ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛ | ᴛᴇɴᴛᴇɴ ꜰꜰ|

Chapter 39

As Ugetsu rested on the hospital bed, eyes half-open, lost in the hum of the room, the door creaked softly, and Kakashi stepped in. His presence was always calm, but this time, there was a subtle shift in his demeanor. He carried himself with the same air of cool confidence, but his lone visible eye, peering from beneath his forehead protector, held something else—concern.

Kakashi hadn't been able to shake the image from earlier, of Ugetsu staggering through the village gates, covered in blood, with Naruto unconscious on his back. The boy's clothes had been soaked through, chest torn open by Sasuke's Chidori, yet somehow, Ugetsu had clung to consciousness long enough to fulfill his promise.

"He's just a kid..."Kakashi thought, the weight of that realization pressing down on him. "Too young to be bearing these kinds of burdens."

Kakashi moved closer to the bedside, observing Ugetsu with a quiet intensity. The pale bandages that wrapped around Ugetsu's torso were stained, and though his face was calm now, Kakashi remembered the boy's ragged breathing as he trudged through the forest. Even in the face of such overwhelming pain, Ugetsu had refused to give in, determined to protect his friend.

"Ugetsu," Kakashi spoke softly, his voice low, but it carried an edge of warmth, "you should be resting. You've been through a lot."

Ugetsu's eyes flickered open fully at the sound of Kakashi's voice. He gave a faint, tired smile. "Kakashi-sensei... It's nothing. I'm fine."

Kakashi narrowed his eye, studying the boy. That was the kind of thing someone far older might say—someone used to pushing themselves past their limits. It reminded him of himself at that age, always trying to live up to impossible standards. He sighed, leaning against the wall beside the bed, crossing his arms casually.

"You carried Naruto all the way back," Kakashi continued, his tone neutral, but there was an undercurrent of admiration. "Even though you were bleeding out."

Ugetsu shifted slightly on the bed, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I made a promise," he murmured, "to Sakura-chan. I couldn't break it."

Kakashi's eye softened. He knew how much those words meant to Naruto, too. A promise of a lifetime. It was the kind of thing that bound people together, in ways they didn't always understand. But Ugetsu had gone above and beyond. He'd faced Sasuke, someone who was once their friend but had since strayed down a dangerous path, and he'd done so without hesitation. Kakashi knew that kind of fight wasn't just physical—it was emotional. And it left scars that went far deeper than any Chidori.

"You didn't just help Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. "You protected all of us. That's not something just anyone can do."

Ugetsu looked up, a flicker of surprise in his blue eyes. He wasn't used to praise, especially not from someone like Kakashi. He'd been trained his whole life by his father, Chigetsu, to believe that he was only as good as his last battle. And if he failed, it meant nothing. But now, hearing Kakashi's words, there was something different—acceptance.

"It wasn't enough, though," Ugetsu muttered, his voice strained. "Sasuke... I couldn't reach him. I wasn't strong enough."

Kakashi's gaze softened further, and he stepped closer to the bed, resting a hand gently on Ugetsu's shoulder. "Sometimes, strength isn't just about winning or losing. You kept your word. You saved your friend. That's more than most people can say."

For a moment, silence stretched between them, the weight of Kakashi's words settling into the room. Ugetsu, still weak from his injuries, looked away, his expression torn between pride and doubt. He had always been taught that power was everything, that as the heir to the Hozuki Clan, he had to be the strongest. But in that moment, hearing Kakashi's words, he began to wonder if maybe strength meant something else.

Kakashi, sensing the boy's inner turmoil, leaned back slightly, his eye glinting with a hint of understanding. "You know, Ugetsu, you remind me of someone I used to know," he said, his tone light but edged with nostalgia. "He used to think he had to do everything on his own, too. Thought it was his responsibility to carry the world on his shoulders. But in the end, he realized it's okay to rely on others."

Ugetsu glanced up, meeting Kakashi's gaze, and there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Who was he?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled slightly with a smile beneath his mask. "Me."

Ugetsu blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected that. His teacher, Kakashi, the legendary Copy Ninja, the man who seemed like he could do anything, was saying that he had once felt the same? For a moment, Ugetsu didn't know how to respond. He felt a strange mix of relief and confusion—relief that maybe he wasn't alone in feeling like this, but confusion because it went against everything he'd been taught.

Kakashi could see the wheels turning in Ugetsu's head. He gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze before stepping back. "Rest up. You've done more than enough. And when you're ready, we'll talk more."

With that, Kakashi turned and headed toward the door, but he paused, glancing back at Ugetsu one last time. "You did good, Ugetsu. Don't forget that."

As the door closed softly behind him, Ugetsu stared after Kakashi, his mind swirling with a thousand thoughts. The pain in his body seemed distant now, overshadowed by the weight of Kakashi's words. For the first time in a long while, Ugetsu felt something unfamiliar creeping in—a sense of peace.

He closed his eyes, and smile " Thanks sensei."