Once again I trudged behind the group, taking random notions of everything around me. My mood had eased a bit, compared to how it was before we had been in the hot-springs – like, grumpy. My mind was still set on finding good ways to escape the stupid city.
"Toshi?" Naruto suddenly walked by my side, looking dumbly up at me. He pulled my sleeve a bit to get my attention and I looked down at him with a groan. What did he want?
"You really look different now" he said in a low voice, as if his mind was somewhere else.
"Naruto, baka!" Sakura shouted and held up a fist towards the bright blonde. I rolled my eyes with a snort. Did I really look that much different just from washing my face off?
"What? Believe it! Am I the only one who thinks she looks different?" he whined looking mostly for a reaction from Sasuke and Kakashi. His jaw dropped when no one even seemed to have heard him, leaving him like an idiot. For some unknown reason it nagged me that they showed him no support. He looked up at me.
"I mean! Did you see Kakashi-sensei's fac—" I moved to the side when Kakashi swooped Naruto under his arm and held a hand over his mouth while laughing as if everything was as normal as ever.
"Naruto don't spit random phrases around you all the time" he said trying to maintain the wrenching Naruto under his arm.
I looked bewildered at both of them. Seriously, what kind of people was it that I had been put under guard of? Kakashi strode a few feet in front of me and put down Naruto whose shirt got half dragged over his head in the process. Kakashi then jumped to a fence (show off) and with a sigh said
"Okay… Toshi, since you're not healthy enough to train with us, you're going back… home" he put an extra pressure on the word 'home' as if he had to spit it out.
No no no, I didn't want to back to that loathsome place! I'd rather be outside… with the team… That sounded kind of odd when I said it myself. I tensed up, looking around to come up with some kind of excuse.
"I already feel much better!" I said and began to stretch out my arms to prove that I was (even though I wasn't) feeling better.
The kids looked at me dumb-founded and an awkward silence fell upon the group… A wind picked up the leafs in the trees and a crow cried somewhere in the distance. I scratched my hair and looked at Kakashi's bored expression.
"You think that you're so much better that you can train with us?" he asked cocking an eyebrow, looking at me as if I was dumb… I snorted cockily at his savour comment.
"Yeah, really." I challenged him with my eyes, daring him to believe me.
A sudden tense silence fell upon the group. Kakashi's silver hair swayed when a breeze came across us and though his expression was indifferent I could still feel the tension coming from him. I was about to move my foot subtly and that was all it took to trigger Kakashi into action. I found myself suddenly dodging his kick in the last instant of hitting my face. I groaned in shock trying withhold the force of the kick with my arm. I clenched my teeth hard, as he kept the force against my wrist. The kick had sent yet another wave of pain down my back and after a few seconds he had forced me down on my knees just by pressing his leg against my arm. How unbelievably annoying! He looked at me indifferently which apparently was his favorite expression- and removed his leg when I finally began to gasp. With him in my presence for a longer period I couldn't guarantee that I could keep Eien hidden. Some day, I would just blow up on him, and release Eien. I would totally own him.
I rested my hands on the ground in surrender and scowled up at him
"Still pretending to be tough I see" he said and crossed his arms. I tore my eyes away from him with a frustrated hiss and stood up with a raised head.
"Kakashi-sensei that wasn't fair!" Sakura whined. I snorted and brushed off my knees
"It doesn't matter what he says. I know my place, I know that I don't fit in here and that I'm a burden to everyone… The only reason that I'm here us because of your stupid hokage and because he—" I pointed at Kakashi, looking him directly in the eyes, as though my speech was directed to Sakura.
"- Got stuck with me" I said darkly. Kakashi returned my staring a bit more mildly than mine seeming to comprehend what I'd just said.
"As a matter of fact are you right about what you just said. So nothing has changed…" He said lowering his shoulders and smiling with his one visible eye.
A jolt of sadness swirled up in me for some reason. The way that he just rejected my complain bluntly seemed to somehow hurt inside. I didn't know why… I wasn't attached to him or anything – and THAT was the annoying thing. Why'd feel hurt by someone I barely know? Was this experience really taking more in me than I had realized in the first place? Did I really deep down inside believe that someone was taking an interest in 'me'? I got confused by the situation and I was sure that some of the more aware of the group had caught that up.
"But Kakashi-sensei we're not a burden are we?" Naruto asked. He was so inquisitive of nature.
"No, we're team 7. We fight to protect the ones we love. A concept lost to some people." he glanced over at me as he spoke to Naruto.
My temperament began to burn when he said all those things. I wanted to growl furiously and crush something with my bare hands, cause he was absolutely right! It was a concept I didn't understand, but they did… And I didn't… and they did… I was left out, like usual. I'd never had anyone to care about; therefore I didn't understand what the big fuzz was about – saving other people. But this was what he wanted, right? To get me to think all these things through and to reconsider my way of thinking.
"Can't she just watch us train then?" Sasuke muttered annoyed, breaking the silence.
"That would perhaps spare us some energy" Kakashi said, agreeing with Sasuke… In his own way.
A smug smirk creped on my face as I patted Kakashi playfully on the shoulder (perhaps a bit harder than I'd intented)
"Yeah, that'll be nice." I said, knowing that my sudden complete change in attitude only would get on his hidden nerves.
Yep, it was obvious that something in him triggered though he was very good (I must applause) at hiding it. Treating him with no respect and showing that his small mind-games wouldn't get to me (even though they did) seemed to mildly irritate him.
It took some time to walk to the grassed area of a training field. The area was completely isolated from the noise of the city which I found quite pleasant. Grass and weeds grew freely around the many trees that surrounded the used area, approximately a place that had been used for training for many generations. Naruto walked forwards with his hands behind his head, looking into the blue and cloud-free sky. Sakura watched Sasuke in admiration throw a kunai up and down in his hands as Kakashi walked a bit further away seeming to inspect the field. The sound of the wind in the surrounding trees whistled peacefully in my ears and I decided to settle under the shadow of a large oak tree.
"Okay guys, ninja-rule numer 3; ninjutsu" Kakashi said as the kids gathered around him.
The weather was hot, and the sun stood in high in the sky as I sat in the grass under the tree, watching the team train. I'd never really taken my time to sit and gaze at someone train, forming close bonds together as they were learning. It was like there was this whole other world. Like a small bubble in which they lived peacefully together, every day seeming to go by in a slow and relaxed tempo. Every day being a nice summer-day like this one in this time-capsule where time stood still… I suddenly felt very lonely, just sitting there under the tree like some freak in a sideshow that was doomed to stay in the shadow of their lightness forever… They all had their own personality traits. I even took myself in smiling at Naruto sometimes he was just so charismatic; being very exuberant, easily excitable, impulsive and had a very short attention span. He just had this strong vigour which I could only sit and marvel at. But he was also being relatively naïve, being slow at understanding what Kakashi was trying to teach him. A chill ran through me as a picture of Naruto's angry face ran across the backside of my eyelids. The blue eyes that stared at me and the harsh words that I would never forget. If I ever entered Naruto's mind I was sure that his will itself would burn me out of his mind like a giant flame. Was it the infamous will of fire I was thinking of right now? Behind my eyelids Naruto's face changed form slowly into a grown up. One grey eye and one red eye staring coldly at me. I wasn't able to catch up many things about Kakashi's personality except that he was fairly patient with Naruto… As he had been with me.
