Video Call § Private to Sasuke

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's expression is resigned. Tired. He hasn't been getting much rest, as he's been working on creating a stronghold for Konoha with quite a lot Doton jutsu. He looks a little run down. Worn. And there's dirt smudging his vest, lightly streaked against his mask

Comments

[a_for_tiori]

[Obviously Sasuke has been watching the Hitomi, and has seen all the things happening on it. The thing is with him all the time, even when he tries to leave it somewhere or break it or throw it away.

He stares for a long moment, focused on Kakashi's one eye, the way it has narrowed the way it does when Kakashi is deadly serious.

Sasuke tilts his head slightly, in a way that can either mean "so what?" or "go on," depending on how you read it.]

[ura_no_ura]

Would you come... [ And he doesn't say home, because Konoha isn't home to Sasuke, and hasn't been in years. Sasuke lost his home a long time ago. ] back to Konoha?

[ It's hard for Kakashi to ask for help, but he knows that Konoha needs it. ]

[a_for_tiori]

[Sasuke frowns. Back to Konoha?

He doesn't want to go back to Konoha. Not even a little bit. He has not even the vaguest desire to go back and see that place, not even if the most familiar aspects of it are no longer around. And he certainly doesn't want to see his former comrades.

No. Not interested. Why would Kakashi even ask?

He closes his eyes, and snorts, a short, irritated exhale.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi expected this. But that doesn't make it any less difficult. He knows that they don't deserve Sasuke's help. Knows they don't deserve his trust, either. With all that Sasuke's been through -- it's not surprising that he wants to be away from this. Stay out of it, so it won't hurt him more, when he's been hurt so much already.

So Kakashi's expression only softens at the edges as he studies Sasuke through the Hitomi.

And then he lets out a quiet breath, dipping his head slightly. ]

Mm.... I understand.

[a_for_tiori]

[Sasuke feels his gut clench and his fingers tighten around the Hitomi. He doesn't understand, even a little bit, how Kakashi does this, how he does this to Sasuke, how he manages to sit there and act as if he doesn't care about the answer. Or like he didn't expect anything more out of Sasuke. Like even though he called, the whole time he had been expecting Sasuke to reject him because he thinks Sasuke doesn't give a shit.

Which he doesn't.

But Kakashi, how can he act like this? The Akatsuki is about to destroy Konoha, and probably kill everyone there, and Kakashi is just looking at him like he's feeling bad or something. What does that even mean?

Sasuke's eyes narrow.]

You understand what, exactly?

1/2

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi doesn't have the energy to tease, or to play, the way he normally does. Because they're at war, and in two days, he might not even be here anymore, if they can't survive this battle. Konoha is too small and Akatsuki is large and formidable. And Kakashi doesn't know, really doesn't, if they'll be able to make it through this.

He can only hope.

But that's never enough. ]

I understand that you don't want to be involved.

2/2

[ura_no_ura]

[ And then his eye crinkles into a smile.

He smiles because that is what Kakashi does. He smiles because Sasuke shouldn't have to worry about this. Because Konoha is no longer home to him, and Konoha doesn't deserve to have him back. And maybe Konoha deserves to be destroyed for all the things that it has done, and Kakashi doesn't know if he'll ever be able to smile at Sasuke again, so he wants to at least smile now.

Even if it might be the last time.

Kakashi hopes it isn't.

But their chances aren't very high.

He's a strategist, and he knows the cards they're playing with.

Knows the risks. ]

It's okay. It's not your fight.

1/3

[a_for_tiori]

[He stares, just stares at the screen for a moment. Looks at the dirt on Kakashi's mask, the way shadows carve into his face, the way he looks and sounds and generally gives the impression that he's just fallen off a cliff -

And then he's smiling. He's smiling at Sasuke in the same way he always does, as if nothing is different right now. When everything is different. When they (and by they Sasuke means Konoha, as in not including him) are standing in this place where everything is about to change. When everything is going to be gone, Kakashi smiles at him.]

2/3

[a_for_tiori]

["It's not your fight."

Kakashi says it like it's an allowance, like he's given Sasuke a free pass, but all he feels is dismissal, and it burns him. Pisses him off, how presumptuous Kakashi is. As if it's Kakashi's place to say what is and isn't Sasuke's fight. As if Kakashi is in any position to be acting like he doesn't care whether or not he comes.

And Sasuke wonders, why the fuck did you call me, if you don't care if I show up? Kakashi is acting as if it doesn't bother him one bit, that Sasuke won't even come to stop Konoha from being destroyed. Or to see it before it's gone. He's acting like it has nothing whatsoever to do with Sasuke, like the fact that Naruto and Sakura and Kakashi and everyone will be dead (again, he does not think, because this couldn't be any more different) doesn't affect Sasuke in any way.]

3/3

[a_for_tiori]

[Which it doesn't.]

Hn.

[It might almost sound like he agrees with Kakashi, to some ears.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ And if he did... Kakashi would understand. Or he would try to, at least. Because Konoha's failed Sasuke too much. Kakashi's failed Sasuke too much. And that Sasuke isn't on the war path with Akatsuki is already more than they could ask for. That he isn't trying to wipe them out the way they did his family --

(Sasuke's on the warpath somewhere in the world they left behind.)

It's enough.

More than enough.

Sasuke's had enough and he's been through too much and Kakashi almost regrets asking, because it's such a selfish request. This desire to keep on living when everyone and everything Sasuke's ever loved is gone. Killed by the very village that Kakashi is now asking Sasuke to protect

[a_for_tiori]

[The honorific dropped off at the end doesn't feel wrong to Sasuke at all. Not even slightly. It's about time, in fact, that Kakashi started recognizing that Sasuke isn't his student any more. And about time that Kakashi acknowledged that he doesn't owe Konoha anything, and that he isn't interested in involving himself with them any further.

And Sasuke's really glad to hear Kakashi saying good-bye, because he is quite finished with this pointless conversation.

He doesn't reply. He just blinks, slowly, and hits the "call end" button.]