Minato left the hospital room to start his search for a new place to live. He left as quickly as he came as if he didn't just drop an explosive tag into Kakashi's life. Kakashi wished he could panic, but Obito and Rin were still in the room. So, Kakashi settled for pretending to sleep as his mind raced. This could not be time travel. He fucked up too many things already. Kakashi had been too loose with information on the future. This had to be a genjutsu. The enemy was just tying the noose around his neck, is all. The enemy could not leave Kakashi alone for any length of time, so they put in fake teammates and a Minato-watcher. Was it sad that he really really wanted this to be an interrogation?

In the past, Kakashi had never lived with Minato-sensei aside from the brief stent directly after Sakumo's death. He had also stayed as a guest from time to time, but Kakashi had his own place. Sensei had trusted him to take care of himself since he was six. How ironic was it, at 33-years-old, his sensei decided he couldn't handle taking care of himself?

"Are you cold, Kakashi?"

Kakashi cracked open an eye to look at Rin's kind face. "No, but maybe you can help me." He sat up as his brain formulated the barest of plans.

Rin's face lit up, and he could see Obito frowning. Kakashi ignored his jealous teammate for Rin, who would most likely have success with reasoning with Minato-sensei. "Rin, this is of the utmost importance. You cannot fail in this mission," Kakashi's voice was grave. He waited for her to realize the weight he was putting on this. Even Obito was eager to hear this mission. "I expect you to use any means necessary, including but not limited to extortion and bodily harm, to convince Minato-sensei that I should not move in with him. I am perfectly capable of managing my own affairs."

Rin had never looked so unimpressed with Kakashi in his life. Obito was actually howling in laughter. "I'm serious," Kakashi stressed while trying to ignore Obito. It wasn't that funny.

"Kakashi-kun," hope wilted inside of Kakashi when he heard Rin's medic-nin's-lecture tone, "you were seriously injured. You nearly died from an unknown attack. You NEED someone to take care of you."

"Rin, he wants me to-" Kakashi turned and threw an empty styrofoam cup from his soup at Obito. "Knock it off." He growled and went back to focus on Rin. "Rin, what Minato-sensei wants is excessive. I don't need to live with him for the next few years." Kakashi wanted to add that he was too old for it, but no one currently believed him. Even with a Yamanaka mind probe, they would likely call it all a mental construct. "Please, Rin. I can't live like that. You know how he is."

"It won't be that bad, Kakashi-kun," Rin smiled, but Kakashi quickly saw through it. Rin was silently laughing at him. "Having parents is really nice. I mean, Sensei isn't trying to take the place of YOUR parents. He isn't like that. Having someone to rely on at home is really nice, though. I think you'll like it."

"Rin, that's not-I'm not-" worried about Minato replacing Sakumo? That hadn't even crossed his mind. If Minato was always around, Kakashi wouldn't have the freedom to figure out how to get back to his time.

Rin put her hand on his shoulder, "you should tell Minato-sensei. I'm sure he'll tell you the same thing. Then you will feel better about it."

Even kids were treating Kakashi like a kid now. Where had he gone wrong in all this? Would playing along get him what he wanted? The thought of using his father that way left Kakashi feeling unsettled, and it might only make things worse. He needed to prove he wasn't a child that needed care.

But maybe Kakashi was worried over nothing. Once Kakashi recovered, it wasn't likely Minato would actually force him to stay. Minato-sensei was just overprotective. Feeling a bit better about things, Kakashi relaxed back against the wall in time for the cup to sail past his face.

"Dammit, you moved Bakashi!"

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling, trying to conjure the patience he crafted from being a jounin sensei. Then remembered half the time he tried to escape his students by being late or ditching them. "You are supposed to predict movement."

"Shut up," Obito pouted.

Kakashi stared at him. Obito was far more impressive in his time-washed memories. He didn't remember Oboito being this childish. Childish right? That was the polite term for stupid if he remembered correctly.

