#personally i love that they made minato sit on the desk

[arisatoarchive]

[pinkroseblooms]

i just started Bucchigiri and love your stuff!!! 😭 Can you do one for Matakara having a crush on a new transfer girl? She wears the boys uniform and a hoodie over her head so she doesn't get attention. He only finds out cuz she helped treat his wounds after a fight once and it's been their secret ever since

Thank you so much! Hope you like this!

Just Between Us

Matakara/afab!Reader

Summary: Matakara takes it upon himself to befriend the new introverted transfer student and develops a crush, unaware they're both keeping secrets from the other. wc: 2.2k a/n: no warnings, mostly just fluff and a few swear words. reader is afab but I personally written them as being gender fluid. I also headcanon Matakara as bi disaster. Enjoy!

You yawn, barely paying attention as your teacher goes on about something to do with…history? English? Biology? At this point you don’t bother keeping track; no one else does. Usually everyone in your homeroom is openly hooting and hollering over the lecture; on good days, most of the other students are zoned out or passing notes, not even attempting to be sneaky about it.

Speaking of, a folded up card gets flicked on your desk; you look, puzzled at it, and back to your seatmate. On your right is Matakara Asamine, smiling patiently and pointing to the paper.

You roll your eyes but smile back; he has your number, the two of you could easily have a whole conversation over text if you wished to. Still, you open the little piece of paper and read what Matakara scribbled: he’s asking if you want to see a movie after school. You stifle a chuckle and write back an affirmative, deliberately sliding your hand over the surface of his desk; after he reads your answer, Matakara pumps his fist silently in a display of excitement. Your profile is obscured with your hood up and your head turned, so you hope he doesn’t see how wide you’re grinning. 

It’s only been a few months since you transferred to Ichizu and you’re grateful to have made a few decent friends; with the district's reputation, you hadn’t expected to do much in the way of socializing. You weren't particularly street smart or experienced in self defense even: you were one of the few students who fell into the “harmless wallflower” category. There were a handful of kids at school who were like you; they just sort of walked around, didn’t speak much, and were largely ignored by the majority of the school populace as too weak and plain to bother with. 

The Minato Kai and Siguma members mostly kept to themselves, interested in their own rivalry and their own personal circles of friends and acquaintances. Normies like you were mildly entertaining to mess with, and while you did get some teasing and the occasional shove in the hallway, you had sufficiently flown under the radar.

At least, until Matakara Asamine decided he wanted to make you his friend. From the beginning you were surprised, but not especially wary. The general opinion of Matakara was that he was strong and had integrity, two traits that Minato Kai prized; his revered older brother would surely be proud, who you had also heard good things about. With all that in mind, you didn’t hesitate too much when Matakara and his friends asked you to sit with them to eat or tag along to the batting cages. Frankly, you let everyone else do most of the talking; it was fun though. You genuinely enjoyed the company and Matakara shot down any attempts to get you to pledge with their gang. 

“What are we going to see later?” You ask as you take a seat next to Zabu, handing him the manga he had lent you a week prior. “Sorry it took so long, I lost it in the pile.”

“Eh, you can keep that if you want.” Zabu scrunches his nose at the volume, sliding it back towards you. “I’m not into that sappy shit.”

“Huh?” You raise an eyebrow. “Why’d ya buy it?”

“I heard it was supposed to be good, but it was cliche as hell.” Zabu shrugs, jabbing his elbow into Sakegaki’s side; said boy had been reaching his chopsticks into Zabu’s bento to nab a piece of grilled meat. “What movie? Are we going to see a movie?”

“Um-”

“Hey guys!” 

Matakara almost startles you with how loudly his voice booms; he plops down onto the bench next to you. “Sorry, the bread line was crazy today.”

“Figures, it’s half off day. What’d you get?” Zabu asks curiously.

“Yakisoba, here,” Matakara takes one of the sealed baggies of treats and puts one on top of your plate. “I owe you for last time, your favorite is the melon bread, right?”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to.” You add. “Thanks though.”

“No problem.”

Lunch period comes and goes and you completely forget to ask what movie the four of you are going to see, but it doesn’t bug you much. You don’t really mind if it means you get to sit by Matakara again; the last time you went to the movies with him he had shared a bucket of popcorn with you, whispering into your ear every now and again to comment on something. You spend the rest of the day hoping you’ll be able to sit next to him again, maybe have one of those moments where your hands touch by accident. Zabu doesn’t know what he’s talking about in your humble opinion: if it was up to you, your school life would be one big, romantic comedy cliche, and Matakara would be the male lead.

Except, as things are now with you passing for a boy, you’re pretty sure your role as of now is the quiet friend, the awkward loner adopted by the popular kid. Not a bad deal all things considered, but it makes having a crush something of a pain in the ass. Still, you’ll take some yearning on your end if it means you can continue going through your school days mostly unnoticed and unbothered. The fact of the matter is presenting as a girl is a hassle; even the toughest girls in your class have to deal with being pursued and bugged by obnoxious wannabe casanovas who think they’re the earth’s gift to women. 

So far, you haven’t had any risky encounters: the gender neutral bathroom, dirty and falling apart like everything else in the school, helps avoid your secret getting out and you skip changing for gym because…well, pretty much everyone else does anyway and the teachers don’t care. You can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t keep passing as a boy until graduation; not to mention, the boy’s uniforms are comfier. 

“Where’s the guys?” 

It’s the late afternoon and you’re changed into baggy sweats and battered sneakers; inside your jacket are four packages of candy picked up from the convenience store you’re presently loitering outside of to sneak into the theater. Matakara is late; you’re about to text him when you hear his voice calling out to you. Down the sidewalk, Matakara is running your way, smiling wide and out of uniform; as he reaches you, your eyes widen.

“What the hell? You’re bleeding man.” You step up to him, craning your neck to get a good look at the cut over his eyebrow. “What the hell happened?”

“Ah, one of Siguma’s guys challenged me on my way here.” Matakara raises his fingers to the small gash. “Oh wow, I didn’t realize his kick landed that hard.”

“Matakara, hold on a second.”

“Where are you-?”

You rush into the store; in three minutes you’ve returned with a box of bandages, a small bag of cotton swabs, disinfecting ointment, hand sanitizer, and a bottle of water.

“What’s the water for?”

“Flush out the wound. Some of the blood’s drying.” 

You make Matakare sit down on the wooden bench on the side of the building and lay out the supplies. He watches you silently as you pour some of the clean water onto a swab and begin to carefully wipe off the dried blood, soaking up the bit that’s still oozing. Matakara is obediently still and doesn’t wince as you swipe a few dabs of ointment over the injury after sanitizing your hands properly. 

“You do this a lot?”

“Nope.” You confess, handing him the bottle of water. “Here, have some. It’s always a good idea to drink water. I’m gonna put the bandaid on; can’t believe you didn’t realize you got hit so hard.”

“I was kinda in a rush.” Matakara’s hand dwarfs the plastic bottle; he’s looking down a bit guiltily. “Sorry I was late. I thought it’d be over quicker.”

“Well, the guys are late anyway, so it works out.” You gently smooth the bandage across his eyebrow. “There, it should be fine. Are you sure you don’t feel dizzy or anything? Maybe we should skip the movie.”

“No!” Matakara says, sitting up straight. “I’m totally fine, seriously. Thanks for taking care of me.”

“I should be the one saying that.” You sit next to him with a sigh. “Don’t apologize; I’m lucky you want to hang out with me at all.”

“Of course I do! You’re fun to be around and you’re a good listener and you’re really-” 

Matakara stops talking; he suddenly looks away and takes a sip of water. You stare at him, a bit flattered and a lot confused. Matakara's been acting a little off all day come to think of it.

“Should I text the guys? You told them where we were gonna meet, right?” You check your phone while Matakara finishes the water. “Think they went straight to the theater?”

“Um, actually, Sakegaki and Zabu aren’t coming.” Matakara tells you; he scrunches up the bottle and tosses it cleanly into the recycling bin next to him. “You don’t mind, right?”

“Oh. No, it’s cool.” You’re not lying but now your curiosity has peaked. “Is everything okay with you guys?”

“Yeah, nothing wrong.” Matakara says quickly. “If you want I can call them, if you’re not comfortable with it being just us.”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

“Because…” 

Matakara’s hands are clasped and he’s still looking at the ground; he looks troubled and you feel bad for pushing the issue, whatever it is, but something is definitely wrong. 

“I don’t mean to presume.” Matakara begins slowly, measuring his tone. “It’s none of my business, but I, um, when you got close to me, I kinda felt…your chest.”

You stare at him blankly; Matakara’s cheeks flush and he finally gives you a ‘look’. 

“Oh.” You blink. “Shit. I guess you found me out.”

“So, you were born a girl?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you…?” Matakara averts his stare. “Wait, sorry, it’s none of my business.”

“No, you’re fine. The thing is, it’s just kind of easier to pass myself off as a guy, ya know?” You pat his shoulder. “So, would you mind keeping it between us? Honestly, I don’t really care if people see me as a guy, girl, whatever, but it would make my life easier if you didn't go telling anyone else.”

“A secret?” Matakara perks up. “Between us?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure!”

You’re a bit taken aback; you know Matakara’s a nice guy and all, but you didn’t expect him to be this easy going about your charade.

“You can trust me.” Matakara puts a hand over his heart. “I can swear it in blood.”

“No, no more bleeding!” You blanch at the thought. “Dude, it’s not that deep.”

“I know, but it’s just nice.” Matakara rubs the back of his neck; he’s beaming at you, eyes crinkling in the corners, cheeks flushed. “You know, we’re always around other people or you go off on your own; when we are together, you don’t say much…I feel like we haven’t actually gotten a chance to really know each other, so I like we have this thing that’s only for us. Does that sound weird?”

“A little, but I see what you mean.” You tug the strings of your hoodie so it closes more around your face. “If you want, we could do this more.”

“This?”

“Hanging out,” You clarify, voice softer than you mean for it to be. “Just the two of us. If you want.”

“Then, it’s okay I didn’t invite the others? You’re not uncomfortable with it?”

“I probably feel the most comfortable around you, Matakara.”

You chance peeking out and realize you’re screwed: Matakara is leaning over, right in your face, eyes glued to your face and almost shining. He radiates warmth, like he’s trying to make you gravitate closer to his side, unknowingly pulling you toward him.

"Really?"

Actually, it’s more like his hand is placed over yours and he’s moving his face close to yours; for a moment you and Matakara stare at each other mutely. His hand covers yours and you don’t feel uncomfortable but your heart might actually combust inside your ribcage from how tenderly Matakara is gazing at you. 

“Do you really mean it?” Matakara breathes, voice almost like a sigh. “Can we go to the movies now? Just you and me?”

“Uh huh.” You nod dumbly, swallowing the spit you didn’t realize was pooling from glancing at his lips. “I, um, bought candy for everyone, four of them.”

“More for us.” Matakara smiles brightly, standing up; he’s yet to let go of your hand. 

“Works for me.” You don’t try to pull your hand away, allowing Matakara to pretty much lead you down the sidewalk in the direction of the theater. You’ve never seen him act almost childishly eager and his attitude is admittedly infectious. “Let’s share a popcorn bucket, it'll be less expensive.”

“Yeah, we should split a drink too.”

Matakara looks back, and you can’t miss the mischievous glint in his eyes as your cheeks grow hot.

“…I’m gonna have to watch out for you.”

“I don’t mind. In fact,” Matakara is grinning a little too innocently for the look he’s giving you over his shoulder. “You can look at me all you want.”

[pillow-anime-talk]

like father, like son.

request: i’m not sure if this is alright with your rules, but, may i request a headcanon with small imagine of minato namikaze with a reader who has the personality of kanao tsuyuri? he meets reader in the academy, taking an interest on her, he sets out on a mission to befriend her. eventually he manages to start bringing her out of her shell. soon after they fall in love and later marry. years later, history repeats itself, both watch how their son naruto protect hinata

# tags: headcanon + scenario; friends to lovers to marriage couple; light romance; fluff; a bit of comedy; soft!minato; mention of pregnancy; sfw

includes: female reader ft. minato namikaze {naruto}

↘ Minato was a boy full of energy and smile during his school days. And he loved to watch you from the last school desk when you listened carefully to the words of the teachers and experienced ninjas. He was truly smitten with you, and the opportunity to spend time together was a valuable experience for him.

↘ So he slowly getting to know you better, always offering his help when you had a problem with your homework or training. Halfway through the school year, he even switched places with the person sitting next to you so he could be closer to your person. He really tried his best and always asked his mom to make some more breakfast so he could give you some onigiri or fried tofu in soy sauce.

↘ Months passed and Minato was overjoyed to hear that he would be on the same team with you. You always stuck together, and your will to fight and calmly looking at difficult situations impressed him very much. For a young teenager, you were a little butterfly that spread its wings more and more and headed towards the sun.

↘ So the years passed; first you were in the same class, then in the same team, then you became the closest friends who spent their free time together, then you slowly began to climb the ladder of not-lovers-but-not-friends-too, shyly confessing your feelings to each other. Almost three years after the formation of the Team, you officially started dating – at first only for meals together at your favorite ramen restaurant, and then you started walking alone in the forests and by the lakes, holding hands.

↘ You had your first kiss together and from that moment you were closer than ever. Your relationship magnified your skills, and at a very fast pace, Minato became more and more successful in being a ninja. Thanks to you, he grew into a real man who wanted to start a family and protect the village. You were a refuge for him and a person who always soothed his mental and physical wounds.

↘ You got engaged at the age of twenty and married a year later. You enjoyed your rings for a short time, but then you had to take off your beautiful jewelry because your hands became very swollen due to pregnancy. Minato was overjoyed, and when he found out it was probably a boy, he cried for the first time in many years. He then kissed your entire face, almost removing your delicate eye make-up.

↘ Naruto was born as a healthy, smiling boy who gave you and your husband a lot of joy (but also a lot of stress) in later years. From that moment, you had to protect not only each other, but also this golden-haired baby who was the fruit of your long-term love.

↘ You never had your second child, but you gave all your love to Naruto, who grew up to be a little rascal. Nevertheless, the knowledge passed on to him made him a brave and eager to fight teenager over the years. He was very much like Minato, especially when he was protecting the weak or those he truly loved. You were personally delighted when your beloved son brought Hinata home for the first time – no longer as a friend, but as a woman he would like to spend the rest of his life with.

↘ In terms of being a romantic – again; Naruto was very much like his father. He gave Hinata small gifts, always protected her from rain and attacks of enemies, always tenderly said Goodbye to her and took care of her like the most precious flower. He was a small copy of Minato, who kissed your forehead with the greatest tenderness, gave you flowers and cooked your favorite dishes for you.

↘ Your life was perfect at that moment and you definitely wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. You wanted to grow old with this guy and marry him again in your next life.

*:･ﾟ✧*

You and your husband were sitting on the terrace of your small house, watching Naruto and Hinata approach a white building with a dark roof. There was a book in your hand and a cup of steaming green tea on the table next to you. Minato at that time was sitting directly in front of you; his eyes were closed. Ten minutes ago, he was talking to you about plans for the coming months, and after a while he simply fell asleep, tired of the constant duties of the Hokage.

You frowned as you watched the young couple. Your son had a huge, almost painful smile on his face, while your daughter-in-law had flushed cheeks. She and Naruto had a really peaceful and supportive marriage, though from time to time they would ask you for advice on a successful relationship.

But something was bothering you, and it was a strange feeling in your stomach. Your intuition was never wrong; you just felt something was... That something has changed. So you quickly woke up your husband, although you really didn’t want to, and then whispered a simple sentence in his direction.

“Minato, I think I’m going to be a grandmother.” You whispered, hiding your excitement. Your husband yawned.

“How…” He bit his lip. “Oh.”

After a short while, a young adult couple entered your house; for the first time you saw your son dressed that well. Before you could offer something to drink and eat, your son ran to his father and lifted him high.

“I will be a grandfather and you will be parents!” He screamed and you laughed out loud. “I mean, I’ll be dad and you’ll be grandmothers!”

“Naruto-kun...” Hinata started, almost fainting in embarrassment.

“I mean, mom. You will be grandma and you, dad, will be grandpa!” He said it right this time, and you nodded, still amused. Your sense of intuition, however, was not mistaken. You immediately hugged your beloved daughter and then your son, congratulating them as sincerely as you could.

One glistening tear welled up in your eye because these two were so much like you and your husband; just as in love and as happy as you and your beloved. You were so happy for them and for your own happiness. You started crying into Minato’s arms and he stroked your hair. Minute later, he offered tea to your lovely guests.

[amaya-chwan]

Takeaways from Therapy Game: Restart Chapter 13 (and some Therapy Game news!)

Hello everyone! I hope you've all been well these past two months and taken care of yourselves! 💜

Before we get into our takeaways for chapter 13, I saw some news from Hinohara-sensei's Official Twitter that I would like to share with you all!

First piece of news: Therapy Game re:start volume 2 will be released on 1st June 2021! 🎉

Second: in conjunction with the release of the second volume, Sensei will have an in-person fan signing event at the Ikebukuro Animate store (animate honten) AND will have a special limited time shop featuring goods of our favourite dorks! This shop will be opened 6th-20th June! 🎉🎉

Image from Sensei's Official Twitter post! ❤️💛💜❤️

Now, what does the second piece of news mean for us not living in Japan (such as myself)? 🤔 Well, one of two things could happen:

We could see the merch on Sensei's Twitter and wish we could buy them one day 😭 OR

Animate could "potentially" release this merch for online order!

I'm not trying to get anyone's hopes up, but when I saw Animate open a special Yuri!!! on Ice shop last year, I didn't think they'd release merch online. But they did, for a very, very short period of time only! So my only hope is that they do that again for Hinohara-sensei! 🤞

Here's the special website from Sensei's twitter that has information about the fan signing event and limited time shop! It seems they'll show what merch will be available in the shop when it's all been finalised.

If I spot anymore updates about that, I'll try to post about it here! ❤️💛

Alright, down to business as usual! Let's get into our takeaways~ Thank you for being so patient with me! Life has been a little busy this year with juggling work and social life! So I really appreciate your patience! 💜

Here are our takeaways for this chapter:

Loving the brotherly love we see in this chapter! Warms my heart to no end! ❤️💛💜❤️

Minato, bb, you are growing up a lot! I am proud of you! 😭

Did I ever tell you guys that I really love Mito-san too? No? Well now I have ahah! He is just amazing and I love the energy he has--cool and lovable, yet smooth and sexy! Loving the domestic vibes I'm getting! 😍😍

AHHH SHIZUMA! Your smile is too pure, it's blinding! 🥰

Just couple goals from Shizuma and Minato, AND from Mito-san and Shouhei! (Why I don't call Mito-san Itsuki, I'll never know ahah I blame Shouhei! XDDD) ❤️💛💜❤️

The younger sibling moments in this chapter are so relatable! (I am that younger sibling ahahah!) 🤣🤣🤣

I honestly don't know what to think of Onodera at this point in time? 🤔

The (supposed) date time with Shizuma and Minato went from adorable anticipation to steamy relations in a split second, but not NSFW! 😲

And that’s it for this chapter’s takeaways! For a more detailed breakdown/summary of this chapter, please continue after the cut! Since it's been a while since the last chapter, I threw in some extra surprises in this summary, so keep reading if you want to see~  😉✨

Our chapter begins with an image of Mito-san and Minato, with Minato's cheek leaning on Mito-san's shoulder. The dialogue reads: When it seems like my overflowing emotions are about to burst from the seams, I really do yearn for this back (i.e. something familiar he can always lean on).

We see Minato spaced out on a sofa, being called by Itsuki. Itsuki tells Minato to go home if he's just going to sit there like that since he is very busy cleaning his entire home for when Shouhei moves in with him! Minato gets up, understands the situation, and helps Itsuki out.

Itsuki, knowing something has happened between Shizuma and Minato, asks Minato directly since he only goes to Itsuki's place when he is troubled, and he must be troubled by something related to Shizuma. He also says that Shizuma is worried about Minato, especially since Itsuki lied to him about Minato's whereabouts.

Minato brushes it off, saying that it's nothing big. He talks about the time when they had to drop by Shizuma's workplace, he saw a woman/Onodera (not knowing she's Shizuma's director) and that Shizuma made an very adorable face while talking to her.

Minato stops talking, so Itsuki asks if that is all to the story. Minato then says yes, so Itsuki deduces that Minato is ignoring Shizuma because he happily spoke with that woman (Onodera) and confirms with Minato, who then agrees. Itsuki blames himself for raising Minato like this and apologises to Shizuma in his inner monologue.

Minato defensively says he's told Shizuma not to do that, yet he still does. Minato's monologue says that this Shizuma--who is talking to someone unknown to him, about a story he doesn't know, in a place he doesn't know about--seems like a distant person to him.

He realises that even though he and Shizuma are together, he cannot monopolise him, and that it annoys him. So rather than tell him not to speak with others, he has chosen not to see Shizuma until he calms down. Suddenly, a handyman appears at Itsuki's home to beginning furniture installations.

Image translated from Sensei’s Twitter post here!

Minato is surprised Itsuki replaced a lot of his furniture, to which Itsuki replies: "I wonder if Shouhei-kun prefers the new ones too."  Minato says Shouhei would freeze from this "surprise" and imagines Shouhei asking how much it cost!

Itsuki, still in his happy bubble, says he wants Shouhei to also select some household furniture and accessories, so they'll go shopping together next time. Minato is happy for them since their house-moving plans are going well. Itsuki goes back to their previous topic of conversation, and says how Shizuma and Shouhei both are very charming. He recounts how Shouhei would handle different kinds of customers, from the difficult to the sad ones, how his charms and personable skills would change their mood completely, and calls him a genius who has a knack for calming customers.

Minato asks if Itsuki dislikes that, since he himself doesn't know what to think of Shizuma showing his charm and friendliness to others and that some misunderstandings would arise eventually.

Itsuki then reminds Minato that out of all the people in the world, Shizuma asked Minato to live with him, and that thought alone must've made him happy.

Minato does agree, yet it doesn't change the fact that he is unaware of what Shizuma does outside of the home. Itsuki is then suspicious that Minato and Shizuma are going to move in together too.

Minato panics, and says he just meant that from Itsuki's point of view since he's moving in with Shouhei. Just as Minato thinks he's almost let the secret slip, he gets a phone call. Itsuki tells Minato that it's Shizuma, but Minato refuses to pick it up as he is "still cleaning"--the real reason is that Minato told Shizuma he wouldn't forgive him if they speak before Minato gave the OK to talk again.

Itsuki, being the older brother, answers the phone and slides it on the desk near Minato and leaves him to talk with Shizuma, even putting it on loud speaker since Minato is preoccupied.

Shizuma is frantically trying to get a response from Minato, to which Minato responds with a simple: “What... I can hear you.” The first thing Shizuma asks is where Minato is at this present moment, fearing that he might be at a suspicious place. Minato says he isn't and is in fact in the neighbourhood doing some errands. Shizuma breathes a sigh of relief and is thankful his call finally reached Minato as no one he asked knew where Minato was, and because Shizuma was overthinking things, he was just about to go searching for him.

