Counting Stars

Summary: Her tasks finally completed, Rin is sent back to Konoha and falls straight into the Hokage's hands. She decides to keep her undercover and only tell the truth to a few. Tsunade places Hotaru on Team Kakashi at her request. Starts at the beginning of Naruto Shippuden.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything mentioned in this fic. None of this belongs to me.

Warnings: The official pairing for this fanfic and any others that follow is Obito Uchiha x Rin Nohara. So I apologize to any readers who prefer Kakashi x Rin. They'll be very close friends, almost like siblings, but nothing more than that. Kakashi will be one of the few people that is told about her true identity. Her identity won't officially go public until it's necessary.

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Chapter 1: Find Me in the Dark

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There was a bright light that filled the Hokage's office. Luckily, the Hokage herself was asleep, snoring away at her desk, so she wasn't blinded by the flash. Several sake bottles surrounded her on the desk, her hand gripping onto one of them loosely as she slept on, murmuring unintelligibly.

It was the heavy thudding sound following the flash's disappearance that caused Tsunade to jerk, bolting upright in her chair, jolted from her sleep. She blinked sluggishly, looking around, until she spotted the source of the disturbance. Her honey colored eyes widened in surprise before narrowing suspiciously as she looked at the intruder that dared to break into her office in the middle of the night. However, as the figure stood from where she had been seated on the floor, dusting off her outfit, Tsunade dropped her sake bottle, ignoring the loud crashing sound as it shattered. She stared at the woman before her, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Rin…Nohara?" she murmured in shock, blinking as she took in the young woman in front of her. Rin Nohara had been a Chunin medic that was kidnapped by Mist shinobi. The Three-Tails had been forcibly sealed inside her stomach and when Kakashi had gone to rescue her, she had sacrificed her life to save the village from the destruction the Three-Tails would have wreaked. Tsunade had heard about her and mourned the thought of such a young girl with potential to help people dying.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

Rin had been sixteen when she died but this young woman was twenty-two at the most. She was definitely older than what Rin had originally been. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes met Tsunade's own honey colored irises, warm and welcoming. Dark, silky brown hair fell down her shoulders to her lower back, loosely flowing with a few bangs left out to frame her face, dark, thick purple streaks adorning her cheeks. Her forehead protector was wrapped around her head, Konoha's symbol of a leaf shining dully against the metal. A pair of dark blue banded goggles hung around her neck. She wore the standard outfit she had been buried in, a long sleeved black shirt, black leggings, and a white apron with sandals. Tsunade admitted that where a young, sixteen year old girl had looked innocent, a twenty two year old woman, well-endowed, looked downright attractive. It was an odd transition.

"How-How are you even alive?" Tsunade demanded, pointing at the woman.

"Well, you see…" Rin hesitantly started, clearly unsure of where to begin.

"Bah, wait a second!" Ducking down below her desk, Tsunade rummaged around for a moment before popping back up, another sake bottle in her hand. Popping it open, she looked at Rin with a stern expression. "Alright, now that I've got my sake, go ahead. Explain yourself."

"Well, it all started when I put myself in the way of Kakashi's Chidori attack-"Rin started to explain as thoroughly as she could. It took all of half an hour to explain all that had happened since her death. Through it all, Tsunade merely listened patiently, never asking questions. When she was finished with her explanation, Rin fell silent. Tsunade leaned back in her chair, mulling over all the details.

"Well, this is certainly a dilemma," Tsunade sighed noisily, rubbing the bridge of her nose with two fingers. "Rin-chan, you realize what you have to do, don't you? You must go undercover. After all, if anyone, heaven forbid Danzo, found out that a Konoha shinobi was brought back to life with ease, things would get messy for all of us, especially you in particular."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Ah…" Rin hesitated before asking cautiously. "Hokage-sama, could I perhaps inform someone of the truth?"

"Will they be people you trust completely?"

"Yes," Rin nodded firmly.

