Someone you loved

Chapter 38

Kisame found Kakashi first. The Hatake was standing in front of the memorial stone, hands pushed in his pockets and face turned downwards. The sight was miserable.

"Kakashi."

The Jounin made no sign of acknowledging him, but Kisame wasn't discouraged.

Wordlessly, he pushed an envelope against the Hatake's chest, muttering: "From Chiasa. Go see her."

Letting go of it, Kisame stepped back, watching grimly as the envelope fell to the floor as Kakashi refused to move. It was like the man in front of him was only a corpse, a soulless body.

Kakashi listened to the other shinobi leaving, only when he was alone did he dare to look at the innocent piece of paper in front of his feet. His name was written on it in the handwriting he loved so much. It was calling out to him, but Kakashi was weak, and he was tired. He had been hanging on by a threat, by the belief that soon the woman he loved would wake again, but now that pilar was gone and he was falling again. There was only so much he could endure. No matter what others said, deep inside he was human too and he was dying.

Picking it up and holding it like it was made of glass, he gazed at it for what felt like hours.

There was only one reason shinobi would leave letters behind and it wasn't something he could accept just yet; maybe never.

*

After running out of the meeting, Sasuke had immediately gone to his sister's room, joining Yugao in watching over her. The rest of his pack was currently training and Sasuke should have informed them about what Tsunade had said, but he couldn't just yet. How could he when he was feeling the fire in him raging and threatening to burn those he cherished because he couldn't control himself.

"You look troubled, Sasuke," stated Yugao concerned, putting away her katana that she had been cleaning until now.

Snarling, the brunet threw himself into a chair, staring darkly at the ceiling. Suddenly, he was pulled into a tight hug and against his wishes, he felt tears burning in his eyes.

"It's okay," muttered the purple-haired kunoichi, rubbing his back comforting. "I'm here to listen."

It reminded Sasuke so much of his sister's warm embrace, of the warmth and security she had given him. Clutching her shirt tightly, he allowed himself to be held for a moment. Yugao was Chiasa's best friend and his kenjutsu teacher, furthermore, she had also lost the man she had loved, so she knew what it felt like to lose owns world. And she had never given him the feeling of patronizing and pity he received from so many.

Yes, life hadn't been fair to him, and he had become one of the last of his clan overnight very young, but that didn't mean he was reliant on their pity. He was Uchiha Sasuke, son of Fugaku and Mikoto, brother of Chiasa and Itachi, and student of Hatake Kakashi and member of Team 7. He was strong!

"How did you deal with Hayate-san's death?" he whispered in the end.

Yugao couldn't stop herself from tensing as she was reminded of the worst day of her life. When she had lost him, she had lost part of herself and sworn to avenge him. ANBU had become her new home, at least until Chiasa had pulled her away from it. She didn't ask why the boy wanted to know, but it raised a fear in her she had been able to push away until now.

"I... I spent most of my time in ANBU, suppressing my feelings because it was easier," she admitted carefully, starring out of the window and thinking back at him. "At first I swore to avenge him, but it was your sister that pulled me from that path."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because I was losing myself while doing so. The darkness was suffocating me, and I was so close to snapping, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what she said to me? 'As the living it is our responsibility to carry out the wishes of the ones who are gone'."