Kaya exhaled slowly, savoring the rare moment of peace as she cradled a cup of warm tea between her hands. The tea shop was quiet, tucked away in a small corner of Konoha where few people lingered during midday. Across from her, Aoi Yamanaka sat with an easy smile, sipping at her own drink, eyes full of amusement.

  “You need to loosen up, Kaya,” Aoi said, swirling her cup. “The war is going to make all of us age too quickly if we don’t take a moment to breathe.”

  Kaya chuckled, shaking her head. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “Because it is.” Aoi leaned forward, her smirk turning sly. “Or at least, it could be—if you weren’t so stubborn.”

  Kaya raised a brow in silent question, but she already had a sinking feeling in her gut. Aoi’s pyful tone meant one thing: she was scheming.

  “Sakumo came by the other day,” Aoi continued, watching Kaya’s reaction carefully. “Asked about you.”

  Kaya blinked. “Asked about me?”

  “More like mentioned you,” Aoi corrected with a wink. “You know, in that quiet, brooding way of his.”

  Kaya sighed, shaking her head. “Aoi, don’t start—”

  “I’m just saying,” Aoi cut in, “he always seems to check in when he’s in the vilge. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you always get a little quieter when he’s around.”

  Kaya frowned but said nothing, unwilling to entertain whatever ridiculous theory Aoi had cooked up. She and Sakumo had always been colleagues, nothing more. And yet... there was something grounding about his presence.

  Aoi tilted her head, observing her. “You should talk to him more. I think you’d be surprised.”

  Kaya gave her a ft look. “Not everyone needs to be set up like a romance novel, Aoi.”

  Aoi only grinned.

  A week passed, and then Kaya received an invitation from Aoi to join her and Shinji for lunch.

  It was rare to have time for something as simple as a shared meal, so Kaya accepted without question. She arrived at a small outdoor restaurant in the quieter part of the vilge, the smell of grilled meat filling the air.

  Shinji was already there, arms crossed, his usual unreadable expression in pce. Aoi, as expected, looked far too pleased with herself.

  And then, as Kaya approached, she saw him. Sakumo Hatake.

  Kaya stopped in her tracks, but it was too te to turn around. Aoi, feigning innocence, waved her over enthusiastically.

  “Oh, good! You’re here!” Aoi chirped. “We already ordered—hope you don’t mind.”

  Sakumo gnced up, offering a polite nod. “Kaya.”

  Kaya composed herself quickly, shooting Aoi a brief gre before taking a seat. This was a setup.

  Shinji, seemingly unbothered, poured himself a drink. “You should know better by now, Kaya.”

  “I should,” Kaya muttered under her breath. Aoi was insufferable.

  To her surprise, however, the conversation flowed easier than expected. Sakumo, as always, was calm and measured. They talked about Hiro’s progress, the Academy’s shift toward war-time training, and the difficulty of bancing responsibility with personal life.

  “It’s difficult, raising a child in times like these,” Sakumo admitted, taking a sip from his cup. “You worry about giving them the skills to survive but don’t want them to lose themselves to war before they even understand the world.”

  Kaya looked at him, feeling something shift in her chest. “You’re talking about Kakashi.”

  Sakumo nodded. “He’s already a Chūnin. He’s gifted, no doubt, but it’s too fast.” His fingers tightened slightly around his cup. “He should still be in the Academy, worrying about tests and training, not going on missions where one mistake could mean death.”

  Kaya felt a pang of understanding. Despite his son’s talents, Sakumo wasn’t happy with how quickly Kakashi had been forced to mature.

  She sighed. “I worry about the same thing for Hiro.”

  Sakumo gave her a knowing look. “Then we’ll just have to make sure they have someone to guide them.”

  For a moment, there was an understanding between them, unspoken but shared.

  Aoi, ever the meddler, grinned into her cup. “You two are awfully in sync for just colleagues.”

  Kaya nearly choked on her drink.

  Sakumo only raised a brow, though there was a hint of amusement in his usually neutral expression.

  Kaya turned her gre onto Aoi, but before she could retaliate, Shinji, of all people, spoke up.

  “Aoi, stop pushing.”

  Aoi gasped in mock offense. “I’m only helping the natural order of things along.”

  Kaya sighed heavily. It was going to be a long lunch.

  Later that evening, Kaya found herself reflecting on the conversation with Sakumo.

  He understood her concerns in a way few did. He was raising a child while still being a shinobi. He knew the burden of preparing the next generation while wanting to shield them from war.

  And despite his reputation, he wasn’t proud of the fact that Kakashi had to grow up so fast.

  Kaya stared up at the ceiling as she y in bed, Aoi’s teasing words echoing in her mind.

  She sighed, rubbing her temples. Aoi was insufferable.

  But maybe she wasn’t entirely wrong.