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Crossing Rubicon's	By : Saphri Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1427 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters portrayed in this story. I make no money from writing this fanfiction. I write purely for my own amusement and the amusement of fellow fans.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapter 7, Confidence on a New Level

The morning shone down on the sacred grounds of the dead as the gentle winds played with the leaves of the trees that surrounded it. Birds twittered in tune with the summers day and the clouds listed lazily across the sky. It was a glorious day.
Kakashi gazed towards the heavens, lost in his own thoughts of the past. He didn't know how long he had been standing there and he didn't much care; he never did. It wasn't uncommon for him to think about events long gone when he visited this place, it happened more often than not. But his train of thought on this sunny morning was a little different to what he usually thought about. His eyes weren't trained on anything in particular, but his mind was locked in a mental battle of wills; not knowing which way was right and which was wrong. The sense of shame had been with him the moment he realised that he wanted more from Rin, wanted to be more than just her friend. He had managed up until now to push it away, a habit he had found he was all too good at sometimes.
He hadn't really slept the night previous, he hadn't expected to in spite of how tired he felt and still was. Instead his mind ticked on overtime forcing him to question his very motives and if what he was doing was the right thing at all. The only way he could gain any kind of confirmation for his actions was to come here. It was the only way he could find any inner peace, despite the fact that he knew he wouldn't gain any real answers to his questions. It was selfish of him - he knew this - but he felt it would make him feel better.
His thoughts drifted to Rin at that point and how hurt she seemed the night before. Why hadn't she simply told him how frightened she was? Was she that scared of how he would react or what he would say? She needn't have been.
Kakashi had felt a little hurt that she hadn't trusted him enough with her feelings at first, but he knew that her defences caused her to act that way. If he was honest with himself he figured that - had the shoe been on the other foot - he probably would have acted the same way. He had once felt it was safer to reject what was causing the problem, as opposed to embracing it and allowing it to solve itself. He had found out very recently that this tactic wasn't always the best one. By sparing his own emotions he was actually hurting someone else. All actions have a consequence. It was just a shame he hadn't thought about that sooner.
Closing his eyes Kakashi bowed his head towards the memorial stone that bore the names of those dead or missing. He sighed deeply, unable to shake that crushing sense of guilt that pressed on his chest since the night before. He had been angry with her, for misleading him, for making him believe there was something there between them and then suddenly telling him there wasn't.
He had felt hurt, used and betrayed by the one person he had given everything to. He couldn't leave it as it stood then, which was why he walked in the rain to see her. Needless to say he was very glad he did. Even so, he felt guilty for upsetting her, for making her cry.
To say it was a relief to find that Rin did indeed have feelings for him, stronger feelings than he had first imagined, was an understatement. It was her confession of fear that had pulled at his heart, her fear of what they were developing between them crumbling and turning to dust. Kakashi could relate to how she felt. He had honed the same fear within those moments he had been stood at her apartment door, soaked to the bone. He felt a prickling of heat rise to his concealed cheeks at the thought. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Turning up on her doorstep looking like a drowned rat wasn't one of his smoothest moves.
He hummed a chuckle as he remembered Rin's wide astonished eyes when she saw him stood there. He hadn't the faintest idea how she would react to his presence after the spat at his place, but it was so like her to mother him the way she had done. She had always been there before she was sent away. Had always been there … taking care of him.
It was little moments like that; the hair drying, making drinks, making sure he was warm enough and more importantly her company that he had missed about her in the past. That aspect of her hadn't changed one bit but something she had said about herself struck him harder than anything else;
"I haven't changed at all … I've fallen into the same trap I was in before and I can't get out … I was so ashamed of myself… it wasn't supposed to be this way."
Rins torn voice rang in his head as he recalled the confession. She was wrong. She had changed in more ways than she cared to give herself credit for. Kakashi grimaced at the thought, kicking himself mentally for not reassuring her at that point, informing her that she had evolved, that she had grown up and was handling herself better as she put it.
She wasn't a girl anymore, she wasn't clingy and in constant need of attention from him. She held herself so differently, he had noticed this about her in the first hours of her return to the village. She was still a little shy, as always, and her self-confidence was still touch and go. But she was stronger than she used to be, she wasn't so easily led and she knew where she wanted to be in life. This was just a few of her aspects Kakashi had found himself admiring about her, not to mention her beauty.
She had blossomed into this stunning young woman with a powerful career and a high knowledge of her craft. It was so unlike the Rin he used to know, always worrying about what she would do with her life, always in constant need of reassurance and comfort. She wasn't like that anymore and it was so refreshing to see. She was still the same girl he had gradually fallen for all those years ago, but she was so different. But in a good way.
He should have said something last night, but he guessed that it was something, at least, that everything was now in the open. There would be other chances to catch her on her own and tell her what he really thought. If she really wanted to hear it that was.
Despite the tears she shed, Kakashi was glad they had the chance to talk about it. At least he knew where he stood now. He was okay with the fact that he was the one that had been moving a little too fast, so now was the time to take a step back and just … let things happen as they happen. It wouldn't have mattered really if she just wanted to "be friends". The one thing he feared the most was her utter rejection. He felt himself smile at the thought that he could now lay that fear to rest.
Perhaps he had taken Pakkun's advice a little too literally, even though he was begrudgingly admitting to himself that the pug had been right all along.
Opening his eyes, Kakashi focused his attention on the memorial stone seeking out the only name he came to see, that he ever came to see; Uchiha Obito. Kakashi would have given anything in the world to talk to him right now. Instead he had to settle with speaking to his memory, hoping that he would find the answers he so desperate needed. This wouldn't be the first time he had sought advice from Obito, but this was a delicate matter and Kakashi couldn't help but feel a little awkward asking for guidance this time. Even so, there was no one else he could go to, Rin would listen, but her view was biased, he needed to speak with someone else, someone he knew would understand, despite the fact that they had passed on.
