I got a real nasty surprise when Tobito revealed that missing piece to the puzzle of Rin's death.
Like, seriously.
My kokoro is brokoro. *cries*
UPDATE (6/28/15): Fixed and added minor things. YES, I'M ALIVE AGAIN, PEOPLE!~
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So here it is, another one-shot in two parts, Impasse!
To Hide
"I can't go back. I can never go back."
My whisper fell like a feather in the middle of the forest.
They sealed the Sanbi in me, and I heard them whispering about unleashing it on Konoha once I was rescued and taken home.
I can't look up at him.
"What are you talking about, Rin?" he hissed, and continued to pull me by my wrist to get me to stand up.
We kept our voices hushed, so they won't hear.
When I didn't move, he kneeled by me, "Let's get you out of here! Kai!" as he held out a hand sign to dispel genjutsu.
"I am not under a genjutsu! Kakashi!"
I held him by his shoulders to force him to look at me and stared into his jet black eye.
I saw how his brows are furrowed in anger.
"Please. Please listen to me. Go back to Konoha, inform Hokage-sama of the situation, but forget about rescuing me. Leave me here! There's no turning back for me!"
"Rin! No!"
"Kakashi, please. I'm begging you. Save yourself and the village. Go back and leave me here!"
His face suddenly softened into something akin to pain.
"Rin, you know about my promise to Obito, right? I can't just leave you just because you told me so! Let's get you home, and let's find a way out of this together!"
Together.
Like a team.
I'm sorry, Minato-sensei, but I'm about to break everything you've thought us so far.
"You don't understand, Kakashi..."
It's a lose-lose situation.
"Can't you see it?"
I can feel my tears welling up.
If we get back to Konoha, they're going to trigger the seal release, unleashing the Sanbi, wrecking the village and causing chaos and havoc.
And death.
Konoha will be at its most vulnerable.
I'm going to die.
If we escape from here without returning to the village, Kiri will hunt both of us down.
They won't allow me nor Kakashi to exit their territory.
They could easily find another Konoha shinobi—they can even use Kakashi—to be another Jinchuriki and use him as bait.
Surely, Sensei will come and rescue him once he hears about this.
Like they did to me... That is—
If I died.
"If you're not coming with me peacefully, then I'd have to force you."
This time, he tugged at my arm more forcefully, and half-dragged, half-carried me through the forest to the general direction of Konoha.
I act like this, so he would leave me.
But in fact, I wish I could live longer, and even now I shudder thinking about my impending doom.
But I am a shinobi, and I am to endure and hide.
"Kakashi, stop! Let go of me!" I frantically whispered, trying to remove my arm from his grasp.
He kept silent and trudged on, never letting go of me.
I can't do anything against his vice-grip on me.
For now, I'll have to pretend… play along, so they won't notice…
"Fine! I'm going with you! Just let go of my hand."
I said that loudly and deliberately so they would pick it up.
By now, the Kiri shinobi would be rejoicing.
Victory is at hand.
This was the initial step of the plan.
"Enemies, behind!" Kakashi raged, looking back at the forest behind us.
Sharp as always.
Now, they had sent out a battalion of their Jounin-level and ANBU corps to go after us, just to make it look like they're chasing us.
But it is all a coy to hasten our return to Konoha.
Kakashi knows nothing about it.
I have to find a way out.
A way to get us out.
"Kakashi, kill me now! Now!"
I kept my voice low.
It was an order.
"What?!"
"They…"
I hesitated, but this is for him, for the village of Konoha—if not for me.
"They're using me, Kakashi! I might end up attacking Konoha!"
"I don't understand! You will never attack Konoha!"
Then we were silent for a while.
Even I could feel them closing in.
"For the last time, Rin, I'll tell you again. I promised Obito that I'd protect you. There's no way I can do that! There has to be another way…"
He trailed off.
I could hear it in his voice.
Hope.
But I know better.
There is none of that 'hope' in this situation.
"It's my mission to bring you home, and it's my promise to keep you safe. 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash!' But now that the mission and your safety are one, I can't afford to fail!"
Thank you, Kakashi.
You finally understand how Obito's mind worked when he was alive.
I'm really, really glad you changed your mind about things...
But...
Don't you know it's an impasse?
Soon we reached the border.
"Quick, we're almost there!"
Then he stiffened, and landed on his feet on the ground, in the middle of a clearing.
