A/N: I'm just as surprised as you that I have an update this soon.
The Eve of the Undoing II
Since the early hours of 6 in the morning, Obito Uchiha had diligently honed his dribbling and shooting skills in anticipation of the Winter Finals, which was set to take place the following day. The gym was empty, devoid of any distractions, and calm. It gave him the space to mentally conjure his opponents – their movements, their defence, their anticipations. He dribbled the ball harder as he ran towards the enemy court, imagining where the defenders would be positioned.
He performed the crossover dribble, swiftly outsmarting his hypothetical opponent, before pulling back and jumping at the three-point line. The ball spun in the air before it smoothly shot through the basket — a successful swish. Obito pumped his fist in the air, grinning, imagining how the crowd would react to his stellar performance. How Rin would be fangirling among the crowd, and how he would look at her only.
Obito became flushed just thinking about it. Just thinking about how cool he would be in front of her made his heart race ten times faster.
Oh, a three-pointer? It's not a big deal. I shoot threes all the time.
His grin widened. He'll have Rin in his arms and the trophy in one hand at the end of the tournament.
He took a short break on the benches to drink his protein shake, and as he downed the bottle, he scrolled through social media. Kakashi still hasn't replied to him. His account was as quiet as ever. While he wasn't the type to post everything on social media, he also wasn't the type to forego it completely.
Obito wanted to send him another message. He finished his drink with a final gulp and contemplated whether it was wise to do so. After a few seconds of twiddling his thumbs, he dropped his phone on top of his gym bag and retrieved the basketball to continue practising. If Kakashi wanted to resume communication with him, the door was his to open. Obito will neither deny nor force him.
Just as Obito flawlessly performed a fadeaway shot, the gym door was opened by a haggard Asuma. He had a night shift the previous night and was plagued by the consequences of having outstanding sleep debt. With a half-assed wave, he moved to the benches to ready himself for training.
"Good thing we didn't say 5 o'clock," Obito said, shooting another. He watched as Asuma swept his hair back with his signature Adidas training band and tightened his shoelaces. "Did you and your old man fight again?"
Asuma frequently picked up extra shifts when his household became too suffocating for him to live in. Lately, with all the scandals brewing in the school, Hiruzen's scrutiny towards his own son had doubled. This extended from what he wore to who he dated. It turns out Hiruzen wasn't fond of Kurenai and claimed her to be too boisterous for a woman. He wanted Asuma to find a more docile woman – one who upheld family traditions. In other words, his father urged him to have a pliable and subservient partner who was not his equal but his property to possess. That backwards thinking irked him too much to stay in the same space as his father.
"Something like that," he muttered, stripping off his hoodie and joggers. Underneath, he donned his standard P.E outfit. "I don't know how my mother keeps up with him, you know." He often pitied his mother for being lumped with a man like him. Although, at the same time, he loathed his mother for tolerating a man like him — a man only by age, not by virtue.
"Must be love." Obito offered, half-heartedly.
Asuma snorted. "Or insanity," he countered sharply. "I can't wait to go to college and leave this shithole forever."
Obito retrieved the ball from under the basket and passed it to Asuma. "So you're never coming back here?"
He shrugged. "Maybe to visit my mother. But I don't care about what happens to my old man after I leave."
"You might regret that later on, you know." He lowered his stance, ready to guard Asuma who readied himself.
"I don't think so. After what's happened the past week, I can safely say that he's dead to me." He was referring to catching his pious father breaking one of the sacred oaths in the Commandments – thou shall not commit adultery. With the pastor's just-legal daughter, no less. Who knew his father had an inkling for disgusting clichés? And for all the times he has chastised Asuma for his wrongdoings and lack of accountability, he had the audacity to make excuses for his own.
Your mother has been having issues.
Your mother isn't satisfying her end of our marital agreement.
Your mother doesn't try anymore.
Your mother…..
Your mother…..
Your mother….!
…..His mother already knew about his infidelity.
Asuma's jaw tightened as his bandaged fingertips dug into the rubber of the ball. With a deep huff, he approached Obito who had his arms spread like an eagle's wings – wide and intimidating. Slowly, calculatingly, Asuma dribbled the ball. The moment Obito's eyes followed the ball, he crossed it under his legs, spun the other way he baited Obito, and charged towards the basket at full throttle.
Despite staggering, Obito caught up with him and jumped in time to meet him mid-air. He would have deflected the ball perfectly had it not been for Asuma's immense strength; he overpowered his raven-haired friend and dunked the ball into the basket.
Obito fell on his backside with a heavy thump whilst Asuma landed on his feet. "Are you alright?" he quickly asked, helping him back up.
Obito laughed. "If you're like this tomorrow, we'll be sure to win!"
"Oh, I don't know…." mumbled Asuma, feeling meek at the prospect of winning tomorrow's game. He would love to claim the Winter Cup but he had doubts about his performance.
"You're the team's future captain, Asuma. Have more faith in yourself." Obito patted his back as if he sensed his growing self-doubt. "Just reserve that fire in your heart for tomorrow's game and you'll play your best game yet."
