Chapter Twenty
True to her word, Tsunade had forced Jin to let his leg heal naturally, which had led to multiple surgeries to repair the damage to the muscle. Needless to say, Jin was not pleased to be stuck in the hospital for such a long time, but he had still refused to tell Tsunade what she wanted to know.
A month and a half was a long time for him to be stuck there, and it grated on his nerves. Thankfully, he was finally allowed to be released, though he was required to show up again twice a week for physical therapy.
Walking was painful, but Jin was grateful that he didn't have to hobble out on crutches. It would put a dent in what little pride he had.
Hakaru ambushed him outside the hospital, leaping into Jin's and nearly toppling them both to the ground. He had made a full recovery, much to Jin's relief and concern. He hoped Kakashi hadn't told Tsunade about how quickly Hakaru had healed.
Jin was not yet prepared to answer questions regarding Hakaru.
"You're free!" Hakaru squealed, wrapping his arms around Jin's neck tightly and snuggling as close as he could. "You're finally free!"
Jin stumbled backwards, wrapping his good arm around Hakaru securely. "Careful, my wrist hasn't quite healed yet, and neither has my leg."
Hakaru immediately let go and stared up at Jin blindly. "Sorry, Jin-chan! I missed you!" His pout reminded Jin of a puppy.
"I missed you, too. I trust that you've been good for everyone? No more planting weeds in sinks?" Jin teased gently, ruffling up his hair.
Hakaru ducked away and flattened his messy hair. "Kakashi-chan said it was okay, so I put flowers in the sinks!" He replied proudly. It took a moment for Jin to realize that it was a joke.
"You are literally too cute for your own good, Hakaru-chan." Jin dragged him into a gentle hug, but let him go soon after. "Ready to go?"
"Mm...I wanna hang out with you, but Sakura-chan invited us all to hang out for the holiday today!" Hakaru pouted and rubbed at a dirt smudge on his cheek.
"What holiday?" Jin tipped his head to the side slightly, blinking in confusion.
"I dunno what it's called, but it's a weird holiday from another country, far past any of the countries we've ever heard of! It's a holiday for couples to go on dates! But Sakura-chan said that friends hang out all the time too! And we get to eat chicken!" Hakaru chirped happily.
"Huh. Weird." Jin wondered if he'd never heard of a holiday like it because he had grown up in such a tiny, rural town that it hadn't become a holiday there yet, or if it was because he was always out on missions around this time of year, more than usual. He was inclined to believe that it was a little of both. Hontenkai had always celebrated winter festivals, but he hadn't always been able to attend. "Well, I hope you have a good time with them. I've got something I need to discuss with Tsunade-hime today, anyway, and she's been refusing to visit me."
Hakaru blinked. "Oh. Okay." He replied, tipping his head to the side slightly. "Whaa...maybe we could hang out a little after that, and I can go hang out with Sakura-chan and everyone after that. I missed you!"
Jin laughed softly. "I missed you, too. Of course we can hang out after I'm done talking to Tsunade-hime. I'd love that. Where are Runa-hime and Chikara-sama?" While Runa and Chikara were his younger siblings, he didn't think he deserved to be able to refer to them in the same way he referred to Hakaru, especially since he hadn't protected them from their parents as he should have.
"Uwha? Yui-chan has been taking care of them and so has Kakashi-chan. They think it's fun switching back and forth between houses! Runa-chan is still running into the doorframes, though. Kakashi-chan said she doesn't have any depth perception since she's lost her eye. Chikara-chan is still really quiet."
"Thank you for looking out for them, Hakaru-chan. It means a lot to me, and I'm sure it means a lot to them, too." Jin ruffled his hair gently.
Hakaru beamed, a bright grin on his face and his chest puffing out proudly. "I've always wanted a little brother and a little sister! I'm happy to help!"
"You're too sweet. Okay, run along now. I'm going to visit Tsunade-hime. I'll meet you back at home...I mean, back at Kakashi's, alright?" Jin couldn't help but go a bit red when he realized that he'd referred to Kakashi's place as 'home.'
"Mm! Bye-bye! See ya!" Hakaru waved and whipped around, sprinting off. He vanished from sight, and soon after, Jin turned and began making his way to where he was certain Tsunade would be this time of day.
Too early to sneak out of her paperwork to some bar, Tsunade would be in her office, hiding the sake she was drinking from Shizune as she reluctantly worked on her paperwork. He just hoped she wouldn't be irritated at him for asking a favor of her.
Snow and ice crunched beneath Jin's feet as he limped along slowly through the village. He hadn't realized that Konoha could get so cold, and it made him strangely happy. Growing up in Hontenkai, he had learned to love the snow and cold.
While most people saw winter and the icy chill that came with it as the worst season, Jin loved and understood it. It was most often seen to represent death or hardship, but Jin saw it for what it truly was; it was a season for nature to rest, without which spring would not be appreciated as the season of new life that it was.
Needless to say, Jin was happy that winters in Konoha included snow. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the warm, sunny days in Konoha had taken their toll on him. It was mostly because he hadn't adjusted properly yet, but perhaps also a drawback of his kekkei genkai. After all, he didn't know much about his kekkei genkai except what he had figured out by accident or worked out on his own.
Jin pushed through the doors and headed to Tsunade's office, not realizing until he felt the heat inside the building that he wasn't wearing any clothing proper for the season, and was shivering because of it. He figured that he would have to go back to Kakashi's for his winter gear before spending some time with Hakaru.
He took his time going up to Tsunade's office, not wanting to strain his leg when he had just been discharged from the hospital. The last thing he wanted was to end up back there with the nurses scolding him for being reckless.
