Hello folks! I'm back with another update! just letting you guys know that this story is no longer a self insert fic, its more of an Oc/ reincarnation fic. Have changed the old filters to romance x adventure because at the begining I didnt have a romantic pairing, but obviously now I do. No regrets.

also Katsumi refers to Kakashi with the san honourific at his own request. we will find out more about Kakashis older brother complex later on in the fic. I also want to take this moment to appologise, since English is my first language I am totally far from perfect with my honourifics.

Its early days, I have heaps planned for this story.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter of fluff.

beta read by the wonderful katydid001 11/4/20

It was the morning of the festival. Katsumi sat with her legs crossed on the roof of their apartment watching as the town was transformed. Beautifully decorated stalls of various kinds lined up along the main street. Something about this festival stirred up deep feelings of nostalgia, but something was missing. She shrugged in defeat and pulled her mask down. With a sigh, she took a sip of her morning orange juice. Usually she sat with her brother on mornings like this, but he wasn't there when she went to wake him.

Katsumi missed the days when he said goodbye before he left. But she supposed it was her own fault for being so rude all the time. She wanted Kakashi to love her and protect her, but some of the things he chose to guard her from didn't sit right with her. Still she wanted to hug her brother and apologise for being so cross with him.

Maybe it was twin telepathy or just brilliant timing but in the midst of her brooding she heard a familiar pair of shoes strolling along the roof. Her brother slipped down into his usual place beside her.

"Rough night again, Nee-chan?" Kakashi's voice held no malice or leftover grudge. The hand not holding his own cup of orange juice reached up to tangle his fingers in hers. Katsumi curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. A silent apology flowed between them.

"Ah, forget about that now, Imouto. I want some Hatake time. I feel like I never see you." His arm moved from her grip only to wind its way around her shoulders, pulling her tighter to his side.

"I miss you too," her voice simmered with emotion. The twins held each other close. Despite the chill in the air, their love and familiar affection warmed them from within. Both of their masks bunched at their clavicle, lips sipping at their traditional morning beverage. Bonding time like this was becoming as rare as being able to watch the sunrise, while not covered in dirt and sweat.

Katsumi's mind began to wander back to the times the siblings spent watching the sunrise and waiting for their father to return from his never-ending missions. Every time they would hold each other like this, finding strength in their vulnerability. The bond the twins shared was ultimate.

The sun rose higher on the horizon. The previous purple tones of the dawn split apart by beams of blinding orange. Both silver ninja just watched as various vendors prepared for the opening ceremony. Kakashi rested his chin atop the crown of her head, just happy to have her content in his arms. He was jealous of all the attention everyone else seemed to get from his sister, but this was something that only he saw. A bond that was infinitely sacred. Katsumi's delicate heart was in the palm of his hands and vice versa.

"Kakashi, do you think I'll ever fix these stupid dreams?" Her whisper was barely audible, slipping gently into her brother's keen ears.

He furrowed his silver brows and thought for a second. The question threw him, but he was nothing if not optimistic when it came to his doe-eyed sister. Kakashi knew he would cross the globe to keep her safe.

"Of course, Imouto. I'll look after you."

"As will I, Nii-san." The young girl closed her eyes, taking in the calm of this moment. Saving it and locking it away in her memory for safe keeping. This was how she wanted them to stay. Although they were polar opposites in some regards, essentially the twins were so identical it caused more than a little tension. Without their father to guide them out of their fights, the twins found themselves constantly having the same arguments over and over. Deep down they both knew they cared so deeply for each other and were just horrendous at expressing it, especially in front of company.

The slightly taller boy shifted his weight and positioned himself so that he could see his sister's face.

"I don't know what I would do without you." His tone was laced with heart clenching sincerity, deep grey orbs betraying all his insecurities. That was definitely both twins greatest fear. Abandonment.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kakashi." The look in her mismatched eyes made the silver boy want to curl into a ball around her and protect her from the daily horrors they both faced as shinobi. It was a kill or be killed world, the twins knew it all too well. His sister was too pure, her optimism and kind heart were not commonplace amongst the ranks of elite ninja. It wasn't fair how much blood they were forced to spill as shinobi.

