Naruto".

This is just a little story I decided to write when I was bored, and couldn't think of any ideas on my other story in process. This will be a story, not a one-shot.

This is set just weeks after Obito's death, making Kakashi and Rin thirteen years old. Arashi is now the Hokage.

I think I've covered everything, but I'd be glad to answer anymore questions anyone else has.

Summary: Kakashi is serious about protecting Rin, and keeping his promise. Will he be able to keep his promise and protect her and a family on a mission that is above her level? And without failing the mission?


"Innocent"

Written by Sakra-chan

Scroll One

Kakashi is standing in the Hokage's office, his sensei's office as he looks over at Rin. Of course he'd never admitt it because of his pride, but he's proud of her; it's the first time since Obito's death she's been able to stand in the presence of Kakashi (especially him because every time she sees Obito's eye and it reminds her of Obito, which is why he wears his hita'ate band over his left eye.) and Arashi without breaking down into tears because he's not there, and because of that it feels like they're no longer one team.

'Of course we are no longer a team, you need four people per squad to be considered a squad; without Obito we're only three.' Kakashi told himself, but he knew that deep, deep down inside, even a replacement for Obito wouldn't make them Squad Seven again.

"I've got a mission for you two, fortuantly I'm stuck here being the Hokage." Arashi told them while scanning the scroll in which contained the details for their mission. Clearing his throat, he explained the mission, "There is a family in the Grass Country that needs our assistance, therefore I am sending you two there."

"Why would a family need our assistance?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes on his sensei in suspicion. "This isn't a D-Rank mission is it?"

"No, this is a B-Rank mission, Kakashi. Therefore it is important that you keep a close eye on Rin because this is a little higher than her level on what she can handle alone." Arashi explained, "And this family is constantly being ambushed by Earth nin, and no there isn't anything special about this family - they just happen to live close to Earth's territory and refuse to leave their home."

A part of Kakashi wanted to force Rin to stay in Konoha, where she would be safe from any danger; because he knows that she is precious to Obito and he doesn't want anything to happen to her, but for some reason he couldn't put his finger on it, but he also wanted to protect her. But he knew that she would want to go anyway, because Arashi wasn't supposed to tell him because it was supposed to be something between his sensei and Rin - but Rin had told Arashi that she didn't want to be a hindrance anymore, and that she wanted to be stronger. And Kakashi knew that she wouldn't get any stronger unless she trained herself by going on missions, so all he could do was guide her through them and keep her safe.

"Kakashi is the commander, though I don't see any point in assigning one because you two do pretty well together." Arashi quickly ushered the two out the door for their mission when he muttered something about the two being a cute couple and Kakashi was giving him another one of his famous 'death glares'.
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The walk to their destination for the mission assigned to them was quiet. Kakashi watched Rin unconciously as she gazed at the flowers on the side of the road, acasionaly alerting the Jounin of poision oak.

The wind was blowing slightly, pushing against Rin's brunett-colored hair. Eventuallyl the girl got tired of her hair brushing up against her face and tied her hair in a messy bun.

The way she now looked when she smiled at him with her usual smile (the one she only gave their sensei, him, and Obito) made her look perfect. Far more perfect than those other girls that tried to get him to notice them, he knew that Rin had a crush on him but he knew it wasn't the same as the others.

Arashi had told him that Rin's crush and feelings for him was just the 'admiring' kind. Sure she loved the way he look (according to Arashi, she thought he looked perfectly fine with his mask - which made his stomach feel wierd whenever he saw her), but she also admired the way he could easily take down an enemy like it was nothing.

Though as much as he tried, his chakra was never as perfect as hers. Climbing trees, walking on water, and performing basic Shinobi jutsu was easy for her. Whereas it used to be difficult for him, and was always difficult for Obito.

Though instead of treating Obito badly like his fangirls did with other boys who liked them, she liked Obito in a different way. She was always glad to be around him, and help him through hard times - sure sometimes she couldn't help him, but she cared enough to try to do the impossible.

