ONE REMAINS AND CLOTHES

"What do you mean that someone has to stay!?" Hiroto's voice rang out through the corridor to the meeting room, and Aoi and Kakashi looked at each other in surprise.

"... What do you think is going on, Kakashi?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes wide in surprise as she stared at her friend as Kakashi's hand hesitated on the door-knob.

"Kakashi. Aoi. I know you're there, so please come in." Minato's voice came from the room inside, Kakashi and Aoi finally opening the door and walking inside.

"What's going on?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes looking around at all of the faces in the room. "Father, we could hear you all the way down the corridor…"

"The Council is being stubborn…" Minato said, causing the two teens to look over at him. "They're ruling that the treaty will only be viable if one of your party stays here… indefinitely."

Aoi's eyes widened, but then she looked over at Kakashi, and she smiled, determination flooding into her gaze as she looked at her family.

"I'll stay."

…..

….

…

..

"WHAT?!" Hiroto shouted in disbelief, even as the others in the room were staring at the teen in shock.

"Father, you know I've always wanted to see the outside world…" Aoi said, going over and hugging her father, "And I know that this world is still in the middle of a war…" she looked up at him, smiling softly, "But I want to stay here. I was planning to ask you to let me stay anyway… I want to learn more about this world, and I want to meet all these new people that live here."

"Aoi…" Kakashi said softly, staring at his friend in disbelief. He had been expecting to have to say goodbye to the kind teenage woman, but to hear that she wanted to stay…

"Aoi, you don't understand-" Hiroto started to say, but Aoi put a finger on his lips, silencing him.

"Father, I've already made up my mind," she said, as she pulled away. Her family was staring at her in shock and disbelief, Takeshi even looking ready to argue with her. "And the things I don't understand, I'll learn. I'm not a little girl anymore, and I'm not as delicate as you think I am, Father… I fought that ninja that wanted to kill Kakashi, remember?" Aoi took a few steps back, closer to the silver-haired teen that had become her friend, "Besides… I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet… and I don't think I ever will be. He's the first friend I've ever had outside of the clan, and I don't want to let that go. And Father… I know I'm still young… but eventually, the baby bird has to leave the nest, and I feel like I've been in the nest a little too long."

Everyone was still staring at Aoi, Hiroto with tears running down his cheeks as he stared at his daughter. She was smiling, taking another couple of steps back to stand at Kakashi's side, and the young man looked just as shocked as the rest of them.

"Aoi… are… are you sure?" Kakashi asked softly, finally finding his voice again. "I mean… they're your family… I'm just a random guy who ended up near your village completely by accident…"

"Kakashi, you're my friend, and you're hurting more than I think you realize," she said, smiling at him softly. "You've lost everyone you've ever cared about… And while I want to help you, you can teach me more about the world outside of my village. I'm very much sure of my decision, and I'm going to stick to it."

In that moment, Hiroto saw that his daughter in a whole new light. No longer did he see her as a cygnet, a child… but as a beautiful swan ready to fly. She had seen a world so much larger than the one she had grown up in, and she wanted to make it her own. As he looked at the two of them, he remembered the old story that his parents had told to him, and he in turn had told to his daughter… 'The Wolf-man with hair of silver starlight was grateful for the kindness that the young woman had given to a beast…'

"... All right…" Hiroto sighed reluctantly, his silvery-blue eyes closing as he lowered his head in acceptance, "I will allow you to stay…" looking up to focus on Kakashi, he said, "Take care of her, please… Kakashi no Okami."

"I will… I promise…" Kakashi said softly, not questioning the new name that the Hakucho Tribe Leader had used in place of his clan name, and the Council smiled, seeing themselves victorious.

