Chapter 50 – To Begin Again

Naruto didn't even bother waking up on time. Today was the day he was supposed to show Kakashi-sensei that he'd mastered the seals he'd been shown. But Kakashi was always late, so the blond took his time getting dressed and eating. By the time he arrived at the 77th training ground, it was an hour past the time they were supposed to meet.

"You're late," said Kakashi, who sat in a tree reading Icha Icha. He jumped down as Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Jonin.

"Are you sick or something? You know you're actually here on time, right?"

"I was on time. You're the late one." Besides, he'd been here since dawn, trying to figure out what to say to Naruto about his parents. "So, let's see what you've managed in two weeks, shall we?"

The Genin shook his head to clear it of the mild shock of his sensei being on time for once. "Our deal's still on, right? I do this and you'll tell me about my parents?"

"That was our deal."

Naruto nodded and pulled out some scrolls, a brush and ink, and a kunai. He began drawing the seals on blank scrolls, three in all. One for storing scrolls, one for small objects, and one for larger objects. After the ink was dry, he showed Kakashi the seals.

"So far, so good." The Jonin was impressed; Naruto brushwork was miles ahead of what he could do two weeks ago. There were some minor flaws, but they wouldn't impact the basic function of the seals, just the duration the seal would hold.

The Genin nodded again and place another scroll, the kunai, and his backpack over the three seals. He performed the hands seals and each item vanished in a small puff of smoke. He grinned at his sensei. "That means I win."

Kakashi blinked, at a loss for words. The boy obviously inherited his father's intelligence and talent. He ran his hand through his hair. "I suppose you did."

"Now it's your turn to hold up your end of our deal!" Naruto said excitedly.

Kakashi sighed and ushered Naruto to sit underneath the tree the Jonin had been reading in. As they sat, the silver-haired man turned his eyes to the beautiful cloudless sky. How to begin? And without giving away too much? Finally, he settled on what to say. "Your mother hadn't always lived in Konoha, so she had trouble at first. But she was fiery, passionate, and determined. She never let things get her down. She always smiled, even when she didn't want to. Your father fell in love with her quickly. For his part, he was intelligent, hard-working. Never let anyone tell him something couldn't be done. He also loved pulling pranks, just like you, and was a trouble-maker from time to time. They were both supremely gifted shinobi and died defending their home, and you, from the Nine-Tailed Fox all those years ago. Though they chose to fight and knew they might die, they never stopped thinking of you or loving you." They talked for a whole longer, Naruto asking questions, Kakashi answering as best he could, though he did refuse to answer a couple that would give the boy too much information.

"How do you know?" Naruto voice was small and full of doubt. He'd been silent for a long minute before speaking again.

The Jonin lowered his gaze to his student. "How do I know what?"

"That they never stopped loving me."

"I know because you were all they ever thought about, even before you were born. I should know. They talked about you constantly." He glanced away as Naruto scrubbed at a few tears on his cheeks.

"Thank you, Sensei. No one has ever bothered to tell me anything about either of them. Now I know I can be proud of them and that they loved me enough to die protecting me."

Kakashi patted the Genin's shoulder. "You're welcome. I'm glad you proved me wrong. How'd you manage to learn so fast?"

"Oh, that," the blonde said, his voice stronger now. "I didn't really leave my apartment and I studied harder than I ever have. Sakura brought me food and helped me a little. But only a little, I swear!"

"It's fine, Naruto. I never said you couldn't get help. Besides, you already got what you wanted."

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "I guess you're right. Jiraiya was impressed too."

The Copy-nin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You showed Jiraiya?"

"Yeah, he came looking for me to let me know we'd leave as soon as I was done here. He's eager to get going. Something about some good intel that can't wait."

Rising to his feet, Kakashi stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well, then you better not keep him waiting."

"I guess," Naruto said as he too got up. The boy hesitated for a moment but threw his arms around his Sensei. "Thanks for everything, Kakashi-sensei."

After a moments surprise, Kakashi returned the gesture, fighting hard to keep his voice even. "Know that I am and always will be proud of you too. Be safe and learn well. Come back and show me what a splendid shinobi you've become."

Amaya looked up as Kakashi came in. She noted the way his shoulders slumped ever so slightly, the pain, already being buried deep, that haunted his eyes. The kunoichi put down the travel information she'd been reading and drew him to the couch. "What's wrong? Did everything go okay with Naruto?"

"He thought Minato-sensei and Kushina didn't love him."

"You know that's not true."

Kakashi continued as if she hadn't spoken. "For all these years, he's thought that and it's partially my fault. If I hadn't been so caught up in myself, I could have raised him, v been there for him."

