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karinrumi · 5 years

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Let me Stay (KawaSumi)

Title: Let Me Stay [KawaSumi, OneShot, AU, Bodyguard!Sumire]

Status: Complete.

Rating: T+ (mild-swearing)

Wordcount: 3, 909 words.

AN: Hello, everyone! Here’s my next Kawaki x Sumire OneShot. It starts my Boruto/Naruto Rare Ships Series that includes OneShots about the recommended to me rare ships! Hope you enjoy the ride. ;)

Your clumsy author - Karinrumi ;)

She couldn't breathe properly. It didn't matter how many screams and warnings she shouted towards them, at the end of this dream they died. For Sumire, it was one of the worst nightmares.

Sumire ran over to the bathroom. She needed to take a bath due to all the sweat because of her nightmare. On her way, she tried not to vomit having in mind the scene, she witnessed in this dream.

Her closest friends death.

Of course, their death in a dream disturbed her a lot. Even more so because of the person who killed them.

She was the one that killed them. Just one push was enough to end their fragile lives.

Getting into the bathtub was a desperate attempt on her part. Sumire hoped that the water in it would wash away all her old sins, that the nightmares stop. Her therapist said they would.

Right now they didn't stop at all. Those nightmares paid a visit every peaceful night she had.

Sumire stared into the mirror, she looked terrible. The bags under her eyes and the paler than usual skin betrayed she had an awful night. She needs to take a grip since her teammates shouldn't worry about her.

She didn't deserve the friendship with Wasabi and Namida, especially after all these lies she was saying to them. Going on a mission now when she's like that wasn't the best idea. She should calm down, do something to distract herself from thinking about this dream. Yes, that's the best action she can take in this situation.

Should she call Sarada or Boruto to come over?

No, she cannot bother them with her problems, these two just started to date with each other and will end up paying attention to themselves. Besides, she didn't want to take the blame for interrupting their quality time together. In all fairness, they would be the last people she asks for help. There was the issue of her one-sided love for Boruto as well, she knew it was an unrequited love from the start, but some of these feelings still were lingering in her heart. It's not like she has fallen in love on purpose, he was just that person that saved her from worthless life by showing her his kindness.

Ironically, the kindness that saved her now makes her unrequited love painful.

As much as she hated the idea of going on a mission when her feelings were a mess, at the same time focusing on one would prove useful as a distraction. She should check if any solo requests are available, and just inform her squad she's going on one.

That should help. Maybe the time spent away from Konoha is for the best? Sumire doubted she'll be really alone though. After all, her rehabilitation included at least one person that observes she's not up to something dangerous.

Sumire sighed at the thought. Going on a solo mission seemed like more trouble for her than any other ninja in the village.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Apparently, she could go on a solo mission under the condition she's not entirely alone. Hokage never had any shred of doubt that Sumire was the skilled kunoichi. Her best guess was that the villagers and the elders are secretly fearing she'll start attacking villagers again or betrays the village.

Sumire scowled while reading the description of her mission. It was obvious they tried to play it safe by sending her on a C-Rank one.

Not to mention that protecting the adoptive son of Hokage on his way to Iwa being ranked as C-Rank mission had her alarmed to be extra careful. Boruto's adoptive brother name slipped out from her mind. What was his name again?

Kawasaki? Kawamaki?

Sumire could swear it was Kawaki, but there's no way she was entirely sure. The only thing she could do was standing in front of an exit gate waiting for the man of honour to arrive.

"Ain't you too short to be my bodyguard?"

She turned around to see the person who dared to call her short! Her spiteful glare didn't affect the man saying these cursed words. Sumire was declared a dangerous warrior, a skilled fighter, the traitorous woman, but if there was something she hated, it was being called short in any shape or form. She would be the one to deal the killing blow if protecting him wasn't her obligation as his bodyguard for this mission.

"Height has nothing to do with my capabilities." Sumire tried not to seeth from the anger she felt. Why being polite to so-called VIPS was part of her job? Punching them would allow skipping the problems they create, to begin with.

"I ain't doubting that. Name's Kawaki," he introduced himself first. Sumire couldn't deny he's a handsome looking man, but she was glad her taste in clothes isn't similar to his. Looking like a punk girl parading with bandaged breasts and the transparent jacket wasn't the image she wanted.

"Sumire Shiga-," she paused to correct her mistake. "Sumire Kakei."

"Hmm… Ain't you just a midget? I know that one asshole lady is super powerful, but you're looking less skilled than her." Kawaki smirked at her in a way that annoyed her to no end.

Midget?! Asshole lady?!

She indeed wanted a break from the people living in the village, to find a way to stop her nightmares too, but dealing with a guy that called her the midget made Sumire second-guess herself. And that usually never happened lately.

"I'm the midget that specialisation is sniping and is very efficient in hand-to-hand combat. You should be more careful in the choice of your words." Sumire dismissed for a moment his insulting comment to inform him as emotionlessly she could about her area of expertise in battle.

