A/N: This chapter is a big one... and well ... see note at the end of this chapter ;)

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 113


Nina forcibly willed her body continue at the vapid pace she was setting through the vegetation. Everything hurt and was screaming at her, from the pit of her stomach to the tips of her fingers. A few drops hit her skin and Nina halted on a branch. She wasn't? No, it was just…looking to the sky. It was raining. She wiped her face and pounced to the ground below.

Hmpf. This is where her feet had led her? Nina padded up to the dark grey stone; the rain falling heavier. Her body was quivering under the merciless treatment she'd been putting herself under. So much so that her legs buckled sending her to her knees. Her eyes came level with a name that had been freshly etched in the stone. Asuma Sarutobi.

Nina fingertips followed the grooves, dislodging some grit that lingered. She clenched her fist into the ground. Dammit. It wasn't… he wasn't supposed to… he had a child... he had a life. Why?


Nina.

The rain was teeming down and from where he was standing, he couldn't tell if she was crying or not. He lifted his hitai-ate covering his sharingan, but it didn't help. Kakashi could however, make out how her body shuddered and how Nina's chest was expanding in an irregular rhythm. She'd pushed herself far past her breaking point.

Cautiously he approached the broken kunoichi from behind. Too fast and it could startle Nina, and who knows what her reaction would be. He stopped when his feet were about half a meter away from her toes.


Nina sensed she wasn't alone and heard the sloshing of feet in puddles. Whoever it was had taken great care in their movements and respectfully stopped just behind her. She should go.

Despite her body's reluctance and failing responsiveness she got to her feet; dragging one foot at a time until she was able to push up. A hand snapped against her right bicep causing her cooled and wet skin to sting even under the cover of her shirt. But the touch was strong, comforting, and familiar.

"Come to take…"

"No."

That voice. Kakashi.

"This place makes me think about the mistakes I've made in the past… and I've made a lot."

Kakashi was known for his tardiness. And it hadn't taken long before Nina had stumbled across him standing in front of this rock. Sometimes for hours. His sensei's and team mates' names had longed been inscribed into the stone.

Mistakes. Didn't they all? Shinobi or not they were still human.


Kakashi's hand had acted impulsively as Nina had swayed getting to her feet. He observed her head turn to inspect his hand before returning to the front. Kakashi didn't remove his hand. She was soaked.


The final effects of exhaustion were taking hold. Despite her numbness; Nina was unable to stop the words from pouring out.

"I never did show you that genjutsu."

She felt his fingers sink into her bicep.


"Is that what you really want, Nina?"


"I suppose not."

Nina stepped forward to the memorial stone. Kakashi released her and she placed a hand on the rock in front of them both. "The investigation is finished. We can have that discussion."

"Nina, I don't think now-"

"No. Now is perfect. I'm not going to be as stupid as my idiot brother. I'm not going to wait 31 years to tell someone something."


Kakashi mulled on that for a moment. The reasons could be infinite.

"I don't want a new agreement."

Had he misread everything? His stomach was flip flopping and his heart was pounding against his lungs; as he did his best to keep his front.


Nina's hand slipped from the stone and she turned slowly until she was toe to toe with Kakashi. The rain had eased slightly, nonetheless they had been so saturated that water droplets came away from their bodies. Nina's eyes were presently focussed on the ones falling away from Kakashi's fingertips that hung by his sides. Amegakure.

Her hands trembled as they crept and came to rest on his chest.


Kakashi was absolutely struggling not to reciprocate her touch. Fear. And fear… for the love of all the kages was he afraid. What was she about to say?

In this moment their demeanours had been reversed. Although, Nina was on her last legs, she held a frighteningly resolved fortitude. Meanwhile, Nina's pure vulnerability was tearing his to shreds.


"You and I, our whole lives, Kakashi, have been determined and driven by rules and regulations. Shinobi rules, Anbu rules, mission rules and requirements. And our mission." Nina pressed her forehead to his chest, her fingers clutching into his damp shirt. "On that mission when we agreed to lift the limits, things changed. We changed."

Nina's hold on his shirt tightened, squeezing water out through her fingers and her head gradually angled up to meet his eyes.

"I don't want an agreement, Kakashi. I didn't expect you, this, any of it. And it started…"


He sighed… "Shushu-ya."

