Nightfall

02. Dawn  [time skip]

"I'm afraid." Kimaru's eyes blank, he chooses to avoid the faces that will vanish one day. He's scared. He wants to leave and pretend that Konoha isn't going to send its children out to the battle field. He wants to pretend, but Kimaru can tell everything is excelating. He feels fortunate, so fortunate enough already that he lives in Konoha.

The irony. That the safest he'll ever feel is in the very place that's going to put him to death.

"Kimaru-san, you mustn't say such things. What if other clans hear and misinterpret what you mean?"

He nods, thoughts waning. The Uchiha are pleased. Only a couple months have passed since he joined the academy and today, he's been promoted to the graduating class.

He had another vision that night.

Lighting.

Lighting.

There's a scream.

Why is Kakashi just standing there? Enemies are approaching.

Kimaru can see clearly now why Kakashi isn't moving. His arm is lodged into someone. A killing blow. Odd...the hitai-ate the person wears is from Konoha. Then why is Kakashi-

Kimaru turns away. They look so young.

Before everything fades, he sees Obito. He's slaughtering all the shinobi around him to reach someone. He's calling out a name. He's crying.

'Rin.'

. . . .

"So, you're here too?"

Kimaru peers up, and quirks his lips a little as if trying to smile. He replies, settling down in a seat, "Yes, Hatake-san."

The two of them are the youngest within the whole class. Other academy students are attempting to hide their curious gazes that won't leave them alone. He lets them giggle and whisper. He tries to stick with Kakashi the whole lesson.

It's target practice day, and he's left with the older students that try to belittle him every second of the way. Yet, he outperforms all of them. Hitting each dead-center with the variety of kunai and shuriken that's handed to him. He shrugs off their mocking tones that were silenced upon each throw, and walks away to see how Kakashi is doing.

Kakashi aced it the same way, everything landing perfectly.

He doesn't see Obito during lunch. They normally sit together, with Obito doing all the talking and Kimaru doing all the listening. It's probably since they're in different classes now. He crouches under a tree, and lays out his packed lunch. He eats silently and waits, just waits until it's all over.

He is sitting pretty far away from where the students normally gather, but the instructors don't seem to mind as long as he doesn't do anything out of place. There's a figure approaching in a slow trudge. It doesn't appear to be any of the older boys or girls in the class, surprisingly. It's Kakashi.

He forces Kimaru to scoot over a little, making room for his own meal which consists of fish and rice.

Kakashi doesn't say anything at first. He doesn't need to in Kimaru's opinion, it's already enough that he even chose to sit next to him.

"It's depressing, you know? To see the only other person my age sit at the furthest corner, squatting near a tree," Kakashi mumbles, taking a bite of rice.

Kimaru keeps quiet and nods as a thanks. He waits until the Hatake is almost finished with his food, before opening one of his containers and holding out a stick of dango.

"Here," Kimaru spoke softly.

"Tsk," Kakashi grabs it, and Kimaru politely faces away to stare at the ground. For the split second he does, there is nothing left aside from a bare stick and the movement of chewing, or what appeared to be chewing. Kakashi and his mask.

Kimaru continues to stare at the ground. He can't bear to look up, because every time he does, all he sees is an overlapping version of Kakashi's mortified face. He flinches when he hears wind pick up, and birds that chirp.

It reminds him of lightning.

. . . .

Kakashi isn't exactly sure when he first noticed it, but he was spending more and more time around Uchiha Kimaru. Almost as if the latter was able to worm his way into Kakashi's schedule.

He'd pop up at the most random times, like when he was trying to buy groceries, or just when he was doing morning katas, or that one other time where he found the Uchiha standing in front of his compound, waiting for him so they could walk together to the academy.

It has come to the point where he's sort of freaked.

So when his father finally comes home from a month-long mission, he chooses a night where he seems to have relaxed enough from seemingly overexerting himself.

They both sit at the table, eating. He takes the chance.

"Otou-san, can I ask you something?"

Sakumo perks up automatically. His son is not one to ask for help often. When he does, it either comes from a place of worry, or...

He sighs, gently laying his hand on Kakashi's head, "Of course, Kakashi. Anything you need, I'm here for you."

The older of the two Hatake, hears a small mumble back, "There's been a chakra signature following me for these past weeks."

Sakumo's eyes widened. "When did this start? Around the academy time?"

It couldn't be Anbu, right? They were never that blatant about their whereabouts. Even for possible new recruits. His son is still too young, not even out of the academy, not even a genin.

"No, no. It's not that. I know who it is. They're not exactly trying to hide that they follow me. It's a classmate of mine." Kakashi rolls his eyes at the thought.

Kakashi continues on, "He's been trailing me for some time, since I started eating lunch together with him. He tries to play off his appearances as a coincidence, but he's way too oblivious if he thinks that he can out-sense me."

He chews, "He'll come around, and stay quiet, yet follow me around like he's lost. I mean I'm not complaining. I've gotten at least a mountain of free dango from him the past couple of days. If he wants to say something though, he might as well come out and say it."

