Thank you to all who have been voting for Twi in the Naruto Watty Awards, I feel so loved!

It's really encouraging to see that so many people actually enjoy the things that I write! :D

Pic of Kohana  --->

Ignore the weird leotard and gloves, they're not what she really wears lol.

Ashley’s POV

“…And so, to conclude….” Lady Tsunade takes a deep breath. “The Council unanimously agreed that becoming Allies with the Land of Ambience again would be a fantastic idea.”

A broad grin spreads across my face, as Saffire lets out a loud whoop of joy and runs forwards to grab the signed Peace Treaty from a smiling Lady Tsunade.

“Oink!” Tonton says brightly, hanging comfortably from Shizune’s arms. The charcoal haired lady sends me a wink, as my Minami friends begin talking excitedly amongst themselves, with the exception of Shimei, who is staring at Lady Tsunade.

“Lady Hokage” he addresses in his deep, velvet voice. Lady Tsunade raises an eyebrow at the tall boy, as he steps up to her desk.

“On behalf of our Chief and the people of the Land of Ambience….” Shimei closes his eyes and bows his head. “Kiitos.”

Saffire, Atsui, Kurai and Kiyumi all pause, before bowing their heads as well.

“Kiitos!” they chorus, while Lady Tsunade and Shizune send me quizzical looks, silently asking me to explain.

“Kiitos means thank you is Susikiel” I say with a laugh, throwing an arm around Saffire’s neck casually.

“Oh I see….” Lady Tsunade smiles, leaning back in her chair. “Well then, you’re very welcome. I’m very sure this will turn out to be a positive relationship between our Villages.”

“Will you be staying much longer?” Shizune questions, taking a step forwards. “Or are you planning on returning to your own Village today?”

My friends all exchange looks, before Kiyumi steps forwards.

“If you don’t mind Lady Tsunade” she says politely. “We’d like to stay for another day or two. We’ve taken quite a liking to your Village.”

“Plus!” Kurai chirps, bounding forwards and hugging my arm. “We get to see Ley-chan!”

“Ley-chan?” Lady Tsunade questions, smirking at me and raising an eyebrow. “How cute Ashley.”

I scowl at Lady Tsunade, tempted to throw something at her. I hate when she makes fun of me…..I can’t be out done by an old lady!

Before I can come up with a good retort, someone knocks on the door, making us all turn around.

“Come in!” Lady Tsunade calls, watching as the door opens, revealing a handsome man with silver hair.

“Yo” Kakashi says when he spots me amongst the other Minami, before looking up at Lady Tsunade. “Milady.”

“Ah, Kakashi” the Hokage greets, waving him in. “Good timing, I need to have a talk with you about something.”

Looking back down at my friends, Lady Tsunade gives them a nod and a quick smile.

“Thank you Ambience Ninja” she says pleasantly. “You’re dismissed for now, but I have no doubt I’ll see you again before you leave.”

“Hopefully not because they’ve broken something or hurt someone though” I laugh nervously, sweat dropping when Saffire and Kiyumi exchange sly looks with each other. I hope they’ll behave for the next day or two, or Lady Tsunade will no doubt blame me for the trouble they cause.

“Bye!” Kurai sings, latching onto Shimei’s arm and skipping from the room. Atsui follows suit, closing his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets.

As Saffire grabs onto me to drag me from the room, Tsunade’s voice catches our attention.

“Ashley” she says seriously. “I need you to stay for a few minutes. There’s something I have to ask you.”

Kiyumi and Saffire pause, looking from Lady Tsunade to me, before I wave them from the room. What could she want to talk to me for?

“Go on you guys” I say to my sister and best friend. “I’ll see you later.” Saffire and Kiyumi look at each other, before shrugging and leaving the room.

“Catch ya later!” Saffire barks, sending me a playful wink before she slams the door shut, making Lady Tsunade and Shizune wince.

“Does she remind anyone else of Naruto sometimes?” Kakashi asks, making me sweat drop.

“You think so too huh?” I ask with a half hearted laugh. Feeling eyes on me, I glance up and give Lady Tsunade a deadpan look.

“What did I do this time?” I ask in a whiny voice, making the blonde woman roll her eyes. She leans forwards in her chair, folding her hands in front of her mouth and focusing her caramel eyes on me.

“This isn’t about something that you’ve done” she explains mysteriously. “It’s regarding something you have yet to do.”

I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow at the Hokage. What on earth is the crazy old woman on about now?

