Hey guys, been a while since I've been posting stories and Fanfiction has completely evolved into like this new generation... There's so many unfinished stories and crap (from like two years ago also when I was a lot different than I am right now so that I don't remember anything, but will try because I don't like unfinished things) that I should do, but because of my rather excessive habit of procrastination...
Well anyways this whole story idea started when my friend was talking about this book where there's a fantasy creature who talks in one-word sentences. And a few days later when I was thinking over life, what she said came back to my head and...I made a fanfiction. A bit unique but nevertheless my own and I'm proud of it.
This chapter is probably going to be the longest in the whole story, and it's the slowest. But it has a bunch of emotions tied up in it, and i like this chapter and the second chapter best So bear with me for now.
Enjoy.
Midori Fujiwara
Kakashi sighed and looked up at the sky.
It was dusk already. The last time he looked up at the sky was when the sun was still up, nowhere close to the horizon.
I should go home, he thought to himself as he took a final glance at one of the names engraved on the memorial rock.
Lingering thoughts of the past distracted him until he passed by a small snack shop. His stomach was annoying him and he decided to buy a bag of Oishi prawn crackers to eat on the way home.
He entered the snack shop and was out of it in the next ten seconds, and around the corner into an empty street when he finally opened the bag. He was about to pull down his mask to eat, but was stopped by a sudden noise.
He turned toward the sound and noticed a young girl sitting against the wall, putting both hands up at him.
She couldn't be older than four, Kakashi thought.
"Oishi," she said in a cheery hopeful voice. "Want."
Kakashi looked at the open bag of prawn chips and then at the girl. He held out the bag to her. She quickly grasped the bag in both hands and busily stuffed her mouth with the prawn chips.
She doesn't even eat with the joy of taste. She only wants to get rid of the hunger, he observed sympathetically until he realized he was still staring at her.
Apparently, she didn't seem to notice he was still there anyways.
She finished the chips and its crumbs in less than a minute and looked in the empty bag, perhaps to check for any hidden compartments within the bag that might have carried more food. She gave up and tossed the bag aside, with a less than satisfied face.
Only then she looked up and noticed Kakashi still standing there in front of her. Her face turned hopeful again and she put out both hands, asking, "More?"
Kakashi thought a moment before putting out his hand.
She looked confusedly at his outstretched hand before taking it and standing up.
Kakashi couldn't help but notice how small her hands were. What would a four-year-old girl be doing out here alone?
"Where's your mother?" he asked.
The girl looked up at him as if she didn't know what a mother was. She blinked.
She had to have only recently been out here. A child her age couldn't survive more than a day on her own, Kakashi realized.
"Your father?" he asked.
The girl's face showed even more confusion and after a while she smiled and said, "Dad?"
"Yes, your dad," he said. "Where—"
"Dad!" She threw her short arms around him. Kakashi gently pulled her off him, quickly realizing she had misinterpretted his words.
She had no father or mother.
But that wouldn't make sense, at this age, without a father or a mother…
She'd be dead.
Kakashi looked again at the girl.
At this point, Kakashi felt too sorry for the girl to just leave her. So he put one hand on her shoulder and said, "Okay, let's go home."
She ate like she hadn't eaten in days, finishing off every grain of rice that was put on her plate and not leaving one vegetable uneaten.
Kakashi looked out the window. The black night had already taken over the sky.
Kakashi stood, leaving the girl and rest of the food and went into his room. It was clean already, but he moved a few books to the side, stacking them neatly over again, and throwing one of his vests into the closet.
He noticed a random stuffed bear lying in his closet and couldn't remember how it got there. He took the plushie and tossed it onto the bed near the pillow.
"Dad?" he heard her call and Kakashi quickly responded by showing up at her side.
How awkward it was to respond to the word 'dad'.
She rubbed her eyes. "Tired. Very," she said, not a pushy tone, but saying it just as a matter-of-fact.
Kakashi had expected that and lead her to what was once his room. She climbed up onto the bed and made herself comfortable. She looked once at the stuffed bear before cuddling it against her. Kakashi closed the bedroom door and looked at the table, where there were absolutely no traces of food left. He wasn't surprised at how much she ate; he hadn't put out a lot of food. But he was surprised at how cleanly she ate. He stared at the empty dishes a moment before clearing the table and washing the dishes thoughtlessly.
He turned off all the remaining lights in his apartment when finished and settled on the couch, taking one of the pillows on it and putting it under his head.
As his eyes began to readjust to the dark, he thought a long while before even trying to settle into some sleep.
He suddenly realized that she had climbed up onto the bed, knowing exactly what it was without him signifying anything. This meant she had lived in a home at least before.
She could have gone missing. But if she didn't even know what he was talking about…
Kakashi pushed his thoughts aside.
Otherwise this would keep him up the whole night.
Kakashi left his apartment early in the morning, locking the door before leaving. He had planned to have a teamwork training session today with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. He was supposed to meet them at eight, but it was now around nine. He was late, but he was pretty sure they would have expected that. The only thing he would get as punishment would be Naruto and Sakura yelling at him at the same time in loud voices. That and a hard glare from Sasuke.
