#yamanaka flower shop

[luckyrave]

Dual Responsibilities of a Kunoichi: Ino Yamanaka

Being a kunoichi is never exactly an easy thing in the world of Naruto, and during their free time they usually take time to relax as much as possible. That is not the case when it pertains to mind-transfer ninja girl, Ino Yamanaka.  Many of us  know about her intelligence and prowess with the mind transfer jutsu whenever she’s out on the battlefield, but rarely ever is the other side talked about.  

We see as a young girl that Ino has another duty to fulfill which is to run The Yamanaka Flower Shop. This isn’t because she was forced to do out of like the family name, but more so because Ino wants to see people happy.  She knows the importance of having goals and understanding what somebody wants in the life they are living in.  Through these reasons we understand that Ino isn’t just some simple hopeless romantic girl thinking about love, and that there is a brighter picture to view in the world she lives in on a daily basis.  

Whether it’s being on the battlefield as kunoichi or a young woman selling flowers to the villagers; Ino understands the value of life and what’s worth living for. There may not have been a lot of focus we got in the series, but the instances that are shown to us of Ino demonstrates where her character stands as well as her personal values in life. 

A short rundown ver. tweet: https://twitter.com/7LuckyChi/status/1661011026224250887

That’s pretty much all I gotta say when it comes to the dual responsibilities Ino Yamanaka represents as a Kunoichi and a young girl running a flower ship  from yours truly, but I hope you all have an amazing day, night, etc. and remember show some love and appreciation for Ino Yamanaka!  .

[frankencanon]

the yamanaka clan are so funny to me...

they're literally like: yes hello we specialize in flowers and interrogation 💐😊

[sassykinzonline]

for my monthly "put some respect on ino's name" post:

if you really want an example of a victim of misogyny by fans, and a woman who is essentially disrespected for being feminine its ino. people project onto sakura because they relate to her tomboy nature and think shes pretty, but on its face they steal a lot of ino's actual feats and character traits and pretend that sakura has them.

what crimes did ino commit? she hugged me once without asking. how many times has sakura done that? she...was interested in sai because he was handsome. so? she was kind to him and always included him after that, while everyone else hated his guts (i mean hes fucking annoying so he deserves it, but that just goes to show how nice ino is). in the chunin exams she tried to use her looks as a distraction? naruto uses sexy jutsu, same thing. later on she uses her actual skills to defend sakura who cant do shit except cut her hair. she calls choji fat? so does everyone else. shikamaru constantly disrespects her so that whole team is full of childhood friends who hate each other.

she was instrumental against pain, instrumental against the akatsuki, instrumental in the war effort. she is also actually shown to be smart both in battle and outside of it, rather than just having it be talked about or only shown in the make believe episodes.

in the meantime though, who's the only other person who cried when the rookies were plotting to kill me? ino. who's the only other person who was happy to see me when i came to join the war effort? ino. who didnt try to kill me or advocate for it? ino. did she ever disrespect me after that one hug? no.

[artia]

Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru In the world of Fallout

Naruto x Fallout

[brwnsugcr]

I like your top.

inoten + tattoo shop / flower shop au. rated e. word count: 10k

summary.

now, when tenten comes to work, she would squint through her glasses as she peers across the street, hoping for the slim chance of spotting a head of platinum blonde bobbing around the shop. a part of her feels kinda silly. it’s been a long time since she’s had a girlfriend. er…a girl, who's a friend. who just so happens to be flawless and confident and ooze all kinds of sex appeal. sheeesh.

this is a spicy one. enjoy ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[minds-interlinked]

@asknoeloftheresistance asked: "Did You See that Dress? Outrageous!" ((To Ino,From Sakura Haruno))

"It was an absolute disgrace to the clothing community! Those neon colors clashed way too much, and don't even get me started on the design! So distasteful with all those frills on all the wrong places!" Ino was never one to shy away from voicing her opinions.

And really, whose idea was that?

"We've gotta find another place to shop at. I can't find anything I'd like to wear around here."

[imaginarianisms]

A blink & tilt of head. ❝Oh! I wasn't expecting to see you here, Uchiha-san. Are you looking for flowers for your mother? What can I do for you?❞

@historias-multorum liked for a one liner starter!

[mixelation]

i want to post something so here's some async. takes place after minato ambushes tori in her hotel

it's little disjointed because some of the scene were written ages ago, and i definitely want to smooth over and flesh some of it out. also there's a [...] break which is where kushina tells minato he is an idiot in various ways and gives him advice. however i have not written it yet

xXx

Minato went home and collapsed onto his futon, a huge smile on his face. That had been fun. It was nice, to face off against someone when the fate of Konoha didn’t hang in the balance. Like, yes, Reina had come closer to killing him than anyone had since that incident with Kushina and the Kyuubi, but also if she’d succeeded, it wasn’t like he’d be losing ground for Konoha or something. Minato was good, but he wasn’t so arrogant as to think he was irreplaceable to Konoha. 

She didn’t even try to kill me, Minato thought, folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. That’s progress, right?

He’d figured she’d definitely have something up her sleeve when he showed up again, which is why he’d gone in kunai first. He’d had no idea what that would be, and he’d been excited for the surprise. All the fuinjutsu he’d found from Reina was insane looking and unique to her. He’d had no way to predict how she thought or what she was even capable of. If he’d hesitated again this time, she would have had that barrier up around her before he’d be able to do anything about it, and then who knew what sort of things she’d be able to do from the safety of her little bubble. 

Maybe I should have let her try, Minato thought, his stomach doing a giddy little flip at the idea. That’s what a good friendly spar was about, wasn’t it? It wasn’t about winning. It was about testing yourself against someone else, and letting them test out their own techniques against you. 

Minato did like winning, though, especially when his opponent was someone he actually had to try against. He had felt good in the moment, to have seen her trap and snuck around it. 

But he’d… somehow, after reviewing what had happened in his head, he felt a little guilty. He remembered how fast Reina’s heartbeat had been the whole time he’d had her pinned, how she’d been distrustful even after he’d used his most people-pleaser voice to promise he didn’t want to hurt her. 

Had he scared her? Maybe. He hadn’t really thought about it, when it was happening. He’d just spent weeks thinking about her face, how confident she’d been in her own victory. He’d forgotten how nervous civilians were around ninja. He could barely wrap his head around the idea that someone like Reina might be just as nervous about ninja as the next civilian. 

He’d wanted to ask more questions about her… experiments, or whatever she was doing. But he could tell she was upset despite him using his most charming smile, and so he’d left her. 

