"Try to help her remember what this village was to her… help her feel more at home. Just… well, just be yourself. That's the best way to make friends, right?"-Hiruzen Sarutobi

Kanata Fujibayashi and Kakashi Hatake/ Almost Strangers, and Yet...

"Good afternoon, Kakashi," the Hokage said cordially.

However, the masked Jounin didn't seem to notice immediately, for when he saw me standing in the room, his expression changed. I froze in place as I met the abrupt yet brief intensity of his right iris that resembled the color of shining obsidian. For that short moment, the lazy look he wore completely vanished, revealing an expression of genuine shock. The room fell into dreadful silence and my mouth immediately went dry.

His voice was strained, barely audible as he uttered two syllables in the form of a question. "Kana…?"

Kana. I waited for several long and painful seconds for a "ta" to fall from his lips. But it never did. Just Kana. A name no person had addressed me by in ten years. As he stared at me like I was some kind of zombie risen from the dead, I tried to smile, hoping that it didn't look more like a grimace.

"Kakashi," I muttered in greeting, wishing that the Hokage would say something before this man drilled a hole in my head.

"By your reaction, Kakashi," the Hokage finally cut in, "I'm guessing you remember this young lady."

Having noticed that he was addressed, the astonishment in Kakashi's eye faded and he turned away from me, regarding the Hokage with the same expression he had when he entered the room.

However, I noticed his voice falter just a little as he replied to the Hokage's question. "Yes… Lord Hokage. Sorry. I was just a little surprised—What exactly is this about?"

"It seems," the Hokage said, glancing quickly at me, "That Kanata has returned to us after ten long years of absence. Naturally, we can't completely trust her until she has proven herself worthy, so I need someone to look out for her for the time being."

"And—you want me to do it," Kakashi observed in an emotionless tone.

The Hokage smiled. "Precisely."

Silence.

With a sigh, the Hokage said, "Your house is still located right next to her old one, isn't it? I know you'll be meeting your new squad tomorrow, but considering your… unusual record, I don't see this significantly interfering with anything, do you?"

I studied Kakashi curiously out of the corner of my eye. Squad? That could only mean that Kakashi had become a Jounin Sensei. What an unexpected twist. I never imagined him going into that profession, of all things. Not after Anbu. She supposed some things really had changed.

"You could help her get re-aquainted with the village…" he continued. "Make her feel more at home. It has been such a long time, of course. Unless you don't feel comfortable… I could find someone else."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "No—it's fine. I don't mind at all."

I glanced at the Hokage, fighting the overwhelming urge to hit my face against the wall. What on earth had I gotten myself into? Not only was I basically being held captive in the village until I was deemed, "not a threat to society", I had to spend that time stuck beside none other than Kakashi Hatake, of all people. There was no way that this wasn't the Hokage's idea of torture punishment. The last time I'd seen Kakashi had been anything but a pleasant experience. And although our history was long and heart-wrenching, at this point I had no desire to reminisce.

Why? Please tell me why…?

"Wonderful," the Hokage said. "Kanata?"

I was so lost in my own little world that I almost didn't notice when he called on me. Lifting my head to meet his eyes, I said, "Uh… yes? Lord Hokage?"

"Is this okay with you?" Lord Hokage asked. "Would you be willing to give this a try?"

Well, if it's this or imprisonment, then...

I nodded, willing to do anything if it meant I could eventually get out of here. "Sure. I'm okay with it."

The Hokage folded his arms across his chest. "All right, then. It's settled. Kakashi, you will watch over Kanata and see that she is comfortable and out of trouble until I see fit for her to be on her own. However." He turned his gaze toward me. "I will schedule a physical exam and a skills exam for tomorrow... I think we should know the condition you're in."

I guessed that was fair. I really would have rather not had to deal with either of those exams, but, once again, if they were keeping me from being detained, I was not about to complain, as much as I wanted to. I didn't want to push my luck too far.

