-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters. Kishimoto does.
Ch.8
"What are you doing with that?"
"…Nothing…"
"…I don't trust you…"
A brow was rose and a smile spread across his lips.
"Hey… no get away! No, give me back my arm!"
He easily pinned her easily to the floor of her apartment, pulling up the sleeve of her navy, jounin shirt, and undid the lid of the marker in his hand.
"I'm a wonderful artist," he told with a smile, lowering the pen to her skin. She sighed in defeat after she tried her best to struggle, and merely watched from the corner of her eye.
"It has to be permanent?"
"Uh huh."
A few seconds of silence followed as she waited for him to finish.
"Alright, all done."
"…" She sat up as she felt his weight leave her back. "Huh? What's…?"
"See…I told you I was good…"
"…For a six year old…Wait I'm kidding! Ah! Not the face!"
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"What's that?"
"What's what?"
"That," Shinji pointed to her arm where she had slightly pulled down her glove and was scratching with her pearly nails. She herself looked down at her arm to a slightly faded black smiley face with a slash over the left eye. Running her fingers over the remnants of permanent, black ink, she grinned under that cat like mask.
"Oh…It's…"
"It kind of looks… familiar… somewhat. What's with the line over the eye."
"Oh, you'd have to know the person who did it," she told with a laugh.
"Hmm… Guess you're right… I don't know him, but I've heard my fair share."
"Ah…" She grinned, still unawares to him, and pulled the sleeve of the glove back in position under the swiveled ANBU tattoo. Looking back out into the thick mist, she sighed.
"Are you close?"
"Hmm?"
He lifted his hand and put a finger on his arms where the little face was hiding.
"With him."
"Oh… Yeah… but not in that way," she told, confirming his hopes.
"Oh… so you're not seeing anyone?"
"Eh?… Oh… Shinji." She sighed and lifted her mask, sliding it up to rest it upon her head, and he following her movements. Shinji was rather attractive, and smart, and respectful. Yet… he was, too… Her hazel eyes slightly shied away from his intense, crystalline gaze.
"So… it still is that way?"
"Umm…I think it still is" she told with a small smile. After their talk, she had to believe it could go back to being that way.
"It's not that I'm younger than you?" he asked with a smirk.
"Hmm… well, I don't want to be called a 'cradle robber' by anyone," she told with a laugh as Shinji rose a brow. But laughter escaped his lips, and Atsuka felt the little knot of tension that had slightly been gathering unravel and dissipated with the rain.
"But don't be discouraged… maybe something will happen," she said with a bob of her shoulders. Yet, Shinji could somewhat tell by her expression what she did not want something along those lines to happen.
Neither did Atsuka.
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"Oh, Kakashi, this is Tsukatu Atsuka. She's another member of the ANBU squad for the upcoming mission, along with the two you meet earlier. Atsuka, this is Hatake Kakashi."
"Ah, it's nice to meet you, Atsuka," told the twenty year old, silver haired jounin. Hazel orbs regarded him for a moment from under thick bangs that curtained the young woman's face, slightly hiding her eyes. At first, she seemed aloof, and he thought she might stand there forever, staring at him. But, the woman cracked a smile, her teeth straight and pearly, and put forth a hand, which he took hold of and gave a gentle shake.
"And you, Kakashi."
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"We'll hit the shore in a moment," came Shiro's voice from the back of the boat. The group had to put their trust in the man seeing as the thick fog still blanketed the waters and made it quite impossible to see; save for the medic Osamu, whom Atsuka fancied used chakra to see as well as he said he could. Still at the prow of the craft, Shinji at her side, she waited for the first sights of water country.
"We'll move out quickly once we hit shore," he told her, voice muffled as both had slid their ANBU masks back into place, concealing their faces. "I guess I want to hit the ground running, and not waste any time."
"Right, sounds good," Atsuka responded, and nodded slightly in agreement. As she was about to speak again, there was a lurch and a 'Sorry!' from the back of the boat, then the faint mumbled of Nami.
"Hah! I guess we made shore!" Shiro called out, Atsuka and Shinji shaking their heads in disbelief as they rose to their feet from their toppled positions. Atsuka followed Shinji as he made to jump into the land, doing as he did, and followed in suit by a still peeved Nami and slightly sore Osamu.
"Well, I guess I'll see the three of you in a week or so," Shiro gave as he watched them off. Shinji nodded, and shook hands with the man.
"Right, thank you for your corporation, Shiro."
And then the three were gone, a slight upturn of grass in their wake.