Down time between missions is considered a rare occurrence, and the higher a shinobi's ranking, the more responsibility there is during off duty work.

In the midst of a cold winter's day, the existence of down time and no off duty work finally merges to give Shisui an entire day of nothing.

He is rarely home at such early hours of the morning, but the routine of waking by five has undoubtedly ingrained itself into him. And though his mind is half asleep, his body is proactively preparing for an imaginary long day ahead.

By seven, the chirping sounds of birds and the rattling of his neighbours's doors fully emerges with the rising sun. The best use of a lazy winter's day is the appreciation of sunlight and a stroll around the village markets.

At his front door, there is a small package wrapped tidily in green paper and set inconspicuously to the side. This gives Shisui the strange sensation of its deliberate placement - that passersby cannot see it.

Inside, the package contains several oddly shaped sweets, together with a note that reads in small, neat handwriting,

"Dear Shisui

Thank you for your recent assistance.

Please find enclosed a small gift of gratitude.

I hope this meets your expectations.

Honoka"

Shisui frowns.

What is this? A business transaction?

He almost laughs out loud, but decides to keep quiet at the look of his neighbour's furious morning expression.

Though he finds the gift a pleasant surprise, the reasoning behind is even more baffling.

x

"…another way to show gratitude is to make something special. For example, food is a common gift but taking the time out to create something from scratch shows your appreciation. You can try making sweets as it is a simple thing to give someone…"

There is a pause.

"Hmm…I'm sure I got that right then," she says thoughtfully.

"Got what right?"

The book snaps shut in agitation. There is an expression of frozen bewilderment that increases in potency before it settles complacently across Honoka's face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Shisui grins.

It takes several long seconds for Honoka to break the glassy expression, as if the source of commotion is benign and she can finally step from her hideout.

"Shisui," she states blankly.

"I received your gratitude gift, thanks for that," he says cheerfully.

Shisui did not expect her presence at the library, considering she is the type who is likely to hibernate within the walls of a laboratory. And perhaps it is also a pure coincidence that he happened to walk in on her reading a book about gratitude.

"Oh," she says slowly, "you are thanking me for thanking you with a gift."

Her features remain opaque, but there is almost a level of interest piquing the edges of her gaze.

"Oh…I suppose so," he answers awkwardly.

Again, he is unsure of the peculiarity of such situation.

As an ANBU, he deals with numerous personalities on missions, from the overly friendly to the strangely bizarre. But Honoka's eccentricity and uniqueness adds a whole new dimension to the ideology of unconventional. And to him, the quirkiness is reinforced in an incredibly amusing way.

"Shisui, may I ask you something?" Honoka asks politely.

There is now an element of curiosity sweeping her face, and for the briefest of moments, Shisui wonders what this blank and vacant person would look like if she actually smiled.

"Go ahead," he replies.

"You came here and spoke to me and thanked me for thanking you," she hesitates before rummaging through a pile of books, "this book," she extracts a little blue book that appears untouched, "it says if someone tries and talks to you for the second time, then it definitely means they are interested in becoming your friend."

She closes the book and places it in her bag before speaking.

"So Shisui, I will ask you again, are you trying to be my friend?"

Then, she stares intently at him, as if the fate of their odd relationship relies heavily on his answer.

And when Shisui gazes back in puzzlement, Honoka continues to survey him with insurmountable fixation. She does not remove her watch from him, even when his body language provides a clear indicator of his discomfort.

Honoka may be used to hearing a prompt answer, but her definition of punctuality does not extend into the zone of 'normality.'

Several seconds into Shisui's stunned silence and a sudden change of demeanour fills the space. Honoka is looking confused, fearful even, yet Shisui gets the feeling that she may be nervous.

He has witnessed radiating emotions of fear and apprehension on missions, that an enemy is lying, or poorly suppressing strong emotions of trepidation. And though he gets a similar vibe with Honoka, he is uncertain whether they may be her true feelings.

"I am happy to sit and await your answer," she says firmly.

Shisui has never been pushed into silence before, and certainly not in a way that elicits an awkward aura. But though deciphering Honoka's behaviour and thought patterns may prove onerous in future, he finds her incredibly interesting.

If anything, perhaps he may be of help to her in the sphere of social skills?

"Yes, actually," he answers eventually.

Honoka does not stir at his reply, but there is a momentary flicker of attentiveness as she watches him carefully with undivided attention.

"I see," she says, "well in that case, I will accept your offer of friendship."

"That's a relief to hear," Shisui says tentatively, "and you don't always have to go by the book, I suppose it'd be nice for you to understand those social things through experience."

"Is that so? How will I understand through experience?"

"Social interactions?"

"I don't have any," she says bluntly.

The revelation comes as no surprise to him, albeit he cannot help but feel a tinge of sympathy for her.

"We are friends now, right? I can help you with that," he says.

There is silence. Honoka stares apprehensively between Shisui and the pile of books beside her. And there is a deep frown etched between her forehead, as if she is contemplating an incredibly complex problem.

"Okay, I will accept that. Thank you."