ぐっすりお休みなさい、俺の少年
*(Sleep tight, my boys)*
A Naruto Fan Fiction
By
~CallMeButLove~
Naruto © 岸本斉史 *(Kishimoto Masashi)*
Illustration(s) © Viz Media and any other legal owners. The image(s) used are screen-caps: from the 2011 Official OVA and/or from episode #109 of Part I of the anime, "An Invitation from the Sound."
Author's Notes:
Once again, I must give profuse thanks and praise to Whisperwill. My beta, the BEST beta, without whom I need never write another word. Thank you, my dear.
Please note the time-line shown in the summary. It is meant to be a hazy window of time in Part One, somewhere in the mists of daily life that we are not shown on the pages of the manga, nor on the screen of the anime.
Thank you for reading, and as always, please review. Share your thoughts!
ぐっすりおやすみなさい、 おれのしょうねん
*(Gussuri Oyasuminasai, Ore no Shounen)*
Team Seven was to meet at the usual bridge to begin a training session, and as always, Sakura was first to arrive. She usually left home early so she could secure the few minutes of alone time with Sasuke before Naruto would stumble in, half asleep and already babbling. Sasuke would sometimes reply to her comments, and that was what kept her arriving early as often as possible. Hope that he was beginning to actually see her, was enough motivation for any amount of sleep deprivation she could suffer. On most days, he just listened quietly and did not speak, but the times when he did thrilled her. Even when the reply was limited to his trademark syllable, "Hn." It was still a form of acknowledgment, a kind of interaction, of familiarity – connection.
Today, however, she had been waiting for quite a while and neither boy had arrived at the rendezvous point. It was just on the set gathering time, so she knew it would be another 30-40 minutes before Kakashi would make his entrance. If the boys hadn't arrived by then, she made up her mind to mount a search, with their sensei's help of course. Now, how to convince him... Well, she'd figure something out when he got there. Surely, at least Naruto would burst on the scene before it came down to telling Kakashi-sensei how worried she was. That way, she could pound him for scaring her, thereby easing her tension and releasing the nervous energy she was accumulating while waiting, and then they'd all go look for Sasuke together.
I hope Sasuke-kun is all right. I hope they're both all right and not fighting.
Time crawls forward, when one is waiting anxiously for something to happen, but pass it did, like the water moving under her forever flowing onward beneath the bridge. Time couldn't be halted by anything, just like the water. Some way, somehow, that water would find its way back to the sea – nothing could break its endless cycle. Intervention, like diverting or damming the stream would only delay the inevitable; even if it took the heat of the sun and evaporation to get there via the rain clouds. Time, flowing steadily toward destiny, is unstoppable too. All too soon, Sakura found herself in the position of conveying her concerns to Squad 7's self-styled monocular leader without making him think she was weak or less of a reliable shinobi, in any way. Little did the thirteen-year-old know, that her sensei could see her true strength. He had always seen it, latent though it was now, and was patiently waiting for the girl herself to discover it. He had no doubt that she would, and soon. Unaware of his actual opinion of her abilities, Sakura took a deep bolstering breath, and addressed the silver-haired jounin, who'd become her teacher just lately, and forever ago.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Her query was hesitant, since she still hadn't resolved on the best approach.
"... Hmm?"
"Sasuke-kun and Naruto are late – even later than you." She tried stating the obvious, hoping that he'd respond like the genius everyone said he was, and just act on inference.
"..."
"Sensei?" Sakura began to feel that her sensei may not be such a genius after all.
"... Hmm?"
"They're never late for training; they love it, so don't you think we should look for them?"
"... … … I suppose so, although here in the village, there's not much that could harm them – other than each other, that is." Kakashi had already noted the missing males, and had set on a plan to locate them 10 minutes ago. He just hadn't told Sakura yet, as he was intent on finishing a chapter in his book, that he found particularly riveting. He was nearing the last page of that chapter now.
