#couple project

Ino had grown quite a bit since the end of the War, maturing and becoming the head of her Clan just as Shikamaru had had to do with his. Of course, as a well-organized kunoichi she still found time to take care of the flower shop and work as an active ninja. In the meantime, Kakashi was having difficulties staying awake during a morning meeting at the Hokage’s office.

“Hello, Ino” he greeted with a small smile. “I was deciding about what to take for my garden.”

“Oh, so Gai-sensei and you have finally decided to bring some color to the backyard? That’s great news!” she said with a happy tone as he checked what the Hatake had in his hands. “I see that you took some vegetables seeds, do you need help knowing how to take care of them?”

“Not really, my father and I used to cultivate them when I was a kid, and I kept at it until I joined the jounin barracks, so I should be fine with them” he explained, turning then his body to point towards the fruit trees in the small greenhouse. “However, I would appreciate your help choosing a tree.”

The Yamanaka nodded, moving to the back of the shop to show him the options he had looked at a few minutes before.

“Well, being your first one, I would recommend an apple tree, and if you actually want apples, you’ll need to take two so they can pollinate. I would make you a discount, don’t worry. Also, I wouldn’t take the seeds, but one of our medium pots so hopefully in a year or two you’ll have something that looks like a real tree.”

“Mm… I guess it’s a good option, Gai likes apples.”

“Gai-sensei loves anything that is healthy” Ino laughed.

The Hatake smiled and nodded in agreement. Decided to follow the kunoichi’s advice, he used his hands to make two clones and made each one of them take a pot with an apple tree to the front desk.

“Anything else I can help you with, Kakashi-sensei?”

“Well, I had also thought about buying some flowers, both for growing in the garden and to bring to Gai today.”

The expression on the Yamanaka’s face became soft and a nostalgic smiled appeared on her lips.

“It’s fun to see how you don’t hide your feelings, sensei, with Asuma-sensei he always tried to convince me the flowers were not for Kurenai-sensei.”

“Of course he did” Kakashi laughed.

As the girl continued to help him with his decisions, they kept talking about the Sarutobi and remembering him. It felt nice to hear how much his students still loved Asuma, proving he had done a great job raising them.

The Hatake almost had to create a new clone just to open the door of the house, as the other two were carrying one pot each and his hands were full of bags with seeds and smaller pots with other plants. Thankfully, his amazing skills as a shinobi helped him to turn the key by using the strength of his left thumb and pinky.

“Gai!” he called as soon as he entered and made the clones disappear. “Can you come to the entrance? I need some help with the shopping!”

His partner was not as far as he had thought, as he heard him probably transferring from the sofa to the wheelchair in the living room around the corner.

“I didn’t know we needed to go shopping, rival” the other man commented as he approached. “You should’ve told me so I could help from the beginning, I still can… What is all this, Kakashi?”

The taijutsu master had cut himself midsentence as he took in the small green forest that had just invaded the entrance of their house. The Hatake could only smile at the surprise.

“This is your new project” he explained as he left the bags he was carrying over Gai’s lap, “or ours, if you would like for me to join. You commented the garden was a little depressing a few months ago, remember?”

Even if with a confused expression, the other man moved his arms to hold the bags in place.

“Well, rival, I appreciate the intention, but I must continue with my rigorous training if I’m going to recover soon, so I can’t…”

“You can, Gai, and you will” Kakashi interrupted him, this time with a serious tone. “You know what the doctor said; you’ve actually worsened your condition by exceeding your limits, so you should take some time to recover and focus on other things. There is more living beyond training, Gai.”

He added the last sentence in a lower tone to try and hide his feelings, but as attentive as his partner was, he noticed them anyways. Even if they had finally recognized they loved each other after the War, since starting his rehabilitation Gai had put all their activities on a halt, whether they were challenges or even sex. To say Kakashi had started to feel their relationship cooling down was an understatement.

“I…” the taijutsu master mumbled, voice slightly shaking. “I’m sorry, rival. You’re right, I should not force my body that much, I promise I’ll try to do better from now on.”

The Hatake just nodded in silence, turning then around to take one of the apple trees. It would be a while before they got actual apples, but the thought of seeing something grow as years passed in the house he once shared with his father and now did with the man he loved, brought him happiness.

“So… About the garden” Gai started a few seconds after, probably wanting to change the tone of the conversation to one lighter. “I see here you bought a lot of things, are you sure we’ll have space for everything?”

“Yeah, I think so, and if not we could move the flowers to the front yard, I guess” Kakashi explained. “Will you want my help, then?”

“Of course, rival!” the other man exclaimed. “We could even make a challenge out of it, see who can dig the wholes faster! And on the long road whose plants grow better!”

“Mah, Gai, this is going to be our garden, let’s not make a competition of who has a better green hand” he huffed. “Although I’m up for the other suggestion.”

“YOSH! It’ll be a challenge, then.”

Suddenly full of energy, the taijutsu master rolled himself straight to the back door that gave access to the garden, letting the bags in the porch and coming back to take the other apple tree before even Kakashi could’ve crossed half of the hall. Only once everything was out did he remember about the last item he had bought at the shop.

As Gai inspected the leaves of the small trees, the Hatake bended down next to the bags and took out from one of them an almost black tulip encased in a long plastic box for conservation.

“I got you something else” he commented as nonchalant as he managed.

His partner frowned as his sight left the trees to focus on the object he was offering him, eyes opening widely upon seeing the flower.

“Rival, it’s beautiful!” he exclaimed as he took the tulip with incredible delicacy. A few seconds passed while he admired the present, his face becoming red after a bit. “Do you, uh, know what a black tulip signifies, Kakashi?”

“Well, unless Ino lied to me, I would say it’s ‘eternal love’” he replied, smiling over the blush that had started to appear in his own face. “It suits us, don’t you think, eternal rival?”