"... Sounds good," I said.

The Hokage nodded. "All right, then. You are both dismissed. Kakashi, later today after you have Kanata settled, please come back here so that I can further fill you in on the situation. Kanata, I'll be scheduling your exams early in the morning, so try to get as comfortable as you can and have a good night's sleep."

I smiled, although I wasn't sure how I would ever get a good night's sleep knowing that there would probably be Anbu forces watching me from every angle. "Okay. Thank you very much," I said. Kakashi was already walking out the door, so I grabbed my bag off the desk, took a brief bow, and exited the Hokage's room.

I followed Kakashi all the way down the stairs and on to the main street. He didn't say a word, but at some point or another pulled a book out of his pocket and began reading as he walked. As I kept myself at a safe few paces behind him, I wondered what was on his mind. Somehow, I got the feeling that he wasn't much more pleased about this than I was. Either that, or he simply wasn't sure how to act. He'd probably spent the last ten years thinking I was dead, after all. And by the way he'd looked at me when he'd walked into the Hokage's room, I guessed he was probably more shocked to see me than I had been to see him.

Then again, maybe he didn't care. He had his head stuck in that book, so it seemed.

Catching up to his stride so that I could try to get a better view of the cover, I frowned at the title, Make Out Paradise.

Never heard of it.

Banishing my discomfort to the back of my mind, I decided to say something. If we were stuck with one another, it was best to at least try to interact, right?

So, being my stupid self, I asked him the most pointless and dreadful question that came to mind: "What'cha reading?"

There were several seconds of silence before Kakashi raised his head and awkwardly shut his book. "Just… something I pick up in my spare time."

I watched as he placed the book back in his pocket, as if he was somehow embarrassed all of the sudden.

Clasping my hands behind my back, I looked down at my feet and said, "Uh… so, I just thought maybe I should say thank you or something. For helping me, that is."

"Well," he said, causing me to turn my head and look up at him. He didn't meet my eyes, but his voice was very matter-of-fact and unfazed. "I don't know if I would consider this helping, since you're still under surveillance and all. Also—I didn't really have much of a choice."

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I said, "I suppose not… but he did offer to give the job to someone else. I thought that… sort of gave you the choice. So—I appreciate it. You doing this keeps me out of trouble—for now, anyway." I gave him a friendly smile. "I'll try not to be too much of a problem for you," I continued, laughing a little nervously. "Although, no guarantees… trouble seems to follow me everywhere these days…"

I was totally blowing it. There was no way that he didn't think I was a total idiot, because that's exactly how I sounded. And as if the situation wasn't awkward enough, I stopped when I felt my stomach growl, more loudly than I would have preferred.

So embarrassing…

"You hungry?" Kakashi asked in response.

Placing a hand on my stomach gingerly, I murmured, "Well, I haven't exactly eaten today…"

"Hm…" he said, seeming mostly disinterested, but after a few seconds added, "Okay, I guess I could buy you some ramen."

When I looked up, our eyes met for the first time since he stepped into the Hokage's room. I could see that his expression was serious and guarded, despite that only a small portion of his face was visible. And his voice betrayed no emotion in the slightest, in spite of his kind offer. But the only problem was…

How in the heck was I supposed to pay him back? Other than a bag, an old headband, a toothbrush, and a few pairs of clothes, I had nothing to offer. I was penniless, as of yesterday when I used up the rest of my savings on my last meal. I couldn't afford to owe anyone money.

But I also really needed to eat.

Biting my lip as I tried to come up with an idea, I murmured, "I'm pretty broke…"

He shrugged. "Whatever. It's just money. In any case, since Lord Hokage told me to take care of you I would imagine starving you is off the table."

With a frown, I said, "Uh…huh… I guess I'll just pretend that you meant that in the nicest way possible."

He put his hands in his pockets and walked ahead of me. "Oh, I assure you, I did," he replied, so quietly that I almost couldn't hear him.