Then they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Venturing into the forests surrounding the village could be a pleasant experience, under the condition she wouldn't have an unwanted company. Sumire liked to be around the trees, wild animals and being on a path that makes it easier for her to hide. Konoha Forest belonged to territory she was familiar with, giving her advantage in a case of being ambushed. The only problem was that she was limited in a way due to the person walking behind her.

Sumire disliked the feeling of someone dragging her down, so do Kawaki, at least she assumed that's the case. There's no way that he didn't have any fighting skills taking into consideration he's the adopted son of Hokage. Being on the high alert never brought her down and the gut feeling she had about this whole mission being suspicious, made her watch her surroundings more. "At what you excel in the combat?" she inquired.

Surely, Kawaki should've known how to fight. When she calmed down Sumire mind turned sharp in the realisation that the man she was supposed to protect would be capable of defending himself. In other words, her mission as Kawaki's bodyguard was just a ruse, and the whole situation serves as the means to test her loyalty to the village. A trial to see if she'll backstab these pesky elders, or is there another objective she's unaware of?

"I'm glad you ain't fucking stupid. You can tell I'm well versed in hand-to-hand combat too and I dare to say I'm better than you." His answer just confirmed he's an arrogant motherfucker. Sumire wasn't impressed by his cocky demeanour in the slightest, cursing in her mind Konoha elders because she suspected they were the ones that are paranoid about her going rogue.

"You sure are cocky, aren't you?" Sumire summed up from what she gathered from this short exchange. Kawaki didn't answer deciding the silence was the best response. Great, now she even can't enjoy the peace and quiet in his presence.

If in his place was Boruto, Sarada, or her teammates Sumire wouldn't be bored while walking around the wilderness. It's not like she disliked silence per se, but the stillness, when she was with Kawaki, belonged to unbearable kind of quiet.

They walked like that at least two hours straight without rest, then suddenly stopped at the scent of a burnt body. In front of them, a headband with the symbol of the leaf belonging to their village was underneath the autumn leaves.

Why a potential enemy showed up so soon? Wasn't it the C-Rank mission?!

Sumire nodded to Kawaki in a way to signal the danger, as well get the confirmation he noticed their potential enemies. She used the hand signs feeling a flow of chakra rushing through her entire body and created a clone made from water. Water Clones were different from the Shadow Clones Boruto used in a lot of ways. First of all, she couldn't stray too far away from the copy of her body made from the water, her control over the body double depended on how she correctly calculated amount of needed distance.

Leaving the clone with Kawaki, Sumire jumped to hide in a nearby tree. One, two, three... There are seven opponents in total. The clone is standing in an overprotective manner in front of Kawaki, that's good. From this spot, it'll be easier to shoot them all with her water bullets. She concentrated her chakra around her palms then with the snap of her finger the first shot of the lethal water projectile was fired.

One of the enemy ninjas let out a shriek at the sight of his comrade dropping to the ground. She was able to shot the two others before the rest of them noticed her position.

She needs to change her hiding spot, quickly. Sumire narrowed her eyes and glanced towards her clone that still was guarding Kawaki that looked relaxed, clearly enjoying watching her dealing with these ninja fodders. "Damn, if I jump on the other tree I won't be able to control my clone," she whispered, seeing the four others head straight to Kawaki.

She didn't have a lot of time to think, so she used the tree to jump and shot the two others in the mid-air, but that left the two enemies that could still fight back. In fact, one of them threw shuriken at her while she was preparing to safely land. Gracefully landing she took out the shuriken that she was stabbed with from her left arm. She's lucky it wasn't the poisoned one. Tearing up the part of the purple fabric from her shinobi attire, she tied it around her arm to stop her blood from spilling on the soil.

Sumire wasn't a medic ninja and didn't have time to seek medical attention right now. Even the smallest trace of the blood could reveal where she and Kawaki are to the enemy. Wrapping her injury with a torn cloth was all she could afford, really.

In the background, Kawaki let out a whistle. Sumire was so caught up in the fight she forgot her mission is to ensure his safety, not hers. She messed up big time by revealing their hiding spot.

"Follow me," she demanded and hoped Kawaki will obey her for now. There was no time for idle chit-chat anyway.

Running as fast as she could Sumire tried to cover their tracks and used the shortcut to get out from the forest. In that way, she could prepare an elaborate trap for the two remaining shinobi that chased them. Breathing heavily from overusing her chakra, she decided to use her bleeding arm to have like some like to say unfair advantage.

But the real battles never were fair.

"Summoning jutsu." Summoning Nue always drained her chakra reserves, not that it was a big deal in the long run. Her monkey friend absorbed chakra from enemies and channelled some of it to the chakra reserve she lost during the fights.

