trees-and-a-blue-sky

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

au, touya is just todoroki touya, nothing hurts, all is good, everybody is at UA together

“Nasty little trick you threw at me back then,” Todoroki leans with his shoulder against the door frame so suddenly that Yue almost runs against the door trying to dodge him. He has recently made a growth spurt, she noticed as much, as if his ability to contain his fire equates with his ability to get taller.

She does, however, not know what he is talking about: “Trick?”

He moves backwards and forwards, bumping lightly into her side and back into the doorframe. “At the sports festival,” he explains, “I didn’t know you can make me a child like that.”

“Oh.” Right, there had been the sports festival two weeks ago and Yue and her friend Toshi had found themselves in a two against two battle with their classmates Todoroki and Takami, who had been understood as possible winners of the tournament. And though the two boys should have been easily overwhelmed, the combined ability of Yue’s and Toshi’s quirk had actually taken them out - at least for a bit.

“I knew you could make people younger,” Todoroki continues, watching his fingers as he snips a flame in and out of existence. “But I didn’t know you could make me a literal child.”

“Well, it is not really something I use a lot,” Yue replies with a smile. “So I can’t blame you for not knowing.”

Faced with the two strongest guys in their year, Toshi and Yue had somehow won the battle by taking Takami’s ability to fly and turning Todoroki into a too small child to fight. Granted, he still had strong fire power even then, but he had no way to control it. The girls had in this way passed the round and though it had taken a few points of their opponents, they in the end qualified for the final battles too. And though Yue had absolutely fumbled her one against one matchup, she was still proud that they had one that other particular duel.

Todoroki scratches through his white hair: “I —I just thought that was really impressive.”

“Thank you,” she felt warm around her cheeks. “It’s very kind of you to come over to me and tell me that.”

He clearly was biting his lip, seemingly trying to say something else. “I- didn’t - only - you know-” he said in a nonsense order and then apparently gave up trying. “Nevermind.”

“It’s his way of saying that he likes you,” a boy behind Todoroki yells and by the dramatically scattering feathers Yue can tell it is Takami-san. “He is just very bad at it.”

“Shut up,” Todoroki burns one of the feathers between his fingers, but he does seem a little red in the face. “It’s not like you could do it better, chicken bird.”

Takami pushes his way past him into the classroom. “Oh, you are so wrong, I would be excellent at this actually.” He whistles between his teeth and a feather races over to a girl intensively reading a book. “Oi, Nakagawa, go out with me.”

“No.” Toshi doesn’t even look up.

“I’ll ask again tomorrow.” The feather zips back into his wings as Takami turns back to Todoroki: “See?”

“Be quiet or I’ll fry you,” Todoroki barks at Takami who laughs as he walks away again.

Yue watches the red wings disappear, not sure what to make of what just happened in front of her. There is no way that someone popular like Todoroki would ever be interested in her, she thinks, but then again, he did come over all the way to compliment her so…?

“Listen, I just think you are cool, alright,” he snips fire on and off and on and off. 

“I think you are cool too,” she doesn’t know what else to say. “I like that your flames are blue.”

He bites his lip again, once again looking like he is trying to add something, but unable to say what he means. In the end he lets out a deep sigh. “Take care of yourself,” he says finally. “I will- uh- talk to you again soon.” 

“Uh, yes, in class probably!” Yue says with a smile.

“No, in private, I will talk to you in private soon, again, a lot, maybe, ugh, just wait.” He shakes his white hair that Yue can see parts of the red shining through it. Then he awkwardly lifts his hand, ruffles through her hair and then immediately walks off in big steps.

“Damn, you are so lame,” she hears Takami snicker.

“This time I will definitely put you onto a grill!” There is a loud crashing noise.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

more hq au stuff

Of course Sayuri knew where Tooru’s house was. They had grown up relatively close to each other, maybe even visited each when they were in pre-school, so she had an idea where his family lived, but she had not been there in many years. There had once been a time when Sayuri had a little child crush on Tooru’s older sister, but she soon moved out to go to university and then get married and since Sayuri didn’t really care for her brother all that much, she was never back here.

Well, she hadn’t much cared for him until yesterday, she supposed, but the details of all that seemed very odd and hazy still.

So now she stood in front of his door just like he had told her at the time he told her to be there and she didn’t quite know if she wanted to ring the doorbell. It seemed like such an insurmountable hurdle to pass suddenly, as if there had never been anything more difficult than reaching this doorbell. 

It had not even been 24h since Tooru had appeared in the door of her room and ever since then he had somehow completely turned everything she usually stood for on its head. So much so that she was now not only following what he told her to do, she was also nervous about it. 

This could really not be. He wasn’t the boss of her, with his stupid face and wandering hands. Sayuri rang the doorbell.

The door flew open so quickly that it seemed almost as if he had waited behind it for it to ring. He was wearing casual clothing, an open dress shirt over a tshirt and jeans. Sayuri had decided to wear her school uniform. Totally because of practical reasons and not because she was utterly incapable of picking out a decent outfit.

Tooru noticed the weird choice too and he couldn’t help but grin. “School uniform on a weekend?” he asked before even saying hello. “Interesting choice.”

Sayuri lowered her eyes in displeasure at his mockery. “Well,” she said slowly and then turned on her heel, “I will be leaving again then.” She started marching away.

His legs were much longer than hers so he caught up almost immediately, holding her back by the wrist. 

“Come on,” he said and pulled her back towards him. “I was just teasing.” When her face didn’t light up still he quickly added: “I’m sorry, I was nervous and you look really nice in the uniform even outside of school.”

The compliment caught her completely off guard and in her confusion Tooru could easily lead her back to his house.

Though it was not super hot outside, the air conditioning was running inside the house and Sayuri felt a little chilly once she entered. The house smelled like him, which made sense in a way since he spent a lot of time in it, but the smell felt overwhelming and made her even more nervous than she had already been before. Somehow his natural smell now reminded her of the previous evening and when she thought of that too much she could not keep her nerves in check.

“Do you want something to drink?” Tooru waved his hand to the kitchen. 

Someone had taught him basic manners, Sayuri supposed. “Please. Water is fine.”

He took a glass out of the cupboard and walked to the fridge. “We have soda too, you know,” he teased a little. “You don’t have to ration yourself.”

Sayuri stepped with one foot on the other. “Sugar isn’t good if you do a lot of sport.” 

For a moment, Tooru’s hand hung in the air, then he let his face show a lopsided grin. “Not that I need to worry about that for a while.”

Silence fell for a moment in which Sayuri kind of felt bad for him, if such a thing was even possible. She herself had given up her club duties after the spring tournament had ended to focus on studying instead. Her father had mentioned that he’d only pay for her university education if she got into a top rated university, so there really wasn’t anything else to do. 

“How did the game go?” She asked carefully.

Tooru lifted his head: “Karasuno won.”

“Oh-” Sayuri couldn’t tell if that made him happy or angry or if he didn’t care. “Well, at least not Shitorizawa.”

Not that that probably mattered. Surely he wanted it to be seijoh just as much as she wanted it to be them, but nothing could be done about that now. He laughed quietly and let out a “at least”, but then they both fell silent again.

They had always fought so much and argued so much and openly yelled at each other, but now it was awkward between them. Like that old way they had been with each other had died the day before, never to be found again. Sayuri felt a little relieved that it obviously was not only her that noticed that.

Eventually, which felt like an eternity later, Tooru waved with the bottle in his hand: “Let’s go into my room.” And following him upstairs brought Sayuri’s nerves crashing down again.

Sayuri didn’t know what she expected to see when the door to his room opened, but somehow she was still surprised to find it mostly tidy. There was a shelf in one corner with a few books she recognised from school and some trophies from what she assumed were volleyball tournaments. There were his glasses lying folded on top of the table in the centre of the room and it reminded her how he had always worn them in junior high. In the other corner she could make out some sort of graveyard of volleyballs that lay deflated on top of each other. She giggled a little.

“What's so funny?” Tooru asked as he let himself down in front of his bed.

Sayuri followed him and sat down on her knees right next to him: “I kind of imagined it a lot more messy than it is.”

“Hurtful”, he said with a fake pout, but then apparently remembered how he had said something very similar about her room the day before. Both of them had imagined the other to be messy, maybe because that was how their relationship had been so far.

She filled her glass with water and drank it, a little uneasy now back so close to him. Saya had said she should be open and ask him to define if they were dating now or what else, but bringing it up seemed so difficult. Until yesterday Sayuri hadn’t even considered that Tooru might be someone to date in the first place.

“How long will your mother be out?” she asked to break the uncomfortable silence. 

Tooru leaned his head against the bed. “Not until the evening or even night. I told her though that someone would come over to study, just in case…”

“Do you think that excuse will at some point be true?” Sayuri laughed, recalling how he had told her father yesterday that he was coming over to study too.

He closed one eye as if he was trying to wink but gave up mid way. “I mean from now on there is nothing else to be done really, now that the team is finished for me. So many free afternoons that I can only spend studying otherwise I won’t get into a university.”

“Ah, come on, you will still play that stupid game in university, in fact, it will probably get you into a very good one on your skill alone.” Sayuri demonstratively rolled her eyes to show him how ridiculous he was being.

Tooru touched his right knee. “I can’t say I’m too positive about it. I’m not sure I’ve ever been close to the real top players of this country, now I didn’t even make it to the regional finals. All the time I’ve worked so hard to not be replaced by someone younger, more talented and better, but no matter how much I worked it hasn’t gotten me anywhere at all.” 

He stopped for a moment and then continued talking in a murmur as if he was talking more to himself than to her: “I always thought this is the greatest thing that I can do, what I was born to do. I have the size and the stature and the passion for the game and even when I was injured I could only think about playing again, you know. I can’t imagine at all a world in which I don’t make this my job but…”

Sayuri could sense where this self loathing was going and tried to cut him off. “Tooru, you-” 

“.. but now I think maybe I need a backup plan,” Tooru continued as if she hadn’t said anything at all, “What if I won’t get a team right out of school? Or the university I want to get in doesn’t take me or what if it does take me, but there is someone better there that is naturally talented and so I just sit on the bench and am miserable? What if I get injured again and then can’t play for a long time, so after university no team wants me either…I would be so old then..”

“Tooru..” She moved closer to him and lightly touched his arm.

He steamrolled forward with no regard for her interjection. “It’s just so risky to go for this career when I am so easily replaceable, you know. I have thought about this a lot tonight. Maybe it would be better to pivot to something else. Maybe I should just quit.”

“Tooru!” 

His next words stayed stuck in his throat as Sayuri towered over him, her nose right in front of his face. She had thought the only thing to stop his tirade effectively was to shut up his mouth permanently and clearly it had worked. Subconsciously she pushed his legs apart so she could climb between them and as he was opening his mouth again to speak, she closed the little distance and kissed him.

Tooru wasn’t like Sayuri had been the night before, he didn’t hesitate quite as much even through his surprise. Instead he went with both his hands under her skirt to fully pull her into his lap. “Actually, it’s really great that you wore the uniform,” he murmured between kisses. “Practical.” 

“Shut up”, Sayuri sneered back and leaned over to bite him in his neck. He laughed at that and then stretched himself so she could at least take the dress shirt off him, removing his hands from her ass only because he had to.

Now that they were doing this the second time, the dance seemed much easier and much less convoluted. Who would undress who seemed established and as they went along they moved and bowed and stretched exactly as the other needed. “Bed,” Tooru said as he was unbuttoning the shirt of Sayuri’s uniform. He had left the skirt for last, she realised. “The floor is too uncomfortable.”

She got up and opened the zipper of her skirt and let it down while still half towering over him. The pleading look on his face made her feel powerful. Nothing felt better than having the upper hand over Oikawa Tooru. Nothing.

-

Though the sun was shining warmly into the room and they were both sweaty Tooru pulled a blanket over them once they were both done, pulling their bodies together as close as he possibly could. Sayuri listened to his heartbeat against his chest as his breath ran shallower and shallower as if he was so comfortable that he was about to fall asleep. It made her feel good to see him so relaxed in her vicinity and she didn’t dare ask herself what that meant for her in relation to him.

They had now slept with each other twice without much talking at all, as if they were some kind of magnets that were pulled towards each other. Was this all just a thing he did to forget his regrets or did it mean something? And if it did, what were they to do? The last thing Sayuri could imagine was actually dating him, especially after the rumours he had spread about her being in love with him. She really didn’t want first years to approach her to tell her that she was so lucky or worse, that they were happy her efforts had been rewarded.

Still, she had come here today to address the previous evening and now, of course, the present day too, so there was no way but forward. “Tooru”, she said softly and heard him groan in response to indicate that he was awake, if very sleepy. “What… uh, what are we…?”

The phone rang. Tooru sat up in bed so quickly that he almost threw Sayuri out. She shook herself as he reached for it. “Iwa-chan”, he said and scratched his hair.

Ah, Iwaizumi. She watched Tooru squirm a little to the side and reassume his lopsided grin that she, until recently, hated so much that she wanted to rip his head off. “No, it’s all good. I’m fine,” he said and waved his hands. “No, really, you don’t- don’t have to come by, I’m not depressed at all I promise, Iwa-chan.”

What a good person Iwaizumi was to call on a day off to make sure that Tooru wasn’t going to sulk about the lost match the entire time. Sayuri had always liked him a lot. “I’m busy,” Tooru continued. “Super busy… With what? Uh, studying.” He winked at Sayuri. 

She could hear Iwai ask on the other side: “Is someone there with you?!” as if that was the only way Tooru would ever study on a weekend.

Their eyes met, a light crossed his eyes. “No,” he said. “There is nobody here, why would there be, Iwa-chan?”

