Me: SHHHHHHHHHHHH! Be very very quiet! *ducks down into bushes* Kakashi is looking for me..... and I think he'll murder me if he finds me....
Kakashi: *appears* THERE YOU ARE!!!
Me: GAH!!!! *runs and avoids kunai*
Kakashi: GET BACK HERE! YOU STILL HAVE MY BOOK!!!
Me: HELP!
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Kakashi stopped them just about towards the outskirts of the city. At least where the tamed part of the city lay. Beyond that there was a clearing, surrounded by the thick lush green forest that hid Konoha from the outside world. The clearing they were approaching was obviously a training ground.
"What?" Syna asked when Kakashi held his hand to stop them.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "Well I'm just going to go talk to them first, and let them know your coming. They can get rather... fierce..."
Syna crossed her arms, "You trust me to stay here?"
"Well I will just request you stay there. It would be easier than me having to drag you back if you decide to run."
"Little confident in yourself," Syna said, corner of her mouth tweaking up.
Kakashi tilted his head to the side with a small shurg, but as he began to walk out into the open to the training ground Syna turned her head to the side. His tone had stated quite clearly how much he trusted her now.
She leant against a tree, shrouded by the shade and blending into the darker greens and browns, as Kakashi was suddenly ambushed by three young looking kids who had been waiting out on the field of the training ground. Two of them looked like they were almost ready to rip their sensai into tiny little pieces. One was a girl with bright pink hair in a red dress, and the other was a short spiky blonde haired boy in a bright orange kit. The third was a dark haired boy in a blue shirt and grey trousers, who looked rather ticked off but wasn't throwing loud accusations at Kakashi. She could pick each one of them out exactly like Kakashi described, with no trouble identifying them. The girl was Sakura, the blonde boy was Naruto, and the other was Sasuke.
Syna couldn't help giggling as their loud voices drifted over.
"What do you mean you were busy?! You told us to be here two hours ago!!" screamed Sakura, waving her fists around.
"Yeah Kakashi sensai! Your always late! What do you even do?!" Naruto backed her up. They looked like they were going to start shredding their teacher any moment now. Maybe saying he'd be torn into little pieces was too kind earlier... at this rate there might not be anything left.
Kakashi seemed like he was trying to convince them otherwise about where abouts he had been. All in all as he stood there, hands in his pockets and a carefree crinkle about his visible eye, he was incredibly calm when he was being screamed at. Syna chuckled aloud as she shifted herself from the tree into a standing position just in the shadows of the treeline.
Her eyes darted up at the glint of silver metal catching against the sunlight. Her hand whipped up and neatly caught the handle of a kunai that had been thrown in her direction. She looked out, and saw a dark expression on Sasukes face as he stared at her through the shadows. By the surprised expression on his fellow students expressions, and Kakashi's look over his shoulder, Syna knew that it must have been Sasuke who had seen her and thrown the kunai. It would be suffice if he thought there was the possibilty she was an enemy, these woods were thick and if anyone was able to navigate them then this is the first place they would likely end out.
Syna stepped out into sunlight, and she saw the three students brace when she twirled the kunai around her finger. Raising her other hand that was free from the kunai, she started waving as she approached them. "Hey!" She tossed the kunai back to the black haired boy, who caught it smoothly and gripped it tightly. "Sasuke isin't it? Good shot," she said with a cheery smile.
"Who are you?" he growled in response, "And how do you know my name?"
Touchy. He seemed worse than the over expressant personalities of the other two, who were also eyeing Syna warily. Syna was glad when Kakashi said, "Relax you three. This is Syna, she's joining us for today. I have already told her about all three of you," he told Sasuke, who still glared at her out the corner of his eye. Wow, he was a touchy young man. Then Kakashi looked at Syna, grumpily saying, "You were supposed to wait."
"Well when it looks like the students are going to tear their sensai open and then one of them starts throwing kunai at you when your trying to stay hidden, then it's sort of hard too..." Syna replied with equal attitude.
