Kakashi Hatake POV
I barely opened my eyes, a little disoriented about where I was. The last memories I had before blacking out came back to me: Iwa shinobi advancing on me and Rin.
— Am I... dead? — I mumbled softly and looked more clearly at a night sky dotted with dozens of stars covering the vast darkness — Where am I..?
— Looks like you've come to... — I heard a familiar voice beside me and instinctively sat up quickly.
— What?! — I looked at the owner of that voice and saw Minato there, with his usual serene expression — Sensei! How...? — He showed me one of his kunai, identical to the one he'd given me.
— The seal on this kunai acts as a marker when I teleport using my jutsu.
— So... the enemies... — But another question came to mind first — And Rin, she... Where is she? — The blond pointed ahead, and I saw her further away, her eyes turned to the sky.
— Sorry I didn't get there in time, Kakashi... — Minato said, regret clear in his tone — Rin told me everything — I lowered my gaze as the memories of recent events flooded back — How are you feeling, physically at least?
— Better than I thought I would be — I said honestly.
— Amaya will be glad to know her treatment helped — And at that moment I turned my eyes to my sensei.
— What? — I asked quickly, then stumbling over my questions — Amaya...? When...?
— She reached you and Rin before I did — Namikaze explained, looking forward — She and some of the Anbu under her command rescued you and dealt with the Iwa shinobi.
That's when I remembered something I'd missed before passing out: someone's touch supporting me, and the scent of jasmine. So it was Amaya back then..., I thought. She saved us...
— So does she already know about... Obito? — I asked worriedly, and the blond gave a weak nod.
— Seems she understood even before reaching you and Rin — I clenched my hands.
— And where is she now? Did she return to her mission on the battlefield?
— She had already finished her own mission when she rescued you — Minato told me calmly — And considering what happened to our team, she offered her help and her squad's to handle our mission to Kannabi Bridge — I turned my attention to him.
— The Anbu will support us? — I asked, and he agreed.
— Amaya and I agreed it would be better to work together after all the battles we've had — He explained — The six enemy combat fronts fell back due to attacks coordinated by Amaya, while I handled the Stone army on the front lines. But I can't imagine what might be waiting for us tomorrow, especially with only the three of us going to the Bridge — I nodded weakly — Of all of us, it seems Amaya is handling everything that happened today the best — The blond said a moment later, and I lowered my eyes.
— I doubt that... — I said quietly, noticing Minato was watching me — She just hides it better than others — Namikaze smiled slightly.
— Maybe you're right — He looked forward again — She's on watch now. If someone wanted to talk to her, this would be the best time...
I looked at him because of his obvious suggestion to go speak with Amaya. Minato-sensei acted casually and lay back on the grass where we were, closing his eyes as if to rest.
Part of me didn't want to admit I wanted to go find the Uzumaki right then, whether to thank her for her help or to see how the redhead was really handling everything.
The other part told me not to get involved in something that wasn't my business. But then I weakly dismissed that thought. I've held back from acting as I wanted too many times before, and look where I am..., I considered.
I got up quietly and looked around, trying to figure out where Amaya was. And thanks to the sharingan I now carried in my left eye, I could see the nearby chakras and one particularly strong one further away.
It didn't take much to guess who it belonged to.
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As soon as I reached where I felt the extremely strong chakra presence, I noticed a single person lying on the grass and quickly recognized her as the one I was looking for.
I approached the Uzumaki and stopped near her, watching for a moment. She was still wearing her Anbu uniform, except for her mask, which along with her wakizashi rested to her left.
Her breathing was calm and rhythmically slow. Her expression was serene, as if she were truly at peace with everything. And her chakra showed me the same, flowing gently through her body. She seems to be asleep..., I thought.
And one particular detail about her caught my attention: Her long, loose hair. It was like a crimson veil covering the grass. It's the first time in years I've seen her like this..., I mused, momentarily amazed by its length.
— Make yourself comfortable, Kakashi... — Amaya suddenly spoke, and I looked at her, noticing the redhead still had her eyes closed as she talked to me.
— I thought you were asleep — I said, and she smiled faintly.
— Couldn't keep watch if I did, right? — I gave a weak laugh and agreed, though she couldn't see it.
I moved away from Amaya for a moment, and as she suggested, I made myself comfortable there. Like the redhead, I lay on the field, opposite her, on her right side, keeping only my face close to the Uzumaki's.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting out a long sigh. A gentle breeze blew, and the rustling of trees and leaves was the only audible sound.
It was an incredibly calm place that radiated the same feeling.