“Are you drunk again or something?” I ask dryly, an anime vein appearing on Lady Tsunade’s face. Shizune twitches nervously, as I see Kakashi Sensei facepalm from the corner of my eye.

Don’t get me wrong, I respect Lady Tsunade. I’d even go so far as to say that I like her. She’s just one of those people that can get on my nerves, and no matter how high her title is, I just can’t seem to always show the respect that I’m supposed to.

“I’m not drunk!” Lady Tsunade barks, narrowing her eyes at me in irritation. “And what do you mean by again?! You insolent, litte br- Ughh…..Never mind!”

I can’t help smirking as Lady Tsunade grabs the bridge of her nose and sighs, Shizune giving me a pleading look from behind her. She probably doesn’t want me to torment Lady Tsunade today, as she’s the one who’ll have to deal with the hot blooded woman later.

“You remember that mission I wanted to send you on?” Tsunade asks pointedly, turning serious again and making my smirk fall into a frown. “The one we talked about a little while after you got back to the Vill-”

“I know which one you mean” I interrupt sharply, crossing my arms. “And you’re right. I haven’t gone on it yet.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Kakashi switching his gaze between me and Lady Tsunade, obviously curious as to what we’re talking about. Well that’s tough for him, because no one is allowed to know about this ridiculous mission. Something that makes it all the more undesirable to me.

Lady Tsunade narrows her eyes at me, obviously not liking my attitude towards her.

“I can see that” she says lowly. “I’m wondering when you will go on this mission.”

I shrug, raising a hand and inspecting my nails boredly.

“Probably never” I reply coolly, glancing back up at Lady Tsunade, who is glaring daggers at me.

“And why not?” she asks through clenched teeth, probably trying her best not to through her desk out of the way and punch me into next week.

I scowl at Lady Tsunade, clenching my hands into fists down by my side. Was she serious?

“Because” I growl nastily. “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! It’s risky and suicidal! Besides, you already sent me after the Akatsuki, which consists of some of the most dangerous people in the world! And now, you want to send me on a mission that has even more risks involved?! I’ll never get out of it alive Lady Tsunade! It’s crazy!”

Lady Tsunade closes her eyes momentarily, nodding her head and leaning back in her chair.

“Everything you just said is true” she agrees, opening her eyes and watching me intently. “And that’s exactly why you’re the only one I can trust enough to get it done. I honestly believe that you can do it Ashley. This is just like the Akatsuki mission. I wouldn’t have asked you to do such a dangerous thing if I didn’t think you could manage it.”

My eyes widen slightly, the string of insults I had prepared dying in my mouth. She believed that I could do it? That I’m the only one who could?

Remaining silent, I whirl around and stride past Kakashi Sensei. Wrenching the door open, I pause momentarily and glance over my shoulder at Lady Tsunade.

She regards me evenly, caramel eyes full of determination. I turn around and slam the door shut, leaning my back against the door and letting out a low breath.

“Sorry about that Kakashi” I hear Lady Tsunade sigh.

“It’s alright Milady” comes the friendly reply. “That actually wasn’t so bad!.........For a confrontation with Ashley anyway.”

“Yes……Anyway, I have a mission for you” the Hokage says in a business like voice. “I know that you just got out of the hospital, and I’m sorry to do this to you, but you need to rendezvous with Jiraiya. He wants your help keeping tabs on the Akatsuki and relaying information on them back to us-”

Not wanting to hear any more, I suddenly pull away from the door and run down the hallway, nearly knocking a couple of Genin over.

“Hey!” Konohamoru cries indignantly, raising his fist above his head and shaking it at me.

Ignoring the brat as he begins muttering under his breath, I continue sprinting down the long hallway. I just want to be alone. I need some time to think…

“Hey Ashley!” a cheerful voice calls, making my eyes flick up from the floor. Ahead of me, I see Naruto waving madly, broad grin plastered across his face. Walking next to him, Sakura tilts her head to the side and sends me a closed eye smile, as Sai raises his hand in greeting. Behind the three teenagers, Yamato smiles at me from over their heads.

‘Ignore them….’ a voice whispers in my head, before I quickly glance around. Spotting an open window to my left, I veer towards it and leap onto the window sill, landing on it in a crouched position.

“Ashley?” Naruto asks, his grin fading into a look of concern. Sakura’s eyes pop open, brows creasing with confusion.

Sending my friends a blank look over my shoulder, I lean forwards and dive down from the window, which is about four stories above the ground.

