I wasn't about to do anything other than sit there, I was far too tired to do anything else. Every breath burned like I was aspirating liquor, every second like glass rubbed into an open wound. I knew full well my eyes were completely red, though the tears had dried up an hour ago. So I sat in the tree and just was, not really alive but wishing I was dead. Much like my brother, a wonderful man an excellent shinobi, who I would never see ever again. I'd gotten the news this morning, the Third Hokage looking at my with both sadness and regret. "I am sorry, Najika-chan. But there was nothing that could be done for him." I'd run from the room in the next second, jumping through the first window I could find to make a bee line out of the village. I didn't go to my regular place at the school, everyone would look for me there. So I ran through the woods until even I didn't know where I was. I'd cried for the rest of the day, the sun now about to set to my right as I leaned against the trunk of the tree. I didn't care if anyone found me, or if they were a friend or an enemy. So I didn't bother to look up when the branch above me shook slightly.

But the sigh that followed made me go stock still. "Oh Najika-chan. Did you really think I couldn't track you down?" I look up into the face of Kakashi Hatake, the shinobi standing upside down to be right in my face when I looked up. I yelp and nearly fall out of the tree, much to his supposed amusement. But the chuckle he gave was laced with sadness, his one eye looking right at me as if he could see everything in a second without needing the Sharingan. "Watch your step, it's quite a trip down after all." I look down absently to note, "Who cares. I sure don't. I'm half tempted to fall out and break my neck right now. But what's the point. You'd catch me and scold me and just take me back to the village in one piece." Kakashi nods to then flip himself casually around to stand in front of me, his hands still in his pockets. "A very good obsevation from a upcoming shinobi, Najika-chan. At least your brain is still working." He squats down in front of me to get in my face again and asks, "You still want to do that though, right?" I nodded absently, I didn't have the energy to lie about it for appearances. Which brought a long sigh from the senior ninja. "Not surprising. Losing a loved one is not easy." He averted his gaze to whisper, "I know that better than anyone..." I nooded again, knowing full well what he meant. He had only ever told me about losing his team mates, how they had died and the grief that yet lingered with him. My hand reached out to lace into his vest, his head coming back around to look at me in surprise. "Najika-chan?" I ask him with as level of a voice I could give, "Kakashi-sensei, will you help me?" The tears I thought long past came back, my voice breaking on a sob. "I don't trust anyone else, sensei. You're the only one that I know will never judge me. So please tell me, will you help me become a great shinobi like my brother? If only so the leaf Village can have some semblance of a replacement?"

Kakashi's one visible eye goes as wide as allowed at my words, his shock very plain to see. Then he shakes his head and reaches out to hold me tight, hugging me close as I tremble all over. "Najika Kitazawa. You wonderful girl. Even in your anguish, you place the Leaf first. Of course I'll help you if you really want. If only so you have a direction to go as you come to terms with your grief." Kakashi places a tender kiss to my head, though he does keep his mask on as he does so. I don't really mind, I never have. So I hug him tight for him to pick me up and jump down from the tree, walking us back to the village as I keep crying. But his touch is warm as he hugs me to him, my hand gripped tight over his heart as I lean into his shoulder. The drumming against my hand is strong and even, as powerful as the man who holds me so gently. I start to fall asleep on our way back, my class mate Rock Lee running to the gate into the village as Kakashi walks through it. Lee looks frantic and skids to a halt as he asks, "Kakashi-sensei! Is Najika all right?!" Lee leans forwards to pant really hard as Kakashi raises an eyebrow at him. "Yeah Lee. She's perfectly fine. Well... at least physically anyways. Have you been looking for her all day?" Lee nods and keeps panting, his entire body shaking in his effort to get air. "Yes. I looked through the whole village three times and to her favoire places outside the village. I was about to ask Guy-sensei if I was allowed to take my weights off to cover more ground more quickly." Kakashi goes bug eyed at this point, then he gets a very specific idea. "I thought you were in love with Sakura, Lee? When did you switch over to Najika?" Lee goes ram rod straight to then go red all over and stammer, "What?! Kakashi-sensei! I never- I did not mean- She is just a- Najika is- I-" Lee about blows his top as Kakashi chuckles at him, handing me over to a very shocked Lee. "I won't tell anyone, Lee. Just get the lady home and to bed. That is an order." Lee hesitates, then grins and nods with resolution to then run off with me in his arms and grin like an idiot. "Yes Kakashi-sensei! Right away!" Kakashi watches with a warm smile, laughing as he notes Lee has gotten his wind back. "Yep. That is one way to help a hurting heart, by filling it with love."