He decided he could afford to take his time getting to the meeting point.
And sure enough once he was in sight, as if on cue, Naruto and Sakura angrily pointed at him, screaming his crime of lateness.
"Relax, I was helping an unfortunate cat out of a tree," he excused himself.
"My ass," Naruto muttered, but Kakashi heard.
"Late?" Kakashi heard a small voice behind him.
He swiveled around to see the girl he had been taking care of.
Oh.
He had forgotten that he had told her to stay with him.
At least he now knew she listened.
"Who's that, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked him.
"Oh…I have to take care of her for some time," Kakashi said.
"Oh, she's cute…what's her name?" Sakura asked, stepping toward the girl.
Kakashi put one hand on the back of his head and admitted, "Actually, I don't know." He smiled sheepishly.
"Some caretaker you are," Sakura said and lowered her face down to the girl's height.
"What's your name?" Sakura asked amiably.
The girl said, "Rin."
A sudden pain crippled Kakashi. Rin? Why did her name have to be Rin? Rin like…
his lost team member.
Kakashi tensed. And they were doing a teamwork training today…a vivid image of Minato-sensei, Rin and Obito flickered through his mind. Obito…the deceased Uchiha who had saved Kakashi from his death and given the Sharingan eye as a…departing gift to him. Rin…the medical-nin of their team, whom Kakashi had vowed to protect to serve Obito's death wish…she had mysteriously disappeared and by the time Kakashi came back from a mission after leaving her for a few days was assumed dead and missing. And Minato-sensei…his sensei…and the one who had sacrificed his life to encase the Nine-Tailed Fox within Naruto's body…
I never should have took her in, Kakashi thought, closing his eyes. I should have just left once I gave her the bag of prawn chips.
Sorrow engulfed him. It was his entire fault. If he would have just went with Obito in the first place…if he had just come back from the mission earlier to catch Rin before she went missing…
He was disturbed by the sudden quietness that surrounded him. He paused his thoughts and glanced around him to see everyone quiet and watching him.
Had they asked a question?
"Hm?" Kakashi answered, though he could tell his response was a bit late.
They didn't say anything, but Kakashi knew that something was going on about him in their heads.
Kakashi looked back at Rin.
Actually, Rin did look like his teammate Rin. Just a younger version. Four-year-old Rin had straight black-brown hair that reached her elbow and green eyes. Despite the differences, this Rin still somehow reminded him of the past Rin.
Perhaps this Rin was….
the reincarnation of the past Rin?
Coming back to haunt him…
The next morning, he lay there on the couch.
He had to turn Rin in so that her parents could be found and she could be taken back to her family. She belonged to her father and mother, whoever they were, and not him. Especially not him. Kakashi didn't want a living memento of Rin walking around his apartment all day.
"Okay, where the hell are we?" Kakashi said softly, flicking out the map. There was silence as Rin and Obito sat beside him, Rin looking at the map with Kakashi and Obito stretching, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
Kakashi's eyes quickly glanced over the map and looked to the left beyond Obito. A small body of water lay not too far away from them.
"Perfect, we're on track, we go that way across the water," Kakashi said, pointing to the left. There was still silence and no verbal response as the three got up and began to walk toward the water.
Kakashi was sure to put his awareness at a very high level. The three of them hadn't got attacked yet, even after some long time, and Kakashi had a strange premonition that something bad was going to happen. And someone was probably tracking them down too…the previous hour, they nearly got caught in a trap.
The three of them began to walk across the water, with Kakashi in front, Obito after, and Rin directly behind. Kakashi made sure to keep track of what was in the wtaer, in case enemy forces were going to come up from below. He had a strong feeling that enemies were going to attack within the next few seconds.
He had to always be the one on the lookout. Obito Uchiha…even though he was a member of the Leaf Village's most elite shinobi family…he was only a crybaby ninja who claimed to be able to surpass Kakashi once his Sharingan awakened. Surpass Kakashi…who was already a jounin at 13. And then Rin…a medical ninja with a gut tougher than Obito's, but nevertheless just about as weak as him. But at least Rin had extremely talented skill as a med-nin.
So Kakashi was in charge and Kakashi was always on lookout.
Kakashi took a step and froze. He sniffed the air a bit and lifted his hand to reach behind him and unsheath his chakra blade…
Shuriken and kunai came shooting down at the three of them from above at bullet speed.
Kakashi saw Obito make a few hand seals before blowing a great fireball up at the projectiles to swerve their path. The projectiles landed harmlessly into the water around the team.
Noticing someone with two swords coming down from the air at them, Kakashi flicked his chakra blade out and blocked the impact.
From there on, it was a tag game between Kakashi and the enemy, Kakashi following the enemy, leaping off tree to tree. Every so often, they met in midair with a clang of weapon to weapon.
And finally as the tops of the trees were coming closer, the enermy descended back down to the earth again, Kakashi falling in after him…
And then a shrill wail of pain from Rin.
Kakashi landed on the water next to Obito and quickly looked to see what was going on.
There was another enemy, and he was now carrying Rin, who seemed unconscious. The enemy Kakashi had been chasing landed down on a rock beside the other enemy.
