Chapter 2 - 暗潮 (Hidden Tides)

Time was, no doubt, one of the most powerful things in existence.

Ironically, or perhaps she should say, unironically, it was time - an ample amount of time that taught her that.

Time brought information without any regard, pushed everything to continue moving, and forced one to never stop thinking. Given a little more time, what remained a fog of confusion in her brain started to be cleared as overlooked pieces began to resurface.

This world was either very wrong or very different. Either way, it seems like she was in very deep trouble.

The weather looked to be in the middle of an early Spring. The coldness of the water seeped into her bones as if it could freeze her veins. Despite that, she swiped up a handful of water and doused her head in the chilling cold. Carefully, she scrubbed away the dried blood that was plastered on her face.

… Scarlet. Crimson. Red. The vivid colour graced her eyes as she dropped her gaze and saw the hand that pulled out of her chest, accompanied by the splash of blood like a shake of the paintbrush …

Meanwhile, her glance rested on the jacket that she hung on the branch, waiting to be dried. She let out a sigh. The blood stains were easy enough to wash off, but the giant holes in her clothes - both the damp T-shirt she was wearing and the jacket she just washed, completed with blackened rims characteristic of scorch marks - were not so easily mended.

… Silver. Ice blue. White. Streams of electricity bounced in the air, sizzling around the blood-drenched arm, connecting the retracting fist with the bloodied cave in her ribcage …

It wasn't just a problem with prudence - but god knows the rules that this place has towards public indecency - but also the fact that anyone with half a brain cell would realize that she had gone through something violent. Then, the question inevitably arrived at why she had not suffered any damage.

… Shocked. Surprised. Stunned. The last thing she saw when she struggled to look up - devoid of the strength to speak, and soon would be devoid of the strength to see, to move, to breathe - was the equally disbelieving expression on the face of her murderer …

Giving the jacket a harsh wring, she wrapped it around her torso and tied it like a scarf, hiding the exposed skin with another layer of wrinkly fabric. She would still look weird, but it was already the best she could do.

Beyond the thick crowns of trees, barely peeking out in between the clusters of leaves that layered upon each other, were wisps of smoke that floated toward the sky.

She was lucky, it seemed, to have picked a direction that led to human inhabitation.

Human … Her steps picked up again, making her way towards the settlement in the distance, but her mind was once again occupied by the boy with lightning on his fist.

See, that was the problem. In her world, humans did not produce lightning from their bodies that could impale flesh and crush bones. In fact, no living creature could harvest energy to that extent, not after the Cataclysm two thousand years ago. No creature, other than her race.

That was also a decree by Heaven.

Other than the supernatural power that was the cause of her temporary demise, there were also the little anachronistic details lying around on the battlefield, making it difficult - if not impossible - for her to place herself in a known period of time.

Where was she? Who were they? Were there more of them that had broken the restriction of Heaven like that boy? If so, then what happened to Heaven's presence? …

And where would she - a creature shaped, blessed, and condemned by Heaven - fall?

The fallen branch cracked under her feet as she stood on top of the small hill, observing the village underneath. The streams of smoke had become much more visible, enough for her to see that it wasn't the kitchen that was the source of fumes, but rather, the bodies that lay at the village gate.

One, maybe two. Not enough to be visually traumatic. The bitter, pungent scents of herbs being burned at the sides made the smell of burned flesh much less prominent. She saw a man who was sobbing quietly, his shoulders rising and dropping with his breaths. Another man tapped him on the back before the former threw another bundle of dried-up leaves into the fire.

There was a moment where she hesitated, wondering if it was the best idea to intrude upon this human territory, one that seemed tightly knitted and had just been graced by death. Warring states also made people wary of strangers, for the right reasons, of course.

To be honest, the modern clothes she was wearing resembled more of the dead fighters on the battlefield than the villagers. Thus, she figured that the first order of business was to procure a set of clothes that was more appropriate and less defining. After that, she could get farther from the recent battlefield, perhaps even finding a new habitation - a larger town where the existence of travellers and strangers was more common - to learn about this world.

