Chapter 41: Enjoying Life

The SHIELD safehouse in New York just near the headquarters was a rare haven of calm for Kakashi and Clint who lounged on a battered couch, surrounded by empty pizza boxes.

The scent of melted cheese and pepperoni hung in the air, and Kakashi, now a month into his SHIELD tenure, was practically worshipping the greasy slices.

He'd never tried pizza during his brief stint in Hell's Kitchen—but now, biting into a slice loaded with extra cheese, he was smitten. 'This stuff's a masterpiece,' he thought, his eyes crinkling with delight.

'Forget ramen; this is my new obsession. Sorry, Ichiraku, you've been dethroned.' He grabbed another slice, savoring the gooey perfection. 'If I'd known Earth had this, I'd have dimension-hopped sooner.'

Clint, sprawled beside him, noticed Kakashi's enthusiasm and grinned. "You're eating that pizza like it's your first love, man. By the way, What music do you listen to, Kakashi? Gotta have a soundtrack for this feast."

Kakashi swallowed, his tone casual. "Don't listen to music."

Clint's jaw dropped, his slice pausing mid-air. "What?! That's a crime! Not even Japanese stuff? Like, samurai rock or something?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled, amused. "Nope. Never got into it." 'In Konoha, I was too busy dodging kunai to care about tunes.'

Clint slammed his pizza down, his expression one of mock horror. "We can't have that! You're getting a music education, stat. Let's start with my favorite—'In the Shadows' by The Rasmus. It's a banger."

He grabbed his phone, his enthusiasm infectious, and queued the song.

Kakashi didn't have the heart to refuse—Clint's excitement was pure energy, 'Fine, I'll humor him.' The song kicked in, its pulsing beat filling the room:

> *Oh, oh, oh, oh

> No sleep, no sleep until I'm done with finding the answer

> Won't stop, won't stop before I find the cure for this cancer

> Sometimes, I feel like going down and so disconnected

> Somehow, I know that I am haunted to be wanted

> I've been watching, I've been waiting

> In the shadows for my time…

Kakashi leaned back, letting the lyrics sink in. The raw emotion, the drive to keep fighting—it hit harder than he expected.

'Not bad,' he thought, his eye crinkling. 'Feels like my ANBU days, always chasing something just out of reach.' Despite only recently mastering English, the song's intensity resonated with him.

"Not bad," Kakashi said aloud, his tone understated but genuine.

Clint grinned, tossing a crust at him. "Told ya! Stick with me, and I'll have you headbanging in no time."

Before Kakashi could retort, the door swung open, and Phil Coulson strode in, his suit crisp despite the late hour. "You boys enjoying yourselves? Good, but I hate to break up the pizza party. Director Fury's got a top-priority mission for you."

Clint groaned, slumping dramatically. "Man, if Fury wasn't paying us stupid money, I'd tell him to shove it. Can't a guy enjoy a slice in peace?"

Coulson smirked, unfazed. "Take it up with the boss. Let's go."

---

Fury's office was a stark contrast to the safehouse's warmth—cold steel walls, and Fury himself standing like a sentinel. His expression was grim, his single eye locked on Kakashi and Clint as they entered.

"We've got a situation," Fury said, his voice cutting like a blade. "Two high-value targets in Budapest: General Dreykov, head of the Red Room, and a Soviet officer overseeing a tech shipment. Intel suggests Dreykov's running the show, and the Red Room's top operative, Black Widow, is on-site providing security. Your mission: eliminate Dreykov and the officer."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, his mind sharpening. "What's the Red Room?"

Fury's gaze didn't waver. "Soviet-era clandestine program, now Russian. They take young girls, train them into elite spies and assassins—Black Widows. Ruthless, skilled, and loyal to Dreykov. It's a brutal operation."

Kakashi had already read through the history books so he was familiar with Soviet, the cold war and the two world wars.

Kakashi's thoughts darkened, a bitter edge surfacing as he heard about red room. 'Sounds like Hidden Villages, raising kids as weapons for their own agendas. At least this world hides it behind closed doors.' He smirked beneath his mask, a dry chuckle escaping.

'They have Child labor laws here. Wonder what they'd say about me joining military at five. Probably lock the Hokage up for war crimes.'

The irony wasn't lost on him—Konoha's child soldiers were celebrated, while this world pretended to be above it. 'Same game, different rules.'

"And Black Widow?" Kakashi asked, his tone neutral.

Fury pointed at Clint, his voice sharp. "Suspected to have a Russian super-soldier serum. Expert in martial arts, deadly with weapons, and—fair warning—she's got a reputation for using her looks to disarm. So keep it professional, Barton."

Clint flushed, raising his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm not gonna flirt with her! I don't want my junk cut off and stuffed back in me by some assassin chick. Besides, I've got a girlfriend—you know that!"

Kakashi chuckled, his eye crinkling. 'This guy's too easy to rattle.'

"Yo, relax, Hawkeye. I'll keep you out of trouble."

Fury's expression didn't soften. "Barton, you're senior on this. You're in charge. Eliminate Dreykov, the officer, and any Soviet soldiers under his command. But no engaging other Russian forces—we don't need an international incident. The chopper's waiting."

"Yes, sir," Clint and Kakashi said in unison, saluting before heading out.

--------Author Notes---------

Thankyou Kevin Miller, David Romero and Sahil Malik for supporting me!

You can read the next 12 chapters on my pat*reon. Enjoy the chapter!

https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6

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