A/N: This is another one i did because i was bored AND i had just watched Titanic and it made me sad so this is the result of that. hope you enjoy!
Reminisce
Silence. His surroundings were slowly becoming shielded from his vision as the gray storm clouds slowly crept upon the forest. Minute by minute, inch by inch, the clouds snaked their way to the open training grounds that he currently stood in. As he looked up at the sky, the brightness of day was being eaten up by the hungry clouds, slowly but surely. This kind of thing happened to him many times already but that day, he couldn't quite transfer the thought of getting to somewhere dry through his busy mind. All he did was stand there, in the open training field, not only staring up at the storm that was yet to come but also thinking; thinking deeply about his past and what became of his present.
'I can't believe I'm thinking about that at a time like this.' He thought as his eyelids dropped shut. He listened only to the wind and to the thunder rumbling in a low and dangerous tone. His whole body soon followed suit and relaxed, arms slumped to his sides and his shoulders leisurely came down. 'That event was so many years ago, why do I think about it now? I know I've thought about it before but, at this time? I have to move or I'm going to get soaked.' His neck was still craned up towards the sky when he felt a small yet cold wet drop hit his cheek. The sudden coldness in his warm skin caused his eyes to open, but ever so slowly. When his eyes were fully open, more of the freezing wetness began to hit all of his exposed skin but he still stood there, not moving from his position or from his stance. 'Today is almost exactly like that day, almost.'
"Dad!" I said as I ran up to him in the rain, seeing him for the first time in many months, equivalent to over a year. "You're back! Oh, you know what? When you left last year, I took the Chuunin exam and," I was jumping for joy splashing water and mud all over the place. I waited so long for that moment, for the moment where I could tell my dad, Konoha's White Fang that I had become a Chuunin and I was only seven years old. I knew he would be proud. "I passed!" I hugged him and buried my face into his wet clothes.
I felt him put his hand on my head and ruffle my dripping hair. I didn't have a mask back then and as for my forehead protector, it hung around my neck for I was proud of my being a shinobi. I looked up at my father's face to see if he was proud or me or not. At first glance I knew something was wrong. "Dad? Are you okay? Are you tired?" I couldn't stop my curiousity. On his face, I could see happiness and the look of a proud father and for that I was grateful but when I looked into his eyes, there was sadness and anger and regret, something I had never seen in my father, ever.
By now, the figure that stood in the center of the training field was wet to the bone but still no movement. It was as if he was a statue that would never again move a step away from its place. His once shining silver hair was now flattened onto his skull, a dull gray colour, like the storm clouds. His clothes sagged down as if they were being drawn to the ground by a magnetic force, dragging him with them. Nonetheless, he stood there lost in his thoughts. "Father, why?"
"It's nothing, son. Don't worry. I just need some rest, okay?" There he went again with the fake smile. I knew something was wrong but I didn't want to pry, so I grabbed tightly onto his shirt and bid him goodnight. I watched him enter the house as I stood there in the rain looking at him from behind. It was as if at that moment, my father was leaving me. As I watched him get farther and farther, the treacherous feeling of being left alone engulfed me. Before he left my sight, I ran to him, and I reached out for his hand. I was relieved to have grabbed his hand, knowing that he was still there and would never leave me.
Finally, after several minutes, he opened his eyes, but only to shut them quickly for the rain had been falling harder. As he felt the water hit his eyes, he immediately cringed and brought his hand up rubbing the water out as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep. He remembered, the pain he was feeling at the moment was nothing compared to what he felt the day his father came home. "Father," he said almost just above a whisper. He looked down at his drenched gloved hands and at the white chakra saber, unsheathed. It was the saber that had been passed down to him by his father, only to be sliced in half. It was also the saber that brought back horrible memories of losses but yet, he still held onto it for dear life. He wrapped his fingers around the sheath and tightly grasped it, suddenly remembering one of the greatest losses he had ever experienced.
Thunder rumbled as the sky flashed a bright white, illuminating the forest for only a second before dying away, but was replaced by another and the cycle went on. His head hung low, while his hair dripped onto the saber along with the rain. As the water slid down the sheath, he began to drift into a deep state of thought once more.