The treaty was signed, and after a tearful goodbye between Aoi and her family (everyone had also pretty much threatened to do some pretty painful things to Kakashi if he didn't take care of her as he had promised), the Kaiju Clan representatives left the Village Hidden in the Leaves, while Kakashi took Aoi to his home…

0o0o0(The Next Day)0o0o0

When Kakashi woke up, he was surprised at first to find that he was in his home, in his bed, before the events of the previous day caught up with him. He could smell something good cooking in his little-used kitchen, and he went down there once he was dressed for his day, finding Aoi making breakfast for the two of them. She was wearing her usual white robes, and that was when it struck him that he hadn't seen her bring any other outfits with her…

"Good morning, Kakashi! Hope you don't mind me using your kitchen.. And did you know you're about out of food?"

"... I haven't been here for almost a month…" Kakashi said indignantly, sweat dripping at Aoi's obvious ploy to distract him. Just like his sensei would tell him, he had to look underneath the underneath to see what was truly there. "You're just saying that so you can tour more of the village… this is good." That last bit was in comment to the food Aoi had put on his small two person table, biting into some buttered toast with fried egg on top of it, the taste melting inside his mouth as he washed it down with orange juice.

"I'm glad you like it," Aoi said as she put away the dirtied equipment she used to make their breakfast that morning, hanging the small apron she had found in a forgotten closet on the back of the chair as she sat down to eat. "Father always said I had a talent for cooking with a minimum amount of ingredients…"

"So, Aoi…" Kakashi said slowly, gaining her full attention, "When were you planning on getting some more clothes?" Kakashi's words seemed to catch her mid bite, her pink lips hovering over the meal as her ice-blue eyes looked up at him with a look that said 'you did not just bring that up?'.

"Um…. I don't know, really…. I guess after I got a better idea on where all of the stores were…" Aoi said shyly. She hadn't really thought to bring any clothes with her when she decided to stay with Kakashi in the Leaf Village besides the ones she wore on her back, and even those weren't really made for a lot of outside work.

"Well, I could call up some of the female Shinobi I know to help you out… I'm afraid I don't go clothes shopping that often…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head as his mind ran through the list of the Kunoichi he did know and had at least a chance of taking his favor from. So far, he wasn't coming up with a lot, and the ones he could were…. Unique. Maybe he could ask around to see who wasn't on a mission right now...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So… you're staying with Kakashi right now because of a deal with the Hokage, but you didn't bring with you any extra clothes…" Aoi nodded in confirmation to the purple-haired kunoichi Kakashi had left her with prior to this moment, another younger woman with ink black curly hair and red eyes as they walked down the street.

"That… just about sums it up," the white-haired teen said, smiling a little shyly. "None of us expected this to happen, so I only brought what I'm wearing now."

A large, disturbing snake-like smile stretching across the older teen's face as she ran a hand through her purple hair and let out a whistle. "Wow, you've gotten further with him than any hopeful idiot in our generation… the amount of fangirls he had outnumbered some of the Uchiha's we knew."

Aoi may have come from a isolated village, but she knew what she was referring to, a blush brightening her face as she waved her hands out. "Oh no, Kakashi and I aren't like that! We're just good friends!"

"Anko, leave her alone… can't you see how you're making her uncomfortable?"

"Oh come on Kurenai, cool down! You and I both know that guy is totally obvious to the fairer sex and wouldn't recognized flirting even if she was all over him; I just wanted to tease her a little bit…" Then, slyly, she asked, "Do you know what's under that mask of his, Aoi?"

"... I had to stitch up his face. Of course I do." Both teens stopped in their tracks, eyes fixed on an obvious Aoi. All during their years in school, the biggest mystery among their class was what Kakashi looked like under his mask, or why he wore it. There was even a theory that had gone around by one of the older students (who Kakashi had beaten in a sparring match by the way) that the guy was hiding some kind of disfigurement like buck teeth or large lips. Alas, when Kakashi had graduated early, their chances of ever finding out were diminished.

Until now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... No." Aoi said firmly, looking at the piece of clothing that Anko wanted her to try on. It was a top that had a very large amount of mesh in it, which was very distasteful to her. "I am not wearing that."

