CHAPTER TWO

The Crack

"Obito!"

Akane waved enthusiastically at the Uchiha boy and he looked up, panting and breathless but smiling nonetheless. Obito was perhaps the most non-arrogant Uchiha she had ever met. Although she had met his cousin, Kenta first...as soon as she got to know him, the Uchiha pride revealed itself. It was one of Obito's wandering around the Academy to wait for his cousin that they met again and there was simply something Akane found admirable about an Uchiha boy who was so...not passive. It was just a bonus that he was teammates with Kakashi. "Is Kakashi with you?"

Obito's smile slipped. He rolled his eyes underneath the goggles. She was such a fangirl, he thought, she was worse than…well, him towards Rin. He was usually bitter towards the girls that chased after Kakashi, but after two years of being acquainted with her, he just felt like an older brother. A very annoyed one. "No, Akane," he said exasperatedly but affectionately, "I don't know what he's doing today. Minato-sensei cancelled training and missions today for that self-centered –"

"Self-centered what?"

Akane's breathing cut off sharply when the younger ninja was suddenly right there. In front of her. From literally out of nowhere. He was wearing a short sleeve black shirt and shorts, with a white leather straps across his chest and arm guards. And of course, that mask. "Kakashi," Akane whispered, suddenly shy.

Obito glared at the younger boy. "Self-centered brat," he finished. "Just because you get a promotion in ranks, we have to change our schedule for yours!" he muttered as he slashed the tree in front of him angrily. Kakashi merely stood there, his eyes straight towards the disappointment that was Obito Uchiha.

Kakashi was apathetic towards him. "You're the one being childish," he simply said and turned around. "I'm just doing my job. Well." The only reason he was there was to run a quick scan of the neighbourhood, anyway. He had just felt like interrupting Obito, knowing that it would piss the Uchiha off. And so it did.

"Pft," Obito rolled his eyes. "Yeah, for another hour." He mumbled, but Kakashi already left, leaving the boy talking to himself.

Even though Kakashi had never said a single word towards the orange-haired child, she couldn't help but admire him…everything about him. His aloofness, the way he handled situations…and to this five year old child, he was simply from a whole different world.

She looked at Obito. He was skilled himself, of course – being on a squad so young as well. But he was a genin and he was volatile and he was not composed, not in a way that made him seem much older. But then again, she was just making excuses because the truth was that no one could ever quite match up to her mental image of Kakashi Hatake.

xxxxx

Akane was glaring at herself in the mirror, growing frustrated at herself. After all, two years had pass by and each time she saw him, she would freeze and butterflies would take over. She had to make an initiative.

She ran downstairs, into the kitchen and peaking outside. It wasn't dark yet so maybe he would still be guarding the village? It was a slim chance, but she was itching to act on something. And then she had an idea. She ransacked her cupboards until she got out enough ingredients, and she furiously worked to create something. Boys ate a lot, right? They get hungry. And if Obito's back comment was right, Kakashi should still be there. And her father! The plan unfolded in her mind, and then she was frantic.

She heard steps descending down the stairs and into the kitchen area, but her eyes did not leave the box of food she was arranging so precariously. "Akane," Dosu said warily, raising his eyebrow, "Just what are you doing?" A flash of lightning lit up her house and for a brief moment, she wanted to give up on her plan. But…why should a little rain and thunder stop her? Do it for love, do it for love. She beamed up at her father.

"Nothing," she lied, and it was obvious the way her voice went up a few pitch. Her father glowered down at her with the same blue eyes. He was not stupid, far from it, and he knew what little boys and little girls did when they liked each other. But from the past two years, everything he had witnessed was completely one sided and even a blind man could see that the broken little boy that was Kakashi Hatake would never ever like anyone quite flamboyant his daughter. But he decided to let this one go, curious himself to see what his little daughter was planning.

"Well…I'll be out then. Take care of your mom."

He tousled her hair before he left the house, knowing fair well that Akane was following him out. He was on yet another patrol, something chunins should be doing but he had volunteered nonetheless. All they needed was a single ninja to infiltrate the village and it may change everything. He knew from his fair share of experience, that was fifteen years of being a chunin and two years of jonin, that securing the village and protecting the villagers was far more important than running on missions. After all, did it matter that a village was prosperous if there were no inhabitants?