For some reason, Sayuri felt hurt by that.

“You don’t have to come over,” Tooru now yelled at his phone. “Do- don’t - no- .. no… “ She heard Iwaizumi say: “I am there in ten minutes and the beep of the hangup.”

A bitter taste on her tongue now, Sayuri pushed herself out of the bed and looked on the floor for her clothes. “I’m sorry”, Tooru clapped his hands together. “I couldn’t shake him at all. He is very stubborn.” He was red in the face.

“It’s fine,” Sayuri said shortly. “We were done with what we met for anyway.” He blinked a little at that comment. She averted her eyes. “You can just hang with him, really.” 

It took her a little to find both of her socks and put them on. She didn’t look up to him at all, all the while he continued apologising over and over again that she would have to leave as quickly now as she did. 

“You know where you- you can contact me,” she said as she pushed her shoes on, still without looking at him directly. “If - you need distraction again.” Then finally she looked up into his face. His cheeks were red with blush and he, for once, was not carrying the shit eating grin. He looked as if he was almost as hurt as she felt. She pushed this thought away. As if Oikawa could ever feel hurt about something like feelings

She put a very shaky smile onto her face. “See ya!”, she said and then ran.

-

Hajime hit the breaks of his bike. It was much too hot still for such an early autumn day, especially when one was hurrying. He left his bike standing and walked to a vending machine at the side of the road. Sure, Tooru would probably have drinks at home, but Hajime felt thirsty now, and it was only 100 yen, so what did it matter.

He decided to walk the last corner to Tooru’s house because it would give him the opportunity to drink as he did so. He pushed his bike forward when he almost ran into someone. 

“Oh so-” Sorry, he had wanted to say, but the word stayed stuck in his throat. The person in front of him was wearing the uniform from their school and when he looked again he recognised the long ponytail from the many times he had seen it sitting right in front of him in their second year.

Uchiha didn’t even look at him, she hurried away so much that she hadn’t noticed him at all. Hajime followed her with her eyes and then looked back from where she had just come from. 

He blew out a deep breath.

-

“Why was she here?” He threw off his shoes as soon as Tooru opened his door. Hajime noticed instantly that his friend looked a little out of spirits, as if something had recently upset him. 

Tooru also immediately looked like he had been found out. Despite that, he tried to act like he didn’t know. “Who?”, he said and tried to not look as guilty as he did.

“Uchiha. She was here, I saw her leave.” Tooru’s house was like a second home to Hajime, so he just walked up the stairs to his friends room without being invited in. 

Now that he could no longer deny it, Tooru said: “Ohh, her. Yes she was here to study.”

“Why did you say then that you were alone?” Hajime opened the door to Tooru’s room. “Are you embarrassed to admit that the two of you are getting along?”

“No, I just - I don’t know I blacked out.”

 “Also, tell me,” Hajime pointed to the messy way the bed looked, “Is this what you call studying?” Probably, he thought, whatever was happening here was the reason Tooru was carrying such an upset face. 

[OK I LEAVE IT HERE BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY SO LONG OK BYE]

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

sayuri in hq rambles for the evening. got longer than i expected. is also a little more romantic sounding than i had meant it to be but here goes lmao.

--

There was a group of first year girls in a crowd in the middle of the hallway. The way they were giggling and blushing could only mean one thing: Sayuri’s headache was going to get even worse than it had been this morning when she woke up.

“Get out of the way,” she said loudly and when nobody moved and the giggling increased she started pushing people “Let me through.” She looked to the source of the disturbance, a tall, brown haired annoyance in her every waking moment. “Can’t you take your fanclub somewhere else? So people who want to get to class can do it?”

Tooru looked down at her, always with this half condescending smile that she had to resist to punch each time she saw it. “Oh, Sayuri-chan,” he cooed, with this voice of his that made her want to chew glass instead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you there.”

“Just get out of the way, idiot!” She pushed another girl to the side, maybe a little harder than necessary and garnered some angry looks from the crowd. 

Sayuri elbowed her way through the last of them. “She is always so aggressive to Oikawa-san,” one of the girls whispered to her friend, to which the other replied: “That’s why she isn’t popular”, but Sayuri paid them no mind. People who actively liked Oikawa Tooru couldn’t be friends with her anyway.

_

There was nothing worse than penalty training. Sayuri liked running, she liked tactics, she liked giving the attack the perfect pass for a goal, but she didn’t like standing at a white point in the grass, staring at the wide goal and the pressure to score penalties brought with them. It made her nervous and in the last tournament she had missed one. But on top of all that was bad and terrible, the girls lined up behind her were talking about Tooru, again.

Apparently they had been watching a training session of the volleyball team earlier, before practice. They were now considering going to one of the matches so they could cheer for him. It was always the same nonsense, ever since they had been in pre-school together. Oikawa Tooru was handsome, he was at least faking nice-ness and he was a passable enough athlete so that the school hailed him a hero. Well, if he would play a real difficult sport to play and not the wishy-washy sport that was Volleyball, maybe Sayuri would respect him more, but as it stood he was nothing but wasted space and breath.

“I have never seen anyone serve like him.” 

Sayuri’s face frowned in disgust.

“Yes, yes, he must be the best in the country!”

Her hand cramped up in silent anger as she prepared to make her shot.

“Incredible, how good he is.”

She ran backwards and hit the ball with the front of her foot, sending it sailing far past the goal posts. Her teammates cheered and laughed as they always did when one of them failed a shot so badly. Sayuri could feel her cheeks warm in embarrassment. Now Tooru was even invading her training.

“You shouldn’t talk about Oikawa-san in front of Sayuri, she will be unable to function normally,” their team captain Tsunematsu Saya told the girls that had been gossiping. 

One of them whispered to Saya: “Does Uchiha-senpai hate Oikawa-san so much? He is always so friendly!”

Sayuri stepped to them. “Actually, I don’t know why you all like him so much honestly.” She threw her braid over her shoulder. “I’ve heard he is a total idiot when it comes to relationships. Doesn’t know how to treat a woman to save his life. Cheats a lot too. Just overall scum. And I would know, I’ve been in a class with him since I was five.”

The girl's eyes went wide, but Saya intercepted: “She- she is just joking.”

“Am I?” Sayuri rolled her eyes.

-

“Sayuri-chan~” Tooru always drew her name out in this incredibly annoying way and so Sayuri decided to ignore him and focus on finishing the homework she had forgotten for the next lesson.

Of course that didn’t stop him from taking a chair, turning it and sitting down in front of her, this fake smile on his face again. “Sayuri-chan, it was not very nice of you to tell the girls of the football team things about me that aren’t true.” He took the pen out of her hand and forced her eyes up to look at his. “People might start believing it.”

This was what this intrusion was about? She put her head to the side: “So people started spreading it?” Then she laughed, a full belly hearted laugh. “That's hilarious, I’m glad it does.”

“It’s unfair of you, Sayuri-chan! I asked someone out and now she doesn’t want to go with me.” 

She kept laughing, she could just not take him seriously when he talked in that baby voice. “Sucks for you, Tooru, try next.” Sayuri took the pen from him again and proceeded to pay his further complaints no mind. Eventually Iwazumi came over to collect him.

-

Saya wanted to discuss strategy and Sayuri loved nothing more. They were both sitting in the school yard and scribbling into their notebooks, while from the gym the sound of balls being tossed could be heard. The volleyball team needed the gym so often nowadays that the basketball club was annoyed, but now that Tooru was captain he always got his way. Another point for the endless list of what sucked about him.

Sayuri followed this group of girls as they made their way across to the gym clutching their school bags and giggling. It was just the same group of fangirls again. For the life of her Sayuri could not understand why people were so enamoured with this guy, someone who by no means was a good man, or a good looking man, or a nice man or a man at all. He was more like three little slim guys in a volleyball jersey. 

The girls went on their tip toes so they could look through the windows of the gym. “Hey, they are doing closed practise,” Sayuri yelled over and Saya, who had still been deep in her tactics analysis, jumped at the sudden noise. 

One of the fangirls, a blonde girl from 1-B that Sayuri recognised from the hallways, led the pack of them over to where Sayuri and Saya were sitting.

“I always thought it was weird that you didn’t like Oikawa-san when he is such a gentle soul-” Sayuri made a choking nose and acted as if she was throwing up. “- but now it makes perfect sense.”

Sayuri stopped pretending to throw up. “Huh?” she asked, confused.

“Oikawa-san has told us that you treat him this way because you have a crush on him. Because you are jealous that he is not hanging out with you as much as you did when you were children,” the girl elaborated. “You lash out, because you want him to pay attention to only you, I understand that very well.”

Sayuri exchanged a look with Saya.

“He said what?”

-

“That is a bold faced lie!”

“Just admit it, it won’t hurt you.” Tooru tossed a ball into the air and caught it again, while Sayuri tried to keep up with his much larger footsteps than hers.

She was so angry she felt she could throw him out of the window here and now if it wouldn’t for sure land her in jail. “I never had a crush on you and you know that.”

“Absolutely you did, when we were children.” He stopped so he could face her directly, which forced her to run front faced into his shoulder. “You always brought me little bugs to look at that you found, remember.”

Sayuri gestured wildly: “That was Iwazumi.” She pointed at the boy. “I don’t even LIKE bugs.”

“Hey bugs are very interesting!” Iwazumi said from behind them. “Besides, I don’t want you guys to pull me into your little turf war.”

Tooru whistled a little and shrugged: “Must have mixed up the people who had a childhood crush on me.” Then his eyes darkened: “Sucks for you Sayuri-chan that people can easily spread things that are not true.

“You little shit, I will pay you back.”  Sayuri stormed off.

-

Unfortunately, coming up with a revenge plot was infinitely harder now that everyone thought Sayuri was just a spiteful jealous lover who wanted the oh-so perfect Oikawa all for herself. No matter how much she insisted that he was nothing to her but a thorn in her side that she wanted to lose, the people kept insisting that there was no need for her to hide her feelings.

She wanted to strangle him each time she saw him in class, rip his hair out and hang him up for all to see. Look at your little prince, he is nothing but a tall boy who can’t even win a damn game of volleyball to save his life. 

Where had it all gone so wrong? Why had she chosen this school after she had chosen the other middle school and the first elementary school? Yes they were all close to each other and close to where she lived, but what was the point of going to every school that Oikawa Tooru also went to? If only she had known what trouble this would cause her year after year, maybe she would have decided to go to another part of town, even if that meant taking the bus in the morning.

Instead she was forced to look at his stupid face every morning and dispel these nasty rumours he had made up about her. What bothered her the most was that he must have been aware that it would be much harder for her to clarify the misunderstanding, much harder than for him at least, because nobody liked her in the first place, at least not like they liked him. What she had lied about him wasn’t even as bad in comparison, as far as she knew he was already happily dating again, while Sayuri still couldn’t convince people to believe her.

Her anger culminated in an afternoon in the school year where she was hounded by a group of girls that really wanted to know how Tooru had been like as a kid, back when Sayuri had “fallen in love with him.” She had already told them that she had never, wasn’t and would never be in any kind of relationship with him, but they brushed it off with a “Sayuri-senpai, you don’t need to be shy” as if that was the issue, when Tooru stepped from the school entrance into the yard.

Sayuri let go of the ball she was holding and stopped it with her left foot, while the girls who had been pestering her were swarming to annoy Tooru instead. Her eyes were focused on the stupid smug face he was carrying when he looked at her and how his eyes softened and his smile became more fake as soon as he saw the other girls approaching. 

She dug her toes under the ball and lifted it up as if she was going to hit it with her knee. Instead of that though, she cleanly put it onto the inner part of her left foot, her strongest and most accurate scoring position. She kicked, with all the rage and anger and frustration and embarrassment that the last couple of days - years - had brought her. She did not move her eyes from Tooru’s face for any second of it.

The ball flew fast and crashed hard. The crack was so loud that someone later claimed that half the city must have heard it. And there was so much blood.

-

“She aimed for the wall behind me.” Tooru’s voice sounded muffled with the paper he was pressing against his still bleeding nose. “I just happened to walk out into the direction of the ball.”

The teacher raised his brows: “Is this really what happened?”

“Yes, I just didn’t look where I was going.” There was the fake laughter again. “Uchiha-san is a very accurate shot, I should have been careful from the start.”

Apparently the teacher had as hard of a time as Sayuri had believing that Tooru was willfully covering for her, so he said again: “I know you two fight a lot in hallways and such. Are you sure, Oikawa-kun, that you don’t think it was retaliation? You do not need to protect her.”

“I’m very sure,” Tooru looked over to Sayuri with a smile that seemed almost genuine. “After all, Uchiha-san and I have always been great friends. We just like teasing. Right?”

There was still so much blood running out of his nose. If it wouldn’t stop soon they might need to call an ambulance, Sayuri thought. “Right,” she said and averted her face from his. “I aimed for the wall as he said.”

Their teacher sighed deeply. “Well then, Uchiha-kun, from now on don’t kick balls in the schoolyard anymore. Keep that for the field.”

-

They sat side by side at the school gates waiting for the ambulance to come.

“I would have probably been suspended,” Sayuri said after a long period of neither of them speaking. 

Tooru still couldn’t speak well, blood continuously running out of his nose no matter how many pieces of paper he pressed against it. It was now obvious that Sayuri had broken it, and though she had wished and hoped for this several times, she still felt bad now that it had happened.

“Yes, quite likely,” Tooru replied. “But you didn’t.”

“You didn’t have to cover for me, you know,” she said, now waving energetically again. “You are in pain because of me and have to go to the hospital because of me and it’s my fault that you are missing practice.”

