Amaya Uzumaki POV
When we finally reached the waterfall, I couldn't help but be amazed by the natural beauty of the place.
The waterfall was no more than ten meters high, forming a pool at its base. The nearby vegetation was incredibly vibrant, with all sorts of green tones and dozens of golden-hued blossoms scattered around. And to top it off, there were some ninken there.
– This place is incredible! – I commented, genuinely excited, and turned my eyes to Puchi.
– It's our space to let the little ones play – The Kangal explained – And if you want to rest, there's a raised field that follows the river ending in this waterfall.
I nodded and turned my gaze back to the surroundings. We're here, I thought, but how do I convince Puchi to show his true self and make Kakashi comfortable with him too?
And almost like a divine answer to my questions, some ninken puppies saw us and came running over, clearly excited.
– Puchi-san! – The little ones called out loudly even before reaching us.
– Let's play! – A ninken of the Shikoku Inu breed said.
Its fur was a mix of black and dark brown, and its face, even though still small, resembled that of a wolf.
– I'm accompanying our guests, so I can't – The Kangal refused them gently.
– Ah... – The puppies said in unison, their ears drooping.
– Maybe... – I suggested, and all the little ones turned their eyes to me – If we're playing with you, Puchi can too, since he needs to stay with us.
The ninken puppies opened their mouths in surprise, but soon smiled excitedly, wagging their tails rapidly at the proposed idea.
– What do you say, Puchi? – I asked the Kangal and looked at him – Could I join them? – The ninken allowed a slight tug at his mouth, holding back a smile as he understood where I was going with all this.
– I don't see a problem – He stated – But they have to let you join us – I turned my eyes to the little ones in front of me.
– Will you let me play along, like Puchi? – I asked with a smile to the ninken.
They quickly glanced at each other and nodded faintly, then turned their attention back to me.
– Only if you can pass our greatest trial! – A white-furred Spitz said to me in a challenging tone.
– And what trial would that be? – I questioned them.
– Reach the top of the waterfall and jump from there – The Shikoku Inu took over – Think you can do that, human? – I smiled.
– And I bet I'll even get there before you guys, ninken – I declared and started running, seeing the puppies do the same less than a second later.
Third Person POV
And as she had said, Amaya reached the top of the waterfall before them. The redhead didn't take the trail, since she didn't know it, so she used chakra concentrated in her feet to climb the nearby rocks to the top.
Puchi and Kakashi arrived shortly after at the top of the waterfall and saw the Uzumaki talking animatedly with the puppies. And Hatake couldn't contain a faint smile at how naturally the girl acted there. It's almost like she's the one who should be at ease with the ninken..., he thought.
– Now you have to overcome the biggest challenge to prove yourself! – The white-furred puppy announced excitedly and the others agreed.
– Go ahead and wait to see a unique jump – The Uzumaki said, dropping her backpack.
The ninken then dashed off, passing by the Kangal and Hatake who were finishing their approach to where the younger ones had been with Amaya, calling Puchi to join them for their jumps.
And he didn't need to be asked twice.
With that, Kakashi got a moment to speak with the Uzumaki without the others present.
– Who would have thought a stranger like you would have a way with ninken... – Hatake teased her, and as the redhead had done before, dropped his backpack on the grass.
– Who would have thought a baka like you wouldn't have a way with ninken... – The Uzumaki shot back the tease with a smile.
At that moment, Kakashi noticed a scent he had smelled not long ago was present in the air: Dew. So he understood it was because of the waterfall water that this smell of wet earth came during a season without rain.
Amaya took off her shoes and left them with her backpack under the shade of a nearby tree, along with her glasses. And when she looked at Kakashi, she saw him settling down nearby.
– Aren't you coming? – The redhead asked and he stared at her.
– You want me to jump this waterfall to... Play? – He returned the question to her with some amusement in his tone.
– It's not just for fun, baka – She commented calmly and completely relaxed – It's a way to relax, physically and mentally, and also earn the trust they placed in us – Hatake pondered those words for a moment.
