Chapter Text
Kakashi had really hoped Naruto would prove to be a bad cook when he’d asked her to make breakfast for him. It wasn’t that he wanted to eat bad food, but he would feel doubly stupid if she turned out to be gifted in the kitchen after he’d spent so long refusing to allow her to cook for him. He’d been somewhat unsure about asking her to cook for him—mostly because he was still worried about poison—but he’d kept a tight grip on his nerves and followed through anyway. His conversation with Naruto about food had been very illuminating, and he was now mostly convinced that she wasn’t trying to kill him.
It would be absolutely idiotic for her to be plotting to kill him without the instruction and support of her family, and he was now confident that she didn’t. If she’d had the support of her family, they would have either provided her with food when she’d been going without due to her misunderstanding, or they would have run to the Hokage and had him intervene on her behalf. Evidence of him ‘starving’ her would have worked wonders for building a self defense case for her and painting him as an abuser posthumously.
Instead, she had suffered on her own. It was relatively compelling evidence that she wasn’t an active participant in her family’s schemes, which opened up a new line of questioning. He’d gone over the wording of the hokage’s command for his marriage the night before and had confirmed that it didn’t name his spouse, instead simply dictating that he must wed a member of the Yamanaka family. There was a chance it was an intentional bit of obscurity by the Hokage, meant to fool Kakashi into assuming he would be marrying their legitimate daughter, but there was also a chance that it was a mistake on the Hokage’s part. It was possible that Inoichi Yamanaka hadn’t wanted to send his notoriously beloved daughter to wed a madman, so he’d taken advantage of the lack of specificity in order to send a hated bastard in her stead. The Hokage might even still believe Kakashi had married their legitimate daughter.
Some part of Kakashi roiled with rage at the idea that Naruto had been sent to him as a lamb to the slaughter. The possibility had changed everything , and evidence was stacking up that Naruto may very well mean him no harm. It was why Kakashi had taken the risk and asked her to cook for him, hoping all the while that she would prove to be an atrocious cook.
Unfortunately the breakfast, which was quietly delivered by Naruto—who’d slipped away before he’d even had the chance to say anything or invite her to stay—was one of the best meals he’d ever eaten in his life, providing him with irrefutable proof that he was, in fact, an idiot. He could’ve been eating like that this whole time, and somehow that only made him angrier at the Hokage and the Yamanaka family.
After breakfast, he prepared his reply to Guy’s letter before going over the pending proposals for funding of the winter grain storage facility within his territory. By the time he finished, there was no sign of him having been poisoned. Not even the tiniest bit of gastric distress.
He sighed heavily as he was forced to admit his own stupidity and drafted a quick letter to Natsumi, inviting her to come back to work now that he was relatively certain it was safe. With that completed, he summoned his dog Uher and handed the letter off to him to deliver before going in search of his wife, unsurprised to find her still in the kitchen, cleaning the very last of the dishes she’d used that morning.
“Naruto,” he greeted her as he walked through the doorway. His voice had been quiet and neutral, but nonetheless Naruto responded with a sudden shriek of alarm, jumping into the air and spinning to face him in one hasty movement, her face blushing bright red when she saw it was only him. Her hand was resting on her chest as she caught her breath, and the placement drew his attention to the rapid rising and falling of her breasts. He had to force back the memory of how they’d looked when she’d been naked and tied to his bed.
“Master Kakashi,” she gasped, placing the utensils still clutched in her hands into the sink. “You startled me.”
Kakashi blinked, trying to remember why he’d even come to find her. It was a difficult task when he was so distracted by the pretty flush of pink across her nose and cheeks, but he managed it before the pause in conversation got to be too long. “I can see that. My apologies, I was just coming to inform you that Natsumi will be returning today. I’ll be leaving shortly to attend to some errands, so you’ll need to listen for her arrival and let her in once she gets here.”
Naruto’s face brightened and a smile spread across her face at his words. “Natsumi will be back? Oh, that’s wonderful! I can definitely keep an ear out. Is there anything else I can do for you while you’re gone?”