Nina's head dropped back to his chest, her fingertips catching in the folds of his shirt.

He swallowed as both of his hands edged up to wrap around her wrists. "No. Maybe even before that."


Nina could feel Kakashi's warm breath on the crown of her head and the distinct heightened thud of his heartbeat. Before. Yeah, she'd considered that too. But…

"Whilst that may be true…" commanding her body to once again look at him. "We can't. This can't. I can't…"

No, not now. She'd told herself so many times. She had to tell him. She choked back everything that was threatening to engulf her words.

As if her heart sensed her head's betrayal, and against her persistence, all that she had suppressed until this moment, broke free.


Kakashi heard her words but her eyes said something else. He brought one hand up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Nina's glassed over and Kakashi knew…

His shirt constricted around his body as Nina's fists gripped the material further. Her head dropped as he pressed his masked lips to Nina's bare forehead.


Guilt. Regret. Helplessness.

"I couldn't even save my own brother. I wasn't… I wasn't enough."


She'd broken.

Nina.

Kakashi pulled the kunoichi in with his hold on her bicep with his left hand. While his right hand threaded through her wet hair, guiding Nina's head as she turned it to the side, and he buried his mouth against her head.

Her body shook uncontrollably and the saltiness of her tears filled his nose. Stray tears landing on his hand that was on her bicep.


Doubt. Sadness.

"I couldn't, Kakashi." Her breaths were rapid, shallow puffs. "I'm sorry. I…"

And he continued to just hold her. As Nina emotions overwhelmed her.

Anger. Loneliness.

"The idiot waited 31 years. 31 years to tell me he loved me." Nina clung desperately to Kakashi, her tears streaming down her face. "And he tells me… he tells me that with his last breath."


So, that had been Asuma Sarutobi's last spoken words? Had Nina ever had someone tell her that? Doubtful.

Nina's body couldn't hold out any longer. Kakashi cradled her fall as best he could; keeping her close to his chest and her body falling in between his. He managed to twist them so that his back landed against the memorial stone.


Doubt. Fear.

"And I couldn't…" Nina felt the world fading out from around her. She struggled to get her words out. "I don't know… what I'd …do if I lost someone else that… I loved."


He may have been imagining it but everything around them came to a standstill. Had he heard right? Did she… did Nina just say…?

While he was consumed with his thoughts, Nina's sobs lessened, her breaths soothed, and body relaxed. She'd finally given in. Expending the last of her fiery soul. Leaving them in silence.

Love.

Yeah, undeniably so.

What now?

Obito, Rin, Minato and Asuma… any one of them if they were alive would certainly have an answer.

Nina hummed and nestled into him. He lifted the bottom of her shirt at the back and ran his fingertips back and forth over her skin. Kakashi rested his head against the cold stone and looked up to where he had always for hope.


"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

Nina traced around the emblem on his sleeve. She didn't want a new agreement but she wanted…

Unhurriedly, Nina pushed herself up and positioned herself she was kneeling cocooned by Kakashi's body. Her hands inched from atop the back of his own hands, up his arms, biceps, over his shoulders and finally enfolding either side of his face.

Kakashi's hands followed suit and swept over her knees, climbed her thighs and came to rest on her hips.

Nina paused, taking a moment to communicate with their eyes as her fingertips glided along the seam of his mask. She noted his eyelids would close momentarily when their skin came in contact with one another, before reopening.


He'd whiled away countless hours by the rock at his back. None more intimate than presently.


Hooking her index finger of her right hand between the mask and his cheek, Nina sucked in a small breath. Giving the wearer one last chance to object.


As he had done at the fireworks festival, but with a little more vigour this time, Kakashi's hand enveloped Nina's and together they peeled down his mask to his chin.

His hands gently pulled her face to his. Their lips finding each other.

Uncomplicated, unbound and uninhibited.


Nina felt… she was feeling again? Yes. Secure, hopeful and content. She felt the veil of darkness lift as their lips melded together.


Pulling back minimally, so that they could both catch their breath, Kakashi couldn't help but smirk.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

Nothing she needed to worry about. He doubted he'd ever tire of such a sight. The rays of sunshine had perforated the gloomy clouds and were bouncing off of Nina from all directions. Beautiful.


"Kakashi, you're staring."

Bare of his mask Nina had full view of the goofy expression Kakashi had and couldn't help but blush.

