In which Haruhi understandably freaks out and then freaks out again.
It was with a dramatic gasp and a frantic dash when she realized Kakashi had forgotten to take the group picture.
He hit his eyes with both palms, muttering to himself.
"I'm not sure if a professional will be available today..." He muttered.
"You alright there, buddy?" She sipped her tea from a cleaned out medicine cup. The cups her size had holes in them. They had tried to use them, but they figured they weren't actually meant to be used like that. She climbed the cookie jar, using the honeybee's as foot holds, and grabbed a giant cookie. It was entirely too big for her so she kneed it in half. The handed the slightly larger half to Kakashi who was still stressing internally.
"Oh wha- thank you. " He said, pinching the cookie. She nodded and inched her way out of the jar, feet dangling and trying to find a bee wing. Her gripped tightened when her feet found no purchase on the slippery glazed surface.
Warm fingertips under her cause a relieved sigh to echo across the cookies. Pulling herself the rest of the way out, along with her cookie, she landed on Kakashi's open palm stomach up and laying on her back. She blinked and Kakashi quirked an eyebrow in amusement.
"You alright there, buddy?" The foreign word rolled of his tongue.
"Eat your cookie."
She closed her eyes and nibbled on her half, and she heard the tell tale crumbling of a cookie. He started walking, evidently feeling better.
"When we start our mission today, I can take the picture and hand it in at the desk." He spoke aloud.
"Sounds good. You'll be fine. You're always know for being late, so that probably applies to pictures too. " She said. Her eyes remained closed, enjoying the feeling of his steps.
"You're right!"
He slipped her into his pocket while simultaneously pulling the digital camera out of another. Haruhi had been initially surprised that a backwards world like this had something so advanced, as she remembered their official picture was taken with something that looked like it was from the 1800's. But it made sense the good technology was saved only for the higher ranking ninja. This, of course led Haruhi to ponder about the class difference between ninja and civilians and how the restricting of technology was holding their entire world back, before she became too depressed to continue.
He checked it over before humming good naturedly and dropping it on Haruhi.
"Hey!"
Kakashi hummed on his way there, a habit he had seemed to pick up recently. She decided to check out the camera.
The camera was gray, and she wasn't sure what shade because of the pocket's dim lighting, but it had a black ring around the lens. The power button was on the top and the shutter button was on the front. She couldn't quite get to that, as it was facing away from her.
She jumped a bit when Kakashi's humming increased. Then she realized it was a good thing and a grin stretched across her face. She turned it on and was correct in her assumption-it was a very primitive digital camera. And if this is what the elites got, she didn't even want to know what regular cameras were like. Well, she did, but that's besides the point.
Since it was so simple, she had no problem with setting it on a timer, leaning it back against the pocket, and striking a pose. She grinned, took off her glasses, popped an unsteady squat, fluffed her hair, and made a heart with her hands. A flash in the darkness was her signal. She did a couple more, including a hilarious one where she was on top of the camera and looking over into the lense, but she knew they were arriving soon. And this thing didn't have much storage space. So she turned it off and acted like it never happened.
Kakashi hummed all the while.
It took a bit, but when they arrived it was punctuated by duo screams of 'YOU'RE LATE', from Sakura and Naruto.
She climbed the camera and poked her head out, blinking sunlight from her lashes.
A tap to her head, and then a hand in front of her. She rolled onto Kakashi's palm and he placed her on his shoulder.
"Good morning Haruhi!" Sakura cheered.
"Morning." She said back.
Without pausing Kakashi walked past and continued on his way towards the mission desk. She could tell the three were in a grumpy mood. All of them were getting fed up with these D-ranks. And with the being dragged by dogs, babysitting, and weed-pulling, it's probably not the glamorous life they had imagined.
Kakashi didn't bother to go inside, instead opting to read his book outside. In the clear, she popped her head up.
"-Aw, c'mon guys, this mission doesn't sound so bad, It's a rescue mission. How cool is that!? Right Sakura?"
A rescue mission? Kakashi seemed to know what was going on, if the chuckling was anything to go by.
"Just what do you know?" She whispered suspiciously. He only laughed louder.
"You know, whatever grueling mission they've accepted, you're gonna have to do it with them."
He stopped chuckling.
She peeked from her trusted eye-hole, and found them approaching a part of the Forest she had never seen before. The trees were taller and the undergrowth sparse.
When the three had realized they were basically chasing down a cat they complained but ultimately couldn't do anything about it since they had already accepted. Kakashi distributed three ear pieces to the genin and kept one for himself.