"Kakashi sensai, is this why you were late?" Sakura asked with a sly tone in her voice as she eyed her teacher with a grin.
"I guess so." Kakashi said it unashamed.
"So you two were out on a date then?" Naruto asked, a huge grin plastered across his face.
Kakashi's face obviously showed that he hadn't realised what they had initially been thinking. He held his hands up, "No, it's nothing like that." Clearly the look on Naruto and Sakura's face showed their clear disbelief, and they continued to give him sly grins.
Syna herself couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Boy Kakashi, you walked us both right into that." She tilted her head to his students, who were all looking at her, "No I'm afraid your sensai has been too busy breaking into other peoples houses."
"I didn't break in," Kakashi muttered defensively. "That window was open." He turned back to his students to gain their attention again, "Besides the point, Syna is a visitor in Konoha, and I'm charged with helping her around." Syna did her best not to roll her eyes or portray any sort of gesture that would suggest otherwise than that to the students. Really the less people in this village that knew the real reason she was here, the better probarbly. Kakashi kept speaking, "As such, she's going to observe your training."
Naruto made a fist with his hand, punching it into the air. "Yeah! Finally, an audience to see how awesome I am!" He turned the fist into a pointed index, and aimed it towards Syna. "Syna, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and the future Hokage of this village! Believe it, you will see things you have never seen before!"
"Oh please Naruto!" Sakura rolled her eyes at him, and then with a most polite smile she turned to Syna. "Kakashi sensai said he told you, but my name is Sakura. Pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasures all mine," Syna replied. She liked the girl, at least she was polite without the over boistrous attitude or the mistrusting glare out the side of her eye.
Kakashi waited until Sasuke finally introduced himself proparly, and then said, "Well with that out the way, we should begin training for the day."
"Bring it on!" Naruto yelled.
Syna spent her afternoon sitting beneath the shade of a worn tree stump, watching over the three in their training with Kakashi. It was really supposed to be something used for practising kicks and punches, shown by the worn marks on the wood where the bark had taken rough beating from a dozen fists and feet. It made it into a rather uncomfortable leaning post, but it was better than nothing as Syna sank her back against the rough ridges and relaxed. Her rest in the hospital had been a good amount of time to refuel, but she still needed just a little time to sit back and unwind.
The three students had it a lot tougher than her at the moment. Kakashi was taking them through some dodging and attacking drills, where he would get one of them to hold onto a tiny bell and the others had to attempt to take it from them using only Taijutsu. Sasuke was clearly one of the more talented. He was faster than the others, and easily found a way around Naruto. Sakura was interesting to watch. She may not have been as strong or fast compared to her male companions, but she was clever that much was obvious. Syna could see it by the look in her eye, that the girl was trying to strategize most of her moves. Successfully in the end she was the one to retrieve the bell from Sasuke, which took a fair bit of doing.
By the end of it the three of them looked exhausted, and Naruto especially frustrated considering he had been the only one who failed to get the bell, whereas Sasuke had retrieved it twice.
"Ah, Kakashi sensai it's not fair!" he moaned, clearly in a mood because of it.
The silver haired ninja only cocked his head to the side. The bell was now in his fingers, and he twirled it around them absently, "You want to try again?"
"Yes!"
Kakashi continued to twirl the bell, "Well then practise hard and we'll try it next lesson." Naruto somewhat deflated, but Kakashi gripped the bell in his fingers tightly, "Enough Naruto, you've trained well for one day. Go and get yourself some Ramen to eat, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Will you actually be there this time?" Sakura asked, with a sideways smile towards Syna.
"Yes, and Syna will be here tomorrow morning too," Kakashi answered. "Now," he looked up at the sky, which was starting to darken into the colours of evening, "Off you go."
"Night Kakashi sensai," the three students replied. Sakura waved, Naruto threw a thumbs up, and Sasuke just looked at her, as they wished her a good evening as well. She put her hand up and gave a little wave, "Will see you tomorrow morning!"
