Knock
Knock
"Now, who could that be at this hour?" Kakashi stood up from the table and headed to the door, wondering who would be visiting them. He walked around broken toys, dirty shirts and socks, untied shoes and broken paint brushes. At last, frustrated and stressed, he made it to the front door.
"Maybe it'll be Uncle Gai." Mika suggested with a hopeful smile.
Rikko scoffed and rolled his eyes as though he couldn't believe what Mika said. "Oh please, as if he would be coming home this early, or at all."
"Hey! Rikko! Don't be rude!" Kasue scolded, gaining Kakashi's attention.
"Don't boss me around! It's true, ya know!"
"Boy's settle down." Kakashi scolded in a more quick and firm tone than intended, receiving a heavily pouty look from the eight year old boy and a slightly hurt expression from his oldest.
Seeing his little round face pout gave birth to a small pit of guilt in Kakashi's gut. Ever since Kakashi brought home Hoshi, and Gai was placed on bed rest due to his injuries, Kazue was given more responsibilities and Rikko adapted to a role as a big brother to her. He slept in the same bed as her, made sure she was clean, and made sure her plate was clean before leaving the table. This year when Rikko found out that Hoshi was his cousin and not his younger sister, he was upset. However, much to Kakashi's surprise, Rikko was more upset that Hoshi's mother had died just like his, but her father was absent. Although Kazue knew the truth, he was a bit more bothered than his brother. And like Kakashi,both Hatake boy's couldn't understand why Gai was intently focused on training for days on end instead of taking care of his daughter. It made sense why Rikko didn't hold Gai to such high esteem. But at the same time, especially with their current dilemma, Rikko was still a growing child, he needed to learn to respect his elders and his older siblings. And Kazue hasn't figured out where the boundary line is between being the brother in charge and when to step down and allow their father to take over.
I'll need to talk to both of them later.
Slowly and quietly, he grabbed the doorknob and peeked through the peephole in the door. Kakashi gasped in utter shock. "Well, this is an odd surprise. Why would they visit us so early?"
"Who is it, Dad?" Mika asked, taking a sip of her tea.
"It's your grandparents." Kakashi paused before opening the door. He turned his head to speak to the children over his shoulder. Mika and Kazue were glowing with joy and excitement. "All four of you are to mind your manners and behave. These two are your grandparents, but they are our guest's. Thereby, you are to treat them with respect. Understood?"
The four children looked up at Kakashi, waiting to see their grandparents. Kazue pulled up his mask over his mouth, Mika kept smiling. Rikko and Hoshi looked at each other with a bit of confusion and excitement. Mika and Kazue knew they had grandparents, but they haven't seen either of them since Rikko's birth. And this would be Hoshi's first time meeting them.
The last time Kakashi saw either of Mariko's parents was at Twila's funeral. To his surprise, Master Kenji Kiaki was emotionless like she had just shut down. Meanwhile, Kenji seemed to be collected and level headed for a man who had lost both of his daughter's within less than five years apart. Kakashi felt embarrassed and guilty for not finding the time to speak to them at the funeral, or any time after Twila's funeral. His days are just so full of training and raising four children that time becomes irrelevant. For Kenji and his wife, Rei, to suddenly appear at their messy apartment two years later was enough to make his heart race.
Kakashi sighed, trying in vain to settle his racing heart, bracing himself for an awkward situation and opened the door.
"Well, what a pleasant surprise, Master Kenji and Lady Rei." Kakashi greeted with a warm smile, feeling odd addressing them by their titles. He started doing it when he started dating Mariko, then again after she passed.
Kenji stood on the other side standing upright, his thick black hair combed back neatly, his almost black eyes seemed to be staring past Kakashi. Kakashi analyzed Kenji's outfit, normally, he wore formal clothes like he was about to head to a meeting with the Hokage. This time, he was wearing a long, tan trench coat and black boots, a small and colorful wrapped box resting under his arm. Rei stood next to him with her arm wrapped around Kenji's, a tired smile formed on her wrinkled face, streaks of grey showed in her hazel hair, her dark and bold make up made her appear much younger. Her attire was more thought out; a black business suit with a small diamond necklace.