“Ashley-chan!” I hear Naruto shout as I fall, rushing over to the window and leaning out. “Ashley!”

I close my eyes momentarily, feeling the window blowing through my hair and dragging it back behind me.

“Why is she running away from us?” I hear Sakura ask Naruto, hurt lacing her voice. Maybe they think I’m acting weird by ignoring them, but in all honesty, I don’t want to be around anyone for the moment. Even Sakura and Naruto, two of my very best friends, can’t help my mood, which has taken a massive downwards dive, thanks to Lady Tsunade and her stupid mission.

Opening my eyes, I flip around at the last second and land on the ground easily, placing my hands on the ground to balance myself properly. Slowly rising to my feet, I ignore the few people in the street and glance around.

‘Where can I be left alone?’ I wonder to myself, before sighing and deciding to head to the training field Team Seven did the Bell Test on. There may be people there, but if I’m quiet, maybe they’ll just concentrate on their training.

I drag my feet as I walk, not really seeing anything as the details of Lady Tsunade’s mission swim through my head. Though I guess I should be flattered that she thinks I’m the only one capable of completing such a mission successfully, I can’t help letting all of the negative possibilities consume my mind.

I abruptly turn down a side street, picking up the pace when I sense Shikamaru and Ino heading in my direction. Again, as much as I like them, mindless chatter and laughter won’t help me make a decision on what I should do.

They’ll only ask me what’s wrong and if they can help anyway. Which they can’t. And then Ino will nag me until I tell her what my mission is.

I release a deep sigh as I break into a quick jog, eventually managing to reach the training grounds in just under twenty minutes.

Surveying the large field, I determine no one to be around, before slowly strolling out towards the large kunai targets attached to posts. I raise an eyebrow as I walk towards the targets, noticing a few kunai sticking out of them, all pierced through the very centre.

Staring at a small cluster in one of the targets, I reach out and pull one of the knives free, inspecting it curiously.

‘The handle is still warm’ I internally muse, turning the kunai over in my hand. ‘It’s just been thrown.’

I toss the kunai up into the air and flip it around, catching the handle and brandishing it at a bush a few metres to my right.

“Your aim is pretty good” I say out loud, able to sense a small presence. “But if you don’t come out, you’ll see that mine is a lot better.”

I wait for a few seconds, before relaxing my stance and sighing wearily. I don’t have the patience for this right now, I came here to think, not sus out hiding Genin.

“I’m not sure why you’re hiding if you’ve done nothing wrong” I say wryly, before lazily throwing the kunai into the bush. “But I don’t have the patience for this today.”

Turning around, I bend my knees and leap high into a tree. Settling myself down onto a high branch, hidden well by leaves, I bring my knees up and fold my arms across them.

Why is it that I never seem to be the one to make all of the major decisions that affect me? I didn’t choose for my Clan to be killed. I didn’t choose to become Orochimaru’s pet. I never chose to remain here, though I don’t regret it.

‘Often…’ the voice in my head whispers, as I pull a face and rest my chin on my arms.

I didn’t choose for Itachi to kill my Father, and the other Uchiha. I never chose to risk my life and follow the Akatsuki’s movements for nearly two years.

‘They have your interest though’ the voice chuckles lowly, so quietly I almost don’t hear it. ‘People as cold blooded and calculating as you used to be….’

“And I certainly didn’t choose to be the host of you Hakuba” I growl quietly, scowling at the ground below.

‘You have to admit’ Hakuba says with a smirk, ‘These Akatsuki have you intrigued.’

“And what makes you think that?” I ask dryly, already sick of the demon I hardly hear from anymore.

‘You’d like to know what it would be like to be as…….free as they are” Hakuba sneers, his voice growing louder as I begin paying more attention to his words.

“Free? I ask curiously. “They’re all S-Rank criminals, wanted across the world. Tell me Hakuba, how is that being free?”

Hakuba chuckles, rising to his feet and rubbing his side along the bars of his prison, deep in my psyche.

‘Perhaps they are wanted criminals” he agrees, pausing for a moment. “But they can do whatever they wish. They make all of their own decisions and rules, and people are too afraid to go against them……Perhaps you wonder if you could have been like them, had you stayed with Orochimaru?”

I shake my head vigorously, accidentally letting out a nasty snarl.

“I’d be dead if I’d stayed with him” I spit, clenching my hands into fists and glaring at the ground angrily. “You’re so full of it Hakuba! I don’t wonder what I’d be like at all! I like the way things are now.”

