Hey! I've almost finished chapter 11, so here's chapter 10! We've hit double digits!
Remember, Obito's not dead and stuff will be explained in the next few chapters.
Special thanks to: VampireDoll666, nightwing5723, Prescripto13, and XJackiefrostX who left awesome reviews.
010. Loved
Thirteen years old
Kushina really, really overdid it sometimes. Kakashi sat there, his uncovered eye dangerously close to twitching as the woman babbled his ear into oblivion. Minato had scurried off hours before, excusing himself with some paperwork, though his sly smirk told he boy there was something the blond was not telling him, and had left him with the important task of guarding his now very pregnant wife.
"—And then he went 'oh yeah?' and I told him something like 'of course, 'tebanne!' because really, how could he not see that I'm much more powerful than him or any of his little pussies he calls jounin associates, when I made it very clear the day I made him eat dirt when we were in the academy? Oh, Kaka-chan have I told you about my days at the academy? I mean, you didn't have much time toenjoyitbecauseyou're blahblahblahblahblah"
The boy forced himself to drown out the sound of his teacher's wife parroting the exact same speech she had given no less than twenty-six minutes ago. He looked at her swollen stomach instead, wondering if the child was, too, growing tired of his mother's pregnancy brain and motor-mouth.
He briefly considered him being just like his mother; a little person with blond or red hair, grabbing Kakashi's hair like it was a monkey bar and telling every detail about a caterpillar or the like he didn't give a fuck about. Kakashi shuddered.
After ten minutes of half-listening to Kushina's yapping, he got his little notebook out of his pocket. It had recently been dyed green, instead of the white he usually had with him, and looking at it renewed his desire to punch Gai in the mouth. He wrote his message and showed it to the woman, who eyed it for a second before snatching the slip from him and throwing it to the low coffee table, her mouth never stopping.
Kakashi grimaced under his mask and tried again, and again, and again, but all his messages ended the same way.
Hours later, when the sun had fallen, Minato tiptoed back into his home, expecting to find Kushina asleep and Kakashi fighting against the heaviness of his eyelids, and stopped short in the middle of his living room.
The boy was half sprawled over Kushina's lap, his position too awkward to have been natural, mask away from his face, mouth slightly open in his slumber. The redhead looked at him almost adoringly, a sad smile drawn on her lips, one hand combing through silver hair and the other supporting Kakashi's hip so he wouldn't fall on the floor. She didn't look up when Minato got closer.
The man noticed the numerous pages scattered across the table, and didn't need to read any to know what had happened.
"Just because he physically can't tell you to stop talking doesn't mean you should ignore his pleas." He admonished gently. Taking the chance, he took a seat next to his wife, pulling the other half of Kakashi's body into his own lap so the teen would not be in the danger of falling off the couch anymore.
She smiled. "Don't be silly, Minato, I know that." Her smile drooped a bit, the hand that had been supporting the boy resting on her belly. "But he's a good listener. And something tells me Naruto will need a good listener. I'm just getting his ears ready." Her grin turned devious at this point.
"Kakashi needs someone to listen, too. He can't speak, Kushina, but you know he says a lot. Especially as of late."
All traces of a smile were wiped off Kushina's face, and both her hands cupped Kakashi's head. Despite the bulge that should have stopped her, she leaned down to press her forehead to the teen's. "I'm sorry I'm a pain in the ass sometimes, Kashi. Minato's right. I will listen more closely now. And you should tell me more. Teach me hand language, too, because I can barely read your stupid doodles, it's like rocks taught you how to write."
"He'll throw those rocks at you if you say that to him while he's awake."
She ignored him. "And you can always come to me with problems, you brat. I know you have been starving yourself since Obito got sick. It wasn't your fault, idiot, anyone with brains can see that."
"The council doesn't." muttered Minato angrily.
"That's what I said, Minato." She chided. "Anyway. Just come to me with your problems. I'll hear you. Or read what you write, whatever. You're like our son, so we worry a lot. Don't make us worry anymore, or I'll throw you to Tsunade-san for a check-up and you won't like it."
It was Minato's turn to smile.
And Kakashi slumbered on.
Yay for angry pregnant Kushina who has feelings nonetheless! Just wanted a picture with Kakashi and his family after Sakumo died and Jiraiya began taking longer missions (pre-leaving Konoha completely).