Third Person POV
An ordinary person, unused to ninja training or without some minimal resistance to pain, would have yelped at the strong mutual impact between the two youths' hands, if they were in one of their places, in that field.
Or maybe receiving any of the blows, whether punches or kicks, would have made a person stop everything. It wasn't as if the two involved in that fight didn't feel the same as normal individuals would; the difference with these youths was that they had asked for it.
– I told you not to hold back... – The boy with completely ash-gray hair complained amidst the blows they exchanged, both attacking and defending.
His opponent dodged a new lunge and raised her leg, aiming to kick the platinum-haired boy. He couldn't dodge it due to the girl's high physical speed, but he could use his arms to cushion the heavy blow aimed at him.
The kick made the boy's whole body recoil from the force the girl exerted against him the most visible sign of such power in a strike was the subtle trail of grass ripped up in front of the platinum-haired boy's feet as he was pushed back.
Besides seeing the slightly torn-up ground, the boy could feel his forearms tingling where the redhead's leg had hit him. And he also noticed the slight smile on her lips when he looked at her.
– Did you say something? – She asked with a provocative tone.
And knowing her as he did, seeing her have fun like that during a fight showed she was really taking it seriously at least when it came to a spar between the two.
Behind the mask, it was his turn to feel a smile form on his features. Without wasting a second, the platinum-haired boy raised his arms in front of him in a defensive stance and, like him, the girl prepared, but not to defend.
Her hands touched the ground quickly and in an instant the terrain under Hatake's feet became unstable. But it didn't stop there. Along with it, a wall of earth emerged from the shifting ground that had formed, from the right, advancing against the platinum-haired boy.
Unlike the usual commonality of that jutsu, that earthen wall was pointed at its tip, which could easily impale its target with the slightest carelessness.
The boy dodged it easily, as the shifting ground beneath his feet no longer hindered him – his concentrated chakra kept him firm on the uneven terrain. But both knew the redhead was just beginning her series of attacks.
The next sequence was two walls, with the second taking a few seconds more than the first to appear, this time with one on each side of the platinum-haired boy. Again he dodged the one from the right without issue and barely managed with the one from the left.
– Too slow! – The girl with predominantly red hair called out in her loud tone, given the distance between them.
As he didn't stay in the same place while dodging the girl's attacks, it became more complicated for the platinum-haired boy to coordinate everything each moment:
Keeping the chakra in his feet at the correct level, being aware of where the next attack would come from, or even dealing with the reason for their spar and the unpredictability of having Uzumaki as his attacking opponent.
Three walls emerged after the redhead's warning, two on the left and one on the right, alternating their emergence left-right-left.
The Hatake handled the first attack from the left considerably well and did the same with the one from the right, but when the attack came from the left once more it threw him off slightly something the redhead didn't miss.
Her chakra traveled through the ground ahead, from where her hands were touching, very quickly towards the Hatake, causing four pointed walls to emerge simultaneously around his adversary.
He couldn't escape by just dodging as he had done until that moment.
Hatake and Uzumaki knew it.
So the familiar chirping of dozens of birds sounded across the field, where the four earthen walls fell into thousands of pieces, completely shattered by the Chidori strike.
But due to the loud sound of that particular jutsu and not using his sharingan, the boy didn't notice as quickly the fifth and final wall that emerged towards him. The rock caused a deep cut on his left arm, but it would have been worse if the platinum-haired boy hadn't reacted even if late to dodge.
He ended up bringing his other hand to the spot where his blood began to flow, limiting himself to a slight grimace of pain from the wound.
And the feeling of amusement that constituted Uzumaki gave way to concern when she noticed what had happened to the Hatake because of her, in her view and she stopped everything she was doing to run to him.
– Let me see – She asked with evident concern in her tone.
– It's just a cut, don't worry – The Hatake said in the most carefree way possible, to reassure the redhead.
But he knew it wouldn't help because when he looked directly at her, the concern he'd heard in her tone was even more pronounced there, as was the clear feeling of guilt in Uzumaki's greenish eyes before him.
