AN: I've tried writing the storyline I have in my head several different ways but I can not come up with a good starting point to include and connect all of the points together that I want to share. Also I finally got tired of trying to work this into the proper timeline, and as I am now convinced that Kishimoto has botch the continuity of his own timeline I don't really care about a few missing years here or there or a couple people being slightly older or younger than what a data book or random 'interview page' may have said. Anyhow back to the point, one could almost treat this as a series of connected one-shots.

I think I will post the rough character outline I wrote up for Ina-Li as chapter 2.

Dis: Kishimoto ownes it all. Save Ina and the non cannon ideas.

It had been going on for some years now; he would come out to the memorial stone before the sun's golden rays broke the horizon and sit there for hours. Some times thanking Obito for his friendship and final words, words of wisdom that had changed his views of teamwork and friendship. Other times he would curse himself for being such a fool, for making a choice that had forfeited Obito's life. He wouldn't pray for forgiveness because asking for forgiveness would mean that he felt worthy of it. Forgiving himself was one thing that Kakashi Hatake could never do. Now his failure had gone a step further and Rin's name was on the stone, albeit several away from Obito's.

The horizon had started to take a pinky-orange tint when he felt another presence approach. Usually others hesitated when they found the young jonin standing vigil at the memorial. However this presence had never shown much respect for his space, thoughts or opinions. He gave his last regards to the dead as she squatted on the balls of her feet just in the corner of his vision. He stayed just long enough to keep her from getting any satisfaction from running him off. As he stood up the young chunin let out an exasperated sigh.

"What?" Kakashi couldn't help but feel that her sigh was directed at him.

"I don't get this." Ina-Li responded brandishing hand towards the rock as if it were a complicated trap or encrypted scroll.

"Maa, it's a stone with the names of those who lost their life in the line of duty, I thought even you would get that." The insult was out of his mouth before he had even had time to process it.

"I get that, I get the rock, I get the names, I get what happened. What I don't get is how this is supposed help." She rocked back on her heals and fell onto her back with a soft thud.

For the first time Kakashi fully looked at her. She'd left her chunin vest for a worn dull black hooded sweatshirt, the male uniform pant that she was so often ridiculed for wearing was replaced with wide-legged black pants with blue strips that matched the blue of her bangs that oddly enough reminded him of the color of his 'chidori'. The rest of her black jaw length hair framed her face half caught in and out of the hood that bunched behind her neck while her closed eyes faced heavenward. Her narrow jaw set in irritation

Kakashi's senses were all telling him to leave. Her voice only held bitterness; all she would do was mock him and his ideas as she always did. Still a part of him knew how alone she had to be feeling. He'd lost so much too. Rin had been her last living blood relative.

"Hn." There wasn't anything for him to say. He didn't come here to feel better; he came here to punish himself. He stood there watching her until her blazing blue orbs fixed on him. They held his gaze for a long moment then looked back towards the rock.

"Hatake?" Her voice was distant.

"Hmm?" He stood over her, knowing that she would answer with out ever focusing her eyes on him.

"You know she loved you. Not 'In love' with you, but loved you. I think you and Minato-sensei were the most precious people to her after her parents' death." Kakashi wanted to tell her that she'd had meant the world to her cousin, but Ina wouldn't have believed the words from him. Her eyes closed again enjoy the early morning light that was now breaking over the tree tops.

Kakashi took the opportunity to slip into the tree tops; to his dismay he was already late.

A couple days later the scene repeated itself. Right as the first hints of sunlight started to show in the morning sky Ina-Li turned up. The two sat in silence for some time. Just when Kakashi had concluded that she'd found the peace she sought from the memorial his hypothesis was dashed.

"Hatake?"

"That would be me." The corner of his right eye turning up in a smirk.

"Hff, no shit." She mumbled under her breath in the same tone as his response. "The first time she described you to me, she described you as 'Reckless but cute, just like a puppy. I partially agree with her, you are reckless, and smell like a dog.'" With that she jumped onto her feet. She never looked at him, but Kakashi knew there was a smirk on her face.

"I'm off, say hello to Minato-sensei for me would ya!" and she did just as she'd said and took off towards the town. Kakashi found himself too puzzled to do anything but sit there and stare at the rock.

At first Ina's words had caught him off guard in general. He kept asking himself why she would tell him these things. Was it to make him miss Rin more? Did she want him to hurt worse? He walked to the training grounds still pondering these things.