Elsewhere in the village, two young genin were sparring violently. This was a common activity in any shinobi village of course, but these particular two youngsters were the unknowing object of anxiety for their teammate and their jounin sensei some distance away. Naruto and Sasuke had been battling already for more than an hour. These scuffles were always early when they happened – nearly everyday now. The blond would bound up to his best friend's building and unfailingly, the dark-eyed boy would be already outside waiting for him to arrive. This made Naruto inexplicably happy; it was like having a family somehow. Someone who understood, someone who was waiting for him. Sasuke just knew him that well, always knew when he'd get there, even though they never spoke of it, or planned anything. Unbeknownst to him, it made Sasuke happy in a small way too. It was consistent, reliable, somehow a comfort made out of constancy. He wasn't even fully aware of it, but he'd slowly come to depend on the routine. Naruto was always there, and it was nice.
At once they'd head to a clearing they'd discovered, one that didn't seem to be used by many other people, if any at all. Sasuke liked to think that no one else ever came there. He liked the idea of having a place all his own to train, a place where he could test his skills unfettered. Naruto always came there with him, but that couldn't be helped since they'd stumbled upon the place together one afternoon while training for a search and rescue mission. The boys were paired together to "find" Sakura, and then they were meant to "rescue" her from the clutches of the enemy, played skillfully by Kakashi. On the way to find her, the two boys had literally crashed into this clearing like a pair of wild animals. Naruto had picked a fight, and Sasuke had attacked, finding himself uncommonly unable to ignore the moronic loser. He snapped and lunged, and they'd come tumbling through the brush and rolled out into the open with Sasuke coming out upright and pinning Naruto to the ground. Of course, Sasuke had quickly regained his composure, and let the screeching bundle of energy and orange tinted hyperactivity up. Both had promptly been struck quiet by the sight. The place was beautiful, untouched, and secluded. Naruto had declared, after a minute, that they should come back as soon as the training ended to explore the place, and Sasuke had taken off in the direction of their sensei's last known location, calling over his shoulder something about a "waste of time." Naruto charged after him, arguing the whole way. They had, in fact, come back after the training session, and Sasuke commented that the area would be ideal for sparring in.
"Right! Then let's see what you've got, teme. I bet I can beat you, no matter what!"
"Hn, you can try dobe."
From that day, they'd been meeting up in the early morning hours and refining their battle skills against each other regularly. Naruto would always claim he'd won, and Sasuke would always ignore him, whilst chuckling inside at the knucklehead's determination. On this morning, the spar had run long, as both boys had grown considerably stronger, and they were more evenly matched than ever before. Now they stood in the center of the ring of trees that formed their impromptu doujou, both panting heavily. There was a large oak tree nearest to Naruto, and he reached out to lean on it – catching his breath. Sasuke took a few steps toward the tree as well, and then seemed to think better of his approach. He spoke instead from a distance of a few paces in front of Naruto.
"Why do you do that, you idiot?"
"Do what, Sasuke?" Naruto's fatigue had made him less combative, but he still managed to sound irritated at the vague query.
"Why do you hold back; do you think I can't tell you're doing it?!"
"I wasn't holding back, teme. I never do. I couldn't beat you if I didn't go all out." Naruto sat down wearily against the trunk of the tree, not even bothering to collect the sandal that had gone flying off his right foot in the heat of a powerful roundhouse kick. One that, he was proud to say, had knocked his opponent back several feet. The backhanded compliment in his reply was not lost on Sasuke, but the sunny-headed youngster didn't seem cognizant of it, even as he said it.
"You didn't beat me, dobe. You never have. You never will, no matter how 'all out' you go. That's it." Sasuke had closed the final space between them and slid down beside Naruto at the base of the tree as well.
He had used several advance fire techniques as well as activated his sharingan for much of the battle, and his chakra reserves were low, leaving him spent. Naruto had not beaten him out-right, but in all honesty the spar was not really a win for him either. It had been more of a draw, in precise terms. He was dimly aware of the statement that made about Naruto's skills and growth. However, he'd be damned if he'd give the loser the satisfaction of knowing that it was getting tougher for the Uchiha to keep him from achieving a full win, and genuinely defeating him. Naruto was pompous enough, he decided, without knowing that little bit of information. Today, Sasuke could settle for knowing that he had grown too, since he'd held Naruto at bay today. They'd both grown stronger, and Naruto still couldn't really beat him. Today, that was enough to go on with. Sasuke's head nodded toward his chest as Naruto defended himself.
