A/N: Chapter 27 has arrived! Sorry if this update is later than others, I had a busy day today. Thanks for your patience!

I don't own Naruto.


Chapter XXVII: Precious Scars

"Wait, you mean he can leave today? As in, he's all good to go?" Naruto asked with excitement.

Tsunade nodded as she carefully removed the bandages covering Sasuke's eyes. "He's recovered at a rather surprising rate. His body hasn't rejected the eyes, either."

As she removed the last of the bandages, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi gathered around Sasuke, who sat upright in his hospital bed. His eyes were still shut after Tsunade removed the wrappings, his eyelids and the surrounding part of his face showing no signs of scarring from the surgery.

Sasuke was put on bedrest for five days following the rather impromptu operation. With Tsunade being the one to carry out the surgery and serve as his primary caretaker, he recovered quickly and with no issues. The Hokage noted that one likely possibility for his speedy recovery could be the fact that the eyes he received were from his brother. She surmised that sharing the same blood type probably helped, too.

"Alright, Sasuke. Can you open your eyes?" Tsunade prompted.

The Uchiha heir slowly opened his new eyes. They were the same onyx color as before and looked essentially identical to his old eyes. Sakura and Naruto tilted their heads, studying their friend carefully and searching for any indication that he really did have Itachi's eyes in his head. Kakashi merely held his half-lidded gaze on his student, who met the inquisitive looks of his friends.

"Follow my finger," Tsunade instructed as she held up her painted pointer finger. Sasuke followed with his eyes as she moved it from left to right, up and down, and diagonally. Like Naruto, he found himself able to see more clearly. Everything was sharper, and details were clearer than before. Tsunade then had him practice shifting focus from one finger to another, keeping a close watch on how his eyes responded.

"Any problems?" She prompted.

Sasuke shook his head. "None. I can actually see clearer than before, surprisingly."

"That's not too surprising. Naruto had a similar experience. The real test will be activating your Sharingan. Try it," the Hokage instructed.

With a nod, Sasuke took a breath and activated his dōjutsu. His onyx irises shifted into crimson, while the three tomoe manifested. To his surprise, even his Sharingan felt sharper and clearer. He didn't even feel the usual drain on his chakra, even if it was small. Now, it almost felt as if his Sharingan were just another natural state of his eyes.

He was brought out of his ruminations by Tsunade. "Can you still see alright? Any pain, fatigue, excessive chakra drain?" She glanced between him and the clipboard as she made notes.

"I can see just fine. No pain, no fatigue, and I can't even feel the chakra drain. It's almost like I don't even have the Sharingan active at all," Sasuke answered. Tsunade hummed and jotted down more notes.

"Alright. I'd like to try something, if that's alright with you. I want you to try and activate the Mangekyō Sharingan, just to see if you're still able to activate it and to see what sort of differences there are," Tsunade explained.

Sasuke pressed his lips together. "Is that really alright? I only just got the bandages off; would it be too much strain on my eyes?"

"If this did what it was supposed to do, then it shouldn't be. If you don't feel comfortable just yet, then that's alright," she reassured.

Sasuke spared a glance at his friends, who both nodded before he gave his own nod and took a deep breath. His Sharingan was still active, unbeknownst to him. Focusing his chakra, his eyes morphed into the crimson, six-pointed pinwheel of the Mangekyō.

Sakura let out a gasp, while Naruto's jaw went slack, and Kakashi's visible eye widened. Even Tsunade approached him to have a closer look. Sasuke recoiled slightly at everyone's reactions, wondering if something was horribly wrong. The clarity of his vision improved further, the sharpness rivaling the previous triple tomoe state of the Sharingan. That and the feeling of a slight drain on his chakra were the only indicators that he'd successfully shifted his eyes into the Mangekyō state.

"Uh, is…something wrong?" Sasuke asked with trepidation.

"Can you still see? Do you feel any pain? Any drain on your chakra?" Tsunade probed.

"Yes, no, and only slightly," Sasuke answered curtly. "Seriously, is something wrong? You're all looking at me like something horrible happened."

The Hokage took a step back, jotting something down onto her clipboard as she spoke. "Nothing's wrong, just different. But I think you ought to see for yourself. Sakura? Would you mind?"

The kunoichi in question gave a nod before weaving a few hand seals. An ice mirror appeared in front of the Uchiha heir, finally letting him see what had everyone so surprised.

