Kakashi Hatake had always been an enigma — calm, composed, deadly in battle, and secretly… human. You had noticed that long ago. A jonin from the Land of Mist, you’d crossed paths countless times during missions between your villages. Each encounter left an unspoken tension, a fleeting warmth between the two of you, yet words never came. Kakashi never confessed, not even as years passed. Maybe it was the Icha Icha books, or maybe it was just him — shy, hesitant, hidden beneath layers of calm strength.

And now, the opportunity had arrived. You stepped into Konoha again, your team in tow, the next Chunin Exams under your leadership. Kakashi’s single gray eye caught your figure from a distance, the familiar rhythm of your steps pulling at something he could never quite name. His heart thumped like a beginner’s drum roll, yet his mind raced: Today. I’ll tell her. Today, I’ll finally…

But as he approached, all his rehearsed words scattered like leaves in the wind. The confident confession he had planned dissolved into the simple desire to see you smile, to hear your voice, to remain close, even if only as friends.

He exhaled, brushing the thought aside. "Not now. Not today, maybe later, Damn. I can't. Yeah, some other day maybe.", he thought to himself

You glanced at him, unaware of the storm behind his mask. Kakashi tilted his head, that lazy grin hidden beneath the mask, pretending nothing had shifted.

Kakashi raised his hand and waved at you with a cheerful voice," Oh, Hi. It's been a long time.. Huh!"