#i love like... the idea of civilian medicine and medical ninja overlapping sometimes and what that looks like

[pfreadsandwrites]

AHHH EEMMMM i was so late to this but i really really loved this <3 I loved how you went into these awesome ladies and the MC working for positive change after the 4th ninja war and the interactions with Kakashi was so great.

primaveral

Hokage!Kakashi x Medic-nin Reader, Post-war, Canon-compliant

Words: 4.3k

Primaveral (adj): of or relating to early spring

The end of the war means new beginnings for the village, and the Konoha Hospital is no exception. As the new head for a program focusing on the long-term care for shinobi affected substantially by the war, you find yourself needed to consult with the Hokage more and more. In times of peace, you never know what other new beginnings will happen.

A/N: this is so extremely self-indulgent but hey it happens. if you squint, you can see some things i am passionate about in life besides writing. thank you for reading as always! <3

You’ve run through it a hundred times in front of both Shizune and Sakura. You know what you’re talking about.

Sakura was about to finish her portion of the presentation, which was the longer speech of the entire thing, but it seemed to go by in a flash. She had done wonderfully with speaking clearly and confidently but also with determination behind her words. The Hokage’s office, which held the Rokudaime, Godaime, and the entire council, had been captured by her speech the entire time. The young girl seemed to have a sort of effect on people; her confidence was genuine, which made others stop in their tracks to listen.

You can do it, too, you told yourself. You are passionate too. Just breathe. Let the words flow.

“That is why we believe implementing these rehabilitation centers in the hospital will not only help the village grow but to ensure shinobi can serve the village in the best condition they can. It is important to us that we are considering the well-being of our shinobi because performance in the field always comes back down to mental health.”

That line. That line was the transition from her speech about the children’s clinic to your speech about the speech and hearing rehabilitation efforts. Your heart kicked into overdrive, beating so fast and hard that you swear your sternum was moving and everyone could see. Everyone could see how nervous you were. Everyone could see the weakness in your knees. Everyone could see everyone could—

“Not only is the health of our children important, but shinobi who have endured severe and traumatic injuries in the field are just as crucial to treat. Long-term rehabilitation has not been a strong suit of our medical facilities in the past, but we hope to change that, especially considering the effects of the war on shinobi.”

Then, Sakura had said your name, and you felt every single eye in the room dart simultaneously towards you. Now, you could barely hear what Sakura was saying with how loud your heart was beating in your ears.

Focus. Focus. Focus!

“Not only has she been a doctor in our staff for quite some time, even before me…” Sakura shot you a smile, which calmed your nerves a bit. “…she has proven to be passionate about the area of rehabilitation efforts for our shinobi that have lasting health issues because of their time in the field…”

Your hands that held papers you were about to pass out to the room started sweating, and you tried to will them to stop before the stack was completely soaked through. Swallowing thickly, you prepared yourself to start speaking.

“…Enough of my rambling though! I’ll let Sempai brag about herself!” Sakura laughed and then nodded towards you.

You forced yourself to smile weakly at her, and then reluctantly moved your eyes to address the room of people. Which was a big, fat, terrible mistake because your larynx seemed to freeze up instantly.

“T-Thank you, Dr. Haruno,” you got out, but internally slapped yourself from stuttering. It was like the beating of your heart was making your voice shake.

You swallowed again, willing the shakiness of your voice to subside. “I want to…emphasize that these efforts to improve our medical facilities are not only for our village but to continue to protect the village as we have notoriously done so.”

Quickly, you scanned the eyes of everyone in the room. The Godaime, with her eyes of golden steel and arms crossed over her chest, actually seemed…happy. Next were several council members who looked grumpy, but Sakura reassured you beforehand that’s how they always looked. And in the middle was the new Rokudaime who though his face was always covered halfway, seemed relaxed and at ease. You always thought he had kind eyes, too. That helped you to relax a bit more.

“The end of the war brought a lot of peace for the village, and it's a peace that cannot be overlooked,” your voice still shook, but the rehearsed words were flowing steadily. “But war comes with lasting scars for everyone, some scars more noticeable than others. Some scars from the war will prevent some shinobi from ever serving the village again, but we believe that they still deserve care and focus on their well-being.”

Okay. Okay. You got this.

