Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything or anybody except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Any concepts/ideas mentioned in this fanfiction that seem to be borrowed from another media/piece of continuity - note that I don't mean to plagiarize anything or anybody in any way! This fanfic was made for entertainment purposes, not for pissing off others! So yeah!

The theme for this chapter is actually an old favorite I never thought I would be revisiting in the form of Ever Blue, one of the many songs from Mermaid Melody. This show was one of many things I grew up with, and the songs just stick with you…and Ever Blue was one of them for me. The original song works just fine, but I've found that the piano cover done by SaphiraLynx perfectly covers the emotion I want to convey here.

Another alternative song is the track simply titled Like Morning Follows Night from the RWBY Volume 4 soundtrack. I found this song to be great when writing this chapter, and considering RWBY Volume 5 may as well be out by the time I publish this, might as well honor one of many roots for this story. Not to mention, the lyrics go well with the theme of moving on from the past, which this current little story arc is trying to cover.

As a last music note (no pun intended), Red Like Roses shows up yet again, because it's one of many important and memorable songs in Tomoko's heart and she's always going to remember it fondly.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 47: A Well-Needed Break

Setting up for bed felt like a blur. Dinner went by quickly enough, but by the time I was rolling out the futons for everyone, I could barely feel my hands as yawns replaced my current capability to speak.

A long sigh sounded before someone's presence accompanied my right side, and the futon covers were taken from my hands. "Tomoko, get changed to go to sleep. You're barely awake right now."

Kakashi. That was Kakashi's voice. I blinked some dust out of my eyes before reaching over to wipe at it, another yawn leaving my mouth as my head felt somewhat fuzzy. Almost floaty, really, if that was an actual feeling. "You…fwaaa, sure? I can help…!"

A hand landed on top of my head, ruffling my already tangled hair. Ack. "Tomoko, just go and get ready for bed. Team Minato can handle it."

Once another hand landed on my shoulder, I blinked again before looking behind me and making eye contact with Rin. She smiled softly. "Go ahead, Tomoko-chan."

Huh. Okay.

I nodded and stood up with yet another yawn. "Got it…!"

It was about time to give my friends some personal space.

Uchiha Obito wasn't sure of how to make of the current situation. It felt like yesterday that Team Minato was in that dark cave, usually sleeping around a campfire, uncertain because the shared fear of an attack. And yet here they were, in the warm living room of the Hoshino residence, peacefully setting up futons like nothing had changed.

It was almost an echo of that first disastrous mission.

Before he could think on the idea anymore, a hand landed on his left forearm, making him turn around. Rin's warm brown eyes stared back at him, and she glanced at said arm for a moment before turning back to him. "Obito, are you feeling alright? Do you need me to change any bandages or get something for you?"

"I-I'm fine, Rin," Obito was honestly shocked at how his voice cracked at the first word, and shook his head. Unconsciously, he lifted his left arm, only to again feel what Ayukawa-sensei warned him as "phantom pains", the side empty where his hand should've been. "I think I'll be okay." He rubbed the back of his head with his remaining hand.

Don't…don't talk about it anymore, please. Not today.

Despite Rin's eyes saying otherwise, the medic let the subject drop, her hand softly rubbing his shirt sleeve.

Obito tried to smile. "You should get ready for bed too, Rin. I think there's an extra bathroom around here."

Kakashi immediately stood up at those words, smoothing the creases in his sweatpants. "Need me to lead you there?"

"N-No," Rin shook her head with a wry smile of her own. Even if the atmosphere was warm, the way she looked made Obito feel somewhat cold. "I'll be fine, Kakashi. Just a minute."

And with a soft step, Rin had stood up to disappear around the hallway corner.

Kakashi sat back down onto the nearest futon with a sigh.

Obito stayed silent. There wasn't really much to say, and to be honest, he wasn't sure what to say otherwise.

The team had all made it back to Konoha. Back home. This was supposed to be a time for rest.

So then why was he feeling like there was something else going on? Why couldn't his gut let go of the idea that something else had just started?

Maybe it was the whole meeting with the Hokage…

He shook his head a bit more vigorously this time before pulling on the futon cover so that he could burrow himself in it, resting his cheek against the pillow in an attempt to ignore the empty feeling on his left side.

Kakashi audibly huffed, voice solemn. "…We made it back, didn't we?"

Obito didn't look up from his covers, but nodded. "We did."

The sound of shuffling. "…Hey, Obito?"

