The Girl Under the Mask-Kakashi x OC Romance

Chapter 23

I disappeared with a quickness when I woke up the next morning. Sober me couldn't handle the shock of waking up in Kakashi's bed-in his arms. I snuck out while he slept, just barely managing to breath until I got out of his apartment.

And now it's been a week and I had only seen Kakashi in glances on the street on my way to the academy or the store.

But today a glance and a smile wasn't going to make it. Today was what they called a 'field day' at the ninja academy. All the classes got to enjoy a day of fun outside in the sun. We had activities, relay races, tug o' war, jump ropes games, and more set up for them to enjoy-and all the Jonin that weren't on a mission were here to help with the activities.

So, on the downside, it was my job to spend the day in close quarters with Kakashi and I couldn't leave if I got too nervous. On the upside, the daycare children were allowed to join, and it was nice getting to see Itatsu having fun with other children.

The other activities were for bigger kids, so Kurenai and I had made some props that the little ones could play with and have as much fun. We took foam pool noodles, cut them down to size and taped up the ends with black and silver duct tape. By the time we were done, each pool noodle looked like a katana, making them feel like little ninjas. And right now Itatsu and Mirai were running in circles around each other, Itatsu with a green katana noodle and Mirai with a pink one.

I couldn't help but giggle at the two 'playing ninja', then turned my attention back to what I was doing. "Alright," I looked over the group waiting to start my race, "so here are the rules of the relay. You will be partnering into groups of three." Quickly the kids ran around each other to grab their friends and create their groups. I waited for them to settle down before I continued, "the first runner will have to go from here," I pointed at the lines taped over the grass, "while balancing a scroll on a pair of chopsticks-one handed. The second person will have to execute an explosive tag on that scroll once handed off. Once done, you will use that tag to blow up one of those-" I pointed at group of small pinata's hanging from the trees. The kids eyes lit up once they saw exactly what they were. "-yes, they are filled with candy" I chuckled, "but hidden in the candy there is 1 token. The third person must find that token and bring it back to me. The first to give me their token wins and your team gets to take all the candy you want."

"Who cares about winning if we all get candy?" One kid muttered.

There's always one downer in the group.

"I did say the winning team gets all the candy they want...I didn't say whose candy it had to be." I warned. He shut up and they all looked at each other in worry. It was cute how losing candy was the scariest thought in the world to kids. I cleared my throat to get the attention back to me, "alright, now have you picked out your 1st, 2nd and 3rd?"

The relay race was a hit. And with candy on the line each of the kids gave it their all.

"Balancing scrolls on chopsticks?" I jumped at the voice behind me, so zoned into the kids I hadn't noticed anyone approach. "I can't decide if that's too easy or too cruel for children." They chuckled.

I turned to find Kakashi standing there. "Oh, Kakashi...a-are you helping today as well?"

Kakashi smiled at me, barely hiding his smirk as he remembered my drunken confession. "B-because when I'm around you...without you...I-I can't speak right and I get nervous."

"As if you didn't already know." He teased. I turned straight around back to the relay before he could see my nervous blush.

When I looked back, I spared a glance at Itatsu in the distance. He was still playing with Mirai and another little kid their age, but just then a few more kids a couple years older with bigger wooden practice katanas to challenge their foam ones. In the end they were all kids, so I wanted to let them be, but I found myself continuously glancing their way.

Kakashi sensed my,unease "Is everything okay?" He asked. "Ama?" He repeated with a wave of his hand to get my attention.

I jumped a little and looked back at him, "I'm sorry...I just..." I looked back and forth between Itatsu and Kakashi, "is it just me or does that make you worry?" I asked him.

"Does what make me worry?" He asked, following my gaze to the kids Itatsu was with.

"Those kids with Itatsu. I just..." I bit the side of my lip, "I just have a bad feeling. Maybe I should go over there."

Kakashi grabbed my hand as I started to move. "And maybe you should stay here." He didn't need to say anything to make me stop. I froze up just at his touch. My gaze wandered down to his hand clasped around mine and so did his. After a moment of awkward silence he let me go. "I-I just meant-" now I glanced up at him in shock as HE stammered, "-you're a mother who's bound to worry, that's all this is. And they are just children being children, that's all it is. Don't worry, okay?"

I sighed. "I guess you're right."

"But you're still worrying." He commented, noticing my nervous expression and continuous glances towards the kids.

I frowned at him, "he could get hurt"

"Children get booboos, and then they heal." And now I scowled.

"Itatsu can't get a booboo like other children."

Kakashi looked at me a little screwy at that comment, "When did you become one of those mothers?"

"What do you mean, 'one of those mothers'?!"

Kakashi cleared his throat, trying to figure out how he started digging himself this hole, "I just mean-"

I raised a hand to stop him, "if he gets hurt, he could bleed. At that point he will be a hurt and upset toddler with no control of his emotions while his blood is exposed. How do you think the Keisan even came to suspect there was something special about my blood?" Kakashi glanced between me and Itatsu with a new understanding.

As if on cue, there was a cry in the distance. The bigger kids decided to test their wood swords against the foam swords. Itatsu's sword was a poor defense and the wood katana smacked him in the nose. He fell, holding his bleeding nose and crying.

"Shit" I forgot the relay I was judging and ran straight for Itatsu. I had to get to him and calm him down before any kids accidentally got hurt. The older kids were only about 4 our 5 years old, but that didn't stop me from shooing them away with a glare when they were still around Itatsu-and they weren't helping the situation.

"Itatsu" I slid to my knees in front of him, trying to shield the kids from any harm if things went wrong. Itatsu didn't seem to hear me, he just kept crying. I picked him up from the ground, sitting him on my lap "Itatsu look at me" the blood dripping from his nose spilled through his fingers cupped around his nose. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket to try and stop the bleeding. When I reached for his nose, he finally looked at me, but it wasn't with the red crimson swirl I was afraid of...they were worse...they were eyes I didn't recognize