**Kakashi's POV**

I watched as Y/n set her bowl in the sink. I hadn't noticed before, but it looked like she had a small mark on the back of her neck. I sighed to myself in disappointment. It was probably from Asuma.

"I hope the food was ok," she smiled as she sat back down.

"Yea. It really was. You're a great cook."

"Will you make sure to tell my mom that the next time you see her?" she laughed. "She's been forcing me to cook since I was like 5."

"Really? Why?"

"Mmm, well, I'll never get a husband if I don't know how to cook," she mocked. "At least that's what I'm told."

"But you're a shinobi," I laughed.

"Exactly! And the future Nara clan leader. But apparently, all that matters is that I can keep a house in order. My mom is very traditional."

"You're the future clan leader?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Geez, Kakashi. Don't look so surprised," she teased.

"N-no, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just usually that falls to the first son, not the first-born."

She nodded, "And it would've. They were planning on that the first couple years of Shikamaru's life. But then I showed signs of the kekkei genkai at around 7, so now it's like my destiny according to the elders."

"Wow. That's really impressive."

"It's not like I did anything other than just be born," she shrugged. "But they're always telling me how important it is that I marry someone with strength and prestige or some shit... I got a letter like every couple months about it while I was gone."

"Really?"

She laughed, "Sorry, I can't believe I'm just dumping all of this on you."

"It's fine. I'm happy to listen."

Plus, I was really curious to learn more about her and her life.

"My mom has suitors for me. Literal suitors. Like there's some noble from the Hyuga clan. Another from the Yamanaka clan. It's fucking nuts."

"Asuma is a Sarutobi, the son of a hokage," I teased.

"Oh my gosh, don't remind me," she rolled her eyes. "My mom would lose her shit if she found out I was hooking up with him. She'd probably start planning the wedding."

Well, there's the confirmation I was looking for.

"And you don't want that?" I shouldn't have asked, but I couldn't help myself.

"No," she said softly, her mood changing quite a bit.

"Why not?"

"Have you ever been in love, Kakashi?" she looked at me as she rested her head in her hands.

"I-I'm not sure," I answered honestly. There were times in the past I thought I was, but it didn't really seem like it anymore.

"Me either," she sighed. "Asuma is such a good guy, but I don't feel anything special with him. He tried to make things more serious awhile ago, but I just know it'll never be that way."

I was shocked by her honesty. I was also surprised to hear that she didn't know if she had ever been in love... What about Itachi? Tsunade had filled me in on a lot when Y/n left. I thought her love is what made her chase after him?

"Anyway, the more I think about it, the more I think I'll just let Shikamaru's kids be the next clan heirs. I know he'll end up married."

"Why do you say that?"

"He's literally head over heels for that sand village girl... Whether he knows it or not or wants to admit it. I think it'll happen."

I smiled, "He's only 16."

"And I'm only 21," she smiled back. "So, do you think you want to get married and have a family?"

"No. A shinobi's way of life isn't meant for those who want a family." It's what I had always told myself after everything that happened to my parents, friends, my sensei, and now my student... But sitting here with her, I didn't know if I believed it.

"My thoughts exactly," she sighed a bit. "Well, you can go to Sakura and Naruto if you need to. I have to stop somewhere before I head over there."

"I can come with if you want," I offered.

She smiled at me, "Ok. Let me get changed."

I sat there and thought about our conversation as she went in her room. Her parents wanted her to be with someone who had strength and power here in the village... Could I fulfill those requirements?

No, Kakashi. Don't think like that. That's crazy.

My eyes widened as she walked out of the bedroom. She was pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She wore black cargo like pants, and a cropped long sleeve mesh shirt. Her lead headband was tied around her arm as always.

She was so beautiful and so strong. I couldn't even think clearly as she walked towards me. I don't think I had ever felt this way about someone before.

"Got rid of the jacket, huh?" I smiled at her.

"I don't need it to prove I can kick your ass," she teased.

"Yea, I definitely want a rematch on that."

She laughed loudly, "Anytime Kakashi."

"So where are we going?" I asked as we started walking.

"First to the flower shop."

"Ok," I mumbled as I put my attention back on the book she had given me earlier. We walked in silence and it was nice. It never felt uncomfortable with her. It didn't matter it was silent or not.

I waited for her outside as she came out with a small bouquet of flowers, and I just followed her as she kept walking. I was shocked when I saw she was walking towards the cemetery.

I put my book away as we entered and watched her carefully. She visited 5 graves. Itachi's parents, 2 girls whose names I recognized from the Anbu, and now we stood in front of Shisui Uchiha.

