Hey again! ^^ I finished another one. ^^ This is just the first chapter. Anyway, I do not own Naruto. Sadly. I also do not own the one line from "Unfaithful" By: Rihanna or the one line from "Hero" By: Skillet. Not much to say about this one. Enjoy! More chapters will be added. THERE IS SWEARING! ^^
Ordinary life. What a scary prospect. All that we've done these past two years are fighting. Killing. Breaking. Falling apart as a team. With Obito gone, and Kakashi traumatized, how are we supposed to fight? It's been a day. A day. One whole day. Since the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. I opened the door to Kakashi's house, walking through it silently, carrying a takeout box.
"Kakashi? Are you here?" I called, walking down the hallway. One door was wide open, and I walked toward it slowly, turning around the corner, seeing a sleeping shape in a tight ball on the floor, the window blowing the harsh rain onto its body. The lightning flashed, showing a pale and weak looking Kakashi, curled up on the floor in a soaking wet sphere, his face deathly pale, his silver bangs running down his face in the rain drops that fell onto him. I quickly set the takeout box down, and ran over to his side, picking his upper body up off the floor, and holding him close, putting my hand on his forehead.
"Cold…Not good, not good." I murmured, reaching for the takeout box, pressing it to his forehead, hoping the heat from the sides would warm him up, although it was futile. Kakashi's right cheek pressed against the side of my neck, wet and freezing cold, so cold that I was sure he was dead, my left hand pressing to his heart to prove me wrong. A thready pulse answered my hand, soft, weak, but still there. I exhaled, and held him closer, laying my chin on the top of his skull, my arms wrapped around him tightly as the storm raged outside, undaunted.
"Why did you have to go to this? Kakashi?" I asked, resting my chin on the top of his head gently. Kakashi's limp, wet, cold body made no response, his eyes remained closed, the rain flowing down his face like fresh tears, his hair so full of water the rain washed all of the day's dirt away, leaving the strands oil less and shiny, silky. The strands were soft under my chin, Kakashi's slight breathing warm against my skin, a stark contrast to the harsh rain that beat against my right side with no sign of coming weakness, seemingly refusing to give up, like it was a destroying angel hell bent on carrying Kakashi away in its liquid grasp the instant I loosened my grip on him or let my guard down. I brushed his bangs out of his eyes gently, shielding them from the rain.
"You'll be alright. I'll take care of you." I murmured, holding him closer. I picked him up carefully, putting him on my back, and carrying him out of the rain toward the den like thing, the sitting room by the looks of it. The heater was on, the warmth blasting through the radiator opening, warming my legs. Kakashi's cheek rested against my back, which reminded me that I had to warm him up somehow. I walked over to the circle chair in the corner by the fake fire, and I laid him down in front of it, rubbing his cheek gently as I pulled back to go get some dry clothes for him, as I tucked a soft blanket around his body. I came back a few minutes later, and healed his wounds, took care of him, and five minutes later, he was slowly warming up. His hair was drier than it had been twenty minutes ago, his face slightly pinker instead of the stark white. I went back into the room with the open window, grabbed the take out box, crossing the room to close the window and grab another blanket, then headed back to the sitting room, resting the box on the coffee table beside his head, and curled up on the floor in front of the fake fire, my back in the path of the warm air that blew from the heater every thirty seconds. The soft blanket that I was lying under absorbed the heat, and kept me warm while the storm raged outside, the crackling of the fake fire soothing compared to the thunder and lightning. Kakashi's breathing became easier, to the point where I could almost hear his chest rising and falling. The storm continued to rumble, huge slams of thunder echoing the furious flashes of lightning. Rain beat down on the roof above our heads, hard and heavy. Not slowing down. I fell asleep, listening to the sound of Kakashi's breathing as well as the fire's steady crackling. I slept well, like a log, keeping my chakra alert to any changes in Kakashi's condition, but my keenness was wasted. I slowly ended up relaxing, and drifted deeper and deeper into my subconscious, submerged, my exhaustion getting the better of me.
I slowly opened my eyes, having been rolled over, and saw one black and one red eye staring back at me. Kakashi Hatake. His face was measured, even, though concern glowed brightly in his black eye, his Sharingan eye pulsing dangerously, fear flashing through me at the sight of it. It was going to take a while for me to get used to that. I blinked my cloudy eyes, and yawned delicately. He sat back a little, his face somewhat anguished, longing, pained even.
