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SASUKE
"You need to rest up properly."
"Stop coddling me like I'm a brat! I know what my body needs."
Kakashi dangles Sasuke off the hospital's roof by his foot. "What the hell?!" Sasuke yells, grappling for control. He tries to get his weakened muscles to listen but his stomach quivers pitifully when he folds himself in half to gain a grip on Kakashi’s hand around his ankle.
"You know, Sasuke; you're a cut above the rest in terms of technique. But you lack the most important quality required from any excellent shinobi."
Sasuke desperately hides his ragged breathing. He gives up on resisting, unable to do anything as his blood rushes to his head. He feels dizzy and incredibly nauseous. His ears ring. Helpless, Sasuke grits out, gasping: "What?"
Kakashi lifts him until their eyes meet. And Sasuke's struck all at once. Being this close to him, Sasuke notices the wrinkled corners of Kakashi's visible eye; indents carved forever into his face by numerous big smiles. Sasuke's gaze searches Kakashi’s dark circles; tiny blood vessels shot and crushed beneath the weight of long, sleepless nights. The patch of skin visible to Sasuke is pale, dry and tired-looking — the exact opposite of his mother's; in fact, more similar to his father. Something drags and crawls in his chest and Sasuke becomes breathless for entirely different reasons.
"An excellent shinobi knows exactly when they're useless and how to properly rectify that in order to stop being useless. You, Sasuke, are useless right now. Nuh-uh. Listen to me because you don't know any better yet. But you will know better. Or else you will die and take others with you."
Sasuke's chest heaves. "Okay." He says.
"Okay?"
"Yeah."
Kakashi smiles, but as much as Sasuke finds it goofy, he also finds it heartbreaking. Kakashi brings him back to his bed. Sasuke is half-conscious, his eyes drooping shut around contradicting, overlapping images. He remembers his father, his mother and his brother. And Kakashi.
"Wait," he barely says, hand twitching, eyes watering from the blessed curse of his own memories.
"I'll always protect you." He's firmly promised. "I won't let you die. Go to sleep, Sasuke."
His nose pains and tears spill down his temples. Sasuke swallows fatly. His mouth trembles.
"Okay, dad."
SAKURA
"Dad! What are you doing here?!"
Kakashi looks at her like she has grown an additional pair of limbs overnight. Unsurprising. But Sakura is desperate and three years of teamwork must bow its head down to some expectations. Always quick on his feet, Kakashi inspects her expression, glances at the guy —Tamaki — standing behind her and surreptitiously squints.
Sakura knows he is searching for more hints. "Please don't be angry dad, I know you don't like me dating yet. And I agree with whatever you say so let's just go home!"
Is it like that? Kakashi's expression seems to ask.
It is like that! Sakura relays back.
Kakashi raises his brow at Tamaki and nods, allowing Sakura to lead him away from the scene. But Tamaki yells her name. Sakura flinches.
"Isn't it unfair to control the actions of your kid even though she's fifteen already? She's a fine shinobi and should be able to decide what she wants!"
Wanting badly to escape, Sakura winds her fingers into the folded hem of Kakashi's shirt, making sure not to touch him more than that. "I want what my dad wants too, Tamaki-san. My dad has always known what's best for me. I'll always trust him."
Sakura realizes the singular truth of these words so starkly right after speaking them that she becomes breathless. She thinks: if the sky were to split apart right at this moment and the earth ground into dust, if Kakashi would smile at her and say, "It's going to be alright, Sakura", she would believe it. Even as she breathes her last breath; she will believe it.
Tamaki hesitates but nods passively, accepting. "Well, it was nice knowing you, Sakura-chan."
"You too."
Later, as she walks home next to Kakashi, Sakura says, "Kakashi-sensei? Don't you want an explanation?"
Kakashi hums, flipping to the next page in his icha icha volume.
"My friend from the academy asked to get together but it turned out she'd set me up on a blind date. I wanted to reject it but that man — Tamaki — was really nice but also very persistent. You know the type? It's weirdly difficult to reject them."
