We delve a little deeper into Kakashi's relationship with Michiko!
Enjoy!
Day 1.
Team Ro.
The training session is more gruelling than anything Michiko has experienced. Her muscles burn with the distinct pain of feeling overworked.
She is alarmed to find that there is a Mokuton user on the team. Prowling behind him on their way to the locker room, she stares at the back of his head with too much curiosity.
Not much older than her, the boy turns, his cat mask concealing his expression. But his wide eyes gaze out at her and both of them freeze.
"Hello, the name's Tenzo." He pushes the mask up with one hand, smiling at her. His manner of address is somewhat formal. Michiko hesitates and pushes up the monkey mask, grinning at him as she holds it up with her childlike hands, "Michiko." Tenzo reacts to the sight of her face comically, his cheeks flush and his wide eyes are even wider, only for a fraction of a second does Michiko see this as he yanks his mask down.
"L...Lets go inside, Michiko-chan." He stutters slightly and prays the girl doesn't notice.
She doesn't think much of it, and follows, dropping her mask back down. She can't get it to stay up like the others can. "How many members are there? On this team?" She whispers just over Tenzo's shoulder. He turns his head slightly, as he ponders.
"There's six people on the squad when it's active, and we have 18 people on Team Ro in total, although not everyone is available at the same times."
Michiko hums, following Tenzo as he files into the locker room behind the Uchiha. Kakashi and some of the others are already inside, bits of their uniform lying around. Michiko steps over an arm-guard, ducking suddenly to avoid somebody's glove.
"Watch it!" She yelps comically, tripping over her tired feet. She lands face-first, into a pile of sweaty clothing, the stench seeping through her mask. Squawking, she pushes herself onto her knees and stares up at a blond man. He stares down at her silently as he scratches his bare chest lazily, and then proceeds to carefully step over her as he makes his way to the showers.
"Sorry, he's a bit eccentric." Itachi Uchiha leans down to offer her a hand, she takes it, hoisting herself up. She pulls off her mask to reveal that she is fuming, "A bit eccentric? That's an understatement." She pouts angrily as she follows behind him to their lockers, "I thought we weren't supposed to change in this room."
"We're not. Like I said, he's eccentric." Itachi gives Michiko an embarrassed smile, which fades away quickly as he busies himself with pulling off the flak jacket and arm-guards.
Michiko has already been on Team Ro for three months. She is surprised to find that time has passed so quickly, musing to herself as she pries off her sandals and lays back on the bench in the locker room.
"To think this mission would be so tiring!" She whines, spreading her arms and letting them hang off the bench.
"You always say that, Michiko-chan. To think your stamina would have improved." The response is quick, and she identifies the voice as the only Itachi Uchiha. She growls, tossing her head to the side to glare at him. Her dark hair hangs off the bench and Itachi peers at her with amused eyes and the slightest hint of a smirk.
He notes then, how similar Michiko is to the Sandaime. They have the same dark hair, and the same eyes, including the dark lower lashes. No wonder, he thinks, that's why everyone called her monkey at the academy.
Itachi graduated out of the academy a year before her, and she joined the ANBU a year after he did.
She's a year older than me, he recalls. He has already read her file, curious about the somewhat rowdy girl. She is too young, for her gender, just as he is too young for his age.
The thought is sexist and he scoffs, instead turning his mind to Uchiha Izumi, who occupies his thoughts more and more as each day passes.
"Has anybody seen my forehead protector?" Tenzo calls from his locker, churning through his belongings. Kakashi responds him before the others, unbuckling the belt around his waist, "I haven't seen it since you took it off."
"So helpful, taichou."
Everyone in the room pauses for a moment to stare at the mokuton user. He is rarely irritated. Even Michiko sits up to give him a perplexed look. "Let me help." She mumbles, peering over Tenzo's shoulder into the locker.
"It's right there blockhead!" She puts a hand on his shoulder and reaches up to yank the metal frame from the little shelf at the top. Kakashi observes silently as Tenzo turns a furious pink, silently prying the now dangling frame from the girls hand as she bounces away, pleased with herself.
As she returns to her locker, Kakashi sets his eyes on her form. He looks away before anyone can notice, outwardly turning his attention to his gear as he lazily pries it off. In his mind, he thinks about Obito. He knows that she was friends with him, and that she cried at his funeral.
He remembers the Sandaime telling Minato in private, that he worried about his niece.
Minato suggested leaving Michiko under the care of Kakashi, an idea that still perplexes the Hatake.
They are different as night and day.
On their way out of HQ, Michiko and Tenzo walk together, bickering about something. Kakashi is behind them, his hands in his pockets.
