Chapter Text
In the week following their lovely time together, a lot happens.
Most importantly, days-long meeting is called to discuss a multitude of topics with the other kage.
It may have Naruto and all his friends bursting with excitement at the thought of seeing old friends, but Kakashi is, after all, one of the kage in question. Sure, he is fond, or at least tolerant, of the other four kage, and looking forward to seeing their faces, but he is still overwhelmed with the sheer pressure of being hokage.
He has sat at his desk a number of times and simply stared at the wall, thinking to himself something to the effect of, "I'm the hokage. Holy fucking shit. Jesus christ. What the fuck." Hell, he's been at the supermarket or in the bathroom when he is overcome with the crushing weight of his responsibilities.
'Minato would be proud,' he thinks, 'Obito would be, too- so would Rin, and so would Dad.' The thought gives him a bittersweet feeling that tugs at his heartstrings. He sends it away with a cathartic sigh.
He does not look forward to the days ahead.
They will surely be stressful and dramatic. In the meetings, there will be an unending supply of tension as they discuss issues that have been eating away at everyone's nerves for the months following the war. Now that the war was over, would the shinobi alliance stay strong? No, they would need to change the concept, expand it. A peace treaty wasn't enough to keep tension at bay, and of course, the optimal situation would be everyone working together. If his hair wasn't already gray, he's sure that, by the end of this week, it would've started to turn that color.
It's so much. He doesn't feel that he has ever been good with people or making good decisions, but... on the other hand, he knows that, whatever comes after this, it will be better than what they had before. He also has the support of people around him, both ones like Gai and the kids, who reassure him and love him, and those like the responsible Shizune. She really deserves more credit for all she does in keeping the place from falling apart.
Maybe, with his comrades around, he can be strong enough; he can be what the village needs.
Another thing that happens at the beginning of this week is the return of Naruto, Sakura, and Lee from a mission. It's just in time to get home and settled before the kages arrive, and surely, they are among the ones who will want to spend time with Gaara.
Naruto may have basically killed gods, but he is still a genin. He has been spending his days, aside from the odd break (most of which, as Kakashi has gathered, he spends with Sasuke) or mission, with Iruka and a few other volunteers, studying material that is necessary to know in order to become a chunin and then a jonin. However, Kakashi has been watching this kid for years, and he still watched him now. Naruto is dedicated like few others, and Kakashi plans to promote him to jonin after he passes his next chunin exams.
Speaking of which, those things are pretty seriously fucked up, aren't they? He should probably try to do something about that. He pulls a notebook from his robes and flips to the next open page, grabs the nearest pen, and writes that down.
Anyways, Kakashi is glad that kages coming to town, no matter the stress level of the reasons that cause them to come, usually lifts the spirits of those familiar with them.
Aside from peace negotiations, there will almost definitely be some decision-making related to a certain awful, slimy human (if he can be called that) with a penchant to be rebirthed from a snake's mouth and whose name has the word roach in it. After all, the abomination of a sannin is one of the biggest war criminals of all time, a village and country manipulator, and serial child abuser and murderer. It's not like they'd just let him wander around basically free, with Yamato to watch him, or something stupid like that. If all goes well, they'll come to the same conclusion: simply, kill the bastard.
It is about 10am. Kakashi looks over his notes and documents that he has built up over the short period of him being hokage, focusing on what should be important to think of during the upcoming discussions in this week's summit. He stops intermittently to sip coffee and take deep breaths to soothe his nerves.
Absently, he wishes that Gai was here.
Even with the meetings, he will try to make time to go and see Gai, maybe on breaks during the day. Maybe, he can go with some of the kids.
Last time a visit to Gai happened, he had gone there with Gai's students. He felt awkward at first, as he doesn't spend time with all of them together much, but it ended up being nice. Tenten held onto Lee and Neji's hands for most of the time, and Lee held fast to Gai's. Neji didn't talk much that day. It was likely a mixture of having his torso in a tender condition and the thoughts that were giving Neji a distant look on his face. Kakashi would've been more worried had it not been for Neji's soft smile. It stayed on the young man's lips the whole time their family-like group was together. It fits him a lot better than his bitter scowl, and it makes Kakashi glad that said expression rarely shows on Neji's face these days.