Amaya could be one of the people with the best ability to suppress her emotions on a battlefield that Hatake knew, able to go through hell without showing what she was experiencing. But at the same time, she was the most humane living being the platinum-haired boy had ever met.
And that's why he removed his hand from over his wound so Uzumaki could check it. Her eyes left his and automatically went to the cut on his arm, which still bothered him due to how recent it was.
– May I? – She asked softly, but without taking her eyes off Hatake's wound.
– Yes... – He said in the same tone as her, somewhat attentive to what the girl was doing.
The redhead touched the arm where the cut was, holding it from underneath to keep it raised and help stop the bleeding while she healed it. Her other hand stopped just above the platinum-haired boy's skin. The green light didn't take long to start emanating between Amaya's palm and the cut on Hatake's arm.
– Sorry... – The redhead spoke a few seconds after starting to heal him – I think I overdid it.
– Don't apologize for something that wasn't your fault – The boy said calmly – And besides, a cut like this is no big deal.
– It is nothing, but this is training. You don't need to end up getting hurt like this – Amaya expressed quickly and Hatake gave a weak laugh.
– You worry too much, you know? – He asked rhetorically in a carefree tone, which made Uzumaki look at him, annoyed by that relaxed attitude of Hatake's – I knew what awaited me when I asked a stranger like you to help me with this training... – The redhead shook her head, denying the provocation she heard – And besides, at least we achieved the objective, right? – She looked at him again.
With the loss of his eye and the gain of the sharingan in its place, since he didn't carry Uchiha blood, Kakashi couldn't activate and deactivate the doujutsu at his convenience. Because of that, his left eye always bore the active sharingan.
And as his body and he himself were learning to deal with the sharingan, the platinum-haired boy avoided using the doujutsu unnecessarily, both to not strain himself and to avoid losing control over the chakra consumption the sharingan took from him.
Because of this, Kakashi started covering the eye where the doujutsu was located. It was the best solution for the problem of uncontrolled chakra expenditure, but it brought him some complications:
The most notable involved his visual limitation.
To keep the sharingan covered, the Hatake would have to live daily with his field of vision limited to just one eye. His peripheral vision was compromised and he had lost his sense of space, having to rely exclusively on one eye.
And as a way to train himself to deal with this problem, Kakashi took advantage of the days he would spend in the Eternal Labyrinth Cave to ask Amaya to help him train to deal with his limitation.
More everyday issues, like not bumping into things on his left side, the platinum-haired boy could already handle without major problems, but when it came to combat, it worried him.
Consequently, the two youths were training in that way. Knowing the Hatake's combat style, Amaya could exploit his weak points and help him deal with them as they were doing in their previous training. And because it was Amaya, he knew she would really help him..., the boy pondered to himself.
– Kakashi? – Uzumaki's voice brought him back to reality, one he hadn't even noticed he'd left for a few moments.
– What? – He asked confused and looked at her, making the redhead give a weak laugh.
– I thought I hit your arm, not your head – The girl commented in an amused way to the platinum-haired boy.
He looked at her without understanding, until he looked at his own arm, seeing that the cut was no longer there the only remaining trace of its existence was his own blood already drying on the skin, but even that didn't seem like it would stay as the redhead had started to clean it.
And a feeling of restlessness which was starting to become characteristic of the Hatake in Uzumaki's presence hit the platinum-haired boy. The care the redhead had for him, the warmth of her touch holding his arm delicately...
– Thank you... – Was all he managed to say when the girl finished cleaning the blood that had been on his skin and looked at him.
Their gazes remained fixed on each other and neither threatened to look away. It wasn't the kind of look close people exchanged, it was something deeper, almost as if it allowed them to understand each other without saying words to express what they held inside...
That stirred something in the core of each of them and they still didn't know exactly what it was.
– Amaya-san, Kakashi-san! – And as if to cut that unusual moment that had arisen between them, a voice that had become familiar in recent days gained the attention of the two youths.
Hatake and Uzumaki moved slightly apart and turned their eyes to the approaching Kangal.
