Good things never last.
Kakashi firmly believed that all good and happy things would inevitably end but on nights when plagued with fitful sleep, he prayed that it wasn't true.
The first hint of this premonition was on the morning when he jolted awake at the sound of his alarm. He quickly rolled around to glare at the offending object but unaware that he was lying at the edge of his bed, he promptly fell off instead. Ignoring the sharp pain in his back, Kakashi reached out a hand to quiet his alarm but ended up jamming the button and still the noise rang on. Peacefulness could not have come quicker when finally, the alarm was silenced with a kunai.
And when he went to make some coffee, Kakashi bit back a curse at the sight of curdled milk. One whiff of it almost had him gagging and he quickly replaced the cap before trashing it.
The day got worse when he stepped foot into the ANBU headquarters and immediately, felt many pairs of eyes directed towards him. Then, the murmuring began, and it seemed like everyone but Kakashi was privy to it. Left in the dark, he made to go grab his mission scroll and be off as quickly as possible when he felt an arm drape casually over his shoulders. Seeing that he was not well acquainted with anyone in ANBU but one, and knowing how insistent this individual was, Kakashi decided to suffer through the physical contact than face the consequences of shrugging the other off. Because Shiranui Genma was surprisingly very open to physical contact and the first time Kakashi was subject to one of his arm drapes, he had immediately thrown the other off … only for Genma to double his efforts. So, the best alternative was to just endure it the first time around.
"So," Genma drawled and Kakashi suppressed the urge to yank the senbon out of the other's mouth. Instead, he heaved a sigh.
"What is this I hear, our baby tensai is friends with a rogue nin?" Genma steered them towards the exit and Kakashi was only more than happy to leave the stares and whispers behind.
The first tactic to evading questions was to redirect the other's attention, which Kakashi adhered to like any model student.
"For the last time, I am not your or anyone's baby tensai. Are you suffering from selective hearing loss? Maybe you should reschedule your annual physical ex–"
"Don't insult my intelligence, Hatake."
Genma gave him his no-bullshit-or-else look and Kakashi almost clicked his tongue.
It has been over a year since their meeting outside the orphanage and having been in the other's company ever since, Kakashi recognised how despite the playful tone, Genma was waiting for an answer. The usual nonchalance was gone, replaced by a determination that Kakashi had only seen a handful of times.
The reverse was also true as Genma was more than well-versed at Kakashi's evasion techniques and Kakashi found himself grumbling at that.
Seeing that the other was not going to back down, the silver nin bit back the urge to point out that it was Genma who wanted him to be more social and here the other was, pushing them towards the exit before Kakashi had the chance to pick his next mission.
"Is it true that this friend of yours looks a lot like–" Genma lowered his voice, "the Yondaime?"
Kakashi pretended not to notice the waver in the other's voice, nor how affected Genma was. The arm that was still slung around his shoulder was tensed. And Kakashi understood because like him, Genma had never really let go of what had happened. It was then only fair that he knew about Kurama and maybe, Genma too could begin to heal.
"I'll take you to meet him," he eventually said. It was better this way anyway. It saves Kakashi from answering any questions that he would otherwise have to wrack his brain to manoeuvre around without giving too much away about the other's lineage. And with Genma's dogged persistence, it was only time before he would seek out Kurama and Kakashi would rather it be now with himself as mediator than face the possibility, no, certainty that Genma would burst into his apartment one day and interrogate him for answers.
Kakashi covertly grinned at the disbelief plastered on the other's face. Clearly, the older nin wasn't expecting that and Kakashi was only too amused to have outplayed him. The grin quickly faded when Kakashi realised that his yearlong secret was about to be out in the open and shared, and a small part of him mourned the fact that Kurama was not going to be his secret anymore.
The fateful meeting didn't take place until two days later, when Kakashi tracked down Kurama.
"There is someone who wants to meet you," was the first thing he said when he laid eyes on the other. It came out as a breath, and Kakashi found himself nervous at how the blond would react even though it has been over a year since their first encounter.
