The day began lazy.

Firstly I strained to get up from the confines of my bed, being far too warm in its hold. Then I felt myself being smacked in the face with a knitted object, and I jolted forward with the speed of a kunai thrown. Finding unexpected, a doll resting peacefully on my pillow, with glass eyes looking to me, almost with a laughing disposition. The one who threw it had his little arms crossed, appearing bored, yet oddly mocking along with his best friend.

"Ya little punk!" My pillow launched itself at his face, and I certainly had absolutely nothing to do with it flying from my hand. Snickering when it ended up hitting the sassy child in the face, causing him to fall down. In trying to throw it back it kind of just flopped beside the futon instead, it was a cute attempt because of how small he is, being practically the size of the pillow itself. I got a large pout for my not well hidden snickers, he also attempted to glare at me.

"Meanie!" I flicked away the covers, challenge invoked.

"Oh yea?!"I grappled him with the best tickle I could manage, going for under the knees. He squealed firstly then giggled so loud I was afraid of him waking Sakumo. Still, I obviously had to win! He continued to laugh as I tickled his under arms and sides. That cute small child voice that I don't think I've really heard him do before as any child should. However, the pounding footsteps made me panic for a second, stopping as Kakashi cried in continuous hiccups. Sakumo burst through the door with a severe expression on his face, almost glaring down at us.

I froze at the look and his positioning, poised for attack. He must have confused the laughing for fright, so taking my chances I tried giving him a smile. After a moment he calmed down, and the aura of deadly chakra he had been releasing evaporated. In place of apology for thinking me a murderer he scratched at the back of his head in embarrassment, smiling with closed eyes.

I and Kakashi laughed.

Breakfast was slightly burnt around the edges, being the sardonic child, Kakashi commented that it was because his father had cooked and not me. Despite the rather odd tasting eggs, I enjoyed the movie, and despite his remarks Kakashi cleaned his plate without anything else said. I took to cleaning the dishes, only my hands had been cold last night so the warm or rather, hot water was a pleasant change. Sakumo touched at my shoulder to draw my attention, a serious contrite expression worn.

I have so far only been here for two weeks, so I don't know the man very well, but it was a look I haven't seen on him before. "I leave on my mission this afternoon." I think I'd been trying to unconsciously forget that. The same S-rank mission that he'd been making ready for since Jiraiya had brought the scroll containing the details. Neither me nor his son had been happy about the event, though in childhood innocence Kakashi mainly ignored it and the repercussions that followed the information. "Kakashi will be with his Mother for the most part, and you'll likely be watched by an ANBU, just to be safe."

I mulled it over, but it wasn't hard to understand, and ended up nodding rather absently. "How long will you be gone ya think?" He breathed out a sigh, running a hand through his hair, taking the tie out of it in the process. Letting the beautiful silver threads fall freely, which was new. My eyes were immediately drawn to it, and I adjusted grabbed the hair so usually caught in his ponytail, making them instead frame his face. Bringing him an entirely different look, where before he was rather scraggly making him appear like a too kind businessman. With his hair down and around his face, it nearly completely changed his visage into that of a stoic and chivalrous gentleman with an almost harsh disposition.

"Naruto-kun?" I hadn't noticed I was playing with his hair, but in my defence!- It is very smooth... Still I withdrew my hand rather fast. He brushes it off as if it never happened, and I'm glad for it, though he does raise an eyebrow at my stealing his hair band and putting it on my wrist. Seen as I mine isn't long enough to pull back. "Normally an S-rank is around a month-" I jump at that, no longer smug that I had pulled his hair away, that was.. Long, at least by my standards. I had been thinking far shorter, then again, maybe I had only been hoping that it would be a short exposition.

"Oh." I couldn't think of anything else to say. Not that it was really a word. "So Kakashi-chan will be with his Mother?" I don't know how to feel about that, obviously I've gotten rather close to the youngest Hatake maybe attached to an extent. Sometime along that line, I had hoped that perhaps I could have looked over him. But, that wasn't possible of course, and I should not be so disheartened over it. Especially as Kakashi deserves to see his Mother, I'm certain she misses him.

"She'll be picking him up later today." I was almost compelled to pout at the information. I can not interpret own strange thoughts, they're illogical. Simply speaking I should not feel so connected to the Chibi. "He'll be with her for the month, so you won't have to worry." He shoots me a look, I suppose he guessed the reasoning for my silence. Gathering myself, I breath deep and muster my remaining dignity.

"Sakumo-san, I was thinking-" Interrupting me came the front door, annoyed by the fact that just as I'd manage to gain some confidence, someone had to go and be sociable. In response to this, the man held a single finger upwards to wait, content in his visage. I silently scold myself for my hesitation, not being able to speak should not be such a problem.

I watch his hair flick over his shoulder once more as he moves to open the door. I cannot decide that the separation of appearance it made between Father and Son was good or not. At the door I saw a tall body with a mass of white on his head.

"Yo Sakumo!" I almost flinched, I honestly don't believe Jiraiya understands just how much his voice tends to travel. Though, I suppose in its own way it is merely an enduring part of his demeanor. "I was on my way here and ran into Horonigai-san on the way here." That caught my attention, and I saw fit to scooch up beside Sakumo's rather tensing figure.

A woman stepped forward rather contrasting my host in her colouring and stern frown. With a layered black bobbed hairstyle pale toned skin, no prominent wrinkles though some were creeping around her eyes. Those being a dark forest green colour, dotted around her face were several small black moles. Mean of me, maybe even slightly misogynistic, but my immediate thought was how she would look far prettier if she tried smiling. The frown she wore seemed to be her resting expression, and quite fixated.

No doubt in my mind that she is older then Sakumo.

