Gillie hid behind a rock waiting for Obito's signal to jump from her hiding place and immobilize the enemy with her kekkei genkai.

"Team leader, I'm in position, out." There was no answer. "Team leader, this is G2 in position, I've been waiting for the signal... I'm getting no reference from Goggles, out." She waited for some more, watching the light traveling closer through the woods and growing anxious by the second. "Team Leader?... Kakashi?... Damn it!" Gillie saw the light coming closer in the darkness. Against the plan by not waiting Obito's signal and afraid that she might miss the opportunity, she jumped off her hiding place and joined her hands together, trapping the enemy inside hairy clutches shooting out at a violent speed.

"What the-? AH! GILLIE!" Gillie's eyes grew wide recognizing the voice and quickly let go, dropping the body of her partner, whose right leg she might have aimed at breaking (following the plan).

"OBITO?!"

"What were you thinking?"

"What were you thinking?! You were supposed to give me the signal!"

"Eh?" He looked around, looking lost. "Where are we?"

"Huh?!"

"Is this the signal you expected?" A sultry voice in the darkness came from beneath the bushes and a red flare of impressive speed got sent flying directly towards her face instead of the sky. She managed to block it at the last second with her kunai, but it fell right where her creeping hair was still recoiling back to its natural state and a rancid smell permeated the air. Gillie saw her vision darkening with an expanding black frame and fell to the ground in fours.

"What are you doing?! Get up, he's escaping!"

A curling scream came out of Gillie's throat, which froze Obito's blood and made him go running after the rogue on his own. Gillie fell on her face and kept on screaming on the ground, unable to act out to stop the pain, while the burning smell filled her nostrils and against the vision of darkness embers danced on the back of her eyelids. The last thing she heard before loosing consciousness was: Suiton: Fish Destination no Jutsu.


Gillie had gone through her fair share of experiences that had consequently drained her spirits, starting the burning of her traveling clan of nomad ninjas by the swarming rogues deriving from the war and the childish realization she didn't have a father and her mother and her were on their own. Konoha had been a safe heaven after the horrors behind his walls for people like her, but then with her mother battling from that illness Gillie had seen her do since she had memory and eventual passing... Even to this day, Gillie found herself unable to stand up from her bed at times, feeling empty and without any desires in a way that no kid should ever feel. However, the level of heaviness she currently felt was like none other and those hard days paled in comparison to this feeling.

Her lids fluttered heavily once and twice, before her vision returned. The first face she saw backlit was Rin's but she couldn't hear her voice, only see her mouth moving. What was happening with her? Her eardrums felt as if blocking out sound. The second face she saw was Guy, blocking almost all of her vision while his unshed tears menaced to fall on her face. Before this could happen though, Kakashi appeared in her vision pushing him away, and ordering Rin with something she couldn't hear, to which Rin shook her head and shrugged looking terrified. Gillie felt her eyeballs rolling back and there was darkness all over again.

The second time she opened her eyes, she worried she might have gone blind, for everything she saw was darkness, before the flickering source of light by the corner of her eye, a bonfire, informed her the night had fallen. Slowly, she raised on her elbows and noticed everyone seemed to be sleeping. The sudden movement, sent her jerking towards the side and vomiting what little food she had in her stomach. She gagged with self-disgust, watching her supporting hands becoming dirty with bile and her long hair falling like a fan next to her.

It triggered a memory.

"Not the hair-" She cried between gags and felt grateful to whomever came and held back her thick hair, keeping it clean from her waste. Once it was over, she was offered a canteen with water to clean herself. Her eyes raised heavily and found Minato sensei supporting her and, raising her eyes a little more, Kakashi retrieving the canteen. Her little scene had awakened the rest of her team, which all remained quiet (even Guy) while Minato sensei tried to make her comfortable, leaning on a tree. Her eyes didn't meet any of them and remained still trying to regain her chakra while staring down at her hands.

"It is all my fault." Obito was the first to speak up.

"Obito-" Rin began.

"No! It is! I got so easily caught into that genjutsu, I should have known better!"

"In that case it is my fault." Genma spoke up. "I was supposed to verify the perimeter while the plan was being established. Those ninjas knew our plan and therefore knew when it would be the best moment to trap Obito-"

"Then, it is also my fault-" Guy stepped in. "I was supposed to contain the one that stole the flare. I... was overly confident. Never expected him to have such fine level of taijutsu-"

"It is my fault. I-I-I felt so useless when I found her and I- I-"

"Stop crying, Rin." The harsh voice of Kakashi raised across the silent night on the woods. "That will not help to change how things went down at the end... If this is anyone's fault... it's of us, all."

"Kakashi-" Gillie saw her sister covering her own mouth.

"I was directing everything and it was me who didn't respond Gillie in the intercom." He snapped his head around and stared at Obito, "You do need to work on your genjutsu skills. It's pathetic that a genin cannot release a trick so simple... You!" He spat now towards Genma, "None of this would have happened if you had made certain no one was around listening... And, you Guy! Your arrogance has blinded you to the point that our very own signal was intersected by the enemy and used against us. Rin, on this mission, you have let down every single medic-nin that came before you and understood that the key to be a successful healer is to keep a clear head-"

"That's enough, Kakashi." Minato sensei stepped in noticing Gillie's discomfort by the sound of the boy's raising tone, which was hammering the insides of Gillie's skull. "We'll have plenty of time to speak about this on our way back to the village." He continued on a softer tone.

"Back to the village?"

"But- Sensei, the mission!" Rin seconded Kakashi's thoughts.

"It's done. We failed. A second team shall be sent to replace us." He said softly patting Gillie's head in reassurance. "For now, what's important is for Gillie to go to the hospital."

Gillie's heavy eyes caught sight of Akimichi sensei as he walked into the meadow and nodded at Minato sensei.

"How is she doing?"

Even in the darkness, the bright blue eyes of the Yellow Flash turned towards the girl and she was able to find the warmth she had seen in them during their past few missions in double teams. There was something so very reassuring behind those blue eyes that not even her own sensei could transmit to her like Minato's did.

"She is a warrior. The only one who did what was expected of her and then a little more." His eyes vanished into a smile, before moving away.

"How are you feeling, Gillie?" Akimichi sensei occupied Minato sensei's previous spot and behind him she saw the Yellow Flash disappear, probably to secure the perimeter, and the other chunins walked closer to her waiting for a response.

The plan they had created themselves to carry out their mission was left with stains of emptiness inside her mind, just at the mission they were supposed to be carrying out. What was the original plan and their mission? She couldn't remember it entirely. What she had closely present was the smell of burning hair, screams and pain.

Her eyes closed and unwanted tears rolled down her cheeks as she gulped.

"Is this what they felt?" Her voice came out like a croak, itching her throat.

"Who?" Akimichi sensei asked.

She had been so young, barely 5, and until this point had been ignorant to the little blind spot of weakness in her otherwise powerful blood-born ability, but now it was clear:

"My clan." She muttered with an horror-stricken frown in her face. "When they burned."

That lack of motivation Rin always talked about regarding her disposition on doing things, or her little enthusiasm to become a ninja worthy of the Leaf... perhaps it was all related to what she was now discovering of herself at 12 years old.


"Are you sure you will be okay?" Rin asked her sister, standing by the great entrance doors of the village. Might Guy and Genma were standing by her sides, while Akimichi Sensei spoke with another couple jonin a few meters away. It was the first mission Team 4 would be taking after their failed double mission, nevertheless after spending a week in the hospital, Gillie had been ordained to keep from missions for the rest of the month, as well as keeping her ability out of the way for future missions, only using it as a last resource. For this reason Rin had volunteered to take her sister's place on their new mission so that she could follow the doctor's orders and rest.

Standing in front of her, Gillie nodded smilingly.

"Feel free to substitute me for as many missions as you want, huh?"

She was slowly going back to her old self... kind of. At least, she was smiling more and making her sarcastic comments again. That eased Rin's soul, but still, she had noticed the nightmares plaguing her roommate at nights and at times she would spend the night awake with her and talk about silly things if only to keep her from anxious thoughts.

Rin reached for her, but Gillie pushed her hands away and motioned her to leave. Rin nodded.

"I love you, Gillie-chan." She said softly, as someone who wants to make sure the other person knows does.

"I know! Now, go before Guy decides to drag me in too." Gillie smirked before beginning to walk backwards and waving goodbye. "I shall be at the library until you come back. Be sure to search for me in there first thing arriving."

"Say I love you to Mama and Papa for me!" Rin waved goodbye too, before pulling Genma and Guy away after her.

"Bye, Gills!"

