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A/N: Hi. I just want to say that I really love this pairing and hope to see more authors take it on in the future. This will only be two, maybe three chapters long at most. I really meant it as a one shot but this first part has been sitting on my computer for so long I figured I might as well just post it and see if the response can inspire me to get off my ass and actually finish the darn thing. This is pretty much a fluff fic but I hope that other authors will read it and think to themselves that this pairing is worth exploring.

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The Right Time and The Right Place

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"So that's the new girl, huh?" Genma asked, nodding to the redheaded girl sitting alone in the slightly crowded shinobi pub.

Aoba smirked. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's her. Definitely would've noticed her long ago if she wasn't."

"Mm," Genma agreed, leaning back on his stool to get a better look. "How old do you think she is?"

The other man shrugged, taking a sip from his beer. "I think they ranked her Chunin."

"Well that's something," Genma answered, still eyeing the girl. She didn't appear to be especially young, and the glasses thing the girl had going on was definitely hot.

He was about to ask another question when another rarity walked towards them. He nodded his head in greeting. "Heya Kakashi."

"Hey," the Jounin replied, coming to stand at just behind Aoba, as there were no free stools at the bar.

"What brings you out?" Aoba asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I'm avoiding a neighbor." He glanced around the room. "Seems busy tonight."

"Hey Kakashi," Genma started. "What do you know about the new girl?" He nodded to the redhead, stirring her drink with one hand and leaning her head on the other, looking completely bored.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, following his gaze. It was Karin that had obviously caught the special Jounin's eye. Well he was welcome to try, the man thought while schooling his features carefully. But given his brief experience with the girl, and later with what he had heard from the intel. division… Well, let's say he had no doubt the girl could handle Genma just fine.

"Not too much. I was the one who brought her in." That got the others full attention. Kakashi stroked his chin, making a show of considering the girl. "Well, she was betrayed by her own allies and they would've killed her if we hadn't intervened. That's gotta be tough… But at least she knows enough not to go running back to someone who obviously has no regard for her life- which is why she's here." Kakashi paused in mock consideration. "Originally she worked with Sound, so I'm sure you can imagine what that must have been like, being one of Orochimaru's underlings. Really a sad case when you look at it. "

Genma's smile seemed to widen as he listened. "Poor thing," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off her. "Must be lonely. Someone should welcome her properly." He then turned his head back to Kakashi. "Thanks man. I'll see you two."

Kakashi could only shake his head as Genma swaggered over towards the girl. It was probably a jerk thing to do, but who could blame him? Quality entertainment was quality entertainment after all.

Aoba frowned. "Damn it, I wanted a shot. Now I've gotta wait for Genma's sloppy seconds."

"Who's to say you can't have the firsts?" Kakashi commented mildly, realising he was probably going to go to hell for this… but if he was going to be forced out of his apartment, he might as well make the best of it. "Maybe Genma's not her type. You never know unless you try."

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Karin was bored and only slightly buzzed. The atmosphere was muggy, the crowed a sea of unknown faces. It had only been a week since she'd been instated as an active Konoha shinobi, three since her arrival, and she hated it.

Why was she here? She wasn't supposed to be, for one. They had placed a curfew on her head, part of her "probation". Another was that getting good and bloody drunk seemed like a good way to pass the time, at least it did before she got there. Now that she was here however, and saw the way everyone seemed to know exactly who she was, keeping a clear mind seemed best.

She took a slow sip from her glass, not really paying attention to anything when a mess of gray hair caught her attention. Her eyes looked over, actually recognizing the person who'd entered. It was the copy ninja, Sharingan Kakashi, Sasuke's old sensei. She felt her heart twist in her chest at the simple reminder. Karin looked away, downed the contents of her drink and then signaled waitress for another.

A minute passed when a man holding a senbon between his lips and wearing a cocksure smile came over to her table. Karin looked up at him, her face neutral as he placed a hand on the back of an empty seat, obvious he was looking for an invitation.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"No," Karin snapped before he had a chance.