"Obito," Kakashi began quietly. "I'm a bit lost right now and I'm hoping that you could … you know … help me out here." He finished with a shrug, lowering his sights to grass at his feet.
Of course there was no answer, not that Kakashi expected one from heaven, that was stupid. But he stood silent for a moment, hoping that his request would reach the spirit of his dead team mate. Even if he couldn't answer him, perhaps he could just listen, if he was able to listen wherever he may be.
He shifted his weight from one foot to another, taking in a deep breath so he could continue.
"I know you loved Rin, you told me you loved her. And this is why I need advice on what I should do next." Kakashi felt his own voice wither into a murmur and he felt the summer breeze still to nothing sending the entire area into an eerie calm.
Kakashi regarded the new mood that had sank into the clearing, wondering if his plea was being heeded after all. He dismissed this thought after a few moments. So the wind had stopped, so what?
He took the chance to quickly glance around the area. He was still alone, which was no surprise at this time of day, but a strange shiver shot up the back of his neck turning his blood cold. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. The atmosphere was a little chilling, and it wasn't like anything he had experienced before, but he willed himself to continue regardless. He needed to speak with the fear that he would go crazy if he didn't.
"You made me promise, all those years ago, to protect her and I told you I would … with my life, if I remember correctly. You know I meant every word and I told Rin the exact same thing but I thought, for these past ten years that I'd failed. Not just you, or Rin, but myself too. To see her on my doorstep again was … beyond words. But you should already know all this, right?" Kakashi paused again, as if waiting for a response. The area was still deathly quiet and he absently noticed that the birds had stopped singing.
Kakashi stepped towards the stone, shoving his hands in his pockets regarding the pebbles at the base of the memorial with a slight interest. He sighed again, turning away slightly as he thought about how to phrase what he wanted to say next. He felt the frustration creep into his gut, causing him to frown a little. He twisted his lips beneath his mask and began to tighten the muscles in his hands in a bid to find the words he needed. He never thought that having this conversation would be so difficult, even though, technically, he was talking to himself.
Just then a gust of wind, as warm as the day itself, blew from the trees ahead and swept over him. Kakashi raised his head at the sudden contact of the breeze on his face. It felt so strange, like someone was touching him. He heard voices passing his ears, like whispers, loud enough to be recognised as voices but not clear enough to hear what was being said to him. There wasn't a soul nearby yet the sound was so distinctive, someone was talking to him.
Obito?
The breeze floated through him, playing his hair at its whim which caused the copy nin to close his eyes and almost lean against it. The feeling was so strange, so foreign yet so soothing. The anticipation he could feel in his stomach began to melt away as a sense of calm began to over take him. It was nothing he had ever felt before, yet it felt so nice, so warm and welcoming.
As the wind began to die Kakashi suddenly found the will to speak as the words he was searching for popped into his head. He opened his eyes and focused his lazy eye back on the stone.
"I guess, what I want to ask is … is it wrong to want to be more than just Rin's body guard? Would it be wrong of me to take her from you, Obito?"
The area stilled again, that sickly quiet drifting back into the clearing. Kakashi didn't like the way it made him feel; exposed and vulnerable. It felt disgusting and it caused the nausea to creep into his gullet. The feeling didn't last, he needed to continue.
Eventually he bowed his head turning a little to the side. "I love her, Obito. And she loves me, but I don't know what to do. Help me … please?" he whispered almost shamefully. He hadn't wanted to admit it, not even to himself but he just couldn't fight it anymore. He wanted her more than anything, wanted to give her everything he had to offer her, he loved her and had done for a long time.
Kakashi stood there, waiting, for what, he wasn't sure but he waited regardless hoping, mentally pleading for some kind of answer. After a few moments the gentle wind motioned through the clearing and the birds in the trees gradually sparked up their song. The calm that had once settled there evaporated just as quickly as it had settled before.
Was this it? Was this his "answer"?
Kakashi had never been particularly spiritual in nature, but he felt that very same sense of calm and peace now that he felt when the wind willed him to speak. He couldn't think of anything else it could be. That wind had been the voices of the dead and Kakashi hoped that Obito's voice had been one of the many whispers that had passed him.
Turning back to the memorial he placed his palms together before him and bowed towards the large stone that held on to all those memories of lost souls. "Thank you, Obito," he murmured.

Rin reached blindly towards the glass of water that rested just above her paper work. Grasping it she drew it to her mouth as she sat up in her seat and tapped the end of her pen on the desk. She took a quick sip of the cool liquid before setting it back down on the coaster and slouching back over the wooden table.
The only sound that reached her ears was that of her scribbles on the paper and her own breaths. It was always quiet down here in the pathology department. Deathly quiet.
It was so rare to hear anyone other than the kindly mortician, Akita, and her assistant walking down the porcelain corridor. Some people would think it a little unnerving considering the whole purpose of the department but this was just how Rin liked it. No crowds of families, doctors or medics to push through when leaving the office and no one asking mindless questions about this and that when you had work to do. It was peaceful here and she wouldn't want it any other way.
She could hear the clock above the door ticking idly which sparked her interest and caused her to look up at the time.
"Twenty past five?" she muttered to herself in mild confusion. The last time she had looked at the clock it had only been lunch time.
"Huh, time flies when you're having fun," she chuckled softly.
She recalled the dinner date she had arranged with herself when her stomach emitted a low pitched growl suggesting - quite strongly - that she got off her backside and had something to eat. Rin stretched her arms above her head and groaned when the joints in both shoulders popped back into place.
"Man, I'm falling to pieces…" she mumbled as she raised herself carefully from her chair and began to wander over to the door.
