On the rooftop of Konoha Hospital, Kakashi Hatake stood alone by the railing, gazing into the distance. The sky beyond was gloomy, and beneath it, Konoha lay gray and hazy under a thin mist. No matter how hard he tried, he could not see clearly into the distance.
In fact, there was no focus in Kakashi's eyes at all.
He was confused, but it was more than confusion. In these brief one or two years, Kakashi had lost almost everyone close to him—first his teammates, then his teacher... Just as Kakashi in his twenties no longer possessed the sharp techniques of Kakashi in his teens, Kakashi in his teens also lacked the maturity and composure of his older self.
At a time like this, no one knew whether they should let Kakashi be alone for a while or take the initiative to go over and comfort him.
Then someone else arrived on the rooftop.
There was the light, uneven sound of unsteady footsteps, along with the sharper clatter of something hard striking the ground... The person who arrived on the rooftop was Yuhara, with "two feet and a crutch."
After seeing Kakashi standing there, Yuhara looked slightly surprised... The other man had probably come here to visit someone, he thought, as he walked toward him.
Yuhara did not know whether Kakashi had noticed him approaching from behind. In any case, Kakashi did not turn around. However, as Yuhara drew closer, Kakashi seemed to raise a hand and wipe at his eyes.
Regardless, Kakashi Hatake was only fourteen years old... At fourteen, he could still be saved.
"Many times, I think those in high positions are merely highly symbolic figures. The so-called 'sacrifices' around us are the ones who are truly alive. Looking back now, that way of thinking was somewhat