Tooru laughed and it was a real laugh, which seemed rare nowadays. “There are more important things than volleyball practice.”

“Are there?” 

“Well, no,” he laughed again. “But there is nothing that can be done about that now.”

She leaned her head against the entrance stone. “You could have just told the truth, I mean I’m sure you want me to be suspended after all I’ve said about you.”

“You know, I don’t know what happened between our childhood and now, if it was elementary, middle or highschool that made you despise me so much you would be willing to break my nose for it,” Tooru looked at her, “Just know that I never hated you.” 

Sayuri had no opportunity to say something in return, because in that exact moment the ambulance turned the corner.

-

She felt bad, when she was in detention.

She felt bad when she came home late and skipped dinner.

She felt bad when she was in the bathtub trying to unwind.

And she felt bad when she was lying awake in the darkest of night, unable to find any sleep.

Not that Sayuri had been close friends with Tooru when they were in pre-school, but they had sort of stuck together since they lived in the neighbourhood, so it wasn’t like his question was too out there. When had she started getting annoyed by his presence so much?

-

“T… Tooru…” 

The group of girls that was surrounding him as always turned around when Sayuri spoke and one of them clearly whispered to her friend “That’s the jealous bitch who attacked him.” 

“Okay everyone~” he said in his fake friendly voice, “I want to speak to Sayuri-chan alone, please.” They walked off, but not without throwing an angry look at her in passing.

Sayuri took something out of her backpack, a paper bag with pastries. “I…., you know, nobody irritates me as much as you? Just everything about you is so contrary to what I like, your stupid smug smile, your mean streak, your fake laughter, the way you make friends so easily and effortlessly, it’s all just not in my nature.” She held the bag in her hand tighter and crumpled the paper. “So I don’t think I can ever like you and I’m sorry for that. Here, I brought you some milk bread.” She pushed it over to him. “Everyone is always so annoying about the fact that you like them so much apparently.”

He blinked for a moment and said nothing so Sayuri quickly added: “If you don’t want it then I will eat it.”

“No, I want it,” he ripped it out of her hands. “I didn’t know you also liked it.”

“Of course, I do, it's delicious, who doesn’t?” She pouted.

Tooru took one of the pastries out and handed it to her. “Take this one then,” he said. “You can also be very irritating, you know. Let's make peace for now.”

BAffled she stared at the bread. “Uh- alright,” she said because she didn’t know what she was expected to say.

“Also please if you could, don’t bash my head in again with a football. My face will be ruined if my nose is broken more than twice.” He rubbed his finger over the nose bridge that was now bandaged up.

Sayuri threw her braid into her neck: “Well if you’d play a more demanding sport than volleyball you would possibly have the athletic ability to dodge it next time.”

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

dear kris, this was supposed to be your extra spice for your fic. however, it is the 9th of september at 10 pm andim soo burned out from writing, that i cant finish it. I assume you can fill the gap that I left.

explicit stuff under cut. obkk.

Kakashi sat on his desk in the little room that was his in the servants wing. He was writing down what had happened during the day as his father had taught him to keep a good memory. If one of the Lord’s had mentioned a favourite food, or arrangement or tea he would always have the possibility to check it again later, so the idea. His hand hovered over “Lord Obito to be married to a Senju” unable to decide if it was worth preserving the rest of the evening when there was a knock on the door.

There was Lord Obito on the other side of the door, arm leaning against the side of it. He wasn’t wearing his jacket anymore, just the vest and the shirt below it and his eyes widened when he saw Kakashi in front of him. “You aren’t wearing a covering”, Obito said instead of a greeting. 

“I don’t need it in my own room, sir,” Kakashi replied. For a moment they just stared at each other and then he added: “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Obito ripped his eyes away from Kakashi’s cheeks and lips. “I just.. Can I come in?” 

“Of course, if you wish”, Kakashi stepped to the side to let the other man in.

He walked in and looked around. Kakashi was suddenly very aware of how sparse his room looked. He didn’t own many things, mostly books that were neatly tucked into a shelf over his bed. There was his desk and a little drawer and an ironing board. Everything else he needed was either in the cupboards along the servants corner or in the common bathroom. Obviously he did not have his own.

“Did you go talk to Lord Madara, sir?” Kakashi asked carefully, trying not to look like he was trying to jump the boundary again that he had crossed earlier. Obito nodded. “I apologised as he asked me to.”

Kakashi walked and invited Obito to sit down on his bed, while he sat down on the chair on his desk. “Did you meet your future fiance?” Kakashi asked and couldn’t stop himself from sounding a little envious.

“No, they had left. I am to meet them in a few days when they come back to the palace. Apparently the Senju are a very accepting bunch of people because according to my uncle they were not at all offended by what I did.” Obito’s hands were running through his hair again.

Kakashi nodded and made a sound in agreement and then waited. Why had Obito come here so late in the hour? He couldn’t remember a prince ever visiting the servants wing, especially not this one. If they both weren’t careful the whole palace would know about this by morning. Servants liked chatter.

“I … “Obito started and there was blush on his cheeks, “... came here to ask you, if you could teach me more.” Kakashi sat up straight. “M-more about kissing, you know? T-The more I know the easier it will go once I meet my partner.”

He was lying, and Kakashi thought that immediately. He was making the reason up. Obito had come here, all the way into the side wing, just to kiss him again. Kakashi’s heart was hammering against his chest. “Of course, sir,” Kakashi said. “If that is what you would want.”

Obito pursed his lips and Kakashi got up to relieve him from the shame of having to say it out loud again. He sat down next to the prince on the bed. The dark eyes studied his face as if it was a marble statue. “Where were we?” Kakashi asked softly. 

“I think you showed me this..” Obito replied and leaned forward to kiss Kakashi’s cheek, his jaw and then the neckline. Kakashi’s mouth fell open in a sigh when the other man's lips graced his skin, when his tongue ran over him softly. It had only been one row of kisses, but his cock was already hard pressing against his pants.

Kakashi pulled Obito’s face up. “Right, yes, I did. Time for the next step.”  Before their lips touched their tongues met in the air and both men groaned a little and the reignited feeling. This time Kakashi did not hold back in unbuttoning Obito’s vest and pushing it down over his shoulders. He had waited last time out of respect, but the prince had come into his room, his territory, and now Kakashi was asking for payment.

Fortunately Obito was more than willing to pay up. His fingers snailed under Kakashi’s shirt on Kakashi’s back, scratching his fingers lightly into the skin at the spine. “Depending on the gender of the person,” Kakashi said, a little out of breath, as he opened -no ripped open the undershirt Obito was wearing under his vest, “Kissing the chest can vary from very nice to stimulating your partner to the brink of insanity, depending on the person.” 

He kissed down from collarbone to the nipples, letting his hands wander over the muscueles of Obito’s back. The prince was well trained, even with his disability through his accident. He felt delicious in touch and Kakashi was not willing to stop. He pressed the man into the pillows of his bed and towered over him. His tongue found Obito’s right nipple in the midst of scars. “Ah~” Obito replied and so Kakashi did it again, a little more forcefully.

“Sir, may I show you other places where one can kiss?” Kakashi asked and kissed down until the seams of the trousers. Obito was clearly as hard as he was, but he wasn’t in the business of forcing consent, especially not from someone who could get him thrown into jail if he wanted. 

Luckily Obito had already completely fallen to the sensation. “Please”, he whispered quickly that it really sounded like he was pleading. Kakashi was only too willing to give him what he asked for. 

It was easy to open the belt and the buttons beneath it. Obito diligently lifted his ass to let Kakashi pull the pants completely down, undergarments included. His cock was now laying exposed in front of Kakashi, hard and pulsing as if it was waiting to be touched or used. He allowed the prince one moment to take the view between his legs before he put his mouth over it.

Obito jerked back, not out of Kakashi’s mouth, but closer in. He winced when Kakashi moved, which was such a fantastic sound that he immediately did it again. “M-my god..” Obito whined, his hands in Kakashi’s hair buried deep. “That’s so insane…” It was indeed insane, Kakashi thought. That he was here with the prince, that he could have his mouth around the cock of the pretty prince that he’d watched for so many years. Maybe getting put out on the street for this was worth it.

He closed his lips over Obito’s cock, sucking the air out of his cheeks to draw closer around it. The prince let out a deep sigh and he could feel the blood pumping into his tip. He was close, Kakashi knew by his demeanour, so he took one last breath, licking the tip broadly, and then pushed Obito as far inside his mouth as he could go. The man let out a moan that sounded like a silent scream and his hips moved forward into Kakashi’s mouth as if to hit the back of his throat. His hands were ripping Kakashi's hair violently when he came.

“I didn’t know..” Obito said, panting a little once Kakashi had cleaned himself up, “.. that kissing could be like that.” 

Kakashi got up from the floor, one finger trailing up Obito’s naked body. He really was beautiful with all the scars littering his body. Like a fighter, like a real prince from all the fairy tale people told each other in the kitchen of the castle. Kakashi’s own erection still was visible through the outline of his pants and Obito’s eyes followed it down, a little more blush red on his cheeks when he realised it was there. “Can I … can I help you with that?” 

He was so innocent, Kakashi suppressed the urge to jump onto him and kiss him again until he was spent and asking for mercy. He was like a very delicious prey that had willingly walked into the cage of the predator. By all means, Kakashi should have been the one to be hiding away under Obito’s stares, his influence and power, to cower away from his ability to cost him his job and livelihood any moment, but Kakashi felt in control. This was his room after all.

“There is something sir.” Kakashi knew he was being bold. Every step could be a step too far. “But we are moving away from kissing for this.” His eyes went to the little drawer next to his bed and he could basically see the little ceramic of fluid creme in it that he used for situations like these.

Obito was breathing hard, eyes still half fixated on Kakashi’s cock straining against his pants. Then his eyes went back to Kakashi’s. “Show me,” he said it like an order. “Show me everything.”

Kakashi didn’t wait for an extra invitation, his urges pushed forward. He wanted this so badly too, he’d always wanted a piece of prince Obito, as far away that seemed. He opened his pants and drew them away, quickly, as if time was of the utmost importance. Obito’s eyes widened when Kakashi’s cock was finally visible, springing forward hard and ready, precum glistening at the top.

“On your stomach,” Kakashi ordered and then, remembering who he was talking to. “Please, sir.” Obito deliciously complied. Oh, so delicious, Kakashi licked his lips and then reached for the ceramic in his drawer. It was a thick, almost see through fluid, that was harmless to human skin and often used between men in the castle for love making. Some women had used it too, Rin certainly had on Kakashi. 

He coated his fingers thick with it and then leaned over to kiss Obito’s ears and neck, trailing his tongue along his jaw, while he pushed one finger slowly into his hole. The price whined into Kakashi’s mouth, his eyes pressed shut. “Does that hurt?” Kakashi needed to make sure.

“N–not much, it is.. Weird..” Obito sounded out of breath. He opened his eyes and looked pleadingly again. Kakashi continued opening Obito up, slowly, carefully, his eyes always locked on the reactions of the prince. There was no reason to hurry and if he wasn’t enjoying himself this would only end in pain.

Kakashi bent over so he could directly kiss Obito again, tongues meeting and the urgency in Obito’s kisses told him that he too was aroused now. The fingers continued to do their work with controlled force and Kakashi plucked every moan of his mouth.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

quick addition to prev. (kamui blues au)

---------

“I just don’t think Sora-san seems like someone of the type you describe her as,” Obito said with a shrug. “She is not scared of me and I am the bigger monster between us.” Obito threw a look to Kakashi who raised a brow as if to say “Nobody in here is a monster.” 

Yamato shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know what Obito and Sora talked about in their sessions, of course that was all confidential, but maybe she just liked him more. After all, Obito didn’t have two odd eyes and a third one hidden under his hair. Obito was normal, well fairly normal.

A loud “thumb” could be heard from the side of the Hokage desk. Rin sighed loud, now back on her feet after she had been sitting on the table top. She’d grown quite some in the last months, finally hitting puberty for real, over ten years after she died. She waved dismissively with a hand into the round of men standing in front of her.

“I am technically older than all of you,” Rin said with an eye roll “and though I don’t know you as well..:” She pointed at Yamato, “..as 5 years your senior I think you should absolutely listen to my old woman advice.”

Obito groaned: “You’re not really older now, Rin,” but she ignored him. 

“Yamato-san”, Rin said and went on her tiptoes to look directly into his starry eyes. “Sora-san, Doctor Sarutobi, that woman- “ Pause. “She has a thing for you.”

Yamato stared at the old young girl and said nothing but: “I don’t think-”

“These guys,” Rin waved her hand at Obito and Kakashi behind her, “of course have no clue what a woman thinks, because they have as much understanding for people's feelings as potted plants do-” Obito said: “Hey!” but Kakashi nodded, which amused Yamato greatly. “But I have the session right before yours every week and I can tell you by the way she looks at the clock in my last five mintues that she clearly has a crush on you.”

“She always cries after our session ends. Always. I’m pretty sure I disgust her”, Yamato shrugged his shoulders and tried to ignore the way his inside had clenched when Rin had used the word “crush”.

Rin rolled her eyes again, her face eerily similar to the face Naruto used to make when Yamato had tried to give him orders. Teenage rebellion at its finest. “Yes, surely, a woman’s tears can famously only mean one thing. But she didn’t stop seeing you did she? If she is so disgusted by you, why would she even invite you back?”

“Because Kakashi asked her to look after me,” Yamato said straight back like he had just thought of the perfect argument. Had this been on his mind a lot in the last few months? Yes, it had and he was glad he could say it out loud. 

