Chapter 3: Resurrection

He couldn't take it anymore... He had to do something. Anything. This idle state was driving him mad! Kakashi stared out the window listlessly, Naruto's incessant babble creating filler noise in the back of his mind. Sakura merely stood there, head buried in a book she'd been assigned to read by Tsunade – "Investigating Theorems and Analytical Procedures: Guide to the Human Chakra Systems; Volume VII, Ed. X". He hadn't been able to look at her long – sepia locks would involuntarily replace pink; twin wine-tinted tattoos would suddenly stain her cheeks. Everything about Sakura screamed "Rin", and frankly, he couldn't handle seeing that right now.

"I'll be back," the Jounin sighed, hobbling over to the door. It was amazing how annoying crutches could be.

Sakura snapped the monstrous tome shut, her emerald eyes flashing indignantly. "Kakashi-sensei, you know what Tsunade-sama said! You're in no condition to go wandering around, especially after you went out into the cold just an hour ago!" she lectured, waggling a finger at him in reprimand. Kakashi hated this new "more-educated" version of Sakura.

"Oi! Kakashi-sensei, she's right," injected the blonde. "You've gotta get better so we can do some more serious training. This new pansy-ass teacher they replaced you with sucks!"

The Jounin's true eye only stared lazily at his students. "You two don't have to worry. I'll be fine – I just need a bit of fresh air, alright?"

"But you were just out in the fresh air!" protested the pink-haired girl. "How much more do you need?!"

He grinned sheepishly, continuing out into the hall. "Just enough to get lost on the path of life."

His students could only watch in dismay as their sensei left despite the Hokage's orders.

O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O

Damnit. Tsunade was right. Perhaps he had strained himself a little too much...

Kakashi struggled onward, sweat beading onto his flushed skin. It was now that he became thankful for crutches – blessing them for carrying his tired form so far. Without these beautiful wooden sticks (he supposed) the Jounin wouldn't even be able to stand, let alone walk.

Ah, here it was. He could see the clearing just ahead – he was almost there. After the revelation of Rin's survival, Kakashi needed to have a good, long talk with—

He stopped dead in his tracks.

A girl...yes, a girl raised her head slowly, those beautiful sepia irises filled with curiosity and a mild surprise. Her form was bent over the Memorial Stone as if she'd been studying the names, searching for a lost comrade. The mahogany ink still scarred her cheeks – after so long, they still looked the same. Her hair was longer though – he could tell even if she'd tied it back haphazardly. Rin...it was Rin!

The Jounin could only gape at her, cerulean eye boring into her sepia ones. The way she shifted uncomfortably and looked away told him that perhaps he was staring too hard. A dream? Some kind of sick genjutsu? "R-Rin...chan..." he breathed incredulously, starting to hobble forward. It took a few seconds to realize he hadn't gotten anywhere. Were his legs still working?

The girl's surprise increased tenfold. "Sorry...but have we met?" Her voice, it was still so sweet and gentle. It was like the—

Wait.

Go back.

"Rin-chan?" he repeated, staggering a few steps forward. It felt like he was plunging into a dark abyss. The Jounin could hardly see straight. "Stop with the jokes already!!" he wanted to scream. His humor was starting to run short. "It's me: Hatake Kakashi."

Her eyes were lost and confused; she started to back away from him – uncertainty painted on her features like an ugly mask. "I'm sorry, I think there's been a mistake."

Mistake? There'd been a mistake? Kakashi felt that same pain starting to build up in his chest – the same pain he'd felt eleven years ago after her supposed "death".

"Rin! How can you not remember?!" he croaked hoarsely. "You expect me to believe you've forgotten all this after only eleven years?"

The brown eyes grew wider as he continued his broken advance. She was either too shocked or too scared to move. "W-What are you talking about?" she whispered. "Who are you?!"

"We were teammates! Comrades!" He drew closer – they were only a few yards away from each other now. "Friends..."

"You're delusional!" she protested weakly. "I'm not even a kunoichi, so how could we be teammates?!"

