She never would have imagined it. She was back. She was home. Finally. The last thing she had expected upon returning was for Kakashi to be brought in from a mission unconscious and badly wounded. Yet there he was. She stood by the window next to the bed, waiting for him to wake from the coma. The worst part was knowing there was nothing she could do, since it wasn't an induced coma. He would have to wake up on his own.
Fortunately, her medical knowledge had given her hope during the wait, because every day he showed signs of improvement, reacting to stimuli. He would wake soon. She was certain. Tsunade-sama was certain.
She reached out with a trembling hand and touched his hair. A tremendous chaos stirred inside her, one that would only settle once Kakashi opened his eyes, looked at her, and proved that he still loved her after three long years apart… The letters had been a lifeline. A sip of water for a man dying of thirst in the desert. Just enough to survive until the next one. Enough to keep going. Now that he was right in front of her, not even fifty letters would have been enough to ease her desperation.
She adjusted the blanket over him again, even though his face was already covered for privacy. Thankfully, since his condition was stable and she was an expert iryō-nin, no one else entered the room when she was there, which was nearly all the time, except when she rotated sleeping shifts with Sasuke and Naruto. She could've used her clones, but nothing rested the mind like sleeping in her own body. Not even Tsunade-sama had tried to convince her to go home. Maybe because she knew she wouldn't listen until his eyes opened and he recognized her. She kissed his forehead and returned to the window. Tonight, it was her turn to stay.
She gazed out the front of the hospital bathed in the soft evening light, watching the outside world through a gap in the white curtains. She didn't want to sit in the armchair again, nor lie on the conjured sofa. She had too much energy, and nothing or no one to spend it on. Hours passed as she reflected on how much had changed, and yet how familiar Konoha still felt. Some buildings were new. Others had been repaired. New shops had opened, others had closed. New civilians walked the streets. New genin, new chunin, new jonin. New names etched into the memorial stone. She couldn't believe she was already sixteen and hadn't even celebrated it with her tea-…
She sensed it instantly. She froze like a statue, realizing Kakashi was waking behind her. The moment she had longed for since her return and the news had reached her. And yet, in that exact instant, she felt utterly unprepared to turn around. It had caught her off guard. Again. She had imagined their reunion countless times. The hospital had shattered every mental rehearsal she'd created. Now she didn't know how to react.
"...S-Seina?" Kakashi called weakly behind her, his voice hoarse from disuse.
She didn't need to see his face to sense his astonishment. She could hear it in his voice. Like he thought he was dreaming. She turned to him, gathering her courage. Kakashi tried to sit up painfully, but failed. Before he could strain himself further, she was at his side, gently pushing him back down onto the mattress. His mismatched eyes—one grey, one black—locked onto hers as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"It's me," she said, choking back a sob. "I'm back."
Silence fell as Kakashi processed her words and her presence. She watched him swallow hard and collect himself without looking away from her, almost like he feared she might vanish.
"You have no idea how many times I wished I could see you again," he said, his voice trembling. "I nearly lost my mind. You have no idea..."
"Oh, my love. I know. I'm sorry. Every single day I wished I could be with you," she confessed, brushing his hair, watching his eyes flutter shut under her touch. "But now I'm here. You don't have to keep torturing yourself in ANBU. You can come back with me."
Kakashi let out a sound, half-laugh, half-sob, at her open admission that ANBU had been his self-inflicted punishment, his way of numbing the pain. He opened his eyes, smiling for the first time.
"This last time... I thought I'd never see you again," he said, taking her hand and cradling it in his own.
"But you're here," she whispered as she leaned over him, "and so am I."
She pressed her lips to his. He closed his eyes the moment they touched. At first, the kiss was gentle, just a soft meeting of lips, until she felt his tongue brush against her mouth for the first time. She opened to him without hesitation. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, kissing for real for the first time. She didn't care that it was in a hospital, while he was still recovering. In those exquisite minutes, she lost all thought. All she could feel was his hand on her face, his tongue on hers, his lips kissing her again and again, as if he'd never let her go.
