I do not own Naruto

Team Ro was known as the elite ANBU team who served under the Hokage-all hand picked by the Hokage himself. Each with their own set of skills that added to the team, they were feared and well known among the ANBU black ops. Whenever they came back from a mission they would silently walk through the dark halls of the ANBU building, their masks splattered with flecks of blood and mission report in hand. The rest of the ANBU would just stare in admiration or fear as the team walked down the halls, any mission they were assigned miraculously being a success. It was said that there was no mission that this dream team of elites could not accomplish.

It was the same as usual as Team Ro presently walked through the halls, blood splattered armor and masks in full view. Their steady footsteps could be heard as they approached the locker room along with the whispers of gossip that spread like wildfire through the rest of the ANBU operatives. They stopped and stared as the group of ANBU, exhausted and worn from their return from their mission, pushed open the door to the locker room led by their captain, a silver haired man that went by the name Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi squinted his eyes ever so slightly as the artificial lighting in the locker room greeted his gaze. He held the door open for the rest of his team as they staggered inside in single file order, each making their way to their separate lockers and wordlessly changing out of their filth covered cloths. Kakashi let a sigh escape his lips as he closed the door behind them, making his way to his own locker. Pulling it open he barely minded the obnoxious creaking of the aged metal that usually ticked him off to no end. Silently he began undressing, pulling off his ANBU mask and setting it on the bench behind him. He took a moment to stare down at the mask, its usual eerie smile and red stripes lining its cheeks joined by the scarlet splatter of blood that stained the painted wood. He removed his gaze from the dirtied item, focusing his attention on changing as he stripped off his ANBU armor, placing it beside his mask.

"Senpai, the showers are open," Tenzou gently reminded his friend, seeing that he was taking longer than usual to undress. Most of the team had already hit the showers and finished undressing before leaving the locker room. This left only one or two people-not counting himself or his senpai-in the room. He knew how his captain always got after a long mission, especially one that was as gory as this one.

Tenzou wasn't sure why the jonin even accepted this mission in the first place, it was long, a journey to a far land called the Land of Snow where winter was endless and spring never came. From the get go they had known that this would be a gory mission yet his captain had accepted it knowing this. The brown haired teen suspected that he had accepted it only because he knew that their team was the only one that could successfully carry out this mission due to its level of difficulty.

Carrying the weight of the burden of this mission on his shoulders, Kakashi had led the group for a month through the raging snow, leading assassination after assassination. Their job had been to obtain a scroll that was hidden in the unforgiving terrain, guarded by shinobi of the Land of Snow. The scroll contained information regarding every village, including Konoha and if the information were ever used against him, it could potentially bring down the whole village. Knowing the importance of this mission, they had set out and after battle after battle, they had finally obtained it.

Now here they were, a month from when they had first departed, battered, wary and scarred from what they had witnessed in the unforgiving land. They couldn't complain, even after the journey. It was their job, a duty that they were told to complete. So as Tenzou closed his locker he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity on the jonin who stood motionlessly in front of him. Kakashi had always been the type to take react negatively to death much more than others. Some might have even said that he was unsuited for the ANBU based on his aloof and cheery persona that he sometimes displayed though none would complain once the mask slid onto his face, once they saw the other side of him, the dark side of him.

"Right," Kakashi snapped out of whatever trance he had been in, offering a weak smile to his junior. He closed his locker, reaching a hand out to ruffle the younger mans hair, "Although I'll pass this time. I'll clean up once I get home."

The jonin flashed one last smile to his younger teammate before walking across the room, reaching the door and making a silent exit.

Kakashi was silent on the way home, ignoring the stares that he got from some of the villagers as he strolled through the streets of Konoha. He was used to it to say the least, after all, several years back he was the center of gossip when his father had failed to complete a mission and committed suicide. Now, the reason for the stares was his own doing, he was plenty aware of his moniker, 'Cold-blooded Kakashi'. He felt bitter at times about the new nickname that was attached to his reputation, all this gossip just because of his job? And a job that he did not enjoy in fact.

So what made him different from the other members of Team Ro? Why was he always the center of attention when it came to gossip? It was because the jonin carried out missions no matter how gory, he was the base of the Team, the glue. He kept them in line and on duty, never wavering or hesitating to kill though inside, every victim caused a wound to slash across his already scarred heart.

