Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Love Long Forgotten (KakashixOC) ❯ Trust ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

RECAP…

(Chiori's Point of View)

I gripped his hand tighter

He knows everything… Soon I will too. Finally, I'm getting my life back.

“Your full name is Sato Chiori, and the last time I saw you, you were 13… making you about 21 right now.”

My name is Sato Chiori, and I'm 21 years old… check.

“And you?? What about you??”

Eye curving into a smile, he replied.

“My full name is Hatake Kakashi. I was 18 when you left, making me 26, 5 years older than you… and the last time I saw you, you gave me a kiss and I fell in love with you…”

Hatake Kakashi… 26…check.

Kissed… fell in love… che-… WHAT?!

I stared at him wide eyed as he leaned in and gave me a cloth covered kiss on my lips, his hair tickling my forehead as he did.

Pulling back, Kakashi stared into my eyes with a smile evident under his mask.

“Anymore questions?”

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Chapter 9: Trust

(Kakashi's Point of View)

I should let her know how much my feelings changed that night she left.

If only I knew how she felt about me before… I wonder if she'll ever remember.

I leaned in to give her a slight kiss on her lips, my mask still in place.

I'll show her my face when I'm ready; when she's ready.

I found myself smiling as I saw the look of utter surprise and embarrassment in her bright violet eyes. She was more beautiful than before, with her long, damp hair falling over her shoulders, some strands escaping over her eyes, her face a clean, light tone with a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. Even in my baggy clothes she looked perfect.

(Chiori's Point of View)

D-did… did he just kiss me?!

“So, you got any more questions? Oh, right you wanted to know when your birthday is. Well, if I remember correctly, it was-”

“Hey! Y-you… you just… k-k-k-kissed… I mean… well don't just change the subject and act like nothing happened!” I stammered, feeling my face flush.

“What, you wanna talk about it? It was nothing, Chi-chan. I just slipped and my face just happened to fall on your lips. That's all. You can call it a kiss if you want.” Kakashi said in a mischievous tone, brushing the situation off as if it never happened, pushing himself up onto his feet.

He began unbuttoning his green, padded vest, removing it from his shoulders and tossing it on the floor next to the bed.

“W-what are you doing…?? Why are you taking off your clothes?? W-why-” I stared at him, slowly beginning to back up against the wall.

He was swearing all dark navy now without the vest, but it seemed black in the dim room. Black forehead protector, black mask, black turtleneck, black gloves, black pants, black sandals, which made his silver hair stand out even more from all the dark colors… he looked like some kind of real stealth-ninja…

“Ma… ma, Chi-chan” he said calmly, chuckling. “I'm just getting comfortable, not stripping down to my underwear.” His eye curved into a smile as he resumed his sitting position beside me, noticing my discomfort change into relief.

There was silence… and for me it was unbearable.

Whatever… he can make excuses if he wants. He's just a stupid pervert… Kakashi baka…

Even though I was still a bit uncomfortable about Kakashi surprising me like he did… I still did want to know more…

“Ano, Kakashi…?” I said, now sitting legs folded under me, my hands gripping my knees.

“Mm?”

“Uhm… can you tell me more. I mean, I want to know more about what kind of person I was back then. I want to know more about myself…”

“Ah. I'll tell you as much as I can.” He said calmly, as he began to talk about my childhood and what kind of kid I was…

You're going to find it all out… I thought, a shiver running down my spine

This may be the most important conversation of your life…

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Few hours pass… 1 A.M.

(Chiori's Point of View)

“… and you used to… *chuckle*…

…you were so… and then…

…I remember I always told you… and…

…it was fun that time when…

…and then… and then…and then…”

My eyelids feel like they weigh a ton… or maybe even two…

Oh no, I'm falling asleep…

*head droop*

“and you always- …Chiori-chan?”

“Wah? Oh, I'm awake. I'm listening. Keep goin'…”

I struggled to keep my eyes open; my eye-lids fluttering open and shut every now and then.

