Three...? No! The four of us are one!
Kakashi-sensei blinks, looks at them again, looks at the camera which is right in front of them and knows that in that split second, it has captured his astonished facial expression, yet so full of love and kindness. He knows he has a certain fondness for one of those rare teams that had managed to pass his bell test, so he lazily lets them to take a picture with him on background, looking at them lazily, lovingly.
Because, yes, he loves them. As he told them many years ago, he´s not going to see any of his teammates die anymore. No way. And yet, because of who was he alive? The first serious mission they were sent on, it was because of them that he was alive. Because they freed him of Zabuza´s water prison. Because they didn't obey him, because they chose him before them.
They take another photo then, and this time he knows he seems bored, distracted, as per usual, because he has already erased the surprised look of his face. They´re all smiling, well, except for Sasuke, who is there, yes, but he's all red in the face and looks embarrassed to death.
And another daily detail, one of those he didn't care, mostly... His book is going to show in the picture. His new book, as it is not the already known orange book, but a green one. Kakashi-sensei knows, for a fact, that Naruto has tried to read it at least three times since he started it, and Sakura even asked for the difference of colour. Sasuke just raised his head, in silent agreement with his teammate question. He had answered they were just one year from being able to know, as they were still seventeen and they just sweatdropped. He knows his answers usually don't satisfy their curiosity but he had been this way for many years now, and they know, so they accept him like that, no changes in his behaviour are expected, Kakashi-sensei knows, and for that, he is grateful.
Much like Sasuke. He has returned to Konoha more like a hero than a traitor. He had killed Orochimaru and Itachi, and had managed to dissolve Akatsuki, mostly. There were people who didn't trust him, of course, but punishment for his actions? A few hours of community service could have been discussed, but he ended unpunished. How lucky. But, even after all that, and his already established relationship with Sakura, which probably was the prologue to the new Uchiha clan, he still has that stubborn behaviour, and his old friends still love him that way. And Kakashi-sensei knows, he is grateful too.
They take another photo then, and he smiles. They're laughing now, even Sasuke is, just a bit, though he probably would deny it, and a melancholic smile makes its way across his face. He had never passed any other team before, and just one more after them. Years have passed. The new team is still young, though, they're all genin, and he knows Team Seven is as excited as he is with the news. They all looked surprised when they first knew about it, and after that, they profusely greeted and praised the young kids, who seemed ashamed of such a welcome. Sakura is the kindest, and Naruto the always happy one, yet Sasuke is the one who has the admiration of all of them, he noticed, grinning lazily. As always has been.
Then they turn to him, grin, smirk, open smile, from Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto, respectively. He smiles back, friendly, and they run to him, Naruto and Sakura first, Sasuke reluctantly after them. He manages to embrace Sakura, but he ends falling in the ground as Naruto throws himself onto him too. Sasuke appears in his vision line and smirks, but both Naruto and Sakura pull him of his purple belt and, torn between falling and losing his pants, he falls on him too.
"Hn, Sakura, dobe!"
"Oh, just shut up, teme. It's fun. Kakashi-sensei has just lost to us!" then the dark haired ninja seems to register that, and smiles, almost a real smile. But Kakashi-sensei knows that he's the only one who could have possibly see it, and smiles back, amused as his best pupil gives him the best proof of trusting him. He lets them toy with him, find his weak spot, in his neck, along with the spots in which he can be tickled. He laughs desperately when they attack him, tickling him as if it was their only task in life. And then, he sees Naruto and Sakura exchange looks, and he jumps before giving them the opportunity to take his mask away. He kicks Naruto away, knowing he'll be alright, and pushes Sasuke away enough to let himself grab Sakura closely and put a kunai to her throat.
"Not the mask" he threatens, pressing a bit more, so she starts to bleed a bit. Sasuke pales, but he loses his voice so he starts moving his hands, freaking out. Naruto comes closer, but Sasuke stops him. They're just so afraid. And then she laughs. He relax his grip a bit, enough for her to turn around and embrace him softly.
"I'm so sorry, sensei. But I wasn't trying to get to your mask, but trying to convince Naruto-kun to not do that. We know... We just know, ok?"
"Om. If you say so" he lets her go, and Sasuke quickly puts her into his still-a-bit-shaking arms. Kakashi-sensei smiles to him, apologizing. He's so madly in love with her, and yet, it has took him so many years to realize so... "I'm sorry, Sasuke" he nods
"It's okay"
"It's okay? Teme, have you seen yourself! You were shaking! You weren't okay!" of course, Naruto teasing his old teammate, and him refusing to let go of Sakura not even to punch him. Quite a normal scene now, quite strange if someone had told them a couple of years before. Sakura smiles tenderly, and kisses Sasuke's jaw, and Kakashi-sensei sees him relax visibly. He smiles again as they kiss softly on the lips for a sec, and then she turns to the almost forgotten camera
"Lets go check the photos, Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke smiles and nods, blushing a bit.