We stood in front of his for the longest, and I watched small tears form in her eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just been awhile since I've visited them all."

"It's ok. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"No," she smiled at me. "It's nice not to be alone for once."

"I didn't realize you knew him."

"Well, once Itachi was inseparable from him, so was I," she laughed softly. "I did everything with those two."

She continued, "People think Itachi killed him too, but it's not true. I was there with him after Shisui's death. I don't know what happened exactly, but Itachi was a mess. I held him that whole night as he sobbed. Things were never really the same after that."

I watched her carefully as she relived those moments. Ones that started out so happy and ended with nothing but heartbreak. I had plenty of memories like that myself... They were always the worst to try and cope with.

"Kakashi," she looked at me. "Do you think it's worse to end up like Itachi and Sasuke or end up here?"

My heart broke as she asked me that. It was one I had thought about too, but the truth was, you couldn't think like that.

"Y/n, questions like that will kill you slowly... They'll consume you until there's nothing left" I whispered back to her and watched a tear fall down her cheek.

"I'm not afraid to die," she looked back to the grave. "I'm just so tired of watching everyone else suffer."

I sighed as I thought about what to do next, "Follow me." She trailed closely behind as I walked through the cemetery. It had been awhile since I was here too.

I stood in front of the grave I had visited a hundred times before. I had never been here with someone else, and Y/n was right... It was nice to finally not be alone.

"Rin was on Team Minato with me and Obito Uchiha when I was young," I explained.

"Obito was my best friend... He died during a mission, and he gave me his sharingan just before. Then it was just me and Rin. I promised to protect her, and I failed."

I took a deep breath as I recounted the events of my childhood friends, "She was captured, and I got there too late. I was trying to rescue her, but as I attacked her kidnappers, she jumped in front of me. She wanted to die."

"& I-I killed her..." I trailed off. I hadn't ever told anyone this, and I didn't know why I was doing it now.

I felt Y/n's hand gently grab mine as I stared at
Rin's grave. I held onto it tightly hoping she would never let go. She stood there with me for awhile in silence, and I was so grateful for her company.

I didn't want to be alone anymore, I wanted to be with her.

"The third hokage put me in the Anbu, and then Minato took me out. I never got to tell him, but he saved me from myself. There was a darkness eating away at me until he reassigned me."

She smiled, "Those dumbass kids. You fell for em too, huh?"

"Yea, but don't tell anyone." I couldn't believe she had managed to make me smile as I had just talked about all of that... She was so special.

I stared as she let go of my hand and clasped her hands together in front of her. She stretched them out slowly, and I watched in shock as a black flower formed in between her palms.

"For Rin," she smiled as the flower was completed and then rested it on the gravesite.

"How did you do that?" I asked in awe.

"It's a new part of my kekkei genkai. But seriously, don't say anything! Jiraiya would kill me if he found out, especially for showing that technique."

"So you can create flowers now? How is that even possible?" I laughed lightly.

"No, not flowers. Just anything. Well, not anything. It's too new for that. Only small things I guess."

"Ok, but how?"

"I really shouldn't tell you this..." she bit her lip softly. "But, considering we've had a moment today, I guess I will." She laughed lightly.

"My kekkei genkai can manipulate dark matter. I can use that matter to create new things or disperse of currently existing things. But it takes a lot out of me... And it's far from perfect."

"Everything I create turns out black, sometimes with a tint of purple or grey. Anyway, the Nara clan technique can manipulate shadow darkness, but it looks like my kekkei genkai can be used on any form of darkness, even down to the molecular level as in dark matter."

She smiled, "It sounds cool, but honestly a flower is pretty much my max for that technique right now."

"Everything about you is so incredible," I mumbled out in awe. I hadn't really been thinking about my words, I was just mesmerized, but I realized what I said when she blushed and quickly looked down.

Shit. I should not have said that. What is wrong with me today?

She carefully intertwined my fingers with hers again before speaking up, "I think everything about you is incredible too, Kakashi."

She kept her eyes glued to the ground as she spoke, and I was glad because I'm pretty sure I did a terrible job at hiding how happy that made me.

I didn't want her to know how I was feeling about her. I didn't want to put any extra pressure on this... Not until I figured out what the hell this feeling even was.

She let go of my hand and smiled as she looked at me again, "We should get to Naruto and Sakura. I'm sure they're pissed."

I laughed, "I'll just tell them I was helping an elderly woman."

She rolled her eyes before walking away, "As if they'll ever believe that."