"Yeah?"

The Uchiha looked up this time only to blink at the sight of Kakashi staring over at him with one eye. "Thanks."

"For what?" said Obito, confused now.

"For everything," Kakashi replied, and then he rolled over so that Obito could only see his back. "Your help on the mission, staying back and keeping us all together in that cave, everything."

Oh. Even in the darkness, Obito could not fault the slight waver in the Jounin's voice, and found himself smiling. "You're welcome, Bakashi."

The nickname wasn't even in bad spirit. All that was going through Obito's mind was the sheer exasperation he had towards the Jounin for the words. His main thought went along the lines of, Why are you thanking me?

"…Really?" Kakashi had already rolled back over to face Obito again, and the Uchiha had to hide a snicker at the perplexed glint in his friend's eye. "That nickname again?"

"Bakashi is always Bakashi," Obito said haughtily, grinning all the same. "And there's no need to thank me for anything."

He left one thought unsaid.

I should be the one thanking you.

Kakashi's eye widened again before another sound of shuffling, slightly lighter this time, echoed in the hallways.

"Fwaaaa…what are you two doing?" Tomoko-chan's voice, sounding more out of it than before, with the accompanying creaks of floor tile signaling her walking over. "What's this I'm hearing about 'thanks'?"

Obito and Kakashi stared at each other again for another few seconds before sharing a shrug.

"Nothing at all, Tomoko," they said in unison.

It had been a long day already.

Falling asleep felt like a faraway concept to Rin after everything.

Maybe it was how things felt like a blur today. Or how sleeping in a warm futon after such a long mission was almost a dream in of itself, after so many days in a sleeping bag, feeling nature's foothold underneath her.

Rin felt too tired to think about it all.

It was why she found herself staring up at the ceiling once everyone was settled. Eyes wide open with no intent to close and sleep. Blink, sure, but not sleep. Nearby, she could feel Obito and Tomoko on her sides, as well as hear Kakashi's soft breathing.

A moment of silence followed.

Then, a soft and gentle question rang through the air. "Are you all still up?"

Rin tried not to jolt in her futon at the sound of Tomoko's voice, instead rolling on her right side to blink at the blue eyes staring back at her. "…I'm still awake, Tomoko-chan," she said sheepishly.

"Same," said Kakashi.

"Yep," said Obito.

A soft huff caught between a laugh and a sigh followed. Even through the darkness, Rin could make out Tomoko's blue eyes darting between her futon covers and the ceiling. Some more shuffling. "…I'm not dreaming, right?"

"About what?" Rin replied quietly.

"Just…" Another huff. Then, a hand reached towards the ceiling, palm facing upwards. "About this. About having Team Minato home."

Rin found herself freezing.

Tomoko didn't seem to notice, instead continuing to reach out towards the ceiling with her right hand with a small smile. "I'm really not dreaming, right?"

She clenched her fist.

Another hand on Rin's other side raised itself in the same way as Tomoko's, and Rin glanced over only to blink at Obito's bright grin. "Nope," he said simply. "We're back home, Tomoko-chan."

"…We're with you right now, aren't we?" Kakashi added.

Another moment of silent. Then, a soft sniffle.

What? Rin turned over in her futon again, only to be taken aback at the small sparkles around the civilian's eyes before an arm went to cover them. "Y-yeah…yeah…everybody's back…" Another sniffle. "Everyone's really home…!" A shaky laugh followed. "I-I'm so glad…"

Rin was already reaching over with her arm to wrap it around the girl's shoulders in a side-hug. "We're home, Tomoko-chan. There's no need to cry anymore."

Obito and Kakashi had gone silent, but their shared presence in the area said enough.

"Yeah…yeah…!" Even with the arm covering her eyes, the slow descent of tears was still obvious on Tomoko's face. "Thank you, Team Minato. Thank you…! I-I'm just so happy…!"

The medic proceeded to roll over underneath the futon covers to fully hug the girl, humming. "You're welcome, Tomoko-chan. You're welcome."

Another sniffle. "Mm…mm…"

That was their night. Peaceful and content.

No one had nightmares.

The following morning, Kakashi was the first out of his team to wake up. He wasn't sure whether it was out of sheer habit or mere coincidence, but by the time he was sitting up, the sunlight was leaking through the nearby kitchen window.

And Tomoko was nowhere to be found in the futon pile.

What?

