Author's Note: CURIOSITY AND THE CAT GOT FAN ART! WE GOT NEW FAN ART, PEOPLE! Please, everyone, thank poprockie - aka my new favorite person - for their wonderful piece! Their art tumblr is terrut and they just captured Takar y. Especially the expressions! I'm talking the "nice girl" smile, the conniving businesswoman smirk, the furious blush, and especially those Eyebrows of Righteous Anger! And the clothes?! I have never given a whole lot of thought to Takara's wardrobe beyond "simple, clean, nice" and a festival yukata or two. BUT POPROCKIE SURE DID AND NOW WE KNOW WHAT TAKARA WEARS. And you know it's not a real Takashi fan art if Kakashi doesn't look at least a little bit tired/exasperated/at a loss on how to respond with Takara. (´꒳`) Guess who got it? Poprockie.

You can find the masterpiece under the tags #hinamori takara or #curiosity and the copycat. I actually stumbled on it via the Kakashi tag before I read the PM poprockie sent me to let me know it was finished. ^^ While you're on their tumblr, PLEASE look at the rest of their art and give them a follow. They're extremely talented and talent must RECOGNIZED. ( ε ⊙ﾉ)ﾉ

(Also, you could...you know, talk to me on tumblr or something.)

Answer to (two of) last chapter's questions: Hiruzen is a man of culture and therefore will certainly appreciate the inherent appeal of Takashi. However, given Takara's blunt admission that she is by no means loyal to the village (which is unlikely to change tbh), he wouldn't...actively encourage one of his elite hooking up with Takara. A random chunin? Cool. One of his most valuable soldiers? Mmmmmaybe not. But hey, whoever gets whatever genes Takara's got into the village. Because that natural chakra sensitivity? That intelligence? That passion? Those "balls of steel", as beartes aptly put it in their review? Good shit. However, Hiruzen is also an old man who is very much a product of his time and assumes that any ninja babies would unquestionably join shinobi forces at the snap of the Hokage's fingers. But he doesn't know Takara.

As I told one reader, Takara wouldn't think twice about kidnapping her own children and running if there was even the remote possibility of her 6-year-old being put in a war zone. Hinamori Takara says FUCK that ninja bull shit, not in her household. No, sir. The cycle ends with HER family. She can deal with her munchkins "practicing stealth" and scaring the crap out of their poor civilian mother but sending them out in the field? Haaaaa, no. Whoever suggests that clearly lost their damn mind. She doesn't care who her baby daddy is or his rank in the village or the strong image he - and by extension his (her) children - "must" present. SHE'S their mother and Mom comes before the Hokage until they're 12-13 and have their actual hitai-ate. And even then, only sometimes. As a treat to Kakashi or Naruto.

...and that's a glimpse of Mama Takara and her iron fist. Catch Kakashi just chilling in the background, reading something that's definitely not Icha Icha with a sleeping infant on his chest, like, "Yes, dear." (They'd have a lot of serious, honest talks about it and lowkey Kakashi would be more than okay if no child of his followed the shinobi path. 10/10 would actually love being ninja dad in family of civvies. Ultimately, though, it'd be the kiddo's choice.)

As for baby Natsuki, I'm honestly surprised by the different guesses on what happened to her. Some of you got really close. I was going to reveal the specifics here but yanno what, nah. It's good angst fodder for later. RIP, baby Natsuki. I'm a cold bastard.

Now...at long last... Gai's Eternal Rival and Takara's Dearest Neighbor learns the truth.

Curiosity and the Copycat

...a Naruto fanfiction story...

Curiosity and the Copycat © Mx. Irony

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

world record mentioned © Jenny Doan

dedicated to poprockie

beta'd by Ori Heartlyng

Takara is a Bisexual Badass

chapter 15

Kakashi Regrets

"Number one, cash is king; number two, communicate; number three buy or bury the competition."

Jack Welch

Takara grunted as she lowered the sofa to the ground. "Is this good, Amano-san?"

"Perfect! Thank you, Takara-chan." Seeing her partner's glower, Amano grinned. She made a point of twirling her glossy curls. "You're so strong~."

Her kunoichi pride insulted, Taniguchi sulked at the table. She kept up with her training enough to be more than capable of lifting three times what Takara could. Furniture, however, required two sets of hands. And Amano Kaori liked to tease her girlfriend at every given opportunity.

"Uuh…" Takara avoided eye contact, cheeks flushing. "You're welcome?"

It had been a couple weeks since Takara visited the couple, given...well, everything. She missed their company (even if Taniguchi seemed to be sizing her up...weird). It was nice to spend quality time with some neighbors that more than welcomed her company.

Speaking of neighbors...Takara was more than okay with any and all space Hatake Kakashi gave her the past few days since the soft interrogation. Especially after the ramen cup incident. If she believed in prayer, she would have prayed that Hatake's "surveillance" (stalking) took a long enough break to avoid witnessing her...little moment.

Or right then, really. Or any time ever again.

Thankfully, she didn't feel eyes watching her quite as often. However, even when she didn't, Takara paused to just...wait and see if the feeling returned.

Nothing.

She warily glanced out the living room window.

"Takara-chan, oolong or green tea?"

"Either's fine," Takara said absent-mindedly, still staring out the window.

Amano bit her lip. "...oolong, it is. Are you staying for dinner?"

"If you don't mind, Amano-san."

Taniguchi continued watching Takara with narrowed eyes. When Amano left for the kitchen, she said quietly, "No one's watching us, kid."

Takara jumped. "Huh?"

"You've had your meeting with Hokage-sama," Taniguchi said. "They have no reason to survey you so closely anymore. Chill out."

"How would you know?"

Taniguchi leveled her with a meaningful look. "I know."

Oh, right. Ex-kunoichi.

Takara swallowed and nodded.

This made the older woman sigh. "The worst is over. Now quit overthinking it. You're making Kaori worry."

Takara recognized it as Taniguchi's own rough, indirect way of reassuring her. It made her realize that it was not only Amano who cared, and this made Takara smile. "Right… Thank you, Taniguchi-san."

She grunted, shrugging.

Didn't I tell Hatake that the most important person is the one in front of me? Takara reproached herself. She forcefully relaxed her shoulders, sinking into the sofa she just moved. She brushed off lingering thoughts of Hatake and Naruto, her brother hanging up on her and the ramen cup incident, and whatever the village-wide secret was. She focused and refocused again on Amano's light jokes and Taniguchi's sarcasm. The most important people right now. Good people, kind and hard-working people. Her neighbors.

Many people have vouched for your character, the Hokage said.

Friends.

Takara focused on them, the people here and now. And she did a fair job of it, too, when the back of her neck prickled as she cleared the table. She stilled, shoulders tensing. As soon as she reacted, the feeling disappeared. But Takara still looked

"Takara-chan? You okay?" Amano called from the kitchen.

Taniguchi's dark eyes watched her in silent concern.

