"Tsunade-sama, take care! Shizune, see you!"
Standing at the entrance of the izakaya, Kamizuki Hikari and Kakashi waved goodbye to the two women.
At that moment, Hikari was in an excellent mood—he hadn't had to pay for the meal.
[No wonder Tsunade loves freeloading so much—this feeling is downright exhilarating!]
[Still, I care about my dignity. There's no way I could ever be as shameless as her!]
"Oi, Hikari! Tsunade-sama is looking at you!" Kakashi nudged Hikari's arm as a warning.
Hikari looked up and saw Tsunade smiling radiantly in the distance, breathtakingly beautiful.
But why did he feel a sense of danger?
Suppressing his unease, Hikari waved cheerfully at her.
"Phew, they're finally gone. Kakashi, I'm exhausted today. Why didn't you make a move on Shizune? Don't tell me you..."
Hikari eyed Kakashi suspiciously, his gaze slowly drifting downward.
Kakashi immediately turned sideways. "Piss off! You're the one who can't!"
"Hey, lots of beautiful ladies would say otherwise about me. But you, man, you were all hyped up before we got here. Now that it's over, you're not even interested? Are you seriously letting my efforts go to waste?"
"Hold on, what effort did you even put in?!" Kakashi's eyes widened. "I was the one who paid for dinner tonight! All you did was flap your mouth, and now you're trying to scam me again?"
"Now, now, that's not how you should look at it!" Hikari grinned, slinging an arm over Kakashi's shoulder. "At least I played matchmaker. The way Shizune looked at you—her eyes were practically sparkling! All you had to do was crook your finger, and tonight you could've ended your single life. But no, you chickened out. Are you even a man?"
"Tch, I'm a respectable man. And Shizune is a good woman—I'm not sure if I can give her a happy life yet, so I can't make that decision lightly." Kakashi sighed.
There was a time he thought he'd moved on.
But only when faced with the reality did the emotions buried deep in his heart resurface, flooding his mind and swaying his judgment.
"Respectable men aren't exactly in demand these days!" Hikari shook his head.
Take his brother Izumo, for example—he'd just met Mikan, yet by that same night, they were already together.
Now that was speed. A true role model for men everywhere.
"No helping it. I am just built different!" Kakashi shamelessly praised himself.
Hikari raised his middle finger, offering Kakashi his heartfelt "blessing".
"What's that gesture supposed to mean?" Kakashi eyed Hikari's middle finger, tempted to snap it off.
"Contempt. Pure, unfiltered contempt. Don't you feel ashamed just looking at it?" Hikari didn't bother hiding the gesture's meaning.
"Oh."
Kakashi nodded, then promptly returned the favor, flipping Hikari off.
"You've got no right to talk. We're in the same boat, aren't we? No wife, no girlfriend. What, are you planning to spend the rest of your life with your right hand?"
"I have high standards for my future partner. She needs to be beautiful, have a great figure, be strong, and—most importantly—must not starve our future kids. You get what I mean?" Hikari wiggled his eyebrows.
Kakashi immediately understood. "You know, when you say that, there's only one person who comes to mind."
"Who? Kurenai? Anko? Maybe Samui from Kumo? Or the Fifth Mizukage, Terumī Mei? I heard she's desperate to get married. If I went over there, she wouldn't tie me up and drag me to the bedroom, would she?" Hikari's grin turned downright sleazy at the thought.
"Wake up—it's not bedtime yet! Daydreaming this early will just give you insomnia. Besides, Kurenai is already head over heels for Asuma, and now you're eyeing kunoichi from Kumo and Kiri? If Tsunade-sama finds out, she might charge you with treason and lock you up!"
"Kakashi~, you sly dog!" Hikari's grin widened.
Kakashi blinked. "Huh? What did I do? Everyone in Konoha knows I'm the honest and reliable 'Copy Ninja'!"
"Yeah~, right. Then tell me, where does Kurenai live? You know, don't you?"
"Over there, obviously. Don't you know?"
"Nope, I don't. In fact, I've only met Kurenai a few times. We're acquaintances at best, not close. So... you get what I'm saying?"
Kakashi's eyes lit up. "Oh! You want me to introduce you?"
"Wow, you're so smart!" Hikari deadpanned.
He'd been talking about Kakashi's situation, yet somehow the conversation had veered toward Kurenai.
Sure, Kurenai was gorgeous, wealthy, strong, and had a killer figure—but did that mean Hikari would just roll over for her?
...Well, maybe.
Even if Kamizuki Hikari was already financially independent, who could resist a beautiful, rich, and well-endowed woman?
"Something tells me that wasn't a compliment." Kakashi muttered.
Proving his brain still worked, he'd correctly sensed Hikari's sarcasm.
"What I meant was—you're the sketchy one here! Keeping tabs on Kurenai's love life, knowing her address... Don't tell me you sneak over to her window on quiet nights for a peek?"
"You're the one who peeks!" Kakashi fumed.
Was Hikari mocking his looks or his skills?
For years, women had chased him—he'd never needed to make the first move!
Hikari smirked smugly. "See? I called out your true colors, and now you're mad!"
Kakashi spat, "Tch! That's your fantasy, not mine. Don't project your filthy thoughts onto my pristine morals!"
"Sure, sure. Since you've never been caught peeping, I'll just take your word for it." Hikari shrugged, clearly not buying it.
"Whatever. Just go home!" Kakashi decided it was time to kick Hikari out. "I've got a mission tomorrow, so I'm not hosting you at my place!"
Originally, he'd planned to let Hikari crash at his place for a couple of days. But since the guy couldn't even spare his dignity, Kakashi had no choice but to put his foot down.
"Seriously?"
Hikari had already been considering checking into an inn—Kakashi's nagging was giving him a headache. But if Kakashi was leaving for a mission tomorrow, that meant he wouldn't have time to bother him tonight.
Perfect. He could get a good night's sleep.
Plus, with Kakashi gone, he could just stay at his place for a few days and save on lodging.
When it came to penny-pinching, Kamizuki Hikari was a professional.
"That's it! I'm done with you!" Kakashi said.
"Wait, hold up!" Hikari grabbed Kakashi's shoulder, preventing his escape.
"Kakashi-senpai, how could you abandon your adorable kouhai? Leaving me homeless, lonely, and heartbroken?"
Kakashi gave him a once-over, tried (and failed) to shove him off, then rolled his eyes. "Let go. Not only would I love to see you suffer—I'm tempted to kick you into the dirt!"
"Come on, don't be like that! How about I throw in an extra female illustration for your copy of my new book? What do you say?"
"You think a drawing can buy me off? You're insulting the great Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi!"
"Two illustrations—final offer!"
"Deal. But if I come back and find women in my house, you're dead."
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