#prompt: ninken

[reineyelah]

Kakasaku Prompts (and general Kakashi-centric fics)

Hi!, I am a fanfiction author who is looking to contribute to the Kakashi/Sakura story pool. I previously wrote most of my work in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe (Sparrabeth), which you can find at the following link:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/hallowedmaiden/works

As for prompts, here are my parameters:

Length: I am willing to take requests for a word count up to 25k words, and will expand the story past that at my discretion.

Rating: I am willing and able to write up to the E rating on A03 (this would be M on FF.net).

E-Rated Content: I will accept lite BDSM requests (blindfolds, hands tied up, and lite D/S) but will not write any BDSM content beyond that. If you are unsure about whether your request falls inside these parameters, feel free to send it to me and I will make a decision. I will also not write anything having to do with the Omegaverse. As for everything else, I will pretty much write anything that falls under the umbrella of "normal smut". Read my existing work to get an idea of how I write such content.

Turn Around Time: I am very motivated when writing prompts for others, so expect at the most a week for your story prompt to get published, barring extenuating circumstances.

Prompts: Your prompts can really be just about anything. You can describe a detailed situation to me, you can give me just one word, you can give me a handful of words, I can work with just about anything.

Credit: Upon publishing, I will include your name in the author's notes, unless you wish to remain anonymous.

Important: I will NOT write Kakashi as a creepy pervert. This includes innappropriate advances towards unwilling females, any discussion about him being a man-whore, or anything else I deem as falling under this umbrella. I despise this characterization of him and refuse to contribute to it.

Also Important: I also refuse to write anything for KakaSaku where Sakura is younger than 20. If your prompt has Sakura as younger than 20 (unless it does not contain any romantic content), don't bother sending it to me.

Non-Kakasaku Prompts: I will also write anything that falls under the Team-7 umbrella, or anything Kakashi-centric. I especially love stories with the "Team 7 mission gone wrong" trope.

Kakashi-Centric prompts: I can write anything from anywhere in his life, childhood, ANBU, Team 7, Hokage, etc. I MAY consider writing other pairings with him, depending on the prompt.

Universe/AUs: I will write within the Naruto universe, or I will write in Modern AU or otherwise.

I really want to further expand this story pool, as I may have fallen very deeply in love with Kakashi (it took me 20 years to find someone I was obsessed with more than Jack Sparrow, I never thought I actually would, but it appears that silver haired ninjas do the trick), and am deeply unsatisifed with having nearly run out of existing stories to read.

I find it difficult to motivate myself to write stories on my own, but I love writing for others, so please, send any and all prompts my way and I will do my best to fulfill them!

I take special care to revise/edit all of my stories, so you can, at the very least, expect no typos or mistakes.

(For examples of my smut, please see the following content:)

The Scythe's Song: Chapters 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17, 25

Gaia's Tears: Chapter 3

Cling: All of it.

It Was In The Stars: Chapters 3, 4

(Bonus: I will also accept BETA requests for fics. Please, I love to edit, so I will BETA any length of fic.)

Edit: I also refuse to acknowledge anything about nosebleeds. This is a ridiculous concept and will never be present in anything I write.

(Tagging a few popular KakaSaku authors just for some exposure)

@tipsyraconteur @mrssakurahatake @mummapaintstheblues @lindtluirae @twofortea

[kkobweek]

Prompt Descriptions Part 3 (Day 6-7)

Day 6: Fashion choices / Flowers

Fashion choices

Clothes, accessories, and hairstyles are an integral part of character design, and they contribute a lot to how we perceive a character. Artists can play dress-up with these two gorgeous men and make them wear absolutely anything 😜 Here are some official art references for ya (the range of these two 😅)

Bonus:

But "Fashion choices" is not only about visuals!

🌸Kakashi's ninken all wear fancy vests with Kakashi's signature henohenomoheji; how were those vests designed in the first place? Was it Kakashi or his father/mother who made them?

🌸How did Obito come up with his masks' designs? Is there a story behind it? If he was so gloomy and indifferent to the 'fake world' why was his first mask bright orange?

🌸You could also present your version of why Kakashi is so adamant about wearing his mask!

🌸It would be fun to imagine what items of clothes are their favorite. Mb Kakashi has a favorite pair of bunny-shaped slippers, or Obito might be too attached to his favorite T-shirt that doesn't fit him anymore (bc of y'know, obiboobs).

🌸What if they go shopping for clothes together? and actively get embarrassed or awkward with every second 😄Or mb Obito is trying to pick a cool outfit to attract girls, and Kakashi is (deliberately or not) sabotaging his shopping?

🌸They could be helping each other put on a uniform or a multi-layered ceremonial kimono. Or they could help each other out of their clothes as well... 😶‍🌫️

Flowers

🌸Flowers are wonderful because you can turn them into a symbol, a hidden message, a reminder, or a gift.

🌸Hanakotoba, the language of flowers, could be used by a character to say something they are too afraid to say with words.

🌸Obito is a mokuton user, what if one day he decides to master the art of arranging flowers as well? Or mb Obito and Kakashi go to an ikebana class on a date? :D

🌸Mb it's hanami season and a group of friends is having a party under a sakura tree?

🌸A fresh bouquet of flowers appears by the hospital bed every morning or at home on a window sill and nobody knows who it is from?

🌸Kids making flower crowns for each other just for fun!

Day 7: Letters / Diary | Ceremony / Rituals

Letters / Diary

Letters… ✉️

Letters may be a bridge between those sides of the characters that they can't easily express in real life, but on paper they can finally be honest.