The girl looked disgustingly hopeful that he’d say yes, which soothed the inexplicable irritation that had filled him in response to her reaction at the news of Natsumi’s return. He had no idea how he’d ever looked at her and seen malice. She suddenly seemed almost distressingly earnest. The sight of it spawned a strange tension in his chest that must’ve been anger, though he wasn’t sure why he’d be angry about that, so he did his best to ignore it.
There wasn’t anything in particular that he needed her to do, but Natsumi would almost certainly have thoughts. “Have Natsumi walk you through the regular tasks pertaining to the manor’s upkeep. As the lady of the house you should be informed of those sorts of things. Other than that, do as you will.”
Naruto nodded obediently, looking happier than he’d probably ever seen her. It left Kakashi feeling unsettled as she rushed to agree to his terms. The feeling clung to him all the way through his final preparations for his outing, out to the car, and then most of the way through the drive to the girl’s family home. Just over halfway through the journey, the cloying emotion finally faded in deference to his focus on the day’s mission.
The Yamanakas wouldn’t be expecting him as he hadn’t sent any notice of his impending visit. It was incredibly rude of him to not have done so, but he already had a reputation for rudeness, and he’d never been the type to let a good opportunity to further tarnish polite society’s opinion of him go to waste. Watching the people who sneered and looked down their noses at him find themselves with no choice but to later defer to him was one of his life’s greatest pleasures. He was certain he’d have the chance to indulge in it today.
If the Hokage commanded that Kakashi must settle the issue of the dowry, then he’d settle it. Firmly. And while he was there, he figured he might as well send Urushi out to see what evidence the dog could find of Naruto’s treatment in the household. Nobody sent a well-loved child to a marriage they believed would be deadly, but Sakura had seemed to think the issue ran deeper than that. Kakashi needed to know.
He entered the Yamanaka Clan compound easily, his steely countenance, recognizable hair, and mask providing all of the proof the guards had needed of his identity. An extremely nervous servant admitted him into the inner residence, chattering anxiously about what a surprise this was and how it might take some time for the master of the house to make his way over as he’d been in the middle of something. Kakashi responded to this information with silence and a raised eyebrow, wondering if the doughy faced man would piss himself with terror or not.
But the servant held onto at least enough courage to keep the basic shreds of his composure as he deposited Kakashi in a lavish sitting room that was decorated opulently in the western style. Most everything else he’d seen on his journey into the compound had been of a much more traditional origin, but it seemed that for their personal abode the Yamanakas leaned towards modernity.
Kakashi waved off the servant’s offer of tea, sending the man on his way and summoning Urushi’s shadowy, uncanny form just in time for the mutt to slide out the door behind him, trusting that his mission would be carried out with the same well executed perfection Urushi always managed.
Urushi was the oldest spirit in the pack—so far removed from his time in the physical world that he now appeared almost two dimensional in his shape, his figure evoking more of the memory of something canine than anything particularly identifiable. He spoke a language Kakashi could not understand and burned with a near incomprehensible love and loyalty for the Hatake family and their pack.
He also had a soft spot for hot peppers and chicken hearts. Kakashi would never admit it, but he was one of his favorite of his dogs.
Kakashi was left to his own devices in the sitting room for just long enough that it was an obvious power play. This was made even clearer when Inoichi finally entered the room, decked out in a fine green kimono with intricate patterning on the cuffs and hems, the show of wealth as predictable as it was unintimidating.
“Kakashi,” Inoichi greeted him smoothly, a placid smile on his face. “You should have sent word you were coming. You’ve made me out to be a bad host. I had to keep you waiting here, and haven’t even had time to have refreshments prepared.” The complaints came out barbed. It was passive aggressive criticism that Kakashi didn’t bother to acknowledge.
“I’m here to discuss the dowry,” he began, wasting no time. He didn’t want to be here for longer than he had to. “I won’t be paying you a cent.”