Naruto growled in the distance, helping me with snapping out of my train of thoughts. He then shouted something at Kakashi while pointing accusing at Sasuke before stomping off with his arms folded over his chest like a child. He looked really bitter and pissed as he made his way over to me kicking stones randomly away in the process. He didn't even look at me as he plumped down beside me with a "hmpf". I looked at him in marvel, suppressing a mocking giggle that was tickling my throat, begging to come out.
"What?" he snapped at me
"… Nothing." I proclaimed and looking away from him again, biting my lip to suppress that laugh. I didn't know what he was doing to me, he was just hilarious. A gust air rushed into my mouth from my lungs and I had to smack a hand over my mouth, keeping myself from laughing.
"WHAT?" he shouted temperamentally.
I couldn't suppres it anymore. A laugh forced its way out of my mouth and I basically cracked up while holding my arms around my stomach. I laughed with open mouth and smacked my head backwards. Seriously, I didn't know what it was about him that was so funny. At the same time I'd apparently demanded the attention of everyone else around me cause Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke was looking over at me dumb-founded.
"Who're you laughing at lady?" he shouted and jumped up on his feet. He held a threatening fist up to my face.
I struggled a bit in the try of stopping my laugh and ended up with tears in the corner of my eyes as my laugh fated into a snicker.
"Sorry Naruto" I said and brushed a tear away with my finger.
"Like you can do any better! Mrs-acting-cold-and-cool" he whined trying to imitate a girls voice.
"What did you call me?" I snapped. No I wasn't in my period, my mood is just easy to change.
I don't think I'll ever be able to tell if Naruto actually is going to hit me, but he definitely looked like he was about to. I held up a fist to remind him that he should keep his distance as well, and suddenly without any warning we began to curse at eachother.
"You're avoiding my question, lady!" He shouted, eyebrows furrowed hard down above his eyes. Apparently he had decided to call me lady at times when he didn't like me.
"I don't have to answer it!" I snapped back at him.
We kept yelling at eachother so much that it came to a point where we were arm-wrestling without any table or object under our arms. Naruto growled under my strength, fire spitting out of his eyes. Suddenly Kakashi stood behind Naruto (I'd been too busy to notice his nearing), he pulled the kid backwards by his neck, irritation evident in his eye.
"Stop you two" he snapped calmly.
"But she was laughing at me!" Naruto whined crossing his arms over his chest like a spoiled brat.
"You called me Mrs-acting-cold-something" I said in my defence… As if I really had to defence myself in the first place.
"Maybe because you are!" he snapped back, struggling suddenly to get free of Kakashi's grip.
"You can't deny that." Kakashi said.
"Why do YOU care?" I muttered and crossed my arms like Naruto.
"Well… You're offending one of my students" he said matter-of-factly.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't have anything to say. My mind just seemed to have stopped producing any comebacks. Even though I didn't want to admit it, I knew exactly what about this whole situation that made my temper worsen.
"Okay, just go ahead with the condescending thing… I now I've never had any friend, so I'll never get it, bla. Bla." I said and turned my head away.
"I was never talking condescending … " he said and cocked an eyebrow confused
I'd always learned to detach myself from other people, which was why I had no friends. Eien had always taught me to only depend on myself, and now they were fluttering friendship and good morals right in my face, it wasn't fair! When I had the change I would take the run out of this town! Kakashi released Naruto's arms and forced him to sit down again before sitting down himself in front of me and Naruto. My eyes flickered a bit because of his unusual way of handling the situation, by sitting down like some… Some teacher!
"Sakura, Sasuke, come and join" he said and waved the two kids over.
"Come on, can't we just train?" Sasuke groaned and crossed his arms.
"This is also training Sasuke." Kakashi said and moved to make space for both of them. Sakura didn't budge out of the place before Sasuke rolled his eyes and decided to do as his sensei suggested. I eyed him suspiciously from the corner of my eyes.
"What are you up to?" I asked.
"Why don't you tell us something about yourself?" he asked, smiling with his eye.
I didn't want to share anything with them and began to pout like a child, refusing to say anything.
"Come on we've already done that" Sasuke muttered and looked darkly into the distance.
"Relax Sasuke" Kakashi said glancing over at the dissatisfied kid. Kakashi then looked over at me, his eyes persuading me to spit it out.
"I don't want to tell about myself." I said indifferently with a hint of disgust evident in my face… Seriously. I had a subtle eye-battle with Kakashi for a few moments before he cleared his throat, tired of being patient.
"If I go first will you then?" he suggested. I brooded a bit around his suggestion, and since everyone was staring expectantly at me I decided to reluctantly give in.
"Fine…" I muttered and rolled my eyes at him.
"Okay… My name is Kakashi Hatake. What I like... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future..hmm... never really thought about that..as for my hobbies... well I have a lot of hobbies." He said taking a finger to his chin.
"Kakashi-sensei you told us the exact same thing! You're so lame!" Naruto shouted getting up on his feet I a split second.
"Sit down Naruto." Kakashi said and pulled down Naruto again.
His way of explaining was just so indifferent and boring that I seriously considered just shutting up.
"What about your past? And your personal life?" I asked him, leaning forward to dare him with my eyes.
In only the blink of an eye his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly; I almost thought that my eyes tricked me, but he after looked half-asleep as before.
"That's none of your business" he said bluntly, keeping my eyes locked to his.
"Why? Why want you tell? Do have some kind of dirty secret?" I asked cocking my eyebrow. A little voice in my head told me play while the game was still fun, and to turn down the cocky attitude just a tan.
The kids actually looked very curious as well, now directing their full attention to him.
Kakashi felt a bubbling irritation towards Toshi inside of him. Ticked him off a little bit that she was actually getting to him, cause that was what she wanted. When he had seen her laugh he had actually thought that she was already beginning to open up, but as soon as she had stopped laughing her sullen attitude was up in the glimpse of an eye. This only made it harder to collect any data about her. Actually it was like he regretted saying yes to the hokage, but the regret only came in waves. But Kakashi wasn't going to speak about his personal life. He preferred to keep it separate from his interactions with this students, and everyone else for that matter.
"The day you tell me about your past and personal life; I may consider telling you about mine." he answered, knowing that she wasn't going to tell him anything.
I looked at him indifferently but with a slight pout to my mouth. He knew that I wasn't going to tell him anyway. He must be very good at analyzing people…
"Well, we better get you home Toshi" he then said and stood up, brushing off his pants.
"H-home? Aren't you guys going to do some other thing?" I stuttered and looked around me to find something that could entertain the kids.
"Um… No" he answered pleasantly. That left me to only sigh and pout some more like I usually did.
"Well I'll go train some more." Sasuke murmured and strolled off to somewhere with Sakura in his heals.
"Kakashi-sensei? What about treating me some ramen because I've been so good at training today. I promise I'll go train afterwards so I can catch up to Sasuke." Naruto smiled widely to Kakashi, like a really bad attempt to look like happy puppy.
"Hn? You now that ramen isn't food for a healthy ninja. Besides… Don't you have any money?" Kakashi cocked an eyebrow suspiciously at Naruto. His smile faded, replaced by a sorrowful expression as he began to dig after something in his pockets. Automatically I began to tense a little bit, just of pure reflects; seriously, who knew what he had hidden in there? To my relief he pulled out a frog-like wallet which, judging by its flat form was completely empty.
