Kakashi
"In this world, those who don't follow the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum." I told my students while I observed the Memorial Stone in the training grounds and ran my fingers across its surface. "The exercise is over, you three are the first team I've ever approved, congratulations."
"The first team?" Sakura asked, wide eyed.
"Yes," I replied as I looked at them from over my shoulder. "The other teams did exactly as I told them, even if it meant abandoning their teammates. You guys, are different." I smiled. "Team 7 will start their first mission tomorrow. You can go home now."
I started walking away from the training ground. Sasuke and Sakura also walked after me.
"HEY! AREN'T YOU FORGETTING ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE?! I'M STILL TIED UP!" I heard Naruto yelling from the tree trunk and I laughed. However, the next sound made me wipe the smile from my face and I halted on my steps.
Naruto suddenly stopped yelling and shut up with a loud thud. The sound made the members of my team and me turn around to see what had happened. Naruto was now lying—face first—on the ground while a brunette was standing behind the trunk he had been tied up to with a kunai in her hand and a mischievous look on her face.
"It seems I have missed all the fun," she said as she looked up at me. "Am I too late?"
"'Too early' would be the right thing to say..." I said with a sigh.
"Well, the Hokage said that if I hurried, I would get to see your lovely students." She smirked. "And given they're still here, it means I got here just in time."
"You could have been more careful, 'ttebayo!" Naruto whined as he lifted his head and looked up at the girl with a flustered face. Hanako looked down at him and smiled.
"You should have been able to free yourself on your own, what kind of Genin are you, Naruto?"
Sasuke scoffed at that. "Does the loser type sound right to you?"
"Teme!" Naruto snapped at him with a glare. "Who do you think you're talking about, Sasuke?!"
"You, obviously." He smirked. "Dobe."
"Temeeee—"
"Stop it, Naruto." The blond tried to attack Sasuke but Hanako immediately took hold of the back of his neck. "You don't need to lower to his level."
Sasuke clicked his tongue while looking up at the brunette. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked.
"Well, for a first, I came to see if you had kept your word. Which you did, so I'm happy for you. Congratulations." She smiled at the raven haired boy after saying that.
"It means you owe me the truth, Hanako-nee." Sasuke replied. "You shouldn't be so happy."
"Why wouldn't I? I never said I didn't want to tell you anything." I looked over at Hanako and raised an eyebrow.
"So, you didn't talk yesterday?" I asked.
"No, we made the deal that if I passed your test she would tell me everything I wanted to know." Sasuke was the one who answered. "And now that I have, just tell me time and place. I'll meet you there."
"You kicked me out for no reason, then?" I inquired at the girl and she just shrugged.
"I let you in for no reason."
"What the hell is going on, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asked aloud as he pulled the hair from the upper part of his head. "I don't understand what's happening..."
"It doesn't even concern you, so it doesn't matter." Hanako sighed. I suddenly sensed someone coming from behind me and I turned to look at the person from over my shoulder.
"I see that you're already here, Hanako." The Hokage commented as he walked in our direction from his mansion. "I was wondering where did you sprint off to, since I never told you where Kakashi would be training his Genin."
Hanako smirked at that. "I didn't need to know that," she said. "I'm a sensor type, Hokage-sama. I sensed them from the Hokage Mansion."
The Third looked at her and smiled as he smoked from his pipe. "I see... That's good to know."
"Sorry to interrupt." I heard one of my students say, and I turned my head over to the little Sakura. "But, Hokage-sama, who is she, and what is she doing here?" My eyes drifted over to Hanako as she said that. The brunette looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow.
Of course, Sakura would be curious to know who she was. She never met anyone within the Uchiha Clan, except for Sasuke. Besides, Hanako wasn't wearing her headband. Which was more of a reason on why Sakura would be suspicious around her.
"Hanako will be helping Kakashi with the task of training you," the Hokage replied calmly. "She will be tested shortly to see if she's fit to become a Jonin and thus take the job."
"You will be tested, too?" Naruto asked, wide eyed, as he turned to the brunette. Hanako smirked as she looked back at him.
"Yes, but instead of a Genin Exam it will be a Jonin Exam."
"You shouldn't speak so confidently, it's not that easy..." I tried to say but Hanako just shut me up.
"You guys should come. See how I kick your sensei's ass." I sweatdropped.
"OF COURSE!" Naruto exclaimed with stars in his eyes. Sasuke only smirked at her and Sakura was looking curiously between the two of us.
