Tender Sea

Chapter 21

Several Months Later - May 27th, Konoha.

"Jan...ken...pon!" Two gloved hands duelled it out in the same moment, their respective owners focusing their completely attention on a game of chance.

"I win!" Miyu cheered loudly holding her hands out, "Now pass him over."

"Fine." With a sigh and a face he refused to believe was a pout, Kakashi handed over his giggling surrogate brother.

"How have you been Naru-chan," Miyu cooed at the adorable boy, "Today you'll be spending time with Miyu-oneechan!"

"Yay!" The toddler cheered, "Can we get ramen?"

"Of course!" she bent down and placed the child on top of her grumbling partner.

"Go! Kurama!" Lazily the fox began a slow pace to Ichiraku with his exuberant passenger.

"You coming Kakashi?" Miyu asked as she made to follow.

"I've got nothing better to do." He stated with a shrug before he was roughly grabbed and manhandled the way there.

"Great, you'll be paying then." She shot him a smile that wouldn't take 'no' for an answer as they neared the boisterous stall.

"Oh! Miyu, Kakashi, welcome!" Teuchi greeted, serving up four bowls of miso, "It's nice that I got a little warning of your appearance since that fox of yours popped in with Naruchan."

"Hehe, I'm not that bad," The girl laughed as she sat on stool, Kakashi going around the other side, sandwiching Naruto between them.

"Maybe not alone," he admitted, "But when you're paired with Minato or Kushina you could eat me out of business. That said, alone you are one of my best customers."

"What do you do if the whole family comes over?" Kakashi asked curiously, accepting a steaming bowl of his own.

"I kick out all other customers and my shop is considered reserved," Teuchi gave a hearty chuckle, "I can't wait for Ayame to grow up so she can learn the tricks of the trade and help her old man out."

"More!" Naruto ordered with gusto, holding out his empty child sized bowl.

"You should just give him an adult one." Miyu said, slurping up a mouthful of noodles while her fox mimicked her. Strangely enough the animal had acquired a taste for the mortal noodles.

"I will when he eats a little neater." The chef replied, using a napkin to wipe the boys dirtied face.

"Like that'll happen." The silver haired Anbu scoffed in disbelief.

"Oh, if I know Kushina as well as I do, she'll smack his manners into him," Neither of the ninja's could doubt his confident statement as the woman came to mind, "How has she been doing lately anyway? Last I heard she was headed to Suna."

"Sensei wanted to form a treaty so he sent her as ambassador with a couple other jounin, apparently it was the least dangerous yet highly ranked mission he could find." Kakashi answered monotonously, trying to ignore the stares of other customers.

"Ne, ne," Naruto tugged on his cousin's orange sleeve, bringing her down to his level so he could whisper in her ear, "How does Kashi-niichan eat with his mask on?" Miyu simplyn raised a brow considering her options before replying.

"It's a secret Hatake jutsu that was passed on by his father," She whispered back, "Only skilled ninja are able to perform it."

"Wow!" The boy quickly turned his admiring gaze back to his father's student, "You're amazing!" Kakashi had no idea what he was talking about but accepted the compliment regardless.