Archive of Our Own

Eight months ago

"Hound."

A shadow flickered into view, kneeling before the Hokage's desk. "Hai Hokage-sama?"

Minato watched as the ANBU rose to his feet. He's hit a growth spurt since the last time I saw him. He thought, swallowing down the guilt. "You have a new assignment starting today. You are to guard Uzumaki Kushina at all times." He pushed a file into Hound's hands.

Minato watched with his chin perched on his palm as he waited for Hound's reaction. Minato grinned as Hound finished reading the details and nodded in a controlled manner, accepting the mission.

"Keep this on you and even at the slightest doubt, you are to summon me." He handed Hound a sealed kunai, the ANBU wordlessly pocketing it. "Alright Hound, you're dismissed."

Before he could flicker away, Minato smiled warmly. "Kakashi?" Hound, recognizing the tone, removed his mask as Minato's smile grew. "This is not how I imagined telling you the news but here we are. What do you think?"

"Congratulations, sensei." Kakashi strode closer to his teacher's desk. "You're gonna be a father." 

Two years into his tenure as the Yondaime, Minato had been constantly overworked, dealing with the aftermath of the war. It had been a while since he saw that spark in his sensei's eyes. "She's three months along. We have already decided the name!" Minato was brimming with pride. "It's inspired by a character from one of Jiraiya-sensei's books."

"Oh?" Kakashi stiffened, eye widening minutely, unnoticeable to the untrained eye.

"Aha!" Minato pointed an accusatory finger at him, indignant. "So you have read those perverted books!"

He sighed, scratching his neck. "Mah sensei, they were a gift. I just read it for the plot."

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Kami, what happened to my cute innocent little student? Not that!" He rummaged through his desk. "This is from sensei's earlier works. It didn't sell but it's one of my favourites."

He held out a book. Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. The pages were yellow and slightly creased; signs of a book well-loved. Kakashi flipped through the pages, quotes underlined with small notes along the margins.

"You should give it a read." Minato got up from his chair, circling around to place a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Coming back to your mission, a female jinchuriki's seal is exceptionally weak during pregnancy and childbirth. And all the nations are still recovering from the war, so we need to take all precautions necessary."

"I will shadow Kushina-san at all times, sensei. I will protect her."

And Kakashi stayed true his word. He watched over Kushina as she steadily progressed into her pregnancy. He watched as Minato ran around town fulfilling his pregnant wife's wishes. 

He watched as the Sandaime visited, warning them of the complications.

Kakashi watched as Minato took Kushina's hand on the morning of October 10th.

"We'll be back soon, Kakashi!" Kushina said, awfully cheerful for someone on their due date.

"Thank you for protecting her, Kakashi." Minato's voice was unbearably soft and proud.

Kakashi looked away. "I said I would, didn't I? I never fail a mission." He said bitterly. Even after Obito and Rin, on paper, those missions were deemed successful. Hatake Kakashi boasted a 100% success rate, no matter the cost.

Minato's eyes softened in pain, understanding Kakashi's turmoil. "That is true, but I have another request. A personal errand of sorts. For when we come back home." Minato looked like one of his young ninken, eager and hopeful.

"Name it, sensei."

"Please watch over my son, Kakashi." Minato grinned brightly, tightening his hold on Kushina. "I trust you'll make him a strong shinobi, just like you."

Present day.....

"Hound, you're not on guard duty." Chameleon hissed at the masked figure.

"I'm aware." Kakashi leaned against the tree bark. This has been his routine for the past three months now.

"But Saindaime-sama's order—" Chameleon was silenced by Owl in a hushed whisper.

"—don't want to get on his bad side—"

"—he didn't spare his own teammates who got in his way—"

"—friend killer Kakashi—"

Kakashi was used to this. The more people stayed away from him, the better.

The ANBU receded into the shadows, leaving Kakashi alone. The reinstated Sandaime had pulled all strings necessary to keep Kakashi out of this particular rotation, saddling him with long missions outside of Konoha.

Initially Kakashi had tried arguing back, insisting it was Minato-sensei's last wish. All it took was a carefully worded sentence from Sandaime to extinguish any fight left in him.

Minato had a lot of enemies. Any link between Minato and Naruto would put the baby's life on the line. You don't want anything to happen to him on your accord now do you, Kakashi?

Kakashi, bound by orders, guilt and fear, could do nothing but watch. Watch as the Yondaime's legacy was kept in a dusty, cobweb filled room, crying his lungs out.

The last mission his sensei, his Hokage, gave him.

His teacher had had big dreams for his child. To have him grow up to be a fine shinobi. To love him and spoil him to no extent. But in the wake of the Kyuubi attack, nothing survived. Hopes, lives and integrity. All lost.

All that remained now were those unfulfilled dreams.

When Naruto cried for the third time that day, Kakashi had decided he had had enough. Uncovering his sharingan, he weaved a delicate genjutsu on the ANBU, leaving behind a shadow clone leaning against the trees.

Quietly, he lowered himself into Naruto's room, wood creaking under his weight. Other than the crib, there was a dusty side table with a bottle of cold milk left. The baby kept screaming until his voice got harsh and choked.

Gulping, Kakashi stepped closer to the crib, Naruto quietening down as he noticed Kakashi, staring up at him with bright and watery blue eyes.

He had Minato's eyes.

Kakashi wondered if his sensei had even gotten the chance to look at his son properly. To see the similarities and take in his son's face that he had patiently waited for nine months to meet.

Picking him up in a way Kakashi had seen Kushina practice with a cushion, he held him close. Naruto looked startled, Kakashi painfully aware that he was the first person holding Naruto after he was placed in the orphanage.

He settled down on the floor, leaning against the wall, just holding Naruto. The baby, albeit confused, stopped fussing and let sleep take over as Kakashi gently rocked him.

I will watch over him sensei. I promised.

Naruto was six months old now, reaching out to pull at Kakashi's mask, blinking when he couldn't hold the cloth.

"Mah, it's way too early for you to sense genjutsu." Kakashi spoke to him. Naruto tilted his head, babbling in response.

Kushina used to say that one had to constantly talk to a baby to familiarise them with words and syllables. To make sure they know they are being spoken to and slowly learn to mimic the words they hear often.

Not all that different from a parrot.

Kakashi had a radish thrown at his head for saying as much to Kushina.

"You don't do much, do you?" Kakashi looked at Naruto, putting him back in his crib. Naruto blinked slowly. "Yeah, neither do I."

Kushina used to constantly talk to Naruto, about her day, about a new fact she learned about babies. Ne, Naruto. The book says that you don't have kneecaps just yet-ttebane?

But Kakashi couldn't talk about his day to a six month old. Naruto didn't need to know which poison was undetectable when slipped in sake, inducing a slow heart attack by the person who consumes it. Or how to get blood off his ANBU gear.

Yet.

"I won a challenge against Gai today." Kakashi spoke up after a long pause. "It was a race to the Hokage mountain. He punished himself with 500 laps around Konoha on his hands."

Naruto gave him a toothless, gummy smile, babbling as if understood what Kakashi was saying.

It had been three months since he stepped in and took Naruto in his arms. Three months of Kakashi watching the boy grow in front of him. Alone.

He watched as Naruto entertained himself, trying to reach over to a toy in the corner of his crib.

This routine worked for them. Kakashi would simply sit in front of Naruto, showing him that he wasn't alone. And the baby seemed content with it, occasionally looking over to see if Kakashi was still in the room, before going back to his toys.

"I thought I was clear in my instructions, Kakashi." Sandaime's gravelly voice was stern and disappointed.

Kakashi did not answer.

The Third Hokage sighed, setting his pipe down and extending his hand forward. "Your mask, Hound."

"Sandaime-sama?"

"You disobeyed direct orders. I have no choice but to strip you of your position in ANBU. Hound will not hunt anymore."

Kakashi remained impassive, handing over the mask and walking out of the office without a single protest.

The Third Hokage sighed. He knew this wasn't going to stop Kakashi but he did what was needed to appease the council.

"Sandaime, huh?" He mused to the empty spot where Kakashi stood a couple of minutes before. "You don't see me as your Hokage anymore, do you, Kakashi-kun?"

Nobody did.

Sarutobi noticed the way the guards stumbled over their words, accidentally calling him Yondaime on multiple occasions.

Him taking the hat back was nothing but a painful reminded of what they lost.

Kakashi was joined by Tenzou the moment he stepped out of the Hokage's office. Kakashi didn't bother waiting for him, leaving Tenzou speedwalk to catch up to him. "Kakashi-senpai?"

"It was Chameleon, wasn't it? That bloody snitch—"

"Senpai-"

Kakashi stopped abruptly, Tenzou almost crashing into him. "If he cries...." Kakashi turned around to face Tenzou. "If he cries, step in for a couple of minutes. He'll stop. He just wants company."

"Senpai."

"Please, Tenzou?" Kakashi's lone eye was wide with worry, pleading.

Tenzou nodded, trying to reassure Kakashi. "Of course."

Kakashi nodded curtly and turned on his heel, Tenzou didn't bother following him anymore. He was on permanent guard for Naruto, incase the seal broke. But Tenzou worried for Kakashi.

Being stripped of his ANBU rank was a blow on the one thing that had remained constant all his life— his shinobi rank.

So he never told Kakashi how Naruto continued crying even when Tenzou stepped into the room, leaning towards the window Kakashi used to enter through. Crying for someone he didn't know.

Tenzou didn't have the heart to tell Kakashi but he had a feeling the Copy Nin was watching from the shadows nonetheless.

Years passed, a small futon replaced the crib. Naruto learnt to crawl, walk and talk all by himself, under the watchful eyes of the ANBU guard.

Every year on the October 10th, Naruto stayed holed up in his room as the village mourned his father while shunning him away.

Naruto was three when he learnt it was best he didn't show himself on that day.

There was no clause in Lord Third's Decree that Kakashi couldn't read his book in the village park. It just so happened to be that the Jounin's favourite reading spot was the same park Naruto played in.

The boy was four years old now, dressed in ratty hand-me-downs with poorly done stitches holding the fabric together. Kakashi watched the boy over his book, kicking the football all alone. He'd kick the ball a couple of feet away, run to it and kick it back himself.

The rest of the kids had been picked up by their parents, being scolded for getting all dirty.

Kakashi watched Naruto watch them. The parents.

Nobody came to pick up Naruto. The boy rolled in the mud, smearing it all over his arms and face. Waiting for someone to scold him and drag him home.

"You're going to be charged with treason like this, Kakashi-senpai." A voice spoke from the branches.

"Tenzou, it's been a while." Kakashi hummed in reply, eyes still trained on Naruto.

The boy kicked the ball a little too hard, blue eyes welling up with tears. The ball rolled towards Kakashi. Kakashi snapped his book shut. Technically he didn't approach Naruto this time.

Naruto hesitated, inching close to fetch his ball, gauging Kakashi with a wary eye. Kakashi pocketed his book and stood up from the bench, making Naruto take a couple of steps back.

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Kakashi gently kicked the ball towards Naruto.

Naruto regarded him with suspicious eyes and slowly kicked the ball back to him, nose scrunched up to see what Kakashi would do next.

Kakashi kicked the ball again. Naruto blinked before smiling. The two silently kicked the ball back and forth as the sun set with an orange glow behind them. 

"Are you a shinobi?" Naruto was the first to break the silence.

Kakashi pointed to his forehead protector. "What do you think?"

"I'm gonna be Hokage one day, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, unprompted, a perfect mixture of his parents.

Kakashi felt his lip twitch under his mask. "Mah, I better start showing you my respect then, future Hokage-sama."

And when Naruto smiled with a missing tooth......so bright and full of innocence, rebelling against the government felt like too small a price to pay.

Kakashi started getting assigned solo S-rank missions, that went on for months at stretch. Just long enough for a child to forget a face.

Naruto was six years old when he realised somebody was leaving behind things for him. Last year, it was a T-shirt and a mask from the fair.

This year, it was a new set of shuriken and kunai for the Academy. The good ones like all the clan kids had.

There was a note attached.

 

Happy Birthday, Naruto

-🐾

Naruto was six when he learnt his birth date.

Kakashi flipped a page, sitting at a corner seat of Ichiraku's, his lone eye keeping watch from his peripheral. At the other end, Naruto sat pouting about the extra vegetables Ayame had snuck into his ramen, throwing a tantrum.

"Give me real ramen! Not this dumb healthy version!" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms.

Ayame placed her hands on her hip, arching an eyebrow. "You're not getting any pork cutlets until that bowl is wiped clean. And no throwing the vegetables over your shoulder!"

"This isn't fair, dattebayo!" Naruto kicked his legs against the wooden stool, rocking back, Kakashi physically restraining himself from catching him.

"Cut the back talk you brat!" Ayame brandished the ladle at him in warning before shooting Kakashi a glance. "Don't you want to be a strong shinobi like him? Then you should eat your vegetables!" She said, pointing at Kakashi.

Naruto pinned him with a suspicious glare, contemplating. "You don't look strong."

Ayame smacked the back of his head. "Don't be rude to my customers!" Turning to him, "Kakashi, tell him! You eat your vegetables, don't you?"

Kakashi blinked, not expecting to be dragged into the argument. It was a rare victory if he managed to eat actual food once a week, let alone vegetables. He lived on soldier pills and Ayame knew this. "Um, yeah kid, eat your vegetables if you want this." He said in a bored tone, pointing to his forehead protector, the pride of every Konoha shinobi.