Kakashi believes that he can relate to what Neji has gone through. He, too, has been disenchanted with the world at a young age, and he, too, has found that things look brighter when you find what's truly important and value it.
He has thought back to his team a lot in such a regard. However, he knows that it's hard to stop getting lost in his feelings once he thinks about their journey. When he first met them, they had yet to find themselves at all. Where they were a year ago was split up and hurting, and where they are now is together, in the village, talking to each other like they never have before, and healing. He is so, so proud of them, and he needs to tell them so more often.
Looking past this week, Gai is bound to get out of the hospital soon. He can move better nowadays. He gets stronger all the time. Although his leg causes him great pain nearly every day, Kakashi expects that Tsunade will clear him to go home. It excites Kakashi, thinking of how happy his partner will be, and it certainly excites Gai himself even more. Kakashi misses being able to see him as often as he could before, misses Gai surprising him with a visit, and he wants it back. He wants to see Gai happy like that again. Gai is not unhappy about all of life, but Kakashi isn't called Gai's eternal rival and best friend for no reason; he knows him, and he knows how to read him. Kakashi can see in Gai's face that he is hurting, and maybe even a little depressed. Gai looks better in those moments where Kakashi smiles at him, touched his face, kisses him, but he can not take away what is hurting Gai, no matter how much he wants to.
Kakashi is one big ball of stress. He stands up and stretches his back with a groan before sitting back down again and starting today's load of paper pushing. He may as well put this energy to good use.
He takes his rounds around the village during his break time. He wants to see his kids when they come back.
He waits at the gates.
He hears a familiar voice laugh from outside the gates and feels three recognizable chakra signatures approach. The gates open, and he sees the three teenagers he had been expecting.
"Kakashi-sensei!" They all yell at once, charging forwards to meet him. Kakashi's eyes widen for a split second, as they are a slightly frightening sight, but he smiles genuinely and waves to them.
"My precious students, and Lee, of course, I'm glad you made it back safely."
"Sensei, you came to meet us at the gate!" Sakura pipes up first.
"Of course I did." Kakashi put his hand on his hip and the other one pointing up in the air. "I wouldn't miss your arrival for the world."
Sakura smiles and Lee looks both deathly serious and tearfully touched.
"Aw, Kakashi-sensei, you don't hate us after all," is Naruto's response. Said boy steps forward and gives Kakashi a big hug.
"Hey, what gave you that impression?"
Naruto doesn't answer Kakashi, and instead just says, "I love you, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi feels a pull at his chest, and replies softly, finally hugging him back. "I love you, too, Naruto."
"Kakashi-sensei-sama!" Lee cries from behind naruto. He apparently can not decide on an honorific, and ops for both. "So touching! I am honored to be met at the gate by you! I will remember this moment always."
Kakashi laughs awkwardly. "Ah, Lee, it's not such a big deal..." Sakura giggles and moves in, joining the hug. "I almost always meet you guys at the gate, you're so silly." He hugs Sakura, too, nonetheless. "I guess it's been a while, and I haven't bothered to know Lee's mission schedule..."
"Can Lee join the hug?" Asks naruto, after figuring that Kakashi is done speaking. He looks up at Kakashi with pleading eyes.
"Uh..."
Lee looks shocked. "I don't have to if it would be uncomfortable! I don't want to be intruding." He bows his head.
"Of course he can," Sakura answers instead. "Lee, come on, join us!"
Lee looks from her to Kakashi for more assurance that it's alright for him to do so. Kakashi gives him a tired smile, and Lee rushes forwards at the invitation, capturing all three of them in a strong hug. All three of them groan at the way it bends their ribs, but it's still nice.
