Otsutsuki (Book 2 of the Aftermath Series)

Part 6: Back On My Feet

Just two days after I got home I was ready to get on my feet again. Shizune and Tsunade had stopped by on their way out of the village to assist me. With their help I was able to stand with only shakiness and no pain. My sling wont be off for another week and a half but at least now I can get around. "I would suggest the crutches if you are planning on leaving the house. No training until your sling comes off at the end of next week but other than that just take it easy. Don't try to lift anything heavy and don't use any jutsu until then. Otherwise you're all set." Tsunade said finishing up. I used a single crutch to walk the to the door. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade." I said and she only cocked her head at me. "I owe you a few favors now." I said and she only shook her head. "You don't owe me anything. All you have to do is keep your promise. The one you made to protect the peace of this world to the best of your ability. If you do that it will be I who owes you." I smiled. "Then in that case let's call it even." I held out my hand to her and she smiled. "Even it is." 

"Asa?" Kakashi called as he came in from the back yard. I hobbled in to meet him. "Look, I can walk!" I said and he smiled at me brightly. "I see that. I'm going to take a shower, would you like to join me." He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. I couldn't help admire the post work out sweat he had that made his clothes stick to him in all the right places. "Don't mind if I do." I said and we went upstairs to my second favorite room in the house, the master bathroom. It has a standing shower on one side and a beautiful antique clawedfoot tub in the center of the room. It had been a gift from our friends who all chipped in to buy it when we moved in. After taking a quick shower Kakashi joined me in the tub. I had taken off my sling and covered the large wound on my shoulder with some waterproof gauze to protect it from infection before soaking in some nice hot water. 

Kakashi slid into the other end and tangled his legs with mine. "I've been thinking." I said after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "That's not good." Kakashi responded and I whacked him lightly on his knee that was sticking out of the water. "That was uncalled for." I reprimanded before laughing a little as he chuckled, eyes closed head back, in complete relaxation. I couldn't help but admire his sculpted jawline for a few seconds before remembering what I wanted to talk about. "We've been a couple for all of nine months right?" I asked and he shrugged a little. "Yeah about." "And I've been unconscious for two of those months and chasing down a would be killer while running from assassins for the for six more months." "Where are you going with this?" Kakashi asked, opening his one grey eye and I looked at him lovingly. "I don't want to spend anymore of my life without you. My life has always been in danger and you're don't really have the safest job in the world." He arched an eyebrow and I realized I was rambling a bit. 

"I wanna get married." "Okay." 

When I called Kurenai later that afternoon I swear I could hear her scream not only through the phone but also from the other side of the village coming from her very mouth. She was gushing and talking about all kinds of things while I just smiled and listened to her. After she finally said goodnight I walked upstairs and entered my room to find Kakashi spread out across our wooden floors cleaning and polishing our weapons. "You don't have to do mine." I said, moving some shuriken so I could join him on the floor. He just smiled. "What's mine is yours or something like that." He said lazily and I laughed. "Of course. If that meant you were gonna clean my weapons for me I would have asked you to marry me ages ago." I teased and he rolled his eyes before tossing a sharpener at me. I started working on our katana's first then moved onto the kunai and by the time I got to the shuriken Kakashi had sharpened all but a few and we knocked those out in a few minutes. "Now what do you want to do? It's not too late we could go to dinner?" He suggested and I nodded. "Sounds good, let me just change." 

I let my curls loose for once and decided to pull back the top layer just like I used to wear my hair when I was a kid. I also found a dress that I had never worn in the closet. It was a simple dark blue with a halter neck that was otherwise sleeveless and allowed me to wear my sling easily. I paired it with some nude heels and a black shawl to keep me warm, even though the days are getting warmer the nights still had a bit of a chill to them. I looked at myself in the mirror as I applied a small amount of mascara. I couldn't help but frown as I touched the scars on my cheeks. All of my friends had been surprised when I started going mask-less none of them had expected my scars but none of them had said anything about them either. 

"They're beautiful." Kakashi said as he came up behind me. "I remember the first time I saw your face. We were sitting in the Hokage's office right after Minato-sensei was given the title. You were crying and asking him how we were supposed to live without our lost ones. I remember being so shocked when you took off your mask. But I also remember thinking that you were the most beautiful creature to walk this planet. I didn't even notice your scars at first and when I did I just saw you as even more brave and strong than I ever could have imagined. I also remember that Minato-sensei told us something that changed my life. He said that we live on because we do it for them. He wanted us to achieve our dreams and follow our destiny to honor them.

"I still struggle with that but something he said made me realize something, though it took a lot longer than it should've, but my destiny is with you. My dream for the future is to spend the rest of eternity by your side. It has been you and I against the world since we were just children growing up to fast and holding each other together. I have been by your side for some of the worst times in my life. That is why I want to give you this." I turned around to see him holding out a ring box. When I opened it I couldn't help the smile that grew on my face. It was simple and elegent, a silver band with nine small diamonds forming the Hatake clan symbol. We both knew that I was going to keep my name but I would be proud to wear his symbol. "It has been handed down for generations. My dad actually gave it to me the day my mother died and I've kept it safe ever since." 

I slid the ring onto my finger and drew Kakashi in for a long kiss. When we finally broke apart I grabbed my clutch, which may or may not contain a few weapons, and we walked to dinner. Kakashi made take bring one of my crutches and soon found it hilarious as I attempted to use it while wearing heels. I caught him by surprise when I used my clutch to whack him on the top of the head. "Just because we are getting married doesn't mean you can be so rude." I hissed and he just laughed harder.