His eyes lit up in amusement. "That's a little quick, don't you think?"

So she made a show of letting her eyes rove slowly down his body and then up. When their eyes met again, he gave her a wink that caused her to suspect she may just have vomited a little in her mouth.

The girl conceded to change her statement. "I'm sorry. What I ment to say was: Oh, hell no." Karin then turned her attention back to her drink.

"You're a bit harsh, you know?" the man replied, proceeding to sit himself down in the empty seat. "I'm Genma, by the way."

The girl sighed, wondering what she needed to do for him to take the hint.

When he received no acknowledgment, he continued on. "Look, I know how it is. It's tough. New home, new faces, new life… I just want to welcome you to our village, is all. I'm sure in time you'll come to love it. I mean, we're not all that bad, you have to admit."

Again he smiled his cocky smile, making her want pluck the annoying needle from his lips and stab it directly through his eye. But she couldn't- she was still on probation.

"Surely you could give me a name at least. It's got to be lonely, sitting here all by your self. I'd love to get to know you better."

"My name's Karin," she replied in a mild voice, finally giving him her attention. "Now, Genma was it?" He grinned. "Why don't you take those pleasantries of yours and sho-"

"Excuse me, but is this man bothering you?"

Karin looked up to see Genma's shades wearing friend hover to her right, as Genma scowled from her left.

"I don't believe this shit," she muttered pushing back her chair and picking up her glass. Her eyes made to scan the bar, looking for an escape, but instead they locked momentarily with Kakashi's lone dark one. He turned his head quickly, as though not wanting her to know he'd been watching. But that didn't bother her; the important thing was that there was one seat open beside him, and only one.

Karin stood, turning to Aoba. "Yes," she answered his question sweetly and then motioned to the two. "So feel free to kill each other."

She then bypassed the surprised shinobi and quickly made her way to the bar, sitting before either had the chance to reply. The man beside her showed no surprise to her actions and acted as though he hadn't even notice her. Karin decided to do the same and quietly sipped the rest of her drink.

After a few minutes the silence was getting to her. She'd expected the man to make at least some acknowledgment to her presence and staring a hole into the back wall was not proving much better. So she glanced back at her table and muttered, "The mighty leaf village."

The man at her side made no response and she continued to sip her drink.

Another minute passed and she began to wonder if he was just going to ignore her when a quiet breath startled her thoughts.

"You'll do fine," he breathed, not turning his head or shifting his eye in the slightest.

A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, though neither of them looked at the other. Instead she paid off her tab and left without a second glance.

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Kakashi looked up as Genma and Aoba flanked him, glaring daggers. He couldn't help but smirk.

"Talk about sour grapes," Genma said, sounding put out. "What a bitch."

"Did she say anything to you?" Aoba asked, taking back his now available former seat.

"To me?" Kakashi replied, quickly tossing a few coins down on the counter. "No." He then rose and motioned for Genma to take back his seat.

The special Jounin frowned. "Leaving already?"

"Yeah," he answered. "My apartment should be safe now."

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It took him longer than expected to track her down. He wasn't really sure why he was doing it, but he figured he could just chalk it up to some misguided notion of chivalry and wanting to see a young girl make it home safe at night.

It had nothing to do with wanting to see where she lived.

Or what she was up to.

Or maybe just spying on her.

Maybe….

But she didn't take a normal root to her new home and instead took to the roof tops, making it- well not hard, but a definite nuisance to find. And find her he did, laying back, eyes closed, and on the top of one of the taller buildings in the area.

Huh, he wondered, crouching down at her side. The girl was out like a light and hadn't even stirred at his arrival. How a person could fall asleep so quickly, he didn't know, but Kakashi guessed she must have been really tired to begin with… and maybe a little drunk.

But what was he going to do now? He couldn't just leave her there. That misplaced chivalry included leaving young women, vulnerable and alone on roof tops. He didn't like to think of it, but he knew not all his fellow Konoha citizens were upstanding individuals, and from experience he was perfectly aware that they could hold a grudge should they put together who exactly she was.

