Chapter Text
Chapter One: Garlic.
(To ward of Evil)
It had been raining for weeks now; heavy stormclouds rolling overhead almost every hour of every day. The streets were flooded constantly, and despite the best efforts of everyone in the village, there was simply no way anybody could go outside.
Unless you lived on the Hatake estate.
If you did, you would be woken every morning to assist with chores as life wouldn’t stop, especially if you were a fully trained shinobi. So Tenzou had no excuse as he made his way across the flooded bridge to the main house, chakra slowly cycling through his body to keep him warm. He spied shadows moving across the brightened windows, smiling slightly as he continued up the estate.
Just as Tenzou got to the door, it slid open.
”Come on in, boy,” Shikaku said, voice low and calm. His long black hair falling loose across his shoulders, “You took long enough.”
Tenzou murmured his apologies as he pulled his sandals off, placing them by the other pairs in the cubbies along the back door, before finally stepping inside.
The main house was alight with noise and smells; the clatter of knucklebones in the next room, the bright chatter of children with too much energy, and the soft spices of whatever dish Kakashi was cooking.
Sliding his rain-slick coat off, Tenzou wrung it out the door before hanging it up on the hooks in the main hall. Shikaku waited for him to remove any wet clothes before letting him through, warm hand resting on Tenzou’s shoulder, herding him to the heated kotatsu.
”About time,” Genma groaned, taking a sip from his teacup, “I started getting worried you’d been swept away by the rain.”
Despite his best efforts, Tenzou’s lips quirked upwards at the edges.
”And miss Kakashi-senpais cooking? Never.” He assured, sitting beside Genma, nudging him over to slip his legs under the kotatsu. “How are the little ones?”
Ibiki, who was reading his newspaper across from them, grunted quietly, and flipped the page; “Playing in the other room.”
True to his word, Tenzou could hear Naruto cheerfully chatting someone's ear off in the other room, Ino, probably. The two blonds had become attached at the hip, always hanging out and, for lack of a better word, plotting.
The other boys had developed a healthy fear of their whispered conversations and twin manic grins after one too many pranks. Nothing dangerous, but always something surprising.
Shikamaru was, surprisingly, missing from his usual place by Shikaku's side, probably dozing off in the other room. Choji was probably with him too, curled up by the heater most likely. Shino and Torune were meditating on the front porch, as they usually did before dinner, while Shibi was assisting in the kitchen. Choja was talking exuberantly with Inoiichi, a bottle of sake and two dishes sitting between them. Neji was probably reading in the other room since he had a test coming up, (Tenzou knew this because it was written up on the fridges calendar courtesy of Kakashi), while his father was sipping tea at the table.
Tenzou let himself be pulled into the lull of conversation happening around the kotatsu, a cup of chamomile tea being pushed into his hands at some point while they all waited for dinner to be served.
Just before seven, Kakashi whistled and called for the kids to come set up the table; the door to the other room sliding open and several sets of feet running into the kitchen to help.
”Smells great!” Naruto complimented as he pulled the plate drawer open, handing a stack of them to Choji before counting out a stack of small bowls, one for everyone.
”Y-Yeah, Hatake-San, smells great.” Choji stammered as he headed to the table, setting the plates out while Ino put out the cutlery and Neji put out the napkin holder. “Thank y-you for cooking.”
Kakashi hummed and ruffled Naruto’s hair as he passed, “I hope you like it,” He said with a closed eye smile before glancing up at the main room, “Alright, come dish up.”
Genma grumbled as he stood, cracking his back before following Tenzou and Ibiki into the kitchen to help move the food dishes over to the table. Guy came in from outside as they passed the door, handing Kakashi a bowl of strawberries that managed to survive the tenacious blackberry bush, constant storms, and now had the honour to be cooked by, probably, the best chef this side of the village. (Even if Kakashi denied it)
Ibiki grabbed a large plate of spring rolls and one of the three rice bowls, Tenzou picked up a curry pot, and Genma grabbed the bottles of sake and the sweet lemonade jug so the kids didn’t feel left out.
Kakashi followed them out, removing his apron, folding it neatly and putting it aside, before taking his place in the middle of the table.
There was an order to the table that had slowly developed over months of these dinners; Choja took the head of the table, with Inoiichi to his right, then Tenzou, Genma, Ibiki, and then Shibi at the other head. To Shibi’s right was Torune, then Kakashi, then Hizashi, and then Guy.
The kids were relegated to the kotatsu in the lounge, under the close supervision of Lee and Neji after one too many play fights under the table.
”Looks fabulous, my rival!” Guy cheered, taking his seat. “You’ve outdone yourself again!”
Kakashi flushed slightly under the praise, taking the time to pour a dish of sake before he responded, “It’s nothing much, really.”
From the living room, Naruto yelled; “Selling yourself short is a sign of self depreciation!”
