Shattered |Kakashi x OC|

Chapter 24: Dangerous Woods

"I don't want to believe he planned this so he could return to power..."

Pieces of debris flew through the air as the Kyuubi rampaged the village. Buildings were torn, people were crushed, all as absolute chaos broke free from the prison it had been kept in for so long.

And Kakashi couldn't do anything about it, instead, he stayed rooted in place .

"...but the future of the hidden leaf cannot be entrusted to him."  Danzo's words echoed in his mind. The man's iron hard gaze watched Kakashi  as he stood, doing nothing about the carnage that surrounded the two.

Kakashi watched in return, squaring his shoulders as his lone onyx eye stared back.

"Kakashi..." A soft, familiar voice spoke, then her face appeared, replacing the elder. The same face that haunted his dreams more often than not.

Rin.

"Kakashi..." She called again, softly. Pained and scared as blood ran down the corners of her mouth. Lightning illuminated her in a cold blue light as his hand was suddenly embedded in her chest.

Suddenly, those kind, brown eyes morphed into anger, "Kakashi!-" Her voice came out harsh, accusing, and digging a knife deep into Kakashi's heart as he had done to her with his Chidori.

"-Kakashi!" His name was called again, but not in anger, not as Rin's hateful use of his name was quickly replaced by the distressed calling of Ahsoka. Her worried, pleading face appearing as clear as day, "He's not trustworthy!"

Those were the words she had said to him, warned him with. He didn't listen.

The Third Hokage's shadow loomed over him. Kakashi turned to it, Chidori in hand, distracting himself from a different, darker shadow about to grip him in its claws.

Kakashi jolted awake, nausea rippling through him as he grasped the sheets, rasping and gasping for breath, as his pupils blew wide.

The water faucet driped almost tauntingly along with Kakashi's desperate gasps, as if already knowing he would have need of it- need to wash off the blood on his right hand that he, and only he could see.

It was already dripping drop by drop, waiting for the inevitable.

Finally grasping air, Kakashi took a shuddering breath in, letting his aching lungs fall into an easy rhythm along with his heart.

The moonlight streamed in through the small window of the single roomed apartment, barely doing anything to light the dim room as Kakashi placed a fist on his sweat-soaked forehead.

'Dream,' He told himself, 'Just a dream.' His eyes shuttered close, letting out one last shuddering breath.

The matt on the floor had become hot enough that he had pushed the covers away, exposing the top half of his close-fitted gray tank top, accompanied by an attached mask.

Images from his dream kept resurfacing, seeking a way back into his mind. Kakashi shoved them down. Stomping on the memories. Instead deciding to focus on the question that had been burning at him for a while.

'Who is that boy who uses Wood Style?' He slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling in thought.

With a groan, Kakashi stood from the floor, walking the few paces to the still tauntingly dripping sink.

The water ran cold against his clammy skin, easing some of the discomfort as he splashed it on his now uncovered face. Finding the coolness extremely refreshing.