"Look at Gamachan… So hungry." Naruto mumbled looking more like he was speaking his own mind rather than … Gamachan's.
Cute, he has a name for it, I thought sarcastically. Kakashi didn't even as much reply to Naruto, he simply pulled out an orange book, placing it in front of his face. I looked at Kakashi dumb-founded as did Naruto. But Naruto broke loose as soon as Kakashi was up standing, sprinting to his side, desperate for food;
"ooh, come on Kakashi-sensei!"
"No Naruto, and stop pulling my vest. You're ruining it." Kakashi made no attempt to get Naruto off of him and yet Naruto just stopped with a pout. He had with no expectations towards me, begun to just walk, probably assuming that I was going to follow… And he was right. With a smirk pulling in the corners of my mouth I began to stroll after the two. Apparently Kakashi was quite irritated when Naruto was barging him too much. Perhaps he got more irritable when he had that weird book?
"So you're a dedicated reader? What kind of book is that?" I asked as I caught up with the two. He didn't even take his eyes away of the book as he answered me.
"M-hm."
"Kakashi?" – it was actually weird saying his name… I looked at him as if he was dumb. He didn't even listen to me!
"Not a book for children." His visible eye curved a little as if he was smiling behind his mask.
"What book is it?" I asked trying to suppres the annoyance that was evident in my voice. But there came no answer… Just me, who looked stupid and awkward as we entered the sandy paths between the houses of Konoha. When I tried to snatch it out of his hands he simply moved it out of the way and then he replied with a;
"Don't even try." And then continue to read.
My insides began to boil mildly; I don't even think that he knew that he was provoking me so much. I looked ahead and took a deep calming breath, uselessly knowing that it wasn't going to calm me one bit. My next approach to his book was more like a hunter trying to get near his pray without scaring it. Slowly I took my hand towards the book, carefully watching for any unpredictable movements, until I got my fingers pressed around the top of his book. I tugged a bit in it to get some life into the man, as I looked at him expectantly. His grey eye wandered (oh my god, it's a miracle!) to mine as he stopped walking.
"Um, what are you doing?" he asked as if he was dense, seeming to be suddenly stiff and if I weren't mistaking – a little bit threatening too.
"You didn't answer my question properly."
"…Release." He said simply without blinking. I looked into the sky and then at the ground as if I was searching for something.
"You know, this isn't a genjutsu." I was referring to his simple choice of words 'release', which ninja's often had a habit to say out loud when they were trapped in a genjutsu and was trying to get out… Enough of that. I tugged a bit in his book again, meeting his stern gaze.
"What'cha reading?" I asked.
"I don't think it's of any of your interest." He answered simply.
"How do you know?" Kakashi finally moved his eyes away from mine, suddenly seeming to ponder about my question.
"Let's just say that you don't seem like the type." He answered.
As I was about to say something snappy, when a sudden reflex pulled my head a little more backwards to observe my current position. It occurred to me that Kakashi had pulled his book closer to himself and that I was following absentmindedly which meant that I suddenly stood uncomfortably close to him (in my opinion). He was taller than me and seemed to suddenly tower over me as he had done in the hospital and at the same time he looked at me in that lazy-ass way. Immediately I took a step backwards while clearing my throat.
"Huh? Do I intimidate you?" he asked, tilting his head a bit to the side questioningly. Apparently he had been able to read the look in my face regardless of how little he knew me.
To get things straight: I know that I act childish; don't misunderstand me, I still don't like the guy… on the contrary.
"Kind of." I muttered as he began to walk again. I turned around awkwardly to follow him, now that I'd let go of his book. He took a finger to his chin and looked in to the sky.
"I usually have the opposite effect on girls." He said, glancing over at me with a hint of a smirk hidden behind his mask.
"I usually HAVE that effect on men." I replied sarcastically, even though it was the truth. If he was as smart as he seemed, he'd probably figured that out himself.
It wouldn't surprise me if he was just bragging smugly. He sure didn't seem like a prince-charming to me.
Kakashi eyed her thoughtfully. He doubted that men were intimidated by her at first sight. She wasn't that tall, not that muscular, not even clumsy. He would bet his sharingan that some of the by passers of the gender male, had already checked her out. She just didn't notice- to his luck. That would probably course some trouble. On the other hand. However; when someone would get her attention, they probably would feel intimidated by her, no question about that. He had a weird feeling about her, she was going to be a bigger handful than he had planned, and he did not mean that in the good way!
As soon as she was beginning to behave better that would mean that she was just like any other woman, and he could back to normal. He sighed inwardly; it probably wasn't as simple as that. He WAS in fact a little concerned about her future. She could easily fall into the wrong hands and being as young and inexperienced as she was, she's (hopefully) easy to shape. Apart from that, was he a little bit suspicious about her abilities as a ninja. If she had managed to kill all those assassins and so on, she was probably pretty strong, right? She just didn't seem that strong. So, was she hiding something?
When she had stepped away from him, suddenly seeming mortified by something he couldn't help but remember what she'd said in the hot springs.
"Sorry, I'm not used to being touched" She'd said. Nope, she didn't know how to handle physical contact due to her general lack in human-contact… But would a loner be completely frightened of physical contact? No. Small details could tell much about a person. As a ninja, you always had to pay attention to the smallest of details. She must've been hurt or abandoned at a very young age, left to hate those who abandoned her. He fought a natural habit of putting a finger to his chin. But there was that master she had been talking about who had taught her to be a ninja. What kind of master would teach his student to be so sad, dark, not to mention depressing! She was so fucked up that she couldn't tell when people were genuine or not.
Since Kakashi was so nice to take a slow trip to the prison I took my time as before to actually put together the streets so my sense of direction wouldn't be so damned bad in this city. Children ran in the streets between gardens, laughing and playing games. Some was trying to wriggle out old shuriken that were stuck in the wooden fences here and there. The peace was so far beyond my understanding that I felt misplaced (again) and my mood got more sullen than before. And on top of that I had a highly trained, not to mention weird, ninja guarding me… I wouldn't say 'I was most important mission so far'… Actually he was watching me fairly relaxed and not in the way when you almost feel as if they watch your every little step. Maybe I should be thankful for that? What am I talking about, there's nothing to be thankful for here!
"Here we are." Kakashi moved his eyes away from his book and looked up happily. My heart fell all the way down to me feet realizing that we were already at the prison. My temporary home. My shelter.
"I'm so excited." I said monotone and looked at the building, which in daylight was grey.
I tilted my head. I hadn't seen the building from outside in brought daylight and it didn't look as sad as the night I had arrived. A shiver ran involuntary down my spine as memories of the night ran through my body, reliving the pain and the cold air against my skin.
"Come on." Kakashi nodded for me to go follow him. Like I had a choice!
I was 'greeted' by the guards in the usual unfriendly manner, nothing new actually since I already had created quite a reputation amongst the guards since I never left my cell. I doubted that anyone was getting along with the guards though. I wished goodbye to the false freedom I'd experienced today and was lead to my cell by Kakashi and a guard.
"This is pathetic." I muttered and gazed at the grey room which seemed to turn a spark of great irritation inside me.
