Chapter 6: Promise Me
Kakashi never meant to fall in love with her.
It was something he'd always regretted – all it had ever done was bring them misery. The Jounin couldn't remember exactly how it had happened, or when he'd even warmed up to the girl. What he did remember though, was when he first realized she was much more to him than just a "teammate". Ah yes, it was then wasn't it? That time so long ago...
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"Kakashi-san," she'd said, her small voice nearly lost in that frightful din. They'd taken a humiliating D-rank mission this time, trying to make-up for funds squandered on meaningless supplies bought in the middle of their last exploit. Food, clothing, hygienic commodities...these things ranked highest on Kakashi's list of "worthless items". Shinobi shouldn't care if their physical conditions were shoddy – at least, not when they were on a mission. It seemed they'd spent a bit too much on frivolities this time, and now were forced to assist nurses at Konoha Hospital as consequence. Rin knew what she was doing though. Kakashi didn't.
"What!?" he snapped viciously, tensions running high. This was stupid. Why was he – a prodigy child – performing such meaningless tasks when he should be out there? Helping. Fighting. Killing. All for Konohagakure and the honor of his village.
Rin only reached out and snatched the tray of food from his hands. "You shouldn't be here," she said simply, walking into a patient's room.
"Oh? And why's that?"
The girl paused, then threw him a biting glare – her sepia irises cutting into him like a host of kunai. "You have no idea how to heal people. You'll only do them more damage by being here. Go home."
Kakashi clenched his fists and narrowed his true eye in indignation. The nerve! Who did she think she was? "What did you say?" he hissed dangerously.
Rin ignored him, continuing on her way to deliver lunch to some wounded shinobi. He decided to wait until she reemerged – she wouldn't get away so easily as that. The young Hatake waited...and waited...and waited. Finally, after about fifteen minutes of brooding maliciously in the hall, the boy silently stormed into the room – his dark countenance enough to scare even the toughest of nin. Well, there she was. Just standing there.
"I think you and I need to talk about this, Rin-chan. It was unacceptable and—" He paused, noticing that Rin was still ignoring him. Gah! He wanted to tear his hair out, but only hardened his gaze in response to her aloof behavior. "Fine. If you insist on being so childish then I suppose there's nothing left to talk about." But before he could turn his back and leave, Kakashi received a disturbing surprise.
Her knees buckled suddenly; her entire frame came crashing down onto the cold, tiled floor – a demolished building sinking to the ground in despair. Kakashi only stared in shock as she crumpled into a loose ball. "R-Rin-chan..."
The boy was at her side now, gingerly adjusting her body into his arms. What the hell had just happened? She was fine just a little bit ago. Why had she suddenly crashed like this?
A nurse hurried in, her troubled expression refusing to offer comfort of any sort. It only bred more worry in its wake. "Ah, poor thing!" she exclaimed, bending down to run a hand through Rin's soft brown hair. Kakashi wanted to slap it away, but stoically refrained. "Again? Doesn't she ever learn?"
"Learn what? What's going on here?" he demanded, pulling his teammate closer to him – afraid that something might have happened. Something that he could have prevented.
The nurse only shook her head as she straightened up. "Rin has been here day and night for the past week. Ever since you returned from that last mission of yours, this girl has been here – healing the wounded. It's depleted her entire chakra reserve. If she doesn't stop, she'll die – so please. Talk some sense into her, alright? Please, Hatake-san? She refuses to listen to us."
He nodded absently, returning his gaze to Rin's tired face. Upon remembering this whole scene, Kakashi noted that there were, in fact, red splotches near her eyes. They were the horrible marks of her bloody tears, weren't they? The Jounin held her close to him – not exactly knowing why either – until she came to. Rin blinked twice, trying to remember how exactly she'd ended up in Kakashi's arms. Her teammate smiled a little underneath his mask, all irritation and anger diluted into nonexistence. The small amount of time he'd spent worrying over her had made those other feelings seem so trivial and insignificant now. Rin was okay and that's all that mattered.