Kakashi-sensei lets them go, hand in hand, and Naruto on their tale. Sakura squirms and laughs in delight looking at the photos and then waves to him to see them too.
So he pleases her and goes by her side, going around Naruto, and looks at the tiny screen. And the image he sees turns his icy heart into a melted marshmallow. He looks away, almost in tears. Kakashi, your getting old, he tells himself. Naruto looks at him, and embraces him, chuckling, and Sakura gets out of Sasuke's arms to embrace him too. Even Sasuke does the strange thing: he goes around Naruto and Sakura, and puts his back on his sensei's back, as if to cover him in a battle. Then the lonely tear he has been trying hard to contain slips away of his not covered eye. Sakura is the one who catches it, smiling. Then, slowly, very, very slowly, she reaches for his face, but not for his mask, but his forehead protector... He lets her straighten it and opens his sharingan eye, but she doesn't look away. Naruto does, for a sec, but Kakashi-sensei knows she's used to it, having seen how she asked Sasuke to do it for her, more than once. He hears Sasuke smirk soundly.
"Sakura... You're insane" he hears him mutter. Naruto chuckles.
"But I like it... And it's the way to say I trust him. He's not going to attack me, you know" Kakashi-sensei feels touched deep in his heart, and smiles under his mask. He embraces her as a daughter and she lets him do so "Kakashi-sensei... Just so you know... We're making a copy for you" he nods
"Thank you, Sakura. I do appreciate the gesture. Very symbolic"
"Sasuke-kun's idea, though he's going to deny it" Kakashi-sensei smiles again.
"Thanks, Sasuke"
"Hn"
"Ohhh, Kakashi-sensei, no denial! Your my idol" she tells him, laughing, and Sasuke moves to face her, blushing.
"Hey, stop it, no?"
"Mm? What do I get if I do so?"
"Hn. Stubborn..." she giggles and whispers something into his ear, making him blush even more "Hn. Deal"
"Yep!" she frees Kakashi-sensei and pushes Sasuke aside, kissing him hard for a sec, then dancing away, making circles around herself. Sasuke smirks, still a bit red, but happy more than anything. Naruto pouts
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei... With your sharingan, haven't you read her lips?" the sensei smiles
"I have" he assures him "But the thing is, I just trust them as much as they trust me... So I'm not gonna be gossip, Naruto"
"Sensei!" the couple relax, and Naruto pouts even more, but he doesn't give an inch. It's private. The sexual life of his teammates is nothing of Naruto's business.
The team goes back into routine then, training for the boys, looking over for the sensei and Sakura. It's just so okay, so peaceful, even. Kakashi-sensei feels himself happy, truly happy. For a moment, he forgets his old team, and focus in his actual one.
It's been a hole day since the photos had been taken. Kakashi-sensei is still touched for their gesture, and waits impatiently for his copy. And then he gets home and finds an envelope in his mailbox. His heart skips a beat and he quickly opens it. But no, not bad news. He sighs, relieved, and takes out the page-sized photo inside of the envelope. He smiles widely under his mask as he enters his house. He stops at the entrance of the bathroom, looking at his image. His gray hair, his only eye, his mask... Those are things he keeps up to keep people away from him, but even... They were too little to understand that when they met. They were afraid of him, a bit, at first, feeling confronted. But when he showed compassion for the first time. When he showed good intentions for the first time. Then, they had trusted him completely, they had put their lives in his hands...
He looks at the picture again. His only eye, one of the most important things of his appearance. The sharingan eye was not a thing he liked to exhibit. Yet they had understood...
And now, far from being pulled away because of his strange appearance, they´re trying to imitate it... and that´s why he loves them so much.
So, here it is. I just found the pic I put above on Internet and loved it, and this fic flashed in my head immediately!
:)
I hope you guys liked it, though it's really short xD
I never liked it when people says Team Seven: Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto.
NO! Kakashi-sensei, maybe it's not the same age, but since his old team is not around, and he hasn't (at least that I know) passed any other team with his bell test, well, he can be considered as the fourth part ot Team Seven, can't he?
xDDD
So, that's why I wrote this fic. It has made me almost cry writing it, because I have the biggest of respects for Kakashi's character, so I hope people like it as much as me!
But the way, if any of you find any grammar or spelling mistake, please tell me so I can fix it, ok? As I'm spanish, I might be makind some mistake and not notincing, so please help me make my english better. Thanks :)
And, of course, if you read it and liked it, let me know, ok?
Kisses
isacullen-timeguardian