January 1st was a turning point in her ninja career. The third one since she started classes at the academy. She had managed to graduate alongside her brother, as she always wanted, reached the rank of chunin when the opportunity arose, and now she was being promoted thanks to her skills.
"Chunin Seina Uzumaki" Tsunade-sama called from her desk chair. "After reviewing your mission records, assessing your intellectual and physical abilities, examining your mastery of iryo ninjutsu, and considering your kekkei genkai proficiency... you are granted the promotion to tokubetsu jonin."
"Thank you very much, Tsunade-sama. I won't let you down" she replied, bowing.
"Report immediately to your commander, Shikaku Nara. He will explain your new duties" the Hokage informed her, as per protocol.
"Yes. With your permission."
She left the Hokage's office, avoiding returning Shizune's smile, and closed the door behind her. She couldn't believe it. Weeks had passed since she started her intensive training, yet it felt like it was just yesterday. She still couldn't grasp that, during all this time, she had barely seen her family and now she could finally return to normality. She felt somewhat disconnected from her team. It was a bit sad, but it didn't surprise her. After all, she had spent nearly 9 weeks alone or in the company of Shizune and Tsunade-sama.
When she arrived at the jonin department, she saw some ninjas of her rank or jonins coming and going. Some seemed to be resting, chatting with their comrades, while others were carefully observing maps.
"Seina!" Kurenai-sensei greeted her as soon as she saw her. "What are you doing here?"
"IF YOU'RE HERE, IT MUST BE BECAUSE YOU ACHIEVED YOUR GOAL! OH, POPPY FLOWER!" Guy-sensei shouted, appearing out of nowhere and lifting her up. "I KNEW YOU WOULD MAKE IT!"
Seina chuckled, letting him shake her around. She was grateful for losing her shyness years ago because the countless eyes on her would have made her as red as Hinata or at least pale with anxiety.
"Poppy flower...?" Kurenai wondered.
"Poppies symbolize success" said a voice she recognized instantly. It was Ebisu. "I imagine Guy is saying that Seina-san has been promoted."
"That's right" she replied, back on the ground. "To tokubetsu jonin, to be exact."
"Wow! Congratulations" Kurenai smiled. Others congratulated her from their seats as well. "You must be looking for Shikaku-sama then. His office is on the upper floor. Right hallway, last door."
She walked in search of the jonin commander's office following the instructions. It was practically impossible to get lost because the right hallway had only 2 doors, and one of them had the name S. Nara on a small wooden plaque. She knocked a couple of times.
"Come in."
She entered the office and her eyes wandered around. It was a square room. There was only one window on the right side, but it was so large it illuminated the entire room. Under the window, she saw a couple of chairs prepared for visitors. There was a sofa with a small coffee table to the left, next to the door, and in front of it was Shikaku Nara's large desk filled with neatly arranged papers. Behind him and on the left wall, there were a lot of gray file cabinets matching the sofa.
"Ah. I was wondering when I'd see you again" Shikaku smiled. He gestured for her to sit with his head. "Congratulations on your promotion to tokubetsu jonin. Although, judging by your exponential improvement, you'll be promoted to jonin in less than 5 months."
"Thank you. I honestly didn't expect it..."
"Neither did Tsunade-sama. She was so pressured about what to do with your case that she didn't even consider promoting you to tokubetsu jonin" he informed her calmly. "In fact, it was I who proposed the plan. You might not remember, but I told you I wanted to talk to you extensively about many things, so when she called to explain what was happening with your qualifications and ask for advice, I knew it was a good opportunity."
"I see. Now I'm under your command so it wouldn't be strange to have contact with me, right?" she said, fairly certain she was correct.
"Exactly. The Hokage has resolved your overqualification issue, I have secured a ninja with a new kekkei genkai for my department, and at the same time, I eliminate suspicion about why we're in contact. Everyone wins" the jonin commander smiled slyly.
"Naras..." Kurama growled with exasperation. She could almost see him rolling his eyes.