Sakumo sags in relief. "Kakashi, I think what he wants is to be your friend."

"Is being a friend having like a second shadow around you all day, because heck, if it is. I don't really want one."

"Comrades are important. Friends, even more so. I think you should give him a chance. I actually haven't seen you so riled up since Obito," Sakumo chuckles.

Kakashi aims a glare at his father.

"Now, now. Don't get like that with me. You are the one who decided to eat lunch with him," Sakumo smiles even wider, "Didn't you say that this all started with that? I didn't know my son was so sociable."

"I only did that, since he was the only other person there my age. He looks like he's gonna sulk the very moment I don't keep an eye on him!" Kakashi grumbles a bit.

Sakumo's little teasing gets cut off. "Kakashi? Your age? You're in the graduating class, the only person I can think about that's also the same age is..."

"Uchiha Kimaru," they both say in unison.

"Yeah, that's him," Kakashi mutters before going back to his dinner. They don't say anything else related, for the rest of the night. 

. . . .

Kimaru stares at the ceiling. It's quiet as he has just woken up. The sun is beginning to rise, and the Uchiha compound is already rustling with quiet footsteps. He gets ready, murmurs a goodbye and leaves.

It's the next day, and the next day, and the next day. He feels like he's stuck in a loop. Like he can't escape, but it's only the start of it all. The academy isn't bad. He lets the others talk over him, brag in his face, and glare. They can say all they want about the stuck-up Uchiha and the 'stick up their asses'. Their comments aren't entirely otherworldly. He's heard them plenty of times.

Today though, he decides to wait outside the Hatake compound. Kimaru hasn't told anyone of this, with the possibility of the Uchiha clan wanting to bring Kakashi into the whole political mixup, or use him as a measuring stick for Kimaru's growth.

He wants to have enough, to defy the clan and do what he wants. He sees what the clan does, and allows it, cause in the end, what can he really do?

For once he understands greatly, and is sort of glad he isn't in Itachi's position.

...who is Itachi again?

He hadn't wanted to forget, so he tried to sketch. The images are only from dreams so the sharingan can only do so much, but that's what the drawing is for, he's going to have to preserve the memories some way or the other.

His mother sings praises to him when she sees the sketch book. He starts to hide it of course. No need for anyone else to see the pictures in there. The more that is flipped through, the more concern would be shown if anyone saw.

It's not Kimaru's fault he can't control which memories he wants to see and which he doesn't. He'd rather have that but can't. There are many battles, wars, and deaths. He has yet to see his own.

It is not Kakashi that comes out to greet Kimaru, but his father. The only reason he remembers Sakumo is that he appeared in a memory. The Hatake was getting heavily shamed upon. For what? He doesn't know.

Kimaru bows politely, and asks for Kakashi.

Sakumo just smiles a little, and says that his son will be out soon. Kimaru notices that Sakumo is wearing his gear, jounin vest, and all. A very beautiful blade hung from his shoulder as well. Beautiful indeed.

Kimaru's eyes blank, and he sees an overlapping image of Sakumo on the floor, with a blade through his stomach. He hears lightning, thunder in the background. Kimaru is coming to hate lightning.

(He'll find out soon enough that his main chakra affinity is lightning.)

Kakashi finally comes, and he's shook out of his trance.

The end of the academy day is approaching.

"Gather up," the instructor peers over all of them before going on, "The next couple of days are going to be a survival exercise. Make sure to get your guardian to sign the slip, giving you permission to participate."

He starts handing out the papers. "Get them in by next morning. There's also a list of gear you will need. For now, you're all dismissed. Any questions, you'll have to come to me about it."

The students skurry out, and Kimaru trails after Kakashi, who had crumbled along with shoved the slip into his pocket.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" he whispers, not sure if Kakashi is going to respond, or pull an Uchiha and grunt at him.

"Easy. I've already gone out with otou-san on a few training occasions when he had time. He forced me to sleep in a tree the first day," Kakashi tilted his head to the side a little and deadpanned, "One that was broken, and there was also heavy rain that day."

Kimaru smiles at that.

"I haven't been out too much. The clan doesn't like its members wandering too far, you could say," Kimaru sighs.

Kakashi just huffs a little, and offers, "You know, it wouldn't hurt to disappear for a while. I'm pretty sure you caused a stir when you stalked me for a couple weeks on end."

Kimaru's eyes widen, and squawks, "What?!"

Kakashi just rolls his eyes, shrugging at the unusual display of emotion, "Otou-san wanted me to invite you over for dinner. Wanted to properly meet you and not just see you waiting outside our compound almost everyday."

Kimaru splutters, "We already met."

Kakashi sighs, "I said 'properly', Uchiha. Call it whatever you want, but lightly smiling and greeting people is not a proper introduction. Well at least, not a thorough one."

Kimaru is still a little taken aback. "Thanks, Kakashi."

"Whatever."

2,024 words

: chapter two end :