He tried not to get his hackles up in exchange for pushing back his futon covers, taking extra care to not disturb his sleeping teammates. Then it was standing up, stretching for a mere moment before commencing the search, keeping his left eye closed for the sake of conserving chakra. It felt strange, relying on one eye, but it was doable, at least. He could still look around.

Kakashi sniffed the air.

Lotus flowers and rosemary…where could she—

The soft hum of a song outside was his first signal.

Kakashi glanced out towards the patio, already walking over to the sliding door as soon as the music started getting louder.

"Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest.

White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test.

Black the beast descends from shadows.

Yellow beauty burns gold."

Once the last word drifted into the air, Kakashi could see Tomoko take a breath, hand over her heart as the hem of her nightgown fluttered in the cool morning air.

Discreetly, he opened the door to stand close by, curiosity digging its heels into his head. Then, without meaning to, he spoke. "Tomoko?"

The civilian jumped with a soft squeak before turning to him with wide eyes. "K-Kakashi? Oh, hi." The bright pink on her face was very obvious, more so because of the first beams of sun illuminating her cheeks. For once, her signature hair ribbon wasn't on her person, leaving her short black hair to fully fly in the winds. "H-How much of that did you hear?"

"Everything," he said quietly, trying not to sound nervous. "What song was that, Tomoko?"

"O-Oh, that?" Tomoko giggled sheepishly, a hand going up to her chin. "Well, it's more a hymn than an actual song, since what you just heard were the only lyrics in it. It's called "Red Like Roses."" The pink started turning into a light red on her face as the civilian continued to fidget. "I-I wasn't intending for you to hear that."

Now he was confused. "…Why?"

Tomoko fidgeted again, her hands fumbling with the hems of her sleeves. "I-It's kind of a personal song, and whenever I wake up in the morning, I sing it to keep in practice and not forget. Not to mention, the lyrics k-kinda remind me of Team Minato."

Makes sense, he thought. Red is Kushina-san and Rin, yellow is Minato-sensei, black is Obito, and… he blinked as the idea registered in his head. White is me?

That description is —

Tomoko proceeded to giggle nervously. "I-It's not weird, is it?"

"…No," Kakashi said, smile already creeping up on his face. "It's not weird at all."

Tomoko clearly was a tomato at this point as a shaky smile tugged at her lips. "O-Oh, okay."

Kakashi smiled while taking a few steps forward to stand next to her on the patio. "It's been awhile since I've heard you sing."

"R-Really?" Tomoko giggled again, a bit more relaxed as the tension visibly left her shoulders. "Well, that is true. I don't really sing that often."

Kakashi found the smile on his face growing as he leaned forward to rest his shoulder on a nearby pillar. "It's still nice when you do. That concert a few years back is a good example."

Tomoko beamed back, the red receding to a soft and happy pink on her cheeks. "Thank you, Kakashi. I'm happy to know you still remember that."

"Of course I would."

Lub-dub, his heart said softly.

Kakashi tried to push the incoming heat away from his face to instead glance in another direction, resting his chin on his left hand while taking in a breath of air. "But, Tomoko?"

"Hm?"

He gulped the lump in his throat down. "I think you're wrong about the song representing Team Minato."

"Huh?" Tomoko now sounded confused, and when he turned back to look at her, a questioning look was in her blue eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"The whole verse on, 'White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test,'" he quoted, raising a pointer finger in the air for emphasis. "I think I got through my "royal test" with Uncle Judai and Kannabi Bridge, so that doesn't really count."

Tomoko turned red again. Whether it was from embarrassment or shame, Kakashi wasn't sure. "O-Oh, really? I-It's just how the lyrics go, though…" she trailed off, absently twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "But then again…" Tomoko looked up at him with a shy smile. "You're not cold to me now, right?"

"Of course," he said immediately, taking a step closer to poke her cheek. "After all this time, I could never be."

It only took a few moments for the honesty to sink in, and heat flooded his face at the same time as Tomoko's quiet squeak of surprise. "I-I see…" she stammered, taking a step back.

"…"

"…"

This is just great. How are we supposed to talk when —

Tomoko pursued her lips, turning her head to the side as her ears started turning pink. "S-So, um," she said softly.

"Yeah?" he breathed.

