My Heart Yearns
Leaving the Village
Sometimes life finds a way to be cruel during the most perfect times. When life is too perfect is usually when all falls into despair. I guess my life was too perfect. So life, trying to balance itself, made my perfect night into one of despair. Marriage in Konoha is much different than that of other far away places. When you slide the ring onto your finger you are married. There is no need for a priest and witnesses to be present. When you slide the ring on it is a promise to each other, to live with each other for your whole life, in marriage. Of course, it's not fully completed until the marriage night.
"I love you," Kakashi whispered in my ear as we entered the house, joining the party.
"I..." I hesitated. "love you." We walked into the party, hand in hand. We kissed before separating and I went to the drink table. I got a light alcoholic beverage, not testing my drinking capacity. Honestly, I think this was one of the first times I ever drank.
I turned and sipped at it as I watched people dance to the music. The music was still loud and annoying, but my cheery mood made me forget about that. My eyes lingered over Kakashi as he moved. He was talking to Might Gai, and then suddenly Gai slapped him hard on the back before hugging him. Kakashi looked so annoyed, yet happy, with Gai.
"Would you like some more?" the bar tender asked me. I glanced at my now empty glass. Wow, I already finished it.
"No, thank you," I said to him as I set down my glass. Then I glanced down at my left hand. Married, the word sent butterflies down my whole body. Married to Kakashi, I blushed when Gai and Kakashi looked over at me. I turned my attention to Naruto. He was standing next to Ino and Shikamaru, all of them talking and laughing together. When I glanced over at Kakashi again he was gone. A hand tapped my shoulder and I turned to see him, his gravity defying hair the same as always.
"May I have this dance?" he asked me.
"You may," I replied. We went against the rhythm of the dance as we danced slowly together. His body so close to mine, his breath warm on my neck. I laid down my head on his shoulder. I love you, I thought to myself. I love you so much. Suddenly the door burst open. The music stopped and I looked over at him, lifting my head from Kakashi's shoulder. He had an anbu outfit on, however, his mask wasn't on. He had brown hair and I instantly recognized him as an old friend of mine, from the academy days. He looked around the room...he was looking for someone.
"Hana!" he said. I froze in my spot. I didn't move, I didn't even bother to breath. I felt everything around me slip underneath my feet. "Hana!" he repeated coming up to me. I grabbed onto Kakashi. I buried my face into his muscular chest. I breathed in his sent, for as I knew these were the last few seconds with him. The man came up to me out of breath.
"Hana?" Kakashi questioned looking down at me. I didn't even need to look up at him to feel his gaze on my head. His arms were around me but they loosened a small bit.
"Hana," the man repeated. I wanted to yell at him, yell at him to stop calling me that name. I hate that name. I hated it so much. Nothing to do with that name ever brought me happiness.
"Hana?" Kakashi muttered again. "As in Hana Nakamura?" The man nodded. No. This can't be happening...and all I'm doing is latching on.
"Hana, Sasuke left the village!" My eyes widened, the tears stopped coming. Sasuke...left? Why is this happening to me? Why me...? Kakashi didn't move, even at hearing that Sasuke had left. He just stood still not moving. Then, as I feared, he let go of me and stepped back. I straitened my back and stood wiping my eyes and trying to compose myself.
"Nakamura...?" His eyes widened and he stepped back again. I noticed the change in his eyes the second he recognized my name. I couldn't bear to watch him as his hands clenched. I couldn't bare to just stand there dumbly. I glanced around at the faces. People, lots of them, all staring at us. Then, before I could think through anything, I sprinted out of the door. I didn't care if lightning stuck me where I stood, at that moment that was probably what I was hoping for.
It was raining out and my white dress was going see through. I ran all the way to my aunt and uncle's old house. I climbed up the stairs two at a time. I ran through the door and broke down when I got into the room. Even though it was covered in so much dust, it still brought back some old memories…
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" I, being younger, yelled, tears falling down my face as I yelled. The two girls next to me stared at me like I was a misplaced thing.
"Stop what?" The tall black haired girl asked.
"Stop picking on me! I bet boys are nicer than you!" The two girls chuckled.
"Really? Who?" The brown haired girl asked her, her hands on her hips. My eye's flickered around me until they landed on a certain silver haired boy.
"K-kakashi!" I said with a stutter.
"Kakashi?" The two girls asked while following my gaze toward him.
