Third Person POV
Two and a half months had passed since the end of the Third Great Ninja War settled in. Konoha and its people were living in an era they hadn't experienced in many years.
Peace was reigning, even though there were still tensions with the other nations.
And just like the tension still hung in the air, the remaining scars from all the deaths weighed heavy on the mind and heart of every person, whether they were a ninja or not.
As a way to pay proper respect to those who had perished in combat, a funeral ceremony had been scheduled. Most of those present were ninjas, whose clan members and comrades had died in that war.
Each person was mentally visualizing those they had lost throughout those years of war, whether they were recent deaths or from years ago. Minato, Kushina, Kakashi, and Rin were right at the front of the crowd gathered at the village cemetery.
Amaya and Shisui had just arrived at the location, due to their Anbu duties that they had to handle before heading to the cemetery. The siblings stayed a little behind some members of the Uchiha clan, where Fugaku and Itachi were positioned further ahead of them.
– We managed a truce, but the sacrifice was too great... – A shinobi from the Uchiha clan commented quietly just ahead of Amaya and Shisui.
– I heard rumors that the Sandaime intends to take responsibility and retire – Another man beside him spoke in the same tone to his companion – And the captain has support to establish himself as the Yondaime Hokage.
That, in a way, caught Amaya's attention. The redhead knew about Fugaku Uchiha's position as leader of his clan, as well as captain of the Leaf's Military Police Force. And hearing that he could be recommended for the title of Hokage was quite possible, in the Uzumaki's view, given the man's conduct and his achievements for the village.
– Enough talk – Fugaku interjected towards the two men and they fell silent.
Silence returned with that.
Amaya had lost only one friend to that war and she had paid her respects to the Uchiha. On the other hand, all the squads the redhead served in, none of her comrades had perished – often because of the care she took with each of their lives.
But still, she couldn't help but think of how many others before and even after she arrived in Konoha had sacrificed themselves for that achieved peace. How many names, faces, and families she didn't know, but whose loss she felt.
– What will we do about Kakashi? – The sudden question from another Uchiha clan member made the redhead emerge from her thoughts and turn her gaze to the man – He's not from our clan, but he has a sharingan.
Fugaku, like the Uzumaki, opened his eyes, but directed them towards the platinum-haired figure who was further away from himself and the Uchiha clan members.
– I know that Obito Uchiha fought bravely – The clan leader spoke – We will respect his will.
– We must recover the sharingan of the Uchihas, it's bad enough having that girl walking around exposing our doujutsu... – The same man insisted on his argument.
And that hit Amaya's mind like a rock. As if it wasn't enough that they were suggesting literally taking the eye that bore the sharingan from Kakashi, they were also bothered by the fact that she herself also had it.
It was clear that the Uzumaki knew about the discomfort of some Uchihas towards her, after all, the girl carried Uchiha blood, but wasn't really a member of the clan. But until that moment, no opinion or wish like that had reached her.
They were talking about taking the eyes of living people just because they didn't belong to the Uchiha clan.
Shisui had also heard the horrible words from his clan mates and, like Amaya, found them absurd, but what really worried him was the state of his sister beside him.
Although Amaya had started keeping her chakra completely suppressed, at that moment it was as if a negative aura emanated from the redhead. And when he looked at her hands, he saw her with clenched fists.
She was outraged.
And the only thing he could do at that moment was hold the Uzumaki's hand. That was like a shock to bring her back to reality outside her thoughts. And when she looked at her brother and both their hands, she noticed that her fists were clenched.
Shisui knew about those thoughts and opinions from members of his clan, and he was always trying to prevent his sister from hearing them because he knew she wouldn't dismiss them as being "common" among the Uchihas.
The siblings might not have exchanged a single word at that moment, but they could understand each other. Amaya just nodded weakly to Shisui and relaxed her muscles, which she hadn't noticed had become tense.
– The war just ended, don't sow discord – Fugaku's words came quickly in response to the other Uchiha's comment – We finally have peace, let's strive to maintain it. That is the duty of the Uchihas.
– Yes, sir.