"Sakumo. Is Kakashi ready?" I looked to the man his upper brow twitching, holding the stance of a man more then slightly irritated. Her eyes then turned to me, a clear displacement of resentment in her eyes, a disdain that I know not how I recognized. She was gazing down at me without so much as lifting her nose, a superior positioning about her. Something clogs in my throat, why does it feel so familiar?

I want to back away from her searing eyes.

"Who's this?" Her voice suddenly turns sweetened, strange and far different from what it had been mere moments ago. Jiraiya leans against the door frame, catching my attention because I would rather focus on anything else other then her. I assume she's Kakashi's Mother, only because of the moles and mouth that seems to hold no expression -maybe mild annoyance if anything.- Shifting to Jiraiya however, I couldn't help but notice he has on him a carefully crafted fake cheerfulness, much like his regular demeanor, but his eyes were slightly glaring at the woman.

"I told you on the way Horonigai-san." Was he just exasperated that she hadn't payed attention to him the first time? That didn't sound as if it were something someone with the joyful conduct of Jiraiya would do.

"He's a guest Okaa-sama!" Kakashi-chibi joined in the conversation with a childlike innocence that only a kid his age could truthfully possess. To my surprise he didn't go up and hug her in exuberance as most do to a loved parent.

"Ah. Stay the night did you?" She peered at me, and it took me a moment to be offended. I'm not the smartest woman in Konoha, even I can acknowledge that. But I can understand her implication. Near me Sakumo breathed through his teeth, obviously slightly insulted by her remark just as I. Behind her modest figure I see Jiraiya roll his eyes, quite as I feel like doing, though he as opposed to me, looks rather adapted. "For shame Sakumo. Indulging yourself with our child in the house."

If Kakashi-chan hadn't been so nearby, and she hadn't been his Mother, I would have said something a lot more outspoken. As it were... "Actually Horonigai-san, Sakumo-san was kind enough to have offered his home to me after an accident. He's a very good man isn't he?" Her mouth pulled at the edges, but she kept her composure rather well. She did sharply turn to Jiraiya as he snickered before staring directly at Kakashi-chan.

"Say goodbye to your Father Kakashi, do you have your bag?"

"Hai, Okaa-sama." In response he grasps Sakumo's legs firmly with a glistening to his eyes. It bothered me, not only her overwhelming presence nearly crushing her sons', no, how formally he was addressing her, it sounded so wrong. Perhaps in the past it was mere respect, but these days, it sounded so unusual, and wrong. No one besides me were looking to it oddly either.

"Be good, don't cause havoc." Father and son laughed together, and it was nice that it could still occur in an atmosphere so divided. A large hand settled on my shoulder, wondering why Jiraiya had wanted to come here anyhow. His general position has been to keep far from Horonigai-san, despite having brought her here, he seemed to be uncomfortable under her stern aura.

He had left the village a week ago to handle a minor problem, and I hadn't got the chance to train with the man."Wanna get some training done Naruto-kun? I managed to convince Tsunade to come as well." It'd be nice to know how I measure up, even if I am pathetically behind. So, at least, I know how far I have to climb before I can get to be a Jonin -or even higher, I know myself capable.- My muscles must be shrunken, and my reflexes lax.

"Naruto-san!" Automatically, I respond. After all me and Kakashi were friends at the very least and he had begun to expect me around. Still, I didn't expect him to grasp onto my legs and hug me as he had his father. "See you soon!"

"Hurry it up Kakashi." Horonigai spoke, a vicious tilt now to her gaze as her voice became harsh once more, a dangerous tone filling the space of sugar and bland nonchalance. Without looking closely into her conduct; she doesn't want me around her child, despite holding her tongue on the matter. While the young boy holding onto me didn't seem to possess such a negative opinion of me as his Mother, his arms did loosen when she said that, and he glanced at her. Something must've been there that I was not privy to because he promptly let go and nearly rushed to her side. Her attention shifted to Sakumo, "Try not to take longer then a week, I have things to do."

"That's not-"

"Honestly Sakumo, don't make excuses, you're a shinobi are you not? I thought you people were supposed to be fast." She left at that, grasping her sons hand and practically dragging him out. While all shinobi present grapple with keeping faces of civility, her conduct provoking each of us.

I found her profoundly irritating, her clear perception of superiority was perplexing as it was insulting. Though her conduct was composed and nativest, the manner in which she pulled along her own son stirred in me a severe dislike, though I crushed the impulse with the knowledge of not being properly acquainted with the woman. Her gaze was continually bored, while her frowning lips conveyed in me that she was not easily affected by emotional instinct, or indeed that she had any. Perhaps most disturbing of all, Kakashi-chan shared some similarity unto that demeanor. His attention unto things could often be described as a bored disposition, his smile was rarely invoked from the usual uncaring resting position which it held. That would not be so unnerving to me, had she been kind unto him, but she hadn't been, she had ordered Kakashi and expected compliance.

As she walked out a firm grip on Kakashi even as he waved goodbye to all of us, Sakumo tightened his fist, waving goodbye with a false smile. In order to stop Kakashi-chan from noticing I grinned as best I could at the sweet boy and waved along. Jiraiya kind of joined in with a smirk and a small two-fingered wave. When they turned the corner, I turned to Sakumo and put a hand on his shoulder, he was distressed more then he had been in the last week preparing for his mission.

I wanted to ask what was wrong -besides his ex-wife being difficult- but he just looked up at me with the most strained eyes, knocked my hand away and walked into his room, a trail of mumbling following.

"C'mon, Tsuna will be waiting, she's not a patient woman." He clasped strongly on my shoulder before I could move to comfort -or attempt to comfort- the irate man. It would probably be a better choice to follow Jiraiya at the moment then speak to a man who was in need of cooling.

I couldn't comfort Kakashi-chan either. What a bitter morning.