Chapter 11: The Aftermath
Sasuke did not show up the next day. Or the next. Naruto and his guardians started to become concerned about the raven-haired boy. The children had taken to each other quickly and it was strange that the Uchiha had not come over at all since the massacre. Maybe he was mourning. Maybe he was afraid of what they would think of him.
Mumei decided to take Naruto and pay them a home visit.
Naruto skipped happily alongside his uncle, not a care in the world. He was thrilled that he got to see his best friend today. He had finally figured out how to do the tree climbing thingy and he couldn't wait to show it off!
Once they had arrived at the Uchiha compound, Mumei was disappointed to see that slurs had been written on the fences and walls. Traitor, pig and other words were written in paint.
"Naru, I know you're really good at painting, do you know how to get it back off?" Mumei asked, although he already knew the answer.
"Yeah! Paint stripper! It's super effective! We can go buy some!" he cheered at the prospect of a new adventure.
"Smart lad. Let's go get some paint stripper and fix this fence up, ne?"
"Okay!" The boy grabbed his guardian's hand and pulled him into the nearest shop that sold paint stripper and they bought enough to take care of the whole fence.
"What do you think? White paint too to fix it after we strip off the paint?" Mumei asked.
"Yeah!" Naruto cheered.
With their purchases in tow, the Namikaze duo went back to the Uchiha compound and got to paint stripping. They worked diligently for several hours and then repainted the fence.
The whole time they were there, Mumei did not see a single Uchiha leave the compound. Usually they were always coming and going, but today that didn't seem to be the case. Maybe they were mourning. Or maybe they were hiding.
The duo strode up to the guards at the gate and informed them of their intentions to see Itachi and Sasuke. The guards looked at them suspiciously but checked a list of names and allowed them to pass. It seemed that they had beefed up security. Mumei wondered if it was because of the attack or if there was retaliation from villagers.
Mumei guided Naruto to the correct house. Nobody stopped to question him. Nobody was even in the streets. They were all tucked inside their houses.
Upon reaching the right Uchiha abode, Naruto knocked loudly on the door.
Itachi appeared at the other side of the door promptly and let the two inside.
"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked loudly.
"He's with our Mother," Itachi sighed. Mumei sensed there was more to the story.
"Naruto, why don't you go find Sasuke, I'm sure he'd be glad to see you," Itachi motioned the boy off in the correct direction.
Once Naruto was out of earshot, Itachi leaned in to talk to Mumei.
"She hasn't eaten or slept. She just stares at where he died. Whenever I come into the room she screams. She doesn't talk to anyone, not even Sasuke. He just sits near her."
"We'll try and take him home with us. See if he comes out of his shell a little more," Mumei mused.
"Thank you," Itachi sighed. "I've been so busy with the clan and damage control that I haven't had a chance to really talk to him."
"We'll take him off your hands during the day. Naruto misses him."
"Thanks Mumei-san. I owe you,"
"Nah, don't worry about it, we like the squirt," Mumei reassured him.
"What's taking them so long?" Itachi moaned.
"I'll go check on them," Mumei said gently.
Mumei sauntered down the hallway towards where he knew the master bedroom to be. In the hallway, he spotted Naruto and Sasuke talking. The raven-haired boy seemed to be crying and he didn't want to interrupt. He took a step back and leaned against the wall around the corner of the corridor. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but who was he to deny himself a little overhearing?
"She screams whenever Itachi comes in the room, I don't know what that means," Sasuke whispered to Naruto.
"Maybe… Itachi did it," Naruto returned the whisper.
"I hope he did," Sasuke said in a normal tone. "C'mon let's go to your house. I don't wanna be here anymore."
At that, Mumei popped around the corner and pretended to act surprised.
"There you guys are! Are you ready to go?" he asked enthusiastically.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him over to his uncle.
"Yep!" he sang.
The trio headed back towards Itachi. Sasuke ran over to his big brother and gave him a big hug. All of Itachi's worries about his little brother hating him washed away.
"Be good," he lectured with a poke to the younger boy's forehead once they had pulled away.
"I always am," Sasuke giggled. He picked up Naruto's hand and walked towards the door.