Rin made a buzzer sound and crossed her arms in front of her chest like a big x. “Wrong.” Then, while poking into Yamato’s lower belly she asked: “Did you never have an intimate moment with each other? In all these months?”

“Intimate- no, no, I would not-” Yamato stammered.

“What do you think grown ups do in therapy, Rin?” Obito said from the back, emphasising on “grown ups.”

“Rin I wouldn’t accept such a thing”, Kakashi said calmly.

She snorted: “I don’t mind that. I meant something else. A hug. A touch. Maybe an arm over the shoulder for support. Something that is intimate.”

Yamato immediately thought of the time Sora had taken his hand into his, when he had without thinking put his fingers in between hers. How soft they had been. How they’d looked into each other’s eyes without looking away. He blushed and Rin said loudly: “Ha!”

“We held hands” Yamato said and then corrected to, “Sarutobi- san supported me by holding my hand and when she did I held hers.” He felt his neck burn hot. “But she took her hand away immediately and sent me home so clearly she was disgusted by it, right?”

Rin tapped her foot impatiently: “No. That- literally nobody but you is thinking that, you idiot.”

He felt a little dizzy. He looked up at the other two men in the room and knew his eyes were pleading for support. But that support was not given back to him. Obito had his brows under his black hair: “Yeah, that seems pretty obvious to me.”

Yamato looked at Kakashi, his senpai wouldn’t let him down, right? “Senpai, do you think…?”

“Yeah, Tenzou. I also think you are an idiot.”

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

There was a missive of the new Hokage in Sora’s office and at first she tried her best to ignore it as she got ready for her usual morning. Lord Fifth had never written to her, in the years that she’d worked in her practise and now Lord Sixth was only announced, but not “crowned” through ceremony yet and still Sora already had a letter. She imagined there could only be two reasons for this. One: He wanted to cut funding for her projects and use them for other things or two: he needed her support. Luckily, it was the latter she realised when she finally read the message.

The Hokage was requesting her time for a dear friend of his. To help him work through some childhood trauma that he’d never really had the possibilities to shake off. Sora was pleased that she’d been chosen for such an important task.

She was also convinced that the person that would show up would be Uchiha Obito. 

It was not.

-

Sora was writing up the last thoughts on her previous client when the door opened slowly and her “Hokage-appointment” (which was how she had named the unknown person lovingly,) walked in. She almost needed a double take to recognise him, with his white hair and broad shoulders. For years she’d stared at him from afar, had watched his profile from passing by, that it was almost unreal to see him now. He was so different, but yet still the same one.

“Good afternoon, Sarutobi-san”, Yamato said, standing in her door frame like a package that someone forgot to pick up. How long had it been since he’d directly talked to her? His voice was still the same, even as eyes and hair had changed. 

“Good afternoon, Yamato-san”, Sora replied and could feel her nerves fly. She tried to overplay the way she felt and gestured to the chair in front of her with a wide smile: “Please, sit down.”

He walked over and she noted that he still had the same way of lightly dragging his right foot as he’d had before- Well, before he had swung himself up to be a god. She watched him sit down and stared for a moment at his shoulders moving as he tried to get comfortable. Enough, she thought to herself, it was time to be professional.

Sora looked up into his eyes like myriads of stars, the light of her table lamp reflecting a thousandfold in them, but her heart was gripped tight at the emptiness behind the lights. It reminded her of that first day twenty years ago when she’d met him in the forest, when she had looked at him and thought that she had never met a boy who looked more lonely.

She held a smile on her face and put her fingers together in front of her: “First and foremost I want to thank you for your contribution to saving so many people’s lives”, Sora said and meant it, “People call you a hero on the streets.” Her eyes flung up and she could see the reaction her words had on Yamato. He frowned. He didn’t like that she had used the word hero. Just as she had suspected.

“I did nothing really,” Yamato replied, still not directly looking in her face. Sora couldn’t help but wonder if he remembered her even. Probably not. There were more important things on his mind right now.

[they talk session blah blah idk i wanna skip this part you feel me]

–

By the end of the session Sora bid him farewell and brought Yamato to the door. He bowed his head a little in thanks and when she asked “Will you be coming back?” he nodded and then said: “Thank you for your time, Sarutobi-san” and left. 

Sora closed the door behind him with shaking hands and as soon as she could no longer hear his footsteps outside, she sank to the floor. A mix of shame and disappointment in herself washed over her, as well as the inevitable acceptance of failure.

Ever since she had met Kinoe she had wanted to support people like him, to train how to make people like him feel better. She had promised herself not to approach or talk to him until she was ready to fully help him in his trauma and troubles. Years, ten years, invested in research and work and searching for funding. It had all been useless. Now that Yamato was actually her client she could absolutely not help him. This was unprecedented. What was she supposed to do?

Yamato had been through some horrible experiences, had had his body altered a second time against his will, his appearance changed when he just started to feel comfortable with who he was. All the while Sora had been trapped in a dream with a version of him that never existed out of her imagination. What had she expected? That he’d come in and sweep her off her feet like it had happened in her childish imagination? That he’d acknowledge the hard work she’d done that he didn’t know she had done for him? Something she couldn’t even admit to herself?

He had almost died. He had wanted to, was ready to and now he spoke so casually about it, as if it meant nothing to him, as if his own existence meant nothing to him. He would have been helpful to his students, his comrades, to the world and that meant more to him than anything else. Sora didn’t know how to deal with it, maybe she could have, if it had been anyone else. If only the hokage had really sent Uchiha Obito, Sora would have had a chance to be objective with him, with Yamato she just couldn’t.

She couldn’t help him, not only because she couldn’t be impartial, because she had a hard time holding herself back from screaming that she’d never forgiven him if he had sacrificed himself before she could talk to him again. But also because he was too big for her now, too powerful, a god in the form of a man. He’d taken so much on his shoulders in the last war weeks that no talking to her could ever heal him. He’d always carry a burden. Sora didn’t know how to help him, she didn’t think that she was ever going to make him better and that meant that her whole journey, this whole damned career she had built for herself, had been an absolute waste.

Head against the door she cried right there, sobbing uncontrollably until she could no more. For her own failed ideals, for her own mistakes, for her childish thoughts of romance and for him, for how the world that treated him and was still treating him, like a vessel, like a commodity, like a device that could be discarded after it was used. And for how he had embraced that idea about him. How much he lived to be that vessel, that device, that empty body, ready to be used. 

Sora knew she needed to continue his sessions and give her all to ease his burden, even if only a little.

–

At the other side of the door Yamato leaned against the wall in the hallway, breath going heavy. The first hour of real therapy in his life had been challenging, not only because talking about himself and how he felt didn’t come easy to him, but also because it had been her he had been talking to. After all, Sarutobi Sora had been in the corner of his eye for many years, ever since Root had let him go, and he never really had the opportunity to be close to her. It was odd that fate had put them together in this way, now of all times, when he had been so ready to die just a few weeks before.

Not ready to leave instantly he leaned against the concrete to catch his breath when he had clearly heard the woman at the other side of the door sink to the ground. His first instinct was to rip the door back open, to see if she had injured herself, but then muffled sounds of sobs had reached his ear and Yamato had instantly known what went on on the other side.

Sora hated the way he was now, was disappointed he was no longer the young boy that had rescued her from falling trees and buildings. Yamato was this half monster now, still not usd to the way his eyes looked or his hair moved and clearly it had shaken her when she’d first looked at him. After all she had not been able to avert her eyes for at least the last 10 minutes. She had called him a hero for pleasantries, but then quickly tried to find distance from it all, like most people in Konoha now did. No matter how well people seemed to try to hide it, Yamato could see their stares moving up to his happuri, to where the rinnegan was hiding, and then there was fear in their eyes. Sora was no exception, of course, how could it be any different.

He listened to her crying and wished he was someone else, someone who was closer to her and more normal and less fucked. Someone who could open the door back up and tell her that it was alright, that the monster couldn’t hurt her. But Yamato had lost that right when he had become a monster, whether against his will or not. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, for not being the boy she knew, he wanted to tell her that he too hated himself, that he too felt like dying as a hero, which everybody seemed to think he was, would have been the better option. But instead he listened to her for a while and then, when his feet could finally carry him again, walked out of the building.

—

Obito was there too when Yamato entered the Hokage office. Kakashi hadn’t officially taken over yet, but he was already roped in enough, which meant he was around a lot. Obito always went where Kakashi went so Yamato wasn’t really surprised to see them together, but he felt too drained to deal with their in-love attitude at the very moment, so he couldn’t help but wish Obito had stayed at home. 

“My cute Kouhai”, Kakashi smiled and tucked at the mask on his face, “You are here from your appointment I gather? How was the session with Sarutobi-san?”

“Wow, you actually did go to that therapy place?” Obito chimed in before Yamato could answer anything. “That’s amazing. Kakashi said we should all go, but I think I’m doing well enough if you consider I just got out of prison after a war that I kind of started after year long emotional manipulation and hey a lot of eyeball switching! But I think I’m fine.” Obito grinned that boyish smile of his and Yamato smiled weakly back. 

“Sarutobi-san was very cordial”, Yamato started before either of the other men could intercept him again. He looked at his shoes because right at this moment, he couldn’t handle their smiles and blushes when they were around each other. “She is friendly and questions things I have not addressed -” ever, he wanted to add, but kept the word on his tongue. “I fear, however, that she does not like the way I am now. She barely looks at me.”

Obito frowned: “That’s rude.” Kakashi tapped his fingers on the table: “That surprises me, Tsunade has talked very highly of her. What do you mean she doesn’t like the way you are now?”

“I rescued her as a kid, she fell out of a tree. I rescued her as an adult when a building was collapsing. I think she just -” Yamato's voice died a little but he coughed and moved on, “She just wants that version of me back.”

“Nothing much changed about you, did it? You just have a different hair colour. Maa, Tenzou, you are probably overthinking this,” Kakashi said and smiled warmly. Yamato felt his stomach turn at the smile, and nodded while looking away from his senpai.

“Just the hair colour, yes”, Yamato said without looking at either of them. “Maybe you are right.” He wondered when lying to his superior had become so easy.

___

“I do not think that there is any value to me outside of being of use to others,” Yamato said and his shoulders crouched together as if he was in pain. “I think that, if I had died, I would have been of more service than I am now, alive. I think I- I was only kept alive all those years ago, when all- all the others died, to now be of help, y-you know? And I think now that there is peace and senpai is happy and the students are happy then- then I don’t think there is any use to me.”

Sora’s heart clenched so hard that she yelped. He didn’t move his head to hear, though his eyes looked into hers for the split of a second. Yamato had never expressed his pain quite as clearly, had never spoken of himself quite as low as this. She wished for notihng else but to take that pain from him, at least a little. If only she could magically touch him and absorb parts of it. If only she could hold him to take a little of his baggage. If only she could love him so that he would love himself…

Before she noticed what she was doing her hand had stretched out and taken in his. She had never touched him before, not even when they were children. His fingers wer much larger than hers, rough from years of battle. He looked up to find her eyes and she held his gaze, as he let his fingers entwine with hers. For a heart beat or two they sat there like this, her arm reached across the table top to his. Then Sora woke up to notice what she was doing.

Touching a patient without explicit authority was absolute no-go, especially when said patient had an emotional revelation. Her feelings had gotten the better of her, she was taking advantage of him. As if a bee had stung her Sora pulled her hand out of his and moved back into here chair, laughing quite awkwardly and smiling a little too much: “Oh, excuse me Yamato- san, I don’t know what has gotten into me. I don’t- don’t think that was very professional. I’m sorry I think I’m under the weather today. Could we postpone it for next week?”

Yamato pulled his hand from the table, eyes now again looking away from her: “Of course, Sarutobi-san, I hope you feel better very soon.” He got up and turned to the door, now well accustomed to walking out on his own. “Have a good evening,” Sora wished and hated herself for her cheerful tone. He smiled weakly over his shoulder before he closed the door behind him.

Her head fell into her hands and she bit the insides of them to muffle the scream that she wished she could let out. Sora was so ashamed of herself. What even were her studies for,if she abandoned her principles the moment a man she liked walked through the door? She was clearly creating a conflict of interests and not focusing enough on helping him. The worst, she was the worst. No wonder Yamato did not remember her. A good man like him shouldn’t even consider a selfish woman like her. 

She ripped at her hair and cried in shame and anger until she fell asleep at her desk.

__

Yamato waited at the closed door like he had gotten used to after the sessions to listen to what Sora was doing inside after he left. He soon heard her muffled sobs. He stretched the hand that was still burning under her touch and then bit his lip bleeding.

Of course she had been disgusted by having to touch him. Who wouldn’t be? After all he was nothing but a three eyed monster. 

And though he could understand her feelings very well, the rejection stung like a bitter poison. How could he have ever thought that she might have remembered him from back then? She was accomplished now in a way he would never be. 

Kinoe, Tenzou, Yamato. Empty names for an empty personality.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

When Sayuri finally tries out the Sexy no Jutsu on herself, she can’t believe her eyes when she looks in the mirror. Broad shoulders, square jaw, hair shorter and half long hanging over her face, she is hot. She touches down her chest, notices with a pout that she has less abs than Kakashi has, but they are still visible. Her hips are more narrow, her arms are larger. And of course the chest. Sayuri can’t stop brushing over it. It is flat, the nipples forward facing and small, plus touching them does not warrant the same reaction as before. There is some hair on it. She looks up, her eyes are still sharp and still clearly hers. The cheekbones are a little more defined now, the face bigger. Of course, this kind of jutsu makes one appear hotter than they are. She brushes over her face. There is a slight stubble of a beard.

