[A/N]: So...I've been sitting on this chapter for a while.

Chapter 10

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"Why do you insist on calling me Scarecrow?" He threw a kunai at the target, not straying a millimeter off of dead center.

Shima didn't miss a beat. "Because your face scares the crows away," she said as she threw five shuriken to surround his kunai. It was brief, but she had felt his chakra flare at the insult. Fighting away a smirk, Shima went to collect the weapons from the target.

He scoffed. "Apparently not. You're still here." She knew he was thinking, 'How can my face scare the crows away? You can't even see most of it.'

Shima plucked the sharp objects out without any emotion playing over her face. "I'm not a crow." Her eyes fell on him with an impassive stare. "I'm a hawk keeping guard over the scarecrow's shoulder," she finished with an innocent smile.

His eye widened a great deal before he collected himself. "More like a cat rubbing at the scarecrow's feet." Shima smiled at his analogy, glad that he was playing along instead of simply brushing her off. He sighed. "Why can't you use my real name?"

Shima shook her head. "Everyone calls you Kakashi. You're special to me, Scarecrow." Shima looked up to the sky out of habit. "That's why I gave you a name only I could call you," she chuckled. "It's selfish, but as a kunoichi I don't get many chances to be selfish."

She lowered her gaze to his flustered face. Even with most of it covered, she could clearly see a blush creeping up into his cheeks. His chakra was waving back in forth signaling a rise in his heart rate. Shima hid her victorious smile, afraid to ruin the moment. "Kakashi Hatake is my Scarecrow. You can say whatever you want, but I won't be swayed from calling you that." She laughed as a thought came to her. "You can call me Neko if you want." She tilted her head in a bright smile.

Kakashi sputtered unintelligibly before his composure returned with a wink of a smile. "You can call me Scarecrow, but I'll stick to calling you Shima."

"Fine by me," she finished with a smile.

Panting, Shima decapitated the last enemy with her blade gliding through the flesh as if it were a piece of paper. The heavy thuds of body and head falling separately to the ground calmed down her burning lungs. Dead bodies surrounded the team that had survived with only minor difficulties. The bandits that had ambushed them were nothing compared to highly skilled shinobi of Konoha, but there had been jounin-ranked individuals scattered throughout their ranks that had gotten the jump on them. Mingled with the others, Shima had been unable to get a correct reading on their chakra.

It had been expected that they would be jumped before they made it back to the border of their homeland. Shima and her team had planned for this, had prepared. Each member of the four man squad was still alive and the target was still in their possession. All they needed to do now was go home and give their reports.

"Shima, let me see your arm." Minami held her hands out, preparing the medical jutsu she would use on Shima's wounds. The deep gash in her arm was not the worst injury she had, but it was the one bleeding the most. She had blocked an attack meant for Ryo, slicing her enemy's throat in the process. A wound was an easy sacrifice to give in order to achieve a higher goal. Ryo was safe and the enemy was dead.

"Have you already healed the others?"

Minami pulled back with a shake of her head. "You have more injuries than the others, Shima."

A nervous laugh left her throat, making her bruised ribs ache. Her three comrades had cuts and scrapes that would heal on their own within a week, Ryo had four broken fingers and a possible broken foot, and Kazehaya was sporting a slash mark on his back. Meanwhile she had a bleeding arm, bruised ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and several bruises that she couldn't count. Minami was relatively unharmed since she was the medic and meant to stand in the background. "I'll be fine until the others are healed." Shima tilted her head in the direction of home. "We'll rest until we are able to continue on to the Leaf. It will be a good five hour run, so rest up."

Ryo stood up, his black hair dancing around his head. "If your injuries are not taken care of it could weaken us on the way home."

Shima's back straightened, her chakra turning cold as ice. She let her violet eyes pierce Ryo's blue ones with a look that could melt steel. "Are you questioning me, Ryo? If I am correct, you are the one with broken bones in your feet. Your feet are needed for running, Ryo. If your wounds are not healed you will slow us down. I want to get home as soon as possible. Therefore your bones will be mended first, and then Kazehaya's, and then mine unless Minami's chakra begins to be too depleted, understood?"

