Kakashi, Minori and Dai
(A short Naruto Fanfiction. Because it's Father's Day and every child should know the love of a good, good Father. Unfortunately, in the Shinobi world, like this one, far too many don't.)
It was Yui's second lap on the path through the park-like area that lay just beyond and surrounding the massive exterior wall of Konohagakure. It was a glorious early summer morning. The gentle rays of the golden sun warmed her inside and out and the breeze was soft. She ran, mid back length layers of honey brown hair streaked with white bouncing over the white of the short sleeve shirt and draw string pants that covered her willowy frame. She enjoyed the chirping melody of the birds in the trees as she pushed the three wheeled running stroller ahead of her, the rhythm of her foot falls fitting in with nature's music. Yui giggled to herself as she listened to the lilting voice of the two year old she was pushing join in as he addressed the inhabitants of the landscape.
"Birdy," Minori observed as Yui watched her son's chubby right hand, baby dimples still showing on his fingers and at his wrist, stretch outside of the stroller toward the tree they were passing.
"Yes, son, bird," Yui smiled as she agreed with the toddler.
"Birdy in big tree."
"Yes," Yui smiled again as she continued to push the stroller, her daily run almost complete, "the tree is quite large, and the leaves are very green."
"Greeeeeeeen, green, green." Minori contented himself in song as his mother pushed him along. Finally he grew bored with singing and addressed his mother again. "Mama?" came the sweet questioning voice of the tiny tot with emerald green eyes and shaggy white hair from underneath the dark grey canopy of the stroller. But for his green eyes, Minori was a copy of his father's image in baby pictures taken when Kakashi was two. His green eyes, though were a mirror of his mother's.
"Yes, Minori."
"Papa come home soon?"
"Yes, son. Papa will be home in the next few days. You know he is away talking to important people to help some other villages."
"I miss Papa."
Yui thought of Kakashi. The depth of life in his dark eyes and the warmth of his strong arms around her, and she sighed. "Yes, son. I miss Papa too." She finished the last sprint of her run and began to slow as the main gate of the village came into view. She wheeled the stroller through the gate and into a children's play area in the open space adjacent to the interior side of the barrier wall.
"Swings now?" Minori offered, more a reminder than a question.
"Yes, son. Mama is done running. Thank you for being a good companion. It is time to swing."
"Swiiiiiiiings!" Minori exclaimed gleefully as Yui rolled the stroller to a stop and, folding back the canopy, bent to remove the toddler from the harness that held him close in the confines of the stroller. The smiling child raised his arms expectantly to his mother as she lifted him from his stroller seat to place him into the soft bucket like seat of the swing.
"Swing!" Minori exclaimed again as Yui began to push him, the back and forth motion of the swing tickling his stomach and making him giggle. Minori loved the swings. Yui smiled again, her deep dimples on display as her firstborn swung his chubby toddler legs back and forth with the momentum of the swings, gales of giggles cascading from his lips. Despite his love for the swings, soon Minori was ready to run himself, so Yui lifted him from the swing with a hug and placed him standing on the ground as she retrieved a soccer ball from the stroller.
"Minori, how about we kick the ball a bit before we have lunch and a rest?"
"I would like to play ball Mama."
"Good." Yui beamed at her son as she gently kicked the ball ahead of her on the grassy open area of the park. Minori was soon chasing the ball with Yui, running as fast as his short little legs could carry him, laughing all the while. Finally, Minori lost interest in the ball too and gazing at his mother intently informed her, "Mama, I'm hungry."
"Yes, sweet boy," Yui acknowledged. "Time for lunch."
While Yui placed the ball back in the stroller and removed an orange blanket and a lunch pack from it, Minori entertained himself with the companionship of a medium sized jumping spider he had found. Cupping the creature gently in his hands, Minori started to sing, "Hungry, hungry, oh so hungry. Hungry, hungry, hungry!"
Yui smiled at her son, "All right Minori, I am hurrying." Yui finished spreading out the blanket and knelt to unpack the fruit, rice and vegetables that would make up their picnic lunch. Like his mother, Minori Hatake had manifested adept healing power while still in the womb. Full of the healing power of Creation, adept healers could spill no creature's life blood and could eat no meat or fish as a result. Finished with her preparations, Yui sat, patted the blanket and called, "Come son. Come and have something to eat."
As Minori toddled over to the blanket he held out the spider in his cupped hands for his mother to see.
"Hungry, hungry, hungry. Spider is so hungry! Spider look for buggies to eat. Yuck! Mama why does spider have to kill buggies?"
Yui sighed. Such a big question about the nature of the world from such a little person. Yui briefly considered reasons why violence existed. Why shinobi warred with each other and why creatures needed to use violence to feed or protect themselves. She sighed again and gave an answer that she knew the two year old could understand, "because the spider doesn't know any other way."
Minori pondered that answer as he gazed at the grey-black fuzzy body of the bottle cap sized spider in his hands.
"Son," Yui finally interrupted, "why don't you put your friend down by a tree so you can come and have some lunch so you won't be hungry, hungry, hungry too?" Yui giggled as she gently tickled Minori's pudgy toddler belly.
"Yes Mama. Maybe I give spider something else to eat, besides buggies?"
"Well Minori, that would be a wonderful thing, but I really don't think the spider knows how to eat anything besides bugs." Yui sat relaxing in the sun for a bit as she watched her son.
"I show her, Mama." Minori smiled as he toddled toward the tree, a running dialogue with the spider about eating leaves and not buggies taking place as he traveled.
Yui smiled at her son again as she watched the tiny boy in his white shirt, emblazoned on the back with the Hatake family crest, and blue shorts squat down, chubby legs folded and chubby arms reaching down to place the spider gently by the tree. As he did so Minori patted the ground next to the tree and Yui heard her son clearly say, "Bye-bye spider!" before he was racing back to the blanket.
Yui scooped her son in her arms and pulled him onto her lap. Hands cleansed, thanks given, they began to share their food.
Their peaceful lunch was soon interrupted as Kiba Inuzuka and his huge white ninja hound Akamaru appeared in the park with the most recent litter of Akamaru's family to begin socializing the puppies. Yui and Minori watched as Kiba lifted two large white and grey puppies with diamond shaped erect ears and one huge fat white puppy with long floppy ears, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Akamaru, from the basket in which they were being carried. Finally, Kiba reached into the basket one last time and removed a tiny, fuzzy, black puppy, with long floppy ears. The runt, thought Yui.
"Puppy," observed Minori.
"Puppies," corrected Yui gently, as she closed her eyes, continuing to enjoy the sun while Minori leaned back in her lap, still munching on his lunch, bits of fruit and rice occasionally falling on his lap, and clinging to his mouth and hands. Yui's reverie was soon brought to a close by a sharp, demanding yap. Yui opened her eyes to find the tiny, black ball of fuzz puppy standing, bright black eyes fixed on them, tail wagging, at the end of their blanket. The puppy yapped again and Minori giggled and moved off her lap to the puppy.
The two were soon nose to nose, the puppy covering Minori with wet puppy kisses and making short work of Minori's lunch time mishaps.
"Dai," Minori noted. "Puppy says his name is Dai."
Yui smiled for the puppy was hardly large. Yui then questioned, "Are you sure about the name, Minori? This puppy is tiny, not large as his name implies."
The puppy turned its bright eyes on Yui and growled. Yui frowned as she scooped Minori away from the puppy. Even though she could heal any damage an errant puppy bite might produce within seconds, Yui had no desire to see the joy Minori was experiencing eclipsed by that happening. Minori promptly tried to wiggle away from his mother back to the small ball of black fluff. "Growling, little one, is not appropriate behavior," Yui addressed the puppy calmly and firmly.
The puppy growled again as Yui continued to frown and Minori continued to wiggle. Minori advised, "Mama, puppy not little one. Puppy says his name is Dai."
"Well son," Yui responded, "his name should be rude, for he is behaving badly." Yui rose, her son in her arms as the puppy growled and yapped again. Kiba quickly appeared and grabbed the canine miscreant up.
"I am so sorry Yui. This one is tricky and he got away from us." The master of the ninja hounds apologized, white fangs flashing as he smiled. Kiba was a talented, reliable and disciplined shinobi, but his olive and black uniform always appeared vaguely rumpled, and today it was covered with dog hair and muddy remains of puppy paw prints.
