Chapter 108 Big Family

Kakashi sometimes wondered what was going through his mind when he was hesitant.

He had been so afraid of the darkness and emptiness of this place, even when he had lived here as a child, it had been too spacious for him; too empty for a precocious child and a tired veteran.

It had grown colder since his father's death, the emptiness seeping into the walls the same way his father's blood had once seeped into the cracks in the floorboards.

He had feared to bring his students here, afraid that the emptiness and coldness that lingered in his memories and filled the room would crush their bright souls, even in their sleep.

He had never expected things to turn out like this.

Any chill that had tried to linger here was forcefully banished; Naruto's warmth and energy spread into every nook and cranny, lingering in any space he occupied, Sakura's bright determination and strength acted as a bulwark against any ghosts that might still linger, and even Sasuke's calm resolve concealed a strange and subtle burning devotion that dispelled any chill that might have lurked in the cracks.

The little ninjas had squeezed into every nook and cranny, altered every chakra-reinforced wall and every piece of furniture, and now Kakashi could barely recognize his own home.

If there once was a void lingering between these walls, it is surely gone now.

"Relax, Aoba, and don't spill it."

"If you want this operation to go smoothly, then stop those little guys of yours running around my little legs!"

"You're an ANBU member, please you should have a better sense of balance."

"It's all because of that little bug devil. I still can't see clearly..."

"Ino, honey, come here and let me see your bangs. Let's see if we can take care of those burnt bits."

"Iruka-sensei! We need a food taster!"

"Here I come. Here I come. Don't shout in Naruto's house. It's rude."

"Yes...I'm sorry."

"Mr. Xuanjian, do you know if anyone here is allergic to anything?"

"Anko is allergic to peanuts. It's not a big deal, but it will make her face swell up."

Kakashi watched all this from the partition that separated the kitchen from most of the main room, hiding himself behind the cover of Makeout Heaven.

He felt comfortable enough in the company of others that he relaxed his attire a bit - he removed his jonin vest and jacket and changed into a pair of dark grey civilian sweatpants.

He wasn't the only one who wasn't dressed properly - almost all of the ANBU had gone home to change clothes after accepting Kakashi and his students' offer of a free dinner, Asuma had taken off his tactical vest, Kurenai had changed into a pair of black mission pants and a matching vest, and Iruka had been wearing civilian clothes when he arrived.

This almost made Kakashi feel a little uncomfortable.

Speaking of discomfort...

"This is really messy."

Ryouta stood in the open doorway, smoking angrily, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his signature ninja pants.

Sakura came out from the corner with a bright smile on her face, with a streak of curry sauce on her face, needless to say, this was definitely the result of helping in the kitchen.

"Ryouta-sensei!" she said happily, and Ryouta's posture relaxed a little.

"You're here, Sakura. Shizune said there's free food here?"

"Not ready yet, but soon. Have you finished the paperwork?"

Ryouta smiled sarcastically.

"Why, you want to be my secretary? And what's that on your face? You're learning to be a medical ninja, not a little slob." He said, wiping the traces of curry spice and beef broth from her cheek with his sleeve until she wiggled away with a laugh and wiped off the remaining stain herself.

"Come in, we have snacks!" she said cheerfully, and trotted back to the kitchen.

Ryouta looked up and met Kakashi's gaze once again, his eyes returning to their previous friendly warmth.

"Don't be nervous, Kakashi. I won't use acupressure on you in the hallway."

Kakashi let the corners of his eyes curl up in a provocative smile.

"Like you haven't done this before," he retorted.

Genma took the opportunity to slip back into the main room, he walked out of the kitchen, winked at Ryouta, and then walked back out.

Ryouta rolled his eyes and sat down next to Iruka.

Kakashi went back to pretending to read, uneasiness creeping under his skin once again.

But this uneasiness is easily dissipated by the warmth around him and can be easily ignored.

It would be rude to leave now, even for him; he could wait until everyone left and then go back to calm his nerves.

But just as he was thinking this, he heard a rustling and soft footsteps, and Sasuke appeared beside him, obviously finding it easier to use the instant body jutsu than to walk to him from the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head, his eyes extremely focused.

"You should go."

Kakashi blinked in confusion and looked at him in confusion.

"what?"

Sasuke snorted and glanced unhappily at the group of jonin and ANBU members nearby, as if he was suddenly annoyed by their proximity.

"You haven't been to the memorial today, have you? Naruto can sense that you're uneasy." Sasuke's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, as if it was a secret.