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sunstaar · 2 years

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Bedside Story

Kakashi Week 2022 | Day 6: Legends, What If

Word Count: 1,1k

Ao3

@kakashiweek

Summary: There was one bedside story Kakashi had yet to tell.

I expected this to turn out completely differently, so I can't say I am satisfied with the outcome. But I did like it too much not to post it. Enjoy!

Daddy, can you tell me a story?

Each evening ever since his daughter had taken an interest to bedside stories, it was the same routine for Kakashi.

As soon as he put the tired girl to bed, his daughter’s hand would reach out to hold onto his significantly larger one, tugging her father back toward her bed to beg him to sit down again and tell her a story. The few times she did not manage to grab his hand, she instead chose to bury it into his evening shirt, her small and nimble fingers grasping the material tightly, practically burying themselves into it as she held onto him. Under no circumstance, she would let go while staring at him with puppy eyes, her bottom lip quivering to convince him.

Without fail, it was the puppy-look that convinced him to stay and tell her yet another story before she fell asleep. His hesitance didn’t stem from the fact that Kakashi minded entertaining his daughter, he couldn’t image anything better than to spend some time with his little girl, but rather from the fact that slowly but surely, he was running out of stories to tell her.

All the books in her bookshelves they had already read together at least twice, his daughter being able to identify the book by the first sentences already. While Kakashi was glad that she was picking up on his genius, he wouldn’t mind it either if she simply forgot that she had heard the story already, so that he could tell it more than just several times.

As Kakashi sat down on the side of her bed, he was, admittedly, getting a little nervous about what story he should tell her today. There were many stories he had told her already, most of them glamorized and polished versions of missions with the little Team Seven, like the time they had to take care of a speaking ostrichs, or find a missing cat. Others were adventures he had with his own team back in the day, missions he had only come to appreciate years later.

Kakashi cleared his throat, by now completely convinced by the sweet and yet so expectant look his daughter gave him, already tucked into bed again. Her small fingers were holding onto the blanket tightly, her excitement very much so evident by how the gap between her teeth was visible as she grinned.

“Today I’ll tell you a story about a boy who messed up big time,” Kakashi began, swallowing the worry clawing up his throat. Maybe it was a mistake to tell the story. His hand immediately went to settle in his daughter’s silver hair, brushing through it to not only calm her, but also to keep himself calm. “When he made the mistake, he was very young, and would later regret it, you know?”

His daughter let out a dramatic gasp, her hands pulling up the blanket to nuzzle further into it. Hesitantly, she asked, “What kind of mistake?”

Kakashi let out a small chuckle, smiling at his daughter. “A big one. But I’ll get to that now, pup.”

The girl nodded eagerly, her gaze focused on her father. The story already appeared to intrigue her, it seemed.

“As I already said, the boy made a big mistake, one he would regret for a long time,” Kakashi took a moment to continue to create a dramatic pause, watching his daughter grow restless from how curious she was. “The young boy was very foolish and believed in the words of the people more than he did the in what his father taught him. The young boy thought of himself as beyond his age, when he still had so much to learn,” The silver-haired man had to breathe in deeply, finding it increasingly more difficult to find the correct words. “And when his father was … gone one day, the young boy grew bitter, and lonely, although he wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone.”

His daughter shook her head, her lips tugging into a frown. “His daddy just … disappeared?”

Kakashi nodded hesitantly. “He did, and the young boy did not take that well. He didn’t believe in friendship anymore and pushed those around him away. He thought it was better that way and set his priorities differently. But in the end, that just made the boy very unhappy.”

“Is the boy happy again?”

“It takes some time, but eventually he is. He grows up and learns a lot of lessons, he learns the value of friendship and how people around him can help him,” Kakashi thought it would be best to leave some parts out of the story. “And that does make him happy, very happy, even. He is no longer bitter, or lonely, and he isn’t afraid to admit that, because he’s happy now.”

“I like that,” His daughter said, wearing a soft smile. Her charcoal eyes looked over at her father, gleaming with an emotion he couldn’t exactly pinpoint. “I like a happy end.”

Kakashi knew that very well. The stories with the happy endings had always been her favourite from an early age on, and he found that to be very sweet. Gently, he ruffled her hair which had her squealing. “I’m glad you liked it, pup. I’m sorry today’s story is so short. Tomorrow’s will be longer, I promise.”

“I like that,” Her brows furrowed for a moment, reflection her thought process. “but you won’t ever leave me, right?”

Seeing his daughter’s confused expression, Kakashi was sure his heart might break at any moment. His hand continued to run through her hair in an effort to somewhat comfort her as he spoke, “I would never in my life, leave you, pup. You’re the best thing that has happened to me, you know? I wouldn’t even dream of leaving you,” He stopped brushing through her hair, and instead leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead. “Never ever.”

Her bottom lip quivered slightly. “You promise? I don’t want to be sad.”

“I promise. I will always be here for you, no matter what.” Kakashi could feel tears decorating his eyes, but he chose to blink them away as fast as he could, before his daughter caught side of them.

Luckily for him, she did not, and instead sat up in her bed and wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, squeezing it with as much power as she could. Kakashi pretended to be affected by it as he placed his hand on her back, only pulling his darling daughter closer.

“I love you.” She murmured into his shirt, her face pressed into it, refusing to let go of her father.

Kakashi let out a quiet laugh, his shoulders shaking as he did so. “I love you too, pup.” And nothing, not even a silly little bedside story, could change that.

#KakashiWeek2022 #kakashi hatake #hatake kakashi #kakashi hatake x reader #naruto x reader #gender neutral reader #hatake kakashi x reader #kakashi hatake x y/n #hatake kakashi x you #kakashi hatake x you #kakashis daughter #kakashis child

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wind-becomes-lightning · 2 years

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Forest Picnic

Happy Birthday Kakashi, you old hag! I love you very much in many aspects and as such, you get some fluff for the day. There will be enough angst other days :D

Team 7 Gen fic.

no warnings, just fluff and family feels.

3520 words.

Ao3 Link [x]

for @kakashiweek Day 5: Kakashi's Birthday.

The clock was ticking steadily forward, indicating the never ending stream of time. Kakashi watched with one of his eyes open lazily. He was laying on his side, the blanket pulled high over his nose. He had gone to bed hours ago, but then found no sleep. There was this part of him that knew he’d not have any sleep that night, he never did, not this specific one, but he had hoped it anyway.

Slowly, as if time was hesitating just as much as Kakashi was, the number 59 bled over into a double 00 and with it the little date at the bottom exchanged the 4 with a 5. The 15th of September. It was now officially his birthday.

He groaned.

It was not like Kakashi hated birthdays. He didn’t generally hate the concept of the event. He loved seeing friends get excited about presents he had bought them, he loved the food (if not the cakes) and the good company and the general cheerfulness. He liked the idea that there were humans out there that loved being alive so much that they celebrated it. He loved celebrating it with them.

But for himself? As a child of course he had loved the day, mid september, leaves slowly turning yellow and red with autumn coming in, when his father had given him a new special sword, or kunai or shuriken or taken him out for a special day somewhere. Back when he was still the innocent child he could now only see in pictures. That was before his father had died.

Afterwards, especially after Obito’s and Rin’s death, Kakashi had only used his birthday as a moment to remind himself of the years he was spending alive when he should be dead. Each one marked twelve more months of him surviving when he shouldn’t have survived. And while, eventually, with help of Tenzo and Gai, Asuma and others, he had started at least tolerating his birthday again, he still didn’t like it.

In some ways, it made it even worse, the well meaning friends around him. They were so hellbent on making his birthday a success lately, that Kakashi just wanted to hide from them almost as much as he wanted to hide from the day itself. He loved them, of course, for their best efforts, but he sometimes felt uncomfortable with all their forced cheer.