When he knocked on the door, it was a few moments before Tsunade called for him to enter. He pushed the door open, closing it behind him, and limped in, plopping down in a chair so that he could rest his leg.
"Nice to see you, Tsunade-hime." Jin greeted.
"You should be using crutches." Tsunade stared at him disapprovingly, a scowl on her deceivingly youthful face. "Have you come to explain yourself?"
"Nope. That topic is closed. I do have something to discuss with you, though. It would be beneficial to you, and a bit of a favor to me." Jin smiled stiffly.
"Oh, and what's that?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow and watched Jin curiously.
"I want to take Uchiha-sama with me to train with the shinobi of the Mist. I can have the curse seal he has removed there. I know someone who can get rid of it for a price, and Uchiha-sama would be safe there. Orochimaru would not be able be able to touch him there. I have a friend who would help me watch over him. I figured I should ask you first before taking him with me." Jin leaned back in the chair and watch her for several moments.
"You figured right. This is not a decision I alone can make. The council will have to be involved with this decision." Tsunade watched him for several moments. "What makes you think you can keep him out of Orochimaru's hands?"
"Kita Kaze will be helping me keep an eye on him. I have already discussed it with her. She's the strongest kunoichi you'll find in Water Country right now, other than Terumi Mei herself." Jin replied confidently.
"I've heard rumors of this Kita Kaze, but I thought they were a man? Will the Uchiha be safe around them?" Tsunade reached under her desk and retrieved a half empty bottle of sake, taking a large swig.
"Ah, no one really knows Kita Kaze's identity, so your guess is as good as mine. But Kita Kaze is completely trustworthy. I can promise you that." Jin replied. "She may be a monster, but that's what makes her so efficient and dangerous. No one is coming after Uchiha-sama if he's under Kita Kaze's watch."
"I see…" Tsunade considered it for a moment. "I will have to take it up with the council, and I'm not sure they'll be open to the idea of one of the last Uchiha remaining leaving the village for an extremely extended period of time. They may want something to hold as collateral to make certain that he'll return, since you are a shinobi of another country."
"I understand." Jin nodded. "Please, speak with them. If they want collateral, I'll give them pretty much whatever they want. I want to make sure that Uchiha-sama is not in danger, and I also made a promise to him." He took another moment before speaking again. "And no matter what their answer is, I'll be taking him with me. He's already made his decision, and I'd like to make sure he doesn't fall too far."
"Jin." Tsunade stared at him, still frowning. "I'll talk to the council. Don't do anything stupid."
"Can't make any promises." Jin grinned and carefully got up. "Let me know when you get their decision. Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying the weather and getting to know Runa-hime and Chikara-sama. I'll also need to speak to you about them soon, but that can wait. See ya!"
He didn't wait for an answer, instead making his way out. He paused when Tsunade called out to him.
"We're going to have to have a serious conversation later, but for now...rest and recover. Enjoy yourself. I fear we may not have many more chances like this in the future." She said, stowing away her sake bottle so Shizune wouldn't see it when she showed up again.
Jin waved to show that he'd heard and continued on.
Dressed up in winter clothes, Jin went to the door where Hakaru was waiting with Runa and Chikara. He smiled gently at them and hesitantly ruffled their hair. "Are you guys ready to go?"
He was taking them all out for a little bit of shopping before Hakaru went to hang out with Sakura and the others. It would give him a chance to get to know Runa and Chikara a little better, and also a chance to show them the better life that they would be living from now on.
Each of them nodded their heads, though only Hakaru had a really bright smile. He hoped that soon enough Runa and Chikara would be able to smile just as brightly.
"Mhm!" Runa chirped happily, reaching up and grabbing Chikara's hand with her own. "Yup yup!" It seemed that she had gained more spirit during the time that Jin had been hospitalized. Yui, Hakaru, and Kakashi must be a good influence on them, he thought.
"Awesome." Jin opened the door and limped out carefully. A chilly breeze stung his face, but the sky remained clear and the sun high in the sky.
Making sure that they all kept up, Jin led them to the marketplace, hampered only by his healing leg and the thick layer of snow on the ground. He felt as if nothing could bring him down today.
"Can we have some dango?" Runa asked sweetly, letting go of Chikara's hand to clutch at Jin's hand with both hers. She looked up at him and pouted.
"Of course." Jin couldn't help but smile. "This way."
Once he had made his way over to the nearby dango shop, Jin paid for four sticks of the sweet dumplings and handed one to each of his siblings and keeping the last one for himself.
While they all munched on their dango, Jin took them into a little kimono shop. He knew that Yui had done a little shopping for them already, but Jin wanted them to have some more formal clothes for festivals and the like. He was certain that his parents had never gifted them with any clothes for such occasions.
"You guys can pick out whatever fabric you want, but let me see it first. I figure that you guys need some formal wear, and this is the best place I could find to have it tailored for you." Jin patted their heads and leaned against the wall while Runa bounced around in search of the most garish fabric she could find, followed closely by Hakaru.
Chikara, however, stayed by his side quietly. It was several long moments before he finally spoke, and when he did, his voice was quiet as the gentle pitter-patter of a soft rain.
"Are you going to make me go back to one of those places?"
Jin blinked and glanced down at him and blinked. "One of what places?" He asked softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If you mean back to those pathetic excuses for parents, no, you're not going back there."
That made him relax for a moment, and then he tensed back up again. "No. Not there. The places where mom works." He looked down at the ground, too ashamed to meet anyone's eyes.
The moment those words came from his mouth, Jin stiffened. He stared down at his little brother for a moment before setting the bare dango stick down. He carefully leaned down and lifted Chikara into his arms, wincing at the strain it put on his healing leg.