Hakuba chuckles darkly.

“Yet, here you sit” he taunts. “Feeling pity for yourself and letting your guard down to me. You’re so easy to get at when you’re sad or full of doubt-”

“You’re such an ass Hakuba” I snap, interrupting the demon Wolf. “Why can’t you be nice, for once in your life, and support me or something?! You’ve been harassing me for years!”

Hakuba pauses, his mocking demeanour slowly diminishing, being replaced by feelings of hatred and frustration.

‘I harass you little girl’ he snarls angrily, ‘to be gifted with my freedom! And why should I be kind to you? You lying little hypocrite! Should I show kindness and understanding to someone who loathes me as much as I loathe them?! Such insolence!’

I bring my hands up and grip the sides of my head painfully, fingers curling into my hair. Whenever Hakuba gets angry or yells, it causes me quite a lot of pain. Like a headache, but much worse.

“Y-You killed my Grandmother” I say through gritted teeth, making Hakuba pause.

‘I DID NO SUCH THING!’ he positively roars, throwing himself at the steel bars that seal him inside of me. ‘SHE WAS A SICK, DYING OLD WOMAN!’

“Okayyyy….” I groan, squeezing my eyes closed as sweat begins to drip down my face.

‘Don’t you ever accuse me of things I’ve never done’ Hakuba warns me icily, his feelings of bloodlust and hatred making me feel a little dizzy. Not having dealt with Hakuba’s tantrums for quite awhile now, I guess I’m not used to handling him as well anymore.

‘That pathetic old woman was already dead when I broke free’ Hakuba informs me, growling with irritation. ‘Not that I was free for very long, before I was sealed into the body of a tiny little brat.’

I crack one eye open, panting.

“You ruined my life Hakuba” I mutter, looking down as Hakuba laughs humourlessly.

‘You think being stuck inside of you is a picnic brat?’ he asks sarcastically. ‘Don’t blame me for being sealed inside of you against my will. It was your precious Grandfather’s idea, and Mommy agreed to it as well. Blame them.’

A slight rustling on the ground catches my attention, making me open my other eye and glance down. Spying a familiar head of silvery blue hair, I release a sigh and push myself to my feet, swaying slightly.

“My Mother and Grandfather were good people” I tell Hakuba firmly, silently jumping down through the branches and landing on the ground. “They had to think of the entire Village.”

‘Yes, take it from me kid’ Hakuba sneers. ‘The needs of the many will always out weigh the needs of the few. Or in both of our cases, the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the individual…...’

Finding Hakuba’s words odd, I shake my head to try and clear it, before carefully walking towards the young girl suspiciously staring at the kunai in her hand. She suddenly drops the kunai on the ground, making me raise an eyebrow.

“Kohana” I address, making her head snap up, turning around to look at me. “What’re you doing out here by yours-”

I cut myself off, eyes widening at the sight of the blood dripping down from a wound in her shoulder, staining her skin and clothes.

“What happened to you?” I ask, incredulous as to who would injure a six year old child like that.

Kohana merely glares back at me, her large dark blue eyes narrowed at me stubbornly and her mouth set in a firm line. She raises her hand and grips onto her shoulder tightly, either trying to stop the bleeding or try to decrease her pain.

“Here, let me heal that” I say, placing my palms together and taking a step towards the young girl. Her eyes widen, before she suddenly leaps backwards, glaring at me and gritting her teeth.

“What’re you doing?” I ask, beginning to get annoyed. “That’s a deep wound, and it needs to be healed right now!”

Kohana shakes her head, the long parts of her hair whipping back and forth wildly. I almost smirk, hair gravity defying hair reminding me of Kakashi Sensei. Like Father like Daughter I guess.

“Kohana…..” I begin slowly, before dropping my hands. “Who did this to you? I’ll make them pay!”

Kohana’s eyes widen for a moment, before they go back to being narrowed, as she nods her head towards the kunai she’d dropped earlier. Looking down at the kunai, I see that it’s covered in blood.

My eyes widen in recognition. That’s the kunai that I threw into the bushes before!

I look back up at Kohana, feeling both guilty and amazed. She’d taken that hit without so much as a squeak!

Kohana glares back at me coldly, as I relax my stance and rub the back of my neck.

“I’m so sorry Kohana” I apologise sincerely, holding out my hands and shrugging helplessly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like that! I didn’t even realise it was you, which is weird…..But anyway! I honestly didn’t mean it!”

