4. past, present and love.
"It's odd, isn't it?"
"Hm?"
Hatake Kakashi and Shiranui Genma sat on a rooftop which provided an excellent view of the bustling main streets of Konoha. Initially, the Sharinga-user had been lounging there alone, leisurely reading his book. Then Genma came along, senbon between his teeth as he grinned at his old friend. So they sat in companionable silence, Kakashi reading his book, and Genma simply people-watching, until the latter decided to break the silence.
"That pink-haired student of yours. She still hasn't let go of that Uchiha brat after so long. She's still… in love with him, right?"
Kakashi didn't respond. His dark eyes were seeing the words on the pages of the book, but his interest was no longer there.
"I mean, it's been years. Sasuke's probably not coming back. Even if he is, it won't be anytime soon. No offense to you, though, Kakashi."
The silver-haired ex-ANBU acknowledges his apology with a curt nod, otherwise his gaze drifted to the medic nin who was currently wandering around the streets, smiling at the villagers in goodwill as she munched happily on her stick of dango.
"She's a kunoichi, she's 18, and she hasn't gone out on a date. It's a waste, really. She's smart, kind and gorgeous," Genma drawls. "And those legs…"
Kakashi shoots him a warning glare, to which Genma grins sheepishly.
"But really though, so many males in this village who'd give a limb to court her, and there she is, still clinging onto a boy long gone."
"And why are you telling me this?" Kakashi snaps his book shut, eyes closing. Genma shifts, grin still intact but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes as he looked at his comrade.
"Listen, Kakashi. As her sensei - "
"I'm no longer her sensei. I haven't been for 5 years."
"Fine then. As her comrade, her friend, don't you want what's best for her? Both as a ninja and as a human being? Someone needs to tell her to move on. The past is the past and if she doesn't start living in the present, she'll regret it when the time comes. And she's a ninja. It's common knowledge that any mission could be our last."
Oh, Kakashi knows alright. He knows it so well it almost hurts.
"Since when did you start caring so much about my former student?"
"Since I heard her crying and talking in her sleep about 'Sasuke-kun'." At Kakashi's alarmed expression, Genma hastily added, "She fell unconscious from chakra depletion after healing me when I came back from my previous mission. I was pretty smashed up."
"I'm not going to babysit her, and even if I wanted to, she wouldn't let me. She knows what she signed up for when she decided to become a ninja."
Genma sighs.
"I'm not asking you to babysit her. We all signed up for this career knowing we'll lose people, or even ourselves. But she's young, and she came from a civilian family with absolutely no ninja background. The last thing she expected was for her childhood love to turn his back on her and the village, willingly, to run to some insane snake bastard for power and then almost killing her on, what? Two occasions? Three?"
Kakashi's gaze remains on the Haruno, partially because he didn't want to meet Genma's eyes. This conversation was getting a tad bit too personal and uncomfortable for his liking.
"I know."
Genma turns to face the other Jounin, eyebrow quirked in question. Kakashi doesn't look at him.
"I know that she's still hung over Sasuke. I know that she needs to move on and forget about him and live. But I can't… not after Sasuke."
"You can't what, Kakashi?"
"I can't let her get hurt again. And, as much as I want to, I can't fix her."
Maybe it was the way Kakashi had said it, or maybe it was the regret and frustration and helplessness and anger -at himself, most probably- flashing in his single exposed eye. And was that…? No… it can't be, could it? But Genma knew that those words that Kakashi had uttered hadn't been as a sensei, or as a team captain, or even as a friend.
"Kakashi… you…"
Was he the reason no man, ninja or civilian, dared to ask Haruno Sakura out? Was he the reason men kept their distance from her, despite the obvious longing in their eyes whenever she was around? Was he…?
Abruptly, Kakashi stood up, lightly dusting off the dirt from the back of his pants.
"Well then, thanks for the talk, Genma. I'll see you around." And with that he disappeared in a loud poof.
"Hey! Wait - "
Then there was an exclamation of surprise from the street below, and Genma looked down just in time to see the last of the smoke from Kakashi's typical teleportation jutsu clear as Kakashi himself stands in front of a shocked Sakura.
Genma watches as Sakura, red-faced, pouts and scolds Kakashi for scaring her and making her drop her dango. Kakashi, eyes crinkling as he scratches the back of his head in an abashed manner, apologizes and offers to buy her another stick. Sakura's face literally lights up with a radiant smile that -Genma was positive- stunned Kakashi. She giggles and then tugs on Kakashi's arm, walking backwards and urging him towards the dango shop a street away. It was only when Sakura turns away from him does Kakashi let a soft smile -very much different from his usual eye-crinkling ones- grace his lips as he stares after the vibrant medic.
'Well, well. Hatake and Haruno, huh?'
Genma grins.
Even the best of them fall some times.
Author's Note: I've always liked KakaSaku hurhur. Some random Kakashi and Genma interaction there. And this turned out to be surprisingly long for an impromptu drabble. Reviews would be very much appreciated! :)
