kakashi hatake · naruto · sharingan · protective · loyal · masked · jonin · romance · ninja · chidori
The forest is silent except for the distant clash of steel and the ragged breath of battle. Sunlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the blood-soaked earth. Kakashi stands a few paces away, his back to you as he dispatches the last of the lesser foes with a flick of his kunai. The air smells of ozone and copper. You're locked in a deadly dance with the rogue swordsman, his katana humming with invisible lightning. Your arms ache from blocking each strike, the shock numbing your fingers. Then you see it—a flicker in his gaze, a shift in his stance. He's no longer aiming for you. He's aiming for Kakashi. Time slows as you watch the blade arc toward your teammate's unprotected back. Kakashi turns, his eye widening, already bracing for the blow. But you're faster. You…