The difference was subtle, but it was there. His crimson pinwheels were the same, but there was a new, distinct shape present in his iris: a black, sharp, three-pronged pinwheel that surrounded his pupil. Sasuke's breath hitched. The three prongs were no doubt a result of being given Itachi's eyes, whose own Mangekyō resembled a three-pronged shuriken.

He stared at the eyes that looked back at him, realization setting in that the operation was truly a success. The same eyes that watched the slaughter of his clan and his family were now implanted in him. He shook his head, dispelling those thoughts. This was all for the sake of getting stronger. Stronger to stand with his friends and to protect those he held dear.

Sasuke was brought out of his thoughts again by Tsunade, who was tucking her clipboard under her arm. She turned back to the four shinobi. "Alright. Everything seems to be normal, or at least as normal as can be with an ocular transplant. Sasuke's body appears to be adapting perfectly to the eyes. Thankfully, it hasn't rejected them, and he doesn't appear to be having any difficulties seeing."

The Hokage got to work disconnecting the IV and other monitors that were still attached to his body. After handing him his clothes, Sasuke swung his legs over the side of the bed and went to change out of his hospital gown in the bathroom. Upon his return, Sakura enveloped him in a hug, while Naruto and Kakashi both gave a fist bump.

"Hey, you think you feel up for some stuff?" Naruto prompted with a chipper tone.

"Depends on the stuff," Sasuke answered as he stretched his arms.

A smirk tugged at Naruto's mouth. "Just some stuff at the training ground," he said with nonchalance.

Sakura shot her blond friend a questioning look, which Sasuke mirrored.

"As much as I think training is beneficial, perhaps it would be best if Sasuke eased into it," Kakashi reasoned. "After all, you did the same thing, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. But he doesn't have to do much if he doesn't want to, right? Besides, I kinda wanted to show him something more than anything," Naruto explained. An idea popped into his head just after he finished. "Actually, do you think you'd be able to come, too, sensei? I think you might be able to help."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow, considering the request before nodding. "Alright. I'm assuming you'll tell me more when we get there." He turned to the younger kunoichi in the room. "Will you be joining us today?"

Sakura then turned to Tsunade with a pleading look. The Hokage gave a nod, which was received with a smile.

"Great. Let's meet at the training ground in an hour. See you three there." With a wave of his hand, Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"So, should I wait or head home to get ready?" Naruto asked.

"Go on ahead, I should be out soon," Sasuke answered.

Sakura turned a concerned gaze towards the Uchiha. "You sure you don't need help getting home?"

"I'm sure. I'm not completely helpless, you know," Sasuke retorted, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Sakura merely stuck her tongue out at him, earning a snicker from Naruto.

"Alright, you two, I need to get Sasuke formally checked out and then he'll meet you," Tsunade said. Just as the two tokubetsu jōnin turned to walk out, Tsunade spoke up again. "Oh, just so you're aware, there'll be a meeting about the Chūnin Exams soon. ANBU will notify you."

Naruto and Sakura gave a nod before heading out. The Hokage turned her attention back to Sasuke, who waited with his hands in his pockets. "There's not much by way of actually checking you out of here. I just wanted to make sure you got these." She produced a small jar full of a pale green solution. His old eyes bobbed up and down, suspended in the fluid. "You said you wanted to preserve them for safekeeping, so I made sure to minimize the damage."

Sasuke stared at the eyes as she took his hand, placing the jar into his open palm and closing his fingers around it. "Keep them safe. You and I both know there are people in this world who would do unspeakable things for them."

He caught the hidden meaning behind her words. Swallowing hard, he gave a single nod as he held the jar securely. "I will. Thank you again, Lady Tsunade. I appreciate all you've done for me."

The Hokage huffed good-naturedly. "Don't worry about it, Sasuke. I've already finalized your checkout, so you're free to head on home. It's best not to keep the brat waiting. You know how impatient he can be." She finished on a mirthful note.

Sasuke let a smile cross his lips as he nodded and gave one last bow before heading out.


With the jar stashed in a sealing scroll, Sasuke entered Training Ground Three, finding his team and Konan already there. He wasn't exactly sure why the azure-haired woman was there, but he figured since she was Naruto's instructor nearly as much as Kakashi, she probably wanted to see what he was up to. His teammates sat cross-legged on the grass, while Kakashi and Konan stood close by.

"Hey! There you are!" Naruto called as he sprung to his feet.

Kakashi and Sakura sent warm smiles his way, while Konan gave a nod with her own small smile.

He returned each of their greetings with a smile of his own. "Yeah, yeah. Now what is it you wanted to show me, anyways?"