"Alright," Tsunade confirmed after scrutinizing the young woman for a long moment, letting out another tired sigh. "You may tell only those few you absolutely trust who you truly are, only the people who are necessary. For now, to the public, you will be Hotaru, one of my friends from my gambling days with Shizune. The story is that we met again on accident when you came to Konoha looking for me because of a debt. That debt was paid by you and in return, I offered you a job as a shinobi. Since you were a capable Chunin before you died, Rin, you will take the jonin test in a week. You can stay with whoever you want but there's always a free room at the hospital for you if you tell the head medic that I assigned you one as Hotaru. As for your appearance, you can buy a mask like Kakashi's or something to hide your face. Understand?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Rin nodded with a smile.

"Alright, dismissed," Tsunade said, shooing her away as she lifted the sake bottle and took a long swig.

Giving a low, respectful bow, Rin left the office in a whirl of dark purple flowers.

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The first store that she came across, Rin slipped inside and bought a new outfit. She chose a pair of comfortable black pants that hugged her legs and lower body comfortably, tight enough to help movement and loose enough to keep from flapping about and sagging, tired with bandages around her ankles, a thin black long sleeved shirt, a dark purple sleeveless hoodie with black drawstrings, black gloves, and a pair of closed toe boots. A white pouch hung from behind her, filled with medical supplies, while a pack of fresh kunai and shuriken rested on either side of her hips. Rin decided to keep Obito's goggles hanging around her neck, mostly tucked under her hoodie.

The black long sleeved shirt under the hoodie had a black cloth mask attached that hide the lower half of her face, from her nose down. It covered her cheeks fully and effectively hid her signature dark purple streaks. For now, Rin left her dark brown hair down, allowing it to flow around her shoulders and back freely, framing her partially hidden face. After a careful inspection in the mirror, Rin decided that Hotaru looked nothing like Rin and would never be confused for her unless she told them specifically.

After paying for her purchases, Rin asked the store owner politely if he knew where Kakashi Hatake lived. He gave her directions and she thanked him gratefully before leaving the store, following the directions carefully. Rin was so nervous and worried as she leapt across the rooftops, her heart beating a rapid pace. At the same time, she was excited and eager to see at least one of her teammates again.

With her quick pace, it took only minutes for her to reach her destination, landing lightly on the doorstep of the simple house. She raised a gloved hand, hesitating only a moment, before knocking firmly and stepping back, patiently waiting. The door was opened to reveal Kakashi standing there, older and more tired.

"Can I help you?" He asked lazily, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I hope so," Rin blinked, drawn from her thoughts about Kakashi's new appearance, as she smiled warmly at him under her mask. "I need to speak with Kakashi Hatake about something very important."

"Alright," he drawled, tilting his head and opening the door wider, stepping aside. Nodding, Rin stepped inside, feeling her nerves rise as he closed the door behind her. She followed him into the small living room and sat down on the couch as he sat down in an armchair, gesturing for her to sit down as well. Kakashi looked at her expectantly and Rin just stared at him for a moment, taking in the sight of what the years had done to her teammate.

The mask caused her to smile a bit under her own, knowing what he looked like underneath. She and Obito had accidentally ripped it off him once on a mission with Minato-sensei. She would never forget the look on Kakashi's face when he realized his mask was off and his face was revealed. Realizing the current Kakashi was staring at her, waiting patiently, Rin leaned back, clearing her throat nervously.

"Is this place secure from any eavesdroppers?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes," Kakashi answered simply, now beginning to look curious at what information was important enough that the room needed to be completely secure.

"Alright… I have something very important to tell you. You will think I'm lying but I'm not. I'm telling the truth," Rin started carefully, locking her eyes with his. Kakashi's posture didn't change but his eyes became more alert as he listened attentively. Keeping her eyes locked onto his, Rin reached for the black cloth covering her face, pulling it down and allowing him to see her face fully.