Sumire: The Hawk Stealing Ninja - that's the title she received on one of her past missions. She overheard a lot of rumours about her achievements afterwards. Not that was important in the middle of two enemy shinobi getting out from the forest and falling into her trap. They didn't stand a chance against Nue at all. Her monkey companion completely destroyed any sense of dignity her opponents had.

Now, it was the time for questioning. Why ninja from Iwa attacked the chunin from her village? Extracting some information about that can change everything about the mission. Travelling to the village of the ninjas she slaughtered a moment ago was worrisome. She should report to the Hokage and ignore that Kawaki still was whistling. Puzzled by what does it mean she decided to think about it later. Maybe she scared him by showing off her skills?

Ha! Maybe now he understands midgets can be deadly.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Sending the report to the Hokage went smoother than she imagined, even if her arm hurt like hell. Sumire was grateful that Kawaki stayed silent until they got to rest in the inn. Who would've thought she appreciated something she found unbearable before? Her feelings were hard to handle sometimes, even she had a problem dealing with her own contradictory behaviours. It's not like she lacked confidence, out of all kunoichi in Konoha Sumire clearly had been the second most confident female ninja with Chō-Chō in the lead. Sure, she was acting a little bit as Sumire Kakei to make her friends happy, but confidence wasn't the issue for her.

Her one-sided love for Boruto and maintaining a friendship with Sarada is.

When Sumire realised she screwed up by telling Sarada, she likes Boruto it was too late to regret it. Blaming it on her 'white lie' to help Sarada to see she loves him as much as Sumire did was indeed her intention. Sumire never hesitated when she knew what she wanted, she headed into the charge, not wasting any opportunities. Maybe she was too bold about her emotions?

The memory of a little boy running away from her when she told she likes him as marriage playing partner came to mind. She wasn't older than five years old, but she could scare him to befriend her in that way. She went back home, and her mother gently brushed her long hair to calm her down, their only moment of being cherished by one another. Sumire had to wonder often if her confidence is too strong for other people.

Sarada looked startled like a sheepish mouse when she mentioned to her about liking Boruto in a romantic way. She was aware her love is one-sided, that Boruto loved Sarada, but what was she supposed to do? Ignore how she felt? Being in constant denial? Stop having these nightmares?

On top of that, when she tried to take a break to come to terms with her emotions, she ended up as a bodyguard for Boruto's adoptive older brother. His fucking brother that probably knows him better than she ever will be allowed to. She wanted to cry. The only reason stopping her was that she was on a mission. Dealing with heartbreak during the mission was stupid.

Breathe.

Professional, she needed to be the professional kunoichi right now.

The small hotel room without windows, two beds, a table, and the cupboard suffocated her. Who she'll talk with about these ugly reactions she recently has?

Her teammates?

No, she wasn't even able to face them and come clean with explaining the bad things she did in the past.

Boruto and Sarada weren't even an option because of her jealousy. They had something special, they had a real kind of love. Something she'll never have as long she's Sumire Kakei. So why she feels so bad about feeling jealous? She should be happy her closest friends found happiness.

Her inner turmoil broke the sound of knocking on the door.

"The door is open, you can come in, Kawaki", she said with any trace of normality she had left.

Is she really Sumire Kakei, or Sumire Shigaraki? Which version of her is the real one? She acted for so long she cannot see the difference in her both personalities at all at the moment.

"Don't you need to rest? I understand that the fucking kunoichi's in the Konoha are badass, but you're on another level of craziness than that asshole punching ground girlfriend of my bro," Kawaki let out an amused chuckle. Sumire had no idea if he was praising, or insulting her.

"I am fine. What about you? Did you get injured during our last fight?"

"I'm alright, y'know. You were the one ending up hurt in the end", Kawaki shook his head and the gleam in his eyes, made her wonder what he thinks about. Sumire didn't know Boruto's adopted brother that well and wasn't too thrilled to protect him. She planned to move on from her one-sided love, so Kawaki's presence wasn't certainly helping her in that area.

"I'm your assigned bodyguard", she replied curtly. Protecting him was her job. It's better when she's injured instead of the person she's supposed to protect. Clients are always more important than the well-being of ninja fulfilling the mission. That was how it worked.

"Ain't you tired of being the ninja? From what I've seen, you all go to seek death in the most gruesome ways possible."

She supposed it's how the civilians in the Konoha perceived the job they did as a ninja. Deep in her heart, she should be prepared to answer this formulaic question, but couldn't. It's like her voice died and the sudden recollection of her nightmares hit her in the most inappropriate moment. Sense of amusement over this conversation made her laugh at his words. In a way, he was right. People in this line of job she worked with were messed up in the head, and that included her too.

"Sometimes, I am tired. It doesn't mean I seek death, it's just my job like any other job other people have. Sure, there is a risk, but if..." Sumire surprised herself with this wave of honesty on her part.

"If?" Kawaki raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

"Nevermind. Just let me stay here with you for a moment, if you're worried about me."