"No. You're never going back there. Trust me." Jin held him close gently. "Look at me." He waited patiently until Chikara looked at him, blinking his large eyes to keep from crying. "Chikara-sama, you're safe now. You're never going to that kind of place again. I won't let it happen."
Chikara hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly and snuggling into Jin as if he were a much smaller child than he was. "Okay."
Jin held him, even though he was rather heavy, shifting his weight onto his good leg so as not to strain the other. It would have to do for now because he could tell that Chikara didn't want to be put down. "Runa-hime, pick out a pretty fabric for Chikara-sama for me, okay?" He called gently.
Runa peeked out from behind a rack of hanging fabrics and nodded rapidly. "Okay." She disappeared again behind the rack of fabric.
Hakaru and Runa were gone for a while after that, and when they returned, their arms were full with fabric. Far more fabric than Jin had expected them to pick out together.
"You guys finished?" Jin asked, unable to hide his smile. "If you are, let's go talk to that nice lady over there and she'll measure you guys, okay?"
Carefully, he led the other two over to the counter where a dark haired woman was meticulously cutting bolts of fabric for whatever her current project was. She glanced up when they approached, offering them a smile.
"New customers? Have you found the fabric you're looking for? We can special order whatever we don't have here." She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and set down her shears and dusted off her dress, knocking off a nametag that read 'Fumiko' by accident.
"Ah, yes, we've found everything we need. Thank you." Jin replied, helping Hakaru and Runa put their bolts of fabric onto the counter while Fumiko reached down to retrieve her fallen nametag.
"Perfect. Are you just buying these bolts? If so, we also sell patterns for many traditional formal wear from different parts of the world. If not, I can take your measurements and have them tailored to your needs." Fumiko spoke briskly, her violet eyes meeting Jin's.
"We'd like to have these tailored, if it's not too much trouble. Runa-hime, you can be measured first, if you'd like." Jin smiled down at her as she scurried around the counter and stared up at Fumiko with her one wide eye.
Fumiko took the sight of Runa's missing eye in strides, hardly missing a beat. "Hold your arms out and stand very still for me, okay?" She retrieved her measuring tape from a drawer under the counter and began taking Runa's measurements with a practiced hand.
When she was done, Fumiko handed Runa a piece of candy and shooed her around the counter again. Jin took that as his cue to put Chikara down, and walked with him behind the counter. He held his hand comfortingly and smiled while Fumiko began measuring him.
She was finished with him just as quickly as she had been with Runa. With a smile, she plopped a candy into his free hand. "Thank you so much for sitting still."
Chikara nodded slightly, not meeting her eyes. He shifted closer to Jin and squeezed his hand, as if he were unsure of how to respond to her.
"Thank you." Jin said, smiling sheepishly.
"Of course." Fumiko wrote up the bill and handed it to Jin. "These should be ready in a week. I'll send a message when they've finished...I'm sorry, what was your name?"
Jin looked over the bill and retrieved what he owed for her. "Oh, my name is Shiraishi Jin. It's very nice to meet you." As he passed it over, he didn't notice the shocked expression cross her face and then quickly vanish.
"It's very nice to meet you, too. Thank you for your business." Fumiko turned away, bundling up the bolts of fabric in her arms carefully. "I'll get started on these right away."
Jin blinked, wondering what had suddenly changed. She seemed colder to him now, but he wasn't sure why. Shaking his head, he watched her disappear into the back room.
Pushing his curiosity away, he led his little siblings back outside. He was intent on showing them all a good time today.
"'Sup, Kuraokami?" A short woman marched right up to the intimidating dragon and grinned right up at him. She tipped her head to the side, hair as blinding as the sun covering her eyes. "Been awhile, huh?"
The dragon god heaved a sigh and raised his eyes to the heavens, wondering what he had done to deserve a visit by this menace. "Why are you here, Amaterasu? Is Tsukuyomi here, too? And why are you talking so ridiculously?"
Right as he finished speaking, a tall woman appeared out of the mist and went to stand by Amaterasu silently. She gave Kuraokami a brief nod and took Amaterasu's hand in her own.
"Get with the times, ojii-san! Maybe if you got out every once in a while, you'd talk like we do!" Amaterasu laughed and playfully smacked Kuraokami's muzzle.
"...since when do we talk like that? I think that it may just be you, my sun." The taller woman spoke finally, her voice soft. She leaned down and gave Amaterasu a swift kiss.
As she always did when Tsukuyomi kissed her, Amaterasu blushed and went quiet. "Oh, quit that." She huffed and reached up, tucking a piece of moon-silver hair behind Tsukuyomi's ear gently.
Kuraokami snorted impatiently. "Why are you here? I don't have the patience to deal with you."
Amaterasu faced Kuraokami again, this time her expression growing grave. "We're here because we wanted to tell you what we're going to do before doing it this time. It sort of pertains to you."
"What?" Kuraokami shifted closer, expelling frosty breath against their faces.
"We are going to right the wrongs that have been done to certain children of yours." Tsukuyomi spoke softly.
A soft snarl escaped the dragon god's scaly lips. "There's no way you can fix what's been broken."
"Perhaps not in the way you want, but action must be taken. Do you expect me to just sit and watch what I've seen unfold without doing anything to even try to stop it? Do you seriously expect me to abandon those we watch over to such a cruel fate? Righting some of the wrongs that have been done will do that!" Amaterasu put her hands on her hips and glared up at the dragon.
Tsukuyomi put a gentle hand on her lover's shoulder to soothe her anger. "Forgive me, Kuraokami, but I agree with Amaterasu."
"Those vermin are not worth saving!" Kuraokami roared, knocking Amaterasu to the ground aggressively with one enormous claw.