"It's fine Kiba," Yui smiled back as she held the squirming Minori in her arms, "little ones are often difficult to control."
"That's the truth!" Kiba exclaimed as he held the similarly squirming puppy while trotting back to where Akamaru and the other puppies were waiting. As he was being carried away, the puppy kept looking back toward Yui and Minori, and Yui thought she heard the puppy whine as he was being carried off. Minori too, was not happy being separated from his new friend. As Yui buckled her son into the stroller, she made a mental note to ask Kakashi about getting a dog for the family.
Minori protested again as Yui gathered up their belongings to return home, "Puppy!"
"No son, the puppy will have to go home soon and you have to go home now. It is almost time for your nap."
"But Mama," Minori whined a bit, wriggling in his seat in an attempt to keep watching the puppies, "Dai." Minori sighed sadly.
Yui smiled at her son, "Don't worry Minori. I am sure you will see Dai around the village as he grows."
But Minori was not easily consolable and was just close enough to his naptime to be tired enough to cry. "Dai!" the tired toddler called and he began to sob as his mother pushed him swiftly toward the apartment building the Hatake family called home.
Kakashi sat his travel pack and the bag of groceries he had just selected at the market down next to him on the sleek grey entranceway bench as he removed his shoes. "Yui! Minori! I'm ho. . . !"
Kakashi's greeting was silenced as his wife practically flew around the corner into the entrance of their apartment. "Ssssh." Yui knelt before Kakashi and smiled as her fingers reached her husband's lips before her lips did when she slid her arms around his neck in a hug. "Sssh," Yui whispered again, "I just got Minori down for a nap."
"Napping huh?" Kakashi noted quietly as he stood, pulling his wife into his arms for another kiss. Rocking Yui side to side in his arms, he nuzzled her neck. "I missed you my love."
"And I missed you, Kakashi, more than you will ever know. How was your meeting with the Daimyo?"
"Productive. Surveys of the economic assets of each village will continue, so that we can link villages in a production and distribution network across the Land of Fire and ultimately across all shinobi nations. That will make everyone more prosperous."
"Wonderful. Sounds like you were successful." Yui gazed at her husband's unmasked face, beauty mark on his chin, laugh lines around his eyes fully displayed under his mop of white hair. Even in his late forties, Kakashi was still boyishly handsome.
"Yes. I guess you could say that." Kakashi smiled at Yui, before plucking an eggplant, his wife's favorite vegetable from the bag of groceries next to them. "Look what I brought. I couldn't very well have you cooking alone now that I am home, and I thought grilled eggplant might be a good place to start tonight."
Yui giggled. "I can think of a better place to start. . . now."
"Really?" Kakashi replied in his typical laid back manner as he contemplated his wife's overture.
"Really," Yui confirmed with a smile full of deep dimples. "No sense wasting a good nap. Why don't you put the groceries away and I'll meet you down the hallway, after I look in on Minori." Yui's green eyes twinkled mischievously as she backed away from her husband.
"As you wish my love." Kakashi laughed as he moved into the modern black and stainless kitchen to place items in the refrigerator. He found himself hurrying as the white shirt Yui wore under her healer robes in the summer hit him in his side and flopped upon the floor next to him.
Later as she lay in their bed, secure in Kakashi's arms, her head pillowed on the firm muscles of his chest, Yui questioned, "Kakashi, how old were you when you began formal training?"
"Why?" Kakashi lay on his back, amused at his wife's question.
"Well, I just feel like Minori is starting to become aware. Today as we were kicking the ball around the park, I could swear he was trying to shift his chakra into his feet. "
"Yui, he just turned two. It would be very early for him to have chakra awareness, but he is your son too. Could it be he was just tapping into Creation?" Kakashi kissed the top of his wife's head.
"I don't think so Kakashi. You know Creation's power emanates from outside of adept healers, and Minori will have to learn to moderate it as it flows through him for his safety. But I feel like this is something else." Yui languidly traced the Anbu tattoo on her husband's arm as she spoke. "So how old were you when you began training?"
Kakashi paused and then smiled. "Well . . . I graduated from the Academy at five."
"What!?" Yui rolled onto her stomach to better observe Kakashi's face and he grinned, embarrassed and proud all at the same time. "Well, my beloved husband. Precocious ability seems to run in the family, so maybe you should start the basics with your son. Graduating at five, really?" Yui snuggled back into Kakashi's arms and laid her head back on his chest. "And what do you think about getting a dog?"
"Yui, we already have a pack." Kakashi countered, thinking of the eight ninja hounds that answered to him.
"Not a ninja hound, Kakashi, a pet. Kiba had puppies in the park today, and Minori was really attached to one of the puppies."
"Well, Yui they are ninken too, and the puppies are usually promised to Inuzuka clan members even before the puppies are born." Kakashi ran his hand through the silken layers of Yui's honey brown and white hair. He thought of how, out of the sheer boredom of his retirement, he had decided to help Naruto out of a staffing crisis by accepting a mission to travel to the remote Sanctuary at the Top of the World to bring Yui to the Fire Daimyo. He found himself attracted to Yui, with her stunning green eyes and huge dimples from the start. That simple mission became one involving danger to the whole shinobi world as Yui was taken by the ancient evil known as the Darkness who sought to use her to bend the power of Creation for destruction. The streaks of white, like the scars on her back and wrists reminding him of how much Yui had endured before her rescue, and how she had willingly offered up her very life to save his without hesitation. Even after her rescue, when it became apparent that the days of torment had shattered Yui's mind, the evil having convinced her that Kakashi had betrayed her, Kakashi gave up his mask, exposing his face and his heart to save Yui. He had never regretted it. He inhaled the wonderfully familiar scent of vanilla and jasmine from her hair and kissed her head again.
"Hmmmmm," Yui pondered. "A ninken, eh darling, not just a plain old puppy?"
"No love," Kakashi confirmed, "they are ninken. Besides Yui, Minori is only just two. Maybe we should consider waiting until he is a bit older, and we have a bit of a bigger home."
"Oh Kakashi, always the voice of reason. You poop." Yui smiled, full of joy to have Kakashi home with her again.
"Well one of us has to be." Kakashi teased as he kissed his wife again. "The voice of reason that is." Kakashi was content. And then they heard the tiny voice singing in the next room.
"Green, green greeeeen. Trees are big and greeeeen! Mama. Mama! I am not sleeping!"
Kakashi and Yui both laughed at the sound of their son. "I'll get him." Kakashi's eyes twinkled as he moved to sit up, pulling on his black shirt and pants. "Besides, now that I have properly greeted his mother, it's time I saw my son." He leaned over the bed to kiss Yui yet again before rising to pad toward the door.
Yui's heart was full of love as she watched Kakashi enter the room that used to be his library before Minori's arrival. The room that was now emptied of Kakashi's desk and books and filled with the toddler's belongings. She heard the tiny voice gleefully exclaim, "Papa!"
"Yes son, I am home. I missed you."
"I missed you Papa! Love you!"
"Love you too, son. Let's get you up and see what Papa can make you for dinner."
Yui was still smiling and listening to the conversation between her men as she straightened the bed and made her way to the shower.
After her shower, Yui pulled on burgundy drawstring pants and a simple burgundy silk top, embroidered with the Hatake crest, before padding down the hallway to see Minori happily occupied in his play area under Kakashi's watchful eye.
Simultaneously, Kakashi ministered to a bubbling curry sauce, while washed vegetables, including Yui's favorite eggplant were arrayed for preparation. Yui bent to hug Minori, who exclaimed "Papa home!"
"Yes Minori! Papa is home! Isn't it wonderful?" Yui gushed as she hugged her son to her and then placed him gently back down in his play area so she could assist her husband with dinner.
"Papa home! Papa home!" Minori sang, content to play with his toys as his mother and father happily occupied the kitchen together.
Kakashi grinned at his wife, flipped a paring knife in a circle around his fingers and then with lightning speed and precision chopped six potatoes and six carrots into uniform bite sized pieces.
