He said, "My friend wanted me to ask you for your number. But judging from our conversation, you don't seem to be his type, do you?"
One blink. Two blinks. The words didn't go through.
"What?" Chiisai shook her head and laughed. "Sorry, I must have misheard you."
"You didn't," he said. He smiled and leaned forward, adding, "Guy thinks you're cute."
Was he joking? And why was her face suddenly hot? Chiisai waved her hand and replied, "Yes, well, I'm flattered, but I don't do relationships. It's too much of a hassle."
"I completely agree," Kakashi nodded. He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck.
Her gaze flickered to the other side of the road, and she made eye contact with Mizuki. Nightmares, fears of losing her husband and sons, flickered across Chiisai's vision, as well as dreams of the third war. And there was the dream of making the best pancakes in the village- that one had been particularly strong in her younger years.
There was a smile on the older woman's face as she looked between Chiisai and Kakashi. And then, gods, Mizuki winked at her!
"Someone you know?" There was amusement in his tone, and his breath was warm in her ear.
She jumped, turning to him. He stood a hand space away from her, and heat rose on her cheeks. He smelled like clean laundry, and she chastised herself for even noticing.
"She's a coworker. I'm going to catch up to her," she said, jutting her thumb towards Mizuki. "Goodbye."
She bolted like a deer before he could respond. Mizuki brushed her graying hair behind her ear and raised her eyebrows as she approached. "My, my, Chiisai, what have you been up to?"
"That's none of your business. But, just so you know, he was only walking me to work." She paused, readjusted her bag, and then added, "We met five minutes ago."
"Uh-huh." The woman said. "I thought you disliked shinobi."
"That still stands," Chiisai said. "Except for you, but you were a medic nin. It's different. Anyway, I think he was seeing if I was his friend's type. Here, let me get that for you." Chiisai picked up the extra bag she was carrying. It was heavier than she thought it was, and she glanced down at its zipper. "What's in this thing?"
"You'll see."
Chiisai frowned and turned her head back down the road, but Kakashi was gone.
Her secret was safe.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Kakashi IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Kakashi stepped into the bookstore and headed to his favorite genre section, peering through the shelves in search for a book he hadn't read. After all, the weekend's forecast called for 90% chance of rain, and he didn't have a mission. What else was there to do? It was nights like these where, if left to his own devices, he would dwell all night on the past- especially given this year's recent events.
This morning was a fun distraction. Saving a woman from a mouth full of dirt was surprisingly entertaining, and she wasn't bad on the eyes either. She seemed constantly flustered around him, and he had enjoyed the innocent flirtation, though she had acted odd several times. Either way, it had been a welcome exchange from his friends' constant concerns for him and the disbandment of his team.
He doubted Guy would even remember her once he came back from his mission.
But now Kakashi had serious matters to attend to- like discovering Orochimaru's whereabouts. Not to mention the rising organization of rogue ninja. If only Lady Tsunade hadn't forced him to take the next week off. He must be pretty bad off, to be called off at such a time in the Leaf's history. Something must have slipped in his reports- were they too disassociated? He had barely any time off after his recovery from Itachi's Mangeyko Sharingan, which made the situation even more confusing.
He was too stressed, too on edge, and everyone was worried about him. And now he had all the time in the world to fret about everything wrong in his life.
Kakashi stepped into the next aisle and paused, blinking in surprise.
Chiisai's small frame leaned against the bookcase, gazing down at a book. Unlike this morning, her hair was pulled back in an elaborate twist, and dark smudges stained the corner of her eyes. There was also white makeup on her neck. Odd.
Her head was down, body hunched, oblivious to all around her as she read each sentence. She at least seemed at ease here. It was more than ease, her guard was completely down. And her scent itself smelled of cat and books- like books yellowed and worn with age. It was likely part of her occupation- the library? Likely- she had looked relieved to see it earlier. Why was he so curious? And Six Paths, had he just been checking her out?
The woman snorted at the novel and shook her head. Kakashi found himself stepping towards her. His eyebrows shot up at the book in her hand. He said, ""Craving the Kunai?" Interesting choice."
She immediately straightened, and the book tumbled out of her hands. Kakashi watched as she rushed to catch it, only to bang her forehead on the shelf in front of her. The sound echoed off the shelves.
She was incredibly clumsy, wasn't she?
Kakashi caught the book before it hit the ground.
She winced and rubbed her forehead. A look of pain crossed her face as they met each other's gazes. It was the same expression she made when they had first met, and he wanted to know why.
He handed the novel to her and she placed it back on the shelf. Kakashi straightened and took a step back. She clearly didn't like him close to her.
"You startled me." Chiisai tucked her bangs behind her ear and blinked up at him. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged and replied, "No mission, rainy weekend- it seemed the perfect time to grab a new book." He shoved his hands in his pockets and asked, "You?"
"Same," she replied, "minus the mission part. I'm trying to read a different genre every week, and the library didn't have any new romances available. Apparently this store has a different supplier."
"Oh? Which book are you looking for?" This was a challenge easily accepted.
