Flower in the Mirror [Hatake Kakashi] [1]

❄️ Chapter 28 ❄️

Reliance – that was something everyone around her talked about, wherever or whomever that she met. Yumetsuki had heard it so many times. Kurenai always told her to find someone to rely on as much as she allowed others to rely on her. Hiruzen always appreciated her for her reliance, and this characteristic about her was what had brought Naruto to her care.

But why was it only with Kakashi
that made her heart flutter in such a way?

Daily life slowly fell back into routine, and Yumetsuki found herself busier than ever. She wanted to work hard to earn more money so that she could care for the growing Naruto as well as the elderly parents of Shisui and the grandmother of Obito. It was a tiring endeavour, but it needed to be done.

Spring was meant to be a season of bloom and when she should've been active and vigilant, Yumetsuki found herself dozing off more often than not. Every leisure moment was devoted to a distracted stupor – whether that be break at work or watching Naruto play in the backyard.

It wasn't until Yumetsuki almost burned the kitchen did she realise what she was doing was dangerous. She knew she was working too hard and not devoting enough time to rest. But Yumetsuki did not mention it to anyone. She couldn't... not with all their peers at work, too.

But when Yumetsuki got the opportunity to head out for an important yet of little stress outside the village, she took it up. The mission was simple – to head out to the Land of Rivers beyond the Fire Country and head to the Takumi Village so she could escort the dispatch of weaponry from that artisan village back to Konohagakure.

That mission was going to take the weekend and Monday. Now that Yumetsuki was a mother to a young child, and a single mother at that, it was starting to become hard for her to leave for missions outside of the village. Naruto, however, was insistent that he could take care of himself for two days.

"Meiko-Chan, I can take care of myself!" Naruto pressed, pulling at her shirt as he looked up at her. "You can go on the mission! I'll be a good boy! And bring me their special ramen!"

Recently, there had been children in Naruto's classroom who mentioned how they were 'grown-ups' because they were left home alone by their parents. Yumetsuki wasn't very keen on leaving a seven-year-old by himself and she was sure his classmates were mostly lying about it.

"Naruto-Chan," Yumetsuki said, looking toward him. "Please step away from the stove while I am cooking, I do not want you to get hurt. As for the mission..."

"Please, Meiko-Chan!" begged Naruto, stepping away from the stove but continuously begging. "I'll listen to everything you say! I will be a good boy like you want!"

"Do you promise?" Yumetsuki asked. She watched as he nodded eagerly, his big blue eyes urging her to accept. "I will think about it... until then, go freshen up and come down for dinner. It is ready,"

In the end, Yumetsuki had accepted that mission on the recommendation of Hiruzen. Naruto could not be left alone by himself so she decided to leave her Summons behind with him – Amaterasu agreed at once, and so did the other females of the pack. But Raijin demanded that he went with Yumetsuki to 'keep her safe' and the other two males jumped on the bandwagon, too.

"Naruto-Chan," Yumetsuki said as she appeared in his doorway on the Saturday evening. "Before I leave, there are some important things that you must know while I am gone. You are to follow those rules or Amaterasu will inform me at once. They are meant for me to be assured you will be safe,"

"What are they?" Naruto asked, looking at her curiously, and he looked at Amaterasu, gulping. "O-Of course I will follow them! I'm Meiko-Chan's good boy!"