Insubordination at its finest. Mending bones of any kind took more chakra than anything else. If Minami used her chakra on Shima, she might not have enough to properly mend his bones. Ryo's pace would be slowed with pain. Kazehaya's wound covered his entire back. It was not fatal, but any movement would reopen the wound. Shima could easily wrap her arm up, avoid using her shoulder, and ignore her ribs. This was nothing to her. Zaku had put her through much more than running when her injuries had been worse than this. Brutal training came in handy during these kinds of situations after all. Men and their chivalry…

Ryo's eyes narrowed. "The leader of this mission should be healed first. You made sure we survived. I would have lost an arm if you hadn't stepped in."

Shima looked up at the sky, hiding her embarrassment. Had her father felt this way when he was praised? It was natural instinct to protect her team, more so since she was the leader. Before even thinking she had stood in front of countless comrades facing severe injury, usually taking the blow for them to a lesser degree. She never regretted her injuries or the pain that followed them. Shima would never let a comrade be injured in front of her without doing something about it. Not again… That thought led to a familiar ache in her chest not at all associated with her bruised ribs.

When her eyes met his again they were notably softer, but still unyielding. "Your leader gave an order. That order will be carried out without further complaint. Understood?"

Ryo almost argued his case further, but was silenced with a sharp rise in her chakra. "Understood," he finally said. Shima smiled at him. Ryo had graduated with her class, but the two had not shared a word in the Academy. He had remembered her as had many others she had been paired with the last four months. The two worked together well. He was a good shinobi. Ryo was a chuunin under her since she was technically a jounin, but was her equal at this point in time. Her current missions were meant for chuunin, but her special status meant she received them as the leader of many of them. Her hazy memories did not dampen her skills.

Minami approached her. "Let me at least stop the bleeding before you pass out." Shima agreed reluctantly, letting her arm be bandaged by the younger medic.

Kazehaya scoffed when she rested her back against the tree he sat under. "You're stubborn as hell when you want to be."

Shima only laughed in agreement. He was the only one that didn't question her orders, knowing that she wouldn't budge once her mind was made up. Ryo was slower to accept that fact, but it felt nice that he worried for her.

The Konoha gate loomed over them as they approached the chuunin keeping guard over the village's entrance. Signing their names and time of arrival, Shima took a deep breath. It was great to be home. Her ribs throbbed from all of the running, her shoulder screaming. They had barely taken a break, ready to be home after five days of being away. Shima took as many deep breaths as she could as they made their way to the Hokage. He was the one that personally handled all of Shima's missions due to her sensitive circumstances.

"Shima, Minami, Kazehaya, and Ryo, it's nice to see you all." The Third pushed aside his paperwork with a weary smile. The four shinobi bowed in respect. He waved it off, noticing Shima's bloody bandages and her shaking chest. Hiruzen sighed, knowing she had refused treatment.

"Mission accomplished, sir." Shima handed him the artifact gently with another bow. She hoped this would be over soon. All the young kunoichi wanted was to go home, jump in the shower, visit her mother, and find that sloth of a shinobi Kakashi.

Hiruzen nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything else. Were they any complications?" The team went through the motions of delivering the report, giving a detailed explanation of what happened during the mission. When all was said they were dismissed to fill out the official paperwork then go home for a rest. Shima stayed behind at the Third's request. "Shima, you can't keep refusing treatment when you receive injuries on the battlefield. That's why there is a medic for every squad."

"Ryou and Kazehaya's wounds were worse off than mine. Minami can only do so much, sir." It was reasonable and she knew the Hokage knew that as well. No matter how much he wanted to scold her for being reckless with her own wellbeing, he knew she had a good reason every time. If he complained too much it would be showing favoritism, which was something he couldn't do. Shima took advantage of that.

He sighed. "Very well, but you will go to the hospital to get your wounds taken care of. There will be no complaints." The tone he used refuted any argument, so with a nod Shima accepted her horrible fate. It was times like these that she wished she was a medic so she could heal her own wounds without going to the damned hospital.

