Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

ANBU Cat arrived with whisper-soft footfalls. The sound was enough to pull the Hidden Leaf’s Third Hokage from his work with a curious twist to his expression, like he’d bitten into a sour lemon, or, actually heard ANBU footsteps for once. 

“You’re supposed to be off that leg,” Hiruzen said in lieu of any meaningless ritual conversation, for which Tenzou was equally pleased and embarrassed. 

“I would've had to hop.”

Hiruzen gave an amused smile in response, and Tenzou lifted his mask so the Hokage could see his own sheepish one. Being under what amounted to house arrest had been a jarring change in pace from living life in the walls of enemy territory where the wrong move could mean life or death. The experience had given Tenzou (far too much) time to reflect on the actions that led up to his perceived punishment of a few months’ bedrest, ample time to organize a heartfelt plea against the remaining days he had originally been ordered to stay bedbound.

“No.”

The dismissal cut him off before the words ever left his mouth. Tenzou blinked, startled, and tried again. 

“Hokage-sama, I’m well enough to manage this much. At least it could be less than a few month--”

Hiruzen put his hand up in a silencing gesture, to which Tenzou immediately complied. “With how much healing you have left to do? With the way you thundered in here loud enough to be heard from Stone Country, and you want me to take you off bed rest?”

Tenzou swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“...I wasn’t that loud--”

He quickly stopped as the Hokage looked up sharply in annoyance from his desk. 

“--but, perhaps I was too hasty?”

Hiruzen squinted at Tenzou, as though he could tell he was favoring one leg over the other, as though he knew just how many extra doses of his painkiller he’d taken that morning just to get the strength to make this request. A sinking feeling filled his spirit the longer those accusing eyes were upon him. How did he know? 

Reluctantly, Tenzou lowered his gaze.

“You’re right, Lord Third. I apologize.”

Hiruzen squinted at him as he chewed on the end of his pipe. Without speaking he drew up a scroll from his desk, one tied with a vibrant blue ribbon that caught Tenzou’s attention. He accepted it curiously all the while under his leader’s scrutinizing gaze. 

“What’s this?” He asked.

“Mission details,” Hiruzen replied. “If you’re itching for something to do, I may have something for you that will suit both our needs.”

Tenzou looked up from the scroll with his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. This wasn’t what he expected after being chewed out by his boss. Yet eagerness at the prospect of having something to do rather than waste away in his tiny apartment eventually made him untie the ribbon. It fluttered to the side, along with a photo Tenzou snatched before it drifted to the floor. At least now he wouldn’t have to suffer the humiliation of slowly bending down to grab it as Hiruzen watched. 

Wide green eyes stared back at Tenzou from the photograph. A little girl, he observed, taking in her other features. Pink hair laid flat against her face and round forehead. Upon closer inspection, he noted that it was soaking wet, water making the strands cling to her cheeks tightly. She couldn’t have been a day older than seven. 

A first glance at the document containing her information revealed little more than her name (Sakura, blank for the last), birthday (March 28), and blood type (O). Strange. If this child was a person of interest for a mission, there would have been more than a Post-It note worth of personal information on her. Intrigued, Tenzou continued onto the mission details.

And promptly wished he hadn’t removed his Cat mask as he read on further. 

“Babysitting duty?” He found himself saying before his mind could put a stop to it. “An S-ranked babysitting mission?”

If Hiruzen was taken aback by his outburst, he did not show it. Instead, he tipped the ash out of his pipe into an awaiting tray before answering. 

“Read on and you’ll see why.”

Tenzou did just that, eyes scanning the scroll furiously for clues. If the village’s very own Jinkuriki didn’t get his own ANBU nanny, he had a hard time believing some no-name child would. 

The second to last page revealed a typical blood work up, reading to the letter as normal as possible until the last line. The name lept off the page to his eyes: Orochimaru. 

Shock went through him like electricity. 

“That’s…” 

Impossible, he wanted to say, in spite of the official medical report. Orochimaru had no children, not of his own flesh and blood. It was one of the many things he’d gathered from his hazy years spent drifting between consciousness and uncertainty. Tenzou would never forget the quiet laments of a thwarted genius: Orochimaru was infertile. 

Even so, he did the math in his head as the Hokage took a deep pull from his pipe. Smoke furled out into the room, clouding his senses as his mind stopped on a number and a wicked suggestion. 

It was just enough time, the lapse since he’d been rescued out from under Danzo’s influence--

“She is not his daughter.”

The words cut through the fog in the room and his mind. Tenzou looked up, feeling sweat on the back of his neck, and swallowed thickly. A slow deep breath lowered his heart rate. He ordered his thoughts and agreed. 

“No. She couldn’t be.”

The Lord Third nodded morosely. 

“Despite his many medical jutsu, Orochimaru never conceived a way to birth a child of his own… which is why it intrigues me. The girl,” Sarutobi clarified, gesturing to the mission scroll with his pipe, “My most trusted medics are convinced that something links them. Either by blood or by ancestry, Orochimaru is the closest thing she has to family.”

A shiver went down Tenzou’s spine in sympathy. 

Hiruzen nodded. 

“It is obvious that sending her to live with Orochimaru is out of the question. Therefore, since you are the calibre of shinobi required to provide her adequate protection--”

Tenzou protested indignantly.

“To monitor a child, full time?! Surely a chunin would suffice--”

“You would trust a child with Orochimaru’s blood to a chunin?” 

The younger man’s protests died behind clenched teeth. 

While Tenzou felt his concerns were justified, Hiruzen brought up a good point. A chunin might be adequate protection detail for a civilian, or even a shinobi’s child, but according to the chart this was no ordinary girl. 

Something about her was different. Special. Even if it was just a distant connection, any connection to Orochimaru was bound to be used against her, and Orochimaru had made himself plenty of powerful enemies just itching to find the perfect leverage against him. 

Smoke and silence filled the air between the Hokage and his ANBU. 

He wanted to say no. Days of babysitting duty? With a little girl? His last mission had been gritty and tested his endurance, proved his tenacity, and showed his teammates just how essential Tenzou could be as part of the ANBU collaborative ops. Jumping from that to managing a kid, alone, judging from the high level of security clearance required to even know what his mission was about, would be… quite the change of pace. 

Then again, apparently she was related to Orochimaru. She was only seven years old, with no one to rely on, no one to protect her. And out of every shinobi in the village, Tenzou was probably one of the very few who could relate to her ordeal. His shoulders unwound, tension bleeding from his body as he made his decision. 

“She can’t call me Cat.”

“No,” Hiruzen agreed around his pipe with a sly smile, “No, she can’t. What shall she call you, then? Hmm?”

Tenzou paused. In his admittedly short life, he had been known by three names. Cat was what he heard in his everyday life, Tenzou was a private name known only by his closest friends. And Kinoe….

Kinoe was off-limits.

The Hokage must have grown impatient with his musings, for he suddenly suggested, "would Yamato suffice?"

Yamato. An old name, a slight nod to his Senju connection. Tenzou tried it.

"Yamato." It rolled off his tongue easily enough. "Yamato will work." 

The Lord Third nodded and stood to his full height, pipe in hand. 

“Then go. You have the details. Regular reports are due weekly. Until further notice, she is your top priority. You are relieved of any accessory ANBU duties pending the successful completion of this mission. A stipend for her expenses will be added to your pay. Any questions?”

Tenzou only had one question, one he had since he read the name Orochimaru on the scroll.

"Where did you end up putting her?"

~ ~ ~ 

Surprisingly, there was no protocol on proper apprehension measures for distant relatives of a rogue Sannin who's age didn't even break double digits.

Luckily, the T&I department was known for their improvisational skills. 

Tenzou was given enough time to change out of his ANBU gear into a more casual jounin outfit. When he arrived as newly-minted Yamato, the Head of the Analysis Team and Yamanaka clan, Inoichi, was waiting for him. He briefly glanced at the crutch Hiruzen insisted he leave his office with, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, he started down the winding hallways. Tenzou limped after him.

"Besides the blood connection, everything else about her is normal." Tenzou released a sigh of relief as Inoichi walked past the interrogation rooms and dirty jail cells. If nothing else, there was a chance he would be dealing with a less traumatized child now. "No strange chakra readings, no kekki genkai we could find, answered all our questions, complied with our orders. She even remembered her manners, which is more than what I can say for my daughter."

Thankfully, Inoichi had stopped in front of a door before Tenzou was forced to partake in the painful ordeal of having to ask about a coworker's family. A brief look around eased his nerves when he realized where they were. This section of the T&I department was where the more compliant prisoners were held, therefore, better accommodations. Uncomfortable still, but better.

The stern look didn't leave Inoichi's face. "Of course, she could be acting exactly as Orochimaru wanted her to."

The implication behind those words said everything. This girl, Sakura as Tenzou would have to start calling her from now on, held a world of dangerous possibilities through her bloodline alone. As young as she was, there was still the chance she was a spy for the Sannin or even a sleeper agent, ready to strike when their defenses were lowered. 

Tenzou had already screwed up once as an ANBU agent. He wouldn't do so again, even for a child's sake. 

"Thank you, Inoichi-san. She will be closely monitored under my watch."

Sweeter words couldn't have been to an interrogator shinobi. Solemnly, the blonde man nodded and proceeded to pull out a ring of keys from his belt. The fact that he was able to locate the correct key for the door on his first try spoke of Inoichi's skill and talent. 

"She's all yours." Inoichi announced, letting the door creak open slightly. "She had nothing but the clothes on her back when she came here, so no need to gather her personal belongings."

Tenzou acknowledged this with a nod, then he stepped in.

Inside the cell was a girl matching the description on the mission scroll. Straight, pink hair. Haunting green eyes. Six or seven, if he had to guess. She also looked bored out of her mind, but Tenzou would take that over her being scared or alarmed. 

She sat on a bed, the only piece of furniture provided in her cell, looking up as he entered.

Their eyes met.

Nothing in particular happened. Tenzou had half expected to be gripped with some kind of emotion upon coming face to face with this child affiliated with his former captor, but instead he found himself staring back at what appeared to be an ordinary kid. She watched him expectantly with those seeking green eyes. Some more seconds passed before he realized that he would have to speak first.

“My name is Yamato,” he said, trying out the name the Lord Third had given him. Tenzou… Yamato managed to go on without too much of a pause. “You’ll be living under my care for the time being.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Yamato-sama.”

“Please, just Yamato,” he hastily corrected. While not excessively polite, Lord Yamato was bound to get him strange looks from people on the streets. “What can I call you?”

“My name’s Sakura. Just Sakura.”

He extended a hand. The little girl took her time getting up, cautious in the way all children were of any stranger, and after several slow steps came up and took the offered hand. It struck him just how small her fingers were against his, and how warm the heat of her palm. Little fingers curled in his grip. 

Just her hand fitting in his stole all of Tenzou’s attention. Normally his senses stretched out to cover the perimeter, only how could he focus on anything else? The world seemed to melt away around them as he considered the little human blinking up at him. Those eyes didn’t seem so haunting up close. They even had a sparkle to them, a shine of curiosity as Sakura craned her neck a bit in order to look up at him. 

Inoichi eventually cleared his throat. 

“Be seeing you,” he said after Yamato recovered from the brief startle. They made their goodbyes brief and departed into the cool night air. 

Sakura followed along where he went. She was independent enough that after a few blocks she snuck her hand out of Yamato’s grip, though she kept close enough that a single misstep would have them collide. It was an interesting contrast. Sakura seemed determined to walk without holding Yamato’s hand yet kept right in step with him, nearly in his shadow. 

The thought wasn’t novel enough to distract Yamato from recognizing that her footsteps were just as silent as his own. He filed that observation away for scrutiny under the morning’s first light as they approached his apartment. 

“The kitchen is here,” Yamato said, introducing Sakura to his living space. She nodded in understanding as he showed her the bathroom, bedroom, and where the laundry was. It was pure luck that the night before he’d deactivated the traps that normally littered his abode for something to do, anything to cure his bed-rest boredom. He had a feeling that those traps would need extremely careful reconstruction around a seven year old. 

Sakura’s eyes began to droop, and Yamato realized how late it was. 

“Ah. This way.”

He took her to the main room and within minutes had a reasonable bed-shaped space laid out. A bachelor had no need for a spare futon, but Yamato had enough blankets and pillows to create a suitable replacement. 

“We’ll go shopping in the morning for a proper bed,” he murmured in apology. They would have to go for many things tomorrow. She didn't even have a spare shirt to change into for the night. “I hope this will be alright for tonight.”

Sakura rubbed her eyes, nodding as she clamored onto the prepared surface. It was endearing to watch, even to someone with no prior fondness for children. The way she burrowed into the bundle, half-asleep already, one leg thrown over a pillow as she drew the covers around herself was adorable. 

Yamato left her for a few minutes to let her settle in. When he returned with a cup of water, it was to the soft rise-and-fall pattern of someone in a deep sleep. He watched her from afar for a few moments more before turning in for the night. 

Tomorrow marked the start of his new life. 

Chapter Text

Tenzou woke up the next morning with two things on his mind.

One, his leg fucking hurt.

Two, he was now in charge of a small child.

Those two thoughts alone did not inspire him to get up and start his day. But like the good, dutiful soldier he was, Tenzou coaxed himself out of bed and stood with the use of his crutch. The Hokage would kill him if he got wind of him walking around town without it.

A quick chakra scan revealed that Sakura was still in the main room, not having snuck out like a thief in the night to gather sensitive intel as the paranoia in his mind would have him believe. It was a needless worry. Years of intense training would've flung Tenzou wide awake if the girl so much as sneezed during the night, and he’d slept soundly. Nevertheless, that ingrained distrust in complete strangers remained settled just under his skin. 

Tenzou allowed himself the luxury of taking his time with his morning routine. He ambled through his tiny room, throwing on clothes that could be put on with minimal difficulty. His usual morning stretches had been interrupted following his leg injury, but pestering the medic-nin the last few days proved useful when they gave him a list of exercises he could safely do. After brushing his teeth and popping a generous portion of painkillers, he went into the living room to officially start the first day of his mission. 

The blanket-and-pillow bed was empty, sheets folded and tucked under the pillows as smoothly as possible. Its former occupant was only a few feet away, standing on a borrowed chair and gazing intently out a window. 

She hadn’t noticed him yet, or if she did, gave no indication. Her full attention was at the window, or rather through it. Curiosity brought Yamato closer. He consciously made his footsteps audible as he approached. Sakura jumped slightly, but remained at her post by the windowstill.  

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Sakura repeated dutifully in a polite tone. Yamato felt a trickle of relief. She was quiet and reserved but well mannered, just as Inoichi said. He could work with that. 

That was apparently enough routine conversation for Sakura, whose attention returned quickly to the window overlooking the street below. Yamato was tempted to leave her and continue with his own morning routine, but his earlier curiosity resurfaced. What was she doing?

Closer observation told Yamato that his charge was avidly watching the passer-bys on the street below. Despite the early hour, Sakura was wide awake, unwilling to miss a moment as people mulled about doing their own morning activities, getting groceries or on a stroll, taking coffee or headed to work. It was absolutely mundane. Nothing out of the ordinary for a week day. Yet Sakura remained wide-eyed in fascination by the scene unfolding below. 

He could observe her behavior stealthily and uncover her true motives in time… or… since she was seven, and susceptible to being more truthful while caught unawares, he could…

“What are you doing, Sakura?” He asked. 

“Watching,” Sakura replied, “There’s so many.”

Yamato glanced back to the… twelve… fifteen people out on the streets. 

He withheld his own observation. Konoha as the largest ninja village was densely populated, and this was a sparse handful of morning commuters, considering Sakura’s excitement. She seemed genuinely taken with the amount of people on the streets, eyes darting from person to person to capture each moment of their individual activities. She wasn’t trying to deceive him. She was a seven year old filled with honest enthusiasm for the completely ordinary scene below. 

It struck him as odd. Not malicious, just odd. 

He turned the information over in his mind as he retreated to the kitchen to make them both something to eat. The smell of eggs and bacon frying did little to tempt Sakura from her window perch, so Yamato was forced to call her over. Finally, Sakura blinked owlishly and joined him in the kitchen.

“Thank you for the food.”

“You’re welcome,” Yamato said. It was in his nature to gather information. As they ate, he watched her mannerisms. Right-handed. Ate quickly but not as though she was starving. Kicked her feet a little under the table in a way that bespoke extra energy. 

Child-like , Yamato thought, before mentally kicking himself. She was a child!

“I’m all done,” Sakura’s voice informed him. “Mister Yamato.”

“Please, just Yamato is fine,” he quickly corrected again. At least it was an improvement from Lord . “We should get going soon.”

Sakura’s shoulders squared and her eyes became oddly focused. 

“Where are we going?”

“Shopping,” Yamato said as he put a piece of paper on the table. “I didn’t have a futon for you so I’m bound to be missing some other things that you’ll need. I'm going to write a shopping list before we go out."

He scrawled at the very top next to a bullet point 'futon'. He glanced back up at Sakura. Clothing would be their second priority. She was dressed in the typical attire most Konoha prisoners wore, a white cotton shirt and navy blue sweatpants. 

Pushing down his momentary distress from the fact that the village made prisoner clothing that small, Yamato wrote 'clothes' as the next bullet point. Sakura held her plate in uncertainty. 

"Ah, you can put that in the sink." 

Yamato continued writing down his list, not bothering to turn around when he heard a soft clang from the kitchen. If they were already going out, he might as well stock up on groceries now that he had an extra mouth to feed. He heard Sakura walk over to the bathroom, stopping short by the door. Feeling those green eyes on him, Yamato looked up to see her looking back from him to the bathroom. Did she seriously need permission to use the-

Oh. "I have an extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet. It's still in the packaging."

Sakura sagged her shoulders in relief before disappearing in the bathroom. Yamato listened to the sound of rushing water for a moment before returning to his writing. He had just about finished listing down the bare essentials when she returned.

He met her by the door after grabbing his crutch and two reusable bags. In the time it took him to get there, Sakura had already pulled her sandals on and was practically vibrating in silent excitement. Interesting, but not exactly odd. Dare he say cute? She was a stranger in a strange city. If she wasn't scared, she was bound to be curious about this new village she had only seen at night. 

Out the door and down the stairs, Sakura pointedly kept her hands crossed in front of her. 

"Stay close. The market can get busy this time of day," Yamato warned. So long as she didn't wander off, he figured that she didn't have to hold his hand. 

Sakura nodded. Yamato was briefly worried how she would react once they entered the utter chaos that was the open food market. If a handful of people in the early hours was a lot to her, he couldn't imagine what she would do when faced with dozens upon dozens of individuals shouting and pushing their way through the crowds for the best deals. 

Luckily, others gave them a wide enough berth as they walked past. If there was one benefit to having a leg injury that required the use of crutches, it was that people got out of his way. Sakura kept as close to him as she did last night, at one point brushing up against his leg if the space got tight enough.

It was a simple task for Yamato to accomplish the two missions at once. On the outside, they were collecting the various necessities Sakura would need for the stay at his house. On the other hand, it was prime time to collect valuable data on his mission. 

The market stall owners, especially the ones manned by grandmothers, adored Sakura. How could they not? She was seven and her excessive politeness was generalized, not specific to certain situations. Every purchase was ended with a short bow and expression of gratitude.

“Aren’t you the sweetest thing?!” Was a phrase Yamato heard often throughout the day. Sakura, seemingly unused to such praise, would blush and quickly retreat back to his side. The one exception was when the guy at the fruit stand offered her a small box of strawberries. She only took it when she received an approving nod from Yamato, who had no objection to getting free food. 

Over time, they made a handy collection of purchases. Yamato was more than happy to accept the help of a sales clerk to find several season-appropriate outfits for Sakura. He had no experience in this matter, wearing whatever outfits Requisitions gave him. She thanked them cheerfully as they left the shop, their arms weighed down by their new purchases. No doubt the commission on her pay would go up thanks to them. 

Without prompting, Sakura went ahead and relieved Yamato of his burdens. It ended up looking rather pitiful, him on crutches relying on the seven-year-old to carry everything, but it’d look even more comical if he tried to take back a bag and ended up toppling over. Besides, Sakura looked so pleased with herself for being able to carry everything for them. It was the first smile he saw on her. How could Yamato demand she give up a bag or two? He ignored a squint of judgment from a passerby and herded them towards their next destination. 

The futon was next. After taking a long look at Yamato's crutches and Sakura's overburdened arms, the clerk stepped in the back and brought out a scroll for easy transport. Yamato thanked him profusely and Sakura watched in awe as the child-size bed disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

He noticed after that stop that Sakura’s bright smile had dimmed somewhat. 

“Hey,” he prompted, “If you’re getting tired, I don’t mind taking one of those.”

“You’ll fall over,” Sakura said with the utmost  certainty, though her voice sounded less enthusiastic than it had half an hour ago. 

Yamato could tell she was beginning to tire out. Perhaps he had overestimated the stamina of a small child, or perhaps he hadn’t accounted for her to bear the burden of carrying all the bags. Blast this leg injury. He considered creating a wood-style clone to assist, but the clone would have the same injury. Annoyed at himself, Yamato finally pinpointed a problem he could fix. 

“You know, it’s been a while since we had breakfast." He mentioned. 

Sakura perked up at once. 

“...I am a little hungry,” she admitted, trying not to sound too eager. Yamato cursed himself for not considering the smaller stomach size of his tiny charge. 

They detoured to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. After eating a few dumplings and cups of water, Sakura’s energy seemed restored. Yamato admitted a little miserably to himself that he also felt better. It had been so long since he let himself enjoy whole food, so used to a life on the run with nothing but rations and soldier pills. His stomach and body felt refreshed. He could only imagine the relief for little Sakura. 

I have to stop thinking like black ops , Yamato told himself as they cleaned the table. Adjust to fit the mission. Adapt. Overcome. 

Right. He just had to stop thinking like ANBU and start thinking like… 

A little shiver went through him. 

What else was there? 

“Yamato?”

His eyes opened. 

Sakura stood beside him, looking up in concern. “Does your leg hurt?”

Yamato grabbed the excuse quickly, nodding sheepishly. “It does hurt a little bit… maybe that’s enough shopping for one day.” It was a better train of thought and it was sweet of Sakura to worry about him, a near stranger. “Let’s go back.”

On the walk back home, Yamato watched Sakura carefully for signs of fatigue. Sure enough, she seemed to tire easily. He resolved to discover if normal seven year olds wore out after a few hours at the market. Trained to be a weapon since his unnatural birth, Yamato never had the chance to dwell on his fatigue. It was something to be pushed through, a sign of weakness, one that ROOT would've snuffed out immediately. 

Lord Third’s warnings about her lingered in his mind. What would this have to do with her connection to Orochimaru? Theories began to form. Maybe Orochimaru deemed her defective, too weak, and in a strange show of mercy dumped her off at Konoha's doorstep. Maybe she wasn't tired at all, playing the part of a helpless little girl so that Yamato would let his guard down. At this point in his mission, those were all possibilities to consider. 

By the time they returned home, he had compiled a mental list of questions. He followed Sakura into the kitchen, who had started to put away their food with surprising efficiency for a tired kid. 

"So, you must not be used to such big crowds." Yamato started, trying to look casual as he propped one hip against the counter. Sakura nodded. "Konoha is a pretty big village. Did you live somewhere smaller before coming here?"

Sakura momentarily paused from her task to shrug her shoulders. "Dunno." 

Unperturbed, Yamato probed further. "Don't know where you lived or don't know how many people lived in your village?"

Another shrug. "I don't know where I used to live." 

Yamato did recall how the mission scroll stated that Sakura had selective amnesia. Still, something wasn't adding up. How could she remember never seeing large crowds, but not something as important as her hometown? 

Yamato paused, then decided to take a calculated risk. "Do you remember anything before coming here?"

Sakura flinched as if he yelled his question. He began to fear that he had ruined the tentative trust between them when she started wringing her hands together, but then,

"N-Not really. I think I remember my mom and dad tucking me into bed at night. Then, I woke up in the rain outside." The next part came monotoned, as if she told this story a million times before. "I was cold, so I started following the road until I saw some big gates. A man in a mask found me and took me inside." 

That was probably ANBU. What Sakura just told him was probably nothing already known by those who interrogated her. T&I were thorough.

That left the strange comment on her mother and father. She thought she remembered them? But if she was a clone of Orochimaru as some might believe, she wouldn't have had any parents. The uncertainty of her own memory casted further suspicion. 

Perhaps the snake Sannin implanted false memories in her? Yamato could see it now. Sakura, floating in a glass tube, hidden from the rest of the world much like he had. Her brief moments of consciousness would've had nothing but total isolation. Memories of a happier life would've kept her sane and most importantly, compliant. 

Yamato was about to question her on what she remembered about her parents when Sakura let out a jaw-cracking yawn.

Maybe now's not the best time to ask questions if she's too tired, Yamato thought to himself. He made a decision to leave it for tonight and ask more tomorrow, when they were both rested and with clearer heads. 

After dinner, Sakura changed into her new pajamas and watched as Yamato unfurled the scroll containing her futon. She watched with the same level of astonishment as in the shop when the futon popped back into existence. They bade each other good night and Yamato left her to sleep. 

Behind the safety of closed doors, Tenzou let out a sigh and ran his fingers through short, brown hair. He was starting to think that the Lord Third made a mistake assigning him to this mission. Surely there were other ANBU who were better equipped at dealing with children, perhaps the very few that were parents. He couldn't even use his own childhood as reference!

But what was done was done. Besides, he had fuck all else to do as his leg healed at a turtle's pace. He should be grateful that Hiruzen considered him for this mission at all. Tenzou only hoped that the Hokage wouldn't think less of him for having difficulty with a part-intel-gathering part-babysitting mission.

How hard could watching a child really be? 

Chapter Text

The next morning, Tenzou woke up to the smell of smoke.

Never in his life had he ran from one room to the next so quickly. 

The speed at which Tenzou entered the main room would have broken the sound barrier if it wasn't for his bum leg. The apartment's only other occupant, the little arsonist that no doubt started a fire, jolted in shock from her place at the stove. 

Yamato was just about to open his mouth to demand what her intentions were when a new smell hit his nose.

Eggs. Fried eggs. 

Yamato blinked. Sakura, oblivious of the malicious thoughts that he had for her moments before, greeted him.

"Good morning, Yamato. I'm sorry for burning the toast."

Yamato limped the rest of the way to the kitchen. Sure enough, there were pans on the stovetop. One frying an omelette, and the other boiling rice despite the perfectly good rice cooker next to her. Two slices of slightly-burned toast waited on otherwise two empty plates. 

Yamato silently cursed himself for overreacting to what amounted as a kind gesture on Sakura's part, then cursed himself again for letting his guard down to the point that he didn't hear a child moving around his own apartment. He was ANBU, dammit! A fly couldn't enter his room without it's presence being known. This was exactly the kind of thing he swore would not happen! 

"Are you mad?" Sakura asked in a small voice. She looked terrified at the prospect.

"No, it's just-- I smelled smoke-- I didn't know you could cook." Yamato admitted. "From now on, please ask me before you use the stove."

Sakura nodded eagerly, relief blossoming across her features. Yamato shooed her away, saying that he would finish cooking while she got dressed for the day. 

She returned just as he set their breakfast of omelettes over rice on the table, wearing a pink tank top and blue shorts bought the other day. He watched her take the first bite. ROOT conditioning helpfully reminded him that the smartest way to see if food was poisoned without drawing attention to one's self was to see if the person who cooked it ate it as well. 

Satisfied that Sakura didn't keel over and die after her first bite, Yamato tried the food. For a meal cooked by a seven year old, it wasn't bad at all. He knew several ANBU members who could barely cook instant ramen despite being highly-trained assassins so he considered this to be an impressive feat. 

While they ate, Yamato considered his mission parameters. Surely he wasn’t expected to stay cooped up inside with a seven year old all damn day long. He would send a message and inquire about additional mission specifics, such as when his torture might end. 

… Perhaps that was a tad overdramatic. 

Yamato pondered further. It wasn’t unlike other bodyguarding missions he had taken. Certainly the environment was much less hostile in his own home town. Still, he shouldn’t let his guard down. At least this client seemed to be cooperative, unlike previous ones who gave him a headache to recall. 

Considering everything, he really was getting off easy. Sakura could have been a little hellion. Instead, he was being paid generously to babysit a well-mannered little girl. The only offsetting thing about her was the supposed connection she had to Orochimaru and Yamato was beginning to doubt the validity of those claims. Bloodwork could be wrong, right? 

The Mokuton user pushed those thoughts right out of his mind. What was he thinking? Of course the girl was related to Orochimaru! He just didn’t have clearance to know how precisely. It wouldn't do to start doubting the word of the Lord Third.

“I’m finished,” Sakura announced. “May I be excused?”

“I’ll take your dishes,” Yamato said absent mindedly, still reorienting himself. It was odd that the mission was affecting him strongly enough to make him question the village leader. Perhaps his leg injury was affecting him more than he thought. His body did ache when he used it, even with the painkillers. Guilty, Yamato took care of the dishes while Sakura lingered in the kitchen. 

“Yamato?”

“Mm?”

“The books on the shelf,” Sakura continued, glancing into the living room. “Can I read some of them?”

Yamato looked up from the suds in the sink and his uncertain thoughts. The books Sakura had her eyes on were way out of her reading range. Of course, perhaps this was her way of entertaining herself, looking at the pictures in books.

Yamato nodded. “Help yourself. If you have trouble reading some of the words, let me know.” 

He seriously doubted she would ask him. His bookshelf contained a few practical guides to gardening, architecture, cook books that were gifts from his team, a handful of weapon sharpening/honing guides, and several desert-dry treaties on world history that only sometimes came in use when preparing for missions in other countries. Yamato returned to the dishes and his thoughts, though he did keep a mindful eye over one shoulder. 

Sakura took her time glancing from title to title. She eventually settled on a volume and went on her tip-toes to withdraw it. Her body wobbled a bit under the weight as she collected it from the shelf to bring onto the floor. Settling onto her stomach, Sakura opened the book and began to turn the pages. It was clear from the speed that she was just flipping through to see the pictures. Yamato took the distraction for what it was, some secure moments of peace and quiet, and finished tending to the kitchen. 

When he returned, Sakura blinked up at him and pointed to a particular word. 

“How do I pronounce this?”

Yamato glanced down. “That’s pituitary .”

He waited for her to ask what it meant, but with the confidence only a child could have, Sakura thanked him, repeated the word correctly, and returned to her reading. Yamato half smiled. Fine. If she wanted to pretend to read to entertain herself then that was good. Great, even. It gave him some free time to-

Pain shot up his leg. Yamato reconsidered the things he could do with an injured leg and a child to watch, even though Sakura was clearly capable of watching herself. He sat down at his table to rest his leg, and to observe Sakura as she continued her pretend-reading. 

Upon closer study, Yamato realized that Sakura wasn’t just flipping through pages. He watched in fascination as her keen eyes moved rapidly in a pattern that suggested, no, insisted comprehension. 

This seven-year-old was reading an anatomy textbook… 

For fun. 

“What’s your book about?” He asked, trying not to impart any of the worry he felt through his tone. 

“It’s about bodies,” Sakura reported dutifully. 

Yamato felt a chill go down his spine. He swallowed it down and attempted a smile instead. “Oh? Is that right?”

The little pink-haired girl nodded. “Mm-hm. I’m learning about bones and muscles and glands and how they all work together.”

Pituitary , Yamato’s bra in reminded him. A gland related to controlling growth and development. Was that normal for a seven-year-old to be interested in? Uncertainty took root as he watched Sakura return to her reading. Was he actively encouraging a relative of Orochimaru’s to take an interest in the human body?! This could only end poorly.

Was he overreacting? It wasn’t like she had many other things to do in his apartment. Maybe she was just bored, desperate enough to read a medical textbook to relieve her boredom. Perhaps he could lure Sakura from her thirst for knowledge by offering to take her to the park. It would strain his leg, but Yamato would tough it out. He hadn’t hit his max daily dose of painkillers yet. 

“Say, it’s really nice outside. Let’s go visit the park.”

Instead of delight, Yamato was met with a pleading face. 

“... Do we have to?” Sakura asked. 

His expectations were turned upside down. Weren’t all children supposed to love the park? Yamato realized that he needed more intel regarding children. Sakura looked forlorn at the prospect of being torn away from her book. 

A lightbulb popped over his head. 

“How about the library then?”

That pleading look turned into puzzlement.

“This is a library.”

Yamato looked over at his half-empty bookshelf, not knowing whether to be confused or pleased that Sakura considered his book collection a library.

“I meant the public library. Every major village has one.” He explained. “They have a lot more books there that you can borrow.”

It felt odd to explain to a child who knew what a pituitary gland was the concept of a public library. Yet Sakura’s eyes went wide in excitement. It was then Yamato realized that such a place was unheard of to her. 

“How many books are there?” Sakura asked with barely-contained enthusiasm. 

“It’s an entire building, so more than I can count.”

Sakura shot up from the floor at lightning speed. She hastily shoved the textbook back onto the shelf with no concern about putting it back in its original place. From there, she made a beeline to the front door. Yamato barely had enough time to gather his crutches before she announced that she was ready. They left together and Sakura took off at a brisk pace. 

So unlike the timid girl she was yesterday! Sakura was now chatting his ear off with a thousand questions a minute. What kind of books did they have? How long could they borrow the books for? Would she be able to reach all the books? Yamato tried his best to keep up, both with her questions and her high energy speedwalk. As they got closer, she willingly slipped her hand into his, claiming that she didn’t want to get lost in such a big place. The sensation of tiny fingertips threading against his much bigger palm struck home how much smaller Sakura was. 

Tenzou wisely ignored the little hiccup of his heart. 

For Yamato, this would be a win-win situation. His charge would have something to distract her as he observed her. As for him, he could gather valuable intel simply by letting Sakura choose whatever books she wanted. 

(And hopefully for both their sakes, she wouldn’t run straight to the medical section.)

 ~ ~ ~ 

An hour and one bagful of books later, the shinobi and the child were walking home.

Sakura was radiating pure delight as she swung the heavy canvas bag with her bounty. As they walked, Yamato heard her humming a jaunty tune under her breath.

Cruelly limited to only four books by the librarian, Sakura had eventually decided to borrow: a book of fairytales, some generic animal encyclopedia, a manga about a princess and her samurai, and finally, a travel guide of the Fire Country.

Yamato was surprised that Sakura had gravitated to the books aimed towards children her age. If she had minimal difficulty reading an academic text, he could see her easily breezing through such juvenile books. Oh well... Whatever made her happy and quiet. Besides, it would give him a viable excuse to leave his stuffy apartment once she undoubtedly finished everything in a day or two. 

Speaking of happy, Yamato was also feeling rather pleased with their visit. He killed two birds with one stone today, three if he counted the book of childhood development safely tucked under his arm. 

Sakura went ahead of him when they reached the door of the apartment complex. He watched as the little girl skipped ahead to hold open the door for him, and felt himself smiling at her despite himself. 

His report to the Hokage would certainly not be lacking in detail.  

Chapter Text

Years of tenure in ANBU had honed Tenzou's senses. He had become constantly aware of surroundings and the most minute changes in the environment. So when he heard a creak and the faintest whiff of smoke that no doubtedly came from a jutsu, there was no hesitation on his part. Bunking with a child for a week did nothing to dull his reaction time. The intruder barely set foot in Yamato’s apartment before coming face-to-face with the business end of a weapon. 

“Greetings, Captain,” Yamato said after swallowing very loudly. “Please knock next time.”

“Hey yourself,” Hatake Kakashi murmured in approval, watching with one impressed eye as Yamato guiltily pocketed his kunai knife. “Good to see you’re still in one piece.”

An annoyed tick itched at Yamato’s eye. 

“So little faith in me, Captain? It’s just babysitting duty. I’m hardly going to get rusty over the course of a single week!”

“I told you to drop the Captain thing. It’s just Kakashi.”

Conversation paused as both shinobi felt another pair of eyes on them. Sakura’s pink hair flashed as she was discovered mid-retreat. Yamato felt torn between going after her to reassure her and seeing Kakashi’s reaction. His hesitation lasted long enough for Kakashi to comment on it as he retreated back into the house. 

“Just babysitting?”

“Just a mission,” Yamato insisted over his shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

He found Sakura by following her chakra, faint as it was, to the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. Cautiously he knocked to announce himself though he was certain she could tell he was outside. 

“Hey. Is everything okay?”

“Who’s that man?” Sakura asked through the door.

“A friend.”

A friend that came to his house before breakfast. He would need to go back to see what his ANBU Captain needed, but before that, Tenzou wanted to make sure Sakura wasn’t upset. 

(Why he cared about that more than the teasing he’d endure from his Captain later was quickly crammed into the recesses of his brain.)

“Sakura, I’m going to go talk to my friend. You don’t have to come out but he’s not scary. You can meet him if you like.”

“She should, since I’ll be watching her all day,” said a voice mildly from over his shoulder. 

Yamato did his very best not to gut Kakashi for startling him. 

“Good reflexes,” Kakashi said, impressed with the shuriken half-dug into his armor. “You’re getting rusty, Cat-chan.”

“Don’t call me that,” Yamato hissed, mortified that Sakura might hear and repeat it. 

The door opened and Yamato realized that the sight of him with a metal shuriken half embedded in Kakashi’s stomach was not the best first impression. 

Sakura shrieked. 

“You’re killing him!”

Kakashi patted Yamato’s shoulder. An evil glint appeared in his eye. 

“You… got… me…”

“I will actually fucking stab you if you don’t stop right now, ” Yamato deadpanned under his breath and out of Sakura’s hearing range. 

Kakashi gave that threat the serious consideration it deserved before dropping to the floor and gasping out an incredibly realistic dying breath. 

Yamato stepped directly on his stomach as he walked past him into the bathroom, where Sakura was starting to hyperventilate. 

“He’s joking.” Yamato said firmly, both hands coming down to rest on Sakura’s shoulders. “It’s a joke.”

“A-A joke?” She didn't sound convinced.

“A joke. A terrible, bad, awful joke.”

“He’s not dying?” Sakura half sobbed, blinking tears out of her big green eyes. 

“He’s not dying,” Yamato confirmed. 

“I’m not dying.” Kakashi parroted, though he did remain lying in a heap of limbs just outside the bathroom floor. 

Sakura wiped her nose quickly and reconsidered the not-dying man with a frosty look. 

“....I think I hate you.”

Yamato did his absolute damnedest to not laugh at that. 

They walked over Kakashi’s prone form, pointedly ignoring the yelp of protest as they headed past him back to the main room. As they went, Sakura rubbed her face completely dry on the back of her hand. Her eyes were swollen red, so Yamato handed her a cup of water. After a few sips she asked, “Why do you need to go?”

“I have to report to the Hokage.” Yamato replied. 

“Can’t I come with you?”

His initial response to this was stopped short by the pleading look in her eyes. 

She didn’t want him to leave her. 

It resonated strongly with him but the mission had to come first. Still, it wouldn't do to leave Sakura’s trust in him broken within the first week. Yamato took the glass from her hands and placed them into his own. He considered the size difference with a brief smile before speaking directly to her. 

“I have to go alone. You can’t come with me but I won’t be gone long. Kakashi is a very good friend of mine. Even though he played a mean joke earlier, I think you might really like him if you get to know him." Yamato leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Just don’t tell him I said that.”

“He’s sneaky,” Sakura whispered conspiratorially. 

“All good ninja are.”

“Flattery will get you forgiveness for trying to murder me.” Kakashi’s voice announced from the other room. “Still dying, just so you know.”

“Are not,” Sakura shot back straight away, “you’re still talking.”

“Are too. Dying people talk all the time,” Kakashi argued back. “I’m on death’s doorstep.”

“Are not! You're just laying on the floor!”

“And I am leaving ,” Yamato cut in deftly. “Kakashi-senpai, I’ll be back before noon. It’s early--please, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Make sure Sakura gets something to eat.”

“Sure,” Kakashi said, heading to the kitchen. “I’ve got eight dogs. Can’t be too different.”

Yamato looked down to his leg where Sakura had trotted over to tug at his side. 

“Please take me with you.”

He couldn't bottle a snort at the pure contempt in her tiny judgmental face. Kakashi from the kitchen shot her a wounded look even as he managed to smack over a stack of bowls. His lightning quick reflexes saved everything, though he did look rather like an octopus handling all the falling dishes. 

Sakura looked at him, the dishes, then proceeded to give Yamato the most pleading expression her face was capable of.

“Please?”

“I am so, so sorry,” Yamato said truthfully. “I would if I could.”

“Hey!” Kakashi shouted. 

“I’ll be back soon. Sakura. Kakashi-senpai.”

Please don't kill each, Yamato prayed as he departed. 

~ ~ ~ 

Tenzou arrived in the Hokage’s office and nearly upended another set of dishes. 

He righted himself in confusion, steadying the plates and cups, and looked up to the Lord Third’s smirk hidden behind a familiar pipe. 

“Welcome. Have a seat.”

Tea, Tenzou wondered as he accepted a seat in the place he usually knelt. It was a little surreal. Sharing tea with the Lord Third Hokage? Perhaps his mission had more importance than he’d first assumed. 

“So,” The Sandaime began, gesturing toward the cup intended for him with the long end of his pipe. “It’s been some time since our last chat. Tell me what you think of your mission so far.”

The mission. Right. Tenzou relaxed a little. The tea wasn’t a test. It was an atmospheric application of social pressure to make him speak more freely. Recognizing the technique helped put his mind back into the soldier mode it was so used to. Tenzou felt his report roll off the tongue as intended. 

The Lord Third nodded here and there as he spoke. The older man didn’t seem surprised by any of the information. If anything, the comfort of routine settled into Tenzou's bones as his superior took a long drag from his pipe, smoke filling the room as they took tea together. 

“...so, while she hasn’t been a burden, I was wondering about the stipend.”

“Hmm?”

“The funds for her care,” Tenzou specified. 

“Have the funds you received been insufficient?” 

Tenzou frowned. He’d received no funds yet, though obviously Hokage-sama was under the impression that he had. 

Something was amiss. Did he want to admit there had been a lapse in communications, or that there might be a thief among them? Doing so would be an insult to the Lord Third, wouldn’t it? But he couldn’t pay for a child’s needs out of pocket with a mission that had no concrete end date. 

“It’s sufficient,” Tenzou murmured into his tea, “although, I am encountering… unexpected technical difficulties.”

“Technical difficulties?”

Embarrassed, Tenzou hid half his face in the tea cup before giving his answer. 

“I don’t have much experience interacting with children,” he admitted finally. 

The Hokage gave a compassionate smile. 

"I see what you mean," he said with a knowing grin. "You want additional funds for more activities to do with Sakura." 

Tenzou nearly spat out his tea. "No-- That’s not-- What I meant was-"

The Lord Third shook his head with a little chuckle. "There is no need to be flustered. Children can be quite expensive, after all."

Tenzou had to keep his jaw from dropping as the Sandaime pulled out a thick envelope no doubt filled with ryo. He slid it casually across the table as if passing a note and not an amount of money that could pay for the soldier's rent several times over. 

"Hokage-sama, as generous as this is I couldn't possibly accept-"

"Not another word." The Hokage said firmly. He pushed the money closer to Tenzou until the younger man was forced to accept it. "All I ask is that you be responsible."

Tenzou nodded, hands shaking as he held the envelope close to his chest. "I won't spend it all in one place."

Though he hadn't meant for his words to be amusing, Hiruzen laughed heartily. 

"Excellent! Now, I won't keep you from your mission any longer. Keep up the good work, Cat."

From his seated position Tenzou grabbed his crutches before standing up with their support. He departed with the lowest bow he could manage and made a painful retreat from the Hokage's office. He would forever live with this shame.

An ANBU soldier stood guard outside the door. One of senpai's new recruits, Yamato noted when he saw the curve of a crow's beak on his mask. Itachi Uchiha, his memory supplied, the youngest person to ever become ANBU. The younger man nodded and fell in step beside Yamato. 

“Good afternoon,” Yamato murmured in greeting, curious at the company. 

“Hello Cat-senpai.”

“Please, call me Yamato,” Tenzou found himself asking. “I’m on a mission.”

Crow nodded. “Yamato, then. I don’t mean to be forward but I couldn't help overhearing-" Tenzou took no offense to the eavesdropping; everyone knew that the walls had ears,"-if you’re having difficulties with your assignment, I might have some insight relative to your interests.”

“How so?”

“I have a younger brother.”

Yamato stopped walking and faced Crow. “You do?"

"Yes, he is around the same age as your ward."

Yamato knew in theory that it was only natural for ANBU soldiers to have lives outside of their jobs. There was the slightest inflection of fondness in Crow's tone when he spoke of his brothers. Still, it was always a startling revelation to Tenzou, who's work and daily life weaved together.

He realized that Crow was waiting for him to respond. "Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated." 

Crow stood to attention as if to give a mission report. Yamato found himself too flustered to ask him to stand at ease. "Young children tend to be wary of adults who are not family. Like small animals, they speak in emotions, not words. They can sense fear and smell deception. In order to gain their trust you must act as they do, without ulterior motive…”

Yamato nodded, keeping a straight face though his thoughts threatened to fly apart. How was he supposed to speak in emotions?! But Crow pressed on, his voice very thoughtful, and he did have a younger brother, so Yamato took careful note of his every word. 

“It helps to have a clear mind and direct thoughts. Children are simple. Their desires are far from complex, driven by their feelings. They can tell if you are trying to trick them and so the trick is to not trick them, and just exist,” Crow imparted in a monotone that suggested a perfectly straight face. “Then they will accept you.”

He nodded, and it was so confident despite making absolutely no sense, that Yamato found himself nodding along. 

“I have to… just… exist,” Yamato repeated, trying to wrap his mind around the bizarre concept. Crow nodded again. 

“Don’t think about it,” Crow said sagely. “They’re not thinking either.”

Sakura certainly was thinking, Yamato thought in her defense. She wasn’t stupid. But Itachi sounded utterly convinced of his own advice and Yamato had come to him, so he mumbled his thanks and excused himself. 

He turned the younger man’s advice over in his head on the walk back home. Just exist. Just exist?! And Sakura would trust him. But he already was existing, and Sakura showed no signs of offering up information on herself. Perhaps there was a trick to it? Crow had years of experience while Yamato had none. He could try just existing, and see how it went. 

First he had to get home. 

~ ~ ~

Yamato found the two occupants of his apartment nose-deep in their respective books. Sakura glanced up at the sound of the door closing while Kakashi didn’t lift his eyes; merely waved from his position slouched over Yamato’s chair. 

“Yo.”

“Welcome back,” Sakura said much more politely, giving her book her full attention right after. 

“I’m back,” Yamato replied. He paused in the doorway to observe. Sakura looked the same as she ever did: quiet, withdrawn, invested in her children’s book. Kakashi made eye contact and shrugged--nothing to report, he said with a bored series of ANBU hand gestures. 

Yamato tried not to show the disappointment on his face. It wasn’t Kakashi-senpai’s job to gather information on Sakura after all, though he had hoped that the senior ANBU member might have picked up on something in his absence. 

“Thank you very much,” he said as Kakashi stood. “I appreciate your…”

“It’s fine,” Kakashi cut in, stretching. “Wanted to read the latest edition of Icha-Icha without any distractions.”

Yamato choked. 

“You read--”

Kakashi rolled his visible eye. 

“She’s seven,” he said, emphasizing the contempt he felt for the concern in Yamato's voice.  

Still, he couldn't help signing a little desperately for Kakashi to read something else, anything else, next time if he had Sakura-sitting duty. Kakashi threw up a mock salute, vanishing into a cloud of smoke before Yamato could respond. 

Sakura's head perked up once more. “He’s gone.”

Putting brief thoughts of homicide and defecting from the Leaf Village out of his mind, Yamato turned around. 

“Yeah, that’s something he can do.”

Here was a perfect opportunity, Yamato realized. Sakura was still looking up at him. He tried very hard to put Crow’s advice to use to get Sakura to trust him a little more. Just… exist. 

Sakura’s expression slowly shifted into a look of concern. 

“...are you okay?” She asked eventually. “You look like you need the toilet.”

Crow was an idiot, Yamato decided, as his cheeks went pink with humiliation. 

“It’s fine. What are you reading?”

Sakura gave him one more wary look before turning the book to its cover. There was a little girl on the cover wearing a red cloak, with a wolf over one shoulder and a basket in her arm. Yamato recognized it as a children's tale of caution of walking alone and unarmed in the woods. 

"Ah, Little Red Riding Hood." He commented. "Do you… like it so far?"

Sakura nodded. “It’s good.”

Yamato waited, but Sakura didn’t say more. Instead her attention returned to the pages of the book. 

Feeling awkward, Yamato sought a book of his own. He sat down in the spot Kakashi had vacated and opened the book to a page, letting his eyes wander. The words provided an escape from the worry in his heart. 