Gently they pressed their foreheads together. This was their family's way of showing deep affection for one another. Their minds were connecting on a spiritual level that only the other could fully grasp. The bond between the two wolf nin was rare in the ninja world. In a society founded on betrayal and bloodshed, these two deadly ninja found comfort in family.

"I bought you something yesterday while I was shopping with Rin-chan, want to come inside and see it?" Kakashi pulled back, taking his sister's empty glass from her grip.

With her hands now free she signed back to him. 'Bought me something? Kakashi I-' before she could finish her sentence her brother clicked his teeth.

"I bought it because I wanted to. Now get up so I can see the look on your face when you see the colours." Kakashi loved to watch his sister light up, especially when he was the one doing it. In that second he thought about how the Uchiha pest made her light up too. Maybe he was a little jealous, but there was no way he would ever admit that to his twin. Though they shared everything with each other, some things were better left in his head.

They climbed down into the open window of their apartment. Katsumi went first as always, so that Kakashi could make sure she didn't slip. Contrary to how she portrayed herself, when relaxed, Katsumi was a massive klutz. This time, though, she made the swing with no fuss, much to the male twin's satisfaction. First he tossed in their empty cups which Katsumi caught with relative ease. Once that was done he gripped the tiles with one hand and slipped off the roof; swinging in just the right way to send him sliding through the open window behind his sister. Once his feet were firmly planted, he spun around and shimmied the stiff window frame shut.

Katsumi put the glasses in the sink before she noted the large wooden box on their small dining table. She recognised the fancy silver scrawl straight away. Shock and excitement flooded her being as she spun back around to face her brother.

'Kakashi, you didn't do what I think you did.. did you?' Her hands flew through the signs, anticipation oozing from the energetic kunoichi.

"Oh yeah, I did." Although Kakashi hadn't seen Katsumi looking at this particular dress, he just knew this kimono was made for his little sister. The young boy was becoming quite tasteful in his fashion choices, mostly for his sister's sake. Only the kami knew where Katsumi got her atrocious fashion sense. She was the type of girl to focus on buying more equipment to broaden her ninja skills, than to waste money on things like clothes. This resulted in a wardrobe of mostly sweat pants and training gear. So naturally, Kakashi took it upon himself to make sure his sister dressed well. The silver-haired boy folded his legs beneath him as he sat in front of the dining table.

"Come here." He curled a finger in her direction, beckoning her. She acted quickly, crossed the room to kneel beside her brother. Just like that, the young girl was fixated on her twin's movements, causing a smirk to pull at Kakashi's still unmasked lips.

With deft fingers he lifted the lid of the box to reveal the material inside.

Katsumi's delicate heart was suddenly frozen, a stiff breeze could have shattered it into a thousand pieces. There in the box was the beautiful sea-green kimono with scattered blue flowers. The kunoichi made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, unable to find a way to portray her emotions. She shouldn't have been that surprised considering they literally knew each other better than they knew themselves.

Strong, slender arms wound their way around Kakashi's torso as his sister buried herself into his side.

"Spot on?" He chuckled at her reaction, before tilting her chin up so he could see the look in her eyes. There he found happy tears welling the corner of her large, expressive, doe-like eyes. He felt his chest swell with pride at the look of awe plastered on his twin's face. She nodded gently, wanting to make the most of this moment.

"Perfect, Nii-san. As always," her hushed voice dripped with sincerity. It was her job to let him know just how amazing a brother he was. And it was moments like these where she succeeded without even trying.

Kakashi plucked the silken material from its confines, holding it up against her torso. As he did this her heterochromatic eyes came up to lock with his. The colours of the dress matched perfectly with her rare irises. Knowing just how beautiful she was going to look almost made him backtrack. He fought the urge to keep his most precious person safe from prying eyes.

Katsumi took the dress from her brothers hovering hands, before leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. This was literally the prettiest dress she had seen and her brother bought it for her without even so much as a hint. She let the material flutter to her lap as she used both her hands to sign.

'Did you get yourself something?'

Kakashi chuckled once again. She knew him too well. "Would you believe me if I told you I found a yukata in a reversed colour palette?"

