The Flowers Cherish You

Chapter 6; Sakura's Birthday

I stand in front of the mirror,

Not recognizing my own reflection.

Who is this girl?

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"Give me one good reason on why I should allow you to continue to be Team Seven's instructor. In fact, give me one good reason on why I shouldn't strip you of your rank right here, right now."

Kakashi can only recall seeing his mentor this angry three times before now. The first time comes for Team Minato's first C-Rank mission out of Konoha which involved Obito nearly losing his leg and Rin with several broken ribs. The second time comes from the combined deaths of Obito and Rin. Kakashi refuses to call forth the details of those deaths. The third time comes from the near destruction of Konoha 12 years previously when he was forced to watch his sensei seal half of the Kyuubi inside his newborn son.

And now, Kakashi feels faint. The aura around his sensei is barely above suffocation. The intense sensation of anger has already sent surrounding chunin and jounin high-tailing it out of the Hokage Tower as fast as they can. The ANBU, which is assigned to the Hokage, is nowhere to be seen and Kakashi has no doubt that those who are required to stay in the Tower are having trouble operating. Having been back for just a couple of days, Kakashi had hoped this meeting would be pushed off for a bit longer.

He chooses to not reply in the end. It's clear Minato has more to say.

"You return past the time frame given and one of your students arrived in such poor condition that she is currently being hospitalized for," he pauses to pick up a sheet of his desk, "battered hands, torn throat, and near strangulation! Explain yourself, Kakashi! Why did you not return when you realized your client lied?!"

There is something truly terrifying about witnessing Namikaze Minato yell.

"I believed my team had the capability to complete the mission,"Kakashi answers after a moment. "And I was right."

Stern blue eyes bore into his own, into his soul. "And you continued knowing full well what the consequences could have been?"

"Yes, sensei."

While maintaining eye contact, Minato opens the top drawer of his desk, pulls out a thin stack of paper stapled together, and grabs a pen. "This packet lists the possible jobs you may enter once paperwork for your discharge has been completed." He starts writing on the first page, circling things, and whatnot. "I trusted you to look out for them, Kakashi. I am so utterly disappointed."

Kakashi averts his gaze to the floor.

He hears the desk chair's wheels roll and papers shift. "And now I will accompany you to the hospital - where I'm sure your former team is gathered - so that you may announce your withdrawal as their sensei." Kakashi feels the subtle brush against his shoulder followed by the light squeak of the office door being opened. "We will walk."

Of course, we will.

The idea of having to follow five or so steps behind the Hokage, in public view, is telling of his disservice to his team. As the pupil of the Hokage, it will also showcase the Hokage's dissatisfaction with him. And really, he deserves this. The entire trip to the hospital, Kakashi remains behind the Hokage and keeps a stoic face when the villagers start glancing at him alarmed and start whispering amongst themselves. Occasionally, Kakashi's eyes flicker to his discharge paper gripped tightly in his mentor's hand.

I haven't been the talk of the village for a while.

Kakashi immediately senses several panicking chakras the moment they enter the hospital. He knows them to be his stud - the children of prestigious clans. Sakura's chakra, in particular, is spiking before dropping and then spiking again. A clear sign that she is in some sort of danger. Her chakra outweighs the combined chakra of Sasuke and Naruto and their mutual friend, Yamanaka Ino (the Yamanaka girl having been Sakura's companion for years now).