"Want a bet?" The black haired asked looking over at me.
"Y-y...yes," I said determined.
"Kakashi-kun!" The black haired called while waving her hands. As the girl expected the boy came right over.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi Kakashi," the black haired responded. "Don't you think she is so ugly?" she said pointing toward me. She grinned when she got her response.
"Who? Her?" the silver haired asked pointing to me as I cried. The black haired girl nodded. "Of course she is."
"K-k...k-k...kaka...shi..." I stuttered, after trying to speak to him, I ran away in tears. I should've known better. Of course Kakashi would side with the other girl. Kakashi always liked her.
I looked around me before going over to the window and opening it. I shivered as the rain pounded down on me, a cold wind with it.
"May you...um..." I started but stopped. "never mind, it's stupid." I started walking again.
"Wait no," he said catching up and taking my hands in his. I stared down at our hands. "just say it...anything on your mind at all." I looked up at his face. I wish I could see his face. If he had a pleading expression or not I didn't know.
"Will you...I mean you don't have to..." I paused still looking at him. "Say your sorry again?" I saw the little wrinkles in his mask, indicating that he was smiling.
"I'm sorry." My heart tugged.
"Again?" I asked.
"I'm sorry." My heart got yanked from where it stood and I hugged him. He put his arms around me and I slowly rocked back and forth, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Please, just this once, say you're sorry for everything that you ever did to hurt me?" I questioned feeling odd about it afterward. I could feel the warm tickle sensation when he spoke.
"I'm sorry, for everything I ever did to hurt you," he whispered into my ear.
"I think I'm falling in love with you..." I whispered, not noticing I said it out loud…
I bit my lip and exhaled. I jumped out the window and landed onto the muddy earth. I put my hands together into a hand sign and focused all of my chakra into my hands. It felt like all of my anger and sadness was being bunched together with the chakra. I closed my eyes as the shield of chakra became bigger and bigger. Then, as I had expected, it exploded. With it went my anger, sadness, and every emotion I felt at the time. I collapsed to the cold, wet, ground, out of chakra.
~*~
(Kakashi)
I clenched my hand, a rock in it. The whole time...the person I loved...was actually Hana? Not just any Hana, Hana Nakamura! I sighed before throwing the rock into the water. I guess I really had no reason to hate her. I always did, but didn't really have a reason. I guess it's because after my father died I pretty much despised everything and everyone. I also rebelled.
My father had said Hana was someone important's daughter. So I had to be nice to her, not play with her, pretty much treat her like a spoiled princess. Then there was the way my dad looked at her. Like she was more important then his very own son!
I picked up another rock and studied it as it was in my hand. I did regret all the mean things I had said to her. But...my Uindo...she wasn't my Uindo at all. She wasn't my beautiful wild flower. She was...Hana! It was so infuriating. Was everything she told me a lie? What, did she get some sadistic joy from watching me suffer like this? Why did she do all this? Why? Why, darn it tell me! The rock crushed into powder and I stared at it.
What if...she was the same person? What if...Uindo...what if she...had the same feelings as Hana? Was she still that sadistic monster I was just thinking she was? Ugh! This is so annoying! I let the powder of the rock slip through my fingers, watching it blow in the breeze.
Was that what Hana was doing? Flittering in the breeze? Messing with emotions, then leaving? I let my mind drift back to the party...everything then was so...happy. It was like all my happiness got sucked away in less than a minute. It's like when she left she ripped out my heart and took it with her. I shook my head side to side, I'm sounding like a depressed idiot. I'm a ninja. A jounin, for goodness sake. I pulled my hand through my hair. Get a hold of yourself.
I lifted myself from the where I sat and stood. I turned toward my home village and walked toward it. I don't want to go back, I thought to myself. I just want to stay...away. Against what I was saying in my mind, I headed to the village. I walked through the gates with my hands in my pockets. Acting calm and collected, as I always do, however, my mind was off some where else. Some where in a meadow of flowers...Uindo's hands going through my hair. Her gentle, soft, vanilla smelling hands, going through my hair slowly.
Darn it!
~*~
(Hana)
"Naruto?" I mumbled. He was lying on his bed, his blankets thrown across the floor. I shook him again. He didn't move. "Naruto?" I repeated. I leaned down toward him. He looked so cute when he was sleeping. His night cap on him. I put my arms around him and hugged him. His arms went around me as I hugged him. They hugged me tightly and I could feel his nails scratch down my back as his teeth gritted together.