They exited the main house and made their way out the gate with Sasuke in tow. The boys skipped merrily in front of Mumei.
Then, the whispers started. The stares began. All eyes were on the 'traitor' Uchiha and 'demon' Uzumaki. Sasuke's smile faded but Naruto seemed oblivious. Of course, the child had grown up with this, of course he was used to it.
"I heard that the Three Mourning Doves killed his father," one villager whispered.
Three Mourning Doves? Oh shit I think they mean Itachi, Kakashi and me. Mumei realized.
"I heard it was the older one Ita-something."
"Maybe he's part of the Three Mourning Doves!"
What a stupid name, but oddly fitting , Mumei thought. Someone must have seen the trio bouncing on rooftops the night of the massacre. They had not attempted to hide their presence, simply their identities, that's why they had worn the masks and hoods.
Mumei made a point of staring down every single villager that dared point or glare or stare. Whispers were silenced. Gazes averted.
Sasuke picked up on this fact and was back to his bouncing happy self in no time flat. The boys chattered idly about anything and everything. They learned everything little boys wanted to know about each other. Their favorite colors, their favorite foods, their fears, their favorite things. Mumei took careful notes of everything as he was sure it would be useful later. You could never discount even the smallest bit of information. You never knew what could come in handy.
Finally, they arrived back at the Namikaze compound. Mumei stopped Naruto before he could open the gate.
"Let's code you in, Sasuke, so you can come over whenever you want, ne?" he said with a grin.
Mumei bit his finger and placed it in the matrix to disable the security mechanism.
"Okay, draw blood and give me a little bit of it," he instructed. Mumei pulled out several paints from a seal and set to work adding another blood seal to the lock mechanism. Sasuke did as instructed and Mumei took a bit of blood from the Uchiha and painted the appropriate swirls and lines with it. Just like that, Sasuke was in.
"All set! Why don't you try it out," he encouraged.
Sasuke placed his still bloody hand on the locking mechanism and the gate swung open, welcoming its new keyholder. Sasuke positively beamed. Naruto pulled the other boy through the gate and out to the training field so he could show off his new trick. Sasuke pouted but was a good sport. He swore that he would catch up to Naruto no matter what and took off running at the trees.
Naruto giggled and chased after his friend.
"Naru! Try balancing a leaf on your nose as you do the tree climbing!" Mumei called after the blond boy.
"Okay!" the boy called back excitedly.
The next few days went on similarly. Sasuke stayed at the Namikaze compound during the day and Itachi walked him back at night. Sasuke mastered the tree walking exercise and both boys were practicing holding multiple leaves on their body while climbing the tree.
This had led to several hilarious disasters in which overzealous children fell out of very tall trees. It was a good thing that Mumei had some medical training from his timeline's Sakura or else the boys would have been too sore to move.
One day, however, Sasuke refused to leave. He was happier at the Namikaze compound and he didn't want to see his mother any longer. He informed his best friend that she seemed not to care about him or his brother at all anymore. Itachi was very busy with clan business and had been forced to quit ANBU in order to deal with their state of affairs. He certainly didn't have time to raise his younger brother.
So it came to be that Sasuke lived at the Namikaze compound with his best friend and new guardians. Sasuke's favorite animal was unsurprisingly a snake so Mumei and Kakashi decked the Uchiha's new room with snake-themed gear. Snake comforter, snake sheets, snake wall coverings, snake plushies, anything that could be a snake was a snake. They even went back to the store that sold those onesies and picked out a snake one for Sasuke. The boy was positively thrilled.
The next few weeks flew by in a haze of training. Sakura and the other children started at the Academy but Naruto and Sasuke stayed out, preferring the tutelage of their guardians. Kakashi taught Sasuke about the sharingan while Mumei taught Naruto about fuuinjutsu. They learned about the history of Konoha and what it meant to be shinobi. They practiced their writing, Naruto's level having nearly caught up with Sasuke's. They practiced their chakra control and conditioned their bodies for taijutsu. To be precise, they worked hard.
Kakashi and Mumei sparred from time to time, never going all out. The boys watched in awe. The two men became closer friends. It felt like there was something more but neither were ready to push past the carefully constructed boundaries that they had put in place. Kakashi wasn't fully trusting of Mumei and Mumei was wary of revealing too much. They made an odd pair.
