carpe diem, quam
minimum credula postero
Seize the day, trusting as little as
possible in tomorrow.
Horace, Odes 1.11
"Is it true?" Kakashi asked, struggling to hide his eager expectancy behind his habitual mask, and the head band now word pulled down at a rakish angle.
"It is," replied the Yondaime, trying to keep the edge of a smile from his face.
As good as the news was, he couldn't quite manage to smile about it yet. As his inaugural photograph showed, the weight of the war had bowed his shoulders and wiped away any happiness at his new position. He had contemplated the other photographs that hung in his office of his predecessors as he sat with decreasing patience while the formalities of appointing a new Hokage were undertaken. No smile had risen to his face as he took his place in front of the photographer, his expression flattened by the pressing thoughts of the war waiting for him outside the doors, his team mates out in the front line while he drowned in bureaucracy. Fingers twitching with impatience at the sleeve of his official robes, he had understood the expressions of the men who had lead Konoha before him.
"It's completely over," the grey haired boy repeated.
"Yes."
"Tsunade-sama and Jiriya-sama are…?"
"Helping with rebuilding projects, I believe."
Kakashi looked at him with a disbelieving eye. "All the peace treaties are signed?"
"Yes."
The boy leant back in his chair, opposite the fourth's desk.
"We're just waiting for the paper work to come back from Earth Country, and the Konoha is officially at peace with all the five major Ninja nations." It was harder to keep the smile from his face seeing the obvious relief flood through his student.
"At peace with four of the nations," Kakashi corrected, dryly. "We can hardly have a peace treaty with ourselves."
The corners of his mouth tugged up. "Shush. Do you see any civil war?" Yondaime asked, leaning back in his chair, mirroring Kakashi, and tilting his head to see out of his windows across Konoha.
It was true; calm had washed over the village broken under war for so many years. People had begun rebuilding n earnest now. New homes were being constructed in the north. The last of the battle wounded were trickling home from the hospital, families reunited and new ones forged. Yondaime let the small smile prompted by Kakashi's words spread father across his face.
"Rin should be here," said the boy. And Obito…
Yondaime glanced back. "Yes. They should." He paused, as Kakashi's uncovered eye flickered up to his teacher. "But we're here. We've survived. We protected what love, and we must keep on protecting it."
"Yes," nodded Kakashi, twisting the hem of his chuunin vest between his calloused fingers. "I still can't believe the war is over."
Yondaime's face grew serious. "When I was made Hokage, I swore it would end with me. The war, the brutal out dated practices of this village. It was founded in a time of war, but I mean it to go on as a village of peace." His eyes lowered to his desk, avoiding Kakashi's gaze for once. "I don't want to see anyone else die."
Kakashi watched his teacher, noting the hard edge expression that he had seen become more and more of a constant fixture as the years had gone on flicker across the young man's face.
Then, just as suddenly, his posture changed, and his face took on an animated air of rapt interest. He leaned forwards. "Did I tell you my plan to fix the minimum age for academy graduation to twelve?" Kakashi shook his head. "It may take some time to get past the counsel, but I think I can convince them that now we're at peace we don't need child soldiers any more." His nose wrinkled in disgust at his last words.
Kakashi nodded vaguely in reply.
"I – I am sorry," began Yondaime. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save Rin, or Obito. I'm sorry I couldn't end all this before – " he trailed off his voice faltering. Kakashi was staring intently at a piece of floor. "But we'll make it better for those who come next, won't we?"
"Yes, sensei."
Their conversation was cut to an abrupt end by an insistent knocking at the door of the office. Not waiting for a reply, the door was flung open and a terrified looking chuunin fell into the room tripping over his own feet in desperate hurry.
"Ho-hokage-sama, reports are coming in from the east gate," panted the man, "the ninetales has been spotted advancing this way rapidly."
Yondaime's only reaction was the tightening of his fingers on the edge of his desk. His lips narrowed into a line, and he acknowledged the man with a curt nod.
"Send three teams of ANBU on reconnaissance. I will come myself to asses the situation."
The man abandoned the room after the briefest of bows. Kakashi made to rise from his chair and follow him, but the Yondaime put a hand out to catch his shoulder.
"No. You stay here. I want you out of this unless completely necessary."
Kakashi looked up in genuine alarm.
"But, sensei! With Jiriya-sama and Tsunade-sama away from the village – "
Yondaime let a genuine smile show as he looked intently at Kakashi. He squeezed his shoulder.
"I said it stopped with me, didn't I?"
Kakashi nodded, not moving his eyes from Yondaime's bright face.
"Don't worry. Go and help begin the evacuation of the village." He squeezed the boy's shoulder tight again. "I'll see you later."