"Someday I will, Sasuke," Naruto's voice had begun to sound far away. Sleep began to overtake both boys, and the last thing Naruto heard was Sasuke's laughter, unsuppressed in his sleepy state. He'd reacted with mirth to the last coherent words which tumbled from the young Uzumaki's lips. It wasn't that there was humor in the words themselves, it was that they never changed. Naruto held on so firmly to his convictions, so as to make it impossible not to smile at him; not to root for him. So stubborn.
"Someday, I'll beat you and when I do, you'll have to really acknowledge me. Everyone will have to notice me then, when I beat the one they all call a genius... You'll see Sasuke, someday... I'll...be... Hoka...ge..." Naruto began to snore softly on this last syllable, but Sasuke didn't hear it. He was already dozing serenely, his aggression and his aloofness gone for this moment of peace, beside his closest friend.
Still on the bridge, Sakura was, at this very moment, still trying to convince Kakashi to make a move and search for the AWOL members of their squad. She was beginning to get a little frustrated, but she tried not to show it.
"Please sensei, let's go find them. What if they're fighting?" She let the unspoken "again" hang in the loveliness of the morning between them. She needn't say it for him to hear it; those boys were perpetually at each other's throats – everyone knew it. Most ignored it, or passed it off as a combative phase that would pass eventually. Kakashi, however, could see beneath the underneath. Sakura, less experienced, could simply feel the possibility that something was off. Intuition and emotive cognition were powerful tools at her beck – tools she would polish, and sharpen, and utilize with greater finesse as she grew.
"I'm sure there's no reason to worry, Sakura. But – let's go. You can hone your tracking skills on the way, and Pakkun can be the third 'man' in our cell this time."
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The tall jounin bit his thumb tip, and placed his palm flat on the cobblestone of the bridge. Pakkun appeared in the usual puff of smoke, summoned from his own world to this one.
"Yo! Sakura, Kakashi, what do you need?" the little dog asked, with no real change in expression or any discernible exuberance.
"Pakkun, we need to locate Naruto and Sasuke. They've missed the team's training session so- "
"Naruto? Missed training? Well, that settles it; there must be something up. Leave it to me, Kakashi, I know the scents. We'll track them down." Pakkun was already moving, but when Kakashi raised his hand, the pug stilled, awaiting further orders.
"Right. We'll split up and search the village. I don't think they've left it, so Pakkun, you stay with Sakura. I'll head to the east and the two of you canvass to the west. Sakura, meet back at this bridge in one hour, whether you've found them or not."
"Hai, Sensei!"
"And Sakura?"
"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?
"If you find them fighting, do NOT try to stop them. DO NOT get involved. Consider this an espionage mission. You track your targets, gather information, and report back to me – without being noticed by the marks. Understood? Stealth, Sakura. That's the key skill here – the stealth of a true shinobi. Let's see if you can remain still and silent – undetectable, even if everything inside you is burning to rush out of hiding and step in."
"I understand, sensei."
"Good then. Pakkun, I'm counting on you. Now, scatter!"
Kakashi was not as concerned as Sakura, to be sure, but that didn't mean he was immune to what she was sensing. Far to the contrary, he was forever watchful for the day when his two male students would finally ignite, and explode, like the twin time-bombs they'd been born to be. It was fated, inevitable, the two rivals on a collision course that would change everything. Nothing, possibly even the landscape, would withstand the impact. Kakashi knew this deep, and indelibly in his core. He could do naught but hope, that they'd come out alive and whole, on the other side. That their bonds would stand the jarring, bone-crushing, heart rending moment when competition and rivalry bled into something darker. If Kakashi, if he failed to reach Sasuke's heart in time, that's what would happen. He knew the shaded, and bleak outlook the boy clung to, he understood the feel of raw anguish; desperate, cloying, suffocating fear; and pulsing, white-hot rage. He had felt it – had been consumed by it, albeit only in part. He had been pulled from the brink by his sensei, but the lasting damage was done. Later, when he had lost everyone again, there was no one to pull him back, no one who knew what to do, if they even noticed. He'd joined ANBU then – searching for a way to stop the pain, to shut it all off, to numb himself to the point he'd almost disappear. Back then his last goal, all he'd held on to – was to survive, not live, just long enough to die with honor for his village. That's all there was left to do.