Minato’s plan, then, was to give Reina a week or so to calm down while he ran a couple of missions. He’d stop by the Yamanaka flower shop and get some advice on what type of flower he could give to a young woman he wanted to be kindling a friendship with. He had never needed to know it for any of his roles as a shinobi, but Minato knew kunoichi all got trained in flower language, and so he’d often hear women complaining or gossiping about faux-pas their boyfriends made. He’d gotten his fairshare of bouquets from admirers and then had Kushina decode them for him, a flirty little game they used to play before… well. 

Minato had no idea if Reina would know anything about flowers, but he wanted something pretty without accidentally telling her I love you passionately forever please marry me also you smell bad or something. 

As the days passed, however, Minato couldn’t help but check in on where her Hiraishin moved. He gave markers to teammates all the time temporarily, and Jiraiya usually had one on him, but… 

It was kind of exciting, to know where Reina was. He had so many questions about her, about how she saw the world and where she was going. Being able to concentrate briefly and see that she’d moved a few kilometers gave him no answers, and yet made him feel like he was learning something about her. 

And then, before he could ask anyone about flowers, one day Minato realized that the mark he had attached to Reina hadn’t moved in a while. This wasn’t unusual. There were a lot of reasons someone wouldn’t move around a lot, like sleep or sitting around for some reason. But he’d checked in on her a couple times a day, and she hadn’t moved in a very long time. Even if she was hunched over a new seal to kill him for hours at a time, she’d at least get up and move around eventually. 

Could she maybe not move? Had she been captured? Minato, to his own surprise, found himself worried. She was his project. And she was deadly clever, but she was still just a soft little civilian. 

Minato teleported to the marker. Instead of dropping in on Reina, he found himself in the middle of the air. His own marker trembled in the wind in front of him. This wasn’t at all what he had expected. 

Gravity worked faster than his brain. Minato was falling. The ground was so, so far away. It took him a couple seconds to realize what had happened, and he was lucky he was so high in the air, because he had time to think to teleport again. 

Hirashin kept the user’s momentum. Minato crashed painfully into the ground, hundreds of kilometers away in a Fire Country forest. His arm slammed down to break his fall, and pain seared through him on impact. 

She fractured my arm, Minato thought dully, sitting on the ground and staring down at his injured arm. His heart pounded in his chest, his blood flooded with adrenaline. 

The marker he’d gone to was definitely the one he’d stuck on Reina, because he’d been monitoring her. He’d followed her path. But it… she’d somehow removed it from her body and stuck it to sealing paper, and then hung the paper over the cliff. He… he had no idea how she’d done that. It wasn’t supposed to be possible for other people to remove his markers. 

Usually when he teleported to a marker sight-unseen, he was better prepared for surprises. He normally would have reacted faster. But “floating in the middle of the air” had been so far out of what he thought was possible right up until that moment, that he’d simply been unable to process it. 

His stomach squeezed oddly, making his toes curl in his sandals. 

Minato teleported back to the marker. Because he knew what to expect this time, he was able to keep his wits about him. He took two milliseconds to assess the situation: the paper with the mark hung by a fishing line, which in turn hung from a scraggly tree that had the misfortune of growing out from a tiny outcrop of rocks on a cliffside. The fishing line was over a meter long; he had no chance of grabbing hold of the tree, and without something to propel him sideways, he had no way to make contact with the cliff and use chakra to stop his fall. 

Minato grabbed the paper out of the air and teleported back to the forest, all before he’d built up enough momentum to injure himself on the landing this time. 

[...]

It took him over a week to find Reina again, partially because he took a mission in the middle of his hunt. Curly hair wasn’t common, and people noticed young women traveling alone, so her movements through towns weren’t hard to track, but he did have to do a ton of interviews. 

He was slowed down briefly where she appeared to wander off down a little-used road and switch to camping. Minato was as good a tracker as the next jounin, but it wasn’t his specialty, and he sort of had to rewire his gut instincts to follow Reina. She wasn’t a ninja and she didn’t cover for herself the way a ninja would. She didn’t travel through trees, and her average speed was extremely low.

He didn’t approach her immediately when he found her in a tent set up a little ways off the road. He had, after all, promised her flowers. Flowers would also maybe soften the blow of her fury if she tried to kill him again… maybe. 

Did he want her to try killing him again? It did seem a bit exciting, but he also did truly want to just talk to her. 

Spring hadn’t quite hit the northern countries yet, but Minato knew things further south were likely to already be starting. He teleported through a few places deep in the southern Fire Country forests before he finally found a squat little tree, heavy with dark pink flowers. He pulled off a whole branch since, assuming he could charm Reina into not attempting to him again, he wanted to see her do something with its chakra, and more tree meant more chakra. They were azaleas, he was pretty sure. That seemed pretty safe and generic. 

Maybe she can help me with senjutsu, Minato thought absently, teleporting back to where he’d left a marker just outside of Reina’s camp. 

She did jump to her feet immediately when he stepped into the clearing. But there was no deadly trap, and she didn’t look upset. 

“Wow, you are persistent,” she said. “Did you actually bring me flowers?”

She stared at the branch in his hands, nonplussed. 

“You broke my arm,” Minato said brightly. 

Reina lifted the gaze from the flower to his face, her eyebrows raised. 

“Er, it’s okay,” Minato said. He shuffled his feet nervously. “I talked to my… female friend, and she pointed out that I probably shouldn’t have… marked you. If I wanted to be friends. Sorry.”

“...apology accepted,” Reina said slowly. “Sorry I tried to kill you again. Are those rhododendrons?”

She held out her hands, and Minato passed the branch over. 

“I think they’re azaleas?” Minato said.

“Rhododendrons are poisonous,” Reina said, a huge smile passing over her face as she turned the branch over in her hands. 

Cute, Minato thought, unbidden. This was followed by: Wait, what?

[ladykissingfish]

*Sakura comes to visit Kakashi’s apartment with baby Sarada*

Sakura: Sensei! I have the day off today so I did some baking! I brought you some cinammon bread because last time you —

Sakura: Wait. What the hell?

*Sakura looks around: Kakashi’s entire apartment is filled to bursting with every kind of flower imaginable*

Kakashi: *takes Sarada and squeezes her close before setting her on his lap* They’re pretty, right? *to Sarada* But not prettier than you, my little doll.

Sakura: Why on earth are there so many??

Kakashi: It’s a new thing that Gai and I are trying. When one of us does something that annoys the other, we have to give a flower to that person.

Sakura: And he’s annoyed you this many times??

Kakashi: Oh, this is nothing. You should see Gai’s place; the Yamanaka florist shop had to hire two new delivery vans just to bring all of my flowers to him.

