Komorebi |Uchiha Itachi| Kairos Sequel

chapter iii. without me

"So they managed to pull a C-Rank mission out of the old man? Impressive." Aiko raised her dark eyebrows as she read over Kakashi's shoulder.

Kakashi had sent a summoning dog to Aiko's home this afternoon after she skipped out on another low grade mission. He scolded her with reminders that the Hokage would not be happy that she was not participating but Aiko shrugged him off easily. She refused to to chase a cat around the woods when she used to be held to such a higher standing. She would rather not be a shinobi at all.

But when she received the message to meet up at the ramen shop, she figured being compliant would be nicer since she has been a brat lately. Aiko was supposed to be a co-Sensei to Team Seven, not someone who comes and goes as she pleased. She had just negotiated making the same base payment of being on the Anbu Squad but without her commission from her missions. The Hokage would snatch it away immediately if he heard she was slacking while getting paid to be Anbu Captain.

So she sat quietly beside Kakashi while they waited for their meals. Knowing she was technically in the wrong this evening, she did her best to be even minded.

"Though the whole team felt the same way, it was Naruto who spoke up. He didn't do it well but he got his point across alright." Kakashi informed with an exhausted deep sigh. His dark eyes fell onto her bright amber gaze and fond smile. He was almost confused that he was mistaken because he had never seen such a warm expression on Aiko's face.

Faces of impassiveness or irritation usually marred the tanned face in front of her dark hair. But somewhere in his words, she seemed like a different person altogether. Seeing how warm she could be, he wondered what made her so emotionally unavailable in the first place.

"I really like that little whisker kid. Even when I was getting Sasuke from the academy, I liked him. Something about his bright and eccentric attributes and personality makes me happy." Aiko confided in Kakashi and it made his eyes widen. The surprised did not seem to stop for him. He was not sure what it was about Naruto but his student seemed to bring out a completely different side in his once distant trainee. A side that Kakashi did not know existed.

"I miss when Sasuke was little. He was so small and excited about everything. So much emotion at the thought of someone coming to visit him for lunch. Where does it all go?" Aiko mumbled her last words into her glass that grew emptier by the moments.

Kakashi eyed the cup and finally began to realize why she spoke so much to him suddenly. He had not realized that she started drinking before he had arrived. But it made more sense to why her face was flushed and her smiles were so warm.

"I'm surprised to see you like Naruto so much, he's usually the one people find annoying." Kakashi shrugged before taking a sip of his own drink. He watched the sharp glare that shaped around the bright eyes of his trainee and how aggravated she seemed to get at the comment. It almost amused him how offended she got behind the Leaf Village Jinchuuriki.

"People usually decide they do not like him before he opens his mouth. It is because they know what is inside of him and that's not fair, especially to a child who never asked for any of these unfortunate circumstances." Aiko snapped before pushing her empty glass toward the front of the bar. She looked like she was ready to blow fire and it make Kakashi crack a smile under his mask. The way Aiko came to the defense of a bullied child proved how soft and warm she was inside to Kakashi.

Aiko could half sense something through the warmth of alcohol strumming through her system but she was not fully aware that this moment made it so that Kakashi trusted her more than before.

"Settle down there, kid. I know Naruto's a good kid." Kakashi chuckled at the hostile behavior and watched her lips suddenly pout at him. Her glare still remained focused on him but it seemed a little softer this go round.