Kakashi slid towards me so that we were both shoulder to shoulder.

“Sleep. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow, don't worry.” He said, smiling softly through his eye.

“No… no, I'm fine. Keep going, it's just getting… interesting…keep going, Kakashi…”

“…”

“…keep… goin…”

Dammit… I'm too tired…

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(Kakashi's Point of View)

I stopped talking as I realized it was already 1 in the morning. She should be pretty tired, it being so late. I shouldn't flood her mind with too many memories in one day, anyway.

Looking over, I saw her head droop and jerk back up, only to have it droop again.

I let out a small laugh as I saw her struggling to keep her eyes open, her long straight hair beginning to fall over her face.

Hearing her mutter a few excuses, I ignored her and shifted myself to her side, supporting her body from tipping over from sleep.

“Sleep. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow, don't worry.”

After muttering a few more excuses, I felt her head gently rest itself in the groove of my shoulder.

Finally

Waiting a few minutes, enough so that she would be in a deep sleep, I quickly and gently lifted her body up, one hand under knees and the other around her shoulders.

“Ugh…” I groaned, shifting my arms to keep a hold on Chiori's body.

“Damn, girl. You're heavier than you look…” I said annoyed, but I couldn't help but laugh.

She looked so thin, yet she felt like she weighed as much as a pile of bricks!

I walked over to the bed on the other side of the room.

While trying to maneuver my leg to move the ruffled bed sheets aside, I felt Chiori move and grab my shirt and burrow her head into my chest.

Sighing comfortably in her sleep, I felt her warm, steady breathing against me.

Finally pushing the sheets to the side of the bed, I gently lowered her body onto the bed, resting her head on my pillow.

“Hm… I kicked myself out of my own bed.” I said, pulling the covers over Chiori. Feeling the cold air drift throughout the room through the slightly opened window, I shut it. Spring was just about to end, making way for the hot summer; but cold drafts always managed to drift in during the night.

Picking up my jounin vest while walking over to turn off the lamp, I tossed my sandals on the floor while removing my gloves and head protector, placing them on the bedside table.

I reached up for my mask and pulled it down to my neck, letting it rest on the collarbone of my chest. Reaching a hand up, I ran my hand down my cheek to my jawline, rubbing it to get the feeling of something other than cloth on my face.

It's dark; she won't be able to see me… I'll just get up earlier than her.

I laid down on the hardwood floor beside the bed and folded my jounin vest under my head to use as a pillow.

Folding my arms behind my head, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep.

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(Chiori's Point of View)

*DREAM*

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I woke up to the sound of sobs in the night…

How utterly painful and anguished those sobs sounded to me, that I awoke due to the fear I had of ghosts.

The sobs sounded like those of a sorrowful ghost.

I crept downstairs and shivered as my bare feet touched the cold, wooden floors.

Everything seemed to be within a blue tint, as I looked out the window.

It had been raining ever since my father left with the tall, white-haired ninja.

As I creaked open the door to my parents room, I realized that the sobs were coming from my mother, crouched in a fetus position in bed, rocking back and forth.

“Okaa-san…? What's the matter? Okaa-san…? What is it?” I whispered, frightened by my mother's loud, shriek like sobs.

Her usually neat, beautiful long straight black hair was sprawled all around her as she was wrapped in pure white bed sheets.

“Okaa-san… Okaa-san… Okaa-san! What's wrong?! You're scaring me!” I screamed, fear obvious in my trembling voice.

Suddenly, my mother abruptly stopped shrieking. She slowly unraveled herself from the bedsheets and crawled out of bed.

Walking straight past me, I saw her holding a crumpled letter in her trembling hand.

“Anata…my love… I'm coming to you.” She whispered softly as she walked out of the room and outside in her white night gown.

“Okaa-san? Where are you going?” I asked, frightened.

