*Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in it. I simply borrow them for my own musings and fantasies and do not get paid for their use in said musings or fantasies. –Nira

Chapter 20

Yuriko and Kakashi trained for hours, neither one holding back on the other. By the end of their sparring session, the landscape was devastated and looked like a disaster area. There were massive crevices and ravines gouged out of the earth from some of Yuriko's errant wind attacks, and several of the trees were significantly truncated or felled. Of the majority of the decimated forest, a large portion of it was charred beyond recognition from Kakashi's fire attacks, and amongst the soot and ash were massive puddles and mud pits from Yuriko's water-based counterattacks. The pair sat at the center of the destruction, both panting and staring into the other's eyes with a satisfied grin on their face.

Kakashi was thoroughly impressed. In her brief time in the village since their first sparring match, Yuriko's skill had grown tremendously. And with the fan gifted to her, he noticed that it definitely made a huge difference in her ability and efficiency in summoning the winds she needed to perform her techniques. She used it well. Yuriko, on the other hand, felt refreshed. It wasn't often that she could go all out in a training match with someone. Kakashi was a formidable opponent and she knew that if ever she needed a release of her tension, a battle with him would surely do the trick. Yuriko's grin split her face and she let out a hearty laugh as she fell back onto her butt.

"I haven't had a fight like that in years!" she exclaimed in satisfied excitement. "That was absolutely wonderful!"

Kakashi chuckled and pulled himself to his feet before walking over and offering a hand to help her up. "Your skill has drastically increased, Yuriko-san. That fan is in very capable hands. I'm glad I bought it for you."

Yuriko took his hand and Kakashi hoisted her to her feet with almost enough power to lift her off of the ground. Yuriko was unbalanced and braced herself against him, using his strong, sturdy frame for support and her cheeks burned bright red. She was close enough to feel the heat emanating from him and his arm where she had steadied herself was hard to the touch, the muscles taut and overworked beneath his flawless mud-caked pale skin. The slight change in demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed by Kakashi as he caught himself tensing from their proximity as well. He had to admit to himself that their match had been invigorating and exciting. It wasn't often that he met his match on the battlefield, but what Yuriko lacked in sociability, she more than made up for in skill.

Yuriko stared into Kakashi's mismatched eyes and she wondered what he would have done if she pulled her mask down, pooling it around her neck and slowly did the same to his. Would he have let her do it? And if she'd succeeded, would he let her lean in to breathe in the air that he expelled and press her bare lips to his, savoring the taste? She didn't know why the thought crossed her mind or why she felt so nervous to be that close to him. It wasn't nervousness out of fear like she'd expected it to be with the lack of space between them. It was a strange tangle of vulnerability and simultaneously feeling completely safe and secure. It was both intoxicating and terrifying but she had absolutely no desire to escape it. It wasn't the first time she'd felt like that around him or thought of what his lips might taste like, either.

"Shall we head back to town?" Kakashi inquired attempting to change the subject and distract himself from the hypothetical scene that his brain had decided to torture him with.

What would she do if he slowly pulled his mask down, his dual colored eyes never leaving her violet soul-penetrating gaze, while he cautiously reached for hers? Would she let him peel away the thin barrier and lay her every emotion bare for him to see? Would her lips against his feel as soft as he imagined them to be? Would she even let him get that close or go that far?

Yuriko nodded, unsure of what would have left her mouth had she spoken and Kakashi took a step back, forcing his fingers to release their grasp on her hand. He'd seen a whole new side of Yuriko that he'd never expected to experience and he was entranced. He was curious how much he could push the limit to learn more about her but he was afraid that in trying to get closer, he'd push her further away. Instead, he decided to focus his thoughts elsewhere and wondered what his friends were up to that evening. The night was still young and after a shower and a double serving of Ichiraku, it probably wouldn't hurt for him to get out and socialize to actively take his mind off of his neighbor and former teammate.