Eventually, other friends, Tenzou and Asuma, being the most prominent, had led him back – kicking and screaming his curses and threats of retribution to the skies – to a kind of normalcy. He'd never been the same again, but he wasn't simply living as a means to find death anymore. He turned his back on ANBU, and allowed himself to be placed in charge of the first of many genin teams. He vowed to fail them all, until he found one group whose members could live up to his standards. This team, Team 7, had finally been the ones to do it. Naruto, his teacher's son, and the last relative of Obito Uchiha, along with a slip of a girl, who had the chakra control to take after Rin – had finally crafted a real team. Kakashi was in both heaven and hell, they were perfect and torturous for him to be around. His heart, which he'd long since abused into stone, began to beat again. He discovered this in the Land of Waves, as he tried to protect them, only to find himself the one being rescued. The jounin had never been so proud in his life until then.
The two hot-blooded boys in his charge reminded him so much of Obito and himself, that his mind regularly wandered to the days when he was young, when he still had his father, when he still had his beloved sensei, when Obito was beside him, being an idiot, and Rin was still... He hadn't appreciated any of it then, he'd only just begun to perceive the value of his friends in his life, when Obito was taken from them. He'd failed to keep his most important promise to his friend. He'd failed to protect Rin – oh how spectacularly he'd failed. Minato-sensei had left him soon after that too, and the man he was now, could only imagine how different his path might have been, had any of them, even just one, lived to see him now. If he had anyone by his side from back then, would he be more decisive when it came to Naruto and Sasuke now? Particularly Sasuke; Kakashi was acutely aware that he was faced with pulling the boy back from the edge, but he really could not begin to fathom how to do it. As these whirling, overwhelming, thoughts buzzed in his mind, he leapt through the trees. His eye, scanning the ground below the tree limbs upon which he traveled, covered expansive distances. Just as he began to contemplate a change in tactic for lack of results, he saw it.
Ah, there! A sandal jutting out from behind that big oak. That looks like a genin foot, maybe even one of my boys. My boys... When did they become "my boys"? Day one. From day one. Obito's cousin, and Minato-sensei's only child. My boys – from day one.
He began to move more quickly, his withheld worry bubbling up, now that he was close to discovering just what the two miscreants had been up to all day.
Whoa there, Kakashi! Stealth, right? Practice what you preach. It doesn't look like the owner of that foot has caught on to my presence, so there's no need to rush in like Naruto, now is there?
Decidedly not like Naruto, the tall, reserved nin crept up to the tree to ascertain the identity of the person reclining under it. Make that two people. As his field of vision changed on approach to the tree, he noted that there were two sleeping figures beneath its boughs. There they were, leaning against its strong trunk like a pillow, heads not six inches apart, too exhausted – by the look of them, to be bothered by the coarse, and hard wood. A sight to see, was certainly what greeted the last Hatake as he stood peering down at the two slumbering genin. Uchiha Sasuke, self-titled "Avenger" and all around elite loner, was slouched on the ground against the tree, scuffed, ragged, dirty, and glimmering with a sheen of youthful (Great, now I'm sounding like Gai) perspiration across his brow. He looked much younger than usual. The effects of a peaceful rest were good for him, Kakashi decided. He looked his age – for once, and not at all like the jaded, cold, 13-going-on-50, world-weary persona he normally projected. There was the shadow of – if it was not a trick of the light, a smile on his lips as well.
Shifting his gaze to the other napping ninja, Kakashi took in the torn clothing, the scrapes and new bruises, the one missing sandal, and the headband which had lost its luster in the scuffle, slid slightly askance on the golden head. These things, along with the soft snores, and very deep breathing told the silver-haired man that Naruto was utterly wiped out. He too, was covered in sweat, his tanned skin taking on a warm, ruddy glow in the afternoon light to counterpoint with Sasuke's moonlit, glossy impression.
Opposites, even in that; and yet they balance each other perfectly – in all things, it seems.
