Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

10. Konohamaru Has A Family!

I trail after Masumi into the house, more than a little conscious of the state I'm in. Nao did their best to clean me up, even lending me a plain white yukata usually reserved for in-patients, but it's all too clear what kind of day I've had. My eyes are definitely bloodshot and puffy, I'm covered in bandages, my hair is practically wild from struggling and sleep, and my hands look like I tried to put them through a shredder.

"I'll introduce you to my husband first, then the kids. The kitchen's this way." Masumi tells me, and as she lets her deep green jacket fall off her shoulders, the tension I hadn't even noticed she'd been carrying drops away with it. She leaves both behind her on the floor of the doorway, and I step over them as I follow her down a short corridor, past the stairs and into a large and open room.

The kitchen is tucked in the corner to the right of the door, with chairs lining the counter and a full, traditional japanese table just beyond that. To my left is a living room area, complete with sofas and a coffee table, but no TV. The whole room is warm, and homely, and totally not what I expected when I met Masumi.

A man with long red hair is puttering about the kitchen preparing a meal. He's tall, almost insanely so, and definitely muscular, though it's hidden under a casual green yukata. 

"Tsuyoshi." Masumi calls, and the man turns to us. He's handsome, with warm eyes and strong features.

"Oh, is this the houseguest Kaka-chin was telling us about?" Tsuyoshi grins, wiping off his hands on a towel and walking towards me. It should be intimidating, considering how he towers over me, but his shoulders lean back and his thumbs are tucked easily into his obi. He's so clearly relaxed, it's hard to be afraid of him. Wait - Kaka-chin? Does he mean Kakashi?

"Yes. Maya, this is Tsuyoshi, my husband. Tsuyoshi, this is Maya."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maya." Tsuyoshi inclines his head slightly at me, and I bend in a short bow.

"Likewise."

"Where are Konohamaru and Yoko?" Masumi asks before we can descend into silence.

"They're both at the Academy still. How are you going to tell them about our guest?" He looks like he's barely holding in laughter.

"I'll tell them that Maya will be staying with us indefinitely, and that is not up for discussion." Masumi says simply, like her word is going to be enough to stop any complaints. It might just be, from what I've seen.

"Okay, just try not to be too hard on them about it. You know how Konohamaru gets." Tsuyoshi seems to be the soft touch of the relationship, but it feels a little bit like a gentle breeze trying to blow down a brick wall.

"That's why I need to be hard on him. He needs to learn that his little tantrums are unacceptable." Masumi's expression doesn't even twitch, remaining as calm and impassive as ever. That doesn't make watching them any less awkward. It's not exactly a fight, but it's still too close for comfort.

"He's struggling to establish an identity separate from his grandfather-" Tsuyoshi presses, but Masumi cuts him off.

"This is not something we should be doing in front of Maya." Despite talking over him, it doesn't sound harsh.

"... You're right. But we do need to talk about this." Tsuyoshi insists, and Masumi nods.

"Of course. I need to speak with my father, will you stay with Maya?"

"Sure, she can help with dinner." Hey, don't just decide that by yourself! But Masumi's moving her hands into a sign I've seen a couple of times before, and promptly vanishes. Tsuyoshi turns to me with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that, it must have felt pretty awkward. Have you cooked before?"

"Yeah, but only for myself and my mum." I shrug, fingers still bunched in the hems of my sleeves.

"That's more than enough. Can you chop spring onions?" He turns back to the counter, and I step up to his side.

"Yeah." With that, he slides a chopping board, knife and small pile of spring onions towards me.

"I can get you a stool if you need one." He gives me a cheeky, lopsided smile, and I pout.

"I'm not that short!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"You're just unreasonably tall." I huff, and he bursts out laughing, rich and deep and loud. He's so different from my dad. That's a small comfort, and a little bit of tension bleeds out of my shoulders.

We prep in easy silence for a while , the rhythmic thunk of our knives a soft accompaniment to the tinny sound of the radio.

"So," I say eventually, "who's Kaka-chin?"

"Kakashi, Masumi told me you met him?" Tsuyoshi frowns slightly at me.

"I did, but no one called him Kaka-chin." It kind of sounds like that monkey, capuchin.

"No one else does, besides me and Masumi. You probably shouldn't either, but if you're going to, remember to pick your moment." There's a devilish glint to his eyes. I bet he was a lot of trouble as a kid.

"Why'd you give him that nickname?" I don't understand much about honourifics, but I'm pretty sure using -chin for a grown man could be considered pretty rude.

Tsuyoshi sets his knife down and stares at nothing for a moment, jaw working as he thinks over an answer.

"It's... it's not a happy story. Don't ask him about it." And with that, he goes back to prepping dinner, and we fall back into silence. Did I ask something I shouldn't have? Probably.

"Sorry..." I whisper, and a large hand comes down on the top of my head, mussing up my hair.

"Don't be. Kids are meant to be curious." He smiles warmly at me, and I do my best to smile back.

Then the door slams open and two sets of small feet thunder down the hall to come to a stumbling stop in the doorway. I turn to see two pairs of wide eyes staring at me, and my little moment of peace is shattered.