The Art of Seduction | kakashi x reader

Chapter | 07

The evening sun casts long shadows of gnarled trees on their path, the warm orange of dusk settling over their darkened silhouettes.

It took the duo fifteen minutes to finally reach the Tenchi Bridge, a wooden walkway that spans over a deep ravine within the Village Hidden in the Grass.

Their footsteps thud over the wooden boards of the bridge, a comfortable silence surrounding the two partners. She allows her hand to softly graze over the cold, metal railing. Fireflies glide around them, hovering over the cavernous opening and illuminating their way with the occasional hooting of owls in the distance.

Memories of the first and last time she walked across this overpass trickles back to her. It was the era of betrayal and heartbreak for every member of Team 7. Sakura and Naruto were distraught, constantly blaming themselves for not doing more to stop Sasuke from joining forces with Orochimaru.

YN on the other hand, understood his desire to become stronger. She knows what it feels like to feel weak, inadequate, and inept in her abilities. Although her insecurities have faded over the course of the past few years, they would still haunt her every now and then despite honing her abilities to the best she can. She knew she still lacked behind the boys and Sakura in terms of raw talent. She often wondered whether Kakashi felt responsible for the woeful and shocking departure of one of his students or if he understood his aspirations like YN did.

The intention of asking him nagged at her when she saw the devastating effects it had on her comrades; especially after the heart-rending confrontation since Sasuke was like a brother to Naruto and her and an apocalyptic crush to Sakura.

However, what truly hurt her wasn't Sasuke leaving, it was how easy he left and denounced their bonds of friendship as if everyone on the team meant nothing to him. YN genuinely felt like she found a new family within the dysfunctional members of Team 7 but at that moment, she had a feeling she had been deluding herself; that those around her didn't have the same heart as her and that she was placed on this Earth to love...not to be loved.

She had an inkling her and her peers weren't the only ones hurt though and under Kakashi's stoic façade, he must have felt something; whether it was guilt, disappointment, betrayal, her intuition told her it had to be something. After all, he did spend time with Sasuke to teach him Chidori, his personal jutsu, before the Chunin exams. However, her plan to somehow reassure him that he was a great sensei and that Sasuke's choice to leave had no reflection on his ability to teach or impact his students was halted when she witnessed her mother screaming at him for endangering her daughter.

YN inwardly cringes at the humiliating memory.

f l a s h b a c k

YN held a thermos filled with miso soup with eggplant and a separate bento containing salt broiled saury – her sensei's favorite foods. She had a feeling he'd be in a crabby mood since he's currently bedridden in the one place he abhors the most – the hospital.

Her sandals squeaked against the gleaming tile floors of the hospital as she walked down the corridors, soft chatter humming about. It was a fairly quiet afternoon. The sun shone brightly through the large windows, yellow rays warming the usually bleak and somber atmosphere.

The aroma of the savory foods YN held contrasted greatly to the familiar sterile scent of the hospital, her domain. She loved being a medic for she had an affinity for helping others and making a positive difference in someone's life when they're in a state of suffering. Ironically, she was now the one suffering.

She had just come back from their failed mission to find Sasuke. She was deeply crestfallen, her heart broken for another person in her life had left her and so easily too. Her heart was so heavy, the deep gash on her cheek, inflicted by Naruto when he unleashed four tails of Kurama, paled in comparison.