There was no euphemism for what she was about to do. It was morally questionable, but she was going to steal some garments.

She waited until the funerary fire was quenched before she made her way down the hill and approached the village from the back. The night had already fallen, leaving behind a veil of darkness that shrouded the small village.

Nobody noticed the figure that flipped over the village wall. The herbal scent that was being burnt earlier in the day still lingered in the air, and it even grew stronger as she stepped into the backyard of a particular house.

Loose fabrics hung from the clothesline, swaying lightly to the night breeze. It wasn't until she had reached out to the yukata and felt the crude texture of the fabric that she realized why the herbal scent was more pungent here.

It was coming from the fabric. Someone had soaked the clothes in the water boiled with herbs - a time-consuming process - and cleansed the fabric with care. And this scent … It was Asian mugwort, a herb traditionally used to prevent and treat infections, or more commonly known in the past as miasma and impurities.

She felt the guilt swelling in her chest as she grabbed the clothes. Whoever washed it had no doubt put much effort and care into the treatment of the garment, doing everything they could to ensure protection for the wearer against the spreading sickness that was prevalent in the era of conflict.

A sudden noise broke her out of her thoughts. A door was swung open, tipping over the basket of mugwort leaves. In a moment of panic, she took a step back and dragged the clothes with her, pulling them off of the clothesline while wooden clips popped open and hit the ground.

The yukata spread out with the motion and fell around her body, covering her left shoulder and half of her torso. For a second, all she could hear was the sound of rushed breathing, not hers, but from the woman that had stepped into the backyard, with a long stick in her hands, pointing towards the thief.

The moonlight cast just enough glows to outline the figures in the scene, allowing the woman to examine the thief below the clothesline.

The thief, on the other hand, halted her breaths and tensed her body, ready to bolt at any moment - with the stolen garment. Actually, now that she thought about it, she should have turned around and run before the staring contest even began. It was a slow reaction on her part.

"Are you … alright?" The thief already had her toes dug into the dirt ground as a premonition of her escape, but the quiet words from the woman made her pause.

Sure, she most definitely looked like crap right now, but that was not what she expected to hear when she was caught red-handed with burglary while looking every bit suspicious. Time and time again, humans managed to remind her of their unpredictability, when she least expected it.

Slowly, she answered with a nod. It probably wasn't very convincing.

The woman stared at the thief for a second longer, taking in her reserved silence, her messy appearance, and the garment clutched in her hand, which she still hadn't and wasn't planning to let go of.

Something flashed in the woman's eyes when she moved her gaze from the clothes and back to the thief. Just as the woman pressed her lips together, seemingly conflicted, the thief finally moved, taking a step back in preparation to run.

But before she could, the woman moved forward and called out, "If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay here for now." That halted everything. Even the woman looked like she was surprised by herself. Nevertheless, she stood by the backdoor, waiting for an answer.

As for the thief, she thought that it was a terrible idea, for both the woman and her. Mixing with humanity wasn't the plan - not now and certainly not in this way. She didn't feel prepared; she hadn't seen enough examples and hadn't studied enough materials.

Yet, it was because the invitation was surprising that it drew her attention. After all, derailments from prediction and deviations from rationality were often the most memorable parts of her endless wandering.

She wondered if it would be the same in this new world that she was displaced in.

The thief opened her mouth for the first time. She replied, with a voice that felt foreign from the lack of use, "I'm indebted to you."

-o-o-o-

Kakashi felt like he had been dreaming for a long, long time.

He thought he was getting used to it, how unforgiving the Sharingan was when it came to recording the past with realism. But the surrealism that came when the mind was weak in consciousness was a whole different kind of suffocating.

If dreaming turned memory fluid, then he was drowning in the waves.

"Rin!"

Kakashi gasped in frantic breaths, hearing his voice being overtaken by the agitating drum beats thundering out of his chest. The beige-coloured ceiling, the blue curtains, the soft bed sheet that became humid from sweat … every sensation was rushing into Kakashi's brain.