Hanako's glance then drifted towards me and she smirked. She was so unlike Itachi in so many ways. Itachi was never the one who bragged about his abilities, but even if he didn't admit it himself, he was stronger than me. Hanako, on the other hand, knew her abilities and didn't mind bragging about them. She wouldn't be ashamed to tell her opponent she was far stronger than him or her, and at this point I was actually considering which of the two was actually stronger.
I had no idea what kind of training she had to undergo these past years, but by her confidence I would suppose it wasn't a piece of cake. Besides, this girl was a real Sharingan user, I can't compete against her using visual jutsu. She would see right through me in a blink of an eye. Adding to that, Hanako was a sensor type. A serious one, given she was able to sense us without trouble from the Hokage tower and pinpoint our exact location. She was definitely not one to be taken lightly.
"Three o'clock, right here." I was suddenly dragged back to reality when the Uchiha girl spoke. I then nodded when I processed the words. "Why don't we have lunch together, and then continue with the Exam?" she suggested.
Of course, Naruto was the first one to reply.
"YES! YES! ICHIRAKU RAMEN!" Without even waiting for us to reply, he hurried away, in the direction of Konoha Street.
The Hokage chuckled and turned to follow after him. "Let's go, then." Both Sasuke and Sakura nodded and continued with him. My eyes darted back to Hanako when she started walking with them.
Her eyes met mine right at the moment she walked past me and she smirked again. My eyes narrowed when she turned her head away from me and halted on her steps, just past me. "I know you have been analyzing me all this time. Checking on my strengths, weaknesses, soft spots, skills..." she said. "You are the type of shinobi who wants to know the opponent they're facing before challenging them." She turned her head to look at me from over her shoulder. "But your tactics won't work against me, Kakashi. You have known me since you were in your ANBU days, and still you haven't figured me out."
And with that, she turned away and continued walking. I smirked from under my mask. This encounter had gotten interesting all of a sudden.
* * *
Kisame sat on the floor in front of the hideout's entrance while he finished bandaging his shark-skin sword, Samehada. He had asked the leader to give him a couple of days off duty so he could take care of some personal business. He had received a message from one of his old comrades that unexpected things have been happening in Kirigakure after the Fifth Mizukage took control of the Village.
Itachi walked out of the hall room of the hideout in search of his partner. Only they were in that hideout at the moment, and it was getting kind of lonely for him. When he took notice of Kisame sitting in front of the entrance while preparing himself, he couldn't help but to feel curious about his doings.
"Are you going out?" Itachi asked his partner as he walked to stand beside him. Kisame finished tying the knot of the bandages and looked up at his superior.
"Yes," he replied with a malicious grin. "I have some errands to run in the Land of Waves."
"Do you need me to come with you?"
"No," The blue skinned man shook his head as he stood up and tied his big sword to his back. "I'd rather do this alone, Itachi-san. I don't mean to be rude but," he smirked as he looked at his partner. "I don't want to drag you into my Village's business."
Itachi frowned at that. "Why? Are you going somewhere dangerous?"
Kisame chuckled. "I'm meeting an old friend. Dangerous for me? No. But for you..." Kisame turned his back to him. "I wouldn't be so sure. He doesn't like the Uchiha."
"Who are you meeting with?" Itachi couldn't help but to ask before Kisame left. The man turned to look at him from over his shoulder.
"Momochi Zabuza. He used to be part of the Seven Swordsman—an old comrade—owner of the infamous Kubirikibouchou, the executioner's sword." Kisame explained. "I'm meeting him because I want to check on the status of Kirigakure, but I'm not to be seen close to its boundaries. Now that he's been hired for a long-term mission away from the Water Country, it is the perfect moment to meet him." Itachi nodded as he watched him walk towards the entrance of the hideout. "There are rumors that a man named Uchiha Madara was the one who controlled the Fourth Mizukage and turned Kirigakure into the Bloody Mist. He forced the shinobi to start a war against Konoha, attack it countless times without real reason, and even get too far to the point where Konoha's destruction was more important than the Village or its shinobi itself. We were raised as killing machines, murdering our families, comrades, friends... All for the sake of an empty purpose." Kisame sighed as he made a brief pause and turned to look at his partner. Itachi only listened to him silently. He had suddenly grown intrigued at his story, he would have never expected that Madara had actually been behind all of this, but it made sense. "I don't think you are like him, Itachi-san. Not all Uchiha are the same," he said. "And we don't even know if the rumors are true, but the Fifth has been making sure that information doesn't leak out."
