Broken Promises [Kakashi x Reader]

~ 3 ~

As soon as I breathed in I sat up from a jump, inhaling harder and faster as I clung to my chest, feeling my heart rate extremely fast. My breathing was ragged, sweat lined up my forehead, and all I could think about was that heinous and agonizing image of (Y/n). Again.

I looked around, still feeling the adrenaline and pain from the moment. But I was one more time in my room. 'A nightmare again?' I thought, but I knew it couldn't be. Was it even possible to have a dream inside a dream that was the exact same nightmare? It could be, but the fact that I felt both of them so... real. 

I touched my face, and I didn't feel any wound or blood meaning that I wasn't brought back from the mission. The only option left was that it indeed had been a nightmare, but it just didn't sit upright. (Y/n)'s severed body it... I shivered at the memory, running my hands over my arms in a comforting movement.  

I looked to my side and saw my alarm clock: 4th of April. That meant today was the day I had to go on that mission with (Y/n). Today was the day (Y/n) and I had to bring the artifact to Lord Genishiro in the Land of Bamboo. Maybe it was a nightmare. Maybe my worry of something happening to her was so heavy that it had taken the shape of such a horrendous nightmare. It could only be that. 

I decided to leave my bed and walked right to the gates of Konoha where I was supposed to meet (Y/n). And despite I had convinced myself that the horrid sight of her dying in front of me was a nightmare, I still couldn't help but quicken my steps as I approached the gates. As if deep down I knew (Y/n) had truly died. I recalled the helplessness, how my body burned from being unable to get up and help her, unable to protect her despite putting all my strength into moving. How desperate I felt to see her life slip away when she was so close to me, yet I could do nothing but cry. 

I swallowed, blinking twice to prevent my eyes from getting wet. 'Just a nightmare' I told myself just when I saw her figure standing near the gates, talking casually to the two gatekeepers. The two men chuckled when (Y/n) seemed to make an exaggerated distressed grimace. She then smiled, joining them with their laughs. My heart felt completely relieved when I saw her smiling and joking, alive. 

The two men pointed at me and she turned to me, her smile dropping, and instead, a frown appeared on her face. 

"Kakashi, you are—" she began scolding me but stopped midway "you are actually on time. Are you alright?" she said, widening her eyes and scanning mine as if she would be able to see whether I was fine or not only from taking a look at my dark eyes.

I rolled my eyes despite being joyful from seeing her again and kept walking. She followed close behind me. 

"Let's just go already," I said, she made a couple of quicker steps to catch up to my side. 

"We're on time for once, why the rush? Let's enjoy the amazing sights of Konoha" she said with a smile. And I wasn't sure whether she was being sarcastic or actually serious. 

"The sooner we get there the sooner we'll be back" I said blankly, paying no attention to her comment. She pouted and sighed but didn't say anything else. 

After a couple of minutes, I couldn't help but gaze at her from the corner of my eyes as I still wasn't able to shake off the sensation of seeing her die two times. But I immediately looked away when I found her already staring at me with a slightly judging look. 

"Kakashi," she called me "Are you sure you're alright? You are unusually quiet," she asked, but I remained silent. She didn't care and kept talking "Well, you're usually quiet. But I don't know, something about you feels strange" she spoke, and then, she suddenly jumped in front of me, forcing me to stop over a wobbly branch. I frowned at her, but she only smiled at me as if she found it amusing that I almost fell.