Kakashi was floating. Which was strange. The last thing he remembered was a sharp pain of a laser being shot at his stomach. He remembered Koyuki was also shot...

KOYUKI!

He gasped and opened his eyes. Everything's white. He sat up and realized he did not feel any pain in his abdomen. He looked around and there's nothing.

Everything's white.

What happened?

Was he dead?

"No you're not" a voice suddenly answered, as if reading his mind.

"Or rather not yet. It's the realm between life and death" another voice added.

Kakashi froze.

Those voices...

He knew them...

Kakashi hesitated to turn around and see the two people that were behind him.

"Kakashi, it's okay. Turn around. Look at us."

Kakashi sighed. Again, they seemed to be able to read his mind. He turned his head around to look at the two people behind him. There stood a boy with spiky black hair identical to Naruto's and a short-haired brunette girl, both smiling at him with identical smiles.

"Obito... Rin..."

Kakashi could feel his voice choked. His former teammates and childhood friends extended one hand toward Kakashi, as if urging him to take them. He took their hands and they pulled him up until he was standing. He couldn't believe he was actually standing on something that felt like solid ground when just a few seconds ago, he felt like floating in the air.

Kakashi looked at Rin and Obito with mixed emotion. Sadness, happiness, confusion and shock. "Am I dead?"

Rin smiled. "I told you you're not. Not yet anyway. But we're dead."

Kakashi widened his eyes in confusion and surprise. "Why are you here?"

Obito pouted playfully. "What? We can't visit an old friend?"

Hearing that, Rin giggled and Kakashi was surprised when he felt himself chuckling along with her. The pout disappeared from Obito's face and the three of them laughed together. Kakashi looked at them. They looked so young. Rin looked just like the way she was before her death and Obito too, looked like he was during his Genin years.

"You guys look so young."

"Well so do you." Kakashi blinked and looked at his hands. They were noticeably smaller. He also realized that he was actually as tall as them. He too, reverted back to his Genin years.

"Yeah. You're right" he said, chuckling a little.

The three of them sat down together, Kakashi in the middle. He didn't realize how much he missed this. Sitting together like this with them. He never realized how enjoyable it was when he was a kid. And now that memory was so far away, he suddenly craved it. Even if this was a dream, he wanted it to last forever, being here with his best friend and the girl he liked.

"So how are you?" Rin asked Kakashi.

"Fine, I guess."

"Your students are doing something that brings you headache again?" Obito said playfully.

"They always bring me headache" Kakashi said in mock exasperation. They looked at each other for a second, before laughing again.

"I wish I had a chance to meet them. They seem to be an interesting bunch," Rin commented. "What do they do this time? We can sense that there is something that is bugging you, that's why we came here."

Kakashi froze. He didn't know what to say. Should he tell them the truth? That they were trying to match make him with some women?

"They're trying to match make you with some women?" Rin said. Kakashi facepalmed. Why was it that everything he thought could always be heard by these two.

"What?! Is that true?!" Obito said, suddenly enthusiastic.

Kakashi groaned. "Why is it that you always know everything I think about?"

Rin giggled. "Silly. That's because we're the one who created this realm."

"What?" Kakashi turned to look at her, then turned to look at the grinning Obito. "Why did you do that?"

"To talk to you of course!" Obito exclaimed.

Kakashi blinked. "Why?"

"To prevent you from making the biggest mistake of your life" Obito replied seriously.

"Huh?" Kakashi exclaimed with a funny confused expression.

Obito smiled and his eyes softened. "You're about to turn away from happiness... again, aren't you?"

Kakashi's eyes dropped. "Obito, I-" He turned to see Rin on his other side, then back at Obito. "I... I..."

"We know. We can sense it when something is troubling you. And something is definitely troubling you right now. So Rin and I decided to come here, and find out what's going on." Obito smiled. "I'll give you two time to talk" he said as he got up. He glanced at Rin and the two shared a knowing look. "I'll see you later."

"Wait what?" Kakashi extended his hand toward Obito to grab him, but his friend disappeared in a blink of an eye. "What the- where did he go?!"

"Back to where we came from. He will come again, don't worry" Rin said.

"How can you appear and disappear just like that?"

"Like I said, we're the one who created this realm Kakashi. We only came here to talk to you."

Kakashi turned to look at Rin. She looked so young, just like the way she was in their Genin years. So young and beautiful. He never thought of her as beautiful until after Obito's "death" and he was falling for her...

He felt dirty again.

Rin smiled at him and Kakashi looked away, not being able to look at that familiar smile of the girl that he used to love... Still loved.