Minato tells him that he doesn't need to go to such lengths and make such a big fuss about it, but Shizuma tells him that he will always make a big fuss about it since it's about Minato. To avoid such a thing happening again, Shizuma tells Minato not to make him worry. Then these pages happen:

Just as their talk of their brothers' moving into together comes to an end, Shizuma gets all excited to go apartment hunting with Minato again and reminds him, not knowing that Itsuki is also listening. The Mito brothers freeze in surprise, with Itsuki soon confirming his earlier suspicions with Minato--his eyes and aura going all kira kira (i.e. sparkly). Minato tries to reprimand him for bringing it up now, but Shizuma continues on, saying he's found a few places he likes and they should start inspecting prospective apartments soon before they're overwhelmed by it all.

Minato hastily agrees to it all, and Shizuma smirks on the other end of the phone, asking Minato when they can see each other. Shizuma suggests Friday if he is too busy at the present moment, and just as Minato gives work as an excuse not to see him on that day, Itsuki jumps in and says he can go see Shizuma.

Shizuma, very surprised by the fact Itsuki overheard their conversation, says his name aloud, and Shouhei overhears him. Itsuki thanks Shizuma for letting him overhear such an adorable story featuring Shouhei. And then this happens:

Still very flustered, Minato quickly agrees to seeing Shizuma on Friday and promptly ends the call before Shizuma can even finish saying "Wait!" Itsuki happily approaches Minato and asks to hear more of their apartment hunting adventures, to which Minato replies that nothing is final yet!

We change locations, and Minato is now on the balcony scrubbing the floor. Minato recalls how he wanted to tell Itsuki about his and Shizuma's plans to move in together further down the track. He then is overjoyed at the thought that Shizuma missed him and wanted to see him. While he awaits Friday, he remembers and is embarrassed by how furious he was the last time they saw each other. He plans to start a skin routine to care for his face and to get his hair done.

Just as he thinks this, he is called out by none other than Shizuma, who is on the ground floor outside. Minato, visibly surprised, asks Shizuma why he’s here. Shizuma tells him that the shop is close to his home. Minato knows this, but is more curious as to why he is here since they just agreed to see each other on Friday. Shizuma is taken aback for a moment, before saying: 

While Minato hides away from Shizuma and quickly tries to style his hair, Itsuki overhears a ruckus on his balcony and goes to investigate. We then find out that Shouhei accompanied Shizuma. Shouhei calls out to Itsuki and asks why he didn't tell him that he was cleaning the whole house. The Ikushima brothers offer to help out with the cleaning, with Shizuma joining in because his younger brother will be under Itsuki's care soon. Itsuki happily agrees, saying that he wouldn't be able to fully clean the place if only Minato were there.

As the Ikushima brothers are getting ready to go upstairs to help, Itsuki says the brothers are indeed good, endearing people, and their charming personalities would probably make Minato and Itsuki anxious at times. Minato agrees. Itsuki then continues to say that while Shizuma and Shouhei charm those around them, the only ones who can make them smile the way they do are themselves. Minato is concerned about a possible intruder in their relationship, and Itsuki provides some brotherly advice.

We change scenes to Onodera, smoking on the clinic rooftop and thinking about Shizuma's smiling face.

We change scenes again to Minato, waiting for Shizuma at a predetermined location since it is now Friday. Happy with his new hairdo, Minato reminds himself not to get angry, to sort out the current situation they're in (i.e. Minato's one-sided anger at Shizuma), and to be calm and collected.

Shizuma then gets out of a car across the road, and looks around for Minato. Minato, who can see him very clearly, smiles happily and decides to let Shizuma look for him a little longer. A few more moments pass by, and Shizuma spots Minato and then waves happily to him. However, there is a slight problem.

Minato sees “the woman from last time” (Onodera) driving the car who then passes Shizuma his phone, with him smiling awkwardly at her. He recalls Itsuki's brotherly advice. Minato had actually asked Itsuki a follow-up question: "You say ‘just don't lose,’ but what should I actually do?" Itsuki tells him that it's something he has to figure out for himself.

Shizuma runs to Minato, apologising for making Minato wait. He explains that he was running late due to various issues, and he seemed to have dropped his phone in the car of the person who dropped him off. Before he could even tell Minato that it's his director who dropped him off, Minato says he doesn't need to say anything else and to just go out with him.

We see that Shizuma and Minato are now at a hotel, with Minato quickly pushing Shizuma onto the bed. Shizuma is annoyed at himself for letting Minato see such a scene that would cause a misunderstanding. Before heading over to the bed, Minato closes the door, turns to face Shizuma, and grins. He crawls onto the bed and immediately kisses Shizuma. He calls out Shizuma's name before asking him:

He softly pleads with Shizuma, asking for a quick response. Shizuma wonders if Minato's jealously is making him want to be held right now. He thinks Minato is really, really adorable, but also realises this isn't the right time to be thinking this. So Shizuma does tell Minato he loves him, that it's obvious he loves him very much. He apologises for causing him to worry and that he never once intended to do so. Minato cuts him off, saying that he understands and that it's okay.

Despite saying so, Shizuma notices the atmosphere is a little different than usual. Minato then tells Shizuma that he's been thinking of a way to ensure he doesn't lose Shizuma to anyone or lets anyone take him. The final page shows us this:

Again, THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR! 💜 📢  As always, please support Hinohara-sensei by purchasing her books and CDs! 📢

And that’s it for this chapter! 😲 Another cliffhanger here, and ngl that was a little (SFW-ish) steamy? I honestly do not know what to expect in the next chapter!! Dominant Minato?????  But I hope you enjoyed the few extra panels in this summary! 💜 My laptop struggled to keep up, so I will go back to only showing a handful of panels in future summaries. Please also refrain from resharing these translations and images outside of this post! Thank you for understanding! ❤️💛

The next chapter will be in next month's Dear+, so the wait isn't too much longer! So I shall see you all next month for our next set of takeaways to find out what happens next!

As always, stay safe during these turbulent times and look out for each other and for your loved ones! 💜❤️💛

[shepherdofdawn]

@fallesto​ cont.

“Yes…”

It was only a…matter of time. Before the masked man, made his move. Before this man acted. So close to the end. It was all right there, right there for the taking. One tailed beast, one creature left to take and then…a world that was worth living within. A world of dreams. A world that knew no pain, no suffering, no war. A world that would not need people…like them within it.

“It is time to see, whose pain is greater…”

Could he kill this man. Who held so much power. Who knew so much. Who was…right about everything that had lead to this moment. Without him, would he have become the divine being he was always meant to be. Perhaps. But it mattered naught. He stood in his way now. The world had to burn. The fire nation needed to be destroyed. The cries of tens of thousands, there lives were needed, they had to die…so that millions more could know peace. So that all…fall into line and none, dare harm anyone else. War will end, for all nations will fall to there knees. Peace through fear…was still peace.

“It is time then, to see whose eyes, hold the power to change the world.”

          Masks hid a whole awful lot of things -- proverbial and not! They hid who one was, what they were thinking, what they looked like..... The terribly, terribly wide grin spreading across one’s features. This visit had been different from the start, by no volition of his supposed partner. ( Pawn, pawn, yes yes, all boring to fucking tears terminology he didn’t care about. They were all pawns, all liable to die at any given heartbeat now. Some, sooner than others -- and somehow, somehow, Obito wasn’t so sure that he thought it was going to be Pain... )

     Madara meant to kill him. That much, he didn’t need to be a genius to glean pretty early on. Sure, he’d lost sight of it now and then....... Often, it seemed, when it was most convenient for whatever machinations Madara had planned for his dear, sweet, precious TOOL great-grandson. BUT.... Bygones were bygones, no? Obito had destroyed everything he cared about, everything he loved, everything he ever even thought. All with his own two now never not-gloved hands. Minato and Kushina had been first at his feet -- so too would their newborn son had been, were the little bastard not so lucky. Kakashi was an eventuality he’d been thus far mildly surprised hadn’t already occurred. His morals.... HAH! What were they again? Something about reviving Madara, so he could project their dojutsu on the moon and curse the everloving fuck out of everyone? Maybe ‘do what you’re told, whelp.’ Perhaps even any of the plethora of whip-like insults Madara’s physical will had spat at him to force his heels out from the dirt and move him forward. Yes, music to his quickly deafening ears..... What did it all matter? In life, he’d been given a preparatory study guide for the real hell he lived in now in death. Obito was long dead. Madara nothing more than an act. He was nothing more than the Masked Man, throwing away any and all identity or pride away with whatever face he needed to don at any given time.

     “Well good!” Practically reclining on the desk behind him, attention focused lackadaisically upon the man threatening his very existence. “I do so love it when business partners have shared interests! Killing me, that is -- I really couldn’t care less what you plan on doing with your life. Sort of personal affairs, I must think.” Shifting his weight brought him to a cross-legged sit proper, both palms flat upon its surface. Maybe, just another prod more....

     “Wanna know a secret, since you’re so intent of ridding the world of me? You’re no different, you and I. Or.... Maybe we are. You got to keep you, after all!” Impish, thoughtful finger tapped upon the chin of orange painted wood. “Who was I again? Madara? No, no that’s not right at all! That sorry son of a bitch has been dead and rotting only a few decades now. Tobi? Mmm... I am feeling rather playful, but I did get rather bored of the whole ‘senpai’ nonsense. Very unbecoming, you know. That leaves..... The Masked Man, perhaps? I am masked, after all, and I won’t damn you for assuming the rest. BUT..... Wrong again! I am... Why, I am no one at all.” With one presumably final flourish, long-donned mask was shed and tossed aside, leaving a countenance no more playful than Pain’s own -- but with one, lone, glowering sharingan. “I’ll give you a hint, though.... It will not be my eyes changing this hellscape for the better. Were I not a pawn no better than you in this entirely exhausting game of chess, all my hands are capable of is death, dismay, destruction.... I am nothing more than a corpse made into a weapon. You at least... Monster too as you may be, still have some semblance of nobility to you. Keep it, while you can. The future ahead may yet strip you of it.”

[whynoteswhispered]

Tales of a Loved Ninja (pt 1)

Idk; I’ve been in such a Jiraiya mood recently that this was bound to happen. 

(Very fluffy, uhhh idk)

word count: 4,930 (oops)

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The warm sun beamed on to your skin as you walked down the path to Icharuku. You couldn’t help but emptily smile at each person you came by; waving and speaking to most as they passed by.

Minato didn’t allow you much time for lunch, so grabbing ramen to go was the most reasonable way to go – plus you had a phone call to make before lunch was over.

“(y/n) Sensei.” You felt a hand tap the back of your shoulder. Swiftly turning around, you looked down to see Kakashi. Every time you saw him you couldn’t help but feel proud; you had watched him grow into an incredible shinobi – and though against your wishes, he made a great ANBU member as well.

“Hey, Kashi!” You patted the top of his head - watching the small amount of cheek above his mask turn red.

“Can I eat ramen with you today?” He reached up to the counter grabbing his to-go bowl of ramen, and then swiftly turned back to you.

You heard your name called as well so you quickly grabbed your container, looking over at the clock to see how much longer you had on lunch.

Fifteen minutes. It took at least five minutes to walk back to the academy which then only gave you ten minutes on the phone; if he answers.

“Sensei?” Kakashi was waving his hands in front of your face, you finally snapped back to reality and smiled at him, “So?” he questioned.

“You know I have to make a phone call; you can hang out in my classroom while I make that call if you would like.” You turned around and started the trek back to the academy, you could hear Kakashi’s feet trek quietly behind you.

“He isn’t worth your worry.” You kept your eyes forward – this wasn’t the first time he’s tried to start an argument over him.

“Kashi, don’t you think it’s wildly inappropriate for you to meddle into my personal life?” Sadly, you knew the answer to this – he cared about you as if the two of you were family.

“Don’t you think it’s wildly inappropriate to be throwing yourself at someone who is nearly double your age.” His voice was annoyed; making fun of you with each word that came out of his mouth.

Was it wildly inappropriate? You didn’t think so. Sure there was a large age difference, but meeting Jiraiya was one of the best things that had happened to you.

“How has ANBU been?” You switched the subject, knowing that there was no winning the conversation about Jiriaya “Are you still having nightmares?”

“Shh,” He hushed you; you could hear the embarrassment in his voice. “ANBU has been fine; yes, the nightmares still happen.” His voice was defeated. He sounded as though he was an old man who had lost everything, instead he was just fifteen and had lost everything.

“Kashi,” you turned around meeting his glance, you could tell he was uncomfortable. “I can talk to Minato about letting you out. You have to take care of yourself too.”

He shook his head, “I’m fine (y/n) Sensei.”

“You haven’t been acting fine.” You turned back towards the academy, “Guy came and spoke to me the other day – Kashi, he’s worried about you. He says you’re reading books about honorable death, that you won’t speak to any of them, and that you just aren’t acting like yourself.”

You had been worried about him for a few years now, but he never let you talk to him about his problems. He always acted like everything was fine; but you could see the subtle differences: the bags under his eyes, the way he would throw himself in front of danger regardless of circumstances, you’ve caught him crying to himself several times. He didn’t tell you about the nightmares until you went to check on him one day and walked in on him washing his hands and sobbing over the sink; saying Rin’s name repeatedly, staring at his hands as if he was witnessing that moment happening on repeat. After that, Kakashi opened up to you a bit – and you checked on him more often, buying him groceries and occasionally bringing him dinner to ensure he was eating.

When Minato told you he was going to suggest ANBU to Kakashi you begged Minato to listen to your concerns, but as his Sensei he thought what he was doing was the best way for Kakashi to deal with the death of his teammates. The following months after he joined you watched him break down further and further; he is a mere shell of the person he was just a few years prior.

“I could be doing better.” Kakashi’s words shocked you, but you kept your eyes forward knowing that looking back at him would likely embarrass him. “I just, I can’t shake it (y/n) Sensei. Every time I close my eyes I see Rin’s face looking back at me in shock? Anger? I could never understand the emotion she gave me and it haunts me in every passing moment. I deserve it though, I killed her. I couldn’t keep my promise to Obito – I couldn’t keep her safe.”

Everything in you wanted you to turn around and hug him; to hold him and tell him that everything was going to be okay. “Kashi, it wasn’t your fault. No one blames you for that incident. Not even Obito would see it as your fault.”

You could hear him start to sniffle, but you were certain he was holding back tears – regardless of how broken he was, he was still one of the strongest shinobi you had been around

“I, I know.” He stumbled over his words, letting out a large exhale once he finished speaking.

You opened the door into the academy, letting Kakashi walk in front of you.

As soon as he got in front of you, you placed your hand atop his head, rustling his hair.

“You can always talk to me; my door is always open – you know that.” You patted his head as the two of you began to ascend the stairs. “And if you don’t want to talk to that’s fine as well – but just know you aren’t alone, okay?”

Kakashi stopped outside of your door, turning around to meet your eyes; through his mask, you could see a small smile coming across his face. “Thank you (y/n) Sensei.”

“Mhm.” You nodded, unlocking the door so he could immediately run in to sit on the beanbag beside your desk.

Looking over at the clock you realized that you only had about five minutes left of lunch to call Jiriaya and eat. You couldn’t help but look over at Kakashi and wonder if he would be okay for those five minutes. Even though he gave you a hard time, you knew he enjoyed seeing you happy. He was like a younger brother to you, and he looked to you as an older sister.

“Do you mind?” You pointed towards your closet; which is where the phone was kept, “He hasn’t answered in the last few days – so I at least want to attempt to check on him.” You gave him a slight smile – waiting for him to inevitably roll his eyes at you.

“Go ahead.” And as you started walking towards the closet you watched him roll his eyes at you just slightly; you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

The closet was small but you had found comfort in its existence when you started to call Jiraiya during lunch. He would forever be considered a Legendary Sannin of the Leaf, but he was rarely ever in the village itself. Most people speculated what he was up to; but you knew the truth – that he was constantly watching and keeping track of Orichumaru’s movements and writing. He also tended to drink a bit too much when he was out, but you couldn’t blame him considering all he puts on himself.

You grabbed the phone and began dialing the only number you had memorized. Placing the phone up to your ear, you took a deep breath in – fully expecting him to not answer once again. And though you knew he was safe, it was hard not to worry about him when you never got to see him.

You listened to the phone ring. Once, twice, three times; you were almost certain that he was probably once again too busy to answer. Then you heard the click of the phone.

“Jiraiya?” You questioned.

“Hey (y/n).” You immediately felt a smile come across your face; you hadn’t heard his voice in several weeks – you only told Kakashi a few days so that he wouldn’t worry for you.

“Where are you? Are you okay??” You couldn’t help but immediately overload him with questions. The feeling of tears beginning to form in the corners of your eyes made you immediately wipe them away, knowing if Kakashi heard you crying he would only think the worse.

“I’m fine, but hmmm where am I? That’s a good question, isn’t it? Want to take a guess?” His tone was playful; oh how you had missed his voice.

“Are you in the Sand village?” You knew you had no option but to play the game with him or he wouldn’t tell you.

“Think closer.” His voice was giddier this time.

Closer? “Are you in the Land of Fire?” You didn’t want to be hopeful, but you couldn’t help but hope that he would be swinging through for a visit.

“I’m in the office.”

“The office?” Your mind began to run at max speed. Did he mean the Hokage office?

“Mhm, the office.” You could hear him let out a light chuckle.

Without thinking you immediately hung up the phone, nearly dropping it from excitement. As you opened the door, Kakashi’s eyes immediately turned to you; curiosity filling his eyes.

“He’s back?” He questioned as you placed your ramen on the desk.

Turning to answer him, you couldn’t help but let a huge smile spread across your face. “Yes, he’s with Minato.”

“And you’re going? Isn’t lunch almost over?” he went back to eating his ramen; he knew your answer before he even asked it.

“I don’t have a class after lunch and I’ll be back before the next class; you can hang out in here if you want.” You started to turn towards the door but stopped yourself, “Will you be okay? I can stay if I need to?” You loved Jiraiya and had no idea how long he would be in the village, but Kakashi needed someone to be there for him and you couldn’t take that away from him.

You immediately felt your heart warm as you watched a smile spread across his face, his eyes never leaving his bowl of ramen. “I wouldn’t stop you from seeing him; even if I don’t like him. But if you aren’t back by the time your class gets here I’m going to make them go to the training grounds.”

“Okay Kashi, you can torture my students if I’m not back in time.” You let out a laugh as you started to make your way out the door. “You’re sure you’re okay?” you couldn’t help but question him again.

“You better get going before I change my mind.” He threw his hand in the air, gesturing for you to leave.

As soon as you stepped out of the classroom, your pace quickened tremendously. You couldn’t help but nearly run out of the academy.

It had been nearly a year since Jiraiya had been in the village; and you had only been talking to him for a few weeks at that point. You had met him at a bar after the Chunin exams; he hit on you instantly. But you weren’t interested – at least not interested in what he was interested in. Both of you drank quite a few drinks, and he attempted to invite you back to his place but you couldn’t help but laugh in his face. You’ll never forget his face when you did that; he looked shocked as if he had never been turned down in his life. Before leaving the bar you gave him your phone number and told him to call you the next morning if he was still interested. To your surprise, he called you shortly after you woke up the next morning. The most shocking part was that the phone call wasn’t awkward – it felt as though you were talking to a friend you had had your entire life. You both laughed and told jokes, he talked about Orichumaru and you talked about the death of your parents; it was like talking to someone who understood everything even if they hadn’t been through it. He listened when you talked, and you hadn’t had someone listen to you in what had felt like years. The two of you stayed talking on the phone for hours, it was dark outside before the two of you decided it was time to hang up but before that Jiraiya initiated setting up a date to Icharuku.

You couldn’t help but feel your smile growing bigger with each passing step towards the Hokage building.

You had never been to Icharuku before Jiraiya took you; ramen just wasn’t something you ever thought about when looking for restaurants to eat at – plus your parents weren’t the biggest ramen fans so it wasn’t something you were used to eating.

As soon as you got to Icharuku, Jiraiya was waiting outside the curtain for you. As soon as his eyes met yours, his face filled with a smile. The two of you went in and ordered ramen; you let him pick out what you were going to eat since you had no clue what to order – and it did not disappoint. The two of you drank and ate ramen as you talked just as you did the day prior on the phone; this time with more emotion. The booth filled with the noise of the two of you laughing for hours. He walked you home that night; he never tried to do anything funny – he stopped outside your apartment door and kissed the top of your head. As soon as you unlocked your door he began to descend back down the stairwell.

You opened the door and began to sprint up the stairs to get to the Hokage office. Several visitors gave you awkward glances as you passed by them with a huge smile spread across your face.

There were two ANBU members stationed outside of the office, but they didn’t even give you a second glance as you walked up to the door. Without much thought, you pushed the doors open without even knocking. As soon as the doors creaked open, your eyes met Jiraiya’s and you couldn’t help but move quickly. You could feel Minato watching you, but not an ounce of you cared. You opened your arms and threw yourself around him as soon as he got in touching distance.

In a blur, the two of you fell backward onto the ground – Jiraiya immediately holding you tightly to ensure you wouldn’t get hurt.

You both busted out laughing; you could even hear Minato let out a chuckle.

“I’m sorry.” You said softly as you pushed your head deep into his shoulders; his arms pulling you tightly against him.

“You know, Minato and I could’ve been talking about information that you didn’t need to hear.” You could hear the teasing tone in his voice.

You pushed yourself up so that you could look at him, his hand immediately moving up to your face to push the hair away from your eyes. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” You hadn’t thought much when coming in, your only thought was seeing Jiraiya.

“You know you’re kind of cute when you miss me.” His arms wrapped around you again, pulling you tight against him once again.

Before he left, the two of you held each other for hours in bed; talking about how you were going to stay in contact, you listened to his worries for the missions he was out to complete, he listened to your worries about him going out on missions by himself. Though the two of you mostly just stayed silent – enjoying each other’s presence while you could. When you dozed off in his arms, you woke up to him having already left. A note rested upon the pillow where his head was laid up hours prior.

You could feel the tears well up against your eyes; you hadn’t realized how much you had needed this hug.

“Jiraiya.” Minato’s soft voice echoed through the room.

Jiraiya laughed as he picked you up off of him; placing you back on to the ground as he stood up to address Minato.

“Sorry Minato.” Jiraiya smiled at him. “Am I good to leave?”

You began to stand up and Minato laughed, “Get out of here you two; what has it been a little over a year?” you shook your head. “Go.” He gestured towards the door and Jiraiya immediately grabbed your hand in his, nearly tugging you behind him.

“You’re still coming over later though, right? I’ve already told Kushina the two of you would be there for dinner.” You looked back at Minato who was smiling ear-to-ear at the two of you.

“We will be there.” Jiraiya never turned around, instead he kept tugging you forward out the door; Minato waved at you as made your way through the door.

You managed to find your pace in his, and instead of being tugged behind him, you were happily walking in stride with him. His large hand completely wrapped around yours; his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of your hand as the two of you walked down the stairs.

“I missed hearing your voice.” As you made your way to the bottom of the stairs he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in towards him. The people around you watched the two of you; it wasn’t as if people didn’t know who Jiraiya was – he was a hero of the village, and people knew who you were because you were a teacher at the academy; most though weren’t aware of your relationship.