"Show off," Yui muttered as she bumped her grinning husband with her hip before she reached the kitchen counter and began slowly and deliberately slicing the eggplant into long planks for grilling. Kakashi laughed as he spun around the back of his wife to her opposite side and deposited the vegetables into the bubbling curry sauce on the cook top. He had always loved to cook, but the joy of cooking with and for his family was exceptional. As soon as Yui finished cutting the eggplant, Kakashi began preparation of a deep dark miso sauce. Yui stirred the curry as her husband tinkered with his miso creation and then deposited eggplant on the grill top to cook.
"Dinner with Papa! Dinner with Mama! Dinner, dinner, dinner!" Minori sang as Yui bent to remove him from his toys to wash before plunking him softly in his toddler seat as Kakashi placed dinner on the table for service. With practiced skill, Yui placed small pieces of curry to cool in a bowl for Minori with his rice and tested the temperature before giving it to her son. The family gave thanks and ate, content to be with each other and share the sweetly mundane gift of dinner together as a family.
After dinner Yui sat Minori gently back into his play area so Kakashi and she could clean up the dinner dishes. As she did so, she thought she heard a familiar yap on the ground level of the building. Soon her suspicions were confirmed as there was a yap immediately outside the door to the apartment. Minori grinned and began to sing, "Dai, Dai, Daiiiiiiiiiii!"
Yui looked at Kakashi as he finished drying the curry pot and put it away and she walked to their door. Another, more insistent yap followed. Yui glanced at her husband again. Kakashi slung the drying towel over his shoulder and leaned back against the counter crossing his legs while facing the door. He shrugged, so Yui opened the door.
Sure enough, the tiny bit of black fluff from the park was sitting expectantly before the door, pink tongue lolling from the side of his mouth, bright intelligent black eyes fixed on Yui. He regarded Yui, and then stood and trotted past her, tail wagging, ignoring Kakashi completely. The puppy traversed the modern kitchen and dining area with its ebony parson style dining table and silver metallic chairs, and spying Minori, pranced into the living room where he spun in a happy circle and easily jumped over the rainbow colored barrier of the play area before plopping himself next to the small object of his quest. The young boy promptly wrapped his arms around his friend and announced, "Dai!"
"Well, how about that?" Kakashi observed. "The same puppy from the park?"
"Yes." Yui confirmed as she closed the door and walked back to her husband. "That's Dai."
"Huh." Kakashi thought out loud, watching his son and the puppy as Yui wrapped her arms around Kakashi's waist and laid her head on his shoulder. The puppy was now busy removing all dinner remnants from Minori's clothing and covering the small boy with wet puppy kisses. Minori giggled at the attention and he began to gently stroke the puppy's fuzzy black fur.
"Kakashi. Darling. What about the puppy?" Yui prompted.
"Well, my love," Kakashi said quietly so that Minori could not hear, "the puppy is an Inuzuka puppy so for today, he will have to go back." Kakashi looked at the slight frown on his wife's face, and added, "But I will speak to Kiba to see if Dai is promised. If he is not, we will see." Kakashi wrapped his now smiling wife in his arms and heard a yap from a tiny canine eavesdropper in the living room.
Soon Kakashi was carrying Dai out of the building in which his family resided and through the still busy early evening streets of Konoha. Dai was clearly not happy about being returned and was not warming up to Kakashi, but he had not protested and had not growled. Yet.
As Kakashi wound through the streets, he was met by a familiar energetic figure in a green jumpsuit, thick bowl of black hair shot through with threads of grey and brilliant white teeth shining in a greeting smile. "Kakashi, my eternal rival. I heard you were home. Welcome back."
Kakashi regarded his lifelong comrade Might Guy calmly, "Thanks for the greeting Guy. What brings you out tonight?"
"Well, I am meeting Lee and Metal. We are going on a boar hunt. Apparently one has been making a general nuisance of himself on the farmland outside the wall. We will see what we can do to find him and deter him. I'd ask you to come, but it appears you are busy."
Kakashi paused, thinking of the last time a boar had threatened the Village. The enormous twenty foot tall creature was hideously feral, brown and shaggy with huge yellow tusks and wild eyes full of anger and fear. "I see," Kakashi acknowledged.
"And I see too!" Guy stopped, his gaze falling on the puppy. "So, Kakashi, what do you have there?" Guy replied, waggling his finger at Dai before placing his hands on his hips, questioning his friend.
Kakashi regarded Guy coolly and, stating the very obvious, replied, "it's a puppy, Guy."
The ever effervescent Guy probed for more information, "But Kakashi, just what are you doing with the puppy?"
"Well, I am taking him home." Kakashi answered Guy easily while continuing to amble down the street.
"Ahhhh." Guy's face erupted in a huge grin. "A puppy for the family. A puppy for Minori, my favorite toddler. A boy and his loyal dog. Just like the eight canine samurai. They will have so much fun together. Fishing, hunting, running through the village, annoying the adults, exploring the Land of Fire," Guy stopped and continued his musings, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefingers, caught up in the joyful future he was building for Minori and his puppy. Kakashi did not respond but continued his movement through the village, leaving the enthralled Guy behind.
"But Kakashi," Guy finally observed after his daydreams had ended and he caught up with his friend. "Isn't your place in the other direction?"
"Yes."
"So what are you doing, huh?" Guy had not yet grasped that Kakashi was not taking the puppy to his home.
"Guy, this is an Inuzuka puppy. I am taking him home." Kakashi replied emotionlessly.
Guy's expression immediately changed, vacillating between crest fallen and outrage. "So you gave your sweet, precious Minori a puppy and now you are taking it away from him and taking it back?" With Guy's reference to him as 'it,' Dai shifted in Kakashi's grasp, curling his lip ever so slightly in a growl. Guy never missed a beat in his distress though, and continued, "I never thought I would say this but, Kakashi. . . you are a heartless monster!" Guy slumped in front of his friend, eyes filling with tears.
Kakashi stopped. "Guy. This puppy is probably promised. So he must go back," Kakashi answered emotionlessly, but mindful of the distress the ever emotive Guy was feeling.
"Still," Guy interrupted, tears falling from his eyes while he continued to sniffle, "a boy should have his dog. I have to leave Kakashi. I just can't watch you do this. It's just too . . . too. . . . much!"
Kakashi sighed as he neared the Inuzuka veterinary clinic. "I know Guy. I know. Enjoy your time with Lee and Metal." The still sniffling Guy nodded and flashed away, tears filling his eyes as he sought out Lee and Lee's eldest son Metal for emotional support, and for the distraction of a boar hunt from his self-induced grief.
The Inuzuka Veterinary Clinic was a tidy, organized place. Clients entered into a spacious waiting area with an olive green carpet, white walls and white benches for seating. The bottom of the walls was paneled in a light wood as was the counter behind which a receptionist usually sat. In stark contrast to the clean organized environment of the physical aspects of the clinic, the noise in the clinic was chaotic. A chorus of barking dogs, voices raised in different pitches and volumes added to the cacophony of the meowing and yowling of felines floating in the air. Birds squawked and reptiles hissed. Acoustically, the clinic was in complete disruption, but Kakashi stood unfazed in the midst of the din. Soon Hana Inuzuka and the largest of her three companion hounds, the Haimaru brothers, appeared behind the counter, the wolfish looking grey and white hound placing his huge paws upon the counter surface to stand and better see Kakashi. Kakashi unceremoniously deposited Dai upon the counter and then patted the small pup on the head.
"Kakashi sensei," Hana began, before Kakashi interrupted.
"Hana," Kakashi explained, still patting the sitting pup, "this fellow showed up at my home. It seems he is quite attached to Minori."
"I am sorry for the trouble, Kakashi sensei. This little guy appears to be quite an escape artist. He is promised to my cousin, so I hope I can break him of his bad habits before sending him to his permanent home." Hana's large hound punctuated his master's statements with a deep growl and a slight bark.
"So he is promised?" Kakashi observed as he gave the pup another scratch and the pup focused his bright eyes on Kakashi expectantly.
"Yes, sensei. I am sorry. I can put your name in for the next litter if you like."
Dai whined.
"No, I think we will wait a bit." Kakashi considered the puppy and scratched his ears again. "But thank you for the offer Hana. Have a good evening." Kakashi gave the tiny pup another pat on the head. "See you around little guy." Kakashi turned to leave and swore he heard a soft growl and a yap of protest as he did so.