This was proving to be one of the more challenging missions he’d been on. Gathering intel on a child he was responsible for watching seemed impossible now that he was doing it. How was he supposed to learn anything about Sakura without arousing her suspicions? It was just like Crow had said, she could sense his mood. What kind of training had she received to be able to pick up on his masked insecurities? Or did all children come with such finely-tuned emotional radars? It stung a little that he had no memories of such a time where other people's emotions came easy to him. Knowing others' true intentions was the hardest thing to learn when he left ROOT, and ANBU hardly encouraged emotional behavior either. 

So engrossed in his quasi self-pity, Yamato failed to notice Sakura looking up from her book and at him.

"What are you reading?"

He blinked down at her and her inquisitive gaze.

"Oh, um, it's a book on architecture."

He thought that would be the end of her questioning, that Sakura was simply asking out of politeness. Yet her eyes didn't leave him. 

"It's a book about how to build houses?"

"Not exactly. It's more about the different styles of buildings around the world and why they look the way they do."

How quickly the situation changed! Sakura went on to ask a few more questions before returning to her own reading. The key to gaining the little girl's trust now seemed so simple that Yamato felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.

Sakura liked to read. Seeing an adult participating in the same activity as her put her more at ease. Therefore, she was more willing to speak to them and maybe even trust them. Perhaps that was why Yamato had returned to Sakura and Kakashi-senpai in peaceful cohabitation rather than the former locking herself back in the bathroom as he feared she would. To think, if Kakashi wasn't so determined to fuck with his kouhai via traumatizing his charge, maybe she would've even spoken to him.

Yamato returned to his book, mind more at ease. Just exist . He wondered if Itachi was the type to scrutinize every aspect of life or if such philosophical musings came naturally to him. Regardless, Tenzou knew one thing for certain,

That kid has a bright future ahead of him.

Chapter Text

The thing about this mission that keeps Yamato on his toes is how deceptively simple it is. 

Watch a child. Gather information about a child, from a child, the child that is living under his roof, with him, that child. It should be so simple that even a genin could do it. And yet Yamato found himself, a black-ops ANBU operative, with no more information than he had four days ago. 

It isn’t as though Sakura is secretive in nature. She’s a child, after all. Crow’s advice had been priceless in gathering what little information he does have about her. She liked reading all sorts of things, ranging from children’s fairy tales to medical texts to gardening tips and tricks. She liked to people-watch. She prefers tea to water. She uses her right hand though he has seen her use the left. She has pink hair, green eyes, and doesn’t talk very much. 

It was getting to the point that Tenzou wanted to pull his hair out. It was frustrating because it would be so easy to ask Sakura questions about where she came from or what her connection to Orochimaru was, but he’s positive if the Lord Third wanted information taken so bluntly he would have left her with T&I. Instead, she’s dozing off on Yamato’s couch next to a mug of lukewarm tea and a new book from the local library, snug as a bug under the blanket they’d purchased for her, little toes tucked in and a smile on her lips.  

There was one silver lining to the whole situation: his leg was beginning to feel better. He could get back to training as soon as he’s cleared at the hospital. Only, Kakashi-senpai is out on a week-long mission, and Yamato wasn't sure who else besides Crow he could trust to help watch Sakura while he visited the hospital. 

He was still mulling over the problem when he heard a sharp intake of breath. When he glanced back to the couch, Sakura’s countenance had changed. Her nose was scrunched, her brows were pulled tight, and she began to toss and twist under the covers. Before he could cross the room she snapped out of sleep. 

Sakura sat straight up and started crying. 

Somewhat helplessly, Yamato worried over what to do. Go over and try to comfort the crying child? Let her cry it out? What would Crow do if his little brother started crying? Just existing didn’t feel like the right answer. Yamato left his own concerns behind and joined Sakura in the living room where she was drawing the blanket closer around her. 

“Hey. Everything alright?”

“I’m fine,” Sakura insisted quickly, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. 

“You don’t look fine,” Yamato said softly, kneeling to be at her eye level. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“I said I’m fine!”

The volume shocked him more than anything. Sakura was so small. She’d never shouted at him before. The scared look on her face felt like a physical blow to his gut. Yamato didn’t know what to do. He was out of his depth, and Sakura looked so upset. He tried to explain himself. 

“You’re crying and it looks like something is wrong. Do you want to tell me about it?”

Sakura shook her head fiercely, green eyes narrowed and full of distrust. 

“No! You don’t care!” 

“What makes you think that?” He continued cautiously.

“I heard you,” Sakura said, voice charged with emotion. “You said I’m just some mission, a baby sitting… thing! You don’t really care about me. You're just forced to watch me! Well, that’s fine! I don’t care about you either!”

She turned and dashed for the bathroom. He could easily flash-step over and block her path, but Yamato knew it would only drive the division between them deeper. He had to fix this--but how?! He was running out of options. The bathroom door slammed shut during his moment of indecision. 

Now he had a seven year old barricaded in his bathroom, crying, upset and angry at him. Yamato felt that sense of helplessness return. How was he supposed to be prepared for this kind of situation!? He could hit a target from nearly 500 meters off. He could scale a building, infiltrate any room, steal heavily guarded information. He was a professional! How was a child giving him this much trouble?!

“I don’t care what your boss told you!" Sakura continued, voice muffled by the wood door. "I’m just me! Leave me alone!”

Great, Yamato thought, fighting the headache threatening to overtake his senses. Now she’s hysterical. 

“Look,” he said tiredly at the bathroom door. “Can I come in--or can you come out? We shouldn’t shout at each other through a door.”

“No! I’m not coming out! Ever!”

Yamato snorted. “I seriously doubt that.”

“I can stay in here indefinitely!”

“Oh really? What are you going to do about food?"

The silence stretched between them. Yamato could practically hear the gears turning in Sakura's brain as she tried to come up with an answer. I really shouldn't be getting such petty pleasure from stumping a child, he thought.

"...The human body can survive thirty days without food." 

Wonderful, along with his rapidly-approaching migraine, Yamato was now also thoroughly creeped out. He really needed to put that anatomy book somewhere out of her reach. 

Fine, if this was the game she wanted to play-

"An adult human body can survive thirty days without food." Yamato corrected her. "You'll starve to death long before that."

"Shut up!" Those two words alone were enough to send him reeling. Was this the same polite little girl from just a few hours ago? Did such words even exist in her vocabulary? "You don't really care if I die! You only care because your boss will be angry at you!"

Something tightened in Yamato's throat. It saddened him more than anything that Sakura thought having a child die on his watch wouldn't affect him in any meaningful way. He had seen kids die before, either struck dead in the line of duty or dying in the filthy streets of some destitute village. It was never an easy thing to witness, no matter how many times he had been told to steel his heart to such tragedies.  

He tried jiggling the door handle, not surprised to find it locked. It wasn't getting in that was the problem, no, Yamato could easily think of a thousand ways of getting into a locked room, especially one in his own house. But as emotionally-stunted as he was, even he knew suddenly appearing in the bathroom would solve nothing.

In a moment of weakness, Yamato sighed and leaned against the bathroom door. 

"I just… I don't understand," he said, letting his frustration get the better of him, "you were fine earlier, but now you won't tell me why you're crying and you're acting like a--"

"Like a what?" Sakura challenged him. Crow was right, children could sense fear.

"Like a brat!"

"Well, you're acting like a pillock!" 

The sheer bizarreness of being insulted with a nonsense word made Yamato momentarily forget the situation at hand. 

"What the--that's not even a real word."

"Is too! I’ve heard it before!"

"Just because you heard someone use it doesn't make it a real word." 

"It is a real word! Look it up, it's in the dictionary!"

They were getting off-topic. Yamato shouldn't be entertaining this spite-fuelled tantrum, shouldn't even have brought it up, but what else could he do? Continue shouting at the door? Just existing got him nowhere. And Sakura sounded way too confident that her gibberish was official enough to be found in a dictionary.

Yamato made his footsteps audible as he walked over to their shared bookshelf. He wasn't surprised to see that his dictionary had been moved to a lower shelf at some point. Sakura never was content on guessing a word's meaning through context alone. He flipped through the pages until he reached the P section. 

"Is it in there?" Sakura called out, impatient for an answer. 

It was in there. 

pillock

a stupid person

There are moments in life when a person has to step back and take in how strange living on this planet truly is. Yamato did just that, letting the surrealness of his situation wash over him like a tidal wave. 

Here he was, an ANBU operative with the ultra-rare Wood Release ability, being insulted through his bachelor pad's dingy bathroom by a child who was distantly related to the person who gave him the ultra-rare Wood Release ability through years of unethical experimentation. 

A child, who apparently had a vocabulary large enough that Yamato was forced to pull out a dictionary to find out that he was being called an idiot. 

All because he broke his goddamn leg a few weeks back. 

Yamato's philosophical musings were cut short when Sakura repeated her question. He dreaded admitting that she was right, but a good soldier knew when he was defeated. 

"...pillock is a real word."

No physical barrier could hide the smug smile that seeped into Sakura's tone. "See? I told you!"

It was then Yamato realized he had forgotten an important piece of Itachi's advice. Children speak in emotions. Without thinking about it too much, he tried apologizing. 

“I’m sorry you’re upset.”

Sakura’s chakra was by the door, so he knew she was listening. 

“...want to come out of the bathroom now?”

“...No.”

Why not? Yamato wondered. Then recalling Crow’s advice again, voiced his concerns out loud. 

“Why don’t you want to come out?”

Sakura’s answer was a few careful moments in coming. When it did come, it was quiet, and Yamato had to strain to hear her voice from behind the door. 

“...It’s cold.”

Okay, that answer made no sense, but at least she was talking to him now. Small improvements were still improvements.

Yamato glanced over to the blanket she had abandoned in her mad dash to the bathroom. An image of Sakura in her thin nightwear huddled on the tile floor popped into his mind. Suddenly, her words were making a bit more sense.

"I can reheat your tea for you." He offered. 

There wasn’t a reply, but the door did click unlocked. It didn’t open. Yamato took the obvious cue and left to gather her tea. By the time he had it properly warm again, Sakura was back on the couch, wrapped up in the blanket. She looked frazzled, pink hair mussed and cheeks a soft red from all of that pent up emotion. 

Unsure of what to say, Yamato gave her the tea, and sat to wait. 

His patience paid off: Sakura took a few sips, snuggled in with her blanket, and began to talk of her own accord. 

“...earlier, I had a bad dream." Sakura admitted quietly. "It started off very nice, I was in a garden with a pond and a red bridge. I was lying under a big cherry blossom tree…" Her smile fell. "...then it got dark. I was all alone until these yellow snake eyes came out of nowhere."

Yamato’s heart momentarily stopped. 

As much as he wanted to unravel more of Sakura’s mysterious connection with Orochimaru, reliving anything that had to do with serpent summons could wait until morning. It would be safer once she wasn't so emotional.

“It was just a dream. Dreams can’t hurt you,” he said with quiet confidence. 

Sakura sniffed. "I know." 

She returned to silence, still offput by the experience. Feeling a kinship with her discomfort, Yamato found himself talking without much thought put behind his words. 

“We’re not so different, you know. I don’t remember my parents either.”

Sakura’s green eyes fixed on him. “You don’t?”

“No. When I was your age I was all on my own. I lived in Konoha under the Lord Fourth’s tenure, until the Nine-Tail’s attack. Back then every day was just figuring out how to survive, get by day to day. I’m grateful that there’s peace now.”

“You were all alone, too?”

“Not all alone,” Yamato relented, “I had some friends. They helped me get by. It wasn’t so lonely after that.”

Team Ro had been instrumental in breaking his ROOT mindset. In ANBU, whether it be a philosophy or out of pure necessity, teamwork was key. And save for the rare exception such as Itachi, an operative's team was the closest many of them had to a family. Were they a bunch of assholes who teased him mercilessly sometimes? Yes, but in the end, Tenzou was grateful for them. 

“Friends… you don’t mean that weirdo with the silver hair?” Sakura asked, making a face.

Yamato snorted. 

“Kakashi-senpai isn’t weird, he’s…” perpetually late, antisocial, reads porn in plain sight, “...okay, he’s a little weird, but he’s my friend. Please have some respect for your elders.”

Sakura looked like she wanted to argue the point but under Yamato’s expectant look, finally nodded. The return of her manners let a wave of relief wash through him. Things seemed to be getting back to normal. Whatever normal was. 

Friends, Yamato thought as they got ready to turn in for the night. Of course. Sakura needed friends of her own age, people who understood her on an emotional level.

But there was one question, one worry, that lingered in the back of his mind.

Who would be Sakura's friend? 

Chapter Text

Friends, Sakura needed friends. 

Yamato would help Sakura get friends if it killed him. 

Purely in the interest of the mission, of course! Friends would help her adjust better to her new life, would help her learn how to open up to others more. And so long as she didn't start summoning snakes or poking the other children with sharp needles, there was virtually no danger in letting Sakura out into the general public! 

The first person he tried to approach about this delicate matter was Crow. After all, he was the one who gave him the advice about children. Surely he would know something about how kids made friends. Yet much to Yamato's disappointment, once he gathered the courage to ask Crow he discovered that the younger ANBU operative had left for a long-term mission. 

That left one person on his very short list of people he could speak to about this.

"Kakashi-senpai, how do you make friends?"

His captain didn't respond immediately, leaving Tenzou in suspense as he turned a page of his erotica novel.

"What's wrong, Cat-Chan? Are you getting too good for me?"

Tenzou let the embarrassing nickname slide for now. They were alone in the hallway of his apartment building, no other chakra signatures close by. Kakashi had Sakura-sitting duties again today when Tenzou had gone to the hospital for a healing session. 

"No, I'm not asking for me," he insisted, "I'm asking for… Sakura."

His senpai's uncovered eye looked up at him. For Kakashi, it was the closest he could get to looking shocked. 

"You're asking me how a seven year old girl can make friends with other seven year olds?"

Tenzou nodded sheepishly. 

That black eye stared into him for a little longer until Kakashi responded with a shrug. 

"You're barking up the wrong tree," Kakashi said, pun fully intended no doubt, "I wasn't exactly known for my friend-making skills as a kid. Quite the opposite, in fact."

No matter how much Tenzou personally disliked it, Kakashi had earned his moniker, Friend-Killer Kakashi. Still, he couldn't help but let the disappointment roll over him. 

"I know. It's just--I can't just throw Sakura into the park and expect her to walk out with a dozen new friends."

"Why not? Plenty of other kids manage to do that."

"Sakura isn't like other children." He insisted. "She's withdrawn. Other kids might overwhelm her if we go out in public. When we’re out together she doesn’t seem interested in other people. She would rather sit inside all day and read.”

Having no helpful response to that, Kakashi said nothing. Instead, he let his eye wander over Tenzou's body, now no longer being supported with the help of crutches. 

"Want to think this over a spar session?"

Tenzou nearly wept in happiness from the offer. The medic-nins finally cleared him for light training and exercises, and not a moment too soon. The man was ready to jump out of his skin with all the sitting around he'd been forced to do for his leg's sake.

In his excitement, Tenzou almost forgot about one important thing. 

"Ah, but what about Sakura--"

"She can come with us." Kakashi said, closing his book and tucking it away. "The training field is big enough that she won't get in the way. Just have her bring a book and she'll be out of our hair." 

~ ~ ~

Which was where Tenzou found himself now. Completing his pre-workout stretches with one pair of curious, emerald eyes watching his moves and one coal eye critically observing his. 

“Relax,” Kakashi said as he finished his own stretches. “I won’t even use my right hand.”

Tenzou gritted his teeth. 

“You’ll regret it,” he warned. “Just because I’ve been off duty doesn’t mean I’ve gotten rusty.”

He ducked when the shuriken flew past, standing back to attention and cocking an eyebrow. Kakashi half shrugged, pointedly putting one arm behind his back and fishing for another set of throwing stars with the other. 

“We’ll see about that, kitty cat.”

Sakura watched with bated breath as the two shinobi disappeared in a clash of steel and sparks. Dust flew up in their wake as they traded blows. Kakashi let loose several volleys of throwing stars. Tenzou deflected most of them and dodged the rest, countering with a handful of his own. The attack forced Kakashi to retreat into the trees, disappearing again from sight. Tenzou smirked and formed the hand signs for his wood style, melting right down into the earth. 

On the edge of their battle, Sakura hardly blinked. Her green eyes tracked every motion with awe, the book she had brought with her long forgotten. 

The battle raged across the training field. Both figures appeared for a few moments before vanishing into smoke, flickering here and there with incredible speed. At some point Sakura was sure she was seeing double; there were four Kakashis and two Yamatos. Some of them burst into smoke but one of them bled. Sakura found herself too enthralled to care about the blood.

“No, don't apologize,” Kakashi’s voice scolded as the dust settled. “You said I’d regret it.”

“Still-”

“Most people would be psyched about being right, y’know.” Cracking his knuckles, Kakashi withdrew a plaster from his pouch and applied it over the cut on his forearm. Instead of returning his arm behind his back, Kakashi held it out in front of him. “Well? Show me what else you’re made of.”

The pounding of her pulse was all Sakura could hear as the two ninja clashed again. 

The fight was getting even wilder. Earth rose up in chunks. Water erupted from the ground like a geyser. At one point there was a fireball that scorched the air. It all happened so quick. It was hard to keep up with who did what.

And then they were racing up off the ground, straight up a tree, to fight in the foliage. 

Sakura’s gasp of delight stole Tenzou’s attention for a crucial instant. 

“I want to do that!”

His view of Sakura was eclipsed by smoke and leaves. Cursing himself for letting his guard down, Tenzou turned around, right into Kakashi’s roundhouse kick. 

The force of the blow sent him straight down out of the canopy with a crash. 

~ ~ ~

Two worried voices were talking, but Tenzou couldn't hear them over the ringing in his ears. His head was pounding. Vaguely he realized that he was being dragged upright. His senses told him that Kakashi-senpai was nearby, and his chakra wasn’t heightened the way it was in battle, so most likely they were safe. Still, he tried to pull his brain out of the dazed state he was in. Why was he in a dazed state?

“...there. See? I told you he wasn’t dead.”

Kakashi-senpai sounded a lot less laissez-faire than normal. He even sounded a little worried to Tenzou’s ears. Why was Kakashi-senpai worried? Had something happened? What was the last thing they were doing? He tried to think as he was set upright on the dirt and dusted off by four hands, two big, two little. 

As his vision cleared to two worried faces, Yamato abruptly realized why he’d been dragged out of the dirt, and turned a sour look on his senpai. 

Kakashi scrambled to explain himself.

“It was going to be a glancing blow--you turned into it.”

The worst part was, Yamato believed him. Only he’d been distracted for a moment…

“Are you okay?”

...by that voice. Even with the pounding in his skull, Tenzou couldn't bring himself to be upset with Sakura. It was his own fault he’d gotten his ass handed to him. At least he didn't fall on his leg. He could enjoy Kakashi’s poorly concealed guilt about it for a while, so he rubbed his sore jaw where the kick had connected and put on a brave face. 

“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

Sakura instantly turned a furious look on the silver-haired ninja.

“You! You kicked his face!”

Kakashi yelped as Sakura hopped over and kicked at his ankles. 

“Enough,” Yamato snapped, “Sakura, Kakashi!”

The two stopped and guiltily turned his way. Sakura stuck her tongue out at Kakashi when she thought he wasn’t looking, which nearly made Yamato crack a grin. When they started acting a little less like children, he felt his blood pressure come back down. 

“Okay. Sakura? What caught your eye back then? You were really excited about something.”

Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

“ You walked up a tree, ” she exclaimed. “That’s so cool! I wanna do that!”

“You can't do that--”

“It’s like this,” Kakashi began. “First, you gather chakra. Then--”

“Kakashi,” Yamato cut in with a helpless air. “Kakashi-senpai, what good is theory if she can’t gather chakra?” It would only disappoint Sakura knowing how to do it then not being able to, so why bother explaining in the first place? "Don’t get her hopes up--”

Kakashi's eye went the widest he'd ever seen.

"What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, his fearless captain pointed behind him. Yamato spun around and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Up, up, she went.  

Sakura was taking careful steps up the side of a tree like she was taking a stroll down the block.

Kakashi even clapped. 

“Like this, right?”

“Like that,” Kakashi called back, pride evident in his tone as Yamato choked on his tongue in disbelief. “Perfect control. Try going on the underside of a branch. Pick a thick one.”

“Okay!”

Stop! Yamato wanted to scream as Sakura moved to walk up underneath a branch, step by calculated step. He was too late to stop her. Suddenly the fragile little girl he was supposed to be watching was standing upside down on a tree branch. 

Worry flooded him like it hadn’t before. What if she fell? What if she slipped? What if her control faltered for an instant?! He was already half way over before he realized he was walking her way. 

“Sakura, it’s okay--”

“Easy,” said a soothing voice as a hand closed on the back of his vest. “You’ll spook her, then she’ll fall.”

“That’s why I’m going over!” Yamato hissed, trying to get out of Kakashi’s grip. The older ninja shook his head and nodded in Sakura’s direction.

“Look, watch how she walks. The distribution of her chakra is perfect. Even I have trouble getting it that precise. She’s a natural." Even Kakashi, a child prodigy, sounded impressed by her skill. "She won’t fall, but she might if she loses concentration because you made a fuss.”

Kakashi’s calm tones soothed Yamato's frayed nerves. The absence of concern in his Captain’s voice allayed the fear trying to crawl up his throat. By the time Sakura even noticed he had moved, his worry was gone. She walked down the side of the tree and over to her minders. 

“Yamato? Is everything okay? You look like you need the toilet again.”

“You know what I am feeling a little unwell, probably because I got kicked in the face , would you excuse us?” Yamato said rather quickly, taking Kakashi’s arm in his and dragging him off to one side a little out of earshot. 

Sakura watched them go with a curious tilt of her head, shrugged her shoulders, then walked over to her abandoned book to read.

~ ~ ~

"I don't know what the big deal is." Kakashi said much too casually. Tenzou wished he would start taking this as seriously as he was.

"She just walked up a tree perfectly like it was nothing! On her first try!" Tenzou hissed. 

Kakashi's eye crinkled up into a smile. "A genjutsu expert in the making. Maybe even a medic-nin."

"I doubt she even knows what chakra is! How the hell can she control something she doesn't know exists?!" 

All his captain could offer him was a shrug. "For some, chakra control is like breathing. You don't think about it. You just do it." 

Tenzou highly doubted that. Yes, for the very lucky few, chakra control came easily to them but even then, tree-walking was only possible after serious study in chakra theory.

Did Sakura dig out one of his old textbooks on chakra? Tenzou never did throw out his Academy books just in case he one day he developed a serious case of amnesia and forgot everything he knew about being a ninja. 

(A little healthy paranoia never hurt anyone)

There were more worrying implications about this as well. What if Sakura wasn't telling him something? What if her exceptional chakra control was a direct result of her shared blood with Orochimaru? He thought back to the first night she came into his care, how silently she had moved. Tenzou didn't even entertain the idea that it was due to some excellent chakra control on her part, but now it seemed to be the only logical explanation.

Kakashi saw the worry on his kouhai's face. "Hey. If it concerns you that much, we can run a few tests to see how good she really is." 

Yes, that sounded like the best thing to do before Tenzou ran to the Hokage screaming his mission update. The younger ninja nodded in approval of the idea. 

The two young ANBU walked back over to Sakura who once again was absorbed in whatever world her book weaved for her. 

"So, twerp--" Kakashi skillfully avoided the elbow Yamato aimed at his ribs, "--that was some pretty impressive stuff you did back there. Tree walking is hard."

"It was hard." Sakura amended. "It was like walking up a really steep hill and I had to think super hard the whole time."

"Hm, I bet. Do you want to know what's really hard to do?" Kakashi left the question hanging with a dramatic pause. "...Water walking."

Sakura glanced up from her book to the lanky shinobi. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "That's impossible, only bugs and basilisks can do that." 

"Don't know what a basilisk is, but I assure you it's possible. Here.”

Sakura’s eyes stayed glued to Kakashi as he headed out to the nearby lake. She didn't dare  blink as he stepped onto the water’s surface, the lake rippling under every step. Kakashi walked ten paces before turning around. He couldn’t help smiling at the laser-like focus Sakura had him pinned under. Something about her curious nature was interesting to him. It would be even more interesting if she could get this on the first try the way she had with tree-walking. 

“So? Do you believe me now?”

She was already making her way to the water’s edge. 

Yamato hurried forward. “It’s not like tree-walking,” he warned as she stepped into the shallows, foot sinking in the water with a splash. “There’s no hard surface, it's constantly shifting. You have to--”

Kakashi coughed to get his attention. Yamato looked up to see the other man shake his head. With a series of ANBU hand gestures he signed, Let her try.

Frustrated, Yamato backed off. It wasn’t as if it was very deep, and she wasn't going to master water-walking in a single day, so he swallowed his concerns and stepped back. 

Sakura didn’t notice her guardian's displeasure. She was too consumed with studying the water. She tapped the surface with her foot, stepping up and down until it stayed on the water’s surface. Then she tried with the other foot. It made a loud splashing sound, dropping through the water’s surface. 

“Easy,” Kakashi called from his spot further out. “You’re almost there.”

“It’s hard,” Sakura imparted, pulling back to shake the water off her shoes. “Please be quiet so I can think.”

Kakashi put a finger over his masked mouth and dutifully kept silent. 

Yamato gaped as Sakura gathered herself, took a few testing taps with one foot, then the other, and stepped directly onto the water’s surface. 

This time, her foot remained on top of the lake. 

Sakura beamed. 

“I'm doing it--Yamato! Look! I'm doing it!”

“She did it,” Yamato whispered, absolutely blown away. Sakura was seven with no formal training and standing on top of water. No matter that it was hardly an inch deep-- she was water-walking!

“Look! I did it, I did it!” She was ecstatic and her control slipped. So delighted, she didn’t even mind sinking into the shallows, simply repeating her accomplishment with obvious relish. “I did it! I did it! Yamato, Yamato, did you see me? I did it!”

“You sure did!” Yamato agreed with a broad smile, feeling pride swell in his chest. It was strange considering he hadn’t taught her, yet he did feel a sense of endearment for how she wanted to share her victory with him. Her enthusiasm was infectious. 

Perhaps Kakashi-senpai was right, she just needed the right encouragement. Yamato was excited to see what else she could do. 

This was prime information-gathering time. He gathered his own chakra and walked out to meet Kakashi out on the lake. 

“Here, see if you can come this far.”

Sakura’s splashing stopped as she looked at them from shore. Her eyes flickered out over the water. Kakashi and Yamato were ten paces out from land. She could see through to the bottom, it was hardly up to her waist. 

Giving herself a reassuring nod, Sakura took a deep breath and walked out. Her steps wobbled here and there but Kakashi and Yamato cheered her on, impressed by her tenacity. Finally, she stepped up right beside them. 

“You did it,” Kakashi said. “Way to go, kid.”

“I did it!” Sakura repeated, that same triumphant cheer in her voice. Her smile spread from ear to ear. 

“Okay, see if you can keep up.”

Kakashi and Yamato started off further onto the lake. Their footsteps left little ripples that shook the water under Sakura’s feet. She sucked in a short breath, arms flailing slightly as she regained her balance. 

Then she looked down.

Suddenly, the water beneath her feet looked a lot darker. A lot deeper. A lot more scary. 

She glanced up to see Yamato and Kakashi out nearly twenty paces away. When had they gone so far? Sakura’s head whipped around--why was the shore so far away? Her heart was pounding in her ears. The effort of water-walking was too hard. Her knees were tired, her legs felt like jelly, and she realized she didn’t want to do it anymore. She couldn't do it anymore. 

Yamato frowned. Sakura wasn’t following them out further onto the lake. He stopped walking and looked back to where she was. 

“Something’s wrong.”

Kakashi spun on his heel, following his line of sight. “She’s used too much chakra for a kid. Let’s get her back to shore.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Sakura lost control and slipped under the water’s murky surface.

Kakashi blinked.

In an instant, she was in Yamato’s arms and back on dry land. Both child and shinobi were soaked from head to toe, Sakura coughing from sucking in water with Yamato murmuring quiet reassurances as she caught her breath. Kakashi flash-stepped shortly after him, privately impressed by his kouhai. He hadn’t seen anyone move so quickly since Uchiha Shisui, master of the flash-step. 

“Easy,” Yamato mumbled over the sound of Sakura’s coughing. “Just take deep breaths… You’re okay.”

Kakashi could tell the little girl was doing her best to hold it together. She was only seven but here she was trying to maintain her composure in front of them. He was all too familiar with this routine; plenty of new shinobi tried to downplay injuries on the field that only came back to bite them in the ass later. 

Dropping down to her level, Kakashi made direct eye contact with the trembling child. “Hey. That was pretty scary, huh?”

Sakura’s teeth clattered as she nodded, eyes filling up with tears. She huddled against Yamato's chest, her body subconsciously seeking any heat it could find. 

Yamato watched as Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulled out a crinkled handkerchief. He held it out for Sakura to take.

"It's okay to cry," the scarred ANBU said in a low, soft tone. "Adults cry too. Even I cry sometimes."

That was all the permission Sakura needed. 

The pink-haired girl let out a high-pitched keen. This soon dissolved into heaving sobs. Tears were rapidly flowing down her reddening cheeks though she made no move to grab the offered tissue. Instead, Sakura buried her face into Yamato's flak jacket and let the wet canvas catch her snot and tears. If it bothered Yamato at all, he made no comment on it. 

"There, there..." Yamato murmured. He was regretting not asking Crow about proper responses to a child's distress. Nothing could've prepared him for this. "You're safe now, it's okay."

His eyes flickered up to his crouching senpai. Kakashi was rapidly signing hug her over and over again. He hesitated, hands hovering over Sakura's trembling back, until he was once more silently urged on by his superior. Awkwardly, Yamato finally wrapped his arms around the shaking girl. Instead of pushing away like he thought she would, Sakura only nestled herself deeper into his chest.

The two soldiers waited until her crying died down into the occasional sob and tiny hiccups. Ready to face the world again, Sakura lifted her head and looked up at her minder.

"Feeling better?" Sakura responded to the query with a shaky nod. "Good, is there anything we can do for you?"

"I'm cold." 

Kakashi nodded. "Why don't you go sit in the sun for now? You'll warm up quicker that way." 

Slowly, Sakura extracted herself from Yamato's grasp and walked over to the sunniest patch of grass she could find. She lied down and let her body soak up the rays of sunlight.

Yamato looked over at his senpai. He didn't think it was possible to gain even more respect for him. "How did you know that would help?"

It was a sincere question, yet Kakashi-senpai stared at him as if he grew two heads. "Didn't they teach you this back in the Academy? It's basic psychology."

Tenzou grumpily ignored him, but Kakashi continued. 

"Verbal and physical reassurances aid in recovery after a traumatic experience." Kakashi explained slowly, as if he was the child! "Firm and close physical contact can help initiate the body's natural relaxation sequence.' 

Kakashi relayed the information as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. But it wasn't obvious to Tenzou, not in the world of ROOT he grew up in.

How would he? Kinoe was never ecstatically cheered on for his accomplishments. Kinoe was never hugged after a terrifying experience. There were only expectations to be met and consequences to be had if he didn't live up to them. 

(Danzo had said ROOT was his family, but they acted the farthest thing from it)

Yamato gave no response. Instead, he picked himself up from his kneeling position and walked over to his charge.

Curled up like a field mouse, Sakura looked to be sound asleep. Upon closer inspection he found her fighting to keep her eyes open. She barely stirred when he picked her up. He admired her tenacity, clinging to consciousness when she was clearly exhausted, and the feel of her fingertips digging into his vest. He felt his arm curl around her automatically. The motion drew her into Yamato’s chest. 

“Eggs in the morning,” Kakashi said over his shoulder to Yamato’s confused expression. Kakashi continued, “Water walking uses a lot of stamina.”

Yamato nodded. His Captain was practically legendary for overusing his own Sharingan eye and depleting his chakra reserves to the point of exhaustion. He recalled with mild annoyance more than three times he’d had to help drag the other shinobi back to the village. 

“Eggs,” he agreed, holding Sakura close. “Thank you, Senpai.”

“We should spar again,” Kakashi said as they left the training fields together. He waved his bandaged hand with an impressed air. “Once you’re off babysitting duty.”

Babysitting. Yamato looked down to Sakura’s shoulders, slender but strong. She certainly didn’t feel like a baby in his arms. She had only been in his care for two weeks, and he was already sure that she had outgrown the clothes she came with. He did wonder every now and then when his mission would end but more and more, Yamato found himself looking forward to it less and less. 

He tried to offer his Captain a jovial smile as they went their separate ways. “Goodnight, Senpai.”

“Eggs,” Kakashi repeated, glancing down with one eye. “Maybe fruit. The extra sugar will energize her.”

“Eggs and fruit. Got it.”

“Goodnight.”

Tenzou wondered as he walked home if Kakashi had heard Sakura respond with a weak "Goodnight". Based on how his steps ever so slightly faltered after she spoke, perhaps he did. 

Chapter Text

Tenzou adapted rather well to having a small child suddenly thrust into his life. 

His life before was quiet, lacking human presence outside of the masked company he usually kept. That was all ripped away from him when he sustained a serious leg injury on his last mission. Without his usual routine of pushing his body to the limits, Tenzou was sure he would’ve gone insane. Then Sakura came into his life. 

Sakura helped him take his mind off the frustration of being homebound with smalltalk and trips to the library ( He probably read more books in the past few months than in his entire life combined thanks to her ). She was polite and tidy for a child, took direction very well and was unafraid to ask for things she needed, making life very straight-forward. They got on well. 

Despite his initial hesitation to take her on as a mission, Sakura had grown on him.

It helped that Sakura was basically a courteous, tiny roommate. Sure, she didn't pay rent, his living room had turned into a second bedroom, and she needed minding when she wanted to work in the kitchen. However, Sakura helped in other ways. She often made herself useful folding laundry, dusting, and helping wash or put away dishes. He turned her down the first few times she offered to sweep but eventually Yamato fashioned a small broom one night while she slept, handing it to her early the next morning. Every day since, she’d taken over keeping the entryway to their apartment fastidiously clean. 

With every week that passed, it was becoming harder and harder to remember a time when he lived alone. Thinking of the quiet that used to pervade his rooms, Yamato began to wonder what life would be like without Sakura as his live-in guest. She couldn't stay forever and admittedly, he would miss her. The mission wasn’t indefinite though, its creeping deadline loomed in the back of Yamato’s mind. Lord Third had never mentioned when he might need to return to active duty. It was only a matter of time. But when? 

His answer came one early summer morning. Yamato sensed a presence at his door before the knock came. He knew for certain it wasn't Kakashi, the man never extended such a courtesy to him. 

"Ah, good morning, Crow." 

The masked teenager gave him a polite nod. "You've been summoned by the Hokage."

His presence remained even after his message was delivered. Clearly he would remain behind to watch Sakura. Still, Yamato felt obliged to let her know about his sudden absence. Instead of vanishing straight away for his summons, he turned inwards. 

“Sakura? I’m going out.”

A voice from inside the house answered. “Will you be gone very long? Where are you going? Can I come with you?”

Yamato shook his head and gave a reassuring smile at the sight of Sakura’s small frown. 

“Not very long, probably. It’s for the Lord Third. You remember, the man who leads the village. We all answer to his call. This time I’ll be going alone.”

“But you’ll be right back?” Sakura probed.

“I’ll be back,” Yamato agreed with a nod. “Crow will be watching you. Take care of the house while I’m away?”

He felt a little surge of triumph as Sakura’s frown turned into a small, determined smile. 

“I will. Come back soon.”

Yamato nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

~ ~ ~ 

“Lord Third.”

A grey eyebrow lifted, a curious expression on a wrinkled face. 

“You’re late,” the Lord Third Hokage observed needlessly. 

“I apologize,” Yamato began, only to pause when Hiruzen waved his pipe. 

“You are an exemplary shinobi, my dear lad. If you are late there must be a good reason.”

Yamato swallowed. He wasn’t going to argue that staying behind to say goodbye to Sakura counted as a good reason. It had only taken a few seconds more, but by ANBU standards, those seconds meant everything. Why contradict the Lord Third? He merely nodded (though by not looking up he missed the sparkle in the Hokage‘s eyes).

“Your leg is looking much better,” The Hokage said casually.

It was a direct yet discreet turn in the conversation: Yamato was capable again of running ANBU missions. Professionalism alone prevented him from swallowing aloud. 

He opened his mouth because it would be so nice to return to normal… 

And nothing came out. 

Yamato felt himself lick his lips. It would be an honor, he thought, to serve Konoha again to the fullest of my ability. The words were right there, on the tip of his tongue. The Hokage was expecting him to accept… 

Wasn’t he? 

Yamato stopped to think. Shinobi were supposed to look underneath the underneath. If the Lord Third wanted him back on active duty, Yamato would be back on active duty. Your leg is looking much better. He could agree, and be sent straight back to the field… or, he could disagree and spend more time helping to monitor Sakura. 

The decision was his. A gift, from the Lord Third. Yamato gave this the thought it deserved. 

As he contemplated the pros and cons, The Lord Third made another off-hand comment, seemingly apropos of nothing. 

"Your reports have been very helpful. The council and I were especially intrigued by Sakura's fine chakra control," The Hokage took a thoughtful drag of his pipe. "Lord Danzou suggested that such talent should not be left unacknowledged. He proposed integrating Sakura into ROOT, so she could be closely monitored while becoming an asset to the village."

The bottom of his stomach dropped. The ground had suddenly gone out from under him. Yamato even pressed one of his hands to the floor for confirmation that it was still there, that he wasn’t hallucinating, because did Lord Third just suggest that Sakura, seven year old Sakura, who could barely reach the top shelf of his bookshelf, who would get the biggest smile on her face each time they visited the library, who asked everyday if his leg was feeling better out of pure concern, become an emotionless ROOT operative? He thought of Sakura and her tendency to find his fingers to hold.

She wouldn't last a month.

“She can’t go.”

Both of the Sandaime’s wrinkled eyebrows went up in shock. 

“Beg your pardon?”

Yamato hastily explained. “I mean, with all due respect, Lord Third, she’s not an ideal candidate for such a program.”

“For a program you yourself went through?” The Sandaime wondered out loud. “You have to admit, the results are remarkable.”

Was it worth it? Going through such intense training, isolated from society, for results like his? Yamato recalled one lesson in particular: how to fight effectively while sustaining multiple injuries. It started off as a normal sparring match, except every few minutes he would be told to stop and allow one of the older members to break a part of his body. First it was a finger, then his wrist, his ankle, his arm . At some point, his body could no longer bear it and collapsed to the ground to writhe in pain. Danzou's punishment for his failure was revoked food rations as training intensified the next day. 

He was only ten.

Yamato learned more than what his ROOT training provided him: leaving ROOT, finding Kakashi-senpai and joining Team Ro, taking on missions as a member of a three-man unit, being with people. Regular occurrences in a shinobi's life, but precious moments to Tenzou that he would never take for granted. He gained so much more when he left the shadows of his past behind him. It was only fair that Sakura got the same chance. 

Sakura wasn’t suited for such a life, but she didn’t have the luxury of choosing for herself. She needed someone to stand up for her--

She needed Yamato. 

“It’s untenable,” Yamato said firmly. “The time I’ve spent observing her has led me to conclude that she would not fare well under such conditions, and, since Sakura is rather independent, I wouldn’t mind keeping her…”

There was such a smug, fond look on the Lord Third's face that Yamato nearly tripped over his own words. 

“…that I wouldn’t mind keeping her as a mission while I continue with regular ANBU duties.”

Somehow, Hiruzen’s face seemed to fall a little. 

“Ah. So that’s how it is.” He reached for something other than his pipe. An envelope on his table that he flipped open to reveal two more folders. “Here. Take these. They should assist you in assimilating her into the general public. I haven’t made these provisions until now because I wanted her closely monitored for signs of volatility. But if you think she is no threat to others, I see no reason to exclude her from the same education we offer all of Konoha’s children.”

The same education that would be a single month’s cram course in ROOT training, Yamato recalled with a suppressed grimace. He took the folders and their assigned identities. 

“I accept.”

"There is one issue." The Sandaime said ominously. His tone sharpened Tenzou’s focus. “I can count on a shinobi of the Leaf for a mission such as this. However, despite your thorough reports, I remain unconvinced of her ability to blend in with a new name. She is only seven.”

Crow was rather young when asked to join ANBU. Tenzou himself was her age when he first joined. And that was saying nothing of Kakashi-senpai, gennin at five, chuunin at six, jounin at ten. Sakura herself was shaping up to be a formidable child. Tenzou knew she would be up to the task. 

“I’m confident that there will be no issues, sir.”

Hiruzen nodded. “Very good.” 

And with a dismissive wave of his hand, their meeting was over. Tenzou left, heart pounding loud enough that he was surprised the Hokage couldn't hear it. 

There was a chance he would regret this, taking on the monumental task of indefinitely raising a child. But it was either this or send young Sakura to her near-certain death. 

The choice was easy when he thought about it like that. 

~ ~ ~

It was unwise to keep his assignment scroll longer than strictly necessary. Tenzou opened it once he stepped out of the office to fully assimilate the information. Inside were their assigned last names, Tsugi, standard forged personal information such as a false birthdate for himself, and a forged photo of Sakura’s “parents”. The last piece of paper in the folder was an application to the Academy, where Sakura could receive the same pre-genin training all children of the Leaf were offered. It took him longer than usual to go through the necessary hand signs for a Katon. 

Doubt sank into his bones as the ashes fell away from his fingertips. Could Sakura do this? She was good at basic chakra control, excellent even. But chakra control was one thing and deception another. He wondered where his certainty from earlier had vanished to. He couldn’t say what had made him place such absolute faith in Sakura. Tenzou just knew that it had been the right choice to make. 

The cover story was simple enough. Yamato had a distant cousin from the Land of Waves, having moved there from Konoha after marrying her husband. They became farmers, had a daughter named Sakura whom they loved enough to send to live with her uncle once government dissent wreaked havoc across the country. His imaginary cousin even wrote him a heart-felt letter begging for him to take his niece in until they could be reunited once more. 

Completely believable, especially when Tenzou looked at the photo that came with his assignment. His cousin had his auburn hair but Sakura's bright, emerald eyes. The father was a pale man with pink hair. Both were in front of a wooden house lovingly gazing down at a bundled-up infant in the woman's arms. At that age, it was nearly impossible to tell infants apart. Sakura’s fake identity was well secured. 

Walking back to their apartment to lie to her, Tenzou felt his feet slowly turn to lead. He didn’t feel like asking her to fool everyone around her. Not Sakura. It turned his stomach to think of her keeping up a sham for the length of the school year, or longer, but what alternative did he have? 

He couldn’t trust her with the truth…

Or could he?  

As though the thoughts would summon ANBU to arrest him for treason, Tenzou swiftly marshaled his musings and shuffled off to one side of the road since his feet decided to stop working. What was he thinking?! He barely knew Sakura. She could be a sleeper agent, still, for all he knew! Spending some weeks in his house, getting to know his habits was precisely the type of covert infiltration operations he himself had been trained for! And here he was considering betraying the trust Sandaime had so benevolently bestowed upon him for this complete stranger? 

Tenzou needed a different perspective. It wrenched his gut to admit, but he was an unreliable source. He was compromised. Someone else had to help get a clear reading on if he was fit to continue the mission. 

Not Kakashi-senpai. As much as he respected his senior, there was an eternity’s worth of verbal bashing to be had if he admitted to getting in over his head on a babysitting mission . 

Definitely not Hiruzen-sama. Lord Third would rule him unfit if he went back to ask for advice! Tenzou felt his shoulders beginning to groan with the weight of this decision. 

A walk might help clear his head. He nodded to himself, cleared his mind with a slow deep breath in, and let his feet wander. Konoha’s familiar sights and sounds filled his mind with every step. Tempted as he was to worry, Tenzou tried his best to unwind. Making decisions under stress would only compound his problems. He needed to be reasonable about this. Ask someone level-headed and calm and non-judgmental. But who? 

Before he knew it his feet had taken him home. Tenzou sighed and turned around, pausing at the echo of laughter from inside. Sakura’s, he recognized, but someone else was laughing too. 

It struck him: he’d left Sakura with Crow. But surely Crow had simply set up a perimeter and left Sakura to her own devices--except, it didn’t sound like that had happened at all. Reality and expectations crashed, erasing his previous concerns. Somewhat beside himself with curiosity, Tenzou activated his wood-style technique to melt into the walls of his house. 

Inside, he stepped out of the walls in the bathroom and cracked open the door. Sakura and Crow had laid down her broom on the floor and were hopping over it in turns. Sakura’s cheeks were nearly as pink as her hair, her face was radiant with delight. Crow wore his armor and mask though his standard issue cloak was folded in a perfect square on the couch cushion beside Sakura’s newest library book. 

There was no discernible rhyme or reason to the game that Yamato could observe. Sakura and Crow simply rushed around the broom lying on the floor in a circle, occasionally hopping over it, sometimes twice. What their goal was he couldn’t say. 

But Sakura was laughing, giggles ringing in his ears, and the sound washed away his lingering suspicion. 

She was seven, and having a fabulous time doing who-knows-what. 

( If only he could bottle the sound of her joy )

It wasn’t until Crow turned and faced directly his way, through the crack in the bathroom door, that he realized his presence wasn’t fully concealed. Nodding, Tenzou melted through the walls and went around to the front door. The sound of Sakura shrieking joyfully when he knocked and the excited patter of her feet on the wood floor brought a warm smile to his face. 

“Yay! Yamato, you’re back!” Sakura exclaimed when she threw open the door. “Welcome home!”

There was something infectious about her glee. Yamato found his smile broadening. 

“I’m home.” He stepped inside upon her insistence to find Crow putting away the broom. Yamato raised an eyebrow but received no answer. Crow went to grab his cloak as Sakura groaned. 

“Do you really have to go? We were having so much fun!”

“Duty calls,” Crow said softly, though Yamato could clearly hear the apology in his tenor. “I must return to my post. It was nice playing with you, Sakura-chan.”

“Come back soon! I bet I can make that jump you did from the ceiling!”

“What jump?” Yamato wondered, fighting down a smirk as Crow quickly threw on his cloak. “From my ceiling?”

“I’ll give the Captain your regards,” Crow said, vanishing quickly. He truly mastered the art of avoiding tough questions, Yamato thought amused. Senpai taught him well.

Sakura waved him off, "Bye, Crow-san!"

Yamato found his grin quickly returning. At least her nickname for Itachi wasn't as embarrassing as Cat-Chan. 

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun with Crow."

Sakura nodded, her pink hair bouncing vigorously with the movement. "Yep! He was really quiet at first but then he started asking me questions about my book and what else I liked to do and then he showed me this game he used to play with his cousins!"

“Did he tell you much about his family?” Yamato wondered, curious despite himself. All he knew about Crow was that he had a younger brother, and that was more personal information than he knew about 90% of his other teammates.

Sakura shook her head this time. “No. But he said he knows a lot of games because he has a lot of cousins! So he must have a big family.” Yamato never heard her speak so ecstatically before. The Uchiha were an exceptionally large clan.

Sakura’s talk of games and codenames put an idea into his head. At once his problem was solved for him: he could tell Sakura the truth but frame it in a way that she could understand. 

“I’m glad you two had fun. If you liked that game, there’s another game we can play if you want.”

“Together?” Sakura asked. Her green eyes seemed to shine in anticipation. 

“Together. We need to pretend to be other people,” Yamato said seriously, handing over one of the photographs from the mission paper. “To protect you.”

“Me?”

“Not everyone is as nice as Crow or Kakashi. Some people might want to hurt you if they think you have no one looking out for you." Adding the danger element was sure to catch her attention. "So for now, we’ll act like we’re family.”

“I can do that,” Sakura informed him with such absolute confidence only children can wield. “What do I need to do?”

“Start by calling me ‘uncle’ in public. From time to time,” Yamato clarified as Sakura’s nose scrunched up at the term, “We already call each other by name, but it will help to occasionally reinforce it.”

“That’s easy enough. What else can I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything. Unless someone asks you where you’re from.” He went on to explain her false backstory, that she was a refugee from the Land of Waves seeking asylum with him since her parents weren’t able to leave with her.

“What if they want to know what the Land of Waves was like?” Sakura worried. “I don’t really know much about it, except from the books I’ve read.”

Gods, she was smart. The thought hadn't even occurred to Yamato. “Then say it upsets you to talk about home.”

Sakura still looked nervous. Yamato knelt to her level and gave her his undivided attention. When he spoke, he was careful to speak gently but firmly. 

“If anyone bothers you, for any reason, I want you to come to me.”

The little girl nodded. Yamato was reminded of her age, with the way her shoulders firmed to try hiding how they shook, and before he knew it, he reached out to take Sakura into his arms. She went without a fuss, seeking the warmth in the crook of his neck and nuzzling up under his chin. He went on, uncertain of where the words were coming from but unable to stop himself. 

