Chapter 104 Repainting the New Home
Sasuke's two relatively new summons looked at him expectantly, awaiting orders, but he gave them no instructions as he sat down at the island counter and began to eat his breakfast.
Chikari, now well-versed in the nuances of human behavior, especially Sasuke's, jumped onto the counter beside his elbow and patted it with her paw, carefully selecting a plate of thinly sliced raw meat from the various delicacies for her breakfast.
"Good morning," she greeted Kuran, who had his head buried in a plate of rabbit meat that Naruto had thoughtfully provided as he searched the fridge and freezer.
The strange thing was, though, Sasuke hadn't thought the ninja dog would share food so easily.
"Good morning," Kuran replied with a mouth full of food, swallowing it, licking his bloody mouth, and then continuing to devour it.
"You are a real savage," the little prince told him from his right, taking small and graceful bites of his rabbit. "Good morning, Chiccoli," he added politely to the bird of prey.
Chikri gave a soft cry as a polite response and began to eat, pausing to turn her nimble head over the ridges of the upper wings to glare at her fellow summon.
"Hmm? Don't just stand there. Sasuke-sama has offered a rather sumptuous breakfast, and it would be rude not to accept it." Sasuke couldn't help but laugh when the two divine eagles immediately flapped their wings forward, as if spurred into action by the mere thought of being considered rude.
Naruto sat down next to him, smiling, having just arranged breakfast for all the ninja dogs, and handed him a plate of tomatoes and pickled cucumbers.
Watching this stupid, simple action, Sasuke was easily reminded of home.
*****
Anko and Genma, if not going too far, were not exactly friends.
Extremely hostile colleagues were probably closer to the truth, so when Genma appeared on her balcony, reeking of ozone, one sleeve practically on fire, and said, "I need your help," Anko blinked, her eyes darting between his wet hair and his smoking shirt, wondering if she had fallen asleep on Interrogator Ibiki's files again.
"Say it again?"
Xuanjian rolled his eyes and patted his sleeve.
"Look, you can help me out for a few hours, or I can tell Hayate that you were the one who vomited on his flak jacket two weeks ago."
Anko immediately sat up straighter, knocking over her empty coffee cup in her haste.
******************
"Aoba! Gale!"
Aoba had to admit that he was startled so much that he dropped the shogi piece in his hand, causing the sickly ninja across from him to laugh.
However, Hayate's laughter came to an abrupt end when Anko came around the corner, soaking wet and covered in dust, her black hair flying in all directions.
"What the hell-" Aoba started to say, but he suddenly shut his mouth when Anko grabbed the back of his shirt and began to forcibly drag him out of his seat.
Today was supposed to be a perfect day, all he wanted to do was play a nice game of strategy outdoors with one of his few friends, but no, that wasn't going to be possible.
"You've been conscripted." Anko declared angrily. "And so have you, Hayate, if you can still breathe today."
"Coming, coming," Lei Tong agreed, seeming to find the situation very interesting, while Qingye couldn't really see what was so interesting about it.
"Where the hell are you pulling me to, you crazy woman?!" he growled, trying to stand up, but Anko tugged on his collar again, causing him to lose his balance.
"There's a war. We need every soldier we can get," she barked back.
******
"A little more to the right! You missed a piece in the top corner!"
"I didn't! That corner is perfect."
"You must be blind. It needs at least two more brushes!"
"Bullshit."
"If you don't believe it, see for yourself!"
"I'm watching, idiot, are you crazy!"
Kakashi sighed and leaned against the door frame, mumbling to himself.
Although Kokoro Tetsu and Izumo helped, their work efficiency was not satisfactory. At least the dojo was completed with only a few minor conflicts in the process, and Kakashi was hopeful about the progress of the annexe.
There was a rustling sound, an unnatural movement of a shadow, and Kakashi immediately turned, greeting Shikaku before he fully emerged from the shadows of a nearby pine tree.
"What may I do for you, Jonin Commander?" he asked, his tone very polite, bordering on sarcasm, knowing it would make the other man nervous.
Shikaku just snorted, finding it amusing.
"Are you aware that your students have already had a fight with Lei Tong who is on standby now?"
"It has already started?" Kakashi pondered, looking up at the position of the sun. "It's only been an hour."
Shikaku let out a deep, husky laugh.
"Apparently, they dragged my son and his team into this, as well as Yuhi Kurenai's group of little guys. As a group, they did an exceptionally good job of intimidating my men."
"They are special," Kakashi agreed without hesitation. "But you didn't come all this way just to tell me something I already knew."
"Of course not." Shikaku admitted. "I came here to ask you something."
"Oh?" Kakashi replied mildly, raising an eyebrow.
"How long has Naruto known about his origins?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Is this your problem, or the problem of the third generation?"
"That's my problem so I can show that old man how badly he screwed up."
It wasn't the answer Kakashi had expected, but he relaxed his suddenly bristling hairs anyway.
He had to force himself to remember that Shikamaru had something to protect as well - Naruto and Shikamaru had a close bond that Kakashi sometimes forgot, a bond that automatically made young Naruto part of the Nara family - even if it wasn't obvious to the Nara family.
In the Nara family, few things are kept open.
"Kyuubi told him. Probably when he was very young, around seven or eight."
If Shikaku was surprised by the mention of "Kyuubi", he didn't show it.
"Shikaku said it possessed him after I made him admit I knew. He said it listened to him. Is that true?"
"Yeah," Kakashi admitted. "Somehow, he became friends with it. Probably a few years ago. I'm still not sure how he did it."
"That bastard Danzo must not know about this." Shikaku said firmly. "He has an unhealthy obsession with those beasts. If he thinks that kid has a way to control them..."
"Indeed." Kakashi agreed.
Shikaku suddenly laughed.
"Even if that warmongering old guy knew, there's nothing he can do now. Putting aside the protection of the Third Generation, there are many people paying attention to that child now." There was a subtle statement implied in this sentence, as if Shikaku had inadvertently counted himself into that number, but nothing Shikaku did was unintentional.
Kakashi nodded his thanks and agreement, then stared at the dangerous section of the building that Kokoro and Izumo were painting.
"Am I the only one who thinks there's one less coat of paint on the right corner?" he said nonchalantly, and Izumo immediately screamed and fell off the ladder.