At four in the morning, Yui sat up and wrapped a brightly colored flowered robe around her slim frame as she made for the bathroom to prepare for her morning meditation and her day of healing at the Hospital. Yui was a healer, trained at the remote Sanctuary at the Top of the world. From years of Sanctuary discipline, Yui was accustomed to rising early for meditation and she maintained this practice despite living in the Leaf with Kakashi. Yui emerged in her typical white cotton drawstring pants and shirt, covered by a floor length white robe emblazoned with a blue healing hand and tied with a blue sash. The blue design on the robe designated her as an energy based healer. Kakashi by this time had yanked on his clothing, straightened their bedding and moved into the bathroom, while Yui looked in on a still sleeping Minori.
Within moments, Kakashi and Yui were together on the balcony outside of their living area. Yui smoothed her robes and sat, with Kakashi at her right. Beginning the healer's meditation, Yui closed her eyes and began to glow, the massive energy of Creation marshalling around her, filling her with the ability to heal all those in need she would meet this day. Kakashi too filled himself with peaceful energy as his wife's glow reached its apex and the sun began to rise. As the glow dissipated, Yui, never opening her eyes, smiled and said, "Good morning, Kakashi."
Kakashi replied, "Good morning my love. Before Minori wakes for the day, I have something I would like to show you." Kakashi rose and as Yui opened her brilliant emerald eyes to him, he took his wife's hand, helped her to rise and guided her through the grey and neutral wood of the living area, littered with Minori's colorful toys to their kitchen. "I missed home on my nights away and so put some thoughts together on paper for renovations on the family property. With the puppy and all, I didn't have time to share last evening." Kakashi pulled out a chair at the table for Yui.
Yui sat, taken aback by Kakashi's statement. Yui knew Kakashi had not set foot on his family's property since the night he found his father's body after Sakumo Hatake took his own life. Indeed, one of Kakashi's first acts as an adult was to have the house razed, and the property had lain fallow since then. She watched as Kakashi ambled to the entrance of their apartment and pulled a roll of papers from his pack. He moved back to Yui and unrolled the papers on the table top.
Before her Yui saw the front elevation of a modern style house that incorporated a walled courtyard, lit by lanterns carved from dark wood featuring healing designs from the Sanctuary at the Top of the World. Hands, leaves, stars and flames made up wonderful patterns in the lanterns. Similarly, the walls of the courtyard were rough grey granite stone, like the exterior walls of the Sanctuary, while the floor of the courtyard was smoother grey granite leading to stairs made of slabs of suspended granite paired with steel structure. Stainless steel railing with clear acrylic panels lead to the landing where the entrance to the home was placed. Windows divided in smaller panels by stainless cross pieces mimicked the look of shoji in an updated sleek way and filled the front and sides of the entrance area before meeting still more granite. The design paid homage not only to the traditional sensibilities of the Leaf, but also to Yui's Village of Creativity upbringing, Sunagakure birth and her ties to the Sanctuary. All were detailed with Kakashi's neat print and scrupulous measurements. Yui was awestruck, as her husband described his design concept for the exterior. He also included a beautiful garden in the rear of the home, enclosed, like the front courtyard, with walls of grey granite. But it was the floorplan for the interior that overwhelmed Yui.
Kakashi had positioned an atrium garden area in the entrance, marking the spot where his father took his own life. "Yui, here you can grow herbs for healing and cooking. It is a fitting tribute for Father, making life from death." Yui's eyes filled with tears. The atrium area gave way to a vaulted minimalistic living area, one large wall intended for displaying family artwork. Behind the living area, a dining area, large enough to accommodate guests and extended family abutted a sleek kitchen with concrete counters. A hallway, thick plaster on one side and frosted glass windows on the other, led to Kakashi's office and the family sleeping quarters and baths. There was an ample master suite, deep bath included for Yui, who benefited from a long hot soak after a day of healing, and three additional bedrooms. All the rooms were full of windows for natural light and air. Kakashi had drawn out Minori's room and advised Yui that the other two rooms were, "for family visitors, or," Kakashi smiled at his wife, "just more family." Yui traced the design of the floor plan for the additional bedrooms with her finger, a wistful smile upon her face with the hope of another baby.
"These are amazing Kakashi."
"Thank-you, my love."
Yui focused on the floor plan again. "But the construction will take some time to complete."
Kakashi smiled. "Yes. I suppose we should get started on the house then, as long as you approve."
"Yes," Yui smiled, "perhaps we should have rooms built before we start filling them."
"Now who is being the poop?" Kakashi grinned, rolling up the plans.
"Well," Yui grinned flashing her deep dimples at her husband, "someone has to be the voice of reason."
Soon Minori was awake, anxious for breakfast with his parents. The family sat in the quiet of the early morning, sliding doors to the living room balcony open to the crisp morning breeze flowing over Konoha, fluttering sheer white curtains and admitting the gentle sounds of birds and shinobi awakening. They gathered in relaxed comfort. Minori, still clad in his green loosely woven sleeping pants and top eating fruit in his booster chair, Kakashi reading his morning mail and messages while drinking a steaming cup of matcha, and Yui, sipping tea while reviewing Sakura's notes from the previous day's treatments and admissions when there was a yap outside the door. Yui and Kakashi exchanged knowing glances. Minori began to giggle.
"Dai!" Minori exclaimed as Kakashi pushed his chair away from the table to better view the door. Yui rose, as Kakashi kept an amused watch and Minori sang, "Dai, Dai, Daiiiii!"
Yui moved to the door and was met by another yap. She eyed Kakashi again and opened the door. Sure enough, Dai was sitting before their door, bright eyes fixed on Yui, pink tongue lolling from the side of his mouth. This morning, however, Dai looked vaguely dusty. The tiny black puppy stood, gave himself a shake, which indeed, sent a cloud of dust flying from his fuzzy black fur, and started to trot into the apartment. It was then the Yui noticed the bloody paw prints Dai was leaving behind.
"Oh!" Yui exclaimed as she bent to scoop Dai into her arms. "The puppy is hurt!"
Kakashi stood as Minori shifted himself onto his knees and then his belly to slide out of his booster seat. In the interim, Yui knelt, flipping Dai onto his back in her lap as the pup began to protest.
"Don't you dare growl at me Dai," Yui cautioned. "I am trying to help you. What have you done to yourself?" The adept healer from the Sanctuary at the Top of the World ran her hands over the puppy's body. Kakashi could not help but chuckle at the look of shock on the pup's face as he found himself scooped and examined by Yui.
"Well Dai," Yui pronounced, "you certainly have abraded your paws. What were you doing silly one?" Dai whined. "Well, not to worry, let's get you healed." Minori toddled over to Yui, as Kakashi leaned back on the kitchen counter to watch.
"I help Dai too, Mama."
"All right my son. Let's get Dai healed."
Kakashi watched as Yui closed her eyes and connected to the power of Creation. The glow of healing began and Minori also closed his eyes, bowing his head, cherubic mouth in a peaceful smile, chubby toddler hands finding the head of his friend. Minori too, began to glow. Yui inhaled and Kakashi observed the injuries to the puppy's paws pass onto Yui's hands as she did so. Then she exhaled and the injuries were gone.
Minori opened his eyes and began to dance around the room in his excitement to have helped his friend. Yui too giggled as Dai flipped himself over in her lap and, using it like a platform, dove from Yui to Minori, the child and the puppy landing in a happy heap upon the floor.
Kakashi laughed too at the antics of his family, even though watching two of the people he loved most in the world heal as they did was near to overwhelming. As Yui rose and Minori and Dai played, Kakashi wiped the blood from the floor with a rag and closed the door.
"Kakashi," Yui wound her arms around her husband after he placed the rag in the dust bin. "The puppy."
"I know Yui. Minori and the pup appear to have bonded, but Dai is already promised, so there is nothing I can do."
Yui frowned. "Tell that to them," she pronounced, then looking at her watch she moved to kiss her son. "Mama has to go to the Hospital for a bit today. Be good for Papa, OK?"
"Okie dokie Mama!" the tiny boy sang to his mother as Dai stood by him
"Love you, Minori."
"Love you, Mama." Minori turned his attention to Dai again who was spinning in joyful circles before lowering his front half in a bow, seeking to play.
"Love you too, poop." Yui smiled at Kakashi as she moved out the door.
"And you my love."
