The wind rustled a few leaves over the clearing. His silver hair hardly moved. His eye flicked from me to Itachi, to Rin—then back to me.
At last, he spoke. His voice was low, bored, and cutting.
".Dead fish eyes, huh."
I nodded gravely. "I call them how I see them."
He glared a bit longer, then cocked his head.
"You're a bit mouthy for someone constructed like a broken chopstick."
I gripped my chest. "You hurt me, big stranger, who looks like a broom"
Itachi cocked his head. "He's right. Your arms do look like structural twigs."
"not the time, Itachi?"
Kakashi continued, now fully engaged.
"And you," he said, gaze shifting to Itachi. "You blink once every five minutes as if trying to ration chakra for facial expressions."
Itachi blinked—once. "Efficient."
Kakashi nodded. "And if you two ever quit pretending to be retired war generals stuck inside baby genin bodies, maybe you'd realize no one requested your input on my mood."
Rin gasped her hand over her mouth, attempting not to laugh. I grinned.
"You say that like spying in trees gazing at people like a pitiful painting is standard behavior."
Itachi responded, his tone as crisp as arid air. "Do you maintain a diary? Or merely cry in your mask?"
Kakashi didn't flinch. "I cry in yours."
I whistled. "Clever. Almost makes me forget that I'm guessing you've spoken today more than six months total."
"Do you ever shut up?" Kakashi asked blandly.
"Only when I'm unconscious," I said proudly. "Which happens infrequently."
"I could do that," he proposed hand already on the way to a kunai pouch.
"I'm sure you could," I grinned. "But then Big sis would never forgive you. And honestly, we're just trying to liven up your angst-ridden 'I am alone and sad' storyline."
Kakashi glared over at Rin. "Control your children."
She threw up both hands. "Don't look at me. They just want answers"
Rin lastly cracked up, laughing loudly before moving in between us and flapping her hands.
"Alright, alright! Enough!"
She spun about and gestured toward the grass. "You all—sit down. Now. Before Kakashi body-flicks one of you into a tree."
I snorted but sat, dropping cross-legged. Itachi sat serenely next to me, nicely collected.
Rin settled between us, arms draped back behind her loosely. Kakashi took a moment's hesitation—then dropped himself down onto the grass before us, knees tucked in, back straight.
We formed a crude triangle now.
The braggart.
The genius.
The phantom.
And the heart that bound them together.
The wind had died down. The sky above was beginning to go orange around the fringes—late afternoon encroaching.
We sat silently for a moment, the four of us—Rin in the middle, me and Itachi on either side, Kakashi opposite us, arms folded on his knees, mask covering just enough.
Then Rin spoke up, her voice level, reflective.
"You two… Akira, Itachi. You fight like you've already experienced war. Like veterans."
I glanced over at her, intrigued. Itachi just waited.
She went on, "You're quick. Strategic. Controlled. But beyond that—you fight like you have something to lose."
I looked down at the blades of grass in my hand. The weight in her words settled.
Kakashi, sitting across from us, shifted a little. "She's right," he said. "You kids could give an old hand-genin a run for their money. Maybe even take one out if they weren't looking."
I glanced up and caught his gaze.
It wasn't a compliment.
It was a recognition.
True. Silent. Earned.
Rin smiled slightly. "So tell me… what are your dreams? What are you fighting for?"
I gazed at Itachi first.
He nodded once as if he already knew what I was thinking. Then he replied, voice firm.
"I desire peace," he said flatly. "A life where individuals such as ourselves aren't compelled to mature like this. Where our strength is utilized merely to guard—not to subsist."
His words were soft. Truthful. Like a rock laid gently upon the water.
Rin's eyes became softer. "You sound like Obito."
The instant his name escaped her lips, something almost imperceptible shifted about the air.
Kakashi didn't budge.
But I caught sight of his eye drop—just briefly.
Rin smiled, wistful now. "He always spoke like that. Always scheming for a better world. Even when it seemed impossible."
I gazed down. Then responded to her question.
"I want to save the people I care about," I said. "That's it. That's everything."
I glanced at her. Then at Kakashi.
"And I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that they never will have to view what I've had to look at. Even if that makes me the strongest. Even if that makes me the monster a person fears becoming."
It remained quiet after that.
Not due to the heaviness of mood.
But due to the understanding by all of it.
It wasn't anything spoken.
It was the purpose.
And sitting there, surrounded by people who carried scars—some visible, some not—I felt something I rarely felt in this world.
I felt as though I wasn't alone in my quest.
Kakashi's voice interrupted the silence once more, this time in a softer tone.
"You're dangerous," he spoke, his eyes on me. "Both of you."
I raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if it were a bad thing."
He shook his head. "It's not."
He gazed out at the trees once more, his eyes far away.
"It's just. I've seen children like you before."
Then, barely low enough to hear, he growled:
"They don't stay children for long."
I rose slowly, smoothing my pants. "Then let's see what kind of children we are."
Kakashi scowled. "What?"
I looked at Itachi, then at them. "You and Big sis Rin. Us two. Friendly spar."