– Puchi-san... – Amaya was the first to speak.
– Sorry, did I interrupt something? – The ninken asked while alternating his gaze between the two.
– No, no... – The youths replied quickly in unison.
– Well, it's time, Kakashi-san – The Kangal addressed the platinum-haired boy, who promptly nodded.
The Hatake made his way closer to the Kangal, to accompany him to where his test of the day would take place. But to the surprise of both the platinum-haired boy and Amaya, Puchi didn't move.
– Amaya-san, Kori-sama and Asami-sama asked for you to join them today. Come with us – The ninken informed and the girl looked at him surprised.
During the past days, Puchi was always the one who came to meet the Hatake to take him to the presence of the ninken leaders for the challenges proposed so he could prove himself worthy of gaining the right to seal some contract with the ninja dogs.
However, this was the first time Amaya got the chance to accompany that. It was a way to make the Hatake show his skills without any chance of receiving outside help although Kori and Asami believed Uzumaki wouldn't try anything to help the platinum-haired boy cheat.
Without delay, the girl set off to accompany the Kangal alongside the Hatake. But, of course, the two youths were intrigued by that situation.
– Did they explain why this sudden change? – Kakashi asked the Kangal, who shook his head.
He looked at the redhead near him, seeing that she was also clearly curious to know the reason behind such a decision by the ninken leaders. However, curiosity wasn't the only thing in the redhead's gaze. There was something there the Hatake knew well.
– Someone seems excited about this... – He commented more quietly to the redhead, who looked at him slightly embarrassed for making her eagerness so visible, which ended up making the platinum-haired boy give a weak laugh.
– Don't laugh! – She complained in an almost inaudible, low tone and lowered her eyes – I'm curious to see if these training sessions we're having are really helping you.
The sincerity of the Uzumaki took him by surprise, but in a pleasant way. Kakashi then let a faint smile show on his expression.
– I guarantee it's helping, sensei – The boy clearly provoked her by emphasizing the word "sensei."
However, when Amaya looked at him to scold him for the comment, she could notice there was some honesty involved in that joke made by the platinum-haired boy and she would soon find out her impression was correct.
__________________________________________________________________________
Kori and Asami were waiting for Kakashi's arrival for one of the last tests they had proposed to him, however, what they intended to verify that day didn't involve the Hatake's combat skills per se.
– Are you sure about this? – The Husky asked with a more serious tone than the amiable one he usually used to the Akita Inu beside him.
– Of course I am, he takes so much after Hideaki... – The ninken said nonchalantly and with an amused smile on her features – And besides, if Sakumo trusted this girl to keep an eye on his son, it's because she must be important.
Kori agreed with what the Akita Inu said, after all, just the fact of everything Amaya Uzumaki had done up to that moment for Kakashi showed she gave genuine importance to their relationship.
But being more rational than Asami, the Husky preferred to have some concrete proof to base himself on regarding the younger Hatake: What did Uzumaki represent to him? How did he truly consider her? And how much was he himself in the presence of the girl?
When they saw Puchi arrive at that part of the Eternal Labyrinth Cave, they soon noticed the two young human figures accompanying him.
Amaya wore her usual smile on her lips, a sign Kori and Asami had noticed early on was part of the girl's normal personality, but which she rarely expressed. However, what caught the attention of both was regarding the Hatake.
From the moment they first saw him, the two ninkens noticed he wasn't the type of person who easily expressed anything they would even venture to say the boy was completely indifferent to others.
Yet, there was the platinum-haired boy with an unusually serene expression to the ninja dogs observing him. And although he was wearing his mask, Asami and Kori mentally agreed it was certain the Hatake was smiling at that moment.
– He really changes in her presence... – The Akita Inu was the first to comment.
– Or maybe he can just be himself with her – Kori suggested next.
Amaya and Kakashi soon saw the ninken leaders further away from them and each took a different direction with Uzumaki wishing the platinum-haired boy good luck before heading to Asami and Kori.
