H I R A E T H (Kakashi Love Story)

Chapter Three: Simplicity

Chapter Three || 第3章

Simplicity || 単純さ

"Simplicity makes me happy, and to be happy is all that matters." A. Keys and A. Hepburn

"Tenzou," Kono tried to shake her comrade back to consciousness. "Wake up. Tenzou? Tenzou?"

After a few more futile attempts, she sighed and turned to Kakashi. "He's not going to wake up. I'll carry him back."

"You sure? I can do it." Kakashi offered.

She gave him an amused look, dropping her shoulders with a sigh, "Mhmm, while also carrying the chakra prison? I don't think so."

Scratching the back of his neck, Kakashi gave a closed-eye smile in response, "Well, I wouldn't exactly be carrying a chakra prison. Just a sealed capsule of wanted man." He chuckled. "Are you questioning my capabilities?"

"Of course not," she stifled a small laugh. "You're . . . How do I say this nicely? . . . one of a kind."

He raised an eyebrow half-heartedly, "Meaning?"

"Meaning," Kono dodged the question. "That I'm going to gather the bodies of Kikkoma's subordinates and transfer them to a space-time scroll while you wrap up sealing Kikkoma."

"Hn," Kakashi grunted, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Of course. Of course that's what you meant."

She laughed as she turned to gather the bodies--shadows streaked with moonlight consuming her very being.

One hand in his pocket, the grey-haired shinobi sighed with a contemplative expression. Kono's presence was calming in contrast to the other ANBUs he was assigned missions with. It would be a lie to say that he didn't look forward to every mission with her.

"Aish," he snapped out of his daze, opening his backpack for the sealing materials. The things Kono did to him.

~*~*~*~

"Ready?" Kono asked, folding the scrolls containing the corpses.

Kakashi performed one last hand seal to secure his fūinjutsu before teasing with a tepid salute, "Yes, ma'am."

She quickly gave him a look of faux annoyance, "'Ma'am' my ass."

The copycat nin waved off his jest as he tied the sealed Kikkoma around his back, "Hai, hai. Let's get going."

With that being said, Kakashi threw her a teasing glance and leapt into the canopies, leaving Kono to hastily steady Tenzou on her back and follow suit.

It wasn't long before Kono caught up to her captain, and she didn't hesitate to chide him the moment she did, "You couldn't wait one more second?"

"I said 'let's go,' didn't I?" he joked, not missing a beat in his brisk pace back to Konoha.

Scrunching her brow, Kono paused, as if to replay the memory in her head, "I don't think so. You said 'let's get going.' I'm pretty sure there's a difference."

Kakashi mused, "Meaning lies in its interpretation. The point is that you should've been ready."

"Oh, so are you going to lecture me now?"

Kakashi glanced back at her briefly, "I don't know, should I?"

"Of course not," she replied without missing a beat. "I'm not the one who needs lecturing."

"And I am?" His look quickly changed to that of a small smirk as he made eye contact with her. "And what would you lecture me in? Got any hidden specialties?"