Kakashi almost jumped out of his skin when Tomo yelled.
"No, it's nothing," Kakashi said, a little breathless. "I'm just doing my job." He paused, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "What are you thanking me for again?"
"If you hadn't defeated that demon," Tomo explained, his voice filled with genuine gratitude, "we could have all been dead. No matter how many we dispatched, more just kept coming. We needed to find the main body, but we couldn't. When we discovered you were battling it, Yaze-sensei ordered us to leave it to you. He really believed in you."
"I didn't save you," Kakashi replied, a hint of disappointment lingering in his voice. He looked at Tomo's bandages. "You're still hurt."
"This?" Tomo said, gesturing to his arm with a shrug. "It'll heal. Besides, if I hadn't been stubborn and tried to run to where you were to help, I wouldn't have gotten injured in the first place." He grinned, seemingly unfazed by his injuries.
"Why would you do that?" Kakashi asked, genuinely surprised by Tomo's reckless bravery.
"I really don't know," Tomo admitted, laughing lightly. "Maybe it's because I wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Hahaha. Do you really need a reason to save someone?"
Kakashi pondered this for a moment, considering the question's implications.
"I guess you don't," he finally conceded.
"Sir, we need to get going," the nurse informed them, her tone polite but firm.
"Okay, bye!" Tomo waved enthusiastically as the nurse wheeled him away. "I hope I see you in London!"
"Bye," Kakashi replied, waving back. _He's really full of energy,_ Kakashi thought, watching them go. _But he was right; I shouldn't need a reason to save people._
He paused for a while, letting the weight of Tomo's words settle upon him.
"Wahh! I should probably get going too," Kakashi said, suddenly remembering his own destination. He then did something completely unexpected, breaking into a run and chasing after Tomo and his nurse. "Wait! I've never been to an airport!"
…
"The plane is about to take off," a flight attendant's voice announced over the speakers. "All electronic devices should be powered off. Passengers are advised to remain in their seats. Thank you."
Kakashi found a seat near the window, settling in to watch the world go by. Moments later, the plane began to move, picking up speed as it rolled down the runway.
"Wow, I didn't expect to see you so soon," Tomo said, breaking the silence as the plane lifted into the air.
Kakashi, lost in his thoughts, was watching the clouds drift by. He turned to Tomo at his words.
"Oh? I'm sorry. I must have been lost in my thoughts," Kakashi said, shaking his head slightly. He looked around the small space. "Where's your nurse and your wheelchair!?"
"Yeah, about that," Tomo smiled awkwardly. "I can walk by myself. I just wanted a hot nurse to walk around with me, and the ride was fun."
"I see," Kakashi said, a small smile playing on his lips.
"What's with that look?" Tomo asked, noticing the slight expression of amusement on Kakashi's face. "So, is this your first time?"
"Huh?" Kakashi blinked, momentarily confused.
"Your first time on an aeroplane?" Tomo clarified.
"You could have just said 'plane'," Kakashi said, his mood shifting slightly. "Well, yes, it is."
"It must have been hard for you," Tomo said sympathetically, "being experimented on and all."
"Even before that…" Kakashi began, his gaze drifting to the window, the world outside a blur of clouds and sky. "I never got to go outside much when I was little. Because of that, I know only a little about the world." He paused, lost in thought. "I tried to learn as much as I could from books, manga, magazines—anything I could get my hands on. I wanted to understand why my mom wouldn't let us leave. That's why I studied anything I could."
"She must have had her reasons," Tomo said quietly, understandingly.
"She did," Kakashi conceded, his voice heavy with unspoken regrets. "But I was too stubborn, and I messed everything up."
"You don't have to blame yourself for everything," Tomo said, his voice firm but gentle. "There are things that are meant to happen, and there are things that happen because of our actions. But… you should look at what you have now and protect it."
"Yeah, you're right," he said firmly. "From now on, I'll never blame myself for anything I didn't do."
"That's the spirit!" Tomo exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. "What matters is the present."
"If that hadn't happened," Kakashi said, a grateful smile spreading across his face, "I'd have never made all the friends I have now." He took out the package Ayaka had given him and carefully unwrapped it. "It's a short sword?"
The blade glowed brighter and brighter as Kakashi slowly unsheathed it, revealing its intricate details.
"Wait! Is that what I think it is!?" Tomo yelled, his eyes wide with astonishment. "I can't believe it; so it still exists. That's the Holy Blade!"
"The Holy what?" Kakashi asked, bewildered. "Come on, that's just a legend. It doesn't truly exist. Besides, this was given to me by my teammate, who happens to be a… Wait."
Kakashi fully drew the sword, studying its gleaming surface.
"It has been protected by the Kamisato clan for thousands of years," Tomo explained, his voice filled with awe. "If you received it from Ayaka, then it's got to be the real thing."
"It is real," Kakashi said, sheathing the sword and placing it carefully beside him. "Why would she give it to me?"
"She must trust you a lot if she's willing to give it to you," Tomo replied. "I never knew it was even at the academy."
Kakashi remembered Ayaka's words: _"Someone special… That is what she wanted to say."_ He also recalled seeing the sword in one of his dreams.
"Well, whatever it is, you should keep it safe for her," Tomo said, leaning back against his seat, his eyes already drooping. "Wake me up when we get there."
"Sure," Kakashi agreed, a thoughtful expression settling upon his face. _She really does see me as someone special…_
…
"Please tell me," Ako pleaded, her voice choked with tears, "who sent you?"
Kakashi stood there, watching his mother, a strange paralysis gripping him, preventing him from moving.
"Are you from the village?" Ako continued, her voice trembling. "I left you, so please leave us alone. My husband died trying to clean up the mess we caused. We did all we could to pay back for all the damages… please, let us live in peace…"
Ako's words were cut short as the man stabbed her in the stomach with a dagger.
"Mom!!!" a younger Kakashi cried out. "Let go of her! You bastards!"
He wrenched the dagger free and moved to protect his mother. As the man lunged again, their mother yelled a warning, distracting him long enough for Kakashi to dodge and disarm him. Kakashi seized the opportunity to disable his attacker with swift kicks and expertly-delivered strikes, sending him sprawling across the room.
Before he could turn his attention to his mother's attacker, the second man caught him from behind and slammed him to the floor.
"I don't want to see this," Kakashi's older self yelled, his voice filled with unbearable grief. "Please, I'm begging you, stop!"
His mother struggled, trying to fight off the attackers. But the first man delivered a fatal blow, slicing through her neck, severing her head.
"No!!!" Kakashi screamed, jolting awake in his seat.
Tomo smiled reassuringly. "Calm down," he said gently. "We're in London now. The taxi is here to pick us up."
…
"Finally, that was a long trip," Kakashi said, stretching his aching limbs. "This is the magic academy… it's bigger than I thought. Well, my adventure starts now!"
As soon as Kakashi stepped onto the academy grounds, he felt something hard slam into him from his side, sending him flying before he could react. He crashed headfirst into one of the buildings.