"Do you still care about Kirigakure, Kisame?" Itachi asked.
The big man chuckled. "You never stop thinking about your birth place, Itachi-san. I might care about my Village as much as you care about yours." Itachi smirked upon hearing his partner's words. "But I still disagree on the way the elders run it, and I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done about it. The higher-ups have more power now than the Kage itself."
After that, Kisame turned his back to him, ready to leave. Itachi only observed him as he lifted the stone rock entrance to the hideout with a handseal and left. Whatever he had to do, he would do it on his own, but another thought crossed his mind at that moment. Kisame left, and he didn't know how much time he would be gone. Itachi was left alone in that hideout for only Kami knows how long. He reached his hands to the back of his head and untied his village protector. His eyes became lost in the scratched symbol on the metal plate as memories crossed his mind. Some happy, some not that happy. But most of them concerned a certain girl that could never manage to leave his head. Itachi smiled softly when he remembered about his girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend. He wasn't sure about his relationship with her at that moment. He hadn't seen her in five years for all he knew. Last time he saw her was during the Uchiha Massacre and he hadn't heard anything about her after that.
Itachi let out a long sigh. He should use the time he had alone to clear some things up. At least, he owed that much to himself.
* * *
Hanako
I no longer felt hungry after seeing Naruto put his fifth plate down. "Bring me another one, ojii-san!" he exclaimed after cleaning the rest of ramen that was left on the edges of his mouth with his sleeve.
"How do you manage to eat that much?" Sakura asked him as she stared wide-eyed at his pile of empty bowls.
Since Sasuke had been the first one to enter the local—after winning a race he had against Naruto—he sat at the corner, next to the wall. Sakura hurried after him and pushed the blond away so she could sit next to the Uchiha boy, so Naruto had no other choice but to sit in the next seat, beside her. Not that he had any complaints, though, I knew that the Uzumaki boy had developed a crush on his pinkette teammate. I just hoped it wouldn't last for long. The next one to sit was the Hokage, who entered the local shortly after the three Genin. Kakashi and I were the last ones to come in. Kakashi sat next to the Hokage and I had to take the last seat, beside him, at the other end.
"A ninja has to have its stomach full in order to perform properly," was Naruto's reply. "It's part of the shinobi rules."
"Can you please enlighten me? I don't remember seeing it in any of the articles in the rulebook." Kakashi said as he looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you seriously know that book by heart?" I asked as I looked at the silver haired man.
"Don't you?" he inquired as he turned to me with a mockery voice.
"Certainly, the rulebook is general knowledge for a shinobi. You should check it out once in a while, Naruto." The Hokage commented as he sipped his bowl of ramen.
My eyes drifted to the old man when he spoke, but when I glanced back at Kakashi, my throat went dry. "Of course I do!" I smiled sheepishly, Kakashi was staring at me intently. "The rulebook obviously...I know it whole." I said and immediately looked away from him and down to my halfway done ramen.
"Oh, really?" I could feel Kakashi lean closer to me as he spoke next to my ear. "Then, you wouldn't mind telling me what does the rule number twenty five says, would you?"
"Number twenty five?" I asked as I played with my chopsticks.
"Mhmm..."
I found myself uncomfortable at Kakashi's sudden proximity. I could feel his breath against my cheek even through his mask, and his eyes bore holes into my skull as he stared at me fixedly.
"Rule number twenty five says..." I started as I looked at Kakashi from the tip of my eyes. Truth was, I didn't know what rule number twenty five was. I only read the rulebook once for a test in the Academy, and that was more than nine years ago. "Rule number twenty five says..." I repeated, not sure of what I would say next.
"Rule number twenty five states that a shinobi must never show its tears." Sakura interrupted as she looked at her sensei with a knowing smile. "Tears are a sign of emotion and emotions are an unnecessary burden for a shinobi."
"Very good, Sakura." Kakashi congratulated his student with a smile before he turned back to me. "Maybe someone should go back to the Academy and review the basics of being a ninja."
I snapped my head towards him with narrowed eyes. I didn't care that my face was suddenly left inches from his, he had just messed with the wrong Uchiha.
"What is more important, Hatake? To know the rules by memory or to actually follow them?" I raised an eyebrow. Kakashi only remained silent as his eye met mine.
"You never follow the rules, anyway."
"I don't?" Now it was my turn to frown.
"You broke rule number one the day you decided to leave the village, 'A shinobi must always remain loyal to its Hidden Village'."
"I remain loyal," I hissed.