"Your mission is to capture the cat-Tora, unharmed. Report over the radio pieces. GO!" They took off into the trees with a whoosh. Haruhi pondered about how radio pieces like this were only used for ninja missions.
"…"
"So... there's more to this cat than it says, right? Like is it a demon or something?"
"It could be."
"Well, I wanna listen in, so make way."
"Huh-what?"
She gripped the fabric of the vest, digging her nails into it, and climbed to his shoulder. He was carefully still. She swung her leg over the neck ruffs, deeming herself close enough to listen in.
He was still still.
"You alright there buddy?"
"Fine! Fine."
It was silent over the radio. Evidently, they were still getting into position or something. A bead of sweat trailed down Kakashi's forehead. She stared at it, wondering about Kakashi's recent behavior. She remembered in the toy store kissing his cheek, and the bout of speechlessness that followed. The mask was soft, and seemed to be make out of a sturdy breathable material, like silk. At this angle she could appreciate the shadows of a jawline. Her eyes trailed her thoughts, following his features.
His hair stood on end. But it always stood on end. She balanced on a clavicle and almost fell when it twitched.
"Sorry!" He whispered, for no apparent reason. She hummed into his ear, staring at his hair and ignoring the shiver resulting from it.
"Kakashi..." She breathed in his ear.
"...Yes?"
"Don't take this the wrong way...but your hair looks like a cumulonimbus cloud."
Tension leaked out of him like a popped balloon, and a cloud of depression surrounded him.
"W-wait! I meant that as a good thing! I think your hair's cool!"
"You do?"
"ARGH! STOP FLIRTING! WERE IN POSITION!"
She fell into the ruff and Kakashi was blown backwards from the ear piece. Sakura and Sasuke made noises of agreement.
"Wait! Where did the cat go?" Said Sakura, thankfully not shouting.
"Nice, dobe. Your shouting scared it away."
It took a bit for them to find the cat again. Reporting their positions over the intercom, Kakashi walked around a clearing, instructing them.
"The target has moved! Follow it!"
Jumping was heard, and then the screeching and yowling of a cat. Naruto shrieked over the intercom as Sasuke reported the mission success. They regrouped to a cat violently beating up Naruto while the other two watched in mild interest. Having spotted some catnip earlier growing in a ditch, Haruhi told Sakura to get some. The cat, Tora calmed after that.
"Hey Kakashi? Didn't you need to take a picture?" He nodded.
"Alright, my cute little students, we are going to be taking a picture."
"What?! I don't want a picture with Sasuke!"
"Same."
"You guys!"Sakura stomped her foot."I thought you were better than that. Sasuke! And Naruto!" Said boy flinched, wide eyed at his crush." If we take a picture you won't have to be next to Sasuke. I'll go in the middle."
As if to punctuate her point, she walked in-between the two. Sasuke looked like he couldn't believe Sakura had actually bad mouthed him, and Naruto looked happy at the prospect of being next to Sakura.
Kakashi pulled out the camera, with her on top of it, tilting it so she wouldn't fall off.
"I can take the picture of you guys." Haruhi said.
"Aww, but I wanted you in the picture..." Naruto whined.
"No, Naruto, we want as little people as possible to know about her, being in the picture would jeopardize that."
Ouch. Made sense, but ouch.
"Why can't we put her in Kakashi-sensei's pocket and put the camera on a timer?" Sakura said in a 'duh' sort of voice."I need help keeping Naruto and Sasuke apart."
That sounded good to everyone.
Kakashi put the camera on a tree stump and she jumped into his pocket. He fiddled with some of the switches, pausing and giving her a raised eyebrow, which she responded with a cheesy grin. Naruto and Sasuke were already butting heads, digging up clumps of grass with how hard they were pushing. Kakashi pushed them apart by the head and placed a steadying hand on each shoulder. Sakura hunkered down in the middle, smiling.
"Naruto, stop glaring at Sasuke. And Sasuke, could you maybe, oh, I don't know, scowl less?"
"...Hn." Said boy flushed, looking away sheepishly. For dramatic effect, she stuck the top of her head out of the pocket, where only her hair could be seen. Again, a flash went off, signifying the picture was taken. Sasuke immediately broke away. Sakura turned around instead, speed causing her long pink hair to fly out.
She cupped her hands, obviously asking to hold Haruhi. Kakashi tilted his head, a spike of grey hair brushing her. Asking if it was alright.