The rain was like a shower and moments after he stepped out of his house, his dark hair was plastered down his face. He would be spending several hours in it, and began regretting that he had allowed his daughter out. She was going to get sick, and her mother was going to be furious – and worse, he suddenly amused the idea of Akane doing something stupid that would get her heart broken. He sighed.

He walked up to a young, silver-haired boy that was leaning against a tree, not quite seeking protection from the weather as much as trying to hide in the shadows of it. So this was Sakumo Hatake's son. He was everything that the other shinobi spoke out –years older than his physical age and with the composure to prove it.

Then again, it wasn't as if the way the village had treated him when Sakumo had dishonoured himself.

It was not quite bullying, but he had been tested in ways children should not have. And he passed all those tests to the point where Dosu wondered what it was like in the kid's mind. "You're relieved," Dosu said politely at the child prodigy. Kakashi looked up, and Dosu immediately recognize the guarded look in those black eyes. He was pretty much the perfect ninja, the perfect toy controlled by Konoha's higher ups and that idea was unsettling. His own daughter was only three years this boy's junior, and he could only hope that Akane did not present the same appeal that he did. Dosu frowned as Kakashi nodded and left.

And not too far behind, Akane was peeking by a tree at the boy up against her father. Her hair was clinging to her face, and rain on her eyelashes. She watched her father disappear from sight and Kakashi walk…right towards her. Hold your ground, Akane! You didn't go all the way out here to back up now!

"Kakashi!" she exclaimed in a brief moment of courage. He looked up at her, his emotions concealed…not that he would give anything away, what with a mask covering majority of his face. Why is this girl shouting at me?

"What?" he asked, none too politely. He had no reason to be formal for this random girl. He recognized the orange hair – it was hard not to. Suddenly, she pulled out a wrap box behind her and presented it to him, shoving it towards him with arms fully extended.

"Um, this is for you!" she said, head bowed. "Please accept it," she added softly. And for a moment, they didn't move. The sound of rain and lightning deafening in her ears and it felt like a century passed by until his voice broke through.

"No."

Her heart constricted, she peaked up but nobody was in front of her. Just like that, he was gone. She looked around wildly, unable to understand how he just slipped right by her without her even noticing. The humiliation of rejection flushed through her, burning her face while making everything else go cold and she dropped the box to the ground, wiping her already wet face along her arm. I will not cry, I will not cry.

But it was pretty hard to hold it together when you were that young.

Dosu sighed again, hitting himself with his palm. He should have intervened sooner. It was never a pleasant thing to experience, seeing your daughter get her heart crushed at such a young age…and by a kid like Kakashi. Children didn't take rejection very well, and Akane was worse. Dosu appeared in front of his daughter, down on his knees as he picked up a wagashi that he clearly remembered Minami making for him. He popped it in his mouth, although the confectionery was ruined by rain. Akane watched through eyes brimmed with rain and tears, her hands curled up at her face.

He felt his heart ached for his daughter, who looked so innocent and hurt by this arrogant little brat...

"Cheer up, kiddo." Dosu simply smiled at his daughter, gently smearing his thumb against her cheek. "It's his lost."

She stared at her father for a bit longer, and wiped her eyes for the last time. She picked up the box, stuffing the fallen sweets back in and wrapping it carefully. Her wet hair fell past her shoulder, skimming over the contents and she stared at it for even a while longer before she shook her head. She held it to her chest, and quietly, she turned away from her father. "I'll try again," she whispered. She wasn't going to give up on Kakashi Hatake quite yet.

After all, it wasn't as if he had said no to her.

xxxxx

"She's here," Rin whispered to Kakashi, who had his eyes set on his blond sensei, "again."

The prodigy was twelve years old now, and Kakashi was training harder than ever to achieve that jonin-level that was promised to him.

Rising up the ranks consumed his thoughts. Proving that he, a Hatake, son of a failure, was a worthy shinobi was all he had time for. He had to do it. He had to restore his family name to erase all those weeks of Konoha looking down on his father, treating the once-hero like dirt. He only cared for the ninja life, not the groups of annoying girls that followed him around Konoha. He had Rin around, and that was the only way a female was actively in his life and even then, it was more than he preferred.

Still, the brown haired girl turned back to the trees where a little girl was watching carefully as Team Minato trained with Kakashi's promotion as a motive. She had a hand on a tree, and was peeking curiously at Kakashi. Every once in a while, her eyes would widen and soften if he did something like move at an incredible speed, slashing his kunai as he went up against his sensei.

Then again, if Kakashi would just hold up a weapon to eye level, she would fawn over that too.