"You were in no shape to care for a child then and you know it."

"Yeah, I suppose." The silver-haired Jonin sat with Amaya a while longer before going to lay down. She watched him go, worry pricking at her mind. Hopefully, he was just sad that his students had all in effect moved on. Hopefully, that's all it was.

But as the days dragged into weeks, Amaya knew she needed to do something to snap him out of his depression. He didn't really mope, but he slept a great deal. He went on few missions, and even then, he went through the motions in a mechanical way. He withdrew from her, Asuma, even Guy. She decided, finally, after talking with Inoichi at length, that a long trip away from the Village would be best. Having already been thinking of asking for leave, Amaya knew exactly where they would go: Tea Country.

"Tea Country?" Kakashi repeated blankly.

"I've already received the Hokage's blessing for a month's leave for both of us. And I've mapped out a tour of the country's best tea houses and springs. It'll be nice and relaxing. We're going," Amaya said, making sure he was well aware he had no choice.

He shrugged. "Ok."

Two weeks later, the pair sat looking out at a tranquil rock garden. The spring had been divine and Amaya still smelled the fragrant soap she'd used on her skin. Both dressed in fluffy robes, they enjoyed the cool autumn air. Kakashi, his hair regaining some of its usual spikiness, got up and returned into the warmer recesses of their rented room. Amaya closed the sliding wall as she followed him back in. The man lay on his futon, eyes half closed

This was the fourth in the line of bath houses they had visited. At every one, Kakashi would perk up a little but be dragged back down after his bath. The heat-induced drowsiness was a good excuse to sleep. The tea houses (they'd visited four of these as well) did much the same for him, though his excuses to sleep were flimsier. Amaya crossed the room to sit beside him, stroking his hair. "Why don't we go see what's in town?" When the Jonin made a noncommittal noise in his throat, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You haven't gone with me once, you know."

"Maybe because I don't want to," came his mumbled reply.

"Ok. I'll be back in a bit." Amaya dressed and left, sighing as she made her way onto the busy street outside the bath house. What was she going to do? He just seemed like he didn't care about anything. Like he didn't want to get close to anyone. She stopped dead, nearly getting run over by a mob of children chasing a dog. She was so stupid. She smiled to herself as she began walking again. There was one thing she knew would get through to him.

Kakashi couldn't sleep. The outside air had woken him too much. Too bad since sleep was his only real escape. Part of him berated himself for feeling the way he did. Did he expect his Genin to never grow up, to never move on? But a larger part reminded him that this wasn't the first time people he cared about had left. And when they left, they were usually dead. He knew Naruto and Sakura weren't dead. Or at least Sakura wasn't. Naruto had Jiraiya, though; he'd be okay probably. Sasuke… Who knew what Orichimaru was doing to him or if his body had been taken over yet. And what was to stop Amaya from leaving again? Not the ring he'd given her. It wasn't that important to her anyway. She only wore it to humor him. And the Jonin friends he had went on dangerous missions all the time, missions they might not come home from. It was better to not have connections. That way, you didn't get hurt.

He sighed, tired of trying to sleep. Maybe Amaya was right. Maybe a walk through town would help. After he dressed, the Jonin picked a direction at random. He moved through the crowds without care to where he was going. He let himself be swept along, wandering through busy evening markets and quieter side streets. Finally, he came to a stop in front of a small clinic run out of what was once a house. He moved aside at the door opened. A little boy with his arm in a sling and his concerned mother exited the building along with the doctor. The Jonin was about to move on but stayed still as the doctor spoke. "Be good, Kohe. Don't use that arm until you come back and see me in a few weeks." She then spoke to the boy's mother in a softer voice Kakashi couldn't hear. But it didn't matter what she said. Only that he knew that voice.

He examined the woman as she spoke to the worried mother. Her hair was longer now, tied in a long ponytail, but the same shade of rich brown he remembered. He could see a purple rectangular marking on the cheek that faced him. The boy and his mother left and the woman turned to go back inside. She halted, one hand on the door, as she noticed his stated. She offered him a smile and a curious, unrecognizing glance. "Can I help you?"

Kakashi couldn't speak. The name hung on his lips but his voice refused to respond. If he didn't say it, he might choke on it. The doctor frowned at him as he continued to silently stare. She came over and put a hand to his forehead. "Are you all right, sir?"

Her touch seemed to unlock his throat and he managed a single, breathless word. "Rin."

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Where was he? Amaya ran her hand over her face. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She should have remembered the name of the village, should have realized they were in said village, should never have left him alone. What if he found her? What would he do when he realized she remembered nothing of her life before. Part of her wanted Kakashi to find Rin. At least then she wouldn't have to hide the fact that his long-dead teammate was actually alive.

