The tale of Mayumi

Chapter 20: Unspoken Thoughts

The village was bustling with activity as everyone worked tirelessly to rebuild what had been lost. While others had specific duties to attend to, I couldn't sit still. I insisted on doing a bit of everything. With my powers, it was so much easier to help out, moving debris, lifting heavy materials, and even using my telekinesis to speed up some of the more tedious tasks. Plus, it gave me the chance to hang out with everyone, even if it meant I was constantly on the move.

But in the quiet moments, when the work slowed and I had time to think, my mind kept drifting back to the memories I had experienced when I was... well, dead. I couldn't stop wondering what they meant. I told Hikaru almost immediately after I woke up, but I knew deep down that there was nothing he could do to help me piece it all together. I just needed to talk about it, even if it was pointless.

I even asked Shizune if she'd experienced anything similar since she died the same way I did, but she couldn't remember anything. It left me even more frustrated and confused. Who was that man? Why was he so prominent in my memories? And why did I call him "uncle"?

It was hard to keep my mind focused when I felt like I was missing something important.

Sitting alone, taking a break from the work, I lit up a cigarette, letting the smoke swirl around me as I zoned out, lost in my thoughts. The pack of cigarettes floated in front of me, lazily levitating in mid-air as I tried to figure out what all of this meant.

"What's on your mind? You look kinda intense." The familiar voice broke through my concentration. I looked up to see Kakashi sitting comfortably on a tree branch, his ever-present perverted book in hand.

I smiled at him, glad to see him again after what felt like forever. "How long have you been up there?" I teased, blowing out a stream of smoke.

"Long enough to notice that something's bothering you," he replied, jumping down to land next to me.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "But let me guess—you had to finish one important chapter before you came down to talk to me?" I couldn't help but tease him about his book, and I saw the familiar roll of his eye as he shoved the book into his bag.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He didn't miss a beat, his tone serious now.

"About your pervy book?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking. But I could see the slight blush creeping across his face, and it made me laugh.

"I would love to, actually," he said, his voice turning a little more serious. "But you know I clearly meant the thing that's bothering you."

I hesitated. There was something about Kakashi that made it easy to open up, even though I wasn't sure what good it would do. "I can't really explain it... It's probably nothing," I said, looking down at my hands, trying to push away the gnawing feeling in my chest.

"Try me," he urged gently, his expression soft but insistent.

"Well, when that guy 'killed' me, I was kinda stuck in my own head, going through my memories," I began, furrowing my brow as the memories came rushing back.

"You remembered something from your past?" Kakashi asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I think so, but... I kept seeing one man," I said, still unsure about what it all meant. "I think he was helping me with my powers. And I kept calling him 'uncle'."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "A man? Your uncle?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "But everything's weird. I don't even know why I saw him. I asked Shizune if she saw anything or anyone, but she didn't." I crushed the cigarette in my hand, tossing it aside.

Kakashi seemed deep in thought for a moment, then said, "I think I know why."

"What? How?" I looked at him, puzzled.

"Remember? I died too," he said, his tone casual. "But I didn't die immediately like Shizune did. I was dying slowly, because of my Sharingan overuse."

I frowned. "You were dying slowly... so did you see anything?"

"I saw my father," he said, his tone almost nonchalant.

I stared at him, concerned. "You saw your father?"

He nodded. "I actually talked to him for a while." His smile was faint, but there was a sadness in his eyes. "But then I was dragged back."

"Dragged back?" I asked, a realization dawning on me. "With some sort of green light?"

He looked at me, his eyes brightening a little. "Yeah, exactly."

I shot up from where I was sitting, suddenly feeling like a lightbulb had gone off in my head. "Fuck! That must be it! It happened because I wasn't completely dead! My healing powers—my body was fighting it!"

Kakashi stood up, chuckling as I bounced with excitement. "Glad I could help," he said dryly, but there was a warmth in his voice.

I couldn't contain my joy, and before I even realized what I was doing, I was wrapped around him in a tight hug, almost jumping on him. My arms were around his neck, and for a split second, I froze, unsure of whether I had overstepped some boundary. But before I could pull away, I felt Kakashi's arms gently wrap around me.

It felt warm. Safe. Comfortable. For a moment, everything else faded, and it was just the two of us, holding each other. But then, Kakashi slowly pulled back, his hands still on my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. There was something unspoken there—something he wanted to say, but it was like he couldn't find the words.

Just as the moment stretched, I heard Hikaru's voice calling from the distance. "Mayumi! Here you are!"

Kakashi released me almost immediately, almost as though he was pushing me away, and I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what had just happened.

"Hey, Hikaru!" Kakashi called out, trying to play it cool, but I could see the slight shift in his demeanor.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes as he walked up to us. "What's going on here?" he asked, clearly sensing something off.

"Nothing, right, Mayumi?" Kakashi looked at me with a slightly strained smile, his usual calm mask back in place.

"Yeah, we were just talking," I said, trying to cover up the awkwardness.

"Whatever." Hikaru chuckled, clearly not buying it. "Tsunade sent me to bring you to her," he said, turning to me.

"Do you want to come with us? She probably wants to have a drink," I offered, glancing back at Kakashi, hoping he'd say yes.

"No, I'll see you later," Kakashi said, scratching the back of his head. "I have to go meet Guy. We were supposed to meet an hour ago."

"Well, you know where to find us," I said with a smile, still feeling a little odd about the whole situation.

"Let's go, Mayumi. I've got work to do," Hikaru said, wrapping his arm around me and leading me away.

As we walked off, I glanced back over my shoulder. Kakashi was already turning away, his back to us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more there—something he wasn't saying.

"What's up with him?" Hikaru asked, glancing over at me.

I shrugged, pretending I hadn't noticed. "I have no idea," I said, trying to act casual, but the knot in my stomach told me otherwise.