Kakashi froze. Did she really not remember? Had she really forgotten all those years together? Those long days of training? Those nights when they'd slept around the fire? Had she forgotten Obito? The tragedy? ...Had she forgotten him?

He reached up and held his head, trying to steady his trembling legs at the same time. It was proving difficult. Was this another nightmare? Yes, it had to be...but why wasn't he waking up? The air...there was no air. "Why...?" he mumbled beneath his mask. "Why did you do it?"

Rin's eyes remained cold and distant, fearful and curious all at once. "Do...what?"

"All of it..." he said brokenly, gazing mournfully into both her eyes with his one. "Why did you do...all of this? Why did you leave the village? Why did you make me think you'd died?! Do you have any idea of what you've done?" His voice grew thunderous and heated – a rare occasion indeed.

If Rin had been frightened before, it was nothing compared to what this angry side of Kakashi brought forth. He watched her tremble violently, tears filling those beautiful, warm eyes he'd ached to see for so long, that gaze he'd craved for so many years...but this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind.

"Rin-chan...I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"T-Tobi-kun..." she whispered hoarsely, interrupting the apology. "Tobi-kun!"

"'Tobi-kun'...?" repeated the silver-haired man. It was now his turn to be confused. "Who...why?"

As if summoned by a blood-contract, said Tobi emerged from the thick brush surrounding this clearing. What an odd sight it was – here came a man, covered from head to foot, and wearing a fiery orange mask with only one eyehole. Kakashi, needless to say, was rather surprised. He dropped the crutches and into a fighting stance instinctively, a sudden rush of adrenaline giving him strength. Who was this man? And why was Rin with him? How were they connected? Was it Tobi who'd erased her memory?!

Kakashi snarled at the thought. If it did happen to be this 'Tobi', Kakashi would ensure a beautifully orchestrated, drawn-out death for him.

"Rin-chan? Is something wrong?" asked the masked figure gently, approaching her side as easily as if they'd known each other for years. He put a gloved hand on her shoulder reassuringly, telling the girl that he was now here to protect her.

Kakashi wanted to murder him. Chop him up into little bits. And feed him to the Ninken - bit by Bloody. Fucking. Bit.

"Tobi-kun..." sighed Rin gratefully. "I'm fine. I just..." The girl gave Kakashi a worried glance before turning her attention back to the Akatsuki. The Jounin was a forgotten memory. Not worth her time. Not worth being remembered.

Tobi cocked his head over to one side in curiousity. "Was this man...bothering you?"

Rin shook her head vigorously. "Ah, no! Not at all, it's just...are you sure I wanted to come here?"

The man nodded. "Indeed you did, Rin-chan. I remember it very clearly."

"A-Alright...um, can we go somewhere else though? I'm..." There it was again. She gave him that same uneasy look – the look that said he was some kind of dog who might attack at any moment.

Kakashi pushed his gathering feelings of despair aside for now. There were more important things to worry about...like this Akatsuki. "I believe I need to see your paperwork, Akatsuki-san." His tone was icy and aloof. Very menacing indeed coming from a Hatake. It plainly suggested, "I want you to die, you fucking bastard"...without all those nasty words.

Rin shifted towards Tobi unconsciously, her hands clutching at his robes in need of security. A low chuckle emitted from behind the mask, though it wasn't menacing. It was merely as if Kakashi had just cracked a very funny joke (though that would be highly improbable). "Eh...paperwork? Erm...Hatake-san, I'm afraid that neither of us have any. Would you be willing to make any exceptions perhaps?"

Kakashi only pulled a kunai in response.

Tobi held up his hands, while Rin gasped in surprise. "Eh, no need to become violent over paperwork, Hatake-san!" protested the Akatsuki.

The silver-haired Jounin narrowed his good eye. So this 'Tobi' knew his name, huh? Well, that wasn't too surprising...he did happen to be in a lot of criminals' bingo books. "You'll need to have a little chat with the ANBU about that. I don't believe I have the authority to grant any exceptions..."

"Not even for Rin-chan?"

"For her, yes. For you, no."