With the rumors and horrific missions he had to under go, what was keeping him going? Why didn't he just give up like his father had? His father was dead, Obito and Minato-sensei gone as well. After all, it seemed that he had nothing left to live for, nothing left to protect. No, that wasn't true.

He had Rin.

Rin had always been there for him no matter what, through thick and thin. She had been the one to comfort him when Obito died then once more when Minato-sensei had joined the Uchiha. She was there every time he completed an ANBU mission where he would come back, battered and wounded, not only externally but internally as well. She would be the one to soothe his nightmares, holding his head on her lap as she stroked his hair and hummed a lullaby, as childish as it may seem. In return he was there for her when Obito had died, when Minato-sensei passed and every time she felt unwell he would stay with her for the day, telling her stories of the good things he saw during his missions such as the breathtaking aurora's visible from a certain land or how the water flowed down a great Waterfall in the Land of Water.

It wasn't till Minato-sensei died that Kakashi had finally worked over his stubborn nature and found the courage to ask Rin to be his girlfriend. Seeing that the kunoichi had always had a special place in her heart for him, she happily accepted.

But even then, they still had their ups and downs. They bickered over small things like how clothes should be folded or how each others cooking tasted. Sometimes they would fight about the ANBU with Rin saying that it was too dangerous for him while he argued that he was helping the village. They would ignore eachother for the day before one of the two gave out and by the end of the day they would be sleeping in the same bed once more.

All had been going pretty well till a few months back when Rin had caught a deadly illness. At first the doctors didn't know what it was, stating that it was merely a common cold and should go away after a few days. So they waited and as Rin's health got progressively worse, Kakashi's worry increased with it. The next time they took a visit to the doctors, it had been when Rin had hurled up bits of blood, the scarlet liquid splattering across the bathroom floor that could not be cleaned, no matter how much soap they used. The doctors had then discovered that she had a deadly illness that was slowly taking her life and sadly informed them that she only had a month more to live at maximum.

Oh, how Kakashi had a laugh after they told them the news. He had gripped Rin's hand tightly, his laugh empty as denial took over him. It couldn't be true he had thought at the time, they were talking nonsense. Yet that night when they laid in bed together and Rin started to mention that she wanted her belongings donated once she was gone, the silver warrior cracked.

It had started with a single tear trailing down his sharingan eye which was carefully hidden under his eye lid. What started with merely a single tear ended with a waterfall, his tears hitting the pillows like the pitter patter of the rain. He had simply gripped Rin's hand, begging her not to leave him, begging her to stay as she silently stared up at the ceiling, a tear or two trailing down her cheeks.

Six months had passed since that appointment. Six, long, tough months. Rin's condition had slowly grown worse though she had long outlived her life expectancy. She held on to the cliff they called life like the little warrior she was, refusing to let go. She held on for him, each painful day after another, she lived to see his smile that greeted her every morning and night. So when Kakashi had been assigned to this mission she had found it hard to keep going, sometimes even pondering over the idea of seeing Obito and Sensei though each time the thought crossed her mind she would remind herself, Just a little longer. I won't leave him, I can't. I have to see him.

Kakashi picked up his pace as the Hatake compound came into view. He started from a fast walk that eventually matured into a sprint as he made his way towards the destination, excitement pumping through his veins. He would get to see Rin, he'd be able to hold her in his arms, to feel the comfort of her body against his. As he reached the door he scrambled through his pockets for his keys, hands becoming uncoordinated from his impatience. As he found the key he inserted it in the key hole, giving it a quick twist and hearing the lock open. Pulling the metal key out, he stuffed it back in his pocket as he entered the house, kicking off his shoes.

"Rin, I'm home!" He was greeted by the smell of food coming from the kitchen area. He forced himself to stay calm, he was acting like an over excited toddler at the moment. With steady steps he walked towards the kitchen, poking his head into the room.

Rin's back was to him as she seemed to stir something in a giant pot, steam rising from the container along with the heavenly smell of soup. He watched as she dipped a spoon into the broth, taking a slow sip before letting out a small noise that indicated that the soup was turning out the way she wanted it to. Setting down the spoon, she turned to face him.

