The classroom was even quieter than it had been the day before.
Kakashi sat in a corner like a little iceberg. He wasn't reading or putting his things in order. He just sat there, perfectly still.
The students around him tactfully steered clear of his area, as if an invisible barrier surrounded it.
Kakashi remained silent all day.
When the dismissal bell rang, he was the first to stand. He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed straight out.
Shin-chan quickly packed up his things and ran after him. "Kakashi, wait for me."
"What?" Kakashi stopped and looked back at him.
"I'm walking with you."
"We're not going the same way."
"We are today," Shin-chan said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kakashi glanced at him without saying a word, then turned and kept walking.
Shin-chan followed behind him.
They crossed streets and alleys, and finally reached the gate of the Hatake Household Yard.
Kakashi pushed the gate open and went inside.
Shin-chan followed him in.
Kakashi stopped and turned to look at him. "Why are you following me?"
"I came to play at your house."
"I didn't invite you."
"I came on my own." Shin-chan blinked. "Is that a problem?"
Kakashi fell silent for two seconds, then was about to speak.
The living room door suddenly opened.
A figure stood in the doorway, with silver hair and a familiar silhouette.
But his face was different from the one Shin-chan remembered.
His eyes were sunken, his beard unkempt, and his face was etched with exhaustion and hardship. His eyes seemed veiled in dust, with not a glimmer of light in them.
Hatake Sakumo stood there, looking at the two children in the yard. His voice was weary. "Kakashi, you're back."
Kakashi lowered his head without saying anything.
Shin-chan raised a hand and waved enthusiastically. "Silver Haired Uncle, you're back!"
Sakumo looked at the child in red, at his radiant smile, and suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Yeah, I'm back."
Shin-chan ran over and looked up at him.
"Uncle, you look really tired. My dad looks like that whenever he comes back from a mission, too. Mom says he just needs to get some sleep."
Kakashi stood by the door, watching them. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
Sakumo looked up at his son.
"Kakashi, go make some tea."
Kakashi hesitated, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Only Sakumo and Shin-chan remained in the living room.
Sakumo looked at the child in red before him, his gaze complicated.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"Did you... come to play with Kakashi?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "He's unhappy, so I came to keep him company."
Sakumo was taken aback.
"You noticed he was unhappy?"
"Yeah," Shin-chan said. "He hasn't said a word all day."
Sakumo fell silent for a while, then sighed softly.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"You're Kakashi's friend, right?"
"Of course." Shin-chan nodded. "We're in the same class, and we train together."
"Uncle wants to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
Sakumo looked into his eyes. His voice was quiet, with a faint tremor that was difficult to notice.
"From now on... please look after Kakashi."
Shin-chan didn't quite understand. "Look after Kakashi?"
"Yeah." Sakumo nodded. "You're one of the few friends he has."
Shin-chan thought it over, then nodded earnestly.
"Okay, I'll look after him."
"Thank you." Sakumo smiled for the first time in a long while.
Shin-chan tilted his head. "Uncle, if you want me to look after him, why don't you look after him yourself?"
Sakumo was silent for a long time before he finally said softly, "Because... Uncle might not be able to look after him forever."
Shin-chan blinked.
"Why?"
Sakumo didn't answer. He simply looked out the window, his gaze vacant.
Seeing him like that, Shin-chan suddenly remembered something.
"Uncle, is this because of that mission?"
Sakumo's body trembled slightly. "You heard about it, too?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Everyone's saying you failed the mission."
Sakumo fell silent.
Shin-chan continued, "But I don't think you did anything wrong."
Sakumo froze.
"What?"
Shin-chan spoke earnestly. "Grandpa Third Hokage said the Will of Fire means protecting the people who matter and safeguarding the village. Teacher Ibuki also said that sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself to protect your comrades."
He looked at Sakumo, his eyes bright. "You saved your comrade and sacrificed the mission. Isn't that the Will of Fire?"
Sakumo opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Shin-chan continued, "Besides, you've completed so many successful missions before. Even though you failed this time, surely all the earlier ones add up to a lot more than this one, right?"
He counted on his fingers, but couldn't work it out, so he gave up.
"Anyway, I think you're a good person, Uncle."
Sakumo stared at him in a daze.
For the past two days since returning to the village, all he had heard was criticism.
He had failed the mission and caused the village losses. He had betrayed everyone's trust. Those words were like knives, cutting into his heart one wound at a time.
Even the comrade he had rescued avoided his eyes, unable to meet his gaze.
Nobody had said he'd done the right thing.
Nobody had said he'd done well.
Everyone had said, "You were wrong. You shouldn't have done that. You should have put the mission first."
But now, a five-year-old boy stood before him and said what none of the adults had, in the plainest words.
"You... think I did the right thing?"
"Of course." Shin-chan answered as if it were obvious. "What's wrong with saving someone?"
Sakumo fell silent.
Shin-chan continued, "Besides, you taught me Blade Techniques and gave me a Wood Sword. You've always been so nice to me. Good people shouldn't do anything wrong, right?"
Sakumo looked at him, and suddenly his eyes began to sting.
He lowered his head and covered his face with one hand.
Shin-chan was startled.
"Uncle, what's wrong?"
"Nothing... I'm just... a little happy."
Shin-chan blinked.
"If you're happy, why are you covering your face?"
Sakumo didn't answer. After a long while, he lowered his hand. "Shin-chan, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For saying those things."
Shin-chan tilted his head, not quite understanding.
Kakashi stood at the kitchen doorway with a tray of tea in his hands. No one knew how long he'd been there.
"Dad."
Sakumo looked up at him.
"Yeah?"
Kakashi walked over and set down the tea. "The tea's ready."
Sakumo nodded.
Shin-chan suddenly said, "Kakashi, your dad just told me to look after you."
Kakashi paused, then looked at his father.
Sakumo awkwardly turned his face away.
Shin-chan continued, "I said I would, so from now on, when you're unhappy, you have to tell me."
Kakashi was silent for a moment, then softly said, "Yeah."
"Then it's a promise." Shin-chan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Mom said I have to get home early today. We're having Fried Shrimp tonight."
Sakumo looked at him, his gaze gentle.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"Come over to play more often."
"Okay!"
Shin-chan walked to the gate, then stopped and turned back to wave at them.
"Bye, Uncle! Bye, Kakashi! See you tomorrow!"
His red figure disappeared outside.
The house fell silent.
Sakumo sat where he was, gazing toward the doorway. For a long time, he said nothing.
Kakashi stood beside him, looking in the same direction.
After a long while, Sakumo spoke softly.
"Kakashi."
"Yeah?"
"You have a good friend."
Kakashi didn't say anything, but his gaze fell on the sunset by the doorway.
It was as if that red shadow were still there.
Before you continue