Tobi shook his head sorrowfully. "Ah, well I'm afraid that it won't work then. You see, Rin-chan and I are inseparable. Isn't that right, Rin-chan?"

The girl nodded nervously, watching Kakashi with those frightened eyes that screamed for help – for some kind of sense to be made from this whole screwed-up situation. "Tobi-kun and I will leave together if paperwork is what you require, Hatake-san." Her voice was quiet and demure, just as it had always been. It was soothing music to his tired ears.

"Rin will stay with me. Here. Where she belongs." Kakashi's voice was tense, strained. He figured she wouldn't be pleased with this demand.

He was right. Rin's eyes widened as she clutched desperately for Tobi's arm, begging for his protection. The Akatsuki sighed heavily and prepared to fight. "I'm afraid that that is not an option, Hatake-san. As I said before, Rin-chan and I are inseparable."

An animalistic growl rose from the Jounin's throat. "Then I shall be the one to separate you," he snarled, springing forward with god-like speed. The Akatsuki seemed clumsy, tripping over a rock as he tried to dodge the kunai. Yet, Kakashi knew it was probably a ruse – an act to make him lower his guard. It wouldn't work.

However (much to Kakashi's surprise), Tobi then sidestepped, snatched Rin, and bounded off into the thick underbrush - though not before the Jounin managed to slice open a finger and wipe his blood onto the Akatsuki's cloak. Tobi called out with haunting cheerfulness: "You don't know how protect her, Hatake-san." What the hell was that supposed to mean? Kakashi cursed silently as he contemplated their hasty retreat into the darkness – he was already severely weakened from his fight with Deidara...and now another one? But he knew this was necessary. Rin's life was the one at stake – not his. He had to get her back, no matter what the consequence might be for him. If he could never walk again, then fine. If he could no longer see, then so be it. If he should die, then at least he could die in peace.

Rin was home, and Kakashi wasn't about to let her leave again so easily. "I will bring you back, Rin-chan..." he murmured, pulling a scroll from his weapon's pouch.

"Kuchiyose: Tsuiga no Jutsu!!"

O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O

"Are we safe yet?" came the nervous whisper. "He just attacked you for no reason! This is such a strange village, Tobi-kun...I don't think I like it here. Let's leave now while we can."

Tobi snickered. "Eh, Rin-chan? You scared of that guy?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, a little. He...he just seemed..." Rin searched for the right words. She didn't know what to think of Kakashi at the moment.

The Akatsuki motioned for her silence – something wasn't right. He looked around apprehensively. The silver-haired Jounin couldn't attack them here. Not without being seen or heard somehow. That was the beauty of autumn – dry, dry leaves...everywhere. And pair that with a wide open field? Psh. It'd be hard to come at them unnoticed...unless...

"Rin-chan!! Move!"

The girl obeyed without hesitation, though one could plainly see the confusion written in those warm, brown eyes. She took off running across the dried-out grass. There was a distant rumbling sound...and it was steadily growing louder. It was approaching them more quickly than Death itself, she supposed. Rin suddenly stumbled over a rotten log, hidden from the world by decaying plant matter that fed on it. The girl struggled to her feet and turned to find Tobi...

Surrounded. By...dogs? "What the hell?"

"T-Tobi-kun!!" she screamed in horror, her gentle voice turned shrill and harsh. "Tobi-kun, NO!" She was cut short as something wrapped its arms around her body – crushing, squeezing her so hard she could hardly breathe. So hard that she couldn't escape. "You..." the girl spat at Kakashi.

The Akatsuki seemed to be having a hard time with the Ninken. His clumsiness didn't work well against a highly-trained pack of killing machines. He did, however, manage to hold his own.

The Jounin leaned down to whisper something in Rin's ear, keeping an eye on Tobi at the same time. "I can't let you leave us again," he said. "You need to—OOMF!!" Something collided into his stomach with a force great enough to make him double over. Kakashi kept his grip on her though, his will too strong to merely be beaten away.