Asuma smiled, nodding. "You think I can break our team's personal best?" That was 67 points in one game, set a few years ago by a student who has since gone pro. Asuma wanted to be like him to the point he actively emulated his shooting style: wide stance, knees pointing inwards, and a 90-degree angle at the armpit. If only he was this sharp with his other studies then the likes of Kakashi would have strong competition.
"I won't get your hopes up because Hidan is the star of our team," reminded Obito. "But it's also worth a fair shot."
"And when we win, will you finally confess to Rin?" Asuma asked lightly, passing the ball back to Obito.
The Uchiha blushed, keeping the ball pressed against his hip. "I said I was going to ask her out to the New Year's Eve Festival if we won. That's what I told Kakashi. He told me it was a good idea. What do you think?"
Asuma grinned. "We have to win this game then."
Obito ruffled his hair; he was due for a haircut. The thought he has been pining for was close to becoming reality and he couldn't contain his excitement. If only Kakashi was still around in school to give him guided confidence. He was always good at that.
"If we had Kakashi then this game would be easier to win," Asuma noted, spinning the spare ball on top of his finger.
As much as Obito agreed, he also knew that having Kakashi on their team was a double-edged sword. After all, he wasn't the type to depend on his team unit when he excelled in most things, hence his reluctance to join a sport that depended on strong interpersonal skills. He preferred depending on his own strength and he thrived at it.
"Nah. Let that mermaid prince stay in the waters where he belongs. The last time we played basketball with him, he forgot the meaning of 'passing the ball' and kept soloing the opponents." Obito sighed, recalling the numerous dunks and fadeaway shots Kakashi performed. His lack of orientation caused more friction than easement, especially with Hidan who was the prospect team captain back then. Kakashi acknowledged this too and withdrew his application to join the team the following day.
Asuma laughed, filling the cavernous gym. "I don't think he'll like hearing you call him that."
"Well, the bastard's not here. What's he gonna do about it?"
Obito motioned for Asuma to back up as he readied his form to shoot over him. Upon release midair, he propelled the ball over Asuma's guard and waited with bated breath for the ball's descent. It hit the rim but it leaned into the ring.
Another successful three!
"Yessss!" Obito exclaimed, pumping another fist into the air. It was his ritual to do this at this point. "Obito Uchiha scores another three! And the crowd goes wild!"
Asuma watched, unenthused, as his training companion went through his delusions, celebrating as if an entire coliseum adorned him with flowers and gold. A pandemonium must be ensuing in his mind.
A vein popped in his temple when Obito took an unceremonious bow to the non-existent crowd. "You know, the enemy would have run into our court during your celebration, right? This isn't football."
Obito pouted. "Party pooper."
After a quick shower, both boys pulled on their school uniforms and rushed into homeroom. They were late and were sure that Tsunade was going to make an example of them. To their surprise, they were met by her absence in the room. Apparently, no one has seen her in the halls or in the staffroom. That meant she was late. It was unusual for someone as punctual and dedicated as her to be late but it was not unheard of.
Obito and Asuma promptly found their seats, not wanting to waste the golden opportunity that fell before them. Rin waved at Obito as he pulled his chair in, and Kurenai winked at Asuma as he leaned over his desk to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Tsunade slipped through the door a few moments later. She donned her usual teacher attire – a black silk shirt that was tucked into a brown a-line pair of trousers — and her hair was neatly collected by a clip. Her black high heels tapped on the wooden flooring as she briskly unpacked her belongings on the desk and grabbed for the register.
"I'm sorry for my tardiness," she said for formality's sake. "Now, let's start the day."
After registration, they had a few minutes left before the first lesson. During that time, Rin brushed up on her reading for Danzo Shimura's history exam, leaving Obito to his own whims. He sketched basketball tactics in his notebook, remembering how each member of the opposing team moved. Kurenai and Asuma had one earphone each, listening to their favourite band's comeback song. Tsunade was too preoccupied with answering questions some of her students had for her biology test to realise that she had a wardrobe malfunction with her top.
She had hastily changed into her formal wear that morning, not having enough time to turn on the lights to dote on her appearance like she normally did. She grabbed the clothes she saw first and threw them on before running back to Minato's car. If it weren't for the roadworks on the main road, they would have been on time and she may have had the opportunity to scrutinise her reflection to see that she buttoned her top wrong.
Obito and Asuma's phones buzzed in their pockets. They checked their notifications at the same time to see that there were two new messages from their basketball group chat.
She's just showing them off at this point.
A photo attachment was coupled with the message: a zoomed-in shot of Tsunade's upper torso, revealing a gap in her shirt that allowed privy to her undergarment. Dark purple. Lace. A thin fabric that embellished the pale skin of her chest.
Scandalous.
Obito swallowed, looking up from his phone to the front of the class. It was harder to notice her mishap from his perspective but from the other side, where Asuma was sitting, it must have been clear as day. His friend's stunned expression upon gazing up told him everything he needed to know — the sight was enough to make boys cover their laps with a textbook.
