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Sakumo had been gone for over a month; he barely stopped in long enough to check in and give his preliminary report. The chuunin at the desk tried to stop him, but only for a moment and then he fell silent, dropping back into his chair.
Sakumo headed home at a quick clip, his heart racing. He shed his vest and sandals at the door, leaving them dropped messily behind him, eager to get to his family. “Tadaima! Lovely? Cub?”
“Sakumo!” Orochimaru appeared from the corridor, a few locks of his hair falling from its messy knot to tickle at his neck. “Wolf-heart, you’re home at last.” He held out his hands and Sakumo clasped them, drawing his mate in towards himself in a snug embrace.
“I’m sorry I’m late.” Sakumo said, shaking his head. “My mission. . .” His lip curled. It had been an obnoxious mess of delays and mistakes. “Well, it’s over now.”
Orochimaru’s mouth twisted, and he stroked Sakumo’s cheek. “And we are glad of it.” he said softly, resting their brows together. Sakumo smiled and kissed him, gentle and warm, hands sliding down to the small of his back.
Sakumo drew back, frowning slightly. “. . .lovely?” He nudged his nose against his mate’s cheek; Orochimaru was tense and he smelled faintly of worry. . . “What’s wrong?”
“Wrong, there’s nothing. . .” Orochimaru frowned, resting his brow against Sakumo’s again. “I am afraid there has been some . . . difficulty for our cubling.”
Sakumo whined softly. “Difficulty?”
Orochimaru hummed, drawing back. “Not with our cubling,” he said, lips curving, and cupped Sakumo’s cheek, “with classmates at the Academy. But perhaps you should speak more to our little one himself about the trouble.”
Sakumo cocked his head. Himself?
“Kakashi is out in the back garden.” Orochimaru said, and Sakumo blinked. “He chose the name from your family history.” he added dryly.
“Kakashi?”
“He likes it.” Orochimaru said, fingers twining through Sakumo’s hair. “Your family have some very particular thoughts on names to be passed down, Sakumo.”
Sakumo snorted a laugh, inclining his head. “Lovely, what has gone on with our cub?” he asked, concerned and confused, and Orochimaru kissed him softly.
“It’s all right.” Orochimaru said, voice low. “Come here.” He drew Sakumo into the main room, down to the cushions in a cosy embrace as they talked.
Sakumo opened the door. “. . .cub?” he asked gently. A bright silver head snapped towards him and mist-grey eyes locked on his, fierce and defiant. Sakumo smiled. “Hello.”
“Welcome home, Dad.” It wasn’t quite the tone Sakumo was used to from his cub, but it was soft and tinged with warmth.
Sakumo stepped outside. “Mama tells me things have been a little rough at school?” he said carefully, settling down beside his cub at the edge of the engawa. The Academy had been a source of much frustration since- Kakashi had begun attending, but mostly for being slow and boring. This was something rather different, and potentially rather more of a problem.
“You mean Mama told you they hate me at school now.”
Sakumo frowned, shaking his head. “Cub, I’m sure that’s not-”
“It is.”
“Kakashi-” Sakumo set a hand on his cub’s shoulder, and squeezed when he felt the tremor going through Kakashi. “I’m sorry, cub. Tell me about it?”
Kakashi looked up at him with wet eyes, wildly fluffy hair spiked down and half-hiding them. “You- Dad-” He whimpered, and Sakumo tugged gently, beckoning with his other hand, an open embrace. Kakashi pounced into his arms, pressing up close. “Daddy, I-”
Sakumo cuddled his cub snugly, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here, my little cub.” he said softly, rubbing his cheek against Kakashi’s hair. With his cub’s skinny body tucked close against him, sniffling and whining softly, he couldn’t but remember the delicate bundle cradled in his mate’s arms as he watched over them both, when their cub had been newly born.
