Naruto blinked when he saw the unfamiliar child. His brows rose with curiosity.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Who's that kid on your back?" he called out, leaning forward like he'd just discovered a new animal.
Kakashi stopped beside them and shifted slightly so Ranmaru could rest easier. "His name is Ranmaru," he said evenly. "He's coming with us."
Naruto tilted his head. "Huh. Really?"
Sasuke gave the boy a quick once-over. No obvious threat. He gave a short nod of acknowledgment and said nothing.
Sakura frowned softly. Her eyes lingered on Ranmaru's pale face, concern tugging at her. But she stayed quiet, choosing not to press the issue just yet.
Ranmaru remained silent, resting his cheek against Kakashi's shoulder, his eyes half-lidded as if caught between sleep and wariness.
Kakashi looked up at his students. "Ready to leave?"
All three nodded, though Naruto still squinted suspiciously at Ranmaru.
Before they could move, two figures emerged near the ruined bridge. One was a man with a single, gleaming Byakugan eye, his expression unreadable. The other, a striking woman with flowing auburn hair and sharp green eyes, moved with the poise of royalty. Her robes, a Mizukage's robes, fluttered in the breeze.
"I am Ao," the man announced. "And this is Lady Terumi Mei, the newly appointed Mizukage of the Hidden Mist."
Kakashi met them with his usual unreadable calm, his eyes barely narrowing.
Then Mei caught sight of his face. She stopped. Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as if she'd seen something rare and sacred.
"Oh my…" she whispered, lips parting slightly. She licked them slowly, almost unconsciously.
"He's… so handsome."
Kakashi's gaze flicked to hers. A polite, relaxed smile touched his lips.
Mei blinked rapidly, startled from her trance. She interpreted the smile as personally, directed at her. Her cheeks warmed.
Naruto leaned over and muttered to Sakura, "Why is she looking at Sensei like that?"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "I think… I think she likes his face," she whispered back, quite believing it.
Mei regained her composure and stepped forward with renewed elegance. "I'm Terumi Mei," she said, her voice smooth like velvet. "And you must be the famous Kakashi Hatake."
Kakashi handed Ranmaru gently to Naruto, who juggled the boy awkwardly before adjusting his grip. Kakashi stepped forward calmly.
"I am," he said.
"We've come to collect the swords left behind," Mei stated, smiling slightly. "They belong to the Hidden Mist."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened, though his voice remained tranquil. "If the Mist wants them, they can negotiate with the Leaf. As of now, those blades are Konoha property."
Ao frowned. "That's not how.."
"Ao," Mei interrupted coldly, her eyes flashing.
The man immediately snapped his mouth shut and took a half-step back, disgruntled but silent.
Mei turned back to Kakashi with a gentler expression. "I see. Then I suppose I'll have to visit Konoha myself… to settle this matter," she said with a deliberate wink.
She stepped closer and lightly placed her palm on Kakashi's chest, her fingers brushing the cloth above his heart.
Kakashi didn't move, but he leaned down slightly, just enough for his breath to graze her ear. His voice was low, quiet, private.
"My miss might not like what you're doing."
Then, straightening, he smiled again, charming, distant.
"Goodbye, Mei."
She froze. He'd used her first name. Her lips parted again in stunned silence.
Kakashi turned without waiting for a reply, walking back to his students.
"Let's go."
Mei watched him leave, her heart thudding like a war drum in her chest.
"Bye, Kakashi," she called after him, louder than intended.
He paused mid-step, glanced over his shoulder, and gave her one last smile before disappearing down the path with his team.
Mei stood frozen a moment longer, clutching her chest.
"I don't care if he already has someone," she whispered fiercely. "No man's ever made my heart race like that. I won't give up."
She turned toward Ao.
"Let's go."
Ao gave a long-suffering sigh. "Lady Mizukage, he's from another village. You can't just-"
"Shut up, Ao. Or I'll kill you."
"…Understood."
…
Later, at Tazuna's house…
"So, are you guys heading out soon?" Tazuna asked, setting down a tray of tea.
"Yes," Kakashi replied, reclining lazily in a wooden chair. "Once your bridge is complete."
Tazuna stood up abruptly and bowed deeply. "Thank you… for everything." He'd seen the aftermath himself, the lightning, the silence, the bodies. Naruto had filled in the rest.
"No worries," Kakashi said, giving a half-hearted wave like it was nothing.
…
Their boat rocked gently as it glided across the water, carrying them away from the Land of Waves. Naruto dangled his feet over the side, splashing now and then, eyes on the endless sea.
"Hey, sensei," he called, glancing over his shoulder. "What was up with that lady from the Mist? She was acting super weird around you."
Kakashi didn't look at him. "She was just… being polite."
"Polite?" Naruto squinted. "She stared at you like Sakura stares at Sasuke. Wait, no… even more than that. She was licking her lips."
Kakashi sighed quietly. "Don't think too hard about it, Naruto."
Naruto pouted. "I wasn't. You just look uncomfortable." Then he grinned. "Is it because you're blushing?"
"I'm not blushing." What a joke! Although he liked Mei very much in his previous life, this is reality. He wouldn't fawn over her just because she was beautiful.
"You so are!"
Kakashi ignored him and closed his eyes. The sea breeze was cool, the horizon quiet.
Ranmaru, sitting close by, said nothing. But his eyes drifted to Kakashi's back. He'd expected cruelty, indifference, what he'd always known. Instead, he'd found a man who protected him. Trusted him. Let him belong.
Ranmaru hugged his knees to his chest and whispered to himself, "Kakashi is kind."
…
That night, they made camp by the shoreline. Stars scattered the sky like diamonds, and the fire crackled warmly at their center.
Sakura had gone to sleep early, curled up peacefully beneath a blanket. Naruto and Ranmaru sat by the flames, fish roasting on skewers.
"You ever had this before?" Naruto asked, nudging Ranmaru's arm.
Ranmaru shook his head.
"Well, you're lucky. My fish is legendary."
Ranmaru took a bite, cautiously at first. His eyes widened. "It's… good."
"Told ya!" Naruto beamed. "You're gonna be spoiled after this."
They both laughed, the first genuine sound of joy Ranmaru had made in a long time.
A short distance away, Kakashi stood at the edge of the trees with Sasuke. The two stared out across the sea, wind ruffling their cloaks.
"You've grown stronger," Kakashi said.
Sasuke nodded once. "I still need more."
"Strength isn't just jutsu," Kakashi said. "It's how you carry it. Calm. Focus. Purpose. You showed all of that."
Sasuke's eyes drifted down. "The Rasengan… I'm still not there."
"You're close," Kakashi said. "Your chakra control's improving fast. It's because you don't waste time."
Sasuke turned to him. "Can you teach me more?"
Kakashi smiled behind his words. "Of course. You're my disciple."
They stood in silence, listening to the waves.
"Sensei," Sasuke said after a while, "Why did you let Ranmaru come with us?"
Kakashi turned his head slightly. Naruto and Ranmaru were laughing by the fire.
"Because he needed someone," Kakashi said softly. "And… maybe I needed to help someone."
Sasuke was quiet, watching Kakashi. He saw something in his teacher's face, a trace of the same loneliness that sometimes echoed in his own heart.
Sasuke turned away and smiled faintly.
They were alike.
And with a teacher like this, he knew, he knew he'd become strong enough to kill that man.
His thoughts darkened. The image of him flickered in his mind, a flame of hatred rising… then dimming just as fast.
Soon.