Love, Actually

Chapter 12

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Sakura watched as the training ground around her started to shimmer and swirl in a manner that signified the memory was changing. As it finally faded away, a familiar looking location appeared in its wake.

She recognised the place. They were in Kagome's home again.

The last time that Sakura had been here, the Higurashi house had been bright, cheerful and welcoming. There was never a shortage of laughter in the dwelling and it had been filled with so much love and happiness that the emotions had seemed almost tangible. But now… The atmosphere was gloomy, almost depressing. Sorrow and grief seemed to leak from the very walls and there was no more laughter.

Sakura bit her lip. Things really had gone to hell when Kagerou died.

Kagome was sitting on the very same couch that Sakura had seen her and Itachi on when the two had met for the first time. There was a complicated looking scroll spread out on the coffee table in front of her and as she read, Kagome traced the words carefully with one hand while the other gently rocked the cradle that was situated beside the couch.

Kun Loon was nowhere to be found but Sakura could hear some muffled noises coming from upstairs.

Kagome was fully immersed in the scroll but whenever little Souta made a faint noise in his sleep, she would look up to check if he had woken up. Then, after seeing that he hadn't, she would go back to her reading.

The mere sight of it all was a bit jarring for Sakura.

Most children Kagome's age would be full of energy, smiles and laughter. They would only be interested in playing and living a relatively simple life under the love and care of their parents. They weren't supposed to be cooped up in the house, taking care of a depressed mother and a baby brother. They weren't supposed to be subdued, serious in temperament and reading difficult sealing scrolls for fun.

As always, a part of Sakura mourned for the loss of her friend's innocence.

The pink haired medic watched as Kagome looked up from her reading again and stood up. She expertly rolled up the scroll, secured it with a piece of string and placed it back on the coffee table before making her way over to the hallway, towards the front door.

She opened it quietly and standing outside, with her finger poised over the doorbell, was a woman Sakura recognised from Kagerou's funeral.

The beautiful redhead with the knee-length hair and striking violet eyes. Right now, the woman was wearing a long green dress that accentuated the colour of her hair and was carrying a large woven basket with a cloth thrown over it, obscuring the contents inside.

Even though she had only seen the redhead twice now, Sakura couldn't help feeling that she knew her. Why was that?

"Hello Kushina-san," Kagome greeted politely, a small smile on her face.

The woman known as Kushina grinned as she lowered her finger from the doorbell. "Hey there yourself Kagome-chan. How's my favourite little Seal Master and her baby brother the Great Puking Boy Wonder doing?"

"I'm doing fine Kushina-san. I was just reading one of Daddy's Sealing scrolls when I sensed you coming. And will you ever stop calling Souta that?" Kagome asked with a slight laugh. Her tone was full of amused exasperation. "He was a month old when he threw up on Minato-san and it was only that one time at his birthday party but you've been calling him that ever since."

Kushina's grin only got wider. "Once is enough. I'll never forget the sight of a Minato covered in baby vomit or the look on his face till the day I die," she declared with a cackle.

The amusement bled out of Kagome's face at the 'd' word. "Please don't say that Kushina-san."

The redhead froze mid-laugh and a look of mortification appeared on her face. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Ah… I'm sorry about that Kagome-chan. I'm a motor-mouth and sometimes I just say things without thinking them through, ya know?"

Sakura blinked. Ya know?

Why did Sakura find that so familiar? She proceeded to study Kushina with a critical eye, trying to understand. As her gaze roamed over the woman's face, it suddenly clicked for her. (In the back of her mind, she remembered a blonde motor-mouthed boy, his expression carefree and proud as he proclaimed to the world, "I'm gonna be Hokage someday, ya know!")

The pink haired medic turned to her husband. "Sasuke… Is that who I think it is…?"

The Uchiha looked at her, then back at the redhead. His expression was frustratingly blank. "I'm really not the one you should be asking about this Sakura, but yes. That woman's full name is Uzumaki Kushina."

Sakura drew in a slow breath as she turned her eyes back to the scene. Her mind reeled.

That was Naruto's mother. God, Kushina was Naruto's mother. Why hadn't she realised it before? She was becoming rather obtuse today, wasn't she? Now that she knew it, Sakura could see how obvious it was. Naruto may have had Minato's colouring, but in matters of appearance he really resembled his mother, right from the fullness of his face down to his big, expressive eyes. And according to her blonde friend, he was also rather much like her in personality as well.

Kagome knew Naruto's parents. And from the looks of it, she knew them well, Sakura thought, feeling a pang of sadness for her friend.