"Then why did you leave, again?"
I looked away from him. I was aware of what he was thinking, that in front of the Hokage I wouldn't lie to him.
You know what Kakashi? I won't even talk to you. Everyone was looking at us, and certainly no one should know anything concerning that conversation.
"I won't talk to you about it."
"Why not? Is there something you are hiding from us?" My eyes widened at that. What is he doing?
I narrowed my eyes and turned back to him. Why was he being so persistent? I remember he had said that he wouldn't stop asking until I told him the answer, but I didn't get why he would insist so much to the point of provoking me. His attitude towards me almost reminded me of that ANBU, Nerumi, who tried to get me mad by saying things about my Clan right in front of me.
Kakashi smirked from under his mask. Oh...alright I get it. He was doing it on purpose. He was provoking me, probably to see how long would it take for me to snap at him and attack him. He was making sure I was trustworthy before letting me take the job of taking care of his team.
I smirked back at him. "I understand what you're doing, Kakashi." I said.
"Do you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he smirked wider. My eyes drifted down to his masked features. The unevenness in his nose and lips that revealed his facial expressions were conveyed in the shades of his tissue. Those parts where light penetrated deeply were darker, whilst his nose and lips were in a lighter shade, product of the light reflecting against them.
"Yes," I tilted my head to the side while I let my pupils move up, following all the lines in his face. I was starting to become curious on how Kakashi looked from under his mask, was I the only one to want to rip that useless tissue off just to see what was hidden under it?
I leaned closer to him as I focused on his dark grey eye. My nose barely touched his and my grin widened when I perceived the calmness and serenity that he transpired from his pores. I wasn't affecting him, not even a bit.
"You are already testing me, aren't you?" I asked. Kakashi didn't even try to move, he only stared back at me as if expecting me to continue. "Since yesterday, you were always watching me, following me, making sure I wasn't planning on something. You were wondering, why did I come back, what was my purpose? Is there a connection between the time I decided to come back and the formation of your team?" I said everything I thought that crossed his mind and smirked when his eye suddenly widened. "I can read you like an open book Kakashi, that's my gift. No, I am not planning anything against Konoha, but yes, there is a connection between the time I decided to come back and the formation of your team. I am not a traitor Kakashi," after I said that, the grin that I had on my lips vanished into seriousness. "On the contrary, I came back because there's something big out there, and I can't take care of it on my own."
"Where were you?" he asked again, his features softening. I didn't look away from him, not even once. "Do you have any idea of how worried I was? I thought you had done something stupid."
I chuckled. "That I'm still here doesn't mean that I didn't do something stupid." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at that. "A lot happened, when I was away."
"Like what?"
I leaned even closer to him, pressing my forehead against his. My eyes drifted down to his masked lips and I bit my own. I was sure Kakashi had noticed this, 'cause in a moment he had placed his hand on my cheek and tilted my head slightly backwards. I smirked at him and only stared as he started to come even closer.
"What are you doing, Kakashi?" I giggled lightly as I looked up from the book I had in my hands to the Hokage that spoke to the silver haired man. Kakashi reacted almost immediately. He had been holding Ayame—an Ichiraku employee and Teuchi's daughter—over the counter in a very suggestive position. He held her cheek and was leaning onto her as if he was about to kiss her. The girl couldn't do anything, either from the shock or she didn't want to pull away.
"I..." Kakashi was confused and quickly let go of the girl. He had no idea what had just happened, one moment he was speaking to the Uchiha girl and the next he was holding Teuchi's daughter. His eyes fell on the fuming man, who glared at him with hateful eyes. "I'm sorry, Teuchi-san. I swear I don't know what happened."
"You sure you don't?" The Hokage asked with a sigh as he looked at him from the tip of his eyes.
I chuckled again, immediately calling Kakashi's attention. The Jonin looked at me and his eyes widened immeasurably when he noticed the book that I held in my hands, which had been safely away in his pouch just a moment ago. "When did you...?"
"Sorry, was it too much for your taste?" I asked with a smirk as I closed the book with a thud. "My imagination went wild in that illusion after reading the first page."
"Give it back."
"Nu-uh..." I shook my finger from side to side while clicking my tongue. "You know, I do remember one of the rules that says: 'A shinobi must always see through deception'."
"Yeah, that's rule number forty one." Sakura added with a giggle as she looked at her sensei. Naruto had a mockery face, while Sasuke's expression said: 'is this idiot really my sensei?'.