"Oh, come on, Aoi! It's cute!" the purple-haired teen said, grinning, but the white-haired girl shook her head firmly.

"No. I don't want to be eye candy for the other Shinobi," she said, even as Kurenai came over with a different kind of outfit. This one resembled her normal robes more, but was shorter, and included a pair of skin-tight black shorts as well. The sleeves were still wide, but not as wide as the ones on her robes, and they were pure white. "That's more like it…"

"I thought you'd like this one; it fits your style better," the raven-haired teen said, smiling, as Aoi took the outfit and went into a dressing room. Then, looking over at the purple-haired girl she said, "I can't believe you tried to get Aoi-san to wear something as distasteful as that."

"... but it's cute… I thought she'd look great in it…" Anko said with a pout as Kurenai's eyes rolled in her head. Anko's definition of 'cute' was a large venomous snake that could kill forty people with a drop of it's lethal venom with the name of Fluffy with a pink bow.

"Anko, she's not the kind of girl that would be comfortable in your kind of fashion," Kurenai said bluntly, rolling her eyes again, "Didn't you realize that when Kakashi first asked us to take her to get more clothes?"

"Yeah, I know…"

Then, Aoi came back out of the dressing room, wearing the outfit that Kurenai had picked out for her, and smiled shyly.

"Well… how do I look?" she asked, her ice-blue eyes looking from one teen to the other as she waited for their opinions.

The outfit was very reminiscent of her normal robes, but they only came down to just below her knee on the right side, and the left side ended just an inch or two below her hips. The sleeves came to just past her wrists, and were wide enough to hide most of her preferred weapons in them just as she did with her normal robes, and the outfit was pure white, save for the skin-tight shorts that ended just above her knees. She had tied her black headband with her family symbol around her waist, and she was also wearing a pair of black Shinobi shoes with white bandages wrapped around her lower legs. Her snow-white hair was held back from her face by a black headband with white embroidery that resembled the wind and some birds.

"This looks incredible, Aoi!" Kurenai said, walking around the white-haired teen to look at the outfit from all angles. "You really look like a swan!"

"I admit… it doesn't have the usual designs that I wear…" Aoi said softly, brushing her fingertips against the sleeve of her opposite arm, but with a small smile, "But that doesn't mean I can't make some adjustments…"

"We need to get you more than one outfit, you know," Anko said, although she silently admitted that this particular style suited the pale teen. "Is that your headband from your clan?"

"Yes…" Aoi said, looking down at where the black band was tied around her waist, "Well… sort of… it's my tribe symbol…" Looking back at the two other teens, she asked, "What other outfits did you have in mind?"

Anko this time looked around the store as Kurenai and Aoi glanced through the racks of clothes until the teen came back, bearing a soft white-beige shirt with dark-grey pants and a light blue skirt that matched Aoi's eyes. A pair of short black heels were also there, tucked away in the crook of Anko's arm. "I know I said earlier you would've look cute in that other outfit, but this one totally says 'you'."

"Oh wow! I love it!" Aoi said, accepting the clothing, and she went back into the dressing room, coming back out a few minutes later wearing the second outfit. With a small chuckle as they walked to the check out line with her clothes, she said, "It's kinda weird not having long sleeves like I'm used to…"

"I know you'll get used to it eventually; it takes me a while to get used to a new wardrobe, especially ninja gear from winter to summer months... " Anko mused, taking one of the bags from Aoi as the three girls giggled down the street, all feeling a little closer after spending time together.

When they reached the building where Kakashi's apartment was located, Kurenai and Anko waved goodbye to their new friend, Anko declaring the next time they met, they should eat red bean paste with buns at the new restaurant that recently opened.

"Kakashi? I'm back!" Aoi called out, as she entered the quiet apartment, wondering if he was even home at that time since all the lights were off… "Are you her- Ouch!" What the? Slowly reaching for some sign of a light switch, Aoi's trembling hand flipped on the lights to see what she had tripped on. "KAKASHI?! What are you doing on the floor!?"