Unamused, I followed behind him the rest of the way to the ramen shop, which still resided exactly where it had when I'd lived here years ago. I glanced up at the sign as we approached. Ichiraku Ramen. It was strangely nostalgic. How many times had I sat at this stand beside Kakashi while he paid for my ramen? I wasn't sure I could count.

After ordering the biggest bowl of noodles I could get, I immediately began scarfing it down, enjoying every bite. It had been so long since I'd eaten ramen, at least a few years, that I had almost forgotten how much I loved it. I marveled at how I possibly could have survived for so long without any ramen in my diet, especially the Ichiraku kind. Heaven in a bowl.

As I continued to devour my portion, I could feel Kakashi staring at me from the side, not having ordered anything for himself but seeming just as content to sit and watch me eat with a lazy expression.

It was a little bit distracting.

Casting a glance in his direction casually, I asked, "You aren't ordering anything?"

He leaned his chin on his fist as he replied, "No. I'm good. So if you need to order more, go ahead. I don't mind paying."

"That's fine," I said, still hungry but not wanting to completely empty out his wallet. I had a pretty impressive bowl in front of me, so it wasn't like I was going to starve at this point. "Thank you."

"Yep," he said with a sigh as if my thanks were pointless, looking away from me with an unreadable expression.

I peered down at my nearly empty bowl, irritation creeping up on me. So badly, I wanted to know what he was thinking, to figure out what was going on in that silver head of his right now. Since our first meeting, he hadn't allowed much emotion to slip through the cracks, which didn't truly surprise me. If this Kakashi was anything like the one I remembered, penetrating his barrier would be a struggle.

So I decided to start by trying to break the ice. "So, Kakashi… I hear you're a Sensei these days."

Scratching the back of his head, he confirmed, "Yeah… that's right."

"How long have you been into that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He looked up at the ceiling, as if deep in thought. "Hmmm… two… three years, maybe? I don't always pay very close attention."

I frowned. Come on, Kanata. Talk to him.

"So what's it like?" I asked. "Do you… enjoy it?"

His half-lidded eye flickered in my direction briefly. "Your half-hearted attempt to make this less awkward with small talk is really—not impressive."

Recoiling in disgust, I failed to understand why he felt the need to point out my lack of social skills as opposed to simply answering my questions. Had he felt like making me uncomfortable or was he just trying to get me to shut up?

Folding my arms across my chest in annoyance, I said, "Thank you for the commentary. But I don't see you making much of an effort. And for your information… I was actually interested."

I thought I saw something like amusement flash in his eye as he replied, "It has its days when it can be rewarding. Looks like you'll be meeting my new students with me tomorrow, so you can see it for yourself, then."

"Sounds—cool…" I muttered, unsure what else to say. I had a hard time picturing Kakashi making a decent Sensei, especially if he was planning on acting with them the way he was acting with me right now. To be a Sensei, I always felt as though a person needed to have sort of a nurturing side. First of all, I distinctly remembered Kakashi telling me years ago that he found children troublesome and irresponsible, despite the fact that he was still more or less a child himself. And second of all… well, his attitude bordered on downright rude.

"So, what about you?" Kakashi asked, pulling me away from my thoughts. "What kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into? Considering that, up until less than an hour ago, I was under the impression you were dead, you must have one hell of a story."

I was caught off-guard by his inquiry, and even more so by the way he went about it. He was not skating around the topic at all. And although his gaze didn't change, I thought I heard his voice shift ever so slightly. This time, his emotions betrayed him. He was curious. And maybe even slightly—tense.

With an attack of conscience, I found myself wishing that there wasn't so much I couldn't tell him. I owed him something, for having shown me kindness, (although not exactly kind kindness) and for the time that he may have spent wondering what became of me after I disappeared. But I wasn't sure what to tell him. Could I bring myself to feed him the same story I fed the Hokage? I knew he would probably find out anyway, but although I managed to tell the Hokage I betrayed the village, Kakashi? Somehow, I felt like that was on a different level of discomfort and difficulty.

