After a quick examination of the interior of their newly-purchased house, Hisato farewelled Kakashi with a tight hug and watched him shunshin away, presumably to the Jounin Lounge. Alone once more, Hisato went on his way to the Hokage office, proposition building in his mind. Do I demand it, suggest it? What if he rejects me? Hisato pushed the hypotheticals out of his thoughts. There is no use lingering on the negatives.

Hiruzen seemed surprised at his presence—unannounced, of course, and Hisato was glad no one had an appointment with the Hokage—and Hisato bowed his head in greeting. Sympathy sparked at the colossal stacks of paperwork adorning the Hokage's desk, and guilt slithered at distracting Hiruzen from his hefty workload. But Hiruzen was not annoyed in the least, perhaps relieved to have a break in routine.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Hiruzen inquired with a pleasant smile. Hisato had a sudden urge to abandon his plan and leave, reminded of the difficulties of his childhood, which Hiruzen had done little to help. To hell with it.

"What are the chances of me housing the jinchuuriki and Uchiha, and supporting them in place of the orphan allowances?" Hisato signed, too quickly to spell out their names individually. "The current laws forbid shinobi from taking in orphans. With your permission..."

Hiruzen blinked, silent for a moment. "Absolutely not," he said firmly.

"And why is that?" Hisato signed, frowning. Security was not an issue, with the Akatsuki defeated and Hisato powerful enough to protect them in his own right. Not to mention the small semblance of a childhood he could provide the boys, the love and care they were sorely missing out on.

Hiruzen shook his head. "You have a reputation to uphold. The civilians will not take kindly to you taking in the 'demon fox'." Reputation? What a stupid justification. Hisato reeled in his anger with a huff.

"What use do I have of a reputation with the civilians? How would they know of this anyways, through the council?" he signed stiffly. Hisato observed Hiruzen's grey hair, wrinkles, and the Hokage's large personal guard. The answer clicked.

"I want you to—"

"No," Hisato said aloud, his voice harsh. "I refuse. Get Tsunade, not me," he reverted back to signing.

Hiruzen hesitated, taken aback by the small outburst. "But, Hisato-kun, you must understand. There is no one better suited for Hokage, and I am getting quite old."

"I am too young."

"As was Minato-kun. You have experience."

"Tsunade—"

"Does not intend to return to the village," Hiruzen stated firmly.

"I have convinced her before." You know that.

"My point still stands. Hisato-kun, you would make a great kage."

Hisato bristled, thinking of burning fields. I have already been Hokage once and failed. Even still… "I will not," he signed widely, hands wavering. "Do you know me? I am a mess. I am not fit to care for the village at the scope of a kage." His breath quivered.

Hiruzen, at last realising that Hisato was resolute in his decision, sighed. "Very well," he amended. "But I will not allow you to take in Naruto."

Hisato hissed, throwing his hands up in frustration. The guards' chakras flared up in surprise at his blatant disrespect. Not even a word about Sasuke. This is ridiculous and he knows it. With a final piercing glare at the Hokage, Hisato left the office.

That evening, Hisato and Kakashi moved in a mattress, various necessities, and food into their new house. Now, with the moon rising, the two snuggled under their covers and wrapped their arms around each other. Hisato blinked away sleep, words creeping up his throat.

"I was scared," he whispered, and already, his shoulders felt much lighter. Kakashi shifted, facing Hisato on his side. At his questioning look, Hisato realised this was his chance to finally tell someone about this, though the whole truth would always be impossible to say aloud. "Of talking," he clarified.

"Why?" Kakashi stroked his arm, eye prompting.

Hisato heaved a great breath. "To attach myself to people again was… something I couldn't bear to do." The inner turmoil about his voice and Naruto's was something he had gotten past only recently. Yes, Naruto's voice was an output for all the misery he held, whether anyone knew it or not. Those miseries were personal. Hisato had seen his own voice as one that overshadowed Naruto's, stole it. He did not want to use something that was Naruto's own.

But Hisato had realised there was never anything to steal. We are both our own person. My voice belongs to no one but myself. Naruto's voice belongs to himself and no other.

"And now?"

"I decided that I needn't fight myself on this."

"Though you still sign?"

Hisato laughed. "I am used to it. I prefer it. I am fine with using my voice around you," he explained. Kakashi grinned smugly. The weight had almost completely disappeared from his shoulders. He was still abuzz with nerves, so he continued, changing the topic, "If the other jounin knew we shared a bed… oh, imagine the thoughts, the theories." Genma in particular…

"Let them believe what they want. The rumours they come up with will be nothing short of entertainment," Kakashi chuckled.

"Leave it up to Konoha's shinobi to create wild gossip."

They drifted off into silence. Hisato sensed Kakashi had something to say and was hesitating to do so. He pushed Kakashi onto his back, quick to soothe Kakashi's brief panic by reassuming his position in Kakashi and pressing his cheek against his chest, listening to the soft beating of his heart.

"I hope you don't mind that I don't want to…" Kakashi said. Hisato smiled and touched his cheek. Stop being so insecure, you dork.

"Of course not," he assured.

"Good," Kakashi sighed. "People tend to make assumptions based on my… reading materials." Hisato stretched up to peck him on the lips.

"They're stupid."

Kakashi frowned. "I've talked with someone like me before, she helped me figure this out..."

"Go on." Hisato, meanwhile, wondered who Kakashi was speaking of, coming up with a few possibilities.

