Kakashi's My Best Friend

Chapter 7 - Adjustment

"I want to show you around," Kakashi stated. "Maybe becoming familiar with Konoha will bring your memories back faster?"

I shrugged. "Sure." With no mission to fulfill, and in a land that I wasn't accustomed to, I truly had little to nothing to do with my time. Besides, I do need to go shopping for casual clothes since I only have the clothes on my back.

Kakashi spent the day showing me around the large village and telling me stories of my apparent childhood. Everything seemed familiar, yet simultaneously foreign. My mind was uncertain of everything he was telling me, but there was something deep inside me saying that I could trust him... though my mind continued to wander to my first memory where he left me behind. No matter the situation, how could you abandon your closest ally so easily? With my years of training in the Core, I never left a mission partner behind, whether they were dead or alive.

Has he changed over the years? He certainly seems more mature and relaxed and it's obvious that people look up to him. Even in the Core, I had heard of the Copy Cat Ninja, but I never imagined my encounter with him to be this way. I wonder if all the rumors I heard about him are true - is he truly as incredible as everyone makes him out to be? I guess I will find out soon enough.

Unsurprisingly, when we went shopping for clothes, Kakashi spent the time standing in a corner reading a book while I looked around and tried things on. The majority of the clothes I picked out were basic--white and black shirts, black shorts and capris--but, with my hair color, those seemed to be the clothes that looked the best on me and what I've always felt the most comfortable in.

By the time we started walking home, the sun had already began to set; the engravings of the Hokage's on the cliff-side still prevalent through the low light. During the walk back to Kakashi's residence, I couldn't help but notice a small house that had a sense of familiarity to it.

"This was my home..." I stopped in my tracks as countless memories of my home life flooded my mind; from eating dinner with my parents to playing with Kakashi in the front yard as our parents conversed to the side.

"Akane, are you okay?" Kakashi put his arm around my shoulders. "You look a little pale."

"I-I'm fine," I said as I took a step away from his grasp, still trying to understand the weird sensation of suddenly remembering something that seemed to never exist before that point. I scratched my head with my free hand and sighed. I was just going to have to get used to this if I wanted to continue to know more about my childhood.

"I came with my dad to your home countless of times growing up." Kakashi looked up towards the sky. "I wonder if you'll even remember insignificant memories like that..." Kakashi trailed.

"They're not insignificant," I stated as I turned towards him. "The small memories are just as important as the others. I'm not really sure what's going on, but I know I need those memories from my past if I'm ever going to learn to trust you."

Kakashi sighed. "I'm not the same person I was when we were children. You can trust me with or without your memories. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Regardless of whether that is true or not, it doesn't feel right to make a decision like that without regaining what I lost." I turned and slowly began walking towards Kakashi's home. "Something is telling me that I can trust you, but I can't trust somebody that I don't know; that's just asking for the impossible and would be foolish on my part."

"That's the thing, Akane," Kakashi breathed. "You do know me."

"Do I?" I asked while making my way down the street with Kakashi. "You are the Copy Cat Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. You read strange books. For some reason that I haven't been able to comprehend, you cover up most of your face and have since you were young... that actually might be it, my friend."

"Friend?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't push your luck."