Without that I had really been able to control it, these two so simple but just nevertheless so meaningful words left my tongue. I still looked at the tall ninja in disbelief. Why was he defending me? Did he know who I was? Or that I had just fought my own father? Countless questions bustled around in my head. Buzzing around in it like annoying flies.

„That's right." I winced as I heard the gray-haired man's voice. It was pleasantly dark and also ... sympathetic. But I couldn't pin his essence down to a single encounter. „Akaya. I have to admit, I never really thought much of you until now, but for you to attack a girl and threaten her life is beyond my wildest imagination."

My father laughed. But it sounded slightly unsettled. He seemed to have respect for Kakashi, and I couldn't blame him. Because I felt the same way. The Copyninja radiated something that I could describe well with one word. Authority. „I didn't really threaten her, she stole money from me once and I wanted to scare her. As a small punishment." Lie. Such a cowardly liar. Kakashi hopefully wouldn't believe him.

„Don't you know she's the intangible? I was going to take her to the Hokage afterwards so he could see she's nothing more than a stupid kid." I winced, not at the insult, but at the fact that he had revealed my identity. „I know," the gray-haired man replied. Surprised and shocked at the same time, I looked at him. „How?" It was just a whiff. But he had heard me, nonetheless. He half turned to look at me. I couldn't help but return his gaze. He held me tightly.

But his eyes did not look at me threateningly or admonishingly. Understanding flashed in them and I imagined that the corners of his mouth lifted a little under the mask. I couldn't help but be confused. Why was there nothing hostile there? I was a thief, had stolen some things. A normal person would react angrily or with rejection, wouldn't they?

„Later little one. We'll explain everything to you. But first I have something to do here." Firmly he looked me in the eyes, and I nodded weakly. This was all too much for me. I was confused, scared, and overwhelmed. Right now,I just wanted to go back to my cave in the woods, lie down in the soft moss and sleep. Forget all of this and go on with my life. As if it had never happened. But the truth was different. By a lot. I had been exposed and had no idea what would happen to me now. Everything was spinning. My life would never be the same again. Naruto. What will happen if they tell him? I held my head. It was just too much.

Struggling to distract myself, I focused again on what was happening before my eyes. Kakashi had meanwhile turned back to my father. I could literally feel how the air between the two was getting colder and colder. Cautiously I took a few steps backwards to gain distance. Even though I hoped that it would not come to a fight... just in case. My father's eyes, however, were not on Kakashi, but constantly on me. A hatred burned him them, so I was almost sure he Copyninja had seen it as well.

„I know she is your daughter. So don't try to deny it." He knew? But how? Everyone assumed I was dead, didn't they? So how? Had he been shadowing me? My father said nothing in response to this statement. But his hand tightened all the more around the kunai. He was about to break out. I could feel it. He had never been a truly controlled person. „So tell me, why do you treat your own child like this?" Kakashi's voice sounded calm, but still had a sharp undertone.

„I don't owe you any responsibility," he growled. "Besides, you have no proof that she is my daughter." "No, you're not. At least not to me." He let the words hang in the air like that. As they had when he'd shown up, they sounded like a threat with a little hint of triumph.

A noise reached my ears, and I turned my head in the direction of the next house roof. Up there on the ledge sat four ... I blinked. No. My eyes had never deceived me before. ANBU soldiers. But they couldn't possibly be here for me. My gaze slid to Kakashi. Our eyes crossed and he shook his head. „Not because of you," he said softly. My tension eased. But if I wasn't the reason, then...

A pair of feet drummed across the floor. Hectic. My father was actually trying to run away. Didn't he know it wouldn't do any good? Faster than I could look the four ANBU had surrounded him and taken his weapons. „I want to know. How do you know about this?"

Kakashi shook his head. „We didn't know, only suspected. Thank you for confessing just now."

Silence.

Shocked, Father looked at the tall ninja. He seemed sheerly overwhelmed, and I couldn't help but give Kakashi credit. With a small, simple trick, he had managed to make my father confess the truth without him being aware of what he had just done. He had let him believe that they already knew that I was his missing daughter. A smart move.

I watched silently as the ANBU took my father away. He did not resist. And I felt nothing. Neither triumph, joy nor relief. Perhaps it was simply because my life was in a mess right now and I just didn't know what to do with myself. Hesitantly, I turned to Kakashi. .

„Will ... will I go to jail now?" The silver-haired man looked at me with a slightly absent expression. „Hmm. What did you say?" Confused, I looked at him. „Sorry but my mind was elsewhere. Could you repeat the question again?" Was he always like that? This one question actually came to my mind now. Because somehow, I had not expected something like this from him. „Um. Am I going to jail now?" I looked up at him uncertainly. „Where did you get that idea?" Now I was confused.

Kakashi interrupted me. „That may be, but you're a child. And besides, your thefts are nothing serious. All you've stolen so far has been food, right?" I nodded. „That kind of thing is called mouth robbery, and it's not really punishable in Konoha. Besides, you're still a minor. And there are a few other things involved, but more on that later."

Sheerly taken off guard, I looked at him. No punishment? Or how was I to take that now? "But what will happen to me then? Surely I won't be allowed to go on living as I am now, will I?" A grin appeared under the mask of my counterpart. „No. You definitely won't. But be assured, the Hokage will certainly not let you continue to live on the streets."

The Hokage?

„Yes, the Hokage has known of your existence since you came across Naruto Uzumaki and has tasked me with shadowing you for a bit." He ran his hand through his hair, giving me a moment to let the new information sink in. Eight weeks? Two months he had been watching me and I hadn't noticed a thing. What kind of thief was I if I couldn't even notice a watcher? Pretty miserable. So, I was definitely not living up to my name at the moment.

„But that's enough now. We have another appointment, after all," Kakashi said.

„Where?"

„At the Hokage's office. Where else?"