Konohagakure's Kakashi Hatake & Nina Sarutobi have only lived & prepared to die by the Shinobi rules.
Amid an intensive investigation into a spate of mysterious deaths, a birthday party for the elusive Copy-Nin sets off a chain reaction no one quite...
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(Monday> September 22> Amegakure> Village)
~Nina~
While the trailing chakra signature was damn near unmistakable, Nina hadn't forgotten where they were-Amegakure. Marco had elatedly taken her hand and led her deep within a maze of intersecting alleyways within the village's slums. They were stopped and standing in the centre of a four-way intersection, the pin dot cylinders of sunlight beamed down through wherever they could.
"So, how long would you like me to pretend I don't know you're following me?" Nina asked aloud in the seemingly empty alley. Her hand instinctively shielded the boy buried behind her leg while Pakkun glued himself to her ankle. "Because I can keep pretending if it helps."
A weight fell from Nina's shoulders seeing the familiar crinkled-eye smile; even Pakkun let out a discernible sigh.
"Sorry I'm late," Kakashi replied, stepping out from the shadows.
"Yes, you missed breakfast," Nina clipped. "So, I took Marco." The boy shuffled out from behind her. "He asked if I could escort him home," she said, looking down at Marco and giving him a small smile.
Kakashi's eye flicked between the boy and her. Nina could feel the boy's heart rate pounding from within his chest; hers wasn't much different. This was outside the mission's requirements. Far outside. But then, so was Hatake's show-ponying for the local harlots.
~Kakashi~
Kakashi's jaw ticked, unliking-perhaps for the first time-that he was late. He would have caught up with Sarutobi sooner, except the observing, frisky women swooped in, and he'd spent the next twenty minutes giving them the slip. Summoning another of his ninken, Bisuke, he was able to track down his displaced team.
Kakashi walked towards the kunoichi, boy-thief and Pakkun. He crouched in front of the grubby child, "Where's home, Marco?"
"You're supposed to tell me your name first, Mister," Marco bit back, crossing his arms across his chest.
It was amusing to the Copy-Nin that of all the people in this village, Nina had managed to find this village's equivalent to Konoha's knuckleheaded ninja, Naruto Uzumaki. Kakashi looked to the kunoichi, who simply arched one eyebrow.
"My apologies. My name is Kakashi."
The scrappy kid eyeballed him from head to toe, then grunted, "If you say so." Marco held one of Nina's hands and tugged her straight ahead. "Home's this way," he chided.
Kakashi took hold of Nina's free hand, disliking that he still didn't know where home was even more than his tardiness.
"Is this guy, like, your boyfriend or something, Nina?" Marco asked.
"Something like that," Nina replied.
Pakkun's head snapped to Kakashi immediately, seeking confirmation. He probably should have passed on that tidbit about their mission to his canine companion on review. Meanwhile, Marco was spiralling and all on one breath.
