Hi! This is a longer chapter than usual... but I couldn't bring myself to split it up– it would have felt like a crime!
Since it's longer, it took me more time to finish, so my thesis didn't get the time it needed (oops!), so it will take me a tiny bit longer to update.
But... I did do a little something and uploaded it to my Tumblr /konoha-silverforest/762826654170120192/
Happy reading! :)
As soon as they were outside, the change in the girl was immediate. The tension in her shoulders relaxed, and her grip on Kakashi's sleeve loosened slightly. She wasn't tugging him forward in fear anymore—now it was almost as if she was brimming with some kind of energy that Kakashi hadn't seen before. Her steps were quicker, her gaze sharper, and she even started looking around more curiously.
Hawk, walking behind them, let out a soft chuckle. "Impressive," he said, his voice low but laced with surprise. "the way she led you out…She knew exactly where to go, didn't she?"
Kakashi blinked, his mind briefly drifting to how she had tugged him through the labyrinth of corridors without hesitation. How did she do that? It didn't make sense for a child to navigate the building so easily, yet there she was, almost guiding him as though she knew the place by heart. He glanced down at her, still gripping his sleeve, now with a bit more confidence in her steps. She's full of surprises.
The girl stopped suddenly, her eyes locking onto Kakashi's. Without warning, she gestured with her hand, mimicking a running motion—her face lit up with excitement as if she had just remembered something incredibly fun.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, already sensing what was coming. No way. Does she want to...?
"Run?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement and disbelief. "You wanna run again?"
Her eyes sparkled, the faintest grin tugging at her lips as she nodded and mimicked his words, "Run?" She tilted her head slightly, the word sounding new and curious on her tongue.
Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle softly, though part of him was wary. Running through the village at this hour? Not a great idea. But the look on her face was enough to make him feel bad for even considering saying no.
"Yes, run," he confirmed, making the hand sign for it. Her eyes lit up even more as she mimicked the gesture, her fingers copying his movements with surprising accuracy. "Run."
"Run," she repeated, her voice a little stronger now, her eagerness clear.
But Kakashi couldn't just let her take off through the village, not with Hawk watching, and definitely not when they still needed to head back. "Maybe later," he added, shaking his head slightly.
The girl's face fell instantly, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. She looked so dejected that Kakashi nearly reconsidered. Great, now I feel like the bad guy.
Shiba, still perched awkwardly on top of her head, held the fabric in his mouth like a proud prize, his tail wagging softly in rhythm with her steps. But the weight of the small dog, although not much, was starting to show in the girl's posture. Her neck tilted slightly as she continued walking, her shoulders hunching just a little more with each step.
But just as quickly as the sadness appeared, it vanished. Her eyes suddenly gleamed with a new kind of excitement. She pointed ahead, then at a nearby tree, her expression practically begging for something. She's like a puppy, all full of energy.
Kakashi blinked. Now what?
She pointed again, this time at the tree, then looked up at Kakashi expectantly.
"Tree?" Kakashi ventured, tilting his head. Is this some kind of game?
"Tree," she echoed, her voice full of wonder as if she had just discovered something magical in the word.
Oh, I see. Kakashi felt a small smile tug at his lips. She wants to learn. The idea of teaching her words hadn't even crossed his mind until now, but she seemed eager—hungry for knowledge in a way that almost caught him off guard.
The girl scanned their surroundings again, her gaze flicking over various objects before landing on the moon hanging low in the sky. She pointed at it with a look of determination.
"Moon," Kakashi said, following her gaze.
"Moon," she repeated softly, her eyes wide as she gazed up at the glowing orb above them.
She's soaking this up. Kakashi found himself strangely fascinated by how quickly she picked up on things. It wasn't just the words—it was how she paid attention, how focused she became once she decided to learn something. There was a quiet determination behind her curious nature, something that told him she wasn't just a frightened child.
Hawk, who had been watching from a few paces behind, let out a low whistle. "She's picking this up faster than some genin I've trained," he said with a smirk behind his mask. "Hatake-sensei, you might have a prodigy on your hands."
Kakashi shot him a look. Hatake-sensei? Really?
The girl's excitement grew with each new word she learned. She pointed at a lamp, at the stones on the path, at anything that caught her eye, and each time, Kakashi would give her the word, and she would echo it back with a sense of accomplishment that seemed to brighten her entire demeanor.
