Hey guys, Kai Isolated here

Hey guys, Kai Isolated here. I've been seeing a lot of parenting type of story involving KakaRin, and now I'm eager to present my own that has been loitering inside my cerebral for a long time. This story however has nothing related with my other story; As Time Flies By (even though I wanted it to, but the timeline will then be messed up). Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it, since I am now in need of practicing my grammar skills and vocabulary.

The prologue starts during the 2 and a half years time skip (the time when Naruto is off with Jiraiya) and the real story starts 2 years after the akatsuki incident (meaning I don't want to mess with the real Naruto story's timeline, therefore we assume that the crisis is over and Naruto won bla, bla… after 2 years)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and never will

Prologue: The Frozen Time

Heavy breath escaped from his lips and through the dark layer of his mask. Warm sweat dripped slowly at the side of his face and disappeared into the air. He had his left eye closed with one of his palm, and the other eye closed; tight. The pain from the left eye sent jots of electrical impulses translated as pain throughout his whole body. He shivered and finally gave up. He dropped to the ground; on his knees – helpless and out of breath.

How he wish for her right now.

Lately, all he thought of was her- at the memorial, at the Godaime's office, when eating, and even before he closed his eyes to face his nightmares. For so many years he managed to forget, but now he couldn't even live one moment with her image suddenly flashed inside his mind. His students were now all away on their own, and without realizing, he was feeling a small hole of loneliness deep in his heart. He was reliving the same thing back when he found out that he lost her – forever. And now, between missions, or during his free time, he brought himself to the middle of the thick Konoha forest, away from radar. He came to train, to let everything out, to test his capabilities.

From the vision of his normal and perfectly healthy right eye, he looked straight in front and he saw the sight of his own power. The huge row of trees that once lined in front of him had disappeared, leaving only the lower parts still attached to the ground. Everything looked as if certain parts were sucked into a vortex.

"So this is the power of my Magenkyou…" he thought, with a deep sigh after. The strain of the Magenkyou was too much for his body that does not hold any Uchiha blood in it. He knew that even Uchiha Itachi, as a true Uchiha could not stood long with his Magenkyou. Not only that, he manage to discover many other information regarding the Magenkyou. Though his was clearly different from of Itachi's, he now at least knew what other capabilities of the Magenkyou have. Yet, the Uchiha's bloodline still held so many mysteries after all.

The wind gave a slow blow, brushing against his silver stands of hair and Kakashi let the rest of his body fell on the grassy ground. His breathing started to return to its normal pace but his whole body couldn't even move an inch. He groaned; both because of his pain and frustration. His vision was getting darker and out of focus; he knew he was going to faint any seconds now.

And all he could do was to whisper her name.

His eyes shot open unknowingly. The years of training as a ninja have made him extremely sensitive with his surrounding. He jerked; the pain came along with the consciousness. He raised his sore body in a sitting position – which was then that he realized that he was out of his green Jounin vest and under a warm blanket. It was raining outside; he made that out with the sounds of splashes outside. He guessed based on his senses and also from the darkness that lay beneath the small window that it was now at the peak of a night. He looked around anxiously at the small room he was in; lighted by a small candle and with some help from the moon. There was a faint scent occupying the room, but immediately, he recognized the familiar lavender scent.

It was her scent.

There was no doubt in his mind. He was sure that it was her. But the rationality of his mind could not accept her presence at the moment. It was not possible no matter how much you try to make sense of it. His Sharingan eye twitched at all the confusion. He had enough pain for one day that he felt like ripping the eye apart. But the sudden sound of footsteps that was nearing the room automatically signalled his brain to reach for a weapon. He remained ready under the blanket; one hand at the left eye whilst the other holding tight to a kunai. The door knob twisted with a click.

A woman, about the same age of him emerged from behind the door, carrying a small basin of water and a napkin hanging at her right shoulder. Her dark reddish-brown hair almost reached her waist and on her face were two purple strips; one on each cheeks. She raised her head a bit and her sepia eyes met his dark ones.

And the time froze.

His eyes widened. The strong scent of lavender caught him off guard and penetrated right into him. The grip on the kunai loosened and the other hand removed itself from his left eye. His heart beat faster and his mouth went dry. Again, he was unable to mutter any word, except her name.