Kakashi looked at me from the door which was still open, a hint of understanding visible in his eyes.
"Lighten up, I'll see you tomorrow." The door was closed before I even considered answering him.
"Yeah, see you." I said knowing that no one could hear me.
The silence fell upon me once again, in big contrast to the lively streets outside. The new skin on my back tightened every time I moved. I felt as if I could rip it apart as easy as thin paper (yeah gross) which tells a little bit about how vulnerable I actually was. It seemed as if the day today only had been a dream and that I'd just woken up. Closing up again and throwing away the key, everything today seemed as spilled milk.
Don't cry over spilled milk… It's not worth it.
For the next few days Kakashi came to pick me up at the prison. I found out a major detail about him; he never came at a curtain time, but had better luck with coming at inopportune moments like when I was washing me feet in the sink… (don't ask). At the same time he always refused to tell me when he was coming the next day, and when he finally did pick me up I went with him to watch the team train. I behaved myself mostly, just sitting the usual oak tree, but don't get me wrong. I only behave because of my damned wounds which was getting better day by day. Strangely, because of the daily routine, I found myself beginning to relax around the kids and Kakashi. I was convinced that they all liked me better when I just behaved myself… Well that was no wonder when I think about it. As a side-effect did I become more closed up and silent. When I was in my cell, all of my natural instincts were suppressed and I became more and more agitated by living there. Not only did Eien begin to tense up and get annoyed cause she could feel it, and had urges herself. As far, I just cooperated with Kakashi supposing that he was much stronger than I even though I'd never fought him in full strength, and instead I contented myself with collecting as much data I could, until my 'big escape'. To drive away my boredom in prison, Kakashi had insisted in lending me an 'educational' book which he had claimed to be a book which had taught him a good deal about:
"The human conditions." As he had nicely proclaimed.
Turned out to be a milder form of his own series of the book 'come come paradise' which was called 'What love?'. Apparently about some civilian boy who was quite manipulative towards girls. It came as a shock to me though how this one girl could, like, charm her way out anything. I read it with a grimaced face, turning a page quickly if something inappropriate happened. I couldn't help but wonder if the book was realistic or not and began to compare myself with some of the girls in the book, just in pure wonder of how the - they did it! The more I read of it though, the more I felt alone in the small grey cell. I had no friends like Tadashi (the main character), no one who came to me with soup when I was sick, no one who – I shook my head viciously to get rid of the thoughts. It was a stupid book for crying out loud! I closed the book and shove it under my pillow when I heard Kakashi's footsteps in the hallway. He appeared in the door way with a displeased guard by his side.
"Hello Toshi." He greeted.
I swung a few strands of hair away from my face and stood up, looking at him indifferently.
"Hi again." I greeted back and shifted my eyes briefly to the sullen guard.
As the routine foretold I followed Kakashi silently as he read his book in streets of Konoha.
"You're going to see the hokage today." He blurted out looking at me over his shoulder. His tone suggested that this was serious matters.
" The… Hokage?" I repeated, blinking a couple of times as if I'd been so used to the routine that my mind couldn't comprehend it.
You see, it hadn't really occurred to me that I eventually was going to see the man who had started this thing, who had ordered Kakashi to come and take me away from my home and then watch over me. Kakashi didn't reply but gave me a serious look as if he told me to step it up. I narrowed my eyes and looked towards the big rooftop that was visible almost anywhere you went.
For the first time in a long time I actually enjoyed jumping from roof to roof. My wounds were a lot better and the air felt much fresher up there than in the warm enclosed streets. I fought an urge to release some of Eien's chakra into my legs and I eventually gave into the tickling feeling and let some of it slip into my legs, coursing me to suddenly jump ahead of Kakashi. He easily caught up with me, seeming just as lazy as always even though I knew he was serious about this. At least he didn't seem to be suspicious about my sudden power burst. But as we sprinted along the roofs it slowly developed into some kind of race between which of us that wanted to be in the front mostly. Kakashi had seemed a bit confused in the beginning, but seemingly just shrugged it off and pretended to let it be a nice race for the fun of it. Or so I thought he felt about it.
"I see your wounds are a lot better now." He stated while he glanced over at me. I didn't smile or anything, but he could probably read it by my body language.
"Yeah, I suppose." I said with a shrug, feeling the tiniest hint of guilt in my stomach because I knew the day of my escape was closing up.
I didn't know why I suddenly felt guilty about it. I was actually beginning to doubt if I even wanted to bother with running away, and still I could put no finger on why I had these thoughts! In the beginning it had been because of my stubbornness and pride, and my actual stay at a prison but when I was out here, jumping around the roofs it seemed far away somehow.
"I've noticed your behavior change a lot in the past few days." He stated again, setting off from a roof.
His voice ripped me out of my thoughts and I looked at him, trying not to look stunned about his straight forwardness.
"… You have?" I asked, fighting to look indifferent.
"Yeah… Why is it?"
"This is just how I am." I replied, confused inside of how he could've noticed. I begged; please just let it go as the hokage's building neared. And luckily he did let it go. Seriously, he was so weird. So relaxed and calm about everything. Not quite the impression I'd gotten of him in the beginning.
As we walked through the hallways of the grand building, small flashbacks came rushing to me of the first time I was here. I walked behind Kakashi in silence, horrified of remembering the pain I'd been in that day. I recognized a picture, but I'd seen it upside down, and in a more blurry version. A shiver ran through me as I tore my eyes away from it. Hanging completely limp and helpless in the arms of a superior ninja was just loathsome! I clenched my fist as we stood in front of the door to the hokages, a sudden rage beginning to tickle my insides. Kakashi knocked once and opened the door.
"Fifth, I'm here with Toshi Setsuko." Kakashi said as the hokage looked up from his pile of papers.
He blew his pipe peacefully and patiently as he eyed me suspiciously. His old face reminded me of the old man back in my village who would always tell me to stay away from his roof. I looked down at the floor where I'd been laying, no visible sign of blood or anything that would've suggested that a wounded girl had once lay there. I was disgusted and fought with myself not to show it.
"So, Setsuko, are you falling into place?" the hokage asked.
"Guess I am." I replied with a shrug, receiving a glance from Kakashi, telling me that I shouldn't be rude.
"Aha. Well, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?" the hokage pulled out a paper and a pencil ready to take notes.
"I believe that you have all the information you need, from the villager in MY town." I said indifferently, appointing that I wasn't here voluntarily.
I didn't feel like being polite even though I knew Kakashi wanted me to. My temper which had been gone for a while was suddenly back like an uncontrollable flame. Kakashi chuckled apologetic as me and the hokage glared smugly at eachother.
"Why was it again that you wanted - of all ninjas in the world – me to be an ally?" I snapped crossing my arms stubbornly.
Kakashi seemed to be a bit startled about the question cause he looked at me with actual interest, since I'd never asked him that question. The hokage chewed a bit in his pipe suddenly relaxed again and glanced briefly at Kakashi.
"If you must know young Setsuko. You happened to be in a nearby town and instead of killing such a person like you I thought that I would do you a favor and give you some substance in your life." He said raising an eyebrow asking if I was happy now.