Sakura:

[notsofastwawa]

Listen...I love Sai and Ino, they are such a cute couple

But, Ino and Shino 🤔

I like what a lot of people said about this ship, that Shino helps Ino with bugs infesting her flower shop and Ino brings him out of his shell. (Aside from Hinata) Ino actually listens when he speaks and will fight anyone/everyone if they talk over Shino.

Maybe he starts spending more and more time at the Yamanaka flower shop (Sakura teases Ino relentlessly about it)

[loveforuchiha]

Sasusaku/Uchiha scenes that changed/removed in Naruto/Boruto:

Sakura and Sarada at the Yamanaka flower shop (removed)

Sasuke and Sakura forming part of the Hokage's personal escort (doesn't exist in the anime)

Context: a ninja who has been posing as a member of the Hokage's escort, infiltrates the crowd with three copies created with the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He named them: "A", "B" and "C"

Uchiha couple protecting the Seventh Hokage (doesn't exist in the anime)

Sarada worried and crying for her mother (removed)

Sasuke thinking about Sakura (removed)

Sasuke treats his friends badly just because his dad supports Itachi's mission (doesn't exist in the manga)

Context: In this (filler) episode Sasuke's family did not die, but he is not happy, as he is jealous of his older brother.

Sarada tells her dad not to forget his own family (doesn't exist in the manga)

Sasuke and Sakura communicating through their gazes (removed)

Sasuke and Sakura in a secret meeting (doesn't exist in the anime)

Sarada seems more concerned about a photo than her mom, who was kidnapped, and says she doesn't really know anything about her dad (doesn't exist in the manga)

[mandiips]

BORUTO-VERSE RE-IMAGINING

Fourth War Casualties

New Konoha

Hello Boruto fandom, Never once watched Boruto, never even got past the Kazekage Rescue Arc, personally I think Ikemoto is a bit off his rocker because- how in the world did you manage to make this world even MORE sexist but y'know

so I'm having fun with what i would have liked to see in the next gen, as an original fan, and I am desperately trying to get rid of the ninja brainworms that have gripped me before workflow picks back up. (I'm actually going crazy on Milanotes)

I did some other rough brainstorming in the past and this is kinda building off that: Boruto Hinata

Thoughts:

It strikes me as really odd, for how catastrophic and world-ending the fourth war was, that there were seemingly no major repercussions or casualties. That's just not realistic to me. More than one main character should've died. It gives more emotional weight to someone like Kiba, who doesn't have any big role beyond the War, and thus gives his character a purpose that isn't just "Im gonna be Hokage #57"

The front lines weren't the only places being targeted, villages and safe houses were under siege, resulting in countless civilian, genin, and chunin deaths.

Mei stays Mizukage instead of that spineless, random guy.

I have some ideas for the injuries that the "crippling wounds" category sustains, but it's important to mention that "crippling" only means "not fit for active shinobi duty" since that's the bread and butter job of ninja society, so the severity of the injuries varies greatly.

I'm also aware that medical ninjutsu is like a magic eraser when it comes to stuff like that, but I rationalize that medics were more concerned about helping their patients survive rather than making sure their patients will be able to fully recover. Everyone in the injured category went too long without the proper surgery because they wanted civilians and lower ranks to have access first. Even then, the medical team was stretched extremely thin, so- consequences.

Retired: again, in context of "retired from shinobi duty". Majority still have active jobs. Alongside T&I, Ino still runs her flower shop; Tenten sets up a weapons shop right next to it; Shizune is the volunteer hospital head, meaning she doesn't get paid much, and tutors/helps/does paperwork (Sakura is a top medic who occasionally visits for emergencies- she's mostly busy with medical-related missions); Kurenai and The Boys™ teach at the academy; Karui's teammate, Omoi, moved with her to Konoha and he is now the best babysitter in town- though really he mostly looks after Chōchō and Shikadai when their parents are busy. He lives with Karui and her family, they're like siblings.

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were all trained under Naruto during the blank period. However, Moegi was the only one able to reach her full potential because she managed to escape the War with no major wounds. She is now currently stronger than Canon Konohamaru Sensei was.

Marriages:

Nara Shikamaru & Nara Temari

Akimichi Choji & Akimichi Karui

Yamanaka Ino & Yamanaka Sai

Uchiha Sasuke & Haruno Sakura

Shinki, Mitsuki, and Kagura were all part of a Transfer Student Project. All willingly went, All are now full citizens.

I really didn't see Metal or any of the other evicted teammates serving a purpose to the Narrative.. Maybe Metal still exists in the future, the others I do not care about I'm sorry.

I just fucking hate Inojin

Kawaki was adopted when Boruto was around one (1) and a half. Himawari wasn't conceived yet.

Jonin Sensei and Teams:

Team Four (4): Shino, Sarada, Kawaki, Boruto

Team Eight (8): Karui, Iwabe, Kagura, Shikadai

Team Seven (7): Anko, Sai, Shinki, Sumire, Chōchō, Mitsuki

[13as07]

Spitting Image #1

(Ino Yamanaka)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to creamway]

Requested by: Myself

Word Count: 4,211

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

None romantic one-shot; more friendly one-shot vibes; also sorry it’s not as Ino centered as I planned it to be

Child out of wedlock (how sinful; says the smut writer) (Yoshiki is the name I chose for said child)

Kouhai means underclassmen for those that don't know

Part Two?

———————————————————————

"Shit, shit, shit," I mumble under my breath, rushing through the front door of the Yamanaka flower shop. I'm ten minutes late for the third time this week, a promised blowup from Ino waiting for me at the counter.

"Where is that dumb kouhai at?" Ino's voice rings out over the sound of the bell on the front door.

"Right here! I'm here! I'm sorry!" I rush out, struggling to tie the strings of my apron. "I'm sorry I'm late again, Yamanaka-San!" I mutter, bowing my head down, eyes set on our shoes as I wait for my verbal lashing.

"Kouhai," Ino hisses out, tone cold and eyes hot as she glares down at me. "I pay you to work from eight-thirty to four, not eight-forty to four."

"I know, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"You said that yesterday, and the day before that. How is it any different this time?"

"I'm really sorry, Yamanaka-San," I repeat, my tone a whisper this time.

"I will deal with you later. Your lateness won't be the reason for my lateness," Ino mutters, walking away from me, taking her anger bubble with her.

I stay in my bow until I hear the bell ring again and the shop door slam closed. "Damn it," I mumble, rubbing my eyes as I stand up straight again.

"Why have you been late so much this week?" A voice calls out, startling me.

