Disclaimer: I own nothing Naruto related.
Chapter 1 – Enter Amaya Kato
Amaya hoisted her pack a little higher as she approached the gates of Konoha, standing open as if to welcome her home. The early morning air was crisp and cool, promising a beautiful day. Silence drifted from beyond the gates, the day had yet to begin for most, and Amaya breathed deeply, enjoying the comforting smells of the dirt, grass, and trees. As she drew nearer, she reflexively tugged at the bandages wrapped around each arm, making sure they were in place. It wouldn't do to have anyone recognize her just yet.
"Miss," a voice called, interrupting her thoughts. "Miss, I need to see your passport, please." A ninja with long, spiky, black hair and dark eyes waved her over to the guard post. He had a strip of bandages running across the bridge of his nose and a dark-colored marking on his chin. He wore the standard attire of Konoha, complete with a forehead protector and flak jacket.
Amaya almost froze when she realized it was Kotetsu, but forced herself to move normally. She dug around in her pack for her passport and handed the small, beaten leather book to the nin. She kept her eyes averted as Kotetsu examined her passport with a scrutinizing eye and prayed he wouldn't recognize her.
"So, Miss…Kato, it seems you haven't been to Konoha in nearly eight years."
Amaya's green eyes found Kotetsu's. She forced a well-practiced smile. "Yeah, I left the village to travel."
The dark-haired nin nodded, flipping through the pages of the passport. "Seems you've been all over. The Land of Water, the Land of Earth, Kumogakure, Sunagakure. You've been busy these last few years, haven't you?"
A gust of wind swept through, catching some of Amaya's auburn hair. She pushed it back behind her ear. "I've traveled all over, but I've never found anywhere as beautiful as this village."
"True," Kotetsu agreed. He handed her back her passport and gestured broadly. "Welcome home Miss Kato."
Amaya wandered through the streets of her childhood home. She noted the changes and the things that were still the same. The ramen stand she'd frequented, Ichiraku, was still there, but the grocery store her mother had taken her to was gone. People rising for the day and beginning to open their shops waved at her in greeting. She waved back without thought, lost in her memories.
Deciding to visit the Memorial Stone before she did anything else, Amaya stopped by a flower shop she remembered was on the way. A bell rang as she opened the door, and a young girl called out a greeting, saying that she'd be there momentarily. Amaya browsed the flowers, wondering which ones to buy, wondering which would making the best offering. The girl, fair-skinned and blue-eyed, wore her long, blonde hair in a high-ponytail and bangs covered the right side of her face. The girl smiled sweetly. "What kind of flowers would you like?"
The auburn-haired woman thought a moment. "White lilies. A dozen please."
"I'm sorry for your loss," the blonde said as she gathered the flowers.
"What?" Amaya frowned, confused by the girl's statement..
"Lilies symbolize mourning. I just thought...," the girl began to apologize.
Amaya smiled away her attempted apology. "It's alright. They're an offering. I'm heading to the Memorial Stone."
The girl didn't say anything else, slightly embarrassed by her assumption, though it had been close. Amaya paid her for the flowers, thanking her warmly before she left.
Amaya walked through the twisting Konoha streets until she left the village behind. Following the familiar path, she made her way to the Memorial Stone. Stopping at the edge of the Stone's clearing and masking her chakra just in case she found who she thought she might, Amaya saw someone else already there, even at the early hour. A small smile spread across her face as she recognized the man. Silver hair looking like he'd stuck his finger in a light socket, one dark, brooding eye visible, the other covered by his hitai-ate, there was no mistaking Kakashi Hatake. Amaya stepped forward, unmasking her chakra. Kakashi glanced up sharply at the sudden presence. His eyes widened.
Her smile grew. "I see you haven't changed much. I always could fool you."
"Amaya…"
"Who else would I be?" she asked, walking over, kneeling, and placing the lilies at the base of the Stone, saying a silent prayer for the souls of the departed.
Kakashi remained silent until the auburn-haired woman rose. Amaya saw a smile under his mask. "I see you have. I guess I can't call you my little raven anymore." Kakashi reached out a hand, catching the hair cuff holding the ends of her hair together. Amaya gently swept his hand away.
The Jonin chuckled softly. "It's been so long, Amaya. I've missed you. Does this mean you're back for good?"
"Yeah, I'm finally coming home."
"I'm glad. I've waited, prayed, for the day you'd come back to Konoha…to me." Kakashi slipped a hand into hers and tried to pull her to him. Amaya didn't move. "What's wrong?"
"Kakashi, I can't do this. It's been eight years since I left. I can't slip back into my old life just like that. I'm not the same person I was and I doubt you're the same either."
"Maya…," The Jonin gently placed a hand on her cheek. The auburn-haired woman turned away. The wind picked up, making the leaves dance, tugging at her hair with soft fingers.
"I'm not saying we can't have what we once did, but let's give it time. You know, make sure there could even be an us again."
The wind whistling through the trees dominated the silence. If Amaya couldn't feel Kakashi's chakra, she would've thought she was alone.
"…You're right. I have changed, though not as much as you, it seems. The Maya I remember was never so cautious."
Amaya turned back to the silver-haired man she'd cared for all those years ago. Even though his mask was up, she could see his face in her mind's eye, breathtakingly handsome. She saw in his eye that he still held her very dear to his heart, a thought that broke hers. She wasn't sure what she felt for him anymore. That day when her parents died….She still remembered the way he'd held her, stroking her hair and telling her it'd be all right. At the time she hadn't thought anything of it; she'd just wanted comfort.
Later, she'd realized just how significant his actions had been, how rare it was for Kakashi to drop his calm-and-collected attitude, and how hard it was for him to show the softer, more caring side of himself. When he'd asked her to dinner, she didn't hesitate. She wanted to do whatever she could to repay him for his kindness. Then she began to truly enjoy his company in a way she hadn't before. She began to fall for him. And that night they'd gone up to the mountainside images to watch the stars and he told her about Rin and Obito and Minato-sensei…He'd kissed her that night, under the stars…
Amaya shook herself from her reverie. They couldn't go back to that, not yet at least. She wasn't sure they could go back. So much had happened. She wasn't the same immature girl she'd been.
No, she wouldn't go back to being a cold-hearted killer one-minute and a happy, life-loving girl the next. She couldn't live like that again. The things she'd done as a shinobi, the things she'd done in the name of her Village, had nearly driven her insane. So she'd left Konoha, left Kakashi, to travel the world in search of herself, in search of the balance in her life she'd so desperately craved. She'd found it and now she was back, ready to begin her life as a shinobi again. But to start anew, she had to be rid of her old life completely.
"Kakashi, give me time to readjust to life as a ninja. Then we'll see if there can be a you and I. Okay?"
He sighed. "If that's what I have to do to get a shot at what we had, at what I thought we had anyway, then I'll do it."
"Thanks, Scarecrow," Amaya teased, a genuine smile on her face.
The silver-haired nin rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand her nickname for him, but he was too happy that Amaya was back in the village to care. Kakashi smiled. "So, I'm late for this thing. Want to come with me?"
They started walking. "Sure. What are you late for this time?"
"Oh, just a test for the newest batch of Genin they've decided to put at my mercy."
"Someone help those poor children. What kind of mind game are you going to play?"
The Jonin reached into his pocket and pulled out two bells. "Nothing worse than Minato-sensei did to me."