You could feel the judgment through most people’s eyes; it was to be expected. Jiraiya had himself sold around the village as a pervert and you were sure most people were likely imagining that you were just his next prey. But honestly, he had never made those types of advances towards you – you set up boundaries and he respected them. He would occasionally make a dirty joke, but it was nothing more than a way to make you laugh.

“You were the one who wasn’t answering the phone.” You gripped his hand tighter. Those few weeks without hearing from him were rough; you could only imagine the terrible things that could’ve possibly happened to him – but you kept your hopes up, thinking if something had happened to him that the village would eventually find out.

He pulled your hand into the air, spinning you in a circle and pulling you into a hug. “I’m sorry.” His hands moved from yours and he placed them gently against your face, pulling you towards him.

You could feel your heart rate accelerate as he guided your face to his; his lips opened slightly and you couldn’t help but smile as your lips crashed onto his.

Before he left you hadn’t even kissed him yet; your relationship wasn’t much of a physical one. He was used to one-night stands and he didn’t want your relationship to be the same as the others.

His cologne lingered on you; the smell of oak and musk; as he slowly released his hands from your face, letting his lips fall off of yours. As you met his eyes you could see a smile spread across his face.

“I’ve wanted to do that for quite some time now.” He pulled you back under his arm, your face turning red with embarrassment as you notice the several onlookers the two of you had.

“How long are you here for?” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him; the rush of euphoria that you experienced from your lips meeting his vanished and was replaced with panic – this could be his only day in the village.

“I’m back for a while.” He looks over at you, wiping the singular tear that you weren’t able to keep held in, “Minato needs me here for some things, so don’t worry about me leaving quite yet.”

The two of you continued walking hand-in-hand until you got to the riverfront. Jiraiya took his time stretching and then sat beside you on the grass; watching the currents in the water.

“I can’t stay out here for long, I have to get back to my class- “

He cut you off before you were even able to finish your thought, “Don’t worry about your class – Minato got it covered for you.” He laid back onto the grass, stretching his arms behind you and staring up at the clouds moving through the sky.

“Sorry again for interrupting in the office earlier; I just, I wasn’t thinking.” You shook your head in frustration at yourself when you heard Jiraiya chuckle behind you. His large hands wrapping around your waist and pulling you down to lie beside him.

“(y/n), Minato knew as soon as I answered your phone call that our conversation was over; really, he knew as soon as your lunch break started that our conversation was as good as over.” You couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“Wait,” it finally hit you that Minato knew of your relationship – “did you tell Minato?”

Jiraiya cocked his head slightly to look at you, his face calm. “Well, I knew you would be calling me; and considering I was there on official orders I felt it was best to let him know. I wouldn’t worry about him though, he’s just happy to see me happy.” His hand found yours, his fingers interlacing with yours. “Should it be a secret that we are together?” he seemed to be slightly upset at the idea of this.

“I, I just haven’t told anyone.” You pondered this thought for a moment, “Well, expect for Kakashi.”

“White Fang’s kid?” Jiraiya perched himself up a bit; curiosity was written across his face.

“Mhm,” You smiled as you let your gaze leave him and you returned to looking at the clouds. “I’ve watched over him since he died; he’s like a brother to me. He eats in my classroom nearly every day so he’s known since the beginning.” Laughing, you couldn’t help but continue, “He doesn’t like you much though, especially with your reputation.” Jiraiya knew you were only joking; though he did have quite a reputation in the village.

“Ahh, I see.” You could hear him lie back on the grass, “How is he after the incident with Rin?”

You were taken aback by this question. He was rarely in the village, and though that incident was quite horrific you didn’t imagine that he had heard about it. “He, uh –” You tried to think of a way to answer this question without completely disrespecting Kakashi, “He’s as good as you could be after losing one teammate and accidentally killing the other.”

“So, not too good?”

“No, not so great at all.” You pondered if you should drop the conversation, but you had at least one more thing you wanted to bring up, “Minato put him in ANBU after Rin.”

“Yeah, I recall him telling me about that.” You could tell by the tone of his voice that he must have also disagreed with that decision.

“It’s made him worse; they call him ‘Cold-Blooded Kakashi,’ he won’t talk to anyone, well except me – but I have to force it out of him most of the time. But, he won’t leave ANBU.” You could only hope that Kakashi was okay; you had left him in your classroom – but hopefully, he had left and gone on home. Maybe Kushina would have leftovers you could take him.

“I can’t do anything about what Minato does, even if I was his Sensei, he won’t listen to me – especially when it comes to his team. He’s gone through the same losses as Kakashi; he didn’t take any of those events easily. I’m sure he imagines himself in Kakashi’s position, and for him maybe ANBU sounded like the best healing mechanism.” He paused for a moment, “I’m sorry I can’t help him (y/n).”

You shook your head, “It’s fine; I didn’t expect you to able to, but I had to at least try.” His hand tightened around yours.

“I could talk to him though; I won’t tell him I know anything – “

You cut him off before he could even go any further with that thought, “No, you can’t do that. He would immediately know I told you something. He’s incredibly smart; I would go as far as to say that he’s the best shinobi the Leaf has ever had.”

That piqued his interest, he sat up beside you, watching your face. “The best shinobi of the Leaf, huh?”

“Maybe I’m biased, but I’m almost certain Minato would agree.”

Jiraiya laughed, shaking his head in agreement. “I would say I know for certain he agrees.”

The two of you stay by the riverfront for hours; talking about the past year as if you hadn’t talked on the phone for a good majority of it. He told you that he finished his book; Tales of a Gutsy Ninja. He didn’t have a copy on him, but he promised he would give one to you. You told him about your class this year. You had told him about Shisui Uchiha; the most promising student you had. He was years above his class; he would likely be allowed to graduate early if he kept at the pace he was going. You both couldn’t help but get lost in conversation with each other. He continued, telling you about what it was like training Minato, he brought up the three kids he taught from Amegakure; Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko. He talked about them frequently, even during your phone calls. He couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing and if they were still alive; surviving the war-stricken land. Jiraiya talked about them as if they were his children; it made you upset that he wouldn’t go visit them.

“When need to get going,” he stood up beside you, offering his hand to aid in helping you up. He lifted you from the ground with ease. “Kushina will get upset if we are late.” He patted down his legs to remove the dirt that was spread across them; you did the same to yourself.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I go?” you reached out for his hand; you didn’t want to be a burden on Minato and Kushina.

“Trust me (y/n), if you didn’t show up Kushina would not be pleasant to deal with – plus, she’s excited to have another woman to share the evening with since it’s normally just myself.” He grabbed onto your hand.

You shook your head, still nervous at the idea.

The two of you walked as the sky began to turn orange and the sun began to make its descent for the evening. The air was brisk, but Jiraiya kept his arm wrapped around your shoulders; laughing and making jokes through the entire walk.

As you arrived at the walk path to their door, you could feel your heart rate quicken; but as if he could tell, he wrapped his hand tightly around yours, squeezing it with comfort.

This was the first time the two of you were going out as a couple – at least a known couple; your first outing had to of course be at the Hokage’s residence.

“It’ll be fun.” Jiraiya pulled you along with him, stopping at the door, he turned to you and kissed the top of your head.  

His knuckles hit the door with several loud strikes and you could hear Kushina yell at Minato to go answer the door; within seconds you could hear the door being unlocked. Minato immediately glanced over at you, as if to ensure that you had indeed come with Jiraiya; a smile spread across his face.

“Hi!” he opened the door up for the door of you, “Come on in!” he exclaimed.

You took a deep breath; hand still wrapped tightly in Jiraiya’s. The two of you followed in-behind Minato, who seemed happier than normal – which was saying something considering how bubbly his personality was.

As soon as you made it into their living area, you could hear Kushina moving around in the kitchen.

“I’ll be there in a moment!” She exclaimed as you heard the sounds of dishes being tossed about.

Jiraiya had let go of your hand to walk over to Minato; the two of them deep in conversation. Both of them with smiles spread across their faces; Minato occasionally blushing. You could only begin to imagine the things that Jiraiya could be saying to him.

“Oh!” you looked up to see Jiraiya staring at the doorway; your eyes naturally following his.

“Oh!” You couldn’t help but let out a sound a surprise.

Kushina was standing in the doorway; her belly round with child and her face bright with joy.

[kayparker20]

To Honor Sensei

Chapter 1 - The Beginning of an Ending

FFN | AO3

The Hidden Leaf Village had been attacked by the Nine Tailed Fox, escaping it’s jinchuriki while she had been weak while in labor. In the last efforts to save the village, the Fourth Hokage and his wife had sealed the beast in their newborn son, continuing the tradition of the Uzumaki carrying the Nine-Tails, in their last moments before dying, they tried to tell their son how much they loved him. The previous Hokage watched the scene before sadly, as he decided he would have to retake the seat of leader in their village. 

It had been days as the villagers and shinobi alike worked on repairing the village. Sarutobi had agreed to watch over the infant for some time until they figured out how to handle the situation and how to have him cared for properly. A knock on the door sounded and the hokage called for the person to come in, surprised to find spiky silver hair. 

Kakashi stood before the Sandaime, his mask hiding most of the tear stains that still wet his face. He was still dealing with the loss of his own sensei, the last member of his team. The last person that had come to mean something to him. Even his wife, who had become important to Kakashi by extension, was gone as well. 

At first, he thought of going back to ANBU, even though Minato had suggested he take a break before the attack. He just wanted to escape, to throw himself into his duty as a ninja. He wasn’t supposed to let himself feel these emotions. But this was Minato-sensei… The person who had looked after him for years, and even acted almost like a father to him. He couldn’t just bury this one so easily. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi had resumed as Hokage after the death of his successor. He watched the young boy in front of him, knowing he had been his student. That his whole team was gone now, and he could only be even more traumatized now than he already had been by the death of Rin. He waited for this child to speak, interested in what he could be here for. He glanced back down at the infant next to him in a crib, still wondering what he should do with the now orphaned child. He sighed inwardly, not seeing an easy nor ideal solution. 

“Hokage-sama…” Kakashi began softly. “What will happen to Minato-sensei’s baby?” The young ninja inquired.

Hiruzen looked back up at him, surprised. He didn’t expect the young teen to approach him with anything regarding his now resting sensei, knowing he usually suffered alone with his feelings. Oftentimes sitting at the memorial like a stone himself. 

“I have been trying to decide that myself. There are no other family members left from either Minato or Kushina’s family in the village.”

“I want to take care of him.” Kakashi blurted.

Hiruzen stared at Kakashi, clearly shocked by the admission. “Kakashi, you’re only 13…How could I expect you to take care of an infant?” 

“Hokage-sama, he was my sensei’s baby! I was supposed to protect him and Kushina!” Kakashi pleaded. “It’s my duty to take care of him.” He voiced stubbornly, already determined to take on this task. Hiruzen could understand the sense of responsibility the boy felt, even if it wasn’t his fault. Kakashi had always been a loyal shinobi even if he was a bit cold and detached. “Kakashi, it is not your fault either of them died, child.You do not need to try and make up for anything.”

Kakashi shook his head. “I want to honor him by caring for his child, Hokage-sama. I’m the closest thing he has to family left.”

The ANBU captain had already decided this within himself. It was the whole reason for coming here. If Naruto had any kind of family, his father’s last living student was the closest thing left. He deserved to have some kind family and be raised by someone who cared, it was what his parents would have wished for. It was his responsibility to take care of him and protect him, it always would have been. It was his duty as the surviving member of his team. 

Hiruzen let out a heavy breath. “You do know you cannot remain in ANBU, and care for Naruto, right? At least not until he is older or you find someone to look after him while you go on missions.”

“Minato-sensei had already been urging me to take a break… But I think he really wanted me to leave ANBU.” Kakashi nodded softly. “Where is he?”

Hiruzen smiled, already seeing the Will of Fire pass from Yondaime to his student. “Why, he is actually right here, but he’s asleep.” The returned Hokage bent down below his desk and carefully lifted the blanket swaddled child from a crib.

Kakashi stepped forward, looking at him once more in awe. “He looks just like Sensei…”

Hiruzen nodded. “Take good care of him, Kakashi.” He passed the infant over to the silver haired nin. “Know that you are not alone.” He ruffled the silver strands, much to Kakashi’s dislike as he frowned up at his superior. 

“Minato-sensei told me that once…”

Hiruzen gave him a sad smile. “He was a good leader that cared deeply for his people as a Hokage should. But even with his absence, and for the absence of your team, you are never alone, Kakashi. I can see that the Will of Fire burns brightly within, passed on from him to you, and his son.” He pointed to Naruto. “You’ll always have Naruto, as well as the other ninja in the village.” 

Kakashi nodded softly, not really believing he wanted to be close to anyone else again.

“One more thing, Kakashi.” His voice became more stern now. “He should not know he is the Fourth’s son, and this was his own request. No child should ever believe they are the reason for their parents’ death. He will find out when the time is right.”

“But…” Kakashi looked down at Naruto. “He should know all about Minato-sensei.” Kakashi countered.

Hiruzen smiled. “You can tell him about him as your past sensei and beloved Hokage. But he need not know that he was his father.”

Kakashi stared at him in disbelief, holding Naruto tightly.

“Also, be aware that the people of this village will not be fond of him, because it is known he holds the nine-tails within him and they fear it. Such is the life of many jinchuriki. He wanted Naruto to be known as a hero for saving the village, but after the destruction and everything people lost, I fear that it will not happen. I've tried to reason with some of them but they are grief stricken. It’s hard to tell if it will ever change...” The Sandaime said sadly.

Kakashi nodded softly. “I’ll do as you say even though I disagree with it, only because I trust you would do what is right as the past and now return Hokage…” He spoke solemnly.

The Sandaime watched the child a moment, thinking of his words. “I care for the people of this village just as much as you care for that baby in your arms, and I do my best to do right by them, Kakashi.”

“I understand, Hokage-sama.” Kakashi left the office as his superior nodded to him.

Naruto woke up as he descended the stairs and instantly began to cry, the wails echoing through the halls. Kakashi cradled him in his arms and tried to sway softly. “Naruto, it’s okay. You’re with me now, Kakashi.” Kakashi tried to console him.

He remembered Kushina telling him towards the end of the pregnancy that babies can hear voices. “Do you recognize my voice Naruto?” He wondered aloud softly. “I never did talk much, so probably not, huh?” He laughed nervously.

He made it to the bottom of the steps and walked through the village, beginning to think of what things he needed to gather to start raising a baby. “Perhaps I should have asked for the things Minato and Kushina had already had ready for Naruto…” He sighed.

“Kakashi!” A red eyed girl called from his left, Asuma and Guy trailing behind her. “Oh my gosh, is that Naruto?” She exclaimed and ran towards him faster.

Kakashi nodded softly. “Yes. I just brought him from the Hokage tower. I decided I should be the one to care for him, because I was Minato’s student, and therefore his last surviving family.”

“That’s so noble of you Kakashi! You’re going to be a Dad now!” Guy gushed.

“Do you even have baby stuff at home, Kakashi?” Kurenai asked.

Kakashi did an eye crinkle, trying to push his feelings of sadness down. “Uh, no. I was shopping for it at this moment actually…” 

“Why didn’t Dad just give you the stuff the Yondaime had…?” Asuma asked, the distaste towards his father's lack of helpfulness clear.

Kurenai shook her head. “No matter, we can get some now!” She said trying to steer the conversation away from negativity. “Can I hold him?”

Kakashi hesitated. “I guess, but be careful! He’s so little…” He cautiously passed Naruto to the black haired girl just the same as the elder Sarutobi has passed the baby to himself.

Kurenai giggled and cooed at the infant now in her arms. “You probably don’t even know the first thing about caring for kids, do you Kakashi?”

“Let’s just get the things? I know I need a place for him to sleep and that weird powder stuff that Kushina had bought in the market one day while I was watching after her.” 

Kurenai laughed. “You mean formula. You also need bottles and diapers silly.” She turned around and headed towards the domestic area of the market district. “Come on, this way.”

Kakashi followed her with a look of indifference, thinking he wasn’t very silly at all. He just wanted to do what was right. Taking care of a baby was definitely far from his ideal way of life, but he felt it was his duty to honor his now dead sensei by raising his child. He couldn’t protect Kushina like he was supposed to, but he would do his best to keep Naruto safe for the rest of his life. Not that he would ever voice that to his peers.

He did appreciate Kurenai automatically helping, as he really didn’t know the first thing about babies other than that they cried a lot which was annoying. He glanced at the rest of the group, noting they all had been along his side trying to protect the village from the fox, unbeknownst the truth behind the matter. He knew they cared about the village and that they would always be good to Naruto.

“The Hokage says he can’t know that Minato-sensei was his father…” Kakashi mumbled.

Kurenai nodded. “It’s better he grows up to be his own person, not wanting to fill those kinds of shoes. Plus, who wants to grow up blaming themselves for their parents’ death?” Kurenai mused as she motioned towards a crib that was cheap, making Asuma carry it as Kakashi paid for it. 

Kakashi frowned, still not feeling entirely okay with the idea. “What am I supposed to tell him?”

“Tell him his parents died protecting this village as amazing and gallant shinobi! That they were amazing ninjas, and they loved him.” Guy cried out passionately, as if it were obvious.

 They continued on, Kurenai making sure all the necessary items were bought as she carried Naruto through the market and they carried all the purchased items back to Kakashi’s place. The boys left, leaving Kurenai and Kakashi in his apartment. 

“I think Minato wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to care for his son, Kakashi. I’m sure he'd be proud and grateful that you stepped up to take him in, especially at such a young age.” Kurenai smiled softly.

Kakashi nodded as he laid Naruto down on the couch. He began setting the things up throughout his house. Putting the highchair in the tiled part of his small space that was where the kitchen was and small dining table. He put the crib next to his bed. Kurenai folded up some of the clothes they bought and put them on top of his dresser. She also put away the formula and bottles he bought in the cupboards. “You know you’re going to have to get clothing with the Uzumaki clan symbol on it made for him when he’s a little older.”

Naruto was quiet now, his eyes following them from the couch as they moved about. He seemed curious as he gazed at them.

“How do I know when he’s hungry…?” Kakashi pondered.

“Babies normally cry when anything is wrong, or for no reason at all.” Kurenai shrugged. “You can try and feed him now, that shopping took a while so I’m sure it’s been some time since he was last fed at the Hokage tower.” 

She walked Kakashi through how to make a bottle for him and Kakashi picked Naruto up and sat on the couch, beginning to feed the bottle to Naruto. He drank it eagerly and Kakashi smiled slightly as he stared down at him.

“I’ll leave now that you got everything set up. But if you need help, just let me know!”

Kakashi nodded, not looking up from Naruto as she left his apartment.

It has been weeks now since Kakashi had adopted Naruto. Right now, he lay with Naruto cradled in one arm as he held the book he was reading with another. Just as he began to get to the climax of his plot, Naruto began crying. 

“Naruto! Hey, it’s okay. Shhhh, it's okay.” Kakashi put his book down instantly and took the baby into his arms fully. He checked his diaper, nothing. The silver haired nin sat perplexed, knowing he had just fed him twenty minutes ago. He cradled Naruto and tried to talk to him and calm him down.

It was no use. “You’re gonna make some ninja someday if you keep crying like this.” He huffed out.

He always wished he had seen someone's parents, even one person. He felt antsy, he hadn’t been on a single mission for over a month. Just how was he supposed to do this? He was really beginning to wonder if this was really the right decision after all.

“Minato and Kushina really love you, Naruto… I hope one day you know he was your father and just how much he did to save you…” Kakashi sighed and hugged him tight, remembering Kurenai saying something about babies wanting closeness. He rocked him gently and nuzzled his head with his nose. “I’ll never let anything bad happen to you, Naruto. You’re gonna be safe…” He laid down and held Naruto close, continuing to try and talk to him.

This was never what he thought he’d be doing in the sense of duty, but nothing worth doing was easy, right? 

Naruto finally began to sniffle and hiccup, his cries stopping. Kakashi wiped his face with the end of his sleeve. “See? Everything is okay.” He gave the boy an eye crease, and Naruto giggled in response.

He thought a moment before he dressed Naruto in some warmer clothes. “Let’s go for a walk, Naruto.” He said softly as they left the apartment. He walked through the village and to the memorial site where all the graveyards were, finding one of his teammates headstones.

“Hey, Rin. I haven’t been by in awhile. I’m sorry for that. Some bad things happened again. Just my luck, right?” He sighed softly, cleaning her grave with his free hand, keeping Naruto cradled tightly in his other arm. “Our sensei died. It’s just me left from our team. Well, and Naruto now. I’m taking care of him now. Taking care of people has always been more your thing than mine…”

Kakashi glanced at Naruto. “It’s far from easy and sometimes it feels like it’s impossible.” He laughed. “He cries a lot and sometimes I can’t get him to stop…” He looked back at Rin’s grave, wishing he had stopped to get her flowers. “He’s jinchuriki just like you had been made into…” His eyes threatened to well with tears as his memories resurfaced. “He looks just like Sensei. Maybe one day he’ll be Hokage like him too, huh?” He stood back up now, chuckling at the thought. “Until next visit, Rin.”

“Kakashi..” 

The silver haired nin turned to find the Hokage standing a little distance away from him, at the gravesite of the Hokages. He strided over to him quickly, looking to Minato’s grave momentarily, before looking back to Hiruzen.

“Yes, Hokage-sama?”

“I hear you’ve become quite the nurturer from my son.” The elder smiled.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I’ve been doing my best. Kurenai has given me some tips here and there.”

His leader nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. I recall telling you that you were not alone, did I not?”

Kakashi shrugged. “I guess so.” He stared at Naruto. “Was there something you needed from me, Hokage-sama?”

He watched the boy a moment, noticing he seemed to have a newfound purpose in life, other than just existing as a shinobi  tool to the village. He wished Minato could have seen the change in his melancholy student. “Actually there was something I needed to tell you.”

Kakashi nodded, indicating he was listening.

“When the Fourth did the jutsu to seal the nine tails in Naruto, he sent the key to the seal out with one of his toad summons. Do you know who Jiraiya is, Kakashi?”

He nodded softly. “He was Minato-sensei’s sensei. And you were his sensei, right? And he also wrote the book that Naruto’s name comes from. I read it, the character reminded me a lot of Obito…” 

“Yes, that is all true, my child. I received word that Jiraiya will be coming here in some time. When he comes, I will send him to you to see Naruto. Minato had used his toads to send him the key to the seal, and Jiraiya is his godfather. He may want to help you or just pop up every so often.”

Kakashi nodded. “Okay. I’ve met him before.” 

“That was all, my child. You’re doing well taking care of him, he looks healthy.”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama.” 

[briefololtragedy]

Wooden Blocks Ch 3

Chapter: Baby Steps

Pairing: MinaSaku

Rating G

Summary: Minato and Sakura meet outside of the clinic without Naruto. Word count 5500

Posted on AO3

Her feet hit the pavement hard. She could feel her muscles contract allowing the blood in her to pump faster. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she could tell her face was beet red. The music in her ears drowned out some of the noises around her as she ran down the streets. This was her weekend morning ritual. Wake up, put on her running gear, and run to her heart’s content. It was one of the few times she was able to shut off her brain. Well she tried to shut off her brain. She thought back to coffee with Ino a few weeks ago. 