Kakashi would never be able to explain how beautiful she was in his eyes. Though illness had made her face loose its usual color, her hair duller than usual and created dark bags under her eyes from strain and stress, she was beautiful to him all the same. Her lips twitched upward into a smile before evolving into a grin, the grin that made his heart feel warm. They both took hesitant steps towards each other before Rin covered the distance between them, flinging herself into his waiting embrace.

He held her in his arms, her feet dangling just above the ground from the height difference as she held onto him tightly. He held her back in the same way, closing his eyes and taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of her presence. His grip-though tight-was gentle, careful so that he would not accidently hurt her frail body. Though after a few moments passed, his mind went onto different matters.

She was noticeably lighter than she was a month ago and she had gotten frighteningly thinner as well. She no longer wore the purple markings of her clan on her cheeks, most likely the action alone was too much effort for her to put in in her worn out condition. This new information made the jonin hold onto the kunoichi even tighter as if she were about to evaporate into thin air. He muttered her name over and over, as did she with his.

Once they had managed to pull away from each other, Rin made her way over to the pot, turning the stove off as she dipped in her spoon, holding it out for him. He pulled down the soft, dark fabric of his mask and let her guide the spoon into his mouth, closing it and savoring the familiar flavor of the broth.

"I made your favorite, Miso soup with eggplant," She smiled up at him happily, bringing out two bowls and dipping a ladle into the soup. Pouring the broth into the bowls she attempted to take both to the dining table though her frail hands shook slightly. Kakashi came to the rescue, carefully taking the hot bowls of soup in his hands and bringing them to the table. Setting them down, he pulled up a seat for her to which she happily replied with a thank you as she sat down.

"How was the mission?" She asked softly, not wanting to push him for the details as she waited, unsure of the result. Seeing Kakashi's expression drop she quickly added, "We don't have to talk about it if-"

"It's alright," Kakashi smiled at her gently, his hand reaching for hers from across the table. The two made steady conversation from there, a few laughs and jokes being shared between the couple. Once they were both done with their miso soup, Kakashi stood up, pushing his chair in before making his way over to Rin, holding out a hand for her to take. She took it gladly, her contagious smile widening as he led them outside and onto the front lawn. She let out a giggle as he scooped her up bridal style, walking a bit further before setting her down on the soft grass and plopping down beside her. He laid on his back, arms behind his head as they looked up at the endless amount of stars.

"Kakashi, that one looks like you!" Rin pointed out, pointing a finger up at a constellation, her remark making the jonin beside her chuckle slightly. The jonin raised an eyebrow at her remark, not sure how exactly a constellation resembled him though he went along with it.

"Hmm, if that's me, that ones you," Kakashi moved his hand to point up to a constellation beside the one she had previously pointed at. The cool breeze ran past the pair as they laid silently watching the display of stars. He could hear the grass ruffle as Rin rolled over closer to him, closing her eyes as he adjusted his position so she was comfortably resting in his embrace.

"Ne, ne, Kakashi?" She asked, closing her eyes as the warmth from his body and the cool air from the wind made her feel the perfect balance of hot and cold. She let out a breath, shifting her position a bit so she faced him instead of up. Opening her eyes once more she gazed into his single onyx one.

"Hmm?"

"Would you ever consider...starting a family someday?" Rin asked hesitating a bit, waiting for his reaction patiently. She could feel his body stiffen slightly, his single eye widening at her question before he relaxed, a lazy smile replacing his surprised expression.

"Heh," Kakashi chuckled, "Maybe. I suppose I wouldn't mind having children-if you promised me something."

"What is it?" Rin asked curiously, her eyes focusing on the wide of his face as he looked up at the starry night.

"Don't leave me," His voice was hush, a mere whisper that could have been missed had Rin not been listening intently. His usually even and collected voice had cracked towards the last word, his grip on her becoming tighter ever so slightly, "Please..."

"I don't think I-"

"Promise me Rin," Kakashi begged, desperation in his voice. He wanted to hear the promise escape from her lips, the oath that she would not leave him like the others, that she would stay by his side and be his light in the impending darkness that always seemed to threaten to swallow him whole. He turned his head to meet her eyes, his heart feeling as it were being crushed at her pained expression and deep inside he knew that he could not make her say the two words he wanted to hear as they would eventually cease to be true. Yet Rin only smiled, kind eyes making his wounded heart feel warm and whole as she brushed a stand of silver hair that had fallen over his eyes to the side.