"Hm?" His voice was slow from having been sleeping, his eyes fluttering open as he adjusted to the light. "Oh, hey Aoi. I was reading this book and then I got sleepy, so I turned off the lights… You have fun?"

"... Why were you on the floor though? Why not just lay down on the couch?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes filled with confusion, even as she knelt down to help drag him to his feet.

"Ah, I…. it's sort've a habit I've had since I was a kid…. And the floors are comfortable enough to sleep on, so…. Yeah." Kakashi's eyes were honest enough to her, not trying to come up with a story to deceive her, causing her to sigh in relief.

"Kakashi… you've got to be the strangest person I've ever met….. Wait, no scratch that, it's your friend Guy who's the strangest… but you come in a close second…" Aoi sighed, finally pulling him to his feet, "Come on, you should probably go to sleep in an actual bed. Wasn't it more comfortable in a bed when you were staying in my village?"

"... Yeah… you're right…" he sighed, still half-asleep as she took him to his bedroom, and it was only right after she had gotten him situated in his bed that he noticed that she wasn't wearing her robes… instead, she was wearing an off-white t-shirt, an ice-blue skirt, and some black knee-length leggings and short black heels. "When did you…"

"Blame Anko," she giggled, smiling at his confusion. Then, as she left the room, she said, "I'll go see what I can do for lunch… sleep well, Okami…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours later, Aoi was surprised to hear someone coming in through a window, and she took a kunai off of where she had left her spare clothes and weapons, sneaking over to the doorway to the room that she heard the sound coming from. It was a tall man in a black cloak and wearing a white and black bear mask, someone that Aoi was not sure if he could be trusted.

However, he seemed to notice her.

In an instant, she was caught in a headlock, her own kunai held close to her face, yet glared defiantly up at the man.

"Who are you? Why are you in Kakashi's apartment?" he asked her in a deep voice, and she glanced at the blade before looking back up at him.

"My name is Aoi Hakucho; Kakashi is letting me stay with him until I can find a place of my own." The dark clothed ninja seemed to know her name, his eyes narrowing in recognition. "Now, would you mind moving that kunai away from my neck, Shinobi?" she asked, and he seemed to hesitate before moving the blade a few inches away from her, her hand rubbing where the kunai's cold touch had been against her skin. "Thanks…"

"Don't thank me just yet, kid," The ninja's voice bit back, as sharp as the kunai he had threatened her with not too long ago. "You're still a stranger to me, even if the Hokage has allowed you to stay in our village…Though something has been bothering me..."

"And that would be…?"

"... Is it true you saved Hatake's life when he was on a mission? That's the story that's been going around, but you can never really tell what's true when you're talking about the Copycat…"

"...I had found Kakashi unconscious in the creek near my village, so I took care of him, fending off an attacker in the process, convincing my father to let him stay until he is healed, and now I must be allied with this village in order to keep the treaty forged between my clan and this village intact. I am allowed to visit every now and then, but I am ultimately now a citizen of the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Aoi told him, summarizing what had happened between the battle and their current situation, and she even moved the collar of her shirt aside to show the still-healing scar across her right shoulder. "Since Kakashi is the only one I really know here, my father made him promise to make sure I'll be as safe as possible. That is why I am here, and that is why I seem like a complete stranger. My clan had been hunted to near extinction in some kind of conflict long ago, so we've been trying to stay under the radar, so to speak, as long as possible. Also, since you seem to know Kakashi pretty well, I have no reason to lie to you… um… what's your name?"

"... Ibiki Morino….. and nice scar by the way. I've got a few myself." Ibiki said, removing his bandana and mask to show the snow-haired woman a layer of different scars and burns covering his shaved head.

"... Quite impressive," she said, bowing respectfully to him. Straightening, she asked, "Did you come here to see Kakashi no Okami?"