In response, Naruto quickly produced a brush and a slip of paper. Sasuke's brow furrowed, knowing where he was going with this. Everyone else watched on with varying levels of confusion and curiosity.

Naruto carefully wrote out the familiar seal. Kakashi's visible eye widened as he suddenly recognized the seal and the jutsu it belonged to. Once he finished, Naruto scampered over to a tree and set the tag down on the ground in front of it before returning to the group.

"I think I got it. I made sure to apply all the basic fūinjutsu techniques that I read about in those books and scrolls." The blond cracked his knuckles before taking a deep breath. "Alright, here goes."

Naruto put his right hand up into the Seal of Confrontation, focusing his chakra. Everyone watched on with bated breath as the seal glowed blue in the distance. After a brief moment, a pop was heard. A small, pitiful cloud of smoke could be seen rising from the seal.

Naruto's jaw hit the floor as everyone else offered sympathetic expressions. Sasuke couldn't help but heave a sigh while Sakura placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I…what the fuck." Naruto normally tried not to swear around Sakura or his instructors, but his frustration was palpable. "I did everything I was supposed to. I've read that scroll I don't know how many times. What gives!" He raked his fingers through his blond spikes.

Kakashi cleared his throat, bringing Naruto back to reality. All three of his students looked at him expectantly. "Do you want my advice, Naruto?"

"Please. I feel like I'm bashing my head against a wall here," the blond whined. He wore an exaggerated frown.

"Well, firstly, you said you've applied the fūinjutsu basics you've read about, yes?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "I know this jutsu works with seals, so it should've worked, right?"

"Well, in theory, yes. But tell me, what makes this jutsu unique?"

The blond scratched his cheek as he collected his memories. "It's…a space-time jutsu?"

"That's right. Now, consider this: you were using fūinjutsu techniques on a seal that is part of a space-time jutsu," he reasoned. He was met with blank stares from his students. Not even Sakura was able to connect the dots.

Konan couldn't help but giggle. For all his prowess as a shinobi, she wondered just how he managed as a sensei at times, if this was how his lessons usually went.

The silver-haired jōnin let out a sigh. "Alright, that didn't stick like I thought it would," he muttered. "Let me ask you this. Since this is a space-time jutsu, do you think a seal created with the mindset of, say, a storage seal would work?"

Naruto scratched his cheek once more, while Sasuke and Sakura also considered the prompt. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess it wouldn't," Naruto answered. A question popped into his head. "So, if normal fūinjutsu techniques or whatever wouldn't work, what would?"

Kakashi hummed. "Well. Sensei never went into details, but I did observe when he performed it. The best advice I can offer is to think of the seal like a door to a hallway that you open with your chakra."

The blond snapped his fingers, a smile brightening his face. "Oh! So that's what the scroll was talking about!"

The rest of Team 7 let out a collective sigh of exasperation.

"You mean you've been reading that over and over again and it never clicked?" Sasuke asked, completely incredulous.

Naruto shrugged before rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess not." His posture straightened, a determined smile appearing. "But I think I really got it this time! Lemme try again."

He produced another slip of paper, taking a deep breath and making sure each stroke of the brush was deliberate and as precise as possible. He kept the words of his sensei and his father in mind: the seal is a door to a hallway that you open.

With one last stroke of the brush, the seal was complete. He focused his chakra into it to finalize it before jogging over to a different tree and setting it on the ground. He rejoined the group, who all watched him expectantly.

Naruto took another deep breath. "Alright. Here goes." He focused his chakra and raised his hand into the necessary seal.

Before anyone knew it, Naruto disappeared in a blink of orange light. Sakura and Konan gasped, while Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes grew impossibly wide. Across the way, Naruto reappeared in front of the sealing tag, and was whooping as loud as he possibly could.

The blond bolted back towards his friends. "Holy shit! It worked! I did it! I did the Hiraishin! I did it! Holy fuck I did it!"

Konan's mouth hung open as the three younger shinobi celebrated. Kakashi immediately took notice. "Are you alright?"

It took her a moment to find her voice. "That jutsu. Why does that seem so familiar?"

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "You've seen it before?"

"No, but I could swear I've heard of it. Though, it's been a while…" Her mind meandered through her memories. Realization struck her. "That jutsu was used by the Fourth Hokage during the Third Shinobi World War, wasn't it?"

The training ground fell deathly silent at the mention of the Fourth. Konan felt three pairs of eyes on her. She turned to meet their gazes, though the younger shinobi all wore unreadable expressions.

