Chapter Text
For something so fucking bad, people seemed to stock plenty on canned corn. Kakashi mused turning the offending object in his hands. He considered throwing the thing away and pretending he never saw it for 5 whole seconds. He just sighed, dropping it alongside his humble pile of supplies in his small bag. Beggars weren’t choosers after all.
He dropped the next three cans with the same resigned disappointment.
Beggar wasn’t exactly the word to describe him though. Perhaps a stray dog would be more fitting. Sniffling around trash for scraps in this hellhole of a world. Eating off whatever he found to survive. Scrawny and aching for a bath. One could only stand so many wet tissue paper showers. No use crying over such things now. Besides, Naruto even seemed to enjoy being the stinkiest child around.
Speaking of which.
“I told you to not go stuffing strange things into your mouth.” He said without even turning. Just opening another cupboard in the hopes of finding anything but corn.
The shocked surprised noise from behind confirmed his suspicions.
“It’s not strange!” The boy pouted in reply.
“Stale food isn’t good for you.” No corn, just more rotten food. He closed the cupboard, settling for a drawer instead.
Naruto mumbled something under his breath in annoyance. He should be thankful Kakashi was there as his impulse control. Lord knows how fucked up food poisoning was from the things left at these houses. And actually the both of them as well, since 2 months ago Naruto had decided to shove a box of poptarts into his mouth when he wasn’t looking. Kakashi could’ve easily mistaken it for a new mutation of the epidemic. That wasn’t something he wanted to remember. Ever again.
Kakashi closed the drawer of cutlery with a shudder. He crouched down, trying the cupboard under the sink, some people keep good food there, right?
Or rubbing alcohol… huh… lucky.
He felt the boy approaching him, listening until he was standing behind.
“Senseeeei” kakashi could hear the grin in his face. He wouldn’t drop the stupid nickname, would he.
“Yes?” He asked, trying to seem as uninterested as he could. Naruto just stood there giggling. He sighed and turned slightly, then a little more as The boy decided to stand on his blind side.
“What is it?”
“This is NOT spoiled!” He declared triumphantly, thrusting his find into Kakashi’s face. The man leaned back slightly trying to see what he had brought.
Cup ramen.
Huh… reaallly lucky.
How did Naruto keep doing that.
“That’s nice.”
“Nice?!” The boy exclaimed in offense as Kakashi got up, dusting his pants. “This is gold! You know there’s nothing better than ramen! You are just jealous I’m such an amazing finder!” He said in his whole 7 year old vocabulary.
“Well, well. One day is ramen, the other rats. It’s how this goes.” Kakashi patted his head as he passed by, bag once again slinged over his shoulders. Naruto grimaced at the memory.
“It was one time!” He hurried to walk along Kakashi, who had several centimeters of leg over him. Kakashi simply smiled behind his surgical mask. Dodging overturned furniture and heading off the tiny cabin, holding the door open for his little companion. He glanced over the trashed up interior, trying to see if he missed any spot.
“Got everything?”
“Yup!” The boy answered.
“Remembered your water bottle?”
“Shoot” he heard him swear as he ran back inside. Returning a few seconds later with his bottle in hands. Kakashi gave him a playful smack in the back of the head as he passed by and Naruto answered with a ‘hey!’ And a scowl. Ah, children… was he glad he had none (no offense to Naruto, he loved the boy, really).
He glanced over empty streets. Sundown would come soon, they’d have to start setting camp as soon as possible, lest they have to walk at night to look for a safe resting place. Next house would be the last stop. He started walking and Naruto kept pace by his right. Stepping over debris and the usual trash.
It was stressful, looking over a 7 year old in what was kind of the apocalypse. Naruto was loud and curious and didn’t seem to have any notion of what was really dangerous. He liked to explore and go head first and that certainly was a strain on Kakashi’s panicking heart. But he also had an endless energy, keeping Kakashi on his toes and making him find joy in the simplest things on such harsh days. Naruto was much like his parents in the end. And Kakashi wouldn’t have lasted this long without him.
They reached the front door to the next shitty house. Kakashi glanced down at Naruto, watching the kid nod at him as they started once again their practiced routine. Kakashi reached for the machete strapped to his back, turning it in his hands as he laid himself flat against the wall to the entrance. Naruto huddle close to him, hands on a kitchen knife. A dangerous thing for a child to be carrying, but much safer then leaving him empty handed in case something came at them. Or at least he hoped. He slid against the wall until he stood by one the windows. Leaning over, he tried peaking into the home. It was dark, only the sunlight coming through to illuminate small patches of the room. He slowly raised a hand, rapping his knuckles against the wood and waited.