Now that he was Hokage, he could only imagine it would get even worse. More people that wanted to spend the day with him, force their excitement on him, buy him sweets and try to make him smile inorganically. Too much for him. He liked the solitude, not complete solitude of course, some people were allowed in his vicinity even if he wanted to be alone. Tenzo, Gai, his students. Not many others.

So he turned away from watching the clock mercilessly forward. The first minutes of his 33rd life year had come and gone without being remarkable. Now that the day was here it should be easy to find sleep, he thought and pulled the blanket even higher over his face. If he could just sleep through this entire day, he would, but unfortunately there was work to be done in the morning.

***

Of course, he overslept. No, Kakashi had not fallen asleep right after he had decided to listen to his ticking alarm clock, instead, he had lain awake and thought of the last year of his life that had just passed by. How he had just turned 31 right before the war, Obito’s reappearance and demise, the threat of Kaguya that nobody had seen coming, his new Hokage duties and everything. It was a lot, really. A year of his life that felt like it had been at least five.

So he had missed his alarm and woken up late. This wasn’t a tragedy in itself, as Kakashi was often late and didn’t regard it necessary to start meetings on time if there were other things to do. The council knew this, they had known it when they made him Hokage, but Shikamaru, who now served as Kakashi’s closest advisor, hated it.

The alarm clock now placed next to his bed was therefore a gift from him for Kakashi’s official Hokage ceremony day. “Try to be more on time, Lord Sixth,” he had said sarcastically. Kakashi had stopped himself from commenting sarcastically back on how many of the “private strategy sessions” the boy needed to have weekly with the ambassador of Suna. They were just kids after all, no matter how much responsibility was given to him.

Kakashi put on his new, black outfit that still needed some getting used to after the years of blues and greens and made his way out the door. He didn’t particularly hurry now either. His first appointment was a council meeting with the elders of the village and there really wasn’t anything in this world that could be more boring, so missing part of that didn’t seem too bad.

Was he being watched by the people on the streets? Kakashi felt half paranoid walking the streets, half expecting someone to run up to him and congratulating him on his birthday. He felt like all eyes were on him, but each time he turned, nobody was actually looking.

The hokage tower was almost empty when Kakashi arrived. Only the distant sound of low mumbling told him that behind the closed doors people were actually working. Nobody was out in the hallways though and so Kakashi made his way to his office.

He had half expected Gai to show up while he was out. Jumping out of a bush or from a rooftop to give his greetings to Kakashi on his special day. But then he reminded himself that Gai, while still very agile despite everything, was in a wheelchair now and not able to jump from rooftops anymore. Something else Kakashi still needed to get used to. Still, it was odd that Gai hadn’t found a way to meet him outside if he knew that Kakashi was going to be busy for the entire day afterwards.

When he opened the door to his office, Shikamaru wasn’t there. It was rare that Kakashi came late and his assistant wasn’t already there waiting impatiently, but today it at least seemed to make a little sense. Shikamaru had probably gone ahead to the elder meeting without him, maybe to apologise for the fact that the Hokage himself was late again. There was no card or cake or flowers on his table. Kakashi sighed with a little relief. Maybe people had just forgotten his birthday. He certainly didn’t mind.

He was halfway into turning around to leave for the meeting when someone behind him threw a blindfold over his eyes. Unprecedented times of peace had made Kakashi a little careless and now he was facing the consequences of that. His hand tensed in the direction of his weapon pouch but then a voice spoke into his ear.

“Don’t resist, Kakashi-sensei, or there will be severe consequences.” Naruto, Kakashi thought, in a very non-menacing menace voice.

Kakashi straightened his shoulders, but Naruto held him steady. When his students had grown up to be so strong and tall was beyond him, but apparently he could not defend himself against them anymore. “What are you doing, Naruto? Let me go.”

Naruto laughed. “Just come with me quietly, sensei, and nobody will get hurt.” Kakashi laughed too. Naruto really needed to work on his threatening voice if he wanted to be Hokage himself someday.

“Fine,” Kakashi resigned. Naruto pulled him by the arm backwards and Kakashi stumbled with him. The blindfold really was laid tightly around his eyes and he couldn’t see a thing. He expected at any moment to fall over his feet and break a leg or anything.

Soon they were out in the hallways. Kakashi knew by the distant mumbling. “Are you aware that I should be in a meeting?” Kakashi tried. “Shikamaru won’t be happy if I don’t turn up.”

Naruto blew air out from his nose: “Who cares.”

Who did indeed. No place Naruto could take him was worse than a two hour meeting with the elders of this village and their outdated views. In many ways, Naruto was doing him a favour. Kakashi relaxed.

He didn’t say anything from then on and just let Naruto lead the way. Kakashi suspected this was some sort of punishment his students had thought up, a prank, possibly to demask him. Sasuke had been released from prison not so long ago and was about to leave for his travels and so they wanted to make one last hurrah to annoy their old teacher before they all embarked into adulthood. At least that seemed entirely plausible for them.

Eventually he could smell trees. He was pretty sure they’d left through the back gate of the village as Kakashi had briefly caught the scent of the sweet pan bakery that was not far from it to the left. On the way Naruto sometimes said “Oh no, this is fine” and “Don’t worry he has agreed to come with me” presumably to get people to stop staring. Naruto was now this village’s hero, so he could have told them anything and they’d probably believed him.

“Almost there,” Naruto said and Kakashi could hear his grin without seeing it. Mentally he wondered if there was a replacement mask in his top pocket, like it so often was, or if he had forgotten it. He tapped his finger at the right place and felt the fabric underneath. Very good, he thought, he might need it after all.

Finally Naruto forced Kakashi to a stop. He fiddled on the blindfold behind his back. Kakashi could clearly hear grass shuffling and felt people breathing. His theory that Team 7 was going to try to unmask him one last time before leaving on their own adventures, seemed very high.

“Ta-da!” Naruto said and dropped the blindfold.

Kakashi had been right in thinking that this was a Team 7 idea. Certainly, the entire group was assembled right in front of him. Even Sasuke was there, though he leaned against a tree a little apart from the rest. He had also been right that they had kidnapped him to bring him to the forest. Just that the cause apparently was not to unmask him as a prank, but for his birthday.

There was a table, flat and dark wood, that could only have been made by Tenzo’s hand. Placed on it were several cups with a little sake, most of them had passed that point of being 18 now, and a surprising amount of rice balls. One of them even had a little candle stuck inside. This was the oddest combination of things he had ever seen. Kakashi frowned in confusion.

“See, Naruto, I told you senpai would not like being dragged out here,” Tenzo said with an eye roll. “If we had invited him it would have been much easier to get him here and it would have looked less violent.”

Naruto waved the concern away with one flick of his hand: “Nonsense, Kakashi-sensei is just overwhelmed. Sometimes he can’t say what is on his mind right.”

With that, surprisingly, Naruto was entirely correct. Kakashi and Tenzo exchanged a look that indicated that Tenzo, too, knew that.

“Anyway,” Sakura stepped forward and moved Naruto out of the way with her flat hand. “This was Naruto’s idea. We didn’t all agree to it, really. I did tell him the idea wasn’t funny.” Kakashi raised his brow a little. There was a smirk in the left side of her mouth indicating that she did, in fact, think it was a funny idea. “Happy Birthday, Sensei.” She smiled.

They all joined in wishing Kakashi a happy birthday. He was a little embarrassed going around and getting a hug from all of them, even Sai and Tenzo and was a little relieved when Sasuke only offered his hand. It was easier than being hugged so tightly he could feel his bones crushing when Naruto hugged him.

“Did you tell Shikamaru I would be here? Or did you just kidnapped me,” Kakashi asked as they were all sitting down around the table. There were exactly 32 rice cakes on the table, each with a little candle in it. It looked goofy, but Kakashi appreciated that they weren’t forcing him to eat a cake just for the occasion.

Sai put on a smile: “He was told, otherwise I’m sure he would have figured it out on his own. He knows that Naruto doesn’t have the ball capacity to kidnap the hokage.”