Suddenly the group chat started flooding with messages from individuals in different classes — juniors and seniors, alike. But since the groupchat was restricted to members of the basketball team only, the exchange was more discreet.
Sluttttttt.
XD Christmas came early!
Do you think they're fake?
Don't ruin my fantasy. They're 100 per cent real.
Minato-sensei can tell us if they're real or not, LOL.
Do you think they're dating?
My girlfriend saw them at a BBQ joint last week. Said Minato-sensei had his hand on her ass on their way out.
IMHO, they're totally fucking.
Respect to Minato-sensei for bedding a quality whore. If a woman like that was leeching a ride from me, I would expect her to give me a ride too.
LOOOOLLLLL. True.
She was late for homeroom today. Maybe got railed before coming to school.
Minato-sensei is a chad. Respect.
What I would give to have a chance with her. Just once to know if she lives up to the hype, yk?
She might be loose now, smh.
Somebody's thirstyyyy again.
Well, am I wrong tho? Don't be gay, you know you want her too.
Lol. Everyone in this gc does.
Maybe she can give us a good luck blowjob before the Finals? XD
Let's ask her after school hahahha. Finally put that mouth to good use.
Obito side-eyed Asuma, who sat in shock from the messages. The words 'what the fuck?' wouldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling or thinking. Some of these messages were from their seniors: individuals they admired, listened to for wisdom, and regarded as their brothers. They weren't the sort he associated with this type of behaviour. But as Obito read the increasingly depraved and gratuitous messages, the slither of respect he held for them became skewed like the sickening knot that twisted in his stomach. These messages were no longer jokes boys shared amongst themselves over a harmless crush on an attractive teacher.
The Captain gets her first. Benchwarmers can have the leftovers.
The janitors are off-duty today because it's the student's turn to clean the school.
Noiceeeee.
No, they intended to inflict harm.
Kurenai read the messages beside Asuma, her expression harrowing per scroll. There was one message in particular that made her gag at the thought. Obito could hazard a guess as to which message made her grimace because he had the same reaction. They looked at their teacher who interacted with Shizune, showing her where she lost her marks in the previous test. She was completely unaware of the situation at hand. As much as Obito and Asuma wanted to intervene, they didn't want to break their team's morale before an important game. Asuma needed to be recognised by scouts in order to get a scholarship in college and Obito needed to confess his undying love to Rin.
….But Kakashi needed them to protect Tsunade.
He wouldn't let this pass. And if they cared for him, they shouldn't either.
But….
With a huff, Rin stood up from her desk and walked over to Shizune's. She leaned over and pulled Tsunade outside, creating an excuse to speak to her privately without arousing suspicion. How did she know…? Did she peek at the messages while he absent-mindedly looked at Asuma for direction? When they returned back to class, the problem was amended and an abashed Tsunade touched her buttons to reaffirm this for herself. The two shared a wordless but amicable glance at one another before Rin turned and started to her desk.
She nudged past their classmate who took the photo, causing him to clamour for his phone as it fell to the floor. "Ooops," she lamely said, stepping over his now-cracked phone as she walked on. He shrieked in return but she paid him no mind.
Obito stared at her in awe. He had been so preoccupied with looking cool himself that he overlooked her recent change in demeanour. When did she get so cool? She sat down in her seat and turned to him, catching him off-guard.
"Even if you don't participate in what they're saying, your being in the group chat makes you complicit in their plans. That makes you just as liable if anything happens to her." Whenever Rin spoke like this, she was often cold and to the point with knife-point precision. Her words cut deep, wounding his integrity. Obito knew she was right and he couldn't dignify his actions – inactions – with an adequate response. Not one that can explain why he prioritised his superficial goals over the well-being of an individual, anyway.
"I'm sorry…." he whispered.
"Don't say sorry to me…." she replied, looking away. "It won't be me you'll need to apologise to if anything happens."
Again, she was right. Of course she was.
He was equipped with knowledge that his peers intended to act on their perversions and, therefore, he was burdened with the responsibility to prevent it from happening. Because if anything happens to her… Kakashi would surely… He shook his head. Even without Kakashi in the equation, Obito knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he could have prevented harm to Tsunade.
From the months he's had her as his teacher, she has been accommodating and helpful albeit abrasive and ill-tempered at times. Tsunade dedicated and invested herself in students she knew wanted to learn, often going out of her way to dissect the most complex processes into simpler components in her spare time. By all accounts, she was an excellent teacher. Her only sin was being an attractive woman in an ugly environment.
His phone buzzed again.
I think Rin is on her period because she ruined the fun.
Obito control your bitch.
Flat-chested imbecile.
He gripped his phone tighter.
Rin quietly changed for their volleyball practice and started with the warm-ups by herself in the gym. They had their Finals on Friday and since their volleyball team was newly-founded, they didn't have seniors to rely on and she bore the brunt of the responsibility as captain despite being inexperienced herself. This was her first Finals game and her legs turned into jelly just thinking about it. She felt jittery with nervous anticipation, and she could feel it affecting her serves and defence.
