I'm still enjoying these little ficlets of Kakashi and Rin~ What with the newest episode, its fueling my love for these two! I hope more people join in the craziness of this fandom. They are so cute~ Thank you everyone out there who are reviewing~ I'd like to address a few actually that I SHOULD have before.

Ion Void- Thank you so much for your reviews, I'm glad your enjoying them so far~

CaptainBear- I understand I might make Kakashi OoC, as well as Rin, and that's just part of the fun on my part. I don't have the excuse "this is before I saw the newer chapters", but its just my take on how things would have gone down. Maybe Kakashi wouldn't be head over heels in love with Rin like this but hey, he never said he wasn't so that's what I'm sticking by! lol Thank you again for your comments. Much appreciated

Prescipto13- Thanks for all the reviews~ They always make me happy to hear your thoughts on the chapters that come by. I hope to hear more on your thoughts as more come in~

And to the rest, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR AMAZING! YA REALLY ARE!

Age 12:

Fighting

Minato heaved a sigh, running a hand through his unruly hair. He really should think of buying a comb...

Today was a rather cloudy day outside the village of the Grass. Rain pelted down on the earth as his team took shelter under the giant mushrooms that seem common in this part of the world.

At least, he HOPES his team was taking shelter.

Just earlier a dispute erupted among his small team. And not the usual bickering he was so used to seeing on daily basis between a certain prodigy and Uchiha descendent. No, this was heated and angry and to reasons beyond his understanding, out of his control to keep from getting ugly. But what shocked him the most had to be who were the ones fighting.

It wasn't everyday that Kakashi and Rin fight. Not where the egotistical lad barely says more than needed to the medic and Rin was sweeter than honey when it comes to disputes. Yet, today suddenly the two were on edge. Ever since the ending of their mission, Kakashi and Rin were tense, saying small things on the way back home. Nothing to bring attention, but he should have seen the signs.

Sadly, he wasn't near by when the real fight began. When he did come around, he found Rin and Kakashi verbally fighting standing nearly nose to nose with a burning rage within their eyes. When he tried to set them apart, the two turned away from each other and ran off in opposite directions. One throwing curses while the other broke into tears.

Minato looked helplessly between the two, unsure which to follow. Obito helped him with that decision thankfully, calling after Rin and speeding after the upset girl. Minato then turned around and ran after Kakashi.

Problem was, the boy was easy to lose when he wanted to be lost.

He scratched his head, strolling by a giant mushroom he could have sworn he passed by four times already. He paused however when a turf of silver white caught his eye. With a sigh, the blonde made his way over mushrooms to that very turf of hair that was hunched over his knees. Kakashi was half bent over his folded legs, tossing a kunai over and over in his hand while glaring into space. He didn't seem to notice of Minato standing there; that or he chose to ignore him, concentrating on his little knife.

"Kakashi, finally found you." Minato said, going for the calm approach. When there was no answer, the teacher strode over to the student's side with ease, plopping beside him. "...Anything you want to tell me?" he said, feeling going straight to the point would be best.

The boy's hand stilled, and he dropped his kunai. "Shit." he hissed, watching the knife fall over the branch he sat on. He seemed ready to go after it too before he just sighed and leaned back on his hands to glare into space. Minato waited for more out of him but none came. So he settled with sitting beside the boy quietly, losing track of time.

"...She started it." he said at last after a long silence.

"Pardon?" Minato stumbled.

"Rin." Kakashi said, flicking his dull eyes to the man. "She started it with that guy."

The teacher had to rank his brains for a moment to see who would fall under the definition of "guy". Did he mean THE Guy back home? Or Obito? No, he would have said the name. Perhaps someone from their mission.

"Who?" he decided to question. A part of Minato wanted Kakashi to talk to get any frustration off his chest and help the boy get out any pent up energy.

"That guy!" Kakash insisted. "The one at the cafe!"

Now it came back. The guy being the blonde and pompous owner of a hostess cafe. He nodded in understanding, looking to Kakashi to continue.