Kakashi doesn't comment, but she knows he's listening from the slight tilt of his head.
"And I was thinking, sensei. About how Naruto is away with Jiraiya-sama and Sasuke-kun is gone. And I. . ." Kakashi meets her gaze, "Well, sensei. Just watch me, okay? Just as much as I trust you, I want to grow into the kind of woman you can trust, too. If you can look at me and feel relieved when things are going bad; not because I can make things okay but because I won't ever lose sight of what's important. . . then. . ." Sakura looks down, suddenly embarrassed about how emotional she's being. The setting sun elongates their shadows. They look like scarecrows.
Kakashi chuckles. Sakura pouts sullenly.
"I've always trusted you, Sakura."
There's an echoing silence inside her head, then several thoughts rush in all at once. That's true, Sakura thinks, getting teary-eyed. Realizing how much Kakashi means to her, and how much she means to him.
Kakashi gets back to his book. Sakura thinks she can see him smile through her blurred vision and punches his arm in retaliation.
NARUTO
The things difficult to him as a child are easier now. Not all things; some things. Naruto understands best though, at age Twenty-three, that he cannot afford to stay stupid anymore.
"So you basically use the previous statistics; though it isn't necessary. Mostly you're depending on what the workers need. I'd suggest sending someone straightlaced like Shikamaru or Ino to periodically gather info for you." Kakashi's apartment flat smells like the stink of fish and garlic that Guy is cooking in the kitchen. It's very homely; Naruto dreads going back to the Hokage office. He has to, though. And he will. "Got all that, kiddo?"
"Yeah."
"Okay 'cause I'm not going to repeat all this. You better have paid attention."
"Yeah. Thanks, dad."
There's a sudden loud clang from the kitchen like something hollow and metallic (a pan?) hit something solid, and then —silence. Naruto's heart drops, adrenaline rushing within him in heat waves. Kakashi stares at him with wide eyes.
"Uh, I mean. Like, like dad, uh, like, pfft!" Naruto grimaces harshly, forcibly smiling. He scoffs just for effect. Then, "April's fool!" He points at Kakashi, his hip bumping into the table between them awkwardly and painfully, "You got pranked!"
"It's not April!" Guy yells from the kitchen, his voice carrying over.
"It can be for some people! Time is arbitrary!" Naruto yells back.
"No, it's not! Also that's a great word! You're getting better!"
"Thanks! Anyway, uh. Kakashi-sensei? I gotta dash." Naruto hastily collects his papers and ends up dropping all of them on the floor. "Shit," he bends down, "Like, uh. I don't. Uh. Um." Naruto's face is so hot he's mildly concerned. But maybe if he falls sick and dies, the resulting trauma and criminal investigation will override Kakashi's memory of the last two minutes.
"Oh, Naruto, why don't you stay for lunch?" Guy asks. He has wheeled himself into Kakashi's study now.
Naruto barely glances at Kakashi and immediately flusters. He stands, the papers still scattered around his bare feet, a tangible reminder of what transpired. "No, uh. I really shouldn't."
"I don't see any reason why our Hokage-sama can't have thirty minutes for lunch. I'm making fish marinated in garlic and chillies."
Fuck, that sounded so good. Is this what retired shinobi did everyday? Bully young people and boil fish? All Naruto does is read books with difficult prose and exhaust his chakra because he's always 'brawl over brains' when he feels the need to compensate.
"Also, don't worry about what you said just now!" Guy slaps Kakashi's lower back harshly. If it were a lesser man, his tailbone would surely have been broken. "I'm sure Kakashi appreciates the sentiment anyway!"
Kakashi doesn't comment, but he looks at Guy exasperated, sighs, and gives Naruto his gentle eye smile. All is well, then.
"So, uh. I guess I'll take your offer."
"Pick up your papers first." Kakashi orders.
"Ugh!" Naruto gurgles, "But I'm hungry!"
"Hey!" Guy points at him, frowning sternly. Naruto stills. "Is that any way to speak to your father?!"
Naruto groans, planning to jump out the window to the sound of Kakashi and Guy's boisterous old man laughter.