STOP HERE if you have not read Tale of the Three Maidens. This story picks up after the end of the last chapter.

The Sixth Hokage stood at the window of his office, a small frown tugging down the corners of his mouth. The black mask that covered most of his face obscured the frown but his furrowed brows could be plainly seen. It was August and one of the hottest and most humid summers on record in Konoha. Early that morning when Kakashi saw the clouds gathering, he had prayed it would rain and relieve them of some of the heat and the stickiness the villagers had all been forced to live with. As the hours dragged on and the skies darkened, however, the rain never came. Instead, single fluffy snowflakes were delicately dancing their way to the ground.

"This had better not be what I think it is," Kakashi mumbled to himself. He had been holding the back of his office chair for support. As he surveyed the sudden snowfall, Kakashi gripped the leather subconsciously.

"Sir!" Shikamaru came bursting through the office door, the letters he had been asked to send at the aviary still clutched in his hands. "It's her. She's shut down all of town square."

Kakashi's brows knit further as he turned to face his assistant. "By herself?"

"No," Shikamaru swallowed. "This time she has help."

Kakashi marched over to the office door with purpose. Shikamaru barely had time to step out of his way before the Sixth threw open the door and stepped out onto the stair's landing. He leered out at town square, his eyes drawn to the stormy swirls of the gathering blizzard there. Although he had gained momentum walking through the office, it all died at the stairs. Shikamaru glanced at his boss in confusion. "Are you going to go stop her, sir?"

This wasn't the first time she had acted up. Admittedly, today was the worst incident she had caused in memory. Kakashi weighed his options. He was insanely busy this week; today was supposed to be his day off but a recently proposed treaty had forced him to come in to the office. Such a rapid change in weather was unexpected and potentially dangerous. However Kakashi wasn't sure it necessitated his personal intervention. Besides, if he interfered she would get exactly what she wanted. Then again, this incident was really nothing more than Kakashi's personal issue. If he deployed other shinobi to go and deal with the situation, it would become a serious legal matter. The unseasonal snow storm and all the damage it would inherently cause (people losing out on business, getting to work late, slipping and falling on ice, etc.) would require a penalty too hefty for the person responsible. It wasn't really an act of terrorism, just a childish tantrum. Kakashi's expression softened, and he shook his head. He sighed, his breath clouding in front of his face. "No. I have a better idea."

…

The academy students had been ready. Their snow forts had been thrown together quickly but were structurally sound. Each of them had come bundled in their warmest winter clothes and had hot cocoa in thermoses and hand warmers in their pockets. There were eight forts in total: One in each of the four cardinal directions, and then closer to the center stationed between the first four forts were the taller, thicker forts. At the center of the square on an elevated platform of ice, stood their ringleader. She was a bewitchingly beautiful woman, standing with her shoulders squared and her hands folded behind her back with the cool confidence of a general. Her cyan blue eyes shined with an almost electric light in the gray-white flurry of the sudden storm. Her porcelain skin was blanched even further by the perfect whiteness of the silken hair billowing around her head. The woman watched her soldiers proudly; they had been more than happy to mobilize on her command. Their goals and hers, although different, lined up to create a devastating union. The students were desperate to hold on to the last vestiges of summer, to prolong their freedom even one more day. And Asou Yukihana wanted the Hokage.

Crowds had gathered at every entrance to town square. Concerned parents, angry citizens, and school personnel all fluttered nervously at the fringes. Standing at the front of one such crowd was a blonde girl not much younger than Yuki. Despite the flurry going on around her, the young woman was not shivering in the cold. She was holding a megaphone that someone had thrust in her hands but somehow maintained a noble bearing despite the absurdity of the situation. "Mom," The megaphone screeched in her hand. "The kids need to go to school and these good people need to go to work."

Yuki raised her hand and thrust it forward. At her signal, a flurry of snowballs soared at ridiculous speed. They hit their mark, burying Haruka where she stood. She let out a small cry and looked up at them with a small nick on her cheek that cried a single tear of blood. "There was a rock in that one!"