Although he understood his comrades' concern about letting Hatake and Amaya possess the sharingan without answering to the Uchiha clan, Fugaku knew he couldn't do anything without causing problems, both for himself and for the Uchihas as a whole.
The most that was within his reach, at the moment, was to observe the achievements of each of the young people, whether through his subordinates or through Shisui and Itachi, brother and close friend of the Uzumaki, and consequently of Hatake.
Kakashi Hatake POV
The funeral ceremony didn't last very long that day, so soon those present began to disperse.
And something I noticed, even though I took a while to do so, was that this was the first day in weeks that I stopped to think about Obito's death and it caused me some minimal discomfort.
So many calm things had happened in my life, like helping Obito's grandmother, Uniko, going without taking on any missions, heading to the ninken compound linked to my clan, and even having taken a night out with Minato-sensei and my former academy comrades and the weasel guy to unwind...
And, of course, having had Amaya's presence in many moments throughout these weeks. The tranquility of the redhead's company was something incredible, such was the peace she could provide without even trying.
I probably wouldn't say it out loud, but I appreciated Amaya's company, I liked the time I spent with her even if it was little thanks to her duties now as Anbu captain.
Maybe because she was the first person who approached me without treating me like a prodigy and son of a genius, that made it so that, before I realized it, she had gained my curiosity, friendship, and trust.
And besides that, she understood me.
She understood me in a unique way even when I didn't understand myself.
Not to mention everything the redhead had helped me with. From the beginning, she had some participation in my life, whether supporting me or even bringing something to support me, both in problems and difficulties that arose.
– What do you think, Kakashi? – Rin's voice brought me back to reality and I faced her beside me.
– About what? – I asked.
– I suggested to Rin that maybe you two could take on some mission, since you've been without taking any for quite a while – Minato-sensei spoke and I looked at him, agreeing.
It really had been a long time since our last mission. Two and a half months, since our last one was during the war. And for a ninja, that much time without doing anything officially like we were was bad for our field performance.
– I don't see why not – I spoke and looked at Nohara beside me – If we take something simple, we can return to our activities smoothly – She agreed.
– Alright, let's go! – Rin said excitedly, which ended up making me laugh softly.
Everything was finally getting back on track.
(At least that's what I thought was happening... If I had thought better about this suggestion or even chosen another mission to do with Rin, maybe that wouldn't have happened and she wouldn't have ended up dying...)
* Present Day *
Third Person POV
As soon as the word "die" reached Naruto's ears, the Uzumaki stopped eating to stare at his sensei. The Hatake's expression conveyed nothing to him, although in his mind he was reliving one of the bitterest moments of his past.
– She died on that mission? – The blonde asked, wanting to confirm he had heard correctly.
– Yes... And since it was just the two of us, there was no one to stop what happened – Hatake drifted off for a moment.
Naruto was about to unleash his characteristic questions when he got confused or when he wanted to know more about something, but Kurama caught the blonde's attention inside his own mind.
"Don't ask him questions right now, Naruto..."
The Uzumaki found that interference from the fox sudden, and in Hatake's favor, for not telling him something.
"Why not, Kurama? I want to understand what happened!"
A brief silence, like the one lingering between student and sensei, remained between Naruto and Kurama, until the bijuu sighed heavily.
"Listen to me carefully, and try for once in your life not to act like an idiot when you hear it, alright?"
The blonde nodded weakly, although he hadn't remembered that Kurama couldn't see him do it.
"Rin Nohara was killed by the hands of her team companion, Kakashi Hatake."
And like the silence that had previously lasted between bijuu and his jinchuuriki, at that moment it repeated itself, but due to the Uzumaki's shock.
"What...?"
That was the only phrase that permeated the boy's thoughts, dazedly, and Kurama understood him, after all, he felt the confusion forming inside the blonde.
"Rin died in combat when she went with Kakashi on a mission mistakenly given to them. The mission that should have been sent to the two of them consisted of something simple, but the two ended up ambushed by Mist's Anbu, and Nohara was kidnapped. In that, they transformed her into Isobu's jinchuuriki and prepared a seal on her heart so that, when she returned to Konoha, she would release it to devastate the village."
"But they didn't know that? Wasn't there a way to stop it? And how did Kakashi-sensei end up killing her?!"
