He was sitting on her window sill when she came back in the room and her lips curled in a smile.
It had been one of the selling points of the apartment – tiny as it was, she had seen the wide sill and pictured it well-furnished, offering pleasant evenings with a view of Konoha's busy streets. She had wasted no time covering it with a soft blanket and a collection of mismatched cushions, turning it into a favourite spot.
Minato had opened the window, the breeze stirring his tousled locks pleasantly as he turned to her when she approached, and she saw the warmth that spilled in his easy smiles, despite the exhaustion in his look.
It had been a long week.
She padded to him, quickly handing the first of the two large mugs she had filled with tea, before taking a seat across from him, one leg tucked beneath the other.
"Thank you." he said mildly, bringing the tea up to his lips and she nodded, mirroring him.
The hoot of an owl carried from the distance, mixing with the sounds of the calm evening.
"Long day?"
He chuckled softly.
"What gave it away?"
"Well for one, you're sporting symmetrical shadows under your eyes, so unless you got yourself punched very symmetrically, my bet would be you got up at absurd hours again, ya know."
Minato huffed in amusement.
They had stayed mostly apart as Kakashi took temporary residence in the spare bedroom of Minato's house. Kushina had visited, of course, but had refrained from staying over – for propriety's sake on the one hand, and for Kakashi's on the other. The kid had withered since that day and any extra attention seemed to make him withdraw further.
"Kakashi had a difficult night." he explained quietly, smile slipping from his face as the barest trickle of chakra sparked in his fingertips, stirring the tea in his mug.
She had come to associate the habit with restlessness; Minato was always so very well-controlled, still and collected even in the face of trouble. But she had noticed the little quirk that noted his unrest – if he was holding liquid it would whirl at his touch, without a thought, the habit probably deeply-ingrained after the countless hours he had spent perfecting his Rasengan.
"Did he let you…?"
He shook his head and she sighed.
The kid had never been especially physical – he had given his father the occasional hug and she had seen his quiet contentment every now and then when Minato had mussed his hair fondly before, but Kakashi had otherwise kept to himself. Things had deteriorated now, the boy jumping as if stung at most any touch.
"Just sat by the door. Tried to take his mind off things. I told him a bit of my trips with Jiraya-sensei, though I don't know how much of it he heard. He's still… mostly vacant."
She could just about picture them, Minato sitting on the floor, back leaned against the wall, his calm voice the only sound in the stuffy room… and Kakashi, pale-faced and hollow-eyed, lying unmoving on the bed. Much like every other night.
"How did the move go?"
At this he winced.
"That bad, huh?"
"I thought it's too soon, but Kakashi insisted. The Foster System administrators didn't take long at least, finding him a new apartment." he said, leaning his head back against the window frame.
Kushina couldn't help shaking her head.
"He's much too young. A kid at six, living on his own, I can't even picture…"
"I know." Minato murmured quietly, his eyebrows creasing with the same worry that coursed through her.
But there was little they could do. Kakashi had no living relatives and sending him to an orphanage was not only out of the question, but an affront to all things sane – he was the Hatake heir, a genin graduated as of two weeks now, and a genius for his age to boot. He had absolutely refused being fostered with another clan, even though there had been gracious offers. Kushina had been about to offer herself, when Kakashi had flatly stated that he'd live on his own and that had been that. The only person he would have probably considered was Minato, but the jōnin's hands had been tied there – he couldn't offer as it would constitute a conflict of interests – a student couldn't live with their sensei; Minato would have to resign being his teacher and Kakashi was certain to have none of that.
In the end they had relented, going along with his wishes as he applied for accommodation.
"So… what happened?"
"It all seemed fine, at first. But then we returned to the Hatake compound to collect his things and… it was tough on him."
She swallowed. It was to be expected of course… She had gone much through the same, those first few times when she had returned to the Uzumaki compound after her parents' deaths. She had managed to hold it together, just barely… but she had been seventeen. Kakashi was six.
"Panic attack?"
"A bad one." he confirmed, another heavy sigh on his lips. "Took some time to drag him out of it."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there, ya know."
