The day had been long and full of quiet tension beneath smooth conversation. As Mei walked beside Kakashi under the glowing lanterns of Konoha, her expression held a mixture of amusement and interest.
"You know," Mei said with a small smile, "you're quite the enigma, Kakashi. Charming, strong, polite, and somehow surrounded by some of the most dangerous and powerful women in Konoha."
She had felt the chakra of the two women earlier, although the black haired one wasn't that strong, but the other one was.
"I didn't exactly plan it this way." Kakashi gave her a sideways glance, his eyes crinkling in a half-smile. Find the newest release on novelFɪre.net
Mei raised a brow, her long auburn hair brushing over her shoulder as she turned slightly toward him. "That's the part that intrigues me. How did you even get them to stay harmonious? Three women like that?"
"Things just… happened." Kakashi let out a low chuckle and shrugged.
"Oh, come on," Mei teased. "Don't give me that vague shinobi answer. Who was your first woman?"
"Kurenai. It started when we began working together on genjutsu and missions." Kakashi looked upward thoughtfully as if rewinding time.
"Hm…" Mei hummed thoughtfully. "And then?"
"Then came Anko," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kind of… unexpectedly."
"Unexpectedly? You mean you just tripped and fell into her arms?" Mei's eyes glinted mischievously.
"Not quite. Kurenai couldn't handle me anymore." Kakashi's lips quirked.
"Handle you?" Mei tilted her head, confused.
Kakashi leaned in slightly, his breath brushing her ear as he whispered, "In bed."
Mei blinked, her face turning a light shade of red despite herself. For someone who never had experience in this domain and had never been flustered in the presence of men, Kakashi Hatake was proving to be… something else.
"You really are dangerous." As she recovered, she shot him a look.
Kakashi chuckled but said nothing.
The flirting continued with a teasing ease as they made their way toward his home. By the time they reached his front door, Mei was smiling more than she realized.
Kakashi opened the door with his usual calm and stepped inside, only to pause as a familiar voice rang through the living room.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is, the once gloomy, brooding loner has become a full-blown playboy."
On the couch sat Kushina Uzumaki, arms folded and smirking as if she'd been waiting all day to make that remark.
"As I told you, it's pure love, Kushina-san, I swear." Kakashi only sighed.
"Pure love, he says…" she rolled her eyes dramatically. "Tch. You used to blush just saying hello to a woman, and now look at you, holding hands and charming Kage-level beauties."
"You know that's a lie, I didn't interact with women at all" Kakashi confidently said, as Kushina rolled her eyes at him.
Mei blinked in shock, halting beside Kakashi. She stared at the red-haired woman on the couch with disbelief, taking a step back as the pieces in her mind clicked together.
"You…" Mei said, her voice low. "You're… Kushina Uzumaki. Kirigakure has intelligence on you. You were the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. The Fourth Hokage's wife."
"Guilty," Kushina said casually, waving. "Nice to meet you properly, Mizukage."
"But…You were…" Mei narrowed her eyes.
"Dead?" Kushina finished with a grin. "Yeah, I was. Until Mr. Genius over here pulled some miracle using cells, seals, and other things I still don't fully understand."
Mei looked at Kakashi again, a flicker of admiration shining through. Reviving someone like her… is there anything this man can't do?
Kakashi just gave a humble shrug.
Before Mei could ask more, familiar chakra signatures flared as the door opened. Tsunade, Anko, and Kurenai, all stepped in one by one, laughing about something from earlier.
"Smells like dinner's ready," Anko grinned, licking her lips.
"Where's Naruto and the others?" Tsunade asked as she slipped off her cloak.
"They're out," Kushina replied. "Ranmaru went with Naruto and Sasuke to the Uchiha compound. Karin and Sakura went home."
"Good," Tsunade said as she made her way to the table. "Then it's just us tonight."
Inside the dining room, the women gathered around a long table. Kushina and Tsunade sat at opposite ends, with Kurenai and Anko flanking Kakashi, while Mei was given a seat beside him.
Shizune brought out the dishes, meat, grilled fish, seasoned vegetables, warm soup, and a small mountain of rice. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxed, the golden light flickering over the plates.
As they dug in, Kushina launched into her half-true half-false stories.
"You know, when I was pregnant with Naruto, this guy was my personal guard," she said, pointing a chopstick at Kakashi. "He was so awkward back then, he couldn't make eye contact for more than five seconds."
"Really? Kakashi, awkward?" Anko cackled.
"Oh, you should've seen him when I caught him reading Icha Icha in the corner of the room. Nearly choked on his own spit when I noticed."
Everyone burst into laughter, even Mei who covered her mouth politely.
"Don't listen to her. She makes up half of what she says." Kakashi gave her a sideways glance.
"Only the good parts," Kushina grinned.
As the meal went on, the conversation shifted.
"I wanted to bring something up," Kakashi said, setting his chopsticks down. "About Naruto and Sasuke."
Everyone quieted a bit.
"I've already signed their Anbu admission letters. They're ready."
"Kakashi… you know what the Anbu can do to a person." Kushina's brow furrowed, worry flickering in her eyes.
"I know," Kakashi said softly. "That's why I'm going to lead the squad myself. I won't let them get swallowed by it."
"It's better this way. They'll learn discipline, take on real missions, and with Kakashi in charge, I trust they'll come out stronger, not broken or swallowed by the darkness." Tsunade nodded firmly.
"You'd better keep your word, Kakashi." Kushina still looked hesitant but slowly nodded.
"I will," he said quietly.
The warmth returned to the room after that, with Kushina pouring drinks for the table and Anko challenging Kurenai to a sake shot contest, one that Kurenai pretended to refuse before ultimately joining in.
It was a scene Mei never thought she'd witness. A man like Kakashi, surrounded by strong, confident women who not only cared for him but supported one another too.
"You're full of surprises." Mei leaned slightly toward Kakashi and whispered,
Before Kakashi could respond, Kushina pointed at him again. "By the way, I heard you mastered Flying Thunder God."
All heads turned to Kakashi again.
"It's just the Flying Thunder God. Wasn't too hard." He smirked slightly, the corner of his mouth tugging upward.
"Do you want a beating?" Kushina stared at him blankly.
Kakashi immediately raised both hands in surrender, laughing. "Alright, alright. It was hard. Really hard. I cried twice."
Everyone chuckled again, the tension breaking with ease.
As the evening wore on, Mei found herself laughing more than she had in weeks. Konoha felt… warm. Alive. And Kakashi? He was far more than a genius or a shinobi. He was something rarer. A man strong enough to carry many burdens, yet gentle enough to make space for others.
And as she looked around the table, surrounded by Konoha's finest, Mei Terumi realized one thing clearly:
She was going to stay a little longer.