While the other's presence here on the outskirts of Konoha was no secret because the townspeople probably cannot make the connection between this man and the Yondaime, Kakashi wasn't sure if Kurama was willing to meet Konoha nin who would undoubtedly make the connection in a heartbeat and demand answers. If the other answered in the negative, Kakashi would understand because he of all people understood the value of privacy. But if he said yes … Kakashi was strangely excited for Kurama to meet the people in his life, and while there are only a handful, the thought of the older man in his village mingling with others brought a smile to his lips.
There would be obstacles, of course. The questions, the suspicions, the interrogation. Perhaps Sandaime would be the biggest obstacle of them all. One word from the elder and Kurama could be hunted for the rest of his life.
And while Kakashi was certain the other was more than capable of fending off the adversary, he wasn't sure where his heart would lie should the Hokage order him to–
"Sure."
Kakashi blinked, and his previous thoughts vanished. Unsure if he heard correctly, Kakashi watched as Kurama sipped on his tea with a novel cracked open in front of him. The sound of a page being turned had Kakashi whispering in disbelief, "what?"
"Do you need your ears checked out, Hatake?" The smirk lingered on the other's lips and Kurama put down his book in favour of watching Kakashi's stunned face, "I said sure."
And that was how Kakashi found himself sitting at the table in Kurama's house two days later with a steaming cup of tea in front of him as Genma sat beside him staring unabashedly at Kurama. Undaunted by the newcomer's staring, Kurama poured himself some tea after serving his guests.
Kakashi was about to nudge the other beneath the table but Genma redirected his gaze.
The pair had only exchange a word of greeting so far and that was almost five minutes ago. Kakashi was beginning to regret bringing Genma when Kurama thankfully filled in the silence.
"So, Shiranui-san, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Genma was reaching for his tea when Kurama spoke, and the slight frown marring his features was quickly smoothed out before he looked up. For a while, Genma did not answer. Why did he want to meet this stranger, other than to see for sure if the man did indeed resemble his Hokage?
And the answer was yes, so much so that initially, he couldn't bear to look the other in eye for more than three seconds.
From the man's appearance to his mannerisms, it was too close a reminder of his friend and mentor. Brown eyes slid across to the third member of this party and Genma felt the frown reappear. Kakashi would have undoubtedly seen his sensei in this stranger and unlike many of Genma's peers who would have questioned how this man was related to the Yondaime, Genma was more concerned about why Kakashi had come to associate himself with this man.
Kakashi was young. As a ninja, he was at the age where he was not considered to be a child but Genma had seen grief, and he had seen what it did to people. He knew what it was like, losing everyone. Although he was only a couple years older than the other, Genma had friends and he was not averse to being social. After the war, he had people to fall back on.
But Kakashi? No one. He was truly a loner. All alone after the horrors of the war, with no one to turn to, Genma could see why the younger had befriended this stranger. And Genma desperately hoped it wasn't a friendship based on Kurama's resemblance to the Yondaime because if all Kakashi saw in the man was his sensei, then Kakashi was nowhere near beginning to heal.
Genma resolved to keep a close eye on the silver nin, just in case.
And so, Genma decided to answer truthfully but in his playful way, "I'm just making sure my kouhai is in safe hands. You know what they say about stranger danger."
Kakashi looked over to see a silly grin on Genma's face and a retort about not being his kouhai because they both entered ANBU around the same time was on the tip of his tongue but something about his grin was a bit strained.
Kakashi turned to Kurama and saw him give Genma a knowing look when the latter wasn't looking before setting down his teacup.
It wasn't long before Kakashi and Genma were making their way back to the village. Kakashi glanced at the other but Genma was looking straight ahead resolutely. He had watched the two bid each other farewell and then, seen how Genma had fallen solemn after the door closed behind them.
There was something off about the other and Kakashi had no idea what the cause was.
At the village gates, Genma came to a stop and seemed to mull over something before he turned to Kakashi.
"Don't worry Kakashi, I won't breathe a word about your friend."
Kakashi blinked. He had completely forgotten about the risk of Konoha nin seeing Kurama but since this was Genma, he wasn't concerned about the other blabbing.
Kakashi nodded, but Genma wasn't done yet.
"And one more thing," Genma held his eyes, "I'm not sure if I am in the position to say this but be careful, okay? This sounds stupid and I know you won't confuse Kurama with Minato-san but I just have to say this: Kurama isn't Minato-san. I just don't want you to get hurt."
