Safira's steps were rushed as she ran from her sensei, her grin widening. She leapt over a fence and scrambled up the steps to an abandoned apartment building. She slipped through the doors, closed them behind her softly and darted carefully along the hallway. She didn't even have to think about where to step so she didn't make the boards creak or fall out from under her. Her electric blue eyes darted about, scanning for any trace of someone else having visited her hiding spot and escape from normality. She slid into a room on the top floor and walked over to the window. She sat beside the molding curtains, ignoring everything in the room as she stared at the view of Konoha.
"You know, you should consider having more than one hiding spot." A calm, apathetic voice told her, causing her to shoot to her feet in surprise. Because of this, her feet hit a bad bit of flooring and it collapsed. She fell a few feet before a firm hand caught her. She looked up at who had saved her. Cold pepper eyes met hers, black bangs falling in the boy's face. He pulled her up and she nodded numbly at him as they stood still. She stared, unafraid, as he examined her slightly.
"Aren't 'cha gonna thank my friend?" A boy with curly black hair and coal eyes asked as he entered the room. The girl's eyes flicked to him and back swiftly. "What, nothing to say?" He teased. Safira just set her jaw, crossing her arms. Her blazing stare turned to a fierce glare.
"My name is Itachi. This is Shisui." The first boy said. His friend- Shisui- nodded in greeting. "Our sensei sent us to help your sensei track you down."
"They never told us your name, only that your eyes and hair make you noticeable." Shisui added, reaching forward to snag a lock of Safira's bright blue hair. She slapped his hand away and took a few steps backwards to the window. Shisui and Itachi's eyes widened slightly as they realized what she was planning. "Hey, don't-" He was too late. Safira had spun around leapt to the frame out of the window. She let herself fall for a moment, then she added chakra to her hands and feet and scrambled at the wall. She managed to stop her fall twenty feet above ground. Her body thrummed with adrenaline as she grinned up at the window she had just jumped out of and the two boys' shocked and annoyed expressions. She waved up at them before dropping to the ground and taking off again. She breezed through alleyways and back roads to avoid traffic and soon made it to the academy again. She poured chakra to her feet and sprinted up the walls. She collapsed on a bench, throwing an arm over her eyes and letting her body relax. Her breathing soothed after a moment and she nearly drifted into a lazy dream-state.
"Enjoying yourself?" Safira jolted upright, hands reaching for her kunai pouch when Shisui grabbed it. He grinned at her. "Pretty fast, ain't'cha?" She didn't respond, only stared at him with confused eyes. He frowned a bit. "Ne, Itachi, she's a bit quiet, isn't she?" Itachi only hummed a response, watching in bemusement as his cousin and best friend tried to coax Safira into speaking.
"Shisui, let's get her to her sensei." Shisui nodded, standing up and dragging the girl with him. She just rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, slipping out of his grip. She walked past Itachi and towards a locker.
"Hey, where are you going?" She just pointed over her shoulder at the clock. Shisui stared at it dumbly before turning to Itachi. "She just wasted the last hour of school, making us run after her." He stated simply. Itachi let out a small sigh that was barely audible.
"Yo, dragon girl." The two boys turned in surprise at the new voice. A teen with silver hair and a mask over his face was ruffling Safira's bright blue hair. She slapped his hand away and continued to dig quietly through her locker. The teen turned to the two boys. "Sorry about making you miss school to find her. At least you got a good practice in, right?" His one visible eye closed in what they assumed to be a smile. Safira smacked him in the stomach without looking. He chuckled. "Yeah, I get it, dragon girl. Don't be so cheerful."
"Excuse me, but who're you- and if you know, who's she?" Shisui asked. The silver-haired boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi." Their eyes widened- the copycat ninja was here, apologizing for this school-skipping girl? "And this is Ryutsuki Safira." He patted her hair. She slapped his hand away and mimed the Hatake clan symbol in the air. He snickered softly. "Although she'd prefer being Hatake Safira." Shisui smirked nervously.
"Why, she in love with you?" He teased. Safira gave a little glare at him while Kakashi chuckled.
"No. When she did talk, she said I was her pseudo brother." Itachi blinked owlishly.
"What do you mean, 'did' talk?" Kakashi's eyes darkened slightly.
"Something happened that put her into a self-imposed silence. We haven't heard her voice in seven months." Shisui's jaw dropped slightly and he turned to Itachi.
"She's even more quiet than you!" He crowed. Itachi's expression dropped into a deadpan as Kakashi laughed. Safira brushed past Kakashi with a scowl and she walked out the doors.
"Hey, dragon girl!" Kakashi yelled after her. "Wait up!" The teen sighed and chased after his silent seven-year-old companion. The two seven-year-old boys stared after the two in slight disbelief.
"Wait, why does he call her 'dragon girl'?" Shisui asked. Itachi gave a silent shrug before walking out. "Hey!" Shisui snapped, running after him.
Safira smiled slightly to herself as Kakashi walked her home. She tugged on his sleeve. He turned to her, eyebrow raised. She pointed at the two boys walking home- away from them- then at the school. Kakashi smiled slightly.
"I'll see if I can get you in their class, Saf." He assured her with a rub of her hair that usually guaranteed her slapping his hand. Instead, she darted forward towards her home with a grin forming on her face.
Maybe, just maybe, she could start to speak again soon.