Mumei had finally hashed out exactly how he was going to abduct Sakura. Maybe abduct was too harsh of a word. Take from her family and transplant into their ragtag crew? Not much better. Either way, she would be re-joining their family.
This particular operation required some finesse, so Mumei did what any sane shinobi would do; forge the Hokage's signature. Yes, he could have gone through the proper channels but that took time. Besides, it wasn't like the old man was really paying much attention to the village. So, with his forged document in hand, he went to the Haruno household.
Mumei looked every bit the part of a commanding jounin. He knocked heavily on the door with every ounce of intimidation that he had in him. The door opened to a kind-looking man with spiked dull pink hair. It resembled a sakura blossom.
"My name is Namikaze Mumei, may I come in?" he asked with a steel tone.
"Of course!" Kizashi ushered his guest inside. "What can I help you with?"
"I'm here about your daughter," he informed the genin.
"Is she in some kind of trouble," Kizashi worried?
"No, no. In fact, we are recognizing her talent. She is a very bright girl. Is your wife Mebuki here? I would like to speak to both of you about an opportunity for her."
"Oh! Of course!" he responded excitedly before calling for his wife. Mebuki was a kind and loving mother with lovely short blonde hair and bangs that flowed to the bridge of her nose. However, she was much more serious than her husband. This led to a gratuitous amount of banter between spouses. She was a woman to be reckoned with.
"Darling, why haven't you invited our guest to sit? I'll put on some tea," Mebuki said kindly.
"Thank you," Mumei smiled before taking a seat in an armchair. Mebuki went to put on the kettle and Kizashi settled into the couch. Before long, Mebuki joined them, halting the small talk about the current state of affairs in the village.
"Now, your daughter is a very bright girl. The Academy has recognized that she will likely be top of her class. We have a very unique opportunity for her," Mumei began.
"What kind of opportunity?" Kizashi inquired with enthusiasm. Mebuki looked more wary of the situation than her excitable husband.
"We are forming a team of youngsters to grow up together, form strong bonds. They will be the second coming of the sannin. They will help bring Konoha to a new era of prosperity," Mumei motioned with his hands, widening them as if he were about to hug someone.
"That's wonderful!" Kizashi exclaimed.
"She's only six," Mebuki stated out of concern. "What kind of training will she go through? Who is on the team?"
"There will be no extraneous training, only what is suitable for their age group. Her other teammates Naruto and Sasuke are currently working on taijutsu training and history," Mumei informed, wary of their reactions to his young charges.
"They both seem like good lads," Kizashi said in agreement, "and that doesn't sound like too much for my little blossom."
Mebuki nodded in agreement but still didn't look convinced.
"Who will be leading this team?"
"Myself and Hatake Kakashi. I assure you, we are well-trained jounin that are dedicated to the safety of our team and the village," Mumei answered assuringly.
Kizashi and Mebuki shared a glance. A conversation seemed to zap between their eyes instantaneously.
"We need to talk this over with Sakura," Mebuki warned the intruder.
"Of course, I would expect nothing less," Mumei reassured them, "might I bring the boys over tomorrow to meet her? I'm sure things would go much more smoothly if they met on Sakura's home turf."
"Yes, if she agrees we will have her packed and ready to go when you arrive," Kizashi whooped with excitement for his daughter.
Mumei stayed for tea and discussed some of the finer details of Sakura's training with her parents. They seemed much more enthused at the prospect of her tutelage under the Namikaze and Hatake when they saw the Hokage's signature on an official-looking document. Mumei detailed the training regimen, how they hoped the bonding would go, and anything else he could think of, all while sipping chamomile tea.
The three had gotten so carried away in their discussion that they barely noticed the time until Sakura arrived home from the Academy. The little pink-haired girl looked curiously at the stranger in her house.
"Sakura-chan, this is Mumei. He might be your teacher from now on. Come, we have much to talk about," Mebuki gently spoke to her daughter. Mumei could hear the adoration in her voice. It would be hard to separate the girl from her folks but it would be worth it. Besides, it wasn't forever; she could visit whenever she desired.