"Goodbye, my sweet Gillie of nutty hairs!" Guy winked her with a twinkling smile.

After watching them disappear Gillie sighed, shoulders slouching and bones aching, she no longer had to fake being entirely well as to not be pitied by the others. Slowly, she made her way towards the very same place she had told Rin she would be spending her days until her return: the library. The librarian woman was well acquainted with her presence and grinned at her after the bell rang once she walked in.

"Sorry, for the clutter back there, Gillie. Would you find yourself troubled by picking up some books left on the floor by the Academy kids?"

"Not at all, Obasan." She waved at her on her way in and went directly towards the fiction section for kids. Gillie sighed, watching the piles of books on the floor and finding it so sad to see them there, before getting into the task of arranging them into their proper bookshelves, ignoring the bell sound of the incoming customer. Why, even doing something as simple as reaching down for them was hurting her.

"F...I...J...K!" She muttered with delight before noticing a book on the wrong space and went to replace it with one belonging to section K. She found herself on a wrestling match to pull out the misplaced book. "Wha-Hey!" She realized someone was pulling it from the other side of the aisle. "Let go!" She grunted, before realizing how useless it was, instead letting go of it herself.

"Ha!"

The triumphant sound came from the hole between the books and she neared her eyes to see though the space. Her hazel eyes caught sight of a black pair and narrowed with recognition, before continuing her work and ignoring the previous interaction with Kakashi Hatake. She had only heard once an anecdote of Guy on the Hatake boy coming to the library, a long time ago, but in all the times she had been there since then had never seen him until now. She wasn't thrilled to find him in her safe space now from all times, not after their last failed mission, which she could tell somehow their captain blamed entirely on her.

He probably did. She had been awful. A weakness, a burden.

She grabbed a random book, the first she found, and readied herself to submerge herself on any story if only to escape her current reality. Soon, it wasn't enough; the boy had walked into her corridor and she could feel his gaze, as he stood on the corner of the bookshelf looking down at her. She was almost 13 now and couldn't apply that silly play she did when younger, that one where she would grunt up-front at his face and stick her nose in the air.

"Is there something you need?" She asked without taking her eyes from the printed pages. "I don't work here, you know? But because we have collaborated in the past I will be kind enough to show you the way to whatever you may need. Once."

Kakashi remained silent for a while.

"Well?" She asked.

"You spend a lot of time in here. What's your favorite genre?"

Gillie frowned at the pages stranged about the idea of talking about her preference in books with the boy.

"How would you know how much time I spend in here?" She looked over the edge of the book. "Are you stalking me?"

Kakashi made the closest thing she had ever heard him make to a snort.

"Rin." It was all he said.

Of course her sister would go around telling everyone about her personal matters. It was so common of Rin and, in so many ways, very wrong of her to do but she had never mustered the courage to tell her on it.

"Huh." Gillie snapped the book shut and jump off the shelf she had been sitting on. When she noticed Kakashi's dubious look, she waved at him. "Follow me." She was surprised to see him do her bid, as usually it was the other way around, with him always being captain in teams. They walked across several corridors and then turned left towards her favorite section. She opened her arms wide.

"Welcome to my little corner of the world." Kakashi tilted his head waiting for her to continue. "I meant, my favorite section? It's Young Adult Fiction."

"Maaa... I didn't know you were into reading that type of stuff."

Gillie's cheeks burned red and she snapped around her head.

"That's Adult Fiction, you moron!" She gasped after realizing her mistake and covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed deeply, "I shouldn't have called you that." She straightened up and winced with pain, before realizing he had noticed. She turned around not to see him.

"How interesting is it that you know exactly what type I am talking about?" He continued, making a vein pop on her forehead and draining all remorse and shame off of her. This guy was being a rude, creepy jerk. "Even more interesting to hear you apologize." She looked over her shoulder to see him closely reading the titles on the bookshelf in front of him. "What happened to the hostility you never cared to hide in the past?"

So, he had noticed.

"Well..."

"Well?"

"We grew up." She shrugged, reading titles on her own, verifying they were on the correct section. "We work together and will keep on doing so, in the future, so..."

"So?"

"So, I might as well learn to respect my team leader." She sighed before searching for a book to read herself.

The fact that she had grown to see all Kakashi could do while working together in missions had nothing to do with this sudden surge of cordiality. Nope, it had nothing to do with a growing admiration or respect. Not at all. By the corner of her eye, she scanned the shinobi boy that she had seen cutting 5 throats in less than a minute. His face mask covering his face as usual and a question stood by the tip of her tongue. She wanted to ask, why did he wore...

His dark eyes noticed her gaze and she tried to act as if she was hinting towards wanting to leave the dead-end corridor, for which he needed to step away.

"Excuse me?" She said, and he quietly stepped away.

"May I ask two questions?" He asked and she mentally gave his quick thinking on the formulation a very Might Guy-style thumbs up.

Kakashi was talking to her. Kakashi Hatake was still talking to her and wanted to keep on talking to her. She found herself smiling slightly before turning around to face him again, but immediately the illusion she had briefly created vanished as unwanted thoughts came flooding into her mind. This wasn't about Gillie, things rarely were only about Gillie.

"Did Rin asked you to do this?" She asked feeling annoyed and, somehow hurt, "Did she asked Obito and you to keep an eye on me while I was away?" She frowned shaking her head. "You know that's not the way of the shinobi, don't you? Don't come to me out of something like that again, I'm not a mission fulfill and I'm fine." She meant to say something else, but ended up groaning and turning away.

"Why is Young Adult Fiction you favorite genre?" He asked as if she had said none of what she previously had, it startled her more than her previous inference.

This interaction was only because of Rin... or was it?

"Huh?" She turned around again.

He didn't repeat himself and instead waited patently for her answer. His unimpressed demeanor was so like Kakashi that it felt sincere. In response all she could do was reciprocate. Gillie scratched her head, processing the question and looking for an answer. Her hand slid down her head and down the side of her hair, where she noticed a missing piece that had been burned to the crisp. She stared at it for a moment and then looked up at him.

"It's way more realistic than Children Fiction but optimistic and innocent unlike Adult Fiction. It opens a window into another realm I can visit temporarily and I become whoever I want to be even if its only during its length of pages." She irked her brows at his unwavering stoic face and the familiarity of it made her smile sincerely "Now, that's a secret you better take to the grave, okay?" She nodded. "Goodbye, Kakashi."


In the following days, Obito and Minato sensei's soon-to-be wife also approached Gillie, but she dismissed them, taking a little longer in Kushina Uzumaki's case. That woman was a whole character on her own, terrifying at times. But after a while, Gillie was finally left on her own, always finding the library a safe place for herself to spend the afternoons in after she felt good enough to train during mornings. At nights, she would count the days for her teammates to be back, noticing that in their absence she was missing them more than she would ever openly admit.

She guessed that saying about the heart growing fonder with absence was true, huh?

The day of their return, she wasn't in the library like she told her sister she would be doing, she stood at the entrance of Konoha waiting to welcome them back. She saw the silhouettes growing in the distance, until their faces became recognizable. Rin was the first to run and hug her. The other guys followed her and were as happy as Gillie was to see them to see her. Nevertheless, Gillie would soon realize things would hardly ever go back to the way they were before. First, it happened with Guy:

"Good morning, Gillie!"

"Good morning, Guy." She grinned walking out of her house, one morning, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm ready for that famous workout of yours that is meant to enhance my stamina levels."

"Magnificent! You cannot understand how proud I am to see a fellow teammate joining me on the quest to eternal youth!"

"Shall we go now, then?"

"Let us be on our way! But before that-!" Guy raised his index finger up to the air. "Shouldn't we invite our nice and friendly sister to join us in this magical, self-discovery quest to find our true limits?"

"Huh?" Gillie asked and Guy's entire demeanor changed dramatically, towards a serious one.

"Can we ask Rin to come with us?" He joined his hands together and blinked. "Please?" Gillie irked a brow and tilted her head with estrangement, but ended up shrugging and accepting.

Then, it was Genma: Team 4 found itself at the training fields a day before their next mission. The team was working in pairs with Choza Akimichi paired with Might Guy and the Nohara girl battling Genma. The second pair where in the middle of a Taijutsu fight which Genma seemed to be having the upper hand at when he asked:

"Hey, would you step off tomorrow's mission?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Why would I ever do that?" Gillie grunted, blocking his kunais with hers after he integrated them into their fight.

"Doc's orders?"

"Yeah, but I feel good already. I'm ready to go out there and kick some butts with you, guys."

"Yeah... but..."

"But?"