“Hey!” said Naruto from the other end of the table.

Tenzo, who sat at Kakashi’s right, tapped with his fingers onto the plate in front of him. “LIke I said before, I told them to just invite you properly out here. Give you the option to move your meeting instead of missing it completely, but Naruto thought this was better and nobody had the strength to convince him otherwise.”

Naruto smiled wide as if he was proud of that fact. Kakashi nodded appreciatively at him: “I didn’t really want to see the old hags anyway, to be honest, so this is perfect. I also have an excuse later.” He chuckled a little thinking of how he would later point fingers to Naruto and say it was all his fault.

“Well, sensei, this is your … cake… because we know how much you hate sweet things,” Sakura gestured down the rice cakes. Last year they had tried to give him a little pastry, nothing too big, but Kakashi had ended up giving half to Naruto and half to Gai and not eating any of it. His sensitive tongue couldn’t deal with sweet things that well.

The solution they had come up with this year was unorthodox, but fun and Kakashi couldn’t help but feel proud of the entire team together. Not only had they managed to organise this without his knowledge, they had also all assembled together to spend the afternoon with him. There was really nothing better for him to do on his birthday.

“It looks delicious,” he said with a smile aimed at Sakura. “There are so many of them though, so you will have to help me eat them.” With a wave of his hand he invited the others to join in the feast.

For a while they just ate and Kakashi listened to their conversations. Naruto was mostly complaining that a birthday was not complete without cake and that this stuff just didn’t fit, to which Sakura wasn’t tired to remind him that Kakashi liked “this stuff”. Sai talked to the ever so quiet Sasuke and informed him about the months that followed the war, the time he had spent in prison, and how the village had developed since then. Though Sasuke remained wordless, Kakashi couldn’t shake the feeling that he was listening intently anyway. Tenzo ate as quietly, listening to the kids talk as much as Kakashi was.

Eventually, most of the food had been consumed. Naruto hoarded the rest of it, because while he had been complaining relentlessly, he had still enjoyed eating it all. Tenzo brought out a sake bottle from somewhere and offered it. Kakashi usually didn’t drink much alcohol, not always at least, but today, in this company, it seemed to be necessary.

They lifted their cups together, ready to put them together and then drink. Kakashi looked into the round of people.

Sakura spoke first, “To Kakashi-sensei, the teacher who taught me how to use chakra effectively enough to become the doctor I am today. Who never stopped believing that I could be exactly as useful as my teammates in many ways. Who I also wish wouldn’t be such a pervert in public all the time.”

Kakashi laughed and went: “I’m not apologising for my icha book. But thank you.” He wanted to lift his cup higher and finally drink it, but then the next person spoke.

“To kakashi-sensei,” it was Sai, “Who believed I was a trustful person, when I didn’t know if I was or not. Though you had never taught me, you entrusted me with the important sealing part in the war. Now, as hokage, you trust me enough to lead the investigations into the foundation. I’m really grateful for your continued trust. “

Sai had said the word trust so often that Kakashi’s head spun a little, but he nodded in thanks. The boy smiled and it was a genuine one, which was always so wonderful to see. In many ways Sai reminded Kakashi of a younger version of Tenzo.

“Thank you,” Kakashi said, “to all of y-”

“Happy birthday, senpai,” Tenzo now lifted his cup. Kakashi looked at him and wondered if they had arranged for this to happen. He opened his mouth to ask the question, but Tenzo was faster. “Meeting you changed my life, you might not like to hear that, but it is true. You saved me, took me in, taught me to be your equal. I’m proud to call you my friend and even prouder to be called your friend.”

Kakashi wasn’t good with praise like that being handed to him, especially not from someone like Tenzo, who was generally more drawn back when it came to his emotions. The men nodded at each other and Kakashi held Tenzo’s gaze for just a moment longer, before looking back to his students.

Only Sasuke and Naruto hadn’t said anything yet. Kakashi waited if the round continued or if he was finally set free.

“Kakashi-sensei, is a weird old dude most of the time,” Naruto said suddenly, “When I was younger he’d break into my house and make me throw away old milk, which I thought was odd.” Kakashi laughed, of course he thought it was odd that someone was trying to take care of him. “But Kakashi-sensei is truly one of the coolest people I’ve ever met too. He is so skilled and smart and now he is hokage, so of course he is the strongest too! I admire Kakashi-sensei and am glad he has looked after Team 7 so well. Happy Birthday old man.”

He then added like a mumble: “Can't even imagine being 32, can people even get so old?” which earned him a kick in the shins from Sakura.

“Thank you, Naruto, I don’t think I am much stronger than you are though, Sasuke and you have long since surpassed me. All of you have, in fact.” Kakashi looked from one of the kids to the next and recalled how young they had been back when he had met them first. “I’m happy I had an impact on all of you, thank you for-

“I-”

Everybody’s head snapped back to Sasuke, who had been completely silent the entire afternoon so far. Maybe that was why he had spoken so loud, because he had been worried his voice would drown in those of the others. Kakashi certainly hadn’t expected him to say something. Their eyes crossed.

“Kakashi,” Sasuke tried again and Kakashi noticed again that he had dropped the habit of adding “sensei” to the end of it. “Th-Thank you for never losing your faith in me.”

They looked at each other for a moment. Kakashi knew that was all Sasuke wanted to say. “I did lose my faith a little at some point,” Kakashi felt the need to clarify. Sasuke just shook his head a little and then looked away.

Sakura, clearly uncomfortable with how silent it had gotten, lifted her cup: “Happy Birthday to Kakashi-sensei” and the others followed again. Finally they got to actually drink the beverage.

Kakashi felt a little warm on the inside, the overwhelming urge to pull all of them in the bone crushing hug that he had wanted to reject earlier on. How had he gotten so lucky with such talented and wonderful teammates? How could he have ever gotten as far as he did without them? He was grateful for every moment he got to spend with them together. See them argue and laugh and bicker, what could be better than that?

In the end, this was what he had always wanted for a day like this. A simple picknick in the forest with all the people he cared for in his company. Kakashi put his head on his flat hand and zoned out a little. He still wasn’t entirely used to having both his eyes back.

“I have to warn you though, senpai,” Tenzo was leaning over to him, “Gai-san has told us he will come by later too, for a, and I quote, “Friendly birthday rival battle”. I can only imagine what he means with that.”

He laughed, and Tenzo’s eyes lit up. It was rare that Kakashi laughed as loud and carefree as he did now. He couldn’t help it, he felt lighter and happier than he had all his life.

“Well, I look forward to that then,” Kakashi said with a wink.

#hatake kakashi #team seven #team 7 #uzumaki naruto #uchiha sasuke #haruno sakura #yamanaka sai #yamato tenzo #kakashi week 2022 #kakashiweek2022 #fanfiction things #this is a queued post i dont know where i am when this goes live

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depressedhatakekakashi · 2 years

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Tsukimi Tradition's

Prompt: Comfort Object

Words: 2266

For: @animetrashmuffin who got to read it a little early, but I hope enjoys the spell-checked, not just written on my phone, version <3

@kakashiweek

Festivals were important to Kakashi. No matter what he was doing he always tried to make time to slip into a festival and see the activities.

Usually, he would be accompanied by Gai. They would play festival games, win prizes, and eat until their stomachs were bursting. It has been a tradition of theirs since they were children.

This time, however, Kakashi had other plans.

Plans that Gai supported enthusiastically when Kakashi told him about them.

“Enjoy yourself, Rival,” Gai clapped him on the back and gave him a thumbs-up. “I’ll see you there anyways, and if Iruka permits I might steal you away for one competition.”

One competition. That was all Gai was asking in return for ditching him for this one festival. It wasn’t a lot to ask, and Kakashi was sure Iruka would be more than happy to see them playing a festival game.