The next day, Mumei and Kakashi arrived at the Haruno residence with their young charges in tow. Naruto and Sasuke were chatting excitedly at the prospect of meeting another child their age. They were overjoyed to make a new friend.
Mumei knocked solidly on the door yet again and it swung open very quickly. Kizashi stood in the doorway, little Sakura hidden behind his legs. Her emerald green eyes sparkled in curiosity and fear.
"Hi!" Naruto shouted boisterously, "I'm Naruto! I like your hair, it's really pretty!" A wide grin split his whiskered face in two and a hand found its way to the back of his head, rustling the hair abashedly.
"I'm Sasuke," the other boy offered more reservedly, "I like your ribbon. It brings out the color of your eyes very nicely."
Naruto and Sasuke had recently had a lesson on meeting new people. They learned that if you point out something you like about the new person it makes them happy and more likely to be happy to meet you. It seemed to work, as Sakura stepped out from behind her father's leg but kept a firm grip on his pant leg.
"I'm Sakura," was all the girl had to offer. Fear welled in her eyes and threatened to pour over in the form of tears.
Sakura was simply terrified. Her parents had just told her that she was going away to be specially trained by two jounin-sensei. She had to leave the academy, all her friends, and most importantly, her family. She was going off with complete strangers! The boys seemed friendly enough but she had heard things about them in school. The blond one was supposed to be some kind of demon and the black-haired one was supposedly a traitor. Her best friend, Ino, had a tendency to be a bit of a gossip so she heard all the slander second hand.
That was just the children. The men were a completely different story. They were flat out intimidating. The blond one was smiling but his eyes told a different story. They seemed cold, like they had seen a lot. There was a touch of warmth to them, but all Sakura could focus on was the bad in the moment. The silver-haired man was even scarier. His face was hidden by a mask and one of his eyes was covered up. She had heard rumors about Hatake Kakashi, also known as Sharingan no Kakashi and even Nakamagoroshi Kakashi. He was a fearsome man that she did not want to interact with.
So, understandably, the little 6-year-old girl was petrified of her situation. Kizashi placed a hand on her small head reassuringly while he opened the door wider to welcome in their guests.
Sakura's small pink bags lay neatly on the floor next to the door, ready to go. The four trickled in the door one-by-one and stood next to those bags obediently.
Mebuki walked in from the kitchen with a platter of tea and motioned for them all to sit down. The boys plunked themselves down on the floor and pulled out a ball. The two pushed it back and forth to one another with chakra, their bodies never coming in contact with the rubber. Sakura looked on in awe. How were those boys doing that? She didn't even know what chakra was, let alone how to control it like that. Curiosity overcame her fear and she sat down next to them and struck up a conversation.
Mebuki and Kizashi were surprised as well; it was unusual for such young children to be so skilled in chakra manipulation. The Academy didn't teach it until the kids were at least 8-years-old. These 6-year-olds shouldn't even know what chakra was yet! Now they were certain that this was a good choice for their little blossom. She would learn a lot under these shinobi's tutelage.
The adults and children chattered with their respective groups, making small talk and getting to know each other a little better. The boys pestered their new acquaintance with questions about her favorite things while she returned with questions about their teachers and what they had learned so far.
Once two servings of tea were long gone, it was time to go.
The kids rose from the floor and the adults from their seats and made their way towards the door. Kizashi knelt down to Sakura's height and wrapped her in a big hug. He reached his hands up to his nape and undid the necklace from around his neck. It was silver in color with a pink cherry blossom that had one deep red petal. With careful hands, he secured it around the young girl's neck.
"Now we'll always be with you even when you're far away," he told her.
Tears welled in Sakura's eyes as she jumped on him and crushed him in a hug. Mebuki knelt down to join in the little love-fest and they all participated in a group hug. The boys averted their eyes, Naruto having never felt the love of a parent and Sasuke knowing he would never receive such love again. Kakashi and Mumei were envious as well but looked on, glad that Sakura had that kind of happiness in her life.
Once Kizashi and Mebuki were satisfied that Sakura was no longer going to cry, they released her and rose to their full heights. Sakura shuffled over to her bags and picked them up.