Aoi immediately stiffened when she realized she called Kakashi by his nickname among her people in front of someone else, blushing heavily when Ibiki let out a deep laugh.

"Haha! With those nin-ken of his, Kakashi did seem a lot like a canine to me… that and he's absolutely terrified of cats! Hahahaha!"

"... It's… actually a name I started calling him when I first found him…" she said, still blushing, "The way I found him and how he looks reminded me of a story my father used to tell me…"

Ibiki continued to listen as Aoi stuttered through her words in embarrassment, laughing good heartedly as he ruffled her unique white hair. The way she spoke and her demeanor made the older teen see her as a little sister he never had; the ruffling of her hair was a habit he did when his younger brother would do something cute since it annoyed him. "Well, since Kakashi isn't here right now, I'll get out of your hair and come by later."

"Actually… he is here… I was just making lunch, and it's ready, so I should probably go wake him up…" Aoi said, smoothing her hair back down, then said, "You could stay to join us for lunch, if you want, Ibiki…"

"Don't bother waking me up since I'm awake already…. Man you two talk really loud…" Aoi and Ibiki both turned at the voice, seeing Kakashi bleary eyed in the doorway as he rubbed his stomach when it growled in hunger. "Man, just smelling that food is making me hungry…"

"So, Ibiki, want to join us for lunch?" Aoi asked, now setting the food out on the table, "I accidently made a little extra…"

Seeing her wide eyes made Ibiki want to stay, also smelling the delicious food, but he had only planned on staying for a bit to see if Kakashi had truly come back and leave for the T&I building where his mentor would teach him more. "I'd love to stay and eat with you both, but Akane-San is going to have my hide if I'm late again. Maybe next time."

"Then here, take some with you," Aoi said, wrapping some of the extra food up into a bundle for him to take along as a packed lunch. "It wouldn't be fun to work on an empty stomach." Watching Ibiki give a mock salute in gratitude, leaving from the window he had come from.

"What is it with you ninja and jumping out of windows instead of using the door like a normal human being?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0 EXTRA SCENE! 0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Ibiki finally got to the Anbu headquarters, he immediately went to meet up with his mentor and teacher in the Torture and Interrogation division, Akane Akabane, the woman who was teaching him interrogation techniques; the packed lunch from that nice young lady Aoi carried in his right hand, still warm. As he rounded a corner, he was met with a slap to the back of the head by a woman in her mid fifties with greying-brown hair and reddish-brown eyes.

"About time you showed up, you ungrateful brat…" Ah Akane-San. Life in T&I wouldn't be the same without the older woman's gravelly voice caused by years of smoking echoing in the dark halls, calling him a brat or yelling at some other low level smootch for failing to make her favorite tea after a successful interrogation session. When he had started his apprenticeship with them at the tender age of eleven, seven years ago now, he heard that Akane had been one of the first women to join T&I, and had been its top member since the day she had joined. "You gonna tell me the name of your little girlfriend you got that lunch from, or am I gonna have to ring it out of you?" Akane asked, eyeing the lunch in his hand that was covered by a very feminine colored cloth.

"She's not my girl," Ibiki said, smiling. "She's that girl that Kakashi brought back with him after his last mission. I went to see if the rumors were true, and they offered for me to stay for lunch. When Aoi found I had to come here, she gave me some of the food from their lunch for my own."

"So that whole story was true?" Ibiki nodded to his teacher's question, the woman looking stumped before letting out a loud cackling laugh, quickly stopping to cough as she took out her favorite brand of death sticks, taking a deep puff when she managed to light it. "Good for him. That brat deserves some happiness after all the shtick he's been through…"

After a long pause silenced the small dark room, a grin that would've made the cheshire cat green with envy or hide in fear stretched across his face. "Wanna know what she called him?"

The look in the older woman's navy blue eyes took on a deadly curious gleam to them as the two members of T&I spent the rest of the night gossiping like old housewives...