Kohana gives me a suspicious look, before suddenly biting her lip and stumbling a little, almost falling right over.

I take a few steps forwards, immediately making the young girl dart backwards, skidding to a halt and eyeing me tiredly, her breathing beginning to quicken.

She’s only small, so she’ll be feeling the effects of blood loss already…..Which means I need to hurry up and heal her.

“Just let me heal you Kohana” I ask pleadingly. “I’m not going to hurt you!......Well, anymore than I already have anyway……”

When Kohana doesn’t reply, I feel myself growing irritated, my eyes narrowing back at the stubborn kid. Well, if she won’t let me heal her, I’ll just have to do it by force.

As I place my hands together, I see Kohana bend her knees a little, no doubt expecting an attack.

“Summoning Jutsu!” I cry, slamming my palm to the earth, immediately being surrounded by a large cloud of white smoke.

As the smoke clears, Kohana straightens up, looking around frantically, seeing that I’ve disappeared from my earlier position.

“Hi!” a cheerful voice barks, making the girl jump with fright and look to her right. She recoils at the sight of Chi’s grinning face, his tail wagging a millions miles a minute as he stands beside her.

“My name’s Chi!” the friendly Wolf introduces himself, tongue hanging out of his mouth cutely. “What’s your name? Huh? Huh? Huh? I bet it’s real pretty Pretty Girl-chan!”

Kohana takes another step backwards, bumping right into Chi. She whirls around, eyes wide with shock that Chi had gotten behind her so quickly.

“My best friend’s name is Jet” Chi continues merrily, giving Kohana a closed eye smile as she steps away from him slowly. “I call him Jet-chan, but he’s my best friend. You can’t steal him just coz we’re friends now okay? Oh, do you have a best friend Pretty Girl-chan? Wait, you still didn’t tell me your name yet! What is it? Whatisitwhatisitwhatisitwhatisit?!”

Silently sneaking up behind Kohana, my eyes widen as I see her doing a one handed sign with her good hand, Chi too busy bouncing around to notice.

She reaches forwards, as if to pat my trusting Wolf, placing her hand on his neck. Before Chi can react, electricity suddenly sparks around Kohana’s hand, immediately travelling into Chi and making him squeal in pain.

“Chi!” I exclaim, diving forwards and not caring if I hurt Kohana anymore. I tackle Kohana to the ground, securing her arms behind her back and holding her tightly.

Chi drops to the ground, whimpering in pain, as I glare down at the young girl before me. She sits up slowly, a small cough escaping her lips, before she turns her head slightly and glowers at me over her shoulder.

“Let me tell you something” I say lowly, trying to control myself. “No one ever hurts my Wolves. When they do, they end up dead.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Chi rise to his feet and shake himself vigorously, before trotting over to me. I hold up a hand, stroking his head affectionately, before he strides past me and sits down in front of Kohana. The young animal tilts his head as he studies her with his aqua eyes, ears flopping cutely.

“Why did you hurt me?” he asks softly, giving Kohana his puppy dog eyes and lowering his head. “I just wanna be friends Pretty Girl-chan…..”

Kohana stares at Chi, looking a little bewildered, before she suddenly flinches, trying to pull away when I place a glowing hand on her shoulder wound. She shakes her head, struggling to get away from me.

“You’re not going anywhere” I say firmly, sick of the girl’s strange behaviour and attitude. “What is your problem with getting help anyway?”

Kohana slumps in front of me, head hanging towards the ground. Chi rolls onto his back and gives her a Wolfish grin, feet kicking in the air.

“Lady Ashley is the best at healing people” he tells Kohana brightly. “She can heal anything! I bet it doesn’t even hurt while she’s fixing your shoulder!”

Kohana shakes her head again, more slowly this time.

“S-Stop….” she says in an almost inaudibly soft voice, making me pause. Chi and I exchange a glance, before I lean forwards.

“What?” I ask, making Kohana tilt her head to the side, looking at me from the corner of her eye.

“Stop…” she repeats quietly. “Just stop…..”

“Why?” I demand to know, when Chi suddenly snuggles up to Kohana, making her stiffen, as her sends me a soft smile.

“She’s scared Milady” he informs me, resting his cheek on top of Kohana’s bowed head. “I’m a Wolf, so I can smell these things.”

I regard Kohana curiously. Why would she be scared? She’s not acting like she’s scared, she’s just acting like an annoying little brat.

“Kohana” I address softly, both hands still healing her shoulder. I see the young girl’s dark eyes flick up to me for a second, before her head hangs back towards the ground.

