Genma and I finally trained together on a Sunday.
I ran around Konoha for half an hour before going to the training ground we had booked. It still baffled me sometimes when I thought about how long I spent working out nowadays. In my previous life, there was nothing I hated more. I had poor eyesight, poor eye-hand coordination, and poor balance. Needless to say that sports were the bane of my existence. I didn't have those problems anymore, and now that I had chakra to help (it made a huge difference), exercising wasn't as awful as it used to be.
Running was relaxing (did I just say that? yes, I did… how things changed), and stretching felt good. My only advantage in my first life, flexibility, had followed in this one too, for which I was glad.
I went through different positions. The current one was called the crow pose in yoga (I had never been able to do it for lack of arm strength). Shinobi called it the crane.
I tilted my head as a noise caught my attention.
"Genma, I hope you're not staying behind me to ogle my ass."
"But it's such a nice view."
I straightened into a handstand, did a flip to come back on my feet, and turned around to face him.
"Good morning to you too," I drawled, unimpressed, with a raised eyebrow and a hand on my hip.
He chuckled and bowed with a twirl of his hand. "My apologies, my lady. I meant to comment on how radiant you looked today, and—"
"Alright, I get it. Abort!" I laughed fondly.
"As my lady commands," he replied with a teasing smile.
"What were you thinking about for today?" I asked to get us back on track.
"After your last experience with a genjutsu, and considering it's not my specialty, I thought we should keep it for later," he explained.
"So, ninjutsu?" I guessed without commenting. To be honest, I wasn't eager to be put under genjutsu again. I knew I need to work on it but, still, I wasn't going to refuse an excuse to postpone it.
"Ninjutsu," he confirmed. "Can you give me the list of those you know?"
"The academy basics and the shunshin. That's it." I was doing better than most members of the Genin Corps by knowing the body flicker technique. It was risky to learn on your own. I had broken my nose: meeting a wall at full speed would do that to you.
"Do you know your affinity?"
"I suspect water. It runs in the family. I never tested it, however."
Genma pulled out a square of paper from a pocket and held it to me. Knowing the drill, I poured a bit of chakra into it. It became wet.
"It's nice to have the confirmation," I concluded.
"I'm fire," he told me.
Most shinobi from Konoha were. However, the Kamizuki came from Uzu no Kuni, generations ago, like many other families. Consequently, water was the second most common element in our ranks.
"Is that going to be a problem?"
Water beat fire. He was unlikely to know many water jutsu even if he was good with nature transformation. It must be the most difficult for him.
"It's not ideal," he admitted, "but I know enough to help you with the basics. You have to understand how to transform the nature of your chakra first. We'll focus on that today. Then, I may not know any suiton jutsu, but I suspect that your cousin can give you a few tips…"
I nodded. "He probably has a few scrolls or notes from our fathers. Everything they left us is at his house."
Genma's explanations were concise and to the point. I worked through trials and errors as he pointed out what I did wrong and advised me on how to rectify it. It was a bit laborious, probably the most boring part of learning elemental jutsu. It was unfortunately necessary.
We were sitting by the side of the river. The contact of the water helped to guide me in the right direction.
"I think you got it," he declared after a long hour.
I groaned in relief. "Finally!"
He snorted. "Don't complain. I was expecting this to take much longer. I spent most of my first day getting burnt. You have it easy."
"I'm older, it comes with the brain," I teased, "but I'm grateful I don't have fire. Burns are the worst." In comparison, I was just wet after several failed attempts at controlling water. We stood up, and I stretched. "Shall we spar?"
"Taijutsu only," he offered, knowing I had used more chakra than him.
Fighting with Genma was… humbling. Contrary to what I was used to, he was both stronger and faster than me. Speed had always been one of my strong points. Fortunately, I beat him on flexibility and thus managed to surprise him a few times. Otherwise, it would have been a short fight. I also had no doubts that he was holding back when I was giving it my all.
One of his kicks sent me flying and rolling to the ground. Immediately, he was over me, pinning me to the ground with his knees blocking my legs and his hands on my wrists. Panting, I took a second to blink the dirt away from my lashes.
"You okay?" Genma asked. After I nodded, he advised: "You dodge a lot. It's not a bad thing, but your blocks could use some work."
