The two of them escape from the barracks up several floors to the administrative area, hoping that they'll get outside and under the sunlight before meeting anymore ghosts. No such luck – they come face to face with another group of ghosts hovering around the busy ANBU missions desk. The trio's heated discussion falls silent immediately. The Uchiha's twin Sharingan flick rapidly from Sakumo to Rin, something like recognition dawning on his face as his gaze settles back on Sakumo.
"Who are you?" the woman with long red hair – an Uzumaki? – questions belligerently, crossing her arms before her jounin flak jacket. "Haven't seen you two before." The other ANBU ghosts exchange silent looks.
"Hyaku," sighs the man with red clan tattoos down each cheek in a tone of long-suffering, "this is exactly why you should go outside more. That's Hatake Sakumo." His eyes were a very pale blue when he leveled an assessing gaze at Sakumo. The Inuzukas and the Hatakes have always been at odds; each pack being naturally wary of the other.
"And what about the girl?" the Uzumaki demands. "I don't see you keeping track of all the ghosts around, do you, huh? Dog-breath Kara?"
"Forgive us for interrupting," Sakumo says stiffly before Kara can continue the argument with Hyaku. "We were just on our way out."
"Bye~" Rin starts waving goodbye.
"Oh no you don't," Hyaku growls, stalking forward only to have the Uchiha catch her elbow.
The Uchiha gives Sakumo and Rin a beam that makes him look very young, a fact only emphasised by the short, messy hair falling into his eyes. "Sakumo-kun! I've been hoping you'd visit!"
Rin glances at Sakumo questioningly but he just gives Uchiha a blank look. "Sorry, do I know you?"
The other ghost laughs loudly. "Not personally but I'm sure you do!"
"Show off," Kara mutters with too much fondness for it to be a complaint.
The Uchiha hops off the desk, straightening his several decades outdated flak jacket. "Welcome to ANBU! I'm Uchiha Kagami." His Sharingan flashes with his grin.
"K-Kagami-sama?!" Sakumo exclaims, hardly able to believe that this cheerful young man is the famous Uchiha he claims to be, not to mention Kaikou-sensei's father.
"Maa- that makes me feel so old," Kagami chuckles, scratching at his hair. "I look younger than you Sakumo-kun!" Sakumo really wanted to protest the use of "-kun"… but this man was dead before Sakumo had even been born. Was dead before Kaikou-sensei reached his teens. "-chan" will be out of question though.
"So have you given up your obsession with your son? Or is your son here?" Kagami asks so cheerfully Sakumo can't even take offense. He is not obsessed. Just... concerned. A concerned parent.
"Yes, Kakashi just joined ANBU. Please take care of him." Sakumo gives a small bow because this man is a legend despite his unassuming appearance — the founder of ANBU himself. No wonder he's still lurking about this place after death.
Kagami flaps his hand, the skin around his eyes creasing happily. "No need for such formalities, Sakumo-kun. Kaikou used to talk about you and your little teammates all the time when he was teaching you all, you know? Ah look at you, all grown up now and with a mini-you!" Leaving Sakumo frozen with embarrassment, the Uchiha turns to smile widely at Rin. "Oh, and a daughter too! How cute."
Rin blushes a deep pink. "T-thank you, Kagami-sama. I'm Rin."
She sneaks a nervous glance up at Sakumo and the older Hatake suddenly realises she didn't correct Kagami's assumption. His heart misses a beat.
Oh.
All these years it never seemed quite right to say it – that he thought of her as the daughter he never had. Perhaps she had esteemed parents that she loved, even though she never spoke of them; he couldn't possibly try to usurp their place. And for all that she still looked fourteen, she was seventeen in reality and fiercely independent. He would be content to simply be whoever she needed him to be.
He needs to talk this over with Rin but her uncertainty is already rapidly bleeding into mortification and she's chewing hard on her lip. "A-ah, I'm just—" Silence isn't an option, not now.
Sakumo sets a hand gently on her shoulder and her head jerks up in surprise. "Yeah," Sakumo says sincerely, a proud smile overtaking him. "She's a great med-nin." Rin's bottom lip wobbles dangerously, her eyes becoming large enough to put a puppy to shame. His heart feeling unbearably full, Sakumo reaches out to ruffle her hair. When Rin squeaks and mock-glares in return, neither of them are able to stop grinning like idiots.
"Med-nin," Hyaku echoes, her forest green eyes glinting. "We haven't had a med-nin for a long time." She stalks forward and sticks out her hand to Rin. "Uzumaki Hyaku, seals master." Sakumo blinks in surprise. She doesn't look more than thirty.
The brunette's eyes are wide as she shakes Hyaku's hand. "That's amazing. I only managed to study up to level 2 medical seals before... er. You know."
"That's plenty to work with," Hyaku grins, showing sharp little canines. Letting go, she glances back at Kagami, who inclines his head minutely. "I'll see you both around," she says, nodding to Sakumo and Rin as she taps the Uzushio hitai-ate at her hip. "Duty calls!"
As she shunshins away, Kara gives them a silent wave and disappears after her. 'Uzushio-nin. What sort of duties does a ghost have?' Sakumo wonders. Earlier on, they had been discussing something so seriously too.
"I'm afraid that just leaves me!" Kagami says brightly. "Have you seen the swimming pool?"
A/N: Sakumo implicitly accepted Rin as his daughter :) She's still going to call him Sakumo-san though, since it would be awkward for them to change things suddenly. Don't worry, KakaRin is still a thing since they're still not actual siblings.
Uchihas come in two types: angsty and obnoxiously cheerful. Kagami is one of the latter :) Like Sakumo, Kagami followed his son Kaikou around too, before Kaikou died (and didn't become a ghost).
In case you don't remember who Kagami is in canon, he's Shisui's ancestor. He's also Danzou's good friend, which means he's actually an old man, but ghosts don't age so he still looks 25, the age he died.