They'll heal with rest, is what she would have said if possible. But arguing with the Hokage was not smart.

Shima crossed her arms while lying in the hospital bed with a scowl marring her face. Her arm had been mended, her ribs were healing, her shoulder was back in place, but the fools refused to let her leave early. No matter how many times she said that she was fine they wouldn't yield. Doctors were the most stubborn people on Earth when it came to injured patients. They firmly let her know she'd be staying overnight.

"You're just like your father," Sayuri said as she entered the room. A bouquet of flowers from her own garden rested in her hand. Shima's mother planted a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead before placing the flowers on the stand beside her bed. "He never was one to be healed before anyone else, refusing treatment of any kind until he returned home then getting irritated at being put in the hospital." She chuckled enveloped in her memories.

"Doctors are too uptight. I'm fine," Shima spat out at no one in particular. The memory of visiting her father in the hospital floated around the room. Hitoshi shared her distaste for the hospital, being the one to teach her how to sneak out of them. The two always wound up escaping before they were released, much to the hospital's dismay. It happened so often that in her youth there had been a special rule for the hospital staff. Keep any Himura in your sights at all times. It was amusing.

Finally out of the hospital, Shima bolted for her apartment for a much wanted shower. The building coming into sight urged her steps to increase in speed. If she wasn't a kunoichi Shima wouldn't have been able to avoid slamming into the figure that chose that moment to step in front of her.

"Someone's in a rush," a deep voice she knew well said. Kakashi towered over her with a bemused expression in his eye. Shima met him with a smile. It would not be said, but she had missed him. The one-visible-eyed jounin was the most important person to her other than her mother. It had been almost five months since her return and that whole time Kakashi had been by her side.

"Did you miss me?" She gave him a cheeky smile.

Kakashi scoffed. "I'm going to miss sleeping in." Shima glared playfully at him.

She eyed the small bouquet in his hand. A smirk etched itself onto her face. "Going on a date, Kakashi?" She winked at him suggestively, hiding her discomfort at the idea with humor. Shima wouldn't lie; the thought of Kakashi going on a date bothered her. When it came to the silver-haired jounin Shima found herself getting a big head, thinking she was the only female he interacted with on a daily basis. She would refuse that she was jealous with everything in her even when she entered the afterlife.

Kakashi looked at the bouquet as if he were seeing it for the first time; one of his talents. "Would you look at that," he said blandly. Disregarding the bouquet to refocus on her, he lifted his eye to meet hers. "I had received news of your return from Sayuri. She said you'd be in the hospital until tomorrow, so I was hoping to reach you before you escaped." Kakashi gave her a knowing look. "I assumed I had at least another hour, but I underestimated your impatience when it came to hospitals."

Shima's eyes widened only a little. It was obvious the flowers were not just there by coincidence, they were for her. He had done something embarrassing, such as buying flowers, for her. Crossing her arms, she hid her flattered mind. "My injuries were not bad enough to call for me staying overnight. Those doctors are insane if they think I'm sleeping in that sterile room because of bruised ribs."

Kakashi chuckled. "From what I've heard it wasn't just bruised ribs that landed you in the hospital."

"Yeah…well, minor wounds are not worth staying overnight in the hospital. I was fine. A few days of rest and I'd be back in top condition without medical assistance."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Shima, you repress your pain to the point that it barely exists in your mind. What a minor wound is to you is the equivalent of a crippling wound to others. You should take better care of your body and get treatment when needed not when it is convenient." His words had a harsh tone to them as if he were angry with her for being reckless with her body. He lowered his voice. "You're not a weapon in Zaku's care anymore. You're a person. A kunoichi, yes, but you're still a person with people in Konoha that would miss you terribly. How would it make those people feel if you keeled over simply because you refused help? Don't be so stubborn," he chided.