Another two years had passed since the initial rejection, but like all determined fan girls, Akane didn't give up. She had observed any training the team did in Konoha for months now. While she couldn't follow them on missions, Obito was damn confused as to how this little girl could find them every single time they sparred. Obito snuck a glance back at her, and in a new jutsu he had just perfected, he reappeared right behind her.

And poked her. "Hey Akane." Stage whisper. She didn't give it a moment's thought before she let out a long scream, the birds all fluttering away with an angry caw.

"Obito!" she cried out and dug her nails into her palms angrily, restraining her anger. He was the still the only one who acknowledged her presence. Kakashi found her annoying and strictly ignored her, pretending she wasn't there. Rin didn't want to be caught up, after all…her own feelings towards Kakashi made it awkward for her to intervene. Even if it was a girl three years younger than her crush. "You scared me!"

"Well you're stalking Kakashi."

She glared at him.

"…And you should stop." Obito continued. He sighed when Akane became even more furious at him. "It's pointless to just follow him around," Obito flicked his wrist around, eyes rolling, "that guy always get that. You'll just be like all the rest." When his words didn't sink in – even after all this time– he wanted to shake her until she would open her eyes and realize what was going on but he could tell from those doe blue eyes that there was no way she would accept the fact that her love would not be returned.

"Why? He doesn't mind," she said, her eyebrows pulled together. After all, he still had not once told her to stop. She had seen him do it to everyone else in her class – but never her. That had to mean something. "I can impress him."

"By following him? Go ahead, my good little stalker."

"But I can," she insisted. Didn't he understand that still after all these years, not once had Kakashi shot her down? There had to be a reason for that. She was sure that he admired strength, and she had potential. Obito remembered when he had seen the little girl spar with his cousin, Kenta, and she wasn't a bad kunoichi. In fact, her genjutsu was pretty impressive. But her obsession with Kakashi was getting out of hand. He didn't even know how she motivated herself. It was like chasing after a wall. "Just trust me on this, Akane, it's useless. He's hopeless."

Right, tell the girl who had followed Kakashi for six years now that it was useless. Because that was going to work.

xxxxx

Akane Mikuzen was nine years old and she was doing…poorly in the Academy, to say the least. The only thing she seemed to excel in was genjutsu, a relatively non-violent art. Out of everything to have a proper grasp on, it was something that was all illusions. But this child not even properly aim a kunai. She lacked coordination, her hands did not move fast enough and when it did, it was never to the right place.

"Dosu," Minami whispered to her husband later that night. "This is going on for too long." He sighed.

"If Akane wants to be a kunoichi...we can't deny her of it. That would be hypocritical." He frowned but Minami, being the woman she was, merely pouted. Dosu's face softened.

He loved his family, he really did. He was blessed to have such a family to come home too. He had a determined, strong daughter and a beautiful gentle features, large eyes and endearing smile ran in the Mikuzen female gene. But Dosu did not simply love Minami because she was beautiful, but more so because she was kind and he believed that it was not just fear, but worry that fuelled Minami's insistence on Akane dropping out.

"But she's can't do anything but those illusion tricks!" Minami bit her lip. Granted those "illusion tricks" were frightening, but they couldn't save her in the real world. In her eyes, genjutsu were no more than parlour tricks. She shook off any praise that the teachers told her of Akane – that she understood genjutsu and the mind of opponents in a way that surpassed many others. And it was not that Minami was condescending towards her daughter – rather the opposite: she loved her daughter - she honestly did - but being a civilian known for weaving beautiful silk dresses, it made things difficult to understand. Having a daughter running around doing missions with no protection but her fake shadows was far from ideal.

Dosu grabbed his wife's hand but paused, not knowing what to say. It was such a pain living with two women, and Akane presented him with a bit of a more thrill. He married Minami wanting nothing but a normal family, but he couldn't accept having a normal daughter. He wanted her to be skilled and strong...not chasing after little boys with egos the size of the village.

"I'll train her myself, Minami," he promised and she gasped and smacked him on his arm with a scowl.

"I don't want Akane around your weapons!" she protested. "She's just a little girl! She isn't a ninja!"

Akane stopped, her hand that had been tracing a line on the wall freezing, and her heart falling.

