Akari Uchiha

Ch. 19 Eating Dumplings While Tied to a Post

Akari had been training suppressing chakra since she was back at the academy. It was a part of the survival test they gave for graduating, and Iruka sensei had said she was exceptionally good at it.

Even she could admit that she was better at it than most of her classmates, even Akio, which was an accomplishment in itself. Even though it was nothing to brag about, considering I can hide away the best during a battle didn't really sound that great.

Even though not useful in a battle, as far as she knew, she still had practiced it almost every day since it was introduced at the academy, which is why she was so good at it. It was useful to her in real life, covering up her chakra from the villagers who seemed to hate her very existence and look at her with those... eyes... whenever they noticed her presence...

She was sure they would come around eventually, but until they didn't, she would have to make do with keeping her presence as negligible as possible. That made her exceptionally good at sneaking around. Even Iruka sensei hadn't been able to detect her several times.

Of course, she knew Kakashi sensei was a rank higher than Iruka sensei and she couldn't possibly hope to hide from a shinobi of his caliber... but...

Considering it had been two hours since she ran way from the hospital, and there was still no sign of him... she was starting to have some doubts.

Either he couldn't care less, or she was just that good at hiding.

She shrugged, happily chewing on her dumplings. The cheapest ones she could afford with her left over money because stupid scarecrow sensei still had Inu-chan hostage. There was a buy-one-get-one-free offer on the dumplings, and if she ignored her latest stunt at the hospital, she was pretty happy.

"These are the best dumplings ever!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," old lady Emiyo exclaimed. "And you say that everytime," she sighed.

"Hehe... ne... Emiyo-san... you think I could clean your shop again?"

"For?"

"Fifty coins... hehe..." Akari chuckled sheepishly.

"Forty coins. Clean it spotless tonight," the old lady nodded.

"Awh come on! Fifty coins isn't that big of a deal!"

"Forty coins."

Akari jutted her lower lip out, giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Don't fall for those eyes," she heard a familiar voice behind her, making her freeze mid-dumpling-devouring.

"Welcome, shinobi-san!" Emiyo exclaimed. "Would you like something?"

"Ah no, thanks, just visiting."

Akari slowly turned her head to look behind her. Dammit, she had almost forgotten that she was in hiding!

The moment two black eyes met one dark grey eye, the ten-year-old jumped off her stool and bolted outside the shop with her dumpling.

"Oh no you don't," Kakashi grumbled, immediately following her outside the shop.

The shop owner blinked a few times. "Well... that was... interesting..."

------

The villagers of Konoha once again gave weirded-out looks to the duo as the infamous copy ninja dragged the struggling and screaming ten-year-old half-Uchiha, who was now bounded by ropes, across the village.

They wondered if this was one of those weird shinobi things that would again become a normal occurring. Like Gai screaming challenges at Kakashi. Or Sakura punching her teammates through walls.