The surroundings felt familiar, but Kakashi was too hazy to discern exactly where he was. Even then, Kakashi's body moved on its own, motivated only by one thought - to make sure that Rin was safe, after what happened, after …

Kakashi's leg buckled under the weight the moment he scrambled off of the bed. The soreness of his muscles and the stings of his bones all came back to him. Unsurprisingly, he crashed into the nightstand with a loud bang.

"Kakashi-kun!" Someone yelled in concern and the next second, vibrant red hair filled his vision and Kakashi was hoisted up from under the arm like a child. He wanted to stand up again, but Kushina-san pushed on his shoulder and forced him to sit and behave.

"Now hang on for a moment there, Kakashi-kun, where are you rushing to when you can barely walk?" Kushina-san asked while raising an eyebrow at him, half joking, half in disapproval.

"Kushina-san, where is Rin? Is she okay? Those Kiri-nin, did Minato-sensei …" A hand was placed on Kakashi's head, sending out warmth and reassurance, calming his train of thoughts that were running wild.

"Slow down and take a breath," Kushina-san encouraged and Kakashi followed suit with a deep inhale. "Rin-chan is alive and she's not in danger, but her situation is … complicated. Actually, Minato should be here soon, why don't I let him explain."

Just like that, Kakashi caught the sealing paper pasted on the bedpost. The ink pattern was covered by a brownish haze, indicating that it had just combusted not long ago. That means … A bout of wind brushed past Kakashi's face as Minato-sensei teleported next to Kushina-san, a pile of reports was still in his arm.

"Oops." Minato-sensei reached out and caught the sparse pages that were about to fall out because of the sudden translocation, before placing the entire bundle onto the nightstand.

"Kakashi, I hope you didn't do anything rash just yet, because you just had the worst case of chakra exhaustion that I have seen in a while, and that's after two broken ribs and severe blood loss, among other things," Minato-sensei reprimanded, but his tone was no doubt filled with worry.

Ah, chakra exhaustion, that explained why Kakashi's muscles felt like mush. He nudged his ribcage lightly, but the pain wasn't as profound as he thought it would be, so he must have already received healing.

But then again, Kakashi's injury mattered not to him - a terrible mindset that Minato-sensei was always trying to break. In fact, it weighed very little in his heart when compared to the well-being of his teammates.

"Minato-sensei, is Rin okay?" Kakashi asked. Bloody rain, icy lightning. The cry of a thousand birds, the gagged sound that was forever silenced. Everything the sharingan recorded was coming back in detail, but that didn't make it any less confusing, especially when Kakashi's memory was cut off by his black-out.

Unconsciously, his hands tightened into a fist in nervousness when Minato-sensei let out a sigh. That … doesn't bode well.

"I'll heat up some porridge for Kakashi-kun," Kushina-san said with a comforting smile. Then, she went out and closed the door, leaving the room for just the two of them, setting the backdrop of a serious conversation that was meant for private ears.

There was a pulsing buzz in the air signifying the activation of a privacy seal as Minato-sensei started his explanation. "Kirigakure turned Rin into the Jinchuuriki of Three-Tail, using a temporary and unstable seal, presumably as a weapon to be unleashed when she was rescued and brought back to Konoha."

Kakashi wasn't as shocked as he thought he would be. He saw the signs, really. Rin had told him that there was something wrong with her - inside of her. The Kiri-nin that pursued them also felt off, as if they were more interested in herding sheep than hunting them back.

The signs were there, but Kakashi wouldn't take no for an answer, refusing to consider the implication when Rin begged him to listen, so much so that Rin had to jump in front of Kakashi's Chidori to make him understand.

He shuddered to think what would happen if there was nothing that separated his lightning and Rin.

"She was on the verge of a rampage when I made it to your side. But I managed to replace the seal on her with a stronger one, forcing the Three-Tail to retreat." Gently, Minato-sensei pried open the hands that Kakashi used to cover his face in guilt. "You did well, Kakashi. You fought for your comrade's life until the last second, never giving up hope despite the desperate situation. Be proud of yourself."

