amethyst solitary (naruto u.)

the copycat ninja

A week has passed since Manaka's incoherent arrival into Konoha. Although many of her inquiries remain unanswered, she was still utterly grateful she was far from home.

After Naruto left for his training with his Master, whom he calls Pervy Sage for some reason, Manaka became interested in learning more about the ninja world.

Now, Tsunade had mentioned an escort would be joining her this morning to keep an eye on her. However, this mysterious person she assigned her to never ended up showing up. As a result, Manaka took the liberty to explore on her own.

She crept out of her apartment and walked amidst the hamlet, fearful of being recognized by someone she knew. Nonetheless, she persisted further into her investigation. She asked unfamiliar residents for directions to the library, and they gladly assisted her.

She eventually found the library, which turned out to be the same one that Naruto led her to, and with that, she flung herself towards the shelves and began pulling up as many history books as she could.

She rented a few novels to read at home before deciding on heading to food stores considering she didn't have anything to eat at home. The vendors were quite helpful, indicating which items to purchase and which to avoid. So, in all, Manaka spent around 3 hours in their setting.

As she bid farewell to the owner who had assisted her, she turned around and came to a standstill when she noticed a man with silver hair reading an orange book standing mere inches away from her. His face was masked and dressed in conventional military garb.

He soon lifted his face upon sensing her stare and voiced out. "Manaka Takahashi?"

She slowly nodded, eyes wide open.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, I'll be your escort for today." His exposed eye closed, hinting he was smiling beneath his mask.

"O-Oh." She flinched in place, hesitant to bow.

'Isn't he three hours late?'

Kakashi could detect agitation within her body language. As a consequence, he came up with a suggestion that'll hopefully unknot the tension. "Have you eaten yet?"

Manaka shook her head. Her hunger was definitely clawing at the sides of her stomach.

"Great. Let's go have lunch then."

///

Kakashi guided the teenage girl into a mini restaurant that serves steak dishes, and just by inhaling it's scent, Manaka instantly began drooling.

A waitress soon appeared by their table and jotted their orders before leaving to inform the chef. Manaka then shifted her attention back to her companion and started analyzing his figure. Despite his slightly scary appearance, he was unconditionally sweet.

She noticed his effort in making small talk on the way here, which to her delight, genuinely pleased her.

His questions so far revolved around her point of view about the village. She told him how, contrary to her expectations, everyone turned out to be friendly. Moreover, the lovely areas filled with nothing but bright nature and great, delicious food.

Back at Tsunade's office, Kakashi was informed of her situation. Her story, beyond doubt, captured his interest. He was determined in learning more about her background.

When he got to meet her, Kakashi was 100% intrigued by her demeanor, chiefly of how she spoke. It surprised him since it contradicted his usual impression towards teenagers. She sounded more mature unlike those around her age.

When their chatter died down, Kakashi switched back to his book, alerting Manaka to stare at the orange hardcover and read it's title in her head.

'Make-out Tactics?'