Chapter 13
A breeze was drifting gently among the grass as the afternoon was drawing to an end. Kakashi gave a leisure yawn. At first it was strange to hear his book read aloud by a woman, but later it proved to be quite cathartic. He liked the quiet yet passionate character of her voice. She had a low and soft voice, contrary to the usual high-pitched female voice. It wasn't sultry, nor was it plain. It was honest, mature, and intriguing. He wondered if she had always sounded like this, or simply grown into it like some girls do when they become adults. He recalled the time when all the girls had squealed his name as he walked into a classroom. Thinking back, it wasn't so bad, he chuckled, but you couldn't have a decent conversation with any of them. The young Kakashi had found all his classmates equally unsatisfactory.
"Kakashi-senpai, here you are."
The ninja hounds started complaining and gave the just-arrived ninja dirty looks. As Yamato came closer, his eyes fell on Athena's face.
"What's up, Tenzo?" Kakashi lazily asked, disregarding the disapproving glare of his kohai towards him and the person next to him.
"It's Yamato. Is it okay for you to be here," Yamato's voice was stern as he glanced at Athena, "like this?"
"I'm pretty sure it is," he smiled. "Athena was reading to us. Care to join?"
He examined the woman. She looked healthy, but definitely not strong enough to have completed any ninja training. In fact, she looked quite lovely in her simple white dress. Not beautiful enough for a seductress, but it'll make her pass as a civillian...
"Yamato," as if having read his mind, Kakashi spoke up, "Athena is my new neighbor, and Hokage-sama had also put me in charge of her well-being."
He nodded at the explanation, but his eyes were still gauging the woman next to him. Then, to his surprise, she returned his stare. Her eyes had the color of a storm, and they were ripping a hole in his face. I guess I kind of pissed her off, he thought, with a long overdue greeting. "Nice to meet you," he said finally, "I'm Yamato."
Ignoring him, she turned to Kakashi, "Thanks for the book, I have to go to work now." She quickly put Biscuit back on his shoulder, collected her things, and left without addressing Yamato.
"Is she always like this?" he said after she had disappeared from the premise.
"Well you weren't exactly courteous to her either," Kakashi turned a page in his tattered book, "she'll surprise you if you're a bit nicer to her."
"Like you were?" Yamato couldn't help himself, "she might still be dangerous. I looked for you immediately after hearing about it from Hokage-sama. You're letting this woman get too close to you."
"Her name is Hayanashi Athena," he said.
"This wo...Hayanashi Athena is a complete stranger, who has detailed information on our task force and a background we can't verify," Yamato insisted. Doesn't he know how dangerous it would be if she turned out to be a spy? "You shouldn't be too close to her, considering your position in our task force and your close connection to Naruto, whom she might be after."
"I already interrogated her. From where I'm standing, she's just a young woman who was torn from the world she knew and suddenly found herself in a place full of strangers who see her as a threat." Kakashi closed his book. "Moreover, Naruto seems to like her."
"Are we trusting Naruto's judgement on people now?" Yamato scoffed. Like how he trusted Sasuke?
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the two jounins. The ninja hounds had disappeared in the mid of the conversation. Finally, Kakashi stood up, "you should go to the Ichiraku's Ramen Bar for dinner tonight. I have something else to take care of now."
With that, he left Yamato alone and puzzled under the maple tree.
The Ichiraku's Ramen Bar was particularly busy today. There were already a few people waiting in line for a seat, though for some strange reasons, they were circling around the side of the bar instead of standing in front. He took advantage of that and stole himself an open seat.
"Oy, Yamato-sensei, you're here for ramen also?"
He turned to his side. Naruto and Iruka were waving to him one seat over. The old man between them was kind enough to trade seat with him, something he was a bit inclined to refuse. The senpai always pays, right? He calculated, I guess I'm sort of Iruka's senpai? Nevertheless, he moved next to Naruto and his former academy teacher. He was about to tell Naruto about Kakashi's weird remark this evening, when a cool and quiet voice entered his ear.
"Your order. Two large ones with extra meat."