Takara smiled. "I'm fine. Just remembered that I forgot to lock my door."

Concern melting into exasperation, Taniguchi rolled her eyes. "This isn't the farm, kid. Go and lock it!"

Takara laughed lightly. "You're right, you're right. I'll be right back, promise. In fifteen minutes."

Traipsing out their warm (safe) apartment, Takara walked up the stairs slowly. She didn't feel anything - no eyes, no tingling on her back, nothing - but she didn't let the absence lull her into a false sense of security. She knew what she felt. And she was done with it.

On the way up, Takara reviewed what she knew about Hatake: He was promoted to jonin at thirteen and was now only twenty-three, making his short life one long military record. Some time after his promotion, he went up the ranks enough to join...something, whatever that chilling mask meant, and was trusted by the Hokage. He didn't let himself get close to anyone, stubbornly so - which was probably why he didn't show his face. The less people who knew about him, the better the distance he could keep. He wasn't much of a morning person. He snored. He didn't like the hospital. He had no emergency contacts. He was weirdly obsessed with that one book series. He was sarcastic and passive aggressive and oddly patient and rude and definitely dangerous.

And he didn't want to hurt her. Arguably, he didn't really want to hurt anybody. Not without cause. But he absolutely would if he had to or the Hokage ordered it. Takara knew that. The light bruising where he grabbed her confirmed that.

She also knew that he really loved his village. Maybe simply because it was home or it was the one place where shinobi could be themselves without being actively feared or because loyalty was drilled into every child's little skulls at the Academy.

Maybe because Konoha was the safest thing to love.

After all, a man without an emergency contact, without visitors, someone who distanced himself from people yet visited graves frequently… That was a man who knew loss and a great deal of it.

Takara didn't need twenty questions to understand that about Hatake.

Takara unlocked her door. Everything was as she left but something...something was different.

"Hatake-san?" she called tentatively as she approached her window. He wasn't there but something else certainly was and it could only be from him. Seeing it, Takara's expression softened. She opened her window and picked up the new, still-wrapped ramen cup.

Despite everything that happened, her first impression of him was right: Hatake Kakashi really was a kind person.

How sad it was that someone so kind, so quietly thoughtful, became a shinobi because of an accident of birth.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Leaning next to the restaurant's entrance, Kakashi spared a glance from his book. "Asuma, Kurenai. Just you two this time around?"

"Idiot." Kurenai's blush took the bite out of the insult. "We just got here early."

"Oh? So you two decided to walk together," Kakashi observed coyly.

Sparing Kurenai (and himself) further teasing, Asuma cut in, "We're actually waiting for some friends to join us. Genma just got back in town. You should join us."

"No, thanks. I'm just picking something up."

Asuma took out a cigarette pack and tapped it against his palm. "We can wait out here with you while you wait for your order."

"No reason for that," Kakashi said.

Nonchalant, Asuma lit his cigarette. "Plenty reason. It's been awhile since we talked."

"Besides, it won't be long before the others come by. They're usually pretty on time," Kurenai added, a small dig for Kakashi's earlier teasing.

Kakashi was tempted to leave but...well, he'd already paid. He only hoped his order finished before others came by. Feigning apathy, he lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "Your choice."

Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke. "So. How've you been?"

"Not too bad."

"Yeah?" Asuma smirked around his cigarette. "Heard you got yourself a new neighbor."

Kakashi briefly paused before turning a page, ignoring the comment entirely.

"You should introduce us some time," Asuma continued.

"Asuma," Kurenai murmured warningly, glancing at the silent Kakashi.

"What? I'm only curious. I just heard they've been spending a lot of time together. More than with friends at least."

Kakashi nearly walked away right then. Instead, he said, "Careful, Kurenai. He's a jealous type."

"Not like that," she snapped. "We just haven't seen you in weeks."

"I've had my hands full."

"With a certain civilian?" Asuma suggested. Kurenai elbowed him.

"Here you are, Kakashi-san!" The manager herself personally handed him his order.

Perfect timing.

Kakashi snapped his book closed and slipped it into a pouch, offering a polite smile. "Thanks."

She smiled warmly. "We always appreciate your business, Kakashi-san. And thank you again for what we just discussed."

Ignoring Asuma and Kurenai's inquisitive stares, Kakashi inclined his head. "I'll get back to you about a time."

"Alright. Some time this week, though, okay?"

"Some time this week," Kakashi agreed.

"KAKASHI!"

Well...no one could have perfect timing.

Kakashi side-stepped to avoid Gai's exuberant greeting. His self-proclaimed rival skid across the road, scattering dust around him. He quickly whipped around to flash him a typical grin and a thumbs up. "Just the man I've been looking for!"

"I thought you were joining us for dango?" Asuma asked dryly.

"And that! What a fortunate coincidence! Kakashi, join us!"

So many exclamation points...

Kakashi was already walking away. "I'll pass."

Unaffected, Gai followed closely behind. "Come now, rival. We are celebrating Genma's return!"

"Last I checked, he was your teammate. Not mine."

That was enough to at least falter his grin but not completely erase. "But a comrade nonetheless! And a friend. It's been a while."

"I already have plans."

Anyone who knew Kakashi knew what those plans were. Usually, even Gai was respectful of that but now the green-clad shinobi seemed more persistent than usual.

"Then let's make more plans! I have a challenge for you, Kakashi - one that is bound to determine who between us is the stronger ninja once and for all."

"I'm busy."

"We haven't even set a date!"

"Still busy."

With a burst of speed, Gai ran in front of Kakashi. Only years of practice kept the copy nin from running headlong into him. Kakashi simply tucked his hands into his pockets and regarded him coolly.

"There's someone I want you to meet."

Meeting someone? Who Gai introduced? There were few things Kakashi would enjoy less.

"Some other time." He went to step around Gai but the man immediately leaped in the way. Kakashi sighed.

"Then let's make a time!"

Realizing this was one of those times that Gai really would not accept no for an answer, Kakashi sighed. "When?"

"This Saturday!"

"Saturday then." Kakashi went to move around him.

Gai intercepted again. "How about noon?"

"Sure." Another attempt at escape.

Another block.

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.

"Let's meet at the bridge on Naka River."

"Sure, Gai."

Finally, Gai moved aside. "Great! We'll see you then."

A strange sense of uneasiness passed over Kakashi then. Reluctantly, he asked, "And who is this 'we' again?"

Gai's very white, very straight teeth gleamed. "A new friend! A radiant sunflower among daisies. And the one who is issuing the challenge. Trust me, rival, you're gonna love her."

Somehow, despite his complete and utter disbelief, a foreboding chill ran up Kakashi's spine.

"Right…" He brought two fingers up and shunshinned away.

So. Cute.