Opting not to wake the two rivals (friends) right away, Kakashi quietly summoned another of his ninken, and directed the canine to inform Sakura that all was well – that she could return to her home. He could sense her chakra fast approaching, and he was proud of her vastly improved tracking abilities. She was bearing down on this location. She was growing and had learned from this experience too. Mission accomplished. However he did not want her present when the boys woke. He suspected that, if she were to be there at that moment – both of her teammates would attempt to show off, one to save face, and the other to impress and regale her. Both reactions would be forced and unnatural. He wanted to observe the organic responses they would display upon regaining consciousness. It could be very informative. His messenger dispatched, Kakashi perched on a branch of the oak tree high enough to be out of their perception, but low enough to hear them, and read their body language. He slipped his book out of his pouch and settled in to wait. However, for reasons beyond his conscious mind, the scene below perpetually drew his focus, captivated him, held his gaze and derailed his train of casual thought.
As he watched the two boys sleeping so soundly, so peacefully, he could not stop the flow of his thoughts to the past. The words on the page he was meant to be reading blurred and faded as images of his young days, in hindsight some of his happiest days, paraded by unbidden. Obito stood before him, huffing and puffing, and complaining about dust in his eyes, which had caused the Uchiha to lose, yet another spar, while Rin tended to his minor wounds faithfully. They were both smiling, and alive, and right there. Minato-sensei too, smiling softly in the background – the eyes he had given to his one, precious child sparkling in the the light of a long-bygone, warm Konoha afternoon. He had been looking at them that way a lot lately at that point in their time together. The look of a father, of a Hokage, of a hero – toward those dear to him. Kakashi had noted it at the time, even as he rebutted Obito's protests, and whining – coolly, with completely perfected detachment.
The Uchiha boy was a disgrace to his proud clan's name, in Kakashi's rather narrow opinion, back then. He seemed to always be fussing about something. He was also never one to own up to his failures, and yet - - there was a part of Kakashi that envied him as well. Obito was always smiling, always laughing, boisterous and free; it was something Kakashi couldn't be anymore. It was the one blot on the time he'd spent with his Team Minato, marring what could have been near-perfect contentment. His father's death had taken freedom from him. Others, even of merely chuunin rank, were freely able to relax, to laugh, to smile with friends. It wasn't the work, it wasn't the fact of being a warrior, that sapped that ability out of him. Minato-sensei smiled often, and laughed heartily, and he was an extraordinarily battle-hardened soldier. The best soldier that Kakashi had ever seen, other than his father … well, before it had happened, before that night had siphoned away his will to find even the smallest felicity in his life. For Kakashi the compulsion to adhere to rules, to decorum, to never allow any of his feelings through, to always remain steadfast – to exist as a mere tool had to remain tantamount to his very survival. He had to do it; he would do it, but the price was his freedom. He would prove to everyone that had known his father, that the Hatake blood in his veins was not weak; never deserving of the defamation it had suffered at his father's bloodied hands. He would prove to all of them, that a Hatake could be the model shinobi. He'd make Jounin, then ANBU, then who knew? He'd likely die in the war that was coming, but if so it would be a proud death, on a field of battle, not like – never in his own home, in an empty, dark room, on the floor alone, given over to despair. He'd never surrender that way; he'd die a valiant warrior, and cleanse the Hatake name. His sensei would be proud, his friends, his village, would be safe, and he would finally, finally, be free.
These memories were flashing across the silver-haired man's mind in rapid fire succession, when he heard a soft rustling below him. The boys were rousing from their nap.
This should be more than interesting.
"Aaaaaaahhh," Naruto loudly stretched the sleep, and the stiffness from his limbs and yawned like a cavern. He was rewarded for disturbing the slumber of the Uchiha with a flat backhand to the side of his dirty, sun-hued head.
"Keep quiet for once, will you? Dobe."
"Oi! Teme, what was that for anyway?!" Naruto was wide awake now and launched onto his feet. Sasuke, on the other hand, was still reclined and grumpily seemed to want to stay that way. Kakashi tamped down a nascent chuckle. Stealth was, after all, required to maintain his position as an undetected observer.
"I said it before," Sasuke growled as he reluctantly sat upright – regarding the orange-clad knucklehead with his usual disdain, slightly less effective, when clouded by the residual effects of deep sleep. "Keep it down, will you?"
