Butterfly

In the outskirts of the Land of Fire, night had fallen.

The campfire crackled and burned, its orange-red Kakkō leaping in the darkness and casting long, short shadows of the people around it.

A Ninja squad on a mission is resting around a campfire.

Hatake Kakashi leaned against a rock, his single exposed eye staring at the flickering flames, his face showing undisguised distress.

He's bored.

The waiting time before a mission is always the hardest to endure. If it were before, he would have already taken out his favorite book, "Icha Icha Paradise," from his backpack, leaned back comfortably, Jiraiya immersed himself in the wonderful world created by Jiraiya.

But now, he was too ashamed to take it out and look at it.

The book was in his backpack, its cover facing him, but he only glanced at it before silently looking away.

"What's wrong, Kakashi- senpai?"

A faint voice sounded from the side.

Yamato —or rather, Yamato, who has now officially left the Anbu, become Konoha Jonin, and has a new name—sat on the other side of the campfire, looking at Kakashi with an all-seeing gaze.

"If you're bored, take it out and read it. You weren't this reserved before."

"That's quite rare, isn't it? You actually know how to act according to other people's whims."

"Hey, Yamato, what are you saying?"

Kakashi's voice carried a guilty protest.

"I didn't have such thoughts. Don't speculate about what other people are thinking."

Yamato didn't speak, but just continued to look at him with that same gaze.

Yamato knew very well that he was teasing Kakashi, because after what happened last time, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

What kind of line is that, "Among my juniors, you're the only man I truly acknowledge" —Kakashi- senpai, isn't he just manipulating himself?

The real purpose of that remark was clearly just to get himself to treat her to a meal.

Seeing Kakashi's restrained demeanor, Yamato a subtle sense of pleasure welling up inside him.

"It's alright, Kakashi."

A young girl's voice rang out, tinged with embarrassment, yet full of understanding and tenderness.

Nohara Rin sat on the other side of the campfire, her face slightly flushed. Of course, she knew what kind of books Kakashi liked to read.

"If you want to watch it, then watch it. Don't worry about me, I understand."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi not only did not relax, but instead lowered his head even further, his face, hidden by the mask, filled with unbearable embarrassment.

Not knowing what to say or what to do, I just remained silent, like a child who had done something wrong.

"Kakashi..." Minato Namikaze's voice rang out from the side. He sat next to Rin, a relieved smile on his handsome face.

You've really matured a lot.

These words made Kakashi's shoulders tremble slightly.

Looking at his former student, Minato Namikaze felt a surge of emotion.

He still remembered what Kakashi looked like when he was a child. That genius boy, proud, cold, disdainful of so-called "comrades," and valuing missions and rules above all else.

At that time, Minato believed that the child would understand one day, but he was also worried that it would take too long.

But now, this grown-up Kakashi has finally truly understood those principles.

Minato remembered something Naruto had once told him.

During Naruto's graduation exam as Ninja, Kakashi gave them a test about "comrades." The man who once valued rules more than life itself told his students, "Those who don't follow the rules are trash, but those who don't cherish their comrades are even worse than trash."

Yamato sat to the side, watching this scene, his surprise still not completely gone.

He had never seen Kakashi look like this before.

In front of anyone else, Kakashi always appeared lazy and carefree, doing as he pleased and completely unconcerned about what others thought. But in front of Minato Namikaze and Nohara Rin—

He basically listens to everything he's told and does whatever he's asked to do.

They are even more obedient than the most diligent students.

Yamato couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

However, when I think of Minato as the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi's former teacher, the one who sacrificed himself in the Nine-Tails Rebellion —and then I think of everything that happened between Rin and Kakashi, what happened after the Kannabi Bridge incident, and all the burdens Kakashi carried alone all those years—

Yamato felt that it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by.

Carrying the unique coolness of the night and the fresh scent of grass and trees, the wind gently brushed against the faces of everyone around the campfire. Nohara Rin couldn't help but close her eyes, letting the wind caress her face and lift a few strands of hair on her forehead.

Then, she felt a strange sensation on her leg.

It was very light and soft, as if something extremely small had landed on it.

Lin opened her eyes and lowered her head.

A butterfly landed quietly on her knee.

It was a very ordinary butterfly, with pale orange-yellow wings edged with fine black stripes, gleaming warmly in the campfire light.

It folded its wings and rested there quietly, as if it had found a safe haven.

Lin was stunned.

She had seen many butterflies—on the battlefield, in the forest, and in the flowerbeds of the village. But she had never seen a butterfly like this before—it seemed utterly unafraid of humans, its tiny compound eyes gazing at her, its wings fluttering gently, as if confirming something.

Then, it took flight.

Instead of fleeing in fright, he affectionately circled her, once, twice, three times.

It landed on her shoulder and gently touched her earlobe with its tiny antennae. Then it flew up and landed on the back of her hand, its wings opening and closing as if it were telling a story.

Lin's breathing unconsciously softened.

She gazed at the butterfly, at its tireless flight, at its unwavering closeness, and a feeling welled up inside her that she couldn't quite describe.

"Ah, there's a bug!"

Yamato's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.

He stood up and strode towards Lin, his brow slightly furrowed. As a Ninja, he was wary of anything that might threaten his comrades—even though it was just a butterfly, who knew if there was something fishy going on?

"I'll drive it away--"

"Need not."

A hand reached out from the side, blocking Yamato's path.

Kakashi stood there, looking at Rin and the butterfly on her shoulder. "Yamato, don't go over there."

Yamato was stunned, looking at Kakashi with a puzzled expression.

He didn't understand.

Why didn't Lin chase the bug away? He didn't think Ninja would allow a bug to stay on her.

But Kakashi's expression made him realize that he might have done something wrong.

Kakashi ignored Yamato's confusion. He simply gazed at Rin, at the butterfly, his voice filled with cautious anticipation.

"Lin... do you think it's him?"

Yamato couldn't understand this sentence.

But Lin understood.

She lowered her head, gazing at the butterfly that had landed on the back of her hand again, at its gently trembling wings, at its tiny figure that seemed to be telling a story.

A thin layer of tears gradually welled up in those eyes. "... I don't know."

Her voice was soft, but the tenderness and longing in it were so intense they were almost palpable.

"However..." She slightly curved the corners of her mouth, and an incredibly gentle smile appeared on her face.

"If it were Obito, he would probably do that."

As if understanding her words, the butterfly gently flew up, circled twice in front of her, and then landed on her shoulder, folding its wings and resting there quietly.

The campfire crackled and burned, its Kakkō casting flickering shadows on everyone's faces.

Kakashi stood there, watching this scene, his eyes slightly warm.

Although Yamato still didn't understand what had happened, seeing Rin's gaze at the butterfly Kakashi's silent back, he knew he shouldn't ask anymore.

The night breeze rises again, blowing gently.

The butterfly remained perched on Lin's shoulder, motionless.

Perhaps it's just tired.

Perhaps, it has finally found the place it wanted to stay.

Perhaps—it's just that, finally, it doesn't have to pretend anymore.

Uchiha Obito (Butterfly Manifestation) makes a limited-time appearance.

The Pure Land section is finished... I don't know what to write next.