Blue eyes narrowed. "How do I believe it? You two could be in kahoots, I won't be tricked!" He proclaimed, puffing out his chest.

Ayame saw her chance and took it. "Well then Kakashi-san will prove it to you. See? He'll finish this plate in record time." A plate of stir fry, boiled carrots and rice balls materialised in front of Kakashi.

He had walked right into her trap.

"I know what you're trying to do, Ayame." He hissed, the civilian unperturbed. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ayame said with her nose up in the air. 

"Oh really? Since when did Ichiraku 'Ramen' start serving stir fry and onigiri?" Kakashi resisted the urge to push the plate back at her, much like how Naruto did a couple of minutes before. 

His complaints fell on deaf ears. She knew Kakashi from when he was shorter than the Ichiraku counter. He didn't scare her, a fact Kakashi realised with a defeated sigh. "Go on. He's watching!" Ayame scowled, gesturing to his plate. Kakashi turned to see Naruto watching with rapt attention and a smile all too smug.

Kakashi slumped and picked up the chopsticks, shooting Ayame a dirty look, civilian all too proud of herself. Two birds, one stone. "See Naruto, shinobi-san ate all his vegetables." She coaxed him, placing a golden, crispy pork cutlet on Kakashi's plate as a bribe for the little boy. "Hurry up and finish yours if you want one too."

Naruto groaned and swallowed his vegetables with tears in his eyes, Teuchi laughing as he gave the boy his pork cutlet. The tears receded in record speed as Naruto beamed, happily digging into his meal.

"That was below the belt." Kakashi narrowed his eye.

"Cry me a river." Ayame rolled her eyes and placed her elbows over the counter, watching Naruto with a fond smile. "Shodaime's sake, that little kid is easier to feed than you. When was the last time you had a proper meal?"

"Come on now Ayame, you've known me for what fifteen years? Aren't we past this point in our relationship? You ask me if I ate, I lie, you check with Gai and then cut off my supply of soldier pills?"

"No! We're not!" Ayame didn't seem to appreciate the sarcasm, close to chucking the ladle at his head. Ayame was one of the few civilians who wasn't downright terrified of shinobi and one of the few who managed to bully her way into a friendship with Kakashi.

Kakashi was glad she was a civilian. A morbid fact that bought Kakashi a semblance of comfort; she can't die in front of his eyes.

"Thank you for the meal. I'll pay for his share too." Kakashi nodded towards Naruto, Ayame pushing away the yen. 

"On the house. I just needed to get rid of those vegetables before they went bad." Ayame grinned.

"Mah Ayame-chan don't be so kind to me. If I didn't know any better I'd think you have a crush on me." Kakashi teased, pocketing his wallet.

Ayame snorted, wiping down the counter. "Yeah right. Only in the universe where the sun rises from the west I would be foolish enough to like you, ~Kakashi-san." She drawled, chuckling under her breath.

"You don't have to be so brutal."

"It's the Ichiraku style we serve hot ramen with a side of bitter truth." Ayame flipped her hair. "So, where is that stalker of yours today?"

"Careful, you might end up summoning him. Don't you like seeing me have a peaceful day?"

"Nope. Your misery is my entertainment. Saves my TV bill." Kakashi rolled his eyes, chuckling as he kept an eye on Naruto. "But seriously Kakashi, give that Uchiha kid a break. He clearly idolises you."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Pretty sure Konoha has better role models to offer than the Friend-Killer."

Ayame frowned. "Hey now! None of that self-depreciating stuff in my shop."

"Technically, it's your dad's shop."

"Oh shut it! Now I wish he finds you today."

No sooner had the words left her lips, a shinobi entered the shop, Ayame biting her lip to muffle her laughter.

Kakashi cursed under his breath. "Speak of the devil." Ayame wiggled her eyebrows as the newcomer took his seat beside Kakashi, the Copy-Nin groaning internally. He just couldn't catch a break today could he. "What is it, Shisui?"

The Uchiha grinned at him, acting surprised. "Kakashi-senpai, fancy seeing you here!"

"You mean other than the half a dozen times you've accosted me here in the past month?" Kakashi asked dryly, pocketing his wallet.

Ayame snorted into her hand, leaving the two to their song and dance. The traitor. Kakashi watched Naruto from over Shisui's shoulder, the Uchiha shifting himself into Kakashi's line of sight, black eyes staring into his soul. "So senpai.....I had a question."

"No." Kakashi walked off without preamble, Shisui staggering behind has he stumbled to catch up to Kakashi.

"Come on senpai, I just need a reason! Why won't you recommend me to ANBU?"

Kakashi stopped suddenly, Shisui almost crashing into him. Kakashi stared up at the eighteen year old, eyes young and determined, full of light.

A light ANBU will snuff out, stamp down until all that's left is smoke and ashes.

"You're not ready." 

Sandaime had asked Kakashi for a replacement when Hound put his mask down. Shisui had been twelve at the time. Kakashi immediately shot down the idea, despite having joined ANBU around that age himself.

"Why? I'm the fastest out of my clan, I have been a Jounin for five years now, tell me one reason why I don't qualify." Shisui prattled out a list, huffing. 

Kakashi sighed. "Why do you want to make ANBU so bad? It isn't all that glamorous. Why don't you go join the Uchiha Police Force?"

"Itachi made ANBU."

Kakashi stiffened, throat drying up. "The Clan Heir?"

Shisui nodded. "Recommended by Danzo-sama. Fugaku-sama was quiet pleased with the promotion."

Kakashi clenched his fist. Danzo. "Making ANBU is not a promotion, Shisui."

"But senpai...."

"No!" Kakashi's sharp tone made Shisui take a step back. "You asked for my recommendation and my answer is no. Do not come to me with this topic again." Without waiting for a response, Kakashi turned on his heel, stalking away.

Danzo had enough power to pull off ROOT and his experiments under Minato's rule. Ever since Sarutobi got reinstated, his moves had gotten only bolder, so much so that he had his eyes on the Uchiha Heir.

A storm was brewing and Kakashi had no intention of getting stuck in the crossfire. He had a mission from his sensei, and he can't do it from beyond the grave.

Kakashi leaned back against the tree bark, his eyes were trained on the book in front of him but the last Hatake hadn't flipped a page in the last ten minutes.

He was abiding by Sandaime-sama's orders. He was not attempting contact with Naruto.

He just so happened to be sitting on top of the tree that overlooked Naruto's route to the Academy. He had many reading spots.

Pure coincidence.

And in another set of coincidences, Kakashi found himself tracing the steps back to Naruto's apartment when he realised the blond was late. And completely by accident, he ended up grabbing the two civilians bothering Naruto by their collars, flinging them into the vegetable cart unkindly.

The civilians scrambled to their feet, ready to throw hands but froze when they noticed the forehead protector, babbling excuses before scurrying away.

Kakashi felt his blood boil. The ANBU on guard simply watched as they bullied and looted Naruto.

Chameleon.

Reigning in his killing intent, Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar, flickering away to a quieter place, leaving behind a henge'd clone for that reptile to follow around. Kakashi may not be in ANBU anymore but he was still a shinobi of the Leaf.

Naruto shrugged Kakashi's hands off, staring back at him with indifference. He didn't recognise him. "You didn't have to save me ya know! I had it under control." Naruto sniffed, hiding his hand behind his back.

Oh no, Kakashi was not good with tears. Or any emotions really. "You want to be Hokage, don't you?"

"Hmm." Naruto looked minutes away from bawling, not realising how this stranger knew of his ambition, snot dripping down his nose.

"Then you should train hard to be a shinobi."

"I do." Naruto mumbled, wiping away the tears.

"And shinobi don't cry."

"'M not crying!" Naruto stomped his feet. "My eyes are just......sweating." 

"Ok, I believe you." Kakashi bit back a chuckle and wordlessly crouched down to his height and pulled out a bandaid that had paw-prints on it, waiting patiently.

Naruto hesitated before extending his hand. Kakashi's palm glowed green as he patched up the scratch and placed the bandaid before flickering away.

"Weirdo." Naruto mumbled. "How did he know, I want to be Hokage?"

That night, Naruto carefully peeled the bandaid off, storing it safely in a box.

It wasn't long before Kakashi met Naruto again, this time at the Training Grounds. The boy stood in front of a wooden stump, sloppily throwing kunai and getting frustrated when it didn't hit the mark.

Kakashi noticed Naruto's stance, completely out of balance. His arm wasn't swinging back enough to give him the momentum and his wrist too lax. Just what were the Academy Chunins getting paid for?!

It pained to see Naruto, the son of the Yellow Flash— whose signature weapon was a kunai—struggle with such a basic skill.

Like a stone sinking down in a murky lake, Kakashi realised he was at fault too. He should have been the one to teach him. “You’re gonna miss.”

“You’re jinxing my target old man!!” Naruto’s eye twitched. "Wait! You're the one eyed weirdo from that day!"

Kakashi tilted his head and pointed to himself. “Old man?”

”Yeah you. Who else here is talking to me?” Naruto’s question felt like a kunai plunged into his chest. “Now shoo, I need to get this before the next class.”

Kakashi watched as Naruto’s kunai fell a couple of feet before the stump, not even touching the target, let alone a bullseye.

“See? I told you—“ Kakashi sweatdropped as Naruto wilted, drawing circles in the sand.

”I’m gonna remain an academy student forever at this rate ‘bayo. Stupid Sasuke will get ahead of me again.”

Thunk.

Naruto perked up at the noise, Kakashi’s hand still outstretched. Naruto's jaw fell open in disbelief. “Woah!”

Kakashi’s single kunai had pierced through the wooden stump, splitting the target in two clean halves.

“You have to teach me how to do that, dattebayo!” Naruto exclaimed, jumping around Kakashi like a little frog. “Please.” He added after a little pause. 

Kakashi wasn’t trying to show off but one look at the twinkling blue eyes, he couldn’t resist, Minato’s words ringing in his ears, I’m sure Naruto will adore you, Kakashi. My son will be looking up to you so better stop reading Jiraiya-sensei’s perverted books.

Kakashi blinked. This was not part of the plan. "Um...." Naruto had scurried off to retrieve Kakashi's kunai and thrusted it into his arms. "Just...follow my stance." Kakashi was no teacher and drew a blank when he thought about the first time he held a kunai.

How did Kakashi learn? Did his dad teach him? He must have because Kakashi was barely at the Academy for six months before becoming Minato's apprentice. 

How was he supposed to teach something that was as natural as breathing to him?

But Kakashi knew he had to try. For the kid looking up to him. 

Naruto followed him to down to the tee, keenly watching Kakashi's exaggeratedly slow stance, mimicking it. At least this time the kunai hit the target, if not bullseye.

"I DID IT!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and down with joy. 

"Now try again, focus on the centre."

And thus, a new routine was born.

"Alright, that's enough training for today." Kakashi snapped his book shut, nudging Naruto with a water bottle.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Hmm? No I have a mission."

Naruto perked up at the word 'mission'. "Woah! Where is it? Are you going alone? Is it an S rank?" He rattled in one breath, Kakashi forgetting the first question by the time Naruto had asked the third question. 

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you." Kakashi said dryly, Naruto laughing as he stretched his arms behind his head. 

"Ok, ok I get it. Top secret shinobi stuff." Naruto winked. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know." Kakashi buried his nose in his book, watching from the peripheral as Naruto's lip trembled slightly, struggling to maintain the faint smile. 

"Will you be back before October?"

"I don't know."

"Y-you.....you'll come back right?"

Kakashi shut this book, hands stuffed in his pockets and looked at Naruto. He tried to sound as sincere as he could. "I don't know."

Every mission was a gamble and Kakashi knew just how much false hope can hurt. He wasn't going to make Naruto go through that. Naruto seemed to pick up on that, awfully perceptive for a six year old.

Naruto's lower lip wobbled. Kakashi cut in. “Shinobi don’t—”

“—cry.” Naruto completed, wiping his eyes furiously. “I know I’m not dumb.”

Kakashi placed his hand on the pouting kid's head. "I will try to come home before your birthday. But in case I don't—" He pulled out a little box from his pocket, handing it to Naruto. 

"What's this?"

"Open it."

It was a misshapen frog wallet. It was an ugly little thing, all sad, flat and floppy. But Naruto's blue eyes brightened, quite taken with the ugly wallet. "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen, dattebayo!"

Kakashi ruffled his hair. "Keep your money safe."

Naruto leaped forward, tackling Kakashi's leg tightly. "Thank you......Ni-san." He whispered the last part into Kakashi's pant leg, before detaching himself and running back to the orphanage, with a wide grin.

Kakashi spent the entire mission with Naruto's small voice calling him big brother echoing in his ears.

For the first time, Kakashi's mind fixated on something pleasant, the voices in his head being kind to him for once.

Kakashi tried not to meddle but it was getting harder to ignore the old, rotten bag on Naruto's shoulders, the fabric seams barely holding it together. "What's all this?"

Naruto shrugged with his back towards Kakashi, fetching his kunai and getting into stance. "The old lady at the orphanage said I've overstayed my welcome."

Kakashi observed the nonchalant boy with his lone eye, the kid unperturbed for someone who doesn't have a roof over his head. "You're supposed to be allowed to stay there until you make Genin."

Naruto, not knowing what to say, shrugged again. "She told me to leave before she threw away my things. I have important properties under my name, ya know?"

"And that being?"

"My comic books! And my ramen dattebayo! A full month's stock."

