A/N Here it is: the final installment of Crow's Feathers. With a beautiful picture to the side, made by a good friend of mine :) And yes, there will be extra chapters after the epilogue, as promised.
"Uncle Kakashi!"
Kakashi laughed when he was almost knocked over by the boy. He lifted Ichiru and smirked at the boy's attire.
The child was wearing a wide black jacket over a white shirt. A hitai-ate was tied around his forehead, but it was much too large and kept sliding off.
Ichiru lifted up the headband to keep it in position and huffed when a few strands of hair fell over his eye. "Did you come to visit?"
Kakashi smiled. "I came to talk with the Kazekage. I wanted to see how your training is going and I'm going to marry your mother."
Taryn, who had stepped outside upon hearing the commotion, had caught his last words. She gave a nervous laugh and her cheeks turned red. "All of that in one day?" she asked.
Kakashi looked at her with a warm look in his eyes. He put down Ichiru. "Go play. I need to speak with your mother."
Ichiru glanced at Taryn, who nodded at him. "Go on." He hurried out the gate, a big smile on his face.
Tayn turned to Kakashi nervously. Suddenly he seemed uncertain.
Taryn sighed. "Come," she said. She lead him towards Itachi's grave where she sat down.
Kakashi scratched his neck nervously as he sat down next to her. Now that the word was out, he wasn't sure how to start, but it was Taryn that spoke first.
"He always wanted for me to be with you." She was staring at the gravestone, avoiding his eyes.
Kakashi stared at her stunned.
Taryn took a deep breath. She had never wanted to say that out loud, but she had let it slip nonetheless. She bit her lip. "Ever since that time he came to Konoha, after the Third..." she paused, not sure how to continue.
Kakashi closed his eyes. He remembered a comment Itachi had once made to him regarding Taryn. He had believed the Uchiha was taunting him, but perhaps he had just been trying to gauge his reaction.
If he had already known he would die... if what Taryn was saying was true... Was Itachi trying to make sure she would have someone to lean on?
But why him?
He cleared his throat. "Are you gong to take his advise?"
Taryn's head snapped in his direction. She took a few sharp breaths. "Ichiru's name is Uchiha."
Kakashi sighed. "I know. I don't care about that. I'm not asking you to take my name. I don't care if you call yourself Uchiha. I just want to be with you."
"I can't come to Konoha with you." A hint of regret sounded in her voice.
"I know," Kakashi said, "that's why I'm moving to Suna."
Taryn blinked. "But you're Hokage."
"Not anymore," Kakashi said, "I found someone to replace me."
"Who?"
Kakashi smiled. "He always said he'd become Hokage."
"Naruto?" Taryn asked surprised.
Kakashi nodded. "I've been preparing him for the past four years. He's ready now."
It was silent for a while.
"Sasuke left," Taryn said.
"What?!" Kakashi's eyes went wide, "What did he do?"
She shook her head. "He didn't do anything wrong. Gaara gave his permission." She looked at him sadly. "Ichiru knows the truth."
"They had a fight," Kakashi understood.
"Yeah," Taryn sighed, "but they made up, sort of. It's not why he left. He just... needed to move on."
Kakashi nodded. "Will he come back?"
"I don't know," Taryn answered. A slow smile made it to her lips. "It does mean I have a room available. No one is using it at the moment."
Kakashi blinked as he processed her words. "Does that mean... you'll let me stay?" He barely dared to hope.
An amused twinkle filled Taryn's eyes. "I guess so... for now."
"For now is all I ask," Kakashi smiled and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
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A/N Thank you all for reading. Please don't forget to check out Clash of the Brats, a collab with Amaterasu. It has more of Taryn and her students and also Amaterasu's team Hisayo and her students.
The sequel to Clash is also being posted right now ^-^