####

It was the next day when Minato-sensei returned to his hospital room to meet with the Kogetsu-sensei. Minato-sensei was sitting in a chair near Kakashi's bed, and the doctor stood near the door. Kogetsu-sensei tapped the top of her clipboard with a pen. "Kakashi is progressing along nicely, all things considered. His chakra pathways have finally stabilized. We intend to start chakra treatment for his head injury and the internal injuries he suffered from the damaged pathways soon. Most of it should be healing fine on its own, but it would be nice to quicken it along. What do you think, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi wanted to respond with a snarky remark. They had cared very little about his thoughts on his medical before this. They deferred to Minato-sensei instead. He had a more pressing question, though. "Do I get to leave soon?"

Kogetsu-sensei nodded. "In just a few days. That doesn't mean you are ready to go on missions or even train. Your body needs rest to recover properly," she gave him a sharp look of warning, and her voice was stern.

"I have slept more in the past month than I do in a year," Kakashi complained.

Kogetsu-sensei's mouth twitched in amusement. "Yes, well, there is still more resting ahead of you, as well as a diet change. You are underweight now. I'll be sending a list of meal suggestions with your guardian since you will be released into his care." She passed off two pieces of paper to Minato-sensei. Kakashi wondered what was on it. He had never been on a dietary plan before outside of mission rations.

"I'll be sure to follow it," Minato agreed while scanning the papers.

Kogetsu-sensei continued with her update. "The swelling in Kakashi's brain has gone down considerably, and his incision is healing nicely. It'll leave a scar, but so long as balding is not in your future, no one will ever know."

"It's not," Kakashi replied dully.

"Speaking of which, how are you adjusting to being eight again," she asked as she tucked the clipboard under her arm.

Minato-sensei tensed at the question. He was apparently uncomfortable with this topic. Well, Kakashi was uncomfortable about living with him. Yes, he was petty right now.

"Maa, it's a pain in the ass. Everyone talks to Sensei instead of me."

Kogetsu-sensei nodded as if she could sympathize with him. Kakashi didn't buy it. "It does seem odd considering this is supposed to be an interrogation jutsu," Kogetsu-sensei said inquisitively.

They all thought Kakashi was bat shit crazy. He decided to seal the deal with the truth. "Nah, it's not. The moon isn't red. Saw it the other night. It's time travel this time."

"Kakashi," Minato-sensei sounded so disappointed in him, he nearly apologized.

"Time travel, is that real?" Kakashi had to give Kogetsu-sensei credit. She sounded like she believed him. Obviously, she did not, since she was the one pushing the coping mechanism theory.

"I've done it once before with Sensei, actually, but he doesn't remember it. The memory of it got locked away once the mission was complete. It was only after I became high enough rank and heard about it from the other side that it was unlocked for me. Besides, I have a student I am fairly confident can time travel at will. We just haven't been brave enough to test the theory."

Kogetsu-sensei whipped her clipboard back out and began scratching notes on it. Kakashi wondered how much paperwork this was going to cause her. It was unlikely that he would be allowed to continue his shinobi career if he continued his ramblings, but Kakashi had wanted to retire anyway.

"Student? You're a jounin sensei," Minato-sensei asked curiously.

Kakashi had not expected Minato-sensei to play along. Sensei had always been so adamant about correcting Kakashi. "Yes. Well, I was. They are not genin anymore," His lip twitched up into a smile. Then he amended, "Well, one of them isn't. The other two still technically are. I could promote them several times over, but it amuses me too much. And they can't test because they're monsters, and it would be unfair to the rest of the competition."

"I don't think I have ever pictured you as a jounin sensei," Minato-sensei cocked his head.

"Maa, neither have I, but the Sandaime was determined. Managed to hold out by failing three teams. Then he stuck me with a team I wasn't allowed to fail. Almost failed them anyway. They were such a mess. One of them couldn't do basic jutsu or kata. One had talent and was hardworking, but his personality was toxic. Then the last one was attracted to that toxic personality and couldn't seem to focus on anything else. They were awful," Kakashi couldn't help but smile, thinking of them. They had been good kids, and they figured it out in the end. "Ah, but enough about my cute students. Are you sending me to the psych ward now?"