That night I heard my parents talking. My father was explaining something while I my mother was, well crying. I could barely hear my father's voice. It was being muffled by the closed door and I could barely get any word. I just knew that it wasn't good.
I got up out of the warmth of my bed and walked as silently as I could to my door. I took the handle into my hand and slid the door slightly open, checking if it would make a sound. I then slid it fully open and walked out into the hall. I made my way to my parent's room.
The voices became a little louder when I neared the door. I was about to open the door, with my hands inches away from the handle when I heard my mother yell. I was startled and fell back making a loud thump. The door opened at the same time and out came running a shadowy figure. The only light in the hall were the candles that lit up my parent's room. Beside the candles, another dark figure sat still staring into the dancing flames. Considering that the figures hair shone brightly in the light of the blaze with a hint of silver, it was my father. I didn't know what he might've said that made my mother run off like that.
I was still on the floor and immediately noticed the pain. I winced and got up slowly, taking my eyes off of my father for the slightest moment. I stretched a little bit and tried to stretch the pain out, but it didn't really work. When I thought I could handle it, I looked up and he, my father White Fang, was gone.
The storm had seemed to only get worse. The trees began to sway with the strong winds as they blew down hard on the forest. It was as if the gods were crying and howling. His hair lashed in every direction as well as his clothes. He fell to his knees still grasping the unsheathed blade in his hand. He took his other hand and grabbed hold of the blade's hilt and took it out at a snail's pace, watching as the white chakra saber was being revealed to him after so many years.
I had searched all over my house for my father. I searched the bedrooms, the family room, the kitchen, even the bathroom but there was no sign of him. I began to panic. My mother wasn't there and now my father had disappeared. I was alone.
"Mom! Dad! Where are you?" I ran outside into the rain and looked around best I could in search for my parents. Then I saw a figure kneeling down on its knees. I walked closer in fear of it being an enemy. I heard sobbing and soon realized that it was my mother. "Mom!" I ran to her side and tried to make her face me. I wanted something to be explained and I couldn't wait. "Mom, what's going on? Please tell me. I'm old enough to know." I pleaded. "Please mom, there's something wrong I just know it."
My mother looked at me straight in the eye with tears streaming down her face, mixing in with the many rain drops. She soon began to cry even harder and covered her face with her hands. "Y-your fa-t-ther is," she began to speak while hiccupping. I encouraged her best I could as I smoothed her back. "Keep going mom," I whispered. "He's g-going to-o k-ki-" she let more tears run down her face. She looked into my eyes once more but this time, wih all the sadness she could muster. She failed to conceal the hurt and misery that was spilling out of her with ever tear drop. She took a deep breath and used a great amount of energy and will power to finish what she started. "He's going to kill h-himself-f."
My mind blanked out. My hands dropped to the side and I tried to absorb those last words. It finally hit me as I got up and ran to the backyard with as much speed as I could assemble. 'He's in the back, that's the only place he could be now.' I ran with tears now flowing freely but my eyes showed anger; anger at my father for thinking he could just kill himself without telling me.
I turned a corner and there he was, as still has a statue with his neck craned up to the sky, hair a dark grayish colour, eyes closed and arms by his side and clothes drenched. I was about to run to him when I heard his voice. It hit me like a sword piercing through my body. "Stay there son. I have decided to do this. By doing this I will regain my honour. I have shamed the Hatake name and have disgraced Konoha and all of the people who live here. I must do this son." He soon faced me with a sad smile as he stood there with his unsheathed saber in his hand. "Son, that mission—that mission changed everything for me. I had failed the mission and now Konoha will have to suffer the consequences; you'll have to suffer." Though his eyes were sad, tears weren't visible in his eyes. "The mistake I did was save my comrades." He looked down ashamed. I didn't get it. Why would that be a mistake? They were his comrades. "Because of my action, even the ones I saved are angry with me. I am a fallen warrior, son, and I have no regrets of doing this." He grabbed hold of the saber's hilt and pulled it out swiftly yet with amazing grace. "For me son, you must stay strong. You must stay strong for the family. You are the man of the house now. You must protect your mother."
