[Chapter 32: Ok Listen Here, You Little Shi—]

Dear Kugui,

Hi hi! I'm doing good! How are you, I bet you're having real fun with your adorable Gaara! Ohhh, hows he? Make sure that cute ass is in top condition!

And your seals are so cool!! I wish I coudlve learned it, but my control suckssss it'd be awesome to use them for our future plans too!

Also! We have a new member of our little team! Do you know Shiori Uzumaki? He apparently came with Tsunade. They're really... Itachi-like??? wwwww Like— kinda mean and dry. He's also my teacher, which sucks.

Lol, I don't know how to end this. Wuv you and Gaara!

~MeguMegu

I took a deep breath, now that's a nice smell. Touching the petals of the flower with gentle fingers, I couldn't help but smile at it. Noticing the familiar sight of light blond hair, I perked up, tilting my body to get a better view. Oh! "Ino-chan!" I called out.

The girl tensed at the sound of her name before rotating around. "Megumi-chan?" Quickly figuring out that it was in fact me, she grinned, striding up to me. "You're here again?"

"Mhm!" Came to my answer, my hand letting go of the flower that was in front of me. After that, we ended up chatting about miscellaneous things.

"Pffft—" I snorted at Ino's hilarious story, "So— so Choji bench pressed guy and chucked him at a fountain?!" Holy— Choji you go!

The Yamanaka laughed at my amusement, leaning in with a grin. "And Shikamaru just sat there and ate popcorn. It was hilarious! Oh, and Asuma-sensei looked like he craved death!" I wheezed.

"Ahahahaha...!" Settling down, I leaned against the flower shop's cool, hard wall. "So," I opted to change the topic. "How are you been?"

"Oh you know," Ino shrugged in a dismissive way. "Been working on medical jutsu and being an heiress and all."

I hummed in mock curiosity, can't have her know that I already knew her stats! "Medical Jutsu? Are ya planning to be like Sakura?"

"Don't say it like that!" Ino exclaimed with furrowed brows, a frown tugging on her lips. "She's just my rival so I have to!"

I blinked, what kind of mentality is that? "Do you really? Isn't that... kinda not good?"

She tilted her head with a brow now raised, crossing her arms. "What do you mean? You said the same thing as Shikamaru!"

Really? "Well~" I twirled a lock of my hair in between my fingers. "You guys have different..." How does one explain character stats to a normie? "Have different chakra systems!" I figured out with a smile. "Like— you're more suited for genjutsu, right? Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't do it but it'll be less fair."

"It doesn't matter!" The blonde rejected fiercely. "I'll beat her with all my might, doesn't matter if she has the advantage or not."

I puffed out my cheeks, pushing myself away from the wall.

Stepping closer to her, she stared at me with confusion laced in the orbs of her eyes. I smiled.

Pinching the sides of her cheeks forcefully, I gleefully sucked up all the pleasant complaints she spewed out. "O-Ow! What are you—"

"That mindset's shitty," came my blunt comment. Deciding to squish them together, I did it with joy, giggles spilling out of me as I did so. "I get that you're salty from losing to her at the preliminaries and all but," I resisted the urge to sigh. "You don't have to compete after everything." Somehow, this rivalry is worse than Naruto and Sasuke, cuz unlike them, they could actually catch up with each other!

Stepping away, I held my hands behind my back, "So just do whatever ya want!" Besides tax fraud.

He's here.

I kept close, silencing my breath as I glanced at my target. I steadied myself, making sure I was as relaxed as possible, you won't be getting away!

With small yet unnoticeable steps, I trod carefully between the crowds of people, resisting the urge to walk faster with impatience. Come on, come on...! I chanted in my head.

Raising a hand, I went in for the kill. Suddenly bursting with speed, I reached out and as I touched the slight fabric of his jacket—

—he disappeared.

Ah.

My arm fell limb, my legs stopping in its place.it was just me in the nuzzling crowd now, the other person no longer in sight or in range.

I couldn't help but sigh.

Goddamnit, you dum dum...

