Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters, nor the story line, with exception of the characters you've never heard of.

A/N: Okay, I, again, would like to thank you all for all the reviews and I am glad that you're enjoying the story. Read and Review, please.

Shattered Reflection-Chapter 6

Present time

"...amazing. I...this...sure it's Rin?"

The words were blurred so she couldn't understand most of them, but she did recognize the voices speaking. It had been a long time since she heard them. Too long, in fact. There was something else said but the words were spoken way too soft that she couldn't understand what he said. But she didn't need to be told because of the answer he had gotten.

"...I healed most of her remaining wounds, but she still needs some rest." She recognized the stern but sweet voice of Tsunade.

Rin moaned softly as she turned her head in the direction over the voices, trying very hard to open her eyes but it was difficult. Her body didn't want to respond to her wishes. But the voices had stopped and she felt a sudden presense at her side. She didn't need to be told who it was. She could feel his hand on her forehead.
Smiling faintly, she turned her head towards him, her eyes still closed. "Mmm. You still smell like vanilla ice cream." She teased in a low whisper.

"Hmm." He hummed, as if he was chuckling in his throat. "You still smell funny." He joked to her as he placed a hand onto her shoulder. Rin smiled even more before she let her eyes flutter open and she looked up into the one eye of Kakashi. He was standing right next to her, looking at her thoughtfully.

"Jerk." Rin said teasingly.

Kakashi lightly chuckled before shaking his head. "Brat." Then he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Welcome back to Konoha Village. How're you feeling?" He asked quietly. Rin frowned as she closed her eyes, trying to lift her other hand to rub her aching forehead but it felt a little sore. "Ow."

"Careful, Rin."

Rin opened her eyes to see Tsunade standing behind Kakashi, smiling faintly but then reached over her and took her hand and healed it a little so it wouldn't be so sore. "Both of your hands were broken because of the kunai knife stabbed into the center of your hands but I'm mending the bones all right. They'll probably only be a little bruised for now but not for long." She then smiled as she went around the table and placed herself near Rin's head. "It's so good to see you again. Though, I was under the impression that you died 13 years ago." With that, she gave Kakashi a look, who looked away. "Everyone believed you were dead. He said you had been crushed within the cavern with Obito Uchiha."

Rin glanced at Kakashi before shaking her head. "He...he thought I was, Tsunade-chan. He didn't actually see me be crushed. I managed to escape before the cave collapsed." She told her quietly. It was a lie but Tsunade seemed to buy it.

"Hmm. My, Rin. I must say, you've grown quite a lot since I last saw you." The Hokage said before folding her arms, frowning. "But why didn't you come back to Konoha? You should have come back once you were freed from the cave. We were so worried about you."
Rin looked away but then tried to sit up. Unfortunately, she still felt very woozy. "...I...it was Obito's death, Lady Tsunade. It was too much for me. I just needed some time to myself, you know?" She asked softly. "I just couldn't come back yet. And I guess I got caught up in a lot of drama outside of the Fire Country that I couldn't come back." She sighed before touching her head. "Oh. My head. It's spinning on my neck."

Kakashi shook his head as he tried to make her lay back down. "You need to get some more rest." He told her.

But Rin shook her head as she tried to sit up again. She even grabbed a hold of Kakashi's shoulder to pull herself to a sitting position, much to his silent protests. "I have a job to do, Kashi." She looked around the medical room she was sitting in. She was still in her torn and journey worn clothes, splattered with a little blood but otherwise she was okay. "Where's Sen? Did she and Chiro make it here?" She asked with concern.

Both Tsunade and Kakashi nodded as they glanced towards the closed door of the room. "She's here. She and her guard, Chiro. They're waiting outside." The Hokage said as she finished healing Rin. She didn't want the missing nin to get up but she knew exactly how stubborn she was. Rin slowly nodded before she swung her legs over the table and stood up with Kakashi's help. She couldn't help but grimace at the state her cloths were in and how ragged she must have looked. "My, I am a mess. I must look like I had just been buried alive only to crawl right out of the grave." She then smiled at Kakashi, who didn't seemed amused by her attempted joke. Tsunade, on the other hand, smiled and shook her head. "We don't care what you look like, Rin. As long as you look alive." She said quite pleasantly. "Besides, you can always clean yourself up."
With a smile, Rin nodded and then looked at the door. "Well? Am I allowed to leave?" She asked gently. Tsunade just nodded as she moved over to the door with the two Shinobi right behind her.