She had wanted to, but the meetings at the Fūinjutsu Research Department had run whole day, back-to-back, the regulation team pushing for an expediated procedure when realising the potential of the new barrier.
Minato shook his head, his lips quirking up ever-so-slightly, the barest trace of a tired smile springing to his face.
"Don't be. I'm the one who's left you to deal alone with the administrative nightmare."
She huffed in mock-annoyance.
"That's right, ya know. You owe me ramen."
He chuckled at that as his eyes lingered on her, look softening. She had sat close to him in the limited space, her leg brushing lightly against his thigh, and she felt his fingers trail a soft touch over her knee.
"How have you been?"
She shrugged, lips lifting up automatically, in habit – the better to deal with it all around Kakashi in the last week or so. But… the kid wasn't here now. And Minato was looking at her knowingly. Patiently.
She gulped as her smile wobbled. Her hand moved on its own accord, coming to rest over his.
"I'm dealing, ya know."
He nodded, turning his hand palm-upwards below her touch, knitting fingers with hers wordlessly. There wasn't much else to be said; she knew how much he wished he could be with her in the aftermath… but Kakashi had needed him more. She knew he'd wear himself thin trying to be a pillar for them both, so she had done her very best to hold it together.
And he'd still done so anyway, tiring himself senselessly for the people he loved. So here he was now, exhaustion weighing on him as he offered her comfort.
His touch was ever-warm, steady, an anchor to hold onto, and they lapsed into quiet, listening to the crickets below.
"I went to the chūnin headquarters this afternoon." he said quietly after a few minutes of companionable silence, and she turned a curious look at him.
"Oh? Have they decided?"
"No. But they were reviewing my old reports on Kakashi's progress again. There's been push in favour, from the council."
Her eyebrows shot up.
"They support it, ya know?"
"I was just as surprised. He's… good, very good, for his age. Bafflingly good. He can already control elemental techniques and he demonstrates uncanny maturity. I reported it all before, but I never thought they might use it as grounds to advance him so early."
It was unheard of. Kakashi's situation was definitely unusual – he had been moved to a class of older children and even amongst them he was advanced; it had been expected he'd graduate a year early, which was why he had been placed under a jōnin instructor in his last months at the academy. Since becoming a genin officially two weeks ago he had even completed a couple of low rank missions under Minato's guidance.
But despite all of the exceptional circumstances surrounding his progress, the news that he was being considered for a chūnin advancement, weeks within his genin graduation, was an absolute gobsmack. They both knew why of course – it was a clever move, politically; it made a clear statement about Konoha's position regarding the Hatake clan, bestowing rank on the sole heir despite Sakumo's fate… or maybe exactly because of it. It was a sure way to follow up on the man's dying wish and wash the stain of shame.
And there was the added bonus of avoiding having to deal with public backlash from clans that were refused the request to foster the boy – it was one thing to leave a six-year-old boy to fend for himself and quite another to do so with a chūnin. Dreadful as it was, rank trumped age.
And Minato liked very little of it all, she knew.
"It would make him the youngest chūnin in history… And you his teacher."
His eyebrows furrowed.
"Yes, I've heard that argument being tossed around as well… as reason to back the promotion." he said.
The tea in his mug was swivelling again, a tiny whirlpool in its depth.
"Are you going to support it?"
"I can't not, not without contradicting them with viable criticism. At a time like this… it's the last thing Kakashi needs. And clamping down on it all would be a blow to his advancements in the foreseeable future. If they push for it… I have to go along."
"But you don't like it, ya know."
His eyes met hers, exhaustion mixing with concern, spelled out so plainly on his face. The tiny v had appeared between his eyebrows again.
"No. I don't know what they're thinking. He has the skill, to a point, but this whole ordeal has shaken him to the core."
It was madness, in truth. Chūnin were expected to hold command in the field, in the absence of jōnin. Kakashi was not only young, but also too emotionally unstable right now to be expected to do so rationally. When Minato had first told her, Kushina had simply laughed at the absurdity of it all.