"Gen, if I try to block like you I'll get broken bones. Not everyone has your muscles."
He wiggled his eyebrows at me with a winning smile but suggested seriously: "Try protecting your forearms with chakra to cushion the blow."
He released me, and we started anew. I tried his suggestion, and he made me work on it until my forearms were aching and bruised but not broken.
When he was satisfied, I jumped away and asked: "Weapons?"
In answer, he spat his senbon at me. I cursed and dodged. I pulled out my tessens and the fight resumed with greater intensity. My tessens gave me an advantage that he compensated for with speed.
I was getting tired.
After a few minutes, I jumped back, ready to yield.
That's when a blur of white appeared between us, shouting: "I remember! Finally!" Jiraiya the Toad Sage flung himself at me and grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me slightly (which didn't help me catch my breath). "Tessen no Mai! The dance of the tessens! You're Midori's kid!"
After the initial surprise, I watched him, blasé. "Yes, I am. Is that why I reminded you of someone? Congratulations then, it only took you two years to remember."
He burst into laughter. "You even have her attitude! And her pretty hair! And her curves!" His hands started to go lower.
I caught them and pushed them away.
"Anyway! How is Midori-chan?"
"She's at the Senju Nursing Home."
That answer sobered him. After a few seconds of silence, he frowned. "Do they take good care of her?"
"Yes," I assured him, touched by his concern.
"Good!" He threw an arm around my shoulders and turned to look at Genma, who was waiting patiently with his hands in his pockets.
We were both used to Jiraiya's antics. He came by every few months and was the talk of the town for several days before he left once again. His favorite hangout (besides the hot springs) was Minato's office.
As it happens, Minato appeared among us. "How did you know Maiko's mother, sensei?"
"We did a few infiltration missions together. She was excellent at posing as a dancer or courtesan, among other talents…" Jiraiya replied, his voice dripping with innuendos.
"That explains why she's so obsessed with your books," I noted distractedly, wiping my forehead with a sleeve.
"She is?" He asked gleefully.
I sighed. "I had to buy your most recent one for her. She wanted it as soon as possible, and I had to stand in line for half an hour to pay."
"And?"
"I got so bored that I started reading it."
"And?!" Jiraiya asked gleefully.
Minato and Genma blinked at me in surprise.
I made a face. "I guess it's funny, but I prefer your first book. And could you stop giving women's measure—"
"My first book?" Jiraiya interrupted, looking flummoxed.
"Yes. The Gutsy Ninja one. I don't remember the full name, it's too long. Mom bought it for me when you published it. She said it looked too much like a child book for her so she made me read it."
"You liked it?"
"Sure. It was a good child book."
"It wasn't meant to be," he admitted with a conflicted expression.
"I know. That's why it didn't sell well. Not the right publicity for the right public," I observed with a serious nod. "It would do well in a movie or anime for kids, though, if you ever have the opportunity."
"You think?" He looked contemplative.
I nodded.
"I agree," Minato chipped in with a smile. "Naruto loves it, he'd be overjoyed to watch it on TV."
Jiraiya hummed, rubbed his chin, and nodded. "I'll think about it. So, you didn't like Icha Icha? You might still be a little young."
"I'd like it just fine if the women weren't all the same!" I protested, nudging him.
"Such passion! Exactly what we need, don't we, Minato?" he said, cheerfully evading the subject.
Minato cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Ah, Maiko, Genma, I'm sorry for intruding on your free time, but I have a favor to ask of you, Maiko, and Genma might as well know about it."
Well, now, I was curious. The Hokage didn't often ask a favor.
"Before I explain, I want to make it clear that you're absolutely free to refuse without any justification needed," he said seriously, looking me in the eye.
"Alright." Now I was expecting the worst.
"Tomorrow, an acquaintance of Jiraiya-sensei is coming. He has information we need, but he isn't… very forthcoming."
"We need to wheedle him and get his defense down!" Jiraiya added cheerfully, far from the circumspection of his student.
"Yes," Minato sighed, "and he is…"
"... a pervert, like me! His thing is sexy secretaries and—"
I elbowed him, making an annoyed face. "Say no more."
"Maiko, I'll find someone else if necessary," Minato promised.
