Kakashi is still a little nervous.
The two of them sat atop the Hokage Rocks, watching a few lazy clouds drift by. Occasionally, they'd glance down at the two shadows nestled beneath the sprawling shade of a giant tree.
A cool breeze brushed past as they reminisced about the past. Kakashi's memories were hazy, but with Rin's patient reminders, fragments slowly resurfaced in his mind.
Obito had always been a lovable idiot, buzzing around Rin like a fool. Minato-sensei had been endlessly kind, and Rin herself had tried her best to support everyone. Being in that team had felt like a dream.
"You were so cold back then, Kakashi. Like you were scowling at everyone all the time." Rin said, sitting on a large rock and stretching her legs out. Her white stockings were particularly eye-catching, "I don't mean it in a bad way… it's just that you've changed so much, Kakashi."
Hearing this, Kakashi glanced at Rin, his gaze inadvertently skimming over those white stockings. Almost like a conditioned reflex, he remembered the socks incident last night, and couldn't help but feel embarrassed and coughed awkwardly.
"Ah... maybe. I was young, and when I couldn't figure things out, I'd just scowl." Kakashi half-explained, half-joked, "Maybe now that I'm older, I just don't have the energy to keep it up."
Rin giggled behind her hand, as considerate as ever, never letting anyone feel uncomfortable.
The tree's shade shielded them from the sun, their silhouettes leaning slightly against each other in their own little world.
Rin never let the conversation falter, her eyes subtly lingering on Kakashi. Ironically, this made him feel more uneasy, so he turned to gaze at the village instead, then saw half of Konoha sprawled beneath them.
"Hey... did I drink too much yesterday?" She suddenly asked, her fingers fidgeting unconsciously.
"Yeah. I took you home."
"I-I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?" She pressed nervously.
Hearing this, Kakashi paused for a fraction of a second, then shook his head.
"No."
She hadn't done anything embarrassing… Kakashi was the one who'd nearly humiliated himself, standing there holding a pair of pink socks like an idiot. Too many words had risen to his lips, only to be swallowed back down.
Rin looked at the village in the distance and couldn't help but sigh again.
"The village is really different from before… I almost don't recognize it anymore."
"After all, it's been almost 20 years. Of course it's different now." Kakashi continued, "But it's not too late to start over. You could find work here, meet new people…"
She shook her head, staring straight at him.
"I don't need to meet new people, Kakashi. Really, I'm fine just as I am now."
Over the past two days of spending time together, the initially flustered Rin seemed to have found an anchor in life. She had also rediscovered the same dynamic she shared with Kakashi twenty years ago. Just like back then, Kakashi was still so gentle deep down.
So she no longer held back in her words, and she boldly and passionately expressed her feelings.
How much of it was dependence, how much was genuine, and how much was playful teasing... no one could say for sure. The only one who truly knew was Rin herself.
Faced with the girl's blazing gaze, Kakashi found himself momentarily dazed. As Rin eagerly poured out her emotions, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of happiness too.
The distance between them had lessened. But then he thought about his own circumstances and realized he couldn't string her along without clarity.
So Kakashi's expression turned serious as he quietly watched her. The excitement on Rin's face began to collapse, and her tone became a little timid. She lowered her head like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to meet Kakashi's eye.
He sighed, then thought about what Naruto said, and felt that he should be more honest.
"Rin, these past few days... I've been uneasy. I keep worrying... that you might suddenly disappear. I've barely slept. I don't know if my attention toward you, whether intentional or not, has made you uncomfortable."
Kakashi swallowed hard, reciting the words he had prepared in his mind.
"I really haven't figured out how to face this. Maybe it's just... a fleeting passion. I'm just so afraid of losing you again, so..."
Rin's lips parted slightly, her face blank as if all color had drained from her life. A cautious attempt at testing the waters had been met with Kakashi's earnest retreat, and now, he kept repeating his inner conflict.
"I once promised Obito I'd take good care of you. Back then..."
Hearing this, Rin couldn't help it anymore and said a little stiffly, "Is that the only reason? If it weren't for Obito... you wouldn't have done any of this, would you?"
She lowered her head, exposing the pale curve of her neck. Even though she knew Kakashi didn't mean it that way, she couldn't help but ask the question resentfully, which is something rare for someone like Rin.
Kakashi was stunned for a moment, and there was a look of surprise in his eye. Rin almost never showed such emotions, as she was hardly ever willful.
But now, she looked like she had been wronged. And worse… he was the one who had wronged her.
"That's not what I meant, it's just..."
"You don't need to explain, Kakashi." Rin lifted her head, forcing a smile that looked more painful than tears.
She opened her mouth as if to say more, but the words seemed to be stuck in her throat. She wanted to laugh but couldn't, and she wanted to cry but was embarrassed to do so.
She opened her mouth and gasped slightly, like a goldfish tossed onto dry land.
Despair washed over her mind, repeating over and over.
…
The Land of Wind.
"I didn't want to be like this." Temari crouched on the ground, her face buried in her knees as she wept silently. Her carefully applied makeup was ruined by tears, "I can't do it... I'm so pathetic. Every day…"
"Huh?" Naruto squatted beside her, draping a simple coat over her shoulders.
Temari's breakdown had been too sudden. In the time it took him to turn around, she had already started trembling, collapsing into loud sobs.
Naruto rubbed his temples, realizing he had probably said the wrong thing. Sometimes, honesty really is a killer.
Honesty is the ultimate weapon, but timing matters.
…
Five minutes ago.
After receiving the news of Naruto's arrival, Temari, with delicate makeup, stepped on small steps and hurried through the long corridor of the Kazekage Building. When she saw Naruto, the nervous excitement in her eyes could not be concealed at all.
"What would you like to drink? The usual?" She asked.
"Yeah, tea's fine."
"This is this year's new batch, imported from the Land of Water." Temari wore a pair of lace white gloves, her fingertips dancing lightly over the table as steam curled from the golden-hued tea.
"What brings you here?"
"I've got some business here, and I thought I'd drop by and see you." Naruto said, adding the last part as an afterthought.
Even so, Temari's face visibly brightened. She let out a small, delighted sound before cautiously asking how long he planned to stay.
"A while, I guess. We'll see." Naruto smiled.
"That's great!" Temari smiled with narrowed eyes, clasping her hands behind her back, "Are you free today? There's a forest southwest of the village, which is rare for our region, with a whole stretch of…"
"You go ahead. I'll pass." Naruto supported his head, "I'm a little tired."
"Oh... okay. Rest well, then." The expression on Temari's face stiffened, and then she lowered her head helplessly, like a child who had done something wrong.
"Don't be so childish, Temari. You're still the same as ever." Naruto half-closed his eyes and said offhandedly. He had been about to add, 'I don't have time for this, and Konoha has forests everywhere anyway.'.
But before he could finish his words, Temari's emotions shattered instantly, and she squatted on the ground and cried with a face full of grievance.
"I didn't want to be like this." Her voice trembled with each word.