Sown

three

Go stand in a field.

It had been a while since anyone had said that to him, but the phrase was something Kakashi had heard a lot. Normally it was said in annoyance when he was young, acting arrogantly to his fellow students and shinobi. Naruto had even said it once when he had first become his teacher. Never once had it been used in a positive way.

Until Hanae had called out to him. Maybe you can come stand in my field someday! It wasn't something he would expect a samurai to say, but he had never necessarily met a samurai before so he couldn't be very sure.

Kakashi looked away from the copy of Icha Icha Paradise in his hand, casting his attention to the sky peeking out from between the leaves of the tree he currently sat in. He had read the same page at least twice, too lost in thought to focus on the words practically embedded in his memory.

A woman, from the Land of Iron, a former samurai, turned farmer. It was a lot of information to take in.

Since his students had left for their respective paths of training - and crime - nearly two years prior, Kakashi had taken on his former routine of taking missions for the village. They only ever took a handful of days to complete depending on how far he had to travel, but his Tuesday had always seemed to be free, so he took it upon himself to make this his shopping and chore day. There were never many chores with his apartment being so small and hardly lived in, but like any man Kakashi had to eat regularly. Thus, after willing himself out of bed, he headed out for the day.

Kakashi had first gone into Gishi for eggplant solely because his normal grocer was all out. Comfort foods were the easiest to make ; a large part of his diet consisted of salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. But with no eggplant, this was obviously difficult. So he wandered until he had spotted the shop. He was initially drawn in by the suit of samurai armor in the window, its gas mask distinguishing it as the armor worn by the forces of the Land of Iron.

The interior of two-storey building had a scent the jounin could only describe as natural. The wall to the left held clear bins of dried roots and herbs followed by two open coolers of produce. To the right were more bins and wicker baskets holding much the same, and a shelf in the center holding tea and dried fruits. Across the far wall was the counter, behind that jars of tobacco, stronger herbs and herbs that probably dealt with 'adult' issues, a basket of sugarcane stalks, and a prep table. A flight of wooden stairs was tucked into a cubby on the far right of the counterspace, leading to a second floor only the shopkeep was allowed to enter.

When Kakashi initially entered the shop, the shopkeep turned and greeted him with a smile and enthusiastic hello. He nodded back and turned to the left wall, glancing at the products available while knowing he was only going to buy the eggplant. Burning time he wouldn't have used anyway, Kakashi finally picked two of the vegetables in questioned and made his way to the counter.

The owner, a woman with tan skin and wavy burgundy hair, greeted him again.

"Hello, may I get anything else for you today?"

"No, thank you."

The woman nodded and turned to the cash register beside her, punching in a few things before turning back to him. There was a glint in her brown eyes peeking out from thick, short eyelashes. She told him the amount and Kakashi fished his wallet from his back pocket, handing her a bill and glancing around the counter until she held his change out to him.

"Thank you for your purchase, have a great day." She looked as though there was more she wanted to say, but as Kakashi waived and exited the store with his purchase she didn't say anymore.

Once home he went through his usual routine, slicing the eggplants and using some for his meal that day, keeping the rest chilled in a container resting in his fridge. Dinner done, he took a seat at his desk after pushing aside some paperwork, offered a small prayer, and began to eat while reading over said reports. Spooning some soup into his mouth, Kakashi glanced down at the bowl.

The soup tasted slightly different than it normally did, but it wasn't in a bad way ; just more savory and acidic. "I guess this is why so many people eat organic," he mumbled to himself, continuing his reading. Before he realized it, the sun had slipped behind Konoha's outer wall and plunged his room into darkness. Kakashi set the papers back down on his desk and gathered his dishes, setting them in the sink after rinsing but not washing.

He retired to the washroom and took a quick shower before drying and settling into bed, a new mission awaiting him tomorrow.

-

In the following weeks, Kakashi found himself returning to Gishi for eggplant while he very well could have gotten them from the store where he picked up everything else. Figuring the exceptional soup wasn't a fluke or his culinary skills growing, he continued purchasing the solitary vegetable from the same woman. She was pleasant every time he shopped regardless of the fact that their every interaction played out the same way.

On a Tuesday in summer, though, when the store was filled with children craving sugarcane, did he hear her say something outside of their normal dialogue. Her name was Hanae, something he had picked up from said children, and she seemed to enjoy the presence of the younger generation.

When it was his turn to check out, Hanae started to talk more, albeit in a way he didn't expect.

"Are you worried about your heart?"

Kakashi had never been asked anything like this and he found it a bit odd. Turns out Hanae not only ran the store but grew all the products herself, a rather impressive feat for one person. They continued on until another customer made their way inside, taking her attention away from him. He took this as a cue to leave, not wanting to keep her from business.

Again the following week he learned more about her in a way that was not entirely as pleasant as Hanae's disposition. The armor that had brought him into the store, it turned out, was the armor the Land of Iron native had worn during her time as a samurai. He also found out she was from the Umu clan, a clan of importers who apparently didn't like their clan name likened to giving birth.

They continued on for a while more before Kakashi again took his leave, lackadaisically making his way home whilst reading before a familiar voice rang out behind him.

"My name is Hanae Umu!"

Hanae was leaning out of the open door of her store, hand cupped around her mouth as she looked to him excitedly.

I never told her my name, Kakashi mused internally. "I'm Kakashi Hatake." He responded, waiving with the copy of Icha Icha Paradise still gripped in his hand.

A bright smile erupted on her face. A moment later is when she said it, "maybe you can come stand in my field someday!" The first time someone had joked about his name without some form of malice.

Kakashi continued to watch the sky as the phrase echoed in his mind which it had been doing so for the past three days. A large shadow was cast across his perch mere moments before a large bird crossed the sky. It was an owl, a barn owl, much larger than any of its species, leading Kakashi to believe that it had been summoned by someone in the village. It carried a large water basin in its talons.

He had started his day early, and seeing as though he had no plans, Kakashi let his curiosity take hold. Hopping down from the tree and replacing the book it it's respective pouch, Kakashi made his way after the bird, following it as it made repeated flights over his head.