A burst of heat emanated from Amaterasu as she landed on her backside with a painful 'thump.' Her eyes began to glow faintly, and she stared at Kuraokami with all the heat of a hot, summer sun. "You don't get to decide that. You haven't been watching them as closely as we have. You haven't lived with them. You haven't seen the force of their emotions!"
"I have seen their hatred, and that alone makes them unworthy of our protection and help!" Kuraokami roared, his glittering black scales raising much in the same way a cat's fur rose when it was angry.
"You are the one not worthy! You call yourself a god and condemn those that you are supposed to be watching over at the same time! Yukina would be disappointed in you!" Amaterasu rose to her feet slowly, only to be knocked to the ground once more with a thrash of Kuraokami's deadly tail.
"Do not presume to know me, or to know what my daughter would think! She was murdered by those monsters!" Tsukuyomi helped Amaterasu back to her feet as Kuraokami snarled at them.
"Kuraokami, please listen to what Amaterasu has to say. It's important." Tsukuyomi's voice was quiet, but understanding.
"Thank you, Tsukuyomi." Amaterasu leaned against her lover affectionately for a brief moment. "Kuraokami, I know that what you went through was terrible, but you must also think about what Yukina would want. She learned more about mortals than you will ever know. She gave her love freely, and she was loved fiercely in return. She found something in them that was worth saving, and I don't think that she would want you to turn your back on the mortals that she loved so dearly, even though they were a direct cause of her death."
Kuraokami spun around, intent on not listening to a word they had to say. "You do not know what she would want."
"Maybe I don't, but you sure as hell don't either. All I know is that there are people suffering, and that we can do something about it. Tsukuyomi and I have come up with a solution, and we came to notify you of it, not to ask for permission. I wish you would support us, but we don't need you." Amaterasu turned away, snatching Tsukuyomi's hand. "Let's go. We're wasting our time here."
"Wait just a moment, please. I wish to say something." Tsukuyomi gently removed her hand from Amaterasu's and went to Kuraokami's side. She placed her hand gently on his bristling scales. "One of the mortals is very much like Yukina. Brave, selfless, loving. He would die to protect his loved ones, and if we do not act, he will die, just like Yukina did. We can't change the past, but we can still change the future. This mortal carries Yukina's legacy and her lineage. He is just as much your child as she was, just as the rest of them were. You never actively interfered, only offered words of advice and trials to unlock the gifts they received from sharing yours and Yukina's blood. But now...now we have a chance to prevent the cycle from repeating over and over again. Amaterasu and I are going to take that chance because we do not wish to see these lives snuffed out like a candle. Thank you, Kuraokami, and I am sorry for the loss of your daughter. We shall take our leave now."
As Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu took their leave, Kuraokami listened to their disappearing footsteps. He was not yet ready to accept what they had told him.
As the sun began to set behind the treeline, Jin watched Hakaru run off with Sakura and the other genin he had managed to befriend. He was overjoyed that Hakaru had made so many friends here, when he had not been able to back home, in the Mist.
Alone, he turned and limped off to find something to busy himself with, snow crunching beneath his feet. He had left his little siblings with Yui, since she had promised them sweets and tv, if they wanted to spend the evening with her. They had, of course, accepted the offer, and though Jin had been offered the same deal, he had declined in favor of enjoying the gently falling snow.
He didn't really know where his feet were taking him, but he wasn't concerned with that. It was nice to think and reflect without any care for a destination sometimes. He wasn't lonely, though he wouldn't say no to some company either.
For once, Jin's mind was at peace. Konoha was beautiful in the winter, and he couldn't help but think of the possiblities that awaited him and the close friendships he had begun to form, or of how this interesting village had seemed to soothe the heartache he had felt since Raizo's untimely death.
He would never be over Raizo completely; would always love him in some form, but now he felt as if it were possible to move on from that part of his life. He didn't want to keep tormenting himself with Raizo's death, even though he wholeheartedly believed that it was his fault.
While he knew that he was trying his best to heal on his own, he also knew that he needed help. Scared as he was about asking for it, he would seek the help he needed to continue healing. After all, as nice as he was feeling now, Jin was certain that bad days would come and that when they did, he would need help overcoming them.
Even so, he couldn't help but smile at the bright future that he wanted to work towards, not only for himself, but also for those that he loved with every fiber of his being.
For a while, his thoughts wandered aimlessly, just as he did, until they settled on Kakashi. Jin didn't know why his thoughts had started turning towards the masked shinobi so often in recent days, but he found that he had a certain softness for him, found that he wanted to know more about him and who he was.
Jin was already deeply attached to Kakashi, and at this point he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Kakashi had won his trust easily, with the kindness that he had shown him and the gentleness with which he touched him. It was the kind of gentleness that melted the remnants of Jin's previously shattered heart and lifted him up.
To say he was a sucker for people who were gentle with him would be an understatement. He naturally drifted towards those who gave him attention and kindness, and Kakashi was one such person.
Jin wasn't sure why he was hoping so much to see Kakashi this evening, or why just the thought of walking through this winter wonderland with him made him blush like a lovestruck teenager.
He didn't know why, when Kakashi came up alongside him silently, his heart skipped a beat, but it was something that he pushed aside to think about another time in favor of paying close attention to Kakashi.
"I see you've escaped." Kakashi teased, smiling beneath his mask at Jin gently. "Shouldn't you be resting, though?"
Jin couldn't help but laugh a little. "I couldn't sit still, so I wanted to enjoy the weather for a while. Hakaru-chan is having a sleepover or something with the other genin, and Runa-hime and Chikara-sama are with Takigawa-hime for the night."