"Let go of me!! Let go! Tobi-kun! Tobi-kun!!" she cried in desperation, attempting to wriggle free from Kakashi's not-so-loving embrace.

The Akatsuki answered with a sorrowful, "Rin-chan! Hold on!"

"I'm taking her back to the village. You may follow us if you wish, but the ANBU aren't so friendly with Akatsuki members." Warning given, the Hatake took off...Rin still captive in his embrace.

Tobi cried out in livid frustration. Though he knew the silver-haired man wouldn't hurt Rin physically, he was afraid of what emotional wounds might be reopened. It was a bad idea to have come here in the first place...but this is what she'd asked for. Almost 32 months to the day...this is what she'd begged of him.

"Please, Tobi-kun..."

"Rin-chan, you and I both know—"

"Please! As your friend, I am begging you! I must set my affairs in order before it's too late!"

He couldn't resist those eyes of hers. They'd always been his weakness. "Alright, alright. We'll return to Konoha when your time has passed."

"I'll hold you to that," she'd joked lightly. "'Cuz you know I'll have forgotten until then."

"When you awake, we shall be in Konoha once again. I promise."

Damnit! He'd been planning on actually being with her the entire time! Who knew what was going to happen now that she was alone and it was almost—

Tobi viciously disposed of the dogs now. It was a good thing they were summons – merely poofing away instead of lying there, broken and bleeding from his furious blows. "Rin-chan..." he hissed. "I'll find you. I won't leave you at the mercy of your memories any more..."

O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O

"R-RIN?!" Tsunade leapt from her seat, but didn't get any further than that. "Report, Shinobi! Where have you been?!"

Kakashi winced at this sudden demand. As if Rin weren't already frightened enough...of him. Now she had to worry about a psychotic Hokage questioning her too.

The girl only stared blankly at the Godaime. "Ah, um...I think you've got it all wrong. I'm not a shinobi at all, Hokage-sama!"

"What's wrong with you?" barked Tsunade coldly. "Are you playing games here, or do you seriously not remember?"

Rin looked even more confused, her brow furrowed anxiously. He could see the tremors running across her skin – see the fear in her eyes. "I-I have no idea what any of you are talking about! I'm not the same 'Rin' you're thinking of!"

"Damnit, Rin!" The Hokage slammed her fists down on the desk. "Don't tell me that! You are the Rin that we thought we'd buried eleven years ago, now TELL US THE TRUTH!!"

Kakashi stepped in front of Rin protectively at this point. It was obvious that Tsunade wasn't thinking clearly – the sudden shock of this all was driving her mad as it had done to him. "Hokage-sama, please," he protested calmly, carefully resuming his stoic façade. "Perhaps there is a logical explanation for this. A medical examination might reveal—"

"Fine. We'll 'examine' her and see what the hell went wrong..." snapped the Hokage impatiently. She nodded to a pair of medical nin who'd been restlessly awaiting an opportunity such as this. "Take her to the hospital, Intensive Care Unit. Until we know what's going on, I want her under strict observation. Got it?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama! Right away!" The pair grabbed Rin (though not too harshly) and led her away. The Jounin wanted to offer some kind of comfort, but she was gone before the right words could come.

Their enthusiasm made Kakashi sick. What was Rin to them? Some kind of sick little experiment?

"Hokage-sama, perhaps I could—"

"Forget it, Hatake."

He looked taken aback. "Hokage-sama, please. We were comrades. Perhaps if she saw me for long enough without the stress of—"

"Kakashi!" The blonde narrowed her eyes at him. "Right now, we don't know what the hell's wrong with her. It's obviously Rin, but something's different. I need to know what before anyone's allowed to 'visit' her. Stress can trigger many unpleasant side effects, and God knows she's had more than her share of it already."

He sighed inwardly, his crestfallen expression enough to break one's heart, though it was merely a reflection of his own shattered soul. "Of course, Hokage-sama. Please let me know as soon...as...soon..." Was the room getting darker? Or was it just him? Kakashi felt unusually cold. A very distant "Kakashi? Kakashi?!" reached his ears, but...this tiredness was overwhelming. Perhaps he'd respond after he slept a little...