╏╏

"And so that's why I need to know his address!" I exclaimed under the shade of a tree. I exhaled deeply through my nose, letting my body fall to lay down against the soft grass.

On a branch high above me was Shi-Shi, who was currently juggling with his senbon in my view. "Is it not optimal to simply not wait?" Shiori sighed with one hand.

"That's what I thought at first," I pouted. "But then I realized that duh, it's Kakashi we're talking about!" Aka probably the self-decrepitating, avoidance coward character in the whole show! Besides Itachi! "So, do you know?"

"I am most likely to find out with enough search." Catching his needle, his red, sharp eyes darted down onto my form. "But what then— he will still avoid you."

Another sigh, along with a few grumbles. "That's the thing: I can't stop him." Sitting up, my arms crossed as I sat in thought. "Hmmm..."

I've tried stalking him, looking at all the places he's usually is, asked his peers, and even tried using his old fangirls! I gritted my teeth. The hell am I supposed to do? Heck, if I do catch, Will he ever listen? It's not like I wanna the one to practically destroy what little sanity he has.

...

I really fucked up.

Kinda ironic, actually— no, that's not the issue at the moment. Focus!

How am I supposed to help him? Am I supposed to? What if I make it worse? What if—

A loud sound broke me out of my mental chambers. Blinking rapidly, I reeled back when I noticed a familiar pink-haired male in front of me, their hands together flat. "Stop zoning out." Their fingers moved in a swift yet readable motion. "This habit of yours will be your downfall."

I giggled as slight sheepishness settled in my chest. "Okay, Shi-Shi!" Tugging the ends of my lips, I curled them into a smile to hide away my past thoughts.

That look on their face... I took a better look, despite their movement going away from me. Based on their small tilt to the right, narrowed eyes, and the slight stroke of their chin, it seems he's in deep thought.

I turned away, despite my suspicion. He's planning something, I just know it.

I called it.

I fucking called it.

Tails, you owe me a corn dog.

Not even a day later, I was headed home after hours of an internal monologue that's not even worth writing, even for a main protagonist, when the first thing I saw when opening my door was Kakashi. Tied to a chair with despair written on his face.

I sputtered. "What the fuck." I blinked, making sure I was seeing things correctly. Kakashi? Wha— how— I recomposed myself, no, not the time. "Did Chiaddo do this?" I managed to ask, closing the door silently behind me. He's a civilian but then again, Chiaddo can do all sorts of things.

A hand flew in front of me. "No— it was me." I know those hands. I turned to my side, finding myself looking at my new sensei who was leaning against the wall.

"Hah?" I titled my head. It was only then I realized that this was what he was planning. Well Inching closer to the Uzumaki, I smiled and placed my hands behind my back. "Shi-Shi..." I felt like sucker-punching him. "I absolutely adore the fact that you did this for me," As if to prove it, I placed a hand over to where my heart should be. "But you did not need to do poison him."

"Incorrect." The shinobi immediately sighed back at me. "You would've never caught him. And this has been hindering your performance so be grateful." I giggled, yeah— sure. Shiori rotated away, crossing his arms together, "I shall be outside. Kakashi will not escape." Why does that sound like a threat?

And with that, he disappeared.

I giggled nervously, relaxing my body to sigh. It was only then that I realized— holy was this going to be awkward.

Glancing back on the silver-head, he was hunched over, silent as he averted his gaze. I resisted the urge to gulp. Striding closer to the jonin, I removed the ropes wrapped tightly around him before sitting on the sofa.

"So, you've been avoiding me." I reluctantly started. For good reasons, actually. I sat straight, eying the man's posture. After he stretched himself out, Kakashi still kept his silent yet blank facade around me. "And I just have to say— I'm sorry."

His eyes— well, eye, snapped back at me, widened with shock. I held in a laugh, did he seriously not expect me to say that?

Before he could say anything, I held a hand out. "Kakashi, just listen to me." Leaning back at my comfort sofa, I glanced up at the ceiling. "To be honest, I regret ever saying all those things to you." Despite the circumstances, I smiled. And yet, I wasn't happy in the slightest. "Especially the remark about Obito."

