Chapter 25

Lose Some, Win Some

"What are you doing?"

Nai looked over her shoulder at Kakashi and smiled, "I'm butterfly catching with the children."

The man raised a brow and she hit him playfully. He looked out over the children and noticed that Sasuke was among them, a very light smile on his face. He then noticed the butterflies themselves; they were so white that they were glowing. "What kind of…?" he started.

"They are indigenous to Kumo. During the day they are simply white, at night they glow. We call them honey lights. Just a nickname because they like honey, their real name is Cho Akio."

Kakashi kept staring at her, "Do they mean anything?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it means Bright Manly Butterfly." She paused to pick up and brush off a fallen child before sending her on her way and continuing, "Normally the idea of a man being manly is that he's a protector. When you give one to somebody it means they will be watched over no matter what."

Kakashi watched silently as she put a very small amount of honey on her finger, "Close your eyes."

He smiled behind his mask, "What are you going to do?"

"Stop questioning me Kushi."

The man did as he was told, closing his mismatched eyes and feeling the cloth of his mask being pulled down to just under his nose. He felt something cold before he felt something tingly, "Open your eyes,"

The glow wasn't bright enough to cause discomfort. It was soft and made him think of Nai's eyes when she activated her gift. He gently shooed the butterfly away and kissed her forehead lovingly, "Cute."

She chuckled and leaned against him, sighing as he wrapped her in his arms, "That's what I was going for."

"Nai! Nai!"

The woman gently grabbed the young boy before he could run headfirst into her, "Whoa Kyo, slow down."

"Unc…uncle A is here." The small boy said, clearly out of breath.

The woman raised a brow, "Ok, that's nothing new."

"He said he wants to see you in re… in reg…"

"Regards?" Kakashi tried.

"Yeah that! To official business!"

She tucked her arms into the sleeves of her kimono, "Alright. I guess I'll be right back…maybe."

Sasuke noticed the woman leaving and turned to Kakashi who shrugged. Both of them watched her go, wondering if they should be as nervous as they were.

A looked up at his niece as she slid back the paper door, "Come sit down."

Nai looked around, noticing her mother and a few of her older cousins, aunts, and uncles, before sitting with her brother in the middle of the floor, "Why do I feel like this is a hearing?"

Sayama seemed to take a slight pause, "It's not a hearing dear. It's the real reason we called you and your brother here in the first place."

The Kage closed his eyes and cleared his throat before looking at his sister, and then to her children, "I think we are all aware that only members of the Hagane clan are to take the title of Clan Leader."

Kotetsu held his sisters hand, "Uncle where are you going with this?"

"I'm saying that your mother can no longer be Clan Head. And because your father had no siblings, the new head has to be one of you."

Nai looked sadly at her brother, "Kotetsu is the oldest…"

"But you have the monokogan." Sayama said, "The decision could land on either of you."

The siblings looked at each other and nodded without saying a word. "Can we have a moment?"

A nodded and they left the room; Nai punched the wall, "What the hell?! We leave tomorrow and they spring on us that one of us has to stay!"

"Neither of us are leaving Kanoha anytime soon. Especially not you." Kotetsu said, hugging his little sister to calm her down.

She snuggled his chest, "I can't leave Sasuke, or Kakashi. I have a godson too! I can't just up and leave."

"True."

"You have your whole life ahead of you too."

"I know. I have a plan." He turned to go back into the room and his sister grabbed his arm.

"I'm listening."

Kotetsu smiled, "If I told you, you'd kill me."

Nai put her hand on the door, "Don't do anything stupid."

The siblings reentered the room and Sayama straightened her posture, "Well?"

Kotetsu smiled at Nai quickly, "I'll stay."

"Bro! Wait a minute." Nai said, frantically waving her hands at her mother and uncle, "He's and idiot and definitely didn't run this by me." She clutched Kotetsu's arm, "What are you doing?!"

"What I have to."

"What you have to?" she felt the tears burning her eyes, "Since when did you grow up?"

He smiled at her again, "Since always."

The Raikage nodded, "Very well." A started, "You'll stay here and lead the clan in place of your mother."

"Under a few circumstances."

Sayama smiled, "Of course dear."

Nai punched Izumo playfully, "Take care of my brother."

"I will."

The woman threw her arms around her brother's neck, "I can't believe you're doing this to me again."

Kotetsu put a hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head as he released her from the embrace, "You can visit anytime."

She shook her head, "That's besides the point."

He wiped her tears away, "Nai. This family, our family, needs me. I know you do too but, this is bigger."

Kakashi put his hand on Nai's shoulder. "It'll be fine. We have to go."

"Wait! Wait!" Kyo ran from behind several of the adults, a few of the other children following him. He handed a small jar to Sasuke, who took it and watched the white butterfly inside, "I'll miss you Nii-san."

The Uchiha ruffled the boy's hair as the other children handed out the remaining jars to Kakashi and Nai. Kakashi turned away and started to walk.

Sayama called her daughter. "Nai."

"Yes?"

"If anything happens concerning that bastard snake. I want to be the first to know." She handed her daughter a scroll and hugged her.

Nai smiled, trying not to show that she was slightly hurt at her mother's offensiveness towards her sensei. "I can arrange that."

With a last few hugs to her family, Nai turned and followed behind Sasuke and Kakashi. The trio traveled without stopping and camped in the same area as before.

The woman kissed Sasuke on the forehead, making him lose his concentration on the rocks he was trying to move with his mind. "Go to sleep."

He nodded and went into the tent. Nai folded her arms under her chest and stared at the three jars lined up on a log by the fire. Kakashi snaked his arms around her waist. "You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine now."

"Good." The man looked over at the tent, noting the light and the figure inside with a scroll in hand, "When should we tell him?"

"When we get back."

An odd noise made the duo look over at the bags by the tent. Nai raised her brow as the noise became more apparent and she gasped, it was meowing. Just then, Kakashi's bag tipped over and an orange kitten rolled out onto the forest floor.

"Kyo!"

The Hokage didn't bother to look up from his paper work as he heard the trio enter his office, "I am aware of your brother's decision, you may go."

Nai cleared her throat, "Um. There's more."

The elderly man looked up, "You brought back a child."

Kyo waved cutely at the Hokage, "Hello."

"Hello child." He turned to Nai, "I feel like you plan on keeping him."

"I've contacted my mother and it's been approved. And actually, both me and Kakashi want to keep him."

Sasuke looked up and Kakashi smiled at his student from his behind his mask, "I would like to adopt Sasuke also."