Birthday

Birthday - oneshot

It's early September. A young woman is sitting on a branch, a paintbrush in her hand, her long black hair flying in the wind and red eyes fixing a white-haired man back to her, facing the memorial stone. She's wondering.

- Dana's POV -

Sometimes you stand before a blank page, unable to draw or write anything. Because you know that everything you could do wouldn't be even near what you'd like to represent or say. Words and images in the mind are complicated, too perfect or too gloom. Even the world we see is shadowed by our vision, our feelings, our emotions. If only there was a jutsu to make real what's in my mind...

"What are you doing, sister?"

Guy's voice interrupt the flow of my thoughts. I turn around and glare at him with my ruby eyes.

"You talk too loud!" I whisper.

"Why should I be discreet?"

Does he even know how to do it, first? He looked in direction of what I was looking at earlier. Kakashi's back.

"Oooh, I see..."

"You don't see anything! I wanted to paint something for his birthday and the only way to have him posing is here. But if you blow my cover, it will be over. And I'll kick your butt."

"Ok, ok." He stays quiet for a moment before asking: "But since when you two know each other?"

"We don't. But dad always told me to keep an eye on him, so every now and then, I make something for him."

"That's sweet! But why not talk to him directly? Doesn't he know where all those gifts come from?"

"You know I'm shy, and very busy. And of course he doesn't know. I don't even know if he already saw my face. Most of the times we met, I was with my Anbu mask on. And the rest of the time, well, he was completely absorbed in Jiraya-kun's novels."

"You could reveal who's the one helping him write those books he loves..."

"For what? Him to think I am weird? Or that I do strange things with that old pervert? Please, no."

Guy stays quiet but a strange smile appeared on his face. I don't like that, at all.

"Well, I'll let you with your portrait. See ya!" And he was gone.

I grunt a bit before coming back to my blank page, my paintbrush dropping paint on the branch I'm sitting on. I finally have an idea.

*

- Narrator -

"Hey Kakashi, my eternal rival!"

"Sorry Guy, I'm busy."

"Listen to me!" The white haired-ninja sighed before stopping his steps. "Tonight we got out with the others, you have to come!"

"Sorry, I have other plans..."

"A date?" Guy says with a mischievous smile.

"Sort of..."

"What do you mean?" The leather-green dressed man asks, puzzled.

"Well, every year, on this day, someone has let me gifts when I arrive home at night. There's a cake, too. And my favourite dishes. After the two first times, it began to be a ritual for me. I make sure I arrive home late, to let that mysterious person time, and when I arrive, I find my home full of surprises. I really can't let that person down."

"But... Since when does this happen?"

"Thirteen years... Just after my senseï died."

"And you never met the person who does all this for you?"