"…Are you going on vacation or something?"
After they settled on the route, Shisui stared at Hatake Satoru as he kept pulling out all kinds of stuff and stuffing them into a suitcase.
Shisui had grown up with ninja training, and the most he ever carried fit in just two pockets.
Ever since people thought he was dead, he hadn't really had any personal belongings.
Food, clothes, daily stuff—it all came from Hatake Satoru now.
After all, using anything too unique could easily give away his identity without meaning to.
But more importantly, Hatake Satoru was clearly packing a bunch of useless junk.
"Isn't it nice to visit new places with a tourist mindset?"
"Kirigakure's supposed to be a cultural place, right?"
Hatake Satoru didn't think anything was wrong, and answered like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Going to the Village Hidden in the Mist like it's a sightseeing trip—
That sounded like filming a documentary in a cannibal village.
...
Three days later, at the Hatake house.
Hatake Satoru had been writing at the table for about half an hour before he finally set his pen down.
Shisui hadn't expected him to actually sit down and write a resignation letter properly.
From the way Hatake Satoru usually acted, Shisui figured his attitude was more like:
"You guys should feel honored I ever taught you. Hurry up and thank me on your knees."
"You finished writing?"
Shisui leaned over, curious.
On the clean white paper, there was just one simple line:
"Being a teacher is exhausting. I'm still young. I'm going on a trip. Not sure when I'll be back. Quitting for now."
No polite phrases. No details.
It was so casual it felt like he was daring someone to just fire him already.
Was this guy really a teacher?
Shisui couldn't help but feel totally in sync with Kakashi at that moment.
"Well? Not bad, right?"
Hatake Satoru proudly held up the paper, like he couldn't tell if he was admiring his handwriting
or just the fact that someone like him could get away with such a lazy resignation letter.
"…I honestly don't know how you managed to be a teacher for this long."
As soon as Shisui finished talking, there was a click—the sliding door of the Hatake house opened.
Kakashi stood in the doorway, looking a bit surprised at the setup inside.
He was sure he'd heard Hatake Satoru talking to someone just now,
but when he opened the door, there was only Satoru standing there.
"Hey, perfect timing!"
"Saves me the trouble of leaving a note. I'm heading out for a while. Going on a trip."
Hatake Satoru leaned his head in close, and Kakashi instinctively moved to the side with a frown.
A trip?
The war had barely ended a few years ago, and the countries were only just barely keeping peace.
Traveling right now?
Kakashi looked at him with a face that said, "If you've got brain problems, go get them checked."
But really, he didn't have much of a reason to stop him.
Their distance wasn't anything new.
Kakashi had moved out to the dorms on his own, and Hatake Satoru never asked why.
Not asking about each other's business had kind of become their way of getting along.
"Do whatever. Just don't make me go identify your body."
"Huh? Isn't this the part where normal people say 'Have a safe trip' or something? You're no good with words."
"Let's hope by the time I come back, you've finally grown out of your emo phase."
Hatake Satoru didn't care at all about the way Kakashi's face froze. Grinning, he ruffled his hair, grabbed the resignation letter from the table, and opened the door.
It had already been three or four days since the Uchiha clan incident. While people were talking non-stop at first, things had clearly quieted down by now.
Everyone had gone back to their usual routines—after all, it wasn't their own family that had died.
Once people got enough gossip, life just moved on.
Hatake Satoru was lazily making his way toward the school when a loud and clear voice called out from not far away.
"Satoru!"
"What are you doing here? Don't you have class today?"
Naruto's bright blue eyes lit up as he dragged Sasuke along and ran over.
Sasuke couldn't shake free, and his face immediately turned sour as he gave Hatake Satoru a death glare.
"Not just today—I'm done with class for good."
"I'm going on a little trip."
With the two heads—one blonde and one black—leaning in close, Hatake Satoru proudly waved the envelope in his hand.
The look on his face clearly said, "I get to quit being a teacher, and you still have to go to class."
If it had been a proper goodbye, Naruto probably would've gotten a little emotional.
But once Hatake Satoru framed it as going on a fun trip, the kid's thoughts instantly shifted.
Naruto's eyes sparkled as he stared at the resignation letter in Satoru's hand.
"That's awesome! Satoru-nii, can I write a letter and go on a trip too?"
"Ninjas don't get to quit, you big idiot."
Sasuke couldn't help but grumble from the side. Their situation was different from Hatake Satoru's.
In just a few days, Itachi had left, and the rest of the clan had been relocated.
So Hatake Satoru leaving didn't really come as a shock to Sasuke anymore.
Besides, the two of them had never really gotten along that well anyway.
And honestly, Sasuke thought it was a miracle someone like Hatake Satoru—talented but such a troublemaker—had stayed in the village this long.
"Why are you yelling at me? It's not like you've ever quit anything."
They were already acting like best buds, and judging by the timing and place, they'd probably skipped class together too.
What a close friendship.
Hatake Satoru nodded with satisfaction and reached out to pinch both of their cheeks.
"Well, not yet—but who knows, maybe someday."
"Alright, I'm off now. I'll bring you guys back some souvenirs."
Though... who knows when I'll be back.
Hatake Satoru walked away with style.
...
The moment the principal saw Hatake Satoru's face, his head started to throb.
But as soon as he heard he was turning in a resignation letter, the guy lit up with joy.
Hatake Satoru was definitely a great teacher when it came to helping students improve, but his constant rule-breaking and weird antics had always given the principal a headache.
"No problem at all. You're still young. Going out to explore the world a bit might actually be a good thing."
The principal gently rubbed his thinning hair—finally, a break from his baldness crisis.
Hatake Satoru resigning on his own? Who cared how half-hearted the letter was—as long as he quit, it was fine.
As for the private tutoring gigs, Hatake Satoru had gone to say goodbye to each family personally.
Just saying goodbye to the people he'd worked with took up an entire day. He hadn't really noticed during regular teaching.
But now that he was leaving, he realized just how many connections he'd made.
Well... it wasn't a bad thing.
After Hatake Satoru had walked some distance away from the village gate, Shisui, who had been hiding, jumped down from the trees nearby.
"Let's head to the docks."
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