Team 7's guide On How To Make Sure The World Is Not Chaotic (The Bad Kind)

Part 5: You're Home

It was getting late, and Naruto was not looking forward to going home. The 4 of them were at Kakashi's apartment making plans, trying to figure out how they should act. So far, they figured it best to gradually let out their true personalities. This way, people can write up the complete change in how they act to Kakashi's training.

"All right. I think that's enough for today." Kakashi-sensei broke their silent brainstorming." After all, it's getting dark out there and Sakura has to make it home."

Naruto blinked at that. "Did Sensei really forget about Sasuke and me?"

"What about us Kakashi? Do you think Sakura can't take care of herself on her way home?" Sasuke inquired.

"No, not at all." Kakashi defended himself.

"Then why say it like that? We have to get home too, dattebayo."

"No."

"What?" Sasuke looked utterly shocked.

"I'm not letting the two of you go back there. There are enough ghosts to haunt us from our time in that war. I don't want either of you to have to go back to an empty place when I have perfectly usable space here." Kakashi-sensei's statement was followed by silence. "Of course, you don't have to stay " their sensei's sentence was cut in half when both Naruto and Sasuke hugged him.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto was pretty sure his face was covered in snot and tears as he buried it into his sensei's shoulder.

After a few seconds, the boys pulled away.

"Well, I think that's a yes. Right?"Kakashi-sensei asked and the boys just nodded and Sasuke muttered a thank you as well.

"I guess I should start heading home now. You guys need time to settle down anyways."

"I'll come with." Kakashi-sensei stood up."You boys get comfy, but please don't ruin my place."

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"You know, you didn't have to come with me, Sensei." Sakura looked up at Kakashi as they were walking towards her house." I can take care of myself."

"I know, I just didn't like the idea of one of my students having to be alone after everything that happened." That last part was bearly a whisper, if Sakura didn't know better, she might have thought it was her mind playing tricks on her.

They spent the rest of their walk in comfortable silence. The thing is, Sakura was glad Kakashi came with her. This way, she can pretend everything was alright. Her sensei always gave off a weirdly calming aura.

Once her parents' house came into view, her breath hitched. She got a weird look from Kakashi, but Sakura brushed it off. Walking up to the door, she quickly brushed off any dirt from her clothes and untangled her annoyingly long hair with her fingers as much as possible. Sakura felt horribly anxious as she knocked.

In the open door stood her father. The man looked as mad as ever. Looking into those hard eyes, Sakura remembered why she didn't mourn her parents' death. The two died on a trip out of Konoha. They were going to Suna as merchants but never came back. Sakura never told anyone. She was afraid they'd call her attention seeker or tell her she was jealous of all the admires Naruto newly gained. So she kept stayed silent.

Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Sakura stepped forward.

"I apologise for disturbing you, Tou-san." She bowed, mimicking what she used to do whenever she was late getting home.

"Tch." Sakura could practically feel the disapproval seeping off of her father. Looking up, she noticed the man analysing Kakashi. At a raised eyebrow, she scrambled to introduce the two men staring at each other with heat in their eyes.

"Tou-san, this is my jonin sensei, Hatake Kakashi." There was brief recognition in those hateful eyes at Kakashi-sensei's name," Kakashi-Sensei, this is my father, Haruno Kizashi."

"Pleasure." Kakashi said. Sakura knew it meant trouble when her team leader didn't extend his hand in greeting.

Kizashi only reacted with a nod, then looked at Sakura with that look.

Taking a small breath to calm her racing heart Sakura waved goodbye to Kakashi and walked in through the small space her father left in the doorway for her.

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Kakashi stood before the closed door to the Haruno residency. Something about Sakura's father felt off. He didn't know what it was until he heard the sound of something suspiciously sounding like a hard slap and a choked-back sob. He froze for a moment. Not believing what he was hearing. Not wanting to believe it. Another this time louder sob broke him out of his stupor. One of his pups was in trouble. He didn't have time to freak out. Quickly collecting himself, Kakashi kicked down the door. Making his way into the house, what he saw made his blood boil. Mebuki was holding her daughter back by her hair, and Kizashi was kneeling in front of the crying form of Sakura with his arm drawn back in a fist, ready to deliver a harsh punch to the girl.

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"What do you think is taking him so long?" Naruto asked for the tenth time in the last hour or so. And to be honest, Sasuke was getting worried, not that he'd tell anyone. Letting out a sigh he was ready to answer the blond when the front door opened, revealing a furious Kakashi, holding Sakura in his arms.

"What happened?!" Naruto's scared tone snapped Sasuke out of the trance he didn't notice falling into. Kakashi-sensei didn't answer. He walked to the couch the boys were lounging on not that long ago and placed Sakura down. The pinkette looked pretty messed up. Her eyes were red, and silent tears were running down on bruised cheeks.

"Sakura." At Kakashi's voice Sakura looked up from her lap. Seeking their sensei's face." for how long?" Sasuke was confused for only a second. Understanding the situation, Sasuke felt rage swell up in his heart. Looking at Naruto told him the blond felt just the same.

"Since I can remember." Sakura's voice was just a whisper, but it rang through the silence of Kakashi's apartment.

"We are not letting you go back!" Naruto turned towards Kakashi, his tone telling him there was no room for negotiations.

"We aren't." Kakashi agreed, and Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.