Fools
I do not own Naruto. This is a drabble. Character death, might need a Kleenex, um not really shonen ai, but could be taken as such if you are so inclined.
Kakashi first person POV.
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I remember his eyes. They would follow me wherever I moved. I didn't think much of it then. Perhaps even I can still experience naïve moments. I thought that I had long since grown past that, but I suppose not.
I think I saw him in a way that most others did not. The mask he wore was so perfect… his face was more mysterious than mine. It took me a long time to understand what those looks meant. The longing in his eyes spoke so loudly and yet I was as deaf to it as everyone else.
Everyone underestimated him. No one saw the power behind the pain. So one saw the pain behind the mask. Bright blue eyes, mischief, and obliviousness hid his pain. He was not nearly so absentminded as we all thought. He saw and understood everything. He had to have done so, because no one can play the fool so well unless they are one. He was no fool.
He was strong and saw the world as it really was. The petty things in this life did not sway him. He worked toward his goal with a single mindedness. Despite the hate and betrayal that came at him from every turn he protected the people he cared for and he cared for a great many more people than cared for him.
He willingly fought for those people who looked down upon him with hate in their eyes. They saw only the dark fate that he had been bound with. They did not try to see the person underneath.
In the end I too was the fool. I missed the signs. I dismissed him like so many others. I too was fooled by the mask.
By the time I understood it was far too late. He had grown past the need for my acceptance and love. He had surpassed us all. It was too late to save him.
When the time came he made a greater sacrifice than any before him. He saved each and every one of us from the pain of death and torture. He gave his own life so that we could all be spared. He never achieved his dream. He did not become Hokage and he did not receive everyone's acceptance.
When he died he died alone and without our knowledge.
When we found him he was cold and still. The note he left behind told us of the demon's ever growing power and how the seal was breaking. He took his own life so that the fox could not harm us. He spoke of his love for us all and his regret for not being able to do more.
Fewer than twenty people stand beside me now. These are the few who understand. These are the other who feel regret for his loss. We know now what we could not see then. He needed our love, the one thing we denied him. No one besides us will remember him for the hero he truly was. His name will be carved into the monument and people will wonder what sacrifice that unknown ninja made. No one will remember the kind soul, born into pain, forged stronger by pain, and sacrificed in love.
We can see now what we did not see then. I think I see it better than any other. Those eyes. How they watched me. Perhaps he needed me more than the others. I was his teacher and I turned away from him so many times. I helped the stronger ones. The ones I felt had more promise.
No, Naruto was not a fool. That title belongs to me. I should have understood sooner.
What a beautiful soul he had behind the mask. He was stronger than us all. I will sorely miss him and I will always regret what might have been had I not been a fool.
-Fin-
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