Soldier On || Part 2 ||-•-Yamato-🍃-Kakashi-• ||

Chapter 1: 3 Days to the Wedding: Reunion

The stomping echoed loudly through the corridors, followed by angry yelling and children's laughter. They seemed to be coming from a couple of floors above. Yamato continued down the hall and when he took the stairs a group of young Genin rushed past him, bouncing from the walls, jumping over the handrail. He looked back as they disappeared from view. So those were the culprits.

"Stop running, you damn brats!!" said the female voice who stormed right into Yamato. "Excuse me!"

"Anko-san..." Yamato managed to stop her by the shoulder so her chest wouldn't collide against him.

"Oh! Long time no see."

Before Yamato could say anything in response, the woman regained her footing, patted him on the back and offered a smile, then set off after the children.

It seemed that even the Administrative floors didn't escape the uproar he had encountered all over Konoha. Everywhere he went since he arrived seemed unusually loud and lively. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but after almost 2 years alone in the forest, the only buzz he was used to were cicadas and other night creatures.

When Yamato made his way to the Academy building, he found that the streets were busy, packed with tourists, ninjas everywhere, children running around, it was like they were preparing for summer festival, although the season hadn't even arrived yet. The real reason for such atmosphere was Naruto and Hinata's upcoming wedding. Not only it was a quite uncommon ninja wedding, the world was still at peace and there was no other person who had brought everyone together like Naruto. It was only natural that Konoha, as well as other villages, wished to celebrate that moment with him.

The wedding was also the reason why Yamato was there, not because he had been invited, not yet anyway, but because Orochimaru decided to invite himself. As the man's official stalker, he had to follow him and make sure he didn't do anything that would put the village in danger, especially during this time.

The situation called for Yamato to report the Sannin's presence to the Hokage, whether he liked the idea or not. Although the visit was a formal one, he couldn't stop thinking back on that night. They had kissed each other, they held each other until dawn and then parted ways. It seemed like a lifetime away, but when he stepped into the round corridor, his heart began to pound and his guts knotted.

As he approached the Hokage's office, his pace dropped, so much so that once he got to the door, he was dragging his feet. For so long he wanted to see his senpai and pictured that moment in his head, going through different scenarios, over and over. Them days became weeks, weeks became months and loneliness sat in. Thinking about Kakashi became more painful than trying to forget him, and he tried, he really did. But in the end, as agonising as it was, Yamato couldn't bring himself to erase the kiss they shared from his memory.

The door to the room was left ajar, likely by Anko who dashed after the kids, he assumed, so as soon as he stepped in front of it, Kakashi-senpai would be able to see him. It didn't matter that he had months to plan for this moment, he was still a mess and ever inch of his body was aching to stop him..

He swallowed dry, took a deep breath, then knocked a couple of times as he walked in.

Kakashi raised his head from the file he had on his desk and stared right at him. Their eyes met and all the restlessness Yamato had been feeling seconds ago faded. It was just his senpai, the same man he left on that tree house. Now that he knew a different side of him, he could easily see that Kakashi had to wear more than one mask to sit there and be the leader of the village.

"Ten–" Kakashi said and soon trampled over his words, "Yamato."

Yamato stared back with a less than happy look on his face. What was that all about? He spent years trying to have the other to call him by that name, then they had that thing together, and now he decided to be all formal and proper. He opened his mouth to speak when Kakashi stood from his chair, walked around the desk and grabbed someone by the shoulders.