The Spaces In-Between

The Land of Fire

Kakashi sat up and wrapped her tightly in his arms.  He was shaking, so powerful was his emotions in that moment.  She was finally with him after all those long years.  He pulled back and framed her face with his hands, staring intently at her.  She looked the same as she had in the last dream with only a few differences that were really more of a real physical body.  In their dreams, there was always like an almost ethereal quality to her but now she was fully real.  He almost kissed her then suddenly remembered they were not alone.

Sasuke raised a brow at him when he looked over, his lips only faintly twisted up as he watched them with his cynical eyes.  "I still say this wasn't a good idea," he said.  "But, I owed you one."

Y/N gasped and looked over.  She stared at the young man for a long time, knowing exactly who he was from watching the show.  He looked just like you would imagine he would look like in real life, right down to the smirk.  Seeing his eyes was startling as it was not anything that could be prepared for, it wasn't something that was real in her world.  She swallowed before giving him a smile.  "Thank you, Sasuke, for helping us."

He gave a shrug of his shoulders but didn't say anything in response.  She shook her head and looked back at Kakashi, pressing her hand to the side of his face.  He smiled back at her before standing, pulling her up with him.  "Welcome home, Y/N," he grinned at her.  "I only wish I could have brought you here sooner."

Y/N laughed as joy bloomed in her heart.  "So do I," she admitted.  She turned to look around where they were at and was surprised to see that they were in the middle of a road.  It looked very different than the field that she had always appeared in.  There were so many trees all around them.  The road was dirt, not gravel or concrete.

"We are about a day outside of the village," Kakashi explained to her.  "If we start walking now, we should get there late tonight."

Y/N slowly smiled, "Which way?" He motioned with his chin and she abruptly shoved him and took off running.  "Race you there!"

Kakashi laughed and Sasuke got an almost Shikamaru look on his face.  Kakashi chased after her while Sasuke shook his head.  "Idiots, both of them."  He then followed.

Y/N gave a squeal when Kakashi caught up to after a few minutes and abruptly grabbed her up and put her on his back, like he had done a dozen times when they were kids.  She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against the side of his.  "You always were super fast, Kakashi."

He chuckled, "I like your idea of running instead of walking.  Since I am faster, we'll get there even quicker if you're on my back."

"Hmm, now why the hurry?  I want to see this land of yours."

Kakashi turned his head slightly, his gray eyes darkening and beneath his mask she could see he was smiling.  "Because I'm going to finish what we started last night, brat."

She felt her face warm and his eyes narrowed in that cute way that she adored.  His hands were on her thighs and he flexed his fingers against them.  She drew in a jagged breath at the touch, feeling warmth spread through her body.  She bit her lip as she peered at him.

"Are you sure you want to... cross the friendzone?  Once we do, there is no going back."

"I have wanted to cross the 'friendzone' since the first time I kissed you," he spoke softly.

Her eyes widened slightly, "But... I thought you were just curious."

Kakashi chuckled at the words, his mind going back.  They were still very young at that time and he didn't know a thing about sex.  However, he remembered looking down into her young face and for the first time realizing he had a crush on her. "I was curious... curious about what your lips would feel like.  You were the only girl that I liked and... that day, you just looked so cute laying there all out of breath.  I didn't quite understand it but I wanted to kiss you so much. That's when I started crushing on you."

She leaned over and kissed the skin just above his mask.  He almost stumbled at the unexpected touch of her lips but he caught himself.  He was already a bit aroused.  She laughed hard as he picked up his speed.  "You're going to leave Sasuke in the dust back there."

"Sasuke knows the way home," he retorted.  "I'm on a mission now."

"Pervert..." she whispered close to his ear.

"Brat," he shot back.

Despite the speed in which Kakashi had put into the run home, the sun had already dipped beneath the horizon as the gates came into view.  He reluctantly slowed to set her down on her feet but he immediately took her hand in his own as they approached the gate.  The two guards on duty were about to switch shifts and looked up at their approach.

"Hey Kakashi," Izumo called out.  "Who's the woman?  Trouble outside the village?"

"No," Kakashi answered while passing past them.  "She's with me."

Y/N chuckled as she saw the expressions on their faces as they looked at him, looked at her, then looked down at their interlaced fingers to then look at each other.  "I think you just startled the hell out of them."

"Most likely," he responded while taking her quickly through the streets.

Y/N was looking around at the village with wide eyes.  It was like stepping back in time to an older Japan, yet at the same time she would see places that reminded her so much of the present that it was an interesting mix of young and old.  Her eyes turned up to the mountain that loomed over the city and the faces etched into it.

"Oh Kakashi... your face is up there!"

He shifted his gaze then smiled back at her, "I was the Hokage for a time."

She turned her eyes away from his stone face to his actual one.  She was suddenly struck and almost stumbled.  "Oh my god... you're like a legend here.  Are you sure you want me-"

Kakashi abruptly stopped and took her face between his hands.  His eyes were intent as he looked at her, "It doesn't matter who I am or what I have done.  You are the only one I want, don't ever doubt that."

She nodded her head before he pulled her along again.  She could see several people turning to watch as he pulled her along behind him.  She wondered what these people thought as they saw the Lord Sixth going down the street with a strange woman in tow.  He made an abrupt turn towards a tall building and started up the stairs.  A moment later he let go of her hand and put a key in the lock and opened the door.

Y/N suddenly felt nervous?  He put his hand on the small of her back and nudged her inside when she didn't look like she was going to move.  She heard the door close behind them as she looked at the surroundings.  It felt like him, although it was a bit smaller than she expected from someone who was at one time the Hokage of an entire land.