"Kakashi what's on your mind?" Minato asked when the silver haired jonin walked right past him with out a greeting.

"Hn? Oh, Ina-Li says hi." He responded his uncovered eye quickly taking in his surroundings. Minato sighed and ran a hand through his yellow plumage.

"You two been fighting again? What about this time, to-ma-to or to-maa-to?" Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh at his mentors question. While it was normal for him and Ina to fight, that wasn't the case and that fact was bothering him almost as much as the puzzle to her words.

"Not a fight, and don't you dare compare her to Obito again. There is no similarity between my relationship with Obito and her annoying presence in my life." He paused and took a calming breath when the yellow haired man laughed at him.

"Then why does she have you so worked up?" he asked, already fearing that it would be something to do with the one person the two did have in common. He chose not to point out that the last time he had compared the interaction between Kakashi and Ina-Li to those between Obito and Kakashi, that he had stated that Kakashi was playing more the role Obito had played in their interactions. The time between thirteen and fifteen had changed Kakashi greatly, Ina-Li's life had striking similarities to his.

"She keeps telling me these things about Rin." Kakashi plopped himself down on the ground at the base of the tree that his sensei was leaning on.

"Things? What sort of things?" Minato's curiosity was peaked. He knew that Rin and her cousin's relationship was a unique one. Rin had expressed to him more than once that Ina-Li didn't bond well and could be a difficult person to be close to. Still he doubted the young ninja would speak ill of her kin, let alone of the dead.

"She's told me now that Rin considered me a precious person, and that, well she'd" Kakashi faltered and blushed. He was glad the mask upon his face hid most of his blush but he knew that Minato-sensei wouldn't miss it.

"If it's that private you need not say it." The blond chuckled.

"Put it aside for now, we've got some training to do before the Third sends us out again."

It was a day shy of a week before Ina-Li showed up again at the memorial before dawn. She set her offering and ran her fingers over the engraved stone. Kakashi mildly wondered how she could stay balanced on the balls of her feet so easily for such long periods of time. He'd spent a lot of the last few days pondering Ina's words and his relationship to Rin. She had been right that over the last few years Rin had out grown her childhood crush on him, and their relationship had turned into that of close friends. The more he thought about the little bits of information he had been given the happier knowing those things seemed to make him feel.

"We had never met before my mom died. My mom married into the Honnou clan leaving her family behind. While the marriage wasn't looked down on by either clan, the distance kept them from being in contact often, and I was still rather young when she passed. Anyhow, Rin was at such a loss as what to do with me. She was almost out of academy and I was only starting, she tried talking boys, I'd rather fight them, she'd suggest picking flowers I'd pull the peddles off, she'd play dolls I would throw shrunken at them. I never was easy to be around. Still she would teach me what she could, tell me about her missions and never complain about healing me when I came home hurt. She never called bluff when I acted tough, and didn't act surprised when I'd cry."

Kakashi had kept his seat in the grass, not moving or saying a word. He wasn't surprised that she'd shared another story even though he was a tad shocked that it had been more personal to her. Standing up he stepped behind her. During her story she'd gone from the squatted position on the balls of her feet to sitting with her chin rested on knee, which was this time clad in uniform pant.

"She would always scold me for picking on people. She hated it when I'd call Obito a crybaby, and she hated it when I'd call you weak. She never stepped in the middle of it, but she would always make me feel guilty by pointing out others strengths, or the ways that they are similar to me. I think it is because of her that I am able to stop and think of how another person might feel. Others feelings always came before her own." Kakashi's audience didn't twitch or give any indication that she'd heard him speak at all. He fought the urge to place a sandal in the middle of her back and push her forward. He chose instead to ask what he had been wondering for the better part of a week.

"Why are we doing this?" the words had come out just above a whisper, almost as if he were asking himself more than her.

"To remember, to honor?" her words sounded as if she were testing them out herself, almost as if she wasn't sure the reason for the exchange herself.

"Do you hate me?" his own words almost surprised him. They had obviously caught her off guard too as she twisted around to face him.

"I wouldn't be here now if I felt that way." She answered, her blue eyes focusing on his face for the first time that day. She stood up, making the space between them seem too close so Kakashi took a step back regarding her and he arched brows with an aloof air.

"Do you hate me?" she asked, clearly puzzled by the nature of his question.

"No." He answered and stepped past her towards the stone. She started to reach for him but thought better of it.

"Hatake wha-" her question was cut off when he spoke again. Kakashi never turned to face her, his eyes focusing on the memorial, his shoulders set.