I couldn't move. My eyes were affixed to my father. My body did not respond to my brain. I watched as my father fell to his knees and grabbed the saber with both hands. He brought his hands before him, outstretched with the white chakra blade pointing to his abdomen. "I know that I am not doing the ritual properly but I cannot wait any longer. I fear my shame will kill me nonetheless. At least I'll be doing a fragment of the ritual. That's all I need to bring honour back to me and the Hatake family." I looked at him with horror filled eyes. My mind soon began to work again and I was running at my fullest. "Dad!" I screamed with my arm reaching out to him. "I love you son." Then before my eyes, he plunged the blade into himself, cutting from left to right. Finally, when the blade made it to the right side of his abdomen, he made one last cut upwards.
The restoration of honour had been completed. With the loss of my father, I looked upon his face, a smile graced his features and the blade was now in his hand, torn away from his body at the last minute before he fell. I cried my heart out, burying my face into his chest and hugging him as tight as I could, wanting him to take back everything he said, wanting him to come back and watch me, teach me how to become a great ninja like he was. I knew none of that would come true, not even if I wished a thousand wishes; he would always stay in my dreams and memories from that day on.
Upon remembering that, he shut his eyes and, in the process, dropped the hilt and the saber slid back into its sheath. He could still see his father before him with the saber's blade pointing to his stomach as if it was only yesterday. "Ever since then I had been alone. He was someone I had admired and looked up too." The crack in his voice was heard as his eyes began to tear up. "No! Father didn't cry in his time of death. I shouldn't cry because of this." He wiped his tears away in haste and looked back down at the unsheathed saber. He put his hand on the hilt once more and pulled it out, again at the same slow pace.
The saber was carefully being pulled out, revealing its greatness with every centimeter. Then, just about a few inches above the hilt, the whole thing came out of the sheath but only has a half. The other half was still at the bottom of the sheath. He then remembered another loss that might've been one of the losses that had taught him something as well; something very valuable indeed.
He tilted the sheath so that the blade would slide out, careful not to cute himself with the old yet not surprisingly sharp silver-white piece. He stared at the two pieces that once were one and fought in great battles, used to defeat countless enemies by the great White Fang.
I was racing against time as I sped from tree to tree. It had been several minutes before I decided to follow after Obito. I knew what I was doing was against everything that I had said but I had to admit, I was beginning to grow a soft spot for my teammates. I ran, jumped and landed only to be replaced again by running and jumping. I had to get there as fast as I could. For all I knew, that stupid idiot could be dead by the time I got there.
I reached a clearing soon afterwards. First thing I saw as I landed on the closest branch to the vicinity was Rin tied up near a large rock. That was the point of this whole side mission so I was about to jump down and get her but then something else caught my eye; Obito. He was being attacked yet he stood there frozen to the spot. 'Idiot! Move!' I thought. It was no use, he wasn't going to move.
I was there in a flash, my father's blade in hand, slicing at the enemy. I had hit his chest, slicing through his rock country vest. It was close. If I was the least bit late, Obito would've had his head cut off.
"W-what? How-w? Kakashi…you—" I couldn't bare his babbling for I feared that I would start babbling just like he was. "I really can't leave you alone you crybaby. I have you out of my sight for a few minutes and you almost get your head off." I said and I stood in front of him in a protective manner. "Are you going to stand there like a crybaby or are you going to help me?" I said commandingly, but silently smiling underneath my mask for he was safe. One of the many people that I had shoved away, Rin and Obito were always there, it took me up till then to realize that.
"That was the first time I used it after my father's death." He stated to the wind. He was still kneeling and looking at the blade pieces. "I never really did have the heart to put this thing back together." He held both of the pieces at eye level. He looked at them as if staring into the very soul of the saber.
"Obito! Watch it! He's behind you!" I dashed as quickly as I could to the invisible shinobi who was about to strike at Obito. I ran in between Obito and the shinobi but was too late to block the attack. I yelled as I flew back hitting the rocks hard. "Ugh! My eye!" I covered my eye, immediately feeling the pain seep through my body. First thing I felt and heard was Obito by my side again, after everything I did to him, he was still there. I heard concerned yells and sobbing. "I'm fine." I replied taking my hand away, looking at him with one eye. "What? You got dirt in your eye again? I'm not dead yet, and besides shinobi don't cry." I looked up at him but his eyes were shielded by his arm. I heard continuous sobbing.
