Demon's Path

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.... and Miaka is a character created by my friend Katie, whom is gracefully allowing me to use her.

".." -dialog
'...' -thoughts
*...* -what they're really saying

Chapter 5: Convenience


"I'm worried about her," Kakashi sighed heavily over his drink.

"You're always worried about her," Genma chuckled. "You've been worried since before you two started dating."

Kakashi sighed again and let his head fall onto his arms. "She doesn't love me."

Gai patted the silver haired shinobi on the back. "Worry not. There is much indecision in women, but the spring time of youth always prevails!"

Kakashi glared incredulously at the green garbed ninja before falling back on his arms. "Whatever."

"She's still hung up on him?" Genma asked.

Kakashi nodded. "Unfortunately. I mean, she even calls out to him in her sleep!"

Ryuo patted Kakashi on the head. "Onibashi's a freakin' masochist. I swear, ever since he left she's been on a rampage."

"She wants to find him," Kakashi grumbled. "That's why she's so determined."

Ryuo shrugged. "I don't know how you do it, Hatake. She better be some kind of goddess in bed if you put up with all this crap."

Gai seemed offended. "Ryuo! It is uncouth to speak such a way about Kaishi-chan!"

Ryuo rolled his eyes. "Please! That girl has to be a demon in the sack. She's got that whole 'I'm a bad -bad girl, will you punish me?' thing going for her."

The three ninja stared at Ryuo as though he'd just sprouted another head. Of course, had that happened, it would have said something just as crude and perverted. It was then that Asuma returned to the table with more sake. "What'd I miss?"

Kakashi shook his thoughts free. "Nothing, Ryuo said something profound."

"What was it this time?" Asuma asked.

Gai stood, causing the table to shift and screech across the floor, pointing at Ryuo. "You are a despicable example of ninja! Never should you sully dear Kaishi-chan's name that way again!"

Asuma sighed. "That bad, ne?"

Genma shook his head as he retrieved his toothpick from the table where it had fallen from his mouth. "I really wonder why I hang out with you, man."

Ryuo seemed confused. "What? What'd I say?"

Kakashi slapped a hand to his brow. "You're further proving why you should never beget offspring. Nariko must have the patience of a saint."

Genma nodded. "I don't get that either. How is it that you hooked up with sweet little Nariko?"

Asuma sighed as he sat. "Another mystery of life, I'm sure."

Ryuo rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm just saying that Hatake must be still with her for some reason if she's still hung up on Uchiha."

"So, automatically, that means sex?" Genma asked. "I mean, it's one reason, sure. But you didn't have to talk about it like that."

Gai waved about madly. "You all underestimate the power of love! Kakashi must love her and she him for their staying together!" he shouted.

His companions all looked to him like he was an idiot. "Didn't we just establish that Kaishi doesn't love him?" Genma inquired. "Plus, he never said he loved her either."

Ryuo sighed. "Just furthering that its the sex."

All eyes turned to the red head. "Just stop talking, Ryuo. It'll help everyone," Asuma grumbled.

"What? What'd I say? Someone tell me!" Ryuo protested.

Genma shook his head. "So what is it, Kakasahi?"

Kakashi sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I care about her..."

"But you don't love her the way you think you should," Genma finished.

"A relationship of convenience," Asuma concluded.

Kakashi groaned. "When it started. She needed someone to talk to. Just needed someone there. Then it all turned into sex and we were suddenly in a relationship. Not to say that the sex isn't great!"

Asuma grinned. "She's got that whole 'mysterious' quality about her."

Genma nodded. "Plus, she's hot."

Gai moved about in exaggerated surprise. "We should not speak of Kaishi-chan so crudely!"

Ryuo grumbled. "Oh please, you think she's hot too."

Gai blushed for a moment before taking is seat again and clearing his throat. "Kakashi! How is Miaka doing?"

Kakashi's head lifted. "Huh?"

"That's right, you took in Shakaku Miaka, ne?" Genma added.

Kakashi nodded. "Hai."

Asuma grinned, understanding their tactics. "Oh hai. I've been curious about her. She has to have potential to get your attention."

Kakashi nodded slightly. Not quite getting what they were talking about. "She is... she does."

Ryuo seemed confused. "What do you guys care that he took on a student? I hear she's just some whiny, weak onna."

Kakashi scowled. "She's not whiny or weak."

Ryuo snorted. "Oh please! You're the only one willing enough to train the brat. And that's only because you need something to get your mind off of the fact that your girlfriend is still in love with another guy."

Kakashi tightened his grip on his drink. "That's not true."

Ryuo laughed. "She's Shakaku's daughter, a real loser at that. Nothing worse to be daughter of a nobody like him and then end up a complete failure."

Kakashi's grip was nearly breaking the glass. "Ursuai, Ryuo."

Genma watched the glass carefully. "You might want to stop, Namini."

Ryuo apparently didn't hear them. "Oh, and how she dresses! She's a little tease, that one! Probably begged you, offering sex in exchange for training."

Kakashi was suddenly on his feet and Ryuo on the floor, his nose bleeding. "DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT MIAKA LIKE THAT!"