Genma groaned and with a single motion pinned her down on the floor, face to the grass.

"Listen," he said over her ear. "I'm interested on your sister. Okay?" Gillie's eyes opened wide. Was she hearing correctly? She had never heard him being so bold. "And unless she comes with us on another mission, I don't see how we could make some time to spend together to try on my tactics."

"I thought your plan was catching girls with your looks."

"Rin's different. She won't fall for that. So, will you do this for me?"

"You want me to fake being indisposed for tomorrow's mission so you can take Rin in my place and spend time with her?"

"Yeah, will you do it?"

"AGH!"

"Oh, sorry." He loosened his grip on her arm twisted behind her back. She wasn't in the best position to refuse, was she?

Lastly, Choza sensei: After Team 4 returned from their mission Gillie was unavailable to fulfill thus being replaced by Rin, Gillie was walking our of her home when she saw Choza Akimichi walking her way.

"Sensei!" Gillie exclaimed rushing to meet him and bowed down as a greeting. "What are you doing down this street?" Gillie looked over her shoulder watching her home. "Where you... planning to make us a visit?" She asked after which she looked down at the package in his hand.

"Gillie, good morning! How are you today? I was a little concerned since you couldn't join us on our little mission yesterday. How are you feeling, anyway?"

"I am..." She hesitated, smiling sheepishly. He would never know the real reason of her absence, otherwise he would deem her one irresponsible shinobi and Genma would also get in trouble, "as good as it gets." Gillie nodded, eyes falling again on the package in his hands, noticing the scent coming from it. "Is that... food?"

"Mm?" He looked down at it. "Ah, yeah! Mama says the secret to health is good food."

Gillie gaped touched by the thought.

"Aw, you shouldn't have troubled yourself, sensei-"

"Nonsense! After spending our last mission under the rain I promised Rin I would send her Mama Akimichi's special recipe for the cold-"

"I'm..." Gillie's eyes fluttered and she had to shook her head to concentrate. "Sorry. Did you say Rin?"

"Rin, indeed! Yesterday after the mission she said she was starting to feel a little ickey, and well- she was so focused on taking care of us that she barely ever gets time to pay attention to herself. I told my mother to begin brewing her secret recipe right after we returned and- Would you be so kind to deliver Rin this package for me?"

Gillie walked back into her home minutes later with the little present for Rin and her sister walked into scene looking a little congested and tired.

"You are back already?" Her teary eyes fell on Gillie's hands. "What is it you got there?"

A tense smiled formed on Gillie's face and, although she wasn't feeling physically unwell, extended towards her sister the one present that was hurting her to give away.

"Something for you." She sighed in a trance state. Everything these days seemed to be for Rin, huh?


It was Anko's birthday. The young kunoichi had invited all the kids from the Academy, even those below her grade, to spend the afternoon at her favorite dango shop. Gillie had skipped the Academy, having arrived at the village already a self-sufficient shinobi and never been close to Anko, however she had extended the invitation to Rin's sister and Genma (a close friend of Anko)'s teammate. Gillie hadn't felt comfortable knowing everyone from the Academy she didn't know would be there, but the idea of dango was too tempting to pass. Against her dreadful unmotivation to socialize she forced herself to take her butt out of the library and join Anko's birthday reunion. At least Guy and Genma were there, nevertheless these seemed to be currently more interested on whatever Rin was talking about on her last mission inside the white walls of Konoha's hospital.

She had to be so interesting all the time, huh?

Gillie found herself chomping at her dango, eyes fixated on the wooden table in front of her while all of the boys in their table (Genma, Guy, Obito and Ebisu) leaned towards Rin, listening with fervent interest on her anecdote. Every now and then Gillie's eyes would flicker upwards and judge at the stupid expressions on each of the boys, showing no compassion for Ebisu as he was the one she cared about the less. This entertained her enough to avoid doing so with Rin, because even trying to do so was impossible and would only leave her feeling more frustrated.

Rin was perfect.

The sound of ceramic sliding across the table caught her attention and she looked in front of her to see an unbothered Kakashi. He had been listening to Rin talk but seemed far more interested with the drizzle falling outside the dango shop, with arms previously crossed, before he pushed his untouched plate with dangos towards Gillie.

"There's always more, you know?" He said with a hint of sarcasm at her clearly indecorous way of angry-eating. Their table was filled with silence as everyone's attention went their way. Feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment Gillie slouched on her seat and dropped the dango stick she was currently holding and cleaned her mouth.

"I'm fine."

But Kakashi's eyes turned towards her and irked a brow.

"Um-he he- er, Kakashi!" Rin's voice flew from the opposite end of the table. "There is no need to do that. Papa gave Gillie and I enough money to buy our-" But at that precise moment Gillie turned upside down her porcupine wallet and sweat-dropped noticing it was empty. "Oh! I guess... In that case, I can offer Gillie some of my dango-"

"NO! ALLOW ME, DEAR SISTER! LET IT BE ME THE ONE TO SACRIFICE HIS-" Receiving a smack on the back of his head from an irked Genma, Guy fell face down over his plate, smushing all of his dango. Genma sighed and turned towards Rin.

"We can all share our food, okay? There's no need for you to do that." Genma told her while Gillie grew redder by the second, embarrassed by the type of attention she was receiving and the cause of it. Kakashi stood up from his seat with a sigh.

"She can have mine. I don't like sweets, anyway." He said finishing the conversation and turning around raising a hand up in the air. "I'm leaving now. Tell Anko I said thanks for the invitation."

He left, leaving their previously loud table into silence and Gillie wished she could bury herself on her seat, staring at Kakashi's offered treats making her like like a glutton, yet temped to continue devouring them. She looked up by the corner of her eye, surveilling the atmosphere to make sure no one would judge her but found something had deeply changed in their table dynamic and it all had to do with one person.

It was Rin.

The boys were waiting a reaction from her, while the her eyes kept staring at the dango plate in front of Gillie with a frown on her face. She was palpably troubled in a sentiment Gillie could only recognize so well. Watching her sister looking like that was something new and interesting for Gillie who, slowly as if testing the waters, reached one hand towards a dango stick carefully taking it between her fingers. Like a puppy following its bone, Rin's eyes followed the dango stick all the way to its final position right in front of Gillie's lips. Her most commonly smooth and amicable face deepened into a frown, her lips turning upside down as she waited...

It was an epiphany that hit Gillie then. Internally, she smirked in realization and, for once, a feeling of triumph rose inside her chest. It was an epiphany as sweet as the first bite she took from the gifted dango and as impacting as the heartbroken flicker inside Rin's eyes that only someone who knew her as deeply as Gillie could see and understand.

How come she hadn't realized this before?!

Gillie made sure to eat all of the dango on that plate, this time slowly, torturously, and delighting on each bite. She hadn't felt like a winner in a long time.


"How to win a boy's heart? Huh..." Gillie asked aloud walking down the streets of Konoha, arms crossed and rubbing her chin. A part of her couldn't believe she was really doing this, but the type of high she had felt after watching Rin's heart break even a little by watching the boy she so openly declared to love's giving attention to any other girl other than her, well... it was too much of an opportunity to pass.

But thinking about Kakashi in that way... UGH! Gillie's whole body shivered with disgust. Why, she didn't even know what was behind that mask! She didn't care how smooth he looked on the facial parts she could see, one could never know! What if he had ginormous lips or buck teeth?!

"Whatever. It's not like I have to get him to be my boyfriend or anything, I just need to have that jerk pining all over me, especially whenever Rin is around..." She had already repeated herself many times. Nevertheless, she knew it wouldn't be easy. This is why she needed a strategy. "How?!" She sighed staring up at the sky and dropping her arms at her sides. Her head hung low for a moment, while she gave the idea a serious thought, before her more reasonable and mature self barged in smashing her head with a bucket of reality.

What was she thinking?! They were in the middle of a war, for heaven's sake! She should be training and going off on missions to finish off the rogues that had obliterated her family, instead of wasting her time creating idiotic plans... Yes... That's what she needed to to.

Decided to do what her rational self dictated she looked up from the ground to find herself in front of the library. Funny how her body memory had brought her to this comforting place, unconsciously. More ironic was the poster announced right outside its large windows were the new best-sellers were usually exposed for passerbys to see.

Autograph session by the author of the best-selling book "How to win a shinobi heart":

Jiraiya-sama the Legendary Sannin.

Only today!

Gillie found herself stepping into the library before her rational self could speak again. She so needed to speak to this author! She ran to the far end of the library where a long line of women were waiting for her book copies to be signed. Gillie jumped on her place at the end of the line, hoping to get a glimpse from the Legendary Jiraiya-sama who only today she was discovering was a book author. She didn't even know one could be a shinobi AND a book writer!