"Right, number forty one." I smirked as I looked back at Kakashi. "You do remember that one, don't you?"
"Hanako, give me back that book." Kakashi frowned and tried to snap the book from my hold but I quickly pulled it out of his reach.
"Oh, jeez, look at the time. It's almost three." I looked over at the clock that Teuchi had hung on the wall. I pulled some cash from my pocket and placed it right next to my bowl. After that I looked at the Jonin and winked before showing him his book one more time. "I'll meet you in the training ground." And with that I disappeared.
* * *
Kakashi
I remained frozen on my spot after Hanako got away. "She...she took...my book..." I muttered softly as I reached my hands over to where she had been a few moments earlier.
The Hokage stood up from his place. "We should get going then, Kakashi, stop playing around." I looked at him and shook all the thoughts from the book away from my head.
"Hai."
"Thanks for the food, Teuchi. I think this should cover it." The Hokage smiled as he left a fair amount of money over the counter. The man took the money and smiled at the Third.
"Arigatou, Sandaime-sama."
"And sorry, again." I chuckled while scratching the back of my neck in a nervous motion. Without anything else to say, I turned on my heels and walked calmly towards the training grounds where I knew that Hanako would be waiting for me. I didn't worry about the Hokage and my Genin students, I knew they would follow my lead.
A few minutes later, finally the Memorial Stone came into view. Hanako was standing in front of it, while softly caressing a carved name with her fingers. I halted on my steps and focused my eyes on her back. I knew that she was aware of my presence, but she only remained still—pretending she hadn't.
My gaze softened upon her gloom. Leaving the Village after what had happened to her clan, was probably the worst thing she could have done. She ran away from her misery, hiding from her despair, and now that she came back, it all came rushing back to her. She probably hadn't gone back to the compound, but when she did, I knew that she was going to collapse.
"I know that you're there, Kakashi." Hanako mumbled, while turning her head to look at me from over her shoulder. "Why are you standing there while staring at me like that?"
I shook my head. "No reason. I was just thinking." I replied as I walked next to her.
"About what?" She smiled softly as her eyes landed back on the stone.
"About you." That seemed to catch her by surprise since she snapped her head in my direction with her eyes wide. "I want to know how you are dealing with everything. I want to know the truth." She looked back down as her eyes narrowed sadly.
"I don't know, Kakashi..."
I sighed and focused my sight on a name that I knew too well. Obito. This was the name that I came to visit every time. Hanako had already three names to stare at in this stone, and her father was one of them. "Have you visited your district yet?"
"No..." she barely uttered. After that, she shook her head and turned away from the memorial. "I'm just, not ready yet. I don't want to face the reality of what happened. I mean, I went after the massacre when I got discharged of the hospital," she turned to look at me. "But at that moment it was just too fresh to affect me. Like if it were just..."
"Just a dream?"
"Yes...a horrible one." She pressed her lips into a fine line. She chuckled sadly, trying to bury her pain deep into her being, where no one would see it, before she turned back to me. "We should get started with the test, the Hokage and your Genin will be here in a second."
And she was right, not even a moment passed when I noticed that the Third was already here with my students following closely behind him.
"Well, now that we are all here, please do begin," he said when he stood just a few meters from us. The Genin lined up beside him and focused on us. I sighed. I would have to fight against Hanako, and I couldn't let her make a fool of me in front of my students. I would lose their respect right away.
I looked at her. She was staring right back at me with a smile on her face. I got back my seriousness when she pulled out from her pouch the book she had taken from me at Ichiraku's.
"How about we make the test on how much you take to get your book back?" she asked with a giggle while she swayed the book in front of me, but every time I tried to snatch it from her hands she would always pull it away.
"All techniques allowed?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
She smirked, which made me suspicious. "I want you to do whatever it takes."
I scoffed. "Have it your way."
With that I disappeared and appeared behind her in a second with a kunai in hand. When I was about to land a hit on the brunette, she suddenly disappeared and in her place she left a pile of leaves instead. My eyes narrowed. This wasn't a substitution, but she just vanished into thin air, leaving a mound of leaves behind...what kind of jutsu was that?
"Too slow..." she mocked. She was now standing next to a tree trunk behind me. In what moment did she get there? I didn't even see her move.
"How fast..." I could hear Sakura mutter in amazement and I rolled my eyes. It's probably just a type of space-time ninjutsu. Never thought Hanako could actually master that type of technique, she had developed some interesting skills.
"What's the matter Kakashi?" she mocked. "Am I too fast for you?"
