The Fourth
Disclaim: I don't own Naruto. If I did, so many things would be different. Like Naruto's sexuality.
Summary: The fourth represents so many things to different people everywhere. But what of the gang of Konoha? A drabble in an AU. Yonny-centric.
Begin Drabble
Kakashi woke up, and looked at his calendar. The day was the fourth of July. A day that meant independence, a day that meant freedom, liberty.
To him, the day was a sad reminder.
A reminder of the fourth leader of the elite gang. The number four stalking him all day, just to remind him of his awful past. The number four.
Four… four… four!
Kakashi couldn't take it anymore. It was as if society was mocking him, telling him he would be the only one to remember the fourth. No one else really cared. The only two that could possibly consider the pain he was feeling were dead.
And God knows the dead don't feel a thing.
So, Kakashi did what he knew was best.
He put on his black shirt, with the gang's symbol on it. He pulled on black cargos. He tied his black shoes. He wore black, polished shoes. He left his home.
However, instead of his usual routine meeting with the new leader, he slowly walked towards the old flower shop on the corner of the road, not caring if others saw him as weak for it.
After all, flowers showed you cared, even when you didn't, really.
"Hello…" The shop-owner's voice died mid-sentence. Kakashi couldn't blame the woman. After all, her husband had recently been killed in gang affairs.
"Could I purchase some lilies?" Kakashi asked, shoving a hundred dollar bill to the counter. "You can keep the change, if you like."
"Of course, sir!" the shop-owner exclaimed, greedily scooping up her cash, happy to receive some money. After all, one hundred dollars would pay for food for a week. Food and money were hard to come by, and no matter the customer, money was accepted.
Kakashi thought it sick how quickly the woman changed her mind and attitude, but he reminded himself of the gory facts.
"Here you go sir!" The shop-keeper smiled the worst smile ever, but at least tried.
"No problem. The best of luck to you and your daughter."
"Thank you. Have a nice day," the woman said, her voice breaking. Kakashi took that as his cue to leave.
"I will." With those words still fresh on his tongue, Kakashi left the store with the sad, lonely woman inside. He continued onwards to his destination.
As he walked, he walked by a small park. The little children were all playing, all so very happy. Kakashi wondered if that was a real childhood. One where your parents picked you up, and carried you home. Of course, he'd never known that. The closest thing he'd ever had to a father was six feet under.
He slowly continued onwards to his rightful place at that day and time.
Once he got to the place, he laid down the lilies.
"Happy birthday, Arashi-sensei," Kakashi whispered, kissing the grave. "I know you'd like better. We're all trying to not fight. We really are."
Kakashi paused. "But I guess you know just how it goes and goes, don't you? You know how people die out there. You know how they suffer."
With those words, Kakashi cleans up his teacher's grave. He arranges the flowers, and looks at the grave. He knows not to pray for the teacher's soul. If there was a loving, caring God this wouldn't have happened. He would be dead instead.
Later that day
"I swear, it's two hours already! Where is he?" Naruto asked his fellow teammates. "I'll kill the bastard if he's not here soon!"
"Ah, hello my students," Kakashi said, walking up to his children. Or at least, that's what he thought of them as.
"Gah! You're late!" Naruto and Sakura yelled at him.
"I suppose I am… I suppose I am…" Kakashi said to his students.
They all shrugged. Guess there's no excuse today.
Kakashi looked to the sky. Even if I act like it's a normal day, I guess it's not.
End Drabble
Dear God, what have I done? I think I made a bucket o' angst! o.o I feel so bad! I really, really do! But, I think this was my best one-shot as of yet. Well, either this or His Eyes. I think it was one of those two. Yeah… Leave a review, and tell me what you thought!
Yes, I do realize this was a four-page drabble written on the fourth, about the fourth hokage. I felt it in my bones to write a drabble about this. xD