The ninkens greeted her when the redhead approached and settled beside them to watch Kakashi's test, which soon began.
(That day, eight young ninkens were taking turns fighting the Hatake: Ūhei, Akino, Bisuke, Shiba, Urushi, Bull, Guruko and Pakkun. Not long after, these would be the same ones with whom Kakashi would seal his summoning contracts...)
Besides the improvement in Kakashi's ability to handle multiple adversaries at once, Kori and Asami could notice the restlessness of the Uzumaki near them.
– Is all this nervousness from watching him train? – The Akita Inu asked with an amused tone to the redhead and the girl gave a weak laugh.
– To tell the truth, I'm excited about the fight – The redhead explained – It had been a long time since I last watched Kakashi fight like this, so seriously – She took her gaze for a moment to Asami – And that makes me happy too, in a way, because it shows he's really feeling comfortable here to let loose like this.
– Is that so? – The ninken questioned and Amaya nodded.
– You really care about Kakashi's well-being... – Kori commented, gaining the redhead's attention with that.
– It's part of the promise I made to Sakumo, to take care of him... – The girl turned her gaze back to the platinum-haired boy and smiled faintly – Kakashi deserves to be well again after all he's been through – She turned her eyes to the ninkens beside her – So, besides fulfilling the agreement we made by bringing Kakashi here, I also wanted to help him get everything he's been going through out of his head and give him the chance to experience some state of inner peace that, possibly, alone I couldn't bring to him.
– And does this feeling and desire come only from the promise you made to Sakumo or is there a desire of your own involved? – Amaya looked at the Husky for a few moments, really reflecting on that.
She felt duty-bound to fulfill the promise she made to Sakumo before his death, but stopping to think about her actions in recent years regarding the younger Hatake, Uzumaki couldn't remember when she hadn't acted towards the boy of her own free will.
– I think possibly... Both – The redhead ended up answering in a lower tone than she had used until then.
A particular movement in the fight between Kakashi and the young ninkens attracted Uzumaki's attention, as well as Asami and Kori's.
The dogs tried to attack the Hatake together, surrounding him, almost in the same way the redhead had done in a previous training session with him. But this time, the platinum-haired boy jumped to escape the encirclement forming around him and landed far from where the ninkens had gathered in their attempt to surround him.
However, one of the ninja dogs wasn't with the group and tried to catch the boy by surprise from his left similar to how the last earthen wall ended up hitting him before. But the Hatake had already learned how to deal with that and managed to defend himself perfectly.
Asami was surprised by the boy's action, since until the previous day that side of his showed a weakened defense. Meanwhile, Kori took his eyes to the expression of the Uzumaki beside him, seeing a content smile adorning her lips. Seems this is thanks to their training sessions during their time here..., the Husky concluded.
But that wasn't the only thing that caught the ninken's attention as he observed the Uzumaki. Something tells me it's not just Kakashi who becomes different in her presence..., he pondered.
– You can stop here! – Kori announced shortly after in his loud tone so the ninkens and Kakashi could hear him.
Everyone turned their attention to the Husky and nodded. The Hatake was panting from the intense combat, but when he looked at Amaya and saw her smiling, he ended up doing the same.
Asami was the first to notice that exchanged look between the two youths and turned her own to Kori, seeing he had also noticed it. And a single thought occurred to the two ninkens at that instant:
It seems they still haven't realized what they've come to mean to each other...
* Present *
Kakashi Hatake POV
– Nee-chan had quite an idea choosing your gift – Naruto commented happily, suddenly, and I turned my eyes to him, agreeing.
Quite an idea, and also something that to this day is important to me, I pondered internally. Ūhei, Akino, Bisuke, Shiba, Urushi, Bull, Guruko and Pakkun... All eight ninkens with whom I sealed my summoning contracts in those days we stayed in the Eternal Labyrinth Cave.
Besides doing it together with Amaya, working with them helped me better understand teamwork and how each can compensate for the others' weak points. Besides, of course, them being important companions to me...
– Amaya was always like that – I said and smiled faintly – Always overthinking and surprising everyone.
