"Dad?" Kakashi knocked on his door. "Dad, are you there?"

Sakumo opened the door, his eyes narrowing at the disheveled sight of his son. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Dad, we need to talk," Kakashi said, his voice filled with remorse.

Sakumo stepped aside, allowing Kakashi to enter. The room felt heavy with tension as father and son faced each other.

"What happened?" Sakumo demanded, his gaze piercing through Kakashi. "You won't be here in the middle of the night if nothing happened, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I messed up, Dad. I hurt Sakura."

Sakumo's expression hardened. "Explain."

Kakashi recounted the events that had transpired, from the growing distance between him and Sakura to the revelation of his infidelity. Sakumo listened in silence, his features stoic.

"And now, she's leaving. She's asking for an annulment," Kakashi finished, his voice filled with regret.

Sakumo's eyes bore into Kakashi's, disappointment evident in his gaze. "You betrayed her, Kakashi. You betrayed the trust she placed in you. What were you thinking?"

Kakashi lowered his head, unable to meet his father's eyes. "I don't know, Dad. Everything just spiraled out of control. It felt like when I married her, all of the excitement died. There was no more need to try and sneak my way into her room. It was like she's a challenge. She's so near yet I can't have her. When we wed, it all flew out of the window."

Sakumo shook his head, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "You're a fool, Kakashi. Marriage is not a game or a challenge. If I had known that everything is a game to you, I should have stopped her from marrying you. You're my son, Kakashi. But Sakura is like a daughter to me. You had a good woman in your life, and yet, you let her slip away."

Kakashi chanced a glance to his father. "Dad, if... if you weren't so strict before. If you hadn't made her so forbidden, it wouldn't come to this."

Sakumo's eyes narrowed, his tone firm. "Don't you dare shift the blame, Kakashi. You're responsible for your own actions. I made decisions based on what I thought was best for both of you during that time. I didn't anticipate that you would throw away a chance at happiness with someone as wonderful as Sakura."

Sakumo continued, his disappointment evident in every word. "Sakura deserved better than what you've given her. You had a woman who cared for you deeply, who dedicated her life to you, and you took that for granted. Now, she's leaving because of your own choices."

Kakashi, feeling the weight of his mistakes, clenched his fists. "Dad, I messed up. I know I messed up. I love her, and I don't want to lose her."

Sakumo shook his head, his expression stern. "Do you really love her, Kakashi?" he asked. "Or are you just saying that because the thrill of the chase came back?"

Kakashi looked at his father, a mix of frustration and remorse in his eyes. "I think… I love her, Dad." He shifted his eyes as he decided. "Yes. I really think I love her. I just... I got lost along the way. I need to fix this, but I don't know where to start."

"Think?" Sakumo's tone was stern, his disappointment evident. "Love is not something you 'think' about, Kakashi. It's a commitment, a choice you make every day. "If you 'think' you love her, then you better just let her go. She doesn't need you thinking that you love her."

"Dad, please." Kakashi implored. "Help me fix my marriage."

Sakumo sighed heavily, his gaze fixed on Kakashi's troubled eyes. "Fixing your marriage, Kakashi, is not something I can do for you. It's on you to make amends, to prove to Sakura that you are committed to rebuilding what you've broken." He gave his son a stern look. "And if you think, for one second, that I'll talk to her for you, you're mistaken."

Kakashi nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know, Dad. I need to do this on my own. I just... I need guidance, advice. I can't lose her, not like this."

Sakumo sighed again, his expression softening slightly. "Kakashi, love is not just a feeling; it's a series of actions. It's about being there for the person, supporting them, and making sacrifices." he said. "Loving someone is not about the thrill or chase. You don't just fuck somebody else when you're bored."

Kakashi winced at his father's words, the truth hitting him hard. "I messed up, Dad. I know that now. I just need to figure out how to make things right with Sakura. I can't lose her."

Sakumo sighed, his features softening slightly. "Fixing this won't be easy, Kakashi. You've broken her trust, and that's not something easily repaired. But if you truly love her, you'll have to prove it through your actions, not just words."

Kakashi nodded, a sense of determination flickering in his eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes. I can't lose her, Dad."

Sakumo's gaze bore into Kakashi's, a serious tone in his voice. "You should have realized that when she's still with you. If she asked for annulment from the elders, I'm not going to fault her. You love her from age six, as you claimed before. How can you let it come to this?"

Sakumo's words hung in the air, emphasizing the gravity of Kakashi's actions. The disappointment in his father's eyes cut deeper than any reprimand, and Kakashi felt a profound sense of regret for jeopardizing his relationship with Sakura.

"Dad, I messed up, but I'm not giving up on her. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right," Kakashi vowed, his voice filled with determination.

"Who is this woman anyway?" Sakumo asked. "That one that made you throw everything away?"

Kakashi hesitated, reluctant to reveal the identity of the other woman. "Dad, it's complicated. I don't want to drag her into this mess."

Sakumo's gaze intensified. "Kakashi, if you're serious about fixing this, you need to be honest. Secrets are what got you into this mess in the first place."

Kakashi sighed, realizing the truth in his father's words. "Her name is Mai. She's a kunoichi from the neighboring village. It started as a mission collaboration, and... things got complicated."

Sakumo's expression hardened. "You risked your marriage for someone you just met on a mission? You let a fleeting connection overshadow fourteen years of history with Sakura?"

Kakashi nodded, his guilt evident. "I know it sounds ridiculous, Dad. But she's... she's so innocent and she posed a challenged. I... I wanted the challenge, Dad."

Sakumo's disappointment deepened, and he shook his head in disbelief. "Kakashi, you've lost sight of what truly matters. Love is not a game, and it's certainly not a challenge. It's about commitment, understanding, and building a life together. You had all of that with Sakura, and you threw it away for a fleeting connection with someone you barely know." he sighed. "Is that her perfume that I'm smelling on you right now?"

Sakumo's question hung in the air, and Kakashi couldn't meet his father's gaze. The scent of Mai's perfume lingering on him was a stark reminder of the choices he had made.

Sakumo just shook his head in disappointment. "It seems like I don't even know you, Kakashi."

Kakashi flinched, he never heard his father used that tone on him or anyone else for that matter. "Dad..."

Sakumo remained silent for a moment, his disappointment palpable. When he finally spoke, his voice was stern and filled with a sense of reproach. "Kakashi, you've made grave mistakes, and the consequences are severe. Betraying Sakura, risking your marriage for a fleeting connection, and letting it come to this point—it's not what I expected from my son."

Kakashi lowered his head, unable to meet his father's eyes. The weight of his actions bore down on him, and the realization of the depth of his mistakes was sinking in.

"You need to face the consequences of your choices," Sakumo continued. "Sakura deserves better, and you need to prove that you're willing to change, to be the man she thought she married."

Kakashi nodded, his voice strained. "I know, Dad. I messed up, and I regret it. I just need a chance to make things right."

"Can you?" Sakumo asked. A question that Kakashi cannot answer.