Even if I could, another question was whether or not he would believe it. If I knew anything about Kakashi, it was that getting a lie past him was nearly impossible.

For a short moment I sat and played with my chopsticks, having lost my appetite the more my stomach churned from thinking too much. "Um…" I began, grasping desperately for an answer. Just tell him. Tell him you left. He's going to find out anyway.

I opened my mouth reluctantly. "I—uh… well, you see, the thing is… circumstances—uh..."

Then I set down my chopsticks and looked down, glad I was wearing a watch. I laughed uncomfortably and stood up. "You know, actually—I think we should probably get going… I—I'm not really hungry, anymore, anyway." Unbothered at the moment that I was wasting nearly a quarter of a bowl of ramen, I put the remains of my meal up on the counter and avoided Kakashi's eyes as I turned around and started walking. As I pushed back the curtain and exited the ramen stand, Kakashi followed. I already knew what direction I was headed, despite not being here in ten years.

Kakashi didn't push the subject.

Both of us were silent for several minutes as we made our way toward his house and the one I had resided in during my childhood years. While we walked along, I became increasingly jittery, not only because I was nervous about seeing my old home again, but also because I was hyperaware of all the people on the street who must have been wondering who I was and why I was here.

"Are you feeling all right?" Kakashi asked, shooting me a glance.

"What?" I asked, as if I hadn't heard him, but then quickly crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just nerves, really—"

But a loud, overwhelming shout quickly dismissed that feeling as it sent shivers down my spine, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. "Hey, there, Kakashi!"

I thought I heard Kakashi sigh as I turned around to meet a face that I immediately recognized.

"Hey, you old rascal," Might Guy said, dropping an arm over Kakashi's shoulders without so much as a warning. "Who's this?" He looked at me curiously. "Wait, don't tell me? You're not actually out on a date, are you?"

"No," Kakashi said simply.

"Aw, really, pal, no need to be shy; I just… wait." Guy, with his ridiculous height, leaned over Kakashi's shoulder to look at me more closely. "You're kidding me. This isn't real! Kanata?!"

After recovering from my initial shock, I couldn't help smiling. Might Guy was the most exuberant, ever-youthful soul I'd met in my life, and had been one of my best friends when we were kids.

And so I nodded, nervousness only settling in as I wondered what I was going to tell him. "Uh, yeah. It's me. Hey."

"Wow!" He laughed, jarring Kakashi a bit with his strong grip. "You sure haven't changed. But you probably don't even remember me, your old pal, Guy!"

When he held out his hand, I gave him a fist bump and said, "Actually, yes, I do remember you, Guy. It's great to see you."

As Guy grinned at me like we'd seen each other yesterday, Kakashi said, "Hey, listen, Guy-"

"What ever happened to you?" He asked, zipping forward and grasping my shoulders. "You can't just do a disappearing act for ten years! That's so not cool!"

I grimaced, wishing he wouldn't talk so loudly. "Well, I—"

I heard Kakashi sigh as he carefully put himself between us, interrupting my stumble. "It's a long story that we don't have time for right now. Do you think you two could possibly catch up later?"

I internally thanked Kakashi about a thousand times for saving me from having to come up with some kind of explanation, and breathed a mental sigh of relief when Guy actually decided to back off.

"Oh, I got'cha!" he exclaimed, flailing around like he always used to when we were younger. "Well, I'll get goin', then. The day is young and the beauty of youth should be cherished! Later, you'll have to tell me all about what you've been up to since I last saw you. Also, let's get together and have a challenge sometime. I'll see if you've got what it takes to beat this Guy!" He pointed to himself and flashed his teeth.

Then, squeezing Kakashi's shoulders again, he concluded, "Oh, but don't worry, Kakashi! No one could ever replace you as my worthy rival. We'll have our next challenge soon enough."