"We'll look after this one," the enemy said.
Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. There were two of them? And one of them served as distraction? How could have he been so stupid not to notice?
"Guh!" Obito said, frustrated.
Kakashi realized they'd take Rin away for interrogation…maybe if he could just…
"Wait!" Kakashi yelled.
But the enemies, with Rin, had disappeared with an explosion and a cloud of smoke.
Kakashi and Obito watched in shock as the smoke lifted and began to clear away, wondering what they could possibly do next.
Kakashi thought quickly. They'd get Rin later…they just had to get the mission over with first! And be quick enough before something happens…to Rin!
"Dammit!" Obito yelled, running after their scent.
A memory, a déjà vu, shot through Kakashi. No! If Obito went after them…
"Obito! Don't go after them!"
Obito swiveled around in confusion.
"What? What the hell are you saying?" Obito demanded.
"Don't you get it?" Kakashi shot back.
Obito blinked…a little more confused. "Yeah…" he said in an unsure way but with a confident tone.
Kakashi decided to explain simply. "The two of us will resume the mission."
"Rin…what about Rin?" Obito shouted.
Kakashi knew Obito wouldn't agree with him. He'd care for her safety. So Kakashi had to make a good argumnt. Good enough to lessen Obito's worrying. Obito did, after all, like Rin.
A lot.
"Leave Rin for now," Kakashi explained, knowing already he was off to a bad start at persuading. "The enemy wants to know our aim…they won't kill her yet…Besides, luckily, Rin's a medical ninja. Even as prisoner, she should be treated well…as long as she looks after the enemy's casualities.
"More importantly…" and Kakashi paused briefly, seeing Obito jerk in anger when Kakashi said the two words, "the issue is the enemy discovering our aim. If they find out they'll go straight to the bridge for an attack. If that happens, the mission will become too difficult."
Kakashi could tell he hadn't convinced Obito yet. Damn it, didn't Obito know what could happen? If they got distracted? That was the enemy's whole plan. They weren't going to do anything with Rin. They would simply throw them off by taking her. And besides, if Kakashi and Obito won the mission, the enemy would lose. And the enemies would be forced to give back Rin. If Kakashi and Obito went chasing after Rin, Minato-sensei and the others, who were distracting the enemy while the three of them were sneaking behind to destroy the bride that replenished the enemy's forces...their efforts to stall would have been lost. They couldn't distract forever. They could lose their lives while Kakashi and Obito were chasing after someone who would probably stay alive!
"What you're saying doesn't include Rin's safety!" Obito yelled. "If those guys were just unthinking flunkies, what would happen then?"
Kakashi knew that wasn't likely. The two enemy they had just encountered were quite clever, to be able to distract both Kakashi and Obito while the other took hold of Rin. And even if the two enemies had nothing to do with the war and simply took Rin for the fun of it…
"More importantly than the mission…" Obito continued. "We have to rescue Rin!"
Kakashi couldn't believe it. He was caught in the same situation…same predicament…as….as…
Kakashi took a deep breath before explaining. "As a shinobi…" Kakashi said, "sometimes it's essential to sacrifice your companions for the accomplishment of the mission…that's a 'law'…If the mission fails, war will continue…and many more sacrifices may occur…"
"That's just speculation!" Obito yelled, anger to a maximum boil. Obviously he was trying to explain his point to Kakashi. But Kakashi understood his view well. If someone you liked…loved…was at risk, of course you'd forget everyone else. If for example Kakashi had been taken instead of Rin, Kakashi was sure Obito would have continued the mission…or at least bit less opposed in an argument like this.
Kakashi and Obito were never the best of friends anyway. Maybe their relation didn't even deserve the term 'friends'.
"Just for that," Obito continued. "You'd simply throw away a companion who's been with you thick and thin?"
No, Obito. Kakashi would get Rin later. The more time they wasted arguing, the more risk Rin was in for. And the mission as well.
"When you and I were injured, she saved our lives with her medical jutsu!" Obito argued. "If she hadn't been there, we'd be long dead!"
Kakashi paused, silenced for the moment. "…that was Rin's duty."
Kakashi had expected a response, but he hadn't expected a blow to the face from Obito. It was a direct, jaw-breaking punch that threw Kakashi right down to the ground.
"I definitely can't stand you!" Obito shouted.
Kakashi recoiled, ignoring the dull pain he felt in his teeth. "Whether you hate me or not, I'm still your commander…you must obey my instructions." Kakashi fixed his mask while continuing. "No matter what happens, if the team is scattered, there's only one leader. Therefore, you must follow the instructions of the commander…" Kakashi sighed and softly said, "Obito…you haven't gotten any strength…because of that, I'm this team's leader."
Obito attacked back like a snake, taking hold of one the straps on Kakashi's armor and saying, "If that's the case, why do you refuse to help Rin? Only you have the strength to save your companion!"
Kakashi stood up slowly. "If you let your emotions run free and fail your mission, you'll regret it in the future. Because of that, the rule was decided that a shinobi must kill his emotions…you must understood that too."
Obito looked down in frustration.