Kakashi felt like crying - both in self-shame and in relief - but he made it a mission not to shed tears easily. So, instead, he blinked a few times, forcing the wetness to rescind as he nodded at Minato-sensei's words.

"Then Rin is … a Jinchuuriki now?" Kakashi asked. Minato-sensei nodded, but once again, he had the face that said, 'yes, but it's complicated'.

"Being a Jinchuuriki is not for everyone. Every village has its way of selecting their Tailed-Beast host, but they all tend to fall into a trend: to select a host that is compatible with the Tailed-Beast's chakra and strong enough to endure, both mentally and physically." Minato-sensei said, his brows furrowed tighter with every word.

"Ever since I reinforced the seal on Rin, she has yet to wake. Physically, she's healthy, but it could have been due to the incompatibility with Tailed-Beast chakra, or even from a mindset that made her scared of losing control again. I … don't know."

His teacher's voice was calm - someone had to be when Kakashi was clearly a mess. But deep down, Kakashi thought that Minato-sensei was surely blaming himself as well, for having to subject his student to a fate that she did not choose.

"Rin is strong, Sensei," Kakashi said after a long pause. "She'll find the strength and courage to wake up soon." Just like how she found the strength to protect the village even when the Tailed-Beasts corroded her sanity. He had no other option than to believe.

"Exactly." Minato-sensei stretched his lips into a smile - the kind that always made things seem alright. "I know you're dying to ask, so I'll take you to see her. Just … be calm."

In hindsight, Kakashi should have waited for his balance to settle before he jumped out of the bed in eagerness. Nausea that came with the Hiraishin was amplified due to Kakashi's already spinning headache. He had to fight hard not to throw up when his feet touched the ground again.

Nevertheless, Kakashi saw the girl sleeping soundly on the other side of the window as if she was merely drifting off in her dreams. The medical machines on the side of the bed indicated that all her vitals were normal, but he couldn't help but inch closer, even pressing his hand on the glass that refused to budge.

It was then that he realized that the glass was actually enhanced with layers and layers of seals. Suddenly, Kakashi was acutely aware of how the Anbu stationed near them tensed up in alarm.

Chakra-suppressing seals, barriers to withstand enormous impact … those were only what Kakashi could identify. However, the most unnerving fact was that they were all directed toward the inside of the room.

This was a prison meant to contain the worst of the worst threat.

"Is this really necessary, Sensei?" Kakashi asked, his hand clenched into a fist. Now the warning before they teleported made sense. Minato-sensei opened his mouth, clearly unsettled by the situation as well. But someone interrupted him before he could say anything.

"Of course it is, Hatake-kun. As a Jonin and a student of the Yellow Flash, I'm sure you understand the damage that an uncontrolled Jinchuuriki can cause to a village." Kakashi whipped his head around and saw the elderly man walking towards them, his cane tapping an ominous rhythm in the hallway.

Elder Shimura glanced at Minato-sensei before turning to Kakashi, judgment clear in his eye that was not covered by the bandages. "After all, Nohara Rin was originally made into a Jinchuuriki with the intention of becoming a weapon for Kiri."

How could you talk as if Rin is an object?

Kakashi felt a firm hand latching onto his shoulder, holding him in place before he could manifest his thoughts into actual snarls. Screaming matches will not get us anywhere, his teacher seemed to convey through his touch.

"As I've made the case many times, Elder Shimura, I've placed the strongest, safest seal I have on Rin and I'm willing to give my life to ensure that she's not consumed by the Tailed-Beast's rampage," Minato-sensei replied as he stood in front of Kakashi.

"Konoha does not want you to give up your life on something … unworthy and avoidable as this, Namikaze-kun." Elder Shimura chided with a tone just short of patronizing. "Hiruzen has high hopes for you as a candidate for the Hokage; you should know better."

Without giving Minato-sensei a chance to speak back, the elder nodded at the barrier and said, "Rest assured, your student is receiving the best care within the precautionary limits. It's an opportunity for Konoha that Kiri's plan has backfired. If we can harvest the power of another Jinchuuriki, we'll surely come victorious in this war. That's what a Hokage should prioritize - the wellbeing of the village."