"You're awake." I sighed, and then smiled, as I lifted my upper body up off the ground. He slid backwards slightly, giving me room.
"Yeah, I am." He replied, his voice soft, detached. I tilted my head to the side, lifting up a corner of my mouth in confusion.
"What's wrong?" I asked, realizing too late what was hurting him. His eyes flashed, both of them, even the Sharingan, pain lacing the sides of his irises like a ring of fire, burning the life out of him. Kakashi…
"…I let him down." Kakashi replied, hanging his head as he turned away, closing his eyes sadly. I lifted my hand up, resting my palm on his forehead. Warm, thank goodness.
"…He's getting weaker…"I breathed, looking away from Kakashi, pulling my hand away from his face. I can see you dying…Kakashi looked over at me.
"Rin, what're you…" His voice trailed off. I hung my head.
"Never mind." I replied, standing up. Kakashi looked up at me, his face sort of shocked, lips frozen, eyes soft and gentle.
"You can tell me, Rin. I'm alright." He answered. I held back tears.
"You're just a liar." I sobbed quietly, my voice shaking. Kakashi flinched in surprise.
"What?"
"You're just a liar, how dare you worry me like that. You should know better, after all of the times when I've healed you." I replied, whirling on him. Kakashi slid backwards.
"I worried you?" He asked. I nodded.
"Last night, I walked into your room, and I saw you on the floor, rain pounding on you, your body was so cold, fragile looking. I thought you were dead!" I exclaimed, shoving my hands on his shoulders, and holding him against the wall. Kakashi looked down at me carefully, pained.
"Rin…"
"Don't even try it! If you ever scare me like that again…I'll…I'll…" I started, tears flowing down my cheeks now. Kakashi's body tensed. I looked up at him, my tear streaked face desperately sad and angry at the same time.
"I will never ever forgive you!" I cried, wrapping my arms around him tightly, sobbing against him. Kakashi just held me gently, his left hand on my shoulder blade, his face resting on my right shoulder, his other hand on the back of my head soothingly.
"Rin…It's alright…I'm far from dead…Just calm down." He murmured against my skull. I shook my head, crying harder, my mind flashing to an image of Obito, subconsciously, my sadness and pain boiling over.
"But you were so close…Just thinking about what your face looked like…It scares me." I sobbed. Kakashi sighed.
"I'm sorry for scaring you. I must've fallen out of bed or went to sleep on the floor. I don't remember anything. All I remember is feeling like I was floating, then I woke up in the circle chair this morning with you sleeping on the floor in front of me." He explained.
"I carried you out of the rain, and laid you in the circle chair right next to the heater, so you'd warm up. You were so cold. Deathly cold." I shivered, screwing my eyes shut. Kakashi rested the left side of his face on the top of my head, holding me tighter.
"I'm so sorry…It's just that…I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I was watching Obito die right in front of me, except that I was the one killing him. It was so vivid, and it scared me. But, as if I wasn't already terrified, I saw you dying. You were suffering from the same method as Obito. My Chidori blazing in your chests, both of my hands conducting it deeper and deeper. And I was laughing, smiling even. I was a monster. I must've been so scared that I passed out from stark terror alone." He explained, letting go of me. My hands held his shoulders against the wall, sliding up to them from the tight circle that they had been in, holding him still. Don't you dare leave me here! I'm scared as hell! Kakashi lifted his face off of my head, and looked at me, my forehead against his collarbone.
"…It was only a dream." I replied quietly, tucking my chin in as tears slid down my nose, dropping onto the floor.
"I'm going to walk out of here, and when I get to the training grounds, Obito will be there, or maybe not, since he's always late. Whatever happened yesterday, it was only a dream. I won't…" I started, my voice low and fierce, although agony rolled inside me like someone was churning milk. Kakashi shook his head, tensing up.
"He's gone, Rin. And it's my fault." He replied, his voice quiet. I shook my head, dropping to my knees, trembling. I lifted my face, staring up at him with watery eyes, my jaw locking.
"No! I won't believe that! I-" I started, then stopped mid sentence, my mind recalling Obito's face, half of it smashed under a rock, the other staring up at me while Kakashi trembled at my left side. My head dropped, my hair hanging beside my cheek, wet with tears.