"You're just mad 'cause I beat you this time, eh Sasuke?"
"Shut up, usuratonkachi. I told you, you didn't beat me; not now, not ever." Sasuke had risen now too, and dusted the remnants of earth and blades of grass from his clothing.
He took a step or two, before turning to smirk at his rival. "You have leaves and tree bark in your hair, dobe. Quit gawking at me, and clean yourself up. By the looks of the sky, we've completely missed training. Kakashi is probably looking for us by now. Get a move on."
He resumed walking again, fighting back an unexpected laugh as Naruto launched into a full-throated defense of his techniques, his abilities over-all, and the multitude of reasons why missing training was totally Sasuke's fault. Sasuke found it very odd, frustrating, disconcerting – and yet somehow reassuring that the blond boy continued to bounce along beside him oblivious to all but the most direct commands to stop, and resistant to even those. When had he become dependent upon this dynamic? His mind tracked little of what Naruto was ranting on about, as he assessed his own state, with mounting, irrational ire.
I am an avenger. I am stronger than this; I don't need him, or his bubbling, infectious, ridiculous enthusiasm. He's insufferable, pathetic – how could I need him? I don't need anyone! I am an avenger. All I need is power to achieve my goal. That man has to die – that's all I need. I am an avenger.
The mantra helped him to center his focus inward toward the darker edges of his soul. It eased his heart back into the numbness that shielded him. No one could penetrate that defense again; Itachi had done it once, but no one would ever do it again. He quickened his pace to lend distance between himself and the effervescent Uzumaki. Predictably though, Naruto, simply followed suit, and sped up too. He would always follow, always be right there on Sasuke's heels, ever present, ever the touch-stone (wanted or looked for, or not). Someday, if the dobe got his wish, he'd stop trailing and catch up all the way. Then, they could walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Equals, friends, and in Naruto's mind at least – brothers.
Sasuke loosened his rigid posture slightly, eased off his stride, and silently conceded the point. Maybe he'd learn to live with this connection, maybe it didn't really weaken his resolve, maybe he'd learn to draw strength from the bond, not see it as a burden – a tether, a barrier. Maybe he could, maybe not. Still, it was much too taxing to deal with right now, in the condition he was currently in. The morning-spar-turned-all-day-melee had tired him out, much to his consternation. How could that loser wear out a full-blooded Uchiha? Unthinkable! And yet here he was plodding along, thinking it anyway. He sighed, or rather, he stifled a sigh just as it began to puff past his grimly set lips.
If nothing else, Naruto had already grown into the sparring partner that Sasuke wanted. He would never voice such an unguarded opinion, but he felt excitement tingling on the fringes of all his nerves when he awoke each day knowing that his teammate was coming to spar against him. They challenged each other, they sharpened their respective talents and skills, like the twin blades of a barber's shears, the two of them rubbed against one another, and the friction – the result, Sasuke was not ready to fully admit, was mutually beneficial. The line between simple, natural camaraderie and symbiotic dependence had begun to blur. He was loathe to admit, even in the seclusion of his own mind, that he had gradually started to depend on the blonde idiot; to need him to be there – bouncing, and smiling, and loud and there. They needed each other, though Sasuke could not actually fathom Naruto's reasons. He never made much effort to understand others, or their feelings. Could either of them thrive without the other? Sasuke wasn't sure he wanted to know. He had to get clear, get distance, get perspective, if he ever intended to fulfill his goal, avenge his family – kill his vile, traitorous brother.
Kakashi had watched the exchange, thus far, and had proceeded to tail the boys from the tree tops. He was careful to stay out of Sasuke's range of perception, which was well refined already, even as a genin. He watched the young Uchiha's posture, stiff at first, and in fits and starts; then more relaxed. His facial expression was unreadable at this angle, but Kakashi was perceptive enough to detect the subtle shifts in the boy's moods, in his thought patterns. The teacher-spy could see the internal struggle in the gifted youngster. He watched him vacillate from anger to resignation, to mild acceptance, and back to a sort of distilled choler, as he tried to reconcile his emotions with his goals. Kakashi knew that feeling. It needed seeing to, or at least monitoring. It would only get worse, if left untended, and he knew all too well that "Madness in great ones, must not unwatched, go."1
A sudden burst of activity below him, pulled Kakashi back to the immediate present. Naruto was yelling again. When was he not?
