Chapter 9: The Uchihas
The rest of the day and night passed in a blur. Naruto diligently completed his homework with his new Sensei by his side. Mumei, on the other hand, spend his time pouring over battle plans. There was no way that he was going to make any mistakes, lose any of his precious people. He certainly couldn't allow any of the guilty Uchiha to survive. He pushed on through the night, burning the midnight oil.
It was nearing the next morning when a certain masked shinobi entered the dimly lit office. Mumei seemed oblivious to the man's silent entrance so Kakashi cleared his throat in an effort not to startle the older man again.
Mumei glanced upwards at the noise. He was not surprised to see Kakashi looming over the desk in disapproval. The man was always a bit of a mother hen.
"I think the plan is pretty solid," Kakashi said gently, "it's time to rest up."
"Naruto will be getting up soon," Mumei rebutted. There was no point in going to sleep when the young boy would rouse them from their slumber soon enough.
"Maybe he'll sleep in," the masked nin offered.
"Maybe the sun will not rise," Mumei deadpanned.
"I'll occupy him, you need to get some rest," Kakashi tried again.
"I think I'll be fine," the elder narrowed his eyes. He knew Kakashi was just worrying about the mission, not him. Mumei missed his older version of Kakashi, the one that genuinely loved and cared about him. The one that held him at night as he re-lived his comrades' deaths.
Kakashi had died late in the war, thankfully. Mumei wasn't sure if he could have made it through without his almost lover. The person of today definitely wouldn't have existed. As dark as he was, there was a much darker version that lurked under the surface.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the older man suspiciously. This wasn't the first time that the older man had drifted off into his thoughts. It seemed like a dangerous habit. His eyes were slightly glazed, like he was eons away. He raised a foot to step forward, but before he could, blazing blue eyes pierced straight through him. His foot returned to its exact position, his muscles tensing in preparation of an attack.
Upon recognizing Kakashi, Mumei's eyes softened. He raised his hands placatingly and stepped around the desk. He stepped around to the younger shinobi and placed his hand on Kakashi's tense shoulder.
"You're right, I'll sleep for a few hours," he murmured gently.
Kakashi softened at the touch. Something about it felt familiar… comforting. Like he never wanted it to end. Just as quickly as it had come, the touch was gone and the other nin had disappeared up the stairs to the master, silent as a ghost.
Mumei fell gracefully onto the king-sized bed, his limbs spread making him look like a starfish. Facts and figures of the Uchiha Clan ran through his head. He was never able to sleep before a big mission. At least he had the entire day with Naruto to distract him. Blue eyes blinked a few slow times before they fell closed.
Sleep did not come easy. Dreams of the past, or more accurately, the future, wracked his dreams. He saw his comrades die over and over. Each death-bringing blow, each dying breath, played again and again in his head. It was like he was above the fray, watching helplessly as each precious person was slaughtered.
Then there was Kakashi. How many times had he seen the man die now? A hundred? A thousand? It seemed endless. He had stared into his lifeless eyes so many times Mumei was sure it was all he could see from now on. Nothing but those glazed over dark gray and red eyes. It felt like his heart was pounding so fast it would burst. Never before had he felt such distress.
A scream ripped out of his throat, his body bolting upright. Mumei's eyes ripped open. His chest heaved rapidly, like he had run himself to exhaustion. His belly bubbled, threatening to overflow. He clenched his eyelids tightly together, willing the images to go away.
Kakashi and Naruto had been practicing some chakra control techniques when the heard the gut-wrenching scream from upstairs. Both man and boy sprinted up the stairs. Kakashi's superior leg length as well as stamina and speed allowed him to arrive much faster than Naruto. He contemplated shutting the door for a millisecond before dismissing the thought. It would only cause distress to all parties involved.
Before him the blond haired man seemed to be having a panic attack. He was breathing heavily, eyes screwed shut in anguish. Kakashi approached carefully, not wanting to startle the other man.
"It's me," he whispered as his hand came in contact with the blond man's shoulder. A shudder raced through Mumei's body.
"Please," the other man gasped almost silently.
Kakashi eased himself onto the bed beside Mumei and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. A chill ran through both of their bodies. It was if lightning had struck where the two bodies came into contact. Both shivered.
Mumei's body tensed but slowly relaxed into the contact. Just as the blond had sagged into the other man's grasp, Naruto burst through the doorway. He pounced onto the bed and draped himself on the elder Namikaze.
"Are you okay, nii-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled by his uncle's shirt.