Tomoko took a step closer, raising her right hand towards his left cheek, and Kakashi tried not to freeze. There was only a few centimeters of distance between her fingers and his face, but she didn't attempt to close it. "Kakashi…are you going to be okay? Your…" Tomoko trailed off, her hand visibly twitching for a moment before gently touching what was visible of the scar. With the scar tissue, the touch felt almost soft, feathery even with how light it was. "Your eye…"

Oh. So…it's come to that. He tried not to sound resigned, a hand reaching up to touch hers. "I'll be okay," he said, trying to smile. "At least I'm alive."

"I-I know that, but…" Tomoko frowned again, clear concern shining in her blue eyes. "I…" she paused, glancing downwards. "I…"

Kakashi squeezed the hand that was on his cheek. "I'm going to be okay, Tomoko. Don't worry so much."

The civilian looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Kakashi…"

He tried to smile again, the gesture coming off more natural this time. "I'll be fine. And it's not like this eye is entirely gone."

Tomoko blinked, confusion loud and clear on her face. "Huh?"

"Oh yeah…" Kakashi trailed off, his other hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "We never got around to telling you what happened, huh?"

"…No," Tomoko said quietly. "No, you didn't."

Kakashi let both his hands fall to his sides in exchange for sitting down on the patio floor and patting the spot near him. Tomoko stared at him for a few moments before doing the same, folding her legs to the side. "I have a lot of explaining to do, but considering the time and yesterday, I'll have to keep it short, alright?"

Tomoko nodded. "I'm guessing you're doing that to also let Obito-kun and Rin-chan have a say, right?"

Kakashi smiled again while reaching over to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. Can you bear with that, Tomoko?"

The civilian didn't hesitate in nodding again, leaning her head against his shoulder. Even with his heart starting to pound again, Kakashi couldn't miss the small smile on Tomoko's face. "Of course, I can."

It surprised him how the words about everything came out so smoothly. If anything, he could liken the whole experience to an informal mission report, only with a few bits blurred here and there for the sake of not adding to the tension. Going to the bridge, blowing it up as planned, the ensuing fight for survival, and gaining the Sharingan. The entire time Kakashi went about explaining things, Tomoko continued to lean against him, silent except for her breathing and the occasional gasp.

It was only when he got to the part of losing his eye that led to a somewhat loud squeak, and he tried not to wince.

"S-Sorry, Kakashi," Tomoko amended, shaking her head to the point of her hair tickling his nose. "I didn't mean to squeal like that. But…you're really okay now?"

As a response, he opened his left eye to look at her, Sharingan exposed and all. It took all he could to not activate a Genjutsu by accident, and instead stare at her for letting Tomoko see everything for what it was. "Partially. I can't use this eye all that often yet because of how much chakra it takes up, but at least I'm alive. Obito and Rin too, if that helps."

Tomoko continued to stare at him before reaching over to touch his scar again. "I see…" A small, almost sad smile was on her face now when looking at him. "Seeing that red will be something I'll have to get used to, then." Tomoko chuckled, a dry tone to the usual sound as she turned her head away. "I-I just don't know why I feel…sad all of a sudden, I guess."

Kakashi reached over to touch her hand again, squeezing it. "Don't be. I'm still here, Tomoko."

The civilian looked up at him with those blue eyes. "…Okay," she said quietly.

Kakashi closed his Sharingan to instead reach over and pull her into a hug. The scent of rosemary and lotus flowers nearly assaulted his nose with the pleasant feeling as Tomoko squeaked again, surprise filling her voice. "K-Kakashi?"

"I…" Kakashi squeezed her a little tighter, burying his nose into the crook of her neck. "I'm just glad to see you again."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to say, but it came out like that anyways. His original thought was left tucked into a small crevice in his brain, but it still hung in the air like a cold curtain.

I'm just glad you still accept me.

Tomoko stilled for a second before reaching over and hugging him back. Kakashi chose to politely ignore the feeling of wet droplets on the shoulder of his tank-top in exchange for tightening the hug. At least he could let her know that he was here with her. "Yeah…yeah…me too, Kakashi. Me too." A soft breath tickled his neck as Tomoko shuddered. "It…it was hard waiting when no one bothered to give me answers."

Kakashi found a crooked smile forming on his face as he pulled away to make eye contact with the civilian girl. "I know. I know."

Tomoko stared up at him, and Kakashi was acutely aware of how little of distance there was between them. There were only a few centimeters between their faces, and his mask…

Kakashi moved a hand to slowly bring the fabric down, and he could faintly make out Tomoko's breath hitching in her throat.

