This girl was all kinds of suspicious, Shikaku thought to himself. He was sure her alibi was right, she didn't understand a word, but she was clever. Even the way she sits, she was sitting just like his son, not unlike anyone else would sit but he could tell the difference.

"You certainly have brought someone very troublesome, Hatake." He agreed. He focused back on the girl who was losing her pieces fairly quick. It was a disappointment, he had thought her to be a lot more intelligent. He hated to admit it but he wouldn't have realized she had been doing anything if his son hadn't been so obvious. She solved the puzzle by herself without giving a clue and without touching it, he was impressed, it had taken him twenty minutes to complete it and his son had had it for a couple hours.

That being said, it was a little disappointing seeing her losing so fast. Shogi was the Nara's specialization after all, they played it everyday and she…wasn't keeping a good fight. Her strategies weren't terrible but they weren't good either. She was starting to use her cards better but there wasn't much to be done. Maybe she was throwing the game off, but it seemed unfit.

She was focused and reacted if she lost a piece or gained one accordingly. She wasn't faking. Her strategies were overly-simplistic, they didn't use multiple pieces giving up opportunities to form a more fitting strategy. Her vision on the game was shallow.

The game wasn't giving them anything new. Maybe he'd stop it.

"What's wrong Shikamaru?" He was hesitating in an obvious move.

"I feel like she's baiting me, no, I am sure. It's like I can't see the whole picture." He moved his knight away from the invisible threat, sacrificing his tower. She took the advantage immediately but signed, he doubted she had had a master plan from the beginning, she was just playing him. She understood that she stood no chance against him and changed her strategy to manipulate him into losing. Maybe she wasn't so dumb… She was still terrible at shogi, it was just like…

" Shikamaru, move the knight out of the way."He instructed. He had a theory, it would fit with her alibi though. "But she'll take my king with her tower."

"Just do it." He should know better and just obey him, kids these days...

Just as he suspected, nothing happened.

"Why didn't she..?"

"Because you haven't moved your tower yet" He told him with a smile. "She doesn't know how to play; she's just been mimicking you." He turned his face and directed his words to Kakashi. "She's clear of suspicion, but you should be careful she's too clever." He let a laugh out. "She might even get away."

Kakashi gave him a tired look, and his son seemed a little shocked. "She could be a criminal? And you let her in our house and get me to play shogi with me?"

"She has no shinobi training. You could take her. Kakashi spoke up.

"But letting her into our house…"

"Maa, it's fine. We're leaving anyways, I have to go grocery shopping."

Kakashi left with the girl trailing behind him. Troublesome, really troublesome.

"Father, who is she?"

"For what I've heard, a survivor."

….

….

Kakashi placed the bags on the counter and watched them tiredly. She had managed to sneak some sweets on the shopping bag right before paying. She was eating a tsubuan pan with a little too much intensity, maa she probably couldn't help it, now that he thinks about it she hasn't eaten anything since last night. Hmm. He felt pity, what Inoichi had said about her past was… bad. She had suffered the deaths of her family and ran away, she could only speak to animals and she's lived on her own in the forest for months and the worst of it all was that she was a civilian. It was terrible, but he still couldn't see why he had to babysit her.

He was in no way a positive influence on her and he was a shinobi, being used as a babysitter was an insult. He should be in his apartment sleeping right now not there making her diner.

Orders were orders, especially from the Hokage, but he couldn't help but feel like it was a big mistake. She was a civilian; she shouldn't live with a shinobi. Besides, he was pretty sure she hated him if her little sabotages were something to go by.

He stopped trying to make the food cook itself and began cooking.

The girl had already eaten all her sweets and was currently pouting… He had to report about her, what was he supposed to tell the Hokage?

This was going to be a long night.

…

…

The fact that he had let her buy some sweets had been a pleasant surprise that helped her control her nerves. She was still jumpy, though.

She still hated him; the fact that he allowed her to get some sweets was just some decency. It just showed he wasn't entirely heartless, which was good for her.

She watched him cutting vegetables with amusement; she was no cook but come on, how old was he?

She stood up, walked to the groceries bag and started placing the items around in the fridge or in the cabinet doors, mentally cataloging again what he had bought. She left some meat out to cook, let the oven preheat and started seasoning the steaks.

By the time she pulled the last steak out 15 minutes had passed. He was done with the vegetables too. They set the table in silence; it was really tense because she could feel him observing her. Did he not get tired of it?

They sat down, still in fucking silence and began eating. She stopped him as he picked up a steak to cut them in half. She had cooked them rare, medium rare and done, to choose whichever he preferred. I'm here to please you in every possible way, Mr. Mask≈

He choose done and she got the rarest one, in the wood she had gotten used to eating meat raw so the taste now was a bit weird but still fucking good.

She ate two steaks and barely touched the musty herbs he cooked, who liked that? Disgusting.

He eyed her disapprovingly, but she didn't care. She realized he was looking at her a little too much now, he had finished eating too so they were sitting in silence. The night was falling slowly as shadows possessed the room. His stare stayed with her as she made a decision, she stood up and walked to the cabinets. She was probably expected to perform certain services tonight, but she was having none of that.

Making an infusion doesn't sound deadly, because it isn't, especially if you were using herbs that can be bought in a supermarket, but she knew her plants. She was calm, calculating and collected. She knew a single wrong move would lead away that she was doing a sedating brew.

She poured two glasses and took them to the table he still sat at. He wouldn't drink something like that, he'll think it's poisoned. So she put his glass in front of him and started drinking hers as an incentive. He didn't react, she made sure that the amount she drank was noticeable. Why wouldn't he drink, did he catch her trick? She couldn't see anything in his eye, not anger, not disapproval, not excitement, not a single emotion

If he didn't drink his glass he won't pass out and she'll have to... So she did the next best thing: She drank her glass as a shot and walked away. He didn't stop her. It was better to wake up sore than to have to live through it.

Where to go? She had no idea she didn't know the house at all. She managed to reach the staircase before drowsiness took over and passed out.