Kakashi sells one of his beloved books. A silly little one shot that popped into my head while I was working on a longer story (Gifts of the Kazekage in case you are interested…hint, hint). Rated 13, but there's only a little bit of bad language. This occurs during the chunin exams. I did not create these characters, but I sure do like using them.
Used Paradise For Sale
The man waiting in the alley kicked at the ground in frustration, he hated when people were late. He had other places he was supposed to be and he really did not want anyone to see him here. The Leaf Village had good security under normal circumstances, but during the chunin exams it had been tightened even further. The man did not want to have to explain his business in this alley to any overly curious shinobi. It might lead to questions that he did not want to answer.
He was just getting ready to give up and leave when a voice hailed him.
"Yo. Eisuke is it?"
The man swallowed, he had not expected this. He knew this man who was strolling towards him, one hand raised in greeting. Well, he was not about to back out now, any sign of hesitation on his part would probably make the other man suspicious. And making Hatake Kakashi suspicious was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
"So Eisuke? You are him, right?" One eyebrow rose with the question. The white haired shinobi looked the man up and down. He saw a young man in his early twenties, dressed like a prosperous merchant from the Land of Wind. A lot of merchants came to the final rounds of the chunin exams. So this guy might be in town for that.
"Er, right, that's me. Sorry, I wasn't expecting…well."
Kakashi waved a hand, "No need to apologize. That should be my job. I am late." He shrugged, "I have a little problem with that from time to time."
He might have been grinning under his mask, "So are you in town to watch the finals?"
"That's right."
"And to do some business too, I take it?"
"Yeah. So do you have it with you?"
"Yes, I do. I am planning on buying the special edition. It's an expanded version with two additional chapters and is supposed to have stills from the upcoming movie. So I thought I'd sell this one. The used book stores never give you good value if you are selling, so I…"
"I get it. You need a little extra cash to buy it. I guess the Leaf doesn't pay quite as well as I had thought," the man almost sneered, but then caught himself.
Kakashi shrugged, "Maybe. Anyways, here it is."
He reached into a pocket to retrieve a small book with a green cover. He placed it in Eisuke's outstretched hands.
"Looks like it's been read about a million times," Eisuke raised an eyebrow as he fingered the dog eared cover, "That good huh?"
"The best!" Kakashi was definitely grinning under his mask.
They haggled over the price awhile, not because either man was really looking for a steal or a deal, but because it was tradition.
"Okay? Done?"
"Yeah. You've got a deal."
They exchanged money and goods.
"Excellent. Well then, maybe I will see you at the finals."
Eisuke shrugged, "Maybe. I am sure you will be busy with other things then. You've got two students competing, right? You must be busy getting them ready."
One of Kakashi's shoulders lifted in a shrug, "Busy enough. This was my first break in days. But hey, the Sand must be proud…three candidates and three interesting styles. I'm not really into styles that rely heavily on tools or props myself, they aren't practical in field situations, but they are just fun to watch."
Eisuke flushed, "Just fun…like hell! There's no jutsu stronger than…" He stopped himself. Irritating Kakashi would be as bad as making him suspicious. "Er…sorry. I mean, yeah, they're excellent candidates. The best there is." He grinned. "And just wait until these next rounds; you will not believe it even when you see it."
"Hmm. No need to apologize. I'm glad your shinobi have such loyal supporters. I'm glad they've brought their best, wouldn't have it any other way."
Kakashi leaned forward, Eisuke felt himself go tense. Had he said too much? But the Leaf jounin just winked at him.
"And as for any surprises," he said in a soft voice, "I love them myself. The more the better. My genin always need that extra challenge, especially Naruto. So great, bring it on…I mean, I hope they bring it on."
He straightened up, "Anyways, I should get back, Sasuke's probably going crazy waiting for me. Pleasure doing business with you, Eisuke. Hope we meet again real soon."
Kakashi turned and walked away, hands tucked in his pockets. There was cul de sac branching off the alley, near the main street. Kakashi paused at the dark entrance, his eye crinkled in amusement.
"I've met Saito Eisuke before you know. He is about two inches taller and that little mole he has is below his left eye. Still, it's a pretty good substitution jutsu. Anyways, tell your brother to leave the Uchiha alone while he is training. Let's save the fighting for the big day, eh? You and your sister need to do a better job of watching him."
There was no answer from the dark passage. Kakashi took and another step and then thought of something else.
"Oh and make sure Baki doesn't find out where you got that book. Much as I would welcome the opportunity to fight him, I don't want to have a death match over this. Ja ne."
He strode into the main street and disappeared into the crowd.
All was still and quiet for a few moments and then a shadow moved in the dark cul de sac. A yellow and orange symbol appeared, apparently floating. A fierce mask of purple lines on pale skin materialized next and then a dark clad figure emerged from the side alley.
Kankuro took a quick look around to make sure that no one had seen him. He walked over to his stand-in and retrieved the book. He gestured and Eisuke disappeared in a puff of smoke to be replaced by a shaggy haired puppet. Kankuro gestured again and moments later the puppet was swathed in his canvas bindings. He sneered in the direction of Kakashi's departure.
"Heh. That shows you what that idiot knows, Karasu." Kankuro snorted, "Baki's not the one to worry about."
He tucked the book into the puppet's bindings, making sure that it was well hidden.
"It's Temari we have to worry about. If she finds me with one of those books, she'll kick my ass all the way back to the Sand village."