He was always telling Kakashi about how much he enjoyed their rivalry, though he admitted to finding it a little over the top at times.

A fact Kakashi wouldn’t change for the world. His rivalry with Gai simply wasn't the same if they were acting like normal adults.

With Gai’s support, Kakashi moved on to the next stage of his plan.

Asking Iruka to join him for the festival.

Finding the Academy Teacher was easy enough. One stop at the window to Iruka’s classroom and Kakashi had sights on the man. There, sitting behind his desk marking tests, Iruka created the most beautiful picture that Kakashi had ever seen.

A picture Kakashi would gladly stare at forever, if only he had the time.

Two quick rasps on the door and Iruka looked up from his paperwork, a frown sinking into his handsome face when he saw Kakashi sitting there on the window ledge waving at him.

Setting aside his pen he stood up and stormed towards the window, a lecture about proper etiquette no doubt brewing in his mind.

A lecture that Kakashi had heard more than once since meeting Iruka, and which he had the pleasure of listening to at least once a week since asking the man out on their first date.

As he reached the window, Iruka flipped the lock open, slid the glass upwards and opened his mouth to begin his lecture.

Kakashi cut him off before he could even begin. “Tomorrow,” he smiled. “Come to my place in the morning.”

“Your place?”

“Mmhmm,” reaching out, he tapped a finger against Iruka’s nose. “I want to spend the day with you before the festival.”

Allowing the words to sink in, Iruka’s frown deepened. “Don’t you have work to do, Hokage-sama?”

A shiver ran through his body when he heard that honourary from Iruka. A sick, repulsed feeling settled into his soul.

“Please, don’t call me that,” he begged. “And I took the day off.”

Iruka blinked. “You… took the day off?”

“Yes.”

“Is that allowed?”

“Legally? No. If something happens that requires my attention I have to leave,” it was a major downside to the job, but he could live with it until Naruto was ready to take over from him. “Tomorrow, though, I don’t care.”

“Kakashi…”

“My place,” leaning in a little, he pressed his masked lips against Iruka’s cheek in a quick kiss. “Nine am sharp.”

“You won’t be late?” Iruka asked with a hint of doubt in his voice.”

“To my own house? Iruka,” he threw a hand over his chest and gasped as if he was insulted by the implication. “If I could stay in my house for the rest of time I’d be a happy man.”

“You’d miss Me.”

“I would, yes. But you can sleep over.”

“You would miss your competitions with Gai.”

Slapping a hand over his boyfriend’s mouth, Kakashi did a quick check of the area. When he was sure No one wasn’t around to overhear Iruka’s words, he dropped his hand back to his side.

“Don’t say that out loud,” he sighed. “If Gai catches wind of such words he’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Iruka simply shook his head and chuckled. “So, nine?”

“Nine,” with the time confirmed, Kakashi leaned back and winked. “See you then.”

With that, he was gone. Off to collect everything he needed for tomorrow.

The Tsukimi festival was one of Kakashi’s favourites. Not just because it was a simple, relaxing festival that focused on enjoying food and viewing the autumn moon, but because this year it was on another special day.

September fifteenth, Kakashi’s birthday.

It was a festival that held a lot of fond memories for him. Memories of him and Gai hanging out sharing homemade treats and playing festival games.

The fondest memory Kakashi had, though, was from when he was younger. Before he had joined the academy and started on his path toward becoming a shinobi.

When his father was still with him.

Back then he would spend his mornings listening to stories of the festival and watching his father make Mochi. He’d always watched his father closely. Memorizing every little move he made to create the perfect Treat for them to enjoy during the moon viewing.

After years of repeating that process every year, Kakashi still hadn’t managed to copy the delicious treat his father had made. No matter what he did to perfect the recipe, it never tasted the same.

It never provided that sense of safety and comfort that his father’s homemade mochi had.

This year he hoped to change that.

No, he had to change it.

Iruka would be coming over in just a few minutes and he wanted to share that tradition with him. To spend his day gently rolling red bean paste into the dough with the man who had stolen his heart.

It was the only way he wanted to spend his birthday. With Iruka by his side, a beautiful moon shining down on them, and one of his favourite treats in hand.

At Nine O’clock on the dot, there was a knock on the door telling him Iruka had arrived.

After waking up at the crack of dawn and preparing everything, it was finally time to begin his day. A day dedicated to Iruka and the Tsukimi festival.

Taking a moment to double-check everything, he smiled to himself as he looked at the spread he had set out.

Red bean paste in a bowl ready to be rolled into balls. Dough cooked and warm, waiting to be filled and displayed.

He had even brought out some ingredients for Tsukimi Dango after deciding not just to share his family traditions with Iruka, but to make some of their own.

Together.

Today was going to be perfect.

“Kakashi!?” Iruka’s voice called out from behind the door. “Kakashi if you’re still sleeping I will smother you with your pillow!”

Satisfied with his work, Kakashi made his way towards the door and opened it to find Iruka standing on the other side.

Iruka’s jaw hit the floor as soon as he saw Kakashi standing there smiling at him. “You’re awake.”

“I am.”

“And not late.”

“I’m not that bad,” he defended himself, a little insulted by the implication. “I haven’t been late for the last two dates.”

“The last two dates were in the hospital,” Iruka fired back. “And you were three hours late for the date before those.”

“That-“ he held a finger up and cringed when he thought back to that particular date. “Was not entirely my fault.”

“You were still late.”

“And I’m still sorry about that fact,” stepping back, he extended an arm out towards the little kitchen in his apartment. “But I am here. I’m on time today and I have a lot planned for us.”

Taking a cautious step into the house, Iruka narrowed his eyes. “What exactly do you have planned?” He asked as he peered into the kitchen.

“Well, first we’re going to cook,” Iruka’s face scrunched up into a horrified expression. “Ok, correction. You’re going to help me make the Mochi and dango. You can handle that, right?”

“That I can handle,” Iruka agreed, making his way towards the kitchen with cautious, slow steps. “But, umm… are you sure you want me to help?”

“Yes,” stepping forward, Kakashi slipped his hand into Iruka’s. “It’s something I do every year for the Tsukimi festival. I thought this year I’d share it with you. If you want.”

Suddenly his great romantic idea didn’t seem so wonderful anymore. With Iruka standing there at his side-eyeing all of his hard work he felt a little like a fool.

A love-sick puppy that was desperate to connect to his partner with something he had cherished for years. A tradition he had only shared with his father and Gai in the past.

Iruka turned his head slowly, a soft smile stretching across his lips and a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. “I’ve never made Mochi before,” he admitted. “Are you alright with teaching me?”

His heart fluttered at the invitation.

Squeezing Iruka’s hand, he tugged him towards the kitchen. Excited to begin their day together. “I would be more than happy to teach you.”

The look on Iruka’s face as he watched Kakashi working was priceless. A mixture of awe and deep concentration, his eyes stayed glued on Kakashi’s hands. Following every little thing that they did.

Kakashi could practically imagine the notes Iruka was making in his head. They were notes he had made himself once when he was much younger standing at his father’s side watching him do the same thing.

“You’re amazing at this,” Iruka whispered.

A sweet compliment, but Iruka had no idea what he was talking about. Kakashi was skilled of course. He’d had years of practice to get the method down.

Amazing, though. That was a description better saved for a man who had been buried years ago.

“The method is easy to remember,” his fingers moved with ease, muscle memory taking over as he placed a ball of red bean paste in the center of the dough and began pinching the dough shut around it. “Just a few ingredients, a little bit of stove use. I think even you could manage it if you gave it a shot.”

His jab was rewarded almost immediately with a flick to the ear. Iruka’s way of telling him not to be rude.

It was a warning that Kakashi hardly ever listened to when they were out in public and Iruka was silently complaining about how he spoke to other people, but in the safety of home with just Iruka by his side, Kakashi chose to listen.

Just this once.

“I bet they taste wonderful,” leaning into his side, Iruka nuzzled his cheek against his shoulder. “The best Mochi in the world.”

