Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Sadly.
Tag, you're it!
By Amaryllis Namikaze
Chapter 4
Two days after Kori spoke for the first time to Kakashi, said man was invited by his friends to a picnic in the afternoon, since tomorrow was August 28th and Raido's birthday. Taking into account that all components of the group of friends weren't away doing missions, they decided to celebrate one day early.
Kakashi still hadn't told anyone about the adoption and since he didn't go out – except to buy Kori's new wardrobe -, no one really knew. He was a little nervous.
Kakashi always was the "weirdo" of the group. He graduated before any of his friends at age four and actually met them just at Obito and Rin's graduation, when they were put in Team Minato. Before Obito's death, he was a prick, a smartass, an annoying preteen. After that, he was a little lost about everything and just when he was coming to terms, his sensei died. He buried himself in missions and in the next two years rarely saw his friends rarely.
Kakashi sighed. Yet, they invited me… The silver-haired felt a little bad for keeping such good friends away. I guess I'll always be a prick, smartass, and annoying person. Wearing his usual Jounin uniform, Kakashi went to Kori's room. From his own bedroom he could see the ex-guest room across the hallway – consequently, he could see the little blonde sitting on the floor and drawing. Just recently the silver-haired man discovered that Kori liked to draw as much as her mother did.
"Right, Kori-chan. I was invited to go to a picnic, would you like to come?" Not that it was an option, since the toddler couldn't stay alone. Well, she could stay at the Hokage Tower, but the Sandaime probably was busy.
Kori looked at him with her big blue eyes, clutching her teddy bear with her left arm. They were inseparable, Kakashi discovered. Her pink lips trembled hesitantly, as she did when said "Thank you" two nights ago. For some reason, Kakashi felt slightly proud when she decided that it was safe to speak.
"Can Momo go too?" she asked in her sweet, quiet voice.
"Who's Momo?" Kakashi was intrigued.
She said nothing more, showing her teddy bear – who apparently was Momo. Kakashi asked himself why someone would name a teddy bear Momo, i.e., peach.
"Of course Momo can." Did he really say that? Kami-sama, the things he does for the child's happiness. "But you need to change from your pajamas to pretty clothes first, 'kay?"
As always, Kori refrained from talking, just nodding her blond-haired head. After ten minutes they were already at training ground 21, which was empty and had one of the most beautiful views, being on top of the Hokage Mountain. When they arrived, Kakashi immediately sweat dropped: his friends were crazy.
Mitarashi Anko was devouring dangos – what's new? -, while Yuuhi Kurenai looked at the scene eyed-wide. Namiashi Raido was sitting in a red towel with a bored face; Shiranui Genma and Sarutobi Asuma were grinning madly around him, making Raido wear a birthday pink hat. Gekkou Hayate and Uzuki Yuugao were cheering for Maito Gai, who was making a crazy dance that contained shouts of "YOUTHFUL BIRTHDAY!" or "HAPPY YOUTHFULLNESS, MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND!" very loud.
Kori grabbed his hand with her own free tiny hand. Kakashi couldn't blame her: he was a little afraid too.
"Oh, my fucking God, the antisocial came!" Anko screamed, even stopping her eat-all-dango-you-can-lonely-contest. Everybody looked with wide eyes at Kakashi, much like Kurenai was looking at the crazy, purple-haired kunoichi before.
"Well, it is Raido's birthday." Kakashi said, the only visible eyebrow up.
"Your excuse for the other years?" Yuugao crossed her arms, asking simply. Kakashi winced: had he really expected his friends to be on good terms with him?
"Give the man a break, babes. He was in ANBU." Genma told them, chewing on his senbon. He threw a quick smile to the silver-haired Jounin.
"Did. You. Just. Call. Me. Babe?" Before Anko could go berserk on Genma, Asuma spoke.
"There's a blue mini-person on your leg, Kakashi."
Even Anko stopped to look. Kori was wearing a blue, summer dress and her mid-back length hair was in blonde twin pigtails. She looked small and cute, even more when she held her, hem, Momo like that.
"KAWAII!" Yuugao, Anko and Kurenai exclaimed, forgetting that they were proud – sometimes scary – kunoichi. However, Kori didn't smile, just grabbed Kakashi's leg more tightly.
Kakashi smiled sheepishly for Kori shy behavior. "Her name's Uzumaki Kori. I adopted her last week."
Everyone present got serious. They knew who Kori was – be it because of her tenant, or be it because of her ridiculously strong resemblance to the Yondaime. Not everybody knew that the Hokage's wife was pregnant, but it would be stupid not realize who Kori was by just looking at her.
"I thought she was almost three years old." The Kyuubi incident occurred almost three years, Raido meant to say.
"She will be in October. Kori is small, right, chibi?" It occurred. She had suffered from abuse. Kakashi eye-smiled to the toddler. The group of friends glanced at each other and then at the poor, tense kid. She was obviously expecting something bad to happen.
"Hey, chibi-san, I'm Yuugao." Said woman introduced herself, offering a hand. Kori hesitantly took it.
"She doesn't speak much, but can understand all we say." Kakashi explained. "Isn't that right, chiisai?" Once again, he continued to ask questions even when Kori wouldn't answer out loud, it was becoming a habit of his.
Kakashi didn't realize the fond nickname that he gave to the blond-haired kid, but Kori certainly did.
"'m not tiny." She murmured.
"What?" Kakashi hadn't listened. But his friends did, since they were covering their mouths to stop chuckles.
"You called me chiisai. I'm not tiny." Kori clutched Momo tighter, as if afraid that the silver-haired man would hit her. The eyes of everybody present softened at the sight. Poor kid.
Kakashi scooped Kori up, holding her almost like she was clutching her teddy bear. He smiled. "Are you sure? You don't even reach my hip."
She shook her head. She wasn't tiny, Kori was sure.
They had a good afternoon, eating and talking. Kakashi was finally back amongst his circle of friends, he felt good. No one asked about the little blonde babyhood, they could deduce.
And Kori didn't speak again, but Kakashi couldn't care less – she had spoken more than in days.