Author's Note: Well, I had the idea for this chapter in mind for a while now and I'm not sure if I executed it entirely well, but hopefully, I have managed to do my idea justice. As always, I urge you to leave me constructive criticism reviews and if you have any other questions or comments or thoughts or suggestions, please PM them to me. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Kakashi groggily sat up, half-asleep. What was that noise? He had successfully been ignoring it for the past few minutes but it was becoming increasingly difficult to get it out of his mind. Turning on his side, he saw Rin still asleep and shook her shoulder gently, trying to get her to wake up.
"Huh? What's going on?" She asked, just as tired as he was.
"Do you hear that?" He answered with another question.
She paused and listened. Knock. Knock. Knock. "Yeah," she nodded.
"What is it?"
"I think someone's knocking on the door," she told him.
He groaned. That's what he'd been afraid of. "Go see who it is."
She nodded sleepily, slowly standing up from her place on her mattress. "What time is it?"
Kakashi turned his head over to her annoying alarm clock and sighed. "It's 11 in the morning."
Rin rolled her eyes irritably, certain that if it were an ANBU or someone off Kakashi's Chuunin team or a nurse at the hospital, they'd be on the receiving end of a punch in the face and a slammed door. Crankily opening the door, she was met with the face of two adults: her sensei and his girlfriend.
Minato watched as the door opened and his student emerged, looking like a hurricane had hit her. Her pyjamas were all ruffled as if she'd just woken up and her hair stuck out every which way. Tired bags had begun to form under her half-closed eyes and her face had lines, probably from sleeping on her arms.
"Hello sensei," the young girl greeted him, her tone harder than usual.
"Rin," he commented, surprised, "what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean what am I doing here?" she snarled, still irritated that someone had woken her up from her precious sleep. "I live here."
His eyes widened. This hadn't been a living arrangement he'd been notified about. "You live with Kakashi?" he asked incredulously.
"Sensei," a low growl formed in the back of her throat as she spoke, "I live here." She pointed her finger to the floor, emphasizing her point.
Kushina, noticing the unusually angry demeanour in Rin, decided to pipe in and save her oh-so-loveable boyfriend from a punch that she could see was coming up. "I'm sorry Rin-chan, did we wake you?"
Rin smiled pleasantly at Kushina, having taken a liking to the woman so filled with tact. Rin nodded to confirm Kushina's suspicions.
Kushina herself seemed to look very sorry for having woken her up and immediately apologized on both of her and Minato's behalves and asking if they were allowed in or should come back later. Hearing the apology, Rin perked up a little, a polite and kind aura now radiating around her. "Yeah come in, just," Rin yawned sleepily, "Sorry. Just make yourselves comfortable until we get dressed and whatnot."
The pair nodded and walked inside, admiring the small apartment. Minato immediately headed over to his other student, who was still trying to sleep in bed. "Kakashi, wake up!" Minato called to him, playfully pinching at his face and shoulders to annoy him.
"Go away sensei," Kakashi muttered from under the covers.
Rin clicked her tongue at him disapprovingly. "Now now, Kakashi. He's right; you need to get up. It's not polite to be asleep when you have guests."
"Screw you."
"Kakashi," Rin growled again, her eyes alight with warning. The sound had been something both men in the apartment were so unused to hearing that they regarded her with a mixture of fear and shock in their eyes. "I said get up." By this time she had stomped over to his mattress where he was half-sitting half-laying down, threw the covers off of him and roughly pulled him up by the arm, shoving him into the bathroom.
When they both were done with the washroom, Minato and Kushina regarded the other pair in the house with interest as they manoeuvred around each other flawlessly, tossing shirts back and forth to each other, making the beds and knowing exactly what were the other's duties.
Once they were both dressed and ready, the still tired Rin made coffee for each member in the apartment and the four of them sat down at the kitchen table, Rin propping her head up by laying her chin in her hand.
"You ok?" Minato looked at her, concerned.
"Uhuh," Rin mumbled into her caffeine beverage, the dark circles under her eyes perhaps even more prominent.
"She's been working graveyard shift at the hospital," Kakashi supplied a more coherent answer, also looking over at her slightly worriedly.
"I'm fine," she insisted, wanting the topic to change to something else. When no one made a move to say anything else though, Rin sighed and started the conversation herself. "So, why did you two come to see us?"
"We were just in the neighbourhood," Kushina told her, "and Minato wanted to see how Kakashi was holding up. We had no idea that we'd run into you here as well, Rin-chan."
"Well," Rin looked down at her wrist at an imaginary watch, "I've been here for…a while. So, how are things with you two? Everything ok?"
"Being Hokage could be better," Minato muttered under his breath. "I swear, all they make you do is paperwork. I'm a shinobi! I should be out there fighting!"
"I don't know," admitted Kushina, turning to look him in the eye, "I'm glad they don't send you out as much anymore."
Rin looked at the pair before her, gazing so intently at each other, and couldn't help but smile. "Aw, you two are absolutely adorable."
"We should be saying the same about you two," Minato grinned at her.
"Me?" Rin looked at her sensei confused, her logic not up to speed, as she was still tired. "What about me? Me with who?"