Sakumo growled softly, arms closing tighter around Kakashi. “Mama told me . . . you had some trouble at school, since I was on my mission. That the other pre-genin didn’t. . .” He wasn’t quite sure how to finish that.
Kakashi drew back, a fierce little glare lighting in his eyes; the one that always made him look like his mother. “They wouldn’t listen. They won’t listen.” Kakashi bared his teeth. “I made them.”
“. . .Aoka-sensei didn’t like that very much?” Sakumo filled in, and Kakashi ducked his head, snarl softening into a miserable pout.
“Aoka-sensei told me to knock it off . . . Aoka-sensei said I was a problem, and kept calling me- kept-” Kakashi wobbled, a tear spilling down his face. “Sent me back to the girls’ classes and- and-”
Sakumo wiped the away as it dripped down Kakashi’s jaw and scooped his cub into his arms, snarling. “That-” He bit off the impulsive reaction. That idiot, cruel chuunin-sensei, Sakumo would-
“Mama,” Kakashi sniffed, “fixed him.” He smiled weakly. “He doesn’t- He doesn’t call me by the wrong name any more.”
Sakumo kissed his brow, relaxing a little. Of course Orochimaru had ‘fixed’ him. Sakumo was glad and only regretted he hadn’t been here to help. “Good.” He stroked Kakashi’s hair and down his back, rubbing lightly at his nape.
Kakashi crooned softly and cuddled into him. Sakumo shifted and cradled his cub closer, nuzzling Kakashi’s hair. Kakashi relaxed against him slowly, and Sakumo rocked gently, as he had when his cub was tiny.
“Daddy?” Kakashi asked, voice thin.
“Yes, cub?” Sakumo cocked his head, looking down as Kakashi looked up.
“Mama- Mama said it was all right, but-” Kakashi squirmed, legs tucking up.
“Mama is very clever, I’m sure he was right.” Sakumo said, but smiled slightly. “But what is it, little one?”
“Do-” Kakashi worried his lower lip between his teeth. “Do you . . . mind that I don’t- That I’m not. . .”
“You’re our cub.” Sakumo said gently, cupping his cheek.
Kakashi grinned, Sakumo’s own smile in miniature. “And- My name?” he asked, looking a little more hopeful.
“Are you happy with it, Kakashi?” Sakumo leaned on it a little, and Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment, nodding. “Then it’s perfect.”
Kakashi sniffed and shifted a little. “I like it. I know it’s not the one you gave me, but-” He hesitated.
“If that name did not make you happy, then it wasn’t right for you.” Sakumo said, rubbing his cub’s nape. “What did Mama say?”
“That Hatake have weird ideas about names.” Kakashi said, and Sakumo laughed. “He said it was my name though. Because I said so and it’s my name. And he still calls me precious.” he added with a little sniffle and a tiny smile.
Sakumo smiled. “Mama-”
“Is always right?” Kakashi said brightly, and Sakumo grinned as he heard a low laugh behind him.
“Precisely.” Sakumo said, dry, before looking around at his mate. Orochimaru smiled at them both, crossing the engawa and sinking down gracefully to all but curl around them. “Mama is quite right. About your name, in any case.” He glared playfully at his mate.
“I assure you, I am quite right about your ridiculous clan names, also.” Orochimaru said with gentle fondness, and reached up to cup Kakashi’s cheek. “And you will always be my precious hatchlingcub, little one.”
Kakashi pushed his cheek into his mother’s hand with a low croon. Then he opened his eyes, fidgeting a little as he looked up at Sakumo, still curled in his lap. “Dad?” Kakashi asked tentatively.
“You’re my wonderful cub,” Sakumo said simply, “you and your mother are the most precious things in the world. Nothing will ever change that,” he hugged Kakashi tight, “most certainly never anything you are, my cub.”
Kakashi whined happily and tucked himself against Sakumo’s chest, nuzzling against his collarbone. Orochimaru shifted nearer until he was almost on Sakumo’s lap himself, putting Kakashi between them, warm and safe.