The snow quickly melted, her clothes steaming from the heat coming off her skin. Haruka leered up at her mother with the same expression she gave her petulant toddler. "Mom," She growled, no megaphone needed to carry the danger in her tone. "Knock this off right now! You're being a terrible influence!"

"We have not yet begun to fight!" Yuki belted. "The time for revolution is now!"

The academy students cheered their supreme leader, the grown up who defied grown ups, and the bringer of Snow Days. "They didn't even send the principal!" One of the older kids cried out. "They aren't even that serious!"

Haruka's face twitched. They hadn't sent her because she was expendable. Iruka had told her in no uncertain terms that she and the other teachers were permitted to drag the kids back one at a time if she had to. Iruka would stay at the school and take care of the kids that actually did show up. It had been quite some time since Haruka had let loose her blazing skin. It carried with it the possibility of serious side effects but if that was the only way to resolve the situation, she would do it. In fact, after that little volley of snowballs, Haruka would seriously enjoy melting their snow forts to puddles. Just as she was about to march into the line of fire, a tired, old man's voice called out.

…

Yuki grinned wickedly. The standoff had been going on for an hour. It was nearly nine o'clock, businesses were still shuttered and she was sure school hadn't started yet. Kakashi would have no choice but to come down here in person. She would make him apologize for blowing her off again and would negotiate out a lunch with him as a truce. Life could return to normal in Konoha. All Yuki needed was the quiet understanding that she was not someone who could be put on and off a shelf at will. She was a force of nature, and when mankind forgot to respect nature, this would be the consequence.

Movement in the flurry caught her attention. From all sides, small shapes approached her through the snow. The moment she realized what they were, her eyes went wide. Kakashi's hounds were slow, the smallest of them practically buried in the inches of the white powder.

"Pakkun!" She cried out, running over to the small shape limping in the snow.

"S-so cold, Yuki," Pakkun shuddered in her arms. "We're all so c-cold."

"Nooooooo!" Yuki's eyes watered and she held him close, a desperate look in her eyes. "Not the puppies!"

The other hounds began to whimper and shake, huddling together for warmth. "I'm so sorry!" Tears of guilt fell down her cheeks. "I'll stop the storm, okay? Please stop crying! My poor babies!"

Her hair faded from white to a black so dark it was almost blue. The clouds began to clear and the scorching summer sun blazed down upon them. The academy students all let out a cry of surprise as their forts immediately began to crumble. The teachers that had gathered around town square swooped in on them like hawks. They each took a child by the ear and began to march off, the rest reluctantly following in fear that their ears would be next. Yuki ignored the cries of "traitor" they threw in her direction. Yuki was too busy cradling Pakkun like a baby, apologizing profusely for making his precious jelly bean toes cold as she rubbed warmth into them one at a time. Haruka scoffed at the sickening display. "I wish my mother loved me the way she loves those stupid dogs," She handed the megaphone off to the flustered restaurant owner and rubbed her cheek. "She'd kill a man for hurting one of them but she turns a whole school loose on me."

…

"So how did Operation Neutralize Winter go?" Kakashi looked down at Pakkun, who was sitting squarely in the middle of the rug in the Hokage's office.

"Yuki s giving all the hounds a warm bath at the moment," Pakkun explained. "Upon our arrival she immediately ceased all storm activity and the students returned to school. She didn't want us to catch a chill."

Shikamaru screwed up his face in disbelief. "You're telling me she can create a snowstorm in August and shut down half the city, closing businesses and endangering people's lives, but the second a bunch of dogs are inconvenienced she does an about face?"

Kakashi shrugged. "She isn't evil, Shikamaru. Yuki is kind and empathetic to helpless things."

"They're ninja hounds," Shikamaru scoffed. "I've seen them rip men's throats out!"

It was Pakkun's turn to shrug. "Yuki doesn't know that. To her we're just a bunch of cute guard puppies."

"And it needs to stay that way," Kakashi held up a hand in warning. "If she found out what you all are capable of she'd want to start hunting bounties for sport."

"You aren't seriously going to marry this woman, are you?" Shikamaru cocked his head. "She literally could have just killed people because you couldn't stay home today. I don't think your choice is going to go over well with the elders."

