Chapter 3

Kakashi was walking in an undulating grassy plain, with no change in the scenery for miles. The grass was thick, green, and waist high. As he strolled with his arms out, he could feel the silky fronds slip through his fingers as they waved in the bright sunlight. The wind blew them from side to side. As far as his eyes could see, they moved almost like waves in a large lake, unrestricted and free. The sky was a brilliant blue.

Where am I?

He looked down at himself and saw that he wasn't wearing his usual mission or training outfit, but something that he had worn when he was much younger. It was from his days at the Academy - dark green tee shirt and dark brown pants that fell just above his ankles. His hitae-ate was also missing.

But as he was feeling for his Konoha headband, he also felt something else that was missing: the scar on his left eye.

He heard laughter and young voices in the distance.

"Kakashi-kun! Over here!"

A boy with black hair and a girl with light brown hair waved cheerfully nearby.

Obito? Rin?

It was his teammates, only much younger.

It struck him that he had not beenreally friends with themduring his early years at the Academy. They were acquaintances in class but even then, he was a loner, and a subject to their playful teasing.

Kakashi also thought that it was strange to see Obito alive. But he died...?

"He's coming!" Rin shouted mischeviously. "Quick, run!"

Kakashi squinted to see why Obito was running away. He noticed something shiny in the dark-haired boy's grasp.

My Father's sword! How did he get that?

Both Obito and Rin were now hiding in the tall grass. He heard Rin giggle, but it was to his far left. Obito had to be closer. Kakashi found it difficult to see or hear clearly. The air was alive with noise: the birds chirping, grass rustling in the wind - he was uncharacteristically tense. He had no idea where he was or what his companions were up to...and though he wasn't afraid, it didn't stop him from being alert.

Suddenly, to his left, he heard a noise that was deliberate, not part of the chaotic sounds of nature around him.

He lunged, attempting to tackle Obito and retrieve his sword. The two boys rolled over and over in the grass, until finally Kakashi came out on top. He had a rare grin on his face, ready to expose Obito's joke. Kakashi pulled his friend's shoulder, turning him over to face him.

Only the boy pinned underneath him wasn't Obito.

It was himself.

Kakashi sat up in bed, panting.

He could still smell the wet grass and feel the breeze on his face. Rin's giggles still echoed in his ear, and Obito's trademark smirk still hadn't faded from his memory.

What...? How could I not notice who the boy was? His hair had been black, hadn't it?

Of course... it was a dream. Dreams are strange that way.

He frowned, confused.

Feeling uneasy,Kakashi got out of bed and went straight to the adjacent bathroom. Running the cold water from the faucet, he splashed it onto his face, effectively washing awaythe haziness brought upon by the poor sleep cycle.

While gazing at himself in the mirror, he shuddered slightly. He saw his own face, unmasked, beneath him in the dream...the same face that returned the unblinking stare in the mirror. Sighing, he turned off the faucet, dried his face, and switched off the glaring bathroom light.

What was the meaning of it?

It was a few seconds before his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of his bedroom, lit only by the full moonlight. His bed, with his twisted sheets and slightly damp pillow, was uninviting.

Maybe some fresh air would clear out this strange nagging feeling. Perhaps being with someone would make me feel better.

The idea to be with someone was too powerful to ignore.

He grabbed his sandals and headed out the door.

Sleep evaded Rin once again.

She had dozed for a little while, but now she was wide awake. There was this feeling, this buzzing, that made her restless.

The uneasiness centered around Kakashi for some reason.

Thinking of him made her wince. The slightly humiliating episode in the forest earlier that day depressed her.

"Rin, it's alright. There was no harm done."

His steady voice rang in her mind. It amazed her how he remained so calm despitefalling almost 30 feet into a pile of forest debris.

"Why...why did you run after me?" she asked softly.

"Because you were running away."

Leave it to Kakashi to be so plain.