With a goofy grin, Takara watched the baby ninja play. The younger class, adhering to a half-day schedule better suited to the 5-year-old's, let out early and Takara herself arrived sooner to enjoy the sound of children playing before Naruto's own class let out. Last time she did this, the blond had come barreling out to greet her - allowing her the chance to catch him skipping and earning Naruto himself an earful.

Watching a pair of boys race, Takara belatedly remembered the challenge she was supposed "referee" in a few days. She had yet to hear back from Gai on an exact time; she wondered if his Rival (the capitol R was required) knew about the competition. How could she, a regular civilian, offer a challenge that would actually challenge two jonin but would be well within her ability to monitor? Gai was too fast for her to track a race. She didn't much like the idea of judging any jutsu, having no rubric other than how impressed she may or may not be. An arm wrestling contest would be easy enough but there were so many ways even average people could cheat.

Should she just assign them math homework as a sneaky way of teaching Gai basic taxes? Takara could come up with some of her own problems at least, so there'd be no cheat sheet.

Just then, her eyes landed on a group of girls in the corner of the playground.

Wait.

Takara sat up.

She knew how to do that.

It required them to hold mostly still.

It would be easy to monitor.

It was crazy. Ridiculous. Childish.

She knew nothing about this mysterious rival, only that he held Gai's utmost respect. She wondered if such a "challenge" would be beneath him. But she did know Gai. Spandex-wearing, loud, exuberant Gai who did ridiculous things for the joy of it, the challenge, and preached about youth in most conversations. He would love this.

And the opportunity to watch two full grown men - elite shinobi - do something like that?

Priceless.

A random parent picking up her son spotted Takara and, recognizing the tell-tale orange hair, shot her a dirty look. Takara's eyebrows arched before she settled into a smile, chock full of typical Aomori passive aggression. Her cheery wave made the older woman turn in disgust. Confused, her tiny son looked back at Takara. She made a playful face at the boy, earning a giggle.

"You should set a better example than that, Takara-san."

She beamed. "Only the best of examples, Umino-kun."

Even with the minor scolding, Iruka didn't seemed terribly upset. In fact, there was something like...relief in his face as he approached. Like he couldn't believe he saw her.

So Umino-kun must've known the Hokage would call me in, Takara realized. If that's the case, he must have also been one of the people who vouched for me. This and her gradually building friendship with Iruka eased the bite of annoyance she felt at this realization.

"So, what did Naruto-kun do today?" Takara asked.

He sighed. "Set frogs off in the cafeteria."

"Really? I did something like that when I was his age."

Iruka's brow furrowed. "You?"

She hummed. "At my cousin's wedding."

The underpaid teacher grimaced. "Please don't give him any ideas."

"Don't worry. I won't tell him to go crashing any weddings," she reassured, amused.

"...I'm starting to see why you and Naruto get along so well."

Takara laughed. "Oh, so were you the perfect child then?"

Iruka tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned back. "...no, actually. I was just like Naruto. After my parents died, nobody paid attention to me or gave me any support. And I wasn't a very good student, either. So I became the class clown for the same reason Naruto pulls pranks... I just wanted people to notice me."

Takara looked at him, considering, before turning her attention to the laughing children in front of them. "Mm. Looking back, I guess that could've been why I was the way I was. Or I was just a brat."

Teenage Takara, on the other hand... She decided not to think about it.

"Oh, he's a brat alright. Same as I was, and same as you."

The light barb made Takara snort. "And now...here you are, dealing with the karma."

"Don't get too cocky, Takara-san. It won't be long until karma comes after you."

Takara smirked. "Not if I avoid it."

He snorted. "You can't avoid karma."

"Sure I can. Starting with not becoming a teacher at the same school I caused trouble in.".

"Just watch," Iruka warned. "The longer you wait, the worse it'll be. You could even end up with a child exactly like you."

Intrigued, Takara briefly considered the idea. She didn't often think of children of her own, their potential existence so far off in her future that it didn't seem a real possibility. She thought about herself as a child and pictured a near carbon copy of herself running the streets of Konoha

...one that through sheer social osmosis could very well pick up ninjutsu.

She instantly blanched.

Of course, Naruto popped up at that moment. "Nee-chan is gonna have a kid?"

"NO!" At Iruka's amused stare and Naruto's baffled one, Takara quickly pivoted subjects. "Sensei was just bullying me."

The boy looked at his beloved teacher with nothing less than betrayal. "What're ya bullying Nee-chan for, Iruka-sensei?"

"I wasn't bullying her. Just a little teasing."

Takara covered her eyes dramatically. "He was so mean, Naruto-kun!"

"What!" The glare, while adorable, promised mischief unlike anything Konoha had ever seen.

"Takara-san!" Iruka hissed.

She lifted her hand, smiling brightly. "Just kidding!"

Naruto puffed his cheeks. "That wasn't funny, Nee-chan. Jokes are supposed to be funny!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah! It's not funny unless everyone laughs."

Oh, Naruto-kun, you really need to learn not to back yourself into corners like this.

Takara's smile turned maternally menacing. "Did everyone laugh at the frogs in the cafeteria?"

"Uuh... Most did."

Iruka glared. "But not everyone. Aoi-chan cried, Naruto."

Takara's eyebrows shot up.

The blond cringed. "...was just a couple frogs. Ow! Nee-chan!"

Takara flicked his other ear.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"A consequence," she said simply.

"Iruka-sensei already yelled at me!"

"So? You still have me to answer to." She stood up, dusting off her pants, and offered Iruka a polite bow. "Thank you for teaching him today, sensei. I'll take it from here."

The corner of his mouth twitching, Iruka hid it with a bow of his own. "I leave him in your care."

"Eeh? Oi! N-nee-chan!" Naruto protested when Takara hooked a finger under the strap of his goggles and started tugging him along.

"C'mon, Naruto-kun. I want to visit your apartment today."

Naruto's entire face it up. "R-really?"

Precious boy, she inwardly cooed. Ever aware of his lack of guardianship and how it may look for a stranger to enter a child's home, Takara had avoided doing such despite Naruto's many invitations. After being dragged to the Hokage's office, however, she decided there was no further need to worry. She had the closest thing she could get to a guardian's permission: she hadn't been assassinated.

"Mm-hmm. I've only gotten glimpses of it from the outside but I've been dying to see it cleaned. You better have a broom."

"It's not that dirty, I swear!"

"We'll see about that."

"Nee-chaaaan! Iruka-sensei, it's not funny!"

The chunin teacher continued laugh. Takara's own playful grin muted into a softer one, eyelids lowering as she looked at Naruto fondly.

Takara got to keep her apartment. She had some sort of income now. She had friends who would vouch for her and neighbors who looked out for her. The Hokage chose to let her live despite apparently being a small security risk. Takara made it this far but she knew it wouldn't get any easier. Konoha was going to challenge her every step of the way. But her friend Gai wasn't the only one who loved a challenge.