She wasn't expecting for him to stay here with her, but he did. This passing feeling of warmness was enough for her to want to protect him without thinking of him as Boruto's brother. Sure, his language could be considered vulgar, so what?

Just by staying here with her, he proved to her his kindness, and she admired that trait in others.

Because she wasn't kind at all. It's enough that he lets her stay.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Travelling to Iwa on the secured route by Tsuchikage and making sure Kawaki is safe, was part of her job. Sumire tried to separate her personal feelings from her duty as his bodyguard. It took a real toll on her since she was so close to revealing all her pent-up feelings to him.

It's terrifying how fast she could open-up to him under different circumstances. Being Kawaki friend after she finished her mission didn't sound that bad, though. They found a lot of common ground and had similar hobbies. Kawaki, just like her always prioritised saving money due to his background. At first, he was very cautious but spilled everything after learning she was an orphan too. Too close for her comfort, she felt like they gravitate between eventual friendship just to backtrack and come back to a professional way of treating each other. The only question in her head during those past few days of travelling was;

Who really Kawaki is to her?

Good friend? Her client? Adoptive Brother of Boruto? Maybe something more than a friend?

If question number four makes her numb, it could only mean she's doomed.

Ninja assigned as bodyguards couldn't pursue their clients romantically in any way. From what she heard from Sarada for that very reason dating Boruto is difficult for her friend. Sumire was sure that the girl dating Boruto needed to have a clean background and be as well trustworthy.

Unlike Sarada, she didn't meet these conditions. She knew that falling for Boruto would end up with her being hurt. She still has fallen for him. For better, or worse.

The fear of falling in love with Kawaki made her space out.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kawaki spoke up after an hour of walking next to her in silence.

"I am fine. Why do you ask?" She silently prayed that her feelings won't get out. Kawaki's presence affected her greatly. Mainly, maybe it was because during those past few weeks they talked a lot with each other. The similarities they shared, the silent understanding they shared, everything they had in common makes it complicated.

It almost felt too easy to start crushing on him, open-up to him. Sumire was scared he could bring out her honest feelings, opinions, even feelings out from her.

And he wasn't doing anything special.

"You look paler than usual, ain't you? It's pretty obvious. Having a bad night?" She could swear he looked worried, not that she was better than him at reading the body language. Kawaki mentioned he learned it to avoid putting his biological father in a bad mood. Sumire didn't pry further into the subject.

They were both hanging on the thin lines of their comfort zone.

"I had the nightmares about killing my best friends," she admitted. Then a lot of things she hid started to come out from her mouth. Sumire wasn't planning it, her own voice sounded like she entered auto-pilot mode. Kawaki listened patiently commenting on things like her crush on Boruto, or the too much accurate description of her nightmares.

"Why ain't we start dating after this mission ends?" he proposed when she finished talking.

"What, why? That's so sudden." Sumire widened her eyes, surprised by his question.

"We both want to forget about our one-sided crushes, right? Ain't it an appealing offer?"

"I see. You want to date me as a rebound? Who's the girl you love?"

"Sarada."

Sumire sighed. To be honest, she suspected that was the case. In her entire life, it was clear Sarada had no eyes on anyone except for Boruto. Kawaki's feelings were similar to her own.

Yet, another thing they shared in common.

"Do you still love her?" she whispered. The silent nod just confirmed for her something important. Sumire smiled gently, her guard completely down.

It won't hurt her to give it a shot, right?

Maybe dating someone else will help her too. In a way, it's beneficial for them both. She's his rebound, he's her rebound. Just a simple mutual arrangement that she'll agree to. If something goes wrong, they can simply talk and go back to their current lives.

"I am in. Can you promise me something?" Sumire decided to make some things clear.

"Sure, what is it?" Kawaki shrugged, clearly knowing what they both walk into.

"Let me stay as your friend, even when we stop."

Yes, as long he's her friend everything will turn out alright. This mission, rebound dating and guarding him with her life. Letting her stay by his side was the only condition she had.

"In that case late my stay as your friend too."

He agreed, and that was enough to make her happy.

#KawakixSumire #Now I need KawaSumi artist and write more KawakixSumire OneShots #kawasumi #Kawaki #Sumire Kakei #Bodyguard!Sumire #OneShot #Future AU #Aged up characters #One-Sided BoruSumi&KawaSara #Hurt/Comfort #Drama #Action #Romance #Boruto/Naruto Rare Ships Series #hinted BoruSara #boruto - naruto next generations

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karinrumi · 5 years

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She’s his mechanic [KawaSumi, OneShot, AU]

AN: Because First Villian x Another Villian ship could have an interesting dynamic is my official excuse for writing this OneShot. [But the truth is @benteja mentioned KawaSumi could have a similar dynamic to EdWin on discord and at this point, nobody could stop me from writing it.] Enjoy puns and hidden Naruto references!