She wished she could laugh it off as a joke now too.
"Minato… you know it will be a promotion in name only. You'd still be his sensei. He wouldn't be given field assignments without you, not any time soon." she said, trying to inject some surety in her words. Surely the elders weren't that mental.
His eyes, when he found her look again, were liquid fire, his mouth set.
"No… No, he wouldn't. I'll make sure of it." he said firmly, voice brooking no argument, and for a second she glimpsed a peculiar side of him – that of a man able to demand and hold command.
Her lips quirked up despite herself.
"As if any of the poor souls at the mission assignment desk would have the spine to cross Konoha's Yellow Flash, ya know."
He huffed, the edge draining out of him, a smile tugging at his lips.
"I suppose my… reputation… comes with some merits."
"True. And, speaking of, think of it this way: one day the bingo books will say Kakashi Hatake made chūnin at six. He'd instil terror in the hearts of his opponents before they even met him, ya know."
The market was busy as usual in the early evening, when the summer heat finally broke and allowed for more pleasant time outside. He knew that Kakashi didn't enjoy passing through the main street and avoided it as much as he could, even though his new apartment was right in the centre, requiring some excellent navigation skills around Konoha's alleyways in order to avoid any and all crowded areas.
Still, Minato had made a point of passing briefly through at least one busy street when they returned from training sessions or from a mission – he understood his student's reluctance, but he feared the kid would grow completely alienated if he kept it up. Besides, it could be argued that learning how to navigate around civilians and blend in was a necessary shinobi skill.
In this case however, he could feel he was pushing it. Kakashi had grown antsy by his side, his muscles tense as he tracked all movement about him sporadically. His look kept darting to the shadowy alleys and the rooftops above, the kid's newly-found revulsion of contact rendering him in a semi battle-ready state.
Minato sighed.
It had been a little over three weeks, time too short for one to grieve before coming back to active duty, but Kakashi had insisted doggedly, training himself near a comatose state when the jōnin had refused him at first. In the end Minato had relented, if only to keep the boy in check and set a more reasonable pace. It didn't prove too hard – Kakashi followed every instruction and every rule, obedient to the core, unerringly. Even now he had followed the blonde through the crowds, standing alert by his side, not once voicing protest.
Because his sensei had asked it of him. Because someone of rank had deemed it proper. Because there was a hierarchy and a genin should listen to his jōnin instructor. And Kakashi Hatake was nothing if not dutiful – he had by now memorised the shinobi code, the small booklet always by his side as he read it again and again, its pages turning crumpled, the blood stains from that night darkening in smudges.
"Minato!"
Her voice cut through his reverie at once, dragging him out of the darkened thoughts and he felt his lips pull in a smile without him even realising it as he turned to where she was making her way in the crowd. He had felt her chakra imprint a good two minutes ago, basking in its familiarity as he felt her head in their direction most determinedly, and he had selfishly decided to wait for her, hoping Kakashi would forgive the delay.
"Oh thank the gods I ran into you two, ya know!" Kushina chirped as she practically elbowed her way past a large man and Minato could just feel his smile freeze on his face. "I think I may have overdone it."
Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Kakashi's eyebrow twitch. The amount of food she had bought could have fed her and half her neighbours for at least two days. Her hands were full of boxes and paper bags, towering before her, with more bags hooped over her forearms. But perhaps what was worse was the fact that Minato knew she could carry it all, and then some, with very little problem – she had plenty of chakra to spare to enhance her strength or to create clones that could assist her, as she often did when needed. Instead, she was putting on a very convincing show of struggling with all the purchases.
Oh, something was definitely afoot.
And he suspected the one being baited was standing right beside him.
"Do you need help?" the jōnin asked politely, playing along for her sake as he stepped towards her, and Kakashi followed suit automatically.
Heck, who was he kidding – he'd happily help her always, even if he knew she needed very little of his help.
"Well, duh, I can't carry it all by myself, ya know."
"Of course not." he said, smile never leaving his face as his eyes met hers briefly and he could have sworn the corners of her lips twitched ever so slightly.
