Title: The Real Heroes.
A/N: This is my first piece of Naruto fan fiction; Centered on Kakashi. Might contain a few spoilers for Kakashi Gaiden. Thoughts are in italics.
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters all belong to Masashi Kishimoto; I only take credit for this work in front of you.
Ninjas knew better than anyone that there was no glamour in battle. No matter how many stories he read about heroes triumphing over evil, Kakashi could never ignore how many souls were lost by the end of the tale. After a while he gave up on those stories altogether, instead burying his eyes in books about boys and girls. Much to his surprise, he found he actually liked these books, more than liked in fact; he was obsessed with these books.
There were times he woke up in the middle of the night with a throbbing sensation, pulsating through his Sharingan. This night was no different. He traced the scar running down his eye and softly cursed the gift Obito had so graciously given him, immediately regretting his words. Obito had given him a token of himself after all, how could he be so ungrateful?
What was this sensation? Kakashi didn't know. He thought perhaps it was a small bit of Obito's spirit left inside the eye. Thoughts of Obito kept him up at night. Attempting to sleep through the assaulting memories was useless, so he focused on his books instead until finally he could drift back to sleep.
***
Kakashi never left flowers or small offerings at Obito's grave site. He knew there was nothing he could leave that would be equal in value to the precious gift Obito had left him. The only thing he could do was devote his time to his comrade and regale him with his stories of battle and idle chat.
It's a nice morning, he thought aimlessly.
Indeed it was a nice morning. Fall had begun to spread throughout Konoha, allowing a light breeze to wander through the village. This was Kakashi's favorite kind of weather. It was simple and refreshing, far superior to the sweltering heat of summer.
I never knew what your favorite season was Obito…
He hadn't learned a lot of things about Obito, or any of his team members for that matter. He scratched his head in contemplation.
I guess I wasn't much of a teammate. Sorry for that.
Apologies wouldn't do much now, he knew that. It wasn't that he held himself responsible for Obito's death, he just couldn't apologize enough for the way he had treated Obito. He hadn't respected his teammate and always gave him grief for his behavior. Kakashi had been by-the-book. A ninja doesn't show up late, a ninja doesn't show his emotions, a ninja doesn't abandon the mission…
Hehe. How little I knew back then. "Those in the ninja world who break the rules and regulations are called filth, but those who don't care about their companions are even lower than filth."
Those few words had changed him into the man he was now. Because of Obito, he found respect and admiration for his father once again. He owed a lot to his father. He owed a lot to Obito.
I know I treated you like dirt Obito. I used to think you were useless, but I see now the strength you had. I wish I had noticed it sooner, but better late than never, I guess… that sounds like something you would say.
The best gift he could give him now was to see things the way Obito would have seen them. Teamwork, friendship, bonds… those mean everything. Even in the ninja world, where those things can be taken away at the drop of a hat, Kakashi had learned to value those things above all else. He would make certain that Obito's message lived on through him.
He looked up at the sky. The sun and clouds had shifted, the sky was bright and the sounds of nature were buzzing around Kakashi's ears. He was pleased to realize that the gentle fall wind hadn't disappeared. He breathed in the cool air as it tousled his hair about.
It's certainly much lighter out now. I must have been here for quite a while. I completely lost track of time…
He couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
I see how easy that is to do Obito.
He ran a hand through his messy, wind-swept locks and offered a little grin to Obito beneath his mask. He rummaged through his bag briefly and pulled out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, opening it up to the page he had fell asleep reading the night before.
I'll see you tomorrow Obito.
He turned and walked away from the memorial, burying his face in his book, anxious to be taken away from the reality of the ninja world. These stories he enjoyed were soft tales of love, nothing more. They were far superior to the fast paced, action-centered tales of the heroism of ninjas. Those were falsified. The true stories of ninjas are accompanied by loss and sacrifice, Kakashi knew that better than anyone.
Obito… Rin… Minato… father…
Thank you. You were the real heroes.
A/N: Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!