Quietly


The things hardest to bear

are the sweetest to remember

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

~xXx~

The air is cooling, gaining the nip he's always known it to have in what passes for winter in the Country of Fire. Taking the now familiar path to Ichiraku's, Kakashi reflected on the weeks it's been since he last visited the eatery. It had been after the mission following Ayame teaching him how to cook Ramen. The girl had been disappointed, he recalled. She had been looking forward to Kakashi teaching her how to throw shuriken; but he hadn't been able to at the time because he'd sprained one wrist and broken the other in an unfortunately high tumble on the mission the jonin had told her about previously.

After that, Kakashi had promised the next time...and a month and half later, next time had arrived. Walking up to the little Ramen place, the jonin's eye crinkled at what he saw; Ayame making faces at herself in a bucket of what he was betting to be water. Stopping in front of the counter, he chuckled at how the girl had brought her long hair around to make a mustache beneath her nose.

"Bored?" he offered.

The girl's mouth dropped open and if Kakashi hadn't been a ninja, he wouldn't have expected what ten-year-old did next.

"KAKASHI!" She shrieked, jumping over the counter to hug him; the bucket of suds toppling in her wake.

Gripping her securely to him, the jonin spun her around. "I think that's the most enthusiastic greeting I've gotten all week," he told her.

Brown eyes glittering, she laughed. "I thought you weren't ever coming back!" And something ghosted over her gaze, telling Kakashi this wasn't just a wanton hyperbole.

"Sorry," he murmured as he squeezed her tightly for a moment. "It's...hard to say no to missions when they expect you to take every one they offer."

Picking the bucket up from the now muddy ground, Ayame scrambled back over the counter hiding it away. "You'll have to start practicing then!" She declared. "It's getting cold now and people don't come by for ramen so much." Frowning, she leaned in close and explained to him; "I'm bored, but don't tell dad or he'll find things for me to clean."

Kakashi fought the smile wanting to erupt and agreed with utmost seriousness. "I see," he told her.

Her brown fringe dipped into her eyes as she giggled and scrambled back over to his side of the eatery. "So, Kakashi, are you finally going to teach me how to throw shuriken?"

"I am," he affirmed. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he offered the crook of his arm for her to slip her hand in. "Ready to go?"

Looping her arm with his, Ayame turned her head back to the Ichiraku's. "I'm going out with Kakashi dad!"

A muffled, "Have fun!" Echoed from somewhere behind the front of the eatery.

"Let's go!" the brunette declared, tugging at them.

The jonin let her for a few moments, then he chided her. "Who knows where the training ground is, hm?"

"Oops," she muttered; face flushing.

"It's alright," he said. "You're excited, I get that."

The bashful grin she offered in response was more than a sincere enough apology.


"Try bending your elbow a little more!" Kakashi directed as Ayame tossed another throwing star at the lazily painted bull's-eye.

Ayame's entire body drooped instead. "This is hard!" She whined.

"Come on, one more time!" The jonin urged as he fell behind her. "After this one, we can go back to the village."

The girl bit her lip. "Okay..." she sighed. Falling back into position, she bent her elbow a hair more like Kakashi had wanted and-

"Good job!"

"I did it! I did it!" The brunette shrilled. "It's in the area around the bull's-eye!"

Putting a proud hand on her shoulder, Kakashi let his eye crinkle with satisfaction. "Just think, in a few more weeks you'll be hitting the bull's eye every time!"

"Maybe even sooner with your help!"

The jonin felt his heart sink. He wouldn't be able to help her for a long while after tomorrow..."Ayame," he began softly.

Dark eyes found his. "Yeah Kakashi?"

"I have a mission after tomorrow."

One of the dulled shuriken he had lent her fell from her fingers. "No!" she protested. "You just got home!"

"It's the life of a shinobi," he sighed.

A few tears raced down Ayame's cheeks. "When will you stop leaving all the time?" Kakashi could only shrug. The answer that echoed in his mind too cruel to tell the girl. Coming to his side, she hugged him. "I'll miss you."

Kakashi returned it. "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean I'm not think about you," he reminded her softly. "Why else would I keep showing up like I do?"

The girl scrubbed away the tear-tracks. "It's very kind of you to," she warbled. "I like seeing you Kakashi, you're fun." Ayame told him earnestly.

Noting that she still looked so very dejected at the idea of him leaving for another mission, the gray-haired teen reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of his shuriken-not just one of the dull ones he used for practice-"Here," he said. "This is one of my 'specially made shuriken;" pointing at the faint detailing for the symbol meaning scarecrow, the jonin imparted; "This one is a favorite of mine."

Ayame sniffed. "Why are you giving it to me then?"

"I'll have to come back then, won't I? If I ever want to see that you're taking good care of my shuriken, that is."

She smiled a little. "So it's a promise? You'll come home to Konoha?"

Folding her fingers over the weapon, Kakashi made sure his lone eye caught her pair. "To you," he corrected. "You're my friend and I'm going to make sure I come home to you."

Ayame reached around her neck then. "You need something from me then," she declared; glaring when the jonin made a noise to start a protest. She brought out a silver chain. "I don't know if it's good thing to wear this, but this was my mom's."

Taking it in his hand, Kakashi soaked up its simple elegance. "Thank you," he murmured.

"Now we both have something to remember each other by," the brunette whispered.

Kakashi accepted her as she leaned against his side. Putting an arm around her, the the gray-haired teen's gaze stayed on the target in the distance. "Remember to practice."

"And you need to remember to say no," Ayame replied.

He snorted. "Right."

The ten-year-old furrowed her eyes at him, like she was upset, before taking his hand and guiding them back to Konoha. As he trotted just behind Ayame, his eyes went to the glinting silver resting in his palm. It was her mother's. Yet...she'd given it to him, both burdened and lightened by the bit of metal; Kakashi knew he'd have to find somewhere extra special on him to keep it.

He had to keep this fragile bond of friendship safe.


And here we are with another chapter! I'm think I'd like Ayame to meet a couple of Kakashi's fellow ninjas, what do you all think? Any ideas you'd like to share?

Thank to reviewers, Harvestangel99, Fluffpenguin, The Goliath Beetle and CaptainBeer; you guys rock :) I don't really care when, though, before chapter ten would be nice, I'd like to see twenty reviews and reviewer twenty-one will get a one-shot of their choosing in any fandom I have previously written (this excludes anyone who has won a prize previously).

Thanks again for reading and please review!