Both Kawaki and Sumire are older when the events of the OneShot are happening since it’s an AU. And the interaction between Sumire and Kawaki can be little OCC because as of now they didn’t interact with each other in canon.

Happy Mother’s Day for all moms around the globe and Happy Birthday for all people born in May.

Anyway, I hope it’ll be an enjoyable read.

MY MASTERLIST

Your clumsy author - Karinrumi ;)

Title: She’s His Mechanic. [KawaSumi, KawakixSumire, OneShot, AU]

Rating: M.

Wordcount: 3, 842.

Sumire cleaned the lab working under her senior colleague, Akita. She respected this woman a lot and always listened to her instructions. After all, it was thanks to Mr Katasuke that she had a chance of figuring out how to synergize with Nue.

Working with the machines and new inventions was far more enjoyable for Sumire as of lately. At first, she thought about joining the Ninja Science Department only because of Nue and when she doubted her decision Boruto's words were the final push she needed to do so.

However, when she wanted to be a ninja didn't her decision was influenced by Boruto too? But a lot of days passed without Sumire even seeing him, not to mention she found new people that were the source of her inspiration, so her enjoyment right now originated from something else than Boruto's words, right?

It was quite a while when Sumire really enjoyed something for real. Brainstorming with the team about new inventions that can basically change the entire fate of a fight, helping civilians with new tech, even simple tasks like cleaning was more enjoyable than Sumire thought it would be before.

"Sumire, could you please move this package over there?" Akita asked pointing out her finger towards the table with a label 'Prototype-Mecha-Hands'.

"Prototypes of mechanical hands? I thought we already finished making them, Akita." Sumire said in her confusion but still walked over to pick up the box and put it on the assigned table.

"Well, kind of. Finished mecha-hands are just for specific people. The main reason for it is that our finished ones use the basic chakra system." Akita's explanation was reasonable. It's not surprising the package content went under the label of the prototype products in this case.

"Eh? Wouldn't that mean our mecha-hands are mainly suitable just for the ninja? What about the citizens which chakra is hard to identify?" Well, technically the science department Sumire worked for, focused on ninja tools, but improving technology for Konoha citizens was equally important. If you took into consideration how many times Konoha was attacked in the past... Creation of mechanical hands and legs for people with hard to identify chakra could pay off in the future.

"Our tools are created specifically for the ninja, but sir Katasuke wanted to improve our mecha-hands anyway. Our intended goal is to make our product available without the need for using or depending on the other person chakra." And that's how Akita Inuzuka started to talk about the details of their new experiments with prototype products.

Immersed in their discussion like always they forgot about cleaning and after snapping out of it finished to clean everything losing half of their life span. On the lucky side of things, Seventh Hokage was late to his earlier announced visit.

Taking into consideration that Sumire planned to attack the village hurting innocent people in the process and Mr Katasuke's actions under genjutsu influence, Hokage regular visits to supervise them weren't surprising.

"Now when I think about it is there a reason why we suddenly work again on mecha-hands prototypes? We were focusing on our other project just yesterday." Sumire decided to ask Akita while waiting for Naruto Uzumaki arrival.

“You’re pretty sharp. The project we were working was postponed this morning." Akita sigh meant it was a really stressful situation for their staff.

"Why?!" From what Sumire gathered project that started just yesterday came to a halt this morning. It was unusual because when Mr Katasuke discarded projects staff was informed one week before it could happen.

"We received a special request from Lord Seventh," Akita whispered to her.

If the project was scrapped because Hokage had a special request, it's no wonder Mr Katasuke accepted it. Both her and Mr Katasuke should be happy to receive the second chance that Naruto Uzumaki was willing to give them.

"Oh... Isn't it rare occurrence?" Sumire curiosity about what Naruto Uzumaki requested just grew more when Akita asked her to make tea for the guest that was supposed to arrive one hour ago.

"Yeah, it's rare. Would you like to lead the project requested by Hokage? You've worked with us long enough, so I don't think Katasuke would be against you taking the lead." Akita tried to start the topic in the most casual, possible way.

"Could I really work on it?" Sumire question hid excitement and enjoyment that she now felt.

"Yes. Why won't you talk with Lord Seventh personally? It seems he already came." What?! Hearing Akita's words Sumire looked in the direction of the front door and saw Naruto Uzumaki smiling and waving in her direction.

"It would be great if you want to work on my request Sumire, ya know?" Naruto spoke and Sumire at that moment wanted to disappear from embarrassment she couldn't sense Hokage presence at all.

"Really, Lord Seventh? Can I?" Sumire couldn't believe her luck. It was the truth she enjoyed tinkering with machines, so working on mecha-hands was the big opportunity to work on the project she's passionate about.

"You can, ya know! I can include it to your rehabilitation record. I'll explain to you everything in detail personally." Lord Seventh ruffled her hair gently. Sumire was grateful that Naruto Uzumaki didn't treat her coldly.