Obito wasn't going to understand. He didn't know like Kakashi had…about what happens when the mission fails because of going back to save a teammate…of course he didn't know…Kakashi wouldn't have known either..but…
"Rin…"Obito said. "Rin gave you a medical pack out of concern for you…and she sewed a charm into it!"
Kakashi knew that while Obito liked Rin, Rin liked Kakashi. But Kakashi had never let that distract him. Emotions were to be killed…they were unnecessary thing…
"The medical pack and the medical jutsu were to increase the success rate of the mission," Kakashi said slowly. "That is the brilliant system devised by Konoha…but yesterday…didn't I say 'if you receive unnecessary things, they just become excess luggage'?"
Kakashi waited for Obito's reaction.
Nothing.
"The most important thing to a shinobi is to be a tool in order to complete the mission…emotions are unnecessary things," Kakashi said.
Obito looked at him with a little less anger and with an increasing amount of disbelief.
"Are you serious?" Obito asked him. "Do you seriously think like that?"
Kakashi felt his face go from an angry hard stare to a blank, pensive and sorrowful state. He no longer saw Obito in front of him.
He saw his father…
Obito didn't know…
Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed again. No…Kakashi couldn't make the same mistake his father had.
"Yes…that's right," Kakashi said and Obito put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, anger filling up again after the slightly mollified moment.
"Fine then…" Obito said. "From the beginning, you and I were like water and oil…I'm going to rescue Rin!" And then the hand that was on Kakashi's shoulder shoved Kakashi back as Obito turned to go in the opposite direction.
"You don't understand anything!" Kakashi found himself blurting out loud. "What happens to those who don't follow the rules…"
Obito didn't break stride, saying, "I believe that the White Fang is a true hero…"
Kakashi's eyes widened and he was speechless for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"Of course," Obito continued, still walking. "Those in the ninja word who break rules and regulations are called trash…but…" Obito turned his head to the side to look at Kakashi. "those who don't care about their companions are even worse trash."
And Obito continued to walk, looking ahead of himself again, looking away from Kakashi. "Anyway, if I'm that kind of trash, I'll break the rules! If that's not being a true shinobi…then I'll crush that idea of being a shinobi!"
"Dad?"
Kakashi looked up to see Rin's face looming over him.
"Time," she simply stated.
Kakashi turned his head to the clock.
"Seven," he told her.
"Go," she said and pointed to the door.
Perhaps she wanted to go somewhere?
"Late," she said and pointed to the door again. "Go."
Time? Late? Go? Was she telling him that he was late and that he should be going? Which reminded him…he had arranged a meet at 7:30 with the team to work on chakra control after he noticed during yesterday's training the team was wearing down out of energy quickly.
He was amused but did not smile or laugh. A four-year-old girl had more time sense than he did? He almost felt like laughing at himself.
Reluctantly, he stood and started out the door.
"Kakashi-sensei?" all three of them said when he got there, as if they were surprised to see him.
"What," Kakashi said.
"But…but…you're here!" Naruto said.
"Of course," Kakashi said, "I'm supposed to be, yes?"
The team seemed to be at loss for words.
"You're early," Sasuke simply said a while later.
Kakashi blinked. "And?"
The team looked at him as if he were stupid.
On the way home, Kakashi stopped by the memorial.
Kakashi watched Obito walk away, seeing if Obito really was going to rescue Rin. Yet Obito didn't look back and continued to walk, not expecting Kakashi's help.
Kakashi took his last glance at Obito. Obito wouldn't know he was making a mistake. He'd just die trying to save Rin.
Kakashi tore his eyes away and turned off in the opposite direction.
Obito…
Obito had called the White Fang of Konoha a true hero…
The White Fang…
Sakumo Hatake…
Kakashi's father…
Kakashi's father was a well-known shinobi throughout the lands, called the White Fang of Konoha. So great, he was compared to the Legendary Sannin: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
Kakashi had been proud to have a genius father and it was because of his father that Kakashi had attained such heights as a shinobi. And of course, everyone in Konoha was proud to have the White Fang among them as well…
But then…
On a mission…his father had gone and saved all his comrades, aborting the mission for the sake of all his teammates' lives…the mission failed. Konoha was greatly damaged as a consequence. And when Kakashi's father came home, he wasn't greeted by happy crowds of civilians as had been usual. Instead he was greeted by silence and disappointment.
Kakashi's father was shunned by the village for failing such an important mission. Even the people whose lives he had saved…even they shunned him.
Kakashi's father was blamed for all the trouble and turmoil that happened then after. And finally, his father could no longer take it anymore.
His father committed suicide right in front of Kakashi's eyes.
And now…
Five years later, Kakashi was in the same predicament, put into his father's situation. His father's life had been wasted in one mistake. Kakashi wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
But now, Obito was.
A shooting pain in his right shoulder interrupted his thoughts. Kakashi held the pain with his left hand, twinging.
His wound from the other day. The one that Rin had not quite finished working on. Rin had said that it was healed, but if he overdid it, the wounds would reopen…
Rin…
He remembered bits of Obito's argument with him…and then Minato-sensei giving him advice from before…that Kakashi had to be able to adapt and cope with the situation…and that the rules and regulations were not everything there was…
And then…when Obito had called his father a true hero…
A hero…
Those who don't care about their companions…
are worse trash…
…
It didn't take Kakashi long too find Obito.