"Well, after all, we did miss our grandson's fifth birthday." Rei explained in a soft voice.
Kakashi stood to the side, allowing them to enter. The couple walked a few feet in before accidentally stepping on a toy. Kenji stopped and looked down at the mess, then at the furniture arrangement; chairs were nearly piled on top of each other and placed in a tight circled around a brown coffee table. Toys, broken crayons, ripped out pages from coloring books, candy wrappers, and a thick layer of dust laid everywhere.
"My goodness, what a mess." Rei mumbled, but it was loud enough for Kakashi to hear. Rei sighed and shook her head, her eyes followed the trail of trash to Hoshi and Rikko's seat's, which ended right underneath Hoshi. She glanced up at the children; Kazue only stared, vaguely remembering either of them. Mika's shoulder's hunched and her head lowered down in a shy manner. Rikko and Hoshi looked at each other, then back at her with curiousty.
Hoshi met Kenji's dark gaze and felt an uncomfortable shiver shoot down her spine. She whimpered and looked back down at her food.
"Oh, now where are my manners?" Kakashi closed the door and stood next to the Kiaki's. "Since it's been a while, I would like to reintroduce the children. Master Kenji, Lady Rei, these are my children. I'm sure you remember Kazue, my oldest, and Mika-"
"Yes, yes, I am aware of the names of my grandchildren." He muttered and waved his hand, gesturing for Kakashi to stop. "Yes, your three children and Twila's daughter. I remember quiet well." He cleared his throat and approached the table, up to Rikko's spot. Rikko's hazel, red spotted eyes stared up at him, still curious. Kenji's dark eyes just stared down at the young boy. "You just turned five, correct?"
Rikko nodded slowly.
Then, his attention shot over to Mika.
"And how old are you, girl?"
Mika pinched her lips together, keeping her head hung low, uncertain if she should answer.
"Now, now, come along, Mika." Rei said in a warm and comforting tone, gaining Mika's attention. Rei smiled. "No need to be shy around your grandfather, darling. Now let's try this again, how old are you, Mika Hatake?"
Mika looked over at her father, wondering if it was alright to answer. Kakashi nodded. Mika gulped and lowered her head again. "I...I'm eight, sir."
"Oh come now, louder, girl." He stated in a firm voice that caused the young girl to tense in trepidation.
"Eight, sir." She answered a bit louder. Kakashi held his breath, pitying his daughter, irritated that her grandfather was being firm with her like he was scolding her for being shy.
"Such a tragedy, isn't it Keni, darling?" Rei jumped in, crossing her arms against her chest. "Two children, eight and five years of age and without a mother."
Kakashi gasped uneasily, anger boiling in his heart. He braced himself for the worst, he wasn't going to allow Rei to say hurtful words around his children. Mika and Kazue gasped and their heads shot over to Rei, shocked and hurt to hear her words. Suddenly, the courage Kakashi had was gone. Hearing their reactions to Rei's words, and seeing the depression in Kazue's expression, he was now realizing that the death of their mother was still heavy in their hearts.
Suddenly, Rei spun around to face the older two and gave them her best smile. "However, do not take for granted the fact that you still have your father." Rei added as happily as she could. She started looking around the apartment again, taking in the surroundings. "But, your living conditions could, certainly, be better."
"This is our home, and we can hear you." Kazue said the last few words to himself.
"Lady Rei, with all due respect, we're doing the best we can with what we have." Kakashi said, defensively, and at the same time, he understood. He remembered the house that the Kiaki's called 'home'. Lady Rei wasn't known for restraining her honesty and compassion like Mariko, but she and Kenji resided in a more wealthy area of the leaf village, a place more like a retirement community. Their house was large enough to hold extravagant parties, and provided enough bedroom's for several guest's. Certainly, large enough to house Kakashi and the children. And with their wealth, they were able to hire someone to clean that house on a hourly bases. No doubt, Rei thoughts she was looking at someone on the edge of living in the poor house and filthy merchants.
"And I thought you two were here because you two missed Rikko's birthday." Kazue said.
"Oh yes, that is one reason why we are here." Kenji said, pulling out a box from his coat and handing it to Kakashi. "This is for him."