"Rin-chan..."

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"...Ninjutsu...she...amnesia..."

He could only snatch at fragments of these confusing phrases. "What's going on? Where am I?" Kakashi forced his good eye open, blinding white light forced it shut again. "Ahh...the hospital. How lovely..."

The voice outside suddenly grew angry. "Of course we should tell him!"

"And if he doesn't take it well?"

"How Hatake-san deals with it is his own business, but our responsibility is to report this!"

Eh? Report what? Was something wrong with Rin? The horrible thought jolted him upright in an instant. However, the thunderous pain inside his skull made him think twice about making another sudden movement. How long had he been out? A few hours? A day maybe? A week?

The door suddenly swung open with a loud CREAK.

"Kakashi-san?"

He stared disinterestedly at a rapidly-approaching Hokage plus two apprentices. "Hello, Hokage-sama. Shizune-san. Sakura..." he said tiredly.

"How are you feeling?"

Like shit. "Much better, thank you," he lied through his teeth. "Is there any word on Rin? How is she doing?"

Tsunade motioned for Shizune and Sakura to leave, which they did quite quickly. That couldn't be good...

"Kakashi-san, this might be difficult to hear..."

"Please, for God's sake, woman! Spit it out already!" he hissed silently.

"Rin has always been an extremely intelligent individual... If she'd remained here in Konoha, her medical prowess might have rivaled my own eventually. At only thirteen years of age, Rin had mastered the Shousen no Jutsu – a feat few have ever accomplished. Yet..."

The Jounin raised an eyebrow. "'Yet'...?" he pushed.

"It seems there were a few other jutsu that she'd mastered – justu that no one has ever heard of, let alone performed."

"So...she invented her own techniques?" This was getting stranger by the second. Was that really what she'd been doing all those years? All those years he'd left her alone, Rin had been creating her own jutsu? Fair enough, he himself had invented the Chidori, later revised to Raikiri. But Rin? Never in a thousand years had he expected her to experiment with something so potentially dangerous.

"I believe there were two of them. The first," she held up a forefinger, "staged her suicide. The second," she held up another, "erased her memories."

Kakashi felt dizzy again. "Erased her...memories?" he repeated incredulously. "...forever?"

Tsunade shook her head much to his relief. "Not exactly...though we're not sure what the specific effects of her jutsu are as of yet, I do believe that Rin will return to her old self with time."

Her old self...did he really want that? Did Kakashi really want her to become...miserable? Again? Could he live with himself if that happened? After so many years, she'd finally become happy. She seemed so...young. So innocent. It was the way she was meant to be. The way he wanted her to be.

He reached up and tentatively touched the hitai-ate – ensuring that Obito had been covered properly. It would seem ridiculous if Tsunade saw half a man cry. "Alright," he replied slowly. "Please let me know if anything else comes up."

"I will be sure to keep you updated, but for now, please just concentrate on resting. Rin won't be going anywhere very soon."

"When can I see her?"

The older woman hesitated, obviously taking several things into consideration. "You may see her now for few minutes...if you feel ready."

The Jounin eyed her. "If I 'feel ready'?"

"I'll be honest with you, she really is...different..."

"...how 'different'?"

Tsunade looked at him, her eyes sorrowful. "I'm warning you – don't expect her to be the Rin of eleven years ago, Kakashi. You'll only be disappointed. Sorely disappointed."

He watched as she turned and walked out, heels clacking on the tiled floor. The man clenched his fists slowly, then relaxed them. Did he want to go see her? Was he ready? How he'd dreamed for this day – this moment, but it wasn't the joyous reunion he'd anticipated so hungrily. No, this was far from joyous.

But did it matter? So what if she didn't recognize him? It was still Rin right? ...right? Kakashi rubbed his torso gently – she'd surely left a mark there. The girl had attacked him full-heartedly...this was so screwed up. So, so, so screwed up.

The Jounin sighed and cautiously climbed from his bed. He had to see her again. Just for a moment, even if he wasn't ready to.