"If she had just left well enough alone, she wouldn't have-" Kakashi stopped, and Minato had the pleasure to see the boy flush slightly, turning his face away.

Now it was getting interesting.

"Kakashi, you know you can tell me. In fact, you might have to if it concerned the mission."

The boy scoffed, drawing his knees to his chest and folding his arms over them. He was growing so fast...where was his little student that would hang on his every word with admiring eyes? Now he had the audacity to scoff at his sensei's words.

Kids are growing up too fast.

"It didn't involve the mission. But dammit, Rin fell for that guy's words too easily." he seethed, hands clutching his arms.

Minato felt his stomach clench. Did something happen to Rin while he wasn't looking? Albeit, he was busy on another part of the mission, but still, if she got hurt it would be on his head and heart to deal.

Kakashi must have seen the growing concern in his eyes for he sighed and then added, "Don't worry. She didn't get hurt if you're thinking that. And no, nothing really BAD happened."

Minato visibly relaxed, setting a scrutinizing gaze on the Hatake heir. "Then what happened?"

The genin fell silent, glaring at a spot on his hand. "That guy...the owner's son. He was talking to Rin to join him in the back to help out with some...shit I don't know, luggage?" he said, eyes burning brighter with fury for a second. "Well, she followed him, ALONE, and the asshole tried to corner her. Hell, he was ON TOP of her when I found them! If I hadn't gone looking for her, who knows what would have happened!"

Minato rose his eyebrow at the boy.

"It would have been fine and well with that, but then Rin had to defend him! Like he was a good guy! 'I only tripped!' she said. 'It was an accident' she said. Of course she was being too damn nice! She's always too nice! Well, I didn't want hear any of it so I just started to beat his face in."

Blue eyes couldn't have gone wider even if he tried. Kakashi taking on violence on impulse?

"Rin got angry with me and healed the bastard. He promised not to say a word of this to his dad because Rin begged him not to for the sake of the mission but DAMMIT ALL, she is too trusting!" he slammed his fist into the bark of the tree.

Now it's making sense.

The elder man turned his head away to hide a grin that threatened to grow.

"I mean, what was she thinking following that guy into that room alone? I don't care if she is a capable ninja who can defend herself, she is STILL a girl and I could practically smell how horny that ass was when he would look at Rin. The next time that happens, I swear I'll kill someone."

Once the raging words were out of his system, Kakashi was left panting, hands flexing from the force of the punch. He glared at his feet, probably expecting fire to start if he stared angrily enough at the wood.

Minato nodded, folding his arms in his best "wise man" pose. "I see...so you acted out against Rin's wishes and now she's angry at you for what you think was right."

"I-" the boy started, shocked. "I don't think-" Kakashi growled, turning his angry eyes to his teacher. "You're taking her side?"

"No, I'm taking neither. But I think you should consider Rin's feelings in this."

"Pheh," the boy scoffed again.

"I'm serious, Kakashi. Rin may appreciate being protected, but there's such a thing as going too far. Such as the mission. You endangered a paid job by going after the owners son in an act of violence. If things had gone bad, we would had a big problem for Kohona to deal with. Remember your ways of following the rules?"

At this, Kakashi winced. Perhaps the boy didn't think through that since he wasn't attacking the payer, he wasn't messing around with the mission. "There's no rule in self defense..." he mumbled.

"Rin probably felt embarrassed too, having a boy coming out to save her every time she is in trouble. I hear girls hate feeling so useless to their teammates on trips." he said thoughtfully. The times he had watched Kushina proved that.

"Why?" Kakashi asked bluntly. "What's wrong with a boy wanting to protect a girl?"

Humbled by the lad's honest confusion over the matter of being a hero, Minato smiled. "Its different when the girl is suppose to be part of a team Kakashi. I know you feel you can do everything on your own, but don't get too far ahead of yourself."

Dark eyes rolled skyward in annoyance as Kakashi leaned over his palm to rest on it. It was the same lecture his sensei keeps trying to drill into his head and to be honest, he could care less at the moment. He was far too irritated at life in general to care how he acted. Normally he would have given a simple nod while mentally erasing the message and telling himself he was the best and he could handle everything on his own.