"Thank you!" Sumire bowed and followed Lord Seventh to the main lab room. After all, she needs to know why Hokage requested them to work on prototypes of mecha-hands.

Naruto Uzumaki sat on one of the chairs in the main lab room and gestured for Sumire to sit next to Mr Katasuke that was surprised seeing her here.

"I took under my protection the boy named Kawaki. Some of you know it already, but he lost his arm protecting my daughter, Himawari. For now, he's using my own personal mecha-hand as a temporary solution, but it has its limits." Sumire had a hunch The Lord Seventh explanation was mainly for her and not Mr Katasuke that looked rather bored hearing this story.

Sumire was glad Himawari was safe and nodded prompting for Lord Seventh to finish explaining his request. She could tell that he had fun in being overdramatic with his explanations, now she knew where Boruto got from his storytelling skills.

"For various reasons, I want to appoint Sumire as Kawaki’s personal mechanic. I honestly believe that this boy should interact more with children around his age without trying to insult them." Naruto Uzumaki sighed.

"So not only will I be checking how Kawaki adjust to the Lord Seventh mecha-hand, but try to create a more suitable replacement for Kawaki needs?" Sumire asked. Lord Seventh gave her the report with all the information she needed. After a while of bragging how he's more popular with children in comparison to Sarada's father, Lord Seventh shadow clone disappeared from the lab.

"He could just hand us the report and save all those theatrics for later. Anyway, I appoint you as the leader for our mecha-body-parts project, Sumire. Don't disappoint me." Mr Katasuke was really serious right now so Sumire couldn't mess up things up. It was her chance to work on something she really is passionate about.

And she planned to use this chance in the best way possible.

A week passed after Sumire started to work on Lord Seventh request. She was preparing every needed thing for the first meeting with Kawaki that was supposed to come today.

In the precise moment, she wanted to question her subordinate competence a handsome, tall boy with the appearance of a delinquent entered the room without knocking.

"Yo, I came for the check-up and to meet my mechanic." From his seemingly uncaring mannerism in his body language, Sumire had a hunch it was the person Lord Seventh described in his report.

"Oh, you've arrived earlier than I anticipated. I'm your appointed mechanic, Sumire Kakei." Sumire introduced herself with the best smile she could manage. Some even could say she was sparkling during this introduction. The first impressions are important after all. It doesn’t matter if they just an act or not.

"Ain't you fucking sunshine and rainbow," Kawaki glared in her direction not hiding his suspicions towards her. Sumire seeing his reaction could sense he just like she had a difficult life. Now she could understand why Lord Seventh told her being Kawaki's mechanic can be included as part of her rehabilitation.

"Ain't you an example of a real gentleman?" Sumire raised her eyebrow accepting the challenge of showing him she wasn't either sunshine or a rainbow. If he ever develops balls to really get to learn anything about her at all.

"You scientists are always up to something shadier than my appearance," he growled. It seems despite his short temper and rude attitude Kawaki had really high intelligence and decided to accept her challenge. Sumire couldn't help but respect him for that. It's the first time when a person could see through her acting.

"I can assure you that not all scientist are shady. Some of them really want to help people using just the ethical methods. I don't know what happened between you and scientists in the past, but I intend to gain your trust and in exchange, I want for you to trust me too," she boldly proclaimed. If acting doesn't work then being honest will.

"...fine," he sighed probably thinking she was too bold and refusing her meant disrespecting Lord Seventh care for him.

After the check-up and listening to all Kawaki problems with the hand he got from Lord Seventh, Sumire noted everything down for further research purposes and subtly told him he can leave. After that, she scolded her co-worker for failing his task but giving him a second chance to fix the mess he made.

Her relationship with Kawaki is rather hard to describe, but Sumire had a hope she'll gain his trust. Especially, since they're supposed to work together from now on. At least now she had a glimpse of what to do in future. And it was her own decision, the decision she made without depending on anyone.

Buying research materials wasn't something girls around her age did. Most of them visited Konoha shopping district to buy a cute accessory, ninja tools, or fashionable clothes.

It wasn't the only reason Sumire made a long-trip to Konoha. She wanted to see both Boruto and Sarada. Double-check if the decision she made to give up on her feelings for Boruto is the correct one. Spotting them a minute later and seeing their happy banter, Sumire was sure the decision she plans to make is the right one.

It was time to stop idolise Boruto and depend on him for everything she wants to do in her life.

"Ain't you that mechanic little girl?" Sumire could swear the voice she heard was familiar.

Turning around she noticed Kawaki holding a Lord Seventh card from the Shinobi Extreme Scrolls. He looked at her with bored expression ignoring girls that swarmed around him like a flies due to his so-called 'mature charm.'

"Who you're calling a little girl? I'm the only present mature girl here," she shrugged it off completely ignoring murderous stares of other girls.