By now, Hawk was watching the exchange with quiet amusement. "She's like a sponge," he commented softly, glancing at Kakashi. "She's going to have you talking non-stop if you keep this up." his tone had that teasing edge.
Kakashi nodded absently, still watching the girl as she gestured toward another object, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "She's fast," he agreed, though part of him wondered just how much she had already known before now. She's more aware than I thought.
As they continued toward Minato's house, the girl kept pointing at things, her pace quickening as though each word filled her with more energy. Kakashi found himself drawn into the strange rhythm of their walk, the steady exchange of words and repetitions… This is kinda fun.
Out of nowhere, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Without a word, she reached up to the top of her head, where Shiba had been perched, and gently lifted the small ninken off her head. She turned around and—without any warning—handed Shiba to Hawk.
Hawk stared down at the ninken, clearly caught off guard. Shiba, still holding the small piece of fabric in his mouth, growled lowly, clearly unimpressed with being passed off like a piece of luggage. Hawk raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kakashi as if to say, Really?
Kakashi merely shrugged, silently amused by the whole exchange. Welcome to her craziness.
The girl, now free of her canine companion, narrowed her eyes in concentration and reached for the fabric that Shiba had been holding. She took it back with a soft purr, as though reassuring Shiba that she still valued him. Then, with surprising precision, she started pulling her hair into a messy ponytail using the fabric as a makeshift hair tie.
Hair? This is the big emergency? I mean… okay. Her face was dead serious, as if this task required her utmost focus. Kakashi watched, both bewildered and impressed by how she'd suddenly decided to get practical.
When she was satisfied with her handiwork, she turned back to Kakashi with that same determined look in her eyes. Her hands moved slowly, deliberately, as she formed the hand sign for home. "Home," she said, her voice clear and confident as she looked up at him expectantly, waiting for confirmation.
Kakashi nodded, feeling a small swell of pride. "Yes, home," he confirmed, mirroring her hand sign.
The girl's face brightened, her lips curving into a small smile, but she wasn't done yet. It was as though something clicked in her mind, and now she was determined to test herself. She moved on to the next word. She pointed at the nearby tree, then did a clumsy version of the hand sign Kakashi had used earlier for tree.
"Tree," she said, her brows furrowed in concentration.
Kakashi nodded again, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, tree."
Hawk, who was still holding Shiba (who seemed less than thrilled about the whole situation), glanced down at the girl with amusement in his eyes. "She's making hand signs for everything now?" Hawk asked, a smirk forming behind his mask. "You really are turning her into a little ninja."
Kakashi almost laughed, though he suppressed it. Shinobi... she certainly has the focus for it. But what stood out to him most was how quickly she adapted.
The girl, completely focused, ignored Hawk's comment and moved on to the next word. She gestured toward the rocks lining the path. This one seemed to stump her for a moment, as she tried to figure out what kind of hand sign could possibly represent rock. After a few false starts, she eventually settled on a simple tap of her fist against her palm.
"Rog," she said, looking up at Kakashi once again for approval.
Kakashi couldn't help but laugh softly. Close enough. "Yes, rock."
The girl smiled, satisfied with her progress, and continued her personal test. She repeated each word she had learned, following them with her makeshift hand signs. Sometimes she struggled, but each time she succeeded, her face would light up with pure joy.
Kakashi watched her with a mix of amusement and admiration. She's creating her own language… he thought, realizing how clever the girl truly was. She might be more of a genius than I am.
Shiba, who had finally resigned to his fate in Hawk's arms, let out a quiet huff, his eyes following the girl's every move. Hawk, noticing the little ninken's annoyance, gave him a gentle pat on the head. "Don't worry, Shiba," Hawk said, his tone teasing. "Looks like you're off duty for now."
Kakashi, catching the exchange, shot a glance at Hawk. "You know, Shiba doesn't take orders from just anyone."
Hawk chuckled, glancing back at the ninken in his arms. "I'll take my chances."
The girl, oblivious to the banter behind her, continued her mini-review session, occasionally glancing at Kakashi for approval or correction. Hawk may be right…I am gonna turn into a chatterbox. Each time, he responded with patience and encouragement, watching as her confidence grew with each new word.
Finally, after she had gone through nearly all the words she had learned, the girl stopped, her eyes scanning Kakashi as if searching for something.
Suddenly, she pointed to her head, fingers tugging slightly at the ends of her ponytail, then looking at Kakashi with a questioning gaze.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Hair?" he asked, reaching up to gently pat his own messy silver strands.