"Kakashi-san?"
He stared hard at her. "What were you doing?" he asked. "Why'd you just pass out like that?"
"I just wanted to ease his—"
"You're going to kill yourself you know. You need to stop it."
"Stop helping people!?" she cried incredulously. "That's ridiculous!"
"Did I mention, you're killing yourself?" His voice was icy, but it was for her own good. Rin needed to hear this.
However, the girl didn't seem to see things his way. "If I can save just one person using my life as a sacrifice – it'll be enough. I'll be satisfied."
The young Jounin snorted in response. Ridiculous. The very idea of it... He watched Rin shake her head and smile sadly, wondering why. The young girl closed her eyes and (much to his shock) suddenly embraced Kakashi. Her arms wrapped awkwardly around his lanky frame, her nose buried itself into a sensitive crevice between his neck and collar bone. Kakashi squirmed at the sudden touch – it felt so...strange. The only touches he'd known were those meant to kill. But this...this was so much different. It felt so good...he was sure it must be sinful. However, Rin took his movement as disgust and instantly released him. "Sorry, Kakashi-san. I just needed one. Let's keep it a secret 'tween you and me though, ne? " The girl stood up and brushed off her outer robe. Her teammate was still a little speechless – his mouth was unpleasantly dry for some reason. Kakashi was sure she could see him blushing, even underneath that mask of his. Rin smiled again. "Kakashi-san, I know you promised Obito-kun, but..." She took a few steps towards the door. "It can't last forever. There will be a day, a time, a moment that I can't be protected. I don't want you to blame yourself for it, so please. Stop trying so hard now. Alright?"
He turned away. No. He wouldn't accept this – he wouldn't accept that he would fail at protecting her. He'd fail at keeping his promise. "You're wrong," he said. "I will always protect you. No matter what."
She said nothing as she walked out the door, but paused just before disappearing from his sight. "How can you protect something..." she asked, "When all you know is how to destroy it?"
Kakashi then watched her withdraw in silence. What a strange question that was. It didn't have anything to do with whether or not he could protect her, right? But still...he couldn't deny that something about all of this was bothering him. Strange.
The Jounin didn't see Rin at all for several days following. Also strange. Why? Was she purposefully avoiding him? Or perhaps she'd been working her fingers to the bone at the hospital? Either way, he wanted to see her again. This growing feeling of unease was severely compromising his ability to train properly. It had to stop. So, Kakashi decided on stopping by her apartment – if that's what it could really be called. It was more of a room with a shower and toilet thrown into a large closet. He wondered how she could stand the confinement of it all. He was wondering about a lot of things these days actually. It was getting most tiresome to tell the truth.
Rin answered the door, her surprise rather evident in those doe-brown eyes – yet, she only said "Good afternoon, Kakashi-san. I didn't expect to find you at my doorstep. Is there something you need?"
He nodded awkwardly, rather unsure of why he was here himself. "You missed training for the past few days. Are you well?" he asked hurriedly, making up an excuse to be standing here.
His teammate nodded unsurely. She wasn't sure whether or not this was some kind of joke or ridiculous training session. "Eh, yes...I've just been...busy. At the hospital."
Kakashi glared at her. "I thought I told you to stop."
"And I told you that's ridiculous. Now, did you come here to lecture me or was there something else you needed?"
The boy looked away. "No," he said sullenly. "I guess I just don't understand why you insist on doing this. Are you trying to make me break the promise?"
Kakashi instantly regretted those words – her hurt expression was enough to make him inwardly cringe. "No...of course not. I'd never do something so wretched."
"Rin-chan, I'm sorry. Don't take it so harshly. I didn't mean it like that."
She smiled. "Yes, you did. But that's alright I suppose. Kakashi-san, I'm just trying to help people stop hurting. That's all."
"Stop hurting?"