“Why would you be scared of me?” I question gently, looking back at the girl’s shoulder, which is almost fully healed. Chi lifts his head up and looks down at the silent girl, squinting thoughtfully.

“Lady Ashley can seem really, really mean sometimes” he says cheerfully, making me deadpan. “But she’s really a good person Ko-chan. Look, she’s already done fixing your shoulder!”

Kohana’s head snaps up, watching me suspiciously as I carefully release her and take a few steps backwards, giving her some space.

She cautiously rotates her shoulder around, a look of surprise flashing across her stony face, before being replaced by the usual scowl. She drops her hands back into her lap and glares down at them, almost seeming upset about something.

“Do you feel better now Koha-”

“You know my Dad, don’t you?” she asks sharply, cutting me off and making pause. How random was that?

“Your Dad?” I repeat, tilting my head to the side and casting Chi a confused look. He shrugs back, before gliding away from Kohana and wrapping himself around my legs, his soft fur tickling my skin.

“You mean Kakashi Hatake right?” I ask slowly, watching as Kohana pulls a strange face and nods her head once. “Well…..What about him?”

Kohana shrugs, reaching up and pushing her spiky hair back from her face, blowing out a low breath.

“I’ve……I’ve never met him” she mutters, looking up at me from under her fringe, a blank look on her face.

“I know” I say carefully, taking a few cautious steps towards Kohana and sighing when she tenses up. I casually lean my shoulder against a tree and cross my arms, watching Kohana intently.

“Your Mother told me that he doesn’t know about you” I add, seeing the way the young girl’s brows furrow at my comment. “Does anyone know about you Kohana? Besides me I mean.”

She shakes her head, closing her eyes briefly.

“No” comes the hushes reply. “My Mother doesn’t want anyone to know about me. Ever. That’s why I can’t leave the house during the day.”

I feel a small pang in my heart for the girl. That meant she had no friends, and what six year old doesn’t want friends? No wonder she’s so solemn and hesitant to let me near her. She’s probably not used to human contact with anyone but Kyoku.

“Wait…..If you’re not supposed to be out during the day….” I begin slowly, making Kohana raise her head. “Why are you out at the Training Fields in the middle of the afternoon?”

Kohana pushes herself to her feet, releasing a very soft sigh. She places a hand on her hip and regards me boredly.

“My Mother is away on a mission and I’m bored” she mumbles, sounding almost embarrassed. “And I’m hungry, so I thought training would take my mind off of food….”

Chi and I exchange incredulous looks, before I shake my head and look at Kohana with wide eyes.

“How long has it been since Kyoku left for her mission?” I ask, feeling a slight sense of dread.

“Four days” comes the low reply, making me groan and face palm. Trust Kyoku to leave her young daughter alone and with no food while she’s away.

“Alright, that decides it then” I sigh, scowling up at the sky. Before Kohana can react, I stomp over to her and grab her by the arm, dragging her from the Training Grounds.

“H-Hey!” she cries, her blue eyes wide with shock and annoyance. “Let me go! No on can see m-”

“Relax!” I bark over my shoulder, striding back towards the Village, Chi bouncing happily around my feet. “We’re going to my house, and trust me, no one visits me! So you’ll be fine!”

I feel Kohana’s muscles tense as people slowly begin drifting into her view, bustling around and going about their daily business, not caring about the two girls and brown Wolf marching through the street.

I’m not sure if she does it subconsciously or not, but I feel Kohana press into my side, free hand gripping onto the back of short top as we continue down the street.

Subtly glancing down, I see the look of uncomfortableness and slight fear on her face, almost making me smile.

Not because she’s obviously a bit traumatized by being seen by so many people, but the fact that even this kid, despite her tough guy act, still has the little girl side to her as well. It’d be kind of endearing, if I wasn’t so opposed to little kids.

“Ah, here we are” I finally say, as we stop in front of the small building that belongs to me.

Locating my key in the earth beside my not so welcome mat, I unlock the door and step inside, smiling when I see Ace and Rei asleep on the couch. My Wolves just love to laze around, since they rarely get the chance to.

“Chi” I whisper, turning to the bouncing Wolf. “I think you’d better go back to Inu Zoku Mountain, coz Rei and Ace are sleeping.”

Chi stops his bouncing and gives me a wounded look, lower lip trembling cutely.

“Awww” he whines, ears drooping. “But why?”

Placing my hands on my hips, I send the Wolf a cheeky grin.