– And how did okaasan and otousan react when she said she would be away from home all those days with you? Just the two of you?
– They were probably surprised, but Minato-sensei and Kushina imagined how I felt about Obito's death, and how Amaya herself was feeling, after all, her parents also had great affection for the Uchiha – I explained – So it's very likely they just understood her sister needed time to absorb that, while also wanting to help me with the same grieving situation – I looked at him – But that doesn't mean our friends didn't ask questions after we returned – The blond laughed.
– Shisui must have bothered you a lot – I rolled my eyes and nodded.
– And how he bothered... – I commented – He didn't miss a single opportunity that arose. But neither I nor Amaya talked about what we had done or even if we had left the village together as they were assuming.
– So they didn't know for sure? – I shook my head.
– They had their doubts, since we disappeared from the village in the same period and reappeared at the same time. Everything was left to each one's imagination.
For a few moments the conversation between me and Naruto ceased with the arrival of the ramen bowls. And if before the Uzumaki was excited about the story of Amaya's life, when he saw the food the blond almost started jumping for joy.
– Thanks for the food! – He thanked quickly and didn't even wait to start, which was a bad idea – Ouch! Hot! – He complained, waving his hands while keeping his tongue out, as if that would help.
Naruto just being Naruto..., I thought to myself, holding back a weak laugh.
– Another thing too, Kakashi-sensei – The blond said shortly after and I turned my eyes to him – You and nee-chan were so slow to realize you liked each other – And the Uzumaki allowed himself to laugh at his comment.
– You have no grounds to say that – I said and the boy looked at me without understanding, which just made me give a weak laugh – Anyway, that trip of ours to the Eternal Labyrinth Cave started to make the two of us think about our situation – I commented – Although your sister started to examine that better because of Kushina – The blond looked at me curiously.
– How so?
– Like I told you, your parents were worried about how Amaya was dealing with Obito's loss, after all, they themselves were still processing it – I explained calmly – So Kushina had the idea to get your sister, Kurenai and Rin together for a "girls' night" with your mother, while Minato-sensei would do the same with me, Asuma, Gai and that weaselly-faced Shisui.
– And how was that? – Naruto asked excitedly, already showing all his curiosity about it.
– On my part, it was fine. I avoided the inconvenient questions and ignored Shisui as much as I could – The blond laughed – But as for Amaya... Your sister never forgot that day – And this time it was me who ended up laughing.
– Ah, just tell me what happened! – The Uzumaki grabbed the sleeve of my clothes, pulling it – Don't leave me dying of curiosity like this!
– I have no choice but to tell what happened that day, since our friends' behavior changed with certain information from that girls' night.
A curious look was what predominated on the blond's features, however, a few seconds later his expression changed, almost as if he had heard something that left him uneasy.
– Everything okay, Naruto? – I asked and the Uzumaki brought his gaze back to me.
– Kurama said that was also the day he and nee-chan saw each other for the first time, face to face – And at that moment it was my turn to let a surprised expression show – But he refused to explain anything I asked – The boy looked at me confused – Like, what do you mean "face to face"? Wasn't okaasan the jinchuuriki and keeping Kurama's chakra completely suppressed? So how... – I interrupted him before two hundred more questions came.
– Amaya's sensitivity to chakra was always different from other people's – I explained about that – Remember what I told you about her first meeting with Kushina? – The boy thought for a bit.
– Okaasan defended her, right? – I nodded.
– But that's not all that marked their initial encounter – I reminded him – Your sister felt a "black chakra" coming from your mother – I made sure to use the same words Amaya once used to tell me about it.
– Ah! Now I remember! Nee-chan even felt intimidated by it and ran away – I agreed.
– In that first meeting of theirs Amaya could feel Kurama's chakra more easily due to the irritation your mother was feeling towards Ichiro and his friends. But regarding the first real meeting between your sister and the bijuu, things were completely different, and Amaya discovered both the origin of the dense chakra she had felt years before, as well as an ability that only she had linked to the birthmark she carried on her back...