"Alright. Let's start with your introduction. Besides the Hokage, you answer only to me, and no one else. When you're on a mission with other jonin, unless I name you the leader, you'll answer to the jonin I designate as the leader. This means that from now on, whenever there's an attack in the village, the chunin will answer to you, as well as the civilians, if necessary" Shikaku said, with a bit of boredom. "I know you know all this from your studies, but it's protocol to remind you. With that said, let's talk about your duties. From now on, the minimum rank of expected missions is A-rank. This poses a probable risk to your person. You already know this."
"What should I do if I have... unofficial visitors?" she asked, recalling Kakashi-sensei's words about Danzo and his recruitment.
"I don't think he's stupid enough to try it" Shikaku scoffed, knowing whom she was talking about. "In any case, you have the right to refuse and defend yourself if necessary..."
"Understood."
"Continuing with this bore... Besides your combat skills, you're an iryo ninja, so you can be recruited for two types of missions: S-rank missions with an imperative need for a combat medic and/or A-rank missions where having a medic would be beneficial but not essential. On the other hand, considering your powers, it would be a poor resource management not to send you on high-priority missions. In summary: get used to the few S-rank missions I'll give you to start with because once you're a jonin, you know what's coming."
Seina chuckled at the commander's frankness. Honestly, she wasn't surprised by his words. She knew perfectly well the countless situations Shikaku must have imagined where her powers would be the perfect solution for Konoha. If you added her healing powers, taught by the Hokage herself...
"I'll give you a pass to go to the tailor we use. She'll take your measurements and give you a few uniforms. When they get damaged, you can go to the relevant department for replacements. Take a day off. Starting the day after tomorrow, you may be called to serve. When I find it appropriate, I'll call you for that chat we talked about. Oh, by the way, call me Shikaku. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other quite a bit..."
She left Shikaku's office with the pass in hand. It took barely an hour for her measurements to be taken and to leave the tailor. They assured her it would be ready the next day, so she went home feeling more at ease. She walked through the village, observing people celebrating everywhere. The only ones who seemed not to notice the difference were the ninjas, whose work didn't have real holidays, just days off that could be revoked at any moment.
"Seina!" called Ino's voice. "We haven't seen you in weeks!"
She was accompanied by Chouji, Shikamaru, and Asuma-sensei. Shikamaru, who usually looked on the verge of a nap, seemed to agree with his teammate.
"I've been training intensively with Tsunade-sama," she smiled. "A week and a half ago, I finally passed her final exam."
"Really!?" Ino shouted with a huge smile. She threw herself at Seina. "I can't believe it!"
"You're studying with Mina-senpai, right?"
"Yes. It's tough, but I like it."
"According to Naruto, you're going to be promoted," Shikamaru cut in with clear interest. "He's a clown, but I don't think he was joking."
"Naruto was telling the truth. I've been promoted to tokubetsu jonin," she smiled.
"Tsk... I knew it would happen," Shikamaru gave her a faint smile. "This has my father's fingerprints all over it... What a bother."
Ino couldn't believe Naruto had been telling the truth, while Chouji congratulated her, as did their jonin sensei. She promised to hang out with them more now that she had relatively more free time. She talked with them for a few more minutes, but it was clear she was interrupting what seemed to be a training session. She said her goodbyes and headed home to relax for the rest of the day. She still couldn't believe she had been promoted. Shikaku had hinted that the Hokage had been pressured, but by whom? The hospital? The council of elders? She wasn't entirely sure but made a mental note of that information.
She knew that most promotions, in times of peace, usually took quite some time from one rank to another. There were a few exceptions, of course, but she couldn't recall anyone other than Shikamaru and herself being promoted to chunin at the first opportunity after only 8-9 months as genin. Nor did she know of anyone who had been promoted to tokubetsu jonin after just 4 months as chunin. And, from what she had heard, if she passed the jonin exams, she could be promoted to jonin in less than 6 months.
She was starting to understand the disconnect Kakashi-sensei had talked about. She felt far removed from her team academically speaking. But what could she expect? Naruto and Sasuke were 12 years old, not 132 like her. Even if she remained a chunin... she realized the type of missions she had been sent on were of a higher rank than the ones Shikamaru was doing. Maybe because Shikamaru didn't have as much ambition as she did and was content doing what he was ordered. Maybe for other, more sinister reasons.
