Tobirama/Kakashi - 2
Lunch time had only just passed, but the slate grey of the sky, pregnant with rain, and the absolute quiet of the alien house left Kakashi with a feeling that it was in fact much later in the day.
The reflection of his eyes winked back at him on the window pane as lightning streaked the sky, but he barely noticed the rumble that followed - and the moment he realised how dull his senses had become, a whole new wave of hopelessness washed over him.
He was a ninja, a jounin even. His senses had never lied to him and his internal clock had never been anything but accurate. His eyes had been taught to instinctively keep from staring at lightning so as to not impair his night vision and, after a bang as loud as close thunder, his ears had never failed to seek out the reassurance that no enemy had taken advantage of the noise to sneak near.
Yet, it had only been weeks since the Hokage had called for him and assigned him to the one duty he would hold for the rest of his life, weeks since he had first entered this unfamiliar mansion that was now his home, and all those instincts were already fading.
The young Hatake was not one to aspire to great heights, but this was not how he had envisioned his future. He had hoped to make his father, his mentor and his teammates proud, to be the best shinobi he could be and serve his village and his Hokage. He had inherited his father's sword and Obito had gifted him with his eye so that he could succeed in that purpose and fulfill their dreams as well.
When the Hokage had summoned him to discuss a special mission, his blood had whispered in his ears that the time to prove himself had come. When the Hokage had told him what his mission was, disappointment and nausea had flooded and sunken his spirits.
Until the day he died, or until he could no longer pick up a kunai, his one duty was to keep the Hokage's daughter safe. That meant living in the same house as Tsunade, eating the same meals as her, going through the same routines as her and never again leaving her side. Kakashi had been effectively stripped of his personal life. He was her bodyguard, her butler and slave all mashed into one. He even had a sick suspicion that the Hokage had chosen someone only slightly older than his daughter for that role hoping that a closer relationship might develop.
He was sure such a thing would never happen, though. The girl was impossible to bear. Loud, childish, undisciplined and rude - neither of them qualities Kakashi could learn to appreciate, except perhaps the latter.
"Still here," someone said behind him and Kakashi's heart went into overdrive, reprimanding him on his lack of attention.
He turned to find Tobirama Senju sogging up the living room floor with water and blood, looking perfectly relaxed (and he was somewhat jealous that, unlike him, the other was still allowed to wear the standard jounin uniform).
"Still here," Kakashi confirmed. He had met the Hokage's brother when he had first been introduced to Tsunade, but other than that he had not had much contact with the white-haired man. He was not sure what to make of him.
"Shouldn't you be watching over Tsunade?" he asked without accusation.
"I am."
A grin began to spread over Tobirama's face and he approached Kakashi's station, uncaring of the wet trail he left behind him and the horror he was inflicting on the house maids who would have to clean up afterwards. Looking out the window in the same direction the Hatake had been studying, he saw Tsunade sitting next to a young man with longish hair under the gazebo in their garden and looking for all intents and purposes positively love-struck.
"His name is Dan," Kakashi reported. "I've checked him out. He's a chuunin. Competent and loyal. Harmless."
"Have you told my brother about him?"
Even though he was the one asking the questions, Kakashi got the feeling that Tobirama knew a lot more about the situation than himself. His body language, the way he had turned to lean against the window sill with his arms crossed, was screaming at him.
"I saw no reason to do so. And Tsunade threatened to make my life a living hell if I did. More of one, that is."
Tobirama laughed.
"Good boy," the man joked. "You're a quick learner! When Tsunade makes threats like that, you listen."
Silence settled between them after that and Kakashi resumed his observation of his blonde charge while mentally trying to fit the idea he had of the solemn Hokage's brother to the jovial man standing beside him.
"So, how are you finding the place?" Tobirama asked, sounding for the first time like he was actually interested in the answer.
The white-haired Senju had yet to take off his uniform, had yet to pick up a towel to dry his hair, and Kakashi was pierced by the realisation that he was committing a grave intrusion on the other's privacy simply by being there. Complaining about his difficulty in adjusting to his new life, and demeaning the Senju's home and hospitality in the process, was unthinkable.
"It's pleasant."
"Really?" Disbelieving.
"My opinion is inconsequential. All that matters is that I do my job right."
Tobirama's narrow eyes fixed on his. At first, Kakashi worried that the unintended insult had been perceived anyway, but as the moment dragged on, that idea completely disintegrated. The Senju was searching for something, he realised. Looking past the Hatake's mask and the ever-present dead sheen in his remaining grey eye and searching for the spark of his core hiding underneath. Kakashi endured the scrutiny, unable to look away or to shield himself against the intensity of that gaze.
When it was over, Kakashi wondered what the other had seen.
"Well, you have fun with that, kid," Tobirama announced before finally sauntering off to do something about not catching pneumonia and leaving the younger man to stare out the window alone.