"An infiltration specialist could do it, but it's last minute, and it will be more complicated," Jiraiya pointed out.
Haruka was on leave tomorrow — she had some health troubles — and she was probably too old for a pervert's tastes anyway. Anyone else would need to be briefed to be able to pass as the Hokage's secretary.
"If you agree, it will count as a mission, a C-rank with the highest pay grade," Minato explained.
That wasn't insignificant. A mission's pay would be a really good bonus, and I was short on money lately (nothing to do with a prank, no, absolutely not, what are you talking about?).
I crossed my arms and huffed, thinking it through. "I just need to… be sexy? I mean… I don't need to…" My mother might have been an undercover expert, but I wasn't. Seduction had never been my forte, in this life or the previous one. If it was just dressing and behaving in a certain way, however… that was doable. We had been trained for this in our kunoichi lessons. The idea that our body was just a weapon like any other had been brought up often enough that it sank in.
"Nah!" Jiraiya said with a wave of his hand. "He's a loser. The more a woman ignores him and the more he's interested."
I held back a comment.
After a few seconds of thought, I nodded slowly. "I can do sexy."
oOo
"So?"
There was a long moment of silence before Raidou and Genma nodded.
"Yeah. That's sexy," Genma agreed with a husky voice.
I relaxed. "Oh, good."
It was hard to find the right balance between being enticing and being professional. I still had to look like a secretary of the Hokage after all. With a short black pencil skirt and a white fitted shirt left unbuttoned to the first glimpse of a lacy bra, I had apparently managed this delicate feat.
"I told you," Rin said cheerfully, unbothered by the face Raidou made. She was adjusting my cleavage.
She had been a great help to prepare. When the Hokage had asked me what I needed yesterday, her name was the first word on my tongue, even before access to the undercover costume department (and don't get me started on that , the things I had seen in this place left me to wonder what kind of dubious missions some shinobi had to go through).
Rin made this fun instead of nerve-wracking.
"I might break my ankle with those heels."
"Nonsense! You have the gait of a dancer. You'll do just fine."
"Still, I'm not running around town in those clothes," I grumbled.
That was at least a difference in favor of this universe instead of the previous one: here, those excessive heels were considered silly, even for civilians, although it still looked sexy apparently. Practicality over aesthetics was the norm here.
We were discussing my look hidden in a nook of a little-used hallway. Little used apart for a few selected people like Nara Shikaku who, of course, passed by and stopped at that moment. He glanced at me, blinked for a few seconds, and shook his head. "I don't want to know," he decided before moving on.
I wilted a little. "See! I told you I look silly."
"It's not silly," Genma assured me, "it's just… really unusual and disconcerting for those who know you. Your style is usually more... modest."
"Arata-san won't notice a thing," Raidou said.
"Apart from what he's meant to notice," Rin added before squeezing my hands. "Now, I'm really sorry I can't stay for moral support, but I really must go. I'll pass by if I can during my break."
"Of course. Thanks, Rin-chan."
Raidou went with her, leaving me fidgeting under Genma's watchful eye.
"Hey," he breathed, "come here." He opened his arms.
I stepped forward hesitantly but accepted the hug. His cheek rested against my hair, just beside my ear.
"You know, I won't be able to take my eyes off you," he whispered. He caressed the back of my neck, where strands of hair fell in refined curls from an artfully messy bun.
I shivered under his touch.
"Don't get me wrong, it was already a difficult feat, but right now it's downright impossible. I know you find it difficult to put on a show for that guy," he said with a hand cupping my jaw, his thumb softly brushing my cheek. "Think you can do it for me?"
I blushed so fiercely that I had to lower my head and hide my face in his jacket. "Yeah."
"Good. You're gorgeous, sweetheart."
I managed not to combust instantly. It was a near thing.
oOo
Arata was just like Jiraiya described him.
When I walked ahead of him, I could feel his eyes on my backside. When he was in front of me, he looked down my cleavage (he was nearly as tall as Jiraiya). And when I walked around, he seemed entranced by my legs.
Minato could get anything out of him when I was around, it was quite pathetic. Jiraiya himself was too distracted to help much.
