Chapter 13

Kushina glances out the window after her family is seated around the dinner table and their prayers have been sent. It's her daughter's birthday, but instead of spending it hiding in her bed with only her husband as a company, they decided to celebrate with Minato's former students this year. Out of all of them, Rin spent the least amount of time with Narui, but even she seemed excited when Kushina asked her to come.

She still feels like she's forgetting something, and the melancholy in Obito's face is what reminds her.

She glances again when her peripheral picks up on the glint of a white mask in the sun, shooting up out of her chair and breathing out an excuse as she rushes to their front door and catches up to the ANBU a few feet down the street.

"Kitsune!"

The teenager spins, arms waving in an attempt to keep his balance. "Y-yes?"

"When did you get back? You've been gone for quite some time, you know."

The kid laughs, awkwardly scratching at the back of her head. "I just got back about 30 minutes ago."

You're growing up fast, aren't you? Well, sweetheart, you'll always be a little baby to me."Why don't you join us for dinner?"

Beneath the mask, blue eyes blink at her in a daze. "R-really?"

Kushina nods, wondering how it is that the girl she lost so long ago has always been right here, watching over them like a guardian angel. "It's a birthday dinner, so you better run upstairs and at least wash your hands first. I'll set another place at the table for you, okay?"

She doesn't respond, but Kushina simply wraps her arms around her shoulders and pulls her toward the house, leading her inside. "Go wash up, kiddo."

She nods, slow and stilted, but heads upstairs anyway. Kushina closes the front door and returns to the dining room. "We have another guest joining us, so please make a little room for her, okay?" She gives everybody her sharpest smile. The only member of their party that doesn't flinch is Kakashi, but he does meet her gaze with a calculating look in his eye.

How he hasn't figured it out yet is a mystery to me. But I suppose I would know better than them why he feels like he's too dangerous to be around us.(Kushina is thinking how Kakashi didn't notice that Narumi and kitsune is the same person)

one dinner won't hurt.

When kitsune finally appears in the doorway, Kushina simply directs her into a chair and places her meal in front of her. Obito gazes at her like he's seeing a ghost. Kushina meets her husband's gaze, but he's watching Kitsune, too.

Probably wondering if she'll take her mask off to eat.

Kushina watches everybody slowly return to their conversations, thinking back to when she had her own realization. When she had heard about Kitsune's kidnapping and Team 7's rescue of her, she'd felt a rollercoaster of emotions. But it was Kakashi having dinner with them a week later, and explaining his odd conversation with the girl, that everything clicked.

But almost a month later, when her girl would have turned twelve, Obito came to see Minato in his office while Kushina was helping out with paperwork and he was as white as a sheet.

'Kitsune is gone,' Obito told them. 'She left. She said she had work to do but she wouldn't take me with her. And when I tried to follow her, she knocked me out.'

Minato, of course, had done his best to console his student, but Kushina… Kushina had finally connected all of the dots.

So, really, now, her only question is: who sealed the fox in her daughter, and why?

"Thank you for inviting me, Kushina-Sama," comes the soft voice of the girl to her right.

She shoots her a smile.

It's not really a party without the guest of honor, is it, Narumi? thought Kushina.

Obito Pov

The guilt eats at him.

he knows.

Kushina invited Narumi to his own birthday dinner on purpose, of that much Obito is certain. And that means that she knows that Obito knows.

And not once has she looked Obito in the eye since she sat down, even though they're right across from each other, because

Because-

Because Obito had instigated that horrible argument the day before Narumi left, and now…

Now the kid-the teenager-doesn't trust him anymore. Obito doesn't blame her. He was cruel, and Narumi had been eleven. No eleven-year-old kid should be faced with all of the things Obito had stacked on her conscience at the time.

["None of this would have happened if you had just stayed put! (Obito is thinking about his talk with Narumi)

"Behind his mask, Naruto blinks at him. "Wha-"

"YOU! You ran away that night. And everybody was worried sick! Your father was torn between finding you and helping your mother, and an entire search party was put together to go looking for you long before the time traveler took you away! And don't even get me started on Kakashi. He didn't stop looking for three days straight, and even then it was because he collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. And I couldn't even help him deal with it because I was dealing with the fact that I lost you!" Obito glares at her, hands balled into fists. "He had panic attacks for two years after that."

Naruto is completely speechless, but Obito can't stop himself from making one last comment.

"You really say you're doing this to protect anybody?"]

He'd been particularly nasty, had given the guilt trip of a century, had practically accused Naruto of acting out of selfishness, or for the attention, or as a joke.

Obito knows better. He knows better, but he still said such awful things. It's no wonder Narumi doesn't want to look at him. Narumi had entirely closed herself off after that conversation, had looked so empty and finished.