A yap slips from me because of the sound, making me jump back and spill over a tub of flowers. "You have to be kidding me," I whisper to myself, blinking the angry tears from my eyes as the sound of the bucket crashing to the ground rings in my ears.

"I asked you a question, it's impolite not to answer," The monotone voice calls again.

I shift toward the sound, Yamanaka-san's husband falling into my sight. He reminds me of a tuxedo cat; ghostly pale, always in black, and seemingly hating everyone that's not Ino or their son. "I am sorry Yamanaka-San. I didn't mean to ignore your question. What was it again?"

My boss's husband - my other boss, I suppose - tilts his head a bit as he looks at me, a micro-scrunch of his nose appearing too. "Why have you been late so much this week?" He repeats, making my cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

"Family issues," I mumble, dropping to the floor to pick up the flowers I tipped over.

"What might those issues be?" Sai asks, kneeling on the ground as well, helping me plop the flowers back into their bucket.

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to pry into my personal life, Yamanaka-San. I am sorry for being late, it won't happen again. Now, please leave me alone," I husk out, anger coating my words and my eyes again. I tug the bucket away from him, turning my full attention to the mess I've made.

"Have I upset you?"

"No. Just... go away Yamanaka-San," I grumble, rotating the bucket away from the water still covering the floor.

"As you wish, Kouhai," Sai responds, smiling softly at me before he follows his wife's previous path.

The anger of my morning continues to brew as I clean up the spilled water. It's been six months since I gave birth to my son, Yoshiki. It's been difficult trying to find balance in my life since having him. I love him more than anything in this world, but without a support system, it leaves me feeling like I'm drowning.

Between his needs, my needs, bills, daycare, and work I feel like any moment one of the plates I'm holding is going to fall and break. The plate being my job at the moment. I'm lucky to have three thousand yen left at the end of the month, courtesy of the outrageous daycare bills. I need to find a cheaper daycare or one that opens earlier so I can make it to work on time. I can't afford to lose my job.

How the hell am I going to get and maintain another job if Yoshiki isn't in daycare? How am I going to afford daycare if I don't have a job? How am I going to afford our bills? Our rent? Yoshiki's formula and diapers and the million other things he needs? Why couldn't I just get out of the house on time this morning? Or yesterday morning? Or the morning before that?

My stress tears mix with the flower water I'm cleaning off the floor, only upsetting my spiral thinking even more. Maybe I'll get lucky and Ino will only tear into me again when she gets back instead of firing me. I can't afford to lose this job.

————————————

My heart feels like it's pounding against my rib cage as I listen to the nursery worker on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry ma'am but he has a fever. There's no way we can keep him at the nursery."

"I'll come get him soon but I can't just leave work. You guys can't keep him a couple more hours?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

I twirl the phone cord around my finger, heated tears threatening to spill again today as I listen to the nursery worker explain once again why they can't keep him. "I can give you an hour to pick him up, but that's all we can offer. We can't risk any of the other children getting sick. I'm really sorry, ma'am."

"Alright, okay. I'll be there soon. Thank you," I mutter into the phone, the angry tears spilling down my cheeks. I slam the phone down, picking it up to repeat the action a few times.

Why can't one thing go right? Why can't I catch one break? What am I going to do? I can't ask to leave early after being late most of the week. That'll definitely get me fired. Ino is going to tear into me if I ask to leave early, she's going to fire me. I can't afford to lose my job, but I can't leave my baby at the nursery. I can't leave Yoshiki feeling ill and yearning for me.

"Do you mind not breaking the phone?" Ino's voice rings out, filling my chest with dread.

"I'm sorry, Yamanaka-San," I mutter, softly setting the phone down before using my fingertips to brush the tears off my cheeks.

"It seems that you're saying that a lot today."

"I know," I murmur, turning toward her, eyes cast to the ground as I work myself up to ask my question. "Yamanaka-San?" She hums in acknowledgment, arms crossed and foot tapping the ground. "I'm really sorry but I have to leave early today."

"Oh? Oh ya? You show up late all week, yell at my husband, take a personal call at work, and then attempt to destroy the store phone, but you need to leave early today."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm dealing with some things at home and I'm sorry it's melting into work but - "

"You want to leave early? Fine, leave early, but if you leave don't bother coming back. You're unreliable," Ino husks out, glare pointed my way.

"Yamanaka-San, please. I really need this job - "

"Not enough to work your full shift, apparently. I already told you, you're done, fired, unemployed. I can't have an employee that constantly shows up late and dares to ask to leave early."

I open my mouth to fight back but I have nothing to say. I get where Ino is coming from, after all, she's running a business and that can't happen with an unreliable employee, with me coming and going unpredictably.

I let out a defeated sigh, untying my apron and laying it on the counter before I walk out of the shop. The ringing of the bell dances around my brain, forcing fresh tears to brew. A million things, mostly bills and money issues, run through my head as I start my path toward Yoshiki's nursery.

I don't have time to worry about money or bills or a job. My baby is sick and needs me. Yoshiki needs to be my main focus right now. I can worry about finding a new job once my baby is at home and his fever is gone. My son needs to be okay and healthy before I have time to worry about anything else.

————————————

I let out a sigh as I watch my Kouhai walk out the door. Maybe I was a little harsh, we all have bad weeks, and I just made hers worse by firing her. But, on the other hand, I can't keep paying someone who can't keep their life together well enough to get to work on time.

     The front door jingles again. I snap my mouth open, preparing to deny the Kouhai's pleas for her job back.

     "Oh, hey Ino!" Kohan's - one of the members of the Konoha Barrier Team and a civilian of my clan - voice rings out, making my mouth snap closed. "Where's your Kouhai at?"

"Why do you care?" I snap out, glaring at him as the scent of infidelity waves my way, only solidifying my decision to fire her. I don't need drama filtering into my flower shop. "Don't you have a pregnant wife at home?"

Kohan chuckles at my questioning, only pissing me off more. "Yes, I do. Your Kouhai's son sat up by himself for the first time. She said she'd show me pictures next time I stopped in, so I was just curious if she was working today. I swear your cashier has the cutest kid in the world."

"What?" I ask, the word 'son' standing out in the explanation I just got.

"Your Kouhai has a cute kid?" Kohan repeats slower this time, his face scrunching up as he looks at me. "I think she said he's five months old, maybe six. She's got this picture of him in a duck onesie in her wallet, and it's the cutest thing in the world. She said the wife and I could have the outfit if we want since her son grew out of it already."

"My cashier doesn't have a kid," I say, a laugh following my words. What kind of sick joke does Kouhai and Kohan have going on? "She... she doesn't have a baby at home. I would have known that."