As Yui closed the door she heard Kakashi say, "All right then, let's get you ready for the day. How would you like to see where Papa is going to build a new house for you and Mama?"
Kiba Inuzuka stood on the landing of the building in which the retired Sixth Hokage of the Leaf resided with his family. He and Akamaru had tracked the pup back to Kakashi's building, although when the runt of the most recent litter turned up missing once again, Kiba had a pretty good idea where to find him. As he and Akamaru trudged up the stairs to the fourth floor apartment, he prepared himself to meet with Kakashi. Most of the Village assumed that the Sixth Hokage had gone soft in peace time retirement. That Kakashi's unmasked life with a doting wife and child had made him, somehow, less of a warrior. Kiba, who in his youth had trained with Kakashi knew better. True, Kiba thought, Kakashi no longer was a man of mystery, cloaking himself and his actions in shadow like a deadly young wolf in the forest. Now the unmasked Kakashi was a man confident in himself, taking on the mantle of a diplomat, striving to make the world his son, and all shinobi children would live in, a peaceful, prosperous, and secure one. Kiba now thought of Kakashi as an alpha wolf, forming the world, protecting his pack, all of his power fully developed. But, after dealing with Kakashi for so long behind a mask, Kiba had to admit he still found dealing with the unmasked Kakashi somewhat unnerving. Steeling himself for the sight, he knocked on the Hatake family door, Akamaru at his side.
Kakashi soon answered, oversized red rubber clown nose on his face, ten neon colored juggling balls cradled in his hand and arm.
Then again, Kiba thought fleetingly, maybe the village gossips were right.
"Hey Kiba," the nose making Kakashi sound stuffy, "I've been expecting you. I assume you and Akamaru are looking for the puppy. Please come in. Minori and I were working on learning our colors." Minori toddled quickly over to Kakashi, wrapped his arm around his father's knee and gazed expectantly at Kiba and Akamaru.
"Hi," the two year old said.
"Hi yourself, Minori." Kiba smiled and that smile softened his feral appearance, even while exposing his fangs. Akamaru sniffed and lowered his head in greeting to Minori also. As he did so the puppy sauntered over to Minori's side and sat, regarding Kiba and Akamaru with what could only be described as a glare.
Kiba stammered, "I'm sorry sensei. We can't stay, puppies to train and all. I am really sorry this one is being a nuisance. I even put him in a secure kennel last night, but," Kiba paused and ran his hand over his unruly dark hair, "he dug through a concrete wall to escape." Kiba laughed nervously. The puppy yapped and Akamaru growled.
"I see," Kakashi replied, the clown nose continuing to make it sound as if he was suffering from a severe cold, but Kakashi never moved to remove it. "That would explain the abrasions Yui healed on the puppy's paws this morning."
Kiba immediately began to apologize again, but Kakashi interrupted him. "Kiba, it's not a big deal. Yui was just being Yui."
"But sensei, I am sorry to have troubled you all. I will make sure to put some extra effort into this one's training, right Akamaru?" Akamaru barked in affirmation.
"Dai go now?" Minori questioned.
"Yes son. Dai has to go back to his home with Kiba and Akamaru." Kakashi advised.
"Ok," came the surprising response from the green eyed toddler. "See you later Dai." Minori patted the puppy and pointed to the doorway. Dai promptly barked, stood and made his way to Akamaru's side, with only the slightest of growls.
Kiba watched with curiosity as the pup sat again, and barked as if to say, 'let's go already so I can escape and come back.'
"Sensei. Did Minori call the puppy Dai?"
"Yes Kiba. Minori says the puppy's name is Dai."
"How about that," replied Kiba, observing Kakashi's son watch the pup, before preparing to leave. "Again accept my apologies Kakashi. I'll try not to have," Kiba paused and then acknowledged the pup's name, "Dai bother you again."
Good luck with that, Kakashi thought, but replied instead, "All right Kiba."
As the three departed from his door, Kakashi added, "see you around pup."
And Minori added, "See you Dai."
As he closed the door to return to a juggling lesson involving colors and chakra manipulation, Kakashi had a hunch it would not be long before Dai returned.
The evening in the Hatake home was surprisingly, unsurprising. Yui arrived home from the hospital and the family enjoyed a quiet dinner together before Yui bathed Minori and got him ready for bed. Kakashi was occupied with work at the computer on the dining table, a stack of architectural magazines, his current favored reading material, piled up next to him. Kakashi looked up to enjoy the sight of Yui moving gracefully across the living room. He smiled, thinking that his wife still moved like the dancer she was in her youth, despite all she had been through. Yui looked down at the table, fingers lightly brushing the magazines as she padded behind Kakashi, wrapped her arms around him and lay her cheek on his head.
"No Dai tonight," Yui observed.
"No love. Kiba came and fetched him today. It may be a bit of time before we see him again."
"Perhaps," Yui responded, "but the world is full of possibilities my darling." Yui sighed. "It was a busy day at the hospital. I am going to bathe, and get to bed. Don't be too long, Kakashi."
Kakashi took Yui's hands in his and kissed them, "I'll be along soon."
Yui smiled and wound her way back through the living room, picking up bigger toys and placing them in the toy bin as she went, a rubber clown nose and ten brightly colored balls hardly drawing her attention.
After Yui finished her bath, she wrapped her robe around her body and made her way down the hall to Minori's room. The room was illuminated by a nightlight that cast stars over the ceiling. In his toddler bed, Minori was curled up on his side, ringlets of white hair spread across the teddy bear print of his pillowcase. The tiny tot's favorite green pajamas covered his sleeping frame, but he had kicked his covers from his still chubby feet and Yui gently moved to recover them. As she did, Minori flopped upon his back and hugged his favorite stuffed animal, a brown dog to his chest. He barely stirred as Yui kissed him gently on the forehead, finished tucking the sheet around his feet and left the room, crossing the hallway to Kakashi.
She found her husband clad only in his favorite, tattered, black sleeping pants. He was standing at the foot of their bed, looking up toward the ceiling as he juggled, wearing, of all things a red rubber clown nose. Yui leaned against the door jam, crossed her arms, shook her head and began to grin.
Ten neon colored balls were in the air as Kakashi spoke. "Minori and I worked on colors today."
"Really?" inquired Yui in response, giggling a bit. The sound of Kakashi's voice filtered through the rubber nose was very amusing.
"Yes," Kakashi executed a turn while keeping all ten balls flowing effortlessly in a circle. "He is very adept at identifying blue, red, orange and yellow. Purple gives him some difficulty, but green is definitely his favorite color."
"Yes, green is definitely his favorite color. He is a child of the Leaf after all," Yui replied, knowing from experience that Kakashi was leading the conversation to something. Yui arched her eyebrow at her husband and cocked her head to the side, waiting expectantly.
"And he says he has a ball of sunshine that he spins in his tummy." Kakashi punctuated this pronouncement by catching all ten balls in the side pocket of his pants.
Yui pounced upon the bed on her hands and knees before punching her hands in the air like a victorious prize fighter. "I knew it! I told you he was aware of his chakra! He is just like you Kakashi!" Yui joyfully pointed at her husband, "Precocious!" Yui laughed as she sat in triumph before her husband.
Kakashi laughed too as he retrieved the juggling balls from his pocket, placing them in a bag on top of the chest he used for his clothing before springing lightly upon the bed next to his exultant wife.
"Yes my love" the nose making it sound like Kakashi said 'yeth by wove' to Yui sending her into still more giggles.
"Tell me," Yui prompted with a dimpled smile.
Kakashi sighed.
"Tell me," Yui laughed as her husband leaned closer.
"You were right, Yui." Kakashi said with a grin.
"Yessssss!" Yui cried as softly as she could to avoid waking Minori while punching the air again as Kakashi laughingly bent to kiss her.
"Kakashi," Yui stopped him by gently placing a hand on his chest.
"Yes love." Kakashi said eyes twinkling.
"The nose."
"What? You don't like it? I think it makes me look dashing and mysterious." Kakashi removed the nose, tossing it on the floor as he joined Yui in laughter and a kiss.
Kakashi felt Yui slip from his arms as she rose for the day. As his wife moved to dress, Kakashi pulled a black shirt and loose black pants on over his still toned body. He rose to move into the bathroom as Yui brushed past him, already in her robes, on her way to check on Minori.
