A Dragon's Fate

Chapter 20

Third person pov

Kakashi and Kath sat a few yards from the shocked Minato and Rin. Kakashi was working on bandaging Kath the best he could, slowly removing the weapons that had been stuck in her skin. She had her head laid down on the cool grass, taking in deep, slow breaths to try and keep herself calm, and to try and ignore the pain. "You shouldn't have done this." Kakashi whispered hoarsely, glancing at his remaining teammate and sensei as they gaped at the pair. "I had to. You were in trouble, and you needed a friend." Kath didn't open her eyes as she said this, tensing up and letting out a slight hiss of air when Kakashi located and removed the senbon out of the base of her back.

"You got hurt. They could have... killed you." He gulped as he said this. What would he have done if he'd came home and Kath was gone? Kakashi knew he was going to need her in the coming days, as much as he hated to admit it. Obito's death was weighing heavily down on him, and he knew he wasn't going to be okay after this. There were going to be some hardships ahead. Suddenly, the Hatake knew why his father had abandoned the mission for a friend. He understood, and was ashamed with himself. If he had just gone with Obito sooner, maybe everyone would be alive. And maybe everything would be okay.

Kakashi finished patching up Kath, running his hand over head and along her back. "Are you okay?" Kath knew it was a stupid question. "No." Kakashi looked away, trying to keep another wave of tears from pouring out. He should have died, not Obito. If Obito hadn't been so selfless, Kakashi would be the one under those rocks, and Obito would be at home: safe and warm. That's all Kakashi wanted now, and it was too late. Much too late.

"If I had just gone with him... If I had just agreed to get Rin back!" Kakashi's emotions reared up again, and more tears welled up in his eyes. Kath immediately rose to full height, staring down at Kakashi with a sad look. "Don't blame yourself, Kakashi. It's okay. It's all going to be alright, okay?" Kath ignored Rin and Minato, who'd both flinched when she sat up. "No, it's not. I should be the one under those rocks. I don't have anyone... and Obito has a family, friends..." Kath's eyes widened at his words. Was Kakashi... he sounded awfully suicidal right now.

"Kakashi, no!" Minato leapt up at the dragon's shout. Kakashi flinched, staring up at her with wide eyes. She crouched down to his height, looking him in the eyes. "You have me, and don't you dare think for one second that I don't need you. I'd be dead without you. I'd starve without your friend chicken, and I'd still be flightless without your tests. I would die without you, Kakashi. Obito was a good kid, he was. I'm sorry you lost him, and I think you're going to miss him for the rest of your life, and you're going to regret your decisions. But he gave you that eye, didn't he? You need to live for him. Live life the absolute best you can, and don't give up. If not for Obito, live for me, Kakashi."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment, tears streaming out of his widened eyes. Minato stood, watching the exchange. Maybe this dragon really wasn't a threat, and she really wasn't trying to eat them. She was here for Kakashi, after all, and no one else. She hadn't come here to attack them. She hadn't come here to get information for a rival village, or to try and stop them from returning home. She was here as Kakashi's friend, and Minato was okay with that. He had to be. Kakashi needed a friend.

Kakashi began to shake as he silently sobbed and Kath sat up again, hugging him the best she could once more. "Let's just sleep, and then tomorrow we can head back to village." Kath said, looking down at Kakashi. He stared up at the large, purple dragon. "Y...Yeah." He didn't want them to attack Kath. Would they? Maybe if she walked in with them, it would be okay. Kakashi hoped so. He'd die before he lost anyone else: especially if that someone was his closest friend, Kath. 

"Kakashi, we're going to go set up camp." Kath and Kakashi looked over. Minato was standing there, Rin hiding behind him. Kakashi pulled himself off the ground. "Okay." Kakashi wiped furiously at his eye. "Kath, you're welcome to join us." Minato said awkwardly. "Thank you, but I understand if you'd rather me sleep somewhere else." Kath said. She was a dragon: something they'd never seen before. She understood their discomfort.  

"No." Kakashi said bluntly. "You don't get to pick, dick bag." Kath shot back. "Defective dragon." He shot back. "Dog breath." She swatted him lightly with her tail. "At least I'm not getting fat off chi-" She swatted him over the head with her tail. Kakashi smiled a little at the sound of Kath's laugh. That was something else that was familiar. Kath laughed a lot, and he was glad. Laughing was nice. 

Minato found himself smiling at the pair in front of him. Kath was good for Kakashi, and after their small banter, he was sure she was good. "Come on. We're going to camp out in the woods." Kath stood up, blinking when she realized she'd grown. She was almost taller than Minato now. She wondered when she'd gotten so much larger. Maybe that's why Kakashi's apartment felt so much more cramped. Kath didn't know. It didn't matter either, she supposed.

Kath let Kakashi climb onto her back, and with that, she began to follow Minato and the scared Rin.