"No, most certainly not," Kakashi chuckled. "She's formerly a foreign shinobi national with a rap sheet a mile long. Yuki is ruthless, cunning, and possesses a kekke genkai that is incredibly dangerous. The elders would be out of their mind if they gave me their approval."

Shikamaru furrowed his brow. "Then how are you going to convince them?"

Kakashi smiled beneath the mask. "By reminding them how beneficial it would be to have a person like that on our side and not as an enemy."

…

When Kakashi got home that night, he found Yuki in their living room. Her hair was wrapped in a blue and white chevron printed towel and she was wearing her fluffiest bathrobe. The hounds were all curled up around her in various states of nearly dry fur, the faint smell of wet dog camoflaged mostly by the scent of the pet safe peppermint soap Yuki had used.

"So," Kakashi said as he kicked off his shoes with his hands tucked in his pockets. "How was your day?"

Yuki glared at him. "You know exactly how it went."

Kakashi blinked innocently. "No, Yuki, really. I have no idea."

"Then who summoned the hounds?" Yuki cocked an eyebrow. "It's not like they showed up all on their own! I know you sent them."

"If you knew I sent them, why did you cave?" Kakashi came over and sat down on the floor with her. He began to affectionately pet and scratch all the hounds within reach, whose tails began to wag.

Yuki pouted. "Because they were cold."

"I'm happy we figured out your weakness so early in the relationship." Kakashi said smugly. "Otherwise you could end up being a real problem."

All Yuki could do was snuggle the dogs while giving Kakashi a dirty look. He had her in a box. Any time she started something, all he had to do was send in the hounds. Kakashi knew Yuki would never harm them. All Pakkun had to do was call her "Momma" and she was done. Yuki hated it. She hated being so far outmatched.

"So, is your daughter still speaking to you or is dinner off for tonight?" Kakashi asked.

"Dinner is still on but I have to feed the baby," Yuki sighed. "Beks knows my other weakness."

"Well," Kakashi reached out and affectionately cupped her chin in his hand. "If I was going to give you two weaknesses, it would be puppies and babies."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Not all babies."

"You squealed when you met Metal the first time." Kakashi chuckled.

"Okay, that baby is freakishly cute," Yuki said as she stood. "So is Satoru. I'm only weak to freakishly cute babies."

"Suit yourself," Kakashi shrugged. "I just hope you're that way with our kids."

Yuki stopped on the stairs and turned slowly, shooting him a look that could cut glass. "Say again?"

"Nothing," Kakashi lied. "Get dressed quickly. We're already running a little late."

…

When they arrived at the diner, the owner gave Yuki a wave. She walked with Kakashi over to her usual spot as the owner came by with a high chair. It was a small town, and although Yuki saw her daughter frequently, she still insisted on a family dinner once a week. Neji and Kakashi came along as duty allowed, but the main goal of the event was for Yuki to check in on Haruka. The young couple were as poor as a pair of church mice so it brought Yuki some comfort to know that they had at least one good meal (and leftovers) every week. The owner had been more than generous throughout the whole affair. When the Sixth Hokage was with her, no one gushed over them or bothered them at their table. The only special treatment they got was the standard for a long time loyal customer: heaping portions of delicious food.

As they sat side by side at the booth, Yuki let out a small chuckle. "This must be so unusual for you."

"Having family dinners?" Kakashi did his best to adjust his bulk in the small seat. He prayed Neji would sit opposite Yuki so the men wouldn't be forced to play footsie all night as they jockeyed for leg room. "I'll admit, it isn't something I ever expected to have."

"I meant being on time," Yuki smirked.

Kakashi leered at her. "I'm the Hokage. I can't be late anymore."

Yuki cocked an eyebrow. "You're telling me you don't keep the little genin waiting every once in a while?"

"Genin are different," Kakashi draped an arm around her shoulder, half out of affection and half out of trying to get comfortable. "They have to learn patience. I'm never late with dignitaries, though."

"Shikamaru is never late with the dignitaries," Yuki corrected. "He buys you time so you seem to be on time."

"Your teeth are getting yellow," Kakashi said casually. Yuki gasped and elbowed him in the side. "What?" He rubbed the tender spot. "I thought it was 'point out your partner's shortcomings' hour."