Seeing the boy was ignoring him, Minato sighed. Kids these days...

"Regardless, I think you should apologize to Rin." Minato said.

"Why?" Kakashi snapped.

"Because, I heard you quite clearly, you called her stupid."

At this, guilt washed over the boys eyes and he cast them downward.

At least he had the grace to feel shame when he should. Minato regarded the preteen, wondering what was going through his mind and how he could forget an insult like that. Perhaps in the fighting, Kakashi lost his tongue and forgot he spoke it at all.

"...Ok." the Hatake heir mumbled, pushing himself onto his feet. He took a pause, looking to Minato, eyes betraying his nervousness. "You think that idiot can...you know, not watch?" he said, giving a silent begging message to distract Obito while he'll attempt to say sorry to Rin.

Smiling kindly at the boy, he nodded, also moving to stand. "Sure thing."

The stroll back was silent and by the time they arrived, Obito and Rin were waiting for them. The girl's eyes were red rimmed, showing she was crying and Obito was rubbing her back comfortingly. For once he didn't seem as excited as he normally would have touching his beloved Rin.

Kakashi gulped a lump in his throat at the sight of them.

Once they approached, Rin snapped her head up towards the duo and jumped to her feet. "Kakashi! Minato sensei! When we returned we didn't-" she said chattering away nervously.

"Yes, well before you say anything Rin-" Minato said to cut her off and made a dash towards Obito, grabbing him by the scruff of his jacket. "-Obito and me have some business to take care of!"

"What? Wha-HEY!" the onyx haired boy cried out, flailing his limbs as they sped away from the two that stood awkwardly before each other.

Minato sent a silent prayer of encouragement to Kakashi.

Good luck.

Rin played with the ends of her apron, eyes glued at his feet. Kakashi looked off to his left, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I said some awful things..." Rin broke the silence, a fact he was grateful for. "I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. You were only trying to keep me safe and I didn't listen, and I THOUGHT he was nice enough to trust. I still think he is, but I shouldn't have taken the risk and it was stupid-"

"Stop." Kakashi spoke up at last, unable to take her babbling. It only mounted on his guilt. Rin fell silent and he took a deep breathe. "Just...stop. I'm the one at fault. I lost my control and threatened a client's son while you were only helping them out. I...It was just when I walked in on that-" he growled out the last bit.

"Oh, anyone would think-"

"But it was me who-"

"You shouldn't have to be so-"

"No, but I should have been-"

The two stopped, breaking and starting new sentences until they fell silent again, cheeks painted pink.

"I'm sorry." Kakashi said at last. Rin snapped her head at him shocked and he flushed a deeper shade of pink. "I never say this, so...yeah. I mean it."

"I know you do, its just...a surprise is all." she said honestly astounded he would admit himself wrong. Shaking away her shock she smiled at him that same kind smile he loved to see. "I'm sorry too."

He stood there awkwardly, unsure of the next step when she spread out her arms.

"Friendly hug?" she offered.

He fought a groan. Why did girls have to be so touchy feely over a little apology?

Still, he rather stay on good terms (least she refuses to heal him next time he breaks an arm), and spread out his arms as well, looking away with a frown. Rin walked over to him, wrapping her arms comfortably around his sides and Kakashi around hers. He ignored how his nostrils flared up and stomach churned funnily when a single thought passed through his mind.

She smells nice.

And the two continued to hug (quickly releasing one another embarrassingly when Obito came charging in angrily at Kakashi) thankful they could return to...semi-normal business of missions and whatnot. They never fought again and if they starting of a bicker came up, all it took was Rin to look sad and Kakashi shut his trap for good.

He would have a hard time admitting that he hated seeing Rin sad and always was overjoyed when she smiled. But like hell he'd say that out loud.

WHEE~ I always wondered what would happen if Kakashi and Rin had a fight. I'd imagine not as smoothly as this, but hey, its fun to dream!