The waiting was long. Very. It was fortunate that she was off duties for the day. By the time the writer finally got to appear in her vision field without her having to raise on her tiptoes the sun had gone down and her turn arrived soon. The man with long white hairs was signing the copy of the previous fanatic and Gillie took this time to observe him up-closely. He was really impressive looking, a man who would have inspired fear and respect in her if she hadn't met him while signing books with a ridiculous title. Gillie cleared her throat and the man looked up as he slid away the copy he finished signing and extended his hand her way.

"Oh, hello there! I didn't know my club of fans included ladies this young. Why, you are still just a child!"

"Yes! You're correct. I'm just a child, which is why I wasn't allowed to buy your book for you to sign it-"

"Mmm? Mmm..." The man grunted. "I thought I told my editor its rating would be 13 and up."

"The thing is I'm not 13 yet..." Noticing his hesitation she added: "But I will be! Very soon! In any case... I am a fanatic of literature in general, I was hoping I could speak to you, as a book-lover and fellow shinobi myself, about your immeasurable wisdom on how you came to be the great shinobi you are today as a member of the three legendary sannin, Jiraiya-sama. Think of it as a study research! I-I would love to venture into writing in the future as well, and why- well... you're such an enigmatic figure, I would love to write your biography someday!"

The man blankly stared at her for a moment, before smirking.

"As flattered as you're making me, get in the line, girl! Why, everyone wants to write Jiraiya-sama's biography!" The man cackled up and Gillie forced herself to join him as well.

"Ha ha ha! Indeed, of course! Who wouldn't?! But, since I've been waiting this long" She looked over her shoulder and behind towards the line of fans close to end, "and since the autograph session seems about to be over, I was wondering if you would accept to come with me to dine so you can tell me about your adventures as a great shinobi and writer-?"

"I don't know, kid. I'm just here for today and tomorrow I head back to the battlefield-"

"We could go to Ichiraku's! It's on me!"

"Mmm..." The man stroked his chin. "Free ramen of Ichiraku's in exchange of my literary and warfare wisdom..." The man raised his thumbs and winked. "Count me in, kid! It's been a while since I've visited my old friend, Ichiraku, anyway."

Gillie sighed with relief and stepped out of the line to wait for the session to be over, after which she led the colosal sannin (in comparison to her) towards the ramen restaurant. They sat on a booth and he began to tell her countless stories she didn't even need to ask about, mostly in which he ended up saving the butts of his fellow teammates Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama, who Gillie found far more interesting whenever she heard about them and probably admired more than the man accompanying her. Well, life had never given her exactly what she wanted in the past, huh? She would have to put up with this old man's retelling about his adventures while keeping a smiley face the whole time.

But one could only stand it for so long. Growing bored with each passing second, Gillie's eyes traveled towards his companion's ramen bowl and she found herself interrumpting his anecdote midway:

"Are you eating that narutomaki?" She asked pointing at the food item the man hadn't touched yet and his eyes narrowed as he hugged his bowl, putting distance between it and the girl.

"Yes, I am."

Gillie sighed with disappointment and kept on eating (chomping), feeling that it had been a waste to invite the old man for ramen, for she would soon need to head home and she still had no idea how to win a shinobi heart. Jiraiya-sama noticed the change of demeanor after denying the girl taking his naruto ingredient and as the powerful shinobi he was, figured out the moment to let go of appearances had arrived.

"Now, tell me, kid." He said leaning over the table and observing the saddened girl playing with her chopsticks and ramen, sitting next to him. "What's the real reason we are here today?"

The frown in the young girl's face confirmed his suspicions, that emerged since the first words she spoke to him. The insistence and her current disappointment was only too familiar. The girl scoffed.

"Trust me. That's a question I make myself every day." She half-joked, but it was the half part that concerned the man. Realizing her mistake, the girl shook her head and looked back at him. "I guess there is no point to hide it if I want to get home in time..." She sighed and hesitated, before dropping her chopsticks and turning on her seat his way. "There is a boy I like, very much."

"Here we go..." Jiraiya let go of his chopsticks as well.

"But he is... he is..."

"Special?" Jiraiya almost snorted at the cliché trope, the reaction of the girl surprised him, though. She took a moment to answer and her face morphed with disgust. Why, more than looking lovestruck she looked revolted by the idea of this boy! What a strange little one.

"Yeah." She grimaced staring at the air before looking back at him. "I need to win his heart! But... I don't... know how... I'm not necessarily pretty and there are... many pretty girls around." Jiraiya thought it could be indecorous to correct the girl on her self-deprecating assumption, because it simply wasn't true, so he didn't comment on it. Instead he read how there clearly was, in fact, one person around that the girl considered prettier than her and a threat on her mission to win this boy's heart. When had Jiraiya became a love counselor, anyway? He couldn't even win the heart of the only woman he had loved for so long...

The man cleared his throat.

"So, this boy... does he have a name?"

The girl squirmed in her place.

"I'd rather not say it."

"Mmm-hmm..." The man went back to eat, thinking about it for a moment. "Don't you have someone else you can make these questions to? I don't know, your parents?"

"I... don't have parents." The girl said turning back to her food too. "Not really." Her head lowered and Jiraiya looked at her by the corner of his eye, repairing again on the red marks on her cheeks, nodding. Well... he thought it wouldn't be so bad to give the girl some guidance, right? Perhaps if he had someone to give him tips too he wouldn't have messed up his opportunities with Tsunade.

"Mmm-hmm... You say he is a shinobi?"

"I didn't say it, but yeah, he is." The girl sighed with a grimace. "I heard he was always the best in the class." Her lips pursed and hazel eyes got lost in the distance above her ramen bowl. "That's only made him an arrogant jerk as he is always placed as captain... At least he is good at what he does. He is very very good, actually." Jiraiya found himself sincerely smiling, listening to the shenanigans of the newer generations. Knowing the horrors of the war having recently returned from the frontlines he found refreshing listening about life following its course back in the village. "So, yeah. That's the catch." She said. "How do you win the heart of someone who is so...so..."

Perfect? Jiraiya thought.

"Snotty, arrogant and an antisocial jerk, basically."

A thunderous chuckle rose from Jiraiya's chest and the man found himself rubbing tears off his eyes, before placing his narutos into the ramen bowl of the girl, whose nauseous face morphed into joy, before digging into her food looking the most sincerely happiest since they met.

"That's an easy one." Jiraiya nodded. "Those types of people love to be left dazzled, impressed. If he values discipline and hard work as I'm sure he does being an excellent shinobi by your description, he will only be swayed by someone he believes possesses and exceeds his expectations on these characteristics. You don't really need to get into the ANBU corps or anything, but only let him know you are powerful. Then, once he is smitten you can slowly start to show your true self."

"Huh..." The girl irked a brow. "So, is that what love really is? Presenting yourself like the perfect match for that one person, faking it 'till you make it, and then when he is so in love he cannot go back, you show your true colors since he is already trapped?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Gillie tilted her head sideways.

"That is... depressing." She sat still for a moment before sighing. "Has this worked for you in the past?"

"Well, no, but only because Tsunade is impossible to impress-" Noticing his mistake, Jiraiya buried his face into his ramen bowl and proceeded to eat quickly, eyes wide and forehead sweating. At least the girl didn't seem to pay attention to his confession.

"I... think I understand now." The girl said before nodding once and sipping from her own bowl before it was empty. She sighed, slamming the bowl down and cleaned her mouth. "Then, I guess I'll have to work on my skills."

"Yeah... you do that." A still queasy Jiraiya nodded.

"And once I get better, I'll have him in my clutches." The girl said with a fist up in the air.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what you have to- Wait, what?"

The girl slammed the money of the ramen bowl over the counter and stood on a decisive pose.

"That's what I'll do!" She bowed deeply once. "Thanks so much for the help, Jiraiya-sama! You were of great help today!"

Then she was gone, leaving Jiraiya sweat-dropping, confused with what had just happened. He would never understand kids. He sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head.

"What the heck was that?" He wondered aloud.


Kakashi stood with his arms crossed next to Guy, Genma and Asuma in the training fields, watching the girl match happening in front of them that was supposed to be everyone vs everyone and was currently being led by Rin's sister, Gillie, with the upper-hand. Basically, it was her vs Rin, Anko and Kurenai. Honestly, he had to admit it was impressive to watch; she was fighting with a type of fierceness and merciless he had never seen before in the girl. It seemed she had finally found her drive and was exploiting her ability to the maximum. It was almost disturbing to watch. Who would have thought the book-worm could be scary when she actually tried?