“Don't worry Chiori, mommy is just going to be with daddy. Soon…” she said as she walked outside into the rain.

I couldn't stop her. It was as if she was in a trance. I tried to pull and tug at her gown, but she simply shoved me off into the mud. Tears mixed with rain ran down my face as I continued to tug and pull, but it was no use.

Suddenly, my mother stopped at the edge of a very high cliff, overlooking the ocean.

Wind blew at us, and I became frightened as I thought the strong wind would push my mother off the cliff.

I still remember me screaming as my mother looked back at me once more with her intense violet eyes and her long black hair streaming in the wind and rain… before she leaped off the steep cliff to her death.

… suicide…

I stood, eyes wide open, rain hitting my face like needles.

Suddenly, I felt a something brush against my bare feet. A letter; the one my mother was holding. I fell to my knees as it read that my father was killed in action.

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*END DREAM*

No… what is this…

No… this isn't real… wake up

Wake up… WAKE UP!

I forced myself out of the nightmare and jerked up straight, grabbing the bed sheets that covered me.

Panting heavily, I pulled the bed sheets closer to my chest as I tried to focus.

I was covered in sweat, and my hands and feet felt as if they were as cold as ice.

Eyes still wide open, I finally remembered where I was.

“What… what was that dream…?” I muttered to myself, wiping the sweat from my cold forehead, trying to calm down and brace myself.

It was all too real…

Suddenly, I thought I saw shadows moving in the corner of the room that reflected the moonlight from the window and started to feel fear creeping into my mind.

No…no you're hallucinating…

To stop me from scaring myself, I burrowed my face into the sweat covered bed sheets and closed my eyes, only to have images of the nightmare flash before me.

The woman who looked exactly like me standing over the cliff…

Rain pouring down as her long dark hair streamed in the wet wind as she threw herself over…

The screaming…

“Iiyaa!” I screamed, hands over my head as I quickly pushed the covers off of me and struggled to get off of the bed.

I have to get out of here!

Finally untangling myself, I flung my legs over the side of the bed and pushed myself off.

“Oof!”

Suddenly, before I knew it, I heard a grunt from below as I felt myself stumble over something on the floor.

Landing painfully on my side onto the cold wooden floor, I cautiously looked up and pushed my hair over my eyes to see what it was that I had tripped on.

Who's there…?

“Ite-te-te…” sounded a familiar voice.

Suddenly, I felt relief rush through my cold body.

“Kakashi…” I sighed, as I sat on the floor beside his figure in the dark.

Oh my God, you don't know how glad I am to hear your voice…

I saw his dark figure slowly reaching up to the bedside lamp and flicking it on, filling the small room with dim a light… and then I froze.

There stood a tall man with silver hair… but it definitely didn't seem like Kakashi…

You're not Kakashi… who… who are you?

Realizing I was staring into the face of a man I had never seen before, fear began to fill my mind as I started to scramble backwards into the corner.

“Chi-”

Before the stranger could say anything, I felt a scream coming on.

You…you're the silver-haired man from my dream…

The one who took my father away… the silver-haired ninja from that night…

But before I could let a scream, I heard a crash, like something had fallen and broken on the floor, and the room suddenly became pitch black again.

Pushing back into the wall, my eyes closed shut, I suddenly felt a heavy hand close tightly over my mouth, pushing back my oncoming scream, and another hand grip my shoulder tightly.

Fear paralyzing me, I couldn't get myself to open my eyes. All I was capable of doing at the moment was tremble under the dark figure looming above me and think of every possible horrible thing that could happen to me…

No… this is the end… this guy's the guy from my dream… he's gonna kill me or something! Oh my God …please don't hurt me, please don't hurt m-

Then a voice interrupted my thoughts…

“Chiori- It's only me, Kakashi! It's me, it's only me!” replied the familiar voice, as I felt the grip on my shoulder loosen and the hand around my mouth lower.

“K-kakashi?” I squeaked in a feebly.

