kakashi whoās always edging very very close to the Hatake part of his heritage. Except the bulk of those instincts tend to kick in around puberty which is far after his dad kills himself. Heās smart and can read the signs + put the pieces together from his own reactions (and the cookbooks he finds in his clan library that give recipes for human hearts) but he denies himself anyway.
Hes spent too long among non-clan and itās the ultimate taboo, even for shinobi. It doesnāt stop his mouth from watering every time blood splatters on his face though. It doesnāt stop his teeth from aching with the need to rip and tear and shake something weaker than him by the throat until it goes limp and he can tear the skin off and shove his face into the gore andā
He denies himself. But as a Hatake he needs it. Physically needs it. His chakra is weaker than it should be. His muscles donāt respond as fast as they could. Heās essentially starving himself and he feels the hunger pangs every day. His body doesnāt look starved by any means, but he feels it bone deep anyway. (And how horrifying is it that a man as strong as him is the weakened version of himself?)
Time passes and he keeps on denying himself. Thereās times where heās tempted, he knows it could have helped during the war, but he never gives in no matter how much he wants.
At this point itās less about the taboo and more about how his teamāso grown up and powerful now, no longer needing his protection even if heāll always give it to themāwill react and how his friends will shun him if/when they find out.
That is until he goes with Naruto on their first mission together in a long time and from the corner of his eye sees Naruto wipe blood off his lips after a fight.
The thought sticks in his head and refuses to leave. The images overlap every time he looks at Narutoās smiling face and all he sees are bloody red lips and a satisfied smile.
Naruto was the one to collect the bodies after the fight. Naruto left to do it without a scratch on him. Naruto came back with bloody lips. Naruto came back satisfied. Naruto didnāt eat dinner that night. Narutoāno. No he wouldnāt do that. Would he? It must have been a split lip he missed.
They get paired on another mission.
Kakashi wordlessly accepts as Naruto offers to take care of the bodies again. He scans his face and hands for any blood but thereās nothing. He even grips the bodies by the bloodless parts their shinobi uniforms as he drags them away.
That itself isnāt unusual. Itās traditional for one person to burn the bodies away from the others just out of sight.
Butā¦it takes longer for Naruto to come back than a simple body burning needs. Especially for someone like Naruto who could use his wind nature to fan the flames ever hotter.
When he does come back, thereās the same languid satisfaction etched into the shape of his half lidded eyes.
Thereās no blood this time, but when Naruto gets closer to say that heās done, thereās blood in the scent of his breath. And itās not Narutoās blood either.
Itā¦well it doesnāt change much actually. Naruto still acts the same as he always has. Still talks and smiles and laughs as easy as he breathes. Still looks at him like heās worthy of his care and attention.
Kakashi tries to forget about it. He really really does. Just because Naruto can do it doesnāt mean he can. He doesnāt deserve to. He doesnāt deserve to eat and feel satisfied when so many of the ones he loves arenāt around anymore because of him. Naruto thoughā¦heās blameless. Practically beyond reproach. Not like kakashi is. Not ruined like he is.
Bloody lips. Half lidded eyes.
He starts to see them in his sleep.
They get another mission together. Then another. And another.
Theyāre a good team. A great one even. Not just because kakashi was his teacher, but because something animal about them lets them read eachother seamlessly. Itās like a dream come true for kakashi tbh. Never has he had a teammate work so effortlessly with him.
After the fifth time Naruto takes care of the bodies and skips dinner, Kakashi finds himself making a morbid game of it.
He doesnāt just go for the quickest kill shots anymore.
He leaves the hearts undamaged for one group. The throats untouched for another. Leaves the livers and kidnies of the next.
Gives Naruto his choice of what to eat.
And when it takes almost twice as long for Naruto to come back, feasting on the flesh oh so lovingly spared by Kakashiās hand, part of him preens at it.
Naruto likes it. He loves it if the way he acts afterward is anything to go by.
He stops using his chidori as much too. It fries the heart and after a few missions, heās pretty sure thatās Narutoās favorite part to eat.
Kakashi wants and itās not just the meat his teeth ache to sink into.
Climax where everything culminates in Naruto getting hurt one day and his chakra not healing him how everyone expects it to.
He needs flesh. Human flesh.
Just like the Hatake did. Just like kakashi does.
So he goes out and hunts missing nin.
Kakashi takes down the first A ranks he finds, drags their bodies into the old Hatake compounds, and butchers them right on the kitchen counter.
He even cuts the pieces into little cubes and puts it all into a cute bento box. Or three.
When he gets to the hospital, Narutoās only half aware on the bed.
When kakashi offers the bento box, Naruto gives him a grateful look, but judging by the twist of his face doesnāt find the thought of food appealing at all right now.
Itās worse than he thought.
So instead of dropping the bentos off and disappearing like he planned, kakashi pops open the first container and watches as Narutoās nose flares and blue turn dark and hungry with realization.
Kakashi offers the bento again, but all Naruto does is stare.
Kakashi opens the lid fully and pulls out a bloody strip of liver, watching as Narutoās eyes track it.
He puts it in front of Narutoās face and the blonde finally moves.
Only he doesnāt grab the strip like kakashi thought. He eats it right from Kakashiās hand and only pulls back to watch him with expectant eyes.
Kakashi almost whines as he grabs another piece.
Narutoās eats it from his hand again, this time his teeth grazing Kakashiās thumb. The sharpness makes him shudder.
By the time the last bento is empty, Naruto is making happy noises low in his throat and licking at Kakashiās wrist until the blood trailing down it is long gone
It takes Kakashiās hazy mind too long to realize Narutoās licking right over his pulse point.
But once he does? He doesnāt hesitate to slit his wrist and let Naruto lap up whatever he wants.
Hed do anything for him. Anything.
If he thought feeding Naruto some random missing nins was Heaven, clearly he was a lost and misguided man.
Because nothing could possibly be better than watching Narutoās eyes grow half lidded and satisfied over his blood. Than feeling his tongue run against Kakashiās skin, insistently keeping the wound open for his own pleasure.
It was bliss. It was perfection.