She was going to build a life for herself here. She was going to keep nurturing the bonds she already made and forge more. Her business was going to be built in the Village Hidden in the Leaves and as her uncle Nobuo taught her, she would ensure it was indispensable. She was going to see to it that her ambitions - not dreams, not lofty goals - ambitions became a reality, a reality where the feudal system became obsolete. And in the process, she was going to love the hell out of this little boy. All of her attention, her affection, her care which she gave to her family in Aomori, would go to Uzumaki Naruto in Konoha.

These were the promises Takara made to herself that day, and she always kept her word.

Which reminded her...

"Ne, Umino-kun? Quick question before we go."

Naruto quit his struggling to listen.

Iruka took a couple seconds to lessen his chuckles. "Yes? What is it, Takara-san?"

"Do you happen to know any Kiharas in Konoha?"

"Kiharas?" he repeated, blinking.

"Kiharas?" Naruto parroted. "Who are they?"

Takara pursed her lips, looking to Iruka. Besides Konoha being his hometown, he was also a teacher. Surely he would remember if someone - a younger sibling, a cousin, anyone - with that last name went through the Academy.

He shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, Takara-san. No. The name isn't familiar."

"Who are the Kiharas?" Naruto asked, every bit as nosy as his newfound big sister.

"Good question, Naruto-kun," Takara said, voice light. A very good question indeed.

"Let's go, sugar. I'm going to show you the wonders of dusting."

"Dusting? Whaddya mean?"

"God bless the Land of Fire..."

"...good luck with that, Takara-san. And thank you."

"I have a new responsibility now," Kakashi said. His dark eye traced over Obito's name carved into the Memorial Stone. The fresh dango laid next to a small bouquet of flowers, the same teppōyuri that gave him away. "I wasn't exactly looking for one but...well, she has a way of digging her way into your life in unexpected ways."

A crow called in the distance. "Aho, ahooo!"

Kakashi glanced up thoughtfully, watching the bird flutter by, before looking back down. "She's incredibly annoying like that. But she's also very kind. You two would have gotten along. I told you about her earlier. My neighbor.

"Her name is Hinamori Takara."

Sitting on the bridge rail, Takara braced herself and leaned backward to observe a passing cloud. Her legs idly kicked out. "Gai-san."

Gai stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the rail next to her. "Yes, Takara-chan?"

She tried to be delicate. "Are you sure this is the only bridge on the Naka River?"

"Quite sure, Takara-chan."

"Does your rival know that?"

"Of course. He's lived here his entire life. We grew up together."

"Huh…" Takara tapped fingers against the rail.

Gai tried to keep his cool, self-assured demeanor.

"And you told him today?"

"He agreed on Saturday!"

"Did he get the time?"

"Yes, he did."

"What time was it again?" she asked breezily.

A thick eyebrow twitched. "Noon on the dot, Takara-chan."

"Aah, I see." Takara made a show of checking her new watch. "Gai-san."

"Yes, Takara-chan?"

"It's 12:30."

Gai's hands clenched over his biceps. With false cheer, he said, "Oh? Is it already?"

"That it is."

Gai forced out a laugh. "How time flies in good company!"

"Mhmm." Takara pursed her lips. "Gai-san."

"Yes, Takara-chan?"

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Takara looked at him meaningfully - almost pitying. "Do you really have an Eternal Rival Whom You Respect For His Prowess And Honor In Battle?"

"OF COURSE I DO!"

"Then where is he?"

"He's just late!"

"Gai-san," Takara said, tone soothing, "it's been over half an hour."

"Only just! Just half an hour."

Expression flat, Takara pointed at her watch where it read 12:31. Gai cringed.

Damn you, Kakashi! You being so cool with your fashionably late arrivals is making me look bad in front of Takara-chan!

"He...has the unfortunate habit of running late."

She patted his shoulder like she was consoling a distraught child who had nobody show up to his birthday party. "Where I'm from, Gai-san, late is anywhere between on time and fifteen minutes. Any more than that...is ghosting."

"Ka - my rival would never ghost me! He respects our rivalry too much - and me. He respects me!"

"Plenty of other people respect, Gai-san. I respect you." Enough to show up not just on time but early. Takara had been waiting over forty-five minutes. "Why don't we go get some lunch? I'm sure you're hungry."

"But then we'd be ghosting him."

Rubbing his back absent-mindedly, Takara inwardly debated. A negotiation was needed.

"Alright. How's this: I'll go get us some lunch - us and your rival," she quickly added when he opened his mouth to protest. If he bothers to show. Even if he did, Takara already had a low opinion of the mysterious rude man. "Here or not, we'll eat and - worst case scenario - I'll do the challenge with you."

At the mention of the challenge, Gai perked up. "You still haven't told me what it is."

If it really is just us, we're definitely going over taxes, Takara already decided. She smiled innocently and said, "Would it really be fair if I told you what it is ahead of time?"

Gai's dark eyes burned with the promise of a challenge. He raised a clenched fist. "Yosh! Whether it be against my rival or you, dear sunflower, I swear I will win! If not, I will do five-hundred squats at the edge of this very bridge."

Takara's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "That's why you chose to meet here? Gai-san!"

Gai had plenty of confidence in himself but he'd looked forward to Takara's reaction. He laughed heartily. "Have no fear, Takara-chan, I have no intention of losing."

"For the love of…" Takara shook her head and then froze. "Wait. Does that mean if I lose, I have to do squats on the edge of a bridge?!"

Eyes twinkling, he patted her head reassuringly. "I'd be your spotter."

She shook her head, exasperatedly amused. By this point in their friendship, Takara recognized his odd sense of humor hidden beneath his eccentricity. "Sure, Gai-san. Tonkatsu curry from the konbini okay?"

"Ooh! Yes, please."

"I'll be right back then."

Gai sent her off with an energetic wave. His bright smile only faded when she was out of sight. Sighing, Gai re-crossed his arms and let his head drop backwards. Black bangs fell over his forehead with the motion.

"Come on, Kakashi," he muttered, tapping his foot.

It had taken weeks to set this meeting up with the combined elusiveness of the increasingly (concerningly) anti-social Kakashi and Takara's own busy schedule between his own duties. He expected Kakashi to be late - was painfully aware of the inspiration behind this newfound penchant for tardiness - but hadn't imagined he would be this late. Neither had he accounted for the usually patient Takara to actually have no patience whatsoever for being kept waiting.

"Yo."

"You!" Gai pointed up at the bridge's spire where Kakashi casually perched. His rival even had the cheek to lift a hand in greeting. "You're late!"

Kakashi stepped off the edge, landing as gracefully and soundlessly as a cat. "Sorry. A mother goose and her goslings crossed in front of me, and I didn't want to - "

"Save your ridiculous excuses. You kept us waiting for over half an hour!"

Kakashi blinked. "Over half an hour? My, Mama Goose had a lot of goslings."

Gai gritted his teeth. "It's physically impossible for any goose to have that many goslings."

"You don't know what geese get up to."