"Ne, teme? Let's race to Kakashhi-sensei's place! I bet I can get there faster than you can, since you're so tired from training." The boy had been needling his friend for the past several minutes, to little effect, so caught up in his thoughts, was Sasuke. Finally, the Uchiha heir deigned to speak. Intending to dismiss the nuisance for the day. After all, he could only stomach just so much exuberance at a time.
"Baka, if you're a Ninja of Konoha, act like one. You should be more dignified than to stoop to racing, like some common brat, through the streets." He watched the impact of these words from the corner of his eyes. Much as he expected, Naruto was unperturbed. And it seemed, Sasuke was feeling just a bit more competitive himself than he'd thought, so Naruto's next renewed challenge had his blood stirring.
"Fine then, I'll just beat you there, and then tell Sakura-chan and everyone all about it in the morning. How the great Uchiha Sasuke was too worn out, too weakened by sparring with Uzumaki Naruto, the powerful future Hokage, that he couldn't go on, and had to go home quietly instead of proving that he could still keep up." Naruto never had a chance to see the results of this jibe, because the other boy flew past him with a speed that rivaled most first year Jounin. Naruto tore off after him, screeching curses and threats to the opponent who'd turned from mere rival to best friend in such a short time.
Kakashi chuckled lightly at this boyish display from the two teammates, and quickly shunshined to his apartment building, so he could be there when his boys arrived. Of course it was Sasuke who actually "won" the impromptu race. Naruto, however, still banged loudly on his sensei's door seeking a referee, some validation for his performance, or just some attention in general. Nothing new. Sasuke simply reclined against the adjacent wall and smirked at his orange-clad friend and listened as their teacher instructed them for the next day's activity.
"Mah, mah. That's enough now, Naruto. You two missed training this morning – training that you could've used for the mission tomorrow. It's a long way from here, so be sure you pack lightly for camping out. We'll meet at the gate at seven o'clock, so go home and get some sleep."
"Hn."
"Hai! I'll be ready sensei, for sure!" Naruto took off into the twilight, headed for his apartment, and Sasuke was about to head home too, when Kakashi spoke again.
"Sasuke?"
"What is it?"
"Don't forget to protect what you have now. Focusing too much on the past, will cost you your future. You and I have precious people right here, right now. Those we've lost can't be hurt anymore, but the ones beside us now can, and will be hurt if we get distracted by what has already happened – by what cannot be changed." Kakashi stopped there, letting the meaning behind his words sink in.
"Hn." Sasuke replied in his usual way, but his heart was pricked by the way Kakashi seemed able to read him. No one else had been able to do that, for such a long time. He did have precious people here; that was true. Sakura, and Naruto, and the silver-haired man behind him, and perhaps a few others... Maybe it would be better to focus on them for now. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as much, and he could get stronger with them beside him. Strong enough to do what had to be done. Maybe it could work out...
Kakashi watched him go, and lazily stooped to pick up the scroll that Sakura had sent to him. Her report on today's training "mission" would likely be quite well done, as always. He reminded himself to praise her efforts in the morning. She needed his guiding hand too, they all did.
She really grows fast, just as those two do. Too bad they don't seem to see her as an equal yet. They will; she'll get stronger and surprise them both – I know it.
Tomorrow at this time, they'd all be camped out, halfway to their destination. They'd be exhausted if he kept them at the right pace to get there on time. His mind's eye showed him Naruto's prone and sprawled form, splayed on the grass without a care. Sakura in the middle of the two boys, her sleepy eyes gazing at the stars before she drifted off, and Sasuke on the other side of her from Naruto, curled up to sleep. There would be no nightmares, no demons to fight. He'd be safe with his team, at peace. Kakashi's thoughts shifted again to focus on both boys that Sakura loved so, and he whispered into the evening air after them, a soft good night. One that they could not hear, but that floated on the wind with truly affectionate sincerity, none the less.
"Sleep tight, my boys. Sleep tight."
おわり
(Owari)
1William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Act Three, scene one.