At the crack of dawn, he made his way lazily across the training field taking his time to enjoy the cool sensation of the dew droplets, lazed on the grass blades, as they grazed his feet. Closing his eyes he allowed himself to enjoy the fresh morning breeze and the calmness that engulfed him, tilting his head towards the sky feeling the early rays of first light feather his face. Walking this path only a million times before, his feet never once lost their rhythm only to stop when they had trudged along the edge of pavement, this marked his destination. Deeply exhaling, he knew the sight that lay before him was no easier to take in then the previous day, all sense of simplistic joy suddenly escaped him.

The village envisioned him a hero, he simple knew this from all the whispers he garnered as he walked the the streets of Konoha….

"Isn't he the shinobi that took down Kannabi bridge during the Third shinobi war along with the Yondaime Hokage?" Did they know that it was his hasty and arrogant nature that almost cost the entire mission and the future of Konoha together? If it wasn't for the Yondaime…

"That's the famous copy-nin said to have copied over a thousand techniques!" Did they know that the 'hero' they whispered about had 'killed' his friend for the eye that earned him his name?

Hatake Kakashi considered himself no hero, for the only things dear to his life, he had failed to protect. "Obito, Rin…" Kakashi murmured sadly as the memory of his former friends occupied his mind.

It had been over a decade, and the world had much changed since then but as he opened his eyes he knew nothing could change what was carved on the memorial stone before him. Kakashi had made a vow the first time he had visited, a vow that entailed he would be a better shinobi by each visit. Nevertheless, the shinobi he was today could not change the reason he stood before this stone.

Kakashi felt a twinge of guilt and shame batter him as he flashed through the memories of his past. The guilt he had sealed so tightly in the darkest corner of his being overwhelmed him causing him to slump against the cool stone, sighing as he felt the names of the carved dead shinobi truly bore into his back.

"Obito…is this the future you wished to see through this eye?" he mused, dully tapping the gift of his late friend.

He lived a life of solitude, one he had purposely chosen cowering behind the fear of repeating his mistakes. Maybe…maybehis name was appropriately given. Kakashi, he mentally whispered. His mind latched on to the literal meaning…scarecrow. Maybe he is meant to live a grim life, a life of preordained duty and an inner desire for a heart that is absent. Conflicted about the purpose of his life he pondered whether it was truly missing, unconsciously clutching at his green flak vest where his anatomical heart lay.

Lost, Kakashi could only hear the empty echoes of his hammering heart feeling himself sink into a pool of darkness, his sorrow chained to his ankle dragging him deeper, unrelenting. He closed his eyes in defeat, acknowledging the punishment fitting for the mistakes he has made. In this world of his no one could hear his anguished cries for help.

He could not even fathom how much time had passed before he opened his eyes once more, and before him stood Obito and Rin, smiling they nodded towards each other. This was no shock to Kakashi as it was not the first time they had appeared before him, mostly commonly at times of distress when he visited the memorial stone. They leaned forward, stretching out their arms, each one taking one of Kakashi's arms and heaving him forward. Slowly he felt his physical weight actually climb forward to a standing position, Kakashi shocked at how miraculously lighter he felt as if they had managed to separate his burdens into an isolated entity remaining on the stone behind him.

"Kakashi, you idiot…" Obito laughed whole heartedly "if you don't reach out to anyone, no one will be able to pull you forward."

"People in the village love and respect you, if you truthfully open up to them surely someone will accept you" Rin added, resonating with hope.

"After all, we had accepted you even with all the troubles you gave us" Obito beamed.

He felt his face pull up with a grin beneath his mask, feeling more alive than he had a few minutes ago. They are right, he admitted to himself as he couldn't help but chuckle remembering all the times he had teased them for their incompetence. They never failed to offer him kind words of, what he liked to think, wisdom.

"Sorry, Rin…Obito" he said promising himself to make an effort to change, but even he couldn't deny that the years of solitude had taught him to rely on his "Icha Icha" bo-

Kakashi's face fell upon realization. BOOK, he loudly scolded himself mentally, today was the release date of the new romance novel he had been itching to bury his nose in. He looked at the sky and had realized the sun had made its way past the edges of the horizon, Oh no! Have I already missed it?

"Sorry guys, I'm running late!" Kakashi stammered while quickly and smoothly getting on to his feet. Effortlessly he mustered a small amount of chakra to his legs as he broke into a stride towards the village to only bookstore of Konoha. The clockwork of the back of his mind reminded him yet again, he had failed to thank them, something he has struggled to do since they had passed.

Standing by the memorial, Obito and Rin rolled over with laughter. "Never thought he'd ever be late for anything" Obito exclaimed as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "He really has changed" noted Rin as she admiringly clutched her hands to her chest. "HEY HEY! I'm in love with you too, remember!" he jealously exclaimed waving his hands in front of her face to validate his existence. Obito and Rin began to bicker, this did not continue on for long as Kakashi's presence grew more and more distant from the memorial, their presence had begun to fade as well.

Author's Note - This is my first published fanfiction ever and it is a work in progress. It's been a while since I've last written anything purely for leisure, so be easy on me! Suggestions will be wonderful, as I need pointers on my mistakes and of course opinions and comments are more than welcome! Hopefully the story will come along as I plan as I already have the end mapped out in my head. I love Kakashi's character and I hope I'm doing justice to it, if you feel I'm not please point it out ;)!

Thank you for reading!