Kakashi balked at that.

“There’s no better Mochi than my dad’s,” he knew it was a dumb thing to say, but it was true. His father’s Mochi wasn’t just an enjoyable treat. Eating it brought with it feelings of warmth, comfort and even safety.

His father’s mochi wasn’t just food. It was an experience.

The experience of being surrounded by his father’s love.

A feeling he hadn’t felt in far too long.

“I bet you’re wrong,” reaching forward, Iruka plucked one of the completed Mochi off of the pile. “I bet your Mochi tastes just as good, if not better.”

Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Those are for the festival,” he reminded his partner. “And I stand by what I said.”

“No one will mind if you try just one Mochi,” Holding the treat out in front of Kakashi’s face, Iruka grinned bright and beautiful. A smile that Kakashi was confident he would never get enough of. “Come on. Try it and you’ll see.”

“See what, exactly?”

“That your Mochi is just as good as your fathers,” he beamed. “And that you’re selling yourself short.”

His hands stilled, leaving the mochi he was working on half-finished as he turned to look at Iruka. What he was greeted with was an overwhelming look of love.

A love that could easily seep into his bones and claim his entire being, if only he would allow it to. If he would simply stop guarding himself for just a moment and allow Iruka in completely.

Without any walls between them.

“Iruka…” he glanced down at the ball of Mochi in Iruka’s hand. A small treat with such a huge weight in it. If he tried it and it wasn’t as good as his father’s he’d be disappointed. On the other hand, if it was somehow as good as his father’s he’d feel like he was destroying something precious.

To lose that little bit of comfort that he looked forward to every year, replacing it with new memories that might never live up to the past.

“I’m not sure I can,” he admitted, placing a hand over Iruka’s wrist and pushing the offering away. “I’ll have it at the festival. Like I’m supposed to.”

“Alright,” retracted his hand, a frown tugging that beautiful smile off of his face. “It’s your birthday so you get to do what you want.”

“It is,” lowering his hand, he focused back on the Mochi that still needed to be made. “and I would like to finish these Mochi so we can relax a little before the festival.”

Iruka leaned back into his space. With an arm sliding around Kakashi’s waist and his head resting against his shoulder, he sighed. “Happy Birthday, Hokage-sama.”

Tilting his head and turning it towards Iruka, Kakashi pressed a kiss against Iruka’s forehead. “Stop calling me that.”

#KakaIru #Hatake Kakashi #Umino Iruka #Tsukimi Festival Date night #Kakashi's Birthday Bash #Kakashi Week #Kakashi Week 2022 #Kakashiweek2022 #Hokage Kakashi

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kakashiweek · 2 years

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Kakashi Week 2022 Begins!

It’s September 11th and our event kicks off today! We hope you’re excited and can’t wait to see what you may have created!

Some useful links for this year’s event!

2022 prompts

Guidelines

FAQ

Previously-asked questions

2022 AO3 collection

By all means hit us up with any questions, as always! Now, off to edit our own day 1 works. . .

~Kakashi Week Mod

#KakashiWeek2022 #Kakashi Week 2022 #Kakashi Week #mod speaks

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kalira · 2 years

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Good Cause

Written for @kakashiweek - Day 7, prompt 2: Ink!

T; 2.2k Sakumo/Orochimaru, bb!Kakashi, Danzou, summon snakes

Danzou just knows there's something valuable in Orochimaru's private notes, if only his cipher teams can crack the very odd coded references Orochimaru has layered over them. Meanwhile, Orochimaru realises there may be unexpected and unusual advantages to allowing one's summons and toddler to play in one's study. . .

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sojalecithin · 2 years

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Kakashi Week 2022

Day 1 / Senses

@kakashiweek

Kakashi needs glasses to read.

#KakashiWeek2022 #Kakashi Week 2022 #Day 1 #Senses #Kakashi Hatake #he doesn't appreciate me pointing it out #still looks fabulous

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animetrashmuffin · 2 years

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For @kakashiweek 2022

Day 6: Legends

#kakairu #kakashi hatake #iruka umino #naruto uzumaki #kakashiweek2022 #naruto #my art

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sunstaar · 2 years

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Mirror Image

Kakashi Week 2022 | Day 8: Remembrance, Family

Word Count: 1,3k

@kakashiweek , Ao3

Summary: Kakashi truly is his father's son.

From an early age on, Kakashi’s mirror image seemed to haunt him.

Strikingly pale skin in combination with a singular charcoal eye staring at him, only contrasted by the bright crimson in the other socket, a pair of pink lips sitting below and tugged downward and toward the deep black mole standing out from his skin. His chin was as though chiseled by Kami, a product of avid training he indulged in every passing day and night, his muscles trained until they could not improve anymore, creating a sharp jawline. Atop his head sat the most prominent of his features, hair so silver it took on a new glow in the sunlight, streaks of gray mixed in between to give it a richer color, one that stood out even among busy crowds.

There was no denying it, the Copy Cat Ninja was a man with a unique appearance, one that drew the attention of those crossing paths with him immediately, leaving them to never forget the man. His appearance was one that many considered flawless, the obsidian mask he wore on his face was considered to do him a favor more than anything. People regardless of their gender found the man attractive, as though he were a magnet pulling everyone in close proximity toward him, to admire the man of extraordinary beauty.

The man with the Sharingan was a sight for sore eyes for both allied and opposing sides. The tomoe of his Sharingan eye swirled lazily as his body moved ever so swiftly, too quickly for his opponent to even take note of. His muscles were as taut as a bow when not slouching, able to overcome even the most straining of challenges through decade-long training. They merely strained as he climbed the mountainsides of the village, hanging onto one arm with the other tied behind his back. Sweat would glisten his body and make silver strands of his hair stick to his forehead.

He had more than enough admirers, of which he was well aware. They followed him day and night, crossed one boundary after the other to have him hear their countless proclamations of love, oh so vain, he knew them to be. It was his looks combined with the reputation he had built for himself which had people lust after him, their wildest fantasies starring him, and him only.

And yet, in spite of what other people thought of him, Kakashi’s mirror image had his stomach churning upon sight, feeling as though at any moment the remnants of his breakfast might crawl up his throat and push past his pink lips.

Because the face he saw in the mirror every day was not his own, no, but rather, the one of his deceased father.

From the various stories the also silver-haired man had told his son during his times of living, Kakashi knew his reputation to be similar to that of his father when the man had been younger. As his son would later be, Sakumo had been a man of attraction, a man who captivated those who walked past him, pulling their attention to him without a word or action, merely by his presence alone.

During his living times, the man had strikingly pale skin, paired with a matching pair of charcoal eyes that appeared to burn so brightly back in the day, but had dulled to turn a shade akin to coal as he grew older. A pair of pink lips sat below his nose, more often than anything tugged upward into a gentle smile, with no dark mole in sight. As he would later pass down, his chin too was very defined and sharp-looking, and that of a well-trained man, a man who took his occupation as a man of the village rather seriously. In his younger days, a mop of silver hair had sat atop his head, as unruly as it could be. In later years the man had grown it out to become a longer mane, often tied into a tight ponytail that only had the grey streaks in his hair stand out more, giving his hair a new glow in the sunlight.

There had been no denying that the White Fang of the Leaf was a man with a unique appearance, one that captivated and practically demanded the attention of those who came in contact with the man. The man was not easily forgotten, but rather remembered for his appearance of people of all genders, finding themselves pulled toward him, as though he were a magnet.

Throughout most stages of his life, Kakashi truly was his father’s son, it was a fact he was unable to change, no matter how much he tried.

Growing out his hair hadn’t done the silver-haired any favors during his first years in the Anbu. Rather, he discovered that with his hair grown out to past his shoulders, he looked more like his father than he wanted to, more like a perfect reflection of the man whom he held a grudge toward than an individual of his own. Not even a photograph could catch such a likeness of the late Sakumo as young Kakashi did, their features and appearance equal.