When they finally pulled apart, her breath was unsteady, and Kakashi's warm breath lingered against her lips. She gave him one last kiss, then kissed his jaw, his cheekbones, his forehead, his whole face. But she knew there were more practical things to do. Like giving him some water through a straw, and making sure he was okay. She let him sip slowly, never breaking eye contact with his amused gaze as he reclined against the pillows, smiling with the straw still between his lips.
"The verdict?" he asked.
"You'll survive."
"Perfect. Come here," he murmured, tugging her even closer, as though she wasn't already sitting beside him on the bed.
She ended up lying against his chest, careful to avoid the freshly operated areas still tender to the touch. His bare arms wrapped around her, and she felt the strong line of his jaw resting gently on the top of her head.
"I can't believe how long your hair's gotten," he murmured, running his fingers through it.
"It's been three years. You'll have to get to know me all over again."
"...And yet, you're still wearing it."
Seina lifted her left hand. She looked at the ring he had given her. The same ring she had protected with spells and hadn't taken off in three years. The ring that, for now, only the two of them could see.
"I told you yes. I haven't changed my mind. Have you?"
"Of course not," Kakashi said, lifting her chin so he could meet her eyes. "In case you hadn't noticed… I love you."
She froze when she heard it. In all the letters and their previous dates, Kakashi had never said it out loud. Never. He had told her he was in love with her, but he had never uttered the magic words. She had started to believe it would take some time to hear them, to be honest.
"Why now?" she finally asked, her voice slightly trembling.
"Because if I had read that you loved me too in a letter, while you were so far away for so long... I would've lost the last bit of sanity I had left. I needed to say it to your face. To look you in the eyes, and I don't want to wait any longer," he confessed. The hand under her jaw stroked her cheek as they looked at each other. "Seina. I love you."
She felt tears spring from her eyes at the confession. All the feelings she had kept in check thanks to Occlumency burst out all at once.
"I love you too, Kakashi. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
She saw him blink, trying to hold back tears, but he couldn't hide the shine in his mismatched eyes. Finally, he took her hand and kissed the ring before giving her a short kiss on the lips.
"I don't want to wait any longer," she confessed, almost pleading.
"Neither do I. Will you marry me? Soon?"
Seina almost choked at hearing it again, but when she saw the seriousness on his face, she realized it wasn't a joke. Maybe she had gone completely crazy, but… she nodded, feeling happier than she had in a long time.
"Yes. I do."
Kakashi's lips crashed into hers suddenly, catching her off guard. She laughed into his mouth, feeling his smile.
"Say it again," he asked, kissing her face.
"I do," she laughed again. "As soon as you're out of here, if you want."
"Seriously?" he pulled back to look at her face. "Usually, those things take a while to plan."
"It doesn't have to be a grand ceremony. We'd just need to rent a venue, the catering, and clothes. I can easily handle the tables and all the decorations."
"We could use the Hatake clan compound," Kakashi said after barely thinking about it.
"Are you sure?" she asked, caressing his face and hair.
"I don't want to keep running from that house. We can renovate it and have the wedding there. That way, I'd have something happy to associate with the building," he said, holding her tightly against his chest.
"Alright."
They stayed silent, taking in everything they had just discussed. Kakashi closed his eyes, resting a bit from the coma while she sat by his side, her body lying against his chest, in his arms. She didn't know how long she spent stroking his chest and the arm she could reach. Probably quite a while. A knock on the door snapped her to full alert. Kakashi squeezed her against him for a second before relaxing his arms. She knew he was giving her the choice, but she didn't move. The moment Kakashi seemed to understand that, his arms tightened around her again.
"Come in."
It was the Hokage, accompanied by Jiraiya, who hadn't left yet. She knew it by the reflection in the windows in front of her, and by their chakra signatures. They stood there, by the door, probably watching them. Seina couldn't suppress a smile as she realized hiding was a thing of the past.
"You owe me 10,000 ryo," Jiraiya said to Lady Tsunade.
She let out a snort of laughter, turning her face away. She saw Jiraiya's amused expression and Tsunade-sama's exasperated one. Still, she seemed more pleased than annoyed.
"I was wondering when this day would come."