As she stretched her taut body, her anxiousness precipitated to another matter. As much as she loathed having to worry about her, she couldn't deny her mind and heart from such. After all, she was a woman too. She knew the ramifications of sexual objectification all too well; she even wrote an essay on it in her history class, using historical figures as her evidence. Hiruzen had given her a C for it. Typical. The man was a misogynist. That's why it didn't surprise Rin when he refused to step up and prevent this issue with Tsunade from snowballing to what it is right now.
Her peers feel entitled enough to degrade Tsunade's status as their teacher to a mere object for their own amusement – a toy they can play with around until they're bored – denied of moral concern. Because, at the end of the day, she asked for it, right? She provoked these young boys into doing the unspeakable because she wore clothes that didn't break the dress code, because she taught them like she was supposed to, and because she smiled every once in a while. Did she not know the things she did were inherently whorish? And whores never refuse sex. So, how can it be rape if she is wired to like it? Rape and whores, after all, are mutually exclusive in the eyes of misogynists.
The thought of it gave Rin goosebumps, causing her to shiver. The mental image of… She didn't want to think about it, or about sympathising with her. But when she tried stopping her heart from aching, her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration. Quickly, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and resumed stretching her arms.
Rin closed her eyes hoping she can regain her composure if she blacked everything out. But her darkness was accompanied by Kakashi's voice from when they last spoke. She refrained from telling Obito that she had seen Kakashi recently. Her hesitation to tell him was not because she thought he would take it personally but because of how she acted before and during the meeting. She knew he wouldn't have approved of her banging on their estranged friend's door, insisting that he answered because she wasn't going anywhere.
Kakashi eventually welcomed her in, albeit reluctantly, and offered to make her a cup of tea out of sympathy. It was the height of winter and she was missing her coat which she forgot at home since she left for school in a hurry that morning. Rin scanned for the presence of the dog Kakashi fostered but he told her that he had already been adopted. She sighed in relief. She had never liked that dog.
Kakashi looked as if he was just about to head out, but it was 8 in the evening. Where could he possibly be going at this hour? In a monochrome black suit, no less. His hair was longer than when she last saw him, and he had styled it with gel. Rin hid her awkward blush and leaned against the kitchen counter as she watched him prepare her tea.
He moved as if nothing was wrong, creating small chatter that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, just a way to fill the emptiness. At a glance, Kakashi looked the same but Rin knew him too well to think that: there laid a semblance of loneliness in his eyes, a tinge of sadness in the way his lips curved. It may have sounded preposterous to others but she knew Kakashi more than most. She has been watching him, after all.
"Were you waiting outside long?" he asked, stirring her tea after putting in dollops of milk. Although he asked a question Rin knew he didn't really care for the answer. Knowing that iota of difference in his tone made her exasperated, and she never thought she could feel such a way towards him.
Still, she played by his rules. With a slight shake of the head, she replied. "No, not really. I guess you couldn't hear me 'cause you were upstairs." Rin gripped the edge of the kitchen countertop in frustration. Wasn't he going to apologise for leaving them in the dark like that? For disappearing like that? Wasn't he…..
"I'm sorry for not answering the door sooner."
Was that all he was sorry for?
She accepted the beverage he made for her with a small 'thanks' under her breath. As she took small sips of the tea, she watched Kakashi adjust the tie around his neck before straightening his blazer. "Where are you going?" she finally asked, taking another sip.
"My friend, Hanare, has a party tonight and it has a dress code. I don't know if I'm overdressed, to be honest. I don't really know these things." Kakashi said, smiling thinly like an adorable idiot.
Rin vaguely remembered the name he mentioned and she didn't know how close they were. They must really be on friendly terms if he was going to attend her party. She must also be attractive if she worked in the same field as Kakashi. She expected to feel bitter about not knowing about this girl who must be beyond her scope, but her emotions were stale – inert, even. A part of her was satisfied that Kakashi was well acquainted with another woman who was not Tsunade.
Rin rested her cup on the countertop and approached Kakashi. Her deft hands fixed up the appearance of his tie and then swept back his bangs. She looked into his eyes as he looked down at her. Had this happened during summer vacation, she would have shot her shot and kissed him. But his body language seemed closed off as if he didn't want her to take another step towards him. Surely enough, he took a step back after thanking her. She instantly regretted being intimate with him.
Desperately, she tried to think of topics that could dampen the coiled atmosphere between them. He spoke first. "How's everybody?" he asked, taking a seat adjacent to where she stood and creating adequate space between them.
She was glad for this discourse. "Obito is actually taking this semester seriously! He's studying a lot after school. Asuma had a big fight with his dad over Kurenai because, apparently, she isn't marriage material."
Kakashi's eyebrows knitted together and his lips thinned. "I can't imagine that going well…."
"No, it didn't. Asuma is sleeping at Kurenai's house now and he's picking up extra night shifts just to get away from his dad. He said he wants to move out as soon as possible."
"With all the money he's saved, he can rent a really small apartment. Although, it's not ideal at our age to be doing that."
"That's what we told him. He's not listening to us."