"K-Kakashi…"

He was already moving in, slowly enough for the only sound being their mixed breathing, before light shined in his eyes.

What the —

Kakashi glanced out towards the patio, only to blink at the glaring, bright yellow sun emerging from over the nearby rooftops. His ears then could make out Tomoko's breathing again as he found himself staring out in the distance.

"I-It's morning already?" Tomoko said incredulously.

The sun shined even brighter, as if to answer Tomoko's question.

Strangely, Kakashi wasn't bothered by the interruption. His heart seemed to agree with how hard it was pounding, and he slowly removed his hands from Tomoko's waist to instead push himself off the ground and stand tall.

Tomoko glanced up at him in confusion as soon as he offered a hand.

"C'mon," he said, a smile in full view thanks to his mask being down. "Let's make breakfast together."

Tomoko blinked before smiling back just as brightly, taking his hand.

Obito found himself roused from a dreamless sleep at the scent of something warm and sweet. Whether from the early morning or his sleep-abashed brain, he couldn't really put a name to the smell, instead sitting up from his futon with a loud groan.

"Wha's going on?" he muttered, wiggling his left —

Oh. His mind reoriented itself as his right hand reached over to rest on his face.

His left side was still gone. The phantom feelings of touch and sensation did nothing to alleviate that.

Then Rin stirred with a soft mumble. Obito glanced to his right only for his heart to nearly leap out of his chest.

The medic was snuggled up to him. Not in a full hug-like snuggle, but snuggled with how close she was to his futon. Her hands were in a strange grasping position, and a few moments of thought made it obvious that they were originally gripping his right arm. Rin continued to snore on, albeit with a frown on her face as her hands rubbed the sheets underneath her in search of—

Heat flooded Obito's face.

She's looking for me. For my hand.

Obito immediately lowered his right arm so that it would be in reaching distance, and he watched as Rin's face visibly relaxed, her hands finding grip over his. The touch was tight, warm, and soft…

The Uchiha really wanted a tissue now, because the blood rushing to his face was no laughing matter.

Then the sweet scent of something wafted to his nose again, and he looked up in search of the smell (just for the distraction and to satiate his curiosity, really) before blinking.

A pot on the stove in the kitchen proceeded to bubble almost happily underneath its lid.

"Kakashi, do you have the side-dishes ready?"

"Almost, just give me a few minutes."

Tomoko-chan, fully dressed in a summer dress and blue-checkered apron, attending to the pot with a ladle in hand, her hair tied up in a small ponytail with a blue ribbon. Kakashi, still dressed in casual sleepwear of his signature mask, a tank-top, and sweatpants while handling…daikon?

Obito tried to blink the crust out of his eyes as soon as Tomoko turned her head in his direction. "Obito-kun? Good morning!" The civilian waved the ladle almost wildly in her excitement as the smile grew on her face. "Breakfast should be ready in the next half-hour! Go ahead and get dressed!"

Obito blinked again. Then his jaw dropped. "T-Tomoko-chan, what's going on?"

The civilian blinked owlishly at him, confused frown tugging at her lips. "We're making breakfast, silly, what else is going on?"

"Th-That's not what I meant!" Obito found himself fumbling, trying not to disturb Rin nearby. "What's Kakashi doing —"

"Obito, I live here too," Kakashi said flatly while cutting a large carrot. "Why wouldn't I help with breakfast?"

He…has a point. Obito closed his mouth only to blink again as Tomoko-chan waved the ladle.

"Anyways, Obito-kun, go along and get cleaned up! Be sure to wake up Rin-chan too for me, please!"

What. Obito glanced between the civilian cook and the medic still snoozing next to him, and gulped. The grip on his hand was tight for a reason.

Well, shit. I'm screwed.

Setting up a table for seven people wasn't all that hard. It was really grabbing an extra chair and placing it nearby since the family's table was only really made up for six.

But with all of Team Minato back, that added three more people to our already large group of three adults and one civilian girl from the past month and a half. And considering some of the recent changes, porridge was a good enough of an idea.

Porridge wasn't too hard to eat, even with one hand, since you just needed to hold onto the soup spoon, and it gave off enough of the "homey-welcome-back" feel. Making porridge was Hisako's idea, really. She was the one to pull it out of our shared memory library and offer it, considering Obito's situation. And it worked.

He was really lucky not to lose his dominant arm, Hisako had pointed out.

It was only when the porridge itself was bubbling with the additions of fish, carrots, and some large, select pieces of chicken that the yawns started.