Ryuo stumbled to his feet, his hand at his nose. "You hit me!"

Asuma and Genma shook their heads in disappointment. "Its a surprise that he hasn't been killed by that mouth of his," Genma muttered.

Asuma nodded. "Hm... baka."

Gai stood with a triumphant shout. "Ha! Karma comes to you! Speaking nothing but cruelties brings about retribution from the great spring of youth! Honor is restored."

Ryuo seemed confused. "Will you shut the hell up, you nut job! I didn't say anything!"

Genma leaned over to Asuma, a devious look on his face. "Kakashi's pretty protective of the girl, ne?"

Asuma grinned. "No wonder he has all that frustration. Wonder what Kaishi thinks of her?"

~*~*~*~

"Kai-chan!" Kakashi called out.

Kaishi paused and turned from her stance. Kakashi was approaching her with a young girl at his side. She was cute, garbed in a white and yellow, sleeveless kimono that hung to her knees, a yellow obi tied about her waist. Her red and orange hair was pulled into odangos at the top covered by yellow fabric. From beneath the kimono, Kaishi could see the high mandarin collar of a purple top. Black gloves clung to each arm, traveling to just below her elbow, secured to her middle finger of each side. She was a slight thing, and appeared nervous by how she kept her eyes on the ground.

“Hai, Kaka-kun?” she greeted back.

The girl’s head shot up, her magenta eyes wide with shock. Kaishi frowned. Obviously, this girl had a thing for Kakashi. Being the oblivious man he was when it came to his life, Kakashi didn’t notice. It was most likely a crush, and had to be squashed immediately.

Kaishi strode towards Kakashi with a sly grin on her lips. Her jealousy boiled beneath her gaze as she draped herself onto the silver haired jounin and kissed him thoroughly. Kaishi’s inner bitch snickered as she saw the crestfallen look on the girl’s face.

“You’re in a good mood,” Kakashi muttered.

Kaishi smiled. “I had a good day. Who’s this?” she asked with seeming innocence.

Kakashi took a moment to stabilize his thoughts before speaking, remember the presence of his student. “Ano... this is my student, Miaka. I’m training her for the chuunin exams.”

Kaishi looked the girl over with a slight look of disdain in her eyes. The girl was weak, probably couldn’t hold herself in a fight properly. She didn’t seem worth the energy. “Really? How... charitable of you.”

The girl’s eyes fell again to her feet. Kakashi seemed confused. “Charitable?”

Kaishi nodded. “I remember the name now, Shikaku Miaka. She’s been turned down by practically every jounin out there, hasn’t she?”

“Hai...” Kakashi answered tentatively.

“Then it is very charitable of you to take in someone who obviously shows traits that others find weak. There must be something that has potential that only you have seen.”

Kakashi seemed confused again, yet nodded. “Hai. She has good chakra control and a knack for jutsus, particularly seals.”

Kaishi’s cold eyes bore down upon Miaka as she pulled away from Kakashi. “I see,” she then turned to Kakashi, although Miaka could nearly feel the scathing look that Kaishi wished to give her. “Why are you playing around with this little girl? If you were bored you should have come to me. I need help with my training anyways.”

Kakashi’s gaze hardened. “I’m not ‘playing’ with her. I really think she has potential. As for your training. I am not interested in helping you go search for a man that raped your mind. A man, who by the way, murdered his entire clan!”

Kaishi moved back. “Is that why you cart this little fan-girl?”
*Are you trying to replace me?*

“Fan-girl? She’s my student, Kai!”
*Would you care?*

“She’s not good enough to be your student!”
*I don’t want to lose you.*

“I can choose whomever I want to teach!”
*You can’t lose something you never wanted*

Kaishi screamed in frustration. “You are insufferable!”
*You don‘t love me*

“And you are obsessed with Itachi! He’s not coming back, Kai. And the sooner you figure that out, the more salvageable our relationship is!”
*You don’t love me either*

“I am not obsessed with Itachi!”
*I know*

“You are too!”
*I wish you were*

“Prove it!”
*So do I*

“You still love him! You still hold him in your heart. So much so that you have no room for me!”

Kaishi recoiled as though hit. “Nani?”
*God, I wish I didn’t, but I do*

Kakashi sighed and let his head fall forward. “You still love him. You always have, you always will. All I am is a good lay and something safe.”
*Did you ever love me?*

“You’re so much more than that,” she whispered as she cupped his face in her hands and looked him in the eye. “I do love you, Kaka-koi. More than you think.”
*I’ve always loved you, just not the way I wish I was.*

Kakashi sighed as he leaned into her. “Sometimes... sometimes I feel like you’re with me just because it’s convenient.”
*I thought so*

Kaishi shushed him and ran a hand through his hair soothingly. “Iie. Never think that, Kakashi. Aishiteru, Kakashi.”
*So do I.*

He wrapped his arms about her, causing more pain to the red haired girl than any of Kaishi’s comments had. “Gomen nasai, I just get so frustrated sometimes.”

Kaishi nodded. “I know, I know. It’s okay.”

Only Miaka could see that neither appeared genuine as they held one another. Both seeming to look out at the distance, knowing what the other’s real words were.

~*~*~*~