He felt someone tug at his sleeve.
He looked down and saw Rin's face looking up to him.
"Sad?" she simply asked, her small eyebrows slightly furrowed together in worry.
He just looked at her and thought about how nїeve and innocent Rin was. He was killing both traits by exposing her to sadness.
But then again, her nїeveness and innocentness may have been cleared away already by the pain of living on the streets with hunger and no family.
"No sad," she said and tugged him in the direction away from the memeorial rock.
He just looked at her again.
Her eyes stayed fixed on his one eye and she tugged at his sleeve again, repeating, "No sad."
Kakashi at first didn't really know what to think. What could one think when someone tells one not to be sad?
"Sad bad," she said.
The kid's going to be a psychologist when she grows up, Kakashi thought.
Sorrow is bad, so one shouldn't be sad…
Kakashi finally took a step in the direction she was tugging at…the direction of home…
He gave the memorial a departing glance.
But how can one not be sad…if one caused one's friend to die and suffer?
For two straight days, Kakashi had not been to the memorial under Rin's command. He had also not been late those two days for anyone.
These were all good habits, but Kakashi couldn't help but feel awkward not stopping by the memorial and not losing track of time so often. It was like that meant he was putting the tragedy of his past behind him. That would be like betraying his friendship with Obito…if he didn't remember Obito…no one would…
And all those times he had brought down Obito by harsh words and criticism…in the end Obito gave his life and Sharingan eye to Kakashi…and he died before Kakashi could even repay him…
What kind of friend was Kakashi?
So ever since Obito's death when Kakashi was thirteen, he had been visiting the memorial at least once every day, excepting when he was on a mission and couldn't possibly, up to now, in hopes of that being a way to show how much appreciation Obito deserved.
It was only too bad that Obito wasn't alive while Kakashi finally began to actually show his appreciation for Obito.
And now, not going to the memorial at all for two straight days was…
like showing Obito he didn't care anymore.
It hurt Kakashi.
Luckily, Rin was still sleeping when Kakashi woke up that morning. Of course she was still asleep; he had woken up at three this morning in discomfort of not going to the memorial.
He would go this morning, without Rin knowning.
He felt ridiculous going at a time when Rin wasn't awake to know. Why should he have been listening to the little kid anyway?
Because…he heard himself think as he left his apartment, when I'm sad, she's sad too..
He paused a bit, but then continued on his way to the memorial.
Which reminded him a question.
Why didn't he just turn Rin in to the Hokage so that Rin could be returned to her parents or given in to the orphanage? Had he just forgotten to do that? Kakashi scolded himself. If he had done that the minute he thought of doing that, he wouldn't have missed two days in his record of visiting the memorial.
Without Rin, he wouldn't have missed visiting the memorial, but he wouldn't have made it early at least three times in a row. And without Rin…
it would have been quite quiet in the apartment.
Hn..., he thought, I'm missing the joy of having company…that's why I let her stay…
But company and friends and new relations was another thing he was trying to avoid also. After all the memories of childhood and losing all family and friends…everyone he had ever loved…
he didn't want to go through that again.
The pain of losing someone more.
The memorial rock was now in front of him.
The engraved name of 'Obito Uchiha' screamed at him.
Kakashi mentally apoligized to Obito, and quickly scolded himself.
It was too late for sorry.
Kakashi put his left thumb over the engraved name.
Was it really engraved there?
Was Obito really dead?
He had hoped his life had only been a nightmare.
His fears were confirmed once again when his thumb felt the ridges carved into the stone.
Obito's death was real.
"Sad?" a voice said.
I'm dreaming, I fell asleep trying to get here, Kakashi thought before looking down.
Yet there she was.
Rin.
His mind went over to question how the hell she even got here, but he quickly pushed that thought aside.
"Yes," he said quietly to the little girl.
Rin's face frowned and then she stepped toward the rock and tried to reach her hand up to where Kakashi had his thumb.
On Obito's name.
Kakashi's heart softened a bit and he reached down to lift Rin up so that her hand could actually reach Obito's name. He watched her small index finger trace the engraved name, fitting right into the depressions.
Rin stared a bit before looking back at Kakashi and asking, "Sad? Here?"
Kakashi blinked and then set Rin down on the ground.
He crossed his arms.
"Why?" her voice asked.
Kakashi felt himself suddenly wish that he could express himself to her. He probably could, but he didn't want her to lose her generally positive attitude toward the world…the childish innocence that once even he had himself…
He suddenly felt all these needs to talk to someone…to spill out all his emotions at…
Kakashi closed his eyes for a full second, breathing some stress away, trying to keep everything in, all together.
He looked down at Rin, who was still looking at Obito's name.
He suddenly felt the desire to punch something…
"Come on," she said to Rin. "You need to get back to sleep."
He had waited until a few minutes after he thought she was asleep. Then, he set all the wooden boards up. He hung them on rope that hooked from his ceiling. He arranged the boards in no specific pattern. He stared for a while, and then tested one of the boards with his hand, pushing it.