"Where's your mom?" Kushina asked, snapping Sakura out of her reverie. The redhead was looking beyond the doorway into the dimly lit house. She didn't hear much noise coming from inside, and she was only mildly surprised that it was Kagome who answered the door, not Kun Loon.

"She's sleeping upstairs."

"Has she made breakfast for you yet?"

"No. She hasn't left her bed yet. It's okay though Kushina-san. I had some of the onigiri I made last night."

Kushina pursed her lips and a cold flash of anger shone in her violet eyes for a brief moment. Sakura almost flinched from that expression. The petite woman really didn't look it, but she was dangerous and not someone to be trifled with. But then again, it was kind of expected of the woman who managed to tame Konoha's Yellow Flash. From what Naruto told her, his mother had been referred to as the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero…

"She's still sleeping huh?" she muttered to herself. "Well, we're gonna have to change that…"

"Kushina-san?"

The woman in question shifted in her stance as she looked at the young girl. "So, are you going to let me in? And just to let ya know, I was just asking you that to be polite when really, you have no choice because you and I both know exactly what day it is. And of course we're going to celebrate it," the redhead informed her plainly. She held up the large basket. "I even brought supplies. Mikoto will be coming by with Itachi-kun and the cake later on but for now, we have a lot of stuff to do before the guests get here."

Kagome eyed Kushina for a few seconds before stepping aside. "I'd ask you to be quiet because Souta is sleeping, but really Kushina-san, you and I both know exactly how impossible that is," she said with a wry smile. The way the girl spoke mimicked Kushina's previous words.

The woman barked out a laugh as she entered the house. "You know me too well Kagome-chan. Now come on, let's drag your mom out of bed, shall we?"

"Okay," the girl said softly.

"Oh, and Kagome-chan?" Kushina said, placing an affectionate hand on the girl's head. "Happy Birthday."

Kagome blinked once at the beaming woman before breaking out into a small, but beautiful smile of her own.

Even the best Ninja couldn't remember everything about a person, especially after two decades of not seeing them.

Even when they clung on to their memories of that person as hard as they could, things about them would undoubtedly still slip through the cracks and be forgotten. The exact shade of their eyes, the way they smiled, the timbre of their voice and things like that.

Eventually, time would take its toll on one's memory.

Kakashi hadn't forgotten how formidable Kushina could be whenever she wanted to. No, it would probably take one of Tsunade's chakra-powered fists to his skull to make him forget about that.

But the scarecrow had forgotten how the redhead would lock her jaw whenever she became determined about something, how her voice would deepen just a bit and how her violet eyes would take on a slightly red tint to them, courtesy of Kurama being sealed inside her. (Just like he had forgotten how Obito would hold his chopsticks crossed instead of straight, how Minato's cheeks would flush lightly whenever he was happily surprised and how Rin's gaze would always soften at the sight of children.)

The Copy Ninja watched, with eyes brimming full of nostalgia, as Kushina made Kagome wait downstairs with her brother before going upstairs to forcefully drag Kun Loon out of bed.

Then she proceeded to lecture her about how she and her friends had tried giving Kun Loon some space to handle her loss but it's been over half a year since Kagerou had died and Kushina could clearly see that Kun Loon still wasn't "handling it well at all" so now she was staging an intervention for her friend because couldn't she see how badly she was neglecting her children as she wallowed in her own grief and did she even realize that it was her own daughter's birthday today?

Something in Kushina's lengthy tirade seemed to penetrate through the thick fog of the woman's depression because the next thing she knew, the redhead had Kun Loon sobbing messily in her arms, promising to get better and do better by her children.

A part of Kakashi felt genuine regret at hearing her words, because he knew that she hadn't been able to keep that promise. Just like his own father hadn't.

From what he remembered, Kun Loon's current invigorated state would only last about a week or so, before the depression and grief became too much for her to bear again. Unlike Kurenai or Yuugao, she wasn't able to move forward from her lover's death. Losing Kagerou had truly broken something deep in her soul, and she was now a pale shadow of who she used to be. (It was like how being disgraced and being betrayed by everyone in the village had truly broken something in Dad, his mind whispered treacherously. He shoved the thought away.)

It had torn Kagome up to bits seeing her mother succumb to her grief like that. The girl hadn't said anything or complained about her inability to help, but Kakashi knew how badly it had affected her.

After all, witnessing a parent's self-destruction always left scars on their children.

The man watched on solemnly, never saying a word, as Kushina helped Kun Loon pull herself together and make herself presentable, as they went downstairs and Kun Loon hugged her daughter and held her son, swearing to do better by them (his heart ached at the sight of relief and hope in Kagome's eyes when she heard that) and as the two women started preparing the food, drinks and decorations for Kagome's small party.

