Shinobi Rule 25. A ninja must never show his emotions. Kakashi Hatake told himself that over and over as he walked, dressed in all black, during the brisk November morning. He arrived at the funeral and stood in between Gai and Anko, both crying their eyes out. A sudden memory came back to him.
'Those who do not obey the rules are trash.'
Kakashi's father made that mistake, the mistake the eventually led to his death, by suicide.
As the funeral went on, Kakashi found himself reliving his worst memories.
'Those who do not obey the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades in battle are worse than trash.'
His sensei told him that. A few years later, he died as the yondaime hokage, protecting the village from the nine-tailed fox's attack. He sealed that very beast into his own son, who later became Kakashi's student. Naruto Uzumaki died when the beast overtook him. His teammate, Sakura Haruno, also died in the second beast attack, healing injured shinobi as the best medic nin in the village. She had the exact fate that Kakashi's other teammate, Rin. The last in the trio, Sasuke Uchiha, died from chakra overuse when he used the mangekyo sharingan to control the beast, and a forbidden jutsu to kill it, taking his own life along the way.
The funeral ended, and Kakashi walked away, a grim look on his face.
Shinobi Rule 25.
Shinobi Rule 25.
Shinobi Rule 25.
Shinobi Rule 25.
Shinobi Rule 25.
He repeated that to himself his entire way home. He walked into his empty house; sat down on his empty bed and finally, he broke down and cried. He had lost everyone dear to him.
His Father, Sakumo Hatake.
His Sensei, Minato Namikaze.
His best friends, Obito Uchiha and Rin.
His Students, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha.
As the tears flowed down Kakashi Hatake's face, he thought about the one person he just lost, the one closest to his heart. The skies started crying as well. The raindrops fell on the village, on the houses, and in the graveyard. The newest gravestone sparkled in the dim light, showing the two words engraved upon it.
Iruka Umino.
Kakashi Hatake's lover.