Kakashi's blood boiled, fingernails breaking skin from how tightly he had fisted them, keeping his voice levelled and composed. "So where are you going to live?"

"I don't know." Naruto replied, mimicking Kakashi's tone. Cheeky little shit. But then again Kakashi was the one to blame for teaching him that.

Am I a bad influence? Kakashi inwardly groaned. No wonder people didn't like it when he pulled that move.

"Alright, no training for today. We are going house-hunting."

After scouting a few neighbourhoods, a blatant threat for a painful death and a not so discreet flashing of a kunai to the civilian, they managed to get Naruto a decent apartment.

It was small, dusty little thing but it looked huge when Naruto stood alone in the living room. "You like it?"

Naruto shrugged, again. "I don't know." Kakashi ground his knuckles on his blond hair, Naruto breaking out into a fit of laughter. "Alright alright, I'll bite -ttebayo. It's better than the lousy room at the orphanage."

"No staying up late. And eat your vegetables." Kakashi lectured, acutely aware of hypocritical he sounded right now. 

"Shut up old man!" Naruto groused, pushing Kakashi's hand off his head. 

Kakashi soon got into the habit of sneaking in vegetables, knowing at least the carrots will be gone.

Weeks passed and it would seem Naruto had decided to test his chakra masking and stealth skills, failing miserably at that, following Kakashi from a distance, in the direction opposite to his apartment.

Kakashi made no show of acknowledging his little stalker, simply switching streets and leading them towards Naruto's apartment. Naruto mournfully came out of his hiding place when he realised Kakashi had caught on, dragging his feet and sulking.

Naruto pouted but didn't argue and letting Kakashi walk him home. 

Kakashi waited for Naruto to drag himself inside his house before removing his shoes at the threshold.

Naruto watched him, confused, as the Jounin sprawled on the floor, lounging on the tatami mats as if he owned the place, eyes trained on his book the entire time. But out the peripheral, he noticed the way Naruto was giddy with happiness, hopping about the small apartment to get himself and Kakashi some snacks, eager to share a meal with someone for the first time. 

He may not be allowed to take Naruto under his wing, but there was no law stopping Naruto from hosting guests. 

And if the guest ended up overstaying his welcome....well, neither party seemed to mind too much.

But Lord Third seemed to mind. A lot. "I don't know how many times to tell you Kakashi?! I cannot have Naruto living with a shinobi."

The thin line on Sandaime's face threatened Kakashi. Close to snatching the one good thing that happened to him in the past ten years. Kakashi had had enough of his sad depressing life. He and Naruto finally got into the habit of saying 'Tadaima and Okaeri'.

So Kakashi did something he hadn't done since he was five and untied his hita-ite, surrendering it in front of the Third Hokage. "I retire."

Sandaime stared at the forehead protector in shock, after all the trouble his friends went through trying to get Kakashi to take it slow, this was all it took.

Someone to call his own.

Setting down his pipe, Sandaime sighed, ceding defeat. "I'll put you on the Jounin Special forces. You’ll be called in when required. And until then—"

Naruto's voice echoed through the house, interrupting their conversation. "Kaka-Ni!!!!" He hollered.

"—Until then." Sandaime smiled and before leaving the two to their makeshift family.

Kakashi dragged himself to the grocery store. Moving in with Naruto meant Kakashi had to be the responsible one among the two. He couldn't just crash on the high of a soldier pill and call it a day anymore. 

Not unless he wanted Naruto picking up his habits. 

That would make Kushina physically rise from her grave and as much as Kakashi wanted her back, he wasn't risking it.

Kakashi hummed to himself, picking out potatoes. The housewife life suited him. He had just moved to the tomato pile when a blob of pink crashed into him, hiding behind his leg.

"What—"

"Please shinobi-san." The blob pleaded, rubbing her eyes. Oh for Shodai's sake. 

Kakashi let the little girl hide behind him, a bunch of older girls passing them, searching for a 'Sakura'. The little girl clutched his pant with a death grip, squeezing her eyes shut. Once the kids walked by, the little girl let out a relieved sigh, wiping her forehead. "Thanks shinobi-san."

"Were they bothering you?"

The girl, Sakura, Kakashi guessed, hesitated. "They are....classmates. From my kunoichi class."

An Academy student? She looked about Naruto's age, maybe he would know her. "You know, shinobi shouldn't run away from their problems." He drawled, Sakura going pink in embarrassment.

"I'm not running away. I'm just.....dealing with it later." She mumbled, fiddling with her hands, nervous. Kakashi knew he should stop this habit of his but he couldn't help but see Obito in the little girl. Nervous, ostracised yet wanting to prove something.

Prove herself.

Kakashi crouched down to her height, a habit he picked up since he met Naruto. "A shinobi should stand tall. Lift your head."

"I....They pick on me because of my forehead." Sakura sighed in a defeated tone.

Kakashi hummed, placing his chin on his palm. "Mah, a big forehead just means you have a big brain."

Sakura looked up at him with wide eyes. "I...." She chuckled slightly, moving her bangs out of her face. "I read a lot."

"All the reading has to go somewhere now, doesn't it?" Kakashi smiled, the little girl mirroring him. "It's not wrong to stand up for yourself, you know?

Sakura sniffled, twiddling her thumbs, a bit embarrassed. "I do! It's just...I.....they don't listen or ignore when I talk."

"Then you gotta be loud. Hard to ignore. Make them listen." Kakashi said, reminded of his Rival. The dead last making it out to the top as a Taijutsu specialist, making everyone acknowledge him. "You know, my.....little brother goes to the Academy too. You might know him. Naruto?" Kakashi asked, not dwelling on the warm feeling blooming through his chest when he referred to Naruto as his little brother.

"The loud kid?" Sakura's eyes scrunched up, trying to remember.

Kakashi sweatdropped, chuckling. That was a very Naruto-esque reputation to have. "Yeah. He's a bit slow with studies and struggles with chakra. But he doesn't shy away from putting his bullies in place, now does he?" He knew first hand some students laughed behind his back when Naruto asked the Chunin instructors basic doubts. But that didn't deter the blond energy-ball, eyes always gleaming with determination.

"Yeah." Sakura mulled, deep in thought.

"You shouldn't think so less of yourself. Take up space. Make them acknowledge your existence."

Sakura stared at him, eyes wide and bright, as if nobody ever told her that it's ok to take up space. Judging by her clothes, imported silk that was highly impractical for a shinobi, she looked like a civilian, probably from a merchant family.

"Thank you for your help, shinobi-san."The little girl bowed. "Oh and you should pick better potatoes, this shopkeeper is trying to push stale vegetables onto you." She pointed out, running down the street.

The shopkeeper stammered when Kakashi pinned him with a questioning glare, slipping him extra tomatoes as a bribe.

"That was heart warming."

Kakashi almost flinched, not noticing the voice slide up beside him. "Shisui." He greeted dryly, speedwalking down the street. But one couldn't outrun Shunshin no Shisui, not even the Copy Nin.

"Say senpai, what is ANBU like?" Shisui's eyebrows creased, keeping pace with the Copy Nin without breaking a sweat.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kakashi wasn't proud of the harsh tone but he wasn't going to be responsible for another life being squandered by ANBU like spare kunai.

"No, Kakashi senpai, I'm serious this time. I'm not here for a recommendation." Kakashi let out an annoyed exhale and turned to Shisui. The Uchiha looked serious, the usual mirth in his eyes nowhere to be seen, laced with worry and dread. Like he knew but wanted to be proven wrong. "What is ANBU like, senpai?"

Kakashi wondered how much he could tell him without committing treason. Then again, he was roommates with the resident jinchuriki. "ANBU.....works in the shadows. Things that are unspeakable of in the light, its dealt by the ANBU Ops."

"Shinobi life isn't a walk in the park. How is ANBU any different?"

Kakashi thought for a minute, facing Shisui. "Mah to simply put it, as Jounins, we clean up the dirt outside of Konoha. ANBU.....deals internally."

Shisui's eyes darkened, the weight of the words falling on his shoulder. "Itachi made ANBU captain. Everyday I see him drag himself home with this haunted look in his eyes, senpai. I can't leave him in there alone anymore."

"You following him to ANBU will not help him Shisui, it will break you too. Trust me, Itachi needs you on the outside."

"He's just a kid. He shouldn't look like a war veteran." Shisui averted his eyes, blinking back tears.

But sadly, Itachi already was. A shinobi sacrificed his life to the blade the minute they wore the forehead protector. It was an unavoidable fate.

"Thank you senpai, I'll leave you be now." Kakashi watched as Shisui walked away with defeat settling in his bones. Stamping down his own despair and hopelessness, Kakashi walked home, hoping fate would be less cruel to Itachi.

He could only hope that the Sandaime had it under control.

Naruto had insisted on going to the park, dragging Kakashi along. He hopped from the slide, to the swing and the sandbox, talking to any kid that would listen. He kept pointing at Kakashi, boasting about how he was going to go home with his Kaka-Ni after playing. 

Kakashi resisted the urge to sink down under the bench and hide from all the attention. But the sheer joy on Naruto's face as he kept waving at him from the swings was worth it. Mah, he could bear with a few stares from chibis.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto waved enthusiastically, Kakashi worried the boy might pull a muscle, offering a small 'yo' to the pink girl.

He had seen her while dropping Naruto at the Academy, the little girl becoming more confident as the days went by in Naruto's company, often coming over for playdates.

"Hey Naruto." The little pink girl from the market tottered towards the two, carrying a book twice her weight and plopped it down in Kakashi's lap. "Kakashi Ni-san, I had some doubts."

Kakashi blinked, slowly pointing to himself as Naruto giggled. "Doubts to ask me?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Duh, who else?" This was the painfully shy girl from a week ago? Kids changed personalities faster than shinobi henge'd. All because Kakashi gave a lame motivational speech? "I don't really get this chakra exercise. Can you explain it, please?"

"Why are you asking me? Go to your Academy instructor."

Sakura tipped her head back— Kakashi was much taller than her. "You told me to make people listen to me and ask for what I want."

Kakashi sweatdropped. "I didn't mean you should ask me."

Sakura didn't relent, staring into his soul with those bright green eyes. Could kids really be so impressionable that they’d change their whole personality in just a week? He had to watch his words around Naruto.

Being a responsible adult was troublesome.

Kakashi peered into the textbook. "This is Pre-Genin level exercises. You shouldn't be attempting them without a Chunin Instructor's supervision."

"Most of them are pretty easy." Sakura held the book close to her nose. 

Kakashi stared at the tiny pink thing in front of him. "They aren't supposed to be easy, especially for a civilian." Is she a prodigy? 

"Sakura-chan is the smartest in the Academy, dattebayo." Naruto gave his input.

"I see.....well.....I suppose you can give it a try if I'm supervising." 

"Yes!" She punched the sky and sat crossed leg on the ground, ready for the lesson. Naruto lingered about, getting bored of it pretty quickly, sliding away. Kakashi didn't want to admit but the little pink thing asked interesting questions, needling the prodigy side of him.

"Hmm." Sakura hummed, a question on the tip of her tongue, hesitant to voice it out. 

"What is it, chibi? Speak your mind."

"Don't call me chibi!" Sakura harrumphed, blowing the bangs out of her face. "I was wondering....." Kakashi nodded, coaxing her to speak. "Well.....they teach us about the Hokages, how strong they were and what they did for Konoha. But.....they don't teach us about the Yondaime."

Kakashi stilled, face carefully blank. He had prepared himself for this, he knew the Sandaime's gag order had major drawbacks. One simply couldn't curb the curiosity of young minds. And the truth doesn't remain hidden for long. "You're taught what you need to know."

Sakura pouted, frowning. "That's what the Academy teachers say and brush us off. But there has to be a reason he made Kage at such a young age. And how did such a powerful shinobi die so soon?"

Kakashi stared into the distance, watching Naruto run around with the kids. How was he supposed to answer that? That talking about the Yondaime can cause a civil war at any given moment and split the village into two? That he died sealing a Tailed beast in his own son for the sake of Konoha but the entire village remained oblivious to the fate their Kage brought upon his own family?

"Ne, Kakashi Ni-san. You must have been a shinobi during Yondaime-sama's rule. What was he like?"

Kakashi looked up at the sky, feeling the soft breeze running through his hair as if Minato's fingers ruffled his hair. "He was the best Konoha had ever seen. A hero, till the end."

Thankfully, Sakura didn't question him further, the two falling into a somber silence, in remembrance of the fallen Kage. For a noble shinobi who laid down his life for them. To whom they owe this present moment.

"SASUKE!" A loud yell from the ground broke the comfortable silence, Naruto and Sasuke tussling about, rolling in the sand. Kakashi sweatdropped. It was going to be a pain to scrub the sand out of that boy. 

"Boys." Sakura scrunched up her nose, trying valiantly to control her expressions and failing. "Weird. Sasuke-kun always comes to the park with Itachi-san."

Kakashi stared at Sakura. "You sure know a lot about him."

Sakura turned beet-red, stammering to explain herself. "I'm not a stalker!"

Kakashi tilted his head. "I never said you were."

Sakura exhaled sharply, jabbing her finger in his direction. "You're playing games with me!"

Kakashi chuckled. "If he isn't here with Itachi....then....." It's not like the Uchihas were gonna let the Second Son out alone. Kakashi groaned inwardly, recognising the chakra signature, the bane of his existence materialising to his right.

Shisui smiled brightly, eyes twinkling with mischief as he towered over Kakashi. "Senpai, it's been a while."