"Ouch, that is going to hurt Kurenai's ego-" Asuma smirked.

"I wouldn't want to be in there." Genma said dumbstruck voicing out Kakashi's own thoughts.

"This is why I insist on all of you to joint me on my morning workout, pals! This is the result of nothing more than Gillie joining me every day at 5 am for the past few months on our quest to optimize our youthful power. So motivated, so driven! She has grown to be my training partner like never before and I might even dare to consider her, may I say, a new rival of mine!" Guy said this looking at him by the corner of his eyes, aiming at firing something in Kakashi that would not fire up.

The boys looked his way waiting for him to add something to the conversation and Kakashi sighed deeply, before waving a hand over his shoulder.

"Well, it was about time she strained to enhance her skills." It was all he said before turning around to go and invoke Pakkun to train some himself. He couldn't be left behind by someone like Gillie Nohara.


"I am glad you received my message, Jiraiya-sama." Gillie smiled widely sitting next to the man on a booth of Ichiraku. "I heard you just returned from the front. How are you doing?"

The man crackled his head, moving it from side to side, before pointing at her and winking a striking smile.

"Thrilled as ever to be back, kid!"

She nodded once.

"Good to know, because there is so much I need to speak to you about. Thanks for coming, again."

"But, you know, the life of a man such as myself owns a tight schedule, kid. I won't be able to meet you at your heart's desire-"

"But you have to! There-there is so much I need to tell you... and-and you've been away for so long!"

"What do I win from transmitting my love wisdom, anyway?"

"Helping a poor kunoichi in matters of the heart?" Jiraiya's stoic face said it wasn't enough. "Free ramen?" She grimaced, squeezing her purcopine wallet between her hands and noticing how almost empty it was. There was no response either. "And here I was about to ask something more of you..." She deflated like a balloon, while a dark cloud appeared over her head and Jiraiya had to wave his hand in the air to release the genjutsu. Where had she learned to do that?

"Do tell." He asked with sudden interest before sipping on his ramen bowl, the girls eyes raised with a burning passion and her fists tightened in the air, in front of her.

"I want you to train me."

Jiraiya choked.

"Didn't I just say I am short of time, kid? Why would I ever torture myself even more by adding your training into my daily routine? Besides, I'm even more busy lately working on a children's book I've been thinking about and-"

"Then, perfect, that is why!" Jiraiya saw his ramen bowl disappear from in front of him as the girl held it away and threatened not to give it back. "If you help me on my training... I'll help you with that children's book! I've read so many, I'm sure I can be of greater use than that mediocre editor of yours you always seem to be complaining about, huh?"

"He is kind of mediocre..." Jiraiya said stroking his chin and then by the corner of his eyes saw the large hazel eyes of the girl growing with plead, while her hands came together, beggingly. "I remember you mentioned you enjoyed reading and had plans to become a writer in the future-"

"Yeah... well, that second part I might have made up last time..." She shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't know one could be a shinobi and a writer until I met you... Anyway, we're changing topics! Will you please train me, Jiraiya-sama? Help me become a great shinobi!" The girl squeezed her eyes shut and bowed down. "Help me become a better shinobi than my sister. I beg you!"

Jiraiya irked a brow startled by the mention of her sister. Why, he hadn't know this kid had a sister! Even if he had investigated on her after the first time they spoke and confirmed the fact that the child was now an orphan and then learned that she had been adopted as well, the idea of a sister had completely gone out of his radar. Who could blame him? He had only researched on the girl out of a whim, to prove his own suspicions and in the need to keep his mind from important matters, just as he did by accepting to meet her again.

"What does she have to do with any of this? I thought you were doing this for a boy."

And Jiraiya was soon realizing what an unhealthy love advice she had given to this girl who was taking his guidance too close to heart, telling by the strengthened chakra dynamics coming off her and the rigidity of her muscles compared to last time he saw her. He hadn't expected her to be so... driven.

"I... well..." There was more to it. Definitely. Jiraiya turned around on his seat and crossed his arms.

"I'll tell you what. I'll accept your offer; you help me figure some stuff on my children's book and I'll give you a couple lessons in return..." The light returned to the girl's eyes and she raised with awe. "Only " He raised one finger to the air, "if you tell me what is really going on with you? Why do you really want to become a stronger shinobi and what does your sister have to do with everything, yes?"

"I...uh... well..." The girl deflated again while her little head seemed to be working a hundred miles per hour, trying to figure out how to explain herself and deciding whether she even needed to do so. Her tanned face burned red and she sighed. "Have you ever felt... you are never good enough?"

"Mmm?"

"Yes, like... no matter what you do... the life that was given to you... Well... in it you are always second place to someone else. You have what's necessary to live but it's like you're barely scraping by."

Jiraiya kept a stoic face, sensing that problematic aura around her he had felt when they met. The girl's booth turned around by itself, facing the table, while her face almost touched it as it hung low.

"Rin is my friend..." The girl sighed heavily. "When my mother and I first arrived at Konoha seeking shelter Rin was the person who showed us the way to the Hokage Tower."

Jiraiya did not comment on it, already knowing who this child was. he had been there when the council deliberated on whether they would provide shelter to a Yubokumin and her child, possessing an extremely rare blood trait that couldn't really be considered a kekkei genkai... But their clan had been destroyed, in part, as a consequence of a battle strategy Konoha had effectuated. Danzo nor Tsunade had been happy when him and Orochimaru sided with the Third on his decision to take responsibility of woman and child. Although, Orochimaru might have had other intentions than simply being noble, if Jiraiya knew him correctly.

Who would have thought he would be here today with this very same child, whom his decision had been the final one that allowed her to stay... and to see her orphaned and at an unhappy situation, even now he wondered if it had been the best decision. But then, the girl smiled which reassured him that at least not everything had been bad in her life.

"Even when, as she mentioned then, that same day at that same moment she was supposed to be running to class to take an exam. She is... my best friend, really. After my mother's sudden death," Her demeanor changed again, "Rin promised her parents would now also be mine. They took me in, and I accepted it fairly well because it was that or the orphanage." She looked up at him, insistently "She is my sister! People often forget we are not related, not because we look similar (we look quite the opposite, in fact), but because we do everything together. She taught me everything there was to know about the ways of the ninjas of the Leaf and she never bragged about it. She is my confident..." She hesitated, "Or in any case, I am hers. She tells me everything, her hopes and dreams, her desires to become a renowned medic-nin like the legendary sannin, Tsunade-sama." She pointed at him. "She tells me about her unending admiration for her sensei, Minato sensei, and her heartbreaking devotion for Kakashi Hatake." Jiraiya frowned recognizing all of the previously mentioned names. "My sister is every ounce of perfect, okay? And, she is great and awesome and I am very much fond of her but... because she is every ounce of perfect I always fall short to her. I feel so... powerless. Everyone seems to like her better, she can do everything better, she has been given only the best..." The girl closed her eyes. "She is my rival." Her eyes now burned with a decisiveness that concerned Jiraiya. "And since I cannot have completely what is hers I've decided to take what she wants the most and isn't hers yet and, if I have a say on it, will never be."

"The boy she likes." Jiraiya muttered with a frown on his forehead, before rubbing it to try and make it disappear.

Why, there was no denying this girl had the will of fire, alright, but it was being so dreadfully misplaced for someone with little guidance, that it was despairing. What was up with kids these days and the way they so easily dismissed the matters of the heart? At least, when Minato came asking for advice with Kushina his intentions had been nothing but pure.

"And that is the complete truth, old man." The girl nodded, all appareances gone, even on the way she referred to him.

"So... for you, it is not enough to be the #1 shinobi, you also-"

"Have to be #1 in his heart, yes."

"Women..." He rubbed his eyes and scratched his temples with exasperation. "You are all very twisted creatures. One cannot live with you nor without you..."

The girl shrugged dismissively and went back to eating. Jiraiya snatched his own bowl back and did the same, noticing his Naruto had been stolen at some point. None of them talked until both of his bowls were empty.

"What's you name anyway?" He asked, although he already knew it.

"Gillie Yubo-" She still hesitated to this day. "Gillie Nohara."

