Bonded and Broken

Chapter 38

Sumire's POV

Home. Such a simple word that should have been easy to define, yet I find myself lost in thoughts contemplating what it really means to me.

Returning to Konoha made me feel a lot of different things. The shinobi population looked happy to see me, but it didn't feel like I belonged. The faces of the people seemed familiar, yet I did not know them at all. Even the air in the village brought a sense of nostalgia, but there's something more I'm searching for- perhaps a feeling of comfort, or maybe it's something else I haven't quite figured out yet.

Going back to the village I once considered as home after being gone for so long just doesn't feel the same anymore.

Maybe I simply outgrew the place.

Experiencing the world beyond this village's borders and living elsewhere for most of my life made me realize that home isn't really a permanent place; it's more of a feeling. It should evoke warmth and comfort with just the mere thought of it, a source of solace that transcends physical boundaries and temporal distances. I suppose I could say that a home is wherever I am most happy and where I feel the safest. And I guess a home could be a person too. Because I felt that with Kakashi- all that and more. I wasn't free of my burdens and troubles, but I was at my happiest with him. My fears and all the bad things in my life seemed easier to conquer whenever he's by my side. He nurtures my soul in ways I couldn't easily explain in words.

"Ahem," the elder man's cough snapped me out of my reverie, bringing me back to the present moment and away from my wandering thoughts. The hokage asked, "Did you hear my question, Sumire?"

The room turned silent as everybody in attendance at the meeting waited for my reply. I noticed multiple eyes peering at me with their hawk-like gazes, which made me feel really uncomfortable since I never liked being the center of attention, but I find myself being in the midst of such situations these days. Kakashi and I had been summoned to this council meeting, and we've been here for over half an hour now. I could barely even remember all the topics discussed, as I was lost in my own thoughts, rendering me unable to fully engage in the ongoing conversation.

On top of that, I'm not feeling my best at the moment. I feel slightly nauseous, like there's an uneasy feeling in my gut that makes me want to throw up, and my head pounded lightly too. The effects of the toxic mushroom I ingested a while ago before we arrived at the village are finally kicking in, and it'll probably get worse soon. I drew in a deep breath, striving to regain my composure and mask any trace of discomfort, before addressing the Hokage's question.

Kakashi suddenly asked, "You look pale, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I answered the silver-haired guy next to me, forcing out a smile despite the discomfort I was feeling. I shifted my attention back to the sandaime and replied apologetically, "Sorry for being inattentive, Hokage-sama. Could you please repeat your question?"

"I was just asking if you're moving back to your family house. The whole Senju compound is protected by a powerful seal at the moment so we must make preparations to unlock it if you choose to live there."

"She's staying with me," the silver-haired guy next to me declared with finality, even before I gave my answer, which raised most of the eyebrows among the people seated at the council table. He added, "At least, for now."

"I am?" I asked, a bit surprised. I wasn't planning on asking him to let me stay over, even if I wanted to be with him twenty-four seven, because I don't want to intrude or be a bother to him.

"Why are you surprised?" He answered, then just shrugged his shoulders before saying nonchalantly, "It's not like we haven't done it before."

The people in the room almost choked on air upon hearing Kakashi's statement, specifically the more conservative ones like the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clan heads as well as the elder advisers. I think they misunderstood his words. I can't blame them though, since the way he phrased it made it seem like we did something sexual, even though he only meant that we lived under one roof.