"Alright, hurry up and finish cleaning up the battlefield and head back to the village," Minato said, breaking the ice between them. If he hadn't, it was hard to tell how long this group would keep chatting.
"Alright," Nawaki responded, his tone firm. "Pain, take care of her. The rest of you hurry up. We'll leave in half a quarter of an hour."
"Yes," came the unanimous reply.
With that, everyone got to work. It didn't take the full allotted time to clean up the battlefield. Bloodstains were washed away with Water Release, leaving the area looking as if nothing had happened.
"You're the one who saved her, so finish the job," Nawaki said to Nagato before turning to leave. "Let's go."
Nagato didn't even get a chance to refuse. The rest of the group followed Nawaki, tacitly agreeing to leave Nagato and Nonō behind. In an instant, the two were left alone, staring blankly at each other.
"Why don't I carry you on my back?" Nagato finally broke the silence.
"That... that's fine," Nonō replied, her tone conflicted but with a hint of hidden delight. She didn't mind the idea at all.
"Here." Nagato bent his knees slightly, half-squatting in front of her.
"I'm ready." Nonō reached around his neck and held on securely, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist.
"Well, I'm off then," Nagato said as he clasped his fists together, bracing them against Nonō's thighs for support. Then, with swift steps, he sprinted after the group.
"Why isn't he here yet?"
"That idiot isn't running while holding hands, is he?" Nawaki asked, glancing back repeatedly while running alongside Minato.
"You're just goofing off," Minato said with a laugh, clearly amused by Nawaki's antics. Nawaki's dedication to the topic was almost impressive.
"I'm just thinking about Nagato's future," Nawaki replied smugly. "But you, Senior Brother, aren't paying any attention at all."
He raised himself up figuratively with his words, all while casting judgment on Minato.
"You can't be serious. Stop flattering yourself," Minato retorted.
Their playful argument escalated, words flying back and forth between them as they made a considerable amount of noise.
"Here they come," Nawaki said after a while, finally spotting a figure approaching.
It was Nagato, carrying Nonō on his back.
Seeing the scene, a knowing smile spread across Nawaki's face.
...
A few days passed, and the group of twelve finally returned to Konoha.
Nonō's injuries had fully healed, and she walked the last stretch of the journey on her own.
Upon arriving at the Anbu headquarters, the group handed in their mission report before preparing to head home and rest. After major missions, Sakumo always gave participants a few days off—a humane change he had introduced since taking over the Anbu. In the past, the Anbu had been on standby 24 hours a day, making holidays an impossible dream.
As they left the Anbu gates, everyone said their goodbyes. Nagato's group had the largest number heading in the same direction, while Nonō was going the opposite way.
After much hesitation, Nonō watched them walk away before gathering her courage and chasing after them.
"Nagato, are you free later?" she asked, her voice soft. Without outsiders present, she addressed him by name instead of his code name. Bowing her head slightly, she fidgeted with her fingers, clearly uneasy. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to ask a boy out, and with so many people watching, her nervousness was evident.
"He's got plenty of time. He's always home doing nothing," Nawaki cut in before Nagato could respond.
That, however, wasn't entirely true. Even on his days off, Nagato stayed busy. He spent time in the lab studying, and Tsunade occasionally gave him homework to complete. It was far from the idle life Nawaki had described.
"Is there something wrong?" Nagato asked, not directly answering whether he had time, but focusing on Nonō instead.
"Well, I want to invite you to dinner, to thank you for saving me," Nonō said, glancing up at Nagato before quickly looking away. The thought of being rejected made her want to find a hole to crawl into.
"Just inviting him alone?" Nawaki chimed in, unable to resist causing a little mischief.
"Ah, no, no. As long as everyone has time, they can come together," Nonō stammered, her visible panic growing under Nawaki's question.
"Don't listen to him. You can just invite Nagato," Minato interjected, stepping in to help Nonō out of her embarrassment.
"Haha~ don't mind me, I was just talking nonsense," Nawaki admitted with a smirk, realizing his comment had been unnecessary.
"It's fine. Everyone really can come together," Nonō said after regaining her composure, her sincerity evident.
"Really, you don't have to."
"Why are you taking so long to answer?" Nawaki said, patting Nagato on the back.
"So where should we meet?" Nagato finally spoke, thinking it over. He didn't want to refuse, and he could manage to make time for a meal.
"Six o'clock, at the best dumpling restaurant on the commercial street. Is that okay?" Nonō responded immediately, blurting out the details without hesitation. It was clear she had gone over this scenario in her head countless times before.
"See you at six," Nagato said with a firm nod, agreeing to the plan.
"Okay, I'll see you then. I'll go first," Nonō replied, her voice noticeably lighter. Waving her hand excitedly, she turned and left.