"Gillie." He sighed and raised a finger her way. "I shall train you." Her eyes sparkled with amazement. "Not because I believe your train of thought is correct, but because I can tell you would be a very disciplined pupil and one that has the drive to complete the training of the legendary Gama Sennin. Nevertheless, I want you to forget all this nonsense on stealing a poor boy's heart only to get to your sister. Hurting someone as your end goal to become a better ninja is not the shinobi way of the Leaf, you understand this?" The girl didn't respond nor promised anything, only kept on staring at him. "If we are lucky, by the end of your lessons you will have become the decent kunoichi I believe you can be, that understands there are far more greater and important things to strive for than being better than others or having the recognition of others."

"Like what?" Gillie asked and Jiraiya was left speechless for a moment, by the fact that the girl sincerely didn't seem to know.

He sighed defeatedly.

"We have a long way to go..."


"Did you hear?! Did you hear?!" Might Guy arrived at the table where Kakashi and Obito where watching Rin barbecue for them some pieces of meat after a B rank mission of three days that left them starving. He came running into the restaurant, annoying some waitress Obasan carrying a tray of beverages, and almost wasn't able to pull on his brakes, which got him balancing by the edge of their table, menacing to fall face front over the burning coals. Then, he regained his balance and stroke a pose. "I'm fine!"

Kakashi grimaced at having his well-deserved meal interrupted by Guy's antics.

"What's got you acting like that?" Obito frowned moving his plate away from Guy.

"It seems like you've run a long way, Guy. Would you like to sit with us?"

Kakashi almost couldn't hide the grimace he directed at Rin.

"Thanks very much, our dear Nohara sister!" Kakashi didn't understand what had gotten into Guy that he had been fervently calling Rin a sister of his, but he supposed it had something to do with his teammate Gillie. In any case, Guy pushed Kakashi further in the seat, making a vein pop on the silver-haired boy's forehead and sat next to him. "I've got the most important news the Leaf has had in years!"

"What is it?" Obito asked and Rin tilted her head, while Kakashi simply crossed his arms and looked away, uninterested on anything Guy deemed important.

"Your sister, Rin! She has been chosen to become the new pupil of none other than the Gama Sennin, the Wise Man of the Mountain, the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya-sama!"

Before he could finish his sentence Kakashi's eyes had already doubled its size at the announcement, while Obito choked on his beverage and Rin was beaming on her seat with the most sincere cheer.

"Amazing! I didn't know that was even possible!" Obito exclaimed. "Yikes, has my respect changed for Gillie!"

"I knew she would grow to do great things! I've always had faith she would eventually come out her shell! She is so very skillful and the best candidate I would consider to become a student of any Sannin! Oh, I'm so very happy, I need to see her right now!" Rin stood up from her seat, slamming her hands over the table and, forgetting she hadn't eaten in 48 hours, she bowed once as a goodbye before she ran out of their table and restaurant in search of her sister.

Kakashi who was still processing the idea, blinked twice and cleared his throat trying to regain his composure before turning towards Guy, arms still crossed.

"Wherever did you hear this?"

"Choza sensei told Genma and I. He said we would part ways from Gillie for a while as she would be now under the tutelage of Jiraiya-sama!"

"Maaa..." Kakashi grimaced looking to the far side.

Indeed, he hadn't known it was possible for any of them to become a Sannin apprentice. If that had been the case he would have asked Minato sensei for a recommendation with any of them, although he knew all three sannin to be extremely busy these days. However, that little bookworm had managed to get the Gama Sennin to choose her? It wasn't that he wasn't happy with his own sensei... but... well... Jiraiya-sama had been his sensei's sensei.

And then, out of a sudden, Kakashi found himself smirking on the idea of Nohara Gillie under the skillful mandates of Jiraiya-sama. Sure, she had some strange and intimidating Kekkei genkai Kakashi had grown to appreciate in the double team missions. She was smart, quick-witted and devoted to her tasks... but Sannin-level training? He couldn't see her doing it.

He would give her a month or two. Yes. Then, she would drop out on her own word. And once that happened Kakashi would have a word with Minato sensei. Yes.

There was no way, Nohara Gillie would last for long.


With the war growing exponentially outside Konoha's walls, more teams were being sent out on surveillance missions. Double teams were becoming less common, since large numbers tended to grab more attention, but teams of two were becoming the normal. Gillie had already been sent out on pairs 6 times with Guy, 4 with Genma, two with Obito, once with Asuma and once with Rin. Nevertheless, never in the past had she been paired up with Kakashi. It was perhaps the first and only time, because this specific location required a pair with their skills.

Gillie hid beneath some rocks watching through a pair of binoculars towards the enemy camp in the distance. She sighed noticing everything was in order and turned around to lean on them and rest for a moment, while Kakashi returned from filling up their canteens with water. There was not much for them to do now, but waiting. After handing back her canteen, Kakashi walked and sat on the opposite side of the clearing. Gillie looked up at the sky and tried to entertain herself watching the flocks of birds flying away from the direction where bombs were being thrown about, before she gasped and remembered. From the pouch on her right leg she pulled out a book she had taken out from the library and opened it on the last page she had read. She couldn't believe there had been a time where she hadn't brought books with her on missions. Life before that had been extremely boring, huh?

"Seriously?" She raised her eyes over the edge of the book to see Kakashi sharpening his kunais. "A book? In the middle of the war?"

Gillie looked back to the printed letters.

"You should try it sometime."

"Unlikely."

"Then maybe you wouldn't feel so bored and cranky enough to judge others who have found something to entertain themselves with."

"You have no idea what this is all about." The war, he meant and Gillie scoffed looking up again.

"It is you who have no idea." She said, searching inside her mind for old flashes of burning forests and hiding in caves she could barely remember now. The feeling of them was intact, though. Dread. She shook her head and looked across to the boy. "Otherwise, you would also be trying to do anything to take your mind off of it, even for a moment." Her eyes remained stuck on Kakashi's dark eyes, throwing daggers at it. "You don't know me." She finished and that somehow seemed to hit something on the boy who went back to his job without another word, while she returned to her reading.

Not even 20 seconds passed before he cleared his throat. She rolled her eyes, face buried in the book.

"How did you manage it?" Gillie looked up again and irked a brow. "Getting Jiraiya-sama to train you and then lasting so long under his tutelage?"

Gillie scoffed again.

"You do realize that phrasing sounds almost like an insult, huh?"Kakashi didn't answer and waited for her. Gillie sighed tiredly and looked away, searching in her mind for the answer. As smart as she was considered to be by Mama and Papa, she had never had the best of memories, or perhaps she had conditioned herself to forget quickly about things and move on. It had been almost half a year ago that-

Oh!

Gillie felt her cheeks burning and unconsciously hid her face into the book.

"Would you look at that? This book did come in handy after all..." She bickered under her breath.

"What did you do?" He insisted.

"Nothing!" She snapped quickly and saw the eyes of the boy narrowing.

"Fine. Don't tell me."

"That's not-! I mean- I-!" She hesitated, searching for the correct words. "We came to meet because of a... well... it's embarrassing." Gillie cleared her throat and raised on her seat, growing bolder by the second and tired with his petulant attitude, that she had had to put up with during the entirety of their mission. She didn't want to give him any more reasons too deem her inferior. "In any case, he saw there is potential in me and that's how he became my master... I've grown a lot under his tutelage, believe it!"

"Hmph..." He was so dismissive of her.

"I am more mature now... and... and, I don't care for the silly things I used to care before. He has taught me as much!"

"Hmph..."

Unbelievable!

"Besides who cares if you, or anyone for that matter, finds me skillfully impressive as long as I trust in my own self! You are nothing but a judging, bitter and boring old man in the body of a child who dares to so-openly question my abilities as you have made sure to remark during this whole mission, and I cannot believe I even dared to consider it would be a good idea to ever try to capture such a cold-blooded heart!" Gillie ended up yelling and gritted her teeth, fists tightened to her sides, before realizing her mistake. Both of her mistakes, actually. She covered her mouth and stood up, walking in circles looking at their surroundings. Ninjas weren't meant to be loud at missions. Silence and going unperceived were key elements of a good ninja.

After confirming there wasn't movement around, Gillie groaned looking down at her stuff, feeling defeated and annoyed with herself. What would Jiraiya sensei have said if he had heard her little outburst?

"We should better move places." She said. "I'm sorry, that was stupid of me."

"Very." She heard Kakashi say from his spot on the floor, from where he hadn't moved an inch.

She gritted her teeth again, unable to contradict him this time. He was right. Then, he stood up quickly and began to pick up his things, while the memory of her own words returned to Gillie's mind. She was glad she was giving him her back while she picked up her own belongings, and placed her book back on her leg pouch, since he couldn't see what a bright red tomato her face had became.