Kakashi crossed his arms. "Tired of life already?"
Rin snorted. "It could be amusing."
Kakashi grumbled something about babysitting and repercussions but eventually nodded unwillingly.
We scattered out across the clearing. The wind had smoothed the air thick with silent confrontation.
"Start."
Kakashi was off first—quick.
He streaked into motion and materialized on my right side in a flash, delivering a swift palm strike at my ribs.
I dodged beneath it, the wind slicing past my ear.
Sim. Meanwhile, Rin unleashed a water-style jutsu, a speedy burst of two-seal. A whirling disc of water needles hurtled in our direction.
Itachi responded with a seal, two-handed—Fire Style: Ember Gust. The fire enveloped the needles and blew them apart into mist.
Rin, however, was already. Moving through. Cover. Kunai at the ready, feet hardly dragging on the ground.
I faced her head-on, kunai against kunai.
She was quicker than anticipated. Nicer.
Accurate footwork, swift counters. No energy wasted.
Kakashi was already back—he jumped over me, making three swift hand seals in midair.
Lightning Style: Static Field.
The air rippled and crackled—thin lines of electricity shooting towards the wet mist. I backflipped out of the way, just avoiding the sting of it.
Behind me, Itachi kicked at Rin, who parried, ducked, and then struck his chest with her palm, sending him flying back with a well-timed chakra burst.
I landed and skidded back alongside Itachi, smiling.
"Okay. They're not playing."
He nodded barely. "Nor should we."
I narrowed my eyes.
Time to turn the tide.
Mind Transmission. Smooth. Quiet.Sealess
Target Rin. Isolate her. We push her boundaries and make her doubt them. I'll take care of the prep.
His eye twitched in response.
I smiled.
And then—
Smoke bomb.
A dense gray cloud engulfed the battlefield. At that moment, I disappeared into it.
From within the haze, I fired a whirl of shuriken, going fast and wild—intended to confuse rather than harm.
They avoided easily, dropping low and darting out.
Three Mud Wolves burst from the earth in their way.
Rin spun into combat, creating seals—Earth Style: Stone Palm Counter. She bludgeoned one with a chakra-charged strike, scattering it in mud. Kakashi advanced, covering her flank.
But then—a tongue of fire flashed through the smoke.
Itachi's Phoenix Fire Jutsu cut between them, forcing a split.
Rin rolled in one direction, Kakashi in the other.
Just what we needed.
Rin regained her footing, sidestepping a charging Mud Wolf and killing it midair with a clean roundhouse and a kunai tossed away.
She came down—but swayed a bit, chakra low.
She didn't even hesitate—Water Style: Sweeping Wave. A spurt from her palm cleared mud from around her, creating space.
Then—nothing.
Too silent.
I scooped under the grass for her ankle.
Poof. Clone.
Pressure hit my neck. Metal. Sharp.
She was standing behind me.
"Checkmate," Rin said.
I laughed. "Nice."
Then—
Shadow Possession.
From beneath the earth, my actual body employed the shadow of my scattered clone to link with hers.
Her body froze immediately.
"Sorry," I said, emerging from the dirt. "You Loss"
Itachi was fighting his own battle—barely—across the field.
Itachi, battered but calculating, had maintained the pressure. Kakashi's movements were quick as if he was meant to be teaching us things.
Rin glanced at me, trapped in the jutsu, but not beaten.
"You're powerful," I whispered. "But power alone doesn't prepare you."
Her eyes darted toward Kakashi—then back to me.
And for a brief moment—I saw it.
Doubt.
Not in herself.
But in what it could mean to continue down this road.
Just what I needed.
Kakashi collapsed onto the grass without saying a word, brushing dirt from his gloves. Rin stood over to the side, brushing mud from her knees, silent.
I went over and sat next to her, not too close. Just enough.
"You okay?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. Just out of breath."
I waited for a second. Then asked, in a nonchalant manner, "So… would you say you're more of a combat ninja or support?"
She blinked at me, taken aback by the question. "Support," she replied. "I mean—I'm a medical-nin. I'm trained to help."
I nodded slowly. "Makes sense. No wonder I won."
That stung.
Her eyes fell, and I could practically feel her stomach drop.
Kakashi looked up but didn't say anything.
Rin didn't move for a few seconds. Her jaw clenched.
"I'm still getting stronger," she stated, softly but confidently. "Even if I'm support… I can still fight. I have to. I want to be there for my team. I want to be there for Kakashi."
Her tone wasn't desperate. It was resolute. Stubborn in the way only a person who has too much hope can be.
I rubbed the back of my neck, and let out a sigh.
So she's not quitting the mission. Not the frontlines. Not yet.
But I saw it in her eyes—something had changed. Not shattered. Redefined.
And perhaps that was sufficient for now.
I shrugged lightly. "Then. maybe it's time you picked up something that'll give you more ways to assist."
She regarded me, interested.
"Fuinjutsu," I stated. "Seal work. It's tedious, intricate, and half the time it'll vaporize your hands if you get it wrong."
