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Kakashi feels fine, right as rain he says in his usual nonchalant drawl, but Sakura and Shizune insist he get checked out and stay on bed rest for a night anyway. Naruto’s eyes refuse to leave him, so he relents thinking it will at least get the blonde to rest with him.
The boy wastes no time climbing into the futon with him when he finally lays back, ignoring his protests because they did bring in two futons, the village hero should have his own after all.
“This way you can’t sneak out!” The blonde insists and for a second Kakashi thinks he’s going to flop down on top of him to enforce that. His body might not be dead anymore but it certainly isn’t enthusiastic about supporting 140 pounds of over enthusiastic teenage boy either. Naruto mercifully drops to the side, curling close and resting his head on Kakashi’s arm, now thrown around him, because he too feels the need to confirm that this isn’t, in fact, the afterlife.
Sakura wants to stay too, but she needs to help with healing anyone still injured. He nods her way assuringly and she smiles softly before taking her leave with a promise to be back as soon as she can, and they’d better not dare to move in the meantime.
It’s not quiet exactly, with so much to do, but it is subdued outside the tent - people speaking in low tones instead of the usual yelled out orders.
“Thank you for saving, Iruka-sensei.”
Naruto’s whisper is soft.
“Thank you for saving me and everyone else.”
The younger’s grip on his waist tightens.
“I couldn’t feel you. When I arrived, your chakra...I felt everyone I loved but you,” Naruto’s eyes are wet and the moisture is seeping into Kakashi’s shirt. He’s refusing to make eye contact, so Kakashi tilts his head to rest a cheek against golden strands instead. “Pervy Sage is gone forever, and...and Sasuke’s still out there somewhere I might never find him and if you were gone too...I couldn’t deal with it, sensei.”
There’s nothing he can say to soothe the ache of those moments of loss, it’s a pain he knows all too well though without a reversal like this. They are blessed, at least for today.
“I‘m so tired…” Naruto murmurs, his cheek squished against Kakashi’s chest.
He doesn’t just mean physically, Kakashi knows. There is more weight on Naruto than is fair, and there will be more still.
“Sleep.”
A bright blue eye peeks up at him, narrowed suspiciously.
“Only if you won’t leave while I’m out.”
“I won’t. Promise.”
It doesn’t take long for the boy to doze off after that assurance. Naruto is a mini-heater like he always is and the tents are not insulated, so his warmth is welcomed. His normally voluminous hair is matted and dirty like they all are and they could both use a shower but none of that bothers him now. He gives in to his exhaustion.
Sakura comes back a couple of hours later, waking them when she jostles them to slide in on Kakashi’s other side.
“You’re both a little old for this, don’t you think?” he says, letting her wind his other arm around her.
“Never!” she whisper-shouts, pressing a kiss to his temple, “I’m saving the punch for when you can handle it.”
Her hand rests across his chest and interlocks with Naruto’s as she settles in, the blonde drifting off again with a brush of his thumb against her worn knuckles.
He feels a sting behind his eyes.
He’d never been particularly affectionate. He remembers Minato pulling him into his side after hard missions, Rin hugging him, even Obito punching his shoulder softly with a grin before saying goodbye and heading home. But always initiated by others. It had been hard to even accept such things after Sakumo died. It stayed that way until he inherited his own trouble makers, first for their benefit and then because he realized it had been good for him too, to feel human and anchor himself to this earth.
To stay on this plane instead of walking with one foot in the next.
They are probably the most codependent team in the village he thinks helplessly - something that probably isn’t ideal - and yet aren’t known for tenderness, always defaulting to the rough affection they’d begun with all those years ago. These are two of the most important people still in his life though and he doesn’t feel embarrassed about it anymore, doesn’t feel like it’s a weakness to tug them in closer and rest a hand each in their hair. Meeting his father again had been a long needed shake to his system, and his father had been many things but unaffectionate was not one of them.
Life is entirely too short to hold such things in reserve.
Both his charges are well into sleep now and he lets his mind wander to the obvious. There is a noticeable empty space on Naruto’s side, where a certain raven-haired team mate would have rested years ago. Sasuke would die before being caught cuddling, so he’d sleep back to back with the blonde, but still in contact. He can almost imagine him now, frowning at Kakashi, probably calling him an idiot for going against Pain like he had but refusing to leave his side for long, as he had all those years ago in the Land of Waves. He sends a wish out into the world, hoping the boy is safe wherever he is.
The flap to the tent is whipped open then.
“Kakashi,” Tenzo breathes as Kakashi waves at the brunette from the ground while he drops his face into his hands, “I heard that you had- fuck , I thought....I’m glad you’re here, senpai.”
Tenzo takes a moment to settle himself breathing into his palms still and Kakashi lets him have it without comment. They are both familiar with these controlled displays, those precious few moments between missions and leading their juniors where they can let their masks slip. The other man settles into a space near the foot of the futon, crossing his legs. After a moment's hesitation he reaches out to pat Kakashi’s calf as if confirming for himself he is indeed here, in the flesh.
Kakashi smiles at him, raising a brow.
“You’re not going to want to join us, too, are you?”
Tenzo laughs, a hearty sound that Kakashi soaks in. Such moments have been few and there is beauty in having one now, amidst this most recent bout of chaos.
“No, I’m fine sitting guard here...besides I think those two look rather territorial at the moment. I’m not keen on finding out if Naruto’s bite is worse than Pakkun’s.”
Tenzo looks at them fondly and it warms Kakashi to know he’s also found a place on their team, in Naruto and Sakura’s lives as well. If anyone deserves that, it’s his kouhai.
The reference to his ninken makes him grin, they really are like his pups. He can feel both Naruto and Sakura’s breaths through his shirt; steady, soothing. Alive. He watches the slow movement of their backs as they inhale and exhale in sleep. They’d both worked hard and there are few rewards in shinobi life, a peaceful sleep is one of them and quite rare at that.
He senses another chakra outside the tent then, cool and controlled but with a touch of anxiety.
“You can come in, Sai,” he calls gently, knowing the boy will hear it.
The pale shinobi peeks his head in through the flap before stepping further in and settling beside Tenzo.
“Kakashi-sensei. I am very happy to see you alive and well indeed.”
Sai is still learning to emote, but his eyes are sincere and he looks at Kakashi with genuine care.
He doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve so much, but he will do everything to protect them and not take it for granted.
“You too, Sai.”
“Sleep, Kakashi,” Tenzo says, “We’ll stand guard.”
Kakashi closes his eyes, and rests.