When the door to the medical room opened, everyone waiting for them looked up to see Tsunade, Kakashi and Rin come out. It surprised the Shinobi to see the missing nin already on her feet, but relieved. Sen, of course, was the first to stand up and hurry over to Rin. She threw her arms around her guaridan, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "Rin! You're okay!"

Rin's face softened as she held the girl clost to her before pulling away again. "Yes. I'm okay. How are you, Sen?" She asked gently. "Are you feeling all right?"

Sen looked at her as she pulled away and nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. And so's Chiro." She looked over at the largely built man, leaning against the wall. She smiled at him, who returned it as he pushed himself off and moved closer to where the two were. Rin smiled up at him as she took a step towards him and gave him a hug next. She didnt' see the frown on Kakashi's face though. "Thank you, Chiro." She told him before pulling away. Then she looked around at the faces of the Shinobi who risked their lives to rescuing her. She paused as she looked at Naruto and Sasuke, frowning as if she recognized them but then shook her head as she turned her eyes onto Jiraiya, who grinned at her. "Thank you all. I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't come to help me."

"It's not a problem, Rin-chan! We're just glad to see that you're back." Gai said, smiling and giving her a thumbs up and his weird sparkling smile.

Rin just nodded before looking at Tsunade, growing a little serious now. "Lady Tsunade-chan, would it be all right if we stayed in Konoha? I brought Sen here knowing she would be safe." She grew more serious. "If the Shadoai bandits gets a hold of her, there would be trouble."
Tsunade just folded her arms but nodded. "Yes, Rin. You may stay. This is your home, no matter how long you've been gone. I expect a full report tomorrow though, about where you've been and why you've been gone for so long." She told the younger woman.

Rin frowned a little to hear that she would have to give Tsunade her report but then Kakashi seemed to have guessed what it was. He just shook his head as he tapped her shoulder. "Tsunade is the Hokage now, Rin." He told her. Rin's eyes lit up as she looked at him then at Tsunade. "You? You're the new Hokage? When did this happen?" She asked with wonder.
"Not too long ago. A year or two ago. The Third Hokage was killed by Orochimaru and I came to take the title." Tsunade told her. "You've been gone too long, Rin. You've missed a lot."

Rin sighed, her shoulders slouching a little. There was a look of sadness in her eyes as she looked over at the window to see the Hokage Monument there. Her eyes were on the face of the Fourth Hokage. "So I've heard, Lady Tsunade." She said softly. There was a long pause before she looked back at the Hokage. "Is there any place that we can stay?"

Tsunade nodded as she smiled at her. "Of course there is." She answered. "There's a few vacant houses near here. I'll even help you get into it, you'd like. But wouldn't you rather go to your old home and stay there? I'm aware that your mother still lives there, above the old Trading Post." She smirked when Rin made a face. "Rin, you should go see her. You haven't seen her for 14 years now. She doesn't even know that you're alive.
Rin slowly shook her head as she sighed again. "I know. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to face her. My father either. I know they've missed me and I've missed them too. I...I just don't know how they would react to me being alive still." She said quietly. And then it was very quiet, almost too quiet. Eyes were immediately adverted away from her. It was then she remembered that Tsunade had said that only her mother was still in her old home. So what of her father? "Lady Tsunade, is there something you're not telling me? Where's my father?"

Again another long silence.

But then Kakashi sighed as he placed his hand on his waist. "It's just your mother, Rin. Your father...well he died 13 years ago." He told her solemnly.
Rin's face fell as fast as her heart did. She felt as if someone had just put an ice cube down her shirt. "...oh...my..." She was very well to being breathless. "My mother is all alone?" She asked almost painfully.

"I believe so." Kakashi answered. "I'm not entirely sure. There's a good chance that she remarried. But I haven't spoken to her for a long time. Not since..." He paused before finishing. But he didn't need to finish. Rin seemed to have guessed when the last time he had even spoken to her mother. She just took an unsteady breath before forcing a smile. "Well...I'll have to go see her now. It would be good news for her. But I think I'll settle for my own apartment for now. Chiro and Sen can stay with me there until we're ready to go back to the Shadow village." She didn't see Kakashi's face fall.

Tsunade just nodded as she looked around the room at the Shinobi standing in it. "Very well, Rin. I'll take you there myself. In the mean time, good work on today's mission. It was an all out success. You will receive your payment soon. Until then, you're dismissed."

