Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Naruto series, and this has no affiliation with Kishimoto or related publishing companies. Please enjoy the fanwork.

A Man with no Mother.

THUD.

"Guh"

He'd landed more heavily than he'd intended. Just like how he had taken on twice the number of enemies than intended. Or just like how he had exerted more chakra than intended. Or the fact that he'd had to use up 2 more chidoris' than intended.

But who cares? There wasn't much more he could do to himself now. Heaving himself to his feet, the man clambered over to an apartment door. Leaving a trail of crimson in his wake. His breathing was shallow, and he struggled even to remain in his, seemingly temporary, upright position. Supporting himself upon the door frame, he knocked on the door. Cringing when his knuckles came back cleaner, and the door was spotted with red.

The man had used his long trek back to Konoha to conjure up a dozen excuses and explanations for his less than dashing state, a thousand more apologies, and a list of ways to make up for suddenly dropping in on a Sunday morning. How rude of me. But oh well, it cant be helped. His mind was blurry, and he'd lost a bit of blood. Not really knowing what he was doing, he'd started heading towards the only one who did care.

He hated hospitals. Hospitals and those never ending stretches of glaring, white hallways and identical, white rooms; doctors, and nurses, and patients all donned in that kami-forsaken, meticulous white. A delirium-inducing, white ceiling that he'd been forced to stare at for days and weeks on end before. Like looking at a funeral procession. He didn't want to deal with it at all. He didn't want to deal with people in general. But Namikaze Minato was not 'people.'

As the door swung open, Hatake Kakashi dipped his head in some attempt to bow, his side still clinging to the wall for support. Bending forward as low as he could, no matter how much pain he was in.

Bracing himself to face his sensei's unimpressed glare, he tilted his head of silver in greeting. What he did not expect was the horrified face of a woman. The man almost recoiled. Instead of his Minato-sensei, Kakashi stood before the wide-eyed and staring face of Uzumaki Kushina. Next to her flame-coloured hair and propped-open mouth, the first thing he noticed was her dainty, green apron. Honestly, how stupendous could I get? Just to assume that Sensei would even be home. Baka. Bakaa!

"Ka! Kakashi?" She blurted out after a moment's shock. "Wha—" But he cut her off. " —Forgive me, Kushina-dono, how dare I intrude on you. I shall take my leave now, please excuse my rudeness." He'd meant to turn and leave. Instead, he whipped around many more times faster than his body could handle in that battered and bruised state, and he buckled under his own weight. "Geh"

Almost immediately, Kakashi felt a pair of hands catching him, and Uzumaki Kushina wrapped his arms over her neck. "And where the hell do you think you are going? Kakashi-kun? Don't answer that, actually. If the answer wasn't going to be —hospital—, then you'd better rethink your career choice. Pick a nice headstone for yourself, you know" She heaved him forward, making sure he wasn't about to knock his head on the doorframe. "Oi, just lean on me." Kakashi blinked, struggling to fight a blush. At least there was still a mask to hide most of it. "Hey now, do as your told— unless you want me to carry you in eh?"

"Hai, Kushina-dono."

And he let his weight fall onto his Sensei's wife, who guided him into the house.

Left alone on the couch, Kakashi screwed himself up: sitting tightly upright in every attempt to not dirty Minato-sensei and Kushina-dono's house. Risking a look up as Kushina fumbled around for a first aid kit, Kakashi shuddered- his eyes twitching as they fell on a trail of red over the once-immaculate floorboards. Cursing at his clumsiness in his head, he let a wave of guilt wash over him, but said nothing.

His breathing was easing, and his hands were still shaking, but he was thankful that he was at least past that stage where he was gasping for breath, or his right eye blurring him in spasms. Blood continued to stain his clothes…and into the couch. Dry blood had begun to flake on the wound on his head, and it stood out starkly against his silvery hair, loose-hanging. He'd no idea of the splatter of red which stained his mask, nor the fragment of shrunken still embedded in a shoulder blade.

Suddenly, he felt utterly unwelcome where he sat. He was meant to be ANBU. His blade was still wet and rusting in its sheath. He was a grubby, bloody disgrace—but the battle fought not-so-long-ago was so distant, and so out of place in the Namikaze household. It was still too fresh in his mind. But no matter where he went, it would make no difference. He chose this life. Chose to serve his village, and alienate himself from it to do so. This was the fate of the ANBU, and Kakashi knew this better than anyone. This was his life. Yet he sat in some civilised manner, trying not to move his broken bones, trying not to breathe too hard, trying not to bleed all over Minato-sensei and Kushina-dono's nice, plush couch.

Kushina hurried into the living room, her hands hot from clutching onto the first aid kit. "Got it! Here, finally!" And before Kakashi could dispute, she swooped down on him with a wet towel. "Kushina-dono…Kushina-dono, please, I can do this myself…"

Eyeing the silver-haired ninja—boy—as far as she was concerned, Kushina lifted a brow, contemptuous, "Oh, yeah—you can? I suppose you said that to whatever reinforcements you refused?" Kakashi was taken aback. But she went quiet, her eyes darkening, voice quivering. "Don't— you can hardly lift your arm, Kakashi-kun."