Finally she moves her bigger, thicker fingers down to the hemline of her joggers. Sayuri opens the band and takes her cock between her fingers. It is odd how small it is, how it does not grow immediately upon her touch. She’s just not used to it. She drops it, wiggles around, wondering if she’d feel it when walking. Her fingers move to the balls beneath it, rolling them in her hand. It’s not an unpleasant feeling, but it also does not feel arousing. Curiosity rolls over her and she puts her hand back onto the cock, stroking over it lightly to get it to harden up. It takes much more than anticipated. There were times when she’d thought the mere image of a woman could get a guy hard, but it seems to not be working for her, not right now. She rubs until it hurts a little and it's still only half hard.

To her surprise Kakashi walks in right then, his eyes raised in surprise at the image in front of him. Sayuri drops what she held and pulls her hand out of her pants. “Yo”, she says, voice low and vibrating in a way that would give her female self goosebumps. For a second he just stares at her, his eyes wandering from her hair to her cheekbones to her chest and further down. He lets out air and whistles a little at the view. “Yo”, he replies, walking over to her, grin painted on his face “you look so handsome today.” Sayuri grew a little, now almost the same height as him, which offers her an entirely new perspective. When he stops in front of her she can directly look into his eyes, without the usual neck stretching. “What were you doing?” Kakashi asks sheepishly, as if he hadn’t just caught her with her hands down her pants. She can’t keep the blush from her face.

“It didn’t work, did it?” he nails the issue immediately, his face moving to mere inches from hers. Sayuri nods, her eyes lowered in embarrassment. “I thought just forcing it would work”, she says in that unnatural low voice of hers and he chuckles a little: “You’d need more imagination for that. Or someone has to help you out.” Her eyes dart upwards as he leans forward, his lips brushing up against hers softly, so well known and so different at the same time. WIthout any boobs in the way they can actually step close to each other, body on body, and Sayuri can feel the blood rushing down between her legs. It’s hard before she can understand how it worked, her tongue being kept busy by Kakashi. “See?”, he crooks an eyebrow and she grabs his jaw: “Shut up.” He laughs and goes for a kiss again, his fingers touching over her chest down and she gasps for air as they brush over her hard cock under the fabric. So that is how it feels.

Kakashi lets her pants down, masteful in how to undress without even looking down. He seems eager to touch her, Sayuri knows he’s been with men before, maybe he’d missed it a little. She lets out a sharp breath as his hand grabs her, his eyes resting on her face. It is different now that his hand is the hand touching it. Her lips part so she can let out more air and he catches the first moan with his mouth as he slowly starts stroking over her. It is a warm, pleasant feeling, not unlike the way it feels when he strums his fingers over her clit, but much less intense. She can feel her knees shaking involuntarily, Kakashi’s mouth brushing over neck to her shoulders and back upwards, leaving little bit marks behind. She can feel his erection hard pressed against her leg and she lets her fingers feel for it. He bites her a little harder as she does.

 “I could make you cum like this if you want,” Kakashi whispers into her ear as her breath becomes more laboured and the heat at her core burns bright and intense. Sayuri immediately pulls away from him, easily able to push him away with her newly gained muscles. “No”, she breathes, her cock twitching and leaking between her legs. She takes a few more breaths to compose herself, find herself again, before she continues. It has not escaped her how into it all Kakashi is, his eyes yearning for more than he has gotten so far. He might have gotten her to the edge of orgasm, but she is in charge. She’d started this whole thing to begin with. “No,” she repeats and then “I want you to go to the bed.” His eyebrows raise a little, the smile on his face now wide and wicked. “Oh?” he asks, clearly intrigued by it. “Now”, she says, her deep voice sounds vaguely threatening when she orders. He lifts his head up, stretching himself a little, mulling over the possibility of disobeying her. “What would you do if I didn’t want to?”

Sayuri steps out of the pants hanging limp around her ankles and closes the distance to him in a matter of seconds. Her big hands push him backwards hard, he stumbles and nearly falls. “I told you to go”, she says growling and he catches himself. “Stop smiling”, she orders upon seeing the grin on his face. This seems to be as much fun for him as it is fun for her. “Alright, I go, I go”, he pulls his hands into the air defensively and stumbles backwards towards his bed, Sayuri following in tow. He lets himself fall on the bed and looks up to her again: “And now?” She steps in front of him, feeling a little odd at the cock bouncing between her legs. “Undress”, she orders and Kakashi chuckles a little again. “With this voice you really sound menacing. Usually you just sound cute.” She grabs his jaw again and yanks it up so their eyes can meet each other. “I said ‘undress’.” The light in his eyes tells her that he loves it.

He pulls his sweater over his head and gets up to open his pants without saying another word. Not wasting any time he pulls the boxers down too, naked in the blink of an eye. His cock is as hard as hers and she breathes out sharply at the look of it. Kakashi’s eyes look at hers challengingly as if to ask “what now?” and she dives down to kiss him, her big hands cradling his face between them. Salvia is dropping down between them when she pulls away again, her whole body now vibrating with anticipation. He looks up at her, eyes wider than she’s seen them in weeks, waiting for further instruction. She bites the inside of her mouth in indecision. Impatient, he moves his hand upward to touch her again and with a little wink into the direction of her face, he licks over it.

For a moment Sayuri thinks her legs will give in, the sharp feeling suddenly shooting through her body. Another “so this is how that feels like” moment and she crawls herself into his long hair. Her eyes fall down to him and she notices that he has his rolled up to look at her. She spins her sharingan to life, lets her take the picture in, burn it into the back of her head. “I didn’t - “ she says, “I didn’t allow you to do that.” Kakashi grins for just a quick moment before averting his eyes in guilt, his tongue still moving around her. Sayuri wants to yank him away from her, wants to take back the control she has lost, but finds herself completely unable to. His mouth is wet and warm and feels incredible. She finds herself pushing forward into him, deeper, deeper, until he lightly chokes. The sound of it vibrates at her core. So this is why men do it, huh. 

She can feel the heat at her heart growing, can feel her skin tingling with every little move of his mouth and tongue. She feels so engulfed by the pleasant feeling, so weak and taken over, that she wants to burst right there, but when her breath becomes louder and laboured, Kakashi stops suddenly, his eyes looking innocently up at her. “I have not been given permission to help you finish. Is that something you would want?” His subordinate tone crawls over her skin and she lets herself fall on top of him instantly, her tongue hot and deep in his mouth. He is an idiot, a damned fool, a terrible person. He knows he is edging her and it is fun to him. Oh, he would lose his laughter soon enough. “Heavy,” Kakashi laughs, rolling Sayuri to the side to lie next to her. “Maybe you shouldn’t use your eyes, you are already using chakra for…” he begins, but she cuts him off by letting her fingers run over his cock. He gasps and his eyes flutter just lightly.

“What- what do you want me to do”, he asks, the full subordinate again and Sayuri lets her hand fall over his hip to his ass. “I would like to fuck you”, she says, embolded my her own change, by the way he is falling at her feet, by her new strength. His eyes blink defiantly, just shortly, but then he moves forward, his lips close to hers. “Would you?” he says, the grin on his face wide again. “What would you do if I said I won’t let you?” Sayuri swallows, her cock twitching with each of his words on her lips. God, he is the worst, she thinks. Someone really needs to teach him a lesson. Using all her weight she pushes him onto his stomach, rolling herself on top of him, her lips next to his ear: “Too bad. What you want does not matter here.” He coughs but does not throw her off. He probably could, she thinks, but chooses not to. Fine.

Turning on his back she holds herself on her knees to lean forward to run with her fingers over his asscheeks to his hole. She knows that's the way to do it from talks with other men, from books and stories, but she has never done it on another. “Lube”, Sayuri orders, aware that it must be in this apartment somewhere. Kakashi pats with his arm on the bed and then points to his left side drawer. “Of course you have that”, Sayuri coos, reaching over to open it, “You really just want to get fucked, don’t you.” Kakashi laughs, can’t help himself. “Oh damn, I guess I’ve been found out.” Then, as if to slip back into his personality he adds, his defiant voice back on: “I mean - I - I do not. I told you ‘no’.” Sage, he is a tease, but Sayuri is in charge here, this time. She coats her fingers in layers of lube, unsure how much is necessary and then inserts her first finger into his hole, moving it around a little. The moan she gets from his mouth as a reward  is sweeter than the sweetest candy.

Unsure how to proceed with just one finger she pulls it out again and instead goes in with two. It is much more tight now and moving in and out doesn’t work quite as easily as it did before. Kakashi sighs  under her, his body squirming from her movement. She pushes forward relentlessly, trying to open him up. “You have to - ah, damn -” It is hard for him to get words out, the goosebumps all over his body. “Spread your fingers more” he says finally and then immediately closes his mouth as she follows his instruction. She kisses his back, the asscheeks and lets her tongue run along his hole just a little, then she gets up to turn around behind him, so that she is now hovering over him with two fingers spreading his hole open. “Good boy,” she growls into his ear, fingers pumping forward. “You are so excited to have me, aren’t you? So excited to be fucked.” Kakashi moans deliciously, but she can see his grin under his long hair.

Sayuri has no experience doing this for guys, she has only done it for women before and on a different entrance, so she pulls the two fingers out, giving Kakashi room to breathe and then she tries to go back in with three, which has his hips janking upwards. “Fuck - damn Sayuri- fuck” he presses out, all sense of superiority gone from his voice. This is just him, lost in the way she makes him feel, she’s heard that voice so many times before and it always gets her going. “Ah, do you want me to fuck you now?” She pushes her fingers forward, even though that is harder with three of them. The effect this has on Kakashi is such an amazing reward for the trouble though. That is why men do it, she thinks, not only to other men but also to women. She feels high on the power. “I- I - please”, he whines a little, squirming under her. “I’m laying on it.” Sayuri laughs. He means his hard cock.

“Poor boy,” she says, climbing back over him and pulling him to his knees. “Are you desperate now? Do you want me to help you relieve yourself?” Kakashi throws her a look through his long hair, forehead glistening with sweat and she can’t help but kiss his neck. He leans into the kiss like a desperate cat, lapping at her lips as if it were the only oxygen to survive. Sayuri's finger finds his hole again, pulsing, spreading, full with lube, waiting for her. “Can I?” she asks, because despite all of it, she would never force him. HIs reply almost gets stuck in his throat when he says it quickly: “Yes, please- please.” The double please is like a shot directly to her own cock, she can feel the precum leaking, can feel the impatience in it. Now. She wants to fuck and Kakashi wants to be fucked. Could there ever be anything more perfect?

To make sure it is all fine and good she also puts lube on her dick. She has no idea if that is necessary, but she wants to minimise all kinds of pain he might feel. After all, this is only fun if they are both having fun. Then she pulls him close, her strong arms are holding him steady without issue. “Let me see how tight you are”, she growls into his ear and he leans his head backwards to hit hers. He wants it so bad. Angling herself just right she slowly lets her cock sink into his ass. “Sage, fuck, damn, damn, shit.” All the curse words she can think of escape her.

There is no feeling she could compare it to. Her fingers bury themselves into Kakashi’s hips, the nails leaving scratches behind. They groan in unison, his head falling backward to lay on her shoulder. He has his eyes closed, teeth biting his lips. Sayuri takes the image in. Sharingan memorises it for eternity, and she breathes out deeply before slowly moving. Kakashi clenches around her, throwing one hand around her neck to pull at her hair. She keeps holding him, mouth half open to take in sharp breaths. The sensation is intense, incomparable to the way she feels when she was fucked herself. She hasn’t even done pegging before. There is blood racing through her body to her penis, which sends shockwaves through her each time she moves forward.

It is harder than she has expected to continuously move while holding the other person steady. “You like that?” she whispers into Kakashi’s ear, but the breath comes out very pressed. He does not reply and instead takes her large hand forward to put it on his cock. She does as he shows, used to holding and stroking it. Quickly she gets used to the rhythm of both of it at the same time, moving her hand and her hips thrusting forward. She feels like she is in a frenzy very quickly, lost in the movement, the feeling and the sounds coming out of her partner's mouth. He is so tight around her, clenching every time she moves a little further forward. The challenge spurs her on, wanting to ruin him further. This is fun. It is fun that he is desperate for her to get deeper and hit him harder. He does not ask for it, but she knows in the way he moves, because she knows how it would be for her.

There is this point inside of him that makes Kakashi yank back, press his body to hers closer and let out a moan louder than any other before. Sayuri’s fire is ignited and she pushes even harder, trying to get him to do it again. At the same time she moves her hand over him, rubbing the leaking cum all over him. “Terrible. You look so terribly desperate”, she teases, rolling her hips forward mercilessly. He groans again, pulling her hair so that it hurts, which just gets her to move quicker. She can feel the warmth rise from her bottom to her head. This must be it, the end of it. She follows it, thrusting herself into him faster, harder, further. “I- I - please-” Kakashi whines and she puts her mouth close to his ear. “Come.” He does. The fluid running all over her hands and onto the sheets of the bed as he shudders around her, head thrown back in pleasure.

She engages him into a kiss, tongue forcing her way down his throat even though he can hardly breathe. “Sayuri-” he whispers, eyes opening very little so he can look at her. Sayuri looks at him and sees the love in his eyes throws her off her hardball attitude. They kiss again, a little more gently this time and then she also reaches her limit. “Now you”, Kakashi mouths against her lips and she thrusts forward one more time and her mind explodes. It is a little like when she comes as a woman, the rush, the heat, the intensity, but it seems much more engulfing. She can feel her own cock emptying into him, and can feel the fluid spill out. He keeps his hand on her face as she fucks herself through it all, her teeth biting herself into her shoulder. Finally her legs seem to give in, the sweat running down her forehead. Gently Kakashi puts her head up, himself still having only half opened eyes and sweat on his cheeks. “Go out”, he whispers and she pulls herself back, out of his hole.