"Idiot." She mouthed at herself. Then again, this exasperation around Kakashi wasn't a recently blooming feeling; ever since the first time she had met him he had caused in her a deep disgust, a need to yell and scream at his face. That was simply how things were, even after growing up. "Ugh!" She said snatching her backpack up and placing it over her shoulder before joining him to walk away. None of them said a word as they moved locations and the forest scenery changed around them.

"So, I am a boring old man in the body of a child." Kakashi said after a while and she winced on her spot walking next to him. She didn't meet his face and kept on looking to the front.

"Please, forget everything I just said, mmm?" Her voice came out as a cringing beg. He remained quiet for a moment.

"Do you... really want me to forget everything you said?" Gillie frowned at herself and looked sideways meeting his dark irises staring back at her by the corner of his eyes. "Everything?" He repeated. "Even your love confession?"

Gillie's mouth opened and closed repeatedly and her hands lost rational kinesthetic intelligence as they tried to explain themselves.

"That's not-That wasn't what I was trying to- I-I-!"

She took a deep breath and sighed heavily looking away, deflating like a balloon while a dark cloud appeared over her head. The whole situation was a frustrating nightmare. Then again, it was harder to explain everything she had once aimed towards and the reasons for it, it wasn't something she wanted to talk to Kakashi about. So, what if the antisocial boy from her generation thought she might have once had a crush on him? He wasn't going to speak about it, she was certain of it, and explaining reality would only be more troublesome.

"Yes, even the love confession." She grunted, before pondering on it and raising a finger his way. "But it's in the past, okay? Yes, at some point I did try to catch your attention, but it's all in the past." She repeated more composedly now. She didn't want to alarm the enemy on their current location, so she made sure to keep her eyes traveling around, surveilling the area.

"What made you think working on your skills would ever make me look your way?"

"Geez, thanks for making it clear I never stood a chance." Gillie scoffed growing tense with each second the forest grew quieter. Consciously, she reached for her hair and began to fix her ruined braids. "Although I hate to admit it, you are a prodigy, okay? There is no way you would show interest for anyone with such a low standard and, I admit, I was kind of a slob, so I needed to improve my game. Is your curiosity satisfied?" Perhaps, words were flowing out of her mouth easily and speaking wasn't hard because there had never been true feelings on her part... Although, that he didn't need to know.

"Hmph..."

"Hmph..." She mimicked him. "In any case, I'm over all of that. I'm a better person now. I truly am-"

"So, liking me made you a worse person?"

"Well, um, yeah?" She hesitated, "Only because I didn't succeed. Wait-no." She shook her head.

I am a better person now because I didn't go through with my childish plan! Agh, what am I saying?

"Let's just... why don't we stop talking about this now?" She finished her left braid and continued with the right one, twirling on her way and looking around for any signs of menace.

"Fair enough."

"Huh, thanks." She smiled down at him, grateful that he had so easily dropped the subject, finding him also surveilling the area with a kunai raised in front of his face, ready to block any enemy attack. His dark eyes caught sight of hers and stopped on his track for a second, before nodding back at her. "You know, you're not so bad when you actually try to-"

An arrow was shot from an invisible source, aimed their way, and landed on Gillie's right leg. She gasped as the impact made her loose her balance and fell to the ground with an arrow coming out of her leg pouch. She couldn't feel the pain but it was probably the adrenaline, so she pulled out the arrow and then realized what had happened. She looked up to find a wide eyed Kakashi looking down at her.

"See? It did come in handy!" She exclaimed showing off the punctured book that had blocked the arrow from injuring her. "Dang it, now I'll have to pay for it at the library-"

"Behind your back!" Kakashi exclaimed and with a swift circling movement, she threw herself on a backwards somersault, so that they were surrounding a second enemy.


The harvest festival soon arrived and it would be the last time the children would get to spend as children for a while. The Nohara sisters were dressed in the same fashion as it was usual during festivals and the day was reserved for only the two of them to spend together, no teammates, no senseis, just Rin and Gillie. It was their tradition.

The harvest festival was characterized by its warmer desserts in comparison to those of the summer solstice festival. As a lover of sweets, Gillie had been counting the days for the festival to arrive, while Rin had done so for other reasons... She had heard from Guy, who had heard from Genma, who had heard from Asuma, who had heard from Kakashi that the soon-to-be jonin (Rin had no doubt of that) might assist if only to see the exhibition of scarecrows. She would be with Gillie at all times, of course, but hopefully she would get a glimpse of Kakashi on his traditional attire. She was looking forward to it.

"I don't want to see the dumb scarecrows, Rin! I wanna go get good seats for the fireworks!"

"They're all over the sky, Gillie, what are you talking about?" Rin giggled while dragging her sister by the arm towards the open fields, where she soon caught a glimpse of Guy, Asuma and Kurenai. "He has to be close!"

"Who?" A grumpy Gillie asked.

"Hi, everyone! How are you enjoying the festival, guys?!" Rin exclaimed over enthusiastically and observing her sister quickly putting two and two together, Rin let go of Gillie, setting her free to go buy a pumpkin hot tea until she finished scouting for Kakashi as Gillie liked to put it.

"My gorgeous Nohara sister, why you look only stunning this evening!" Guy's compliment made her blush, before she pointed towards Kurenai.

"If anyone looks stunning tonight it would have to be Kurenai, wouldn't you guys agree?"

"Thank you, Rin." The red-eyed girl blushed, eyes flickering once towards Asuma.

Rin was a great observer of her group of friends dynamics, hardly anything passed by her awe-filled eyes. Like the fact that Kurenai very much liked Asuma but the boy seemed to be clueless about it, or how Raido seemed interested in the older Anko, if only the girl would ever give him the time of the day instead of eating dumplings. It seemed like couples were beginning to form, if only that would also be the case for her. Everyone was so very nice with her, but no one seemed to like her in that way, and even if that had been the case her heart already had an owner.

"Are we late for the fireworks?" Obito arrived running so quickly on the uncomfortable geto shoes and traditional attire, that it took Rin a moment to focus on him instead of his feet. When she looked up he was grinning widely at her, scratching the back of his head and face red. Probably for running. "Hello, Rin! I didn't know you would be joining us tonight. I thought festivals were a thing of Gillie and you only."

"They are! In fact..." She looked around (searching for Kakashi in reality) growing a little disappointed for not finding the reason she came for to see, before shrugging sheepishly. "I should start looking for my sister now. She went... who knows where!" She hadn't been listening.

"I can help you find her!"

"Thank you so much, Obito!" She joined her hands together. "This shouldn't take long."

Together they went in search of the selling stalls, knowing Gillie she was probably buying sweets. While avoiding the running Academy kids tossing cardboard shurikens at one another, Rin marveled on the decorated face masks adorning the festival streets.

"There they are!" Obito pointed away.

"They?" Rin turned around to see the stand of tea, where currently her sister seemed to be arguing with another customer Rin recognized by his characteristic silver hair and face mask covering half of his face. Kakashi was leaning on his shoulder on the wooden post of the stand bobbing his head slowly, taking in everything her sister was bickering about, patiently waiting for her to finish before adding a remark that would only fire up the girl even more. Each time this happened, an amused irked brow would appear on Kakashi's face before he went back to nodding.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Obito told Rin pulling her arm.

"Wait!" She said, eyes fluttering at the scene and tilting her head sideways. "Wait a moment."

"Mmm?" Obito did the same and looked back.

In the distance, Kakashi leaned downwards, his face coming closer to Gillie's, and said something that froze her sister in the middle of a rampage and then Gillie exploded in a fit of laughter that seemed to ache her belly enough to send her doubling halfway. While this happened, Kakashi turned to the lady of the booth and paid before walking away only with a wave of hand over his shoulder. Eventually, Gillie regained her composure and straightened up turning around to grab her beverages. Two, in fact, one for her and one for Rin.

"Come." A frowning Rin told an amused Obito and they joined Gillie that kept on snickering.

"He is such a jerk..." She told herself, before turning around to see Rin and Obito arrive. "Oh, here you are!"

"Who is?" Rin asked with sincere curiosity, but a wavering note in her voice.

"Only your teammate Kakashi who thinks he can simply walk into the line as if he owns the place." She sighed. "Oh, well, at least he had the decency to pay for these." She raised the cups, lending Rin one of them. Gillie raised her eyes to meet hers and frowned, before looking towards Obito. "Did something happened?"

Rin felt Obito's eyes fall upon her, his smirk disappearing and morphing with concern. Rin couldn't exactly tell how her face probably looked like, but she shook her head and shrugged.

"Thanks for the tea." She said softly staring down at her own reflection in the steaming liquid. When she looked up, Gillie's lips were pursed and shoulders tensed, before Gillie raised a hand, and waved.