"Good Morning Kakashi. I love you." Yui breathed as she passed him.
"And I love you Yui."
He saw Yui breeze into Minori's room and then rush suddenly down the hall into the living area. He felt her rising panic even before she screamed his name. In seconds he was beside her in their kitchen, the source of her panic obvious. The entranceway bench had been pushed over and blocks and Minori's toddler seat were stacked upon it so that a tiny two year old could reach the sliding deadbolt that secured the door at the top. The door had been pulled open just enough to allow a chubby toddler to exit the apartment. Yui stood, eyes fixed upon the door, shaking in her panic and fear, tears filling her eyes and beginning to course down her cheeks. Kakashi grabbed his wife, wrapping her in a hug, by sheer will slowing his own heart beat and, as a consequence, slowing hers.
"Yui," Kakashi said to his distraught wife. "I will find him. He can't have gotten far. Trust me."
"Kakashi, please." Yui begged in a sob, as she buried her face in his chest, hands clinging to him in panic.
"Trust me Yui. I will find him. You stay here in case he comes home." Kakashi was in emotionless rescue mode now. He took his wife by the shoulders and guided her gently to sit in a dining chair. He moved quickly as soon as she was settled. Slashing his thumb with his teeth he slammed his hand upon the kitchen floor summoning his pack of ninja hounds who appeared in a rapidly dissipating cloud of white smoke. The eight hounds waited expectantly for Kakashi's orders.
Pakkun, the physically smallest of the hounds but Kakashi's second in command as the hound with the most power in chakra and ability immediately looked to Kakashi for instructions, "Kakashi?"
"Minori is missing. We will find him." The dogs nodded in affirmation all except the largest hound who was focused on Yui. Buru, the massive, bear sized hound and the gentle Yui had a special bond, forged during the long days when she struggled to regain her sanity and health. Many nights in the hospital as Yui sobbed in her sleep the huge hound was the only one who could comfort her. And now his concern obviously was for her. Kakashi continued his commands, "Buru stay with Yui. The rest of you, scatter!" The hounds were gone in an instant. Just as suddenly, Kakashi flew across the room and was out the doors of the living room to the balcony, vaulting over the concrete half wall which edged the elevated outdoor space. His last vision of his home as he launched into the open air was one of Yui, arms wrapped around Buru, her face buried in his fur.
As he dropped to the ground four stories below, Kakashi took in the smells of the village searching for Minori. As he hit the ground and rolled, he slid to a stop and raised his hand to his nose, but the everyday comings and goings of the family had concentrated the child's scent near the building. So Kakashi turned his attention to the scent of the next most likely target, Dai.
As expected, Kakashi found fresh scent of the pup, but the trail was not clear given Dai's comings and goings over the last few days. Thinking quickly, Kakashi reasoned that there were only so many places in the Village that Minori knew, the Hospital, the Academy, Guy's dojo, the grocer's and the Hatake property were the first that came to mind. None of those sounded to be a likely target for Minori. So, on a hunch he headed toward the park, a place he knew Minori loved. Bounding over the village rooftops, Kakashi headed south of the apartment building toward the main gate of the Leaf and toward the park.
Upon his arrival, Kakashi immediately went to the swings, but there was no Minori. He quickly leapt to the treetops, moving hurriedly through the green leaves and large branches of the trees between the Village and the wall, but his son was nowhere to be found. Kakashi stopped on the large bough of a giant maple tree to get his bearings and concentrate. Think, he ordered himself. There were only so many places in the village a two year old with budding chakra manipulation skills and the runt of a ninja hound litter could be. Then it became clear. Minori went with his mother on her daily runs. Yui ran with Minori outside of the village around the wall. Kakashi inhaled with the surety of the thought. Outside of the village. The thought thundered through Kakashi's head. Outside of the village, he thought again, chest tightening with the realization. And then his stomach dropped – the boar!
Kakashi dropped to the ground and charged toward the wall. Soon he reached it and, moving his chakra to his feet sprinted directly up the wall launching himself over it at a run. As he rocketed into the air Kakashi was on the lookout for any sign of disturbance in the surrounding forest. Finding none, he dropped to the running trail that surrounded the barrier wall. Again he began to run, following the trail north around the Village. He stopped as the trail began to angle eastward around the top of the Village. He knelt, touching the dirt, pounded smooth by the feet of countless training shinobi, and raised it to his nose. He found no trace of Dai or Minori. Instead of angling east however, Kakashi on a hunch began to slowly retrace his steps to the south, back toward the gate. Purposefully examining the dirt, expanding his senses, Kakashi was a quarter of the way back to the gate when he heard in the distance, the unmistakable snap of a tree. Almost simultaneously he felt the earth move ever so slightly from thousands of pounds of boar pounding four cloven hooves against the ground. Kakashi set his face toward the direction of the thundering hooves of the boar and began to run.
Billowing his chakra around him, Kakashi leapt into the trees and dashed from limb to limb. Must go faster, he thought. Cursing his lack of speed, his inability to fly or teleport, Kakashi pushed himself to move faster still toward the boar. And then he heard the unmistakable barking of a puppy. Dai! Kakashi thought himself already at his limit for speed but pushed himself harder, his thoughts focused on Minori. Faster. Faster! He commanded himself as a bellow from an angry boar drowned out the emergent barking of the tiny pup. After what seemed like an eternity to Kakashi, the forest became thinner. He could just make out the boar in a clearing far ahead. As he grew closer he could see a flash of black, moving so fast as to be a blur, orbiting the bellowing thrashing head of the enraged boar like an electron in an atom. Wicked yellow tusks thrust at the pup as he jetted past the boar's nose. The animal's eyes were wild with fury, but he was standing in one spot, focused on the object of his rage, Dai. That's it Dai, thought Kakashi, keep him busy for a few more moments. That's when Kakashi heard the small sweet voice of his son.
"No, no, piggy," Minori's tiny voice lectured. "You must not hurt Dai. Dai will not hurt piggy either. Piggy you behave yourself! Do not be a disgrace!"
By this time Kakashi had bolted through enough ground to see his son, his Minori, seemingly oblivious to the danger he was in, standing before the stamping, snorting boar. Still clad in his green pajamas, Minori was wagging his chubby index finger at the boar, while continuing to lecture the massive beast about his bad behavior.
Kakashi's heart sank. Targeted long range techniques were too dangerous given Minori's proximity to the boar. Kakashi pushed himself to cover the distance to his son. And then the boar, in a strike born from blind fury, stamped his front hooves into the ground and thrust himself upward, catching Dai at the apex of a rotation.
Kakashi watched helplessly as the pup yipped and fell to the ground and the boar's full focus came to rest on Minori as the child screamed, "Dai!" and bent to the ground before the massive charging animal.
Kakashi continued to race toward his son, his heart pounding in his chest. Quickly he calculated the distance between him and the boy as he initiated the hand signs for earth style, mud wall jutsu, hoping against hope that the wall would rise fast enough. As he moved, all the while watching the boar thunder towards his son, Kakashi knew it was already too late to get enough of the wall in place before the boar reached the boy. And so he sprung, lungs and body burning with the effort, hands hitting the dirt, willing the wall to rise quickly, launching himself into the air again to flip over his son, grabbing the boy and pulling Minori under him, using his own body as a shield. The child sputtered in shock, "Pa. . . p. . a?" as Kakashi pulled him to his chest, tucking Minori's head under his chin. As he slid backwards, Kakashi's feet hit the base of the still rising wall. Kakashi tucked his head, wrapping as much of himself around his son as he could, and braced for the impact of thousands of pounds of crazed animal. The last thing he saw as he ducked fully was Pakkun and Akino, his two fastest hounds, launching themselves over the rising wall in the direction of the beast.
Kakashi braced. But no impact came. There was however a tremendous crashing from behind the wall, shaking it and the ground under them. The boar sounded even more enraged than before. Finally as the wall reached its apex and stopped, Kakashi stood, a wiggling Minori held securely in a hug in his arms. He exhaled slowly, clutching his precious Minori to his chest in the realization that they were safe.