Kakashi is quick enough to catch her when Sayuri falls forward to the bed, naked still, but a woman again. “Maa, you used too much chakra I told you,” he scolds her softly, holding her steady in his arms. Sayuri can barely open her eyes now, feeling completely worn out and tired. Through heavy lids she can see her own cum leaking and somehow that sight satisfies her. “Next time you do”, she says, eyes closed again, moving her head into the crook of his neck. “You can be a woman.” Kakashi laughs and kisses her softly on the cheek: “But that would leave all the work to you again.” He lays her down next to him, grabbing a blanket to cover her naked body. “That’s fine. I can do it better than you”, she mumbles and Kakashi frowns at the insult, but decides to just leave this argument for another day.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

Sora tipped with her ballpen on the paper that she had just signed her name under. They had prepared enough early statements to take the motion to court, but it seemed like such a heavy burden. They were, after all, going against big pharma cooperation.

She looked up and Yamato sat on the other side of the table, his finger scrolling through his phone. He had held back and just let her do her work, as he so often did when she didn’t directly address him. He was wearing a black shirt that was spanning over the muscles on his arms, the scars were visible beneath them, but that didn’t make him any less handsome. His hair had grown out again, hanging low in his neck.

Not able to contain herself she leaned over forward, her hand moving on its own. It was like slow motion. Sora watched herself touch his hair, draw her fingers through it like a comp. Yamato looked up at her, their eyes meeting in a cross. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, pulling her fingers away quickly.

How unprofessional had this been? The redness of her face clashed with her hair. She drew back, as far in her chair as she could lean from him. Yamato put a hand into the place in his hair where she had touched him just before and aimed his eyes at her. She could see the blush on his cheek. “W-why did you do that?” he asked and Sora wished she had a reply to that.

Instead she dramatically looked at her smartwatch and said: “I have an appointment soon, so I have to let you go earlier. I think we have everything we need, yes?” She got up and moved around her table to open the door for Yamato, as she always did, but he caught her wrist in passing.

“Sora,” he said, her first name weird and wonderful on his lips. She shivered a little, not daring to look into his eyes. “Yes?” she tried to sound as normal as possible, but her voice was shaking.

“I very much would like for you to stay. At least until we can talk about -” he cut himself off, unable to continue the sentence. Sora finally looked at him and saw the red lines spreading from ears over his nose. He, too, was very nervous. His hand a little sweaty around her wrist. She fully turned to him.

From how she had met him she knew that he wasn’t a very straightforward kind of man. The fact that he had held her wrist when she tried to walk out on him was already a giant leap for him to do. Yamato was basically putting his heart on his sleeve with it.

Sora looked at him, her heart beating up her ears and again her body moved on her own. Slightly down, but forward, leaning closer to his face, to meet him there. Mercifully, Yamato moved forward too, meeting her a little over halfway. 

She had totally forgotten that she had given him a cup of tea earlier, at least until she tasted it on his lips. Yamato felt soft, though his lips were rough and chipped. When he was nervous he was moving his tongue over them, she’d seen him do it. Still, she liked the taste and feel, liked how his hand was moving on his own to the hair hanging off her face. He was spinning strands around his finger and she felt the shiver on her back.

He wrapped his other, free hand around her waist and pulled her closer between his legs, while her tongue found his to deepen the kiss. Sora felt dazed, her mind all fogged up by the sweetness of his lips and the feeling of his hands on her. She allowed herself to bury her hands in his hair again.

They pulled away a moment in which they both stared at each other without a word, faces high red. She knew she shouldn’t do this with a client. She knew she wanted to anyway. Yamato got up, pushing her backwards, his breath heavy and deep. “I’ve thought about this a lot”, he whispered, which made her heart leap. “Me too”, she replied. He let out a sharp breath.

Before she knew what was happening he was already pulling her up to set her down on her own desk, swaying away the cup with pencils that had been standing on it. He stepped forward, moved between her legs and kissed her again, his body now closer to her than it had ever been. She lost all sense of right and wrong, nothing else in her head but the way he tasted, how his touch felt. 

[OOPS WHEN DID THAT GET SO HORNY UHM]

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

It is the 29th of November when Iruka falls into the Hokage office without knocking, face first, breath heavy from a long run. He can barely get the two words out: “It’s starting.” Kakashi drops what he is holding and jumps up. There need be no other words exchanged.

He rushes to the hospital as quick as his feet carry him, over rooftop and rooftop, leaving the anbu guard that is set to protect him far behind. There is no time to waste.

When he turns the corner into the room, sweat dripping from underneath hitai-ate he realises that he didn’t need to hurry at all. Sayuri is sitting in a bed, legs crossed and face frowned, very much still round and pregnant. 

“Water broke”, she gestures at herself. “But nothing else.”

“Tsuki … is?” Kakashi asks, walking over to sit next to her, touching her now uncovered belly just lightly to feel the movement beneath it. “Sakura is babysitting,'' Sayuri says. “And will until we are taking the baby home.” Of course, his students, coming in clutch as always.

Nothing happens during the evening, the contractions stay excruciatingly far apart from each other. Kakashi watches his wife frown each time the nurse tells her that it isn't time yet. Eventually, by midnight, eying the broom at the side of the room with violent eyes. “It won’t go faster if you hit the nurse with a stick”, he says and draws her eyes away from it with a stroke of his hand on her cheek. 

The night passes for morning, neither of them gets almost any sleep through. Kakashi does not leave even though he could, too worried he might miss anything that is evidently not happening. 

“Why don't you come out, huh, why don’t you come out?” Sayuri started berating her own belly and using it like a little drum set, face full of anger and frustration. He gets up and sits next to her in the bed, holding back her hands so she stops hitting herself. “It’ll come”, he says, sounding more patient than he feels. 

Her contractions get worse by noon time. Kakashi can’t bear watching her hunched over, fingers buried in the sheets. “I think dying looked less painful”, he says and lets her scratch his arms bleeding. But still, nothing. The baby stays put.

Sayuri is completely defeated when evening comes around again. They have been here for 24 hours at this point and not much has moved. Kakashi brings her something small to digest, mostly water to drink and gets himself a coffee. It seems like he has to settle in for a long night.

Later they’d always say that Obito was already too shy in his mothers womb. Too shy to come out, scared of failing this first task already.

A scream wakes Kakashi, just after the clock had ticked over to the first of December. He doesn’t know when he fell asleep, but it must have been after he had finished the meagre dinner he could find around the hospital.

He jumps up to see Sayuri sitting back, her face red with sweat and pain. Before he can alert someone the nurse is already in here, followed by a doctor. “This is it”, the doctor says with a smile. Sayuri matches Kakashi’s gaze for just a second because the pain rips her away.

It is all much faster now that the baby has finally decided to actually come out. A rush of sweat and buried nails and growling. Kakashi is fascinated by the strength his wife pulls out of nowhere, after all these hours of no food and no sleep. How she bites her lip and continues pushing forward.

The baby screams immediately when it can finally take its first breath. It is a boy. A son. Kakashi breathes deeply, unusually riled up. He stretches his hands out to the child but they give it to Sayuri first. Of course, the mother. 

Sayuri kisses the child, it is still so dirty, full of blood and other fluids, but it does not matter. Kakashi stretches out a hand to touch the head of the child, but then he kisses his wife instead. She is sweaty and tired and so wonderful. “I love you”, he says to both of them and then both Sayuri and Kakashi start crying.

He gets cleaned up eventually and when Kakashi can finally hold his son for the first time, the little bundle of a person just the size of his arm, Sayuri says: “So? What will it be?” Months ago she lost a competition to name the child and so it is Kakashi’s choice.

“Obito”, he says and Sayuri breaks into tears again, the sheets of her blanket gripped tight in a fist. Obito, of course, it had to be Obito.

Kakashi holds the baby for a long time, just sitting by his wife's bed side and looking at the boy. Tiny hands and a tiny face, tiny eyes and a little hair. A perfect little creature. Sayuri sleeps, finally being able to take a shower and drop dead. 

In the morning Sakura comes by to bring Tsuki, the little girl very excited to climb into her mothers bed to meet her baby brother. “It’s Obito”, Sayuri says softly, giving the baby over to Tsuki. “Bito”, she says and touches his nose.

Hatake Obito gets to go home for the first time about three days later. Wrapped up in his fathers jacket, because it has started snowing in the meantime, he enters the big Hatake clan house. Thick snow flies by his window as he is put to sleep in his little bed. 

A year ago his namesake had died to ensure a future for children like him existed.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

There is a new ghost there when he opens the door to his room one day. A woman. She sits legs crossed on the window sill, a braid draped over the right side of her shoulder. 

“Hello”, Ren says carefully, stepping forward closer to his bed. The woman turns her head to him, her smile is more like a grin. It dances cheekily at the side of her face. “Hello”, she says back.

“Name is Sayuri”, she waves and Ren immediately has to think of the Sayuri Uchiha he knows. “I’m Ren”, he replies. “I know.” Ren wonders how often his dead Uchiha relatives just hang around and talk about him and his family. How much they watch him.

“We are not related” she says, lifting herself up from the place she had been sitting on. “At least not closely as far as I know.” Ren watches her walk over and stop in front of him. She surely must be older than him, but she isn’t much taller. “I would not have come to visit you like this if I didn’t have a favour to ask.”

Ren isn’t really in the mood to play messenger for dead people today. He frowns a little, caught between wanting to help and feeling awkward about it. Especially to someone that technically does not belong to his family.

Sayuri notices his hesitation. She puts her head to the side that her braid falls to her back: “I am content with being dead.” She says it as if it's true. “I just have one regret that needs clearing up. If you do this for me you will not see my face again. I promise.”

The boy scratches his neck, he really isn’t a person that can deny a request. Especially if its the last wish of a dead person that died in a tragic massacre. “Alright”, he replies finally.

They walk along the busy path of the village and Ren looks out of the corner of his eye to Sayuri, who can’t stop her eyes from wandering around. “It’s all so different”, she mumbles, “but somehow still familiar.” 

“How old were you when you died?” he asks. She answers without looking at him: “20.” 

“Did Uncle Itachi kill you too?” 

“No.”

That is new information to him. After all he had heard that the massacre had been completely Itachi’s doing. He puts his head to the side: “No? Who did then?” Sayuri looks into his face, there is something in her eyes that Ren can’t quite name. “It does not matter”, she says finally. Somehow he can’t shake the feeling that she is protecting the person who did it.

They are at the hokage tower before Ren realises where she’s led him. “Here?” he asks, confused. “I need you to speak with Kakashi.” She says his name so casually, even more casually than his father does. 

“I can’t just walk into the Hokage office”, Ren answers deadpan. “Kakashi-jiji is busy.”  Sayuri waves the concern away: “He will make time.”

Still insecure he gets up the stairs, past the secretaries place and knocks right at the door of the hokage office. Sayuri is right beside him, eyes sternly on the wood of the door. Whatever she wants to see seems to weigh heavy on her mind.

“Come in”, the Hokage says in his usual lazy voice. Ren enters. Sayuri walks past him, directly to Kakashi-jiji and circles him. “He looks good”, she says and grins, which makes Ren shake his head. Of the things he doesn’t want to hear, that must be one of the top ones. 

“Ren”, Kakashi-jiji smiles and puts his hands together in front of his face. “What can I do for you? If you want to know about your father I can presently also not tell you where he is.” Ren blushes at the fact that everybody in town always pities him for his runaway dad. 

He shakes his head and says, a little nervous: “I’ve come to deliver a message.” It sounds so stilted coming out of his mouth. “A message?” Kakashi asks kindly. 

“From Sayuri, Uchiha Sayuri”, he says and his eyes lock with Sayuri’s for just a moment. “Oh what is she up to?” Kakashi laughs, leaning back a little. Ren realises he does not think of the right person, that he too thinks of their Sayuri. 

From the window Ren can hear the woman sigh: “It wounds me, Kakashi, my old friend, that I’m not the first person you think of.” And then more to himself than to Ren: “It makes sense, but it hurts nonetheless.”

Ren scrambles, fingers fidgeting behind his back. He turns his eyes back to Kakashi: “A- A different Sayuri.” Kakashi puts his head to the side. “She- she died when she was 20.” Now his eyes get wider: “What are you saying?” 

The boy really feels nervous now. It is so difficult to explain his ability to others without sounding insane. “She is here”, he says, pointing a shaky finger to the window. “She has something to tell you, through me.”

“Ren, that sounds-” Kakashi starts, but Ren cuts him off: “I’m not crazy!” Sayuri walks around to let a hand fall over Ren’s shoulder. “Tell him what I’m saying.” Ren breathes out: “She said you are a damned idiot and she never thought there would be a time you’d be un-unkind to children. Idiot sandwich.” He has never said anything so insulting to the Hokage before. He never would.

Kakashi laughs: “That does sound like her.” Sayuri walks back to Kakashi, settling herself down on his desk. “Idiot”, she smiles at him, lifting a finger as if she is about to touch his face, but she stops mid air as he talks again: “Ren, tell me, if Sayuri is there. Why did she not come to speak to me personally? If she has a message for me?”

“Because I can see them” Ren answers without hesitation. “There are more. I can see and talk to them. They come to me. Usually it is close family only.” Kakashi furrows his brow. “He has a hard time believing you”, Sayuri states, having gotten up now and walking in half circles behind him.