“Come on Forehead tell me how the art gallery was. Did you guys have fun afterwards?” Ino kept wiggling her eyebrows. 

“The art was different. We walked around and then we got dinner. He took me home and then left. “ Sakura sipped her coffee. Allowing the aroma to fill her senses. She just couldn’t see Kakashi as more than just a friend. She couldn’t handle the fact that he was late. She understood the first time, but this time he was almost an hour late and no proper excuse. Then when she was around him it always felt off. When the highlight of the evening is talking to a patient’s father that’s a sign. 

“Seriously! That’s all you're going to give me. I need more details.”

“There is not much in the way of details. He was late by almost an hour. Showed up with just an ``I'm sorry'' and then we went on our date.” Sakura made sure to do her best man voice impression with the ‘I’m sorry.’ 

“Seriously Sakura, you need to stop finding fault with every guy you date. Don’t just focus on one small flaw.” Sakura did not see how wanting a date to be on time was a bad thing. There interests didn’t seem to mesh well. 

“Plus he brought you food that day. Wasn’t that so romantic?” Sakura rolled her eyes. Yeah romantic if you get judged for being hungry and not being ashamed to eat. She did thank Kakashi profusely for the kind gesture. 

“Give it more than just a couple of dates.” Sakura huffed into her coffee. 

She was trying to look past a few hiccups in her time with Kakashi. They seemed to do well talking over text, but when it came to being in person together the click just didn’t happen. She asked him to lunch yesterday and it just keeps falling flat with him. Sakura also didn’t care for his favorite reading material, Jiraiya was a class A pervert. 

Sakura forced her legs to go faster. Her mind wasn’t supposed to be overthinking. Its only job was to help her function in her run. After running for a little while longer she looked at her watch. Five miles. She slowed to a stop. Her muscles twitched in rhythm with her music. She needed food and coffee. Sakura lived close to the downtown area and her runs usually had her circling  the heart of the city. She looked around and noticed she was in one of the more hipster areas. 

A smile found its way on her face when she saw the antiqued green door to a coffee shop. It had recently opened and she had been dying to try it out. Sakura had almost thought to ask Kakashi to come with her to the shop last week but he didn’t like coffee. He also didn’t like mornings, so meeting before she had to go to work was a no go. 

The small bell on the top corner of the door chimed as she entered. The shop was decently packed for 9am on a Saturday. She easily made her way through the store to the counter. ‘Hmm all of this looks so good. I want to order everything.’ One of the reasons Sakura ran so much was because she enjoyed eating. Most days she ate so healthy a fitness nut would say to take a step back. However, those days were to balance out when all she wanted was carbs, sugar, candy, and chocolate. Yes, Sakura at times ate like the elf her patients thought she was. 

“I’ll have a White Chocolate Mocha with a pump of raspberry sauce and an order of blueberry pancakes, please.” Sakura could feel her blood sugar start to spike with her order, but she didn’t care. She wanted her sugar and no one will stand in her way. Her usual black coffee just wouldn’t cut it today. 

After paying she took her number and looked for a seat. She scanned the coffee shop looking for an open seat. She hoped to get one by the windows because the thought of drinking her sugar and people watching really appealed to her. However, she paused when she saw a familiar mess of blonde hair. 

“Mr. Namikaze?”

_____________________________

Over the last few weeks Minato felt like he was going at turbo speed. They were finally going to submit the proposal for the bank tower and he really wanted to get it. His desire to beat everyone else is what brought him into work on a Saturday morning. Well Naruto waking up at 6am this morning and then not wanting to go back to sleep also played a role in the decision as well. 

Minato dressed Naruto in a simple outfit with a baby Yoda top and light jacket. It was such a beautiful morning that Minato strapped Naruto in a baby carrier and walked to his office downtown. The streets were peaceful as he strolled down the streets. He passed a few runners, saw some people on their stoops getting their morning paper. Mornings were one of his favorite times of the day. He always enjoyed the stillness that came with mornings. How things didn’t have to be rushed. Kushina could never understand his love for mornings. 

“Why can’t you just go back to sleep. There are more hours in the day that you could be awake. Be lazy with me.” 

Minato loved their lazy mornings, but he didn’t want to waste a day when there was so much work to be done. He soon found himself walking into the lobby of the building his office was in. 

“Morning Mr. Namikaze. You just can’t escape this place it seems.” The security officer gave him a warm greeting. Minato just smiled and held Naruto closer to him. 

“Is that Naruto?” The security officer, Jin, had come over to take a peak. He would never forget all the conversations he had with Jin when he found out he was going to be a father. Jin had 3 older children and provided a lot of advice. However, it was one of his lowest mornings that Jin was there for him. 

It had been a month since Naruto was born and Minato went into work on a Sunday morning. He just sat in his office. For the first time tears fell from his eyes. 

“I don’t know how I am going to do this.” He just wanted to wallow in his misery. Minato wanted to be alone, but Jin was checking the floors on his daily rounds. 

“Mr. Namikaze is everything alright?” Minato wanted to say that no nothing was alright. Everything was wrong. How the hell was he going to raise a child on his own. Kushina would be able to do it without batting an eye. Minato didn’t read all of the baby books. He didn’t look at preschools and daycares before Naruto came into the world. Minato could barely put a diaper on in the baby classes. 

Jin seemed to read his thoughts and he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry about Kushina. She was a wonderful woman.” Jin paused. Minato found the tears falling faster. 

“Mr. Namikaze I have 3 kids of my own. I know you can raise Naruto and give him a wonderful life. My late wife died 2 years after our last was born. I found myself the sole caretaker of 3 rambunctious and moody girls. There are a lot of twists and turns in the life of parenting. The pain of losing a spouse will lessen overtime, but you will see her whenever you look into the eyes of your boy. I still see my wife in everything my girls do.”

Minato knew what it was like to lose his parents. It crushed him that Naruto would never have his mother. 

“Do you ever feel like you were never enough?” 

“All the time. But let me tell you something. As long as you love him that is more than enough.” 

“Yes. Decided he should start earning money early for all the diapers we go through.” Jin gave him a deep laugh. They talked briefly and after 10 minutes, 8 of which Jin held Naruto and almost didn’t let him go, Minato ventured to his office. The moment he stepped in he realized one important fact. He forgot something for Naruto to sit in. ‘Crap’ Why didn’t he think further ahead! Minato looked around his office. He really wanted to work, but didn’t want to keep the heavy baby carrier on him. He strolled over to his desk trying not to panic. As he sat down in his chair he looked around. He then realized he had a suit jacket on the back of his door. He can lay the jacket out on the floor and Naruto could lay on that! Plus Naruto was holding his fox toy so that should provide enough entertainment for Minato to get some work done. 

Within a few short minutes Minato was going over the proposal for the millionth time. Apparently in the middle of working Naruto fell asleep. It wasn’t until a knock on his office door happened that Minato realized the time. It was now 830am and he had been working for the last hour. He looked up to see who was at work today.

“Rin? Obito? What are you two doing here?” The couple were dressed casually both in jeans and simple shirts. Minato laughed when he realized they were in matching shirts. He really wanted Obito to propose soon. The last time they talked he was planning on it in the next couple of months. 

“No Minato the important question is why are you at work on a Saturday morning?” Rin was taping her foot and hands on her hips. 

“This proposal…”

“The proposal is perfect and will be submitted first thing Monday morning.” It was Obito who cut him off. Minato wanted to protest. 

“Don’t even start Minato. You need a break, so here is what is going to happen. Obito and I will take Naruto for the morning. You will go enjoy some time to yourself. Heaven knows that you have not taken a break since Naruto was born.” Minato tried to butt in, but Rin kept going. 

“And we at least won’t get pizza sauce on Naruto.” Rin was now pulling him out of his chair. Obito had gathered Naruto from the floor, he somehow strapped the baby carrier to his chest already. Soon the foursome were in the elevator heading to the lobby. 

“Have a good weekend guys.” Jin happily waved as they walked through the lobby. 

“You too Jin and thanks for the text.” Obito waved enthusiastically. 

“What text?” Minato didn’t like what he was thinking. “Did you have Jin keep tabs on me?” 

Rin and Obito looked at each other and simultaneously answered. “We plead the 5th.” 

Minato tried to follow them, but Rin wasn’t having it. “Go find a coffee shop or something to sit in.” When did Rin become so bossy?

So Minato ended up slowly strolling down the streets of downtown. He realized that he was needing another caffeine hit and could use some food as well. His attention was caught by a new coffee shop with an eclectic feel. ‘This will do.’ Once he saw the menu the fate was sealed. He ordered a simple plan late and a lavender vanilla scone. He soon found his place in one of the booths by the windows. It didn’t take too long before he pulled out his iPad and started to read, Ready Player One. 

He tried to shut his worrying mind off. Soon Minato became engrossed in the novel; he didn’t see a certain pink haired doctor walk in, not until he heard her sing-song voice. 

“Mr. Namikaze.” Minato looked up and all the air left his lungs. Standing before him was Dr. Haruno in running shorts and a sleeveless racer back exercise top. 

“Dr. Haruno. How are you?” His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would pop out of his chest. 

“Sakura.” He just stared at her. 

“Excuse me.” Minato was confused. 

“Please call me Sakura. We are outside of work and I feel weird when people call me a doctor outside of work. And I am doing good Mr. Namikaze. How are you?” Minato felt like an idiot. She was saying to call her by her first name. He really wanted to hit his head on the table. 

“Minato. Please call me Minato then. I am doing well.” Sakura smiled at him. He then realized she was holding a number card and he also realized there were no seats available. Minato weighed the pros and cons of asking what he was about to. In the end he didn’t want Sakura to leave. 

“Please join me. There are no other open seats and it looks like you have ordered.” He could tell she was hesitant. The moment she sat across from him he felt the small victory. 

Sakura wasn’t sure what possessed her to sit down with Mr. Namikaze. Minato, she corrected in her head. Although as she thought about it, it was the logical choice. He had an empty seat and she needed to eat. He looked more relaxed so relaxed when he was reading she hated bothering him. As she looked around she realized someone was missing. 

“Where’s Naruto?” Sakura found herself a little disappointed the other familiar mop of blonde hair wasn’t present. There was something about Naruto’s smile that tugged at her heart. He was sure to be a heartbreaker. 

“Two of my friends took him for the morning. They wanted to give me a break.” Minato almost felt jealous of his own son. How many women would want to be in this position? As much as he was annoyed at not being the main focus it warmed him on the inside that Naruto’s pediatrician cared so much for him. 

“That’s so sweet of them. They won’t eat pizza while holding him I hope.” Her smirk caused his stomach to summersault. 

“No, they are much more responsible. I’m sure Rin wants it as practice for their future. Although Obito has to propose first.” Minato was surprised at the ease of carrying a conversation with her. Their conversation was interrupted when Sakura’s order arrived. He had never seen someone so happy to see food. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her kid in the candy store look on her face. 

The smell of her coffee and pancakes filled her nostrils. She could smell the warm blueberries from the pancakes and a hint of lemon. Her coffee was strong, but the white chocolate and raspberry cut through some of the bitter notes as she took her fist sip. She wasted no time drizzling the pancakes with the blueberry syrup. She had to slow her actions remembering the last time she scarfed down food in front of Kakashi. All of Sakura’s self control went to stopping herself from devouring everything. 

Minato could see the struggle in her eyes as she slowly ate her food. Looking at her attire she likely spent the morning working out and was likely to be starving. 

“You don’t have to hold back eating your food in front of me. What were you doing this morning?” Sakura was touched by his words. 

“I went for one of my runs, so I am very hungry.” She didn’t fully unleash all her enthusiasm onto her pancakes, but did pick up the pace. They were so flaky and melted in her mouth, worth every calorie. They sat in a comfortable silence as Sakura ate and Minato read. Sakura felt like the two names she heard were familiar, but didn’t know from where. 

Halfway through her food her stomach was happy enough to slow down. She then took in the appearance of the man she was sitting with. The first time she met him she realized how drop dead gorgeous he was, he still is. It’s no wonder why all the nurses swoon for him. 

Soon they were parting ways. Sakura could only make it through half of her coffee, but was able to get it in a to-go cup with some black coffee added to it. 

“Thank you for letting me sit with you Mr...Minato. Tell Naruto I said hi.” Just like that he watched Sakura walk away. 

Minato texted Rin to see where they were. His nerves were on end until she texted back. Relief rushed over him once she said they were back home. Rin had a spare set of keys to his home and wanted Naruto to be in a familiar environment. 

It was a quick walk back home. The moment Minato walked into his home he took out his phone to take a picture. Obito was sprawled out on the couch, Rin nestled into him, and Naurto played on Obito’s chest. Rin heard the snap of his phone and looked up. 

“Minato! You’re back. How was your break?” Rin easily navigated over Obito and Naruto to get up. Minato thought back to his time with Sakura. 

“It was just what I needed. Thank you for strong arming me into it.” Naruto startled to babble as he heard his father’s voice. Minato wasted no time in picking him up. Obito yawned and stretched. 

“We should better get going. I expect to be babysitting more often.” Rin gave Minato a quick hug and kicked Obito as they walked out the door. 

Minato sat down on his couch, Naruto on his knee. He bounced him up and down. After being in the coffee shop he realized how quiet his home was. 

“You will never guess who I ran into today.” Naruto just tilted his head to the side and smiled. 

“Dr. Haruno says hi.” 

__________________________

The energy in the office was chaotic. They had just submitted the proposal and knew time would move at a snail's pace until they heard. It could be today or in the next couple of weeks. Minato wanted to throw up. He couldn’t think about all the what ifs, so started to check on the progress of their other buildings. 

Currently they were working on a couple of restaurants for the Akimichi family, the Uhiha’s were wanting a revamped police station, and the Nara’s wanted a second building for their accounting firm. He also had that strange job from Nagato from a group called Akatsuki. Minato still didn’t know what the group did. All he got from Nagato was that the group represented a variety of different interests in a variety of areas.   

Lunch was eaten at his desk as he worked through the hour. He didn’t want to stop. If he stopped he would just worry about that stupid proposal for Sarutobi International Bank. Minato looked up and saw Kakashi and Obito fooling around. Those two were only a couple of years younger than him, but acted like toddlers. At least Rin had a decent head on her shoulders. 

He was pulled out his thoughts when his secretary called him. It was the Sarutobi group. They were calling already. They must have looked at the building proposal, laughed, and then threw it in the garbage. 

“This is Minato.” His hands started to sweat. 

“Minato, my boy. This is Hiruzen Sarutobi. I just wanted to tell you we got a lot of different architecture firms submitting some top notch building proposals.” Yep here came the rejection. 

“Your group’s proposal was such an easy standout we didn’t have to debate for long. This was one of the smoothest meetings we have had for our buildings. Typically we take at least a month to decide.” Minato’s jaw dropped. Did Hiruzen just say…

“Congratulations Minato. Your firm has been chosen to build our newest tower. My office will send over the details in the next couple of days.” 

“Tha…” He had to cough to clear his voice. “Thank you sir. I look forward to working with you.” Minato sat back as he hung up the phone. His mind was still processing what just happened. When he looked up he saw his staff looking at him. He got up slowly from his desk and walked out to talk to them. 

Kakashi and Obito stopped fooling around. Rin had gone back to her own job after visiting Obito for lunch. He took in the faces of his staff. 

“I’m sure you all would like to know what that call was about. As you probably heard, that was Hiruzen Sarutobi who just called. He wanted to inform us…” Minato paused wanting to build the dramatic effect. “He wanted to tell us we got the job! We will be building their newest bank tower.” Cheers soon erupted. Obito looked like he was about to have a heart attack. 

“We need to celebrate. What do you think boss, how about Friday?” Obito was bouncing up and down. Minato thought about the idea. His staff deserved to celebrate the news. 

“That sounds good. I’ll see if one of Choza’s restaurants could cater for us. Obito, I expect Rin to be there. Kakashi try not to be too late.” Minato went to walk away when he heard Obito speak. 

“Come on Kakashi you have to bring the woman you have been seeing. Rin and I are dying to meet her. “ Wait Kakashi was seeing someone! How did he not know about this? Minato turned around and Kakashi was sending texts to someone. As Minato walked around his staff letting them know about the party he soon heard Kakashi’s phone ring. Minato didn’t care to listen to the conversation, but wondered who this mystery woman could be. 

___________________________

Sakura walked into the office Monday morning more refreshed than she had been in months. She felt so energized that she went for a run this morning. Usually she waited till evening to run, but with the endorphins released this morning she needed to switch to morning. Seeing that her schedule was fully booked didn’t even bother her. Bring on all of the antibiotics seeking parents for their child’s viral infection and teenage girls with abdominal pain. 

It seemed like time flew because the next thing Sakura knew  she was seeing her last patient. As she walked back to her office she saw she had messages from Kakashi. His last message said to give him a call when she could. She wondered what he wanted to talk about. Sakura prepared herself for ‘the talk’ as she called him. 

“Hey Kakashi. It’s Sakura.” She was slightly surprised when she heard his voice having an excitement in it she never heard before. 

“Sakura thanks for getting back to me. I was wanting to know what your plans are for Friday night.” That was not the question she was expecting. 

“I don’t have any at the moment.” Before she could continue Kakashi cut in. 

“How would you feel about coming to a work party with me on Friday. The firm I work with just got this big job and the boss wants to celebrate. I was wanting to bring you with me.” Sakura’s heart warmed at him wanting her to come with him. 

“I would love to go with you. Let me know the time and if yo…”

“Great I will pick you up at 8.” Sakura could hear people celebrating in the background. 

“I’ll see you then.” Sakura sighed as she hung up the phone. Mei happened to be walking by as she sighed. 

“What’s with the heavy sigh?” Sakura looked at her coworker. She was drop dead gorgeous, long reddish brown hair and green eyes. Sakra couldn’t understand how she was still single. 

“Oh I’m just debating how late my date will be picking me up Friday night.” Sakura thought she would play it safe and plan for him to be 30 minutes late. 

“I would kill for a guy to be late, it would give me more time to get ready. I’m never ready in time. Do you want me to cover your call shift that night? I think it would be fair since you covered for me a month or so ago.” Sakura forgot she was supposed to be on call. She was thrilled that Mei offered to take the shift without being asked. 

“That would be amazing.” Now all Sakura had to do was figure out what to wear. Mei bid her a good night as they both headed out. 

___________________________

Sakura stared at herself in the mirror. It was currently 820 and Kakashi wasn’t here yet. She had just finished her hair and makeup. After talking with Ino she decided to do a side french braid in her hair and then gathered the rest into a ponytail. She kept her makeup in neutral tones, but used her shimmery eyeshadow palette, giving her a grey smokey eye. It was now time to put on her dress. 

She had gone with Ino yesterday after work to pick out something. Sakura wasn’t fully sure about the dress code for this event, so wanted something that could be dressy or more casual if needed. They had found a deep red off the shoulder fit n flare dress. She was going to pair it with her silver wedges. She wasn’t going to wear a necklace, but decided on drop earrings that were silver tear drops. Just as Sakura was putting on her heels her doorbell rang. 

“Ready to go?” Kakashi looked amazing in his simple black dress slacks and white dress shirt. At least her outfit went with his. Sakura didn’t even care to bring up the fact that he was late, again. 

“Yep, all ready.” 

Soon they were entering his office building and Sakura was blown away by the lobby. Arched ceilings with metal beams. There were skylights allowing for natural light to come in. They took the elevator up to the 15 floor. As they got closer Sakura could hear that the party was in full swing. 

“My friends are looking forward to meeting you.” Kakashi had looped his arm through hers. 

“I’m looking forward to meeting them as well.” Kakashi and Sakura entered the party. There were trays of food being walked around by some waiters. She could also see a buffet set up along the windows. Kakashi navigated her around the party. He was looking for two of his closest friends. 

“Kakashi! You showed up and only 45 minutes late.” A man with black hair and eyes was talking, the first thing she noticed were his kind eyes and smile. He was about as tall as Kakashi.

“Oh is this Sakura?” Kakashi untwined their arms and placed his hand on her back. 

“Yes, this is Sakura. Sakura this is Obito.” Sakura paused, that was the name Minato mentioned. It then clicked in her brain. The two who were watching Naruto were also Kakashi’s best friends. That’s why the names were so familiar. 

“Nice to meet you.” Obito’s grin was from ear to ear. Soon another person joined them. She had medium brown hair in a long bob and hazel eyes. The woman gave Obito a peck on the cheek. Sakura found Obito’s blush endearing. 

“You must be Rin. I’m Sakura. It’s nice to meet you.” Rin seemed shocked that Sakura knew her name, but was soon shaking her hand vigorously. 

“Oh it’s so good to meet you.” Soon the four were making the rounds at the party. Sakura enjoyed talking with Rin. They found out they had a lot in common with Rin working as a psychologist and Sakura a pediatrician. It was watching Obito and Rin interact that made Sakura realize she saw Kakashi more as a friend than anything else. 

“Hey Kakashi has the boss man meet Sakura yet?” The moment Kakashi shook his head no Obito was leading them to another area of the room. Sakura froze when she saw him. Kakashi’s boss was Naruto’s father. 

“Hey Minato. Kakashi showed up and he brought a date.” Minato looked over to the group. The moment Sakura entered the party Minato saw her. She looked breathtaking in her dress. That familiar feeling in his stomach returned. He could feel his heart beat faster. However, it was like a bucket of cold water was thrown on him when he saw she was with Kakashi. He tried to ignore the two as they walked around the party. Sakura attracted the attention of many of the staff and other attendants. One reason was that she came with Kakashi. The other was everyone was taken by her looks. It was not everyday a person with candy hair and dazzling emeralds for eyes came into the office. 

As those eyes focused on him everything else faded away. Sakura then opened her mouth. “Mr. Namikaze it's good to see you again.” Sakura was conflicted on how to address Minato. She thought the best course of action would be to take the professional approach. 

“Wait, do you two know each other.” It was Kakashi who actually decided to speak. He looked perplexed. 

“Dr. Haruno is Naruto’s pediatrician.” Rin looked giddy beside Obito. 

“Congratulations on the new job.” Sakura wasn’t sure what to do. She could feel all eyes on her and it was making her have a slight freak out. Soon Rin was telling stories of babysitting Naruto, which Sakura smiled at. They were then going to the buffet table and sat down to talk. Obito was part of the Uchiha family and decided to go into design over the police force. Sakura then got into a story of how she knew Shisui from childhood. Minato was friends with Fugaku and Mikoto, who had recently given birth to her second son. Itachi was an adorable eight year old who she had only seen a couple of times. 

Sakura found herself needing some fresh air, which meant she would have to go down to the lobby. 

“Kakashi I need some fresh air. I’m going to head downstairs for a little bit and I’ll be back up.” As she went to stand up Kakashi stopped her. 

“We have a balcony we use at times. Let me show it to you. That way we don’t have to go all the way downstairs.” They two excused themselves. The balcony had a stunning view of the city and the crisp air was like a welcoming hug after being in a room with so many people. Kakashi just stood beside her. 

“Kakashi, I have been thinking about what we are and…” She had to pause. Sakura wasn’t sure if this was the best time to bring it up, but she feared she would lose her nerve later. 

