The two months flew by in no time.
Perhaps it was due to the good care and nourishment, but little Ginji had gained six pounds. He looked plumper and even more adorable. During this time, Mito had been visiting daily, and Ginji had grown quite attached to her.
Kawakaze finally saw the light after eleven months of covering for her. Tsunade, perhaps feeling too bored, had returned to work. With his responsibilities reduced, Kawakaze was now much freer and living a very comfortable life.
As for breastfeeding, he simply carried little Ginji back and forth using the Flying Thunder God Technique, which was very convenient.
"Are you full?" Kawakaze asked. "Daddy will take you to see Grandma."
It was already afternoon, and Kawakaze had just returned from the Hokage's Office with Ginji.
"Ee-ee-ee-ee..." Ginji babbled in Kawakaze's arms, though no one could understand him.
"Then I'll take that as a yes," Kawakaze said cheerfully, carrying Ginji to the dojo.
"Hey-ha!"
As soon as they arrived, they saw Kakashi practicing with a wooden sword. Now over two years old, Kakashi had begun learning simple sword exercises under Sakumo's guidance. Shiromaru was by Kakashi's side, being trained by Onimaru.
[Kakashi's rhythm as a five-year-old Genin was impressive. It wasn't too early to start practicing at two years old.]
Although Kawakaze felt it might be a little early, he didn't want to stop him. When the time came, he would only be stricter than Sakumo. He didn't want Kakashi to become another 50/50 again.
"Grandma, sister-in-law," Kawakaze greeted as he approached the stone table where Mito was chatting with Nayuki. This was much livelier than the solitude Mito had experienced at home before.
"Welcome back," Nayuki said, pouring Kawakaze a glass of water.
"Let me hold Ginji," Mito said as she took the baby from Kawakaze's arms before he could respond.
"He's closer to Grandma than anyone else, and you always smile when she holds you," Kawakaze said with a grin. He wasn't just saying it to make Mito feel better—it was the truth.
"That's right. I get up early and work hard every day. Right, little Ginji?" Mito said, holding Ginji up high.
"Giggle..." Ginji kicked his little feet and laughed happily.
The three of them began chatting idly. Kawakaze hadn't been to the Academy in a long time, but with Ei Onoda there, he felt no unease at all.
"Uncle, how was my practice?" Kakashi asked, running over during a break. His expectant gaze was fixed on Kawakaze.
He admired his uncle deeply, knowing he was a great master—someone even more impressive than his father. Just how impressive, though, he didn't fully understand.
"Not bad," Kawakaze said with a kind smile, ruffling Kakashi's hair. "Just don't overdo it."
Kakashi frowned slightly, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "Just 'not bad'?" Guess I'll just have to work even harder." He already felt he was putting in plenty of effort.
"Calling it 'not bad' is an overstatement. What's there to be dissatisfied with?"
Nayuki, watching her son, couldn't help but laugh. With Kakashi's level of skill, even she had a hard time watching him practice. How could someone so young possibly impress Kawakaze?
"Hmph, I'm not talking to Mom anymore," Kakashi huffed, pouting in frustration.
"Come on, Shiromaru, let's go."
With that, he led Shiromaru back to continue practicing, his stubborn determination unwavering. His mother's teasing only fueled his resolve—he would prove her wrong through hard work.
"This child..." Nayuki sighed with a mix of laughter and exasperation. She couldn't quite figure out where Kakashi had inherited such a temperament.
"Haha, it's good to be lively," Kawakaze remarked.
Kawakaze thought it was fine—saying what you mean and being direct is better than suppressing emotions or causing unnecessary pain.
He smiled proudly, confident that Kakashi, with both parents and a lively spirit, would grow up completely different from the way things once were.
"Kids are all like this," Mito chimed in. When Tsunade and Nawaki were little, they were much naughtier. Tsunade, once she got older, even had that damned Hashirama taking her gambling!
I've never seen a grandfather like that before. He nearly drove me to my grave!
"Let him train for fun for now; there's no rush," Kawakaze said, watching Kakashi diligently practicing his moves.
"Who would disagree? Besides, wasn't it your older brother who insisted on him learning?"
Nayuki couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Kakashi was still so young!
"I did it for his own good," Sakumo said, approaching the group.