Obviously, Papa had to take the award of "Most Exaggerated Yawn Ever" after my first Dad, going a loud "UAAAAAAH," somewhat comically. Definitely gave Kakashi a light scare at least, if his sudden flinch was anything to go by.

What followed was a lighter, almost quieter version that I could immediately peg as Uncle Sakumo, almost a groan if anything. I keep forgetting sometimes that he's not a morning person, considering how dedicated he is to his ninja profession despite being semi-retired, Academy teacher or not.

Then, the sound of feet against tile, and a head poked into the kitchen. "Tomoko-chan? You're up already?" Mama still sounded somewhat sleepy, even covering a small yawn of her own with her hand, but obviously awake from the lack of any slurring in her voice. "Kakashi too?"

"Yo," my best friend said simply while cutting some green onion. I tried not to focus on the sound of his voice in exchange for looking over the pot, because what happened earlier this morning was…was…

Yeeeeeeeah, I'm not going into all the details yet considering the talk yesterday with Rin and how my heart needed to be calm and cheery this morning.

Mama thankfully didn't notice my inner plight, sniffing the air with a smile growing on her face. "You two are cooking?"

"Porridge, Mama!" I found myself chirping, twirling the soup ladle yet again while attempting to avoid soup splatter. "We have a big day ahead of us!"

If relaxation and music are anything to go by, judging by the thoughts running around in your head, dear. Hisako gathered a specific thought in her arms before said bubble transformed into a cat for her to pet. If I didn't know any better, my other self could've been one of those comedic evil geniuses, sitting in those armchairs and petting cats. Maybe Giovanni from Pokémon?

…And, what do you know, Hisako made herself an armchair, sitting back while grinning at me teasingly. Go me for thinking of the idea in the first place. The cat-thought-thing proceeded to purr in her arms. Go ahead and do your thing, Tomoko-chan.

I tried not to beam more than I was already, because the proud smile was already close to hurting my cheeks.

Mama proceeded to chuckle before walking into the kitchen and standing near my side, motioning to the tool in my hand. "Can I take that?"

"Sure!"

I immediately handed her the spoon, with Mama twirling it for a mere second before taking the pot lid off. Dipping the spoon into the porridge, Mama proceeded to lightly sip the concoction, blinking. "It's good, Tomoko-chan," she said, giving the ladle back to me. "Might need a little salt, but it's good."

I blinked in return. "Salt? Would fish sauce work?"

"Not too much," Kakashi interrupted, and I tried not to jump only to turn around and see him nearby, pouring the green onion into the pot with a soft swipe of the kitchen knife. "It can be a bit stinky."

"A small spoon it is," I compromised.

Mama proceeded to beam at us.

Rin's voice proceeded to break through with a soft, "Aaah, what time is it?"

"U-Uh, Rin…" Obito already was sounding nervous, and I had to hold back a laugh.

So, I liked the idea of Obito and Rin together. More so after everything yesterday. Sue me.

It really did feel like a good morning today.

Breakfast was a quiet time, mainly because everyone was focused on their porridge bowls and not much else. And considering recent events, this silence was one of the few rare "peaceful" ones with everyone having an air of contentment, so I decided not to break it and focus on eating.

At least the sounds of content slurping were a good enough sign of a good day.

Hisako continued to lounge around in her armchair with the thought-cat purring like a Persian.

Once everyone had finished, I found myself getting up from my chair to grab the dishes. Mainly since Mama had already gotten up and was standing at the kitchen sink, as if expecting to wash everything.

…Well, I would've done that and picked up all the dishes if not for my ninja friends getting up on their own to do so already. The small smiles on their faces was enough, so I ended up going over to Papa and wrapping my arms around his neck from behind, resting my chin on his head.

Sure enough, Papa chuckled. "What are you doing, hime?" He patted my arm with a hand before squeezing it softly.

"Hugging you, Papa." I said simply, rubbing my chin over his head. "It's a good morning today."

He scoffed before patting my arm again. "I'm guessing from the hug that you'll be going out with Team Minato again?"

Huh? I didn't expect the question and found myself pulling back to look over my shoulder. And, sure enough, Team Minato themselves were caught in the kitchen, helping Mama one way or another. Kakashi was holding all the dirty silverware for Mama to clean, Rin was helping dry, and Obito had already grabbed some tupperware to put away the leftover porridge.