🌸When Obito is on a long journey, mission, or redemption trip, they can start writing letters to each other — about their lives, problems, achievements, fears and happy moments… what they dreamed about at night, or what they had for breakfast.

They get reacquainted via those letters.

It's a good way to ask questions about Obito's life — Kakashi has time to think, to decide what he wants to share and to put into words. Their "catching up" becomes more mindful, less emotional, probably even more sincere. They can't see each other's worried faces when they admit their mistakes, and they can write "risky" things too.

🌸 Imagine Kakashi rereading a fresh letter again and again, thinking all day about how to reply (instead of his Hokage duties). He has to force himself to refocus on work ten times a day.

🌸Imagine the high voltage of the first meeting after hundreds of letters — Kakashi's hair standing on end even more than usual!

🌸Imagine the powerful flow of acceptance, recognition and love filling the dry riverbed of longing they've dug out through all those letters — when they finally meet.

🌸It could be a mix of letters and diary as a coping mechanism: Kakashi writing letters to Obito, knowing he's dead, but unable to stop talking to him. He writes "therapy letters" or a kind of diary, but every entry starts with "Dear Obito". He's attached to that ephemeral image as ever. (What if Tobi found this diary in Kakashi's room and got a glimpse into Kakashi's real thoughts and feelings?)

🌸What if Kakashi got a letter from Tobi?

🌸Or it could be a letter from Rin, like in this headcanon, in which she tries to explain Obito to Kakashi.

🌸What if Kakashi was captured, but somehow managed to write a pack of letters to (jounin?) Obito and send or hide them somewhere, hoping they'd be found? He knew he’d die this time — and the letters were raw and honest.

When Obito receives or finds them, he gets to know the parts of Kakashi he never hoped to reach. Kakashi offers him all the stories he never told — the sad ones, the funny ones, the tender ones.

He writes about why he wore a mask.

He writes about his darkest ANBU days… About the time he decided to kill himself but couldn’t.

Things he wished he could share one day — with a friend, with someone he loved, with Obito. But he never did. And these letters…

These were his last chance.

Ceremony / Rituals

🌸What if we think about clan traditions? The Uchiha must have some rites of passage for their young. For example, when sb awakens their sharingan, they are invited to visit the Naka Shrine and perform a small ritual asking the deities for guidance.

🌸The Hatake clan is way more mysterious. So what if little/teen Kakashi feels sad about not knowing the traditions and rituals of his own clan? Mb Obito helps him create his own traditions? And when they grow up Kakashi still sticks to them?

🌸It could be an academy graduation ceremony or a party to celebrate a rank promotion! Mb it's baby Obito's or baby Kakashi's first recital at daycare? Or who knows, it's their children's first school play.

🌸(okay-okay, we're getting there) The wedding! 😄It's completely within your power to get them married! Is it a marriage for politics or tax benefit? Are they getting fake-married for whatever reason? Have they finally come to realize they are each other's family? Was the proposal as perfect as it was in Kakashi's favorite part of Icha Icha? Did Team 7 mess up the ceremony in some way? So many ways to go!

🌸A ritual could be healing or therapeutical. It even could be the "true love's kiss" trope, but with a kkob flavor.

[dellinkou]

[ Obito has been trying to teach Kakashi's ninken to stay with dog toys borrowed from the Inuzuka. For some reason, it's not working at all. ] @kkobweek || bingo prompt: toy, stay, summons

[cool-thymus]

Team Minato Week 2023: Day 7: Inappropriate Use Of Ninja Techniques / Babysitting

I'm offering you a tiny story that fits both prompts for Day 7 (kinda :D) The illustration is done by my dear @maireyart <3 (thank you again!) The editing and missed-commas-recovery by @professor-of-naruto (i appreciate it sm)

***

Tap-tap.

Obito raised his head from the book. He glanced at the window first. No, nothing there.

Tap-tap.

The scratchy noises were coming from the hall. “He taught them to knock, huh? Clever,” he thought, remembering the last time Kakashi’s ninken appeared in their apartment unannounced; the havoc, the awkwardness. Grinning, he carefully got up from his chair and tiptoed out of the room, making sure that his teammate was still fast asleep. The dogs made him uncomfortable. He always expected some snarky comments or criticism, even though he personally didn’t wrong them in any way. When he slid the bedroom door back behind him, three ninja dogs were standing in the dark hall with Pakkun, who had a scroll attached to his back.

“Is Boss inside?” asked Pakkun. “Oh. Hey… you guys!” Obito whispered with a smile trying to be friendly. “Could you be quiet? He’s sleeping and…”

“We have a message for him. Let us in, Bito!” said the little grey one with a smirk.

“It’s Obito, Shiba,” rumbled the biggest of the pack.

“I know that! But I bet Bito here can’t even remember our …” 

Obito didn’t let him finish. “Shhhhh! Guys, please, keep it down! He was released from the hospital, like, yesterday. He needs rest.” The dogs stopped bickering and lowered their heads. With a little more confidence Obito addressed Pakkun: 

“What’s the message?” The pug let him take the scroll while glancing at the bedroom door, worried. Obito briefly studied the insides of the scroll and then exhaled with relief “Oh, that. We booked this mission a while ago, for extra cash, y’know. It’s a piece of cake, I can go alone.”

To that the dogs rolled their eyes and made it look like Obito said something ridiculous.

“Oh, great, genius! Go alone!” growled Urushi, turning to leave.

“Yeah, thanks for ruining our day off, Bito!” joined Shiba. “Whose turn is it this time?”