"And now, I see I have another reason for coming here. Although, if I were to be honest here, I should've arrived sooner than today." Rei smirked, placing her hands on her hips. Kakashi recognized that heavy determined voice, but it, also, lead to confrontations from Kenji. "Fear not my dear relations. By the end of this month, you will be settled in a new home. A much bigger, cleaner home. You must be very busy, Kakashi, so I will find the perfect place for a family five-oh, excuse me, six- and I will cover all moving expenses."
Kakashi gasped, his arms dropped to his side, his heart slowed and he felt light. Like a large, heavy weight had been removed from his shoulders. Even though he didn't have the heart to admit it to his children, but he was desperate for a new place. It wasn't right for two father's to raise four growing children in a very small apartment. But with his schedule, and Gai never being around, Kakashi didn't have the time to even start searching. But, he never thought of asking his wealthy in-laws. Maybe it was because of his pride, maybe it was because of his respect for them, maybe it was because he was too embarrassed.
And just hearing those words, hearing that promise, that sense of embarrassment had ebbed and disappeared almost entirely. Now, he could just imagine what kind of home Rei would find. Just the thought of having a bedroom to himself seemed like his version of heaven. Not only that, but his children could have their own rooms, Gai could have a training ground in the backyard so he wouldn't have to go far every morning. Or Kazue would have a place to start painting again, or Rikko and Hoshi would have a place to run around and be carefree children for once.
The possibilities seemed endless.
Kakashi was so stunned at this sudden gift that he became speechless. "But...I can't ask...we can't just..."
"Yes, Kakashi, I know this is a lot to take in." Rei turned to look at him with a confident and carefree grin. "But, for goodness sake, you have these blessings to raise and you cannot do it in an abode such as this. You don't need to worry, dear. I am aware of your eldest son and Twila's daughter. I will make sure they will have their own rooms. And a yard just big enough for the younger two to play in." She chuckled lightly at Rikko, then spun back to Kakashi. "Now then, since that matter is settled, let's get to the matter at hand. Perhaps, we can talk over tea?"
"Dear, allow the children to finish their breakfast." Kenji jumped in, sounding as calm and collective as he looked. Kakashi's attention shot over to him, shocked to hear that he wasn't saying against Rei's choice, about her spending their money to find a new home for Kakashi and the children. In fact, he wasn't confrontational at all. Years ago, when Mariko had asked Kenji about finding an apartment for Kakashi and Kazue, they had argued for a good while before a decision was finalized. Mariko didn't say why, but she managed to convince him to buy their current apartment and she moved in with them.
"Oh, of course, how silly of me to forget." Rei giggled like a young girl. "Yes, you're right. The children must eat first, then we will discuss our other agenda."
"Kakashi," Kenji said, turning around to face Kakashi. "We will take just two cups of tea, and wait in the sitting room. Assuming you have one."
"Yes, right over here." Before Kenji and Rei could sit down, Mika had two cups of hot tea in her hands and cleared the couch next to Kazue. She placed the cups on a side table, bowed and ran back to her seat.
"Make haste, children." Rei said in a sing-songy voice, sitting on the couch. "We have a long day ahead of us."
"What do you mean by 'we'? Are you planning on taking us somewhere?" Kazue asked, his fingers drumming on the sides of his tea cup. "I thought you were going to choose our new home. I wouldn't think you would want us to be with you."
"My, we love to hear ourself talk, don't we?" Rei teased. "Oh don't worry about it, Kazue. I am going to find you and the family a new home, but like I said, we have another reason why we are here, Kazue."
"And what would that be?" Kakashi asked, standing behind Rikko.
"It's a gift for Rikko." Kenji answered, joining his wife on the couch.
"Abunther un?" Rikko asked with his mouth full of eggs and rice.
"Rikko, stop it. It's rude to talk with your mouth full." Kazue whispered, harshly. Rikko swallowed the food, hopped off his chair and ran to the couch, sitting off to the side. Hoshi, leaving most of her eggs uneaten, slid off and joined him.
"Hey, Hoshi! You know the rules!" Kazue shouted.
Mika sighed and shook her head. "So unfair."