At that moment, the subtle doubts lingering in the platinum blonde's mind about the reason why the redhead had chosen to go to that place and act so openly with those she didn't know made sense:
Beyond preparing Hatake's gift and making him feel at ease there, she needed peace. Not the state of calm itself, but to let her mind not worry as it always did. She needed a day without having to survive, the redhead just needed to live. And Hatake realized he deserved that too.
– No pressure at all, right? – He asked and Amaya smiled faintly.
– No pressure at all.
The Uzumaki began to move away unhurriedly towards the waterfall and the boy then took off his shoes, pondering internally about the Uzumaki. This is the first time I see her do something like this. "Playing..." I think that word has never been on her lips before. Much less in her behavior...
And only then did Kakashi conclude that his friend had never, in fact, known the fun of the simplest kind.
She had been raised and lived until that moment like an adult, and although she had the chance to live and experience the same as others her age, the environment she lived in never allowed her to be a child she herself hadn't allowed it before.
Seems it's up to me to teach her how to live this time..., the platinum blonde pondered, allowing himself a faint laugh as he stood up.
He began to walk calmly in the same direction the Uzumaki was heading and for a moment, he observed the redhead's figure ahead of him.
Hatake's gaze initially followed the girl's arms and then her hands as they went to her hair, releasing the ribbon that held them and letting her crimson veil fall over her shoulders, subtly descending down her back, to just below her waist.
A stronger breeze blew in that part of the field, given the elevated terrain. The red strands followed the movement of the air, like a floating dance. And although she moved relaxed, Amaya didn't fail to have a confident posture in her walk.
And that brought something to the platinum blonde's consciousness.
It's always like this... Her always moving forward with unshakable confidence and perseverance, while I watch her from behind. Hatake felt something stir inside him.
Thinking about it now, it's almost as if I were trying to keep up with her, but never really managing to catch up. And I continue to see her the same way: Facing everything alone, without anyone really by her side.
The boy couldn't help but remember his own situation with that thought. In all his moments of helplessness, sadness, or even genuine joy since he was four years old, there was some moment related to the one walking ahead of him.
Analyzing himself as he had done with the Uzumaki, when it came to him, Amaya was the one walking by his side when the platinum blonde needed it.
Kakashi didn't disregard the presence, as well as the importance, that Minato, Kushina, their friends their age, and even the weasel-faced guy as Hatake had thought of Shisui at the time had in the redhead's life. On the contrary, he understood they were all points of security for the girl, truly important.
But still, it was as if what they had with her didn't represent the same as it did for Kakashi when Amaya seemed to walk by his side in his life.
And for the first time accepting that, Hatake allowed himself to feel embarrassed by his pondering, the thought, and the desire that followed.
I don't want you walking alone anymore..., he affirmed with certainty and firmness in his thinking. And I don't want to stay behind anymore either.
And as a physical response to his mental decision, Hatake started running towards the Uzumaki further ahead, to reach her. The redhead noticed the boy's sudden approach, but her mind didn't even have time, nor did he let her, to consider any hypothesis for the reason behind such behavior.
Kakashi grabbed her hand and practically made her take the same running pace as him. And their destination was the same: A ten-meter drop to where the ninken puppies and Puchi were.
Their feet left the ground at the same time as they jumped. A sinking feeling in their stomachs was unavoidable for each, though neither had problems with heights.
And, at the same time, Amaya and Kakashi squeezed each other's hand tighter. They instinctively sought security while falling, and without consciously realizing it at the moment, Hatake and Uzumaki were each other's security.
Adrenaline was the only thing affecting them in the seconds it took for their bodies to reach the pool at the waterfall's base. The temperature shock came when they submerged, but it was only slightly bothersome for a split second.
When they surfaced, both their expressions bore truly joyful smiles, like they hadn't allowed themselves to express in a long time. And they laughed, truly forgetting anything that wasn't the moment they were experiencing.
__________________________________________________________________________
Kakashi woke up feeling the sun still warming his skin pleasantly. He no longer felt his clothes wet, so he figured he must have passed out for at least a few hours for them to have dried on his body.
