Kakashi sank to his knees beside Chiisai. His fist came down hard on the marble floor, causing it to crack and splinter under his weight. His head bowed, he closed his eye, fighting down the familiar emotions that so easily seemed to ensnare him. He gathered her limp body in his arms. Her head tilted back and her hair parted to reveal her expressionless face and her wide gaping eyes, her cheeks still wet from her tears.

"You stupid girl," he whispered raggedly. "You weren't supposed to do that."

He traced the side of her face, silently cursing and begging she come back to him. Her skin was cold to the touch, unlike the fire that burned inside him. He willed her to feel his warmth, to open her eyes as his fingers sank into her arm. But this nightmare around him was real, and Chiisai did not wake up.

He brought his face close to hers, brushing her hair back for the last time. Against his instincts, Kakashi laid her back down. He stood and took a step back, though he couldn't tear his eye away from her. But he couldn't linger like this.

But what could Kakashi do while stuck in the shell of Chiisai's mind? She had been the key to this mission, and now she was no more.

He turned away, holding his face in his hands. The mission was failing.

What had they done?

-Two Weeks Prior-

The only reason he noticed her was because he had failed to notice her so many times before. He had been talking to Gai, trying to refuse another rival challenge. In his efforts to end the conversation, Kakashi turned to walk away. Unfortunately, he moved right when she walked past him.

With the swiftness of an experienced shinobi, Kakashi reached for her shoulder and instantly straightened her stumbling frame. She released a cry of alarm and clenched the cup in her hand. The lid popped open from the force, spewing its contents all over her top.

"Ah, sorry. You okay?" Kakashi asked. He glanced down at her soiled jacket, almost frowning at seeing the milk. That wasn't the most common beverage to travel with, after all.

The woman's shocked expression hardened to a glare. The jonin was more than a head taller than her, with only one eye visible against his fabric-cladded face. Her eyes widened at Hatake Kakashi, the elite copy ninja of Konoha. "Yeah, I'm good," she managed to say. But she had already made eye contact with him. Red images flooded her vision then, stealing her breath away.

"My deepest apologies for my friend!" Gai grabbed her hand, forgetting all moral conduct as he now stood inches away from the stranger. "Are you alright?!"

The touch rooted her back to reality. "I'm...I'm fine. Just cold." She gave him a faint smile before sliding her hand out from his calloused grip. For once, she was thankful for the physical contact.

Might Gai pointed a finger at his comrade and yelled, "Kakashi, this is exactly why we need a challenge! Your skills are withering right in the springtime of our youth!"

The jonin barely responded to him, rather, his eye remained fixed on the woman in front of them. Her eyes held a silent pain, the creases around them revealing that she indeed seemed alert and ready. And she refused to look at him. How odd...

"Oi, Kakashi."

"Hm? Sorry, I was distracted," he replied with a bland voice.

Gai noticed who claimed his friend's attention. He glanced back at the dark-haired woman. "Wait," he said, "I've seen you somewhere before. Doesn't she look familiar, Kakashi?" He turned to his friend, who shrugged again. Both now studied her, much to her growing unease.

She paused, and for the briefest of moments her body seemed to seize up with tension. No sooner had Kakashi noticed, than the woman was already replying, "We both jog early in the morning...You pass me at least three times."

Gai looked her up and down once more. "Hm, no, I don't remember passing anyone."

"Probably because you're moving too fast to notice," she suggested. She glanced down at her shirt again and sighed. "Look, I have to change. It was nice...Well, see ya."

Kakashi and Gai (with a grin) both nodded, watching her until she hastily rounded the corner.

"Ha ha! There's at least one woman in the Leaf who dislikes you!" Gai clapped his friend on the back, causing Kakashi to stumble forward. "Now how about that challenge?!"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The second time they crossed paths occurred at the bookstore. He was in his favorite genre section, peering through the shelves in search for a book he hadn't read. He stepped into the next aisle to see her small frame against the shelf, looking intently at a scandalous book. Kakashi remained still, taking in the way her hair hung over her face as her forehead pressed against the wooden shelf.

