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Sitting in his usual spot, Kakashi watched as villagers ran towards shelter on the streets below. Each of them holding up a book over their head, or a jacket, or sometimes even their groceries. Whatever they had on hand to protect them from the rain that was beating down on their heads.
Five minutes ago the sky was bright. The only rain cloud in sight seemingly miles away, leaving them lots of time to get themselves to their comfortable warm homes before the rain arrived. The smallest change in the winds speed had changed all of that, and suddenly calm strolls through the market became rushed jogs towards home.
Watching it all unfold in front of him sort of made it worth it to continue sitting there, even as the rain soaked into his cloths and water began to drip down from his hair onto the back of his neck. It wasn’t the first time he had been caught out in the rain, and he could head home at any time.
Back to the empty living room and the lifeless hallways.
Resting his head on his knee, he watched as Teuchi ran out of his mothers ramen shop, holding a newspaper over his head from protection from the rain.
“You’re going to get sick, you know,” lifting his head, Kakashi forced himself not to jump up into a defensive position when he heard his sensei’s voice. “Is that what you’re aiming for? Trying to get out of training tomorrow?”
Before he could answer, Kakashi found himself being covered by an umbrella as Sakura-sensei took a seat beside him.
“I’m not going to get sick,’ he grumbled, taking the umbrella from her hand and watching as she pulled another one out of her bag and opened it up over her head. “Don’t you have better things to do? Like hang out with your weird boyfriend?”
“Hey,” feeling her finger flicking against his forehead, Kakashi growled slightly. “Lee isn’t weird. Ok, he’s sort of weird, but I like him ok.”
“Whatever you say,” rubbing his forehead he glanced back down towards the almost empty streets. “My question still stands. Why are you here?”
“What, I can’t check in on my adorable student?” she chuckled when Kakashi narrowed his eyes towards her. “It was raining, and I sort of knew that unlike your teammates you weren’t guaranteed to head home in this sort of weather.”
Home.
Was that even a word he could use for the place he slept? Did he even have a home?
“Hey,” another flick of her finger, this time against his ear. “I came here to make sure you weren’t going to sit in the rain for three hours with nothing over your head.”
“No where else to go,’ turning his eyes away from her, he brought his knees up to his chest and laid his head down on top of them. “Can’t go in a shop for shelter. Don’t want to go home.”
“Then there’s only one thing to do,” a hand came down into his hair, messing up the already untamed silver strands on his head. “We’ll just have to go to Lee’s for dinner. I’m sure he’s making curry tonight, but I think I can convince him to come up with something that won’t make you want to die.”
Lee-sensei’s house? But…
“Why?” He hadn’t intended to say it out loud, but now that it was out there he found himself waiting impatiently for an answer. An explanation to why his Sensei even cared when no one else in the village did.
“You’re my student,” she reminded him with a kind smile, though he felt like there was more than she still wanted to say. “It’s my job to make sure you don’t get sick.”
Right, he was supposed to be fit and healthy. Ready to do missions for the village.
Die for the village, if necessary.
“Fine,” it wasn’t like he could really say no. If he tried she’d probably just end up picking him up by the shirt and carrying him to Lee-Sensei’s place. “So long as I don’t have to eat any spicy curry.’
“No spicy curry, got it.” Sakura-sensei laughed, loud enough for the whole village to hear, and for the first time that day Kakashi didn’t feel so alone.
For just that moment, he felt like maybe he was actually wanted.