O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O

The girl's eyes widened in surprise. Kakashi silently thanked the gods – there was no fear in her expression this time. "Ah, Hatake-san?" she inquired skeptically. "Are you allowed to be here?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. The long trek two floors down had taken its bitter toll on the Jounin. His emotions were proving hard to keep in check while his body remained in a fatigued state.

"Oh, alright. Um..." Rin rubbed tiredly at her forehead. Was something wrong? Did she have a headache? Were they providing her with proper care? Kakashi's weary mind reeled at the doubts filling his skull like a clogged sink filling with dirty water.

She seemed to have noticed this. "Hatake-san? Are you alright? Perhaps you should be resting."

"I'll be fine."

"Oh...right." The girl looked down nervously, fiddling with a loose thread on her blanket. The awkward silence was almost unbearable.

"I'm sorry."

Her sepia irises rose to meet his blue. "For kidnapping me?"

The silver-haired man studied the floor carefully, suddenly finding the tile pattern quiet fascinating. "For scaring you. For yelling at you...for everything."

The girl shrugged. "I'll be fine. I just want the Hokage to finish whatever it is she's doing with me so I can go home."

Home? "But you're home now, Rin-chan."

"No, I live in the River Country," she protested. "I really don't understand why you all think that—"

"Rin!" Her mouth snapped shut. "Listen to me, what did you do to yourself? Why can't you just remember?" His voice was gentle, yet stern – quite akin to the "lecturing" voice he used with his students.

"I don't know!" she cried, growing upset. "I don't know what it is you people want me to remember!!"

Kakashi was suddenly at her side, hand clasped tightly on her shoulder as if she were the last refuge he had to cling to in this life. "Me!" he breathed faintly, desperately. "I need you to remember me..."

It wasn't surprise that filled those eyes now - only heartache. Simple, unadulterated heartache. "I'm trying...but I can't. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." she whispered. He could almost taste the pain in her voice.

"No. I should be sorry." Kakashi released her and limped despondently from the room, shoulders slumped in failure. "It seems I still think only of myself, even after all these years."

The girl watched as his figure retreated from her presence – bewilderment mingling with a long-forgotten anguish that she couldn't quite remember. Why? Why did he want her to remember him so badly? Rin felt a sharp pang rip through her skull, bringing her hands to her forehead in agony. The spasm lasted for almost five minutes – far too long in her opinion. As it finally left her, Rin relaxed her tense muscles, breathing heavily and wiping at the sheen of sweat that covered her skin. They were becoming more frequent.

"That's...the third today..." she panted. It seemed a chronic migraine had taken up residence behind her soft eyes, but these intensive spasms came and went as they pleased. She wished they would stop. Two weeks had passed since the first one came, and that's when Tobi had announced that they'd take a little trip to the Fire Nation. He claimed she'd asked for this a few years back – why couldn't she remember that though? It seemed her whole life was filled with these "holes" which she couldn't quite make sense of. Couldn't quite...remember. Why? Why couldn't she remember?

Tsunade had mentioned something about a jutsu she'd created, but that only seemed ludicrous to Rin. She'd never been a kunoichi – hell, she'd never even attended an Academy...right?

"Ah!" The girl clutched her head again, desperation evident in her pained cry. Again? And so soon? What was going on here? What was wrong with her?! "Ngh...it...hurts..."

"I got you this medical pouch!"

"Minato-sensei!"

"We're training together in Area 27 later today..."

"Our mission is in Rock..."

"Obito-kun!"

"Stop it you two! Can't you quit fighting just for five minutes!?"

"I'm the only one who didn't get you anything...I've finally thought of something...this Sharingan..."

Voices echoed around the room, haunting visions from another's past filled Rin's mind. It was driving her mad. "Stop...STOP IT!!" she shrieked violently, tearing at her soft hair – fingernails raking the sides of her gentle face. The long ugly, scratches stood out as prominently as the rapidly reappearing scar across her throat. Her soft eyes grew wild and frenzied, her breathing harsh and loud. "No..." she whimpered into an empty room. "Not yet..."