Konoha is lit by lanterns and the joyful attitude of the villagers, as everyone goes about their evenings. The sun is almost down, leaving the sky a bright red.
"Vermillion." States Tenzo. Michiko disagrees,
"No, it's…scarlet."
"Blood is scarlet."
"No it's not, blood is maroon."
"No, it's scarlet."
They continue to bicker, Kakashi following quietly behind them. Michiko shoves Tenzo, and then he laughs, signalling the end of their argument.
"I'm pretty sure it's orange." Kakashi drops the comment with a bored voice, secretly amused when the pair turn on him together.
"Blood most certainly is not orange, Kakashi-senpai."
Tenzo's voice cracks slightly as he frowns at Kakashi, and Michiko laughs. It's an unusual sound.
"He meant the sky, baka."
"Oh…"
Kakashi scratches the back of his head. Michiko gives him an almost radiant grin. "I'll be going now, I have somewhere to be!"
She sprints away as they bid her goodbye. Soon after, Tenzo takes to his way home. Kakashi is left to wander.
He dislikes being out when so many people are around, but today he finds a certain pleasure in going so unnoticed. So mundane. He feels the tediousness of his singular existence as a comfort. He recounts the three months Michiko has spent with the team.
She is stubborn, never affected by the way Kakashi makes it a point to avoid her or speak to her as rarely as possible. Mostly, Tenzo ropes him into their conversations.
They make an efficient trio, working effectively most of the time, on the battlefield.
Kakashi doubts that Michiko has realized he avoids her. They have never been alone in a conversation, and Kakashi hopes he is subtle enough with his avoidance.
He feels restless around her. He has seen the pain in her eyes, remembering her younger self at Obitos funeral. He feels responsible for his death, and Michiko acts as a reminder.
Turning away from one of the main market streets, Kakashi gazes up at the sky, walking into a warm figure that lets out an 'oof'.
"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." He turns his gaze downwards and offers a hand, faltering when he recognizes the dark hair and attire.
Michiko takes his hand before he can withdraw it, turning away and hurrying to pick up the two bouquets. He is relieved that his palms are defended from her bare hands by his gloves, but his fingers feel unusually warm in her grip.
She has lilies in her other hand, he notes with reluctance.
'She's going to the cemetery.'
"No problem-" When she glances up at him after inspecting the damage to her flowers, she realizes the man before her is her taichou. Her eyes narrow considerably. "It would benefit you to keep an eye on where you're going next time."
The sudden animosity piques his interest, his visible eyebrow slowly rising. This is the first time the two of them have been alone together, after all. She glares at his single, visible eye, leaving him to wonder whether it's harder to glare at one eye than two.
She brushes past him, leaving him staring at the spot where she stood. One of her lilies has shed a petal and he stares at it in silence.
'Maybe she has noticed that I avoid her.' Stuffing his hands somewhat aggressively into his pockets, he carries on.
To say Michiko is flustered is an understatement. She is furious. She can't control the hastened pace her legs take up whenever she is trying to get away from him.
Hatake Kakashi has slowly become the bane of her existence.
Not only is he a reminder of her beloved, dead friend, he also avoids Michiko like the plague. She scrunches up her nose at the thought of it, knowing that at least Itachi Uchiha has noticed his behaviour.
Nobody says anything about it, but she has seen the perplexed looks Tenzo has given him, and the knowing look in Itachi's eyes is plain to her.
She narrows her eyes, striding angrily into the cemetery where her father's grave is. She changes the flowers, tossing the older lilies into the bushes.
'Good fertilizer.' She tells herself. She no longer stays to speak, striding quickly to leave so she can visit the Uchiha's cemetery.
She doesn't spend any time there either, changing the flowers with steady hands. She clenches the old, wilted ones in her hands as she stares down at the gravestone.
'Uchiha Obito,' She reads, 'Beloved son, doting brother. You will be missed.'
The dead flowers feel sticky in her hands.
She discards these in a public bin.
Out in the market, she weaves through the throng of people, heading to Ichiraku's ramen. Here, she pays for a bowl of ramen and takes shelter in the corner of the restaurant. Feeling considerably upset, she eats her ramen furiously and burns her tongue because it's too hot. When the silver-haired Hatake steps into the restaurant too, her mood fouls some more. She sinks, using the massive bowl to hide most of her face.
Kakashi already knows she is there and avoids her, not turning his head, although in his peripheral vision he sees her sink low in her seat.
'Good. I don't like looking at you either, Michiko-chan.'
She makes his single eye feel sore.
He makes her want to throw up her dinner.