“Dr. Tsunade Senju started research several years ago on the effects that combat and shinobi lifestyle have on the brain, and that research is what kickstarted the development of a speech and hearing rehabilitation center within our medical facilities. We have found that speech and hearing are two qualities that are affected the most by the nature of a shinobi’s job.”

You completely forgot about the giant poster pinned to the bulletin board right next to you, and you suddenly turned towards it in a small panic. “Uh, this is the outline we have of the types of rehabilitation services we want to provide based on the lasting injuries and issues shinobi seem to be facing after the war. There is a lot to cover, and…I apologize in advance for the jargon I will be using throughout this presentation. If any questions arise concerning any terminology used, please feel free to ask.”

Here we go.

Something made you feel like you had to look out at the small audience attending, and your eyes immediately caught the kind ones of the Rokudaime. It felt like everything froze for a moment while you made out some small crinkles by his kind eyes. Was he smiling?

For some reason, this made you take a deep breath. These people were not here to criticize but to hear the efforts that you and Sakura and so many others had put so much time into. They wanted the village to improve, too.

Your eyes moved from the Rokudaime to Sakura, who was smiling widely at you, and she shot you a discrete thumbs up. That made you smile, and you turned towards the bulletin board.

“First, I would like to start with the research we have conducted that is a continuation of the Godaime’s research. Here, you can see…”

———

“We will now open the floor for any questions,” Sakura smiled, clasping her hands together in glee. You were still reeling from the fact that you had gotten through the entire presentation with basically no slip-ups. You scanned the room, your eye catching the Rokudaime who was reading over the hand-outs you had given them earlier. It was hard not to think he was scrutinizing.

“Yes,” Elder Mitokado spoke up, resting a finger on his chin with much intimidation. “I have a question for Dr. Haruno.

Sakura straightened and nodded. “Yes, Mitokado-san.”

“Children’s…mental health, as you say, seems as though it is being prioritized over the health of current working shinobi. Is this really necessary in times of peace such as now? Wouldn’t our money and efforts be more effective in other areas?”

You could see Sakura’s jaw clench, and you prayed she would keep her frustration under wraps. You both had prepared for this type of questioning, but it was still frustrating nonetheless. These new ideas would not be…easy for the elders to accept.

Sakura began to explain, basically repeating herself from what she had said earlier in the presentation. The research showed that these children who grow up in violence experience lasting damage on their mental health, and Sakura is especially determined to change that. To change the way shinobi grow up and experience the lifestyle.

“…It’s not more, important. It is just as important for these children who have experienced war as well as will experience such violence at young ages to receive the proper support in their mental health. We talked earlier about the supports that are given to current shinobi and how we want that area to improve as well, but having a specific program for children will be very beneficial for times of peace and war.”

Mitokado had nothing to say. His expression didn’t even change. While it was unnerving as hell, you had to remind yourself that their generation wasn’t so easily swayed. It would take some convincing.

“Doctor,” The Godaime spoke up, addressing you, and you were somewhat startled. She was simply here as an observer and had little to no persuasion on the final decision of things, but it was still half her medical facility as the transition was soon being made to Sakura. However, it was Tsunade Senju’s research that had caught your eye so many years ago, and it was her research that you and Sakura had been continuing for some time. Any question she asked you would be a test of your knowledge of her research.

“Yes, Godaime,” you nodded.

Her lips twitched slightly in an almost smile. “Tell me more about your treatment plans. What sustaining injuries have we seen specifically for shinobi after the war?”

This was the first time you had genuinely smiled through the entire presentation. The Godaime was giving you a chance to further show your expertise and to prove yourself. You nodded knowingly at her.

“Sustaining injuries relating to the brain are difficult to tackle when discussing treatment. However, while in years past these injuries have left shinobi in a state of limbo, we now have the knowledge to provide these shinobi with support,” you began to explain. “When considering traumatic brain injuries, there are a variety of effects we have observed like aphasia, dysarthria, and apraxia which are among the most common we see. Hearing problems like tinnitus and severe hearing loss are also extremely common, and these are all long-term conditions. We feel that having a specific program in the hospital will provide the support they need.”

Utatane raised her hand to interrupt your explanation, and you could see the Godaime shoot a glare at her. You prepared yourself for her questioning.

