The warmth and liveliness of Naruto's home stood in stark contrast to the lonely silence of Kakashi's.
So many years had passed.
The nightmares of the Midnight Killer no longer haunted him as frequently, yet their shadow lingered.
His gaze fell upon the framed photo on his desk.
Every time he looked at it, a storm of emotions churned within him.
Bloodstained hands that could never be washed clean. A Sharingan that could never be closed.
Memories flooded back—the past, his mistakes, meeting Naruto…
Darkness swallowed him whole.
He wanted to escape, but countless hands clutched at his ankles, dragging him down.
His father.
Minato-sensei.
Kushina-sensei.
Obito.
Rin…
But the one that terrified him most was himself—his twelve-year-old self, the moment he became a jōnin.
He was exhausted. So incredibly tired.
Closing his eyes, he saw it. The Midnight Monster—a horror he had not encountered in years.
"Ah—!"
With a sharp gasp, Kakashi jolted awake, his body drenched in cold sweat.
Had he fallen asleep while meditating?
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I really am an incompetent teacher… a useless student… and a terrible friend."
He tilted his head upward. The sky outside was bright and clear.
But his heart remained frozen.
A gust of cold wind suddenly swept through the room.
He turned instinctively.
The door had been pushed open.
A silhouette stood at the entrance—a figure bathed in warm light, like a small sun.
Blond hair. A gentle, familiar smile.
Minato Namikaze.
For a moment, Kakashi doubted his own eyes.
Was he still dreaming?
Then, another figure stepped forward, standing beside Minato.
Long, blood-red hair swayed gently.
Kushina Uzumaki.
A man and a woman—so familiar, yet so distant.
Kakashi's breath hitched. His vision blurred.
What you think about during the day, you dream about at night…
Was this because he hadn't done enough for Naruto?
Was it finally his time?
His voice trembled.
"Minato-sensei… Kushina-sensei… have you come to take me away?"
He lowered his head, shame washing over him.
"I'm sorry. I've been so useless. I couldn't accomplish anything. I couldn't even help Naruto…"
Tears welled in his mismatched eyes, seeping into his mask.
A sharp hiss broke the moment.
"Kakashi, why are you sucking on that mask?"
Kushina's voice rang out, laced with irritation.
Longing, affection, and exasperation flickered across her face.
Minato chuckled, his smile as warm as ever.
"Kakashi, long time no see. Naruto tells me you're his jōnin instructor now—leading Team 7, just like I did."
Kushina's face darkened at that, her anger practically manifesting into reality.
Team 7.
Her husband's former students—Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.
Her precious children.
And now, Kakashi was leading a new generation of Team 7.
But none of that mattered right now.
Kakashi's voice was hoarse, thick with emotion.
"Minato-sensei… Kushina-sensei…"
He struggled to form words, choking on emotions too heavy to bear.
So… even after death, I can still cry…
A sudden red blur flashed before his eyes.
Then—
BAM!
Kushina's fist crashed down onto his head.
Pain exploded in his skull.
'Ah… Mrs. Kushina would never forgive me.'
'It's a shame… If I were really dead, I probably wouldn't feel anything.'
'But if I were alive… she'd definitely beat me to a pulp—'
CRACK!
His head snapped to the side.
Wait.
His neck—his actual neck—had twisted from the impact.
Pain flared through his nerves.
Wait… am I not a spirit?
If he were dead, why did it hurt so much?
Then, he felt it—Chakra.
A familiar red Chakra, wrapping around him, seeping into his wounds.
Healing him.
His throat tightened.
The Nine-Tails' Chakra.
His injuries were closing, the pain sharpening before turning into an unbearable itch.
His gaze darted to Minato, searching for answers.
His teacher—his beloved teacher—was standing there, sleeves rolled up, looking just about ready to throw a punch himself.
And when Kakashi locked eyes with him—Minato quickly switched back to his usual smiling expression.
The same expression that used to spell doom for his students.
Kakashi's mind went blank.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Blood-Red Pepper.
The Yellow Flash.
Standing. Right. In. Front. Of. Him.
And the Blood-Red Pepper was still wailing on him!
Shit.
Was this an illusion?!
When did it start?!
BANG!
Kakashi was sent flying across the room.
It wasn't over.
Golden chains shot out, wrapping around him, immobilizing his body.
Kushina's voice was both sharp and amused.
"I'm sorry, huh?"