The girl chose to remain in the kitchen with Kushina while Kun Loon decorated the living room.

"I'm sorry Kagome-chan," Kushina spoke up quietly. The redhead was preparing some dango, mochi and daifuku, as Kagome (along with Itachi) had a love for traditional Japanese desserts.

Kagome blinked from her perch on a barstool. "What are you sorry for Kushina-san?"

The woman sighed. "I know that Minato promised that he and his team would make it back in time for your birthday, but well… it looks like they won't be able to. They're running late. Again." And people always said her lover was the fastest man alive? Ha.

"Oh. It's okay Kushina-san," Kagome replied calmly. "I understand."

Her cool reaction to the announcement wasn't as surprising to Kushina anymore. The redhead knew that Kagome had always been more emotionally and mentally mature than other children her age, and it seemed like she had only gotten wiser after Kagerou's death.

"I knew that already because I can't sense their auras anywhere in the village. If Minato-san, Rin-chan, Obito-nii and Kakashi-san miss my birthday then that's okay, I'll have another one next year, and all the years after that. They can make up for it then," she said with a small smile. "All that matters now is that they finish their mission and come home. It's what I wish for the most, really."

Kushina looked at Kagome for a few moments before stopping what she was doing and making her way over to the girl. Her violet eyes were alight with a certain glint and her cheeks were mildly flushed.

Oh boy. Kakashi knew what was coming next.

"Haaaaaa…" Kushina cried out happily. She sounded as if she had laid eyes on the most adorable thing in the world. She grabbed Kagome by the shoulders and pressed an affectionate kiss to the girl's forehead. Then she started rubbing her cheek against hers. "Cute! So cute! You're really a good girl, Kagome-chan! You know that right? A good, good girl!"

The good girl in question merely sat there meekly, a faint blush on her cheeks. "T-thank you for the praise, Kushina-san." Her demure reaction seemed to spur Kushina on even more, and it took about two minutes before the woman finally pulled herself away.

As she went back to her food preparation, she watched Kagome from the corner of her eye.

Even though she'd told Kushina that she was okay if they missed her birthday, that she understood their obligations to their village, the redhead could see that their absence still affected her. Of course it did. Kagome had grown close with Minato and his team during the months after Kagerou's death. Spending a lot of her time with them, Kushina, Itachi and even Mikoto had helped Kagome deal with losing her father.

But, it wasn't really about whether or not they missed her birthday here. No, Kushina knew the real issue was about whether or not they would even make it back to Konoha alive and safe.

Minato and his team were all Ninja, just like Kagerou, but even a man as capable as the girl's father had come home in a box.

"Kagome-chan?" Kushina spoke up again. She only continued when the girl met her kind gaze. "I'm sure they're fine. According to Sandaime-sama, they've already completed their mission. All that's left is just making sure their slow selves get home in time."

"Obito-nii must have gotten lost on the road of life again," Kagome said dryly.

Kushina cackled and slammed her palm down once against the table. "Ha! That's a good one! Maybe a black cat crossed their paths so they had to take the longer way back! Or maybe they even stopped to help a granny with her groceries!"

The two of them then shared a smile, remembering the other excuses that Obito had given his team back in the past.

"Kagome-chan, even if Minato, Obito, Rin and Kakashi don't make it back for your birthday, promise me you'll still have a fun time okay?" Kushina asked with an easy wink. "Even though they're not there, you'll still be surrounded by people who love you."

Kagome's eyes grew slightly wider at that last statement and she nodded shyly. "Okay, Kushina-san. I promise."

Kushina grinned. "Good girl."

Kagome's birthday party turned out to be a quiet affair.

There were only about half a dozen or so adults present (not including Mikoto, Kushina and Kun Loon) and around half as much children. Kagome really hadn't been kidding when she told Kakashi that she didn't have many friends her age.

Sakura could see that other than Itachi, the other children there were noticeably older.

Kagome spent the whole of her party smiling and generally having fun with all the other people there, like she had promised Kushina she would. But every once in a while, Sakura noticed that the girl's eyes would take on a slightly glazed look, as if she wasn't mindful of her surroundings in the least. After several seconds the awareness would return to her eyes, followed by a small flash of disappointment.

No luck on Team Minato, huh?

"Kakashi-sensei?" the pink-haired woman called out softly, still eyeing the now smiling little girl, "… Do you and your team ever make it back home for her birthday in time?"

The Copy Ninja hummed thoughtfully. "Well… Depends on what you mean by 'on time'…"

Sakura blinked at the cryptic answer. "Oh?"

