"Morning, Sakura," Minato chirps as he welcomes the pink-haired kunoichi into the apartment.
She smiles as she steps out of her shoes. "Hey Minato," she returns. "How are you?"
"Not bad!" he answers as they walk into the living area together. He chuckles a little as he recalls yesterday evening. "Last night was fun!" he tells her. "I'm glad Naruto has Hinata. She's very sweet."
Sakura's smile deepens at his words. "She is," agrees the kunoichi. "I'm sure Naruto is happy you like her."
Minato nods. "Yeah, I think so," he says, recalling how tightly Naruto hugged him when it came time for him and Hinata to leave last night.
"Did you talk to Tsunade?" interrupts Kakashi as he joins them.
Minato groans. "Kakashi, that's not how we greet people," he scolds the boy.
Kakashi glowers at him. "You already said hello!" he argues as Minato grits his teeth.
"It's okay," Sakura assures with a nervous little laugh. "Really!"
He shakes his head as he crouches down to Kakashi's height. "No," he disagrees. Then to his student, he warns, "Kakashi, be polite or you can spend the whole day in our bedroom."
For a moment, the boy looks like he might refuse. Then the glare on his face lets up and he grumbles, "Fine." He lifts his gaze to the kunoichi and says, "Morning, Sakura."
She gives the boy an awkward smile. "Ah, morning…"
Kakashi nods. "Did you talk to Tsunade?" he asks for the second time.
Minato covers his face. He guesses he can't be upset with Kakashi. He did listen to him…
"Yes," replies Sakura, and Minato lowers his hands.
Kakashi perks up. "When are we going back to our time?" he questions.
Sakura bites her lower lip and looks from Kakashi to Minato. "In another day or two," she tells them. "We're waiting on someone's return from Suna," she explains.
Minato starts to relax, happy to have an end date to this trip, but tenses anew when Kakashi stomps one of his feet. "That's not even where we were ordered to deliver the box," he complains.
Sakura frowns in sympathy at Kakashi. "I'm sorry, I really can't say more," she tells them. Minato nods. He understands, as frustrating as it is.
"Urgh," mutters Kakashi, crossing his arms and dropping to the floor in a sulky heap.
Minato rolls his eyes at the reaction. "Thanks for the update, Sakura," he says to the pink-haired kunoichi who is staring fretfully at Kakashi. "I have breakfast ready in the kitchen," he explains. "Why don't you and Kakashi take a seat at the table while I get it?"
She nods. "Sure," she agrees. "But can I take a look at your knee first?" she asks Kakashi, lowering herself to the boy's height and reaching towards him.
Kakashi pulls his knees close to himself. "It's fine now," he declares.
Sakura snorts. "I've heard that before," she mutters. "C'mon, I'll be quick."
The boy doesn't so much as twitch. Minato nudges his student with his toes. "We can do it the hard way, Kakashi," he warns.
"Fine!" the boy spits as he sticks out his leg for Sakura to prod.
Minato nods in approval before he turns away to go get breakfast from the kitchen. He's pretty sure it's fine. Sakura already has Kakashi's leg in her hands. As he moves everything onto a tray to carry into the next room, Sakura calls to him, "His leg looks good." A heaviness Minato had barely noticed in his chest lifts at her words. He walks back out into the living area to see Sakura and Kakashi are both sliding into chairs at the table. "I suggest he take it a bit easy, but otherwise, he's fit to train," she advises them.
"Thank you, Sakura," he replies as he puts the food on the table and sits down with them. While they serve themselves and begin to eat, he can't help but notice the way Sakura keeps looking at Kakashi out of the corner of her eyes.
Naruto and Hinata had done that yesterday too. Minato can't be sure, but he thinks they want to see Kakashi's face. He bets his student looks quite a bit different as an adult. Unfortunately, Minato knows his student won't let them. Kakashi is very particular about unmasking in front of people he doesn't know well. He didn't let Minato see his bare face until almost two months ago.
To distract Sakura (and give his student a chance to eat), he asks, a little louder than necessary, "So what are your plans for the day, Sakura?"
Her eyes snap to him and she smiles. "It's funny you should ask that," she tells him.
He raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"
She glances at Kakashi who is already done eating and now holding his glass of water in his hands. Sakura's lips form into a slight pout at the sight and she mumbles, "I know you probably want to train, Kakashi…"
Kakashi returns her look with a sharp stare. "I have to," he says. "I need to be ready for the Chūnin Exam."
Sakura sighs. "So I've heard," she replies. Her pout disappears entirely and she says, "Has anyone ever told you sometimes it's healthy to take a little break? So you don't overstrain your body?"