"Well, if that helped, I'd have—" She stopped mid-sentence, cracking her knuckles. "Never mind. Let's just fight it out instead!"
She turned to Minato.
"Minato, aren't you going to show some love to your beloved student?"
Bound by Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains, Kakashi could only watch as his former teacher rolled up his sleeves again—his ever-gentle smile still firmly in place.
And for the first time in years—
Kakashi wished he had just stayed asleep.
Kakashi couldn't move at all. His entire body was restrained by the Diamond Seal.
"Kushina, take it easy. If you hit me too hard, Kurama's chakra won't be able to heal me."
Did she even listen to what he was saying?
Kakashi took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Then, his eyes widened in realization.
"Minato-sensei… Kushina-sensei… have you been resurrected?"
"No, we're here to take your life!"
Bang!
Another punch landed squarely on his face.
Kakashi saw stars and barely had time to register the pain before another blow came crashing down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The muffled thuds continued, each one more punishing than the last.
And yet, despite the pain, Kakashi felt… happy.
His teacher and Kushina were alive!
That was all that mattered.
Wait… Naruto mentioned someone would come knocking. Could this be what he meant?
No… that didn't seem right.
Kakashi, face swollen and bruised, forced his eyes open.
Minato still wore that ever-gentle smile, as bright as the morning sun.
For a brief moment, Kakashi felt like he was a kid again.
But something was off.
Wait… why did Kushina's fists feel so small?
And why did the next one feel… too big?
Before he could process it, his body, now considerably heavier from all the swelling, was tossed to the ground.
Kushina rubbed her wrist, still looking unsatisfied. "I've been hitting you for a while, but I don't feel any better!"
"Calm down, Kushina."
Minato chuckled and gently took her hand, rubbing it soothingly.
"Hmph! I'm not as easy to talk to as Minato! Now, Kakashi, tell me—what exactly happened to Naruto all these years?"
Kakashi hesitated. "Well… the other teams I've taken over were better than you three."
"Mrs. Kushina… I… I'm sorry." His voice lowered as he looked away. "I knew what Naruto went through growing up, but… I couldn't do anything. I wasn't free. If I forced contact with him, someone like me—someone as unlucky as me—might have brought him harm."
He lowered his head further, unable to meet her gaze.
"Besides, all these years, at least before graduation, the ANBU were always watching Naruto. I could only interact with him openly after he became a ninja."
Minato, sensing the heavy atmosphere, softened his voice. "Alright, Kakashi, get up first. Kushina, Kakashi had his own struggles too."
Kushina huffed. "Hmph! If you weren't Naruto's jōnin instructor, I wouldn't have come here with Minato."
Still, she retracted her Diamond Chains, letting Kakashi breathe again.
Kakashi gave a bitter smile as he sat up.
He knew this wasn't over. One day, when Kushina was in a bad mood, she might just beat him up again.
But he didn't care.
Because right now, he was happy.
His teacher and his wife were alive!
He hadn't cried when his father died.
He had cried when Obito was presumed dead.
He had cried when he was forced to kill Rin.
He hadn't shed a tear when Minato and Kushina died.
Because back then, he believed adults had to stay strong.
But now… now, an adult had returned to him.
And for the first time in years, Kakashi cried.
Minato and Kushina watched as he knelt before them, silent sobs wracking his body.
They exchanged glances, their own eyes welling with tears.
"You must have suffered a lot all these years, Kakashi," Minato said gently.
They crouched down, their hands resting on his head in a comforting touch.
"Forget it," Kushina sighed. "As long as you understand your mistakes now."
Kakashi's shoulders trembled as he wept.
Then—
Bang!
Another punch.
"Alright, that's enough. Are you getting addicted to crying or something?"
Kakashi let out a weak, pitiful whimper.
For a second, he thought about crying again.
Then he saw Kushina clenching her fists once more.
He forced a smile. "Welcome back!"
"Tch, how boring! I thought you'd say something more interesting. Let's go, I haven't seen my baby boy for days—I miss him so much!"
With that, Kushina strode out of the room first.
Minato, still as composed as ever, turned back with a knowing smile. "Kakashi, it's been so many years. You should lighten up. If you don't want to find a girlfriend, at least clean up your room."
Kakashi instantly turned red.
Minato was already walking out when he added, "Oh, and read fewer of Jiraiya-sensei's books in the future."
Kakashi buried his face in his hands, groaning.
This was going to be a long day.