Asuma Sarutobi sat alone in the adjacent barbecue room, his back to the door, a lit cigarette tucked behind one ear, and a half-empty sake bottle beside him.
He watched through the open divider as his team, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji slipped out of their booth and wandered over to the much louder and livelier table just across.
Kiba was already yelling. Naruto was louder. Choji made a beeline for the grill like a man possessed.
Asuma let out a long, dragging sigh. "Damn pretty boy…" he muttered, and tipped back the sake cup again. His gaze flicked to Kakashi, who was leaning back in his seat, looking like so smug prince surrounded by kunoichi and noisy brats.
"So of us gotta work to be cool," Asuma grumbled under his breath. "Others just breathe and get harems…"
…
Back at the now-crowded table, Kakashi glanced around the room, his visible eye crinkling with quiet amusent.
Tsunade was still leaning on his shoulder, comfortably tipsy, sipping her second sake cup, and giving him a half-lidded, satisfied look. Her golden ponytail brushed against his arm as she relaxed further. She deserved it. After everything.
He looked across the table, Team 7, Team 8, and now Team 10, all in one place. It had been so long since they'd gathered like this.
Everyone had changed, grown stronger, and gotten scarred, yet this chaotic ss of laughter and arguing felt… right.
"Almost like a reunion," he murmured.
At the far side of the table, Anko had planted herself between Naruto and Kiba. She was grinning wickedly, elbows on the table, voice loud enough to turn heads.
"Wow, Kiba! You let the dobe beat you to Chunin? What happened? Did Akamaru get promoted instead of you?"
Kiba bristled. "Shut up, Anko! It's not like he earned it normally!"
"Oh? You an beating an S-rank rogue ninja and surviving tailed beasts wasn't normal?" Anko asked with mock surprise.
"Even Anko-san gets it!" Naruto puffed up smugly beside her.
"That's it!" Kiba shouted, lunging over the table as Anko laughed and dodged easily, throwing a skewer of grilled at at him like a dart. It stuck in his hair.
Kakashi shook his head slowly, a helpless smile forming on his lips. "She really is just a big kid…"
Across from him, i and Kurenai were watching Hinata, who was trying, and failing, to eat quietly. The poor girl was as red as a tomato.
"Ne, Kurenai," i said with a mischievous tone, "I saw her peek at Naruto-kun again."
"She's just appreciating his growth. Right, Hinata?" Kurenai leaned in closer to Hinata and smiled warmly.
"I-I-I wasn't peeking! I was just-he dropped sothing-no! I didn't-!" Hinata squeaked, her chopsticks trembling.
"Did I ntion I'm a Chunin and the hero of the Hidden Leaf? Because I am." Naruto, entirely unaware, was too busy flexing his new rank.
"You've said that three tis now." Ranmaru giggled softly.
"Let him have this," Sasuke muttered. "Otherwise, he'll explode."
But Sasuke himself wasn't paying attention anymore. His chopsticks hovered midair as his eyes unfocused. Sothing had tugged at him, an image. A feeling.
The hospital. That smile.
It had been gentle. Unshakable. A warmth that wrapped around his coldest parts and held them still, like sunlight on winter ice.
His fingers twitched.
He quickly shoved another bite into his mouth, trying to focus, but…
A faint blush crept up his cheeks before he could stop it.
Across the table, Sakura's eyes widened.
"Wha…" she whispered, her voice hollow.
Ino leaned closer. "Did he just, did he blush?"
Sakura felt her entire soul leave her body. "That face… I know that look… That's Sasuke's I-like-sothing face. He never makes that face…"
"But he just did," Ino said, her eyes sharp. "So… who was he thinking about?"
"The world is ending…" Sakura slumped in her seat, lifeless.
Ino nudged her. "Co on. Maybe it's not what we think. Maybe it was food. Or maybe he was constipated."
Kakashi, having seen everything, was very pointedly sipping his drink while avoiding eye contact. He knew exactly what, or rather, who, Sasuke was thinking of. He didn't bla him.
The boy had been quiet since the hospital… ever since that mont.
Kakashi smirked behind his cup. Ah, youth.
"So, how long before you start playing matchmaker?" Tsunade noticed too, and she turned to Kakashi with a knowing smirk of her own.
"Too late," he replied quietly.
anwhile, Karin had entered full war mode across from Choji. The grill was empty again. Her plate was also empty. Choji was licking his fingers.
"Hey!" she shouted. "You took my ribs!"
Choji blinked. "I thought that was my side of the plate."
"We settle this like adults, an eating contest," Karin growled and slamd a new tray on the grill.
"You're on." Choji cracked his knuckles.
Everyone instinctively leaned back as the two began devouring at at terrifying speed. Ranmaru, eyes wide, asked Sakura, "Are they… okay?"
"Nope," Sakura said. "But you get used to it."
Shikamaru, who'd been lying with his cheek on the table for a while, just gave a long sigh. "Too loud…"
Kakashi reached over and lightly patted the top of Shikamaru's pineapple-shaped hair.
"Oi," Shikamaru muttered, eyes half-open. "What was that for?"
"Enjoy this, kid." Kakashi smiled softly.
"Huh?"
"Tis like these, friends, peace, loud noise, burned at. One day you'll miss it. One day… You won't have ti to relax like this."
"What are you-" Shikamaru blinked. He could hear the malice in Kakashi's voice and that made him uneasy.
"You'll know later." Kakashi just leaned back and sipped his drink again.
The way he said it again sent a chill down Shikamaru's spine.
"…I don't like that answer."
Kakashi gave a cryptic smile and looked away.
"Is it paperwork? Tell now if it's paperwork." Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.
But Kakashi didn't answer.
Across the table, Hinata nearly dropped her drink when Naruto leaned in to show her sothing on his Chunin vest.
Anko and Kiba were arm wrestling, while Kurenai tried, and failed, to stop them from knocking over the sauce tray.
i and Tsunade toasted again, laughing like old friends. Karin and Choji were tied at plate nine, both visibly sweating but not stopping.
And Sasuke? He stayed quiet, but every once in a while, his eyes drifted to the side, his expression unreadable, except to Kakashi.
He knew exactly what that kind of quiet ant.
And in the middle of it all, Kakashi sat, holding the hand of a woman he never thought he'd share peace with, surrounded by students who laughed together.
He closed his eyes for a mont and silently thanked The Child ROB in his heart. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel_fіre
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