Naruto Oneshots + Imagines

Cracks (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

When September 15th rolls around, Kakashi doesn't pay it much mind. In fact, he treats it just like he would any other day. Since the ANBU have him off duty, he wakes up early, eats breakfast, and goes to the training grounds to get some exercise in. After that, he heads back home, takes a shower, and goes on a stroll around the village in casual wear.

It's weird to think that he's twenty now. Things aren't much different than they were when he was nineteen. It's just another year that's passed by with no one to spend it with. He remembers his dad celebrating with him when he was really little with a small cake at the kitchen table and the 'happy birthday' song gently sung to him. He also remembers Obito, Rin, Minato, and Kushina trying many times to force him to celebrate with surprise parties, random gifts, and surprise dinners. He never reacted well back then, always scolding them and running off. Now, he wishes he'd accepted those birthday surprises a little more gracefully.

Currently, he's alone, but he doesn't mind that too much. No one to ambush him with surprise parties, no one to welcome him home, no one to scold him for not reminding them of his upcoming birthday. While part of him certainly misses those days, this lonely life that he's grown accustomed to is somehow easier.

It's a warm fall day. The light breeze that ruffles Kakashi's silvery hair keeps it from being too hot, but it's still warm enough that Kakashi can tell summer hasn't fully released Konohagakure from its grasp. The leaves on the trees are mostly green. There is the occasional one that's yellow or orange, telltale signs of how the weather will change in the next few weeks. It's peaceful and arguably the best birthday he's had since Minato and Kushina passed away.

...That is until he sees a flash of green, followed by an arm being wrapped around his shoulder. None other than Might Guy is now walking by his side and practically yelling in his ear.

"So, Kakashi... It's your birthday! What are your plans?"

Kakashi blinks and pushes Guy's arm off of his shoulder so he can put some distance between them.

"What..." Kakashi starts, then stops himself. He wants to snap at Guy and demand to know how he discovered what today was. He wants to run off and go lock himself away from the world in the confines of his tiny apartment. He wants to go to work. But then, he remembers all the times he pushed people away. He remembers all of his regrets and decides that this time, he should be kinder to this person who's clearly just interested in being his friend and learning more about him. "How did you even find out that it was my birthday? I've never told anyone that."

'At least not anyone that's still alive," He finishes the sentence in his head, but doesn't dare to say such morbid words out loud and risk ruining Guy's perpetually cheery mood.

"Oh, well, I had to do some digging!" Guy says with a loud, barking laugh while running a hand through his raven locks- which are still cut and groomed in that childish bowl-like hairstyle just like they were the last time Kakashi saw Guy a month or two ago.

"Digging, huh?" Kakashi mutters with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Lord Third is very helpful, y'know," Guy explains, and of course, that makes sense. Lord Third- that overly kind, people-pleasing man who has been trying to get Kakashi to work less and spend time with friends for years. Even if Kakashi had never told the old man his birthday directly, he knows it's in his personal file, which Lord Third unfortunately has access to. The fact that the Hokage would break so many rules about confidentiality for the sake of divulging his birthday of all things borders blasphemous to Kakashi, but he tries to ignore the agitation that bubbles up in his chest when he thinks about it too hard. "But anyway, what are your plans? Got a date?"

A date. Kakashi finds that prospect to be laughable. After all, who would want to go on a date with him? He doesn't really have any friends, even most of the people in ANBU hate or fear him because of his past. 'Friend-killer', they always whisper when they think he can't hear. Even if he couldn't hear, he sees the way they look at him, even behind their masks. He sees the way the people on the street are looking at him right now, too, like they could be next if they crossed him the wrong way. Which one of them would be stupid enough to want to go on a date with friend-killer Kakashi?