It is now dawn as we head towards the Hidden Sound Village. Utter silence is all that surrounds us. Am the only one who doesn't understand? Maybe everything that happened back at the campsite was just out of pity. Occasionally Senpai glances back at me; I guess to make sure I am still here? Who knows… It doesn't really matter anyway.
We can see the Village just ahead. We crouch down behind a small hill and watch. For hours. It is tediously mind numbing and after a while I even feel myself start to doze off. I finally get half a mind to say something to him about how absurd this is to just be sitting here, but the infuriating man just has to beat me to it.
"I think we have waited long enough," Kakashi-senpai says as he stands up and looks at me, "I am going to go take a look around the village, and you are going to stay right here."
"What? I am not going to just let you go off on your own. We are supposed to be a team. Remember? A team. Or did you suddenly forget all of the missions we have done together just because of last night? How about you put your stupid ego aside and let me help you?" I say in total exasperation of myself. I was so angry. And I let it come out all at once.
"Excuse me? Who do you think you are? We may be a team but I am still the captain. Whatever I tell you to do, you do it," Senpai yelled right back at me.
We were now just yelling at each other for the sake of yelling. And to be honest, I don't even think either of us was yelling over the mission anymore. Everything was all one big mess. How can he expect me to let him waltz on into an unknown area alone and be okay with that? Where was the Senpai I used to know? The one who used to trust me to have his back? And that's when the tears began to fall. I wasn't afraid of crying in front of this big idiot. We had both seen each other cry before. However, this time was different. I just didn't want to show him my weakness right now.
But his expression changed immediately. He was no longer the angry, chip-on-his-shoulder Senpai. He was the Senpai I remembered. The one I fell in love with.
Kakashi crouched down and put a hand on my cheek. He wiped my tears and kept his eyes locked in mine. "Tenzou, to have made you cry makes me the biggest idiot in the world." Without saying another word, he leaned in to kiss me. Was I confused? Yea. Did I care anymore? No.
"My kohai, we should probably focus on the mission now. Let's talk when it's done." He stood up, gave me a faint smile, and without another word, was gone.
"Is this how we should focus on the mission Senpai?" I yelled into the air. I had only seconds to attempt to find him before it would be hopeless. Damn you Senpai. What kind of team do you call this? I jumped up and disappeared into the trees. I knew enough about tracking thanks to ANBU to be able to find him.
It took some effort, but after a few minutes I was finally able to narrow it down to a 10 mile radius. He was somewhere nearby. I managed to calm myself down long enough to stop and listen. I have been with him for so long that I can sense where he is. All I have to do is focus.
"Listen for his footprints Tenzou," I say to myself.
After a brief moment, I lock on to his movements and dash to his side. But I was seconds too late.
There were bodies everywhere… And blood. There was so much blood. I glance over to my left and I see Senpai lying on the ground. I was too late. He had somehow scouted out a cell of rogue ninja, that I had missed, while we were up on the hill. He knew what kind of danger he was getting into knew when he left. Everything he had done up to this point was to protect me. Now it was my turn to protect him.
I run to his side and pick him up off the ground, there was no time to assess how injured he was or whether or not he was even still alive. All I knew was that I needed to save him. I take him off to the side of the village somewhere I know he will be safe. But just as I am turning to go back to fight, a hand catches my arm.
"Ten..zou.." Senpai barely muttered my name. But I knew what he meant.
"Senpai. Stop talking. I know you are sorry, as you should be," I say trying my hardest to smile rather than cry. I don't think I have ever seen him in this bad of shape. It should have been me. It's always me.
"Ten..zou. Please, listen... to m-me. I'm sorry because I.." Senpai was drifting in and out of consciousness and I had to give him a little shake to bring him back.
"Hey, Senpai! Wake up! You aren't going to die on me yet you idiot."
"Who said anything about dying?" He smiled his same old smile at me, "I love you too." Kakashi-senpai muttered out those last words just as he drifted back unconscious. Those ninja better believe I wont forgive them for this. I lay him back down in the grass and give him one final glance as I disappear into the trees.
I charge headlong into the battlefield. Not sure of anything other than what I left behind. This was just supposed to be a routine mission. That's what they told us. But I knew better than that from the very beginning, didn't I?