.:Three Hours Earlier:.
"Come on it won't kill you to give your opinion," Kimmy said exasperatedly.
"It won't but it will require me to look up causing me to turn my focus away from this really good part in the book," Kakashi stated, eyes never waiving from his reading material.
She rolled her eyes but brushed it off. Kimmy also knew the feeling and suspense a book could make a person feel. She couldn't blame him.
But still...
"It'll only take a good minute," she learned very quickly not to say a second anymore around him. The guy was a complete smart ass.
"Fine," he shut his book to finally look up.
She allowed a big smile stretch over her face as she held two canvas paintings up. "Which one looks better?"
"A present for Inoichi San hmm? I never would have guessed you were into older men. Isn't his daughter Ino San close to your age though? Well I guess I can't judge,"
"I'm not getting it for him," she smiled cheekily.
"Well if it was for me why didn't you say so? Though I do admit I wouldn't want either of those for myself," he added touching the more colorful painting.
"It's not for you either," she continued smiling, it almost seemed unnerving.
"Oh, well if it's not for me or Inoichi San then who is it for?" He asked eyeing her.
"It's for Inoichi San and Ino Chan. I wanted to show them I really appreciated their hospitality in letting me stay at their home. Guess I don't really have an eye for art," she sighed placing them back down and moved on.
"Well you do live with them so you must have an idea the things they like right?" He walked beside the younger brunette once again pulling out his favorite read. She nodded and raised her hands into a shrug. "I have an idea with Inoichi– Ino's obvious, but I want to get them something that'll remind them of me."
"Coming from you I could think that sounded like arrogance."
"Me? Arrogant?" She narrowed her eyes turning her head in his direction. His face was angled at his book but he kept his one visible eye trained on her. So she still had his attention. She was positive though even with the book he was very aware of anything she said or did.
Kimmy swiveled her head back holding her nose prestigiously in the air. "I'd like to think I can be prideful but not arrogant. Holds a negative connotation," ending her statement with a cross of her arms to finalize her point.
"You could say both were cut from the same cloth," he replied cheerily as he nudged her into a different part of the shopping district. One look down this side of the area caused Kimmy to drop the subject and raise an eyebrow.
"This is why it's better to be around a local," Kakashi eye-smiled. The corner of her lips tilted upwards. "I'll give you that," she replied with a devious twinkle in her eyes. Kakashi watched along with amusement as his shorter companion latched on to his arm forcibly pulling him from store to store.
"Hey do you think he likes to read?" Kimmy tugged at his arm then pointed at a bookshop that had caught her eye. She looked back at her partner to yelp in surprise.
The man had disappeared.
"Ehh?!" Her eyes grew wide swiveling her head around but the masked man was no longer by her side. It shouldn't be surprising anymore being in a ninja world and all but it was still nerve wracking when someone just disappears from your side without you even noticing.
Like, manners people.
"What are you still doing over there? Kimmy San," at the sound of his voice her head turned so fast she was afraid for a moment of causing herself whiplash.
"Come over here, I'd like to recommend this book for Inoichi San," Kakashi called casually standing by the front of the book store she had mentioned.
Kimmy shook her head slowly and took a deep breathe. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to survive in this world, she thought annoyed trudging forward until she was by Kakashi's side once again. She glanced at the book he was holding in his hand. It actually looked quite similar to the one he carried around.
She looked at him exceptionally. "Well, what's it about?"
"It's about a passionate love between a man and a woman. It's a bestselling series too," Kakashi eye-smiled.
Kimmy blinked.
"Whoa, I never would have taken you as one that was into reading romance," she said honestly astonished. "Are you judging me for it?" He raised an eyebrow. "No, no," she raised her hands up. "I actually find that refreshing. Not all men are willing to admit reading about romance so easily," she took the book he held into her hands looking it over. If it were not for the language barrier she would have thought of buying it for herself.
"Hmm... Okay, I'll get it," Kimmy nodded. "That's great!" Kakashi agreed. "But I'll be getting it for Ino Chan instead," she stated tucking the book underneath her arm and began a new aimless search for Inoichi. Kami help her she chooses something worth reading for the man.
"Wait! What's wrong with giving it to Inoichi San?" he hurried to walk next to her. She ran her finger over endless amount of books unbeknownst to him she had no clue what the titles even read. "Well for one thing I don't believe getting Inoichi San a romance novel would be okay for someone like me to give to him. I could be sending the wrong message to him," she held a green book up inspecting it before putting it back again. "Well, why Ino San then?" Kakashi asked. "I'd be surprised if she weren't into romance," Kimmy stated looking back at the masked man. "You look a little uneasy about my decision though," she raised an eyebrow. "Whys that?"
"Well, only mature adults are allowed to read it. Eighteen and older to be exact. I thought that'd be obvious from the label warning," Kakashi replied tapping at the corner of the book.
"You can't read kanji can you?"
"What does that have to do with reading? I simply didn't notice and I don't find it that big of a deal letting Ino read something mature. I started when I was around her age,"
She shrugged her shoulders making eye contact. His posture seemed relaxed but he was definitely very aware of her.
"Oh really? Care to read for me the first line in my book?" He turned it to her.
