A Ninja's Path (Kakashi X Reader)

Chapter Thirty Five

"(Y/N)-sensei, wake up." Sasuke shook your shoulder gently.

You squinted your eyes open before sitting up. "Is it my turn to watch?"

The dark haired boy nodded before standing back.

You stood up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. "How is she?"

He shrugged. "Still bad."

You glanced over the sick pinkette. "She's gonna be okay. You'll see."

The dark haired boy shrugged. "I'm sure she will."

You walked over to her cot, taking a seat on the stool by her side. "Has Mr. Igaku left?"

Sasuke nodded. "About four hours ago. It's around three in the morning right now." He ran a hand through his hair. "Our watches have been about two hours each. Just so you know." The boy turned to head back to his sleeping bag.

"Sasuke, wait."

He looked back at you.

You pursed your lips, unsure of what exactly to say. "Well... all that's happened with Sakura... you've taken it the hardest, haven't you?"

The boy's expression went cold. "I don't know what you mean."

You shook your head. "You don't need to deny having an emotional attachment to her, we all do. She's our teammate."

The boy seemed conflicted on what to say. He walked back over to you, talking in a low voice. "I am not attached to anyone, okay? Especially not her." He had an intense look in his eyes.

You only chuckled. "It looks like someone is in denial."

His nostrils flared. "I am not."

You shrugged. "Whatever you say, Uchiha."

He sighed. "I... don't know what to think of her yet."

You raised a brow as he continued. "After that talk you had with her several days ago... she's changed. She... she's different."

"And you like her this way." You stated.

"What? No!" The boy's words were defensive, but his face deceived him, turning bright red at your words.

You smirked in triumph. "Sasuke, I think you're smitten with Sakura now that she's matured. You don't want to lose her."

The boy remained surprisingly quiet. Even so, he made no effort to elaborate on your theory, so you continued.

"It's okay to care about her, you know. We all need someone to love us. And we all need to love someone." You stood up, walking over to your dark haired student. "I know that you feel alone, but you don't have to be. We may just be team seven, but we are a family."

The boy backed away from you. "I... I don't care about stuff like that."

You shook your head. "Sasuke, you are the strongest genin in our village with so much potential. You possess the legendary Sharingan! But for all the power you have, you are still afraid of love."

He frowned. "You don't get it. I don't have time for love."

"Then why do you love Sakura?"

He glared at you. "I do not."

"Yes you do."

He clenched his fists. "You don't know me."

"I know that after your clan fell, you gave up on love. All the people you cared about were killed, so you felt that caring for others was a weakness. The only thing it results in is pain and suffering. But you're wrong. Love makes us strong, it gives us something to fight for. So what if we feel pain and grief? Love is worth it."