Chapter 14 – Under the Silent Sky
The roar of the river between the statues of Hashirama and Madara had quieted, leaving only the low rush of water. The sky above the Valley of the End was a pale, washed-out blue, heavy with the smell of rain.
Naruto walked on the left, Sasuke on the right, Kakashi between them. None of the three spoke at first. The battlefield behind them felt like it belonged to another lifetime already, even though their clothes were still torn, their skin still bruised, and their chakra still heavy in the air.
Naruto's golden Byakugan had faded completely now, leaving only tired blue eyes. Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had gone still, the tomoe and blades no longer spinning. Both of them carried the weight of something they couldn't yet explain — and didn't want to.
Kakashi glanced at them once. He had seen enough to know that both boys had awakened powers far beyond what most shinobi could even imagine. But in the shinobi world, secrets could be as valuable as survival. So he kept his thoughts to himself.
"…That was reckless," Kakashi finally said, his tone light but edged with meaning.
Naruto grinned faintly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, well… it worked, didn't it?"
Sasuke didn't look at either of them. "Barely."
The three walked on. Their footsteps on damp earth blended with the sound of the river in the distance. Naruto occasionally stole glances at Sasuke, as if wanting to say something, but each time the words stayed lodged in his throat.
When the forest finally gave way to the dirt road leading toward Konoha, Kakashi slowed. "I'm taking a detour," he said simply. "You two — go back. Rest. And don't pick any more fights until you've healed."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Where are you going?"
Kakashi gave a lazy eye-smile. "Old friends."
That was all. He turned down a narrow path branching off from the main road, the one that wound toward the quieter parts of the village. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look but didn't follow. They continued toward the gates while Kakashi's figure disappeared into the trees.
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The cemetery lay on a rise just outside the village, overlooking the rooftops. It was quiet here, only the wind in the leaves and the faint rustle of grass between the rows of gravestones.
Kakashi stopped before one marker and let his gaze rest on the name carved into it.
Rin Nohara
"…Hey," he said quietly, as though speaking to someone right beside him.
For a while, there was no sound except the breeze.
"I'm still around. Still… trying." His voice was low, almost lost in the wind. "I think you'd like the new kids. They remind me of you, in a way — reckless, but they care. Enough to throw themselves into danger without thinking twice."
His visible eye softened, the smallest flicker of something unguarded passing over his face. "You'd probably tell me to keep them safe. I'm… trying."
The sun was starting to sink now, washing the sky in gold and soft orange. Kakashi lingered for a moment longer, then stepped back from the grave.
With a final glance, he turned and began the walk back toward the village. The last light followed him down the path, and in that quiet glow, the story of Naruto and Sasuke felt both fragile and unfinished.
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