"I would have left her had it not been for Obito. Back then, I was the kind of guy who would have left a teammate behind." He took a steadying breath, and she took the chance to speak.

"'Those who abandon the mission are scum, but those who would abandon a teammate are worse than scum.' Rin told me something like had become your life's motto after what happened to Obito." Kakashi almost laughed, he had never heard her voice so soft and timid. It was surprising to hear the brash tomboy sound soft and caring so much

"Something like that. That wasn't all that long ago. It seems that I haven't changed though. I promised that night that I would protect Rin that was my final promise to Obito." He wasn't permitted to go on further and explain that she had every right to hate him, that he hated himself, that he didn't deserve her stories and warm memories. That he had never deserved Rin's caring and respect. Ina-Li's had seized hold of his wrist and tugged with enough force to pull him off balance and force him to take a couple steps in the direction that she was now moving.

"Come on I've got something to show you." She said releasing his wrist and beckoning for him to follow. He took a look at the direction and shook his head no.

"I'm not in the mood for food or shopping, I don't need cheering up. I don't need your pity." He crossed his arms over his chest, knowing it made him look like a stubborn twelve year old all over again.

Ina let out an auditable sigh of frustration.

"I have no intention of showing you any pity. It would be a little disrespectful if I kicked your sorry self-pitying ass here so I'm not going to give into my better instincts and let you have it right here and now. As I said there is something I want to show you." She stamped her foot and made to reach for his writs again. He yanked it out of her reach, narrowing his eye at her.

"You kick my ass, not likely." He couldn't help but smirk.

"Would you just get over yourself and come on." This time she took off into the trees.

Kakashi couldn't deny his curiosity, for a kid that had always been about dominance and power Ina-Li had been overly calm and compassionate towards him during these encounters, even if she did keep of the pretense of insult. He found himself starting to wonder is she hadn't laid a trap for him when they continued past the market to the far side of Konoha. They zipped along the outskirt of a training field that he quickly recognized as a designated ANBU training field. Kakashi had the strong feeling that they were not supposed to be where ever they were headed. She came to a stop in a small clearing in side of a grove. She pointed half way up a small mountain that lay to the west side of the grove.

"Our destination is up there. This is the training area I spoke of, but we don't have time for me to smack you around so it will have to wait. Let's go."

And go she did. Kakashi would never admit it to her or anyone else but it shocked him how fast she could move and how long she could keep up the speed. Her ground coverage would put most jonin to shame.

It had to have been close to noon when they reached flat landing on the mountain that led back into a cave. The landing looked east back towards Konoha, even from where they stood the rock faces of the three Kages could be seen. From the angle they were at and the time of day it was it looked as if the sun was shining strait down on Kohona. Ina-Li glanced at it for a short moment then turned toward the cave. Kakashi started to put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from entering the cave before he'd called Pakkun to check out the scents.

"Don't worry Hatake, there isn't anything living in there not even a few bats. This was Rin's favorite spot. She would come up here to read or just think. When we were both still in academy I use to come up here with her. We'd talk about our mom's and the stories they had told us about the time when they were children." Ina turned her back to him and walked a little ways into the cave.

She pulled out her kunai and started to pick at the edge of what looked like a cracked spot in the cave's surface. A moment later the rock slid out in a long rectangular block. The block of rock had been hollowed out into a make shift drawer. There were two books in the drawer along with a ribbon, a medallion and a pressed flower. Ina-Li only removed one of the two books and the medallion. The medallion she hung around her neck and tucked inside her shirt before Kakashi could get a good look at it. The book she had removed was a bright orange colored hardback. He recognized right away what the book was, after all his sensei's sensei had written it. He didn't know if he should be shocked, appalled or insulted if not all three when she handed him the book.

Ina laughed, "So you already know what the Icha Icha series is. I'm not going to force you to read it, but please do take it. This was her favorite novel because some of the characters reminded her so much of the people she cared for. She would never admit it, but I believe she pictured you as the main male protagonist. Either way the real treasure that I know she would want you to have is inside the back cover." She extended her hand and held out the book to him.

Kakashi regarded it for a long moment before taking it, with clear disdain, and flipping it over to the back cover. He could only stare in wonder at what he saw. Rin had placed a picture taken of their team in the back cover. The picture had been taken a week before they lost Obito. It was suddenly hard to breath. Kakashi found himself having to knit his eyebrows to keep from tearing up.

