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Ugh.
Kakashi woke up in a daze. It took a couple of seconds for him to adjust his eyes to the bright light seeping through the hospital window beside him.
A light ache throbbed through his body, and his head slightly hurt, but otherwise he was fine, he figured.
It could have been worse. Itachi definetly had the power to kill me then , the jonin thought.
Groaning, Kakashi sat up and leaned his back against the hospital cot backrest. He took in his surroundings. The bed he was sitting on, the bedside table that had a flower in a vase sitting on it (probably came from Sakura, that sweet little girl), and a huge blob of green sitting right next to it.
Wait...
“YO KAKASHI!!” Gai exclaimed in greeting right into Kakashi’s face.
Kakashi sighed in exasperation. He just woke up from a horrible, tiring genjutsu and had no energy to feel enthusiastic, but he returned the greeting anyway. At least somebody thought to check on him.
“Hey, Gai.”
Gai crossed his arms and let out a light chuckle. “You were out for three weeks. Itachi did a great deal on you, huh?”
Kakashi clutched at his head, trying to relieve the small headache that had still been there when he woke up. “Yeah. He’s gotten much more powerful since he left...”
Gai nodded gravely and turned to look out the window, looking concerned.
A thought suddenly occurred in Kakashi’s mind at the sight of Gai’s worried expression, something he’d been worried about ever since the Akatsuki’s Uchiha member appeared in the village.
“Where is Sasuke??” Kakashi asked, eyes widened in worry. If Sasuke’s older brother had come to the village and he’d known about it, Sasuke would for sure have gone after him to execute his plan of revenge.
And that wasn’t good.
Gai looked hesitant to answer, but he mustered up some courage to tell his friend.
“Sasuke woke up a few days ago. Thankfully, he’s all right.”
“Woke up?” Kakashi frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Gai opened his mouth to answer when he was interrupted by a click of the hospital door.
Kakashi looked up to the front of the room, expecting a nurse or the hokage to come and check on him.
But the man was surprised to see a certain raven walk in, clad in just his black onesie and standard shinobi sandals.
Sasuke?
The boy looked up at the jonin with widened eyes. A small gasp escaped him and he instantly rushed to his sensei, barging past the door.
Kakashi did not expect his stubborn, stoic student to fly at him, embracing him with full arms, trembling and gritting his teeth in frustration.
“You idiot!” Sasuke exclaimed. Kakashi felt a twinge in his chest when he heard the fear and anger in his student’s voice.
“You idiot! I thought you were dead, damn it!”
Kakashi’s shoulders sagged as he realized what might’ve happened to Sasuke after he got knocked out.
Itachi got Sasuke too...
The jonin cast a glance to Gai, who was looking at the scene with empathy. At the look on Kakashi’s face, the other man gave a nod of affirmation.
Kakashi closed his eyes in guilt. If he’d been more careful about Itachi, perhaps Sasuke wouldn’t have been roped into all of this...
And got attacked...
Gai got off the bedside table and intended to give the two some privacy.
“I’ll inform the hokage you’re up.”
“Yeah.”
With his elite speed, the jonin disappeared in seconds.
Kakashi looked down at his shivering student in concern. He hadn’t seen Sasuke this scared since team 7’s first serious mission in the Land of Waves. Of course Sasuke had been scared then, and more scared now. Kakashi couldn’t imagine how much trauma might’ve resurfaced for the boy after all that.
Kakashi relaxed and wrapped his arms around his small raven.
“I’m sorry, Sasuke. I’m okay now.” he reassured, softly, stroking his onyx-colored hair.
At those words, he heard Sasuke sniffle and bury his face in Kakashi’s shoulder.
“As you should be,” the boy growled, but there was a little waver in his voice, so it sounded like he was whimpering instead.
“I came in here every single day since I woke up, but you were never awake.” The jonin held Sasuke as he cried, muttering words of reassurance.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. But you know what?”
Sasuke looked up at his sensei’s face, eyes red and blotchy. Kakashi wiped the tears away with his thumb and cupped Sasuke’s face with both his hands.
“I’m here now. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. Do you understand?”
Sasuke sniffed. “If I had known about Itachi before you got injured, then you wouldn-”
“Sasuke.” Kakashi shook his head and stroked the raven’s hair. “Don’t blame yourself. He’s gotten a lot stronger than before. You wouldn’t have been able to get to him.” the Uchiha was about to protest but then stayed silent and nodded numbly.
He’s tired , Kakashi thought
The masked man smiled and hugged Sasuke again, who grumbled but sank into the embrace, soon falling asleep like a sassy little kitten.
Kakashi patted his little student’s head. He wouldn’t fail next time to protect Sasuke.
That was a promise.
The End