"You remember it too, huh?" Kakashi asked softly.
"…He's…" I whispered, the sudden urge to cough overtaking me.
"What's going on in here?" A new voice piped up, Kakashi and I not moving. We didn't answer, or say anything, my voice gone as I sobbed about ten inches above the ground, Kakashi standing there, his back against the wall.
"Rin…About what we were discussing earlier. It stays here." Kakashi murmured, as I picked myself up off the floor, resting my hand against his forehead to check his temperature. His eyes, red and black, glowed, fear shining in them, but I ignored them, focusing on his temperature.
"You're alright now. I'll leave now. See you at training if we have any in about thirty minutes." I replied, turning around.
"I came back to tell you we don't have training. And you don't have any missions. You have to rest, since yesterday was a lot for you to take in, and then on top of that, fight with the fear of losing someone else." The voice responded, turning out to be Minato-sensei. I nodded, then took off out the door, running out of the hotel, into the dark and wet street, heading toward god knows where. My feet stomped through water and mud from fading storm, my toes getting soaked with mud. I felt a hand catch my wrist, then whoever it was started dragging me back where I had come, my feet falling into the same places, the footprints getting deeper.
"Don't ever do that again." A low voice hissed, which I recognized to be Kakashi's. I nodded, as he gripped my wrist harder, pulling me harder as I started struggling.
"Let go of me. I can fight on my own. I don't need you to watch over me." I replied angrily. He didn't break.
"No, you can't. If you can fight, then why did you get captured two days ago, and need me to save your ass? Sure, you can fight so well. I'm impressed." Kakashi replied, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe if you had stopped sticking your nose in the air when Obito and I were training hard to be as good as you then I wouldn't have gotten into that mess. If you had just closed your mouth and helped us, then, maybe I wouldn't need your heroics to get me out of trouble." I retorted, getting mad. Kakashi turned his head to look at me over his right shoulder, his black eye pulsing furiously. He won't turn the Sharingan to me…Because he knows I'm afraid of it.
"If Obito hadn't been such a talentless idiot and if you hadn't been obsessed over how you looked then maybe the lessons would've stuck." He countered, his voice getting louder. I narrowed my eyes, as we got closer to the hotel.
" What about you? What about your weird inclination which made you polish that antique of a sword you carry around on your back like, twenty times a day? Two times would've sufficed, unless you hacked someone to bits." I fired back, getting into his face. Kakashi's black eye was burning.
"Let's not forget your medical ninjutsu. Do you ever practice? Because it hurts worse every time you use it on me if I have even the slightest scratch." Kakashi replied, his face getting red with anger. I widened my eyes.
"You know that's because I don't want you getting hurt. Even the smallest scratch can get you infected, which can get you killed. I am a medical ninja, I know these things." I snorted back, blinking. Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"Sure, sure. So I should be afraid of a small paper cut? That makes me feel a whole lot better, thanks Rin." Kakashi answered, snorting back. I tensed up.
"You're such a jerk, Kakashi. No wonder why Obito hated you so much. I don't know what I ever saw in you." I replied harshly, going straight for the weak spot. Kakashi flinched. Bull's eye. He didn't say anything after that, he just dropped his head, closing his eyes as he dragged me through the street, his grip on my wrist gentler now. We walked up the stairs to the top of them, and Kakashi turned his head to look at me over his shoulder as I healed my wrist from his death grip.
"If you think so little of me, then why didn't you just let me die last night?" He asked quietly, his left eye closed tightly, not angry enough to open it. I looked up quickly, surprised at his question.
"Kakashi I-" I started, taking a step toward him.
"It was rhetorical. Just stay away from me, Rin." He replied, walking into the hotel alone, leaving me out on the front steps. I lowered my head, starting to cry, and I reached for the door with my left hand, though it was shaking, I managed to open the door smoothly, and walk through it. I walked down the hallway silently; keeping my head down, opening the door to the apartment Minato-sensei, Kakashi and I shared, and walked through the door, shutting it behind me. Minato-sensei was sitting on the couch, putting on his shoes, his backpack beside him. I took a few steps toward him, looking down at my right hand.
"Minato-sensei?" I asked. He looked up at me, his blue eyes questioning.
"Yes, Rin?" He replied, as I sat down beside him carefully.
"What should you do if you said something you shouldn't have, and the person you said it to doesn't want to have anything to do with you?" I asked, keeping my eyes down. He thought for a second.
