Outlander: Found on the Path of Life. Part 1

Chapter 12. Is This How It Happens?

Despite the wonderful, as Kakashi and Arina independently decided, night, the morning was not a good one — the gloomy reality hung over them densely.

They got up early, at dawn. Or rather, Kakashi woke up first and, unable to find a place from the newly surging anxiety — it was unbearable for him to personally hand over Arina to these 'sadists', as he called them, and such a characteristic, coming from him, a man well-known for his own ruthlessness in the past, spoke for itself, — sneaked off downstairs, and a little later Arina joined him.

Kakashi cooked breakfast: a fluffy omelette on top of rice with vegetables. Not many people managed to produce such a form of the omelette and he was rightfully proud of his skills.

Arina looked at the culinary masterpiece with sincere admiration:

"Where have you learned to do that?"

Kakashi replied evasively:

"I enjoy cooking since childhood."

"Have you ever thought of working as a chef? You have a true talent!"

Kakashi smiled bitterly. He had heard it once before, and right in this very house, but the memory did not bring joy at all. Arina, however, related his drooping appearance to returning concern about her and said:

"Let's not worry ahead of time?"

Kakashi only narrowed his eyes in a smile in response.

They had breakfast and got ready. As they were leaving the house, Kakashi remarked ruefully:

"This was not how I imagined your acquaintance with Konoha..."

Arina shrugged her shoulders philosophically and lingered a little, taking in the views that opened up to her. It was practically a rural area with houses located at some distance from each other, interspersed with small vegetable gardens. In the distance, a mountain range, smooth as a wall, could be seen. She already saw it the day before, while she was waiting for Kakashi, but she didn't dare go far from the house due to the lack of decent clothes.

Now she was torn apart between the desire to take a better look at everything and the anxiety for the upcoming visit to the interrogators... And yet she pointed at the four massive sculptures, perfectly distinguishable even at such a distance, and asked:

"Who are they?"

"This is the Hokage Rock. Hokage are the leaders of Konoha, the strongest and most skilled shinobi of their time, capable of protecting the village. After the appointment of a new Hokage, their image is soon carved into this rock, from left to right..."

"Impressive. So, it is the man on the right who is the leader of Konoha now, right?"

Kakashi had a sad expression on his face:

"No... This is Minato-sensei or Lord Fourth. He was my teacher... And he died twelve years ago... At the moment Konoha is headed by Hiruzen-sama or Lord Third — his image is to the left of Minato-sensei. He is already quite a respectable age and back then he personally handed the care over Konoha to Minato-sensei, but after his death he had to take up this position again, since there were no more worthy candidates.

"What happened to Minato-sensei?" Arina asked sympathetically.

"I would tell you, but I'm afraid there are things that are probably still a bit too early for you to comprehend, given how little you know about our world... Although... Let's put it this way: he and his wife, Kushina-sama, sacrificed themselves in order to save our village," Kakashi lowered his head slightly. It was obvious that it was hard for him to remember this. "We can say that it is only thanks to them that Konoha now exists at all, and all of us, me included, are alive."