"Now, come along you two." Kenji said, leaning back against the sofa. "Hurry up and eat. Honor your grandparents with your presence while we present to your family with a gift of sorts."
"A gift for all of us?" Kazue asked, turning around in his seat. Mika jumped down, made her way to where Rikko sat, and climbed into his chair. "I mean, Rikko was the one who had a recent birthday."
"Well Kazue, we did miss your birthday as well as Mika's. Not to mention, we missed this one's first birthday." Kenji pointed at Hoshi.
"You mean Hoshi?" Rikko asked.
"Yes, yes, Twila's child." Kenji said in a dismissive tone. "And speaking of the birthday celebrations, Kakashi, we were wondering if we could borrow Rikko for tonight?"
"Rikko?"
"Yes. We didn't just miss his recent birthday, but the last three as well." Kenji explained, looking down at his knees, still emotionless. "The least we can do is spend some time with him."
"We've been so busy with traveling and with work these last few years," Rei explained in a depressed tone, her head lowered and her hands entwined on her lap. "Truly, I feel horrible for forgetting Rikko's birthday's. And not just his, but the birthday's of the other children as well." She inhaled deeply and raised her head, braving another small smile. "But, now that we have time, I think it's best to spend our free time getting to know our grandchildren better. Spend time bringing our family back together once more. I'm sure Mariko and Twila would have wished for the family to stay close and I apologize that we have not put in any effort into keeping the family together." She turned her head to face Kakashi, her golden brown eyes genuine and saddened. And Kakashi sensed an underlining emotion of regret and desperation, as though she needed to be with the family again.
Maybe, she realizes she needs her family after losing her daughters, Kakashi wondered, I just hope that neither of them are dying.
Kakashi wasn't sure what to say. He thought about the day ahead of them, and the only thing Rikko needed to do was go to daycare with Hoshi. However, these people were promising them a new home, asking only time in return.
Well, it seems fair to me.
"Well, I guess so, but I would prefer for you guys to spend time with his siblings as well." Kakashi suggested, looking around at the other three. "Not to sound like a rude host or ungrateful to you for your gift, but Mika and Kazue would like to spend time with you since it's been a while. And Hoshi hasn't met either of you. She doesn't really understand your relation to her."
"Are they taking Rikko somewhere?" Hoshi asked, raising her hand.
Rei chuckled. "Oh, you silly girl, lower your hand."
"This is what we do when we want a turn to talk." She explained, keeping her hand up.
"Yes, and you have said your piece. Now, please, allow us to explain. We would like to take Rikko out for his birthday, celebrate with a big birthday dinner, have him spend the night with us," She paused, looked down at Rikko and winked. "Maybe we can buy him a few more presents."
Hoshi gasped. "I wanna come too! I wanna get Ri a present, too!"
"Not today, child." Rei put her hand up. "We just want Rikko."
Hoshi pouted, heavily hurt hearing those words.
"To be fair," Kazue jumped in, leaving forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "And with all due respect, Mika and I bought a gift for Rikko, but Hoshi didn't get a chance to come with us. And she's been wanting these last few days. I think this will a good opportunity for her to spend time out of the house and with other members of the family. If money is an issue, I can give her what I have-"
"Kazue, money is not an issue for us." Kenji chuckled incredulously. "If you believe we are going to go bankrupt because of treating our grandson to a day out, we would not be insisting. But she can join us some other time, and we will make up for missing her last birthday. We will make a separate date for the other children."
"I'll go." Rikko said, adjusting himself onto his knees. "But, I wanna get my family presents, too. They bought stuff for me, and I couldn't get them anything for their birthday's. So, I, really, wanna get them something, too."
Surprised to hear Rikko say those words genuinely, almost like it was a necessity, Kakashi ran over and knelt down next to Rikko. "Rikko, listen to me-"
"I really want to, Daddy." The child interrupted, looking up at Kakashi with pleading eyes. "I haven't spent the night at someone else's house before, but all my friends have done it. I don't like being left out, it kinda sucks. And I know if I get scared, I can call you. And besides, they don't have my birthday list, so I should be with them so they know what to get me."
"Well gee, talk about greed." Kazue mumbled.