"Hai, Taiyou-chan. It was just a nightmare," he reassured. Naruto's head popped up, a puzzled look on his face.
"Nightmares are bad though. There is no such thing as just a nightmare," the boy lectured. Mumei chuckled in response.
"You're right, little one."
Kakashi removed his arms from around the other shinobi, slightly uncomfortable about this situation. It wasn't like him to comfort people. He was a killer through and through. Ever since his father had died he didn't comfort anyone about anything. This new man was certainly strange; he made him feel like he needed to protect him from everything bad in the world. He had felt similarly about Rin, Obito, and Sensei, but they were all dead now.
Just as Kakashi seemed to have started a depressive spiral, Naruto, that lovely sunshine boy, pulled him back to the present. The child was dragging his uncle by the hand, urging him to get out of bed so they could play.
"Now Naruto, have you started your reading for the day?"
"Yes nii-chan!" the child twittered happily.
"Did you finish your reading?" Mumei added.
"No, nii-chan," the boy sighed as if he were being given a life sentence.
"Maybe we can try a jutsu today since you've been working so hard."
"Really?!" the boy leapt up and down excitedly, his distaste for reading long forgotten in the wake of excitement.
"After your reading," Mumei singsonged back at Naruto.
"Fine," Naruto replied with a staged pout that held back a face-splitting grin.
Before his uncle could change his mind, Naruto sped out of the room and down the stairs to work on his reading and writing assignments for the day. Mumei rolled his eyes playfully at the child's antics.
An awkward tension filled the air in the child's wake. The adults shifted uncomfortably.
"You can talk about it if you want..." Kakashi trailed off uncouthly.
"I…" Mumei started before cutting himself off. He arranged the words very carefully as to not give anything away. "It was about my friends dying. A… precious person died in my arms."
A shiver ran down Kakashi's spine; far too similar to his situation. To have those that you loved die in your arms was by far the worst punishment he had ever faced. It was a cruel, unimaginable fate.
"I'm sorry," the copy nin breathed, "I know how that feels."
Mumei bit off the 'I know' that followed. This was neither the time nor place to reveal how much he knew about Kakashi's situation. Instead of responding to the other man, Mumei rose to his feet.
"Best not leave Naruto waiting long. He has a tendency to get into trouble," Mumei urged, walking out the door. He finally let the emotions he was concealing tear across his face. Anguish. Fear. Torment. Happiness. Anger. Terror. They all took their turns as he proceeded down the staircase. As he reached the bottom he had composed himself. Mumei donned his mask, a soft smile with eyes that could never seem to match. They were hardened by grief, so much that it could seemingly never be dulled.
Kakashi proceeded down the stairs after the strange man. Nothing seemed to bite through the tough exterior that Mumei portrayed. So far only a threat to Naruto and nightmares had managed to make their way through. Admittedly, both of those things would also get to him. Kakashi decided then that he wanted to make the other man emote over him, too. Wait, what? he thought. I don't want him to anguish over me, one side pulled, while the other screamed yes you do! You want him to love you like he loves the boy!
Kakashi was perplexed. He had missed the love and compassion of people in his life shortly after they had died, but it had been a long time since he was close to anyone. He had pushed away anyone and everyone that he could potentially care about in an act of self-preservation. Now here he was, wishing to fall into good graces with some strange man he knew next to nothing about. Part of him wanted to turn tail and run; the other half wanted to nestle down into the warmth of the feeling.
He settled for somewhere in between. Kakashi would not seek contact but he would welcome it. It had been a long time since he had been affectionately touched. His skin ached for it. An accidental brush of a hand would be enough, at least, that's what he thought. Just a touch. Maybe a rustle of hair like the older man was so fond of doing to his young charge. Now he was getting ahead of himself.
So wrapped up in his own thoughts, Kakashi had not noticed Mumei stop at the doorway into the kitchen. He stood maybe an inch away from the elder's back. Heat radiated off of the blond like a furnace. Kakashi wanted to reach out and warm his hands on the flame. He breathed in, then out, and then took a step back. Sunshine, blood and steel. Kakashi paused. He had smelled that somewhere before.
Mumei stopped in the doorway to watch his younger self work for a while. Nothing could have prepared him for Kakashi stopping short behind him. The young man was always attentive to his surroundings, it was unusual for him to be caught unawares. He expected the copy nin to jump away, but instead he paused and inhaled his scent. Very strange for such an aloof shinobi.
Like a strike of lightning, the memory came back to Kakashi.