"I see...but shouldn't you be using crutches, at least?" Kakashi watched him curiously, but without judgement of any sort.
"No, I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt as much as it did before, so I think it'll be fine." Jin offered Kakashi a smile and nudged him with his elbow. "Tsunade-hime took good care of me."
"If you're sure." Kakashi replied, though Jin noticed that he kept a close eye on him.
"Yes, I'm sure." Jin smiled a little more, and the pair sank into a comfortable silence.
As the moon rose overhead, the pair walked slowly around the village together, content just to be in each other's presence.
Relaxed, Jin began to notice for the first time how unguarded he was in Kakashi's presence. He wasn't sure what made him drop his guard completely in his presence, but he felt a sense of security in it. Perhaps knowing that Kakashi had his back was enough for him to relax like that.
"Ah, Kakashi, I know something that we could do, if you'd like." Jin spoke suddenly, remembering how neither of them had had the chance to really ice skate together as he had wanted to do. This time, there wouldn't be any interruptions, and Jin would be able to focus solely on Kakashi, rather than dividing it up among those he had taken to the Land of Water with him.
"Sure, what is it?" Kakashi asked softly, glancing at him.
As the moon rose higher in the sky, shopkeepers began to light the colorful lanterns they had hung outside their shops for the cold season. The light reflected off the pure snow like a kaleidoscope, its beauty preventing Jin from speaking for a moment.
"Oh, I'll tell you what we'll be doing when we get there. Can you take us to the nearest lake or pond?" Jin asked, glancing around to look at all the lanterns and the patterns they left on the crystalline snow.
"The closest one is still quite a ways away. Do you think your leg can handle it?" Kakashi asked, looking as if he already had a place in mind.
Jin thought about it for a moment, then let out a small sigh. Ice skating on his leg wouldn't be smart anyway, even if he could manage to make it out to whatever place Kakashi had in mind. "Probably not. Instead, do you know of a spot that's got a big hill?" Thankfully, he had a backup plan.
Kakashi tipped his head, but nodded. "Yes, that spot's closer." Curiosity shone in his eye, but instead of questioning him, he steered Jin in the direction of the training grounds.
It didn't take long to reach a tall hill that Jin thought was absolutely perfect for what he had planned. He let Kakashi help him up to the top of the hill, knowing that he would struggle more without Kakashi's helping hand.
Once at the top, they stopped to take a break. The view was spectacular; snow drifting lazily from the sky, the full moon shining brilliantly through the shallow clouds. The lights of the village were far enough away for the stars to be easily visible even behind the wispy clouds.
Jin leaned over carefully, putting his hands close to the ground. Exerting a small amount of chakra, he formed an ornate sled big enough for the pair of them. Once he was done with that, he straightened up, leaning on his good leg.
"I thought you might like to go sledding. My original plan was to teach you how to ice skate, since I didn't have a chance when we were at my home village, but I don't think my leg can take that kind of strain right now. So, I thought that sledding would be a nice compromise until my leg heals…" Jin offered Kakashi a hesitant smile, but soon looked away, wondering why his cheeks were burning so much now.
"Of course." Kakashi accepted immediately, offering Jin a smile from beneath his mask. He gently took Jin by the wrist and helped him sit down on the icy sled, helping him tuck his injured leg in front of him. Then he carefully nudged the sled closer to the slope the hill. Once it began to slide on its own, he hopped onto the sled behind Jin, wrapping his arms securely around his waist.
They soared down the hill, wind whipping their hair around as they picked up speed. Jin couldn't help but laugh and lean back against Kakashi. In reply, Kakashi's arms tightened slightly around his waist.
However, once they reached the bottom of the hill, they ended up speeding into a snowdrift. The sled tipped forward sharply as it collided, sending both Jin and Kakashi sprawling into the snow.
Jin landed on his back, his fall cushioned by the powdery snow on the ground. Kakashi, on the other hand, landed face first on top of Jin. Jin gasped as the breath was knocked out of him.
Kakashi immediately sat up, untangling his limbs from Jin's. "Are you alright?" He asked, concern coloring his voice. He reached down and very delicately lifted Jin's leg to make sure that he hadn't caused any further damage to the limb.
Carefully, Jin pushed himself up from the ground. "I think I'm okay…" He replied as a sharp jolt of pain bolted up his wounded leg. "Don't think I did anymore damage."
"Good, but I don't think we should do anymore sledding now…" Kakashi gently rested Jin's leg back down in the snow with a sigh. "Besides, you look rather cold. Your face is red." He reached over and gently dusted snow off of Jin's cheek.
Jin couldn't help but pout. "Aw, fine." He watched Kakashi get up and took his hand when it was offered, allowing Kakashi to pull him up off the ground.
Once steady on his feet, Jin allowed Kakashi to guide him back up the hill. It was slow going, and once Jin got about halfway up, he slipped on a patch of ice.
Kakashi caught him and yanked him back up on his feet before he could tumble down the hill again. He clasped Jin's hand with his own and pulled Jin the rest of the way up the hill. He didn't let go, even when they had reached the top of the hill again.
Jin glanced down at their linked hands as Kakashi kept guiding him back towards the village. "You're still holding my hand." He said softly, though some part of him did not want Kakashi to let go.
"I don't want you to slip again." Kakashi said, showing no sign of releasing Jin's hand. "You're shivering. How about we go get something to eat and warm up?" He paused, letting go of Jin's hand briefly to take off the scarf he'd donned for the cold weather and wrapped it around Jin's neck, pulling it snug. Then he took Jin's hand again and pulled him along.
When they had reached the main village again, Kakashi pulled Jin into a restaurant renowned for its spectacular food. However, it was pricey. "Ah, Kakashi, this place is a little expensive. We can go somewhere else instead."