The logic was flawless, even Kakashi had to admit to that. In the era of war and conflict - especially one that had lasted for years, yearning to be ended - they were all to some extent, pieces to their village, working towards the common good.

But Kakashi disliked the cold gaze in the elder's eyes, annoyed by the condescending tone he was using towards Minato-sensei, and was furious with the way he attributed values to Rin as if she only had the fate of being used or being discarded.

This felt wrong, and Kakashi was sure that Obito would agree.

"Rin is a kunoichi of Konoha. She cares about the well-being of our village as much as anyone else, Jinchuuriki or not. And that's not because anyone deemed it her worth, but because it's her faith," Kakashi shouted, making Elder Shimura turn his attention to him.

The man was about to say something to him - no doubt to call out his naivety in some sort of demeaning way - but before that, Kakashi felt Minato-sensei leaning down a little, whispering but not really, "Well said."

Elder Shimura observed the scene in front of him with a narrowed eye. There was a moment of silence as Kakashi saw absolutely nothing on the Elder's blank poker face, then, Elder Shimura said, "if only Konoha's war can be won with pretty words."

He didn't dwell on the matter with Rin. He didn't need to. Kakashi should have realized that given Minato-sensei's influence both in the village and in front of the Hokage, the decision of Rin's placement would have been the result of deliberation with Sandiame itself, who had chosen to proceed with Elder Shimura's suggestions.

"Hatake-kun, now that I see you're well enough to be shouting, I'd like a detailed report on your mission to rescue Nohara Rin." The change of topic was sudden, but not outside of reason.

Still, Kakashi really, really didn't want to be talking to Elder Shimura any more than necessary, especially when it felt like the Anbu in the hallways were eyeing him like an interrogation, ready to pick apart any minuscule details in his body language, on his facial expressions, even the pauses in his voice.

But Kakashi earned his mettle. With calm and succinct words, he summarized his journey, from uncovering Rin's trace and retrieving her from the enemies to his attempt to hold off the enemies for Rin to escape. And finally, Rin's virtuous attempt at self-sacrifice, before it was thwarted by the sudden appearance of another person - presumably a Kiri-nin that didn't want their ultimate weapon to be rendered useless - blocked Kakashi's Chidori for her.

"End of the report," Kakashi finished the last sentence, not a single fault to be picked. Elder Shimura might have shown an ounce of interest at the mention of Kakashi's last victim - perhaps it was the sudden teleportation, could Kiri have developed a seal or trained shinobi that could mimic the Hiraishin? - but it was very brief, likely due to the fact that the woman was dead.

"Has Nohara Rin mentioned anything other than the Tailed-Beast being put inside her," Elder Shimura asked, "anything that Kiri could use to exert control over her?"

"No. I don't recall any," Kakashi answered without a pause. It was the truth and they could search Kakashi's memory all they wanted and it would still be the same. However, by the look of it, Elder Shimura was certainly thinking of a Yamanaka mind probe.

"Elder Shimura, Kakashi is still recovering from harsh injuries." It was Minato-sensei that put an end to it. "He'll submit a detailed report to Hokage-sama as soon as possible." He pulled the Hokage card and that forced Elder Shimura to relent.

"Of course," Elder Shimura said, tapping his cane with a tempo that matched his words as he headed for the exit. "Oh, Namikaze-kun, your Hiraishin certainly is a formidable force for our enemies, but in the sensitive areas within the village, please refrain from using it unless the situation is urgent."

Minato-sensei nodded, still with that calm expression void of any confrontation. The next second, they were out of the underground containment and back to his teacher's apartment in a flash.

Kakashi couldn't help but look at his sensei in amazement. "What, my student's comfort is urgent for me," Minato-sensei said with a shrug. Kakashi pushed down his nausea and decided that it was worth the price at the prospect of annoying Elder Shimura.