The next morning, she'd simply stated that she had the training to do and she was leaving.

Instead of sticking around to talk, or to not talk, Obito volunteers to help Minato clean up after dinner, and Rin says her goodbyes because she has the evening shift at the hospital, which leaves Kakashi and Kushina with Narumi.

The truth is, he wasn't able to do much of anything for Narumi after all. Obito got so used to Narumi taking control and running things, he'd forgotten just why he'd stayed with her in the first place-she was a kid.

Narumi was a kid. She had even started coming out of her shell before the fight that brought them to this moment.

Obito doesn't even know how to begin to say he's sorry.

Narumi pov

NOW THAT YOU ARE BACK, YOU CANT AVOID THE UCHIHA BRAT FOREVER.

Narumi knows. She's well aware. That doesn't mean she can't try.

When he'd reached Konoha this morning, she'd been pretty set on stopping to see her dad and setting up an apartment inside the village. She hadn't really given much thought to the date, or whether or not one of her father's former students would be in the village.

It hadn't occurred to her that it was her birthday until her mother swept her into the house with a knowing smile and gentle words.

She knows, she'd thought to herself, and Kurama had hummed.

IF SHE KNOW'S AND HAS'NT POINTED IT OUT, SHE MUST UNDERSTAND YOUR DECISION.

But even so, it had been hard to take the only empty seat at her family's dinner table to celebrate her own birthday as a third party member. It had been hard to sit down in the chair across from Obito and not start crying flat out.

What Obito had said that day had hurt. Even now, three years later, Narumi can't think about it without her heart twinging.

She'd trusted Obito to watch her back. She never thought Obito would turn around to stab her in it.

This is why Narumi had always been afraid to get close to people. She was a shy little kid, and while she can put on a brave face when she needs to, it gets really hard not to hide when she's faced with new people.

And old acquaintances, apparently.

Obito made a fairly quick escape, didn't he?

COWARD.(Kurama is referring to Obito)

She watches Kakashi rise from his seat and excuse himself to the bathroom before sagging in her chair and turning to her mother.

And Kushina smiles. "Welcome home, kiddo. Happy birthday."

She nearly bursts into tears right then and there, and if it weren't for Kurama sending as much comfort as the tsundere fox is capable, she just might've.

"Thanks, Mom," she whispers, and she's willing to bet she hears the tears in her voice, anyway. "When did you figure it out?"

Her mother hums, lips curling down on one side, and reaches out to ruffle her hair. "I started putting it together after they rescued you from Orochimaru, but it didn't really hit me until after you left Obito behind."

"Another twinge in her chest, this one sharper than the last. "Ah."

"Do you want to talk about what happened between you two?"

Narumi tips her head back, staving off another round of tears and breathes a long sigh. "I…" Before she can continue, Kakashi slips back into the room, and Narumi wants more than anything to curl up in his arms as she had when she was little and something upset her, wants nothing more than to confess everything, to spill her guts and drop the flimsy facade of somebody strong-willed and sure of herself.

She's so tired.

His chest settles and she breathes easier, meeting her gaze again. Kakashi has taken Obito's chair instead of the one he was seated in throughout dinner.

"It still hurts," she finally tells her. "I didn't think I'd still feel this hurt when I came home."

Her mother nods, and she doesn't offer anything about Obito again, not in defense or against her, and she appreciates it. She's hurt, and angry, but Obito is still like her older brother. She doesn't want to forgive him, yet, but she doesn't want his mom to be mad at Obito, either.

"Did you have a successful trip?" Kakashi steps in, changing the subject as a small favor.

Narumi would hug him if she was allowed. Kakashi would probably just push her away, so she only hugs him in spirit. "I finished training, and things with Kurama are really, really good. But it's still scary, having his power at my fingertips. I don't know if I'll ever fully trust myself to use it."

She shoots Kakashi a small smile, even though the man can't see it."Did you ever reach out to anybody? You said you wanted to."

I SWEAR, ISN'T HE SUPPOSED TO BE SOME SORT OF GENIUS? WHAT DOES HE NEED, A NEON SIGN? (Kurama is referring to why Kakashi can't figure out kitsune and Narumi is the same person)

Shut up, I can't imagine how he feels right now.

If he knew who I was, he'd be avoiding me even more than Obito. Narumi ignores the glance her mother shoots her, trying not to squirm in her seat. How can she say anything without giving herself away?

I tried, but… if I say too much, I'm afraid I won't be able to make myself walk away anymore. I don't want to hurt the people I love. I don't want to get you killed because I can't contain the power I have access to. I don't want to hurt anybody ever again.

When her mom reaches over to squeeze her hand, she holds on tight, grateful.

Kakashi Pov

"Obito."

Kakashi wants to understand. He doesn't know Kitsune nearly as well as Obito's supposed to, so why had the teenager looked so scared sitting across from him? The only thing Obito had said after Kitsune left was that he had some training to do and hadn't allowed Obito to go with him.

So why? Why had the kid avoided looking in Obito's direction all throughout dinner? Why did she seem so calm after Obito left the table? What had Obito done to her?

He knows he shouldn't be so worked up over the teenager, but some part of him had gone and gotten attached and he knows hurt when he sees it. Kitsune had been hurt it's as plain as day. It was in her body language, her lack of conversation, and perfectly clear when she'd happened to meet Kakashi's eyes.

Obito pauses on the steps leading up to his apartment building, but he doesn't turn around. "Come upstairs."

Even though he's been there for nearly three years, Obito's apartment is sparse. It's where he lives, but it's not really any sort of home. Kakashi's apartment is the opposite, even if he finds it strange to realize something of his is more feeling and personal than something of crybaby Obito's.

"Tell me why the kid who seemed to look up to you so much couldn't even look at you during dinner."

A moment passes before Obito turns to face him, looking completely heartbroken. "I made a mistake, Kakashi."

'I made a mistake.'

"A mistake is throwing away your brand new orange juice and accidentally drinking spoiled milk. A mistake is putting your garbage out the two days before it's due to get picked up."

"A mistake is not blaming a child for an accident out of her control. A mistake is not telling a kid that she's the reason bad things happened."

Now, Kakashi knows that Obito left some things out. He can't imagine how awful they must've been compared to the things Obito did tell her then he said. He may not have the whole story, but it's obvious that Obito had been unnecessarily cruel to a girl who's already been through more than she should have to handle. What Kakashi doesn't understand is why? Kitsune hadn't left very long after she recovered from her kidnapping, but Kakashi can't think of anything happening between that and when the kid left the village to explain what set Obito off.

Sure, he could ask Kitsune, but even Kushina hadn't been able to get her to talk about it.

Kakashi's not sure why he's so worried. Maybe it's because he's seen how strong the teenager was as a child, and it must've been a hard blow from Obito for her to be so resigned now. That or all of that strength he'd seen before was just hiding how lonely and hurt the girl really was before. Without Obito's strength behind her, it's no wonder she seems so stripped and raw.

Dammit, Obito. I haven't been this disappointed in you since we were kids.

Hell, maybe he's aiming all of the care he's bottled up since he lost Narumi at Kitsune because of their similarities. He barely knows Kitsune, but Kitsune's been around for a long time and somehow, Kakashi started to care for her. He hasn't been this angry at Obito in such a long time, and all on the behalf of a kid he hardly knows.

Whatever the reason, Kakashi wants to comfort her. He wants to, but he doesn't even know where Kitsune lives.

"You look about as great as I feel." Kakashi looks up from the ground, feeling a little stupid for being so focused he lost track of his surroundings.

Speak of the devil.

"Hey, where do you live?"

Kitsune blinks at him in confusion. "Well… Nowhere, actually. Not yet, anyway. I meant to speak to Hokage-Sama about housing, but then Kushina-Sama caught me for dinner and I realized what day it was, so… Why do you ask?"

Kakashi sighs, the two of them falling into step with each other. "I was going to come to talk to you, but I realized I didn't know how to find you. I talked to Obito."

Kitsune says nothing for a long time. "I see."

"He didn't tell me everything, but he told me enough. I may have torn into him before I left." He slips his hands into his pockets. "It was very cruel of him to say such things to you. Even if you hadn't been so young at the time, those aren't the kinds of things friends say to each other."

Kitsune ducks her head, and Kakashi doesn't know what to do when he hears the tears in his voice. "He was my partner for four years, but when you're a kid and on your own like I was before that, you bond really easily with the first person that comes along. He was like a brother to me, and when he said the things he said, I didn't know what to do. It was like a switch had been flipped and I just… shut down. The things he said may or may not be true, and as much as they hurt, a part of me always felt like they were true-"

"No. You were eleven years old, and he had no right to say anything like that to you. I've known Obito since I was maybe five? And he annoyed the hell out of me but he never ever would have said something like that before. He made one hell of a mistake, okay? You're not at fault here." Kakashi hasn't wanted to punch Obito so bad for a long time. His heart aches every day, aches for a kid he cannot find, but right now, it's a different kind of ache, and he opens his mouth before he even knows what he's going to say. "Since you didn't get to talk to Minato-Sama, do you want to stay at my apartment tonight?"

It surprises him, even more, when Kitsune agrees without a second thought, but Kakashi discovers he doesn't really mind. Kitsune turns out to be a very gracious house guest and despite the odds, Kakashi has no trouble falling asleep for once.