Third Person POV
Danzou left the Hokage's office right after Hiruzen authorized one of his Anbu to join the team being sent to the lab where the redhead was created.
The councilman was a calm, controlled, and reserved man, but at that moment, he was seething inside. His plans with Orochimaru to retrieve their experiment had failed, thanks to all the attention on the girl, leaving no opening to take her back.
And the investigation into the lab, which had been stalled until then, was about to restart, all because of the girl herself. Problems were piling up for the councilman and the Sannin, putting them both in a dangerous situation.
They had tried to control the situation involving the lab and the retrieval of their experiment, especially since Orochimaru had been chosen to lead the investigation mission.
However, thanks to Amaya's requests, and the Sandaime's approval to grant the changes she asked for, their entire setup had been destroyed.
We were back to square one. So, the only option left was to infiltrate one of his Root Anbu into the investigation team.
But things wouldn't be that simple. Even with his man inside, the slightest mistake from him would easily cast suspicion back onto Danzou, precisely because he was the one who recommended him.
And it was to prevent this that his partnership with Orochimaru, and their shared interests, would come into play.
Danzou was walking down one of the less crowded corridors of the Hokage building when he stopped near a slightly ajar door. The chakra coming from it was familiar.
– Did you manage to convince Sarutobi-sensei to allow one of your subordinates on the team? – The Sannin's drawn-out voice reached him.
– Of course. Hiruzen always gives in if the right pressure is applied in a tense situation – The councilman glanced sideways at the door, where he could see the other's figure – And what about your part in this?
– It's all ready – He announced casually – Send your subordinate to me. I'll take care of everything from there – Danzou started walking calmly again.
– You'll have half an hour to finish, before he needs to meet the team at the village gates – The councilman emphasized as he walked away.
– That's enough time – Orochimaru commented, a vile smile appearing on his lips as he uttered the last phrase quieter – And I'll finally take back what belongs to me...
Kakashi Hatake POV
We hadn't even left the Hokage building when Shisui asked.
– Wait, were you the one who chose us for this mission? – He asked, staring at the redhead.
– Yes – She said calmly, and I looked surprised.
– So that means you're the jounin who requested us? – I asked, and Amaya turned her eyes to me, giving a weak laugh.
– I guess we can say that... – She spoke softer.
– What?! – The Uchiha asked, almost euphoric but still confused – What do you mean?!
– How long have you been a jounin? – I asked, and the redhead scratched her head lightly, a faint smile on her lips.
– For... about an hour – She announced, leaving both me and Shisui speechless – I had the same reaction earlier when the Sandaime told me about my promotion. He said he'd wanted to promote me for a while, but since I was always coming and going from the village on war missions, I never had time to stop, like today when I returned, to make it official.
– That's amazing! – The Uchiha said excitedly as we walked through the village – Venus is finally a jounin! – He shouted, and some people nearby stared at us, confused by the weasel-faced guy's behavior.
– Shisui! – Amaya scolded him quietly, and the Uchiha looked at her – You don't need to announce it to everyone... – He laughed.
– Sorry, sorry... – He ruffled her hair a little, making her give a soft laugh.
– I just hope she's not a jounin like this weasel-faced guy – I said without looking at them, but I could feel the Uchiha's gaze on me and almost imagine him with narrowed, disapproving eyes.
– And let her be like you, scarecrow? – He asked – A boring grump, shorter than a girl? – This time I couldn't help but look at him, slightly annoyed.
Although the moments I could spend with Amaya, or even in the presence of Shisui, were rare, the weasel-faced Uchiha always found something new to pick on me about. The last one had been about my height.
I had already noticed I was shorter than the Uzumaki, even if it was just a matter of centimeters, I was still shorter. And that was a feast for the Uchiha to bother me.
– You did not just say that, weasel-face... – I said, and Shisui smiled wickedly.
– Oh, yes I did, I s-a-i-d it – He spelled out the last word slowly, as if savoring it.
– Why, you... – I started to say – Amaya, you don't mind if I kill your friend, right? – But the redhead didn't answer.
I looked at her, seeing her gaze directed ahead on the path we were taking, but it was clear as water that her mind wasn't focused there. The redhead was distant, in a way I hadn't seen in a long time.
– Amaya? – Shisui called her, but she still didn't respond.
I reached my arm out towards her, lightly touching her arm to try and bring her back to reality. But unlike what I expected, she startled and looked at us confused for a few moments.
