In a new light

What do you feel?

Sakura

I leaned heavily against Kakashi's door and sank to the floor.
My legs felt like they were made of lead.
He was alive.
Kakashi had really made it. I had saved him. The realization brought a wave of relief that almost knocked me over. My heart was still pounding in my chest, but not out of fear this time—this time, it was exhaustion.

I took a deep breath. Kakashi was out of danger.
The thought that he had really made it unleashed a feeling of freedom inside me that I hadn't felt in a long time. The weight that had been pressing on my heart finally lifted, and pride began to spread within me. I had done it—I had saved him—something that had seemed impossible just a few hours ago.

My hands were still trembling. The aftermath of the battle for his life and the exhaustion that flooded my body were still there. Even the short nap hadn't helped much.
The massive chakra loss made me feel unsteady, as if every movement was an obstacle.

It took me a few moments to find the strength to pull myself back to my feet. My body was heavy, my muscles burned with every movement, but I forced myself not to stay sitting here. I could allow myself a break now, but not here.
Not in the hallway outside his room.

As I slowly stood up, all the moments of the past few hours flashed through my mind. The fight for his life, the fear of losing him—it had been so much more intense than I wanted to admit. But now that the danger was over, I began to think about something else.
About him.

Kakashi's voice, calm and concerned, echoed in my ears. The way he had looked at me just before I left the room. It was as if that look had awakened something in me that I had long suppressed. A feeling that I shouldn't have, that I wasn't allowed to have.
Was Kakashi really just my former teacher?
A friend?
Or was there more?

My head was pounding, and I knew I desperately needed sleep, but inside me, a storm was raging.
As I left the dark hospital corridors behind and made my way home, my thoughts kept circling in my head. The fear of losing Kakashi had almost suffocated me. But was it really just concern? I wasn't sure. My steps continued automatically, leading me home without a second thought, until I finally closed the door behind me at dawn. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

It was late in the evening when I woke up again.
The exhaustion of the past hours still lingered in my bones, but the long sleep had given me at least a little new strength. After a quick shower, I felt fresher, but thoughts of Kakashi wouldn't leave me. Once again, my mind circled around him.

I decided to go back to the clinic and check on my patients. Maybe it would distract me or at least calm me down a bit.
First, I went to Naruto. He was lying quietly in his bed, and his chakra levels seemed to be slowly recovering on their own. Hinata, as usual, was by his side, and her eyes relaxed a bit when I told her his condition was steadily improving.
A small comfort in these chaotic times.
The other injured patients were also making slow progress. I only had to re-dress a few wounds and adjust some medications.

Finally, I stood in front of Kakashi's door.
Suddenly, I felt a queasy feeling in my stomach, and my heart began to race. Why was I suddenly so nervous? With a soft sigh, I reached for the door handle, my palms damp with tension. I hesitated for a moment, secretly hoping he was already asleep. Then I could end the night's rounds quickly. Slowly, I pressed down the handle and pushed the door open slightly.

The small nightlight in the room cast soft shadows on the walls. Kakashi lay in his bed, as usual, with a book in his hand. When I entered, he lifted his head, and his gray eyes immediately focused on me. Although the familiar mask covered half of his face, I could see the unmistakable smile in his eyes.
He set the book aside and raised a hand in an inviting gesture.