TW: cold blooded violence

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A good spy can successfully impersonate any person among their comrades after having observed them in three situations:

· Interacting with their superiors

· Interacting with their acquaintances

· Interacting with their close people

For a master spy, two of these are sufficient, as they can make out the third one based on the others.

Some spies claim they need to see only one. Those are idiots.

While it's true most people are predictable, and therefore the chance of succeeding after witnessing them interact with only one category is still considerable, there's always the occasional oddball.

Although this is probably not the case.

You sat against the trunk of the imposing tree from one of the highest branches as you glanced down at the bonfire.

The Konoha squad was dining around the flickering flames, tents already set for the night.

The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed: they had completed their mission and were now close to home.

A perfect time to strike, when the guard is lower.

Two genin, four chunin, one jonin. Mitarashi Anko. She was strong but not bright, she wouldn't be a problem.

Your eyes slid back to your target.

A young female chunin, the med of the group.

She had symmetrical facial features, long copper-brown hair, and a genuine but polite smile.

You had been following the group for three days now, so you had several occasions to watch her meek behaviour, her dedication to her notes and herbs, the way she talked to Anko with a slight nervousness and often fiddled with her fingers. Despite her abilities being good, she was mildly underconfident.

Overall, she was ordinary, even mediocre. She had potential, sure, but her confidence issue were holding her back.

The best target you could ask for.

You stopped watching the group below and sighed, rolling your chin up towards the stars.

A tear of sky was visible among the tree tops, the constellations shining in the darkness.

What a strange life I was born to lead.

Around three in the night, like every night, the woman crawled out her tent to go relieve herself in the forest.

It was when she was about to come back to camp that you hit.

Like night itself, in a moment you were behind her, the senbon easily piercing the skin between the third and fourth vertebrae, injecting the paralysing venom directly into her spinal cord. Her body went limp instantly and you shoved a rolled cloth between her teeth before she could produce a sound. Her light figure fell in your arms, and you slowly eased her against a tree.

Her mouth was wide in a silent scream, the cloth hanging from her lower lip, and her eyes were filled with horror when they landed on you.

«I'm sorry, child.» you whispered, kneeling in front of her «I need your memories. But I'll be gentle.»

You leaned your hand over her trembling orbs and started.

It took two minutes to extract the main information. For a more comprehensive extraction, days were required, if not weeks, but that was rarely possible, so you had learned to work with what you had.

When you finished, you lightly grabbed the woman's shoulders and turned her back to you. There were tears running down her cheeks.

«I promise I'll return you to your family when my mission is complete. Goodnight, child.»

The kunai severed her spinal cord in an instant, and the kunoichi died.

The process continued with the ninjutsu to assume her appearance, and the clothes exchange. A call echoed across the woods.

«Nana-chan?»

The sentinel was getting suspicious.

«I-I'm sorry, I need, huh... I need more time.»

Maybe the shinobi had moved a few steps in your direction, although you couldn't see him yet, but he promptly stopped.

«Oh. Right. Sorry.»

He walked back to his post by the camp.

Good, the impression of her voice worked.

You used the remaining time to bury the body. Before throwing the last fist of soil, you reached into your (her) bag and extracted a small branch of wisteria, carefully unwrapped it from the paper, and placed it in the tomb.

«May your loved ones be guided to your soul.»

«Finally, home!»

You participated in the jubilation of the group with a shy smile, one of those that it's more to fit in.

Anko had already rushed ahead as soon as Konoha's walls appeared in the distance. It had been one entire day and nobody had noticed anything.

Well, of course. It wasn't your first rodeo.

There was a sensor-type ninja at the entrance, standard procedure against the ninjutsu you were practicing right now.

When it was your turn, you looked up at the shinobi with an uncertain expression. He sighed.

«How many times should I tell you, Nana? If you get nervous, you only seem suspicious.»

«S-Sorry.»

He shrugged with a condescend smile and placed his hand over your head, activating his jutsu.

«See?» he chuckled after thirty seconds «Nothing to fear, when you are yourself.»

Indeed.

«Thank you!»

And so you crossed the doors and stepped into Konoha.

Kakashi was lying on his hospital bed, immersed in reading, when a polite knock made him lower the book.

«Come in.»

It was Shizune that entered, followed by a med-nin he only vaguely remembered.

«Kakashi-san, I hope you're feeling better.» the woman smiled before turning to the new comer «This is Nana, you've probably met before. She works here at the hospital when she's not on a mission.»

You swallowed in nervousness and bowed deeply.

«It's an honour, Kakashi-san!»

The jonin hummed and set the book aside.

«I believe we've met but we were never formally introduced. The pleasure is mine.»

«Now that you're doing better, she'll be the one taking care of you until your discharge. We are a little understaffed at the moment, so it's a fortune she came back from her mission today.» Shizune explained.

You kept your head low.

«I'll do my best!»

Kakashi graced you with a last glance before turning back to his book.

«I'm sure. Thank you for your services.»

Shizune nodded and took her leave.

You hesitantly approached the IV line by the bed.

This is slightly unfortunate, being assigned to the only Shinobi in Konoha that saw me. And a good one too. I'll have to be careful.

You changed his fluids and refilled the meds by the nightstand. Kakashi hardly seemed to take notice of you for the rest of the time.

Would it be easy to kill him by injecting potassium into his IV line? No, it's too risky, they would link it to me, and I'm here to gather intel. Maybe later on, if the occasion arises.

«Do you often work here, Nana?»

His words caught you off guard, at least apparently, and you dropped a couple of pills on the floor. Kakashi's eye flicked on you.

«I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.»

«It's fine!» you immediately said, crouching down to collect the pills.

Being squirmy is tiresome.

«I'm normally on the field.» you answered him once the medications were set «I just came back to the village. I like to help here when I can.»

His eye returned to the book as he spoke.

«Don't you need to rest?»

The smile that lined your lips as you renewed his IV was almost sad.

«It's fine... I want to make myself useful.»

«Med ninja are extremely valuable already, you don't need to overdo it.»

You peeked at him.

Kakashi sounded almost bored and already lost into his reading.

«Thank you, Kakashi-san. I just... I could never go on crazy missions like you, or your trainees. I hear they are amazing. So I try my best to help.»

«I'm sure your missions are just as important.»

What a dismissive liar.

«Maybe. But sometimes I think I can be more useful when I'm not in the field.»

«Why?»

«Because I'm less afraid to die.»

For the first time, Kakashi turned his face to you.

You tensed under his eye, your cheeks flushing as you struggled to meet his gaze.

«D-Did I say something that upset you?»

«No. I just rarely meet Shinobi like you.»

«Like me?»

He never moved his gaze.

«Not afraid to admit they fear death.»

Your eyebrows twitched and you immediately lowered your gaze.

«I will be back tomorrow to check on you, Kakashi-san.»

He merely nodded and went back to his book as you walked out the room.

In the desert corridor, you leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

Why did I engage? It's a rookie mistake.

You shook your head and stood.

What's done is done. Intel on him would be good anyway.

This mission needs to be over soon.