“I know it’s a lot to ask of you but I’m counting on you, Sakura. I know you can do this. But you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll be here to help you if you need it, if you need anything. Any time you feel uncomfortable, or unsafe, or even if you just want to see me: I’ll be there.”

“But how will you know?” Asked a very small voice against the column of his throat. Two tiny hands curled into the fabric of his vest. 

Yamato held his hand out and Sakura pulled away from him to watch the flat of his palm transform. A thread of green sprung up, winding into a circlet. Sakura’s eyes widened as the little vine curled and twisted around her wrist. The growth twisted until it wrapped twice, detaching from Yamato’s hand at the base. In the middle, a small bud broke through the hardening vines. Sakura gasped in delight as the bud blossomed into a flower before her eyes. 

“This bracelet is a part of me,” Yamato explained as Sakura examined her new jewelry in fascination. “My chakra lives in these vines, even now that it’s not part of me. If you push your own chakra inside, I will feel it, and come for you as fast as I can.”

The little girl seemed to vibrate with excitement.

“Can we try it now?” She asked, breathless with wonder. “Can we?”

He couldn't deny her. “Go somewhere, I won’t watch. Push some chakra into it when you’ve hidden. I’ll even close my eyes.”

Yamato felt himself smile to hear her footsteps carry her deeper into the apartment. Within a minute he felt the uncertain pulse of energy. It led him to the pantry, where he pulled open the curtain to see Sakura holding a hand over the vines hugging her wrist. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as he revealed her hiding place. 

“You found me--it works!”

Yamato had never doubted it would. But Sakura looked so awestruck at such a simple trick, it made him feel even more protective. That wonder in her eyes was something money couldn’t buy. He couldn’t help chuckling as Sakura asked if it worked in reverse, opening the floodgates to a thousand other questions she had: could he grow more bracelets, was he made of vines, what other flowers could he make, did he have to eat flowers or did they just grow inside of him like a terrarium?

“Where did you learn terrarium?” He asked in good humor. 

“I remember one,” Sakura said, still giddy with delight. “It’s where we kept the frogs for feeding.”

“Feeding?”

“The snakes!”

Yamato felt ice in the pit of his stomach. 

“...snakes?”

Sakura nodded, unaware as the air around them thickened with tension. "Yeah, I remember lots of other animals! Like snails and birds and these big, big fish and-and…" She trailed off, facing scrunching up in total concentration. "And…hmmm, where did we keep the fish?"

Yamato found his voice again, hating how weak his words came out. "...we?"

The little girl who loved fairy tales and jumping over broomsticks could only give him a shrug. It seemed an inadequate response to the bomb she proceeded to drop on him. "My parents, I think."

A memory from her vague past, with mention of snakes, was enough to shatter the illusion of found family that Yamato had fallen under. 

It was easy, too easy to forget who Sakura really was. She was a child with Orochimaru's blood in her veins, and no amount of giggling and bright smiles could ever change such a terrifying fact.

In the end, watching Sakura was a mission, nothing more and nothing less. He had only himself to blame for believing otherwise. 

The silence was going on for too long. Yamato tried to bury his panic with another smile, but based on Sakura's reaction, it looked as ghastly as it felt. She crawled out from the pantry, giving him a wordless look before silently padding over to her library book. Yamato was left to his thoughts. 

It would do no good to probe further. If experience taught him anything, it was that letting Sakura reveal snippets of her past life would yield more results. And results he would get, for he was a loyal soldier of the Hidden Leaf.

The mission always came first. 

Chapter Text

Tenzou found himself worrying.

Well, of course he worried. Sakura's slowly-emerging memories were still an issue that were the main focus of his reports, but he had pushed that unsavory business to the back of his mind to deal with at a later date. No, Tenzou's concerns were laughable considering his life was filled with missions where his and his teammates' lives hung on a knife's edge. What had his stomach work itself into knots like a genin on their first C-rank mission?

Sakura, shy, sheltered, and distantly-related-to-Orochimaru-that-the-implications-of-were-still-unknown Sakura, just started school.

The ironic part of all this? Sakura didn't share even a fraction of his anxiety. Despite her demourness, Sakura was adjusting well to school life. She came home everyday and enthusiastically told Yamato what she learned. Every subject from weapon safety to history was spoken about fervently. Tenzou would find himself wondering afterwards if he would've been as enthusiastic about academics if he had spent more than a few weeks at the Academy. It was refreshing to hear the basics filtered through her childlike wonder and natural curiosity. 

Yamato found part of himself looking forward to Sakura's passionate lectures. Tonight was different. Sakura was quiet as she worked on her homework, not asking him to double-check her answers as she had taken to doing. She finally broke her silence over dinner, asking him:

“Is my forehead big?”

Yamato looked up from his plate of stir fry. Sakura was pushing her own food around on the plate, not really eating anything. Her face was downcast. He swallowed quickly and repeated the question to be clear.

“Is your forehead big?”

Sakura nodded wordlessly. 

Yamato was still no expert on children, but going to and from Sakura’s school had given him a fair assessment of what was considered normal by their standards. It was by this measurement that he confidently shrugged. 

“It’s not too big or too small. It’s pretty average…why do you ask?”

Sakura’s eyes fell to her plate. “The other girls at school said so.”

Baffled, Yamato put his chopsticks down. “The girls at school said your forehead was big.” He was having trouble understanding the situation. Was forehead size a concern to children? Still, Sakura was obviously upset by this development. “It sounds like they were making you uncomfortable.”

Sakura nodded a little miserably. Yamato suppressed a sound of frustration as she curled inward on herself. He had the sudden, irrational urge to fix this problem as soon as possible. 

“Why didn’t you call for me? I would have come.” He gave her the bracelet for a reason just like this!

Sakura’s nose scrunched, the way it often did when she didn’t care for certain healthy foods or stretching exercises. “They didn’t pull my hair this time, I didn’t need you."

Since she was looking down, Sakura missed the flash of irrational fury that flickered across her guardian’s face. 

“ Pull your hair?! ” Yamato repeated, causing Sakura to startle. “This time?! So it’s happened before? Sakura, why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”

His ki--Sakura's face lit up in outrage. “I don’t have to tell you every little thing! I can take care of myself just fine at school! I just wanted to know if you thought my forehead was big, okay?”

“Sakura, don’t shout,” Yamato scolded, trying to keep his own temper in check as Sakura’s flew out of control. “Let’s speak quietly inside.”

His stern look was enough to keep her from responding with whatever was on the tip of her tongue. Sakura scowled and sat on her hands as she took to doing whenever her mood turned sour. Instead of shouting, she mumbled her reply. 

“It’s not a big deal. It's not as bad as they treat Naruto, at least."

Pity filled Yamato's soul at the mention of the Fourth Hokage's son. He had his orders to keep away, but he still felt disgust whenever he saw the villagers treat the boy like scum. It looked like their attitudes were picked up by their children. 

"They shouldn't be treating Naruto like that either." He calmly explained. The girl had no response, emerald eyes only glancing down in a rare show of defiance. Yamato sighed. "Sakura, if anyone touches you without your permission, you have every right to fight back." 

“Iruka-sensei says we’ll get in trouble if we start a fight.”

“I’ll deal with Iruka-sensei if you get in a fight,” Yamato said flatly. “Don’t start a fight, but if someone is giving you trouble, you have my permission to defend yourself or seek help.” He bit his tongue to keep from demanding she use the bracelet to contact him. He could not force Sakura to rely on him. She had to choose that on her own. 

Was it the wisest advice to give to Orochimaru's kin? Perhaps not, but he couldn’t leave Sakura defenseless! She was training to become a shinobi after all, a scuffle here and there was to be expected. Yamato still fought with his teammates. Granted, he took his frustration out on them during regulated spar matches. While that often resolved the remaining tension between him and his teammates, he was not about to suggest Sakura go fight whoever was pulling her hair and insulting her!

What to do, what to do.

Yamato wanted to arm Sakura somehow, but with what? Words? He couldn’t shelter her from every danger in the world. There were some challenges she would have to face on her own. What advice should he give? Would it be the wrong advice? The opportunities for calamity were staggering. He was so caught up with his worry that he didn’t notice Sakura’s lower lip beginning to tremble until she was on the verge of tears. 

The thought of Sakura crying snapped him out of his thoughts. 

She was upset. He made her upset, and if there was one thing he wanted to show her, it was how to handle herself in a situation but here he was, failing spectacularly at it. Yamato took a deep breath and found her gaze. 

“I’m sorry.”

His apology caught her off guard. She blinked through damp eyes, staring up over their dinner, trying to understand what was happening. Yamato continued. 

“I’m sorry I upset you. You asked if your forehead was big: it isn’t. People who insult others are usually jealous of who they insult. Don’t let their insecurities become yours. You are…” Perfectly average, he didn’t say (just barely), licking his lips to stall for a moment as he recovered and picked a different placating phrase, “...your forehead is just the right size for you.”

Sakura's attentive stare turned confused. It was only after Yamato mentally repeated what he said that he realized how stupid it sounded. 

"...thank you?" Sakura said in an uncertain voice. 

She quickly began devouring her meal, wanting any means of escape from her guardian's awkwardness. Yamato fought the urge to bang his head against the wall. At least him being a socially-inadequate idiot put a hold on Sakura's distress. 

Still, those bullies' words held meaning to her. The very next day, Yamato caught a glimpse of Sakura furiously brushing her bangs in order to cover more of her forehead. He had no time to comment on it before she rushed out the door for school. 

Yamato sighed, but let her go. If this was a battle she wanted to fight alone, it would be best to let her.

Sakura is just a mission, a reminder Yamato found himself repeating more and more over time. You don't get attached to missions.

~ ~ ~

Tenzou had a perfectly rational reason for spying on the Academy playground. 

He was on patrol duty today. The Academy just so happened to be en route, so why not check in on it? Children were the future, after all, it would be a shame if his negligence to properly secure the area caused them any harm. 

And sure, this was around the time Sakura's class got let out to play and eat lunch, but that was besides the point! Several of her classmates were children from prominent clans. Tenzou counted five alone in the past few minutes. Surely the highest-ranking clan heads in Konoha would appreciate an ANBU operative checking in on their little brats. Honestly, he should be rewarded for going above-and-beyond.

So if anyone gave Cat grief over watching a hoard of shrieking children as he concealed himself in a nearby tree, he actually had several perfectly rational reasons to be here. 

But the universe did so love making Tenzou the receiving end of many of its jokes. To his credit, he had no outward reaction as another chakra signature appeared on the branch besides his. 

"Found my secret napping spot?" Kakashi asked, face already buried in his porn book.

Tenzou fought down the urge to tell off his senpai for reading such illicit material in a kid-heavy area. Even if they were hidden from view, it was just the principle of things. "Why are you here, Captain?"

"I already told you, this is my secret napping spot," the other ANBU operative explained. "I come here whenever I get guard duty to slack off." 

Tenzou couldn't think of a worse place in Konoha to sleep, save perhaps the Forest of Death. His eyes flickered down to a notable head of spiky, blonde hair at the swings. He wisely kept his observations to himself.

"But I know you, my dear kouhai. You wouldn't be hanging about here without a reason." 

Kakashi's gaze followed his back to where Sakura was. Even with all the excitement around her, she remained concentrated on her book. Tenzou noted with some distaste that she intentionally chose a place farthest away from where most of the students gathered. Did Sakura feel so unsafe that she sacrificed fun for solitary? 

"I can't keep anything secret from you, senpai," he admitted with a sigh. "Sakura is having problems with the other girls in her class. They've been getting… physical with her."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Afraid she'll unleash some deadly snake summons in her distress?"

Tenzou sputtered. "What? No! I mean--I'm not--its highly unlikely at this point in time. Sakura doesn't have a violent bone in her body." 

"Could've fooled me. My shin is still bruised from those deadly, little kicks." 

"That's because she thought you nearly killed me." Tenzou deadpanned. 

Kakashi’s lackadaisical comeback went half-heard: his uncovered eye left Tenzou’s face and he couldn’t help following Kakashi’s gaze to the courtyard. Three girls were headed towards Sakura in a group. Even from this distance it was easy to read the malicious grins on their faces. Their intentions were clear, they were obviously about to torment Sakura. 

“Don’t make me order you to stand down.”

Tenzou almost jumped out of his skin. Kakashi nodded his head in the direction of the playground. “They’re kids. Kids fight all the time. We can’t get involved with every playground throwdown that happens, we’d never rest. And those kids would never learn conflict resolution.”

“They’re calling her names.”

“Pot, meet kettle,” Kakashi said gleefully. “How long are you going to call me Senpai? I’m starting to think you like it more than my actual name.”

Tenzou caught his Captain’s teasing look and shook his head quickly. He wouldn’t allow the taunts to distract him when Sakura was in trouble! When he looked back, Tenzou sucked in a breath. 

They were shoving her! 

Clearly it was time to intervene.

Kakashi let out a long suffering sigh. “I’m off duty,” he said in a warning tone, “Don’t make me pull rank.”

Sakura was getting up and shoving back. Tenzou felt the irrational urge to sit on his hands, to keep himself from accidentally intervening in a school yard scuffle. He couldn’t help the surge of outrage as his ward went tumbling down, limbs flailing under a dog pile of three other girls. 

“I’m not above restraining you. Don’t make me,” Kakashi practically begged, though there was steel in his tone. 

But he didn’t need to. 

“COWARDS!”

A shrill shout drew the collective attention of the entire school yard as two blondes flung themselves into the fray. The pile of limbs writhed for a moment and it became nearly impossible to tell who was where. Tenzou and Kakashi watched from their perches, equal parts enthralled and concerned until the dust settled. 

Sakura was wiping the corner of her eye. Her cheek was bruised from being struck but there was a fire in her eyes, and two figures standing to either side of her. One Tenzou recognized as the Lord Fourth Hokage’s son, scruffy looking and filthy from rolling in the dirt. The other looked ready to spit fire, her teal eyes shining with the same rage he felt moments ago. 

“Ganging up on someone, huh? Let’s even the odds!”

Faced with an even fight, Sakura’s tormentors scattered. One started to make a snide parting remark and gave up with a screech as Naruto rushed after her. (“ What was that? Come back and say it louder!” “Eeeek!” ) The other blonde turned around and offered a hand to Sakura to help her up. 

Tenzou couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation but he didn’t need to. The look on Sakura’s face put his worries to rest. Moments later the two girls were rushing off to climb the playground jungle gym together, Sakura’s book slung in a pile by the other girl’s lunch box. Naruto was busily getting into another race, being chased by no less than six of the girls in their class demanding retribution. 

Tenzou glanced over to observe Kakashi’s reaction. He was already reading his softcore porn again, seemingly completely unaffected by Naruto’s peril. Doubt took root in his soul. It wasn’t like Kakashi-senpai to be so flippant about a child’s wellbeing. 

“You really don’t want to stop them?” He asked. 

“Will it help him if I fight all his battles?” Kakashi replied, turning a page. “Besides, he isn’t in any real trouble. Watch.”

Tenzou turned back to the playground in time to watch Naruto vault expertly over the swing set, clamoring neatly onto the roof and out of their reach. He taunted the girls down below by sticking his tongue out at them and laughing heartily. Their demands for him to come down and face their wrath were summarily laughed at, and Tenzou felt the knot of worry unwind from his stomach. He gave Kakashi an appraising look.

“You weren’t worried at all.”

Kakashi didn’t dignify that with a reply, turning another page in his book.

“You knew he would be fine.”

“Kids are pretty indestructible,” Kakashi imparted from overtop his reading. 

You’ve seen him get himself out of trouble before, Yamato didn’t say, watching with a knowing look as Kakashi returned to his reading, or appeared to. In reality he could tell his Captain’s attention was on the kid on the rooftops cheekily dancing now that he was out of harm’s way. You’ve been watching out for him long enough to know when he really needs help. But his Captain hated such blatant sentiment, so he kept his thoughts to himself. 

“I guess you’re right. I was worried for nothing.”

“It’s good to worry. Healthy, even. But you shouldn’t try to do every little thing for her. Sakura is seven. She’ll be eight some day, and fourteen, and twenty-two. She’ll have even bigger challenges ahead of her. Do you plan to tail her on her first date? For her first kiss? Will you be watching over her shoulder when she graduates to chuunin to make sure nothing goes wrong?”

“I get it,” Tenzou said quickly, feeling flustered and reproached. He stole one, last look at Sakura. She recovered quickly from her distress, giggling with the blonde girl as though they've known each other for their whole lives. “Fourteen… do you really think Sandaime won’t have a permanent home for her by then?”

Kakashi put his book down for a moment to look Tenzou in the eyes. 

“Do you want him to?”

It was a question that haunted him for the rest of his patrol. 

~ ~ ~

That afternoon, Sakura came home looking different. For one, there was a plaster across her cheek over the place she’d been struck, but Yamato wasn't supposed to know that so he asked her about it. Two, there was a bright yellow bow clipping her bangs out of her face. Sakura told him it was a gift from her new friend Ino. 

“Yamanaka Ino,” Yamato repeated, feeling a little faint, “She’s a clan heiress.” Although he had never met her, Yamato had heard of her clan and their role in the war. He’d met Sakura by way of Ino’s father. To think that now Sakura was friends with Inoichi’s daughter almost had him concerned. Had he not witnessed the birth of their budding friendship himself, Tenzou might have considered it a very clever ploy, getting cozy with the daughter of T&I’s head. 

“She’s great!” Sakura said in a rush, going on with stars in her eyes, “She’s taking private lessons and she said she’s gonna teach me how to throw someone in a circle if they try pulling on my hair ever again!”

“She sounds nice,” Yamato replied, wondering if Sakura would ever expand on this hair-pulling incident. It seemed to be a recurring theme and he was beginning to worry why she wasn’t explaining herself. Were all children so secretive? Or was Sakura hiding it for another reason? Kakashi-senpai seemed so sure of letting Naruto deal with his own problems. Maybe it was best if he just let it lie. “I look forward to meeting your new friend.”

Three days later, he heard a rapid banging on his front door. He didn't need to sense any chakra to know it wasn't Sakura's doing, she usually just let herself in with the house key. Sakura's chakra signature was present outside, but it was dwarfed by the presence of a different chakra, swirling with antsy energy right in front of his apartment. A little worried, Yamato walked briskly over to the door and yanked it open. 

He stared down at a head of bright, blonde hair. Two familiar, teal eyes looked back confidently. Sakura stood behind the little girl they belonged to. 

"Mister Tsugi?" The little girl asked. Yamato nodded in confirmation. "I'm Ino, Yamanaka Ino! Can Sakura come over for dinner tonight?" 

She was bold and direct, and apparently fast at making friends. Yamato looked over to Sakura, who was emitting a nervous air but still had a smile on her face. She clearly wanted to go but was too shy to ask him directly. 

Tenzou found himself at a crossroads. Just like before, he had to decide whether or not to intervene. He could say no and prevent Sakura from potential intel gathering… or, he could trust her and let her make the friends she so desperately needed. Ultimately, he took a leap of faith on his kid. 

But first, Yamato had to play the role of concerned uncle. "Will you get all your homework done before you come home?" Sakura nodded eagerly. "Then you can go." 

Sakura's smile widened, Ino fist-pumped in victory. "Don't worry, Mister Tsugi, I'll get Sakura-chan home before it gets too dark out!"

And with that, Ino grabbed Sakura's arm and tugged her along in the direction of her house. Yamato watched them disappear down the apartment's stairs. When they were fully out of sight, he let out a sigh he didn't even know he was holding. 

Sakura trusted him. It was time he returned some of that to her. 

The rest of the night passed in a haze. Yamato hardly remembered how he spent the time between Sakura leaving and returning. He realized he was fiddling with the same tea mug for the last half hour, the dishes from his lonely dinner already put away, when there was a knock at the door. It had been a little longer than expected and he had begun to suspect malicious intent, so he felt relief upon the return of a now familiar chakra signature. 

“I’m home,” said a very tired voice. 

“Welcome home, Sakura,” he replied, opening the door. He held back a laugh as she all but collapsed inwards, wobbling over and flopping down on the couch face first. “I take it that dinner went well?”

“I’m so full,” she said into the couch cushions, not bothering to lift her head. “Can I go to sleep right here?”

“I’ll get you a blanket.”

Sakura was softly dozing upon his return. She thanked him sleepily for the blanket and wrapped herself in its warm embrace. Within seconds, her breathing pattern changed to deep sleep. Yamato felt confident that she was already dreaming. He reset the traps around the house and began preparing to turn in as well. 

He drifted off to sleep with a sense of ease, his worries no longer practical. 

Yamato could trust Sakura, he was sure of it.

Chapter Text

Yamato smiled thinly, trying to keep up a normal appearance as he felt the presence outside just on the rooftop .

So soon, he thought, as Sakura went on about the latest thing Ino wanted to try, some family jutsu. Too soon. Sakura needed him. She was only seven with no one but himself to stay with her. Yamato didn’t want her to bear those same lonesome nights he and others like Kakashi-senpai did at her age. 

If only the ANBU on the roof would leave. 

His act fell flat, Sakura stopped talking and frowned. “Is everything okay? Yamato?”

Foolish of him to try and trick Sakura. Dropping the placating face, Yamato shook his head. “There’s something I have to do. Please stay inside.” Sakura nodded, sensing the serious tone of his voice, and made herself busy while her guardian vanished. 

Up on the roof Yamato reappeared with hardly a sound. The scroll handed to him by Stag bore a yellow ribbon--urgent, covert, but most annoyingly, long-term. He wanted to hand it back. The Lord Third knew what his priority mission was! Who knew what trouble Sakura could get herself into while he was away… 

Then again, Lord Third knew what his mission was. Surely there was a planned observation team in place already to make up for his absence. It made his skin itch to think of leaving Sakura alone under someone else’s care… yet it had to be done. She would be fine, he told himself as he accepted the scroll and untied the ribbon. She would be watched over in his absence and go to school like normal and absolutely nothing would go wrong. 

Well, hopefully. 

He burned the mission particulars, having already memorized them, and returned inside to where Sakura looked up eagerly. 

“I’m going away for some time.”

Sakura’s eager look evaporated. 

“Where will you go?” She asked. Yamato shook his head. 

“It’s dangerous for you to know, so I won’t say.”

“Will it be far? How long will you be away?” Sakura persisted, as if she had not heard him. Yamato came closer until he could kneel down to speak with her face to face. Despite being a child, Sakura was intelligent and mature. She took information much better presented plainly and so he told her as much as he could. 

“I have a mission. It’s top secret. If anyone else knows about it, that could put them in trouble. That’s why I burned up the scroll already, to keep the secrets even more secret. So I can’t tell you where I’m going, or when I’ll be back. If you knew then someone might use that against me, or Konoha… or you.”

Yamato gave her instructions on what to do while he was away. Sakura nodded, her eyes were intense as he explained, unblinking, and completely focused on his face, as if memorizing every detail. Yamato felt his chest tighten under that emotional look. 

Sakura was afraid. She was upset. And she didn’t want to be left alone. This was the first time she would be alone since arriving in Konoha. He could already tell that this would be difficult for the both of them. Yamato thought for a few moments in quiet what he could do to ease their anxiety. Inspiration came from watching Sakura fidget with her hands. He spotted something familiar and green. 

“You have that bracelet?”

She lifted her wrist to show where it sat. With a proud and pleased smile, Yamato went on, “So, remember how it’s linked to my energy? Feel it against your wrist? Here.” He concentrated on the Mokuton and let out a small pulse of chakra. The bracelet wriggled and a little bud appeared between the woven vines. Sakura looked jubilant. Yamato explained. 

“When I finish my mission I’ll make this flower wake up. When it does, you’ll know I’m on my way home. And by the time every petal comes open I’ll be back.”

He pushed a little more chakra into the flower to show how it would open up. Sakura watched the many petals unfold with a gasp of delight. 

“So many!”

“It’s called a Chrysanthemum,” Yamato said warmly. “They come in plenty of colors. But I thought you would like them because they have so many petals.”

“I like the way it smells,” Sakura admitted, bringing her bracelet close and sniffing carefully. “Not too strong, and a little sweet. It’s nice!”

"And they make good tea." Yamato added. “You should make us a cup before bed.”

Sakura nodded and plucked the flower from her bracelet. Yamato wasn’t used to such delicate applications of his wood-style technique but in a pinch, the exercise was excellent for his control. By the time he’d bloomed enough flowers for a pot, the sun had gone down. They took tea together under the full moon's light. 

“Yamato?”

“Mm?”

“Do you have to leave soon?” 

“Tonight, after you’re asleep but before you wake up.”

Sakura looked down into her tea cup, not quite frowning but definitely not smiling. She turned the cup between her hands for some time before taking another sip to the dregs. Putting her tea cup down, Sakura looked up from under bright pink bangs. Underneath them, Yamato could see a faint blush on her cheeks. 

“I got a new book from the library, from the last time you took me… can you read it to me tonight?”

Yamato smiled. 

“Until you fall asleep?” he guessed, picking up their tea cups. Sakura nodded. “I can do that. Go brush your teeth and meet me at your bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”

He put away their dishes and met Sakura as she spread out her futon. She was already dressed for bed with her book spread open to where she last left off. Yamato took it and began to read aloud, the soft tenor of his voice filling the room. With the late hour and warm tea, Sakura’s eyelids began to droop. Yamato could tell she was fighting sleep off. He put the book aside and began to stand up from the floor.

Something tugged at his fingers. 

Sakura had a tight grip on his hand. Her eyes were closed but she seemed determined to keep him from leaving. Yamato smiled. He couldn't remember her ever holding his hand so willingly, save for their first trip to the library. Cute , he thought fondly, letting her fingers linger around his for a few moments longer. 

“Sakura,” he said softly. “I need this hand back. May I have it, please?”

“Don’ go,” a quiet voice mumbled back. The grip around his fingers tightened. 

Yamato thought of the mission parameters, of the long road ahead of him. He thought about Konoha at night, about the treacherous situation he had to infiltrate, the dangers he would soon face, and found that he would compromise nothing by spending a few more minutes here holding Sakura’s hand. It was a completely sound decision, absolutely based in non-biased logic, totally and utterly uninfluenced by the little fingers wound around his own. 

You deserve an award for bullshitting yourself, he heard Kakashi-senpai say from very far away. 

Fuck off, Yamato thought back, and held on a little tighter. 

~ ~ ~

Sakura woke up the next morning alone. It was a little quiet in the house, but strangely she wasn't concerned. The bracelet around her wrist was dormant for now but a comforting reminder of Yamato's eventual return. Sakura could see the little spot where last night a beautiful flower had bloomed in full and let her fingers run over the vines. Nothing happened, not yet. But she knew that soon, Yamato would make the flower bloom on her wrist again. 

She thought about telling Ino as she made breakfast and got ready for school. Ino always bragged about the assignments her dad got, sometimes from the Hokage himself. It would be nice to change that up today. 

Then, Yamato’s words came back to her. If someone knew about my mission. They could use it against Yamato… and her. She couldn't tell anyone else. It was fun having a secret! And also Very Important. Sakura felt very brave (even though she technically wasn’t doing anything! Ino would say). She could keep Yamato’s secret. It was important! He was counting on her and she wanted to do well. 

So, naturally, she didn’t tell anyone that he was gone. 

~ ~ ~  

Out of all the four seasons, it was Fall that Sakura hated the most. 

There wasn't an exact reason Sakura could place her finger on. Maybe it was the inviting piles of leaves that, more often than not, hid a nasty surprise of mud when you jumped in. Maybe it was the unpredictable weather changes where it would be cold enough in the morning to bundle up, only for the temperature to reach summer levels again in the afternoon. Or maybe, the seven year old thought as she glanced around her classroom, it was how everyone seemed to get sick at once. 

Ino and three others were absent. From the sound of sniffling and coughing, it seemed as though several more of her classmates would succumb to the virus floating around their school. And as luck would have it, Sakura was its newest victim the very next day.  

Being buried under every blanket Yamato owned brought Sakura to this epiphany: being sick was terrible! She didn't know why her classmates prayed to get sick before tests or presentations. She couldn't do anything fun like read or go outside and watch the villagers go about their lives, not when her head swam and her body couldn't decide if it was hot or cold. At this rate, Sakura wondered if she could make herself dinner tonight. Just the thought of having something heavier than the crackers and soup she had this morning made her stomach turn. 

She was so excited to make her own dinner too! She had plans to make hotpot with the cut of beef she bartered for at the butcher’s, just like Yamato taught her to. So busy languishing over her missed opportunity, Sakura nearly missed hearing the knock at the front door. 

“Hello? Is anyone home?”

Her body once again decided it was freezing, so Sakura wrapped her blanket around her shoulders like a shawl as she made her way to the door. The blanket trailed on the ground as she walked like the cape of a king from her fairytales. The fuzziness filling her head made unlocking the door a near-impossible task, but she somehow managed to open it. 

Standing in her doorway, hand raised to prepare for another knock was her teacher, Umino Iruka. He wore the same clothes as when he was teaching her class. Same vest, same uniform, same high ponytail that made the girls in class occasionally ask him to do their hair.

Sakura knew why he was here, she missed school today. Yamato told her she had to go to school while he was away and now Iruka-sensei and Yamato both were going to scold her. She was sure of it!

“Good afternoon, Iruka-sensei,” Sakura said, pausing in thought. Was it still the afternoon? Time was as fuzzy as her head felt. “I’m sorry for not attending class today.”

“Please don’t apologize, I can see that you’re sick. I just stopped by since I didn’t get a note of absence from your uncle.” Iruka tilted his head, trying to look into the apartment beyond Sakura. “Speaking of, is your uncle home?”

Sakura shook her head, instantly regretting it when the rest of the world shook with it. She leaned against the wall in hopes that something still would make it go away faster. “No… no, he’s on a mission right now.”

Sakura saw her teacher’s eyebrows disappear into his headband as they shot up in what could've been surprise or concern. She remembered too late what Yamato had said about secrecy. She felt terrible! One question from her school teacher and she spilled the beans! Sakura groaned, feeling more than a little miserable. 

For some reason this made Iruka look even more worried. He knelt down and gently placed the back of his hand against her forehead. 

“Oh sweetie, you’re burning up. Your uncle left you here all alone while you’re sick?”

It took a moment for Sakura to reply. Iruka’s hand felt nice and cool against her skin. "No... I woke up sick this morning. I’m sorry, Sensei, I didn’t know I had to send in a note of absence.”

Sakura let her body relax once again when Iruka-sensei removed his hand. "That’s not your job, Sakura. That’s a job for adults… Who’s here watching you?"

"I'm by myself." She couldn't help but have the smallest bit of pride in her voice. Sakura missed Yamato, but he trusted her, trusted Sakura enough to watch the house while away. Clearly Iruka-sensei did not share the same sentiment as her, if that shocked look was anything to go by. 

"Really? All by yourself, and while you're sick?"

Sakura nodded but stopped quickly. Shaking her head made her slightly nauseous. Ugh, everything felt yucky. Her cheeks were warm. Her fingers felt cold. Her body was all achy like it was the first time she started doing stretches with her class. Even her ankles ached, and she didn’t know why. And it felt like her brain was mush soup. 

It was cool being all alone and responsible when she’d been feeling well, but now Sakura didn’t think being on her own was cool at all. The truth was, she missed Yamato. If he were there he would take care of her; draw her a bath and make her stay in bed and drink soup, put a cool towel on her hot head and make everything feel all better. She just knew it. 

(But why was she so certain? It wasn't like someone ever did that for her before… right? )

Sakura just wanted him to come home. 

Iruka-sensei was chewing the bottom of his lip. He was her sensei, but Sakura had the urge to tell him to stop such a bad habit. She didn't get the chance to when he said, "Alright then. Can you get your coat, Sakura? I'm taking you to the doctor."

That snapped Sakura out of her momentary stupor. "But Iruka-sensei, Uncle Yamato said I wasn't allowed to leave home with anyone else!" She protested, even as she obediently pulled on her shoes.

Sensei was smiling, but something about it looked weird. "Don't worry about your uncle, Sakura. I'll deal with him when he gets back." 

She knew it was meant to reassure her, but the way Iruka said it made it sound like a threat.

~ ~ ~ 

Sakura had expected her teacher to take her to the hospital or that one room in the Tower with the cold, metal table that she had to sit on while she was poked and prodded with various instruments. But he didn't take her to the hospital or the Tower. Instead, he ushered her into a building that stood between a convenience store and dumpling stand. 

It was a quaint little pediatric office. That is, a doctor that specifically saw children, Iruka-sensei explained. There were little clouds painted along each wall. The chairs were animal themed, with ears and tails! It instantly set Sakura at ease despite her initial reservations about being seen at a doctor’s office. 

Even the doctor gave off a comforting air. She was a middle-aged woman with short auburn hair that reminded Sakura of her guardian. The woman explained everything in terms Sakura could understand, taking her temperature, looking in each of her ears, in her throat, and weighing her. She even gave her a lollipop! Sakura chose the purple one out of curiosity. She sucked on the grape-flavored candy as Iruka-sensei and the candy-giving doctor spoke.

"I would usually give you a prescription just in case, but-"

"But what?"

"-as we do not have her medical record on file, and you are not her legal guardian, I cannot write out a prescription for you."

"I already told you, her legal guardian is out on a mission!" Iruka sounded the same as when he told the class to not fool around with the practice kunai. "Am I just supposed to sit around and twiddle my thumbs while I watch her get sicker?"

"I didn't say that," The doctor sounded aghast at the suggestion. "I can give you some over-the-counter medicine for fever reduction. Nine times out of ten that's all a child needs to get well again."

"And by chance it doesn't help? What am I to do then?"

"If by the very unlikely chance her fever does get worse, bring her to the nearest hospital. They can treat her even without her guardian's consent."

Iruka-sensei breathed in deeply through his nose. "Very well… Thank you for your help." He said politely, sounding frustrated at the limits of his ability. "Let's go, Sakura."

Sakura slid off the examination table and dutifully followed him. 

“All those tax ryo and for what? Couldn’t even give me a prescription for a fever.” Iruka-sensei muttered under his breath as they exited. Sakura didn’t know how taxes were to blame for her fever, but a lot of adults liked to accuse taxes for the problems in their life so she didn’t question it. 

Despite his frustration, Iruka-sensei’s face quickly morphed back into concern when he looked down at her. He even managed a tight smile as his hand plopped down on her shoulder for a squeeze. From their walk to the doctor’s office and back out, his hand was never far from her shoulder or her back as he led her around the village. Sakura figured he did this to make sure she didn’t fall over or got lost. Even now it was guiding her to a bench to sit at.

Iruka joined her. For a minute, neither said anything to each other. Sensei seemed preoccupied with looking at something on the ground, so Sakura busied herself with watching the street. The sun was starting to set, meaning less people to watch as they wandered into restaurants, stores, or buildings they called home. 

“Well, this is quite the dilemma.” Iruka spoke, breaking Sakura out of her musings. He finally picked his head up and turned to look at her. He was frowning, but not like he did when Naruto pulled a successful prank or when the classroom was too loud. Sakura deduced that his frustration was somehow linked to her situation--she was part of why Iruka-sensei was frowning--and she wanted it to stop. 

“Iruka-sensei, it’s okay. I’m feeling fine.”

The smile he gave her was a wry one, a pale shadow in comparison to the sunny countenance she was used to in class. 

“We’ll have to work on your subterfuge skills, Sakura-chan,” Iruka informed her gently. “That was terrible. But I appreciate the effort.” 

The silence between them stretched a little further. Sakura stewed on ways to bring back her teacher’s smile while Iruka nursed his own thoughts. The sound of footsteps and distant chatter began to fade, and a chill seemed to fall like a curtain, announcing the arrival of the evening hours. Iruka noticed the shiver Sakura tried hard to repress and shook his head to clear it. 

“I can’t leave you home alone while you’re like this." He suddenly said. "If worse comes to worse, someone needs to take you to the hospital if the medicine doesn’t help.”

“I know where the hospital is. I can take myself if my temperature gets higher.” Sakura said in her most confident voice. 

This was not entirely truthful, but the hospital building was easy to see amongst the apartment buildings and rivaled the Hokage Tower in size. She also had a thermometer at home which was probably more accurate in temperature-taking than Iruka’s hand (even if it didn’t feel as nice).

She must’ve said the wrong thing because Iruka-sensei’s frown deepened. “No, you’re in no condition to be taking care of yourself. I know I asked earlier, but are you absolutely sure there are no adults your uncle told you to go to while he’s away?”

Iruka-sensei was looking at her in a way that said he hoped her answer would be yes. Sakura hated giving wrong answers, especially to her teachers, so she racked her brain for potential adults she could stay with. 

Yamato told her to go straight to the Hokage if she needed any help, but he also said that was only for emergencies. Besides, the village leader did not have the time to care for a sick child. Ino’s parents? No, they were probably too busy taking care of Ino. That left Kakashi and Crow, but Yamato had mentioned that they would be on the same mission as him. Even if they were in the village, she had no idea where they lived. 

That left... no one. 

“...no,” she answered at last, wondering if he would punish her despite being out of school. Iruka sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Sakura started to apologize but Iruka cut her off with a look that booked no arguments. 

“The person who should apologize isn’t here,” he said firmly. “Okay, this is what's going to happen. We’re going to go back to your place to grab your things. I’ll write a note to your uncle to let him know that you got sick and you're staying with me at my apartment.” 

Sakura was not expecting that. She didn't want to impose, she wasn't his mission, but Iruka-sensei spoke in a tone that left no room for debate. He clapped his knees as he stood up. 

“Alright then, let’s get going. Are you feeling well enough to walk, Sakura? My apartment isn’t far from here, but I can carry you if you're feeling too tired.”

Sakura blushed and she was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the fever. 

“N-No, I can walk.” She mumbled, sliding off the bench. “You really don’t have to do this, Iruka-sensei.”

“Nonsense, of course I do!” He exclaimed as he squeezed her shoulder. “Not only are you my student, but you’re a fellow villager of the Hidden Leaf. We look out for each other!” 

Oh, that made sense. Iruka-sensei did like to go on about The Will of Fire and how Leaf shinobi had to work together. Sakura had thought he only said that to get her classmates to stop fighting outside of sparring practice, but it turned out that he actually believed in it.

Iruka tugged her along, and Sakura focused her energy on walking straight so that her teacher didn’t insist that he carry her the rest of the way. She would've preferred death than for any of her classmates seeing her being carried around like a baby. 

~ ~ ~ 

Sakura stared as she followed Iruka-sensei into his house. It was so unlike the four bare walls Yamato called home. There were living plants growing in pots crowding the door that led to a balcony lit by a string of fairy lights. Portraits done in finger paint and crayon adorned one wall while framed images of children in groups hung along another. 

Every corner of the small apartment seemed to have a loving touch. There were throw-pillows on the sofa and coasters on the table. Although the furniture seemed to match, some pieces were obviously hand crafted, perhaps gifts from former Academy students. Iruka-sensei hurried to put on some tea and Sakura couldn’t help smiling at the obviously mismatched cups that read ‘No 1 Teacher’ and ‘Best Teacher Ever’. 

It wasn’t anything like Yamato’s place. The most notable difference was the television that stood in the corner of the living room. Sakura wondered why Iruka had a television and Yamato didn’t. She was too busy sipping at the tea Iruka pressed into her hands to get the question out of her. He caught her staring at it when he walked back in with a bright orange futon in his arms. 

“Do you want to watch some TV? I have a few VHS tapes lying around if you want to watch a movie before bed.”

“Sure.” Sakura had brought her book with her in case Iruka-sensei’s apartment turned out to be as mind-numbingly boring as Yamato’s, but she was sure her second attempt at reading today would end in failure like the first.  

They searched through the tapes before deciding on the dolphin documentary. Iruka laughed when he saw it and said the tape was given to him as a joke by a friend. Sakura knew a bit about dolphins from the book of sea life she had randomly picked up from the library one day, but the documentary went into more depth on the group behaviors and mating habits of dolphins. A storyline was made by the crew who followed a pod over mating season. Each dolphin was given its own name, Chibi-chan being her favorite. 

By the end, Sakura was blinking tears out of her eyes during the documentary’s closing credits. She realized how late it was as her stomach growled loudly. 

Over their dinner of miso soup, Iruka told her she needed to drink two cap-fulls of the medicine every 6-8 hours.  He carefully poured Sakura her first dose and handed it over. Her ever-observant teacher smiled when he saw her nose involuntarily crinkle in disgust. 

"If it's any consolation, it's cherry-flavored." 

Cherry was an overtly-generous description of the flavor. It did indeed taste like cherries, but cherries that were left to rot for weeks and then mixed in with liquid garbage until it reached a tar-like texture. Sakura chugged the water on standby as Iruka wordlessly poured her another shot. The second dose went down as poorly as the first, but Sakura was just happy that it was now over and that her gagging didn't trigger any vomiting. 

Sensei let her watch another movie as a reward for her suffering. As Sakura returned to quietly watching TV, Iruka pulled out a sheet of papers to grade. The atmosphere was calming, the white noise soothing her like a lullaby. Pen scratching against paper, the occasional creaking of wood, and the low droning of the television reminded Sakura of time spent quietly reading with Yamato and... something else , something much more fuzzy that stirred at the back of her mind. Try as she might, she just couldn't reach it. The memories slipped through her consciousness like sand through fingers. 

Another set of credits rolled by, interrupted by the quiet sigh of Sakura’s yawn. Iruka looked up from the papers he was grading and smiled. “It’s late. You should try to sleep. I’ll be up a little later in my room if you need anything. We should get you rested before you have to try drinking that delicious medicine again in the morning.”

The mention of the medicine reminded Sakura of something she nearly forgot to do. She crawled over to her coat folded next to the futon, digging around in the pockets until she found what she was looking for. Some of the money Yamato left for her was gone when she went shopping earlier this week, but Sakura counted the remaining cash and hoped it was enough.

She held it up to Iruka. "Here, sensei. For the medicine and the doctor visit."

Iruka-sensei looked at the ryo as if she just offered him dog poop. He shook his head and pushed it back to her. "No, no, Sakura. I can't accept this. Like I said, we Leaf villagers look out for each other."

Reluctantly, Sakura lowered her hands and stuffed the ryo back into her coat pocket. She wondered if it was really alright. After all, she wasn't from here, so technically her teacher didn’t have to watch out for her. She liked staying with Yamato, but he only took care of her because he was told to. 

Guilt crept up her throat and it must have shown on her face because Iruka put his pencil down to give Sakura his full attention.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it really is fine. You’re my comrade, Sakura, a child under the protection of this village. What makes us so strong isn’t blood, but the bonds we make here.” A warm smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Did you know that my family isn’t originally from Konoha?”

Sakura shook her head with wide eyes. Until now, she was half-convinced that Iruka lived in the school. To hear that he wasn't even born in Konoha was an exciting thing to discover. 

“My family came here from the Land of Lightning,” Iruka confessed, smile widening as Sakura sat spellbound for his story. “We left during a time of struggle for that region. We were refugees with no village and no protection. Konoha took us in even though we could've been enemy spies. You see, it doesn’t matter where you came from. You’re a part of this village now, aren’t you?”

Sakura’s understanding nod was interrupted by another yawn, and Iruka’s warm smile turned fond, or so she thought. It was difficult to say, because with a tummy full of warm tea, surrounded by cozy pillows and thoughts of dolphins playing in the ocean, Sakura found herself halfway unconscious. 

Her heavy eyelids were already drooping. Iruka-sensei was saying something else but she hardly heard it. The last thing she remembered was reaching out to find the hand coming to rest against her forehead. 

It just felt safer drifting off to sleep with Iruka’s hands wrapped around hers. 

Chapter Text

Tenzou entered his apartment only to find it empty.

He didn't panic. Years of ANBU have conditioned him to expect the unexpected. He adapts, breathing in to catch any lingering foreign scent. It had the double effect of calming his heart, which had leapt into his throat. Nothing out of the ordinary… Wait. There was a faint aroma. He breathed in a few more times as he tracked it to the front door. 

Interesting. Someone had come into his apartment. The door had been locked, as he’d left it, and someone had disarmed the trap only triggered from the outside. It was designed to keep common thieves from entering--it must have been a shinobi. 

There were no signs of struggle. Yamato’s pulse began to race. What if it was someone Sakura had been lying in wait for? Someone related to Orochimaru? Sakura had exceptional chakra control, and he’d seen her give Kakashi a fierce kicking the man still complained about. There was no way she had left his house involuntarily. The question was, with who…

He had three separate theories running before he noticed the note on the counter. 

‘Umino Iruka - Hello. I’m Sakura’s teacher. Sakura seems under the weather. She’ll be in my care. My address is…’

Tenzou breathed out a huge sigh of relief. 

He tried not to feel too foolish for jumping to conclusions. After all, distrust and suspicion were woven into the fabric of his line of work. However, he did feel like a dumbass for not noticing the note immediately upon coming home. It was rather conspicuously placed on the counter with nothing else around it. 

Tenzou weighed his options. The given address wasn’t too far off, it was in a resident district, and it wasn’t the dead of night for once. He headed for a much-needed shower. It would be rather poor manners to show up at Umino-san’s house smelling of rotting corpses and damp moss. 

Senpai just had to make that shortcut through the swamp.

As he changed into a clean jounin outfit, Tenzou pondered about the man who took his ward in. Iruka Umino: Chuunin, Academy Teacher and Mission Desk Worker, Type O blood, has a close relationship with the Lord Third. The least likely candidate to perform a kidnapping for Orochimaru.  

‘She’ll be in my care’, he’d written. Tenzou thought about it on his walk over. Umino-san must have plenty of students. He was curious how Sakura was singled out. The note mentioned she’d been ill. Had she shown signs of sickness in his class? He wasn’t well versed in signs and symptoms of common illness in children, and Sakura didn't seem ill when he left Monday. 

For the first time in several weeks, Tenzou felt like he was out of his depth. It was an awful feeling, being unprepared. He knew the proper medical procedures on how to suck out the poison from a comrade in the field, but something as simple as recognizing the symptoms of a common cold in children alluded his understanding. He wished there was more training available for situations like this. 

Finally, he found the indicated door. Tenzou schooled his features blank of stress and knocked three times. The door opened to a quasi-familiar face. Tanned skin, a scar bisecting his tight expression, and shoulder-length brown hair pulled up out of his face. 

A tight smile crossed the teacher's face. “Ah, Tsugi-san! You’ve returned home safely from your mission!” Iruka said with forced cheer. 

Was it just post-mission exhaustion playing tricks on his brain, or did Yamato see the teacher’s hand tighten around the doorknob?

“I’ve received your note. Thank you for taking care of Sakura." He said even as warning bells started ringing in his head. 

Sakura came to the doorway. Tenzou noticed right away her natural cadence was off: she walked as though trying not to wobble on her own two feet. There was a slight flush on her cheeks and he took in the state of her dress. 

“Still in pajamas?” He wondered aloud. “It’s almost noon.” Everything about the situation indicated that Sakura was recovering from being sick. 

Still, she looked happy to see him. "I knew you were coming back. The chrysanthemum bud opened just like you said it would!" Sakura held up her arm and indeed, there was a small, yellow chrysanthemum in the center of her bracelet. 

“I tried to come back as quickly as possible.” Tenzou explained, a smile tugging at his lips. 

The pre-genin instructor turned his attention back to his sick student. “Sakura, why don’t you start packing your things? I want to have a… chat …with your uncle.” Iruka said in a sickly-sweet voice. 

Ah, it was a trap, except it wasn’t Sakura who was in danger. Tenzou was a dead man walking.

Even young Sakura could hear the murderous intent behind those words. Her eyes flickered from Iruka to Yamato, torn on aiding her guardian or obeying her teacher. 

In the end, Sakura did the cowardly but smart thing and obeyed Iruka, shuffling back into the apartment and leaving Yamato to his fate. Iruka stepped out into the hallway and gently closed the door behind him. He turned around to face Yamato. 

Tenzou had seen serial killers less homicidal. 

His mind raced through protocol on what to do when comrades suddenly turned hostile. First step was to try and deescalate the situation verbally. “I am deeply sorry for any incon-”

“What? No, no, no, she’s been no trouble,” Iruka said quickly, both arms crossed over his chest, though his gaze was darkening by the second. “Sakura’s fine. Well, actually, she’s not fine--she isn’t feeling very well, as you can see… as you could have seen, if you hadn’t left her alone for an entire week!” 

He shouted the last part. Tenzou opened his mouth to ask (more like beg) Iruka to keep his voice down, say how his behavior was unbecoming for a shinobi. One withering glare was all it took for those words to die on his tongue. 

"Where do I even begin? You leave your sick niece alone for a week with no medicine, no adults to go to, no phone number to call, NOTHING!"

"...she wasn't sick when I left." Tenzou mumbled weakly in his defense. 

"Yet it never occured to you that she could get sick? Especially during flu season?!" Something primal flashed in Iruka's eyes. Something far more dangerous than any jutsu Tenzou had encountered in his life. "You should've prepared for this! To think you call yourself a ninja of the Hidden Leaf!"