"Sh, it's okay, Naruto," I said, saying it as soothing and soft as I could. His nails were deep in my skin and they didn't stop scraping down on my back. I could practically sense the blood now coming from my back. However, no tear was near my eyes at the pain. "What pain?" I mumbled to myself. I had gotten rid of it last night.
"Hana?" Naruto eyes opened. His hands were no longer digging into my back. "What are you doing in here?" He was still hugging onto my tightly.
"Did you have a bad dream?" I asked him not moving.
"Just a simple nightmare," he replied. I pulled him closer to me.
"It's okay, I'm right here," I said to him. I didn't look at him, though I could feel the tears on my shoulder.
"I was...attacking the village...no, it was attacking the village..." he trailed off. "I couldn't control it and it just went house to house, destroying everything in it's path. I couldn't stop it. I watched as it killed people...innocent people, people I love!"
I remained silent. I stayed there, being warmth for Naruto. It was the best I could do for him. I couldn't say any comforting words. I just sat there as he latched onto me, as tears streamed down his face.
Naruto...how much pain are you really in?
~*~
(Sasuke)
I could feel death. It was all around me...in the very air I breathed. It was my death. This was my choice, I thought to myself. I chose this. Hana. The name strayed into my head. So ironic for it to come into my head at a time like this. If there was ever a person I looked up to, it would be Hana. Not look up to as a idol, or a role model. I looked up to her...maybe, as an older sister. Obviously I didn't show it, but I felt it.
Sakura. Ugh. Why torture me? I'm lying here, taking in breaths just before my death, why must I be tortured now? It's not like I didn't have to put up with her every second of the day...but now? Seriously! Other names of trivial people winded their way into my head.
Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, TenTen, Lee, Neji, Kakashi. Ugh, Kakashi. He better get off his lazy ass and marry my sister. Why was I calling her that now? I might as well, I guess. If he doesn't, I swear I'll kill him.
Don't end up getting yourself killed, Hana. I'll kill you myself if you do.
...I don't know how I will...but I'll find a way.
~*~
(Kakashi)
"Are you sure about this, Kakashi?"
"I'm positive," I replied as she handed me the papers. I grabbed the pen ready to sign them.
"It's a tough decision, I just hope you choose what is best for you and Hana," she replied before stepping away from the counter and leaving the room. I gritted my teeth together, quickly signing my signature. There, I thought. It's done.
~*~
(Hana)
"Are you positive about this, Hana?"
"Yes, completely," I responded. She handed me the papers and handed me a black pen. I looked down at the paper, reading it over again.
"It's a difficult decision. A hard one too. I pray you choose what is best for you and Kakashi," she said to me before going back to all the papers on her desk. I picked up the pen and stared at it a moment. Kakashi. I gritted my teeth, fighting back the tears. Then I put the pen to the paper and quickly signed my name.
~*~
I held the papers copy of the papers in my hand. I looked down at it. I had to forge Kakashi's signature, but I'm sure all was fine. I folded them, then put them back into the envelope. I just hope he's happy with it, I thought to myself. Then I opened the door to his house. All the lights were out. I flicked on a light to the right of me, that I had a hard time finding in the dark. It was actually only around eight o'clock. I hated winter. It always made the days seem short. Scratch that, it did make the days short.
"Hana?" he mumbled rubbing sleepy eyes. I went over and hugged him, and he hugged me back.
"I have a present for you," I said handing him the envelope. "I really, really hope you like it."
"A present? It's not my birthday," he replied.
"Just open it," I said to him. Then a thought went through my mind. "It's your Christmas present." He did as he was told. He opened it and looked at the paper with confused eyes. Then his blue eyes went wide, his mouth hung. Slowly he looked up at me. Then he hugged me so tightly I could hardly breath.
"Adopted? Adopted!" he squeezed me. "So this means I can call you mom?"
"Of course you can."
"What about mother, mommy, mama?"
"If that's what you'd like," I replied to him. He let go and sighed.
"I have a mom," he mumbled to himself.
"Yep," I said. "And the first thing I'm going to tell you, as your mother, is that you have to get washed up for dinner."
"Aw, that's not fair!" he complained.
"Naruto."
"Huh?"
"It's ramen."