They'd walked back to her rowhouse together in silence; Kakashi was impervious as usual as Rin silently berated herself. It was the conversation right before he left her at her front doorstep that was turning over repeatedly in Rin's mind.

"Kakashi, aren't you the least bit...worried about Genma?" she frowned, not wanting to broach the subject.

Her companion had already turned to walk back to the main road. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"He isn't the gossiping type," he said. "I wouldn't worry about him." Then he turned his face forward.

"Rin, I really do care about you."

She saw only the back of his head as he spoke, his voice soft, but it was filled with seriousness.

"I wouldn't have made that promise to Obito if I didn't. If Genma thinks there's something going on between us..."

Rin held her breath, her eyes wide.

"...he really wouldn't be telling a lie."

Then he disappeared.

Rin stared at the ceiling, half lit by the moonlight.

What the hell did that mean?

She put her hands to her face and covered her eyes, feeling the first vestiges of dread at the next time she'd have to see him. Which was tomorrow.

What will I say to him? Will it be awkward from now on? He won't want to be seen with me, not after that.

Bringing her hands back down to her sides, she glanced at the clock. It wouldn't be time to get up for another hour or so. It'd been awhile since she could lie in the comforts of her own bed without having to fear for her life. But feeling the anxiety of another kind running through her nerves wasn't any better.

She turned towards where the light from her window fell into her room. The air usually became stuffy during the summer months, so Rin kept her 3rd story window open at night to circulate the air and keep her room cool.

Expecting to see the moon hanging behind the sheer curtains, Rin was shocked to see there was a figure at her window. She bolted from her bed and stood right by the door, ready for anything. She silently cursed herself for leaving the kunai bag in the kitchen.

As she narrowed her eyes to discern the identity of the intruder, Rin recognized the familiar masked figure of her friend.

"Ka...Kakashi!"

Rin furtively took a quick once-over at herself to make sure she wasn't dressed inappropriately. You just never know...

Kakashi had perched himself precariously on her windowsill. He had walked by her house at night a few times before and noticed her window was usually open during the summer if she was home.

"You're still awake?" He made no explanation at his sudden appearance at 3 o'clock in the morning, as if it were a natural thing for someone to do.

Rin let out a large breath and walked over to the window. By that time, Kakashi had lowered himself to a sitting position, his legs dangling from the window frame.

He also had pulled down his mask.

The moon highlighted Kakashi's natural fairness, but the shadows also contrasted well with the soft angles of his face. Rin caught herself blushed fiercely and was thankful for the semi-darkness.

"Um...what...what are you doing here at this time of night?"

Kakashi said nothing, letting his eyes drift from Rin to the floor of her room. Rin could see his eyelashes moving slowly up and down as he sat in thought. She wasn't sure he even heard her speak to him.

Rin frowned. "Kakashi? What's wrong?"

The silver-haired boy's lashes fluttered up, and Rin was greeted with his odd-eye gaze.

"You've had dreams where you've woken up and feel...troubled, right, Rin?"

He scooted over to the side of the sill, asking her to sit with him and look out at Konoha's clear night sky without saying a word. She readily obliged, still blushing.

"Sure, I've had them."

"Do you think them over, as if they had some kind of hidden meaning?"

Rin decided that watching her legs swing idly below her was less unnerving than watching Kakashi's piercing stare.

"Want to talk about it?" Rin's voice was mixed with curiosity and concern.

He shifted slightly in his position, somewhat hesitant. Her large light brown eyes finally returned his gaze. With some relief and seeing that she was taking him seriously, Kakashi proceeded to tell Rin his dream.

"I was in the middle of a large grassy plain, and you two were there."

Rin raised her eyebrows. "Two? You mean...?"

"Yes," he responded. "Obito was..."

Kakashi didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. The girl looked back at the night sky.

"But in the dream, we were still kids," he continued. "We were starting at the Academy, and you two were teasing me as usual, running around and all."

Rin laughed a little but kept her eyes on the sky. "Oh, I remember. You were such an easy target."

"Really."

"You would get so serious. That's why it was fun."

