Soldier On || Part 2 ||-•-Yamato-🍃-Kakashi-• ||

Chapter 12: The Wedding: The Farewell

It turned out to be an unusually warm afternoon for that time of year. The tepid gentle breeze swayed the branches of the cherry blossoms, the sun peeked through the leaves, forming moving patterns on the shadows underneath the trees. An unforgettable sight for an unforgettable event.

Kakashi and Iruka arrived earlier than everyone else, save for the young students from the Academy the other had recruited to welcome guests, collect their contribution, direct them to their tables. Kakashi had never arrived early at anything, so that was a first. He had to talk to a couple of Jōnin and update them on the security plans, but apart from that, he watched as guests arrived. Villagers, classmates, family, Kage.

Tenzō, where was he?

Many people approached Kakashi for a quick informal chat, which was refreshing. After becoming Hokage many changed around him, became unnecessarily polite, so being treated just as himself was nostalgic at least, even if he didn't care for small talk and zoned out every now and again.

As the start of the wedding neared, Kakashi stood by the entrance and continued to observe the crowd as they formed small gatherings in the gaps between tables. Naruto's generation was indeed a bizarre one. They held hands but not as friends, had arms around each other but not for support. It seemed like they were all dating someone with no worries or need to hide. Never would he admit being a little jealous of their freedom, their ability to express everything Kakashi never could at any stage of his life. He had never held someone's hand like that, never stood next to another as a couple or showed he cared that way in public. How could he, being the person he was?

Soon he'd have to take part in the ceremony. He didn't want to move from there until Tenzō arrived, though. Maybe he worried they would miss each other if he didn't stand clear from everyone else. Tenzō wasn't the type to be late, but now time was pressing and Kakashi kept telling himself that he wouldn't suddenly leave the village, leave him, just like that.

A hand laid on his slumped shoulder. His heart skipped a beat at the feeling of the familiar touch. The weight of that touch said everything, he didn't have to look.

"Have I finally become a bad influence," Kakashi said, hands in his pockets, staring into the distance.

"Not today, but it's bound to happen, eventually."

Tenzō slid the hand down Kakashi's back. The palm pulled away as it reached the end of his ribcage, his fingers followed, reluctant to lose contact. The little hairs at the nape of Kakashi's neck stood on end and he held back the need for rolling it to keep the shudder from taking over. Tenzō crossed his arms and stood by his side, looking ahead, just like Kakashi was.

"You almost didn't make it."

"Well, you didn't warn me I wouldn't be able to just buy a wedding suit on the day."

"Ah...," Kakashi gave a little shrug, his lips curving slightly under the mask. "I was wondering if you'd turn up in funeral attire."

"That wouldn't have been funny at all, Kakashi-senpai."

"I beg to differ." Why did he enjoy teasing him so much? A man in his mid-thirties and yet he couldn't help but being childish around him.

"And you're still bullying me," Tenzō said in a quiet but playful tone. "My clones tell me you found coverage for the lookouts."

"Gaara had a couple of guards from the Sand entourage to spare."

"How come you didn't bring this up over dinner with them last night?"

All Kakashi thought during that dinner was the man now standing next to him. Topics came and went and not one of them stuck because he wanted to leave, go see Tenzō, ask for his help so maybe he would be able to tell him things. No exchanges at dinner were as important as that.