Happy, bubbly giggles as the door opened drew their attention. Neji held the door open for Haruka as she carried her lanky baby into the diner. She was still dressed for work in standard Konoha shinobi attire and Neji was in his usual white and black ensemble. Despite the heat, Haruka had dressed Satoru in full length overalls and a t shirt. The big floppy hat on his head completed the farmer look. At the sight of Yuki and Kakashi, Satoru beamed and held out his arms in front of him, opening and closing his hands as if priming for the incoming cuddles. Yuki gasped in exaggerated surprise at the sight of him, leaping out of her seat to greet the baby. Haruka let Yuki take the baby off her hands and slid into the booth with a sigh. Kakashi thanked God his prayer had been answered that Neji would sit across from Yuki. Yuki strapped Satoru into his high chair and took her seat. Neji had slid in beside his wife and was holding her hand affectionately.

The waitress immediately came over and took their order, or rather, confirmed the same items they got every week. As soon as she walked away, Haruka rested her chin on her hand. She let out a frustrated sigh and closed her eyes, dark bags already forming beneath them.

"So, how was the first day of school?" Yuki asked sheepishly.

Haruka gave Yuki a searing look. She smiled, more in line with a predator bearing its teeth than any form of friendliness. "Wonderful. Thanks for asking."

"The kids were all riled up?" Yuki tried to suppress her own knowing grin and was doing a terrible job of it.

"NA-NA," Satoru practically threw himself out of the high chair. Yuki's eyes went wide. She reached out and adjusted him in his seat. The hilariously angry look on his face instantly abated once he had her attention. He beamed and giggled happily.

"He's getting feisty," Yuki smiled. "I like feisty."

Neji chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a set of plastic keys. Satoru grunted and reached for them but Neji held them just out of reach. "Keys."

"Teeee," Satoru wiggled with excitement as Neji finally handed them over. The baby began to gum the bright red one.

"How's his walking coming along?" Yuki asked.

"He's able to take a step or two on his own," Neji adjusted in his seat. "He can walk for quite some time if we hold his hands."

"That's right on track, then," Yuki reached over and pinched her grandson's cheek. She pulled her hand away and rubbed her fingers together with a frown. "Are you still caking him in sunblock?"

"Yes, mother," Haruka growled.

Neji put a hand on Beki's reassuringly as he spoke: "We've heard you when you told us that exposure will help him. Haruka and I tried bringing him out without it, though, and he got a nasty sunburn."

"So the hat, pants, and sunblock stay," Beki chimed in. "Unless you want to be the one fighting to coat him in that slimy aloe vera crap."

Yuki threw up her hands in resignation. "Fine. Not my baby. I get it."

Kakashi had remained silent through the whole exchange. It almost worked like clockwork with this lot. Yuki adoring her grandson, picking on her daughter, challenging the young couple's parenting, and Neji diffusing the situation. He busied himself by watching out the window or observing the other customers in the restaurant. An occasional passerby would wave to him and Kakashi would give a polite nod. He knew he should participate more, or at least try to, but he hadn't had a family since he was a kid. This was a table of orphans connected only through paper contracts. If he weren't dating Yuki, Kakashi would never spend quality time with Neji or Haruka. Unless, again, one of them came along as a tagalong with Gai.

Kakashi's mother had died when he was young. He remembered her somewhat, mostly how she made him feel and the sting of the absence of that warmth. Watching Yuki and Haruka was unfamiliar nonetheless. It was no surprise to Kakashi that the interactions between a mother and daughter didn't resemble the bond between a woman and her son. As for how he should behave, Kakashi had no precedent. His father had been somewhat distant and aloof, so it would be hard to imitate him. It was less confusing dealing with Neji; the boy was an independent orphan like Kakashi. Any interactions they had were exactly as they appeared on the surface. Haruka was harder. She had a father and Kakashi had to debate with himself about when to step up and try to be a parent for her or fall back and just act like a family friend. None of his close friends had children so he could offer no meaningful advice. He could interfere on Haruka and Neji's behalf, but that would only agitate Yuki. Besides, the kids had to learn to stand up to her on their own.