"Such pettiness. If it ain't proving you're little girl, so your other traits do." Kawaki stood up and walked over to her in an attempt to perhaps run away from unnecessary attention.

"Just because I'll let that comment slide doesn't mean I'm a little girl," she clarified.

"Yeah, yeah. Where are you going?" From what Sumire knew from the rumours it was strange Kawaki was that calm while interacting with her. Maybe the main reason for it was that Hokage gave him an instruction to respect her? It didn't mean she personally gained Kawaki's respect and trust. At least not yet.

"To the tool shop. I need some things for my research and your next check-up." Sumire felt she could be honest in Kawaki's presence. Even when she was spending time with her friends from academy days, she was acting to some degree. But Kawaki wasn't her friend from the academy, so she didn't see why she should bother with all theatrics. That guy could see through her acting anyway.

"I'll go with you," Kawaki stated with confidence. Sumire suspected it was because he wanted to make sure she's telling the truth. The more time she spends with him, she's more convinced he holds some grudge against science, or to be precise experiments.

"Suit yourself." It was the only thing she could tell. Rest of the day was filled with complete silence between her and Kawaki.

Their second encounter was more casual, they even made a small conversation. Kawaki didn't trust or respect her, but she made progress.

Sumire was aware that getting to know Kawaki will require having a lot of patience and time. Because she had a hard past as well, she probably understood it more than anyone else. Perhaps. She wasn't a mind reader, so maybe Kawaki is right in calling her a little girl.

Sumire made the first step in stopping being dependent on Boruto. Instead of her usual two-braids, she changed her hairstyle into braided-bun. She still didn't want to cut her hair to respect the memory of her mother.

"Your bun looks nice", commented Akita while they were working together yesterday. Sumire liked that change herself. It was the first change she made to strive towards her goal of being more independent.

From now on she wanted to live her own life not being dependent or completely influenced by others. She'll grow to be a beautiful, independent, confident woman that can hold her own ground. Hey, maybe she could be a famous scientist in the future?! That would be nice.

"What do you think, Nue?" she asked her first friend and companion. Sumire decided to summon this still little monkey and was happily explaining everything that happened when he wasn't summoned. Nue just nodded approving decision Sumire made. Spending time with her long-time friend really helped her to feel refreshed.

Recently her days were filled with leading some projects, doing routine check-ups on Kawaki mecha-hand and going out to Konoha shopping district to have all needed materials. She saw and initiated the conversation with her old friends but had the best contact with Denki, Iwabe, Metal Lee, Wasabi and Namida. It's strange how time can change the structure of your relationships.

"Yo, little mechanic girl," Kawaki entered the lab and Sumire sighed. Because of him 'little mechanic girl' started to be a nickname used by her co-workers.

"I'm not the little mechanic girl. I'm growing up, you know?" Well, her words weren't taken seriously by Kawaki at all. At least he didn't show his usual short-temper. He once called Sarada an 'asshole' during one of his bad days.

"You're still far from being mature. Changing the way you tie your hair up ain't changing that." This sort of conversation started to be a welcoming ritual between them. Kawaki always called her a 'little mechanic girl', she denied it by saying she's mature just for him to refute by stating she's still immature.

Sumire started to work by doing the usual check-up. It will consume some time to make it, but she created the formula for mecha-hands designed for people with hard to identify chakra.

"Ain't you too much serious today?" Kawaki chose the wrong moment to talk.

"How do you manage to talk when I try to focus and be silent when I want to talk?" she decided to ask. It was rare for Kawaki to be in a talkative mood. Sumire was usually the one that was doing all the talking.

"Don't you remember? You challenged me subtly during our first meeting. Ain't it normal I'm testing if you're really trustworthy?" Kawaki looked at her like it was the first time he's genuinely interested in how she responds.

"I suppose it is. Trust after all is something you build up just with people you want to put faith in." Yes, it was the answer Sumire reached after thinking through her past actions. She regretted them, was grateful for a receiving second chance, but the feeling of guilt welling up inside her mind never left her side.

"That doesn't mean they're good people," he scowled. Considering this conversation triggered her bad memories, Sumire was assuming it could trigger some bad memories for Kawaki too.

"In that case perhaps we're more similar than we initially thought," Sumire concluded the subject. Rest of the check-up they spend in their usual silence.

Sumire knew that she was far from gaining Kawaki trust and respect. However, now she could understand him a little bit better as a person.

Her hard work to change paid off. Not only her hairstyle was fitting for her new image of a future scientist but her clothes too. Maybe she'll manage to really be acknowledged as mature by Kawaki. She honestly doubted it, but she could always hope.

"And mecha-hand suitable for that stubborn donkey that can't admit I'm mature is finished!" Sumire happily admired the polished result.

"Ain't this sort of comments proving you're still a little mechanic girl?" Kawaki raised his eyebrow. Sumire wasn't even surprised he entered the lab without knocking. She was more worried she couldn't even notice he was here until he spoke to her.

