Like Father Like Son

Chapter Two

The next day met Sasuke with tired eyes and sore muscles. He cursed the stupid dance positions for somehow making him sore. How idiotic.

He listened in the hallway to Kakashi and Yamato talk over breakfast, waiting for them to finish eating before emerging.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" Yamato rang out cheerily, assembling a plate for him and pulling out a chair at their small dining table. "Did you sleep well?"

These questions, these actions... Too much.

He managed a shrug after a moment.

Kakashi stared into his adopted son, shifting his weight from foot to foot, hands fidgeting at the hem of his shirt.

"Sasuke..." He motioned for him to come and sit, letting the room stay quiet long enough for the Uchiha to calm and begin eating.

Yamato crossed out of the kitchen, planting a kiss on his lover's forehead.

"I have to go now..."

Kakashi was on his feet. "I'll walk you out."

Still serving as an ANBU member, Yamato left on missions often, unable to share where or for what reason. It killed Kakashi every time, but, he understood the cost of loving a shinobi. Sasuke hated it too, for the absence of his love made for more of a tense adopted father, one with no one to distract his attention at home.

Yamato gave a nod to the raven-haired teen, clapping a hand on his shoulder and wishing him well until he returned, asking him to look out for Kakashi for him.

The two partners crossed outside to say their goodbyes, leaving Sasuke to stare at his breakfast, and push it around on his plate before ultimately dumping it away in frustration.

He'd retreated into town before his adopted father could return inside.

Alone, Kakashi washed the the dishes, took care of a few house chores, and listlessly attempted to fill out mission reports that had been piling up for months, his mind distracted, fixated on his adopted son, desperate to reach through his guarded, grief-riddled heart.

He knew the pain of losing his family, of his loved ones dying, of loneliness, the survivor's guilt, the black hole that consumed every corner of the heart and soul.

He just wanted to reach him. To break through the walls. To hold him in the pain. To walk with him through it.

Had it not been for Yamato reaching into the dark, Kakashi never would have made it, he would have lost himself completely. Ruthless. Heartless. Haunted.

Seeing his student taking the same path, no one to chase after him... It was all the Copy Ninja could do to pursue whole-heartedly.

He wasn't even sure when it had happened, the shift in his heart from student to son, but once it had, there was no going back for Kakashi.

Sasuke returned in the early evening, guilty for having been gone so long, unable to force an apology out of his mouth.

Instead he asked, "Are you still making me go out to train in your stupid dancing?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Fine. I'll go get ready."

Feeling slightly defeated, the silver-haired shinobi called after him, "Sasuke, we don't have to go today if you don't want to."

The Uchiha paused, chewing this offer.

"No," he replied with as much apathy as he could muster. "Yesterday somehow made me sore. If I skip today, it will probably only get worse and ruin me for any real training. I'll be ready in a minute."

A grin spread behind the black spandex of Kakashi's mask.

Patience and persistence.

Trainings followed regularly each day from there on out. Sasuke resenting Kakashi a little more each hour spent in the great open field, moving through dance basics when he wished he was training to take his vengeance on Itachi. And each day his self-loathing grew, too.

How could he have been so weak? To choose this pathetic life over ultimate power?

The shame in him built, piling on him heavier, and heavier.

Yet, he couldn't tear himself away. His Sensei would open the door, and he crossed the threshold every time.

One morning, things changed in their practice. Several weeks had gone by, and Sasuke had faked his way through relaxing in the basic positions enough for Kakashi to want to take the next step.

"Today, we try some free movement."

Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.

"This is what we've been building to? Free movement? Not like a routine or something?"

"You want to perform a routine with me?" Kakashi smirked.

"No! Ugh, I don't want to be doing any of this!"

Cautiously, The Copy Ninja took a step into his adopted son, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I know this feels strange. But I promise it can be good. Free movement was a breaking point for me."

"Yah, right... You mastered a thousand Jutsu through pirouettes and pointed-toe leaps..." The Uchiha scoffed in return.

Kakashi drew in a deep breath.

"No, but, I did master myself this way. I would have been lost had I not found a way for my body to be something of expression, had I not found a way for it to be positive rather than destructive, had I not found a way to express everything that was locked up inside of me..."

Sasuke paused, realizing the intentions of his Sensei. Livid, his face began to flush, his heart to pound.

"You're-you're doing this as some kind of therapy, aren't you?!" He spat. "You think you can dance me through my feelings, huh?"

"Sasuke-"

"No! No, I'm not doing it! How dare you?" He ripped away Kakashi's gentle hand. "It's not that simple. How could you ever try to understand?"

"I understand more than you know, Sasuke. Let me share with you. If you'd just let me in, even a little-"

The Uchiha was in a full rage, irrationality quickly consuming him. "You could never understand my grief, my hatred!"

He paused a moment, breaths huffing out, panicked and labored.

"You are nothing but a washed up shinobi - a man unfit for the legend that proceeds his name. You're a fraud, pretending to teach what you don't know anything about. I don't need your stupid help!"

Kakashi was desperate, heart shattering with every venomous word.

"Sasuke please... I love you... I've made you my son-you're my son..."

"I'm not your son." The teen snapped back, eyes red, brimmed with hot tears. "I'm a weakling and a fool for choosing you over Orochimaru - a decision I will soon right... I was stupid to think I could ever accept you as my family, as my father... My family is dead-my father as dead as yours... And you were stupid to think you could ever fill their shoes..."

He was flying across the field, through the grass and into the trees.

Kakashi remained stuck in place, sinking to his knees with fresh wounds.

Sasuke ran until his body would no longer let him, and he too collapsed onto the ground, lungs burning.

Together, both men wept, desperately alone.