Aspirant

Having dragged the girls through a day of sword training, Amaya returned to the house, once she’d dismissed them, to sulk. Stripping off her clothing and slipping under the covers, Amaya curled on her side, brooding over what she had realized today.

Kakashi strode in, pleased with the progress of the day. He froze when he saw the darkened room, the lump under the velvet coverlet.

“Amaya?” The nervous question made her roll over, growling as the tears tracking down her cheeks became visible. Kakashi wanted to run for the hills. He loved Amaya to his very core, but tears made him wary, made him upset.

Yanking down his mask, he stepped quickly enough to trip onto the bed, falling so that his face landed in her cleavage, her flinch when the metal of his hitai ate collided with her skin obvious. Jerking up and ripping off the offending object he demanded

“What in Kami-samas’ name, Amaterasu?” Her eyes clouded, the tears slowing before stopping. A futile effort to escape later, the dark haired sword nin, heavier than she appeared, was pinned by her husband. The Hatake lord was not happy.

“Talk.” The dominant, stark demand had pleasure simmering in Amayas’ veins. Hooking her knee over his hip, she arched into him, making a demand of her own. Kakashi wasn’t having it. Nipping her lower lip, he shook his head.

“Tell me.”

Squirming, Amaya finally sighed and whispered

“I realized today, the kids don’t need me.” Puzzled, Kakashi cupped her hip, aware she needed him to listen.

“Aisha, she’s got Tenzou and missions, Akashi, she’s so happy in Suna, and Katsuro- it feels like we pawned him off to our relatives to make time for something else-” What she won’t say, is that she’s right. Katsuro had gone, yes, but only after Akashi pointed out enrolling in the Academy here would put their mother at risk. Something Kakashi would never tolerate.

Kakashi can see where this is going. Faith had left after recovering to return to where she would be useful, Honor had fled Konoha with her nukenin husband because her training dictated she be useful, and Amaya is no exception. In fact, she is even worse, because she wasn’t trained by her gentle, housewife mother. Amaya was drilled by Biwako Sarutobi, once Akusa Senju, to be of the utmost use to her partner, thrown more viciously, more numerously, around the ring then ever she would Sakura. Inosha, too, had drilled her to fight, hand to hand, so had Mikoto who had spent months throwing shuriken at and with her, and it had been Akita who had taught her sister the ins and outs of the Mangekyou: Shinigami Sharingan. All were dead and gone, now, except Faith and Honor. All had died doing their duty to the end.

But for Amaya, if that duty ended, and she was cut adrift? She would be a wreck, training day in and day out for a fight that might never come. Kakashi, too, had been taught duty. But his was to both Amaya and Konoha, the village his home, the woman his reason to defend it.

Exhaling, the Copy Ninja cradled her so she looked in his eyes.

“If the children no longer need us-” The words are deliberate, joining them together, joining their duties and burdens

“- either you will join the Corps, or I will retire, once this batch of students is taught.” Wide eyed, she chokes out

“Kakashi-” Rocking her against him, he said firmly

“The kids will never not need us, koishi. Yes, Aisha is full grown now, probably going to have a pup of her own soon, but who is the matriarch of her clan? Who will be that pups’ grandmother? Akashina will need advice for a long while yet, and if you want to give Katsuro the option of coming home, out yourself to the whole village.” Nodding, Amaya bucks under him and gasps when he brings his silver head down to suck her nipple.

Later, once they had sated themselves, Amaya happy to touch and be touched, Kakashi happy to hold her, Kakashi cuddled against his wife, contented, but his mind was troubled. Amaya snuggled into his neck, slipping into slumber.

Careful not to wake her, Kakashi rolled over so she lay on his chest, stroking her hair, considering what he’d learned today. Amaya needed him to need her, or she would be wandering lost in her own head. It made him uneasy, that he was so needed, so wanted. Sighing, he tried to ease into sleep, only for Amaya to lift her head and look at him sleepily, murmuring

“Love you, Kakashi.” Burrowing into his chest, marking his heart with her brand again, she fell back to sleep, but this time, he followed her.

Inosha knocked on the door of her grandnieces’ room, frowning when all she heard was a groan. Kakashi replied in a low voice

“We’ll be out soon, Inosha-sama.” Nodding, she rapped lightly on the door to voice her understanding.

Dinner had been served, and Kakashi was carrying Amaya to his chair, when Kurenai opened her mouth. Amaya peered cautiously out of her spot in her husbands’ arms. A gloved hand swept her wild locks back, a headshake stalled any questions. Childlike glee became apparent when golden brown eyes rested on her favourite meat dish- sweet and sour pork, the recipe imported from a far off nation- and a slim hand grabbed for the bowl in front of her and the serving spoon. Chopsticks were employed as she greedily ate the delicious treat. A fond grey eye glinted as Kakashi grabbed for his own food, casting his normal genjutsu.

Inosha snorted and pushed a second bowl towards her grandniece, amused by her open joy in a bowl of food. The children goggled at her, as she wolfed her food, while adults simply stared. Clicking her chopsticks, Amaya swallowed and sat up.

“I promised Kurenai to tell her the whole story of Kakashi and me. I suppose now is the time to tell that story, and to explain the full hierarchy of the Iron Steel Order.”

Now at attention, the varied students and sensei’s looked on as she explained.

