Chapter 12
"What!" Gojo snarled at him, as he pushed himself out of the bed even as all his body was wrapped in bandages.
"I refuse!" he snarled at him, and Jiraiya stood in between him and his sensei to discourage any violence.
"You are protecting him," he snarled, and Jiraiya could understand his pain. But, Hiruzen sensei's reasoning made some sense.
"Shimura is war veteran. He is considered by many to be a war hero. We have already lost the Uchiha cla...," and Gojo was in no mood to listen.
"AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT!" he roared, and then he fell to his knees and began to cough.
"GUGH! GUGHHH!" and began to cough out blood, as Jiraya walked up to him.
"Be careful. You are barely clinging to life as is...," but he simply pushed him away, as he looked up at his sensei.
"I refuse," he challenged.
"Danzo has to pay! He must pay!" and Sarutobi-sensei's eyes narrowed, as he took a second to answer.
"You accuse Shimura of treason, but you attacked me. One could call that treason as well," and sensei's chakra roared forth, but Gojo kun refused to back down.
"Yet despite that I chose to spare your life even when I could have extinguished it easily," and in that moment he saw in him the shadow of the man who had led them through Two Great Ninja Wars.
"My decision is final. Danzo and the rest of the Council will be put under House arrest but I will not kill them, for if I were to do so then I would have to do the same to you," and Jiraiya's eyes narrowed at the insinuation, but before he could say anything Gojo answered back.
"Do it then....."
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0000
KAKASHI HATAKE
Kakashi knew that he had no right to judge his brother. He had failed in his duties as an elder brother to do that. He did not agree with all of Gojo's decisions but his brother had endured too much, so he deserved no judgement from him.
But even then, he had never expected him to be so cruel.
He knew that his brother loathed the life of a shinobi, but he also knew that he loved iryo-nin, and he had been content with that. He had trained under Lady Tsunade herself, and even before the massacre he was second only to her and Kakashi was certain that his Kekkei Genkai had only added to that mastery.
But he had thrown away his hitai-ate after the Uchiha massacre and despite being the best Iryo-nin in Konoha, he had refused to help the village in any way.
It was his decision to make, but he had never expected him to be so cruel, specially when he had chosen Sakura as a student herself.
"Why?" Kakashi questioned, and for the first time in years he found himself enraged at Gojo who refused to see teh fault in his ways.
"Why would you do such a thing?" and Gojo refused to answer as he simply stood there opposite to him, as they stood in his shop.
"I know that you hate this village, but Sakura and her friends are innocent. They have done you no harm," and yet his brother was quiet, as he refused to say anything in his defence.
"I know you, Gojo. I know the kindness that you hide behind that non chalant exterior, so that is why I want to know how can you be so cruel to them," and finally he saw his fists ball up slightly, as Gojo bit his lip.
"Tell me...."
"Sarutobi wants to make me the Godaime Hokage," and the words took a second to register, and he had uttered those words with such loathing as if the Hokage-sama was trying to kill him.
"What!" and he knew that the Sandaime-sama had come to meet him, and that the one overseeing the battles during the second stage had been a clone.
But this was news to him.
"He came to tell me this himself," Gojo continued in a frustrated tone, and it all made sense now.
"That old bastard has already recommended my name to the daimyo," and that was a rather grand development, for if the suggestion had come from Sarutobi-sama himself then the daimyo would definitely make that choice.
And Kakashi's mind raced as he tried to make sense of Lord Third's reasoning, and there was no question about Gojo's competence and pedigree. The only thing concerning about him was his loyalty, and willingness to help the village.
But even then Kakashi knew in his heart that if the situation was ever to become dire, then his brother would not hesitate to pick up his blade for the village again, if not for love or loyalty then for the lives that would be lost if Konoha were to ever fall down.
"He ruins my life. Murders the love of my life, and the expects me to clean up his mess!" Gojo raged, and he could not quite remember when he had last seen him like this.
"I refuse!" he raged, and it was easier said than done if the recommendation had already been made to the daimyo, but this explained his behavior with Sakura.
He blamed her for this. She was the only other connection he had made that tied him down to the village after Hana, and if she were to loathe him and give up on being a kunoichi then he could continue to waste away his life, wallowing in self pity.
"He is not wrong in his choice though," Kakashi added, and he saw him still at his word.
"I know that you will not like to hear this, but you will make a fine Hokage!" and Gojo was not hearing this.
"SHUT UP!" Gojo screamed, and the entire shop shook with his roar.
"I hate this vill..."
