Mending The Past To A Better Future

Ch4. Split

Naruto had spent the night transferring seals onto her skin, as well as making sure had no explosive tags on her - the last thing they needed tomorrow was another reason to bring the cave down. The moon shone through the treetops, and she sat by the light through her window, working meticulously on the scrolls. It wasn't so late out. Adults were out still walking the streets, and the low hum of the night life buzzed pleasantly in the air.

Still, it was dark enough, though, that when there was a sharp knock on her door, and soft set of mumbles, Naru grabbed the nearest kunai and spun it lightly around her fingers. Inching towards the door, she peered through the doorhole, and let out an audibe breath when Obito's spiky black hair and Kakashi's bored eyes came into view. In Obito's hands was a small plant, that resembled the plant she had gifted her sensei some time ago. She stuffed the kunai into her pocket before she opened the door.

Prying the lock open and twisting the knob, she groaned lightly. Another moment of pretending then.

Obito grinned widely at her, and Kakashi sent her a well recognizable two finger salute.

"Hello, Naru-chan!" Obito crowed, pushing his way into her small house as she stepped back. Kakashi followed suit. They both were out of their shinboi wear, but still wore their leaf forehead protectors. He peered around her dark apartment. "Wow! It's really dark in here. Why don't you turn on the lights?"

"I didn't buy any bulbs," Naru deadpanned, shutting the door behind their figures. "And I like the dark." She watched as Obito placed the plant on her small table. "What's with the plant, Obito-kun?"

"Kakashi, Rin, and I bought you it as a housewarming gift as to welcome you to Konoha."

"Kakashi did, huh?" Naru couldn't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow in the silver haired boy's direction.

"Well don't become too, polite, Naru-chan," He said, though the honorific was said mockingly.

Ignoring his snark, Naruto gestured them to the table. Obito took a seat, and Kakashi remained standing to inspect the rest of her house. There was a collecitve silence as the two looked at each other.

"So. What brings you two around tonight? Shouldn't you be preparing for your mission tomorrow?"

"How do you know about that?" Kakashi scowled. He picked up a sealing scroll that balanced precariously on the kitchen counter and gave it a distracted once over as he said, "I bet it was that loudmouth chunin that was present during our mission brief. Idiot." Naruto watched as he ducked under the rest of the cabinet and rummaged around her stores like a robber on a mission. The Kakashi of her timeline had been just as invasive, if not more subtle about it.

Naruto couldn't help but ask, "Do you make a habit of going through people's things uninvited?" And despite her visible annoyance, a bit of fondness seeped through her tone - something that chibi Kakashi was unable to catch. The truth of it was, was that she missed her Sensei. The Kakashi of this world was just as fine as any, if only a bit more stubborn and arrogant and thickheaded than what she was used to seeing.

Her Kakashi had a certain air of sagacity about him that made him seem a bit divine at times. Not when he was reading those porn novels, or when he was routinely showing up late to whatever had a designated time meet, but when he was alone and unaware that someone was really paying attention. Naruto thought she saw this most often when he visited the Memorial Stone and stood there unmoving for hours, wallowing in his guilt and his surplus of feelings that he never allowed to show. Not to say that he didn't make mistakes, but Kakashi was a celestial in his own right. He understood the deeper intricacies of emotions where others didn't, and she suspected it had something to do with all the pain he had already been through in his lifetime. This Kakashi had experienced pain, yes, but not to the much higher extent that her Kakashi had. And perhaps, he would not be so divine for it later but, Naruto thought that this change would be one she would not feel weigh on her heart.