"So that's the situation." Minato-sensei paced around the room, rubbing the base of his hair as a sign of his annoyance. "Even if Elder Shimura's beliefs appear extreme to me, one cannot fault him for being cautious during such critical times of war. Hokage-sama has agreed to his method in the face of such uncertainty."

Kakashi let out a snort. He wasn't good-natured enough to be respectful to someone who made speeches like that. "Sensei, are you sure that Elder Shimura is only thinking on the grounds of Konoha? He's always pulling out his Elder status, suggesting that you're too young and inexperienced for the Hokage role, as if he'd be chosen instead."

"Kakashi!" Minato-sensei scolded, but it was more exasperation than a reprimand. Kakashi was young, brash, and better at using his weapon than his words, but he wasn't blind to the political undercurrents in Konoha, not when his teacher was pulled knee-deep in it simply on the fact that Minato-sensei was the favoured Hokage candidate.

Consequently, Kushina-san, Kakashi, and Rin would always be considered part of Minato-sensei's faction. Their values, status and achievements all contributed to Minato-sensei's image. Even if his teacher never saw it that way, it would always be seen as such from the outside. Having not one, but two Junchuuriki on Minato-sensei's side would certainly not be beneficial to Elder Shimura's own pursuit of Hokageship.

"I know your concern and anger, Kakashi. But no one's motivation is completely innocent and free of self-interest. That in itself is an unrealistic expectation to have of anyone, not even me." Minato-sensei said, taking a seat on the bed, next to the sulking Kakashi.

"Clearly, Elder Shimura has strong opinions about me and I, too, don't agree with some of his methods. But so far, he's protecting Konoha's interests according to his belief. So some words need to be said with caution."

Kakashi nodded, allowing Minato-sensei to pat his back in encouragement. He always knew that Minato-sensei was the bigger person, not willing to condemn a person just because they saw things differently from him.

"That being said, I don't completely trust Shimura's motivation either. They masked it well, but some guards in the hallway had been changed to those belonging to Root factions rather than the normal Anbu. I doubt that Rin's safety will be compromised when she's Konoha's Jinchuuriki, but Root's manipulation worries me." Minato-sensei shook his head, his eyes hardened with seriousness.

"The war front with Kumogakure is at a critical point, and Kiri's reaction towards the loss of Three-Tail will be hard to predict. Elder Shimura knew that I won't be staying off the front line for long, but I'll suggest somehow to the Hokage to transfer the responsibility of Rin's surveillance to Shibi's Anbu unit," Minato-sensei said after a moment of thinking.

Kakashi remembered the Aburame Clan Head, who was also Minato-sensei's Anbu teammate when he still served in it. No doubt, Aburama-san would also be lumped in to be on Minato-sensei's side from Shimura's perspective, along with the Aburame clan.

"I'll try reasoning with the Hokage again, Kakashi. Rin won't always be treated like a threat." There was a pause before Minato-sensei let out a small laugh, "Well, once she wakes up, she might not even need my help to convince everyone that she's strong enough to take on the beast inside."

The positivity infected Kakashi and he couldn't help but nod his head. Rin was never the kind to bow down to hardship.

"Other than Rin, I also worry about you, Kakashi." Once again, Minato-sensei let out a sigh. "I fear that Elder Shimura also won't be leaving you alone simply due to your association with me. And let's be honest, you don't exactly fare well against his provocation."

Kakashi barely held down the urge to roll his eyes. The Elder had a talent for grating on people's nerves, that was for certain. Still, he muttered, "I'd rather be taking missions nonstop than giving him the time of my day."

Kakashi thought that he would explode, if Elder Shimura came strolling to me, suggesting that Rin was to be judged either as a threat or a weapon, knowing full well that Kakashi didn't have the power or influence to do anything - not even qualified to be her guards. That certainly would cause trouble for Minato-sensei.

Noticing the irritation growing on Kakashi's face, Minato-sensei ruffled his hair in amusement. Before Kakashi could complain, his teacher held out a mission scroll to him, letting it drop to Kakashi's outstretched hands despite his confusion.

