Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is purely a work of fanfiction.

Nina- is my original character (I do own her)


Chapter 95


Nina startled awake in the early hours of the morning, taking a few moments to recall where she was. Kakashi's. She could make out the shadows of his pack and her knees were tickled by Kakashi's hair. He too had given in to sleep at some point. How long had she'd been out? How far had he'd gotten with the notes? A pang of guilt hit her when she realised it was her that was laying comfortably stretched out on his couch and Kakashi was the one on the floor awkwardly positioned with his neck cocked against the seat of the lounge. Nina considered whether she should wake him so that he may go to bed or at the very least take her spot.

Unconsciously, she dragged her fingers through the tuffs of hair at the back of his head. Although her hand was still in a brace, she'd finally began to recover some minimal movement of her digits. Kakashi gave a throaty hum and Nina froze. All too aware now, of her actions. She had to leave.

She carefully edged herself out of the lounge and stood, mindful of the dogs that were scattered on the floor around the coffee table. Shit. The investigation. She looked around the room. It was safe. Anybody idiotic enough to break into this place wasn't likely to be able to lay so much as one finger on the paperwork. She would just have to see him tomorrow about his findings and to collect it all.

"Nina?"

Her tiptoeing was halted by Pakkun. She crouched down as she'd felt him at her ankle. "I'll be back tomorrow. It's late. I should really go."

He'd already been lectured for sticking his nose into their affairs whilst on the mission but he couldn't let her just creep out of here. "It's practically morning. Why don't you just stay?"

He was right but if she stayed… she shook her head and sighed. "I just can't, Pakkun."

Pakkun, unsatisfied with her reply, weaved out of her reach.

She flicked her eyes over to Kakashi. Honestly, she wanted to stay. However, her head was cluttered. The investigation, the bet, the mission, and some old wounds that had caused certain feelings to resurface just made this whole thing complicated. And Nina didn't do complicated.

Pakkun snuffed his nose and turned in circles twice before settling down in front of the coffee table. "I guess it was just for the mission after all."

"This would all be a lot easier if it had been. We're shinobi, shinobi rule 5: A Shinobi must always put the village before themselves."

Nina could feel her insides swirling. The inner demons that had plagued her. The ones that haunted her subconscious when she closed her eyes. The image of that young boy. How useless she felt, having failed not one, but five lives. And weeks later she was still unable to find the source.

Her hand was balled into a fist at her side, her eyes clenched firmly but she could still feel the sting of saltiness welling up. Nina's chest was heaving uncontrollably.

Pakkun picked his head up but before his feet brought his body to a stand, a body was already wrapping around the shaking kunoichi.

In the smooth, calm tone that seemed almost synonymous with the copy-nin, his words cut the air. "Let it go."