Without a doubt she nodded. There wasn't a man on Earth with the outfit coordination skills equal to her brother. It was definitely a gift passed down by the father. Though she seemed to have missed that particular life lesson.

Katsumi noted the length of Kakashi's choppy locks before running her fingers through them. She massaged his scalp out of habit, even though she was just checking if he was in need of a trim. Which he was.

'We should go to the hairdresser before the festival.' She brought her hand back to tug at her own locks. Noting that it had now grown past her ribs. This was not at all practical for her line of work. Despite her best efforts, she had been neglecting the small things.

Kakashi was lost in the feeling of the head scratches, so much so that he let out an unrestrained groan of annoyance at the mention of a hairdresser.

"Lame, can't you just use the kitchen scissors this time?"

Katsumi actually thought about it for a second. They had cut each other's hair countless times. It had only been recently that they had started to pay for haircuts. Deep down they both knew they hated having to interact with people, especially needlessly for something like a haircut. Kakashi's signature silver strands stood up in crazy choppy spikes naturally anyway. Her hair would also be like that if Kakashi would let her cut it short like his. Alas, he was stubborn and flat refused. So instead of choppy spikes, Katsumi's hair cascaded in crazy curls. Which was why she preferred her hair at shoulder-length as it was easier to maintain without looking like a silver ball of fuzz.

Father had said she got her curls from her mother. Although in all the photos they had of her her hair was tied tightly back. So she had to take his word for it.

"I'll do your hair first?" Kakashi grinned when his sister finally nodded. He picked himself up before heading to the kitchen to grab the sharpest pair of scissors they had.

"To your shoulders, Nee-chan?" The young boy asked as he knelt behind his sister. Katsumi tucked the dress inside it's box, before relaxing back onto her folded legs.

'Nii-san,' she turned back to him before he started and looked at him with big doe eyes. 'Can I please have it cut short like yours? Please! Just this once!' Katsumi had wanted a haircut to match her brother's her whole life, so this was a common theme between them.

"No Katsumi, Father said no one will be able to tell us apart. We have been over this-" Kakashi sighed as he watched her hands fly through more signs. That puppy-dog face she pulled was one of the silver-haired boy's biggest weaknesses, so he had to bite his lip to keep from caving.

'What's wrong with that? Father is not here. Besides, it would be fun to confuse everyone.' She said it without thinking, but that got her brother's attention. Although he was a ridiculous stickler for the rules, Katsumi brought out the troublemaker in him.

"You know what? Fine. Just this one time, ok? Just once. I mean it!" He stared his sister down while she did her silent happy dance. Though he tried to remain stern he couldn't help but chuckle at her dancing. Kakashi loved his baby sister more than anything in the whole world, so it really was getting harder to say no to her.

With firm hands he turned his sister around and sat her back into position. Gently he pulled her long hair back and held the scissors up, ready to get started.

"Ready for this, Imouto?"

"I was born ready, Nii-san."

Her vocal confirmation gave him that last push to snip off her beautiful long silver curls. He felt his heart sink a little as he watched the hair fall to the floor but pressed on. Soon she had short choppy hair like his own. Even though he had never done his own haircut before he thought she looked pretty amazing.

He ran his fingers through her new choppy locks before he tapped her shoulder in a silent signal to turn around. Those mismatched eyes stared back at him from what looked like a mirror image of himself. Katsumi's whole face was warm with excitement, her frame trembling with anticipation.

"Wow, now I see what dad meant-" He made a few finishing snips to her fringe before nodding that he was finished. Assuming that Katsumi would want to go and check it out in the mirror like she always does. But this time she smiled and made the sign for him to turn around, grabbing the scissors from his fingers. This made Kakashi chuckle before doing as he was told.

Now it was Katsumi's turn to play with his hair, which was one of her favourite pastimes and always had been since they were little. She combed her slim fingers through his silver strands, having to lift up on her knees to reach the top of his hair. From this position she felt kind of powerful, looming over her brother with sharp scissors. She began her regular routine as she snipped at his strands, trimming and shaping as she went. Kakashi didn't have as much hair to cut off so it didn't take nearly as long.