Inoichi’s mouth dropped open in shock and his face went red as he sputtered with indignation. “E-Excuse me?!” The man sounded like he believed he must have misheard, which wasn’t a surprising reaction. What Kakashi was proposing was, of course, a terrible insult. Doubly so considering they’d already signed the contracts. Worse than insulting, it was criminal. Or at least, it would be, if not for Inoichi’s deception.
Kakashi raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Surely you don’t expect me to consent to leave the agreement unchanged after you swapped out my bride at the last second?”
It was truly impressive how quickly the family head’s face went from bright red to a truly impressively pallid white. Despite his obvious terror, the man clenched his jaw and jutted his chin out defiantly. “Everything we did was perfectly legal,” he spat boisterously, attempting to cover his fear in anger.
Kakashi smiled a shark’s smile under his mask, aware that the predatory nature carried into the exposed portion of his face just fine. “Of course. Perfectly legal. Which is why I won’t be attempting to contest the union in any way,” he drawled, taking in Inoichi’s shock at the statement before continuing on, preparing himself for the largest risk of his plan. “Everything you did was perfectly legal and done with the hokage’s knowing consent, I’m sure .” The words came out a hiss and he did his best to sound as though he knew what he’d said was untrue, rather than like he was guessing. It was a well informed guess, but a guess nonetheless.
The way Inoichi flinched in response immediately soothed any remaining nerves Kakashi had about the situation. His gamble had paid off. The Hokage hadn’t known. Likely still didn’t. Kakashi settled fully into his skin, relishing the knowledge that he did indeed have the upper hand. Inoichi did his best to recover quickly, sitting tall and proud. “We can discuss new terms for the dowry,” he allowed, visibly trying to wrest control of the conversation back.
Kakashi shook his head. “I won’t be paying you a cent,” he insisted again, reclining back into the chair with ease.
Inoichi sneered. “We cannot accept that. It would be a disgrace to our household.” And it would be, Kakashi knew that. If Inoichi’s deception remained hidden from the public eye, it would appear as though Kakashi were saying that he’d determined his Yamanaka bride to be worthless after their union. If Inoichi didn’t fight that insult, he’d appear to be accepting Kakashi’s valuation of his family. If the deception and bride swap were uncovered, the Yamanaka family would come out looking like snakes in addition to appearing disloyal to the Hokage.
“We shall quietly gift you a collection of assets,” the man continued. “You can publicly pay eighty percent of their value as the dowry, and we won’t ever have to speak of this again.”
Kakashi shook his head, unrelenting. “I won’t be accepting anything from you, and I already said I’m not paying you a cent.” He paused and began picking at his fingernails absently. “I don’t enjoy repeating myself, and I’d hate to have to get anyone else involved in resolving this dispute.”
The threat hung sharp in the air. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Inoichi hadn’t thought this through properly. He’d likely just assumed that Kakashi would kill Naruto. That would have destroyed Kakashi beyond repair, most likely landing him in prison or even on the executioner’s block. It would have gotten the Hokage his desired outcome without risking Inoichi’s legitimate daughter, and the Hokage wouldn’t have had reason to remain angry with him over the deception. At least not for long. But with Naruto alive and Kakashi in on the man’s plan, it was inevitable that the Hokage would find out eventually. Ino couldn’t stay hidden away forever, after all.
“ We cannot accept that. You cannot simply not pay the dowry,” the patriarch replied, his jaw clenched tight, refusing to surrender with the steadfastness of an idiot who didn’t realize he’d already lost. Inoichi still thought this was a negotiation, but it wasn’t. Now that Kakashi had confirmation of the extent of the man’s deception, he held all of the cards.
Kakashi’s laugh was genuine and startled another flinch from the man seated across from him. “I never said I wouldn’t be paying the dowry,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes. And that was true. He’d never said that. He was going to do something much, much worse. “I said I wouldn’t be paying you .”
