Disclaimer: I do no t own any characters in Naruto

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Chapter Twenty One

"I never thought that Kakashi was a dedicated worker… well, he is always on missions but jobs like this? I'm impressed." Genma said as he scribbled a few notes on a small notebook that was provided to the three of them. He was working with the Hyuga heiress on the same table while Kakashi was alone on that desk in the farthest right of the room.

Well, the said desk had been to the farthest right when they first entered, but strangely, the table keeps getting closer to their workplace every few minutes. The occupant—that was the Copy Nin—was doing an impressive display of speed in doing his accounting work. The last time Genma checked, Kakashi has already half of his notebook filled with his own scribbles.

On the other hand, the Hyuga next to him was busy on her work too. She rarely looks up, and every time she does, it was only if he was engaging her into a conversation and she needs to reply. She was different before Kakashi entered the room almost three hours ago…for she was less shy and reserved compared to now.

Well…maybe she was just intimidated with the Copy Nin. Kakashi's presence sometimes does that. "Hmm…you are a fast worker too." He noted.

"A-Arigatou."

Genma beamed, the almost-permanent senbon on his lips moving. "You are really cute you know? All that blushing and shyness stuff? It's so adorable I could just—"

A pen cap hit Genma on the head.

Genma blinked, and so did Hinata. They looked at each other for a moment in stunned contemplation. Slowly, Genma's head swiveled to face the seemingly oblivious masked ninja who was busy on his own stack of paper works a few meters away. He took the pen cap that landed on their working table and raised it in his fingers. "Did you just hit me with this?"

Kakashi slowly raised his face. "What? Me?"

Just by looking at his all-too-innocent face, Hinata knew that it was him. She almost shook her head when the Hatake looked at the pen in his hand and feigned surprise. "Ooops…maybe I wrote my numbers too quickly and the cap flew away unnoticed. Sorry Genma."

Genma was not looking convinced. The said cap landed a little too strong for him to believe Kakashi's words. With a light frown, he gave Kakashi a look that suggests he was not convinced but was willing to let it go. "Fine….but I don't want a pen hitting my head next time or this senbon will find a mark Kakashi." He doesn't really mean to give off a warning but Kakashi was just acting…odd.

And did that table just moved another foot closer?

"Yeah. Yeah." Kakashi answered, still busy on his paperwork.

With a sigh, Hinata took her stack of finished paper works in order to place them neatly on a new box. Genma has a few finished stacks of his own so she took them with a light smile. There were a few more left in that old box near Kakashi's side of the room so she silently walked towards it. Bending over the box, she pushed a few strands of blue hair off her face.

Hinata was careful not to look in his direction in fear that he was going to disappear in a puff of smoke again. Kakashi has a tendency to disappear like a bubble every time they were too close for his liking. She doesn't want that…even though they were not talking and were pretending like they were strangers, she would rather choose to see him than avoiding her entirely.

His vanishing acts actually hurt.

As she was piling up the remaining papers, she stiffened when she heard Kakashi's chair being pushed back. The sound of his steps walking to where she was made her heart jumped to her throat. The next thing she knew, Kakashi was beside her, pretending to gather fresh papers.

She decided to remain quiet.

With a shaky breath, She was about to pull her hands out of the box when gloved hands caught them, holding them in a grip that was not strong yet also firm. When she raised her eyes to look at his face, she almost gritted her teeth when it was nothing but impassive. His eye was still the same…his jawline…

Then he squeezed her hands.

And let them go.

Hinata never knew the real meaning of frustration until now. As she watched him return to his desk, she gave him a disbelieving look…or more likely a challenge. She really wanted to scream at him right now to make up his mind and be done with it…and not like this.

Not like this.

More like a puppet now—a puppet that was just working because of the strings—she returned to the table she shared with the Shiranui. Genma saw her expression and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay Hyuga-san?"

Hinata lowered her face. "H-hai."

"You must be bored with all this." He motioned to the stack of undone paperworks.

Hinata looked at Kakashi and her eyes hardened. "I am bored with all of this." When she realized that her tone has changed, she ended the answer with a slight laugh. "A-aren't we all?"

Genma agreed. "But Tsunade was not in a hurry. She did not even give us a deadline." Stretching from his chair, he stood up. "Why don't we get lunch first? I'm famished." He looked at Kakashi. "Hey masked man…let's grab something to eat?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll pass."

"It's me and Hyuga-chan then."

Hinata shook her head too. "I'Il pass too Shiranui-san. I am not hungry…besides, only a few papers left and we are done with all these."