“Can you be super quiet and stay still until they wake up?” I ask teasingly. “It could be a few hours for all we know.”

Chi’s face scrunches up in thought, as he hems and haws over his answer for a few seconds, making me start to giggle. Kohana gives us both strange looks, when Chi suddenly darts up to me and gives me a swift lick on the cheek.

“I’m gonna go and see Jet-chan” he whispers loudly, sending Kohana a friendly wink and disappearing in a puff of white smoke.

I continue giggling softly, ushering Kohana inside my house and shutting the door with a soft click.

The young girl gazes around my house slowly, her eyes widening at the sight of the two large Wolves snuggles up on my couch, Ace’s soft snores drifting through the air.

“In here” I whisper, tapping Kohana’s shoulder and heading into my airy kitchen, where I immediately begin rifling through my refrigerator and pantry.

Deciding to make this meal a little more special than normal, I grin as I begin pulling items down from different shelves, spilling them out onto the counter and making Kohana sweat drop.

“What….What’re you doing?” she asks quietly, as I set a large pack of rice on the counter, the last item I need for my special lunch.

“Cooking lunch for the both of us” I reply cheerfully, setting to work immediately. Now, I may not be the nicest or most domestic person to ever live, but I do enjoy a little bit of cooking every now and then. Besides, the few people I’ve cooked for have seemed to enjoy it, so I’m going to say I’m a good cook, whether that’s the case or not.

Kohana remains silent for a few minutes, watching as I scurry around the kitchen, dropping things into hot water and chopping up vegetables on the counter. As I begin making some Miso Soup, Kohana scrunches up her nose.

“What are you cooking?” she asks hesitantly, seeing me beginning to grill some meat.

“Wagyu Beef Yakiniku Bento Boxes” I reply breezily, enjoying the smell of the beef cooking before me.

Kohana just gives me a blank look, her eyes travelling over the cooking dishes.

“I’ve never had any of these things” she mutters, finally sitting herself down in a chair and pulling her knees up to her chin.

“You’re in for a treat then” I laugh, placing my hands on my hips and surveying my now messy kitchen. “Well, it shouldn’t take too long until it’s all ready.”

Turning around to say something to Kohana, I close my mouth when I see her staring at a picture on one of the window sills. It’s the picture of Team Seven when we were first formed, over three years ago now.

She slowly slides down from the chair and walks over to it, tilting her head as she studies the picture thoughtfully.

A wry smile finds its way onto my face as she gently picks the photo up, tracing Kakashi’s face with her small, gloved fingers. Her eyebrows are knitted close together as she stares hard at his image, making me wonder what she could be thinking.

“Do you ever want to meet him?” I suddenly ask, making Kohana jump. She blinks a few times, before looking up at me.

“I…I don’t know” she sighs, looking back down at the picture and frowning slightly. “Mother says it’s for the best if we never come into contact.”

“Yeah, she said something like that to me too” I say, rolling my eyes. It seemed silly to me, keeping this young girl from meeting her Father. Despite his many flaws, I have no doubt that Kohana would love Kakashi. He’s honest, brave and loyal, not to mention one of the strongest Ninja around.

And after getting over his shock, I’m sure Kakashi would love Kohana too. From what I’d seen, she was quite the skilled little Ninja-in-the-making. He’d probably be thrilled to know that his daughter could already use his powerful Chidori technique.

Kyoku had said that back when her and Kakashi were together, there was a strict rule among the ANBU about relationships in the ranks. I know they don’t have that rule anymore, and I highly doubt anyone would care now, but it’s pretty much impossible to change the beliefs of an ex ANBU member I guess. Their training must just stick with them or something……

“You didn’t answer my question” I say, catching Kohana’s attention again. “I asked if you’d ever want to meet him. Would you?”

Kohana blinks, looking unsure of how she should answer. I think the answer she’s supposed to give, is different to the one she wants to give.

“What difference would it make?” she eventually asks, dropping her gaze from me and glancing down at the picture in her hands wistfully. “Even if we did meet, he wouldn’t know who I was…..”

Giving the girl a sad smile, I turn back to my cooking, seeing that the meat is ready.

“If it makes you feel any better Kohana” I speak up, lifting the strips of meat onto a plate, “you look very similar to him.”

I see a tiny flicker of a smile appear on the girl’s face, before she places the picture back down on the window sill and skips over to the table. She blushes slightly, no doubt embarrassed that she’d just been caught skipping.

