After concluding his Sage Mode training, Kakashi dragged his tired and battered body back home.
Receiving personal guidance from Nagasawa was no easy feat. The training was indeed effective, but Nagasawa's iron fist was no joke.
Initially, Kakashi thought highly of his own strength, but after the training this afternoon, he was forced to face the harsh reality. Let alone the real Nagasawa, even Nagasawa's shadow clone could easily beat him to a pulp. His Mangekyō Sharingan was practically useless before Nagasawa's ultra-fast movements.
It didn't matter if Kamui could ignore defense if it didn't land.
As Kakashi walked onto the streets in Konoha, he fixed his appearance in front of a transparent glass window. He needed to look presentable when he got home.
Even if he couldn't fool Hanabira, he had to make sure that Yurika didn't see his father in such a miserable state. He didn't want to lose his dignity as a father in front of his daughter.
Upon entering the door, Kakashi changed his shoes and walked in.
"I'm home," Kakashi said as usual.
"Good work today," Hanabira said while holding Yurika.
"Daddy, good work!" Yurika imitated Hanabira's sweet voice.
Now that Hanabira was one year old, she could articulate words clearly, even if she didn't fully understand their meanings.
Upon hearing his adorable daughter's sweet voice, Kakashi felt his heart melt instantly. It was as if the pain he felt had disappeared. He opened his arms, planning to hug Yurika, but Hanabira stopped him.
Hanabira pointed at Kakashi's clothes said softly, "Today's training must have been tiring. You should go take a shower; I've already prepared the hot water for you."
Kakashi nodded and walked into the bathroom, undressing and starting to bathe.
Kakashi laid back in the clean and smooth bathtub, enjoying the warm water and closed his eyes.
Before he realized it, he had come this far. He not only had a wife but also an adorable daughter.
Looking back, it was truly unbelievable.
Sometimes he could even dream of scenes where he, Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei did missions together.
Occasionally, he would reminisce about the late Rin and Obito.
Before, Kakashi used to visit Obito and Rin's graves frequently, talking to them about himself, his life, and the changes in Konoha. However, since knowing Nagasawa, he became busier, and even more so now that he had his own family.
Still, he would occasionally find time to visit Obito and Rin's graves.
"If Rin and Obito knew about my current life, they would surely be relieved," Kakashi sighed when he recalled Obito and Rin.
Although he was still a seventeen-year-old, Kakashi had his share of regrets.
Obito, Rin, and even his father were the regrets that he couldn't forget.
Right when Kakashi was immersed in his past and regrets, a warm hand patted his shoulder.
Upon turning his head, Kakashi noticed that Hanabira had already entered the bathroom at some point.
By now, Hanabira was only covered in a bath towel.
Kakashi's home had a fairly large bathtub, so the two could fit in no problem.
"Today must have been exhausting. Let me help you relax by washing your back," Hanabira said gently as she applied shower gel to Kakashi's back.
"It's actually not that bad," Kakashi replied calmly.
!!!
Hanabira lightly tapped the bruised area on Kakashi's body.
"Ouch! Can you be slightly gentler," Kakashi was surprised by how painful it was.
"How long are you going to show that brave front? Do you think I don't know you?" Hanabira puffed up her cheeks, seeming a bit upset.
But Hanabira still went out of her way to wash Kakashi's back gentler.
"Your face doesn't look too good just now. Did something unpleasant come to mind?" Hanabira casually asked.
"Yeah, I thought about my deceased teammates," Kakashi said truthfully without hiding anything.
After spending so much time with Hanabira, Kakashi had already told her everything about himself, including the stories about Obito and Rin.
"Everyone has it tough in this world," Hanabira tried to console Kakashi.
Kakashi had regrets, and she had her own share of regrets, perhaps even worse than Kakashi's. Her country, the Land of Whirlpool, and her clan, the Uzumaki Clan, were all annihilated. As someone with no home or Clan to go back to, she was doomed to lead a miserable life.
Having lost her homeland and family, she was forced to wander around. She was taken in by Kusagakure, thanks to her unique abilities. Even so, she was treated horribly there. Even after working hard to clean the hospital and use her life force to heal Kusagakure Shinobi, she got nothing but a dilapidated house!
If she hadn't met Kakashi, she might have died from overusing her Chakra one day.
As if aware of Hanabira's feelings, Kakashi turned slightly and gently stroked Hanabira's fair face, saying, "I'm sorry; it seems I brought up something sad."
"But, those things are in the past now. We're doing well, and the future will be even better."
"Yeah," Hanabira nodded, continuing to wash Kakashi's back.
"Hanabira, by the way, it feels like it's been a while since we... you know," feeling the smooth and tender hands on his back, Kakashi's mind couldn't help but wander.
When Yurika was born, Kakashi abstained from having sex for a long time so that Hanabira could recover.
And with Hanabira being only one year old, he could just let her sleep by herself.
With his daughter around, Kakashi couldn't possibly do a thing.
So, Kakashi was quite pent-up now.
And now that the two were in the same bathtub, it couldn't be helped if such thoughts crossed Kakashi's mind.
Hanabira lightly tapped the back of Kakashi's head with her fingers and whisper, "Yurika is waiting for us for dinner. Let's talk about it after dinner."
A hint of joy flashed across Kakashi's face. Although he was still in the bath, his mind had already moved to the post-dinner activities.
After washing up, the two changed into bathrobes and walked out.
During dinner, Kakashi displayed the refined manners of an elite Shinobi, swiftly dealing with the food.
"Daddy, what should I do if someone bullies me?" Yurika suddenly asked
Kakashi frowned. Someone had the audacity to bully his precious daughter?
"Of course, stab him with kunai!" Kakashi said without thinking.
"But I'm a girl, Daddy. Mom says girls shouldn't do that," Yurika was startled by Kakashi's words.
After a moment of thought, Kakashi suggested, "Then let's use the pink ones."
"Pink does seem more fitting for a girl," Yurika said, showing a thoughtful expression.
"By the way, who bullied you?" Kakashi asked.
"A guy with yellow hair and whiskers, and the other one has black hair and a red semicircular pattern on his sleeves," Yurika explained.
"They actually think their dads are stronger than you, and we ended up arguing. It's just so annoying."
"Yellow hair and whisker on his face," Kakashi felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Yurika, I'm sorry, but it seemed your father might not be as strong as his father.