But I was far from happy. I was more like pissed off in a degree that couldn't be described. I couldn't fight my expression anymore, and I clenched my teeth hard, as a my eyebrows frowned over my eyes. I clenched my fist tight, suddenly not caring about the consequences of my future actions.
"Excuse me, but could I borrow Toshi for a moment?" Kakashi smiled with his one eye, not waiting for an answer as he took me by my upper arm and pulled me with him, afraid that I was going to do something reckless. I didn't take my eyes off of the hokage as he dragged me all the way to the door and outside in the hallway, closing the door politely behind him.
As he turned to me he suddenly didn't look as pleasant as he had done in front of the hokage. He stared at me angrily like a father that looked at his messy child, except that if you didn't know Kakashi, you would just think that he looked mildly annoyed rather than angry.
"What's going on with you Toshi?" he asked dead serious, frustration evident in his voice. I glared through Kakashi's chest to the door behind him.
"That man gets on my damned nerves." I hissed through gritted teeth. I restrained myself from going further in how I felt right now. That was probably the most sane thing to do.
"Look, I know you don't like him because he was the one who took you away and all that, but seriously… Try to act a little more professional." He whispered loudly as if the hokage could hear us. I thought a bit about his words, finally looking him in the eyes before growling lowly.
"I could just…" I made a hand motion as if I was strangling someone in front of me, failing in not letting the chakra in my hands increase.
"Get it together." He said and put warm his hand in of mine to lower it. It shocked me that my body didn't pull away, but just obeyed as if it was paralyzed by the sudden foreign warmth that streamed through the fabric of his glove.
He stole my focus and made me able to take a deep calming breath, in secrecy trying to regain control of my body again.
"Good" he breathed relived –"Now stay calm." He turned around and opened the door again, the hokage looking up from his pile of paper once again.
"Kakashi, I have a mission for you and team 7, will you call for Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke?" he asked, not seeming to acknowledge my presence. I clenched my teeth again and suppressed the returning anger, coursing my left eye to make ticks a little.
"Sure." He replied pleasantly. I looked over at Kakashi as he suddenly bid his thumb and made a handseal in the blink of an eye, slamming his hand to the ground muttering;
"Summoning jutsu." He said loud enough for one to hear that he was putting some energy into the slam. I'd never seen a summoning jutsu before but had sure heard about them. A puff of smoke blurred into my face and I tried to wave it away, disgusted as if someone was blowing smoke from their cigarette into my face. I still didn't like the spicy smell of ninja-smoke.
But I got a bit startled when a small bulldog-ish dog sat in the spot Kakashi had touched, wearing a blue little shirt, and a Konoha headbang… I looked at it sheepishly, having expected something large and terrifying to pop out of the dramatic smoke-veil. But it was just a bulldog of the size of a rabbit, looking lazy-eyed ahead with the exact same expression that Kakashi had. I should've figured though. Of course Kakashi is a dog person! He acts like one.
"Pakun, go get Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke." Kakashi commanded, as if though speaking to the dog as if they were equals.
"Kakashi, what do you think I am? Have some respect for an old dog." I halfway caught a gasp when the dog spoke in a rough manly voice as it sent Kakashi a lazy glare before it ran across the floor, nodded to the hokage and disappeared out of an open window. That was seriously the first time I'd ever seen another animal speak… Apart from Eien.
"Was that really a dog? Like, a ninken? (ninja-dog)" I was pointing to the empty window where it had disappeared. Kakashi looked genuinely confused when I asked this question.
"You've never seen a summoning-jutsu before?" Kakashi asked.
"The Ninken are eight ninja dogs which only Kakashi can summon, cause he has a pact with them." The hokage explained monotone.
I didn't know what to answer other than just look thoughtfully ahead as the two other's looked expectantly at me, until an awkward silence fell upon us and I had no reason to look thoughtfully ahead anymore.
"So, um, what about Toshi?" Kakashi cleared his throat finally breaking the silence.
"Well, on the looks of it, she's going to stay here." The hokage answered with a shrug, stating it matter of factly.
"But that'll mean that she's going to stay at the prison without being able to get out." Kakashi said, suddenly seeming as if he had a case to fight. I looked at him quite amused. I didn't think that he had noticed how I hated being in the prison, and least of all had I thought that he would care. The hokage frowned confused, folding his hands on the table.
"Are you saying that you trust her enough to take her with you? I would say that—" The hokage eyed me suspiciously again –"it would be a great risk to take."
For some unknown reason did I suddenly feel myself tense up, curious about what Kakashi would answer. Were we really talking about trust here? Would they really be stupid enough to trust me? It actually startled me that I hoped that he would say no. It would be really disappointing if he already trusted me. But on the other hand… It would be kind of nice to hear that somebody trusted me.
"It would be a good opportunity to teach her about teamwork." He answered simply, avoiding the actual question.
Teaching me about teamwork… Please.
Before the hokage could answer, someone bashed in the door while shouting.
"ARE WE UP FOR A NEW MISSION?" Naruto's naturally loud voice broke the tense air in the room, as he made his entre making sure to get everyone's attention loudly. He marched in with his chin raised high, followed by Sasuke and Sakura.
"Keep it down loser." Sasuke muttered annoyed.
The dog, Pakun, came trotting in after Sakura and judging by its expression was he not the kind of dog that enjoyed Naruto's almighty 'vigour'. The hokage rubbed the bridge of his nose, waiting for Naruto to keep it down a tad so he could continue.
"If you think you can handle her by yourself." He answered with a sigh, only wanting to get rid of the sudden life in his usually so quiet office.
"Is Toshi coming too?" Naruto barged, running up in front of the hokages desk, smashing his hands excited into the wooden desk, coursing a few papers to fall down from their pile.
"Are you coming Toshi?" Sakura looked up at with big eyes. I'd always found her great… interest in me quite peculiar, since I'd never been really nice to her. I looked down at her sheepishly not knowing how to react to the kids enthusiasm (except for Sasuke).
"Yes, she's coming. Now relax you guys." Kakashi shove his hands into his pockets, sighing of his uncontrollable team.
"YEAH! High five Toshi!" Naruto shouted and strode over to me, holding his hand up in the air.
Naruto's high spirit often seemed to catch me off guard, intimidating me to a point where I just couldn't do anything but stand and stare at him. Therefore I just looked at his hand sheepishly, not knowing what he meant with 'high five'. But he just stood there smiling at me like some maniac, until his smile began to fade after a few moments of awkward silence. He frowned blankly, the situation beginning to sink into his mind.
"Toshi… You're supposed to hit my hand." He said to me, as if I was a complete idiot (which I obviously am). I looked at him dumb-founded
"uuum…" I scratched my neck awkwardly realizing that I probably looked like Naruto when he was left dumb-founded.
"Do you want this mission or not?" The hokage snapped suddenly. Naruto turned around suddenly mortified.
"Of course we want it, right guys? What's the mission? Spit it out, please please? Is it an A-ranked?" I'd learned to just ignore Naruto when he was eager. The questions he asked wasn't questions but just statements. I couldn't help but feel a little bit entertained by him even though I knew the others were annoyed beyond the vast sky.
"It's a C-ranked mission—" Naruto interrupted with a disappointed growl and then a "aaaw."
The hokage cleared his throat once before continuing.
"You're assigned to escort the musician Misaki Mai, to the village hidden in the grass." The hokage flicked through some papers and looked over at Kakashi.
