Chapter 145 1 Family

"What else?" she asked.

Naruto shook his head.

"I've seen that look before."

"Before us?" she asked curiously.

He nodded, still looking at the stars, his hands behind his head. He didn't look sad, just lost in thought. "That's the look you get when you're screaming at the top of your lungs and no one's listening."

Sakura nodded, showing her understanding. Hinata didn't deserve to be treated like that, and neither did Naruto.

She looked up at the starry sky again.

"Will you let them hear it?"

Naruto nodded firmly.

"Start with Neji."

Sakura laughed.

"Do you think you can convince that stubborn guy to change his mind?"

"Hinata makes him uneasy," Naruto said. "She tries to change things he thinks can't be changed, but he's angry at his family. The problem is, he's not willing to step down and try to fight from the bottom."

Sakura nodded.

"Hinata said he was bound by 'fate'. I think he was just mad because he was a 'genius' and Hinata wasn't, but because of that stupid branching system of their family, it all made no sense."

"'A hawk trapped in a songbird cage.'" Naruto quoted, "That's what Shino said."

"Shino is very smart," she agreed. She turned to look at her companion, "If anyone can make him understand, it's you."

Naruto turned to look at Sakura and gave her a smile. She smiled back.

His smile faded and he fell into deep thought again.

"I don't think he's as much of a jerk as he appears," he said nonchalantly.

"how do you know?"

"Remember how Tenten scolded him after Gaara was carried away?" Sakura nodded, "He was worried about Gaara's injury until Teacher Gai told him that Gaara would be fine."

Sakura blinked in surprise.

"He didn't seem worried at all."

Naruto nodded.

"I know if I didn't have this special ability, I wouldn't have noticed. But I could clearly sense that he was radiating worry on the other side of the arena."

Sakura shrugged.

"Okay, so he's not such a jerk. But you still have to beat him, right?"

"Of course."

Sasuke quietly listened to his teammates' conversation until they all fell asleep.

They lay on the boulders as comfortably as if they were lying on soft futons.

There was an idea that had been swirling in Sasuke's mind for months, tumbling over him every day and slowly becoming clearer.

Now, the thought had risen to his throat, eager to be spoken out, and he didn't know whether it was fear or hope.

He remembered his father, whose stern eyes always looked past him and away, as if he didn't exist. He remembered his mother, whose tenderness and comfort were always short-lived and perfunctory.

And Kakashi never put his hands on his head, but on his shoulders, not to hold, but to steady, to give him strength, but not to force.

Kakashi's eyes never wandered, but held him tightly, whether he was blaming or praising. He would look Sasuke in the eye and speak his mind, whether good or bad, without any preaching or expectations. He would correct him, guide him, and never say a compliment that was not earned. His comfort was not empty words, but a nod, a soft question, or a gentle touch of his hair.

Over the past few months, Sasuke had come to realize that Kakashi was more like his parent than his biological parents.

He still missed his parents, but he no longer longed for the voices and smiles he had almost forgotten.

He no longer needed them, Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura gave him something more precious.

It was a horrible and secret thought, he thought, he hoped, that Kakashi-sensei would understand.

"Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi turned his head, and under the sparse starlight, his one eye looked particularly bright.

"what happened?"

"We are a family, right?"

Kakashi was stunned. He looked down at his student, and Sasuke's eyes were full of expectation and hope, which made his heart tremble.

He had thought about it for a long time. They were his responsibility. He would take care of them, teach them, and protect them. But the word "family" had become taboo for him. He had experienced so much loss that he dared not hope for it anymore.

But then again, he was not the only one in this world who had a family and lost one.

If Sasuke, a child who had been traumatized, who had been devastated by loss, could say the word "family" with ease, then he should be able to do the same.

"Except for not being related, yes," he whispered, pouring out all his emotion.

Sasuke nodded quickly, as if he'd already expected the answer and just needed to hear Kakashi say it in person.

His eyes were wet, but he tried hard not to let the tears fall. He was always so stubborn and proud.

But he still leaned closer to Kakashi and nudged him gently in the ribs with his elbow.

Kakashi would rather be hit by him than move an inch.

Then, Sasuke said softly:

"Who cares about blood?"

Kakashi hugged his student tightly, and he could feel his eyes starting to heat up.

“Whatever happens tomorrow,” he whispered, trying to control his voice, “I’m proud of you.”

Sasuke didn't answer, he just hugged him tighter and buried his head under his chin.

What he didn't say was that he also felt the moisture in Kakashi's eyes.

He just lowered his head and hugged him back harder.

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