She only knew because this was one of the places she'd stayed for a while during her long absence from the village. She recognized Rin from Kakashi's photo, despite the years that had passed. The next day, she was approached by a member of ANBU and sworn to silence. Tsunade had filled her in on more details, though what they knew was relatively little. Rin was found washed ashore, barely alive. She was taken to the best doctor and that's where she stayed, becoming her apprentice and later succeeding her. Though Rin was no longer the Three-Tails jinchuriki, she was kept secret for her own safety.

Amaya glanced out the window; the sun was almost down. She needed to find Kakashi soon. The kunoichi hesitated, her eyed on the box she'd put on the table. That could wait. Rising to her feet, she opened the door and crashed into an unyielding body. Arms wrapped around her. "Hey, whereas the fire?"

The auburn-haired woman glanced up to see Kakashi's smile through his mask. She backed up, tugging him with her, and hugged him fiercely. "Where have you been?"

He extracted himself from her grasp. "I took a walk like you wanted. I'm glad I did. Amaya… Rin's alive. I don't know how or why, but she is. She didn't remember m Le at first but she managed to remember my name. I left so I didn't overwhelm her." He stopped his hurried speech and searched her eyes. Amaya looked away, knowing what he'd find there. "But you… already knew about her, didn't you?"

The Jonin stepped away from him, wrapping her arms around herself, unable to meet his eyes. There would be pain there, and betrayal. "Yes, I knew. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but I was sworn to secrecy."

Kakashi stepped towards her and tilted her head up so she would look at him. "I understand. A member of ANBU confronted me when I left and swore me to the same. Well, after he said 'Oh, shit. I guess you know now. Better tell the Hokage.'"

The tattooed Jonin found herself wrong. There was no pain in his level gaze, only joy and hope. She offered a crooked smile and glanced to the box on the table. "Well, I guess you're not sad anymore. But I still want to give you this." Escaping the warm light of his eyes, Amaya fetched the box and took out what was inside. She held it out for him to take. "Marry me."

Kakashi, his eyes wide, took the necklace from her hand. It was silver and on it was a silver ring with a band of obsidian embedded in it. A smirk dominated his face. "I thought I was supposed to be the one to ask. Isn't it supposed to go something like, 'I wish you'd make me miso soup forever'? Or something cheesy like that?"

"Are you going to say yes or not?"

The smirk turned into a true smile as he swept Amaya into his arms, breathing an affirmative against her lips before kissing her with such intensity that they were both breathless by the time they broke apart. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Their wedding two months later was a small affair, only a handful of people were present. They both wore white kimonos and Tsunade officiated. Afterwards, at the party held to celebrate their marriage, Amaya announced her pregnancy, asking Genma to be the godfather. They hadn't been able to come to an agreement on a godmother, but the decision was made for them.

"I call dibs on being the godmother!" Anko proclaimed, a slight slur in her voice from the volumes of alcohol she'd consumed.

"Nonsense!" Guy shouted happily, not seeing Kakashi's growing horror and the panicked expressions he kept shooting Amaya that read 'Do something!', "I shall be the godmother to teach my rival's little one in the youthful ways of success, and shall help him or her to-"

"Congrats, Anko, you're the godmother!" Kakashi blurred out. Amidst Anko's celebratory whooping Amaya placed a consolatory hand on the now sulking Guy's shoulder.

"Don't worry", she assured, smirking mercilessly at her husband's pleading looks, "Kakashi said he wanted you to be the doting uncle. After all," Amaya grinned slyly at her husband, who rapidly shook his head in pleading denial, "Kakashi thinks of you as family!"

Sakura was the first of Team 7 to meet the newest Hatake seven months later. When Naruto returned, he was elated to meet his "little sister". He promised to be the best big brother ever and to teach her all the best pranks. Amaya and the baby passed the war in Tea Country with Auntie Rin, who had regained her memories by that time. Afterwards, Naruto dragged Sasuke from the hospital to meet the little girl and her mother at the gates as they returned from their self-imposed exile. Sasuke quickly became "Big Brother Sasuke" and despite his protests, everyone knew he was just as smitten with Kakashi and Amaya's daughter as Naruto was.

The little Hatake grew up surrounded by all the love her parents had missed in their own lives. Stories of her parents' deeds and those of all the great shinobi around her were her bedtime tales and her inspiration. She became part of many families and when she joined the Academy, she had no shortage of willing tutors. She didn't need the help, though, as she'd inherited her father's smarts and her mother's compassion. But graduation and many adventures of her own still await Kaiya Hatake, the Hokage's daughter!