"Help me bring it back to mine, will you? You must be done with training, right? Thanks a million, ya know!" she was saying merrily, dumping two bags in Kakashi's arms, ignoring his near-startled expression completely, before ditching the rest in Minato's hands.
She flipped her hair over one shoulder, baring her heated skin to the breeze as she fanned herself with one hand, leaning over Minato's side to fix the boxes he was holding. A stray lock of her hair fell across his shoulder as she did so and his eyes tracked it absent-mindedly in the brief proximity… with everything going on, it had been quite a while since he had been near her like this…
He shook his head slightly, clearing the sudden heated thoughts away. They were in a crowded market and his student was right beside him; what was wrong with him?
A small knowing smile graced her lips, her fingers brushing lightly against his arm as she steadied the purchases in his hold and then she was moving away, starting firmly down the street.
"I was planning on cooking, but I wasn't sure what I wanted so I just bought a bit of everything. Silly, isn't it?"
"Very." Kakashi dead-panned and Kushina rounded up on him.
"You're not supposed to agree with a lady when she makes self-deprecating jokes, shrimp."
"It's not a joke if it's true."
"You're not supposed to agree anyway, ya know."
The white-haired kid shook his head.
"That makes no sense."
"Listen here now…"
They kept it up all the way to her home, going back and forth relentlessly, much to Minato's amusement. He could see what she was doing, subtle in her seemingly natural outbursts – for once Kakashi's attention wasn't fixed on the crowds about him as his ire flared, finding himself in the impossible situation of trying to politely argue with Kushina Uzumaki. In the end they passed through the main streets, reaching her own apartment with little trouble on his student's side and Minato could only shake his head through a smile, silently acknowledging her genius.
"Well then." Kushina said, rubbing her hands when the bags were finally lined up on her kitchen counter. "Help me put them away?"
The look on Kakashi's face was priceless as he seized up her tiny fridge and the amount of food she had laid out next to it.
"There's no way it will all fit." he said, crossing his arms before his chest.
"Nonsense. Come on, chop chop, are you a shinobi of skill or what?"
The kid's eyebrows furrowed in indignation.
"Stocking food in the fridge is not a shinobi ski-" he started saying before Kushina dumped a bag in his hands again.
"Yeah, yeah, but helping a fellow kunoichi in need is, ya know. What are you smirking at, mister?" she said sharply, hands on her hips as she turned to Minato who had been leaning against the door, observing them through smothered laughter. "Those boxes go up there if you will."
"I feel I'm being used for my height."
"Who would have thought it back in the academy, huh?" she jibed, a grin dancing on her face, and he rolled his eyes, making his way to said boxes.
It took no more than five minutes of arduous attempts on Kakashi's part until he admitted defeat with a good solid half of her purchases still sprawled about.
"Oh no. What am I going to do now? I was taught to never waste food." Kushina exclaimed in such a convincing imitation of distress that Minato thought if there were theatre performance awards, she would nick them all.
Kakashi simply gave her the flattest look that had perhaps ever been given in all of time.
"You couldn't have possibly thought it could ever fit-" the kid started and Kushina all but ignored him.
"Minato, could you take some off my hands? It's mostly the fresh ingredients left."
Her eyes when she turned to look at him spelled out murder if he dared give the wrong answer. He could almost feel the drop of sweat rolling down his neck.
"Nope. Fridge is full also. Went shopping yesterday."
She grinned up at him before schooling her expression again as she turned to his student, whose fridge was mostly empty, as both of them knew well. Kakashi had taken to eating mainly packaged goods and ration bars, flatly refusing all of their offers for ramen or meals at Minato's place.
"Well then, shrimp. That leaves you as my saviour!"
The boy's eyes widened, jumping from Kushina's beaming face to the various vegetables, and back.
"No way."
"What, would you just let all this food rot? It's a waste, it's war time, it's near-blasphemous!"
"Then you shouldn't have bought so much."
"Now, now, Kakashi." Minato hurried to intervene as he saw Kushina's eyebrow twitch over a half-frozen smile. "Mistakes happen."