"I promise you she does. I don't know much about her home life aside from her son, but it sounds like the dad is MIA."

"What about her parents? Her mom is around to help with the baby right? Or her dad? A sibling or something?"

Kohan shakes his head no, sucking his cheek in to nibble on it for a second. "No, it's just the baby and her. She was raised by a single parent but from what I've picked up, they were one of the casualties of the war."

I let out another laugh, this one a panicked laugh. I just fired a young single mother for being late to a couple of shifts, and for needing to leave early without even asking why she needed to leave. I am a terrible person.

"Anyway, I'll stop in some other time. Let your Kouhai know I stopped by."

"Will do," I mumble, watching Kohan walk back out of the shop. Once the bell rings closed, I dash towards the phone, scrolling through the phone log. In big letters 'Konoha Nursery' is written on the call log. I fired a single mother because for some reason she had to pick her kid up early from daycare.

I. Am. A. Terrible. Person.

"Sai!" I yell, rushing around the store in search of my husband. "Sai, I'm going out, can you watch the store?! Oh, and please remember to pick Inojin from school!"

"Where are you going?" My husband asks, poking out from a random hidey-hole he's been in.

"I need to talk to Sakura about something."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you later, Dear."

————————————

It's been two days since I had to pull Yoshiki out of daycare early. His fever has gone down a bit, but he's still warmer than he should be. My sweet boy is curled up on my chest. He's in nothing but his diaper and I've decided to lay with him on my chest, nothing but my bra covering my torso. Hopes that skin-to-skin will help his fever race through my head as I cuddle with him.

     If it doesn't I'm out of options. I'll have to take him to the hospital, not that I can afford it, but I don't know how else to help Yoshiki feel better. The only saving grace right now is that he fell asleep far enough up my chest that I can hear his breathing without having to press my ear to his chest. "I swear, God," I mutter, focusing on the ceiling. "If you take my baby, I'll never forgive you."

     I know it's an overreaction, I know it's just a fever and will probably go down soon, but I can't help but worry that it might be more. Reading all those baby books during my pregnancy has left me with the fear that any and everything will kill my Yoshiki.

It took draining all my savings to finally convince myself to go back to work. It terrifies me to leave him with strangers for so long every day. What if something happens and I'm not there to protect him?

A knock at the door cuts off my spiral thoughts before they have a chance to start, both making me grateful and sorrowful. The sound wakes Yoshiki, sending him into a meltdown from his still-present fever and from being woken up.

I gently hush him, patting him back as I crawl out of my bed. "You're okay, love. I know, I know," I coo, softly rocking us back and forth as I weave my way through our destroyed apartment. I haven't had time to clean up so stuff has been thrown around on any surface available.

"You're okay, I promise. It's okay, Yoshiki," I continue to coddle, rocking us as I stop patting his back. My hand is gone from him long enough to open the door before it's back in place, softly rubbing his boiling skin. "Hello, how can I help you?" I ask, aiming my voice toward the open door without fully paying attention to who it is.

My focus is set on Yoshiki, trying to calm him as I start my mental checklist for the hospital. I've decided I'm going to take him once the telemarketer is dealt with.

"I thought Kohan was kidding," the person says, tugging my attention to them. Standing in the doorway is my old boss. Ino's mouth is hanging open a bit, her exposed eye wide and jumping between Yoshiki and me. "That is a baby. You have a baby. How do you have a baby?"

I blink at the lady in front of me, not a hundred percent sure what to think at the moment. "Ino, you have an eleven-year-old at home. I'm pretty confident you know how a baby is made."

"Yes, I know how a baby is made. I'm asking how you have a baby."

"Two hundred yen margaritas and a moody Sand Shinobi in the village on a business trip."

Yoshiki is the spitting image of his father. A fluff of deep red hair and his father's pale opal-colored eyes. I swear the only thing my son got from me was eyebrows and the shape of his nose.

A bundle of blue stripes covers a part of my son's forehead too, almost like stretch marks, another trait he got from his father. I've asked his doctors about it and they've told me not to worry, that it's just a mark of a jinchuriki parent, nothing different than the Hokage's and his kids' whisker marks.

That's another thing that has me stressing. What's a jinchuriki? How's it going to affect Yoshiki's life? It can't be that bad of a thing if our Hokage is one... right?

Ino busts out laughter, sending Yoshiki into another crying fit. "I'm sorry, it's really not funny," She says as I try to calm my son down again. "It's really... it’s not funny, just how you said it... it's not funny, I'm sorry," She says between bundles of giggles.

"It's kind of funny," I mumble, walking away from the door, leaving it open for Ino to decide what to do. I can hear her shuffle into my apartment, closing the door behind her as I pull an ice pack out of the freezer. "Is there a reason you're here?" I ask, trying to shuffle Yoshiki enough to wrap the ice pack in a cloth.

"I wanted to talk to you about... earlier this week," Ino mumbles, making her way through the maze of random toys and clothes covering the floor. "Here, let me hold him while you do that," She adds, reaching her arms out for my son.

I'm reluctant for a moment, hesitant to let anyone besides myself and Yoshiki's daycare nurse hold him. After a beat I give in, carefully shifting him into Ino's arms. I'll take him the moment I'm done wrapping his ice pack.

"Dear lord," She mumbles, nestling Yoshiki into her arms. He screams, reminding me his lungs are working. "Your baby is the spitting image of Gaara. How'd you manage to get that man in bed?"

"Gaara?" I ask, my hands stalling for a second.

"Gaara is the dad... right? I mean... your son looks exactly like him."

"I don't know the name of Yoshiki's dad," I whisper, finishing the task at hand before testing the pack against my skin. "Like I said, it was a one-night stand," I mutter, quickly taking my son back. I situate him back into place, holding him against my chest as I rest the wrapped ice pack on his back.

Ino stares at me, blinking a couple of times as she struggles with her words. "I would be able to recognize him, obviously," I mumble, shifting Yoshiki a bit. "After all, my son got all his traits from his father. I spent nine months making him and he has the audacity to look exactly like his father," I tease a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

     She laughs again, a calmer giggle this time. "I feel that. I swear Inojin looks like his father more than he looks like me." I hum in agreement, constantly moving the pack across Yoshiki to hopefully help bring his temperature down. "Anyway, I'm pretty confident Gaara is the father of your kid. Even if he's not, your son has junchuriki marks, it wouldn't be that hard to find his dad."

     "It wouldn't?" I mumble, focusing on switching Yoshiki around to cover his chest and stomach with the cooling device.