"Well, what did you say?" He asked. I gulped.
"I said…" I started, dread overwhelming me. Minato-sensei turned back to his shoes.
"You can tell me later, when I come back from my mission. You and Kakashi can just stay in here, and don't leave the building for any reason. If you have to, stick with Kakashi. Alright?" He ordered, heading to the door. One tear slid down the right side of my face when he said Kakashi's name, and I nodded.
"Yes." I replied, my voice quiet. Minato-sensei blinked, then opened the door, waved goodbye, then shut the door behind him. I held my hands tightly under my chin, crying harder now, trembling. I curled up on the couch, listening to the wind coming from the outside, sobbing quietly while I lay crying, my body shaking all over. How am I supposed to go on? All I can do now, is rely on myself. And I can't even hold a kunai tight enough, let alone kill someone.
"Why…? Why did he have to go…!" I sobbed, grabbing at something, the side of the couch(?). I clutched it tightly in my fingers, sobbing harder, sounding like a dying animal rather than a broken child. I was a mess. A huge shattered mess. I couldn't keep going. Obito. I knew he wanted to me to live on, be happy, stay safe. He bound Kakashi with that impossible promise, to protect me, even if it costs him his life. And look at how I was repaying him. I lashed out, and wounded Kakashi deeply. Now he doesn't want anything to do with me. Some teammate I am. My sobs echoed throughout the apartment, my knuckles growing whiter and whiter each passing second, my eyes shut beyond tight, tears barely managing to leak out.
"…If only I had been stronger…Then he never would have died…And Kakashi wouldn't have to protect me." I murmured quietly, calming down slightly. But even if I had been stronger, where would that get me? I would still be weaker than them. I sobbed harder again, the sobs scratching the sides of my throat as they escaped. I barely heard the sound of rapid footsteps, barely cared, until someone picked me up off of the couch, and carried me somewhere, my sobs going silent.
"Who…Who's that?" I asked quietly, as we walked over to the kitchen by the look of the tiles on the floor. The person sat me down at the table, and walked away, leaving me there for a few seconds, then came back.
"Here. This should shut you up." An angry voice snorted, and handed me something. I took it from them, and looked up, seeing Kakashi's tense form in front of me. I looked down at what he handed me, seeing that it was a piece of cherry rock candy on a stick. It was still wrapped up, and my mouth started watering.
"Thank you Kakashi." I replied quietly, opening it up. Kakashi snorted again, grabbing himself a piece.
"Since I couldn't sleep with your crying, I guess I'll have to stay awake all night keeping you company, despite the fact that I really don't want to." He replied, sticking the unwrapped piece of rock candy in his mouth and walking past me toward the window. I turned around.
"You don't have to you know. Like you said, this'll shut me up." I replied, putting mine in my mouth and following him.
"What did I say?" He snarled, holding his right hand out, and I stopped in my tacks.
"Kakashi…"
"I told you didn't I? I told you to stay away from me. I meant it." He replied, turning to look at me over his left shoulder, the Sharingan glittering angrily. He…I found myself unable to turn away from his left eye, the huge scar, the red iris, and the two black dots over and below the pupil. My vision blurred, his face swimming in my sight.
"You..Turned it on me…" I whispered, grabbing my head with my left hand as I fell backwards, time slowing down as I headed toward the floor. He took three steps toward me.
"Turned what on you?" He asked, continuing toward me, as I crashed into the floor.
"That…Sharingan." I replied weakly. Kakashi knelt down next to me, lifting my upper body up off of the ground.
"What're you-"He started, then covered up his left eye with his hand.
"Yes that one." I replied, covering his hand with my own. He looked down at me sadly.
"I'm so sorry…Rin…I forgot." He whispered. I shook my head.
"It's okay. I'm not mad at you. If anyone should be mad at me, it'd be you. By the way, aren't I supposed to stay away from you?" I asked. Big mistake. Kakashi turned the Sharingan on me again, to shut me up.
"Don't start. It's true I told you that, but, considering the situation we're in, as well as Sensei's orders, I'm going to have to take what I said back. Since…I promised Obito I would protect you with my life…How can I do that if I leave you alone?" He asked, his face close to mine. I nodded.
