And I Struggle: Epilogue
Sipping at his cooling tea, Ich-Icha Paradise in hand; Kakashi was relaxing as he waited for his adoptive great-nephew to show. Setting his glass down, he ran a liver-spotted hand over his pug's graying coat. The dog sighed in contentment. Kakashi had never thought he'd be one to enjoy retirement and old age, but all this time to spend doing idle activities like reading, sitting and whittling was still novel even after a year and a half of it after retiring from being a shinobi and a Hokage.
He heard footsteps clacking on the wood floors of the hall, a moment later, the door to his sun room slid open. "Hibiki," he greeted.
Coming around, a sea-foam green eye gentled. "Uncle," he murmured.
Putting his book down, Kakashi brought his hands together. "Have you come to your decision? Do you still want it?"
The young brunette bit his lip. It reminded Kakashi of Sakura, but she'd died years and years ago; her son and his wife following suit last year. "I still hate to take your friend's gift...but if you're sure, I'll take the sharingan."
Curving his visible eye in a smile, Kakashi reached across the small table to squeeze the youth's shoulder. "Good boy," he told him. "I'll give you the summoning contract for the Hatake ninken along with the book tomorrow."
"I-thank you uncle..." uncomfortable, the boy's hand flitted to his covered eye. "I really can't thank you enough for giving me a new eye. After last year..."
"You thought you'd never be a great ninja," Kakashi supplied quietly.
Staring determinedly at the table, Hibiki nodded. "I couldn't protect dad-not mom and they-they almost killed me too."
His hair, jaw, lips, nose, cheeks and so much of him looked like his mother; but not that eye, not that expression. It was his father's, his grandmother's-Sakura's-"You're father would be proud, your grandmother too for dealing with everything so well."
A faint smile, bitter and sad, eclipsed his face. "Not mom though," he murmured.
Kakashi sighed. Ima had never cared for her son's dream to be a ninja. She had wanted him to take over her family's shop. To be safe and live a quiet life. "She'd be proud, after all this she'd have to realize you can fulfill your dream. You can be a great ninja, just like your father and just like your grandmother." The old man insisted, hoping Hibiki would understand.
A lone iris of green drifted to Pakkun dozing in his lap. "Right," he murmured. Kakakshi knew he didn't believe him (that was okay, someday he would).
Hibiki realized upon waking he was not alone. Casting his eye to the person in the chair next to his bed he frowned. It was his teacher, Fumi. "Sensei," he greeted.
The woman's severe eyes slanted further as she pursed her lips. "You went through with it." She remarked.
The boy had never cared for his instructor. Now, though, he liked her even less. "It was my decision."
"I told you it would set you back, that eye is a leach kid."
Struggling to sit up despite how dizzy it made him, Hibiki put made sure he was at eye-level with the woman. "Uncle has written me a book, it will help me." Gaze darting to the empty bed across from him, he implored; "Where is he anyway? I thought he was going to be put in the same room as me...?"
"Just down the hall, actually; a surgery like that puts a lot of stress on an old man's body." Her tone wasn't quite accusing, but the youth still did not like it.
Throwing back the scratchy, starched sheets; Hibiki put himself on his wobbly legs.
"Hibiki!" Fumi shrieked, lunging at him to keep him from collapsing on the floor. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Stubborn, the boy extracted himself from his teacher. "I'm going to see uncle."
"God let me get a wheelchair then, alright?"
He shook his head. "I'm going to walk."
"Sure, okay Hibiki;" Fumi sneered. "It's not like you just had surgery!"
Shuffling a step forward, the youth ignored her. "Goodbye Fumi-sensei."
"Alright, alright! Let me lend a hand at least? I don't want to have to call a nurse to pick your ass off the hall floor, okay?"
Just a little triumphant, the brunette relented. "Okay sensei," he agreed.
"Jeez kid..." Fumi sighed, "You got a stubborn-streak like nothing I've ever seen..."
Hibiki didn't say anything in response, but he felt good. Everyone always told him how stubborn his dad was. But they often said it in such an admirable way...someday, he hoped people would speak similarly of him.
Coming into his uncle's room, he was surprised by how many machines were hooked up to his weathered frame. Approaching quietly with Fumi supporting most of his weight, Hibik leaned in close.
"Uncle?" He whispered.
His ears as sharp as ever, a lone eye opened. "Hibiki," he greeted; "How are you?" Eye curving.
"I'm feeling good," he told the old man.
Eye closing as he exhaled, Kakashi smiled. "Good..." shaking hand leaving his side to grip the youth's he murmured; "I was worried the eye would be a bit too much for you." Taking his hand back, he stare rolled to the wall opposite of him, he said; "Now that I see it won't be a problem, I think I can rest."
Confused, the youth inquired. "What do you mean uncle?" Fearful of the answer he would get.
"I've been alive a very long time...longer than all the other ninja of my generation. You remember Genma? He was the last surviving member of my starting class at the Academy. I think it's time I follow his lead..."
Fear gripping at his heart, Hibiki snatched back his uncle's hand and squeezed it. Hard. "You can't," he insisted. "Please," he begged. "I need you."
Smiling Kakashi reached up to trace his lone green eye. "I've left you not only the book, but my estate, the Hatake summons and this-my last advice."
"A good ninja knows to follow the rules, but a great ninja knows when to break them." Sighing softly, he murmured with half-lidded eye. "Remember that, alright? That's the Kakashi Hatake secret to success."
"I love you uncle, don't leave me all alone!" Hibiki cried as he saw the old man's eye shut.
Squeezing his nephew's hand, he breathed; "I'm not...I'll watch you, watch you become that great ninja from the sharingan...always know that Obito and I will be watching your back..." and with one last exhale, the great Copycat nin was gone.
Machines beeping and blaring, medics rushed in; vainly attempting to rescue the retired Hokage. Crushed, Hibiki didn't fight Fumi-sensei's arms as they wrapped around. Sobbing into her vest, he heard his uncle's words echo in his head;
A good ninja knows to follow the rules, but a great ninja knows when to break them.
Hibiki would live by those words. He'd become the great ninja he promised to be.
And things get shorter and shorter...:P ah well. I really hope you found the ocs alright, this is very far set in the future and I wanted Kakashi to be passing on the torch to a new generation. Also, I want to say sorry if you didn't think And I Struggle needed a epilogue! It seems to me to be the best way to advertise my newest fics! ;)
I have posted the first chapter to my latest fic (as voted for) Quietly which centers on the growing relationship between Kakashi and Ayame.
I have also poste Tdbank316's prize fic for being my fifteenth reviewer.That fic is called A Most Memorable Night and is about a sleepover Kakashi and Obito have at Minato's place.
Thanks to reviewers, Harvestangle99, YamiB1999, VampireDoll666, The Goliath Beetle and Prescripto13; you guys are so wonderful and I hope I'll see you again in my next fics :)
Thanks for reading And I Struggle, please review!
P.S. I have a poll on my page, but unlike the past few times, it isn't for picking the idea for my next Naruto fic. This time, it's about picking which fandom I should write my next multi-chapter fic in. It's not that I'm tired of Naruto, I just want to stretch my wings and give something else a go. Take a look, maybe there's a fandom you like and you'd enjoy seeing me write a fic in it!