Chapter 40: Talking to Kakashi
Yone and Hori returned to Konoha as Hori was carrying freshly caught fish over his shoulder while Yone was holding two sticks which each have a fish on while cooking them over his free hand.
He gives one of the sticks to Hori who began to eat making the Gatekeepers feel reassured after what happened yesterday since it confirmed the story Yone told Hiruzen and Sakumo yesterday.
Yone and Hori returned home while eating their breakfast when an Anbu stopped them on the way. Hori looked at his father who only shakes his head since he knew who was hiding behind the mask.
"I need to talk to you," says the Anbu seriously as Yone stopped eating.
"Get changed and come to my house. I will wait for you there," says Yone before he resumes his action before passing the Anbu.
"Why does Kakashi want to talk to you?" asks Hori surprising Yone since he thought that Hori didn't know who was behind the mask.
"Sinc-," says Yone before Hori interrupts him.
"There is only a handful of Shinobi in this village with silver hair. It was a logical conclusion that it was Kakashi since he doesn't take normal missions any longer like the rest of us," says Hori revealing why he knew that the Anbu that was standing before them was Kakashi.
"Then why did you want to attack your little cousin?" asks Yone since Kakashi was like a nephew to Yone even if he was his Godson.
"I would have treated it like a sparring," says Hori in his usual tone which made Yone look at him seriously before he shakes his head in defeat.
"*sighs* Just promise me when you ever spar with him or anyone else you don't use this cold voice or they will think you are out to kill them," says Yone to his son who looks at him confused at first before he looked thoughtful.
"I can't promise you that," says Hori in his usual tone making Yone give up since Hori was already a man that can take his own decisions.
They arrived at the entrance to their home when they see Naruto chasing his friends making it look like they are playing tag. When Naruto saw Yone and Hori he stopped playing for a moment as he rushed at them and hugged their leg.
Yone petted Naruto's head as he felt warm on the inside before Hori did the same before they shush Naruto away so he could continue playing with his friends.
Kushina walks over to Hori and Yone before she asks, "How was the camping trip?"
"It was relatively calm compared to the last time I went camping," says Yone back as the three knew very well what they are really talking about.
"So there were no complications or wounded in the camping trip," says Kushina as Yone nods.
"Maybe the pride of someone was hurt but nothing else," says Hori making Kushina sigh in relief that Yone didn't start the Fourth Shinobi War.
"Anyway, do you want fried fish or-," says Yone before Kushina interrupts him.
"Ramen! You owe me Ramen for keeping the others busy while you were away," says Kushina excited that Yone was inviting her to eat since that meant she didn't have to pay.
"Then Ramen," says Yone as Kakashi appears behind them and Yone continues saying, "But first I will need to talk to your cousin."
"I am here to talk," says Kakashi as Yone looked at him seeing a broken human before him that was looking for a purpose in life.
"The first step is to talk so let us get inside," says Yone with a smile to Kakashi while petting his head.
They enter the house together as Yone leads Kakashi to his office while he puts his weapons and armor back in the closet before joining him in the office.
Takashi was looking at the black and white picture that Yone has on his desk in which he saw a younger Yone and a woman he never met before.
"That is your aunt, Mikoto Uzumaki. She died in the Second Shinobi War. You were just two maybe three years old back then when it happened," says Yone as he approaches Kakashi who places the frame back on the desk.
"I was there the night that they revealed who you were," says Kakashi a bit hesitant since he heard enough horror stories surrounding the Slaughterer who was proclaimed dead many years ago.
"I know, it's not like I can't recognize my Godson since you have been raised beside my children thanks to your mother and Haru," says Yone as he sat down on his chair.
"Now about the matter I want to talk about," says Kakashi as he seemed to fight himself before Yone making Yone smile warmly at Kakashi.
"It is normal to feel pain when you lose someone important to you," says Yone as he looked at Kakashi before he points at an old picture far older than the picture Kakashi looked at before.