Kakashi cleared his throat, speaking quietly. "It was. It earned him the moniker 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha.'"

Konan glanced between the masked jōnin and the most recent user of the Hiraishin. "I don't mean to be rude or pry, but how did you obtain this jutsu in the first place?"

"He…he was my father," Naruto said rather meekly.

The azure-haired woman froze. "You're…the son of the Fourth Hokage?"

The blond in question nodded. "Granny gave me a scroll that he left. It had stuff about the Hiraishin in it. I guess I kind of wanted to be the next generation, if that makes sense. Y'know, father passing his son a signature jutsu type of thing." He rubbed the back of his neck, offering an awkward smile.

Konan let a small smile grace her features as she nodded. "That makes sense. I think it's noble, in a way, for you to carry that on. I'm certain once you're more proficient in it, it'll be an invaluable tool."

Kakashi brought a hand to his chin. "I did notice something interesting just now, actually." Naruto turned to his sensei; his head cocked. "Your 'flash,' so to speak, was orange, as opposed to yellow like Minato-sensei's," Kakashi explained.

Naruto's brows shot up. "Really? Orange? Like, orange like I used to wear?"

"That's right. It was quite interesting actua—"

"Ha! That's amazing! I knew orange was my favorite color for a reason, y'know!"

Sasuke and Sakura groaned, while Kakashi merely smiled awkwardly.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei. I was reading in my dad's scroll that he used these weird kunai. Is that really true?" Naruto asked.

"It is. He would throw them and move to where it was, whether it was mid-air, stuck into a tree, or on the ground," Kakashi answered.

The jaws of Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto dropped as they marveled in unison. "Whoa."

"I'd heard of 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha,' but seeing the jutsu that earned him that name firsthand is certainly different from hearing about it," Konan remarked. She turned to Naruto. "Your father's moniker was well-known. Enough to where Nagato, Yahiko, and I heard about it. Of course, we never saw it firsthand. Ame was one of the few villages not directly involved with the Third Shinobi War, you see."

A sad smile crossed Naruto's face. "I guess he was pretty famous, huh?" He turned back to his sensei. "Do you think it'd be a good idea to get some of those kunai that my dad used and use them myself?"

Kakashi brought a hand to his chin. "Well. It would, but unfortunately, I don't know if there are any left. And if there are, I'm afraid I don't know where they would be." Seeing Naruto's posture deflate, the silver-haired jōnin couldn't help but sigh. "Actually, there is one." The blond immediately perked up, an expectant look on his face as Kakashi continued. "I have it at home. Minato-sensei gave it to me a long time ago. It's…sort of a memento."

Naruto's face immediately lit up. "Really? You have one? Does it really look as weird as it does in the scroll?"

"Yes and yes," Kakashi answered plainly.

The blond was about to bombard his sensei with more questions before Sasuke spoke up. "How exactly are these kunai special? I didn't even know there could be different types of kunai."

Sakura brought a finger to her chin. "Are they kinda like how fūma shuriken are compared to regular shuriken? Or something like that?"

"Not quite. Unlike these kunai, you can find fūma shuriken in just about every well-stocked shop that carries ninja tools. To my knowledge, Minato-sensei had his kunai custom made," Kakashi explained.

"What did they look like, anyhow?" Sakura wondered.

The older jōnin quickly produced a kunai, gesturing towards the part of the blade closest to the bandage-wrapped handle. "The most obvious difference is the fact that his kunai had two sharpened prongs here." He dangled the weapon from the pommel ring, pointing to the handle. "The kunai we're used to have cloth wrapped around the handles, but sensei's had wooden handles. It let him mark them with his Hiraishin seal. Apart from that, I think it may have offered him a better grip."

As his students stared at the kunai dangling from his finger, no doubt trying to imagine what the weapon would look like in person, a thought occurred to him. "You know. If you'd like, I could show it to you."

The trio's eyes widened and snapped to the silver-haired jōnin. Konan's eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"Could you really? That would be awesome!" Naruto cried.

"Of course. Remind me: none of you besides Sasuke has been to my apartment, right?" Kakashi prompted. Naruto and Sakura shook their heads. "Ah, I see. Alright then. Well, follow my lead. Might as well head there together."

"Are you sure, sensei? We really don't want to intrude," Sakura said.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all, really. It's been awhile since we've spent time together anyhow, don't you think?" He finished with one of his signature masked smiles.

