Kakashi was perched on the roof of a building, scanning the village streets below. his body blending into the shadows cast by the fading light of dusk. Konoha's streets were quiet, but his senses told him something was off. There was a weird presence down there, fast and silent, moving through the streets
Kakashi narrowed his eye, trying to catch another glimpse. There—a quick flash of movement, darting between buildings. Moving with grace and evading all the passer-by's swiftly, like a cat.
Curiosity piqued, Kakashi moved across the rooftop, following the figure from above, staying hidden. The figure—small and light—moved with the kind of grace you'd expect from an animal, slipping through the narrow spaces between buildings with fluid grace. Whoever it was, they were quick, and their steps made barely any sound. Too quiet. Not normal for a villager. Maybe she was a secret ninja cat? Kakashi thought.
He stayed on the rooftops, trailing them silently from above, his curiosity growing. As they reached a narrow alley, the figure came to an abrupt halt, their whole body tensing like they'd caught a scent or heard something unusual. They know I'm here, Kakashi realized. He stayed still, waiting to see what she'd do.
The figure scanned the area, turning around to look at the spot where he had been a moment ago—only to find it empty. clearly surprising the presence by his sudden absence, Kakashi made his move. He dropped down silently in front of her.
The figure whipped around, not expecting the quick movement, and before either of them could react—smack—she crashed right into him.
Kakashi barely felt the impact, but the girl stumbled back and landed on her butt with a soft thud. She blinked up at him, wide-eyed and completely stunned, her breath caught in her throat. Her green eyes were as wide as the full moon, and practically glowing in the fading light. For a second, she just sat there, frozen, staring at him in shock.
Kakashi blinked too. Okay... not a cat. Definitely a girl. But what really caught him off guard wasn't the fact that she was a girl—it was how... cute she was. Up close, her light brown hair was messy, falling around her face in soft, wild strands, and her wide big green eyes looked up at him with a mix of confusion and something else... curiosity. Like a small, startled forest creature—a fawn, maybe, or one of those tiny rabbits that didn't know whether to run or freeze.
The girl didn't move, sitting on the ground and staring at him, her mouth slightly open in surprise. She looked like she was ready to bolt at any second, but curiosity was keeping her in place.
And then... she made a sound.
A low, soft noise, almost like... purring.
Kakashi's brain scrambled for an explanation. Purring? Humans don't purr. Except... his ninken did. The dogs purred sometimes—a sign of trust, or calm. He just stood there, blinking, completely baffled. Am I hearing this right?
The girl kept staring at him, her eyes still wide, as if waiting for him to respond. When he didn't, she let out the sound again—louder this time, like she was asking, Do you get it?
Kakashi crouched down slowly, bringing himself to her level. "Uh..." He tilted his head, still unsure of what was going on. Then, without thinking too much about it, he did what his ninken had taught him. He let out a small, hesitant purr—except his purr was... well, not great. It wasn't as natural or animal-like as hers; he had definitely not used it on another human before.
The girl's eyes went impossibly wide. She blinked at him in pure shock, like she couldn't believe he had just done that. As if I'm the weird one, Kakashi thought. Her posture shifted slightly, less tense but still wary, like she was debating whether he was a strange new creature or someone she could trust.
She seemed frozen, staring at him like he had spoken never seen a boy before. Her body relaxed just a little, the tension easing from her shoulders, but she was still wary, like she wasn't quite sure what to make of him.
Kakashi, for his part, was still trying to process what had just happened. Am I seriously purring at this girl who just fell on her butt in an alley?
Slowly, the girl pushed herself up off the ground, her movements still cautious but more curious now. She dusted herself off, her clothes—simple village-issued ones—looking out of place on her. They didn't quite fit, like they had been given to her without much thought.
She was still watching him carefully, her head tilting slightly in curiosity. Kakashi stayed where he was, still crouched, still watching her, and just as confused as before. His ninken had taught him how to approach wild animals—to stay calm, no sudden movements and to let them come to you. So, he stayed still, his eye carefully following her every move.
The girl hesitated again, her fingers twitching slightly before she reached out toward him, her hand hovering near his wrist. She didn't touch him right away, just let her fingers hover there for a moment. Then, she lightly brushed her fingers against his wrist.
Kakashi blinked but didn't pull away. He waited, still crouched, his brain trying to keep up with whatever bizarre situation he had found himself in. What is my life right now?
When Kakashi didn't move or pull away, she grabbed his wrist more firmly, her grip light but insistent.
Kakashi blinked.
Without a word, the girl gave his wrist a small tug. Kakashi, caught off guard, stumbled slightly as she pulled him forward. Wait—am I being led away by a purring girl? Is this... kidnapping?
She started walking quickly, pulling him along with her. Kakashi, still processing everything, followed without resistance. What the hell is happening? She kept glancing back at him every few steps, as if checking to see if he was still there, her eyes sharp and focused, like she expected him to disappear.
They moved through the alleyways, twisting and turning as the girl led him deeper into the quieter parts of the village. Kakashi, for his part, was just trying to keep up with whatever strange situation he had found himself in and why is she not winded at all? For her part, she wasn't running in panic anymore. She was just running.
Suddenly she let go off his wrist and let out a small, playful purr, her eyes flashing with something that almost seemed like... excitement? Is she... trying to play? Then she sped off.
Kakashi found himself following her blindly, barely thinking, just keeping up. Okay, so we're running now. Together…I think. Thought Kakashi. She turned corners sharply, but with a playful bounce in her step, her movements quick and unpredictable—seeing if he'd trip or falter. Every twist and turn felt like a challenge, as if she was teasing him: Can you keep up?
Finally, after a few more turns, the girl slowed down and stopped. She let go of his wrist and took a few steps back, her eyes still on him, watching his every move. She wasn't nervous anymore, but there was still a hint of uncertainty in her playful stare, like she was waiting for him to do something.
Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his confusion reaching new levels. What just happened? He blinked at her, trying to make sense of the whole thing.
The girl tilted her head again, letting out another soft purr, but this time it was almost like a tease, as if she was waiting for his next move.
"What... are you?" he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her.
The girl didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her head again, letting out one last, soft purr.
What is with the purring? Kakashi thought, his mind racing to catch up with his body.Humans don't purr, he reminded himself again, even though she clearly just did.
Kakashi stared at her, his mind spinning, when the girl took a step back and tilted her head at him again. Her eyes were still playful, as if daring him to make a move. But when he didn't react, she let out a soft huff, almost like she was disappointed.
And then, just like that, she turned and started running again.