"You think I'm a civilian? Kakashi-kun? Blood doesn't faze me. Ive seen a lot of it, you know, in a world war. Blind? I'm no medic-nin, but I know a dislocated bone and a borderline anaemic when I see one. I'm the best you've got right now."

" Kushina-dono…"

He was horrified at the thought of having her treat him. His mind flit to his own reflection in the mirror, a myriad of scars streaking across his body. There were so many. He gulped dryly, wondering how the new ones looked: flesh dug-out, skin peeled. So many scars.

"Kakashi-kun, please." Her voice was soft- an air of concern and worry seeped into it.

"Hai. Kushina-dono." Kakashi removed his uniform. Bowing his head, he revealed the numerous gashes raked across his body, many still raw and bleeding. "Sorry about your couch, Kushina-dono."

She smiled sadly, squeezing his gloved hand. To his surprise, Kushina quickly folded a square cloth in half, making a triangle, and tied it snugly over his uncovered face. Taking care not to hurt him, she began to dabb at his wounds, patching him over: focusing on stopping blood loss as a priority. Watching him flinch his eyes closed at the pain. Thinking back to the times Minato had stumbled into her apartment, before they were married. Him smiling brightly with an arrow in his back. Her performing CPR on him in the late hours of the night. How romantic. Master and student were certainly a pair. A pair of idiots, she thought.

"Honestly, Kakashi-kun, what the hell were you thinking? Just how many chidoris' can you use? I'll tell you— four. How many did you use? 81? Only a baka like you— you and Minato, that is— would not call for back up like a normal, functioning person. Honestly—" With a sudden surge of chakra, she pulled the shuriken splint from his back.

" Guh-ah—"

"Ah— You know what? You deserved that. Geugh. Getting yourself beat up like this."

" Kushina-dono…I'm sorry. I've disgraced you. I'm sorry." Her stern-ness melted, and she lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Baka, Kakashi." She frowned, glaring at his lowered head. Suddenly, Kushina pulled him into an embrace, arms holding him with fragility. Kakashi gasped quietly. Deciding that embarrassing himself with his trembling hands was worth hugging her back—he forgot his place for a moment, how inappropriate this was. Red hair draped over his covered wounds. And he dug his chin into her back.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Kushina-dono. I-I'm sorry…Kushina-dono forgive me please…"

" No—Kakashi don't. Whatever you're apologising for— coming for help? The mission? The kami-damned couch? It's not your fault!" Her voice was low now. "None of this is! Just…just… give yourself a break. Give yourself a break, you know? Kakashi…Minato is your sensei. That means I'm your guardian too. I'm going to make sure you don't neglect yourself like a 10-year-old-child living alone from now on. Ugh, looking at you makes me want to slap that blonde baka for whatever he's not doing right! Listen here, Kakashi, I'm going to make kami-damned sure you eat your kami-damned greens and get kami-damned eight hours of sleep a night. So you chill. You know. " She pulled back, cupping a hand on his masked face. A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at her in disbelief. Not daring to breathe. " And you don't…apologise again. Ok?"

"Kushina-dono…" he fell forward again in a bow, holding her hands and making them tremble with his. "Alright. I'm sor—Thank you. Thank you, Kushina-dono."

He rose, laughing weakly, "But none of that is necessary—"

"Don't argue with me, Kakashi."

"Yes Kushina-dono."

Kushina sighed, plopping herself on the couch beside him. And they sat there, smelling the rice burn together.

"Does…does Kushina-dono think… there is any chance that you would not tell Minato-sensei of this?"

Kushina slapped her hand onto the back of his neck.

"In hell, Kakashi-kun."

Glossary:

-dono: Honorific like -sama. But its very old and feudal-like, not used in modern conversation, and more respectful than - sama or -san. Its equivalent to 'Mi'Lord' or 'Mi'Lady'- though it doesn't always have to implicate nobility- just shows humility and politeness. Kakashi is being super duper respectful here.

Kami: god (so phrases like kami-forsaken and kami-damned were used)

'You know': '(da)ttebane' a trait Kushina uses. Naruto uses the similar '(da)ttebayo'

Writer's Notes

Thank you, thank you so much for reading ;_;

I just made myself sad...this wasn't supposed to be very long at all...Now I can only imagine Kakashi losing his teacher/father figure, Minato, and only mother figure, Kushina, in the same night...

This was seriously supposed to be more humorous...but I suppose I slipped back into the eternal angst hole.

Sigh. Imagine she left a will for him- cos he's basically family-less, and its like, that old first aid kit that she used on him. And then inside theres a bit of money, the medicines, and a list of stuff to do like- kakashi eat your vegetables, don't forget to brush your teeth, get a minimum of eight hours a sleep a night, don't forget to shower warm, and heres a booklet on self-love. And a note like- I'd have been a great mother to naruto, I had heaps of practice on you!

I wish they'd shown Kushina and Kakashi's relationship in the series a little. Oh well, thats why we have fanfics~

Please review! One or two words would be fantastical! Criticism welcome- I thrive on reviews :) good day!