Kakashi's Unexpected Love

Upset

A Less Hectic Day—Or So Kakashi Thought

For once, Team 10 had the day off.

Shikamaru and Chōji stood outside Ino's house, waiting for her to finish getting ready. It was supposed to be a simple, relaxing day—just the three of them hanging out like old times.

That was, until Kakashi appeared.

"Yo." He greeted them casually, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Where's Ino-chan?"

"She's inside," Chōji replied, popping another chip into his mouth.

"Oh, okay." Kakashi nodded before asking, "So, what are you guys up to?"

"We're waiting for Ino so we can hang out," Shikamaru said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck. "I was hoping to spend some time with her today, but I guess I'll just drop by for a quick visit."

Without another word, he strolled inside, leaving the two friends exchanging knowing glances.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

Inside the Yamanaka household, Kakashi found himself in unfamiliar territory. He'd been to her family's old house plenty of times, but her new family home was a different story. He wandered through the hallways, peeking into rooms, trying to find hers.

As he turned a corner, a door opened, and Inoichi stepped out.

"Oh, Kakashi," Ino's father greeted him, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi sweatdropped. He had assumed Ino's parents weren't home.

"Oh, I just wanted to see Ino-chan before she goes out with her teammates."

Inoichi nodded, seeming unbothered. "Her room is next to the guest bathroom."

"Ah, thank you." Kakashi eye-smiled at him, relieved.

Inoichi nodded again before heading out.

Kakashi, feeling more confident, walked to the indicated door and stepped inside.

And immediately froze.

Because there, in all her half-naked glory, was Ino.

Time slowed to a crawl.

For a brief second, Kakashi's brain completely short-circuited. It wasn't like he had never seen her naked before—but still, walking in on her like this was definitely not part of his plan.

Ino's eyes widened in horror before she shrieked, scrambling to grab a blanket to cover herself.

"KAKASHI?!"

"I—I AM SO SORRY!" Kakashi stammered, his single eye as wide as a saucer.

"GET OUT, NOW!"

"I'M SORRY!" He slammed the door shut behind him, his face burning. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

"SHUT UP AND WAIT OUTSIDE!"

Kakashi leaned against the door, clutching his chest as he exhaled sharply.

Well... that could've gone better.

After a few minutes, her irritated voice called out, "You can come in now."

Cautiously, Kakashi reentered, only to be met with Ino's intense glare. She stood with her arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

Kakashi coughed awkwardly. "I'm really sorry."

"What was that?" Ino said, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't quite catch that."

Kakashi cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "I'm really sorry, love."

Ino nodded, still irritated but slightly appeased. "Next time, knock on my door. This isn't your apartment. Other people live here. Got it?"

Kakashi sighed in relief. "Got it."

"So, what did you want, anyway?"

"I thought we could spend the day together, but your teammates said you had plans with them."

"Oh." Ino's expression softened. "You can just join us. I'm sure Shikamaru and Chōji won't mind."

Kakashi nodded, still sweating a little from his near-death experience. "If that's okay with them..."

They walked outside, where Shikamaru and Chōji immediately noticed Ino's irritated expression and Kakashi's nervous one.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "What did he do?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "He walked into my room while I was changing."

Chōji and Shikamaru turned their disbelieving gazes toward Kakashi.

"I-It's not like I did it on purpose!" Kakashi stammered.

The two friends shook their heads in silent judgment.

Before the conversation could continue, a commotion nearby caught their attention. A group of kids was fighting, drawing the attention of passersby.

Shikamaru sighed and used his Shadow Imitation Technique to stop them, while Ino stepped forward to mediate. Within moments, she had the boys completely smitten and apologizing profusely.

Kakashi watched, amused. "Wow, you're good with kids, Ino-chan."

Ino merely scoffed at him, still pretending to be mad.

Kakashi's shoulders slumped. Still not forgiven...

Their interaction was interrupted by Kosuke Maruboshi, who praised Team 10's teamwork. This led to a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about past missions and the legendary teamwork of their fathers.

By the end of the conversation, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji looked slightly dejected.

"We still haven't surpassed our dads," Shikamaru muttered.

Kakashi, sensing the shift in mood, patted the younger ninja on the back. "You three are known for your intelligence and strategy. Trust me, when the war comes, you won't be fighting alone."

With that, the group continued their day, and eventually, Ino finally forgave Kakashi.

How?

Because he bribed her.

With two sets of cherry tomato pudding.

Once Shikamaru and Chōji headed home, Kakashi and Ino returned to his apartment.

They sat on the couch, a movie playing in the background as Ino rested her head on Kakashi's shoulder, one hand clutching her stomach.

"I'm sorry if I seemed mad at you all day," she murmured. "I'm on my period."

Kakashi stiffened. "Pe-period?"

Oh.

Ohhhh.

He knew something about periods. Mainly that there was, uh, blood involved. Somewhere. But that was about it.

Still, he knew better than to say something dumb, so he just nodded sagely. "It's okay. I'm here if you need anything."

Then, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

Ino snuggled into his side, sighing contentedly. "Thanks, Kakashi."

Kakashi, however, had only one thought in his mind.

I hope she doesn't expect me to buy more pudding every time this happens.