Friends (Part-1)

"Ne, Yasaki-Kun, what's wrong?" Rin asked, sitting under a giant tree in the playground and eating his rice ball.

The leaves had all fallen off and snow was forecast to happen within the week.

"Nothing", Yasaki said with a sour-looking face as he leaned back against the tree as he brought him knees up.

"I hope you can be happier, today is your birthday", she muttered

"My Kaa san is dead this morning", Yasaki said feeling the sting as he shifts away

!!!!

"November first… Oh Yasaki-kun, I'm so sorry."

"Rin-chan... I am sorry, But I am leaving earlier"

"I understand"

"Hey, are you and your friend all right?" A boy asked as Rin looked up as she wiped her tears away.

"It's his birthday today and something really bad happened," Rin said as the black-haired and black-eyed boy sat down next to him, wearing goggles.

"I'm sorry… I'm Obito by the way, Uchiha Obito." He grinned with a silly smile, which made Rin laugh slightly and shake his hand.

"Nohara Rin, nice to meet you." Rin smiled and Obito smiled.

"Want to hang out together… My friends kind of ditched me." Obito pouted and Rin laughed.

"Sure, Yasaki needs time to heal… So what do you do for fun?" Rin asked as it began to snow around them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Haa

Yasaki swings his wooden sword with all he has as he cried silently. His Kaa-san was officially gone and on his birthday no less. He hadn't expected to turn around on his tou-san with anger and actually see him crying when he said those words to him.

"I hate you!" He had actually said to him tou-san that he hated him. "And I hate Kaa-san too… Why'd he have to die on my birthday!?" Yasaki didn't mean to be so angry and say such things he knew he couldn't take back because secretly he was angry at his kaa-san for dying on his birthday.

Nothing had moved in the house for a day so far except Kakashi who was crying and crawling around now and again, trying to reach him but his tou-san soon took care of him and left Yasaki alone to grieve.

He turned his head and looked at the locket lying forgotten on the dirt… It was childish for him to rip it off and throw it across but he hurt too much to retrieve it and actually put it back on.

"This is all of 'his' fault too!"

"If he hadn't been born Kaa-san would still be here!"

He took another stance and without realizing he actually was synchronizing every stance together in one motion one after another

Kakashi had been crying for an hour already and Yasaki wondered what his tou-san was doing if anything at all.

He put down the sword that he was swinging with anger and grief all day.

He walked across, picking up the locket, he fiddled it with his hand and opened it, as new tears began.

He had smashed the supposedly shatterproof glass inside that covered their picture and it split right down the middle before falling apart onto the floor… Separating his tou-san and Kakashi from himself and kaa-san.

Kakashi's wail broke him out of his trance as he put it around his neck, and followed Kakashi's crying into the lounge area. Sakumo was pacing the length of it, with a hand to his temples and looking tense and stressed as Kakashi sat on the couch and cried.

Kakashi things were thrown everywhere and it looked like Sakumo had tried everything to get him to stop crying.

'If he wasn't born. Kaa san would still be here'

He walked briskly over to Kakashi

'He is the reason everything happened'

Yasaki picked little Kakahi up.

"..."

"Yasaki are you alright now?"

He didn't answer

Kakashi kept on crying

After a while, he hugged the little crying boy as his tears fell as well, "It's tough for you as well right?"

Holding him close. He sat down again.

He began to rock little Kakashi and hum the lullaby his Kaa-san used to sing to him as he let himself cry over it but kept the soothing song going until Kakashi fell asleep in his hold.

"How'd you do that?" Sakumo asked, pointing at Kakashi sleeping against him. He was tired and had rings under his eyes and didn't look good.

"Kaa-san taught me what to do with Kakashi if he's being fussy… You look exhausted tou-san, why don't you go and get some sleep?" He asked, seeing it had finally turned dark outside and stroked through Kakashi's hair and still rocking him slightly.

"He needs feeding again in…"

"Again in two hours… I know tou-san now go and get some rest and I'll take care of Kakashi. I did say I was going to be the best Onii-chan ever." He smiled sadly at his tou-san as tears welled up again and put his cheek against Kakashi's head, staring at nothing.

"Yea, Yea you did say that… See you in the morning" Sakumo said as he walked out, exhaustion clear in his posture.

"I'm sorry tou-san," Yasaki said as Sakumo rounded the corner.

Sakumo had stopped in the dark of the hallway and smiled as he let a few tears drop himself.

"I was never angry with you in the first place", He said softly as he headed up to his room for a hot shower and bed that would never feel warm again.

Yasaki sat quietly as the fire flickered in the fireplace and Kakashi's breathing lulled him into a state of exhaustion as well.

He sighed tiredly as he stood up, shifting Kakashi onto his hip as he slept and he walked around the house, making sure the doors were locked as well as the windows before he stopped by the kitchen as the light flickered on and he stared at the spot by the stove.

Kakashi shifted in his hold as he raised his head and eyes still drooped with sleep as he rubbed them with a little fist and looked at Yasaki.

