Emotional Silence 10- The Last Day

"Hey, wake up. You're on guard duty today." I sit up and look around.

"Did Sasuke and Naruto get back from training last night?"

"No, they're still gone."

"Kakashi, how are you feeling?"

"Good as new, thanks to your medical skills." I smile.

"I try."

"Tomorrow, I'll be going with you and Sakura to the bridge. It's been a week already." I nod.

"If you're fully recovered, no doubt we'll be seeing Zabuza again in the next few days." The three of us walk downstairs and get breakfast. The door opens and the boys walk in, Sasuke supporting Naruto. "Good morning! How high up the tree did you get?"

"You're finally back, looking like something the cat drug in."

"Heh, we both, made it to the top of the tree."

"That's great! You can go on guard duty with us tomorrow then!"

"Right. Starting tomorrow, you two will help Sakura and Karin guard Tazuna-san."

"Alright!" Naruto yells and they both fall backwards.

"Idiot!" I get up and help them get up.

"First thing you two are doing, however, is getting some rest! You've been training almost nonstop since we started this!"

"Oh, come on, Karin-san!"

"I'm the medical ninja in this group, so what I say about your health goes! After breakfast, you're under house arrest and confined to your rooms!" The others laugh at my serious display. This is bad; I'm able to act like I do only around Sasuke with these people. Friendship is dangerous. It almost got us killed last time. That dream I had last night, it's been coming back to me every night for the past week. I can't get rid of it. Is it because I'm slowly becoming friends with these two?

We eat breakfast. "Sorry Sakura, I don't trust these two to stay here and rest for the day. I'm going to have to leave you alone for today."

"That's all right."

"Father, you and Naruto are two of a kind! Don't work yourself to death!" I look over at Inari. He seems upset about something, again.

"What's wrong?"

"Why do you wear yourself out trying? No matter how hard you train, you'll never be a match for Gatou's thugs! You act all cool and talk tough, but big strong guys like them are always too much for those weaker than them! They'll destroy you!" Inari has finally lost it.

"Shut up, I'm not you and I'm not gonna lose."

"Just watching you ticks me off! You go running your mouth when you don't know anything! This isn't your town! And you don't know a thing about me! You're always clowning around and having fun, you don't know a thing about suffering or loneliness or what my life is like!"

"So you think it's noble to star in a melodrama and treat everyone around you like guests to your pity party? It takes a really big man to sit around and cry like that, you brat! You big baby!" That might have been a bit too far…Inari's really upset now.

"Naruto! You went too far!" I get up and follow Inari out of the room.

"May I join you?" I sit down on the deck beside Inari. "You know, I'm sure Naruto wasn't trying to be mean with what he said. He just isn't graceful with his words. Your grandfather told us about your father, Inari. I level with you. It's hard to lose someone you love. And Naruto, he grew up without any parents, he was all alone growing up."

"Really?" I nod.

"Yea. He's always the one that you wouldn't expect to be upset about things, because he's always joking around. But, if you think about it, I think it's just because he got tired of crying about it. I think he knows exactly what your father did, what it means to be truly strong."

"What do you know about it huh?" I look up at the sky.

"Let's just say, my parents died too. I had to grow up when I was your age. When…you have something precious to you, that you feel you need to protect with every breath in your body, you can understand what strength is. Your father was strong, because he gave his life to protect the village and the people that he loved. I think Naruto knows what that strength is because he would give his life to protect the ones close to him."

I get up and go back to the house. "Just think about it. Maybe you should stop crying too." I go inside and glare at the boys. "Well, are you finished eating?"

"She's kinda scary. She goes from being sweet and sensitive one second to being a cruel dictator the next."

"That's my sister for you." Sasuke gets up and starts for the stairs. I glare pointedly at Naruto and he runs upstairs as well.

"You're scary sometimes, Karin-san."

"Kakashi, perhaps you should get some more rest as well? You don't want to take any chances." He nods and goes upstairs as well.

"Why do I have the feeling that your children will live under very strict rules?"

"That won't happen. I'm a lesbian." I walk upstairs and check on the three guys.

*Sakura's POV*

I wonder if she was telling the truth. No one would lie about their preferences like that! "Come on then, Sakura-san. I've got work to do!" I nod and follow Tazuna-san out of the house and to the bridge. "She is pretty scary, you know."

"Yea. But she's serious about making sure everyone's healthy and ready for the worst." Right! Just because she's mean about it, doesn't mean that she's doing it out of cruelty.

"So, she and the other kid, the black haired one, they're siblings?"

"Twins actually. Back home, a lot of people call them the Uchiha Elite Twins. They both had top grades in school and obviously, they're both pretty talented."

"Looks like the girl's stronger though."

"Probably. Since she's at a Jounin level apparently."

"If she's that strong, then what's she doing on a team without being that rank?" I shrug.

"I don't know. They have strong connection. Maybe she didn't want to be separated from her brother." I've never thought of that. We have a million opportunities to graduate all through school, why did she wait to pass until Sasuke did?