It swung back and forth.
Each of the wooden boards he hung up were at least an inch thick, and made of hard, sturdy, and dense wood.
It was his version of makiwara boards.
Makiwara boards consisted of four wooden planks nailed into a wall, in the shape of a cross to resemble a human. Their purpose was short and simple, but deadly. One used the makiwara boards to kill the nerves in the user's hands and feet. The user would punch or kick the makiwara boards day after day. Eventually, the pain in attacking would go away. Then the user had an advantage: when the person attacked, he or she would feel no pain.
Only Kakashi had broader wooden boards that were hung from the ceiling.
Meaning the boards swung back once hit.
Kakashi hadn't done makiwara training for a long time, and he almost winced in the pain he knew he would feel at his knuckles when this was over.
But he needed to get all this stress out. Kakashi fell into a fighting position and let his mind fall blank.
He cracked his knuckles.
Oh well, he needed the practice anyway.
He started with a straight punch from the right hand against the board in front of him, with most of his anger and thoughts behind it. As a surge of pain jolted through his arm from the impact, he thought about how completely unnecessary and inefficient it was to put the most effort in the first punch. As he was waiting for the first board to come swinging back, he set the board to the left of him with a swinging kick with the right foot around from behind himself, setting the second board into motion.
He hit the next one by flipping himself forward and bringing down his left heel near the center bottom of it.
He almost had the first board hit back at him and hurriedly threw out his left fist to block it. Another jolt of pain climbed up his arm.
The pain was sharp, but his muscles were warmed up now because of it.
He almost liked it.
Quickly he set the fourth and last board into motion and kicked back the second board in one move.
Then the third board.
Again with the first.
Quickly the fourth and second.
Hit the third board.
Attack first board.
Double kicks in opposite directions for fourth and second.
Punch on third.
It all became a rhythm of pain and attacks after about five successions. Depsite his fits and heels screaming in agony, he continued for a long time, non-stop.
Into the time the sun rose.
Until the blocks showed red streaks and smudges.
To when the heat building up under his clothes soon became unbearable.
But he wasn't done yet.
In the middle of his attack, he slipped out of his vest and threw it onto the couch. He noticed that the makiwara boards weren't swinging at their full extent like when he started.
He was weakening…
Kakashi added his shirt to the couch next to his vest. Now all he wore were his stay-at-home black jeans and his sleeveless shirt along with his mask, which was part of the shirt. He kept his headband over the Sharingan eye on; he didn't need more chakra to be wasted.
Then he braced himself for a second round of makiwara boards.
May this session go to noon.
He pulled back his right fist and was about to punch the board as hard as he could when he heard a small voice, timid and quivering, in almost what was fear.
"Angry?"
Kakashi didn't bother to respond it Rin. He let out his blow onto the makiwara board. There was a loud thwack and Kakashi swore his knuckles broke, if they hadn't broken already.
He heard a small whimper, almost inaudible and immediately stopped his makiwara assault. The makiwara board swung back toward him, and hit his still-outstretched fist, bringing the board to complete stop.
Without turning his head, Kakashi finally looked to the side at Rin, who held the stuffed bear tightly, and with eyes wide in fear, almost regret.
He stood up to his full height and took a glance at the backs of his gloved hands. He was pretty sure the flesh under the gloves was far past severed and injured.
He looked back at Rin. He had never seen her so frightened before…perhaps she had been through a bad past experience featuring anger?
He almost felt like apoligizing to her, but instead, noticed that her eyes began to glaze over.
Rin tilted her head down and Kakashi observed a few tears fall onto the head of the stuffed bear. Rin's hand reached up to her face and rubbed her eyes, which continued to produce tear drops.
Damn, I made her cry, Kakashi scolded himself. So much for her childhood.
Kakashi used his right arm to lift her up.
The stuffed bear slipped out of her arms and fell to the floor.
"Onigiri…" she said in the middle of crying.
She had even named the stuffed animal. Kakashi picked it up and put it back into her protective arms.
He carried her to the couch, avoiding the random makiwara boards and sat her down.
"It's okay," he said, not really sure what to say to comfort a little kid.
She sniffled, but tears continued to fall.
Kakashi suddenly noticed how the girl didn't make any noise when she cried.
She just …cried.
Who knows how much this girl could have been through?
"What happened?" he asked, taking a seat next to her on the couch.
Rin looked up at him, in a hiatus of tears, but then she looked down and seemed to cry even harder.
"No…don't cry," Kakashi said, a little worried, but at the same time, almost desperate to get the child to stop crying. He didn't even have any idea of why she was crying. It couldn't have just been him getting stressed out and using the makiwara boards…
Could it?
"Don't cry," Kakashi repeated and put one hand on her back. Rin merely reacted by pulling up her legs to hide her face.
"No…" Kakashi muttered. "No…no…"
"No sad," he suddenly said, repeating the exact same words Rin had used with him when he was at the memorial.
Rin suddenly froze.
"No sad," he said again.
Rin looked up, rubbing her eyes. "No sad?"
"Sad bad," he continued.