Once complete she gave her brother a pat on his shoulder to tell him that she was done. They both stood and made their way to the mirror in the bathroom to check out their sibling's handiwork. There in the smooth, dirty glass were two identical silver-haired children. Except for the difference in eye color, there was no way to tell them apart due to Katsumi's small, flat frame. Kakashi was a tad unsure at first about his sister's boy-like appearance, but he caught the awed look on his sister's face and was finally satisfied. Katsumi was bubbling with happiness as she ran her fingers through her short choppy locks.

'We are identical, do you think anyone will be able to tell us apart?' The girl signed to her brother in the mirror, noticing his mischievous grin.

'I'm keen to find out. The festival doesn't kick off really until late afternoon. I have to meet Sensei at the library. Would you like to come?' Kakashi signed back to her in the mirror; comfortable in their mutual silence.

'If we both sign, then no one will be able to figure it out!' Practiced hands flew through familiar signs, portraying her mood in her gestures. They both snickered before sharing a look and moving to their room to change. Kakashi went through her drawers and picked out her outfit first, tossing it to her as she sat on the edge of her bed. Over the years the younger girl had cleaned up her act and now their room was always spotless on both sides. Maybe they were getting a bit old to share a room, but neither could sleep properly without the other nearby.

As the young boy turned back to his side of the room, Katsumi stood up to change. Careful to hide her special necklace from view at all times. Not that Kakashi would ever look. Oh kami no! That was the last thing the twins would do was look at each other while changing. They always kept their backs to one another, giving each other a moment of privacy. Still, Katsumi tended to err on the safe side, changing discreetly. She really didn't want Kakashi to get any more ideas about her and Obito. They were just friends. In her young naive brain she was certain his behaviour was down to lack of experience around people. Obito was just an awkward guy but that made him more endearing. She blushed lightly at the thought of her friend, before shaking her head. Friends, maybe best friends? Is that what this was? She didn't know, but it didn't bother her either. All Katsumi knew for sure was that Obito made her feel happy, and that's all that mattered.

Once they were done they both turned to look at each other. Identical down to the tone of blue in their masks. The only give away was Katsumi's single green eye, though, it was a subtle difference. Both twins gave a mischievous cackle before packing their pouches and heading to the front door. Silent conversation flowed between them through mere glances.

This was gonna be fun.

The air was thick with the smell of cherry blossoms as the twins avoided the scattered crowds by leaping silently across the rooftops like most shinobi. Keeping close-by they navigated their way to the library with ease. The morning sun sizzled on the dewy rooftops causing the city to be coated in a steamy haze. Katsumi giggled as they leapt through the hovering fog, leaping down off the roof tops with practiced ease. The male twin landed first, followed by his equally lithe companion. Never one to keep his sensei waiting, Kakashi was through the doors before the dust had even settled; his identical twin mirroring his every move.

Katsumi pushed her way through the doors and looked around for her brother. Alas, he had disappeared. This was a common occurrence, so she wasn't surprised. The main entrance was a long hallway lined with many rooms and connecting corridors. Her footsteps echoed lightly as she wandered along the main hall looking for any sign of her twin. Many different smells wafted in the air as she took a deep breath. Kakashi's distinctive scent was drifting from the third corridor, naturally she followed. The trail led her past a few different rooms, many of which she had visited before with Kushina-sensei.

There was one door, however, that gave her pause.

A tall silver-haired male strolled through the halls with his twins in tow. Katsumi silently peered into every room they passed, dying to get her hands on a scroll. Losing herself in research was her favourite pastime. They told her she was far beyond her years when it came to reading, though she definitely had to work on her taijutsu skills.

As they wove through the corridors, Katsumi snuck peeks at her brother, who was vehemently ignoring her. It wasn't her fault he lost in his spar with Papa this morning, they always lost against their genius father. Though Katsumi didn't mind so much, Kakashi for some reason always got like this. He was always brooding over imperfection. The thought made her bite her lip under the soft fabric of her mask.

They turned the corner and finally opened one of the many rooms. Sakumo entered first, followed by a solemn and obedient Kakashi. The young girl, however, lingered outside in the hall, her eyes locked on an old wooden door at the end of the hall. It seemed… out of place somehow, ancient in it's style, heavy in it's wood. With a quick glance towards her father and brother, who were thoroughly distracted with the history scrolls on the shelves, she tiptoed towards the beckoning archway.

