To Guest reviewer: Sorry Guest, if you ever read this message, I still like them! :D
'Will you tell me more about your home?'
Back to the huge plain where Kakashi and Sakura first met face-to-face, in his dreams, they can still talk. For once in many years, he could ease his loneliness a little.
Well, I have a few friends I am close to. As you know, I live at the edge of the forest.
'Is it not inconvenient for you to see your friends, then?'
A little. There's only so far a frog and fish fairy can go and my tree friends, they can't really move much. It isn't too bad with the flowers and other animals though.
'They...are fairies too?'
Hm? What do you mean? Everyone is a fairy.
'Oh. How are they like? The frog and fish.'
Humph! They like to argue a lot!
'...'
You know how frogs and fishes are! They even fight over which food is theirs!
'Well, frogs and fishes do prey on insects...'
I guess there's no helping with that. Strangely enough, they are the best of friends.
'...What about your other friends?'
My best friend is a magnolia, and she's together with another friend of mine, a lotus. We always fight with one another...
There was a pause.
'How about your tree friends?'
Oh! One of them who I am closer to, he loves scaring everyone. He always make sure his eyes were wide open and close to our faces.
A laugh. Then a chuckle.
I have another friend too who's a tree though she's more like an elder sister.
'Mm,'
...I wish I could be with her now. How sad it must be to lose someone whom you had loved all your life.
'...Sakura?'
A sniffle.
Sorry...I wish to be alone.
Kakashi woke up feeling slightly lost. He was not quite sure what triggered Sakura to have a change in her demeanor. The only thing he could do for her now was to find that 'eccentric demon slayer'.
After leaving the inn, he went to the medicinal hall.
"Welcome! How can I help you?" The pharmacist greeted him warmly.
"Good morning," Kakashi raised hand. "Any medicine for colds? Just a week's worth."
"A week's worth of cold medicine coming right up!" The pharmacist then turned around to gather the ingredients and weigh them.
"So, Pharmacist-san, what's new in town?"
"Hm? We have a festival coming soon. There would be the usual food stands and the parade."
"Oh? What festival?"
"The Flower Festival. Our town adores flowers. Everyone will bring their own to the town square for display. There's a competition too with different categories. The winners gets a crate of the Asana's produce. They produce the nicest ones around here."
"Mmm, I see." Kakashi nodded.
"I am done! Anything else?"
"Some salve for cuts too."
"Okay!" As the pharmacist got back to work again, Kakashi asked his million ryo question. "So, Pharmacist-san, have you ever heard of a demon slayer near here?"
Almost instantly, the pharmacist let go of a container he was holding. Before it could land on to the floor and spill its contents, Kakashi moved forward to catch it.
"Pharmacist-san?" He blinked.
"S-sorry for that. Thank you." The pharmacist took the container hastily, this time round, preparing the salve at a much faster rate.
"So you know something." Kakashi took a step closer till the only thing separating him and the pharmacist was his work desk.
"I-I don't know anything about this demon slayer you speak of!" The pharmacist shrank under Kakashi's scrutiny.
"Please tell me, it is very important to me."
"Like I said, I don't know anything!" The pharmacist turned his back, working faster than ever.
"I need to find him."
"When I said I don't know anything I mean it!"
"Even if it involves someone's life?"
"..." The pharmacist paused, and looked at him. "You are not joking."
"No. I am not," His eyes alone proved the severity of the situation despite the pharmacist being unable to see his clenched jaws. He took a few steps away to give the pharmacist back his personal space.
"Please. I really need to find him." Then, he bowed.
A few seconds went by silent.
"...Come a little closer. I can't talk about it loudly."
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head.
"Look, it is kind of taboo in this town. He lives near here." The pharmacist whispered.
"Taboo?"
"Quiet! He's... Eccentric."
"And?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow. What was so bad about it? The pharmacist groaned and Kakashi fought the urge to shake the answer out of him.
"He does his job but there's a slight problem. Because his personality is so strange, he scares off travellers like you when rumours spread."
"That bad?"
"Uh huh. I know it sounds ungrateful but the town was in bad state hence everyone decided to not mention him at all and send him off along his way as soon as possible when he comes to buy some things."
Kakashi sighed.
"Where does he live?"
"In the mountains near our town."
"...You are joking." Kakashi stared. No doubt his quest to find this 'eccentric demon slayer' just became infinitely harder.
The pharmacist stared back, looking a little creepy. "I kid you not."
Well here I am!
Finally making his way to the mountains where the demon slayer lived, Kakashi started trekking up the mountains.