Finally, seizing the opportunity, Kakashi slowly walked into the kitchen, looking at Naraku's busy back, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Where should I even begin?"
"If I explain now, will it sound like I'm trying to shirk responsibility?"
Just as he was in a dilemma, he saw Naraku withdraw his right hand from the sink filled with water, tightly gripping the apron fabric.
"What's wrong?"
Kakashi didn't think much of it, quickly walked over and pried Naraku's hand off the apron, bringing it to his own front.
Before the green light of the healing jutsu disappeared, he timely noticed the faint mark that ran across his palm.
The fleeting wound stung his eyes with a dull ache.
"There was no wound when we ate at Aunt Mikoto's place at noon."
Kakashi's eyes darkened, holding Naraku's right hand in both of his, his two thumbs rubbing across the spot where the wound had been.
Even though it had already healed completely.
"Wait, Kakashi..."
The tingling sensation in his palm was incredibly clear, and Naraku's ears involuntarily flushed, instinctively wanting to pull his hand back.
How could Kakashi let him have his way? He used a little more force, causing him to fail twice when he tried to pull away.
Once Naraku gave up struggling, Kakashi shifted his gaze from the hand to the face of the person in front of him: "What happened just now?"
"It's nothing."
Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Naraku turned his head to avoid Kakashi's gaze, answering awkwardly.
"I was just testing Ichiro's hemostatic jutsu, it's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about..."
"Also, Ichiro changed his name; he's called Kabuto now."
"Don't call him by the wrong name next time you see him, Kakashi, or it'll be so awkward..."
After hearing the first sentence, Kakashi's face began to darken.
The more Naraku avoided the important points and tried to change the subject, the more distressed and heartbroken he felt.
"Aren't there many ways to test a hemostatic jutsu? Fish, birds, wild rabbits..."
"We have all those things at home."
"Why is Naraku's first choice always to hurt himself?"
These words had been brewing in his heart for a long time, but in the end, Kakashi only managed to say, in a muffled voice:
"Don't do that again. I don't want you to get hurt."
"...Mm, I understand."
The confining grip slowly loosened, and Naraku took the opportunity to pull his right hand back, turning to continue washing vegetables.
"Kakashi, you've been silent ever since you came in. Is something on your mind?"
"Oh, that..."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, deliberated for a moment, but still decided to prioritize preserving his innocence.
So he went to Naraku's left, and while helping to wash vegetables, he haltingly began to explain.
"That idea that made Itachi angry, actually... uh, actually it was..."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Kakashi started to hesitate again, when he suddenly heard Naraku next to him interject.
"Aunt Mikoto told you and Shisui to do it, right?"
"Eh?" Kakashi hadn't expected Naraku to know the truth about this matter so clearly, and his eyes widened in surprise, "How did you know?"
Naraku lowered his head, repeatedly rubbing a carrot that had long been washed spotless.
"Because Kakashi is a very gentle person... he definitely wouldn't deliberately bully a child..."
Kakashi felt relieved and leaned closer to Naraku: "I thought you were mad at me."
"No," Naraku stopped washing, his gaze gradually unfocused, not knowing what he was thinking, "How could I be mad at Kakashi?"
Then, as if waking from a dream, he placed the carrot on a plate for later use and picked up other vegetables to continue rinsing.
"But Little Itachi is still so young; if you two don't apologize, he'll definitely hold a grudge for a long time."
"That's true."
Kakashi nodded in agreement, having no objection to this speculation, and threw himself back into the great task of washing vegetables.
Perhaps it was due to his good mood, everything he saw seemed pleasing, even the water droplets splashed around the sink had a round and lovely curve.
Not long after, he heard Naraku's puzzled voice: "Kakashi?"
He was completely unaware that anything was amiss: "Hmm?"
"Too close... I can't even extend my arm..."
Only then did Kakashi realize that he had unconsciously moved closer to Naraku again, standing in the middle of the sink, his right arm almost overlapping Naraku's left arm.
"Ahem..." He cleared his throat, feigning composure, and said self-righteously, "Anyway, there's not much left, so I might as well wash it all."
"...Alright."
Naraku, confused, went to get a cutting board and a knife, preparing to chop the food.
"Kakashi seems strange today."
"And a bit childish...?"
...Several months flew by, winter gave way to spring, and all things revived.
The sun was no longer the distant, cold pallor of winter, but was wrapped in a golden hue, radiating a warm and gentle glow.
The wind had also changed, no longer as bone-chilling as in the depths of winter, but carrying a hint of moist warmth, gently caressing everyone's cheeks.
The withered yellow grass by the river had long been covered by new tender green, stretching from afar to near, vibrant with life.
Several plump sparrows hopped on branches adorned with new leaves, their cheerful chirping attracting passersby to stop and watch, drawing bursts of laughter.
It was on such a warm and bright day that Kana and Arashi walked hand in hand into the halls of marriage.
Both their parents were gone, and their friends and relatives combined numbered only a mere dozen or so, but the wedding was still warm and lively, filled with blessings for their future life.
At the end of the ceremony, Kana even took out several cherry blossom branches, freshly picked that morning and wrapped in colored paper to form a bouquet, creating the first flower toss in Konoha Village.
"The person who catches the bouquet will receive the bride's blessing and have good luck for a whole year!"
With that, Kana turned her back to everyone on the stage, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and randomly chose a direction to throw the flowers.
The adults who had already started families remained still, only watching the few children participating in this segment obstruct each other, laughing so hard they were bent over backwards.
As a result, the young participants suffered multiple injuries, and the bouquet made several turns in the air, finally landing in the lap of Naraku, who was sitting at a table watching the commotion, not competing for it.
Kakashi, standing nearby, silently mused, if Naraku already had such luck, did he still need the bride's blessing?
Looking at the somewhat disappointed children, Naraku's eyes curved, showing a hint of a smile: "One branch for everyone, okay?"
After giving each child a cherry blossom branch, he still had one last branch left in his hand.
On the way home, Kakashi and Naraku walked side by side on a path vibrant with early spring.
The air was filled with a moist, warm scent, carrying the crispness of grass shoots and leaves, and the subtle sweetness of many flowers.
Kakashi naturally took Naraku's left hand, which held the cherry blossom; the latter subtly trembled, then silently loosened his grip and intertwined his fingers with Kakashi's.
The cherry blossoms bloomed passionately between the intertwined fingers of the two youths, swaying gently in the spring breeze, their soft pink petals... waiting to be admired.
The cherry blossoms bloomed passionately between the intertwined fingers of the two youths, swaying gently in the spring breeze, their soft pink petals...