The Huntress

Journey to the Hidden Mist

Tsunade sure has a way to ruin a perfectly beautiful day. Katsume's sour mood only made the shining sun dim, the rich hues of the blue sky dull, and the cheerful chipper of the robins in the trees sound like atrocious screeches. On top of that, it made her drag her feet as she approached the East Gate leading out of the village. Ironically, Kakashi is hypocritically a stickler about punctuality, and Katsume had stopped by her apartment to gather some supplies for the mission, only adding to her late arrival.

As expected, Kakashi is leaning on the gate waiting patiently for his co-sensei. Well, here she is. But he better not expect her to be in a good mood after talking with her mother, because she certainly isn't.

She doesn't cease her stride, simply picking up her feet and expecting him to catch up. Kakashi snaps his book shut, storing it in his right jacket pocket, and lightly jogs to step into her hasty stride. He tilts his head to get a better look at her scornful expression.

"Good afternoon to you too, princess," he greets in sarcasm, clearly failing to lighten her mood as she continues her brisk pace in silence.

"I'm guessing your conversation didn't go so well?" Kakashi tries again.

"Ya think?"

There we go. At least she responded. A soft smile creases his mask. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her pace comes to a swift halt as her heels dig into the dirt road. Kakashi stops as well and turns to face her. A crow squawks as it flies over the pair stilled in silence. Katsume's golden stare burns into him. He can practically feel the rage radiating off of the woman. For a moment he thinks she's going to speak but then she suddenly tears her gaze away and continues down the path with a hollow sigh.

Kakashi steps in tandem with her once more, looking down at the fluff of white with two metal horns poking out. After a moment he tries again, "It suits you." She quirks a brow as she glances up at him. He smirks, thankful for her undying curiosity. "The forehead protector, I mean."

"Thank you."

"Jiraiya?"

"Yes."

"He really hit the nail on the head with that one," Kakashi smirks as he side-eyes her.

Katsume's eyebrows furrow, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Ah, her curiosity strikes again. He's getting good at this. "Well, if his intention was to make you look exactly like him, then it was a job well done." He chuckles.

"There you go again, saying I look like a man," she retorts and rolls her eyes, but he didn't miss the twitch in the corner of her lip.

"If the shoe fits..." Oops. That one was unintentional. Oh well, he can't take it back now.

Her eyebrows raise with her annoyance. "Really now? Maybe try that one again when you stop hiding ninety-five percent of your face."

Ouch. He forgot she was in a bad mood. He lets out a nervous chuckle. "I was only joking, I was talking about the kanji. 'Illuminate.' I like it, it really does suit you." He gives her a closed-eyed smile, tilting his head innocently.

"Mhm. Nice save." Katsume deadpans. She leaps into the trees, taking off at great speed from branch to branch.

Kakashi sighs a breath of relief. Her mood seems to have lightened a little at least. No thanks to him. What happened after he left? Katsume is rarely in a mood as sour as this. From his experiences, it takes quite a bit for her to be like this. Something must really be bothering her. He needs to fix this. There's no room for distractions on a mission.