Hatake sat up and stretched slowly, really enjoying that moment of rest.
He soon let his gaze wander over the ninken sleeping in that part of the field with him they had stayed there with the platinum blonde and Amaya after spending a long time enjoying the waterfall.
And with just a thought directing the boy's mind to the Uzumaki, his gaze at his subconscious's request searched for the most familiar figure there, soon seeing the mostly red-haired girl nearby, sitting with her sketchbook in hand.
Amaya had woken up a few minutes before the platinum blonde and left him, like the ninken, to enjoy the much-welcomed rest that had embraced them.
As her clothes, as well as her hair, had dried under the late afternoon sun, the Uzumaki went to the shade of the nearby tree where her and Hatake's belongings had been left when they arrived at the place.
She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, letting the air escape slowly from her lungs, and then looked at the surroundings again. The redhead felt good there, with a lightness in her chest and in her very consciousness that she hadn't experienced in a long time.
And with these moments of calm just for herself, observing the landscape laid out before her, she set about immortalizing that moment on paper.
At first glance, the redhead was completely immersed in the lines she traced on her notebook page, but she could "feel" when she was being watched. At that same moment, she shifted the attention she had on the drawing she was sketching to the origin of that contemplation.
Amaya and Kakashi held their gazes on each other for a few seconds, before the Uzumaki smiled at the platinum blonde. It wasn't for any particular reason, just part of the redhead's spontaneous behavior. And it wasn't long before Hatake also allowed himself a faint smile under his mask.
(At that moment, from the perspective of an outsider who knew everything Kakashi and Amaya had been through in their journeys together, it was like seeing them back to a few years ago, when the girl still lived at the Hatake residence and stayed on the back porch at night: The platinum blonde going to the Uzumaki and settling beside her, in silence like her. Keeping each other company. Without an invitation for that, because both knew even without thinking that they felt good enjoying each other's presence...)
Hatake's gaze followed the movement of the pencil the redhead held, with each stroke, strong or softer, on the paper. The field where he had rested and the ninken came to life on the page the Uzumaki was working on.
The boy's attention focused on Amaya's tracing when she reinforced the sketch she had made of Puchi, who at that moment was sleeping heavily under the sun, surrounded by the puppies she had played with earlier.
And as she had noticed Hatake's gaze on her before while apart, she perceived the platinum blonde's focused attention on the Kangal's figure.
– He doesn't seem so threatening anymore, does he? – The Uzumaki asked without stopping the drawing, and Hatake allowed a faint laugh.
– It's still strange for a ninken like him to be called "Puchi"... – The boy admitted what bothered him.
– It seems that name came because he was the last puppy of the litter, and the smallest of all his siblings – The redhead explained and momentarily turned her gaze to the more distant ninken.
– You managed to find that out on your first time here? – He asked and the redhead nodded, laughing faintly.
– It might not seem like it, since he's responsible for guarding the Labyrinth, but Puchi is extremely gentle. So when I arrived here, he was one of the first I could really get to know.
– Acting like a stranger, of course you could get to know other strangers like you – Hatake commented casually to bother her, and the redhead rolled her eyes, making him laugh – But now speaking seriously... – The platinum blonde said moments later – If he was the smallest among his siblings, I don't even want to imagine the biggest one – And this time it was Amaya who laughed.
– Names are generally chosen as a way to reflect something about the person at a moment, but each one will determine if the chosen sentence will characterize them or not – The Uzumaki mused as she finished her drawing – Puchi, for example, must have gone through many things to become the ninken he is today, since he was, at first, the weakest and least likely to develop at the same pace as his siblings.
– But thinking that way, an animal of any species that is the last of many alongside it possibly tends to be the weakest for receiving less attention and care from its parents – Kakashi pondered.
– In most cases, yes. But there are always exceptions – The girl allowed a minimal tug of her lips – We can think of my own case – Hatake turned his gaze to the redhead – I was the last one created, but I ended up being the only one to survive, whether it was the laboratory and my creators, or the illness that afflicted all before me.