Slowly, everyone started to leave, pattig Rin on the back. But Kakashi paused as they shared a look of pride and happiness to see each other again. They really wanted to catch up with the old times. But now was not the time and they both knew that. "When you get settled in, let's catch up. There's a lot we should talk about." The white haired Shinobi said.

Rin just nodded as she smiled at him. "All right." She paused for a moment before folding her arms and shifting her weight. "It's good to see you again, Kashi. I've missed you. It's just been way too long." She told him.

Kakashi only nodded as he stuffed his hands into his pockets but looked away to Naruto when the blonde began bouncing up and down with a smug look. "Hey, Kakashi-sensai!" He said loudly, making both Sakura and Sasuke give in a dry look. "You two seem to really know each other! Is she your girlfriend?!" Naruto asked excitedly.

Everyone who was still in the room laughed while Kakashi gave him a very dull look. A second later, he chuckled and shook his head as he started towards the door, his three former students following after him. "Hey, Naruto. New training tactics tomorrow. We're going to do moving targets for Tanto. And guess what," He then slapped Naruto on the back. "You're the moving target." He told him.
Again everyone laughed while Naruto's face twisted into a look of horror; jaw had fallen wide and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Wha?!" He gasped as he quickly followed after Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensai! Y-you're kidding, r-right?! Kakashi-sensai!"
Rin shook her head as she watched Kakashi nudge the shocked blonde out of the room before looking over his shoulder at her. They met each other's eyes and smiled. She could tell he was smiling. There was that look in his eye. She just smiled back at him. It was so good to be home. She had missed it. And most of all, she had missed Kakashi. More than ever.

The next day, Rin had gone out into the village, leaving Sen in Chiro's care, who both took the motive to look around the village and see all the wonders it had to offer. She, on the other hand, decided that playing dead to her mother was time to end.

The Hayashi Trading Post was still in the very spot where she had left it, and seemed to be blooming with business. There was a few people going in and coming out of it, as if they didn't care who owned the place. And it was more than likely, they didn't care. Things had changed greatly since the last time Rin has been home, she knew it by what she as told by Tsunade. Outsiders weren't still highly looked upon but they were also welcomed more warmly than they used to be. Especially traders.
"Hmm." Rin sighed with a smile as she paused outside to look up at the sign hanging above the door. It read, 'Home is where the Heart is, welcome.' That was a sign that she helped her father make when she was very young. She couldn't help but smile as she looked back at the door and moved towards it. Upon stepping inside, she saw that the store hadn't changed that much. There were more shelves and items to be sold and traded but it was still the same store she used to live in and even was raised in. She could still smell the sweet smell of her mother's homemade cinnimon and honey rolls drifting the air. How she missed those? She would have to let Kakashi's students try some and see what they thought of them.

"Excuse me, Miss Shinobi?" a young worker said as she stepped up to Rin. "May I help you?"

Rin looked at the girl before smiling as she then let her eyes drift around the store. She just shook her head as she tried to locate her mother. "Actually, I'm looking for the lady of the house, Ruikia Hayashi. Is she around?"

And as she said it, the owner of the name came from the back, seeming to stirring some kind of gravy together. Rin's mother didn't look up as she came out from the back so she didn't notice her right away. All she had heard was her name while in the kitchens. "I am she. What is you..." She finally looked up and froze in her tracks. Her eyes grew wide with shock as soon as she saw Rin. "...need..."

Rin smiled as she faced her mother, feeling very happy that she was looking at her. She hadn't seen her for 14 years and she still looked very healthy. There were new age lines on her face but not much. "...Mama."

However, Ruikia Hayashi's face darkened as she recognized her one and only child. It starteld Rin on how fast her mother's face had grew so dark and so full of hatred. Then, the older woman turned away, her eyes lowered as if she dared not to look Rin in the eye. "Get out." She said very coldly.

Rin's smile faded very quickly at the look on Ruikia's face and was completely gone by the venom in her voice. She couldn't help but step back in surprise. She had not expected this reaction. She had thought that her mother would be happy to see her. But instead, Ruikia Hayashi looked very angry and upset. "Mother, it's me. Rin." She said softly, taking a step forward again, her hand reaching up to touch her mother's shoulder. "Don't you recognize me? I'm your..."

