The classroom was even quieter than it had been the day before.
Kakashi sat in the corner like a little iceberg. He wasn't reading, and he wasn't organizing his things. He was just sitting there, perfectly still.
The other students all tacitly avoided that patch of space around him, as if an invisible barrier surrounded it.
For the entire day, Kakashi didn't say a word.
The moment the dismissal bell rang, he was the first to stand up. He slung his school bag over his shoulder and headed straight out.
Shin-chan hurriedly packed up his things and chased after him. "Kakashi, wait for me."
"What?" Kakashi stopped and looked back at him.
"I'm walking with you."
"We're not going the same way."
"We are today," Shin-chan said with total confidence.
Kakashi looked at him for a second, said nothing, and turned to keep walking.
Shin-chan followed right behind him.
They crossed the streets, passed through a few alleys, and went all the way to the gate of the Hatake house.
Kakashi pushed the gate open and went inside.
Shin-chan followed him in.
Kakashi stopped and turned around. "Why are you following me?"
"I came to play at your house."
"I didn't invite you."
"I invited myself." Shin-chan blinked. "Is that not allowed?"
Kakashi was silent for two seconds and was just about to say something.
Then the door to the living room suddenly opened.
A figure stood there in the doorway, silver hair, a familiar outline.
But that face was no longer the same as the one in Shin-chan's memory.
His eyes were sunken, his beard unshaven, and his face was full of exhaustion and weariness. Even his eyes looked dim, as though all the light inside them had been covered over by dust.
Sakumo Hatake stood there looking at the two children in the yard, his voice full of fatigue. "Kakashi, you're back."
Kakashi lowered his head and said nothing.
Shin-chan raised his hand and waved enthusiastically. "Silver-Haired Mister, you're back!"
Sakumo looked at the child in red, looked at that bright smile on his face, and for a moment didn't know what to say.
"Yeah. I'm back."
Shin-chan ran over and looked up at him.
"Mister, you look really tired. Every time my dad comes back from a mission, he looks like that too. Mom says all he needs is one good sleep."
Kakashi stood by the doorway, watching the scene. His mouth moved slightly, but he still said nothing.
Sakumo raised his head and looked toward his son.
"Kakashi, go make some tea."
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Only Sakumo and Shin-chan were left in the living room.
Sakumo looked at the little boy in front of him, his gaze complicated.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"You... came here to play with Kakashi?"
"Yep." Shin-chan nodded. "He's unhappy, so I came to keep him company."
Sakumo froze.
"You noticed he was unhappy?"
"Yeah," Shin-chan said. "He didn't say a single word all day."
Sakumo fell silent for a while, then sighed softly.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"You're Kakashi's friend, aren't you?"
"Of course." Shin-chan nodded. "We're in the same class, and we train together too."
"There's something I want to ask of you."
"What is it?"
Sakumo looked into his eyes. His voice was very soft, with a faint tremor hidden inside it.
"From now on... take care of Kakashi for me."
Shin-chan didn't quite understand. "Take care of Kakashi?"
"Yeah." Sakumo nodded. "You're one of the very few friends he has."
Shin-chan thought about it, then nodded seriously.
"Okay. I'll take care of him."
"Thank you." For the first time in a long while, Sakumo smiled.
Shin-chan tilted his head. "Mister, if you want someone to take care of him, why don't you do it yourself?"
Sakumo was silent for a long time before finally saying softly, "Because... I may not be able to keep taking care of him."
Shin-chan blinked.
"Why not?"
Sakumo didn't answer. He just looked out the window, his eyes empty.
Shin-chan looked at him like that, then suddenly remembered something.
"Mister, is it because of that mission?"
Sakumo's body trembled ever so slightly. "You heard about it too?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Everyone's saying your mission failed."
Sakumo was silent.
Shin-chan went on, "But I think you didn't do anything wrong."
Sakumo froze.
"What?"
Shin-chan said earnestly, "Grandpa Third said the Will of Fire means protecting the people important to you and protecting the village. Teacher Ibuki also said that sometimes, to protect your comrades, you have to sacrifice yourself."
He looked at Sakumo, his eyes shining. "Mister, you saved your comrades and sacrificed the mission. Isn't that the Will of Fire?"
Sakumo opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Shin-chan continued, "And besides, you completed so many missions before this one, right? So even though this one failed, if you add up all the others, that's way more than just this one failure, isn't it?"
He started counting on his fingers, but after a while gave up because he couldn't figure it out.
"Anyway, I think you're a good person, Mister."
Sakumo stared at him blankly.
In the two days since he had returned to the village, all he had heard was blame.
Mission failure. Loss to the village. Betraying everyone's trust. Those words had cut into him like knives, over and over again.
Even the comrade he had saved wouldn't meet his eyes, always dodging his gaze.
No one had said he was right.
No one had said he had done well.
Everyone kept saying, You were wrong. You shouldn't have done that. The mission should have come first.
And now, a five-year-old child was standing in front of him, using the simplest words imaginable to say what none of the adults had said.
"You... think I did the right thing?"
"Of course." Shin-chan said it like it was obvious. "What's wrong with saving people?"
Sakumo fell silent.
Shin-chan went on, "And besides, you taught me swordsmanship, and you gave me a wooden sword. You've been really good to me. If a good person does something, then it probably can't be wrong, right?"
Sakumo looked at him, and suddenly his eyes began to sting.
He lowered his head and covered his face with one hand.
Shin-chan jumped in surprise.
"Mister, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing... I'm just... a little happy."
Shin-chan blinked.
"Why are you covering your face if you're happy?"
Sakumo didn't answer. After a long while, he lowered his hand. "Shin-chan, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For saying those things."
Shin-chan tilted his head, not really understanding.
At the kitchen door, Kakashi stood there holding the tea tray. No one knew how long he had been standing there.
"Dad."
Sakumo looked up at him.
"Yeah?"
Kakashi walked over and set the tea down. "The tea's ready."
Sakumo nodded.
At that moment, Shin-chan suddenly said, "Kakashi, your dad just asked me to take care of you."
Kakashi froze and looked at his father.
Sakumo awkwardly looked away.
Shin-chan continued, "I already said yes, so when you're unhappy from now on, you have to tell me."
Kakashi was silent for a while, then quietly answered, "Okay."
"Then it's settled." Shin-chan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, Mom said I have to get back early today. We're having fried shrimp tonight."
Sakumo looked at him, his gaze gentle.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"Come visit often from now on."
"Okay!"
Shin-chan walked to the door, then stopped and turned back around, waving at them.
"Bye, Mister! Bye, Kakashi! See you tomorrow!"
The red little figure disappeared through the gate.
The room fell quiet again.
Sakumo sat there, looking toward the doorway, and for a long time didn't say anything.
Kakashi stood beside him, also looking in that same direction.
After a long while, Sakumo finally spoke softly.
"Kakashi."
"Yeah?"
"You have a good friend."
Kakashi didn't answer, but his gaze remained fixed on that patch of sunset light by the doorway.
It was as if that little red silhouette was still standing there.
~~~
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