That got a round of chuckles out of the adults, and Kakashi turned an annoyed eye to Inoiichi; “I blame you. Ever since you gave him the psychology scrolls, he’s been an absolute nightmare.”
Completely unrepudant, Inoiichi shrugged and finished his dish of sake.
”It’s good to see him coming along in his studies,” Shikaku said, blowing slightly on the spring roll before taking a bite. “He’s advancing quickly.”
Kakashi grumbled quietly and took a bite of his own spring roll, “Too quickly. I’m running out of things to teach him that aren’t just S-Rank jutsu’s.”
Ibiki snorted, “I’m stunned you haven’t taught him any yet.”
Guy and Tenzou shared a look across the table, the latter looking like he wanted to say ‘well about that’ while the former was biting his lower lip to avoid spilling secrets.
”Kakashi Hatake you did not.” Hazashi gasped, leaning back slightly.
”In my defense it seemed like a really good idea at the time!” Kakashi objected, holding up his hands. “The pervert was lingering around still, and I wanted him to be protected.”
”So you taught him an S-Rank jutsu?” Choja asked, brow furrowed with confusion rather than concern.
”Barely,” Kakashi said, but Guy pinned him with a look so the silver-haired man relented, “Okay, the basic steps,” Another, stronger look from Guy, “... I taught him the jutsu I learned on one of my missions to Wave- but! That’s only a C-rank jutsu, I’m not that crazy!”
Torune frowned slightly, remembering gossip from what felt like a lifetime ago, “The storm jutsu? The one you used against that military contingent?”
Kakashi gave a sheepish smile behind his mask.
Ibiki pinched his nose bridge while Hizashi sighed through his nose and grabbed the bottle of sake, pouring it into a dish, downing it, then pouring another one.
”If he burns down my clan grounds, Hatake,” Shikaku said dryly, holding out his dish for Hizashi to top up, “I’ll reluctantly be impressed.”
--⋆˚꩜｡--
Naruto craned his hearing, but after Kakashi-nii admitted he’d taught him that jutsu a few summers back, the conversation had eased into several ongoing ones that overlapped one another. Unable to hear what was going on, he turned back to his friends.
”Lighten up,” Ino chirped from across the kotatsu, placing another several spring rolls onto his plate from her own, ignoring his grumbles, “The food's good.”
”Your brother is an amazing cook,” Lee agreed, eyes shining as he topped up his and Neji’s drinks. For once, he had forgone his orange leg warmers for the white ones Kakashi-nii had slipped into his washing one day in hopes to ‘ease him off his orange’. It had worked, but only because these leg warmers looked like ducks. “Absolutely fabulous!”
From the various places around the room, the gathered kids agreed.
Shino was sitting knee to knee with Naruto, silently eating and just enjoying the warmth of the house. His hair was still damp from his earlier meditation so Ino had draped a towel over his shoulders to catch any drops.
The Aburame heir had been coming over more since he started at the academy; half to hang out with Torune, half to work with Naruto on varying techniques they were working on in their respective schools. Naruto found he didn’t mind, in fact, he actually quite liked having another person his age around the estate. Since Lee and Neji were busy with exams and getting ready for their graduations, it left him alone most days, not that he minded, but it was still nice to have Shino to hang out with.
From the gossip Shino brings him, (“It’s not gossip, why? Because this information is from a reputable source.”), Naruto knew his whole ‘attend a clan academy’ had raised hackles. He wasn’t sure why since, according to everyone he had asked, everything he was doing was 100% legal.
The Niindame signed it into law during his term, and he was one of the greats! Naruto’s learning all about him and the other Hokage in class.
Kagetora-sensei was an amazing teacher, in Naruto’s humble opinion. He talked clearly, demonstrated his experiments clearly for everyone to see, and helped anyone who got stuck, (which Naruto did, a lot).
It was sometimes a little strange being the son of the Fourth Hokage, while also having the Second Hokage’s photo on the family shrine. It made class conversation a little awkward, at the very least, since he technically wasn’t allowed to tell anyone either of those two facts. Not that it stopped the class from figuring it out, since they were all Nara, after all.
”Hey!” Ino said, flicking him in the ear, “I gave you my spring rolls! Don’t let them go cold! So rude.”
Naruto huffed, rubbing his ear, “‘m not. I’ll eat them cold, anyway.”
”They’re better cold.” Choji agreed, having emerged from his futon to join them. Shikamaru was leaning against him, half asleep as he nibbled on whatever was put in his bowl.
”Heathens,” Neji mumbled, popping a spring roll into his mouth, “All of you; heathens.”
Ino nodded supportively in his direction before going back to her own plate.
Whatever, they’re wrong. Him and Choji are right. End of story.