"More of them!" he breathed, as he lifted his hitai-ate to reveal the Sharingan.
They surrounded us from all sides.
But they won't harm us.
I have to get to the village for their plan to succeed, after all.
"It's too late... there's no way—"
"Listen, Rin. There's a hole in their formation, 2 o'clock."
If only you knew, Kakashi...
You're falling into the trap.
"Kakashi, go through that opening and run! Run away! We're outnumbered!"
He paid no attention at all.
The chirping of a thousand birds filled my hearing.
"No, you go ahead," he said, his voice and eyes steely, "I'm going to take care of them. I'll cover your back!"
I'd like to believe.
That there really was a way out.
That we were going to be safe.
That the village was going to be safe.
Maybe even have Minato-sensei here and save us again, like last time.
Hah! How dishonourable of me, to hope to be saved… like I wasn't a shinobi!
Endure and hide.
Even so, I ran, ran as fast as my weary legs can take me.
The moment I took off, I could hear a hundred feet thudding on the ground and charging at him.
And then his own light feet.
Maybe I should have looked a last time at his mismatched eyes and his silver hair.
I sure wish I could see what's behind his mask—
There is a way to do that.
Mist and what seemed like rain filled the air.
Must be their Suiton jutsus flying about.
It's now or never.
I turned around, and dashed blindly into the cold and wet battlefield.
But the chirping guided me to where he is, and sure enough I found him charging toward a Kirigakure ANBU.
Chidori.
One Thousand Birds.
So many drawbacks on this technique, pointed out by Sensei during the Kannabi Bridge mission.
Straight-line attack, requires a lot of speed; he could only use it for 1-2 times a day and no more.
Tunnel-like vision, but that was bridged over when he acquired the Sharingan.
Use of the Sharingan and the amount of chakra released and concentrated on his hand meant that it's incredibly draining, thus the limit on the amount of times of usage.
I can't believe I'm about to use all these weaknesses against its creator.
I pumped chakra into my feet and leaped high from where I was.
I don't think he has noticed me yet.
Everything was slow motion.
I looked down and saw the ANBU frozen in place, Kakashi a couple of meters from him, hand drawn back to thrust the Chidori.
Rin.
It meant 'cold' and 'severe'.
Maybe I am Rin.
Gravity took hold of me, and I felt a strange kind of peace when it did.
Maybe it was death.
As I descended, like a leaf floating in the breeze, I saw his mismatched eyes widen gradually.
I'm sorry, Kakashi.
I don't know if you really had any amount of concern for me, if you only thought of me as a burden, if you only cared for me just because Obito wished for it before his own death.
So I don't know how this will affect you.
I didn't even have any courage to tell you how I really feel about you.
But in spite of that, sorry, if I'm going to leave you alone.
We were supposed to be a team of three, right?
Team Minato.
I deserve a scolding from Sensei, just like the ones you often get from him whenever you and Obito would fight.
I'm really sorry for being selfish like this.
I wish Minato-sensei would take care of you after this, and comfort you with thoughts like, "You're teammates are already happy in the other world, and they're going to watch over you."
Yes—there, in the next world, where there are no wars and everything is at peace and there is no pain.
Oh, I'm going to watch over you and Sensei, alright.
Isn't that what I've always done, even now?
I put on a brave face and stared straight at you, in response to your shock.
Still, as your hand pierced clean straight through my heart, I can't help but feel the surging sensation of pain through my body.
Huge damage.
Main vessels cut off. Heavy bleeding. 6 ribs broken. Lungs punctured, filling with liquid. Major nerves cut off.
Are those tears… or is that the rain?
What a shame, I must have let the pain show on my face for you to look like that.
I failed on my last mission as a shinobi.
Before I blackout and fade into darkness, I want to tell you…
"Kakashi…"
But instead I spluttered blood, and I could feel my legs giving way beneath me.
I'm too late.
Before my eyes close and remain forever closed, you bowed your head and shut your eyes.
Don't look like that. We're going to see each other again.
Our team together again.
I just hope you and Sensei don't follow too soon though!
Oh, tell me when Kushina-san and Minato-sensei are having a child, alright? I'm sure Sensei will be very happy…
I never got to see the face under your mask after all.
Please live long and be happy.
For Obito and the gift he gave you, if not for me.
I love you, Kakashi; I really do.
But now you will never hear it from me…
Goodbye… for now.
Until we meet again.