As soon as he released Kakashi, Guy sped off in the opposite direction in which we were headed. And thus, Kakashi and I were left alone again on the street.

For a second, I stared after Guy's path, and out of nowhere I felt a chuckle escape my lips. And then, despite everything I found myself laughing as I thought of that man's radiant smile and boundless energy.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me. "Something amusing?"

I shook my head, still unable to rid myself of the smile on my face. "No, it's just—Guy. He hasn't changed. Not even a little."

Glancing off in the direction Guy had taken, Kakashi said, "No… that's true. He never changes."

"I hadn't expected that," I told him, and then shrugged one shoulder. "It was kind of… refreshing."

Kakashi's expression seemed to change for just an instant. It was so fast that if I hadn't been looking directly at him I probably would have missed it. And it disappeared so quickly I wasn't able to catch a meaning. Instead, Kakashi then nodded and murmured, "Well…"

"Well, what?" I asked curiously, confused by his reaction.

Dropping his hand and turning his head away, he exhaled shortly. "Ah… it's nothing."

Raising my eyebrows at his strange behavior but certain that I probably wouldn't get anything else out of him, I dropped the subject. And once again, we fell into silence as we continued our walk down the quiet street.

When I saw Kakashi's house, I had to fight to contain all the painfully exquisite emotions threatening to tear me to pieces. The house stood exactly at it had ten years ago. And my grandmother's house was still standing beside it, as it always had.

Grams...

"Hey... Kakashi... I have a question."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Is my Grams...?"

When I turned to face Kakashi, he once again had a stoic look on his face. "I'm… sorry. She died last year."

Last year.

I half-smiled. "It's okay... I was expecting it, actually. But I'm glad you told me."

His subtle body movements gave me the impression something was bothering him, but it was difficult for me to judge. He didn't meet my eyes when he asked, "Do you think you'll need anything?"

I was a little hesitant, noting his moderately polite but not particularly invested tone. "Uh—well, no I think I should be fine…"

"I'm guessing you'll want some time to yourself, then," he said, turning away from me and putting a hand in the air. "I have some business to take care of, but I'll be back soon if there's anything you need from me later."

"Okay… thank-"

But I didn't get a chance to finish. He was already gone. Probably off to talk to the Hokage and get the story that I was too much of a coward to tell him.

After Kakashi left me alone, I walked up the steps to my front door. I took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy. Squaring my shoulders and bracing for the worst, I opened the door and took my first step inside. But I was a little shocked by the sight I beheld. This did not look like the home of a woman who died a year ago.

The floors were swept, the surfaces had been polished, and the knick-knacks had been dusted. In the living room corner sat the chair where Grams used to read stories to me every night, even after I had grown into a teenaged girl. And in the kitchen were the table and chairs, where I always sat and watched her cook. She would always cook rice and some of my favorite seafoods on that stove. And when I earned a treat, she'd bake me a pie. I remembered the time she tried to teach me how to bake a pie, and I almost set the kitchen on fire. I couldn't cook or bake to save my life.

Her favorite floral curtains still hung in the windows. They were in tatters now from years of use. Yet they still looked clean.

Who had been taking care of this place all this time?

I went upstairs, and as I proceeded down the hall, I regarded the window at the end. That was how I always used to get to Kakashi's house when I didn't want to go out the door and over to his porch. I just climbed out of my window and through his. Sometimes, looking back, I thought maybe I almost spent more time over there than I did over here.

My Grams' room hadn't changed, either. She still had her twin sized bed in that same corner, against the wall, because she always worried she would fall out of bed in the night. Her walls were still painted a lovely shade of lavender, and her carpet was still almost soft enough to sleep on. This was the room that had made me feel safe and relaxed as a child, even after waking up from horrifying nightmares.

