Return Of The Madness

Chapter 31

Three days of travel later, the team saw the Village gate in the distance. 

As they approached, Yuma spotted two bodies jumping and waving. Izumo and Kotetsu jogged their way when they were close, both engulfing Yuma in hugs. 

"Hey Kid!" Izumo whispered excitedly, looking her over as the two stepped back. At the sight of her scarred face, they grimaced. 

"Woah, woah, what happened?" Kotetsu asked worriedly, also whispering. 

"Ah, you know, the usual," Yuma chuckled sheepishly. "Why are you guys whispering, by the way?"

After a hesitant moment of studying her scarred face, Izumo grinned slightly, and waved for them to follow. The group was led to the guard stand, where a familiar form lay against the wall inside the shade of the hut. 

"He got back two days ago," Kotetsu chuckled. "This is the first bit of sleep he's gotten, and that's only because we got word of your return."

Yuma rounded the corner and entered the hut, kneeling before the spikey haired boy sleeping on the ground, dark brows furrowed. 

"Shika," she called softly, reaching up to cup the young man's cheek. 

Long, dark lashed fluttered, and obsidian eyes opened slowly. There was a foggy curiosity as the bleary eyes took in the face of the woman before her. 

Yuma smiled. "You should be resting at home, Shika," she scolded gently, watching recognition bleed into his gaze, his jaw dropping slightly. "You were just on a mission."

Suddenly he was sitting up, arms wrapped around Yuma tightly, pulling her onto his lap. He effectively hid her from the world as he cradled her against his chest, head down against her hair.

"You're home..." He muttered, voice rough with emotion. His grip tightened as her arms wrapped around his waist, and she buried her face into his neck. 

"I missed you too," Yuma whispered softly, only he could hear. His head lifted, and he planted a long kiss on her head before his palm met her cheek, moving her face into a short, sweet kiss. He pulled away, staring in concern as his thumb traced the harsh scar carving down the right side of her face. His eyes focused on her right eye, shattered with rust red and bright crimson splitting the iris. 

"What happened?" he asked softly. 

Her eyes closed as she leaned into his palm, smiling. "A guard at the prison, don't worry though, Panda-chan dealt with him. Besides I got a cool new scar to show off."

Shikamaru sighed softly as she gazed up at him, newly mismatched eyes twinkling with mischief and affection. He smiled gently at her, again kissing the top of her head. "Welcome home, Yuma."

Suddenly, a throat was cleared. The two jumped, forgetting their company, and looked to see Sakura and Izumo tearing up, Kotetsu and Naruto beaming, and Kakashi with arms crossed, eyes smiling softly at the sight. 

Instantly, Shikamaru flushed, reaching up to scratch his neck. "What a drag..."

Yuma laughed softly, giving her boyfriend another squeeze around the waist. "That's okay, Shika, we're overdue for a date anyway."

"But first," Kakashi chuckled, "we have to check in with the Hokage."

Shika locked eyes with Yuma's guardian, and nodded with a slight smirk. 

"Of course." He agreed, though still reluctant as he released Yuma. "I'll see you very soon, okay?" he added to her as the two picked themselves up. 

Stretching up, Yuma planted a small kiss on the young man's jaw. "Yeah, but go home and rest properly first, silly."

"We'll see," Shikamaru chuckled. 

Soon, Team 7 was leaving Izumo, Kotetsu, and the young Nara at the gate, making their way through the village to the Hokage's tower. 

As they walked, Yuma noticed Kakashi pull something from one of his breast pockets, and peered at him curiously. 

Kakashi, however, was momentarily distracted by a photo, slightly singed on the edges, and fading in color. 

It was him, and a much younger her. She on his back, beaming at the camera with an ear-to-ear grin with her cheek squished against his masked one, him giving his trademark closed eyed smile to the camera man.

"What're you looking at, Kashi?" Yuma asked, trying to move in such a way that she could see it too.

Kakashi lowered the picture for her to see. Her brows furrowed a bit before swiftly rising in surprise and awe. "What-"

"We found it at the Asylum remains," he explained softly, carefully returning the image to his vest pocket. "It... helped when things got difficult. You were gone a long time."

"I'm sorry Kashi," Yuma frowned, upset that her cousin went through such a hard time, just because of her disappearance. Maybe... they weren't better off without her after all... "I'm not leaving again, I promise."

Kakashi smiled gently, ruffling her hair. 

Yuma looked down, frowning as a sudden thought came to mind. 

"Kashi...?"

"Hm?"

"When you found the asylum, did you happen to see if Lenny was..."

"He... didn't make it."

Yuma considered that for a bit as Kakashi watched her with careful concern. Would she be upset with this news? Didn't that worker treat her terribly. She looked deep in thought until she lifted her head, and said:

"Eh, he was a dick any way. He's the reason I've got that big scar on my leg."

There it is. 

"Huh, I don't think I've noticed that one," Kakashi hummed. He knew how tough her life was, like her battles with Zabuza in her youth. He'd definitely notice a few gruesome scars on her over the time they'd spent together. At this point, it was treated as a hobby of hers, since she was also a reckless spirit, and seemed to collect scars for fun. 

"I mean, it cost him half his foot, so i think it was a fair trade."

Strangely, the dark humor made Kakashi smile, it was like a little light of Yuma from a few years ago. Happy in her home, surrounded by friends that she loved. It felt like slowly, things were starting to go back to normal.