Gotten Over It

Chapter 32: Moving Past It

"Kagami!"

Sasuke spotted Kagami on the street and ran towards him excitedly, eager to speak.

"Kagami, you're amazing! You graduated early and became a Genin, just like your brother. How does it feel to be a Genin? It must be wonderful, right? After all, you're a real ninja!"

Kagami looked at Sasuke's excited face and realized Sasuke didn't know the full story. That made sense. Sasuke was still under Itachi's protection and hadn't encountered anything too brutal yet.

In Sasuke's mind, ninjas were still the bright, righteous figures many children imagined. Thinking this, Kagami smiled faintly.

"Of course, becoming a Genin is a great thing."

He wouldn't shatter Sasuke's current innocence. Sasuke's innocent days were numbered, and he wanted to preserve them for as long as possible.

Sasuke beamed.

"I'm so envious of you, Kagami. So many people at school look up to you as an idol. Oh, and that Naruto Uzumaki, he actually said he wants to defeat you! So arrogant. He'll never be able to defeat you, Kagami. Forget you, even I'm someone he can't beat."

"Who can say for sure?"

"It's a sure thing. I don't know why you always think highly of that guy, Kagami, but in my eyes, he's just dead last."

"Well, you're not wrong. He is dead last right now."

Hearing Kagami admit Naruto was dead last, Sasuke smiled naturally. Then, as if remembering something, he asked eagerly.

"Hey, Kagami, now that you're a Genin, you must have gotten really strong. Can you teach me Ninjutsu?"

Kagami paused, then shook his head.

"Sasuke, I have something to do. Maybe next time."

Sasuke puffed out his chest.

"Why are you becoming just like my brother?"

Kagami smiled.

"Ninjas are very busy, you know."

With that, Kagami said goodbye to Sasuke and continued on his way.

He did have something to do. Soon, he was supposed to meet Shisui at the training grounds. Shisui had been increasingly busy lately and didn't have time in the afternoons anymore. Kagami's training sessions with him had been moved to the evenings.

Kagami casually strolled through the streets for a while longer before heading towards the training grounds he knew all too well.

Not long after, Kagami arrived.

Shisui was waiting for him, as usual.

"You've been busy lately, Shisui-bro."

"Are you still thinking about that incident?"

Shisui looked at Kagami's calm eyes and couldn't help but speak.

Ever since the incident with Saito Daisuke and Suzuki Genji, Kagami had changed. His childishness had faded significantly, replaced by a sense of composure and tranquility.

Every time Shisui saw Kagami like this, his heart ached. While this composure was a good thing, what had it cost him?

It had cost him two lives. If possible, neither Shisui nor Kagami would have wanted such a trade.

"I can't forget it."

Kagami spoke calmly, without any apparent emotional fluctuation. Kagami knew himself that anger was useless. He needed to engrave that incident in his memory, to use it as a spur to become stronger! Stronger!

The past praise of being a "genius" had made Kagami a bit too complacent. Obito's appearance had brutally shown Kagami that he was nothing more than an ant in the ninja world, insignificant.

"Let's start training, Shisui-bro."

Shisui seemed to want to say more, but Kagami's decisive words cut off any chance of that. Shisui could only nod.

"Alright."

That night, after Kagami returned home, Uchiha Takashi came to his room.

"You've awakened the Sharingan?"

Kagami nodded.

"Yes, Father."

While Kagami was hospitalized, Uchiha Takashi and Yuko Uchiha had visited him often, but they had only offered words of comfort and no serious discussion.

Kagami had anticipated that Uchiha Takashi would come to him cautiously to discuss this matter after his discharge.

"Awakening the Sharingan at seven years old, you are exceptionally talented. However, to be honest, Father doesn't really want you to awaken those eyes."

Uchiha Takashi spoke, his pupils slowly turning red, eventually becoming blood-red eyes with three tomoe.

"Most Uchiha survivors of the war have these eyes, but I know very well what it costs to possess them. If you want to cry, then cry. I know it's painful to suppress it all the time."

Kagami smiled faintly.

"No, Father, I'm alright."

Uchiha Takashi looked at Kagami, as if he could see right through him.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

Kagami shook his head.

"I've already gotten over it."

"Is that so? That's good then."

With that, Uchiha Takashi got up and left the room.

After Uchiha Takashi closed the door, Kagami sat blankly on the tatami mat.

Doesn't it hurt?

Tears trickled down his face.

How could it not?!

But, in this time of conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha, did Kagami have time to wallow in pain? No, he didn't. He had to be like a heartless person, facing the deaths of his comrades and moving forward without a second thought.

His time was running out.

More and more tears fell. Perhaps, only when he was alone could he truly mourn for those two.

Uchiha Takashi stood outside the door, not having gone far. Hearing the faint sobs from inside the room, he silently shook his head and walked away.

Back then, on the battlefield, weren't they the same? Even if comrades died before their eyes, even if immense pain awakened their Sharingan, could they stop to mourn their comrades? No. If he stopped, enemy ninjas would surely deliver a fatal blow to his neck.

He could only sneakily weep at night, when he was alone.

Back then, Uchiha Takashi was on the battlefield between Konoha and other nations. Now, Kagami was on the battlefield between Konoha and the Uchiha. Neither of them had the right to stop and cry.

The next day, Kakashi came looking for Kagami, but Uchiha Takashi cursed him away with venomous words.

Kagami didn't say much when he found out. After leaving, he silently headed towards Konoha's training grounds.

That was where he and Daisuke and Genji had competed for the bells. He remembered.

When he arrived, Kakashi was indeed waiting for him there.

They both spotted each other immediately and looked at each other in silence.

Finally, Kagami spoke first.

"Teacher Kakashi, what did you want to see me about?"

Kakashi's gaze dropped.

"I... I don't deserve to be called your teacher."

Kagami shook his head.

"Teacher Kakashi, I don't think you called me here to talk about that."

Kakashi looked at Kagami with complex eyes and handed him something.

"This is for you."

It was a photograph. In the picture, Saito Daisuke was in the center, grinning foolishly. Suzuki Genji was on the left, smiling gently. And Kagami was on the right, looking expressionlessly at the camera.

This was a photo taken after they formed their team, but before they had a chance to distribute it, that incident occurred.

Kagami froze. After a long moment, he pushed the photo back to Kakashi.

"Teacher Kakashi, please keep this photo for now. I don't have the courage to face it right now, at least, not yet."

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