Kogetsu-sensei looked up from her notes, "No, you're not crazy, Kakashi, you're recovering. Things will fall into place eventually."

"You have so much confidence in me," Kakashi responded blandly.

Kogetsu-sensei hugged the clipboard to her chest. "You survived the impossible, Kakashi-kun. By all accounts, you should be dead, and yet here you are. We have wonderful doctors here, but it was you that kept yourself alive. I have every confidence in you."

Kakashi hadn't expected something so heartfelt. He didn't know what to do with it. His ability to survive anything and everything was not something he ever considered worthy of praise. Kakashi felt like a parasite most times and was frustrated by his lack of dying on others. He chased death only for it to elude him at every turn. Kakashi looked away, not able to find anything to say to that.

"How old are you again," Kogetsu-sensei moved on.

Kakashi made an irritated noise and rubbed his hand over his face, and putting uncomfortable pressure on the oxygen device in his nose. "I am 33."

"What rank are you?"

"Are we filling out my dating profile? Make sure you add I am good at restraints," Kakashi dropped his chin in his hand.

Minato-sensei made a strangled noise, and Kogetsu-sensei actually blushed. Kakashi smiled at them. The silence was wonderfully awkward.

Kogetsu-sensei cleared her throat, "Well then, perhaps you should get some more rest." She walked swiftly out the door, not bothering to see if they had questions. Kakashi mentally patted himself on the back for dodging that conversation.

Minato eyed him. "You did that on purpose," he accused.

"Hmm," Kakashi turned to his teacher, "I don't know what you mean."

Minato shook his head, "Maybe you just don't understand what you said."

"Of course, I do, Sensei. If you ever need a lesson on bondage-play, I know several rope knots that are fun." Kakashi had honestly never seen his teacher become so pale. To be fair, his high squeaky voice saying this shit disturbed him too.

Minato shook his head, "Did Jiraiya-sensei put you up to this?"

Kakashi was offended. Surely, Minato-sensei didn't think him a virgin at his age-wait, was he? If this is time travel and Kakashi is eight, then does his previous experience supersede his current physical experience, or does his current physical experience erase his previous experience? Maybe Kakashi should read a book on it. He doubted anyone has written on the laws of time travel and sex, but it seemed like an important topic to cover.

"Kakashi-kun, you know I am here for you, right? Whoever is trying to hurt you will have to deal with me first." Minato dragged Kakashi out of his thoughts and into the present.

Kakashi mulled over Minato's words as he thought about his own students. Kakashi walked through a lot of shit for them. He had to deal with a lot of fallout with Sasuke's return and his desire to travel freely. Kakashi had to deal with the general uneasiness over Naruto's partnership with Kurama after the shinobi world just dealt with the ten tail jinchuuriki. The general population was not eager to embrace these violent balls of chakra. Not even Sakura was drama-free. Tsunade-sama had retired and placed Sakura high position at the hospital, much to other staff's irritation. Kakashi could understand to a degree. Sakura was still young, and they had been there for years. Those that felt slighted had not been able to complain to Tsunade-sama herself, so when he took office, they thought it was their chance to correct it.

"I know, Sensei. Because I would kill anyone that harmed my students," Kakashi's voice didn't offer the intensity he was going for, but the meaning still struck home.

Minato gave him a relieved smile, and Kakashi decided to burst his bubble. "But I still wouldn't allow them to move in with me." That earned Kakashi some laughter.

Kakashi decides to let them think what they will. Lol. Why fight it? Everyone is making their own assumptions about Kakashi and his situation. Ironically, everything he says is being dismissed out of hand. Ah, the joys of being a child.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Give me an example of when you said something weird to run someone off as Kakashi did to Kogetsu-sensei!