I went back and forth between the Hokage's office and the anteroom. Each time, there was someone new in the hallway, waiting to catch a glimpse of the 'sexy secretary'. By now, I was pretty sure that most of the Hokage Tower had heard of it, and the news had spread beyond. I wasn't sure what to think of it. For now, I was in a headspace that allowed me to ignore or play with it, but if anyone made comments later, I might stab them with those torture instruments called high heels.
A few times, Genma leaned on a corner of my desk and pointedly stared at the most annoying of the gawkers until they moved on. It entertained me enough that I rewarded him with a smoldering look from behind my false eyelashes. It made him straighten and square his shoulders in a very amusing way.
Really, when I had a few seconds to think about it, this whole situation was comical. That I could have so much power over the behavior of some people by changing the way I dressed was... ridiculous. That was the power of appearances, I guessed.
When I walked back into the Hokage's office with some papers he had requested (considering the number of times this happened, anyone would have considered me incompetent, Arata could care less), I pretended that my bracelet was caught in my hair. I undid my bun, and my hair fell freely in artificial curls down my back. I thought the man was going to have a nosebleed. Really ?
When I left the room, a glance over my shoulder showed that Genma was staring.
Mh... Maybe Rin had been into something with this hairdo. I might curl my hair more often.
After what felt like four hours but was only half of it, Arata finally left.
I sighed in relief.
"Thank you for your help, Maiko-san. We have everything we need," Minato said.
"You're welcome," I replied as I buttoned my shirt for a more modest effect. I pulled on my skirt and the hidden fabric slid down to stop at my knees. I removed the much too bright lipstick with a tissue. I would take off the false eyelashes later, in the bathroom; they had been a pain to put on.
When I looked up, Jiraiya was staring at me. "What?"
"Nothing," he replied cheerfully. "I just had flashbacks of your mother doing something similar, that's all."
"I don't want to know," I decided before leaving. There were just some things you didn't need to know.
I leaned against the doorway to remove my heels and grinned at the gawkers still present. "Show is over, people! Back to work!" I sauntered away toward the bathroom on bare feet, leaving behind a chorus of disappointed groans.
I was glad to be rid of all this silliness.
oOo
Izumo and Kotetsu appeared half an hour later and pulled my swivel chair away from the desk.
"See! I told you it was bullshit," Izumo told his friend with his arms crossed. "All those rumors, just because she's wearing a skirt and a button shirt!"
"Aww, man," Kotetsu pouted disappointedly.
"Aww, Izumo-kun is defending my reputation!" I cooed, amused. "Give me a hug!"
"Nee-chan, you can't continue to do this in public. I'm a chuunin now," he pointed out but did not resist when I stood up to embrace him.
"Even if my little cousin is a big boy, he's still my little cousin," I replied stubbornly.
He patted my arm distractedly. "Did anyone bother you today?"
"Don't worry about that, Izu-kun. That's Genma and Raidou's job, you know, you can't steal it."
Izumo stared at Genma over my shoulder, lengthily and silently.
I moved back to glance at him with a tilt of my head. "Are you doing this overprotective thing that I don't approve of?"
"No! Not at all," Izumo replied far too quickly before grabbing his best friend's hand and pulling away. "Work to do! See you later!"
"He totally was," I concluded with a shake of my head.
"Maa, you trained him well."
I startled and turned around to find Kakashi eye-smiling at me and standing close.
"Ah. Kakashi-san. Can I do something for you?"
"Hokage-sama needs this," he replied, tucking a piece of paper in my hand. His fingers lingered against mine and tilted my painted nails toward him. "Red looks good on you, but I think I prefer green."
I blinked at him curiously. "That makes two of us."
"For example, my jacket would look great on your flo—"
Genma appeared behind Kakashi and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him away. "She got the gist of it, thanks," he deadpanned. He looked unimpressed.
"Jiraiya-sensei! Stop teaching Kakashi those sort of things!" I heard Minato shout. His office's door was left half-open.
"It's a sensei's job to give tips on the affairs of the heart, Minato, and you're really remiss about it!" The sannin protested.
Raising a hand to my forehead in consternation, I said to Kakashi: "Just… don't listen to any pick-up lines Jiraiya-sama gives you. Really, don't ."