"Yes. Even if I can only help them stop hurting on the outside, at least they can then focus on healing inside, right?"
"That's absurd," he scoffed.
Rin nodded. "Perhaps. But I want to believe I can do something, alright? I feel like I'm contributing, if even a little bit, to the war effort. Just let me live in ignorance – just a little while longer. Please, Kakashi-san?"
The Jounin shrugged indifferently, though he knew he was anything but indifferent. "Fine. Whatever..."
Her smile was strangely ominous that night (or so he thought). For some reason, it was almost spectral. "You know, one day I'll find out how to do it."
He raised a silver eyebrow warily. "Do what?" came the suspicious inquiry.
"Fix us, silly!" she laughed lightly, though he could tell it had been forced. "I'll fix us both, ne?"
Kakashi only stared blankly at his teammate. She wanted to...fix him? Why? Was something wrong with him? He hadn't been able to tell. "Fix...us?" he mumbled, his voice lost and a little confused. It was rare that he was at such a loss for words – her proposal had caught him completely off guard this time.
His surprise increased tenfold as Rin smiled a little and reached up to gently lay her hand on his face, her small fingers running across his lips and cheek in a quiet caress. The feather soft touches made him shiver involuntarily – almost like the embrace they'd shared ages ago. "Yes..." she whispered. "Because we're both broken, aren't we?"
"Rin-chan..."
The girl backed away from him suddenly – the light in her soft eyes faded slightly. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Kakashi-san. But please, don't. You must focus only on your missions," she murmured, her eyes resting on the spot where she knew a fresh tattoo lay. "You have no idea how much I worry already..."
"About me?" he asked softly, wondering if she was going to touch him again. He could tell she wanted to by the look in her eyes. Maybe Rin would break down and suddenly embrace him once more. Secretly, he wished she would – the human contact was rather addicting oddly enough.
Rin smirked. "Perhaps," she replied coyly. "The amount I worry more than compensates for both of us, so just relax. I won't kill myself."
He eyed her unsurely, not sure whether or not to believe her. Her voice wasn't exactly convincing just then and it made him wonder.
"Kakashi-san, really. I promise, alright? If I wasn't around, who'd fix those shoddy healing jobs the ANBU medics perform on you?"
The young Hatake smiled a little underneath his mask, wondering if she could tell – Rin had always been able to read his emotions with uncanny accuracy. The kunoichi had once told him that it was his eyes that always gave him away. They smiled for the rest of his face she'd said, so there was no need to see what lay underneath the mask. That was all "extra stuff". At the time, he'd thought she was just rambling again...or perhaps had suffered a concussion. Now, he firmly believed there wasn't a more beautiful way to put it. Kakashi looked into her soft brown eyes with his steely blue. He said nothing in response to the question she'd put forth, but looking back on it now he wished he'd have told her what he really wanted to say. "I miss you, Rin-chan. I wish you were our medic – you were always the best at knowing how to fix us...Obito and I..."
Rin shifted uncomfortably, his gaze almost intimidating her. After all, it was still hard to look at him. The incident was only two years past, and this was something Rin couldn't heal with her ninjutsu. This time, she had to heal the ordinary way. The ANBU noticed that it was slow going – much slower than his healing had been. But he hadn't mended properly at all. Kakashi was a bone left to heal without a cast. But no. He wouldn't bring this up to her. Her soft voice tore him away from these musings just then; the demure notes betrayed no hint of injury. "Kakashi-san?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For visiting me. It means a lot."
Kakashi snorted and crossed his arms, head turned away from her defiantly. "I told you – I'm concerned about you missing training. You're already lagging behind and can't afford to miss any more." His voice turned curt and unapproachable despite the warmth he'd felt towards her just now. It was a last defense against these nuisances they called "emotion".
His teammate nodded softly. "Yes, I know. But I'm still grateful."