Kakashi murmured something along the lines that that was typical for Asuma to do. He was hard-headed by nature and especially so after he set his sights on a goal. Rin furthered the conversation, filling him in on the classroom drama, the breakdown Shimura-sensei had when everyone scored below a 60% on his test, and her preparation for the Finals. Kakashi seemed more attentive as their conversations lengthened and she grew hopeful that her disconcerting feeling for him was an exaggeration. But when she noticed his gaze become vacant again, as if he was inside his thoughts, she panicked as she did not want to lose his attention.
So she mentioned the person she knew he wouldn't be able to ignore. "And there are rumours that Tsunade-sensei is dating Minato-sensei. Hima is so jealous because she's got a massive crush on Minato-sensei."
As expected, he re-engaged with the conversation but he bid his time to seem casual. "I thought Hima would have grown out of that by now. I don't think Minato-san even knows her name."
Rin shrugged and reached for her mug. "She's obsessed. Well, she has to be because she's hanging onto fantasy."
Kakashi chuckled. It was quiet and short but she appreciated it.
"Wasn't Hima the one who–"
"Aren't you going to ask about her?" Rin didn't want to make idle conversation anymore. "It's okay if you want to, Kakashi"
There was a short pause, though it didn't surprise her when he relented. "How is she?" He finally asked after deliberation. They didn't speak her name because there was no need. Rin knew who he cared for, and that was all that mattered. Still, bitterness hung over her like a ripened fruit waiting to be picked. And her heart felt thwarted even though she came to his house without ulterior motives.
"People still tease her because of the photos." She chewed on her bottom lip as she hesitated to say more, but she was made undone when they locked eyes. "They printed her pictures and put them up across the halls early in the morning yesterday. No one knows who did it and the Headmaster said he would 'look into it in due course'."
Kakashi's jaw tensed as he clenched his teeth together. He then clicked his tongue in indignation. "They're not going to do anything until Tsunade gets hurt."
The lack of honorifics coupled with overt concern over her well-being was a heavy dose for Rin to swallow. He said it so naturally as if it was an ingrained habit, reinforced by their hushed relationship and secrets. She felt her own jaw clench in response to her growing envy.
She shouldn't say anything since she already knew. Besides, that's not the reason why she came here. No, no, no. "Why do you care about her so much?"
Fuck.
Why did she have to provoke him now? She had already asked him this before and his response was unsatisfactory. It was Rin's belief that Kakashi's reasoning back then was diluted from the truth though he may not have realised it himself. Perhaps a repeat of the past will happen now. She waited for him to be up in arms at this inquiry and to profusely deflect the question with another. Perhaps he will remind her that they had moved past this before, so why did she have to bring it up now?
But his placid expression remained unchanged – the element of shock from this kind of question seemed to have worn off. Then he spoke, casually and without restraint. "Why are you so eager for me to say something you already know, Rin?" He leaned forward and continued. "Do you just want confirmation?"
Yes. Say it out loud already. What is she to you?
She wanted to say those things and more but her throat felt constricted and dry. She gripped the handle of her mug tighter for emotional leverage as she waited for his answer.
But as she heard it, the strands of the thin webbing she spun around her heart were plucked one at a time. One by one, as each connection snapped apart, she realised the truth she wrapped around her heart was a farce. She expected Kakashi to confess that he had a superficial crush on her. A feeling everyone was currently plagued with, but eventually, will be cured of once the novelty wears away.
But he said something that weighed heavier in meaning and yet he professed it without taking a deep breath. That's when she knew he had been feeling this way for a while. This confession wasn't a burden for him, it was quite the opposite. He looked relieved to have finally told someone.
"I'm in love with her." That's what he told her. Love. Not crush. She would have been content with the latter because that entailed a short episode of intense infatuation with an idealised fantasy he conjured on a whim. In time, his feelings will fade when he realises that she was merely a fickle dream. But he was in love with her. That meant his feelings for her were profound and ran thick in his veins, feeding into his heart, and causing him to feel irrational emotions such as love.
If he loved her then….
Her tears poured out like someone had loosened the tap to let the water run, and she muffled her sobs with her hand. The hurt brewing in her chest set ablaze as if his truth was the match needed to catalyse the fire in her gasoline heart. She loved him. Had hoped he would come back around and finally see her, love her. She was willing to wait. So long as he didn't fall in love with anybody else.
But here he was, resolute in his confession. Calm. Satisfied.
She shook her head, aghast. "No."
Before she knew it, he was in front of her wiping her tears for her. Gently, he pulled her in for a warm embrace as she hoarsely cried into his chest. She sobbed as if she were grieving a loss but, wasn't she? Didn't this mean Kakashi was lost to her forever? The thought of it caused the remaining floodgates to open, and she repeatedly cried "no" in his arms. Maybe repetition will lead to conjuration and then fulfilment. She held onto denial until he whispered his apology into her ear.
"She will never love you back, you know that, right?" Rin said, clutching his blazer, eyes wet with affliction. "Not in the way you want, or the way you deserve someone to love you."
"I know."
