Malachite

Hatake Kakashi has heard many things about Naruto-chan’s best friends. ‘Sasuke is always grumpy and frowning but secretly loves to cuddle and is very ticklish, ttebayo! Sakura-chan is loud and strong but super pretty, has the nicest smile and gives the best hugs!’ All three revolved around each other in a way that should make the latest generation of Ino-Shika-Cho jealous. 

And while he’s had his fair experiences with Uchiha- what with him being on a team with one and then the dumbass gave him his eye. 

(The irony being, Obito’s left eye socket chakra circuits were too damaged for Rin to fix and Kakashi’s left eye was unsalvagable beyond anything probably even Tsunade-hime could fix. So Obito gave the eye to Kakashi as a gift and Kakashi swore to protect his team like he would his pack. And he has.)

This is the first time he has ever had the pleasure of direct contact and communication with a Haruno. 

Oh, he had seen them during the seasonal festivals. A few in the academy he attended for all of barely one year. In the village doing menial things. At the hospital occasionally. Even in the various parks across the village. 

That is to say, those interactions were merely observations and few and far between. 

But none of those “interactions” prepare him for the toddler heiress, Haruno Sakura. 

With the lightest pink hair he has EVER seen on a Haruno( including her older brother who is right behind her) in his life and eyes the color of jade flecked with gold, she is quite easily the most disarming person he has ever met. Based on color scheme alone. But he is a Hatake true and through. And the buried instincts deep in his bones howl something fierce and protective as he keeps eye contact with the little princess. 

She holds both Naruto and Sasuke’s hand, letting the former drag the other two over to where he is with his team and sensei. Their older siblings (and cousin) follow behind them, amused.

“Ah, it seems Naruto is coming to introduce his best friends to his ‘older siblings’.” Minato-sensei teases. 

Obito chuckles and Rin giggles behind her hand. Kakashi doesn’t get to taunt either of them because suddenly, yellow, pink and dark blue stop in front of their group.

“Saku-chan! Sasuke! Meet Rin-nee, Tobi-nii, and Kaka-nii!” The little blonde birthday boy shouts their introduction with finger pointing. 

Uchiha Sasuke is further proof that Obito and Shisui were either dropped on their heads as babies or cut from a different cloth completely. Because he has the Uchiha stand offish nature almost perfect as he inspects all three teens after bowing at Minato-sensei. He nods at Obito in recognition of the older relative and stares silently and judgementally at him and Rin. 

But none of that has anything on the unnerving look little Haruno Sakura gives him. She has not once looked at Obito and Rin. Having long let go of both boys hands, she stares unblinkingly at Kakashi and the rest of the group has noticed. 

He thinks he hears Rin greeting them as Obito ruffles Naruto’s spikey locks, probably trying to ease the tension. The Uchiha teens and Haruno teen all bow at Minato-sensei in his peripheral. 

But Kakashi isn’t paying attention. Not fully. Because that thing is still howling at him to pick up the little girl. To be near her. To be near all of them, really.

It seems she is of the same opinion because she takes dainty steps toward him, ignoring the concerned or confused looks from the rest of the group. The rosette stops right in front of him, finally blinks, and then gives him a smile that he is confident could pure any wretched soul.

The Haruno heiress holds both her hands up in the universal motion for “pick me up” that he learned from Naruto. 

He has a microsecond to remember Haruno bonds and imprints and then a nano second to remember that they don’t appear until they turn five and she is currently three. Which means he loses the tension in his posture and doesn’t fight the urge to pick up the little girl like his instincts have been howling at him to do.

All eyes are on the two but Sakura doesn’t seem to mind as she wraps her arms around his neck, send a burst of he realizes belated is medical chakra through his system, exhales, and promptly falls asleep. 

That exhaled sounded relieved… and was that iryō ninjutsu?

Before he can question anything, he looks down and sees both Naruto and Sasuke staring at him with that same unflinching intensity Sakura had been. Kakashi doesn’t even get to ask them ‘what’s wrong?’ before each boy stepped closer and gripped a pants leg tightly. All three lose the tension they probably never noticed they had. 

Little Sasuke has a small smile on his face as he listens to Naruto excitedly chirp something to Rin and Obito. Itachi, Shisui, Minato-sensei, Rin, and Obito watch with a mix trepidation and curiousity.

“Well then…” The other Haruno starts, with a grin on his face, “Welcome to family, Kakashi-senpai. My name is Haruno Kaede and I’m her older brother.”