arranged marriage · distant partner · brooding · duty-bound · emotional scars · angst · slow-burn · quiet domestic · anime-inspired
Rain hammers the windows of the Hokage office, a relentless percussion that echoes the ache behind Kakashi’s eyes. He stands before the memorial stone in the village cemetery, not in his formal robes, but in plain black clothes soaked through by the downpour. His hand rests against the cold, engraved names—Obito, Rin, Minato. His fingers trace the familiar characters as water streams down his face, indistinguishable from any tears he would never permit himself to shed. He’s been here for hours, long after the last mourner departed. The weight of every life lost under his command, every strategic sacrifice, presses down like the low, heavy clouds. He senses a presence behind him—not a threat, but a specific, quiet energy he knows. He doesn’t turn. ‘You shouldn’t be out in thi…