“I say Bull should go. He’s never on Bito-sitting duty, that oversized softy!” replied Urushi as the three ninken headed outside.

“I don’t mind. Obito is nice.”

Obito had expected mockery, but their reaction confused him completely. “Huh? What are you guys saying?” But the ninken had all already left the hall except for Pakkun, who was standing behind Obito with his paw softly pressed against the bedroom door. He took a moment to think things over.

“Come on, kid,” he said in a reassuring tone. “Never have you ever gone on a solo mission alone; since your very first one. But you didn’t hear it from me.” He winked at Obito and followed his pack outside.

Dumbstruck, Obito was left alone with the open scroll in his hands. It didn’t take him long to puzzle things out. The realization hurt his pride at first (what kind of shinobi was he, if he’d never noticed the dogs tailing him!) But quickly the hurt was replaced by a very tender feeling growing in his chest and spreading warmth up to his cheeks. He cracked the bedroom door open and looked at the figure on the bed. Kakashi was sleeping peacefully wrapped in blankets with his nose tucked between the pillows. A couple of moments passed before Obito finally slid the door close, a warm smile never leaving his face.

@teamminatoweek

[irukaka]

chapter 7 is up for the canon-divergence kakairu fic!! featuring the ninken as both guard dogs and a greek chorus, iruka somehow winding up with konoha’s weirdest sort-of roommate, and kakashi almost having one (1) emotionally intelligent thought. hope y’all enjoy <3

spring, neap (34386 words) by flipthebits Chapters: 7/? Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Umino Iruka, Mizuki (Naruto), Sarutobi Asuma, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitarashi Anko Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Alternating, Initial Mizuki/Iruka, dw Mizuki will get what's coming to him, basically a 'what would happen if a semi-feral post-ANBU Kakashi stuck around baby teacher Iruka' AU Summary:

Kakashi has captained hundreds of missions over the past decade. One random chuunin beneath his command getting injured shouldn’t prompt more passing concern than any of the other casualties he’s witnessed.

And yet, something keeps him in his orbit.

[jacksgreysays]

DOS, Shikako & Akamaru, teaching seals

Okay anon, I see what you did here… this duo and this prompt would imply a comedic fic: teaching a dog fuinjutsu, that’s pretty funny.

BUT what if we tried to make it serious.

Let’s take the parts of this prompt as seriously as they can get:

Shikako is, except for Jiraiya, Konoha’s foremost leader in fuinjutsu.

Akamaru is a ninken of the Inuzuka clan.

Why would Konoha’s foremost leader in fuinjutsu teach an Inuzuka clan ninken anything about seals?

What if, it’s BECAUSE he’s a ninken? Or, more generally, BECAUSE he’s not human?

So why would Shikako NEED to teach a non-human about sealing?

If, for some reason, humans are incapable or cannot to be trusted to do a specific sealing array that Shikako needs someone else to learn.

Because, well, you know I love me some reluctant goddess Shikako. So arguably, she’s not human anymore either.

So it could be a seal that very specifically humans cannot/should not do, and the closest ally Shikako has that isn’t human (and isn’t a summon, maybe the summoning realm has been blocked off? not sure, will have to think on this more) is Akamaru.

Okay, so what’s the threat that excludes humans from being a part of the solution?

I’d say, if we’re going serious threats, the obvious answers would be either 1) ROOT or 2) Edo Tensei. Both of which are threats that fuinjutsu could solve and also primarily target humans.

If we want to go into the realm of more realistic, it could be that Shikako is teaching Akamaru not how to MAKE seals but how to sniff them out? Specifically for the ROOT seal, that is. Like, if for some reason she can’t sense the change in someone post getting a ROOT seal. Or, if she can ONLY sense someone getting a ROOT seal if she already knew what their chakra was like BEFORE. So Akamaru being able to smell ROOT seals regardless of if he’s clocked their scent before would make him the better detector. And, you know, dogs IRL are being trained to sniff/sense the most subtle medical conditions that would otherwise require active monitoring with specialized machinery, so it wouldn’t be too out there for Akamaru to be able to sniff if someone has an extremely important, literal behavior altering mouth seal. Maybe they need to talk first in order for air to be exhaled over the seal and put the scent into the air, but that’s totally doable.

And it may be a matter of, if Shikako can teach Akamaru, then HE can teach the other Inuzuka ninken, and you have an entire clan of the most honest and loyal shinobi on the look out for the sleeper agents within Konoha.

… now as for how Akamaru learning seals would affect the Edo Tensei… hm… again, I didn’t actually get very far in Shippuden, so I don’t know what parameters are needed in order to stop an Edo Tensei zombie? Is it like regular zombies and you have to mess up the brain/the core? Or do they just continue to come back until you end the technique (ie kill the summoner)? Is it obvious who the summoner is?

Because, again, what if its less Shikako literally teaches Akamaru, a dog, how to seal, but instead something about Akamaru, a dog, is needed to defeat this fuinjutsu-based threat. And if it’s not creating seals and we’ve already covered detecting seals, then maybe she’s teaching Akamaru how to destroy seals in such a way that humans cannot.

This would make more sense if the giant Eternal Mangekyo moon genjutsu was more of a sealing thing, but what if it’s literally like… throwing human chakra at the problem just makes it stronger. What you need is a jolt of inhuman chakra to throw off the cycle in order to break it… sort of thing?

Hm… I’m not sure… what do you think, anon?