He was outnumbered ten to one. His comrades were all dead. Sparrow. Leopard. Stork. Somehow he pushed forward, managing to overcome such odds, seeking revenge for his team's deaths. Kakashi pulled out all the stops, using his Sharingan to its full potential. However, he was on his last chidori. He felt his arm rip through a shinobi's body and then it all went black.
Consciousness tickled his nose and eyes. Or was that… hair. There was hair in his eyes. Deep black hair was making his skin tingle where it touched. Oh how it hurt to breathe. But, something about the smell made him never want to stop inhaling. It smelled good. Like a fulfilling life. Sunshine. It represented good and warmth. Steel. A trusty blade. Blood. A product of his work as a shinobi. All in all, it smelled like, well, home. Comforted by the warmth on his chest and the smell in his nostrils, Kakashi slipped back into unconsciousness.
The smell of home tugged Kakashi by his silver locks and back into the present. He was laying on a hospital bed. The smell of antiseptic wafted through the room followed immediately by that mysterious smell. His eyes darted quickly around the room, seeking its source. He found his quarry sitting in a chair in the corner of his room.
A very plain man who he had not seen before was seated next to his hospital bed. He reached for his hitai-ate which sat on the table next to the bed and placed it over his sharingan eye. Narrowing his gray eye, he took in the sight before him. The man was, well, average. His chakra seemed average, his face was average, his eyes were average, his black hair was average. Nothing about him stood out.
Not a single scar marred his average face, leaving nothing for a memory to attach to. His hair was similar to Minato-sensei's. It stuck out at odd angles on the top and two locks of hair lept smoothly over the standard headband and framed his face. Home man was cute. Wait, did I just think that? He startled. There was absolutely nothing extraordinary about him. How the hell could he find him attractive?
It was probably tied to his scent. Kakashi's sense of smell was very well-developed, better than that of an Inuzuka. It must have been the scent that drew Kakashi to this stranger.
Suddenly, he realized that he had no shirt on. His sleeveless shirt was attached to his mask, therefore he was maskless! His hands flew to his face, but found a mask there already. Kakashi felt like he was going crazy for not the first time that day.
His sharp movement seemed to awaken the stranger, as brown-black eyes snapped open. They blinked owlishly and the man stood quickly. It took all the strength in Kakashi's body to keep from reaching out and grabbing the man's hand to force him back into the chair. What is wrong with me today? I'm definitely going crazy or this is a dream.
"Who are you?" he decided was a good line of questioning.
"Uh... Mumei," the stranger replied. Mumei? That was a dumb name.
"Ne, why are you in my hospital room, Mumei."
"I don't know, Hatake-san. I just wanted a place to take a nap. I'll be seeing you," he replied, raising his hand in a salute before quickly performing a Shunshin and disappearing in smoke.
That was weird. Not so average afterall.
Kakashi grabbed hold of the lapels of the blond man's flak jacket and whirled him around and against the wall several feet from the doorjamb. He leaned in close.
"I know who you are," he whispered fiercely.
Mumei froze. It wasn't possible that Kakashi knew everything, was it? He had been careful! Only jiji knew about his true identity and even then the old man could barely believe it. It wasn't possible that Kakashi had figured it out in only a few days. Simply not possible. He relaxed his tensed muscles and leaned back into the wall, allowing Kakashi to elaborate before he jumped to any more conclusions.
"I know that you saved me in the woods," Kakashi loomed.
"I was just passing through on my way to Konoha and saw you laying there. You were the only one left alive so I just brought you back to the hospital. You can ask Kotetsu and Izumo if you don't believe me," Mumei responded nonchalantly. The blond shinobi tried to avoid staring at Kakashi's lips as they moved. They were so tantalizing, so close he could almost taste them. Cold fingers of a shudder teased their way down his spine. His shoulders trembled slightly in the effort of pushing down the shiver.
"Why were you in my room?" Kakashi pressed.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he replied sheepishly.
"How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you're not some kind of spy that has brainwashed the Hokage?" Kakashi brought his face closer to the Namikaze's, their foreheads almost brushing.
Mumei brought his left hand up very slowly in a non-threatening fashion. His fingertips kissed the base of Kakashi's skull as his thumb traced the small naruto spiral.
"I don't lie. Not to you. Not to my family," Mumei intoned, his hand still gently cupping Kakashi's head. His eyes couldn't refrain any longer. They jumped down to Kakashi's concealed mouth. Mumei licked his lips longingly before he could catch himself.