No matter how hard he tried to, Kakashi could never forget the face of his father as it was the same as his own, as though they were mere copies of one another, appearance-wise the same person. Unintentionally, they were more alike than either of them could have ever predicted, or avoided in the case of Kakashi. With each day passing, he grew more to be his father, more to be the man who left him, and more to be who he wanted to be as a child.

He wasn’t sure when he had stopped viewing his father as a hero and inspiration, a role model for himself. Whether it had been prior to or following his untimely death, Kakashi could not recall. Memories of what happened during his life were often blurred by the grief he felt, his emotions too much, numbing him even.

Kakashi hid one-half of his facial features behind a black mask, under which more than enough people have wanted to take a peek already. He had always told them off, fear settling deep into his bones that one day someone would mistake him for his father, the man he desperately tried to forget. The other half of his features he now hid behind a porcelain mask which a hound drawn upon it. The mask gave him the chance he needed to hide from the world, hide even the smallest hints of emotions away and become a puppet following orders, someone who did weigh his emotions into decisions, someone not easily swayed.

And yet, once the only Hatake returned home from the long mission, sweat, dirt, grime, and unidentifiable fluids covered and stained his whole body, hiding in every crevice possible, the masks he wore to protect himself he eventually had to remove. His fingers shook as they held onto the Anbu mask before he removed it carefully, placing it down on the cold floor by the sink. Underneath the mask, his face was just as dirty as the rest of his body, even his mask appearing darker than it did before he had left the village. Pulling down that mask, however, cost him more nerve than he would ever admit that it did. It was a painfully slow process, one that had his nerves burning him alive and his eyes fluttering shut, not wanting to face the image in the mirror.

Because as Kakashi pulled down his final face covering to reveal the face underneath, even with how dirtied his face was, it still held familiarity to the face he was so desperate to forget. The dirt did not make his features indistinguishable, and neither did it blur them into something different, into something new. Even underneath all the grime and dirt, Kakashi still wore a face akin to that of his father.

His mirror image would forever remain the only portrait of his father that Kakashi could never destroy.

#KakashiWeek2022 #kakashi hatake imagine #kakashi needs a hug #despertable #anbu kakashi #kid kakashi #kakashi hatake #hatake kakashi #sakumo hatake #hatake sakumo #sakumo #kakashi

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wind-becomes-lightning · 2 years

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The White Fang

Hello, it is day 3. Hope you liked your smut yesterday because I'm bringing you some whole some family time (and a liiiiiiiiiittle angst.)

Hatake Kakashi & Hatake Sakumo

Rated T, blood.

2941 words.

Ao3 link [x]

for @kakashiweek 2022 Day 3: Broken Fang & Comfort Object.

For the longest time Kakashi assumed his father’s nickname came from his white hair. “The White Fang”, they called him on the streets and sometimes in meetings that Kakashi attended ever since he was small. And while that assumption was not entirely incorrect, since part of the reason definitely was Sakumo's unique hairstyle and stature, it wasn’t exactly where the name had come from.

A few months before his father’s death, Sakumo took him on a hike through the forest. His father was very keen on showing his son the natural world, explaining to him how plants grew and trees formed and why animals sometimes killing and eating other animals was a good thing. It was part of an education the boy would not get once he was in the academy and Kakashi was bored most of the time, because he liked throwing shuriken and swinging tantous, not collecting mushrooms.

So that day they ventured out again, not without Kakashi pulling a pouting face when his father announced the plan for the day. Looking back Kakashi remembered how tired his father looked that particular day, something his five year old self had not noticed when it happened. The rings under his eyes had gone unnoticed, well he had been nothing but a child back then.

The sun was high up, it was the first really good day of spring, too early for the cherry trees to bloom, but warm enough that not using gloves was feasible. Kakashi, as always, was packed tightly behind his mask that he had today exchanged to a lighter fabric than the last few winter months. He followed his father through the thick of the woods, throwing a kunai up and down that he had taken in a fit of rebellion.

Soon Kakashi would start the academy, only a month out in fact. He was excited and had rambled all morning trying to get Sakumo to change the plans for the day. “I could try to work on my Earth Jutsu again instead, Dad,” he tried arguing. “I could practise shuriken accuracy!” But none of his whining had helped. His father had still decided they’d go into the forest.

For a long while they just marched, deeper and deeper into the dark of the forest. Kakashi watched the back of his father’s head as they went along, the ponytail swaying back and forth and back and forth just like that. He wondered if he could slice it off perfectly if he had a shuriken, and if his father would be mad about it, but then again last time he had accidentally cut Sakumo’s hair the man had just laughed in delight.

Generally, Kakashi and his father got along very well and Kakashi admired him a lot. He loved that Sakumo was apparently such a known shinobi that people whispered about him on the streets as if he was some kind of celebrity. He was proud to be the son of such a talented person, that he himself was also hailed a prodigy. Their small family was good together, even without a mom, as long as Kakashi wasn’t dragged into the muddy forest against his will.

Then, suddenly, Sakumo stopped and Kakashi almost ran into his leg. “Kakashi,” he said softly and pulled his son in. “Can you see that?” Kakashi followed his finger to more mud. He could not see what Sakumo was referring to.

“No,” Kakashi replied and rolled his eyes. Surely this was going to turn out to be a lame mushroom or leaf or some mud thing his dogs would like digging around in.

His father pulled him even closer and guided his head upwards: “There is a mark here, you see? Claws.” Then back down: “And here, a footprint, rather large if you ask me.”

Kakashi could see it now too, the slashing marks on the outside of the tree. Whatever had left them must have very destructive claws, ripping off parts of the tree’s bark. The footprint was very large too, fitting the claw marks perfectly.

“Wow”, Kakashi said genuinely impressed and then asked: “What is it?”

Sakumo looked a little closer, eyebrows furrowed as if something was worrying him, but then he turned to his son and smiled: “I have a suspicion, but why don’t we find out together?”

They walked on, much slower than before. Kakashi kept close to his father, holding on to the fabric of his pants while keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. There were more footprints to follow, large paws in the mud, so tracking the animal, whatever it was, was not that hard.

“See if you track an animal”, Sakumo said in front of him, “You have to be careful not to destroy anything that can show you their path. So pay attention that you don’t step into the pawprints.”

Kakashi weighs his head: “Could I not just use the dogs to follow it?”

Sakumo chuckled a little. “I suppose you could. It is not an option that I have personally and I can only teach you things I know.” Right, sometimes Kakashi forgot that his father did not have a summoning contract with the pack of dogs he had, that he had gotten it from his mother instead.

He decided therefore to indulge his father in this little tracking lesson. At least this was better than having to collect moss again to see which way was north without a compass. In the end they might be able to find and hunt a large animal and that was exciting for Kakashi.

The pawprints started becoming more frequent, having before been quite ways apart which once again made light of the sheer size of the animal. Now they came right after each other, one by one by one, as if there was more than one, and as if they had gone in circles around each other.

Five minutes passed before his father stopped moving again. “Blood, can you see it?” Kakashi could see it this time, all over the leaves and low hanging branches. There were scratches from claws again too.

“There was a fight”, Kakashi connected correctly. “And it is injured now.” Sakumo said nothing, instead he placed his hand on Kakashi’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly, which he always did when he was too proud of his son’s intelligence to accurately describe it with words. His hand lingered there for a bit and he let out a long sigh. Back then, Kakashi didn’t understand why.

Finally, he lifted his hand up. “Another thing you can track is blood stains.” His father pointed at some of them further away. “If it is injured and you are hunting, it gives you a great advantage. You can follow it slowly down the path and just wait for it to be too exhausted to go on.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed as if he could see the creature through the trees like this. Sakumo continued: “But if you are trying to find it to save it, you have to disregard what I have said before and throw caution into the wind to gain speed. Just follow the blood in a hurry.”