"You knew?" Kakashi asked, not too surprised. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Kakashi, no one asks to rejoin ANBU the same day they separate from someone they care about unless they're feeling something deep," Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Besides, maybe you thought you were fooling me, but I've seen the way you look at Seina a thousand times with those lovesick puppy eyes. At first, I considered stepping in, but I saw it wasn't what some might think… If it had been any other kunoichi Seina's age, well, it would've been very different."
Seina snorted again, a touch of sarcasm in her laugh. That drew the Hokage's attention.
"Don't think you can fool me either," she pointed a finger at her. "You've been hiding something from me. Lucky for you, I love you like a daughter."
"Then you won't mind marrying us," Kakashi announced, the damn troll.
Tsunade-sama choked as Jiraiya's jaw dropped. Seina was still processing her mentor's declaration. Did she really see her that way? She started to smile as she realized how loved she was.
"Now that I wasn't expecting!"
"I didn't want them to find out without you here," Seina said to Kakashi when he turned to look at her.
"Wait a minute! What do you mean, getting married!?" her pervy sensei asked, utterly stunned.
"Kakashi proposed to me," she smiled, raising her left hand so they could see the ring she no longer had to hide. "Of course, I said yes."
"Minato would kill me if I let his princess get married before she turned forty!" Jiraiya sobbed.
Tsunade-sama smacked him before walking toward them, closing the door behind her. Seina pretended the nearly two-meter-tall man wasn't crying like a soap opera character while Kakashi just laughed.
"Congratulations, Seina, Kakashi."
"You should see the look on those idiots' faces!" Jiraiya exclaimed, snapping out of it.
"Idiots?"
"He means Sasuke, Naruto, and Itachi. And Kisame, once the rumour gets to him," she rolled her eyes, ignoring the muttered 'land shark.'
"You have to tell me everything," he grinned mischievously, tucking a long lock of hair behind her ear.
"You two are adorable," the Hokage beamed. "And by the way, don't think I haven't seen your face, Kakashi. No wonder Seina agreed to marry you."
Seina stayed the rest of the morning with Kakashi, helping him recover. He'd need to start with light training for a couple of weeks before resuming his usual routines. Missions were out of the question for now. That same day, Tsunade-sama discharged him.
"You know it's been two years since I've set foot in the house?" Kakashi said. "I couldn't do it."
"And now?"
"Now I just want to go home. With you."
She leaned in to give him a short kiss. She laughed against his lips when a hand in her hair refused to let her pull away. She said nothing more, but she had heard the difference between "the house" and "home" when he talked about a place without her versus with her. Unconsciously, or maybe he knew, Kakashi had given himself away about what he truly considered home.
"You have to get dressed, and we have to get out of here."
"I always thought it'd be the other way around," he grinned shamelessly as she pulled the sweater over his head.
"Maybe next time," she said, winking at him.
They heard the quick footsteps of someone approaching the room. Seina pulled down his sweater just as she straightened up, turning toward the door. Luckily, she didn't have to kill anyone. It was Guy.
"KAKASHI!" he shouted as soon as he saw him awake, turned away from the door.
Seina handed him the mask, knowing he wouldn't turn around until his face was covered. Guy, however, was staring directly at her. He raised an eyebrow.
"He's probably wondering what's going on," Kakashi said as he turned in bed. "Hey, Guy."
"I came as soon as I heard," his eternal rival declared with a serious face. "I'm glad to see you awake. And with Seina."
Seina smiled as Kakashi hugged her, pulling her close under Guy's stunned gaze. She saw Kakashi's raised eyebrow, the question clear in his eyes, and she nodded.
"Consider yourself invited to our wedding."
"W-W-WEDDING?!" Guy shouted and immediately burst into tears. Rivers streamed from his eyes. "I can't believe it! My eternal rival has found true love!"
"I'd like to tell Naruto and Sasuke, and the others first," she said. "Could you keep it a secret for now?"
"Count on me!" Guy exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up and winking.
Seina mentally called Sasuke and Naruto, letting them know Kakashi was awake. She got confirmation from both that they would return to the house to talk to him. While she packed the few things she had brought to the hospital to pass the time, Kakashi and Guy talked.
"Shall we go?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"See you soon, Kakashi. I wish you a speedy recovery," Guy said as he left.
"I've already finished all the paperwork. We can leave right away."
"Hiraishin?"
