Late Autumn / Falling Leaves
Yes, me again, it is still amazing how creative when I make my way to central London. I thought of this plot when I was on the train towards London Bridge and listening to Lee Hom's 落葉歸根 (literally meant fallen leaves back to the root, but it is a Chinese idioms, meaning wanting to go back to one's home/ birthplace.)
Nonetheless, even though Kashi-kun was not literally away from his birthplace, Konoha, but without his sensei, I just felt it would not be the same to him anymore. Without Minato, Konoha was his house, his shelter, but never his proper home anymore. It would be still the place that he would protect and serve, but never be the place that it was used to be in his heart. The root was more Minato, I supposed.
Anyway, hope you, my readers like this and please do comment (both positive and negative)!
Yours,
Yanvi
29/10/11
p.s. as always, plot by me but characters by Kishimoto sensei
p.s.s. for Mission10, it would be there… soon… really… as I am stuck on how Kashi-kun would propose to Ruka-chan and that obviously I am more into MinKaka these days. BUT, I promised I will end that story as I have already written the parts behind and ended the story, well, in my pc. I am only stuck on the part where Kashi-kun proposed to Ruka-chan, as I am still thinking how would Kashi-kun do it…Sigh…
p.s.s.s. the reason that it is called LateAutumn is that in Chinese, people always thought of爱在深秋, which is a famous canton-pop song by Alan Tam in the 80s and that it literally meant love in deep (late) autumn… yea… and although I only born in the late 80s, I am evidently an oldies kakaka
Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn
It was already late autumn; all the maple leaves have turned red and yellow. Once the gently autumn breeze gently swiped across the forest pathway, the leaves swiftly fell down and back to the place where they initially come from, the roots. It has been a long while since Team 7 carries out missions together. Since the departure of Sasuke, Sai has been assigned into the team and with Yamato as their team leader in replacement. However, as Yamato has off to an ANBU mission, Kakashi quickly took back the place instead.
The 2 original Team 7 members took the lead as always, with Sai only few steps behind them. Kakashi took his usual position, with an extra few steps behind Sai. It was the habit which Minato passed to him. When he was still a protégé, Minato always asked the boys to take lead. It was meant to train their instincts as Minato could not always be the team leader and that as the future shinobi no Konoha, they have to learn to protect themselves. Sensei were only meant to be there to guide them, not to protect them from danger. In fact, they were meant to be the one to send them to danger like lions to their cubs.
Kakashi looked up at the trees. The red leaves reminded him of his favourite blond. He was one of the reason that he loved autumn, but the said man was also the reason he hated autumn, as the man left him behind on this earth before the end of autumn, before they could wrap themselves in the kotatsu that the said blond bought when Kakashi started to live with the man after his father's death.
It was also the season that Kakashi managed to like the goggle wearer for once, as they and the purple hair girl have a good time on one Halloween night. It was a rare occasion that Kakashi remembered as a positive memory. He placed his hand in his pouch, nervously rubbing an item inside with his fingers. Every shinobi in field loved to place something precious in their pouch, as it was the only thing that they could remind their home, remind their love ones. Even though from outside, Kakashi could be seen as cold and heart-less, but it did not mean that he did not need an object to grasp on to. He was just a moral soul that needed an object to butt up against and to act upon.
The team walked passed a wheat field at the edge of the village border. They were still long way from the country border, so the team was rather relax, with Sai began to join in the conversation, which Kakashi was not keen to eavesdropping. He looked at the golden field. He remembered a certain blond has similar hair colour. He saw the torn scarecrow standing at the field, alone. He knew, it was also his destiny. It was his father's wish. To name his son as the scarecrow, it was so obvious that his father wanted to hope that his son would be able to protect his village like himself. Konoha was the Hatake's field and being the scarecrow, Kakashi would protect the village at all cost, even it meant that he has to suffer in the bad weather alone. Being burnt by the sun, being soak by the rain, facing the strong wind, no matter how bad the weather could be, Kakashi would like the scarecrow in the field in front of him, stood guard at the place that he was needed.
