Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with him.
Author's Note: I didn't even realize that I had not posted these last two entries here on when I wrote them almost six months ago, so I apologize for that.
A Day of Mourning
The form of one pink-haired medic made it's way into the bar after a long days work at the hospital.
From across the crowded tables of chattering Shinobi Sakura spotted the man she had been searching for. He was slumped in the far corner reading a well-loved and very worn out orange book with a bottle of Sake seated in front of him.
Today was a day to remember well.
A day nobody, not Shinobi or civilian would ever come to forget, five years ago today one of the greatest men to have ever served Konoha had died, and that was why they were all here at the bar, to remember this once great Sanin.
The Copy Ninja looked up into green orbs slowly filling with tears.
"Come here," he said, setting down his book and pulling her into his embrace. "You've cried every year since it happened. He died with honor, you know."
She half chocked on a sob while he rubbed soothing circles across the middle of her back.
"I know, but he was the closest thing to an Oji-san that Naruto and I ever had." She paused to sniff noisily and gain control of her seeping tear ducts. "I miss him so much that I would kill just to hear his damned opinion on our relationship." She buried her face in his flak vest and snuggled closer.
Kakashi chuckled for a moment. "I bet I even know what he'd say."
He felt more than heard a "what?" come from her.
"I think, that Jiraiya would have taken me aside right before our wedding to congratulate me on lading every man's wet dream, including his own, that is, if he had lived to see you develop such curves."
His kunoichi let out something that sounded somewhere between a sob and a laugh.
"But then again, he'd probably also would comment on how lucky I was for an old man like me to have someone so young and full of life, not to mention ferocity. I'm sure he would be dropping the million and one bomb in my lap."
He looked down to meet her gaze.
""So Kakashi-san, is it true what they say about our women of Konoha. Are they all the same in bed as they are in the field? After all, you do have quite a little spitfire of an ex-student on your hands.""
A giggle erupted from the medic in his lap, "That dirty old man, I bet he would have wiggled his eyebrows after saying that too!"
"Yes, well, he did have this knack of spouting the truth."
Sakura reached out to smack him one but he caught her wrist and decided to hold her hand tightly to his chest, "I miss him too, my love."
A long moment of silence passed easily between them. While Kakashi sipped quietly on his Sake Sakura had reached out and snagged his book off of the table, but instead of flipping it open she clutched it to her chest.
If this was how she reacted when one Sanin died how bad would it be when the last went? The Fifth Hokage was a powerful, strong willed woman and she had taught Sakura to be just as strong, but he knew that when one loses a mother, or mother type figure in this case, it can be the most deafening thing in the world.
He decided to deal with that bridge of emotions later when that day comes, but for the moment he needed to cheer her up, and he knew just how.
"What do you think Naruto is doing right now?"
She looked up, startled out of her own mountain of depressing thoughts until his words sunk in, "Probably having a drinking contest with Tsunade. It's what they've done for the last couple of years now on this day. Last year I found them both passed out in her living quarters, slumped over a table with three different board games strewn about and too many Sake bottles to count. Shizune and I spent most of the morning cleaning and sobering them up."
The corners of her mouth turned upwards at the memory as Kakashi's chest vibrated against her ear with a soft chuckle.
"Why don't we go join them, eh?"
"Okay, but I'm not drinking. You're the entire reason I stopped drinking to begin with," she stated matter-of-factly.
He smiled down at her, "I know, I know."
A few blocks down from the bar Kakashi once again broke the silence, "I know that we already have a name picked out, but what do you think of a middle name for our boy, if we have one, that is?"
She halted in mid step, "I…uh…well…."
"I was kidding, my love. Naruto is going to name his first born son after Jiraiya. You know that."
A quick sigh of relief passed through her lips before she could stop it.
"It's just that I don't really want our son to live up to that sort of name. He'll be labeled as the number one pervert in all of Konoha right next to you."
"I think that having me as a father had already guaranteed him that shining spot of glory," he smirked through his mask.
"Right…" she sighed. He could see the sadness creeping back into her eyes so he pulled her close to him again. Yanking down his mask he nuzzled the top of her head.
"I bet he's looking down on us right now, from wherever he is, and I know that through all the lude comments and jokes he had ever made he is proud of all of us, including you. He lived a good life too with a good woman. It's all any of us can ever hope for, and I don't think that he ever regretted one single thing. Including that time when you caught him spying on you and the rest of the girls. I surprised he didn't die that day."
The tears stung her eyes again, but she still managed to choke out, "Thank you, Kakashi."
The silver-haired Jonin looked up at the star encrusted sky as one last thought passed about his old friend, iWe all miss you, Jiraiya. You died too soon, for any of us to accept, but we won't let you down. I just hope that we can all live up to your standards, old man./i
End