"Thank you! You three are truly a beautiful team! And sasuke, of course, but he is not taking missions right now, and therefore not here. Either way, it means a great deal to be a part of this."
"You're always welcome to be a part of it, Lee," Kakashi points out, "You're basically family already."
"Really?" Lee grins brighter than the sun, and Kakashi can't help but return it, though to a lesser degree.
"Really. I mean, Gai and I are already-" Kakashi almost says together, but stops himself. "Well, you know, we're already family, so everyone on your team has ended up being family, too." Kakashi considers this for a moment before adding, "It's nice, isn't it?"
They all agree, and soon, they all follow him back to his office to give reports before continuing on with their days.
"Slow down!" Neji urges his teammate. His chest feels tight, as it has for a while now- ever since after the war, after it wasn't just pain- and he follows behind his teammate. He has an exaggerated frown on his face. It doesn't actively hurt, but he doesn't like to strain himself when avoidable.
Tenten, currently a few feet in front of her teammate, doesn't look back to him. "Walk faster!" She retorts, voice chipper yet scolding.
Neji sighs and picks his pace up slightly, though still walks behind her.
They have places to be, that is, one place, which they must not be late to, lest a certain best-friend of theirs be disappointed. They promised to go out for barbecue with him after he returned from his mission. They would have met him at the gate like always, but Neji's appointment had overlapped with that window of time.
After saying their goodbyes, Kakashi had returned to taking his rounds of the village. Part of his rounds took him to Konoha hospital, and there, he would meet Gai. He smiles at the thought and made a small, happy hum to himself.
As he nears the building, he spotted two familiar faces.
"Kakashi-sensei!" He hears Tenten call out. She waves to him, and Neji looks up in his direction. As they approach, he stops walking and smiles to them. Neji looks good, he notices; his skin has more color and warmth in it, and his eyes look less tired than they did a few weeks ago. Everyone had looked quite drained after the came back home, especially those who had experienced loss, injury, or both.
"Ah, Tenten, Neji, funny seeing you here."
"Not really," says Tenten, "we just came from the hospital."
"Oh! That makes sense." Kakashi chuckles at himself.
"Is that where you're going, Kakashi-sama?" Neji speaks up this time.
"It is. By the way, I did see Lee back from his mission, if you were wondering about him."
"Yes!" Tenten smiles, and so does Neji. "We're meeting him for lunch right now." She pauses for a split second, a thoughtful look on her face. "Are you visiting the hospital for your rounds?"
Not wanting extra attention drawn to the fact that he would be visiting Gai, specifically, he nods. "That's right." He doesn't add on, as his train of ends under Tenten's scrutinizing gaze.
"So, you're not visiting Gai-sensei?"
That causes Kakashi to blanche. "Auh- well," a nervous laugh and a wave of his hand, "of course I'll be seeing him. You don't really think I'd miss seeing him, do you? He is my eternal rival- or something- after all..." he hopes that he hasn't dug himself deeper.
"Hmm," is Tenten's reply, but then, she smiles, and gives Kakashi a small bow. "Well, have fun you two! Come on, Neji." She takes his forearm in her hand.
Neji also bows towards Kakashi, a shallow dip. "Take care of each other. And have a nice day, Kakashi-sama."
"'San’ or something is fine... but thank you. Have a nice day yourselves, alright?" Kakashi sets his hands on each of their shoulders in a kind few pats. They smile at him, and he smiles back. "Now be careful out there, kids!"
Neji nods, and Tenten waves once more before they leave in the opposite direction from Kakashi's destination.
It warms a part deep in his heart to see them now, to talk to them like they're his own students; it's a part of him that, recently, has been warmed more than it had been in a long time.
He heads inside of the hospital, then, and spends a little longer than his schedule allows enjoying the presence of Gai. He sits with him, tidies his room, listens to him speak about how he’s recovering. He can tell that Gai is antsy to get out. It’s a matter of days, now, and Kakashi hopes that he can be there for him when he does.