"We'll take those," Mumei smiled with an outstretched hand.
Sakura looked concerned about the fate of her belongings but turned them over to the seasoned shinobi.
As one unit, the two men and two boys turned to leave. Sakura paused before following, hesitant to follow these people that seemed to share one brain. She was afraid to live with strangers, but afraid most of all, of being the only girl. She was leaving behind her best friend Ino to train with a couple of strange boys in hopes of becoming stronger.
Pushing aside her feelings for the moment, she stepped bravely forward into her new future. She wanted to seem strong for her parents so they wouldn't worry about her.
Sakura trailed behind the group of four, tentative to be seen with them. She had heard all about Naruto and Sasuke from the other children at the academy and none of it was very nice. There were lots of rumors about why they weren't allowed to go to school to become shinobi. One of which was because they were too evil and would betray the village. The adults weren't much better. Kakashi was infamous for being a brutal and effective shinobi. Mumei was rumored to be the Yondaime's brother who had appeared out of nowhere and was not to be trusted.
She wasn't sure who to believe, the children her age or her parents who urged her not to be afraid. Though she was unsure about all the others, Mumei she was at least certain about. He was definitely Yondaime-sama's brother. She had seen a picture in one of her school books while she was leafing through, attempting to get ahead of the rest of her classmates.
The similarities were striking. They had the same cerulean blue eyes and golden locks. The only real difference was the almond shape of Mumei's eyes and the way he styled his hair, although even that was similar.
In her eyes, Naruto had always been an orphan, but now Sakura had new information. Mumei and Naruto appeared to look exactly the same, down to the shape of their eyes. The only difference were the whiskers on Naruto's cheeks. With this, she made a very logical assumption - Mumei was Naruto's father. Anyone that knew them would have guffawed, but Sakura felt what she surmised to be accurate.
The little girl paused in her ruminations as she noticed that her new comrades had stopped ahead of her at a store. She sped up her sedate pace to catch up and came to a halt beside her two agemates. Looking at the two adults, she noticed that her belongings had vanished from their hands. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She knew she shouldn't trust these strangers. They had absconded with her possessions.
The men noticed her apprehension and Kakashi was quick with an answer.
"Maa, your belongings are back at the compound. No need to think us thieves," he eye-smiled and the young girl.
Sakura had the decency to blush at the accusation. She had been thinking such thoughts.
"H-how?" she stuttered uncharacteristically.
"Shadow clones!" the boys piped in with big shit-eating grins.
Sakura's brow furrowed in confusion. She had never heard of a shadow clone before. Clones, sure. That was a basic academy technique. Shadow clones, however, were foreign. Before she could form the words, a light puff of smoke appeared around the shinobi. As it cleared, she saw several new figures. There was a perfect copy of Mumei, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke staring at her innocently. She narrowed her green eyes and poked both the Sasukes in their arms. Her finger didn't permeate the illusion as she had expected. Very interesting.
As she reached forward to investigate more, a small hand tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around to find a copy of herself. They were identical down to the green dress with sakura petals on the right side and the red ribbon tied in her hair.
Shocked, Sakura raised back a fist and punched the clone right in the face. It dispelled with a pop and a blast of smoke. Surprised by her own actions, Sakura turned back around apologetically to find the group of 8 staring at her wide-eyed.
One of the Mumei's started laughing hysterically. He bent over at the waist, hands clutching his mouth and chin, urging the laughter to stop. The other Mumei began to pound its double on the back with such force that it dispelled itself. The Kakashis looked on in irritated amusement and the four boys looked at her in awe.
"That was so cool!" Naruto burst out, springing towards the girl and wrapping her in a hug.
Sakura stiffened in his grasp but Naruto didn't seem to notice or if he did, he didn't care, as the hug only grew tighter. Slowly, she relaxed, but her arms were trapped and she was unable to reciprocate. One of the Sasukes grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him off of his quarry.
"Sorry, he gets excited," Sasuke apologized for his best friend, "he's not always this rude."
"It's alright," Sakura spoke over the still ringing laughter. Her eyes locked on to the dirt ground.
"If he ever stops laughing, he'll tell you that they are solid, durable clones," Kakashi spoke with a glare at his partner.