"So... your students seem to like playing matchmaker—"

"I want them to stop but—"

"Why?" Rin asked him. She seemed to be genuinely confused.

Kakashi turned to look at her. His eyes looked so sad and vulnerable. The sight broke her heart. "You know why..."

Rin smiled sadly and put her hand gently on top of his. "Kakashi—"

"Rin..." Kakashi turned his whole body to the side so he fully faced her. "Please... please don't ask me to forget about you. Please don't tell me to move on."

Rin's smile didn't waver. She gave his hand a squeeze. That same gentle hand that used to treat his wounds with care. "But that's what you eventually have to do Kakashi. I can't tell you to forget about me. Because I don't want you to do it, either." Her smile then dropped. "But I can't let you pine for someone who is already dead."

Kakashi opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. "Rin... I... I..." He bit his lower lip, which was visible from his mask. "I'm sorry."

Rin was now holding both of his hands in hers. "You don't have to say sorry."

"Yes I do."

"For what?"

Kakashi went silent, and for almost a minute, neither of them talked. "For many things. For ignoring you all those years before Obito's 'death'. For intending to abandon you back then. For failing to protect you. And..." Hid hands quivered. "For killing you." Rin squeezed Kakashi's quivering hands as he looked down on their joined hands. Years of repressed emotions seemed to come out as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "I didn't deserve your love. I don't deserve no woman's love."

Rin pulled him into her arms. She patted his back and cradled him like a baby. It felt weird for Kakashi, being comforted by her. Rin was only 13 when she died while in actuality, he was already in his thirty in real life. But who cared? He needed her right now. He needed to feel her again after all these years mourning her death and regretting his actions. It felt like he became 12 again. Then again, his body did revert back to that time.

"Kakashi, it's okay," she said in his ear. "It's alright. You've changed. People change. You've learned your lesson. And I know you don't do the same mistake twice. Even if you do, it's not your fault. There are just some things in this world that doesn't go the way we want, no matter how hard we've tried. You know that better than anyone." She bit her lower lip, considering her words carefully. "And what happened back then was not your fault. I was the one who chose to die in your hand. I wanted to protect the village. And if I had to die, I wanted to die in the hands of the person I loved." She tightened her hold on him. "I didn't think it'd bring you a lot of pain and sadness. I'm so sorry for making you do it. I'm sorry Kakashi."

They broke their hug, and Kakashi looked at Rin's eyes, gleaming with unshed tears. "But I still failed to protect you back then. If I could, then you wouldn't have to do that."

Rin shook her head and smiled. "It doesn't matter. The most important thing is you've tried."

"I could've tried harder!"

"You've tried your best Kakashi. I know that. So please, stop blaming yourself." She put her hands on his masked face. "I want you to be happy and focus on your future. Your children meant well, you know. Sure, they tried to match make you before consulting you first. But they only did what they thought would make you happy. Obito and I want you to be happy too."

Kakashi stared at Rin, without any emotions in his eyes. "So what? You want me to go on a date with another woman?" She went silent, her expression blank. "You want me to marry another and move on?" His eyes widened. "Without you?" he said the last part in a whisper.

"If it makes you happy, then yes, I do."

"No one can replace you."

"No one will replace me. No one can completely replace another person, Kakashi. But just because you fall in love with another woman, doesn't mean you forget or replace me." She smiled brightly at him. "And I will always be with you. Dead or alive."

Kakashi didn't know what to say. His voice caught in his throat. He didn't even react when Rin pulled down his mask. In the end, all he could say was, "I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Rin gave him soft, feathery kiss on his lips, and Kakashi savored it, trying to imprint it into his memory. They pulled apart and smiled at each other.

"I'll see you soon." With that, Rin disappeared in a blink of an eye just like Obito did.

"So, you're done now?" another voice said behind Kakashi. He turned around and there, lo and behold, Obito, seating in his place a few minutes ago, grinning mischiveously.

"Obito?"

"So how did it go? Did you do something mushy? You know, like kissing?"

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"Well... you love her too."

"But she loves you, and still does, so there's nothing I can do about it. She loves me too, of course. Just not the same kind of love she does you."

Kakashi turned to his best friend, who sacrificed his life to save him and even lent him his eye. Expression of guilt came back to his face. "Obito—"

Obito shook his head and waved away his hand. "Now, now. That's alright. I know that from the start. Long before the three of us even became a team."

Kakashi looked down. He really didn't deserve Rin. Someone like Obito was more suited for her. "I'm sorry."