"Not long enough." Kakashi grouched. Sakura giggled behind her hands, watching the two like a romance drama. "I already told you—"

"I'm not here to talk about ANBU. I've....made my peace with it." Shisui plopped down beside him. Even while seated, the Uchiha had a couple of inches over him. He leaned forward, elbows balanced on his knees. "I had a different question for you."

"Out with it." Kakashi didn't look at Shisui, burying his nose into his book. Kakashi wasn't all that well versed with social etiquette but he knew this was considered rude to a certain extent.

That was his intention.

But Shisui wasn't one to be deterred easily.

He smiled at the blatant dismissal and leaned close enough for his breath to hit Kakashi's neck. Kakashi suppressed the full body shiver that threatened to possess him, an unusual heat curling in his lower belly. Shisui pressed the tip of his finger on the edge of Kakashi's book, forcing him to lower his book.

Black striking eyes, magnetic, pulling him in. Kakashi's throat went dry. "Go out with me." Shisui said without preamble, black eyes sincere and magnetic.

"A love confession?", a small gasp slipped out of tiny Sakura, a sentiment Kakashi shared but better in control of his thoughts and reactions. If the tip of the Copy Nin's ears were red, nobody commented. Shisui's smile was all warm and gooey, making Kakashi's stomach churn. 

Shisui didn't look he was going to wait for an answer, standing up. "Think about it senpai. I'll be waiting for you at the dango shop tonight at 6." Shisui patted Sakura's head before calling out to Sasuke, dragging the little boy away.

Sakura's eyes tracked Shisui until he was out of sight, snapping up to look at him. "Oh my god, this is huge!" She clapped, excited.

Kakashi shook his head vehemently. "No it isn't!"

"What is huge?" Naruto asked, standing in front of the two, hands on his hip. 

"Kakashi Ni-san has a date!"

"I do not!" Kakashi protested as Sakura explained what a date was to Naruto.

"Gah! You're gonna be all yucky and lovey-dovey with Sasuke's cousin?!"

"I'm not!" Kakashi's indignant cries fell on deaf ears, Sakura and Naruto already discussing the political implications and clan marriages. "Hold on! I never said yes!"

"Why? He looks better than Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped, covering her mouth. "Don't tell him I said that!"

"He.....he's too young for me?" Kakashi didn't know why he was justifying himself to a bunch of six years olds.

Sakura and Naruto furrowed their eyebrows, confused. "Sasuke?"

"Wha-NO! Shisui!"

"How old is he?" The brats wouldn't relent, staring at him with inquisitive eyes.

"I...I don't know 17, 18?" 

"And how old are you?"

"22."

Naruto nodded sagely. "That could be a problem. Kaka-Ni is too old!"

"I'm not that old!" Kakashi gave up trying to make head or tail of the conversation. He didn't know what exactly was he protesting against anymore.

He did not have time for dates. Nor the emotional capacity. He had just learnt how to give a piece of his heart to Naruto, after six years. He wasn't ready for having more things to lose in his life. 

Sakura waved off Naruto. "No it's not that bad. My parents are eight years apart."

Naruto nodded, listening intently. "So Kaka-Ni can date him!"

"He's a kid!"

"He's taller than you." Sakura pointed out. And Kakashi noticed. Oh he noticed all right. Kakashi didn't want to dwell on the slight flutter deep in his stomach at the fact. "I think you should say yes." Sakura said with her nose up in the air.

"I think you should go back to studying." He grumbled, slightly nudging Sakura's head back to her book, the girl batting away his hands.

"Don't mess up my hair!"

"Kakashi, what have I taught you about messing with a girl's hair?" A new voice floated about, Naruto brightening.

"Kurenai-Nee chan!" He ran into kunoichi's arms, Kurenai effortlessly lifting him onto her shoulders, Gai and Asuma with her.

The three were Naruto's de-facto babysitters and emergency contacts. Not that Naruto couldn't take care of himself, but Kakashi knew how lonely an empty house can get. He used to hate it when Sakumo went on missions, sleeping by the threshold, waiting for his father to return soon. He didn't want Naruto to grow up like that.

The four jounins' life almost revolved around Naruto, lounging about in his and Kakashi's apartment when they didn't have any missions. Kurenai being Kushina's student had a special soft spot for the little boy.

"It's been a while Kurenai. Gai, Asuma." Kakashi greeted his friends, glad they just missed Shisui. He did not want to deal with their teasing grins and waggling eyebrows. 

"We four are rarely in the village at the same time." Asuma threw his arm around Kakashi's shoulder. "How about we get dinner today?"

"That's a very youthful idea my friend! Naruto-kun, where should we have dinner tonight?"

"Ichiraku!" Naruto cheered from atop Kurenai's shoulders, the jounins chuckling expecting that answer.

"Kakashi Ni-san can't join you for dinner." Sakura shook her tiny head remorsefully. Kakashi froze, tensing under Asuma's arm.

No Sakura, please. Don't blabber!

The three stared at Kakashi, curious and awaiting an answer. "Why is that little flower?" Gai asked Sakura, crouching down to her height.

"Nothing Gai, she's just—"

"Kakashi Ni-san has a date!" Sakura interjected, quite proud of herself. Birds chirped in the distance, a deafening silence falling between the adults.

"It's not a date and I'm not going." Kakashi shut his eyes, hoping he'd faint or spontaneously combust. Anything would do, he wasn't very picky. 

The three jounins were stunned into silence, blinking at Sakura, still processing the information, Kakashi's denial going unheard. 

Their Kakashi had a date? The stoic, socially inept, lazy, smut reading Kakashi— had a date?! Naruto tumbled down Kurenai's shoulder as she lost her grip, landing on his feet.

Asuma and Kurenai were in disbelief, staring at Kakashi as if he had finally lowered his mask and revealed his face. Gai opened his jaw, shut it and opened it again. No matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come out.

"Are they just gonna stare at each other all night?" The sun was setting, but none of the adults dared move. Naruto tried pulling at Gai's sleeve, the Jounin unbudging, jaw still unhinged. Sakura soon got bored and ran back home. 

"Kaka-Ni, can we also go home now?"

"Um...." Kakashi stared at his friends, still in shock. 

"....."

"....."

"....."

"Are you going to say anything—"

"MY ETERNAL RIVAL IS IN THE SPRINGTIME OF LOVE!"

Gai's booming voice broke Asuma and Kurenai out of their trance. Kurenai grabbed Kakashi by his shoulders. "We have a lot of work to do."

Kakashi let out a strangled noise, mildly insulted. "Excuse me? I'll have you know—" Kakashi's complaints were cut short as Kurenai teleported them to his apartment, Asuma and Gai following with Naruto.

Kakashi made a mental note to give Sakura a lesson against gossiping. Prattling on about his date and skipped home happily while Kakashi was stuck with Kurenai raiding his wardrobe, Gai offering (unhelpful) ideas while Asuma and Naruto watched the show, munching on chips.

"Don't give him junk before dinner." Kakashi tried to snatch the chips out of his hands but Naruto scurried away, plopping himself down in Asuma's lap, the Jounin wrapping his arms around the little boy.

"Lighten up Kakashi. If I were you, I'd be more worried about what those two are planning on doing to you." Asuma gestured to something behind Kakashi, the Copy Nin gulping. 

"Kurenai......w-why are you holding tweezers? Why are you bringing it near my face—NO!"

Asuma took a chip from Naruto, watching with rapt attention but making no effort to intervene as Kakashi was tackled to the ground by his girlfriend, Kakashi shrieking in protest. "How the mighty have fallen." He said solemnly, Naruto nodding along.

"Kurenai Nee-chan is scary."

"That she is."

After ten minutes of Gai holding down Kakashi while Kurenai tried to tame his scarecrow hair, they deemed him ready for his date with the Uchiha prodigy, kicking him out of the apartment.

"Do not come back without a hickey!" Asuma hollered, the four waving at Kakashi, giggling and chuckling at Kakashi's misery.

Kakashi sighed. Mah might as well get it over with. It was only polite to turn him down in person. 

Kakashi sauntered into the dango shop, Shisui patiently waiting at a table with a cup of green tea, eyes lighting up like stars the minute he sensed Kakashi's chakra. "Senpai, you actually came. And only two hours late, my I feel special."

"Is this your way of seducing me into giving you a recommendation? Cause I cannot be bought—" Kakashi was interrupted as a plate of dango was placed in front of them. 

Shisui laughed, pushing the dango towards Kakashi. "It's the savoury kind. And no. I just wanted to get to know you better." Shisui leaned forward, with a gaze so intense and sincere, Kakashi had to look away. "They still speak highly of you in ANBU."

Kakashi seriously doubted it, aware of the reputation he held but didn't comment, chewing on the dango. 

"You were one of the main reasons I wanted to join." Shisui leaned back, wistful as he smiled at Kakashi. "I hoped you'd join back and we could have gone on a mission together. Then I realised you weren't even on the active roster."

Ever since he took Naruto under his wing, Kakashi had been on solo missions that specifically required his skillset. He had been removed from the regular roster. "I have other priorities now."

"I heard. How is the little guy? I heard he doesn't get along with Sasuke?"

"Well....." Kakashi crinkled his eye, tone involuntarily going soft at Naruto's mention. "That's a long story."

Shisui grinned, wicked and enticing. "I have all the time in the world."

Kakashi hated to admit, but he did end up enjoying the evening with Shisui, forgetting his main motive of turning him down.

Damn the Uchihas and their crafty illusions. 

"I hope you had fun, Kakashi?"

"Hmm? I wasn't bored."

Shisui chuckled. "That's high praise coming from you." Shisui stopped walking, leaning over Kakashi, fingers touching his hair. Kakashi bristled, unsure how to react and instead froze. "You have a leave stuck in your hair."

Shisui removed the leaf but didn't move away, lingering up in Kakashi's personal space, close enough for his breath to hit Kakashi's face. Shisui leaned down, nose almost touching Kakashi's. "I'll be leaving for a mission tomorrow. I'd love to take you out again once I'm back."

"This was a one time thing."

Shisui rumbled, low and guttural, voice lowered into a rasp. Dangerous for Kakashi's heart. "Cute of you to think that, ~senpai. Now, don't I get a kiss for good luck?"

Kakashi cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from those magnetic, coal black eyes. "No."

"So mean." Shisui snorted, leaning away. "You are quite popular this evening." Shisui mused, pointing to Kakashi's apartment, four heads not so conspicuously staring at them, jolting at getting caught and ducking under the window pane.

Kakashi sweatdropped noticing that Naruto was the best hidden out of the lot, Asuma and Gai's silhouette visible from behind the curtains. These were the best Jounins of Konoha. Kakashi sighed. "Those idiots."

"Matta ne, Kakashi. Don't miss me too much, yeah? I'll be back in a month."

"A month is a long time to forget a face."

Shisui bent down to whisper in Kakashi's ear, "I bet you'll be thinking about me. All. The. Time. If I win, I get to take you out again. Deal?"

Kakashi coughed and stepped away. "Don't get killed, Uchiha."

Kakashi didn't dare to look back. Yet he knew the Uchiha stood there until he reached his apartment. Kakashi was glad Shisui would be out of the village for the next month. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Kakashi opened the door. "Tadaima." Barely one foot over the threshold and Kakashi was met with wide teasing grins and four sets of waggling eyebrows.

Well.....Naruto tried and ended up just widening his eyes and squinting repeatedly, not able to control his eyebrows, looking utterly ridiculous.

"So......"

Kakashi raised his finger in warning. "Not another word."

The Second Son of the Uchiha Clan Head joined their ragtag group.

They had found Sasuke sulking around alone in the playground. It only took a minute for Sakura and Naruto to notice Sasuke sulking around alone in the playground to drag him along in their shenanigans, ignoring his blatant refusal.

Kakashi sighed and followed them around as they played 'ninja' with real kunai and shuriken, watching over them so they don't trip and kill each other. 

The woes of being the only responsible adult around. Kakashi looked up at the sky and sighed, ignoring the wailing boys as Sakura punched the living daylights out of them.

"Mah, how do the Jounin senseis do this every day?"

The damned Uchiha won the bet. He was out of sight but still lingering at the back of Kakashi's mind, raspy voice haunting Kakashi's nights and.....ahem, mornings.

"Your cousin is a pain." Kakashi said out of the blue, Sakura and Naruto ignoring him out of pure reflex.

Sasuke looked up from his homework, staring into the horizon and sighed, weary and tired. "I know."

Sakura and Naruto giggled, chanting 'Kaka-Ni is in love' over and over again.

After a point Kakashi snapped and stuffed a whole apple into their mouths, the two looking like pigs ready for a roast. Since when did he go from one brat to three?

He wasn't running a daycare!

Kakashi sighed, counting down the days. He had a bet to honour.

Two months later......

Kakashi was stationed on guard duty outside the hospital room of Uchiha Sasuke. 

518,400.

That's how many times the seven year old had seen his brother ruthlessly kill, no—massacre his entire clan.

Tsukiyomi. Yamanaka Inoichi himself had to come and sedate Sasuke, the boy at the risk of being hypertensive, screaming till his vocal chords ripped, the image of his decimated family seared into his brain.

Itachi made sure it would be a sight Sasuke would never forget.

Kakashi observed the pale small, small boy, restrained in the bed, hooked up with various tubes and needles, artificially calmed down. Discovering his father hunched over his own sword had been traumatising to say the least.

Kakashi couldn't even begin to imagine what Sasuke was going through.