Kakashi was rather confused. For a genius such as himself, he was not often as lost as he was right now. This man, this practical stranger, was calling him family. This man that he felt himself inexplicably drawn to. This unknown Namikaze that apparently was as drawn to him as he was to the blond.
Gloved hands slowly pulled away from their clenched handholds in Mumei's flak jacket. He made no move to back off from his position, chest to chest with the object of his ruminations. To be perfectly honest, he was fascinated. Mumei was a puzzle wrapped in a puzzle. There were so many layers to that man he had no idea where to start. At least he had found one end of the proverbial ball of twine. Now he just had to unravel it and see what was at the center. Whether there an explosive tag or a pleasant surprise, he would have to wait and see.
Kakashi inhaled deeply one time and then pulled away, taking a full step backwards.
"My apologies," he muttered before turning tail and stalking off to think on what this meant for him. He needed to understand fully what Mumei currently was to him. He didn't know who he was let alone his place in this stranger and his nephew's life.
Mumei slumped against the wall in stunned silence. Kami-sama he was a wreck. Who let him fall in love with such a broody man-child? It must have been his friends. His crush hadn't exactly been a secret towards the end. It was hard to keep secrets when everyone was dying. People said what they had to say in case they never got the chance; except of course it was to the one person they should be saying it to.
Composing himself, Mumei pushed off from the wall and made his way back to his younger self as if nothing had happened. Yes, this, he was good at. Pretending everything was all right. Inside, he was afraid. He was terrified Kakashi would leave his Hokage-assigned post. He was overwrought that the man may leave him. Again. No, this was different. Kakashi hadn't died in his arms, he had caught him. He knew the truth. Part of the truth, anyways.
He knew he would eventually have to tell Kakashi the whole truth, let him see the future. Oh how he wanted to protect the man he loved but he had made a vow. He would never lie to Kakashi and that man was extraordinarily bright. He would start asking questions soon enough.
Mumei came to a halt next to Naruto. The boy was sat at the breakfast nook diligently working through his reading and writing assignments. The promise of a jutsu really did wonders on his work ethic. The elder Namikaze sat down next to his young charge to assist him in his hard work. This was good. Something to keep his mind off of Kakashi.
Kakashi sat high in a tree out in the training yard. This was his favorite spot as a boy and it was still his favorite spot as a man. In his hand was a book on the history of assassination but he was too preoccupied by his thoughts to do much reading. His eyes skimmed the pages but did not register the words.
Who was Mumei? Well, the facts he knew were slim. The man claimed to be a Namikaze. When he saw him in the woods and the hospital room he had a henge on. The henge could have been for a number of reasons. The man looked strikingly like the fourth Hokage, he likely did not want to be questioned.
Why hadn't he come forward sooner? The man seemingly came out of nowhere. One day he simply showed up. He could have come for Naruto the night his parents died, the night of the Kyuubi attack. Or at the very least soon after. Why wait so many years? Where had the man been for all those years?
There were so many questions and so few answers. He compiled a list of everything he knew about Namikaze Mumei.
Trusted by the Hokage. Proficient in henges. Proficient in fuuinjutsu. Proficient in Futon techniques. Jounin level. No record in Bingo book. Adores Naruto. Cares for and trusts Kakashi. Went through a tragic event that ended in the loss of many precious people.
He knew everything that matters and yet absolutely nothing at all. What had happened to that man to give him nightmares like he had?
Kakashi growled and tried to concentrate on his book. Oh, he was an an interesting part about kekkei genkai and their uses in assassinations. Interesting and relevant to him.
But what was it about the man that drew him in. I guess there's no reading today, Kakashi thought with a resigned sigh. He snapped the book shut after noting the page he was on and slipped it into his weapons pouch.
Something about his smell reminded him of home. Was it because of his youth as a child soldier? Did blood and steel really remind him of safety and happiness? It couldn't be. What a confusing situation. He felt drawn yet repulsed. He knew nothing about this man, why would Kakashi be so intrigued? Was it because he was a puzzle to solve? Was he that damaged?
When Mumei and Naruto exited the kitchen door to the training grounds, Kakashi pulled out his book again; he didn't want to appear as if he was watching them. In reality, his full attention was on the Namikaze duo.
Naruto was settled on the ground in front of his uncle, a look of concentration adorned his youthful face. Something about that child with his gemstone eyes and firey golden hair had wedged him deep in Kakashi's heart. Maybe it was the child's parentage that made Kakashi hold him in such high esteem. No… that was a disservice to the boy. He was his own person, his own brilliant shining light.
