The smell of warm food filled the house. Kurenai had made breakfast of rice, eggs, grilled fish, and some sweet tea. Everyone was sitting around the table, relaxed.
"Hey, kid, mind if I ask you something?" Anko stretched her arms and looked at Sasuke.
"What?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you so eager for power?" she asked. "You're strong already, but you push yourself harder than anyone I've seen."
Sasuke looked down at his plate. He was quiet for a moment, then spoke softly. "Because I have to kill someone. My elder brother, Uchiha Itachi. He destroyed everything. My clan. My family. I was too weak back then. I don't want to be weak again."
The room got quiet. Kurenai looked down. Anko didn't say anything either.
"I understand your pain, Sasuke," he said. Then Kakashi spoke.
"And I'm not going to stop you from your path. I know what losing someone you hold dear feels like."
Sasuke looked up at him. Kakashi gave him a calm look.
"I'll help you get stronger. I'll be by your side," Kakashi said. "I already made Tsunade agree to become the Fifth Hokage. After her, I'll be the Sixth. And you, Sasuke… I want you to be my right-hand man."
"You mean that?" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.
"I do. I believe in you." Kakashi nodded.
"Then I'll accept. I'll be your right hand." Sasuke nodded slowly.
"Also, I know some things about the Uchiha massacre. Things not many people know. I'll tell you after you awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan." Kakashi said.
"Why not now?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Because you're not ready," Kakashi said.
"Right now, knowing won't change anything. But later, when you've grown stronger… it might."
Sasuke looked down at his hands. He knew Kakashi was right. He was still too weak to change anything now.
"…Alright," Sasuke said quietly. "I'll wait."
"Don't be worried, Sasuke. You're not alone. I may be your teacher, but I see you as family." Kakashi smiled softly.
Sasuke's hands trembled slightly. He looked away, blinking fast. "Tch…," he muttered, but his voice cracked a little. A single tear slipped down his cheek.
"You're doing good, kid. Now eat. Or Anko will clean the table before you even take a bite." Kakashi said as he reached over and ruffled his hair.
"Hah! You know it!" Anko said, grabbing a big piece of grilled fish. She gave Sasuke a thumbs-up with her free hand. "You better hurry, kid."
Kurenai chuckled and sat beside Kakashi.
Sasuke smiled a little, wiping his face quickly before anyone saw. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel alone.
There was a knock at the door.
Kurenai stood up from the table and walked over. She opened the door to see Naruto, Sakura, and Ranmaru standing outside. Naruto had his usual goofy grin, Sakura looked calm, and Ranmaru was shyly looking down.
"Morning!" Naruto said. "We came to see if Kakashi-sensei was here!"
"He's here. Come in, all of you. We're having lunch." Kurenai smiled
"Awesome!" Naruto grinned widely and ran inside without waiting.
"Thank you." Sakura followed him in with a polite bow.
Ranmaru gave a small nod and stepped in quietly.
As they entered the kitchen, Naruto froze.
Sasuke was already sitting at the table, halfway through his meal. His hair was still messy from fighting, and his shirt was wrinkled. But in Naruto's eyes, he looked sharper than usual, and his chakra felt stronger.
"HE'S BEEN TRAINING WITHOUT ME AGAIN!" Naruto pointed at him dramatically.
Sasuke glanced at him and kept chewing his food like nothing had happened.
"Why does he always get the special treatment, huh?!" Naruto cried, turning to Kakashi. "Why don't I get the secret training?! Is it because he's your favorite? Huh? HUH?!"
"It's not like that," Kakashi said as he sipped his tea calmly. He was indeed playing favorites for a while, but Sasuke clearly fit his fighting style. While Naruto even after learning Wind-Jutsu still used Rasengan to blast his enemies.
"Yes, it is!" Naruto whined.
"You never wake me up in the morning to give me cool powers or super justsus or whatever it is you gave him!" Naruto thought of the seal that Kakashi had tested on him and was not letting it slide.
"You were snoring like a bear. I thought it was dangerous to wake you." Kakashi lied. He wanted to have a small vacation as he had one week before he had to report to the Third Hokage.
But now it seems not.
"Excuses!" Naruto said dramatically. "I want equality! I want training! I want cool powers! I want-"
"Food?" Kurenai interrupted, placing extra plates on the table.
"Yes. That too." Naruto blinked.
Everyone laughed as Naruto sat down, still grumbling but clearly enjoying the attention.
"You look different," she said. Sakura took a seat beside Sasuke.
"I trained." Sasuke didn't look at her.
"What exactly did you train, huh?" Naruto squinted at him.
Sasuke just picked up his tea and sipped quietly.
"I'm gonna find out one way or another!" Naruto groaned.
Ranmaru quietly sat beside Kurenai, smiling as he watched everyone laugh and bicker like family.
Suddenly Naruto reached for the last dumpling on the plate, his eyes shining.
But just as his fingers touched it, a pair of chopsticks snatched it away.
"Too slow, brat," Anko smirked, popping the dumpling into her mouth.
"Hey! That was mine!" Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Finders keepers," Anko said as she shrugged.
"What do you mean finders keepers…That was mine!" Naruto said as he imitated Anko.
"You want to get beaten brat!?" Anko said as she stood up to teach Naruto a lesson.
"Hump, I'm not afraid of you!" Naruto said as he stood up and rolled his sleeves up.
"Both of you stop it," Kakashi said in a helpless tone. He didn't expect them to fight directly like this. He knew their personalities were somehow similar but he still had to stop it and eat in peace.
"Humph." Naruto sat down after hearing Kakashi.
Meanwhile, Anko sat down and gave Naruto a mocking smirk.