BONDS • k. hatake

•17•

I was finally back to my original self.

The healthy glow of my skin was back, I wasn't underweight and my scars were gone.. well the physical ones.

"Where did you get that?" Kakashi asked. I was in the mirror, my red floral off the Should top showing my shoulder tattoo.

"When I was in the hidden village of the mist." I said as I adjusted my strapless bra. He stepped closer to me, his taller figure leaning over my shoulder.

His soft lips cane in contact with the skin where my tattoo laid.

I smiled, seeing our reflection.

"'Remember your love, Remember the pain, Remember the bonds and cherish them because it made you.'" He read out, I tugged my shorts up before slipping on some converse like shoes.

"Let's go." I kissed him softly before we walked out the door.

————-

I don't know what I expected but this isn't anything I would ever expect.

People hated and loved me? Some would look at me suggestively, kakashi glaring them off, others looked at me with disgust and some... they hugged me and said they missed me.

"That was not what I expected." I said as I sat across from kakashi in a restaurant.

"I thought everyone would be glaring at you." Kakashi said, pulling his book out.

"Eh..." I shrugged. My eyes glazed over his overly relaxed body as a thought came into mind. "You've been in the apartment with me for almost 5 months.. when the fuck was the last time you hung out with your friends?!" I yelled at him. He looked up at me lazily.

"Almost 7 months." He responded.

"You fucking anti-social man." I groaned. "Am I really That important if you're spending literally every second of every day with me?" I sighed, he put his book away, his eyes looking straight into mine.

"You are the most important thing to me. You always will be. No matter what happened to me or you during the time you left." He said. Pink dusted my cheeks as I avoided his eyes.

"You're still supposed to have a life." I mumbled.

"My life is protecting you. I couldn't forgive myself if you got hurt or taken advantage of again." His eyes softened.

"I can take care of myself."

"That's not what happened last time. I know you're strong, you're the most dangerous person in the bingo book but.. everyone needs help sometimes." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Alright you crazy man." I sighed. "But sooner or later, I will make you socialize."

"But you don't."

"I'm different."

"How?"

"I like being alone."

"And you never thought that I like being alone too?"

"Nope, you've been alone too much." He rolled his eyes at me as I picked up the menu.

————-

Kakashi had gone back to the apartment first but I wanted to go buy something.

I quickly walked through the streets, picking up what I needed before I went back.

"Akiara..?" I heard. I turned around seeing Kairi. Her long black hair framed her face, the warmness of her eyes was still as beautiful as ever and she was there, staring at me.

"Hi, long time no see." I smiled, she walked up to me.

"So... I guess your back with Kakashi?" She asked. I was taken aback by her comment. I haven't seen her for years and that's the first thing she says to me?

"Yeah... how have you've been?" I asked.

"Good, I guess." She said. "Sorry, I have to go. Take your time shopping! There's a sale on Onigiri!" She yelled before running away. I furrowed my eyebrows but shrugged going to find that Onigiri.

——————

I held the bag of Onigiri in my hands as I unlocked the door. I heard yelling, I walked in quietly, hiding behind the corner so that kakashi couldn't see me.

"So you just waddled back to her?! Ignoring everything we had?!" I heard. It sounded like Kairi, I peaked out seeing her. My eyes widened.

"We had nothing! I was devastated. I drank everyday and you happened to be a distraction!" I felt tears prick my eyes but I refused to cry.

"You call spending countless hours talking together, being there for you when she wasn't, NOTHING?! Kakashi, wake up! While you were here, back in your depressed state, she was out, having sex with other men, killing other men!" They stopped for a moment. "If she really loved you, why would she leave you? Why would she leave the person that she loved, that loved her?"

"I..I had to.." I said stepping out of my hiding spot. They turned to look at me.

"If I didn't.. I would've hurt more people. I had to leave, for everyone's safety." I whispered. Kakashi stepped closer to me.

"Love, I'm sorry.. please, you know I love you. I didn't mean to—"

"No.. I-I'm Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you that bad.." I said standing there.

"You hurt all of us, Akiara." Kairi said, glaring at me.

"Sorry."

"No, you're not sorry. You left! And you think you can come back after all these years and disrupt the peace we finally achieved?! People moved on from you! You have to accept that, you can't come back expecting everything to be fine and back to normal, it isn't fair to us!" I looked up at her.

"I think... I think you should leave, Kairi." I said, she rolled her eyes.

"Pushing away your problems, like always."

"Leave." I growled, pointing to the door. She obeyed and it left Kakashi and I in awkward silence.

"You.. should go take a shower. It's getting late." I said as I turned to the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Just for a walk.. I'll be back." I closed the door behind me, releasing a breath I had been holding in.

As I released it, a sob escaped.

I covered my mouth and muffled my sobs as tears streamed down my eyes. I ran in the moonlit streets, I ran. I ran to the training grounds.

To that spot I loved.

I slid down the tree as I hugged my knees tightly, my sobs echoed throughout the woods.

I felt my eyes sting as my eyes activated into that sliver.

"No.." I whined, I didn't want to lose control now. I couldn't, I count afford to.

"You'll be fine." I heard. I looked up to see lord third. His old but still incredibly strong body hovering over me.

I stood up immediately, hugging him and crying in his arms.

We didn't speak, I hugged him until my sobs stopped and I had calmed down.

"You'll be alright. You're strong, everyone knows that."

"Thank you."