Within moments the three of them were gone, leaving Kakashi and Syna by themselves. Syna got to her feet, stretching out her back which was now stiff after sitting for so many hours. A gnaw in her stomach told her she was hungry too. It had been a while since she last ate.
"Nice students," she said as she walked over towards Kakashi. "So shall we go?" She had all the intention of asking him where abouts they would be able to scope out some good restaurants in the town. This Ramen shop he had mentioned to Naruto sounded particuarly tempting.
Kakashi stayed firmly where he was though. The shadows of the evening that were starting to cast themselves out across the forest and training ground darkened his face ever so slightly, but she could still feel the penetrating look of his visible eye. He raised the hand which held the bell in it, and tossed it to her. Syna only just put her hand out in surprise to catch it in her palm. The small thing was thin metal, that made a little tinkle when she moved it.
"It's your turn," Kakashi said.
"What?" she asked.
"It's your turn to keep the bell from me." Kakashi answered rather coolly. He held up his other hand, revealing a second bell, which he tightened around his wrist. "At the same time you have to try retrieve mine. First to collect the others bell is the victor."
"Why?" she frowned.
"If you, a stranger in Konoha, are going to be teaching us how to protect our own village, then I want to know that what you are teaching us is worthwhile of skill level. Show me what you can do."
He was already in a fighting stance. Syna grit her teeth, and put her hands up, "Kakashi please, I would rather not fight right now. Your still injured, and frankly I'm not up for a fight right now."
"You should know better though that they may strike without warning," he said, and shot forward.
Syna stepped aside, and he just glided by her. "Kakashi, listen to me! Save this for tomorrow!"
Kakashi was already bracing into another stance, "Just fight Syna!"
"You know what, fine!" she growled, and she latched the bell around her wrist like the students had done earlier. Forget her stomach that was groaning pitifully, and the ache in her muscles which a night of sleep would cure. If he wanted to fight, fine by him, she'd fight. Stubborn man. "You asked for it."
He didn't even know she had moved until she was by his side and reaching for the bell. In surprise he drew back, snapping his wrist out the way and simultaneously reaching for hers.
Syna was gone again before he even started to reach. She was fast, and a tug at his wrist soon helped him locate her. Kakashi spun, snapping out a punch which she threw her hand up to protect herself from. The feeling of his palm meeting such a sturdy grip was definately different than what he had been expecting. Clearly this must have showed in his face, though he had only shown it for a moment in his expression. Syna half heartedly grinned, before throwing her own punch for his face, which he ducked.
Again she was fast though, and a well aimed kick threw him back a few feet into the air. Syna leapt up after him, hand outstretched for the bell that gently chimed where it dangled in the air from his wrist. He flipped over backwards, landing one foot on her shoulder which he pushed off from. They both spun backwards, landing on their feet only a few feet away from each other.
It began again soon. Syna led it, by racing in at him with her hands drawn back to throw another punch. Kakashi put his arms to deflect the punch, throwing his own jabs and kicks. Each one he threw she blocked, and each that she dealt to him he also managed to dodge. It was a battle of skill and wits matched against each other, neither getting a shot in on the other, yet never relenting their effort. The bells chimed loudly in the thrashing they recieved by the whipping movements of their arms.
Kakashi let his guard drop for a single second, and Syna took full advantage of it, rushing in at him. A strike into the ribs, much stronger than anticipated and definately a blow to Kakashi because of his injuries which were still rather tender at the moment. The moment he took to suck in a shaky breathe was all it took for her to throw another jab into his stomach at that same lightning speed she kept moving at. Whatever doubt he had about her really being a top Jonin was definately gone. If she wanted to, he very much assumed she could apply lethal force. That, as she had put it before, sent her 'one up on the espionage scale'.
Syna leapt in again, this time to deliever one more strike so that she could incapacitate him enough so she could go for the bell. Halfway through her movement though, something in her stern face that had been locked in the moment of the fight changed. It was almost like something sharp had suddenly pierced her, and her movement slacked a little. Kakashi could see nothing that would have done that, and took the moment of opportunity to begin a retaliation of attacks. The jabs into her ribs, shoulders and stomach threw her back a few feet, and he lunged in, fingers closing about the bell.