"I promise," She told him firmly, knowing that those two words meant the world to him. Two simple words, I promise, had an effect on his life and would continue to. I promise, she had said though inside it pained her to know that she would not be able to keep that promise but seeing his pleading and pained expression as if he were wearing his heart on his sleeve, she could not stop herself from relieving his suffering. As she said the words she watched him relax, a smile making its way onto his face, that smile that would always brighten her day, "I promise."

Satisfied with her response, Kakashi smiled up at the sky. The stars were bright tonight, not a single cloud interrupting the showcase. His grateful smile soon melted into a smirk as he tilted his head to look back at the kunoichi.

"So, children huh?"

The next few days were mission free, with Kakashi taking a break from his month long mission and relaxing. They had done a years worth of things with Rin constantly pushing Kakashi to try something new while he would pretend to complain though he secretly enjoyed their activities together, even the boring ones that she seemed to enjoy such as bird watching, and even watching paint dry-literally-when they had decided to repaint the bedroom they shared to a lighter color, a subtle light green that seemed to brighten the room. While Kakashi claimed that it was unmanly for him to have such a feminine room, Rin had just laughed, giving him a quick shove as she patiently listened to his complaints.

Today, the house was relatively quiet, only the sounds of Rin's coughs breaking the silence. No birds chirped outside though the weather was fairly good as Kakashi cracked open a window, letting some fresh air inside of the room before returning to Rin's side, sliding into bed beside her. He had been assigned to a mission, an easy one since he was still taking it easy due to his previous lengthy one. The mission wouldn't take much of the day up but as he watched Rin struggle to take a breath, her hand reaching for her glass of water and pills, he thought twice about going, no matter how short it was.

"I can stay home-" he started though he didn't get very far as he handed her the glass of water and pills that were just out of her reach.

"No, not for me. Go, they need you," Rin croaked as she swallowed the pills before downing them with water. She let out a cough, glancing up in appreciation as Kakashi rubbed her back soothingly before she slid back down under the covers.

"But-"

"Don't make me say it again, Kashi. I'm not going anywhere, I promise," She told him reassuringly, shifting in the bed so she was facing him. In a joking manor she attempted to push him out of the bed, earning a quiet laugh from the silver haired man as he reluctantly slid out from under the sheets, feet touching the cool hardwood surface of the floor as he forced himself to go change into his ANBU gear. He walked painfully slow towards the door making Rin grab one of the pillows on the bed and throw it at him. It hit the back of his head before landing on the floor with a muffled thud.

"Ouch," Kakashi pretended to pout, turning his head back to look at Rin who simply shook her head, sighing inwardly.

"Get out of here, Hatake!" She teased, grabbing her other pillow and throwing it half-heartedly at the jonin who hurried out the door. Once Kakashi was out of sight, Rin let out a tired sigh, a cough shaking her body once more as she struggled to breath evenly. She sunk deeper under the sheets, closing her eyes as she waited for Kakashi to return.

Sure enough, she heard the door open once more and the steady sound of his footsteps could be heard. She could feel him hovering over her and remained unmoving as Kakashi pressed his lips softly against her forehead, the tips of his soft hair brushing against her cheek before the sound of his footsteps and the door swinging shut were all that remained of him.

After several hours of listening to the clock in the room tick, Rin finally opened her eyes, another strained cough coming out of her mouth as she sat upright, her hands reaching for more pills. Seeing that she had none left by her bedside table she slowly got up from the bed, sliding her slippers on her small feet and making her way out of the room. Going down the empty hallway she staggered a bit, her hand reaching towards the wall to steady herself as her heart pounded against her chest in a painful way. She held one hand over her heart, a gasp escaping her lips as the pain brought her down to her knees, her lungs feeling as if they were closing up and her heart clenched. She struggled for air as she bent over on the floor before completely falling over, sharp cries of pain escaping her lips along with tears that threatened to leave her eyes.

With only the thought of a certain silver haired jonin, the world went black.

"Captain!" Yugao called, snapping Kakashi out of his thoughts, "We found something."

