Several days passed, Kakashi quickly regaining strength and energy with the careful aid of his partner, and the watchful eyes of his adopted son.
He was eager to be back at full capacity, longing to train again, beginning to feel rather guilty for being so helpless.
Sasuke, where he didn't enjoy seeing his Sensei bed-ridden, did revel in being able to help and serve. He took on the majority of the cooking and house chores, allowing Yamato to tend to his lover, lingering in the hallways to listen to them laugh, cringing slightly at their frequent flirtatious exchanges. His favorite, however, being the moments he would hear his name pass between them, and the moments Kakashi would bring him in just to chat. Of course, the teen complained outwardly how much of a drag it was to babysit an irresponsible, bed-ridden Jonin, Kakashi bantering back with him that he sounded like Shikamaru in all his belly-aching. Inwardly though, his heart yearned to be called in by his adopted father, savoring the moments at his side.
By the end of the week, The Copy Ninja was up and about, chomping at the bit to go out and train again with his boy. Yamato stilled his eagerness for a day or two longer, his lover soon unable to hold himself back any longer.
In the early morning, he crawled on top of his brunette partner, begging in a quiet whisper, "Please let me go out and train today. I'm fully recovered, Tenzo."
He traced kisses along Yamato's jaw, hands curling into short, messy hair.
"Maybe..."
Groaning, Kakashi rolled his head back, "Come on, please. How can I convince you?"
Yamato's dark eyes widened.
"Now you're talking..."
They moved together in tender kisses, hands fanning and fawning over one another, breaking with a smile and a flush between them.
"Go," Yamato grinned. "Go train with our boy. Just save some strength for me later? I've missed the bossy command of my Captain."
"Oh, I always have strength to boss you around, Kohai," He smirked in response, whispering into his lover's ear, "You just better make sure you save your strength too, you're going to need it."
Taking a moment to dress and cool, Kakashi flitted down the hall, bursting into Sasuke's room, enthusiastically waking his student.
His enthusiasm wasn't returned.
"Go away, Kakashi!" The Uchiha groaned, tugging sheets over his head, and burying his face into his pillow. "It's too early."
"You've been without training for far too long now. Resting with no need." The Copy Ninja pulled open the blinds, the light of a soft sunrise pouring in. "How is it that I am the one that was bed-ridden from exhaustion, and it is you who is arguing to sleep rather than train?"
"Because, you're old and have nothing better to do with your life. Get out of my room. We train can once the sun is actually up."
The silver-haired shinobi gave a sigh, pretending to relent and head for the door.
"Fine, fine. Have it your way. But, I would hate for you to regret these extra hours of sleep when Naruto returns home from his training expedition with one of the Legendary Sanin and has surpassed you."
Sasuke shot up, sheets thrown to the floor in a bundle, eyes and hair wild.
"Like hell he'll surpass me!"
They were out in the training field within the half hour.
However, actually being there, with the sun peeking between tree branches, dew still fresh on thick blades of grass, birds just beginning to sing and soar, Sasuke's stomach began to churn. Longing to take a step forward, to share of his heart, to release the tight grip on vengeance, on hatred that ate away at him, he couldn't fathom the idea of actually doing so. Standing there, it all seemed too painful, too terrifying, too much a part of him.
"How's about we spar some?" Kakashi suggested, eyes narrowed on the sweaty brow and nervous breathing of his student. "I haven't seen your Taijustu in a while. Show me how you've grown in your independent training."
Gratefully, The Uchiha nodded, the blood-red of his Sharingan swirling into his eyes, legs and arms spreading out, ready to strike.
"Don't hold back," he baited.
The Copy Ninja scoffed, "Prove to me I won't have to."
They two Leaf ninja clashed together, blows and dodges flying in a fury. Both of them were elated to be training this way again, to come back to their roots in the midst of such intense emotional pioneering. When all else was chaos – this still made sense, this still held comfort.
Kakashi soaked in the peace of this exchange, drawing it out, knowing what he planned to do in the next few moments.
Sasuke's heart leapt as his fist landed hard across his Sensei's cheek.
