Chapter 13

The hour was neither early nor late; at half past nine, the streets were already packed with people. Colorful stalls and food stands lined the main thoroughfare of Konohagakure. Passersby – who seemed altogether unfazed by the circumstances – walked shoulder-to-shoulder as they navigated the open-air market.

Kakashi Hatake was among them. He sidled through the crowd at a leisurely pace, trying to avoid a collision. While he had zero interest in the festival, there was no way around it; he couldn't reach his destination otherwise. The Nakamura Noodle House sat on the upper east side of the village.

If he remembered correctly, Kazumi intended to meet the Kobayashi family that morning. Hopefully, her plans hadn't changed; he meant to drop by while she was out. On his last visit, Kakashi took something that didn't belong to him. The small leather-bound notebook had been missing from Kazumi's bookshelf for two days.

The ramen bar was quite busy when he arrived. Due to capacity, some patrons chose to eat outside. Their presence put a damper on his plans; instead of taking the fire escape, he would have to use the main entrance. Kakashi sighed defeatedly and trudged into the building.

And that building was owned by none other than Kazumi's parents.

"Kakashi-kun!" A plump little woman – no taller than five feet – shuffled across the floor. She had thick, grey hair and cloudy eyes. It was a wonder that she could see him at all.

He reached for her as a precaution. Her unsteady gait made him nervous. "What gave me away, obaachan?"

Mai Nakamura, Kazumi's grandmother, had always been fond of Kakashi. She took his arm with both hands to steady herself. "It's that mop of white hair on your head," she replied. "You stick out like a sore thumb!"

"Is it really that bad?"

"My eyes aren't what they used to be," she said, adjusting her glasses, "but it looks like you could use a haircut."

Their conversation rose above the din of idle chatter. A middle-aged man appeared in the kitchen's pass-through window. "Okasan!" he shouted. "Let him be!"

"Oh, Seiji…he knows I'm teasing!" Mai turned her head toward Kakashi's ear and whispered, "My son has no sense of humor."

A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. If he had taken the fire escape, he would be halfway back to the fair by now. "I, uh – is Kazumi-chan home? I have something for her."

She grinned mischievously. "You brought a gift for my granddaughter?"

"N-No," he replied, shaking his head. "She…let me borrow a book. I just wanted to return it." The best lies were crafted with a grain of truth. Sure, he borrowed a book. There was no harm in admitting that; besides, Kazumi had dozens of them upstairs. It wasn't outlandish to believe that she parted with one.

"Oh, you're no fun." Mai chuckled and let go of his arm. "When you see my granddaughter, tell her to pay me a visit. She owes me a game of weiqi."

Finally, an opening. Kakashi bowed politely. "I will," he said. "Thank you, obaachan. It was good to see you."

"You're so formal!" She pointed a long, spindly finger at the staircase. "Go, go – don't let me keep you."

He wasted no time. Kakashi kept his head down as he made his way across the room. The last thing he needed was to bump into Kazumi's mother; Rin was a kind woman, but she loved to talk.

A thin oriental tapestry hung in front of the staircase. When he reached it, Kakashi pulled the drape aside and began his ascent. The wooden boards groaned under his weight. If Kazumi was home, she'd hear him long before he reached the landing.

"Umi-chan?" he called, stepping into the hall.

There was only one apartment on the second floor. Originally, it belonged to Kazumi's grandmother. She and her late husband lived in the four-room flat for 51 years. If it were not for new fixtures and flooring, the cozy abode would match the rest of the building.

He stood on the welcome mat and rapped his knuckles against the door. "Umi? Are you there?"

As expected, he did not receive a reply; it would seem that she had gone out after all. Several succulents lined the shelving unit beside her front door. Kazumi usually kept a spare key under a stack of unused terracotta pots. He lifted the pile carefully and sure enough, it was still there. Kakashi picked it up, unlocked the deadbolt, and put the key back in its hiding place.

