Another Chance to be a Hero || BNHA X NARUTO

Old Friends

Tsunade drummed her fingers on her desk impatiently. Her assistant watched from behind nervously and decided to busy herself into organising the hopelessly messy papers. 

Tsunade was on the phone, and when someone finally picked up, she practically yelled, "Eraser, you will get Kakashi Hatake to call me back or I will storm right to you right now."

Crackle

" Empress.." Aizawa responded.  " You do know how Kakashi doesn't like being contacted by people he doesn't know, right?"

Tsunade wanted to scream. Of course she knew. And she was not a stranger.

" He will understand once you tell him. So tell him."  Tsunade hissed.

Aizawa muttered something about thousands of people looking to ruin him.

He sounded tired. Vexed. That at least, Tsunade understood. He wasn't the only one who had just lost a student.

But he didn't lose her twice, and this time Tsunade definitely not going to lose her forever. Not again.

Some time after Aizawa hung up, Tsunade got a text from him.

Kakashi will meet you at...

 ☆~~~~~~☆

The silence was excruciating. 

Tsunade was glaring Kakashi down as they were both sitting in a coffee shop.

Neither said a word. Kakashi drank his coffeee and kept his expression neutral as always.

It made Tsunade want to pull her hair out.

" Where have you been, Kakashi?" She finally asked.

Unlike what she had intended, her words came out soft.

Excluding Hanako, Kakashi was the only person she knew of who had reincarnated, and she didn't even know he existed in this world until a few hours ago, when he was interviewed after the UA Summer camp incident.

" There was no chance that you didn't know that I was here. Unlike you, I didn't choose to go under the radar. I didn't want to be like how I was so many years ago... You must understand. How it was like to be reborn, and felt like no one understood you?"

Kakashi put down his cup.

" I wanted to meet you the first time I saw you on TV, " Kakashi started. " But I didn't know if you had your memories back and—"

" And?" Tsunade interuppted angrily.  " The Kakashi I knew would never just ignore my existence because of that."

Kakashi kept his face down. " I know it was stupid, but it was so much of a shock, and...and it didn't help that I had a dream the day right after I found out about you. And the next few."

Tsunade blinked. 

" A dream?"

☆~~~~~~☆ 

"Kakashi."

Kakashi blinked. He looked around him, only to see no one.

"KAKASHI!"

He jumped. Now that he could focus more on the sound, that voice felt so familiar, unlocking a familiar sense of melancholy...

Kakashi turned around as he heard soft footsteps behind him.

He sucked in a breath. 

It was Hanako. Same as she left.

Hanako took a step closer, and Kakashi retreated.

" I know you're not real." He said.

Hanako touched his face. " How cruel. Why don't you think I'm not real?"

Kakashi didn't answer.

" You regret it, don't you? You failed to save your friends, your teammates, and your master. Now, its your student. Aren't you just a failure? How on earth did you become Hokage..."

Kakashi widened his eyes. He knew. He knew that this was always his weakness. He had been left alone because he had failed to save someone. Even someone who he had considered his daughter.

Kakashi

Someone was still calling for him.

KAKASHI

The Hanako in front of him was shaking him.

"KAKASHI!"

...

...

...

Kakashi was shaken awake by...

None other than Hanako.

Kakashi panted and felt his heart rate. He looked at Hanako and mumbled, "This is still a dream."

The second Hanako smiled at him, Kakashi immediately knew that even if it was his own imagination, this was the real Hanako.

" Probably," Hanako conceded. " I'm dead, after all."

She reached into her pocket and handed an envelope to Kakashi.

" It's a letter," she explained. " I'm glad that it reached you."

The envelope felt so solid in Kakashi's hand.

If this is really a dream, then I don't want it to end.

"Shall I read it out to you?" Hanako asked. When Kakashi did not answer, she laughed and said, " I will."

" Dear Kakashi Sensei," She started.

"This is probably one of the shortest letter I am going to write. Is it because what I feel can't be put into words? I do not know.

But I just want to tell you, Kakashi san, that I'm grateful.

Do you know that you're pretty much the largest reason why I learned to continue smiling? I may have been a child, but I could see that you had suffered a lot, and seeing you still smile so cheerfully fuels my admiration for you.

I hardly know anything about you, Kakashi san. Even your real face eludes me.

However, no matter what, I really think that you are the only person I can ever call my father."

Hanako smiled at Kakashi. 

" Although, I'm sorry for being another loss. Can I make it up to you with this letter?"

☆~~~~~~☆

" To be honest, I have no idea whether I really imagined Hanako back then. However...." Kakashi trailed off.

" However?" Tsunade asked.

" The next thing I knew, I found a letter on my desktop, and it still is."

Kakashi took a sip of coffee. " It sounds so strange, I know. But—"

"I believe you," Tsunade interrupted.

Kakashi blinked at her. " You do?"

Tsunade nodded, then smiled.

" I got a letter too."

 ☆~~~~~☆

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