The crisp winter air blew gently against the small bouquet of flowers that were held in gloved hands. 

The sun only began to rise just moments earlier as Hatake Kakashi solemnly made his way to the burial yard. 

Every year, on this day only one thing was on his mind. Everything else took a backseat to the one thing that drove him to where he was headed. 

The birthday of his fallen best friend, Obito. 

It was one time out of many throughout the year that he set aside for his friend. 

It was the least he could do, even though his sacrifices would never challenge that of Obito's. 

With little sense of urgency, he slowly made his way up the steps that lead into the graveyard. The grip that he had on the delicate flowers increased slightly as he walked the pathway that lead to a row of gravestones. 

A small, nearly invisible smile marked his lips as he finally stood before the gravestone of the Uchiha. 

He crouched down as the fingertips of his free hand ghosted over the ingrained name of his friend, before he set the flowers neatly onto the stone. 

"Happy birthday, Obito," he whispered "31 already, huh?"

He stood back to his full height, his eyes still trained onto the gravestone. 

"Seems like we've both gotten old."

He stood there a few moments longer in silence, deeming his words not worthy of conveying his feelings. Everything that's happened in the past 17 years would take more than a short visit to explain, possibly more than a day. 

"But we'll get that day soon, won't we?" Kakashi thought to himself as his single eye slid shut. He could feel Obito's eye slowly start to water beneath his askew headband, causing a sad half smile to form beneath his navy mask. 

"Still have something in your eye?" he asked mentally as he looked back down at the cluster of flowers he left. 

He kept his gaze locked there as he focused on someone else's presence as they silently approach him from behind. 

"Kakashi?" a familiar voice called quietly, as if their presence threatened to break the silence. 

"Hn?" he grunted back without looking behind him, "What is it you need, Shizune?"

She took in a small puff of air before responding quietly, "Tsunade needs you at the hospital,"

He looked over his shoulder slowly, raising an eyebrow for an explanation. 

"It's about Rin." 

Kakashi's head slowly looked turned back around towards Obito's grave. His body tensed slightly as he thought about his other teammate. 

The one that he vowed to protect. 

In a matter of seconds, all of his thoughts revolved around one thing: losing another teammate. It wasn't unlikely, considering the condition Rin has been in for the past 5 odd years. 

The odds of someone being in a comatose state for that long and waking up, were close to none. 

But Kakashi hadn't quite prepared himself for the moment when she finally leaves him too. And he sure wasn't ready now. 

"What about Rin?" he asked just above a whisper, turning around fully to face the medical-nin.

A small smile flashed onto Shizune's face which completely dispelled all of Kakashi's negative thoughts. 

"Come to the hospital," she repeated quietly. 

Kakashi stood there silently, studying her. Medical-nin always had a way of breaking the news to people, he just wanted to be sure he wasn't another victim. 

"Go ahead and head back," he paused as he turned back around and crouched again, "I have something that I'd like to finish up first."

She hesitated before nodding her head. She quickly wove the signs for the transportation jutsu that would bring her back to the hospital. 

"Don't take too long," was the last thing she murmured before disappearing completely. 

Kakashi took a few moments to allow the silence to engulf him once again as he brought his attention back to his best friend. 

"I'm sure you're the one that should be receiving the gift today, Obito," he whispered as he stood up and wove the signs for the transportation jutsu. 

"But thank you," he thought as he disappeared, a cloud of smoke taking his presence. 

A single golden ray of sunlight showered down onto Obito's gravestone, the flowers gently fluttering in the wind.