"You'll meet her by a small resident east of the grass-country." He carried on.
After that we gathered in the hallway, Naruto complaining about the low rank of the mission, and how the hokage underestimated the team.
"Listen up, I'll meet you at the gate in… 10 minutes. And don't be late." Kakashi said
As far as that, did the kids run away to get some of their stuff and I did of course follow Kakashi. I fell in silence pace behind him through the streets. I had a hard time to believe that he trusted me enough to take me with him.
"We'll just head past the Konoha Ninja-Clothes Suppliers and Department to get another headband. This is not suited for a mission, and I can't show you my apartment." He said as he stopped and looked over his shoulder to give me an ensuring smile.
I was never really sure if he smiled genuinely or if he just did it because he was SUCH a terrifying good manipulator. And I'm serious about that. I'd seen him train with the kids, and I weren't even sure that they knew that he had a sharingan – but he could trick them easily.
"Whatever." I answered and stuffed my hands deep into my pockets and looked somewhere else than that thing he did with his visible eye.
He'd never taken me anywhere else but the training field and the hot springs, but this was a larger building, containing the basics of clothes and weapons that a ninja needed. He was lead in to the stock with no hesitations, respected and well-known as he obviously was. The stock was large and dark, awfully silent as our footsteps echoed through the whole building. The lightning was very dim, but apparently Kakashi knew his way…
"My headbands are custom made for me, because of my eye." He said suddenly and stopped to look a shelve through.
I tilted my head and frowned a bit. It was like he'd read my thoughts. I shrugged it off and looked elsewhere indifferently. If I tilted one of the huge shelves I could make a great escape out of here and run off. And then Kakashi would've been left like complete idiot!
"You want be able to find your way out of here." His voice broke the silence once again, this time a bit sharper and I snapped my eyes back his… Two eyes.
In the dull lightning of the stock, I found myself quite startled at seeing the red eye piercing into my own eyes, like back then. It was hidden in darkness by the lighting but the red was clearly visible along with his grey eye, the other half of his face lightened up by the nearest lamp. Stunned and confused my mind didn't came up with anything to answer but to think of what exactly that eye was capable of. Was he manipulating me into thinking that he could read my thoughts? Some kind of genjutsu? Or could he just read my body language very well.
"Do my eyes intimidate you?" he asked narrowing his eyes when I didn't answer.
He stood stiffly in the middle of a movement as if he had to prior my possible-future-actions before anything else. I tore my eyes away and crossed my arms under my chest and looked else were with a pout. I don't think I've ever met someone who was so good at keeping me in place none-violently.
"Of course not." I snorted smugly and leaned against a shelve as he shook his head and continued to dig after his stupid headband.
I think I just had my first moment of actual genuine respect towards him. But it had only been momentarily. Feelings that like were usually trashed right after use, so I went back to my usual brooding mood. The kids were already at the gate while Kakashi and I were about five minutes late. Not that I noticed much, this was nothing compared to his usual showing up at inappropriate times. The kids didn't seem to notice either, to our relief.
"Toshi? How do you feel about going on a mission?" Sakura came to my side as Kakashi gave Naruto some kind of lecture alongside with Sasuke.
"I mean, me and Naruto are really trying to make you feel home. Cause you should feel at home. After all this is our home and you should love it as much as we do." She continued, gazing at the guys with a small smile playing on her lips.
"Um –" I wasn't quite sure what to answer "Yeah, I guess I'm glad to go with you. It's definitely better than staying at the prison. And—" I stopped again not sure if I were giving away too much information about my actual feelings. I actually didn't want to be left alone, and didn't want to admit that either.
"Yeah?" she said, looking up at me expectantly.
"Um, I mean… It's not like I know anybody else here. So no one would come and take me out." Seriously, I sound like some dog that needs to be walked every day. And if anybody here's a dog it's Kakashi.
"I never thought about that." She said and put finger to her chin. It was no wonder she seemed so ignorant though. All she cared about was Sasuke and to become a great ninja. I shrugged and looked elsewhere like I usually did.
"And remember—" I felt Kakashi's voice directed towards me and looked over at him with a cocked eyebrow.
"A great ninja must look beneath the beneath, right Toshi?" He looked over at me, Naruto and Sasuke waiting expectantly for my reply. I frowned confused. Why was he even talking to me?
"Sure…" I answered, looking at him as if he was a freak. He was just odd and god damned solemn sometimes.
"Okay let's get going." Naruto said impatiently and kicked the dirt.
The path the lead away from Konoha was never ending to look at, not to mention completely unbearable. The silence that lingered in group got on my damned nerves, which a lot of things seemed to do today. Walking in the back, I pushed irritated through the kids and marched up behind Kakashi, staring intensely at his neck. Why'd he have to act so cocky and nonchalant all the time? And he even scared back there in the stock! Not succeeding in getting his attention, and marched sullenly up to his side, glancing at him from the corner of me eyes.
"Eh, what's up Toshi?" he asked, glancing back down at me, walking casually with his hands shoved into his pockets.
Kakashi didn't seem like the guy to hold a grudge against someone, but there was some kind of negative tension streaming out of him towards me. I grunted a little, my eyebrows naturally frowning downwards as I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. Suddenly I felt like pushing him, shoulder-pushing him, to ruffle that nonchalant exterior of his, and did so. It was a push that was strong enough to make him stacker sideways a couple of steps.
"What was that for?" he asked confused as he caught his balance and continued walking.
"What was what for?" I asked grumpy, like I'd done nothing. Couldn't he just let me push him without asking questions?
He cocked and eyebrow at me but didn't reply. It seemed to me that he got lost in thoughts, but caught me off guard when he took a step towards me to push me back. Instinctively I swooped forward just in time so the poor guy just took a step to the side expecting some kind of impact, but ended up halting to the side like when I'd pushed him. Skilled as he were he gain balance quickly (cause that takes a lot of skills…). I bit my lips to hold in a laugh as he cleared his throat and walked past me again. I kind of felt bad for him. No erase that, I didn't feel bad for him, I'm not capable of that! (Believe it! As Naruto would say). Kakashi looked at me as if he didn't get me at all, which he probably didn't either.
"Yeah you better keep walking." I said cocky and followed him with a smug grin plastered in across my face. I couldn't help it. It was the first time I'd seen him awkward.
"I see." He answered simply, acting all mature and raised. I snorted at him and shrugged, he was such a bad loser.
We walked for some time in silence, the kids for once being silent and focused. I felt quite casual despite having Kakashi walking next to me in his usual relaxed manor.
"What is the most important thing to remember on a mission, Toshi?" Finally Kakashi broke the lingering silence with a random and casual question. I cocked an eyebrow at him; he could've just asked me about the weather or something.
"Um—" actually I'd never really given that question a thought before.
"To know your opponents?" I added scratching my head in thought. There was probably some catch to his question. That was pretty typical him.
"Uh uh uh uh, I know!" Naruto came sprinting up to our sides jumping with his arm marked in the air as if he was in class.
"Naruto, this question was for Toshi. She's not as smart as you are." I caught the sarcasm in Kakashi's voice, but as anticipated did Naruto not catch it. He ruffled Naruto's hair and the kid smiled victoriously up at me, folding his arms proudly over his chest.
