Shattered (#1 in Shifting Series)

Marry me... That's an order!

Sarah felt a mile high as the two of them walked into the heart of the village.  Kakashi was in love with her!  As he had worked his magic on her, he had repeated those words over and over again as he showed her just how much he was in love with her.  She felt almost like dancing and could have floated off into the universe, so high on the knowledge that she was loved by him.  His hand was holding her own, their fingers interlaced, despite being out with people.  She wondered if that meant that it was not going to be a secret anymore.  His other hand was shoved in his pants pocket and occasionally he would look down at her with a smile in his eyes.  He seemed to be just as pleased to be walking through the village hand in hand with her.  She had been shocked when he had yanked the scarf that she had been putting on out of her hands and tossed it towards the trash can.  "You don't need that anymore," he had said before tugging her out the door.  Anyone that saw those marks would have no doubt as to what they meant.  You'd have to be an idiot to not take in the interlaced hands and various shades of purple on her neck to not know they were together.  They were getting a few looks from the villagers, and it made her want to giggle, by their estimation she had done the impossible.  She had captured the Copy Ninja and Lord Sixth of the Leaf.

They were gathering supplies for his trip in the morning.  It was the only reason they had left his place, as they both had been caught up in their feelings and not wanting to go anywhere.  If he hadn't been leaving, they probably would not have left the house at all that day.  Sarah was doing her best to keep her fear tucked away, not wanting to ruin their time together with her growing anxiety.  She could be terrified once he left but for now, she was going to soar on the knowledge that he was in love with her.  It felt like a dream and not for the first time since he had finally taken her, she wondered if she would open her eyes and discover it had been just that.  She had caught the heart of Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja of the village.  Former Hokage and the wielder of the Sharingan.  If someone had told her at the start of her adventure this would happen, she would never have believed it.  She had been satisfied as just being lovers but for him to love her...

They stopped first at a weapons dealer.  Kakashi reluctantly released her hand before going to the back of the shop to talk to the owner.  Her mouth parted in surprise as she recognized Tenten, who looked rather pleased to see him coming into her shop.  Sarah looked around with interest at the various weapons that were for sale.  Her eyes landed on a cylindrical object that looked like a handle.  It was a curiosity and one of Tenten's clerks noticed her attention and bustled over.  She had to wonder how business was now that it was an era of peace.  The demand for weapons couldn't be nearly as much as it would have been prior to the Fourth Shinobi War.  The way the clerk was moving gave away they were desperate for a sale.

"What is it?" she asked as the clerk approached to stand near her.

The clerk smiled, took it in their hand and with a twist of their wrist twin metal pieces went out from each end.  It was a retractable staff!  She was mesmerized and knew she had to have it.  She had always been good with a Jo, which was a four-foot-long staff.  Something so small but with the capability to transform into a full-sized weapon was perfect for her.  She didn't like to be encumbered with a lot of gear and this would tuck right into her pack when retracted.

"How much?" she asked next, keeping her expression neutral as she eyed the weapon.  She had quickly learned that in the Leaf, the price given was always negotiable.

When the clerk gave the amount she frowned, seemed a bit pricy in her opinion.  As if reading her expression, the clerk renegotiated the amount.  Sarah haggled with them a bit before agreeing to the final price.  She then requested another demonstration of how to operate it before slipping it into the hip pack that Kakashi had given her shortly after beginning her training.  It had actually been his first gift to her, and she absently stroked the pack, her eyes shifting as he concluded talking with Tenten to reach her side.