Two is Better Than One

An Old Friend

Walking home was nerve wracking. I spent so much time trying to get a conversation out of Itachi I had not realized how dark it got outside.

"Well shit, Yohei. You have to be careful"

I muttered to myself, slinging my backpack on my shoulders.

As I began to walk, I noticed a few shinobi on patrol close to me. I breathed a sigh of relief, maybe one of them will be kind enough to walk me home. As I approached the team, I noticed the familiar wild white hair of my friend Kakashi.

"Oh, Kakashi! I'm so sorry to bother you, but do you think you can walk me home? I hadn't realized how late it was"

I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment.

Kakashi glanced at his comrades and nodded goodbye to them before turning to me.

"Hey, Yo. What are you doing out so late? The academy closed hours ago"

Kakashi explained, as if I didn't know.

"I know I know, I'm so sorry to burden you. I just... got distracted"

I chuckled.

"What distracted you so much?"

He asked, putting his hands behind his head lazily as we walked.

"I... I got Itachi to talk to me. Finally"

I smiled deviously at my friend.

"Really? Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

He chuckled, side eyeing me.

"...he didn't even know my name Kashi."

I whined in embarrassment.

A round of abrupt, loud laughter erupted from the Copy Ninja. It was so weird hearing him laugh so genuinely, it was infectious. It wasn't long before I started laughing at myself with him, i couldn't imagine how ridiculous this all sounded to him. Kakashi surely has talked to the renowned rogue ninja before and does not know of my struggle to even get a word out of the man.

"I'm so serious Kakashi he had no idea," I sighed sheepishly, "he has his hands around my throat almost every day putting me under genjutsu to teach the kids and he never learned my name."

"Yeah, that's bad. If I put my hands around someone's throat I at least know their name"

He smirked, more to himself than me.

"Does your sharingan use that genjustu too?"

I asked, confused by his comment.

"No, Yo. I put my hands on peoples throat for a different reason"

He murmured, looking at me with lazy, hooded eyes.

"What reason is that? You just out here choking people?"

I asked incredulously my eyes widening at my friend.

A sly smirk played at his masked lips, "Something like that, yeah"

I opened my mouth to ask him what the hell he was talking about, but he raised a hand to me and it distracted me. Was...was he going to choke me right here on the street? I stopped in my tracks and eyed his hand hesitantly. His sudden movement made my blood run cold and goosebumps appear over my arms. This crazy fucker might actually do it. In the middle of the street.

Kakashi must have noticed my trepidation because he chuckled and motioned his hand behind him to my home.

"We are here, Yo."

He said, dropping his hand to his side.

I giggled, almost in relief. I am not scared of Kakashi, he was a gentle person beneath the tough exterior he masks himself under. However, I didn't want to be choked for no reason, Itachi did well enough of a job of that on his own.

I hadn't even realized we were at my house because Kakashi was acting weird and had my blood racing. Everyone was acting weird today. He raised the back of his hand up and I tapped the back of my hand with his to say goodbye. This was our usual goodbye 'handshake' I guess you could say. I don't even remember when or how it started but it was ours.

Our special little handshake.

He stood by with his hands in his pockets to make sure I got into my home okay. I unlocked the door, opened it halfway, and turned back to him still confused by his earlier choking comment.

"What did you mean by your earlier comment?"

I asked, furrowing my brow at him.

He already knew what i was talking about. He was always intuitive to people, especially to someone as open as me. He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, causing some loose strays to fall over his eyes dramatically.

"Do you want to find out?"