Flower in the Mirror [Hatake Kakashi] [1]

❄️ Chapter 11 ❄️

It took some time but soon enough, Yumetsuki and Minato had handled everything on the border between Konohagakure and Iwagakure. The sun was slowly starting its descent when the pair of them departed from the border to go and help out Kakashi, Obito and Rin so they could put an end to the Kannabi Bridge. It appeared as if things were going smoothly for them.

That was until Yumetsuki followed Minato and found herself nearing the location where they could locate high levels of Chakra. Her body tensed up when she realised that several Iwagakure Shinobi were surrounding Rin, who was by herself along with an unconscious Kakashi.

Strangely, there was no sign of Obito anywhere. Yumetsuki tried to locate him nearby but there was no trace of his Chakra, which was odd because she knew he would never leave their side. No matter how scared he got, he would never hide or flee the battlefield like a coward.

"Rin," Minato said as he and Yumetsuki arrived next to the brunette and the knocked-out boy. At the same time, Yumetsuki questioned, "Where is Obito-Kun?"

"Yumetsuki-Chan..." Rin spoke up as she looked at the white-haired girl and she looked truly exhausted now that the two of them were here to help.

"We don't have time to talk, Yumeko-Kun," Minato reminded her as he got ready to fight the Iwagakure Ninjas that had surrounded them completely from every corner.

"I apologise, Sensei, but where is Obito-Kun?" Yumetsuki insisted anyway, extending her region in an attempt to detect any sign of Obito's Chakra within two miles.

There was no response from Rin but her lips were shaking slightly. Yumetsuki feared the worst.

"Did he...?" asked Yumetsuki, looking at Rin, who avoided her eyes, her brown pair watering slightly from where she sat on her knees by the unconscious Hatake. "Did he?!"

Before Minato could stop the eleven-year-old girl from freaking out while they had a large number of enemies surrounding them from all sides, there were loud cracks and every single one of the Iwagakure Ninjas was instantly impaled to the trunks of the trees they stood on.

Certain-Kill Ice Spears.

All throughout his life, Minato had heard of this dangerous ability belonging to the 'cursed' Kekkei Genkai that was the Ice Style – and today was his first time seeing it in action. It was beautiful, the sight of those clear, gleaming Ice spears sprouting out of the branches yet tragic with the way they were stained with the bright red blood of its victims.

"Yumetsuki-Chan!"

Rin's fearful shout snapped the blond out of his thoughts and before Yumetsuki could go any further in her breakdown, Minato grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward himself – with a skillful Fuinjutsu he had learned just for her, struck her on the Kanji for Ice on her back, knocking her out.

When Yumetsuki came back around, they were far, far, far away from where Obito had met his demise. She could only listen in anguish as Rin told her and Minato about everything that had happened – the white-haired girl was in far too much grief to piece her thoughts together.

Minato had retreated with the three remaining young Ninjas to a safe clearing to rest before they continued as Kakashi was still unconscious from his own ordeal.

"So Obito..." Minato spoke but there was nothing he could say any further as he trailed off, and he looked away from them, hiding his eyes from the two girls.

For Yumetsuki, the revelation, the confirmation of Obito's death had still not settled in. The thought that Obito – as young and as vivacious he was... and as loved he was – was gone, it was too much for Yumetsuki to bear. She felt as if her heart had been torn apart. The pain was unbearable.