Shaking away the strike and giving a grin, The Copy Ninja paused, hand reaching up to lift his headband up and away revealing his own sharingan, dipping his mask down to spit out a mouth full of blood. They both beamed a moment, pride swelling in them.
"Well done, Sasuke."
"I'm just getting started."
Trading blows again, the Uchiha was quickly stunned at how much harder his Sensei came back at him. Shifting his headband down to cover his dark eye, leaving only his sharingan to glint out, the Leaf Jonin backed his student to the edge of the field, forcing him to flip over to try and catch his back.
Kakashi struck him hardest then. Not in fist or foot, but with finger, flicking it hard and fast onto the Uchiha's forehead, sending him in shock into the grass.
Horror and anxiety flooded through Sasuke's body, in his mind flashing over every occurrence of his brother lording over him, flicking a finger to his forehead, pushing him away.
"Not today, Sasuke..."
"Another time, Sasuke..."
"Forgive me, Sasuke..."
"No," Sasuke was on his feet, rage taking his movements, Kakashi deflecting every strike effortlessly, a glazed look in his red eye.
The Copy Ninja began to smooth his arms and footwork, body swaying and swinging around the frantic teen, grace and overtaking him, style running through toes and out his fingers.
He struck Sasuke's forehead again, the genin falling into the grass. Tears welling up. Distressed eyes fading back to black. Watching the back of Kakashi grow smaller in front of him, seeing only Itachi.
For a moment, he bit hard onto his trembling lip, longing to scream out, to ask why his Sensei was doing this. But, he knew.
His adopted father was opening the door for him, asking him to share a dance, to share himself.
A cry ripped out from his heaving chest, he surged forward, legs leaping across the field, launching him up and on top of his Sensei, arms clinging around desperately. Kakashi sunk to his knees, swinging the young Uchiha around to his front, clutching hard and tight before laying them down, tossing Sasuke into the air, catching him, cuddling him close, tossing him again, and then rolling away.
Sasuke hit the ground in stylistic agony, rolling, reaching after the tall Jonin moving away from him.
He mimicked after gorgeous, grandiose gestures, unable to quite capture their grace or precision, desperate to catch a glace, some kind, any kind of approval.
Any time he got to close, a finger flicked him away by the forehead.
The emotions overtook him. He was no longer in the training field, no longer with his Sensei, no longer a teenager.
He was a child again, young, wide-eyed innocent, starving for the attention, for acknowledgement.
Kakashi pushed him away, pushed him away. And then, he gripped him tight, looking deep into his eyes, stoked his cheek, and turned him to face away. Flinging himself through the air, across the field, violence and speed becoming his narrative.
Sasuke beat his fists into the ground, his own solo of agony, the images of his brother's massacre piercing him through the soul.
His every moment had been previously occupied in desperate attempts to erase these images, to lock them away, and now he split his heart open to participate in them again. He was on his feet, tearing against the man standing in for his brother, efforts futile, strength waning.
Kakashi launched his adopted son away from him. He turned to face him, tension building, and opened his arms full and wide, inviting the young Uchiha's attack.
Sasuke ran forward at full force, tackling the Jonin into the grass, fists relentlessly pounding in. Where guilt wanted to pull him back, suffering pulled him down deeper until he was drowning in it. Blood splattered over his fists, into his open mouth.
The dance was over.
He howled out in pain into Kakashi's face.
"Why?!"
His beatings ceased, red palms slamming down around his Sensei's head, hot tears pouring down and soaking the man beneath him.
"Why wasn't I ever enough for you? For dad? Why did you push me away?"
Hysterical, he screamed, "Why did you kill them? You killed all of them! But you left me alive! Why?!"
Their foreheads met, Sasuke's eyes closing, sobs shaking his body.
"Why didn't you kill me... Why am I still here... I wish you would have just killed me..."
Slowly, Kakashi reached a hand up to rest on the back of his adopted son's neck, the teen flinching away at the touch.
"Don't!" He pushed himself back, falling off his Sensei's body into the dirt, frantic to escape. "Please..."