Kakashi leans forward in his chair again, letting his eye wander around the room as if he would spot her if he just concentrated. “So, Sayuri, what do you want from me?” She stops right behind him. “Repeat for me, please, Ren,” she says and Ren nods, which must look very odd to Kakashi-jiji.

“You lost your sharingan eye”, she says looking into his face again. “Plus you grew a new one somehow.”

Ren repeats her. Kakashi laughs: “A miracle. I gave the gift back to Obito who needed it more.” 

“You buried me”, she continues, now in a much lower voice. Ren repeats her. “You buried me. Most of the Uchiha’s were put in a mass grave but you removed me, away from my father’s house and had me cremated and burned. You paid for it out of pocket. You were there, Gai-kun was there.” Ren feels weird about using -kun for a person that is older than him, but repeats her anyway “You did not have to do that. But you did it anyway.”

“Yes, I did”, Kakashi breathes deeply. “That must have been expensive”, Sayuri continues. Ren weighs his head: “She- she says that you must have paid quite some for that.”

Kakashi scoffs: “Is she here to complain about the fact that I wanted to give her a proper burial? That I tried to keep her eyes out of Danzo’s fat, sweaty hands?” Ren has no idea who Danzo is, so he just looks over to Sayuri. 

“No, she has something to say”, he repeats her words. 

Sayuri settles in front of his desk, legs slightly apart, hands grabbed behind her back. 

“Kakashi”, she says and Ren repeats it with “She is addressing you directly.” Kakashi looks up. “All- all the time we’ve spent together, when it was just the two of us. When Obito left and Rin died and Minato and Kushina died. Each night we spent together huddled under sheets in your bed.” 

Ren chokes at the words. It feels too intimate to repeat, but he does so anyway.

“We were thoroughly messed up, children of a war we had no stakes in, but we had each other and that was enough for a bit.” Kakashi’s eyes blink. “The nights I would sneak out of my house to come to your apartment, because I had gotten too used to having you by my side to sleep alone. It was all friendly of course, childish innocence and touch starved affection.”

She breathes in and out. “It was, without a doubt, the best thing about my short life. The nights with you in your apartment, when the terrible world was too far away to exist in our little refuge. Out there I was alone, but not in here, in here I had you.”

The woman stutters, voice breaking and Ren realises she is crying. He waits for more words. “Is that it?” Kakashi asks softly, worried he might offend. “She- She is looking for words”, Ren says, which is not a lie.

“I should have told you”, Sayuri says finally.

Ren repeats her: “She felt like there was something she should have told you.”

“I was so young then still, not really an adult yet, I did not understand it then maybe, not as well as I do now. It was something I felt for a long while, maybe years, without being able to admit it, but then I did and I could never say it.”

Kakashi lifts a brow. “She wants to tell you to get closure”, Ren repeats.

 Sayuri is crying a lot now, shoulders shaking, lips quivering. Ren waits again for her to get the words together. 

“I guess- I guess it makes no sense to wait - “ She breathes in and out again. “I love you. Always have probably.

Ren stops, unable to say the words he just heard. Too personal. He blushes and takes a step back. “I can’t say that”, he says out loud and Sayuri throws a look at him. It is, however, Kakashi-jiji who speaks: “Ren, please.”

“She-she says she loves you. That she always has.”

Kakashi lets out a sharp breath. “Sayuri- “ he begins but she cuts him off. “I know you are happy now with someone else, I know, I know. You should be, you deserve it so much, but I can’t help thinking what could have been if I’d lived. And maybe nothing would have ever been, maybe we would have stayed friends until the end of both our lives and that would have been fine. I’m not here in revenge or anger. I’m here to tell you that at your lowest, when you hated yourself more than any other person in the cruel world we were young in, I loved you. I want you to always remember that.”

She turns on her heel suddenly, walking away from the desk, still crying. Ren follows her with her eyes, stunned at the exchange. Nobody speaks for a moment or so. “Thank you for telling me that”, Kakashi finally says, his voice so soft, but so full of grief. “I am thankful you did.” 

“He just says that to make me feel better,” Sayuri mumbles under tears and keeps walking. “I cherish our time together too. It's a treasured memory” Kakashi says, a hand running through his hair.

Ren shakes his head. “She tells you to shut up with that sentimental crap.” Kakashi laughs. Sayuri walks right past him to the door. “She says she is leaving now. That she- she wishes you a happy life.” 

“I’ll always be watching over you in some way,” Sayuri says, wiping the tears off her face. Suddenly Kakashi rises, eyes wide again. “Sayuri.” She turns back to him. “She is still there”, Ren points with his finger.

“Did- did Obito…?” he asks, voice shaking. Ren frowns. What has Uncle Obito got to do with it? “She says ‘yes’” Ren repeats for her. Kakashi-jiji somehow grows pale.

“I’m going to see him next”, Sayuri looks over her shoulder and smiles. “Relief him of one burden at least.” Ren repeats her and then, realising what she said, protests himself: “You talked about one favour!”

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

It starts with an innocent remark, uttered when the general filter of his mouth falls in favour of happy drunkenness.

“Funny actually, that I kissed Obito in the past and I have kissed Sayuri. The only person in this room I haven’t kissed is Kaiya”, Kakashi laughs.

Wine glasses cling on the couch table as the other people exchange looks. Sayuri giggles “It’s true, I guess.” Kaiya scratches her chin and looks at Kakashi, really looks at him. Then  she leans back and grins: “Why don’t you check that off your list right now?”

There is a short silence between them. “What?” Obito says looking from his ex partner to his current partner. “Would that be an issue?” Kaiya looks at him, a hand on his hand softly, asking for permission. His lips quiver a little and he huffs. “N-No I mean, if it's just a kiss, one time- “ 

Kaiya looks at Sayuri who shrugs her shoulders immediately. “If he wants to do it.” Kakashi nods, he does want to do it. 

It is a bit awkward, stilted, as Kakashi leans over the table and touches Kaiya’s face. They have never been so close to each other before. He is handsome, Kaiya has always thought so. They touch lips softly, all innocently at first, but once they get the taste for it Kakashi moves his tongue forward and Kaiya follows, being swept away a little in his taste.

“That’s enough”, Sayuri says, a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. The others move away from another, their faces as red as Obito’s on Kaiya’s left. Kakashi leans back again. “I enjoyed that”, he winks.

Sayuri makes a face, laying  her head to the side to lightly touch Kaiya’s shoulder. “I also want to try”, she says, pouting a little. “If kissing Kaiya is so enjoyable, I think I should be able to do it.” 

Kaiya looks over to Obito again, her hand still entangled in his. “Dear?” He shrugs, his cheeks flushed, and looks away from her. “I-If you like it.”

Having secured his consent Sayuri rolls her head over Kaiya’s shoulder so they can meet halfway. In comparison to before they aren’t shy at all, holding each other's faces and deepening the kiss instantly. It is different, kissing the smaller, slimmer lips of a woman in comparison to a man, but it does not feel worse. Sayuri sighs blissfully.

“Ey,” Obito lets out, snapping his fingers on Sayuri’s forehead. “Don't overdo it.”

“Oh, sweet Bito, are you jealous?” She coos at him, leaning over Kaiya to touch his chin. “Do you want me to kiss you too, so you can be included?” Obito shifts, his brows furrowed. “Whatever”, he says then.

Sayuri takes the option from him by pulling him by his sweater so that she can find his lips just in front of Kaiya’s face. She didn’t even ask if it was alright to anyone, deciding to seal the kiss just for herself. Obito frowns at first, unsure about kissing someone he’s known all of his life, a sister like, but he eases into it when their tongues meet. Kaiya presses his hand and he sighs, leaning further forward to kiss her deeper. 

When Sayuri finally pulls back he is a little breathless, eyes blurred. She leans back, hand hanging again over Kakashi’s arm. The air is sizzling with electricity.

All of them take another sip of their wine, they aren’t talking. Sayuri is squirming, a hand finding the Kaiya’s knees, circling over the fabric of her thighs. Their eyes meet, brown and black. 

Sayuri opens her mouth just as Kaiya begins to speak: “You know what we should try?” Kaiya says, eyes still meeting Sayuri’s. “Yeah, I think so too”, Sayuri replies, without letting Kaiya finish her trail of thought. 

Kakashi leans forward, nose touching Sayuri’s cheek lovingly. “I think it might be fun with you guys” he says, leaving a hushed kiss on her cheek.

Obito is hunching his shoulders, he looks over them all, back and forth as if unsure if they are joking. Then he blinks, to Kaiya, to Sayuri, to Kakashi. He breathes. “How would that even be possible?” Kaiya smiles. He did not say “no.” 

They get up, Kaiya leading Obito on one hand to their bedroom. Kakashi and Sayuri follow, arm in arm. There is a moment of awkward silence again. “So, how are we going to do this?” Obito asks, still very sceptical about it.

Sayuri takes the initiative first, leaning forward to pull Kaiya back into her embrace. The women lose themselves into each other, hands going from face to hair to the back of their shirts and under them. For a bit the men just watch, but then Kakashi grabs Obito and they share their first kiss in years.

“Rotate~,” Sayuri sings a little, letting go of Kaiya to take Obito from Kakashi. Kaiya lets herself get drawn in Kakashi’s embrace and they all kiss again, the first clothes being unzipped and undressed. Obito is now completely into it, the initial hesitation passed.

They rotate over again, now everyone with their partners. Obito grins at Kaiya and fiddles with her bra behind her back, while Sayuri slings her arms around Kakashi to draw him down into a kiss.  “I love you,” Kakashi whispers so unprompted that her knees almost buckle. Instead she buries her teeth in his neck.

All of them get rid of their pants and skirts, leaving themselves bare in front of each other apart from the underwear. For a moment they just reside like that, eyes moving over the body of the other. Sayuri’s veins pump with excitement. 

Then they move again, Obito taking Kaiya’s hand into his, her fingers to his mouth. She moves over, pulls Sayuri close, lets her tongue run down the other girl’s neck. Sayuri in turn leaves one hand on Kaiya’s back, another in Kakashi’s pants, stroking his cock softly. She kisses his collarbone and chest as she does. Kakashi leans over to Obito, his teeth on the other man’s ears, nippling softly, his hand is also stroking softly, just over Obito’s cock. A perfect circle.

[insert the making out kali and me havent thought of yet]

Obito notices that Kaiya is slowing down, that her grip around Kakashi’s hips is loosening. He puts a hand on her shoulder gently, bowing down to kiss her fingers, breath heavy and laboured as he speaks. “Why don’t you take a break for a bit. She looks up at him and there is nothing but love in her eyes. “Yes, enjoy yourself a little without me.”

Kaiya leans back, breathing in and out to regain her strength. Kakashi winks at her a little and then gives a small nod to Sayuri. She pulls her fingers out of Obito’s hole, moving the thick lube between her fingers. “I think it’s enough”, Kakashi says, and touches Obito’s shoulder to make him turn around.

Sayuri lays back under them, her fingers touching Obito’s cock as Kakashi takes position behind him. Obito shudders under the feeling, his knees shaking, breath hitching. “Haven’t done that in a while”, Kakashi whispers, his cock slowly moving into Obito. It is still a little too tight, clenching around him, but he moans in the pleasure anyway.  “Take him in,” Kaiya says sweetly and lets her hands move through Sayuri’s long black hair laying on the bed behind her. She listens, props herself up on her elbows to let her tongue flick over Obito’s cock, while Kakashi starts thrusting into him from behind. 

“You’re all so good”, Kaiya praises, scratching the scalp. “I love how much you are all enjoying yourselves.”

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

It was weird to see Kakashi wear the Hokage robes for the first time. Sayuri watched his profile from the side, mask over his nose as usual, the big hat on his head. He had finally gotten over himself and accepted the position, let Tsunade pass the responsibility to him and Sayuri would have loved to think that she had something to do with it, a little bit maybe.

The ceremony was bathed in warm sunlight and praised words for the former copy-nin, now a renowned member of the village, a war hero. Sayuri had held herself in his shadow, not stepping beside him. She wasn’t the wife yet and had no right to be there, but he had routinely looked back to make sure she was still there.

It wasn’t until the last speech had been made and the last glas had been raised that he moved to her side again, an arm lifting so that the robe fell over her slim shoulders. “Lord Sixth”, she said mockingly as usual, and he chuckled, shaking his head. “I will have to get used to that now, won’t I?” She nodded. He surely would have to. 

“How did you like it?” he asked, making a wave to the crowd of people still chatting behind them. Sayuri moved her hand over her growing belly, feeling a little tired all of a sudden. Standing around in the dying heat of August really wasn’t her favourite thing to do right about now. “It was nice,” she replied and tilted her head to him. There was something in his eyes that told her that there was more he wanted to say.

“Spit it, Hatake”, she punched him lightly into the chest and the robes flew to the sides. Even with the mask on Sayuri could see Kakashi smile, his eyes lighting up a little. “We will be parents when we get home” he said, a little triumph in his voice. Sayuri looked down over her body and back up: “Not exactly when we get home.” The baby wasn’t due until winter.

“No, exactly when we get home. In fact, I thought we could go get her right now.” Sayuri blinked. Her? “You didn't-” she said, mouth falling half open at the realisation of his words. “I adopted Tsuki”, he waved with his hand. “And I know, I know, I should have told you before, asked if it is alright, but I thought-'' Sayuri cut him off by going up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his masked lips. He blushed. “Oh” he let out, scratching his ear. “I guess it’s fine then?” Sayuri let out a squeak. “Of course it is.”