"Rin…"

She didn't know what to do. She wished she could just let go of the basin in her hands now and ran away. Her mouth was sealed and her heart was thumping hard against the wall of his chest as if it would burst any time now. Her eyes were locked in his gaze that she realized she was trapped with no escape. Though she knew this would happen and had practice so many times on what to do and what to say, she was speechless. It was different when he lay there asleep with him awake right now. Her hands started to shiver, sweat dripped from the side of her face and without realizing it she replied by whispering his name.

"Kakashi..."

He heard the sound of his name ran from her lips. He recognized the voice. He recognized the intonation; how the way she would say her name; such a caring tone. Despite all the shuddering of pain, he struggled to stand up, which she tried to object but no more words came out after she said his name. She backed herself away from him and met the coldness of the wall when she saw him approaching her. His gaze never left her even for a second.

She was not sure what she was feeling at the time but crystal of tears started to fall down from her round eyes. Her back was now against the wall and he was standing in front of her, their eyes locked together. She had her eyes to look up to match his tall height and suddenly remembered how their height used to match. She remembered his stubborn gaze a long time ago, his gaze without that one Sharingan swirling inside. She remembered how everything had change since then.

He held her face in his trembling hands, and he felt her warm cheeks. She almost twitched at the sense of his touch; his soft touch that wiped her tears away. Being so close, she could almost hear his faint but rapid breathing.

He had so many questions to be answered, so many things to know, so many words to say. But nothing was spoken; all he did was stared into her eyes – it was the only thing he was able to do. It has been so long since he saw that soft round eyes that he used to love so much, the sight that he realized he started to miss more than 10 years ago.

He pulled his mask down and kissed her.

He grabbed the fallen basin on the floor and tried to find his way to the kitchen. The spilt water from last night has long dried, but before he stepped outside of the door, he stole a glance at the sleeping figure in the room. A soft smile ran across his unmask face.

After he went outside the small room then he realized that it was just like a small cabin; maybe 2 rooms, one bathroom and a kitchen. The furniture was not out of the ordinary, but there was that feminine touch, and also the lavender smell that only belonged to her. He finally found the kitchen, located at the right end after the living room and carefully put the basin inside the sink.

He looked out the window at his left, and decided that it was best for a little fresh air.

It was a couple of minutes of pure silent outside, accompanied by only the sound from the thick forest around that he felt her presence from inside. He saw her came out through the door, a slight worry look was on her face. She calmed down as soon as she saw him

"Kakashi, you're still here… I just thought…"

"No, I won't be going anywhere" he answered before he was asked. But as if he remembered something, he suddenly turned his head slightly away from her eyes, "Rin, I'm… I'm sorry about last night. I was not actually thinking straight…"

She blushed; red. "No… no, don't be… it's not your fault…" The memories of last night made her blush badly that she felt her face was on fire.

It was a first for them, and last night was the first time they ever felt so vulnerable – so weak, so dependent. Both were in desperate need of each other. He exposed the part of him that no one has ever seen, while she gave herself up to him. Nothing mattered to them last night; the world has no other meaning. For the first time, they abandoned their principles and went across the boundaries that they had for so long ever since they knew each other.

And she didn't grasped the fact on what had they done until the moment she was awake that very morning.

But she knew what was done has done. There was no turning back.

"Kakashi…"

He turned his head back to her, showing that he heard her.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked, still with a slow voice, the redness still intact on her face.

He gave another smile.

It was a simple breakfast, some sausages and fried eggs, but it could be the most decent one he had had for years. He just sat there while she cooked; he offered to help but she politely declined saying she could handle it – and also she didn't want the kitchen to suddenly catch a fire. He gave a sigh, complaining that he already survived for so long but didn't bother to argue much. He watched her silently as she took from one ingredient to another. For some reason a feeling of content reached him and he smiled.

Maybe awkwardness would be the best choice of words to describe the atmosphere while they were eating. He was never a man of many words, and right at that moment, she just didn't know what to say. But to her surprise, it was him that started the conversation first,

"I thought you were dead, Rin"

She froze. She looked up from her plate and caught his eyes staring at her.