Mumei carefully instructed the child in a series of hand seals that he could scarcely see from his position in the tree as the man's broad back was turned towards him.
Naruto mimicked his teacher with clunky hand seals, truly attempts of an unpracticed child. Kakashi sometimes wished that he hadn't graduated from the academy so young. His childhood was wasted in a pool of blood. He was who he was because of his history, though, so he could not begrudge his deceased father and sensei.
Tiger → Boar → Ox → Dog → Snake
Kawarimi no Jutsu. A fitting first technique for a child. It was one of the three jutsus taught in the Academy. However, it was unusual for a child to start learning techniques at such a young age. Typically the younger years were spent on conditioning the body, assuring that the youth would stay in prime condition to fight their future battles.
The child flipped through the seals one at a time, gradually growing faster in his attempts. His hands grew surer and more deft with each passing try. Mumei brought over a log and placed it several feet in front of the boy. It was obvious that he wanted him to switch places with the log. Logs were by far the easiest item to substitute places with. Trees were plentiful in the forest and a log or stick would be easy to locate within the outskirts of Konoha. Some worshipped the log for its life-granting abilities, its usefulness in the face of adversity. Kakashi did not quite worship, but he did appreciate its usefulness. Kawarimi no Jutsu had saved his ass on multiple occasions.
A tidal wave of chakra rushed from the boy in all directions. The hairs on Kakashi's entire body stood on end. He certainly had powerful reserves but not nearly enough control. That was something they would definitely have to work on before he learned another Jutsu. Kawarimi was harmless enough, but overpowering any other Jutsu could have devastating effects.
Kakashi watched idly as Naruto practiced and Mumei supervised. Or rather, Mumei sat crisscross a few meters behind the log with his eyes shut. He seemed to be meditating but Kakashi could feel his surprisingly vast reserves of chakra washing over everything. The foreign chakra caressed his skin, floated through the trees and between every blade of grass.
He assumed that the Namikaze was investigating every cranny of what he now called his own. In reality, Mumei was enjoying the feeling of his chakra interacting with Kakashi's. He has missed the playful banter of the Hatake's white chakra against his own red/blue mixture. It was a pleasant feeling that filled him with warmth. He wondered if Kakashi felt the same about their mingled essence.
Kakashi flicked through his book with practiced ease. He had never felt this good reading a book before. His entire body felt alight with happiness. It was an odd sensation. All at once, the feeling dissipated. Mumei stood up and began practicing katas instead of meditating.
Kakashi paused on his page. Was that warm feeling because of Mumei's chakra? How very odd, he thought. He had not felt happy like that in a very long time. Not since his team had died. Maybe even before that, when his father was still alive. Either way, it was something he had not encountered in many years. Another thing to add to his list of questions and facts. Very potent chakra.
The copy nin watched the other man very carefully from his perch. His style was fluid and graceful but very unpredictable. It appeared to be a combination of academy style, frog kata and a mixture of other styles that he had seen only from comrades. A very odd man indeed. Where had he picked up moves from Maito Gai? Another question and fact. Proficient in several styles of taijutsu.
The rest of the day passed quickly and it became time for Itachi to drop Sasuke off. A booming ring pierced the air alerting the compound's inhabitants that the Uchiha brothers had arrived. Naruto raced enthusiastically for the gate while Mumei followed at a more sedate pace. Kakashi chose to enter the house and lounge on the couch with his book.
"Took you long enough!" Naruto yelled as he bounced up and down by the seal gate.
"You can open this too, but never do it without an adult, okay?" Mumei told the boy. Naruto's eyes widened with excitement.
"Really?!" he shouted for all to hear. If Mumei wasn't sure that the sound barrier was in place he would have been sure that all of Konoha could have heard his screech.
"Yes, but remember! Never without an adult!" Mumei reiterated.
"Okay! Can I let them in now?" the boy continued, now bounding around in a circle around his uncle.
"Sure. You just bite your finger to draw blood, then place it on the matrix," he guides charge, miming the movements that he would need to perform.
Naruto quickly bit his finger, unconcerned by the pain and places his tiny palm over the matrix as his uncle had. The gate swung open and Itachi and Sasuke appeared on the other side.