“Why would I want to save this wild animal?” Kakashi asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if I would just kill it so it won’t kill me in the future?”

Sakumo looked at him: “Sometimes a little kindness goes a long way, you know. Saving a life might be helpful to you in the future.”

“But wouldn’t it be more kind to just put the animal out of his misery? If it is injured and of no use to itself or others, wouldn’t death be a relief?” Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

His father’s eyes darkened as if something had left them. Kakashi turned away.

There was a moment of silence in which only the trees could be heard moving overhead. Kakashi waited for his father to say something and when he didn’t he turned back to see his father still standing in place. “Dad?” he asked carefully and finally Sakumo blinked.

“Oh, sorry, I was in thoughts.” He shook his head. “We should keep following these stains and see what comes out on the other side.”

Sakumo turned and walked on, now only focusing on the splatters of blood in front of him, less on the footprints below. Kakashi followed, confused by what had happened.

“Are you sure now what it is?” the boy asked. He imagined it to be large, like a bear, or a tiger, or a very large lion. Certainly a cat, he thought, because cats were fighting all the time. Screaming and scratching each other like to harpys. Dogs never did that. That was why Kakashi prefered dogs.

His father didn’t seem willing to share his thoughts. “I have my theories”, he said vaguely.

Soon the blood stains became clearer and it was obvious that whatever animal it was was losing a lot of it very quickly. Sakumo’s steps were speeding up and Kakashi, with his short legs, needed to almost run to keep up. Whatever was happening was troubling his father greatly and he clearly wanted to catch up.

It was Kakashi who saw the creature first. He looked to the side to avoid a branch hitting his left eye and half blinding him and saw the grey-white fur shimmering in the low light of the sun that fell through the trees. It was large, larger than anything Kakashi had ever seen in his life and it was curled up in a pile. It was shaking too, Kakashi noticed, probably from the pain and blood loss.

He pulled at his fathers leg: “Look!”

Sakumo stopped instantly and his eyes darted over to the animal. “Well spotted, Kakashi”, he praised and Kakashi felt proud that he was helping. His father took the moment to ruffle his hair again, but then he hurried towards the creature.

Kakashi followed, a little slower, since the tree at this point was very overgrown and unaccessible. He watched his father crouch down before the animal and finally noticed what it was. The furr was not catlike smooth, it was wild, hanging in long strands by all sides. It had round ears and a long nose and a tail too. It reminded Kakashi of a dog as soon as he saw it clearly. Not a lion or a tiger or another cat-like animal. It was a wolf. A grey, large, wolf.

“Dad”, Kakashi said as he arrived next to his father, “Did you know it was a wolf?”

“I did suspect it from the paw print and the claws, yes.”

There was a large gap in the wolf’s stomach, blood flowing steadily out of it into the grass. Kakashi frowned and was glad that the mask on his nose prevented him from taking in the smell around him. The animal would not survive if it wasn’t healed quickly, he thought.

The wolf was alternating between wincing in pain and growling in anger. It scared the boy and he felt for the kunai he’d been carrying all day. “It will eat us, dad”, he said a little whinier than he usually talked and pulled on his father’s arm. “Let us just kill it and move on dad, before it harms us.”

His father did not move. “Don’t worry, Kakashi”, he said instead and reached into the top pocket of his sweater. The animal growled at each movement, bearing its teeth and both of the humans in front of it. Kakashi took a step back. He really didn’t want to be mauled to death by a wolf here, he would be ready to fight. The kunai was cold in his pocket, ready to be used.

Then, his father pulled out what he had been looking for, which was not, as Kakashi had hoped, a knife or similar, but a chain with a charm on it. At least Kakashi had always believed it to be a charm. As long as he had known his father had been wearing it around his neck or carried it in his clothes. A long, twisted piece of yarn with a white tooth on it.

“Look”, Sakumo said softly and lifted the thing up in front of the wolf’s eyes, “I am not here to hurt you. See, I carry this with me.”

The wolf focused his eyes on the tooth and stilled a little, finally stopping his growling for good. Kakashi was staring too and even though he had seen this item a million times before the connection hadn’t clicked until right this moment.

“The White Fang”, he whispered and it sounded almost like a gasp.

Now that the wolf had calmed down, Sakumo could move forward and examine his wound. He did so carefully, touching softly to determine how bad it really was. He answered his son’s question before Kakashi had to ask it: “Once, when I was younger, I decided to save an old grey wolf dame. I was with a team at the time, only about fifteen when I found her. She growled at me much like this young wolf, but I calmed her enough for her to let me proceed. I helped her to the best of my abilities, but this tooth fell out anyway. When I was done she pushed it towards me as if it was mine to keep.”

Kakashi had a hard time imagining his father any younger than he was currently, but he nodded along, now no longer afraid to come closer again.

“I took it and decided to always carry it with me as a good luck charm. Not even a year later I found another wolf, not far from where we are here. It didn’t let me get close until it could see the tooth fall out from my clothes. I realised that I had been marked as a friend of these animals and that I could make them trust me, if I showed them that I had protected one of them before. The teammates that saw this happen started calling me “The White Fang.” Rather silly nickname, but it stuck as you know.” Sakumo smiled at his son. “A little kindness can go a long way, as I’ve said.”

He didn’t know what to say in reply. Stunned, he watched his fathers hands hover over the wounded wolf, infusing chakra slowly, weaving through it to find every part of it that needed healing and then stitching it together without yarn or needle. Kakashi had always felt like learning healing techniques was a waste of time, that taking out an opponent fast was easy enough to avoid any healing being necessary, but watching his father now, hands carefully moving slowly while the wolf slowly seemed to regain his strength, it made him wonder if he should learn it too, at least a little.

Before he could understand right what had happened, the wound was sealed shut without a trace of it ever having been there had it not been for the blood in the wolf’s fur and to its feet. Sakumo lifted his hand to softly touch the animal’s ears. “Dogs are descended from wolves, you know”, he said and smiled at his son. “Don’t you think he looks a little like Pakkun when you scratch him?”

Kakashi nodded, his mouth slightly open in amazement. Yes, Pakkun was making the exact same face when Kakashi touched him at exactly that spot between the ears, like it was the most pleasant feeling to ever experience.

The wolf let out a quiet howl, more like a whine, as if he was trying to thank Sakumo for his help. “I’m glad you are doing better now,” Sakumo whispered as if he was directly talking into the wolf’s ear. “Try not to fight so heavily next time.” Then he got up.

“Time to go, Kakashi, I think we have done enough for today,” he turned to his son and offered him a hand. “You probably must be bored out of your mind by now, right?”

“No!” Kakashi replied instantly, “That was awesome, Dad!” He grabbed with his hands at his father’s pants again and was instantly lifted up as he always was after this motion. “I did not think you could tame animals like that!” His father had always been his hero, but today he’d absolutely turned into a superhero.

Sakumo laughed as if he was a little embarrassed and scratched his neck. “Well, as long as you remember that you should be kind to them, I think taming them is not the hardest.” He held Kakashi tight and jumped up into the tree tops to make their way back to Konoha faster than their way out.

Kakashi looked down to watch the wolf as they disappeared, see his black pearls of eyes follow them up into the trees and disappear. He lifted his hand to touch the white fang that was now swinging freely in the wind around his father’s neck.

“You can have it,” Sakumo said suddenly. Kakashi looked up: “You don’t want it anymore?”

His father stopped for a second so he could let Kakashi down on a thick tree branch. He took the fang off and put it around his son’s shoulders. “It was my good luck charm, but I don’t think I’ll need it anymore.” There was something weird about his smile that Kakashi only picked up much later. “I hope it will protect you as it protected me.”

With this being said he picked Kakashi up again and made their way back. The boy held the fang tight between his fingers all the way until bedtime.