Kakashi barely weaseled his way out of clearing duty, Asuma offering to swap his guard shift. Something Kakashi would be eternally grateful for. He didn't want to accidentally come across Shisui's face. He couldn't add another face to the ghosts he carried with him. He couldn't let Shisui's memory be reduced to that.

Why didn't I promise him another date? Why didn't I kiss him when I had the chance?

Kakashi's life had been full of regrets. But this was a first for the Copy-Nin. Mourning a relation— mourning something he never had.

Kakashi placed his hand over Sasuke's forehead, pushing the hair out of the boy's face before touching his own sharingan. 

And then.....there were two.

"Kaka-Ni, why is Sasuke not in the Academy?"

Kakashi paused. It had been two weeks since the news of the Massacre was made public, Sasuke still hospitalised. 

"Well, he's still recovering. It'll be a while before he can come back."

"All alone?" Naruto's lower lip wobbled. "Can we visit him?"

"We can try but Naruto you have to understand he's going through a lot so if he says something in the fit of anger, don't hold it against him, yeah?"

Naruto agreed immediately, worried for his friend. Kakashi picked him up from the Academy at the end of the day, stopping by the Yamanakas to get him some flowers, the two making their way to the hospital. 

There was a lot of yelling involved. Glass cracking, flowers crushed, yelling, punches and then.....dead silence.

Naruto had Sasuke pinned down in his hospital bed, putting his entire weight on the boy. Sasuke burst into tears, something he was yet to do after the tragedy, Kakashi was told by the nurses. Sasuke cried until his throat went hoarse, wearing himself out to unconsciousness.

And all this while, Naruto didn't loosen his grip on his friend, holding onto him tight.

"And glitter, EVERYWHERE! Can you believe this guy, Sasuke?" Sakura had her nose up in the air, skin red from the aggressive shower her mother put her through and yet specks of glitter still clung to her skin. "Iruka-sensei went red." And Sakura launched into a detailed account of their day at the Academy while Naruto cut up apples for him.

"Mah, I already apologised Sakura-chan." Naruto scratched his neck sheepishly. Kakashi had tried scrubbing the glitter out and eventually gave up, making Naruto go to his classes looking like a silver statue that clashed horribly with his hair. "Kaka-Ni was this close to throwing me in the Lake when the glitter refused to come out after the fifth shower." He pouted, still shedding glitter everywhere he went.

Character building and retrospection, Kakashi said was the lesson. Reap the consequences. Whatever that meant.

"I'm your friend, why do I have to suffer from your pranks?" Sakura sniffed, wincing as her skin burned at the excessive scrubbing.

Sasuke remained silent, lying down in his bed, IV hooked up as he still refused to eat something. He had his hand thrown over his eyes, not contributing to the conversation, content in just listening to the two bicker back and forth. He felt less lonely and they helped drown out Itachi's voice that haunted his memory.

"Um, maybe we should come back another time. We're probably disturbing Sasuke." Sakura's concerned voice struck the haze, Sasuke's hand shooting forward to clutch at Naruto's sleeve.

The two froze, not knowing what to do. "No. Just....stay."

Sasuke didn't see the glance Sakura and Naruto exchanged, continuing to fill in the silence. Sasuke felt himself relax as the two's chakra flickered, warm and safe. Just like mom's. 

He let his shoulders drop, their voices lulling him into a dreamless sleep. 

That evening, Kakashi and Mebuki were in for an adorable sight, the three fast asleep, Naruto and Sakura having a death grip on Sasuke, sandwiching him.

"Uchiha-san finally managed to get five hours of uninterrupted sleep." The nurse informed them, smiling ruefully. Three weeks since the Massacre and Sasuke was yet to have one night's rest without waking up screaming in the middle of the night. "Technically, visiting hours are over but I think it would benefit Uchiha-san if his friends stayed over."

"The poor boy needs them. His friends are all the family he has left." Mebuki moved the hair out of Sasuke's eyes, sorrowful. "Kakashi-san, if it isn't too much trouble, can you make sure Sakura reaches the Academy tomorrow? I don't have the heart to separate them."

"Of course Mrs. Haruno, no trouble at all." Kakashi turned to the three, making a mental note to fetch his camera later. "I'll watch over Sakura." He promised.

"Sasuke-kun can resume his classes next week." 

"I'll inform Iruka-sensei." Kakashi took the papers the nurse handed over him.

Sasuke was getting discharged today. Kakashi knew he should be happy, the boy had not enjoyed being cooped up in all day but worry plagued him as he dragged his feet up the stairs.

Where is he going to live? Surely the Uchiha Compound is not a healthy choice. How is he going to manage all the Clan properties and duties? How is he going to manage everything on his own?

Kakashi pushed the door to Sasuke's hospital room open, the discharge papers in hand. "I need your signature here, Sasuke."

Sasuke had a death grip on Naruto's sleeve, Naruto gently coaxing him to release him and grab a pen, signing the papers with trembling hands. "Now what?"

Kakashi watched as the two boys latched onto each other, Sasuke went numb and cold as the reality set in him. He was homeless. Clanless.

Orphan.

A dark desperation and hopelessness clung to Sasuke, something that had no place in a seven year old's innocent eyes. The boys stared at him, Sasuke fearful and Naruto pleading, in a silent request.

The Council was going to throw a fit. But then again, Kakashi was not one to abandon his comrades.

He scanned the two boys with a lazy eye, shrugging. The decision was already made. "We need a bigger apartment."

After seventeen long years, the Hatake Compound was reopened.

"Kakashi, I understood your attachment to the Yondaime's legacy, but the Last Uchiha is where we draw the line!" Koharu warbled, eyebrows furrowing. "You cannot manipulate two potential future clan leaders."

Kakashi hummed, feigning ignorance. "Oh you mean Sasuke-kun? He's been coming over for sleepovers."

"For three consecutive weeks?"

The Sandaime didn't participate, smoking his pipe, pinning Kakashi under a calculative eye, the intense gaze of the God of Shinobi making him fidget.

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to recollect something, turning to the Village elders. "Mah, it's not like either of them have parents to reprimand them."

The Elders visibly flinched, all complaints dying on their lips. Danzou interlocked his fingers. "Kakashi. There has to be a balance of things. The political stability of Konoha lies with Heir Uchiha being unbiased. We cannot have you influencing him."

"Well, that is something you'll have to take up with Heir Uchiha himself. I don't make his decisions for him." Kakashi chose his words carefully, trapping the elders with their own logic. "Which you can't do until Sasuke makes Genin."

Until Sasuke made Genin, he couldn't be treated as Heir Uchiha, all political decisions invariably pushed to his twelfth birthday. For the first time, Kakashi thanked the inefficiency of the government bureaucracy.

Kakashi was not big on Village politics, the Hatake vote having abstained for the past twelve years in any major decision. But he wasn't above pulling his strings, to work things in his favour. His kid went to school with a bunch of clan heirs and had a habit of adopting them too. The votes fell into Kakashi's lap all too easily.

A fact the elders were well aware of.

Kakashi smiled cherrily. "If that's all Sandaime-sama?"

Sarutobi watched Kakashi for a full minute, giving him a miniscule nod, dismissing him. 

Kakashi finger-saluted the elders, strolling out of the Hokage's office.

Kakashi-2, Elders-0

"Chop chop! Boys, we need to get this done by sunset!" Sakura barked, effortlessly dragging a huge wooden chest out to the yard. Sasuke and Naruto sulked, abandoning the cool kunai they got distracted by to follow Sakura. 

The Jounin Four and the kids were trying to renovate Sasuke and Naruto's rooms, the Hatake compound a little too old fashioned for their tastes. Naruto had prattled off a long list of ideas that would make his room look like a rainbow. Asuma managed to narrow it down to a two colour scheme, blue and white.

Sasuke hadn't spoke much since the massacre, only Naruto or Sakura being able to get something out of him. He didn't have any requests except for dinosaurs, something he voiced out in a small, hesitant voice. Asuma made it his mission to give him the best dinosaur themed room, going shopping for supplies.

Kurenai had offered to fetch Sasuke's things from the compound, the adults putting their foot down when Sasuke wanted to go back there alone. 

"They sure are energetic." Kakashi muttered, hefting up the heavy wood. 

"The Power of youth shines bright in them!" Gai smiled as he put together a desk for Naruto's room while Kakashi did Sasuke's. "Kakashi, I need the varnish."

Navigating with sheer muscle memory, Kakashi wandered about the hundred rooms, stilling in fear when he accidentally opened his father's room. The room was musty and moulding, the stench of dirt and rust clogged in the walls. The tatami mats worn out by bleach, traces of dried up blood still sticking to the flooring.

Kakashi dry heaved, sinking to his knees, the haze of hold memories trapping him. He could vividly see his father's hunched form in front of him, the pool of blood touching his toes. 

"KAKA-NI!" Naruto's loud shriek broke the bubble of the past, yanking Kakashi out of that hell hole. With shaky knees, Kakashi stumbled out, shutting the door. He will deal with that room later.

One step at a time. 

Kakashi felt the air seep back into his lungs, lowering himself on the engawa, the kids trying to hose down the dogs. The courtyard was lively with Sakura and Naruto's shrieks, a faint smile dancing on Sasuke's lips.

Kakashi felt something heavy press on his thigh, Pakkun looking up at him with a critical eye. "Kakashi, are you sure about this?" Nothing escaped Pakkun's gaze, he must have seen Kakashi go into that room.

Kakashi hummed, turning back to the kids and his friends. The walls of the Hatake Household had never heard so much laughter in the past three decades.

He watched as Asuma showed the boys the wallpaper, a tiny smile working its way on Sasuke's face. Kakashi couldn't help it when his eye crinkled into a crescent, smiling at Pakkun. "Well I have to grow up with them now don't I? Baby steps, eh Pakkun?"

Pakkun rested his head on Kakashi's thigh, stretching. "Won't lie boss, it's nice to be back home."

Kakashi looked up at the sky. What was home? Maybe he'll learn with the boys. 

One step at a time.

Sasuke wanted to give his clansmen a ceremonial goodbye. A paper lantern released into the Naka River, like a guiding light towards the afterlife.

Sakura and Naruto helped him make the lanterns and Kakashi lit the little candle inside as Sasuke painstakingly wrote every clan member's name on the lantern, determined to remember every single life he lost. 

With careful strokes, Sasuke calligraphed their names, one by one. He remained strong until he reached the youngest name on the list, his baby cousin, only six months old. Ugly sobs wracked out of his chest, hunching over the lantern, cradling it close, as though he was holding his cousin in his arms.

Naruto and Sakura held him, head bowed in pain. Kakashi averted his eyes.

Sasuke wiped his face, ignoring the hiccups as he released the two hundred lanterns into the Naka River.

Kakashi felt something being handed to him, protesting. Sasuke looked at him sternly, pushing that particular lantern into his hands. "He used to talk about you nonstop. Take it. Honour him."

Kakashi swallowed the regret as he set Shisui's lantern afloat, a piece of his heart floating down the river with it.

"KAKA-NI WE'RE LATE!" Naruto hollered, skidding along the wooden corridors and almost crashing into his chair. Sasuke and Sakura were running around the dining table, picking up the scattered kunai and stuffing them into their bags. "Iruka-sensei is going to make us stand outside the class with buckets if we're late, AGAIN!"

"Mah, he won't." Kakashi scratched his head, trying to figure out the kids breakfast.

"Listen, I cannot be associated with your reputation of being late! I refuse." Sakura exclaimed, appalled. Sakura's parents had gone on a business trip and entrusted their only child in Kakashi's care, which is his opinion was poor judgement but he wasn't really in the position to judge the Haruno's parenting skills.

"Extra tomatoes on my eggs. And don't break the yolk." Sasuke ordered like he was sitting in a restaurant.

Kakashi felt his eyebrow twitch but kept quiet.

"And cheese on mine!" Sakura piped, pouring over the newspaper, crumbling it before Kakashi got to it. Kakashi's grip tightened on the spatula.

Naruto sank into his chair, finally dressed. "And don't add onions and bell peppers on my omelette."

Kakashi snapped. "I have only two hands! You will eat what I give you and scram!" These kids were gonna be the death of him, driving him up the wall.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, the two mimicking him, three of them throwing condescending glances from the dining table. "You are a Jounin right? Surely multi-tasking can't be that difficult?"

Kakashi's lone eye twitched. These brats. The three frowned at their plates in disgust, plain and unsalted scrambled eggs mocking them. "That's all you're getting, now shoo!"

"B-but our bentos?"

Kakashi threw his wallet at their heads, Sasuke catching it. "Buy something, now get out." 

The three hellions giggled, plotting and scheming on ruining Kakashi's credit score and scampered away, Kakashi waving from the threshold like a twenty-three year old tired housewife, slumping.

How was this his life now?

"Naruto, you really need to learn this by tomorrow." Sakura almost tore her hair out, sighing and plopping onto her back, tired. Sasuke was close to putting the book through Naruto's head. "It's just a simple clone!"

The two had been trying to get the blond to master a simple jutsu for class for the past three hours, still stuck on square one.

"Usuratonkachi, this definitely takes less chakra than that perverted jutsu of yours!"

"I'm trying dattebayo, I really am!" Naruto slumped, eyebrows pinched in frustration, eyes welling up with tears. "I don't want to fail and be in a different class."

Sakura sighed elbowed him playfully. "We know bud. Guess the only option is we both fail too, ne Sasuke?" Her little crush on Sasuke had evaporated the day she saw him tackle Naruto to the ground for simply breathing too loud. Childhood crushes can be as fleeting as a passing cloud.