The white-haired boy crossed his arms before his chest, giving them both a look that could almost spell out Not to me.
"Donate it to the orphanage."
"Can't. Touched it already. It's not hygienic, ya know."
Minato couldn't help the amused smile playing on his lips as he saw the defeated look that crossed his student's face. Kushina could truly be a diabolical mastermind when she set her mind to it.
"What am I supposed to do with it anyway?" he mumbled which seemed to be just what the redhead was waiting for.
She feigned being deep in thought for all of five seconds before hurrying to her counter and grabbing a thick recipe book and a stack of colourful paper to mark the pages.
"Here. I got this from my mom. I'll mark some of the easier recipes with these ingredients. Have you taught him any cooking, Minato?"
"Nope."
Kakashi scoffed.
"Cooking? I'm a ninja-"
"Ninjas have infiltration missions. All basic skills should be mastered, ya know."
The boy's expression was the very definition of disbelief as he turned to his sensei who only nodded through a smile.
"Since you're a novice, I'll mark only the easiest things. Wouldn't want you wasting all this good food…"
The jōnin was finding it difficult holding back his laughter. She was laying out her trap beautifully.
"Kakashi is quite skilled and clever for his age. I'm sure he could handle more advanced stuff also." he added casually and Kushina all but smirked.
"Yeah, right, as if." she said, voice full of flippant sarcasm, as a final touch.
Snap
The kid's eyes narrowed as he grabbed the cookbook of her hands. At this the kunoichi did smirk.
"Well, well. Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you, little genius? I'll lend it to you then, until you learn to cook proper. But I better see you put it to good use, even after you run out of these stuff here, yeah? It's a precious book, I wouldn't want it to catch cobwebs, ya know."
Kakashi simply stared at the yellowed pages, eyebrows furrowed, a challenge in his look.
"Come on, I was going to cook anyway. Time for a first lesson, ne?"
The box had a fine layer of dust over its lid, mostly untouched since last year. Kakashi hung his head, balling his hands in fists over his knees to stop the trembling.
Dusk had turned the small bedroom of his apartment eerie as the last light of day slanted down through the windows, bathing the room in a red gloom. Even the shadows had acquired a reddish tint, gathered in the corners below the sill and by the cupboard where he had knelt.
He had been staring at the box for the better part of ten minutes now, unable to summon the will to open it.
The last time they had done this, they had done it together.
He gulped, willing his hands to unclench. His fingers felt clumsy, damp with sweat as they carefully extracted the lid. It made a sharp scratching sound in the deafening silence. A tremor ran through his hand, crumpling the wrapping paper further when he pulled it apart.
His breathing hitched below the mask.
The lantern was as beautiful as ever, decorated with the insignias of the Hatake clan on one side and that of his mother's on the other, the one she had belonged to before her marriage. To honour her past and present… to call her spirit home.
They would put it up together every year, on the first day of Obon, a beacon on their porch to help guide her back to them during the spirits festival. Sakumo would help him light it and boost Kakashi on his shoulders so he could hoop it in place, fastening her guiding light.
Not so this time.
This time, he'd have to put it up himself… to guide them both back.
Because they had both left.
Kakashi gritted his teeth, lifting the lantern gingerly out of the box and bowing his forehead against it.
He didn't know how long he had stayed like this, but the light had almost waned when he heard the knock.
He didn't move, wishing the intruder away, in vain. The rap repeated, more insistently, a near bang against the polished wood and he sighed. There could really be only one person who knocked quite like that.
He put the lantern aside and pushed up to his feet before Kushina-san barged in with the front door off its hinges. A hiss left him as feeling returned to his stiff legs when he made his way to the small living room, throwing the door open.
"What?"
"Well hello to you too, kid. I brought fruit." Kushina-san announced happily, lifting the basket of goods she was carrying.
Kakashi could only stare.
"It's rude to leave a guest on the doorstep~" she said in a near sing-song voice and the boy sighed stepping aside to let her through. "Well thank you."
She headed for his tiny kitchen and the white-haired boy followed haltingly, lingering in the doorway as his guest dropped her basket off on the counter.
