Akira's movements were a little harsher this morning. The sky was grey and clouds covered up the sun, bathing the Uchiha dojo in dull and dim light, and it was aggravating her. She'd gotten used to the past few weeks of sun, and now, the forecasted weeks of rain were making her cranky. In normal circumstances, Akira would have welcomed the rain, but she'd become apprised of several leaks in the dojo's roof that she constantly had to monitor. When droplets of water began dripping on her head during meditation, Akira wanted to punch a hole through the wall. Instead, Akira put up a few buckets below the places that needed repairs and sighed. They'd have to be fixed when the rain had stopped.

With a sigh, Akira took off her sandals and threw her towel into the corner of the dojo. Accepting that the rain was going to ruin her normal training, Akira ran out of the dojo and towards the dock and the lake nearby. Her clothes were soaked within a matter of seconds, and while her skin was growing colder and colder, Akira's sour mood was slowly being lifted. As she made it to the docks, the rain had become lighter, now only a spray that created rainbows from the cracks of sunlight between the clouds.

Akira looked around her, tried to sense anyone's presence by feeling out her chakra, and when she found that there was no one around her, Akira continued with a second form of training. With a wave of her arm, all the water in her clothes and hair left her in a single stream, and it swirled around her like a clear and shining ribbon. Suddenly, it extended forwards, following the movement of Akira's arm. When she retracted it, the water followed and shot all the way back up the hill. Then, Akira spun, and the stream of water came jetting ahead of her from the left. She pulled it back towards her and performed a lofty right kick, allowing the water to wrap around her ankle. When the kick followed through, Akira separated the stream of water into to orbs. One of them followed her left ankle and the other her right wrist, and Akira followed through with the smoother moves of her usual dojo training.

By then, the rain had stopped, and Akira was the flow of the water. It swirled around her ankle and wrist, flowing with each of her movements, and her body flowed just the same. She performing her martial arts, but one could easily be fooled into thinking she was dancing, letting the water dictate the beat at which she danced. Flowing punches and kicks sent the water moving in smooth circles, twirls made the water wrap around her like a silk ribbon, flips made the water sharp and blade-like.

"You're getting better at this."
"You think?"

Kakashi was a little taken aback. There had been a time when she would have jumped at his sudden appearance, but Akira was far too concentrated on the movements of her limbs to care. Her control was amazing to behold.

"Your control is..."
"Sloppy, I know," Akira said. She sighed and flicked the orbs of water back into the lake. "I blame the rain, ironically. It's messing up my dojo and it's got me in a mood."
"I was going to say superb," Kakashi said, crossing his arms.
"Oh, well, thanks." Akira smiled a little awkwardly and, with a small wave of her arm, dried off any remaining water from the rain. "I thought the rain was making my joints weird."
"You're making it sound like you're an old lady."
"I feel like it sometimes."

Akira began her trek back up the hill and Kakashi followed her.

"Tired?" Kakashi asked.
"Exhausted," Akira sighed. "Sometimes I feel I'm running on fumes. People have been asking how I've been doing non-stop. They're... concerned with my way of dealing with things."
"You have been training a lot more than usual."
"Oh, not you too, Kakashi!"
"Kakashi? Dropping the sensei, are we?" Kakashi chuckled.
"No, I'm sorry, I just—" Akira cut herself off and groaned. "I appreciate everyone's concern, I really do. But I feel—I feel like I'm being suffocated! And you—"

Akira stopped and turned to Kakashi. She looked almost desperate.

"I don't know. I... like talking to you. You ask me how I'm doing and I don't feel like... lying to you."
"Do you lie to your friends about how you're feeling?" Kakashi asked.
"Not recently, no," Akira said. She sighed and sat down on the hill. "When we came back from our mission to the Land of Waves, yes. I didn't tell anyone what happened until a month after."

Kakashi plopped down next to her and sighed.

"Who did you tell first?" Akira let out a breathy laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Of all people that I could have talked to about this first... It talked to Sakura."
"Sakura?"
"Yeah, I know. She figured it out because of some flowers I was getting at the shop."
"Flowers?"
"Yeah, stupid kunoichi classes," Akira sighed. "Hyacinths are an expression of regret."
"Do you regret what happened?" Kakashi asked.
"I stand by my decision to attack Zabuza. If I were in the same situation, I'd do it again."
"Haku would still jump in front of us."
"Yeah, I know." Akira pulled her knees up to her chest. "I regret not noticing him faster. Maybe I could have stopped myself or—"
"There's nothing you could have done, Akira," Kakashi said. He placed a hand on Akira's head. "Even I didn't see him coming."

Akira smiled sadly and she lay down, letting Kakashi's hand run through her hair as she went back. He pulled his hand away as she looked at him.

"How are you?" she asked Kakashi.
"Me? Oh, I'm always fine," he said coolly.
"Somehow I doubt that, Kakashi."
"Again with the Kakashi. Do you really have no respect for me anymore?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Akira groaned. "Sometimes I forget you're my sensei."
"Forget? I wonder what that says about my authority," Kakashi said with a chuckle.
"No, I mean—well, never mind. It's nothing, Sensei. I'm sorry."

Kakashi lied down as well, but he said nothing. They stared up at the cloudy sky for a few seconds until Akira felt compelled to speak.

"It's just that sometimes... I feel like you're more of a friend to me than you are a sensei."
"Really?"

Akira thought he seemed genuinely surprised. She looked over at him and laughed a little.

"Why do you sound so surprised that I consider you a friend?"
"I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I'm not very... open."
"You may not wear your heart on your sleeve, but you're quite easy to get along with," Akira said with a smile. "It's a little bit of a learning curve, but I think I'm getting there."
"Well, you're going to have to keep calling me sensei," Kakashi said, turning to look at Akira. He thought she looked vaguely disappointed. "At least... when there are other people around."
"Sakura may whine about preferential treatment," Akira said, a small smirk on her lips.

Kakashi shrugged and turned back to look at the clouds.

"Naruto may complain that you're not giving him enough attention. Actually, Sasuke may complain about that too. He's such a diva at times."
"Is he now? I hadn't really noticed," Kakashi chuckled. "What was it he said again? 'I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone.'"
"I can't believe he actually used that as his introduction to everyone," Akira laughed. A split second later, she smacked Kakashi on the arm. "Hey, you never answered my question!"
"I believe I told you that I was always fine."
"You know that's not true. I saw your face. You looked terrified." The man was silent. "Just... Do me a favour."
"Depends what it is."
"I'm not going to pry, or ask you anything about your past, or why you looked so terrified to see Haku right in front of you," Akira said gently. "But if I ask you if you're okay... can you tell me the truth?"

Kakashi glanced over at Akira. She was frowning and there was a glimmer in her eyes that he'd seen so many times before. She was concerned about him, and Kakashi didn't feel like he was deserving of that feeling.

"How are you, Kakashi?" she asked gently.
"Well, I'm not always fine," Kakashi said with a sigh. "But I will be."
"You sure?"
"I've always pulled through."
"Good. Oh, and Kakashi?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Being more of a friend, than a sensei."