"Hn."

Kakashi snapped his book shut. This has gone way too far. He knew they were too young for the 'those who abandon their friends are worse than scum' speech, but he panicked when they asked him about the memorial stone and blurted it out.

The three had broken into sobs and dog-piled on Kakashi comforting him through their tears. He really had to watch his words around the impressionable brats.

"Nobody is failing. Naruto, I'll teach you a technique that will help you master this jutsu, but it won't be easy." Kakashi warned, digging his own grave.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, eyes sparking with determination. "I'll work hard dattebayo, I promise."

Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's head. "I know." Kakashi was astutely aware of just how many laws he was going to break but this was for Naruto. "Now, this stays between us. There is this technique called the Shadow Clone Jutsu—"

Within a month, Naruto's chakra control improved drastically, the three passing with flying colours.

"Mah, why aren't there any cute guys in our class?" Sakura bemoaned, falling back on her mattress. Sasuke and Naruto shot her insulted looks from the futons.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Naruto threw a cushion at her head. Kakashi was off on a mission, depositing the boys at the Harunos, Kizashi and Mebuki more than happy to host a sleepover.

"You guys don't count. I guess Sasuke did once, but I won't make the same mistake again." Sakura shrugged them off.

"Wha-MISTAKE?" Sasuke yelled out, indignant.

Sakura rolled onto her front, arching an eyebrow. "Didn't you hate me during my fangirl phase?"

"Well yeah....."

"Don't worry Sasuke, every girl has an embarrassing past, it's a canon event."

"How dare- I'm not embarrassing to like!"

Naruto nudged him. "Dude, you're being embarrassing right now!"

Sakura and Naruto cackled while Sasuke launched into a monologue on how desirable he was, their Roast-Sasuke-Session interrupted by Mebuki hesitantly stepping inside. "Um....kids, there's someone here to meet you?"

The three sat up when Gai entered the room, smile dim. Naruto brightened. "Bushy-Brow Ni-chan? What are you doing here?"

Dread coiled in Sasuke's stomach as he took in Gai's tense expression, as if hesitating to break a bad news, a look all too familiar to him now. "What happened to Kakashi?"

Gai rushed to calm the agitated kids. "Nothing, my rival is strong. The mission was a bit difficult and Kakashi is at the hospital right now."

It took five nurses, Gai bribing them with snacks and seeing Kakashi live and breathing with their own eyes for the three to finally relax. Kakashi looked dazed, tired from all the chakra healing, mustering a weak eye smile.

Naruto tackled him, sobbing in relief, Sakura cuddling up to his other side. Kakashi patted their little heads, giving Sasuke a small reassuring nod. 

Sasuke stared at him with a blank, numb face. "You don't have permission to die."

Kakashi snorted. "Just cause I have the sharingan, doesn't mean I'm an Uchiha. You're not my Clan Head."

"Too bad, I am. What I say, goes."

"Hai, hai, Sasuke-sama."

The four broke into chuckles, holding onto each other tight. The four against the world.

The moment Shisui stepped through the gates of Konoha, he knew something horrible had happened. The air felt different, tense, reeking of fear and death, suffocating. Like the calm before the hurricane.

And something told Shisui, this homecoming was going to be one hell of a maelstorm.

Izumo and Kotetsu tripped over their own feet. Shisui catalogued the myriad of emotions flashing in the chunnins eyes.

Disbelief. Grief. Fear.

But it wasn't just the chunnins. The villagers whispered amongst themselves, too scared to approach him. Shisui could feel the ANBU teleporting away with a slight chakra flare.

Granted his mission went a bit longer than the estimated timeline but he wasn't gone long enough to be declared KIA. Dread curled in Shisui's gut as he took in the wide eyes, gasps and hushed whispers on his walk to the Hokage's office.

Even the civilians turned pale. Like they'd seen a ghost.

Shisui felt his stomach sink, his own village, his home, feeling unfamiliar and foreign. As if he no longer had a place there.

Was the village attacked? Did we lose an important member of the clan? Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke, Itachi?

Million thoughts raced through Shisui's mind, halting when he sensed the ANBU's chakra signature materialising him, about to grab his hand. "Shisui-san, the Hokage wants to see you."

A Yamanaka. Interrogation Department. 

"Please cooperate."

"What is going on?" Shisui's chakra grew agitated, sharingan activating. That was all the ANBU needed to draw their weapons, ready to neutralise him when a jounin shunshined between the ANBU and Shisui, back facing the Uchiha.

"I'll take it from here." Kakashi's cold tone ran a shiver down his spine, killing intent spilling into the air as the ANBU retreated. Kakashi turned to face him, eyes stern and calculative. 

The breath was knocked out his lungs as Kakashi tightened his hold on him, grip painful and merciless and teleported into an alley, slamming him against the wall.

"Why are you wearing his face?!" Kakashi snarled, eyes distraught, searching for something as the pinwheel spun erratically. Henge, genjustu, sealing, anything. Anything to explain.

Kakashi heaved, his hold on Shisui's collar loosening. "Its.....this can't be....It's really you." He whispered, scared to voice it out.

Dread coiled in Shisui's stomach. "Yes, it's me. Why would someone impersonate me? What is going on?"

"You....you're alive." Kakashi's throat went dry at the implication, shoulders slightly trembling. "He didn't get to you?"

Shisui remained oblivious to his turmoil, worried about Kakashi's visceral reaction. "Who are you talking about? What is going on? I'm fine—!"

In a split second, Kakashi yanked Shisui down by his collar, slamming his lips against his, swallowing Shisui's questions, devouring him like a parched man. "Shisui. Shisui. Shisui." He mumbled against his lips, chanting his name like a prayer answered.

Shisui was utterly confused but he wasn't complaining, melting into the kiss. Known for his speed, his brain caught up quickly, fingers trailing down to Kakashi's hips, pushing Kakashi against the opposite wall, groaning into the kiss, fingers digging in. 

He took advantage of his height, towering over him, licking into his mouth, desperate, reckless and downright filthy.

And Kakashi.....Kakashi clawed at his jacket holding on, as if Shisui would slip through his fingers like sand. 

Shisui pulled away, panting and wiped his lips with the back of his hand, forcing the Hatake to look him in the eye. "Kakashi. What exactly happened when I was away?"

Shisui's knees buckled, horrified at the abandoned Clan Compound, blood still spilt over the pavement, stained red. A place that used to bustle with life, kids running around, grandmas cooking up delicious treats, teenagers fixing some roofs— now deserted and harrowingly empty, all traces wiped out.

Decades worth of history, generations of families, all gone in a single night.

He had never seen his home so......cold.

Kakashi caught Shisui's arm, steadying him as the horrifying realization sank in. His Clan was no more, slaughtered like pigs. Shisui felt his blood turn to ice, frigid and numb. 

The Hokage had a lot of answering to do.

The Sandaime barely flinched when Shisui slammed his hands on his desk, the ANBU guard tensing up. "Why wasn't I informed? According to your story, Itachi went berserk four months ago! You knew I was not in Konoha! You knew there was another Uchiha out there! And you did NOTHING!" 

Sarutobi remained silent as the ANBU wrestled Shisui, dragging him away from the Hokage's desk, holding him at a distance. Kakashi was told to wait outside. "We couldn't let the other Hidden Villages catch wind that Konoha almost lost the sharingan."

"FUCK THE VILLAGE!" Shisui roared, thrashing in the ANBU's grip. "This is my family, you had no right keeping me in the dark!"

Sarutobi exhaled, the smoke making the sealed room heady and dizzying. "Every decision was taken in the best interests of the village. And we weren't sure if Itachi had gotten to you too. For all we knew, it would have been a wild goose chase trying to find you."

"So you left me to the hands of that psycho? That's how expendable I am to Konoha?"

"That is not what I meant—"

Shisui cut him off with a cruel scoff, running his hands over his face. "So be it then. Message received, loud and clear, Sandaime-sama!" With a swift hand, he untied his forehead protector, tossing it in front of the Hokage.

The Clan Elders, who were silent all this while, stood up in uproar. "This is egregious! You have a duty towards Konoha!"

Shisui angrily shrugged off the ANBU's hold, storming out the Hokage office, turning around to look at Sarutobi one last time. "I have a duty towards my clan. The clan you let die on your watch. How were you bested by a thirteen year old?" Shisui roared, the elders still as steel, unshakeable.

The Third had the decency to lower his eyes. "My condolences, Shisui-kun."

The sharingan glowed hauntingly red, as though bleeding. "The Yondaime would have never allowed this to happen." And slammed the door on his way out, missing the way Sarutobi's head lowered in shame.

"Sasuke please....." Shisui was close to tears, his cousin refusing to look at him, locked in his room.

"GET OUT! The Uchihas are dead! You're not real!" Sasuke screamed so loud, Shisui worried he'd tear his vocal chords. He could hear Sasuke crouched behind the door, muttering to himself. "He is not real. None of it was real. Genjutsu. Genjutsu....."

Shisui's heart shattered. Sasuke had reacted so violently on seeing Shisui, his sharingan activated for the first time.

"Shisui, he just needs some time to process." Kakashi tried to comfort him as Naruto slid into Sasuke's room through the window, muffled sobs wracking out of Sasuke's chest.

"Senpai, watch over him, please?" Shisui's voice cracked. 

"Of course." Kakashi placed his hand on Shisui's shoulder, squeezing.

"I....." Shisui shook his head, the fight leaving him, sinking to his knees outside Sasuke's door. "I knew ANBU wasn't right for him. He......this doesn't make any sense, he hated....." Shisui couldn't even bring himself to say Itachi's name. "I hate him, I hate him. Why did Itachi do this?" Shisui drew his knees up closer, sobbing as Kakashi crouched before him.

Was it really luck? Or misfortune? To be the last ones remaining.

Kakashi and Shisui cleared the table, awkward silence gripping their throats, both fidgety and avoiding eye contact. How was one to start a conversation after a steamy-I'm-glad-you're-not-dead makeout session? The kids who had been acting as a buffer, had gone to bed, leaving them alone.

Shisui and Sasuke had been slowly rebuilding their trust over the past week, the Uchiha coming over to the Hatake Compound for dinners. He had been using Kakashi's old Jounin apartment for the time being.

"I just don't get it." Shisui mumbled, eyes dry and red. He had no tears left to shed for his family. "Itachi hated violence. Why would he.....Kakashi, you said ANBU deals internally right? Why didn't they stop him?" 

Kakashi froze, blood running cold. Could it be...ROOT? No, Itachi would not go against the Sandaime.....unless....Kakashi refused to continue that trail of thought.

Shisui sat at the table, while Kakashi did the dishes. "I can't even step into the Compound." He knew there would be answers, but he didn't have the courage to face the graveyard just yet. 

Kakashi cleared his throat. "You know, Sasuke is quite comfortable here. And he could do better with family close by."

The corner of Shisui's lip twitched, dull eyes regaining some mischief. "My, my, are you asking me to move in before the second date?"

Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "You get your own room."

Shisui clicked his tongue in disapproval. "And here I was hoping you'd let me into your bed."

"Hold your horses Uchiha."

Shisui chuckled and came up behind Kakashi, wrapping his arms around his waist, kissing his temple. "Thank you, Kakashi."

"For what?"

Shisui let his forehead fall on Kakashi's shoulder. "Just....being there." 

Sasuke and Shisui bowed their heads in front of the Uchiha Family Shrine. The Naka River felt like the perfect spot to remember the fallen Uchihas. The same river that watched them become an Uchiha sent them off into the afterlife. It was poetic, almost.

"Shisui." Sasuke stared at his parents name engraved on the stone. "You knew him the best. Why did he do it?"

Shisui blinked, refusing to let the tears fall in front of Sasuke. "I wish I knew Sasuke. I.....I'm afraid only ANBU holds the answers."

"ANBU?"

"It's a tactical faction of Shinobi under the direct command of the Hokage. Ita- He had been acting different ever since he got recruited."

Sasuke's jaw clenched. "Then that will be my goal. My ambition."

Shisui didn't know if he had it in him to watch another brother walk down the path of self-destruction. 

Mikoto-sama, Fugaku-sama, please watch over us. Watch over your sons.

Kakashi never thought he would ever get to associate the word 'warmth' and 'family' with the Hatake Compound again. After his father's death, the compound had been reduced to an unbearable cold lifeless roof. He never imagined flowers would bloom once again in his mother's garden or laughter would echo through his childhood home.

Beside him Sakura leaned over the shogi board, flipping through the strategy book she had fished out of the Hatake Archive. Both were seated on the engawa as Shisui engaged the boys in a two-for-one spar and having a little too much fun kicking their butts.

"Come on you two! Future Hokage and Uchiha-sama, that's all you got?" Shisui waggled his eyebrows, enjoying riling them up.

"Shisui, don't antagonise the pre-genins." Kakashi droned, moving a piece on the board with a distinct click.

"Mah, where's the fun in that, dear?" 

"Stop flirting with Kaka-Ni and take this seriously -ttebayo!" Naruto barelled forward, conjuring ten shadow clones, crowding Shisui.

"Naruto! You cannot use that jutsu so flippantly!" Kakashi hissed and flung a shuriken, cancelling out his clones.

"Mou, spoilsport." Naruto grumbled. Sasuke and Naruto resorted to hurling random things at Shisui having run out of kunai and shuriken. Shisui casually flickered out of the way, leaving Sakura in the line of fire.