"Don't worry about it." Kakashi let the host take them to a two-person table on the second floor.
It was a window seat overlooking the village. The lighting was low, and they appeared to be the only two on the second floor of the restaurant.
Jin sat down, keeping his gaze averted as Kakashi took his seat across from him. He looked out the window as the host placed menus down in front of them. He waited until the host left before speaking.
"You really didn't have to bring me to such a nice restaurant. I'm really not dressed for it, and it's expensive, and…" Jin rambled nervously, unable to help the way his cheeks warmed.
"Jin, don't worry about it. I don't mind." Kakashi chuckled softly, watching Jin.
Jin glanced at him hesitantly, startled by the softness in his gaze. "Are...are you really sure?" He averted his gaze again, reaching up and playing with the ends of Kakashi's scarf.
"Yes, I'm really sure. I thought you might like somewhere a little quieter." Kakashi turned his gaze to the menu, glad that his students would never think to look for him here. After all, as much as he adored and cared for them, it was incredibly tiring to be around them sometimes. It was different with Jin; he was calm and kind, and tended to have less drama than three thirteen year olds. He didn't mind Jin's presence in the slightest.
"Ah, yes I suppose I do like quiet places like this…" Jin couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face.
There was something about Jin that made Kakashi want to let down his guard, to relax. He didn't know if it was because Jin was so open and trusting with him now, or what. It was, however, something that was unfamiliar and strange to him. He never completely let his guard down, Jin's presence made him want to change that for some unfathomable reason. Perhaps it was because Jin had trusted him enough to let himself be vulnerable around him.
He kept an eye on Jin, studying the way he fidgeted and plucked at the ends of the scarf. Kakashi's gaze was drawn to Jin's wrist, wrapped in a thin, fabric brace to keep it steady while it healed. Then it was drawn to his left cheek, where Ran had left deep wounds with her clawed gloves. They had mostly healed by now, but remained pink and angry looking. With time, they would heal and become less obvious, he knew, but...it angered him for a reason that he could not define that Ran had scarred his beautiful face. Of course, Jin would always be beautiful in that sort of ethereal way that very few people could manage to pull off.
Kakashi blinked, staring at the menu now and realizing that he hadn't read a single item on it. He wondered why his thoughts had been so consumed by Jin, scratching at the corner of the menu absentmindedly.
On the other side of the table, Jin kept picking at the scarf, his eyes glued to the menu. It was difficult for him to focus on actually reading it when he couldn't draw his thoughts away from Kakashi and the way his hand had felt in his own. He couldn't draw his thoughts of the way Kakashi kept looking at him. It made him feel something that he wasn't sure he'd ever really felt before; shy.
Having worked as a courtesan in between his shinobi duties for much of his life, JIn was unaccustomed to feeling shy. After all, what was the point of being shy when so many strangers had seen him in ways he wished they hadn't. It kind of made shyness something that he had grown out of. Even with Raizo, he'd never been shy with him. Jin wondered what was different now.
Most of all, Jin wondered why he cared so much about what Kakashi thought of him. He tried not to concerned with what other people thought of him because their opinions often were negative. It didn't do well to dwell on what people thought of him, but he couldn't help but worry that perhaps Kakashi didn't think well of him.
That was ridiculous, though, wasn't it? Kakashi had taken him to a really nice restaurant, had bandaged his wounds when Jin couldn't bandage them himself, had calmed him down when he'd been in an absolute panic. If Kakashi didn't think very well of him, why would he have done those things? Even with those rational thoughts, anxiety couldn't help but make him fear that perhaps Kakashi was doing all of this out of pity or something of the like.
"Have you decided what you'd like to order, or would you like some more time?" Jin was startled out of his reverie by the waiter's return.
Jin glanced at Kakashi, who had set his menu down, and then nodded slightly. "I think we're ready…" He mumbled, taking a moment to clear his throat. "I'd like the kitsune udon, please."
"And I'd like the shiro miso soup, please." Kakashi replied, handing his menu to the waiter. Jin quickly followed suit, avoiding eye contact to hide his embarrassment about forgetting to hand his menu to the waiter.
"Very well, we'll have your food ready shortly. Is there anything I can get you to drink in the meantime?" The waiter took the menus and tucked them under his arm while he wrote down their orders.
"I'd like some matcha tea, if you serve it." Jin replied after a moment's thought.
"I'll just have some water." Kakashi answered.
"Certainly. We'll have that for you in just a moment." The waiter turned and left, once again leaving the pair alone.
Jin looked out the window and smiled faintly as flurries of snow drifted along with the wind outside. Watching the fluffy snowflakes swirl around with the wind as if they were some sort fantastical creature soothed his nerves.
For some strange reason, Jin had the overwhelming urge to spill all the secrets he'd been keeping for such a long time. They festered in his heart, making his skin crawl when he was reminded of them. He was certain that he could trust Kakashi with the secrets he guarded like a dragon guarded its hoard. They were secrets that he had not even been able to whisper to Raizo; secrets that he was certain he would take with him to the grave.
Deciding that this was not the time, nor the place, for that sort of conversation, Jin turned his attention back to Kakashi and offered him a gentle smile. "Thank you for spending the evening with me. It's been really nice." Setting his elbow on the table, he rested his cheek on his palm. He could stare at Kakashi all day and be content.
"Ah, it's no problem. I figured that this would be a good place to get a break from my students, too. I'm sure they're running around causing havoc, and it's a nice change to be here, instead of wrangling them in." Kakashi didn't mean any offense towards his students, of course; it was just that it was exhausting dealing with three different personalities that often clashed. And though he didn't want to admit it, he liked that Jin's attention was focused solely on him now.