“I have enjoyed spending time with you, but I feel like we would work better as friends.” Sakura rushed the part after the but. She could feel herself internally wince, hating how cliche she just sounded. However, she was speaking the truth about being friends with him, especially after meeting Obito and Rin. He seemed to let out a sigh...of relief. 

“I have enjoyed spending time with you as well, but am glad I am not the only one who thinks we would work better as friends.” Sakura couldn’t contain herself as she hugged Kakashi. His chuckle sounded deep from his chest. She felt him place a soft kiss on the crown of her head. They went back to the party both feeling lighter. 

“By the way I have someone who I think you would really like. She is a coworker of mine.” 

____________________

Minato watched as they walked away. The feeling of jealousy was nothing like how he felt when Sakura just paid attention to Naruto. Minato could understand that. This however. This was something different. He didn’t know much about Sakura, but enjoyed being around her. Aside from Obito, Rin, Kakashi, and Naruto she was a welcome relief to the darkness that surrounded him so often recently. 

So Minato followed them, discreetly of course. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but saw their embrace. His heart felt heavy. Then he had to turn away when Kakashi kissed her head. Minato went back to the table to sit back down. He watched as Rin happily ate her dessert. 

“Do you think your friend would still want to go for that date?” Minato had to move on, one baby step at a time.

[emptysurface]

First off, I loved the new chapter!!! I'm glad Kyo has a project to focus on while Minato is recovering, although she still needs to get sleep!!! I love your writing style so much and all of your OCs are so well written and unique and HTS is just so so so so good!!!! Second, I'm not sure if you are still taking prompts for between the silence, but if you are then I would love to see Katsurou's day teaching at the academy! If you aren't taking prompts anymore then sorry, please disregard!!! :)

Thank you! I’m so happy people liked this chapter, and seeing as I’ve now had 5 people ask for this snippet.... here you go! XD

...

Katsurou drained the last of his coffee, looked over the tests Kyo had handed him one last time, threw an eye on the schedule he'd been handed as well, and got up with a sigh.

Picked up the stack of tests and followed the Academy sensei out of the room.

Finding the right room wasn't particularly difficult, and seeing as the bell had rung a couple of minutes ago, the kids should all already be there.

Feeling mildly irritated and a fair bit long-suffering, Katsurou slid the door open and got his first look at the flock of brats he'd be responsible for for the duration of the school day.

...they didn't look like much.

They had started on their second year of schooling, so he hadn't expected much, either, but really.

The flowery soap he could smell off of a few of the kids made his nose itch, and his sense of smell wasn't particularly heightened for a shinobi of his age and rank.

The kids had all fallen quiet at the sight of him, and Katsurou gave it another couple of seconds before he entered and walked over to the desk.

Put the tests down and finally turned to face the children properly.

”Good morning,” he said evenly.

A few of them echoed the greeting back at him uncertainly.

”Where's sensei!?” one of the two Inuzuka demanded to know, half-risen out of his seat.

”Unavailable,” Katsurou returned, eyeing the kid dispassionately. ”Sit down.”

The boy froze, then sat back down again. ”Wha's that mean?” he muttered.

”It means he can't be here.”

”Why not?” another kid asked, looking confused.

Katsurou considered the class, already exasperated at the lack of discipline and it hadn't even been five minutes. ”He's in the hospital,” he nonetheless said, keeping his voice even.

Kyo's brother was sitting in the back, Uzumaki Ashika beside him, both of them staring at him with wide eyes, which was somewhat amusing.

”For what reason? Did sensei get hurt?” one of the girls asked, looking worried.

”Stupidity,” Katsurou said blandly. ”Quiet. No more questions.” He looked them over again. ”Sit down, focus, and fill out these tests.” He placed a hand on the stack of papers he'd brought.

Spiked his chakra subtly at the unhappy groans that resulted in, leaving complete silence in its wake.

Katsurou tilted his head and considered the children neutrally. ”Better,” he decided with a short nod. ”You, Aburame, hand these out, one for each person,” he directed at the girl in the front row.

Girl nodded solemnly and stood, doing as directed without fuss.

Katsurou eyed the clock on the wall, considered the simple test their sensei had arranged for them and then wondered how much time they were expected to finish in.

...was an hour too long?

[dxfiedfxte-a]

A Hug From Beyond The Grave|Drabble|

July 21st | 2015 | Tatsumi Port Island Graveyard | 8:45 Pm

It had been a very long time since he last stepped foot inside this place, the very last time he had been here. Tatsumi Port Island, the place where he used to love when he was a child. This was also the place where his life would change forever with the realization of The Dark Hour and the awakening of his Persona as well as the Wild Card within him. Just walking through and passing by every single place he used to hang out was pure nostalgia, he didn’t know when he’d get a chance to come back here with his very busy career as a Paranormal he Investigator. 

The fool had to admit, he felt bad that he didn’t have as much time as he used to in coming here, but not a single day would go by where his parents weren’t in his thoughts, they were always on his mind, he missed them so dearly, even now. After passing through the gate of the graveyard, he would pull out several flower arrangements and brought gifts of offering too. He knew it was Fathers Day, but he wanted to visit his mother too. After walking by several other gravestones, his eyes would come across them. The two gravestones he was very familiar with.

Yukina Arisato Beloved Mother and Wife 

May 5th 1969 - January 10th 1999

Ryu Arisato  Beloved Father and Husband

March 17th 1967 - January 10th 1999

Their gravestones were still in excellent condition thanks to Mitsuru always going out of her way and using her many connections she had to make sure that the gravestones of his beloved parents were always in tip top condition, he truly appreciated her for that.

 He always felt a sense of sadness whenever he would read their death date, every time he would think about it, he would get horrifying flashbacks of that night, seeing the lifeless bodies of his parents, bloodied and bleeding, but most of all, remembering his parents last words to him.

Once at their graves, he would sit down on his knees and put everything he had brought beside him immediately lighting two incenses out of respect for the both of them. As soon as the the smoke began to rise, he would soften his gaze as he braced himself to speak, it was always so hard to talk to them like this, even today, he could feel his heart feel heavy, but there was always a sense of warmth as he could feel their presence, especially since he developed this link to the afterlife due to his profession.

[{🦋}] - “Mom, Dad..I know it’s been a while, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit as much. Things have been getting pretty busy lately.” A small pause.

[{🦋}] - “I have...so much to tell you both. Remember last time I came and I told you guys about the Paranormal Investigation agency I made? Well, we got our own show. In fact, we’re already in our second season. It’s still so hard to believe..” A smile as he turned to his father grave.

[{🦋}] - “Remember how you said I should learn to open my mind to more things? Well, I’ve done exactly as you told me dad, I’ve made so many great and amazing friends, and it was all because I remembered what you told me, ‘don’t be afraid to show your true colors my boy, because your colors are truly unique’ “  

He recited the words. A small chuckle as he reflected back on the memories of how his father would always pat him on the head and tell him how proud he was, even if it was just his finger paintings he painted inside Kindergarten class, he would always hang up his art he made for him at his desk at work. He would reach to grab some takoyaki, his father always loved these, he would often snack on these at work.

[{🦋}] - “I know how much you like Takoyaki Dad, well, this one is fresh just like always.” A smile as he placed the takoyaki inside the offertory box at his fathers grave. 

[{🦋}] - “Oh! I also got your favorite brand of Sake, you always did like having a beer ot two on weekends.” He would place the bottle inside the offertory box and rest his hand gently on his father's grave.

[{🦋}] - “I love you father, Happy Fathers Day..” A small weak smile, he was slowly starting to feel his strong demeanor loosen up a bit the longer he stayed here, but he wasn’t going to leave, he had to face the emotions here. He came to pay a visit not lose it right in front of them. He would take a few moments to regather himself, an exhale as he felt okay enough to continue and turn to his mothers grave.

[{🦋}] - “Hey mom, I’m really sorry I couldn’t come visit you on Mothers Day, my train ended up being delayed and by the time I made it, visiting hours were over. But, I’m here now.” A small smile as he took a deep breath trying gather up all the strength he could.

[{🦋}] - “I uh...remember when you said that one day I would find someone special to me? Well, it’s finally happened. Her name is Fuuka Yamagishi and she’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me..I wish you could meet her..I know you’d like her a lot.” He chuckled a little, a little embarrassed as he could feel the warmth of both his mother and father now with him as the incense continued to burn stronger.

A moment of silence, he wished they were here, physically. Every time he was here he felt the need to hug them both again, but this was the best he could get, but he knew they were there, he could feel them, there was no mistaking this feeling, he felt his mother’s love and warmth and his father’s cool and collected personality, one that Minato proudly inherited from the man before him, while he had his mothers overwhelming kindness. He placed the flower arrangement in his mother’s offertory box.

[{🦋}] - “I uh, I also got you your favorite, Chocolate-Covered Dumplings, they aren’t as amazing as the ones you would always make, but I hope you can enjoy it mom.” A weak smile as he would gently caress her gravestone.

God he missed them so much. As their presence around him would grow stronger, he found that he couldn’t take it anymore, this had been the first visit in a long little while, so the feeling of their energy was so overwhelming that he just couldn’t stay strong anymore.

It was like he could feel them both manifesting a hug around him as he could feel his whole body become warm and the feeling of overwhelming love would fill the air, a feeling of love he truly, d e a r l y missed. Tears would stream down his face as he could feel their energy start to wrap around him. Minato would hug himself as the tears continued to fall, dammit, he tried his best to stay strong, but he just couldn’t. It was the feeling of their love that got him.

[{🦋}] - “Mother, Father...I-I miss you both so much!” He would say between sobs.

[{🦋}] - “So much in my life has happened, so much and I wish I could tell you every single thing but...it’s just so hard!”

As he would continue to sob and morn. the wind would suddenly pick up and several blue flower petals would circle around him catching him by surprise. Inside the sound of the blowing wind, he could hear two voices speak to him. The familiar sweet soft voice of his mother.

“My precious Mini, you’ve grown so much. Such a strong, handsome young man now. I’m very proud of you my little Mini” He would smile and laugh a bit through his tears at the nickname she’d always call him.

[{🦋}] - “M-mom!” He would struggle to choke back more tears as the breeze shifted to the other side of him, the voice of a cool collected and relaxed man, the voice of his father.

“You’ve come so far in this world, gone through so much and here you are still standing with all you’re colors so brightly glowing You’ve done very well Min, I’m proud of you.”

[{🦋}] - “F-Father!” Minato was a watery eyed mess, he was not expecting any of this, but my god he was so grateful to hear them again.

“Take good care of that sweet young girl Mini-Min, cherish her. And remember that your father and I are so proud to have had you.” He could hear tears in his mother’s last sentence.

[{🦋}] - “I..I will” 

“We love you so much Min-Min, keep on making us proud.” Said the both of his parents, before the incense finally burned out and he could feel their energy slowly start to fade before disappearing into the now calming wind.

He stood there in silence for a long time, wiping his tears before finally looking up at the beautiful night sky, he would rest and hand over his heart as he peered upwards.

[{🦋}] - “I will...I promise..I love you both..keep watching over me..” He said softly with a sniffle.

[thedevillord-writes]

Zemblanity - Chapter Four

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

- - -

~Present Day~

When she finally got to see the doctor, she was told she had nothing to worry about. She was given a cast, mostly for show, and was sent home. In the car, Misaki was oddly quiet. Usually, she would ask about the driver, how his wife and children were doing. Or, she would request for some music. Tonight, however, she was sat in the backseat, staring at the cast on her hand and looked as if she was lost in life. The chauffeur kept quiet, however, knowing that it was not his place to say anything. Even when Misaki was the one to make conversation every time, it did not mean he had permission to meddle in her life.

Arriving at home, Misaki was still in the same state as before. Her eyes were not focused on anything and her mind was elsewhere. Rushing to greet Misaki at the door, Minato was ignored as his sister walked right past him without even an acknowledgement. She went straight for the kitchen, putting on her apron and started taking ingredients out until the island counter top was covered.

She chopped, she minced, she boiled, and she fried.

In about one and a half, almost two hours, she made enough food to feed an entire army. The whole time, Minato stood by the side watching her. It was the way she brushed him off that concerned him. It would not be the first time Misaki came home in a mood and started cooking, but it was the first time she looked so tense after. Then, the next bizarre thing happened.

Misaki never ate the food she cooked. Never. She never had the appetite to, or so she told him. Yet, there she was, sat in her seat at the table with a fork in hand and digging into every dish, stuffing her mouth. She went from dish to dish, polishing off every plate. Before she finished chewing, she was already shoving another bite into her mouth. Minato sat down next to her, a frown plastered on his face as he watched her. He knew better than to stop Misaki. Not that he knew how to, he had never seen her like this.

"Misaki? Misaki, stop. Are you listening to me? Misaki, stop it!"

Clutching her fork tightly in her fist, Misaki was still not looking at Minato. Tears started rolling down her cheeks and Minato wiped them away. Their lives were not easy as their father's children, but Misaki was always tough. She had days when she too would be beaten down but she held herself together always for him. If it were not for her, Minato would not be here. This was the first time he was seeing her so vulnerable, so fragile.

Misaki still had the blank look in her eyes, tears pouring non-stop no matter how much he wiped. All of a sudden, she dropped the fork and grabbed Minato's hand, looking him in the eyes for the first time since she came home. She pressed his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes, breaking down completely.

"I can't do this anymore, Minato...I can't."

~Thirteen years ago~

The opening ceremony for the new school year was a nightmare.

It did not take long for news to travel around the campus and before long, almost everyone knew a Kanemoto enrolled by the ceremony. It did not take long for them to realise that it was her. Stood in the middle of her schoolmates, Misaki had to endure the stares and whispers. They would never dare to say anything to face though she had quite a good idea of what they could be whispering behind her back. It was part of human nature to find flaws in others so one would feel better about themselves. If you were not a Kanemoto, well at least you were thinner than Misaki. Her nose looked too artificial, she did not carry that atmosphere of blue blood, she could study overseas but instead, came here because she must have bad grades. It became a game for Misaki to figure out what they were saying.

Dismissed after the ceremony, the students were heading to their classrooms. All around her, friends were already made as some giggled together while others made promises to meet at lunch. Misaki walked alone. She was avoided like a plague; no smiles, no eye contact, and no one dared to even come within a metre of her. Walking into the classroom, the entire room hushed at her presence and their eyes followed her as she walked up to an empty desk.

"Hi!" The first person to talk to her was her neighbour, a girl with bangs and ponytail, and the brightest smile Misaki had ever seen. It was so infectious that Misaki smiled too, for the first time in a while. Was this her chance at making a friend? "Looks like we're neighbours," the girl smiled. "I'm Sato Nako, nice to meet you."

"Kanemoto Misaki."

At the mention of her name, Nako recoiled her hand as Misaki reached out for a shake. In a split second, reality hit her hard. She was only nice because she had no idea who Misaki was. Just like everyone else, the name Kanemoto put her off and Misaki was willing to bet her entire fortune that Nako was regretting having spoken to her. She would be offended if Misaki had not been used to interactions like this. Her entire life was just interactions like so.

Having years of practice, Misaki was quite familiar with what to do during lunch time. Her father was clear on wanting her to make connections but how could she when everyone was avoiding her? She bought a bun from the school's store and went on a hunt for a quiet place, somewhere she could take break from all the stares and whispers that were not going to stop any time soon.

She climbed the stairs up to the roof, trying her luck with the door. Students were never allowed up on the roof but Misaki was never bothered; there were some perks to her family name after all. Fortunately, the door was unlocked and Misaki stepped onto the empty roof. She found a shaded corner and sat herself down to eat lunch. If her father would to see her now, he would be disappointed. He would be furious. There were only so little time she had away from him however, and she would like to do something for herself every so often. She could make friends another day, Misaki just wanted to get through the day peacefully.

"You're not allowed up here. I'm afraid I have to report you."

A voice startled her and Misaki scrambled onto her feet, bowing in the direction of where the voice came from, thinking it was a teacher. A figure came into view but they were wearing a uniform too. The tie, however, indicated they were from an older year. She was greeted with a mischievous smile belonging to a tall and handsome guy as he approached her.

"I am sorry, I will leave now."

"You took me seriously?" he asked, catching her by the elbow. "No one's allowed up here, but I won't tell if you won't."

Misaki pulled away from him, her brows knitted into a frown. Was he just playing with her? She tried looking in his eyes for a clear indication of his intentions but she could not see anything in them. They said the eyes were the windows to one's soul, but she could not see into his mind at all. He had a smile on his face though there was something not quite right about it.

"Have you fallen in love with me already? That was quick."

"Excuse me?"

"Wow, you are easy to tease," he chuckled. "Finally, someone interesting in this place. What's your name?"

"Misaki."

"Misaki...who?"

She was hesitant, he could tell straight away. After years of observing people, he became good at catching the minute expressions they tried to hide. She was not good, however, at hiding her expressions; she wore everything on her sleeves. She was a rare type, one that he always thought would be fun to experiment with. Who knew he would meet one here in school?

"Kanemoto. Kanemoto Misaki."

It came as a little surprise, hearing her family name. It was a household name in Japan, one that even newborn babies would know about. He had been hearing the news of a Kanemoto in school all day and wanted to meet them. A connection like a Kanemoto was almost like having the key to the universe, and that was exactly what he needed. Never did he think he would meet her on the roof so randomly. Was this serendipity? Was that a word?

"Well, Kanemoto Misaki, nice to meet you. I'm Sagara Yosuke."

Her reaction was priceless. With a name like Kanemoto, most would have made a fuss and all day long, that was what everyone did. His classmates were excited to see what a Kanemoto looked like while others were already spreading rumours about someone they had yet to meet. Some guys bragged about how they would date the Kanemoto girl while the girls gossiped about what plastic surgery she supposedly had done. He could only imagine the type of day she had been through. So for Yosuke to just casually look over that fact must have came as a shock to her.

And shock it was for Misaki.

For the first time in her life, she was seen as a separate entity to her family. He did not seem to care about her family, simply asking just to know her name. It was the first time someone did not recoil in fear, the first time someone treated her like they would anyone else.

"Tough day, huh?" Yosuke asked, sitting down in Misaki's corner and petted the spot next to him for her to sit. Misaki was silent as she sat down, keeping a small distance between them. She was still not quite used to social interactions. No one taught her how to make friends. "First days are always tough," Yosuke said. "I remember my first day of high school, I was terrified."

"You were?"

"Of course I was! I was afraid they would find out about my grades and kick me out."

Misaki let out a giggle though she stopped herself the next second with a hand over her mouth. Was that a laugh? She was not sure herself because she did not laugh much. There were times when she laugh with Minato but never with anyone else. This was all so new and strange to her. Like she was learning how to be human. "I was scared. I still am. I'm not good at making friends and everyone is too afraid to approach me. You're the first person to really talk to me."

"I know how you feel. I mean, Sagara is not as big a name as Kanemoto and I have to deal with fakers here and there. I can't imagine what it's like for you."

No one ever understood how Misaki felt. Her brother did, but they lived the same life. It was often reported how jealous people were of her life, how she was fortunate to be born with a silver spoon and never had to worry about life. If they knew the truth, would they still be jealous? Or would they be thankful? Even those living in her world would not understand what Misaki went through. They took freedom for granted, freedom that Misaki would never have. They were the ones everyone should be

Meeting Yosuke here was like meeting an angel, like her prayers had been heard and she was sent a friend to pull her out of the dark corners. Finally, she had someone in her life who treated her like a human, who understood her. Was this what it was like to have a friend?

"Can we...meet for lunch tomorrow?" Misaki asked. "I'll bring lunch. If you'd like. It's okay if you don't. We don't have to."

"You don't need to bring lunch," Yosuke said. The disappointment on Misaki's face brought a smile to his; it was entertainment at its best. "But we can still meet for lunch," he continued. Instantly, she brightened up and he laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

~Present Day~

Laying in bed, Misaki had her eyes closed but she could not sleep. She was tucked into bed by Minato after her breakdown. Once she was alone, however, she could not stop thinking about the day she met Yosuke. There were so many times throughout the years when she thought how different her life would be if she never met Yosuke. How different it would be if she continued the relationship.

Thinking of their first meeting was also reminding Misaki of Mai. She sat up in her bed and turned the bedside lamp on, picking up a framed photo on her nightstand. Before she graduated from high school, Mai passed away. When Misaki came home happy that day, Mai was so overwhelmed that she started crying. She made a feast that night to celebrate her successful first day, and making her first friend. Mai was the closest the Kanemoto siblings had to a mother, but they lost her when they needed her the most.

Holding the photo to her chest, Misaki closed her eyes once again. She never got to see Mai before she passed, because her father refused to let her return to Japan. Misaki knew, however, exactly what Mai would tell her if she saw her now. Mai would lay in bed with her, comforting her in her arms. She would tell Misaki that everything would be alright, that she would have nothing to worry about. She would then force Misaki out of bed because staying in bed miserable for the rest of her life was not an option. Things were not going right now, but it was not the end of the world. Things would never be right until she made them right herself.

It was time Misaki got back onto her feet and stood up for herself.

[truelovevoltage]

OTBS: Fight and Make Up

“Anonymous said: fight & make up for otbs guys (tsumugu, kaoru, akiyoshi, & chiaki); it's the guy's fault”

Tsumugu Kido

You and Tsumugu have been fighting because of something that your extended family said to the two of you. They opposed of every single decision the two of you make and Tsumugu’s mad about it.

“Why are they so nosy? Can’t you just tell them to leave us ’n’ our decisions alone?”

“They don’t mean any harm Tsumugu. They just suggested for us to wait until we start our own family.” You tried to calm him down.

“But that’s none of their business! If we want to have our own family now, then that’s up to us ’n’ not them! If they’re worried about our jobs then they can breathe, cause our job is stable.” Tsumugu’s been irritated with how your extended family is trying to control how the two of you should be living your lives. It’s pissing him off that you’re not being true to yourself and would just agree to what your family has to say. Tsumugu hated how you’re being a goody-two-shoes.

When he called you a goody-two-shoes it added more fuel to your fight. It started small but Tsumugu keep s admiring more hurtful words, which was not helping.

“Where do you think you're going?” He asked when he saw you grab your coat and phone.

“I’m going outside, it’s getting heated in here and I need to cool down because unlike you, I won’t let my emotions get to me and say hurtful words to the one I love.” That wasn’t different to the mean words Tsumugu said to you but they were on par with it. At least he knows that he crossed the line.

Once he cooled off Tsumugu made his way to your backyard and saw you sitting down looking at the stars. When he got close to you, he pulled you into an embrace and apologized. “Sorry Y/N I didn’t mean those mean words I said to you. I was just really frustrated.”

“That’s all right. I know how troublesome my family can be and I’m sorry as well. I’m sorry if you think that I’m just following whatever they say. Just like you, I want to start our own family, tomorrow I’ll call them not to interfere with our decisions and ask for their blessing.”

Tsumugu contended with your decision, at least this time, you’re deciding for yourself and not letting others decide for you.

Kaoru Kirishima

Seasonelle’s been very busy lately. The only time you’d see Kaoru is when the two of you are home but he’d normally just go to sleep. Feeling gloomy, you showed up to work and tried to be the usual Y/N that everyone knows. 

