Chapter 3: Hokage's Guilt

Kakashi leaned against the cool, white walls, and with a bored expression, his mismatched eyes scanned the hallway of the place that he most ardently avoided under normal circumstances.

It was a rare moment of solitude for the famed shinobi. Usually, this part of the hospital was bustling with activity—nurses rushing from room to room, families anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones, and friends dropping by to offer support. But Kakashi had made it his routine to visit his former student early before the chaos of the day began. Yesterday, though, he missed that chance as he had to be at the Tower for an early mission briefing, so he had to join the others for an impromptu reunion, much to Tsunade's displeasure.

It was just unacceptable for him to conclude the day without a few moments of his self-imposed vigil beside her—much like how he can't go a day without paying a visit to Konoha's shinobi memorial to see his other former teammates. What can he say, he is a creature of habit. Or what is the old saying, old dogs can't learn new tricks? And when it comes to avoiding self-blaming for any unfortunate events that befall his comrades, Kakashi is quite unteachable.

As he stood lost in his thoughts, the sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention. Hyuuga Neji walked toward him.

"Hokage-sama," the Hyuuga greeted, his voice low.

"Neji," Kakashi replied, straightening up from his relaxed posture.

"You didn't have to come every day, you know."

"I know. And we will continue to have this morning conversation every day, you know, at least until we won't have to," Kakashi retorts with some amusement.

Silence once more joined them.

"She wouldn't have blamed you. I hope you know that by now," Neji offers.

"I know. But I don't think I've apologized enough to you both for what I had a hand in putting you through."

Neji shook his head, his expression firm. "It wasn't your fault, Kakashi-san. Sakura made that decision herself."

The older shinobi sighed, running a hand through his unruly silver hair. "I know, I know. But I can't help but feel responsible. I would never be able to live with myself if anything worse happened to her. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I wouldn't have sent her on that mission if I knew about her delicate condition."

Neji placed a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "You did what you thought was best. We all did."

There was a moment of silence between the two men, the weight of the situation hanging heavily in the air.

"My only regret is that I wasn't the one to go with her," Neji said quietly, his voice tinged with frustration. "I would have died fighting before they could have gotten to my wife."

Kakashi nodded in understanding, his gaze turning toward Sakura's closed door. "I would have joined you. But Sakura is the strongest woman I know. If anyone can fight a horde of rogue nin while carrying two of her comrades on her back, that would be her. She got this, Neji. She'll make her way back to us."

Neji's lips twitched in a small, grateful smile. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

Just then, the soft beep of a wristwatch caught their attention. Neji glanced down at his watch, realization dawning on his features.

"I need to go," Neji said, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Shiro must be awake by now, and I promised him we'll visit Sakura before anything else."

Kakashi nodded, his gaze turning back towards Sakura's room. "I'll stay and watch over her. I'm not expected at the Tower for another hour or two."

Neji's expression softened, gratitude shining in his pale eyes. "Thank you, Kakashi-san. I appreciate it."

With a final nod, Neji turned and walked down the hallway, his steps quickening with purpose. Kakashi watched him go, a sense of determination settling in his chest.

As he settled back against the wall, Kakashi's gaze drifted back to Sakura's room. He would stay here like a silent guardian until her precious ones returned. That's the least he could do.

A/N: Sorry, not much going on here. I just didn't know where to put this chapter. I messed up my outline, and now I'm going crazy. I already have chapters 5 and 6 down in the drafts and all, but I'm really struggling with chapter 4. I might delete and re-upload some chapters now and then until it feels right. Again, I'm sorry, and if you lose interest because of my indecisions, well, that's okay and pretty understandable. But I want to feel good about what I post too.

Also, standard disclaimer: Naruto, the manga, is not mine. But I sincerely wish it were because I wouldn't have killed Neji and would have given Sakura (and definitely Tenten!) a more fulfilling relationship than the one she had to settle for. I'm a SasuSaku shipper too, but the way that ship sailed was in all directions against the wind. Oh well. So, here I am feeding my delulu 10 years later lol

Please leave a review. It makes my day knowing someone is still out here reading this crack pairing.