Prologue
Kakashi Hatake woke with a strained gasp, sweat slicking his skin. The familiar chill of a nightmare clung to him, its icy tendrils wrapping around his heart and mind, as if they were squeezing him tightly. He was back in the same spot, the air thick with tension and restraint - and death. The image of Rin Nohara, her wide, terrified eyes staring up at him, was imprinted into his memory. He saw his hand, dripping with her blood. He could almost feel the weight of it again, the sickening thud as it found its mark.
The nightmare always played out the same. The desperate struggle, Rin's silent restrained whisper. Kakashi felt the familiar pang of guilt, a wound that any amount of time hadn't healed. He’s never forgotten about it, but lately her absence had bothered him, for no apparent reason.
He knew logically it wasn't his fault, that he'd been forced to witness her coming into the way of his chidori. But logic was cold comfort against the raw, visceral horror of the memory. The silent frightened look in Rin's eyes – it haunted him even in his waking hours, a constant reminder of the burden he carried. His hand instinctively went to the mask, a familiar gesture of self-protection.
He sat up, the cold morning air doing little to ease the burning shame. He knew he would never truly escape this nightmare, this memory. It was a part of him, a scar etched deep into his soul. Another day had dawned, another day he would have to live with the ghosts of his past. The sun rose, but the shadows and Rin’s dying eyes, remained.