He looked up, and the pair of stormy eyes from earlier stared back at him unflinching. She was wearing an apron, her thick dark hair was tied up in a neat chignon. For a moment, she got his tongue. Some whispering arose from behind him. The in-line customers had already gathered around them. He could only make out "secrets" and "sorceress" among what was being said.
"Athena-san, you work here now?" Naruto asked.
"I'm filling in for Ayame-san. She's gone to the bay with some friends," she turned away from him to answer Naruto's question. First I picked up some lawyer's dry cleanings and booked her dentist appointments, now I'm working at a noodle shop. What wonderful use of a six year education in chemistry and perfumery! She thought. Will they realize already I'm not a threat?
Athena looked at the ingredients in front of her. She loved cooking, she enjoyed Teuchi and his modest noodle bar, but she was fed up with having to work for survival—once to avoid starving and once to avoid persecution. She wanted a job in which she could use her skills. She studied to be a perfumer, she worked as a perfumer, now she wished to continue to be one. Is that so much to ask even for a magical world? She lamented.
"What would you like to eat, Naruto?" she asked, trying to ignore the tempest inside her head. Well, at least in this job I get to actually help, and people like me for it.
She sure acts nicer towards him, Yamato noted. Is this why Kakashi-senpai told me to come here tonight?
"Yamato-sensei, aren't you going to order?" Naruto reminded him. "Athena-san is a great cook. She could tell how to make the broth just from smelling it once!"
"Right," he faked a frivolous laugh, "I'd like a medium bowl with egg, please."
The woman behind the bar gave him a questioning look, then started to prepare the noodles. She put the bowl in front of Teuchi and let him put the garnish and meat on top. The chef quickly arranged the slices of roasted pork and two perfect halves of an egg on the side, then sprinkled the green negi on top.
"Here you go," he presented the ramen steeped in a fine clear golden brown broth.
"I hear you have some impressive new help," Yamato took the chance to chat him up.
"Oh, you mean Athena-san?" the old chef smiled, "she's very good. Maybe my Ayame would pay more attention to her cooking now that there's someone who can challenge her. Well, her problem is that she's still too young. But you're young too, Athena-san!" he added hurriedly. "Twenty-four isn't....ol...matur...well..."
"You must pay her well," Yamato saved Teuchi from himself, "since she's so good."
"No no, she volunteered to work here for free!" Teuchi shook his head. "She learned that I'll be short-handed without Ayame, and offered to help without pay. I'm glad though. She's such a diligent help too."
A shadow crossed his face. She's working for free? He tasted the broth. She's definitely not at an apprentice level. Is she working here to get close to Naruto? He glanced at her pacing back and forth between counters. Sweat soaked her temples, but her eyes remained sharp. She even laughed at Naruto's joke. Unlike her low-key voice, her laugh was as bright and thrilling as a bell.
However, she eyed him with great caution and never addressed him directly. Yamato sighed and decided to concentrate on his bowl of ramen instead. Unfortunately, Naruto brought Athena back to his attention when his bowl was only half eaten.
"Yes, Yamato-sensei here is very generous. He treated us to a hot-spring resort out of his own pocket!" Naruto loudly declared. Iruka was whispering to him that it's rude to talk with food in his mouth, something the young ninja never cared to listen. "He can even make a house out of woods!"
Naruto! He panicked. Why are you telling her about my ability?
"So you're a carpenter? I thought you were a ninja," she said to him. She was chopping negi and talking to them at the same time. Naruto almost choked on his noodles at her remark. He let out a ferocious laugh.
"Athena-san, Yamato-sensei can use Wood Element ninjutsu. He can make waterfalls appear, change the landscape, and even grow trees out of nowhere."
"Can you do that also?" she asked, looking at both Naruto and Iruka. Why is half your village in construction then? The two shared a quick glance, then broke out laughing again. Athena ceased her chopping. She hated being laughed at for stupidity or ignorance. "What is it?"
"Oh, sorry," Iruka politely apologized, "there are only two shinobis in history who can use wood element techniques. One is our First Hokage who had passed away long ago, and one is Yamato-senpai here." Then he added, "he's also an ANBU member with quite an impressive track-record."