“Yea, don't worry. It's just me…” Kakashi replied sternly.

I felt relief rush through my body again as I felt hot tears begin to stroll down my face.

I didn't know why I was crying, but no matter, I couldn't help it. Tears rapidly began flowing out my tightly closed eyes

Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe it was relief.

Maybe, it was him.

“Kakashi!! Why the hell would you scare me like that!!?” I screamed, still crying, as I pushed myself up and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, burrowing my face into his shirt that was getting soaked with my tears.

I could feel that he was shocked at how I reacted to seeing him, as he reached up a hand and placed it on top of my head, letting my hair run through his fingers.

“Gomen, Chiori. I didn't mean to scare you like that… I forgot that I still had my mask off. You're just not used to seeing me without it… gomen.”

I didn't scream because I thought you were a stranger… I screamed because you look like the man in my nightmare… the silver-haired man that took my father away that night…

“Iiyah… I-I… I just had a nightmare… and I guess you kinda freaked me out.” I lied, not wanting to make the situation more complicating.

Grabbing my shoulders and gently pulling me away from him, Kakashi looked at me with what seemed like a concerned expression. It was still too dark to see his face, but I could see his eyebrows furrow over his eyes.

“A nightmare? Was it one of those memory dreams? Do you remember anything at all? What happened?” he asked, curiosity in his voice.

“I…uhm…”

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt Kakashi place a hand on my forehead.

“You're ice cold, and you're sweating all over.” He said, his voice full of concern as he touched my shirt and felt that it was damp with my cold sweat.

“We gotta get you out of these wet clothes.”

Kakashi then pulled off his black shirt and handed it to me as he rose and walked over to the other side of the room and faced the wall.

“Change, or you'll catch a cold.”

I did as he instructed, pulling off my damp shirt and pulling his over my head.

It smells just like him…

I rose, walking over to the bed and pulling away the sweaty sheets, I draped them over the chair beside Kakashi and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Pulling my legs up, I rested my chin on my knees and heaved a sigh.

I should ask him… he probably knows what happened, and if what I dreamt is really true…

“Kakashi… you never told me about my parents, did you?”

Kakashi turned and leaned his bare back against the wall.

“… I think I had a dream… a flashback about what may have happened to them. Tell me, what happened to them. I want to know the truth.” I said, looking straight at his figure leaned against the wall.

“They-”

“-committed suicide…?” I finished for him, my voice quivering.

“Only your mother, after she found out that your father was killed in battle. He was a well-known ninja, Sato Junichiro. A man to be respected…” he replied sadly. “I'm sorry… I didn't want to bring it up before. I felt that it would be too early to tell you about it… gomen.”

“… oh.” shocked, I turned my gaze to the floor, realizing the unnerving situation I was currently in.

My mother committed suicide because my father left her forever…through death.

Yet, she still had me…why did she do it if she still had me?

Now I'll never get to meet her… or my father.

I'm alone… I have no family…

“Chiori… I-”

Realizing his attempt to comfort me, I stopped him.

I don't want to hear it… you wouldn't understand…

“It's okay… I-I think I'll…just go back to sleep.”

“… mm.” Kakashi sounded in approval, not wanting to drag on the topic.

I moved over to the corner of the bed, and laid down resting my head on the pillow, facing the wall.

I'm alone… I have no family…

Silence echoed in the dark room.

Grabbing the pillow tightly, I felt tears begin to stream down my face again as my chest jerked up and down from my quiet sobs.

If my mother loved me… she wouldn't have left me alone…

Didn't she care enough to stay with me and go through the pain of losing dad together?

What kind of mother… what kind of parent…

Suddenly, I heard Kakashi break the silence of my thoughts and clear his throat.

“Chiori… I know this is hard, but listen to me. This is a tough thing to go through, but this is actually the second time I've been through this with you. I was there when you were hurting the first time, and I know what you were thinking back then, and what you're probably thinking right now. Chiori… I know you're both sad and angry about the path that your mother chose to take…”

I gripped my pillow harder, burrowing my tear covered face deeper into the pillow.