Sakura returned the smile before nodding. As Kakashi turned to lead the way, he shot Konan a look that told her she was invited as well. Though taken aback at the impromptu invitation, she nodded in acceptance and joined him in making their way out of the training ground.


The wonder of setting foot into Kakashi's apartment was lost on Sasuke, having been there before his surgery. However, Naruto and Sakura couldn't help but marvel at the bookshelves, picture frames, and the dog bowl. Even Konan had to admit that Kakashi kept a nice home.

Being the gracious host that he was, the older jōnin served his guests their tea before excusing himself to retrieve the kunai in question. Naruto couldn't help but notice that Konan joined them both at the training ground and now here at Kakashi's apartment. He had an idea as to why, but to avoid being sent through a wall by Sakura—or worse, Konan—he bit his tongue and kept that thought to himself. Though, he'd mention it later to his friends.

Kakashi returned with the weapon, which was wrapped in a linen cloth. His guests stared with bated breath as he set it gently on the table and uncovered it. Everyone's eyes widened as they beheld the strange kunai. The two prongs resembled wings with a sharpened leading edge. The entire blade itself looked to be the same length as a standard kunai, if just a bit longer. The wooden handle bore the Fourth Hokage's Hiraishin seal, in his own writing.

Naruto's breath hitched. "This…this was my dad's?"

"It was. He gave it to me. It was a gift from when I was promoted to jōnin," Kakashi answered quietly.

The blond reached for the weapon, pausing as he remembered his manners. "Can…can I hold it?"

Kakashi nodded. "Of course."

Naruto wrapped his fingers around the wooden handle and picked the kunai up, adjusting his grip to cradle it in his hands. "It's lighter than it looks. It even feels about the same as a regular kunai." He adjusted his grip once more, holding as he would if he were in combat. A small chuckle escaped him. "It feels…natural. Almost like I was meant to hold this," he mused.

Everyone else watched with small smiles as Naruto marveled at the weapon a little longer. A thought popped into his head as he set the weapon back onto the cloth it was wrapped in. "Hey, sensei. You said my dad gave you this as a gift. Did your teammates get this when they made chūnin or anything?"

Kakashi froze, a far off look in his eye. At the silence, the younger members of Team 7 turned to him, their faces showing a mix of concern and puzzlement.

Sasuke was the first to break the silence. "Sensei?"

He took a deep breath, turning his gaze to his students. "No, they didn't. Minato-sensei gifted it to me only."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura could tell that mentioning Kakashi's teammates caused something to resurface. Remembering a past conversation, Naruto decided to speak up. "Sensei? Can you tell us about your teammates?"

Taking another deep breath, Kakashi went through his memories. It had been years since he spoke of Obito and Rin to anyone, but deep down he knew that his students deserved to know.

"Naruto's father was our sensei," he began. "There was me, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha." Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of his surname as Kakashi continued. "We knew each other in the academy. I graduated a year ahead of them, but we were eventually put on the same team.

"Rin was our medic, and a great one, at that. Obito was hotheaded. He was always trying to prove his strength to anyone and everyone. He even wanted to be Hokage one day. I never paid much attention to anyone, now that I think about it. I tried to focus on my own skills, my own training.

"Minato-sensei subjected us to the same bell test that you all took, believe it or not. He even said that our teamwork was lacking. Truth be told, Obito and I butted heads quite a bit. We never really got along too well, but we learned to work together as a team quite well. Or so I thought. We were later promoted to chūnin, and we were soon sent on a mission to aid in the Third Shinobi War."

The far-off look returned to Kakashi's visible eye. "We were sent to destroy a key bridge. Rin…she was captured by Iwa shinobi. They were trying to interrogate her, but she didn't break. Obito and I rescued her. We beat back the Iwa nin, but not without casualty. I lost my left eye, and Obito was crushed by a boulder. His dying wish was that I protect Rin, and that she give me one of his eyes to replace the one I lost. That's how I got my Sharingan.

"The war dragged on. Rin was captured…again, but we never found out by whom. I managed to find her, but she was hysterical, saying that she had a Tailed Beast sealed into her—the Three-Tails. We were chased down by Kiri ANBU." Kakashi took another deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Rin said she knew why she was made a jinchūriki. She said she was meant to be a living bomb. Once she made it back to Konoha, the Three-Tails was to be released to wreak havoc on the village."