Going over to where the purple haired kunoichi stood, Kakashi knelt down, his fingers brushing against the faint footprints and crushed grass that indicated that someone had indeed been here recently. He gestured for the rest of Team Ro to gather around, looking up at them with his Wolf mask in place.

"Raido, Genma and Arashi, head north to where the tracks lead. If you find the culprit, don't take any drastic measures. Wait for us to catch up," The three masked men nodded before disappearing in a blur. Next, Kakashi addressed the remaining members of his group, "Tenzo, Yugao, We'll-"

He was cut off as a kunai lodged itself in between them and with another glance, the explosion tag was visibly flapping against the wind. With only a fraction of a second to react, Kakashi managed to throw himself backwards before it exploded, seeing his teammates doing the same much to his relief. He rolled backwards as the tag exploded, bits of debris hitting him as he took cover behind a nearby tree. When the smoke cleared he could make out five people standing in a defense position, long blades gleaming in the sunlight. Peeking from behind the tree he could see that both Tenzo and Yugao had positioned themselves on tree branches just above them, waiting for his orders. Using the standard ANBU signals, Kakashi signaled them to wait for a bit as he saw the group relax, spreading out their formation a bit more.

"Do you think they got caught up in the explosion?" One asked, scratching the back of his head. The group seemed to visibly let their guard down at the signs of large debris which misled them to a different conclusion than what had occurred.

"Prob-" With one flick of the wrist, three kunai sailed through the air, impaling three out of the five people in the head. The bodies fell onto the muddied ground with a thud, the two remaining men spreading out in panic. Kakashi opened his left eye as he saw them weaving signs, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Signaling the pair up in the tree's to attack, Kakashi created a distraction, weaving a few signs before slamming his palm down onto the uneven ground. The earth rumbled underneath them before cracking and making it impossible to continue creating any signs. Seeing the chance, Tenzo and Yugao dropped down from their hiding spot, pulling out their weapon of choice and individually taking out one of the enemy. Once their bloodied bodies dropped onto the ground, Kakashi let out a sigh, walking over to their corpses. Turning one over with his foot he could see that they wore no forehead protector, showing that they did not represent any specific village.

"We'll bring these back to Sandaime and see if the DNA matches up to anyone from the Bingo Book," Yugao and Tenzo nodded, already beginning to drag the corpses. As Kakashi knelt down to do the same, his hand catching the fabric of one of the mens shirts, movement caught his eye as he sensed familiar chakra. Staying relaxed he dropped the body, arms crossed as he stared out into the distance.

"What is it, Asuma?" he asked his friend, already knowing that it was him that was approaching.

"Kaka-I mean Wolf-I have a message from the medic team," Asuma caught himself before he could utter Kakashi's name, handing him a scroll. His eyes never left the ground as he dreadfully waited for the ANBU captain to open it. With quick fingers, Kakashi undid the knot tying the scroll in its shape, unrolling it with an impassive expression though it soon turned into a look of horror and shock as he read the words written on the paper. His hands shook slightly, the paper slipping out of his fingers as he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. He never should have left her, he should have just put someone else in charge for this mission-

"Yugao, Tenzo, wait for the rest of the team to come back before taking the bodies to the Hokage," Kakashi told them as he started to walk with unsteady legs. Unsteady at first, he took a few faulty steps before his pace quickened and soon enough he was well on his way towards Konoha.

"Captain, where are you going?" Yugao called after him, concern clear in her gaze though Tenzo didn't question the man, instead tilting his head to look at the floor. Based on his reaction he could only assume that the worst had happened- something had happened to Rin.

"Yugao," Tenzo warned, placing a firm hand on her shoulder as she attempted to follow their leader. She looked back at him whilst he gave her a shake of his head.

"Let me see her!" Kakashi's voice was a low growl as he grabbed the white fabric of the medics coat, eyes narrowed dangerously as he attempted to push past him for the third time in the past minute. Just as he had done those previous times, the medic shook his head, roughly pushing the Hatake back. Stumbling a few steps, the jonin regained his balance as quickly as he had lost it, "Please!"