"She, unlike me, had no qualms about sex," Kakashi said. "She even had a baby." Had a baby, a woman close to Kakashi… He did not want to think of who it might be, convinced himself that it could have been anyone, despite the knowledge that Kakashi had scarcely socialised outside of his team and the few friends he had.

Hisato tilted his head. "Everyone experiences attraction differently. You are not lesser for your discomfort, you are not the only one repulsed," he whispered. "I'm proud that you let someone see that secret part of you, prouder still, that you let me in too."

Kakashi made a small noise in his throat. His vulnerability was rare, and welcomed. "Please hold me closer," he pleaded, eyes shut and racing heart apparent through their proximity.

Hisato adjusted himself, turning Kakashi so they faced each other on their sides. He pulled Kakashi into his embrace. "Anything for you, my love," he said, breathing Kakashi in and letting silence lay its blanket over them.

The first thing Kakashi laid eyes on upon waking was a brown-haired girl with purple clan marks on her face. Her smile was wide and soft and welcoming. The fondness in her gaze threw Kakashi off-balance, heart pounding. Rin? You're here? She smiled wider, as if she had heard his thoughts spoken aloud.

"Rin—oh, she's not real." Rin was dead. He knew that. He had killed her after all. She dispelled, sending him one last heartbroken smile. Her image lingered in a curl of smoke.

Kakashi finally noticed Hisato leaning on an elbow on top of the covers, already changed and freshened up. His red hair fell around him, pooling on the bed. The two scars lining his face were not as stark as usual as his skin began to regain a healthy tan.

"Kakashi, are you alright?" Hisato's free hand found his bicep. Kakashi shut his eyes against the concern. The present was still out of reach, but hearing Hisato helped ground him, tied him to reality.

"I'm sorry, I thought I saw—"

"Shh… it's okay. Can you get up?" Hisato asked. "I let you sleep in, considering our busy day yesterday but… it's almost afternoon." and shinobi never wake up after the sun. Hisato still managed to look ethereal despite the worried frown on his face. Kakashi stared, unwilling—unable—to get up. He was so drained. His limbs felt like bricks.

"Can't." The tone was pleading, hoarse.

Hisato petted his arm. "Staying like this will only make it harder to get up next time."

"I know."

The warmth disappeared with Hisato, mattress shifting at the sudden absence. Light flooded the room. It started to drive the sluggishness away, albeit minutely. The covers were flung off of him. Hands clasped gently under his arms and he was dragged out of the bed.

Hisato tripped halfway to the door, foot out to slow his fall. The breath left Kakashi as he found himself mirroring Hisato on his side. Hisato hugged him close, Kakashi bubbling inside.

"Five minutes and we get up and eat," Hisato said.

Kakashi groaned, tightening the embrace. "Mm, stay here."

Hisato laughed. "Promise you'll get up and we'll cuddle as long as you want after lunch," he negotiated. Kakashi agreed to that whole-heartedly.

They settled into comfortable silence, Hisato tracing soft patterns onto his forearms and tucking his head under Kakashi's chin. Kakashi breathed deeply, reciprocating the touches and closing his eyes. The embrace grounded him, traces of Rin growing fainter by the minute, though the tightness in his chest refused to ease completely.

"Kakashi, I forgot to tell you…" Hisato tensed against him. Kakashi wondered if now was the time for a deep talk, but opted not to voice it out loud. Hisato was already hesitating enough; he did not want to discourage him. Kakashi brought his hands to Hisato's lower back, circling gently, and Hisato continued. "I visited the Hokage yesterday, to ask him if I—we could, well…" Hisato broke off with a nervous laugh.

"Tell me," Kakashi whined, breaking the tension.

Hisato pinched him. "Fine. I asked Hiruzen if I could house Sasuke and Naruto, sort of like a pseudo-adoption, just without the whole father-son thing."

Kakashi pulled back, taking in the thin pull of Hisato's lips, his worried, self-conscious expression. He bet a year's worth of ramen that Hisato thought Kakashi hated the idea, that he was angry at Hisato for bringing it up without asking. But, for some inexplicable reason, Kakashi didn't hate the idea. His profession and lifestyle wasn't particularly healthy for raising children, not to mention the mental states of both him and Hisato. But Naruto and Sasuke were in the same boat, and little would change through the adoption. The adoption would only allow them legal residence with him, as well as the financial support provided by their combined incomes.

"And how did he react?"

Hisato scoffed, sounding pained and weak. "He refused. Said it would damage my reputation with the citizens if they knew Naruto was in my care. I told him I didn't care about that, but then…" A half-sob cracked through Hisato. Kakashi brought him closer. "I… He told me he wanted me to become Kage. Kakashi I—"

Kakashi could understand not wanting to become Hokage. It was far too much responsibility. Hisato wasn't confident in himself, his psyche wasn't in leading condition. But Kakashi sensed there was a deeper, more agonising reason behind the tears, reminding himself that he knew little of Hisato's past. "You declined, right?"

"Of course… Of course. I couldn't bear to—" Hisato halted, controlling his breathing as tears still fell. "It doesn't matter." Kakashi wanted to disagree. "He didn't even mention Sasuke. It irks me that Hiruzen can't look further than his own nose. There is nothing bad about the arrangement. I hate that we can't just take them in," Hisato ranted.

Kakashi held his hand. "We'll convince him somehow," he promised.

Hisato blinked up at him. "You're… fine with this?"

"I already spend enough time with them as is. And they're starting to grow on me," Kakashi mumbled. "In the meantime, sleepovers are still permissible."

Hisato smiled, mischief sparkling. "That's true." Kakashi suddenly feared what was to come.