Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 6: Senpai

"The way you make it sound. It's as if you're trying to get me to...love." Sai said, his eye contact never faltering. Kotoko had to keep herself from turning a different color.

"Of course...that will come with time. But for now you could just use the word...affection? Care? Something along those lines. I'll try to embed it into you in the simplest way. By letting you experience them from another." The girl smiled, leaning closer to him with a glint in her eyes.

"Haruhara...you like me, don't you?" Sai asked. Kotoko was slightly taken back by the blunt question and couldn't control herself as her cheeks turned slightly red. Acting as if Sai said nothing and only called her by surname the girl laughed. "Call me Kotoko..."

"Those two sure are getting along." A voice spoke from behind Hikari. "Yeah, really." The black and crimson haired girl giggled. "Wait, what?" She quickly turned her head and was face to face with her handsome captain. Hikari jumped and let out a small yelp, smacking her face on the tree.

"Um, are you alright?" Kakashi asked, glancing down at the girl. Hikari laid face down on the tree branch, her hand twitching as she suffocated the pain. "Yeah, of course! I'm great..."

Kakashi took a seat next to the girl, helping her up. "You just scared the crap out of me, senpai." Hikari smiled, as she rubbed her marked face. "Heh. Sorry. I thought you knew I was here. I've been behind you for the last ten minutes. " He

responded.

"Huh?" Hikari blushed a bit, hoping she didn't do anything embarrassing in the past ten minutes. "You know..that Sai guy's pretty...unique" Hikari stated, glancing over at the jounin. "That's a nice way to put it. He is quite different. But that's the sacrifice for being in Root. " Kakashi sighed.

"Root?" The kunoichi questioned. "It's an underground Anbu organization. Its members are trained not to have emotion. It's a sad case really." Kakashi explained.

Hikari looked down at Sai. Words were barely audible from the distance in between them. "No wonder he's such a jerk. I guess it's not really his fault." She said.

Kakashi chuckled. "You could put it that way. I'm sure you found that out by spying on them this long." Hikari gasped. "I'm not spying! I was just merely...observing. It's rude to spy. Besides I can't really hear what they're saying because we're too far away."

"It just spells out spying to me." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "And what were you doing, Kakashi-senpai?" Hikari shot back. "Oh, I was just observing." The shinobi retorted. Hikari sighed in defeat. "Well I couldn't help it. There was nothing to do, and I can't fall asleep. I'm actually a bit anxious."

"You should relax more." Kakashi advised, his eyes falling down on the girl's caramel face. "That's easy for you to say. You can sit there and read Icha Icha all day and be satisfied." Hikari pointed out.

"Actually," Kakashi started. "I wish that way the case." He hung his head in dismay, as he remembered the missing page of his novel. "I hope this mission is over soon." He muttered to himself.

"I guess you're not taking your own advice senpai. You're definitely not relaxed." Hikari giggled. " It seems that I'm unable to sleep as well."A small crease formed under Kakashi's mask as he smiled.

Hikari stared at the mysterious jounin in awe. She felt a bit at ease knowing that small bit of information. "Kakashi-senpai can I ask you a question? Forgive me if it may be a little personal." Hikari gazed a Kakashi's curious face. "Sure, go ahead." Kakashi said, used to having 'fans' of sort. Hikari took a deep breath to gather her composure.

"What's under your mask?" She asked, afraid of his response. "Oh? You want me to show you?" He asked, his face growing serious. Hikari nodded. "Yes, please senpai." She urged.

"You really wanna know?" Kakashi asked, ever so slowly leaning closer to the kunoichi. Hikari nodded again. "Are you sure?" The jounin asked, merely inches away from her face. Hikari gave him a furious nod. She looked like a red and black bobble head doll.

Hikari held her breath in anticipation, sweat staring to form on her forehead. "It's..." Kakashi began, looping a finger inside his mask. "Another mask!" The jounin pulled down his mask, only to reveal another mask.

There was a thud as Hikari smack her head against the tree, but this time quite willingly. Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. "Something wrong?" He asked the kunoichi. "No, nothing at all, senpai." Hikari commented.

The kunoichi picked herself up and brushed off small traces of bark on her shirt and skirt. "I'm going for a walk!" Hikari said, pouting from disappointment. She placed her hands on her hips and began to walk away. The girl gasped when Kakashi's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"And not coming back I presume?" He asked. "What do you mean" She asked, taken back by his sudden action. The male shinobi nodded underneath them and Hikari noticed that she only had one foot on the tree branch and the other hovered in mid-air.

Hikari began to chuckle nervously. "I guess I wasn't planning on coming back, huh?" She asked. "Unless you can walk on air." Kakashi teased. "A-actually senpai. This may sound crazy but I'm working on proving that theory to be plausible." Hikari smiled at the jounin.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and tugged her back so she was no longer in danger of falling. "Heh. Really? You sound like Naruto with that statement." He chuckled. Hikari blushed."What's that supposed to mean?!" She said defensively.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing...I just mean that you sound like you're trying to prove the impossible." Kakashi said, clarifying his statement. "Oh. I see. I guess it is kinda out there, huh?" Hikari let out a small chuckle. "

It sounds like it. But I've seen the impossible turn into the possible in my days." Kakashi said, pulling his outer mask back over his face. "In your days? You can't be that old...just how old are you senpai?" Hikari questioned, her eyes narrowing bit. "Older than you." Kakashi stated.

"Must you state the obvious senpai?" Hikari sighed. "But you don't look too old, you still look rather youthful. That's a good thing, retain your youth!" The kunoichi's words reminded him of something his zealous friend, Might Gai would say. Kakashi placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. Hikari was taken off guard by this action, causing Kakashi to chuckle. Strands of hair messily fell into her face. She looked up at the jounin and gave him a small smile.

"You know, I half expected you to blush after that. Does that mean I'm forcing you to become flustered less easily? " The male shinobi asked, glancing down at the kunoichi. Hikari wasn't flustered then, but she was now. "Kakashi-senpai!" She said angry at his teasing. "I'm going on my walk now." She stated, ready to get away from her captain before she was flustered any further.

"Here. Let me help you so you won't walk yourself six feet underground. No ninja could live falling from this height." The Hatake offered, putting an arm around her shoulder he picked her up bridal style. He leaped onto the nearest tree branch of the neighboring tree, making his way down the branches with ease, yet caution. They were both on the ground in a matter of seconds, landing behind their camp site. Kakashi, glanced through the trees and saw Kotoko fast asleep, and Sai keeping watch. The silver haired shinobi sat the junior on her feet.

Hikari's face turned a tinge of pink. "T-thanks. But, you know I could've gotten down by myself." She commented. "True, but just to be safe. I'd hate to go back and report to the Hokage how we lost one of our team members." Kakashi said, scratching his cheek. "Eh...I suppose Lady Tsunade wouldn't like that." Hikari chuckled.

"Besides, do you mind if I join you on your walk? We could get a bit of that training done if time allows." The jounin said, glancing over at the girl for her reaction. Hikari gasped, her crimson eyes widening with joy. "Of course not! What are we waiting for, Kakashi-senpai?" And with that the kunoichi sprinted into the night, guided only by the starlight.