Shima's mouth almost fell open. Kakashi was lecturing her on taking better care of herself. It was irritating to be talked to like a child that hadn't bandaged a scrape properly, but she couldn't help the flutter in her chest at being worried over by the jounin. If he didn't care then he wouldn't have said anything, but the way he said it meant he was one of those people that would miss her…like he had missed her for ten years.

"Don't treat me like a child, Scarecrow. I'm only eleven months younger than you."

"Age has nothing to do with it. If you keep being so reckless, you'll get killed. Think about the people that care about you, Shima. How would they feel if you were killed because of your stupidity in battle?"

"Are you one of those people, Scarecrow?"

"…I didn't say that…but I would be annoyed if my sparring partner suddenly vanished because she couldn't watch out for herself."

Shima blinked once, twice. Her violet eyes perceived Kakashi in a whole new light, thoughts swirling manically in her mind without any indication of up or down. Scarecrow… That name was a name that popped up in her mind more than any other. It was the one name she hadn't put a face to since her return. The mysterious silver-haired boy that had been cold to her, but had cared for her in his own way; her best friend of eight years. A boy with the inability to openly express any emotion, a boy that had been dragged along by her for years, a boy that had begun chasing after her of his own will. Scarecrow had been the most important person to her.

A throbbing headache dragged her away from her thoughts, blocking them off from further access. Shima cursed silently.

"I'm going to go home and take a shower, Kakashi. I'll talk to you later." She took her bouquet, which still hadn't been confirmed as hers by the ever disinterested Kakashi, with a weak smile, running home faster than before. Shima wanted to be left in solitude to unlock the door to her memories that was starting to open. It was about time she found out exactly who Kakashi was, who Scarecrow was, and if they were the same person. She couldn't live in the dark any longer.

Shutting her apartment door, Shima sank to the cold floor with a sigh. Her hand clutched the bouquet tightly. The flowers smelled lovely. Shima looked over the simple arrangement. There were only two types of flowers intermingling; white carnations and forget-me-nots. It was an unusual combination, but pretty. The smaller blue flowers poked out from the sea of white in just the right places. Wait…

Flowers are often used to send messages between two parties. Each flower has a hidden meaning that is translated to discover what that person is trying to say.

Shima blinked. The Academy instructor in charge of the kunoichi classes had told Shima's class that during their first lesson. Flowers were not just meant to be beautiful, they conveyed a message. Red roses for true love, white tulips for forgiveness, peonies for healing; they all had meanings. She thought back to those lessons to question what Kakashi was trying to tell her. It wasn't like him to bring flowers to her for a hospital visit. She was often sent to the hospital after a mission and Kakashi always visited at least once. This had been the only time he had brought flowers, so why? Why did he do something so out of character now?

Putting the bouquet in a vase to preserve them, Shima hurried to take that shower she had been planning since seeing the village gate. The water eased her muscles, but she rushed through the process of cleaning. Barely taking long enough to truly relax, she jumped out to get dressed in her casual clothing. Pulling on her sleeveless green sweatshirt, her normal pants, and throwing on her shoes she grabbed a candy bar before leaving her apartment again tucking a forget-me-not behind her ear as the door shut behind her.

The Yamanaka flower shop was thankfully still open. It would have been easy to ask her mother, the woman with the greenest thumb she knew that wasn't a Yamanaka, but she didn't want to discuss it with her mother just yet. This was something she wanted to do on her own.

"Welcome!" A man's voice called out to her as she entered the shop. Shima knew that voice, the voice of Inoichi Yamanaka. The man smiled at her like an average person, not a criminal he knew she was. This man had seen inside her brain, but still smiled at her so easily. "What can I help you with, Shima?" He even remembered her name.

"Uh," she stuttered. It was stupid to be nervous in front of him, but he had seen everything she had done. "I was wondering if you could tell me the meaning of white carnations and forget-me-nots?" Her finger pointed to the flower behind her ear.

Inoichi eyed her warily, but not with any hostility. "An unusual combination, wouldn't you agree? A fellow shinobi bought a bouquet of those just two hours ago. You know him," he said with a knowing look. He was talking about Kakashi. It was just too obvious. Shima kept watching him until he gave her the answer she asked for. "He asked for a flower that meant remembrance, the white carnations. I recommended adding the forget-me-nots because they mean 'never forget me'. It's too bad there's not a flower for scarecrows." Inoichi smiled innocently, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb on Shima's mind.