It was like a little language of their own, that he and Rin alone shared…
Rin smiled up to him weakly, and wiped the remainder of her tears,
"No sad," she said, smiling like nothing ever happened.
"Oishi," Rin had said.
And Kakashi took her to the snack shop to get prawn crackers.
He entered the shop and noticed a little flyer stating that there would be a memorial service at the memorial stone. He looked through the names and noticed that Obito Uchiha wouldn't be mentioned. He was filled with many emotions at once: disbelief that Konoha had already forgotten him, anger that they didn't commemorate him, grief for the past, hopelessness in knowing Obito would never get the appreciation he deserves…and just this overall…lost feeling.
Like he felt that he was just an observer of the world and he wasn't really controlling his body…almost that dream feeling…
Only this was a nightmare…
Obito had found the enemy's hideout, spying in the trees on a limb and was planning out his attack to rescue Rin.
But what Obito didn't know was that one of the enemies was behind him, using a jutsu that made him invisible.
Kakashi saw Obito about to launch an attack when the enemy behind him gave a verbal threat.
In the time it took for Obito to spin around…
that was how long it took for Kakashi to react and come down from above to slash his chakra blade at the enemy.
The enemy was left with a nice slash across the chest that bled quite heavily, and at the force of impact was thrown back against another tree limb.
"Ka…Kakashi…you…"Obito stammered. "Why?"
Kakashi quickly replied, "Hah! I can't leave it all to a crybaby ninja like you alone!"
"Silver hair and that white chakra blade…" the opponent said, standing up. "Impossible…you…Konoha's White Fang?"
Kakashi twirled his chakra blade once hold it out in front of him threateningly. "This is a memento of my father," Kakashi said, regarding the weapon he held in front of him.
"I see…" the enemy said, slowly turning invisible again. "The White Fang's brat…there's no need to worry in that case…"
Kakashi quickly sniffed the air, taking in all the scents…Great, just as he had expected…
"His scent has been completely removed," Kakashi said. "I'll only be able to track him by movements in air currents and sounds."
Obito hesitantly glanced around. "Wh…where is he?" Obito asked.
Kakashi suddenly heard a tap behind Obito.
"Obito! Behind you!" Kakashi said, putting himself between Obito and the enemy.
He didn't know he himself was attacked until the sight in his left eye was gone.
Kakashi was disturbed by the laughter in the background. He turned around and saw Rin cowarding with a pack of prawn crackers in her hand and Onigiri in her arm. Two men were towering over her and making fun of her, obviously.
"You don't even have the money, little kid. Why don't you beg for some and then come back?" one of them said.
Kakashi saw Rin's face turn frightful and afraid. So afraid she looked like she'd burst into tears.
"Look she's so scared…clutching that animal like it'd save her…" the other commented.
"How about I take her 'guardian' away from her?"
Kakashi reacted.
The man who had suggested taking away Rin's stuffed animal stretched out his arm to reach for her stuffed bear, but Kakashi, in one fluid motion, put out the several yen into the man's hand, enough to pay for the prawn crackers exactly, picking Rin up from the floor, and simply walked away from the men and out of the snack store.
Rin never looked more thankful when Kakashi put her down, away from her assaulters.
Rin also wanted to have somewhat of an exploration day around the village. It was chilly outside, the consequence of the coming winter. Kakashi didn't have any jackets her size, as expected, so he went to a snow sport supply store.
It turned out that Rin was slightly smaller than the smallest size, but Kakashi decided that the large size of it might be better anyway to keep warm, except that cold air might slip throught the bagginess of it. He didn't bother looking for smaller sizes; he doubted there would be anyhow.
Rin chose a light blue jacket that came with a blue and white scarf, along with dark blue mittens and a light blue boots.
Winter was coming
Snow was coming.
And she'd want to play in it of course.
So Kakashi didn't have any objection to buying the whole outfit.
He thought about it a while after they left the store and were headed to the park. If he had bought her winter clothes, than he was telling himself that Rin would be staying with him through the whole winter? Would he really be caring for her up to then? Buying the winter clothing, he was definitely telling himself that…
He saw Rin run out to the swings. As he walked, following her, he saw her try to climb on the seat.
He lifted her onto the seat and she grasped the chains of the swing tightly. Kakashi gave a slight push to the swing and Rin laughed with enthusiasm.
"Gyah!" Kakashi yelled, thrown back at the impact. "My eye!"
Kakashi heard Obito yell, "Kakashi!"
Kakashi instinctively put his left hand up to feel his eye, where all the pain was…
Kakashi felt tears, but when he looked at his fingers with his good eye, he found that what was dripping down his fingers was not tears.
But rather, blood.
Kakashi sniffed the air quickly again.
Damn.
The enemy already got rid of the kunai he had used against Kakashi.
"Kakashi!" Obito yelled, worried. "Hey, Kakashi! Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Kakashi managed to say while his eye began to pulse. Kakashi could feel his own heartbeat in throbs of pain. "The enemy…" he said during the hiatuses of pain he received for every five seconds of painfull hell. "He's skilled…he's already quickly gotten rid of the kunai with the scent of my blood on it."
Kakashi watched Obito tear up, in the verge of crying.
