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The discovery that your soulmate was alive and present gave an individual so many different feelings, that it overwhelmed them as the colored mark appeared on their body.
contentment, flabbergast, melancholy, endearment.
And all Kakashi felt was endearment.
14 years without a soulmark,
14 years watching everyone meet theirs or get their soul mark.
The scratchy feeling etched itself on his wrist. A golden crown, a small broken looking diamond in the middle.
He smiled, until he really couldn't really smile anymore.
Melancholy filled him after though.
Soulmates were ever so rare to find.
But he just hoped, his was happy.
___
Naruto couldn't help but overhear the conversation most of the Konoha 11 were having (well, not really. They were talking way too loud for anyone not to hear them.)
"You should have seen Shika's face." Choji stated as he munched on a handful of barbeque chips.
Shikamaru flushed light pink, "I was just surprised. The likeliness of meeting your soulmate is rare... mostly seeing as we're shinobi."
Naruto nodded absent mindedly, you could actually kill your own soulmate on the battle field without knowing.
As he was pondering on his thoughts, he didn't realize how quiet it had gotten.
He smiled to himself and traced his fingers on his soul mark, humming at the thought of ever finding his mate.
"Ne Naruto..." Ino drawled, smirking.
Sakura chuckled, "Oh leave him be. Naruto, why are you so down today?"
Before he could refuse that he wasn't, Ino rushed to his side, with her hands on her hips, humming and smirking.
"Soulmate?"
Naruto flushed, "I'm not sure." the blonde quickly covered his soul mark and narrowed his eyes.
The other blonde sat by his side.
"Come on Naruto, you can tell us. I'll show you my soul mark..."
Smiling shakily, he sighed.
"Alright, I guess."
Ino nodded and pushed her hair off her neck, revealing a dark black soul mark.
Naruto blinked his eyes, and Ino tossed him a look that said: 'yeah, shocking. I know.'
On her neck, was a black bird in a painting. If he didn't know better, he would have guessed it was Sasuke.
But Sasuke already found his soulmate.
Most of his friends had already, he was the only one who hadn't... Contrary to what Shikamaru had stated about soulmates.
He took a small breath in, and pushed his sleeve back, leaving his soul mark in full view.
He watched as everyone's eyes widened, some seemed disappointed, but most seemed happy for him.
Naruto smiled shakily once more, "I... Yeah, so." he muttered, and just before Ino could say anything he watched as all eyes trailed upwards to look behind him.
He turned around, almost falling of his seat in doing so.
"Kakashi-sensei. Uh, is something wrong?"
The copy nin didn't reply, but he definitely kept his eyes and attention on Naruto arm.
Kakashi eye smiled, "Maa, sorry... I got lost in thought. I was... I didn't find you at the training grounds so I came here..." Kakashi stopped, suddenly understanding he was saying what wasn't needed.
His eyes stuck on Naruto's now sleeved arm. "Training?"
Realization dawned on Naruto and he nodded. "Yeah!" he got up and grabbed Kakashi by the arm (after bidding goodbye to his still shocked looking? friends.)
__
After hours of sparring, Naruto fell to the ground.
His chest raggedly trying to calm itself.
Kakashi crouched next to him, breathing fast but not rapid unlike the teen below him.
"Sensei?"
Kakashi hummed, and found himself staring at Naruto's arm.
The arm that had his soul mark.
"Would you like to go for ramen?"
He chuckled inwardly, "Why not."
___
The flicker of your soulmark tells you everything that you had prayed not to happen.
The flicker plays with your feelings as you watch your soul mark disappear and re-appear.
Naruto's eyes widened.
No, no. Please, you can't die.
The flicker had his tears searing down his cheeks.
But he had no time to cry, he had no time to mourn.
He only had time to rush, rush to find his sensei bleeding to death on the bed.
"Naruto!" Sakura rushed in, her eyes full of tears. "It's Kakas-It's Kakashi!"
__
I love you.
I love you.
I love you, were the words written directly under his soul mark.
The words that made him cry even more,
the words that made him realize that his sensei was his soulmate.
The words, written in blood on his sensei's wrist.
3 simple words that had him on his knees, begging Kakashi to come back.
He watched his soulmark flicker.
Its golden color turning sickening yellow.
Its presence disappearing from his skin.
And finally, it did.
Leaving only crimson words on his arm.
___