Someone you loved

Chapter 19

Right now, the silver-haired Jounin waited patiently for his stubborn Gennin in front of a tea shop. Naruto and Sakura had promised him, they'd throw the Uchiha out of the hospital room if he didn't come willingly and he fully believed in his student's abilities.

Whilst waiting Asuma and Kurenai walked up to him. He hadn't seen them since shortly after the invasion when they had inquired about Chiasa's well-being, afterwards Asuma spent most of his time with his father and nephew, just like his pups and himself he wanted to be with the ones he loved.

"Yo! Hey there, you two," he greeted them casually. "You're so chummy... Are you on a date?"

There was an ongoing bet between the Jounin as to when the two would finally admit to dating each other and Kakashi, like the responsible shinobi he was, obviously participated. He had already won a small amount of money from smaller bets concerning the two.

"Fool. Anko asked me to buy her some dango," replied Kurenai blushing.

"What about you, what are you doing here? I thought you didn't like sweets and isn't Chiasa-"

"Well..." Kakashi sharply interrupted Asuma, giving a strained smile. "I came to buy something to put on a grave, so I figured I'd just meet up with someone here while I was at it. Sasuke, actually."

There was a sudden clink from inside the shop when Sasuke finally appeared with Shizu and Hiroki beside him.

Kakashi's worry only grew when he noticed the purple eyebags on his student's face. The pup was even more pale and frail than usual, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was missing sleep.

"Sensei? What are we doing here? I don't like Natto or sweet things," murmured Sasuke, frowning disapprovingly.

"Oh, really?" replied Kakashi with a false cheerfulness.

Now that Asuma and Kurenai were aware of the threat, his job was to get his pack to safety and that meant back to Chiasa's hospital room, which her sensei had fit up with barrier seals and Kakashi had put his own safety measures around. His apartment would have been the better choice, but the doctors refused to let Chiasa go, and he couldn't protect two places at once.

But apparently, he had underestimated his student as the Uchiha now eyed him confused.

"What's going on? You know exactly that I hate them."

The trusting look in Sasuke's eyes was what shook Kakashi's determination to keep the information of a certain visitor far away from his pack. Sasuke trusted him, he believed Kakashi would stay to his vow of pack and everything it entailed, and the pup needed that insurance now more than ever.

With his sister out of action, his main support had crumbled to dust and his first wall of defence was gone. Kakashi remembered just how exposed he had felt when his father had left him alone, how utterly weak and scared he had been. Minato had tried to shield Kakashi to the best of his abilities, to fill the void his father's death had ripped into his heart, but he hadn't been Sakumo. He hadn't had the instincts of a Hatake and Kakashi knew now that he had needed those instinct as a pup. It took only half an hour in the company of the two Uchiha for anyone to realise that Chiasa was everything to the boy and it reminded the Hatake painfully of his own situation.

Now that Danzo was more eager than ever to sink his claws into the Uchiha, Sasuke needed at least one soul he could trust blindly. He needed one person that would fight for him without another intention than having his well-being in mind. The Leaf was full of shadows that just waited for the right moment to drag their unsuspecting prey down, but Kakashi would never let that happen. He wasn't a burning star like Chiasa whose light kept the shadows at bay. He was a wolf, not resting until every shadow was torn apart and his fangs were painted with red.