Kakashi didn’t want to tell Naruto that she was a worthless bride. Just the thought of doing so had him bristling and feeling twitchy. He wasn’t sure if he was simply unwilling to imply such a thing about any woman, or if there was something about Naruto specifically that was causing the reaction. He found himself alarmingly nervous to interrogate this, so he’d decided not to. Rather than attempt to understand his feelings, he’d looked for a way to snub the Yamanka family appropriately without insulting his wife.
Inoichi’s brow was furrowed with confusion, and Kakashi didn’t make him stew long before he explained, crossing one leg up over his knee as he lounged lazily, his simple dress no longer making him look weak. Instead it made him look strong enough that Inoichi simply wasn’t worth showing off too. “I’ll be establishing an independent trust in Naruto’s name and paying the dowry into that.”
The sentence made Inoichi choke, his eyes bulging out of his head as he reeled. His hands trembled and he bared his teeth as he cried out in outrage. “You can’t do that!”
It was an appropriate reaction. A dowry was intended to provide for the non-clan spouse—the one who left their family to wed into another—in the event that the marriage failed. It was most often used if their partner died before an heir had been born and succession was routed to another relative, leaving the non-clan spouse with no choice but to return home. There were only two sorts of situations in which a dowry would be paid out in the manner Kakashi would be using. When a person’s family had been so completely disgraced that affiliation with them was avoided so as to protect their reputation and finances from the fallout, or when the person’s family could not be trusted to utilize the dowry properly.
If Kakashi did this publicly and without explanation, it would be worse than paying no dowry at all. The Yamanka clan had a good reputation, so gossip mongers would delight in speculating as to why they couldn’t be trusted with the dowry. They’d dream up any number of possibilities. Was it something scandalous? Gambling? Drinking? Were the Yamanakas secretly on the verge of bankruptcy? That, combined with the loss of the hokage’s favor when this inevitably also revealed Inoichi’s deception to him, would be a brutal blow, and Inoichi knew that.
Kakashi chuckled again, shaking his head. “I can, and I will.” He paused to let the tension stretch and settle for a moment. “But I could be convinced to do it quietly.” It wasn’t much of a mercy, but it was something . It would appear to the public that Kakashi had insulted the Yamanaka family—as well as his new wife—and that Inoichi had rolled over and taken it. Kakashi had such a reputation for rudeness that there was a chance Inoichi could spin it into something that wasn’t as devastating. It wouldn’t protect Naruto’s image to the public quite as well, but Kakashi cared more about her knowing that she was valuable than others knowing that he thought that. Besides, he’d have plenty of other opportunities to demonstrate what he thought of her worth.
Inoichi snarled, but he knew he’d been caught up in his own trap. “How could I… convince you?” It sounded as though it had hurt him to ask.
“Write a letter to the Hokage saying that the issue of the dowry has been settled to your satisfaction and that you fully accept the resolution I proposed.” It would keep the old man off of Kakashi’s back, buying him a little more time to figure out just what game he was playing at. It would also buy Inoichi some time before his deception would be revealed, though at the cost of outwardly accepting the insult Kakashi was offering via the lack of a public payment. That might rouse the Hokage’s suspicions, but he was just as likely to write it off as the result of a petty spat, especially if Inoichi played it right. “Tell him it wasn’t worth arguing with me, or that I threatened you, or whatever you need to say to make your acceptance believable, and I’ll keep my side of things quiet.”
Kakashi would treasure the look on Inoichi’s face in that moment for as long as he lived. The man was furious. Ashamed. Humiliated . His hands were trembling and Kakashi could tell his heart was racing because the vein in his temple was throbbing rapidly. His reply was more growl than speech. “ Fine. Fine, I agree. Now leave before I take your head off.” Kakashi knew just as well as Inoichi that he could do no such thing, but he stood up without arguing. He didn’t want to be there any more than Inoichi wanted him to be.
