The reception on the hill slowly began to wind down as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky over the Land of Waves in shades of deep orange and purple. One by one, the shinobi of Kakashi's generation approached the main table to leave their wedding gifts and offer a few final words.
Yūgao stepped up first, carefully placing a beautifully wrapped parcel on the table. "Congratulations, Kakashi-senpai," she said with a warm, respectful nod. "I wish you both nothing but peace."
Genma and Raidō walked up right behind her. Genma shifted his signature toothpick to the side of his mouth, offering a lazy but genuine grin. "Don't get too soft now that you're a married man, Kakashi," he joked, setting down his gift. Raidō clapped Kakashi on the shoulder, murmuring his congratulations before the group of Leaf ninja began filtering toward the exit path.
With the party drawing to a close, Naruto stepped forward to handle the logistics. He didn't need to waste any words or make any grand announcements; he activated his shadow clones. In a flash of high-speed coordination, the clones began gathering the Konoha guests in organized groups, vanishing from the peak one after another to safely transport everyone back to the village without leaving the defenses spread thin.
Kakashi similarly handled the Mist Village departure, using his own clones to teleport the visiting Mist shinobi back to their home. As he wrapped up the final group, his eyes landed on Utakata and his young apprentice, Hotaru, who were waiting patiently near the edge of the path. It was the first time Kakashi had officially met them.
"Lady Mizukage has told me a lot about you," Utakata said, his tone one of slight amusement and a hint of respect as Hotaru offered a polite, enthusiastic bow beside him.
"Only good things, I hope?" Kakashi replied with a smile.
"Only good things," Utakata assured.
"Then I can count on you to tell me if she ever has something bad to say?"
Kakashi chuckled when Utakata shrugged somewhat playfully.
"Can't betray the trust of my leader; she's not someone I want on my bad side."
"Fair enough," Kakashi said, exchanging a final, respectful nod with him before sending the last group of Mist shinobi on their way.
With the hill completely quiet and all the guests safely home, Kakashi turned back to Mei. He didn't plan on spending their wedding night anywhere near a military outpost or a quiet village peak. Earlier that morning, one of his shadow clones had traveled ahead to Tanzaku Quarters to secure the absolute best accommodations available.
Kakashi offered his arm to Mei and teleported them both directly into the private room of the most expensive luxury suite in Tanzaku Town.
The room was massive, completely isolated from the noise of the entertainment district below. The layout opened up into a high-end relaxation area, featuring a walk-in bath with a rainfall shower, an oversized custom bathtub, and a private, steaming indoor jacuzzi built right into the stone flooring. The entire suite was completely prepped and waiting for them.
Mei whistled softly before giving Kakashi a flirty smirk. "Well, don't you move fast."
Kakashi shrugged, loosening his tie a bit now that he wasn't around so many people. "We don't have to do anything; I thought the gesture would be something you'd like."
"I do like it, and the gentlemanly sentiment is sweet, but I've waited long enough." Mei pulled the dress off her arms and let it drop, sauntering her way up to Kakashi in nothing but a pair of leggings and a bra. "Got anything for the noise?"
Kakashi nodded. A shadow clone appeared and immediately got to work, placing sound-dampening seals on all sides of the large hotel room before activating them and disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Ahh, confident this would happen, then? You prepared well." Mei loosened Kakashi's tie and helped him out of his jacket, tossing it right on top of her discarded dress.
"More like I know you well enough," Kakashi replied smoothly. "You're many things, but subtle with your advances is not one of them."
"And? Subtlety is boring. I wanted to be with you, and I got you, end of story. Besides, you've never complained, and your not-so-little companion isn't complaining either, unless that's a sword in your pants; maybe I should check~." Mei purred, her nails lightly scraping against Kakashi's undershirt before she helped him out of it.
Looking down at his abs, Mei slowly traced their outlines with a fingertip.
'This woman,' Kakashi thought, letting out a long exhale through his nose. Without another word, he scooped her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. He laid her back against the pillows, tugging off the rest of her clothes and his own before tossing the final layers onto the growing pile on the floor.
"Ahh~ So not a sword then~," Mei teased, her eyes locking onto his. "This is going to be fun."
The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains of the luxury suite, casting a warm glow across the room. Kakashi woke up early, entirely accustomed to his internal Ninja clock, and looked down at Mei sleeping peacefully beside him.
He carefully slid his arm out from under her, trying not to disturb her rest, and sat up on the edge of the mattress. As he stretched, he felt the faint sting across his shoulders. Glancing in the large mirror across the room, he saw the faint, overlapping red scratch marks charting down his back, chest, and abs, clear evidence of how intense Mei's grip had been the night before. Turning back toward the bed, he looked down at his new wife. Her sheet had slipped slightly, revealing the dark, purple-red hickies scattered down her collarbone and neck where he had left his own marks.
The quiet of the early morning gave him his first real chance to think. He mentally pulled up his interface, his gaze locking onto the massive item sitting in his storage slots.
Wine of Youth.
He read the description one more time. It wouldn't make anyone immortal, but it did halt or reverse physical aging permanently. Looking back at his wife, Kakashi knew exactly who he wanted to share it with first.
With a silent thought, he pulled two glass cups out of the room's kitchen cabinet, placing them on the bedside table. He quietly summoned the large, heavy ceramic jug from his inventory, the seal popping open with a faint hiss. The scent that immediately drifted out of the container was incredibly rich, smelling like a premium, sweet vintage that far surpassed any traditional sake or wine found in the elemental nations. He carefully poured a generous serving into both glasses.
Mei groaned softly, stirring at the rich scent before sitting up and pushing her tangled hair out of her face. She was completely uncaring of the sheets slipping down to her waist. Her skin carried a soft radiance that had nothing to do with the morning sunlight and everything to do with complete satisfaction and happiness.
"It's a little early for that, don't you think?" Mei spoke with amusement, her voice still thick with sleep as her eyes traveled from the glass in his hand down to the fresh red marks on his body with a seductive smirk.
"And you're Tsunade's friend?" Kakashi countered smoothly, passing her the glass.
"Ha, fair enough." Mei took it, letting the deep, sweet aroma waft up to her nose. She swirled the dark liquid a bit, expecting a sharp taste due to the intense aroma. Instead, the moment she took a small sip, her breath caught, and her eyes widened in complete shock.
The flavor was unlike anything she had ever had. It was incredibly smooth, bursting with a deep, complex sweetness that felt almost alive. But it wasn't just the taste. A sudden wave of intense vitality surged and rippled through her entire body. The lingering physical exhaustion from the wedding and their nightlong passion completely vanished in seconds. She felt a deep warmth pulsing under her skin, making her feel lighter and more energetic.
"Wow," Mei breathed, staring down at the liquid as a genuine look of wonder washed over her face. "Kakashi... what is this? I feel like I just woke up ten years younger. I've never tasted anything so incredible in my life."
Kakashi took his own sip, feeling the same thing that Mei did, although he wasn't exhausted; the energy felt like someone had mixed energy drinks into a large cauldron and gave him a cup filled to the brim.
Knowing exactly what was about to happen next, Kakashi grinned and downed his own cup.
His instinct was proven entirely right a second later when Mei smirked, threw the sheets aside, and aggressively pulled him right back into the bed once more.
- Chapter End -
A bit spicy, going for spice, but not outright smut; I'm not sure if I'd even be good at writing that kind of thing, and I feel that this is better. Hope you enjoy this chapter; I'll be uploading another with this one.