A Lotus in Winter: A Rock Lee Love Story

Chapter 30: Results

Sayuri's POV:

We made our way to the hospital slowly since Kakshi was still weak. I hadn't  felt emotions in a long time, so it's hard to say what it was exactly I felt. I was excited, but it felt like someone punched me in the gut, I guess that was nervousness.

I think Kakashi picked up on this because he ruffled my hair and said "Relax kiddo, we will know soon enough."

I loved the way he ruffled my hair and called me kiddo, it meant more to me than I'm sure he knew.

We finally made it to the hospital and while Shizune drew our blood, Lady Tsunade continued to pour over the papers of the third hokage.

I was terrified of the answer. I couldn't go back to believing that monster of a man was my father. I just wanted Kakashi as my family. He did something I never expected just then. He hugged me close to him and just held me. Perhaps he needed to be comforted too.

The results were rushed and finally we learned the truth.

Kakashi sensei was in fact my brother. We shared the same mother and father. At the same time the Hokage found the paperwork to prove the story. With this information, our world grew less lonely. He refused to let me go, he just kept saying Never again.

I couldn't help but cry at the news. Sayuri Kobayashi was no more, I was now Sayuri Hatake.

We soon left the hospital and Kakashi would only put me down if I held his hand. I did so happily. He insisted I call him brother and not Kakashi sensei. He already decided I would not return to that empty house, instead I would be moving into his home. Our home. This filled me with joy beyond compare.

My clothes were damaged and so elder brother suggested he take me shopping for new clothes. It was quite an adventure, he was very protective already. Nothing low cut or short. I pretended to be upset, but I enjoyed it.

Then elder brother took me home, he had already arranged for my stuff to be moved so that I wouldn't have to relive bad memories. The home was beautiful. He showed me to my room. It felt like home to me already,  that was when I got a shock. There was a mirror I wasn't expecting and I shyed away from it before I could see my face. I was terrified.

Once when I was little I tried to look at my face, but the feudal Lord caught me before I did and I was punished. I was afraid of being struck.

Brother held my hand and assured me it was okay, I was safe. He would even remove his mask if it would make me more comfortable. I agreed. He was very handsome, but I was still afraid to look. He ruffled my hair.

Kakashi:  "It's okay, you're free now and no one will ever take you away from me again. I swear on my life."

Reassured by his words I looked in the mirror. I was met with a pretty face, my face. I looked so much like elder brother, we even had a beauty mark. He reached out and ruffled my hair again, I returned the favor by hugging him tight.

He returned his mask to his face and about that time Hitsugi came barreling in and knocking me down. He was excited about the new home and new smells. I got up and was told by a giggling Kakashi to follow him. I did and he took me to his room, there he showed me pictures of him as a child with his teammates and sensei. Then he showed me a picture of a man who looked like elder brother, it took me a minute to realize who it was. My real father.

I couldn't help but tear up, he had such a kind smile and bright eyes. Yet the village drove him to his death. I would never get to know him, he probably didn't know I existed. Before I knew it I was sobbing in elder brother's arms. He held me close and comforted me, I'm sure he understood the way I felt. Then it struck me, he did understand. He had no memory of our mother, what she looked like. I decided to do for him what he did for me.

I got up from his arms and summoned two chests. In one chest were my only belongings, I had to keep them hidden while I lived in the land of woods or the feudal Lord would have destroyed them. In it was pictures of me as a child, pictures of mother, and in the other were all of mothers belongings. I never had the courage to look through her belongings, but I decided to share this with him. We could find out together.