Her forehead creased.
"But," I went on, "you're a medic-nin. Accuracy's already part of your nature. If you master sealing, you can cover Kakashi's back without having to stand in front of a sword."
She wavered. "I don't know…"
Kakashi, who was still sitting, addressed her. "He's correct."
Rin glanced at him.
"You're not bad in a fight," he said, flat and plain, "but that's not where you excel. You fix people up. You defend the ones who get punched. If you had seals available to you—chakra storage, emergency shields, paralysis markers… you'd be twice as deadly."
He wasn't criticizing her.
He was telling her the truth.
She swallowed hard, then nodded a little. "Okay. I'll try."
I smiled weakly.
Even if I couldn't prevent her from heading to the frontlines… perhaps I can give her some time.
Perhaps if she can seal the Three-Tails properly… and hold on… Minato-sensei might arrive in time.
I gazed up at the sky, the clouds beginning to gather, slow and golden.
"Big Sis Rin is learning fuinjutsu," I said carelessly. "Now that's something to anticipate."
She smiled, nervous but genuine.
And for a moment, the burden of the future didn't weigh so heavily.
Rin was still considering the fuinjutsu suggestion when I relaxed nonchalantly back on my hands, looking back and forth between her and Kakashi.
"So… how long has it been that you two have been going out, then?"
Rin choked on the air. "W-what?!"
Kakashi didn't even bother to look up from his work scrubbing his kunai. "We're not."
"We're not!" Rin said, flustered. "We're just friends. Team members!"
I nodded slowly as if stashing away a suspicious clue.
"Huh. Strange," I said. "You guys behave like people who care way too much to be justteammates."
Rin turned red. "I—We just care about each other. That's normal!"
Itachi, entirely deadpan, contributed from behind me, "They demonstrate recurring patterns of emotional codependence and battlefield proximity prioritization."
Rin resembled short-circuiting. "Itachi!"
He blinked. Once. "Observation. Not judgment."
Kakashi then grumbled, "This is why I don't like to speak with children."
I smiled more. "You complain about it, but you still hear us out."
Rin buried her face in her hands. "This is embarrassing."
"But kinda revealing," I said, sliding forward slightly. "It's not a bad thing, Big Sis Rin. You don't have to call it dating. But don't pretend you don't have each other's backs. Or hearts."
She peered through her fingers. "It isn't like that."
I shrugged. "Yet."
Kakashi let out the sigh of a man who knew it was no use resisting.
And me?
I'd received what I had come for.
She wasn't ready to acknowledge it. He wasn't either. But something was already taking root there—and that, more than anything, could alter the future.
I met Itachi's gaze.
We just have to give it time.
Rin was still flushed, obviously attempting to catch up. Kakashi had fallen silent once more, not in that cold, remote manner—but as if he were attempting to blend into the ground.
I hunched forward, forearms on my knees.
"You know," I said nonchalantly, "the way you two stare at each other?"
Rin blinked rapidly. "H-huh?"
Kakashi stiffened a little. "Don't start."
"No, I mean it," I continued, voice light but firm. "If somebody came into this clearing right now—just some random villager with no history—they'd one hundred percent think you two were a couple. Like, already shared-an-apartment couple."
Rin's heart skipped a beat.
"What—no," she stuttered, waving her hands a little too rapidly. "We're not—we're just teammates! Friends!"
But the words tasted uncertain even as they escaped her lips.
Because in that fleeting moment, as she'd gazed at Kakashi just now—when his one eye had somehow met hers—something had stirred. Not love, not yet, but…
What if?
The idea struck hard and unbidden, and she pushed it away just as fast.
Even so, her chest was warm and her heart was pounding in a manner that had nothing to do with practice.
I smirked. "Mmhmm. Completely believable. Except for how you two continue to circle each other like emotionally traumatized birds."
Kakashi glared at the ground more intensely.
Rin, still flushed in the face, opened her mouth—closed it—then looked off into the trees like she was thinking of disappearing into them for good.
I sighed as if I was weighed down by everyone's denial. "Look, your personalities are too compatible. Aloof and kind? The stoic loner and the warm-hearted healer? It's a textbook. Honestly, it's a little embarrassing to see—teenage emotional drama wrapped in thicknesses of innocence andconfusion."
Even Itachi, who hardly blinked twice a day, blinked.
Kakashi sighed, long and resigned.
And Rin?
She was still agitated, her thoughts racing with things she didn't want to consider but couldn't stop thinking now. She wasn't in love. Of course not. Right?
But she cared. And she knew that much already.
They weren't ready to say it. Not yet.
But something genuine was germinating—and perhaps, just perhaps, it might be sufficient to draw them from the narrative that awaited them.
"""
Chapter length- 2675 words
(A/N)- Hello readers, I always wondered what if Kakashi and Rin were a pair, they do look good with each other but Rin always had Obito and Kakashi was just someone she admired or crushed on even she didn't know but I thought why not make it happen and she where this go they will be couples but in some time not now but the spark has been ignited in both.
"""