"I'll be just a minute!" he raced to the bathroom. I grabbed the ramen out of the cupboard. I really need to get him on a balanced diet. I'm not sure eating noodles all the time is healthy for him.
~*~
(Kakashi)
I pulled my old mask over my face. Wow, it's been a while, I thought. I'm just glad I kept all my gear. I walked in the hokage's door and bowed.
"So I see you've made your decision," she said to me. I looked at her desk, and inwardly sighed. She had drunk seven cups of sake and they were all spread randomly across her desk.
"I have," I replied to her. Standing up straight.
"I hope it didn't come between you and Hana-" I grit my teeth "-you two really were a cute couple."
"Sorry, but I am supposed to be leaving for a mission."
"Oh, right," she said. She looked down at her desk. I could see worry in her eyes. She misplaced my mission scroll. She started rummaging through everything. Throwing things on the floor and couch. Then she sighed content when she found it.
"Here you go," she said to me and handed it to me. "I expect you back in five days."
"Understood," I said before disappearing.
~*~
(Tsunade)
I rubbed my throbbing head. I think I had one too many yesterday, I thought looking at the sake bottles. I really hope Kakashi knows what he is doing. He just signed in ink, and in blood, that he would serve as an anbu for two years. I hope he fully knows the conditions.
"Life is too difficult when you worry," I said once again rubbing my forehead. I looked down at my bottom drawer, a smirk forming on my lips. Just one more can't hurt.
~*~
(Hana)
"Can I have fourths, mom?" Naruto asked me.
"Help yourself," I said signaling to the large pot of ramen. Naruto got up from the table and poured himself another bowl of ramen. Then he sat back down. He brought his face close to the ramen bowl and closed his eyes as he breathed in the smell of ramen.
"Ramen!" he said happily before digging in to it. "Wait, aren't you going to eat some?"
"Oh no, I'm not hungry," I replied to him. He tightened his eyes at me.
"You haven't eaten."
"I'm just not hungry." He stood up and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with steaming hot ramen. Then he put it in front of me.
"Naruto I-" he cut me off.
"As your son I am supposed to make you eat, even if you don't want to," Naruto said before blowing on my ramen for me. I didn't say anything as he blew on my ramen or as he put it onto chopsticks for me. Or even when he stuck the chopsticks in my mouth. Well, I couldn't when he stuck the ramen in my mouth because I couldn't speak. He made unimaginably big bites!
"Eat up!"
"I love you," Kakashi whispered in my ear as we entered the house, joining the party.
"I..." I hesitated. "love you." We walked into the party, hand in hand. We kissed before separating and I went to the drink table. I got a light alcoholic beverage, not testing my drinking capacity. Honestly, I think this was one of the first times I ever drank.
I turned and sipped at it as I watched people dance to the music. The music was still loud and annoying, but my cheery mood made me forget about that. My eyes lingered over Kakashi as he moved. He was talking to Might Gai, and then suddenly Gai slapped him hard on the back before hugging him. Kakashi looked so annoyed, yet happy, with Gai.
"Would you like some more?" the bar tender asked me. I glanced at my now empty glass. Wow, I already finished it.
"No, thank you," I said to him as I set down my glass. Then I glanced down at my left hand. Married, the word sent butterflies down my whole body. Married to Kakashi, I blushed when Gai and Kakashi looked over at me. I turned my attention to Naruto. He was standing next to Ino and Shikamaru, all of them talking and laughing together. When I glanced over at Kakashi again he was gone. A hand tapped my shoulder and I turned to see him, his gravity defying hair the same as always.
"May I have this dance?" he asked me.
"You may," I replied. We went against the rhythm of the dance as we danced slowly together. His body so close to mine, his breath warm on my neck. I laid down my head on his shoulder. I love you, I thought to myself. I love you so much. Suddenly the door burst open. The music stopped and I looked over at him, lifting my head from Kakashi's shoulder. He had an anbu outfit on, however, his mask wasn't on. He had brown hair and I instantly recognized him as an old friend of mine, from the academy days. He looked around the room...he was looking for someone.
"Hana!" he said. I froze in my spot. I didn't move, I didn't even bother to breath. I felt everything around me slip underneath my feet. "Hana!" he repeated coming up to me. I grabbed onto Kakashi. I buried my face into his muscular chest. I breathed in his sent, for as I knew these were the last few seconds with him. The man came up to me out of breath.