Upon stepping through the thresh hold Rin contemplated what her stomach fancied for lunch, or rather, dinner seeing as it was way past lunch time. She hummed delightfully at the thought of something hot and delicious as she made her way through the porcelain corridors. She was quite looking forward to a peaceful meal that she hadn't prepared herself.

Unfortunately the ladies behind the cafeteria counter didn't have a lot to offer in terms of edibility. It was either a meagre salad with a few crouton type things scattered over the top or what she could only assume was fish soup. Neither looked very tasty but the soup had an aroma about it that wasn't particularly pleasing to the nose. It certainly didn't smell like anything she had ever eaten before. Needless to say that Rin settled with the salad and stale bread chunks much to her dismay.
After paying far too much Ryo for her small and unappetising meal along with a small mug of tea, Rin took her tray and wandered towards a small table next to a large window. It seemed that summer was coming to an end in Konoha, it was already started to get dark outside.
Along the way she spotted a rack full to bursting with an assortment of magazines. She stopped before them and leaned in closer to take her pick. There was a collection of medical magazines along with the usual "Shinobi Plus" paper and various others along those lines. Rin had read enough medical and ninja related books, magazines and articles to last her a life time. Even though it was always good to keep studying and remain on top of the game she opted for a woman's "talk" paper instead. Just something mindless to take her mind off the taste of the bad food she was about to consume.
Sitting at the table she had chosen out before, Rin set both her tray and her reading material onto the clean surface. She grimaced a little as she gingerly picked out the nasty looking croutons from her dish of messy salad and tossed them into the tray. It had been less than ten minutes ago that she was looking forward to this, now she was beginning to wonder why she had even bothered at all.
She sighed dismally as she flicked open the magazine and picked around the greenery in her dish with a plastic fork.
The minute Rin rested her cheek in the palm of her hand her mind began to drift away from her. It went to an inevitable place; Kakashi. This man had stolen her heart and not for the first time… though she didn't actually remember him giving her heart back to her at any point. Metaphoric as it was it would have been the polite thing to do.
Rin never really knew what first attracted her to Hatake Kakashi, it wasn't his charming personality that was for sure. When she thought back to when they were part of Team Minato he was a bit of an asshole and it wasn't until way later that she actually realised why. He didn't speak all that often and when he did it was usually a callous remark about how both her and Obito needed to "improve" or stay out of his way. And yet she had loved him still. She'd found it pretty astonishing how he had changed so dramatically after the death of their team mate. Obito must have woken something up inside of him to want to make that change. It was nice to see a different side to Kakashi, but a crying shame it had happened under such traumatic circumstances.
She could still remember the first day she had ever met him. She recalled him being very small; a mere puff of silver on a pair of spindly legs. He had stood at the gate holding the hand of his father; Hatake Sakumo if she remembered right. Kakashi's father was quite scary at the time, he was huge … a behemoth of a man with a reputation to match. Well… that was until his supposed "failure" on a mission. Rin didn't remember all that much from that time, just that Kakashi wasn't around a lot. When he was there he was taunted and bullied by the other kids at the academy. Rin felt herself grimace at the memory and kicked herself mentally for not having the courage to stick up for him.
All she had ever felt for him in the beginning was pity. He had no mother from what she could recall and he had been a bit of a strange fish when he first started the academy. She couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.
If she remembered correctly Kakashi had started attending the ninja academy a good year or so after she did. Which she now found quite weird considering is prodigal status at the time. Maybe he was home schooled before his mom passed away. Rin wasn't certain that this was a fact (and she had no intentions of asking him something so sensitive) but home schooling wasn't uncommon amongst ninja clans, especially if the student was an only child. She hadn't stood a chance at such a thing. Both of her parents had been Jounin and she very rarely saw them never mind have them teach her.
Rin's thoughts about the past very quickly turned towards the heated exchange of the night previous. Embarrassment was the first thing that came to mind at how melodramatic she felt she had been. An ugly flush filled her face causing her to instinctively lower her head in an attempt to hide it. Not that there were many people in the cafeteria area to hide it from.
She was more than relieved that her oldest friend seemed to understand though. That was all she really wanted, for Kakashi to see things from her perspective. She hadn't spoken to him since then and she secretly hoped he still felt the same.
She remembered him standing in her kitchenette door way wearing nothing but the pants she had given him and a towel around his shoulders. It was sights like that that made her want to take up smoking. She licked her lower lip absently as her minds eye traced back over those finely toned abs and that slight dusting of hair which led down to his …
"Hi, can I sit with you?" a shrill yet recognisable voice interrupted.
Rin stiffened in her chair as she spun her head around to gape at the culprit responsible for dragging her away from her fantasy. Looking back at her was a very pretty pink haired girl wearing a long white medical coat. The smile on her lips was warming and caused Rin to smile back instinctively. Suddenly realising who it was she was looking at Rin quickly repositioned her self in her chair and brushed down the collar of her shirt. She couldn't help it, but she felt like she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't.
"Oh! Hello, Sakura," Rin replied hurriedly as she pushed her thoughts to the chambers at the back of her head. She offered a hand to the chair opposite her. "Please, be my guest."
Sakura's smile widened a little as she trotted over to the chair and plonked her self into the seat. She gently placed her tray on the table which contained the exact same pathetic meal as Rin's.
Rin released a slow breath of relief. It looked like Sakura hadn't really noticed her daydreaming, or if she had she had no interest in it.
"Slim picking's at the feeding grounds today, huh?" Rin grumbled cupping her hands around her still hot cup of tea.
"Tell me about it! I was gonna come down about two hours ago but I got caught up in something else and completely forgot about it," the candy topped medic complained as she shook her head and poked at her meal distastefully.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them as Rin desperately fought for something to say to the young girl. The older woman had never been very good at small talk. She didn't know the young Haruno Sakura all that well and by the information Kakashi fed her about the girl she had quite a temper.
