Ten years. Ten years ago today the world stopped making sense. Ten years ago, my fiancé murdered his entire family in cold blood, except his little brother.
Rin was standing outside the gates of Konoha surveying the frenzy surrounding her. Lumber was stacked neatly into piles waiting to be carried to the location where it would be used to create a home. Various shinobi were weaving complicated hand signs, manipulating the earth, water, and sky into paths, wells, and channels. Messengers were flitting back and forth between tents, often reappearing with medical supplies. Every job was crucial.
The news that Madara was officially dead had reached her the day before, but the proof of it was right in front of her. Civilians no longer huddled in their homes in fear of stray kunai, violent explosions, and enemy shinobi. The shinobi were again using their abilities to build instead of the constant destruction they had become accustomed to over the past two years. There was no time to mourn their fallen comrades; but, an eerie silence would rear it's ugly head at every break in conversation, reminding them of who should be standing next to them.
Rin took in all of this, thinking to herself "It's over. The war is truly, finally over."
She quickly began making her way through the gate, stopping in front of the two battle-worn guardsmen that smiled like they hadn't been able to in two years and said "Welcome to Konoha. Name and village please?"
"Hideki Rin, Kumogakure."
One of them looked her over, noting her headband, and said "My name is Kamizuki Izumo, I will escort you to the Godaime's headquarters."
Rin smirked a little as she tilted her head. "You mean the big red building? I think I can manage to find my way," she purred while throwing his partner a quick flirtatious wink, causing him to turn a deep shade of crimson.
He studied her again warily, referring to his clipboard as he tried to ignore the way she had positioned herself to be at the perfect angle to look up at him through her thick black eyelashes.
"My report indicates that you were supposed to have arrived two hours ago, may I inquire as to the reason you were so delayed?"
She shrugged nonchalantly and said "I must have gotten lost in my own thoughts."
Izumo looked back at his partner, fishing for help. His partner shook his head at him, sighing as he stood while extending his hand towards the perplexing woman.
"My name is Hagane Kotetsu, we've been ordered to escort you directly to the Godaime. We are not questioning your abilities, merely trying to fulfill our duties."
She grinned brilliantly, temporarily dumbfounding the two men.
"Well, that's a different situation isn't it? I'd hate to interfere with your jobs," she said. "Now, which one of you will be my escort?"
The two men shared a look, silently battling for the quick break. Once they looked away, Izumo stepped forward.
Their walk to the Godaime's office was silent until a whirlwind of noise and orange hurtled by, disappearing into a ramen shop by the name of Ichiraku. Rin giggled a little as a lovely pink-haired kunoichi stomped by, following the whirlwind into the shop yelling "NA-RU-TO!" The unlikely pair was followed silently by a very pale boy that was looking blankly around, taking in everything. He stopped and looked at Rin briefly, his mouth quivering as though he wanted to say something but thought better of it and walked into the ramen shop.
Rin turned to Izumo who was shaking his head and grinning madly.
"It's so good to know some things never change," he said; his eyes lighting up with some memory sparked by the trio.
Rin just smiled gently to herself, remembering a time in this very village that she had followed a raven-haired boy into a ramen shop, slowing down to allow his little brother to keep pace. She thought briefly of the pale boy, wondering, but then dismissing the idea. He couldn't be Itachi's brother. Itachi's brother was always smiling, running as fast as his little legs would carry him yelling "Nii-sama, nii-sama!"
Izumo stopped and she looked up, realizing that they had reached their destination. He held up his hand in a motion for her to pause, then formed a series of hand signs that caused some inscriptions on the door to glow and move. When they settled while forming the word 'Enter', he pushed the door open and held it as Rin stepped inside.
The interior was bare, the smell of paint was strong as Rin proceeded down a series of wide hallways. She stopped in front of a pair of doors that read 'Hokage's Office' and knocked assertively.
"Damn!" was the response, followed by a crash and the sound of a woman's voice saying soothingly "It's alright Ton-Ton, she didn't mean to." She was about to walk away when she heard someone yelling "Come in!"
She opened the door cautiously, immediately meeting the eyes of a blonde, busty woman seated behind a desk that was cluttered with papers and a brass bowl that she could only assume was what the crashing sound was earlier. On her second review of the room however, she noticed a slight, homely girl holding a pig that was squirming desperately.
