3 Years Later

Konoha Japan

"Ahh!" I exhaled. Nothin' better than a morning drink. I slammed my mug back on the small wooden counter in the nifty shop as I repositioned my mask. Thank god for coffee. Really kept me going.

"Rin!"

I got a yelp, "coming!" in a matter of seconds from the cashier stand on the other side of that new shiny ass wooden door: never really liked that thing.

Grabbing a decent shirt to put over my bare tanktop I grabbed a match and some cigarettes I'd managed to talk my way into getting for the occasion.

Rin ran up to me, smiling brightly as usual.

"You're never gonna get over him are you, Kakashi?" she laughed. She stopped calling me Kakashi-kun after middle school ended: well thank god for that anyway.

I just chuckled in reply, nodding my head and somehow shaking it at the same time.

I was 17, a high school graduate. Most guys went to college and the girls just stayed out of it. But me and Rin were quite the opposite. Rin was still a sophomore, but I'd skipped 2 grades. Apparently I was a prodigy or something.

The tests were pretty easy if you just paid attention in class. Studying wasn't really necessary.

Anyway I was done with school. Done, out. I finally gotten a hold of a full time job at Harbor's Crafts.

Minato calls me his secretary, even though I do jackshit, probably just to pay me a bit extra. Hey. I'll get paid anyday.

The funny thing is, the past three years seemed like a time machine. High school was a blur, I never particularly enjoyed anything, just lived my life as a boring student. Didn't go to any of those stupid parties even though I got invited to loads; hell let's not even talk about valentine's day.

Thinking back, this was the life I wanted. Average, boring, peaceful. None of that other shit. I'm done. out. Really though. I don't really know if I've gotten over his death. Obito, Obito. I've told Rin I have. We just laugh it over often.

The pain that stabbed me every night of my last year in middle school kind of just subsided to a dull ache. An emotionless void, nothingness.

With a few new friends in high school, I'd liked to think that I'd gotten over it.

Interestingly I'd distanced myself from my middle school buddies, Asuma and Gai.

Mostly just cause I'd quit soccer after that incident, joining the science club in my 3rd grade in middle school just to screw around all day after school; yup, did that in high school too.

Thinking back it just all seemed surreal to me. What were the odds that we found some gangbangers after a soccer practice really. It seemed like some crime show. Then again my entire childhood did. Well yeah; it all seemed like a crime scene.

3 years ago crimes just like Obito's had begun to spring up tons in Konoha. So much so that a police department was developed in the small rural area. Ever since crime rates had supposedly plummeted. Living a normal life now, it all seemed like a dream. Obito, the soccer team… Anko.

For some reason, I can't remember her face. I still remember all my thoughts when seeing her: purple hair, beautiful brown eyes, striking personality… but for goodness sake I can't visualize or remember any of it. It's like I've gone under some amnesiac trauma, I don't even know if she ever existed. For all I know, all my memories could be fill-ins my brain would've just liked to believed and put in where I'd forgotten stuff to cover up for Obito's death.

I shook my head. This was getting nowhere. Realizing I was trailing behind Rin on our walk to Obito's shrine, I jogged to catch up.

"Sorry for the wait Rin. Just got caught up in my… thoughts." I finished.

"That's fine Kakashi.." Rin said softly, looking down in what looked like an expression of sadness. I couldn't really tell. I'd become somewhat robotic these past years.

We walked in silence for a bit. Towards the Otan district shrines. Funny… it vaguely struck my memory, but I shook myself out of the trance. No need to get anymore distracted.

But Rin brought it up anyway.

"This path… pretty nostalgic huh?" She said shakily as we continued to walk.

"Huh?" Stupid, stupid Kakashi. She broke into a fit of tears, and I awkwardly tried to comfort her as a biker drove by shaking his head condemningly at me. Jeez people these days.

I finally managed to calm her down as she half-laughed and half-cried joking, "Don't you remember silly? The summer festival?"
Bam. It hit me. Oh fuck.

The purple kimono.

The dark woods.

Shit.

Lights, lots of them.