The door swung easily on its hinges. Kakashi entered and closed it behind him with little more than a click. Next, he removed his boots and placed them on the top rung of a shoe rack. Not only was the gesture a sign of respect, but it also prevented him from leaving footprints.

Quiet feet carried him into the living room. The space was just as he left it. Kazumi's cat, Momo, dozed on the beige beanbag chair. A basket of unfolded laundry occupied the otherwise unused coffee table. Even the pillow and blanket he had used two days ago were still on the couch. Kazumi had many talents, but housekeeping wasn't one of them.

As he approached the bookshelf, Kakashi removed the journal from his pocket. It had gotten a fair bit of use in his possession; with any luck, Kazumi would be none the wiser. "I think you were next to the green one," he muttered. "Or was it the blue one?"

Creeeeak.

Footfalls echoed in the hallway. It didn't matter which notebook went where; someone else was in the apartment with him. There weren't many places to hide. Kakashi tiptoed behind a floor length curtain and glued himself to the wall, hoping to remain unseen.

"Look at the time. I overslept…" Kazumi yawned and sauntered lazily into her living room. The analogue wall clock read 11:15 a.m. "Good morning, Momo. How'd you sleep, hm?"

The sleek, black cat opened her amber eyes. "Prrrup?"

"Me too," she replied. "C'mon, babes. Let's get you some food."

"Mew!" Momo sprang up, scratched an itch, and happily followed Kazumi into the kitchen.

Kakashi moved the drape slowly to avoid detection. Kazumi might have left the room, but there were two other problems that prevented him from leaving. For one, his boots were still in the shoe rack; secondly, both exits – the front door and the fire escape – could only be accessed via the kitchen. His only option was to stay put and hope for the best.

Her voice could still be heard across the way. "I have to visit Jun's parents today," she said. Kazumi spooned canned tuna into a bowl. "Meant to go this morning, but I had a late night; guess I needed the extra sleep."

Momo seemed more excited about breakfast than Kazumi's story. She sat on her haunches and raised both paws in the air. "Mrow?"

"I'm going as fast as I can," she said. Kazumi put the bowl on the floor and gently ran her hand over Momo's back. "Easy – don't eat it all at once. You'll get sick."

While Momo enjoyed breakfast, Kazumi busied herself with the basket of laundry in the living room. Instead of folding her clothes, however, she began pawing through them for something to wear. White panties, a matching bra, and an orange sundress sailed over her shoulder, landing in a soft heap on the floor.

"I hope that'll suffice," she muttered. "Oh – and the mail. I wonder if mom brought it up already."

Kakashi breathed a soft sigh of relief when she reentered the kitchen. Kazumi had been dangerously close to his hiding place. The moment of respite was brief, however; what he heard next made his skin crawl.

"I thought I locked the door before I went to bed last night…"

Not five seconds later, a horrible, wet sound came from the far end of the apartment. Momo must have eaten too quickly after all.

"Damn it!" Kazumi snatched a roll of paper towels from the cupboard and hurried down the hall. "I told you not to rush!"

Cack, cack, cack…blargh.

"Really? On my bed?!"

Kakashi edged out from behind the curtain and made his way toward the kitchen. He paused briefly to check that the hallway was clear before proceeding. Fortunately, it seemed his friend would be busy with Momo's mess for a while. That cat deserved a medal – or at the very least, another can of tuna.

When he reached the shoe rack, Kakashi snatched his boots and yanked them on. It didn't matter that his heels were hanging out of them; the only thing he cared about was a clean exit. He clutched the golden doorknob, turned it, and slipped silently into the corridor. As before, the door shut behind him with a click. He had done it.

That was close – too close. Had he dawdled a moment longer, the mission might have been for naught. Kakashi hobbled to the stairs and took a seat on the top step. "Well, that was fun," he murmured, adjusting his shoes. "Guess I'll grab something on my way out."

Once both boots were on correctly, Kakashi descended the staircase as if nothing had ever happened. At the end of the day, he – and only he – knew the truth about the notebook incident.