"I agree. It's really nice to be here…" Jin couldn't help but continue watching Kakashi, his other hand rising up to pluck at his scarf once more as his nervousness returned. It seemed that his shyness really wasn't going to go away.
They drifted into a comfortable silence until the waiter returned with Kakashi's water and Jin's matcha tea. Just as quickly as he had appeared, their waiter vanished once more. Jin didn't mind at all that they were alone again. He rather enjoyed the privacy they were given, even if it was just spent in comfortable silence.
Even though he was enjoying the calm atmosphere, Jin knew that he needed to ask Kakashi a favor that he could not ask in front of Hakaru or his newfound siblings. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Kakashi, can I ask you a favor? It...it's important." Jin glanced out the window, lifting his cheek from the palm of his hand. The smile on his face faded as he thought about how to ask Kakashi what he needed.
Noticing the seriousness of Jin's expression, Kakashi frowned beneath his mask. "What is it? If...if you need help with something, I'll do what I can."
"Soon enough, I'm going to have to return home to the Mist for a while, but…" Jin let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'll be blunt; I don't want to take Hakaru, or Chikara and Runa back with me. It's not safe there for them, but...it's safe here. I'm not asking you to take care of them or anything. I've got someone in mind for that, but...would you mind keep an eye on them to make sure they're safe?"
Kakashi watched Jin for a moment, his eye widening just slightly. He was startled that Jin trusted him enough to leave three of his precious people in his hands. How could he refuse when Jin was so willing to put his trust in him? "Of course." He replied after a moment's hesitation.
Jin's smile reappeared as relief washed over him. He reached out, picking up the teacup delicately and taking a sip of his tea. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." Heart lighter with reassurance that his little siblings would be safe, he was able to relax again.
It wasn't long before the waiter brought their food, setting the steaming bowls in front of their respective diners. Jin and Kakashi both thanked the waiter and watched as he left shortly thereafter to tend to the needs of other diners on the first floor.
Jin focused on his food as Kakashi pulled down his mask to eat, not wanting to invade his privacy by looking up at his face without permission. Though he had already seen Kakashi's handsome face once, he didn't want to push his boundaries.
"Jin, you don't have to avoid looking at me…" Kakashi's voice was hesitant, and Jin realized that he was putting a measure of trust in him, just as he had entrusted the wellbeing of his siblings to him.
The fact that Kakashi was trusting him like this made Jin's heart soar, and he looked up at him slowly. Same as the first time Jin had seen his face, Kakashi was remarkably attractive. From his beauty mark to the way his scar peeked out from under his headband to his silver hair that always looked as if Kakashi had forgotten to brush it after getting out of bed. However, it was his stormy grey eye that had him captivated.
It was strange the way that Kakashi's gaze seemed to soften when he watched Jin. It made him feel safe, like nothing would be able to hurt him so long as Kakashi looked at him with that same gentleness. Jin really liked how Kakashi looked at him, his heart skipping a beat.
Realizing the direction his thoughts were headed, Jin hastily looked down at his food and busied himself with eating. Heat rose in his cheeks as his embarrassment grew.
What was the matter with him? What the hell had changed? Jin couldn't figure out what had changed, or if he was just imagining that something had changed. Whatever it was, Jin couldn't get rid of his embarrassment.
The pair ate in silence, neither speaking a word to the other. It wasn't uncomfortable or anything of the like, but it was giving Jin too much time to overthink things, and that was almost never a good thing.
The waiter appeared out of nowhere once they had finished, bringing them their check. It appeared that the restaurant was closing early, otherwise they would have been offered a dessert of some sort.
Jin stuffed his hands in his pockets, reaching around for the money he kept on hand, but Kakashi beat him to the punch, paying the waiter before he could find his money.
"You didn't have to do that…" Jin trailed off, realizing that there was no point in protesting. After all, it was too late. Next time, however, he would be faster so that he could pay the bill.
"Don't worry about it." Kakashi replied, getting up and going around to Jin's side. Gently, he helped him stand, making sure not to cause any pain to him.
Unfortunately for Jin, his leg had stiffened in the time that they had been seated, and a sharp jab of pain shot up his leg. He leaned against Kakashi, gathering his bearings for a moment.
"Jin? Are you okay?" Kakashi's voice was soft as he kept Jin from falling.
"Yes, I'm okay. Leg just stiffened up." Slowly, Jin stretched out his leg, hissing faintly as another sharp pain scorched up. He closed his eyes for a moment as he stretched, biting his lip until the pain faded back to a dull ache that he could tolerate.
"We should get you home to rest. You shouldn't be on your leg so much...you just got out of the hospital today…" Kakashi realized that he probably should've taken Jin home earlier, and hoped that Tsunade wouldn't find out about Jin being out and about all day on the same day he got out of the hospital.
"But I don't wanna…" Jin protested weakly, sticking out his lower lip in a faint pout. "I'll be bored…"
"Jin, I'm sure we can find something to do at home...you need to stay off your leg." Kakashi said with a small smile.
"Fine…" Jin puffed his cheeks out, and then smiled. "Actually first, I wanna take a picture with you."
He dug around in his pocket as Kakashi led him out of the restaurant, retrieving his polaroid camera. Though Jin knew it was silly of him to suddenly get back into taking pictures, he wanted to document every moment that he was happy. He also wanted to be able to look back at happy memories when he was at his low points.
After Raizo's death, he had completely stopped taking pictures. He hadn't been able to wrap his mind around the idea of a life without Raizo for a long time, and he hadn't felt that a life without Raizo would be worth documenting anyway. He wasn't sure what had changed now, but he wanted to document just about everything.