She thought of Sasuke again. She had promised him months ago that they would hunt down Itachi as a team, that she wouldn't leave them behind. Now it was she who was leaving them behind, but what could she do besides train with them? When the chunin exams came around in 6 months, it would be them who would be overqualified. Unless... unless Naruto and Sasuke raised their level so much that Tsunade-sama would have no choice but to do with them what she did with her. Shikaku had said the minimum rank for her missions would be A-rank, but she could go on missions with her team if they were tokubetsu jonin like her, right?
When she arrived home, with a new plan in mind, she realized no one was there. She saw the notes on the table and suppressed a groan of frustration seeing that they were all on missions.
"Take advantage of the time to relax while you can," Kurama advised. "The Nara made it clear. He plans to use you in all the missions he can now that you're under his command. You might not get a break for a long time."
"It's curious he didn't even ask about my abilities. We both know everything written in my files isn't all I can do."
"He'll find out sooner or later when he reads your mission reports. Why ask you and waste time when he'll find out anyway?"
"You're right..."
"Something he said today made me think... Remember the old Senju told you she was being pressured? That they had told her you were being 'wasted' doing B-rank missions?" Kurama asked. Seina frowned as she thought about that conversation. "The Nara said he was the one who proposed a solution to the Hokage when she asked him for advice and, interestingly, he also said you would be doing A or S-rank missions, implying that giving you less complex missions was a waste of resources. Sound familiar?"
"You think he was the one pressuring the Hokage," she concluded, realizing he was probably right.
"What I think is the jonin commander doesn't see you as just any ninja. You've caught his attention above the others under his command. He asked you to visit his house, then confessed to suggesting to the Hokage that you be promoted so he could have you in his ranks, and, on top of that, he told you to call him by his name."
"Do you think that's good or bad?" she asked, not knowing where he was going with this.
"I don't know. Either way, there's no changing the past and going unnoticed now, so you just have to keep moving forward."
"Well, even if I could, I wouldn't change anything. I told you we'd fight together and that wouldn't be possible if I were a 'regular' ninja, as you say."
"Iknow... but, as that other guy told you, the one with the senbon, it's very likely that soon your face will appear in other villages' bingo books, and it won't have anything to do with your parentage. Not only are you the Hokage's apprentice but also Kakashi's, who has his own entry in the bingo book. Once they know you're my jinchuriki and who your parents were..."
"I know, but I'm prepared. As soon as I get a free moment, I'll talk to Jiraiya and Tenzou. If they give the go-ahead, we could start training the first part," she said, recalling her training with Kurama's chakra. "If they say I can modify and release you from the seal somehow, we'll train with you outside."
"I can't wait."
She relaxed for a while, meditating to avoid thinking about what Kurama had mentioned. Things were getting more complicated, and rightly so. Minutes later, she sensed someone entering the property. She opened her eyes, hesitating whether to stay in the enormous bathtub a bit longer, but she wanted to see her team, so she got out of the water and dressed. When she went downstairs, she came face to face with Kakashi-sensei, covered in blood.
"Are you okay?" she asked as soon as she saw him.
"Yes. It's not mine," the jonin smiled behind his mask. "Give me a few minutes to shower and we'll talk."
Seina went into the kitchen to prepare some tea and cookies. Kakashi-sensei didn't lie when he said a few minutes because he was back in less than 10, dressed in his uniform but without the vest or mask.
"I've heard the news," he said as soon as he entered the living room. "Congratulations, Seina. I knew you could do it."
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," she smiled, sitting on the couch and placing the tray on the coffee table.
The jonin sat next to her, accepting a cup of tea and grabbing a chocolate brownie she had made the day before. She noticed a hint of pain when he sat down next to her, despite looking perfectly fine, and raised an eyebrow in his direction. Kakashi-sensei chuckled and stretched his foot towards her. She ran her hand over his leg, feeling his sore ankle, and healed it.
"Nothing escapes you now."
"Why would I leave you with a sore ankle when I can heal it in a few seconds?"
"Old habits, I guess," her teacher shrugged with a sigh.
