Thank you for over 100k reads. Seriously never thought people would actually read this story. Next update will be Saturday❤️ thank you for being here 🥺💕
Kakashi's POV:
"These are more of Sasuke's mission reports."
Tsunade slides the folder across her desk to me.
I reach out and take the folder, flipping through the big stack of papers.
"You, Naruto, and Sakura need to be completely familiar with everything that's detailed in his reports. It's imperative for the success of this mission. There's a lot of new information here."
I nod my head reading one that describes his death ritual in depth.
"Kakashi, a single drop of blood. And you're dead." She looks at me harshly. "Not to mention his unique skills with his scythe."
"I have previous knowledge of his ritual due to the death of Kurenai Yuhi. But this will really allow me to understand everything."
I close the folder and look up at her.
"How is Sasuke doing?"
She sighs.
"He's been providing us with vital information. However, I do worry about him on his own gathering intel on these two."
"Me too."
She nods her head silently.
"Please make sure that you and your teammates know this new information by the end of this week. At this point, we're simply waiting on Sasuke to give the word."
A knot forms in my stomach.
This mission is coming. And fast.
"When he does, you'll be leaving almost immediately the day or two after."
"Yes ma'am."
She clears her throat and looks down at her desk.
"How is Akari doing?"
"She still doesn't know any details about the mission, if that's what you're asking."
She gives me an apologetic smile.
"Good. I'm sorry. I know it must be difficult to keep something like this from her Kakashi. Just remember it's in her best interest."
It definitely hasn't been easy. She's right though. If Ari knew about any of this, who knows what she would do.
Probably try to keep me from going.
Or run off on her own.
That. That would kill me. The thought makes me sick to my stomach even imagining it.
That's why we led her to believe that this mission would be happening months from now and not so soon.
"Well, we'll be in touch shortly. I may have a small mission for you next week but we'll see how it goes."
I nod my head and stand up from my chair.
"Thank you Lady Tsunade."
"Thank you Kakashi."
___________
I head to the clearing feeling overwhelmed.
I don't know how the fuck I'm going to keep this from her.
She's the only one I want to talk to about this and the only one that can't know a single thing about it.
She's my best friend. She's going to know somethings up.
I have to hide this from her and hide it well. She doesn't understand why she can't be a part of this mission. And I don't think there's any way to explain it to her.
It's not about her being too weak to go after Hidan. Akari is a strong, intelligent and skilled shinobi.
But this would be too much for her to take on and remain level headed.
She still holds so much hatred in her heart for this man. We all do.
Kurenai was all that she had left. And he stole her life like it was owed to him.
Like he had the right to take it.
Coming face to face with him was almost too much for even me to handle.
And it was all a game for him. He dangled Kurenai and the threat of hurting Ari in my face.
Hidan would eat Akari alive.
She's everything to me. The idea of being without her is one that is terrifying.
One that plays with my will to go on in this world.
So I have to protect her.
I hear Ari, Iruka and Asuma talking as I get closer to the clearing.
"How else will she learn not to hurt herself if she doesn't hurt herself." I hear Asuma say up ahead.
Akari has been working so hard on the purple lightning jutsu. But I don't want her to push it.
Asuma and Iruka came to watch her train today which is perfect. Asuma has always been rough with her and Iruka has always coddled her which balances it out perfectly.
When she was a child, Asuma would tell her to shrug it off anytime she would come into the apartment crying about a skinned knee or a bruised elbow.
She couldn't have been older than five or six at the time.
She would take a deep breath in, straighten out her shoulders and say "I'm okay now Asuma." She would look at him with tears still in her eyes, waiting for him to notice she was being tough. She wanted to impress him so badly.
Iruka would always rush over and wipe her tears from her face as if she had been his own daughter.
I would simply avoid her as much as I could. I've never been much for children anyway.
Besides, I was still in ANBU at the time so I wasn't around much.
When I became her teacher, I have to admit I was pretty hard on her as well. But it was only because of the potential I knew she had.
"Kakashi is the one that taught me to be persistent. What do you think training with him was like growing up?" I hear her respond.
Tough. But it made her tough.
"You think it was easy?" I hear her scoff as I make my way onto the field.
I chuckle to myself. Her determination is admirable.
