When they might meet again was unknown. Would they still be friends then? Or perhaps enemies? The path forward stretched endlessly. The young boy and girl watched the Konoha shinobi depart, embarking on a new leg of their own journey.
As they drew closer to the coastline, the sky brightened, the pervasive mist thinning until it vanished completely. The sun, unseen for so long, hung high in the sky. Escaping the nauseating sway of the sea, Kakashi and Mei finally set foot on land far from the Land of Water.
Mei gazed into the distance, where the mist still clung thick and heavy. Today felt worlds away from yesterday; the nightmares of the Mist seemed to dissipate under the piercing sunlight. The girl untied the mask from her face. Though the sea air smelled the same here, it carried a different meaning entirely.
"Is this the Land of Fire?" the young girl, on her first journey outside her homeland, asked her companion.
Kakashi crouched down, picking up a handful of soil.
"This is the Land of Hot Water," he explained. "A small nation situated between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire. The Land of the Moon is similar. We'll stay here for a few days. This country likely has many people displaced or suffering due to the war. We can help some if possible. At the same time, we need to avoid the Land of Lightning's forces. Kumogakure ninja will also pass through here."
"Okay," Mei nodded.
A gust of sea wind caught the discarded mask, sending it fluttering through the air before it landed on the water's surface. A large wave crashed down, tearing it to shreds, until its remnants mixed with the sand and disappeared – much like Mei's painful memories were fading away.
She followed behind the slowly walking boy, gently taking hold of his right hand.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.
"I'm... a little scared," the orange-haired girl confessed quietly. "I've never been here before."
"What's there to be afraid of? There are no Kirigakure ninja here."
"I'm afraid of Kumogakure."
"We haven't even reached a town yet. What Kumogakure ninja would come to such a remote stretch of coastline?"
Whether Kakashi was genuinely dense or just pretending, Mei couldn't tell from his impassive expression. She could only let out a soft sigh.
"Can't you just hold my hand while we walk for a bit?"
"You should have just said so," Kakashi replied without hesitation, taking her hand properly. His palm was rough, marked with several recently healed scars from years of kunai practice and taijutsu training, making his grip not entirely comfortable.
Yet, the girl felt a surge of joy. The relief of having escaped death amplified the sensation of his touch. She drew herself closer to him, then closer still.
Until her steps fell into sync with Kakashi's. Almost unconsciously, she slowly looped her arm through the right arm he held her hand with.
"Now what?" he asked.
"I'm a little cold," she murmured. "Your arm is warmer."
"You're not cold," Kakashi pointed out. Sunlight streamed through the trees, warming their skin, and they were both still wearing the warm clothing they'd bought in the Land of Water. There was no way she could be cold. The boy, whose emotional intelligence wasn't actually that low, finally grasped the situation.
He turned his head to look at her. Mei kept her eyes fixed forward, pretending not to notice his gaze, but the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
Kakashi mentally forgave himself for not realizing sooner. He'd been so focused on fighting and survival, constantly thinking about how to escape the Land of Water alive, that he hadn't given any thought to the girl's emotions.
She really is still young, he thought.
An unreadable smile touched the corners of his masked face. Mei, who had been subtly watching him, quickly glanced away, pretending nothing had happened as she continued walking forward.
The tranquil forest felt far removed from war and crowds. Insects chirped and birds called, creating a pristine, unpolluted scene rarely encountered in his previous life. The arrival of these unexpected visitors didn't seem to disturb the forest; instead, nature offered its goodwill without reservation. A squirrel leaped between branches, pausing on a high perch to observe the two unfamiliar creatures below. Ancient instinct made it wary, yet the harmonious aura surrounding the pair tempted it to draw nearer.
"Ever seen one of these?" Kakashi asked, pointing up at the small animal meeting his gaze.
"A squirrel? Yes, I've seen them. Don't underestimate me; we have squirrels in the Land of Water too," Mei retorted playfully.
"But have you ever seen one that isn't afraid of people?"
While the girl paused, momentarily stunned, Kakashi beckoned to the little creature in the tree, retrieving a soldier pill from his pouch.
The squirrel scampered quickly down the trunk, its eyes watchful, ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger. Its brown fur and bushy tail made Mei itch to stroke it. Kakashi placed the soldier pill in his open palm. The small creature hopped onto his hand, picked up the pill with its paws, sniffed it curiously, and, after confirming it wasn't a type of nut it recognized, took a bite before stuffing the whole thing into its cheek pouch.
"Can it eat soldier pills?" Mei asked, surprised.
"Of course. They're much more nutritious than nuts," Kakashi replied.
Mei had never seen this side of Kakashi before – so relaxed, he looked less like a deadly shinobi capable of intense combat and more like an ordinary person. His demeanor reminded her of civilians during peacetime, giving her a strange sense of disconnect.
The closer she got to him, the more she sensed the extraordinary nature of this boy.
Mature yet ruthless, innocent yet kind. She had seen plenty of the former; most of the latter had perished in the war. What allowed him to embody both these traits simultaneously?
"Want to pet it?" Kakashi offered.
"Mhm," Mei nodded, shifting her gaze from Kakashi to the adorable creature. Kakashi gently guided her hand to slowly stroke the squirrel's back. Once it relaxed completely, he let her softly touch its fluffy tail.
"How about we have it for dinner tonight?" Kakashi suddenly suggested with a straight face.
"You—?!"
Startled by his words, the girl's hand trembled. The squirrel instantly darted away, scrambling back up the tree trunk and disappearing into its nest.
Seeing Kakashi's amused expression, Mei decided to play along.
"Squirrel meat doesn't taste good," she sniffed.
"Doesn't taste good? I think it's quite delicious."
"How could you bear to eat such a cute little animal?"
"They all look the same in the cooking pot."
"It's too small! Barely a mouthful!"
Mei found herself enjoying this banter. No one at the Academy back in Kirigakure would have joked with her like this.
Her mood lifted, the girl smiled and hooked her arm back onto Kakashi's right arm. This time, however, he gently stopped her, then lightly tapped the tip of her upturned nose with his finger.
"Yeah, too small," he said softly. "Not enough to eat. And you're too small too."
Without waiting for her reaction, the silver-haired boy smoothed down her silky orange hair, gently pinched her cheek – her slightly chubby face clearly holding the promise of a future beauty – and then held his hand up beside her head, comparing her height to his own.
"What do you mean, I'm too small too?" Mei demanded.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"You explain yourself right now!"
And so, the boy and girl began a new round of bickering, both instinctively slowing their pace, aware that once they left this forest, the world outside was completely unknown.
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