"I - you - Kakashi. You shouldn't say such suggestive things about waterfowl!" Gai admonished, not unlike a scandalized grandmother.

"You're the one who brought it up," Kakashi said dryly. His dark eye surveyed the bridge lazily. "So, where's this new 'friend' of yours?"

He wondered if the new "friend" was actually Gai's new girlfriend. It would explain Gai's insistence at introducing them. Regardless of Kakashi's own reluctance to interact, he couldn't help but think, Good for Gai.

"Since you kept us waiting so long," Gai glowered. "She actually went to grab us lunch."

Free food? Well, that made the visit worth it. But it also made Kakashi feel a little bad for making Gai's girlfriend wait so long and unintentionally embarrassing Gai in the process.

Just a tad, though.

"That's nice of her."

Gai sniffed. "She is exceptionally nice."

Yep, definitely a girlfriend.

"Good for you, Gai."

"What?"

A breeze blew by, carrying a gust of almond soap and tea tree oil. Kakashi stiffened.

Seeing this reaction, Gai was on immediate alert. He sent his comrade a questioning glance which Kakashi didn't meet.

Because Kakashi recognized those footsteps. He wished he didn't but he knew those clumsily loud civilian steps anywhere.

No...

"Gai-san, they had a discount at the konbini so I got you two!" came an unmistakable Aomori accent.

Gai's grave demeanor vanished. "You're so thoughtful, Takara-chan!"

No.

But yes. That was indeed Hinamori Takara, the same woman he had lived next door to for nearly four months now, ran a background check on, and literally tailed for hours. Kakashi had her passport number and knew what she had for breakfast most mornings. All of that and he failed to find out she had met and befriended Maito Gai.

Attention focused on a receipt, Takara didn't immediately notice Gai's very familiar rival. "Good news. Apparently, filling out this survey gets ya two drinks. We should go grab some after we - "

Takara looked up. She stopped.

And stared.

Stunned, Kakashi stared back.

Takara's eyes narrowed to slits.

Kakashi grimaced.

Oblivious, Gai went to help Takara with the bags and give her a side hug for her troubles. "Thank you, Takara-chan! See, Kakashi? Isn't she thoughtful?"

The ever thoughtful Takara's green eyes burned into Kakashi. He half-expected her glare alone to set him aflame.

Kakashi himself was too busy despairing the loss of any semblance of peace he might have had to properly respond to Gai. He thought he understood horror; he thought he'd experienced hardship. He thought the worst that could ever happen to him had already happened but this - this -

This was a nightmare Kakashi never thought to have.

As for Takara herself, she wondered at Kakashi's now constant reappearances in her life. Maybe he is actually a stalker...

"Kakashi?" Gai prompted.

"Sorry, I think I left the stove on at home - "

"And I may have left my door unlocked," Takara muttered sarcastically.

Kakashi twitched.

Gai's wide smile froze. His dark eyes darted between the two. W-what is with this atmosphere?

"You're Gai's new friend?" his rival asked.

"You're Gai-san's 'Man of Destiny'?"

"No," Kakashi immediately denied.

Wait - Gai-san?

"YES!" Before Kakashi could run, Gai approached and wound a friendly (unyielding) arm around his shoulders and dragged him along to Takara like a proud father. "Takara-chan, meet my genius rival, Hatake Kakashi! Kakashi, this is - "

"His neighbor," Takara said, voice flat.

Gai froze.

"Neighbors?" he repeated, gobsmacked. "You two are neighbors?"

"...yes," his rival admitted.

Takara nodded gravely.

"Well! What a coincidence. Ahahaha!"

Takara continued to stare Kakashi down, and the ninja himself avoided eye contact. It suddenly reminded Gai of introducing two cats to each other, tense and uncertain and wary. What happened between them? As was his specialty, Gai ploughed through the awkwardness.

"Well, even if you two already know each other...let me introduce you formally. Takara-chan, this is my greatest rival, a genius among ninja, the elite of our generation, Hatake Kakashi!" Gai whipped both his arms out in a dramatic gesture, as though presenting Kakashi to her.

Takara looked at her neighbor and his bad posture skeptically, then at Gai. "Really?"

Kakashi's slouch worsened.

"Indeed!" Gai at least seemed intent on preserving Kakashi's dignity. "He has copied and mastered over a thousand jutsu, earning him renown across the Elemental Nations as the Copy Ninja: Hero of the Sharigan."

He emphasized with jazz hands. Thankfully, he didn't add an embarrassing "ta-dah" but the sentiment was implied.

Takara took in this new information with a slow, unimpressed blink. "...how nice for him."

Gai and Kakashi both inwardly winced. She really doesn't care.

Straightening up, Gai coughed into his hand. "Ahem. And this, rival, is my new sunflower of a friend Hinamori Takara!"

"...sunflower of a friend," Kakashi said, deadpan, making said sunflower flush. At least I'm not the only one with embarrassing nicknames.

"Because Takara-chan is a bright, radiant person strong enough to withstand any and all obstacles! Whether it be unpredictable spring or dry, hot summers or the bitter cold of winter," Gai boasted, hands on hips. "And my newest friend."

Said friend burned crimson. "Uh, thanks, Gai-san."

Gai-san. She called him by his given name. How long had they known each other? Surely no longer than Hinamori had known him. Or anyone else in Konoha, Kakashi thought. The only other people he heard her refer to by given name were small children.

The only sound was the river and passing birds.

"Aho, aho, ahoooo!"

Takara glanced up.

Kakashi followed her gaze. Trying to distract from the awkwardness, he mused out loud, "Crows usually prefer open spaces."

"You'd think scarecrows would deter them, too," Takara said lightly.

Kakashi sent her an unamused look. "Maybe it's all the sunflower seeds. They get everywhere."

Not catching the hidden jabs, Gai laughed. "I knew you two would hit it off! You have the same sense of humor."

"Right…" said Takara, smiling. Dimple not included.

"Sure," said Kakashi, eye crinkling.

Gai clapped his hands together. "Yosh! Shall we eat first as planned or commence with your challenge? Your choice, referee!"

Hinamori...coming up with a challenge. For ninja. As if discovering a friendship (relationship? Kakashi liked that even less) between Hinamori and Gai wasn't bad enough.

"What sort of challenge is this?" Kakashi asked, hands in pockets.

Suddenly, Takara's eyes gleamed.

Oh, no.

"Oh, speaking of the challenge… I just had an idea. To make it a little more interesting."

Said idea was spurred on by two simple facts: First, Takara actually liked Gai. She respected him. Second, she still owed Hatake for scaring the hell out of her, almost sending her tumbling off their roof which would have surely broken her neck. More specifically...Hatake owed her.

The bruises he gave her had yet to fully fade, too, now that she thought about it. And he did keep me waiting for forty-eight minutes just now.

It was a hot day in early September but a shiver skated up Kakashi's spine like autumn had just arrived. He recognized that smile. It was the card shark smile.

