Tranquility

Three | III

When Sasuke was sure his sensei wouldn't answer, he intended to just let the topic dropped and stalked directly to his apartment until Kakashi let out a long sigh. Instantly Sasuke snapped his head to Kakashi. 

"I'll provide you the answer. Soon. Now, go home and take a rest boys. We don't want to come late tomorrow, do we?"

___________________________________

It was only the moon that lighten his apartment. He put his Jounin vest carelessly on his study chair, allowing his sleeveless black shirt caught the chilly air from the large window on the side of his bed. On the shelve near his window sat two pictures frame of his teams. His long-forgotten team and his new team with one person's absence. A long absence.

He let his calloused hands stayed on his face for a moment and slowly dragged them down. He never been felt this tired. He almost forgot how to feel it until four days ago it did hit him hard.

Haruno Sakura was his favorite student, to be frank. She was their balance. She was the sky, while Sasuke was the moon and Naruto was the sun. It sounded cliche. Sure. But that was how he felt about his Genin team. Team Seven was sadly no more.

It was when he braced himself meeting Sakura's parents for the first time in person. It could be a first visit with warmer ambience. Yes, he preferred that one. A dinner invitation might be fit. But not that day. He delivered a news about someone's daughter died in a mission. That was too hard for them to contain when he told them to come to hospital.

Haruno Kizashi, was a former shinobi. Stayed on his rank as a Genin, and moved to a civilian household as a merchant. Married to a civilian teacher named Haruno Mebuki. Both of them were born and grew up in Leaf. No wonder they supported their daughter to pursue her dream as a shinobi and accepted her leave with proud. They proud of Sakura. So did Kakashi.

She came without a privileged blood nor great amount of chakra to start, but she already climbed the stairs without missing a bit. Sacrificed herself bravely to protect her teammates. Her friends. Her family.

The tightness in his eyes and the squeezed of his heart felt so nostalgic. The same way around. He let a dry humorless chuckled escape from his lips. His Nohara Rin and Haruno Sakura were died as a Shinobi of The Leaf. They were being shaped and eventually prepared to be killed. Oh, how naive he was.

. . . .

It was right after Sakura's body being buried in front of his eyes, he met with her mourning parents. They said thank you for protecting and bringing their daughter home to Kakashi, Naruto and him -all of people. He said nothing, only stared hard to the name that carved on the stone. He failed in protecting her anyway.

He mulled over Shimura Danzo's words again and again. He felt his anger rose and he wanted to shout at Sakura's parents that they shouldn't say thank you to the rest of her team. Their daughter might be being sacrificed by their own village to protect their so-called assets.