Eventually she mustered the courage to speak while trying to distract herself and Sakura from the fierce blush that was now creeping across the bridge of her nose.
"So, what are you doing here so late? Didn't you just come back from a mission the other day?" Rin asked curiously before shoving a mouthful of soggy lettuce into her mouth. The putrid bitterness of the damp leaf hit the back of her throat almost immediately but she managed to choke it down confidently at the risk of completely embarrassing herself. The last thing she wanted is for one of Kakashi's disciples to see her gagging on her dinner…
Sakura glanced up at her with a knowing smile. "Back shift. I swear Shizune is worse than Tsunade used to be," she chuckled looking back to her salad and poking it again. "I was kind of hoping for a couple of day's off, but you know how this job goes."
"Hmm, all too well I'm afraid," Rin replied quietly. She placed her plastic fork down next to her bowl as her appetite skipped away. She would rather starve than eat another bite of her expensive dinner. It must have been left out for hours. She would take her chances with the grocery store on the way home.
"Well, I'm really sorry to say that I have to go. My paper work isn't going to complete itself," Rin sighed dully as she stood up from her seat.
She wished she could spend more time with the young girl and get to know her a little better. Sakura was a nice girl when all was said and done and Kakashi seemed to think of her as the little sister he never had. Having a little more involvement with his team would be nice. But as she had stated moments ago, she had important work to do, no matter how mundane she found it.
Rin picked up her tray and the unread magazine from the table before turning to Sakura who looked up at her almost sadly.
"It was nice seeing you again, Sakura," she said softly before turning and walking towards the counter.
"Hey, wait I wanted to ask you something!" the young girl hollered from the table. Rin turned back towards her in mild surprise. She hardly knew this girl and yet she wanted to talk to her? She hoped to the Gods that she wasn't going to ask anything about her and Kakashi. She would have no idea what to say if she did. She had been informed by her silver haired friend that she had been asking questions, albeit innocent ones. But Rin didn't like being put on the spot. Interrogation wasn't one of her strong points; be that on the giving or receiving end.
"Uhm, I was wondering if you wanted to come training with us tomorrow afternoon. Kakashi Sensei wants to meet up at training ground three for a sparring session."
"Oh, I don't know… he hasn't mentioned anything to me so…"
"Please? It was really fun last time. Besides… it sucks being the only girl in the group."
Sakura smiled at her again pleadingly as Rin thought about the request. Kakashi had organised the training session and he hadn't invited her. Chances were that he just wanted his own team there but she saw no harm in tagging along even if it was just to watch.
She twisted her lips thoughtfully before shrugging her shoulders and smiling back at the pretty girl sat at the table. "Oh, why not. I'm sure Kakashi won't mind me being there," she quipped. She saw Sakura's face light up at her response which warmed her up on the inside. She was a nice girl and Rin wanted nothing more to be a little more involved in Team Kakashi. Even if it was at a distance.
"So what time did he say?" Rin asked.
"He told me twelve o' clock."
"Right. That means about half past two. I'll see you there then!" With that said Rin turned to leave once more before finding her self turning back again.
"Oh, and, Sakura?"
The pink haired medic looked up from her dinner and smiled again as Rin began to speak. "Thank you… for the invitation."

Kakashi approached the large steel gates that concealed the training field behind it. The gates were ajar allowing him to merely shift his stance in order to step through the gap. He did so with ease just as his keen eye spotted three familiar shapes milling about the centre of the clearing.
Kakashi had chosen this particular training field because of the vast woodland it provided. Plenty of places to hide, plenty of opportunities to sneak up on naïve little Jounin. He hummed a chuckle to himself as he stepped towards his sparring partners.
"Yo," he called, lifting one hand out of a pocket and waving towards them. He could tell by their body language (all of them apart from one that was) that they were more than a little annoyed with him.
"Why are you always late? Why bother giving us a time to meet when you turn up when you damn well feel like it?" squealed the younger of the two girls. She was standing forward jutting her accusing finger at him. Kakashi laughed at her gesture and held up both hands defensively stopping in his tracks.
"Sorry, guys. There was an old lady who needed…"
"Stop lying! You do this every time, Kakashi Sensei! It's getting pretty boring!"
"Well, you've been training with me for the best part of five years. I thought you would've gotten used to it by now."
Sakura just stood there, staring at him with her mouth open. The sight was beyond amusing; it was down right hysterical. She had nothing to throw back at him and he had to fight the urge to laugh in her face. Getting Sakura angry never got old.
"Anyway, Sakura, I see the plan to lure Rin here worked like a charm," he deadpanned turning his attention to the woman sitting on the grass between his two former students.
He watched both Sasuke and Sakura look towards Rin who was now getting to her feet from the grass and then back to him.
She shot him a questionable look and tittered under her breath. "Excuse me? You got Sakura to lure me here? She hardly used bait! I wanted to come seeing as you couldn't be bothered to invite me yourself, jackass!" Rin bit out.
Kakashi felt a hot knot tighten in the base of his gut at the tone of her voice. She really didn't realise how sexy she looked when she was ticked off. That and the fact that she was wearing the same outfit she wore during their game of hide and seek not so long ago. He allowed his eye to rove over her form drinking in the way her flak vest hugged at her slender waist and hips. She looked really good, but he wasn't about to tell her that any time soon. Not during the training session anyway. Treading lightly was the best course of action that Kakashi had devised since he had last seen her in her apartment.
"Now now, I knew Sakura would see you first, so I merely asked her to invite you. Although when you find out what the training is you may begin to wish you had turned it down," he drawled darkly.
He watched Rin shift her stance, cocking her leg slightly and planting her hands on her hips. She looked confident enough. Although as he drove his hand deep into the right pocket of his pants to retrieve the prop for this session he doubted her pride would show so dominantly.