"Dirt in your eye again?" Kakashi asked.
Obito wore goggles all the time to protect his eyes from getting dirt in them. He didn't like to be seen crying.
But now he was.
"…shinobi don't cry…"Kakashi said. "I'm not dead yet."
Kakashi watched Obito lift his goggles to rub his eyes.
Sensing the chakra of someone else close, Kakashi warned, "Don't let your guard down!"
And then suddenly, Obito turned, stabbing out behind him with a kunai.
"Die!"Obito yelled.
The swing suddenly quieted and the laughter began to deaden away.
"Dad?" Rin's voice suddenly called.
The word 'dad' hurt him. Not because she was calling him her father when he really wasn't, but because she said it in such a tone like the way she had when she asked if he was angry when he was caught with the makiwara boards.
He looked up. The swing began to slow to a stop. Rin looked back at him.
"Sad?"
He didn't say anything.
"Rock? Go?"
Perhaps Rin is understanding now, Kakashi thought as the two of them had reached the memorial. She doesn't object to me coming here anymore…
Kakashi watched as the air that Obito had stabbed began to shape out into the figure of the enemy, color beginning to fade in.
"Obito! You…" Kakashi said, astonished.
How…could…Obito?
"It…how…I shouldn't be seen!" the enemy stammered, blood pumping out of him. Obito had stabbed him right at the heart.
"Wh…what? Those eyes…!" the enemy exclaimed on his last breath, falling forward with a thump.
There was a moment of silence.
"Now…" Obito said ending the moment, looking back at Kakashi. "I will protect my companions!"
Kakashi saw Obito's eyes first. Red as blood. Swirling with two black marks, two fish... spiraling around a pupil as black as night.
"Obito…you…"Kakashi said. "Those eyes…"
"Yeah…"Obito answered, looking at his hands. "It seems like the Sharingan…I can see the movements and flow of chakra…"
For a while Kakashi had forgotten the pain in his eye, interested in the Sharingan, but suffering came back to him quickly and he closed his eyes, grimacing and putting both hands over the injured one.
Kakashi felt Obito put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he heard Obito yell in a worried and nervous tone. "Kakashi?"
"Yeah…"Kakashi said after a while, reaching into his back pouch. "It seems my left eye's completely useless…" Kakashi produced the medical pack that Rin had given him before the whole mission. "I have this that I got from Rin. With emergency treatment, we can do it quickly," Kakashi said, then added, "Let's go rescue Rin right away!"
Obito seemed a bit surprised at Kakashi's last sentence. But then he announced, "Right!"
"Where?" Rin asked.
Slowly, Kakashi put his finger over Obito's name.
Still there.
"Read," Rin demanded.
"Obito Uchiha," Kakashi said. His tongue felt awkward saying Obito's name. He hadn't said the name ever since his death. Hadn't spoken the syllables out loud for years.
Rin repeated the name softly.
Kakashi felt some sort of relief. Perhaps someone would remember Obito's name. When he was gone maybe someone could tell Obito's story. There was a powerful wave of emotion that passed through him, a combination of all sports of feelings, a bitter loss, a warm revitalence, and even almost a blank…shallow pit inside him.
He observed Rin as her eyes lost focus, mind intent on searching the name out, trying to find familiarity in her memory regarding Obito Uchiha.
"Obito…sad?" Rin asked when she returned to the ground, her thinking complete.
Was Obito sad?
Kakashi was struck by the question. It was a question that Kakashi hadn't even thought about all this time. He had been so busy telling himself that this was all his fault…
that he never even regarded the way Obito might have felt in the end.
Kakashi really wasn't a good friend.
Obito wouldn't have felt happy about going, that was for sure…but was he really sad?
Of course Obito was.
That was his life.
Gone.
Ended.
Did he really want to give Kakashi his Sharingan? Or did Obito just feel that if he was dying anyway…to just give up his eye…
Thoughts…
Rin…
This girl would be the end of him, making him think and grieve more than he already was.
Superficially, he wondered if the makiwara boards were still up. Inside, he wondered if a kunai was long enough to stab through his stomach up to his heart.
Rin had to go.
"Come on," he said hastily, taking Rin's hand and leading her toward the orphanage.
He didn't exactly want to just leave Rin there.
But he didn't want to just let himself live either…
not after all that he'd done…
bringing Obito down all the time…
acting as if he were superior in his team…
loosing every single one of them in the end…
which he could have all prevented…
What more lives could he affect in the future?
Rin, the answer in his head popped up. The girl living with me right now. I'm influencing her, affecting her…
He was influencing everyone around him.
With every breath he took.
No more.
He didn't want to take any part in life any longer.
He increased the speed of his walking.
He even almost crashed into a random woman while turning a corner in his haste.
Then suddenly recognized…
He turned back and noticed the woman was looking at him, or more so, Rin. Rin was looking at the woman.
Black straight hair, blue eyes, but with perfect resemblance to the little kid whose hand he held right now.
The kid couldn't survive without a mother…
The woman opened her mouth before the other two could say anything.
"Rin?"
Well then, any comment or criticism? I love it all.
Midori Fujiwara