[akamikazae]

Oc-tober Prompt 6: ‘interacting with a child in their life’

The lil fam carving pumpkins ! Kakashi is the child he tried to put the pumpkin on his head

I was going to write a lil something but my brain is too mushy, so Sasuke would enjoy the carving process, and getting to see his hard work pay off. Akami liked getting all the pumpkin guts out they’re stringy and gooey and fun. Kakashis ninken we’re def nearby to snack on all the extra pumpkin bits and he’d be sure to save and bake the pumpkin seeds for the humans to snack on while they watched a spooky movie of Sasukes choosing

Prompts by @icannotreadcursive

[kakairu-shrine]

This is my first fic for @kakairu-rocks event, KakaIru Valentine's Week 2024, written for the Love Potion prompt!

Enjoy!

Lovestruck (16708 words) by demonofabove Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka Characters: Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi's Ninken Pack, Shiranui Genma, Yamashiro Aoba Additional Tags: KakaIru Valentine's Week 2024, Love Potion/Spell, Unwanted affection, Stalking, awkward moments, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Reading, Crushes, Fade to Black Summary:

Iruka accidentally drinks a love potion; and now the entire village wants to date him! All, except for Kakashi, who hasn't changed since the incident.

Why hasn't he been affected, too?!

[madmanwonder]

Prompt

Crossover

MK1 Intro

Izuku vs Anko, Kurenai, Hana and Yugao

Anko: *Flirtatious* You need a woman touch, Izu-Kun~

Izuku: *Flustered* I-I’ll think about it

X-xx-X

Kurenai: *Resigned* Do you need my help with Anko again?

Izuku: *Apologized* I don’t feel safe around her.

X-xx-X

Izuku: *Curious* How do you train your ninken?

Hana: *Teasing* You might be cute. But I am not telling you classified information.

X-xx-X

Yugao: *Serious* All For One is a threat that cannot be allowed to live, Midoriya-San

Izuku: *Serious* I know he is a threat. But….

[kakashiweek]

Prompt Discussion - Foster

Your only limit to interpreting our prompts for your own creations is your imagination! However, you’ve told us you enjoy these discussion posts as jumping-off points, and we are happy to oblige!

Please feel free to use any ideas sparked by these posts, reblog/reply/comment and build off them to help inspire yourself or others - or, of course, entirely ignore them if you’d prefer!

Foster (September 11th - Day 2, Prompt A)

Open the door to invite something new. . .

🍃 Did someone take Kakashi in after Sakumo’s suicide rather than leaving him to raise himself? One of Sakumo’s contemporaries like one of the Sannin or Maito Dai? Minato, playing big brother more than parent but desperate to help? 🍃 Is Kakashi, remembering when no one was there for him (or, with a canon divergent background, remembering someone who did do the same for him) fostering someone; one of his students with nowhere else to go? Tenzou, despite being barely old enough to play big brother? 🍃 Kakashi being a foster home for an animal rescue/shelter in a modern AU? 🍃 Or can that fit into a canon setting? Does he take in a stray, an abandoned (and traumatised) ninken, an Inuzuka dog? 🍃 Go more abstract! Is someone fostering feelings - dislike, suspicion, affection. . . - for Kakashi, or is he for them?

There are so many possibilities out there - which one will you choose to foster in your own work?

❧ Our 2023 Prompts ☙ | ❧ all Prompt Discussion posts ☙

[sufferthesea]

The Death of a Seamstress  (aka 8 Ninken Jackets and Kakashi Assumes Too Much)

Kakashi Week 2017 - Prompt #4: Ninken

Kakashi! Haven’t you ever heard the expression “You know what happens when you assume”? Anyway, I don’t know who makes ninken jackets but someone has to, right?? (Also sorry for spelling errors and stuff? I’m too lazy to go back through for a 10th time to check...) 

Rating: General Words: 3.132

Also on ao3

It’d been several years since all of Kakashi’s ninken got their little jackets and forehead protectors. He remembered when he’d first got the blue jackets with the Henohenomoheji face embroidered onto them and presented them to the eight ninja hounds.

“Kakashi,” Pakkun had said gingerly, as he pawed at the smallest jacket of all, meant for himself, “this is nice and all, but … we’re dogs. We don’t need these jackets. None of the other ninken wear them.”

“Maybe,” a younger Kakashi had replied, “but you’re the ninken of the Hatake clan. We actually have some pride. Put on the jacket.”

Throughout the years, the jackets had gone through a lot. They’d been torn, stained, forgotten, and even buried at one point - though Kakashi figured that had been on purpose by a few of the dogs who were embarrassed to be seen wearing clothes. He’d done his best to patch them up, but his hands weren’t nimble enough to work a small needle through the fabric. And when he had decided to do it himself, they had turned out rather pathetically. The fabric was puckered, the hems were uneven, and they looked sadder than before. It only took one serious look from his ninken and Pakkun declaring, “I am not wearing that - anywhere,” before he gave up for good trying to fix it himself.

Whenever he got the chance, he’d return to the old seamstress who’d originally made the jackets for the ninken when he was younger. Sakumo had taken him there when he was a child to have a set of custom shirts made with a mask before he started at the Academy, and she seemed like the perfect person to ask to make the matching set of jackets for the dogs. Of course, it helped that she’d already knew Kakashi and didn’t ask many questions - the only thing she’d told him to do was summon all the dogs so she could get their measurements. Every time he returned to the shop, she’d patch up the jackets with smooth seams and polished stitching. She’d even gone so far as to replace all of them with brand new jackets a few years ago as a gift to a “loyal and kind customer.”