– Amaya, what happened? – I asked directly, after all, it was obvious she wasn't okay.
– Sorry... – She gave a weak smile – My head is just too full right now – She quickly alternated her gaze between me and the Uchiha – You guys need to get your gear – The redhead reminded us – Even though it's an investigation mission, it's better to be prepared.
– I think we have everything we need right here – The Uchiha said and looked at me, and I promptly agreed.
– You need to change your clothes, Shisui – Amaya pointed out – You're still in your Anbu uniform – He looked down at himself and sighed, conceding.
– I'm ready, so I'll stay here – I said and looked at the Uchiha – We'll wait for you at the village gate.
Shisui looked at me for a moment. Like me, it was clear he realized that leaving Amaya alone at that moment wasn't a good idea. Something was bothering her, enough to make her zone out and leave her, I'd say, scared.
– Alright – The Uchiha finally agreed – But make sure you don't lose her in the crowd, shorty – And before I could curse him back, Shisui disappeared.
I looked back at the redhead, seeing her laughing softly, certainly at the Uchiha's last jab at me. At least she doesn't have that distant expression from before..., I thought.
But what could have happened? She dodged the question and tried to cover it up later, trying to get me and Shisui to leave her alone to get our gear, I pondered. Is it something about the mission or...
– It's easier to just ask than to rack your brain – Amaya's comment made me look at her.
I was going to contradict her about that and even opened my mouth to speak, but I gave up the next second. It's no use pressuring her to talk, I thought. So it's better to let her decide whether or not to talk about whatever it is...
– It's nothing major – I brushed it off – And since that weasel-face isn't here to bother us... – I looked at her again – Congratulations on your promotion to jounin – I gave a weak smile – You really deserve it – Her expression became more relaxed again.
– Thank you... – And she allowed a smile to appear on her lips.
– Well, normally we give gifts to those promoted to jounin – I said and scratched my head – But since in your case I just found out now, I don't have anything prepared for you – I looked at her – So how about you choose something later? I mean, after the mission... And only if you want to, of course... – I stumbled over my words trying to explain, which ended up making her laugh – It's not funny! – I protested and crossed my arms – You know I'm terrible at this...
– By 'this,' you mean being empathetic? – She asked, trying not to laugh again, and I just glanced at her, making her laugh once more – Sorry, sorry... – She looked at me – You just surprised me, that's why I laughed – I looked at her, not understanding.
– Why?
– Because you set your curiosity aside about asking what was bothering me to change the subject, giving me space and making me feel calmer – The redhead looked at me and crossed her arms, still with a faint smile.
– What? No, I didn't... – I tried to brush it off, but it was pure impulse; she was right.
The Uzumaki gave another soft laugh at my fumbling. As for me, I couldn't help but look like an idiot staring at her. Even though we've seen each other so little lately, she still reads me with an ease that never fails to surprise me..., I mused, and gave a weak laugh.
– You're still the same, strange... – I said.
– I say the same about you, baka – Amaya retorted.
The redhead and I arrived at the village gate a few minutes after separating from Shisui. Since we had to wait for the weasel-face and the member Danzou would send, we settled under the shade of one of the trees there.
I was checking my gear, since I had messed it up a bit during the training I'd done earlier with Minato. I looked at Amaya beside me again, as the redhead had remained silent until then.
Her gaze was distant, directed towards the village, but I knew she wasn't looking at anything specific. She was just... Thinking. The Uzumaki leaned her head back against the tree trunk behind her and looked in my direction.
Instinctively, I looked away from her; I must have been staring at her for a good few seconds while she was thinking, lost in my own thoughts about it. I went back to finishing organizing my things.
– I'm thinking about the mission... – She expressed calmly, but I still didn't look at her.
– Is something specific about it bothering you? – I asked in the same calm tone as her.
– No, it's the mission as a whole that's making me uneasy – She explained – Didn't the Sandaime tell you anything about what we're going to do? – Even though I wasn't looking at her, I knew her eyes were on me at that moment.
– Just that it's a mission classified as rank A, an investigation involving the village's interests – I listed what I knew – Me and weasel-face were chosen for this mission, and you will be our leader. And there will also be this extra member, due to Danzou's insistence on having someone older with us. Other than that, the Sandaime said the mission leader would explain the situation – The redhead sighed heavily.
– So he left it to me to choose how to explain... – Amaya mused quieter – Well, we're going to investigate a place – She said calmly, but with a slightly morbid tone.
– What kind of place? – I asked, finishing organizing my last items.