"It's fine. Us girls gotta stick together."
She jumped to Sakura's hand, Kakashi flinching slightly in surprise.
The three crowded around Kakashi, and exchanging a glance that immediately aroused suspicion, Naruto took a deep breath.
"Were tired of D-ranks! We want better missions!"
Sasuke and Sakura nodded. Then they did something unexpected.
They all turned and looked at her in Sakura's hands.
"Can we?" Sakura simpered, lifting her up to the puppy dog eyes. At this point, it had been two weeks since the bell test, and they went on D-ranks basically everyday, sometimes doing more than one. She could see why they were getting tired.
"U-uh, ask Kakashi!"
Said man was baffled, his eye then narrowing in thought.
"We'll have to ask the Hokage."
"YEAH! Your future Hokage deserves better!"And with that Naruto lead the way, Sakura and Sasuke not far behind. Sakura ran back, handing Haruhi over, before catching up, the other two waiting for her.
"..."
"It's not normal for genin to receive anything more than a D-rank this early on." He informed.
"Well the basis is teamwork, right? Look at what they just did. Look at the glance they shared. Sakura planned to ask for me, because she knew you'd be more easily swayed. Naruto knew when to butt in, and Sasuke...well, he didn't protest. They worked together to get that maybe from you." She murmured, stupefied.
"You're right..."
He chuckled.
"There's hope for them yet."
Kakashi placed her on his shoulder, and she gripped the green neck ruff as he started after them. They were halfway to the Hokage tower when her heart froze and she lost her grip from pure fear.
A rush of wind and she was cupped in Kakashi's hands, the man himself looking shocked and a bit guilty.
"Was I going too fast?"
"N-no, I just lost my grip."
"Hm, I was going to suggest for you to go into the pocket anyway. You sure you're okay?" His hands were cupped slightly around her.
"Yeah." And he couldn't tell if that was an answer or an agreement. Either way he made sure she was secure, and she made sure he couldn't see her before she bit down on her hand in a silent scream.
She needed to go home, dammit!
The mission to waveland, or whatever, was soon. And she knew it was much more than a C-rank. Try A-rank, which was basically the hardest you could get. She was supposed to be gone by now. Hell, winter break was probably over all ready. And if she was right about this(which she was) then Kakashi and the pre-teens would be gone for at least three weeks!
She felt like she was forgetting something else...
Fuck! Patches! Her poor baby! She jolted upwards, before forcibly sitting down. She didn't know how close she was to the tower. Quickly she peeked out of the hole. It seemed Kakashi was going a bit slower than normal, probably worried about her falling or something. Or maybe, she thought, he found Naruto's rage amusing.
At any rate, she hit her forehead against the pocket inside. Her cat was probably fine. God knows how many times she had to rip dead rodents out of its mouth. She also left the third story attic window open. Fuck, she should have closed that.
The point was, despite how close she had gotten to Kakashi, she couldn't help but feel it was time to go home.
Unwillingly, images of the past few weeks rushed to the front of her mind. Arriving in a sterile manicured house, with the curtains closed and the smell of greasy takeout noodles because there was really no reason for a home cooked meal. The place was dark and locked up. Well taken care of, but still had the air of barely caring and barely concealed depression. The counter was empty of fruits and cookies, and the bookshelf was gathering dust.
The only light had come from the doorway in which they stood in, and his shadow looked lonely in the door frame silhouette. As if to prove her then point, a flower was shriveled in a cup.
Now, there were pillows in the living room where she had convinced Kakashi to build a pillow fort. She was astonished when she heard he had never built one. Bright yellow buttercups resided in a ceramic vase about the size she was-which Sakura had made on one of the missions. She had loved the flowers and Kakashi noticed, getting her more. Depending on the day, the house smelt of dinner or dessert, wafting from the kitchen and filling the house with life. The curtains were often open letting light leak in, and window screens brought in the smell of wind and ruffled Kakashi's hair.
But then there was her home.
It was...home.
She had been a only child and her father had died of heart disease when she was thirteen. He went peacefully in his sleep, something anybody would be jealous of. Her mother was a business women and often wasn't home, so for the latter half of her life, she had the place all to herself. A medium sized home that was never lonely, friends always visiting. The cool basement with video games, the attic with antiques, and the stylish but comfortable rooms. A garden in the back, filled mostly with vegetables but sunflowers as well. Tall oak trees and a small pond. Every spring a pair of mated duck would land there.