Now he was holding a paper bag packed with the eight jackets, each one folded as neatly as he could manage with the tears and tatters fluttering about. He’d done his best to tell his ninken that they needed to take care of the jackets - they couldn’t be reckless, but even with his stern words there was at least one dog who’d accidentally scratch at himself and tear a hole clean through the fabric. Plus he couldn’t help that they’d gotten worn down through use - I mean, you can only fight in clothes for so long before they’re damaged at least a little. This last bought of training hadn’t been bad, but somehow every - single - jacket - was - ruined.

Kakashi felt incredibly bad since these hadn’t even lasted that long, and the old lady hadn’t even charged him for them! But still, he needed to replace them.

The small shop was tucked away in an easily overlooked corner of the village, behind a few weapons shops and a bookstore. A wooden sign hung over the door that read Custom Clothes - Seamstress and Tailor in faded ink and the windows were dark even though all the lights were on inside. Kakashi pushed open the door and was greeted with the familiar chime of bells overhead. There were wooden mannequins placed in the front of the shop, each one wearing a different outfit. A display case over to the side held bolts of fabric, a few sketches, and an old pincushion. At the back of the store was a door curtained off with a sign that read Private - Fitting Rooms. It smelled like potpourri, and threads of linen hung in the air.

“Sato-san,” Kakashi called, wandering over to one of the mannequins dressed in an airy, cream-colored yukata. “I hate to say it but my ninken have torn through all of their jackets. Do you think you could fix them? Or replace them? I’ll pay you this time.”

Someone moved behind the curtained room and footsteps echoed off the wooden floor. Kakashi didn’t bother looking up as he rubbed the sleeve hem of the yukata between his thumb and index finger.

This is nice, he thought to himself. I should ask her to make me one of these before summer gets here.

The curtain was thrown back and Kakashi, still gazing at the mannequins, held up the bag. “I’ve got them all here. Could you see if there’s anything to salvage?”

“What do you mean you’ll pay her this time?” came an unfamiliar voice.

Kakashi turned and was startled to see a young woman standing in the fitting room entrance, the edge of the curtain in her hands, a stern look on her face. She was dressed head-to-toe in black with a white apron tied around her waist, decorated with the same symbol Sato-san had explained was her family crest. The girl had her hair pulled back into a bun and a pencil behind her ear. Her glare was frightening and Kakashi stepped back from the yukata and threw a hand up as if to show he wasn’t armed.

“Sorry about that,” he laughed lightly, “I wasn’t aware anyone else worked in this shop. I was looking for Sato-san. She usually mends these for me.”

The girl continued to stare at him but she let go of the curtain and folded her arms. “Yes, I guessed that. What are you doing having my grandmother sew your clothes and not paying her?”

“Huh? Your grandmother?” Kakashi studied the girl’s face and he could see a faint trace of Sato-san in her - the same large eyes, the same stooped shoulders, even the small flyaway piece of hair on top of her head was the same. “This is a family business? That’s nice. But she’s really the one who does all of my mending, so if you could just go get her —”

“Not until you pay her what you owe,” the girl said sharply, standing firm. “It sounds like she’s been doing a lot of work for you, so I expect you to pay up. What’s your name? I’m sure she kept a record of how many times you came in. I’ll get the guest book and we can crunch some numbers. Take a seat over there.” She pointed to a cushioned bench on the other side of the room before disappearing behind the curtain. When she returned she had a huge book in her arms and a determined look in her eye.

“I didn’t mean to give off the wrong impression,” Kakashi began, clutching the bag to his chest. “I never cheated your grandmother out of anything. She said she’d made these as a gift for me. But I’m more than willing to pay you to fix them.”

“Nice try!” The girl dropped the book onto the bench and flipped it open. “Grandma was very nice and she did a lot of favors - but plenty of people took advantage of that kindness and nearly put us in debt! I’m going to collect every last cent that was owed to her if it’s the last thing I do. Let’s see … What’s your name?”

“Uh - it’s Hatake Kakashi.”

“Hatake … Hatake …” She turned the pages until she reached the page titled HA and went down the list. “Ah, here you are. Hatake Kakashi! Let’s see. You’ve been in - ah!” She stood up and gawked at him. “You’ve been coming here since you were a child?”

The jonin nodded simply. “Yes. I’m sorry, are you able to mend these?”

“Just a minute - Grandma always put a check mark next to orders that were paid in full, and a star next to a gift. Of course, most of these pages are filled with stars - but I know what was a gift and what wasn’t. Hmm, seems that most of your orders have been paid … that’s a first. Ah! Here it is! Eight sets of jackets for …” She paused, puzzled, and reread the page. “Maybe the writing is smudged. Does that say what I think it says?”

“Eight sets of jackets for my ninken, that’s right.”

She turned, giving him a bizarre look. “You had … custom jackets made … for your dogs?”

Kakashi felt a sudden blush cross his face and he looked away. “That was the order that was a gift - the most recent one. I’ll pay you to mend these ones - or to make new ones.”

Huffing, the girl slammed the book shut and eyed him suspiciously. “So, only one order was a gift, huh? I guess you’re lucky. There’s some people in here who’ve been scamming my grandma for years. I’m going to make them pay in full. Can you imagine that bill? Let’s see the damage.” She took the bag from his arms and sifted through the shreds of fabric. “Jeez, you can tell these belong to dogs. Er, ninja dogs. I can’t save any of this. I can make new ones, if you want to order them. My grandma kept all of her patterns so they should be around here somewhere. Maybe in the back …” The girl wandered off to find the missing patterns.