Directing her attention back to the woman behind the desk, Rin bowed low from the waist while saying "Hello Tsunade-sama." Once she straightened herself she said "My name is Hideki Rin, I am the emissary from Kumogakure."
The blonde narrowed her eyes at Rin, analyzing her. Finally, she began speaking.
"Hideki-san, I know who you are. I also know that you volunteered to act as an emissary with Konoha despite your past here. I don't believe you're here to cause trouble; but, I wonder if you don't have some underlying motives for coming."
Rin blinked for a moment, then a bemused smile crept across her face as she respectfully answered "Tsunade-sama, my only motive for being in this village is the one assigned in my mission scroll. I am here to teach and learn in order to strengthen ties between our villages. Any history I may have in this village is exactly that, history. I am one of the most respected kunoichi in Kumogakure and I value the title. I would not presume to compromise any mission assigned to me, much less a very important one such as this, in order to fulfill my own means."
Tsunade considered this for a second, then nodded.
"Very well. I have arranged a liaison to attend to any needs or wishes you might have during your stay."
Rin cocked her head, looking pointedly at the woman holding the pig, who promptly shook her head and said "I only act as Tsunade-sama's personal assistant."
She redirected her attention to the blonde, who jerked her head toward the window. Rin apprehensively approached and opened the window, looking puzzled as she leaned out and looked to her left. There was a man on the roof. Not that it was particularly surprising to see someone on the roof—they were shinobi—what was more startling was the fact that he seemed to be dead asleep with a book called Make-Out Tactics laid across his face. She quickly retreated back through the window, giving the Godaime a quizzical look.
The blonde rolled her eyes, then bellowed "KAKASHI!" several decibels louder than anything Rin had experienced before.
The book appeared first, followed by a shock of white hair and a lanky figure that perched itself in the window comfortably.
"Mah, gomen Tsunade. The sun was just so pleasant and it took so long…"
Tsunade rolled her eyes again and pointed at the overly composed man.
"This is Hatake Kakashi, your liaison. He is familiar with every operation within the village, and your new apartment is situated right beside his. If you need anything, you will go to him. I regularly send him on missions, and I believe it was agreed that you would act as a Konoha shinobi for the duration of your stay, so he is your new partner as well. I believe you hold the rank of Jounin?"
"Oh, um, yes." Rin said, dragging her attention away from the single eye that was free of his mask.
"Well then, I won't have to downgrade Kakashi's missions to accommodate you. As Kakashi already has a four-man squad, I am assigning you your own squad in order to create two full squads and you will carry out missions as such. "
At that, Rin started, "With all due respect ma'am, though I may be a skilled kunoichi, I am not known or respected in your village. Perhaps a little time should be allotted for the villagers to get used to me."
"Nonsense. I have seen your mission reports, and though you may not be well-known in this village, I certainly am. My opinion is respected, and I am choosing to think highly of you. Your new teammates will respect you as I do."
"Th-thank you," Rin stuttered.
"Kakashi!"
"Hai?"
"Please escort Hideki-san to her new quarters."
"Hai," Kakashi replied while studying his new partner.
Rin found herself following him out of the window, running along the rooftops as the smell of sakura trees pervaded her senses. She focused on the back of the man she was following, taking in the basic shinobi outfit and white hair. A million questions popped into her mind, and though she voiced none; she slowly began answering them for herself.
Though her first impression of him might not have been favorable, she realized that what she had taken for lazy had merely been relaxed. He had yet to ask her name so she could only assume he'd read her mission file or been listening to her conversation with the Hokage. He was an excellent shinobi, his footsteps were measured precisely to go as fast as far as he could without wasting any energy. He didn't have to turn around to know she was keeping time with him, his movements were fluid and quick, his breathing measured and slow. The body that she had initially taken to be lanky was actually lean and exceptionally fit, he was just tall. So this was the legendary copy-nin...
They continued in a comfortable silence until they reached a building that looked newly constructed. He turned to her, speaking directly to her for the first time.
"This is our apartment building. We're 7 and 8 on the East side."
She looked up at him, scrutinizing his mask and the headband that tilted over his left eye. "I don't think we've actually introduced ourselves, I'm Hideki Rin."
He nodded noncommittally and raised two fingers in her direction. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, you were introduced to me though."
