One Day at a Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and make no money from this.

Day Fifty-Six: Living Memories

Meeting with Tsunade to give his report for their mission was not a task that Kakashi had looked forward to, for he knew he would have to go in detail about every little event that happened while they were away. The Copy Nin had honored his promise to his ex-student as expected, leaving out any hint that they had gotten far too close to one another during the time of their captivity.


The whole exchange left him feelings bitter, created a quiet rage that simmered in his gut as he spoke, threatening to explode by the time the last word rolled off his lips. After this, the silver-haired jonin desperately wished that he could leave this heartwrenching story behind him, to be brought back forth only if Sakura herself desired to speak of it. Living through it once had already been too demanding.

To recount all of it to the Hokage was the equivalent of watching the ordeal happen, still powerless to prevent any of it.

The air felt heavy around the Hokage and her subordinate, the tension between them weighing it down profusely. Neither had wanted to hear or talk about such matters, but their obligations forced them to.

"Kakashi..." The blonde sighed, rubbing the heels of palms to her forehead. "How is she? How is she, really?"

There was a long pause, as Kakashi evaluated the question and weighed his words carefully.

"I think she's having a hard time coping with it for the moment." He stated slowly. "She'll be fine with time, though."

"I hope you're right." The older woman mumbled, leaning back in her chair with her eyes downcast.

"I couldn't forgive myself if she's not okay."

"I know." The jounin replied with a certain coldness to his voice.

The feeling was mutual. Sakura was the person they both held closest to their hearts, after all.

"This'll be enough." The busy kunoichi sighed tiredly. "I'll be giving you two the month off, at minimum. I'll give you an update at that point."

With a quick nod, the Copy Nin spun on his heel and headed outside of her office.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his thoughts from straying to all kinds of scenarios. In some, the more enjoyable ones, Sakura miraculously recovered and returned to being a happy girl immediately. Some darker ideas included the exact opposite; that his beloved would never be okay again, that she would cry herself to sleep every night and fear every day.

In the end, there was simply no way to predict how the girl would react. No amount of frustration would change this fact. This left the jonin with the only option of being there for her in every way she required him to be.


Chapter Fifty-Seven: Click Here