There was no response.
They walked around the house. Repeating the process for every window they found.
The first floor seemed clear. He glanced at the boy once again, blue excited eye staring back as he nodded in encouragement. Kakashi pushed open the backdoor, and then a little harder as it got stuck on something. He heard the noise of things being dragged as he pushed. Looks like some toolboxes fell over in front of it. He waited a second in place, watching for any moment before stepping in carefully.
He extended his arm behind him. Making sure Naruto was still far away to not get hit by him but close enough to be able to run to him in case something came from behind.
He walked slowly, eye always covering every corner of the room before proceeding. He pushed open another door. Eyes first, listen for any noise, look over corners, move. He was looking into a kitchen now. Unlit and covered with a layer of dust, looked empty. From where he stood he could see partially into the living room, through the archway a few feet away. The front door, a reclining chair and… a pair of legs. Someone was lying on the floor.
He raised his hand and heard as Naruto stopped moving behind him.
Kakashi reached for the counter, reaching for a plastic salt shaker left there. He silently shuffled into the room. He beckoned for Naruto and instantly the boy glued to his leg. He leaned over, looking under the counters just to make sure. He held the boy’s shoulders, moving him until he was somewhat hidden by the fridge.
“Stay.”
The boy nodded feverously.
Kakashi moved again, salt shaker in hand. He slowly moved towards the archway and threw the plastic thing into the living room. He watched it hit the floor and roll. The legs didn’t move. Nor did anything else.
He took a step forward. Machete ready.
Another.
Another.
A man laid on the floor in his pajamas, blood splattered around him. Revolver in one hand.
Dead.
Look around, hear for movement.
Nothing.
He glanced back to Naruto who watched him expectantly. He nodded and the boy relaxed.
“Search the kitchen for me, will you?” He smiled.
“Yosh!” The boy smiled back, getting to work.
He walked into the living room fully now, crouching down next to the man. Some just couldn’t take the pressure. He could understand. He took the gun from the man’s hand and checked the chamber. Empty. Huh.
He threw the thing back into the floor and took the destroyed blanket from the reclining chair, dropping it over the body for when Naruto passed by. No need to put more ugly images into the kid’s brain.
Well, time to get to work.
“I will search the halway. Shout if you need me.” He told the kid.
“Same goes for you!” Was the always loud reply.
To think he and Naruto would fall on such dynamic.
In a different world, Kakashi would be avoiding being around the boy at all costs. Not because of him in specific, that’s just how Kakashi was. A loner. Or a coward. Minato always bugged him to go out more, make new friends, live life a little. But Kakashi was stubborn and difficult and he’d stomp his feet and convince himself this was for the best. And Minato would have that smile on his face despite the worry in his eyes and he’d ask him to at least stay for dinner, since Naruto loved hanging out with him so much. After all he was the cool kinda-big-brother figure with the spiky hair and the weird books and Kakashi never really got why.
Perhaps it was just in their genes. The kindness. Not the fiery stubbornness to not let Kakashi sulk on his own.
That was definitely Kushina’s genes.
He opened the door in the end of the corridor. He searched for anything moving, and when nothing did, he looked again. It was the master bedroom. A big undone bed stood in front of him. If he got rid of the disgusting covers and laid a few if their blankets over… it’d make a comfy bed.
He was making his way around it when he heard a noise. A muffled thump. He raised his weapon instantly. It didn't come from the corridor. It came from the other door in the room. He silently walked closer. Listening for any other noises. He couldn’t hear anything else.
He really hoped it was just an animal.
He grabbed the handle, twisting it slowly and pushing the door open. A pool of blood had dried in front of the door. And as he pushed he could see more and more of the small room. He could see the toilet, the shower curtains, and when he spotted the woman in the nightgown, turned away from him, blood soaked robes and hair, he barely gave her time to screech as her empty eyes turned to him. He raised his machete and in a single movement her head rolled on the floor.
He watched for a second, her dark blood seep through the ceramic tiles. What an end to a family.
He stood a few more seconds. Not really thinking. Trying to really not think.
And the moment was gone. He left the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
The house was clean. They could spend the night.