Kakashi's onyx eyes widened before narrowing into slits as anger, suspicion, and a small bit of hope formed in his eyes. "Why are you henged as Rin Nohara? She's been dead for years."

"Kai," Rin made the hand sign for any genjutsu or henge to fade, spiking out a tiny bit of her chakra. None of her features changed and Kakashi's eyes widened, beginning to realize that it wasn't a henge at all. "It's not a henge."

"R-Rin?" Kakashi's voice was raspy and choked as he stared at her, a tiny bit of hope shining in his eyes as well as a massive amount of guilt, his shoulders tensing. "You can't be here… I... I killed you." He didn't dare ask why or how she had returned alive. He was just glad to see her alive and smiling at him again.

"Actually, I killed myself," Rin smiled weakly at him with a small laugh, her emotions beginning to get the best of her composure. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she smiled shakily at her teammate. "I'm back. I came back, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to hug her, just touch her to make sure she was real. But at the same time, he seemed reluctant to do so, as if he was afraid she would disappear again at his touch. Standing from the couch, Rin carefully perched herself on the side of the armchair and wrapped an arm around Kakashi's shoulders. At her gentle urging, he stiffly laid his head against her chest, closing his eyes as one hand curled around the nape of his neck and the other played with the top of his hair gently.

"I promise, Kakashi-kun, I'm never leaving you again," Rin vowed quietly, her arm tightening around Kakashi's shoulders as she rested her head on his. Her voice was quiet but just as raspy as his, choked by her emotions, her throat seeming clogged. At her reassurance, Kakashi's tense shoulders finally relaxed and he slumped boneless against her, leaning into the embrace willingly. His arm reached out and snaked around her torso, holding her close and returning the embrace.

The two stayed like that for the rest of the night. Rin fell asleep first, followed quickly by Kakashi. Both had tears trailing down their cheeks but their hold on one another remained tight, never loosening as the hours passed.

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Rin awoke slowly the next morning. Her eyes remained closed as she took a moment to just take it all in, savoring the sensations around her. A heavy weight lay against her chest and body, Kakashi still asleep against her. One of her hands covered the smooth skin at the nape of his neck while the other smoothed down the wild silver locks that had become messy while they slept. Her ears followed the sound of her teammate's heartbeat, matching a steady rhythm with her own.

For a moment, Rin allowed herself to just revel in the overwhelming feeling of relief and warmth. This was her teammate and she had missed both Kakashi and Obito fiercely. Her heart ached for a moment, thinking of the man that Obito had become, before inwardly shaking off the feeling. There were things to do at the moment and she didn't have the time to regret.

Fluttering her eyes open, Rin looked down and giggled quietly, realizing that their position during the night had shifted slightly. Kakashi was leaning back against the chair, his body still leaning into her own. Somehow, in his sleep, Kakashi had pulled her away from the side of the armchair so that she sat on his lap, her legs stretched out and hanging over the other side arm of the armchair. His arms were wrapped around her torso, holding her close as she kept her arm around his shoulders, her hands in his hair and on his neck.

Over all, it was a comfortable position that Rin knew the younger Kakashi never would have stood for. The sight of it caused her heart to swell in fondness for the man as she ran a hand over his soft hair. Her crush on Kakashi that she held as a young girl was gone, replaced by the intense feelings for Obito, but she still treasured her friend. She still loved him, just in a different way than what she felt for Obito. Kakashi was more like her brother, one of her closest friends, and a member of her family.

Rin carefully disentangled herself from the comfortable position she had been in, brushing off her outfit. Kakashi must have been exhausted as he was still sleeping peacefully in the armchair. Glancing out the window, Rin judged that it was still early morning and headed towards the small kitchen, knowing just what she could make for breakfast.

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Kakashi jerked upright, his head twisting left to right as he looked around frantically, realizing as soon as he regained consciousness that his arms were empty. Had he imagined the whole thing last night? Dear God, he hoped not. His heart pounded as he stood from the armchair, looking around as he carefully navigated through his house. He paused, his heartbeat accelerating even more as he heard faint humming. Creeping closer, he peeked his head around the door and peered into his kitchen, his body relaxing in relief at the sight that met his eyes.