Carefully as he could, Kakashi lifted the sleeping girl. He looked down as she curled into his shoulder, as though clinging to him on instinct. And she was so light! All that fire and spite gone from her face, and in its place, this young woman, but where was he going to take her?

He didn't know where she lived. Didn't know of any friends she had, or even a superior he could dump her on, and somehow he doubted Ibiki would be impressed if he brought her there, though he was almost tempted to, just thinking of the reaction.

Well, he thought, there was always his place, but even that could lead to some awkward questions when she finally woke up.

Karin shifted a bit in his arms and the answer seemed to dawn on him, making its self so, so obvious: Just wake her up and ask her where she lived. He could have smacked himself for the simplicity.

"Karin," he said, giving the girl a little shake. "Karin, wake up."

Eyelids fluttered and slowly a pair of red eyes began to focus. Kakashi was about to put her down and speak, but before he had the chance, the girl's hand shot out, striking him with all her might in his face.

Karin screeched, pushing and squirming and easily escaping his shocked grasp. He was just able to make out the word "Pervert," before a knee painfully collided with his groin followed by a kick sending him stumbling to the ground. The man groaned, curling onto his side.

Kakashi cursed his own stupidity. Of course waking up to find a strange man carrying her would send her into defensive mode! He bit his split lip, willing the pain to pass and tasting the blood staining his mask. Of course falling into the fetal position was not the most appropriate thing for a shinobi to do when under attack, but he felt sure the girl would come to her senses before attempting to kick his head in, or at least he hopped she did, and right now the ground felt just fine.

It was only when he heard another screech and the sound of a third body that he looked over.

Karin was fighting with an ANBU agent.

Shit, he thought, immediately jumping to his feet and rushing over. Things could get very messy if he didn't nip it off quickly.

"Whoa, whoa there," he said coming forward, with a smile on his face. The fight really hadn't lasted long as the ANBU took only a moment to pin her on her knees with her hands held behind her back. "Let's not get over excited."

"Kakashi senpai," the masked man said in a stiff voice. "She attacked you."

Kakashi shrugged, looking down at the girl's growling face. Her brow was pinched in a harsh frown and her teeth were clenched and bared. She looked as though nothing would please her more than to scratch his eyes out.

The look suited her.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and returned his eye to the ANBU. "It was just a misunderstanding and from her point of view, rightly provoked. Release her and I'll take care of it from here."

"I can't do that. This woman is a former enemy and in violation of the curfew placed upon her on top of attacking a Konoha shinobi. I have to bring her in."

Kakashi's continued to smile but took a few moments to just stare directly into the hallowed eyeholes of the ANBU masked face. "Release her," he repeated, as though not having heard the former reply. "And I will take care of it from here." His voice was oddly casual but the Black Ops seemed to shift awkwardly from where he stood.

The two stared at each other before the ANBU gave a curt nod. "Yes senpai, and when I make a report for the evening…"

"You broke up a couple of teenagers getting a little friendly on a rooftop," Kakashi finished with a grin for him.

"Ah," the ANBU agreed, releasing the girl.

Less than a second later, he was gone. Karin was on her feet and in his face the instant they were alone.

"I suppose you expect me to thank you for that."

Kakashi sighed, still tasting the blood in his mouth. He needed to get home so he could change his mask and put some ice on a likely badly split lip. He looked at her and her pinched brow. "No, but an apology would be nice."

"For what?" she snapped while crossing her arms. "Practically molesting me? Tell me; are all men in this village total creeps?"

"Considering your former employer, don't you think that's a little harsh?" he answered easily back. "And I picked you up because I didn't think it was safe for you to be sleeping out here all a lone. I then realised I didn't know where to take you, so I woke you up."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to just wake me on the ground?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yes… looking back, that does appear the more suitable approach." He took a step forward, hoping she would understand his point of view. "So uh, do you mind telling me where you live so I can get you to a proper bed?"

Karin's mouth dropped.

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Please R&R

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