October 10th, Midnight – Konoha's Cemetery
The soft rustling of grass blades played by the wind filled the slightly dark cemetery, which—unlike every other night—was now full of flowers and small lanterns.
The scent of orchids and mayflowers, mixed with the delicate perfume of incense, saturated the air. The cemetery, illuminated gently by the soft yellow glow of lanterns, carried an almost sacred calm.
There weren't many people inside at the moment. Kakashi sat quietly in front of a tombstone, gazing up at the sky, questioning what the right thing to do truly was. He had been like this since leaving Naruto's birthday party.
In truth, he had wanted to be elsewhere—beside another child who needed his care more than anyone. But Kakashi was a soldier, and a soldier must follow the will of his commander.
Three days ago, he was informed that he would no longer be allowed to approach or have any form of contact with the jinchūriki. There was no end date. No explanation.
He had, of course, protested the decision. But he hit unbreakable walls, even when he turned to Lady Biwako. She too said this was for the best—then busied herself with Naruto's grand birthday celebration, which involved countless clan leaders, officials, and even Master Jiraiya.
At the party, after giving his present and teasing little Naruto, Kakashi managed to pull Jiraiya aside and talk to him about Menma.
To his surprise, Master Jiraiya agreed with him—this isolation wasn't right. But he said that when the time came and Menma was mature enough to begin tail beast mode training, he would personally make it up to him.
Kakashi was stunned. As far as he knew, Kushina hadn't started official training with her bijuu until she was 18. Waiting that long… the day lily would long have wilted.
Disheartened, he left the party early and came here.
From time to time, the silence was broken by frogs croaking or the soft sobs of mourners. But Kakashi remained where he was, eyes blank, lost in thought.
Then he heard it: the sound of grass blades breaking under pressure. Soft, but laced with anger and power.
Only one person walked like that.
He picked up a fallen leaf caught by the wind and raised it in the air to catch the moonlight.
"Did he pass the test?" Kakashi asked without looking.
Lady Yoruusagi Uchiha stood nearby, her voice sharp, laced with suppressed fury.
"I went to that grand party at the village center—where every big shot in Konoha gathered—to find you. After all, you're the last living student of the Yellow Flash.
I waited for hours. Then I found out someone snuck out to their 'special place.' If I hadn't checked the cemetery—your usual hangout—I wouldn't have found you, mister cold-blooded killer."
"Ah… sorry to make you wait in pain," Kakashi replied lightly. "I couldn't handle being interrogated by elders about when I'm going to marry the young Uchiha prodigy. So I ran."
"Wha—what are you talking about?! Who would marry a dead fish like you?! And don't change the subject so casually…!"
Yoruusagi's voice faltered, and she exhaled. Seeing him so broken, she didn't yell. Instead, she sat beside him and gazed at the moon.
"He was looking for you," she whispered. "After the jungle test, it was obvious. He wanted to jump on you—muddy or not."
She paused, a small smile playing on her lips as she remembered the day they all got covered in mud.
"But when you weren't there… he tried to hide it, like he always does. But he's not a good liar. Unlike his brother dog..."
Kakashi's eye twitched.
He was shaken. He remembered making a half-hearted promise to take Menma around—knowing full well he wouldn't.
"I left a little raven behind," Yoruusagi continued. "A trained bird from our clan, to watch over him. After I left, he ran barefoot to the gates and stood there frozen… for a long time. Then he went to the training ground. And into the forest."
She hesitated, voice breaking.
"He spent hours deactivating traps—alone. Then he found a tiny animal in a tree. Tried to climb. Fell. Again and again. When he finally got the kitten… he fell hard. On his back. He didn't cry, Kakashi. But the pain… it was in his silence. He limped home alone. Then… he slept early."
She clenched her fists, fury and grief burning in her eyes.
"Why, Kakashi? Why do they treat him like this? He's a child. A jinchūriki. Shouldn't they fill him with love? Shouldn't they show him this village is worth protecting?!
Instead, they break him down—piece by piece."
Kakashi could feel the sheer force of her chakra as her Sharingan flared open, glowing violently.
He understood. She had only been with Menma for two months, but she had come to love him. She'd seen what others hadn't—his strength, his fragility, and the weight of the world on his small shoulders.
He released the leaf in his hand and watched it float on the wind.
"The jinchūriki doesn't need everyone's love," Kakashi said. "He only needs one person's love. One person who is trusted—controlled—and reliable."
"That's disgusting!" she spat. "They want to manufacture a relationship? Push a puppet to manipulate him?!
Do they even realize how intelligent Menma is?! That he can sense emotions and lies? He'll see through it immediately.
They're setting him up for disaster!"
Her chakra was boiling, pushing down on everything around her like a storm.
Kakashi gently tugged on her sleeve. She paused. He wanted to speak.
"I never reported it," Kakashi said quietly. "The fact that Menma can sense lies and emotions… the village doesn't know."
She was stunned.
"You didn't report—why?! That's… that's vital intelligence! He could help detect spies! It changes everything!"
"I don't know," Kakashi said, looking away. "It was out of character for me… maybe it was the name on the report.
Menma Uzumaki. Or maybe… it was the red hair.
For a moment, I just forgot to write it down."
Yoruusagi's breath caught.
"Kakashi… you've changed in my mind. I can say it honestly now."
She turned, rising to her feet. "I like you."
Kakashi blinked.
"Wait—what does that even mean—?"
But she was already walking away.
At the edge of the cemetery, she glanced over her shoulder.
"If he ever raises his blade against the village in the future… I'll stand by him. Even if he forgets me for what I did today.
And if you don't… I'll cut you down too."
Then she was gone.
Kakashi sat in silence.
Far away, behind the lantern-lit trees and the silence of falling leaves, a child was bandaging his bruises with a white kitten curled beside him—two souls left behind by the world.
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