Not Alone

[17] Pain in our hearts

Third pov

Everyone stood weeping in the rain for their many fallen loved ones. So many died, so many injured and so many scarred. It was painful to lose not just their family, but their friends and neighbors, even their beloved Hokage and his wife died protecting them.

The third Hokage, newly reappointed, stood in front bowing his head in silence. However, there were two cries that pained his heart the most. The cry of Kushina's and Minato's newborn son, Naruto. Who would never get to live with them, who would never get a chance to grow up with their love as they wanted and were so excited for... And the other...

Was Megumi.

The Shinobi hearing her cries of sadness and pain couldn't hold in their tears. A child, no older than one lost half of her family in one night, and she saw, no less. They knew who she was, all shinobi did. A miracle child is what they called her at first, but they later knew her as the sister of Hatake Kakashi. To the civilians, however, she is known as the 4th Hokage's goddaughter. They felt for her, watching as she screamed and cried harder than any of them did.

As a child, she shouldn't have understood what went on that day, nor today, but she did. She knew a loss when she saw it. She knew from the pictures, from the sky, from the rain, from the sad look in Kakashi's eyes. She knew it all, and today, at this moment. It confirmed what she didn't want to confirm.

That they weren't coming back.

Kakashi had to hold her tight to try to lessen her cries but for the first time, she fought against him. Paining his heart more as he could offer no comfort to her at this time.

Again... I lost... I lost them again... that has been his main thought since. So he cried too, glad the rain hid his tears from the world.

"Please, Gummi... Stop crying..." but she cried more.

"No! No! They leaf me!!" And Kakashi froze as did all those who heard. "They leaf me! They not to leafe!! They cannot leafe!! I don't want kaa-san to leafe! I don't want tou-san to leafe! I don't wanna say bye-bye!! I... I.." But she couldn't say anymore.

Not that she needed to. Everyone felt the same way she did, everyone understood in their own way what she meant. Their families and friends left them behind, they weren't meant to leave so soon, so suddenly. Without warning, without any chance to save most of them. Without anything...they left.

And they left everyone with pain in their hearts to bare for years to come. No one was going to forget that night...no one.

•••••

"How is she..?" Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy were in the new apartment of the Hatake siblings.

"Sleeping. She cried herself straight to sleep." Kakashi sighed taking a seat and closing his eyes. He was exhausted.

"Kakashi, as a baby she shouldn't know what's happening..." Kurenai worried.

"I know..."

"But she does.." Asuma added

"I know..."

"What are you going to do now?" He stared at his silver-haired friend.

"I...don't know..." Kakashi sighed, again, as he sat up opening his eyes to look at his friends.

"Ah, I have to talk to the 3rd Hokage about Gummi. I need to clarify some things. It's going to be a while before the village is repaired which means we'll be busy. I was thinking of hiring a babysitter by the time but...even that might be too much." Kakashi thought out loud both to his friends and himself.