Flame of A Shinobi

(13- We Conquer)

As we left his apartment, I look around nervously. I felt like eyes were on me everywhere, thought I knew there was no one around. Kakashi grabs my hand and tugs me along, walking in a direction we usually never go. "What are we doing, Kakashi?" I ask in curiosity. He looks over at me and cocks his head slightly. "Taking you to meet my sensei," He tells me. I follow him in confusion as he tugs me along.

Before long, we reach the cemetery. "Wait... here?"  I ask him as he stops before a massive headstone. I knew who rested here. "My uncle Minato was your sensei? I never knew that," I tell him in surprise. It's Kakashi's turn to be surprised. "You were related to Minato Sensei?" he asks in utter surprise. I nod. "My mother is his older sister. They were 16 years apart in age. Mom had the same golden hair as Uncle Minato did. Now, it's completely white. I inherited father's hair and mother's eyes. Though I was told they are the same shade Uncle Minato's were. And we got those from grandmother." I tell him as I touch my Uncle's headstone in a sign of respect. "My great grandfather was Tobirama Senju," I reveal to him.

Kakashi gives me an amazed stare and sighs. "I knew you had great potential," He tells me confidently. I smile at him and laugh. "The weird thing is, It has always cast a heavy shadow over my life. I want to be just as good, but I feel like I never will be. And uncle Minato to boot... Even he was an amazing shinobi. But then, his sensei was one of the legendary Sanin. He was in a class of his own," I say as I think of my adoring Uncle. I had adored his goofy nature growing up, wanting to be just like him.

Nowadays, I didn't know what I wanted to be anymore. I am sure he would give me a pep talk like he used to back when I was 7 or 8. When he died, it was right after I had turned 12. I knew he had left an orphan, but it hurt too bad to see him. He looked too much like his father. But the whole town hated Naruto. The kid was still very young, but caused a lot of trouble for everyone even at the age of seven.

I look to Kakashi and smile. "I am sure Uncle Minato would be proud of you, Kakashi." He cast his eyes downwards. "I don't know... I have done some really stupid things in my years since he has passed. But I always try to live in a way that will honor his memory," Kakashi says with honesty. "That's all we can do. Uncle Minato would want me to face my problems head on and never cast a glance back. His self motto was to meet everything with the idea that you would surpass it no matter what was thrown at you. He always excelled. That was the person I wanted to be like," I say as I renew my resolve.

'Uncle was truly an exceptional Shinobi, one of the best even. I want to live up to his name. He would never let me wallow in self pity or live afraid.' I tell myself. Kakashi makes a sign of respect and we stop to visit two other graves. "Who are these shinobi?" I ask him curiously.

Kakashi hangs his head and lets out a sad sigh. "Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha. Obito died in the third great ninja war. He sacrificed himself to save Rin and I, and gave me my Sharingan eye. I had lost my eye due to a kunai not even an hour earlier after they had Kidnapped Rin. The whole cave they hid in collapsed on Obito and sealed him inside. Half of his body had been crushed. I still feel guilty to this day. He made me promise to protect Rin with my life but three months after his sacrifice, Rin was kidnapped. I rescued her and tried to fight our way out but she committed suicide by jumping in front of my chidori. I let them both down. And every day, I think about the teammates I was never able to protect." Kakashi tells me.

I look down, my heart hurting for him. "I am really sorry to hear that, Kakashi. It seems like that is the same for most of our generation, isn't it? The war left us to pick up the pieces, not caring whose lives were destroyed," I say quietly. His hand grips mine, giving a little squeeze. My heart seemingly does a backflip and my mouth twitches. We finish paying our respects before heading out of the cemetery. "Come with me," Kakashi tells me as he heads back into the village.

A small smile on my face, I follow him. I trusted this man before me with my life. He was such an open and honest person, and had an incredibly strong will. That will led into his presence and made him even more appealing. "Kakashi, where are we going?" I ask him as I smile to myself. He looks down at me and gives me a close-eyed smile. "It's a secret," he says mysteriously.

After about fifteen minutes of parading around the village, he leads me to a dango shop. "This place is really good," He says as he orders several to go. "Dango?" I ask curiously. "Yeah, I kind of have a dango addiction," He says seriously. Kakashi likes sweets? Who would have guessed? I thought with a smirk. It was a rather endearing thing for him to show me, like he was revealing himself to me on piece at a time. "I enjoy sweets, too," I tell him honestly as he picks up and pays for the to go bag. "I figured as much. So we are going to go home and play cards for sweets," He says confidently.

I give him a look. "I am going to make sure to win," I tell him as I eye the bag. The smell of fresh dango nearly made my mouth water. He chuckles and leads me back to his place, making sure that we avoid the area in which I made the crater. Within minutes,  we were back in front of the apartment and ready to begin a night of fun.

"Ready for me to win?" I ask slyly as we gather on the living room floor with the cards. Kakashi gives me a determined look and smiles. "I think I am going to give you a run for your money," He laughs. I stick my tongue out at him and shuffle the cards with a grumble. He laughs and crosses his legs, his eye on my face. I give a deceptive smile as I begin shuffling the cards a second time, not satisfied with the first shuffle. I quickly distribute the cards and we begin our afternoon game.

Several hours later, Kakashi and I are tied yet again but it is getting dark outside. We have eaten most of the dango and Kakashi gets up to make dinner. I watch him transfixed as be makes Broiled Saury. "I didn't know you could fry eggplant," I say in admiration. "My father taught me. He was a good cook. I don't remember my mother, but father taught me everything," He tells me. I nod in thought. My mom had taught me everything I needed to know up until father and my brothers died. Nobuo and Sadao were very gifted. But despite them being talented for genin, both had died truly horrific deaths. They had been transporting a secret scroll to the main forces that should have changed the tide of the war. They never made it there. They were captured just 5 kilometers from the troops. Father went to rescue them and they were all killed.

I had been told that before Sadao was captured, He used the transportation jutsu to transport the scroll to safety. They were revered as heroes, but I felt selfish for wishing they hadn't gone. Mom retired as a ninja when I was born. otherwise I probably would have lost her as well. It felt like she had died that day, too. She never looks at me anymore.

While I was thinking all of this, Kakashi finished dinner and set it before me. After one bite, my eyes lit up. "I think you may be more suited to be a chef, Kakashi," I joked as I took another bite. Kakashi nearly snorts his dinner and looks up at me in surprise. "Why do you say that?" he asks. I giggle. "Because you seem to be good at everything you do," I tell him honestly. Kakashi shakes his head. "I wouldn't go that far. I haven't had anyone to cook for me since my father died. So of course I would be good at it or I would have died," He says half jokingly.

I give a small smile and  nod. 'Kakashi is just like me. He has had his fair share of demons, but he seems to be conquering them on his own without help from anyone. I hope I can do the same.' The thought pops into my head as I finish my dinner. A satisfied smile lights his face as he collects dishes and washes them. Not long after, we visit the nearly empty bath houses and clean ourselves for the evening.

Later that night, I am reading the book I had picked up off of Kakashi's table, Immersed in it before I realize how late it is. I was exhausted. I had enjoyed myself today and wanted to do something equally as relaxing tomorrow. Thinking these things, I slowly drift to sleep. Not long later, I barely notice the feeling of being placed on a bed and covered up.

(Sorry for missing yesterday's update. I have been having problems sleeping. I was so exhausted after work that I came home and passed right out at my computer. I will have another update later tonight. Next part will go to Kakashi's point of view. Thanks so much for all the views! I mean it!)