharply. Before he could protest, Shizune tilted her face up and captured his lips.
His eyes widened.
Shizune kissed him steadily, though her own nerves trembled beneath her boldness. Kakashi remained frozen like a carved statue at first. But after several seconds, instinct and emotion broke through, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back with growing certainty.
Shizune's heart lifted—thrilled, relieved, and encouraged.
She shifted closer, her movements subtle but undeniably intimate. One of her hands lowered beneath the water, brushing along his side—not explicit, but unmistakably testing. Water rippled softly.
Kakashi's breath hitched, and he paused, staring at her in disbelief.
Shizune smirked faintly, lifting her free hand to tap his cheek. "Didn't you say you didn't have any feelings for me?"
Kakashi coughed, embarrassed beyond measure.
Shizune leaned in and kissed him again—slow, warm, intentional. Then she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a deeper embrace.
The two kissed in the hot spring, steam rising like a curtain around them. Kakashi's mind erupted with sparks—years of reading Icha Icha suddenly translating into instinctive moves he didn't realize he remembered. Each shift of his hands, each angle of his lips, every decision seemed to flow naturally now.
Shizune, who had never seen these kinds of moves before, gasped softly as Kakashi took the lead, guiding her gently but confidently.
Gradually, he shifted the moment, turning her slightly, holding her securely. Shizune found herself momentarily overwhelmed—in a good way—as Kakashi's unexpected boldness stunned her.
The hot spring filled with heat, not just from the water but from them—close, breathing each other's warmth, wrapped in rising steam as their connection deepened. Nothing graphic, nothing explicit—just the unmistakable intimacy of two adults exploring the first steps of a relationship with honest desire.
Outside, a young attendant approached the door with a tray of fruit. She opened her mouth to call out to them—but paused when she heard faint, breathless sounds from inside.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…oh. Again."
She sighed. Last time she'd heard this kind of thing was when Shikamaru and Temari stayed in this very room.
Shaking her head, the attendant quietly hung a sign on the door:
KEEP OUT
Then walked away, muttering, "These ninja… honestly."
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