He chuckled. 'That idiot really was a crybaby.' The rain began to get lighter but it was still there. It was one of those moments where the rain clouds only seemed to rain on him and nothing else. "I've gotta hand it too him," he said getting up. "The scar that was left behind from the cut is pretty deep." He looked into the puddle that formed before him because of the storm. His reflection showed the upper half of his face for the rest was covered with a mask. 'The Sharingan…' He smiled sadly as he eyed the Sharingan that was still activated from his training. 'Was it really worth it?'
"Take care of Rin for me Kakashi." Those were his last words as I grabbed Rin by the wrist and dragged her out of the hole that was caving in. I looked back, staring at Obito's face which held a smile as he breathed his last breath and left the world. I felt an ache in my chest as I saw the rocks pile over each other, burying one of Konoha's great heroes.
I saw a whole pack of rock-nin surround us both, Rin and I. I didn't care what happened to me, everything was said and done. If I had to die there fulfilling Obito's last wish, I would die there. My hair shaded my eyes. "Rin, Obito cared for you, loved you. It'd my duty to protect you even if I die. That was his last wish." I heard her begin to shed tears. "But—" I pulled out the special kunai that our sensei had given to me and prepared for possibly my last battle. "I want you to run Rin," I tightened my grip on the kunai. I knew I should've been scared for my final battle and my near death experience but all I felt was sadness and anger. I vowed that I would kill every single one of those nins. "When I give you the signal, you run. I'm not the kind of trash that would leave you any longer."
I lifted my head, high and proud and stared into the very eyes of every nin before me. Tears streamed down my face. I could see it, the chakra of every nin standing. I did a few hand seals and activated my Chidori, the newest of my jutsu. "Now! Run Rin!" I had let the kunai soar through the air and charged after it, into the heart of the battle. My Chidori was once called an incomplete jutsu for it was lacking in the power to be aware of opponents' counters but now, as I glared at my target, the Sharingan had completed my jutsu; Obito was now in the battle with me, every step of the way.
He looked down one last time at the saber. He grabbed the sheath and soon slid the saber back into it, hoping to never bring it out again for it brought to many sad memories. He got back up and looked up into the sky. It was clearing and the sun soon graced the Fire Country with its face once more. His surroundings were damp and trees dripping with rain water, making sounds as they splashed into the many puddles.
Seeing that there was nothing left for him to do, he covered his left eye with his forehead protector. His mind ached for he hadn't realized that he had overused the Sharingan once again. Taking the pain, he began to walk towards the village. "Time to visit and old friend."
As he walked in silence, his clothes began to dry and his hair went back to its original shiny silvery colour. His feet dragged behind him as he stopped by a nearby flower shop, picking up a few flowers.
"Hey Kakashi, back again I see," said an elegant woman, the owner of the shop. "Yeah, I'm back for the usual please." He answered back. He looked around the shop and spotted a bunch of new flowers. "Actually, on second thought, I think I'll just take these ones." He said as he picked up one of the beautifully white and purple flowers. "Okay, but it'll cost you a bit more. Those are part of the new batch that came in yesterday." He admired the beauty of the soft petals, almost completely ignoring the fact that they cost more.
"What can you say about these flowers?" he asked her. "Well, they stand for courage and adversity. The deliverer said they were called Wallflowers. I don't know anything else about them. They're actually rare around here. Oh you know, I had never really seen that deliverer before." She shrugged, "Must be new. I mean, I couldn't really see his face so I didn't really know if I knew him or not or—" She rambled on while he once again didn't pay any attention. 'Perfect.' He thought. "Yeah, please give me a bouquet of these." She was immediately interrupted from her rambling. "Oh, okay then." As soon as he purchased them, he continued to walk in the same direction he was before.
He had finally made it to his destination. Before him was the tombstone of heroes. It was Konoha's monument to those shinobi who had died in battle but for a good cause. "I'm back my friend." He put down everything he had except for the flowers. He slowly walked up to the tomb and placed the flowers in front of it. He bowed a little in respect and then stepped back. He put his hands in his pockets and then sighed. "Sorry I was late. I got a little side tracked again." He took a seat, crossing his legs and sitting in a leisurely position, elbows on knees and hangs dangling above the ground. "You know, since the last time I came to visit you guys, I finally saw Naruto again, as well as Sakura. They have both grown into amazing fighters and I might add, wise." He chuckled upon remembering the bell challenge with the two a week ago. "Wise indeed." He then remembered how the very name of their once Team 7 comrade had become a taboo for them. They crawled into little balls as they too remembered how complete Team 7 felt when Sasuke was still there. He too was missing the Uchiha.
