After speaking, Rin didn't dare look at Kakashi. Her heart pounded wildly, as this was essentially another indirect confession of her feelings for him.
Kakashi chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on Rin. He desperately wanted to tell her he liked her too, but remembering how he had rejected her confession just a few days ago, he knew such a sudden change of heart would seem too drastic. *Better to wait,* he thought. *We're still young; there's plenty of time.*
He was only twelve, and Rin was just thirteen.
"I see," Kakashi replied with a gentle smile. "Then I'll keep wearing my mask."
As he spoke, he retrieved his mask and put it back on.
Rin's delicate frame trembled slightly, her heart stirred by his words. Kakashi had clearly understood her meaning and agreed to her request. *Could this mean...?*
Her mind raced with fantasies, yet her heart overflowed with sweetness. Just as she was about to confess her feelings again, the door to the hospital room swung open.
"Kakashi, Rin, are you both alright?"
A sweet voice immediately rang out, and a stunning figure with long red hair appeared before Kakashi and Rin.
"Shimu!"
"Shimu!"
Kakashi and Rin exclaimed in delight upon seeing the newcomer. It was Kushina, their Shimu!
*She's even more beautiful than in the anime! And so much sexier!*
Kakashi couldn't help but admire Kushina's radiant beauty, secretly envying Minato Namikaze's good fortune. Kushina wasn't just beautiful; her figure was absolutely stunning!
Her smooth skin and the shapely, snow-white legs exposed beneath her short skirt were both alluring and tantalizing.
Kakashi quickly averted his gaze, knowing that if he stared any longer, he'd be in serious trouble.
Though Kakashi loved beautiful women, Kushina was Minato Namikaze's wife and the Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki—the target of the mysterious masked man's relentless pursuit. He wouldn't dare entertain any improper thoughts about her.
Still, fantasizing about her in private was harmless enough. Kakashi realized that even the original Kakashi in his memories had indulged in similar fantasies!
He was a classic "tsundere" type, no wonder he became obsessed with Jiraiya's *Make-Out Paradise* in the original story!
"I'm so glad you two are safe," Kushina said, her voice softening. "I never imagined Obito would sacrifice himself on a mission. If I'd known, I would have killed a few more Iwa-nin on the front lines!"
Hearing Kakashi and Rin call her "Shimu" (Teacher's Wife), Kushina couldn't help but smile sweetly. She turned to them, her expression shifting from warm to fierce in an instant as she waved her fist and declared with fiery passion, "I'll make them pay!"
Kakashi couldn't help but sweat nervously.
Though Kushina regretted Obito's death, she didn't feel it deeply. During the Third Shinobi World War, she had witnessed too many comrades fall.
When Kushina mentioned Uchiha Obito, Kakashi and Rin's eyes darkened slightly. Kakashi recalled his resentment at being forced into the Anbu because of his Sharingan, while Rin grieved for Obito's loss.
"Ah! I shouldn't have said that," Kushina scolded herself. "As punishment, Shimu will treat you both to ramen! I heard Ichiraku Ramen just opened a new branch, and it's supposed to be amazing!"
Seeing Kakashi and Rin's reactions, Kushina immediately cursed herself inwardly and smiled warmly at them.
Kushina's sweet smile seemed to have a peculiar infectiousness, instantly lifting Kakashi and Rin's spirits.
"Great! I've been cooped up in the hospital for two days already. It's perfect timing to get discharged!" Rin exclaimed, her face lighting up with a smile.
Hearing this, Kakashi couldn't argue. With a swift movement, he leaped off the hospital bed, his injuries no longer bothering him.
The mention of Ichiraku Ramen perked Kakashi up. He wondered if the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen would taste as good as it did over a decade later.
*Wait, I don't even know what the Ichiraku Ramen Naruto and the others eat in the future tastes like!* Kakashi chuckled inwardly.
At Ichiraku Ramen, Kakashi met the young owner and tasted the ramen for the first time. It was indeed worthy of praise! He devoured three massive bowls before finally stopping.
After finishing, Kakashi bid farewell to Kushina and Rin, heading back to the Hatake Clan's residence, guided by his memories.
Though called the Hatake Clan, it was merely a slightly larger house. Apart from Kakashi, there were no other members left in the Hatake Clan.
Six years after Kakashi's father, Konoha's White Fang, committed suicide, his mother succumbed to illness less than two years later. Now, Kakashi was the sole remaining member of the Hatake Clan.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, staring at the empty mansion. "This place is too big for just one person. What a waste. I need to find a way to get Rin to move in."
Returning home to the desolate house, Kakashi couldn't help but curse softly. The old Kakashi had been accustomed to solitude, but this new version of him found it unbearable.
Remembering that Rin was also the last of her clan, he thought:
"Never mind. If I want to become strong and capable, I need to endure this loneliness for now. I need to convert Kakashi's combat experience into my own and get used to the discomfort the Sharingan brings."
But then he murmured again:
"Tomorrow's the funeral. I'll probably see a lot of familiar faces... but all of them will be from their younger days."
The thought of seeing the younger versions of Konoha's legendary figures at the funeral filled Kakashi with anticipation.
...............
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(End of Chapter)