She took care of most of her own needs with money from her mother and then herself, working stable jobs. She inherited her father's car and her life was so free and liberating everyone was jealous of her to some extent.
She wondered, did Kakashi get visitors like her? Was he lonely in his own house? From the time that she had been here, he had received almost no visitors except Gai who was rejected, an a few others on business.
Would he be lonely when she left?
Was this a dream?
She always had a vivid imagination and colorfully described everyday things. This transferred over into her dreams. More often than not she would lucid dream and remember them when she woke up. She still remembered dreams from her childhood, just because of the sheer details in them. She would wake up crying with tears on her face if it was sad, and a smile when she dreamed of happy years.
This didn't feel like a lucid dream, and if it wasn't she needed to get back.
Pronto.
How Kakashi felt or what he felt wasn't on her. He had team seven, it would be better if she left.
...But what about what she felt?
The light-hearted banter she and Kakashi shared didn't seem as fun anymore, and neither did team seven's dynamic. Neither did the fast approaching C-rank.
As if on cue, Kakashi stepped into the mission room.
She clutched the fabric like it was a life-line, eyes zeroing in on the Hokage. She was here! She peeked her arm out and waved when everyone's attention was on the woman suffocating Tora. His eyes glimmered and his fingers did a tiny wave in response. That's right! Don't forget about her!
"NOOOOO. I WANNA GO ON A REAL MISSION!SOMETHING CHALLENGING AND EXCITING NOT THIS LITTLE KID STUFF!"
Kakashi sighed.
"HOW DARE YOU!" yelled Iruka, equally loud. "YOU ARE JUST A BRAND NEW GENIN WITH NO EXPERIENCE! LIKE EVERYONE ELSE YOU START WITH SIMPLE MISSIONS TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS AND IMPROVE YOURSELF."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS BABYSITTING IS NOT A MISSION IT'S JUST A STUPI-AGHHH!"
"Will you put a lid on it." Said a annoyed Kakashi, hand in a loose fist from where he socked Naruto. She almost fell out of the pocket, and gave a good kick against his chest. Naruto screamed a bit more and rolled on the floor.
"Naruto!" Said the Hokage. She perked up. She needed to listen to him because he was her ticket out of here. "It seems you do not understand the tasks that have been given."
Teach her. Enlighten her.
The Hokage launched into an explanation of sorts on how missions and their assignments work, Haruhi listening attentively. She could use this later.
"So you are given-hm!?" The Hokage cut himself off when he realized no one was listening.
"So I had this tonkatsu ramen yesterday and I'm thinking miso ramen today-" said Naruto from his position of crisscross applesauce from the floor.
"Silence!"
Everyone turned to look at the Hokage. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh, sorry."
Naruto launched into a spiel about not being a little kid anymore then proceeded to turn his back to the Hokage and cross his arms and sulked angrily.
"Channeling your inner Sasuke now?" She muttered perhaps a bit too loudly as Kakashi laughed and Sasuke glared at her. She got passive-aggressive when she was upset not her fault.
"So be it."
"Huh?!" Said everyone.
"Since you are so determined" Pause for dramatic effect "I am going to give you a C-ranked mission."
And fuck there it was. What would happen to her?
"You'll be bodyguards on a journey."
"Really? Yes! Who!Who! Are we guarding a princess, or some big Councillor!" Shouted Naruto, turning around. Sasuke lent forward Sakura having grabbed his arm in excitement. She grabbed Kakashi's vest. Sinking down, she pressed her face to the peeping hole, as if it would reveal all the answers to her internal debate.
"...Send in our visitor!"
Team seven turned with curiosity, along with her stomach.
The door slid open and the first thing that was visible was a bottle of beer, with a beer belly close behind.
"What tha- a bunch of snot nosed kids? He took a swig, beer dripping into his beard. Naruto stood up with a 'hu?'
"And you the little one with the idiotic look on your face, you really expect me to believe your a ninja?" For a second she thought he was talking about her and was about to jump out, but then Sakura and Sasuke lined up side-by-side with Naruto, showcasing him as the smallest ninja.
"HAHAHAHA, who's the idiotic one with the look on his-
"…"
-I'LL DEMOLISH YOU!"
"You can't demolish the client, Naruto, it doesn't work that way." Kakashi said, very annoyed at this point.
The man took another swig, his face becoming serious and the red drunken haze dissipating.
"I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I must return to my country I am building a bridge there that will change our world. And I expect you to get me there safely even if it means giving up your life."
The details were worked out and the three-even Sasuke, dashed off to get packed.
