Disclaimer: Yo, without doubt, Naruto does not belong to me.

Hmm, now I realized that I've once wrote this story, since I barely got any reviews or anyone to push me on the next chapter, I totally forgot about this story! Gomen!!!

Anyway, here's the new chapter! –smiles-

As Time Flies By

Chapter 4 – Discoveries & Problems

"I'm going to join the ANBU squad"

Rin's auburn round eyes got wider. Strands of her silky sepia hair beat the surface of her face. Smells of fresh green grass escaped her when the statement entered the inside part of his head.

Kakashi stood still in front of her. He had abandoned his broken tanto; so there were no strips on her shirt. He looked the same in his 13-year body as before; same old mask and outfit except for the missing weaponry and one covered eye.

He suddenly grabbed his head protector and pulled the left side covering his eye up.

Rin felt tears stinging at her eyes as she stared at the 2 boys in front of her – Kakashi… and Obito. The red sharingan eye belonged to Obito stared hard into her. She turned her head away from Kakashi.

"The enemy line is moving further into Konoha's borders. Many nameless shinobi was sacrificed to defend the country's border. The destruction of the Kanabi Bridge by our team had slowed down their progress, but not stopped it. Thus it wouldn't be long before they found out another way how get to supplies in." Kakashi explained in a monotone.

Rin looked at him with emotionless eyes.

"And this is when ANBU considered as helpful as they can get. ANBU could work alone or in a group, which make matters simple. They could enter the enemy's territory without being seen and detected, and sabotaged the enemy when they least expected."

Both pair of eyes met. Rin could not muster a word. A sad expression appeared at her fair face as she looked at her team mate. She didn't know what to say anymore; no words can change kakashi's mind. His words were absolute final. Nothing can be said, nothing can be done. She can only watch.

"Kakashi…" only his name that she managed to force out of her throat.

She couldn't bear to look into his eyes. She was now looking at a two completely different people, not one. Both eyes looked at her, begging her to agree, to say yes.

Rin fought with her tears "You'll get killed, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave a sigh. He knew what she was going to say, and he came prepared.

"If that happens, then I was not strong enough to protect you in the first place." He remarked in a flat tone.

Tears started to stream down her cheeks.

That was it; a promise.

That was what it was all about for Kakashi. It was all about a promise; a promise of a lifetime. He swore upon his life to protect Rin, and that was what he was going to do. He can't let her get out there in the battlefield; he will. He will protect Konoha; the place where Rin lives. In other words, he's protecting Rin.

"But I will not – I will not die. I'm not going to let myself die." There was the flat tone again, but this time with more spirit in it.

They both just looked at each other. The wind blew harder by each minute, slamming falling leaves out of momentum. Even when the flying leaves hit them, they did not look away from each other's stare. They stayed like that for minutes but it felt like hours. Her eyes grew sadder and sadder while his grew guiltier and guiltier. The tears from her had stopped a long while ago.

Finally he brought himself to speak, "It's dangerous out there, Rin." He tried to look in the different direction this time but he couldn't. "I can't let you got out there"

He continued, "You're going to stay here, at the hospital, away from the battlefield."

The medical team at the Konoha Hospital was responsible in treating the ninjas that returned to Konoha injured. There were basically consists of medic-nins and Kakashi knew that the team had longly craved for Rin's medical skill. They rarely went outside of Konoha though there were some teams that been dispatched to the war zone in case of emergencies; to help the medic-nins at the camp. But Kakashi made things perfectly clear with the Head of the medical team that Rin was not going to get involved in any of it.

She didn't reply. She just didn't know what to say anymore. He was about to walk away when she found the best and only reply she could.

"Just be careful, Kakashi"

He stopped at his tracks. He turned back to see her calm face, and he smiled.

"Thank you Rin, for letting me keep my promise."

He continued to walk away from her, but stopped again.

"I was once the trash that would abandon you. I'm not going to do that again"

With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke along with the wind, leaving Rin weeping silently in front the Memorial Tombstone.

Just for once, she wished he would listen.

She jumped onto a dozen or more rooftops, and saw the bird messenger. The bird flew right above her head.

Knowing her destination, she quickened her pace.

It was chaos in front of the Konoha's main gate. There were at least one ANBU team there and a couple of Jounin scattered all over the place.

There were all surrounding one person.

Kakashi arrived at the scene only to be greeted with a jutsu that blew almost half of the men there. The circle around the person was broken, branching of trees formed inside the once-there circle.

Wood element?

Kakashi turned his head towards the source of the problem. It was just a dark-haired boy, maybe around his age; his upper outfit was white while the lower was black. His clothes were awfully dirty and he looked like a mess. His diamond-shaped eyes that were just as dark as his eyes scanned the area. He was panting hard for breath too.

"Please… help me" Kakashi heard the boy spoke.

Before Kakashi could process his words, a Jounin attacked the boy, but was cut by wooden bars in front of him. The shocked Jounin was then got punched and he flew at least five feet.

The incident provoked a series of attacks from other leaf ninjas there. All of them started to attack at once.

"STOP!"

All the ninjas froze at the sound of Kakashi's voice. All eyes were on him. Kakashi removed his ANBU mask, and stared at them, giving them the shivers from his sharingan eye.

"He's asking for help, he's not a threat" Kakashi announced.

Right at that moment, the boy fainted.

"His condition is stable. There's nothing wrong. He's just tired, that's all." Rin reported to the 3rd Hokage outside of the hospital room. The Hokage nodded as a sign that he understood, and he peeked through the small window of the door into the room.

Rin suddenly turned as she realized a presence that she was somewhat so familiar of. Kakashi walked into the hallway, and arrived at the door.

"Hokage-sama" he greeted the Sandaime.

Kakashi looked at Rin, who gave her usual soft smile; she completely forgotten about the whole sudden disappearance thing when she suddenly saw Kakashi carrying a boy towards the hospital. Kakashi then switched his attention to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure he's the one?"

The veteran ninja sighed. He kept looking into the room, where the dark-haired boy lay sleeping in the hospital bed. "Definitely, he's the one"

Rin was the only one there not having a brightest idea what was happening. Kakashi noticed Rin's stare at him. He didn't bother explaining.

"He's the sole survivor of Orochimaru's experiments."

Rin began to understand. Kakashi continued, "That would fairly explain the wood element he used against us just now. Only the 1st Hokage had that capability, and we know that Orochimaru's been trying to get that specialty. There was one successful attempt after all."

The 3rd Hokage sighed again. "This boy would need some protection"

"He could be with me"

Both Sandaime and Rin looked at Kakashi; neither would want to believe what they had heard. Kakashi gave a smile.

"Now, I didn't say anything wrong, didn't I?"

The 3rd Hokage smiled his respectful smile. He nodded, agreeing to the suggestion. "Well, you're always good at sniffing things out" he then walked away from the two teens.

After making sure that the Hokage was out of sight, Rin gave a confused look at Kakashi.

"Now, are sure with this?"

Kakashi smiled again under his mask. A thing he had used to do for the last 3 years of his life. "I'm serious, Rin."

Rin couldn't get any of his intentions.

"He's alone. He could at least need a friend about the same age?" Kakashi remarked in a caring voice that he had also gotten used to now. "I'll sign him up in ANBU. With his skill, he'll pass."

Like always, Rin could only smile and watched.

It was hours before the boy was finally awake. He growled as he tried opening his eyes. He tried to get up but heard a voice instead.

"I think it's better to lie down"

At his right hand side, was the person that he recognised as the one that probably just saved his life. A look of gratitude was on his face.

"Thank you"

"Hmmph? What for?" Kakashi stared with one eye closed. He was in his ANBU suit, so he wasn't wearing any head protectors.

"For saving my life"

"Oh, Rin saved your life, not me"

"Rin?"

"You'll see, a medic-nin will be checking on you momentarily." Kakashi's eyes curled upwards; a smile.

The boy too, smiled.

"You're Orochimaru's test subject, huh?"

A look of horror came upon the boy's face. He grabbed his sheets tight. Kakashi took this as a yes.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. For the meantime."

"For the meantime?"

Kakashi got up from the chair he was sitting. He gaped towards the window. His hands crossed. "Well, you'll need to be prepared though"

The boy looked hard at Kakashi. Kakashi turned to him. "And you'll be my partner now."

A look of surprise was all the boy could do. He was surprised, yes but happy at the same time, not knowing why. Maybe because he finally had someone he could call a partner… or better, a friend.

"Now, I'm Hatake Kakashi. You?" Kakashi looked with a smile.

"Call me Tenzou…"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

HAHAHA, I have exactly no idea what I wrote! Kakashi seemed a little OOC, I don't care anymore, I'm in a rush, need to sleep.

And, a review would be nice, even if it is only one word or a flame, just to encourage me to actually continue. Hahahah! Ja ne!