This was ridiculous! Yamato was an ANBU operative, a survivor of ROOT, the only living person with the Mokuton, one of the best soldiers Konoha had to offer! Even in his chakra-depleted state, he could easily kill this man with nothing more than his pinkie long before the chuunin even realized he had been attacked. 

He had nothing to fear!

.

..

… 

Which was what Tenzou kept saying to himself as the lizard part of his brain screamed to haul ass in whichever direction Iruka wasn't in. The deer-stuck-in-headlights part of his brain won over, and Tenzou remained rooted to the ground as one of his trees as the pre-genin teacher continued to tear into him mercilessly. 

“Do you have any idea how lucky she is that I happened to be nearby and decided to check in on her? Teachers don’t have to check in on students until they have three days of unexcused absences!” Iruka’s face was turning an alarming shade of red. “Give me ONE good reason why I shouldn’t march straight to the Hokage and report you for gross negligence of a child!”

Because he was the one who thought it was a good idea for me to watch over her, Tenzou wanted to say, but wisely kept his mouth shut. 

Throughout the verbal quartering, several of the apartment's tenants walked past them or peeked their heads out from their dwellings (probably to see what was causing their walls to shake). Upon seeing Iruka shout him down, they were quick to leave Yamato to his fate. So much for the whole 'helping your comrades' part of the Will of Fire, he thought bitterly at their retreating forms. 

“Irresponsible… Foolish… Were you just not paying attention during basic lessons? My prepubescent students know more,” Iruka pointed out with a scathing tone, either ignoring or failing to notice Tenzou wincing with every correct assertion. “Sakura is just a child! You’re the adult. You’re responsible for her care, when you’re there and when you’re not. You need to make provisions for times like these!”

Tenzou mumbled some begrudging agreement, praying that his scolding would soon end. Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Clouds could probably see his embarrassment. Iruka gave him a frank look that bore no pity. 

“There are students of mine who don’t have anyone to rely on,” he said without heat, seeming to run out of steam. “The war wasn’t kind to the children of this village. Sakura is lucky to have someone looking after her--you have to be better than this.”

His closing reprimand cut deeper than anything previously said. 

The schoolteacher was absolutely correct. Tenzou knew that Iruka’s point of view was biased, him being her teacher and responsible for her well-being for nearly half the day, but he agreed completely. Sakura deserved better. At the very least, she deserved someone who could devise a back-up plan for her care while he was away. 

Someone who actually knew what they were doing.

The chuunin was looking at him expectantly, so Tenzou hesitantly spoke. "...In retrospect, I could've better prepared for such an event."

The unimpressed look Iruka gave him made Tenzou fear that the rant would start all over again. 

Fortunately for him, Iruka said nothing after that and simply pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked tired. Who wouldn't be? The man did finish yelling at Yamato for ten minutes straight after watching over a sick child for an entire day. 

"Listen. I know you're new to this whole child-rearing thing and I get it, Sakura is very smart for her age. She's very independent," Iruka amended, "but at the end of the day, she's still just a kid." 

Yamato didn't know how to respond to that. Usually, parents fawned when teachers spoke highly of their children's intelligence. But when Iruka spoke about Sakura's, there was a strange sort of pity that accompanied it. Perhaps he thought such praise would go uncherished by him. As much as it hurt to realize, Tenzou found that he couldn't fault the chuunin for thinking so. 

"This is the first long-term mission I've been on since I got--since Sakura was put into my care." He quietly explained. "She's been with me for around half a year." 

Iruka's eyebrow arched up in surprise. "Oh, you're really new to this. Hadn’t you taken any babysitting missions before? I thought they were mandatory for chuunin.”

“Perhaps,” Tenzou remarked carefully, “they were for others. I didn’t stay chuunin ranked very long though. I’m not sure.”

Iruka gave him a pitying look. “Right… Look, I can tell you’re a bit of an idiot-" Tenzou couldn't even muster the energy to be offended by that, "-what was your name again?”

“Yamato,” he answered through clenched teeth. 

“Right. Okay. Yamato. What you need is a list of reliable people Sakura can call and stay with if she needs help. Let’s get one started.” He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his name, number, and address. Then he made lines and spaces for others to do the same. “Here. I’ve put myself down but you should collect more in case I’m not available. Luckily we had a planning period this week and I could spare the time, but there will be instances you need to rely on others.”

Tenzou didn't entirely like the idea of entrusting his mission to a chuunin that somehow made him feel three inches tall. But Sakura trusted him, enough that she opened the door and even left their apartment with him. He would have to ask the Hokage if it was an acceptable arrangement as Iruka didn't have the clearance for Sakura's top secret files. Other than that, it seemed like a good idea.

“Thank you for your help. I’ll be sure to ask before I need it, next time.”

The surly man looked pleased at Tenzou’s phrasing and nodded.

“Good.” Iruka turned back to the door. "Okay. Sakura, I'm done scolding your uncle. You can come out now."

Slowly, the door creaked open. There stood a sheepish Sakura, fully dressed and holding a duffel bag. Iruka's shouting must've been some sort of kekki genkai. Tenzou had not sensed Sakura's chakra signature for the duration of his tirade. 

Polite as ever, she gave her teacher a short bow. "Thank you for taking care of me, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka's attitude went back to one of a sunny teacher's. He knelt down and gave Sakura's shoulder a fond squeeze. "Of course, Sakura-chan. If you ever need to find me outside of school again, don't hesitate to come here." 

The uncomfortably-long eye contact he made with Yamato said it had better not come to that point.

Months back, the Lord Third said a child with Orochimaru's blood could not be trusted with a chuunin's supervision. Clearly he was underestimating the caliber of his soldiers if Iruka could be considered the standard. 

The school teacher would be a terrible fit for ANBU, Tenzou thought as they walked back toward his apartment. Excellent killing intent but far too much empathy. He could be an excellent asset to I&T though, with the proper training. No secret would be left unknown had Iruka became an interrogator. A talk-down from him would break even the hardest of shinobi.

Tenzou tried putting the haunting memory of that thousand-yard glare out of his mind by talking to Sakura. “It was very kind of your teacher to watch over you in my absence. Did he treat you well?”

“Iruka-sensei took very good care of me,” Sakura said, diving right into discussion at the prompting. “He has a television with forty-two channels, and documentaries about sooooo much sea life, and cards, and dice, and he makes really, really nice tea. He even invited me over when I’m not sick.”

Tenzou nodded, half listening as Sakura went on animatedly, more vibrant than he was used to. She didn’t seem very ill though he could make out the weariness in her expressions, delighted as they were. Sakura was just… so enamored with her teacher’s living space. It came on, the thought that he was under-serving her need for children’s things. Distractions, play things, whatever they were called. Was his bare bones apartment keeping Sakura from being herself?

“...many pictures on his walls. I even saw some drawings we did in class, he kept them! I thought he threw them all out when we were done. I promised to do more drawings for him but he said it’s okay since he’s starting to run out of room…”

Tenzou felt a fleeting bolt of jealousy. The school teacher had pictures Sakura made up on his wall, in his house! Would Sakura draw pictures for his apartment? Would it be selfish of him to ask her to? How did the chuunin accumulate more of Sakura’s trust in weeks than he had in months? It made his heart twist in his chest. 

The truth was plain and simple: Tenzou wasn’t cut out for this. He had tried in his own weird way to make it work. He followed Itachi's advice with varying degrees of success, he made Sakura that bracelet so she could feel safe when he was not there, he even developed an odd sort of fondness for this fellow victim of Orochimaru. But as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and all the good intentions in the world could not make up for Tenzou’s sheer incompetence. 

On the field, he could analyze a battle plan from every different angle, but the variables that came with caring for a human that couldn’t care for themselves were too numerous, too many ways to count what could go wrong. Maybe he wasn’t born with the emotions necessary for childcare. Something that Iruka possessed, emotions that even Kakashi-senpai somehow had. But why would Tenzou have them? He was a tool, honed to be a fine killing machine by ROOT which left no room for error that feelings often created. It was insanity to think he had any capacity for nurturing. 

Maybe it was just time for him to accept that.

“What sort of things do you like to draw?” He asked, ignoring the way his throat suddenly went raspy. 

“Stuff, and things,” Sakura replied vaguely, still caught up in talking about Iruka’s apartment. “The picture he has is of my family. Of me and you.”

Tenzou stopped dead in his tracks.

Family. The word echoed in his mind as Sakura looked up at him, confused by her guardian's sudden paralysis. 

"Yamato, are you okay?" 

Family. It had to have been a slip of the tongue. Sakura knew she was a mission to him. She was just supposed to be a mission to him. It was almost sad to think that just because he fed and sheltered her and very occasionally tried to make her happy, that it made him count as family in Sakura’s book. I don't deserve to be called your family, he wanted to tell her. But during his self-pitying, Tenzou had forgotten;

He was all Sakura had.

For all intents and purposes, Yamato was the closest thing she would possibly ever have to a family. 

"I'm fine," Yamato said a bit too hastily, "it's just--I'm just tired from the mission. Say, could you draw something for me next time?"

The sudden change in topic worked. Sakura quickly forgot about her concern, looking positively delighted that Yamato had taken an interest in her artistic works. Yet that joy was gone in a flash and her face fell.

"I would, but we don't have any coloring stuff at home." Sakura admitted softly. "Maybe I can borrow some from school, or maybe I can bring one home--"

"No, no, I can get you that." Yamato interrupted. There were few things in life Sakura wanted. A box of crayons and a drawing pad were hardly exorbitant expenses. "We can go shopping for art supplies together once you feel better." 

Her elation was back. "Really? Thank you, Yamato! Can we buy a television too? Like the one Iruka-sensei has?"

Yamato stifled a laugh. Only a child could think that a luxury electronic appliance was in the same realm of possibility as some paper and crayons. He almost said 'no' out of instinct, but then a thought occurred to him. 

He still had that envelope filled with ryo the Lord Third had given him. Yamato never did pull out a single bill from it in case the issue of the missing stipend was never solved (and to this date, still wasn't). A television would put a dent in that fund, but if he was truly desperate, he could guilt the Hokage with lamentations about his missing stipend. 

Yamato couldn't hold a candle to Sakura's smile, but nevertheless he attempted one of his own. 

"Sure." 

Sakura closed the distance between them, her slender arms wrapping around his waist. She pressed her face against his stomach and squeezed with all the energy she could muster. Yamato’s smile remained, even as he felt something prick at the corner of his eyes. 

When she pulled away, Sakura had a grin on her face that went from ear-to-ear. "Thank you, Yamato! I can't wait to show you all the documentaries Iruka-sensei showed me! Do you think the library has documentary tapes we can check out? I want to show you one about sea urchins and how they eat!"

Despite his earlier distress, Yamato felt his stress melt away as Sakura excitedly chattered about all the facts about sea life she now knew. Iruka’s words echoed in his mind, you have to be better than this , but now they filled him with resolve instead of dread. 

Yamato--no,--Tenzou would become the guardian Sakura deserved. 

Chapter Text

Yamato, true to his word, bought Sakura a sketchbook, a tin of colored pencils, and a brand new television.

And while he was at it, he decided to get her a house. 

…Well, more like the land for the house. His Mokuton-made house was technically free.

It had put a sizable dent in his savings, but the stipend from Lord Third would be a balm on that wound. It had also been a drain on his chakra reserves as his attention to detail saw to it that nothing was left out of place. But it was worth it, and it would be even more so once he showed Sakura their new home. Not just a place to sleep and eat after missions, but a proper home. 

After days of pouring over architectural and interior design books, the house was ready. He had already moved most of their things while Sakura was at school earlier that day. It was amusing to hear Sakura run in, body going through it's usual after-school routine, only to stop short when she noticed all of their furniture was gone. Her pink eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Yamato, curious, stayed silent to see what conclusion she would come to.

“Yamato… hello? Yamato?”

He smiled to himself as she began to look for him. It was endearing that her first reaction was to call for him. Despite wanting to wait and see what else Sakura would do, Yamato felt honorbound to answer her quiet call for help. 

“I’m here,” he said, coming into view from around the corner. “Sorry if I surprised you.”

“You didn’t surprise me,” Sakura said, looking around, “but where is everything?”

“It’s waiting for you, at your new home.”

His warm words caused Sakura to stiffen. Yamato watched as the seven year old struggled to properly emote. She looked left and right, before settling on giving him an honest sliver of worry. 

“... my new home?” She asked in the smallest voice. 

Oh. Yamato recognized the fear in her eyes, her pointed question. 

“Our new home,” Yamato corrected quickly. “All of our things have been moved out, I wanted to surprise you. I didn’t mean to upset you." He frowned slightly. "You didn’t think I was sending you away, did you?”

Sakura’s lower lip trembled for a moment before she shook her head fiercely, giving Yamato a big grin as she scrubbed her damp eyes. 

“No way! You would never!”

“I wouldn’t,” Yamato agreed, realizing how true his words felt. The feeling should have put ANBU Cat on edge. It felt shameful as a shinobi to admit but Sakura was getting in under his armor, past all his defenses, and he did nothing to stop it. How could he when she needed him?

In a way, Yamato supposed as they held hands to flash-step away, perhaps he needed Sakura, too. 

“Here we are,” he announced when they arrived. 

“Please teach me how to do… that…” Sakura trailed off, eyes going wide. 

Pride swelled up inside as the seven year old erupted in a shriek of pure delight. Sakura seemed unable to contain herself at the sight of the house. 

It was probably the bright pink door.

“Wow! It’s huge!” It was only two stories, but compared to their previous two-room living quarters, two stories probably seemed luxurious to her. “Can we go in it? Can we?” She was teetering back and forth on the balls of her feet in excitement. Yamato laughed and opened the door. 

“Of course--welcome home, Sakura.”

The distress he’d caused before vanished in the blink of an eye. Sakura shot off like an arrow to explore every room of the new house from top to bottom. Yamato ambled in after her, letting himself admire his handiwork in all it's finished glory. 

His love of architecture was rarely ever put to use. Sure, Kakashi would occasionally order him to make a reading bench for him, and he created a few knick knacks in his spare time, but his Mokuton Release was primarily used in battle. This house was a monument to how far Yamato had come in mastering the Wood Release. The lower level opened into the living space. To the right was their larger kitchen, complete with a kotatsu for sharing meals in the colder months. A downstairs bathroom and guest room were adjacent to the staircase that led to the upper floor where their bedrooms were. Outside he had set up a training area, complete with training dummies and plenty of room to practice jutsu, a short distance away from the garden. 

A joyful squeal from the living room cut Yamato off from his musings. He made his way there to see Sakura standing in front of one of the few items he actually bought for their new home.

"You actually got a TV! I thought you forgot!"

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Sakura exclaimed, spinning to run for the stairs. “Where does this go?”

Yamato offered up a playful grin. “You’ll have to find out for yourself.”

The sound of her footsteps climbing up the stairs had his heart pounding. She would discover it shortly, the gift he’d made for her. He created Sakura’s room with practicality in mind, the same spartan design he had given himself… and then, upon reflection, Yamato had decided to try something different. It had been an excellent exercise in pushing his boundaries with the Wood Release and, if Sakura didn’t care for it, he could always disassemble it (along with his pride). 

Yamato followed Sakura up the stairs step by step. He could tell she’d come upon the room adjacent to his. Smiling nervously, he stepped inside. He dearly hoped she would like it.

Sakura was busy staring at the room’s contents: a miniature treehouse bed, complete with a small playground area. There was a rope ladder leading up, a slide leading down, and a rung of metal he’d been able to twist into a makeshift sliding pole. Two swings hung from the ceiling side by side. There stood a wall with holes, easy footing for climbing, and monkey bars to swing from. 

The last inch of room left had been converted into a small cozy nook. All those reading benches Kakashi-senpai had bullied him into making had paid off beautifully, he was very confident in the seat he’d made specifically for Sakura. Beside the little bench was a shelf for books that went up just above her head. Yamato had allowed himself to make it above her height with the hope that perhaps, in time, she’d grow to be able to reach the topmost shelf. 

“...so…do you like it?” He asked. His pulse was hammering in his throat. 

Something made an impact with his thigh and abdomen. Sakura had flung herself headlong into him with all her weight. Together with the unexpected full force of her body and his own lowered defenses, Yamato lost his footing, and they tumbled to the ground. 

(Later, he would swear up and down that she put chakra behind that hug. The little pride he possessed would not admit that this girl was able to bring him to his knees.)

Yamato realized that Sakura was saying something into his chest. He parsed out her mumbling and felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. 

“...it, I love it, I love it, I love it,” she repeated until she was fairly breathless. Even after a huge gulp of air, Sakura seemed ready to repeat her mantra. Yamato stopped her with an indulgent smile. 

“I’m so glad--but, wouldn’t you like to play on it before dinner?”

Sakura spent the rest of her time between then and their first meal in the new house exploring every nook and cranny of her wild new room. The sound of her footsteps and laughter on the upper level brought a sense of profound, unexpected peace to Yamato as he grappled with the new kitchen and its contents. 

After the dishes were washed and they were both changed for bed, Yamato found his smile still in place as Sakura kept trying to read her new book with him, even as she threatened to doze off. 

"'Of course I love you,' the flower told him… 'It was my fault you never knew…. It doesn't matter--" She yawned heavily, resting her head against Yamato's arm as she did. 

(For a brief moment, all of the world felt still. That profound sense of peace washed over him again, a kind of tranquility he never felt before, even when in deep meditation. What was Sakura doing to him?)

He plucked a leaf from the wall and bookmarked her page. Sakura blinked sleepily. She resisted half-heartedly as Yamato pulled her from the comfortable bench to her actual bed in the treehouse. 

“But I like it there,” Sakura murmured even as she slid under the covers. “Cozy.”

“You can sleep there if you like,” Yamato said softly, well aware that Sakura was nearly asleep already. “Would you like me to take you back?”

The pink-haired girl yawned deeply and shook her head. "No, this is comfy too. G'd night, Yamato."

Yamato opened his mouth to respond with a 'goodnight' of his own, until Sakura decided to  turn his world upside down once more. 

His mind registered the brief wetness on his cheek before the action that had caused it. Sakura… Sakura gave him a goodnight kiss.

She looked up, emerald eyes watching him expectantly. She was expecting some kind of reaction other than shock from him. But like the coward he was, Yamato didn’t respond in kind, instead reaching out with his hand to ruffle her hair. Sakura still looked mighty pleased, head nuzzling up into the warmth of his palm before accepting the affectionate gesture with a content little smile. She bade him one more “goodnight” and turned in against the cool surface of her pillow. 

Yamato tucked her in, straightening the covers, and found his hand smoothing over the hair he’d ruffled. A fondness overtook him, a warmth that blossomed in his chest like never before.

The first night in their new home seemed to be a success. 

~ ~ ~

The first morning in their new home wasn’t quite as smooth.

“I’m not going!”

Yamato stared as Sakura stuck her tongue out at him from her treehouse fort. 

“You what?” He repeated, flabbergasted. 

Sakura remained holed up inside the fortress of her new room, forgoing breakfast in order to play. Yamato had asked her no less than three times to join him for breakfast.

“You have to come eat something before school,” he’d said. 

“I’m not going,” Sakura had replied as though she was commenting on the blue of the sky, or the green of the grass. 

He’d assumed she was joking. However, it was well past time for them to be walking to school. Even with a flash-step, Yamato would be hard pressed to get Sakura to her class on time. She was going to be late! Sakura ducked back behind the window of her tree house as Yamato opened his mouth. From inside he could hear her muffled narration of whatever game that was taking precedence over her education. 

“Sakura! We need to go now !”

“I’m not going, I said,” Sakura repeated (apparently for his benefit). 

“Why not?” Yamato wondered. “You love school. Did something happen yesterday that you didn’t tell me?”

“No!”

“Then what is it?”

Sakura’s head popped out through the window of her fort. She wore the most incredulous expression Yamato had ever seen on a child, and he’d grown up alongside Kakashi. 

“I just want to play today.” 

Those words were so sweet that Yamato nearly felt his heart melt. On the other hand, Sakura said it in exasperation, as though explaining this obvious fact to him was a chore, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Sakura had the advantage, being on high ground, so he needed to strategize accordingly. Yamato had no choice but to use his ultimate weapon. 

He flash-stepped into the tree house directly behind her. His expression contorted in what his teammates had begun to call his 'ghoul face'. The flashlight-under-his-face was just a little extra insurance, but the flashlight trick always worked. 

“Boo."

Sakura screamed and nearly jumped out the window. Yamato snatched her up before she could dive out, teleporting them to the lower floors. As much as it warmed his heart that this was what they were arguing over, Sakura clearly needed reminding of their hierarchy. 

“When you take missions and help pay the bills, you get to decide which days you want to go to school or not.” Yamato scolded as he placed her back on her feet. 

Sakura crossed both arms over her chest grumpily but fell into step alongside her guardian. The closer they got to the Academy, the brighter her demeanour became. When it came into view, Sakura bade a swift goodbye and was off like a shot. Yamato felt relieved to see her back to her usual self. It was a bit of a shock that she could deviate from their routine like that, but it was also a good reminder that she was still a child, prone to unpredictability at any moment. Dealing with the unexpected was a fine skill for any shinobi to hone. 

Maybe that's why Iruka-sensei is so strong despite only being a chuunin, Yamato thought amused on his way to Headquarters. With being around pre-genin armed with weapons all day, there's no such thing as a routine!

~ ~ ~ 

Yamato smiled, even as his ears begged for relief from the near-constant shouting.

Word had gotten around that he and Sakura had moved. One of the first people who demanded to see her new place was, of course, Ino. The two had become thick as thieves following the fight on the playground. It was slightly jarring to see two sides of Sakura developing: one was quiet, polite, and soft-spoken, and the other that came out around Ino, who was currently demanding monetary compensation in an high-fantasy game involving pirates, princesses, two warring queendoms, and a monastery of all things. 

“I don't care that you don’t have enough money,” Sakura declared imperiously from the other room. “If you can’t pay your taxes then you have to walk the plank! En garde!”

“Pirates don’t say on guard,” Ino’s voice volleyed back through the walls. “Hey! Put Mister Quartermaster down! He’s missing a leg, where did it go?”

“It’s over there. We needed a mast for the other ship.”

“Where’d you get that ship?”

“Oh, my… my guardian made it for me.” 

“Your what?”

“My guardian,” Sakura repeated a little more confidently. “Yamato.”

“Don’t you mean your uncle?”

Yamato realized he had his face pressed against the wall. Not that he needed to! The girls were talking loud enough to be heard through several walls. It just seemed very necessary to hear Sakura’s answer. 

Ding! 

The kitchen timer nearly made his heart leap out his throat. The rice was done, it was time to eat. 

“Girls,” he called, squashing his anxious desire to know what Sakura’s verdict had been. “Time to eat.”

Two groans echoed. “Not yet!”

“Sakura, Ino, please come for dinner now,” Yamato called, a little louder. “Before the food gets cold.”

“Just five more minutes?” 

“Pleeeeease?”

It was very cute of them to try and gang up on him. Teamwork was a valuable skill to learn after all. However, Yamato was immune to the pleading and whims from the other room. It was dinner time, and the girls were going to listen to him…

Marching up to the door with a plan of attack, Yamato paused. Did he really need to prove his authority to two seven year olds? What had his life come to?

A little embarrassed at his own overzealousness, Yamato abandoned his original plan of barging in and making the girls comply with his own wishes. Instead he stood outside the door and cleared his throat. “Five more minutes is fine. Do you want me to set a timer?”

“Yes please!” called both girls from the other room. The chatter of their play picked up as though it had never stopped. 

A pleased smile worked its way onto his face. A compromise. Not everything had to be a confrontation. Yamato returned to setting the table and arranging the food. Once five minutes actually passed, the stove top timer went off. From the other room he could hear the sounds of scrambling as Ino and Sakura came jogging at the ringing sound. They joined him at the table. Very pleased with his perceived success, Yamato greeted the girls with a smile.

Dinner was lively. Ino and Sakura chatted away, occasionally fielding prompting questions from Yamato about their day and their games. He ate while they spoke, wondering what it might be like to have someone his own age to make conversation with. Sakura seemed to enjoy having Ino over as a guest. Perhaps he could invite a guest. He did go through the trouble of creating enough space for company. It only seemed logical to put it to use. But who? 

Not Kakashi-senpai, he groused internally, shoulders slumping. He’d get dragged all night long or worse, teased in front of his ki--in front of Sakura. Genma and Aoba weren’t off for weeks. Hayate and Yuuago had just returned from a diplomatic errand in the Land of Snow. Itachi? He might appreciate the invitation but Yamato doubted he would be allowed to attend. The young teen was still under the strict supervision of the Uchiha clan. 

“...and then he was like, ‘no way’, and I told him, 'Sakura’s not a liar! She totally has a treehouse bed!' But he didn’t believe me! Can you believe that?”

“I believe it,” Yamato replied dutifully as he tuned back into their conversation. “What happened next?”

Ino was in her element. “Oh! Just listen to this! Then he said...”

It was good to see the girls so animated. The little blonde hardly took time to eat, speaking  energetically as she waved her chopsticks with dramatic flare. Sakura interjected when Ino paused to breathe or eat and kept the conversation afloat. Between the two of them, there was hardly any need for Yamato to talk. 

It would be good for him to have someone to talk to, too.

“...over to your house, and I said, ‘yeah! Duh! ’ But I didn’t actually ask yet. I hope that’s okay.”

Yamato realized the last portion was directed at him. He nodded, swallowing his mouthful of food. “Oh, absolutely.”

Ino laughed. “You see? I told you!”

“Thanks,” Sakura said, smiling brightly, “I can’t wait to have Sasuke-kun over. He’s gonna have to believe us then!”

Wait, who the hell was Sasuke?

"Who's Sasuke?" Yamato asked, barely remembering to keep his words child-friendly.

"Uchiha Sasuke, my classmate!" Sakura said incredulously. "Weren't you listening?"

"He's super cute and smart too!" Ino interjected with a giggle. "Sasuke needs to come over and see that Sakura isn't lying about her awesome bedroom!"

‘Have him over,’ Sakura had said. Yamato quickly connected the previous few pieces of conversation and realized he had mistakenly given permission. Luckily, the girls hadn’t asked for anything outrageous. Having one more child to monitor was simple enough, though he wondered if the Uchiha clan would even allow him to visit. He was shocked that Inoichi allowed his daughter to come over since he knew who Sakura shared blood with. He would have to keep his guard up even at dinner it seemed, but backing out now was out of the question. 

“Not to stay the night,” Yamato said, in a bid to regain some semblance of control. He was the adult after all, despite any appearance to the contrary. “But he’s welcome to come and see your bedroom if you want to show him. You’re welcome to invite a few of your friends over at any time, Sakura, just let me know a day or two before. Sound good?”

Sakura beamed at him and that answer was enough. 

~ ~ ~

Yamanaka Ino was a Very Good Guest. She took off her sandals at the door, complimented Yamato on his house that he’d spent hours cleaning, and had table manners. Yamato was very happy to have Ino over again the following week at Sakura’s request. He knew she was coming and had prepared accordingly like a good host. 

Hatake Kakashi, on the other hand, was a Very Bad Guest and Kind Of A Bastard. 

“Yo.”

“Fuck!” Tenzou shouted, knife clenched in one fist and Kakashi’s shoulder guard clenched in the other, “Sorry--wait, no, actually--”

“Apology accepted,” Kakashi said quickly, enjoying the strangled sound of frustration Yamato made. “Something smells really, really good. You cooking?”

“Door,” Yamato said through clenched teeth as his pulse dropped from battle-ready to only slightly-murderous. “Please, use. The. Front. Door. It’s pink! It’s impossible to miss!”

“You missed me? How sweet~! Why didn’t you say so--urk--”

Only the arrival of Sakura and Ino spared Hatake Kakashi an untimely death. 

“Uncle Yamato, is it ready? We’re really hung--oh! It’s you,” Sakura said, tone flipping from inquiring to contempt like a switch. “What are you doing here?”

"I'm here for the free food." Kakashi said shamelessly. 

Yamato was sorely tempted to resume his strangling even with children present, then came a knock at the door that decided Kakashi’s fate. Yamato was a better host than to leave someone waiting at his front door. There would be no murder…for now. 

Kakashi helped himself up, dusting off his knees and nimbly avoiding the kick Sakura threw at his shins. Ino gaped at their greeting ritual. She’d never seen Sakura initiate violence before, let alone with an adult! She got slightly starry-eyed watching the pink-haired girl attempt to take out Hatake Kakashi’s ankles. 

Yamato meanwhile opened the door to two faces; one familiar, the other small. 

“Itachi-san,” Yamato said with a smile. “It’s good to see you. Ah, and this must be Sasuke. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you too, sir.” Sasuke replied, standing with perfect posture and both hands folded politely. His manners outshone even Sakura’s, until he caught sight of her gnawing on an adult’s weapon holster to keep him from drawing a blade on her. His respectful demeanor fell. “Um…”

Yamato noted the twin looks of befuddlement on his guests' faces, and turned to see Sakura carrying on his original intentions for their Unexpected Guest. If it were not for the polite company present, he would've cheered her on.

Luckily, Ino had that covered for him.

“Go for the legs! Get him off balance!”

“No, don’t--hey! Get off me!” 

“Yeah! Now under his knee! Use your hips!”

“Take this!”

Itachi, Sasuke, and Yamato watched Sakura barrel to the left sharply, taking Kakashi’s weight off one leg and bending his other knee. The two of them went down in a heap. Ino cheered while Sasuke's eyes went wide. Kakashi stayed where he was, dazed by what just transpired. Yamato could have sworn Itachi smiled. 

Baffled by the events, his mind grasped for something that made sense. Why was his house full of children and ANBU black ops again? He tried very hard to keep the note of desperation out of his voice. 

“Sasuke-kun, you’re here to see Sakura’s room… right?”

Like magic all three children made themselves absent, rushing up the steps barefoot as fast as they could. Sasuke’s previous stiffness disappeared as he darted after the girls, eyes still wide as saucers as they dashed past where Kakashi was pulling himself up off the floor. It was a relief to be among his peers again, save for one. Yamato scowled at Kakashi’s plaintive sound of distress.

“I have no sympathy for people who don’t use the front door, Senpai.” He turned his attention from the older man’s pitiful look to Itachi’s thoughtful face. “Thank you for bringing Sasuke-kun. You’re welcome to stay, I was making--”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid Father is expecting me back shortly. I only have enough time to drop off Sasuke. Will you see that he returns after lunch? He has training in the afternoon.”

Yamato nodded. “We can. Would you like some food to take with you?”

“I would like some food to take with me,” Kakashi said as Itachi shook his head. 

Yamato refrained from kicking his shins. Barely. 

“Maybe if you didn’t barge in unannounced then I would've prepared enough. As it is, I made enough for three small children and myself.”

Kakashi leaned forward and stage-whispered, "I won't tell Sakura that you gave me her portion."

The children were no longer present, so Yamato decided to finish the job Sakura started. He lunged forward and his hands once again found themselves wrapped around his senpai's throat. The bastard had the nerve to laugh, even as his oxygen supply was cut off by his kouhai's fingers.

Itachi silently watched on, wondering if insanity was a requirement for Black Ops membership.

~ ~ ~

Sakura swung open the door with flourish, "And here's my room! What do you think?"

Sasuke and Ino stepped in, the former trying to mask his intrigue. It was obvious from the pause, the way his eyes never stopped roving over Sakura’s amazing, super cool, totally awesome tree-house bed that Sasuke admired it. But what came out of him was a judgy, little huff. 

“It’s alright, I guess.”

Ino frowned. “Didn’t you make a big deal about Sakura being a liar? Huh? Obviously she’s not. Take it back!”

Sasuke grumbled under his breath, not admitting to anything and crossing his arms over his chest. The lack of response hung in the air between the three of them. Sakura glanced at Ino, brows drawn, biting her lower lip. Sasuke settled on an indifferent look, as if the matter was already settled. Ino took one look at Sasuke’s pout, Sakura’s worried glance, and put both hands on her hips. 

"So you were totally wrong. My dad was right, the Uchiha are too prideful for their own good sometimes." Sasuke squawked in indignation, spurring on Ino more. "I thought you were the top of our class, but you can't even admit defeat." 

Sakura brightened like a sunrise. Ino flashed her a smile back and picked up the boat they’d played with last week. 

“C’mon. Let’s get back to Pirates and Ninjas--hey, Mister Liar-Pants, you’d make a good evil sea captain!”

Torn between the compliment-insult and being an Evil Sea Captain, Sasuke’s former indifference quickly crumbled. “Fine. But I want that boat, the one with the black flag.”

“What’s your Evil Pirate Captain name going to be?” Sakura asked. 

“Mine’s Deep Sea Queen of Darkness,” Ino announced imperiously with a lopsided grin. 

“ The Raven’s Revenge,” Sasuke said after some deliberation. Sakura perked up at the name. 

“Oh, a bird name--like my babysitter, Crow! That's going to be my pirate name!”

Sasuke sputtered. 

“No!”

Both girls stared at him. Sasuke’s cheeks turned pink but he didn’t take it back. 

“You can’t be that. Pick a different name.”

Sensing more unfair treatment, Sakura frowned. “But it’s a cool name.”

“You can’t use it.”

“Why not?”

“You just can’t!”

Ino stared at the dark-haired boy, as if seeing him for the first time. “Why not,” she echoed, curious and a little put off by Sasuke’s petulance. “Why can’t she be Crow? It’s her secret pirate name. Sakura can be whatever she wants to be. This is her house.”

“Yeah, why can’t I be Crow?” Sakura asked. 

Sasuke grit his teeth, obviously struggling with something he dearly wanted to blurt out but was holding back, and settled on shaking his head furiously. “You just…you just can’t, okay? Pick a different name!”

“You don’t own it,” Ino snapped. “Sakura, you can be Crow!”

“No, she can’t!”

Sakura challenged his glare. “Why not?”

Sasuke reached over and grabbed the front of Sakura’s shirt in a fist, eyes burning brightly. Ino dropped the toy boat she was holding; she and Sakura shoved him back at the same time. He went down with a thud. 

“Hey, don’t grab me!” Sakura cried, a flash of resentment in her own eyes. 

Ino was scowling. "Wow. I can't believe your Dad let's you wear your clan's symbol when you go around acting like…" The sneer she gave her (now former) crush could've frozen lava. "...this ."

Sasuke glared bitterly. “Well fine! I don’t want to play your stupid game anyway.”

Despite Sasuke’s rudeness, Sakura looked put off by his words. The pink-haired girl tried to stiffen her upper lip so she wouldn’t cry about it. Rejection hurt, no matter that the boy was acting like a jerk. She still wanted them to play together. 

Ino harrumphed and took Sakura’s hand. “Come on, Crow, we don't need an evil pirate captain. We'll play Pirate Queens again. Sasuke can be the buoy since he's just sitting there." 

~ ~ ~

Itachi glanced up as a door banged open. He’d heard some stomping and shouting but assumed it had been part of child’s play. Now he worried that he hadn’t been worried enough; the shouting coming down the stairway was not very friendly. 

“Are not!”

“Is too!”

“Are NOT!”

“Is TOO!”

“Guys, what does it matter,” Sakura was pleading, though there was no appeasing Ino, whose sense of righteous indignation had been lit. “We can just forget about code-names and play without them!”

“He started it!”

“No, Sakura started it! She can’t be Crow! That’s not her name!”

“What does it matter, it's not like it's your name!”

"That's not the point!"

Itachi left his superiors to their own murderous devices to investigate. So entrenched in their yelling match, neither Ino nor Sasuke heard Itachi coming up from behind them. 

"Sasuke, why are you fighting with your friends?" Itachi's calm voice cut through the chaos. "You're not being a very good guest right now."

Sasuke blanched at the reprimand from his precious older brother. Sakura quickly hid her smile behind her hand as Ino snickered. 

"Sasuke-kun is being all weird, saying that Sakura can't call herself Crow in our game." Ino supplied.

Itachi smiled. "Oh? And why's that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked like a tomato. Sakura wasn’t sure he could get much more red. He was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth; something he wanted to say but didn’t. She wanted to know what it was. 

“Do you want to be Crow?” She wondered aloud. 

Ah, she thought as Sasuke went past red and straight into purple. So that was it.

“No!” Sasuke denied fiercely, even as Itachi’s eyebrows rose in a rare show of plain emotion. “No, no, that’s not… It’s just not your name so you can’t use it!”

But all the denial in the world couldn’t convince Itachi, who looked very amused for some reason. 

“It’s not anyone’s name,” he volunteered, ignoring Sasuke’s squawk. “Anyone can be Crow. Sakura, would you and Sasuke both like the code name Crow?”

Sakura beamed while Sasuke fidgeted very awkwardly. 

“But…. big brother…. If we’re Crow, then you--”

“Oh, no worries,” Itachi said, suddenly looming with an ominous air. “You’ll need two Crows to stand up to… Ice Dragon The Unyielding. I’m taking the Deep Sea Queen of Darkness as my hostage.”

Ino shrieked dramatically as Itachi scooped her up under one arm, flickering away and barricading them both in the treehouse. Sakura and Sasuke forgot their squabble at once, combining forces to deal with the sudden arrival of a much bigger threat. 

“Hey! Give her back!”

“You’ll never get away with this, you rotten dragon!”

Pillows rained down on the Crows as they scaled the tree holding their hostage. The villainous dragon laughed as his hapless victim squirmed out of his grasp. The Deep Sea Queen of Darkness was not to be relegated to a damsel in distress! Pilfering a pillow from the dragon's hoard, she used her makeshift weapon to strike at the beast with all her might. The distraction gave Crow #1 and Crow #2 enough time to climb Ice Dragon The Unyielding's lair unimpeded. 

Crow #1 reached the top first. She reached down to pull her comrade up. They would need to be at full force for a chance at defeating the great, terrible dragon.

"You're outnumbered! Return The Deep Sea Queen of Darkness to us, foul creature!" Crow #2 demanded. 

"Never!" Itac--Ice Dragon The Unyielding bellowed in the deepest voice he could manage.

But he was no match for the dread pirates of the sea. In one fatal blow, all three pirates dogpiled the beast. Ice Dragon the Unyielding let out an anguished cry of defeat. The children cheered at his demise.

"Again! Again!" They all begged. A genuine smile crossed Itachi's face.

‘Father can wait a little longer.'

Chapter Text

Despite the three separate attempts on his life, Kakashi decided to linger in Tenzou's house, citing an empty stomach as his reason for staying. It was tempting to kick out the freeloader, but Kakashi was a guest (regretfully). Tenzou started a pot of tea for them, grabbing more ingredients from the fridge to make a bigger lunch as the water boiled. 

"Didn't know you had an interest in abstract art." Kakashi drawled from his spot on the couch. Somehow the silver-haired man looked even lankier when splayed over Tenzou's furniture. "I always thought ukiyo-e was more your style." 

Tenzou looked up from his cutting board to see what his captain was talking about. He blushed when his gaze took him to the wall across from him. 

"Ah, no, those are some drawings Sakura made for me.”

Over the past few weeks, Sakura had brought home several drawings. Apparently there was a rotation of ancillary classes at the Academy that had nothing to do with shinobi training. Last month was music, before that it was reading at the library (much to Sakura’s delight). Combined with the drawings she was making at home, Sakura was bringing home enough drawings and paintings to fill a modest gallery… or at least Tenzou’s wall from roof to floor. 

“Have you taken her swimming lately?” Kakashi asked as he got up to view the pictures closer. 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Lots of underwater pictures. Look.”

Yamato did look. For the first time since receiving them, he realized just how many of Sakura’s drawings were water-themed. Several drawings depicted her swimming underwater with koi or eels, in one she was gathering shells off the ocean floor with a yellow-eyed turtle and two dolphins, and in another she had drawn herself as a mermaid with a bubblegum pink tail. 

Tenzou had originally thought Sakura made so many underwater pictures because of the sea life documentaries she had become obsessed with lately. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a key detail. 

All of the water was green.

The ingredients on the stove went forgotten as Tenzo felt gripped with uncertainty. Despite his best efforts at repression, his earliest memories always found a way to come back and haunt him. His darkest moments were plagued with glimpses of Orochimaru's laboratory, of peering through murky green waters. 

Sakura's choice of color couldn't be a mere coincidence. 

The sharp, piercing sound of the kettle boiling over snapped him out of his thoughts. It only stopped because Kakashi was behind him lifting it from the fire. 

“You look thirsty,” Kakashi said quietly, firmly. “Have some water. I’ll take care of the tea.”

A moment’s reflection brought Tenzou to a startling realization: he was mildly disoriented. His pulse was elevated and his palms were damp with sweat. Mild panic , he thought incredulously, from looking at a child's drawings. Was he so out of shape mentally? Surely the mission wasn’t taking such a toll on him! Yet he couldn’t shake the simple sensation. His hand trembled a little as he reached for a glass to fill. The cool water grounded him, but only slightly. Along with the seemingly-innocent drawings, another realization dawned on him:

An important mission detail had been staring him in the face, and he hadn't even noticed. 

Those pictures had been on his walls for days now. The purpose of his mission was to watch Sakura but also to gather information on her, to unlock the mysteries of her past! Not only had he failed to gather intel, he hadn't even reported their presence to the Hokage. He'd made a beginner's mistake, completely unacceptable for a shinobi of his caliber. 

A hand rested on his shoulder. Tenzou felt himself come to attention. 

“Easy,” Kakashi’s voice said tepidly. “Finish your water.”

"I know what you're going to say, senpai. I should've noticed this sooner... I'm compromised." Tenzou was already making plans on how he would explain this terrible blunder to the Hokage and who Sakura would be transferred to. It would be distressing, moreso for her than him, but what other option would there be after he made such an error? "I'll report these findings to the Hokage immediately. From there he can decide what to--"

A commanding voice cut into his tirade. “Drink, Cat.”

The use of his ANBU name snapped Tenzou out of his self-deprecating spiral. Feeling sheepish he listened to his Captain, finishing his water in slow, quiet sips. While he rehydrated, Kakashi spoke, his voice falling back to its usual register. 

“It's fine that you didn't notice earlier. You just thought Sakura made some nice drawings for you.” He cast his gaze about the wall. It was covered from top to bottom with pictures, all hand-drawn, some of which actually featured Yamato himself. It was evident in the warmth from his voice that Kakashi was proud. “That kid means something to you. Some things she does are bound to slip under the radar. You're human, you're allowed to have emotions."

Tenzou looked down into his empty cup. 

"Shinobi aren't supposed to have feelings...not for missions.”

“That’s why we put you into three-man cells,” Kakashi said, the tenor of his voice soothing Tenzou’s frayed doubt. “For support on long hauls. You’ve had her for months now. That’s bound to compromise anyone. Who’s your relief on this mission?”

Tenzou realized that he had none. But, shouldn’t the Lord Third have assigned him someone? If that was how the system worked, why didn’t he have any support? Surely there was supposed to be… compensation? 

“There’s a stipend,” Tenzou mentioned cautiously, as though afraid to give a bad answer. Kakashi’s face pinched slightly. 

“...that’s cash. Who’s your relief?”

“There’s just me.” 

Admitting it out loud doubled down on his sense of self doubt. It was obviously just an oversight--the Lord Third assumed that he could handle it, and he couldn’t. He just wasn’t good enough on his own… 

“I don’t need relief,” he argued. "I shouldn't need relief for a mission like this. The best thing now would be to admit my incompetence and face the consequences."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. 

“Everyone needs support sometimes.”

“Not for solo missions,” Tenzou moaned, unable to help himself: he was feeling admittedly miserable about the entire situation. “I have to report to the Lord Hokage--”

“Tenzou--”

“I'm trash, worse than trash--”

“If you don’t stop whining like a child I’ll treat you like one,” Kakashi snapped. “Keep it up and I’ll spank you.”

Tenzou whipped around. He waited for the 'just kidding', but it never came. Kakashi just kept pointedly staring at him, hands on his hips in a disciplinary manner. 

“You wouldn’t.”

Kakashi zeroed in keenly, a shit-eating grin pressing through his mask. “Oh? Why not? Afraid you’d like it? I should've known you were a glutton for punish--!”

Tenzou dove on him to stop his devil mouth from working but Kakashi jeered him on, even as strong hands fitted around his neck. 

“This is like the third time today, you’re really bad at this--”

“Shutupshutupshutup!” Tenzo glowered, increasing his efforts and adjusting his technique. Despite all his efforts, Kakashi maintained an unblocked airway and continued to taunt him. 

“Oh, baby, just like that~”

Tenzou felt his face go scarlet. 

“Stop saying things like that! You fucking perv--”

Knock, knock, knock. 

The sound of more guests saved Kakashi from potential strangulation. 

Tenzou was sorely tempted to send a wood clone to do it so he could continue his murder attempt, but politeness dictated the need to do it himself. He let out a suffering sigh and released his commander from almost-certain-death. Tenzou walked over to answer before the knocking could persist any longer. 

Yamato opened it and immediately noticed two striking things: chubby cheeks painted with red swirls and what seemed to be a pineapple cleverly disguising itself as hair. He recognized the two clan heirs and felt his blood pressure rise. Now there were four prominent Konoha clan heirs under his roof, not to mention the two ANBU members still loitering about. 

Trying not to have an aneurysm, Yamato greeted his guests.

“Welcome. It’s Nara and Akimichi, isn’t it?”

“I’m Chouji,” Chouji announced. “And this is Shikamaru. Those are our dad’s names.”

Oh boy, don't I know it, Tenzou thought as a tight smile crossed his face. 

“It’s weird to get called your surname,” Shikamaru continued. “Ino invited us, something about a treehouse bed.”

Ino didn’t tell me that, Tenzou thought, maintaining his forced smile as his blood pressure rose another notch. He let the Yamanaka have too much power in his household. 

“Oh! What’s that?” Chouji asked, walking past Yamato’s knees. “It smells really good! C’mon, Shika, come in already!”

“We’re supposed to wait to be invited,” Shikamaru argued, even as he skirted Yamato’s ankles to catch up with his friend. “Get back here! Your mom’s gonna make a fuss…”

“Well, you’re both inside already. Please make yourselves at home,” Yamato said to their backs, feeling slightly overwhelmed. The sound of children playing upstairs combined with the clamour of children in his kitchen was very chaotic. Any more company and Yamato feared his heart would give out.  

Knock, knock, knock.

“Let me get that,” Kakashi said, passing Yamato, who clutched his chest in agony. 

Who else could be coming to his house!? The Inuzukas? The Hyuugas? All of Konoha?! He was seriously beginning to regret making Sakura that treehouse bed. 

“Hello?”

“My, sensei, aren't you looking radiant?” Kakashi purred, Tenzou whipping around to see what poor soul Kakashi was flirting with.

“And you’re looking like a wet cat as always,” was the wry reply. 

Yamato choked back a laugh.

“Ah, my heart,” Kakashi sighed very dramatically, stepping aside to reveal Umino Iruka carrying one little Uzumaki Naruto. 

The two looked very comfortable together. Naruto was snug in Iruka’s arms until he caught sight of Shikamaru and Chouji in the kitchen, then he was scrambling down out of his teacher’s arms to join the other boys. Naruto let out a ‘thanksiloveyouseeyoubye’ in a single breath as he departed. Iruka waved him off fondly. 

“He’s looking well,” Kakashi said quietly, one uncovered eye glued to the little blonde making a beeline for Yamato’s kitchen. 

“And you look like you just rolled out of bed,” Iruka sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “When was the last time you got some decent sleep? You’ve got more bags under that one eye than most of the elders on the Council do.”

“A good shinobi never rests.”

“You’re an excellent shinobi but a terrible flirt.”

“Oh, speaking of terrible flirts--” Kakashi started, turning Yamato’s way. 

Yamato scowled, outraged at the implication, then went pink in the ears at the same implication that he would be flirting with Iruka for any reason! He felt like a fish out of water, floundering as Kakashi waggled an eyebrow suggestively and Iruka waited expectantly for some kind of introduction. When Yamato couldn’t so much as manage his own name, Kakashi took pity. 

“Iruka-sensei, you’ve met Tsugi Yamato? Sakura’s uncle?”

“Yes,” Yamato said quickly, before Kakashi could drop an innuendo anywhere. “We’ve met.”

Iruka was busy looking past him at his wall. His face had softened into a warm smile that made butterflies erupt in Yamato's stomach. He’d only ever seen the other man in a rage before.

“Those are so nice--did Sakura bring all of these home? Ah, I haven’t seen this one. May I come in?”

“Yes, please do.” Yamato mumbled, wary of the uncategorized reactions his body seemed to be experiencing. 

Iruka walked past him to admire the wall of pictures while Kakashi went suspiciously quiet. Yamato hardly noticed, he was too busy watching the pre-genin instructor easily navigate through the chaos of three children helping themselves to some food from his refrigerator--wait--hey!