“So,” Kakashi said, following her through the curtain into the back room. He stopped and stared in awe. He had always assumed the shop was tiny, since the front of the store wasn’t much to look at. But back here was another story. To the left were fitting rooms to be used to adjust and tailor clothes, to the right was where customers were taken to be measured, and in front of him was another door leading to what appeared to be a workshop. He suspected he had been back here at some point when his father had ordered his masked shirts, but the memory was distant and faded – and since the ninken were so well behaved (usually), he had just sat on the bench in the lobby reading Icha Icha while Sato-san had led the dogs behind the curtain and taken their measurements.

A long table lined with benches and cluttered with scraps of fabric and spools of thread filled the center of the workshop. It was bright inside and there was a solid wall of bare mannequins waiting to be dressed. A filing cabinet was shoved in the corner of the workshop and all of the drawers were opened; hundreds of papers were pulled out and lying scattered on the floor.

“Sorry for the mess,” she said. “I’ve been going through all of Grandma’s papers to get things organized. I’ve got to finish her orders and collect her payments. Come this way. We’ll find the patterns. What were you saying?”

“Huh? Oh - I was just … I was gonna ask where Sato-san was. I didn’t know she had any family, so it really surprised me that you were working here.”

The girl hesitated, pausing in her walk towards the large table in the center of the room. Kakashi almost ran into her but stepped aside just in time. She shook her head and scurried over to the other side of the table, heading towards the filing cabinet. “I’m sure your patterns are in here. It’ll just take me a moment.”

Kakashi sat on one of the low wooden benches and watched the girl balance the bag of shredded fabric in one arm and frantically shuffle through the see-through patterns in the cabinet.

“Aha! Here they are.” She pulled out a large paper folder and slapped it on the table beside Kakashi. Across the front in scribbled handwriting read, Hatake, Kakashi - 8 Patterns - Jackets, Various Sizes. “I can make as many jackets as you want with these!” she beamed, setting the bag down on the table. “Look here, see these notes? She wrote down what fabric she used, what thread, what kind of stitch, and she even wrote down the name of the dogs the jackets were for. She always paid attention to stuff like that,” she mused fondly, running her fingers along the folder. “So - you wanted to order new ones? I’m sure we have this fabric still in stock. And it looks like there’s a pattern on it.”

“Yeah - it’s Henohenomoheji.”

“… what?”

“Uh, it’s …” Kakashi felt another embarrassed blush rise on his masked face and he cleared his throat. “It’s, you know, the little face kids draw on their scarecrows.”

“Huh — oh! Kakashi! I get it! Hm. I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone with a sense of humor. Actually, considering you’ve had jackets custom-made for your dogs with a scarecrow face on it, I guess you are kind of funny.” The girl took back the folder and went to studying the patterns, looking through the bolts of fabric to find the exact type. “You can wait here or you can come back later. It’ll take me a while. Well …” She studied the measurements for Bull and paled. “This one might take me all night. Maybe you should come back tomorrow afternoon. I can tell you then when they’ll be ready.”

“Sure. Do you want to keep my wallet hostage so you can be sure I don’t cheat you?”

“Very funny. You can pay me before I hand over the jackets when they’re finished, though. I’ll tally up the bill now if you want.”

“That would be helpful, thank you.”

She grabbed a pencil and quickly wrote down a handful of figures. She shoved the paper at Kakashi and pointed at the bottom string of numbers, “That’s your bill.”

Kakashi’s only visible eye widened in bewilderment at the sight but he fought to retain his cool exterior and shrugged. “I … see the price of labor has gone up.”

“Well, it is only me here. If I start these tonight it’s already overtime! Unless you can wait a few days, then I can knock a few zeros off. Otherwise, I’m charging you for priority. I’m pretty backlogged, you know.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” Kakashi studied the pieces of fabric pinned to other patterns and the wicker basket on the floor beside the sewing machine, overflowing with garments. “That price is fine. As much as they hated wearing them, I feel like they’re a little ashamed to be seen without them. It’s a modesty thing.”

“Uh-huh. Right. Anyway, I’ve got to close up soon or else more people are gonna think they can come in this late. I’ll walk you out.” The girl clutched the folder into the crook of her arm and escorted Kakashi out of the workroom, through the curtain, and to the front door. “Stop by tomorrow and we’ll see where we’re at.” She waved at him to stop when he moved to grab his wallet out of his pocket. “You can pay tomorrow. Maybe by then I’ll have softened up a little and reduced the price. Do you mind if I keep these here tonight? I can use them as reference. My grandma always did things a little differently than me. I want to make sure I get them right.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You did those?” He motioned towards the clothed mannequins sitting in the front of the shop.

“Yeah! They were some of the first things I made when I took over this shop. I was getting used to her sewing machine, but I think they turned out alright.”

Kakashi guessed that from the aversion of the question, he knew the answer about where Sato-san was. He took a deep breath, remembering the old woman who’d done so much to help him in the past. Although the village had certified tailors and seamstresses to make the chunin and jonin uniforms, as well as masks, Kakashi had always brought in his clothes to be mended by the woman. He’d also kept all the shirts she’d made for him when he was young; even though he had far outgrown them, they were still in good condition. For the most part. Kunai strikes and bomb shrapnel were not kind to clothes, no matter how well they were made. He looked at the girl, feeling a strange sort of sadness in the middle of his chest, and he muttered, “I’m sorry for your loss. Sato-san was a really wonderful woman. I’m glad you’ve taken over, though, and kept her shop open.”

