Symphony of The Fallen Crow {Itachi's daughter Story}

Act 7: Part 6

Knock

Knock

Knock

Mina stood in front of the wooden door to the rather house. It was quite large, despite only housing one resident. She straightened her posture as the door opened to reveal a man in his early forties (T̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶i̶r̶ ̶m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶e̶r). He blinked a few times in surprise, before awkwardly rubbing his neck.

"Ah, Mina-chan, hello. Sorry, I wasn't expecting guests." The girl pursed her lips with a sigh.

"I didn't want to bother you, Kakashi-san, but Uncle Naruto insisted I come to talk to you." By the end of her explanation, her face was flushed in embarrassment. The redness increased when he laughed at her, though it lacked maliciousness.

"Maa, I see. Well, come in, I suppose." He moved aside, dark eyes dancing with mirth.

Kakashi watched Mina's body language while she looked around the mostly empty living room. As he poured tea for the two of them, he took note of the underlying sadness, anger, and all of the emotions that didn't look quite right on a fourteen-year-old. He'd know because he'd felt that same way for much of his teenage years. Though it was uncertain the extent of what had happened to Minako on that fateful mission, he could only see his younger self in her. If Naruto had suggested she talk to him, then what happened probably matched up to his own experiences...her teammates probably...

"I hope you like green tea. Sorry, it was the only kind I had." the masked man explained, taking a seat on the couch across from her. Mina furrowed her eyebrows and grabbed the cup, gently swirling the warm drink around.

"It's not a problem," she replied, calmly. So, the unofficial therapy session began as Mina told Kakashi about that day, though it was rather awkward.

"... In the end, I killed the men who killed my comrades and yet, I didn't feel anything. Even now, knowing they're dead doesn't give me the satisfaction I desire. Maybe if they were alive and I could torture them properly..." she trailed off with a hard look. Despite the harshness of those words, the male could understand the desire for revenge all too well, but he also knows what happens when you become consumed by rage, especially for the Uchiha.

"You wouldn't feel any better. You'd feel the exact same as you do now, emptiness." Kakashi finished, giving her a knowing look. "Mina, something I've learned through all the years I've been living is that the hole in your heart is something other people can fill. If you reject your loved ones and this world... you will never find true happiness." The girl looked at the man with eyes full of wonder at his words and yet she noticed as his eyes filled with a familiar nostalgic sadness when he told her his story. As soon as he finished talking about his old teammate who had been alive for years without his knowledge, he looked at Mina and waited for her response. She only had one.

"You had every right to be angry, hate the world that seemed to hate you so much, yet you never went rogue. Why? How did you hold out for so long, Kakashi-san?!" Her eyes widened as he placed his hand on her ebony locks and softly ruffled them, giving her a closed-eyed smile.

"I kept going, Mina-chan. I had friends still in Konoha and I was still loyal to the village and them. Even though it took a lot for me to acknowledge the first part. I thought friends made you weak, but one can only be truly strong when they have someone to fight for." Images of a girl with crimson eyes, and a girl with red glasses floated through her mind along with a certain boy. How thankful she was that her best friend wasn't on that mission. Her mind wondered.

"M-mi.. na, I lo-love you-"

"W-what about Isamu-kun?" Mina brought her hand up to her eyes to wipe away the tears that began to build up on her lower lash line. The man leaned forward on his seat, bringing her attention back to him.