– The laboratory I came from – She announced extremely quietly, but I could still hear her clearly.
At that moment, I stopped what I was doing and quickly looked at her. Amaya wasn't looking at me, and I didn't have a specific reaction to that.
– What...? – Was all I could utter.
Confusion, disbelief, and incredulity... Those were the best words to describe my state at that moment. How could the Sandaime ask Amaya to go on this mission?!, I thought, annoyed. Or better yet, how could she accept going back to that place?!
– It's crazy that I accepted, isn't it? – She raised the question and looked at me again.
Unlike before, I didn't avert my eyes when the redhead looked at me. Although her expression was serene, her eyes gave her away...
I had known her long enough to know how she was feeling, but in all the seven years we'd known each other, I had never seen her like that... I had never seen her eyes that way...
She was scared.
This was the first time I had ever seen her like this.
Amaya was the first to look away, bringing one of her hands to her dark strand of hair, twisting it around her fingers and slowly letting go. It was the redhead's habit when she was anxious or very nervous.
– It's silly for me to be so restless about this, isn't it? – Amaya asked without looking at me and began twisting her strand tighter around her fingers – I mean, it's a mission back to the place where I was created, but it's not like I'm going back to go through what happened there again, and... – Before she could continue, I grabbed the hand that was in her hair, making her stop.
At the same instant, the Uzumaki brought her eyes to me, which instinctively made me let go of her hand. But to my surprise, the redhead prevented me from separating our hands. She intertwined her fingers with mine, holding my hand firmly.
I had never been good with human contact and never really knew how to act most of the time. But from having spent a good amount of time with Amaya, I had learned a few things by observing her.
When I looked at her again, I saw her with her eyes downcast. She's looking for a point of security for herself..., I deduced, observing our hands. And it seems that, at the moment, I am that for her...
I relaxed my posture, as well as my hand that was joined with Amaya's. I intertwined my fingers with hers, squeezing her hand a little, showing her with that, that I was there for her.
I might be terrible at understanding others or expressing myself, but..., I pondered. Amaya has always been by my side when I needed her most these years, so the least I can do for her is help her this time.
We spent a good few minutes like that: Sitting under the shade of one of the large trees at the village entrance, side by side, with Amaya resting her head on my shoulder and our hands united, just in silence.
The redhead had settled in better and leaned against me to rest a little. She had just returned from a mission involving the war conflicts and hadn't even had time to stop and replenish her energy.
All the tension that had formed when Amaya told me about our mission had dissipated, and I could notice the redhead was calmer by my side. And to think she was trying to handle all this alone until just a little while ago..., I reflected.
Maybe that's why she asked for me and Shisui for this mission, I thought. We two seem to be the people closest to her, at least of the same age group and who know about her past.
She chose us because she feels safe with us...
I looked at the people walking through the village, further away from where we were: Some children were running; ninjas came and went from the village; shopkeepers chatted with customers at the entrances to their shops; a couple passed by holding hands, the woman resting her head on the man's shoulder beside her and smiling happily; and...
At that moment, I stopped my own thoughts and observations, looking at Amaya beside me: My hand and the redhead's were still united, resting on my leg. The Uzumaki had her eyes closed, her head gently resting on my shoulder, with an extremely faint smile on her lips, her expression peaceful.
Holding hands, side by side, with her head resting on the other's shoulder and smiling..., I thought. W-We look like them... L-Like a c-couple...
I felt my cheeks heat up quickly and looked away from Amaya beside me. At that moment, I fervently thanked Kami-sama that the redhead had her eyes closed and that the weasel-faced Shisui wasn't around to see this.
– Thank you, Kakashi... – Amaya thanked me quietly, and I glanced at her quickly, seeing she still had her eyes closed – And sorry for bothering you with this...
– D-Don't mention it – I said and cleared my throat softly – I mean, it wasn't a bother. You've had to deal with me in worse moments and never complained or stopped making sure I was okay – The redhead gave a weak laugh.
– I guess I can't disagree with that – She said, and I smiled weakly.
It was good to see her like this again, calm and back to her usual tranquility. It made me feel calmer too.
– Kakashi... – Amaya called out softly, and I looked at her for a moment, seeing her with a more serious expression, her gaze toward the people walking further away from where we were – When we're at the lab, if I end up like that again... Can you... – She stopped talking and lowered her eyes again.
– Don't worry – I said quickly and squeezed her hand, which was still intertwined with mine, lightly – I'll be there for you.