The storage scroll hit Sakura's forehead, a red bruise blooming as Sasuke, froze in fear. Ever since Sakura's crush on his faded, Sasuke had been subjected to the same punches and curses that Naruto was well accustomed to. 

Shooting Sasuke a venemous glare, she turned her attention back to the shogi board. Kakashi stifled his laughter, Sasuke letting out a sigh of relief when Sakura didn't pummel him into the ground.

The ninken had been the ones enjoying the shift back the most. Shiba, Akino and Urehi ran around the backyard with Naruto and Sasuke, chasing Shisui as he lived up to his moniker, flickering across the yard. Bull was the only obedient one among them, letting Kakashi brush his fur. Pakkun and Guruko were meticulous, going through their ten step haircare routine. 

Naruto grabbed the garden hose, trying to aim it at Shisui as if he was a moving target in those village fair games. "I'll see how you escape now, Shisui Ni!" Naruto hollered, the constant shrieking and yelling breaking Sakura's concentration, clicking her tongue.

"Should have gone to the library to study. This isn't a house, it's a circus!" She muttered under her breath, Kakashi chuckling. 

"Shisui Ni, eat dust!"

A loud splash and then deafening silence. Kakashi inched away, having developed a grain of survival instinct in recent times. 

Sakura inhaled sharply, trying to reign in her anger, drenched from head to toe. Think happy thoughts Sakura, happy thoughts. But the idiots she called her best friends were making it really hard to have happy thoughts.

Sakura's eye twitched, snarling. "Naruto." Naruto went pale, fruitlessly hiding the hose behind him. She clenched her teeth, Kakashi infuriatingly dry. "Do you wish to be my new target practice?"

The blond shook their head vehemently. Her punches were painful enough, Naruto didn't want to add sharp objects to her arsenal just yet. At least until he learnt how to dodge them.

Sakura groaned. "My hair. It's all ruined!" She whined, plucking out the leaves and twigs from her hair.

Pakkun hopped up the engawa, sitting beside Sakura. "Don't worry Pinky. You can use my shampoo."

Sakura felt a vein pop on her forehead as the boys muffled their laughs. "You want me to use dog shampoo?"

Pakkun remained undeterred, dropping the bottle in her lap. "It's branded."

"This is the same brand that I use." Sakura stared at the bottle like it was the bane of her existence, wallowing in the corner, a grey cloud of despair materialising. "I use a dog's shampoo."

"Mah Sakura-chan, don't be sad. Your hair is really pretty for someone who uses dog shampoo!"

The sharingan users collectively face palmed. "Baka." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. He may not know how to talk to girls but he had learnt how to avoid getting buried alive by one.

Naruto had not.

A shadow slithered over Sakura's eyes, knuckles cracking.

"Eh? Sakura-chan, why are you coming towards me? Why are you holding a kunai- GAHHHHHHHHH!"

Warmth bloomed across Kakashi's chest as Shisui threw his arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. The six year old who had been alone all his life, had never dared to dream of happiness. Kakashi had long written off his life to missions and bloodshed. Walls that rivaled a fortress built around his heart.

Dreams were a luxury the friend-killer could not afford. 

Yet somehow, these three little gremlins and the handsome devil had canon-balled their way into his heart, fulfilling wishes he never knew his heart had ached for.

If only, dreams could last forever.

"Sa, what else is on the list?" Asuma flipped through Naruto's medical records, the two at the hospital for Naruto's shots and a routine check up. Usually Kakashi would be the one to take him but he had been called over for a mission with Kurenai.

"Asuma-sama." A nurse approached the two, face covered with a surgical mask, eyes obscured by huge circular glasses. "Naruto-kun has one more medical examination left."

Asuma frowned. He had never seen this nurse before. "What is it for?"

"Just the regular." The nurse leaned closer, whispering. "For um, Naruto-kun's....tenant. Sandaime-sama has ordered it." Asuma felt uneasy but let the mysterious nurse escort Naruto to a separate room.

That day, Asuma should have listened to his gut. He should have not let Naruto out of his sight. He should have verified the nurse's id. He should have......he should have protected him.

I should have done more.

Naruto peeled his eyes open, Kakashi hovering over him, worry creased over his forehead. "How do you feel, kid?" Naruto's throat felt tight and dry, parched. Kakashi helped him sit up.

"Naruto-kun, we have some questions for you." A weird dude with bandages all over his arms stepped closer. Naruto instinctively leaned closer to Kakashi, the Jounin tightening his hold on his ward.

"Can this not wait, Danzou-sama? The boy just woke up."

"This is the first and last time I forgive your insolence, Hatake. Don't overplay your hand." Danzou's fist tightened over his cane in a warning.

Naruto blinked, his vision clearing as he noticed the crowd gathered around him. "Kaka-Ni, why are we in the hospital?"

Kakashi tore his gaze from Danzou, eyes softening the moment he turned to Naruto. "That's what we want to know too, Naruto. What happened when Asuma took you to the hospital?"

"Asuma Ni.....he took me for all the flu shots." Naruto frowned, rubbing his temple. "A nurse took me to a room and then took my blood...." 

The memories came back in fragmented pieces. A really big injection. Orange and yellow flashes. A big fox.

Kakashi's blood ran cold the minute Naruto mentioned the fox, tightening his hold on the boy. Stop talking. Not in front of them.

But it was too late. That was all Danzou needed to hear, lips twisting into a cruel smile. Everything else fell on deaf ears.

The decision was made.

"Sandaime-sama, this is an absurd correlation." Kakashi stood before the Hokage's desk, almost pleading.

"The report was clear, Kakashi. Naruto lost control of his emotions and the Kyuubi's chakra leaked. We were lucky the nurse managed to sedate him in time. If news got out to the village, it would cause a riot. And put Naruto more at risk."

"He's a kid, maybe he got scared of the big syringe. How is that his fault? How is he supposed to learn to control the Kyuubi when you won't let me tell him about it? How can he control a power he doesn't know he possesses?!"

Sarutobi flipped through a file. "The Elders came to the conclusion that being in your presence has endangered Naruto. It's in the village's best interest to remove him from your care." Sarutobi set his pipe down, decisive. "Naruto's memories will be sealed until he makes genin. He will go back to how he lived before you interfered."

Interfered? Kakashi felt his stomach plummet. "Sandaime-sama—"

"The sealing will take place tomorrow. Bring him at 8 a.m. And I mean 8, Kakashi." Sarutobi raised his hand, dismissing him with a flick of his wrist.

Kakashi had to be physically removed from the premises. He dragged his feet back home, lingering at the threshold, watching as Naruto and Sasuke quietly did their homework at the kitchen table, Shisui stirring the soup. The scene was disgustingly domestic, making Kakashi's heart ache.

He lifted his forehead protector, Obito's sharingan searing the memory into his mind. After everything, he was a fool to believe things would go well for him. He could never outrun his curse. 

Kakashi felt his eyes well up as Naruto positively brightened when he noticed Kakashi, waving him over, the bandage on his cheek creasing from how widely he smiled.

Kakashi sat beside Naruto, letting the blond ramble, soaking in the last day he had with his little brother. 

I'm sorry Naruto. I'm so sorry.

"Naruto, get ready. We need to go somewhere." Kakashi's heart broke when Naruto trusted him blindly, no questions, painfully unaware of what fate had in store for him.

Shisui couldn't meet Naruto's eyes, giving him a watery smile as they left the Hatake compound. Sasuke was still in the dark on what was happening. He didn't know what happened at the hospital either.

Nobody did. They never let Naruto finish, overreacting the minute Naruto mentioned the fox. The decision was made.

"Ni-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you teach me a super cool jutsu tomorrow?" He asked, smile as bright as the sun. 

Kakashi hummed, tears welling up in his eyes. We don't have a tomorrow, Naruto.

"Why did Jiji call us?" 

"He'll tell you himself." Kakashi's breath rasped, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. He pushed the door open, the sight making his blood boil. Beside the Hokage stood the last living Seal Master, Jiraiya of the Sannin. It took every ounce of military training in him to not deck Jiraiya in the face. 

Sarutobi folded his arms. "Kakashi, please step outside."

Naruto seemed to notice the tense atmosphere, hastily grabbing onto Kakashi's flak jacket when two ANBU approached him. "Kaka-Ni, what is happening? Don't touch me you freak!" He lashed out at the ANBU.

"Naruto, please cooperate." Kakashi felt his chest hurt, removing Naruto's hands off him, pushing him forward. Kakashi wish he could burn his hands for doing that.

Naruto's face contorted with fear and betrayal. "Kaka Ni?" He called out in a small, voice. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to look at Naruto, clenching his jaw when Chameleon manhandled Naruto, forcing him into a chair in front of Jiraiya.

"KAKA NI!" Naruto's yells hoarse and painful, thrashing as he was held down on the chair, twisting himself to look at Kakashi. "Don't leave me please! You promised! KAKA NI—"

The door shut on Kakashi's face, not realising he had been pushed out, the door barely muffling Naruto's screams.

I'm sorry Naruto. I'm sorry Sensei. I failed.

Kurenai pumped chakra into her feet, sprinting over the roofs, not caring if she tore a muscle or collapsed from chakra exhaustion. God, please let me not be too late. 

Kurenai rushed through the corridor, slowing down when she noticed Kakashi numb and blank outside the Hokage's office, swaying as his knees gave out, Kurenai surging forward to catch him in time. "Kakashi?"

Kakashi broke down in Kurenai's arms, shoulders trembled as quiet sobs wracked out of his chest, the kunoichi struggling to keep her own tears at bay. For a moment, she didn't see the jounin but a small scared boy- days after his father's suicide, hunched over his scroll, reading through the tears.

Kurenai tipped her head towards the ceiling, blinking away the tears as she held onto Kakashi tightly. Why? Hasn't he lost enough?

Kakashi gathered himself as the door opened. "Bye Jiji!" Naruto replied cheerfully, walking past Kakashi and Kurenai as if they were strangers, not a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he dashed down the corridors. Kurenai's heart ached as the boy she practically raised walk past her without a second glance. She couldn't begin to imagine what Kakashi was going through.

Kakashi's eye was red, narrowing as Jiraiya stepped out and placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Listen Kakashi, this is for the best—"

Kakashi slapped Jiraiya's hand away. "So you couldn't spare a moment in the past eight years to visit your godson, but to carry out the elders bidding you appear in a day's notice?!" Kakashi spat out the words like they were venom, Jiraiya flinching under the intensity of his killing intent.

Kakashi stormed off, ignoring Kurenai's calls. Kurenai turned to the sannin, all the respect she held for him shattering in an instant. "If Kushina-sensei were alive today, she would have had your head on a platter. And Minato-sama.....he would be so disappointed in you."

The sanin had the decency to lower his head in shame. "I know Kurenai, but we had no choice."

"With all due respect, you did have a choice. Today and eight years back when Minato-sama died. You always did."

Red. Blood red. Rivulets flowing down his knuckles and all over Chameleon's face. 

Kakashi didn't know whose blood it was. He didn't care. 

"—Kakashi......kill.......let go— HE'LL DIE!"

A pair of hands wrenched Kakashi back, teleporting to a quieter place. Kakashi thrashed against Shisui's grip, falling to his knees, chest caving as he struggled to breath, vision blurring.

Sobs wracked through Kakashi's chest, breaking down in Shisui's arms. 

Kakashi was forbidden with any form of contact with Naruto until he made genin. The Village Elders had threatened with execution if he was found anywhere near a ten metre radius of the Jinchuriki. 

Hours passed and Shisui's legs had gone numb but he didn't care, holding his beloved in his arms, blinking away his own tears. The cold bitter air stung as Kakashi curled in on himself.

"Shisui....." Kakashi's voice cracked, lost and defeated. "Please.....watch over him for me." 

Shisui's heart broke to the see proud shinobi begging, broken beyond repair. He brushed his lips against his temple, holding him tight. "I promise Kakashi, I'll watch over Naruto."

"Kakashi Ni-san?" Sakura hesitantly approached the shinobi, breaking into the Hatake Compound with her spare key. The man looked disheveled and a mess, eyes dim and hopeless. "Why isn't Naruto here?" 

Kakashi cleared his throat, lips stuck together. He hadn't uttered a word in the past 48 hours. "It's.....an S rank secret."

Sakura bit her lip, fear gripping her heart. Kakashi looked like he was mourning someone. If she hadn't seen Naruto in the Academy with her own two eyes, she would have feared the worst.

She didn't understand exactly why Naruto no longer recognised her or Sasuke. She didn't know why Naruto's training had gone back to square one. She didn't know why he counted money and drank spoilt milk.

All she knew was that Kakashi was sad. And Naruto, alone.

Sakura slowly kneeled down beside Kakashi, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't worry Ni-san. I'll make sure Naruto eats all his vegetables and pays attention in class." She tried consoling him in the only way she knew.

Kakashi couldn't hold it together anymore, resting his cheek on her head. He couldn't muster the strength to even hug her back, letting a few tears fall into her hair. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura paced along the Uchiha Main House backyard, Sasuke seated on the engawa, nails digging into his palms, almost drawing blood.

After they sealed Naruto's memories, Shisui had been summoned in front of the Elders with an ultimatum. Utilise the Uchiha lands or the state would seize them.

This wouldn't be the first time the Hokage Council had encroached on clan lands in the name of expansion under the Nidaime's rule.