With gentle fingers she gripped the handle and pulled. It stood solid and still. Locked. Katsumi frowned and gave it a less subtle tug. Nope, it was definitely bolted shut.

The silver-haired child frowned at her small arms and sighed in defeat, turning back towards her family. Curious, but ultimately disappointed…

Katsumi shook herself from her daze as she stared. That hadn't been the only time she had tried that door but it always remained faithfully bolted shut. Today it was slightly ajar. The young kunoichi scanned her surroundings before deeming it safe to approach. The wood of the door was cool and solid on her fingertips as she pushed it open further. The hinges gave a jarring squeak as it swung open. Katsumi clenched her jaw before letting out a silent breath of relief as it opened just enough to reveal that the room was empty. When she was completely sure, she slipped into the room trying her best not to make the door creak again.

The shelves looked dusty, old books lining them which had remained undisturbed for a long time. Light streamed through the sole window, casting rays through the floating dust particles in the air. Grateful for her face mask Katsumi pressed forward. Unlike most of the library, these shelves were lined with books, not just regular books. The spines were incredibly worn and faded titles made them look positively ancient. They were in an alphabet completely different from Japanese. The symbols twisting and turning into… English?

Katsumi shook her head in confusion. How did she know that? And what even was this English? Ominous tension filled the air and built as she became less and less sure of herself.

One book seemed to whisper down to her, taunting her with its secrets.

"Pride and Prejudice~ Written by Jane Austen" The spine read. She reached up on her toes to pull the tattered book from its place. As her heels reconnected with the ground she found herself staring at the cover. The edge of her vision became fuzzy as she tumbled into a vision.

Children screamed with laughter as they ran through the crowds. Cotton candy and ice cream had parents chasing after their unruly offspring. The wharf was a cacophony of light and sound. But alone on a bench sat a young preteen girl. Her freckle smattered cheeks gave her a much younger air. As her green eyes slid along the words of the book in front of her she paid no attention to the world around her. She didn't much care for this kind of affair, she really didn't like being around so many people.

Just as Elizabeth was giving Mr Darcy a hard time, a rock slammed into the young girl's head. Unfortunately for the small ginger girl she had no chance of a warning, as the world was merely a dull buzz in her ears.

Pain bloomed from the side of her head as white lights flashed behind her eyes. Little did she know that the little shits running away from her were screaming cruel taunts in her direction as they scampered back into the crowd; disappearing before she could spot them.

Tears streamed down her hot cheeks as she gritted her teeth in pain and humiliation. Blood dripped from between her fingers as she clutched at her scalp. She cursed the world in an inaudible hiss, before picking up her book from the boardwalk below and setting out, begrudgingly, to find her parents.

The young kunoichi gasped as she snapped back into her current surroundings, though the splitting pain in her skull somehow remained. Pushing her pain aside, she flipped open the pages of the book and began to read. The language seemed natural to her, effortless. Maybe it was something to do with the vision that she was bombarded with only moments ago. She didn't entirely know why, but these words brought her a strange, yet somehow familiar comfort.

"And who might you be?" An unfamiliar voice hissed politely from behind her. Shaken from her thoughts she spun on her heels, pressing the book to her chest protectively. There in the doorway stood a tall young man with long black hair and deathly pale skin. His narrow, piercing eyes seemed to analyse her every subtle movement. He wore typical jounin attire, his aura radiating subtle power. There was something off about him, but Katsumi couldn't put her finger on it.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly at her silence, even as his impassive expression twisted into a gentle smile.

"You are holding that artifact as if you are...reading it? Are you familiar with it's script?"

Katsumi was on edge. Something about this ninja sent up red flags, though nothing in recent memory could tell her why. Her gut was screaming for her to just put the book back and walk out, but her soul begged her to hold on to the book. Maybe she would figure out who that girl in the vision was if she kept reading.

Silence met the black haired ninja's questions as Katsumi prayed for Kakashi to come looking for her.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me." The snake-like ninja gave a grin before bowing slightly. "My name is Orochimaru, what's your name little boy?"