“Hey, Sakura’s uncle, can we eat these?”

“Chouji, you already ate three!”

“These are kinda stale, do you have anything fresher, mister?”

Yamato winced. Perhaps he should have gone grocery shopping this week before company dropped in. Not only was he a terrible shinobi, he was a terrible host! When would his life failures end?! Lost to his own woes, he failed to notice the sharp look in Iruka’s eyes. 

Iruka cleared his throat. All three hellions stopped their pillaging and stood at attention.

He spoke in a clear, direct voice worthy of his profession. "Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji. You're here to see Sakura and you haven't even greeted her yet. Stop being rude guests and go say hello." 

There wasn’t a single argument to be had. It was like magic; one second they were foraging through Tenzou’s kitchen, the next they were scrambling up the stairs. Yamato breathed an unsubtle sigh of relief. 

“How do you do it?” He asked in awe. “I just have Sakura and sometimes she doesn’t do as I say.”

“It’s the voice,” Iruka said with a knowing smile at Yamato’s astonished expression. “You’ll figure it out for yourself someday.”

"As knowledgeable as you are pretty, sensei~" Kakashi butted in, ruining Yamato's mood like a rain cloud over a picnic. "We have much to learn from your example."

“Flattery won’t save you, Hatake,” Iruka deadpanned, giving the jounin an expectant look. “I haven’t forgotten about the incident with the oranges or the two Hyuugas. How much have you slept this past week?”

“You should know,” Kakashi drawled idly. 

Tenzou felt his breath catch for no reason. No, from the implication that Iruka would know Kakashi’s sleep habits. 

His mind was racing a mile a minute as he ordered his thoughts: Kakashi and Iruka bantered in a way that bespoke familiarity. They were so comfortable in each other’s company, and to know one another’s sleep habits…

Oh.

'They must be dating.'

For some reason, Tenzou's chest went tight as he came to this conclusion.

"I'm going to assume that you two know each other?" Tenzou asked, even as his throat went dry. 

“Unfortunately,” Iruka said with a long, suffering expression. Kakashi beside him winked his single eye and flashed a thumbs-up. Iruka didn’t even look his way and somehow still knew, and subsequently elbowed him directly in the ribs. Kakashi, the elite shinobi ANBU black ops agent, was caught off guard and went down with a gurgled sound of pain. 

Yamato watched the interaction with a strange sense of detachment. 

You’re not involved, he heard himself think distantly. You don’t get to be jealous. 

Jealous. Ah, so that's what he had been feeling. Jealousy over an intimacy Kakashi had, and he didn't. 

“These pictures are lovely!” Iruka was saying, beaming as he faced the wall. “Naruto brings home some drawings but I find more of his art ends up on the school desks. Does Sakura ever deface government property?”

“No,” Yamato said in a monotone, “I am absolutely certain that she does not.”

“That’s nice--Oh! I recognize this one!” He pointed to a particular drawing as Kakashi picked himself up off the floor with a quiet groan. “We’ve been to this lagoon before, I took the class there!”

“It’s a real place?” Yamato asked, turning to examine the picture Iruka was pointing at. 

“It’s very nice, halfway between here and the ocean. There’s a little inlet that leads to a stream…”

The sound of Iruka’s voice washed over him. Yamato found his stress melting away as his mind collected details from the teacher’s description of this nearby oasis. The children were upstairs entertaining themselves, but they sounded a world away as the quiet, respectful tone Iruka used indoors soothed him. 

Tenzou found himself nodding along as resentment made its home in his heart. “That sounds lovely.”

“Perhaps we can revisit it sometime.”

“...We?”

“Well, you can bring Sakura-chan, and I can take Naruto,” Iruka said with a smile. “It’ll be nice to get some sunshine before winter comes in.”

“Won’t the water be cold? At this time of year…”

“It’s actually at its warmest.” Iruka’s expression flickered and he blustered a little. His finger went up to his scar to scratch at it. “Oh, that is--Unless--um, if you don’t want to go. I don’t want to impose…”

“We’d love to,” Kakashi said abruptly. “Yamato, where’s your bathroom?”

Yamato felt a sense of conversational whiplash. “It’s--”

“Show me,” Kakashi said, dragging Yamato by the arm. “Be back in a bit, Iruka-sensei.”

~ ~ ~

Once the two ANBU operatives were out of hearing range, Tenzou snatched his arm back and hissed, “What are you doing? You already know where the bathroom is--”

“He likes apricots,” Kakashi cut in. Tenzou had that sense of whiplash again. 

“...What?!”

“Apricots and tea, not coffee,” Kakashi continued to Tenzou’s utter bewilderment, “He’s basically already asked you out to the lagoon, so all you have to do is buy him some apricot jam and invite him out to breakfast--Oh, ramen! The kid loves it, and he loves Naruto like he’s his son, so if you take them both out--”

“Senpai, you’re not making any sense,” Tenzou said hurriedly because he was absolutely confounded. “What are you saying?”

“Those are the things Iruka likes, and you like Iruka.”

There was a little sound, like someone squealing. It was definitely not Tenzou. 

“...What?!”

“You like him but you’re a miserable flirt, so I'm giving you a hand. You can thank me later,” Kakashi rambled, absolutely uncaring of his kouhai's look of disbelief. “Now then, I like coffee. Black. Oh, and saury for lunch. Make sure to bring some for our trip.” You’re not making any sense, Tenzou thought, wondering if the stress of ANBU life was causing Kakashi to finally crack. He was in it for longer than most, it was only a matter of time. Why are you telling me what your boyfriend likes?  

“Kakashi-senpai, slow down. What the hell are you talking about?"

Recognizing finally that Tenzou was not following, Kakashi backpedaled. “You like Iruka. You’re bad at any non-platonic interactions. You’ll never get him to ask you out. I know what he likes, I can help you.” He patted Tenzou's shoulder. “You really need it.”

“I like--no, I don’t , ” Tenzou hissed, throwing Kakashi’s hand off and whipping around to make sure Iruka hadn’t followed them into the narrow hallway just out of earshot of the kitchen. “Senpai!”

“You absolutely do~” Kakashi said in a sing-song voice. “You’re so smitten.”

Tenzou did not squeal (but the sound he made was oddly close). 

“ Smitten?!”

There was a thud from overhead. The sound of shrill laughter swiftly followed, and Naruto’s muffled declaration through the floorboards, reminding Yamato abruptly of their other company. How long had Sasuke been over? Wasn’t he supposed to go right back after lunch? Their food must be getting cold by now. He needed to get a grip on himself, dammit! Tenzou shook his head. 

“I don’t have time for this,” Tenzou muttered firmly, turning away to head back to the kitchen, leaving Kakashi and all of his nonsense behind. 

On his way back to the kitchen he tried to rationalize that Kakashi was wrong. Obviously he didn’t like Iruka. The last time they met Iruka screamed at him! 

…Well, he did deserve it, for leaving Sakura alone like that. But, he didn’t like-like Iruka. They barely knew each other! It was inconceivable to have an attraction to someone he hardly knew aside from a physical sense. 

Though admittedly, the teacher wasn’t hard on the eyes. His hair looked nice, drawn up in a utilitarian pony-tail that kept it up and out of his eyes. He didn’t stand out from the crowd until you took time to really look deeper and focus on those little facets that made him unique. The scar at the bridge of his nose. The hardened light in his eye. And the way his face naturally broke into a warm, inviting smile that seemed to brighten the space around him. It was a look Tenzou was just discovering, given that his first impression of Iruka had been an overbearing school teacher with an impressive vocal register. 

That and his varied expressions fascinated Tenzou, who had Kakashi-senpai and Itachi for company most days. While neither could be faulted for their ninjutsu or the like, there was something lacking in their social range. Iruka was their polar opposite. And the faintest of dimples in his cheeks when he smil--

No, bad Tenzou! No thinking about Iruka-sensei’s appearance, no matter how expressive his face was or how the sunlight created highlights in his hair!

To make matters even more tortuous for him, Iruka was taking the pot off the stove when he finally made it back to his own kitchen. The brown-haired chuunin flashed a sheepish smile, making Tenzou's stomach do somersaults, and stepped back from the stovetop.

“I was just taking this off the heat since I wasn’t sure how long you’d be. I didn't want it to burn.” 

“That’s alright. Thank you,” Yamato said, hurrying forward to check on the contents of the pot. Inside the extra dumplings he’d prepared were steamed just to perfection, not soggy, or burnt to a crisp. He breathed a sigh of relief. “They look like they’re done.”

“They smell great,” Iruka commented. “Ah, I think your rice cooker is--”

Ding!

“--about to go off.” 

Yamato opened his mouth to answer when a series of shouts and yells from overhead distracted him. Faced suddenly with the task of bringing down seven hungry children and Itachi, Yamato found himself unexpectedly anxious. Would he get run over in their mad dash to get to food? He was already dreading the task. 

“Oh! If everything’s ready, I can get the kids,” Iruka said cheerfully. 

“Please,” Yamato pleaded, barely refraining from begging on bended knee. “Please, would you?”

“I will. Kakashi, come help set the table.”

“Kakashi got cruelly left behind by his kouhai,” whined the ANBU black ops soldier pitifully from the hallway. “He won't be able to assist.”

“Then Kakashi isn’t going to eat,” Iruka sang cheekily, heading for the stairs. 

Kakashi had the nerve to gasp at that. “No fair!”

“You’re not twelve,” Iruka’s voice informed him from the stairwell. “Help your teammate.”

“Yes, dear.” 

Kakashi ducked the wooden spoon that came flying at his face, grinning at Tenzou until a second spoon smacked him square in his covered eye. 

Tenzou felt an irrational rush of… something. Respect? Admiration? Absolutely not lust, but holy shit, a chuunin nailed his squad leader dead-on with cutlery! 

He swallowed and hurried to put out the lunch he’d prepared, hoping it would calm down the unexpected energy coursing through him. 

“Are you going to recover?” He asked. Kakashi was laid out on the floor. 

“If I stay here he’ll get really mad,” Kakashi groused, like he was contemplating it. 

“Do you like Iruka?” Tenzou couldn’t help but ask. “You’re always provoking him.”

Kakashi shrugged. “He can’t kill me, and it’s interesting when he gets flustered.”

“That’s not a no, senpai.”

Tenzou half-expected another lame comeback from Kakashi. Instead when he looked over, he saw the man sitting on the floor in quiet contemplation, no longer faking death-by-cutlery. 

“He lives alone, you know,” Kakashi said suddenly, tone shifting ever so slightly. “In a one bedroom apartment. He’s only eight.”

“Naruto,” Tenzou inferred. 

“Sometimes we’re away for weeks at a time. Sometimes months. When he was younger, every chance I could I’d stop by the orphanage. The caretakers didn’t want to touch him. They wouldn’t hit a baby, but once he was a child…" The voice from the floor sounded strained, smaller. Guilty. 

Tenzou felt a wave of revulsion roll through him. 

“What did you do?”

“I couldn’t do anything--I wasn’t allowed to get close. I thought it was for the best anyway, but those caretakers were clumsy." Kakashi cocked his head to the side. "They kept losing their paycheck stubs.”

“Good,” Tenzou said under his breath. They deserved whatever punishment Kakashi could inflict on them, and it was certainly not the worst Kakashi could’ve done. 

Kakashi stood and grabbed the rice bowl from Tenzou’s hand. Even as he set down plates and chopsticks, that somber look never left his face, what little Tenzou could see. “Once he was school age, someone took notice that he wore the same clothing every day. Someone saw that he didn’t have any friends and didn’t eat regular meals. Someone cared.”

Iruka. Tenzou was glued to the narrative. Kakashi-senpai never spoke about his own past. Naruto seemed to be a piece to the puzzle. 

To his disappointment, the story ended there. A stampede of footsteps alerted both jounin that the children were coming down the stairs. Determined to hear the end of it, Tenozu committed what he’d heard to memory. He’d have to ask later. They managed to fill the table before the last of Yamato’s guests arrived and finally all sat down to eat together. 

Itachi came down looking a little harried. It was obvious his play time with them had taken its toll. His hair was unkempt, his clothing was mussed. Itachi was never given to being untidy, even during battle. The younger man joined them at the table and gave Iruka a grateful smile. 

“I’m in your debt, chuunin-san.”

“Iruka, please,” Iruka said kindly, “It was no trouble at all.”

Yamato frowned at how deeply Itachi seemed to sink into his chair. He was mildly concerned. Even in the depths of battle, Itachi kept a certain poise. To see him so openly exhausted was honestly worrisome. 

His concern must have shown on his face because a certain someone brought it up. 

“Uncle?” Sakura asked quietly. “Do you have to use the bathroom again?”

“Sakura’s right. You don’t look too good, Yamato.” Kakashi said, watching with glee as Iruka frowned in Yamato’s direction. 

“As much as it pains me to admit, he’s right,” Iruka muttered, “Your color’s a little off. Are you feeling okay, Tsugi-san?”

“Yamato,” he corrected. “Please. Ah, I’m fine.” 

Between the horde of children eating up all his food, Sakura worrying at him from over her plate and asking if he needed the bathroom, Kakashi-senpai trying to shove him none-too-subtly at Iruka, Iruka himself reaching out to touch his forehead to measure his temperature, and the silent ANBU hand signs Itachi was using to ask him for a private conversation after lunch; Yamato was feeling overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure he could handle one more thing this evening.

Knock, knock, knock.  

Chapter Text

"Kunai are waaaaay better than senbon."

"Kunai are more clunky and less accurate than senbon." Sasuke said in the most philosophical tone an eight year old could muster. 

"But they look like knitting needles." Naruto countered. "How you gonna scare the enemy with something your grandma uses?"

Both Itachi and Iruka looked on in amusement at their respective knuckleheads. The boys started arguing chatting on their way out of Yamato's door. They had been the last to leave after Yamato nearly passed out at lunch. The poor man could not take the stress of having three clan heads show up at his door at once. Inoichi, Chouza, and Shikaku had been completely casual about the entire affair, being fathers very accustomed to picking up their rambunctious children from around the village: Yamato still managed to wobble visibly at their arrival. Only Iruka’s swift arrival had spared him from actually toppling over. 

“He’s taller now, isn’t he?” Iruka commented as they strolled under the setting sun. 

Itachi inclined his head as his younger brother gave Naruto a piece of his mind. Apparently senbon were superior in his eyes, even though Sasuke constantly begged to be trained in kunai-throwing nearly every afternoon on their walk back to the Uchiha district. 

“Naruto-kun isn’t far behind.”

Iruka considered Itachi’s watchful gaze with a warm smile. There was open fondness in the other boy’s eyes. Most Uchiha were known for being reserved, but Iruka remembered just how wide Itachi’s smile could be from the few times he had the privilege of seeing it, back when he was just a student and Iruka was an assistant teacher. Their encounters together were brief but memorable. Thoughts of his breathless excitement upon learning he would be an older brother and the creak of his voice when he cheered in the school courtyard came to mind.

It wasn’t that the Uchiha were incapable of emotion. They just chose when and where to show it. Itachi stood out from his clan in that he placed so much weight on relationships with his comrades. For a shinobi to express in such a way outside of their family was the ultimate show of trust and comradery. Iruka felt honored to be one of the few non-Uchiha Itachi trusted enough to see this side of him, humbled even.

Iruka let his gaze drift back to Naruto, who was still busily arguing about why one weapon was better than the other. Itachi was watching him as well, his gaze filled with fond amusement rather than the malice the blonde often received. A lump made itself present in Iruka’s throat at the rare sight. It was a silly thing to get emotional over, the simple acknowledgement of a child, but it went to show how Itachi did not let his profession destroy the kindest parts of him.

“You’re right. They’re both getting so big.”

The younger man made a sound, dove-soft, in the back of his throat. Iruka turned. 

“Is something the matter?”

“You love Naruto.”

It was said softly but bluntly, more statement of fact than question. Iruka felt taken aback at the sudden turn of conversation. This was not the subtle overture expected of a jounin. He was too surprised to even consider lying. 

Iruka cleared his throat and quickly regained his composure. “I do. I love him very much.”

“You’d protect him,” Itachi said, still quiet yet firm, “even from the village.”

“Of course,” Iruka said at once. He already had to on several occasions. Whether it be from civilians or even his fellow comrades, Iruka never hesitated to defend the boy. 

Curiosity was brewing like a storm as Itachi went on, leaving him no time to gather his own thoughts. 

“Iruka-sensei, if I may be so forward, may I ask you a question?" Iruka nodded his head in encouragement. "If you had no choice but to choose a side...would you choose Naruto or the village?”

Iruka opened his mouth and bit his tongue. The reflex stopped him from speaking automatically and he took a moment to breathe, and to gather his thoughts. He and Itachi weren’t exactly close, and yet Itachi was confiding in him somehow. There was uncertainty in the teenager's tone even if you didn’t look for it. Iruka could sense it as easily as enemy chakra. Something was weighing heavily on the other boy’s mind. 

Naruto or the village. It was a possibility he never had considered before. He’d never had the need to give such a thing his attention. But who was to say that the next attempt on Naruto’s life would be from outside the village? Perhaps it could be a drunken civilian who would beat him in a rage over losing everything in the Kyuubi attack, a misinformed genin who thought killing the boy would kill the beast inside him, maybe even the Council if they decided their greatest weapon would turn on them... 

The more time and thought he gave to it, the more it worried Iruka. 

He wanted to believe that the Sandaime would put a stop to any harm that may come the boy's way. That was what they taught children in the Academy, after all. The Hokage ruled over and cared for everyone in Konoha. Surely such a man wouldn’t suffer one of his own people to harbor ill intent towards another. Yet Iruka had spent enough time by his Hokage's side to know how complicated the world of politics was. Stability one day could easily become chaos the next. Plus, despite being a great man, the Hokage was only one man. There simply wasn’t enough time in the day to devote himself to every individual problem that occurred in the entire village… 

Iruka realized he’d been silent for some time. 

In the interim Itachi’s eyes had drifted to consider the floor, as though the lack of response had been Iruka’s response. The younger man began to speak, a mumbled apology for an unusual question, when Iruka finally ordered his thoughts properly, and spoke. 

“You asked who I would choose if my loyalties were tested?”

He looked out to where Sasuke was tussling with the younger boy, both of them shouting and trying their best to shove one another into the road. Itachi followed his gaze and then looked back, eyes widening at the open warmth in Iruka’s gaze. 

"If it came down to it, it would be Naruto. I would throw myself against the world for him."

The only sound on the street for a few long seconds was Sasuke and Naruto’s steadily escalating shouting match. From the snippets the shinobi pair could make out, they had moved on from weapons to summons. Iruka continued to watch silently. 

He’d spoken his mind and he found it to be true, that he would fight the entire village, the entire world for Naruto. It was a little surprising to realize that he could turn traitor to the village that took him in and raised him. 

But Iruka knew in his bones that, if pressed, he would choose Naruto over everything. 

Why wouldn't he? He loved him. 

Naruto was different from the children at the Academy. Besides the monster coiled in his belly, or rather, in spite of it, he loved fiercely. Like a beacon lit with flames that licked the sky, his warmth seemed to reach out to grab and engulf whoever he chose to love. He had every reason to turn to hate, to despise the people who scorned him and if Iruka was being truthful, he used to be one of those people. But despite everything, Naruto chose to be loving. To be kind. That cheeky, whiskered grin encompassed everything The Will of Fire stood for. It seemed to live just under his skin, simmering, something Iruka felt drawn to naturally, like a moth to the flame. 

“Cats are WAAAAAY cooler! They would eat your crow summons for breakfast”

"Crows are smarter than cats! Besides, they can fly away from some dumb cat!"

"Cats!"

“Crows!”

“ Cats!”

“ Crows!”

“Alright, alright. That’s enough,” Iruka said, his teacher senses going off as the discussion ticked past friendly into a shouting match. “Naruto, it’s time to go home. Say goodbye to Sasuke-kun.”

The two stuck out their tongues at one another, matching scowls on their faces as they hoofed it to their respective authority figures: one smiling, the other wearing a pensive look. Naruto made it five whole steps before turning to shout at Sasuke’s back. 

“Bye, y’bastard! See you tomorr--”

SMACK!

“OUCH! What was that for?!”

"Naruto, language!" 

There was no time for a forced apology. Itachi and Sasuke had already walked out of earshot (Iruka could've sworn he heard chuckling from further down the road.) Alone, Iruka turned on Naruto with a scowl of disapproval as the boy rubbed the sore spot on his head. 

“You know better than to call your friends such names!” 

“It’s fine, ‘ttebayo! Besides, he calls me names, too!”

“Does that make it okay to call him something rotten?”

Naruto kicked a stone in their path, a sulk firmly in place. Iruka felt his heartstrings tugged but remained resolute, waiting for Naruto to speak up first. Eventually a mumble of sullen agreement came from the eight-year-old. 

Iruka let out a soft sigh of relief and reached out a hand. Naruto took it straight away despite being in the middle of a scolding, turning his head away to hide the little wobble to his sulking face. It was very cute to watch him cling determinedly to his frown while they walked hand in hand. 

“I know you and Sasuke will call each other names,” Iruka said with a suffering sigh. “But, that particular word has a bad meaning.” 

Naruto looked up at once, smelling a lesson. “How’sit bad?” he wondered. "That's what the shopkeepers call me. Can't be that bad."

'I’m explaining a curse word to a child ,' Iruka thought.

Then he processed Naruto’s last sentence. 

“Excuse me?!"

Naruto dutifully repeated himself. “The grandpa at the fruit stand, the lady at the bakery, oh, and Ayo's mom. They call me a lil' bastard!" 

Naruto waited for Iruka's reprimand for repeating the supposedly-terrible word. Oddly enough, it never came. No, Iruka-sensei didn’t start shouting at him, he just stood still on the road. 

Not wanting to push his luck, but also quite curious, Naruto prodded.

“Hey. We stopped walking. Did you forget the way home?”

“...No,” Iruka said in a strange voice that made Naruto’s spine feel a little tingly. “No. I didn’t forget. Come along, Naruto. Let’s get you back home.”

“Then you goin’ home, Sensei?” Naruto asked, relieved that his hand hadn’t been dropped yet. 

“Sensei has some late night shopping to do,” Iruka said in that same strange, spine-tingling voice. “And you’ve just reminded me, I did mean to…speak with Ayo-kun’s mother. She left her lunch box in the classroom. I’ll remind her to pick it up before I go home.”

Iruka did not let go of Naruto's hand the entire way home.

~ ~ ~

“Begone, Pirate Queen of Darkness! These are my rocks now!”

“Avast!” Ino shouted, stamping a foot. “You may have defeaten me this time, but I swear revenge!”

“It’s ‘defeated’ ,” Sakura corrected, voice jumping back down an entire octave. 

Ino rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know that! But do you really think Vivianna, Pirate Queen of Darkness knows that word? She’s never been defeated before!”

When Iruka-sensei assigned them target practice with practice kunai as homework, Sakura eagerly suggested using her backyard with the newly-erected training dummies for her and her best friend after school. Both her and Ino threw the dulled, metal weapons until their arms ached. That was when Ino suggested they switch to playing their favorite game of all time: Pirate Queens.

Sakura nodded thoughtfully and fell right back into character… or, she was about to, when a movement in the tall grass caught her eye. “What’s that?”

“What’s what,” Ino wondered, turning around and following Sakura’s line of sight. 

Ino and Sakura both squinted their eyes as the grass swayed once again. 

“It’s probably a cockroach.”

“I don’t think so,” Sakura said, watching the grass more closely. Something out of sight was making it wiggle. There was too much movement for it to be a bug, or if it was, it was a really, really big one. 

“Is it a rabbit?”

“I can’t see yet!”

“C’mon, let’s get a better look,” Ino said as they stepped forward to investigate. 

She reached out once they were closer to the rustling sound and parted the tall grass. Ino shrieked and jumped back. 

“Ugh, gross! It’s a snake!”

“Oh. What kind?” Sakura asked. 

“Does it matter?” Ino said, giving her friend a disbelieving look. “It’s. A. Snake! They’re slimy and weird!”

“Snakes aren’t slimy,” Sakura said, peering around the long blades of grass for a better look. “Frogs produce mucus, and snails or slugs. Snakes aren’t like that. They’re really clean, actually.”

“You’re weird,” Ino decided, nose scrunched up even as Sakura parted the grass with her bare hands. “Don’t pick it up! What if it bites you?”

Sakura didn’t answer. Instead she was busily making hissing sounds. Oddly enough, the snake did not lunge forward or back off. It laid there, transfixed by the noises coming from the girl's mouth.

Then, it responded. 

It was almost as if it could understand her. 

To Ino, it was just plain weird, who never saw Sakura pretend to squawk at birds or bark at dogs. Watching the pink-haired girl hiss and spit in the snake’s direction was sending chills down her spine. By the time she worked up the nerve to ask what was going on, the snake dipped its snout down and slithered away. 

“Gross!” Ino blanched. 

Sakura turned to her friend, her brow furrowed and her head tilted to one side. 

“Snakes aren’t gross. They’re just hard to understand since we’re different to them, and they’re different to us.” She said it in a measured tone, pedantic, as though it was something she’d practiced. It struck Ino as strange. Sakura had never mentioned a fondness for snakes before. 

“So... You like snakes?” Ino asked cautiously, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach. Her forearms had goosebumps. 

Sakura’s mouth pursed before flattening into a smile. 

“...It’s strange,” she answered honestly, playing with the edge of her shirt for want of something to do with her hands. “I feel like I like them. I don’t know why. I just know they’re…”

“Good?” Ino prompted.

“Fair,” Sakura corrected. “Snakes aren’t good.”

( The goosebumps wouldn’t leave Ino’s arms )

“Snakes aren’t bad either,” Sakura continued, seemingly oblivious to Ino’s growing grimace. “They’re just snakes. They hunt and they sleep, they like the sun and hiding in winter. They only need to eat once in a while, depending on how big they are…”

How peculiar. Sakura didn't remember reading any books on snakes lately. Nevertheless the facts spilled out of her as easily as one of the passages from her favorite books. The comfort that came from reciting something familiar wrapped her in a gentle hug as she recited fact after fact.  

Despite her unease, Ino cheered up. Sakura looked so happy talking about snakes. It was obvious that Sakura really liked them (no matter that they were kind of freaky). 

“So you like snakes,” she said more confidently, cutting into her friend’s sudden monologue. “That’s cool. Why didn’t you say so before? I know Ayo has a pet snake. And Hiro has a lizard--”

“A lizard isn’t a snake!”

“I heard Naruto bragging about seeing a snake the size of a house ,” Ino said conspiratorially. She grinned when her friend’s eyes lit up like string lights. 

“That’s… it must have been near the Training Grounds. There’s not any snakes that size around here--they couldn't hide!”

Ino hesitated. She was so sure Sakura would have called Naruto’s obvious bluff. Snakes couldn’t really be the size of buildings…

...could they?

Just the thought of a massive snake was too much. Ino’s mind jumped to another topic, quickly. 

“Hey! I’m reeeeally hungry, is dinner done yet? Let’s go ask your Uncle!”

She grabbed Sakura’s hand and ran off, leaving the long grass behind in their dust. 

~ ~ ~

Dinner was a lively affair, as was usually the case when the girls got together. Between the three of them there wasn't a dull moment. 

But Ino still had questions, questions about her best friend and who she was exactly. She never saw Mister Tsugi talk to snakes, nor did he ever mention snake-whispering being a technique of their clan. Wouldn't that be something he would show off? A snake coiled around a tree came to Ino's mind. It would be a cool emblem for their clan…. that is, if they wanted people to know about their snake-related technique.

As the daughter of the Head for T&I, Ino patiently waited for the perfect opening. It happened when Sakura offered to run to the kitchen to refill their drinks. Then she struck. 

“Soooo, I guess your side of the family got the cool wood techniques, and the other side is where the snake stuff comes from.”

Yamato’s pale face offered up a very forced smile.

“What… are you talking about?” 

His voice sounded strained. Ino wondered if she was pushing her boundaries as a guest and decided to go for nonchalance, toying with the leftover food on her plate with her chopsticks. 

“Oh, nothing. I mean, it’s obviously wicked cool that you can do stuff with wood and all that! But I think it’s even cooler that Sakura can speak to snakes.”

For the first time in her life, Ino regretted speaking her mind. The easy-going air from dinner disappeared as Yamato put his chopsticks down, turning his head to the kitchen. Sakura was still in there, humming as the faucet ran. Ino realized her friend must've decided to wash some of their dishes while she was grabbing them drinks. 

Sakura's uncle turned back around, his full attention on Ino. 

“What makes you think Sakura can speak to snakes?”

It was an honest question, but Yamato had asked it in a gravely serious manner. His expression looked wooden, carved and slightly imposing. It was pretty scary, but Ino’s dad was best friends with Ibiki, the owner of the World’s Most Fearsome Face. Sakura’s uncle was pretty good, but Ino had seen better. That face was supposed to intimidate her into telling the truth. 

Well, two could play that game. 

Adults were careless around children. They gave up all sorts of useful information in the words they used, the way they acted and how they spoke. Ino would just have to nudge Yamato the right ways and all his secrets would tumble out of him like ripe fruit from a tree. 

“Well, she hissed at one earlier and it acted like it understood her.”

Other children who weren’t raised under the watchful eye of Inoichi would have missed the slight tightening of Yamato’s jaw, the way his throat worked to suppress a swallow--fear. Ino could practically smell it. 

“She got really close to it, too,” she continued, watching for more reactions. “It didn’t even mind when she was standing right over it. Usually wild animals run away when people get close, don’t they?”

“That’s right,” Yamato answered automatically. “How close was she?”

“Very close,” Ino gushed, relishing in retelling the story. “Close enough to get bit.”

A tiny flinch. Guilt. And worry. 

“Was she bitten? She didn’t say anything--”

“She wasn’t but it could have happened!”

“How can you tell she was actually talking to it?” Yamato probed. “Maybe she was just… mimicking it.”

“How should I know? I can’t speak to snakes.” Ino smiled brightly. “But I know someone who can! Hey, Sak--”

Yamato’s hand shot out from his side too late. Sakura poked her head around the wall just in time to see the bizarre picture of her guardian leaning fully across the table with his hand over her best friend's entire mouth. 

“....what are you doing?”

“....Ino said a bad word,” Yamato said flatly. 

The glance sent Ino's way booked no room for argument. Ino nodded minutely. She had a feeling this would be the last time she would be invited over if she disagreed with his statement. 

Sakura scolded her and Yamato both, Ino for using foul language and Yamato for putting his hand on their guest. An unspoken agreement went between shinobi and child to drop their previous line of discussion, leaving an awkward silence as Sakura rejoined them at the table with refreshments. 

As if sensing the odd tension between her best friend and guardian, Sakura invited them to a game after dinner. “Hey! I know it’s late, but maybe we could play cards?”

Yamato shook his head. 

“Another night,” he stated. “Ino has to head home while it’s still light out.”

“I can stay a little longer,” Ino insisted with a small pout. “I know my way home.”

“I’d feel bad, sending you back after dark,” Yamato said in that tone that booked no argument. “It was a pleasure to have you over, but Sakura also needs to get ready for school tomorrow. I’m sure you do, too.”

Sakura gave a little dissatisfied sound in the back of her throat, knowing it was useless to argue the point further, and dashed forward to catch Ino around the neck in a big hug. 

"Bye, Ino. Sorry about my uncle, I think he's just grumpy today because you said a bad word."

Yamato gave the two girls a few moments to say their goodbyes, pointedly ignoring the muttering under their breaths at his expense, before clearing his throat. Sakura scowled at him and stormed off. It was obvious she was upset that Ino couldn’t stay, but Yamato was grateful for her moodiness for once: now Ino was alone with him. 

The blonde looked up and he looked down. Ino seemed to recognize that he had been waiting for another moment when it was just the two of them and listened attentively. 

“The Hyuuga Clan and the Uchiha have special eyes.” Ino had to bite back a scathing remark. Everyone in Konoha knew that! “Do you know how often there’s a kidnapping attempt on their children?” Yamato continued casually. 

Ino shook her head. When Yamato said nothing else, she thought about it. And about Sakura’s unusual…special…ability to talk to snakes. She swallowed very loudly. 

“But… no one ever gets kidnapped…” She suddenly couldn’t find the courage to look up. “Right?”

Yamato let her question hang in the air for a long, long time.

“Sakura is very special. And right now, you, me, and maybe two other people know that. That includes the Hokage and your father. You know how dangerous it is for more than one person to know a secret.” Yamato had to be certain of Ino's silence on the matter, and if he needed to do it through guilt and fear, so be it. 

"Do her parents know?" Ino asked. "Is that why they sent her here?" 

There was genuine concern in her voice. This was not just a Yamanaka trying to gather information, Yamato realized, this was a young girl worried for the safety of her friend. 

“Sakura's parents are civilians,” Yamato explained softly. “Do you think your parents would keep you, knowing that foreign ninja might come to attack your family in their sleep, just because you could speak to snakes?”

Ino looked at the ground quickly to hide her face. How cruel! 

But, she thought, blinking watery eyes, Sakura’s uncle was correct. There was no way a child could ever stay with civilian parents with a kekkei genkai like that. Speaking with animals wasn’t uncommon if they spoke human languages. Summons did it all the time, but it was unheard of to commune regularly with wild animals. And there was no telling what mischief Sakura could get up to with such power. The potential for spying and espionage was...amazing. 

A weight dropped onto her shoulder, startling Ino out of her thoughts. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Yamato said gently. “But it’s important to me that you understand. I don’t mind what you did at dinner. It’s natural to be curious, but please don’t ask about family techniques in the future. Some clans like to keep them secret.”  

His face became less stony, even managing to give Ino a small smile. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'm glad that you got so worried about her, it means you care about Sakura a lot. She needs good friends like you."

The last sentence rang in Ino’s head all the way home. 

Sakura may be a nerdy, weird, big-foreheaded crybaby… but she was Ino's best friend. The thought of her being in danger or getting attacked by foreign shinobi because Ino couldn't keep a secret made her feel like someone reached into her chest and squeezed her heart until it shattered. 

Ino made a vow there and then to always protect Sakura's secret. And, she thought on her way home, Sakura herself, if need be. 

She just prayed it would never come to that. 

~ ~ ~

Tenzou closed the door gently behind Ino. When he could no longer feel her chakra presence on his property, he let out a long sigh. 

He looked around his house, no longer just a house but a home, complete with clothing scattered haphazardly on the furniture, dishes on the table and in the sink, drawings covering a wall from roof to floor, and the odd book stacked next to a forgotten cup of cold tea. It really felt like Tsugi Yamato and Sakura lived here. Up until now, Tenzou had let himself live in this domestic fantasy world.

That facade was crumbling away. 

‘This is all fake,’ Tenzou reminded himself as he made his way up the stairs to Sakura's room. ‘This is all just smoke and mirrors for the sake of the mission. ’

He stood outside a door, a wooden sign hanging from it declaring it as Sakura's room. 

‘You are dealing with one of Orochimaru's kin. Remember that…Cat.’

Tenzou steeled himself before entering, the ANBU operative pausing to knock on the door with his knuckles before entering. 

“Sakura? Are you still awake?”

“Go away.”

He buried the sour little smile that threatened to cross his face. It wouldn’t do for her to see him so easily affected by her words. 

( It wouldn’t do for him to be so easily affected by a child’s words )

He entered. Sakura was ready for bed, already dressed and tucked under the covers with a scowl on her sleepy face. The bridge of her nose was rosy and her eyes were light pink. She’d been crying. Yamato ignored the pinprick in his chest and knelt by the edge of the treehouse bed. Before he could even speak, Sakura turned over and faced the wall, giving him her back. 

It was a pretty clear message: Sakura didn’t want to talk. That made sense. The hour was late and Yamato was no fool. She was sour with him for not letting her friend stay longer. It felt bad, having Sakura angry at him.

That was fine, he could always leave the questions for the morning. Perhaps after breakfast, she would be in a better mood then--

Ino’s words rang in his ears. 

But I think it’s even cooler that Sakura can speak to snakes.

He had to ask now. 

“Sakura, earlier, I saw the two of you playing in the backyard. Ino mentioned there was a snake. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t very big,” Sakura muttered, half-hiding her face under her blanket. 

“Snakes can be dangerous,” Yamato warned with a frown. Sakura was still giving him the cold shoulder and the lack of respect was beginning to grate on him. “It’s rude to talk to someone without looking at them. Can you sit up and speak to me, please?”

Slowly, and with an open scowl, Sakura sat up. 

Yamato was frankly amazed. Where was this all coming from? Sakura wasn’t the right age to be developing pubescent hormones yet, or were all young girls so confrontational? He felt wildly out of his depth as a child gave him a look that screamed resentment. Kakashi-senpai wouldn’t let such a blatant show of disrespect with his subordinates slide by. What would he do in this situation?

Sakura was only seven. Why was he so worried about how she would take a scolding? She certainly needed one if this latest interaction was any indication.

Crossing both arms over his chest, Yamato straightened his spine and gave a very stern look to his charge. “If this is how you act when you’re allowed friends over, perhaps Ino shouldn’t visit as often. You were never rude like this before.”

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" Sakura shot back, defiant even with the threat looming. "It was just a tiny snake, okay?! It wasn't poisonous or anything!"

“Watch your tone,” Yamato snapped. 

She didn't become any less argumentative despite Yamato's strict words. "You've been acting weird since dinner! It's not my fault Ino said a bad word, so why am I getting punished for it?"

"This isn't about Ino." Yamato said in an effort to regain control. How pathetic, an ANBU operative trying to argue with a child! "I want to know why you were playing with snakes.”

"I wasn't playing with it, I was just…looking at it!" 

"That's not what Ino told me. She said you were hissing at it."

Sakura gaped, caught in a lie, and floundered by her friend's betrayal. Yamato realized too late that he had caused a potential rift in Sakura's relationship with her only solid friend. But he couldn't go back now. 

Yamato waited, eyes fixed on Sakura’s face. Her expression went through several emotions before cycling to teary-eyed frustration. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her fists were clenched in her bedsheets, knuckles white with how hard she was holding them over her lap. But she said nothing. 

"...Sakura, I just want to know why you were playing with snakes." Yamato said in a softer tone this time. Sometimes the best way to extract information was to play the role of ally (And it helped that he felt the overwhelming urge to reassure her). "I got worried when she told me that. I just want to make sure that you're safe."

As much as he wanted to make her talk, Yamato knew that waiting would give better results. His gamble paid off. In the reprieve he gave, Sakura’s clenched hands relaxed. Her pinched brows evened out and she stopped scowling. The heat left her cheeks until all that was left was a cautious sort of honesty, green eyes watching Yamato as she finally answered him. 

"...will you be upset if I was hissing at it?”

Yamato could taste victory. All he had to do was wait with a smile and open arms and Sakura would spill everything to him. He just needed to keep playing the part of the patient uncle. 

“I would only be upset if you lied to me.” 

Sakura looked down at her lap for a long time. Long enough that Yamato began to worry she wouldn’t say anything. 

Just before he spoke, she did.

“It feels… Snakes are… They’re familiar. Good. I mean--they’re not good, or bad, but they make me feel good.” Sakura rubbed the back of her hand as she spoke. “I can’t really talk to them, but I like to pretend that I can. Sometimes they pretend back, like they can understand me. They make me feel nice… safe, even. Though I know to be on guard around them.”

A subdued version of giddiness filled Yamato. His mission techniques, which he spent months agonizing on not making any progress with, were finally paying off.

"Why do they feel familiar to you?"

"I…I don't know."

"Sakura, how do you not know? If something is familiar to you, you've probably seen it before." 

“I don’t know,” Sakura repeated, shielding herself with the covers again. 

Yamato's hand shot out to grab the sheets before Sakura could hide under them. He wouldn't let her defiance ruin this for him. "Sakura, you're keeping something from me. I need to know why."

Sakura tried to pull the blanket back frantically. Fear flashed in her eyes when Yamato did not release it. “Let go!”

“Stop hiding.”

“Let go!” 

“Sakura!”

"Let me GO!"

"Sakura, stop !"

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

The sound of shredding fabric snapped Tenzou out of it. He paused, half of Sakura’s blanket in one hand, disbelief splashed across his face. 

Shock hit him like a bucket of ice water. Was he really grappling with a child? Was his technique so toothless that he needed to resort to baseless violence--what the hell was he thinking?!

And Sakura, on the bed that he’d made for her, was crying. 

Guilt consumed him. He was a failure over twice. His interrogation ended with Sakura in tears. The sheets they’d torn were ripped right down the center, frayed ends of fabric and feathers littering the bed. 

Sakura's crying had turned into full-on sobs. He should have been concerned, she sounded like she was on the verge of hyperventilation, but numbness was all that seeped into the shinobi. All Tenzou could do for the next few seconds was continue to watch this seven year old cry, cry because of him.

The practical side of Tenzou took over. Sakura needed a new blanket. He got up and left the room, returning shortly with a blanket retrieved from the hallway closet. Her crying had not died down upon his return. As he gathered up the old, ruined blanket, Sakura shrinked away to the farthest corner of her bed.

'She's afraid of you.'

A good person, a responsible person, would try to console her. Reassure this vulnerable, terrified child that no harm would come to them. An apology and promise to do better would follow. 

So Tenzou, ANBU operative and ROOT survivor who experienced missions that could break the hardest of shinobis, took the coward's way out. 

“...We’ll talk in the morning. Goodnight.”

He closed the door behind him and fled. 

Chapter Text

It’s dark and quiet. 

Sakura knows today the snakes will eat. 

There are several in different parts of the enclosure, but one in particular lifts its head slightly higher than usual, bobbing side to side in an entrancing way. It senses company in the corner. The frog on its muddy perch seems oblivious to its looming demise. Does it know that just meters away strong coils are unwinding: soundless, deadly, with all the lazy grace a predator can afford? The waiting fills her with anticipation. She watches unblinking for the strike. 

It’s over between breaths. One instant the frog is there and the next, halfway down the snake’s gullet.

Orochimaru-sama told her this was nature, that the strong survived off the weak, but Sakura found it difficult to ignore the frog's pitiful twitches and croaks as the snake slowly ate it alive. Could this calculating predator not give its prey the mercy of a quick death? The snake's mouth inched over more and more of the frog’s body. Its legs twitched but there was no escape. The pitiful sight made Sakura want to reach into the tank, although she knows better. 

‘Foolish,’ Orochimaru would scold her. 'Why risk a bite in an attempt to rescue a dead frog? Why stop nature? Even frogs attack the weak to survive. No one is innocent if they are born into this world.'

Footsteps tell Sakura she is not alone. She has learned not to jump at sudden company. Instead of turning around she wonders aloud, “What do you want?”

The snake’s fangs finally meet and the frog disappears out of sight. 

“Sakura-chan,” says a voice she’s come to dislike. “It's time to meet your parents.”

~ ~ ~

Green eyes open suddenly. 

A dream. Or a nightmare. 

No. A memory, Sakura thinks, sitting up to rub the remnants of sleep from her eyes. Something real that happened. But what was it? 

Already the images were slipping from her thoughts. The harder she tried to remember, the quicker they slipped away like minnows in shallow water. Her fingers clench around the edges of her blanket. Feeling the edges of her blanket took Sakura’s wandering thoughts to last night when it had been torn. And why. 

The argument she had with her uncle--with Yamato--came back in startling clarity. 

The mere mention of snakes made her pretend uncle jumpy. They upset him. It was normal for people to be afraid of things but this seemed different… more personal. Something about them brought out a side of Yamato that upset Sakura. 

A yawn snuck up on her and she stretched her jaw as wide as it would go. 

A snake’s jaws finally closing around a still twitching frog leg--

Her dream came back with startling clarity.

“Sakura,” called a voice from downstairs. 

It’s time to meet your parents, 

“It’s time to go to school,” Yamato’s voice continued. “Come downstairs and have some breakfast.”

Her stomach rumbled. The urge to satisfy her hunger eclipsed any previous thoughts or hesitation. She hurried into fresh clothes and dashed downstairs. 

Yamato offered a tired smile as Sakura came to a halt in front of the table. 

“Good morning. I hope you slept okay.” 

Sakura nodded, eyes glued to the table where a thick stack of steaming hot pancakes sat beside fresh strawberries, plump and red, and begging her to eat them. Yamato began to help himself as Sakura scrambled to sit down in front of her plate. 

Pancakes! Yamato had told her in the past that they weren’t real breakfast food, that they were a dessert and had no real nutritional value. Yet here they were: real, tangible, and piled so high the plate seemed to sweat under their weight. The rest of her worries melted away with every fluffy bite. Each piece was like a slice of cloud covered in syrup, sticky and sweet! Sakura sighed more than once, humming between bites.

After her last bite, Yamato said it was time to go to school. She hurried to pop several strawberries into her bento box for her lunch later. As she closed the container Sakura considered the pile of dishes in the sink, and the way Yamato yawned, reaching for the coffee pot. 

“Did you get up very early today?” She asked, glancing to where their empty breakfast plates sat in a heap almost higher than the pancakes had stood. Those delicious dreamy cloud-like cakes didn’t cook themselves. 

“No earlier than usual,” Yamato said, his eyelids nearly closed. 

Sakura concluded that he was totally lying to make her feel better. Yamato was exhausted. He totally got up early to make her her favorite breakfast, even though they were unhealthy. 

Maybe he felt guilty about their fight last night. The whole thing felt stupid now. Sakura decided the pancakes were a very nice apology (even though he didn't actually say the words) and decided not to upset her unc--guardian with a silly nightmare.

Yamato glanced down at her, smiling despite the heavy bags under his eyes, perceiving that his apology had gone over well. Despite his obvious weariness, Yamato’s spirits did seem to lift at the sight of Sakura’s bright smile, his shoulders relaxing as well.

It went unsaid that the unpleasantness of the night before had been put completely aside. He held the door open for both of them.

~ ~ ~

If a child could see how exhausted he was, then Yamato knew he truly must have looked like a walking nightmare. 

He was grateful that his ANBU uniform included a full mask. The bags under his eyes could likely be seen a mile away. Some of his comrades in the locker room had been polite enough to pretend that he wasn't doing a convincing impression of a zombie. Others had openly commented on it, asking after his health.

Yet how could he admit to the cause of his exhaustion? The distress of a little girl was all it took to nearly put him out of commission for the day. Last night after leaving her room, Yamato had been wracked with guilt and worry. Sleep was impossible. Briefly, Yamato had considered leaving a clone while he trained the night away. His eventual compromise was to retreat to the backyard and train until the crack of dawn. His mind was only eased once he was dripping with sweat and his muscles were screaming for a break.

Yamato shook his head to clear the memories of last night. He reached for the complimentary pot of coffee provided in Headquarters. It tasted like caffeine-laced acetone, but it was all that stood between Yamato and nodding off on the job. 

'I should've brought some of that coffee I made at home in a thermos. I'm pretty sure someone flicked their cigarette ash into here earlier,' Yamato lamented as he sipped from his styrofoam cup.

A familiar gloved hand waved in front of his vision. "Earth to Cat, Earth to Cat. Your commander wants to know why you look like shit."

Yamato spun around and dropped into a hasty bow, coffee threatening to spill over the edge of his cup. "Apologies, senpai!”

His leader looked him over with an unimpressed look. The cup was gently taken from Yamato's grasp and thrown into the nearest trash can. The coffee was revolting enough that Yamato didn't protest the waste. "Hm. Come with me.”

Yamato was too caught off guard to even ask after what crime he’d committed for Kakashi to be dragging him along--by the back of his shirt, none the less! He was so bereft of good sleep that it took him a full minute to resist Kakashi’s usual abuse. Even then, his struggle was obviously lacking at best, so much so that Kakashi released him with a pitying look. 

“What are you doing?” Yamato demanded, straightening up.

“You look ready to drop dead.”

“I’m a bit behind on sleep, that’s all. I’m fine.”

Kakashi gave a look of disbelief and Yamato worried; just how bad did he look? He had forgotten to check himself in the mirror that morning before he left his house. Sure he felt like misery on two legs and several of his teammates asked if he needed to visit the on-call medic, but it couldn't look that terrible…could it? 

Kakashi answered the unspoken question for him. “You look like you’ve just run across Whirlpool Country, nonstop, through a monsoon.” 

Oh come on, that was way too dramatic! All he did was spend the entire night trying to push back his doubts about his worth as a person and shinobi by practicing with his Mokuton until the crack of dawn. Really, since when were all-nighters a big deal?! 

As if reading his mind, Kakashi took his own forehead protector off and held it up for Yamato. The metal was polished to a reflective shine, enough that Yamato could look at his own reflection which, as a direct result of being suddenly seen, paled drastically. 

“...Oh.”

“Yeah,” Kakashi agreed. 

The bags under his eyes were only the start of it. The paleness of his skin made them look darker than usual. His hair was sticking up in all directions, not entirely unlike Kakashi's. To put it simply, he looked like shit.

Yamato was helpless to do anything but follow where Kakashi led him. Maybe this whole minding a kid thing was getting to him.

