scared of the stars

chapter 9 - Kakashi

Kakashi had done it again.

It wasn't that he planned this, or even thought about it, but his feet seemed to move on their own.

The memorial stone.

The sky was a weak gray, covering the town by drops that would soon fall. The trees couldn't stand still and moved with the wind, their leaves falling off and going somewhere else, discovering new lands.

The cold breeze kissed Kakashi's arms, making goosebumps erupt.

He hadn't moved for two hours. He didn't know how long he would stand there.

Once he became Hokage, this would have to stop. He couldn't leave the office whenever he wanted to and come here. He didn't know why he was here even now.

He leaned down and balanced his weight on his toes, grazing the stone with his knuckles. The name was still scratched, barely visible. He, of course, knew where it was. Someone could have erased all the names on the stone and he would still know exactly where it should be.

Obito was back.

So why couldn't Kakashi fully enjoy it?

Why was it that he felt as if he had to strain himself?

He was happy, of course, but something stopped him from feeling like he truly was back.

There was a wall between them, a big wall thicker than the one around the village.

This did intend to try to work on it though. Kakashi was ready to face everything for it to go back to normal. He wanted it to feel like Obito had never left in the first place.

He wanted the village to accept him again. He wanted everyone to look at him and smile, even knowing he wouldn't be able to see it. He wanted people to willingly walk up to him and wish him a good day or starting a conversation.

People cowered when they saw him. Mothers held their children and moved them away. Some people changed the sign on their entrance door to «closed» instead of «open» just because he was around.

Obito never noticed and saw, but Kakashi did. He had gotten more judgemental stares now than he had gotten his entire life.

He was prepared for it though, and it was worth it to be with his best friend again.

His idol.

He hoped no one would directly attack Obito, not because Obito couldn't defend himself - Obito was definitely strong enough to defend himself - but because he knew he wouldn't. He would instead take it all in and accept his fate. This was originally only a theory, but his thoughts were confirmed by how Obito explained his past to Anko yesterday.

It was weird how destroyed a person could be.

------------------------------------------

Kakashi returned home to find Naruto in his living room, chatting animatedly with a very taken aback Obito.

He lingered in the hallway, listening in and watching. Obito had a look a mix between confusion and joy. It seemed as if he was holding back laughter.

Kakashi smiled to himself and leaned against the wall, studying them from.

«Honestly, Sasuke can be such a drama queen at times, I wonder who he got that from.» Naruto grinned and scratched his cheek. «Well, I guess the two of you are technically related, so maybe he somehow got that part from you?»

Obito burst out laughing, no longer being able to hold it in. He hit his knee several times, trying to calm himself down. Naruto smiled to himself, seemingly proud for managing to get him to laugh.