"I accept the mission, I will take down that group."

Manami had made her decision. It wasn't easy but if her ninja way was to be lonely to serve her land, then so be it. She would accept to desert and be considered a missing-nin but, "but I have some conditions."

The Hokage lifted an eyebrow, curious what her conditions were. "I want a written contract that I am about to dessert because it is needed to conclude a mission, and foreseen in 3 years I'm about to come back and be pardoned. It's not like I don't trust you but what if something happens to you and in 3 years Konoha has a new Hokage that doesn't know about our arrangement? I need some guarantees. Then, I want my parents to know the truth, that I'm not deserting but following orders. They thought that I died and now I don't want them to believe I abandoned them. And I want permission to visit them from time to time."

The Hokage didn't want Manami to do this but to be honest, he was relieved she accepted. She was the best for this job after all. Her conditions were reasonable and wouldn't interfere with the mission, so he accepted them.

After writing the contract and signing it, the Hokage said: "you don't have a time limit to leave, but the sooner the better. And you need to convince people that you deserted or else it could be suspicious. Once you're on your own, you will need to get the attention from the freelancers, I would suggest you become a bounty hunter, that should do it. I will leave you this scroll. Through it, you can communicate with me. I have one identical and they are connected. Everything you write on it, it's visible on my scroll for about 10 minutes and vise versa. If you need anything from me please don't hesitate to ask. And I don't need to say that this is a top-secret mission, no word to anyone."

For Manami was clear she only needed to convince one person, her best friend. If Genma would believe she left, the others would believe too. A plan began to form in her mind. She would need to "bump" into Genma late at night or early in the morning. Best if he would be on guard duty then she would know his schedule.

After some days of planning and rehearsing what she would say, she said goodbye to her parents and prepared everything for the night and next day. The Hokage had ordered Genma to do Gate watch and he should be almost done. Manami needed to get prepared for her plan.

Her clothes were very revealing. She had a mini skirt on and a blouse with a deep cleavage. She let her hair fall over her back and put on a full makeup only to smear it right afterward. 'Now the difficult part'. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to do. She hit her head hard against the corner of her kitchen cabinet. "Au, fuck" she cursed, blood coming out of her wound on her head. She needed to clench her teeth so the river of swear words wouldn't come out. 'Almost done.' To end her preparations, she ripped her tights and evaluated her state in the mirror. She needed to cry so her eyes would be puffy. With her head still hurting it wasn't that difficult. Now she was ready to leave her house. She took with her a little bottle of vodka for the smell of alcohol...

Genma was done with his shift. Why the heck did he need to do gate watch? Whatever, important was that he was going home now. When he turned a corner, someone bumped into him. A smell of alcohol reached his nose. "Oh, I'm sorry I..." When he saw it was Manami and the estate she was in, he couldn't finish his sentence. " Are you ok? What happened to you?" He was very concerned about her, after Migeru's death Manami had shut out practically everyone. Even he had only seen her a couple of times the past month.

"I'm ok, I wasn't looking where I was going, sorry." She was about to continue her way but Genma made her stop. He saw her outfit, smelled the alcohol on her and the wound on her head was caused recently. It was early in the morning and for her to look like that meant she had been out the whole night.

"Have you been attacked or has someone abused you?" He said with concern.

"I said I'm ok will you let me go now." Genma was everything but convinced.

"Manami you look like you went through hell and that wound on your head... And lately you act differently than before. You can trust me, I want to help you."

Manami snapped. With tears in her eyes, she screamed at him. "Leave me alone Genma. Only because we slept together doesn't mean you know everything about me. Now let me go."

Genma wasn't expecting a reaction like that. Something had happened that was clear, but Manami was now too upset so he would let her go and would later look after her.

Kakashi, who was coming back from a mission, saw part of the discussion of them. Concerned about the wellbeing of Manami, he went to talk to Genma. "Hey, Genma. What was that about?"

Genma sighed. "I have no idea. Manami can be very stubborn sometimes. Best she sleeps now and later I will look after her."

"You two just argued, maybe if I would talk to her she would react more calmly?" Genma thought about it, and it made sense.

"Would probably be the best. But I suggest letting her sleep. She will likely practice later to calm her nerves. That would be the best time to talk to her."

Manami was showering, her wound burned with the water. The first part was over. Looked like Genma got the bait to think she was attacked, right what she pretended. Hopefully, he would search for her later when she would be training. With a headache, she went to bed and tried to get some rest, but it was difficult since this would probably be her last night in her bed for the next 3 years, at least.

The next day she got up, ate breakfast (more like brunch since it was almost noon), and made her ready to leave. She wouldn't be training on her usual spot near her parent's home, instead, she chooses an empty training ground. That would give her more time because Genma needed to search her. After a warm-up, she picked a tree trunk to punch. She let out all her rage that she felt because she had to go on this mission and soon her bare hands were all scraped.