Kakashi was telling her to remember him; to remember who he had been. The seemingly disinterested guy she had come to spend so much time with was troubled because she hadn't connected the dots sooner. It had driven him to the point of buying flowers, something Kakashi Hatake did not do.

Shima hid her gasp with her hand. "Thank you, Inoichi," she said before she walked back to her apartment. There was nothing her cigarette could do to ease the thoughts swirling inside of her head as she weaved through the busy streets. The Yamanaka Head's hint had been the senbon through the dango. Scarecrow and Kakashi were the same person. It was such a stupid nickname; the actual meaning of his given name, but Shima had called him that anyway. Why? Because he was special.

A smile slipped through her blank expression. That's right; he was special…and still was special. Kakashi had remained at her side since the day he saw her in the forest. Reason told her it was his duty, the Hokage had told him to. He was the one to push for her retrieval, the one to bring her home. But to stay at her side even after she was settled? No, there was more to his attachment. Something…something had been telling her there was more than mere duty leading his actions. It could have been intuition or something else she could only understand with her memories back in place. Now she knew what it was that kept him around.

Shima pinched the bridge of her nose to ease the beginnings of a migraine. These new revelations, new memories, were too much for her right now. She had solved the riddle of who Kakashi was, but it didn't stop there. So many emotions were involved in their companionship. Solving the mystery was a piece of cake compared to unraveling their history. There was just so much. How had she not remembered him? He was Scarecrow for crying out loud! She had spent almost every day with the man, but his memory had never clicked in place. Why?

Before the kunoichi knew it, she was back in the confinements of her apartment, staring at the flowers on her table. With so many new things floating in her mind, she felt claustrophobic. There just wasn't enough space in her mind or her apartment for all of these thoughts spinning around her.

Reaching out her senses like she did in a panic, Shima felt beneath her with her mind. Kakashi wasn't in his apartment. Understandable since it was still daylight, but that riled up her nerves even more. Somehow having him there reading his pornographic book would have calmed her, put her at ease. Without him there Shima felt unbelievably alone. It was so stupid. His presence in the same building as her, not even the same room, would have comforted her like nothing else. Why did he have this effect on her?

He's always had this effect on me. Shima took a deep breath. Panicking would get her nowhere. She needed to calm down, to breathe. There was no reason this had to be so difficult is what she told herself…but it was so much more than she had ever felt. None of the other people she had remembered invoked this kind of feeling; not her parents, not her friends. Why him?

Too many whys were being asked. Shima was getting nowhere by thinking in circles. Rubbing her hand over her face in frustration, she sighed deeply. "Kakashi, why do you have to be so difficult?" She asked the empty air with exasperation in every word.

Shima's head dropped with a weary smile. It seemed that no matter how much Kakashi wanted to be remembered, Scarecrow was more hesitant to show himself. What happened to make it so hard to recall someone as special to her as a childhood friend, the very boy she wanted to spend all of her time with, the boy who she should have been most eager to remember? There was a mystery shrouding their connection. Shima knew who he was, knew who he had been…but she couldn't remember all of the key ingredients to their past. All she had were bits and pieces, not the whole picture. How had they met? How had they left off? How deep was their connection?

Her hand tried rubbing out the headache reforming behind her eyes as she slid to the floor. Clutching her knees to her chest, Shima sighed heavily. Their last moments together were the hardest to call forth from the darkness. When she barely rubbed the surface, a deep sadness claimed her heart. That fear she had come to hate herself for reared its head each time the unknown tears prickled her vision.

There was no chance of her becoming the Shima she had been if the same fear overpowered her will each time things got too hard. She knew that, but couldn't bring herself to push harder. Not right now.

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[A/N]: There's Kakashi POV in this chapter...'sigh'. But Shima is finally beginning to remember her dear Scarecrow. Yay!