Kakashi falls quiet and Minato stops eating to stare at his student. The boy lowers his head and Minato readies to ask if Kakashi is okay when his student whispers, "…Dad."
The kunoichi chuckles and places her chin in her hands. "He sounds like a sensible man, you should listen to him," teases Sakura.
Kakashi puts down his glass of water and glares into it. "Dad also used to say a good shinobi should give their all to protect their comrades because they are our village. Now, he's only still a part of the village thanks to the Sandaime," he declares.
"Kakashi," whispers Minato as Sakura gapes at the boy.
He looks up and across the table directly at him. "Can we go train now, Minato?" he begs.
Minato licks his lips. "I… Sakura, you were going to suggest something a little different, weren't you?" he asks, desperate to escape the question.
"A day at the riverside," she replies, blinking at him in surprise. "Naruto and Hinata would be able to join us around lunchtime. As well as a couple of other people."
Kakashi kicks one of the table legs. "I don't—!"
"Yes, that's a great idea," cuts in Minato, sending his student a warning look. "We'll relax, but you can also work on your water-walking too, Kakashi," he says to the boy. Staring his student down, Minato smiles and asks, "The whole day won't be a waste then, will it?"
Kakashi refuses to look at him. "No," he answers all the same.
Minato nods. "Go pack for us, okay?"
"Fine," the boy grumbles before getting up and leaving for the bedroom.
As soon as Kakashi is out of earshot, Sakura leans over the table and whispers, frantic, "I'm sorry! I was just trying to joke with him."
He smiles at her. "I understand," he reassures her. Minato exhales and runs a hand through his hair. "Look, I know it won't matter. It's obvious I'm dead by the time he becomes your teacher," he says, making Sakura cringe. He meets her seafoam green gaze and asks, "Has Kakashi told you or your teammates about his dad before?"
Her eyes widen. "Ah… No," she admits. "Kakashi-Sensei rarely talks in-depth about himself." She begins to twiddle her fingers. "We only learned about his history with his teammates and you because—" she stops and bites her lip. "I shouldn't say," she demures.
"Yeah," agrees Minato as she falls back in his chair. For a moment, Minato privately deliberates. Future-Kakashi might not appreciate him sharing his history, but for the well-being of his student, Minato has to.
"For your sake, and his, I will tell you this about Kakashi right now. His dad has lost the village's respect for failing a mission important to the war several months ago," he explains. Minato glances towards the bedroom and frowns. "It's not just him suffering for his mistake, though."
Sakura looks over her shoulder, murmuring sadly, "Kakashi-Sensei…"
He reaches over the table and touches Sakura's hand. Once he's drawn the kunoichi's attention back to him, he asks, "Please, warn Naruto, warn whoever else might need it, don't speak of Sakumo."
She nods. "Okay," agrees Sakura. "Thank you, Minato, for telling me. We don't want to hurt—" she stops suddenly and turns her head to exclaim, "Wow you pack fast!"
"Practice," says Kakashi as he lowers their packs next to the table. "We go on lots of missions."
"That we do!" agrees Minato. He ruffles his student's hair. "Thanks to him, we always have exactly what we need for our missions."
"Sensei," complains Kakashi, stepping out of his reach and crossing his arms.
He laughs. "What? I can't compliment you? My cute, fussy student?"
"I'm not cute!" the boy snaps.
Minato grins and glances over at Sakura who is hiding a smirk behind her hand. "Ah, but you admit to being fussy!" he teases.
Kakashi rolls his eyes. "You suck," he grumbles.
"Uh-huh," he says while getting to his feet. Minato gathers their breakfast dishes and drops them off in the kitchen. When he comes back to the living area he finds Kakashi and Sakura are putting their shoes on by the door. "We're ready to leave then?" he asks the pair as he goes to join them.
"Yes," says Kakashi as he hands him his pack.
He smiles in thanks at his student. Then, to Sakura, he says, "All right, Sakura, lead the way!"
-O-
Minato is in the midst of explaining the finesse it will take to fight on the water to his student when the sound of splashing and yelling interrupts him. "Minato!" yells Naruto. "Kakashi!"
He smiles and waves. "Hey, Naruto," he replies. "Whoah!" he yelps as Naruto almost sinks into the water. "You all right?" he asks as he catches the other blond.
Naruto flushes and hurriedly straightens himself. "Yes," he mumbles. He then clears his throat and asks, "What'cha doin' guys?"
"Practicing water-walking," answers Kakashi, brows slanted in a disapproving way as he observes Naruto's form.