"Well then." she said as she quickly rummaged through the fruit she had brought, taking a melon out. "You wouldn't mind me using these, yeah?"
With that she snatched a knife off the counter, along with a chopping board. Kakashi could only stare.
"What are you doing?"
She shrugged, not turning to face him.
"I've prepared some small gift plates already. For my folks and my brother, and for Gorou. And for Mito-sama. I thought we could arrange the last three together, ya know." She said and her voice was almost flippant, much too even, a barely-audible raw emotion brimming below the surface. "Melons were his favourite, right?"
Kakashi's eyes widened.
His father had been the one to prepare the fruit offerings, the small gift plates left at grave sites during Obon, to welcome back the spirits of those lost. Kakashi hadn't planned on leaving any this year, the idea of facing their gravestones filling him with dread.
And yet Kushina-san… sometimes he forgot she had lost her sensei too.
"And peaches." he muttered, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, as he neared the counter too.
The redhead nodded, deftly squaring the melon and arranging it in the three small wooden bowls she had brought – one from her and two from him, for his mom and dad – before handing Kakashi the cutting board.
The peach slices ended up jagged and uneven; his fingers – usually so sure and still with a weapon – now seemed strangely jittery with the dull kitchen knife. He wedged the peaches between the melon, Kushina-san humming appreciatively by his side.
"He would have liked it, ya know." she said quietly, tying a white ribbon about the bowls and slowly arranging them back in the basket along with the other offerings she had made. "Let's go drop them off then, shall we? Minato's already waiting by the memorial stone."
He nodded, heading automatically for the door after her before stopping abruptly in his tracks. Kushina-san turned to peer back at him quizzically as she was slipping back into her sandals.
"Just… Just a moment."
His feet carried him back to his bedroom on their own accord, halting before the hastily dropped lantern now lying flatly on its side. It seemed oddly heavy in his hands, the fine paper sticking to his sweaty palms when he lifted it gingerly off the floor.
The redhead was waiting for him on the outside porch of his flat, right by the external stairway, basket in hand. Her eyes slipped to the lantern wordlessly before the barest of smiles tugged at her lips.
The heavy brass hook was attached high up on the wall, right by his door, as was custom with every home. It was well out of reach.
Here, climb on up, his dad would always say, kneeling down with a smile to help him up on his shoulders and lift him up for the task.
Hold on tight.
But. Kakashi didn't need a lift. Not anymore.
A leap and chakra gathered at his feet as he made his way up the wall, carefully securing the lantern in place before dropping down soundlessly to the floor below.
"It's beautiful, ya know."
"Dad made it." he said simply, as if that explained everything.
And in a way it did.
"I… I don't have a lighter. Or matches." he said lamely, a redness creeping up his neck and ears, as he found himself grateful for the gathering dark.
His new kitchen was woefully under-stocked, and even though he had started acquiring some of the things needed for Kushina-san's ridiculous recipe book, he still lacked many basic tools. Still, he felt like hitting his face in a nearby wall at the omission.
"That's alright. Here, I got you." she said mildly, leaving the basket at her feet and quickly running through handseals.
The barest trickle of chakra surged up to her hand, igniting in a merry flame, and Kakashi found himself staring at the ease with which she controlled elemental release even for everyday tasks. The fire flickered over her fingertips, dancing brilliantly in the dusk as she brought it up to the lantern, reaching up on her toes to reach the oil-soaked wick. It caught at once, illuminating the Hatake crest in blazing orange.
The redhaired girl smiled, taking a modest step back to observe her work, and Kakashi couldn't help but notice the soft sigh that left her at the sight, lips quivering ever-so-slightly before she forced a smile, turning to him.
"Better, no?"
The white-haired boy nodded, swallowing thickly past a dry throat.
"Let's go, Kakashi."
The yagura had been erected in the middle of Training Field 5, making use of its vast open spaces. Streamers with lanterns had been stretched out between its wooden edifice and the nearby trees, branching out from the centre in all directions, illuminating the grassy field below.
