Kakashi's lover.

Nearing the end

"Not only am I implying that you stop being a ninja, I mean it. Your groups work has been spotty at best and your last mission proved it. What made it worse was you bringing your father, a criminal, into the village. I will be putting Kokuyōseki somewhere else. I imagine that you are the one responsible for bringing your father here. Am I wrong?" The Hokage asks, looking straight into Suiren's eyes. She nods slowly, and the memory of meeting her father after years apart arose from her mind. "You are not wrong, Lord Hokage. I did suggest that we bring him to the village. At first, it was only to have a family again. But we noticed he was sick. So we brought him here to be checked. We... haven't been told the results yet... but... um..." She trailed off. Just then, a nurse walked in and gave the Hokage a piece of paper. "What's this?" He asked. "The results for Ginsei. It's an unknown illness that we've never encountered before." The nurse said. The Hokage glances at the paper. "He's long gone. We needn't worry about him any longer. As for you, Suiren Kaori, you have two choices. Stop being a ninja and resume life normally in Konoha, or return to your birth home." Suiren looks at the Hokage, her eyes wide and almost scared. "May I... have time to think about this...?" The Hokage nods, a look of understanding in his eyes. "You may leave." Suiren gives a short nod, then leaves the room.

When she returns to Kakashi's home, she goes to her room, plopping on the bed and sprawling out onto it. "What do I do...?" A few minutes later, Kakashi walks in and sits on the bed beside her. "I heard. Whatever decision you make, I'll be with you. Every step of the way." A tear falls from Suiren's eye and she sits up, crossing her legs and cuddling a pillow. "That's just it... I don't know what to do... Everything went wrong as soon as the mission started..." Kakashi smiles and puts a hand on her shoulder. "During that mission, I got to see more of the real you than I guarantee I would've ever seen in a lifetime. That mission brought you and Kokuyōseki closer together. That mission gave you strength." He strokes her cheek gently as he talks. A couple hours pass as they talk and discuss Suiren's decision. Suiren stares at the floor, her mind wandering. "I want to see him again. Even if my father isn't alive when I see him the next time, I want to see him." Kakashi looks at her, eyebrow raised. "Are you sure? If you go to see him again, you'll betray the village. Is that what you truly want?" Suiren thinks for a moment, gently brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I... I'm sure..." Kakashi looks at the ceiling, taking off his mask. "I'll come with you. You don't deserve to be out there, searching for your father, alone." Suiren turns to him, surprised. "Kakashi, if you leave with me, you'll never have a chance to become a jounin. Your future will be ruined. You should stay here, and live your life out." She smiles, almost painfully. As if she doesn't feel like he'll actually come with her. To her surprise, he shakes his head. "Without you, there's nothing for me here." Suiren's eyes well up with tears and she hugs him, crying into his shoulder. "Thank you..."

Later that night in the cave, Ginsei was staring at the walls, thinking of Suiren, when Aigis walked in the cave from a small opening they had made to gather food and water. "Hey. I got some food for us. There's a lot here. I think we'll be ok to move in a few days, so at least we have something to eat." Ginsei looks up at her, smiling weakly. He seems tired, his eyes half open and dark circles beginning to form under them. Hana looks at him, concerned. "Are you alright, Ginsei-sama?" He nods and stands up, stretching. "I'm fine." As he goes to take some food from Aigis, he trips and stumbles to the ground. "Ginsei-sama!" Both girls yell, as they try to pick him up. "Sit down and rest. We can't have you dying on us." Aigis says, setting Ginsei down gently and giving him something to eat.

As night begins to fall, Kakashi and Suiren gather their belongings, packing only the essentials for the long trip back. While looking for her brush, Suiren passes a photo of her and her parents. Stopping to pick it up, she stares at it, all the wonderful memories and even the bad ones coming to her mind. "I'm sure they'd be proud of you for making a decision on your own, Suiren." Kakashi says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Suiren turns around and smiles, putting the photo in her bag. "Yeah. I'm sure dad will be happy to see me too. If... he's still alive." She says, looking at the ground briefly. "Trust me, Ginsei will be fine. I'm sure he's fought harder battles than some silly illness." Kakashi says reassuringly. Before long, most of their belongings are packed and put away, ready to be taken to Suiren's home village. The two stand outside Suiren's old home, taking a few moments to pay their respects before leaving. "We should go. It's getting late and we want to find dad before tomorrow evening." Suiren says, turning her back to the house.

Moments after they had left Konoha, snow started to fall all over the land as the temperature got colder and colder. As they walked through the snowy wonderland, Kakashi would frequently check on Suiren, stopping every now and again to help adjust her scarf or to check their surroundings to make sure they weren't being followed. A faint rustling noise alerted them, and Kakashi put an arm in front of Suiren to stop her. Two shadow-like figures emerged from the bushes, walking towards them. There was a glint of something metal in the moonlight as the snow fell to the ground. "Kakashi, what are you doing here?" Asked one of the figures.