They excused themselves with the other guests, saying that Sayuri needed a break, get out of the late summer heat. It wasn’t entirely wrong, just a little exaggerated. Tsunade was already a little drunk when she put both Kakashi and Sayuri in a chokehold to tell them how great parents they’d be. Shizune was the person that finally freed them and told them to make off before someone else could get hold of them.

Kabuto opened the door to them when they knocked at the orphanage. He had recently started working there, hair bound back in his neck and sorrow on his face. With all that he’d done in his life, there was a lot to regret and wonder about. Kakashi had allowed him to work there, the place where it all had begun for him, and maybe one day improve it. It was the Sixth Hokage’s way of showing mercy, but demanding someone work on themselves.

“We’re here to bring Tsuki home,” Kakashi said, voice a little giddy with excitement. Sayuri felt excited too. For weeks now the little girl had spent most days in their apartment, playing with the dogs, throwing things on the ground, eating all their food. If one thought about it clearly then it felt more like Tsuki had adopted them before they had ever adopted her. She had called Kakashi “Daddy” from their first meeting after all. She’d never called Sayuri “Mommy” though. 

“Ah, of course, I’m going to get her. We already packed her things. It’s - It’s not much.” He walked in and they followed him. It was cooler in the old stone building, so cool in fact that Sayuri wondered if there was enough heating in the winters. “I think they need a new place”, Kakashi stated, something he had already mentioned before.” This is too old.” Sayuri had no time to agree, even though she did, because Kabuto returned, the brown haired little girl holding his hand. He was surprisingly gentle with her, Sayuri had never expected to see it so clearly. “Mom and Dad come to pick you up” he explained softly to the girl, “You’ll now live with them forever.”

Tsuki nodded, the wide smile on her face that she usually carried when she was around Kakashi. She let go of Kabuto instantly when she saw Kakashi, speeding up to run and jump towards him, he kneeled down (which wasn’t easy in the wide hokage robes) to catch her. “Daddy” the girl cried, clinging to him happily. “Tsuki, dear” he said, weighing her around in his arms. “Are you ready to go home?” Tsuki nodded eagerly, her little fingers again ripping at the seams of Kakashi’s mask.

 Kabuto let a little suitcase down, the rest of the girl’s stuff, and Sayuri wanted to pick it up, but Kakashi stepped in quicker than she had the opportunity to. “No  carrying heavy things”, he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m sure it's not that heavy, '' she replied, but he didn’t want to hear it. They summoned a second Kakashi clone to carry the tiny suitcase behind them.

He had been right obviously, when they got home they were parents and it came easy to them, after all they had taken care of Tsuki for quite a while now. Sayuri took the girl and played the little game with her they’d played before. Naming colours and naming things. Tsuki was bright, maybe smarter than most girls her age, but she was also still a child, playful and excited about everything.  

Kakashi got rid of his robes, the clothes and showered the sweat and nerves off, when he came back, Tsuki was wearing one of his masks. “Where did you get that from?” he asked, picking the girl up again. “Just - like- Daddy” she said, fists pumping in the air with excitement. “She went into the bedroom drawer to pick it out personally”, Sayuri replied with a smile. “I think she will always be a little daddy’s girl, I’m afraid.” He hummed a little and then said “Would that be so bad?” Sayuri wanted to pout at that, but his face was looking so happy and content that she couldn’t feel bad.

From now on Kakashi took care of the girl, keeping her on his hips or shoulders to carry her around the apartment. He was the one who usually made dinner, so now it was the both of them. Sayuri watched them, sitting at the dining table, a little tired from the heat of the day and the general state she was in, but she couldn’t deny how happy she was. A year ago she didn’t even have a partner and now she was a mother, soon a mother of two. Married maybe too, someday at least. 

They ate dinner earlier than usual to make sure the girl went to bed in time. Tsuki was as stubborn as ever, refusing to eat anything that had a hint of green in it, but munching on everything else. She did eat it all eventually with some very nice words from her father, whom she could not say no to. “Time to brush your teeth and then sleepy time”, Sayuri said, moving her fingers through Tsuki’s brown hair. “Can Daddy come?” the girl asked, blinking pleadingly. “Of course he will.” So Kakashi disappeared with her to the bathroom, while Sayuri cleaned the dishes away.

When they came back out Tsuki had been changed and dressed for the night. She had just survived a minor temper tantrum, having refused to give the mask away she had taken from Kakashi, apparently scared that would mean they would bring her back to the orphanage. Kakashi held her gently and brought her to their bedroom, the only bed that was in the house. Sayuri also joined and laid down with the girl until she got tired. “Good night, Tsuki, '' Sayuri said, giving her a little soft kiss on the forehead. She was half asleep when she replied “Goodnight Mommy.” Sayuri cried almost instantly. “I’m too hormonal for this” she got up and left.

“Maybe we should have bought stuff first and then got her”, Sayuri mused when Kakashi got back into the livingroom to finish cleaning it up. “She needs clothes, toys, a bed…” He laughed a little. “We will just go out tomorrow and get most of that.” Sayuri scoffed, her back aching a little from the long day. “You won’t have time for these things now.” Kakashi came back to her, a glass of water in his right hand for her. “I will make time.” He leaned forward so she could lean in to kiss him. “Lord Sixth, the baby dad” she said and bowed a little sarcastically.

He leaned his back against the couch too now. “You know, I have thought…” he let the sentence trail out until Sayuri made a “hm?” sound. “It will be crowded in here. With us three and the baby.” She blinked. That thought hadn’t crossed her mind. “You suggest we move?” She asked, stroking over her belly softly to feel for movement below it. “Yeah,” he sighed. “The children will need space to grow, to play, to practise. They won’t have any of that here.” Sayuri hummed in agreement. “I think it’s time to move out again” he continued, now stretching his arm to touch her belly too.” She put her hand to the side. “Out again?” she asked.

“Guess it’s time to pay that old Hatake clan house a visit.”

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

“You’re the first who gets to see it,” Kaiya says quietly, pulling at Shinra’s hand to get them to follow. Shinra has absolutely no idea what she could be talking about.

Obito follows, hands leisurely in his pants pockets. From the way his chakra feels, he also doesn’t know what is going on.

From the smell, the surrounding, the paint in the air, Shinra can determine that they are in Kaiya’s little art studio. They don’t dare ask out loud if Kaiya has forgotten the state of their eyes.

“Wait here.” Kaiya lets go of their hand and Shinra can feel the air move as she also signs for Obito to stop. He stands right next to them. “There is a big canvas there,” he narrates out loud, bumping his shoulder into Shinra as he lightly sways. “It is covered.”

Kaiya says “hush” under her breath and pairs it with a movement to make it clear to Obito. Then she turns back to Shinra. “This is for you.”

She unveils the canvas and Shinra forgets how to breathe.

They can see, see the image on the painting. They blink, unable to contain their schock at it. Their eyes go wide over the canvas, soaking in the colours, the movement.

“That is a very odd painting,” Obito says, ever so unfiltered. “It’s just little specks of paint? Is it supposed to be something?”

“A flower”, Shinra says, still breathless at the beauty of it.

It is a flower, deep greens working up into bright violets, a light green meadow behind. There are bugs in the air. Shinra recognises all these things from word of mouth, from age old memories.

“So you can see it?” Kaiya can’t contain her excitement. “Yes. How-?” Shinra’s voice dies in their throat. “I infused it with chakra while painting, I thought maybe this way…. I wasn’t sure it would work but I wanted to show you anyway.”

“Oh that is why I can’t see it,” Obito says. “You can with your sharingan”, Kaiya replies instantly and Shinra can feel both of them use their kekkei genkai at the same time.

Still, they can’t keep their eyes away. The swirls of the colours give the flower a movement they’ve never seen before. It is hard not to cry. They had never been unhappy about being blind, having adjusted well enough a long time ago, but still.

Obito and Kaiya talk about this and that, the brush strokes and the skill, excitedly exchanging the method of getting the painting finished, just by moving their hands. Shinra breathes deeply to regain their composure.

“Do you think you could do a painting for me?” Shinra asks finally, breaking the chatter of their two friends up. Kaiya walks over, her hand now mere inches from Shinra’s. “Probably, yes, what is in your mind?”

Nothing is in Shinra’s mind. Just swirls and childhood memories. So many things they didn’t remember, many things they’d never seen before going blind, but still the choice of what they want to see first is remarkably easy.

“I would like to see you, both of you. Can you do that?”

Both gasp a little. “I can certainly try,” Kaiya replies, voice a little unsteady as if she is about to cry. “I might not do it justice-”

Before she can finish her sentence Shinra has already pulled her into a hug, which is incredible given the height difference. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this for me.” They bury their face in Kaiya’s neck.

“Hey no group hug without me” Obito pouts behind them. He closes the distance between them and pulls both of them in, Shinra now happily sandwiched in the middle. 

They can’t wait to actually see the faces of those they love for the first time.

[trees-and-a-blue-sky]

When Obito sees the twins first, he is not yet three years old. Placed and presented in front of him, his mother says: “These are Takeshi and Ren, they are sort of your cousins.”

He watches them. Their little black head and the dark eyes that so well match the way his mother looks, the way he looks if you squint and disregard the white streaks he got from his dad. “How should I tell who is who?” Obito asks in his childish unfiltered nature. “I marked them with a little hairband”, his mom replies, ever so the resourceful woman. 

“Stupid,” Tsuki comments from their fathers lap, playing with a little shuriken in her pointer finger. “They’ll grow up and you’ll keep them apart.” Dad takes the weapon out of her hand and puts it away. “Not in the house.”

They tell him that he will be like a big brother to them. That he will look after them a little with his mother when Sakura is busy working. “Where is Sasuke-nii?” Obito asks, head leaned to his fathers shoulder in the evening. “Not here. He can’t.”

Obito looks at his dad and wonders how it might be growing up without him.

“So how is it?” Ren asks, eyes wide and mouth full of sweets that he isn’t allowed to eat, but does anyway. Obito has started the academy recently. “Nerve wrecking” he replies, aware that he needs not hide himself in front of him. “It’s scary really. So many have the inherited jutsu down.”

Takeshi blows over his fingertips: “Nothing about that is scary.” And before Obito can add anything he continues: “I bet I could do the Uchiha fire jutsu already.” The twins are three. Obito thinks they might not understand yet how much pressure is on an Uchiha. 

Sasuke-nii comes back soon after that, inspecting his children as if he sees them for the first time. Ren doesn’t look at him, Takeshi seems all too eager to hear about stories. “Will he stay this time?” Obito asks his mother and she has no answer. It tells him everything he needs to know.

Soon after, Sakura-nee is pregnant again. It is a little girl, Sarada. Again a full fledged Uchiha girl. “I wanted a little brother,” Takeshi pouts. Ren lets his fingers fall into the crip and lets her hold it. No matter what, it is clear to Obito that both boys love their sister - maybe more than they sometimes love each other.

Then his mother is pregnant too and he gets to be a real big brother, as well. Miu is not a full fledged Uchiha girl, eyes and hair and temperament inherited from the white fang. “I assume they’ll get along as well as we do”, Obito swoons as he introduces her to the twins.  

Sarada is a loud, attentive girl, always hanging on Ren’s heel when the twins start the academy. Obito is on his way out now, halfway through his own course. Sasuke-nii is not there. He hears Ren complain to his mother about it in disappointment. 

“Isn’t it terrible having to grow up without a father around?” Obito asks his mother in the evening when his father is out training with Tsuki. Miu draws stars on a piece of paper in front of them. He thinks of the many times his dad took him to council meetings or other appointments or trips, because his mom had looked after his older sister, or had needed a break. How would he feel if he’d been on his own most of the time? His mother stares out of the window for a bit. “Sometimes having a father around is worse.” He does not understand, but he does not pry.

His graduation comes with 12 as usual. “Will you take him as a student?” Kakashi asks Sasuke-nii. He has come to finally see his daughter, who is already almost 3 at this point. Ren refuses to tell his father how he is doing, refuses to talk about the academy to him. Obito looks from his father to Sasuke-nii. “If that is your wish, Kakashi,” he replies. Obito looks at Ren who looks away.

At night he hears his parents argue. “Why can’t he take care of his own children first?” his mother spits and Obito can’t help but think that it's a valid question to ask.

—

Ren does not say goodbye to Obito before he leaves, betrayal feeling like a bitter poison on his lips. 

The day before Sarada enters the academy she tucks at Ren’s sleeve: “Do you think Papa will come?” Ren frowns. “Maybe”, he lies. The next day he sits on her right, the place reserved for her father. 

He graduates with 12. His team consists of his brother and Aiko, the wild, loud, redhead daughter of the hokage’s aid. His mother was the student of Aiko’s father once, he remembers, but otherwise he had no touching points with them.

Obito comes back with 15 and a half, grown, voice deeper, hair messier, he has started to wear the Uchiha crest as well as the hatake one. “Uh, don’t you think he looks good now?” Aiko coos and Ren lies and says he does not. 

His father has not returned.

In fact, it takes several years, until Sarada is almost ready to graduate herself, for him to come home again. “I’ll stay this time”, Sasuke tells his oldest children, the twins that now can barely stand sitting in one room together. Ren does not believe it.

Ren can’t keep the jealousy at bay when he watches Sarada have all the experiences with their father around that he never had. Obito knocks him into the shoulder: “You should not be angry at her '' and Ren knows he’s right, but he grinds his teeth together anyway.

“I realise you will never like me” his father says at some point, unprompted, when they are out to get this or that from the shop. He’s lost his rinnegan eye, half blind and weakened he actually stayed. “But I want you to know that I’m proud of you anyway. I’m proud of all of you.”

Ren’s hands shake and for a moment he feels like he might hit him.