TotW -21
Author's Note: After this, there are only three more chapters left. So, wow, it's been long... :)
-
-
"Ohayou gozaimasu…Minato-sensei…" greeted Kakashi, looking around. "…Where is everyone?"
"Oh—Ohayou…um…" Minato simply smiled as if it didn't matter. "Just you and me today, Kakashi."
The boy almost wanted to go hide, save the fact he was Hatake, and concealment was part of the denue. "I'm not stupid, sensei…" he muttered lowly.
The phrase was smally overshadowed by the fact Minato was already leading him by the shoulder, watching out for anyone who should walk by…
--◊--
Tsunade and Jiraiya did not see each other for that entire day. It was natural in their…(delicate) friendship to be angry all the time, but at a time like this, safe to say, it was literal. Both were content just to be mad for a while—which was fitting in Jiraiya's case since he was often dubbed the town madman.
The lady Tsunade was quite compliant to stay extra hours at the hospital. They needed her, no less. As much as she didn't like it, it was something she had to deal with—at least it diverted her attention, if only for a while.
--◊--
Later that morning, Jiraiya found Sakumo leaning on the rail of the wrap-around porch; wooden, weary, and weathered for at least ten years—Jiraiya couldn't keep track. "Sakumo," he said.
Sakumo looked from the clouds to see something equally as non-moving. "Yo," he said. It wasn't that he was surprised to see him—considering their last conversation he told Jiraiya to leave…Well, Jiraiya seemed friendly enough…"Doshitano?"
Jiraiya walked over to him and leaned the opposite way to look over the field and forest beyond. Well, Sakumo seemed friendly enough…"Just wanted to stop by…how are you?"
"I'm fine," he said casually.
Jiraiya made a face even though Sakumo seemed more interested in the clouds. "Why doesn't anybody ever tell me the truth?" he wondered dryly.
"I've never lied to you."
"Yes you have," Jiraiya argued.
Sakumo glanced at him. "Like when?"
"By omission."
Sakumo raised an eyebrow. With his mask, he simply looked curious. "Oh, so I'm supposed to tell you everything?"
"Preferably," Jiraiya nodded. He gazed at the field. "I'm here to help, Sakumo; I always am."
Sakumo was immensely happy Jiraiya could not see the smile. "I know, Jiraiya," he said quietly. "Thank you."
Jiraiya smiled back. "Anything—I mean it. We can get through this to—"
Sakumo blocked out the rest of the sentence in benign annoyance. "Jiraiya don't make me repeat myself—" he smiled ironically. "I told you I wasn't going to."
"Why?!" Jiraiya said in dissonance, trying to see through a mask he hated seeing when he wanted not to.
"Because…" Sakumo folded his arms. "There's someone I need to protect."
"Well…duh! Yourself!"
"No, Jiraiya…" he closed his eyes for a moment, blocking out a swell of pain in his chest. In addition to you… "…My son."
Jiraiya blinked. He'd forgotten the boy. The boy…
…who looked just. like. Sakumo.
Jiraiya winced. "Has…has he—"
Sakumo smiled bitterly at what Konoha was doing and looked aside. "He's in more misery than I am."
Jiraiya said nothing, knowing it was probably true.
After a while, Jiraiya asked, "So…what will you do?"
Sakumo grinned; he had already decided.
But instead of telling, he lied. For once. "'Don't know."
Jiraiya believed the answer.
--◊--
As a result, Sakumo's hands had burn marks which extended up his arms a ways. He could swear he still heard the birds chirping while still inside the building. It was the only thing that unnerved him as he escaped the walls:
A sound of thunder.
Rain would have been welcome as the grandest friend to cover his trail, but the dark clouds of the dark night did not yield. Sakumo went north on instinct, having only enough strength to focus on that goal.
--◊--