Hanare saw Granny Kagerō in the living room of the penthouse.
"Hanare! You're back sooner than I expected."
"He's… busy," Hanare said. "I just left his lunch on his table. He's having a meeting."
"So you did not eat with him? Come on. I'll prepare lunch for you."
"Thanks."
Hanare followed the old woman to the kitchen. She watched her as she prepared food for her.
"Granny Kagerō, what if you come home early today?"
Kagerō looked at her. "Hmn?"
"I just thought, maybe, since I am here now, you could go home earlier than you used to. So that you could spend more time with your family. I could cook dinner for the Hokage."
"But, it's alright, my dear. You don't have to worry about me."
"I just… want to help you. I know it might be hard that you have to spend less time for your family. I just want to give you the chance to at least do everything that you want with them. Those things that you have neglected because of serving the Hokage."
Hanare knows how hard it might be for Granny Kagerō to work full time and not having enough time for her family. She might not have a family on her own, and it was hard. But she knows it's harder for someone like Granny Kagerō to have her family but never have the luxury to spend some time with them.
"You can just go here to clean and arrange things. I can do the cooking. I used to work in a restaurant before, and I learned a lot as the assistant of the head cook. So I can take care of the Hokage's food. That way, you don't have to come to work early, and come home late."
Hanare hopes that Granny Kagerō accepts her deal. She really wants her to spend more time with her family, especially now that she's old. And being old is also the reason why Hanare wanted her to work less than what she usually do.
"Well, if that's what you think is best."
Granny Kagerō smiled at her, and Hanare felt relieved. Now, the old woman could have some time to rest and be with her family. It's as if Hanare succeeded in her first assignment as Kakashi's assistant. It really feels good.
Speaking of which, she remembered what happened downstairs a while ago. She suddenly felt ashamed of what she has done. For sure, Kakashi will reprimand her again, tell her that she should not just appear in his office like that. Especially since nobody knows about her yet.
Maybe she could do something to make it up to Kakashi? Yeah, maybe. A sumptuous dinner perhaps? Yes, that would be fine. Tonight, she will showcase her cooking prowess to somehow appease her new boss' mood towards her.
Kakashi got home quite early than usual. The truth is, his mind never left his lavish penthouse on the fourth floor of the Hokage Residence. He tried to focus on the meeting that he had with Shizune and Shikamaru, but seeing Hanare entered his office just derailed his focus once again. It actually made him wonder if what he did was right, to let Hanare live with him, and on the building that holds most of Konoha's most kept secrets.
Thinking about it, it was really the best choice that he could have. The Anbu that guard the place is more than enough to keep Hanare's every action guarded. Besides, the scrolls contained in the building's libraries are all safely sealed, so his newest assistant could not easily look into their content.
Unless Hanare is knowledgeable enough to break the seals that lock the scrolls.
He doesn't really know what the green-haired woman could do. All he knows is that jutsu that she has that he copied six years ago – through his sharingan, of course – when he accidentally fell onto her and, well, accidentally kissed her. He immediately pushed the memory away from his head.
Kakashi looked at the bento he is carrying. Maybe he should tell her to be careful in barging into his office from now on. Of course, it would be unusual that his assistant could not go into his office. He should have told her that he hired her to be a housemaid if that's what he wants. But of course, it won't be right. Hanare is too good and talented to just stay in the penthouse as a maid. And there is this part of Kakashi that tells him she might help him in running the whole village – as an assistant, of course – with all the information that she has.
Now, he wondered the extent of Hanare's knowledge about the ninja world.
He's very consumed into that thought, that he was surprised to see Hanare greet him when he entered the penthouse. She is wearing an apron, and was it a ladle that she is holding?
"Welcome back home!" Hanare smiled at him sweetly.
Kakashi gaped at her. And what in the world is happening right now exactly?
"Ahm…" Hanare looked away. "I cooked dinner for you."
"You what?"
"Dinner," Hanare repeated. "I said I cooked you dinner."
Hanare looked at him. She still looks embarrassed, as if she did something he might not like.
"I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I shouldn't have just showed up like that. Of course, nobody knows about me yet, so I should not just do that."
Kakashi looked at her. Hanare is staring down, quite blushing because of embarrassment. She actually looks cute that it made Kakashi smiled.
He stopped before he enjoys himself more.
"It's okay. It's bound to happen anyway. They will know about you. I guess, they just found out sooner than what I wanted to happen."
"So, you're not mad?"
Hanare looks like a little girl testing her parent's reaction to something foolish she has done. And it made Kakashi smile again.
"I'm not mad."
Hanare exhaled deeply. "That's a relief."
"You don't want me to get mad at you?"
"Of course I don't!" Hanare answered.
And it gave an unusual feeling to Kakashi. Something that warmed his heart that made him feel glad.
"Why would you want someone to get mad at you? Especially someone you live with."
She suddenly paused after saying that, like she just said something that she should not.
Or maybe, she did. Kakashi then realized how her last sentence sounded. It made him reciprocate the awkwardness that Hanare is feeling.
"Ahm… Why don't we just go to the kitchen and eat dinner?"
She did not wait for his answer. She immediately went to the kitchen leaving him at the genkan. After a few seconds of just standing there, he removed his sandals and put on some slippers. He then followed Hanare to the kitchen, and was greeted by the delicious smell of the food that she cooked.
"Sit down, Lord Hokage."
Hanare is smiling at him, as if nothing just happened between them in the genkan. Well, nothing really happened, right? They just talked and looked at each other. Awkwardly.
"Just call me Kakashi," he said.
"But I should do the honorifics," Hanare said.
"Don't mind it. Especially if it's just the two of us."
Hanare looked at him, and once again, he thought of the implied meaning of what he just said.
"I mean, it's not like, it's something else." How can he say that he's not flirting with her without saying the exact words? "I'm just not used to having people call me that, or addressing me with honorifics. I'm good with everyone calling me by my name."
"Well, you should get used to it, I guess."
Hanare smiled at him, and somehow it made the mood a little better. A little less awkward. Kakashi looked at the food and could not help but admire it.
"These looks good," Kakashi told Hanare.
"They are good," Hanare said. "I might not cook like Granny Kagerō does. But I know a thing or two with cooking."
"Granny Kagerō…"
"Oh, I asked her to go home early. I also told her that I could prepare breakfast for you. I just think she's working too hard for her age. I feel like she should retire now so that she could have more time with her family. She's old and it felt as if she wasn't able to enjoy that much with her family because of her job."
"She is very hardworking. I already told her about retiring, but she insists that she likes what she's doing and she's okay with it. You just can't stop her."
"Yeah… That's why I offered her some help. I also figured out she could not be persuaded in stopping to serve the Hokage. It feels as if that's a vocation for her."
Kakashi stared at Hanare. It seems that she has already gotten along with the old woman Kagerō. Looking at her like that, seeing the concern that she has for her new friend, it made Kakashi think that she is a kindhearted woman. Someone that could not do anything bad to the people around her.
Or, was it just a cover? Is she just making it up to make him believe that she is trustworthy? That she is not planning anything that might endanger the whole village?
But, whatever the case, Kakashi could not help but stare at her, look at those brown eyes that little by little makes him mesmerized and makes him feel that unfamiliar warmth inside his heart.
