The next morning, Michiko was slightly surprised to see Lee at the training grounds. She ran up to him as he practiced his kicks on a training dummy.
"Lee! You won the race last night?" she asked in surprise. Lee saw her and grinned, bowing to her respectfully.
"Good morning, Michiko!" he greeted her. "I would say it was more of a draw. As we neared our end goal, Guy Sensei accidentally collided with an unsuspecting Kakashi Sensei. I turned back to help them, but Guy Sensei insisted I finish the race. He took himself and Kakashi Sensei to the hospital to be treated for minor concussions."
"Wow, that sounds serious!" Michiko said, although now that she thought about it, that seemed like it turned out exactly how she would've expected it to.
"No, Guy and Kakashi Senseis are very tough. They will be just fine, I am sure." Lee reassured her. "Guy Sensei also insisted that he collect all the trash in the village, as was our agreement. That is where he is now. He refused any help I tried to offer."
"That sounds like Guy Sensei." Michiko admitted with a smile. He sure talked big, but his actions proved him to be extremely humble by nature. "So, would this newly-appointed Chunin mind training with a lowly Genin?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at her boyfriend, who responded by blushing.
"You are anything but lowly, my Love." Lee smiled. "And training with you would be an honor!"
Kakashi sighed as he walked down the street, his favorite book under one arm. Guy sure could be a headache sometimes, even literally. But despite all the trouble he caused, Kakashi had to admit that his friend had some very redeeming qualities, as evidenced by where he was now, gathering the village's trash and taking it to the dump. That man didn't care a bit what people thought about him. As long as he was stronger than the day before, and true to his word, Might Guy was a happy man. Kakashi had to admit he was a little jealous of Guy.
As he walked through the village plaza, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as his eye fell on a woman he thought he would never see again. There she stood, seeming to be completely lost, looking this way and that. She was wearing a common traveler's robe, the hood pulled over her head, but her bright, round eyes could easily be seen.
Should he approach her? Should he find out why she was here, of all places, all these years later? No. It wasn't his place. But perhaps...
Kakashi vanished before the woman's eyes turned on him. He watched from the shadows as she unknowingly wandered in the direction of the Lotus Pond, looking more distressed with every step. He knew who he needed to find to address this situation. Michiko Fukuyoma.
As Lee and Michiko trained together, Michiko laughed.
"Sweetheart, you don't need to go easy on me! Dodging is something I do very well, if I say so myself!" she insisted.
"I am sorry!" Lee apologized. "I just could not bear to hurt you."
"That's sweet, but how will I ever get better at taijutsu if you train with me like this?"
"That is true. I will try harder, my Love!"
"That's more like it!"
The two sparred in a grassy area near the training grounds, exactly where Kakashi knew he would find them.
"Michiko, come here!" he said, waving the girl over. The two teens stopped sparring to look at the Sensei.
"Good morning, Kakashi Sensei!" Michiko greeted, approaching him. "What do you need?"
"I need to talk with you a moment, privately." he said, glancing at Lee. Lee smiled and bowed respectfully.
"We will continue our training another time, Michiko!" he said, turning back to continue training on his own.
"What's this about, Sensei?" Michiko asked, lowering her voice as they walked back towards the village.
"There's a woman here I need you to speak to." Kakashi explained. "I believe it is of most importance that you be the one to find her."
"Who is it?"
"You'll see."
"Well, What does she need?"
"You'll see."
"Wow. Thanks, Sensei." Michiko said sarcastically. "Is this some type of mission, or something?"
"You could say that. I think, if handled delicately, this could really help people. People who deserve it." Kakashi said gravely.
"Could you be any more ambiguous?" Michiko grumbled.
"Just trust me." Kakashi insisted.
"All right, all right." Michiko smiled. "Of course I'm going to do it. I'd love to help. Where can I find this woman?"
"There." Kakashi pointed, and Michiko followed his point with her eyes to see a woman kneeling in front of the Lotus Pond, her face in her hands. As Michiko approached her, she could hear the woman crying softly.
"Excuse me. Are you alright?" Michiko asked gently, crouching beside the woman. The woman lifted her head, revealing her face. She was beautiful, and seemed to be in her late thirties or early forties.
"Oh!" The woman gasped. "I... I am alright. I suppose I am just a little lost."
"Are you new here?" Michiko asked.
"Yes. I just arrived in the Leaf Village this morning." the woman responded. "I am... looking for someone, but I cannot find him anywhere, and I am afraid of what might happen when I do find him."
"Take some deep breaths." Michiko instructed. "And here, you can use this to dry your eyes." She handed the woman Lee's handkerchief. The woman dabbed her eyes, then suddenly froze. She stared at the handkerchief for a few moments before speaking.
"What a beautiful handkerchief." she sighed. "Where did you come across such a treasure?"
"It was a gift from my boyfriend, actually." Michiko admitted. "His most prized possession." The woman smiled.
"You must mean a great deal to him." she said, handing back the handkerchief. "My name is Umei."
"I'm Michiko. Who are you looking for, anyway? Maybe I can help you find him?"
"That would be so kind!" Umei said, her eyes shining with gratitude. "His name is Might Guy. I must find him, and tell him that I still love him!"
Sorry for the super short chapter! It's going to be made up for by the next one, though, which will be extra long! Enjoy!
