strangers again | kakashi hatake x OC

13

It's been over 2 years since I arrived in the Tora Numa forest to train. Vannea and I have grown close throughout that time. Truthfully, I mastered the basics of tiger senjutsu in only 3 months. Vannea was thoroughly impressed, telling me I was the fastest to ever learn any senjutsu.

There were a myriad of reasons why I stayed so long. The main reason was because Vannea helped me strengthen my sharingan. With Vannea, I gained an ideal sparring partner. It's not everyday one can claim a sage trained them. She remembered Madara's fighting style and helped me hone my skills so I actually stand a chance against him.

The vivid nightmare of Madara in the desert is a distant memory now. I haven't experienced one since arriving in this forest. I never told Vannea about them either.

Before I knew it, over 2 years passed. Reluctantly, Vannea sent word to the Hidden Leaf about my growth. When we finally got a response, excitement and anxiety began welling within me. I'm excited to see Kakashi; however, I can't help my anxiety about seeing him, especially if his feelings for me have changed. Now, I'm waiting at the forest entrance for Kakashi. Vannea already bid me goodbye. She didn't want to wait with me; she was too sad at the thought of me leaving.

I look down at the moss and grass growing over the tree root next to me. Small insects crawl around, living their own lives. I pick at the blades of grass one by one. Thoughts of Kakashi float through my mind.

I wonder if he's gotten any taller, I think to myself.  I rest my chin in my palm and sigh, He probably found a girlfriend. Maybe he's already married. I look up at the sky. The sun peaks through the leaves, creating golden rays throughout the forest. My attention returns to the blades of grass between my fingers. I hope my parents are okay, I tear the piece of grass in two. I watch as the bits twirl to the ground, returning from where they came.

I straighten my back and jump to my feet as I hear a dull thud from footsteps. I grip my backpack tightly as my heartbeat quickens. I hear fast, light running getting closer. "Kakashi," I breathe out. Suddenly, his silver hair peaks through the opening in a bush. After what feels like eternity, his eyes meet mine. Kakashi hesitates for a moment. He pulls his mask down to his throat, and a small smile flashes across his face before falling into an unreadable expression. My heart drops as the silence between us lingers.

Kakashi slowly steps closer to me. The space between us finally disappears, and he pulls me into a deep hug. Kakashi kisses the top of my head. "I missed you," he breathes into my hair. I melt into his arms and chest, listening to his heartbeat. My hands desperately grip onto the back of his shirt, pressing my face deeper into him.

After a few moments of holding one another, I slightly pull back to look at his face. Kakashi is just as handsome as I remember. A soft smile spreads across his face as I bring my hand up to caress his face. He grabs my wrist and leans into my touch. He then kisses my palm before whispering, "I thought about you every day."

"I love you," I say.

Kakashi responds without hesitation, "I love you more."

"Am I allowed to come back home yet?" I ask. Kakashi's face falls as he lowers my hand. His smile disappears, the atmosphere becomes tense and heavy. My eyes flicker between his and my heart beats rapidly. I intensely watch his face to understand his sudden shift in demeanor. My mind races with every horrible situation I could imagine.

"Tsuki," Kakashi finally speaks, pulling me from my racing thoughts and breaking the thick silence. "Sensei... Lord Fourth is..." he trails off, struggling to find the words. I grab his hand, squeezing slightly to offer some emotional support and motivation. He drops his head and begins to tremble.

"Minato is dead," Kakashi chokes out as tears fall to the forest floor. My mind is frozen is a state of shock. Lord Hokage...is...dead?

My body moves automatically. I wrap Kakashi's shaking body into my arms, pulling him close to me. He rests his head on my shoulder as sobs wrack his body, causing his knees to give way under the stress. I guide us both down to our knees, never releasing my hold on his body. Kakashi fully collapses onto me; his tears soak my shirt.

My own eyes are wide in disbelief. I stare out into the forest, not truly looking at any one thing, just staring off into nothing. I think of all the different ways Lord Hokage could've died. It's impossible to believe Minato would take his own life. Was it an assassination? No... Lord Fourth is not only admired by all, he's one of the strongest and most capable ninja in all of shinobi history. There's no way he would've been defeated in battle, unless there was an entire army.

"He died to protect the village," Kakashi explains gently, pulling me from my thoughts. I gently stroke the back of his head, patiently waiting for the rest of his explanation. He pauses, inhales deeply, then sighs. He sits back on his heels, looking up at the tree tops. Another tear falls down his cheek and again onto the forest floor. I watch as his chest slowly rises and falls, calming himself down.

"Somehow the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but Sensei was killed protecting the village," Kakashi said quietly. "His son was born the same day."

A small breeze blows through the trees causing a few leaves to fall to the ground. Kakashi looks at me again, tears staining his cheeks. He smiles softly, "It's always shocking how sad I get about it. He died a few months after you came here."

My jaw drops. "Lord Fourth has been dead for almost 2 years?" I question.

"Yeah," Kakashi confirms. "His son, Naruto, has already started to walk."

"Who's the Hokage now?" I ask

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Lord Third, returned as Hokage."

I fall back onto the palms of my hands. Disbelief is evident on my face. It's hard not to feel forgotten. So much has happened since I left the village. An overwhelming sensation of sadness and feelings of exclusion wash over me, encasing me in a heaviness.

Kakashi rests his hands on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes. "No one has forgotten about you," he reassures me, as if reading my thoughts. "Your parents, Kurenai, Guy, and I all talk about you every day. Sensei's plan of making people believe you to be dead isn't really working as well as he thought."

Kakashi pulls me into a hug, rubbing my back gently. I breathe in his scent, like a large forest filled with pine trees after a light spring rain. I missed him so much. I bury my face into his shoulder, finally letting go of the tears I had been unconsciously holding in.

A/N: hehe sorry for the late, late, late update... thank you for reading :)