He pulled out his hand and dangled the two old bells he had used countless times and swung them slightly to hear the distinctive chink as they clunked together on their lengths of string.
"What? Not this again?" Sakura wailed, scraping both hands through her pink hair.
"Don't you think we're a little advanced for this, Kakashi? This is Genin rank training," Sasuke complained his voice the same mono drone it always was.
Kakashi felt himself grin beneath his mask at the two youngest of his troupe. But he felt it widen still at the sight of his old team member. Her reaction was exactly what he had expected.
The colour in Rin's face had drained to a pasty white and if her features had dropped any more Kakashi feared her face would simply slide off her head and hit the floor with a wet slap.
"You have got to be kidding," she muttered dismally. "Tell me this is a joke… it's a joke… right?"
Kakashi hummed a soft chuckle at her, still holding up the two small bells in his fingers. He swung them again watching Rin's dark eyes follow their movements.
"Nope. I've chosen this training not for the benefit of Sakura or Sasuke. They have already passed this test, more than once. You however, Rin, have yet to complete this training. You were unable to take the bells from Minato Sensei but now you have to try and take them from me." Kakashi closed his eyes to let the information sink in and to prepare himself for the barrage of insults he would no doubt have thrown at him.
"Okay," she said a lot louder and bolder than Kakashi initially expected.
Rin had taken him by surprise with her sudden acceptance of the task at hand, and this wasn't the first time. He had expected her to whine and complain while asking fro the training to be changed. The whole reason for picking this test was purely because she had failed so spectacularly at it the first time around.
Opening his eyes he looked her over to see the natural colour in her face had returned almost to the point where she was glowing. A small confident smile was pursed firmly to her lips, almost like she knew something and wasn't about to divulge on the precious information.
"Really?" Kakashi asked as he lowered his hand to his side, hearing the two bells clink against his thigh.
Rin's eyes motioned towards the two metallic spheres, that same smile not wavering an ounce as she shot her sights back at him and nodded only once.
"Really. I know I sucked the first time I had to do this test. But it looks like I have something to prove to the almighty Copy Ninja," she quipped. "Besides, I don't remember you rocking so hard at it either."
Rin idly inspected the fingernails of her left hand as she made her remark. Kakashi felt another burn in his gut, this one not as pleasurable as before. Her taunt was indeed correct. All three of them had failed to obtain the bells from Minato Sensei. He was just too damn fast for any of them to keep up with. Kakashi had come so close, so frustratingly close but he still hadn't managed to pull the tiny orbs from the Yellow Flash's belt. That's one of the small prices you pay for lack of team work…
"Touché, Rin." Kakashi droned feeling his brow arc habitually at the fact that Rin had at least one point against him now.
She glowered at him, a smug smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. She knew how to push his buttons and if Kakashi was totally honest with himself, he didn't much like it. The one thing that she had over Sakura and Sasuke is she knew him better than anyone. She knew what ticked him off, knew how to goad and distract him, but he also knew a lot about her. And he planned to use all of that knowledge to his advantage.
Rin wasn't as out of shape as she thought, but Kakashi was now beginning to wonder if she was starting to realise that she was fitter than she looked.
Quickly attaching the threads of the bells to the front loop of his belt, Kakashi stood straight and looked over all three of his training buddies. They all looked ready to go, despite the younger two looking a little more relaxed than he liked.
"Alright, let's talk about consequences, shall we? The objective is the same as before. Who ever fails to get hold of one of these bells loses. The ones who manage it wins. Is that understood?"
All three nodded knowingly.
"Good. Now, there are no prizes for the ones who get a bell, only the satisfaction of passing the test. The loser however, will have to cook dinner for the rest of us at the end of the session, and I'm pretty hungry." With this, Kakashi shot his eyes directly at Rin who was staring back with a distasteful twist to her mouth. She knew the forfeit was directed at her in particular.
Kakashi really enjoyed Rin's cooking and he found himself hoping that she would fail to beat him just to savour more of her delightful food again. But in his heart of hearts, he secretly hoped that she would win. It would do wonders for her self esteem but he had no intentions of making this test easy for her. Where's the fun in that?
Eventually the dark haired medic nin shook her head and looked off into the distance as if to show Kakashi that she wasn't biting at the bait. Her reaction forced a small smile to form on his own mouth as he raised his hand, getting ready to start the test.
"Okay, are we ready?"
All three stood into position, ready to dive into the trees and gain much needed cover.
Kakashi lowered his arm sharply before shouting, "Then start!"
Two of them shot into the woods in opposite directions. The one that remained just stood there, arms folded and glaring at Kakashi like he was a rancid piece of meat.
"Rin, I said start…" he grumbled at her.
"You … are an asshole," she growled back at him. Her eyes were darker than he was used to. Seemed that something he had said had really ticked her off.
"I've been called worse," he deadpanned, shrugging his shoulders at her. He knew she wouldn't be too happy about having to repeat the bell test, but he was hoping that her first attempt at it would have taught her a few things.
"You want me to fail this thing don't you?" She started, in that same menacing voice. "Well I've got news for you, Kakashi."
She stalked towards him causing Kakashi to take a step back from her. She jutted a finger at him almost poking him square in the chest were it not for him keeping a small space between them and keeping an eye on her thrifty hands.
"I'm going to take both of those stupid bells and you won't be able to do a damn thing about it!" she hissed. The glimmer in her eyes told him that she meant every word of it. But it had yet to be seen.
"Ah, fighting talk. I like that. But I'm afraid I'll only believe that when I see some action, Rin."
"Oh, you'll see it. I'll make sure of that and you're gonna wonder what the hell hit you."
She grinned at him devilishly before she backed slowly away from him and darted into the tree's behind her.
