Author's Note: In this fic, I'm trying to show the different personalities of the characters. Like Kakashi, he can be serious, but he can also be funny. Tell me what'cha think by submitting a review or by e-mailing me. -.-; .

Chapter One: Take On Me

Hatake Kakashi stopped in his tracks when he saw a girl fall to her knees in front of him. A man appeared and Kakashi recognized him as Homura Wakago, the head of one of Konoha's greatest existing clans. Wakago walked over to the girl and bodily threw her to the side of their large house. What the hell? Kakashi thought. Isn't that his daughter? Just as Wakago was about to strike the sprawled girl, Kakashi stood between them.

"Move," Wakago ordered.

"What are you doing, Wakago-sama?" Kakashi asked the older man ever so politely yet with a cold, serious tone.

"Who are you to ask?"

"You are hurting her."

"She is my daughter and I can do anything with her."

Meanwhile, the girl looked up and watched them, her hands and knees still on the ground. Kakashi took a moment to glance at her but he couldn't see her face clearly, as it was covered by hair hanging limply and mud. He turned back to Wakago. "You are abusing her. She is your flesh and blood, it is a crime to harm her purposefully."

"She means nothing to me now," was Wakago's steely reply.

"If she doesn't, why do you bother to lay a hand on her?"

"You are right. And if you are so concerned about her, take her with you." And with that challenge, Wakago went back to the house.

For a couple of minutes, the silver-haired jounin wasn't quite sure what to do. He finally knelt beside the mud-streaked and bruised girl. "What's your name?"

She didn't answer. She just stared at him. Kakashi couldn't read her eyes, but he noticed that they were without tears. What a tough girl. Since it was clear that he wasn't getting an answer, Kakashi told the girl to follow him. The young Homura did as she was told and walked after the jounin like a shadow. Her limbs were sore and blood coming from the large scabs on her knees ran down her legs.

When Kakashi turned to check up on her, he was surprised to see that she was almost as tall as she was. "How old are you?" he asked. All he got was silence. Is she mute? Or is this the result of Wakago-sama's abuse? I wonder what really happened. He figured she must be about seventeen. This was going nowhere if he wouldn't be able to get any sound from the girl. "Well, sit down on that bench for a while. I will tend to your wounds."

The girl sat obediently. Her attention wavered for a moment and she directed her translucent eyes at the sky. She looked back down just in time to see the silver-haired man move to wipe off the blood on her right leg. She calmly took the wet cloth and the ointment from his hands and did everything by herself with Kakashi watching in amusement. Apparently, the girl was untouchable. He handed her some bandage and led her to his apartment.

"Who is she, Kakashi?" They passed Mitarashi Anko on the way. Beside her were fellow jounin Asuma and Kurenai, who gave Kakashi curious looks.

"Homura Wakago's daughter."

Kurenai looked closely at the girl. "Hyuro?" The girl stared back at her.

"Her name is Hyuro?" Kakashi asked.

"Hai. I saw her when I went to the Homura house a few months ago to deliver some things," Kurenai explained. "Hello, Hyuro."

Hyuro remained quiet, which intrigued Anko (causing her to check out the girl). "Holy crap! You've got a bruise the size of Japan on your arms! Is that a cut on your lip?" A closer look revealed that it wasn't a cut but a scar that started from the middle of her forehead down to her chin.

What the hell!? Kakashi was shocked. How long had her father been abusing her? "Shit."

"What was that?" Asuma looked at his friend.

He just shook his head. "Hyuro is now under my care."

"Why?" Anko wanted to know. Kakashi ignored her question and excused himself and his newfound companion. He felt a little less awkward, finally knowing the girl's name. They proceeded to his place.

Kakashi turned on the lights and blushed slightly as he looked around. "Excuse me for a while." He whizzed around, straightening out his bed covers, hiding his precious books under the bed and generally just cleaned his room while Hyuro watched. "I'm not sure if you like ramen but that's what we're going to have for lunch. You can use the bathroom to wash up before we leave."

As usual, Hyuro said nothing. Once safe inside the bathroom, she slipped out of her soiled clothes and bandages thinking that Kakashi probably didn't wish to walk around the village with a mud-streaked girl in tow. The tub was soon filled up with just enough water and she stuck her toe in to see if the temperature was just right. She allowed herself to sink in.

Nearly an hour later, Kakashi was still waiting for Hyuro to emerge from the bathroom. What is she doing in there? He thought rather curiously. He didn't think a girl like her could spend so much time in the tub. Knocking on the door, he asked, "Hyuro, are you OK in there?" As usual, his efforts were in vain. He decided to press his ear against the door. There's no sound, he began to wonder. No running water, no nothing. If she wasn't out in five minutes, Kakashi was going to consider it a case.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three... four... five.

"Hyuro?" He tried again. This was a rather difficult situation. But who knows if she was trying to kill herself in there? He had a bad feeling about this. He reluctantly tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. He slowly opened the door and couldn't help but chuckle at what he saw. Hyuro had fallen asleep in the tub with her back facing Kakashi and the door. No wonder there was no sound. "Should I wake her up?" Kakashi asked himself. At rest, Hyuro looked even calmer.

Finally, Kakashi drew nearer to get the thin girl out, then he stopped. She was naked. And she might wake up. "I'll just leave her there," he mumbled, then decided against it because she might drown. Without really looking, Kakashi carried Hyuro and placed her on the bed, drying her with a towel and covering her with his blanket.

Kakashi's stomach growled. "Damn, I'm hungry." There was a knock on the door so he opened it a crack and when he saw who it was, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"Kakashi, my boy!" The large, white-haired man in front of him grinned.

"What are you doing here, Jiraiya?"

"Just here to visit you. What are we doing out here? Let's go inside."

"I think it's probably better if we—" Kakashi tried to block Jiraiya's way but it was too late. The older man had managed to brush by him and into the apartment.

"Your place is unusually clean today, Kaka—" It was Jiraiya's turn to be cut short. "Who is that girl?" he whispered when he saw Hyuro sleeping on Kakashi's bed.

Kakashi didn't say anything but just stood hands in pockets behind the open-mouthed man. He'd let them say who she was themselves.

"Kakashi-kun." Jiraiya nudged him. "She's perfect for my data... she'll be the center of my story, for sure."

"I don't want you to use her."

"WHAT!?" the old pervert exclaimed (still whispering). "Are you serious? I can't let this chance pass me by! Do you read my books?"

"Yeah, I do," was Kakashi's calm reply.

"If you'll let me write about this angel, you'll get free copies! Come on, Hatake! Let me observe her for a while!"

"No."

By now, tears were streaming down the ero sennin's face. He pleaded and cajoled but Kakashi stood firm with his decision. He won't let Hyuro be exploited like that, especially now that she was his responsibility.

"Why? Why?" Jiraiya wailed. He continued sulking in the corner until Kakashi threw him out. "You are so selfish, Hatake! Not sharing your girl..."

"She is not my girl. She is not a thing that can be shared."

"Humph. It will be your fault if my next book won't be good."

"I'll still read it." Kakashi smiled prettily, eyes shutting for a moment.

Jiraiya stopped kidding around and looked at the younger shinobi seriously. "About what we talked about last week... don't forget."

"I won't," Kakashi answered just as seriously. He nodded at Jiraiya and went back in to his apartment. He glanced at the still sleeping Hyuro.

So much for lunch.


Hope ya liked it...