When there was a single loud knock on the door, Kakashi knew who it was. It was strange that he knew who it was without out so much as looking at the door, but it was only fitting that a teacher should know his student so well.

Even though Kakashi had predicted accurately, it didn't prevent him from being surprised when he looked upon that pale face for the first time in three years. Rainwater was streaming down the man's cheeks, probably mixed with more than a few tears, and dripped down off his strong jaw onto the now transparent white kimono on this shoulders.

Though the rain had washed out most of the blood that had seeped though the white fabric, it was very obvious that the young man before him was wounded badly.

Kakashi sighed and took the man's pale hand, pulling him into the dimly lit apartment. He sat the pale man down and went to fetch the medical kit from the bathroom. When he returned, the man was sitting in the exact same position as he had been in when Kakashi left. It was as though he hadn't so much as dared to breathe.

Kakashi tugged lightly at the soaking shirt on the young man's chest. After a few moments, Kakashi managed to remove the kimono top, along with the rope that was tied around the pale man's waist. The movement of the top messed with the man's hair, not to say that he cared much: it was practically dripping with the blood soaked into it. Upon viewing the large gash that started at the pale throat and came around his back, ending at the hip, Kakashi struggled to hold back a groan. How could this boy be careless enough to be wounded on the back? He sighed. It was a deep wound, and even with proper medical treatment it would probably never heal completely.

Kakashi turned the young man around and wiped his back dry. Blood dribbled out of the wound creating red streams that converged at his spine. The older man wiped up the blood again with the towel and applied antiseptic. He proceeded to dry the rest of the young man, and treated any other cut or scrape he found that marred the white skin.

After bandaging him up, Kakashi examined his work, and then turned the man back around to face him. The expression he found on the man's face was almost heart breaking. He looked lost and confused, and on the verge of tears. Kakashi studied the face carefully for a moment, then pulled the young into his arms.

"I'm glad you came back, Sasuke, even if you're not." He could feel Sasuke trembling against his chest.

oo0oo

After Sasuke fell asleep, Kakashi laid next to him, watching him dream. For the last three years, Kakashi waited for Sasuke to come back, had waited for things to go back to normal. While things would never be the same, Kakashi was glad that the first step had been taken to get there.

…………

End of part one.

I'm not so sure part two is even connected to this, so you can read them separately if you want to. The next part should be out soon!