The boy shrugged off the thank you and turned to go, her soft sigh and the CLICK of her door shutting his only goodbye. He wished he didn't treat her so inhumanely, but at times...he didn't know what else to do. This is how he'd always been, and it's how he'd always be. But still...she was the only one he had regrets about. The only one he cared about. The only one he'd protect with his life. Rin would be the only girl he could ever truly care for. Perhaps it had something to do with all they'd been through already, or maybe because she was the only one who was just as broken as he was. Maybe...maybe...maybe...He didn't really know why, but something inside made him feel oddly protective of the girl. He felt perhaps overprotective, but as long as she was safe...it didn't matter. It was for her own good, right?
"It means a lot."
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck tiredly as he ambled down the street. "Perhaps..." he thought. "I'll go visit her again tomorrow. Just to make sure she's going to train. Yes. Train...that's all."
So he did. Bright and early – just-after-dawn early, actually. Yet, much to his dismay, the young kunoichi had already risen and left the small apartment. Damnit. Where could she have gone? Well, he had his suspicions, but... Kakashi shrugged. Eh, why not? It wouldn't hurt to check, so off he went. Off to the Memorial Stone.
But she wasn't there.
The ANBU began to grow irritated. Could she really be at the hospital already? "Damnit, Rin..." he cursed, taking off once more. He was almost there when something stopped him. The boy skidded to a halt on a tiled rooftop, his blue eye zeroing in on a little group not too far away. Could it be...was that...?
Rin stood there – surrounded by a pack of blood-thirsty Uchihas. It was like watching wolves encircling a lamb, the Sharingan in their vengeful eyes – jewels from the very pits of Hell itself.
"Bitch!" one spat in her face, giving her a little shove on the forehead. "Think you can walk around like nothing's wrong? Think we'd forget about what you did to Obito?"
"You should have been the one to die," another chimed in mercilessly. "If you hadn't been such an idiot, he'd still be here. Today's his birthday, ya' know. But guess what? He's not here to celebrate it. Know why?"
She nodded miserably.
"Oh. We're not good enough for words? Answer me, you little whore!!" yelled another in her ear. Kakashi saw her flinch, but it wasn't in fear.
"Because he's gone."
"Nope. Wrong answer." The first slapped her hard across the face, making the girl stagger back against a building wall. "Try again."
"Because...I...it's my fault."
"Say it. Say: 'I killed Obito'."
Rin bowed her head, her body trembling violently. Kakashi had had enough. The ANBU leapt down from the roof, earning himself a volley of vicious glares from the "noble clan" members. "I have no qualms about killing whoever touches Rin-chan. Let's see...I think that applies to all of you," he said tonelessly. They exchanged troubled looks amongst themselves, backing away slowly the entire time.
"Fine. But it doesn't change the fact that you two killed him! Murderers!" one shouted as they retreated down the street. And then they were gone.
Kakashi muttered curses at them under his breath, wishing death upon them all in the most horrible of fashions. But then something stopped him. The boy turned around to find Rin standing there, forehead pressed against the hard wall, one hand clawing desperately at the stone. The other was clutching her stomach – was she sick? Her face was hidden by her mass of hair, so he couldn't tell what exactly was going through her mind.
"Rin-chan, you shouldn't listen to them. They're ignorant cowards who find ganging up on girls acceptable."
No answer.
"Rin-chan?"
Her shoulders were shaking. Could she be crying?
"Rin..."
She ran. The girl turned away from Kakashi and ran as fast and hard as she could, needing to get away from him. From them. From everything. Rin ran straight to Obito, though she knew Kakashi was right on her heels. But she wouldn't stop. No. She couldn't. He'd lecture her about being weak – about not standing up for herself, and right now a lecture was the last thing she needed. "Let me be, Kakashi!" the kunoichi shouted over her shoulder.
The boy remained silent, focusing only on recapturing his comrade.