"Oh, you're here. Good, I need to make few final adjustments." Sumire ignoring his comment meant they were going into silence mode. There was a lot she had to work on today. For example, swapping Lord Seventh mecha-hand with mecha-hand created for Kawaki needs.

After the final adjustments, Sumire was satisfied it was over. Six-months of hard work and regular check-up meetings with Kawaki to create mecha-hands designed for civilians were worth it.

"How do you feel with using your new mecha-hand? It's adjusted to your body size, so it should make your movement easier. " Sumire needed to jot down Kawaki input just in case she needed to make more adjustments.

"It feels strange using another artificial hand, but I think I'll manage." Kawaki opinion was helpful, even if he was lost in thought looking at the ceiling of the lab.

"In that case, we can limit our check-ups to two meetings every month." Sumire decided and got his approval.

"I think you'll remain a little mechanic girl, but among all scientists, I know I respect you the most," Kawaki whispered, which didn't escape Sumire's attention that this time had on her real smile.

Sumire still couldn't describe her relationship with Kawaki, but his respect towards her meant a lot. During these past six months, she started to respect him too. Though, she wasn't sure where their mutual respect for each other will lead to.

Sumire mainly worked staying the entire day inside the lab, so taking a day off felt like a strange phenomenon for her. Just like they agreed on Kawaki regularly visited the lab for check-ups two times every month. That helped them to start to be on more friendly terms.

Sort of friends. Neither she or Kawaki openly called their relationship a friendship. Even after they managed to open up a little about the past family problems they had in common.

Having shitty fathers was the things that they both shared. It's no wonder Sumire felt the need to gain Kawaki's trust. She sensed some sort of solidarity with someone who went through a hard life in relatively peaceful times.

"I didn't see you in Konoha shopping district in a while little mechanic girl." Kawaki whistled some strange tune saying his greetings.

"It wouldn't hurt you to say sometimes my name. I always am open to small changes." Sumire stretched out trying to relax.

"Ain't you usually busy?" Kawaki had his usual bored expression.

"I have a day off today. Want to go with me admire the beautiful lake near the village?" Sumire question was answered by his grumbling that she interpreted as 'yes'.

The view just like she heard was really breathtaking. Clear azure lake, trees surrounding the landscape, chirping birds and presence of not many people made this place ideal for making her more relaxed.

"Sumire." That's why Kawaki sudden use of her name startled her. The moment he did it was the moment she was caught off guard.

"Yes?" It was her automatic response.

"You're still a little mechanic girl. Calling you by name or not ain't changing that." She thought he wanted to talk about something serious, but it turned out to be his attempt to mislead her!

"I'm more mature than you think!" She went into her memorised response.

They closed the distance between each other at the same time. Sumire spaced out for a moment but before she noticed she and Kawaki was sharing a passionate kiss. She didn't have any idea who kissed who first, but at this point, she just enjoyed the thrill of it.

Both of them were wrestling with each other for a while before landing into more intimate position. Taking short breaks to catch a breath between kissing didn't stop their fight for dominance over the other.

When Sumire thought the winner of her internal fight with Kawaki will be decided by moving a few steps further, she heard familiar footsteps.

"I can't believe Sasuke won popularity contest for the coolest looking dad of the year!" Lord Seventh shouted accidentally walking into them and seeing quite an intimate position the youngsters were in.

Sumire distanced herself from Kawaki that send an angry glare towards Lord Seventh.

"Did I interrupt something?" Naruto Uzumaki let out a nervous chuckle. He wanted to appear as cool guy in front of his adopted son.

"N-No, not at all! I-I was just checking if Kawaki's mecha-hand is working without any problems." Sumire lied in her panic.

"She's my mechanic, after all, ain't she?" Kawaki lied to Lord Seventh appearing to be calm, but Sumire could tell he was equally confused by the whole situation.

"Is that so? I suppose every person feels the spring of youth just like says Rock Lee, even if it's overwhelming sometimes, ya know?" Naruto concluded scratching the back of his head.

This certainly was awkward. After a short explanation from Lord Seventh that killed the mood Sumire was in, she decided to head back home saying some sort of excuse she already forgot.

Now she couldn't define the relationship she shared with Kawaki at all. Friends weren't kissing each other in the way they did. They weren't dating either. Love wasn't out of the question, but with the type of person, Kawaki is expecting any sort of confession when they were both confused about their feelings wasn't the best course of action.

It'll take a lot of patience to define the relationship she has with Kawaki, but Sumire was alright with that. Some people need more time than others to sort out their emotions. Kawaki acknowledged her as his mechanic in front of Lord Seventh.

For now, it's enough she's his mechanic.

#Sumire Kakei #Kawaki #KawaSumi #Akita #Katasuke #OneShot #AU #KawakixSumire #Naruto Uzumaki #Romance #Slow romance

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