As he turned to leave a question occurred to him, and he twisted his head around to ask it. “Before I go, I was wondering, where is the daughter who should’ve been my wife?” The one whose reputation he’d erroneously placed on Naruto. He was sure they’d done something with her, lest they risk the Hokage annulling his and Naruto’s union to force the one he’d intended.
Inoichi glared, looking thoroughly defeated as he slouched in his seat. “Here,” he spat back. “With her husband, Shikamaru.”
Kakashi nodded. That was a smart solution, all things considered. “You had her married after Naruto and I, then?”
Inoichi furrowed his brow. “No, she was married the morning before. She had to be, or else the order wouldn’t have been enough to compel your union.”
That brought Kakshi up short, because it made no sense. “Why wouldn’t it have been enough?” He asked curiously, half tempted to write the strangeness off as idiocy.
Inoichi was clearly too stressed about the situation to care much about what Kakashi was asking, because his answer came easily and without thought. “Because a generic order of marriage that doesn’t dictate a specific daughter can only be used to compel a minor to marry if there are no unwed, of-age alternatives. Naruto is seventeen, so Ino had to be married first.”
Kakashi’s soul froze over and there was a strange rushing sound in his ears. Seventeen. When he’d learned that she wasn’t the intended bride, he’d assumed she was older. It had been something of a relief. Seventeen . He was barely hanging onto his composure. “Ah, alright then,” he replied, the words echoing in his empty skull. “See to it that the letter is sent and delivered by tomorrow, or the deal is off.”
Inoichi nodded with a sigh and Kakashi made his way from the room, his mind running in circles over and over again. Seventeen. Naruto was seventeen . It was only a year’s difference—maybe even less than that, if her birthday was any time soon—but it didn’t matter. The information had sent him reeling regardless.
And more than that, he realized suddenly, if the rumors of her sexual escapades were actually associated with Ino then… He didn’t want to think it. He didn’t want to have to grapple with that. He wanted to shut the thought in a box and lock it away forever, but he couldn’t force his mind to leave it. He tried to shove it away and force it down but he couldn’t—
She was probably a virgin when I fucked her. He felt sick to his stomach. He felt like a monster. He walked briskly in the direction of his car, so overwhelmed that he wasn’t prepared at all when he rounded the corner and slammed into a slight body, sending it falling backwards with a cry of alarm.
Without thinking Kakashi wrapped his arms around the person’s waist, catching them out of the air with a gasp. He looked down at them with wide, startled eyes, taking in the sight of pale, unblemished skin, hair so blonde it was nearly white, lips painted ever so slightly red, and cheeks blushing dark and innocently attractive. At least, they would be to most people. Kakashi was still mostly just hearing the painful echo of seventeen, seventeen, seventeen thundering around in his head.
“ Oh!” The high pitched exclamation from the girl now held in his arms dragged him back into his body, and he settled her on her feet as quickly as he could.
“Apologies,” he murmured, trying to step around her and continue on his way, desperate to escape the Yamanaka home. His attempt was halted when a young man rushed in from around the corner, his face creased with concern.
“Ino! Are you alright?” The newcomer hastily took her by the shoulders, looking her up and down as though she might have somehow been harmed by their relatively gentle collision.
The girl’s eyes stayed locked on Kakashi even as she breathlessly answered his question. “I’m fine, Shikamaru.” She addressed her next words to Kakashi. “What about you? Are you alright, sir?”
It took Kakashi far longer than it should have to connect the dots and realize that the girl in front of him was the one that the Hokage had intended for him to marry. As he drank in the sight of her, soft and adorned in finery, he found himself suddenly grateful for the deception. “I’m fine,” he replied briskly, stepping to the side in a second attempt to extricate himself from the interaction.
He was once again halted by the young man, Shikamaru, though this time the move appeared much more intentional. “And who exactly are you to be rushing around this manor so carelessly?” he all but snarled, puffed up in a way that would have been cute if it weren’t also insulting.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, surprised that he hadn’t been recognized on sight, what with his hair and mask being so identifying. “I am Master Kakashi Hatake. I’ve just finished negotiating the terms of my bride’s dowry and am on my way out, if you don’t mind,” he replied pointedly, perhaps naively hopeful he would be able to leave without any further trouble.