Rin knew she couldn't keep this up for long. Her chakra was already dangerously low from healing patients, and every step hurt her more and more. Besides - Kakashi was much faster even wounded than she was at full strength. It was a wonder he hadn't caught her already. Rin turned, her mouth open to yell something at him again, but only gasped as he suddenly crashed into her – arms open wide in some kind of morbid embrace. They tumbled onto the ground, an awkward bundle of tangled arms and legs and various other limbs. Kakashi ended up half-way across her stomach with one arm flung haphazardly across her shoulders. Very advantageous indeed. The boy quickly recovered his position so she was pinned to the ground, though he could tell she lacked the will to fight much more.
"What are you doing?" he hissed loudly into her face.
Rin flinched at his harshness, but seemed to be at a loss for words. "I...don't...know..." she finally stammered out. "I just...I..."
"Running isn't the answer to everything. It only makes you look—"
"Weak? Yes, I know. I know full well I'm weak, alright?! Are you going to make me say it too then, Kakashi?"
Rin's bitterness and anger surprised her teammate. It was rare she lashed out at someone... "Say what?" he asked. Then it dawned on him.
"I did it. I killed Obito! It was me, alright? If I had noticed that genjutsu earlier..." Her voice was breaking now. "If I had been just a little bit stronger..." She was struggling to hold back her tears. "If I hadn't been so weak..." Rin trembled as she choked back sobs. "Obito-kun...he might still be here..."
Kakashi's eye fell. "No," he murmured. "It's not your fault, Rin-chan..." Damn his big mouth. Why the hell couldn't he just keep it shut sometimes? The pained figure beneath him was demanding comfort now. He should give it without hesitation, but something was stopping him. The young man got off Rin, his good eye averted in embarrassment. So what was he supposed to do? Hold her? As if sensing the bewilderment swirling around in his head, Rin forced the tears back and smiled for him – just to make sure he didn't feel like he had to comfort her. Kakashi felt like even more of an asshole because of it. She was trying to placate him when it should be the other way around... But she'd always been that way. Rin had always denied herself for the sake of others – but especially for him and for Obito. But now that Obito was...
"Kakashi-san? I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
He mumbled something under his breath, making a few piss-poor excuses. "Sorry," he finally managed to say.
Rin smiled again. "It's fine. You have nothing to be sorry for, okay?" She stood and brushed off her clothes. "I should be getting to the hospital. I'm terribly late for my next shift already..."
"Rin-chan?"
She paused and eyed him curiously. "Yes?"
"I...think I..."
The girl looked confused. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "No. But, I want you to know that I...I..."
"Yes...?"
"I want you to keep up the good work at the hospital. It really helps them out you know."
Rin's face fell slightly, as if she'd been hoping for something else. "Thank you, Kakashi-san. I will definitely try my best."
He nodded silently – a stony countenance the only thing he could offer her right now. The young Hatake observed as she then slowly headed off towards the hospital. She walked stiffly, mechanically. Maybe he should have tried a little harder... Then he saw it. Yes, it was definitely there. Rin shuddered, wiping fiercely at what he supposed were her eyes. So...she was crying again? He thought she'd grown out of it, but it seemed she had lapses every so often.
Kakashi knew full well what she'd wanted him to say.
She wanted his love.
His comfort.
His heart.
But Kakashi couldn't do it. He couldn't give it to her yet. Rin was something so pure, so gentle, so loving...and he was a monster. An ANBU. A killer...a murderer. He slaughtered men, women, and children too young to leave their mothers. And he did it without hesitation. Rin was right. How could he truly protect her, truly care for her, when all he'd learned was how to kill? Did he remember how to love? Kakashi had barely greeted his fifth year when he happened upon Sakumo's bloody corpse. And his mother...he barely remembered the woman. What was love? Was this feeling he had for Rin...was it love? Kakashi had no idea. But one thing he did know...
He wanted to protect her. Forever. He wanted to be her only keeper. She was his. His to protect. To watch. To care for. Rin belonged to Kakashi and no one would ever take her from him – not as long as he was alive at least.