"Kakashi-kun?! Is that you?" A familiar voice called from the hallway. Through the gap Orochimaru left in the doorway Katsumi could see Rin with an armful of medical scrolls staring at her with a look of confusion. The medical nin's brown eyes flickered between the tall stranger and the twin in question. The intimidating man turned his head to face Rin, his mouth cracked open as if to say something.

Katsumi took this opportunity to bolt, slipping past the ninja during his second of distraction, the book clutched hard to her chest. Without even a thought as to how many rules she was breaking, the silver ninja took off through the halls and out the front door. Immediately taking to the rooftops, she ran as if her life depended on it. Her breathing came out in a shuddering pant, more from adrenaline than the actual exertion. Something about the way that strange ninja talked made Katsumi's skin crawl. But she did her best not to dwell on that.

Ever the cautious ninja, Katsumi didn't go straight home just in case she was being followed. Instead she made a beeline for the crowds of people, dropping down amongst the casual festival shoppers.

The sun was low in the sky as the Hatakes got ready. The smaller of the identical twins was currently struggling with her obi as her brother fixed his yukata with ease. Whilst Katsumi was struggling she let out a string of frustrated whimpers. Kakashi spun on his heels and gripped the garbs tightly before pulling and adjusting them to fit properly. The silk of their new outfits danced in the fading afternoon light as the twins admired each other with gentle familiar affection.

"I'm still not sure about the Uchiha idiot sharing you for the night… Don't stray to where I can't find you, ok?" Even though the age difference was all of 5 minutes, Kakashi had always played the part of the protective older brother.

Fighting the urge to roll her mismatched eyes Katsumi sighed heavily. Bringing her hands up to sign back.

'I'll be just fine. Focus on yourself tonight, Nii-san… or maybe Rin-chan?' She gave her brother a sly grin as he began to splutter.

"Let's just get going. Before I decide to barricade us in for the night."

The twins strolled hand-in-hand towards the bustling crowds of the festival in full swing. It didn't take long for the identical twins to spot their friends in the throngs of people. In fact a very twitchy, nervous Uchiha stood out like a sore thumb. He seemed to be receiving what seemed to be a fiery pep talk from Rin. Obito had on a traditional dark blue kimono, with the obligatory Uchiha fan embroidered on the back. He was missing his orange goggles tonight and it was obvious he had put effort into his appearance. Rin, on the other hand, was effortlessly beautiful in a lavender coloured kimono with a dark purple obi. The colours complemented them both wonderfully.

Katsumi gave a cheery giggle, in stark contrast to her brother's unimpressed grumble.

Due to the loud music and laughter, the two friends didn't notice the approaching siblings. Just as they reached their friends, Obito turned from his best friend to anxiously scan the crowd for a certain silver-haired kunoichi. His eyes didn't go far since the Hatake twins were right beside him. The Uchiha boy did a double-take. Two Kakashi's?! He rubbed his eyes in desperate disbelief. It wasn't like he was the only one, Rin's jaw was on the floor.

Both twins were adorned in coordinated traditional garb, yet that wasn't at all what Obito was staring at.

Once over the initial shock and confusion, Obito found himself drawn to the twin on the right. This Kakashi's demeanor was totally off, even from here Obito could see the impression of a smile under their mask. The grin paired with the beautiful kimono made the identification much easier.

Katsumi locked eyes with the Uchiha and flushed gently despite herself.

"Katsumi..?" Came Obito's shocked whisper as he tumbled once again into those gorgeous heterochromatic eyes. The girl in question lit up at the boy's recognition and clapped her hands in praise.

Kakashi, who had already been glaring daggers at the ogling Uchiha, gave a loud snort at his sister's excitement. "This loser really isn't that smart for figuring it out, I mean all he does is stare at her anyway…" The silver haired boy grumbled to himself while brooding. Little did he know that Katsumi was paying close attention to her brother's exasperated sighs, so she heard his words loud and clear. He stares at me? She thought to herself as her blush deepened and her clapping faltered. Katsumi's sea-coloured eyes peered over at her brother, one silver eyebrow raising in an incredulous expression.

