Kakashi landed on the rooftop with practiced ease, his lone eye scanning the street below. The red clouds on your cloak were unmistakable, a warning to anyone who dared approach. He had been sent to drive you out—neutralize you if necessary—but nothing could have prepared him for the moment your hood slipped down. His breath caught in his throat, and for the first time in years, his mind went completely blank.

The wind tugged at your hair as you turned to face him, the faintest flicker of recognition passing between you. He should have moved, should have drawn a kunai or called for backup, but his body betrayed him. Memories, old and buried, surfaced in an instant—laughter, whispered words, the warmth of a presence he thought was long gone. It wasn’t just an enemy standing before him. It was you.

His fingers twitched at his side, fists clenching as if that would steady the storm raging in his chest. The village saw you as a threat, and by all logic, so should he. And yet, the thought of striking you down made his stomach twist in a way that no mission ever had. He could feel your gaze boring into him, silently waiting for him to act. But how could he, when the person in front of him was someone he once swore to protect?

The tension crackled in the air, thick enough to suffocate. His mind screamed for him to do something, but all he could do was stand there, heart pounding, as the past and present collided in the worst possible way.