As he spoke, Mumei's laughter trickled off into a few chortles.
"Sorry Sakura-chan, I was not expecting that reaction," he giggled childishly. "You're different, I like that."
Mumei left unspoken that he didn't mean different from most girls, he meant different from the young Sakura that he remembered. The Sakura that he remembered was cold to him but kind to Sasuke. He decidedly liked this Sakura much better than his memory.
Sakura blushed at Mumei's comment, although she did not fully understand his meaning.
Kakashi rolled his eyes and Mumei dispelled his clones, pouting at his companion amicably.
They had drawn quite the considerable crowd although they were not looking on fondly, only with contempt towards the two young boys. Naruto seemed unaffected but Sasuke withdrew into himself. He was uncomfortable under such scrutiny, having only recently discovered the feeling of the village's disdain.
The raven-haired boy drew closer to his mentors, using them as a shield.
Kakashi raised a hand, placed it on the boy's shoulder, and turned him into the shop they had stopped by. Mumei did the same to Naruto and gestured towards Sakura to follow.
The girl followed hesitantly but glanced up at the sign in front of the store. It read Shinobi Wares with kunai acting as the letter i and a shuriken as the o. It was pleasantly not frightening for her so she followed along willingly.
Higurashi-san greeted the group of five kindly. He was already familiar with all the members of their party except the pink-haired girl. He smiled gently at the new arrival and offered her a wave of welcome.
Sakura returned the wave cautiously, arms falling back to her sides. Naruto grabbed one hand and Sasuke the other, dragging her towards the kids section. They talked animatedly about shinobi gear and what she would need as a kunoichi. She seemed stunned into silence at their exuberance but went along willingly enough.
Mumei chuckled and Kakashi offered an affectionate eye roll, although he was smirking underneath his mask. Mumei caught his compatriot by the wrist and pulled him towards the counter to order some special weaponry.
"Higurashi-san, I need 12 dozen Hiraishin Kunai, one pair of Chakura Kenjū, a Chakura Tantō, three pairs of Chakura Tō and a Chakura Tsurugi. I'll also take whatever Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun pick out," he smiled happily.
Higurashi quickly wrote down Mumei's order, already quite familiar with the strange man's eccentricities. Kakashi raised his eyebrow in question but decided it best not to question. His intentions seemed clear enough but this was awfully early to get the children started in such gear. It wasn't his decision, however. He was second-chair to Mumei's first. Therefore, he obeyed, not ordered.
The copy-nin abandoned Mumei to finish up his order and went in search of the children in their charge. Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting excitedly for his friends to get out of the changing rooms.
Sasuke emerged first, a short-sleeved black body suit adorned his small body. ANBU pants covered up the bottom half of the suit and black shinobi sandals finished the look. The high collared shirt was a great contrast with the white bandages that covered his left arm. Elbow protectors hung a little loose on his youthful arms. A strip of bandages ran around his right thigh where a pouch hung.
Naruto grabbed his best friend's arm and bounded up and down, exclaiming how good and "cool" he looked. Sasuke smiled at his friend's exuberance. The duo discussed quietly if Sasuke should wear shinobi gloves or not. Sasuke was vehemently against it because he liked his bandages, but Naruto was for the idea because he wanted them to match.
Mid-argument, Sakura stepped out of her changing booth, a blush adorning her cheeks that nearly matched her hair.
Both boys froze, mouths gaping from their loud so-called discussion.
"Woah," was the only word that left Sasuke's mouth.
Naruto was somewhat more sophisticated in his response.
"You look even cooler than Sasuke!" he exclaimed, bounding over to Sakura now and grasping her hand in his, he began his bouncing anew.
Sasuke pouted at this but joined the two and changed the subject to Sakura's new attire.
The pink-haired girl wore a red short-sleeve shirt the color of the petal on her father's necklace and her ribbon. Underneath was a mesh long-sleeve shirt. She wore black shorts and shinobi sandal-boots that went up to her knees. On her hands she wore black gloves and pale pink elbow protectors. Around her thigh were the typical bandages and a black pouch.