As her brain worked to decipher the hidden meaning in his words, Kakashi groaned in understanding beside her. "You can't be serious Minato-sensei. Let it go," he told the older man.
Rin, catching on, made a face and then burst out laughing, quickly making her the centre of attention. She laughed long and hard, pausing only for a few quick gasps of air. Finally, after a few minutes, the cachinnation ceased.
"What was so funny?" Kakashi asked, looking at her weirdly, not sure if he should be offended or not.
Rin let out another stream of giggles. "Oh, just the notion of it! Please don't be offended Kakashi, you really are a great guy, but…" She trailed off, bursting into laughter once more.
As it dawned on him what was happening, Kakashi went from offended to amused, chuckling lightly under his breath.
"What's so funny?" Konoha's Yellow Flash inquired, one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing," Kakashi rolled his eyes. "She just gets like this after she drinks coffee."
Minato turned his eyes from Kakashi's to Rin's, still eyeing her strangely. She simply sat there, shaking with silent laughter, and it seemed she would never stop. "Then why do you buy coffee?"
Kakashi merely shrugged in response, and the talking soon ended as Rin contained her giggles. After a few moments in silence, Minato said, "Well, I need to talk to Kakashi." No one moved from his or her spot. "Alone," he added, at which time Rin and Kushina stood up and relocated to the bedroom.
-- With Rin and Kushina --
Rin sat cross-legged on her mattress while Kushina took a seat on the mattress next to hers. "So, what did sensei want to talk to Kakashi about?"
"I have no clue, sorry. All he did was insist that we go over to Kakashi's apartment today and see how he's doing. I had no reason to suspect that he had any ulterior motives."
"Hmmm…well, how are things with you and Minato? You said some stuff when I asked you before but Kakashi was around then…so I'm not sure if you were telling the truth."
"They're good," Kushina repeated, although it didn't sound like she wanted to end there.
Rin caught on to the tone of her voice and prodded, "But…?"
"Well, I worry about him sometimes. He's just so young, and wanting to be the good guy all the time and wanting to do only what's right, but sometimes what's right and what is easy are two different things. Now that he's accepted the title of Hokage, he's accepted the responsibility that comes with it and I'm not sure if he's ready. Yes, he's a great shinobi and an even greater man but to have the weight of a country rest on your shoulders…"
Rin smiled in reassurance at Kushina. "You know him, he's strong and sensei won't give up, especially now that he has to protect someone important to him in the village. Believe it or not Kushina, I think he's doing such a great job thus far because of you. He now has motivation, you know? And you're always so persistent, you never give up and you're optimistic and I think he's soaking up the energy you give off and he's realizing that it's what's keeping him going."
On a rare moment of insecurity and seriousness, Kushina divulged her true concerns. "I know he's strong and I know that he'll keep on going but sometimes, that's what worries me the most. Sometimes I wish he'd just stop, just give up, and do it for his sake, you know? With all that's going on around us, and the war, it feels like by accepting to be Hokage, he's accepted to sacrifice his soul for the village. And sometimes it's like his death is something inevitable, but I don't want him to die. No matter what he thinks or no matter how much he prepares or works, you just can't be prepared for death! It just sweeps you up and then poof! You're gone!"
The redhead sighed, running her fingers delicately through her bangs, hoping that Minato and Kakashi couldn't hear them in the next room. "At least you don't have to worry about that with Kakashi. He's not going to die off on some B-rank with a few Chuunin."
"Kakashi and I aren't like that, just so you know," Rin corrected Kushina. "We're only friends and yes, he probably has a lower chance of dying on the missions he goes on now. It doesn't mean I don't worry about him though. As for Minato-sensei…he's always been tough, able to handle anything; I think he's Kakashi's idol and now that Minato has you…well, let's just say that our Yondaime Hokage is unstoppable."
"Yeah," Kushina seemed to perk up a little at Rin's comforting statements. "I guess we should be happy that both of them-" she motioned with her finger to the next room "-aren't in ANBU or anything, right?" Rin nodded and smiled, pleased that she could ease some of the doubt that she knew Kushina was feeling.
-- With Kakashi and Minato --
"Kakashi, I actually came here to propose something to you."
"What?" Kakashi wondered curiously.
"Earth's attacks have been getting fiercer and too many shinobi are dying. We need high-level Jounin to perform high-risk missions and we're running short on staff. I don't want to just spring this on you but I know it's something you've told me you wanted to do and now you have the chance. What would you say to being initiated into ANBU?"
Kakashi gagged on his coffee. ANBU? It was true that ANBU was the position he'd always wanted, it was something prestigious but after having grown attached to the Chuunin he was taking care of, he wasn't sure he wanted to leave his teaching position. Plus, what about Rin? She was already home alone enough as it was; he didn't want to further upset her by taking a position as an ANBU operative. Still…she was probably going to move out soon and he could use the ANBU as an opportunity to get stronger, to be able to protect her better and to do justice to Obito's gift.
Minato, sensing his uncertainty, quickly tacked on, "You're not being obligated or anything to do this. If you want to stay with the teaching job, that's fine because you're still extremely young, much younger than the average ANBU squad member. It's just an option that you can consider."