Kakashi deliberated over Genma's words before he eventually understood what the other was saying and sighed.
"Yes, I know Kurama isn't Minato-sensei. Was this why you were acting weird before? The stuff about stranger danger?"
Genma ran his fingers through his hair before nodding.
There was pause before Kakashi smirked.
"I didn't know you were my mother," Kakashi took off, knowing that it wouldn't be long before Genma's brain kicked into gear.
"Get your ass back here Hatake!"
With their game of chase, thoughts and worries about the Yondaime and Kurama disappeared.
It was not long before rumours of Kakashi's acquaintance with a rogue nin left the ANBU headquarters and reached the Hokage.
The tapping on his window put a pause on Kakashi's morning routine. The ANBU outside indicated that the Hokage wanted to see him with quick hand seals before he leapt off his balcony.
Knowing that this was not about a mission because otherwise, the ANBU would have handed him a scroll with the Hokage's instructions, it could only be about Kurama. He was certain that Genma would have kept his promise about not blabbing so the Hokage must have heard it from the rumours.
Kakashi readied himself to be interrogated but he had to be careful about how much he revealed. There was a very fine line between loyalty to his Hokage and being branded as a traitor. The best outcome would be that this would not be about Kurama but rather, something completely different. Chances were slim though.
While Kurama had not said anything about keeping him a secret, Kakashi was quite sure that given the choice, Kurama wouldn't want his identity known.
Kakashi fought the urge to sigh. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Far too quickly, he had arrived at the Hokage's tower and outside the Hokage's office. Steeling himself, Kakashi rapped on the door and waited.
"Come in, Kakashi."
Turning the doorknob, Kakashi walked into the room and closed the door behind him quietly. The Hokage had a pipe in his hands and paperwork littered on the desk before him.
With a smile, he gestured for Kakashi to come closer.
"My boy," the Sandaime started before setting down his pipe and cutting to the chase. "Is there something you would like to tell me?"
Kakashi held the other's gaze. He had not expected the Sandaime would ask him in a roundabout way, to play on his guilt. He was making Kakashi choose between his duty to the village and his secret. The Hokage knew exactly what was going on, but he wanted to hear it from Kakashi himself.
Jaw clenched, Kakashi breathed out to calm himself down.
"Can you be more specific, Sandaime-sama?"
There. Kakashi would not answer if the Hokage wouldn't ask him directly. This way, Kakashi could be sure about how much the elder knew, and thus, he could gauge how much he could reveal without compromising Kurama.
Sandaime smiled and indulged him, "I know that he has helped you in your missions, Kakashi."
Kakashi froze. Damn mission reports. He knew he made no mention of Kurama in his reports, but he wouldn't put it past the Hokage to be able to read between the lines.
"If he means Konoha no harm, then he is a friend."
The Hokage was about to continue when there was a knock. Looking up, the Sandaime called out, "what is it?"
The voice on the other side was slightly muffled, "there is someone who would like to speak to you, Hokage-sama."
"Who is it?" The elder asked tiredly.
"A Namikaze Kurama."
At the name, Kakashi snapped his head around. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Hokage tense.
At the door stood Kurama, dressed in a simple civilian shirt and casual black pants. Blond hair was longer and more tamed than when Kakashi first met him, and it made the other resemble his sensei more.
Kurama came to stand beside Kakashi, and he felt the other's sleeve brush against him.
The Sandaime stilled in shock, his eyes glued onto Kurama.
"Hokage-sama, it is an honour to meet you," Kurama bowed gracefully from the waist.
Kakashi watched silently as Kurama locked eyes with the Hokage. There must have been some inaudible exchange because the Hokage nodded before turning to Kakashi.
"Have the day off, Kakashi-kun."
And that was how he found himself dismissed from the office and escorted out the Hokage's tower.
Baffled about what had transpired between the two nin, Kakashi decided that it was perhaps a good thing that Kurama appeared and took matters into his own hands. With that in mind, Kakashi turned and made his way towards his favourite sweet shop for a well deserved snack for all the brain cells he had lost today.