Tons of children, laughing hysterically. Almost psychotically.

I turned to Rin, but all that was left of her was her clogs and a pile of kimono garments.

To Asuma.

Thank god he was there. Wait NO.

I couldn't warn him. Suddenly an old man chucked him down the long narrow staircase up to the shrines.

To Kurenai, thank god she was safe. Suddenly a kid tripped her, she tripped, and I heard a disgusting crack as her skull hit the stone shrines behind her as the prankster ran off. I tried to chase him.

But before I could stop anything I heard Obito behind me. NO! He was getting choked by…

The purple hair, Anko? Anko! ANKO!

What the fuck was going on. The bitch!

I tried to run over but Obito was already dead.

She turned.

Her eyes were gold, glinting, snake-like slits.

All I could hear was maniacal laughter.

I closed my eyes, I couldn't take this bullshit.

No!

"No! NOO!" I screamed, writhing at the steps to the shrines.

"Kakashi! KAKASHI!" I felt a strong grip on my shoulders, and I was back. That voice. Rin.

"Rin." I sighed.

"It's alright Kakashi. Everything's alright." She seemed to comfort me, although worriedly.

"Rin.. Rin… thank god.. thank god Rin." I sighed, drifting off into black sleep.

"Is he going to be alright Mr. Namikaze?" Asked Rin anxiously as Minato walked back from the waiting room. It was a dull scene, even with the white lights and ugly white walls.

"He's gonna be fine Rin. Don't you worry." Minato said smiling as brightly as he could manage.

"Okay." Rin exhaled, relieved. But her expression quickly morphed back into one of concern. "And… his mental condition?"

Minato sighed, thinking back to his conversation with the doctor.

"Well I'm glad to know that he'll be alright. I'm just his employer, but he's like a son to me." Minato said.

"If that's the case, I'm beyond sorry for this scare. Judging from the events you have described to me, he's only suffered from a short blank period from a small shock. But as for the cause for the shock…."

"Perhaps some sort of PTSD?"

"Yes along the lines of that Mr. Namikaze. I'm afraid if the history you have described to me concerning Mr. Hatake is true, it is an issue beyond my medical jurisdiction. As Shakespeare would say, a wound of the heart is not so easily cured by means of the professional doctor."

"I see…" Minato mused. "Thank you Doctor."

"Rin, we'll just have to see. Only time can tell." Minato sighed.

"I understand Mr. Namikaze." Rin said sadly, looking down.

"I'm sorry I can't be of much use to do. The best we can do is try to convince Kakashi to meet with a psychiatrist, but we both know our Hatake-kun won't be that easy to convince, Rin." Minato exhaled. "But if it will make you feel any better, Kakashi's actually up in bed right now. So just because you've taken time out of school to visit, I've convinced one of the assistants to let you see him."
Rin looked up brightly, smiling. "Thank you Mr. Namikaze!" She said jumping into his arms, hugging him.

"Hey hey! Shhh it's a one time thing alright? I really don't want the nurses here getting mad at me for this Rin… you know and then if Kushina finds out…"

Rin got off, smiled, and followed Minato's assistant into the patient area.

Beep Beep Beep Beep

The life preservers in the room kind of set me at peace, calming my restlessness. But really speaking of restlessness I wanted to get out of this goddamn hospital. I was a bit pissed at Rin for putting me in this hell hole in the first place; sometimes she was way too overprotective.

Speak of the devil.

"What a pleasure to have you as a guest." I mumbled with slight annoyance as the placid girl walked in.

"Come on Kakashi, I know you don't want to be here, but it's for your own good." She assured me.

"Yeah right and losing my pay hour by hour is for my own good totally." I ranted. BS, but i didn't care.

"Oh come on! Don't give me that, you know Minato's going to pay you for your hard work anyway." Rin scolded me.

"Hey I work plenty harder than you!" I accused pointedly. To my greater annoyance she just laughed it over. Sometimes Rin's happy attitude was just too much.

Suddenly she was giving me the serious look.

".. What." I was taken aback a bit by the intensity I normally wouldn't have expected from the neutral girl.