"No thanks, I'd rather save myself the embarrassment in a crowd full of people,"
"Sounds more like an excuse to me," Kakashi took a step closer to her lowering his voice.
"You know, I find it odd that you can't read yet you've told Inoichi San that you work in the medic field. That's a lot of studying, and reading." She had a strong feeling he was trying to mix sarcasm in with his statement.
"Hey, I do me, you do you. We'll leave it there," Kimmy finished dropping the book back in its stack. What the hell was I thinking?! Coming to a bookstore when I can't read their language. Most idiotic blonde moment I just had.
Book shopping did in fact turn out to be a bad idea.
She turned sharply on her heel to leave and hadn't even taken two steps when she ran into someone.
"Sorry," Both said in unison. Kimmy glanced at the one she bumped into being taken by surprise at how charming he looked.
"Hey," the mystery man smiled.
Kimmy blinked allowing a sweet smile spread over her own face.
"Hey yourself,"
"I'm surprised I haven't ran into a beautiful woman like you sooner,"
"I barely came to the village a few weeks ago," Kimmy answered seconds before Kakashi stepped in beside her. She slightly scrunched up her nose in irritation at his presence but shrugged it off.
"I'm Hikaru. Hitachiin, Hikaru," he introduced himself bowing his head. "Sanchez, Kimmy," she followed his lead a bit awkwardly as her head lowered. Still wasn't adapted to the whole Asian customs.
She still wished for forks damn it.
What was that? He was inviting her to grab a bite to eat?
"Sure,"
Yes! Hot date, score!
"Where to? Barbecue actually sounds pretty good right about now," Kakashi leaned his face next to Kimmy smiling innocently through that mask of his at her bewildered expression. "No babysitters allowed," she pushed his face away smiling apologetically at Hikaru.
"Ignore him,"
• • •
"This way!" Hikaru grinned brightly pulling the green-eyed beauty through another alleyway.
"H-He almost c-caught us that time!" Kimmy laughed breathlessly. She squeaked as she was lifted off of her feet wrapping her arms around Hikaru's neck. This was even better than the time she stole a golf cart from the high school security guards when they caught her ditching.
"Let's make sure we lose him this time, ne?" He smirked jumping atop the roof soon zooming across the village.
• • •
It wasn't long after he got her down on her feet for his lips to capture hers. She automatically responded kissing him back letting all worry go and decided to just enjoy the now.
.:Normal Timeslot:.
Fuck it all, she thought to herself staring wide-eyed at Deidara on top of her.
"Let's go before they find out we're here," Sasori exclaimed pulling the shades by the window slightly to peer outside. The blonde grunted lifting himself to a standing position pulling Kimmy up into his arms.
Inwardly she was beating herself up as they stealthily left the motel. Why hadn't she listened to herself when those red flags started flying up during the time they had been trying to escape from Kakashi earlier? She was an idiot that had royalty fucked up big this time. She shouldn't have tried something so reckless with a 'stranger' all in the name of claiming her body back. Now she really did wish she still had Kakashi with her. But she hadn't known they could change their own appearance.
"Deidara take care of her. No doubt the Konoha nins are going to be tracking us down soon."
"Gotcha, hm."
They were running through the shabbier side of Konoha. Slowly Kimmy reached at the back of her shorts waistband for the pen she always kept with her. I will not be a willing kidnappee and let them take me easily!
She drove her pen top speed at Deidara.
"OW!" Kimmy cried out tears springing forward at Deidara's powerful grip. She dropped her pen as the stinging pain shot up her arm. The moment she had moved to attack he dropped his hold on her legs to catch her flying hand.
It was even more painful due to his continual running dragging her by her bare wrists.
"Shut her up now!" Sasori barked.
"KAKASHI!"
Her mouth was immediately clamped shut before Deidara tossed her into the air. Kimmy landed with a painful thud. She opened her eyes to see she was inside one of Deidara's creations. The mouth of the creature closed engulfing her in darkness.
This was unbelievable. Completely unbelievable. She gently touched her left wrist and cringed as a shock of pain spiked at her touch. She wouldn't be surprised if it were sprained.
Propping herself up she began to kick against the wall of the creature. It felt like it could give out letting her hope for something good. At her fourth attempt her foot went through making a hole. After extracting her foot from the hole she quickly scrambled to the hole and looked out.
She saw birds. Some clouds. The orange burnt sky. And the village far below. Kimmy cursed falling back down onto her butt.
What options could she possibly have now? She was undeniably stuck high in the air with an injured wrist with no way to get down. She frantically scrambled through her thoughts of anything, anything at all that could help her.
The sounds of explosions were going off. Kimmy stared at the hole no doubt a battle had started.
"Whoa!" Kimmy was tossed to the side as the big creature had suddenly made a sharp change in its flight direction. Its movements had become a lot sharper as if trying to evade something.
That's my chance! She realized. She hurried back to the hole now seeing the ninja of the village pursuing them. The bird made another sharp turn causing her to fall. "Ow! Damn it," Kimmy cried out cradling her wrist. Her tears sprung forward at the sharp pain. She rolled on to her back and took a shaky breath as she began to kick at the edges of the hole to make it larger. Once it was large enough she looked back out again noticing the ninja below looking right back at her.
"No use thinking!"
She jumped.