Chapter 16
A new semester of the academy was starting and Keigo, at the ripe age of seventeen, a full ten years after graduating, was returning to its courtyard.
Naruto who would be turning seven in a few weeks was beginning his official education to become a shinobi.
Keigo had struggled that morning trying to calm the hyperactive child and get him ready for his first day of school.
At five in the morning Naruto was already running through the corridors of the house looking for his best orange sweatshirt that Keigo had laid out the night before.
By six they were both out of the house heading towards the memorial stone.
Keigo in his ANBU top and sweatpants and Naruto in orange with his old goggles stuck on his head and backpack on his shoulder.
Keigo had made it a tradition for his little brother to go to the memorial for every important event in their life and tell their mother about it.
For Naruto it was a way to feel close to the mother he had never known except through the stories of his brother or father and for Keigo it was to remember those he had lost over the years.
His mother, Hisao, Shoko.
They sat cross-legged on the grass in front of the stone shoulder to shoulder.
The blond head barely reached his older brother's shoulder.
The sun was still rising and the only sound that could be heard was the birds calling.
Keigo was lost in thought.
Naruto was the first thing on his mind, his teachers at the academy, and his classmates. As sooner or later he would have to be told about the furry company inside his body.
He also thought about Konohamaru, the child was almost three years old and was already running everywhere, perhaps for his birthday he would buy Mai a leash.
"Do you think dad will come to the opening ceremony today?" Naruto asked with an unsure voice.
Keigo hated that Naruto had to ask for certain things, his father's presence shouldn't even be a problem.
But he knew that being the hokage's children was no easy matter, their father did his best to make time for them, he never failed to tell them that he loved them and he showed it every day, but he was just a man and he couldn't be in two places at once without using any jutsu.
"I promise he'll be there even if I have to kick his butt all the way down the street myself"
Keigo knew he shouldn't make certain promises but when he saw the bright smile that broke his little brother's face he couldn't regret it.
By seven thirty they were back on the road, heading towards the academy.
Naruto was holding Keigo's hand and swinging their arms as he had a bounce in his step.
Oh how Keigo loved his little sunshine.
The academy gates were already filled with parents and children.
In the crowd he recognized some faces, he motioned to Mikoto who had a sulking Sasuke in front of her and an indifferent Itachi at her side.
He stopped for a brief hug and pat on the shoulder from Yoshino and Shikaku and after ruffling Shikamaru's hair he led Naruto to a less crowded spot in the courtyard.
How he hoped his little brother's teacher would be Obito.
There was just under twenty minutes until the bell rang and the first day of school officially started and there was no sign of their father.
Keigo could see Naruto's hopes dwindling by the minute. The boy's arms had made their way around his waist and his face was hidden in his shirt.
Keigo was already fuming as he thought about the fight the tower would hear when he got back.
"KEIGO" a voice breaks through the noise of the crowd, interrupting his thoughts.
When he looks up from the unhappy child in his arms he sees the blond head of his father approaching.
"Look who there is sunshine" Keigo said with relief evident in his voice.
"DAD" the little boy screamed, throwing himself into his father's waiting arms.
"Sorry for the delay" Minato said as he hugged his youngest son.
"Kei had said he would kick your ass if you didn't show up"
"Not exactly the wording I had used..." Keigo muttered under his breath.
He couldn't believe Naruto had spilled the beans.
After a last round of hugs the youngest was sent to school after the bell rang.
If he played his cards right Keigo could camp on a branch and spy on the lesson.
"I know what you're thinking and that's not going to happen"
Minato smiled at his elder. His children had grown, the youngest already at the academy and the eldest the same age he had been when he was born.
"I have the day off today, do you think you can spend some time with your old man?" Minato asked.
Keigo's eyes light up at the proposal and for a moment it seemed to Minato that instead of the seventeen year old, the eight year old boy who wanted nothing more to spend time with his father had returned.
The father-son couple were sitting on the sofa leafing through an old photo album.
They were having the time of their lives when a knock on the window interrupted them.
Behind the closed glass Kakashi was perched on the windowsill, his fist raised to knock again.
Minato motioned for his student to come in, after all their windows were always open for occasions like this, the knocking was just a formality.
Kakashi sat down on the other side of Minato and stared at the album they were looking at.
"You got here just in time, I was about to pull out Keigo's baby pictures" his father said as Keigo groaned in protest.
Keigo decided his parents were crazy when he was born, the number of photos of him in the bathtub was embarrassingly high.
As the years continued to flow on the paper, one photo in particular caught his attention.
"Oh I remember that day, Kakashi your face was memorable" he said while pointing to a picture.
The captured moment depicted a roughly seven-year-old Keigo surrounded by Kakashi's entire pack of ninken.
He remembered that he had managed to trick Kakashi into letting him feed the dogs and then take them away when he was distracted. He had reached the river before distracting himself by playing and it was there that he was found a few hours later.
"Man I loved playing with your pack" Keigo sighed as he continued to smile.
He looked up to see Kakashi's reaction but was met by a gray eye that was already looking at him softly.
Keigo quickly looked away as heat flooded his cheeks.
What was wrong with him no one had ever triggered such a reaction on him.
"Maybe the next time I call them I'll make sure you can say hello"
Something bubbled in Keigo's stomach at the statement, maybe it was the expired cereal he ate for breakfast.
Minato didn't even notice the exchange that had taken place too lost to gush over the baby's photos.
An opportunity arose a few days later.
Keigo was looking for Kakashi for some reports to deliver and was sent towards training ground seven.
The field was almost empty if it weren't for the shinobi and a pack of ninken.
Keigo's eyes lit up at the sight of the dogs, with a whistle he made his presence known.
Everyone turned to see who was interrupting their training session ready to ignore whoever was disturbing them.
If it weren't for the fact that the jammer was a special red head.
Keigo wasn't ready for the assault that Bull, Kakashi's pack mastiff, made on him.
"Bull, come on boy, stop drooling on me"
The dog had landed him on the ground while licking him in all the parts that were within reach of the tongue.
Bull had always been Keigo's favorite, when he was little the mastiff towered over him but now he was half his size.
By the time he managed to break away from the attack the other dogs had already surrounded him.
"Come on boy, play fetch" Urushi said over the noise.
"Yes, play fetch" the rest of the dogs agreed.
He didn't have to be told twice before he started throwing a stick as far as he could.
"Mah Keigo, you spoil them like this" Kakashi drawled.
He wasn't bothered with a response as Keigo stuck his tongue out at him and ran off to chase his furry friends.
Towards the evening, after getting tired of running, they decided to go and eat something. They entered the first restaurant they came to but in the heat of the moment they forgot about the queue of dogs they were dragging around.
They were unceremoniously kicked out and found themselves with takeout boxes on a random rooftop.
They ate while joking with each other and after dinner they remained talking long after the sun had set.
"-and you were a better roommate than Naruto anyway" Keigo laughed.
"Well I'm honored that you thought I was a better roommate than a six year old" Kakashi bumped their shoulders together.
Keigo could see the outline of his lips under the mask.
The stirring in his stomach began again and he thought that maybe it wasn't the expired cereal the other day.
Sometimes their eyes would meet and Kakashi would smile, and maybe Keigo was projecting his feelings, but in those moments they didn't seem very one-sided.