Rikko turned around to his grandparents again. "Can you promise me something?"
"Why yes, dear grandson." Kenji answered in a hollow tone.
"After you're done taking me out for my birthday, you're going to keep your promise, right? You promise to spend time with my siblings. I can't remember when their birthday's were, but I think they've had one or two this year." Kakashi chuckled at Rikko's words. Although he was trying to sound sincere and grown up, it was adorable to hear him try to get his facts straight. "And they didn't get much for their birthday's. So, could you spend a day with them, too?"
"As long as you behave yourself tonight, we will have one of your siblings stay with us tomorrow night." Kenji sighed, rubbing the spot between his eyes like he was exhausted talking to a five year old.
"So, Kakashi, would that be alright?" Rei asked with a knowing smile.
Kakashi felt his chest grow tight, Rikko's words still hung in his heart. It wasn't just Rikko's first time spending the night away from home, this is Kakashi's first time letting him go anywhere without his brother. Although Kazue and Mika have friends, they didn't ask to spend the night at a friend's house. They were always home, always making sure Rikko and Hoshi were safe and in bed, making sure that the house was clean, making sure that their father was alright. Guilt rested in his gut, he knew it wasn't fair to not enforce the idea of seeing their friends, or allow them to be children. "I guess if he's alright with it, then it's ok with me."
"So, will today be alright?" Rei asked Rikko.
"Well, he still needs to bathe and help clean the kitchen." Kazue, quickly, jumped in, worried that Rikko was going to get away with not doing his share of the chores. "We all share the responsibility of cleaning up after breakfast. After that, he is all yours."
Just then, the door creaked opened. Everyone turned and watched a tall, dirty figure walk in and shut the door. Heavy silence filled the room like a dark cloak shrouded everyone in the sitting room, the weight of it silenced everyone, no one moved.
"Uncle Gai?" Mika whispered, almost afraid to say his name as though he was going to fade away. Gai yawned and leaned back against the door, wiping the sweat off his forehead onto his green sleeve. It was obvious he was completely and utterly exhausted from morning training. His breathing was labored, his muscles trembled as they struggled to hold his weight, the smell of his body odor was strong and nauseating.
Kakashi glanced down at Hoshi, wondering if she recognized him at all. But, she only stared at him like a child staring at a weird stranger in the store. He looked back up at the sweaty man, Gai's dark eyes glued to the ceiling, pretending no one was there. He knew he had to do something, he didn't want Hoshi to remember her father as an empty hollow shell of a human being covered in filth. Not even greeting her with a simple smile. Even Kazue struggled to recognize him. Kakashi had to say something, anything to snap him out of his trance.
"Mornin', Gai. Back from early morning training?" Kakashi greeted, trying to make it sound like Gai walking in after breakfast was normal. "Care to join us?"
Gai didn't move, didn't say a word. He was like a painted statue standing in the rain.
Then, Kakashi remembered they had guest's.
Panicked, Kakashi tried to come up with an excuse to why Gai was arriving in such a disarray mess. "Say, Gai, we have guest's over. Wanna come over and say 'hello'?"
Hearing that made Gai snap out of his trance. His attention slid over to the Kiaki's, their expressions were a combination of surprised and disgust. Recognizing them as Twila's parents, fear and anger spiked throughout his body. Darkness appeared in his eyes, heavy tension filled the room like water filling a glass.
"Good morning." Gai managed a small greeting in a dark, woodenly tone, stretching and yawning. " I don't have a lot of time. I have students to train today, so I'm going to rest for a bit before heading out. Kakashi will be the host...or whatever..."
Gai slumped away from the door, half dragging his exhausted shell of a body past them and towards the hallway.
"But Uncle Gai, wait a minute!" Mika shot up for her chair, ran over and stood in front of him. She cranked her head all the way up, her hazel eye wide with hope, her small hands grabbing a hold of his hand. Kakashi could feel just how much she was begging him to sit with them, how much she was hoping he would change his mind. At the same time, he was anxious. He was wondering what was going through Kenji and Rei's mind's seeing Mika begging Gai to join them for breakfast. And Hoshi didn't acknowledge him. Kakashi prayed that they weren't even toying around with the notion of taking the children, using Rikko as a practice, and planning on stopping by in the morning for the rest. "Please, Uncle? It's been a real long time since we all sat together, like family, like a real family. You're always gone when we get up, we don't get to see you before bedtime. Just for today, please sit and eat with us. Please?"