     "No, there's only a handful of them. It's not a common thing."

     "Great," I mutter, letting out a sigh as new worries filter through my head.

“It’s not… all bad,” Ino mumbles, glancing around the room before she settles on me again. “Gaara is… he’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a great uncle to Shikadai. That and he has - ”

“There’s a big difference between being an uncle and being a dad.”

“Ya, I know,” she mumbles softly before she smiles at me. “For now let’s talk about you coming back to work and figuring out a way to make things easier for you. We can worry about the Gaara thing later.”

————————————

It’s been a couple of weeks since my conversation with Ino. I feel silly for not talking to her sooner. A new normal has settled over us, Yoshiki staying with me at the flower shop when the daycare is closed so I can work more hours, a later starting time so I don’t have to worry about being late, and the Yamanakas helping me with my son.

Ino watched him yesterday afternoon so I could go out for the first time in seven months. Do you know how nice that was? Getting some me time for the first time in half a year? I even get to sit down and eat now without having to worry about jumping up at Yoshiki’s every cry. Inojin is trying to talk me into letting him keep Yoshiki overnight one of these weeks. He’s grown attached to my little guy.

He also insists that my son ‘looks just like Uncle Gaara’ and that he ‘has the same eyes as Aunt Temari and Shikadai’. All this talk about the Gaara guy has my nerves a bit on edge. It scares me, thinking that someone so close yet so far away can demand to see my child, to have a say in my child’s life. I didn’t purposely leave my son’s father in the dark, I just figured I’d never find him again so why waste my time looking?

I will say, despite all the fear that comes with the possibilities of this Gaara person, Ino’s friend - Shika-something - Shikadai’s dad, had some tricks on getting Yoshiki’s fever down. He also said it’s normal for children of Sand Village descent to have fevers because of the usually hot temperatures in the Hidden Sand and their DNA morphing over time to counteract it. It is normal, it is just Yoshiki’s body adjusting, and soon enough he’ll be able to regulate his body temperature on his own.

Besides, there’s no guarantee that this Gaara guy is my baby’s father, and even if he is, who says he wants anything to do with us? That thought both feels good and hurts. I’ve done it all on my own, all nine months of the pregnancy, the childbirth, all seven months of Yoshiki’s life. If Gaara wants nothing to do with us, it won’t be that big of a deal. However, my son having his father while growing up is a nice thought to have too.

The bell at the front of the shop rings, a “Hello! Welcome in!” tugs from me as my eyes stay set on Inojin and Yoshiki.

“Hey, Ino,” a squeaky preteen voice calls out, instantly making Inojin chirp up.

“Sup, Shik,” he calls back, carefully standing up with Yoshiki in tow. The boys share some kind of new-gen handshake, my mind clicking the new boy into place as Shikadai. He’s the spitting image of his father too.

The two boys talk for a couple of minutes, Shikadai’s eyes constantly flipping between Yoshiki and me. Inojin was right, he does have the same eyes as my son. That doesn’t help my panicked thoughts. “What are you doing here anyway? You hate the flower shop,” Inojin asks, perking my interest a bit.

“My uncles are in town and Uncle Kuro already managed to piss off his wife, so he’s dragging Shinki and me along to help pick out flowers.”

“No shit? Shinki came this time too?”

“Inojin!” I snap out, giving him a warning glare. “No pouty mouth around Yoshiki.”

“Oh, right! My bad Kuohai!”

Shikadai’s eyes jump between my son and me again, a weird look on his face for a split second. “What’s with the baby?” He tries to whisper, eyes still running a mile a minute.

“Oh, Yoshiki? He’s the son of the girl that’s been working for my mom. He’s a chill dude, for being a baby and all. He looks a lot like your uncle.”

“Who looks a lot like me?” A deep voice calls out, overpowering the sound of the bell ringing. Standing in the door frame is a man with a black hood pulled over his head and dark purple markings across his face and neck. “Dear lord, who did Gaara knock up?” He asks, making panic spark in my chest.

“Okay, that’s enough Inojin,” I rush out, making quick steps around the counter and towards the group forming by the door. “I would like my baby back now,” I continue to panic, carefully swiping Yoshiki from Inojin’s arms.

“Hey! You said I could hang out with him during your shift!” Ino’s son complains, trying to swipe Yoshiki back from me.

“You can hang out with him later,” I mumble, slipping into the bathroom, quickly closing and locking the door behind me. So much for the new normal.

I sink to the tiled floor of the bathroom. Yoshiki is having the time of his life, smiling and babbling to himself as he looks up at me. “What are we going to do, Love?” I ask him, lifting him to press his tiny forehead against my own. “Why do you have to look so much like your daddy, huh? Do you think this Gaara guy is Dad? You think so?” I coo, pressing kisses to his cheeks, which only encourages his giggles.

A soft knock is pressed on the door, making Yoshiki smile even more. For whatever reason, his new interest is the sound of knocking. He seems to enjoy it quite a bit. “Hey, Kouhai?” Ino calls out, her voice followed by another knock. “We should probably talk.”

Probably.

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[naruto-uzumaki-rp]

@sassykinzonline

So, Sasuke, today’s the day! Today is the day that you get one year older! Haha! You’re really gettin’ old, huh?

Pushing your grandpa status aside for a minute, I’ve been working on a little something for ya, y’know, as boyfriends do! I hope you like it!

For starters…

I picked you up some of your favourite flowers from the Yamanaka Flower Shop! Now, before you ask,

*in a mocking Sasuke voice* “Naruto, you loser… Why the red flowers? Don’t you know my favourite colour?”

Of course I know your favourite colour! I’m not a complete idiot, y’know?! I chose the dark red carnations that symbolise my deep love and affection for ya!

Next up…

Ahah! Purple balloons! One of your favourite colours. See? See? I told ya I know it! I couldn’t just get you plain balloons, either… That’d be wayyyy too boring! So, you get pretty confetti and tie-dye balloons!

What was next again? Oh yeah!

I made this vanilla cake for ya. I uhh… Sure hope it’s edible…

But I also got the sprinkles that you like to decorate it!

And last, but not least…

Pack your bags, Sasuke! We are going to Venice together! I’ve arranged it all so that there’s no need for you to lift a finger!

I remember you mentioning how badly you wanted to go once, so, I wanted to make that happen for you, y’know?

You mean a lot to me and I really want you to know that. Happy birthday, Sasuke. I hope that I get to celebrate many more birthdays with you.🧡

[trans-duckling]

KakaGai Week 2024: Black tulip

Words: 1,380 Pairing: KakaGai Promt: Flowers

Kakashi walked through the aisles of the Yamanaka’s flower shop while contemplating his options. He had already grabbed a few seeds for vegetables and he was considering a fruit tree as well, but he was not sure about which flowers to choose. There were too many options and he was not an expert on them as much as with other plants.

