After quickly settling Naruto in, Kakashi headed to the kitchen.
Left alone in the living room, Naruto was a little shy at first, but he soon perked up.
Well, he was just a kid.
Previously he'd still been on the bottle and too young to notice any hostility; the real discrimination had only begun a little over a year ago. Add in the influence of Ashura's Chakra and the fact that today, in this new Village, the hostility was gone… and his curiosity quickly took over.
The lively little Naruto played in the living room for a while, then dashed out to the small garden.
Soon… as the sun set and dusk fell, Tsunade and Shizune arrived together, and Kakashi had dinner ready.
"Lady Tsunade, Shizune…"
"Welcome—please sit!"
Carrying the last dish into the dining room, he caught sight of them and couldn't help smiling.
Tsunade sat at the table and called to Naruto: "Brat, come here!"
"Okay!" Naruto grinned foolishly.
Seeing him, Kakashi's lips curved in a faint smile as well.
Then—
the four of them ate and chatted; the atmosphere was warm and relaxed.
For the first time Naruto felt truly happy, and he couldn't help asking, "If you're all my family, why didn't you bring me here before?"
Clearly,
the boy had worries of his own; on guard, he'd held the question back.
Now, finally at ease and accepting these two relatives, he voiced his doubt.
As for that—
Tsunade sighed helplessly. "Blame Jiraiya—that fool's one of your relatives too. Who knew he'd be so unreliable!"
She wasn't telling the whole truth.
Tsunade knew perfectly well what Uchiha Jin was thinking: only by suffering discrimination and humiliation in Old Konoha would Naruto fit in better once he reached New Konoha.
That was why Jin hadn't bothered seizing power earlier.
Still,
there was no need to tell Naruto any of this; let him grow up happy.
"That white-haired uncle!"
"He was pretty nice to me, but he never kept his word."
"He promised to clear my name but kept putting it off, always telling me to be patient, to understand others. And he was always busy, hardly ever home."
"…"
Naruto ranted, thoroughly annoyed.
Obviously,
thanks to Jiraiya his life had been better than in the original story—but only slightly.
Without the guts to reclaim the Hokage's authority and with Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others dragging their feet, Uzumaki Naruto's treatment could never be truly good.
"That idiot Jiraiya—so like him,"
Tsunade sneered; it was exactly why she'd never thought much of him.
He wanted everything but lacked the spine to take it.
So after all these years they remained no more than friends and comrades, and that would never change.
Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair. "Don't think about any of that anymore. Just be happy from now on."
Uzumaki Naruto nodded.
From the moment he'd arrived in this new Village and met Kakashi, he'd sensed his life shift.
The malice was gone; instead he had two relatives, and the future looked bright.
"Oh, Kakashi."
"Starting today Shizune and I are moving in. Clear two rooms for us; it'll be livelier with everyone together."
"And about your marriage—you've turned down every girl from every clan we set you up with."
"Our Hokage's getting fed up. I suggest you find yourself a girlfriend within a month or two; otherwise I reckon Jin will step in and settle it for you personally!"
Tsunade spoke suddenly, dead serious.
Kakashi froze, then felt his head start to throb.
He didn't mind Tsunade and Shizune moving in—
Naruto was still a kid; a busier house would be nice—but mention matchmaking and he felt even more depressed.
No help for it.
Though his outlook had improved these past two years, he still had no confidence about starting a family.
Could he really shoulder that responsibility?
Thinking of his father who'd killed himself, his dead teacher and wife, Rin, Obito… his heart still ached, and he couldn't take the step.
Yet
he knew Uchiha Jin's temperament. His Hokage wouldn't overthink things; Jin had sent Tsunade to warn him this time—if Kakashi still showed no initiative, next time the man would simply assign him a wife.
Not ready to bear the weight of a family?
With Jin's temperament he'd force him to be ready.
So—sigh.
With a helpless sigh Kakashi could only answer.
"All right, got it."
"I'll do it as soon as I can."
Satisfied, Tsunade said no more.
After the meal
Tsunade and Shizune didn't stay the night; Kakashi couldn't prepare guest rooms so quickly, so the two would return to their own home for now and move in once the rooms were ready… Meanwhile—
in stark contrast to New Konoha, Old Konoha reeked of death and decay.
Especially after New Konoha's sternly worded letter arrived: Hiruzen Sarutobi angrily snapped his seventy-first new pipe.
"Bastard, damn it!"
"A wicked Uchiha thinks he can sit in judgment over me?"
"And dares demand I surrender unconditionally to his so-called justice?"
"Scram!"
"Get out of my sight!"
"Go back and tell Uchiha Jin he has no right to judge me!"
"I represent Konoha; he's nothing but a usurper driven into a corner!"
"And you, Nara Shikaku—Ino–Shika–Chō have betrayed the earring oath!"
"I never want to see you again—get lost!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was icy,
his face gloomy as water as he roared at New Konoha's messenger.
To which
the envoy, Nara Shikaku, replied in a calm voice and with equally calm eyes.
He didn't take the furious Hiruzen seriously, nor feared any desperate attack; after listening to the tirade he spoke evenly.
"Very well."
"One final reminder: New Konoha gives you only tonight to decide."
"At nine tomorrow morning, if you remain obstinate, New Konoha will attack by force."