"How are you feeling about having a date?" Nawaki teased, slinging an arm around Nagato's shoulders, clearly enjoying himself.
The group walked home, chatting and laughing.
"It's just dinner," Nagato said, trying to downplay it. "Brother Nawaki, if you're really bored, go find Sensei and start a fight," he added, desperate to change the subject.
"You brat! You can't even say something nice," Nawaki exclaimed, offended, and shoved Nagato away.
Spar with my brother-in-law? That'd be like poking a beehive with a stick—just begging for trouble!
Nawaki had long forgotten the jokes he made back when he first got Samehada.
"Haha, look at you, you're so annoying," Minato chimed in, seizing the chance to mock Nawaki.
"Good intentions are wasted on you lot," Nawaki grumbled. "A bunch of heartless people. I'll just go home and wait for Misaki."
With that, he parted ways with the others at the fork in the road. Seeing his sister and brother-in-law could wait—Misaki was more important, and his impatience was evident.
"Hey, wait for me!" Minato called out, seeing Nawaki running ahead. He hurried to catch up, proving himself equally distracted. After all, the Senju family still had his "Red-Hot Habanero."
"These two..." Yahiko sighed with exaggerated maturity.
"That's Konan by your side," Nagato said flatly, already understanding the situation. His expression was full of disdain as he glanced at Yahiko.
Birds of a feather flock together.
"Oops, what are you talking about. Let's go home," Konan said, flustered after being unexpectedly called out. Embarrassed, she ran ahead alone.
Yahiko thought for a moment, realizing he was at a loss for words. He gave Nagato a meaningful look before hurrying after her.
The three returned home to find that Kawakaze and the others had not yet returned. Only Nayuki was in the dojo, playing with Kakashi.
Nayuki, uninterested in the details of their mission, seemed content as long as everyone had come back safely. She asked a few casual questions but didn't press for details. It wasn't surprising to her that Minato had gone to the Senju family.
Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko greeted Nayuki, then went to wash up and change into casual clothes before joining Kakashi in the dojo. With their presence, Kakashi was even more lively, his happiness spilling over as he called them "brother" and "sister" in his sweet, honeyed voice.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and the setting sun bathed all of Konoha in a warm golden glow.
Kawakaze finally strolled in, his pace unhurried as he entered the door.
"Sensei," the three greeted him in unison, and Kakashi darted over to cling to Kawakaze's legs.
"You're back. How was the mission?" Kawakaze asked, smiling as he lifted Kakashi into his arms.
"It went very well," Konan said, her voice brimming with pride. "Nagato saved Nonō's life again."
She presented the news like a treasured secret, knowing her teacher enjoyed a bit of gossip. Even at her young age, Konan had a knack for pleasing others, which made her the most favored.
"Really? Tell me more," Kawakaze said, his curiosity instantly piqued.
He walked over to the stone table and sat down, accepting the tea brought by a servant.
"Nonō also invited Nagato to dinner," Konan added, weaving the story in a way that made it sound as though Nagato had descended from the heavens to save Nonō. While there was no denying Nagato's pivotal role, her storytelling left even Nagato, listening nearby, feeling embarrassed.
If it weren't for Kawakaze and Nayuki listening with such interest, he would have interrupted her for sure. When Konan finally finished, Nagato let out a heavy sigh of relief, as if he had just endured an ordeal.
"That girl has good taste. Our little Nagato is the best," Nayuki said, her conviction unshakable. To her, all of her children were exceptional.
Nagato offered her a kind smile in response.
"A date, that's great," Kawakaze remarked, holding Kakashi in one arm while reaching into his pocket with the other. "Behave yourself. Sensei will give you some money. Don't let the girl pay. Eat something nice, be a gentleman. It's okay if you come back late."
He handed over the money with the heartfelt joy of an old father watching his son experience something new.
"Sensei, it's not a date," Nagato said, taking the large bills Kawakaze gave him. He repeated what he had told Nawaki earlier, "It's just dinner."
"It doesn't matter, it's fine," Kawakaze replied breezily. "Here, just take it." His attitude left no room for argument. To him, it was a date no matter how Nagato framed it.
"Okay," Nagato said with a resigned tone as he accepted the money. He knew that arguing would be futile. Lacking the eloquence to sway Kawakaze's opinion, he decided it was best to simply go along with it.
"What time is the date?" Kawakaze asked, sounding more enthusiastic than Nagato himself. "Don't be late."
"Six o'clock. There's still a while to go," Nagato replied. He had already calculated the timing—it would be perfect to leave in another half an hour. The Hatake Clan wasn't far from the commercial street.
"What are you doing at six o'clock?" Tsunade's voice came from behind as she entered, having just returned from work. Sakumo followed not far behind, the two walking in a staggered line.