"'s okay. I forgive you. Hey, if she forgives you, then who am I to judge you" Obito said, grinning that closed-eye grin that was identical to Naruto's. Kakashi smiled weakly. "And I just have to say, you really need to get laid Kakashi. You're already in you 30s now. You have to marry soon because your reproductive system won't work that much longer. You do want to have kids, right?"

"Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura ARE my children."

"Yes they are. But what I mean is your biological children." He put an arm around Kakashi's shoulder. "Find your happiness, my friend. Don't let what's in the past brings you down, like what happened to me."

"Obito..."

"And besides, if you marry another woman, I get to have Rin here in the afterlife." Kakashi elbowed him, not with a force that could cause pain. Obito let out a mock wince. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. In a few seconds, the two boys were laughing together. Kakashi turned to look at his best friend. Gai was always there to help him and Yamato was loyal to him. But for Kakashi, Obito would always be his best friend for all eternity.

"I'll take care of Rin here. You just get your own happiness over there." Obito smiled. "I always got your back. Dead or alive."

Kakashi smiled. Hie eyes almost watered again. "Rin said similar things."

"She did?"

"Yup."

Obito smiled and got up. Kakashi got up as well. "Well I have to go. Rin is waiting for me to comfort her after her beloved decides to date another woman."

"Just get out of here!" Kakashi said, giving his back a playful shove.

"Oh, I'm hurt!" Obito exclaimed, dramatically. They laughed again. Kakashi wished they could banter like this when Obito was alive, but he couldn't change the past.

The two smiled at each other. "It's time for you to wake up and for me to go" Obito said.

"Wake up?" Kakashi asked.

Obito extended his hand toward him. "I'll see you again, buddy."

Kakashi smiled. He didn't want it to end, but he knew it had to. No matter how much he wished he could change the past, Obito and Rin were dead and he had to accept that. It's time to move on. And besides, it's not like he lost them completely. He could always visit them. In his dreams.

Kakashi took Obito's hand and shook it. Obito's smiling face and his hand on Kakashi's was the last thing that Kakashi saw and felt before everything's fade to white.

From white, everything suddenly turned black. He opened his eyes and his vision was blurred. When before, all he could see was white and then black, now he saw colors. He saw cream. He also heard pip pip sound next to him. He knew he had come back to the world of the living. With live, came the pain. He felt throbbing on the right part of his abdomen, and winced. He looked to his left and saw the infuse stand. He instantly realized that he was in the hospital. A familiar place for him since he seemed to find himself landing here a lot of times. He looked up again at the cream ceiling of his hospital room.

Kakashi looked to his right and suddenly, feelings of joy and relief went through him. There, lying on another hospital bed, only separated half a meter from his own bed, was Koyuki. He thanked the God for saving her live. Her skin was pallid, but her chest raised and fell in a steady rhythm and Kakashi took solace on that.

Koyuki's already pale skin was even paler now that it contrasted with her black hair in a way that was not supposed to look attractive, but it was. It reminded him of that fairy tale he once heard... Snow White... The fairest woman with skin white as snow and hair black as ebony... It suited her name.

Snow White...

Koyuki...

Kakashi stared at her for a little longer, before lifting his hand to his face. He realized he didn't wear his mask. He heard the door being opened and quickly pulled the blanket until it covered his face. He turned to his other side to see Sakura, with her usual lab coat, walking in.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're awake!" She rushed to his side. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess. What happened last night? After I blacked out."

"We were able to subdued the Yuki ninjas. Most of it was thanks to Katou-san's help. They were divided into two sides. Half of them listened to Katou-san and gave up the fight. The other half refused to give up and we had to capture them. Seems like not all Yuki ninjas were loyal to Koyuki-san. Some of them joined that fight because they still carried Doto's initial idea to conquer the five big countries."

"And where is Katou-san?"

"Talking to the village's elders. He apologized to them and was ready to take all the consequenses." Sakura frowned. "I don't know what will happen next."

"Does the Land of Fire knows? How long have I been out, anyway?"

"Don't worry, you've only been out for two days. And no, the Daimyo hasn't known."

Kakashi nodded. "Good." He turned back to look at Koyuki beside him.

Sakura blinked and realized what he's thinking. "Oh that's right. Because there were many people that were wounded, the hospital was so full we didn't have enough room for the patients. It's so cramped around here. Hope you don't mind sharing a room with her."

"No that's alright." Kakashi reached out his hand and put it on top of Koyuki's pale hand. "I don't mind it at all."