Impossible to Foretell

Chapter 6: Worrywart

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall; I was going to have to leave soon. I was going to have to go home where I'd be left with nothing to distract my thoughts. If it wasn't for the ANBU liking to close up the building at night and Kakashi's stupid insisting that I sleep, then I would just stay here and work through the night.

The clock ticked by the seconds, and I knew that I would need to be on my way momentarily. I pushed myself out of the seat with a grunt, and massaged my hip a little to loosen it up after sitting almost all day. God, I felt like such an old lady. I was still too young to have health problems like this. I was hoping that I could wait until I was at least seventy before getting out of chairs was a difficult task. Thirty-three was a little bit too young. I stepped into the hallway and locked the door behind me ready for another lonely night with just me, my thoughts, and my clean house.

I spun around and ran right into Kakashi's chest.

I glared at him, "You scared the living daylights right out of me! Don't sneak up on me like that."

He scratched the back of his neck, "I really didn't mean to. I was just coming to discuss this report with you. But since you're leaving, would you like to walk and talk?"

I straightened up my vest in the most dignified way that I could, "I don't need you to walk me home." I knew what he was doing. While I was a little bit older than the majority of the victims, I was still within the age range. Also, I'm an orphan like most of the other victims. And even though I'm a ninja, it's not like I can do a lot of fighting back with my hip. "There haven't been any cases in the village, and I don't like being coddled."

"There haven't been any cases in the village yet."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "And what makes you think that there will be?"

"A hunch." Kakashi's hunches are usually pretty spot on so that worried me a lot.

"Tell me, what else do your prophetic hunches see?"

"This reminds me of one of the darker cases that I handled once in the ANBU. We took down a human trafficking ring. The groups that they're targeting are almost identical, and the whole thing just feels eerily similar."

I shuddered, "Yes and they're targeting women. I don't even want to think about the reason, but I can't help myself."

Kakashi stared down at me, "For my sake, will you please let me walk you home? It's extremely late, and I'll be able to sleep easier tonight knowing that you got home safely."

"Worrywart. I'll be fine, but sure. If it really worries you that much then let's go."

"Thank you."

I looked up at him skeptically; there was no reason that I could think of that could cause him to worry so much about me. I mean, there haven't been any cases in the village yet, and even then they'd be more likely to target the growing civilian population than a shinobi like me. Even a crippled ninja was harder to capture than civilian.

The streets were dark and empty since every sane person was fast asleep at this time.

"Kakashi."

"Hm?"

"Can you tell me any details about that old ANBU case of yours. I understand if it's classified, but I'm curious."

He chuckled, "Well, I am the Hokage so I guess that I can disclose the information that I want to." He took a breath as if remembering something very painful, "It still haunts my dreams... I was fifteen at the time, and only in ANBU for about two years when the case started. There were mass kidnappings in a neighboring country, I don't think that I should disclose the country even today. We spent months monitoring them and tracking them down, and eventually we found where they were working out of. The mission directive was simple: storm the headquarters killing and capturing all members of the organization present and saving any captives that we could find. We were also to look for any records that they were keeping so we could hunt down any associates or captives that had already been sold. The infiltration went on without a hitch, until I found them. The people that they had captured, I'll never get the looks on their faces out of my head. They still haunt me even today. Those poor women..."

I sighed, it was pretty much what I had expected. "This time they captured a twelve-year-old, sick bastards."

"Someone that young?"

"Anzu Midoriki, age twelve, orphan, no known family members... I read her scroll."

We had reached my apartment complex, and Kakashi still hadn't turned to leave.

"Are you afraid that I'll be kidnapped from inside my building?"

"Uh..."

"Today's been a long day and I'd rather be alone right now, if you don't mind."

"Of course. I'll be heading home now. Bye then, Kai."

I smiled a little at his old nickname for me, "Goodnight, Kashi."

I stepped inside and saw a cloud of smoke behind me, meaning that he had transported himself away. I walked slowly up the stairs to my room; the oppressive loneliness coming back the moment that Kakashi had left.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was past two in the morning. The anniversary of my dad's death had ended two hours ago. I got into bed after just throwing off my shoes and vest; I didn't have the motivation to change. I clutched the green yo-yo to my chest as tears poured silently from my eyes. I wished that I could sob and scream and let out all of my pain and anger, but I couldn't. My body had forgotten how. I no longer knew how let out my emotions. Kakashi was right, I needed to let them out before they tore me apart, but I couldn't. Years of suppressing my emotions had broken me, and I no longer knew how to cry.