"Nii cha?" He asked and Yasaki smiled at him before kissing his forehead gently and continuing into the kitchen as he opened the fridge and pulled out his baby food and put it in the microwave as it warmed up for him.

"Are you hungry Kakashi?"

"Uh," Kakashi said with a tired nod as Yasaki prepared his Milk.

Kakashi grinned throughout the entire meal, smiling happily with his eyes closed as he gulped the milk and seemed very disappointed when it was all finished.

Yasaki picked him up again and turned off the lights as he headed upstairs to his room and lowered him into bed but Kakashi had fisted his hands into his top and bottom lip quivering as his little black eyes watered.

"Come on Kakashi, let go, it's time for bed." Yasaki sighed as he tried to pry his fingers away gently but he didn't let go.

"Alright then, just for a while," Yasaki said as he picked Kakashi up again and headed into his room and falling onto his bed and Kakashi giggled with the fun ride as Yasaki squirmed them up to the pillows and hugged him like a teddy bear as they fell asleep.

Sometimes he wonders, weather he should Pity Kakashi or should he be jealous of him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakumo felt a little more rested as he got up the next morning and was surprised he hadn't been woken up by Kakashi's whining yet as he headed into Kakashi's room.

He almost panicked when he saw the empty cot but quickly followed his scent to Yasaki's room as he opened the door and peaked in, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

Kakashi was tucked neatly into Yasaki's arms that were wrapped around him almost protectively as he was curled around him as well and his head tucked under Yasaki chin. Sakumo just smiled gently again as he closed the door quietly and headed downstairs to make breakfast… They would need it for the funeral later that day.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yasaki swung quietly outside of the playground. It had been a rough week but they had made it through.

"Yasaki-Kun?" Rin's voice called as Yasaki turned his head and gave his friend a small and tired smile before he found himself in a tight hug and couldn't breathe. "Are you okay? Where have you been and what happened? Why haven't you come back? What have yo…" Rin rambled before a hand covered her mouth but continued to flail and mumble questions.

"Sorry about her, she's been anxious about you." A boy laughed, and Yasaki tilted his head at him.

"Who are you?" Yasaki asked and the boy grinned, fixing his goggles.

"Uchiha Obito, it's nice to finally meet you Yasaki, Rin wouldn't stop talking about you since two weeks ago… I guess now you can answer some of his questions?" Obito said sheepishly as his hand was bitten and he yelped, holding it with a pout as Rin gently took Yasaki's hands and sat on the swing with him and Obito sat down in front of the swing in the snow, nursing his bitten hand.

Yasaki smiled seeing this, "I'm fine Rin; everything is alright"

"Hey, I heard what happened, I am sorry to hear that", said Obito

"Thanks, Obito-Kun. But Really, I'm okay now" Yasaki smiled sadly looking down at the white ground and Rin took his hand.

"I'm here for you. Obito has kept me company since you left and I hope we can all become friends for next year, he wants to become a ninja too." Rin grinned, throwing a thumb at the Uchiha playing in the snow and Yasaki smiled.

"Sounds cool… Maybe we'll all be in the same class and stuff, it would be cooler if we were all in the same team when we graduate." Yasaki said, smiling at Obito who grinned back.

"And I'll awaken my Sharingan and save both of you all of the time and look cool." Obito grinned as Yasaki and Rin laughed.

"Oh, I almost forgot… Happy birthday Rin." Yasaki said as he held a little box to his a friend who beamed before he took it and hugged Yasaki. She opened the little box and held up two little red bracelets and smiled at Yasaki.

"They're great, thanks Yasaki-Kun," Rin said as she put one on and grabbed Yasaki's other wrist and put the other one on him with a surprise from Yasaki but he let her do it.

"And where's mine?" Obito pouted, crossing his arms dramatically and they laughed.

"We'll get you one for your birthday… When is it? Mine's today and Yasaki's is November first?" Rin asked as he fingered the little bracelet and Obito grinned, pointing a thumb at himself.

"February tenth." He said proudly while Rin smiled at him and Yasaki watched with a neutral face, Obito seemed like a good friend to keep around.

"Yeah, you can join the club then," Yasaki said and they all laughed.

"So… What is everyone doing for the holidays?" Obito asked as they sat quietly and it began to snow lazily as the little specs of white floated down like feathers.

"I have my otouto to care for, and my sword training is lagging as of late, so I'll be quite busy," Yasaki said as he stared up at the sky and fiddled with him new bracelet on his left wrist.

"My kaa-san is going to start to teach me about the basics of being a medic and how to deal with wounds and certain situations… It's going to be fun." Rin smiled and Obito sighed.

"I've got nothing planned… We should make time to hang out with each other at least once so you guys can make sure I don't die of boredom." Obito whined and Rin giggled and Yasaki smiled.

"Let's all meet up here a month from now and catch up… Deal?" Rin asked as she held out her hands to both of them as they were grabbed

"Deal"