Chiisai scanned the bookshelves around her, and it looked like she was trying her best not to make eye contact. "Well, you saw the one I was holding. Do you recommend it?"
He tilted his head. She appeared less frazzled than earlier today. "Depends. How much romance do you want?"
Kakashi smiled as she glanced away. She massaged the side of her neck and replied, "Something that's well balanced. And, um, also has emotional intimacy? The ones that have been recommended to me lately haven't had much of a plot." The tips of her fingers pressed together as she stared at his vest. She added, "Middle-aged women seem to like it though."
He studied the shelves and nodded. "I think I have a book in mind." Icha Icha was out of the question, but if he recalled correctly, there was one book that had him on the verge of both laughing and blushing at the same time. It was one of those that had a surprising balance of action, comedy, and romance, and he planned on rereading it within the next several days. After he reread Icha Icha, of course.
Reading and training were the most reliable forms of escapism, he had found, and he planned on utilizing all of them on his "vacation."
Kakashi stepped around her, pried a book loose from the shelf, and turned around. He handed it to her and said, "Ever heard of 'Dreaming of Love?'"
Chiisai blinked down at the novel, flipped it over, and read the back cover. Kakashi watched as she scanned each sentence. She was a head shorter than him, coming up to his chest. Under the ceiling lights, her hair shined in dark browns with occasional reddish hues. It reminded him of Rin.
Chiisai tilted her head up and said, "You really must read a lot of romance novels."
He shifted his eye away. "I've read a few."
She shrugged and smiled, saying, "I find it difficult to discriminate against literary genres- it's part of my job. Thank you for the suggestion."
Kakashi blinked down at her, mildly surprised at her sincere response. He had expected her to scold him, even though most knew of his immoral habit.
Kakashi asked, "How did it go with the four year olds?"
Her eyes widened briefly before she replied, "My coworkers made me dress up as the main character, Princess Kaguya." She pointed at her face and said, "Make-up and everything. I think they were trying to punish me for my antisocial behavior ."
She met his gaze, tensed, and glanced at his headband. She held the book up in the air, saying, "Thanks again for the recommendation."
"No problem," he smiled. There it was, that look again- the one trimmed with pain. His mind flickered back to earlier this morning. Chiisai had stared at him as if she had seen the worst events of his life on replay. She had even shed a tear.
He was curious as to why her past haunted her so severely. Not that he was one to pry, of course. But it was obvious Chiisai needed a distraction as much as he did.
He surprised himself as he asked, "Would you mind if I walked you home? It's pretty late, after all." Six Paths help him, he had asked to walk with her twice in one day.
Her eyes widened for a moment, but she recovered and smiled, "It's alright. I don't live very far. And if you're still thinking of Guy, please let him know I'm definitely not his type." She backed away and bit her lower lip. "But let him down easy. I'm sure he'll bounce to someone new quickly, if he hasn't already forgotten."
He nodded. For someone who had just met him, she sure knew how Guy would act. Perhaps his reputation was that well-known throughout the village. It wouldn't surprise Kakashi.
Kakashi asked, "What is your type then?"
She paused for a moment. Then she held up the book, smiled, and said, "Fictional."
He smiled back. "I see." What a strange woman. "I won't keep you then."
Chiisai tucked her bangs behind her ear and replied, "See you around."
He watched her hips sway with each step until she was out of sight. The ninja scratched his head for a moment. He had come on too strong, he was sure, and had scared her off for good. But why would that matter? He wasn't looking for romance, not with his job. He had killed the last person who had tried to confess her feelings to him. That certainly wasn't a good resume to have when looking for love.
But he wasn't looking for love, and he never would be. After all, who was he to deserve such a luxury in life?
He shook his head. To distract himself, Kakashi eyed the shelf nearest him for a few minutes, scanning for any unfamiliar books. Chiisai may not have been Guy's type, but if Kakashi had ever explored the possibilities of dating, she might be his. But even then, she was only a civilian, and that would make her an easy target for his enemies. He knew he was listed in the bingo book in neighboring hidden villages, and he had heard countless stories of revenge.
Nope, the single life was definitely the life for him.
Kakashi sighed and drew his hand back after a worker announced they'd close in fifteen minutes. He headed back towards the exit, waving at the cashier as he went by. The rain had already started, the cold raindrops splattering on his shoulders and face as he stepped out into the darkness. Was it really almost ten? It was unusually quiet for a Friday night, but the weather wasn't one to take a stroll in. The wind picked up, bristling his unkempt hair and raising goosebumps on his exposed skin. Chiisai didn't have an umbrella, he remembered, and the rain was picking up.
Kakashi paused mid step and sniffed the air, his body tensing at the familiar smell.
He knew the scent of blood- and it wasn't a lot but it was still fresh, barely starting to fade with the rain.
His shoes slushed against the soggy ground as he sprinted down the road. He heard a body hit solid concrete, heard Chiisai's voice cry out. There was a struggle, a man yelling for her to stop. Kakashi flickered into a side alley and surveyed the scene in a split second.
Hot anger flooded his sight, and he fought the urge to slam his fist into someone's face.
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