Genma scratched his chin as he pondered which was more important; eating lunch with a pretty young girl or let her finish the paper works so that they were done with it.

The paper works won on a landslide."Alright."

"I'll see you around…Genma-san." Hinata smiled.

"I look forward to that…but hopefully not in that dark alley like the last time." Genma chuckled and winked at her. She giggled slightly in response as she watched him leaped out the window in a graceful manner that she was sure would match the Hatake's.

When they were alone, she titled her head to the side and watched the older man—still pretending to be busy—and frowned. "W-why are you avoiding me?" She asked after gathering her courage to speak. "And…why did you d-disappear on me like…smoke?"

"I'm not." Kakashi dropped the pen. "What happened with you and Genma in a dark alley by the way? I'm curious."

"It's not important…Kakashi-sensei." Hinata settled back on her chair and began to organize the scattered files. She was trying her best to act neutral, in case Kakashi's defenses soared up and he was going to disappear on her again. In truth, she was really hungry but decided not to mind the slow, grumbling protests of her stomach. This was a good chance to talk to the Copy Nin and people seldom come into this room, locals or nins.

"Ah." Kakashi continued to scribble on his notebook.

"…It just involved groping and…kissing." Okay…now Hinata knew she was just trying to provoke him. She just wanted him to talk…so that she could bring the matter that concerns about them up. When she looked up again, she saw the pen on Kakashi's hand snapped into two.

It was a sign to back down a step. She doesn't want Genma to be in trouble with what she said. "It's just…Shiranui-san. I saw him with a w-woman and…well, maybe she was his lover—Don't get the wrong idea."

"Genma doesn't have any serious lovers." Kakashi said, dropping the now destroyed pen on the desk. Pushing his chair back, he stood up and walked towards her spot, avoiding her eyes in the process. He stopped when he reached the front of her desk. She was staring at him with well-schooled features just like him. "I want you to be careful around him." He said, resting his hands on the top of the table and bending over to face her. "He loves to play around."

"And so do you Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "Hinata-chan…listen to me." He chuckled grimly. "I am an old man…I don't want you to get stuck with an old man okay?…and I don't want you to feel compelled with what happened between us in the past. I may…sound and look like a jerk to you right now—and believe me— I am really feeling like a jerk, but I don't want you to face troubles that—"

"Don't you think that I have a say in the matter…K-Kakashi-sensei? It's my life after all." Hinata clenched her fists. "Please…do not treat me as a child. I turned eighteen a few days ago and I am legally an adult l-like you—"

"I am not treating you like a child."

"You do!" Her voice raised a few octaves.

"I don't."

"You do—"

Kakashi slammed his hands on the desk and she bites her words down. He looked angry and it was rare to see him look like that. "I don't think of you as a child. If I do…I won't…touch you the way I did in that apartment back in Kali. I won't touch and kiss you the way I did in that alley."

Hinata just stared back.

"You don't understand Hinata-chan. Age gap is just one thing we have to face if…"

"I am willing to face it." She said bravely. "J-just give me the chance to prove it."

Kakashi chuckled again, without humor of course. "Words are easier to say than done." The girl doesn't know the things she was going to thread once he agreed with whatever she was…proposing. He wanted to avoid her and act nothing but it seems like those actions were futile.

He has to make her understand…

She has to understand.

She was young…she was going to recover from this and move on. Even though he has to admit that he could not stop himself from getting… protective of her—protective and not jealousy, mind you—in terms of her and the opposite sex.

Kakashi watched as Hinata's face slowly hardened. Her white, gentle eyes became fierce with a determination he saw her possessed once. It was a few years back when she was still twelve…back in that chunin exams where she was facing a fight she knew she has no chance of winning.

He still remembered those fierce eyes…

To his surprise, Hinata slammed her pale hands on the desk too. "Fine!" She said. "Actions sensei? Then w-words are useless between us… am I right?"

"Right." He agreed. Good. It seems like he was getting to her. "I want you to—hey…" He said when two hands grabbed his vest collar. It was a strong grip and he has no time to avoid them. The girl caught him by surprise.

"Right." Hinata repeated as she brought him down to her face level. She was scared…really scared, but she needed to show the Copy Nin that she was serious. They really need to clarify everything between them once and for all… but first; she wanted him to know how she really felt.

And guess words were not enough him...

So before her courage could leave her, she pressed her lips on his mask—the place where she knew his lips would be. When she made contact, she was surprised to find his lips parted—in shock. Closing her eyes, she pressed harder…

Hoping that he would not bolt away like he did the last time.

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Here ends the chapter. Please review!

-crazychan