"Hiraishin."
She let him lean into her, holding her, and shaped her chakra in a millisecond. A millisecond later, they were home. Naruto and Sasuke had been waiting for them.
"Kakashi-sensei! You're finally awake!"
"I see you still haven't learned to use your indoor voice," Kakashi laughed, accepting a hug.
"I'm glad you're awake."
"I can't believe how much you've grown," Kakashi smiled, looking from one to the other.
Seina helped him sit on the sofa, placing the items on the coffee table. A hand grabbed hers faster than lightning. It was Sasuke, examining the ring with wide, fixed eyes.
"Is that a ring?" Sasuke asked, blinking in surprise. Then he slowly turned to look at Kakashi. "An engagement ring."
"Sasuke!" she scolded, realizing he had jumped ahead before she could explain the truth to her twin brother. Sasuke made an almost imperceptible apologetic gesture.
"NANI?!" her brother shouted, making her laugh. "B-b-but we just got here!"
"Naruto, you idiot…" Sasuke sighed. "It's yours, right?"
"Yes," Kakashi replied, clearly understanding what he meant.
"Wait until Itachi finds out," Sasuke grinned from ear to ear. "He has a major sister complex when it comes to Seina. No. Wait until Kisame finds out."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. Meanwhile, Naruto was still in shock. Seina watched him closely. He didn't seem angry, just… stunned.
"Are you telling me Kakashi-sensei proposed to MY SISTER?!" her brother yelled.
"Seriously, you never noticed Seina and Kakashi-sensei were a thing?" Sasuke asked, rolling his eyes. "You're even dumber than I thought."
"Seina! Tell me it's not true!" her brother pleaded. "You're only 16!"
"More like 136," she tried to joke, but Naruto wasn't having it. "It's true, Naru. I love him, and he loves me. We're happy together and want to get married. I didn't want you to find out like this, but I didn't know how to tell you without you losing it, exactly like now."
"..."
"I'm sorry, Naruto. Just… give me a chance to show you how I feel."
Naruto looked into her eyes, and she opened her connection with him and Sasuke. She showed them, without revealing any private moments, the truth. She loved Kakashi so deeply that it was impossible for Naruto not to see it wasn't a joke. Her brother collapsed onto an armchair, understanding just how serious this was. At last, he sighed and looked at Kakashi.
"Weren't you supposed to ask the family for permission? Isn't that tradition?" Naruto muttered, deflated.
"I preferred to ask Seina, if you don't mind," Kakashi, the troll, replied. "She's the most important one here."
"...You're right. I don't know how I didn't notice. The teme's right. I'm dumber than I thought."
"Hn. He finally admits it," Sasuke smirked mockingly, ignoring Naruto's disgusted look.
After that, Naruto didn't protest anymore. He had felt how happy she was. In fact, she couldn't stop smiling. Her face was starting to hurt. She sat next to Kakashi, leaning against his side, and he immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Sasuke and Naruto stared at them like they were watching a circus act.
"It's going to take some getting used to…"
"So, Itachi's back?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah. He's been living with us for a while now. I assume Seina told you."
"She did, but I wasn't completely sure. I'm happy for you, Sasuke. I knew you'd make it, but not this quickly," Kakashi congratulated him, stroking her shoulder with the hand wrapped around her. "Anything else I missed?"
Seina listened in silence, smiling, as Naruto and Sasuke told him in detail practically everything important that had happened while they were away from Konoha. Their training, their fights with Jiraiya, the recovery of Itachi and Kisame, everything that happened with Shisui, the stone tablet, the Uzu reform, new business deals with Suna, etc. Meanwhile, they ate food she'd prepared with her clones, unable to leave Kakashi's arms while her brothers talked. Kakashi shared what he could, too, though his missions were highly confidential, so he spoke less by comparison.
When they finished talking, it was already dawn on the seventh day since their return to the village. Kakashi had been resting for days, so he wasn't sleepy, and the others were too full of energy after weeks of doing nothing to want to sleep now that he was back. So, no one went to bed.
"When will you be ready to go on missions again?" Naruto asked as they had breakfast. It seemed like all they did was eat.
"In about two weeks, I suppose."