Rin stood in front of the stove, humming sweetly as she washed a few dishes. She still wore the same outfit he had seen her in yesterday and he had to admit, she looked good in it. Kakashi had never considered returning Rin's feelings but even he admitted that she had been a rather pretty girl. Now, at twenty two years old, she was drop dead gorgeous. He had a feeling Obito would be drooling if he was here right now.

"Good morning, Kakashi-kun," she greeted as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Breakfast is on the table."

Stepping inside, Kakashi took a seat at the table silently. He blinked as he noticed what she had made for breakfast, feelings his heart, as damaged as it was, grow warmer. His favorite foods were on the table as well as a small platter of dumplings, salt broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. Only family and close friends knew him well enough to know his favorites. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, Kakashi bowed his head for a moment, closing his eyes as he prayed, taking a moment to thank whoever was up there for bringing Rin back down to him, before raising his head and beginning to eat some of the miso soup after tugging his mask down. It had a delicate seasoning to it that Kakashi recognized from one of their impromptu family dinners after Kushina taught Rin how to cook.

"Is it good?" Rin asked, leaving her mask down and face open as she sat down across from her teammate, clasping her gloved hands in her lap.

"Mn, it's delicious," Kakashi nodded, flashing her a hesitant smile. "Aren't you going to eat, Rin-chan?"

"Mhm," she nodded, picking up another set of chopsticks. She bowed her head briefly, silently praying, before raising her head and beginning to pick at a bowl of miso soup, smaller than Kakashi's. The two ate in a comfortable silence, content with the quiet.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Rin asked, turning to Kakashi curiously.

"I have a few ideas."

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"What are we here for, Kakashi-kun?" Rin asked curiously as she looked around the flower shop. Her mask was pulled up once more, hiding her face from view and covering her real identity. After leaving his house, Kakashi had led her across the rooftops to the Yamanaka flower shop, which was mostly empty. It was a week day so of course everyone was either at work or in the Academy.

"You're here to pick out flowers for Obito's grave," Kakashi answered, pointing at her with a gloved finger, his mask back up to hide his face. "I'm here to wait for you and pay at the end."

Rin stared at him, her dark brown eyes widening in surprise. Her heart warmed as her eyes softened, touched by the unexpected gesture.

"That's sweet Kakashi-kun but I'm okay-"she denied before he reached out and gripped her wrist, causing her to cut herself off, startled.

"You haven't had the chance to mourn," Kakashi murmured lowly, looking away awkwardly. "I had the chance. He deserves it. You both did."

Rin's eyes softened even more and she twisted her hand to grab Kakashi's, squeezing it reassuringly before releasing. "Alright, I'll pick out some flowers and then we'll go back to your house so I can properly organize them."

"Mn," Kakashi nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets casually. True to his word, Kakashi stayed and waited for her patiently as Rin carefully chose a series of flowers that symbolized her feelings for Obito. It took about half an hour to buy both the flowers, a white wicker basket with two handles on the sides, and a small swath of fabric that Rin had a plan for.

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At Kakashi's house afterwards, the two teammates sat at the table. Rin sat with her back to the door, the white wicker basket placed in front of her with the swath of fabric and a set of scissors along with a sewing kit. Kakashi sat across from her, watching her work curiously, his onyx eyes soft. Both had their masks pulled down, revealing their faces.

Rin held up the swath of fabric to her face, inspecting it. The color of the smooth silk was a dark shade of indigo blue. It was chosen specifically, a sign of remembrance.

"What is the indigo blue supposed to be represent?" Kakashi asked, curious. He had always thought Rin preferred lighter shades of purple rather than blue.

"A memory," a soft smile tugged at her lips as Rin measured how much of the fabric would be needed to line and cover the inside of the white basket. "A precious memory of Obito and me."