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid we can't let random strangers inside-"

"I'm not a stranger!" Kakashi, usually a strict follower of the rules, did not hesitate to break one as he ripped off his ANBU mask, revealing his pained expression. ANBU rule number 38, never reveal your identity without permission from the Hokage. The effect it had was immediate, after all, the tale of Hatake Kakashi and his kunoichi was quite common. He stepped aside silently, eyes following the Copy Ninja until the moment he slammed the door shut behind him.

The sight that was laid out before him pained Kakashi more than any physical wound ever could. Laid out on the bed was Rin, her breaths so un-frequent that the jonin was afraid that she had stopped breathing entirely. Taking one uncertain step after another, he yanked the chair that was set against the wall over to her bedside, taking a seat before extending an arm out to touch her hand. Dark bags under her eyes, skin color paler than it had ever been, the kunoichi was practically a living skeleton. She looked far worse than this morning, far, far worse. Gripping the woman's hand tightly, the ANBU let out a shaky breath, muttering words of encouragement under his breath.

"Ka...Kakashi...?" He watched as her eyes opened slightly, the action seeming to cause her great effort as she glanced at her lover. Her voice was raspy, barely a whisper as she struggled to smile, the tips of her lips twitching ever so slightly, "You...came...in..the middle of...a mission...for me..?"

"Of course I came," Kakashi told her, shaking his head in disbelief, "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"But.. the mission-"

"No mission is more important than you," Kakashi snapped, his voice becoming slightly louder though he quickly lowered it, his tone softening once more as he held her hand, his own shaking though he barely noticed, "You're going to be fine-the doctors can fix this-then I'll take you home, I'll make you dinner. We can do whatever you want, anything-"

"You're blabbering," Rin mused, a laugh that came out as a mere croak escaping her lips as she held onto the jonin's gloved hand as tight as she could in this state. She took a moment to sigh softly before she met his gaze, eyes sadder than ever before, her expression making Kakashi's heart clench, "I think we've both realized it by now-My time's finally run out."

"Don't say that Rin!" Kakashi cried, shaking his head in denial. He hadn't noticed till now but his body had started to shake,"Don't talk like you're going to..to.."

"I'm glad that I got to see you one last time before go. I'm sorry that I've made you worry so much-I'm sorry that I couldn't fold clothes as well as you or organize things as well as you. I'm sorry that I couldn't be a better cook for you whenever you came home from missions. I'm sorry that I picked fights with you about stupid things, I'm sorry that I sometimes declined when you wanted to cuddle. I'm sorry that I didn't get you an Icha Icha Paradise book for Christimas, I'm sorry that I left the stove on that one time and nearly burned down the house. I'm sorry that I played that mean prank on you by dying your hair pink at one point. I'm sorry that...that," Rin took a shaky breath, "I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise to you."

"You..You promised," Kakashi croaked, his voice breaking at the end as he held back tears. Unable to do so, they ran down his cheeks, soaking the dark fabric of his mask as he closed his eyes, taking a pained breath as he struggled to keep calm, "You promised that you wouldn't leave me."

"I know," Rin told him softly, letting go of his hand and bringing hers to gently cup his cheek. She tried to smile though it faltered as she examined his pained expression. The look on is face, the tears streaming down his face as he struggled to breath caused her heart to break, "Please don't cry..."

Kakashi felt her thumb brush against the material of his mask before tugging it down to his chin. Her cold hands touched his cheek, fingers brushing against his skin before the strength seemed to leave her, her hand falling back onto the bed as she let out a cough. Kakashi's eyes widened as a series of coughs shook her broken body before she weakly raised her head to meet his gaze once more. This time, her eyes were not sad, they held a sense of confidence and love so fierce that if the situation was different, it would have warmed the jonin's broken heart greatly.

"You know what I'm not sorry for?" Rin asked, "I'm not sorry that I love you."

Kakashi's resolve to stay strong crumbled with her statement, his tears running down his cheeks and dripping off the tip of his chin and onto the bed sheets. He let out a choked, unsteady breath, gritting his teeth together as he closed his eyes. He pained cry escaped his lips as he let his head bow down, silver locks of hair covering his eyes as his body shook, "Please...Don't go.."

"You're strong, Kakashi, I know you are. Don't let this keep you from moving forward, you can do it, I know you can. Even when I'm gone, I'll still be watching over you. This isn't a final goodbye, only the beginning of something new. I believe in you."

And with that, Nohara Rin took her last breath.