Kakashi sighed. "Obito had my Father's sword, and I was trying to catch him. When I did..."

When he didn't continue, Rin finally turned to look at her friend expectantly.

"The person that I caught wasn't Obito, Rin, it was me."

Rin blinked. The dream screamed of subconscious overtones.

"You?"

Kakashi nodded wearily.

"The dream was particularly vivid. I could still smell the grass and feel the breeze from the wind and the warmth from the sun."

The two said nothing for a while. The crickets chirped in the distance, and the cart of the trashman clattered on a nearby road.

"The reason why I went after you at Kanabi Bridge was because of Obito...in his eyes, my Father was a hero. And he was the one that went after you...not me..."

Rin listened silently, still watching her feet swing against the stucco of the rowhouse. She really didn't know what had transpired between the two after she was captured, only that something significant had happened and that the two boys had finally met somewhere in the middle.

"I...I suddenly realized...that despite all the supposed flaws I thought Obito had, he was still a greater person than me," Kakashi continued, almost speaking to himself.

Rin's legs froze mid-swing.

"I was supposed to use my knowledge and abilities to lead my team, not to simply further myself. To be jounin and captain of our team meant that you and Obito were my responsibility and my partners, not my burdens." He paused, closing his eyes. "I just don't want to end up like my Father."

At that, Rin finally understood what was bothering the teenager. The dream had forced Kakashi to look his conflicting feelings in the face. Literally.

"That depends how you want to live your life, Kakashi," Rin said, stretching her legs out. "The hardest part of being a shinobi is deciding what you think is most important."

"What I think is most important?"

"Yes. Your Father thought the lives of his companions were important. Unfortunately, he didn't have luck with him, and his decision didn't fare well with the village. His fate was sealed then."

Kakashi said nothing. Rin believed he was deep in thought, finally seeing his Father in a gentler light rather than someone he had despised.

"I believe your Father was a great ninja," Rin ventured quietly. "And you, Kakashi, are his son, and now you have Obito's Sharingan. You've inherited their will because they believed you will be the one to..."

The silver-haired son of Hatake Sakumo stared at her unblinkingly.

"...to...fulfill their dreams."

Her words struck a chord in Kakashi's heart.

"Konoha is strong because we have people like your Father and Obito. Yes, they died, but you can use their dreams to become strong and protect the ones you love."

Rin stared at her hands sitting in her lap. For whatever reason, they were trembling. She never spoke about anything that personal with anyone before. She closed her eyes.

Kakashi, I believe you are already this person...you just have to believe in yourself...

Unexpectedly, Rin felt a hand steadying her own. His fingers were strangely warm and soothing against hers, and she finally opened her eyes to witness his sudden attentiveness.

"Rin..."

If Rin could say so, she had never seen Kakashi's face as relaxed as it was now. Perhaps a burden had been lifted. He seemed to regard her differently and a rare smile appeared on his lips. It occurred to her that she had never really seen him smile without his mask on before.

"...thank you."

A cock crowed in the distance, and Kakashi slowly broke the contact.

"Isn't it time we pay someone a visit?" he remarked, the smile still lingering.

Rin smiled brightly as she hopped down from the sill. "I'll go get the bouquet."

Kakashi watched her go to the fridge to retrieve the flowers.

Her smile...I haven't seen it like that before.

He continued to watch her as she quickly pulled her hair back and put on her sandals.

I'll fight to protect that smile...because I know she loves me. And...I...

"Ready?" Rin held the bouquet against her shoulder, grinning. Her hair, now in a small ponytail, bounced as she reached for the door.

Kakashi pulled his mask up. "Let's go."

Can I love her?

He put his hands in his pockets and decided he would simply enjoy being in her presence for now.

Yeah, this chapter is short. I know.

Ahh, I want to thank leafygirl again for tossing ideas around with me for the next couple of chapters. I CAN'T WAIT

The next chapter should be coming up soon. Thanks again for ya'll who left me reviews!