He could catch the guilt in her eyes. "Then tell me why are you still here, breathing and actually eating with me. Or you could just tell me that this is just dream or maybe an illusion"

"No Kakashi. It's not a dream, nor an illusion. It's really me"

"I know it's you. But I just can't see how that can be." Their meal had officially been over. He had arranged his fork and knife neatly on his plate and just let his hands free on the table.

"Kakashi, you know I had been charged for accomplice in Orochimaru's experiments…"

"And I also know that it was all a lie." Kakashi interrupted. "Even that, it was not a good reason for you to be dead in the first place"

She didn't answer. All she did was played with her food. She tried to look anywhere except his eyes. She feared that he might read him; like he always did.

"It… it was feared that my life was in danger. Because of Obito's Sharingan that I transplanted on you, I knew… I knew some stuff regarding the Sharingan. The 3rd and… the head of Uchiha feared that people who were seeking for the secret behind the Sharingan might come for me."

There was no response from Kakashi.

"So… I was pronounced dead after a failed mission. And…" she couldn't find the courage to continue. She had betrayed him, lied to him and now she's facing him to tell the story herself. "Kakashi, I'm… I'm sorry…" tears were in her eyes, just waiting to fall down.

Silence filled the room for a moment before he broke in, "Because I wasn't strong enough was it? I can't even protect you. And you even destroyed your name and dignity because of me"

She looked at him in surprised. She never thought of such thing. "No! Kakashi, that's not true!"

"If it's not true, they won't ask you to do this! You would still be in Konoha!!" the increasing tone in his voice surprised him too.

"It was my own decision Kakashi! I didn't want to become a burden! I… I just didn't want to trouble you…"

"THAT'S RIDICULOUS!!" He had had enough of everything. He rose from the table with a loud noise, went over to her side, and grabbed her at the arm.

"Follow me back home to Konoha"

"No Kakashi, I can't…"

"Yes you will. I can't risk losing you again, Rin" his tone of voice seemed to calm down, but his anger was not.

Stream of tears finally escaped Rin's eyes. "I can't Kakashi… not with the current condition, please…"

He narrowed his eyes, "Do you know how I felt when I found out that you died Rin?" he still won't let her arm go.

"Kakashi…"

"You… you were my only family that time! The only one!! And you… you left!!"

She was sobbing hard that even he himself was now in tears. He couldn't afford to lose her again this time. He just met her again, rise from the dead, and now she's telling him that she can't be with him? If that so, why did she saved him in when he passed out in the forest? Why couldn't she just leave him be? Why did she show herself back to him, knowing that she can't follow him, knowing that she would leave him all over again?

"I… I promised to protect you… Rin… I promised…" he fell on his knees, right in front of her. "And I broke that promise…"

She knelt down to his level, and she held on to his fair unmask face. She felt every inch of his complexion; the ridge of his nose, his thin lips, his eyes and the scar that ran through the left one. It was a rare sight even for her to see his face so bare. "Kakashi, you never break that promise… It is not your fault… but, I… I just can't follow you back now. The… the village needs you more than I need you now."

Kakashi has lost his composure. With his body trembling, he was trying very hard to stop the tears that were falling down. His eyebrows twisted into a frown and he gritted his teeth in attempt to not surrender to the misery he was feeling.

"I will only become a burden, Kakashi…"

He dropped his face onto her shoulders and she buried her face into his grey hair. She wrapped her hands around his shaking body, stroking him now and then. Both crying, they just held on to each other long enough before they could finally let go.

He couldn't look at her when he left.

After he returned to Konoha, he thought of going back, but he knew she was not stupid. There was no house, and the area where the house used to be was now a thick layer of bushes and trees. He knew it could be a Genjutsu or maybe another technique, but he decided not to hassle himself.

He held on to her last words to him.

"I'll return home when the time is right, Kakashi… I love you"

Now and then, he tried to again remember her scent, remember the silkiness of her hair, remember the softness of her skin, and remember her beautiful and caring smile. He tried to remember every bit of her, and he knew he could never forget. He just couldn't forget.

I love you too.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

Plz review