She was watchful of her surroundings and felt someone's approach. 'Just what I was waiting for.' She let herself sink to the ground and curled herself up and began to cry.

A hand pulled her softly to a muscular chest, she looked up and was surprised to see Kakashi instead of Genma. Good thing that her hesitation could be seen as an embarrassment and not that she was expecting someone else.

"Hey, it's okay I'm here for you." Kakashi pulled her again against him and caressed her head. After she calmed down he took her hands in his and looked at the scratches she had on them. "Best if we clean that up. do you have a medical kit?"

Manami had one but it wouldn't be in her favor to go to her house, so she shook her head 'no'.

Kakashi had one at home so they went to his place.

It was the first time for Manami to see his home. It was a relatively small apartment, the furniture and decoration was kept at a minimum. Kakashi made her sit on the couch while he got the first aid kit. He took off his forehead protector to expose his Sharingan to make sure he wouldn't miss any splinter in her hand. Manami was observing him. 'Why was he there on the training field and didn't even ask why I was crying. He just comforted me and now he is taking care of me.' Manami was puzzled but the pain in her hand when Kakashi was trying to pull out a splinter that was under her skin brought her back. She needed to adjust her plan to the new situation, how would she do it.

Her hands were now clean and covered up. "Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you."

Kakashi wanted, no, he needed to know what had happened to her last night. He swore that if she was hurt by someone, he would kill that person. "I saw your argument with Genma in the early morning. What happened to you?"

'He saw that? Good, then my original plan will still work.' "I'm so ashamed, was Genma mad at me?" She asked innocently.

"Mad? No, he was worried. As am I. Did someone hurt you?"

"No, that's not it. I..." She paused for dramatization. "I was out last night. I had enough of being at home alone. I was at a bar drinking to forget about..." She stopped in searching for words.

"I see. It's normal you want to forget, it hasn't passed that much time since Migeru died." Kakashi thought that was it, but Manami shook her head.

"No, it's not like that. You know, I was about to end things with Migeru after that mission."

He was surprised to hear that but said nothing.

"But then he died. And his family treated me like I was part of them, and it makes me feel like an impostor. I don't even want to be with you guys because you act differently too. I'm tired of being here in Konoha, it's like I can't go anywhere without people to know me and think they know my pain."

"They act like that because they care about you, I care about you. That's why I want to know what happened to your head."

Manami hesitates but then answers "I was so drunk when I was leaving the bar that I fell asleep in an alley and I must have hit my head. When Genma approached me I was so embarrassed and frustrated that I yelled at him, and now I feel so bad. I hurt my best friend. I'm such a loser."

Manami hides her face in false embarrassment. Kakashi had finally understood (at least he thought he did) what had happened and he had no idea that she felt that way. "Manami, you're not a loser. You are a strong, intelligent, and sensible woman. It is normal to feel like that, but you can't let those feelings get the better of you. You need to move on."

"And how can I move on when I can't go anywhere unless I go on missions? I need to be on my own, away from everything and everyone." The last sentence she said only in a whisper like she was talking to herself, but Kakashi had heard it.

He put his hands on her cheeks and forced her to face him. "Don't say that. Everything will be good." He looked her deep in the eyes, his mismatched eyes seemed to be looking in her soul. They were so deep and had a warmth that drew Manami in. They stayed like this, facing each other for only some seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. Then his eyes jumped to her mouth, only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to reveal his intentions. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Her red lips slightly apart were asking him to do it, but his mask was in the way. It was probably one of the first times he hated to have his mask on.

Manami was used to read facial expressions and the little slide of his didn't pass unnoticed to her. She lifted her hand and put it on his cheek, as he did to her. Her fingers slide under the edges of his mask. She looked him back in the eyes to ask for permission. Normally she would respect his privacy and never asked him to take off his mask or something like that, but now, she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about his face.

The smallest nod from him was enough for her to understand. Slowly she pushed his mask down. If he would regret it, he could stop her. But he didn't.

While the mask came down, his face was revealed. Manami was speechless. He had no reason to hide his face, he was beautiful. Kakashi didn't waste time, he got closer to her and she mimicked his moves until their lips touched.

Kakashi's lips were soft and hungry for hers. Manami soon forgot about her purpose and immersed herself in the sensation Kakashi was giving her. One hand of her was lost in his hair, the other exploring his body (at least what was possible through his ninja outfit). On the other hand, Kakashi could explore more. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, he could feel her muscles. Her light perfume filled up his nostrils and her lips moving in the same rhythm as his was driving him crazy, a feeling shared by Manami as well. Her body had assumed the lead and she quickly moved one leg over Kakashi and sat on his lap. She began to kiss and lick his neck until she heard Kakashi take a quick inhale. She bites softly down on that spot. She pressed her hips harder on his lap and could feel him becoming hard with her touch. She reached for the zipper on his west but Kakashi stopped her.