Gai - poor, naive Gai who just didn't know any better - eagerly asked, "Oho? Do tell, Takara-chan."

Takara folded her hands behind her back, rocking back on her heels.

Shit. Kakashi recognized the extra innocent posturing the same way one might recognize bright colors on a poison dart frog.

"You know how you were talking about a penalty for if you lose?"

Gai, you're a ninja trained in the arts of deception. You can't actually fall for this.

"Yes?"

Kakashi had never felt more disappointed in a Konoha shinobi (and that included himself - a true feat).

"Why just you? There are two competitors, right?"

Gai's eyes widened. "You're absolutely right!"

Hinamori, you're the pettiest person I've ever met. Kakashi's own eye narrowed. "What kind of penalty?"

"Five hundred squats on the edge of - "

"No one's doing squats on the edge of a bridge," Takara interrupted, sending Gai a disapproving look.

Chagrined, he shuffled his feet like a scolded child.

Okay, Kakashi was begrudgingly impressed. But the display of Takara's influence on Gai put him further on guard.

"I have a better idea!"

"And what's that?" Kakashi asked warily.

"Yes! What?" Gai wanted to know.

Takara held up the plastic bag of konbini bentos. "Loser buys lunch."

"...you already bought lunch, though," Kakashi tried to evade. For both his sake and Gai's. Clearly, going by Gai's still present fervency, the other man had yet to meet Takara's "other" side.

"And I have the receipt for the exact payment," she said, eyes flashing. That horrible, horrible smile widened.

Of course she kept the receipt. Kakashi found every receipt Takara ever received since moving to Konoha in her apartment, filed by month and organized by category. That was on top of already recording each purchase in her own personal budget planner. The crazy woman even made monthly pie charts with calculated percentages of said spending and more recently money earned. She'd already calculated probable rent increases for next year's lease and how much money she needed to save before then (a good reference for Kakashi himself, he privately admitted). Her intense organization skills were as admirable as they were terrifying.

"You're right! You're absolutely right!" Gai turned to Kakashi. "We - not just shinobi but men of Konoha - shouldn't force our dear friend and neighbor Takara-chan to pay for our lunch!"

"Gai…" Kakashi tried to warn him. Your dear friend and my neighbor isn't some innocent, defenseless woman. If anything, she was the snake slithering underneath the sunflower.

As if proving his point, Takara gushed, "So chivalrous, Gai-san."

Gai-san… Kakashi shook his head.

"I try, Takara-chan!" Hook,line, and sinker - the compliment got to Gai too easily.

"No one asked you to buy us lunch," Kakashi pointed out. He really had no desire to buy anyone lunch. Or pay Hinamori any money, ever. The very thought of his hard-earned money in her hands sickened him.

Gai, apparently, had no such reservations. "Kakashi! Where is your chivalry?"

The infernal dimple returned as Takara tilted her head. Her smile was innocent but her gaze met Kakashi's in a silent challenge. "Are you worried you'll lose, Hatake-san?" she asked with faux concern.

You manipulative little...

"Are you, Kakashi?" Gai goaded, practically vibrating in excitement. "Is the great Hatake Kakashi cowering before a challenge? I thought you were a better man than that!"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed. "We don't even know what the challenge is, Gai."

"Doesn't matter!"

"Do you agree to the penalty?" Takara asked.

What's the worst Hinamori could come up with? Kakashi guessed there were math books in her backpack.

"...fine."

"Great!"

"Most excellent!" Gai leaned forward, clenching his fists. "Now, what's your challenge? Arm wrestling? A race across the river? Sparring? Name it, Takara-chan, and we shall compete until you deem a winner!"

Takara's smile was sweet - sickly sweet. Near sinister. It curbed even Gai's enthusiasm as he was suddenly exposed to her true colors for the first time.

Wordlessly, Takara set the plastic bag of food on the bridge's rail and slid off her backpack. From it, she took a small metal ringer hardly wider than her palm. She slid it between her fingers, pulling. The ring widened and widened...until holding it with both hands spread her arms wide open.

Kakashi and Gai stared blankly.

"Takara-chan...what is that?"

Beaming, Takara twirled the ring and bounced it against the ground. It rolled forward before it came rolling back into her waiting hand. "What does it look like, Gai-san?"

Gai-san, Kakashi mouthed behind his mask, brow scrunching. He still struggled with that.

"A...ring?"

"A hula-hoop," Kakashi said dully

"A collapsible hula-hoop," Takara confirmed.

"You seriously want us to - ?"

"Hula-hoop?" Gai jumped at that. "That's - "

Crazy? Ridiculous? Childish? Beneath their dignity as jonin of the Hidden Leaf? Kakashi had a few other thoughts.

"Perfect!"

Kakashi deadpanned. Crazy, ridiculous, and childish could describe Gai, too, he supposed. Hinamori likely knew that.

"A challenge to our very patience and stamina that exercises our cores! All while - "

"Holding you both still enough, making it easy for a civilian like me to keep up and referee?" Takara finished. She seemed all too pleased with herself. "Exactly!"

"You're brilliant, Takara-chan!"

She shrugged modestly. "I was inspired by some Academy students."

Of all the ninjutsu taught at the Academy, this is what Hinamori chose…

Kakashi regretted many, many things. He always did.

That day, however, chief among his regrets was missing Maito Gai meeting and befriending Hinamori Takara. He wondered...had he known ahead of time, could he have prevented this?

Fifteen minutes later found Takara returned to her perch on the bridge rail, once again kicking her feet back and forth. With Hatake turning out to be Gai's mysterious rival, the picture before was even better than she could have ever imagined. She munched happily on an apple while her friend and her neighbor, two full grown men and shinobi both, hula-hooped.

"So," she started conversationally, "how long have you two been rivals, Gai-san?"

Recognizing the direct maneuver around her "Twenty Questions" rules, Kakashi squinted at her. All while he kept his hips moving. (He really hoped that his peers in Anbu were entirely done tailing Hinamori.)

"Since we were young cadets in the Academy!" Gai readily answered, hands behind his head while swiveling his hips in a way that bordered on obscene. The spandex didn't help. It was an image Kakashi could have gone his whole life without but thanks to Hinamori, it would follow him into his darkest moments.

"Really? So you're like childhood friends!"

Gai laughed. "More than friends! From first meeting, I knew Kakashi and I were destined for far more than mere friendship - a rivalry for the ages, one which will become the stuff of legend long after we're gone!"

Kakashi sweatdropped.

Chin resting on a hand, Takara's eyes slid over to Kakashi playfully. "Your Man of Destiny, right?"

Hinamori, I will get you for this.

"One and the same! Tell me, Takara-chan, have you yourself a rival? Perhaps at school."

"Mmm... Occasionally. Never for very long." She shrugged.

Kakashi side-eyed her.

Gai faltered briefly, then caught himself. He changed the subject. "How did you two become acquainted? How close of neighbors are you?"