As he continued to tell stories to his comrades, someone was watching him from the very heights of the trees. He was careful not awaken the copy ninja's alertness. He looked down upon the man as he talked and talked, watching as the boy he used to know had grown into a young man who doesn't let his sadness and anger get the best of him anymore. He was also touched by the fact that he always visited the tombstone, at least once a week.
He had always been there to watch and listen to the new things that Kakashi had been doing in his absence. Sometimes, he regretted not coming back to his home, to listen to all of the wonderful stories his friend had to tell. But then he would remember that it might be better that way. It would be better if Kakashi hadn't seen him alive for he knew that things wouldn't have turned out this way; Kakashi living a life of fame and happiness. If he came back, he would probably take the spotlight as the war hero, the one who came back after a dreadful mission. 'Yes, that was how it would be,' he thought. 'I've seen the way you act around your new team and comrades. I'm happy that you had a change of heart.'
He remembered the days they used to be on the same team; how Kakashi would always nag him about the rules and how a shinobi should follow them. He remembered how Rin was always trying to break them apart and how their sensei wouldn't mind at all; calling our quarrels "getting to know each other". Their sensei was always like that, but when the time came for battle, he was known as the Yellow Flash and feared by all. No one came close.
"Well, sorry guys but I have to go. Naruto and Sakura are going to get mad at me again for being late for a mission." As he dusted himself off, he heard a twig snap and immediately looked up into the trees. He didn't have his Sharingan activated so he couldn't really see anything. He was about to take off the forehead protector that was covering his eye but then suddenly, a bird flew out from the tree and soared into the sky. Kakashi's hand soon relaxed and dropped again, not even touching the forehead protector. "Ah, just birds." He bid his comrades a farewell and walked on into the village, seemingly taking his time.
The man in the trees took deep breaths in while sweat dripped from his forehead. 'Wow, that was close,' he thought as he carefully grasped for his mask from under his jacket. He slid his hand into his jacket trying not to make another twig snap like he did before.
It was good that his jacket was black but he never really did like the clouds that were on it and the red lining. When he felt his mask, he pulled it out and looked at the face of it. There was only one eye whole; an eye whole on the right. "I really need to get a new mask. This one is getting really old." He wiped the sweat from his brow and slipped the mask on. "Well I would think over twenty years of using it would wear it out."
He looked around once more to make sure no one was there then jumped down into the open, standing before the tombstone. "Ha, I guess I'm the only one with my name engraved in this hunk of rock and is still alive. Pfft. Go figure." He looked down at the new flowers and carefully took one out. "Kakashi has good taste in flowers. I wonder who the lucky girl would be." He heard someone's footsteps and dashed for the trees once more.
"Whoops, I forgot my dad's saber. Can't go anywhere without it ya kn—" As Kakashi bent down to pick up the saber when he saw the flowers. They were in a mess, many pulled out about half way. "What the?" he then glanced at how many there were, and he was one short. "Didn't I buy ten of these?" He would've gone more into the subject when he remembered the mission. "Ah, crap. I'll deal with this later." He ran off into the distance as fast as he could. "I really think he should set his schedule up a bit more." The man whispered from inside the tree. He looked down at the flower he clutched in his hand. "Well, I got what I came for." He turned around, "Until next time my friend, until next time." A great gust emerged from the forest as the figure disappeared into the whispering winds.
Time is but an obstacle that is put in between two people
Until time sees it fit for the two to meet once more.
A/N: so, how was it? review please! i wanna see how my first oneshot did. it was so hard to write a oneshot heh. i couldn't stop mystelf from writing a lot of detail. hope you still enjoyed it though. oh and this is what my friend and i were discussing one night; about how obito would still be live and well...it kinda lead me to writing this. and i really don't remember what his mask or the akatsuki uniform looked like so i improvised. i hope i got it at least a little write. thanks again!
- --writingzeaL