"I don't mean to ruin your trip down memory lane or anything Hatake, but I also brought you up here because I need your help. I want to seal the cave. This was her spot, I don't want anybody else here. My skill in earth is fairly weak, I can seal the rock around the hidden niche but I'm not powerful enough to collapse the cave entrance with out creating a landslide or more dangerous condition." Kakashi was sure his mouth would have been hanging wide open if it weren't for his mask. He knew it had taken a lot for her to admit to needing his help. At least she had thought the safety of it through.

"I'll do it, but then you have to tell me the real reason why you are doing all of this." She stood there fixing him with a troubled stare for a long time before nodding her head yes.

Kakashi pushed the headband up on his forehead, while earth was a natural secondary element for him the sharingan gave him the extra control he would need to keep the technique from triggering a rockslide. He still felt uneasy at the way people tended to stare when he uncovered his left eye. Ina had seen it once before and usually didn't make much eye contact with people so it unnerved him slightly that she was watching him so closely.

The moment his right hand made contact with the ground rock jutted out from all directions in the cave crashing and grinding into each other. The ground under their feet shook a bit and some dirt slid loose but the whole of the mountain stayed in tact. Kakashi moved suddenly blocking the path back down the mountain side just incase she decided to renege on their previous agreement. The smirk on her face told him that she had at least thought about it.

"So?" he asked, his voice slightly impatient.

"Just for the record, you're the one who asked this, and I really wish you hadn't." she stated.

"What, did Sensei put you up to this?" he knew the answer was no by the way her brow furrowed and her face reddened slightly.

"Do you really think so little of me, or him for that matter? Look Hatake –" she was cut off when he muttered "Why can't you ever call me Kakashi like everybody else does?" a look of pain flashed in her eyes but she didn't respond.

"Look, I don't care if you like me or not, I don't care if we ever agree on a single thing in this life time. Rin cared about you; I already told you that she loved you. She knew that her strength would never match let a lone beat yours so she vowed that she would always be there to support you. That she would be there to heal you when you got wounded, to hold you up when you had over extended yourself, to lecture you when you acted reckless and congratulate you when you reached new heights. Her way of the ninja was to support those who she valued and found precious. Rin was important to me, so to honor her memory I will protect all that she held important and loved, that includes you Hatake. Like it or not, I will have your back, agree with you or not I will support what you do, because Rin would have. I want you to have her memories and her love; I want you to stop hating yourself because your self-loathing would upset her. I have lost all that is precious to me, so to honor those who I lost I will fight to protect all that they held precious." Ina-Li's last words came out strangled and choked. She stood at the edge of the ledge look out at the village. The sun was reaching an angle in the sky where part of the village was cast in shadow.

"How do you think you will protect me or have my back when I could easily handle any enemy you could? The difference between a chunin and a jonin is too much." Kakashi knew his words would anger her, but he had to make her see how silly her statement was. There was no way that she would ever be able to protect him.

"Fine, I will not stay where I'm not wanted, but tell me, who has been saving you from yourself?" she didn't stick around for the answer, in a flash of movement she had stepped past him and was half way down the path that had led them to the ledge.

Kakashi stayed on the ledge until sunset, the Kage monument was reflecting hues of orange, red and pink when his stomach finally protested loud enough that he could no longer ignore it. He slipped the photo back into rear book cover and slid the book into the large pocket on his vest.

"I will protect all that she held important and loved." Ina's words kept going around in his head. He was starting to understand, when a person that was important to somebody else died they didn't simply disappear, they left a part of themselves with the person or people who cared about them. Obito had left Kakashi with his ideas of teamwork and honor, Rin had left Ina-Li with her desire to care for those that her cared about.

As he headed down the path it dawned on him that he was again late, this time for dinner with his sensei and sensei's girlfriend. Kakashi chuckled to himself, maybe it was ok to pick up the habits of those people too.

"Sorry Sensei, I got a little lost on the path of life today.", it wasn't a lie after all.

People don't change over night. Realization does not equal change. The Kakashi that would have left Rin and the Kakashi we meet as Kakashi-sensei are litteral a life time apart from each other (13+13=26!). My personal belief is that the famous 'copy-nin' is not just a copier of jutsu but of the things he misses about those who he loved and lost. Obito's views of friendship and team work, along with tardiness, and I may share what I believe he adopted from the others in time and story.

Read, Review, Request.

Also someone please tell me why some spell it 'jounin' and others 'jonin' my spelling is horrific as is.