She looks tired as fuck though. As if she would collapse at any moment if it weren't for wanting to know the justsu so desperately.
"And you think having you as a student was a piece of cake?" I laugh and give her a smile as I see her grin widely at me.
"Long meeting?" Asuma asks me. I take my book and folder full of papers and drop them onto the ground next to Iruka.
I rub my hand over my face in an attempt to wipe the irritated expression off of it. I know it'll worry her.
"You have no idea." I mumble.
I glance quickly at her to make sure she's out of earshot.
"It's the Hidan mission." I whisper loud enough for only Iruka and Asuma to hear.
I watch as they give each other a worried look. Asuma's eyes quickly bounce over to Ari and I hear him mumble the word shit under his breath.
I walk out into the middle of the clearing where Ari stands there looking nothing short of breathtaking even after training all day.
I lower my mask and give her a kiss.
I pull my mask back up and reach out to hold her hand in mine.
"You still good to continue for a little while longer?" I ask her. I run my fingers over her blistered palm and watch as she tries her best to fake a smile.
I struggle not to laugh at how adorable she is when she thinks she can lie to me.
"Let me see what you've got so far."
I take several steps back and watch as she dives into full concentration.
She closes her eyes and tunes out everything else around her.
After a few moments I see the lightning form in her palm. Growing bigger and brighter than I've seen her produce yet.
That's my girl.
She opens her eyes, her long hair flowing softly in the wind as the bolts of lightning crackle all around her.
I chuckle to myself as her jaw drops in shock at what she's done.
She takes in the scene before her, looking at the electricity coming from her palm in total awe.
There's no other way to describe her in this moment other than completely mesmerizing.
To see her so deep in her element like this.
So powerful. It's enough to make me fall in love with her all over again.
"That's it baby." I yell out, giving her some encouragement.
"Fuck yeah." Asuma shouts from where they continue to watch.
Now comes the hard part.
"Okay, now keep control Ari. Control is the most important part."
The last thing I want to see is her blast herself a few feet back again.
"Draw it all back in, don't let it blow."
She nods her head and puts all of her focus into her palm, biting her lip as she does.
My heart flutters in my chest at the sight of her.
As soon as she's drawn back all of the energy she turns to face me with wide eyes.
I open my arms for her and she lets out the cutest little squeal as she runs over to me and jumps into my arms.
I hold her tightly against me as she wraps her legs around my waist.
"See. I told you it just takes practice." I say, admiring the way she beams excitedly.
"I wanna go again." She says, giving me a huge smile. She hasn't felt it yet.
"I think you're done for the day my love." I put her back on the ground and I watch her waiting for her to realize that last try most likely drained her of all of her energy.
"Oh." She wiggles her fingers as the feeling that I know all too well, settles into her limbs.
"Yeah. Saw that coming."
That tingling, numb feeling is not fun.
"That jutsu will use up most of your chakra when you really use it."
She smiles softly but I can see in her face that she's spent.
I throw my arm around her shoulders and lead her back over to where Asuma and Iruka are waiting.
"Good job kid. Thought I was gonna watch you fly a few feet back again." Asuma taunts her.
I wait for her usual slick response but it doesn't come.
Poor baby. We should just go home and relax.
"You guys wanna order in and check off another movie from our must watch list?" I suggest.
"Sure." I watch Asuma shrug.
"Maybe we can let Emiko pick the movie." His face turns red and he avoids looking any of us in the eye.
I can't help but laugh at how pathetic he looks.
I taunt him further by faking the sound of a cracked whip as I motion for Ari to get onto my back.
"Oh, please. And like you're not whipped too?" He spits out at me.
I shrug my shoulders as Ari hops on.
I feel her warm cheek press gently against my back and it helps melt some of today's stress away.
"I am." I squeeze her thigh gently, stroking her skin with my thumb.
"Not ashamed to admit it."
Author's note: Now that we all know what's in that folder, do you guys consider it lying or protecting Ari??
In my opinion, he's lying BUT for all the right reasons 🥲 how can you get mad at that 🥺
Anyways. My boyfriend bought me a Dabi nightlight for Valentine's Day to go with my Kakashi one. And I'm in love, k byeeeee. Thank you for all the support! Don't forget to vote comment and add to your library!