"One thing at a time, idiot! Finish listening... Even without knowing all of this, Rin felt that something was wrong with herself when Kakashi rescued her from the enemies' hideout. So Nohara asked him to kill her, that she felt something bad would happen if they returned to the village at that moment. You can imagine what answer Hatake gave her..."
"Kakashi-sensei would never do that!"
"But as a Konoha kunoichi, Rin valued the village's well-being above herself, as well as the lives of her family and friends who lived there. So, when they were ambushed again by Mist's Anbus and Kakashi was forced to fight them, Nohara placed herself in front of Hatake's attack that was about to hit an enemy with his Chidori."
And the Uzumaki's own chest seemed to tighten with that.
"It was just one blow to the middle of the girl's chest, causing her death in seconds. The pain of losing someone significant in your life and seeing them perish right before your eyes without being able to do anything... It was at that moment that your sensei awakened his mangekyou sharingan, although he would only discover that a few years later."
"Kakashi-sensei ended up being the cause of Rin's death... He killed her with his own hands without meaning to..."
The shock and disbelief were evident in the Uzumaki's consciousness. Both Kurama and the blonde could perceive it.
"So, knowing this, try not to be a bigger idiot than you naturally already are, and reassure your sensei so he doesn't have to bring up all these memories just to fill you in on what he has to tell you regarding your sister with this. With what I've told you, it's enough for you to understand what he has to tell you about himself and Amaya after this occurrence."
And again Naruto nodded, with the difference that he took his eyes to the Hatake beside him this time.
– I'm really sorry for that, Kakashi-sensei – The platinum-haired man took his gaze to the blonde – Truly.
And the sincerity in the Uzumaki's tone was different from any that had been in his voice that day. It was as if the blonde knew everything that had happened without him telling him.
And that lit something in the Hatake's mind.
He probably knows..., he pondered.
– Thank you... – Kakashi thanked him with a slightly lower tone, and not directed straight at his student.
Even knowing the whole truth about Rin's death, both from the actions of his former team companion and the reason they ended up in that situation, Kakashi couldn't help but feel bad about what happened.
It was an event that would accompany him for the rest of his life.
It was the death of someone he had sworn to protect with his own life.
However, Hatake had learned that life was made of moments like that, where everything was inhabiting the greatest peace and, suddenly, when least expected, everything ended up being thrown into the air and destroyed.
Life was a cycle after all.
And death was the only certainty that all living beings could expect to occur.
– Minato-sensei was the one who discovered that the mission I and Rin had gone on had been delivered by mistake and set out to find us – Kakashi made an effort to return to his narrative – But it was already too late when he found us. And again he returned to the village with the death of another of his students on his shoulders.
– Did you have to tell what happened to Rin? – Naruto asked his sensei hesitantly and the platinum-haired man nodded.
– I couldn't escape that even if I wanted to – Hatake spoke – And the necropsy performed on Rin's body confirmed my story about having been me who killed her.
– But how did they find out that she did it to protect the village? – The blonde hurried to explain – I mean, you would have been seen as a murderer if they didn't know the truth – The platinum-haired man agreed.
– The autopsy they did on Rin's body presented justifications for the behavior she adopted during the mission, and the fact that she placed herself in front of my attack – Kakashi explained – Minato-sensei was the one who requested it, and they discovered that there were traces of a bijuu's chakra and a release seal in her body.
– But how did they recognize the bijuu's chakra? – The blonde asked – I mean, she had died, and what was left must have mixed with Rin's...
– The situation was exactly that, but there was one person who could distinguish chakras like no one else – The Uzumaki's expression showed surprise.
– Do you mean that nee-chan participated in Rin's autopsy? – Naruto asked slightly stunned.
– Amaya had medical knowledge and was also a sensory ninja, with the addition of being more sensitive to others' chakra than normal people – Hatake commented – And the situation about the Uzumaki's encounter and feeling towards Kurama's chakra had reached Minato and the Sandaime. Because of that, your sister was invited to join the necropsy.
– And she agreed to go see her friend... Dead? – The blonde questioned him and Kakashi nodded.