Kakashi-Five elements

Evening fell gently upon the Hidden Leaf Village, casting long shadows across the quiet homes nestled beneath the canopy of trees. In one such home, the warm, golden glow of light spilled from the windows—Kakashi Hatake's residence.

"Seriously, Kakashi… are you really going to be promoted to Jōnin?!"

Obito's voice rang out in the living room, full of disbelief and excitement. It was already the tenth time he had asked the same question.

Kakashi, seated on the couch, smiled lightly. "Yes. The review has passed. All that's left is the official appointment letter and a set of Jōnin vests."

He didn't find Obito's repeated questions annoying at all.

Ever since the heart-to-heart talk they'd shared not long ago, the awkward tension between them had melted away. Their friendship had quietly deepened.

"Man, that just makes the gap between us even wider," Obito sighed, flopping onto the couch like a deflated balloon.

"I still need to ask Minato-sensei to help me apply for a promotion too, you know," he muttered, pouting.

"I don't object to that," Kakashi said calmly, then paused before adding tactfully, "But you know… if you're promoted to Jōnin, you'll have to lead a team of your own. That would mean our three-man squad would be split up."

Obito's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Then forget it! There's no need to rush this promotion thing!"

The mere thought of being separated from Kakashi and Lin was unbearable. He waved his hand dramatically and buried his face in the couch cushion.

Watching him, Kakashi chuckled under his breath.

"You, Obito, are completely under his control," Lin teased, her voice drifting in from the kitchen where she was helping Kakashi prepare dinner.

She gave Kakashi a playful pat on the shoulder as she passed by, her tone filled with affection.

"Hey, I'm just doing this for his own good," Kakashi defended, a little embarrassed.

"That Jōnin exam is no joke. Obito's not ready for it yet. He could get seriously hurt if he's not careful."

As he spoke, he scratched his forehead through his headband, a bit flustered at being called out.

"Ah—hiss!"

Suddenly, Kakashi winced and squeezed his eyes shut.

"What's wrong?" Lin asked, alarmed, immediately setting down the knife in her hand and rushing to his side.

"I… I accidentally rubbed my eye after cutting a green pepper," Kakashi groaned. "It stings like crazy…"

His eye began to water uncontrollably, and he instinctively shut it tight against the burning sensation.

"You're so careless," Lin said with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Come here, let me help."

Kakashi leaned forward obediently, and Lin bent down, gently blowing a cool stream of air across his eye. Her breath was warm and sweet, and despite the pain, it brought a surprising amount of relief.

Kakashi blinked a few times. When his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Lin's delicate face—so close, so beautiful.

For a moment, he forgot the pain entirely.

His gaze lingered on her, filled with a soft tenderness he hadn't even noticed before.

Lin, too, noticed the way Kakashi was looking at her. Her breath caught in her throat, and her cheeks turned crimson.

The warmth from her breath seemed to reflect back onto her own skin, and her heart raced uncontrollably. She felt flustered and dazed, like her thoughts had been knocked askew.

She wanted to look away—but couldn't. There was something about that gaze that felt… magnetic.

She could feel Kakashi's face inching closer.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Then, as if guided by instinct, she slowly closed her eyes.

"Hey, Kakashi! What gift do you want? You're about to be promoted—shouldn't we celebrate?"

Obito's loud, cheerful voice burst from the living room like a cold splash of water.

Startled, Lin snapped her eyes open and immediately turned around, pretending to resume chopping vegetables.

Her face was still burning, and she bit her lip to stop herself from making a sound.

Obito…

Kakashi let out a long, quiet sigh, his chance interrupted. Again.

"Anything's fine!" he shouted back, not even trying to hide his irritation. "Who asks the recipient what gift they want?! That ruins the surprise!"

He glared at the wall, silently vowing that next time, nothing would get in the way of a quiet moment with Lin.

Obito blinked, confused. "But it's still a celebration, right? That's a good reason to throw a party!"

Despite his frustration, Kakashi nodded. "Yeah… you're right. It's definitely something worth celebrating."

Lin, her face still flushed, managed to calm herself and joined the conversation from the kitchen.

"Exactly. We should celebrate this moment properly."

Her voice was light, but there was still a faint tremble in it that Kakashi caught.

He smiled, looking at her radiant face. She glanced up at him—and burst into laughter.

Kakashi tilted his head. "What's so funny?"

"You're smiling like an idiot," Lin teased. "And dinner's not ready yet, so stop daydreaming!"

Kakashi quickly stood up and saluted her with exaggerated seriousness.

"Aye, chef!"

Lin didn't fully understand the gesture, but she giggled again, heart fluttering at the small exchange.

The moment felt natural, warm… like something had subtly changed between them.

---

Half an hour later, the aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the house.

"Obito! Dinner's ready. Go wash your hands and help set the table," Lin called out.

"Coming!" Obito jumped up from the couch and trotted toward the kitchen.

He sniffed the air, eyes widening. "Whoa! That smells amazing!"

He meant it. Lin's cooking was always good—but Kakashi's additions made it even better.

How lucky was he, to have these two friends by his side?

He thought back to something his grandmother once said: "True happiness doesn't need to be big. It's found in the small things, in warm meals and warm hearts."

Maybe… this is what she meant.

---

After dinner, Obito and Lin prepared to head home.

As they walked side by side under the evening sky, Obito nudged her lightly with his elbow.

"Hey, Lin… what are you planning to give Kakashi? Got any ideas you can share with me?"

Lin smiled. "Obito, it's not really about the gift itself. As long as you put your heart into it, that's what matters."

"Huh… really?"

Obito rubbed the back of his head, thinking deeply.

For the rest of the walk, he didn't say another word—lost in thoughts of what kind of gift would be considered heartfelt.

---

Later that night, Lin lay on her bed, gazing at the ceiling.

Her mind replayed the moment in the kitchen over and over again—Kakashi's eyes, the almost-kiss, the overwhelming heartbeat.

If Obito hadn't interrupted them… what would have happened?

Blush crept onto her cheeks again, and she quickly pulled the blanket over her head, trying to hide from her own thoughts.

Wrapped like a little dumpling in her quilt, she rolled back and forth on the bed, heart racing.

Ughhh~ There's no way I'll be able to sleep tonight!