Beauty is the Beast (Kakashi Love Story)

Chapter 7

Hisayo was sitting cross-legged on the couch in the living room meditating and waiting for her sensei to return, when the door opened. Akio walked in and took his sandals off.

Hisayo looked on at the picture before her and couldn’t help but question her sensei. “Did you get into a fight with a bag of flour and lose sensei?” 

Akio gave a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his neck. “As much as it pains me to say this, I fell into a prank. I kept a sharp eye out all day expecting it and at the end of the day, when I thought I could let my guard down, he got me.” Akio shook his head and a large cloud of flour spread out in all directions.

Hisayo slightly raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t imagine anyone catching her sensei in a prank. “Who got you?”

“A student at the academy named Naruto Uzumaki.” Akio said between coughs as he strode into the bathroom to clean himself up. Hisayo’s breath caught in her throat for the second time that day.

“He…he didn’t get into any trouble…did he?” She hoped not, especially after she saw the way he had been treated by the villagers. Visions of her own beatings in the past floated around in her head.

“I spoke against any kind of punishment, seeing as I’m the kind and patient sensei you know me to be.” Akio’s voice sounded over the running water that had been turned on.

“Oh. Okay.” Hisayo was slightly relieved. But just to be sure…

“You seem quite concerned about it. Is everything alright?” There was a very long pause and Akio stuck his head out the door and looked around the now empty room. “Hisayo?” Akio called but received no answer. He quickly discovered her sandals missing from the door and smiled to himself.

He didn’t know how, but he knew she must have bumped into him before and was left with some kind of impression. What that impression could have been, he had no idea, but whatever it was, it caused her to have an unusual reaction. She wouldn’t have taken off so suddenly during their conversation if she hadn‘t been so affected by it.

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Hisayo roof jumped and tried to catch the scent of the boy. She had made sure to memorize it before she left him earlier that day. She began her search around the academy and sifted through the many unfamiliar scents until she found his. It was getting late and everyone was heading to their homes, so she hoped that he would be easier to find.

His scent lead her to a park near the river that ran into the village. All of the swings in the small park were empty except for one. Naruto sat in it with his head hanging low.

Hisayo jumped over the fence line without a sound and slowly made her way over to the boy. He lifted his gaze to her and the sadness in his eyes lifted slightly. Hisayo’s stern gaze softened a bit and she looked over to the swing next to Naruto.

“Is that swing taken?” Hisayo asked pointing to it. Naruto shook his head ‘no’ and Hisayo sat in it without a word. The two sat in silence for a while and looked at the setting sun.

“You said earlier that we were the same. So does that mean you’re alone too?” Naruto questioned.

His head was hanging yet again. Hisayo’s only response was what Akio would do to comfort her in times of sadness and uncertainty. She slowly reached over and gently laid her hand on his head. Naruto looked up and stared at her in surprise. She was comforting him the way no one else would. He relaxed and just enjoyed her presence. She didn’t speak, but that was alright with him as long as she continued to stay with him a little while longer.

Hisayo found her actions towards Naruto surprisingly easy. Was it because she felt they shared some kind of connection? No, impossible, she thought. She had always said forming any unnecessary ties would leave less room for disappointment, but why did she feel a strong need to stay by the boy’s side? Was this the same feeling Akio had after he met her those many years ago? It must have been, because after those first few weeks, he had taken her under his wing and had stayed by her side ever since.