the strangers
It was quiet morning in the Uchiha district, the only sounds the almost undetectable sound of shinobi and the sound of birds. The silence is broken by a slamming door and a shout.
“C’mon Hiro-nii! Hurry up!” a loud voice echoes throughout the Uchiha district early in the morning, waking many of its residents.
“You’re so loud, little brother,” Hiro, a tall messy haired Uchiha, complains. In his arms is a small child blearily rubbing his eyes, his silver hair lying flat on one side.
“To be honest, I don’t even know why I want to marry such a loud person like Obito,” the silver haired child yawns. He pats Hiro’s to let him know it is okay to put him down. Once on the floor, he stretches his body and drags his hand through his hair, somewhat fixing it.
“Kakashi! Don’t be like that! You know it’s cause you love me!” Obito whines. His response causes Hiro to chuckle and Kakashi to blush darkly, his blush barely visible over his mask.
Hiro turns towards the door he’s holding open.
“Bye Gran! We’re going out!” Hiro yells through the open door.
“Have fun boys! And good luck on your mission, Hiro-kun,” a kind old voice comes from the house. Hiro gently closes the door behind him.
“Alright! Remind me what we’re doing today, minions?” Hiro claps his hands.
“We’re going to the gates!” Obito chirps.
“We’re going to wait for dad and then you leave on a mission as soon as he gets here,” Kakashi adds.
“Correct!” Hiro says cheerily, “Grab my hands kids.”
Obito and Kakashi do as he says and in a blink of an eye, they are gone.
At the gates the bored chunnin shriek in alarm when three people pop out of thin air. Obito break off into peals of laughter at their faces. Kakashi smiles in amusement as Hiro snickers.
They chunnin whine, “You always do this, Hiro-san.”
“Well if you don’t lower you guards so much, you wouldn’t be surprised.” Hiro retorts. The chunnin blush and nod.
Hiro turns to his charges and smiles at them, “we should probably sit.”
Obito and Kakashi run towards the nearest bench, Hiro trailing behind them. Kakashi sits in the middle with the Uchihas bracketing his sides.
They wait and talk, the sun slowly inching across the sky. Hiro looks at the moving sun worriedly, glancing from the sky to the path exiting Konoha.
“Are you okay Hiro-nii,” Kakashi asks noticing his worry. Obito looks at his older brother.
“I’m fine, Kashi,” Hiro says with a strained smile.
“Dad was supposed to be here earlier, wasn’t he?” Kakashi asks, wringing his shirt in worry. Obito takes his hands and pulls him into a hug to comfort him.
Hiro sighs, “you’re too smart for your own good, Kashi-chan. I can’t hide much from you, can I? Sakumo-sensei was supposed to be here in the morning but it’s already nearing midday. I don’t know if-” He breaks off at the children’s misty eyes. “I’m sure he’s fine, kids. He’s one of the Konoha’s strongest shinobi.” He comforts.
Obito wipes his eyes with one hand. “Right! He’s super strong and cool! So, don’t worry Kashi,” Obito comforts the younger boy.
Kakashi relaxes slightly in Obito’s arms. “Okay,” he whispers, looking towards the road in worry.
“Are you kids hungry?” Hiro tries to get their attention from the road. They both hum in unison, not breaking their stares. Hiro nervously chuckles and makes a clone. He sends his clone to buy ramen. When he comes back he gives them their bowls. They all eat in silence, occasionally throwing looks out at the horizon.
“Hiro-nii! Hiro-nii!” Obito yells out, noodles hanging from his mouth. “I think I see him!” He points towards a distant figure, their silver hair glinting in the sun.
Hiro squints, trying to get a good look. “Yup! See kids! Nothing to worry abou-,” He trails off when he catches sight of multiple figures surrounding his teacher. “Okay never mind,” he grumbles to himself.
“Who are they, Hiro-nii?” The kids ask.
With a hard look in his eyes, Hiro answers seriously, “I don’t know. So, I want you to stand back, I’m going to see who they are first.”
As Sakumo nears, Hiro noticed that most of the figures were large dogs, three of them carrying a child each, the rest had packs attached to them. The two remaining figures were a redheaded boy about his age and a teenage girl with silver hair. The teen was talking to his teacher, her long fur scarf appearing to wiggle in glee.
Hiro sees his teacher look up from his conversation and see him and the kids. Sakumo waves at them, they wave back.
A frown appears on his face when he notices his student and charges do not get closer to him. Sakumo turns to the girl and tells he something, she nods and holds out her hand, stopping the rest of the group. Sakumo breaks off from the group and jogs ahead to meet his student.
“Hey Hiro! What’s wrong?” Sakumo asks.
“We were worried, sensei. You didn’t come in time and you brought strangers. Who are they? Are a threat?” Hiro tells his teacher.
Kakashi breaks off from Obito and runs towards his father and his dad’s student, interrupting their conversation.