Kakashi folded his arms and chuckled under his breath. "I look forward to it," he said softly before springing into the woodland.

It didn't take long for the copy nin to find a nice thick branch to rest his backside high up in one of the many thick set tree's in the grounds. He had sat idly for ten minutes or so simply waiting for any kind of movement. So far so good.
The rest of the team were keeping a low profile, or perhaps they were simply looking in the wrong places. Either way Kakashi took this moment of calm to slip out his trusty bright orange book and flick through the pages to find one of his most favourite parts. After coming across a rather juicy fight scene within the small world of Icha Icha Paradise he propped himself against the bark of the tree and allowed himself to drift on the edges of the fantasy realm.
"Put her down, Kakashi! She's not real, you know!" came a shrill cry from above. The noise caused Kakashi to jump in his seat. How could he have let himself lose sight of the test! He spun his head around to see a rather triumphant looking Rin gazing down at him from a few branches above him. This was just like the game of hide and seek in the ninken's plane; only this time the roles had been reversed.
He snapped the book closed and shoved it back into the pouch from which he retrieved it before standing up and facing Rin front on.
"I'm quite capable of distinguishing the differences between fantasy and reality," he remarked smugly. "And anyway, you took your sweet time finding me. I expected to be discovered sooner."
"Oh, shut up! I've been stood up here ten minutes while I watched you flip around in that book. You never even noticed me." Rin punctuated her statement with a wide toothy grin. Kakashi merely glowered up at her. He had nothing he could throw back at her seeing as he hadn't actually heard her approaching his location. He only heard her when she started speaking.
"And where are the others? I take it you have them surrounding me." He asked. He wasn't sure why he asked the question in the first place. Perhaps he was hoping Rin was naïve enough to state his statement as fact. Or maybe she would lie…
"I'm not telling you that! All I can say is that I want you here, all to myself. I swore I would get both of those bells and I'm sticking to that."
"Well, good luck with that. You're going to need it."
Kakashi saluted to her before turning shooting forwards and diving to the next tree. He sprang from branch to branch feeling the leaves hitting his face as he moved through the brush. He could sense Rin following behind. She was close, too close. He needed to shift from this level in order to lose her or at least gain him a few more seconds.
As he continued to jump through the tree's he planned out his next route. Descending was far easier than climbing and from what he remembered from the last time they had sparred together she wasn't the greatest of tree climbers.
With a crafty smirk he planted his foot onto the next branch condensing a small amount of chakra into it and flew upwards. He twisted in midair and shunted his feet onto the bark of the tree behind him. He began to sprint upwards and realised to his utter horror that Rin had already anticipated his movements.
Vibrations that shook through his legs each time his feet made contact with the bark confirmed that she was, in fact, running up the same tree only on the opposite side. If they both carried on running they would meet at the top and she would have most of the advantage.
"Shit," he hissed. How could she have gotten so good after only a two sessions with him? She must have been training with someone else at some point, he had no doubt about that. He had to change course again, and fast. He pushed himself from the tree and allowed himself to plummet a short while until his feet came into contact with another branch, but he was too slow.
Rin shot past him at a frightening speed and skidded to a halt just ahead of him. Her next move seemed to happen in slow motion as she lunged for him, both hands outstretched and her pretty face twisted primal rage. She reminded Kakashi of a wild cat and it was more than a little frightening.
He lurched backwards as she made a grab for him hearing her growl in frustration. The copy nin was safe from her claws for now but he had foolishly misjudged his footing in his attempt to get away from her.
Completely missing the branch with his foot, Kakashi found himself plummeting towards the ground. Thick prongs of wood skimmed past him until he reached out and grasped one of the branches and pulled himself towards the tree.
He managed to spin his body upwards and landed on the solid platform to hear something whistling towards him from behind. He turned just in time to spot the three kunai shredding through the leaves straight for him. He quickly sprung to a level above him just as the small knives buried themselves deep into the soft wood.
Kakashi stared at the weapons momentarily, suddenly realising how far off he was from actually being that soft piece of wood. He mentally saw the kunai buried handle deep in his back as he turned away and pressed himself against the bark of the injured tree.
It was difficult not to think of what injuries could have been when in battle and this was no different. That very same shiver crawled up his spine at the thought of it. He knew he was considered a formidable foe to many ninja but he still felt physical pain and he still bled like any other. It was what made him human…
"Geez, Rin. Take it easy…" he muttered under his breath. She really wanted to win this… really badly. The silver haired Jounin kicked himself mentally for underestimating her and overestimating himself. He honestly didn't think she would be able to keep up with him. How wrong he had been so far. It was then that he decided that the sharingan would be his best weapon against her especially since he had two other well trained ninja chasing his tail somewhere in the field.
Kakashi briskly pushed his hitai-ate that covered his sharingan eye higher on his forehead and peered back around at the kunai still buried into the branch just below him. He felt himself frown at them before lifting his sights towards the direction they came from. He judged that Rin was still in that general direction and he didn't have much time until she caught up with him again.
Just as he had decided to move to the next platform opposite he was taken by surprise again when a firm hand wrapped around the wrist that supported his weight against the thick bark. He whirled his head towards the hand and saw Rin smiling gleefully at him again from around the tree. Her body was twisted around the trunk suggesting that she was either standing on a different branch, or she was clinging to the bark itself. Man, she was fast today!
"You're not very good at this game, are you?" she chortled. Her eyes swiftly flitted to the bells resting against his thigh and back to his face. At that instance, still gripping his wrist with a strength Kakashi never thought she had in her, she made another grab for him. He saw his chance then.
The copy nin yanked his arm away from her, using her monstrous grip against her as the force pulled her entire body around the tree. He heard her squeal as she swung in front of him as he tried to literally shake her off and send her falling to the ground. He swung his arm downwards, watching Rin swing with it but his plan was foiled once again.