"Anyway, I should be going. I told Kurenai I'd be at the wake."

"We."

"Huh?"


Kakashi ushered Nina off of him, before helping her to her feet brushed her straggly, sodden ringlets out of her face then grabbed hold of her right hand and affixing his mask and hitai-ate.

They didn't need an agreement. They had something else; something more. They understood each other.

He'd saved … no. They'd saved each other.

"We should be going."

There was no objection. They both bowed, paying their respects to their loved ones that were no longer among the living, and left.


Tsunade was chewing her thumbnail viciously. There was no sign of either of the shinobi, and despite being a few sake in she was still anxious.

No one else had turned up other than Tsunade and Jiraiya. She'd overheard them at the funeral, and with no one else around their conversation had turned to the pair of shinobi.

"It's all he wanted for his sister, and for Kakashi in a way." Kurenai refilled their cups. "I can't say I ever agreed with the bet they made. And they've both suffered so much in their lifetimes. It hardly seemed possible." Kurenai paused at the end of the lounge where Tsunade and Jiraiya were seated. "Ultimately, he just wanted them to be happy."

Tsunade leapt from the lounge when there was a knock at the door. Kurenai insisted she was fine to answer it.

"Relax."

Jiraiya's warm hand tugged her down next to him again, but her eyes never left the doorway where whomever had knocked would be entering.

"Ouch Sakura. That hurt you know."

"Mind your manners."

"You idiot Naruto."

"Sorry Kurenai-sensei."

"I'm starving!"

"Yes, there's food Choji."

"You have my sincerest condolences Kurenai-Sensei."

Hmpf. It was just the rookies.


Jiraiya used his other hand to pat the top of Tsunade's hand. It was all the reassurance he could offer. Several hours had passed since the funeral and honestly, he was beginning to have doubts.

In all the commotion he'd not noticed that Kurenai hadn't returned from the front door.

Jiraiya fixed his eyes on the same doorway that had held Tsunade's attention as shadows bounced off the walls.

Kurenai came into view. There was something different about her. Her eyes… was she smiling? She kept walking into the kitchen behind them.

Tsunade shifted nervously beside him. As more shadows appeared on the hallway walls.


In what felt like slow motion, Kakashi entered the room. The rambunctious rookies halting in their chatter. Tsunade's body was being starved of oxygen as she held her breath; squeezing Jiraiya's hand in anticipation.

"Psh."

Tsunade gave a relieved sigh, leaning back against the lounge, and crossed her arms as Nina came into view.

"What's got you so smug?"

After a few moments she reached forward for a drink then threw herself into Jiraiya's side and pat his chest. "Oh, nothing really. I just thought of her perfect solution."

"Oh?"

Yes, it was perfect. "Forced hiatus."

"And the elders would buy it?"

"I may leave out a small detail. But it makes complete sense." She took another sip. "And I have the just the place in mind."

She was glad she'd not discarded it earlier.

"Amegakure. It would seem they have some unfinished business pertaining to that orphanage."

"I see. So, that letter earlier…"

"Yes. It was a fool's hope. Seems you're rubbing off on me."


Well, a fool's hope was still hope. He gave a chuckle.

Jiraiya perched himself on the arm of the lounge chair between Kurenai and Tsunade. His hand came to rest reassuringly on Kurenai's shoulder. "And I think they will be."

He gave the silver-haired man a nod of approval.


To be expected, although, it was a little off-putting having that many faces staring in his direction. Much like his birthday party.

Holding one hand up in a half wave, Kakashi gave his usual crinkled-eyed smile, his other was visibly interlaced with Nina's.

"Ah, sorry we're late, but you see we got a little lost on the path of life."


A/N: And that my lovelies wraps up "Holding Hands in the Rain". 113 chapters and just under 170,000 words over the last 6 months or so... From the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the fav, follows, reviews. I hope you've enjoyed it- and that the end is everything you hoped it would be.

**Would super appreciate if you could take a few moments to review and let me know what you think- would love to hear it :D**

And for those who are interested. Keep an eye on deviant art. I intend to have more work commissioned for this story by Lesya.

Anyways.. thank you again! x

And it happened... it kept niggling so there's the sequel :) Protect the King - Sequel to Holding Hands in the Rain (Should be able to find it under my profile).