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Kakashi has never been one for holiday parties. He detests them, really - making small talk, dodging the mistletoe that always seems to be hanging everywhere, the gift exchange he never knows what to get for... He would much rather stay at home with his dogs and drink alone. It's his own tradition, what he's spent the last thirty or so years of his life getting used to, but Sakura was not a woman used to hearing the word no, and she had sent Tenzo to his door to force an itchy green sweater over his head - not even bothering to pull his arms through, trapping them at his sides - and drag him to her apartment.
He suspects Tenzo may have trapped his arms on purpose, not giving him any chance of escape. It was fair - last year he had gone to great lengths to avoid the party, no one was going to give him that chance again this year. So he grudgingly follows Tenzo through the thick layer of snow that had blanketed the village overnight, ducking his head to avoid the confused stares of the villagers who clearly were not expecting to see their Hokage being led around by the sleeves like a dog on a leash.
He makes a mental note to punish Tenzo with an appropriately boring D-rank mission that would take several hours to complete on his next day off.
At least, that's his plan, until he realizes that they aren't going to Sakura's apartment - they're going to Tenzo's house.
"What's going on?" Kakashi asks, brows furrowing when Tenzo turns his head to look at him. This is not what yearly tradition dictates.
"Sakura decided we should do something a little smaller this year," Tenzo answers, tugging on his sleeves to keep him moving as they walk up the path to his door, the sound of raucous laughter and a feeling of warmth wafting over them before it even opened. "She did her party with everyone else earlier. This..." He pushes open the door, revealing the members of team seven, all wearing horrendous sweaters and clutching steaming mugs, sitting in front of the fire and laughing at something Naruto had said. "This is just for us."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto is the first to notice him, abandoning teasing Sasuke and setting his mug down, vaulting over the back of Tenzo's couch to wrap his arms around Kakashi in a tight hug, immediately backing away when Kakashi shifted uncomfortably. "We were starting to think you weren't coming - well, Sakura and Sasuke both thought so, after last year, but I told her that maybe you were just too busy last year so you'd make it up to us this year and I told you-" he rounds on his friends, pointing his finger at Sasuke dramatically "-you should really listen to me, because you were wrong, stupid, I am right sometimes-"
"Don't mind him," Tenzo murmurs, chuckling and nudging Kakashi further into the room so he can close the door. Naruto is still going on about it to Sakura, who is shaking her head in defeat. "Sasuke and Sai didn't do a very good job of keeping him away from the eggnog-"
"He wouldn't listen to me," Sai protests, clearly a little tipsy himself as his drink sloshes over his fingers. Rolling her eyes, Sakura goes to fetch paper towels, reaching out to squeeze Kakashi's arm in greeting on her way back to clean up the mess. "Then he got Sasuke drinking, and I couldn't say no with both of them glaring at me-"
"I can see that," Kakashi replies dryly. Now that he's here and Tenzo is no longer dragging him along, he takes a moment to free his arms, sliding them through the sleeves and adjusting the sweater. He studies his team, in various states of drunken disorder and all positively glowing with happiness, and feels a warm sensation wash over him - a feeling he can only describe as home.
Allowing himself a smile, he takes the mug that Tenzo offers him and joins his family in front of the fire.
If this was going to be their new holiday tradition, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.