"And she's romantically involved with Minato-sensei now. They're more suited for each other, more than you two will ever be. You know that right?" she pressed, sharply, desperately. She'd hoped to break him out of his trance but when she met his eyes she realised he wasn't in one.
This was his reality. He was in love with their biology teacher.
Softly, he replied. "I know all of that, Rin."
"And yet you…." She grimaced, biting back her tears.
"And yet I…." he paused, "... am in love with her."
"Does she…." Rin swallowed. "Does she have feelings for you too?" Perhaps not love, maybe a fraction of it? Anything genuine or substantial to show that his feelings were reciprocated.
He shook his head. "No, of course not. Like you said, she's with Minato-san."
"I don't get it," she whispered, shaking her head. "Doesn't it infuriate you that she may be with Minato-sensei right now as we speak? They've probably slept together already. Doesn't that make you feel something?"
Kakashi pulled away from her so he could lean on the countertop beside her. He took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, releasing his pent-up emotions. "It hurts to know she's with another man when I want to be with her. It kills me to know that she doesn't think of me as much as I think of her. It's painful to love her from afar but it doesn't change anything."
"Kakashi…."
"It's not her fault, Rin." He stroked her back in a soothing motion, comforting her the best he could. "How was she supposed to know that I would fall in love with her?"
"I'm sure she knows her effects on men."
"That's not fair, Rin."
Perhaps not. Then again, was it fair for Tsunade to steal the person she has loved her entire life? He has only known her for a few months and yet he claims to be in love, and he professed it without temporising.
"What's not fair is that even after knowing all of this I'm still in love with you." She gazed up at him. "It also hurts to love you, you know?"
Kakashi reached out for her hand and gripped it tightly. With a saddened but sincere smile, he whispered, "I'm sorry for troubling you, Rin."
"How do I stop….?" She didn't want to say it.
"I… don't know. I've been trying to do the same with her without much success."
Did she hear that right?
"You have?"
His eyes were brimmed with tears but they didn't fall. "I don't want to be in love with her. Not like this. Especially when she's with a person I also hold dear."
"So what are you going to do?"
He shrugged. "Nothing. I'll come to terms with it over Christmas break. It'll be fine."
Somehow, she doubted that. While Kakashi was naïve about the effects of love and how it can persist indefinitely she was well acquainted with it. She tried to fall out of love with Kakashi in the past, but her heart continued to sing for him despite her efforts. It's difficult to find peace in unrequited love.
"I won't tell anybody about this," she promised. Even though he didn't ask her, she wanted to reassure him. This was his mess to deal with, and it was reassuring to know nothing was happening between them. He'll have no other choice but to heal.
"Thank you."
Rin stayed in his house for another hour; by then, her half-drank tea was cold. Kakashi had to leave at 9 and despite heading to the same train station Rin decided to take a different route. When she boarded the train she saw Kakashi standing outside with his hands in his pockets. He was going to catch the next train.
She caught his gaze which was soft and warm. It reminded her of the old Kakashi from before his parent's divorce and before Tsunade. The Kakashi she loved and adored. The glimpse of the past only lasted for a second and suddenly she was back in the present, with a Kakashi she hardly understood. The doors slid closed and the train's whistle was blown, indicating their departure. As she slowly moved from the station, she took mental photographs of him seeing her off.
Goodbye, Kakashi.
"Earth to Rin!"
The brunette shrieked when a volleyball was thrust into her face. Hima giggled at her surprise. "You seem to be in your own world for a second. Minato-sensei told me to check up on you."
"M-Minato-sensei?"
"Yep! He's our coach today because Karui-sensei's sprained ankle got worse yesterday." She spoke in an upbeat manner, caring little that their coach was out of commission days before their event. The only thing she had her eyes on was their attractive athletics teacher.
Minato was setting up the net with a handful of other eager girls, flashing that movie-star smile of his when they were successful. Hima swooned at the sight of him whereas Rin cringed. Her teammates couldn't be more transparent.
"Isn't he hot?" Hima whispered with a devilish smirk.
The brunette side-eyed her. "...Don't you have a boyfriend?"
She huffed and folded her arms. "And? It's not like he doesn't do the same thing with our slutty biology teacher." Her snappy tone felt vindictive more than annoyed. A lot of Rin's female peers were frustrated with Tsunade's presence because of how she tantalised all of the male students, including their crushes and boyfriends. They shamed her behind her back out of envy, spreading a lot of unsavoury rumours that degraded her character so they could feel better about themselves.
"Girls, give out these training bibs. After some warm-ups, we're going to have a friendly match."
Hima eagerly skipped towards Minato and took the bibs from him, volunteering to distribute them for him. He lightly patted her on her back as a 'thank you'. It was meant to be casual but she took it as a sign of affection and blushed. When she finally approached Rin, she nudged her. "Did you see that?"
"Hm?"
She motioned to Minato with a tilt of her head. "He was hitting on me."
He really wasn't.
"Oh? I didn't see…."
"Well, it happened and he gave me a wink."