Ruikia jerked away as if she had been burned and she glared at Rin. "I know who you are, Rin!" She snapped, stepping back away from her daughter. "You think I wouldn't know my own daughter when I saw her?! Plus I've heard the news all over the village! So you're back, are you?! You think I wanted to hear about you like this?! To think that my only daughter was dead for 14 years and then she turns up alive?!" She nearly screamed at Rin.
"...I-I..." Rin began shivering. "I...I thought yo-you'd be happy to see me. What's wrong? D-did I do something wrong?" asked in a shaky voice. She was very aware that people were watching in the store, and that people out on the streets were probably listening too. But she paid no attention to them. She wanted to know what was wrong with her mother. Why was she so angry to see her again?

Ruikia shook her head, glaring at Rin. "Well, you thought wrong, Rin! You should have never came back!" She turned sharply away. "I am not going to discuss this with you! Not in front of all these people!" She said angrily as she stormed towards the back of the store, into the next room.

Rin glanced around at the other people before quickly following after her mother. "Mother! What did I do wrong? Why are you so angry? I don't understand why you're so angry. I came back to see you, mom. I heard about papa and I wanted..."

"Don't!" Ruikia snapped as she whirled back on Rin, a finger nearly jabbing at her nose. "You leave your father out of this, Rin! It's because of you that he's dead!" She shouted at her.
Rin stepped back in shock, her eyes growing very wide as she stared tearfully at her mother. She still didn't understand. How was it her fault that her father was dead? Did he have a heart attack about hearing her "death"? She hoped not. "Me? How...ho-how did..." She asked timidly.

Ruikia gritted her teeth as she glared at Rin. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she shivered herself. Yet her eyes were flooding with angry and pained tears. "Rin, you broke your father's heart by becoming a ninja! We didn't want you to throw your life away with that line of work. It was too dangerous." She shook her head violently. "And then you went off on that mission and joined the stupid war! Your father and I stressed out every day, waiting for you to come back! We waited and waited and waited. Every time we heard that a Shinobi was killed, I cried thinking that it was you who died! And guess what happened?!" She paused, waiting for a reply. But Rin kept silent, staring painfully at her mother. "That silver haired boy that you fawned over day and night came to our house and had the nerve to tell us that you had died in the war! He told us that you were gone! It broke my and your father's heart!" She gave Rin a pained and hated look. "It hurt your father so much, Rin! Do you remember the last thing you ever said to him?!" She snapped. "Do you?!"

Rin lowered her head, not daring to look her mother in the eye. Of course she remembered. She also remembered how she had told her father how much she hated him. She had spent so many years trying to forget that fight. "Mother, what I said...I didn't mean it...I know it was wrong but..."

"Wrong?!" Ruikia asked angrily. "It was stupid, Rin! You were so stupid for calling your father a coward and for hating the Shinobi!" She violently wiped tears away from her eyes. They heard the bell over the door jingle, letting them know that someone had just entered but neither one looked to see who it was. "And then that damned nine-tailed fox showed up and attacked Konoha while you were out venturing on your own, Rin! Your father remembered what you called him! He went to fight the fox demon!" Ruikia shouted into Rin's face. "He had no skills in fighting and he fought that monster to prove you wrong! He went and gotten himself eaten! He died because he wanted you to be proud of him!" Again Ruikia wiped her tears away with her palms before shaking her head. "He's dead because of YOU!!"

Rin was crying heavily now. Her shoulders were shaking as she lowered her head and cried. She felt so ashamed for her past. She couldn't believe that her father would have done something so foolish. "Mama...I am so so-sorry! I wish I could take it b-back! But I can't! I'm s-sorry!" She cried softly.

Ruikia shook her head as she glared even harder at her mother. "Sorry?" She asked coldly. "You're sorry?! Sorry is not going to bring back my husband, Rin! He's gone! My lover is gone because of you!" She shouted again.

Rin shook her head as she backed up a little. "M-mother...please..."

"And do not call me that!" Ruikia screeched at her, a finger again jabbing at her. "I am not your mother! You are not my daughter! My Rin died the day she became a Shinobi and defied her parents!" She shoved her finger towards the door. "Get out of my house and my store! You are not welcomed here! GET OUT!!"

Rin shaking terribly turned around to run out only to freeze when she saw who was standing in the door way.

Naruto looked very uncertain if he should have been there but he had come into the store after hearing shouting. He had been passing by when he heard the screaming and came to investigate. But he had frozen when he heard what Rin's mother had screamed at Rin. He had heard everything. Even the thing about the nine tailed fox killing Rin's father. All he could do was lower his head in shame, yet keep his eyes on the pained look on his former sensai's old team mate.
Rin just lowered her own gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed that Kakashi's student had heard everything, had heard her shame. But then she turned around when Ruikia gave her a shove. She gave her mother an alarmed look when she jabbed a finger towards Naruto, seeing the hateful look on her face. "And take that creature with you! I do not want that murdering creature in my house!" She snarled.