What happened next was something he could barely describe. One moment she was there, and next she was literally gone. There was no blur of her moving like she had before, no sign that she had just moved out the way incredibly quickly. Quite literally she had just disappeared.
He turned sharply around at the sound of footsteps, and found her half hunched over, using her knees for support. He straightened up, as did she. Appart from the suprise at the sudden disapperance and reappearance she made, he had still won. His fingers had closed about the bell on her wrist a brief moment before she had gone, and he now held it in his fingers. He held it up to show her.
Much to his surprise though, Syna actually began to grin. Then she held up her hand, and dangling from her fingers was Kakashi's own bell. He hastily looked down at his wrist, and for the first time actually noticed that indeed the bell that had been tied about his wrist was missing. He hadn't noticed in the slightest.
Syna took a few steps forward, tossing the bell back to him. "Well, do I pass Kakashi?"
The smile that was still on her face, and the unbelievable truth that she actually had suceeded in getting the bell off him (a task he had actually rather doubted her about for a little while) made him laugh as he pocketed the bells. "I guess you do Syna. Though next time it won't be so easy."
"With the sharingan I'm guessing?" Her laugh at his surprise was one that said 'surely you don't think I'm that oblivious?' "Good, fine... now can we please go and get something to eat!? Surely you ate when you woke up earlier, but I am STARVING!" She folded her arms, tapping her foot, "Come on high and mighty Konoha ninja, come feed the poor starving one."
"And if I don't?" he asked as he began to walk forward back towards her and at the same time towards Konoha.
Her hands were now on her hips, "Hey your the one who has been placed in charge of keeping an eye on me. I'll be sure then to make every single moment a great difficulty, and now you know I can. So chop chop."
Sometimes it felt like there was two seperate people inside the one of her. She was always so cheery, snapping into a light hearted and teasing mood so quickly. But she definately had something about her too. This fight was proof enough, that when she had to be, she could snap right back into a darker and much stronger frame of mind that was determined and serious.
"So," she said as she fell into a step beside him, "Where are we going to eat? This Ramen shop sounds most inviting!"
Guess Ramen was on the menu. Kakashi didn't want to admit but his own stomach had been growling most uncomfortably too for the last hour or so. During the fight he had ignored it, but now it came back with a vengence.
His sharp eye caught her absently rubbing her hand against the flat part of her sternum with a slight wince. It wasn't somewhere he had struck in the fight, and soon she dropped her hand. Strange, but then again it had been an intense fight. Maybe he had struck her without realisation.
Feeding Syna Ramen was like feeding Naruto Ramen. She ate almost as excitedly, though Kakashi was relieved that she didn't eat as much as he did, nor as messily and noisily. She managed it with grace and dignity, and for that he was glad. Especially when he paid the bill.
He directed her back to her temporary house. It looked rather uninviting from the outside, but as soon as the lights were on inside it gave off a warm glow. Kurenai must have already been around to drop off some clothes for Syna, because when she bade Kakashi a good night as he took up a lookout position outside, she was wearing a different outfit.
"Don't stay up too late Kakashi," she teased. Then with a glare, "And I'm locking all my windows."
He put his hand up, with a smile. "Fine." Then she was gone, and the light inside the house clicked off as she finally settled for the night.
There were other Jonin out this time at night. He could catch one of them and put them on guard duty while he got some rest for tomorrow. His injuries did need some rest, and after all he did have a training lesson with Syna.
He wondered, after what he had seen her do today, just exactly what that would involve.
Only the new dawn of the day would tell, he thought, as he settled himself down comfortably, and began to watch the darkened house.
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Yay!!! *high five* I'm in a happy mood! Yay Kakashi! Woop woop! Oooo forgive me if I don't get any parts out for a while... I do have exams coming up... so grrrr I'll be studying for them.... I might try sneak another chapter out if i can ;D