Kakashi avoided her gaze as he turned to his date for the night. Well, to say date was a stretch, but Kakashi wasn't blind to the brunette kunoichi's subtle affection. Though it was far more gentle than Katsumi's brand of affection, it was still obvious. Not that he cared for anything but becoming the strongest shinobi. The elder twin didn't feel the need for affection, unless it was from his sister. At least that's what he told himself.

"Your hair?! Katsumi-chan you look amazing!" Katsumi found herself wrapped in Rin's arms, a strong hug keeping her from toppling over with the added weight. Not that the other kunoichi was heavy, but the fabric of her kimono wasn't exactly light. Rin stood back and ran her fingers through Katsumi's short choppy locks. With her arms free, Katsumi pulled up her hands to sign in reply.

'Thank you! It took me my whole life to convince Nii-san to let me cut my hair.' The girls giggled to each other before they both turned to smile at the still sour, Kakashi.

The young boy's eyes widened at the beaming smiles being directed in his direction. Almost needing to take a step back under the power of the girls' combined excitement.

"Now I want to cut my hair!" Rin stated as the fair-skinned girl in front of her played with her own brown strands, all the while nodding in approval of her suggestion.

"NO!" The combined cries of both Kakashi and Obito had the girls clutching each other's shoulders in fright. Both sets of feminine eyes widened at their male companions' outburst. A beat of silence followed, broken immediately by a tinkle of laughter.

Katsumi's eyes watered as she chortled at the boys' desperate faces. It seemed they were more invested in Rin's hair than Rin herself. Three sets of eyes watched on with interest. Even if her laughter had become more frequent the older she got, it was still hard to get used to such a quiet girl making such a noise. It filled the group with a mixture of pride and awe.

Obito couldn't help the heat rising to his cheeks or the smile spreading across his face. The way those eyes radiated pure joy; what he wouldn't give to have those eyes on him and only him. The way Katsumi treated him made him feel confident, strong and more than anything; powerful. The motivation of Katsumi cheering him on even had him training longer and harder. The way her cheeks darkened when he complimented her or asked to hang out only served to stoke the flames. Obito strived to one day achieve the title of Hokage, and become the strongest ninja in the Leaf. Then he might have a chance of winning her heart.

After wiping the tears of joy with the heel of her hand, the silver-haired girl began to sign.

'Enough hair talk. I'm starving!' She emphasised the hungry sign, breaking the staring match. Rin shared a look with her before nodding and grabbing hold of Kakashi's elbow.

"There is a great Taiyaki stand this way I want to check out!" Rin began as she dragged the disgruntled boy away, even as he kept glaring daggers over his shoulder at a certain fidgeting ninja now left standing alone with his baby sister.

Katsumi turned away from the retreating pair with a genuine smile. Spending time alone with Obito was… well, maybe she looked forward to it too much. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered relentlessly every time she caught herself staring into those deep dark eyes. She should probably put more energy into working out what all this meant, but his time and attention kept her placated, at least… so she thought.

The taller boy slung his arm behind his head to rub the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He gave a goofy smile and got a joyful giggle in return.

"So where would you like to go? I saw candied apples and strawberries over by the throwing games…" He trailed off, nerves clipping his last sentence short.

Katsumi only nodded and grabbed his elbow, just as Rin had done to Kakashi, before pulling him gently in the direction he had motioned to. Obito grinned with satisfaction and puffed out his chest in pride. Right now he had to be the luckiest boy in the Land of Fire. His favourite person (not to mention the girl he was crushing over big time) was tucked into his side and listening intently to his commentary on the festival-goers he recognised. She seemed totally enthralled with his abundance of knowledge on the people of their village.

'You know a lot of people Obito-kun. Is that why you are always late?' She chortled as Obito gave her a cheeky grin.

"Oh, most definitely. But you know I was born to help these people, Katsumi-chan. Every single person in Konoha is important and I intend to get to know everyone. I will become Hokage someday, you know." By the time Obito had finished his small inspirational speech Katsumi was smiling at him, eyes closed in her gentle Hatake smile.

'I look forward to it, Obito-kun.'

They stood in front of the stall as Obito bought two candy apples and held one out for the girl on his arm to take. This caused the silver kunoichi to gasp and giggle before taking the shiny red treat.