The girl stared at him in silence for a while before leaning forward with her eyebrows pulled together tightly and her mouth stretched downward. “Huh?”

“Sato-san,” Kakashi said, unintentionally shuffling backwards under the gaze of the girl. “I’m s-sorry for your loss. She really was a nice woman.”

To his surprise, the girl let out a sudden laugh and stood up, looking just as confused as before. “My grandma isn’t dead! Is that — is that what you’ve been thinking this whole time?”

“Uhm … yes?”

“No! No, she isn’t dead. Oh my gosh. I should’ve said something. Grandma retired last year and has been traveling around to different villages. She trained me to be a seamstress like her and left me in charge of the shop before she left. She had a few orders left but I said I would take care of them, but they were a lot more than I thought. I’ve been trying to get through them all, but I don’t work as fast as her. And, like I said, she was too generous for her own good so now I’ve got to collect all that money before we lose the shop. But that’s none of your concern, aha ha ha! I didn’t mean to frighten you, either, by letting you think she was dead. I think she’ll be stopping by for a bit sometime in the summer, if you want to come by again to see her.”

Kakashi wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or relieved. “That’d be nice,” he forced himself to say. He couldn’t believe he just paid his condolences for a woman who wasn’t dead. “I … should go. It’s getting late and you need to close up. I’ll stop by tomorrow. Goodbye.” He turned and hurried out of the shop, leaving the poor girl behind. He marched down the now-dark street back towards his apartment.

I’m so stupid, he thought as he passed by the shops, long since closed for the evening. I can’t believe I just assumed her grandma was dead. He was absolutely convinced that if it weren’t for the jackets he was going to pick up tomorrow, he would never show his face at the shop again. Shoving the key into his lock, he pushed open his door and dragged himself into the apartment. It doesn’t matter tonight, he tried to tell himself as he collapsed on the couch, kicking off his shoes. I have to see her tomorrow, so I’ll just pretend it didn’t happen. After that, though, I’m never going back.

Soon, he was asleep, the embarrassing moment and the hefty fee temporarily forgotten.

[maiikawriter]

Anon who requested Kakairu 39. Sent too early, could you do a drabble?

Title: Welcome Home

Word count: 1037

“You’ve got him, Iruka?” Kakashi asks as he opens the door.

Iruka rolls his eyes. “Of course. Can we bring him in now? It’s freezing out here.”

“Wait,” Kakashi says as he peeks his head in the door. “Pakkun! Is the pack ready?”

“Yeah, Boss, we’re ready,” Pakkun barks from inside. “But Shiba’s itching to move. I don’t know how much longer we can hold out.”

“Okay, okay. Shiba, stay. We’re coming.” Kakashi turns to Iruka. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Bring him around back.”

Iruka groans and shifts the squirming weight in his arms as a little whine slips over his voice. “Can’t we just go in now?”

“Iruka. Sensei,” Kakashi drawls, stroking the back of his cold hand against Iruka’s already-frozen cheek. “I don’t want to startle him. The bright holiday lights and the chaos from the pack might be too overwhelming. He’s...so little. And new.”

“This is rich coming from you,” Iruka says with pursed lips as he shifts his load to his hip. “The new father who thought it would be okay to leave him out in the cold for a couple hours.”

“He can handle the elements,” Kakashi says firmly. “Anyway. Around back. Now. Let’s go.”

As Kakashi dashes forward, Iruka wraps his bundle deeper into its swaddle and braves forward against a biting breeze. He can’t believe they’re doing something so ridiculous, but for some reason he feels the need to indulge Kakashi. It’s Christmas, after all.

“Ready?” Kakashi says, meeting Iruka’s eyes when they reach the back door. When Iruka smiles, Kakashi gives a curt nod and smiles in return. “Let’s go! Welcome–”

“-to your new family!” Iruka finishes, bursting through the door ahead of him, too overwhelmed by the force of the chill outside and excitement inside when that door swings open.

The ninken are all in a line, sitting at attention. Behind them, the tree shines with reflective ornaments of multiple colors. Lights twinkle while the beams from the miniature village at the table illuminate their excited eyes and hanging tongues. As the bundle in his arms wiggles in response to the stimulation, Iruka chokes back an overwhelmed sob of happiness. Kakashi may be right. This is a lot for even him to take in. The baby wouldn’t have been prepared if they’d just burst through the front door.

“Hi,” Pakkun greets with a gruff bark, peering upward to the new addition he can’t possibly see from his vantage. He turns tired eyes on Iruka before landing on Kakashi. “Took you two long enough to bring him here. The pack’s been waiting.”

“I know,” Kakashi says as he sheds his scarf, revealing the handsome face Iruka adores. “Thank you for keeping everyone in line, Pakkun. It took us longer than expected to get this little guy home.”

“Can we see him? Can we see him?” Shiba says, his tail slapping back and forth against the wooden floor.

“Yeah!” Uuhei barks. “Let’s see him already!”

“And welcome him to the pack!” Akino says.

“Okay,” Kakashi drawls, sliding his frozen hands into his coat pockets. “You heard them, Sensei.”

Iruka feels his smile pull at his cheeks as he stoops to the ground, the pack huddling around him, the package in his arms squirming free to see what all the fuss is about.

“Don’t crowd him!” he yells at the pack, but there’s no heat behind the reprimand, even if they back off instantaneously.

Bright eyes peer out of the bundle in his arms as Iruka unwraps their new cherished addition to Kakashi’s pack of summons. This little guy was specifically picked by Iruka, found and gifted to Kakashi as soon as he knew how desperately in need of a home he was and how well Kakashi would adore and care for him. This is the first of the ninken to be their summons, something Iruka and Kakashi have yet to share.