“You’re talking about shinobi who can no longer serve the village,” Utatane stared you down. “If these shinobi can no longer protect the village, are we really going to waste a budget on treating people who can’t serve anymore?”

The question hit you like a ton of bricks, and you immediately felt your skin start to prickle with heat, blood boiling and senses heightened.

Utatane didn’t know she had hit a nerve, a very personal nerve that was the driving motivation for your involvement in these war restoration efforts, but you tried to remain calm and remember her status.

“These shinobi protected the village with their lives because they care about the village,” you replied, your voice sounding a little more strong than you had wanted. “They are in the conditions they are in because they fought in a war to save everyone’s lives that are standing in this room right now, and their quality of life is as important as anyone here who isn’t currently in those conditions. Everyone owes their care to the shinobi that fought in that war and saw its horrors. The least we can do is give them the proper support so that they can continue to see that their service in the war was worth it, and so they can witness the village in the time of peace they fought for. And I will fight to advocate for their care as long as it takes.”

As soon as you finished, your chest constricted. You had gone too far. You had gone, way, way too far and now everyone in the room was just staring at you in silence, your words hanging tensely in the air. You just ruined everything and any chance of getting these new policies passed was surely out the window—

“Well, I think after that, I don’t see any reason for this to continue. I’m pretty convinced of these doctors’ objectives for the future of our hospitals,” The Rokudaime spoke up, eyes squinted while he smiled. “To be honest, I was pretty convinced the minute they walked in here with how much they prepared.”

“Rokudaime,” Utatane snapped. “This decision cannot be made on a whim. Inquiries are crucial so that we know the extent of what we are getting into.”

Utatane sighed, took one last look at you, and then turned to Sakura. “Dr. Haruno, tell me more about the budget.”

Sakura nodded and began to speak. You were still reeling from your rather intense spiel, but while everyone else’s eyes were on Sakura as she spoke, you felt a pair of eyes on you. Glancing back over to the panel of people, the Rokudaime was still looking at you, something sparkling in his eyes that you couldn’t place.

Maybe it was just the kindness you had always observed in them, but as you held his eye contact, you felt your chest flutter. But he looked to Sakura who was talking about the budget, and you didn’t have time to consider what that little moment meant. You turned your attention back to the question at hand and took another deep breath.

———

“Thank you, Doctors. We will now discuss all of this information Rokudaime in time. You are dismissed.”

Head swirling with many thoughts and chest buzzing with pride and happiness and anxiety and every feeling you could think of, Sakura was basically pushing you out of the room with the Godaime on your heels. When the door shut behind you all, you were immediately tackled with a bone-crushing hug, and you returned it with excitement.

“Oh my goodness, I am so proud of you!” Shizune squealed. “I had my ear pressed to the door the entire time. You literally did amazing!”

You giggled, a big, cheesy smile on your face. “Thanks, Shizune. I think I honestly blacked out the entire time.”

Just then, another embrace covered both of you. “That went so amazing! I’m so proud of us.”

You pulled back slightly to eye Sakura who was smiling with bright eyes. With all of their arms still around each other, you all laughed in relief. It really did go well.

“I’m proud of you, Sakura,” you beamed.

“I really owe it all to you! I am so lucky to have a Sempai like you who is so passionate about the same things as me,” Sakura gushed. “I have a good feeling the policies will be passed.”

“Ah, you all are so sappy,” The Godaime spoke up, putting her hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “But it is true. You all did amazing. There’s no way they won’t pass it.”

After hearing those words from the Godaime herself, you felt confident that everyone’s words were true. Now, it was just a matter of time.

———

How Shizune talked you into going to the bars that night to celebrate was a mystery, and although you had been having a good time so far, you were so mentally exhausted from the presentation that you kept spacing out while conversations floated in and out of your ears.

Still, it was nice to be surrounded by your friends who had all given their enthusiastic congratulations, and they seemed to take advantage of the accomplishment themselves because they were all rather tipsy at this point in the night.

You on the other hand had hardly touched your beer, still in your head about the presentation itself and how it had gone. You just hoped everything would turn out well for the hospital and all of the hopes that you, Sakura, and so many others had for the future.

And you were thinking so much of your dad. You hoped he would be proud of you. He was the reason for your passion in the first place, and you thought of him in everything you did as a medical ninja.