Shikamaru’s face rolled rapidly through a series of emotions Kakashi couldn’t even begin to attempt to identify and he began to look around expectantly. “Wait, then is Naruto here? Where is she?”
Based on everything Kakashi had come to expect from the members of this household with regards to his wife, it was a surprise to see the excitement and affection that was plain in Shikamaru’s expression. The man was so absorbed in his search for the girl that he didn’t notice the way Ino glared and huffed in response to the question. Kakashi noticed all of this and realized belatedly that Shikamaru must be the man Ino had wed. Kakashi quickly decided that he would do his best to keep his wife away from both halves of the couple.
“My wife is at home,” he replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest and not bothering to restrain himself from glaring.
Shikamaru puffed up again. “You’d keep her from her family? What kind of a husband doesn’t permit a woman to return home during dowry negotiations?” His challenge was clear in his voice, and Kakashi’s distaste for the man grew even deeper.
It was obvious he was concerned for Naruto. It was customary for a woman to return to her family during the dowry payment process. It was a sort of customary check-in to ensure her treatment had been in line with expectations. The fact that Inoichi hadn’t brought up Naruto’s absence had been as telling as anything else, and Shikamaru’s complaints were valid. Or, they would have been, if Kakashi weren’t already so aware of the way the girl had been treated here.
Kakashi tilted his head and looked the young man up and down. “Hmm. With a protector like you at her side, I imagine Naruto must have enjoyed a very comfortable life here.” The pointed reply had Shikamaru flinching back, his cheeks growing red and his hands clenching into fists. “You can rest assured, however, that she is being well taken care of at my estate. Day and night. So much so that she simply couldn’t be roused this morning. As a fellow newlywed, I’m sure you understand.” The smile beneath his mask was biting enough to show through in his visible eye, and he delighted in the anger he was provoking.
Shikamaru opened his mouth, likely to retaliate, but Kakashi didn’t give him the chance, inclining his head to the pair just slightly enough for it to be construed as an insult. “If you’ll excuse me, I should really see myself back to her. Have a wonderful day.” He swept past them, shouldering Shikamaru roughly out of the way and not looking back as he made his exit, only catching a brief glimpse of Ino’s still blushing cheeks, her shining eyes still glued to his face.
He discarded the observation without another thought. He had dowry papers to write up. He had a wife to get back to. Perhaps most of all, he had sins that needed atoning for.
As he made his way back to the car, he caught the flicker of a shadow in the corner of his eye. Urushi. Their psychic connection bloomed in his mind, and he was nearly overwhelmed by the flood of nameless images and smells.
A small room—hardly more than a cupboard—that smelled strongly of his wife. Thin blankets. A flimsy cot. A switch in a storeroom that was imperceptibly flecked with her blood. The family dinner table, the servant meal room, the tables in the guardhouse. None of them carried a trace of her. Nothing to indicate that she ever sat and ate at them with any regularity. A dark, cold room with barely enough room to stand and a door with nail marks on the inside. The scent of acrid fear.
Kakashi had seen too much, known too much suffering for any of this to shock him. But it did fill him with cold fury. It did create within him a steadfast resolution that no matter what else happened, this family would suffer. That he would make them suffer.
Urushi was different from the other dogs. He was older. Stranger. The other dogs could give Kakashi reports in the language they shared. They could elaborate and theorize beyond the basics of what their senses had observed. But despite the limitations of Urushi’s communication, Kakashi often preferred to use him when it came to information gathering. This mission was a prime example of why Kakashi had this odd preference. As the rush of sensory information faded, Urishi presented Kakashi with one final observation. Something that couldn’t be explained by the senses Urushi possessed. Something of which the origin couldn’t really be known. Something valuable. A name.
Iruka Umino.