"How are things going for you, Lord Sixth?" Haruka's address nearly missed his attention.

"Me?" Kakashi turned his attention back to the table. "Fine. Everything's fine."

"No interesting cases on the table or anything?" Haruka did her best to seem only passively interested but Kakashi knew the truth. The girl had spent most of her life training to be or acting as an ambassador. She missed the politics and intrigue to some extent. Part of Kakashi felt sorry for the girl in that regard. An entire lifetime's worth of training rendered useless, a service record erased from existence. If he wasn't Hokage, he would indulge her.

"Sorry, Haruka." Kakashi gave her a sad smile. "Just the day to day stuff."

"Thanks anyway, Hokage sama." Haruka smiled back, but it was sad. Strained.

"You don't have to be so formal," Kakashi offered. "Your mother and I are getting married."

Haruka furrowed her brow. "So what, you want me to call you 'daddy'?"

"Why not?" Yuki gave a wicked smile. "I wouldn't mind at all if Neji called me mommy."

"Lord Sixth it is," Kakashi sighed.

Their food arrived and the group quickly dove in. Yuki was carefully feeding Satoru bites of her chicken and rice, which he readily accepted. "Look at that smile," Yuki beamed. "He's such a handsome guy."

"He gets it from his mom," Neji leaned in to give Haruka a peck on the cheek, a sly smile on his lips, but she pulled away and gave him a dirty look.

"He's handsome cuz of me?" Haruka scoffed.

"He has your jawline, sweetie," Neji chuckled. "Any man would kill for that."

"Isn't it a shame that even with your haircut, you're still mistaken for a girl more than I am?" Haruka batted her eyes. The two stared each other down for a moment wherein Kakashi was convinced it might come to blows. Instead, the pair devolved into affectionate laughter and tried bites of each other's meals.

"Yuki, are we that mercurial?" Kakashi whispered and she shook her head.

"No," Yuki grinned. "We're worse."

The last person to be eating was Yuki. She had become so focused on feeding Satoru she had hardly eaten herself. The rest of the group waited politely as she worked on her dinner. Satoru got fussy in his high chair, so Neji took him out and held him on his lap while they waited. Haruka reached into her bag and pulled out a wipe, which Satoru nearly screamed at the sight of. Kakashi watched in amusement as the young couple wrestled with the octopus-like baby in a seemingly futile attempt to wipe his face. They were panting at the end of it, and as much as the baby had resisted, Satoru was fine once they were finished. In an attempt to fill the awkward silence that followed, Kakashi spoke:

"So, Haruka, how has Iruka been treating you?"

"Oh," Haruka tucked some of the hair that had been ripped loose from her braid behind her ear. "Great, actually. I'm very happy working at the academy again."

"I'm sad I can't tutor you anymore," Neji gave her a small smile. "It was really cute watching you go through the whole process."

"Cute? Try beyond embarrassing," Haruka sighed. "Iruka is a method teacher, I'll say that much."

After Haruka had Satoru, Iruka had joined in on the family's conspiracy to be "reborn" as average citizens in Konoha. On top of the smattering of medical records Sakura had planted in the hospital and the service records Kakashi had stuck in the Hokage's office, Haruka now officially had paperwork in the academy as well. Iruka had made a stipulation, however: he would never sign off unless he was confident Haruka could pass for a Konoha trained shinobi. That meant the girl had to stay after work every day for months completing a crash course version of the Konoha Academy Program.

"I loved that little 'Why I want to be a shinobi' project he made you do," Yuki clapped her hands. "It took me back to when you were little. You even managed to find the same glitter you used at the academy back home."

Haruka rolled her eyes and grumbled: "Neji still has it on the fridge."

"Okay, it's literally the cutest thing you've ever made," Neji looked at the baby in his arms. "Other than our son."

"The guy has a way of inspiring you, kind of like Gai sensei. When he was talking to me about the project, I got this whole vision for it, you know?" Haruka shrugged. "So I went with it."

"'I want to be a shinobi to protect my family'," Yuki read from her mind's memory. "'And kill Kaguya'. I don't think it's possible for me to be any prouder of the woman you've become."

Haruka looked at Kakashi. "Please tell me the graduation picture isn't plastered everywhere at your house."

