And then, just like that, she turned and started running again.
"Wait—hey!" Kakashi called out, but his feet moved before his mind could catch up. What am I even doing? He shot after her, his body moving automatically as he followed her through the winding streets.
She was fast. Not like a ninja, with precise, controlled movements, but more like something wild—unpredictable. She used the buildings like playground equipment, turning corners with unnecessary flips, and bounding off random walls. Is she... parkouring?
Her bare feet barely made a sound on the cobblestone streets, and every time Kakashi thought he was gaining on her, she darted around another corner or slipped through an impossibly narrow gap between buildings. This is harder than catching Tora, that demon cat.
Kakashi vaulted over a low wall, feeling pretty good about himself, until his foot caught on a loose tile. He stumbled, arms flailing to keep balance. He managed to recover, but not before his knee nearly kissed the pavement. He scowled under his mask, mentally cursing the stupid tile and the fact that he almost faceplanted.
She glanced back at him over her shoulder, her wide green eyes flashing with playful mischief. As if she saw his near fall, she let out a quick, breathy sound—a kind of short, playful purr—and then picked up her pace, practically bouncing as she darted around another sharp corner. Oh, now she's playing me.
Kakashi huffed in exasperation, swerving to avoid a stack of crates that suddenly materialized in his path. Why am I doing this? He pushed himself faster, determined to catch up as she darted ahead, her pace quickening as if sensing his approach.
He was closing the gap, ducking under a laundry line like it was some sort of ninja test, when she glanced back again. Her eyes went comically wide upon realizing how close he had gotten. She let out a startled "eep!"—completely ungraceful—and shot off like she'd just seen a ghost. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she kicked into an even higher gear. This doesn't feel like a pursuit. Is this... tag?
Kakashi, not about to be outdone, sped up too, dodging past yet another obstacle. Was that a stray chicken?! His mind reeled as he tried to process what was happening. I can't catch her. How is she so fast?
They finally reached the outskirts of the village, where the buildings started to thin out and the streets became quieter. The girl slowed down, her playful energy still there, but something in her posture had shifted. She wasn't trying to outrun him anymore.
Kakashi kept his pace steady, not wanting to scare her off again. When he caught up to her, she was standing at the edge of a small clearing, just beyond the last row of houses. Her eyes were still fixed on him, but there was something different in her gaze now—something quieter, almost... thoughtful.
Great. First we play tag, and now I'm being judge by a purring girl.
They stood there in silence for a long moment, the sounds of the village behind them fading into the distance. Kakashi didn't know what to say—he wasn't even sure what he was supposed to be thinking anymore. What now?
The girl took a step forward, her movements slow and deliberate, like she was testing the ground beneath her feet. Then she let out another soft purr—this one different. It wasn't playful anymore. It was almost... calming.
Kakashi blinked, taken aback. Wait. Why does that sound... comforting?
She moved a little closer, just a few feet away from him now, her eyes never leaving his. Kakashi stayed still, not wanting to startle her. He could see it now—up close, the girl really did move like an animal. But there was something else in her gaze, something deeper, like she was trying to understand him just as much as he was trying to figure her out.
They stood there for a long time, neither of them speaking, the only sound between them being the distant hum of the village and the soft rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.
Finally, Kakashi broke the silence.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly, not expecting an answer but hoping for... something.
The girl blinked at him, her green eyes searching his face for a moment. She tilted her head again, considering him, and then, to his surprise, she took another small step forward. Her hand—small and delicate—reached out toward him, fingers hovering near his mask. She didn't touch him, but her fingers stayed just inches from his face, as if she was trying to figure something out.
Kakashi's breath hitched slightly. Is she...?
Before he could react, she pulled her hand back, thankfully. Instead, she let out a soft, tentative hum—less of a purr, more of an apology. Her green eyes locked onto his, as if waiting for a response, for some sign that she hadn't crossed a line.
Kakashi remained still, watching as she took a small step back, her eyes never leaving his. He realized then that she had wanted to remove his mask, but she had stopped herself when she noticed how his body tensed, how his shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. Smart, he thought, a flicker of respect forming in his mind.
He stood there, feeling a little self-conscious for the first time in a while. My mask? He had worn it for so long, it never even crossed his mind that it might seem odd to someone. But now, with the way she stared at it, as if it was the strangest thing in the world, he felt oddly exposed.
The girl stood taller, tilting her head, studying him in that same strange, animal-like way. Then, she made a sound—a soft, hesitant hum. It wasn't quite a purr, more like a gentle, testing noise, like she was experimenting. A new sound? Is she testing me? Kakashi blinked, trying to figure out what she was doing.
When the hum didn't seem to have the desired effect, her brow furrowed slightly, and she shifted tactics. She made a new sound, this time a low growl, then a soft whistle, followed by a chirp. Each sound was so perfectly mimicked that Kakashi had to blink twice. Is she... making animal noises at me? Her sounds and movements seemed purposeful.
The girl huffed softly, her lips pressing into a tiny pout of frustration as if to say, Ugh, this guy's broken. Clearly, she wasn't getting through to him the way she had hoped. But she wasn't giving up. She glanced at his face again, her eyes locking onto his mask for a brief moment, but this time she didn't reach for it. Instead, her gaze dropped down to his hand. She glanced at his fingers, then back at his eyes, as if asking for something.
Kakashi tilted his head slightly, confused. She wasn't using words—maybe she didn't know any.
Slowly, with more confidence now, she raised her own hand and lightly tapped his fingers. Kakashi's breath caught slightly, but he didn't move. She wasn't tugging him to follow like she had before. Instead, she placed his hand palm-up between them, her fingers brushing against his.
Kakashi blinked, his brain scrambling to catch up. Am I supposed to do something? Is this... a secret handshake?
She didn't wait for him to react. Her fingers moved softly over the lines of his palm, tracing them with delicate, almost curious precision. It was strange—strangely peaceful—and for the first time, Kakashi didn't feel like he was supposed to do anything. She wasn't threatening him, wasn't trying to pull him into another chase. She was... studying him. Trying to figure him out through touch, through instinct.
Kakashi stayed still, letting her explore the interaction in her own way. Her fingers were light and deliberate, moving with a calmness that seemed completely at odds with how fast she had been moving earlier. She's so gentle.
The girl let out another soft hum. He could feel the tension in his shoulders slowly easing. There was something almost comforting about the simplicity of it. No expectations. No words. Just quiet curiosity.
The girl tilted her head slightly, her eyes flicking up to his for a brief moment, as if waiting for approval. What is this sudden desire to pat her on the head? He didn't know what she wanted from him. All of this—her sounds, her touches—it was so unfamiliar. He had no idea what was happening, but... it wasn't bad. Just weird.
Kakashi watched the girl continue her strange, delicate exploration of his hand. Her touches were so deliberate, and now she was mixing them with specific sounds. He had spent years on missions, reading between the lines, deciphering body language, and picking up on the smallest of clues.
It hit him suddenly—maybe this wasn't just some random gesture or odd behavior. His mind flashed back to the sounds she'd made earlier—the hums, the purrs, the animal-like noises. They hadn't been random either. They were too precise, too practiced. It wasn't like she was incapable of words; it seemed more like words were foreign to her. She was using what she knew—sounds and touch
She is trying to communicate.