"You're unexpectedly stubborn..."

"We came to save you, Rin! It's alright now!"

"It looks like it's over for me...The right side of my body...there's no feeling..."

"No...This...Why..."

"...I'm already...going to die..."

"Kakashi...take care of Rin..."

"I'll look after you for Obito...Because of that, I'll protect you even if I die."

"Obito liked you...loved you...you were important to him...Because of that, I'll protect you through life and death."

"Shut up!! I...No! STOP!!" begged the girl. "Please..."

Mere moments later, a nurse hurried into the room, hearing her desperate pleas. "Rin-san? Is something—" She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of the patient. "R-Rin...san..."

It was too late to reason with her. Rin had risen to her feet and now stood stonily – her face devoid of any emotion, her glassy eyes vacant and empty. Except for the tears. There were rivers of them. They mixed with the blood trickling from her scratches, creating a dancing stream of pain. "It's...too...soon..." she whispered.

"Rin-san! What's wrong? Let me—"

SLAP!

The nurse staggered backwards, holding her face in shock. "W-What was that for?"

Rin's gentle face suddenly contorted – the animosity painfully obvious upon those once pretty features. "Get out!!" she screamed. "Get. OUT!!!"

The frightened woman ran out the door, shouting out for help. Rin smirked. She wanted to scream for help too.

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"Attention all units: please converge at ICU Seven! Repeat. Attention all units: converge at ICU Seven!"

Kakashi stared at the intercom with mild disinterest. ICU Seven? Funny, he'd just come from around there.

Wait.

ICU Seven?

...Rin.

The man tumbled out of bed and onto the cold stone floor. "Rin?" he croaked hoarsely. "Rin!"

A passing medic on her way downstairs paused momentarily outside his door. "Hatake-san, please don't worry. Everything is fine. We have it under control."

As if the gods themselves had been listening in, the intercom suddenly blared: "All medical units, repeat: Get the hell down here!" The voice was desperate. Not exactly a good sign that everything was "under control". She hurriedly shut his door and took off running. What the hell was going on?

And then he heard it. From two floors down, he heard her scream.

It was a strangled cry – the kind you heard on the battlefield. The kind you heard upon killing someone. The kind that could rip your heart in two.

There it was again. Kakashi winced in agony and tugged at his shirt, trying to relieve this pain that was consuming him. Why wouldn't it stop hurting? "Rin-chan..." he groaned, disgusted that he was too weak to go to her. To comfort her. To tell her it'd be alright.

Suddenly his door flew open, slamming against the wall. Kakashi stopped breathing.

Rin stood there, brown eyes dull - filled with pain. Tears. And blood. Blood? Wait. Kakashi blinked twice, his good eye rather unsure of itself. Yes, there was blood, but it was from those marks. What had she done? What had happened down there? The blood and tears were staining her cheeks, covering the tattoos with a fresh coat of ink. Ink that would never wash away.

"Rin?"

His voice snapped her attention to him fully. Until now, she'd merely been staring blankly into his one eye. "Kakashi-san..." she breathed heavily.

"...I want to see Obito."

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:sighs heavily: Well, I'm not exactly happy with this chapter. To explain why would take too much time, so...I won't bother with it. ;P I think I need a beta...volunteers? Anyone... :cue cricket chirping:

Anywho, 'sanku for the lovely reviews!

Lili-Yamamoto: That's a good thing...right? xD

Eldr-Fire: I'm glad you like(d) it so much! And yes, Grave of the Fireflies makes me cry lots too. Very, very sad movie.

SongoftheDarquePhoenix: Haha, thanks. I'm trying, I promise.

Sakra-chan: Hehe, again. I'm flattered. And thanks for the...luck-wishing? I think that's the right word for it... :goes off to look:

icecreamlova: Well, I hope you like it!

Anyways, I'll explain a little more of what happened next chapter, and sorry if this was way long. It's my longest chapter yet (13 friggin' pages)!! Soooo...until then, I'll be feverishly pounding away on my keyboard.

- Hikari