"Papa! Dai!" the child struggled to be left down. Without a word, Kakashi gently deposited his son on the ground so that his tiny feet could run to the puppy, who was trying to rise. Kakashi watched in amazement as his small son lovingly placed his hands on the injured puppy, closed his eyes and began to glow. Soon a completely healed Dai had rolled to his back to have Minori rub his belly and then popped up to lick Minori's face. Kakashi was momentarily overwhelmed by the sight of his son healing and with the gratitude he felt to have found his son, safe. Another bellow from the boar jarred Kakashi from his thoughts. As he turned toward the barrier wall, decorated with sculpted heads of hounds despite the exigency of its creation, Pakkun was walking from behind it with Akino.
"Uh, Kakashi," Pakkun interrupted, as Akino sat, casually licking a paw, "I think you will want to see this."
Kakashi looked inquisitively at his two ninja hounds, before he ordered, "First, Akino go get Yui and Burra. Let them know Minori is found and safe." As the sunglass wearing dog dashed away, Kakashi turned to his son and the errant puppy, realizing neither of them had any clue that they had done anything wrong. "As for you two, come along, no getting out of my sight." Kakashi extended his hand to his son, who promptly moved to place his hand in his father's. Dai too trotted over to Kakashi.
"Papa, piggy bad! Piggy hurt Dai!" Minori explained as he gazed up at the face of his father.
"Yes son. The boar has little control. You and I will have to talk about that and we will have to set some more rules in place for you, now that you are older to help you with your control and to keep you safe."
"OK, Papa." Minori smiled, confident in Kakashi as they walked to Pakkun and then the four of them together walked behind the wall.
Once there, Kakashi stopped and held his son's hand in silence for a moment as Pakkun, Minori and Dai waited expectantly and the boar bellowed. Finally Kakashi exhaled with a soft whistle.
"See what I mean?" Pakkun quizzed.
"I certainly do." Kakashi replied before he ordered, "Pakkun, go get Naruto. And Yamato too. They will need to see this." Pakkun nodded and was gone, leaving Kakashi to await the arrival of his wife, his friend and the Seventh Hokage, Naruto.
Anticipating Yui's arrival, Kakashi stepped back to the front of the huge earthwork he had formed so his wife could see Minori was no worse for wear as she was entering the clearing. Soon he saw her approaching, riding the massive Buru like Kiba and the rest of his clan rode their ninja dogs. As fast as Yui was, her speed was no match for Buru's and so Buru was glad to carry her. The massive dog barely had time to stop before Yui flung herself from his back and was on her knees before Minori, scooping the child into her arms and burying her face in his hair as she hugged him.
"Oh Minori! You frightened me so!" Yui whispered as she hugged her son.
"Mama," Minori protested, "too tight!"
"Oh," the tearful Yui sputtered as she stood, Minori still in her arms, only to have Kakashi wrap his corded arms around all of them in a hug. Yui held Minori to her as she laid her cheek on her husband's shoulder, although she held the child a bit less tightly. As Minori observed his mother's tears, he began to question the situation.
"Mama," he reached to brush his mother's salty, damp cheek, "why crying?"
"Because I was frightened for you Minori. You are far too young to be wondering the village and forest alone."
"Not alone, Mama. With Dai." Minori replied looking questioningly at Yui, as Dai too yapped in response.
Before she replied, Yui looked to Kakashi. Her husband's eyes twinkled. She took a deep breath and replied "Well son, let's just say you are far too young to be out and about without Papa or me."
Minori processed again, tiny brows furrowing in thought. "So, no go with Guy-Guy, or Lee-Guy or Auntie Tennie or Unka?" Minori's concern was for the members of team Guy, and Yamato his favorite babysitters when work called both of his parents away from him at the same time.
Kakashi bit his lip to keep from grinning at the literalness of his son's analysis, and at the pinch of frustration it was causing for his wife. As Yui looked at him for help, Kakashi could no longer contain his grin and he released his wife from his arms and shrugged. Minori looked from one parent to the next for an answer to his question.
"No. . ." Yui shook her head, as Kakashi interceded.
"Son. For now the rule will be you may not leave the house without me or Mama or an adult we give you to, who will take care of you when we cannot, like Guy, Tenten, Lee or Tenzo. Understand?"
"Yes, Papa," came the solemn response. During the interchange, Urushi, Shiba, Bisuke, Uhei and Guruko made their way back to Kakashi, leaving Pakkun as the only member of the pack not in attendance. Dai was clearly fascinated by the older ninken and trekked his way around them busily, snuffling and yapping occasionally, much to their obvious annoyance. It was then Pakkun reappeared followed by Naruto, clad in a beige, high colored Chinese style shirt and green athletic pants, clearly his off duty clothing. Yamato, whose disciplined behavior often bordered on rigid, was in his ever present uniform. Naruto touched down first and Yamato followed looking at Kakashi for the reason they were summoned.
"Hey Kakashi sensei. What's up?" Naruto yawned as the boar bellowed. "Oh, you caught the boar! That's great!" Naruto smiled and then groused, "But that hardly warrants getting me out of bed on my only day off so far this month does it? I mean like. . .man. . .I was kinda looking forward to a rest. And you summoned Captain Yamato too."
Yamato, still looking as young as he had when he trained Naruto with Kakashi, minus the now pronounced lines around and bags under his eyes, shook his head. "Naruto, please. After years as Hokage. . . ." Yamato sighed, then continued, "no one wants to be called 'Captain' by the Hokage."
Naruto grinned, "But you will always be Captain Yamato to me, just like he," Naruto gestured with his chin to Kakashi, "will always be Kakashi sensei."
It was Kakashi's turn to shake his head at the banter, before beginning, "Well, it's just there is something you need to see. Minori and Dai had a bit of an adventure alone together this morning and, after I caught up with them, I found Minori had created something of interest."
Naruto and Yamato looked at each other as they followed Kakashi and Yui, still holding Minori, behind the wall.
There they were met by the sight of four huge trees, rising from the ground, their trunks forming the base of four sides of a massive cage, their limbs intertwined forming a gradient of wooden mesh, trapping and containing the still bellowing boar. As the boar bashed against the strong walls of timber, the green leaves sprouting from the tree limbs shook, but the cage did not give way.
"Well then," Yamato began.
"Geez," Naruto added. "Minori, did you do this?"
Fearing he had done something wrong, Minori hid his face in his mother's shoulder as Yui quietly prompted him to respond.
"Come son," Kakashi moved to take Minori from Yui. Kakashi set Minori's feet upon the ground. "Let's talk to Naruto and Uncle about how big you are getting." Minori, still looking a bit unsure held his father's hand as they moved closer to Naruto and Yamato. Yamato ruffled Minori's hair, setting the toddler more at ease before he walked over to examine the structure, infuriating the boar further.
"It certainly looks like wood style." Yamato finally declared.
"How about that." Naruto pronounced as he joined Yamato in an examination of the living cage.
"I thought as much," added Kakashi, "which is why I sent Pakkun for you two."
"Huh," Naruto pronounced again, as Yamato walked back to Kakashi and his family.
"Minori," Yamato prompted as he squatted down to see Minori face to face, "can you show me what happened here?"
"Piggy bad!" Minori answered. "Piggy need to calm down."
"Yes," Yamato responded as he placed his hand gently on Minori's shoulder, "there is no doubt the boar behaved badly and you were very brave."
Dai yapped and Kakashi bent to pat the pup on his head, "you too."
Yamato continued, "Can you show me what you did?"
Minori gazed at Yamato for a second before he smiled, "Yes Unka Yummy."
Naruto sputtered and exclaimed, "Unka Yummy?!" The Seventh Hokage giggled joyfully. "Well, Captain Yamato, since you object to me calling you 'Captain Yamato,' how about I substitute that!" Naruto burst into laughter again at the look on Yamato's face.
Kakashi bit his lip. There really were times when he missed his mask.
"Ahh come on!" Yamato protested before turning his attention back to Minori. "The Hokage is being silly Minori. Just show me."
Minori looked at his parents. Kakashi nodded, "it is all right son, just show him." Yui too nodded her reassurance.
Finally, Minori, satisfied that he was not in trouble, folded his chubby legs into a squat and reached down to the ground with his index finger. Closing his eyes he touched the dirt of the clearing with the tip of his index finger and then stood again. From the spot he touched a tree began to grow. Rapidly gaining height and mass, within seconds the tree had reached full maturity. When the tree was done growing, Minori looked up at Yamato and his father.