When I finally reached my room, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle it. I wondered if Grams had changed it, or completely removed it altogether. After all, she must have given up and accepted that I was just dead or gone at some point.

But when I opened the door, I realized that it remained as unchanged as the rest of the house. My bed, my book collection, my dresser... everything was there.

I stepped over beside my bed and picked up my old stuffed rabbit. "Usa-chan," I'd called him when I was younger. Not very creative, I know... but when I first named him I was very little and after I got older I couldn't bear to change it. He had aged. His color was faded... but he was still in wonderful condition, considering he was twenty years old. I dropped my bag and squeezed him tightly against myself. "I'm back, old friend. I'm sorry it took so long."

Grams. She must have waited for me for so long. But I never came back. I thought about all the times she may have needed me… all the times I wasn't there as she began to get up in age. How awful it must have been for her, never knowing what happened to me. But I'd abandoned her. Just as I'd abandoned my friends… Kakashi… and my village.

"I'm sorry, Grams," I whispered, collapsing on my bed. "I'm so sorry."

Kakashi.

"So, I don't know how much she told you, Kakashi…" Lord Hokage said, holding his pipe in hand as he leaned back in his chair. "But it seems we have a slight predicament on our hands."

I remained silent longer than usual so that I could face him with at least a moderately level head. It was rare to never that I found myself at a total loss for words, but my mind was spinning with questions and I could hardly put them into order quickly enough to form a coherent thought. I was the Copy Ninja Kakashi. I'd copied over one thousand ninja techniques. I had faced heroes and villains, and many in between. And yet, this one woman's sudden appearance had already managed to suck every last bit of air from my lungs.

Once I took a breath and collected my thoughts, I told him, "I can't say as there's much to report. She didn't tell me anything. When I asked her where she'd been, she suddenly became nervous, like there was something she was afraid to tell me. I didn't ask further because I didn't think it was wise to push at that time."

"Understood," he said solemnly. "Truthfully, I had no expectations for today. The goal for now was to simply get her settled in. This is only the beginning, I'm afraid."

Lowering my head minimally, I said, "Lord Hokage… I realize I told you that I could take this assignment, but I'm beginning to think that I'm not the one best suited for the task."

"Oh, but I assure you that you are," Lord Hokage said, causing me to lift my head again and eye him curiously. "Kakashi… I can understand if you think that you might be too close to this case, but that is, in fact, the very reason that I chose you to begin with."

I tried to smile a little to mask the storm of emotions swirling in my head. "So, what exactly is the goal, here? I don't think it's really like you to just take people in. Especially not these days."

Lord Hokage nodded slowly. "But you know that this is no ordinary person. Kanata Fujibayashi was one of us."

"And your point is?"

"She told me that she intentionally abandoned the Leaf Village."

My jaw tensed, and suddenly anything else I might have thought to say seemed useless. It wasn't that I hadn't considered this possibility, that the girl I knew ten years ago had abandoned us all, but perhaps there was a part of me that hoped otherwise.

"Please refrain from making conclusions just yet," Lord Hokage said, holding up a hand. "I never said I believed it."

"You think she was lying."

"I think it's possible, yes," he said. "It was several months before I officially closed her case. I had evidence pointing to the possibility that she simply left, but it seemed too simple. And generally, if a ninja is desperate enough to abandon our village entirely, they leave traces behind. Kanata left behind nothing. Furthermore, Kanata walked into my room today and when I asked her what happened to her she told me she left, with the straightest face I'd ever seen. Not a hint of remorse. It felt—calculated.

"She offered me decent answers to the rest of my questions," he continued thoughtfully. "Supposedly after leaving the village she met a man named Taijin who became her master and died of a terminal illness a few years ago. And if I had to guess, I'd say he was a real person. Or at least to an extent. Unlike with her other responses, she spoke of him with a certain—solemnity. She told me the only reason she got caught in the Land of Fire was because she was running from bandits. Which I suppose seems reasonable enough. But it's too dangerous to make assumptions about which of her words are true or false. I only know that there is something she is not telling us. That is why I want you to draw her out and find the truth."