"ANBU? Is that the same as Kakashi?" her eyes widened. Why is this guy watching me? Kakashi told me my status was cleared.
"No," Yamato stepped in, so she's even on a first-name basis with senpai, "I served under Kakashi-senpai in the ANBU. Even though he left, Senpai is still considered somewhat of a legend in the operation. Please don't compare me to him."
Yamato recalled his memory of a nineteen year old Kakashi, who was very tall, lean, and well sculpted in his fitted ANBU black uniform and silver vest—his hair a bit shorter than the present, and his eyes sharp and intense as knives. Incredibly fast, he noted, and inhumanly good at assassination. He remembered standing behind Hatake Kakashi a year later in their first mission together and how inadequate he had felt. The silver hair gleamed beneath the moon light, a dash of movement, Raikiri blazed up, and the target fell. Yamato recalled the initial jealousy he had felt, which later turned into admiration and respect.
"How was Kakashi-sensei considered a legend?" Naruto asked with awe. I need to remember this and tell Sakura-chan also. The thought of his half-asleep chronically late-to-everything sensei as an elite ANBU seemed inconceivable.
"He still is, Naruto," Yamato corrected his student, "Kakashi-senpai was exceptional in every aspect of the ninja arts. He was dutiful, intelligent, and resourceful. I've never seen him in any other position except the leader in our missions together. You should have seen him then, Naruto, he was quite something to behold. Not that he's not impressive now."
But he was something else before, Yamato thought and then looked at the blond teenager, he softened quite a bit from being with you, Naruto.
"One thing about Kakashi-senpai remains the same. He always declares with a laugh that he wouldn't let his teammates die, and that he would sacrifice his life to ensure that," Yamato said. I guess I can never be like that. He looked at Athena. Kakashi-senpai, what did you want me to see?
"He's just as indulgent as ever. I guess that's why he was so loved and respected even in our operation, which has been known for its more individual fighting ethics." That might also be the reason why he left us, Yamato thought. "That's why he's a legend."
"And also incredibly foolish," Athena added to his concluding sentence. "Life isn't something one should give away like a candy bar. We only get to live once. Those who are too eager to throw away their lives really don't have any appreciation for life."
"Don't you think it's worth it to give your life defending what you believe in? Or the person you love? Or the country you swear loyalty to?" Naruto beat everyone to the questions. The young ninja had put down his chopsticks, and had his arms crossed.
"It depends. It's worth it on an ideal level, but in reality...are you sure what you believe in isn't wrong? Or what the person you love is worth being protected? Or that the country you swear loyalty to isn't just using you for its own political agenda?"
I don't understand them, Athena thought, why are they so eager to die? She recalled the average age of a shinobi as said in her boring book. An average of thirty-three years. Only thirty. And these kids...they should be concerned about other things rather than death!
"Don't you have someone whom you want to protect with your life? Someone's very important to you?" Naruto pressed on without addressing her rebuttals. Snow flakes were falling onto his memory. Heavy, and at the same time ceremonious.
"No I don't," she answered dryly. "We don't die for each other in our culture. Well, I guess some do, but generally there's no need to. The biggest test for a bond is often whether or not we trust each other enough to get married or co-sign a loan."
"Well, we die for each other here, Athena-san." Iruka gently said, "a shinobi's life is surrounded by death. We've chosen this life willingly."
"No you didn't," she said, then caught herself. I forgot you're born and bred by martyrs, she held herself back, you probably think dying is an honor.
They puzzled her. Between them there was a bond forged between comrades who had been through life and death together. Between every ninja she encountered was a fire binding them all together in a single will: to protect the village. To be able to cast your life away in order to protect something precious, she felt a sudden pang of some inexplicable feeling. She didn't know whether to pity them, to envy them, or to admire them.
"I'm sorry. I simply...don't understand," she surrendered with great difficulty. I'm in Rome after all.
Her half-ass but honest apology quenched Naruto's anger, and he quickly returned to telling her all the tidbits concerning a ninja's life, even more enthusiastic than before. Next to them, Yamato continued with his ramen bowl, his eyes were still glued at the face of Hayanashi Athena.