Akari Uchiha

Ch. 76 That Game of Hide-And-Seek that Never Gets Old

"... Well, you've sure had an interesting journey," a silver haired man spoke, closing his tired black eyes. The only thing that probably differentiated his shadow from his son's, being cast by the fire between them, would be the absence of a mask and longer hair.

Konoha's White Fang and Copy Ninja sat side by side, as the later chuckled. "I haven't even finished yet, father."

Sakumo Hatake raised his eyebrows looking at his son. "There's more? You said when you were twenty-seven you reverted back to your colder ANBU side. I thought that was the end."

"I told you, it's a long story," the younger Hatake simply eye-smiled.

Sakumo's lips curled into a soft smile. "I've been waiting to hear it, Kakashi," he closed his eyes. "Take all the time you need."

"Actually, this is where I meet another really precious person," Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.

"Ah, other than your previous two teams and Gai?"

"Yep," Kakashi nodded. "Not that I deserved her in the slightest," he sighed.

"Just to clarify," Sakumo raised a hand. "Did you get married, or got a girlfriend, a year before you died? Is that where we are going?"

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Father, I'm talking about a kid. She's eleven."

"Ah," Sakumo laughed sheepishly. "Gomen, gomen," he placated his son who was now looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Go on."

"She's a part of our clan now," Kakashi's smile suddenly widened. "Akari Hatake."

Sakumo's eyes widened in surprise, before they widened further, accompanied by an almost-grin that formed on his face. "YOU ADOPTED A KID!"

"WHAT- No- Kami- why does EVERYONE keep saying that? She's my apprentice!" 

Sakumo chuckled at his son's exasperation. "If people have assumed that before then there must be a reason," he pointed out. 

"No there isn't," Kakashi said with an eye-smile making his father sweat-drop.

"Okay. Go on, about this grand-daughter of mine."

Kakashi groaned. "I just said I didn't adopt-"

"I don't care," Sakumo eye-smiled making his son sweat-drop this time. Kakashi was too young when Sakumo had been alive, but now he knew where he inherited that from.

Kakashi simply sighed and shook his head. "Well, what can I say about that brat... she is annoying, goes around shipping me with random people, wasn't really a prodigy when I first met her, was literally one-third my size but spoke thrice as much as I do. Hell, more than thrice."

"But she grew on you?"

"I guess," Kakashi shrugged. "I didn't really deserve her. Hell, no one does. She is too pure for this world. The brat trusts too easily. And is ever-cheerful. It takes her a hundred times the effort it takes me to identify bad in someone," he groaned. "It took her five minutes to think about what she disliked when I asked her to introduce herself, and could still come up with nothing," he sighed.

Sakumo suddenly sat alert when he saw his son look at him with comically wide and worried eyes, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"The brat is going to get herself killed," he said with the confidence that made Sakumo sweat-drop. "I know she is."

Sakumo sighed, patting his only now-dead child's shoulder placatingly. "There there. You trained her, Kakashi. She will be fine."

"I KNOW. I'm not even worried about her having to fight one of Pein's paths. And Pein is the one who killed me. I'm worried about when the battle is about to end and he begins with his sob story and then the brat goes and crouches besides him and listens and tries to console him, because I KNOW she will. THAT'S the moment I'm worried about," Kakashi face-palmed. "Kami... why did I die?"