"Hey!" The pervert protested, peeking out of the office with a mock-offended expression.
"Oh? Then what's appropriate?" Kakashi asked, looking really serious in his curiosity.
"We know each other, Kakashi-san. You don't need pick-up lines with me. You could just say what you want. Fair warning, if you need me to counsel you on your love life, that will cost you, though," I warned him, as I read what the Hokage needed. I turned on my heels to go to the Intelligence Department.
oOo
I made a planning mistake.
Coming from someone who planned the Hokage's schedule, that might be a little worrying but, eh, it only concerned my private life. In my defense, this last-minute mission had messed up my habits.
My fridge was empty.
To think that I swore I wouldn't walk around town in this silly outfit...
To do grocery shopping in it wasn't one of my best moments. It was too constrictive and unpractical. Crouching to reach the lowest shelves made me self-conscious and worried that the skirt would rip.
The looks I got were not what I needed after the day I had. Between the people judging me and those ogling me, it was a test of self-control. I had too many of those recently (and I had failed too many as well).
Balancing a basket against my hip, I looked through the vegetable aisle. There was a shinobi lingering near the onions that I was probably going to hit before I left the shop once he had gathered the nerve to touch my butt. As I glanced at him warily, I found a more interesting sight.
Kakashi was on the other side, right in front of me, playing with apples and not even pretending to be shopping. He met my eyes with an eye-smile. I snorted.
"Hi, there," I said. "Grab me two apples while you're there."
He followed me through the rest of my shopping. The stares and oglers disappeared from sight.
"You're a repellent for lechers," I commented. "Very useful."
"Happy to serve," Kakashi replied nonchalantly from behind his book.
"I can't help but wonder if there is a particular reason you're staying behind me, however," I teased him.
I mostly wondered how he would react to my jest. The Kakashi from the story I used to read would surely have kept his cool and found a witty reply. However, I was often reminded that the characters I used to know weren't the same that I met. They were younger, and they were real thus much more complex than a manga could show.
This Kakashi had a moment of hesitation. I could practically see the cogs turning to analyze the situation and find the appropriate answer.
"Maa," he said to stall for time. "I'm trying to find what has caught everyone's attention." He hadn't finished his sentence that he flinched, realizing how insulting that sounded.
I laughed it off, more interested in the way he reacted than the content of his answer, especially such an obvious lie. "There is still room for improvement," I concluded, "but please, for the love of women everywhere, don't take any tips from Jiraiya-sama."
"I'll keep it in mind," he said, relaxing at my absence of reaction.
At the checkout, I nudged him until he looked up long enough that I could drop a bag in his arms while I paid. He grunted but didn't comment.
"Alright," I said once in the streets, where it would be harder to eavesdrop on us without Kakashi noticing. "Are you here to take me up on my love counsel offer? Because I was serious, it would cost you… like… a lunch, at least." Wow… I was cheap.
He didn't look away from his book even if it was getting dark enough to make reading difficult. "No, I'm here for the other offer."
I did a double-take. Really? Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Nothing in his demeanor betrayed his thoughts. "The suspense is killing me," I commented snidely, but I meant it.
When we reached my apartment, I opened the door and disarmed the traps hastily before dropping the grocery bags on the table.
Kakashi took all his time to close the door and do the same.
"Spit it out," I asked.
"Some people think I'm in too deep in covert ops, that I need a touchstone, someone who knows nothing about what I do." He scratched the tip of his nose. "Jiraiya-sama suggested that sex would help too."
"Of course he did," I scoffed. "And you thought of me?"
"There aren't many people who don't know what I do but that I'd trust enough."
I didn't squeal, I didn't blush, and I didn't choke on thin air. For that, I was proud of myself. However, I leaned heavily on the table and took a few seconds to process this. "Alright," I said slowly. "What would you expect if I agree to be your… touchstone."
"Not much. It's just to get Minato-sensei off my back..."
"I'm stopping you right there. I won't agree to anything just to be an alibi," I warned him with a finger raised. "I'm not lying to my boss for you, by omission or otherwise." I already hid too many things from him for my own sake.
"But you'd agree to something serious?"
"Depends on what you need. What does Yondaime-sama want from you?"