"I know. But, Kakashi…Those things I said…I shouldn't have done that. It was wrong, and uncalled for." I replied. Kakashi shook his head, hanging it sadly.
"No. You were right. All of it." He answered. I looked around myself, seeing that Kakashi's hands were on the floor beside both sides of my head, Kakashi pinning me to the floor, although he was above me, not aware of where he was or what he was doing. Or simply not caring. I lifted my right hand, and brushed his bangs away from his eyes slightly, to get his attention. He didn't move. He didn't budge, he didn't react or say anything.
"Kakashi?" I asked. He looked up, toward the door.
"Hide, now." He ordered, picking me up off the ground, and heading to the sitting room door, opening it, and throwing me inside. He followed soon after, having shut off the lights, and sat with his back against the door, his left ear pressed to it. I crawled over toward the radiator, and hid in the corner, trembling.
"Kakashi, Rin? It's me, Minato-sensei." A voice called. Kakashi drew back from the door, and flicked his fingers, telling me to stay quiet. His other hand reached toward the doorknob slowly, starting to open it. A shadow on the wall scared me, and I clutched my hands to my head.
"KAKASHI!" The window shattered as someone broke through it, glass falling onto the floor all around me. I screamed, as the person jumped into the room, Kakashi on one knee, holding his right arm in his left, Chidori already blazing. The light flashed, and I looked up at the person's headband. Hidden Stone Village. Not good. I stuck out my foot as the ninja took a step toward Kakashi, and he tripped, falling flat on his face, Kakashi flinging his Chidori forward as the enemy fell, killing him instantaneously when Chidori made contact.
"Rin, run!" Kakashi ordered, keeping his back on the door, an enemy trying to break it down. It was just like two days ago. I wasn't going to leave. And he knew it. I crawled over to him, heedless of the Chidori in his right hand, and held him tightly.
"I'm going to go without you." I replied fiercely, as the enemy poked a kunai through the door, barely missing Kakashi's head.
"This isn't exactly the best time for arguments. GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE." He repeated. His voice angry. I shook my head.
"I'm going to leave you. I didn't last time, and I won't this time. What if you pass out again? Or if you get injured? You'll get killed. And I don't want to lose you too. You and Obito were my best friends. Now, I only have you left." I replied, hugging him tighter. Chidori faded. Kakashi went stiff. Still. Then his head fell onto my shoulder. I shook him, hard.
"Kakashi! Are you alright? KAKASHI!" I cried. Then I realized what had happened. The enemy had poked through the door, and had stabbed Kakashi in the back. I turned around, and put Kakashi on my back, although he proved too heavy to carry the first time I tried to stand up. But, I refused to give up. I struggled to stand up, holding onto Kakashi as best I could, and walked away from the door. The enemy burst through, its brown eyes flashing.
"Only two? Wait, one since I took out that silver haired punk. And you don't look so strong." The enemy chided, taking a step toward Kakashi and I. I backed away, getting closer and closer to the wall, trying to keep my distance, but he was coming closer and closer. I will be ready to die…Kakashi's back hit the wall, and he flinched, seeming to be in pain.
"Kakashi…"I murmured, turning my head to look at his face that was resting on my left shoulder. I looked back at the enemy, taking in how big he was compared to me. About two times the size of Kakashi, three times the size of me, let alone able to fight skillfully. I narrowed my eyes, and locked my jaw. It's all on me…I'm the only one left…I will be ready to die…
"Look at that. You're too afraid to make a move. I'll end it for you." Three kunai flew toward me and Kakashi, aimed my vital spots. Heart. Neck. Head. I will be ready to die…Blue light blinded me for a second, and I looked down at Kakashi's right hand, which glowed with the Chidori. What? He's unconscious-
"Rin…Put me down. I can still fight."He whispered weakly. I shook my head.
"Forget it. This time, I'll protect you." I replied. Kakashi let his head fall on my shoulder again, but his arm still blazed.
"…You…Aren't strong enough…Rin."He murmured. I swung my head over to him.
"I know. But there are other ways to fight, other than being strong. I learned that from you." I answered, jumping out of the way of the kunai. I will be ready to die…I landed at the far corner, sitting Kakashi upright against the wall, picking up a kunai from the dead ninja's pouch, and swinging it in my right hand.
"Evasion is key for a medical ninja's survival. I may not be good at it, but, I will protect you, Kakashi." I continued. I will be ready to die…