Colliding Constellations

Chapter 11: Heroes

Kakashi did not expect this.

No, what Kakashi expected was a nice evening, maybe a quick trip to hot springs, and plenty of reading material.

But definitely not this.

"How is it functioning?" he asked, tipping Kara's head back.

"...It feels fine," Kara murmured. Kakashi rubbed his temples and took a step back. The young girl looked exhausted, but her eyes seemed healthy, and there was no inflammation.

"Are your eyes getting dry?" Kakashi asked, and Kara shook her head. "You're fortunate," he finally said with another sigh, "There have definitely been people who have had worse."

"I already checked her chakra flow, everything is normal," Sakura stated, her hands were still glowing a faint blue from medical ninjutsu, "It's exactly like Sasuke's, in fact, there's reason to say that the Sharingan is effectively helping her correct her chakra circulation."

"Ah," Kakashi nodded, one question left, the one most headache-worthy, "So... what caused the activation?"

Silence reigned over the room, and abruptly Kara stood up and walked into the next room. Kakashi felt his stomach drop, and his eyes strayed over to Sakura, who wore a grief-stricken expression. Sakura bit her lip in her stress, turning towards Kakashi, "She discovered that Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan."

Shit.

"..."

"It's harder to raise Kara, than it is to raise Sarada," Sakura whispered, "She's so sharp, I forget that nothing really gets past her."

Kakashi didn't respond, so Sakura simply wavered in her distress.

"She wasn't that upset about the fact of it," Sakura continued, "But she feels that I have betrayed her, and lied to her. She won't listen to anything I say anymore, she said she would only listen to the answers that came from you."

Shit.

"Kakashi," Sakura looked out into the doorway, "Am I a terrible mother?"

Another silence reigned.

"No," Kakashi finally said, but then he never had a mother, "You are a great mother."

And yet, this he knew.

"The Uchiha were always prideful people," Kakashi began, his eyes never straying from his book, "I had a friend, during my genin years, he hailed from the Uchiha clan, but he couldn't be more different. He was like you in a way, a troublemaker, always late, and god awful at almost everything he did."

A long silence reigned.

"Sharingan no Kakashi," Karasu whispered softly, "So he was the one who gave you your eye."

"...Yes," Kakashi responded after a long pause, his twin onyx eyes were now devoid of the Sharingan that his friend had given him, his friend that he had fought, and yet the pain was still there, the sensation of the transition stinging painfully.

"Do I remind you of Itachi?" Kara asked simply, every breath in resignation.

Kakashi was speechless. This- This was not the question he had expected.

A memory of Sasuke appeared in his mind, screaming his revenge, screaming of all the loss he had seen and lived. The Sasuke who had once cursed the village he hailed from, the Sasuke that sought power over friendship. The same Sasuke, for the little time Kakashi had taught him, who had never once questioned if he was like Itachi.

Kakashi's words clung to his throat, Kara was not her parents. Kara was unlike anyone before her. And yet- and yet Kakashi had looked for them in her.

Now he was living the consequences.

"..I see," Kara murmured into the silence.

"Itachi was a genius," Kakashi murmured, "Before he was a part of the Akatsuki he was a brother that doted on his only sibling."

"And after?" Kara inquired.

"The village used him to disperse the conflict with the Uchiha, who were planning a coup d'etat," Kakashi simply stated, "He saved his brother and village, but in turn was forced to sacrifice his clan."

"I see," Kara said contemplatively, "So this is why he was a hero."

"..." Kakashi sat in another silence, before-

"There are no heroes in war, Kara."

His father's corpse, the village's whispers.

"Those who are called heroes often need saviors themselves."

Cold eyes, blood on his hands.

"Be kind to your mother, Kara."

Before you lose everyone as I did.