Kakashi didn't pout, but he crossed his arms petulantly. "That I regularly spend time with someone for something other than training or speaking of work. Someone who stays in Konoha and will be available when I need it, and who is not family or assimilated."
I watched him thoughtfully, thinking of his friends and eliminating them one by one with this criteria. I was overcome by a hunch. "Jiraiya-sama suggested sex because you're bad at talking, didn't he?"
Kakashi showed a hint of surprise.
I hid my grin behind a hand. "He totally did."
"Maybe," he drawled noncommittally.
"Alright, let's ignore what they think. What do you want?"
There was a long moment of silence. He looked ready to bolt.
"I want people to get off my back," he grumbled, "and I want to understand some of the things in this," he admitted, pulling off the first Icha Icha out of a pocket.
While he always had a book, they weren't the famous series seen in the manga in my previous life. They were different every other week, going from romance novels to fantasy novels, always light literature, nothing ever too serious. The first time I had noticed this, I wondered if he had developed his infamous habit of reading at the most incongruous time because he didn't have enough spare time otherwise and he needed this to amuse himself and stay sane. It made sense, sadly.
I blinked curiously. "Wait. Just to be clear, you already had sex before, right?"
He glared at me, the ' I'm pouting ' glare, not the ' I want to kill you ' glare. " Yes , but just to blow off steam."
"No cuddles, domesticity, and fluff?"
He nodded.
"And that's what you want to try?"
A very small nod.
"Without any ties attached?"
A more assertive nod.
"Alright. I can give you that," I concluded, tapping a finger to my chin thoughtfully.
It's not like it would be a hardship. Kakashi was handsome, and we got along. I had difficulties imagining an ordinary romance with him. I couldn't see it work with all his issues, but since that wasn't what he was offering, it was tempting… 'I-would-be-stupid-to-refuse' tempting.
Genma's flirting today came to mind, and I had a moment of hesitation, but Genma had been flirting for months. I was pretty sure by now that he didn't mean anything serious by it. I knew for a fact that he was seeing other people regularly anyway. Flirting was just his habit. I would be silly to stay focused on him. Just because I really liked him didn't mean that my world had to revolve around him. I was more independent than that.
I dismissed Genma from my thoughts and smiled at Kakashi.
"Do you want to stay for dinner or do you want the cuddles now?"
Even with the mask, thanks to the ceiling light throwing shadows on us, I could make out the discomfited face he made.
I laughed. "Cuddle isn't a cursed word, and your virility will be fully intact if you admit you want them."
He glared at me. "That's not the problem."
"Isn't it?" I teased him mercilessly. "In that case… dinner it is." I put away the groceries, starting with those going in the fridge, and pondered what to make as I did. "I didn't plan for you, so I don't have enough fish for what I had in mind. I could do yakisoba instead…"
I was lifted off my feet and thrown over Kakashi's shoulder. I squeaked and held on to his shirt. With a kick, he closed the fridge's door as he turned around toward the couch.
After the initial surprise, I laughed. "I knew you wanted the cuddles!"
"Yes, yes, you unveiled my dirty secret," he drawled sarcastically before dropping me on the couch.
I straightened on an elbow and grinned. "Or is it that you don't like yakisoba? It's hard to tell, maybe you should use wor—"
His lips (still masked) covered mine as he settled over me, and I chuckled against his mouth.
"I'm regretting everything," he grumbled as he pulled back enough to allow me to laugh without suffocating.
"I don't believe you." I adjusted my head on a pillow and my legs around his, waiting patiently for him to make the first move.
Kakashi hadn't reached yet the level of aloofness and unthreatening attitude he was known for in the series. He had years to perfect it but, for now, he wasn't good enough to make me believe that he wasn't the perfect shinobi with a plan and an analysis for everything, including his choice of sexual partner. I wondered since when he had been assessing me.
His visible eye softened. "I suppose it's unnecessary to ask you to keep the details of our relationship for yourself?"
"You suppose well."
He leaned down and slowly reached for the edge of his mask.
Unbothered by all the secrecy (I knew what was hidden), I closed my eyes, smiling. His lips brushed mine in a soft caress, tentative and seductive at once. I welcomed him, and his whole body settled over mine, gently.