In the office you greeted everyone. In the corner of your peripheral vision, you saw Kaoru talking to a woman. Seeing the two made you frown.

As shallow as it sounds you felt like Kaoru wasn’t giving you his attention lately. And whenever you tried to gain his attention he’d say that he’s tired.

That day you went home first and prepared supper for the two of you hoping that maybe you’ll get some quality time with him. You were excited to have supper with him and made lots of food.

Kaoru came home looking tired as hell. It looked like work really drained him tonight. “Kaoru I know you’re probably hungry! Come on, let’s eat!”

“Sorry Y/N but I think I’m going to catch up on sleep tonight.”

You slammed your fist on the table causing him to look at you with worry. “Kaoru do we have a problem? You’ve been brushing me off lately whenever I want to spend time with you. Sometimes you’d even ignore me and it came to my mind that maybe you’re cheating on me.”

“No Y/N! I would never!”

“Forget it Kaoru, go to sleep. I’ll finish up here soon.” You mumbled.

Even if that was a small fight, you lost your appetite and started to clean up the table. You started to wash the pans and pots you used for cooking when you felt someone embraced you from behind. “Y/N I’m sorry I made you feel like that. I’m not cheating on you Y/N. I swear that’s not my intention. I’ve been working my butt off so that I could spend more time with you in the future but it looks like it backfired. I made you think that I’m ignoring you.”

You turned around and faced him, “I’m sorry too, I overreacted over a small thing. I just miss you Kaoru… Is that… Is that so bad?”

“No, not at all. It makes me happy knowing you missed me cause I missed you too and I promise that I’ll make it up to you.” He caressed your cheek before giving you a long-awaited kiss.

Chiaki Yuasa 

Lately you’ve been into baking and since you knew that Chiaki wasn’t going to eat them, there were more for you to eat. But of course you weren’t going to just eat them by yourself. You knew to only make a small batch incase they didn’t taste good, and honestly the first batch could be better. 

It took time but you finally mastered making cinnamon buns, red velvet cupcakes and strawberry cheesecake. You were satisfied with this achievement and couldn’t wait until you shared them with your coworkers. You were happily humming to yourself as you prepared a small goodie bag for everyone at Seasonelle. 

The following day you distributed them as a gift of hard work when Chiaki said something quiet insulting. “Be careful you guys, I’ve had her sweets and trust me... They weren’t that good.” He smirked. That was just plain rude how could he say that without even trying it? Plus you’ve been working hard lately, you weren’t the same person as before. “If you don’t want to eat it just say so, you don’t have to be an asshole about it.” You snatched his goodie bag away from him. 

Kaoru was the first one to try because he wanted to snack on something, they guys all looked at him and you felt embarrassed. “You know what, nevermind. I’ll take all of them back.” You mumbled and slowly collected them and just when you were about to take Kaoru’s bag he pulled it away. “I don’t know what you’re saying Chiaki but that wasn’t nice at all. These are really good. And Y/N don’t you think it’s rude to take back the ones you gave?” There was a smile on his face. The other guys agreed and politely asked if they could have their share of sweets back, all except two people. One was Minato teasing you about it and the other one was your boyfriend who couldn’t even say anything after getting called out like that by Kaoru. 

Chiaki felt guilty and he knew you were upset, he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and he tried to apologize to you at work but you brushed him off. Basically the entire day you ignored him and the guys felt bad for him but in reality he deserved it. It’s a small fight and could easily be solved but he has his own pride.  

He didn’t know how to make up to you and he went home first. He knew that you didn’t want to be around him and he planned to surprised you. The first thing he did was see the extra sweets you baked, since you didn’t give his share at the office he decided to eat the ones left at home. Once he tasted it he knew that it wasn’t like the first time you baked and that this was very delicious. He was wrong to say those words at you in front of your coworkers, he didn’t mean to embarrass you but in the end, he ended up embarrassing himself. 

He didn’t know what to do but he was starting to get hungry. Of course he wasn’t much of a cook himself therefore he ordered takeout. He wanted to apologize to you and he didn’t want it to be half-assed. 

Upon your arrival home you saw him in the living room and when he heard the door open, he turned around and rushed towards you. “Hey I ordered your favourite food, get changed and we can have dinner together.” He smiled. 

“No thanks, I’m tired today. I’m going to sleep.” Still ignoring him. You made your way to the stairs when you felt him hug you from behind. “I know what I did was wrong and rude Y/N. I’m sorry for saying those words, I know how hard you’ve worked to get where you are when it comes to baking. I tasted your extras since you didn’t give back my share and I understand why, I was an asshole. I’m sorry Y/N but I can’t stand it when you’re mad at me.” 

“I forgive you Chiaki, at first it really hurt but thank you for putting aside your pride and apologize to me.” You turned around gave him a soft peck on the lips, you were able to taste the cream cheese frosting you made from the red velvet cupcakes and smiled that he really did like them. 

Akiyoshi Zaizen 

There has been a lot of request to do interviews on people and knowing Akiyoshi, he’s going to strike while the iron is hot. But you didn’t like how he was overworking himself. Everyone had at least four projects that they’re trying to juggle, while he was doing more than that. 

It made you worry because he wasn’t eating at home or he’d come home late at night. He wasn’t taking care of himself anymore and you’d try to do small things for him to lessen the stress that he’s going through. 

There were a lot of files on top of his desk and you didn’t bother to touch them because you don’t want to mess up his rhythm. You were going to ask him what he wanted to eat for lunch but he wasn’t there. You were about to leave when he walked in. “Y/N what are you doing here?” He asked.

“I was just going to ask you if you have any requests for you lunch? I’m going to go at the convenience store later.” 

He nodded slightly and mentioned that he’ll have whatever you’re having. You excused yourself to go back to work when he stopped you. He was frantically looking for a file that he’s been working on. “Did you touch my desk while waiting for me?” You could hear the anger rising from his tone. “No, I didn’t touch a single thing.” You defended yourself. 

He moved the files back and forth and he just couldn’t find it. He stated that, that file was very important because that’s the new proposal to one of his clients and the presentation is today at two o’clock. You were about to help him when he yelled at you. “DON’T! YOU’LL MAKE THIS WORST!” 

He never yelled at you before so this is new to you. You backed off right away and left his office. Everyone outside hear him shout and you felt embarrassed, you wanted to cry but this is not the time for that. You bit your lip down to prevent you from crying then. 

When lunch time came, you still bought him a bento box but you didn’t want to face him. You saw Minato and before he could even enter Akiyoshi’s office you pulled him causing him to look at you. “Since you’re going to see him, do you mind giving this to him? I know he hasn’t ate yet.” You held out the bento box. Minato gladly took it and ruffled your hair, he heard that you got yelled out a few hours ago and yet you’re still worried about him. “Sure thing, but you owe me.” He teased and entered his office. “Boss here’s the proposal that you wanted me to look over. I made sure that it was perfect for your presentation at two o’clock.”

Akiyoshi stopped what he was doing and looked at Minato. If he had the file he was been looking for all this time then he yelled at Y/N for nothing. “But Boss I know you’re stressed but that doesn’t mean that you should take them on out Y/N. She wanted me to give you this, she knows you didn’t eat yet.” He set the food on the side and left the boss alone. He could only sigh in frustration, he knew that he screwed up and wanted to apologize to you as soon as possible. 

Half an hour before his presentation, he called you to his office. You were still scared and kept your distance. “You called for me Boss ?” You bit the inner cheek. 

He got up from his seat and stood in front of you. “Y/N I’m apologize for yelling at you awhile ago. I shouldn’t have done that and I shouldn’t have accused you for messing with my desk. I know you didn’t do it I just took my frustration on you when I couldn’t find the file. It totally slipped my mind that I gave it to Minato last night to edit it. I know it just sounds like I’m making excuses but I want you to know how sorry I am for yelling at you.” He hugged you and kissed the top of your head. “Wait... We’re in the office! What if someone sees us?” You were now in a panic. 

“I’m not going to let go until you accept my apology.” He smiled. 

“Okay, okay you’re forgiven. Now let go, I have some work to do.” You chuckled. 

He then gave you a kiss on the lips. “What was that for?” 

“Hmm... A good luck kiss for my presentation. I’ll see you later.” He winked and left you in his office. You tried calm your heart before walking out of his office, you didn’t want the guys to tease you on how red your face must be right now. The moment you opened the door, everyone was looking at you and you could see the teasing smile from Minato’s face and made you more embarrassed.

[sumigakure]

Well Then

To: @arrowsbane

From: @pwnie3

Title: Well Then

Rating: M

Wordcount: 8520

Prompt: In an AU where Orochimaru never took Danzo up on his offer for labs, Sarutobi dumps a trio of genetically-altered brats on him and hands him a ‘Teaching for Dummies’ book, which is not appreciated. Turns out, Orochimaru is pretty good with kids, but thinks he isn’t. Nobody else is buying that lie though.

Warning/Notes: I never thought I would have to tag a six-year-old for suicidal ideation but here I am. Friendly reminder that I love Kakashi and I wish my fingers didn’t know how to type independent of my will.

“Think about it,” Danzo says, then shunshins out of Orochimaru’s front garden.

The old man’s offer is tempting. A set of labs all to himself, all materials provided, not on paper anywhere. Sarutobi, ever Orochimaru’s moral compass in the absence of Jiraiya and Tsunade, has vetoed almost all of his ideas without even reading the full hypothesis. And he knows as well as Orochimaru does that if he had labs and materials, he would go ahead with his projects whether the Hokage gave him permission or not.

It’s one of the things Sakumo always said was the mark of a good shinobi– not following unjust orders, although he probably didn’t mean it to be used quite in this context.

Orochimaru traces the snake curled around his neck absently and his eyes remain fixed on the wall just to the side of where Danzo had been when he made the proposal two weeks ago. Sakumo, now three months dead by his own foolish, selfish hand, wouldn’t approve of this. Orochimaru may not know Danzo very well personally, but he knows enough about the man to figure out that the kind of experiments Danzo wants him to do won’t be the experiments Sakumo could be proud of.

When did this happen? When did he stop thinking in terms of what benefitted him and start using Sakumo’s approval as a benchmark for right and wrong?

There’s a knock on the door. Orochimaru snaps back to reality and gently reaches out with his chakra. He’s no sensor, he can’t track someone’s chakra footprint a hundred miles, but he can recognize a familiar signature ten feet away.

“Oro?” Kakashi’s voice is muffled, both by the door and his scarf. “You home?”

In a flash, Orochimaru opens the door. Kakashi is there, and judging by his clothes it’s a hot morning. His short sleeves show off the tattoos on his arms, and what’s visible of his face is flushed. Orochimaru makes a note to buy something thinner so Kakashi doesn’t pass out from the heat.

The boy doesn’t tell Orochimaru where he wants to go, but it’s easy enough to guess. Where else would he want to go with Orochimaru than Sakumo’s grave?

The majority of their walk to the cemetery is silent, punctuated only by a brief stop at a flower stand. Orochimaru picks spider lilies. Kakashi picks asters.

It is, perhaps, too late for Orochimaru to remember how terrible he is with children. When Sakumo was alive, it was easy to think of Kakashi as a small, grumpy version of his father, but with the man gone all Orochimaru can see is the five-year-old who’s lost his father.

Orochimaru clears his throat and hopes it doesn’t sound as awkward as he thinks it does. “How have you been, Kakashi?” It takes all of his willpower not to call him ‘Cub’, seeing as how, along with many other things in Kakashi’s life, the nickname likely died with Sakumo.

Kakashi makes a quiet noise. Orochimaru assumes it means something along the lines of ‘I’ve been okay’, as that has always been his answer to the question.

“How is your aunt?” Ah yes, the fifteen-year-old aunt Kakashi has been living with because Orochimaru doesn’t trust himself around children. “Is her team doing well?”

Kakashi grunts. “I guess. I think Mikoto is engaged now, but I’m not sure anyone else is supposed to know about that.”

With a faint sound of acknowledgement, Orochimaru files the information away. He can’t think of any occasion where the marital arrangements of the Uchiha clan will ever be of use, but intel is intel.

Just as the pair is about to enter the graveyard, there’s a shout from behind them. “Hey, Orochimaru!”

“That’s the guy Auntie has a crush on,” Kakashi supplies, murmuring. “Minato.”

Minato comes to a stop a respectful distance from Orochimaru. He pants a little from the exertion of, presumably, running around doing D-ranks all day. “Lord Sarutobi wants to talk to you.”

Orochimaru looks back at Kakashi, who’s eyeing Minato with something like scrutiny. “Is it urgent?” he asks like he doesn’t already know the answer.

Minato nods. Orochimaru is disappointed, no, angry. Angry at himself for not being able to put aside even this small amount of time for the boy who, for all his ineptitude, he loves with every ounce of his being.

Another glance at Kakashi. The boy shrugs. “It’s okay, Oro. I’ll be fine.”

He lays the bouquet of lilies in Kakashi’s arms with the asters. As Orochimaru is walking away, he hisses quietly at Minato. “If you wish to remain in Kushina’s good graces, you’ll keep an eye on Kakashi.”

Minato, who is most certainly recognizable as the ‘pretty boy’ Kushina referred to him as the last time Orochimaru found time to sit down with her, stands stock-straight and meets Orochimaru’s gaze– but only for a moment. Still, it’s better than most people manage. “Of course, Lord Yashagoro!” Then he runs over to walk behind Kakashi.

It takes little more than two minutes to get to the Hokage’s office, and inside Sarutobi has the audacity to be leaning back behind his desk and puffing on his pipe like he didn’t just take away precious time to be spent with the last part of Sakumo Orochimaru has.

Orochimaru stands in front of his old teacher and waits. After a few seconds, Sarutobi opens his eyes and sits up. “Ah, Orochimaru. I didn’t expect you here so soon. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything?”

It’s been a long time since he wanted to punch something, as it’s never been his strong point, but in this moment there’s nothing he wants more than to break Sarutobi’s nose.  Besides, why else would he have come in through the window, if not because he was annoyed? Even if it’s not Orochimaru’s preferred method of entry, it does happen to be one of Sarutobi’s biggest pet peeves.

“Of course not, sensei. Your messenger told me it was urgent?” Orochimaru asks, hiding his anger behind a thin smile.

“Not nearly as urgent as Minato made it out to be, but it is somewhat time sensitive.” Sarutobi pushes a file across his desk. “These are your new orders, effective tomorrow.”

Orochimaru takes the file and opens it, expecting some kind of long-term information gathering mission having to with the war effort, and his eyes widen when the papers enclosed are the ones given out to prospective jounin teachers.

“Sensei, is this–”

“I am not mistaken. That is the correct file. I am assigning three children to your tutelage and, if you’ll be willing, your care.”

The assignment hits Orochimaru like a fist to the face. “I’m not sure if you recall, sensei, but while I have many and impressive talents, handling children is not one of them.”

Sarutobi smiles. “Orochimaru, believe me when I tell you that you are uniquely suited to this team over any other mission I could offer you. Do you recall the organization Root?”

Why yes, in fact your long-time friend recently offered me a very nice position within that very organization. “Yes. You disbanded it when you took office.”

The smoke from Sarutobi’s pipe circles the ceiling. “We discovered Root to very much be alive and kicking last week, under the coordination of Danzo Shimura. After a raid on their various locations, we found four children in a lab there. One killed himself when we tried to remove him from the laboratory, but the other three are currently in rehabilitation in the hospital. They are being entrusted to you, as several experts have assured me that putting them into the Academy would be counterproductive.”

Briefly skimming the mission file, Orochimaru finds it giving him that exact information under about five more layers of official jargon and emotionlessness than Sarutobi normally uses during these briefings.

“Until further notice, you will be off the active duty roster. Your first and foremost priority is acclimatizing these children to life outside of a laboratory.” Orochimaru nods along with Sarutobi as he translates the purple prose of the file. “Oh, and you’ll probably need this.”

Without thinking, Orochimaru takes the thing his teacher passes him and when he looks at the title, in a move he must have learned from Sakumo because he’d never done it before they started dating, he absolutely bristles with fury.

Well, if there was one thing being best friends with Jiraiya has taught Orochimaru, it’s self-control, and it happens to take every last ounce of that carefully-honed control not to put Teaching for Dummies through Sarutobi’s skull.

Sarutobi, for all his old man-ish airs, is no fool and does not have the memory of a goldfish, so he must recognize the calm detachment in Orochimaru’s face as the kind of thing he used to wear just before Jiraiya became best friends with the business end of Kusanagi.

“Meet me back here tomorrow at eight. You are dismissed.”

Kakashi is already out with his team by the time Sarutobi releases Orochimaru to his own devices– Kakashi’s fourth team in as many months, if Orochimaru’s impeccable memory serves him correctly– so he returns to the graveyard alone.

As much as he loves the boy, Orochimaru is glad to have the opportunity to visit Sakumo’s grave alone, and something tells him that maybe Kakashi feels the same. The grass is pressed down tight against the ground in front of Sakumo’s uniform headstone, and a few yards back there’s another spot where the ground is just as disturbed. The flowers have been rested carefully below the deep lines that form Sakumo’s name.

Orochimaru sinks to his knees fluidly. “I had an important meeting yesterday. I wore the blue yukata, the one you always said compliments my eyes.”

It’s a common enough practice for shinobi to talk to their dead loved ones, even if not quite the healthiest. Any passing civilian won’t question Orochimaru talking to the departed quite as much as they’ll question his choice of Sakumo Hatake, and it’s not the kind of thing any coincidentally present ANBU will feel the need to report.

But Orochimaru’s reluctantly-assigned Yamanaka psychiatrist says it’s a good way to grieve (and while she doesn’t outright say ‘I know you’re still mourning the absence of Jiraiya and Tsunade’, he hears it all the same) and he knows that ANBU Panther has been told under no uncertain terms that he’s to make sure Orochimaru talks to Sakumo a little bit. Though as with all things unfamiliar, the Snake Sannin takes to it with a fair bit of caution.

“Sarutobi has assigned me a group of children to train.” He shakes his head. “I suppose my only relief in this is that Jiraiya isn’t here to see it.” A pause, the kind he used to leave for Sakumo to say his piece. “It’s summer now, he’s been gone nearly nine months.”

Orochimaru has never believed that the dead linger, but when he closes his eyes he’s willing to pretend the wind playing with his hair is a tanned, scarred, calloused hand with the most gentle touch in the world.

He stands and brushes a few blades of grass from his clothing. He walks home in silence.

When Orochimaru sits down in his kitchen with a cup of tea in hand, he finally looks over the file Sarutobi gave him.

The first student, Akira Senju, age eleven, was kidnapped when small and her eyes were replaced with a set of stolen Sharingan. She was then pumped full of bijuu chakra siphoned off Lady Mito Uzumaki to see if the Sharingan could control bijuu as easily from within as well as without.

Orochimaru’s second pupil, Akane Uchiha, age twelve, is a half Inuzuka who was tattooed with some beautifully– the report on her doesn’t say it quite like that, but art is art no matter the canvas– elaborate seals that, according to the file, give her the ability to use the Mokuton.

The final child is Hikaru, age eight, was grown in a surrogate, and is the finest example of what happens when an Uchiha member of Root and a Senju member of Root both give over DNA for identification purposes and the DNA is instead used to make a baby. Heavily tested, very intelligent, not very emotionally stable, the boy is implied to be the “problem child” of the three.

Orochimaru puts down the file. From what he can tell, both the people giving the order and the researchers who worked on these children were clumsy. It seems like multiple, independent projects were being run of each child without regard for how the effects of the other experiments would skew their results. What’s Tsunade’s favorite saying? Too many cooks in the kitchen?

What’s done though, is done, and Orochimaru can’t do a thing to remedy the errors of fools. He stands from his chair.

The house is older than even Orochimaru’s parents, and it takes ridiculous effort to keep it in good condition, but if it has anything going for it then it has to be its sheer size. The Yashagoro clan has never been large, definitely not large enough to warrant a house so big, and for the last twenty years Orochimaru has lived here alone. He has no wandering relatives who drop in on a whim to see how well he’s grown up, no drunk friends taking over his house at ungodly hours, no quiet bedmates who wake him up with fluttering kisses and a laugh like rolling thunder. Not anymore.

There are spare futons tucked away in a closet, and while it’s hardly the kind of thing his mother would approve of using his abilities for, Orochimaru is pressed for time and hardly hesitates in using– this is the kind of play on words both his father and Jiraiya would find amusing– a fuuton jutsu to air out the bedding. Perhaps, if Sarutobi doesn’t come to his senses and reassign the children, Orochimaru will find sturdier, more permanent bedframes for them.

He doesn’t sleep. Instead, he wanders the many halls of the house and tries to memorize the silence, the solitude, the way this is the one place where he lets his footsteps echo into the night. He listens for the faint memory of his father’s laugh, his mother’s admonishments, and his old grandmother’s refusal to avoid the nightingale floors when she wandered in the middle of the night.

He wonders if these children will know any better.

Orochimaru shows up early to his old teacher’s office, and is not disappointed. Sarutobi is already waiting for him, sharing a cup of tea with three children who probably shouldn’t be as small as they are.

“Ah, Orochimaru!” Sarutobi exclaims. The three children turn around sharply, even the tiny little boy.

The files hadn’t included photographs. There hadn’t been time to get the photographer out to see them, nor would he have had clearance to do so if he’d tried. But aside from the activated Sharingan, the extensive tattoos, and the multitude of poorly-hidden scars, the children don’t look like anything special. The Senju girl looks like how he would expect a little Senju girl to look. The Uchiha-Inuzuka girl looks like how he would expect an Uchiha-Inuzuka to look. The Senju-Uchiha boy looks like how he would expect a Senju-Uchiha to look.

This is good, he thinks. The tattoos and scars are normal enough, not the kind of thing most people would glance twice at. The Sharingan will be easily hidden. At least they won’t have to grow up with the look of a half-dead pixie with too much purple eyeliner and a frankly unrealistically dark head of hair and all the stares that come with.

“These are your students,” Sarutobi continues. “Akira, Akane, and Hikaru. Children, this is to be your guardian.”

The half-Inuzuka girl, Akane, stands. The other two follow her lead. Though Orochimaru knows that these children have been kept apart until now, as per ANBU policy about test subjects, they have easily fallen into something like a pack formation with Akane at the head.

Orochimaru bows his head slightly, not breaking eye contact with Akane for a second. After a long pause, she does it back. Again, Akira and Hikaru follow her lead.

Sarutobi looks between the four of them and nods. “It seems my work here is done. Orochimaru, I’ll be by later with some paperwork.”

He takes this to mean that he’s been dismissed, and so Orochimaru gestures for the children to follow him. The whole way back to his house– on foot, using the not-yet-crowded streets to travel because he hardly remembers trusting himself on rooftops when he was their age and most certainly won’t put that faith in three strangers– they trail behind him at a respectful and regular distance. Though they haven’t spoken a word to each other, the three of them instinctively fell into a standard, if rough, team formation. Akira is at the center, keeping a careful eye on Orochimaru, and on either side she is flanked by Akane and Hikaru in some kind of bodyguard position.