It took all of his willpower to stop her, but this is not what he wanted. Manami wasn't in a good place and he wouldn't take advantage of her. He wanted her but not for a one night stand. He cared too much about her for that. "Manami I'm sorry but it's for the best if we stop this."

Manami sat back to her spot, remembering her mission. What was she doing? She couldn't lose control like that, but with a man like Kakashi, it was a bit difficult to stay focused... "Yes, you're right. I should go, I have taken far too much time off of you."

"Of course not. You are important to me so it was nothing."

'Did he say important? Does he mean as a friend or something more? Well, it doesn't matter anyway, by tomorrow he is going to hate me.'

She thanked him once more and went home.

She had written goodbye letters for her parents and Genma. She needed to change the one for Genma and best would be writing one for Kakashi as well.

Dear Kakashi,

Thank you for patching me up and listening to me, but I still need to go. This town and its people are suffocating me. I know you won't understand it but I hope you can forgive me one day.

Your friend

Manami.

Dear Genma

I'm so sorry for screaming at you. I wasn't hurt by someone the other day, I was just clumsy and ashamed to tell you. For some time now I'm not feeling well here and I need to leave. I love you, you're my best friend and I hope you can forgive me.

Manami

She put the letters in an envelope and left them on her desk. She meditated for some time to gather her chakra. After being satisfied she created 4 clones and sent them in different directions to leave Konoha.

The next morning Kakashi was in a meeting with the Hokage when someone knocked at his door. It was Genma "I'm sorry lord Hokage but I have urgent news. I was at Manami's place and she wasn't there. I found some letters, one of them for me. I think she might have left Konoha..."

Kakashi recalled the events of the day before and resumed them for the Hokage. He sent them to Manami's apartment and to find her. The Hokage knew that her plan had counted on someone finding out she would leave and that they would follow her, so he had no problem sending them there.

Kakashi summoned his ninken and let them find Manami's trail. They began to search her apartment for any clue she might have left. Genma turned to Kakashi and asked: "What happened yesterday, what did she say to you?" Kakashi told him everything (almost everything, the part where they kissed he didn't). "I knew she wasn't ok but I never thought it would come to this."

Pakkun was back and said they had found 4 trails, the others had already followed them. It might seem a good idea to create clones to evade and confuse someone, but with the reduced chakra, it was difficult to run, because the speed would be compromised.

Kakashi and Genma were about to create a clone to follow Manami when one of the ninken gave a signal to Pakkun. It was Shiba and it seemed that he had found blood from Manami on his trail. "That must be her then, clones don't bleed..." Kakashi speeded in the direction Shiba was.

Soon Kakashi had caught up with her but she was not about to slow down. He didn't want to force her so he screamed "Manami, please stop. Don't force me to stop you." She only took some more steps when she came to a hold.

"Please, let me go." She pleaded.

"I can't. Not like this. I understand that you need some time off but you can ask for a leave."

"You know exactly how the situation is right now. When was the last time you had more than one day to rest before another mission?"

She was right. There has been some shortage of anbu-members to handle all missions.

"See, the Hokage wouldn't grant me a leave right now, as he didn't the last couple of months. I have asked before. I only would get one or two days and couldn't even leave Konoha. I need some time on my own. Please let me go."

"I can't."

"Then will you fight me?"

"If I need to." Kakashi didn't want to come to that, but if it meant for her to stay, he would use force.

Manami drew a kunai at Kakashi and began to run. Kakashi evaded her throw and ran after her. She moved the earth behind her to create obstacles for Kakashi but he easily evaded her. He made some hand signs and a mud wall appeared before her. Since she was focusing on the path behind her, she ran against the wall and fell to the ground. Kakashi held some steps behind her.

"You have quartered your chakra, there is no way you could win me or outrun. Please come with me, I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt you too Kakashi. And I am sorry for causing you such distress. I'm only searching for peace of mind. I promise someday I'm coming back."

Kakashi was puzzled. Did she really think she could escape him? Then Manami took another kunai but didn't throw at him. "You know, I'm only a clone. The real Manami is now long gone." She stabbed herself, and with a poof, the clone was gone, only a flask of blood stayed back.

Manami was already far away from Konoha. After creating her clones, she gave to one of them a flask with a little blood of hers. The clone would use it to trick her followers that it was her. She then teleported herself to a tunnel that she had created some days ago. The tunnel led to the river with a raft ready for her to go downriver. After some time she left the stream and went on by foot. That was when the memories of her clone hit her. Kakashi was before her with an expression that could be described as sad, disappointed, and angry. It hurt Manami to see him like that. She dropped to the ground crying. She was once again alone. Behind her, she heard a rustle and when she looked, Becas came out of the undergrowth. "I can't believe you would let me once again behind," Becas said in a false angry voice. Manami juckled. Maybe she wasn't so alone after all.