He didn't know why, but lately it seemed that whenever he was around her his stomach felt different. And he would sweat suddenly, as if he had went for a mid-afternoon jog, and it wouldn't go away until he was away from Rin.

Kakashi was pushed out of his thoughts just as they reached a lake, where Rin looked high on alert, gazing at the set of bushes to the left of her.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked her, keeping his usual tone.

"I could've sworn I saw something move in there." Rin responded to his question, pointing into the bushes.

One second Kakashi was high on alert as well, and suspicious. The next, Kakashi was jumping in front of Rin protectively with his back facing the bushes and wrapping his arms around her protectively to shield her from the kunai that was headed for her head (he was taller than her so it hit in the shoulders, whereas it would've hit her in the head).

"Kakashi!" She called out with fear in her eyes, she scrunched her knees to get out of his gentle hold but he stopped her by grabbing her arm gently and speaking.

"Stand back, the enemy is easily Jounin - don't move or else he'll target you."

She seemed defient at first, but then nodded knowing that Kakashi was not in the mood for her arguments right now. After she had her fighting stance, holding her kunai in front of her in case the enemy made a beeline for her suddenly, Kakashi charged forward and threw two kunai into the bushes.

Their enemy fell for his trap when they deflected it with their own kunai - showing that he was hiding in the bush that Rin was standing beside just recently (which she was now inches away from). Kakashi dived into the bush for the kill, and after a few moments after shouting 'chidori' he came out without a scratch other than the wounds on his shoulders.

Rin rushed over to his side immedietly, remembering his wounds. "Kakashi! You're hurt!"

He eyed her carefully, and she softened slightly (if it was possible) when she saw the calm and gentle look in his eyes for the first time. She quietly thanked him before cleaning the wounds and then sealing them up.

"You could have easily joined him, Rin. He was targeting you."

She stayed silent after his statement. And he couldn't help but feel anything but relief because the strange feeling in his stomach was returning again.

For the next few hours no one spoke, or even thought about the ambush that had taken place just recently. Though Kakashi was too busy trying to fight off the weird feeling in his stomach, he was beginning to feel that something was wrong with him.
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He's still on alert when he knocks on the door that is supposed to be the Hanaro family. And he can't help but admire Rin's smile she uses to greet the family, and he can feel his face light up slightly when he sees that she's good with children (if not then he'd be restraining himself from killing all three of them).

The mother and father of the three children are quickly ushering them both inside of the neat and tidy house, and before they know it they're sitting down and eating Arashi and Obito's favorite, ramen.

Rin's quiet with a far away look in her eyes as she eats. The only girl of the three, Takara, who is twins with the second youngest, Tanaka, questions Kakashi of Rin's behavior.

"Takara, it is rude to get into people's business. They've come a long way so show them to their room." The father tells her, and she obeys him like Kakashi would with their sensei.

"It's only one room, but don't worry! There's two beds inside!" The girl cheerfully informs the two before going back downstairs and calling out her older brother, Takeshi's name.

Rin smiles at the five year old before thanking her and walking inside their temperarily room. It was a farily big room with two queen sized beds, the walls were painted a light shade of blue, as well as everything else inside of it mostly. The dressers, bed spreads, bed comfurters, as well as mostly anything else in that room (if there was since it seemed to be a guest room).

He quickly made his way to the bed closest to the window to get away from her. Growling slightly in annoyence, he found the weird feeling in his stomach.

He made no second thought when he dumped his backpack on the bed and left Rin in the room, and growled again when the feeling went away.

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"Kakashi...?"

The young teen turned his head to see his comrade approaching him cautioiusly (though he couldn't blame her for all of the times he's blown his top off whenever she was around). "Hn. What is it?"

She looked sheepish for a moment, but then calmly spoke to him in her soft, caring tone. "You didn't eat very much at dinner, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just not hungry."

She seemed defient at first, and he saw her turn to walk away but then she turned back towards him before pointing out to him, "You haven't eaten all day..."

