I Still Love You

CW: Language

*Note, this story, while the OC is mine, the Naruto universe is not. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I want to thank a certain friend for inspiring this story.

Also- I am young, I have no clue how photo developing works or what things look like, so if my Google searches were wrong, as well as my inferences, I heavily apologize.

I grunt as I pick up the old box, carrying it to the other side of the room before huffing. I set it down performing a brief hand seal. Clones of myself appeared and once more, I picked up the box. My clones did too, and with that, we trailed down the stairs leaving my attic. I scan the room before deciding to place the bunch of boxes next to the door.

A little exhausted, I lean against the door closing my eyes. I can't believe I'm getting my own place. I think to myself in shock. I open my eyes, looking around the old yet clean, simple house. I've lived here during my time at the academy, Danzo let me visit.. I sigh heavily. It's going to be so weird leaving. I look scan the room once more, images of a younger me and my guardian appearing before me. My eyes eventually made their way to the bookshelves, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I push myself off of the door, walking to it. I look at all the names, remembering the training books. The children books he got me when he realized I wasn't that interested in training, and then the wood carving how-to's. I chuckle. I look at the books higher up and immediately shook my head. Those old Icha Icha books, jeez.. I laugh. Just how long have you had these 'Kashi?  I wonder. I stood there for awhile, memories popping up with me glancing at a few of the titles.

I jump hearing a knock on the door. I turn to face it, moving my head to look at the window. I roll my eyes, answering the door. "You know you don't have to knock," I say, looking up at him. "It's your house." I open the door wider for him to walk through.

"I just wanted to give you privacy." He replied, his voice calm and relaxed, almost sleepy. Like always. I roll my eyes again, smiling.

"Alright Kakashi." I say closing the door. When I turned to face him, he was staring at all of the boxes. I follow his gaze before looking back at him. "What's up-"

"Nine years.." He comments, quietly. I rose a brow.

"Eh?" He met my eyes.

"I signed those documents when you were a year old." His eyes had this funny look, and while he was looking at me.. He wasn't seeing me, but the younger versions of me. "And then for six years you were with Danzo." He says looking back at the boxes. That unhidden eye of his smiled. Bittersweet. "I can't believe you're moving out."

"I can't believe it either." I say, throat tight. I watched him from the corner of my eye. Hatake Kakashi. My legal guardian. I sigh softly, focusing my attention to the boxes. Time to move into my little cabin. I thought, making the same hand seal as before. The clones appeared and helped, each grabbing a box.

"Let me help." He says doing the same. The two of us knew I could do it alone, but nonetheless, I had half of the clones put down the boxes and disappear. He did what I did, making clones and picking up boxes.

The two of us walked on the dirt path, clones behind us. It was peaceful, not too dark, not too bright. Not too windy, not too quiet. The birds were chirping and there was scuffling in the trees. Kakashi and I talked little, and if it was, it was about my name change. But other than that, we walked happily in the silence.

We arrived at the secluded cabin, it alone in the patch of woods. I struggled to get my keys out, but was eventually able to get the door open. Everyone, clones and not, filled into the empty wooden house. I noticed that despite the outside, it being wood, the inside was very much like the builds in Iwagakure. Stone, clay, harsh and cold yet.. Comfortable and calming. "I wonder how I didn't see this, from inside the windows.." I wonder aloud.

"This was an old ANBU camp for healing the squad and repairing things." Kakashi replied. I look at him as I set the box down. The thumps of the other boxes being set down filled the air.

"Really?" I ask. Kakashi merely nods. If it's as old as Lord Hokage said.. I groan. It's going to need so many repairs.. "That explains why Lord Third said it was free." I say, my shoulders dropping. I saw Kakashi's shoulders shake a little and I deadpan. He was quietly laughing. "Oh shut it." I grumble. He met my eyes, smiling.

"Don't worry." He says walking over, setting a hand on my head. I scowl at him. "I'll help."

"You better." I say before hugging him tightly. 

I sat there opening the folds of the box. I couldn't help but glance over the dozens of boxes, big and small. There's so fucking many.. I groan. I look down into the box. Nothing exciting. I think to myself sifting through the things, setting them aside.

After the pile next to me grew too big for my liking, I started putting them in the rooms I would deem fit. Weapons in a room fit to become an armory, toiletries in the obvious bathroom, blankets pillows and things very close to my heart inside of the most impressive room, etcetera etcetera.

I wander back to the main room, breaking down the various boxes like Kakashi showed me too. It was pretty relaxing honestly, the process. Mechanic and smooth- I paused taking a step back. I missed a box? I wondered. I dropped the box I was working with before making my way to the tinier one. I sit down and open the thing. I blink, confused. "What is this?-" I question, picking out the small wrappings.

