b r e a t h e ❕

its planned

Kakashi

The breeze was good today. A good day for a lazy stroll around Konoha. He needed to catch up on news and gossip going around town anyways. Book in hand, hair gelled back into his signature spikes, Kakashi steps out of his dull abode.

The civilian districts are lively as always, a sharp contrast to the chilling silence back in the shinobi districts. That was, of course, to be expected given the fact that shinobis generally weren't the bubbly bright kind of people you'd meet on the streets.

Exactly that made people like Naruto such an enigma among nins. The blonde boy was as endearing as one gets, full of optimism, happiness and energy.

Kakashi would never forget that day– grief-stricken, eyes devoid of hope as they usually were.

That day he vowed to do everything in his ability to restore Team 7. He would help Naruto bring back that happiness that was stolen from them.

Kakashi misses him.

He blinks a little longer than he would naturally, clearing his mind of him. Today was a rare lazy day for Kakashi to relax and take it easy.

This was the only way he knew how to cope with it all.

The silver-haired jounin saunters down a relatively empty street leading towards the main market, a distinct pink catching his eye. A faint smile under his mask, he continues a leisurely pace towards his pink-haired student.

"...C'mon Sakura, don't be over dramatic! Nobody's really trying to suffocating you here. In fact, I'm sure this whole thing will blow over by next week." Kakashi hears a familiar voice as he approaches his student.

The Yamanaka girl, one of Asuma's. What was her name again? Ino?

"I don't think this is a good time, Ino. What if–"

"Aa, aa, aa!" the platinum blonde interrupted. "No what ifs! There's no harm in bringing you here, Forehead. I don't see what's the big commotion about here."

Kakashi narrowly misses the two kunoichi as Ino drags Sakura off into the next street over. Was Sakura upset over something? He wasn't surprised but he made a mental note to say something to lift the girl's spirits the next time he bumped into her.

Eventually reaching the market centre, Kakashi is met with a rather peculiar scene.

"Was it that pink-haired kunoichi that passed by earlier? I can't believe I've been selling my fruits to her!" A fruit vendor and a villager conversed in hushed tones.

A group of chuunin loitering about, whispering a name very familiar to Kakashi.

What's going on with Sakura?

Maybe he should've walked a little faster to catch up to the girl earlier on. But then again, this was Haruno Sakura people are talking about. What could possibly be so wrong, right?

"Hey," Kakashi approaches the chuunin, four of them clustered together as they smoked. At once they stood at attention, recognising Kakashi immediately. "What's the word about Haruno Sakura going around?"

One of them cast a confused gaze at the silver-haired man. "Forgive me for being rude, Hatake-san, but you've seriously not heard about the news on Doctor Haruno?"