Kakashi shook his head. "She's only got it in three places."

"On my bedside table," Yuki ticked the locations off on her fingers. "The fridge and the mantlepiece."

"I keep one in my wallet," Neji offered and Yuki "oohed" in approval. "I have a spare, you want one?"

Yuki nodded vigorously as Neji fished out the spare.

"Why do you two make such a big deal about it?" Haruka sighed in frustration. "I mean, Mom bought me that ridiculous poofy dress to wear and you brought me roses," she gestured at her husband.

"First of all," Neji held up a finger. "I know how hard you worked to get there. Shadow clones weren't easy for you and you were too proud to ask Naruto for help."

"I could already make water clones!" Haruka hissed under her breath. "Why should I learn how to make a kind of clone I don't naturally have an inclination towards and when I have another kind of clone readily at my disposal?!"

"Because Konoha shinobi use shadow clones and we are tying to get you to pass for a Konoha shinobi," Kakashi chuckled. "I think I remember hearing Iruka yell that at you on my way home one night."

"I mean, that's what the man insisted!" Haruka rested her chin on her hand. Neji kissed her temple before he continued speaking:

"And secondly, I didn't get to know you when you were that little. You have this tendency of regressing back to what I imagine little Beki would have been like, doing her homework and asking for help practicing.I thought it was adorable."

"Not to mention, I totally missed out on your academy years," Yuki smiled sadly. "I got to make sure my baby got in the door but I wasn't there for the process. This was my second chance and I pulled out all the stops."

"In a sick way, I think Iruka enjoyed it, too," Haruka chuckled. "I worked for him for a while when I was a teenager. I kind of tagged along with his students enough that the line got blurred and I was part of the pack. Going through the program made it all official."

Neji brushed some of Haruka's hair out of her face. "It always amazes me how you just sort of dug yourself into Konoha."

Haruka shrugged. "I was used to moving around. There might be some things I miss about home, like the trees and the beach, but home is where your family is."

"No matter how confusing and dysfunctional it might be," Yuki grinned.

A familial warmth seemed to hover over the table. It was snuggly and safe, like a baby blanket, and the entire group basked in it respectfully. Even Satoru kept his happy gurgling to a minimum. Haruka blinked and her brow furrowed somewhat as though a great debate had started in her mind.

"What's up?" Kakashi offered. It was hard for him, dealing with Haruka. She was in no way unfriendly or difficult to get along with. Many times Kakashi had tried to put a finger on exactly what it was that made him uncomfortable but it was too nebulous. Part of him supposed it was the fact that it was his girlfriend's adult daughter. He had to treat her like a fellow adult and not like one of his students (the closest thing he had ever been to being a parent himself). Perhaps, too, it was how close the mother-daughter pair seemed in age. Yuki, even as she aged, seemed perpetually youthful but still her age. Haruka on the other hand, through the difficult circumstances of her life, seemed prematurely aged. The eight year age gap between them seemed to shrink as Haruka's cheeks hollowed out, and the two truly appeared more as sisters than a parent and a child. Oh. And Kakashi had seen the girl turn into a blazing murder monster that completely charred another monster into oblivion, only to then become an even more terrifying monster that could tear apart people's lungs with ash breath so they drowned in their own blood.

Haruka gave a small start. "Sorry. I was just...if you two have a kid, it'll be Satoru's uncle. But he'll be older than them."

"That is strange," Kakashi shook his head. "But unavoidable in this family."

"What do you mean?" Yuki cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you periodically put yourself in cryo and screw up the natural progression of a family's timing," Kakashi scoffed. "We should have gotten married four years ago and had a three-year-old by now."

Beki let out a small laugh and Neji groaned, earning him the side eye from his wife. "What, the man has a point. Do you know what you two put us through?"

Yuki shrugged. "Sorry we're just too stubborn to die."

This is very different for me and if you are familiar with my work, it will be for you too. This story is going to be a lighthearted (and brief) exploration of life in the reign of the Sixth Hokage. Some plot elements from the previous series will be addressed, and the rest of the time there will be outright chaos. Please let me know what you think so far! XO, ponchoninjax3