I only looked at her. She was acting too carefree...it would be a moment before she let her guard down or leave an opening for me to attack.
"Come and attack me..." she sneered.
"I'm sorry. I'm not an impulsive person, unlike you." I said.
Her grin immediately vanished from her face and she pursed her lips. "Fine...My turn to attack, then."
She extended her palm and fire surrounded her arm, taking the form a scythe. Hanako's smirk made its way back to her lips as she summoned her weapon.
"Tsugoi!" Naruto exclaimed with stars in his eyes as he looked at the brunette. "You have to teach me that, Nee-chan!"
That comment only made Hanako chuckle as she pointed the cutting edge of her scythe in my direction. I narrowed my eyes, what will her next movement be? Direct attack, side attack, from behind, up, down...from where?
Hanako's smirk widened before leaves started to swirl around her and in a moment she disappeared. My eye widened. "That was...Shunshin no Jutsu?"
I barely had time to dodge her attack after I felt her presence from behind me. I moved to the side and gulped when the edge of her weapon went down barely a few inches from my face. My eye drifted back to where the Uchiha was to find her glaring at me with her eyes narrowed.
She still hadn't used her Sharingan, but at this rate I would be forced to use it myself. I wasn't meaning to use it against her, and I don't think that even if I used it, it would make a difference. She is an Uchiha, after all, her eyes are mightier than mine.
I would have to find a way of making Hanako distract herself and use that distraction to my advantage. In terms of power, we were pretty levelled, but I just didn't see a reason to let it all out in front of my students at a training practice.
But Hanako didn't think that way. She would take every chance she had to brag about her abilities. I wouldn't be surprised if she even used her Mangekyo against me despite her initial blindness.
She attacked again. I pulled a kunai out from my weapon pouch, and clashed my knife against hers. She clicked her tongue and her scythe turned into fire again before taking the form of a long katana. I narrowed my eyes.
"That's new..." I commented while I exerted pressure on her weapon but it still didn't move from its place. Hanako pushed back with equal force. "This is actually the first time I see a weapon capable of shape-shifting."
"Well..." Hanako chuckled before she pulled her blade away. "There's always a first time for everything." She sliced her katana down in my direction but I quickly jumped back, avoiding her attack.
Hanako followed after me. I smirked when she suddenly jumped in my direction and I managed to crawl beneath her while she leaped over. Hanako's eyes widened when she hovered above me and noticed that my hand had managed to reach too close to her pouch and she quickly slapped it away before trying to stab me yet again with her katana. I rolled to my side and watched surprised as the blade was nailed right where my head had been just milliseconds ago.
I jumped up again right before she landed a kick on the spot I was. I looked at her victoriously as I stood straight. I may not have been able to get my book back, but I didn't end up empty handed either. I lifted my fisted hand in her direction and Hanako stood while she looked at me with narrowed eyes.
My grin widened at her confusion and I chuckled slightly. I opened my hand and a delicate pendant in the form a tomoe fell swiftly and remained hanging from the silver chain it was attached to. Hanako's eyes widened like plates when she saw her necklace.
As in reflex she immediately reached her hand to her neck and started pounding at it, looking for her pendant. Upon finding nothing, she lowered her glance to look for it, but a second later she met my eye and her jaw dropped.
"When did you...?!"
"Oooh?" I raised an eyebrow at that. "Not so confident now, are we?" I asked and she pursed her lips. I could notice that Hanako was tightly gritting her teeth, clearly not liking the way things had turned out. I became serious again and lowered the pendant. "How about we make a deal? The book for the pendant."
"Is this how you Jonin make it out of trouble? Through deals?" she inquired while raising an eyebrow.
"I think it's easier than trying in vain to take the objects from each other." I just shrugged.
"You are admitting you can't take the book from me." She smirked again and I couldn't help but to smile at that.
"Now, now...whoever said that?"
At that, Hanako narrowed her eyes. Two seconds. For two seconds she didn't notice the clone hiding beneath her underground, but that time was more than enough. Hanako didn't have the chance to avoid it when it suddenly jumped out and grabbed her tightly, making them both fall to the ground. My clone had her pinned against the solid earth, and the brunette couldn't seem to find a way out of its grasp as she struggled to get free.
I let out a silent chuckle as I walked towards her and halted when her eyes met mine. My lips tilted up into a victorious smirk as I looked down at her and I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"It's over." I said, pulling my book out of her weapon pouch without taking my eye off hers. At that same time, I let her pendant hang next to her head. "I win."