OMG, guys! It completely went over my head that it's Halloween! I wrote this small treat (it's really tiny, just over 600 words!) just for you. This doesn't have a set place in the timeline; it's simply a sweet, fun chapter for the season! But don't worry—the continuation of that loooong chapter is still coming tomorrow. Happy Halloween! xx
The village was buzzing with Halloween excitement as Kakashi and the girl strolled down the street, each reluctantly donning the costumes Kushina had insisted on. Kakashi wore a dark cloak and an eyepatch, which gave him a mysterious, almost roguish look. The girl, meanwhile, wore a raven-like cape with feathery edges and a tiny beak-shaped hood, which she kept fiddling with as they walked, looking around in awe at all the strange costumes.
The girl stuck close to Kakashi, watching as costumed villagers passed by. She tugged his sleeve, her brow furrowing as she pointed to a child waddling by in an enormous pumpkin suit. "Why… faces wrong?" she asked, clearly baffled.
Kakashi chuckled. "It's Halloween. People dress up to look scary. For fun."
She tilted her head, unconvinced. Fun? By looking strange? she thought, her skeptical gaze following a little ghost toddling by. "For… scare?" she asked, voice dripping with doubt.
Then, as if on cue, a group of kids dressed as skeletons and vampires ran up, shouting "Trick or treat!"
The girl flinched, crouching instinctively, until she noticed the bags of candy in their hands. She glanced up at Kakashi, completely confused.
"It's for candy," he explained, smirking. "People say 'trick or treat,' and others give them sweets."
Her eyes lit up. "Candy?" she echoed.
Kakashi pulled a small handful from his pocket and handed her a piece. "Here, try one."
She took it, studying it carefully—then, to his surprise, popped the whole piece, wrapper and all, straight into her mouth. She bit down and instantly grimaced, her face scrunching up as she tried to chew through the paper.
Kakashi's eyes widened, a laugh bursting out before he could stop it. "Not like that!" he said, gently taking the soggy candy that laid now in her hands. He unwrapped it carefully—trying to ignore the slobber—before handing it back.
This time, she took a small nibble, her eyes widening at the sweetness. "Sweet!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up as she quickly stuffed the rest in her mouth.
Kakashi shook his head, grinning. "Most people eat it a little slower…" he began, but she was already grabbing for another. Right, slow isn't her style.
As they wandered on, she flapped her cape a few times, clearly delighted with her "wings." She looked up at him, mischief sparking in her eyes. "You… scare?" she asked, eyebrow raised as she gave his cloak and eyepatch an appraising look.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly toward her. "Nah," he said with a smirk. "I think my face is scary enough already."
Without a second thought, he pulled his mask down just enough to reveal his mouth, scrunching up his face and baring his teeth in a mock snarl.
She paused, then gave him a cheeky grin. "True," she replied, her voice dead serious.
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard, his mask half-on, and then she burst into laughter, her bright giggles echoing around them. His cheeks warmed as he quickly pulled his mask back up. Did I just… show her my face without even thinking? The realization hit him like a shiver down his spine. Showing his face was something he didn't do lightly—but here, with her, it had just… slipped out, natural as breathing.
She tilted her head, noticing the serious look that had crept onto his face. Her grin grew, clearly interpreting it as an attempt to look even scarier.
"But… not very scare," she added with a knowing look, as if she'd caught onto some secret he was trying to keep.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, her words catching him off guard. "Not even a little?"
She shook her head, eyes bright with amusement. "No… funny," she said, barely holding back her laughter.
Kakashi tried to maintain a serious expression, but her laughter was too infectious, and he found himself smirking. "Alright, funny it is," he muttered, though he couldn't quite shake the warm feeling in his chest.
She leaned in close, lowering her voice like she was letting him in on a grand plan. "But… I tell people 'very scare face,'" she whispered, nodding with mock seriousness, as if this would be their little secret.
Kakashi chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You'd really do that?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. … You big, scare face!" she declared with a giggle, then turned and flapped her raven-like cape, as if spreading her wings to share this "terrifying" news.
As they walked on, her laughter and playful antics filling the air, he found himself smiling more than he had all night, realizing that Halloween with her—strange costumes, misread expressions, and all—felt oddly nice.