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 books- it was likely part of her occupation.

The woman snorted at the novel and shook her head. Kakashi stepped towards her, noticing the familiar book. "You don't seem the type of woman who enjoys such passionate books."

She immediately straightened, the movement causing the book to tumble out of her hands. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as she rushed to catch it, only to bang her head on the shelf in front of her. "Ow!" The novel fell to the floor with a thud. The woman squeezed her eyes shut and muttered, "You just love startling me, don't you."

"Sorry, sorry." Kakashi picked up the book and handed it to her. She mumbled a thank you before asking, "…Your name has something to do with farming, right?"

He raised an eyebrow and replied, "Kakashi. I never caught your name."

"Chiisai." She took one last glimpse at the book and placed it back on the shelf. The jonin gazed at the novel still, much to her embarrassment. Chiisai scratched her head and explained, "I'm trying to read a book from a different genre each week. It's just hard to find something not so erotic." Really, you think a bookstore would separate romance from erotica.

"Oh? What kind of romance?" This was a challenge easily accepted.

Chiisai crossed her arms. She shouldn't have felt the need to explain herself. And now, the ninja was curious. "No really, I'm fine. You've…helped enough."

Well, that was the first time he had heard someone say that to him in such a tone. But her defensive reply and nervous look most likely meant she didn't want to tell him, which meant...

"So you are into them," he commented.

"Of course not!" Chiisai's face took on a reddish hue as she glared up at the ninja. "You really want to know? It's cheesy. Awful cheesy romance."

Kakashi nodded before strolling past her. Icha Icha was out of the question, but if he recalled correctly (which he always did), there was one book that had him both gagging and blushing at the same time...

She watched him stop as his finger traced a spine. He pried the book loose from the shelf and trudged back."This should have all the 'cheese' you're looking for."

Chiisai blinked down at the novel, surprised at his help. She ran a hand through her dark hair, pushing it back. Smirking to herself, she tilted her head and said, "You really must read a lot of romance novels."

He shifted his eye away and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've read a few."

She shrugged and muttered, "Well, I find it hard to discriminate against literary genres, so whatever works I guess." Chiisai was glad there were people out there who still enjoyed reading...Even if it happened to be a ninja who enjoyed scaring her.

The jonin blinked down at her, mildly surprised at her response. He had expected her to scold him, even though most knew of his immoral habit. Not to mention their last encounter together. Surely she hated him to some degree.

She met his gaze, tensed, and quickly turned away with a pained expression. "Well, thanks for the book." She held it up in the air. "This was what I came for, so..."

"No problem," he smiled.

Chiisai gave him a brief nod of goodbye and quickly left the aisle. The ninja scratched his head for a moment, trying to figure out the short female who pretended she didn't know who he was. Chiisai still couldn't meet his eye, but it wasn't out of fear. It certainly wasn't out of admiration, like other women who 'happened' to cross his path. But it wasn't anger either.

He shook his head, alarmed at his obsessive thoughts. To distract himself, the man eyed the shelf nearest him, scanning for any unfamiliar books. But the image of her posture going rigid seemed to haunt him. Something about her was off.

Kakashi sighed after a few minutes and drew his hand back. That girl was going to be on his mind tonight it seemed. Lazily, he walked back towards the exit, waving at the cashier as he went by. It was still raining it seemed. The bell dinged 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 for one to take a stroll in. The wind picked up, bristling his unkept hair and raising goosebumps on his exposed skin. Kakashi paused mid step and sniffed the air.

Chiisai's scent of books still lingered, but it now mingled with the hint of iron. She had more than a scratch for it to be so pungent.

His shoes slushed against the soggy ground as he sprinted towards her scent. He could now hear her body hitting solid concrete, her cry forced silent under someone's hand. Kakashi appeared in a side alley, taking in the scene before him.

And immediately slammed his fist into the attacker's face.