She shrugged and said "It was hardly necessary. I worked under you, albeit indirectly, during the war. I've seen you from a distance and there isn't a shinobi alive that hasn't heard of you."
He looked down at her with some interest in his single gray eye. "I make a point to know all of my subordinates by name and face, how is it I've never seen you before?"
She shrugged again, "I was one of the ones you weren't supposed to see."
He nodded in understanding, scrutinizing her small frame with a different perspective. He could see her diminutive stature and light feet being an incredible asset in the black-ops.
He handed her a key, indicating that the door just to the left of him was hers. She unlocked it and stepped into the room, astonished to find it so prettily furnished and stocked with groceries. She ran to peek into the bathroom, a grin spreading across her face when she realized that all of her favorite toiletries were lined up on the counter for her. She turned to Kakashi, who was still standing in the doorway, and bowed. "Arigato."
"Mah, it was really a common courtesy. You are a guest here."
"None the less, it's a courtesy I appreciate very much."
His eye turned up into what she could only guess was a smile, and he sidestepped into his own apartment with a two-fingered motion that was quickly becoming familiar.
She looked around again, realizing she didn't know if she had anything to do that day. She opened her door just enough to knock on the one beside it, jumping when he tapped her on the shoulder instead of opening his own. She whirled around to face him; allowing the door to swing shut.
He was chuckling softly as he looked at her expectantly, enjoying the irritation that passed across her delicate features when she realized he'd stepped the direction opposite his door.
"I was expecting you to ask a little earlier" he said, still chuckling. "I'll get you around three o'clock to go meet your new team as well as a light practice session to become acquainted with their abilities."
Still trying to calm her racing heart, Rin just nodded and retreated into her apartment.
Kakashi stood staring at the apartment door for a second, pondering the petite problem on the other side. He didn't trust her. She was beguiling, and good at using it to her advantage. Poor Izumo had been eating out of her hand as he headed back to his station, casting hopeful glances in the general direction of Tsunade's office. She was attractive, extremely so. Those eyes must have been the downfall of a thousand unsuspecting shinobi. That's not taking into account that lily petal mouth, porcelain skin, and ebony hair. It was her manner that intrigued him most though. Demure in the face of authority, calculating when no one was looking, and charming when brought to the center of attention, the woman shifted demeanors faster than Konoha's Golden Flash. After what he had heard from his position outside the Godaime's office, he was far less convinced than Tsunade that the woman had no ulterior motives. She missed nothing. Her eyes traveled over everything, programming it into her memory in the case it could prove useful. He could feel her eyes on him earlier; it was like being stripped when he was already naked. She was looking at him.
He stepped into his own apartment, barely registering the fact that it was already 2:45. She might as well learn earlier than later about his habit of tardiness. He grabbed an already prepared bento box and made his way to his comforting spot in front of the memorial.
Rin was fuming as she waited for the famed copy-nin to escort her to the training grounds. He was an hour late! She sighed, resting her head in her hands as she examined one of the few items she had bothered bringing. It was a jacket, a faded blue jacket with a red and white fan emblazoned on the back. She caressed it's soft material, burying her nose in the fabric and imagining she could still smell him. That light scent of leaves from his morning training, his shampoo on the collar, the slightly muskier scent that was just him. She wrapped it around her shoulders, missing the laughs they shared. The day he gave her this jacket he was smiling with every muscle in his face, they were truly engaged! All the formalities were settled, all that was left was to wait for the day she graduated the academy. She had loved him since they were nine, he claimed to have loved her longer than that. "Since the moon was hung in the sky," he'd say, gesturing grandly towards the stars above. Then they'd sit down against a tree, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm resting protectively around her waist.
She was snapped out of her reverie at the sound of a sharp tap on her window. Sitting there was the very late copy-nin, his eye curled at the corner.
"Sleepy?" he asked.
"No, bored." She retorted. "How are you so freaking late? I saw you fifteen minutes before 3:00!"
"Eh, I ran across this sweet elderly lady…"
"Shove it!" She exclaimed, pushing him backwards violently.
He landed lightly on his feet and laughed as she instinctively followed him out the window. She bared her teeth at him as he turned and started bounding lightly from rooftop to rooftop, following quietly while memorizing the layout of the town.