"Eh..?" There were a bunch of tiny things, various blacks and grays, all looking like tiny ass scrolls. I picked one up slowly opening it, wary if a jutsu would be activated. I rose a brow. Is this- is this one of those camera film thingies? I tilted my head, putting the thing back inside the box. I let out a heavy sigh. I'm going to need these developed before I can sort through them. I groan. I stand up grabbing the box. I proceed to lock, and leave my own house. I made my way to Kakashi's, knowing that he'd know where to go to develop these. Or, of course, if I was lucky.. He'd know how to develop these.

I knocked on the door, looking through the peephole. I heard a quiet "Oh?" before the door opened. "Is it already too much?" He asks with a tinge of humor in his eye. I roll my eyes, smiling.

"No-" I show him the contents of the box.

"Oh." He says simply. He took the box walking inside the house.

"Hey!" I shout, following him inside, and making sure to close the door. I stumbled to a stop seeing him grab a box from his closest. When he opened it, it revealed the things needed to develop film. He proceeded to make his closest into a developing room, meanwhile I stood there like an idiot. "Do- do you need help, 'Kashi?" I ask fiddling with my hands. He merely shook his head. I nod a little, biting my lip.

I learned a lot about photo developing when Kakashi and I hung out, either having tea at his house or organizing and fixing mine, I learned. Camera photos take seven to ten days, apparently. I'm going to need to put up wood boards on the house because the clay's shit and will get moddable if wet. I need a stove, because apparently ANBU's forty something years ago didn't need that.

On the sixth day of working on my house, the ninth since giving the photos to Kakashi, I slid down against the wall. Rubbing my temples. Fifteen and an ANBU. Finally having a house of my own. I could have all the girls I want over, all the boys, as often as I wanted and not have Kakashi roll his eyes. I sigh happily. Life's good, I think to myself. LIfe's good. I stand up making my way to the kitchen, that finally had a stove and decided to make some tea. The tea from the little bags, because I have a few things to do, and I don't want to accidentally swallow tea leaves.

I wandered around the house, doing simple tidying up occasionally drinking my tea. I stopped though, when it was like my water: like ice. I huff, looking around the house. Maybe only a bit over half of the inside was covered with wood boards fit to withstand water spills and other things. So I'd have to finish that today, and get furniture to put everything away properly. My shoulders dropped. Life may be good but it's a mess-

My head turned to the sound of the knock, and eagerly I made my way to the door. "Ai yo, 'Kashi." I smile, looking up at the older one.

"The photos have finished developing." He says nodding for me to follow him. I shut the door behind me, obeying his quiet command.

"Thank you again, Kakashi, for all of this." I say staring at the path in front of us. He set a hand down on my head, ruffling my hair. I grumble, but smile. His old words of 'Always and forever' popped into my head.

The two of us crowded around the little tub staring at the unclear images, hidden in the water. I glance at him, watching and following suit on what he was doing, assisting him in taking out the pictures. We sat down on the floor, spreading the photos out. My eyes widen. "Woah!" I exclaim. He chuckles a little, nervously, I notice. I look at him in shock. "You took so many pictures." I say looking back down at them.

There was one, a simple one, of him grumpily holding me as a baby, and Lord Third in the background, smiling. I remember Lord Third telling me that at first, Kakashi refused to adopt me, but then after some convincing, Lord Third got him too. Uchiha and others wouldn't take me in. Because of that God damned snake: Orochimaru. I glance at him. But you did. I smile a little, looking at another photo. "Oh hey! It's of that table I carved you!" I exclaim, showing him the picture. His eye smiled brightly.

"I remember." He says. He sighs softly before saying: "The first serious wood carving project you ever did- a table." He shook his head. I grinned, looking at the image. I finished the table months before Danzo took me, taking advantage of one of Kakashi's long missions. My smile falters remembering the day he saw the table. I made it originally, to help him know that while his teammates and father were gone, I was there and be for him always.

That didn't go so well. I remembered. I gulped before setting the photo down, looking at all the others. There were ones of me holding up a sign, saying something like "On (date) I mastered (something taught at the academy)", with Kakashi's hand on my shoulder, a tiny hint of a smile in his eye. Other pictures were just of silly little moments I had, like me dressing up as him, painting my face, etc. I look up at him, watching him look at the photos. I smiled. I'd be dead if he didn't sign those documents… I realized. Danzo's training would have killed me, or I would have. I sigh, looking back at the pictures.

"It's interesting, seeing bits of my life like this." I say with a small sigh.

"Why's that?" I laugh a little at his answer.

"Because it's not some twisted genjutsu." He looks at me a little confused before it hits him. He lets out a little "Ah.." before looking back at the photos. My eyes widen. "Hey- that's Karami!" I shout, picking up the picture.

"Your first partner." He comments. I look at the picture, the two of us girls sitting down on the couch, snuggling, reading a book. I merely smiled.

"I'm keeping this one." I say, holding it to my chest. He nods, sorting through the pictures, he gave me a few more, but I just paid attention to the one of Karami and I. My then girlfriend of three years. I smile bittersweetly. She had to move to another village. I sigh softly. I wonder how you're doing, Karami..