"Thank Kakashi." Gillie said dismissively and emphatically, if only enjoying herself way too much, before beginning to walk away. Rin followed her with her eyes, until her sister turned around. "Aren't you guys coming?"

Obito looked between the two of them, at a lost, and Rin looked down at herself, gulping once before jogging to catch up with Gillie. Obito never left her side.

"Hey, Gillie! I was thinking maybe we could join the rest to see the fireworks?" She asked hesitantly.

"But..."

"That would be awesome!" Obito said with excitement.

"But, festivals are our..." Gillie looked trouble.

"I know! Just this once! What do you say?" Rin said perhaps coming out as too insistent, but in fact, there was something Rin needed to see again. "Mmm? Mmm?" She leaned towards her and Gillie sighed, clearly not okay with it but pressured under hers and Obito's gaze.

"Since we're all here..." She gave up.

Together, the three of them made their way back to the open fields where the autumn scarecrows where displayed and little children played at dressing them up as ninja. Rin caught sight of Kurenai and Asuma dressing up one, while Guy worked on another one accompanied by Kakashi who was simply standing near judging his work with an empty cup of tea in his hand.

Gillie said she would sit over the grass, unwilling to play dressing up and Rin would never dare to force her to join in, so she grabbed Obito's hand and dragged him towards Kakashi and Guy. Rin was enjoying herself playing with Guy and Obito, however her excitement could only heighten so much after noticing Kakashi's distraction.


Months passed and the war grew more severe. On a positive note, spring had begun to bloom with flowers and sakura trees, just in time for Obito to become a chunin and with the announcement that Kakashi was the first kid in their class that would be promoted to jonin.

"Gillie...chan?"

"Huh?" Gillie looked up from her steaming plate, sitting across from Rin and with Mama and Papa sitting on the sides in the square dining table.

"Tomorrow, I've made a gathering to come under the cherrie trees to discuss whatever present we all can come up for Kakashi for being promoted to jonin." It was something very characteristic of Rin to do whenever any of her friends was celebrating something, Gillie knew, not unexpected at all. "Everyone is coming, I thought I'd let you know."

Gillie took a moment to process her words.

"Tomorrow?" She asked and Rin nodded. "And, everyone has already said yes?" Rin nodded again. Gillie pursed her lips, nodding too. "And you only tell me about it now, because..."

"Er-" Rin's wide eyes fluttered and her cheeks burned red, before she slouched on her seat.

"I don't know, I mean... I would have thought that if you're planning something I would be the first to hear of it."

"Er- the thing is-"

"Why does it feel like, lately, I'm the last one on knowing about these things?" Gillie snapped having grown tired of the growing distance between her and her sister.

"Girls, please, do not argue on the table-" Mama began.

"I am not arguing, I am stating the facts." She turned towards Rin. "What if I already made plans for tomorrow? What if like in all those other times, because I'm the last one to hear about our plans, I end up not being able to assist?"

"Have you already made plans for tomorrow?" Rin asked embarrasedly.

"No."

"Then, that's perfect! You can come!" Rin tried to fix the situation.

"I'm not coming!" She snapped.

"But- but- you said-"

"Look, I don't know what's your problem, onee-san, but I don't want to be anywhere where I'm clearly not welcomed-"

"Gillie..." Rin cried.

"Girls, please-" Papa began.

Gillie stood up.

"Sit down, Gillie Nohara." Mama said in a stern tone.

"I'm not hungry." She said cleaning her mouth, before sighing. "I have far more important things to do than discuss on what stupid present we can get that stupid boy Rin likes-"

"Gillie Nohara!" Mama gasped with a hand on her chest.

"Sit back down, Gillie!" Papa slammed his hand over the table, but Gillie did not listen and walked out of the house, leaving behind a tearful Rin feeling self-conscious on her behavior.


Of course everyone had heard about the last protégé of Jiraiya and, certainly, it had spiked the interest of someone like Orochimaru, knowing the young one was in fact a certain someone who had arrived at the village with her mother not too long ago. More interesting was the fact the little nomad spawn, now a chunin, showed a special trait, not exactly kekkei genkai if he had a say on it, she was able to maneuver during her missions.

Did she know it was an ability that did no run in her family? He wondered.

However in the past few months every time the scientist shinobi found himself back in the village, returning from the battlefront, the kid in question seemed to be guarded by that old fool, pathetic excuse of a shinobi, teammate of his. But, not that day.

Orochimaru hid in the shadows of a tree, watching the young girl go at it with bloodied fists on a wooden post at the training fields. She grunted with each blow and was sweating litters and... where those tears? The man chuckled, amused by the sight of the little sentimental sack Jiraiya had created. The girl snapped her head around and rubbed her face.

"Who's there?" She called and feeling bored to keep on his disguise, Orochimaru stepped into the light.

"Hello there."

The girl blinked with the aching sun on her eyes and created a shadow with her palm.

"I know you." She said. "You're Jiraiya sensei's teammate, aren't you? I've seen you before... somewhere." But the girl couldn't bring herself to remember.

"Indeed. It is I. You might call me Lord Orochimaru."

The girl scoffed and turned back to her punching post.

"I'll call you Orochimaru and be glad I ain't calling you names."

Feisty! Orochimaru couldn't fight the crackle listening to the nerve on her voice. There was something in it...

"Someone seems to be on a very bad mood today."

"I came here to be alone. I don't want to be rude, even less with a Sannin and partner of my master, so leave now... please." Orochimaru' s lips pursed in distaste at her submissive ending note.

"Whatever got you in such a state?"

The girl grabbed herself from the post, as if not doing so would sent her falling on her knees, and by her breathing and decreased chakra levels, Orochimaru had no doubt that would be the case if she let go.

"If you need to know..."

"I do."

"It's... my sister." She scoffed at the mention of her relative.

Poison.

That is what the girl possessed in her voice. A very passionate and poisonous venom... The smile reappeared in Orochimaru when the girl looked back at him with her large green and yellow eyes and he was finally able to dig into the girl's psyche against her will and without her knowing. He saw a familiar tragic past and a non self-filling present, he saw the perfect path paved in front of her towards a power-seeking life, very much like his own.

Why, they were very much alike. That is, until Jiraiya stepped in and changed the course. That good-for-nothing fool...

"Where are your friends now?" He asked softly. "When we are not comfortable with the family we've been given, friends become an the optimal substitute; a new family, forged by you and no one else."

The girl kicked the floor once, before looking up at the sky.

"About this time of day, I'd say... They are all with her right now... Everyone."

"Mmm..."

"Because she always needs to monopolize everything that's mine, huh?" She was now speaking to herself. "Because miss perfection needs to have what I have and then some more, huh?"

"Sadly, some people can be very selfish, yes."

The girl looked up at him and smiled sideways, perhaps the first sincere smile on her part since he arrived.

"Thanks for understanding." She nodded.

"I do try to be open-minded. That's the way of the shinobi world, is it not? Where old empires fall, new ones arise. Where someone sees an injustice, others see an opportunity. A tyrant is but a hero in someone else's eyes and a even your family can become your worse enemy." The girl listened intently to his words.

"Rin is not my enemy," She said, "she is my rival."

"And who's got the upper-hand in this rivalry of yours?"

She scoffed.

"She does. She always has."

Orochimaru smirked.

"Have you ever played shogi?" He asked while the girl took the change of topic as a surprise by the sight of her face.

"No." She said.

"If you had, you would have learned by now, that a player can have the upper-hand during almost the entirety of the game but one swift, killer movement can even the game field and even change the odds in favor of the opposite player." Orochimaru placed his hands behind his back. "Is there a move you could make that would turn the odds in your favor?"

Orochimaru's tongue slid through his lips as the answer flew so willingly to the front of the mind of the girl, for him to see. Still leaning over the wooden post she looked away.

"I..." She shook her head. "No." She said definitely and Orochimaru's frowned sensing the seeds of Jiraiya's work. "Just no."

"Mmm..." Orochimaru turned around where he stood. "It seems to me you are scared to go through with it. I've never had the time nor patience for scaredy people, myself. I would've thought that as Jiraiya's pupil you would be someone fiercer."

"I'm-I'm not scaredy. I am fierce!"

"Are you?" Orochimaru looked over his shoulder and irked a delicate eyebrow. "Would you be willing to play a round of shogi with me, Gillie? My board set is at my laboratory. Surely, someone with your skills would find interesting a visit towards the Black Ops lab, mmm?"

The stupid girl didn't question how he had known her name and instead nodded, following him into the darkness from where he had crawled out from.