Minato knows he needs to cut in now or Kakashi will say something insulting. "Except not anymore," Minato declares. Kakashi's slanted brows meet in displeasure and he forces his voice to be cheerful as he reminds his student, "Remember what I said? When Naruto, Hinata, and…" he trails off as he squints at the other figures on the shore. Minato can't even begin to guess who they may be. However, Sakura is greeting them with hugs, so he decides to make a guess. "Their friends show up, practice for the day would be done," he says to Kakashi. He gestures for the frowning boy and says, "Drop into the water, we're going to swim to shore and have lunch with everyone."
He shakes his head. "I'll walk," replies Kakashi.
He grits his teeth. "Kakashi," he chides. The boy starts to turn, a rebuttal already brewing in his gaze. He decides to choke it off with a swift shove.
"Minato!" yelps Kakashi as he falls back into the river.
"Hey," he says as Kakashi flops around in the water, drenching Minato and Naruto both. "Hey, stop splashing, Kakashi!"
"I— I can't!" sputters the boy as he continues to flail.
As Minato resists the urge to roll his eyes at his student's dramatics, Naruto gasps. "Oh man!" he yells before dropping into the water himself and wrapping an arm around Kakashi. "I got you, Kakashi," he tells the little boy as Kakashi wraps himself around Naruto's head with a death-grip. "You don't know how to swim?" asks Naruto as Kakashi's tiny chest eases in its quick-paced fluttering.
Minato gapes. "You don't—" he shakes his head. "Why didn't you say so, Kakashi?"
Kakashi pouts at him in such a way that Minato feels like the worst teacher in all of the world. "Because we weren't supposed to be!" he complains, fingers gripping Naruto more tightly.
"Hey, it's okay," soothes Naruto while gently tugging a bit at Kakashi's hands. "We can teach you after lunch, you know."
The boy looks away. "Whatever," he grumbles.
Minato sighs and finally lowers himself down into the water beside his future-son. "Let's just get to shore," he suggests.
Naruto nods and shifts Kakashi to rest securely on his back and the two of them swim to the river bank. Once there, Naruto gets out and immediately lowers Kakashi to the sand with one hand while waving at the newcomers with the other.
"Sai! Ino!" he shouts at a blonde woman and man so pale he might as well be made of paper. "This is Minato and Kakashi," he tells the pair, waving at them.
The man, Sai, Minato assumes, steps forward. "Hello, it's an honor to meet you," he says with a polite bow.
"Oh, thank you," he tells the two. He bows in return. "It's nice to meet you as well, Sai, Ino."
As he shares pleasantries with Ino and Sai (who now Minato is pretty sure are a couple), Hinata approaches Kakashi. "Are you okay, Kakashi?" she asks in her soft voice as she crouches down to the boy's height.
"Yes," he answers with a nod of his head.
Hinata looks at her hands which hold a pale blue towel. "I brought an extra towel if…?"
Kakashi reaches out for it. "Thanks," he says.
Instead of giving it over, Naruto's girlfriend drops it on the head of Minato's student and begins to dry him off. "Oh!" exclaims Kakashi from beneath the towel, drawing a small smirk from Minato.
When Hinata finishes, she leaves the towel around Kakashi's shoulders and begins to fret over his clothes. "Do you have a change of clothes with you?" she asks. "You're shirt's soaked through," mutters the kunoichi as she plucks at Kakashi's sopping wet sleeve.
Kakashi nods. "I do," he answers. "'Cause I did the packing," he explains, shooting Minato a look.
He rolls his eyes. Kakashi is never going to let him live down that time he forgot to pack cooking utensils and chopsticks for a mission. Honestly, it wasn't even that much of a problem. They just used senbon and kunai knives instead.
Hinata's fingers grip the hem of Kakashi's shirt. "Then let's get you out of—"
"—I can do it!" breaks in Kakashi, batting away her hands with a flinty glare.
Hinata blushes and ducks her head. "S–Sorry," she stammers.
Kakashi crosses his arms. "Whatever," he huffs.
Internally, Minato groans and goes over to the duo. He puts one hand on Kakashi's (mostly) dry head and the other on Hinata's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Hinata," he tells her. He frowns at Kakashi. "I know you know how to say 'no thank you'. I literally taught you."
The boy just turns his head away.
"It's fine!" assures Hinata, lifting her hands in a placating manner. "I should have asked if he wanted help at all," she says.
Minato wants to argue, but, abruptly, Kakashi is gone from under his hand and there is driftwood in his grip instead. Immediately, he drops it and whips his head around to look for his wayward student. Thankfully, Kakashi hasn't gone far. He's a few steps away, standing in front of Ino and Sai.