They arrived at a door where Kakashi knocked three times before being permitted entry. Yamato only processed where Kakashi had taken them when he saw a familiar cone hat bent over a scroll. He was barely able to keep his panic in check as the Hokage lifted his head. 

"Ah, Cat, I've been meaning to contact you. The issue with the stipend has been resolved--"

His commander cut the Hokage off, something only a highly-respected and highly-skilled shinobi such as Hatake Kakashi could do and get away with. “With all due respect, Hokage-sama, it was foolish to give such a daunting mission to a single man with no backup and no experience with children.”

“I have full confidence in our young friend’s abilities--” Sandaime began. Kakashi cut his rambling off once again. 

“Look at him, really look! This is the result of having no backup on a mission that requires constant surveillance of a single target for more than one week! He’s exhausted! Even the most skilled operative would receive relief but so far, Cat has received none!"

Kakashi’s appeal was out before Yamato could even try giving an excuse for his appearance. Sure he had given mission reports soaked to the bone in the elements and various bodily fluids before, but this was self-imposed exhaustion. The Hokage looked over Tenzou from head to toe, the man in scrutiny too self-conscious and flustered to say anything. After careful consideration, the Hokage turned his attention back to Kakashi.

"I fully understand your concern, Hound. He is under your command, after all." Hiruzen said in a placating tone. "But I would not have let our friend continue this mission if he had faltered in his other duties. Thus far, Cat has made remarkable progress--"

"Cat is a talented operative," Kakashi agreed without preamble. If not for the present circumstances, Tenzou would've been pleasantly shocked by the direct compliment from his Senpai. "But he's doing the best he can with his limitations and many in his position would not reject a mission straight from the Hokage."

"On the contrary, it was Cat who requested the continuation of this mission." The Lord Third said with a smug grin around his pipe. Kakashi’s uncovered eye narrowed in suspicion, glancing at Tenzou as Hiruzen elaborated. “Despite your lack of faith in his abilities, Cat volunteered to continue this mission despite the proposed alternative.”

“Which was?”

“That the girl be in ROOT’s care.”

A stifling silence filled the gulf between them, the air thick enough with tension to cut with a knife. Tenzou had felt this suffocating atmosphere only once before, and it meant one thing: Hatake Kakashi was infuriated.

It was there in the subtle clenching of his jaw, the tensing and relaxing of his non-dominant hand. Though Kakashi had not gone through the horrors of ROOT firsthand, he was the one who saved Tenzou from it. Hiruzen matched his intense gaze from across the room without moving an inch. An entire conversation passed between them, or so it seemed to Tenzou, who could only observe, feeling as though the room was suddenly three sizes too small to fit their unspoken animosity. 

After an uncomfortable pause, Kakashi had calmed down enough to speak, but there was a venom in his tone now. “That program was declared obsolete under the Fourth Hokage.”

“Higher powers deemed it necessary,” the Third Hokage said with steepled fingers. “One could argue there were other unsavory practices put into practice during the Fourth Hokage’s tenure. The initiation age for ANBU has been reinstated to 16.”

“And I suppose Uchiha Itachi asked for his own promotion disregarding those rules when he was thirteen,” Kakashi said through clenched teeth.

Tenzou watched the exchange in astonishment. Kakashi-senpai had a healthy respect for rules, it was part of what Tenzou admired about the man. Yet here he was clashing with the Leader of their village. It was so unlike Kakashi that Tenzou forgot his voice as they continued.

“I shouldn’t have to make this appeal, but you should've assigned more people to this initially! The level of surveillance is too high for one person to maintain for all waking hours for more than one week! It’s been months now! Constant espionage and information gathering, not to mention the effort it takes to deceive a target to the point of them believing that they have a familial bond to establish trust and build confidence is mentally exhausting. And it’s unkind of our leader to pressure him into thinking he doesn’t need any back up, just--just because you believe in him...” 

Kakashi’s tirade lost steam towards the end, eyes gazing off into the distance as his words trailed off. The silence went on for long enough that both Tenzou and the Hokage looked on in concern. 

Suddenly, Kakashi mustered himself enough to finish. “Belief isn’t enough, Lord Hokage. He needs backup.” The steely look in the Sandaime's eyes softened. He made a motion with one hand, encouraging Kakashi to continue. The silver-haired shinobi nodded. “It’s not enough to believe in someone...you have to empower them if you want them to succeed.” 

With a long, suffering sigh, the Hokage gave in. “Very well, Hound: I defer to your experience. How would you support your fellow ANBU?”

Tenzou watched in amazement as Kakashi passionately outlined a rotation of Tenzou and two others of the same age, a weekly rotation that would occur every month to compensate for the mental load. His suggestion was met with stark disapproval: three were too many people to keep a secret. 

"This is a solo mission for a reason. I trust you and Crow with such sensitive information, but the loyalty and determination of others..."

'Then why are they in ANBU? ' Tenzou bit his traitorous tongue before he could ask aloud. 

Kakashi narrowed his uncovered eye. “It’s unfair to rely on the back of one soldier to win a war.”

“It is unkind to ask any child to bear such burdens, yet we task genin at ten and twelve under the leadership of Jounin-senseis. You yourself were just 11 years old when you led your first covert mission.”

To his credit, Kakashi didn’t flinch. 

“With all due respect, sir, we are discussing backup for Cat.”

The Hokage nodded. “I understand. Go on.”

The discussion continued for a few more minutes. As the back-and-forth continued, the world around Tenzou seemed to tilt with his unsteady feet. Their voices sounded rooms away as the shinobi poured chakra into the soles of his feet. He came to a startling realization: Senpai was right. He needed the backup more than he’d realized. Only stubborn loyalty to the Leaf and his personal sense of dedication was keeping ANBU Cat upright. 

And even now that was failing him. Just standing upright was rapidly draining him of his precious chakra. Before, he’d disparaged his teammates for dropping to one knee while giving a report, but now he envied them. 

'It wouldn’t be disrespectful to just sit, right?'

His knees didn’t give him the option to choose. In his daze they had locked up and as a result, one went out from under him. Kakashi snagged his elbow, saving Tenzou from an utterly embarrassing face plant in the Hokage’s office (and his last bit of dignity). 

It did, however, seal the deal on Kakashi’s case. 

The Hokage regarded the now half-kneeling ANBU Cat with an air of grandfatherly concern. “I’ve treated you poorly, I fear.”

“No,” Cat denied straight away, struggling against Kakashi to stand again despite his exhaustion and embarrassment. “No, sir, I’m fine. I’m fit for duty--”

“Your Captain is as astute as ever, and I am an old man whose eyes no longer see the best future for Konoha's shinobi. Otherwise I would not have used you so inefficiently.” The words stung, painful as any backhand. Tenzou nodded and received the Hokage’s decree in obedient silence. “For our safety, we cannot allow harm to come to this child but neither can we allow her secrets to remain undiscovered. If three is the number you deem necessary to complete this mission then three it shall be: you will be one, and I shall choose the others.”

Kakashi startled, recognizing that he was being spoken to. “Sir, my duties lie with Team Ro.”

The Sandaime waved a hand negligently. “It is disbanded.”

His decision was met with stunned silence. 

“We have a mission,” Kakashi said after the shock wore off, the confidence in his voice earlier now gone. “We leave in a fortnight to Grass Country. You hand-picked Team Ro from the others.”

“And I shall choose a new team as circumstances dictate,” Sandaime concluded. “ANBU Crow has received several complimentary reports from senior agents not of your team. It surprises me that you would deliberately limit his potential by hiding his remarkable progress. Uchiha Itachi is almost more prodigious than yourself.”

The compliment hardly registered. Kakashi was more concerned about the younger man’s promotion and how casually the Hokage revealed Crow’s name, no matter that he and Tenzou already knew it. 

“ANBU Crow is extremely talented…for a child ,” Kakashi stressed. “He’s a teenager. He shouldn’t be promoted despite showing remarkable skill. It’s too early.”

“He has already been given a very special assignment that will gauge his competence in Black Ops.” He gave Kakashi a vexed look, remarking, “Were you not yourself a chuunin at six, and a jounin at nine?”

“In wartime,” Kakashi stated firmly, standing up straight. Tenzou, as a result, half-fell out of his grip and onto the floor. 

Just as things couldn't get any worse, the door opened wide. 

Tenzou, whose eyes were half-shut, perceived a halo of light descending (though he was sure the choir of angels that followed were just in his head).

In reality, Umino Iruka had just opened the door, letting in the light from the hallway to the Hokage’s dimmed office. A tray of tea was in his hands, fragrant enough to be wafted to Tenzou's position on the floor. 

The chuunin took one look around, read the room and, with the confidence only a teacher could exude, stepped right in to set the tray on the table as Kakashi helped pull Tenzou back to his feet.

“It seems a little tense here. Come, have a seat. Some tea will help cool your heads.”

Instead of being royally offended at the intrusion, the Lord Third gave a sigh of relief and accepted the cup Iruka poured for him. 

“Thank you, Iruka-sensei. You always show up when I need you. Is clairvoyance a kekki genkai you possess?”

“Just a little lucky, perhaps,” Iruka said with a warm smile. “Here ANBU-san, sit. You’ll feel better once you’ve had something to drink.” 

Iruka poured two cups and pointedly averted his eyes. Kakashi and Tenzou looked at the schoolteacher, perplexed, but took up seats gratefully, drinking quickly by pulling their masks back up while Iruka made pleasant conversation to fill the air. His inviting smile and genial tone easily cut through the aggressive, confrontational fog of the room. Tenzou observed Sandaime’s shoulders relaxing and realized he had never noticed them tensing up. Perhaps Kakashi wasn’t the only one so affected by their conflict. 

By the time he stopped to drink from his own cup, Sandaime was asking for seconds. “What brings you in? It isn’t every day Academy instructors stop by an old man’s office just to share tea.”

“They should. It’s nice to spend time with you. Even if you are the Hokage, you’re still a person and a grandfather. How is Konohamaru’s private training coming along, by the way?”

The Sandaime laughed and went on at length, charmed to be discussing his grandson while Kakashi and Tenzou stared in wonder at the teacher. Even though they were highly trained in the art of espionage, it was difficult to follow up Iruka’s opening act of ‘hey you look pissed, sit down and drink some tea.’

Tenzou glanced up at his senpai to see if he was having similar thoughts of this highly-skilled chuunin. What greeted him instead was Kakashi signing, ‘If You Don’t Ask Him Out I Will' .  

Tenzou spat his tea. 

Iruka blinked through the cloud of tea-mist. Though his mask blocked most of the hot liquid, a fair amount still ended up on the teacher's uniform and face. Remarkably, the teacher managed to keep his composure despite an entire cup's worth of tea spit over him. 

Kakashi and the Hokage quickly stifled their laughter into coughing. Tenzou fumbled with his apology as Iruka produced a napkin from one of the scroll-pouches on his chuunin vest, reassuring the masked operative through his rambling apologies. 

“Working with kids, you get used to these things,” he said with a smile. 

Sandaime’s eyes had a dangerous spark of interest in them. 

“Speaking of children, you’re quite talented at minding them! Wouldn’t you say so, Iruka-sensei?”

Tenzou’s head whipped around sharply. 'Oh no, anything but this.'

“I appreciate your confidence in me,” Iruka answered, inclining his head in a polite bow. “I do like children and I do all that is within my power to protect them. Even though I have none of my own, I'm happy to guide the future of our village.”

Despite what Kakashi would say later, Tenzou did not swoon from those words. No, Tenzou just gained a healthy amount of respect for Umino Iruka over hearing this. Academy teaching was not a glamorous job, many would even say it was something a self-respecting shinobi should not aspire to. Yet Iruka sounded genuinely happy with his career, proud even. 

Sandaime nodded in approval. “Hmm, well said. Now that I think about it, you did submit a proposal for higher salaries for instructors such as yourself across the board. Your colleagues voiced similar opinions, but no appeal was as eloquent as yours.”

Iruka perked up considerably. “Have you made a decision regarding that matter, sir?”

“I have, under one condition.”

“Sandiame-sama,” Kakashi said, stopping abruptly when Hiruzen raised a hand. Tenzou swore he could hear the grinding of teeth even through both of Kakashi-senpai’s masks.

Iruka nodded for the Hokage to go on. Hiruzen smiled benevolently. “I have a team requiring a third member. The mission is ongoing--you and your comrades will be receiving a weekly stipend in addition to the raise received with your teaching duties. The objective is the care of a young girl with extraordinary circumstances in the absence of her parents.”

“The care… Child care,” Iruka divined. His expression was baffled before sharpening into suspicion. “That seems too straightforward, and for a three-man cell. What are the mission parameters?”

Tenzou nodded; Iruka was no fool to take a mission without knowing more about the objective.  

“You must accept the mission before any further details can be disclosed,” Sandaime said strictly. “The mission is confidential for the safety of the client.”

“Would I be free to teach?” 

“A replacement will be made for your absence once every three weeks,” the Hokage said. “If you choose to accept, your rotation will alleviate stress from the existing member--”

“Member!” Iruka cut in with a shocked gasp. “One person? They must be exhausted! I can’t imagine the stress they’re under. We’ve had at least four teacher-parent conferences with single parents requesting longer after-care hours, and--actually, this brings up that point from our conversation last week. We should implement a program to support children whose parents are both away on missions.”

“We do,” Hiruzen blustered. “It’s called aunts and uncles, or grandparents.”

Iruka’s gaze dropped downward. “You know after the Kyuubi incident there were many children without those support systems. Too many. There were kids that needed help, guidance, love and support, and there was none.” His voice was respectful but tight in his throat. “Some still do.”

“Yes, Iruka-sensei, what an oversight on the superior’s part to task a single man with a child whose security is paramount to the Village’s wellbeing,” Kakashi drawled casually, pointedly ignoring Hiruzen’s subtle glare. The silver-haired jounin preened at the Hokage's discomfort. “Shinobi are hardly trained in the art of childcare. I can only imagine the pressure this poor person is feeling right now.”

“Kakashi-senpai,” Tenzou hissed in alarm. His Captain was abandoning all subtlety just for the chance to rub it into the Hokage's face, of all people! He would be amazed if Kakashi managed to survive today without being accused of treason.

“If we could return to the discussion at hand,” the Lord Third intoned, setting aside his cup of tea. “Umino Iruka, do you accept?”

Iruka bowed his head. 

“I trust your judgement, Hokage-sama. If you deem me worthy of this position and feel confident in my abilities to best serve the village, then I accept.”

Tenzou and Kakashi held their tongues as Hiruzen opened a scroll to make it official. “In time I will introduce you to the other members of your team,” the Lord Third said, sealing the scroll away with a genuine smile. “But for now I will conclude our meeting, Iruka-sensei. There are matters I must discuss concerning where we will find the funds to perpetuate your proposal. But, that is a matter for old men. You go on and enjoy the afternoon sun. Cat, Hound, you're both dismissed.”

~ ~ ~  

Iruka offered them the same respect he gave the Hokage, giving his thanks for sharing tea with him and a bow before finding an excuse not to bother two ANBU level officers. Kakashi watched Tenzou as the chuunin hurried off. 

“Come on. You still look like hell.”

“I resent that, but you're probably right,” Tenzou groused, following as Kakashi led him down the halls toward the showers. 

“Can’t have Iruka-sensei meeting you looking like something the cat dragged in~”

Kakashi easily dodged Tenzou’s attempts at strangulation all the way to the locker room.

Chapter Text

“I’m not going.”

“Lord Third insisted~” Kakashi sang, waving three tickets in front of his junior’s face. “He said it would be a good way to formally introduce ourselves to our new teammate. It’s the whole works. Facial, full-body massage, sauna, mud bath, even a seaweed wrap! Trust me, a trip to the spa will make you look human again."

Tenzou blanched. “With all due respect, I absolutely can’t accept!”

Kakashi waved the tickets in front of Tenzou’s face a few more seconds before relenting with a deep sigh. “No fun, as always.”

“Hey!”

“Which is why I already turned them down.”

Wait. What?

Tenzou snatched the tickets out of Kakashi’s hand to closely examine them. It was a simple onsen pass for three. No big massage, no mud bath or whatever nonsense Kakashi had been boasting about--

“You just said that to tease me,” Tenzou declared, annoyed and relieved at once. He pushed the tickets back into Kakashi's chest with enough force to elicit a soft umphf from the Master of A Thousand Jutsus. 

“You get so prickly,” Kakashi informed him. “It’s very cute.”

“You’re doing it again.”

“It’s fun,” Kakashi said, ducking Tenzo’s half-hearted elbow strike. “Does it bother you?”

“Would you stop if I said yes?” 

“Yes.”

Tenzou stopped walking abruptly, thrown off balance. He turned around quickly. Kakashi gave an eye-smile. Tenzo squinted suspiciously. That expression was too innocent for such a perverted man. 

"I don't believe you." Tenzou said bluntly.

"So little faith in me? I'm hurt, truly hurt." Kakashi replied, clutching his heart as though Tenzou reached in and shattered it. The playful expression dropped from his face and Kakashi looked directly into his eyes. “I meant it. If it bothers you, I’ll stop.”

The middle of the street was really the wrong place for this conversation, Tenzou thought to himself as he recognized that Kakashi was being dead serious. In all honesty, he didn’t really mind the teasing (Not that Kakashi-senpai ever had to know!). He knew that the man only did that with people he was close to. It was an odd expression of his fondness, but an expression of fondness nonetheless.

“Don’t sound so serious,” he mumbled, unable to look up into that steady gaze. “Let’s just get this over with."

“If you’re sure.”

As they weaved through the lunch-rush crowd of Konoha's shopping district, a thought occurred to Tenzou. “Oh, shouldn't we tell Iruka-sensei about the tickets? ”

Kakashi beamed at him. 

Tenzou clocked that too-innocent look and realized with a start--

"...Kakashi-taichou, is he already there waiting on us?!”

“Being clever is part of your charm,” Kakashi said cheerfully from Tenzou’s sudden death-grip on his shoulders. 

“I take it back, never tease me again. Please tell me that we aren't LATE!” 

