Kakashi Returns

At night, Karot staggered home. The old drunks naturally wouldn't let him off the hook, and kept raising their glasses to him.

It wasn't until late, when the streets had quieted down, that Karot finally made his escape.

When he got home, Hatake Sakumo was waiting in the same spot where he had been the first time Karot returned from a mission.

"Father."

Karot slumped onto the floor and called out. He was completely exhausted and could barely control himself.

Hatake Sakumo shook his head. He'd originally planned to have a father-son talk with Karot, but one look at him made it clear that plan had gone out the window.

"Hmph."

Hatake Sakumo snorted and went back to his room, leaving Karot asleep in the living room without even bothering to get him another blanket.

"Achoo!"

Karot woke with a sneeze. He clutched his forehead, his throat parched—the aftereffects of drinking too much.

"You're awake."

Hatake Sakumo's voice rang out. He sat properly on the tatami, sipping tea, and poured a cup for Karot. Karot hurried over and downed it in one gulp.

"That hit the spot."

Karot couldn't help exclaiming.

Seeing Karot gulp down his fine tea like an ox at a watering hole, Hatake Sakumo's mouth twitched. There was no helping it. Even if he said something, Karot wouldn't change; he'd just argue back with some theory of his own. It wasn't worth wasting his breath.

"Karot, don't you think our house feels a little empty?"

"Hm?"

Karot didn't understand. Hadn't their house always been like this?

Seeing that his son hadn't caught his meaning, Hatake Sakumo decided to speak plainly.

"How would you feel about getting married, Karot?"

"Hm?"

Karot stared at Hatake Sakumo, spraying tea from his mouth.

"Cough, cough."

Karot patted his chest. Hatake Sakumo had startled him. He was only thirteen at most—still a minor!

"Father, are you feeling all right? I'm still so young, and you want me to get a wife?"

"How are you young? When I was your age, your grandfather had already told me to get married."

It wasn't Hatake Sakumo's fault. Karot was simply too popular. The previous night, a whole bunch of old friends and comrades had invited him out to eat. The entire time, they'd gone on about how wonderful their daughters were, hoping to marry them into the Hatake family. He'd planned to talk to Karot about it then, but the boy had gotten drunk.

"Father, there's no rush. Why not consider Kakashi instead? He spends all day reading those dirty little books."

"I'm worried his body can't take it. Maybe he'd be better off getting a wife sooner."

Better him than me. Big brother Kakashi, this is for your own good.

Hatake Sakumo was clearly tempted by Karot's suggestion. His sons were both geniuses, after all. Surely they wouldn't have much to say about it.

"Karot!" they called together.

Hearing someone call from outside, Karot immediately got up to flee, speaking as he went.

"Father, give it some thought."

With that, he disappeared.

Sanada was about to call out again, but Karot clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him away. Hatake Sakumo was terrifying right now. They might have to lay low for a while.

Sanada struggled desperately in Karot's arms, his eyes rolling back. Karot didn't realize anything was wrong until Sanada's movements started to weaken, and he hurriedly let go.

Sanada bent over and coughed desperately. At last, he caught his breath.

"Damn it, Karot! Were you trying to suffocate me?"

Sanada glared at Karot and cursed him out. Knowing he was in the wrong, Karot quickly tried to placate him.

"By the way, what did you come looking for me about?"

Karot asked.

"Hmph, I almost forgot the important thing. It's been a long time, and now that you're back, Teacher Matsushita suggested we all get together."

"Who's paying?"

That was Karot's biggest concern. He'd been a commander for over a year without any income, and had been counting on the Mist Ninja to pay ransom. His pockets were empty.

Sanada didn't dare make any promises on his own. Karot had two fearsome strengths: his fighting ability and his eating ability.

"Teacher Matsushita's paying."

They exchanged a knowing look and spoke in unison. Then they put their arms around each other's shoulders and headed to a restaurant.

In the distance, Matsushita Hokuto stood outside the restaurant. Karot and Sanada bowed to him first.

"Teacher, you're too kind."

"Ah."

Nothing hurt quite as much as an attack that came out of nowhere.

Then Karot and Sanada each took one of Matsushita Hokuto's arms and ushered him inside.

"Hey, Kazumi! Long time no see. You've gotten even prettier."

Karot greeted her. Kazumi had always looked after his daily needs in their squad.

"You're here."

Her sweet smile was a delight to see.

The four of them sat around a table, taking turns talking about what they'd been up to over the past year. Kazumi now worked at the hospital, while Sanada had been promoted to Special Jonin a year ago and was currently leading a squad. War was always a crucible for growth. And that rascal was getting married soon, to someone from the Hyuga Branch Family. Teacher Matsushita had also finally made it into the Anbu, which he had always longed to join.

"What about you, Karot? What are your plans?"

Matsushita Hokuto asked. Kazumi and Sanada were just as curious. They stared straight at Karot.

"I don't know. The Hokage hasn't assigned me anything. I'd like to take a break for a while and focus on training."

Karot spoke between bites.

"You still need to train? You're already so strong."

Sanada asked. He knew all too well how Karot had performed on the Cloud Ninja battlefield.

"There's always more to learn. If you let yourself slack off, your strength will naturally decline. Only by persevering can you improve."

"Well said, Karot. You're right. Sanada, you've been slacking off a bit lately."

Matsushita Hokuto praised Karot while giving Sanada a nudge. They were both his students, and he wanted them both to amount to something.

"Yes, Teacher. I understand."

Sanada took Karot's and Matsushita Hokuto's words to heart. He treasured the bonds between teacher and student and between brothers. In the ninja world, no one knew whether the next day or death would arrive first. The heavy topic soon drifted away, and the four of them ate and drank merrily. Karot kept his head down, demolishing the food, while Kazumi expertly passed dishes to him.

The waitstaff kept bringing out more dishes, or they wouldn't have been able to keep up with Karot's eating speed. His three companions were used to it, but the other customers gaped in astonishment. They'd never seen anyone eat so much in their lives.

Once they'd eaten and drunk their fill, they all went their separate ways. The only one left wounded was Matsushita Hokuto.

When he got home, Karot saw Kakashi. Kakashi's eyes were wrapped in bandages; he had clearly injured them. Karot hadn't expected it, but Kakashi had still ended up on this path.

"What happened, Kakashi? Are you all right?"

Hatake Sakumo, ever concerned for his son, spoke first.

"Obito... died saving me."

Tears flowed from Kakashi's eyes, and all the emotions he'd been suppressing burst out at once. Hatake Sakumo fell silent at his words. He, too, had experienced the loss of a close friend. Kakashi would have to find his own way through it. Only Karot, who knew the story, understood that Obito wasn't dead. Since Karot had been stationed along the Mist border, Rin had never become the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki. She was still alive. That had thrown the timeline into disarray, but the scheming old man Madara Uchiha wouldn't let Rin go. For his adorable little brother's sake, Karot would have to pay Madara Uchiha a visit.