(Not) A Soap Opera (Patreon)

Terribly sorry for the delay, but here is the ficlet of the month for September's winner: CallieQ! This month's patron is Loor! Please contact me with your request! 

When Naruto and Sasuke got home, dragging a dead-on-his-feet Kakashi along with them, they did not expect to find a winged man in a crow mask to be sitting on the floor with Tsubasa. Who was this man? Why did he have wings? And why was he just sitting there while Tsubasa, rambunctious toddler that he was, was climbing all over him.

“Uhhhhh…” Naruto wasn’t entirely sure how to handle this situation. Were he not tired as fuck, he might just flat out fight the guy. Sasuke would have been able to get Tsubasa out way before Naruto landed a punch. No problems.

But all three of them were exhausted and not up for a fight.

“Oh, you’re home!”

The three turned to see Kourubi coming down the stairs, either unaware that anything was wrong or perfectly aware of the situation and knowing it was fine. Usually it was the later with her, but sometimes it was hard to tell.

“Sweetheart,” Kakashi said tiredly, “who is that holding our baby?”

Kourubi glanced over towards the winged man on the floor with Tsubasa. “Oh, that’s Yanagi.”

And that...seemed to be all she had to say on that.

“Very helpful, nee-san,” Sasuke muttered. “But who is he?”

“I am a tengu in service to the Karasuno Sage,” the man -- Yanagi, if Kourubi was to be believed (and she usually was) -- said, and the three exhausted men could hear the polite smile in his voice. “Kourubi-sama was under my care a few years ago when she underwent training to become the Sage.”

Naruto’s mouth dropped open. “Wait! Tengu are real?!”

Yanagi chuckled lightly. “Indeed we are. Though we tend to stick to the realm of the corvids unless otherwise needed.”

“And you were needed today...why?” Sasuke asked cautiously.

“Tsubasa wanted to see him,” Kourubi said, walking over to pluck the aforementioned lad off of Yanagi’s shoulders. “While I was training, Yanagi spent most of his time looking after Tsu-chan. I wasn’t entirely sure he even remembered him, but yesterday he was asking for ‘Yagi’. I wasn’t entirely sure who he meant, but I figured it out eventually. I summoned Yanagi, and he’s been here since last night. I will say, it’s been nice to have a break.”

“Does...is Iruka aware of this?” Kakashi asked.

“Oh, of course. Iruka was the one who helped me figure out the summoning seal to bring Yanagi here.”

Kakashi eyed Yanagi with heavy scrutiny.

“He’s not been sleeping in our bed, has he?”

Kourubi blinked, then guffawed. “Heavens, no!”

“Well, that’s rather rude,” Yanagi huffed good naturedly. “I’ll have you know I’m quite handsome, and would be an excellent bed partner to you and your nestmates.”

Sasuke pulled a face. “Gross.”

“Now now, Yanagi,” Kourubi chided, handing Tsubasa back to his current favorite sitter. “This is not a soap opera and I will not, under any circumstances, be fucking the nanny.”

“Gross!” Sasuke said again, this time joined by Naruto.

“Enough, all three of you,” Kourubi scolded lightly, wandering over to take Kakashi’s weight off her brother’s tired shoulders. “And let’s get you up to bed.”

Yanagi watched the four shinobi climb up the stairs, disappearing into the floor above. He let out a small sigh, catching Tsubasa’s attention.

“Yagi?”

“Ah, sorry, lad,” he said with a shrug. He grinned, happy that his mask hid the flustered pink that colored his cheeks. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”