Hello, honey, I'm home—Holy, is that Kakashi?

The early morning wind tousled his chakra into an acute alertness, and he remained that way throughout the entirety of his run—an equally abruptly assigned mission. Streaks of yellow whisked about the village, his presence sharp and brusque— yet too renowned to go unnoticed. As the sun mellowed out after the midday drew out its length, so did his mood, and he slowed down into a saunter. Though not exactly trivial, the mission was a B-rank: not urgent, but for what it's worth, it paid to be Konoha's famed yellow flash. He'd report tomorrow.

And he simply walked the rest of the way home, blue eyes blank without a thought to mull over. Spirit content over the certainty of being greeted with Kushina's pretty red hair in his hot meal, Namikaze Minato didn't bother climbing the hundred steps, and focused his chakra onto the kanji-unscripted kunai stuck outside a window.

Then, without so much as a puff of smoke, Minato was there on the cobbled path, until he was not.

A gush of wind rattled the window sill, and the streak of blonde blurred before sharply setting into focus. Minato stepped off the sill, about to call out to Kushina. But surprise flit though his senses, and he stopped himself. Kushina's voice came droning from the kitchen. Huh? Do we have guests? Maah, she could'a sent me a hawk…I'm dressed in a layer of dust…

"…and so, I took the initiative, of course."

" You…talked him down like a responsible ninja?"

" Close! You're getting better at this. I nailed him in the face."

"Ah—" Kakashi smirked, much more impressed by the latter reveal.

" Nobody talks dirt to me about what they don't even know. Ok, don't get the wrong impression—I don't go around socking morons in the face, I've got hobbies, you know."

"But…he deserved it"

"—He deserved it! Jerk! Hand that bowl over."

Kakashi did as he was told, mouth busy crunching down on mildly burnt rice. Kushina was stirring tomato soup, quickly scooping a portion out to sniff it. She pulled back animatedly, and bobbed her head in dramatic approval. Kakashi breathed out forcefully, stifling a chuckle. "Smells great. Best meal I've had in a long time."

Kushina drooped her lips, turning around. "You're literally eating burnt rice."

"Tastes better than food pills." And he stopped with a mouthful, realising what he had just said. Well now, why don't you just project all your petty problems on Kushina-dono. Whine a little while you're at it?

But Kushina intercepted before he could berate himself out loud.

"Ehh—I'll show you some real food the next time you come around. Rice and tomato-water. Can't have you thinking I cook worse than your sensei." She slammed a pair of chopsticks down on the table.

"What an embarrassment."

Kakashi hiccuped, and chocked down his rice.

"What? Ok, that's horrific, but you're the one who insisted on eating that, you know."

"Ngh—no, Kushina-dono. It's just… I've been on week-long missions with sensei before. His cooking is…eccentric…and.."

"His cooking is the eighth ninja sin!"

"—unique.."

A second of silence permeated over the kitchen until the pair broke into a fit of giggles. Kushina waved a hand to cover soup dribbling down her chin, and Kakashi grinned to one side to hide food wedged in his teeth.

"Ppffft-hahahahaha!"

"Ehehehahaha! Sensei couldn't cook to save his life, my life, anybody's—living on food pills is a little more merciful."

A pile of bloody rags were gathered in a corner, the floorboards meticulously clean again; and a polished dagger and short sword were stacked next to a raggedy ANBU uniform. Kakashi was clothed in one of Minato's navy shirts— a little bit spacious on his leaner frame.

"Don't… don't tell him I said that? Kushina-dono? Please don't."

"Tell me? What?"

A tinge of blonde hair rounded the kitchen, blue eyes swimming suspiciously between the two lunch-eaters. Wait. Was. Was that Kakashi? Kakashi swivelled around, startled into alertness by the all-too-familiar voice. In my shirt? Jumping to his feet a little too aggressively, the ANBU fumbled over to greet his superior; shoulders spasming at the thud of the chair behind him.

"Mina—" The ANBU choked out. But his salute was interrupted by a hideous retching, his words muffled by a tough mouthful of food. He swallowed forcefully, not taking into account the charred-rough rice. It cleaved down his throat, taking a layer of cells with it too. As he edged forward, Kakashi threw up his arms, hastily fastening the blood-spotted cloth to cover his face. Cover the shame. In a deft movement, he slammed one knee into the floor, and bowed rigidly.

"Minato-sensei."

The flurry of calculations from before came flooding back in frenzy, and Kakashi wondered how best to explain things. His throat was burning. He shouldn't have involved Kushina-dono with anything to do with him. The things he did kept grown ninja up at night—too ugly to speak of in their sun-bathed kitchen. His mission squirmed back to haunt him; and so did the relief he felt, knowing Kushina could never see how he got those scars she just sealed, the bone she just set.

Minato would be appalled. Kakashi scrunched up his fists. After all, his wife had welcomed a killer into her house.

"Minato-sensei, please, I take all responsibility for this. I'm sorry. Fraternising with civilians…Kushina-dono…neglecting my mission report… revealing my identity and, and appearance…I know it's all strictly against regulation."

Minato stared down, blinking awkwardly between Kushina and his former student.

"Kakashi what the hell?" He reached down to pull him up by the shoulder.

"Anata—DON'T!"

"—Guuh!"

"Kakashi-kun!"

Minato whipped his arm back, fear welling up his spine. The material of Kakashi's makeshift mask just barely covered his face, and Minato's eyes fell on the ancient kanji scrawling up his neck, over his collar bone, stretching out wide to the shoulder he just grasped. Those…those were a lot of medical seals. They were temporary skin-knitting seals, obviously performed by Kushina. He sighed quickly, and it came out like a gasp. Thank Kami Kushina was home to save him— haah!

A peace may have settled in Konoha, but his senses were still keen, and Minato could smell the slight scent of blood. His eyes fell on the array of dirty rags in the corner, and the punctures across that battered ANBU uniform.

"Holy! Holy hell! Gueegh! Minato what in the sage of six paths' name are you teaching him? Kakashi, get up."

Minato held out his hand and Kakashi obliged.

"C'mon Kakashi, up."

'Kushina' spellchecks to 'cushion'

'Minato' sometimes to 'minute'

and Kakashi, when I spell it fast like kakshi, spellchecks to 'cacti' ._.

Okie Chapter two!

I originally imagined Kakashi as in his 20's in chapter 1, thus 'man.' But when you think about, that doesn't make sense, he's probably only in his late teens at the most :O

You know, 'A man with no mother' was meant to be a one-shot, but it was my fault for not showing it to be 'completed,' and 2 requests is a holy lot to me. So here you go! At the moment I've no idea what I'm doing, so this is a carry-on from the last chapter. I know, cliches! Sorry. I don't want to change the title though, Kushina is important.

For now this is going to be slice-of-lifey until I can get some direction and action in there.

Thanks!

-earl