Before he could respond to her, she was kneeling beside him. She gently pushed his hita'ate band from its slanted position up just above his forehead and felt his forehead for a fever. "Did you just start sweating a few moments ago, Kakashi?"

"No." He lied, before pulling away from her and sliding his forehead protector back into its usual position over his right eye.

"Go lay down."

"Huh?"

"If you're sweating than you could be coming down with a cold, and you need to seperate yourself from others or else you'll get us all sick, Kakashi."

"I'm not sick-"

"Then why are you sweating? You said you've been sweating for a while now, whatever you got is contageous and you don't want to get the children sick-"

"I'm fine when you're not around, Rin." Kakashi coolly told her, before mentally cursing because it didn't come out the right way. "Th-That's not what I meant Rin, it's just that..." Kakashi gently held the girl's hand to hold her into place. "Whenever I'm around you I sweat...that's all."

Rin let out a chuckle. "Well, I don't know how to treat you because most Medic nin would say that you like me - but-"

"Rin-neechan!" Takara called out and broke out into a run towards Rin.

"Yes, Takara-chan?"

"You promised me that you would play dolls with me after dinner! So can we play now? I have to go to bed in an hour!"

"Sure, Takara-chan. I'll meet you in the living room, so go ahead and get your dolls ready, OK?" Rin told the younger girl while kneeling down so that she was the same height as Takara.

"Alright, Rin-neechan!" The girl happily chirped out before turning and running back towards her house.

Rin smiled at Kakashi before walking away from him. He watched her retreating figure until she dissappeared inside of the Hanaros' house.

The young Hatake grumbled to himself, slightly irritated, before plopping his head back down on the grass once again.
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Kakashi watched Rin silently as she played with Takara's dolls with the little girl. He was actually amazed at how gentle she was with Takara, how she would do what the younger girl wanted - and never complained with the names Takara gave her dolls she was lending Rin.

"So, who's this doll, Takara-chan?"

Kakashi pretended to caugh to hide his snort of amusement when Takara responded. "That's 'Ayami'! She's a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, but she isn't one anymore because she doesn't want to hurt anyone!"

"I see..."

"Takara-chan! It's time for bed now!" Takara's mother called out to her youngest child, who called out an 'OK Mommy!' before running upstairs to her room.

Kakashi approached Rin cautiously, and then spoke when he was beside her. "A walk?"

She gave him that smile she only gave to him or Obito, or sometimes Sensei. "Sure, Kakashi."

And so the two found them walking on a short walking trail late at night, being the only two people outside in the middle of nowhere. The night was slightly chilly, which made him wonder if Rin was cold. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine, Kakashi. But thank you."

He wasn't sure why he was at lost for words, but then again Obito was usually the one who made him talk. Rin had always been the shy one who only spoke when neccessary, like him. But her case was that she was a shy, but gentle person.

Whenever she had to do her job, and whenever it was neccessary for her to rub alcohol over his or Obito's wounds - somehow she always made it less painful than the other nurses and medical nins did back in Konoha. And when her hands touched his wounds, he always found her hands warming and gentle as she always softly slid her hands down his wounds and sealed up the cuts.

But now that Obito was gone, it seemed like he had taken a part of her with him as well. She never smiled the same anymore, and her eyes were almost always filled with sorrow - and when she was smiling, he knew that she was trying to hide the pain in her eyes - and all of her smiles now seemed fake, it seemed that she was just smiling so that people couldn't see the pain Obito's death had given her.

Her hands felt cold now, they didn't have the same warmth they used to have whenever she healed someone - even a complete stranger. And whenever she rubbed alcohol over Kakashi's wounds, it stung more than it used to - and when she did heal them it stung slightly too.

Of course he wouldn't admitt it, but he was thrilled that she was smiling slightly. And the sparkle in her eyes weren't the same as before, but he could tell that her smile was true.

But he secretly hoped that she would smile truthfully more often.

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Well there you have it! The first chapter!

I'll try to get the second chapter out quickly, but I can be a bit slow at first with a new story until it sinks in. But I'll do my best!