Kakashi helped Jin down the stairs and out of the restaurant, making sure that he wouldn't fall. He stopped once they were outside, turning to gently tighten the scarf around Jin's neck so that he wouldn't feel the chill as much.
Jin couldn't keep his face from turning red as he fiddled with his camera. Once Kakashi had finished, Jin looked up at him and smiled.
Linking arms with him, Jin pulled Kakashi in close, and held the camera at arms-length. Cheeks squashed together, he snapped the photo and waited until his camera dispensed the photo. He retrieved the picture and shook it until the ink set.
"One more, Kakashi!" Jin said, squashing his cheek back against Kakashi's again. He grinned, holding out the camera, and snapped the picture. He repeated the same process as with the first picture, and handed one to Kakashi. "There we go. One for you, and one for me." He handed Kakashi one of the pictures and tucked the other into his pocket, unable to hide his smile.
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, heat rising to his cheeks. "Thank you." He said softly, tucking the picture away safely. He looked at Jin, studying him for a moment before carefully leading him out onto the street, keeping their arms linked.
They took their time walking home, enjoying the quiet of the deserted streets and the snowflakes floating down on them lazily. It was peaceful, and somehow more beautiful than when it snowed at home. Jin didn't understand how snow could be so much more beautiful here than it was at home.
Halfway home, Jin made Kakashi stop so that they could go into a sweets shop that he'd spotted. He quickly limped up to the door, pulling Kakashi along with him.
Glancing up at the lit 'open' sign, Jin froze at the sight of a sprig of green leaves that Hakaru had told him about earlier today. He couldn't remember what Hakaru had called them, but he remembered being told that they were imported specially this time of year and if you were caught under it with someone, you had to kiss that person. Hakaru had mentioned that it was such an important tradition that if you didn't follow it, you would be punished harshly for it. Jin didn't quite believe that, knowing that Hakaru had a habit of exaggerating things a little too much.
Kakashi followed Jin's gaze, his eye widening just slightly. Well, this was certainly an interesting turn of events, wasn't it? He glanced back at Jin, studying his blushing face.
"You don't have to kiss me. It's a silly thing that caught on several years ago…" Kakashi trailed off, averting his eyes. He was happy that his mask covered the majority of his blush, because this was...very embarrassing to say the least.
It took a moment for Jin to find the right words. "I don't mind." He looked away, feeling almost insecure. "When I came here, I also wanted to learn about the different traditions. If this is one of the traditions that's followed here, then...I suppose that I'd like to experience it. And...I think...I think I'd prefer to experience a tradition like this with someone I can trust." He glanced back at Kakashi for a moment, flashing him a shy smile. "I know you won't take advantage of me."
The way Jin said that left Kakashi wondering how he could be so cute, and then left him wondering why he was thinking that Jin was cute. How could he deny Jin when he was saying it so shyly. It was also true that it would be better for him to kiss Jin rather than someone who might try to take advantage of the situation.
"If you're okay with that…" Kakashi replied after a moment's hesitation. However, he didn't make a move, as if he was still worried about crossing Jin's boundaries.
Jin made the first move, reaching up with both hands and gently placing them on Kakashi's cheeks. Very slowly, he took the edges of Kakashi's mask between his fingers and pulled it down.
His cheeks burned and his heart raced as he slowly leaned in for the kiss. He kept his hands on Kakashi's equally warm cheeks to keep others from catching sight of his face. It wouldn't do to have his students catch Kakashi off guard like this.
Their noses bumped as Jin forgot to tip his head in his nervousness, and he couldn't help but let out a little laugh. "Sorry." He whispered, tipping his head.
Jin's chapped lips met Kakashi's equally chapped lips in a soft kiss. He felt as if his heart were about to burst in his chest, but...it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling.
After only a moment's hesitation, Kakashi returned the kiss, his hands coming up to gently cup Jin's face.
Though he didn't want to admit it, this was probably the most romantically Jin had been kissed. He felt as if the ice around the remnants of his shattered heart was melting for the first time in a long time.
The way Kakashi held his face as if he were the most fragile thing in the world, as if he were afraid of hurting him, only added to the way his heart softened.
Jin leaned into Kakashi, relaxed, until he remembered that this was just supposed to be a quick kiss as tradition. He pulled away slowly, averting his eyes.
He couldn't wipe the stupid smile off his face, as he pulled Kakashi's mask back up over his face gently.
"Come on. Let's get you your sweets." Kakashi said after a moment, avoiding eye contact, though it appeared that he, too, couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
For the rest of the night, Jin couldn't stop smiling.
Author's Note: This chapter is very late, I know, and I'm so sorry about it! An accumulation of stress and anxiety made it difficult for me to do much writing because I had to tell my family that I was dropping out of college. Anyway, things are a bit better now, and hopefully I'll be able to get back into a normal writing and posting schedule. I hope the fluff in this chapter will make up for the absence of any updates for the last two and half months or so.
Now that I've had a chance to realize what month it is, I've noticed that it's been a whole year (and some days) since I posted the prologue to this story, and honestly I'm amazed that it's gotten so long (approximately 150k words)! I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such wonderful readers and reviewers and that every comment you leave or favorite/follow you leave makes my week, and I really appreciate it! So, thank you so much, I adore you guys!
Now, on to other things:
Guest: Oh my gosh, I'm so happy you love Hakaru so much! He really is a sweetheart, and I adore him! There will definitely be much more of him in the coming chapters!
Frost D. Zen: I'm so glad you like the story so far, and I'm so sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter out! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!
Okay! Once again, thank you all so much for being such great readers! I really appreciate it, and hope you'll enjoy this chapter! I plan on having the next chapter out in a more timely manner! Thanks again!