Kakashi got the terrible feeling that he had just failed an important test.
Continue...
The reflection of his eyes winked back at him on the window pane as lightning streaked the sky, but he barely noticed the rumble that followed - and the moment he realised how dull his senses had become, a whole new wave of hopelessness washed over him.
He was a ninja, a jounin even. His senses had never lied to him and his internal clock had never been anything but accurate. His eyes had been taught to instinctively keep from staring at lightning so as to not impair his night vision and, after a bang as loud as close thunder, his ears had never failed to seek out the reassurance that no enemy had taken advantage of the noise to sneak near.
Yet, it had only been weeks since the Hokage had called for him and assigned him to the one duty he would hold for the rest of his life, weeks since he had first entered this unfamiliar mansion that was now his home, and all those instincts were already fading.
The young Hatake was not one to aspire to great heights, but this was not how he had envisioned his future. He had hoped to make his father, his mentor and his teammates proud, to be the best shinobi he could be and serve his village and his Hokage. He had inherited his father's sword and Obito had gifted him with his eye so that he could succeed in that purpose and fulfill their dreams as well.
When the Hokage had summoned him to discuss a special mission, his blood had whispered in his ears that the time to prove himself had come. When the Hokage had told him what his mission was, disappointment and nausea had flooded and sunken his spirits.
Until the day he died, or until he could no longer pick up a kunai, his one duty was to keep the Hokage's daughter safe. That meant living in the same house as Tsunade, eating the same meals as her, going through the same routines as her and never again leaving her side. Kakashi had been effectively stripped of his personal life. He was her bodyguard, her butler and slave all mashed into one. He even had a sick suspicion that the Hokage had chosen someone only slightly older than his daughter for that role hoping that a closer relationship might develop.
He was sure such a thing would never happen, though. The girl was impossible to bear. Loud, childish, undisciplined and rude - neither of them qualities Kakashi could learn to appreciate, except perhaps the latter.
"Still here," someone said behind him and Kakashi's heart went into overdrive, reprimanding him on his lack of attention.
He turned to find Tobirama Senju sogging up the living room floor with water and blood, looking perfectly relaxed (and he was somewhat jealous that, unlike him, the other was still allowed to wear the standard jounin uniform).
"Still here," Kakashi confirmed. He had met the Hokage's brother when he had first been introduced to Tsunade, but other than that he had not had much contact with the white-haired man. He was not sure what to make of him.
"Shouldn't you be watching over Tsunade?" he asked without accusation.
"I am."
A grin began to spread over Tobirama's face and he approached Kakashi's station, uncaring of the wet trail he left behind him and the horror he was inflicting on the house maids who would have to clean up afterwards. Looking out the window in the same direction the Hatake had been studying, he saw Tsunade sitting next to a young man with longish hair under the gazebo in their garden and looking for all intents and purposes positively love-struck.
"His name is Dan," Kakashi reported. "I've checked him out. He's a chuunin. Competent and loyal. Harmless."
"Have you told my brother about him?"
Even though he was the one asking the questions, Kakashi got the feeling that Tobirama knew a lot more about the situation than himself. His body language, the way he had turned to lean against the window sill with his arms crossed, was screaming at him.
"I saw no reason to do so. And Tsunade threatened to make my life a living hell if I did. More of one, that is."
Tobirama laughed.
"Good boy," the man joked. "You're a quick learner! When Tsunade makes threats like that, you listen."
Silence settled between them after that and Kakashi resumed his observation of his blonde charge while mentally trying to fit the idea he had of the solemn Hokage's brother to the jovial man standing beside him.
"So, how are you finding the place?" Tobirama asked, sounding for the first time like he was actually interested in the answer.
The white-haired Senju had yet to take off his uniform, had yet to pick up a towel to dry his hair, and Kakashi was pierced by the realisation that he was committing a grave intrusion on the other's privacy simply by being there. Complaining about his difficulty in adjusting to his new life, and demeaning the Senju's home and hospitality in the process, was unthinkable.
"It's pleasant."
"Really?" Disbelieving.
"My opinion is inconsequential. All that matters is that I do my job right."
Tobirama's narrow eyes fixed on his. At first, Kakashi worried that the unintended insult had been perceived anyway, but as the moment dragged on, that idea completely disintegrated. The Senju was searching for something, he realised. Looking past the Hatake's mask and the ever-present dead sheen in his remaining grey eye and searching for the spark of his core hiding underneath. Kakashi endured the scrutiny, unable to look away or to shield himself against the intensity of that gaze.
When it was over, Kakashi wondered what the other had seen.
"Well, you have fun with that, kid," Tobirama announced before finally sauntering off to do something about not catching pneumonia and leaving the younger man to stare out the window alone.
Kakashi got the terrible feeling that he had just failed an important test.
Continue...