"Well done, son!" Kakashi exclaimed as Minori danced around on his toes, clapping and giggling as Dai pranced around him, pink tongue hanging from his mouth.
"I grow trees, Papa!"
"Yes you do Minori," Kakashi replied as he scooped his son into his arms for another hug before handing him back to Yui. "Why don't you keep Mama company for a bit?"
Yui smiled and sensing Kakashi's desire to talk to Yamato and Naruto, moved quickly to take Minori to the other side of the barrier wall to play, saying "son, why don't we go and see the dog faces Papa made on the other side of the wall?" as she traveled.
Naruto, Yamato and Kakashi stood deep in thought for a bit. Finally Yamato confirmed what they all knew. "It's definitely wood style. And at only two."
"Yes, Unka Yummy." Naruto cracked into laughter again, and this time Kakashi joined him.
"Not cut that out!" Yamato pleaded, standing in silence until the cackling Kakashi and Naruto finally grew quiet. "Well Kakashi, I'd say you have a bit of training to do with your son."
"Agreed," Kakashi replied, "But I was hoping you would guide him with the wood style." Naruto nodded.
"It would be my privilege," Yamato nodded.
"Thank-you, Unka Yummy." Naruto acknowledged before he burst out laughing once again, as did Kakashi. Poor Yamato sighed in his dejection at being teased yet again by the Sixth and Seventh Hokages. Adding insult to injury, Naruto added, "and by the way, could you take care of cleaning up for us?"
Yamato glowered at Naruto, and through gritted teeth replied, "I'd be happy to." Yamato bent to Minori's more recent tree and commanded, "Release." Like a film being played in reverse, the tree transitioned from a full grown mature tree, to a smaller young tree, to a sapling, to a seedling, to a sprout to a mere seed, and then it was gone, all in the space of seconds. Kakashi joined Yamato, clapping him on the back. As the ninja examined the cage Minori created, Kakashi volunteered, "I'll take care of the boar while you undo the wood style."
"Deal." Yamato replied, bending to release Minori's initial work which still restrained the boar. Naruto just grinned, watching his former teachers at work.
As Yamato commanded, "Release," Kakashi jumped into the air and unleashed a barrage of punches upon the boar's head. The massive squealing animal turned tail and ran toward the forest, Kakashi chasing him, until the Sixth Hokage was satisfied that the swine had fled far enough and had no intention of returning to the village. At that point, Kakashi simply kicked the beast in the hind quarters sending it flying on its way with a shout of, "And don't come back." One task finished, Kakashi returned to the clearing and, standing before the earthen work wall he had created, intoned, "Release." The wall promptly faded back into the dirt from which it came, reuniting the three senior ninja with the remaining members of the Hatake family and their pack.
Kakashi ambled over to his smiling Yui. "Yui, what chakra natures run in your family?"
"Well," Yui began with a slight hesitation remembering her beloved father, "my father, Toshiro had a wind nature,"
"Like me." Naruto interjected.
"Yes Lord Seventh, and he also mastered earth, lightening and a bit of water too. As for me, I have an earth nature,"
"Subordinate to my lightening," Kakashi teased.
Yui wrinkled her eyebrows and made a face at Kakashi before she sighed and smiled, "Yes my husband. My earth nature is subordinate to your lightening. Happy?"
"Infinitely," replied Kakashi with a wide grin as Yui continued,
"But water nature runs in my mother's family."
"I guess that history, coupled with Minori's healing power resulted in wood style." Kakashi concluded.
"It will be interesting to see what other abilities Minori manifests as he grows." Yamato observed.
"Yup." Naruto agreed as he approached Minori. "You are quite a surprise!" Naruto bent to Minori, extending his hand to the child, "Gimme five!" Minori jumped with glee and smacked Naruto's hand in a greeting, before giggling and running away to chase Dai and hug Buru.
At that moment, Kiba Inuzuka, accompanied by Akamaru appeared in the clearing. "There you are you trouble maker!" The master of the hounds shouted at Dai before greeting the ninja gathered in the clearing. "Hey Naruto, Captain Yamato, Kakashi sensei." Kiba then moved to Yui, bowing with a deep courtly bow, "My Lady." Yui smiled at Kiba. "And you, Minori," Kiba extended his fist to Minori who matched it with a fist bump of his own, before tearing off for still more giggles with Dai.
"I am sorry Kakashi if Dai troubled you again. It appears he has become a real nuisance." Kiba smiled widely while running his hands through his hair. Then, sharing in a conspiratorial voice he added, "My cousin to whom Dai was promised has even decided to wait for another pup from the next litter because Dai has been so much of a bother for us."
Yui beamed at Kakashi excitedly.
"Really?" Kakashi ever even replied as Dai raced to him followed by Minori.
"Yes sensei," Kiba laughed, fangs showing, "so if you would like to keep this trouble maker, you are welcome to him, otherwise I'll take him back to the veterinary hospital and put him in a kennel again."
Dai growled. Akamaru growled back. Then Pakkun put an end to it by smacking Dai in the head with a paw.
Kakashi could see Yui's excitement growing as both she and Minori were practically dancing in anticipation of Dai becoming part of their family.
"Well," Kakashi paused looking at his wife, "I suppose we can take him off your hands." Yui jumped in delight to wrap her arms around Kakashi in a hug and Dai jumped on Minori, knocking him to the ground in his excitement.
Pakkun moved swiftly to intervene, cuffing the pup on the side of the head again. As Dai began to growl the remaining members of Kakashi' pack closed ranks behind Pakkun. "Don't even think about it little one. You are part of our pack now, and you will learn to behave yourself. Kakashi is the boss, so you will do what he says. Same thing with Yui. If you step out of line for her you will answer to him." Pakkun gestured to the huge black Buru who punctuated Pakkun's instructions by leaning over Dai and growling, his jowly cheeks flapping past his long fangs in the process. For the first time, Dai backed down and took two steps backward. Pakkun continued, "I'm Kakashi's second in command, this pack answers to me. Your job will be to take care of Minori. If you have questions I will answer them. Otherwise, use good manners. Understand?"
"Dai understands," Minori interjected as he flopped down in the midst of his father's pack. Bisuke, closest to Minori nuzzled the boy who wrapped his arms around the smaller gentle eyed, long eared golden colored dog, before Dai sat on Minori's lap.
"Say, Kakashi sensei," Naruto observed, "Looks like you have a new member to your pack."
Kakashi, his arm around Yui's waist was observing Minori and Dai with the other members of his pack, "yes, Naruto. It appears that way."
"I hope you have better luck with that one than we did." Kiba grinned before Akamaru nosed him. Placing his hand on the huge hound's head, Kiba pronounced, "Dai's all yours now, Sensei." With that Kiba leaped astride Akamaru and the two dashed away back to the village.
"I suppose it's time we get back too, eh. . . ," Naruto paused, eyeing Yamato as Yamato cringed, anticipating yet more teasing from Naruto. But the Seventh Hokage simply continued, "Yamato?"
Yamato exhaled in relief. "Yeah, I suppose so," he replied as he strode over to Minori. Kneeling to wrap the child in a hug, Yamato advised, "I'll see you soon to start your training. OK?"
"OK!" Minori grinned as Yamato released him.
Yamato rose and bowed to Yui and Kakashi. Then he was gone.
"I guess I'm off too," Naruto advised. "Later!" Then he too was gone.
Yui stood with Kakashi's arm around her for a bit as she observed Minori with Dai and the rest of the pack. Then she rose on her toes to kiss Kakashi's cheek.
"What was that for?" Kakashi questioned.
"For being you." Yui smiled. "And for them." She nodded in the direction of Minori and the dogs.
Kakashi winked. "I suppose it did work out well," he replied as Yui smiled with deep dimples for her husband. Kakashi continued, "Come Minori, Dai. Let's go home. Pack, you are released." As the pack faded into white smoke, Kakashi slung Minori up to sit on his shoulders. Securing his son with one hand, his other hand holding his wife's, Kakashi shepherded his family and Dai homeward. As the family strolled through Konoha's gate and into the village they passed under a very large tree. This tree was the new home of a bottle cap sized mother jumping spider who was keeping watch over her egg sack while busily munching on very tender, very green leaves.
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