"Hana?" Kakashi questioned looking down at me. I didn't even need to look up at him to feel his gaze on my head. His arms were around me but they loosened a small bit.
"Hana," the man repeated. I wanted to yell at him, yell at him to stop calling me that name. I hate that name. I hated it so much. Nothing to do with that name ever brought me happiness.
"Hana?" Kakashi muttered again. "As in Hana Nakamura?" The man nodded. No. This can't be happening...and all I'm doing is latching on.
"Hana, Sasuke left the village!" My eyes widened, the tears stopped coming. Sasuke...left? Why is this happening to me? Why me...? Kakashi didn't move, even at hearing that Sasuke had left. He just stood still not moving. Then, as I feared, he let go of me and stepped back. I straitened my back and stood wiping my eyes and trying to compose myself.
"Nakamura...?" His eyes widened and he stepped back again. I noticed the change in his eyes the second he recognized my name. I couldn't bear to watch him as his hands clenched. I couldn't bare to just stand there dumbly. I glanced around at the faces. People, lots of them, all staring at us. Then, before I could think through anything, I sprinted out of the door. I didn't care if lightning stuck me where I stood, at that moment that was probably what I was hoping for.
It was raining out and my white dress was going see through. I ran all the way to my aunt and uncle's old house. I climbed up the stairs two at a time. I ran through the door and broke down when I got into the room. Even though it was covered in so much dust, it still brought back some old memories…
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" I, being younger, yelled, tears falling down my face as I yelled. The two girls next to me stared at me like I was a misplaced thing.
"Stop what?" The tall black haired girl asked.
"Stop picking on me! I bet boys are nicer than you!" The two girls chuckled.
"Really? Who?" The brown haired girl asked her, her hands on her hips. My eye's flickered around me until they landed on a certain silver haired boy.
"K-kakashi!" I said with a stutter.
"Kakashi?" The two girls asked while following my gaze toward him.
"Want a bet?" The black haired asked looking over at me.
"Y-y...yes," I said determined.
"Kakashi-kun!" The black haired called while waving her hands. As the girl expected the boy came right over.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi Kakashi," the black haired responded. "Don't you think she is so ugly?" she said pointing toward me. She grinned when she got her response.
"Who? Her?" the silver haired asked pointing to me as I cried. The black haired girl nodded. "Of course she is."
"K-k...k-k...kaka...shi..." I stuttered, after trying to speak to him, I ran away in tears. I should've known better. Of course Kakashi would side with the other girl. Kakashi always liked her.
I looked around me before going over to the window and opening it. I shivered as the rain pounded down on me, a cold wind with it.
"May you...um..." I started but stopped. "never mind, it's stupid." I started walking again.
"Wait no," he said catching up and taking my hands in his. I stared down at our hands. "just say it...anything on your mind at all." I looked up at his face. I wish I could see his face. If he had a pleading expression or not I didn't know.
"Will you...I mean you don't have to..." I paused still looking at him. "Say your sorry again?" I saw the little wrinkles in his mask, indicating that he was smiling.
"I'm sorry." My heart tugged.
"Again?" I asked.
"I'm sorry." My heart got yanked from where it stood and I hugged him. He put his arms around me and I slowly rocked back and forth, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Please, just this once, say you're sorry for everything that you ever did to hurt me?" I questioned feeling odd about it afterward. I could feel the warm tickle sensation when he spoke.
"I'm sorry, for everything I ever did to hurt you," he whispered into my ear.
"I think I'm falling in love with you..." I whispered, not noticing I said it out loud…
I bit my lip and exhaled. I jumped out the window and landed onto the muddy earth. I put my hands together into a hand sign and focused all of my chakra into my hands. It felt like all of my anger and sadness was being bunched together with the chakra. I closed my eyes as the shield of chakra became bigger and bigger. Then, as I had expected, it exploded. With it went my anger, sadness, and every emotion I felt at the time. I collapsed to the cold, wet, ground, out of chakra.
~*~
(Kakashi)
I clenched my hand, a rock in it. The whole time...the person I loved...was actually Hana? Not just any Hana, Hana Nakamura! I sighed before throwing the rock into the water. I guess I really had no reason to hate her. I always did, but didn't really have a reason. I guess it's because after my father died I pretty much despised everything and everyone. I also rebelled.