"Do you think I'll have any missions with you from now on?" she asked.
"Did Shikaku-sama say anything about that?" he raised an eyebrow in her direction.
Seina couldn't help but smile when she saw a chocolate stain at the corner of his mouth. She reached out and wiped it off with a finger, as if he were a small child. She stifled a laugh as she saw him blush adorably. She could hardly believe that the man listed as a killer in the bingo book was the same man who got embarrassed by a simple act of affection.
"He told me I'd be doing A and S-rank missions. That I should get used to it."
"Mmm..." he frowned at her response. "Then, I imagine sooner or later we'll be on the same mission. I suppose it had to happen eventually."
"Nothing I haven't done before," she reminded him, to comfort him.
"I know, but that doesn't mean I like it," he frowned again, setting the cup on the table. "Though being a ninja, what could I expect?"
He gently took her by the shoulder and pulled her towards him. She let him hug her for the first time in days, maybe weeks. He kissed her on the jaw before leaning against her chest. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him as well.
"Do you have anything to do tonight?" Kakashi-sensei asked, stroking her hair.
"No, not that I know of."
"Then reserve it for me," he requested.
Seina smiled, surprised. What was he planning? She tried not to think too much about it, preferring to be surprised. They both heard Naruto and Sasuke even before they crossed the property's boundary. Still, he didn't move her from his chest until the door opened, releasing her slowly. She sighed, leaning back on the couch.
"NEE-CHAN!" Naruto shouted as soon as he entered the door.
Seina had enough time to open her eyes wide before catching her brother mid-air, falling backwards. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke chuckled at the sight.
"Tell me you've been promoted!" he shouted in her ear, making her shiver. She nodded. "YATTA! Congratulations, nee-chan!"
"Congratulations, Seina. When is the jonin exam?" Sasuke asked, sitting in an armchair. "Is it before the chunin exam?"
"Yes. At the beginning of May," Kakashi-sensei answered, picking up his cup.
"How do you know?" Naruto asked. "I thought the dates weren't decided until the last minute."
"Only for the chunin exams," the jonin corrected. "If you had read the scrolls Seina copied upstairs, you'd know the jonin exams are different."
"Different how?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"To begin with, candidates must be at least chunin and be recommended for the exam by the Hokage. Seina already has Tsunade-sama's approval and the rank. Unlike the chunin exams, these exams are individual, so Seina doesn't need a full team of three like you."
"Do you know where the exam is this year?" she asked.
"It hasn't been decided yet. It will be determined at the beginning of April."
"I won't be so lucky as to have it here or in Suna," she sighed.
"You never know," he smiled behind his black mask again. "Anyway, there's no point in worrying."
They prepared dinner together, except for Sasuke, and spent the meal reconnecting. Now that she would have more free time, they planned to train together when they could. Naruto and Sasuke, still being genin, would likely continue having solo missions without Kakashi-sensei and her, so she would probably see her teacher more than her brother. It was clear both of them wanted to level up. In fact, the only thing holding them back as genin was the once-a-year exam. Otherwise, they would have been promoted like her.
"Even though on paper you're still genin, it's clear your true level is chunin," Kakashi-sensei assured them. "Still, not everything is about combat, so the exam is necessary for progression."
"Do you think the other genin from our class will take the exam?" Sasuke asked.
"Probably. Neji could have been promoted if not for his behavior," she said, "and the others, now that they know what to expect from the exam, will likely sign up to take it again."
"So we'll all be together again!" Naruto smiled. "Well, except you and Shikamaru."
"I'll find someone to fill Seina's spot in the exam," Kakashi-sensei told them. "It will only be for the practical exam, so it won't be difficult."
Later, after dinner and chatting about everything, Sasuke and Naruto went to bed. When Seina was alone with the jonin, she raised an eyebrow, remembering his earlier request perfectly. Kakashi-sensei nodded.
"Come," he whispered, leaving the house.
"Where are we going?" she asked, curious and amused.
Instead of answering, Kakashi-sensei picked her up and used the shunshin to take them somewhere. Astonished, she stifled a gasp of surprise as she clung to him. They disappeared and reappeared in seconds at her teacher's old house. He walked with her in his arms to the back, where, to her amazement, he had laid a blanket at the foot of a large oak tree. She noticed a closed basket in a corner and a folded blanket beside it.