The musicians had taken their places at the centre of the scaffolding, the melody of the taiko and the koto setting a semi-lively melodic tune, carrying across the grounds. And over the meadow, all around the yagura, people had gathered, moving rhythmically about the wooden post, dancing in unison.
Bon Odori, they called it – the Bon Dance, on the second day of Obon.
There was something oddly mesmerising about the sight, Minato thought, observing the scene from the top of a small hill right beside the gathering. He was leaning against a thick oak tree, hands tucked in his pockets, a smile spilled on his lips as his eyes followed her through the dancers. She was wearing a beautiful crimson kimono to match her hair, adorned with all the flowers of the season, blending warmth across the seams. Her fiery tresses had been pulled back in a casual low pony-tail, its heavy tip swaying about her as she swirled gracefully with each beat of the drums, light on her feet, flowing through the traditional moves of the dance. She had closed her eyes, moving bare-footed, almost dream-like in her lithe steps. And with every twist and every flowing turn her locks would catch the light of the lanterns about, blazing in the dark, a spark amidst the crowd, drawing his eyes to her.
Hypnotic, she was… just like the dance itself, and the whole scene. The taiko had picked up a steady rhythmic thrum, complemented by the softness of the koto, the melody reverberating through his chest.
"Why do they do it?" came Kakashi's voice from right beside him and he blinked, clearing away the momentary haze.
The boy was kneeling right beside him, observing the dance as well, a furrow in his brow giving away his confusion. He had chosen to stay well away from the crowds and Minato had remained behind with him, watching it all in companionable silence.
"The spirits of the deceased return to us during Obon. The lanterns guide them back to us. And during Bon Odori… it's said the spirits dance with the living this night. They do it to honour the people they lost. They dance for the souls of those they loved."
Kakashi remained quiet at that, eyebrows furrowing further.
"Do you believe it? That souls exist?" he said finally, barely audibly, growing oddly still.
"I do." Minato said simply, unwaveringly.
And how could he not, after having seen that shrine; after having learned about that technique? How could a soul-binding technique be performed if souls didn't exist? Why would a God aid you if he couldn't take his toll?
Kakashi turned to peer at him, a spark of surprise in his eyes, before he turned to the groups of people below once again.
"And do they all return? Really?"
Most of them, he thought, his mind once again turning to the Dead Demon Seal – the ultimate price. Those who gave their souls to the Shinigami found no peace after… never to return during Obon, or dance amongst the living they left behind. Never to find peace.
What a terrible fate.
But that wasn't what Kakashi was asking, nor what he needed to hear.
"I believe they do."
"…even those who chose to leave in the first place?"
His voice was small, nigh a whisper, drowned out in the rustle of the leaves. A pang shot through Minato's chest, the flare of grief clamping on his throat, hands clenching into fists in his pockets as he fought to suppress the urge to reach out and put a hand on his student's shoulder. He knew his touch was no longer welcome.
"Those most of all."
Kakashi simply nodded, lapsing back into silence, following the Bon Odori with a fervent look.
The water splashed gently against Minato's knees, cold in its embrace, plastering his yukata to his legs. It had reached up to Kakashi's thighs, the boy standing still beside him for once, despite the people around them, all similarly drenched as they entered the river together, shinobi and civilian alike.
The square floating lantern in the boy's hands was shaking slightly, its light sputtering with the subconscious moves.
Minato looked about, taking in the solemn faces of the people gathered about for Toro Nagashi, each holding a lantern of their own, eyes downcast, lips moving in silent prayers. And then they'd lean forward, laying them gently against the surface of the water, fingers brushing against their flicker almost fervently. One by one, the river filled with the glimmer of hundreds of floating lights, their gleam reflecting in the calm waters like liquid jewels. They bobbed with the current, gliding down with the stream, on their journey to the sea – to show the way back to the other plane, aiding the spirits back home.
Minato sighed, mouthing a silent prayer for his parents as he lowered his lantern to the water below. It chilled his fingers, picking up the floating flame, swirling it gently out of his grasp to join the sea of light about.