Papa hummed, questioning tone in his voice. "Tomoko-chan?"

Instead of answering, I looked at my friends, inclining my head. "What do you guys want to do today?"

Obito and Rin froze while Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine with anything, Tomoko," he said over a dwindling pile of dishes.

That's not helpful. Hisako deadpanned.

"Um," said Rin. "Maybe train?"

Uhhhhh.

Obito gestured to his left side almost pleadingly while putting the lid over the new porridge container. "Rinnnn." If I didn't know any better, the Uchiha could've sounded like a little kid with the small protest.

…Not that it made seeing him with one arm and eye any less saddening, in a way.

The medic glanced at him before turning white. "I-I'm sorry, Obito," she amended.

Kakashi sighed. "Should we wait for Minato-sensei to come back for us?"

I say, 'No.'

You always do, Hisako.

My other self went silent, the thought-cat disappearing along with any thought of her replying.

Uncle Sakumo sipped a glass of water. "Why not go window shopping again? Hang out and relax today?"

The ninja glanced at each other as soon as I made eye contact with the former White Fang. "Are you sure, Uncle Sakumo? I mean…"

Mama waved a soapy hand, thankfully not hitting anybody with the bubbles. "You kids should go have some fun without worrying about Minato or any other kind of adult stuff. It's been awhile, anyways." Then she had the audacity to wink and give a thumbs-up in our direction. "We have the money~"

At this point, I'm guessing our Mom's rich, Tomoko-chan. Hisako interrupted flatly.

…Okay. I didn't know what else to say to that, Mama and Hisako included, but nonetheless blinked again. "Is window shopping fine for you guys?"

"No clothes," Kakashi said immediately.

"Yes clothes," Obito added at the same time, only to blink and stare at the silver-head Jounin as Kakashi crossed his arms. "Uhhh…"

"Clothes it is?" Rin finished hesitantly.

I glanced at Mama again, only to get another thumbs-up. "Okay then, I know I'm neutral." I said finally. "Majority rules. Clothes and window shopping it is."

Finding any kind of store wasn't all too hard, considering the large shopping district and how Nagareboshi Cafe sat smack-dab in the middle of it. It was only really getting one that everyone of Team Minato could agree on, and considering Kakashi's current…well, sulking, that threw a small wrench in things.

Obito and Rin ended up leading the group as I ended up lingering behind them to check on my best friend. And as expected, he wasn't exactly willing to meet my eyes.

"Kakashi," I tried.

"…"

I tried again. "Kakashi."

More silence.

I didn't know whether to reach out and touch his hand, so I kept my own to myself. "Mama's not with us, y'know. So, you don't have to worry about staying in the store for too long."

Kakashi still had a frown on his masked face when finally turning his head in my direction.

"And besides," I took a step closer to him for the sake of not speaking too loudly. "Obito might need some new clothes. Especially after everything."

The frown immediately dropped from his face in exchange for a small, masked line. Kakashi was still silent, but the understanding in his silver eye was obvious. He nodded his head at me, and I found myself smiling.

"Don't worry about it," I said, stepping closer again to lightly tug at his upper arm. "We can talk later this afternoon if you want. Just right now, we need to be together with everyone else, alright?"

"…Alright," Kakashi said finally, uncrossing his arms to lightly bump his hand against mine. "That's a promise."

I nodded in return as soon as Obito and Rin found a store of interest.

This kind of walk continued for a while, with the two Chunin of Team Minato going from store to store to search for things they liked, while I carried my kitty-shaped wallet in case of any purchases. Kakashi trailed along, but he was more a straggler than anything aside from the occasional gripping of my hand.

Oh? You're wondering about my carrying my wallet? Hey, after so long, there was no way I would be going without buying something for my friends. Obito and Rin, especially. In Kakashi's case, I could see him almost every day at home whenever he didn't have missions. But his teammates — those two seemed different somehow, almost…quiet. Like something else happened at Kannabi that Kakashi didn't tell me, and it was affecting them.

Aside from the obvious visible differences.

So, hence my bringing my entire allowance to spoil them if necessary.

Maybe that explained why they didn't buy much at first.

At least, until a certain Green Beast showed up.

"Oiiiiii, Kakashi! Obito! Rin!"

We were actually in the middle of yet another clothes aisle when that shout ran through the streets.

Rin blinked behind her choice of a light beige blouse. "Was that…?"

I bet it's Guy, Hisako said immediately.

