Chapter 124: Kakashi-san~ (Patreon)

Early in the morning, Kakashi was sound asleep.

The newest volume of Make-Out Paradise lay by his pillow, splayed open and face-down on the bed — clearly he'd read late into the night before dozing off.

His mask was off, baring a handsome, well-defined face, the scar slashing across one eye standing out sharply against his skin. Unlike his usual lazy slouch, the sleeping Kakashi looked like a weary, devastatingly handsome man.

"Sorry to intrude! Kakashi-san! Let's go train!"

At seven in the morning, a voice rang out abruptly at the door.

A spiky-haired blond stood in the doorway, hands cupped around his mouth like a megaphone, shouting inside with boundless energy.

Inside, Kakashi's eyes snapped open.

"Kakashi-san! Are you in there?"

"Oi — Kakashi-san, it's me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kakashi simply yanked the blanket over his head. He'd taken off twice last night, and he had absolutely no enthusiasm for getting up early. Best to fake sleep and ignore the kid at the door.

"Then I'm coming in! Kakashi-san!"

Hm?

Kakashi's eyes went wide.

"Coming in (hairimasu)?"

"No, surely he said going back (kaerimasu)?"

Right, must have misheard. Kakashi's gaze slowly drooped back into his signature dead-fish stare, though he left a gap in the blanket, eyes fixed straight on the doorway.

No footsteps. He probably hadn't come in, right? Kakashi let out a breath of relief.

The next instant, a blond head poked in through the door.

Oh, hell.

In a flash Kakashi's hand shot up and yanked his mask on.

?

Naruto stared at Kakashi. Just now, in that split second he'd stepped through the door, he thought he'd caught a glimpse of Kakashi's bare face.

"Kakashi-san, still not up?"

The little blond strolled into the room like he owned the place, and his eyes lit up the moment he spotted the book splayed open beside the bed.

"Ah, I know this book. Brother Genshin reads it on the sly all the time. Every time I catch him, he acts like nothing happened and puts it away."

"Hey, hey, Kakashi-san, can I read this?" Naruto's smile was pure and innocent, the kind of smile that looked like it could talk its way into anything — into the shinobi ranks, for instance.

"No. You're way too young for this."

"Tch, boring. You sound just like Brother Genshin." Naruto pouted. "When will I ever get to read it, huh? Does it have Ninjutsu that make you stronger inside?"

"Ahem, well, not exactly..."

Stronger was a stretch — read too much of it and your eyesight would visibly start going. A cold bead of sweat crept quietly down Kakashi's temple.

"Fine, forget it, let's go train together!" Naruto dropped the subject of the book fast, never one to lose sight of his goal.

"Ugh... fine, let's go." Kakashi sighed. "Wait outside, I need to change."

He knew perfectly well — now that he knew the boy's true parentage, there was no way he could turn down a request like this from him.

As for Naruto, he couldn't quite explain it himself, but he felt an inexplicable closeness to this silver-haired, dead-eyed man.

The two of them arrived at the training field, where Guy — in his skin-tight jumpsuit and bowl haircut — was already waiting.

Night finally fell. Training done, Kakashi dragged his exhausted body onto the bed. Ever since retiring from ANBU, this body had been going downhill day by day.

Too tired even for taking off tonight. Just sleep, sleep.

"Kakashi-san!"

The next morning, Naruto was back at the door bright and early, shouting his head off.

All day long, the dead-eyed silverhead walked in front, and a blond little shadow trailed behind him.

"Kakashi-san! What's wrong, Kakashi-san? Where are we headed — patrolling the village?"

"You really are the super-elite shinobi Bushy Brow-sensei always talks about. The village has been peaceful lately — why don't we train instead!"

"Ah, it's Guy-sensei! Looks like he's about to challenge you, Kakashi-san!"

...Him again, today? Lord Hokage, can I request a transfer back to ANBU?

Kakashi let out a silent sigh.

The third morning, seven o'clock.

"Kakashi-san! Let's go train!" A long shadow stretched across the ground from the doorway.

But Kakashi was in no mood to look. He lay with his back to the door, most of his body wrapped in the blanket, half his face buried in the sheets, heavy bags under his eyes making his usual dead-fish stare even more lifeless. He looked like a man on the verge of keeling over.

"Kakashi-san! Get up! Youth won't wait for you! Bushy Brow-sensei and I are both waiting!"

Naruto, utterly oblivious to the storm cloud hanging over the room, kept pumping his fists with boundless energy, even pushing his luck by leaning over the bed and trying to yank the blanket off him.

On the fourth morning, before Naruto could even open his mouth, Kakashi swung the door open right at seven.

"Ah! Kakashi-san!" The instant the door opened, he found himself face to face with Naruto's dazzling grin — the exact same smile as his teacher, the Fourth Hokage.

Once, that smile would have filled him with nostalgia. Now, though...

"Kakashi-san!"

That was during mealtime.

"Kakashi-san!"

That was in the bathroom.

"Kakashi-san!"

That was in the bath.

"Kakashi-san!"

That was in a dream — Kakashi jolted awake, eyes snapping open.

Is this kid going to haunt me for the rest of my life? A strange glint flickered in Kakashi's dead-fish eyes.

Ugh... can't sleep anymore. Might as well go for a walk.

Kakashi dragged himself out of bed, too lazy even to change clothes, grabbed a spare mask, and hopped out the window, heading for the Hokage Rock to catch some air.

The night breeze brushed his face, cool and pleasant. The rare quiet made Kakashi's eyes narrow in contentment.

The moment he climbed up onto the Hokage Rock, he spotted Genshin sitting on the railing, back turned to him.

"Yo — Kakashi-senpai." Genshin raised a hand in greeting.

"What exactly happened on that mission with you and Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi walked up beside Genshin and leaned against the railing, asking bluntly without preamble.

"Hm? Why ask?" Genshin tilted his head.

"Don't play dumb. Between Guy and Naruto, I haven't been able to so much as take out my copy of Make-Out Paradise in days." His voice was thick with resentment — clearly these four days had really worn Kakashi down.

"Ha ha ha, might as well read less of it — that book's bad for your health," Genshin said, unable to hold back a sputtering, hissing laugh.

"You're one to talk? A precocious little brat who came borrowing that book off me before he's even finished growing?" Kakashi shot a glance at the shameless little redhead, his tone sour.

"That's completely different. I happen to be a top-tier Medical Ninja. Nobody knows my own body better than I do."

Genshin turned to face Kakashi. "Take right now, for instance — you think you could outrun me? Want to bet on it?"

Damn it, that actually made sense. Kakashi found himself at a loss for words.

Speaking of Medical Ninja... he remembered the insanely high-level Release technique exchange and Taijutsu brawl between Genshin and Kakuzu back in the day.

What kind of Medical Ninja charges the front line hacking people apart like that? Is 'the best way to protect your comrades' really 'beat every enemy to death'?

Kakashi fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting down to the carved Hokage faces below, settling on the Fourth Hokage's likeness.

"I'll just say it outright — is this about Obito?" Kakashi said quietly.