Mending The Past To A Better Future

Chp. 18 The Proposal {Part-1}

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Minato turned to Gai and Anko, who both wore different degrees of emotion on their faces, the former looking excited and the latter extremely uncertain. "You two are free to go, but Sandaime-sama has requested that you return later to talk about your little... escapade outside of the village."

Kakashi turned an inquisitive brow to Rin, who flushed at his judgmental face. "Outside the village?" he repeated, more to just to put up a front and hide how he was anticipating the news about Naruto.

"It's a long story," Rin said.

Gai and Anko shuffled out of the room, with the purple head cursing under her breath about Goldilocks and no respect for her personal time.

When the door finally swung shut, Kakashi's gaze immediately swung to Naruto, who looked exceptionally cheery.

"Naruto!" came Shisui's relieved sigh, his obsidian eyes twinkling when she flashed her teeth at him. "We haven't seen you in days! What happened to you?"

The blonde in question rolled her eyes and tossed her hair dramatically - and the flippant action let Kakashi calm down, only because he knew if Naruto could sass, then she was fine. "Someone totally knocked me out!" She sided eyed their Sensei, who had the nerve to look guilty.

"I said I was sorry!" Minato said.

"Huh? Why'd you knock her out, Sensei?" Obito's arm flail in his confusion, his dark eyebrows furrowing.

"It was a necessary evil," Naruto says. "But I'm completely fine and I'm better than ever. No scary repercussions! Although, I think Minato-sensei should definitely buy me some food to make up his heinous crimes." The blonde nudged their Sensei with her elbow, to which he winced dramatically. What a baby. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"You're making it a force of habit, Sensei," Kakashi adds, arms folded.

"That's exactly what I said!" Naruto agrees.

"My cute little students are all ganging up on me!" Minato pouts. "I should call Kushina in to set you all straight."

Naruto snorts. "As if! Kushina-nee would never side with you. You know I'm her little Naru-hime!" She brags, and then flushes immediately when four other pairs of eyes turn to her in sheer incredulity.

"Hime?" Obito parrots, a clear laugh in his voice.

Shisui's choking, and Naruto vaguely can't help but wonder if it that's such a bad thing when he splutters, "She calls you princess? What are you? Five?"

"Shut up!"

"Hey!" Kakashi snaps, stepping up to stand by Naruto. "Don't make fun of her. I think it's cute that Kushina-nee calls Naruto that." It's so uncharacteristic of him to jump to her defense - to anyone's defense, really. It's equally surprising to hear the word cute be uttered from his masked lips, and Naruto can understandably call herself an idiot for not seeing it sooner.

She flushes, but smirks nonetheless. "Thank you, Kakashi-kun."

And his face is so stoic when he says, "No problem, Naru-hime," that she isn't expecting it, and gapes when he lets out a small, barely-there laugh. That jerk!

"Fuck off, Kaka-baka!" Naruto all but snarls, shoving him into Obito, who's wiping tears from his eyes, his orange-tinted goggles pushed up and into his spiky hair. He reaches out an arm to steady his teammate, who's shoulders are shaking almost imperceptibly. Shisui is clutching the Hokage desk, small puffs of laughter passing through his lips, and even Minato looks highly amused. The only person who isn't actively humiliating her is Rin, and it once again reinforces why Rin is her favorite in the friend group.