Hanging my head low with my shoulders slouched, my lips were pursed as I muttered the last of my apology. "So, I'm fine if you don't want to see me again— I get that." It took all of my willpower to keep my voice from trembling. "But I just wanted to apologize before I regret it."

As if it was an unconscious effort, I held my breath. I'm fine with it. I really am. I tried to convince myself. My brows furrowed, other thoughts soaring through my busy mind. I don't— it's ok. It'll hurt, but it's for the better, isn't it? Yeah. That's right—

"That's not what I want!" His voice boomed out, the loudness shaking me out of my zone. Craning my neck back, he had stood up with narrowed eyes staring right back at me. Looking further, there was frustration, anger, sorrow— so many emotions swirling in his eyes that I couldn't count them all. Realizing what he just did, Kakashi had his hand spit, only to let them fall and sit back down.

"I..." His voice was low, quiet, and trembling now. Yet another reminder that the person in front of me was no longer just a fictional character. "I avoided you because... you were right." It was as if he had just admitted a revelation. "They were all true: I ignored everything! Naruto, Sakura, and..." The scarecrow trailed off.

So I finished for him. "And Obito." The adult averted his gaze once more, suddenly finding the ground more interesting. Slowly, his arms crossed— no, they aren't. He's hugging himself. I exhaled through my nose, recognizing the signs immediately. He's... he really trusts me with his vulnerability? Why? I dismissed those thoughts, they weren't important.

I need to help him.

Taking a deep breath, "Kakashi," Hesitantly, he looked back at me. "Despite my accusations, I don't blame you." The shinobi's sharply gasped. My features softened. "You were forced into being our sensei, I know that. I know that because of your guilt, you focused on mainly Naruto and Sasuke. I also know that you were also one of the anbu protecting Naruto since childhood."

"How did you—"

"Shush," Even with his questions still racing through his head, Kakashi clammed his mouth shut. "I even know that your Sharingan was gifted by Obito."

Standing up, I walked closer to the technically younger male. With nimble yet gentle hands, I grabbed a hold of his. I smiled. "My father, Fugaku, let you have it, didn't he? That meant he trusted you."

Holding them tighter, I smiled. "And I've taken the decision to trust him. Which means I also trust you had good reasons."

His hands felt tense, his eye staring at me in shock. Time to finish this up. With a small giggle, I dropped them, twirling around with a change of personality. "But~" I added with a light, airy voice with my arms high. "You shouldn't care about that anyway!"

"Wha—"

"I said shush!" With a point of my index finger at him, I repeated the same word with puffed-out cheeks. Come on now, there's no need for this to be so somber! "I mean, I'm just a little kid— you shouldn't beat yourself up about my one stupid opinion!"

Turning back at him with my hands behind my back, I smiled back at the dum dum. "So what'd you say, ya dum dum? Let's not fumble on what doesn't matter!"

With a tense posture, Kakashi just stared at me with a conflicted eye. A fraction of me wanted to die, did I mess up?

That thought was instantly crushed when he slouched, a soft yet genuine laugh emoting from his mask. "Mahhhh~" I almost melted from that familiar sound. I haven't heard that in ages. "I can't just do that. Megumi-chan, you really are weird."

I giggled. "Aren't we all?"

I wasn't worried— not anymore.

Because now, I'm sure, I don't have to worry about him.

Extra:

With crossed arms, they had leaned against the door. He breathed in the cool, silent air as the pink-haired individual listened to the light-hearted chatter on the other side. So that has been settled now. They thought as they pushed their body off of the hard surface.

Shiori stepped off of the entrance area, landing in a soft thud against the bare pavement. With casual yet quiet steps, the ninja walked away, no longer feeling the need to watch over them.

By this experience, I can only wish that she learned that such wasted chances will bring regret. He continued strolling through the land, seamlessly blending in with the environment despite their abnormal hair color.

Or perhaps... she already knew that.