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Kakashi sends the silent promise into the sky ‘Minato sensei, Kushina. I’m so sorry. I will grovel for forgiveness, and even then I won’t deserve it. But I promise, I swear, I’ll never let your son be alone ever again. He’ll never have to force his pain down, will never have to feel all alone ever again. I promise, this time, I’ve got him. I will always have him from here on out. I will love him and care for him, comfort him and look out for him. Sensei, Kushina, your son will only know love and comfort and protection from here on out. I’m sorry it took me this long’
Kakashi holds Naruto through his sobs, murmuring soft words of comfort, of protection, of love. It takes ages for Naruto’s sobs to subside, Kakashi holds him close, never loosening his hold. The air is quiet again, except the gentle breeze and the sound of the fire. The air holds so much grief and hurt and regret and guilt but also comfort and promises and care and love. “Kashi sensei” the boy murmurs adorably as kakashi hums “I forgive you. I was never mad, I understood everything. I was hurt and sad not because of any of that. It was because I always looked up to you. I still do, you were our cool sensei even if you were lazy and distant from us.” Naruto says softly teasing. “But you were our sensei, our only sensei. I … I don't want you to feel like me and Sakura-chan abandoned you because we went off with ero-senin and baa-cha. It never had anything to do with you, there was no malice intended” the boy says guiltily and Kakashi just holds him even tighter. “Me and sakura-chan, we love you a lot sensei, nothing will ever change that. You say you didn’t do anything for us, but you did lots, more than you give yourself credit for” the boy murmurs with his head resting against Kakashi’s chest. Naruto needed Kakashi to know, to know that he was deserving of being forgiven, that he and Sakura still loved and adored him just the same. That nothing could ever change that. “You were the first one who believed in us, who saw us. The first one willing to protect us with your life. Sensei, neither of us can ever repay you for what you’ve done for us. You made us into who we are today. You taught us the importance of friendship, the importance of people. You helped shape us into who we are. Ero-senin and baa-chan may have been our masters, but you’ll always be our sensei. Our only sensei, no one could ever replace you. We remember how you used to bring extra food because we were terrible at packing our own lunches, how during overnight missions, you’d stay awake extra long just so we could sleep longer, we know that you let us play around with you because you wanted us to be kids for a bit longer. Sensei, we know how hard it was for you to accept us, to let us in, but you did. You may not have shown it all the time but me and Sakura-chan always knew, we knew how much you cared for us, loved us, in the ways you knew how to, to the extent that you could. We never held any of it against you. There were times that we were sad, a bit jealous, but it didn't have our trust in you waver, didn’t make our love falter. You’re our sensei. Only ours” Naruto nods softly “always will be our sensei” the boy says quietly.
Not for the first time is Kakashi rendered speechless by the boy’s genuinity, his selflessness, his forgiveness, his love, his trust, his sunshine nature. “I didn’t mean to make you or Sakura so sad pup” Kakashi whispers softly “How hurt you both must’ve been by me. I’ll spend forever making it up to you both. I never meant to make you both feel as though … as though I’d rather have Sasuke here. I let you both down completely. How lonely you must’ve been, silently longing for my care and comfort you saw me give out so easily, so readily to Sasuke, never offering it your way. How awful of me to not give you time to trust my affections for you. How painful it must’ve been to keep smiling for everyone no matter how hurt you were inside, how much weight you were carrying by yourself.” Kakashi whispers as he feels Naruto’s shoulders start to shake again. “Never again pup, you'll never be alone ever again. Never have to hold that hurt in for the sake of other, especially not me. You’ll always be my pup, you and Sakura. I’ll spend eternity making it up to you guys” Kakashi whispers against his kid’s hair, pressing a long kiss against his hairline.
Uzumaki Naruto grew up too fast, he was loud and bratty, larger than life. He was also selfless, caring, forgiving with a bleeding heart, arms wanting to hold everyone he loves so close. He was trained by the famous copy nin, Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan and one of the legendary sanin, the toad sage Jiraya. He’s a jinchuriki with so many battles ahead of him, he is strong and resilient, a force to be reckoned with. He is not a child anymore, isn’t allowed to be. But if he cries like a child, just this once. Kakashi will hold him close without saying a word.