EKUSA

Chapter 4: Carelessness Is Your Worst Enemy

-Kakashi's POV-

"The most important thing for a shinobi is to be able to hide yourself," I said as I looked around the forest. I rubbed the back of my neck. Nice… They're all hidden very well.

"Come here!" Naruto crossed his arms and shouted at me. "Fight me!"

Ekusa was desperately trying (and struggling) to drag him away. "Uzumaki-kun, please let us hide."

"I said fight me!" he continued to yell as he was getting pulled.

"A sweat drop formed on my forehead as I sighed. "Uhm.. You're a little bit off.."

-Sasuke's POV-

I watched everything ensue as I hid at the top of a tree. "Two total bakas…"

"The only thing that's a bit off is your haircut!" Naruto charged after Kakashi-sensei, but stopped once he reached inside his bag.

"Shinobi fighting lesson #1: Taijutsu." Kakashi-sensei slowly pulled the item out. "I'll teach you about it."

Taijutsu is shinobi hand to hand combat… but… he's going to use a weapon? I almost fell off the branch I was on in shock once Kakashi-sensei pulled out a book. "What's wrong? Hurry up and attack me!" he announced as he flipped open the book and began reading.

Naruto was frazzled. "But.. Hey?! What's with the book?"

"I just want to know what happens next, but don't worry, it won't make a difference against you guys."

"I'll totally kick your ass!" Naruto rolled up his sleeves and tried some kicks and punches, but each attack was accurately blocked by Kakashi-sensei. His eyes never left the book!

-Kakashi's POV-

As I was easily defending Naruto's attacks, I felt something graze my hip and the bells shifted. I slammed my book shut and jumped away. I glared at Ekusa who has been picking pebbles at the back ever since she gave up on dragging Naruto away. "You." With a small jump, she jolted and turned her attention to me. My eyebrows scrunched. She did something… But I didn't sense her at all… Is she really that fast? Impossible… She tilted her head in confusion, as I continued to stare at her. I finally spoke, "… What's wrong? If you don't get a bell before noon, you won't get lunch."

She simply shook her head, stood up, and responded fairly loud compared to how she usually talks, "I know I could easily get the bell if I worked together with Uzumaki-kun, but he is trying his best and learning a lot from his spar. I do not wish to intrude. Also…" She nonchalantly threw the pebbles up and caught them repeatedly. "Is this task not fairly easy to do?"

My eyebrow twitched at her cocky statement. "Let's see you try first."

"Hai." And with that, the chakra around her thickened and became more intense. She pushed off her back heel and began to charge towards me... or so I thought. "Ue?" … she tripped right after the first step.

Reacting quickly, I caught her mid-fall. Nothing could be heard but the jingle of the bells and the wind shuffling the tree branches. I released a breath and let out a small chuckle. "Oh Ekusa-chan."

"A- Arigato gozaimasu sensei," she stuttered as her cheeks turned slightly pink from embarrassment. She couldn't look at me, as she quickly stood up, getting away from my hold. "I- I will just r- run away and find a place that is more a- a- advantageous to me." Once she said that, she disappeared from sight in a blink of an eye.

She makes me feel uneasy.