A/N. This one's a bit of a short one, sorry.

There was a time when Kakashi had preferred working alone, when he found others to be nothing but a hindrance. But with Team Minato, that had changed.

He missed it, the sound of sensei's laughter, how the corners of his eyes crinkled in mirth as they took turns teasing the way Obito seemed to chatter nonstop. He missed how Rin liked to hum the same tune under her breath, the way her short brown hair had danced in the wind.

He hated solo missions. He hated the silence. Even missions with Yamato and the rest of his ANBU squad were better.

But somehow, solo missions were now no longer, well, solo for Kakashi. As he busied himself with setting up camp, his eye followed Kurama intently. Making his way around the area, the older man slapped a palm onto every second tree. Kakashi heard faint sizzling and blinked when he saw tendrils of smoke rising from the bark where Kurama had touched seconds ago. He had never seen, or heard of seals being used in such a way.

"Your creation?"

Kurama paused and glanced back at him before activating the last seal. Kurama dusted his palms before sitting down on the rock across from him with the fire burning between them.

"Yes," the other said and Kakashi could hear the hint of pride in the other's voice. "It is a lightning based sealing technique that creates an invisible barrier around the area and zaps any approaching nin before they get too close."

Impressed, Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. While he was by no means an expert on seals, he wasn't terrible at it. With the Yondaime as his teacher, Kakashi was bound to pick up some bits and pieces about sealing over the years. From the way the older man activated the seals without the use of ink and paper, Kakashi knew the other was skilled. Very skilled even, to have done it with perfect control of his chakra. Perhaps, he should ask the other for some pointers. After all, there was no harm in having more techniques in his arsenal. Just in case.

After his two weeks' break was up, Kakashi had knocked on the Hokage's door first thing in the morning. Sarutobi had given him a knowing look, as though he had long expected Kakashi's arrival before sliding open his drawer and retrieving a scroll. With a smile, he handed it to Kakashi.

Spying the colour of the ribbon that was wrapped around the scroll, Kakashi almost wanted to ask for a different one. Blue meant reconnaissance, yellow courier and red assassination. Single knot meant team mission whereas double knot meant solo.

The ribbon tied around the scroll in his hands was blue and double knotted.

If he asked for another one, there was chance that the Hokage would use his hesitancy as an excuse to force him to take another week off … Kakashi gulped before accepting the mission with a short bow.

All packed and ready to leave, Kakashi stepped outside the village and immediately came to a stop at the sight of Kurama leaning against the gate. From the way the other pushed himself off the gate and lifted his hand in salute, it was clear that the blond had been waiting for him. And that was how Kakashi found himself a tagalong.

The mission was simple and before long, they were heading back to Konoha ahead of schedule. He and Kurama had spent the journey back discussing a variety of things, from the political instability in Iwa to the corruption in Kiri. Somewhere in between, they delved into the subject of time travel and the possibility of going back in time.

"Sensei used space-time ninjutsu to perfect Hiraishin," Kakashi had offered before Kurama nodded absentmindedly.

Kakashi knew that their conversation about time travel was merely conjecture because there was no way time travel was possible, but he enjoyed speculating what could. And with Kurama, Kakashi found himself utterly engaged in their exchange. While Kakashi fired suggestions at Kurama, the older man calmly countered each and every one with his own opinion.

It has been too long since someone has challenged him to think. He had grown used to his squad agreeing with his strategies and with Kurama, Kakashi felt like he was with Team Minato again.

"Fuinjutsu would keep the person's memories intact," Kurama murmured to himself, lost in thought. "Life sustaining seals along the body could keep the blood well circulated, so that the jump wouldn't put too much strain on the body. A separate seal would be needed to create a new body …"

Apart from Kurama, Genma was the only other Kakashi spoke to about Minato. Eye flicking up to the blond, Kakashi watched the wistfulness reflected in Kurama's expression. It was as though he was envisioning the seals he would draw, almost as if he knew exactly what seals were needed.

Kakashi did not question how the other knew so much about his sensei, from his senjutsu and summoning contract with the toads to his incomplete rasengan.

And when he had spotted something peeking out from the other's weapon pouch and had quickly realized that it was one of Minato's kunai, being distinctively marked with the seal his teacher had created, Kakashi had said nothing.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi looked up and noticed the familiar landscape. They were just outside the borders of Konoha and this was where Kurama usually left him, leaving Kakashi to make the rest of the trip alone.

"Where exactly do you live?" Kakashi ventured. No matter how many times he had tried, Kakashi had been unable to detect the other's chakra signal within the village. Either the other had been concealing his presence, or he lived outside the village.

"A small town a little away from Konoha," Kurama gestured to the east.

To Kakashi's surprise, the older man then turned to him and smiled, "would you like to come over?"

At that, Kakashi found himself accepting the other's offer.

The next morning, Kakashi woke up a little later than usual. He quickly washed up and left his apartment through the window. Leaping down into an empty alleyway, he turned right and stepped onto the bustling streets. Making his way towards the centre of village, he spotted civilians and shinobi alike glancing curiously into the dango store a few strides ahead as they passed. Wondering what they were looking at, Kakashi subtly peered inside when he neared.

Sitting inside with a plate of half eaten dango on the wooden table in front of him and seemingly paying no heed to the attention he was attracting, Kurama was quietly sipping his tea. Kakashi had no idea how long he remained unmoving in the middle of the street, taken aback by the sight of the foreign nin calmly eating his dango. It was only when blue eyes looked up and twinkled with amusement that Kakashi blinked and approached the other man.