"Maa, it's really not - "

"Right next door to each other."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.

"We met on the day I first moved in. He even helped me carry my things," she added, thoughtful.

"I'd expect nothing less of the man I call Rival," Gai boasted like it was his own accomplishment. "Kakashi has always had a kind heart."

Takara's expression softened. "I noticed."

...really?

"How long are we going to keep doing this?" Kakashi spoke up, trying to change topics.

"He doesn't really like praise," Takara mused.

"Oh, he's the worst at accepting compliments."

"So modest."

"My rival is a humble one! Never once bragged over a victory in one of our challenges."

"He's brushed off every thank you I've ever given him."

"That sounds just like him!"

"He's right here," Kakashi reminded them, unamused. He regretted every decision he made before that brought him to this moment.

Takara remembered when Amano and Taniguchi did the same to her; she'd said exactly the same thing. "Sorry, Hatake-san. We're being rude."

"No ruder than him," Gai pointed out.

"Gai-san."

Take that, "Gai-san".

"My deepest apologies, Kakashi."

"I accept your apology, Gai," he drawled. "Yours, too, Hinamori."

Gai flashed him a petulant look. Takara, for her part, pulled out another collapsible hoop from her bag and set to work on widening it.

"Are you joining us, Takara-chan?"

"Well, you wouldn't have to worry about the penalty," Kakashi said innocently.

Takara's smile was all teeth, hooping it briefly with her wrist. "Oh, no. This is just to make it more interesting. Catch!"

Kakashi caught it on his right wrist without missing a beat and rolled as she had done. Seconds later, Takara tossed another to Gai who laughed.

"Brilliant idea, Takara-chan!"

Kakashi sighed. "How long are we doing this for?"

"Not until one of us drops a hoop!" Gai crowed.

"Mmhmm. I have four more, too, if you can keep up." Saying this, Takara took out another and started to uncollapse it as well.

Kakashi eyed it warily. "If the two are for our other hands, what are the last two for?"

"Ever seen anyone hoop with their neck?"

For God's sake.

Gai hooted with glee. "Your mind, Takara-chan! This is the most unique challenge we have ever done."

"Yeah...unique."

"How long do you think you can keep up?"

"Hours!" Gai declared.

Kakashi stifled the urge to groan. So many regrets.

Takara's eyes glittered with something Kakashi definitely did not trust, especially not when she set those eyes directly on him. "Did you know the world record for longest hula-hooping is seventy-four hours and fifty-four minutes?"

"Yosh! Then I shall hula-hoop for seventy-four hours and fifty-seven minutes!"

Knowing exactly what she was doing when she said that, Kakashi glowered at Hinamori, the little minx.

In the end, Gai won the challenge well before the seventy-four hours and fifty-seven minutes. Neither of them came close to the world record but it did break their tie, Gai taking the lead seventeen to sixteen. Kakashi didn't necessarily throw the challenge; he at least waited until they got to the final hoop. But he wasn't going to hoop for hours on end. His neck ached after the just five minutes.

Afterward, he attempted to Gai's good sportsmanship to get out of paying for lunch. Unfortunately, in addition to becoming his friend, Takara also became Gai's new self-appointed finance lawyer. And Kakashi's wallet suffered for it. It simultaneously pained him to press the ryo into Takara's palm.

"Thank you, Hatake-san," she simpered.

His eye narrowed. "You're welcome, Hinamori."

This isn't over.

Adding insult to injuring, Gai insisted that Kakashi walk "our wonderful referee" home afterward. Hinamori had joined in, cajoling. What are neighbors for, Hatake-san? Kakashi silently promised to show her exactly what neighbors were for one day. Although he acted as though his arm were twisted, Kakashi agreed without too much fuss. It saved him the trouble of finding Hinamori and enticing her enough to take a walk as originally planned.

That said, he wasn't too fond of the eyes on them as they walked through Konoha's lively streets. Hinamori acted unaffected but he saw the tension in her shoulders at the particularly hostile stares from a pair of chunin. Unseen by her, Kakashi shot them a cold stare. They immediately scattered.

"So!" Hinamori spun on her heel to face him, walking backwards with her hands behind her back. "Question time."

Ah, the silly game again. Kakashi would call himself foolish for hoping Hinamori forgot about it but he was at least smart enough to expect this much.

He hazarded a guess. "Is it about me and Gai?"

Hinamori actually scoffed. "Anything I want to know about you and Gai-san, I can just ask Gai-san. I'm not wasting one of my questions for you on information I can get for free."

Diabolical, Kakashi thought, almost as exasperated as he was amused. But fair enough.

He relented. "Alright then. But just one."

"What was it like seeing the ocean for the first time?"

Having expected another embarrassingly stupid question about his mask, Kakashi paused to assess her. He might have mistaken it for another random inquiry, a seemingly innocent meant to throw him off or set him at ease before she threw in a more pointed, information-seeking one. But Hinamori's expression was intent, bright eyes intent on him.

He decided to tease her a bit, drawling, "What makes you think I've ever seen the ocean?"

"Then you'd just say so instead of side-stepping with another question," she retorted. Still, though, her eyes grew rounder, brighter. "If I'd asked if you had been, you would've just say yes or no and I would've just gotten a one-word answer. Not gonna cut, Hatake-san."

"Maa, you don't have to be so formal, you know. We're close enough in age." I'm the same age as Gai.

As soon as the thought came to mind, Kakashi nearly sighed out loud at himself. Maybe Hinamori's estimate of his "fort-ish" years awakened something in him, a complex over his age he didn't know he had.

"Yes, I do." Hinamori didn't miss a beat. "It's basic manners."

"Really now? Is it actually polite to Gai by his given name?" he teased.

She huffed. "It just slipped out one day and stuck. It suits him better than 'Maito-san' anyway."

The corner of his mouth twitched. Not once in his life had Kakashi heard anyone call Gai "Maito-san" and if she weren't referring to his self-proclaimed rival, it would have sounded...cute. Coming from Hinamori.

"Anyway, you still haven't answered my question." She crossed her arms, raising a stern eyebrow.

He exhaled through his nose, a soundless laugh easily missed in the loud street. "Alright then. The first time I saw the ocean..." Kakashi's eye trailed upwards, thinking. "I was about seven or so and it was one of my first B-rank missions. And it was..."

Takara leaned closer.

"Big. Blue." He shrugged apathetically. "It was there, I guess."

"Hatake-san!"

"You asked me what it was like. That's what it was like."

"Not good enough!"

Appearing unaffected, Kakashi pulled out Icha Icha and flipped to a random page. "Sorry, Hinamori, but that's your one question for the night. Ask me another one later."

Unconsciously, her bottom lip poked out a bit.

He ignored it.

Hinamori fell silent.

Then, quietly: "The farthest I've ever been from home is here. I've never even met anyone whose been to the coast before. All I have to go on are books honestly."