“My sister, Akita, who married Hizashi Hyuuga, came home from her senseis’ training session, who was Sakumo Hatake. She alerted our parents that his wife by contract, Ayume, died in childbirth, and my parents, Aishiteru and Katon, decided another child, to be reared with Kakashi, was in order. Almost to the hour, I was born a year after Kakashi. Akita showed me off around the whole Village, but claimed I was promised to Kakashi. I made several appearances over the years, but I haven’t been seen publically since I was thirteen, at the Kyuubi funerals.” Statement over, Amaya looked down, grabbing more of her favourite food, before looking up and continuing

“There are four levels to being one of us. Iron Aspirant, Iron Daughter, Iron Mother, and Iron Grandmother. Steel Acolyte, and so on.”

Kakashi added with amusement

“I already reached Steel Father, so you’ll have a bit to catch up to, Gai, Asuma.” Both men looked at him dubiously, until Neji snorted and Sasuke smirked. Sakura hid a smile behind her sleeve, while Naruto guffawed

“They can’t catch up to you, Kaka-nii, you’ve lived as a Steel warrior all your life. Besides, who will partner them?” Sakura inserted smoothly

“I am sure Kurenai-sensei will partner Asuma-sensei, but you are right, Naruto-kun, no one can match Amaya-sensei and Kakashi-sensei.” Kurenai blushed, and Sasuke replied in his best ‘I’m a snotty Uchiha’ tone,

“Gai Maito will train as an augment, Sakuya-chan.” Sakura bowed her head in coy repentance of her partners’ reproof.

Inosha snickered while the others looked confused at Sasuke calling Sakura “Sakuya-chan”. Amaya explained with a light laugh

“There’s a story behind that, I promise.” Sasuke retorted

“I’m only telling that if you tell the story of your courtship, Uchiha-sama.” Raising her brows, Amaya took a sip of tea and replied with cool innocence

“Did we not already tell that tale?” Sakura chimed in eagerly

“Oh no, Uchiha-sama, you did not tell us how Hatake-sama courted you all those years ago.”

Sighing, Amaya put her chin in her hands and began

“Well, I was on summer break from the European school I attended as a teenager . . . Akashina was a year old, Aisha was, oh, fourteen or so. Kakashi insisted we get me fitted for some new kimonos because I’d out grown my Dawnstar furisodes . . .” Shaking her head, Amaya continued dreamily

“We went to the shop, and I was measured, while Kakashi was conferring with the seamstress. The proprietor was helping me, so I didn’t realize until we got the kimonos several weeks later.” Ino leaned forward, eyes gleaming

“Realize what?” Amayas’ golden brown eyes crinkled and glowed in the evening light, smiling as she replied

“At the bottom of the pile, instead of a seventh golden pink furisode, was deep forest green kosode, gilded in silver, and trimmed in a slate grey on the collar and hem. I screamed for him at once, because he had reviewed the order while I ate. He walked in and asked what the problem was. I showed him the kosode and he said-” Her husband cut her off, saying

“That is the first of what I hope will be many you wear as my wife.” His eye smile showed his genuine pleasure at the memory. Amaya rejoined

“I asked if this was his idea of proposing marriage.” Kakashis’ grip on her tightened as he teased

“I said ‘No, this is my way of asking to court you.’ And she couldn’t get mad at me for days.”  

Amaya shook her head and looked up at him with a smile.

“You courted me that whole summer, every day there was a gift or a game or an outing.” Kakashi hummed, sliding his hands over her hair again.

“Mmm, I wanted to keep you. I had to strategize accordingly.” Amaya smirked at the girls and Kurenai, gaining an approving nod from Inosha when she said calmly

“I think I’ll leave that there, since it won’t be romantic if your boyfriends do something Kakashi did first.” Tenten choked on her drink, Ino pouted, and Hinatas’ eyes bugged out. Sakura nodded, while Kurenai fought another blush. Rolling her eyes, Amaya intoned with deliberate boredom

“First lesson, Iron Aspirants. Remain indifferently calm at all times.” Sakura started to smirk, only to have to duck a shukusen whack from Inosha.

“Smugness is unbecoming of an Aspirant, Haruno.” The elder chided. Sheepishly, the pink haired girl responded

“Yes, Inosha-sama. I will endeavour for it to not happen again.” Nodding, Inosha pinned Sasuke with her gaze.

Sighing, the Uchiha boy took up his story.

“After a rather lengthy chat with Amaya-baa-chan, I deciding partnering with Sakura wouldn’t be a bad idea. Kakashi later suggested choosing a nickname that was somewhat a variant of her name to encourage a closer bond, and to tell her to drop the honorific from mine. When I approached her about this, she agreed to drop the honorific if she would get to approve the nickname. I decided Sakuya, because although it generally means blossom, Sakura has the potential, according to Amaya-baa-chan, to be the greatest kunoichi of our generation that I would mean it as the blossom of our generation.”

The adults were surprised by the though put into this. Lee was envious of the bond between Sasuke and Sakura, Ino was jealous of Sakura securing Sasukes’ partnership, while Shino wondered if he and Hinata would grow as close as they had in so short a time. He doubted it.

Despite the others mulling over their thoughts, Naruto didn’t particularly feel like brooding, so he proclaimed

“Hey Sasuke, let’s have an after dinner spar!” Kakashi chose that moment to cut in

“Dishes first, Naruto. Inosha-sama spent all afternoon cooking. While you lot do that, we will discuss lessons with Orochimaru-sama.” The heretofore silent Snake Sage inclined his head.

“Let us be done quickly, Sensei wishes my opinion on a few matters.”

The adults, including Inosha, exited to the engawa, while the Konoha twelve cleaned the kitchen. Sakura nipped out for a few minutes to serve tea, but otherwise directed their efforts. Once done, the boys headed out to spar, while Sakura and the girls headed to the basement dormitories to gossip.