"I'll show you what he means," Sasuke spoke up with a roll of his eyes, and the background quickly swirled around them. When it rematerialized again, Sakura found herself standing at the huge gates of Konoha. The moon was high in the sky and based on its position, the woman could tell that it was sometime after eleven at night.

"There," Sasuke pointed in front of them.

Sakura squinted. She could make out a familiar small figure running right towards them in the distance. The sound of the footsteps belonging to Kagome echoed louder and louder on the deserted street as it approached.

"Look behind," Sasuke said. Kakashi and Sakura obeyed.

It soon became obvious to the pink-haired medic exactly why the young girl had been running so quickly to the gates for when a few moments later people suddenly appeared out of the darkness.

Team Minato had returned.

All of them may have looked dirty, unkempt and exhausted, but at least they had come back safe.

Sakura watched as Minato stopped walking and got to his knees. He held out his arms welcomingly to the nearing girl, a gentle grin on his handsome face. Kagome shot past Sakura and barrelled straight into the man's embrace, and although the blonde let out a soft 'Oomph' at the impact, his smile never wavered. Sakura's heart tried its best not to melt at the sight.

"Welcome back," the girl said softly, burying her face into the man's chest. Her arms wound tightly around his neck.

"I'm home," Minato whispered lovingly.

They hugged for a moment longer before Kagome drew back with a pleased sigh. She then turned her attention to the remaining members of Team Minato and greeted them happily.

"Welcome back," she repeated, a cheerful grin on her face.

Rin returned her smile. "We're home."

Kakashi nodded at the girl and although he said nothing, a slight crinkle at the corner of his eyes let Sakura know that her teenaged sensei was smiling under that mask of his.

"Aw hell, Kagome-chan," Obito moaned, scratching at the bandages over his arm in frustration. "I'm really sorry we missed your party."

"Mm, it's okay," the girl said with a small shake of her head. "At least you all made it back before midnight, right?" Sakura watched as the girl's cheerful expression faded into a frown at the sight of Obito's arm in a sling. "But more importantly, are you okay Obito-nii?"

"Oh, this old thing?" Obito grinned, "It'll take more than a busted arm to get me down, Kagome-chan! Don't worry, I'm fine!"

Kagome bit her lip, still frowning. "If you say so…"

"Yeah!" Obito nodded his head, still smiling cheerfully, "I say so! See, it doesn't even hurt when I move it!" He lifted his arm to demonstrate, but ended up wincing in pain at the movement. "Ouch."

"Obito!" Rin chided, "I told you not to move that arm until we get it properly checked out!"

The black haired youth laughed sheepishly. "I'm sorry Rin. It slipped my mind."

Kakashi snorted. "Idiot."

Obito turned to face his teammate, smile gone and eyes alight with anger. "What did you say you bastard!?"

"You heard me," was the snappy reply.

"Now, now," Minato cut in, before it could escalate into yet another full-blown argument, "We've not even been back to Konoha for more than 5 minutes, and you're already fighting. It's time to stop, all right?" He waited until all three members of his team nodded in agreement before continuing. "Good. Now, I need to report to the Hokage, but I can do it alone. So Rin, I want you to take Obito to the hospital and make sure his arm is okay."

"Yes, sensei," the two replied.

"And Kakashi, you're free to head on home. But…" the blonde paused, a hesitant look on his face, "Normally I would be the one to escort Kagome-chan home, but my meeting with Sandaime-sama is rather urgent. So, would you mind bringing her home for me?"

"It's all right Minato-san! There's no need! I know the way home!" the young girl tried to assure him.

Minato bit his lip, trying not to smile. "I know you do, Kagome-chan, but you're still quite young. It would make me feel better if you had someone to take you home, okay?"

"But…" Kagome hesitated, looking down. Sakura could see a shy blush on her face, "I don't want to trouble Kakashi-san like that."

"It's fine," Kakashi spoke up then, causing the black haired girl to look up at him in faint surprise. He switched his gaze between his teacher and Kagome with a nod. "I'll do it, sensei."

Minato smiled. "Great."

.

End Chapter

Er... Hello, my lovelies? *waves sheepishly*

Sorry for the super long wait. It's been almost 3 years since I updated, yikes. Life kind of happened?

And like the previous chapter, I was struggling a lot with the last scene. I just finished typing it out today and even now, I'm still not entirely satisfied with how this chapter ended. Urgh. But oh well. Shitty ending non withstanding, I'm still happy with how the overall chapter turned out, especially adult Kakashi's introspections.

I can't promise you when the next chapter is coming, because it's still a WIP. Hopefully, it won't be another 3 years?

~Beans