Lee rubbed his chin, before picking up two rolls. He ate one right away, humming in delight, as he made his way to the window in the corner of the room, cracking it open.
While everyone watched on in horror, Lee stuck his open palm out into the rain. A moment later, he returned to the table, chewing on the, decidedly, ice cold and soaking wet spring roll.
”Still tastes excellent!” He cheered, flashing a bright grin.
Nobody spoke.
”Execution.” Neji declared solemnly.
”Seconded.” Ino agreed, eyeing Lee with a mortified expression.
Naruto nodded grimly while Choji buried his head in his hands. “Where did I go wrong?” He asked Shikamaru, who shuddered.
’No it’s great, I promise! Here, watch-” As soon as his hand came within a foot of the dish, towards the final rolls, Shino slammed the lid shut and Ino hissed at him. “If you just try it-”
--⋆˚꩜｡--
”Why is Naruto yelling about banishment?” Torune quietly asked Kakashi during a lull in conversation.
”Who knows,” was the response, “Ignore it. I’m sure it’s fine.”
Genma, who was closest to the kitchen window, dryly asked; “So, it’s fine that they’re dragging Lee to the river?”
He didn’t manage to get through the whole sentence before Guy was out the front door, sprinting down to intercept the small group of children attempting to banish Lee to a cold plunge.
Kakashi hesitated, eyes half lidded, fingers twitching against the top of the table, “...probably.”
Ibiki silently reached for the sake, but Hizashi beat him to it, much to Shibi’s amusement.
--⋆˚꩜｡--
Once everyone was cleaned up and sent back to their respective homes, the dishes were washed and put away, and Naruto was getting ready for bed, Kakashi took the time to kneel in front of the shrine.
He lit the incense, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head.
Kakashi offered no greeting except a silent bow to Tobirama; the picture of the Second Hokage was a drawing taken from the journal safely tucked into the wall behind his desk. He didn’t know who originally drew it, but he had a suspicion after last year's realization. The idea that the Second Hokage was loved enough for a man raised by war to pick up a charcoal just to immortalise him made the small, hopelessly romantic part of his heart swoon.
He topped up the sake in front of the photo, then moved on.
Kakashi greeted Rin next. He told her that he missed her everyday, that he saw a flower that reminded him of her yesterday, and that he was trying hard to become a man she would be proud of. He thought of her smile, of her grace, of her gentleness and resolved himself to pick up some of her favourite fruit for the shrine.
Before he moved on, he promised her that he was getting better.
Then Kakashi greeted Kushina, Minato, and his father respectively. He told them about his day, highlighting Naruto’s progress and steadily rising test results. He told them he missed them, that he was sorry for everything, assured them he was getting better mentally, (at least according to his parenting books), then he bid them goodnight.
Finally, Kakashi moved on to Obito.
The photo on the shrine was the one photo Kakashi had of him that was of him alone. It had been taken by Kushina during the rare downtime between missions; right before the day that took his whole team away from him.
Obito was draped backwards against an armchair, mission pack sat at his feet, and his glasses pushing back his dark hair; the lens catching the nearby table lamp. Kakashi knew that he had been asleep at Obito’s feet, just out of frame, and Rin had been asleep on the couch across from them; Minato’s Hokage cloak draped over her.
He remembers coming home after that mission, Minato guiding him into the house, Kushina waiting on the bottom steps. She had caught him in a hug before he could run away, and as he stood there, trembling with exhaustion, and hurt, and hate, his eyes fell on the printed out photos sitting on the kitchen counter.
Photos of Rin, himself, and Obito were littered amongst scenic photos and landscape drawings.
But it was the photo of Obito, curled up in the armchair, that made Kakashi’s shoulders break and his whole body heave with the anguish he had been carefully holding back. His knees had buckled, and it was only Kushina that kept him from hitting the floor. She held him upright, cradled his head against her shoulder while Minato knelt beside him, stroking his hair gently.
It was the soft curves of Obito’s jaw, the soft, peaceful expression he wore, and the gentle flutter of his eyelashes, that made Kakashi love the photo now. Back then, it was the realization that he had failed one of the most precious people in his life, that made him hate it; a dark, aching hurt.
The photo had fallen into his hands at some point between that night and now, (he can’t remember when, he doesn’t really want to), being stashed away in some nondescript storage seal until last year when Kakashi had found it again, restoring it to the shrine where it belonged.
Even now, as he gazed at it, there was a tug on his ribs; the familiar urge to cry.
Quietly, Kakashi bowed his head a final time before standing.
”Goodnight,” He told them, aloud. “Thank you. I love you.”
Behind him, Naruto, who was lingering in the doorway to his bedroom, whispered the same in return, bowing quietly to the shrine before wrapping his arms around Kakashi’s middle, holding him close with the same unashamed love that was distinctly and wholly, Kushina’s; “Goodnight. Thank you. I love you.”