"That is a picture that I have taken in the Senju Compound after my grandmother died. It is from a portray which has two of my most important people on it, Hashirama Senju and Miko Uzumaki," says Yone before he points at another picture before he says, "This one contains my parents, Horirama Senju and Hana Senju."
Kakashi was looking at the pictures confused before Yone, "I have lost many people in my life. Some died while others just left the village. And the pain of losing them will always be with me."
"And how do you deal with the pain, uncle?" asks Kakashi wanting to know how Yone was able to still lead a normal life.
"I rewrote the pain thanks to my friends and family. I was like a turtle hiding my emotions and thought away from everyone but there were people trying to pull me out of my shell," says Yone being reminded how Haru, Tsunade, and the others came by to help him.
"I don't say that it was easy for them since I was showing a facade of myself the whole time even at work but after two years they broke the shell and pulled me back into the light and I could forgive myself for what I have done," says Yone as he sees Kakashi was trying to understand what he was saying.
"What I want to say is that you need to peek out of the shell that you put yourself in to see a bit of light. For example, have you seen some of your old classmates lately?" asks Yone as Kakashi looked at him confused making Yone sigh.
"I know that your nickname is Friend-Killer Kakashi because of what happened to your team member Rin," says Yone hitting a sore spot on Kakashi since that was what was holding him back.
"I see, I hit the sore spot. For that, I have the best solution," says Yone as Kakashi looked at Yone feeling hope when Yone opens one of his desk's shelves and takes a folder out on which was written photos.
He rumbles through the folder before he stops at a particular photo which he pulls out to show it to Kakashi when he says, "Many students in this picture have died in the last war."
Kakashi recognizes the picture since he was on it as well. It was taken the day they entered school. Yone then points at the picture and looks at Kakashi seriously.
"I think you should start this by smiling and saying just hi to your old classmates. You might think that they hate you but lean yourself outside and be surprised by what happens next. Because you never know if someone wants to be your friend or enemy until you talk to them," says Yone as Kakashi was completely confused now when Yone puts the picture back into the folder.
"Trust me and don't make excuses. I have eyes and ears everywhere. Go out and say hi to at least one of the people in that photo and quit being an Anbu. It doesn't suit you," says Yone seriously seeing that Kakashi was looking at him confused as he chases the teen out to make friends again.
Kakashi rushes out seeing a serious Yone not fully comprehending what Yone told him when Kushina who heard everything from outside enters the room and says, "The poor boy has it hard enough for you to threaten him like that."
"He was trying to see the logic behind what I was saying that's why he was confused but there is no logic behind emotions. They can't be grasped that's why I told him to smile and say hi to one of his old classmates. The rest will become easier as it became easier for me with all of you by my side," says Yone as he looked at a more recent picture that he has on his desk smiling unconsciously.
"You are smiling but it can't be a picture of mother since her frame is still on the desk," says Kushina now suspicious of her father as she takes the frame from his hand.
He sees that it was a picture of Tsunade, Shizune, and a piglet that Shizune was holding in her arms making Kushina asks, "That is quite a recent picture since Shizune is older in it."
"It is, she sent two of them one for me and one for Nawaki. It has been almost two months ago since she sent the pictures," says Yone as he was happy that Tsunade was still thinking of him by sending an extra copy for him.
"So when are you dragging her back to the village to make some Senju Babies? You both won't be able to cook rice for much longer since she could go barren at any given moment," says Kushina seriously wanting her father to be even happier than he is at the moment.
"That won't happen anytime soon and you might not know this since you were too young back then but your aunt was far more farsighted than anyone else as a doctor. You should rather worry about giving me a second grandchild. I prefer a granddaughter now to keep the balance," says Yone serious at the beginning before he started to joke.
"You don't have to worry about that. The next one is already on the way," says Kushina as she realized what she just said while Yone looked at her in surprise.
"Wait, since when?" asks Yone wanting to know as Kushina sighs.
"It has been three months since my last period. I wanted to keep it a secret and surprise everyone when I couldn't hide it any longer," says Kushina happy to share this news with her father who just wanted to throw her into the air because of the happiness he was feeling.
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