“Wow!” the ninken growl and whine in unison.

“Let him breathe, guys,” Pakkun warns when they start to crowd around again.

“He’s just so cute!” Guruko yips.

“Yeah,” Bull growls.

Iruka can’t blame them. This one isn’t mouthy yet. His snout is pudgy and adorable. His golden fur gleams in the Christmas lights. His eyes are squinted shut, too overwhelmed by the lights and shapes surrounding him. His tail slaps against Iruka’s ribs repeatedly, telling Iruka he likes his new home. Iruka smiles up at Kakashi. He finds in Kakashi’s smile and warm gaze an equal appreciation for how perfectly their new addition fits into their little family.

“Well, after the holidays,” Pakkun says, “we’ll have to start training him.”

“Of course,” Kakashi says softly, smiling down at the little guy with rare childish glee.

“What’s his name?” Bisuke asks, his tail coming to life with a slow wag behind him.

Iruka looks at Kakashi. “He’s the baby of the pack, isn’t he?”

Kakashi gives a slow shrug of agreement. “I suppose.”

“So why don’t you name him that?” Iruka says as he strokes the fluffy head. “Baby.”

“Baby,” Kakashi repeats as if mulling it over. He crouches down to free Baby from the confines of Iruka’s swaddle. “Welcome to the pack, Baby. And Merry Christmas.”

Iruka sighs at the little runt tumbling out of his arms with curious eyes. “Baby’s first holiday.”

Pakkun steps forward and noses at the pup. “We’ll make sure it’s a good one for him. Now, Boss. We left presents for you under the tree. You might want to deal with those before the pup gets too settled in.”

“Oh–” Kakashi stops smiling and narrows his eyes at the pack. “What kind of presents?”

“Hey, they’re not all bad,” Bisuke says as he strolls past them to touch paws with Baby.

Bull plops his massive weight on the ground with a huff. “We told you we couldn’t wait that long.”

Kakashi groans and deepens his slouch as he disappears into the kitchen for bags and paper towels. Iruka laughs nervously at the pack, some of whom wear sheepish grins as they meet his eyes, others too enrapt by the new puppy to even be ashamed.

Once Kakashi’s cleanup is done, it is going to be a wonderful first holiday for Baby.

[mallml]

We Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus

[pewpewpew]

Part 2 of my Kakashi Bingo Calendar artwork from last year ✨ 🌱 prompts from top to bottom: Glimpsed Future, Knights and Nobles (Samurai), Meeting the Ninken, Undercover, Regency AU; Jutsu (Kage Bunshin) I kind of failed with the calendar as it was released on a monthly basis, but maybe I compile it into a full one and release it for next year, whatya think?

Part 1 // 🍊 Commissions open // 🍯 tip jar // linked on blog 😇

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Work Equally Revered

The heaviness in my heart is gone. (Part II, Ep. 225). | Discord 30 Minute Gift Exchange (Ghosts of Narutos Past) for @ohayohimawari | Prompt: The Cursed Ghost Ship, Tranquility. 

                            ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“You know, Zabuza-kun, I didn’t take you for much of a dog person,” Kakashi says lightly. He reaches out to scratch Pakkun, who looks surprisingly content in the rogue ninja’s arms.

“They’re easier to get along with when they’re not biting me,” Zabuza replies wryly. His tone is equally conversational. “Besides that, we’ve had time to get to know one another.” 

Helpfully, Pakkun tells Kakashi, “He’s alright.” 

Nodding, Kakashi replies, “About that...” He leans against the wall of what had been his previously single-occupant room aboard this ship. He supposes he should give his guards a lecture later, given that no one else has come bursting in yet. “I don’t mean to be rude, but aren’t you dead?” 

Zabuza takes the liberty of setting Pakkun down on Kakashi’s bed, and sitting there himself. “As far as I know.” 

“So, what? You heard in the Pure Lands we were visiting Kirigakure, and thought you’d come say hi to Mei-san?” 

His companion laughs. At which part, Kakashi isn’t sure. In either case, it is a much less harsh sound than Kakashi remembers, and it makes Kakashi’s own lips quirk upward. “You’re the one who summoned me,” Zabuza says, as if this is enough of an explanation. With a once-over of Kakashi, he adds, “Nice outfit.”

Kakashi looks down at his Hokage robes, and then at Zabuza, who, on this occasion, is once again favouring a bare chest and cow print. “I’m not sure you’re qualified to give fashion advice. And what do you mean, I summoned you?”

Zabuza inclines his head towards Kubikiribōchō, resting in the corner of the room. The main purpose of this voyage. Then, he looks at Pakkun. “You know how summoning works, don’t you? Seals bound by blood. You’re not very careful about who your dogs bite, are you?” 

“You’re telling me that you came here because I called Pakkun?” Kakashi shakes his head. “The ninken bit you years ago. Besides, your body was sealed during the war.”

“The sword and the dog have absorbed my chakra and blood. I don’t need a physical carcass any more than a summons does.”

Kakashi needs to sit down, and so he finds himself on the bed alongside his former-enemy-turned-acquaintance-turned-ghost-roommate. “You’ve always had such a way with words,” he deadpans. “So, how exactly do we help you find peace now that you’re here?”

“You’re going to Kiri?” Zabuza confirms. When Kakashi nods, the man offers a sharp, lively grin. “Well, Haku always said I ought to do more community service.” 

[animetrashmuffin]

For @kakashiweek prompt: Ninken