Hima tightened the bow that held her hair up in a ponytail, reapplied her gloss, and pulled her shorts higher. If she wanted to flirt with discretion, she was failing miserably. Not that Hima was the type to flirt discreetly in the first place; she has always exuded unapologetic confidence that made her intoxicating to her peers. She was a mixture of cute and sexy — the dynamic combo boys salivated over. No one could resist her big blue eyes that were reminiscent of sapphire, thick brown locks that were like threads of fine silk, and thin lips that were in a slight pout. Not to mention, Hima swelled in the right places. She could wrap anyone in her pretty little finger without much thought, and that made Rin green with envy because she lived as a quiet wallflower.
That was until Kakashi came along. Suddenly Hima had to rely on euphemisms to catch his attention lest she wanted to be embarrassed in front of her peers. It was well known that Kakashi was impartial to flirtatious advances, and rumours stirred that he was a homosexual or, at least, asexual. Anything that could explain that he was the problem instead of her. The truth was, he disliked Hima and her persistent advances did little to mend her image.
So she settled with the second best in the social hierarchy — the current captain of the basketball team, Hidan. A rich senior in their school with big prospects for the future. Despite his — to put bluntly — shitty personality, it was undeniable that he was the most talented member in the basketball team. A lot of scouts visited his games to gauge his abilities and many left positive comments. His scholarship was secured at this point, and he was going to become someone big in the future. Hima was simply bagging her claim early.
Minato looked at them and paused at Hima. He acknowledged her efforts briefly, somewhat amused, before his attention diverted to the woman who entered the gym.
"Tsunade-sensei!"
He greeted her in a similar upbeat fashion Hima exhibited towards him earlier. His smile was wide, unguarded, and his eyes twinkled in delight. It was clear to Rin that he was positively, stupidly, smitten with Tsunade. The other blonde was more tactful and kept her emotions close to herself. It may have been because she was aware that she was surrounded by a classroom of girls who drooled over Minato, or maybe because she didn't feel a fraction of the emotions Minato had for her.
Hima pointedly glared at Tsunade. "What the hell is that bimbo doing here?"
Tsunade hurriedly strode over to Minato, ushered him into the corner of the gym, and handed him a tray of stopwatches she borrowed for her previous practical class. They conversed for a bit, exchanging cordially, with enough distance to seem platonic. But Minato couldn't fool anyone with his hand placement over hers as he took the tray off her hands, purposefully making contact. He put it aside on the benches and lightly pulled her back as she was about to leave. Rin wished she was closer to eavesdrop.
The euphoric bliss from last night still ran deep in his system and Minato had to keep himself from reaching for Tsunade and continuing onto their fourth round. Just thinking about the rivulets that streamed down her curvaceous body in the shower, as their bodies were intertwined by lust, made him blush. It didn't help that he could still accurately recollect her moans in his mind.
His eyes smoothly passed her golden pair and landed on her perfectly shaped lips before wavering down to her incredible body. He knew what she was wearing underneath her formal attire and how amazing she looked without any of it on. That made him smug, knowing men would beg to see a glimpse of the skin of her shoulder when he has seen all of her numerous times.
But last night felt different from the other nights they hooked up and he was eager to find out if there was anything substantial underneath the surface of their relationship. Tsunade was only supposed to be his temporary fantasy — a woman he desired to bed. They were only supposed to have fun. None of that deep connection nonsense even though he often acted like a guy with multifaceted emotions who just wanted to 'find the one'. Ever since Kushina, he has stopped looking and was only keen to find bodies that will keep him warm at night. A 'self-serving bastard', was what Kakashi called him at one point, though he didn't mean to insult him as it was only a matter of fact.
But as he lost himself in the presence of the blonde, the only thought that ran through his mind was, how can I make her smile? And there wasn't anything self-serving about that.
"Minato?" she addressed him casually out of habit, and her cheeks reddened at the realisation. His mind flashed back to last night again, recalling how she whimpered his name over and over again before she came. He liked that she was unable to maintain their professional boundary because that meant the memories of the hotel lingered in her mind as much as they did in his.
Tsunade continued after pausing. "I can't stay any longer and some of your students are starting to stare."
He blinked, finally registering her bemused expression. "Oh, right. I just wanted to say that I'm staying overtime today because of the boys' incoming Finals. I'm helping Guy-sensei coach them. Will you be okay getting home on your own?"
Tsunade smiled. "Of course."
"Text me when you get home safe."
She wanted to roll her eyes but his concern for her was adorable. "I will."
"Not I will when it's midnight and I suddenly remembered. It's I will as soon as I open the door."
She laughed. "I will as soon as I open the door. I'll even send you a picture."
He had a boyish grin. "Of what?"
"Of my front door," Tsunade deadpanned. She rolled her eyes, smiling at his apparent disappointment. "You're such a pervert. How about this, if I forget, I'll send you something that will definitely make you smile."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mhm." She had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that made Minato smirk. But she quickly moved onto a different topic to diffuse the palpable energy between them. "So, volleyball practice, huh? You're filling in for a lot of teachers today."
He chuckled.