Picking out the hint of bewilderment on his face, Kurama quirked a smile and wordlessly gestured for Kakashi to sit opposite of him. Kurama waited for Kakashi to sit down before pushing the plate across the table. Blinking at the one remaining stick of dango, Kakashi gingerly picked it up and took a bite.

"Did you sleep well?"

Pausing mid-bite, Kakashi looked up and gave the other his are-you-serious look to which Kurama chuckled.

"Then, are you busy today?"

Kakashi shook his head and briefly wondered what the other was up to.

Kurama leaned forward and placing his elbows on the table, rested his chin on his intertwined fingers.

"Good," he merely said and smiled.

Around noon, Kakashi found himself standing outside the other's home. It was a Japanese style home situated a little way away from the town and Kakashi approved. It was impossible to be too paranoid. Kurama slid open the shoji door and stepped inside. Glancing back to Kakashi, the other motioned for him to come inside.

On their way here, Kakashi had seen the way the townspeople greeted Kurama with smiles and friendly waves. An elderly woman selling fruit had hobbled forward when she noticed them coming. Kurama had bent his head forward when the women shakily lifted a wrinkled hand to pat him fondly on the cheek. Kurama had smiled softly. A little boy with streaks of dried mud on his cheeks peeked out from behind the elderly woman and shuffled forward shyly.

"Welcome back, Kurama nii-san."

Kurama dropped some sweets into the boy's hands and Kakashi watched as he beamed up to the blond in childish wonder.

From this, it seemed like Kurama had lived in this town for a long time but when Kakashi stepped inside, the bareness stood out to him. There was a bookshelf, but only a quarter of the top shelf was filled with scrolls. There were no personal artefacts, no photographs or anything that indicated that the other had been here for long. Even if Kurama had moved in just the day before, Kakashi would have expected to see cardboard boxes littered around waiting to be unpacked. But this, this house appeared almost vacant.

It struck Kakashi that the more he was privy to aspects of the other's life, the less he seemed to know and the more questions he had. Questions such as which village did Kurama come from? He had not found anything that suggested that the older man was from Konoha, or any of the other hidden villages. But then again, if Kurama had been in Konoha before, Kakashi would have seen the other around.

Perhaps he had been in ANBU, but left before Kakashi had joined? But then, if he was a Namikaze, why hadn't Minato sensei mentioned him before? From what little he knew, the Namikaze clan was not original from Konoha. Maybe Kurama was told about Minato, or he heard stories about Konoha's Yellow Flash and then, decided to come here to Konoha but was too late. But that did not explain how Kurama knew things about Minato that only Konoha nin would know, nor how he came to possess one of his sensei's kunai. Had Minato known about Kurama, but never mentioned him to Kakashi or anyone else? It was possible that they were cousins, they were around the same age.

Kakashi wanted to smack his head against a table or something. He imagined that asking Kurama directly would not yield much. And Kakashi understood, he valued privacy and he would remain tight-lipped whenever he was asked about anything private.

"Tea?"

Kakashi was jolted from his thoughts and he looked up to see Kurama standing in the kitchen, a tea pot and two ceramic cups on the table before him. Realising he was still standing by the door, Kakashi gave a quiet 'yes, thank you' before settling into a chair.

He watched as Kurama prepared the tea with deft movements.

"Are you familiar with the eight principles of fuinjutsu?"

And that was how the rest of the night began.

"The possibilities are endless, Kakashi-kun," Kurama breathed as blue eyes came to life and he gestured animatedly with his hands. His excitement was contagious as Kakashi found himself following along, occasionally interrupting the other to ask about the intricacies.

Sometime before sunset, they had relocated from the kitchen to the veranda outside. They sat next to each other, their legs dangling over the edge of the wooden flooring. Between them, there was a plate of mochi and a steaming pot of green tea which Kurama kept warm by drawing a heating seal on the bottom side of the pot.

They talked well into the night, and in between there were moments of companionable silence during which Kakashi watched as Kurama tilted his head back and looked towards the moon. In these rare moments, the younger man witnessed the other's expression flicker across a barrage of emotions, from pure agony as if he had been stabbed in the chest repeatedly to utter despair as though he was watching the world burn and he could do nothing to save it. And while there were flickers of contentment in between, they were rare and infrequent.

Kurama was completely immersed in his own thoughts and during which Kakashi found himself thinking that Kurama was a contradiction. As a shinobi, he should know not show his emotions easily. He should be alert, and not lost in thought – vulnerable and ambushable. Yet, here he was, like a book opened for him to peruse. It was too easy for Kakashi, who drank in the other's thoughts and emotions greedily because being in ANBU for so long, he was almost unfamiliar with what emotions were. He cannot recall his childhood and the feelings of satisfaction and joy that should be associated with growing up. At times, Kakashi felt almost disjointed and lost. Beyond his duty to his village, he could not see his purpose. He was barely sixteen but he felt like he was nearing the end of his career. He could not imagine what Kurama felt, having lived through more war and conflict than he did. But for now, they were here listening as the cicadas sang their song and taking in the sight of stars winking down at them. And for now, Kakashi felt like all his worries and problems disappeared.

Perhaps, it was enough that Kurama was a Namikaze and he appeared in Kakashi's life. It was enough that Kurama was here, a quiet affirming presence beside Kakashi when once there had been three.