Hatake Kakashi might have had a reputation for tardiness, but Tenzou wished to keep his own reputation for punctuality intact. The man gave an uncommittable shrug and Tenzou fought off the violent impulse to pummel his senior to the ground. Instead, with a swirl of leaves they vanished off the street and to their spa day.

~~~

The dip in the onsen worked like magic. The steam soothed him from the inside-out, revitalizing him and bringing the color back to his face. Every tightly wound frustration and self doubt inside was untwisted until he felt fresh and renewed. Tenzou sighed luxuriantly and sunk further into the healing waters. 

Kakashi-senpai was right. A trip to the hot springs was just what he needed.

'Not to mention the lovely view it has,' Tenzou thought indulgently as he eyed Umino Iruka from his corner of the baths. Despite having a more sedentary job, the chuunin was a shinobi through and through. The fruits of his training were evident even at rest: toned arms and abs, well defined legs, nice pecs, and the steam obscured the rest (Not that he was looking!). His eyes just kept getting caught following little water droplets that flowed naturally down Iruka’s smooth stomach.

Luckily, the teacher was too busy praising the wonders of onsens to notice Tenzou's stolen glances. 

"Something about hot springs just really makes you feel like you don't have any trouble in the world." Iruka imparted to Kakashi. "We should do something like this with the kids, oh, how about a trip to the lake I've mentioned? Not exactly the same, but I think Sakura and Naruto would enjoy it!"

Kakashi nodded several more times than was necessary, cheeks and neck pink, wobbling forward like all his limbs were jelly. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want, beautiful~”

“Senpai, it’s time to get out of the bath,” Tenzou deadpanned. “You’re delirious.”

“Yessir!”

“Don’t call me that!”

Iruka laughed, watching the other brunette manhandle his friend out of the baths. 

They dressed and met again at the onsen entrance. From there, Kakashi distributed a cut of the funds for their joint mission before excusing himself in a swirl of leaves. It was very abrupt. Iruka looked worried at the sudden change in his friendly attitude from before. 

“Was it something I said?”

“He’s always like this, around this time of year.” Tenzou explained. 

“What do you mean?” Iruka asked as they left the onsen together. 

“It’s not my place to say…but, since we’re working together now… ” Iruka nodded and listened well. Tenzou knew precisely where his Captain had hurried away to. “When he’s troubled, Kakashi-senpai likes to spend time with his team.”

Iruka made a quiet sound, dove-soft, and nodded. Kakashi-senpai wasn’t the only one who frequented the Memorial Stone, after all. 

“So it’s just me and you, then?”

“I--I hope that’s not a problem,” Tenzou said quickly, nerves causing him to bluster. Iruka shook his head. 

“Not at all. You were going to give me a tour of the house." 

Tenzou smiled. “Follow me.”

In short order, the two men found themselves at Tenzou’s self-made house. The tour was brief. Iruka had been there before, as he’d said, but now he would be staying there. As they finished up Tenzou realized he hadn’t pointed out where Iruka would be sleeping, possibly because the house didn’t have such a room. “Stop a moment.”

Iruka stood obediently, watching curiously as Tenzou wove hand signs. “Of course. But what for?”

“You'll need a place to stay when you’re here,” Tenzou explained as he activated his wood-style technique. “I’m making you a room.”

“I don’t want to be any trouble--” Iruka hurried to say, but Tenzou already had his chakra gathered. In a matter of seconds the entire house shifted, groaning as it's master rearranged the structure for a new occupant. The chuunin watched with wide eyes as it dawned on him that Tenzou was literally making him a room.

Tenzou could not help but smile at the look of wonder and shock on Iruka's face. “It’s no trouble at all.” 

At Tenzou's insistence, the two of them went up the stairs to make sure the newly-made room was to Iruka's liking. Though not as elaborate as Sakura's room, it had its own charms. It came complete with a dresser for clothes, a chair, a small desk, and a balcony similar to the one back at Iruka's apartment. He tried to make it as warm and welcoming as Sakura had described the Academy teacher's place to be. 

A low, impressed whistle from Iruka put any fears Tenzou had to rest. The chuunin strolled around the room, checking every nook and cranny as though they were liable to disappear at any moment. 

"I must confess, when the Hokage said that you possessed the Wood Release, I didn't believe him…until now." He walked over to the desk, rapping it with his knuckles. "It all feels so sturdy, and everything is smooth! It must have taken you ages to perfect such a Jutsu." The praise gave rise to a healthy blush. Tenzou mumbled his thanks and turned away to hide it. 

“You’re very thoughtful,” Iruka noted warmly. Sunlight beamed in from the newly-created window, casting an angelic glow on the teacher’s hair. “Thank you for the desk. It’ll be perfect when I need to catch up on grading tests and papers. And for making me a room of my own…”

“Anything for y--for a comrade,” Tenzou quickly scrambled to save himself from saying something embarrassing. Iruka coined onto the sentiment either way, eyebrows rising ever so slightly. Sensing the ANBU operative's floundering, Iruka kindly picked up the end of their conversation. “This is all very kind of you. I’m looking forward to our outing at the lake.”

“Yes! I’m sure Sakura will look forward to it too.”

“We should prepare a lunch to take with us. We can make a day of it, if there’s time. Do you have any missions coming up?”

“I can’t say,” Tenzou said with an apologetic look, “The details of my work--”

“Of course,” Iruka backpedaled. “Highly confidential--right. I’m sorry for asking. Still, I hope you'll be able to come with us to the lake. I’d really like it if you were there.”

The next few breaths felt bubbly, like he was breathing in soda, an odd floating sensation that filled his stomach and lungs. 'This teacher possesses a kekki genkai, I'm sure of it!' There could be no other logical explanation in Tenzou's mind. Why else would a seasoned shinobi such as himself lose all of his nerves whenever he had prolonged exposure to the handsome chuunin? The Mokuton user struggled to speak for a moment before mastering himself.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Iruka nodded, brown eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. “Me too. Good day, Yamato.”

The school teacher walked off into the late afternoon sun, leaving Tenzou floating in his own front doorway. 

When he finally found himself back on Earth, Tenzou had time to examine whatever the hell just happened. Did he just agree to go on a date? With Sakura's schoolteacher?! Surely not! The kids would be there, and Kakashi-senpai was obviously going to find a way to tag along. It was absolutely, positively, totally not a lunch date at the lake!

…Did he want it to be a date? 

“Yamato, do you need the bathroom?”

The juvenile question snapped him out of his stupor. He spun around to see Sakura standing in the entrance of the living room, head cocked to the side as she examined her guardian. 

"What--why do you ask?"

“Your face is all twisted again.”

“I’m fine,” Yamato said quickly. “When did you get home from school?”

“Like five minutes ago. You said hello,” Sakura reminded him with a snicker. “Your head was in the clouds.”

Tenzou realized that Sakura was telling the truth. He’d been so blindsided with the prospect of their lake trip being a possible date that he’d completely let his guard down.

"Like I said, it's fine," Yamato hoped Sakura was intelligent enough to sense his embarrassment and drop her questioning. "Why don't you start on your homework while I start on dinner? I'm making gyoza tonight."

The promise of food was enticing enough to make Sakura obey. She mercifully left Yamato alone with his thoughts, marching up the stairs to get started on schoolwork. 

Yamato sighed heavily and went to the kitchen to make dinner as promised. As he removed all the necessary ingredients from his fridge, he tried not to think about the upcoming trip to the lake and how he would potentially see a shirtless Iruka once again. 

"Hey! What's with the new room? And why does it look like Iruka-sensei's apartment?!" 

Chapter Text

Senpai was right: Tenzou had desperately needed backup. 

Looking back, he wasn’t sure how he’d managed to get so far on his own. His insecurity and overcompensation almost led to a lack of success with Sakura when he was on his own. At some point, Tenzou would have to properly thank the man for insisting on the help, though in a way that would not result in Kakashi taunting him any further.

He had worried that she'd adjust poorly. She was used to Yamato leaving her for hours at a time with someone else, but never for several days at a time. Last time he left her for an extended period, she got sick and needed her teacher to monitor her and her degrading health. She nearly gagged at the sight of Kakashi-senpai showing up for his first shift with her. When Tenzou came back to relieve him, the smug bastard gleefully informed him of the progress Sakura was making on her taijutsu forms.

"Every morning and afternoon, she'd challenge me to a match."

“And you sparred with her, every time?” Tenzou asked, worried for Sakura’s health, knowing just how riled up they could get. 

Kakashi shot him a wounded look.

“Of course I did, but I only gave her what she could handle. I never sent her to bed without setting her bones first--kidding, kidding, please put the kunai down--”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sakura was thrilled when she discovered that Iruka would also be watching her. Much to Tenzou and Kakashi's surprise, she had the Academy teacher wrapped around her little finger. His disciplinarian side nearly disappeared around her. Sakura initially took Iruka’s easygoing attitude as permission to argue with him, like when he would tell her to go to bed or brush teeth. 

He was happy at first to indulge her. But soon she was asking for more, like candy before bed, or extra time at the library past her curfew, or having Ino over for another sleepover only days after the last. It escalated to the point that Sakura would ask Iruka for something specifically after Kakashi or Tenzou had already said no. Iruka recognized quickly that his personal feelings were interfering with his effectiveness as a figure of authority in Sakura’s life. They had a brief but stern discussion where Iruka firmly reinforced the concept that while he cared about her dearly, he also was responsible for making decisions regarding her wellbeing and therefore would not tolerate any negotiations on certain topics. After that, Sakura enjoyed the rotations much more.

Within a month, the three of them agreed on ground rules for their cohabitation concerning small child rule-making and breaking. For most of the time, Tenzou watched Sakura. If Tenzou needed to go on a mission, Kakashi stepped in. If both he and Kakashi needed to go on a mission, Iruka stepped in. With the pressure evenly spread out between three shinobi, they would eventually uncover the truth behind her origins and her connection to Orochimaru, he was sure of it. Throughout the mission, Tenzou had pointedly avoided examining their relationship in detail but as time passed, he found himself filled with curiosity. Her DNA matched Orochimaru’s to some level but that left the question of where the rest of her genes came from. Was she a failed clone of his? Was she created in a lab for reasons only the mad genius would know? If so, what was his original purpose for her?

Tenzou repressed a shudder at how similar Sakura's origins mirrored his own. 

He disregarded those thoughts for now and focused on his destination. He headed into town to collect a brown and white kimono for the Rin Festival. Sakura had asked specifically for brown and white because Ino was going to wear brown and blue. Tenzou weighed the money in his hand, courtesy of the Lord Third Hokage. 

“You can get things for yourself, you know,” Kakashi-senpai had scolded, much to Tenzou’s embarrassment. “That’s what the money's for. You’re part of the mission. Don’t just buy Sakura new clothes, get some for yourself too!”

The thought brought his wandering feet off the path he’d intended to take, and Tenzou found himself in front of one store. Displayed in the storefront window was a lovely green and brown cotton kimono.

Tenzou took a few tentative steps towards the shop, stopping short when he noticed the price tag not-so-subtly hanging on the kimono. He let out an involuntary hiss as his eyes scanned over the amount of zeros tacked on the end of tag. Not an unreasonable price for a clearly lovingly handmade kimono, but Tenzou was frugal by nature. The thought of spending so much ryo on a single item of clothing seemed insane. 

But then Tenzou approached the issue like a shinobi. He would be attending the Rin Festival with Sakura, so of course she would insist that he dress up for it as well. It would be best to blend in with the other civilians running around. Besides, the other kimonos on display would look nice on his teammates if they ended up going as well. The sunset-colored one practically had Iruka's name on it…

“Why not,” he said aloud, ignoring the way his stomach flipped as he considered spending a little more of his hard-earned stipend. 

The cheerful little bell at the shop's door seemed to ring in agreement. 

~ ~ ~ 

Iruka stared down at the neatly wrapped package. “It isn’t my birthday.”

“I’m aware. This isn’t for that,” Yamato said quickly, managing not to bluster. “It’s for you, anyway. I hope you like it.”

“Thank you,” Iruka said gratefully, relieving the other man by accepting the gift. “Should I open it now or later?”

“Oooh, gifts,” came a voice from the ceiling. Kakashi dropped in without pretense and plucked the package from Iruka’s hands. “Which one is mine?”

“Not that one, Kakashi-senpai!”

“I’m not your senpai anymore,” Kakashi scolded even as Yamato swiped the gift back out of his thieving hands. “Ah! Who taught you to snatch?”

“Says the snatcher,” Yamato grumbled, depositing the present back in Iruka’s outstretched hands. They closed securely around the gift to protect it from further abduction. “Here! This one is yours.”

Kakashi’s sliver of expression betrayed his surprise as Yamato handed him a similarly wrapped package. 

“Awww, you do love me after all!”

“You know what, I take it back. Give it here,” Yamato snapped as Iruka laughed behind a hand, watching the taller brunette wrestle Kakashi for his gift. The silver-haired man twisted and slunk his way out of his kouhai’s half-hearted strangulation attempts and joined Iruka in opening his present. 

Yamato watched with a toad in his throat. Would Iruka like it? Hate it? Gods forbid he pretended to like it just for his sake! A wave of relief washed over him as Iruka’s expression lit up in delight.

“Oh! This looks lovely! Thank you!”

“I took a guess for your size,” Yamato admitted. “There’s still time before the Festival to get it tailored if you need to. I hope you like it.”

“Where’s yours?”

“Upstairs. I bought it earlier for the Festival.”

“Go and show us,” Iruka insisted. “We’ll try them on together! If anyone needs adjusting I can take them in tomorrow. I have some free time after my shift at the Missions Desk.”

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully and gave Yamato a sly look. “Off you go then, Kouhai,” he needled, clearly enjoying the turn of events. “We’re getting dressed up. Sensei says so.”

“You too, you menace,” Iruka expanded, giving Kakashi a shove toward Yamato. “See if it fits. I only want to make one trip! Did Sakura try hers on already?”

“She’ll try it on before she goes to bed tonight. I’ll have her bring it to school tomorrow if it needs taking in.” Without further ado, Iruka began to unzip his vest. 

Kakashi lingered in the stairwell just long enough for Yamato to justify dragging him the rest of the way. 

~ ~ ~

It was strange, staring at the man in the mirror. The bags under his eyes were gone, color returned to his face, and his hair was groomed. No longer did he see a ghost who looked as though a stiff breeze could push him over, no, he looked normal. Handsome, even. 

“I deserve this,” Tenzou told himself, smoothing the fabric with one hand. It felt very comfortable. The price tag was a little less comfortable but his annoying former senpai had a point: Hiruzen was footing the bill. And, as Sakura’s first guardian, who had watched over her the longest, who knew her best (except perhaps her best friend Ino), he did deserve something nice. He didn’t feel guilty at all and besides, he could wear it again next year. 

“Checking out the goods?”

“One of these days I’m actually going to stab you,” Tenzou said blandly, dropping the kunai he’d gripped on reflex at the sudden sound of a voice behind him. 

“I’ll survive,” Kakashi chirped. The kimono he wore was simple yet elegant, and the color was well suited to him. Dark blue with a silver trim. Even Tenzou had to admit the lanky man looked good in it. 

“You clean up alright,” Tenzou said begrudgingly. 

“You say the sweetest things~” Kakashi sang cheekily, ducking the inevitable elbow Tenzou sent in retaliation. “Is this how you express your love? Iruka-sensei might not appreciate that."

"Hold still and let me maim you."

"You shouldn't injure me before our mission."

Tenzou's hand paused on its way to his abandoned kunai. "Wait, what mission?"

With a guilty flourish, Kakashi handed over a scroll with an orange ribbon. Tenzou’s shoulders sagged before he even opened the scroll.

“Don’t tell me--”

“No rest for the wicked." Kakashi said with a shrug. 

The scroll was precisely what Tenzou feared it would be: guard duty, on the night of the festival.

“But Lord Third knows we’ll be attending with Sakura!” 

“Half the village will be there,” Kakashi agreed. "Which is exactly why extra security is needed for that night." 

Tenzou sighed in disappointment. He looked down at his carefully-selected kimono. It wasn’t a lie to say he’d been greatly anticipating this night. All of that quiet, cautious hope he’d let build up inside turned to dust. "At least we'll be able to show Iruka-sensei our kimonos before I go and return them."

Kakashi took a step away from him as if the Mokuton user would snatch the robes right off his body. "Hell no, I'm keeping this. It's the nicest thing I own now. Besides, it's not like you spent your own money on it."

"I'm sure the Lord Third would want us to spend our limited funds wisely, Senpai. For Sakura’s benefit." He made a grab at Kakashi, who allowed himself to be manhandled for the thirty seconds it took Tenzou to recognize he’d already substituted himself with a clone. Tenzou dispelled the clone with some force, finding himself alone and annoyed. The emotion bled out of him as he put aside his own disappointment to go and tell the others. 

It was hard to break the news to Iruka, (who looked genuinely let down), but even more so for Sakura, who made her displeasure known over dinner that night. 

"But it's a holiday!" She protested, as though that fact alone exonerated Yamato from guard duty. "Don't you get off for the holidays?"

"The enemy doesn't take off for holidays so neither do shinobi when needed," Yamato explained as patiently as he could. "I'm sorry, Sakura. But at least you'll be able to go with Iruka-sensei and your friends.”

Sakura sat on this information with a troubled look. “But…then, you have to promise!”

“Hmm?”

“To go next year,” Sakura continued. “If you can’t go now, say you’ll go with me next year, no matter what. Promise!”

Next year. 

Tenzou took a moment to gather himself privately. Outside he seemed to be considering her ultimatum. Inside he was fighting off the sensation of vertigo at how absolutely certain Sakura was that they were going to be continuing this mission, their living situation, including Iruka and Kakashi, for another year. A year of putting up with Kakashi’s perpetual tardiness! And a whole year of Iruka’s company, days of waking up in the same house, sharing breakfast, taking turns chaperoning Sakura and sometimes Naruto… it threw his heart into overdrive. 

'If you’re still alive,' whispered a voice in the back of his mind. 

Tenzou shook the thought away. Sakura needed him. Death was not an option.  

"I promise we'll go together next year."

Sakura's big, green eyes looked up at him, a glimmer of hope in them. "Promise promise?"

She said it in such a hopeful and fearful voice that Yamato had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and solemnly place a hand over his heart.

"I swear on my honor as a shinobi that we will go to the Rin Festival together next year." 

Woe be to anyone who dared get in the way of him fulfilling his promise to Sakura, thought Yamato as he watched his charge's face split into a smile.

~ ~ ~

The day before the Festival Kakashi found Iruka standing beside the road, staring into the distance. He followed the chuunin’s gaze to where Naruto and Sakura were busily engrossed in a loud game involving three extra sets of sandals used as makeshift weapons. Where they’d come from was anyone’s guess. Their cheering and laughter could be heard blocks off. Abandoning his hiding spot between buildings' roofs, Kakashi stepped out onto the road, directly into the school teacher’s shadow. To his credit, Iruka didn’t even flinch. 

“Not very subtle.”

“No, they aren’t,” Kakashi agreed, ignoring Iruka’s jab at his lack of stealth, “But they’re just children. They don’t need to be.”

“Not like we did.”

Kakashi nodded. 

Despite their bickering, Kakashi remembered not too long ago both he and Iruka were expected to serve on the same frontline. Their feet would have fit the same sandals Naruto and Sakura were currently flinging like shuriken.

"I know you can't reveal his past to him.”

Kakashi glanced over, surprised. Iruka was speaking directly to him but his gaze was still cast out over the road between them and the children busy kicking up dirt. 

“But there's nothing wrong with talking to him."

Naruto’s laughter echoed over to them. Iruka kindly pretended not to notice how long Kakashi took to reply.  

"...He looks so much like his father.”

For a while, only the sound of the far-off game filled the air. 

Iruka waited. 

“He has Kushina's smile, he definitely inherited her temperament. But his hair, his eyes…just like Minato-sensei’s…It's no use,” Kakashi said with finality. “Something will slip out if I get close to him. I don't want him thinking I only love him because of who his dad was." 

“I know he wouldn’t think that of you,” Iruka reprimanded softly. “He’d adore any connection he could have.”

“He’s got you.”

“Sakura had no one, and now she has the three of us.”

“It’s not the same,” Kakashi said, words tumbling out hastily, “It’s--I’ve got ANBU, and now this, and--and--” 

'And I’m not ready. It’s too much, too soon. I’ll mess it up. I’ll only make things worse, I can’t--'

Iruka’s voice cut through the onslaught inside his head. “I get it.” 

Kakashi couldn’t say anything for a moment. Outward he was fine, except everything inside was suddenly threatening to overflow. He felt like he could hear the ocean roaring in his ears, sweat prickling along the back of his neck and under his mask. He was terrified. How is it that he felt his fingers, his skin, his bones and yet his body wouldn’t do what he wanted it to do? 

'You’re compromised,' his brain supplied automatically. His survival instincts screamed for retreat. 

Iruka reached a hand out before he could flash-step away. 

The silver-haired jounin stared at it awkwardly for a long moment. The clear command to flee, retreat , turn back kept playing on autopilot inside his mind, but he couldn’t commit to the action with his hand trapped. Kakashi meant to make his mouth work, to say something, except his throat was full of tar, his lungs were webbed and shuttered. His wrist under Iruka’s hand felt like static. 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable--don’t leave yet? I’m supposed to take that kimono in if it doesn’t fit. Remember?”

The words sounded far-off, like he was underwater. His fingers were beginning to tingle. Kakashi didn’t leave but he couldn’t figure out how Iruka was supposed to hear him. 

When Kakashi didn't reply, Iruka continued as casually as he could. "Can you describe it to me? I don't want to mix it up with Yamato-san's and have his be too small."

They both knew damn well that Iruka would make no such mistake, but Kakashi played along.

"...It's dark blue. It has a silver trim with small cranes embroidered on the sleeves."

"Ah, I remember now. You looked very handsome in it, but Yamato said you looked like a well-dressed scarecrow." Iruka tried to say as softly as possible over the din of children playing. "What was it that you said in response? It was hilarious.”

“Caw, caw,” Kakashi deadpanned. 

Iruka snorted, and looked out over the road. “Oh, Sakura’s got the shoes now. Gosh that’s so many. At least--”

“Twelve,” Kakashi said. The buzzing in his bones had died down. “You can stop anytime, Sensei. I’m onto you.”

“Oh? I could’ve sworn it was eight.”

“Naruto’s henge’d some rocks.”

Iruka whipped his head back in the direction of the pre-genin, concern evident on his face. 

"Hey, sensei! Look how far Sakura can throw her sandal up into that tree!"

Iruka shot an apologetic look at Kakashi, who only nodded his head in approval to the teacher. 

"Go, someone has to protect Konoha's birds from those two terrors."

“Drink some water and get a good night’s rest in." Iruka commanded. "You’ll feel better--Ah! Naruto, drop that sandal! Sakura, that one’s a rock! Get back here you two!”

The school teacher sprinted down the road after his two cackling charges, leaving Kakashi alone with his numb fingertips. He rubbed them surreptitiously. The feeling persisted. Kakashi took off in a swirl of leaves to follow Iruka’s advice for once without complaint. 

~ ~ ~

Sakura remembered when she first came to Konoha being surprised by all the people on the street. People from all walks of life had strolled along the sidewalk, all beneath Yamato's old apartment, no matter the time of day. Yet that number was nothing compared to what she saw now.

The streets were alive! People thronged in groups left and right until there was hardly any room to walk without bumping elbows with someone. Everywhere the sound of happy conversation echoed over the sizzle of food stall grills, the splash of fish to be won at games, the tinkering sound of rings at a throwing game, the popping of balloons, and so much more! Lights were strung up across the road every other step, giving the impression that the night was lit by hundreds of busy fireflies just overhead. It gave the Festival a gentle glow that made everything feel warm and cozy.  

Sakura adjusted the obi wrapped tightly around her waist and hurried after Ino, spending money from Yamato tucked safely away in the belt. It was the first time she could remember having so much fun in one night! They’d already eaten sticky dango together; Sakura learned that Ino was partial to the white pieces, and would happily trade her for the pink pieces. Ino was saving her money to buy a fancy purse. Sakura didn’t understand why Ino wanted a bag when she could buy a new set of throwing stars (she’d only been going on and ON about how hers were rusted and nicked at lunch every single day before the festival, which is why Sakura hd put aside some of her own money to get some), but it was Ino’s money, and Ino could spend it however she wanted. 

Like on a round of ring toss!

“Here!” Ino beamed and handed Sakura half her rings as she caught up. “Bet I can get more than you can!”

Sakura let herself get swept up by Ino’s competitive spirit, feeling her own burn brightly. Going to the festival with Ino was fun! Eating snacks together, going shopping, playing ring toss, they even got to wear kimonos with matching trim! Sakura laughed and threw her rings one by one. The pink-haired girl shut one eye and tossed her last ring. 

Ino cheered as it landed directly on a hook. “Awesome! You get a prize! Sakura, what are you gonna get?”

Sakura pointed to the hard-earned prize she wanted. “Can I have the bonsai?” 

Ino’s nose scrunched up as Sakura accepted her prize. “But I thought you’d get the mask. Since when do you like bonsai?”

“It’s not for me, it’s for my da--Uncle Yamato,” Sakura clarified. “He likes trees.”

“Oh, then he’ll love this little one--Wait,” Ino gave her a knowing look. “Did you call him your dad? ”

Sakura fought to keep the blush off her cheeks. “I did not!”

“You did so!” Ino cackled and ducked as Sakura blustered, denying everything while carefully balancing her bonsai in one hand. The two of them gave chase even as Ino’s dad called after them: running around, ducking under and around people walking in the streets. Ino’s laughter was easy to follow. Sakura forgot her indignation and broke into a smile. Her entire heart felt full to bursting. This was easily one of the best days of her life! 

Suddenly, a boy was in her path. Sakura skidded to a halt, unable to stop herself from bumping into his back. The bonsai jolted out of her hands but she was able to catch it up again before it hit the ground. 

" Oof. Hey! Watch where you're going, you little--" 

The hair on the back of Sakura’s neck stood straight up. 

She looked up, bonsai clutched in both hands, green eyes taking in familiar yet unwelcome features. Narrowed, spiteful black eyes looked down at her from under messy, grey bangs. 

The man gave her a malicious grin, full of teeth and spite. "Oh, it's you. The weakling ended up in a weak village. Oh, the irony!" Then he laughed at her. The sound turned Sakura's blood to ice. 

"D-Do I know you?" She asked, hand hovering over the bracelet Yamato gave her. 

‘Just use your chakra while touching this bracelet and I’ll know you need me. ’ Yamato’s voice echoed in her head. He could come to her if she needed him. He would come if she needed him.

"So this is where they left you." The man tutted, shaking his head in condescending disapproval. "All that money wasted, and on what? I guess it was only a matter of time before your sniveling parents realized that you were nothing more than a fake."

(“Sakura-chan,” says a voice she’s come to dislike. “It's time to meet your parents.”)

She did know this man. 

“Ah-ha! There you are, Forehead! Thought you could lose me by doubling back…” 

The sound of Ino’s voice snapped Sakura out of a cold sweat. She turned around, relieved. “Ino. I didn’t mean to lose you. I ran into this guy--”

“What guy?”

Sakura turned back around to find the grey-haired man was gone. 

Sensing Sakura’s turmoil, Ino hurried over. She plucked the bonsai out of Sakura’s shaking hands. “Hey, what’s gotten into you? Your hands are all clammy.” The blue eyes of her friend narrowed dangerously. “Sakura, did something happen just now?”

Sakura wasn’t sure. It was real, right? That man and his mocking laughter, the awful way he leered at her like she was something on the bottom of his shoe. There was no trace of him now. 

"T-There was this man. He was acting weird and he said mean things to me--"

"What?!" Ino shouted, incensed on her friend's behalf. 

“Keep your voice down,” Sakura hissed. Ino’s voice attracted several gazes and the sudden scrutiny had Sakura feeling uncomfortable. Studied. The sensation made her stomach squirm. “I don’t like it when everyone is looking at us.”

Sakura's words got through to her. When Ino spoke again, her voice was quieter but still had venom in it. "If some creepy guy was harassing you, we need to get Iruka-sensei. Better yet, let's get my dad! He'll teach that jerk not to mess with--"

Her body acted before her mind did. Sakura lunged forward, grabbing Ino's arm in a vice-grip. "No, please don't tell your dad or Iruka-sensei! They'll tell my uncle and then he'll--and then he'll…"

Her mind flashed back to the night she encountered a snake in their garden. Yamato and her had their fights but after the snake he seemed like a different person, even if only for a short time. Sakura didn’t want to scare him like that again. Yamato made her lie for her safety before, why couldn't Sakura do it for a change?

“He’s really protective of me. I don’t want him to get upset.”

“But some weird guy was making you uncomfortable,” Ino said urgently, mindful this time to keep her voice down. “That’s like a major red flag, girl code SOS, basic safety stuff! You absolutely have to tell someone. And your uncle would totally wanna know if a weirdo was being creepy like that.”

Sakura faltered. 

It made sense… and Ino was her best friend, with good advice… still. 

“I’ll tell him, but not tonight,” Sakura lied. “He’s gone now. Let’s just forget about him! Hey, the fireworks are starting soon. Let's go find a good spot to watch from! ”

Reluctantly, Ino followed. Together they made it to the top of a roof. Other shinobi were standing along treetops or on the side of buildings for better viewing while civilians mulled about on the streets below. Ino opened up the new bag she’d bought and handed Sakura a chocolate. Sakura took a bite, feeling better as the candy coated her tongue. The sugar helped wash away the sour taste from before with that stranger. 

“I thought you ate it all.”

“I saved some for the fireworks show,” Ino said. “Here! This one has caramel in the center.”

Sakura accepted the candy as the first rocket whistled into the night. She looked up with wide green eyes into the blanket of the black sky in time to see the fireworks explode. Color and light streaked across her vision. Laughter and applause went up from the crowd, and more explosions followed. 

“Is this your first time seeing it up on the roof?” Ino asked. “You look like you’ve never seen fireworks before.”

“They’re amazing,” Sakura gasped, her voice nearly inaudible among the bangs from overhead. “Oh! That one’s so beautiful! Wow! That one’s shaped like a star! Oh, oh, Ino, look!”

Ino was looking, but not at the fireworks. 

“That one was so loud, it was like, aaah! That one--oh! Did you see that, did you see--”

“Hey, Sakura!”

The pink-haired girl tore her wide eyes from the sky for a moment. “What? Did you say something?”

“I said--hey Sakura!” She paused as a particularly close firework went off with a bang. “Do you wanna see the fireworks again with me next year?”

“Of course!” Sakura had to shout over the shriek of the next rocket. “I’d love to!”

Ino’s smile was as dazzling as any firework. Sakura found herself staring at the sight until another boom sounded overhead. She and Ino shrieked with delight and turned together to watch the rest of the show, their fingers intertwined. 

~ ~ ~

Somewhere far away from the crowds was a tree. On that tree hung a swing, and on that swing was a lonely, little boy. 

Naruto gazed up at the colorful explosions through the leaves and branches. He wished he could get closer to get a better view, but that would risk getting chased around by an angry mob. Iruka-sensei wouldn't be around to save him, being busy with some stupid stall the Academy set up this year.

A growl cut through Naruto's lamentations. The boy clutched his stomach. Iruka-sensei gave him some money to spend at the Festival and for dinner, but the ramen shop was closed for the holiday. He tried his luck with the less-crowded stalls but to no avail. One old hag whacked his hand with a wooden spoon, even when he showed her that he had enough ryo for her taiyaki!

"I don't care what Old Man Hiruzen said about always respecting your elders. Next time I see her, I'm dropping the stink bombs…"

“Maa, don’t get caught.”

Naruto shrieked and jumped a foot in the air. 

When he landed back on the swing he spun around, staring wide-eyed at the apparition that had come out of thin air. A man in a cloak and mask, standing right next to him! The surprise was enough to upset his balance and he tumbled off of the swing right onto the ground. 

A spray of fireworks glinted off the porcelain covering the man's entire face. He tilted his head to the side. “Oh. Did I scare you?”

“I’m not scared, I’m not scared of nothin!” Naruto yelped, quickly righting himself. “My name’s Naruto and I’m gonna be the greatest Hokage ever, believe it! So you better watch it, mister!”

The masked stranger didn't scoff or laugh at him like the adults usually did whenever he said that. The man's body became less stiff as he looked over the young boy. Naruto couldn't see his eyes through the slits of the canine mask, but something softened in the man's expression. 

“Is that so? You know what, with that much conviction I almost do believe it. Here.”

Naruto’s blue eyes blinked. The man held out a caramel apple, careful to keep the sticky candy away from his embroidered kimono sleeve. 

“For our number one, not-scaredest, future Hokage.”

Naruto beamed, reaching out with both hands before stopping short. Huge blue eyes surveyed the treat with suspicion. 

A soft sound of approval came from the stranger. “It’s good instincts not to take food from a stranger.”

His stomach was so empty, and the treat looked really yummy. Surely it couldn’t be bad, just this once? Naruto wanted to reach out and grab it! Several long seconds were spent staring at the candy, just out of reach, before Naruto let his hands drop. Iruka-sensei was going to be so proud of him, but right now all he could focus on was the cramping in his empty belly. 

“But I’m not a stranger.”

Naruto looked up. “You’re not?”

“Mm-hm. Can you guess where you know me from?”

Naruto wasn’t in the mood for games. His stomach was starving! He was starving too! He almost said just that before the man shifted foot to foot, letting the moonlight better show his figure. Suddenly, it was much easier to see the silver spiky hair sticking out at odd angles from behind the mask. Naruto squinted. He kind of knew that shaggy, funky hair. He pouted, putting some thought into the question. Did he know this stranger? 

Not Iruka-sensei. Not Sakura’s dad. But someone who hung around them, who was always terrorizing Iruka-sensei, who kept bugging Sakura, and was always making moon-eyes when he was scolded--

Naruto jabbed a finger in the man's direction and said, “I know you! You're that dude who harasses Iruka-sensei! He calls you a good-for-nothing pervert with a cute butt!" 

“......He thinks my butt is cute?”

"Yeah isn't that weird? How can a butt be cute?"

“It’s not important,” the man, Kakashi, said quickly, depositing the candy treat into Naruto’s outstretched hands. “He thinks my butt is cute. I’ve got to tell Ten-chan.”

“Who?”

“No one you know.”

Kakashi wasn't questioned further, Naruto now fully occupied with stuffing his face with his treat. A few chews, then casually he asked, “Why are you being nice to me?”

GUH!

Kakashi’s good mood vanished. Naruto’s question was like a bucket of cold water over his head and shoulders. Fireworks crackled in the distance, filling the awkward silence that descended. Even though Naruto knew him, knew who he was and would take candy from him, just the sentiment of niceness was foreign enough to make the boy question it, and that was what produced the sudden sickly feeling in Kakashi’s guts. 

His mind laid out the picture perfectly. A lonely orphan, always shunned, never included. Only recently had he begun being tolerated by the kids in his class, a byproduct of having finally forged something like friendship with one of the kids from the Uchiha clan. Naruto was so used to people giving him space or completely ignoring him that even casual conversation with an adult was seen as odd. 

'How did I let it get this bad,' Kakashi wondered miserably. His grimace was hidden under two different masks yet Kakashi felt unable to meet the boy’s curious gaze. How could spending a few minutes in this kid's presence leave him feeling so utterly helpless, so utterly ashamed? 

'Your only son, the only thing that's left of you, Minato-sensei, and I failed him. This whole village failed him, but I let it happen.'

Naruto’s quiet watchful gaze still rested on him. Waiting. Kakashi found there was no good answer for his actions. He was a terrible friend and an even worse… whatever he was meant to be to Naruto. Older brother? Guardian? Uncle? He didn’t deserve to be a part of Naruto’s family. Not after years of neglect; one candy apple wouldn’t make up for the long years spent alone on a swing watching other children play. Kakashi swallowed the guilt in his throat to answer the kid’s question. 

"...I just don't like sweets. Plus, I could hear your stomach growling from a mile away."

Naruto regarded him for a moment but his sliver of honesty was enough to convince the kid. Kakashi really didn’t care for sweets. “Okay. Thanks.”

Kakashi wondered if he could learn a technique to melt into the floor. Tenzou liked to use such a move whenever he needed to retreat. Sinking into the ground sounded like a pretty good option. That’s where he belonged anyway: among the dirt, among the trash like he truly was--

“D’you wanna watch the fireworks?”

Kakashi blinked. Naruto chewed through another bite of his apple. A boom went off in the distance, an explosion of color, and a cheer from the crowd. 

“I said, d’you wanna watch the fireworks,” Naruto repeated, a little louder, for Kakashi’s benefit. 

“I’m on guard duty,” Kakashi said, trying to process Naruto’s request. 

“That means you gotta keep people safe,” Naruto pointed out. “So if we go together, no one can bug me!”

The boy smiled. How could Kakashi say no to those chubby, whiskered cheeks? 

“C’mon then. Better ride on my shoulders. I’ve gotta get back to work.”

Naruto let out a laugh as he was hoisted up onto the man’s shoulders. His little fingers dug into Kakashi’s hood and cloak. Kakashi slipped a gloved hand around one ankle to stabilize him as they made their way together up the side of a building and over the rooftops toward the rest of the village, to see the fireworks.

Together.

Chapter Text

Iruka settled in on the couch in the shared living space, cup of coffee in hand. The sofa cushions accepted him like one of their own. He relaxed into their plush embrace, a sigh going up as he went down. 

The bachelor life was fine, if a bit lonesome. Quiet. Peaceful. Mundane. 

Living with others was a totally different experience. It was chaotic, colorful, and confusing at the best of times. He’d be a liar if he didn’t admit the occasional itch for absolute solitude, but he was slowly accepting the comfort that came from knowing he wasn’t alone in the house. It was nice to know that a room away was another adult if something went wrong with the kids. 

(Naruto wasn’t officially living with them but he might as well have been, for all the hours he spent over)

Kakashi was either absent or annoyingly present. His job, like Yamato's, was classified, and so Iruka had no warning when the other man would be in or out. The times he was there he usually made himself a shadow on the wall, or flirted conspicuously with both of his housemates, no doubt testing out lines from the raunchy romance novels he kept reading in front of polite society!

And Yamato… 

Yamato was the best of Kakashi's qualities without the pervert stuff. That didn't mean he didn't have a few quirks of his own. Somehow, despite being an elite soldier who could go toe-to-toe with Kakashi in a sparring match, the man could barely grasp the most basic aspects of life. He could build a house with all the necessary furnishings and rooms with nothing but his Mokuton in under twenty minutes, but carrying a simple conversation seemed to elude him. Those social skills…

Iruka could confidently say that Hatake Kakashi had better people skills than Yamato.

His head full of thoughts of his housemates, Iruka failed to notice one of them walking up to the couch. 

“Room for two?”

“Don’t bother, I’m busy,” Iruka said reflexively before placing the voice that had spoken. Tenzou tried not to wilt too obviously. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry, I thought you were…” Iruka shook his head quickly, embarrassed to have assumed who was speaking based on what they said. “Yes! Tsugi-san. Please. You can sit. And, um, please forget I said that.”

“No worries,” Tenzou replied, chuckling as he joined Iruka. “And again, Tsugi-san is too formal. Please call me Yamato.”

Still, Iruka seemed intent on apologizing for his earlier blunder. He blustered through the following awkward silence. “Well! How, how are things with work--oh, you probably can’t say. Then, um, with your training…” 

Yamato spoke, saving Iruka from anymore perceived embarrassment “Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something?”

“YES pleasewhatisit,” Iruka spat out quickly, relief breaking across his features. It was cute. Tenzou couldn’t help but to smile. 

“Ever since the Festival, I feel like Sakura’s been a little distant. She’ll talk to me about almost anything, but recently she hasn't started conversations... I have to instigate. Additionally if I ask her about it directly, she’s evasive. I’m not sure how else to get her to speak with me candidly without forcing a confession.” Yamato paused. He spoke about Sakura as though she was an interrogation victim. Oh gods, what did poor Iruka think of him now?! “I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant was—does this sound bad?"

Iruka shook his head. “The way you said it, perhaps, but I understand what you mean. Something’s bothering Sakura and she won’t tell you."

Yamato nodded miserably. 

Iruka turned the problem over in his head. "Hmmm, I remember a time when Naruto was getting bullied by some upperclassmen. He didn't want me to know because he didn't want anyone thinking he was a snitch." A brief wave of sadness washed over Iruka. Even when other children would beat him to a pulp, Naruto still wanted them to like him. "I knew something was up, but he wasn't giving names and kept insisting the bruises were from sparring lessons. So you know what I did?"

Tenzou was on the edge of his seat, full attention on the chuunin. 

"I took him out to ramen, let him buy the biggest bowl he wanted.”

Yamato made a face. “You… rewarded him for being evasive?”

“We spent time together,” Iruka corrected. “Without me pressuring him to talk. All that hovering reminded him of his other teachers, I think. The ones he doesn’t trust. When it’s just me and him…” The soft glow to Iruka’s smile warmed Tenzou’s chest. “Ahem . What was I saying? Right, right ramen! His comfort food.”

“You softened him up with something he wanted, so he would give you what you wanted,” Yamato murmured, stroking his chin. “Genius.”

Iruka blustered. “Well, not just so he would tell me. Yes, a little, admittedly, but I love Naruto. First and foremost, I want to make sure that he knows that. So perhaps I spoiled him a little to remind him. After that, the truth came out. I think the key was making sure he knew that no matter what answer he was going to give, I wouldn’t be upset or mad with him.” Iruka scratched the back of his head, laughing a little nervously. “You’re paying such close attention...”

It was only then Yamato realized how closely he had been leaning in. 

He leaned back, putting some distance between them, swallowing loudly. “Sorry. I didn’t notice–you’re a good orator, and–I think your advice was really usefu– I mean helpful! I think it’s good advice.”

Iruka laughed, but Tenzou didn’t feel mocked. “You’re too funny,” he said. “It’s nice to see that you care so much about Sakura, that you want to grill me for interrogation techniq--I mean, parenting advice.”

Yamato continued. “I appreciate your help. I just wish I knew where to have this conversation with Sakura."

Libraries weren't exactly great places to speak of such serious matters, they'd be shushed by the chuunin manning the desk in a heartbeat. School was out of the question. And Ichiraku Ramen was Naruto’s thing...

“Oh! The Lagoon!” Iruka brightened. “We were going there together anyway. We can have a picnic lunch.”

“Do you think Sakura will go for that, with everyone else around?” Yamato wondered anxiously. He just wanted Sakura’s trust back. Lately it felt like all her walls were drawn up. He found himself worrying about innocuous things, little looks she gave him, or things she did around the house; he was missing the easy companionship they had when it was just the two of them. Memories of just him and Sakura sitting with tea and reading by candlelight came to mind. As nice as it was to spread the mission's responsibilities amongst the three of them, Tenzou found himself missing those moments.

As if sensing his unease, the school teacher's hand reached out to grasp his own. Tenzou refrained from jumping off the couch in shock and fought to keep his rising blush down.

Iruka's gaze was earnest, his words sincere. "I know this is unfamiliar territory for you, Yamato, but I believe you can pull this off. No one knows Sakura like you do. I’m sure when the time comes you’ll do the right thing.”

A sense of tangible relief washed over him. Iruka’s words untangled the knot of stress and worry that had been weighing on his heart like an anchor. And though it could never be as bright as the school teacher's, Yamato attempted a smile of his own. “Thank you.”

Tenzou had the sudden realization how close they were sitting together, knee brushing against knee and bodies close enough to feel their heat. Yet neither man pulled away. 

Was he reading the signs wrong? Or would just anyone sit like this: knee-to-knee, hand-in-hand? Worry raced under his skin. But the moment passed, and Iruka was still sitting there, warm brown eyes watching, waiting, if Tenzou was guessing correctly, for something to happen. All he would need to do was tilt his head forward ever so slightly and their lips would be mere centimeters away from–

"Yo."

Surprisingly enough, it was Iruka who reacted first. The chuunin swung around with a fist aimed towards their intruder's face. As satisfying as it would have been for Tenzou to see his former Captain's face caved in by it, Hatake Kakashi simply ducked out of its way. 

"Damn it, Kakashi! Why are you even sneaking around?! You live here!" Iruka shouted. 

"Can't let my skills get rusty, sensei." Kakashi said casually, hopping over the couch to squeeze himself between Yamato and Iruka. Tenzou did his best not to scowl, but couldn’t help an annoyed grimace as his so-called friend neatly fit right between them. "So what's this I'm hearing about a trip to the lagoon?" 

“It’s nothing–”

“We’re taking the kids swimming,” Yamato cut in, ignoring Iruka’s somewhat surprised look. “Naruto and Sakura. Sasuke too, if he wants to come.”

“Uchiha Sasuke?”

“Sakura keeps telling me he and Naruto are constantly at each other’s throats,” Yamato pressed on. “Maybe a dunk in the same lake will help.”

Kakashi made a sound of interest. “That’s not a bad idea. You’ve asked Fugaku for permission, of course?”

Yamato's shoulders drooped slightly. “I hadn’t considered…”

Kakashi stood up. “No worries. I’ve got this.” Yamato and Iruka both squinted suspiciously. Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. “Itachi owes me a favor. I’ll make it happen.” 

Tenzou highly doubted that Kakashi, as respected as he was, had enough sway with the Uchiha to relinquish one of their own for a few hours. They still hated the man for what happened with Obito. But if senpai said it would happen, then most likely it would happen. 

“He’s very confident,” Iruka said quietly as the silver-haired menace vanished in a swirl of leaves, “but I hope he can make it happen. Do you think he can do it?”

“I wouldn’t bet against Hatake Kakashi,” Tenzou said begrudgingly, though he was wondering what favor Itachi owed their former Captain. 

~ ~ ~

“Cannonball!”

Splash!

Iruka beamed, earnest and joyful, as water went everywhere. Naruto emerged from the lagoon’s water seconds after, shaking his head like a dog to fling the water off and see the results of his dynamic entry. Sakura shrieked and started shedding half-soaked layers to get to her swimsuit, taking off at a sprint over the water’s rippling surface with chakra in her bare feet. Her goal was clear: she was hell bent on chasing Naruto down for revenge. Contrast to the chaos was Sasuke, folding his clothes neatly and eyeing his classmates with a hint of disdain before wading in up to his knees. 

“How is it, Sasuke-kun?”

“Warm,” Sasuke replied, giving the school teacher a backwards glance. “Warmer than I expected.”

“Well, there’s a vent underground,” Iruka began, happy to impart some facts about Konoha’s surrounding natural wonders. 

The sound of Iruka's voice soothed Tenzou's soul. He let it wash over him as he also neatly folded his clothing and stacked it besides their towels. 

“You’re drooling.” 

“Am not,” Yamato replied automatically, though he did reach up with the back of his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth (just in case!) “Are you getting in or not?”

“Lagoon’s not going anywhere,” Kakashi said, faux casual, leaning back on a towel with his book. 

Yamato made a face. “Do you have to read that here?” With children present, went unsaid. 

Kakashi was well versed in reading between the lines as any other shinobi. He was an elite member of an assassination squad and the Yondamie’s star pupil. It was just that most days, he acted the opposite (That is, braindead).

“What they can’t see won’t hurt them,” Kakashi said, flipping a page. 

Succumbing to a momentary surge of insanity, Yamato yanked the book from Kakashi's grasp. The man, stunned that his junior would commit such an act of betrayal, helplessly watched as it was flung through the air, full force, at the lagoon. 

Tenzou blinked and suddenly, Kakashi was gone.

Iruka jumped as something sailed over his head and then someONE sailed past at top speed. 

"NOOOOO, IT'S A COLLECTOR'S EDITION!!!"

Iruka could only stare incredulously as the book descended towards the lake surface. Time seemed to slow as Kakashi, in full jounin attire, flung himself headlong over the water’s surface, arms outstretched as he reached for the falling orange book. In an over dramatic gesture of complete buffoonery, Kakashi managed to nab the book out of thin air, turned a somersault front roll over the lagoon’s surface, and clutched the dry pages to his chest with a whimper. An incredibly impressive and difficult move only a shinobi of Hatake's caliber could pull off. All to save a trashy rance novel. 

From under the water’s surface, four, tiny hands appeared. 

Kakashi yelped as he and his porn went under with a terrific splash. 

Yamato watched Naruto and Sakura resurface moments later, the only thought in his mind, ‘He’s going to kill them’. 

“He’s going to chase and frighten them; he’ll absolutely try to kill you,” Iruka corrected, patting his shoulder in solidarity as the lagoon waters produced a spluttering, drenched jounin. The wet scarecrow of man immediately made good on Iruka’s prediction, running full-pell after Naruto and Sakura, whose shreiks of pure delight (or terror) echoed across the clearing. 

The other occupants of the lagoon were spaced out enough that no one was bothered too much by the screams and splashes. Besides Iruka and himself, Sasuke was the only witness to the attempted drowning. Though there was a look of disapproval towards his peers, the tiny Uchiha did not seem overly-concerned that they attempted to kill a Jounin. 

Yamato tried to relax but his ROOT training had him complete a headcount first: Twenty-odd civilians and five shinobi (ranging from genin to jounin based on their chakra signatures) lingering here and there. Their group was the largest gathering of ninja, though it was far from the largest gathering of people. 

“Tsugi-san--I mean--Yamato-kun,” Iruka bade. Tenzou paid very close attention. “Have a moment before your approaching demise?”

The teacher held up a bottle of suntan lotion. 

Tenzou chose not to comment on the lagoon’s well-shaded nature. He had his jaw clenched hard enough to hurt, lest the words slip out and rob him of a clear invitation to help Iruka-sensei apply sunscreen to his shoulders and back. Not trusting his tongue to give a coherent answer, Yamato nodded and took the offered bottle. Iruka smiled and laid out on a beach towel with a little happy sound. The jounin took to his knees and uncapped the bottle, heartbeat loud in both his ears. 

'Don’t mess this up!' Tenzou begged his short-circuiting brain.

“I’m going to start high and work low,” he explained, taking his time working the sunscreen into his own palms. Then, taking a moment to breathe out and rid himself of the slight tremble in his hands, Yamato went to work. Iruka hummed and let out a sigh. He seemed very relaxed. Content, even. It was such a nice look on the school teacher, whose features were often screwed into a scowl at his student’s or Kakashi's antics. The brunette redoubled his efforts, applying a little more lotion and concentration as he worked the sunscreen into a lather, spreading it down and over Iruka’s back. 

Little nicks and cuts littered the gorgeous expanse of Iruka’s bare upper body. Souvenirs of his time as an active duty chuunin, no doubt. Each one told a story. Yamato wanted to know but hesitated to ask. He found his fingertips passing back over a particular scar, three side by side, adjacent to Iruka’s ribs. 

“From sparring with my old genin team,” Iruka volunteered without lifting his head. 

“Oh. I didn’t mean to pry,” Yamato said, withdrawing his fingertips. 

“I don’t mind. Any others catch your interest?” 

All of them, Yamato thought, considering the patchwork of Iruka’s back with a contemplative gaze. But if Iruka was offering, he would ask one more secret. He took some time to peruse the collection carefully before making his choice. A thin white line, nearly invisible, crawling up and over his left shoulder. It was small. Innocuous. That’s what made him curious. 

“This one.”

Iruka sat up. “One of my first missions. Not the first, but back when the vest was still new. My genin team and I…”

He went on at length and Tenzou found himself almost hypnotized by the sound of the teacher’s voice. The story was unremarkable but Iruka’s telling of it was captivating. At some point Tenzou realized he’d stopped applying lotion.

Iruka paused his narration to snatch up the bottle. “Oh, hang on, I’ve got to do you. Turn around.”

Yamato turned around quickly so Iruka would miss the blush on his face. 

He couldn’t miss the look that Kakashi sent him then, soaking wet, with his ruined book in hand. The look of vengeance faded into one of wicked delight as he watched Iruka rub the lotion into his back. 

It was torture. Not Iruka’s hands, but Kakashi’s stare boring into them, watching with a knowing look as the school teacher rubbed him soundly until he worked out a small sound of satisfaction from Yamato’s unguarded throat. 

“Oh, you’re a little tense there. Is it okay if I work that knot out for you?”

Yamato had to swallow several times to make his throat work. Then Iruka’s hands moved and all annoyance melted under his touch. He was about to close his eyes to surrender to the lovely sensation when he caught sight of the other ANBU still watching across the way. 

Kakashi seemed unable to turn away, uncovered eye fixed on them, expression changed from teasing to… something else. The blush across Yamato’s face grew steadily warmer. With Iruka rubbing him over, it was starting to cross weird wires in his brain. 

Iruka noticed and stopped to give Kakashi a singularly unimpressed look. 

“You. You know better than to read that filth in front of children; you deserved what you got. Plus you look like a drowned cat.”

"I’m injured! Also, you never offered to rub my back, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi whined, a sound unfitting for a fully-grown man. "What makes Mister Tsugi so special?"

"Other than the fact he doesn't go out of his way to make my life a living hell? Maybe it's because he's grateful when I do nice things for him."

Kakashi let out a sigh of defeat, knowing Iruka's words to be true. "Maybe you're right, but Yamato-san is missing one, special thing that I do have." 

“An absence of morals,” Iruka deadpanned. 

“Captain’s rank? You lost that,” Yamato reminded him. 

Kakashi glowered at both of them. 

“Kakashi-senshu, Kakashi-senshu! Over here!” Naruto’s shout carried clear over the lagoon. “We wanna learn those water jutsu–can you teach us? Sasuke said you can’t!”

“Never did!” Sasuke protested, though Naruto elbowed him quickly. “Ow!”

“Well I say he can’t,” Sakura piped up helpfully, giving Kakashi a disbelieving look with both arms crossed over her chest. “He’s a lousy fighter and an even lousier swimmer. No way can he teach all three of us that water-jutsu.”

Kakashi fell hook line and sinker for the taunt, giving Sakura and her accomplices a dirty look. “I’m gonna make you eat those words, you little kappas, just wait. I have to stretch really quick.”

Iruka knew what Kakashi was about to do before he did it–but it was impossible to look away when Kakashi was so determined to show off his–

Tenzou was certain he had never seen the teacher's face get so red. 

So that was the special thing Kakashi possessed.

“He is pretty flexible,” Tenzou murmured. 

Iruka tried to make his mouth work. He really did, honest. It’s just that--Kakashi turned again, shifting to stretch a new muscle, one that was either sore or imaginary, that pulled a real groan out of him the way deep stretching does. 

The noise fell just shy of pornograhpic. 

'There are children present ,' was on the tip of his tongue, except Iruka couldn’t make his mouth work. 

Kakashi took one more cat-like stretch, carelessly shifting so the edge of his boxers slid just an inch, before standing with a deep sigh. He looked devestatingly, stupidly gorgeous which was ridiculous with that hair and that attitude except Yamato and Iruka were still sitting there like two dumb ducks, watching him smirk at them from under his mask.

“Hey. Hang onto this for me?”

He flung them the waterlogged copy of his book before blinking at them (Or was that a wink? Was that a wink with only one eye, how the hell—) and water-walking off onto the lagoon. 

"I'm going to kill Naruto and that perverted idiot." Iruka managed to growl once his lips decided to work again. 

"Why Naruto?" Yamato asked.

"Because I told him that's what I would do if he ever repeated a certain comment I let slip about a certain Jounin." 

Despite the intensity in his words, Yamato knew this would be one threat Iruka would not follow up on, not with how his face softened as he saw Kakashi wade out into the water to Naruto's cheers. This was the first time either of them saw the man interact with Naruto of his own accord.

Iruka continued to watch for a few more moments before turning back to Yamato. "I didn't finish the rest of your back. Shall we continue now that we don't have an audience?"

Tenzou managed a weak "Yes, sir".  

~ ~ ~

“Water-style! Haaaa -yah !”

“Naruto, Ha-yah isn’t part of any jutsu,” Kakashi said for the twelfth time. 

“Yeah, dead-last.”

“Oh whatever Mister Can’t-Even-Make-The-Water-Move,” Naruto snapped, irritated and soaking wet. “At least the water moves for me!”

“All Uchiha have fire affinity,” Sasuke bragged, arms crossed over his chest, “I knew this would be impossible for me. You don’t have that excuse. You’re just a–”

“Lunch time!”

At the call of food, all bickering ceased immediately. Iruka laughed from shore at how quickly Kakashi was abandoned in favor of dashing toward land. Of course he cheated, disappearing in a swirl of leaves to appear directly on Iruka’s other side, fingers nabbing a rice ball. Luckily, because he expected it, Iruka smacked the hand before the jounin's dirty appendages could get a hold of it. Kakashi dropped the food with a whine like a kicked dog. He backed off as Iruka glared. 

“Dry off first.”

“Yes, sensei,” Kakashi groused, reaching for the towel Sakura was running towards. 

“Hey! That’s mine!”

"I don't see your name on it."

"It's pink, it's obviously mine!"

"Why can't a manly man such as myself indulge in such a pretty color?"

Tenzou could SEE Iruka’s blood pressure rising as Sakura and Kakashi bickered needlessly. He had to step in before his senpai was actually murdered today. Yamato offered Sakura his towel, and an olive branch in the form of a rice cake cracker to Kakashi. Both took the offerings with twin sighs of relief. Sakura was on his other side snuggled up to him as Iruka prepared to hand out their lunches, rice balls filled with salmon or dried plum. He helped himself to a canteen of cool water as things settled down. 

Naruto and Sasuke were quiet for once, tearing into their food. Swimming sapped all their energy. Sakura munched on her rice, guarding it from Kakashi with a scowl. 

“You’re being annoying, Senpai,” Tenzou informed him bluntly. “You’re an adult; eat your own food.” 

Kakashi’s cowed puppy look made Sakura giggle. The sound brought a smile to Tenzou's face, but Iruka's advice was still in his head. If she was going to give up secrets, she had to feel like she trusted him. He wanted to nurture that sense of trust organically, and, if he was being completely honest, Tenzou hoped he didn't need to resort to shinobi interrogation tactics to have Sakura open up to him again. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say to persuade a child to open up, but he couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. 

“...Sakura.”

“Mm?”

"I'm glad you're having fun today. You've been looking pretty down these past few days. I was worried."

Sakura opened her mouth but paused as Naruto’s onigiri sailed past. Sasuke’s followed, followed by Sasuke himself, and then Naruto, and Iruka. Kakashi gave a hearty sigh and rose to give chase, onigiri in hand, leaving Yamato and Sakura in relative peace for a few precious moments. It was only then that Sakura gave up an answer. 

"Nothing happened….at least, not at school. I'm sorry, Yamato, I don't want you to worry about me."

"Sakura, it's my job to worry about you." It was left unsaid that perhaps he worried a little more than what his original mission required of him. "If something or someone upset you, I want to know about it."

Yamato was careful to keep his tone of voice gentle and not probing. It worked. Sakura's shoulders visibly relaxed, and her eyes looked up at him. Now was his chance. Combining his subterfuge skills and Iruka's wisdom, Yamato chose his next words carefully. "Nothing you say will make me angry at you. My number one concern is that you are safe and keeping you that way. Did something happen?"

Sakura thought of snakes for a moment. She remembered Yamato’s reaction to them, and their fight, but also the bracelet of vines on her wrist, the amazing treehouse bed he made just for her, warm cups of tea and reading late at night. 

Nothing you say will make me angry at you.  

She believed it. And so she told the truth. 

"At the Rin Festival, Ino and I were running after each other, playing. Then I bumped into this man…" Sakura looked uncomfortable just recounting the event. It must have really upset her. "He-He got really angry at me. He said some really mean things too."

A hot flash of anger coursed through Tenzou's veins. Yamato kept his tone neutral as he continued, but there was a fire inside him now. "What did he say to you, Sakura?"

"I don't remember all of it, but he called me weak. And he laughed at me for some reason. I-I don't know why, but he just made me very uncomfortable."

"That would make a lot of people uncomfortable." Sakura nodded at the validation, and Tenzou's heart broke slightly. Whoever this man was, he better be a foreigner long gone from Konoha or a shinobi on a very, very long mission lest they wish to repeat those words to Yamato's face. "Why didn't you use the bracelet to call me? I know I was on duty, but I would've come."

He expected Sakura to get angry like the last time he suggested she use her chakra-honing gift from him. Instead she said, "It happened so quickly, I didn't even know how to react. He was gone by the time Ino found me."

A chance encounter. Tenzou turned the problem over in his mind. Perhaps he had been worried for nothing… no, that wasn’t quite right. Sakura had been rightfully distressed. An unusual, uncomfortable situation had presented itself and she hadn’t confided in him. Or at least was reluctant to. He wanted her to feel like she could come to him with anything. Then perhaps they could unlock the mysteries of her past together. 

"Thank you for telling me this. It must've been scary for you, getting yelled at by a stranger like that." 

Sakura nodded and, despite her previous distress, smiled up at her guardian. "It's okay, I know no one will hurt me so long as you're around." 

The strangest sensation prevailed. Irrationally, he found himself smiling, and couldn’t stop. There was a swelling behind his ribcage although physically he wasn’t in any kind of distress–his heart beat felt extraordinarily heavy, or somehow, he was much more aware of it. The feeling bubbled up and flooded his senses momentarily and it was all he could do to give Sakura his complete and total attention. He felt a little helpless. Inordinately unexpectedly good too, as though he’d been given the Hokage’s personal stamp of approval for Mission Accomplished . 

Even the advent that was Sasuke and Naruto’s noisy return to the picnic couldn’t sour his good mood. Kakashi came jogging from behind them, cocking a single eyebrow at his former kouhai’s sunshine bright smile. Fighting the strong urge to tease, Kakashi instead dropped in beside Tenzou. He even resisted baiting Sakura, sensing the ambient pleasant air between them, and instead snatched one of the rice balls Tenzou obviously wasn’t going to eat. 

“Something good happened?” He asked. Tenzou just smiled and waved as Iruka came back to the picnic holding six sets of ninja sandals like shuriken, throwing two pairs with deadly accuracy after a fleeing Sasuke and Naruto. 

"Put these on! There are burrs everywhere!"

As the noise of rambunctious children (and one brunette adult) increased to cacophonous levels, Tenzou found his smile still in place as Sakura yawned and rested her pink-head against his side. 

"Your face is going to hurt if you keep smiling like that."

The third pair of sandals found their next target: Kakashi's head. 

~ ~ ~

More and more people left the oasis of the lagoon as the sun dipped lower in the West. By the time they left, the sky had caught fire with the setting sun, a beautiful blaze of orange and red. Their group was one of the last to leave. 

Yamato held Sakura in his arms, head drapped on his shoulders as her limbs dangled loosely in the air. She was out like a light, having spent most of her energy and chakra playing in the lagoon or showing off her water-walking skills to the boys (which in turn had them trying to copy her, producing predictable yet amusing results). Her warm cheek was smooshed against him; the heat comforting. 

( Tenzou had had to haul bodies before. Carrying a child, a live child, albeit asleep, was the better option if he were pressed to pick ) 

“You’ve been carrying her a long way. I can take her until we get to your house,” Iruka offered. Tenzou laughed softly. 

“You’re very strong, Iruka-sensei, but my eyes don’t deceive me. You already have your hands full.”

“We could switch,” Iruka said, adjusting Naruto in his arms. The little blonde gripped Iruka’s clothing like a monkey, clinging tight. Tenzou highly doubted he’d be able to part the two. 

“Hatake-san could carry one of them,” Sasuke’s sleepy voice piped up. The Uchiha was dragging his little feet through the dirt, trying his best to keep up with the adults' longer strides. Tenzou turned to see Iruka pat his spiky black hair. 

“That’s so thoughtful of you, Sasuke-kun, but we’d never trust Hatake-san with carrying a child–”

“Oi!”

“–after using up all his chakra teaching you three to lake-walk,” Iruka finished, mindful of being too harsh on Kakashi in the children’s presence. Well, in Sasuke’s presence anyway. “Chakra exhaustion is pretty serious.”

“Hatake-san isn’t exhausted at all,” Kakashi protested. “Sasuke-kun–”

“I’m not sleepy,” Sasuke protested quickly, scrambling to avoid Kakashi’s gloved hands from scooping him right off his two feet. “Stop it, stop that, only Itachi-nii is allowed to pick me up!”

Kakashi leaned in conspiratorially. “Want me to flash-step you home? It’ll be instant.”

Sasuke bristled, caught between the desire to be home quickly and the compromise of being carried by an adult. The promise of going home to his older brother obviously won out; Sasuke ducked his head against Kakashi’s shoulder and made a muffled demand for him to be quick. Iruka and Yamato snickered as Kakashi explained the seals behind flash-stepping and near instantaneous, therefore very quick to get him back to his precious 'Itachi-nii'. 

Then they were alone. Just the two of them, standing on a silent street corner with no sounds but–

Naruto snored. “I better get him home,” Iruka sighed. 

“He’s more than welcome at our place,” Yamato reminded Iruka, but the chuunin shook his head. 

“Lord Third expressed the need for…discretion.  For him to have his own place." A look of defeat crossed the teacher's face, a completely unfamiliar expression for him. "...It's better this way.”