The discussion turned to the perks of ANBU pants versus shorts and Kakashi decided this would be a good time for them to look around the rest of the shop.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, it's almost time to go. Gather up your things," he called.
It was a close call, but Kakashi managed to avoid a fight between the children about something as foolish as what pants were best.
Sakura and Sasuke picked up their old clothes and several copies of their new outfits and made their way over to the checkout. Naruto trailed behind having not got anything this trip. He already had all the shinobi gear he would need for a while. However, the boy looked put out at not being included in this shopping trip. Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on the boy's sunshine head and ruffled his hair.
"Next time, ne?" he offered.
Naruto rubbed his nose sullenly but nodded yes.
As Kakashi and Naruto made it back to the trio, Mumei appeared to be in a very serious conversation with Higurashi-san while the two kids looked at nearby clothes racks. Naruto looked up at Kakashi for permission to go join the other kids and he nodded his assent. The boy raced off to play with his friends and Kakashi approached Mumei and Higurashi.
As soon as Kakashi was in earshot, Mumei's tone became one of camaraderie, he was suddenly all smiles and excited head nods as handed over his balance. Higurashi-san had the decency to look abashed so Kakashi knew that something was definitely wrong. He approached and stood next to the counter as Higurashi-san handed back the change.
Mumei smiled gratefully but Higurashi seemed slightly afraid, although he masked it well. The older man bid them farewell and the quintet took their leave.
Kakashi couldn't keep his eyes off of his companion. He obviously had had some kind of issue with Higurashi-san. He was desperately curious what had frustrated the seemingly unflappable man before him.
Apparently his looks of concern had come to Mumei's attention and he had garnered a response.
"Old man was charging me wrong," he grumbled.
Kakashi was shocked. He didn't expect Higurashi-san to be a bigot.
"He overcharged you?" Kakashi asked in surprise.
"Under," Mumei snorted.
Kakashi gave a snort of indignation of his own.
"You insufferable asshole. The Hokage probably asked him to do that," he retorted.
Mumei was stunned into silence.
"I… hadn't considered that," he mumbled under his breath.
"Not everyone is out to get you," Kakashi responded, bumping their shoulders together.
Mumei gave a short laugh.
"Not in my experience."
"Well, you've got me there," Kakashi chuckled, "you're right, people aren't always kind."
"Especially not to Naruto," Mumei frowned.
"Not anymore. He's got you now."
"You sound almost fond ," Mumei intoned.
"Nah, I still have no clue who you are, supposed brother of my orphan sensei," Kakashi guffawed.
"Whatever," Mumei rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
He knew that Kakashi had come to accept him, although he did not fully understand where he came from. Kakashi was an intelligent man. Of course he didn't fall for the crap that was being fed to him. The only reason he didn't push it more was because of the Hokage's acceptance of his presence. In any other case, Mumei would probably be in a prison somewhere being tortured for information. Instead, he was here, alongside the (past/future) love of his life, and younger versions of himself and his teammates. What a strange world he existed in.
Translation Time
Sharingan no Kakashi = Kakashi of the Sharingan
Nakamagoroshi Kakashi = Friend-Killer Kakashi
Hiraishin = Flying Thunder God Technique
Chakura Kenjū = chakra gauntlets (will be explained later)
Chakura Tō = chakra blade
Chakura Tsurugi = chakra double-bladed straight sword
Notes:
Soooo I'm super sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Let's give it up for Amber1shipley, Al Kaz, and everyone who has encouraged me! I make no promises about chapters after this one but I already had it written so here it is!
I'm super sorry about the Three Mourning Doves shit. I really couldn't help myself. They were birds and mourning and it was just so fitting. Look it up, it's a real thing besides me just being weird. I'm sincerely sorry… kind of.
I was just writing the part where they have a group hug and I just realized that they are all sad and abandoned except for Sakura? She is the only one with a family. Oh well. That one's gone, she has a new one now.
Sasuke and Sakura are officially part of the crew! If ya didn't notice, Sasuke is very anti-traitor. I figured it would be better to have him hate traitors to his village than hate his brother.
Welcome to the Kakashi/Naruto love-train. We accept all tickets, even if they've been stamped before. Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. There will be many sudden stops so be braced for impact.