My teeth clenched tightly. If I hadn't already disapproved of this role, I was thoroughly disgusted at this point. But as always, I kept myself under control. "Lord Hokage," I said, "With all due respect, I feel that it would be wiser to have her interrogated. Whether she was once a Leaf Village Ninja, she could still pose a danger to us."

What are you doing? Trying to condemn a woman you once cared for out of mild suspicion? You monster.

"I will not put her through interrogation," Lord Hokage said resolutely. "As it stands, there's no reason to believe she's a threat. Not after all these years. Kanata had a passion for this village. You know that as well as I do. When that woman stepped into this room today, I saw no malicious intent. I did, however, see distrust… I saw wariness. And pain. She has been through more than she's willing to admit, and I believe that reason may be fear of punishment and a lack of faith in the village. Which, truthfully, I can understand—considering how corrupt this world has become. I may not have mentioned it, but the Anbu member who brought Kanata to me mentioned that he found her traveling north on the Eastern border."

I nodded slowly in understanding. "Which makes it far less likely that she was pursuing the village. That would line up with her claims."

"Exactly." Letting out a sigh, he said, "I can't simply let her go. Too many people already know she's here, and there would be outrage if I released someone with her history back out into the world without all the facts. The safety of the village comes before all else, as you know, so one way or another we have to figure out what she's not telling us. But I think we can afford to give her a shot. Wouldn't you agree?"

Realizing that I would most likely find no method of changing his mind, I said, "So, you want me to earn her trust and get her to open up of her own accord."

"Ideally, yes," Lord Hokage replied. "I think you have the ability to gain her trust faster than anyone else in the village."

Looking out the window so that he wouldn't notice my reaction to the pang in my chest, I said, "You might be mistaken about that, Lord Hokage."

Lord Hokage leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. "Now, Kakashi… I realize that this assignment may be more personal for you than you would prefer. But please understand that part of the reason I am entrusting you with Kanata's care is precisely because of your past. It's been ten years; you've changed, and I've no doubt she has as well. But if you could make the effort to befriend her, make her feel safer here… it might be our best chance of getting her to open up so that we can both rest easily with her in the village.

"Of course… I'm not saying that you should put on an act or offer her a false sense of security. Just try to help her remember what this village was to her… help her feel more at home. Just… well, just be yourself. That's the best way to make friends, right?"

As he smiled at me, I inadvertently reached around to scratch the back of my head. Be myself, huh?

Nonetheless, I agreed, even as I mentally cursed myself. "Understood. I'll execute my mission to the best of my ability."

I can already see this ending badly...

"Good," Lord Hokage responded. Then, with a grimmer expression, "But remember, Kakashi… Kanata has a history—and while I am the highest power in the village, I still have people watching my every move. Even I can't protect her forever."

I nodded. "I know that, sir. I'll keep it in mind."

"I know I can count on you, Kakashi," he said reassuringly. "Oh, and by the way, since you'll be meeting new students tomorrow, please let me know if you have any trouble. I don't want it to be too much for you."

I waved a hand dismissively as I began to turn away. "It doesn't matter. After a few days, I won't be babysitting those kids, anymore."

He laughed. "So sure, are you? And what if they pass?"

Rotating half way in his direction as I cracked the door open, I felt a dry smile reach my lips, not that he could see it while I was wearing my mask. "Oh, I doubt that."

I exited the Hokage mansion, my mind swirling with thoughts I struggled to rationalize. I made an attempt to pull out my book and read as I walked, but for once, I couldn't concentrate. My brain was too occupied with concerns about my newest mission… Kanata Fujibayashi.

She was back. After ten years, she was finally back. And I had no idea where to begin. One thing was certain, however—

I was not about to let the ghost of a dead girl ruin me.