The first two steps inside Orochimaru’s home are nightingale flooring, and while he treads lightly and with a certain kind of speed born of practice and watching snakes go across the boards silently, the children don’t know the house. As soon as Hikaru hears the first tremulous chirp of the floorboards, he jumps back and pulls the girls with him.

“Come now. It’s just a noise the floors make. Nothing to be scared of,” Orochimaru says in what he hopes is a teasing voice. “They’re not going to hurt you any more than the grass out there will.” Though, thinking about it, the grass (or rather, what the grass hides) will actually hurt them more than the floors.

Eventually, Orochimaru gets them into the kitchen, and only then does it occur to him that he only owns one chair and his table is too small for four people. He also owns a meager set of dishes that can only hold enough food for one, maybe two people if they have appetites as small as Orochimaru and Kakashi (how old is the food in his fridge? And come to think of it, is bread supposed to be blue-grey?). Well, those bowls are probably small enough to count as cups, right?

“Perhaps,” Orochimaru starts slowly, “a trip to the market is in order.”

Orochimaru hasn’t been a child in a long time, so he doesn’t know what they like to eat. When he went out shopping with Sakumo, it always fell to Orochimaru to keep Kakashi occupied, and thus he was never really sure of what Sakumo bought for Kakashi– not to mention that Kakashi is significantly younger than Orochimaru’s students and also likely has very different preferences.

Orochimaru himself is a simple man. He buys spices when he runs out and a dozen eggs every week, ham when he can get it, and everything else comes from his mother’s garden. His parents raised him to eat what was put in front of him without complaint and that mostly carried over into his adult life.

So what do children like to eat?

“What would you like?” he asks them. All three heads jerk towards him simultaneously. “To eat.”

For a long moment, there’s silence from the three of them, but then it’s Akira who answers first. “One of the researchers in charge of me used to bring dango when I was cooperative.”

“One time someone brought me pretzels,” Akane says.

“They let me have strawberries once.” Hikaru rounds out the bunch.

The bakery sells five kinds of pretzels and strawberries are in season, and by the time the four of them make it to the dango shop Hikaru has eaten almost half the container and Orochimaru has reminded him three times that eating the strawberry hulls isn’t something people generally do.

As soon as they enter the shop– which is abuzz with people as always, seeing as how Shouta Mitarashi makes the best dango in the village and everyone knows it– the place hushes significantly. Civilians are always put off by Orochimaru’s presence no matter where he goes, and while it’s a trifling matter to be invisible in a crowded marketplace that same innocuity becomes impossible in a small, enclosed space.

Akira, Akane, and Hikaru fall into battle stance at the attention. Their shoulders square, their limbs relax, and Akane has two fingers on the kunai in her belt. Orochimaru says nothing; he just strides forward– the crowd shies away from him like he’s diseased– picks up a few boxes of sweets, and hands the money over to the owner without speaking a word.

He, and the children too, are silent the whole way home. They do not step on the nightingale floors a second time.

His three students eat their food quietly, and Orochimaru makes himself a pot of tea. When he has finished his first cup, he speaks.

“The first thing you will learn in this village is that no-one is going to be kind to you. I do not know what conditions you were in before or how they treated you there, but it will be different and worse out here. You will be feared, and that fear manifests as anger, and you may have to deal with the outlet of that anger. Strangers will hate you for no other reason than your association with me. If you wish for me to find you a different caretaker, tell me and I will do so.”

Akane crunches on another pretzel. Hikaru carefully separates the hull from the rest of his strawberry and sets it on a paper towel. Akira puts a whole skewer’s worth of dango in her mouth at once. They say nothing.

Orochimaru pours himself a second cup of tea. “Very well then,” he sighs. “It is my job to teach you how to interact with other people. I will not be lenient with your training. Starting tomorrow, you will wake at dawn and training will last until I say it stops. Do you understand?”

They nod, and if Orochimaru has the barest hint of a smile on his face, then no-one has to know.

The next morning, though waking the children by way of snake messenger was fun and he’ll never let himself forget Akira’s screams, Orochimaru faces a certain problem. After watching the children make a mess of training ground 6, he decides to pit them against each other and quickly finds that watching Akane and Akira go at it is something like how he imagines a timid Tsunade would approach Jiraiya if Jiraiya didn’t know how to control his temper and also thought he could take on Tsunade at full strength.

In short, it’s giving him a headache.

Akira has a certain kind of inhuman strength that tends to show itself in anyone with more than a drop of Uzumaki blood, and Orochimaru is quickly realizing that there’s no way she’s not at least one quarter Uzumaki– maybe it’s a byproduct of Lady Mito’s jinchuuriki chakra?– but the Senju in her negates the red hot Uzumaki blood in her.

Similarly, Akane has exactly the temper Orochimaru would expect from the offspring produced by an Uchiha and an Inuzuka and the control over her anger to match. Like most Uchiha her age she has all the musculature of a finely-carved twig, but more than enough dramatics to make up for it.

“Come on, I can take it!” Akane shouts from the proper battle stance Orochimaru just corrected her on. “Come at me already!”

Akira looks to Orochimaru with something he thinks is a question on her face. He nods minutely at her. “But…” she trails off.

The other girl makes a very loud, very frustrated noise that only reinforces Orochimaru’s belief that Jiraiya is dead and his soul now exists in the body of a twelve-year-old girl. “Come on!”

Akira flexes her hands and curls them into fists. She pulls back one arm, then throws an undercut–

Which connects just under Akane’s ribs and throws her against a tree twenty feet away. She collides with a sickening crunch which sounds suspiciously like bones breaking and it takes everything in Orochimaru’s power not to flinch at it.

Ah yes. Definitely reminiscent of Jiraiya and Tsunade’s earliest interactions.

Hikaru crunches down on a strawberry flavored biscuit stick louder than necessary and shoots Orochimaru a look he can catch out of the corner of his eye. With a sigh, Orochimaru stands and walks over to check on Akane.

She coughs, then lets out a long, painful groan. “Sensei, am I dead?” She whines.

He hums. “Not yet.”

“Can you make me dead?”

To his own surprise, Orochimaru laughs. It’s small, barely more than a chuckle, but it’s there and it surprises Akane just as much as it does Orochimaru himself. “Only if you want me to.”

For two full seconds, she’s quiet, then she reaches up with one arm and lets slip a thready “please”.

The next morning, if it can even be called that yet, Orochimaru wakes to the incessant tapping on his window. The hawk sitting on his sill has a message tied to it’s leg. He lets the bird in and takes the scroll from the leather tube, letting the hawk back out as soon as he does.

It’s a summons for tea from the Hokage. Orochimaru huffs out a breath and briefly considers whether or not he could get away with killing Sarutobi, and when he figures that now probably isn’t the best time to contemplate murder he decides to just get ready for the day. He sets out breakfast for the children– all three still asleep in their rooms– and sets one of his summons by each bedside to keep watch.

Sarutobi is waiting for him in his office with a pot of Orochimaru’s favorite tea already sitting out. It burns Orochimaru in places he can’t describe to think that after ignoring him for so long and then dumping three children even more socially stunted than Orochimaru himself, all Sarutobi can do is set out tea and play

“Ah, Orochimaru. Sit down, I’m glad–”

Orochimaru does not sit. “Spare me your pleasantries. Why have I been summoned here?”

Sarutobi sets down his cup with a sigh. “How are the children?”

“They are making progress. Considering how long I’ve had them, they’ve adjusted well, though I’m certain that they would do better under a different teacher who knows better how to deal with children. Given time, I believe they will become a strong team for almost any kind of mission.”

The Hokage nods. “Very well. If there is nothing else to discuss…” he trails off to give Orochimaru space to say something more. When he doesn’t, Sarutobi continues. “Then I believe you are dismissed.”

Orochimaru leaves.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Sarutobi looks down at the reports on his desk from Panther and Bear.

Subject’s methods are unorthodox, but effective. Advise that the team remain in his care and assign the Subject a second team upon current team’s graduation.

Subject interacts well with charges. Likely extenuating circumstances contributing to camaraderie. Advise not to assign a second team to the Subject.

Fox drops down from the rafters silently. “Sounds like he doesn’t know himself too well, huh?” she says.

Sarutobi steeples his fingers. “Perhaps it is because he knows himself too well, and it is blinding him to his own strengths.”

“Perhaps it is because he’s never had to interact with children.” Crow quips.

Goose hesitates. “…Perhaps it’s because no-one has ever trusted him with children before.”

“Sakumo did,” Fox mumbles after a moment. “Sakumo trusted him and Kakashi loves Orochimaru to death.”

“I think we can all agree that Sakumo Hatake is a special case in many respects, and his son follows closely in his footsteps,” Sarutobi says. “But in this, I too will follow Sakumo. Orochimaru is better with those children than he thinks he is.”

Crow hums, disinterested. ‘They day Orochimaru realizes that children follow him like lost puppies is the day I retire.”

Hikaru, Orochimaru finds, is like Kakashi. He rarely smiles, but when he does it’s all the more precious for it. He likes to disappear at odd hours, but can always be found napping peacefully in the grass by the Naka with empty cartons of fresh fruit stacked neatly next to his head.

Akane is happiest when curled up by a window on a rainy day. She prefers hot tea and a thick blanket and a good book over training in the cold any day, and every last one of Orochimaru’s summons agrees with her (he finds them sleeping once, in front of the fireplace and curled close under the blanket to Akane, though to protect her or for her body heat is unclear). But on the hot days where the sun is too bright to look at she can’t be pulled away from the fields for anything.

Akira is the outlier. She wants to be good, wants to be better. She has bright ambitions but hardly has the means to do so. She trains with Kakashi, who outstrips her in talent at every turn but is no match for her spirit. She is the one who asks to learn the obscure jutsus, the one who practices seals a thousand times before even trying to pump the chakra through them.

They have been in Orochimaru’s care for five months, and have not mentioned leaving once.

He finds himself stopping by the dango shop every three days, it seems, and the longer he shows up regularly the wider Mitarashi smiles at him. He has a regular order and everything. More and more, Mitarashi’s little daughter Anko– who can’t be much more than three years old, but Orochimaru’s never been good at pinpointing the ages of children– decides to talks to him about his day. In twelve years or so, she’ll be an excellent saleswoman if she doesn’t follow through with her interest in the poisonous flowers Hikaru likes to braid into Orochimaru’s hair.

It’s not just Mitarashi and his daughter that have taken a shining to Orochimaru. Vendors in the marketplace have gotten increasingly familiar with his larger purchases of meat, bread, and most importantly, fresh fruit, romance novels, and pretty yet practical clothing for a six feet tall fourteen-year-old girl.

It all comes to a head the day jounin start coming to him to ask if their teams can train together. The first one, Sabe Tachibana, is a large man, taller than Akira and twice as broad, who looks like he could crush Orochimaru’s head between two fingers if given the chance.

“My team is made up of three strong-willed boys that just graduated from the Academy on their first try,” he says. “They think they’re all that and a bag of sealing scrolls. I think they need to be put in their place before I can teach them anything, but for the life of me, I can’t get them to listen. They’ve been like this for all three weeks since graduation.”

Orochimaru smirks. “Oh, don’t worry, Tachibana. They’ll be at your beck and call before tomorrow is done.”

He pretends that he doesn’t notice the five other jounin watching the inter-team practice, where all three of Tachibana’s genin show up late while complaining loudly about the hour and not giving one whit of attention to the other team on the training field.

“Sensei, are those girls?” one of them asks, his tone about as demeaning as it can get. “I thought you said we’re gonna train with the best genin team in the village, not that you wanted to get in their teacher’s pants.”

“And we are, Koushi. This is the best genin team in the village,” Tachibana responds evenly. He doesn’t acknowledge the boy’s second statement.

Orochimaru makes sure his hair swishes as he turns to face the three boys and hopes he looks more male and less androgynous than usual today. “And I thought I was pitting my team against worthy opponents. I look forward to you trying to prove me wrong.”

Tachibana gently resumes control of the conversation. He gestures to Orochimaru. “Boys, this is Orochimaru Yashagoro. He’s got the finest first-year genin I’ve seen in a long time, so keep your guard up.”

“Don’t go too hard on them, you three. Leave at least some of their dignity intact,’ Orochimaru instructs as he turns to his team.

One of the boys scoffs. “Like we need them to. What harm can two girls and a baby do to us?”

Orochimaru sees the immediate shift in the way Akane, Akira, and Hikaru are assessing the situation.

“Sensei, are you sure we have to hold back?” Akane asks, sickeningly sweet. “I would hate for them to think we’re not giving our all.”

“Dignity is useless. All that matters is skill. If they have it, then we don’t need to go easy.” Hikaru looks up at Orochimaru. “Right, sensei?”

At Tachibana’s direction, the two teams settle themselves at opposite ends of the training field. Orochimaru’s team falls easily into battle formation and move away from each other. From his place at one edge of the field, Orochimaru can see Hikaru reaffirm his grip on the hilt of his sword, Akira flex her fists, and Akane finger a tagged kunai. Conversely, Tachibana’s boys are too relaxed and hold their kunai like toys– and they’re all only wielding kunai.

“It’s a miracle they graduated, with form like that,” Orochimaru mumbles to his fellow teacher. “What kind of test did you give them?”

“I put an apple on my head and had them throw kunai at me to get it off.”

“Were you at least moving?”

Tachibana’s flush is answer enough. He clears his throat. “You fight until incapacitation or surrender. On my mark!” he shouts, raising one hand. The instant his arm drops, the three boys are off towards Orochimaru’s stationary team.

The first one to get in range is closest to Akira. She throws a punch. The instant it connects, the boy realizes his mistake, but by then it’s too late. He flies fifty feet before he hits the ground and then skids another ten before coming to a stop.

She sucks in a breath through her teeth. “Sorry!” she calls after him.

The second one thinks it’s a good idea to go after Akane, who is, admittedly, tiny for her age and looks like an easy target. But the moment he steps into a three-meter radius, he freezes in place and all Akane has to do is walk up to him and push him over.

The third is perhaps the most foolish, because under any circumstances it’s a bad idea to approach a child holding a sword, but Hikaru is especially dangerous. It takes all of a second for Hikaru to strike out with his lead hand, drawing a thin red line across his opponent’s face and sending strands of his hair fluttering to the ground. The boy’s hand shoots up to cradle his cheek, but before he can even get it high enough Hikaru drops down low and sweeps the boy’s legs out from under him.

His head meets the hard-packed earth with a crack. With that, Tachibana steps out onto the field and ends the match.

“I hope that you remember this day as the day you got your collective asses beat by two girls and a baby. Got it?” Akane sneers. “And next time you assume our teacher needs to use his team to get access to dick, I’ll make sure you won’t have to worry about yours anymore.”

Other fresh jounin teachers almost start lining up with their teams.

The childrens’ first mission is small. He gives the missions room a collective heart attack when he enters and requests a C-rank with his team in tow. They must strike quite the image, he thinks. The Hidden Leaf’s own double-edged sword, accompanied by the unholy offspring of an Uchiha and an Inuzuka, an eight-year-old who carries himself like the most weathered of jounin, and an otherwise nondescript girl with brown hair and a set of blazing Sharingan.

The terrified chuunin behind the deck passes Orochimaru an assignment for a message run to the Fire Country capital.

“We have hawks for messages,” Hikaru states, but in the month since he came into Orochimaru’s care he’s learned to read between the lines with Hikaru.

“A hawk is faster than most shinobi, that’s true. But hawks are easier to intercept than we are. If time is of the essence, the village will send a hawk. When security is valued over speed, they send shinobi,” Orochimaru says.

Two steps out of the gate, Akane trips over thin air and nearly sprains her ankle. This is the worst injury of the mission.

Orochimaru himself has been to the capital a scant few times, and the children have never left Konoha’s walls so while it’s always a treat for the Snake Sannin to see the city it’s nothing quite like the identical look of amazement that crosses all three of his charges’ faces.

The buildings in the capital are by far taller than anything in Konoha but the trees, of which there are few here. The marketplaces are more bountiful, full of all manner of things that just don’t make it to Konoha in large enough quantities– expensive teas imported from across the sea, delicate sheer fabrics that have no place in a shinobi village, household items imbued with seals that draw chakra from the environment to cook food faster or heat beds in the winter. The fresh flowers Konoha prides herself on can’t be found so easily here, replaced commonly by shining metal or fine Suna-blown glass replicas. The sturdy weapons the children know from their home are almost nonexistent, though Orochimaru does know where to get them if the need arises. Instead, tiny shops sell decorative knockoffs that won’t hold up for half a second in the field but look nice and shiny hanging on a wall.

“Can we come back someday?” Akira asks, once they’ve delivered their message and set off back to Konoha. She has three new shawls and a set of beautiful emerald jewelry in her bag, among other baubles.

“I certainly hope so!” the other girl exclaims. Akane’s found no less than five Uzushio fuuinjutsu scrolls sitting in a secondhand store and paid less than a quarter of what they’re worth.

Orochimaru smiles despite himself, looking at Hikaru. The boy is happily munching on some blackberries and has more cartons of fruit sealed away than Orochimaru cares to count.

“I don’t see why not.”

The next time Orochimaru has the opportunity to see Kakashi is on the boy’s birthday. He is six, and after the small celebration at Kushina’s apartment– complete with gifts Hikaru, Akane, and Akira had bought in the capital, because after their first meeting with the younger boy they had all become rather attached– Orochimaru takes Kakashi to visit Sakumo’s grave.

It’s not something he would ever do with his team, simply because they wouldn’t know the significance of it and he’s not in the mood to explain why his single best bonding activity with his kind of stepson is visiting Orochimaru’s ex-boyfriend’s grave.

Dust has formed on the headstone, so Orochimaru carefully brushes it away with one blessedly pale grey sleeve before setting down the bouquet he brought today. Orochimaru’s yellow camellias look nice with Kakashi’s white roses, and they look even prettier against the grey stone.

Neither one of them says anything until halfway back to Kushina and Mikoto’s apartment.

“I miss him,” Kakashi says, his voice painfully small and muffled by the mask Orochimaru just gave him. “Sometimes I wish he took me with him.”

Orochimaru’s blood runs cold. His heart stops beating for several seconds. His mouth is hanging open, and when he gathers the brainpower to realize he isn’t breathing, his next inhale shudders in his throat. Before he knows what he’s doing, Orochimaru drops to his knees and pulls the boy to him. There are tears leaking from his face into Kakashi’s silver hair.

He can’t say he hasn’t had the same thought. He wasn’t much younger than Kakashi when he lost his own parents, and both when they died– his father from sickness while his mother was on a mission she never came back from– and only a few months ago when Sakumo took his own life, the same idea plagued his every waking moment. Why didn’t I die from the epidemic too? Why didn’t Sakumo kill me as well as, instead of, himself?

“Kakashi, I’m sorry,” Orochimaru whispers. “I’m sorry the world had made you think that way.”

He remembers being six and being left alone in that big dark house because there was no-one to care for him. He remembers being thirty-one and watching as Kakashi was left alone in his own big dark house because his clan laws– the precious clan laws the village had to accommodate for fear of clans rioting– wouldn’t allow anyone outside his clan to do it. He remembers going to visit Kakashi every day for a month and getting turned away by ANBU at the door every single time until Kakashi finally told Orochimaru to stop coming.

Kakashi’s hands clench in Orochimaru’s hair. “Sometimes I wish I had died with Mom.” He’s quiet for a few moments. “You told me once that Dad killed himself because he was ashamed of how his choices were affecting me. So he would still be alive if I had died in the Massacre, right?”

Orochimaru had told Kakashi that about Sakumo so that he wouldn’t think that Sakumo hadn’t loved his son. What possessed the gods to twist Kakashi’s mind to misinterpret it so badly?

“Oh cub, I never meant for you to take it like that. I miss him too, but I never, ever wanted you to think like that.

“What your father did was foolish and wrong, and every day I wish that someone had been there to talk some sense into him. I wish that I hadn’t been out of the village that day. I was too kind the last time I spoke of your father. He thought that by taking himself out of the equation, the village wouldn’t project their hate elsewhere and that you wouldn’t be affected. In his haste to right what the village perceived as wrongs, he forgot that he was all you had. His actions were selfish and shallow, no matter how honorable his intentions happened to be. Don’t let yourself be dragged down by the choices of kind-hearted fools.”

Kakashi sniffs, then pulls away and wipes his eyes with one overly long sleeve. “Okay. That means to stop listening to Aunt Kushina then, right?”

Orochimaru chuckles low in his chest and ruffles Kakashi’s hair. “Don’t you go twisting my words, little one.”

“Then don’t give me words to twist,” the boy shoots back, a gentle smile in his tone. Orochimaru is sorry he can’t see it.

As with all things, it comes crashing down around his ears eventually.

It is either late at night or early in the morning depending on which child Orochimaru asks for the time, and all four of them have been summoned to the Hokage’s office.

“You asked for us, sensei.” Orochimaru states as he rises from the crouch he landed in. His children straighten up too behind him.

“Danzo has escaped captivity,” Sarutobi says. It’s unlike him to be so short, to use four words where he could make it boring with twenty. “I am confident in both your abilities and those of your team, but until Danzo is captured I am placing ANBU outside your house. It is likely he will come after the children and try to leave the village with them.”

Behind him, the air goes deathly still, and for one horrifying moment Orochimaru thinks that the children have scattered just from hearing Danzo’s name. If any of the reports he’s read– many of which he didn’t technically have permission to know about– are true, it’s a wonder they didn’t run for the hills.

“You are dismissed. ANBU Crow, Fox, and Goose will meet you at your home.” Sarutobi goes silent, looking down into his telescope jutsu’d crystal ball. Orochimaru stiffens at the names.

“Sensei, is there any significance to those three ANBU being assigned to our case?” Hikaru asks halfway back to the house in his attempt to break the tense silence– something he’s gotten better at in the past months.

Orochimaru nods gravely. “ANBU Crow, Fox, and Goose are the Hokage’s personal guards. That he’s reassigning them means Danzo is more dangerous now than he was before.”

“What was lesson fifty-one again? A desperate man is a dangerous man?” Akira supplies.

“And a dangerous, desperate man is a cornered man and cornered man is unpredictable,” Akane finishes, uncharacteristically somber.

“Sarutobi-sensei never told us stories about Danzo from his youth, but I think we all know there’s a reason why he of all people was the leader of Root. Be cautious,” Orochimaru warns. He feels like he’s being watched and he hates nothing more than being watched.

The instant he sets foot on the property, a shiver runs down his spine and he drops lower to the ground. He draws Kusanagi from its sheath. When he enters the house, he does it slowly and deliberately. The children follow his footsteps exactly.

The nightingale floor shrieks. Instantly, Orochimaru extends an arm and pulls his children behind him and brandishes Kusanagi.

Danzo looks worse for wear, like he’s probably been tortured. Whoever helped him escape T&I– because there’s no way he got out on his own, not on Itsue Morino’s watch– must have had some kind of medical knowledge, because the aging man’s injuries look half-healed.

“Don’t cause a fuss now, Orochimaru. Just give me the experiments and I’ll disappear,” Danzo says, just as calmly as if he was ordering lunch, but there’s a low hum of killer intent in the air. “This doesn’t have to be messy.”

Orochimaru bristles and bares his teeth. If there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s killer intent, and Danzo just doesn’t have the same dark, oily chakra that makes people shiver when they face Orochimaru on the battlefield. “Over my dead body.”