They arrived at training ground 3, an open field with three wooden posts in the center, surrounded by trees and fenced in by a wide river. Her eyes raked over the obvious holes in trees and the craters that hadn't been filled quite adequately as well as the scattered scorch marks and random shuriken embedded throughout the foliage. This was obviously someone's favorite training ground, and she had a feeling she was about to meet the owner of every destructive mark.
Suddenly three kunai flew towards Kakashi from three random directions, closely followed by a very blonde boy performing some jutsu by rotating his chakra in a concentrated orbital motion over his palm. Kakashi dodged the kunai effortlessly, and just as the blonde boy's jutsu hit him square in the stomach he turned into a log, sending splinters flying at at extremely high speeds forcing Rin to create a barrier to avoid the debris. She maintained her barrier, looking around carefully for any sign of further attack. When a pink blur flashed past her line of vision, she followed it's trail. It led her straight to a bewildered copy-nin sitting on a branch, who dodged the glowing fist just in time to avoid the same fate as the tree, which lay in splinters. Kakashi kept moving, right into an inky black net that wrapped itself around his hands first then proceeded to bind the rest of his body. He fell to the ground with a fwhump, laughing a little as two very angry shinobi and one impassive one stood over him.
"I've been later than this before and you guys didn't attack me, why the sudden rush?"
The pretty kunoichi that Rin now recognized as the pink blur smacked him across the head, grinning maliciously when he obviously winced. The owner of the net formed a hand sign and Kakashi was released, the net creeping its way back onto a scroll that it's pale owner carried on his hip.
Then the kunoichi spoke, "We have been waiting for an HOUR. We went to the trouble of tracking down the three people you wanted here, but they all had to leave because you were so late!"
Kakashi rubbed his hand over the back of his head for a moment, then said "Mah, I should have figured they'd have some important business to attend to. That's my bad. Well, then I guess she'll have to settle for meeting you."
The trio glared at him for the implied insult before processing what he'd said.
"SHE?" The blond hair boy barked excitedly. "Are you telling us you have a GIRLFRIEND Kakashi-sensei?"
"Baka!" The pink haired kunoichi yelled while hitting him hard. "If he wanted to introduce us to his girlfriend why would he have us meet him on the training grounds?"
She turned to Kakashi, asking "Is she the emissary from Kumogakure?"
Kakashi gave his brightest student a quick smile before answering. "Yes, she is the emissary. I am to act as her liaison in the village. She is also part of the team that we will work with on missions from here on out. I needed the other three here so that I could introduce them to their new teammate."
The pinkette's eyes grew wide as she looked around the training grounds, spotting Rin leaning against a tree about thirty yards away. Turning back to Kakashi she asked "What kind of missions will we be doing that require EIGHT Jounin?"
He closed his eye, thinking of the best way to answer her. "We will be fulfilling the highest-priority S-rank missions. Our teams have been selected carefully to allow each of our skills to enhance the other's skills. Team 7 is already a winning combination, the Godaime is trying to build a team around Hideki-san that not only compliments our strength but multiplies it." He fixed his eye on her before continuing, "Our missions will require the utmost delicacy and almost telepathic teamwork."
The pinkette nodded, turning back to look at Rin. Kakashi made a small motion to indicate that she should join them, so Rin pulled herself off the tree and in less than a second was standing beside the copy-nin.
The pinkette's eyes widened again, trying to process what she had just seen. Kakashi's eye crinkled with mirth, and he even let out a slight chuckle.
"Team 7, this is Hideki Rin, a Jounin from Kumogakure known especially for her speed and wide variety of ninjutsu. She belongs to a clan that possesses a very powerful Kekkei Genkei that enables her to use four of the five types of chakra. Though, from what I understand, it's not the same four types of chakra for every member is it?"
Rin shook her head, "I personally can use water, wind, fire, and earth. My sister can control lightning, water, fire, and wind. Our Kekkei Genkei only passes itself through females and only shows itself in individuals with enormous stores of chakra."
Kakashi nodded, filing away every bit of information she let him have and then proceeded with the rest of the introductions. "Hideki-san, this is my team. Uzumaki Naruto is the loud blonde one, the kunoichi is Haruno Sakura, and the quiet, spacy one would be Sai. All three are Jounin of the highest esteem."
Rin reached forward to shake each of their hands, intentionally lingering a bit longer than normal with the boys. Sakura noticed but chose to ignore it.