I raised a hand to cup his jaw, brushing his cheek with my thumb.
He hummed pleasantly into the kiss.
oOo Bonus - Kakashi's PoV oOo
"Maa, what's wrong, Genma?"
"You know exactly what's wrong, asshole," Genma grouched. He was lounging on the best sofa in the ANBU headquarters, but if looks could kill...
Leaning against the wall, Kakashi hummed and tapped his book against his chin. "I don't know. Is it because of that change shift last week? or is it because of that rumor — which I totally didn't start — about you and Gai? Oh! I know! Is it—" He shifted his head just a bit to avoid a senbon. "— because of Maiko-chan?"
Raidou, who was sitting on the couch's armrest, batted Genma's hand away from his own holster to stop his friend from stealing his kunai. "Stop it, Genma. You have only yourself to blame for this. You've been sleeping around, and you didn't talk to her. What did you expect her to do?"
"Nothing," Genma growled, "but if I discover you're just sleeping with her to mess with me, you bast—"
Kakashi sent him a glare that stopped him mid-word.
Genma rubbed his face and threw back his head. "Alright, fine, you don't."
"We have an arrangement, that's all. Considering how she looks at you, I'm pretty sure she'd dump me anytime if you just asked," Kakashi pointed out, opening the book of the week and holding it in front of his face.
"I can't," Genma groaned despondently.
"Why not?" Iwashi asked as he sat on the other armrest.
"Genma promised himself that he'd only date her if his feelings for her are unchanged after six months," Raidou explained helpfully.
"It has only been four," Genma grumbled, ignoring the baffled looks he received.
Kakashi peeked over his book. "You have it bad."
"He does," Raidou confirmed.
"If you're afraid you'll get tired of her after sleeping with her, shouldn't you rather explain it to her and have a one-night stand to see if you're compatible?" Iwashi asked, smoothing his goatee thoughtfully.
"That makes sense," Kakashi helpfully pointed out.
"Shut up. Don't tempt me, that's not the plan," Genma grumbled, pressing his hands against his eyes.
"Hey. Incredibly innovative idea, I know, but maybe you should ask her what she prefers between the six months wait or the one night stand," a female ANBU captain pointed out from where she was guzzling down coffee like it was water. "Men, I swear," she sighed before leaving the room.
"She has a point," Raidou admitted with a tilt of his head followed by a shrug when his best friend glared at him.
"Plus," Kakashi drawled slowly, which was a sure sign that what was going to come out of his mouth would be bad, "she's really good at making out." He moved away just in time to avoid the rain of senbons who embedded themselves in the wall. "Just sayiiing. "
"Ah… Kakashi-taichou?"
Kakashi grabbed his brand new kouhai by the shoulder and pushed him out of the break room. "Yes, Tenzou-kun?"
Still not used to the genuine (but strange) friendship that Anbu operatives showed in private, Tenzou needed a few seconds before recovering. "Ah… Hokage-sama is asking for you."
"Alright. Are you settling well?"
"Yes, taichou." Tenzou followed him out of the ANBU headquarters and toward the Hokage's residence. "I meant to thank you for vouching for me and getting me on your team. I understood that the kunoichi attacked by my impersonator was your friend."
Kakashi hummed noncommittally before jumping over the rooftops. Once they landed on the protected residence's roof, he replied: "She's safer with you on our side." Before Tenzou could say anything, Kakashi squeezed his shoulder and dropped to the ground where he disappeared in the hallways he was so familiar with.
Minato was waiting for him in his private office, sitting on a pillow behind his low desk. He gave Kakashi his full attention as soon as he stepped in, his blue eyes cool and assessing.
"When I asked you to find more about Maiko, that's not what I meant," he stated firmly. It wasn't a reproach but a warning that if Kakashi didn't have anything satisfying to say for his defense he wouldn't like the result.
Kakashi went on one knee and lowered his head. "I'm not playing with her feelings if that's what you're worried about, sensei."
"I'm worried that you're playing with a double-edged blade that you didn't master yet."
"Sensei?"
"You're an excellent shinobi, Kakashi, but on some matters, Maiko might still beat you."
Kakashi raised his head slowly. "Paperwork?" He tried to joke.
"Emotions," Minato replied cryptically.