I couldn't help but have some doubt. Is it really —

And, sure enough, to my surprise too, the sound of pounding footsteps followed, and it only took a moment for a familiar green jumpsuit and black bowl-cut to come into view, and I waved instinctively.

"Hi Guy-kun!" I said, trying not to yell because of our being in a store.

Nonetheless, once that same green, orange-rimmed star badge started shining in the reflected sunlight, Might Guy himself had almost sprinted through the front doors to reach us, eagerly grinning in a way that I think some passerby gave him dirty looks. "A youthful morning to you too, Tomoko-chan!"

I was already bracing myself for the incoming bear-hug, but surprisingly, my green friend was looking elsewhere. "Team Minato, welcome back to the village!"

And then he proceeded to grab Obito and Rin in a large, group bear-hug. That I think would've been for just me had it not been for the current circumstances. I could already read the dawning horror and resigned exasperation on Obito's face as it happened, and instead glanced at Kakashi. My Jounin best friend, in comparison, merely shrugged when meeting my eyes, something akin to fondness in his stare. "That's one way to come back home," he muttered.

I'm sensing a jab in your direction, dear.

I ignored it to instead smile in Kakashi's direction before walking over to the Green Beast. "Guy-kun, you can let Obito-kun and Rin-chan down. We were kinda in the middle of a shopping trip, and Obito's starting to look green."

"Oh, really? I apologize!" Guy proceeded to put my friends down with a softness that I wasn't actually expecting, dusting off the duo with his hands before standing tall. "It's still good to see you all again!"

"Y-You too, Guy…" Obito wheezed, hand over his stomach while grinning back. "And — whoa."

Rin blinked while gently smoothing out her apron skirt. "G-Guy-kun, you have a Wayfinder star too?"

The Green Beast blinked while adjusting his red scarf, the movement making the green badge on his front that more obvious. "Oh, Tomoko-chan didn't tell you?"

Kakashi turned to stare at me again. I scratched my cheek sheepishly, just as everyone else turned their heads in my direction. Aah. Must resist the urge to fiddle with my own Wayfinder…! "Sorry for not saying it sooner. But I had a lot of money to spare at the time, and wanted to share something with Guy too after everything Team Minato went through in the Chunin Exams."

Kakashi sighed before reaching over and poking my forehead.

Pfft. Hisako snorted.

I blinked before taking a step back, not liking the glint in his eye as he took a step closer. "Kakashi."

Even with one eye, the smirk on his masked face was obvious.

I covered my forehead with my hands. "Don't you even dare."

He took yet another step.

"…"

"…"

The last thing I was expecting was Obito and Rin to lurk behind me before something wiggled under my sides.

"AAAAAH!"

Bahahaha!

Darn it, me, for being ticklish! I ended up jumping quite a bit before proceeding to run out of the door, Team Minato on my heels.

"Oh, is this another one of your youthful jogs, Tomoko-chan! Please let me join!" Guy was in no way helping, instead running along with me with sparkles in his eyes when all I was trying to do was avoid the wiggling hands.

Like, who the heck started it first—

A hand was already wrapping itself around my waist, and I found myself squeaking before being pulled to Kakashi of all people. "Waaah!"

And then the tickling. Ohmigosh, the tickling.

I didn't even know Obito and Rin had a tickling streak in them. But, lo and behold, they did, and with Kakashi kinda 'hugging' me down, I was left helpless to the onslaught.

Woo.

"G-Guys — hahaha — c-could you please — hahaha — stop tickling — haha — me?!"

"Never!" Obito cheered while clutching my left side.

"Aaaaaah!"

Rin was giggling wildly while handling my right, and I was left squirming.

"This is how we enjoy Youth!" Guy cheered, despite being the only one really not participating. Buuuuuut that didn't mean the sunset behind him was any less obvious.

Kakashi just squeezed me as I kept laughing.

This is how things should be.

Author's Notes: …Well. This chapter was long overdue. But considering college and how today is CP's first anniversary, had to do what I can. And this kinda wrote itself, strangely. Even when sitting in the bus on the way to school and on the way home, this came out the way it did, and lo and behold. The fluff is bad in this one.

Anyways. It's been a long year, and I have you all to thank for getting me this far. As of October 19th, 2017, of this chapter's publishing, Civilian Pianist has 947 reviews, 1,331 favorites, 1,588 followers, and 379,825 hits.

Thanks again for having me, and this is "T," aka Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to write the next chapter!