Now I understood better why the redhead had chosen to stay there: That place was a reflection of herself, so tranquil. It was ideal for not thinking about anything or just escaping your thoughts...
— How are you feeling? — Amaya asked a few moments later, and I tilted my head to the side, seeing she was also looking at me.
— I'm okay — I said honestly — And it seems I owe you thanks for that, as well as for rescuing me and Rin.
— I was lucky to reach you — She said in a lower tone — A second later and I would have lost both of you too... — The redhead let her own words fade almost inaudibly by the end.
— And how are you? — I asked.
— Better than I could expect — She said calmly and raised her arms, showing them — My injuries are healed, and I've almost regained all the chakra I used. I'd say I'm ready for another day.
Just like Minato-sensei said..., I thought. Hearing her talk like that, it even seems like she's handling everything well. But...
— I know I'm terrible at understanding others and things like that, but I know you're not okay with everything that happened — I said to the redhead in a more serious tone — Because it must hurt almost as much as it hurts me. You don't have to keep it inside.
Amaya's gaze was fixed directly on mine, and she showed no expression. She didn't hint that she would argue or even allow herself to break down. She just... was holding everything in.
— If I can't handle it... — She spoke a few moments later, her tone more serious than before, a sign she was holding back — How will I manage to continue tomorrow? How will I deal with the pain while having to give myself fully to the other lives in my hands, knowing I could lose them with the slightest mistake?
And there it was.
That was the Amaya I knew. The one who always put others before herself, worried about everyone, and left herself for last.
— I don't know... — I told her honestly — I won't try to tell you I do, because I myself have no idea how I'll manage to return to the battlefield tomorrow after everything — I looked at her — But one thing I know for sure: If you keep holding this pain in, it'll only get worse, and the fear might lead you to make a rash decision, choosing a path you don't want...
Maybe to anyone else that wouldn't make much sense, but Amaya would understand. I was talking about myself, about the pain I held onto after my father's death and the fear of following his footsteps, which almost made me lose my two friends and teammates though I really did lose one.
And precisely because I knew the redhead, I knew she would understand that whole situation. Her surprised expression afterward only confirmed it, and when she turned her face away, clearly still trying to hold back from breaking down.
— Let it out — I said softly and stroked her hair — It'll pass. Maybe not now, not instantly, maybe it'll take days, months, or even a year, but... It'll pass.
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I had no idea how long I'd been there with Amaya, just watching the sky and letting my mind wander freely. The redhead had managed to hold back in the first few minutes to keep me from hearing her cry, but when I started playing with her hair, showing her she didn't have to hold back, she allowed herself to grieve.
I shared the same pain over Obito's death, but I knew for Amaya it was even more painful. Unlike me, the redhead had always kept the Uchiha close and never acted indifferent toward him.
And, maybe it was just a random thought, but she might also have blamed herself for not being able to do anything to prevent this from happening, like in the lab where she was raised.
What kept her alive in that hellish place was her desire to save the other children, and then she had to watch them die, one after another, unable to do anything.
I knew how much that had marked the Uzumaki it was a wound that, though scarred, could reopen and consume Amaya with guilt.
And I knew firsthand what guilt could do to a person trying to bear everything alone. I didn't want to see Amaya walk the same path my father once took.
That's why I was there, even if just to stay silent beside her. At least that way, in my view, I could show she had someone who understood what she was going through.
I looked away from the starry sky and turned to the figure with predominantly red hair beside me, seeing her watching me, her eyes fixed on my left eye. For the first time observing her up close like this, I could, in a way, easily "read" what she wanted at that moment.
— Go ahead — I said, and the redhead seemed to pause her thoughts to really look at me.
— How did you...? — I gave a weak laugh.
— "The eyes always tell the truth" — I recited a phrase from some book I'd read long ago — Yours are practically shouting right now what you want to do — She gave a weak laugh.
— Talking like that, it almost seems like you can understand everyone around you — I shrugged slightly.
— Maybe you just never noticed this skill of mine — She rolled her eyes and smiled weakly.
— Conceited... — I laughed softly.
The Uzumaki brought her hand close to me and stopped before touching, looking at me again as if asking for permission once more. I nodded weakly, and she gently touched the scar now marking my skin over my left eye.
— Does it still hurt? — She asked quietly.
— No... — I replied in the same tone.
A faint tingling touched my skin under her fingers. It was a pleasant feeling, given how gently the redhead did it. And with how close our faces were, the scent coming from Amaya's hair became easier to notice.
— Jasmine... — I commented, and Amaya paused for a moment, looking at me — It was you who supported me back then, when Rin and I were about to be attacked. How did you do that?