My father had said Hana was someone important's daughter. So I had to be nice to her, not play with her, pretty much treat her like a spoiled princess. Then there was the way my dad looked at her. Like she was more important then his very own son!
I picked up another rock and studied it as it was in my hand. I did regret all the mean things I had said to her. But...my Uindo...she wasn't my Uindo at all. She wasn't my beautiful wild flower. She was...Hana! It was so infuriating. Was everything she told me a lie? What, did she get some sadistic joy from watching me suffer like this? Why did she do all this? Why? Why, darn it tell me! The rock crushed into powder and I stared at it.
What if...she was the same person? What if...Uindo...what if she...had the same feelings as Hana? Was she still that sadistic monster I was just thinking she was? Ugh! This is so annoying! I let the powder of the rock slip through my fingers, watching it blow in the breeze.
Was that what Hana was doing? Flittering in the breeze? Messing with emotions, then leaving? I let my mind drift back to the party...everything then was so...happy. It was like all my happiness got sucked away in less than a minute. It's like when she left she ripped out my heart and took it with her. I shook my head side to side, I'm sounding like a depressed idiot. I'm a ninja. A jounin, for goodness sake. I pulled my hand through my hair. Get a hold of yourself.
I lifted myself from the where I sat and stood. I turned toward my home village and walked toward it. I don't want to go back, I thought to myself. I just want to stay...away. Against what I was saying in my mind, I headed to the village. I walked through the gates with my hands in my pockets. Acting calm and collected, as I always do, however, my mind was off some where else. Some where in a meadow of flowers...Uindo's hands going through my hair. Her gentle, soft, vanilla smelling hands, going through my hair slowly.
Darn it!
~*~
(Hana)
"Naruto?" I mumbled. He was lying on his bed, his blankets thrown across the floor. I shook him again. He didn't move. "Naruto?" I repeated. I leaned down toward him. He looked so cute when he was sleeping. His night cap on him. I put my arms around him and hugged him. His arms went around me as I hugged him. They hugged me tightly and I could feel his nails scratch down my back as his teeth gritted together.
"Sh, it's okay, Naruto," I said, saying it as soothing and soft as I could. His nails were deep in my skin and they didn't stop scraping down on my back. I could practically sense the blood now coming from my back. However, no tear was near my eyes at the pain. "What pain?" I mumbled to myself. I had gotten rid of it last night.
"Hana?" Naruto eyes opened. His hands were no longer digging into my back. "What are you doing in here?" He was still hugging onto my tightly.
"Did you have a bad dream?" I asked him not moving.
"Just a simple nightmare," he replied. I pulled him closer to me.
"It's okay, I'm right here," I said to him. I didn't look at him, though I could feel the tears on my shoulder.
"I was...attacking the village...no, it was attacking the village..." he trailed off. "I couldn't control it and it just went house to house, destroying everything in it's path. I couldn't stop it. I watched as it killed people...innocent people, people I love!"
I remained silent. I stayed there, being warmth for Naruto. It was the best I could do for him. I couldn't say any comforting words. I just sat there as he latched onto me, as tears streamed down his face.
Naruto...how much pain are you really in?
~*~
(Sasuke)
I could feel death. It was all around me...in the very air I breathed. It was my death. This was my choice, I thought to myself. I chose this. Hana. The name strayed into my head. So ironic for it to come into my head at a time like this. If there was ever a person I looked up to, it would be Hana. Not look up to as a idol, or a role model. I looked up to her...maybe, as an older sister. Obviously I didn't show it, but I felt it.
Sakura. Ugh. Why torture me? I'm lying here, taking in breaths just before my death, why must I be tortured now? It's not like I didn't have to put up with her every second of the day...but now? Seriously! Other names of trivial people winded their way into my head.
Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, TenTen, Lee, Neji, Kakashi. Ugh, Kakashi. He better get off his lazy ass and marry my sister. Why was I calling her that now? I might as well, I guess. If he doesn't, I swear I'll kill him.
Don't end up getting yourself killed, Hana. I'll kill you myself if you do.
...I don't know how I will...but I'll find a way.
~*~
(Kakashi)
"Are you sure about this, Kakashi?"
"I'm positive," I replied as she handed me the papers. I grabbed the pen ready to sign them.
"It's a tough decision, I just hope you choose what is best for you and Hana," she replied before stepping away from the counter and leaving the room. I gritted my teeth together, quickly signing my signature. There, I thought. It's done.
