Kakashi’s POV:
“There is nothing you can do, Kakashi,” she said. I looked down. “It’s just…it hurts, knowing how much me leaving affected you. Still, I can’t help but wonder…Why did it hurt only you that much?” she asked me.
I looked at her from the corner of my eye. “What do you mean?”
She never took her eyes off the stone, and I noticed she was using her Mangekyo. “I mean, no one else has told me of anyone almost crying after my death. Of anyone fighting to get my name on the stone, or…or staying home one day every month because they didn’t want anyone to realize they were crying.”
“Who told you that?” I asked quickly, shooting my head to her.
“You did. Just now.” Busted.
I sighed and looked down again. “Lucky guess…” I muttered.
“So are you going to tell me why my death only affected you so strongly?”
“Are you going to tell me why you think you’ve screwed up big time?”
She turned off her Mangekyo, and reverted to her regular Sharingan. “Tell you what. We’ll play Shogi. If I win, you tell me why this has affected you so much. If you win, I’ll tell you why I’ve screwed up big time. Fair?”
“Not really…” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re a genius. There’s no way I could beat you.”
She shook her head, and turned off her Sharingan. “What, the son of Konoha’s White Fang can’t beat Konoha’s Black Fang in a simple strategic game? Come on, Kakashi. If you’d put those perverted books of yours down, you could beat me hands down.”
I was surprised at this. “A compliment, Ai?” She just shrugged. I looked down, smiling. “Fine, but we won’t count that with those consequences, ok? For that, we’ll…I don’t know. We’ll have a bet. If I can’t get the Mangekyo after two weeks, I’ll tell you why it affected me so much,” I said. ‘Because by then, I’ll have an answer…,’ I thought.
“Acceptable. And if you can get the Mangekyo after two weeks, I’ll tell you how I’ve screwed up big time.” She paused. “Well now, we’ve gotten the same situation about the competition being one sided.”
“Another compliment?” she shrugged again. “You feeling ok?”
She looked down, then chuckled, actually showing an emotion. I looked at her incredulously. “Probably not. I’m going home, and you should too. Konoha’s Black Fangs start training tomorrow, and you doubly so.”
I sighed, and she started walking off. “Ai?” she looked over her shoulder at me. I walked over and cupped her face in my hand, stroking her cheek with my thumb. “I really am glad you’re back.”
She turned and left, her hands in her pockets and her head down, not saying a word. I teleported myself back home and read for the rest of the night.
Morning:
I woke up, having forgotten when I fell asleep. I walked to the K.I.A. stone, and was there early enough to be at the grounds in time for training. But when I got to the three posts, Ai wasn’t there. Kai and Sora ran over to me.
“Kakashi sensei! Mother won’t get out of bed!”
My heart sank. “Let’s go,” I said, and we ran to Ai’s apartment. She was passed out on the bed, holding something in her hand. I looked at it; a large, but completely empty, liquor bottle. “Ai?”
