Kakashi was more than happy to play the verbal game of cat and mouse with Airi, for no other reason that it was an affirmation that she was okay. The fact that she was willing and able to play along with such was just the icing on top. By the time they encountered the rescue squad the only facts that could be said for certain was the fact that the argument was a new one, a couple weeks old at most, had nothing to do with the mission they just got back from and that the Genin were unaware of it.

While Airi was dealing with the chunin, and as his clones helped transfer the still sleeping girls over to the active squad Kakashi was was also engaging in a conversation. His was with the Anbu shadow that was tailing the search squad. The Anbu member was there mostly to try and learn how this group of bandits had bypassed the security of Konoha and in part to monitor Kakashi, as his rapid departure hadn’t gone unnoticed by the elite defenders.

[color=gray][u]‘Targets terminated?’[/u] signed the Anbu hidden in the trees.[/color]

[u]‘Four terminated, one captured. T&I to receive’[/u] Kakashi signed back [u]‘Bodies half click behind no jutsu useage.’[/u] 

[color=gray]The Anbu nodded and looked off in the direction they had come from. Kakashi couldn’t be sure, but wouldn’t be surprised if there was now a clone on its way to give the place a through look over, returning their gaze to the half masked ninja below. [u]‘You’ve gotten slow’[/u] they signed before disappearing.[/color]

Kakashi held back the sigh that wanted to escape at that, because he knew it was true. Before he could dwell on it he felt Airi leading him back to home. “He felt I was deluding myself about something” he answered as they picked up their conversational game of cat and mouse again.

[hr]

Once they were safely behind the walls of Konoha, Kakashi let out a sigh of relaxation. He no longer felt the need to hold on to his battle awareness, the feeling of dread was no longer haunting him, and everyone he cared about was safe. It was almost enough to have him fall asleep on the spot, but that would leave Airi to carry him to his house. So he pushed the need for sleep to arm’s length, and kept walking, still leaning on Airi.

Neither of them noticed Ino Yamanaka staring at them as they walked down the road, nor any of the other people who would stop and watch the two as they passed by.

They were about half way to Kakashi’s home when he felt comfortable enough to talk about the mission they had just come back from. He hadn’t really meant to start talking about it, it just spilled out instead of the next vague deflection he had prepared, he would blame it on being so tired later “They really showed their mettle when we were out there, they stared down The Demon of the Bloody Mist and refused to back down. They faced danger and desperation, yet not a single one of them faltered.”

“I should probably up their training, now while the mission is still fresh, second best way to get a lesson to stick. Wouldn’t hurt for you to start it back up again as well, I’d be willing to help if you wanted” Kakashi rambled on as the exhaustion and relief finally started to settle in. His pack had gone through hell, his pups had survived an A rank on what should have been their first C, Airi had been kidnapped and nearly killed, but against the odds that seemed to define his life they were okay.
 
He pulled Airi slightly closer to him, just enough that he could feel it. He had lived through a week of his own nightmares, but at the end of it he still had everyone. He had come so very close to losing everyone again, and it had shaken him to his core, but they were okay.

[i]‘When I wake up, I’ll tell her tomorrow after I wake I up’[/i] he promised silently.