You were brought out of your thoughts by a nudge on your shoulder, and you looked over at Iruka who was smiling kindly at you. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

You smiled, shaking your head. “Just about…everything, I guess.”

You glanced across the table where Shizune was talking about something that had Genma absolutely entranced, and Kotetsu and Izumo were talking to Raido who sat next to Iruka. Iruka was sitting next to you, and he turned to face you more directly, his expression looking like he was about to give you a kind lecture in true Iruka fashion.

“I hope you know what you did today was amazing,” he said, placing a firm hand on your shoulder. “You went up there in front of those people and laid your entire heart out and life’s passion. You should be so proud of yourself. I know I am!”

You chuckled, placing your hand on top of his on your shoulder. “Iruka, you sure do love to flatter when you’re tipsy.”

Iruka gasped dramatically and furrowed his brows. “How dare you! I’m not tipsy!”

That made you laugh even harder. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say. But seriously, thank you.”

You threw your arms around him and squeezed tightly, making sure he knew you appreciated him. He hugged you back just as tight.

“Everything is okay now,” he spoke quietly to you, sighing out in relief. “We’re in a time of peace.”

The reminder, still fresh and still just as relieving, made you smile softly. Whether Iruka was saying it to you or to himself, it was always nice to hear.

“Hey guys, we’re going to dance!” You heard Shizune yell over the chatter and music. “Let’s go!”

She was dragging Genma off to go dance in the small crowd that was across the bar, and Kotetsu and Izumo followed close behind them. Iruka pulled back from your hug and eyed you questioningly.

You smiled. “Go. I’ll watch from here.”

“You sure?” He asked.

You nodded. “Go have fun!”

Iruka smiled, squeezed your shoulder, and went after the group.

You sighed, relishing in the gratefulness and joy that filled your heart. Your friends looked like dumbasses while they danced together, but it just made you feel even more grateful.

You weren’t paying much attention to how much time was passing by as you sipped on your drink and watched them dance, but you were started by a sudden voice that popped up next to you.

“Celebrating your successful presentation, Doctor?”

You did not expect to look up and lock eyes with the Rokudaime who was sliding into the seat next to you, his own drink in hand. He seemed to have ditched the Hokage robes and opted for his regular uniform, which made him look much less intimidating.

Still, you straightened as he sat down. “Lord Sixth, it’s—“

“Ah, Kakashi’s just fine,” he smiled at you. “I don’t like all the formalities.”

Your mouth opened, but nothing came out. Kakashi just smiled at you, setting his drink down on the table. “Are you out celebrating?”

You closed your mouth and smiled, trying to get a grip on what exactly was happening right now. The Rokudaime—Kakashi—was currently at the bar late at night, sitting next to you with a drink in his hand and sparking up a conversation.

“Um, Shizune dragged me out,” you finally said with a smile. “With everyone else.”

Kakashi’s lips smiled wider under his mask. “Gai dragged me here when he heard everyone else was meeting. Although we just stepped in the door and he’s already with all of them dancing.”

You hadn’t even noticed Gai, but there he was, doing some rather…expressive dance moves in the middle of everyone. You couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Sounds like him,” you commented with fondness.

Kakashi hummed in agreement, turning to watch them. It gave you a chance to glance at him, heart skipping at how…refreshed Kakashi looked. Of course, he was always handsome, having a very dignified aura about him. Since becoming Hokage, you noticed something different about him. Whatever it was, his eyes were still kind like always.

Kakashi must have felt your stare because he glanced back over at you, and before you could be embarrassed, he smiled again. “I never got to say congratulations myself. That was a very impressive presentation you and Sakura put together.”

Your cheeks warmed immediately, and you looked away nervously. “Oh my, thank you very much. It was…a labor of love between us. Sakura is such a wonderful girl. She’s practically born to be the head of the hospital.”

It was then you remembered Kakashi had been part of Team Seven, had been Sakura’s teacher along with the Godaime. You turned to smile knowingly at him. “She’s had such great teachers, after all.”

You didn’t know where the boldness had come from, but Kakashi smiled at your words, looking down at the table. “Ahh, you give me too much credit. Sakura has worked very hard. I know it’s an issue close to her heart.”