Tsunade looked at the court with fond eyes as if she were reminiscing. Minato remembered her telling him about her time as a serving specialist and then the outside hitter back in high school. He wished he could have seen her back then and basked in her glory as she spiked the ball over the net, stunning her opponents into submission.
With a small smile, she looked away as if the memory suddenly became a painful one to remember. "I won't keep your class anymore, Minato-sensei. Have a fun volleyball practice." She said this loud enough for the class to hear.
"N-No problem. I'll make sure to tell Karui-sensei that you returned her precious stopwatches."
Rin eyed Hima as she grabbed a volleyball without dividing her attention from the blonde duo. Seeing Minato act boyish in front of Tsunade was enough to make Hima seethe with hatred. She wasn't used to having to overextend herself to get someone to notice her, and she was certainly not used to losing to another woman. Surely, she wasn't thinking of….
"She thinks she's so pretty, flirting with him like that. She's not even as beautiful as people say she is. He only likes her 'cause she's easy and desperate and pathetic."
"Why are you so angry with her? So what if they're dating, let them be. It's not like you can date him yourself."
Hima snorted. "I don't want to date Minato-sensei. He's not gonna go anywhere far since he's like a washed-up athlete. He apparently got into an accident a few days before the national competition, and that tanked his career."
She knew too much about him and he wasn't the type to give this sort of information out to his students. That could only mean that she snooped on him. Who would have thought that Hima had a psychotic fixation on their teacher?
"So why do you keep flirting with him?"
"'Cause he's hot and I've always wanted to experience an older guy." Hima said casually, side-stepping away from the ball Shizune accidentally spiked her way. Shizune had one of the weakest spikes in the team, and that wasn't going to change any time soon. Hima smiled at the raven-haired girl who profusely apologised, excusing her miscalculation with false benevolence. Her smile looked pure but her eyes were narrowed into a death glare. She will not excuse her next time.
Hima then turned to Rin. "Aren't you angry at her?"
Baffled, Rin asked, "For what?"
"Stealing Kakashi. C'mon. You've heard the rumours: they made out in her storage room during recess. She's been preying on him since the beginning because he's attractive and popular. And you know how boys are: they're eager to have the 'older woman' experience."
Just as you're eager to have your own 'older experience', Rin wanted to say. Instead of exchanging petty jabs, she stood her ground on what was more important. "That didn't happen," she said, sternly. "Kakashi told me nothing happened between them."
Hima rolled her eyes. "Well, duh, he's not going to snitch! She's getting his dick wet and giving him good grades at the same time. It sounds like a great deal to me!"
"Please don't demean what I have with Tsunade. She means a lot to me. She's helped me more than I can say, Rin."
She reminisced on his words and how desperately he emphasised the nature of their relationship and how it was his fault that he fell in love. Tsunade never coerced him into anything he didn't want to do, positioned him in a situation that was sexual, or manipulated him into loving her. It was just unfortunate that his heart started to skip a beat in her presence.
Hima clicked her tongue, annoyed. "Don't believe me then. But you know deep down it's true. Kakashi's just like the other boys in this school — he fantasises about nailing that bitch just as much as any other guy. But rumour has it that it's not just Kakashi she's targeted; she proposed a three-way with some of the members in the Swim Team."
Such vivid imagination. If only she put that much brain power into her studies.
"Are you talking about Tsunade-sensei?" Another girl asked, inching closer after finishing her warmups.
"Yeah."
"My friends said they caught her with the Headmaster. She was pulling her skirt down after she left his office."
"Really?" Hima gasped, excited to hear more of this baseless gossip. "God, she just humps anything that moves. She's probably sleeping with Asuma's dad so she can keep her job."
The two giggled together and resumed sharing noxious gossip with one another while Rin decided to work on her spikes. The first try lacked power and direction since her purpose of swinging was to seem unperturbed by her companions. That didn't work. The second attempt was better but it skirted just over the net. That wasn't good enough. As she prepared for her third strike, she heard them again.
"Wouldn't it be funny if I pretended to accidentally spike the ball to her face?"
"Stop it," Rin immediately interjected. The sharpness of her tone surprised her as it did Hima. "You're gonna hurt someone."
Hima laughed along with the other girl. "That's the point. I'm tired of looking at her stupid face."
What she meant to say was, I'm tired of being reminded that I do not compare to her. So she may as well ruin what she cannot have. Hima was by no means unattractive; she was one of the popular girls in school because of her style and pretty face. She was pretty but by no means drop-dead beautiful; the sort who entices others to do a second take because the first glimpse wasn't enough to capture their beauty. As much as Rin hated to admit it, Tsunade was the latter — a head-turner. That presented problems as well as opportunities.
"Hima," Rin started, "don't."
"Move away, Nohara!" She growled, shoving the ball at her chest to make her stagger back and lose her footing. That little bit of distance was enough for Hima to get into position and strike the ball towards Tsunade's face as she walked away from Minato. Unlike Shizune, Hima's serves packed a punch.
A powerful thwack echoed.
A/N: This became longer than I initially planned, lol. We're only a couple of chapters away from the end of Part I.
As always, reviews are greatly appreciated (hehe).