Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is purely a work of fanfiction.

Nina- is my original character (I do own her)


Chapter 98


He'd had a terrible time attempting to get some sleep after Nina had left his apartment. That was to be expected, he supposed, staring blankly at the ceiling above his bed. Let it go. Tch. It's not what he meant. What he meant was for her to let go of all that she had bottled away. But his delivery had failed to convey that message instead she'd interpreted it as him asking her to… ah it didn't really matter. She wasn't here, he'd not even been able to discuss what he'd found as far as the investigation was concerned. Kakashi was all too aware that Nina shouldered the blame of the five deaths and knew with the new information that weight was only bound to grow.

Lifting his forearm that covered his eyes he cast his eye open to his open cupboard where his Anbu uniform hung. Tonight. She'd said tomorrow but what she meant was tonight. Tonight they would need to put whatever personal issues they had aside and focus on their mission requirements. Anbu was no place for emotions.

His forearm fell back over his eyes, shielding him from the light that was streaming in from the window above his bed. Kakashi was sure Obito would be sporting a smug smirk given his predicament. Letting out a deflated sigh. He wish he had a living someone he could converse with about this. Asuma was too close to Nina, Guy well, yeah, no. Genma was … yeah slim pickings. Master Jiraiya was off on some research mission. Swapping his forearms over and letting the other arm flop against his bed. He needed sleep and despite his internal turmoil he could feel his mind and body give out to his need.


Nina had escaped her brother's questioning and making her way back to her apartment she looked up to see the white stone wall which acted as the boundary for the many graves of the fallen. At the head of the field stood a large red flame monument. A knot formed in Nina's stomach. Up until this point she'd not visited him. Although the reason escaped her presently, she'd likely put it down to delirium later or just some ridiculous foolishness as a result of her shaken emotional state.

As she made her way through the rows of headstones, Nina felt dwarfed by the fire monument that she drew closer to with each step. She came to stand in front of it. Digging her left toes into the dirt and her hands crossed firmly across her chest in defiance.

Why? Why had she failed to solve the investigation? Why had she failed to save their lives? Why couldn't she and Kakashi just go back to how they were like they had agreed? Why was she even here? Why? Why had she become a shinobi? And finally, could she even call herself one considering all her current failings and inabilities?

Nina felt a rush of wind around her and a flurry of leaves twirled around her body.

Yeah, yeah. I get it. The will of fire and all that. But Nina didn't know how much more strength she could draw on. In a last ditch she'd asked Kakashi for help. Which only further complicated the mess they found themselves in.

Kakashi.

Tipping her head back to the sky above, Nina felt a little foolish. Even when he was alive her father hadn't been of much use with such things. But she couldn't help let her mind traverse such thoughts about what he may think of Kakashi and whether he would approve of anything more than the platonic shinobi bonds they shared. Nina knew that her father had requested, like Asuma, for Kakashi to watch over her in Anbu but as she'd told Kakashi, that was nothing more than out of duty.

She shook her head. There was no use contemplating anything between them any further. It was dangerous. Nina had learnt a long time ago the pain of losing those you love. It was easier, no, it was better to just keep to the rules of the shinobi. Even though Asuma had returned Nina kept their relationship fairly simple. She'd suffered in silence when he left and their bonds never did recover.

Another whirlwind of leaves spiralled around Nina, filling her nose with a smell that took her right back to the morning in Amegakure. It was what he smelt like. Home. The tension in her body fell away as her mind played back a montage of memories from their mission.

Away from the village, in that tiny little town on the edge of Amegakure something had been set motion; something that she no longer, well, honestly, she'd never been in control of. It had just unfolded.

Nina sucked in a deep breath and suddenly, for the first time in quite a number of days she felt the world still. In the most unlikely place she felt her clarity return. She needed to solve the investigation then, just maybe, she could sort out the mess with one Kakashi Hatake.