Her eyes lit up, nodding quickly as if to say Yes, that's it! She mimicked his motion, running her fingers through her own hair, clearly pleased with the new word. "Hair."
But she wasn't done yet. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she fumbled with her hands, trying to communicate something more. She made the sign for moon, then for tree, and even let out a soft hum, her eyes darting between Kakashi and Shiba, who wiggled in Hawk's arms as if trying to help. That sounds like when my ninken like something.
Kakashi blinked, piecing together the strange mix of signs. Moon? Tree? Purring? What's she trying to say?
He didn't have to think much more before Shiba answered for him, "Beautiful!"
His expression was of pure confusion as he glanced back at her. "Beautiful?"
Shiba let out a bark of agreement and her face lit up with excitement, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Beau-ti-ful?" she echoed, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, which earned her an enthusiastic yeah from Shiba.
Just as the word left his lips, Kakashi suddenly felt a shift behind him. Hawk was watching the entire interaction with a devilish grin forming beneath his mask, his eyes narrowing in amusement. He could already see where this was heading, and he was more than ready to enjoy the show.
Before Kakashi could react, the girl pointed directly at him, her face lighting up with a soft smile. "You. Hair. Beautiful," she declared, looking pleased with herself for stringing the sentence together.
Kakashi felt his entire soul short-circuit. Wait—what?! His brain screeched to a halt. Beautiful? My hair? He could feel the heat rising up his neck like a chakra surge gone wrong. His heart stuttered. His mouth opened—closed—opened again like a fish out of water, his hands flailed for a split second before clamping to his sides. Abort. ABORT.
Hawk, on the other hand, couldn't hold it in. "Pffft—" A barely-contained snort burst out from behind his mask, and that was it.
"Wha-what?!" Kakashi spluttered, his voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak. Why am I malfunctioning?! The blush spread even faster. He felt like his mask was about to catch on fire. He clutched the back of his neck as if that would somehow stop the embarrassing redness from consuming him whole.
Hawk let out an audible laugh this time, unable to keep it together any longer. "Well, well, Hatake. Looks like you've got yourself an admirer," he teased, his voice practically bubbling over with amusement.
Kakashi whipped his head toward Hawk, his eyes wide and horrified. "That's not—" he started, but Hawk raised his hands in mock surrender still holding Shiba, clearly relishing every second of Kakashi's misery.
"Hey, hey, no judgment," Hawk said, grinning like a Cheshire cat behind his mask. "But I've gotta say, I've never heard anyone call your bedhead beautiful before." His voice was thick with barely contained laughter, and Shiba, in Hawk's arms, let out a small, amused huff, almost as if he was joining in on the fun.
Meanwhile, the girl, completely oblivious to the emotional apocalypse she'd unleashed, simply stood there, her innocent smile beaming up at Kakashi like she'd just paid him the greatest compliment in the world. My hair?!
Kakashi's mind was spiraling out of control. Beautiful?! Hair? My hair?! Still bright red and now awkwardly scratching the back of his head like an absolute idiot, he managed to mutter, "Uh… thanks," his voice barely louder than a whisper. Get it together, Kakashi.
Hawk's let out a loud, dramatic cough, which was clearly meant to cover another laugh. I'm never living this down. Kakashi could feel the heat from his blush intensifying again, to the point where it felt like his entire face was on fire. Great, now I'm a walking tomato.
Groaning, Kakashi desperately tried to regain his composure. "Let's... let's just get to Minato's house," he grumbled, turning so fast he almost tripped over his own feet. He set off at a brisk pace, hoping to leave his embarrassment in the dust. I should avoid all human interactions rom now on.
Shiba let out a soft bark from Hawk's arms, which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. The girl, meanwhile, didn't miss a beat, quickly speeding up to catch up with Kakashi. She started humming to herself, casually glancing at the moon as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
Kakashi, still flustered beyond belief, reached up and patted his hair, his mind still replaying her words. Beautiful, huh? As soon as his hand made contact with his hair, he felt the blush creep back. Why am I like this?!
Hawk, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with endless amusement, let out a low chuckle. "Careful, Hatake-sensei. If you get any redder, people might think you're coming down with something."
Kakashi shot him a halfhearted glare, but he knew Hawk was enjoying this far too much to be intimidated. He could practically hear the smirk behind Hawk's mask. This is my life now. Forever teased about my beautiful hair.
But as they continued walking, Kakashi couldn't help the small, soft smile that tugged at his lips. Maybe it's not so bad.