Oh.

"..." Kakashi didn't look up from his book. "I smelt it before I saw it. It's not a particularly nice smell. Stale, almost sulphury. The sound of the waves were nice, though. Imagine the sound of a lake's waves but times a hundred. I was almost blinded by them because of how the sun hit them. The water was so clear it reflected the sky itself. Even days afterward, I found sand everywhere - my shoes, my pouches, even my clothes. If you swim in it, you can taste salt on your lips even hours afterward."

A soft, wondering smile appear. "Is it really beautiful in person?"

He almost teased her with a reminder that she only had one question but decided against it. Instead, he simply said, "Yes, it is."

She hummed. "I'd like to see it one day."

It wasn't just wonder in her gaze, he realized. It was pure, barely restrained delight - delight and clear cut longing. And it was that expression, so honest and open and achingly real, that made Kakashi think of all the places he was sent to for missions, all the things he had seen, the natural wonders he'd passed on his long travels. For the first time, he thought back not for the sake of somehow fitting descriptions into mission reports but to actually..appreciate what he saw: wide open horizons in the plains, towering bamboo forests, mountain ranges purple in burgeoning sunrises, the ocean as beautiful on the surface as it was terrifyingly deep. It occurred to Kakashi then that he traveled more in his near twenty-four years of life than most people did in entire lifetimes, even compared to other seasoned shinobi. Granted, it was never for sight-seeing but there were some amazing sights and he did see them.

As attuned as he was to his surroundings on missions, Kakashi could hardly miss any of these sights but he never thought to appreciate them, not even in the quieter moments absent of flying shuriken. Not like this. Not until now.

...huh.

Kakashi stole a glance at Hinamori whose attention had fluttered elsewhere, eyes fixated just above Hokage Rock - on something beyond the Hokages' stone faces, beyond Konoha and this moment. Something his Sharingan couldn't see. Her hair glowed under the red light filtering through a hanging paper lantern. The warm light brightened her features from overhead but her eyelashes cut shadows across her cheekbones. Her expression shifted, less wistful, steeling into something sharp and determined.

"You will."

Blinking, she turned her head to him.

His gaze had already returned to his book.

"You think so?"

He kept his tone noncommittal, almost droll. "You made it this far."

From the corner of his eye, he watched her lips part before they tilted upward. Eyelashes lowering, she looked at that ground. It was only Kakashi's keen hearing that allowed him to catch her soft, "Thank you, Hatake-san."

Kakashi was grateful when he caught sight of the familiar store front.

"Oh, here we are."

She stumbled to a halt.

"Here? Hatake-san, this isn't our apart - " Frowning, Takara turned to find her neighbor (and his book) very much not where he was two seconds ago. "Ment."

Her right eye twitched. Once, twice, several times. "Hatake-san."

The next time she saw that awful man, she was finally going to -

"Takara-san, right?"

"Huh?" Takara turned to see an unfamiliar woman with salt-and-pepper hair and deep laugh lines.

"It's nice to meet you! Thanks for coming to interview on such short notice."

"Huh?!"

The next morning, Kakashi played it casual. "Yo, Hinamori."

His routine was disrupted - again - when for the first time, Hinamori did not say good morning to him. She didn't say a word. Instead, the civilian girl marched straight up to him and stopped just feet away. She raised her chin, meeting his gaze directly.

Unsmiling.

Kakashi inwardly cursed. What went wrong?

"Maa, what's with the serious face, Hinamori?"

"I'm about to do something that will definitely make you uncomfortable and you probably won't like and I'm sorry in advance. But I have to."

"Wha - ?"

Kakashi dodged countless kunai and shuriken on a near daily basis. He evaded kicks and punches with practiced ease. His quick reflexes, however, did not prepare him for what Hinamori did next.

She hugged him.

The man froze. At first it was shock, then plain awkwardness that held him still. With his nose just inches from her hair, abruptly surrounded by her scent, his mind blanked.

Hinamori was right: it was definitely uncomfortable and he probably did not like this.

Probably.

He couldn't string together a thought coherent enough for him to decide.

It was only slightly more uncomfortable for him than it was for Takara. The hug was the most awkward five seconds of her life. The scroll pouches dug into her chest, and he was so stiff and still that it really was like hugging an actual scarecrow. Worse was the smell. While faded, there was no missing it this close to him - metallic and half-rotten, clinging to his skin and his hair beneath the freshly laundered clothes. It still made a part of Takara want to run away. But he was warm, warmer than she ever expected. How was someone so emotionally distant so physically warm?

What was most unexpected, however, beneath the bulk of his flak jacket and loose-fitting clothes...was how thin he was for his height and build.

When she pulled away, both Kakashi and Takara were relieved - each for very different reasons.

"Sorry again but I - you - it's just..." She inhaled sharply. Feeling her eyes sting, she quickly bowed. "Thank you so much, Hatake-san!"

"Ah...what are neighbors for?" Blood rushed up his neck, turning his face very warm under his mask.

She offered him a reassuring smile. "And I promise I'll never do that again."

Clearing his throat, Kakashi scratched the back of his neck. "That's...a relief."

Author's Note: 100,000+ words and...we got a hug. Also little glimmers of the goofball Kakashi is destined to become after Team 7.

Tag yourself. I'm Kakashi's unexpected, yet-to-be-recognized jealousy that Takara calls literally everybody by their family name EXCEPT Gai. Like, what the hell, Takara, I'm your neighbor. I thought we had something special? He's so used to her badgering him for simple human interaction that he forgot, oh, there are people who not only enjoy but welcome Takara's company and there are perks to that. First name perks.

Also, hashtag of the year: #TakeTakaraToSeeTheOcean2020. Can you imagine these dorks at the beach? Picture Kakashi trying to lounge under a beach umbrella and read in peace like some suburban mom while Takara is running away screaming from seagulls because the jackass didn't warn her about what happens when you feed them. Don't worry, though - she gets him back later. Kakashi is so damn pasty he burns like a lobster and needs help getting aloe vera on that one spot on his back. Takara is a sweetheart but our girl is also petty as fuck. So you can imagine how that'll go for Kakashi.

On a more serious note, I just wanted to send my well wishes to everyone and hope that this little update brought you some joy in your day. As the pandemic continues, I'll be using my extra social distancing time to crank out more chapters quicker so y'all have something to do yourselves. Just please take care of yourselve: Wash your hands, take your vitamins, avoid large groups of people, and look out for each other. Okay? We got this. Humanity has dealt with far, far worse and survived. We'll survive this, too. So keep making art, keep writing fics, keep making funny COVID-19 memes to lighten things up a little, and keep going.

Questions of the chapter: Maybe Kakashi really does care about Takara, maybe he just wants to make his job as "handler" easier. Why do you think he helped her snag that job? Did he REALLY dislike the hug or did he probably definitely like it? Tag yourself as something in this chapter!