Kakashi studied his teammate's face, feeling his onyx eyes soften at the rare expression. Even when Rin had that obsessive crush on him, he had never seen an expression remotely similar to the one on her face as she stared down at the indigo silk cloth. Her eyes, normally so dark, were a lighter shade of brown, possessing an almost gold sheen to them. Her lips formed a soft, tender smile. All those years, Obito loved Rin, an unrequited love. Back then, Kakashi hadn't cared, indifferent to the affections as long as it didn't interfere with a mission. Rin had always held a soft spot for the Uchiha but she had never shown any signs of the feelings deepening past friendship.

Now that Obito was gone and Rin was back, Kakashi wondered how much those feelings had changed. Rin had never worn such a soft expression when speaking of anyone else. The obsessive fangirlish tendencies that she had held as a teenager seemed to have disappeared as she considered him only a friend now. Kakashi whole-heartedly returned the sentiment, having missed the only kunoichi on their team so much over the years.

"It was after that mission, our third time tracking and capturing Tora," Rin mused, her lips moving unconsciously into a nostalgic smile. "After you left to train with Minato-sensei, Obito invited me out to eat and I accepted. We ate at his favorite dango stand." A small laugh left her throat as she grinned softly to herself, her eyes glazed as she lost herself in the memory. Kakashi listened silently, taking it in, watching his teammate's emotions rise.

"He stole some of my dango and I called him out on it before taking some of his… his face when I did that… he was so surprised. Afterwards, he took me to a private spot that I came to consider as our spot. The sun was just setting and it was so beautiful. There were so many colors in the sky, like a painting. We stayed there until the sun finally disappeared, just talking." Her eyes blinked as she smiled down at the smooth silk in her hands. "One of the colors was indigo blue, like this. That was my favorite memory with Obito. I just thought it was fitting…"

"It is," Kakashi assured quietly.

Grabbing some scissors, Rin began to carefully cut out the appropriate measures of cloth and then sew the fabric inside the basket. The inside of the white wicker basket was now lined in smooth indigo blue silk, contrasting with the white color of the basket. As soon as that was finished, Kakashi watched as Rin began to plan out the placement of the flowers.

It took all of an hour for the entire basket to be finished. The flower arrangement consisted of bluebells, golden daffodils, yellow acacias, light purple asters, baby's breath, and a single bird of paradise flower. All in all, it held meaning behind it but Kakashi said nothing, merely smiling at Rin.

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"Uh, hey Obito," Rin started, seated on her knees in front of the memorial stone. Behind her, she could feel Kakashi standing a little away, keeping an eye out so no one saw her identity because she had her mask down, her face revealed. Kakashi had placed a mild genjutsu at her request that would broadcast a completely different conversation while she had a real talk at the stone. Even he couldn't hear what she was saying. It was just a private moment with Obito.

Her hands clutched at the handles to her handmade basket as she bit her lip nervously, wondering what she could say. "I want to start off by saying the truth so I'll just say what's on my mind. I miss you so much. You have no idea how much I miss you, Obito." She laughed a little, smiling sadly down at the stone, seeing her teammate's name carved into it. "You loved me all those years but you never told me. I wish you had. Then I could have told you the truth."

Her eyes were soft and her nervousness faded away as she reached out, tracing Obito's carved name.

"Maybe then I could have told you… I love you too Obito. I know what's happened after my death, what you did for me, and it's alright. I understand. But I'm not going to let you suffer like that anymore. I'm going to find you and I'm going to save you. I made a promise to never leave you or Kakashi alone again and I intend to keep it." Settling her handmade basket by the memorial stone, Rin pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her clothes. She pressed two gloved fingers to her lips and then pressed them to Obito's carved name with gentle fingers, her eyes soft.

Her hand dropped and Rin turned away from the stone, glancing over her shoulder sadly.

"Ja ne, Obito."