"I know our circumstances aren't the most usual in the world," Kakashi-sensei admitted, laying her on the blanket, "so I thought if we couldn't go anywhere, at least we could escape here for a while."
Seina blinked, still surprised by his words. She never would have imagined him capable of doing something like this, of taking the initiative. Especially when, until a few months ago, he had expressed feeling crazy for having feelings for her. She realized how much he was risking. It wasn't about his reputation but his heart. Kakashi-sensei was putting everything on the line without knowing if she would change her mind in the future. Otherwise, why take the initiative and continue this if he thought they wouldn't get anywhere? Unless he was convinced about her.
She leaned towards him and pulled down his mask, revealing his beautiful face. She couldn't hold back this time, unlike all the other times, so she did what she wanted to do. She kissed him. It was a closed-lip kiss, modest, but enough to make her intentions clear. She noticed the conscious, gentle pressure of Kakashi-sensei's lips on hers, and his hand gripping hers in an attempt to stop himself from crossing more lines. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was enough.
"Thank you, Kakashi."
She stifled the urge to use the transformation jutsu to change into her adult form because she knew it would ruin everything, that the temptation of her adult body would be too much. Kakashi-sensei sat against the trunk, laying her across his lap, and she closed her eyes as she buried her face in his neck.
"How long do you think we should wait?" she asked.
"We both know there will always be someone who has a problem with the two of us being together. Maybe your brother and Sasuke, maybe the civilians who know us..."
"I haven't lived all this time and endured all the crap I've endured just for someone to tell me what to do," she almost hissed with a slightly wicked amusement. "I was only asking about us."
"About when it would be more appropriate to have an... intimate relationship?"
"I suppose so."
"In about 3-4 years."
So, at 15 or 16 years old. By then, she would already be a veteran high-ranking ninja and an adult in every sense. She understood why he had given her that timeframe. It relieved her, in a way, to know that he also agreed they weren't ready for anything more for a few years. On the other hand, asking Kakashi-sensei not to date anyone for sex for 3 or 4 years was quite a long time. After all, sex was one of the remedies for relieving ninja stress.
"I know what you're thinking. Forget it," Kakashi-sensei interrupted her thoughts.
"I'm not going to ask you to wait for me all that time," she told him, somewhat sadly.
"You don't need to ask me. I don't want to be with anyone in that way. In fact, I don't want to be with anyone else at all. Do you remember when I told you my relationships are very sporadic? I wasn't lying. The last time I slept with someone was two years ago, and the time before that was three years before. Besides, I've never slept with any of my fellow ninjas; it's always been civilians I don't know and with whom I didn't want any kind of relationship. I'm a man, but I value intimacy and my survival more than sex."
"Wow..." she replied, astonished by his candid response. "Well, I don't intend to be with anyone either. In case you were wondering. As you can understand, even though they're maturing, boys my age are only 12 years old."
"I see. I hadn't thought of it that way. So, you're not attracted to them, then? Should I worry more about men my age?" Kakashi-sensei joked, pulling her closer.
"You shouldn't worry about anyone," she smiled. "The only person I want is you."
"...And I want you," murmured the jonin, regaining seriousness. "That's why I'll wait as long as necessary, if you're willing to give us a chance."
"Alright. About three years," she promised.
She felt the kiss on her hair. They spent a few hours on the blanket in the backyard of the house, eating desserts and drinking juices that Kakashi-sensei had organized. They talked about various things: her past, Kakashi-sensei's past, her family... The only thing they didn't discuss was the future. It was a taboo subject, exiled into limbo. They didn't want to talk about the time they would have to wait to truly be together because that would only make the wait seem longer, despite how sweet it would have been to daydream about what they could do in a few years.
When she went to sleep that night with a smile, she felt her heart tight in her chest and a slightly bitter taste in her mouth, realizing how close yet how far away Kakashi was. Before losing track of her thoughts, she reminded herself that all she could do was enjoy every minute, knowing that the desired moment would come someday.