Rin planted her feet on the bark just below Kakashi's branch and grasped his already trapped arm with her other hand. Her position forced Kakashi to bend over as she used her entire body weight to pull him down.
He struggled against her, desperately trying to pull his arm free from her grip but she was holding fast. His stooped position wasn't helping matters, with the strength in his legs concentrating with simply keeping his balance and his other hand against the bark for what little support it could provide, Rin had the full advantage. And it didn't take long until she used it.
She pulled him towards her as she began to bend herself back away from the tree. Kakashi's eyes widened dramatically as he began to realise exactly what it was she doing. She wasn't merely trying to pull him off the branch, she was trying to get him to ground level and she was going to fall with him.
With a sudden tug to his arm that almost popped his shoulder from it's socket Kakashi lost his footing. He plummeted downwards and even felt the force of his fall pull Rin from her spot on the tree. As they fell she tried to pull him towards her using her vice like grip on his wrist but Kakashi kept her away with a precise shunt of his foot against her chest.
She continued to pull at his arm however and he could feel the agonising burn in his shoulder growing as the muscles fought against her. He kicked her again, hard, square in the chest which made her grunt and her face twist a little at the pain but her grip didn't loosen one bit.
The winds of the fall whipped past them causing Kakashi's hair to get in his way and obscure his sight as he craned his neck to chance a quick glimpse at the ground that was rushing towards them. It was at that moment that she released him which allowed him to gain his composure and twist his body in a way that allowed him to at least land on his feet.
They both made contact with the ground, causing the dust from the dry soil under their feet to spray into the air. Straightening himself Kakashi took a brisk look around the clouded area just as an ominous shape pounded towards him. Instinctively he raised both arms as Rin thrust her fist towards his face instead coming into contact with his forearm.
Kakashi sprang his other hand outwards, grabbing Rin's inoffensive arm and spun her body so her back was against his front. He instantly wrapped an arm around her trapping both hands against her chest, pressing her against him and leaving her unable to move. She was good today, really good… but still not as good as him.
With an arm now pressing against her throat he could feel each breath she took as she tried in vain to twist herself out of his grip. He hummed an amused chuckle at her as she threw her head back viciously trying to hit him in the face again. Kakashi quickly twisted his free hand into her ponytail to stop her from repeating the action and felt her body stiffen against him. She had complained about him using this tactic before, but it was effective. If she didn't like her hair being pulled then in his opinion she shouldn't have any.
He leaned towards her, making sure his mouth was next to her ear and pulled her head back slowly with her hair.
"Feeling tired yet?" He teased softly into her ear eyeing each and every heave of her chest against the arm that kept her there. He heard her gasp out a small laugh as her mouth twisted in a sinister smile.
"Not as tired as you're gonna feel," she puffed just as she hooked a foot around his ankle and pulled him off his feet. He should have seen that one coming really…
Instinctively, Kakashi released his arm from around her next but kept a firm grip on her hair as he fell backwards. The idea was to merely pull her down with him but Rin seemed to have other plans.
His sharingan picked up bright spots of chakra running out of her scalp and into her auburn hair which knocked him completely off guard, be that for a mere second, but that was enough for her. She spun her head around, carrying the copy nin with it and flung her hair over her shoulder. Kakashi lost his grip on Rin's locks as they seemed to turn to slick strands of steel and he was thrown across the small clearing.
He allowed himself to make impact with the ground and rolled a few yards before coming to a complete stop against the base of one of the many trees. Even though it was quite dark in this part of the woods the dust his body had just disturbed would allow him enough time to execute a bunshin no jutsu.
He quickly made his hand signs, knowing that it wouldn't take long for the dust to settle. Kakashi's clone didn't need any orders from it's creator. As he got to his feet the copy simply lay down in the empty space while Kakashi swiftly dove behind the same tree.
He crouched on the floor behind the tree and waited for Rin to notice the clone lying on the ground. He secretly hoped that she would take a little pity on the "injured" version of himself, knowing that whatever pain his clone felt he would feel as soon as it returned to him.
It didn't take long for Rin to see him lying at the base of the tree. Kakashi heard his copy whine as she seemed to pick him up and force him up against the trunk which in turn caused the entire wooden body to shake around him.
Yup, I'm gonna be feeling that later, he thought dismally.
"Looks like I win, Kakashi," he heard Rin quip. "I'll just be taking my … hey … what the … what have you done with the bells?"
Rin's annoyed tone signalled Kakashi's moment to shine. He shot around the bark of the tree just as his clone looked up at Rin and winked at her. Within that split second he saw her gasp when the clone popped and disappeared in a puff of grey smoke. With Rin's confusion of the situation, Kakashi grabbed her by the shoulders, twisted her around and shunted her into the tree.
She called out in surprise as the tall Jounin pressed her into the wood. She looked up at him with wide eyes and her mouth hung open a little, which made her look pretty cute.
"I think you'll find that I'm the one who will be doing the winning," Kakashi purred.
Rin didn't try to struggle this time, she knew she had been beaten and beaten by the best. She just stood trapped against the tree and smiled warmly at him as she began to catch her breath.
"Well… I like to think I did better this time, huh?" she puffed, her smile widening a little as she relaxed against the tree.
Kakashi looked down at his feet momentarily as he laughed at her remark. "Actually you did better than I thought you would. Some of the moves you pulled off were really impressive."
He saw a small dusting of pink appear on her cheeks as she glanced down into the space between them. "Not as impressive as you though. You really know how to turn a girls head," she murmured as she flitted her eyes flirtatiously at him. The look stirred pleasurable knots to develop in Kakashi's stomach as he found himself eyeing her over again. His sharingan allowed him to see the chakra within her, flowing through her entire body. The way it shimmered, like millions of tiny purple fireflies, suggested that she was on the cusp of excitement … or arousal.