“Dad! Welcome home!” Kakashi says as her throws himself at Sakumo, who quickly catches him.
“Hey, Pup! I’m sorry I came late, please forgive me,” Sakumo says as he brings Kakashi up to his face to kiss his masked cheeks. Kakashi squirms in his arms then settles with a light blush on his face.
“It’s okay Sakumo-sensei! Anyway, who are they?” Obito answers for Kakashi, peeking at the group of strangers.
“Ah! They’re people looking to move to Konoha. So, I decided to escort them here.”
“Of course you did sensei,” Hiro chuckles, shaking his head. He looks up at the sun. “I’m sorry but my introduction’s going to have to wait! I’m late for my mission!” He says in panic. He disappears in a flurry of leaves.
Sakumo chuckles at his student. He looks to the group he led here. “Kasumi-chan! Come meet my cute son and his friend!” He calls.
The girl nods and walks closer. “Hello little ones,” she smiles with her eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Hatake Kasumi.”
“Hatake? Like Kashi and Sakumo-sensei?” Obito asks. Kakashi stares in amazement at the girl who could be a part of his family.
“Yup! Just like me and Kakashi!” Sakumo smiles. “I actually decided she’s going to be my baby sister, but she can be your big sister as well, Kakashi.” Sakumo says, snapping his son out of his daze. Kakashi nods, lightly tapping on his father’s face to be let down.
Kakashi walks to Kasumi and stands in front of her. He stares at her masked face. “You wear a mask like me. Why?” he asks.
“Kakashi-chan? Right? I wear this mask for two reasons. First one is that I am waiting till marriage to reveal my face and reason number two is that I needed to hide my clan markings to protect myself.” She whispers to him.
“Me too!” Kakashi gasps. “Dad doesn’t have them, but I do so I wear a mask.”
“You do? Hmm. So that must mean you’re super special,” she smiles at him.
“Thank you, neesan!” Kakashi blushes at her compliment.
Obito interrupts. “Can I call you neesan too? Cause I’m gonna marry Kashi, so that makes you my future sister-in-law,” he points at her. “Oh! My names Uchiha Obito and my big brother is Hiro, but he left on a super important mission!”
Kasumi giggles as Sakumo silently flails behinds the kids. “Of course, Obito-kun.” She beckons the dogs that have the children she came with.
“These are my adorable students,” she points at a pink haired child, “this is my oldest, Sakumo but you can call them Saku-chan or Saku-kun, maybe even Kumo-kun/-chan.”
Saku smiles their green eyes crinkling slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” They bow their hands laying neatly on top of their apron.
Kasumi pats the head of a black-haired boy. “This is Sasuno.”
Sasuno waves a slight smile on his face.
Kasumi then pats the shoulder of a tiny blond boy. “This little monster is Naru.”
“Nice ta meetcha! Just so you know sometimes I’m a girl!’ Naru say excitedly, a large smile on his whiskered face.
“You have whiskers!” Obito yells. Kakashi smacks him over the head.
“Sorry about him, he’s an idiot. So, what’s your name when you’re a girl, if you don’t mind me asking?” Kakashi asks.
“When I’m a girl my name’s Narumi!” Naru answers. All the children begin talking, some louder than others, and they share stories as the two teens and Sakumo look on.
“They look like they’re getting along,” Sakumo observes as Kakashi decides that questioning Naru about sometimes being a girl is a good way to know get to know each other. Naru just answers the questions he knows with a smile and hand gestures.
“I’m glad the kids are socializing with others their age,” Kasumi adds watching as Saku decides to stage a make shift fashion show with Naru and Kakashi as their models, and Obito and Sasuno as the judges.
“Me too. Kakashi and Obito barely hang out with their school mates. Only with each other and sometimes with a girl named Rin.” Sakumo says as they watch Obito and Sasuno get into a tiny fist fight over the winner of the fashion show.
“Shouldn’t we move this party elsewhere, for example the Kage’s office to explain our situation?” The redheaded boy, Kurama, growls as Saku bonks the fighting boys over the head.
“Of course, Kurama,” Sakumo placates him, “kids! We’re all going to the Hokage’s tower so, start getting ready to leave.”
“Awww,” they all moan. Then they all answer an affirmative.
“Oooo! Sensei! Can we pleaaase ride your dogs again? Please?” Naru pleads his big blue eyes in puppy dog mode.
“Alright Naru-chan.” She whistles, and three large dogs appear at her sides. “Choose your ride.”
Naru and Sasuno pick a dog together as Saku claims one as their own, leaving Obito and Kakashi to share one.
Obito helps Kakashi climb on and then climbs on behind him, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. Sakumo gives an inaudible whine at the cute scene his son and Obito paint.
Kasumi giggles, “I think I know who’s getting Kakashi’s mask.” Sakumo gives a strangled whine making Kurama practically bark in laughter. They walk into the village and towards the Hokage’s tower.