He quickly made a few hand sign and created a clone. Without a word, the clone looked at the scarecrow and grinned at the original. Kakashi did not say a word but simply pointing at the torn scarecrow. The clone quickly dashed to the scarecrow while Kakashi walked off. If they were not on a mission, Kakashi would have fixed the scarecrow himself. He has to specially fix this one, as it was one of the last D class missions that he has completed with his beloved sensei. He remembered.
Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn
It was October 31st, when Kakashi was still a Chunin while Obito and Rin were just genin. As a quick exercise, Minato took a class D mission with them for the afternoon, so that the boys and girl could off to the Halloween party in the village later on in the afternoon. Their mission was simple. They have to repair the barn, the dovecote, and the least thing that Kakashi like for that day – the scarecrow. Kakashi did like scarecrow, but with some goggle wearer has been teased him about his name for the whole afternoon. As still was an impatient child, Kakashi was not happy at all. As to settle the argument, Minato separated the boys by sending Obito to feed the pigeons with Rin, while he paired up with Kakashi to fix the scarecrow.
Kakashi loved the every single minute that he spent with the blond. It was also true for the blond. As his protégé was growing older, Minato knew that their time together would be getting shorter. Once the silver hair boy reached Jounin, Minato knew that he would be promoted to Hokage soon or later and then the boy that he cared so much would be able to complete mission alone or take up his own protégé. The day would be there soon or later, he knew, as it was their destiny. No matter how much he loved the boy, there would be always other reasons, always other justification that prevent him to express his emotion, or pour all his love to the boy.
They quietly fix the scarecrow, with Minato being cheeky, and drew a henohenomohejiat the back of the shirt that scarecrow was wearing. Kakashi of course managed to spot that when Minato looked at him slyly.
"Sensei, what are you doing?" Kakashi asked, though he knew his sensei too well, nobody would have seen the cheeky Minato these days, maybe Jirayia would have seen that before, but not now anymore, as the man would only share his devil smile with the silver hair boy.
"Kashi-kun, you know…" Minato paused and looked up the red maple leaves float in the air by the autumn breeze. "You are already Chunin, soon, you will leave me and take up your own protégé."
"No… I will be with sensei always." Kakashi proclaimed urgently, desperately, "if sensei become the Hokage, I can join the ANBU."
"I know… Kashi," Minato gently ruffled his favourite silver hair. "Sensei doesn't want to leave you too… Anyway, this will be our last 10 D class mission, as I have recommended both Rin and Obito to the Chunin exam."
Kakashi quietly nodded, as Sandaime has already talked to him about his Jounin promotion, soon or later, Team Minato would be separated with all the team members heading a different direction. He promised himself that he would keep coming back to maintain this scarecrow as he would not want anybody to touch this, as if it was his own body. Well, he wished he was, when he looked at Minato's long slim fingers gently straighten the shirt and carefully tired the straws. He wished he was the scarecrow. He flushed slightly, but was glad that he worn a mask all the time.
They completed their task on time so they managed to arrive at the village with a small amount of time to get change before the Halloween party. Although Kakashi was not keen to go to any party, Minato has already prepared the costumes and that he always managed to find reasons to make Kakashi to come along.
When a mummy and a witch knocked at their door, both men were not surprised. It was so obvious that Rin would have tricked Obito to dress as a mummy so that she could have more chance to practice her skills; and for her costume, it was simply her excuse to wear heavy make up, Kakashi thought.
"Sensei, trick or treat!" Obito murmured underneath his bandages.
"Oh no…" Minato turned slightly pale, "I totally forgot to buy sweets as I don't have time to do grocery."
"So are you saying you choose trick then?" both the witch and the mummy asked merrily. "So expecting to do that, sensei~"
Kakashi, who now dressed as a vampire, and expectedly with his mask on, "why don't you give your backups to them, sensei?"
"Oh…" Minato quickly dashed to his pouch, which was lying on the dinning table. "Yes, got it." He handed the two backup chocolate bars to the pair. Not many people knew that Minato was a super sugarholic, he ate lots of sweet a day, so it was normal for him to have at least 2 spare bar of chocolate in his pouch.