"Then change it," Kakashi cut in, and it had been five years since that day. He knew how hyporcritical it was of him to lecture him about this, but Gojo was his brother.
"Change this village into what you have always wanted it to be. Make it better, if not for yourself then for the next generation," and Gojo drew in a breath.
"Why? Why me? Why must I carry this responsibility?" and he found himself smiling under his mask, as he turned away from him and headed for the door.
"Because you are the only one who can," and he felt him still at those words, and as Kakashi pushed open the doors he found a familiar face standing there, and her eyes were swollen and one of her arms was still hanging in the sling.
"Sakura," he called out and it was way past midnight by now, and the Sun had set long ago.
"Kakashi-sensei," she greeted, and her voice was raspy from teh obvious crying and he noticed how she was not wearing her hitati-ate, and so she had made her choice.
She felt his gaze linger over her hair, where she would usually have her hitai ate, as she lowered her eyes in embarrassment and he glanced one last time at his younger brother before he let Sakura walk into the shop, as he chose to put his trust in his brother to make the right choice.
"How long will you deny yourself a life, Gojo...."
0000
SAKURA HARUNO
For as long as she could remember Sakura had wanted to be a kunoichi. No one had forced this life on her. No. She had chosen it of her own accord.
Her parents were not rich, but they were comfortable enough to support any of her ambitions and were taken aback by her choice. They were civilians and knew little about a ninja's life yet they had supported her dream for as long as she could remember.
She had pushed herself hard at the academy, and despite her humble background she had excelled, such that she had graduated as the top kunoichi of her class but only later would she realise how little that meant.
Naruto, and Sasuke were beginning to push ahead as she felt herself stagnating. In that time of trepidation, Gojo Hatake had been her savior.
He was strange, and extremely mysterious but he had helped push her forward when she was beginning to feel like a burden on her team. He had showed her a path, and after a long time Sakura had found herself motivated once more to fulfill her dream of becoming the best kunoichi in Konoha.
And if that came with the added benefit of Sasuke-kun's company then what else could she ask for?
She did not really know Rock Lee. The boy was their senior, yet his devotion had moved her. It had moved them all. He was a boy who could not use ninjutsu and genjutsu, and that alone should have been the end of his life as a ninja but he had persisted despite his challenges and had pushed himself to become a genin.
He was their comrade, and yet despite his hardowrk he had failed in his ambitions in the face of absolute talent.
His fight with Subaku no Gaara had been devastating, and if it was not for his sensei's intervention he would have died, but survival was a curse for him. His kinjutsu had left him extremely pained and if not for timely medical intervention he was set to lose his entire future.
It shouldn't have mattered to her. His future should be no concern of hers, but he was a comrade. A friend, and Sakura did not have it in her heart to abandon a comrade like that.
So, she had come to the only person in the village who could do the impossible and he was the only one who could do it.
But saving Lee's dream would cost Sakura her own dream. She was surprised by his demand, but in the end there was little that she could do to change his mind.
"Why?" he questioned as the door closed behind them, and he seemed surprised by her choice.
"You don't even know him," and she did not. But he knew her. Rock lee knew her. He had walked onto that battlefield trying to impress her, and he had succeeded in that.
"Why would you sacrifice your own dreams and ambitions for someone you barely know," and it was stupid indeed, but it was a choice that every shinobi made.
"Because that is what it means to be a shinobi," and she was surprised by her own words.
"You were right. A shinobi's life is not glorious," and no matter how much they may try to make you forget, but a shinobi's life was filled with only pain in treachery.
"It is a life of pain and sacrifice. But it is that sacrifice that allows thousands to fulfill their dreams. Our sacrifice. Our pain helps thousands sleep calmly at night," and with that she raised her hand, with her hitai-ate.
"I do not know what pain you have suffered to loathe the word shinobi, but if my resignation can help ease your pain, then I will put down my hitai-ate," and she was not just doing this for Lee.
No. She was doing it for him as well. For the man who had given her hope.
"So, please," and she smiled even as a tear rolled down her face.
"Please, save Lee-kun," and she saw his lips thin, as he began to shake his head.
"You are all so naive and stupid," and they were. They truly were.
"The easier choice would be to let Lee retire. One could argue that it is the more merciful choice even," he continued, and she shook her head.
"But it is not yours to make," and that was where he was wrong.
"Wrong as they may be, our lives are ours to live," she declared as she looked at his blindfold.
"Now, go and help Le...," but before she could finish, the doors behind her were pushed open as a familiar voice screamed out.
"I REFUSE TO GET TREATED!"
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