"Well then I don't know." I shrugged and rolled my eyes subtly at Naruto and looked into the trees on my left side.
Stopping suddenly and slapping me mildly at my shoulder to demand my attention, Kakashi put his two index fingers together up in front of me. I frowned confused, was there something wrong up there? Did he not drink enough water before he left?
"Hn." The familiar 'hn' sound escaped his throat as he moved his fingers together from eachother, still holding them up. He then moved them together again. I couldn't do anything else but look dumbly at his fingers, almost getting cross-eyed every time he moved them together. Was it me who was dumb? I looked into his eyes to read his expression. Was he making fun of me?
An uneasy feeling suddenly seeped through my body, and both our expressions changed drastically. Something – no – someone was hiding in the trees nearby. Kakashi glanced to the side with narrowed and alert eyes. I was sure that he could feel the same as me; that it wasn't just one ninja, but four.
"How's that supposed to help?" Naruto snapped annoyed looking dumbly at Kakashi. Naruto was somewhat naïve. He hadn't noticed anything as anticipated.
"Shut up Naruto!" Sasuke hissed being the smart one in the bunch, or at least, the most alert.
Kakashi straightened himself and suddenly moved his gaze over my shoulders with a small gasp. And I could feel the creep of being watched, the rising hair in my neck in the small moments that passed as Kakashi had his eyes on them and I didn't. My body went suddenly numb in anticipation and excitement of the battle ahead.
"Show yourself." Kakashi shouted and I was finally able to turn around in the direction of the men.
My sight wasn't as good as Kakashis, so I was yet to see them. But I could feel the living breath of a mind and ideas, calculations… I could feel it all like an extra sense Eien had blessed me with. The urge to fight began to pulsate in me, filling my veins with the drug-like adrenalin, creating a rising obsession in which my mind and body couldn't defy. Eien was thirsty for a real battle and I was the puppet which she took it out on. A ninja in his forties landed on a branch nearby. He wore clothes of natural colors and looked rather deshevelled just the way I'd done when team 7 had found me. His nose was a bit gnarled to look at and right under his nose was a smirking smile of superiority.
"Give us your valuables and we'll spare your life." He grinned down at me baring his teeth, showing that he was missing one. I turned around some more trying to hold me expression stern and cold so no one could see what kind of explosions that was really going on inside of me.
"I don't think we have anything in your interest." Kakashi answered simply with a pleasant edge to his voice like usual when he was in tense situations. The ninja lost his confident smirk for a second as Kakashi spoke and then snapped back:
"I don't believe that. Do you want to be killed? You see, I don't like liars." Either way was this ninja really ignorant and incompetent, or he was perhaps strong enough to take us all on… I mean, couldn't he see that we were Konoha ninja's? It occurred to me that this ninja perhaps were stray, just as I had been… are? I felt weird somehow, to be in reversed roles. I could totally see myself stand there; ready to rob whoever was unlucky enough to pass by me.
"Well that is sure a misfortune." Kakashi answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. I couldn't grasp how he could be so relaxed. Had he already figured out their strength? I was still very bad a reading him in tense situations.
The kids slowly walked closer to me and Kakashi, already having drawn their kunais. I didn't have any weapons on me, never had. So I would have to use whatever was available, my fists and my jutsus.
"Give us the girls." The ninja looked down at me with that really WRONG look plastered across his face. Ugh, what a pervert. Now 4 more ninjas came into eyesight and each side of Kakashi and I. They were just about as gnarled and deshevelled as the 'leader' of the pack.
"That's it, I'm charging." I hissed to Kakashi and crouched animalistic as I did instinctively, whenever I felt threatened.
"No Toshi, wait. We need to—" Kakashi's voice drifted away from my hearing as I launched forward to attack, unable to control the bloodlust instincts that craved me to go insane and make the adrenalin pump even more.
It only took one quick move to appear in front of one of the ninjas, launching a fist for his face. As I'd predicted were the ninjas not one bit as clever as they looked. He was too slow to move and was sent flying of the branch he had been standing on. I took his place on the branch, panting in excitement of the battle. The kids charged for another ninja at the time, just as Kakashi launched for the third. My mind began to spin with the possibilities of what I could do to the last man standing. The leader. I dashed forward to the opposite side of the road, but this guy seemed to be a bit more skilled cause he dugged quickly when my foot lashed for his chin. He seemed nervous though and I could only imagine why. I probably wasn't a very pleasant when I was in this mood. He drew a kunai and lashed for my ribs. Compared to Kakashi did this man suddenly seem quite slow and I easily dodged.
We both headed further into the forest; he was good at hiding I would give him that. I considered using a genjutsu. Eien's special abilities were after all to go beyond the boundaries and walls of the mind – therefore was genjutsu also one of her great abilities. There was the sound-type which was most effective, and of course the normal kind which I rarely used. Firstly I would have to get eye-contact with him and then pull out as much chakra as I could from Eien so her voice could be heard in the base of my own voice. It was all about tricking the victim into thinking that you had more power than you actually had. I looked up when he finally launched for me from above the thick treetops. He could his taijutsu and we battled, almost danced over eachother for a few moments before we both separated onto each tree. He stood on a branch panting hard, and I stood on the side of a tree already beginning to gather chakra from Eien.
"What will the others think, when they see this jutsu?" How convenient that Eien had decided to talk to me now. I ignored her, and looked up, overwhelmed with power and caught his brown terrified eyes.
I could suddenly see him as clear as Kakashi could see with his sharingan. I could tell all the colors in his eyes and I felt it too. But his mortification worked against him and my trick worked perfectly. Sure Eien could enter someones mind, but if people were very reluctant it could be harder to lock them. But this ninja was completely locked in place. I created the genjutsu by tricking into thinking that I was creating weird metallic sounds around him, shaking and blurring the air around him.
"wh-what are you doing?" he shouted suddenly terrified. Now was my time to erase everything around him. The words had to be confusing but understandable to make it work perfectly. I was close enough to hear him even though the effect worked faster if I stood close enough.
"This is the moments that I take over your mind brain.
Step into the picture that I paint you to my brain game
I'm testing your dimension, can't keep up with what I create
I'll break your concentration, imagination with what I make." Eien's voice was more womanly and beautiful than mine even though it came out quite monotone. But it had worked he was completely trapped in a strong genjutsu.
I glanced to my right side and caught Kakashi's eyes from afar. So he had been watching all the time… A held in a growl and snapped my head back to the ninja before me and tore a small stick of the tree furiously. Anything could be used as a weapon. I pulled chakra to my hand and put some of it into the stick so I wouldn't break when I launched forward again and with a vicious growl dug the stick right through his left thigh. Snapping out of the genjutsu he screamed in pain as I landed on a branch behind him. I looked at him over my shoulder to see him crouch down in pain holding his hand over his thigh as if he couldn't believe that a small stick had dug through his flesh and bone to the backside of his thigh. Blood began to seep into the fabric of his trousers.
"What have you done?" he screamed out of pain. His vulnerability made me shiver in excitement and I had to take deep breath to control it.
"Toshi!" I could hear Kakashi call for me, but I couldn't and didn't want to react to his voice. I only barely noticed it.