“Kakashi-sensei!” a light voice called coming from the back of the shop. “It’s a surprise seeing you here.”

Ino had grown quite a bit since the end of the War, maturing and becoming the head of her Clan just as Shikamaru had had to do with his. Of course, as a well-organized kunoichi she still found time to take care of the flower shop and work as an active ninja. In the meantime, Kakashi was having difficulties staying awake during a morning meeting at the Hokage’s office.

“Hello, Ino” he greeted with a small smile. “I was deciding about what to take for my garden.”

“Oh, so Gai-sensei and you have finally decided to bring some color to the backyard? That’s great news!” she said with a happy tone as he checked what the Hatake had in his hands. “I see that you took some vegetables seeds, do you need help knowing how to take care of them?”

“Not really, my father and I used to cultivate them when I was a kid, and I kept at it until I joined the jounin barracks, so I should be fine with them” he explained, turning then his body to point towards the fruit trees in the small greenhouse. “However, I would appreciate your help choosing a tree.”

The Yamanaka nodded, moving to the back of the shop to show him the options he had looked at a few minutes before.

“Well, being your first one, I would recommend an apple tree, and if you actually want apples, you’ll need to take two so they can pollinate. I would make you a discount, don’t worry. Also, I wouldn’t take the seeds, but one of our medium pots so hopefully in a year or two you’ll have something that looks like a real tree.”

“Mm… I guess it’s a good option, Gai likes apples.”

“Gai-sensei loves anything that is healthy” Ino laughed.

The Hatake smiled and nodded in agreement. Decided to follow the kunoichi’s advice, he used his hands to make two clones and made each one of them take a pot with an apple tree to the front desk.

“Anything else I can help you with, Kakashi-sensei?”

“Well, I had also thought about buying some flowers, both for growing in the garden and to bring to Gai today.”

The expression on the Yamanaka’s face became soft and a nostalgic smiled appeared on her lips.

“It’s fun to see how you don’t hide your feelings, sensei, with Asuma-sensei he always tried to convince me the flowers were not for Kurenai-sensei.”

“Of course he did” Kakashi laughed.

As the girl continued to help him with his decisions, they kept talking about the Sarutobi and remembering him. It felt nice to hear how much his students still loved Asuma, proving he had done a great job raising them.

The Hatake almost had to create a new clone just to open the door of the house, as the other two were carrying one pot each and his hands were full of bags with seeds and smaller pots with other plants. Thankfully, his amazing skills as a shinobi helped him to turn the key by using the strength of his left thumb and pinky.

“Gai!” he called as soon as he entered and made the clones disappear. “Can you come to the entrance? I need some help with the shopping!”

His partner was not as far as he had thought, as he heard him probably transferring from the sofa to the wheelchair in the living room around the corner.

“I didn’t know we needed to go shopping, rival” the other man commented as he approached. “You should’ve told me so I could help from the beginning, I still can… What is all this, Kakashi?”

The taijutsu master had cut himself midsentence as he took in the small green forest that had just invaded the entrance of their house. The Hatake could only smile at the surprise.

“This is your new project” he explained as he left the bags he was carrying over Gai’s lap, “or ours, if you would like for me to join. You commented the garden was a little depressing a few months ago, remember?”

Even if with a confused expression, the other man moved his arms to hold the bags in place.

“Well, rival, I appreciate the intention, but I must continue with my rigorous training if I’m going to recover soon, so I can’t…”

“You can, Gai, and you will” Kakashi interrupted him, this time with a serious tone. “You know what the doctor said; you’ve actually worsened your condition by exceeding your limits, so you should take some time to recover and focus on other things. There is more living beyond training, Gai.”

He added the last sentence in a lower tone to try and hide his feelings, but as attentive as his partner was, he noticed them anyways. Even if they had finally recognized they loved each other after the War, since starting his rehabilitation Gai had put all their activities on a halt, whether they were challenges or even sex. To say Kakashi had started to feel their relationship cooling down was an understatement.

“I…” the taijutsu master mumbled, voice slightly shaking. “I’m sorry, rival. You’re right, I should not force my body that much, I promise I’ll try to do better from now on.”

The Hatake just nodded in silence, turning then around to take one of the apple trees. It would be a while before they got actual apples, but the thought of seeing something grow as years passed in the house he once shared with his father and now did with the man he loved, brought him happiness.

“So… About the garden” Gai started a few seconds after, probably wanting to change the tone of the conversation to one lighter. “I see here you bought a lot of things, are you sure we’ll have space for everything?”

“Yeah, I think so, and if not we could move the flowers to the front yard, I guess” Kakashi explained. “Will you want my help, then?”

“Of course, rival!” the other man exclaimed. “We could even make a challenge out of it, see who can dig the wholes faster! And on the long road whose plants grow better!”

“Mah, Gai, this is going to be our garden, let’s not make a competition of who has a better green hand” he huffed. “Although I’m up for the other suggestion.”

“YOSH! It’ll be a challenge, then.”

Suddenly full of energy, the taijutsu master rolled himself straight to the back door that gave access to the garden, letting the bags in the porch and coming back to take the other apple tree before even Kakashi could’ve crossed half of the hall. Only once everything was out did he remember about the last item he had bought at the shop.

As Gai inspected the leaves of the small trees, the Hatake bended down next to the bags and took out from one of them an almost black tulip encased in a long plastic box for conservation.

“I got you something else” he commented as nonchalant as he managed.

His partner frowned as his sight left the trees to focus on the object he was offering him, eyes opening widely upon seeing the flower.

“Rival, it’s beautiful!” he exclaimed as he took the tulip with incredible delicacy. A few seconds passed while he admired the present, his face becoming red after a bit. “Do you, uh, know what a black tulip signifies, Kakashi?”

“Well, unless Ino lied to me, I would say it’s ‘eternal love’” he replied, smiling over the blush that had started to appear in his own face. “It suits us, don’t you think, eternal rival?”

Instead of answering with words, Gai brought one arm up to grab the neck of his tactical vest and pulled it down until their lips met.

[sunstaar]

Here for You

Kakashi Hatake x gn!Reader

Word Count: 1,4k Ao3

Summary: Kakashi knew very well that he was lucky to have you in his life. Your words were like the balm to the wounds inflicted on Kakashi’s heart, for him, there was no better medicine than your presence in his life. You loved him unconditionally, the same way he loved you back.