— Your tantō... My seal is still engraved on the hilt of the White Light Chakra Sabre. I knew you wouldn't be without it, since it's a relic of your clan.
After my father's death, the redhead was one of the few people who truly understood me and noticed I didn't want to talk about him. So she never spoke about him with me again, respecting my space.
— And also because it was otousan's — I said, and Amaya looked at me in surprise — I learned something important, something I should have realized much earlier — I said calmly — Taking a punch from Obito helped me see it.
— What? — The Uzumaki asked quickly — Obito... hit you? — I gave a weak laugh and nodded.
— Quite a punch from that scaredy-cat Uchiha — The redhead kept a surprised expression for a few moments but soon allowed herself to laugh like me — But he wasn't the only one who helped me... — I said a moment later, and she looked at me again.
— Who else was it? — I had to hold back from laughing or even rolling my eyes.
How can she be so smart but not understand something simple like this? I wondered. Well, it's exactly her we're talking about...
— It was you, Amaya — She looked at me without understanding — You, better than anyone, understand what I've heard from the villagers about the choices my father made. I changed because of that and became someone... unbearable, most of the time — I admitted — I wanted to avoid repeating what otousan did at all costs and thought if I pushed everyone away, I could avoid letting my emotions—wanting to protect my friends—consume me in a decisive moment — I gave a weak, humorless laugh — And maybe it would have worked, if only I'd managed to push you away — I pulled the chain inside my shirt and let the white tomoe pendant hang between us — Unlike me, you never stopped following what you thought was right and always showed me that your comrades' lives were more important than a mission's objective. Always giving your all for others, even when they don't deserve it or it's more than you can handle alone — I offered a faint smile — You have a gift for changing people. You changed me and have always been doing it with everyone since you came to the village, always being that strange girl...
Only when I stopped talking did I look at Amaya, and for a moment I was confused: She was smiling. And only then did I realize everything I'd said to her without restraint.
Although Amaya and I were used to talking about practically everything, we'd never acted like that at least not on my part, opening up to her about how I really felt.
— I-I... I didn't mean to... — I said quickly, feeling my cheeks heat up — Pretend you didn't hear that! — The Uzumaki bit her lip, holding back a laugh, and nodded weakly.
I looked away, trying to push that awkward moment from my mind so I wouldn't get—even more—flushed than I probably already was.
— About what I didn't hear... — Amaya spoke a few moments later, and I glanced at her sideways — You weren't the only one who had some help today — She brought her hand to the pendant on her choker, the other half of the symbol I held — After rescuing you and Rin from the Stone shinobi, the Anbu and I fought them. Only one enemy was left, and the man surrendered — I turned my face toward her, curious about what she was telling — Anyone could see how terrified he was of me. And I was going to kill him — She paused for a moment — I hadn't thought twice about making him pay for what his comrades had done to you, Rin, and Obito... — The redhead let out a soft sigh — I hadn't cared if he was at a disadvantage, unarmed, or harmless, I just... was so angry.
— And did you kill him? — I asked apprehensively; after all, I'd already experienced firsthand what it was like to be attacked by Amaya when she fought blindly in combat.
Okay, that time I got between her and the weasel guy when they were trying to reawaken her sharingan, and she was driven by her memories from the lab..., I recalled. But even so, Amaya became a different person when she fights like that, and thinking of her angry... I shuddered slightly. I don't even want to imagine.
— No — She smiled weakly — I was going to, but when I saw myself in the blade's reflection... — The redhead touched the choker pendant — It was all I needed to remember something important.
— And what was it? — She looked at me.
— I already said I'll only tell you that when you receive your jonin promotion gift.
— Ah, come on! Just tell me now! — I complained, and the Uzumaki laughed.
— No — She said decisively and sat up — Now, let's get you ready for tomorrow morning and our mission at Kannabi Bridge — I looked at her, not understanding — I'm going to help you learn the basics of using the sharingan — I smiled faintly.
— Just because you became a captain, you think you can boss me around, weirdo? — The redhead smiled.
— Well, it's either that or I'll have to save you forever, don't you think, baka? — And this time, we both ended up laughing.
(The next day, the war would finally head toward its definitive end. In the years that had passed, many nameless ninjas sacrificed their lives for peace. And it arrived at the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. In that moment, three heroes were born in Konoha, each with their own sharingan: One had his name engraved on the Memorial Stone, another came to be known as "Kakashi of the Sharingan," and an Anbu dubbed on the field as the "Crimson Demon" for her red hair and crimson eyes. Over time, tales of the latter two's bravery spread across the borders and would only grow in the years to come...)