I laugh lightly, quickly serving up all of the food and bringing it over to the table, settling myself down across from an intrigued looking Kohana.

“Dig in” I encourage, snapping my chopsticks and immediately honing in on my beef. Kohana cautiously snaps her chopsticks, before slowly poking them into her rice, picking the safest option first.

I see Kohana’s face light up as she places a tiny piece of meat in her mouth, making me smile. Maybe she’d become a fan of beef, just like me!

We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, content to enjoy the food before us, when Kohana clears her throat quietly.

Looking up, I see the girl stirring her Miso Soup restlessly, her eyes flicking from the food, to me, and back again.

“Are you….friends with my Dad?” she asks me uncomfortably, making me raise an eyebrow. She still wanted to talk about her dad?

“I guess so” I eventually reply, stuffing some rice into my mouth. “He became my Sensei a little over three years ago, and while we’re the same rank now, he’s still Kakashi Sensei to me.”

“You’re a Jonin?” Kohana asks, looking surprised, before shaking her head. “No wonder I couldn’t hit you the first time we met…..”

“Am I overstepping a boundary here by talking about your Dad with you?” I ask with a wry smile, making Kohana pause.

“Well, my Mother talks about him sometimes” she admits, shrugging. “But she doesn’t go into a lot of detail.”

“She probably doesn’t want to make you want to meet him” I say thoughtfully, a smirk crossing my face. “Too bad I have no problem with overstepping boundaries.”

Kohana blinks, a tiny, almost invisible, smile gracing her lips. She ends up staying at my house for the next three hours, enthralled as I recount stories about my time with Kakashi Sensei and the rest of Team Seven. She seems to have an endless supply of questions about her Father, listening intently and staring at me with wide eyes whenever I answered her. Seems the little girl was beginning to grow comfortable around me, if the steady stream of words pouring from her mouth were anything to go by.

“One thing you should always remember about your Father” I rant, rolling my eyes at Kohana, “Is that he is never on time, for anything! He’s always late, and always has some lame excuse as to why he wasn’t on time.”

Kohana’s eyes suddenly widen, before she jumps up from her seat and whirls around, looking out of the window.

“Time!” she gasps, running towards the door. “I have to get home!”

I rise from my chair, following the frantic girl to the door and reaching over her head to hold it closed.

“Why the rush?” I ask calmly. “It’s not like Kyoku’s home yet.”

“She could be” comes the breathless reply. “And besides, even if she’s not, I shouldn’t have been away from home for so long! I have to go….”

“You’re really not making any sense” I sigh, gently pulling the door open for Kohana. “But you’re welcome to leave if you wish. Do you want me to take you home?”

Kohana shakes her head, the long parts of her hair whipping through the air.

“No, it’s best if no one else sees me with you” she mumbles, before glancing up at me awkwardly. “Um….Th-thank you for he food a-and for…..talking to me ab-bout my Dad…..”

I smile at her awkwardness, before placing a hand on her head and tousling her hair affectionately.

“Anytime kid” I laugh, pulling my hand back and placing it on my hip. “You’re welcome to visit me any time you want, although I could be away on a mission, the offer is there.”

“Thank you….” Kohana mumbles, looking embarrassed as she steps out into the street, and, after casting me a quick glance over her shoulder, swiftly disappears from my sight.

“…..I smell food…” a rough voice grumbles from behind me, making me giggle.

“I do believe it’s beef Ace dear….”

“…Mph…..Milady?” Ace calls as I close the door and turn to face my bleary eyed Wolves.

“Yes Ace” I reply in amusement, strolling into the kitchen. “There’s plenty left for you and Rei.”

“……Excellent….”

“Oh goody!”

As Rei and Ace drag themselves into the kitchen, I swiftly duck up to my room, closing the door behind me with a soft click and leaning my back against it.

The evening sun casts an orange glow through my room, making the shadows look longer than necessary as I stride across the floor to my dresser.

Pulling a drawer open, I throw my hand in and rifle through its contents for a few moments, when my hand closes around a large container.

Listening intently for my Wolves in the kitchen, I quickly spin the lid from the container and tip out three small, green pills. Tilting my head back, I drop the pills into my mouth and swallow them, closing my eyes and hiding the container back in my dresser again.

“No sleeping for me tonight…..” I mutter, climbing onto my bed and leaning against the pillows, hugging my knees to my chest. I sullenly stare out of the window, watching as the sun slowly disappears behind the horizon, only to be replaced by the eerily glowing moon.

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