"And when do you plan to get married?" Sasuke asked, knowing how impatient Seina could be.
Naruto froze. Clearly, he had forgotten. Kakashi looked at her with a smile.
"Soon."
"How soon are we talking?"
"Two weeks?" he asked, looking only at her. Seina nodded with a smile. "Two weeks."
"WHAT?! B-b-but planning a wedding is complicated! Isn't it?"
"Not really, Naru. We already have the place; it just needs to be cleaned. We can hire a restaurant for the catering. All we need to buy are clothes and send out invites."
Weddings in this dimension weren't traditional Japanese weddings per se. A priest was required, yes, but also the Hokage since the village was a military dictatorship, after all. Shinto traditions and rituals weren't typically followed, especially since many ninja had lost one or both parents by the time they got married. What was customary, however, was the purification ritual: exchanging vows and drinking three cups of sake to represent the union of body, mind, and spirit.
Kakashi would need a kimono with his clan's emblem, and she'd need to buy or alter another feminine kimono to change into after the wedding, starting in the traditional white bridal kimono. Other than that, there wasn't much else to prepare. But…
"We need to talk, Naruto," Kakashi said with a serious, if slightly amused, expression, as if he'd read her mind.
"What? About what?"
"I don't know if you remember, but I'm the head of my clan. Until now, I haven't carried out most of my duties since the Hatake clan was technically considered extinct, but that's going to change. Once Seina and I get married, she'll become the matriarch of the Hatake clan, leading alongside me—which means she'll no longer be part of your clan," Kakashi explained. "She'll take my surname, not yours."
Naruto, who had been learning for months about the protocols, responsibilities, and duties of being a clan leader, understood immediately. He looked at her, piecing together why she had done it, besides naming him her heir. He raised an exasperated, irritated eyebrow when he realized she planned to marry Kakashi and hadn't told him. Still, it passed quickly when he saw her smiling.
"I see. I guess we'll also need to talk about a clan alliance."
"Exactly. I need to know Seina's individual alliances and talk with you as the future head of the Uzumaki clan."
Seina explained her personal alliance with the Nara clan, as well as the Uzumaki-Uchiha alliance, which would be revised to include the Hatake clan. Through her, the Hatake clan would receive a third of the Land of Whirlpools and all the businesses on the island owned by Team 7. Kakashi reviewed the documents she had already prepared.
They spent a while discussing what the Hatake clan would bring to the Uzumaki clan through the marriage and alliance. Until recently, following the death of his parents, Kakashi's clan had run a high-end dog breeding business. Unlike the Inuzuka, the Hatake used dogs for personal summoning or sold them to nobles looking for purebred companions. Kakashi's own ninken had been bred by his mother before she died, though the business collapsed after his father's suicide and his own early enlistment as a ninja.
"Why don't we do this?" she said finally. "We could restart the Hatake family business in the Land of Whirlpools. The dogs would be safe there, under trusted supervision."
"Mmm… That's a great idea. I'd have to train a few civilians, but it could work. I'd just need to visit occasionally to make sure everything's running smoothly and that the puppies are well taken care of," Kakashi agreed with more conviction. "I like that idea."
They finalized the alliance. Kakashi would reimburse the Uzumaki clan for her initial investment so Seina's third would officially pass to the clan as her dowry. That way, nothing changed in terms of ownership, but Naruto would need to invest less Uzumaki clan money into Uzushiogakure. Additionally, if the Uzumaki or Uchiha clans wanted a dog for summoning or companionship, they'd get priority access to the Hatake dogs at 50% of the usual price. Also, because Seina had a new kekkei genkai that would benefit her new clan, she agreed to fulfil missions for the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans for free, though that would have to be renegotiated if their children inherited her abilities.
She watched as Kakashi shook hands first with Naruto, then with Sasuke. The wedding would be on November 1st. Originally, they had considered the 11th, since it was traditionally considered the most auspicious date for marriage by priests, but it felt too far away. She didn't mind, but she wasn't going to get married on the anniversary of her birth parents' death. It didn't hurt to remember October 31st anymore, but she wanted to respect them in silence. Getting married the next day was a bonus, something happy to mark the occasion.
"Well, now we just have to decide who to invite."