"I-I…thank you sensei for the offer, but can I think about it?"
Minato nodded solemnly at the boy, and assured him once more that there was no rush and no pressure to become an ANBU. He had simply remembered that this was an interest Kakashi had expressed and he'd offered the possibility of the interest being fulfilled.
Then, all talk of ANBU forgotten, Minato moved on to another subject that was of interest to him. "Kakashi, how long have you and Rin been living together?"
The younger boy paused for a few moments to think. How long had it been? One month? Two? More? Honestly, he had lost count. He shrugged in answer to Minato's question, not only because he didn't know the answer, but also because he was wary of why his sensei would be asking him. What did it matter? What was Minato trying to actually tell him?
The older man pulled out a small, square package from his pocket and at first hid it from view. "Well, I had hoped that this chat would occur much later in your life and I'd hoped even more that it would be given by someone else but I see that I have no such luck." Minato then proceeded to take the plastic square package from behind his back and shoved it in Kakashi's face. "Do you know what this is?" he questioned his student. "Do you know what it's used for?"
It took Kakashi a couple of moments to recognize just what exactly his sensei was showing to him but the second he realized it, his face heated with a blush that had spawned from a mixture of embarrassment, disgust, and anger. "Sensei, get out of my house, now!" he yelled, his voice cracking from the embarrassment of the situation.
In the next room, Kushina and Rin had heard the unnaturally high-pitched-sounded-like-a-frog-choking noise and they burst into the next room. "What the hell was that?!" Kushina demanded.
"Yeah!" Rin supported her. "You nearly gave us a heart-attack!"
Kakashi just looked over at the two unremorsefully before turning his eyes with a fierce glare to his sensei. "Please do not ever bring something like that up again," he warned.
Sensing the situation was about to get ugly, Kushina tugged her boyfriend into the room next to the kitchen and attempted to figure out just what he had done to make Hatake Kakashi go off the wall. Rin, also wanting to avoid any conflict, spent the time calming down her team-mate, making sure he didn't do anything drastic that would result in direct bodily harm to someone or direct harm to their apartment.
Kakashi's fists were clenched and his eyebrows knitted in a frown, pure anger displayed on his generally impassive features but Rin could notice the blush that had formed on his face and decided that it was against her better judgement to mention it to him. "Calm down Kakashi," she soothed, "I'm sure that whatever Minato-sensei said he only meant as a joke or something."
"It wasn't funny," Kakashi responded through gritted teeth.
"Maybe it wasn't, but please calm down. The state you're in is scaring me," she said coolly, knowing that he'd definitely calm at that.
As if answering her thoughts, he unclenched his fists and sighed heavily. "Sorry," he apologized gruffly.
Kushina popped her head out of the small area she and Minato were in, having found out just what her boyfriend had attempted to do. Of course it had been with good intentions, but she insisted that he should have known how it would upset the Hatake to have the talk given in the house, especially with a couple of females next door within hearing range. Determined to stay in their good books, especially Rin's, she prepared herself to make another apology.
"Kakashi, Rin-chan, I just wanted to apologize for Minato's behaviour. Really, sometimes he does things that he thinks are for the good of others without thinking them through. He means well Kakashi, but I understand that this was neither the place nor the time to start that conversation with you. Please accept a dinner at our house tomorrow as our sincerest apology."
"Oh Kushina! No need to be so formal! Kakashi probably overreacted a little as well!" Rin replied, trying to lessen the shame she felt. "And we won't even think of imposing on you in such a way!"
"Rin it's fine," Minato grinned at her, "we've made up our minds for you two to come tomorrow so you'd better not forget!"
Polite and gracious as always, as well as empathic, Rin knew that Minato would not retract the dinner invitation so she smiled kindly and gave a little bow, accepting their invitation and led them to the door, waving at them as they walked away. As soon as both were out of sight, she went back in her apartment, took one look at the still tense and upset Kakashi and sighed; tomorrow would be an interesting day, if nothing else.
Author's Note: Well, that concludes chapter nine, hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you to chapter eight's reviewers: chribirain94, catgirl9696, JoiZ.D, Sakra-chan, snappa, and ninbunny alchemist.
Writer's tip of the chapter: Today's lesson pertains to how to use numbers in your writing. If the number is ten or under, the word must be written. If the number is 11 and over however, you must write the number itself.
Challenge of the chapter: Bonus points to whoever gets the correct answer! Ok, so here's how this is going to work. I will post a challenge, usually a vocab one, and in your reviews, you will leave me what you think the sentence means. You may use any resource (family member, dictionary, thesauras, your dog - I don't care) except for the internet and google to decipher the message. If you are unsure what the sentence means, just PM me your answer later on, but you must get it in before the posting of the next chapter. If you are correct, or partially correct, I will award you a number of points (highest number of points you can get for a chapterly challenge is five. Trying but failing completely will get you one point) and the person with the highest amount of points at the end of this fic will be declared the winner and will get to choose from an assortment of prizes. :) Ok, so this week's challenege is to put the following sentence into common day terms (It's always a saying, so figure out what the saying is and you get five points): All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous.