All you need is love (Love Triangle)

Chapter 26

Fate and destiny are strange, nearly undefinable and incomprehensible concepts. There are people who claim you can change fate with your own two hands. But wouldn't that be your destiny, to be able to change fate?

Was it fate for Uchiha Itachi to kill his entire clan? Then wasn't it Sasuke's destiny to become an avenger and Naruto's destiny to stop him?

And Kakashi's destiny to be futile in the face of tragedy.

-…-…-…-

“What?! What did you say? You sent only rookies to pursue Sasuke?” exclaimed Kakashi, uncharacteristically rattled. He was aghast at Tsunade's incompetence - sending a bunch of inexperienced rookies against Orochimaru's cursed seal team was more than stupid, it was irresponsible. He had just heard, upon his return from escorting the traveling museum exhibit, that Sasuke had left the village.

Tsunade replied defensively, ”I had no choice with the state of the village as it is, but I made necessary arrangements.” She did not bother to explain to her subordinate that she had sent the sand genin team as reinforcements. After all, who was he to question the hokage's decisions? He didn't understand how she had to walk a tightrope between balancing internal and external affairs. Couldn't he see all the paperwork on her desk and all the scrolls piled up on the floor?

But none of that was Kakashi's concern. His concern was his genin. To hell with his next mission, he had to make sure those kids were all right. Kakashi turned away defiantly and was about to leave when Tsunade ordered, ”Your next mission has already been selected.” She held up a sheet of paper with a map, pictures of three wanted ninja, and "S class" at the top.

“I'll finish my business and come right back. Don't worry,” Kakashi said coolly, blatantly ignoring Tsunade's orders. That mission could wait. Those felons were not important, not right now.

Tsunade knew she could not stop him. In her heart, she empathized with Kakashi. She really wanted to go out herself and drag Uchiha Sasuke back by his ear and give him a good public spanking lesson.

Once outside, Kakashi's remaining genin called out frantically to him. “Kakashi sensei, it's already been two days since Sasuke left the village, but Naruto and the rest who are pursuing him haven't returned!” Sakura's voice wavered with worry. She had been waiting impatiently for her sensei's return since Sasuke left, hoping that he could do something.

Kakashi could see the desperation in the girl's blue-green eyes, which currently looked red and wet. “Yeah, I know roughly what's going on,” he said calmly, as if the situation hardly merited any attention.

“I…trust Naruto. I trust him, but if anything were to happen between those two…” she said, on the brink of tears again. What if one killed the other? What if neither one of them returned? Here she was, unable to do anything, just pathetically waiting for the outcome.

Her sensei placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled through his mask. “Don't worry, leave the rest to me,” Kakashi said with feigned confidence. He casually walked to the main gates of Konoha where he cut his hand with a kunai and performed the summoning seals. His loyal pack of eight nin dogs appeared before him in a great puff of white smoke. “I need you to scatter and track down Naruto's and Sasuke's scent,” their master ordered.