“… but you mustn't be angry. Things happen for a reason, and even though you may never know why your mother decided to leave you in this world to tough it out alone, you do know that you wouldn't be the person you are now if something like that hadn't happened…”

The person I am now…

“… Even though you're not sure about who you are right at the moment, I promise we'll figure it out together. You have definitely become stronger, and hardships are what give people strength and endurance… Without the pain of the past, you probably wouldn't be able to tough it out like you've been doing so far. So, all I want to say is… that I'm proud of you… and that I'll always be here when you need me. I won't let you alone.”

Of all he had said, those last few words echoed in my mind the most.

“I won't let you alone…”

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I immediately felt a feeling of hope and relief.

“Thanks… ”

“Ah.” He replied in understanding.

I guess… the only family I really have right now is you, Kakashi. So, no matter what, you had better not leave me… I wouldn't know what to do without you.

You're the most important person in my life right now… the only person.

I heard him shift on the floor beside the bed, and I realized how uncomfortable he must be. First I took his bed, now I took his shirt…

Hesitating… I mustered enough courage to ask.

“Ano… Kakashi?”

“Hmm?” he replied lazily.

“… I'm sorry I kicked you out of your bed.”

“Iie… I don't mind.”

“…and, I'm sorry I took your shirt.”

“Iie…it's okay. I usually sleep without one anyway.”

Gulping, I slightly turned my head to the side.

“Ano… I'll let you sleep up here if you want. There's a lot of room… and uh… I could just, put some pillows between us. I mean… since you're probably uncomfortable down there on the floor and all…”

Suddenly I felt movement beside me.

Turning my face fully around to my side, I saw Kakashi already lying down beside me, one arm around my shoulder, the other folded behind his head.

“Ah! W-when did you… how did…?!” I stuttered, bewildered by his crude attitude.

“Nani? I said I wouldn't leave you alone, didn't I?” he said in his usual cheerful tone, giving me a smile.

“… I guess. But you don't have to come so close…” I replied, turning to face him.

“Well, you don't seem to mind.” Kakashi said, his eyes softening.

I started to open my mouth in protest, but hesitated and closed it. It was true… I didn't mind.

I don't mind…As long as you're with me, I won't mind.

Not saying anything, I felt his arm wrap closer around me as he used it to gently roll my head onto his shoulder.

Unexpectedly, I felt an unusual comfort as I rested my head on him. A feeling I've never felt before… a feeling of warmth, security, and relief.

Smiling, I gently turned my head to Kakashi's face, my eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness, as I scanned his features.

Blinking in wonder, I stared.

Handsome…

His nose was high-bridged and perfectly straight, his cheekbones perfectly complementing his strong jawline and nicely narrow face shape. My eyes traveled down to his slightly parted lips, through which he was breathing steadily.

Without realizing, I felt my face turn hot and blush.

What am I doing… I'm staring at him… I thought, quickly turning away.

But he is very handsome…

Gently smiling, I leaned in closer and rested my hand on his chest, feeling it gently rise up and down simultaneously to his steady breathing.

“Oyasuminasai…”

Slowly, I felt myself drifting off to sleep, and into a pleasant dream…something that seemed like a memory of my past…

*DREAM*

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…I was comfortably tucked between Kakashi's arm and chest, both of us on the tree branch, talking now and then about our lives now and our futures.

Even though there were several moments of silence between us, it was never awkward… being with Kakashi had never been awkward.

I felt as if I could lie there with him forever…

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Hey~ Sorry I didn't update for a while. As soon as I finished physical therapy, I didn't really feel like writing and thinking up new stuff. Sorry~ ;]

Well, hope you guys liked this chapter~ I really appreciate you guys reading!

Until next time…

jah-ne~ =]