"Yes," he supposed. "This could be...love."
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"Kakashi-san?"
"Mm-hm?"
"Kakashi..."
The man detested the very idea of moving. This warmth...it was so cozy and deliciously soft. Had he died and gone to Heaven? Was he buried in a clouds made of sunlight? That must be what it was...
"Kakashi...I can't breathe."
Was that Rin's voice? Ah, he must be in Heaven.
"Really. I'm not joking...Wake up."
The Jounin frowned beneath his mask, finally moving himself off her stomach – muttering curses the entire time. However, it was still early and he was determined to get more sleep. Rin was too shocked to protest when Kakashi then buried his head in her shoulder, his breathing slow and steady. Yes, she knew for sure now, he was most definitely asleep again. At least he wasn't crushing her diaphragm though...
"Kakashi-san..." she murmured, more amused than annoyed at this point. "You're still so bad at mornings, aren't you?"
He haphazardly wrapped an arm around her shoulders in response, attempting to reclaim some of the warmth he'd lost during the big move.
Rin sighed and closed her eyes. This wasn't exactly the first thing she wanted to wake up to – a senseless Kakashi sprawled across her bed, head buried in her stomach which in turn compromised her ability to breathe properly. And besides...this closeness wasn't exactly the best thing for either of them. It might end awkwardly just as it always had. "Why are you here?" the girl wondered aloud. "Don't you have students waiting for you?"
He sighed into her hair quite suddenly, making Rin question if he was really asleep or not. "Rin-chan..."
The girl flinched. Was he sleep-talking? Since when had he taken up that habit? Kakashi gently tightened his embrace, nuzzling his face deeper into her silken crown. So soft...
"I love you..." he told her thoughtlessly. "Stay with me."
Rin nearly choked on her own spit. "No...No, you don't, Kakashi-san," she reasoned gently, as if with a delusional child. It was taking every fiber of self-control in her body to stay calm. She didn't want to hear this. Not now.
His true eye opened to half-mast, though it was still clouded over with want of sleep. "But I do."
She shook her head desperately. "No. You don't. Don't say things you don't mean, Kakashi. Now, go back to sleep."
His eye closed obediently, yet he murmured, "I'm sorry, Rin-chan...for everything..." And then he was out.
His former teammate squinted, then closed her eyes. If they were shut, the pain couldn't leak out – at least, that's what she hoped. Rin wanted to scream so badly right now. So, so badly! Why now? Why tell her this now? Why would he do such a thing? Did he know how badly it hurt to hear this? Did he know how long she ached to hear those three little words...only to be denied over and over and over again? Did he know how much torment she was going through right now – knowing that she was doomed though she'd finally found what she'd wanted? Did he know?
"Bastard..." Rin whispered. "You are such a bastard..."
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Was it raining?
Kakashi was sure he felt raindrops...but it was so warm... No, this couldn't be rain. What was it then?
The Jounin slowly opened his eye, suddenly shocked and confused as to why he was holding Rin like this. He jumped away, muttering apologies under his breath until he noticed...she was crying. Not blood this time, but tears. Actual tears. "Rin-chan?" he murmured tentatively. "I'm sorry, really. Did I hurt you?"
She smirked, keeping her eyes shut despite the fact that she was already weeping. Despite the fact that pieces of her soul had already started to fall away. "Just a little..." she whispered.
Kakashi glanced over at the clock. Only one hour left? "How long have you been awake?" he demanded hoarsely, finding that he couldn't get the words out fast enough.
"Almost twenty minutes or so. I'm not really sure. Does it matter?"
"Rin-chan, there's something I have to tell you..." he began now, working up enough courage to finally spit out those three words he'd never been able to say. Why was it that he could go out and face an Akatsuki without flinching, yet now he was practically frightened to admit his love to Rin?