Kakashi looked back and forth between the two females, already sensing some tension. Naruto and Sai were Sakura's boys and they always would be, but Rin had those ethereal good looks on her side. Sakura was certainly pretty, but Rin made her look almost awkward in comparison. Not to mention the difference in their temperaments. Sakura tended to fly off the handle where Rin hid behind a cold, composed smile. He was intrigued with the idea of finding out what kind of thoughts that smile was masking; though he was certain they were unpleasant.
He watched as Rin turned her attention to Sakura, flashing a radiant smile that could melt the heart of every man in Konoha. "Haruno-san, I'm so glad there's another woman on the team! I feel like I have testosterone poisoning after every mission back home!"
Sakura regarded the other woman coolly before an obviously fake smile stretched it's way across her face. "I know exactly what you mean Hideki-san," she said sweetly.
"But Sakura-chan, you love going on missions with us..."
"Shut up Naruto." Sakura muttered, mentally facepalming. Why couldn't the baka understand anything? This bitch was trying to worm her way into ranks with Sakura's guys by buddying up to her first, and she wasn't about to let that happen. This was her team. Sakura didn't really understand why she had an immediate distaste for the woman, she was just rubbing her the wrong way. The way she was looking at her was enough to make Sakura's fists clench at the idea of smashing that beautiful face into one of the nearby posts. And the way she was angling her lithe body toward Kakashi was making Sakura see horns sprouting from the top of her head.
The tension became palpable. Naruto and Sai stood confounded by the dark, forbidding aura that had appeared so suddenly between the two women though they were both still beaming brightly. Kakashi felt that now was probably not the best time to allow those two to go at each other, so without a thought he cheerfully suggested "Why don't we all go out for dinner?"
Naruto let out a whoop and Sai nodded his head while Sakura and Rin were still beaming at each other. Kakashi wasn't sure if he should interfere, but if either of their smiles got any bigger Tsunade was going to have to unstick the sides of their mouths from their ears.
"Ano, Hideki-san" he said in a flustered tone. She whipped her head around and her face returned to it's usual congenial smirk, acknowledging his presence. "Would you like to go to dinner with us?"
"I'd love to!"
"Sakura?"
Her eyes snapped to his face, looking somewhat dazed. "Hai?"
"Are you coming to dinner with us?"
Sakura was quick to nod affirmatively as she met Rin's eyes again. "No way in hell am I giving this bitch what she wants." She thought to herself.
Kakashi surveyed the group wearily, and began leading the way to the nearest restaurant.
Rin was alone, finally. They had stayed at the restaurant past midnight, Naruto and Sai staring at her while Sakura threw nasty jabs at every opportunity. Kakashi had sat silently, pulling out his book whenever things got too mundane.
"How am I supposed to find out anything about Itachi when I'm surrounded by morons?" She thought silently as she reached for the jacket she had hastily stuffed into the couch cushion earlier. She buried her face in it, crying pitifully. She thought of the day her father had told her she would no longer be marrying him. "He is a traitor, a cold blooded killer. He does not deserve to be called a shinobi." The words pounded into her head, making her sob even harder. There was no way Itachi, her Itachi, could ever do the things he was accused of doing. He was so kind, the perfect older brother and her best friend. He couldn't kill his family. She hiccuped as she pulled her face away from the soaked fabric. She would find him. She would ask him directly; she would find out what really happened. She tenderly traced the fan on the back, the symbol of the Uchiha. The symbol that was supposed to become hers. Their marriage had been arranged for power reasons, the binding of two powerful Kekkei Genkei clans. Their love had been fortunate, born of many tender moments she witnessed between him and his brother, his quiet serenity that she could bask in, the warm gray eyes that would wander over her appreciatively, and the raw power that emanated from him as he rigorously trained to become more than he already was. He was never anything less than polite towards her at first, but as they grew closer he would tease her incessantly, making fun of her height and excessively slender build. "You'll never make Chuunin" he'd say, "The wind will carry you off before you can throw a kunai." She'd stick her tongue out at him before tackling him, using all of her negligible mass to unbalance him. He'd always catch her effortlessly, tickling her until she begged for mercy then holding her close as they drifted off in the warm summer sun.
"That was Itachi." She told herself, replaying the memories over and over until she drifted off to sleep.