I apologize that this chapter is short, but it seemed the right place to cut off in regards to the next chapter. I hope that it is not too horrible and that you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews this pathetic garbage.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto better hurry up with Kakashi's story or I'll strangle him.
"Atsui-san, I will be gone for about a week. Could you please take care of the house for me?"
"Of course, it's no trouble at all! When are you leaving?"
"In an hour." I was supposed to escort a wealthy daimyo to Sand Country and return. The mission, an easy B-rank, was going to push my luck on arriving back in time for Kakashi's birthday.
"Please return safely then!"
"Thank you. I will see you in a week." Bowing, I backed out of her doorway and shut the door carefully against the chilly autumn breeze. I pressed the lower half of my face into the thickly padded collar of my jounin vest, fingering the small parcel securely tucked into a side pocket.
A large silver kunai, edged with titanium, rested inside the box. The owner was able to run chakra through the edges, inflicting more damage, as well as store chakra in the kunai's handle. Dangling from the aforementioned part of the weapon was a small resin scarecrow, the characteristic henohenomoheji engraved on the face. A miniature crow, perched on the scarecrow's head, thrust its little black head inquisitively into the scarecrow's impassive one.
Since I wasn't sure if I could make it back in time, I planned to give the present to Kakashi ahead of time. Whether he opened it early or not was his choice.
Reaching the building where Kakashi lived, I cast a quick glance left and right before grabbing hold of the first balcony. Swinging upwards, I hooked onto the metal bars with my legs while clutching at the next balcony upwards. The setting sun turned the metal bars into molten gold and crimson, making me squint against the disorienting colors.
Let's see… fifth floor, third one over. When I reached the fifth level, I rested for a couple seconds, hoping that some resident wouldn't spot and report me to the landlord. Slipping the parcel out of my pocket, I hopped three porches over.
The sunset glinted brightly against the glass; I squinted, trying to catch a flash of silver hair. As far as I could tell, no one was home. I raised my hand to rap against the window when I heard a faint whimper.
Lowering my fist, I concentrated hard. A mewl trembled through the glass, a low groan reverberating underneath.
Was he hurt? It didn't sound like it; the whimper had been too high, too thin. If anything, it sounded like a female.
A patch of yellow, splashed against the far corner, caught my eye. It was slightly brighter than the sunset's colors, now that I thought about it. Closing my eyes, I was able to detect a chakra signature. Someone was in there!
Leaning my face closer to the glass, I stared hard. With the sun's colors fading, it became easier to distinguish a human form. The patch of yellow was a long braid of hair, which belonged to a woman, who seemed to be intertwined with-
With a small gasp, I broke away, my heart thundering. I hurriedly swung to the balcony below, although Kakashi had seemed too busy to notice me. Reaching the ground, I began to run towards the main gate, where I was supposed to meet the client. My harsh breaths and pounding footsteps seemed strangely far away.
I had to calm down. I'd already been embarrassingly rash in my thinking before, with upsetting results. I didn't want to do it again.
Just because he was with a woman didn't mean he loved her, right? Didn't people get drunk and fool around with each other? I'd seen drunken shinobi acting pretty passionate when inebriated and not give a damn about the other when sober. And even when sober… well, don't people get, well, urges sometime?
Kakashi was a human; he was a brilliant ninja, but a human nonetheless. He was a human who was still relatively young and at his peak, a human who had hormones and whom females flocked to. I shouldn't be so shocked, so aghast.
"Finally. We can get started now." A fat man scowled, his jowls wobbling disapprovingly. His plump fingers, bedecked with numerous pieces of jewelry, beckoned towards me.
"I don't appreciate shinobi who are late on the job. If this happens again, I'll be reporting to your Hokage, understand?" Accepting my nod, he climbed into his carriage and waved for the journey to begin.
I trudged beside the carriage, scarcely aware of the daimyo's seething glares. My eyes flickered back and forth, my numb mind scarcely processing what they saw.
"Halt!" The order rang through the dark night a few hours later; it was now too dark to travel any further. I secured everyone's position before settling down myself at the edge of camp. Clutching my knees, I curled up against a gnarly pine tree.
I wasn't going to say anything. Not a word. Kakashi was a human in his prime, with urges and feeling like everyone else. For all I knew, it was a drunken one-night stand. I wasn't going to assume anything and ruin everything. I was going to try to forget about it, to throw it away.
Shivering, I clutched my knees tighter.
Please read and review! Sorry about the length.
