Outlander: Found on the Path of Life. Part 1

Chapter 9. Make Yourself at Home

NOTE

There is a new episode in Chapter 3 (I have added a comment where it begins) — it is realted to a scene from this chapter, so if you haven't read it (I've added it on the 10th January), then you might want to check it out.

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Arina looked like a child who was shown a piece of candy, even allowed a bite, and then it was immediately taken away from her. She sighed, her facial expression became sombre.

Kakashi could not help but smile and, unable to restrain himself, gently flicked her nose with his finger.

"Well actually, come to think of it, we could fix you up to the Academy — after we deal with your seal. Of course, you're already a little too old for this, but we can come up with something — late discovered abilities, which is true to some extent, or exchange of experience intern, for example."

Arina's eyes lit up again — an intern! This was more like it, this she could do!

Kakashi shook his head, looking at her, and thought to himself that the girl's mental health was perfect: hardly three days since she found herself in some strange place, with a doubtful prospect of ever returning to her world, but at the same time she was ready to open her arms wide to a new life. But will there be a place for him there, too?.. Or did she just see it all as a kind of adventure and simply expected that she would be able to return back, and therefore explored everything new with an eagerness of a tourist? And what was he then? A potential holiday fling?

Unbeknownst to himself, Kakashi frowned slightly. Arina noticed that, and looked at him questioningly. He recollected himself and removed the crease from the bridge of his nose.

"Come on, eat already," he squinted. Turned away, feeling unease. How could he even be thinking of such a thing? The girl really was in a difficult situation — and it would hardly be better if she had endless hysterics... And this 'fling' was yet to be started — she may have been drawn to him, but was she attracted to him?

They had breakfast almost in silence. Arina was clearly drifting somewhere in the clouds, obviously already cloning herself in her imagination. If only she knew how hard it really was and how few people could actually master this! But this time she didn't even try to spy on him while eating... On the other hand, Kakashi, unlike the girl, could not restrain himself and kept glancing at her from time to time.

In general, Kakashi easily indulged in silent contemplation if not bothered, so he was quite content with the lack of conversation. However, under other circumstances, he would have already taken out his "Icha-Icha Paradise" long ago. But this time, probably for the first time in his life, he was somehow even awkward — although such things never bothered him before. Besides, she'd seen the book already. And yet... Definitely, the girl had some sort of influence on him, it remained only to understand what kind of influence — for the good or not...

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While Kakashi was packing up his few possessions and put on his gear, Arina seized the moment and slipped away to a nearby stream to wash and at the same time fill the flask with water. She was about to go back when, turning around, she discovered two men in black uniforms and grey vests literally a few meters away from her, staring at her. Their faces were completely hidden behind strange masks.

The girl shuddered and backed away from them, but almost immediately bumped into something soft with her back, causing the bells in her hair to tingle alarmingly. Before she completely lost her composure — consciousness obligingly revived in her mind the episode with the men surrounding her — Kakashi gently pressed her to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder reassuringly .