Loneliness and Livelyhood

The moon slowly rose.

Silver Moonlight spilled into the courtyard, illuminating two small figures and the two wooden swords that kept clashing.

After an unknown amount of time, Kakashi was the first to sheathe his sword. "Let's stop here for today."

"What time is it?" Shin-chan asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

Kakashi looked up at the moon. "I don't know, but it's probably late."

Shin-chan scratched his head. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from afar.

"Shin-chan!"

It was Miya's voice.

Then Hiroshi's voice followed, "Shin-chan, where are you?"

Shin-chan's expression froze. He slowly turned his head to look at Kakashi.

"I think..." Shin-chan's voice grew smaller, "...I forgot to tell Mother I wouldn't be home for dinner."

Kakashi was silent for two seconds. "You didn't remember while you were eating?"

Shin-chan blinked.

While eating?

He seemed to have been too focused on eating.

The voices from afar grew closer, clearly heading in this direction.

Shin-chan quickly ran towards the courtyard entrance. Just a few steps out, he saw two familiar figures appear at the end of the street.

The moment Miya saw Shin-chan, she hurried over. "Shin Nohara!"

Shin-chan flinched and didn't dare to speak.

Miya walked up to him and tapped him on the head.

"Do you know what time it is? Dinner was ready, and you were gone. We looked everywhere and couldn't find you. Do you know how long your father and I have been looking for you?"

Shin-chan held his head, his voice small. "I'm sorry."

"Is 'sorry' going to fix it? Didn't you say you'd be back on time?"

"We were cultivating and lost track of time."

"Training? Does cultivation mean you don't need to eat? Does cultivation mean your parents will search the entire Village for you?"

Hiroshi tried to smooth things over from the side: "Alright, alright, it's fine now that you've found him."

Miya glared at him: "Don't speak. Weren't you just as anxious?"

Hiroshi coughed dryly and said no more.

Shin-chan secretly glanced at Miya's expression, then leaned over and hugged her thigh.

"Mother, I was wrong. I'll definitely remember to tell you next time."

Miya's body stiffened, and she looked down at him.

Shin-chan tilted his head up, blinking his eyes.

"If there's a next time, I'll deal with you," Miya said, gently tapping his head.

Shin-chan sighed in relief, knowing he had passed.

Kakashi stood at the entrance of the yard, not approaching, just standing there quietly, watching the red back that was clinging to his Mother.

Watching the three of them standing in the middle of the street, the dim yellow light enveloping them.

Shin-chan held his Mother's hand, and as they walked, he kept looking back, waving at him.

"Kakashi, see you tomorrow."

Kakashi raised his hand and waved back.

Then the three of them gradually walked away, their voices becoming indistinct.

Finally, only a faint light remained at the end of the street.

Kakashi lowered his hand, stood in place for a moment longer, then turned and walked into the yard.

He pushed open the door.

The room was pitch black, just like it was before he left.

The fire on the stove had long since died out, and only the occasional rustling sound of the bamboo trees in the yard could be heard.

Kakashi stood in the genkan, not turning on the lights.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a thin layer of silver frost on the floor.

The room was empty.

Too quiet.

Kakashi suddenly recalled the scene from earlier, Shin-chan hugging Mother's thigh and looking up, saying "I was wrong."

Then he remembered his own home, it seemed such a scene had never happened there.

Mother was gone.

Father was on a mission.

In this house, he was alone.

Kakashi entered the house and sat down in the living room, hugging his knees, silently watching the moon outside the window.

Father... Mother...

After a while, he stood up and walked into his room.

Time to sleep.

He had school tomorrow.

On the street, Shin-chan's family of three slowly walked back.

Miya was still nagging, but her tone was no longer as fierce as before.

"Do you know how long your father and I looked for you? We went to the training grounds first, searched for a long time but couldn't find you, and then we ran into an Uncle selling vegetables who said he saw you and Kakashi walking this way..."

"Mm-hmm."

"If you're not coming home for dinner next time, you must tell us in advance, understand?"

"Got it." Shin-chan nodded.

"Also, when you eat at someone else's house, you need to be polite. Don't just focus on eating yourself, you should help clean up."

Shin-chan's footsteps paused.

"Um... Mother."

"Hmm?"

"I helped Kakashi clean up the dishes today."

Miya froze for a moment, a hint of a relieved smile appearing on her face: "Really? That's good."

"Then I broke two plates."

Miya's words got stuck in her throat.

Hiroshi, standing beside her, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Miya took a deep breath.

"Shin Nohara."

"Here!"

"Forget it, since you offered to help, I won't say anything this time."

Shin-chan chuckled and took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something: "Mother, Kakashi is all alone at home now."

Miya's steps faltered.

"His father is on a mission and doesn't know when he'll be back," Shin-chan said, looking down and kicking pebbles on the road. "He cooks and eats all by himself."

Miya was silent for a moment, then looked down at Shin-chan.

Shin-chan looked up, blinking his eyes: "Mother, can we invite Kakashi over for dinner tomorrow?"

"Come to our house?"

"Yeah," Shin-chan nodded. "He's too lonely eating alone. We have a big family, it's lively."

Miya looked down at her son.

The moonlight shone on Shin-chan's face, his eyes sparkling. They were free of his usual mischievous thoughts, just earnestly waiting for an answer.

She suddenly felt that although this child was usually unreliable, sometimes he was quite sensible.

Miya's lips curved slightly.

"Alright."

Shin-chan's eyes brightened even more: "Really?"

"Yes, after your training tomorrow, bring him over for dinner."

"Great!" Shin-chan jumped up. "What are we eating tomorrow then?"

Miya thought for a moment, counting on her fingers: "We have a guest, so we need to make something good. Fried Shrimp Tempura, Braised Pork, Miso Soup, and Hamburger Steak..."

Hiroshi interjected from the side: "Put more sugar in that Braised Pork, it was a bit bland last time."

"Shut up, do I need you to teach me how to cook?"

"I'm just suggesting..."

"You call that a suggestion? You call that being picky."

"Okay, okay, you're the boss."

Shin-chan listened to his Father and Mother bickering beside him. He raised his head and looked at the moon.

Kakashi must be very lonely at home by himself now.

Tomorrow, I must bring him over. Let him taste Mother's cooking. Although it's not as delicious as what he makes himself, there will be more people.

More people means more lively.

Lively means not lonely.

At the end of the distant street, the small house of the Hatake Household stood quietly under the moonlight.

There were no lights in the windows.

But the few bamboo trees in the yard were still rustling, as if someone was whispering.