~*~
(Hana)
"Are you positive about this, Hana?"
"Yes, completely," I responded. She handed me the papers and handed me a black pen. I looked down at the paper, reading it over again.
"It's a difficult decision. A hard one too. I pray you choose what is best for you and Kakashi," she said to me before going back to all the papers on her desk. I picked up the pen and stared at it a moment. Kakashi. I gritted my teeth, fighting back the tears. Then I put the pen to the paper and quickly signed my name.
~*~
I held the papers copy of the papers in my hand. I looked down at it. I had to forge Kakashi's signature, but I'm sure all was fine. I folded them, then put them back into the envelope. I just hope he's happy with it, I thought to myself. Then I opened the door to his house. All the lights were out. I flicked on a light to the right of me, that I had a hard time finding in the dark. It was actually only around eight o'clock. I hated winter. It always made the days seem short. Scratch that, it did make the days short.
"Hana?" he mumbled rubbing sleepy eyes. I went over and hugged him, and he hugged me back.
"I have a present for you," I said handing him the envelope. "I really, really hope you like it."
"A present? It's not my birthday," he replied.
"Just open it," I said to him. Then a thought went through my mind. "It's your Christmas present." He did as he was told. He opened it and looked at the paper with confused eyes. Then his blue eyes went wide, his mouth hung. Slowly he looked up at me. Then he hugged me so tightly I could hardly breath.
"Adopted? Adopted!" he squeezed me. "So this means I can call you mom?"
"Of course you can."
"What about mother, mommy, mama?"
"If that's what you'd like," I replied to him. He let go and sighed.
"I have a mom," he mumbled to himself.
"Yep," I said. "And the first thing I'm going to tell you, as your mother, is that you have to get washed up for dinner."
"Aw, that's not fair!" he complained.
"Naruto."
"Huh?"
"It's ramen."
"I'll be just a minute!" he raced to the bathroom. I grabbed the ramen out of the cupboard. I really need to get him on a balanced diet. I'm not sure eating noodles all the time is healthy for him.
~*~
(Kakashi)
I pulled my old mask over my face. Wow, it's been a while, I thought. I'm just glad I kept all my gear. I walked in the hokage's door and bowed.
"So I see you've made your decision," she said to me. I looked at her desk, and inwardly sighed. She had drunk seven cups of sake and they were all spread randomly across her desk.
"I have," I replied to her. Standing up straight.
"I hope it didn't come between you and Hana-" I grit my teeth "-you two really were a cute couple."
"Sorry, but I am supposed to be leaving for a mission."
"Oh, right," she said. She looked down at her desk. I could see worry in her eyes. She misplaced my mission scroll. She started rummaging through everything. Throwing things on the floor and couch. Then she sighed content when she found it.
"Here you go," she said to me and handed it to me. "I expect you back in five days."
"Understood," I said before disappearing.
~*~
(Tsunade)
I rubbed my throbbing head. I think I had one too many yesterday, I thought looking at the sake bottles. I really hope Kakashi knows what he is doing. He just signed in ink, and in blood, that he would serve as an anbu for two years. I hope he fully knows the conditions.
"Life is too difficult when you worry," I said once again rubbing my forehead. I looked down at my bottom drawer, a smirk forming on my lips. Just one more can't hurt.
~*~
(Hana)
"Can I have fourths, mom?" Naruto asked me.
"Help yourself," I said signaling to the large pot of ramen. Naruto got up from the table and poured himself another bowl of ramen. Then he sat back down. He brought his face close to the ramen bowl and closed his eyes as he breathed in the smell of ramen.
"Ramen!" he said happily before digging in to it. "Wait, aren't you going to eat some?"
"Oh no, I'm not hungry," I replied to him. He tightened his eyes at me.
"You haven't eaten."
"I'm just not hungry." He stood up and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with steaming hot ramen. Then he put it in front of me.
"Naruto I-" he cut me off.
"As your son I am supposed to make you eat, even if you don't want to," Naruto said before blowing on my ramen for me. I didn't say anything as he blew on my ramen or as he put it onto chopsticks for me. Or even when he stuck the chopsticks in my mouth. Well, I couldn't when he stuck the ramen in my mouth because I couldn't speak. He made unimaginably big bites!
"Eat up!"