So did Kakashi. He didn't say it but he way pretty hyped to.
She wasn't.
When they got back and she didn't immediately jump out-being curled in a ball at the bottom of his pocket- he picked her out, concerned.
"Haruhi!?"
She was pale and sweaty, trembling slightly. She mechanically twisted and pulled her hair-a nervous tick. And jumped when Kakashi said her name.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! It's-it's just I haven't been feeling well recently." She winced at how obviously thin the excuse was. Even if it was true. She couldn't just tell him she knew his entire past, present and future. More honestly, she said
"I've just been a little homesick... and I've left people behind." Kakashi knew she was asking; when she could go home, but he also read it was just more than homesickness.
"What's got you worried?" He teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"...Did you notice the way Tazuna spoke? How he went out of his way to point out the weaknesses within the team? Like he was worried about them? And then the way he put emphasis on protecting him, even with their lives when he had just called them snot-nosed brats? This is a C-rank, so there shouldn't be a need for death, right?I think there's more to Tazuna, and I agree when the Hokage said they should still be doing D-ranks."
He became deathly silent, obviously digesting her words, combining them with his own suspicions. And then he did something unexpected.
He chuckled. She looked up, heart beating with offense.
"It's a shame you weren't born here, you would have made a great ninja."
That pleased her more than it should have. "But I wasn't born here, and I don't belong, I need to go home." The 'now' was left unsaid, but still there.
He leveled a considering look at her.
"Is the C-rank upsetting you? Because were going out of the village." He stated. She could only nod, throat suspiciously choked up.
"Well... you could stay here."
By herself?!
FUCK NO.
But Kakashi seemed to think that was a good idea.
"-I'll summon Pakkun, and you can meet Gai, he's competent enough-"
Panic rose in her chest and a sob almost tore from her chest. The only way you could tell though, was the widening of her eyes.
"-I have concerns of my own with this mission and if we hadn't already agreed to it, we wouldn't be going. But now I know for sure not to take you with. It'd be dangerous."
On one hand, she didn't want to go. She definitely didn't want to go. On the other hand, Kakashi really was the only person she trusted with her safety. She had never even met Gai!
"But I feel safe with you!"
...
Oh shit, she say that?
"An-and if you left, I'd feel worse." She finished in a whisper.
...
His features were shadowed by his hair.
"Haruhi, our mission may be to guard Tanzuna, but my mission is to keep you safe. To protect you from harm, and this mission isn't shaping up to be pleasant."
"How are you supposed to protect me from harm if you're not here?" She winced, realizing how she sounded.
"I can't take you with, outside of Konoha's protection."
"...Okay." She nodded firmly, desperately reigning her emotions.
Dinner wasn't really dinner. It was more Kakashi getting ready and her wrestling with a crisis that didn't end with the dinner.
Wide-eyed, she laid in her matchbox bed. She wished for some form of comfort and almost felt the phantom weight of a cat curled by her feet. This was serious. This C-rank cranked up the violence in Naruto. It's when the toilet humor and accidental kissing is over. People died on this mission. She would be squashed like a bug. Would she be a murderer by keeping silent? What if Kakashi dies this time?
She threw back the covers, bumping into a book spine because of the tears blurring her vision, the terrible vision itself, and the darkness of the room. She groped in-between the books looking for something. When she found it she held it at a arms length, sniffled, then hugged it.
She dragged the doll her back to bed and wrapped her legs around it's waist. She took a deep breath, trying to fall asleep.
Her face screwed up in frustration and she threw the doll down on the bed, scooted out, and jumped down from the bookshelf, stumbling at the bottom. Quiet as a mouse, she padded to the kitchen.
'It's too bad the stairs aren't in yet' she thought as she shimmed up the string.
Rolling onto the counter, she made her way over to Kakashi's vest laying left of the cookie jar. She stood, shuffling like a kid outside their parent's door before she took a deep breath and crawled into the pocket, closing it behind her. It was completely dark in here, and pressed comfortingly from all sides. There was her peek hole and a space at the bottom where she normally curled up.
But most of all, it smelled like Kakashi.
A smile curled up onto her face as she remembered her first time in the pocket. She had fallen asleep then too, hadn't she? She drifted off to sleep, dreaming about a snow-land and chasing a silver bunny with a mask over its face.
Laughing as she tripped over snow banks.
I KNOW I'M SORRY! Finals are nothing to stick your nose up at! Anyway, this is in honor of over a hundred reviews and over 200 favorites.