And Sasuke refused to lose anything more to Konoha. Unfortunately, the decision came at a prize, having to move out of the Hatake Compound. Which Shisui suspected was their intention.

Sakura clutched at her hair, knuckles turning white. Sasuke had spilled everything to Sakura the moment he saw her, Sandaime's decree be damned.

"This has got to constitute as some kind of war crime. He stole his autonomy!" Sakura raged only for Sasuke to slap his hand over her mouth, shushing her.

"Are you crazy?!" Sasuke hissed, whipping his head, trying to spot the stationed ANBU. "Do you want to die?" If word got back to the Hokage that Sasuke or Sakura knew, their heads would be on the line, Last Uchiha or not. 

Sakura pushed him off, standing up, fists balled up, itching to punch something. "But I still don't get it! All they did was draw his blood, Naruto had a dream about some fox and what? That was enough reason to manipulate his memories and erase us all from his life?" 

Sasuke rubbed his temple. Kakashi had gone mute and Shisui struggled to give them a straight answer. He was too tired to even fight. A vicious malice gripped his heart like a vine. All Konoha did was snatch people from him. "We're getting late. We should head to the Academy."

The bell rang, Sakura and Sasuke dragging themselves towards the classroom. Sakura stopped at the threshold, staring. Sasuke followed her gaze, eyes burning as he tried to reign in the tears. 

Naruto sat all alone in the back seat, head pillowed on his arms, looking out the window. Lonely.

"This is ridiculous and utterly stupid." Sakura muttered under her breath, marching into the classroom, Sasuke trying to hold her back.

"Sakura, do you have a death wish?"

"Nobody can stop me. I will do what I want!" She hissed back, ignoring Sasuke as she slid into a seat beside Naruto. Naruto looked startled as Sakura smiled politely at him, confused.

Sasuke sighed, exasperated but followed suit, sliding into the seat, Naruto sandwiched between the two. The fangirls shot Naruto and Sakura a sour look as Sasuke ignored them, quietening down when Iruka-sensei entered the classroom.

Naruto looked utterly confused, whipping his head to look at Sasuke and Sakura, trying to say something, words failing him. 

"You're gonna fall behind if you keep staring." Sasuke said, dry and sarcastic. He shot Naruto a condescending look. "Dead last."

That seemed to break Naruto out of his stupor, going back to his outlandish claims, grabbing his pencil, scribbling into his notes with a fury to prove Sasuke wrong. Sasuke and Sakura couldn't help but exchange a small smile over his head, flanking his sides as a protective shield. 

There he is, our knuckle-headed, hyperactive ninja.

Sasuke stared at Naruto, who thought of him as nothing but competition, muttering under his breath, letting a sad smile tug at his lips. You were there when I needed you the most, usuratonkachi. I won't abandon you now. Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.

And if Iruka turned a blind eye to the three giggling in class and the looming chakra signature out on the tree, nobody had to know.

Naruto yawned, blinking at the new poster stuck on his wall. "Where did this come from?" He inched closer to read it.

Rules for becoming Hokage:

1. Eat all your vegetables

2. Take a bath everyday

3. Study hard

4. Respect your elders

5. Be careful with money

-🐾

"Did Jiji put this up?" Naruto scratched his head, shrugging as he went about his day, none the wiser.

One day, he'd open his little box that contained a frog wallet, a used dog bandaid and a small birthday note and recognise the signature.

But not today. Not until he made Genin.

Kakashi knew he looked pathetic. Pakkun had said so himself. But he couldn't help it. After years of being anchor-less, Naruto had become his cornerstone. That little brat has wormed himself into Kakashi's heart. A place now hauntingly empty in his absence.

The boy was his only family. His little brother. His pack.

He was perched on a tree right outside the Academy grounds, technically public property. A shinobi of Konoha had the right to sit on any tree he wished to. He had Shisui check the laws.

Hidden among the leaves, he could see Naruto laughing and playing with Sasuke, the boys tussling about. Kakashi couldn't help but smile and watch, sharingan uncovered as he committed that smile to his memory. By the time he could talk to Naruto again, the boy would have grown up.

This time won't come back.

Naruto seemed better than before, Kakashi would be eternally grateful to the Harunos for looking out for Naruto, helping him with his reading and writing, no matter how bitter it made him. I should be the one teaching him.

"Naruto! Iruka-sensei is searching for you!" Sakura hollered, right below the tree Kakashi was hidden in.

"What? What did I do now?" Naruto paled, scampering off to hide someplace.

The second Naruto was out of sight, Sakura turned on her heel, staring dead straight into Kakashi's eyes. Kakashi jerked backwards at the intensity. A mere genin shouldn't sniff him out so easily.

Before Kakashi could flicker away, Sakura picked up a small stone and aimed it with deadly accuracy, hitting Kakashi's chest. "Down. NOW!" She demanded like he was a dog to be trained and Kakashi begrudgingly abided.

Speaking of the Harunos, did he mention, the littlest and pinkest one of them terrified him the most?

Sakura waited with crossed arms and a frown carved between her forehead, tapping her foot. "What are you, a pervert, ogling Academy students in the middle of the day?"

"Mah Sakura-chan, your words cut sharper than kunai." He drawled, resting on the Academy wall. 

"My actual kunai is even sharper, would you like a taste?" Sakura huffed, pushing the bangs out of her face. "He is fine! Stop worrying so much!"

"Hmm." Kakashi kept his face carefully blank.

Sakura sighed, relenting. "I know you miss him but this is going to hurt the both of you. If Sandaime finds out you're here....." She left the words unspoken but Kakashi heard it all the same.

Kakashi didn't fear death, not when he had been actively wishing for it since he made Jounin. But he feared Naruto being alone, of what fate had in store for him. Of what Konoha would do to him.

Kakashi feared failing.

And he couldn't protect Naruto from beyond the grave.

So he stepped back. He made Sasuke stock Naruto's fridge with vegetables. He asked the Harunos about Naruto's progress. He asked Shisui to shadow Naruto, making sure the civilians didn't misbehave with him.

Kakashi became Hound without the mask, orbiting a sun he could never touch, watching his little brother grow up like an orphan. Within sight, but out of reach.

And just like that, four years had passed.

Sasuke clenched his jaw, his own achievement feeling hollow, the headband on his forehead heavy like a cursed inheritance. "You know what, fuck it!"

Sakura grabbed Sasuke by his collar, yanking him back. "You are a genin now! An adult in the eyes of the law! We can't go about this as we please anymore!" She hissed.

"Are you kidding me? He can't pass until he uses that jutsu, which of course he can't because somebody fucking sealed his memories away!" Sasuke jerked his chin, gesturing towards the Sandaime's stone head.

"What are you gonna do about it? You don't know it either!" Sakura and Sasuke still didn't understand Naruto's situation or why he struggled with a simple C grade jutsu while performing an A grade jutsu like it was a party trick back when they were eight. 

All they knew was that Naruto could pass the graduation exam. He just didn't remember how. Sasuke flashed his sharingan, having unlocked it when Shisui came back. "I've known it since we were eight."

Sakura rolled her eyes but grinned. "Bloody show off."

"I'm done stepping over eggshells." Sasuke grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's get our usuratonkachi back."

When Iruka saw Naruto fight Mizuki, he recognised the will of fire burning bright in his students, a spark that had returned after four long years.

Bleeding, Iruka couldn't help but smile as a thousand Naruto clones came to protect him. 

Naruto, your friends have got your back.

Naruto's mind raced as years worth of memories resurfaced, like a layer of dust removed. They were always there, just hidden in plain sight. He remembered everything. Kakashi training him, finding a house for him, moving into the Hatake Compound, the Jounin Four, his friends.

He remembered Hound.

Naruto inhaled sharply, dull blue eyes finding the Sandaime's eyes. "Care to explain why I had to live like an orphan for the past four years when I had a family waiting for me Jiji?"

"I did what was in your best interest."

The chair scraped against the wooden floor as Naruto stood up. "You have failed me. I think it's high time you let go of the hat. You are no longer a Hokage worth following into war." And with that he walked out, ignoring Sarutobi's feeble protests and excuses.

Naruto sniffed, the pain unbearable as the man he trusted all his life, who he considered family could do this to him. Naruto stared at the ground, hands stuffed in his pocket as he absentmindedly walked towards the outskirts of the village.

"Oi, usuratonkachi." A familiar voice made Naruto look up, tears welling up. He looked at his friend in a new light. This was not his Academy rival who sparred with him and snobbishly corrected his mistakes. No, this was the boy he grew up with, holding him through his nightmares, who learnt how to chakra walk with him. Sasuke smirked. "Okaeri. Took you long enough."

That was Naruto's last straw, tears falling as he grabbed Sasuke in a bear hug, Sasuke returning the hug with the same intensity, holding on tight. The memories came flooding back. The pranks, the picnics, rebuilding the Hatake Compound, the pain, the grief. So much of his life had been stolen from him.

"Ahem. Aren't you forgetting something?" Sakura wiped her eyes, lips twisted in a fake frown.

"How can I forget you Sakura-chan? Still using the dog shampoo?" Naruto let out a weak laugh as he dodged her half hearted punch, pulling her into the hug, the three holding onto each other like a lifeline. "Thank you, for sticking by me."

"We don't abandon our comrades now, do we?" A new voice joined them. Shisui smiled ruffling Naruto's hair. "It's good to have you back, Naruto." Naruto smiled, looking up at him, a question etched across his eyes. Shisui smiled in understanding. "You know where you'll find him."

Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, head bowed. In prayer or shame, he did not know. The news of Naruto's graduation had reached his ears, mostly with Sakura yelling straight into his ears. But his wounded heart refused to harbour hope. He couldn't bring himself to.

What if they go back on their word? What if the seal is never removed? What is he never remembers me?

Maybe that would be a fitting punishment, Kakashi ruminated. But he didn't have to wonder for long, his worries being quelled the minute he sensed a warm chakra signature materialise behind him.

"Talking to mom and dad without me, Kaka-Ni?" Four years. Four years since he was called that. Four years since he heard that voice directed at him. Kakashi turned around slowly, words failing him as Naruto stood before him, all grown up now. Naruto smiled, tears streaming down his face. "Tadaima, Kaka-Ni?"

Kakashi didn't say anything but let his arms fall open like he did all those years back, at the orphanage, when he first picked up Naruto. Naruto's lip trembled, launching himself into Kakashi's arms, sobbing into his chest. "I missed you so much ttebayo. I was so alone." He hiccuped between the words, Kakashi silently cradled his head, holding on tight, knowing Naruto would never outgrow his arms.

Kakashi felt his knees give out, collapsing as he held his little brother tightly.

And just like that, exiled son found his way back home.

"And Team 7 will be- Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

"YOSH!" Sakura and Naruto yelled out, hi-fiving as Sasuke tried to act nonchalant but failing miserably. 

Iruka paused, controlling his smile. "Your Jounin Instructor will introduce himself."

"Hah? That's not fair, everyone got their sensei's name -ttebayo!" Naruto groused, Sakura nodding along. How were they supposed to stalk their new teacher without a name?

The three watched the hours tick by with decreasing patience as they were the last team left in the Genin classroom.

"Gah! I'm going crazy, trapped inside!" Sakura flexed her fingers, Naruto and Sasuke inching away. "What kind of a Jounin is three hours late?!" The moment those words left Sakura's lips, realisation dawned on them like Iruka's chalk duster hitting them square on the nose.

The three simultaneously groaned. "No wonder he looked like a creep this morning, smiling to himself. I thought Shisui-Ni was taking him out on a date." Naruto gagged.

Sasuke sighed, the corner of his lips tugging upward, twisting in a half smirk. "Well, we should welcome our sensei in a memorable way now, shouldn't we?" Sakura and Naruto mirrored Sasuke, giggling menacingly. After four long years, the old gang was back together, working in perfect harmony, like a well-oiled machine. 

A very chaotic, mischievous machine.

Half an hour later, the trap was set and the cheese was placed. The door to the classroom rattled, sliding open at a glacial pace. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura watched with bated breath as the hinge of the door snapped the ninja wire, causing the duster free falling onto a ruler balanced like a see-saw, kicking up an Ultra Strong glitter bomb.

Three heads tracked the trajectory of the bomb, watching it explode on their Jounin Sensei's nose, a splatter of orange sticking to grey hair. Kakashi didn't as much as flinch. "My first impression of you....I hate you. Meet me at Training Ground Four." And vanished, leaving behind a dramatic pile of leaves.

Naruto and Sakura snickered while Sasuke rolled his eyes, racing down the stairs and over the Academy walls, skidding into the field, the Jounin (sans orange glitter) waiting with crossed arms and a bored look in his lone eye, book open.

"There you are, Team 7." Kakashi couldn't help the wave of pride wash over him as he addressed them as such, snapping his book shut. "Well not yet. You officially become Team 7 only if you pass my test. Or, back to the Academy it is." He held up the two bells, glinting in the sunlight.

This exercise wasn't new to the three, after all Kakashi had been training then since they were seven. 

Sakura cracked her knuckles and Sasuke smirked, sharingan swirling red. Naruto stood between them, tightening his forehead protector, the Konoha emblem reflecting against the sunlight. "Bring it on, ~Kakashi sensei."

Kakashi-sensei huh? He liked the sound of that. It was nice to have his kids back. But by no means was he going to go easy on them. And judging by the spark in their eyes, they weren't either.

"Team-7, your time starts now."

Kakashi crouched low, the bells chimed at his waist, signalling a new beginning. And Team 7 jumped into formation.