"Take care of yourself alright Kakashi?" She said, leaning in. I backed up in my bed a bit instinctively.

"Alright alright." I reassured her.

She sighed leaning back.

"You're never going to get better if you don't acknowledge that you can get better you know."

I kicked the ground muttering to myself as I walked up the stairs to the shrine.

Some stupid vision mystical shit was not going to get in my way.

I grimaced as I ran Rin's words over and over inside my head.

You're never going to get better...

Get better? I thought. People these days took things overboard. Nothing was wrong with me.

Secretly I gulped praying I wouldn't go psycho again. Really those dreams or whatever the doctor called them were too freaky for a second round.

Thankfully, everything went well this time.

I walked around the empty shrine area towards Obito's grave. I gulped again as I passed over the patches of ground where my visions had so vividly taken a hold.

Kneeling by the stone tablet labled, Uchiha Obito, I lit a fag with the lighter I brought along. I wasn't really into all that traditional fire stuff, and I'm sure Obito wasn't either; cigarettes would do right? I placed the burning fag on his grave exhaling and sniffing in the acrid smoke as it rose up into the trees.

The birds chirped and nature called softly to my ears.

You never really got complete quiet even all alone in mother nature's depths.

Still it was the most peace I could ask for.

"Hey idiot. You doing well up there?" I asked the grave smiling under my mask. I ran a hand through my silver hair as I peeled the mask off breathing in the fresh air along with cigarrette smoke.

"I'm doing great. So is Rin, so don't you worry. Still no news of Anko, but don't worry, I've gotten over her."

No you haven't Kakabaka.

Did I hear that right? I shook my head scoldingly at myself. No visions. None of that please.

I went back to something that had been bothering me for a while now.

"See, Obito. I just got hurt, I know, I know, don't worry I'm taking care of myself. Of course Rin came to visit, but Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai didn't. I mean hey I'm not pissed but they could've at least stopped by you know... You're my only real friend man... Really."

Think about it from their perspective...

I ignored it again.

I continued. "Harbor's crafts is still lively as ever. You know you should've stopped by more often. The collection of things we have now is bigger than ever. We even have some younger volunteers I'm teaching. Ha-Yeah. Me teaching kids right? Unbelievable I tell you… I'm not quite processing it myself to be honest… Yeah? You think so? Don't kid me man."

I sighed as I smushed the cigarette's flame onto the ground. I flicked him a birdie, laughing. "See you later brother.."

It was a sunny day on the way back, the rice crops blowing in the wind. I walked past Maji-Burger, remembering the last meal I'd had with that loser. Call me crazy, but one day I'm going to bring some burger up to his grave and maybe some sake to drink on it.

It's not like people just disappear forever of the face of the earth when they die afterall.

It was still noon, so Rin was still at school, I realized. Alone shifts weren't the greatest things in the world. I walked languidly towards the backdoor to Harbor's Crafts; I probably had to do cashier work also since Minato told me he'd take the day off today.

I paused for the second. I stared up at the new 2 story complex, newer, and supposedly better.

I never liked it to be honest. Never went on the second floor unless I needed to.

The wood room was all I would ever need to work.

Regardless it was no secret that profits were booming for the company right now. Kushina was now a full time worker to support the growing industry.

And as much as I was happy for them, I couldn't help reminisce the times when I'd have a quiet old shabby place to myself. And maybe another..

Still, around noon on weekdays, of course no one would be in the shop. Even though it was the most annoying time to work, I'd get my personal space.

I went through the back door (which was still the same old one).

Same old room, same old trinkets. Minato bought me a crap ton of new tools but I kept my dad's white blade around for comfort's sake.

I stepped through the new polished one to the cashier counters.

When I saw the person behind the counter, I felt sick. I shook, feeling my memories leaking back, and my hair stood on end.

Not again, not here; I'd keep my composure.

But I stared into those familiar eyes as anger took over my previously dulled down grievance.

I felt my knuckles pop as I bristled uncontrollably. I couldn't forgive any of it.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"