You nodded and hummed. Over the many nights you, Sakura, and Shizune spent talking about restoration efforts, you learned Sakura had a passion for the medical field, especially children.

“But,” Kakashi said, leaning back into his chair and stretching his arm casually across the back of yours. “You have to give yourself credit, too. I can tell you’ve put in a lot of work into your research.”

Was this guy trying to make you faint? Again, your skin erupted in warmth, and you chuckled bashfully. “Yes, well, it’s been a long time coming. Lots of late nights…”

Kakashi was watching you very intently. While it made you feel sort of scrutinized, it seemed he was just like that. Honest and sincere.

“What made you pursue medical research?” Kakashi asked, and the question caught you off guard. You couldn’t remember when anyone had ever asked you why.

You stared at your hands that gripped your beer bottle and smiled. “There’s a lot of things…I knew I always wanted to be a doctor and medic-nin, but my dad was a shinobi. He served for a long time, but several years ago he sustained an injury that left him with neurological damage. His aphasia was pretty bad, and he passed not long after that. When Tsunade-sama became Hokage, I found her research, but I was not knowledgeable enough to understand its complexities. It was a very…intense piece of literature.”

“I can imagine,” Kakashi replied. “Tsunade-sama is a very intelligent person.”

“Very. She’s truly a genius,” You became slightly aware of your rambling, but Kakashi’s attentive stare made you feel like you should keep going. “I started trying to understand all of the literature we have so far on the brain, specifically how it relates to cognition and speech and hearing. And I had started writing my own journals with observations from my time in the hospital as well as things I observed when caring for my father. Then right after the war, Sakura basically tackled me one day saying she heard I was researching the brain. She told me she had been going through Tsunade-sama’s research too and how it related to mental health. The rest…well, that’s how it happened.”

Kakashi’s eyes were bright with interest. “I could hear the passion in your voice during the presentation, but it’s inspiring to know the story behind it.”

His sincerity was surprising and comforting all at the same time. Kakashi continued with a smile. “It’s…relieving, knowing the village is in such great hands after the war. It sure makes my job a lot easier.”

You laughed with warmth. “I think we all feel the same about you, Kakashi. We know we’re in good hands.”

“You flatter me,” Kakashi somewhat mumbled with soft eyes.

You found yourself turning into him a bit more. “It’s true. I don’t think anyone else is better for the village than you. Especially in times of peace and new beginnings. We need someone like you.”

“Someone like me,” Kakashi repeated, low and serious.

His eyes were so intense even under the dim lighting of the bar, and it made you want to be honest. “Yeah…strong, secure…kind. Compassionate.”

You felt your body freeze. Seriously, what was wrong with you? Talking to the Hokage so casually like this? Truth be told, he was just Kakashi, someone who you had always sort of known, but he was also Kakashi Hatake, sixth Hokage of the hidden leaf village and you were acting so…

But the way his eyes sparkled at you when he smiled made those worries disappear.

“I could say the same about you, Doctor,” he lilted. “Kind, almost to a fault. Humble, when you should give yourself more credit. Compassionate. Caring. Devoted.”

This time, you had to turn your face away and wave your hand dismissively. “You’re being too nice, seriously.”

“There you go again,” Kakashi leaned slightly closer to you. “You need to be more accepting of your strengths. And I’m not just being nice, I’m being honest.”

You chuckled, placing a hand on your warm cheek. “Well…thank you. But the same goes for you. You need to believe in yourself.”

Kakashi’s hand on the back of your chair brushed your shoulder slightly, probably just an accident but the touch made your skin spark. You had somehow ended up closer to him than when he had initially sat down, but you can’t say you didn’t mind.

Then, Kakashi grabbed his bottle off the table, bringing it between you. “Shall we toast then?”

You smiled, bringing your own bottle closer. “To believing in ourselves?”

Kakashi smiled, eyes warm and soft. “And…to new beginnings.”

You knew he meant for the village, for everything that was happening, and for the presentation from earlier. New beginnings were a common theme lately as the village was in its spring. But there was a part of you hoped that maybe, just maybe this conversation itself was a new beginning, a spring that was starting between you and Kakashi.

With a warm heart, you raised your drink. “To new beginnings.”

Kakashi grinned a little wider, and you toasted.

---

this could become a mini-series but idk yet