"But, what about Kakashi-kun?" Rin asked uncertainly. She still could not get rid of her crush, but she knew there was not much room for her between the pair. As being the only female in the team, Rin was more sensitive and observant than the three men. She noticed the emotion lured between her sensei and her teammate; and for the obvious reason, she has kept herself silence.
"Well, I will get an extra bar for him when we are on the way to the party." Minato pulled up his usual grin. "Why don't you go with Mr Mummy first, Rin-chan?"
"Ok." Rin replied quickly and pulled the mummy away before the latter could murmur furthermore. "See you later, sensei." She knew the goggle wearer's feeling towards her. 'It may not be a bad thing to give the boy a go,' she supposed.
When the pair were nowhere could be seen, Kakashi turned to Minato, "well, I am not a kid, I don't need any sweets at all."
"So you wanted to trick me?" Minato grinned. "But I won't let you do it though, my Kashi-kun." Before Kakashi could argue, Minato drew out a shimenawa from his pouch, and handed it to the boy. "I made this with the straws from the scarecrow today, I was planning to make a bigger one like mine," he pointed at the one hanged by the shoe cupboard, "but I guessed you wont like it."
Kakashi quickly grasped the shimenawa and placed in his pouch, which he refused to take off. "I like it," he murmured. "Thanks, Minato…" He tipped toes and placed a soft masked perk by Minato's cheek.
Minato flushed slightly, but placed his hands on the thin shoulder of Kakashi's and pulled him slightly away, "ano… Kashi-kun…"
"I know." Kakashi stepped away, " I understand there is nothing much you can promise, Minato… I am willing to take the consequences. I am willing to take the melancholy as long as you can give me your love."
Minato quickly pulled the boy back to his embrace, "if there's all you need, Kashi…"he whispered lowly, "if there's all you need…"
Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn
Kakashi drew back his thoughts when his clone came back to him. The clone nodded at him and swiftly disappeared. Quickly, he migrated his memories with the clone's and was glad that the scarecrow was healthy to serve again. He took out the item that he has been holding since the team walked passed the field. It was the shimenawa that Minato gave to Kakashi on that night. He placed the straw by his masked lips. He wanted to go back to his sensei badly, but he still has lots to do. Even though Naruto has already defeated Pain and became the village hero, there were still lots of things that Kakashi needed to complete. As long as the scarecrow was still needed, Kakashi would not go anywhere. Even though there was not much to teach Naruto anymore, Kakashi knew that the boy –soon –to – be a man needed his friendship. Since the last bell catching exercise, he no longer treated the orange teenager a protégé; but as equals, as a fellow shinobi no Konoha.
There would be one day when he could see his sensei again, one day. He hummed the song that he heard from a sempai when he was doing an ANBU mission in one autumn day:
" But I'm like the falling leaves returning to the roots
Falls into your heart
No matter how melancholy, how lonely,
I am willing to.
My love is like the falling leaves returning to the roots
Home… will be only when I am by your side.
I wish to you accompany you to find
The eternity that was lost
When I speak, but you kept silent
Only left a dream…"
Kakashi looked at the red maple leaves chasing each other in the air. He then looked up at the blue sky. He remembered, the man that he loved as the same magnetic blue orbs, one of the reasons that he fell into the bottomless pool.
"I am only a small leaf, one of the leaves of the Konoha tree. All I want to be one of the fallen leaves and fell into your heart. I just wanted to stay beside you. I love you… Minato…"
Kakashi released the leaf that he was holding. As if the almighty source heard his prayer, a strong autumn breeze brushed the leaf away from Kakashi's palm and blew it towards the west. Kakashi fixed his gaze on the leaf until it was no longer visible in the air. He remembered. He remembered the day when he expressed his love in an autumn day, when Obito poured a whole bucket full of fallen leaves onto the blond, who was being cheekily lazy and took a nap when they were forced to clean up the barn.
Fin.
Yanvi: I know this is a bit short and rough, but as today is Halloween, so I just wanted to upload this up today as I just thought of that trick of treat scene on the train. Lolz I hope I still get the plot across. Anyway, Happy Halloween.