His adopted father simply sat forward, adjusting his headband to once again cover his sharingan, to show a gentle, dark eye welled with tears, burning in grief with his boy. He extended his arms open.
"Please..." He returned in a whisper.
The Uchiha was trembling, small, vulnerability splayed out and open all over their training field.
"I hit you..." He whimpered finally. "I've pushed you away at every turn... I've given nothing where you continually give everything... I've hurt you, so much – and now, I've hit you... How can you still open your arms to me? How can you still want me?"
Kakashi gave a tender, tiny smile, confessing in the full honesty of his heart, "Because you are my son, Sasuke, and I love you."
Sasuke threw himself into open arms.
Sobbing shook him hard. The strong arms of his adopted father wrapped tight around his body, cradling him in his lap, against his chest.
"I don't understand... I don't understand..."
Kakashi rocked them gently, rubbing a comforting thumb over Sasuke's shoulder, unable to clutch him close enough.
"You have too much hate inside you... Hate for your family, for Itachi, for yourself... It's been eating you alive for so long, Sasuke. Let it out."
And he did.
Sasuke poured his soul out into the arms of Kakashi, overwhelmed with all that flooded in as he released the agony he'd held pent up inside. Hope. Lightness. Love. Freedom.
As the sun climbed higher into the sky, shining warmth down on the two of them, the young Uchiha began to calm, the floodgates washing down to a gentle stream, sobbing stilling to a slight shiver.
Kakashi simply held and rocked. He'd have stayed there for an eternity.
Sasuke's eyelids began to flutter shut, his breathing deepening. Peace washing over him, warm and welcoming, he drifted into sleep.
Looking down into his adopted son's face, Kakashi melted. He memorized the moment. The way his little black, sweaty bangs stuck to his forehead. His porcelain cheeks lightly flushed, tear stricken. Little lips parted with soft breaths exhaling out gentle and even.
The Jonin wished he could make The Uchiha a baby again, that he could have had him as his own from the beginning, that he could have spared him, sheltered him from the grief he had endured. He wished he would have adopted him from the first day that the Uchiha were murdered, that he wouldn't have wasted a single minute while Sasuke was alone.
The truth that he couldn't ached in him, but became a vow there in the training field over his sleeping boy never to let another minute go by wasted.
Eventually, Kakashi, smooth as he could, managed to his feet, Sasuke nestled close to his chest, still in deep sleep. He walked them home, cherishing each step, and the way Yamato beamed when they crossed through the threshold.
The brunette pressed a kiss into his partner, and then lightly brushed a hand through Sasuke's raven hair.
In the stillness of their home, Kakashi tucked his adopted son into bed. As he slipped the curtains shut, the teen stirred awake.
"Kakashi..." he called sleepily, his Sensei immediately kneeling to his side.
"Just rest, little one."
"Kakashi, I'm sorry I said I wasn't your son-"
"Shh, it doesn't matter, Sasuke."
"No listen," he insisted, wriggling up a bit to meet The Copy Ninja's gaze. "I'm sorry. You've been so good to me, so giving... I'm sorry I've pushed you away... Those things I said, I-I didn't mean them-"
"Sasuke, there's nothing to apologize for," Kakashi reassured, squeezing his boy's hand.
"You are my father, Kakashi. I am your son..."
Tears slipped down the Jonin's cheeks, eyes blinking rapidly, mask meeting his neck and lips meeting his son's head.
"I love you so much, Sasuke. So much."
The Uchiha smiled full, a giggle bursting out of him.
He hesitated a moment before letting out the phrase that had been caught behind his teeth for months now, "I love you too, Dad..."
They met in a tight hug, happy tears and sweet laughter shared between them.
Kakashi kissed again onto his son's forehead, rustled his hair and gently whispered, "Rest."
His son nodded, shifting back down under his sheets, releasing a deep breath.
"I'm going to bring up some water and a snack. Is there anything else you want?"
Smiling wider than before, Sasuke shook his head no and answered graciously, "No, nothing else I want."
Kakashi returned the smile, just as full, turning to slip out the door to the kitchen, nothing else he wanted either.