Naruto's face darkened as he looked directly at her, though Rin looked confused. She didn't understand why her mother just called him that. He wasn't a murdering creature. What did she have against the energetic boy? She slowly shook her head as she turned to face her mother again. "Mama, Naruto isn't a murdering creature. He's just a boy..."

Ruikia gave Rin another cold look as she turned her eyes away from Naruto, who stepped forward and took Rin's arm, to give her a little comfort. "You are wrong! He killed your father! Take the foxboy out and do not come back, you worthless and disgraceful woman!"
Rin would have said something else but Naruto was now pulling her towards the door, trying to get her away from the rage of her mother. He seemed to guess that Ruikia Hayashi would probably start throwing things at Rin, to get her out. Rin just let him take her out of the store, looking very confused of what her mother meant.

As soon as they were out of the store and halfway down the street, Naruto looked up at Rin with concern, a deep frown on his face. His eyes were full of concern and thoughtfully soft as he stared up at her. "Are you okay, Rin-chan?" he asked, softly.
Rin just wiped away what tears were left in her eyes before slowly nodding. "I...I think so." She gave him a gentle smile. "Thank you, Naruto." She told him.

Then they walked together in silence down the street, yet thoughts were running through her mind. Especially on what her mother had called Naruto. She couldn't help but wonder what she had meant. "Naruto, before..." she paused until he looked at her. "What did my mother mean? She called you a foxboy." She then frowned when Naruto refused to look at her, his eyes full of forlorn now. He couldn't seem to meet her eyes, as if he was ashamed of something. And it slowly hit Rin immediately.
She halted in her tracks, giving him an alarmed look. "Foxboy...?! You...you're the boy..." She shook her head as she stepped back away from Naruto when he turned to her and gave her a sorry look. "You're the boy that the Fourth Hokage sealed Kyuubi into!" She gasped.

Naruto shook his head, his head lowered again but this time, he wouldn't take his eyes off of Rin. "No! I am not the fox. I may have him sealed away in me, but I'm not him."
He told her.

Rin stared at him for a long time, too many emotions wellig up inside her. She couldn't believe it. Naruto had the nine tailed fox inside of him. He was the fox demon. The nine tailed fox had killed her father. Slowly, her eyes darkened as she looked at Naruto. She couldn't help the feelings that she felt. She felt anger, hatred, confusion, sadness, so many emotions. The foxdemon was in front of her, in the form of Naruto, the student of Kakashi. She felt her fists balled up tightly and her teeth clenched tight. "You...you killed my father." She said almost coldly.

Naruto quickly shook his head, his face darkening at her words. "I did not. I am not Kyuubi!" He swore. He reached out to touch her hand.

Rin, however, flinched back away from him, looking way too startled and angry. She did not want the fox demon to touch her. "Don't touch me!" She snapped, surprising herself more than she surprised Naruto. "Just don't come near me, demon. I don't know why Kakashi would want to teach the boy the nine tailed fox lives in, but he must have not had a choice." She said rather coldly. "I would have refused, even if it cost me my Shinobi title." She told him.

Naruto's eyes darkened as he glared her right in the eye before he shook his head, stepping back away from her. "You...you're like everyone else. You think I'm a monster, but I'm not! I am not that stupid fox! I am not Kyuubi! I am Naruto Uzumaki! The greatest Shinobi and I will be the future Hokage!" He told her boldly.

Rin turned away after giving him a very cold look. "No, fox. You are not. You are a monster." She said, her voice cracking from pain. She heard hm growl before he turned and stormed away. She started walking away herself, before she remembered the name Naruto just gave her. She froze in her tracks. "Uzu...Uzumaki?!" She whirled around looking to see where Naruto had gone but he was no where to be seen. She felt more hurt as she realized what she had just said to him. "Oh...what have I done?" she asked feeling ashamed of herself before she turned and hurried down the street. She needed to calm herself down.

So she went to the Hero's Monument, looking at the many names of the heros who had died. Looking at the one name that she missed saying so much. "Obito..." She whispered as she sank to her knees. "Oh, Obito." She sobbed, covered her eyes. "What have I done? What can I do? Please, just give me a sign to tell me what to do." She sighed as she closed her eyes and remembered her past.