I'm in a hurry right now so i could not check this for errors, though they always slip... but i truly hope you enjoy!
Thanks Shikyo, Urashike and kat1996; i really appreciate your reviews! :)
Enjoy!
.
.
10
~ Teamwork ~
.
.
.
~ I'll always cry for every single word I forgot to tell you... ~
…
"Kakashi… just what do you think you're doing?"
Kakashi looked up from his current position; he was buried to the waist in mud; he had been training alone at the backyard of their house when suddenly he landed in a puddle…
Being only five years old it was still hard to control his chakra, but he never gave up and he wanted to impress his father… make him happy to see how much he had improved since their last training session.
It had been only a week since his mother died and it was true he missed her badly, but then again he didn't like to see his father so worn and tired with sadness.
"I was training, but I miscalculated my landing." Kakashi said with a toothy smile; his father's face remained a bit unfazed and a bit confused.
"And now what will you do? If this was a mission what would you do?" his father asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"But this is not a mission, dad! Besides maybe this is one of the reasons why five years old are not put into dangerous missions!" the boy retorted from his puddle.
"Stop being a smartass, Kakashi…" his father squatted in front of him with a kind smile, his voice the same soft murmur he used for almost every situation in life… except a week ago when he had been so angered and sad he had actually yelled.
Kakashi lowered his eyes to the puddle not really interested on whatever he was lecturing him about; he was more concerned about finding a way to get his father out of his stupor.
He looked up and saw his father's lips moving while he talked, but he couldn't hear what he was saying…
"Dad…?" he interrupted.
The man seemed a bit surprised, but not angered, only curious.
"What is it?" Sakumo asked with the same soft tone.
"I already know you miss mom, but…" Sakumo's features changed from impassive to surprise. "Is there a way for me to help you?" he asked with an innocent look.
Sakumo stayed quiet regarding his young, but smart son; Kakashi was nothing like the rest; ever since the boy entered the academy, Sakumo realized his son would become the perfect soldier; the perfect shinobi… the epitome of a ninja…
His ability to hide his emotions, to remain quiet and serene during distressing situations and danger… But most of all that ability to build shields… Kakashi refrained from getting friends, anything that could be used against him and somehow, Sakumo found it sad…
"There's nothing you can do, Kakashi…" he finally answered willing to give his son a lesson about feelings. "I am the father and you are the son; I should be the one helping you…" he smiled down at his boyish face and rustled his hair in affection.
"I am not suffering…" Kakashi rushed to say, but once he saw his father frown he had to think fast to counter his mistake. "I miss mom…" he simply shrugged not knowing how to explain what he felt.
"Come here, Kakashi…" his father extended his arms.
Kakashi lifted his hands to place them on his arms and let him pull his body out of the mud; he was carried at arm's length over to the space they used to wash their clothes… Sakumo sighed as he took the hose and plugged it to the pipe and the turned it on…
Kakashi shivered as the cold water washed the sticky mud off his pants and legs; his father chuckling lowly at his mercy… but then he remembered what he wanted to say…
"One day you'll be placed in a team, Kakashi…" he said softly. "You'll have a sensei and teammates; and you'll have to trust them with your life… there's no other way to become a good team if you don't trust them… and in the progress of trusting you'll realize those teammates will become your best friends along with your sensei…" Sakumo noticed the light frown on his son's face.
"What if I don't want to be placed on a team?" he asked and his father laughed again ruffling his unruly silver hair.
"You must have a team, Kakashi…" he sighed. "It is not the same for everyone, but I truly hope someday you can find what I found in your mother… At your age it is still hard to grasp the idea of what your mother truly represented…"
Kakashi listened intently to his words, but not fully comprehending their meaning.
"If loving someone else liked you loved mom I don't want to find anyone like her…" he muttered under his breath…
Sakumo sighed in defeat and kept washing his dirtied clothes…
"One day you'll love someone, Kakashi… and you won't be able to do anything to stop it…" he gave the young boy a tired smile…
The cold water was suddenly too cold for him to bear, but when he looked down he realized he was no longer at the backyard; he was in what seemed like a swamp… and his father was walking away from him; his long ponytail swaying with the cold air…
"Dad…?" he called trying to move his legs to follow, but he was tangled in the mangrove; he looked up with fright. "Dad? Dad, please! Don't leave me behind!" he yelled feeling as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Dad!"
…
"Dad!" he bolted up in his mattress with a ragged breathing; it had been a while since he had had that nightmare…
"Hey, calm down…" he looked to his side narrowing his eyes to focus in the darkened bedroom and finally made out Rin's face. "It was just a nightmare…" she softly said rubbing a hand up and down his back.
"I…" he swallowed feeling his throat burning. He took a deep intake of air and tried his best to relax… "I'm sorry…" he muttered pressing a hand to his eyes.
"It's okay… Here's some water…" she handed him a glass and he took it with a trembling hand.
She stared as he gulped down the whole glass and sighed in relief…
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he placed the glass down and turned to meet her big brown eyes.
"I was checking on Obito…" she smiled. "I heard you… I heard you talking and…" she shrugged not sure if she even needed to say more…" she retracted her hand from his back and he frowned not liking the feeling, but refrained from voicing it out. "Are you feeling alright, Kakashi?" she asked worriedly when he didn't answer.
"I'm fine." He curtly replied. "Just a nightmare… it wouldn't be the first…" he sighed in defeat.
"I know that feeling…" she lowered her eyes to the ground. "There's still one more hour for you to rest before we should head to the state… Why don't you go back and try to sleep…? I'll wake you up when it is time…" she gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry… I won't be able to fall back asleep again; I never do…" his eyes glued to his lap.
"Would you like me to bring you some tea?" she asked in a much softer tone.
"No, it's alright…" he chuckled lowly and watched as she shivered; he had meant to ask her about it the other time, but he got distracted… "Are you cold?" he looked up at her and watched the dark shadow over her nose and cheeks.
"No, no…" she waved her hand. "Is just…"
"I'm freaking you out?" he questioned with another low chuckle and watched as she flinched and the shadow over her nose deepened; now he didn't have to guess… it definitely was a blush…
"I-I should probably go to sleep…" she made to stood, but he grabbed her forearm and heard her gasp.
He stared at her for only a few seconds in the dark and then let her arm go; he gave her a small crease…
"Good night, Rin… I'll see you in an hour or so…" he whispered.
She nodded and stood sharply to leave the room that wasn't hers…
…
Kakashi was at the moment regarding the large view under him; the harbor packed with fishermen and women carrying baskets filled with fish… Everyone working hard in order to keep the Daimyo happy…
He was glad the plan wasn't that much of a difficult task to follow; it could almost be posed as no plan at all, but Rin had insisted on following certain points; like none of her friends involving in the matter.
She was supposed to get to the office with Kaoru guiding her there; she'd have a chat with Takami-san explaining their situation once again and asking for food to be send to the outskirts… the man would clearly deny any help and then Kakashi would come in and make a threat… it was easier like that; he knew how much help the Tea Country had received from Konoha and so he was risking not only his safety, but the Fishing Village's and the Tea Field's.
He was used to deal with bad leaders, people who liked to exploit their own fellow habitants… He'd make sure that the man wouldn't forget about him and his threat; besides he had Tsunade-sama behind him to support the fright he'd infuse.
He placed the communication device on his ear and waited… soon enough he heard Rin's voice.
"I'm about to enter his office… you should be near…" she suggested in a hushed tone and he smiled remembering the times when they'd go on missions together… He unconsciously laughed in a hushed low tone and jumped down to the window pane ready to burst in anytime soon.
Rin blushed as she heard him laugh, but kept quiet as Kaoru opened the door to the office and then closed it as she stepped out giving one last glance at her friend.
Takami stood from his chair regarding her with hard eyes; his guard kept his hard stare on her and she merely sighed.
"Rin-san… I thought I wouldn't see you around here ever again…" he said in a harsh tone; for a moment Rin thought he knew she was the thug, but he simply smirked. "I haven't seen you in a while after all…" he added and she nodded.
"Takami-san… You know why I am here…" she muttered giving him her best glare.
"I do and you already know the answer so… Why do you even bother to come?" he asked with a boring stance.
She gritted her teeth together and tightened her fists at each side of her hips… and when she looked up she saw Kakashi squatting just behind the Daimyo on the windowsill… She was surprised because she was supposed to call him when the time was right; he seemed angered too by the answer the old man gave her.
She watched with rapt attention as he lifted his headband and opened his sharingan to stare at the guard who was oblivious to his presence…
"You should reconsider your choice, Takami-san…" he said in a calmed tone; both men turned to the intruder with wide eyes.
The guard soon was unconscious on the floor after Kakashi placed him in a genjutsu; his glare directed to the Daimyo…
"Konoha is a very pacific Village, but its Hokage often likes to meddle on the weaker behalf…" he said returning to his impassive face and enjoying the annoyance in the man's face.
"You're supposed to be dead!" he yelled pointing a finger to the silver haired jounin.
"Am I?" Kakashi asked with a boring face. "Ah, you mean after the ship's explosion…" he said making the man fume with anger. "I can always tell the Hokage about that little slip of yours… You wanted to kill me." He stated watching the fear stricken face.
"I'll kill you!" the man said angrily.
"Why would you succeed this time?" Kakashi dared to taunt watching as Rin glared at him for the unnecessary speech. "Anyway…" he returned his eyes to the man and pulled out a scroll. "This is your best option if you want to avoid any conflicts with Konoha…" the smile behind the mask, only made Takami angrier.
"Is that a threat?" he asked with a smirk…
"It can be a treaty… it can be a threat… I don't care; you can see it however you want… Just keep in mind it can also be a promise…" Kakashi warned with his impassive look; this time Takami actually fell silent.
"What is this about?" he asked as he turned around to see Rin standing there with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You have an unarmed and a beautiful country, Takami-san…" she took a step forward. "I've only asked for your help sending food because they need it… as a governor it is your duty to help the weak… they're not useless as you deem them to be." She said with a clipped tone.
"The treaty is quite clear; here…" Kakashi said placing the scroll on the desk and watching as the man flopped down on his chair in fear of the shinobi.
Takami looked down at the paper and read through it; it was a simple task… something easy to comply with; to send enough food every two weeks so they could live well at the manor at the outskirts; while the people there would take care of their own plantation and the needed jobs tending each other… He only had to send food…
"That's it?" he asked not believing.
"That's it…" Rin nodded.
"By doing this I'll avoid a conflict with Konoha and keep the harmony here?" he asked and this Kakashi interfered.
"Please keep in mind we'll know if you're exploiting the villagers and then you'll be in trouble…" his eyes narrowed and the man huffed in defeat.
"Of course I'll sing this… but I want your former job to be done; take care of the thugs; get them out of here…" the man said and eyed Rin suspiciously.
"Deal!" she agreed before Kakashi could negotiate.
"Rin…" he whispered a bit confused by her decision.
"I'll be gone, but keep in mind that if you don't follow your word on the treaty you'll have bigger problems than a simple kunoichi robbing your ships…" she snarled and watched as he gritted his teeth together.
"You and your son… I want you both out of here!" the man snapped; Kakashi brought his hand up to grab his collar, but Rin was faster and prevented him from doing so.
"We will… Now sign…" she said and the man glared before he pressed his seal and wrote his signature next to it.
…
Kakashi walked along with Rin to the outskirts as he clutched the scroll tight in his hand; this was his proof for Tsunade that the mission was nothing like she thought it'd be…
But while he walked with her he thought about the outcome of things; he hadn't asked her about it because he didn't know if she'd like his idea of her coming back to the village, but what were her options now that she was banned from the Tea Country?
He was confused because he could've achieved a treaty for her staying here, but she talked too soon and he couldn't do a thing about it…
"Why did you do it?" he asked regarding her out of the corner of his eye while she kept her face straight.
She heaved a sigh; she knew what he was asking her about…
"I have good friends here… I guess you could say I did it so I could have a good reason to leave without them arguing over it…?" she gave him a smile, but he remembered that smile… it was a fake smile.
"No… That's not it." He added unfazed by her answer; she sighed again.
"I want to go back, Kakashi… I've been debating over the best way to go back to the village for years now… You being here and you being the one to find me gave me enough courage to pull this…" she answered truthfully. "I want to see Kurenai-chan, Anko-chan and Shizune-chan… Kotetsu-kun, Izumo-kun, Gai-kun and Genma-san… I want to meet your students… I want to see my hometown again…" she whispered.
"Then you should prepare… I'm guessing Kurenai will break down and cry along with Shizune, but Anko will probably berate you… while for the guys I think they'll be simply ecstatic…" he gave a small smile; trying hard to hide the huge happiness welling in his chest.
"I know, but I really want to be there…" she smiled and then stopped.
Kakashi noticed and stopped a bit ahead of her regarding her with confusion; she was fidgeting and had a faint blush over her nose…
"Most of all I really… I really want to be with you again…" she muttered softly not meeting his eyes.
Kakashi felt his face getting hotter and smiled behind the mask; he felt like a teenager; a stupid one at that…
"Yes… I've missed you too, Rin…"
.
.
Please remember to leave a review if you enjoyed! :D see ya in two days max!