Rin stopped him. "No. I don't want to hear it again," she said brokenly. "Please don't."
"But, how do you know—"
"You told me already. Just now. In your sleep." The girl took a deep breath and let her eyes flutter open, the tears dusting her eyelashes like crystalline powder. "How could you say that to me...how could you say that to me now?"
"But...Rin..."
"Couldn't you have told me then? When I hadn't done...all this?! When I wasn't on the brink of death? Why now, Kakashi? Why?!" she sobbed, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. "Why couldn't you have told me then?!"
The man's head hung low, his eye focused intently on the floor at his feet. She was right. Why? Why hadn't he done it sooner? "I wanted you to know..." came the troubled reply. "Before it was too late."
Rin wiped at her face harshly, demanding that her tears stop flowing. "And you don't think it's already too late?"
The Hatake shook his head a little. "You'll probably forget about everything, forget about me, about us...so why not? I want you to know that I'm not completely heartless before you..." He couldn't say the last word.
The girl slowly looked over at him – her brown eyes struggling to focus through the tears. "Are you patronizing me, Kakashi? Are you telling me what I want to hear because you pity me?"
He shook his head again, struggling to maintain a cool persona. It was proving to be most difficult.
Rin only stared at him. Was she trying to determine if he was telling the truth? "Look at me, Kakashi," she quietly demanded. "Let me see your eye."
The man obeyed and lifted his true eye to meet both of hers. The sorrow between the two was almost excruciating, but no more tears fell. That's right – she'd said something about his eyes once. Rin studied him intently, analyzing every detail in his face. Could she believe him? Could she accept his love?
"Your eye always gives you away, you know?"
Ah yes, that's what she'd said – wait. Kakashi snapped his attention back to the present. Oh, she'd said that just now. "Does it?" he asked her softly.
Rin smiled that broken smile of hers – how it tore him apart to see it! "Yes..." she told him. "I think I'll have to explain it to you sometime."
The man's heart skipped a beat, but overcompensated for it by pounding twice as fast now. Did he just hear her right? "It seems complicated – it might take you a while."
The girl nodded. "I know. I guess I'll have to stay here until you understand then...if that's alright."
Kakashi reached out his hand, which she accepted gently with her own. "It's more than fine..." he whispered. "I'll take care of you until then, alright?"
"Fine..." she sighed, the troubled look fading away slightly. "Just promise me one thing."
"Anything."
Rin looked at him, her eyes dark and serious. "After I'm done teaching you, you mustn't cry. Alright?"
He stared hard at the girl, not sure whether or not he could keep that promise. "I...don't..."
"Promise me."
He ran a hair through his silver mane. Damn. This was going to be a hard one, wasn't it? "I promise," he murmured.
Rin smiled and laid her head back down on the pillow, while Kakashi stole a glance at the clock. Forty-three minutes left.
And Obito was coming.
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Thanks so much, guys!
Mojo817: Haha, thanks! I appreciate the kindness!
Eldr-Fire: Aww, 'sanku! Your comments are always lovely to read. You're too nice. xD
Sakra-chan: Whahahaha! Yes! Thanks for the technological coaching! And I totally loved having you beta this chapter for me. Thank you (x a million)!! And I'm totally sure you can write like me – your writing is really great! Heck, I'm sure it's way better than mine, so don't say stuff like that! TT.TT
Ljusets Korsriddare: Ohoho...you'll just have to wait and find out... xD
Anyways, this chapter was more fluff than it was angst, but no worries. I've got the ending all figured out now. It'll be good...I hope. So, thanks again for reading/reviewing and I hope the confession wasn't too cheesy. I'm not particularly gifted when it comes to writing those sorts of things. Eh...whatever. xP
- Hikari
PS – the entire "middle part" was a series of flashbacks, but I didn't want to put most of the chapter in italics. I find it annoying quite honestly when there's a ton of text in italics or bold-face. Like now. Ahahaha...oh well...