Kakashi observed with some attention the Uzumaki's expression when she told him that. There was no sign of discomfort from her about that point, but rather tranquility. Her memories of the lab don't make her fear anymore..., he noted.
– And your name just helped your point – The platinum blonde spoke next – "Night rain"... It can refer to all the peace that the sound of rain at night brings to those safe in their homes.
– Or the destruction it can cause uncontrolled – The Uzumaki completed the reflection and the boy agreed – Your name too... – Hatake laughed faintly.
– Like a real scarecrow, scaring away everything and everyone it can.
– Almost everyone – The redhead corrected him with a faint smile – But at the same time you try to push away, you end up being that way to protect the things important to you – And at that moment it was Hatake's turn to smile – Ah, and your name doesn't just refer to "scarecrow"... – Amaya pointed out after a few seconds, and Hatake turned his attention to her, seeing her turn the page of her notebook and quickly scribbling something – If we take your parents' names like this... – The platinum blonde saw her circle the letters 's-a-k' from Sakumo and 'h-i-a-k' from Hideaki – We also have... – She ordered the separated letters from the two Hatakes' names, forming a third, known name.
– "Kakashi" – The platinum blonde said as soon as the redhead finished writing the younger Hatake's name on the page.
– Besides individual characteristics in names, there's also a part of those who chose them – The Uzumaki commented in a lower tone, but equally happy about it.
And when she turned her eyes to Kakashi beside her, with his attention almost completely focused on what she had written, the girl allowed herself to smile at the Hatake's joy though contained with that meaning in his own name.
Once again Amaya showed she knew him better than anyone else, and understood even what he himself sometimes didn't comprehend about himself.
I don't think there could be another person with whom I'd be willing to let my guard down completely besides this strange girl... And Hatake allowed himself to ponder how important the redhead had become in his life up to that point.
With this thought about importance, another memory crossed the platinum blonde's consciousness and he quickly directed his own attention to it, soon turning his gaze to the redhead.
– Now you can't escape this question anymore – He said suddenly, making the Uzumaki stare at him without understanding – You said you'd tell the importance of this when you gave me my gift for the promotion to jounin – The boy raised his index finger to the level of the redhead's neck.
The girl parted her lips slightly, still processing the platinum blonde's words, but soon understood them. She brought one of her hands to the level of her own neck, allowing a faint smile.
– Alright then, ask the question you've been waiting so long to ask – She said casually to Hatake.
– You normally have it on you during your day, and by wearing it as a choker it's always in sight and could get you recognized by it – The platinum blonde spoke, taking on a more serious tone – So why did you choose to keep wearing the necklace on duty as an Anbu?
– For security – The redhead said simply and held the pendant – In a way, it reminds me of who I am, who I improved to be – She allowed a minimal smile – And it gives me a sense of security that I won't stray in the choices I make, even if I'm alone – She laughed faintly – And I ended up choosing your gift based on this. When I came here for the first time, Kori and Asami asked me this same question when they noticed I was the only one in the Anbu squad wearing a necklace that, clearly, wasn't part of the uniform.
Kakashi didn't say anything immediately to the Uzumaki, but his mind and body formulated the first of the observations the platinum blonde had processed internally:
The feeling of warmth and restlessness in his chest.
He didn't know and couldn't even understand, why Amaya's words had caused what they did to him, he just felt them.
– Has anyone told you you're strange? – Was all he managed to formulate.
The Uzumaki had her eyes on Hatake, and didn't even need to try hard to notice the platinum blonde's casual and subtly happy tone regarding what she had told him.
– More times than I can count – She answered him with an equally cheerful smile, eliciting a faint laugh from Hatake.
The value she had placed on that object, the symbol he had given her and which shared the other half with the redhead... It was almost like saying that he, through that symbol, was the one keeping her as the Amaya Uzumaki that Hatake knew and longed to have present in his life.
And that made Kakashi feel good for having chosen that strange girl, with bicolored hair and a particularly unusual personality, to want to walk side by side with.