But then she frowned as she looked around at the oblivious crowd. She couldn't just take her mask off right there in public, Kakashi would chew her out big time. She knew the sugary treat would prove troublesome for the material of her mask if she was to take each bite and quickly replace the mask as she chewed. A sticky toffee mask is definitely not comfortable.

Sensing the girl's discomfort, Obito raised his eyebrow before understanding flooded his features. He was pretty used to Katsumi's quirks by now, so he could practically feel her need for privacy radiating from her.

"Let's go somewhere to eat? How about the lookout?" The two had taken to calling their hangout spot "the lookout", as it had the best view in the village.

Katsumi nodded in relief before the two ninja snuck out of the crowd and into the desolate streets outside of the festival zone. When they were a safe distance they lept to the roof tops and began their familiar journey to their hideout.

They finally reached their destination and sat nestled in their spots while casually staring at the dancing lights of the festival below. Katsumi reached up and gently slid down her face mask, taking a bite out of her treat with a satisfying crunch.

The older boy grinned as he dug into his own crisp apple. He observed the sweet expression that overcame the fair girl's face, expressing her absolute delight with the sinful amount of sugar.

"You look like you haven't had something sweet in forever."

Katsumi nodded at this and bit into the apple, holding it tightly with her teeth. This freed up her hands to sign in reply.

'We stick to a very strict dietary plan. Well, I should say mostly me. I know Kakashi sneaks snacks when I'm not around.' She removed the apple from her mouth as a chuckle tumbled from her now red-stained lips.

Obito found himself looking away, desperate to not look like a creep for staring at her bare face. It was such a rare pleasure, it made him want to stare at her while he could, so he could commit her beauty to memory for eternity. Alas, he tore his eyes from those cherry lips and ripped back into his apple, suddenly overly distracted by the fire display currently happening below.

Katsumi could tell Obito was suddenly tense, but she didn't know why. After the fourth bite she looked at her companion's apple, only to choke in shock.

"Katsumi-chan? What's wrong?" The raven haired Uchiha panicked, his hands fluttering about uselessly before his training kicked in. He gave the girl a sharp thump on her back, helping to dislodge the offending lump of apple. When Katsumi hacked the food out of her airway and onto the earth below she was still staring at what made her choke in the first place.

Obito's apple was literally down to the core. She hadn't even seen him eat it and it was gone? Just like that? She peered up at her friend who was still rubbing her back in a now mostly comforting manner.

'You are finished already?' She signed, though with a stick in her hands the signs came out super sloppy, luckily Obito was watching closely.

He glanced from his almost bare stick and back to her barely touched apple. A set of raw belly laughs came tumbling from Obito's lips, tipping his female companion into an equally heart fit of laughter.

The night stretched on while the festival raged below, with neither of them planning on going back down to join the boisterous crowd.

It wasn't until fireworks sparkled and shimmered in the pitch black sky while splitting the silence of the night, that Obito finally plucked up the courage to do what he had been building up to the entire time. With a deep breath and a prayer he slid his hand along the rough bark of the branch to take Katsumi's hand. Her skin was cool to the touch as he enveloped her fingers with his own.

Katsumi glanced back from the colourful sky to stare down at their interlocked hands. A blush crawled up her neck and pinkened her cheeks. She was grateful she had replaced her mask earlier in the night once her stick candy was long finished. Without meeting his eyes she shuffled closer and leaned into his side while resting her head on his shoulder.

Oh yeah, Katsumi was lovestruck, hook, line and sinker. The heat that spread throughout her body as she basked in Obito's sturdy warmth had her fighting with herself. They watched the popping and prancing gun powder together, blissfully unaware of the situation they were in.

The raven haired Uchiha was floating on cloud nine with Katsumi's hand in his and her head on his shoulder. He had found his happy place.

Katsumi prayed her crush wasn't going to complicate whatever was going on. All she knew was that she didn't want this … thing to stop. Ever.

I hope everyone enjoyed the fluff of this chapter! Next chapter is Kannabi bridge. I wanted to give everyone some sickly sweet fluff before I tear my own heart out. So get ready! Drop a review and let me know what you think!