The elder scowls, but he draws a bloodied kunai from one tattered sleeve and leaps forward.

Orochimaru catches the blade with his own, and it doesn’t take much to force Danzo back. He may be older and more experienced, and the chuunin guarding his cell may have been weak, but Danzo’s been atrophying in a cell for six months while Orochimaru’s been training three energetic kids in how to fight and kill.

“I will be dead and buried before you lay another finger on my children. Do you hear me, Shimura?” Orochimaru snarls. He parries away the kunai again. “But don’t you worry–” a quick slice and a dull thump– “you’ll be gone before you get the chance.”

It’s a gentler death than a man like Danzo Shimura deserves, but Orochimaru is in no mood to play with delusional old men. He has no energy to call the Hokage and tell him of events. But if the three ANBU arrive not two minutes later and find nothing of the old man, well Orochimaru can’t control his snakes all the time. They are among the more fickle of summons, after all.

As if to show just how shitty his life is, Jiraiya gets mugged a scant two miles from Konoha.

He’s been away for three years, and before he can get home to his favorite bath house– full of his favorite patrons who he used to swear could smell him coming from a mile away and still hit him dead-on with their shoes– he gets jumped. And not just jumped, but jumped by three kids.

That’s it. He’s done. He just flops down on his face and pretends to be dead. Maybe all they’ll take is his money.

But the kids climb off him and don’t even go rummaging through his things.

“Are you sure this is him, Hika?” says a decidedly female voice. “Because he doesn’t exactly strike me as Sannin material.”

“Yes. He matches the photograph in the Hokage’s office perfectly,” a child replies. “I would also like to make you aware that I am hurt by you questioning the information I gave you.”

A second girl groans. “Hikaru, when Dad told you to be more apparent with your feelings this isn’t what he meant.”

“If Dad was displeased with my actions he would tell me so himself,” the child says.

“He didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” the first girl speaks again. “He knows you’ve been working hard at opening up to other people and just because Akane can’t appreciate that doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t.”

“Thank you, Akira,” Hikaru says with a smile in his voice.

“Can we get back to the old geezer on the ground? I think he might be dead.” Akane’s voice is closer now. Did she kneel?

“You’re the medic. And I should remind you that if you call this man an old geezer, you’re saying the same of Dad,” Hikaru snarks.

Akane snarls again. “I swear to every god above and below, Hikaru, if you don’t shut up–”

“Children!” comes a harsh cry. A harsh cry that Jiraiya recognizes. His head jerks up and one of the three– Akane, probably– trips backward and falls.

“Hikaru, Akane, Akira, what are you doing?” Orochimaru demands, his hands firmly placed on his hips.

The taller girl stands stock-straight and seems to shrink under Orochimaru’s piercing golden gaze. “Nothing, Dad.”

He rounds on the other two. “Hikaru? Akane?”

Akane points an accusing finger at the ten-ish-year-old next to her. “It was his idea.”

Orochimaru hums. “Was it now?”

“I heard through secure channels that the Sannin Jiraiya would be returning to the village via this path today and, given the emotional shambles you were reportedly left in when he disappeared in Ame three years ago we decided to wait for him and make sure he wouldn’t hurt you again,” Hikaru rattles off. “Was this not appropriate?” For a moment, Orochimaru says nothing and Jiraiya prays for the kid’s safe passage into the Pure Lands. Then, he huffs out a sigh and smiles.

“Go home, all three of you. We’ll talk later.” The children– though two of them look to be fifteen and up– make off towards the village, Akane muttering about stupid gossipy gate guards with the wrong loyalties. Once they’re out of sight, Orochimaru looks to Jiraiya and his smile wanes. “So you’re back.”

“So you have kids,” Jiraiya retorts as he stands. “Who decided to give you kids? I haven’t been gone that long.”

Orochimaru extends one arm towards the village. “A lot has happened. I’ll explain on the way to tea.”

If you enjoyed this piece, why not take a look at other pieces written by the same author on AO3.

[itslulu42]

Bitter Tea

Part Seventeen of Ninja Dorks Flailing at Interpersonal Relations.

Finally, the long awaited reunion!  I think this story might twenty parts.

One | Previous

Kakashi leaned against the kitchen counter as he waited for the tea kettle.   The council was never easy to work with, but today had been a particularly grueling day.  The program Kakashi was advocating would be great to the village, but he had trouble getting support.  Shikaku had come up with the idea a few years back and it was a frequent discussion between the two of them.  Kakashi and Shikaku both recalled that perilous time after the Nine-tails attack, where the missions were non-stop to bolster Konoha’s strength.

The Third War had ground Konoha down to the bones on manpower and resources.  It had been exhausting keeping up appearances, and they were quite fortunate that no one had called Konoha's bluff.  This new program was perfect to start in peacetime, a way of diversifying the economy in the village so they wouldn't have to rely so heavily on missions in the future.  Konoha could not risk having the same problem again.  

Kakashi was in a position of power that allowed him to make changes but he didn't have any support.

Kakashi had been prepared to be the worst Hokage in village history when accepted the position of Rokudaime.  He could still remember how excited the village was when Minato had been appointed. He hadn't been in the village for Tsunade's appointment, but she had no trouble in cementing her role as Godaime. Kakashi had never longed for power, it wasn't his dream, and he had never tried to play politics.  But those more suited for Hokage had perished in the war, leaving Kakashi with the obligation until Naruto matured.  Now, it was a problem.

Kakashi had spent most of his time in ANBU, taking direct orders from the Hokage, always wearing more than one mask.  Most of his missions weren't even documented for sake of village secrecy.  He had the loyalty of every agent in ANBU, his teammates who he had fought next to for years.  Everyone in the village knew he was qualified to be Hokage.  But they didn't like him. And with his greatest supporters masked or dead, Kakashi found himself thwarted every time he tried to make progress.  He was prepared to the worst Hokage, but he wasn’t ready to be the most useless.

Kakashi was pulled from his thoughts as the tea kettle began to whistle.

A loud crash caused him to start, the walls and floor shaking as he grasped for a pair of hidden kunai.  He spun around, grasping the tea kettle to send it flying.  He saw a flash of pink as the tea kettle connected.

"Sakura?” Kakashi could hear her swearing as he rounded the corner.  "What are you doing here?"

Dust was hanging in the air as he entered the living room.  Sakura had kicked the door off its hinges, causing his entryway to double in size. Part of the frame was on his couch, and the door handle had cracked his television screen.  Kakashi had a clear view of Panther in the hallway, his hands atop his head in surprise.

Sakura jumped her feet. "What the emergency?  Are you poisoned?  Are we under attack?"  Her hand landed on Kakashi’s arm and his muscles tensed automatically under her touch.  

"Emergency?" He cast one more glance at Panther, who seemed calm despite Sakura’s questions.  

Interesting.

Sakura placed herself in front of him like a shield, forcing him to press against a wall to keep space between them.  "Otter sent me here with an emergency scroll.  Maybe he heard about it before you did."

Otter?

“I see.  I can assure you that everything is under control. Otter has been gone for a bit and has some out of date information.  There’s no emergency.”

Kakashi placed his hands on Sakura’s shoulders to nudge her forward and slipped into the kitchen to return his kunai into the salad spinner.  Sakura was staring at the destroyed entryway when he returned.

"I can't seem to anything right,” she whispered.  Kakashi would have missed it if it weren’t for his keen sense of hearing.  He winced as he noticed her traveling pack on the floor. She had returned from her trip, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Kakashi bent down to pick up the dented kettle.  The boiling water had spilled on the remains of his front door.  "I was just about to have a cup of tea.  It sounds like you could use one."

"I should go. I’m sorry about your kettle." Sakura scrambled away from him to pick up her bag, avoiding eye contact with him.  “And your wall.”

Something was definitely off with Sakura, and Kakashi wanted to know what it was.  Normally this sort of thing would have him running far away. Yet, when it came to Sakura, he couldn’t help himself.  

“You could stay.” Kakashi placed the ruined kettle in the trash and reached into a cabinet.  "I have another kettle in the cabinet and I could use the company.”

"My parents don’t know I’m back yet.  I could stay with them."

“Whatever you would prefer."  

Sakura nudged the broken picture of the Yondaime with her foot.  “Actually, I was hoping we could talk in private."  She glanced over the hole in the wall where Panther stood.

"I'm certain they will patch up the wall in the morning.  We don’t have to drink the tea in his room."  Kakashi saw Sakura give a sniff to her armpit out of the corner of his eye as he filled the kettle with water.  "You can wash up, while I make the tea ready."

Sakura made a squeak and then excused herself.  He was preparing the tray when the shower began to run.  Kakashi eyed the tea kettle, noting that it still had a couple of minutes before the water would be ready.  He went out to the hallway and to stand in front of Panther.

"Explain."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Hokage-sama."

"The last agent assigned the Otter mask was your cousin.  Sakura arrived prepared for an attack and that didn’t alarm you at all. The only thing that caught you by surprise was the property damage.  You brought her here with misinformation and an inappropriate use of a transportation scroll."

"You missed her. Something had to be done."

Kakashi clenched his jaw, irritated by his subordinate’s calm reply.  No one would have had pulled such a stunt on him if he was still Anbu Commander.  Unfortunately, he was Hokage, which meant that Anbu was directly responsible for his well-being.   Tsunade must have felt the same way about Kakashi every time he hid her sake a few years ago.  No wonder she always called him impertinent.  

The tea kettle began to whistle.

"We're not done with this conversation."

"Of course, Hokage-sama.”

Kakashi huffed as he returned to the kitchen, determined to apologize to Tsunade for all the grief he had put her through.  He placed the kettle on the tray before heading down the hallway.  Sakura emerged from the bathroom as he approached and he nearly dropped his tray.

Sakura had changed into one of his shirts, rather than selecting something she owned from her bag. Kakashi had let her borrow shirts before, but that was when she didn’t have her own clothes to change into. Sakura had washed with his soap and shampoo, draping herself with one of the few scents his sensitive nose could bear.

Kakashi was completely unprepared for the fierce desire that overtook him, the urge to press her against the wall and kiss her.  Sakura looked like she belonged with him, smelled like him, and he wanted to fill his other three senses with her.  Kakashi wanted to hear her gasp his name against his ear, to taste his way down her body, and to wake up with her pressed up against his side.

He bit his tongue hard to stop a swear word from leaving his mouth.

Kakashi had a tendency to dwell on regrets.  But this was completely unnecessary, tormenting himself with Sakura’s presence when he was nothing to her.  If she had worn her own clothes, showered with her soap, it would have been easier to remember those platonic boundaries.  He should have let her go to her family, to those important people in her life who had a right to her.  

Kakashi gripped the tea tray as he cleared his throat.  “Go ahead.”

Sakura gave a small smile before turning around and stepping into the seldom-used room.  Kakashi took a moment to get his bearings, trying to make a plan for the night.  He would listen to what she had to say.  He would let her stay the night if she wanted to.  And he had to tell Sakura how he felt towards her tonight or tomorrow morning.  She had no idea what she was doing to him and it wasn’t fair to her

Steeling himself, Kakashi stepped into the office, setting the tea tray down on the desk, and then pulling over a chair that sat in the corner so he could sit across from her.   “Did something happen on your trip? I thought it would be a couple of years before you returned.”

Sakura traced the brim with her fingertip.  “I thought the same thing.  I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Sasuke.”

Kakashi’s heart clenched at the breathless way she spoke Sasuke’s name.  Kakashi had only known Sakura for a few months; it was ridiculous to think that he could mean anything to her.  He thought of her declaration of love to Sasuke during the Fourth War.  He didn’t understand why it was so important for her to say those words at the time.  Only now did Kakashi truly appreciate how brave she was; he was certain that his own confession would destroy him.

He was never meant for happiness.

“And yet, here you are. What brought you back to the village so you could break down my door in the middle of the night?”

Sakura stared at her cup in silence, and Kakashi took the opportunity to memorize the sight of her, to selfishly pretend there was something between them.  Sakura raised the cup to her lips, finishing the tea in one go.  She gasped when she was done, placing her hand on her chest as she sputtered. Kakashi raised his hand to pat her shoulder, before remembering his place and retreating back to his personal space.  She placed the teacup on the desk and then turned to face him with squared shoulders and a determined face.   Her next sentence forced the air out of his lungs.

"Did I break up with you?"

Part Eighteen

[shingekinoshinobi]

Hello and good luck for your new blog ^^ ! If it is possible can you write a minatoxkushina imagine ? I would very much appreciate it . Thank you

Helloo and thank you for your support ! Gladly love :-* well since you didn’t specify exactly what  you want , i’ll just write whatever i came up with , hope you like it !

A soft knock was heard on the door of the yondaime’s office ‘come in’ ‘are you still here , Minato ?’ ‘oh , Jiraya sensei  ‘ said the tall blond man smiling , happy to see his sensei again  ’ y..yeah , got too much work to do as you can see ‘ he said as he pointed to the pile of papers on his desk ‘ not to discourage you , but you’ll never finish all of this work tonight anyways so why don’t you just head home my boy and get some rest ‘ stated Jiraya as he made himself comfortable by sitting on  the chair facing minato’s desk . ‘you are probably right , plus i need to go see my wife … ‘ he paused for a while a sad smile on his face ‘ I haven’t spent much time with her lately , i am so submerged by work that i … feel like i don’t give her the amount of love she deserves’ ‘ eey don’t worry , she understands perfectly the situation’  said Jiraya reassuring him . ‘ see  now why i never wanted to become a hokage ? this life style is simply not for me , plus i need to see my tsuna frequently ‘ ‘you mean ‘stalk’ ‘ said Minato laughing while wearing his cloak .‘trust me , one day … just one day , i’ll win her over and we’ll be together ! because conquers everything eventually and - ‘ he stopped ‘ Minato ?’ he quickly stood up when he noticed that his old student was leaving the office ‘didn’t you say that we  should leave sensei ?’ ‘oh yeah yeah right ‘ replied Jiraya following him outside . and just like that the two men left the office and were heading towards their respective homes .‘if you want to her take you seriously sensei you should probably stop acting like pervert and stare at her breasts ‘ ‘W-WHAT? I don’t do that ‘ 

Kushina was , like every end of the day , in the kitchen preparing dinner for her husband , who suddenly became the most important man in the village , its protector and ruler , not that she was complaining tho she was proud of him , proud of the person he is ( not to mention how excited she was  when she heard that he will be the yondaime  ) and proud to call him hers , but she was a ninja , a gifted one , and her dear husband wouldn’t let her go on missions for whatever reasons , and that would make her angry  ( she always is but whatever ) .

‘i’m home’ ‘ huh ? minato ? is that you love ? you are back surprisingly early today , is everything-’ she stopped talking when she felt his strong arms around her waist pulling her closer to him , he then buried his head in the crook of her neck , inhaling her light sent . she giggled and said softly ‘ is everything alright babe ?’‘I miss you ‘ he breathed against her skin , ‘ I miss you like crazy kushina ‘ she then turned to face him ,  her eyes met his beautiful blue orbs ‘ I miss you too my love ‘  she said  giving  him her killer eye smile ‘tough day ? ‘she asked ? he just nodded not breaking the eye-contact ‘ Well dinner isn’t ready yet , so why don’t you go and sleep a bit , i’ll wake you up once i finish ‘ ‘ No ‘ he  pulled her closer ‘ I am not tired  ‘ he said as he kissed her forehead gently ‘ and i am not hungry ‘ he then kissed the tip of her nose ‘ I want  you ‘ he whispered , getting closer to her , his eyes not leaving hers  . ‘are you blushing ?’ he asked amused ‘w-what ? no ! no i am  not , it is just that it’s hot in here , g-gotta open the windows , this kitchen is -’ she was cut off with a pair of soft lips against hers , she immediately  wrapped her arms around his neck ,letting one hand go through his soft hair  as his hands were  slowly wandering  up and down her back . the kiss started sweet but quickly became demanding and intense and  kushina couldn’t help it as she  moaned softly . Minato broke the kiss , so that they could both catch their breaths ‘glad that i still have that effect on you’ he said while smiling ‘ nothing has changed honey , each time i kiss you i loose control  and i  fall more in love with you , it’s … just never enough with you  ‘ she replied while caressing his cheek softly  ‘I love you ‘she said ‘I love you too ‘ he replied as he pulled her closer hugging her ‘ and I am never leaving or hurting you ‘ ‘you better ‘ 

VOILAAA !!!My first imagine >.thanks for your request dear anon

[yakashi-lover]

Can we talk about Kakashi for a second please?

I see the argument a lot about whom in Naruto had that saddest life and the votes often sway between Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke… But I want to talk about Kakashi and why I believe he had the saddest life in the series. Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke may have had terrible childhoods but Kakashi’s overall life was terrible.

Here’s a rundown:

- He lost his Mother probably before he could speak.

- He grew up with just his Father and admired the hell out of him.

- His Father chose death over him and left him alone in the world at the age of 5.

- He hides his face. The assumption being he wants to be taken seriously at such a young age and now he does not want people to be reminded of his Father when they look at him.

- Instead of playing with his friends after the Academy he was forced to fish for his dinner and cook for himself.

- He spent his afternoons and weekends cleaning his huge empty house.

- He spent years saying hello and goodbye to no one because he was lonely and couldn’t accept how alone he felt.

- He slept in his kitchen. My assumption being because he felt too alone in his bedroom. It reminded him of a life he did not have anymore. A childhood.

- He was rejected by the adults of the village and forced to be teamed with people beneath him as no one wanted to work with him. How lonely.

- All he knew was what happened to his Father and what had caused it. Of course he was going to be a stickler for the rules after that incident.

- Being a stickler for the rules caused him to make a decision that cost him one of his only friends. This decision quite literally haunts him for the rest of his life.

- After vowing to protect Rin she decides to commit suicide by running in to his charged Chidori. This causes him to have PTSD and nightmares long in to his adulthood.

- He begins reading “how a Shinobi should die” a nod towards the fact that Kakashi himself is thinking of committing suicide. After all what does he have to live for?

- He withdraws completely from any attention his classmates give him. He despises himself and does not believe he is worthy of affection of any kind.

- He begins to put up walls and keep people at arm’s length. If he doesn’t love anyone, he can’t be sad when they die.

- His Sensei, the one precious person he has left decides that to mend his broken heart he will be assigned to the ANBU.

- Kakashi’s only purpose in life at this point is to work for the Village. He lives for the mission but Minato assigns him to guard Kushina. This no doubt gives Kakashi lots of time to think and dwell on his past mistakes.

- Minato is killed and Kakashi finally loses his last precious person. He withdraws in to himself once again. Continuing to have nightmares and flashbacks without the emotional support he needs to get through them.

- Kakashi makes another friend, Tenzo. Tenzo is then assigned to kill Kakashi and take his Sharingan. Luckily for Kakashi this works out alright in the end and they remain friendly.

- Kakashi becomes the Captain of team Ro and begins to relax a little. He even goes so far as to tell Itachi Uchiha that he is there for him if he needs to talk.

- Itachi Uchiha betrays Konoha, killing his entire Clan and defecting from the Leaf.

- Kakashi puts his walls back up, annoyed at himself for letting them down for such a vile human.

- Fast forward to Kakashi being forcefully pulled out of the ANBU and taken away from everything he has known for the last 12ish years.

- He is forced to teach children and he feels as though his ANBU subordinates are laughing at him. “The Genin Babysitter.”

- He enforces strict rules for the Genin passing his test. These rules have come from Kakashi once again taking a bad life experience and making it a lesson. This time it works for him.

- He rejects several teams for not understanding his criteria. This causes the Village to gossip about him. He earns the reputation of being a hard-ass.

- When he eventually does pass a team he does not think much of them. He sees his old team in them and quietly vows to not repeat the past.

- We see Kakashi soften slightly as he teaches these children. He learns things about himself and actually starts to enjoy life a little bit for the first time probably since his Father passed.

- Kakashi is trapped inside Itachi’s Tsukuyomi and physically tortured for 3 days straight. When he is woken up/heeled by Tsunade instead of being asked if he is alright, he is mocked by her for not being smarter.

- Kakashi tries his hardest to prevent Sasuke from leaving the Village but is called away for an important mission. Something he cannot help or refuse.

- He is blamed for Sasuke leaving, most heavily by himself.

- His last 2 students then proceed to leave him as well to be trained by people more superior to him.

- He feels overwhelming responsibly for Sasuke’s defection and he feels guilt that he did not give Naruto and Sakura the attention they deserved.

- The Village expected too much of this emotionally stunted ex-ANBU. He had no experience with children and frankly, he didn’t want it. He was forced in to his roll and then ridiculed for his inevitable failure.

- This goes for the fandom as well. Kakashi did the best he could for Sakura considering his circumstances. He focused on Sasuke because he was desperately trying to prevent him from becoming the adult Kakashi already was. He knew that someone else was a better fit for Sakura and he was probably actually happy when Tsunade took over her training because he had no idea what to teach her himself. This does not mean that he didn’t feel guilt though for not trying harder. He is always harder on himself than anyone else ever could be.

- Fast forward to Shippuden. Kakashi is wounded on their first mission back and forced to stay in the hospital as his team is led by his Kohai. In his eyes, Yamato is taking his place.

- He can no longer train Naruto by himself and if forced to enlist Yamato’s help. He feels weak.

- Kakashi is killed in battle. He died honourably and will not doubt have his name engraved on the stone next to his friend’s.

- He manages to speak with his Father, telling him he forgives him for what he has done. My take on this interaction is that as Kakashi himself has considered suicide in the past he feels he finally understands his Father’s pain and why he did what he did.

- He is revived and wakes up once again in the hellhole he calls earth.

- He finds out after Itachi is killed what really happened with him and is not allowed to react or talk about it. He no doubt feels even more guilt for not realising what was happening and being there for his friend.

- Fast forward to the war when it turns out that the person Kakashi had been mourning for roughly a decade was not actually dead. He stands up in front of the entire Shinobi population and tells them that this war is essentially Kakashi’s fault for killing Rin. Something he did not mean to do and had no control over. Something he had been completely destroyed by since the second it happened.

-  He manages to reconcile with Obito and then has to watch him die once again, bringing back all that pain tenfold.

-  After the war is over he is then forced in to a position he did not want. The Hokage. He could not refuse such an honour, but we all know he did not want the job.

- Kakashi, a man that lives for the mission forced to sit behind a desk and do paperwork for the rest of his young life. By this point he has grown enough that he might actually consider letting someone behind his walls. A time of peace, where he might finally have the time and freedom to find himself a partner. But he spends it behind a desk and remains single until well in to his forties (perhaps until he dies). We will never know.

Did I forget any-fucking-thing?? 

Yes Naruto and Gaara had horrible childhoods. They were feared, hated, lonely and scared. But ultimately their lives all worked out for them. They grew up to become the village hero, married with Children. The Kazekage with a loving family, soon to be married. (I think?)

Sasuke is a different story and I will not go in to that on this post. But he chose his options and he is now lying in the bed he made. Regardless of how he went about it, he still has a devoted wife and child to come home to if he wants. While Kakashi is still alone to this day, working in a job he did not want for the sake of the Village. That is and always will be his life’s purpose regardless of how he feels internally.