"Little Nagato has a date," Nayuki said with a cheerful smile, addressing Tsunade.
"Oh, it's true that you've changed a lot since I last saw you. Our Nagato has started dating," Tsunade remarked, clearly surprised. She was well aware of how introverted Nagato usually was.
"Sensei's wife, it's just dinner. It's not a date," Nagato said, slightly overwhelmed by the growing number of comments. His insistence wavered under the collective teasing.
"Who asked you?" Tsunade replied as she approached him with a teasing smile.
"It's Nonō Yakushi, the Anbu Kunoichi I mentioned last time. Nagato saved her life again on this mission. I think she's probably got a crush on Nagato," Konan said confidently, rubbing her chin and putting on an air of someone deeply knowledgeable about such matters.
"How do you know? Smarty-pants," Tsunade said with a laugh, giving Konan a light slap on the head for her mischief.
"You need to be more confident when you go out on dates."
"You can learn that from your Sensei," Sakumo interjected with a rare joke directed at Nagato, a stark contrast to his usually stoic demeanor in the Anbu.
Kawakaze, watching the exchange, was momentarily unsure whether the comment was meant as a compliment or an insult.
"Your uncle is right. There's no harm in being shameless," Nayuki said, agreeing with her husband's opinion as she chimed in.
"When are you free to bring her home to play? I heard she's quite talented in Medical Ninjutsu. I can keep an eye on her for you," Tsunade added, recalling what she had heard about the selection event at the Anbu training grounds.
"There's no rush," Kawakaze interjected, sensing things were escalating too quickly. It felt far too soon to formally introduce anyone to the family.
"Wait until the time comes when you can hold hands and kiss. It won't be long before you're visiting our house again," Kawakaze continued, shifting the tone entirely. Nagato, who thought his Sensei might offer something constructive, was caught completely off guard by the comment.
"You're not afraid of corrupting the child?" Tsunade said, shooting Kawakaze a reproachful look. He was as shameless as ever.
On the side, Yahiko muttered to himself, lamenting internally—I hasn't even kissed Konan yet!
"Don't listen to your Sensei. Everything must be done gradually. You can't just go up and kiss; that would be rude," Sakumo added with a stern expression, clearly worried that Kawakaze's influence might lead Nagato astray.
"Okay, I get it! It's getting late, I'm leaving," Nagato said hastily, realizing he couldn't endure this teasing any longer. He turned and ran toward the door as though escaping.
If he stayed a moment longer, he didn't want to imagine what other outrageous comments these shameless elders might make.
"Look at him getting all shy," Kawakaze remarked, watching Nagato run off. "This kid still needs some practice."
He casually sipped his tea, clearly feeling no remorse about his comments.
"You think everyone is like you?" Tsunade shot back, recalling something and giving him a sharp smack.
"There's nothing wrong with being like me," Kawakaze replied shamelessly. "Handsome, strong, and rich. Most importantly, my wife is good-looking."
He shamelessly praised himself, sounding like someone promoting their own wares. In passing, he complimented Tsunade, ensuring she couldn't continue undermining him without implicating herself.
"Can we stick to the point, please?" Sakumo cut in, taking Kakashi from Kawakaze's arms. He felt much more at ease holding his son himself, silently imagining how exhausting it would be to have a child like Kawakaze. Having him as a brother was already more than enough.
"Why am I shameless? I'm just telling the truth. Right, sister-in-law?" Kawakaze said, seeking support from Nayuki.
"Haha, don't include me in your two's business," Nayuki replied, dodging the trap with a laugh. She had no intention of intervening. As long as the banter didn't escalate into a real fight, both she and Tsunade were content to sit back and enjoy the show.
"Everything except that last sentence is pure shamelessness," Sakumo said, brushing off most of Kawakaze's boasts while still throwing Tsunade a bone by acknowledging the compliment to her.
"Kakashi, is uncle handsome?" Kawakaze asked, shifting his attention to the child instead of arguing further with Sakumo.
"Handsome. My uncle is the handsomest," Kakashi replied enthusiastically, eagerly praising Kawakaze without hesitation.
Sakumo's expression darkened in frustration. Had he raised this son for nothing? Maybe it was time to consider starting over with a new kid.
"You heard it. A child's words are not false," Kawakaze declared smugly. "As for strength and wealth, I won't say much about it. Those who understand will understand."
He was full of confidence, knowing his position. In terms of strength, he was regarded as the new God of Shinobi. When it came to wealth, he was easily among the top three in Konoha, and his earnings likely continued to rise. The hospital was a financial goldmine, even more so than the weapons workshop.
"So what? I don't care," Sakumo shot back, pretending to be dismissive. He couldn't come up with a better retort and decided to argue half-heartedly before hugging Kakashi tightly and walking away.
I can't out-argue you, but I can avoid you.