They stare down at him with pure surprise as he asks, "Which of you is my last student?"
Minato covers his face with his hands. "Ergh, Kakashi…"
"Why don't you tell us?" asks Ino and Minato peeks through his fingers to see the blonde is smirking down at the boy in a playful manner.
Kakashi's brows knit together. "You look like a Yamanaka," he tells the kunoichi after a beat. He points (rudely) at Sai. "I bet it was you."
"You're correct," agrees the shinobi with a vaguely unnatural smile.
"Are you happy now, Kakashi?" Sakura teases. "You've met all of us," she says and Minato finds himself frowning. Kakashi looks over at him and he gives the boy an almost imperceptible nod. He's noticed as well. There is something just a little too flat about Sakura's voice for it to be true.
He wonders if she and Naruto lost their initial genin teammate. It hurts to imagine, but they probably did. While their village doesn't seem to be at war right now, it could be. It very well could have just ended one too. In war, it's all too easy to lose people. Minato knows this firsthand. That was how he lost one of his teammates as a genin.
Kakashi plops down next to the pink-haired kunoichi. "No," he answers, blunt. "But maybe if I can have a couple of the onigiris?" he asks, pointing at the bamboo box next to a couple of different knapsacks.
Sakura laughs and picks up the box. "How do you know that's what this is?" she questions while setting it in her lap, fingers digging under the lid.
"Smell it," Kakashi answers, leaning in as Sakura reveals the food (and proves Kakashi right).
"Sharp nose," remarks Ino as she eases herself down beside Sakura, legs outstretched in front of her. "Wouldn't happen to be related to the Inuzuka clan, would you?"
"No," replies Kakashi. "Just how Hatake are." He points at one of the onigiris. "That kind," he proclaims.
Sakura plucks two from the box, but when Kakashi reaches for them, lifts it above her head. "What do you say?" she asks with a smirk.
Minato feels his eyes widen. Oh no. "Now," growls Kakashi in his puppy-ish way, eyes narrowed into a glare that is more fierce than ought to be possible.
Sakura gapes and Minato groans, "Kakashi…"
Ino snatches the onigiris from a now red-faced Sakura and plops them in Kakashi's waiting palm. "Your manners need some work, kid," she scolds as she does. "Say please the next time you want something."
Kakashi brings the rice ball close to his bare chest. "Those won't keep you alive," he proclaims.
Minato sputters, "What?"
Ino snickers in a manner just shy of mocking."Is that what you think? Trust me, they're life or death." She grabs Sakura's arms which are reaching in the direction of Kakashi. "Somebody a lot less nice is going to get offended and, before you know it, they'll have their hands around your scrawny throat."
Kakashi's brows furrow. "Really?" he asks, looking down on his onigiris.
"Yes," hisses out Sakura, who is still being (barely) held back by a struggling Ino.
Completely oblivious to how much Sakura wants to strangle him, Kakashi hums, "Hm…"
"Has no one seriously told you this before, Kakashi?" Minato questions as he goes and puts himself between his student and the kunoichis.
Kakashi shakes his head. "No," he answers. "You always just tell me 'being polite is being nice, Kakashi', and Dad would say 'do it for me'." He looks through Minato's knees and at Ino and Sakura. Minato glances at the pair too; Ino seems to have calmed down Sakura and they are now giggling and whispering with one another. "I didn't know not using them would end with me dead," he says.
"Possibly," Minato feels the need to add. If he's around, he will do what he can to protect his student from being murdered. Since they are barely ever apart nowadays, Kakashi will be fine no matter how much of an ass he decides to be.
Kakashi nods. "Right."
Minato sits down and uses the bulk of his body to hide Kakashi from the group so his student will eat. "I… Think I need to talk to the director of the academy," he mutters. "Clearly, there's a major lesson they are missing from their curriculum."
"Probably would have missed that unit," says Kakashi, fixing his mask back around his face. "Like the one on swimming."
Minato grins. "You have a point there," he admits.
"Can I learn how to swim now?" Kakashi asks, standing up.
"What!" yelps Naruto. "You're already done eating?" He sends Minato a wounded look. "How could you do that Dad!"
He laughs. "I don't know what you're talking about," he fibs. He reaches out a hand to Kakashi. "Shall we?"
The boy helps him to his feet, a gleam in his eyes. "Please, Sensei," he says.
Delighted, Minato sweeps Kakashi off his feet. "You are such a manipulative brat," he teases.
Thank you all for reading and please let me know your thoughts!