He stared down at the table, his voice low. "She asked me to kill her, to protect the village. I refused. I made a promise to Obito to protect her, and I fully intended to keep that promise. But…despite my refusal, she jumped in front of my Chidori. She impaled herself on my arm. The last thing she said was my name."

The apartment fell silent as Kakashi once again collected his thoughts, still staring at the table with a far-off look in his eye. "They both died because of me. My friends, who I didn't realize were my friends until they were gone." His gaze finally lifted to his students, who were watching him with soft eyes. He focused on Sasuke. "That talk we had on our training trip. The one where you said I didn't understand loss. Do you remember what I told you?"

Sasuke merely nodded.

"Everyone I cared about is dead because of me." Kakashi let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I just hope you understand why I wanted to make sure you three knew that your comrades were the most important thing as a shinobi."

Silence fell over the apartment once more. Kakashi returned his gaze to the table, his thoughts dwelling on his late teammates. With a start, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He turned to see a head of pink hair resting on his right shoulder. He opened his mouth, but no words came to him. Not a moment later, two more pairs of arms worked their way around his left side—these belonging to Sasuke and Naruto.

Kakashi fought the tears that threatened to spill over as he let his eye shut. He reached up and pulled his students closer to him, which only made them tighten their embrace. No words had to be said for him to understand: these strong, young students of his cared for him just as much as he cared for them, if not more so. He never admitted it aloud, but these three had become his most precious people.

Konan watched on, stifling her own tears. Kakashi knew loss just as much as she did, and she couldn't help but feel her heart ache for him. She wasn't sure why, but she felt compelled to join his students in the group hug. She pushed that thought down, knowing it wasn't anywhere near appropriate for her to do so. She would offer her words of consolation later.

The younger members of Team 7 let Kakashi go after a long moment, making sure that they got their message across. As they sat back down, the older jōnin wrapped the kunai back up and excused himself as he returned it to his room. The group sat quietly as they continued drinking their tea, which had cooled considerably, before Kakashi rejoined them.

Another silence settled over the apartment, though this one felt a touch more awkward than the previous ones. True to form, Naruto was the one to break said silence.

"Thank you, sensei, for showing me that kunai. And for telling us about your teammates. It means a lot to me—to all of us," he said with sincerity.

Kakashi nodded, his eye crinkling slightly with his masked smile. "Of course, Naruto. Thank you for coming by. It was nice to have company."

"Thank you for having us, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura responded, rising from her chair to place her now empty teacup in the sink. Naruto, Sasuke, and Konan followed suit, offering their gratitude to their gracious host.

Kakashi saw them to the door, once more offering his congratulations to Sasuke on his recovery. "No training scheduled from me. Take some time to rest and recover, Sasuke. If you want to train on your own, you can. I'll see you all at the jōnin meeting. Make sure you're ready for it."

With that, he bade his students a good evening. Konan, who had been quiet until now, lingered just behind the threshold, waiting for her chance to speak with Kakashi alone. He turned and met her soft amber gaze.

They watched each other in silence for a moment, waiting for the other to say something. Konan broke the silence first.

"Thank you for having me," she said with a small bow. He responded with a nod as she straightened. She averted her eyes as she spoke quietly. "I…I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I may not understand fully, but I know how it feels to lose people you care about." She tried to contain the light dusting of pink on her cheeks as she pressed on. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but I hope you know that I count you as a friend, as well."

Kakashi fought to keep his own exposed cheek from turning pink. "I—thank you, Konan. I greatly appreciate that." He cleared his throat, trying not to fumble his words. "The same goes for you. Thank you for coming." He finished with a small bow before seeing Konan out.

Once everyone left, Kakashi plopped himself down onto the couch, staring off into space. Kakashi Hatake wasn't one to be caught off guard, but Konan seemed to be doing a lot of that since she arrived in Konoha. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive, but her telling him that she considered him a friend was another matter entirely.

He would never admit it to himself, much less out loud, but he was developing an attachment to the azure-haired woman. As much as he tried to deny it, his heart skipped a beat when she said she cared for him, even if it was just as a friend. He wasn't sure how or when these feelings had taken hold, but they did.

Kakashi heaved a sigh. If he were a drinker, he'd be downing a bottle of sake to take his mind off things. He opened up his favorite "romance novel" instead.


A/N: Honestly, writing sappy moments between Team 7 is good for the soul. It makes sense to me that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke would care about Kakashi as much as he cared about them. Not only that, I definitely think they're the people he would open up to about his past, since they're pretty much like his family at this point. Having Konan there is just a bonus. Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 28 is in the works!