Yup, just like that I'm releasing a new chapter. Enjoy, I guess? Special thanks to my followers and reviewers, and to NancyYoung21 who recently started following this story, which resulted in a mail notification remainding me this story exists.
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The Gentle Touching

I yawned in order to get my point across. I was walking beside Sakura who was boring me to death about some guy she wanted me to meet. I thought as my sister (and a freakin' ninja trained by our very own Hokage) she would figure out I was one-sidedly pining for her sensei. I was keeping her company as she made her way to the village centre where she was supposed to meet Ino and go clubbing. I prayed for something to distract her from her unnecessary self-imposed mission. The gods were kind that day. She stopped suddenly, raising her head to look at the crown of the tree next to her.

I raised my head as well, noticing a feline helplessly meowing, seeking assistance. I turned to walk away, lacking generosity for the entire cat race ever since I had been tirelessly terrorised by one in my past life. I could see Sakura's mouth twitching in annoyance as she caught me by the shoulder, ceasing my progress.

"What are you doing? We have to help her."

"I have successfully avoided having any sort of contact with cats for 22 years, and I intend to break that record with every new day until the day I die," I deadpanned.

I knew why she was reluctant to act. She was wearing one of her best dresses, and was all dolled up for her and Ino's forthcoming outing. No matter how good of a ninja she was, that was a cat, and those things protruding from its paws were claws. Also, as much as I avoided cats with fervour, they seemed to return the favour by passionately avoiding my little sister. I snickered, wondering if it had something to do with the Uchiha's famous affiliation with cats.

She was unimpressed (when did she stop looking up to me, anyway?), and I could see the resemblance with her shishou more than with our own mother. The grip on my shoulder became intense, and I winced. I didn't expect her to release me as she did a moment later, and I had Kakashi to thank for that. Another day, another favour. Why the fuck not?

She smiled angelically, eagerly approaching him.

"Kakashi-sensei! Thank kami you came along, could you do us a small favour?"

Kakashi briefly glanced at me, lowering his Icha Icha, obviously reluctant to agree to anything without knowing what it is about. Also I didn't miss the plural in Sakura's plea. Did she think he would help us more willingly that he would her? That was…strange. Especially because he bragged about her on numerous occasions, saying she was his favourite student and all.

He approached us without a word, and crinkled his eye at us. Well, at least he was willing to hear her out.

She pouted a bit at his dearth of zeal for assistance, but soon replaced the expression with a sensual smile I never before saw on her face. Dang, Sakura truly was a kunoichi now. She even readily wrapped her arm around his, clutching it to her chest. Although, I couldn't figure out if it affected Kakashi in any way, since the hand she was embracing was still in his pocket, and the other was still holding the notorious book, and his expression was as expressionless as ever. I smiled weakly, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling choking me, and my weak smile faltered as I understood what it was. I was jealous of my little sister.

"A small favour?" he questioned.

"That poor kitty is stuck on the tree, and I obviously can't bring her down, I'm wearing a dress, you see. And onee-chan over there is just being plain stubborn and unhelpful."

"I don't like cats," I explained, and he nodded sagely.

"So what are you going to do?"

I almost burst into laughter, but I managed to wisely abstain myself. He didn't want to help it either.

Sakura fumed again, releasing Kakashi's arm and fully facing him. She had such delicate temper, she still had a long way to go before she could successfully be called a kunoichi, and I was glad for it. I still had some time to patronise her lovingly.

I decided to do exactly that, and teach her a lesson about shinobi's subtlety. And I knew just the technique to do it. Gentle touching. The probability of one's success grew exponentially as one would place well-timed, subtle touches on the body of the target. Nothing lewd, mind you. Just a simple occasional innocent touch to suggest familiarity, and that's all. Sakura's approach could've worked if it had been applied differently. For example, if she pressed her chest to him and then backed away, that would leave him wanting more. Being pressed against him would only work if he wanted to break the contact by going after the cat. No one who enjoyed the touch would knowingly do that.

I came closer to them, confident in what I had to do.

"We?" I brushed my shoulder against his as I was turning to face Sakura next to him. "We were hoping you would do it for us, obviously."

Sakura smirked, recognising a truce between us. She looked up at Kakashi victoriously, as if I was a precious pawn to have on her side.

"So, what do you say?" I raised my hand to try and rest it on his shoulder languidly, but as I was well aware, I was too short, and he was too tall, so I pretended to have miscalculated and let my arm fall next to his again, ending it with another slight brush.

I slightly gasped and my mouth instantly went dry as he unexpectedly leaned towards me, pretending not to notice my sense of unease. "Hmm? And here I thought Sakura would have jumped at the opportunity to help a feline in need," he murmured as if I was his fellow conspirer, and I loved it. Teaming up with Kakashi against anyone gave a person a thrill which could hardly compete with any other thrill-inducing activity.

I struggled to speak. "Why's that?"

He leaned slightly away.

"Oh, because of the Uchiha clan, you mean!" I exclaimed, suddenly realising what he wanted to imply. I was pleased when he leaned back towards me more than before.

Sakura's expression became troubled. "Sensei, you know as well as I do…"

"Oh, think nothing of it, Sakura-chan, I was simply pondering something out loud with Mizu-chan. Of course you are not responsible for every stray cat in Konoha, now that there are no Uchihas to take care of them."

Sakura was suddenly torn between her flawless appearance and her loyalty to Sasuke. Since the outcome was obvious, I smiled at my kind little sister, and stretched. I wasn't about to let her ruin her efforts for the sake of some misplaced guilt.

"Fine. I'll bring down the stupid creature."

She was amazed. "You will? What about your record?"

"No biggie, I'll set a new one." Unless… "Hey, Kakashi-san, you wouldn't accept a bribe by any chance?"

"I most likely would. What did you have in mind?" he said, not sounding even remotely interested. He was back to reading his book.

"How about a few drinks on me?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk again, Mizu-chan? I thought you'll be a bit more original," he smiled, and I wanted to hit him.

"Are you hungry then? How about some ramen?" I hoped he'll accept the offer, since anything else I could offer would be labelled as lack of propriety.

We heard a clank, and the cat meowed loudly jumping from the tree and running away. There was a kunai now inches above where the cat had been. Huh. Go figure.

"You know, there's more than one way to skin a cat."

Oh, boy. If Sakura didn't get him for throwing a kunai near the cat, she'll get him for saying that. And lo and behold, she had him in a death grip. She violently shook him, holding him by his vest, it seemed like she'll snap his neck clean off. He had enough sense to use a substitution jutsu on her as he pulled me into a run.

"Are you insane? I inevitably have to face her afterwards, why'd you bring me into this?"

"I'm hungry," cue the eye-crinkle.

I wanted to call him names and curse him, but he was holding my hand and he seemed so young and childish and carefree that I didn't have the heart to break the sudden spell he unintentionally created. When we stopped, slightly out of breath but safe from Sakura's wrath, I smiled devilishly and managed a weak "kai", because the whole situation was just so surreal, and he was now glistening in the twilight light, and he was more attractive than ever, and I couldn't believe it. He chuckled at my action, and impishly pressed his forehead against mine for a brief second, before putting his hands in his pockets, and continuing down the road towards the supermarket because "Sakura will definitely ambush us if we go to Ichiraku's".