Yuriko distracted herself as well, trying not to think about what Kakashi's face might look like under that mask of his or how his lips might feel against hers. It had been a long time since she'd been out with Kurenai and met her friends. It also hadn't gone very well, so she hoped that maybe getting out again could help her break out of her shell a bit more and not be so awkward in a crowd. Besides, they all seemed like good people and Kurenai trusted them so Yuriko had no real reason not to trust them. She'd go home, take a shower, and leave again for ramen and the bar that Kurenai had taken her to, and she'd make a conscious effort to enjoy a night out with potential friends.

"Do you have any plans for the rest of the evening?" Kakashi inquired to break the awkward silence.

"Not particularly. I was thinking ramen after a very much needed shower and maybe calling on Kurenai to see what she's up to. It's been a while since we last spent time together. It would be nice to catch up. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I enjoy your company and we've been having such a good time that I was wondering if you'd like to continue the evening together. Your plans are similar to what I had in mind for my own evening, actually."

"Oh… well... Sure. I don't see why not. I'll buy drinks if you buy dinner," she smiled, a light blush on her face from him admitting to enjoying her company. She wondered if it was a slip-up or if he'd intended to give her a glimpse of his views of her. Either way, it was said and he couldn't take it back.

"Sounds fair enough," he smiled back.

The silver-haired duo walked home in content silence, each stealing glances at the other and smiling. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but they'd caught each other staring multiple times and it made their stomachs flutter and cheeks burn as their lips turned up at the corners. Kakashi felt so childish. He'd seen how Kurenai and Asuma looked at each other before they'd started dating and it was very similar to how he imagined he looked to any passerby on the street when he looked at Yuriko. And Yuriko was conflicted. She hadn't felt so giddy since Eiichi but despite her fear of men, she wasn't afraid of Kakashi. What was it about him that put her so readily at ease, she wondered. When they got to their apartments, they waved and agreed to meet outside in a half hour to go out again.

When Yuriko got to her bathroom, she took a good look at herself in the mirror and scrunched up her face. She was absolutely filthy, the mud caking her face making her skin tone look decidedly four shades darker and patchy, and her hair was knotted and tangled in several places, also seemingly dyed brown, muddied compared to its natural pure silver. Realizing that her hair alone would take her at least twenty minutes to brush out, she decided to request another half hour and walked back over to her neighbor's house. She knocked on his door and shortly after, he answered. She smiled and chuckled noting that he was shirtless and that where his shirt had been left a very distinct line of mud versus previously covered skin.

"Yes?" he inquired, his eyebrow raised as he looked down at her in her moment of… what was it? Admiration? Awe? Amusement?

"I caught a glimpse of myself before I started getting ready to shower and realized that my hair is worse than a bird's nest and will take some time to manage," she started not actually looking at him as she spoke, but instead reaching for the distinct line of where the sleeve of his t-shirt had been on his bicep and plucking a leaf that was stuck to the clump of dried mud that was there. It was bright red and immediately caught her eye as a stark contrast to his pale skin and the dark mud. "...so I came to request another thirty minutes."

She'd finished with a smile as she offered the bright red leaf to him and finally made eye contact. Kakashi was confused as he reached to accept the leaf, unsure why it had caught her attention, why she was offering it to him, or even why he was accepting it, but regardless he felt compelled to take it.

"I think I can manage an additional thirty minutes," he smiled back.

She thanked him and waved with a smile, wishing him a good shower as she walked back to her own apartment. Kakashi watched until her door closed and then looked down at the leaf still clutched in his fingers. It was a very vibrant and pretty red but there wasn't anything particularly interesting or spectacular about it, so he shrugged and let it fall before returning to the task at hand.

They'd regathered outside once they'd finished getting ready and Kakashi couldn't help but look her once over. She was wearing the light blue destroyed jeans she'd bought when her door was broken with an emerald green cardigan over a beige camisole and her violet mask securely over her face. Her hair was down and still slightly wet from her shower but her bangs were pinned back from her face with gold colored bobby pins. She looked very pretty and nobody would have guessed that she'd been caked in mud and dressed for combat just an hour before had they not known.