Kakashi’s steps felt heavy as he made his way up the stairs, moving upward, one step after the other. After another headache-inducing round of missions with the Genin of his Team Seven, exhaustion has long settled into his bones. The most recent squabble between Naruto and Sasuke was still echoing in his mind, as was the intervention of the last member of the team, Sakura. With each time he spent with the three rascals, Kakashi could not help but compare them to the team he had once been a part of, the one of which he was the only member remaining.

The mere thought was a shot to his heart, one that made it squeeze painfully, the sight of the memorial stone flashing in his mind. For a moment, Kakashi stopped in the stairwell and leaned against the cold and bleak wall, his breathing coming out laboured from behind his dark mask. He squeezed his eyes shut to dispel the images flashing through his mind, though, to no avail.

Underneath his fingertips, he could feel the familiar feeling of the paper the Yamanaka flower shop used to wrap their flower bouquets, the way some wet spots littered the beige paper, droplets of water moving down the still-damp stems of the many flowers. It was a feeling he was unable to forget, one that accompanied the flashes in his mind. It was swiftly followed by the feeling of dried flowers in his hands, the ones he replaced week by week. It did not matter how fatigued he felt after long missions, how tense his muscles felt or how unbearable each step was, Kakashi was always able to drag himself all the way to the memorial stone, a fresh bouquet clutched in his hand.

Kakashi breathed in and out. The flash flood of sorrow threatened to pull him under, to drown him in a wave he so desperately wished to be able to escape. His hand moved to rest above the dirty material of his Jōnin vest, a feeble attempt to bring some comfort to himself. Underneath his own touch, he could feel his heartbeat steadily increasing, a telltale sign of his heightened emotions.

A curse rushed past his lips. His hand squeezed into a fist, his nails digging into the calloused skin of his palm.

His body felt heavy and as though there was no strength in any of his limbs remaining, as though he had been almost completely drained of all his energy. His legs threatened to buckle under his weight, so he shifted to lean himself further against the wall, his other hand moving to stabilize himself somewhat.

He was alone, there was no one to help him.

Breathing felt like a chore to Kakashi, each breath was another reminder that there was no one but him remaining. He was the only member of his team still breathing, the only one to have the liberty to take a breath and to let one out.

He could have saved them, no, he should have. Guilt was gnawing at him, eating him alive bit by bit. The sea of his own emotions he was drowning in was merciless, every bit the force of nature his conscious compared it to. He felt like a small ship taking on the harshest of seas, on an expedition that seemed to be never-ending, one hurdle after the other keeping him from the calmness he had once known.

Around him, everything began to spin, the stairs turning into one long, grey shape, blending seamlessly together. Kakashi felt the despair clawing at his throat, every breath like sandpaper.

Kakashi of the Sharingan, they called him. The Copy Cat Ninja.

“‘Kashi?”

There was only one person who dared to call him that, his rock in the turbulent waters, his light shining even in the most consuming of darknesses. You.

“Kakashi?” Soft. Calm. The waves of his emotions became smaller and smaller, a light seeping through the murky waters. “What happened?”

From the seamless blend of the walls and stairs stood out a figure. From what he could discern with his blurry vision, your brows were knitted together into an expression of concern, concern for him, he quickly realised. A frown tugged at your pretty lips, completing the picture of worry.

His fist moved from where it still was settled by his heart and unfurled, and Kakashi moved his hand toward his face, rubbing his charcoal eye. He could see you more clearly now, and dread sank into the bottom of his stomach, swept up by his very own sea of emotions.

Your hand moved toward him and settled on his shoulder. For a moment, he almost didn’t recognize your soft touch that only grew stronger as he flinched in your grip. His survival instinct fought against his consciousness, only soothed as you spoke to him again.

“Kakashi, are you okay?” Your voice was filled with genuine care and affection, as always.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. So, Kakashi shook his head.

“Let’s get you home first, alright?”

Home, yes, Kakashi wanted to go home, with you.

Kakashi nodded. He felt horrible for the way you looked at him, contemplating the most suitable approach for the situation he was in. Never would Kakashi underestimate you, he put his faith in you after all, but now, he could understand your hesitation when it came to moving him.

Your body moved to support his, one of your arms moving around his hip and settling on it, the other moving his arm to wrap around your shoulder. “Lean on me, ‘Kashi.” You told him, and so he did.

All the way up to the next floor of the apartment complex, you allowed Kakashi to lean the weight of his body on yours, not daring to rush him as you helped him move upward one step after the other. In comparison to the strong Shinobi you have always known, the Kakashi in your arms felt almost helpless, a sight that always had your heart breaking, one you could never get used to.

Once the two of you made your way to the door of your shared apartment, you shifted awkwardly to retrieve the apartment keys you had previously stashed in your pocket. They jingled as you got them out and inserted them into the lock, successfully unlocking the door before you pushed it open.

To Kakashi, things were happening almost in a blur. He could hear the familiar click the lock made as you unlocked the door, as well as the sound of the door falling shut behind the two of you.

“Let’s get you settled down.” The comforting lull of your voice held the dam in his heart together and kept it from breaking against his inner turmoil. Kakashi barely was able to pay attention to anything but you, the light guiding him home time and time again.

He felt almost weightless as you helped him settle down on the couch. Had he been in any other state, Kakashi would have worried about the dirt he was bringing into your shared apartment, but as he felt the couch dip beside him, the thought vanished as quickly as it had come.

“‘Kashi, do you want to talk about what happened?” Came from beside him, your voice filled with genuine care and affection.

Kakashi shook his head, unable to form any words. Were there even words to express the pain he felt, the guilt eating him alive? Instead, he leaned toward your body and almost sighed in relief as your arms enveloped him in a loving embrace.

You held him tightly, your hand moving to stroke his hair at a comforting pace. You whispered soothing words in his ear, reassuring him that you would always be there for him, that you wouldn’t leave him.

“If you don’t want to talk about what happened, then that’s fine,” You told him, pressing a small kiss to the crown of his head. “I’m here for you, ‘Kashi.”

“Thank you.” Kakashi managed to croak out, his voice hoarse with emotions.

You smiled softly at him, a string tugging at your heart. “I love you, ‘Kashi. You don’t have to face any of this alone, you hear me?”

Kakashi knew very well that he was lucky to have you in his life. Your words were like the balm to the wounds inflicted on Kakashi’s heart, for him, there was no better medicine than your presence in his life. You loved him unconditionally, the same way he loved you back.

His heart did not feel as heavy anymore as he leaned further into your loving embrace, cherishing the comfort that only you could provide.