Yamato frowned before quickly schooling it into a neutral look. Lord Third wouldn’t purposely isolate Naruto, not from Iruka, who was obviously fond of the boy to the point of family. There were security concerns, of course, but surely living with two Jounin and a Chuunin was sufficient protection…. 

Then they wouldn’t need to part ways at night. 

“Well, it’s late…” Iruka rearranged Naruto in his arms. “I’ll be seeing you.”

“Soon, I hope?” Tenzou asked before his nerves left him. 

Iruka paused. His eyebrow rose in an unspoken question. Kakashi wasn’t around to harass them so Tenzou swallowed the frog in his throat, determined to make his intentions clear despite the pounding of his pulse.

“...I really liked spending time together, with everyone, but I was hoping to spend time with you again soon… alone.”

“Like a date?”

Yamato nodded, arms adjusting Sakura automatically as he waited for Iruka’s answer. Iruka replied before doubt could even settle in his mind. 

“I’d like that.”

Tenzou felt the irrational urge to pinch himself. This wasn’t a dream, or a genjutsu, not even a prank (He hoped. The chuunin did have a reputation of being a prank master). Iruka said he’d like that–like spending time alone with Yamato, on a date. Iruka wanted to date him! Date-date, but where? 

He was jelly-legged suddenly, stomach full up of soda bubbles as he struggled to work out another question, “Where, um, well, if it’s not too forward–I mean–Um! Do you want to get coffee sometime? No, you don’t like coffee–tea?”

It was worth his blustering to hear the school teacher’s laughter echo down the empty street. 

“Tea is fine, Yamato. Have you been to the shop by Yamanaka's flower business?”

Yamato shook his head. “I’d love to try it. When are you available?”

“I’m available right now,” Iruka said with a wicked gleam in one eye that had Yamato’s cheeks burning, “but the tea shop is closed, and our hands are full. Later, I’ll be off after school." An equally wicked smile crossed his face. "I hope our schedules match up.”

“I’ll make myself available,” Yamato promised solemnly with pink cheeks, to Iruka’s continued laughter. With a wave they parted ways and night settled over Konoha.

When Tenzou could no longer feel Iruka's chakra signature, he sighed heavily enough to stir Sakura. The man smiled before readjusting his ward once more. By the time they reached home, Tenzou realized that his cheeks were indeed starting to hurt.

"Told ya so." The imaginary voice of his senpai said. 

Chapter Text

Sakura's favorite season of all time was Summer.

Everyone thought it was Spring because of her name and sure, Spring was nice. The cherry blossom trees were beautiful, the weather got warm enough again to play outside, and her birthday was then. But despite all that, Sakura absolutely loved the summer time.

Why? Because that's when Mama and Papa came to visit!

At the start of June, Mama and Papa would come with their fancy carriages and big boxes of luggage to stay with her for three whole, uninterrupted months! 

Sakura stood outside by the gates with her nanny and the rest of the servants of the household. A courier had come by earlier and announced the imminent arrival of her parents. As was tradition, the entire household gathered to greet them at their estate with Sakura and her nanny standing at the very front.

Sakura fidgeted with the fabric of her brand new kimono, even as Nana landed a hand on her shoulder urging her to be still. She couldn't help it though, she was just too excited! 

Papa and Mama were able to visit on her birthday this year, but so much had happened since then. Sakura had so much to tell them: how her tutor was so pleased with her progress in their mathematics lessons that he was going to start teaching her multiplication soon, how the goldfish they bought last season were starting to get as big as the koi, how Nana taught her how to make okonomiyaki. 

And to think of all the fun things they were going to do, together! It made Sakura want to jump up and down in joy! Papa would open the doors of his big office and let Sakura sit in his comfy, leather chair and read. Sometimes, he would put on her lap and stroke her pink hair as they read through a poem or ballad from long ago.

They would be spending a lot of time in the garden, that was for sure. Mama and Papa would have the servants pack them a basket (Maybe this time Sakura could help cook for the picnic!) and the three of them would venture out onto the property until they found the perfect place to sit. Mama liked sitting near the flowers, even as the bees hovered close to their food. Mama was never afraid of bees, she told Sakura that the bees in their garden didn't sting people, they only helped the flowers grow and made delicious honey. 

The sounds of horses and the creaking of wheels broke Sakura out of her daydreams. There, surrounded by guards on horseback and flags holding their clan's symbol, was Papa and Mama's carriage! Oh, how Sakura loved and hated that carriage, so beautiful as the sunlight made the red paint glimmer, but was always so slow to arrive and too fast when they had to leave!

"One day," Mama had told her last summer they had to leave. Sakura had cried and cried, even when Papa said she needed to be a brave girl for her parents. Then Mama knelt down, wiped away her tears and said, "One day very soon you'll leave with us in the carriage. We'll live together as a family when it's safe. Not just for the summer, but all the time."

Sakura prayed and prayed that this would be the summer where they would leave together.

The carriage came to a full stop. All the servants bowed low and two figures emerged from it's gilded doors. But not Sakura. Sakura bolted out from her nanny's grasp and ran straight to the carriage, shrieking,

"Mama! Papa!"

~ ~ ~ 

A jolt. Sakura stirred awake.

Though jarring, it was not enough to completely rouse the girl from her slumber. She was far too exhausted to expend more than a sleepy groan to express her discontent at being woken so suddenly. Sakura nuzzled her face further into the body carrying her, breathing in the scent of cedar and fallen leaves. The warmth was familiar and welcoming as the night wind began to pick up. 

The gentle rocking of the road lulled her back to her dreams. 

Chapter Text

It’s a mistake, he thought, rolling the scroll back up. The messenger falcon waited patiently for Tenzou to jot down his reply. Instead he opened the scroll a second time. The words remained the same: he was being summoned to Sakura’s school because there had been an altercation. Sakura had been in a fight. 

Tenzou frowned.

No, it had to be some other pink-haired, green-eyed girl that they mistook for Sakura. He explained as much to the messenger falcon, who cocked its head and waited for a different response. “I’m coming, but it must be a mistake,” he said. “Sakura wouldn’t get in a fight.”

She wouldn’t. There was no reason for her to. Not at school, where she was learning… Perhaps she had witnessed the fight. Yes, he thought to himself as he walked toward the school. Obviously there had been a misunderstanding. Sakura wasn't one to throw a punch. Perhaps at Kakashi, who she knew she could tease and play with, but not another Konoha ninja, genin or not. Tenzou firmly held onto that theory right until he reached the gates of the Academy. 

It was after school hours, but there were still plenty of students milling about. Many of them were whispering into each other's ears, as feverishly as any granny at the local market. Tenzou worked his way through the crowd of small people, none of them paying him mind as they were clearly more interested in discussing the supposed fight that broke out at school. 

Then Ino saw him. 

The heiress of the Yamanaka clan broke away from her group and marched up fearlessly towards him. "Mister Tsugi, Mister Tsugi! Don't listen to whatever Hiro says! Sakura did nothing wrong, he totally deserved to get punched!" 

Ino’s words did nothing to inspire confidence in his earlier belief. Ignoring her protests for now, Tenzou proceeded into the building, suspicion building with every step. He opened the door to see Sakura and a boy her age sitting in a chair across from each other. Not from a clan such as the Hyuuga or Uchiha but a soon-to-be ninja of the leaf, a comrade. The Principal greeted him. 

"Tsugi-san, thank you for coming in on such short notice." Her words were meant to be kind, but there was ice in her tone. “We caught Sakura exercising excessive force against another student outside of sparring hours—” 

“Excessive force?” Yamato cut in. “Was she being bullied?”

Before the principal could elaborate further, the boy spoke up for himself; “I didn’t hit her or nothin’! I was just messin’ around an’ she flipped out!” Sakura turned to glare at him as if her gaze would discourage the boy from giving his account. If anything, it spurred him on further. “I dunno what her problem is but she hit me ! So she’s the one who should get in trouble!”

“You hit me, too!”

“You hit me first !”

“Quiet,” the Principal said curtly, with enough volume that both students flinched and obeyed. Sakura found Yamato’s disbelieving gaze on her and wilted somewhat. Her eyes slid back to the boy and despite the Principal’s words, Sakura spoke up. 

“What he said to me—he was taunting me to hit him!"

“Was not!”

“I said quiet !" The voice the Principal used promised that she would not be asking a third time. Or else. "Whatever the cause, Sakura attacked Hiro, and we cannot have this type of behavior continue in our Academy. You are both going to become genin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Our strength comes from our bonds. We share the Will of Fire–”

“Not her , she’s not even from here–”

Yamato watched in utter shock as Sakura lunged for the boy! Luckily the Principal proved more than capable. Her hands closed around Sakura’s raised fist and with a single fluid motion, Sakura went spinning in a circle until she landed face-down on the floor. The Principal didn’t even flinch, merely sitting back down before continuing from where she’d been interrupted. 

“...we share the Will of Fire, which can burn gently in some, and brightly in others. Our Sakura has an incredible spark inside. However these types of outbursts against classmates will not be tolerated .” Her gaze, sharp as steel, turned to Hiro. “Do we all understand?”

The two students grudgingly chorused agreement, though they exchanged glares behind the Principal’s back. 

“Your parents are out on a mission for the sake of our village, so I will deal with your punishment myself,” she said. Sakura snickered as Hiro’s face paled drastically. 

"But she attacked me! I was just defending myself—"

"I know what you said, Hiro, and while Sakura should not have attacked you for it, it is still reprehensible that you would speak in such a way to a fellow comrade." As the Principal glared down at the boy, Yamato suddenly understood how Iruka mastered the art of disciplining children with a single look. He had learned from the best. "Both of you will be punished accordingly. I’ll be contacting your parents again later this week to discuss details. For now, Tsugi-san, if you and Sakura will excuse us, Hiro-san and I will be going over the Academy’s rules for student conduct. Eighty-six times. I have some paper and a pen here…”

Sakura gleefully got in a parting sneer as Hiro submitted to lines. She lost her look the instant the door shut behind her and she was alone with Yamato. 

+

The walk back was awful. Yamato wanted to ask what she’d been thinking, attacking another student. The way she lunged at the boy with no hesitation, he was still in disbelief about it. And her attitude after had his head spinning. Was this the same girl he’d been taking care of all this time? Where did this seemingly unprovoked malicious streak come from? There had to be a logical explanation. 

“Sakura?”

“ What .”

Yamato looked down at his charge, certain he’d misheard, because there was no way his Sakura, well mannered and upbeat and sweet and kind, was giving him lip. The way she wouldn’t meet his eye should have been a red flag. Instead, Yamato ignored his gut twisting and tried again. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened back there?”

She had the nerve to cross her arms at his question. “Nothing.”

Obviously something had happened! Feeling more and more out of his depth, Yamato repeated himself, “Sakura, why don’t you tell me what happened at school? Why did you hit that boy?”

“It’s nothing!”

Utterly stunned, Yamato stopped walking, grateful for the relatively-empty street he chose on their walk home. “It’s clear something happened. Tell me what it was.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sakura insisted, tone only getting more disrespectful. “It doesn’t matter.”

It DID matter, if it was making her act so out of line! Yamato had to have more detail and he would get it one way or another, but it would be best if she volunteered the information herself. He wouldn’t stand for the tone she was taking or the strangely defiant attitude she was giving him in the face of a polite request.

Like any good shinobi in the face of adversity, Yamato switched tactics. “Sakura, I don't like the way you’re talking to me. I’m just asking what happened back there. What did that boy do to you? Are you hurt?” In all the twists and turns his heart had taken he’d failed to observe any suggestions that Sakura was hiding a bruise or laceration. 

“Ugh, I’m fine, whatever,” Sakura groaned, rolling her eyes, “can we please just go now?”

It was like she was a completely different person! As they reached the road to their house, Yamato subtly checked for signs of a genjutsu. He almost hoped he found them. "Perhaps we should turn around and ask your Principal what happened. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to tell me—"

A large burst of unnerving chakra alerted Yamato to move as someone barreled past, right between him and Sakura. A familiar voice shouted after the blonde blur. Yamato recognized too late that it was Naruto before he could reach out to stop him. 

“Wait! Come back! Naruto!”

“Iruka-sensei, what happened?” Yamato asked as the chuunin jogged up to them. He looked haggard for a moment before taking a deep sigh. 

“Oh, nothing. Well. Not nothing, but… there’s only so many nights I can let him stay over. He thought we were kicking him out, that I didn't love him any—" Iruka stopped short. His emotions were all over the place. Yamato watched the other man take a slow breath, simmering down to regain control of himself. "I tried to tell him it was for security reasons, but then he bolted." 

The school teacher sighed and ran a hand through his loosening ponytail. He sent an unconvincing smile their way. “Well, what have you two been up to?”

Yamato opened his mouth to answer; Sakura cut him off. “Nothing. Just stuff at school."

Iruka glanced over to where Yamato’s face was warming. It was rare to see her so disrespectful. Usually she never cut off adults when they were speaking. Something must have really upset her. Before he could ask about it, Yamato snapped. 

"Sakura got into a fight with another student.” Yamato stared down at her, disappointment etched onto his features. Iruka thought Yamato looked less like a concerned parent and more like a squad commander doling out a reprimand. Then Yamato’s words landed. 

“A fight? Sakura?”

Sakura made a sound of betrayal even as Iruka turned to look her over. “Hiro said–”

“It doesn’t matter what he said, you’re better than resorting to violence driven by emotion–”

“You didn’t let me finish!” Sakura shouted, stamping her foot. 

“Sakura—” Iruka began, but Yamato spun on his heel, fed up with Sakura’s unruly attitude and blatant rudeness. 

"You were completely out of line! I expect better from a future genin of the Hidden Leaf!" Yamato's voice took on a tone he only used for the newest recruits of ANBU. "From now on, no television, no inviting over friends, and no trips to the library until I see improvement from you!"

Sakura went scarlet, tears in her eyes betraying the frustration she felt. "Whatever, I don't care! I'm just some stupid mission to you anyway!"

Taken aback, Yamato tried to stop her. "Sakura! You better—"

"Shut up! YOU'RE NOT EVEN MY REAL DAD!"

Sakura took off at a speed that rivaled Naruto’s, dashing down the road, disappearing out of sight. 

In the wake of retreating footsteps Yamato felt a roaring of white noise, static where logic usually provided the next step in a difficult situation. He struggled with the sudden onslaught of tumultuous emotion overlapping any attempt at cognitive function. He could've caught up with her with a burst of chakra-enhanced speed, could've grabbed and dragged her into the house before she even turned heel.

…But for some reason, he didn't. He couldn’t. Not with those words echoing in his head.

You're not my real dad!

Of course he wasn’t, not really. It was all part of…the mission. 

I'm just some stupid mission to you anyway!

Was that really what she thought–was that really how it seemed? 

“Come along.”

There was warmth at his elbow, at his lower back. The cavernous evening sky vanished and in its place, the familiar pattern of the roof of his home. Their home. Theirs, the one that he’d made for Sakura and all the other occupants. Iruka, Kakashi, sometimes Naruto… 

All for the sake of his mission.

( Or so he kept telling himself )

“Naruto will be fine,” Iruka’s voice said, cutting into his thoughts. “Sakura, too. And you.”

“And me,” Yamato repeated dumbly. “I’m fine.”

“You’re a little upset.”

Yamato realized Iruka led him into the house without him taking notice. Some upstanding ANBU he was, needing a chuunin to help redirect him, all because of a few words… words that cut straight through all his armor, to the heart of him. 

It was stunning how much it hurt.

It was even more pathetic that he even felt hurt at all. How many missions had Tenzou gone through that would've broken a lesser man? How many innocent lives had he taken without so much as a slight frown crossing his face or a conflicting emotion passing through his mind? To put it bluntly, Tenzou was, like any good shinobi, a cold-hearted murderer who slept soundly at night. 

So how could a child, a child with Orochimaru's DNA of all things, make him feel like a dagger was just put through his heart?

Iruka cut through the swirling tempest of his thoughts with a hot cup of tea; the jounin jumped and quickly adjusted his grip. 

“Sorry. Too hot?”

“No, it’s fine…”

Iruka sat beside him. “It’s a little hot. And it’s fine not to be fine.”

“I’m fine–”

“Your kid dropped a pretty big load on you. Big stone into still waters. You’re upset.”

It was either argue with and lie to Iruka or give in. Yamato chose the latter with poor grace, grumbling as he lifted his tea cup. “Do children do that often as they grow? Say things designed to make you feel like this?”

“Not on purpose. Not often. Sometimes, but they’re testing boundaries,” Iruka explained. The lilt of his voice was even better than the warmth radiating from Yamato’s tea cup. It spilled out into the room and made everything seem less dire. “She and Naruto are both at that age where they are going to be testing your authority and the authority of others to see where they stand, what’s acceptable, and what isn’t. I’m sure something must have upset her terribly at school for her to do what she did, and say what she said." 

He must’ve seen Yamato anxiously eyeing the door between sips of tea. "I’m also sure that if you wait a while, she’ll come back home on her own.”

“You sound so certain,” he mumbled into his tea cup.

Iruka offered a wry look. “Give it to midnight. If we don’t hear from her or him by then, then we can go out. Together.”

“Don’t you have school in the morning?” Yamato worried. “I can’t keep you up.”

Iruka’s mouth worked in a funny line before settling on a smile. “...that’s very nice of you, I think. But, I don’t mind. You look like you could use the company. This your first big fight?”

Yamato thought about it. Had there been any other instances like this? There was a disagreement, a nightmare, but it was so long ago Yamato had almost forgotten it. He shook his head. “This is the first time she’s been so openly defiant… rude…”

“She did have a pretty traumatic day,” Iruka said, the voice of sympathy. Yamato snorted. 

“She punched another child.”

“If I had a ryo for every time Naruto got into a fight at school…" Iruka chuckled into his tea. "Well, I would be able to retire from teaching by now."

Yamato frowned. Their situations were comparable, but instead of angry and upset Iruka seemed to be taking everything in stride. What was his secret? 

“You don’t seem too troubled by it.”

Iruka shrugged. “I love him. He’s a knucklehead and he’s so much trouble but… at the end of the day, even if not on paper, we’re family.”

Family. A bitter smile crossed Tenzou's face at the word. "That's the difference between you and me, Sensei. Though you and Naruto aren't related by blood, you're family by choice. Sakura is right…She's not my family."

Iruka's soft expression turned defiant. "You know that's not true. Sakura is—"

"A mission assigned to me by the Hokage." Tenzou said with finality. "She knows that, I know that, even some part of you knows that, Iruka-sensei."

And one day, his mission would end.

~ ~ ~

Kakashi watched Iruka pull Yamato into a warm hug through the window. Iruka made it look so easy. The school teacher always knew somehow just what to do, or say, when the people he cared about needed him most. 

Kakashi knew he could never be the source of comfort his friends needed. So, instead of trying to elbow his way into a role he would never fit, the Copy Cat Nin did what he did best.

Tracking down the two wayward orphans was simple enough. Even if Kakashi hadn't bothered to follow them by jumping across roofs, he could guess their destination. Without so much as a single leaf rustling, Kakashi landed on the branch of the tree currently shadowing two distraught young children. He had followed them to just outside the Academy gates. Naruto was predictably sitting on the tree swing while Sakura sat miserably on the dirt, leaning against the trunk.

Neither of them said anything for quite some time. It was surprising considering how much Naruto was prone to talk. Instead, both were rubbing at their red eyes or sniffling away their tears. Kakashi could easily see the solidarity in their sadness. 

Years of forbidding himself from being seen kept Kakashi in the shadows. The familiar ache of wanting to reach out and comfort was smothered again, the Will of Fire licking at the corners of Kakashi’s conscience. He had to stamp them out: how else could he remain motionless in the shadows, the perfect place to listen and glean information? That’s what he was here to do–it was part of his mission. Their mission. 

( He wondered if Naruto’s mother and father would forgive him, for being a good shinobi and sticking to the shadows, instead of reaching out to comfort their crying child )

(Again)

“What happened?”

Kakashi looked up. Naruto was scrubbing his own tears dry and looking up from his grip on the swing. Sakura’s jaw muscle worked but eventually she managed an answer without her voice wobbling. 

“I… got in a fight. ‘S all.”

“Yeah? Didja win?”

“Of course,” Sakura said quickly. “But the teachers interrupted us.”

Naruto snorted. Contempt colored his voice. “Figures. They’re never there when I get in fights.”

“I wish they never came to mine,” Sakura commiserated with a glower. “He’s wrong. They are coming for me.”

Naruto and Kakashi perked up. 

“Who’s coming for you?”

Sakura opened her mouth and choked. She quickly coughed, clearing her throat, but it was difficult for her to speak for a moment. When the moment had passed she scrubbed her eyes dry and threw Naruto a defiant look, daring him to contradict her: “My parents. My real parents.”

Blue eyes blinked. 

“Your real parents… isn’t Mr. Usagi–”

“He’s NOT my dad,” Sakura insisted with a vehemence that caused Kakashi to wince in sympathy. “Wait. Did you say Usagi?”

“Isn’t that his name?”

“No, it’s Tsugi,” Sakura said, “Usagi means rabbit–” 

She burst into a laugh, then stopped, green eyes sparkling with delight at Naruto’s mix up. She tried to contain it but the laughter spilled out, echoing into the tree above. Naruto’s sheepish grin broke into a fit of snickers as they laughed at Yamato’s expense. 

“Mr. Bunny!” 

“Your uncle’s secretly a rabbit!”

Sakura cackled. Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering. 

“He’s been pretending to be a person all along!” Naruto laughed, tears in his eyes, “He’s really a—a—a super secret rabbit spy !”

“A spy? Why is the rabbit a spy?” Sakura asked once she could talk without giggling. 

“Spies are cool ! They steal secrets, and they can be invisible even when they’re right next to you, and they always get away in a cloud of smoke!”

“Sounds messy,” Sakura said, brushing dirt off her dress. Naruto noticed and cocked his head like a curious puppy. 

“Messy like your dress? You’re always neat and tidy–oh yeah! You said—you said you got into a fight today!”

Sakura’s good mood vanished in the blink of an eye. She crossed her arms and turned away. While Naruto was far from a master of emotions, even he could tell she was upset about it. Still his natural curiosity prompted him to ask, “What was it even about?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, bullshit.”

Iruka is going to scrub his mouth out with soap, Kakashi thought, amused, and a little impressed. Sakura turned around, eyes wide and mouth dropped open, forgetting to be upset in her disbelief.

“Naruto! You can’t say words like that!”

“Oh yeah? Why not?”

“It’s so rude!”

“Yeah but so is lying,” Naruto pointed out ruthlessly, “You’re a liar, and that’s worse.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

Naruto’s blue eyes flashed triumphantly as he gave himself a push with his feet. “Are so . You said it’s nothing but you’re the one yelling at me. Why do you even care so much, if it’s nothing?”

Sakura opened her mouth, then seemed to process Naruto’s accusation, and stamped the ground with one foot. 

“I’m not the liar, HE is! Hiro said—he said—you didn’t hear what he said!”

“So tell me,” Naruto goaded, eyes bright. 

Kakashi above listened very closely. 

Sakura expelled a sound of pure frustration before it all spilled out of her like water from a geyser. 

“AH! FINE! Hiro said they’re never coming back for me, okay? He’s wrong, I know they’re coming back for me! It’s just a matter of time, you’ll see! He’ll see! He’s wrong, he’s the liar, he is!”

“Who’s never coming back for you?”

“My REAL parents!”

“What?”

Sakura pulled at her hair. Her green eyes seemed to shine through a thin layer of unshed tears, emotions mixing turbulently, and Naruto (and Kakashi) listened, transfixed, as the entire story tumbled out in a rush. 

“I was talking with Ino and some other girls in class, and they asked me why I lived with my uncle. I told them that my parents sent me here to live with my uncle because my home country wasn't safe, and that's when stupid Hiro overheard, and he said—and he said…” Sakura paused and drew a big breath, the words pushed out harshly. “He said, ‘ You really think your parents are coming back for you at this point? It's so sad that you still believe that! Either they're dead or just don't want you anymore ’.”

Naruto looked her dead on, undeterred by her fierce expression. “And that’s when you decked him?”  

Sakura could only nod. Naruto nodded in approval. 

“Good.”

Sakura’s labored breathing was the only sound for a while. Naruto met her wild-eyed gaze head on fearlessly. He wasn’t suspicious of her or upset that she was showing her emotions freely, or that she’d punched someone. His approval and acceptance were a balm to Sakura’s aching chest. It took a burden she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying and a thousand pounds lifted off her shoulders. 

Without the sensation of fighting against anything, Sakura suddenly found her vision blurred by tears. 

Naruto’s expression remained stubbornly set. “He deserved it.”

Sakura didn’t know what to say. Kakashi watched her flounder for words, trying to agree or thank Naruto, but all that came out were jumbled words. He could see the emotional toll the day’s events were finally catching up with her. Mature or not, Sakura was still just physically seven years old. She could only take so much. 

“They are coming,” Sakura said finally, voice right above a whisper. “They’re coming back for me. My real parents.”

“Yeah? And then what?” Naruto asked. “You gonna leave with ‘em?”

“Leave?”

“They’re not from here, are they?” Sakura shook her head. “So. They’re gonna want to take you back with them, to your old home. You gonna go?” He was doing a decent job of sounding unaffected but Kakashi could hear the anxiety in his question. 

“I… don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.” She was thinking about it now though, and the thought upset her more that she thought it would. Of course, her real home was… somewhere else. Somewhere not Konoha. Sakura wrung her hands as she thought about it, really gave it some thought, for the first time since Yamato had offered his hand, his time, and his home to her, Sakura, a total stranger, with real parents, who really would take her back…

…And away from Konoha, and Naruto, and Iruka-sensei, and Kakashi, and Yamato. 

The pit of her stomach dropped, just to think of it. 

Naruto watched even more emotions accost Sakura. She looked confused. But also scared. And a little sad, which isn’t how Naruto figured she would feel about her real parents coming to get her. 

Real parents.  

“I had some of those. Real parents,” Naruto said, apropos of nothing. “They’re dead now.”

“That’s awful,” Sakura said, snapped out of her own thoughts. “I’m sorry.”

Naruto looked up at her. She thought it was peculiar that he could mention so flippantly that his real parents were gone, just like that. Didn’t he care about them? Wasn’t he sad? Her face must’ve shown what she was thinking because Naruto gave a little half-smile and said, “It’s okay. They’ve been gone a long time. I’m not sad about it any more. I was, for a while. But now things are different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I got a new dad.”

( Kakashi in the trees was still as stone )

“You got… a new dad,” Sakura repeated, trying the words out in her mouth. 

“Yeah.” Naruto wrinkled his nose a little. “Don’t tell him, though. I want to be the one to tell Iruka-sensei first.” Sakura nodded. Naruto regarded her quietly. Then, averting his gaze, Naruto continued on, “Yeah, so, even though I had real parents, they’re not really here right now, so, I figured it’s okay if I picked out a new dad. One that’s there for me. That loves me, no matter what, even if I get in fights at school all the time. Even if I steal a snack from the lunch ladies. Even if I get paint all over the Hokage Monument!” He snickered at the memory of a prank from years past. “That was so fun. Iruka-sensei yelled at me for hours. He got me ramen after, though.”

Sakura thought of the warm cup of tea waiting for her at home. 

Would her real parents know she liked tea and books before bedtime? 

“They’re not here right now,” Naruto answered, and Sakura realized she’d asked out loud. She must be more tired than she thought. And Naruto was right. Her real parents weren’t here, even though she kept insisting she wanted them to be… 

…was that really what she wanted? 

It was getting difficult to think. She was exhausted, sleepy, and full of confusing feelings. It had been an incredibly long day. And now they were far off from the house, and she’d yelled at Yamato, who wasn’t her dad, but maybe, if Naruto could pick a new dad… maybe she could too? 

But she’d just said Yamato wasn’t her dad? 

Had she already ruined everything? 

It was more than one little girl could take. Sakura started crying loudly. 

That was all Kakashi could take, and he dropped out of the tree. Naruto to his credit only startled a little; Sakura was sobbing hard enough she never noticed until he scooped her up in both arms. 

“Come on. Let’s get you both home.”

Home. 

Sakura’s tear-streaked face scrunched up. Where was home? Did she deserve to go back to the place Yamato had built just for her, for them, after the way she shouted at him? She felt miserable . The way Hiro’s words made her feel paled in comparison to the thought that Yamato might not welcome her back when they arrived. 

Kakashi’s hand smoothed her hair as she cried. “Come on. Up you go.” She let the man rearrange her so there was room for Naruto to ride on Kakashi’s back. Strong arms wrapped her up and turned her wet cheek against cool gray armor. 

+

At some point Sakura cried herself to sleep. Naruto noticed. 

“She’s asleep.”

“Mm. Lots of crying makes you tired.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Did you cry a lot today?”

“I didn’t.” Naruto sniffed. “I mean. I only cried a little. It wasn’t even a lot, not like her.”

“It’s okay to cry,” Kakashi volunteered, shifting Sakura in his arms. “Sometimes I cry.”

Naruto digested this, hands wrapped securely around the older boy’s shoulders. 

“Does Iruka-sensei cry?”

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. “Why don’t you ask your dad yourself?”

Naruto wriggled on his back. “You were eavesdropping. That’s bad manners. Iruka-sensei would be so mad at you.”

“I think that word you said was bad manners, too.”

“Don’t tell,” Naruto whispered quickly. “I won’t if you won’t.”

“I won’t,” Kakashi promises, “On a condition. You have to tell him that you picked him.”

Naruto on his back moves again, restlessly. “You think… you think he doesn’t know?” 

“He knows,” Kakashi soothes with complete certainty. “Only, I think hearing it would mean the world to him. I know it would. Promise me you’ll tell him, and I promise to forget about that thing you said. Deal?”

The voice from his back agreed, and the weight in his arms felt easier to bear. 

+

Chapter Text

Umino Iruka woke up to the sound of bickering one early day. 

Heated discussion could be heard near the foot of the stairs. That in itself was not uncommon, especially when having as frustrating a roommate as Kakashi was, but the second voice Iruka heard was not the slow, deep tenor of the silver-haired jounin. It was Sakura. 

“...too old to have someone walk me to school!”

“It’s for your own protection…”

“Ugh, no one ELSE in my class has their uncle walk them to class anymore!”

Iruka cringed. The way she pronounced 'uncle', it had so much venom in it, so much sarcasm…

“Don’t raise your voice at me, Sakura.”

The commotion continued, then, the slam of a door. A long suffering sigh soon followed. Iruka un-crouched. The teacher did not need a crystal ball to know that Yamato would be alone in the kitchen, next to the coffee pot, looking very put-out. It was not satisfying being right when the jounin looked so sad. Iruka graciously decided to pretend he had not overheard as he walked into the kitchen. 

“Good morning. Is that hot?”

“What? Oh. Yes, it’s fresh,” Yamato answered, glancing past his elbow to follow Iruka’s gaze. “Help yourself.”

Iruka poured a cup and observed the other man the whole while. The circles had come back under Yamato’s eyes. The jounin looked as though he’d just returned from a week long mission across two countries. 

Iruka felt his heart squeeze. He had stood in that same exact spot before, the same look in his eyes for so many nights, when he had told Naruto he had to go back to his apartment. The chuunin felt a kinship with Yamato’s struggles but he didn’t know what to say. 

It has been like this for a few days now. Ever since Sakura’s outburst, the tension between her and Yamato has been nearly tangible. There were curt exchanges over the smallest things, like routine bathing and tooth brushing, and larger blow-ups seemingly out of nowhere. Iruka and Kakashi were spared from the worst of Sakura's attitude, but even then they would sometimes be on the receiving end of her snappish remarks. 

"Don't worry. Kakashi-senpai is secretly following her to school."

Iruka jolted slightly, coffee in hand threatening to spill over the rim. Ah yes, it felt silly to think a high-level jounin such as Yamato would not be able to detect a chunin's chakra signature. Embarrassed, his finger went up to scratch the scar across his nose.

“Ah. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was on my way downstairs, when—”

“When you heard us,” Yamato finished, shoulders dropping as he sighed again. Iruka found himself concerned. Having this rift between them wasn’t helping Yamato’s spirit, or his sleep schedule.

Iruka already heard the voice of Kakashi in his head – ‘You can help with his sleep schedule,’ he’d suggest, with that stupid half-eye smirk and a snicker at his naughty implication. Normally he would chase down Kakashi and beat an apology out of him, except, Iruka was thinking about it. 

Had been thinking about it. Perhaps he didn’t want to say it out loud; it was easier to deal with Kakashi who he knew, the rascal that he was, all while acting like a cheeky genin. Iruka knew he could fight, flirt, and deflect with the other man; Kakashi did it to him all the time. Yamato was different. He was more socially mature, definitely. More respectful, but also easily more flustered. 

Iruka liked that. He liked it a lot. 

But the rift between Yamato and Sakura was weighing heavy on his mind. It would be selfish of Iruka to put his own desires above the wound on Yamato’s heart. After, he told himself with a good grip on his coffee cup, after their bond was mended, then he would ask about them, about something more than brief touches, uncertain glances, and maybe. 

For now, perhaps he could have a little of both. 

“You know? You look like you could use a little fresh air,” Iruka said, setting his coffee cup down. “This stuff is okay but Kakashi always buys over-roasted coffee. Why don’t we go to that place by the grocery store?”

Yamato nodded, eyes still on the door Sakura had slammed. “Sure. That sounds fine.”

Iruka gave a cheerful grin. “Come on. It’ll be good to get out of the house! Let’s go.”

~ ~ ~ 

"This is not a date", Yamato thought for the third time as Iruka excitedly went on about the coffee shop. 'This is just Iruka being nice'. 

The sound of the school teacher’s voice washed over him in waves. Yamato couldn’t help but smile as they walked together under the sun, sky blue with white clouds, a gentle breeze moving through the village keeping everything cool. With Iruka smiling and leading him around another turn, Yamato felt his spirits lifting despite his earlier argument with Sakura. 

A sudden image flashes in his mind. Him and Iruka walking hand-in-hand, Sakura and Naruto just a few feet ahead of them, arguing with Kakashi who took their complaints in stride, as they stroll through the village market to get groceries for the house they shared. 

The scene was gone as soon as it came. It was just imaginary, but it’s the fullest his heart has been since he and Sakura started living together. It felt good. 

No, he had a mission to finish! He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Sakura had more secrets to reveal. Yamato could not himself indulge in fantasy like dating and domestic errands while he was serving the village in his capacity. It might have made him resentful in the past, but now it only strengthened his resolve to finish his mission. To figure out what secrets Sakura was holding. He couldn't do that while they were fighting. He had to mend their bond, but how—

“Welcome!”

Yamato looked up as Iruka greeted the coffee shop owner fondly. They made small talk as he took in their surroundings: Simple and homey. The beans were in clear tins so customers could see the color of the roast. There were fresh pastries for sale behind glass; half of them are gone already. A condiment bar with jams and coffee creamer right beside the ordering counter. The walls themselves are decorated sparsely; the most prominent decorations being a poster of Konoha's leaf spiral which hangs next to a painting.

Civilians and Shinobi alike occupy the handful of tables and chairs nearby. In all his years living in Konoha he had yet to frequent every eating establishment. Naturally, his first course of action as an on-duty shinobi was to mark the exits, including the windows–

“Ah, another friend,” the woman’s voice despaired, interrupting Yamato’s train of thought. “You’re always coming with co-workers. When will you bring a woman in, Iruka-sensei?”

Yamato’s examination of the building came to a screeching halt. 

Iruka was laughing though, scratching the bridge of his nose. “No, no, really. I’m so busy with school! And, I’m looking after Naruto-kun, you know? So there’s not a lot of time for me to socialize.”

The granny behind the counter sighed deeply. “This again. You’re so busy putting others' needs before your own! Looking out for other people. It’s very sweet of you.”

'That’s right,' Yamato thought privately as his companion brightened at the compliment and ordered their drinks. Iruka did have a big heart. And he was very sweet. Perhaps the shop owner wasn’t all that bad. She was giving a warm smile as she slid their coffees across the counter to them. 

“You know, I’m not sure you’ve met my daughter, Kimiko. She’s about your age! It wouldn’t be too much trouble to have her come here once in a while. She likes a man who's good with kids—"

The primal part of Yamato's brain took over. His arm found itself around Iruka's waist, pulling him flush to his own body. 

The action was quick, too quick for Yamato to even question what the hell he just did. Before he could pull away and profusely apologize, Iruka started to laugh.  

“That won’t be necessary–he’s with me.”

The granny stared. Yamato stared back. Then, he plucked his coffee with a free hand, balancing Iruka’s on top effortlessly, and steered them out without another word. The bell on the door chimed as they left arm-in-arm.

That was when his brain came back online. 

"That won’t be necessary," he’d said. He'd said that! To that sweet old shopkeeper! And, "he’s with me." Panic set in. Teeth clenched, Yamato was almost afraid to look sideways to see how Iruka interpreted his automatic reaction–a response he didn’t even seem to have a control over! Worry wormed its way into every fiber of his being at a dizzying speed. 

“BWAHHAHA! That was great!”

Yamato nearly tripped in shock. 

Iruka caught his coffee as it wobbled, snickering with one hand covering his grin. “Thank you–that was hilarious. Did you see the look on her face?”

Yamato stared dumbly as the teacher bent over in laughter. He tried to not have his brain short-circuit again when he noticed how prominent Iruka's dimples were as he howled in laughter, or when he finally regained some composure and put a tender hand on his shoulder.

"That granny has been trying to pawn her daughters off on me for months!"

When Iruka got control of his laughter they started walking again. It felt like a great weight had lifted off his shoulders. Yamato had been so choked with worry that he forgot a crucial aspect of Umino Iruka:

The man was once a legendary prankster.

As they walked and drank coffee (Iruka was right, Kakashi's coffee was over roasted), their path took them past a park. Several families were out with their children. Yamato's thoughts came back around to Sakura, to how distant she had become. 

He must have been thinking too loudly, as Iruka piped up. “You look stressed. Thinking about your niece again?”

“I can’t hide anything from you,” Yamato said with a wry smile over the top of his cup. “It's been bugging me and I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“These things just take time,” Iruka assured the other man. He took a small sip of coffee and smiled. “Naruto and I have been in more fights than I can count, but just you wait. Sakura will come around.”

Yamato’s shoulders dropped slightly as he considered his own coffee cup. Despite his good intentions, the chuunin’s advice did little to settle the storm in his conscience. Sure, they had their disagreements in the past, but this time Sakura was acting out well beyond the time of the event. Iruka’s claim had merit. When she had been upset at him before, Sakura had eventually turned her attitude around. It was coming up on nearly two weeks since their fight and Sakura still had remnants of a nasty attitude; she was still slamming doors, picking fights over small things, and generally acting grouchy. He couldn’t figure out a common theme between–wait .

“Iruka,” Yamato asked, “What age do young girls typically start menstruation?”

“It varies, but usually between eleven and thirteen. Why?”

Yamato tried not to sigh in defeat. There was one reason struck from his very short list on why Sakura might be acting out. 

Knowing Iruka would eventually use those hidden psychic powers of his again, Yamato decided to cut out the middleman and simply relay his thoughts out loud. "It's been so long, though. She seems determined to stay mad at me no matter how I try to rectify things."

"If I could play devil's advocate for a moment, she is still grounded."

"Oh yeah, that.” Yamato felt an unexpected curl of guilt in his guts. But why?! Sakura was serving a deserved sentence for her transgression, after all. “Well…I couldn't let her get away with what happened at school. She did punch her classmate, after all!"

Iruka put his hands up in a placating gesture. "Oh no, I'm not criticizing you. Goodness knows I'm a bit of a disciplinarian myself."

“You’re a natural,” Yamato said fondly. “I’ve seen you handle Naruto, and the parents from the Academy have only good things to say about your teaching style.”

Iruka beamed, and finished his coffee. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. It’s so important, to the genin, to the parents… it comes so easily to you, working with them, helping them grow into respectable members of society. It isn’t as easy for me. I don’t know if Sakura will ever confide in me the way she used to.”

The cup in his hands was plucked out of his grip. Yamato watched Iruka toss their drink cups in the trash. After the caffeine and the talk he did feel a little better. It felt similar to the few times he had to request backup that finally came to help complete the mission. He already had backup, in the form of Kakashi-senpai and Iruka living all together with them…but it was clear that his own skills were not sufficient to extract the information the Hokage wanted. It was time to admit defeat…

When Iruka walked back, Yamato caught his gaze head on. He turned to meet it. “Maybe she’ll feel more comfortable talking to you than me right now–”

Iruka’s mouth pulled a frown that threw off Yamato’s confidence. “It may seem difficult, but you have to understand, Sakura does trust you. These things really just take time. Believe me, trying to magically make things the way they were overnight isn’t going to happen. The more you push her to be a certain way, the more push back you’ll get." Iruka chuckled and shook his head. "It's funny, you know. I took you out so you could get your mind off of Sakura, and here we are, still worrying over her."

Yamato chuckled back, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Somehow defeat didn’t feel so bad, not when Iruka tended to soften every blow. The disappointment didn’t settle into his bone the way it once would. Instead, in spite of everything, and his struggles and their failure to find a solution, Yamato felt that everything would eventually turn out okay. 

The relief on his face seemed to encourage Iruka. "Well, no sense in trying to rush her. What you need is something to take your mind off of things.”

Yamato sincerely doubted there was anything that could eclipse his focus on his mission, but if Iruka had suggestions, he was willing to try them. 

“Like what?”

“In my experience, physical activity is excellent for refreshing your spirit and clearing your mind. How about a spar?”

Yamato had to swallow a laugh. There was no way a chuunin, an off-duty school teacher at that, could hope to put up enough of a challenge to come near his combat level. Yamato was so busy controlling his own expression that he missed the way Iruka’s eyes narrowed, and the way his smile thinned. 

“Yeah,” Iruka continued, though there was something different about his tone. “Just you, me, and Kakashi.”

Yamato’s eyebrows hiked up. “Kakashi-senpai?”

“Yeah,” Iruka went on, taking Yamato by the wrist and starting on a path that led toward the Academy, “Like I said. Something to take your mind off things.”

Fighting a chuunin was one thing, but fighting a chuunin and his senpai? Perhaps it would prove to be a useful distraction. Yamato was too busy not examining the tight grip Iruka had around his wrist, or the way he seemed to be storming toward their destination. Maybe the school teacher had some energy to vent. This would be mutually beneficial, then! He allowed himself to be manhandled all the way to their destination. 

~ ~ ~ 

They came to a stop under a tree with a swing. Iruka cleared his throat and it was only then Yamato thought to look up to where a chakra signature fluttered out of its half-assed camouflage. He fought not to let his jaw drop as his former captain revealed himself slouching in the tree limbs. Privately he was impressed: Kakashi was often easy to spot but difficult to find, more often than not so he could read his porn or train in peace. 

Kakashi greeted them with a wave. “Yo.”

“Put that book away,” Iruka said reflexively, releasing Yamato’s poor wrist, but not before Kakashi caught sight of them. By the cheerful close-eye-smile he got, Yamato knew he would be teased about it later that night. “We’re headed to Training Ground Six. Come along.”

Kakashi swallowed. Yamato squinted at his senpai. Was that….fear in his eye?!

“Um, actually—You know, I have–”

“Nothing to do today,” Iruka cut in, looking unimpressed. “You’re not getting out of this again, Hatake. Be a good boy and come along.”

Yamato nearly choked as Iruka darted forward to cancel the Kamawari-Jutsu Kakashi was half-way though. How had he even known Kakashi-senpai was trying to substitute himself? It bespoke familiarity that made Yamato uneasy. 

The chuunin beamed at his former squad captain, who was beginning to look even more pale than usual. 

“Training Grounds Six,” Iruka said very cheerfully. The grip he had on Kakashi’s wrist looked punishing. Yamato was beginning to wonder what kind of sparring match had a seasoned ANBU veteran trying to flee from a mere chuunin. He supposed he would find out, walking along Kakashi, who took on the appearance of a criminal dragged to the gallows, and Iruka, who was the picture of a grinning cheshire cat. 

.

..

…

Three and a half hours later, Yamato finally understood why Kakashi-senpai had tried to flee.

“Mercy,” Kakashi called for the fourth time, wheezing for air. “Please.”

Iruka made a sound in the back of his throat. “Twenty more minutes,” he bargained, “I have two more rope traps and a seal you haven’t even activated yet–”

From under the spiderweb of seals pinning the rock down on his leg, surrounded by the layers of rope he had already cut through, plastered head to toe with mud from the hidden mud slide seal, Yamato hastily pleaded alongside his former teammate. 

“It’s–getting late,” he wheezed, trying to balance the weight of the rock against sinking into the quicksand trap Iruka had led him into half an hour ago, “We need to get started on dinner before Sakura…

Wait…Sakura…Around this time, Sakura would be—

"Academy!" Yamato suddenly shouted, "the Academy is going to let out–any time–”

The sunlight flickered as his grip slipped, letting the boulder’s weight push him deeper into the pit. Yamato cursed the chakra-dampening seals that somehow pinned him down like a butterfly to a board. 

"Sensei, please, Sakura—she needs to be—" He had to pause to put all of his concentration on stabilizing himself, between the quicksand below and the boulder above, and it was this pause that Iruka capitalized on to weave signs for a Katon Jutsu. Yamato recognized the signs and felt his life flash before his eyes. 

“Mercy! Iruka, please! You win!”

The chuunin groaned and gave up his Jutsu. 

“This is why Aoba and Genma won’t spar with you,” Kakashi said testily from under all the scorch marks, his jounin vest and his dignity hanging on by shreds, “I told you ten minutes of prep was way too much, Ten–”

“Ten minutes was generous,” Yamato said quickly, thankful that Iruka was busy dispelling the boulder, loosening the ropes, and doing… something… to the quicksand so he wasn't sinking straight into the earth anymore to notice Kakashi’s near slip, “Next time you get five.”

Iruka beamed. “Next time?”

Kakashi groaned, nursing a bruised limb. 

“Don’t promise things on my behalf. Don’t pout– augh, fine, fine. Next year?”

Iruka rose an eyebrow. 

“Next week,” he bartered. Kakashi shook his head fervently. 

“I’m retired from special ops. I don’t need survival training every week anymore–next month, final offer.”

“Good thing the month ends in twelve days,” Iruka said, far too cheerfully. “See you then.”

“We live together!”

Yamato used the banter as a cover to escape. It came at a cost: his chakra levels were low. Low enough, infact, that another Jutsu would wipe him out, so he couldn’t teleport across town. He had to leg it.  

Luckily, the training grounds were not too far from the Academy. It wasn’t a terrible walk but it was a little embarrassing to be shrugging off chunks of earth and foliage on the way there. He probably looked as though he’d just been in a fight for his life–which in all fairness wasn’t far from the truth. Well! It didn’t really matter how he looked. It mattered that he was there for Sakura, preferably on time, to walk her home. Perhaps she’d be feeling a little more amicable after a day of class with her friends. 

He showed up panting and out of breath as the final bell rang, other parents and kids staring at him and whispering to each other. It wasn’t unusual for ninja to come straight from a mission to go about their day so he didn’t feel terribly out of place. Even Sakura seemed more curious about how he got dirty than why he looked as though he’d been dragged through the river between Konoha and Suna. 

"Uncle…?"

"Sorry I'm late, Sakura.”

“You’re not late. We just got out,” Sakura said, busy staring at her filthy guardian. “What tried to eat you?”

Iruka, Yamato thought miserably. 

(His brain went somewhere for a moment and his cheeks ran red hot)

School! He was at a school, with children! Tenzou hurried to banish the thought, laughing to cover up his momentary pause, which only made more people give him odd sideways glances. Sakura, surprisingly enough, took his hand and started walking away from the school. 

“You sound kinda tired, Uncle,” she said loud enough to carry, “It must have been a tough mission. Let’s get you home. Maybe a snack on the way? I'll make some chamomile tea when we get back.”

“Sure, Sakura,” Yamato said, charmed as he let the pink-haired girl lead him toward the market instead of the road to their house. They could spend a few ryo on snacks. Iruka would be getting back anytime and putting together a meal, so they had some time to spare. Sakura’s hand in his felt small. Soft. Yamato fell in step with her as they walked together. 

For a moment, all felt forgiven. There was comfort in knowing that, underneath her anger, Sakura still cared. Tenzou could not help but let a fond smile spread across his face as he watched the girl confidently order skewers of kushikatsu for the both of them. 

Maybe things would be alright after all. 

Chapter Text

“You always walk me home!”

“It’s a matter of safety,” Yamato had said calmly. Sakura sighed loudly. 

“No one else’s parents walk them home,” she groaned. Though the sentiment made Yamato’s heart beat irregular, the matter of her safety remained. He couldn’t allow Sakura to just walk home unattended, and he couldn’t ask Kakashi-senpai or Iruka to tail her when it was his responsibility. Her punishment may have been done with, but there were still rules for her to follow– 

“Do we have to do it every single day? Sometimes, Ino’s dad lets her go to the snack shop down by the Uchiha district, on the way home! And I reeeeaaaally wanna go with her. Please say I can?”

Ah-ha! Sakura wasn’t trying to be defiant for the sake of testing his authority. She was trying to hang out with a friend. His suspicions remained, but Yamato conceded. Iruka had taught him to lose a few battles.

'It's just one afternoon's walk home.' What could go wrong?

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in getting a snack before coming home." He smiled as Sakura’s bright green eyes lit up. “Dinner is at six thirty. Be back before seven!”

“I will! Thank you!” Sakura exclaimed in a rush, throwing herself around Yamato’s center in a hug. “Thank you!”

He felt warmth fill him up from where Sakura’s arms wrapped snugly around him. Both his arms settled around her and he returned the hug with a squeeze that made Sakura laugh. 

“Hey! You’re squishing me!”

Yamato squeezed just a little more with a grin. Sakura laughed harder, disappearing in a puff of smoke, and he found himself holding a log. 

"The Substitution Jutsu. She's learning so quickly," Yamato thought fondly and a bit proudly. 

He looked around for where she had swapped off to, but her footsteps gave her away. She was heading out the door to school.

“Have a great day, Sakura!”

“You too!”

The door shut. Yamato felt more at ease than he had in weeks. Simple, pure joy rose in his chest. He knew he should stifle such petty emotions, yet made no such effort to do so. 

But now was not the time to ruminate. Today was ANBU patrol duty and so very much unlike his senior, Tenzou did not like testing the patience of his team by arriving late to the preliminary duty meeting. Disappearing into his own cloud of smoke, he left the house (just a house, not a home) behind. 

~ ~ ~ 

The school bell rang. Sakura pumped a fist in the air. 

“Finally! Gosh, that day went on forever!”

“I know. I wish we didn’t have to go to school and we could just do whatever we wanted all day long! What would you do?”

“I’d hang out with you,” Sakura said without pausing for breath. Ino grinned so wide it stretched ear to ear. 

“I would, too! You’re my best friend, Sakura!”

The feeling Sakura got from Ino’s confession made her entire being light up. It felt like something wonderful and bubbly rushed up her skin! It tickled, and Sakura laughed and took off running. Ino gave chase right away. 

“I’ll beat you! I’m faster!”

“No, I am!”

“Can’t catch me!”

“Eat my dirt, Billboard Brow!”

It was just after the Academy let out so the streets were crowded. Families, villagers and shinobi alike filled the roads. Sakura and Ino tried to keep from bumping into anyone, laughing and chasing after each other. Someone inevitably stepped into their path but both girls skirted around them skillfully; the close encounter still made the passer-by bristle. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

“You watch out!” Ino said, barely pausing to stick out her tongue before barreling down the street. 

She had to catch up! Sakura began forming the hand signs to practice the steps that would let her body-flicker. She knew using chakra outside of school would be dangerous with so many villagers around, plus she was still learning, but… it was tempting. She would have to try it out later with Kakashi to help her. Yamato would just go on about how she needed to wait until she was in the right classes in the Academy or training under a Jounin sensei, but Kakashi would often feed her tidbits when he knew Yamato wasn’t listening. 

Sakura was already figuring out what to bribe the silver-haired man with when she heard a rattling hissss.  

The sound caught her off guard. She stopped running and turned to listen. It came again, from down an alleyway. 

That noise... it could only be one thing. 

She stepped into the alley, green eyes looking around. There was no sign of anything moving, but Sakura knew snakes liked to lie in plain sight, hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

Unease settled in her stomach. 

Something about this was familiar, drawing her in. Even though she knew Yamato would tell her to just turn around, even though she should catch up to Ino, it compelled Sakura to seek the source of the sound. Her emerald gaze scouted high and low for a sign. The sounds of the busy street behind her seemed to fade into silence. Her own heartbeat pounded in her ears as she listened intently. 

She scoured the alley for clues. Between one blink and the next, she was no longer alone. 

Sakura’s breath caught in her throat as her body moved automatically, reaching out of instinct, and for the spot at her back where a weapon would be–except her hand closed around nothing.

“Nice to see your reflexes are sharp as ever,” said the stranger before her. 

Surprised, and curious, and unsure if she should show it, Sakura steeled her lower lip into a scowl and she planted a foot in the ground firmly, fixing her green eyes on the figure before her. It was a man, but it had to be a ninja, with how quickly he materialized before her. He wore dark colors, grays and ashen lavender, half blended into the alleyway walls where he stood perfectly still. Sakura could make out no ninja headband visible but there was a black weapons pouch strapped to his right thigh–she was assuming it was a man, by his tenor and stance, but she had to prepare for anything. 

But nothing could have prepared her for the man’s next words. 

“Think you’re about done pretending. Ready to get back to your real parents?”

Sakura frowned before stiffening her lip. No. She wouldn’t let some stranger, no matter how bizarre, try to lead her away… 

Real parents. 

She hesitated. 

“You can’t pretend forever. Remember. You’re not their child. You’re just a mission to them.”

He was right. Sakura was Yamato’s mission… 

She thought back to the very first night she met Yamato; that cold, damp cell and itchy sweat suit that had replaced the rain-soaked kimono she was wearing. She was no one to him until they assigned her to him. Every memory after was full of smiling brown eyes. Every day had its struggles but they came with feelings of safety, of security and belonging. Kind words. Cups of warm tea. The sound of pages turning. Pictures on the wall that she’d drawn. All the pieces of her time together with this man brought heat to her face, and when her vision began to blur Sakura realized she couldn’t afford to cry, not with this stranger and his strange words, trying to throw off her guard. 

Sakura’s apprehensions vanished under a surge of confidence. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Yamato wasn’t pretending with her. The tree house bed, the visits to the library, the dinners they cooked, the lessons they shared. He didn’t have to do any of those things if she was just a babysitting mission, yet he did. Yamato didn’t have to say that her smile was something that made him smile, too: Sakura knew it, because she saw it every day. 

She looked up at the stranger with a scoff. “So what if he’s not my real dad? My real parents didn’t want me. That’s why I’m with him, right?” 

Even if she did have other parents, they threw her away, didn’t they? Why else was she here with Yamato? Sakura couldn’t pick strangers she didn't even remember over her guardians, the ones who made her time in Konoha feel less like a hostage situation and more like a loving home. How could she abandon Yamato? Or Iruka-sensei, Ino, Naruto, even dumb Kakashi?! She wouldn’t leave them behind! Not now, not ever! 

Sakura turned around to walk out of the alley. “If they didn’t want me, then I don’t need them.”

She was steps away from the main road when a snake darted out in front of her. 

Sakura took one step backwards to avoid stepping on it, but her foot never landed, and the world went dark in a lavender blur. 

~ ~ ~

There was something nice about going back to their place after patrol. Yamato knew he shouldn’t call it that, since it was all temporary, but he found himself thinking more and more that, perhaps, after this mission, he could… request… a residence similar to this one. Yeah. Perhaps, after, when Sakura’s situation was sorted and she could return home, then Yamato could have this one again… 

But the more he considered the idea, the less he liked it. Coming back to a house without Sakura? Without those clever green eyes shining, smiling up at him, ready to share parts of her day or bits of her book with him? Could he really call such a place home without her? 

It surprised Yamato just how strong his own reaction was to some stray thoughts. He laughed a little, shaking his head. “I’ve got to get a little more sleep,” he mused aloud, as though saying it might validate his excuse for such outlandish behavior. It wasn’t a behavior he had adopted previously. Sakura’s tendency to speak aloud was slowly rubbing off on him. 

Yamato felt glum. To think that those tendencies might disappear when she did…

The more he gave it thought the more he realized he dreaded that day. Of course all missions came to an end. Of course at some point her situation would be resolved, and they would solve the mystery of her parentage, and then… then… Then, naturally, there would be no reason for them to remain, to keep up the facade of familial bonds, and he would move on to his next mission. 

With a heavy heart, he decided at least coming home could cheer him up, and he silently made his way into the house he shared with Sakura, Kakashi, and Iruka. 

Sliding out from the wall Yamato silently took a few steps into the hallway and stopped. Just ahead, facing away from him and embracing on the couch, Iruka and Kakashi were carefully wrapped up in each other in an unmistakable embrace. 

A lance went straight through Yamato’s heart.. 

Why, what, without, when, stampeded through his mind, thoughts too jumbled to make any sense, unable to do anything but stare at the two curled up on the couch together. It made guilt drop like a brick into the pit of his stomach, the sinking oil slick of envy clogging up his throat as he stared, frozen in place. No. No, it’s not that. No, it can’t be, it’s probably just, it’s, they’re… 

…fine, without me. 

No, his heart hiccuped, once. 

Yamato blinked, then blinked again, as if he could wish away the scene in front of him through the power of denial alone. But Iruka stayed curled in Kakashi’s arms, and gave a sigh that was audible even from the hallway. 

“Thank you, Kakashi. I just don’t know how we’re going to tell him. He’ll be so disappointed…”

“He’s tough,” Kakashi said with a tenderness that scorched Tenzou’s ears, “We’ll tell him together. I’m sure things will turn out alright.”

They’re trying to figure out how to let me down gently, Tenzou grasped with sudden clarity. All this time, he had been misinterpreting Iruka’s kindness as overtures, when clearly the Chuunin preferred Kakashi’s company. Every smile, every warm look, of course, was just part of Iruka’s natural charm. It was never meant for him specifically. 

Humiliation settled in next. They were discussing how to break the news that they were together, that they’ve been together, if their casual closeness is any indicator. How presumptuous I’ve been, Yamato thought. How inconsiderate. His own hubris had put them in an awkward position. There was no one else to blame but himself. 

Yamato wrapped dejection around himself like a cloak. Tomorrow he would shrug it off, shedding his cocoon of comfort, and re-emerge, a blade, a weapon… but tonight he will hurt. A small luxury he would allow himself. He disappeared into his own rooms without ever greeting the others, or hearing the end of their conversation on the couch. 

~ ~ ~ 

“...Naruto’s been looking forward to moving in for weeks now, and I have to tell him it’ll be another month before the Hokage can stamp the papers,” Iruka groaned. “He’s going to be so dramatic about it.”

“Six,” Kakashi says in return. 

“Eh?”

“You’ve only told me about six times tonight,” Kakashi explained, adjusting his position on the couch as Iruka’s personal pillow for the evening. “And I’ll tell you for the seventh time, it’s going to be alright. The little knucklehead could stand to learn some patience. The wait will do him good.”

“But he’s going to be so upset at us!”

“And, for the seventh time, he’s going to get over it, Iruka. Have a little faith in the guy–”

“Yes,” Iruka laughed softly, shaking his head. “You keep telling me, he’s tough. I know. I know. You don’t need to tell me for the eighth time.”

Kakashi nodded, a smile in his eye now that Iruka was past the frantic worry from earlier. “I can make it nine, if you wanna tell me all about it, again, from the top? I wasn’t really listening.”

Iruka shoved him and stood. “Come on! I thought for sure Yamato would be back from patrol by now. The pot stickers are definitely cool. Come help me warm them up! When he gets here, let’s have dinner together, and tell him.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Kakashi says, accepting Iruka’s hand to stand, making his way toward the kitchen. Pausing, he sniffed the air, catching the change in scents, and double-checked the room. “Aa. He’s already here.”

Iruka’s eyebrows hiked up. “I never heard him come in. D’you think he went straight to sleep?”

“I can check. Two seconds.” Kakashi took a quick detour upstairs as Iruka busied himself in the kitchen. He stopped by Tenzou’s room, confirming by the chakra signature inside that the other man was indeed home. Odd. Usually he stopped by the front door to at least announce himself. It was an endearing habit he picked up, Kakashi thinks with a small smile, from Sakura, too. She was always announcing herself whenever she came into a room. Impossible to miss, with that cherry hair and boisterous presence. As much as the girl wished to deny it, she and Naruto were like two peas in a pod. 

Kakashi stopped in front of his teammate’s door and raps his knuckles. “There’s dinner. Should be hot in a few minutes.”

“Not hungry,” a voice calls, muffled, as though from under covers. Strange, in all the years he had known him, . Kakashi doesn’t push it though, and mentions they’ll save him a bowl, and gets no response. He finds Iruka setting three plates and goes to help with drinks. Iruka pulls a face when Kakashi grabs two cups. “Don’t forget Yamato.”

“I could never,” Kakashi said earnestly. “But tonight he’s more tired than hungry. I don’t think he’s going to be down for dinner.”

“Let’s put a plate aside for him, for later,” Iruka decided. “Perhaps he’ll change his tune in a few hours.” 

“That’s sweet of you,” Kakashi says in a sing-song voice, dodging when Iruka goes to shove his shoulder. 

The two of them settle in at the table when a banging comes at the door. 

~ ~ ~

What a fool he was. 

As a shinobi, Yamato followed the orders of his Hokage flawlessly; he had to work on cultivating the bonds of trust so Sakura would naturally give him the information he needed, to observe her for any irregularities that separated her as Orochimaru’s kin. He wanted to know, but once again he had let emotions overcome him. They did not assign him to Sakura to be her best friend. He was trying to get information out of her–trying to divine the specific relationship she had with Orochimaru, if any, and what that might mean for the village. That was his purpose, his mission, his goal… 

Yet it was becoming impossible to deny that Sakura meant something more than a mission to him. She was important to him–he was willing to break protocol on her behalf, to take unnecessary risks and unusual strenuous methods to avoid hurting her. 

It was unacceptable, shameful that he would allow his emotions to overtake him in such a way. He had let himself become too absorbed into the fantasy of it all. A home, a child, a lover. 

Tonight, he would allow himself the illusion, just for now, to remember everything fondly by. Tomorrow he would apologize to Kakashi, and Iruka, for his selfish behavior, dragging the mission out with needless semantics and distractions. How he allowed his judgment to be clouded, how Konoha’s best interests were not in his heart. Tomorrow he would regain his focus, and redouble his efforts to extract information from Sakura about her origins and relationship to Orochimaru, to bring a prompt end to this entire situation. 

The sooner it ended, the sooner he could resolve these lingering useless emotions, like regret, and resentment, and return to being the perfect weapon. 

Even as he thought it, Yamato recognized he wasn’t as excited about the prospect of everything returning to how it was before. Before the mission, and Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka, the house he’d made, the bonds they’d built… giving it all up, just to be another chess piece for Konoha to move… felt… 

Loud banging on the door downstairs drew Yamato’s attention. He cautiously listened in, wanting to know but also not wanting to intrude. He recognized the voice of Sakura’s friend, the blonde Yamanaka

heir, the sound of Iruka’s voice rising, before footsteps announced someone was running up the steps. Yamato rolled out of bed, prepared for anything–

“Sakura’s missing!”

–Anything, except for that.