The pair walked together, Kakashi not bothering with his book, simply enjoying the company and occasionally stealing glances at his neighbor, and Yuriko realized that she was walking a bit closer to him than she had before but didn't move away. He smelled good, a sweet, musky spicy kind of scent, and his dress slacks and shoes and a maroon button-up shirt with the first couple buttons undone looked really good on him. She couldn't deny that he was very attractive in both appearance and scent.

"How did you become such a skilled kunoichi?" Kakashi inquired, trying to break the silence. "You'd mentioned something about a teacher while we were on our last mission, but you've also mentioned before that you didn't attend an academy."

"Her name was Rin Chizue. She wasn't the type that someone would initially assume to be a good role model or to take in an orphaned child. She was covered in tattoos, smoked like a chimney, cursed like a sailor, and drank and gambled incessantly, but she was the closest thing I had to a family after my village was destroyed, and she was a damn good kunoichi."

Yuriko's mind wandered back to when she initially met the woman who would become her teacher and mentor over the next several years and a slight smile spread over her face as she began to tell the story to Kakashi who listened very attentively, surprised that she'd taken the topic and run with it. He hadn't really expected her to talk about it, what with her normally being so reserved and withholding of information about herself. Honored that she felt comfortable enough to talk about it with him, he shut his mouth and listened.

"It was mid-autumn in Iron Country and I needed warm clothes before the weather turned bitterly cold, and something to eat. I hadn't eaten in over a day, and nobody cares about orphans enough to pay them any mind when they beg on the street, so I used my ninjutsu to take advantage of anyone I could just to make ends meet. Often, I got away with it. This had not been one of those times.

"I'd run into a man, big and fat and very wealthy. He'd been out on the town and was flaunting his money by buying drinks for everyone and paying for the company of several women. When I ran into him, I stole his coin purse and when he yelled at me to get lost, I ran away thinking that I'd managed to get away again. I was rounding a corner when someone caught my wrist and I was terrified. I'd been caught before and in some of those times, I was lucky if all I got was a punch or kick to the gut or face. Other times I'd literally had to fight for my life.

"'You could lose a hand stealing from the wrong person around here, kid,' came a stern woman's voice, but the first thing I noticed was her scent. She always smelled of chrysanthemums and expensive cigarettes- the ones that smelled smooth and earthy and almost sweet.

"I panicked and withdrew my kunai, slashing at the woman's surprisingly rough and yet still small and dainty hand, and she reacted by blocking it with her katana partially drawn, still not loosening her grip. She took a drag of her cigarette and her cold, blue eyes looked me over. She was silent but I'm sure she was taking note of my dirty clothing, the dark circles under my eyes, and how deplorable I must have looked in my malnourished state while I prayed to all things holy and good that she wouldn't kill me.

"She asked where my parents were after a while and I couldn't respond. It was still fresh… I hadn't been able to get a decent night's sleep in months. But that's when she introduced herself and took me in. She bought me new clothes with the money that I'd stolen from the fat man, gave me a bath, fed me until I couldn't eat anymore… and when I'd wake up in the middle of the night from the nightmares, she'd always teach me something new."

Yuriko trailed off then as one of Rin-sensei's lessons rang through her head; "Men can never be trusted. The second you let them in is the second you lose yourself." She pursed her lips, furrowing her brow. She was conflicted again. Here she was, letting Kakashi in on a piece of her world- a bit of her past… but why? Had she gone soft? Was he pulling the wool over on her like so many others before him? Did he actually care or was he just asking to gain information to use against her somehow? Did he have ulterior motives?

"It must be hard for you to talk about her. I'm surprised you told me, honestly, but thank you," Kakashi stated, a sympathetic smile on his face that puzzled Yuriko.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For trusting me enough to tell me such a story. It's a very personal one and I can tell that she meant a lot to you."

Yuriko nodded, silent again for a moment, deep in thought. Kakashi watched as the wheels in her head turned over, her eyes betraying her and exposing her inner turmoil despite the rest of her face remaining stoic. He smiled to himself, hoping that one day she might be able to talk freely with him, but until then, he'd be content with these little victories. They were, after all, precious and rare and deserved to be cherished as such.