Itachi was wearing his ANBU gear, obviously ready to leave from the compound to carry out their deadly task once Sasuke was settled in. The boy, on the other hand, was dressed in a light blue tunic with the Uchiha emblem on the back. Black shorts completed the look. Mumei was taken aback. He didn't remember Sasuke being this adorable as a child. He only could remember the angry brooding boy that has lost his entire family. He decided that he liked this version of his brother-in-bond much better.
Sasuke's mouth dropped open in awe. He had never seen such intricate seal work before! For an entire compound to appear invisible was incredible to him. His grasp on his brother's hand tightened. Sasuke didn't exactly have any friends and he was hesitant to make a new one.
Naruto pranced over to his age-mate and gave him a beaming grin.
"Do you wanna play ninja?" he inquired hopefully.
Sasuke's eyes widened again. Ninja was his favorite game. He wanted to be just like his big brother when he grew up and that meant lots of practice. He glanced up at his brother in silent question.
"Go on," Itachi said with a smile.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's other hand and dragged him out into the training field.
"Now then, Itachi-san, shall we head inside?" Mumei inquired of the 12-year-old.
Itachi responded with a nod of his head and the duo proceeded into the house. They were greeted by Kakashi with a silent wave of his hand. Quietly the three of them entered the fuuinjutsu room turned war room. Mumei created a shadow clone to keep an eye on the youngsters while the shinobi got down to business.
Mumei bit his finger and put his hand on a seal matrix on the wall. A sound barrier glowed to life around the chamber.
"Do you have the full list?" he inquired of the pre-teen.
"Hai," Itachi responded. He withdrew a scroll from a pouch and unrolled it on the desk. "I will take care of any new additions as I know where they live."
"Very well. Kakashi and I will each take care of our third. Are you sure you want to take your father's life?" Mumei asked, concerned about Itachi's mental health after the fact.
"He has brought our entire clan shame. I will be glad to be rid of him," the boy-turned-man answered, completely monotone.
Mumei was concerned about the young ANBU member; it was not a simple task to kill a loved one.
"I can take care of him just as easily," he offered.
"No, he is my responsibility," Itachi said with narrowed eyes.
"Okay, okay," Mumei placated with raised hands and a smile. "Let's finish up these plans so we can check on those boys."
The soon-to-be-assassins finished up their game plan and went over it several times. They would leave at midnight. Kakashi was to take care of the on duty and off duty police officers that has decided to take part in the coup. Mumei's targets were the council members. Itachi had the responsibility of taking the life of his father and the other shinobi that were part of the plot.
"Aaah perfect timing! The kids just dismissed my shadow clone," Mumei chuckled as they finished up going over the plan.
"How did they manage that," Kakashi chortled back.
"Some team sparring and a well-placed kunai it seems," he volleyed back with a sparkle in his eye. He had been sparring at genin level which made it impressive that the two young boys had managed to get a hit in.
Mumei disappeared with a seal-less Shunshin and appeared out next to the boys.
Kakashi rolled his eyes at his partner's sudden disappearance.
"He gets a little excited about training," he informed Itachi.
"I see that. He trapped us in the sound barrier," Itachi said, quite amused.
Kakashi laughed and bit a finger, placing his hand on the matrix.
"Don't worry, I'm coded in," Kakashi reassured him. "Now then, let's go see what treats he's promised them for their achievements."
"He does realize two sugar-high kids don't fit into our battle plan, right?" Itachi inquired nervously.
"Aah they'll be fine. They'll come down off the sugar high and pass out for the whole night."
"You sound like you've experienced this before," Itachi asked now even more worried.
"Mumei's thing is rewards through treats. I don't know where he gets it from," Kakashi laughed.
"We better hurry then," Itachi urged.
The duo disappeared in a Shunshin and appeared behind the excited trio.
"This means Anmitsu for dinner!" Mumei told them excitedly.
The boys hopped up and down in excitement for their sweet reward. Sasuke's eyes caught sight of his older brother and he raced over to meet him.
"Did Mumei-san tell you? We dispelled his clone!" Sasuke informed his brother proudly.
"Well done!" Itachi praised the boys.
"Let's go eat dinner!" Mumei encouraged the group.
"Yaaay!" the boys cheered.
Kakashi rolled his eyes again while Itachi looked on in amusement. Mumei sprinted for the house with the kids close behind him, running as fast as their short little legs could take them.
Translation Time
Kawarimi no Jutsu = Substitution Technique
Anmitsu = a dessert made of agar jelly
I'm so sorry that last update took me so long! I've been a little wrapped up with some personal stuff and you guys got the short end of the stick. I can't promise it won't happen again, but I do have up to chapter 12 written.