#hatake kakashi #hatake sakumo #kakashiweek2022 #kakashi week 2022 #fanfiction things #this is queued i dont know where i will be when this goes live #au: ikigai

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depressedhatakekakashi · 2 years

Text

Surprise Party

Prompt: Devotion

Words: 1528

@kakashiweek

Yamato was on a mission.

It was easy to see because every few seconds he was checking his watch, coming up with new ideas for things that they could do, and generally doing everything in his power to make sure Kakashi did not go back to his apartment.

No matter how many times Kakashi said he was tired and just wanted to go home and take a nap, Yamato refused to listen. It didn’t matter that he had just gotten home from a mission, or that he hadn’t slept the entire time he was away.

Yamato wanted to keep him away from that nice warm bed at his apartment.

“Dango,” Stopping in his tracks, Yamato turned to Kakashi with a blinding grin, the kind of smile that screamed ‘i’m up to something and you’re going to hate it’. “Let’s have some dango.”

“We just had ramen for lunch,” Kakashi objected, groaning at the thought of going into another crowded place. “I want to go home, Tenzo.”

“You can go home after this stop,” a promise Kakashi had heard at least three times since walking up to the village gates to see Yamato standing there waiting for him. “It’ll be my treat.”

Free lunch and free dessert.

It was difficult for Kakashi to pass up such an offer, but his legs were beginning to ache. His muscles screamed at him to collapse, and if he kept pushing himself he was certain they would take over and shut down on him.

If that happened Tenzo would have to carry him back to his apartment.

“Sleep,” he tried not to whine, but it was difficult. He had waited so long to get home and sleep, and now Tenzo was doing everything in his power to keep him away from his apartment. “Please, Tenzo.”

Taking a moment to examine the man in front of him, Yamato sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t do any good if you collapsed on the way back,” he grumbled to himself. “Though…”

He stopped speaking for a moment, focusing on whatever thoughts were floating around in his brain. It was something Kakashi was used to seeing his Kohai doing.

“Alright,” he straightened himself up after a minute, the smile returning to his face as he reached out and linked his arm with Kakashi’s. “Back to the apartment.”

“Back?”

Yamato ignored his question, already leading him forward through the crowded market streets towards the Jonin accommodations. Towards that soft, warm bed Kakashi had been waiting all day to crawl into.

He was so excited about crawling into bed that he couldn’t bring himself to care about whatever it was Yamato was plotting.

If he died in his sleep, so be it.

At least he would be warm and comfortable.

Sleep was just a few steps away. All he had to do was push himself forward, open the door, stumble towards the bed and collapse.

He couldn’t wait to wrap the blanket around himself and pass out. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d be allowed to sleep for an entire week.

“Senpai-” dragging his eyes away from the door, he glared at Tenzo and prepared himself for another argument. Every step of the way home had been an attempt at getting him to go somewhere else and he wasn’t having it.

“Sleep,” his voice was firm. Unwavering in his determination to arrive at that bed. “I’m going to sleep, Tenzo. No dango or training. We can hang out more after I wake up.”

Tenzo’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Right,” his eyes flickered towards the door. “Well, don’t hate me too much, alright?”

“Hate you?” Tenzo’s words made no sense to him.“Ah, Tenzo. I could never hate you.”

They had been through too much. Dragged each other out of mission after mission, sometimes with the last of their strength.

There was nothing in the world Kakashi could think of that would ever make him hate Tenzo.

“Happy Birthday, Kakashi-Sensei!”

His ears rang, a terrible pain digging deep into his brain as four very different voices assaulted him all at once.

If that wasn’t bad enough, there were so many things in the small apartment he called home that he struggled to process it all.

A large banner draped over his back wall that read ‘Happy Birthday’, What looked like a cake decorated to look like the front page of Icha Icha Violence, aka favourite book in the Icha Icha Series, and all of Team Kakashi.

“What is all of this?” Scanning over the room, he took in each of his students separately.

Sakura with her cheerful smile and an Icha Icha shirt pulled over her usual outfit.

Naruto and his endless amounts of energy vibrated in his spot, his favourite hoodie unzipped to show a shirt that matched Sakura’s.

Sai stood to Naruto’s right, book in one hand and a third Icha Icha shirt that covered his stomach, which Kakashi was certain Sakura had to wrestle onto him given his aversion to regular t-shirts.

Even Sasuke was there, hovering behind everyone with an annoyed expression on his face.

Everyone was together.

For his birthday.

“You-“ glancing back towards the door, he stared at Yamato with fondness. “This is why you kept me out?”

“I was supposed to keep you out another half hour,” Tenzo admitted shyly, rubbing the back of his head and refusing to meet Kakashi’s eye. “But you were so tired you demanded to come back so, here we are.”

“Tired?” Naruto stuck his tongue out at the idea. “No way! There’s a whole party waiting for you, Kakashi-Sensei! You have to stay up.”

“We worked hard,” Sakura added. “Or… I worked hard. Naruto spent the entire time trying to convince Sasuke to stay.”

Looking back at the group Kakashi closed his eyes. It was the only thing he could do to hide the happiness that overwhelmed him at the sight of his team there in his small apartment.

He gave himself a three count to reorganize his emotions.

One breath to calm his nerves.

Two taps of his finger against his leg to remind himself this was real.

And three quick laughs as it all sank in.

“This is-” his voice wavered a little. The overwhelming feeling of love surrounded him in that instant as he stood there in a room full of precious people.

People he had once thought he might lose, just as he had lost so many others he cared about.

“Is Captain Kakashi about to cry?”

“No!” Naruto protested, shoving Sai in the shoulder at the suggestion. “He’s just taking it all in! Enjoying himself.”

“I think he might cry a little.” Sakura giggled behind her hand.

Feeling a weight on his shoulder, Kakashi looked to his side to see Yamato standing there with a smile that stretched across his entire face.

A smile that was almost as big as his eyes.

“Come on, Senpai,” he dragged him forward a little, laughing when Kakashi reached out and grabbed him around the waist. “We can start with presents.”

“Presents?” His eyes widened. “You guys didn’t have to get me anything.”

“It’s not much,” Sakura promised, already stepping back to reveal the small pile of presents stacked on the table behind her. “Something from each of us.”

“Except Sakura.”

Yamato dropped his hand from Kakashi’s shoulder and swiftly moved between Sakura and Sai, just barely getting there before the Kunoichi brought a fist down on Sai’s head.

“That’s because this whole party was Sakura’s idea,” he supported her with an uncertain smile, careful to keep himself placed in front of Sai. “The theme was even her idea.”

“Sakura planned all of this?” Tilting his head, Kakashi stared at his student. It was hard to believe that she had willingly set up a party with an Icha Icha theme. One of her favourite pass times was scolding him for reading his favourite books out in public.

“Well, it’s the only time I’ll do it,” she huffed. “I still think those books are terrible.”

That didn’t surprise him at all.

“Thank you…” his eyes scanned over the apartment once more, taking in every little decoration that his students had carefully put up to cover his walls. “This is …perfect.”

The bed was still calling out to him. Begging him to walk over and drop into it for a week-long snooze, but it would have to wait.

For the first time in years, his apartment wasn’t empty on his birthday.

He wasn’t alone.

There was nothing in the world that would make him leave the party any earlier than he had to. If his body shut down on him and he passed out in the middle of the floor, so be it.

His team was here in his apartment and they wanted to spend their time with him. For once they weren’t bullying him relentlessly and acting like he was the most embarrassing person to be around.

His home was full of people who wished to spend his birthday with him, as well as Sasuke who might have been forced by Naruto to stay but was here nonetheless.

For the first time in forever, he didn’t feel alone.

#Team Seven #Team Kakashi #Hatake Kakashi #Tenzo #Tenzo Yamato #Haruno Sakura #Uzumaki Naruto #Sai #Uchiha Sasuke #Kakashi's Birthday Bash #Kakashi Week #Kakashiweek2022 #Kakashi Week 2022

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