"Thought you'd say that. Hokage-sama issued this mission to your Chunin classmates. They needed a leader, I recommended you," Minato-sensei explained while Kakashi opened the mission scroll.

The Hokage wished for them to pay the few Fire Country villages facing the Fire-Water border a visit, and to convince them to relocate - the few that were still there anyway, despite the ravaging war in the area. Should they finally decide to leave, they were allowed to provide reasonable help.

Shinobi warfare tended to stay away from civilian villages whenever they could. But stray fires were unavoidable, and so were the aftermath of conflicts, both in the form of economic impacts, diseases, unrestrained bandits and missing-nin.

Many villages had already cleared out of the war zone at the beginning of the war, the rest either couldn't or were too stubborn to leave their roots. Hokage-sama must be hoping that the latter could be convinced to change their minds.

After Kiri recovered from the losses of Three-Tail, they might surrender or they might throw everything at Konoha in desperation. It could really go either way. It would be safer for the civilians and also easier for Konoha to manage the area if they were not near the conflict.

Kakashi and his Chunin teammates would be responsible for visiting two of the villages. It was at most a scouting job. More likely than not, they would be dealing with bandits that took advantage of the conflicts and harsh words from civilians that did not welcome them a single bit.

Kakashi furrowed his brows, his reservation was obvious. He dealt with matters using blades, not conversations. Kakashi's personality wasn't all that popular with shinobi - even his peers - he couldn't even imagine how he would fare against civilians. He would be much more useful to Konoha's war effort - to Minato-sensei - on the battlefields.

"You're still recovering, Kakashi, it's this or nothing." Minato-sensei shook his head, seeing through Kakashi's thoughts effortlessly. "Helping civilians, dealing with people not with the intention of killing them. When the war eventually ends, that'll also be a shinobi's job. And hopefully, their main job."

That sounds … nice, Kakashi thought, even if he was having some trouble imagining how he'd fit in that vision.

Of course, Kakashi accepted that mission. Minato-sensei chose it for him out of careful deliberations. It should be more than manageable for him even if he was not back to full health yet. Moreover, it also gave him a reason to stay away from Elder Shimura, who had just crossed the line from being 'obnoxious' to 'suspicious' in his teacher's eyes.

There was a knock on the door before Kushina said behind the door. "Minato, Kakashi-kun, food is ready!"

"Ooh, let's go. Kushina makes the best porridge and I certainly don't mind tasting it again," Minato-sensei said, his eyes gleaming in fondness.

Just before Kakashi forgot, he grabbed onto his teacher's sleeve, making him halt in his steps. "Sensei, I didn't mention it before, but the woman that appeared in front of Rin, the one that I pierced in the chest with Chidori, didn't dress like Kiri-nin. There was no Kirigakure's insignia anywhere on her body and she looked … surprised and confused to be there."

The details were coming back to him the moment Kakashi regained consciousness. The scenes reconstructed in his mind, showing him the jagged pieces that seemed out of place, starting with the person that seemed to arrive out of nowhere - almost as if she wasn't supposed to exist.

"That's strange. We combed through the bodies at the scenes afterwards, only an hour after I teleported you and Rin away. They suffered a lot of puncture and piercing wounds, but all of them were in standard Kirigakure attire." Minato-sensei told him and the feeling that something was out of place grew even stronger.

There were plenty of speculations about her identity - a Kiri-nin in disguise that was meant for stealth observation, a third-party intruder with unknown agenda … There were also many explanations for why her body seemingly disappeared - perhaps her comrades retrieved her remains. Hell, it might even be a wild beast looking for a meal.

For now, it might remain a mystery that bothered Kakashi like a mismatching puzzle, but to be honest, it would most likely be buried by other priorities - living, breathing priorities that Kakashi recognized and cared for.

After all, Death more or less closed the case.

A/N: So, Rin's survival as a Jinchuuriki might have some complicated consequences, and it will certainly have widespread effects both in Konoha and outside.

Eventually, the main character will get a name that's not temporary and not discarded in every chapter. Eventually.