I turned around and flew right at the ninja from behind. Firstly I kicked him of the branch easily, and then spun around and kicked him forcefully in midair so he flew with a roar through a few branches and landed on the sandy road. He glad a few feet through the sand and whimpered in pain when he stopped, still trying to supports his hurt leg. I jumped to a branch nearest the road and looked down at the ninja. He looked likewise up at me looking as if he was beyond terrified. I chewed the inside of my chin seeming to be bored even though I wasn't. Both Kakashi and the kids all looked at the ninja as if they couldn't believe their eyes. It was probably the first time (since I'd started training with them) that they witnessed what I actually was capable of. Kakashi looked genuinely startled but not impressed.
"Why don't you hand over YOUR valuables?" I shouted to the ninja who was looking mortified back at me. I jumped fast down to him and looked at him coldly placing my foot on his neck and pressed mildly to threaten him.
"Toshi, let him go." Kakashi's voice caught my ears. He couldn't control me now! Irritated and with adrenalin still running trough me system I responed by gritting my teeth and strengthen the pressure on the ninja's neck.
"Please don't kill me." He begged and took a hold of my ankle.
Without realizing it, Kakashi suddenly came to my side and took a hold of my leg while he pushed his elbow into my ribs, trying to ease the pressure of the ninja's neck. He caught his eyes, annoyed, as he stared back at me. I began to put more pressure into my foot again as Kakashi had to use more strength to held it away from the guy's neck. We had an intense glaring contest.
"Stop it Toshi! Are you deaf?" Kakashi groaned through what could only be gritted teeth.
His words only sank in slowly while a saw that his eyes wasn't glaring at me but looked at me in a kind of disappointed way. Instinctively I lessened the pressure again, realization beginning to sink in to my mind.
"Toshi, stupid lady! Didn't you hear Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto shouted at me furiously in his usual manner whenever he lost his temper.
He ran to me and hooked himself to the arm that wasn't trying to push Kakashi away – and began to drag in me. I clenched my teeth hard together, glancing down at the persistent boy. Not a few seconds after, Sakura and Sasuke decided to join and hooked themselfes to Naruto like a thick robe dragging me to the fullest. I caught the eyes of the ninja I was trying to kill and read his expression. Begging for his life, and clinging to it was all that was evident in his eyes. I had to look away, I'd never really 'looked' at my enemies before.
"It's no fair. Four against one!" I groaned through my teeth, still trying to maintain my balance.
"It's called teamwork!" Kakashi groaned from beside me as he seemed to gather even more strength to force my foot away.
And so he succeeded. Giving up, me and Kakashi's match in strength didn't add up one bit, and I flew to the side the kids were dragging me in, and tackled them all through the air a few feet and landed with a harsh bump on top of all of them with a grunt and some confused shouts from Naruto.
"Fat pig." Naruto groaned from under me, and I was just about to say something snappy when I saw out of the corner of me eyes, that the ninja limped to his legs, going for the escape. I tried awkwardly to get up from the wrenching and complaining kids, but didn't have any luck with running after him cause Kakashi appeared in front of me before I could take one step.
Since when did Toshi grow so strong? Kakashi was utterly confused. Sure he had fought against her, but placing a simple stick right through a man's leg, without breaking the stick, took a lot of skills. Why hadn't he figured that before he took her with him on a mission? She was out of control. He had expected her to course trouble but not to show other sides of herself, that he didn't even know existed. This also showed him that she didn't know a thing about teamwork or leadership, which he had hoped she would've caught just a hint of when she had watched the team practice. He hated when he had to be violent towards her, but he had no other choice. He moved over to her before she launch for the wounded ninja again, like some desperate predator. He grabbed her collar harshly, coursing her to gasp in shock – and smacked her to the ground to make sure that she would listen.
"Get together! You're a part of a team now! Have you learned nothing?" his voice was under control but more hissing.
He had to knock some sense into her mind somehow. The way that her green eyes stared back at him as if fire was burning on her insides… He felt her leg move and knew exactly in that moment that she was about to kick him. Stunned by her choice of action he jumped backwards, sliding a bit in the sand as he looked startled at her. She lifted herself up on her elbows, glaring madly at him. She didn't even look like herself. What was going on inside of her? Was it that pearl in her neck?
Eien's chakra was like a never ending explosion inside of me, pressing and burning to get out. I breathed hard, trying to maintain her. I could use her whenever I wanted, but mostly when in the heat of a battle she got harder to control. As if some kind of seal or wall got thinner. I moved my body and jumped to my feet, instinctively releasing some of the Eien's chakra that pressed inside. It came out as a lion-roar, blowing some dirt up in the air in the process. The kids scurried to their feet and back away from me, as Kakashi stood still in his place, bend over the slightest, ready for any attack that might come from me. I was frustrated, split between my common sense and my instincts, which I'd rarely experienced before.
"Who are you to decide whether or not I kill this ninja? He doesn't mean anything to you." I hissed through pants
"We're a team, and I'm the team leader. You should do as told. We may not know him, but you should learn the value of a life. He was just a mere thief, who would only be a waste of blood." Kakashi answered and lowered his guards the slightest.
The kids moved from behind me, and over to Kakashi, holding kunais towards me as they protected their sensei from me.
"You'll never get through us. We shouldn't have taken you with us in the first place." Sasuke hissed and glared at me from behind his raised Kunai.
It pulled in me, the way that the kids took Kakashi's side. They looked at me in a way I'd tried to forget. This was between me and Kakashi. Not them. My heart suddenly seemed to ache the slightest and the cold that I suddenly felt calmed Eien's chakra and me. I felt suddenly alone on 'the other side' of an invisible line. I gulped – I'd normally wipe away feelings like that, but it just seemed like I couldn't. I realized that I'd never been more attached to any one – than the four that stood before me, and now they had turned against me… I felt as if my heart was layered with ice, which hurt trough my chest. I remembered all the times I'd felt that way in my village and… What was I doing? My stance relaxed instantly as I relented to my own pity. How could anyone have such big influence on me? I took in a deep breath, realizing that I'd almost forgotten to breath. Perhaps I was on the way to understand the value of a life… I looked down, too scared to face their expressions, especially Kakashi's. I looked stunned at me bruised hands as if they were foreign to me. Eien had completely left me, and I fell to me knees in relief of her sudden absence, it was so hard to cope with.
"What's going on?" Kakashi asked, breaking the silence. I yelped at his voice and looked up and saw how close they were all standing to me suddenly. Kakashi's eyes held no emotions whatsoever, but only and insecure look as if he still were on his guards.
"What was that roar?" Naruto peeped at me face and bend his legs to see better.
"S-sorry." I stuttered and brushed a hand over my eyes. I couldn't stand their gazes.
"Toshi, why did you do that to Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked innocently, seeming to take greater distance from me than the guys. I felt even worse about her question cause I couldn't explain why.
I cleared my throat. There wasn't anything I could do to make them trust me right now, especially not words. I stood up and brushed my trousers in silence, still avoiding their gazes.
"I-I can't explain it. Please give me a chance to go with you on this mission." I asked politely, probably not sounding as genuine as I would like to.
I dared to look up and caught Kakashi's eyes which looked rather suspicious. After a long silent moment he finally answered:
"Fine. We'll give you a chance. But remember what I told you, to listen to me." His eyes searched me for any enmity but finally seemed to go on with his previous words.