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CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE ___________________ FIVE MONTHS LATER
"WHY DON'T WE JUST DO ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS AGAIN TONIGHT?" KAKASHI asked with his hands shoved in his pockets, speaking to the teen that was walking on his right. Hana was walking with them on his left, admiring the night sky as she listened to the two's conversation.
"Not that again! Think of something more exciting!" Gai dismissed the idea, forming fists with his hands in a determined manner. "How can you call yourself my rival?"
"I never understand why I tag along." Hana muttered, catching the silver-haired teen's attention. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by their bowl-cut wearing friend.
"You're the judge, of course!" Gai told her. "Can you think of something else?"
Even though she would never admit it, Hana was mentally exhausted. You couldn't see it on her face, but if you knew her well enough, you could notice it. And that's exactly what Kakashi did. He examined her face before turning back to Gai, giving him a close-eyed smile.
"We have an early start tomorrow. So let's pass for tonight." He suggested afterwards.
Gai tightened his fist. "Don't use a mission as an excuse! I have all this hot pent-up energy inside of me! Now is the time for diligent training!"
Kakashi stopped walking all of sudden. Hana noticed this and stopped right beside him, following where his gaze was being held. He was looking up at the sky just as she had been doing minutes ago. Something had seemed to catch his eye.
"Honest-to-goodness discipline and hard work lead to success in future missions—Are you even listening to me?"
Hana froze the minute she sensed something in the air. A chill rain down her back and the hairs on the top of her head seemed to raise slightly. Something wasn't right. She could feel it, and she knew Kakashi could feel it as well.
"You've gotten awfully cold since joining the ANBU, Kakashi! I've heard the gossip. They're calling you cold-blooded. Not that I'm supposed to talk about you being in the ANBU. But that's no reason to forget about our friendship! Look at you and Hana! Youth is short!"
"Say, Gai." Kakashi interrupted his rant, looking over at him. "Do you sense anything weird? There's been a chill in the air..."
"It's your attitude that's causing it!" Gai pointed at him angrily. "There's nothing like the present for youth!"
Kakashi looked down at the blonde standing next to him. Her attention was focused on the night sky, her eyes trying to find anything that seemed out of the norm. "You feel it, too."
"Yeah. I can't figure out what it is." Hana murmured, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's something big. It's just... Unseeable.
