Alone in Both Worlds (Kakashi)

7-Haru no Bara

Kakashi's Pov (insert creepy smile here)

We've been shopping for about an hour and Asoka just looks at things the EXACT SAME WAY. It's so annoying! She looks so bored. But then...

"Hey, look at this." I said, picking up a sword. The momen she turned around and saw what was in my hand, her eyes began to sparkle...somewhat?

"Wow..." She murmured, and she wasn't even being sarcastic; she sounded...amazed. I looked at her, puzzled. Then I realized something..she wasn't wearing her headband.

"Why don't you have the ninja forehead protector?" I asked.

"Because nobody gave one to me." She said, breaking her attention from the sword in my hands to meet my visible eye. Nobody...gave...her...one? When was she going to ask?

"Oh, when we visit the Hokage's I'll get one for you." I told her with a close eyed smile. Asoka nodded silently, then looked down at the floor, her hair in front of her face. Now, I couldn't see the expression she was making...if she was making one at all.

"Right, right, thanks...hehehe." She said...laughing?

"...Why are you laughing?" I asked, confused.

"Hehehe, it's funny: how you attempt to care." She explained, her giggles becoming louder; she doubled over holding Mussō-ka and her clutching stomach. Feeling shocked, I stared at her. But I do care.

"But I do care," I said, voicing my thoughts.

"Ha, funny." She told me, sarcastically.

"If I wouldn't have cared, I would have left you to sleep in a tree." I told her, deadpanning.. She looked up, her red-violet eyes had tears in them, and a small smile was on her face. I could feel the blood rise to my cheeks as I looked at her cute dimples and the slightly visable white teeth, her face, too, had a small tint of pink. Thankfully, my mask was hiding my red face from her view.

"Really? You really care? Then train me." She said, the smile gone now, a stern and determined look in her eyes.

"Train..?"

"Yeah, I need to get strong enough to defeat you...or at least make you resort to your Sharingan." She answered.

I looked at her, shocked; how did she know about my Sharingan?

"Don't give me that look, I think I made myself clear:I know EVERYTHING." Asoka said, looking into my eye, smirking. Suddenly, she took the sharp sword that I still held in my hands. "Its pretty. Can we buy it?" She asked me, holding Mussō-ka with her elbow and looking up at me with sparkling eyes.

"Sure, along with a beginner pack of shuriken, paper bombs and such." I said with a nod, smiling underneath my mask at her childishness. She nodded, but looked down at the katana in front of her, which was thin, sturdy and had a black grip with a guard. This came with the sheath, which had a design of red and pink flowers blooming from the bottom. The sword has a sharp ridge that seemed to have a reddish glint to it. The store manager walked up to Asoka with a smile.

"You have a good eye. That's one of my most favored swords, but nobody ever gave it a second look. I was about to put it on clearance, but I'll give you a deal. Give me a Chi rose, and I'll give you that sword and some other weapons for free." He said. She looked at him and nodded, not even fazed at his odd request, as if she knew where and how to get them.

I looked at her, shocked. I've read about Chi roses. They are extremley rare to find and even rarer to be able to grow, or pick. They take your life, bloom, then give back your life with some special healing properties. When I looked back to Asoka, she held a rose in a glass of red liquid...blood?! She then handed it to the store owner. He looked at her and nodded with a smile.