Kakashi hadn't budged, staring at his own lantern without seeing it. People had started retreating, moving slowly through the shallows and twisting the water out of their clothes along the shore.
"He wanted to train." the boy said suddenly, seemingly to no one in particular.
Minato stayed quiet.
"He wanted to train that day, but I told him I had to train with you. I lied. I wanted him to rest." He swallowed, throat bobbing up and down. "If I had trained with him, if I had stayed home, he wouldn't have-"
"Kakashi. Your father… Sakumo-san had made his decision long before coming home. You couldn't have changed it."
"But he wanted to. He wanted to spend the day with me."
"And he did. He was there." Minato said mildly and Kakashi's head snapped up, eyes growing wide, boring into his desperately. "I felt him. Sensor, remember?" he said, the ghost of a smile gracing his lips briefly as he tapped his temple, "He was there the whole day, watching us train, I promise you. He spent the day with you, as he wished. He saw how much you've grown and how good your pack have become. He saw it all."
Kakashi's face twisted with an emotion too raw to name before he hung his head, eyes squeezing shut as he hunched up on himself, hiding his face behind his bangs, shoulders shaking silently. His fingers curled about the lantern's edges, once, twice, before he lowered it gingerly to the river, settling it on the surface with a wobble.
"I… I… The water…" he said, lifting a hand to his face, and Minato hmm-ed in quiet assent.
"Got in your eyes, didn't it? It drenched me too. Come on. Let's dry off."
"Yes, sensei."
AN: Well here's the next one, amidst summer trips and camping, and summer school – I'm still doing my best to power through! Yes, this was mostly a fluff-and-emotions chapter, but hey, I felt it needed (at least I needed it) so I hope you've enjoyed it too Next one, as mentioned, will also feature some different scenes over a period of time.
Notes on the text:
The whole situation with Kakashi being a chūnin at six, but then taking the chūnin exams with Rin and Obito was such a major plot-hole that I don't know how Kishi sleeps at night :D Not to mention the absurdity of assigning a leadership role to a 6-year-old child – I have 6-year-old students, half of them can't tie their shoes. So this was the best I could come up with as to why such a baffling decision was made by the elders. I hope it kind of makes sense! It also opens the door for Kakashi then actually taking the chūnin exams again – because he wants to earn the title given him for free.
Kushina saying how terrible it would be to have a 6-year-old kid live alone and fend for himself? Yeap, that reference was purposeful, because I can just imagine her absolute horror if she knew how Naruto lived his childhood…
I believe Obon is a beautiful festival and I figured its significance would be doubly felt when you've lost someone dear recently… I thought it suitable to show the stages of grief Kakashi goes through
Thank you for reading! I really hope you've enjoyed it! As always, your comments and suggestions are most welcome, it's always lovely to hear from you guys! Thank you so much for your sweet words and the encouragements
Glossary:
Obon: a Japanese custom to honour the spirits of one's ancestors. It's a festival that lasts for three days and includes different customs according to the region. Some popular ones include hanging lanterns over doors to guide the ancestors' spirits home, dancing around an yagura and releasing floating lanterns in a river to guide the spirits back home
Taiko: Traditional Japanese drums
Koto: a Japanese plucked half-tube zither instrument, and the national instrument of Japan
Bon Odori: Bon Odori, meaning simply Bon dance, is a style of dancing performed during Obon. There are conflicting reports as to the reason behind the dances including doing it as a sort of ritual to honour those that passed. Still others say it is done in a way to be meant as if they are dancing with their ancestors. The reasoning may also depend upon region, so there is not one specific reason for the bon odori.
Yagura: The way in which Bon Odori is performed is different in each region, though the typical Bon dance involves people lining up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold made especially for the festival called a yagura.
Toro Nagashi: the name of the tradition, but also of the floating lanterns that are traditionally floated down a river that runs to the sea. These lanterns represent the spirits of ancestors, and are a symbolic way to celebrate loved ones and family members who have passed on. Each toro nagashi contains a small candle that illuminates the paper lanterns as they float downstream.