Konan lay quiet on the mattress that had been laid out for her on the floor, staring at Kakashi, who was sitting on the bed, reading.
Did the man never sleep? He was already being a bad example of a shinobi as it stood…you definitely did NOT invite the enemy into your household.
But then again, these leaf Shinobi where made of something different, something stronger, kinder…
She closed her eyes and rolled over, opening them again to stare at the wall. She'd originally came here to warn Jiraiya about Pein, but this Hatake…
These Konoha nin, they could be the future of the world, but only if Pein didn't win…
Konan sat up suddenly, her breasts almost falling out of the halter top.
"Hatake-san, I'm ready to talk."
But Kakashi didn't hear, obviously, he was staring blankly at her breasts. Konan turned a shade of red, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, you were saying…?" Kakashi muttered, his lone grey eye meeting hers.
"Listen, the Akatsuki, they are planning an attack…they're after the jinchurriki…"
Kakashi sighed, closing the book and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, not looking at her.
"We know."
Konan narrowed her eyes. "How?"
"It's rather obvious…I mean, I was on the team that helped rescue Sabaku no Gaara…"
"You mean the Ichibi's jinchurriki?" Konan asked in polite confusion.
"The jinchurriki has a name, it is Gaara…" Kakashi said shortly. Konan looked away with a frown. She was told to never consider their targets human, no matter the age or nationality…
"don't tell me you think of those monsters as human…A jinchurriki can hardly be called human." Konan responded coolly. Kakashi looked up, the anger evident in his visible eye. Konan was taken aback by this sudden change. So she'd struck a chord, had she?
"You know nothing." Kakashi said, his voice dangerously low as he stood up. Konan watched with silent amusement. She wanted him to kill her…
Suddenly, they were disrupted by a loud knock on the door. Kakashi's face suddenly changed when a voice was heard loud and clear from the other side.
"KAKASHI-SENSEIIII!!!"
Kakashi sighed, wiping a hand over his face before shooting Konan a warning look and going to the door. Konan followed quietly, watching reproachfully from the hallway as the silver-haired nin opened the door to reveal a blond teenager.
"Naruto? What brings you here this late at night?"
Konan racked her brain, trying to figure out where the name 'Naruto' sounded familiar…
"Ah…I…" The boy stammered, looking past Kakashi and spotting Konan. "Kakashi-sensei…are you on a date?"
Konan could almost see the sweat drop on the silver-haired jounin's brow as he glanced back at Konan.
"Why, yes, Naruto…I'm on a date." Kakashi said dryly without blinking. Konan flushed crimson, wondering what the man was up to, but not saying a word as she stepped into the living room.
"Oh…I'm sorry…" Naruto said with an almost pout, turning away. "I'll just go…sorry to bother you…"
"Oh, no, that's fine." Konan said suddenly. In a sweet voice. "You weren't interrupting anything important…" Naruto's azure eyes lit up and he practically invited himself into the small apartment. Kakashi gave Konan a glair over the boy's shoulder, and she merely smirked back in return.
" Konan, honey, why don't you go make tea?" Kakashi said in a voice of forced sweetness. Konan glared at him as the trio made their way into the kitchen, the two men settling down at the table while Konan tried to second-guess where Kakashi kept the tea.
Thankfully, Kakashi distracted Naruto with idle chat as Konan struggled to decode the bachelors kitchen.
"Why did you come here, Naruto?" Kakashi asked quietly as Konan silently rejoiced upon locating the tea. The teen was silent for a little while, and when Konan glanced back, she could see his intense azure eyes burning with fire as he glared at the table.
"Some people here…they don't like me…" He said finally. "I got used to it, and it stopped for a little while after Granny Tsunade came here, but…"
"What are you talking about? What did they do, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, leaning closer and casting a look at Konan, who was being very careful to not make noise so she could hear their conversation.
"They broke into my apartment and vandalized it…" He said finally. "It's just because I'm the-"
"Naruto!" Kakashi warned, glancing over at Konan, who was looking over her shoulder, grey eyes burning with some sort of malice.
"You're the kyuubi's jinchurriki." She said, turning softly and bringing the tea over and setting the cups down.
Naruto looked up at Konan with a pair of trusting blue eyes, brimming with tears. Konan stared back…the boy's face…was so much like Negato's…that determination, that sorrow…
She turned away, looking at Kakashi, who's gaze was shifting between Naruto and herself.
"Nothing will ever end the cycle of hatred…" She said quietly, pouring the tea.
"I don't believe that." Naruto said, fisting his hands on his knees and looking down as tears spilled from his eyes. "Someday…I will become the hokage…and I'll protect everyone."
"And do you honestly think that will keep people from hating you? Just because someone is in a position of power doesn't mean that the underlings won't hate and resent them." Konan said, a touch of bitterness edging her voice.
"I think Konan is speaking from experience…" Kakashi said quietly, looking at Naruto. "But I think that there are only a few ignorant people who fail to see past your label."
Konan set the teapot down harder than she intended, defiant eyes meeting Kakashi's smug ones. He leaned back, placing an hand in his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. Immediately Konan recognized it and fell silent, sitting down across from Naruto without looking at the teen.
"Naruto, if you need, you can crash here tonight, on the couch. We'll go by your apartment in the morning to access the damage."
"Really, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi nodded.
"I'll go get some bedding from the closet. You two stay here and behave yourself." Kakashi added in a warning tone.
"Hey! I always behave!" Naruto shouted at his sensei's back. Konan snorted, running her finger along the top edge of her teacup. The room fell silent, and Konan could tell that Naruto was thinking deeply about something.
"Sooo…" He said, looking into his teacup, then up at her, a defiant twinkle in his eye. "How long have you and Kakashi-sensei been together, eh?"
Konan stared blankly at Naruto. "I really don't see how that's any of your business…"
"Ah, come on!" He whined, leaning back in his knees as the kitchen fell silent yet again.
Konan stared into her tea, not quite sure of what to say. She was sitting right across the kitchen table from the boy she had been ordered to bring down…speaking to him as if he were on equal terms with her…
She took a swig of tear, eyes flicking to the door. This Naruto was not human. He may act, speak, and feel like a human, but he wasn't…he couldn't be…
And he was watching her every move.
She put her cup down and stared back.
"What?"
"You think I'm a monster, too, don't you?"
Konan swore inwardly. He could read minds, too?
"No! Of course not!" She laughed dismissively, waving her hand. "Why would you think that?"
Naruto was about to reply when Kakashi came back into the kitchen.
"It's all set, Naruto, Konan…I think we should all got to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow…" He said, looking directly at Konan when he said 'long day'.
Naruto gave them both a sly smile and sauntered into the living room. Konan glared up at Kakashi from the floor as the jounin watched the boy leave before turning his eyes back on the woman.
"Now now, don't look at me like that…" He said, offering her his hand. Konan stood up without his help, wiping her hands disdainfully.
"How long are you going to keep this up? I know you have no intention on killing me." The bluenette hissed. Kakashi held up the piece of paper, looking through it at the kitchen light.
"Because I have your heart, Konan."
Konan's breath hitched in her throat as he spoke. What was this feeling? Did simply possessing her 'heart' give him some inexplicable power over her?
His eyes arched up in a grin.
"Thought so."
OOO