"You were amazing, Kakashi," she whispered. Her eyes were heavy and lustfully dark as she pursed her lips a little at him. Kakashi noticed then that her body heat had intensified and a musky sweetness began to penetrate not only his nose but also his head. He couldn't help himself as he leaned himself closer, almost to the point where their bodies were touching. He kept his hands firmly placed on her shoulders but she still made no motion to try and get away.
"You think so?" he asked softly. It wasn't Kakashi's style to seek compliments for his performances, he did what he did, but he genuinely wanted to know that Rin meant what she said. The little nod of her head confirmed it.
"You always are," she replied with a flirtatious smile as she lifted her arms and stroked her fingers along his bare forearms that still held her against the tree.
She was amazing…
"There's just one tiny problem though," Rin said quietly pulling her lower lip into her mouth.
"a problem?" Kakashi replied softly tilting his head slightly one side.
Suddenly Rin's expression changed dramatically from lustful to almost hateful. Before Kakashi had the time to respond to it her hands had already wrapped around both of his wrists to the point where he could feel his skin being stretched beyond it's normal capacity. He tried to move away, but realised he had been frozen to the spot.
She was channelling her own chakra through him, manipulating his own muscles to prevent him from moving. Just then an ice cold slither of metal was slid over his throat as the warmth of another body pressed into his back.
The only movement Rin seemed to allow him was that of his eyes and flitted them towards the heat source to see yet another Rin staring back at him with a sarcastic grin plastered to her face. She leaned in close so her lips brushed against his ear.
"The problem is that I'm behind you. It's not nice to taste your own medicine, is it?" she snickered as she smoothed her free hand down his side and over his hips to retrieve the bells from his belt loop. He felt the threads keeping them there snap before she held them up to him and jingled them in his face.
Kakashi could sense that the new arrival was a clone, but he was completely powerless to do anything about it. Rin had glued him to the spot and stopped even his most basic functions other than that of his internal organs.
All he could do was watch as Rin's copy stepped over to the woman against the tree who was now holding out a hand and dropped the bells into her palm. The copy then sauntered back over to Kakashi and smoothed her hand beneath his jaw line. She kissed him tenderly on the cheek and placed her lips next to his ear again.
"See you later, big boy," she whispered before she popped in a plume of pale pink smoke.
Seconds later Rin released the copy nin from her strange technique causing Kakashi's entire body to completely relax and sending him sprawling to the ground. He heard her giggle at him while she wandered over to his side and planted herself firmly on the grass next to him. She tossed the two bells around in her hand and sat there smouldering at him.
Kakashi eyed her over, letting out a loud defeated groan and pulled an arm over his eyes. How could he have been so stupid. Why didn't he see that coming. He was getting too old for this…
"I guess this means I win then?" she chirped happily. A very different tone to the one he had heard mere moments ago.
Kakashi lifted his arm from his face and turned his head slightly towards her.
"Big boy?" he asked flatly, still reeling from the comment as it was.
He watched a fierce blush bleed to the surface of her face as she looked away briskly. Eventually she shrugged at him while she rolled the two bells around in her hands.
"I dunno… it just kinda … slipped out," she murmured softly. There was a hint of an amused grin pulling at one corner of her mouth as she spoke.
Kakashi shook his head and went back to covering his eyes with his arm. "I can't believe you used that on me," he muttered.
He heard Rin emit a loud snort before she replied, "I can't believe you actually fell for it."
He sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Don't you think that was a little bit… I don't know… cruel?"
Rin shrugged her shoulders again, not bothering to look at him but he could still see the smile widen a little on her lips.
"It's not my fault I'm gorgeous," she replied nonchalantly. She turned her head to look at him, with that same triumphant smile on her face. She held out a closed fist to him in which he responded with an open palm. She dropped the bells into his hand and got to her feet, patting herself down as she went. She was filthy not that Kakashi was fairing much better considering all the dust they had not long been rolling around in.
Kakashi followed suit, cramming the bells back into his pocket and they both began walking together towards the centre of the training field.
"Where are the other two anyway? I didn't see them at all during the test," Kakashi asked curiously while taking a quick look around himself in the hopes that they were trailing behind somewhere.
"Oh I met up with them before I found you in that tree. I sent them home," Rin replied matter-of-factly.
"You sent them home?" Kakashi had to admit that he was more than a bit shocked by her answer. Despite how close he felt he was to the young woman she didn't have the authority to send his team away he had called them for a training session.
"Yeah. I told you. I wanted to get those bells on my own. And I did it… on my own," she said softly before turning towards him and flashing him one of her winning smiles. "And you know what? It felt awesome!"
The copy nin felt himself smile at that. It was only right that she felt good about it. She had won fair and square and Kakashi wasn't about to take that away from her.
"Can I ask you something, Rin?"
"Hmm?"
"That thing you did with your hair, what was that?"
She giggled a little throwing him a sideways glance and flicking her long dark tresses over her shoulder with a swift sweep of her arm.
"You can't have long beautiful hair like this without using it as a weapon, you know. It's just something I taught myself while out in the field. I thought it would be neat to be able to use it as an extension of myself," She said happily, but with a dismissive shrug.
"I thought it was pretty cool," he responded warmly, giving her one his trademark eye creases.
Rin smiled back and nudged him playfully with her elbow. "Maybe I should teach you how to do it. You've got plenty of fur on your loaf!" she quipped.
The copy nin couldn't help but laugh at that. He thought about telling her then how much he thought she had changed, but he didn't want to spoil the moment. The fact that she had fought him by herself and won was a feat in itself. Not by her victory, but by her self belief that she could do it in the first place. He felt a sense of pride drift to his surface that maybe he had had that influence on her. He hoped he had anyway.
This girl was becoming more and more amazing every single day.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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