Kakashi watched intently and hopeful, at the moment, he didn't care about what his in-laws thought. Instead, he was thinking that, maybe, he can still save this intense moment. Gai lowered his gaze down to Mika, his dark eyes blank as a starless night, heavy bags under his eyes, his skin smudged with sweat and dirt, his black hair greasy, and his strong stench was similar to a man who hadn't bathed in months. But Mika didn't care, she wasn't intimidated by his gaze, or nauseous from his smell. She didn't care that he was in desperate need of a bath, or that his clothes were torn. She wanted her family to have breakfast together again, she wanted to be with her uncle again.
"I made breakfast for the first time today. And I've worked really, really hard on it."
After an intense moment passed, she started tugging on his fingers, nudging him towards the table, her eyes glued to him. Her hazel eye was wide, pleading, hopeful.
Sighing heavily, Gai picked her up and carried her over to the table. Kakashi's eye's went wide in shock. Even Kazue gasped, waiting with a combination of anxiety and excitement, wondering if Gai was going to join them. And, for the first time in a long time, Kakashi was a little excited and felt hope fill his gut. He imagined Gai sitting on the other side of Mika, smiling through the pain of his body odor, joining in on their conversations, eating the food she made, actually try to bond with his own daughter. Then, maybe things will get better, maybe he will get his brother back.
Then, Gai placed her in her seat. He turned back around and disappeared down the hall.
Frustrated and saddened, Kakashi wanted to run after him, drag him back to the table, and force him to sit down with the family. He wanted to scream at him for abandoning them, remind him that it's pathetic that he's choosing to neglect his own daughter, for Gai to apologize to Mika for breaking her heart.
However, he knew better than to cause a scene and make things worse. He couldn't take that chance in front of everyone. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Mika. Her head was down, her lips her pinched together, hands in her lap, sadness laid heavy in her young face. Kazue shook his head and stared down at his feet. Rikko and Hoshi looked back and forth between their grandparents and Kakashi, confused and uncertain of what just happened.
"Papa?" She asked, tilting her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulder. Kakashi held his breath again, readying himself for another conversation, to explain to her who her father is.
"Is she referring to you as her father?" Kakashi gasped softly, nearly forgetting Rei and Kenji were there and had seen everything.
Quick, think of something. Anything!
"She's... just confused...since there are two men who are called 'Dad' living here."
"Papa." Hoshi said again and pointed at Kakashi. Rei shook her head disappointedly and Kenji was emotionless. Kakashi swallowed down the lump in his throat, trying to calm down his racing heart. How was we going to explain this? How could he explain that the little girl saw Kakashi as her father? What would the Kiaki's think then?
"How tragic, such a poor child." Kenji commented, analyzing Hoshi carefully. "Does not know who her own father is, and is confusing her uncle for her father. Even though it is obvious who her father is, she seems rather insistent and sure that you are her father. Tell me, have you tried to explain to her the difference?"
Kakashi swallowed back the words he wanted to say and forced himself to focus on changing the subject. "Well, she is two-"
"If you have tried, have you tried hard enough? This will affect her when she starts growing up and begins to realize who her father is, and I can only imagine the kind of damage that will do to her." Kenji paused, as though allowing his words to simmer. "Does she know about her mother?"
"Darling, that's enough." Rei commanded in a voice that was similar to a mother silencing her child from spilling a secret. Her head hung low, her jawline tensed, she inhaled slowly and held her breath. Kenji fell silent and stared at the wall ahead. Kakashi twitched, shocked to hear her talk to her husband in such a way that would silence him. For the years that he has known them, Kenji was the 'pants' of the family, he was the one in control. And Rei always spoke to him with respect and always followed his lead.
Rei exhaled slowly and raised her head, her smile returned. "Let's allow the children to finish eating, then we will have the rest of the day to spend with our birthday boy."