"What's in it for him? You just don't want Kakashi to be left behind by Guy," Nayuki countered. "And Duy too—Guy's so young, yet he has to run around Konoha. He's really ruthless." She glared at Sakumo, lumping him and Duy together as bad fathers.
"That's not true," Sakumo retorted before quickly changing the subject. "By the way, I'm a little thirsty." He sat down with a smirk, clearly dodging the argument.
She did have a point. Kakashi must not be allowed to lose right from the starting line.
"What do you think?" Nayuki said, though she still poured her husband a glass of water.
"Haha~"
"Sister-in-law, I think you're right," Kawakaze said, clearly looking for trouble and picking on people.
"What's it got to do with you? Mind your own son," Sakumo retorted. While he was cautious around Nayuki, he had no reservations about confronting Kawakaze.
"Ouch, it's been a while since I last beat you up."
"Can't tell who's boss?" Kawakaze rolled up his sleeves, ready for a man-to-man duel with his Big Brother.
"Who's afraid of you? If I don't beat the living daylights out of you today, I'm not your Big Brother," Sakumo declared as he put down his cup and stood up, exuding menace.
Whether or not he was truly panicking, only Sakumo himself knew, but he genuinely couldn't afford to lose. The two of them locked eyes, their childish antics resembling those of a five-year-old children.
"You two need to have some shame," Nayuki scolded. "You're both fathers."
She let out a long sigh. What kind of day was this?
"Ginji, don't learn from your father in the future," Mito chimed in. "He doesn't look very smart."
Mito, long familiar with the Hatake brothers' peculiar way of expressing their feelings, remained unbothered. Instead, she used the scene as a perfect teaching moment to give Ginji a profound lesson.
"Don't worry about it, this is between us brothers," Sakumo said, reaching out to block Nayuki's way. He wasn't going to back down today.
"You're being stubborn."
"Sister-in-law, I'll teach him a lesson for you," Kawakaze said as he grabbed Sakumo by the collar.
Sakumo, not one to be trifled with, immediately grabbed Kawakaze's hand in return. Ginji, watching the exchange, stared in fascination, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Kawakaze Hatake, are you rebelling?" A loud shout rang out from afar, causing Kawakaze to flinch instinctively.
"No, I was just playing with Big Brother," he said hastily, letting go of Sakumo's collar as Tsunade approached.
"Playing? If I had come a moment later, would you two have been rolling around on the floor? The children are watching," Tsunade remarked sharply. Her previously good mood was clearly ruined by the sight of these two.
These two are really hopeless.
"Exactly. You two should know better," Nayuki said firmly, siding with Tsunade. It was clear the two brothers were about to face some punishment.
"This is ridiculous," Sakumo muttered as he released Kawakaze's hand. With an air of exaggerated thoughtfulness, he straightened Kawakaze's collar.
"Do I look like I'm in your house for the first time?" Tsunade asked dryly, rolling her eyes. "You two don't even have a decent excuse."
"Haha~" Kawakaze and Sakumo exchanged sheepish looks, now sharing the unspoken camaraderie of true brothers. In unison, they scratched their heads and laughed awkwardly.
"One beating each—fair and square," Mito chimed in, clearly amused. Her comment brought to mind only one pair: Hashirama and Tobirama.
Thinking about it, the way those two brothers got along was quite similar to the scene playing out now.
"There's no need for that. We've already admitted our mistakes," Sakumo said quickly, noticing that both Nayuki and Tsunade looked ready to take action.
The two brothers threw their arms around each other's shoulders, their faces painted with exaggerated expressions of brotherly love.
"I'll let you off this time, since you know what's good for you," Tsunade said with a snort before taking a seat next to Nayuki and Mito. Her mood immediately softened as she turned her attention to Ginji, teasing the child with a smile.
"Good. There won't be a next time," Nayuki declared.
The two brothers, who had said similar things countless times before, had no intention of stopping their antics despite their declarations. They sat down, looking like scolded children, wisely deciding not to push their luck further.
Tsunade and Nayuki ignored them entirely after that, shifting their focus to more pleasant matters. Kawakaze and Sakumo, left with no other choice, sat quietly and stared blankly, their earlier bravado deflated.