Disappointment filled her and she wanted to curl up. But won't her mother understand? There was no jewellery or silk dress that would make Kakashi recognize her. She remembered when Kakashi glared at her, and she knew that if she was strong, he would never look at her like that ever again. Why didn't her mother believe in her? Kakashi wasn't like the other boys. He would never even give the time of day to a civilian, but he sure as hell would notice her if she was a kunoichi.

She had to do this.

xxxxx

"Hey, Kakashi!" Akane waved enthusiastically as she spotted – well, actually she timed her encounter with - the silver-haired chunin. He glanced up at her and looked away immediately. Her face fell ever so slightly, but she didn't care. She approached him regardless of his expressionless eyes.

Except Kakashi was anything but emotionless at that time. He had just returned from yet another bell test given by his sensei, and it was another bell test he failed. Just the thought of it made Kakashi dig his fingers into his palm, relishing in the pain to control the disappointment. Usually, it was easy to smother all his feelings but seeing her face was only baiting out his anger. For how long now, her presence was constantly there…watching him. And he ignored it the way people ignored flies. He ignored her failed attempts at starting a conversation with him, ignored all her gifts during the holiday season, he didn't even bother to ask for her name. Never once had Kakashi even initiate a conversation with this girl, yet somehow, after all this time, she was still driven.

And today, he had enough of it.

He turned to her, holding her gaze. And for a moment, her heart started beating face. He's looking at me – Kakashi is actually looking at me! I can't believe it! Her heart was fluttering, desperately hopeful.

And then it was breaking.

"Can you get lost?"

His voice was hostile; ice and annoyance clear in his eyes. He didn't care that she was a little girl with little girl hopes and little fangirl tendencies. Nor did he care that all the little boys her age chased after her little copper head and ogled over her blue eyes. She was just a weak, useless pest that needed to stop deluding herself into thinking that he would care for her.

"I -"

"No." He held up a finger, his eyes on her. "Don't speak. I don't care for your words."

She could not think. Her mind turned blank.

His own thoughts were incomprehensible as well, but rapidly so. He had one thought after another, none making sense, but all harsh. He thought about his father. About Minato. About the way people used to undermine him because he was young. About the way they undermined him because his father ultimately turned out to be trash. About the way that everyone seemed to know about him. About the way everyone expected the very best out of him - and yet he could not get a damn bell.

Akane could see the anger in his dark eyes, in the way his fist tightened. But he didn't hate her. The lost was just fresh in his mind and she had been there to take it out on - a regrettable, unshinobi like thing to do but it did not make it any less real for her that those black eyes that she day dreamed about were glaring at her now. She couldn't breathe, and even though Kakashi seemed slightly surprise by his tone, he walked away regardless, stepping over the remains of her heart. And this time, she couldn't let it go. She could not make any excuses.

xxxxx

"Hey – you!"

Sweat clouded her eyes, itched at her face and dirt stuck on her skin and she was not going to stop moving just to answer. And despite the fact that she blatantly ignored him, Gai Maito approached her anyway. There was something about the way she dedicatedly attacked the tree that impressed him. She was clearly still an Academy student, from the way she dressed, and her skill. Still, she had been there for several weeks now - training. Her form wasn't too off, but clearly she was not built for taijutsu. Gai shouted even louder until she finally kicked the tree to its breaking point and at last, she faced him.

"Yeah?" She panted warily, and her voice was small and she sounded very, very young. Gai almost flushed. She was a looker, a temptress, that was definite, but there was something sad in her eyes. Something determined. Something he could work with.

"You may look like a tiger, but you are not attacking that with the true form of the animal you so resemble!"

She stared...and gave up trying to understand him. "What?"

"You are doing that all wrong, my tiger lily!"

"I am?"

He nodded confidently, eager to display his knowledge. "Allow me to enlighten your mind on how to correctly use your bodily vessel to its full potential, little one! I shall train you, if you give me the honour of doing so!" Since nobody else would, he mentally added.

Her eye twitched. "Little one?"

"Yes! You can call me Gai, and I can teach you how to surpass all others if you truly work for it!" He pumped his fist and made an example by side-kicking the tree so hard that it snapped off clean. She stared at him for a moment and then at the remains of the tree. She couldn't deny it. This strange, bushy browed, awkward-haired boy in a sleeveless jumpsuit…he was weird. But he was nice…sort of. And Akane needed help if she wanted to exhaust her body.

She took a deep breath. And nodded. "Okay."

He stopped. Have my ears deceived me?! Someone actually agreed for me to train them! Wait, I must reply before she becomes discouraged -

"You will not regret this!"