Fate Wheel | Naruto

23| Cake

"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."
– Mother Teresa

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DAWN

"Dawn!"

The first thing Dawn noticed was the spur of messy orange hair and a broad grin. Her eyes widened, not expecting the girl, Hitomi was it? To be calling her name so loudly that the Hokage was able to hear it from his office. She figured that the girl would eventually forget their encounter and move on, but it doesn't seem to be the case. This time, she was wearing black-rimmed glasses- too big for her face but for some reason suiting her quite a bit- the same pink apron and a bunch of beads dangling around her neck. Dawn knew she was quite strange from the first time they met, no stranger acted like she did.

There doesn't happen to be another person named Dawn behind me is there? She looked over her shoulders only to see her teammates giving her weird looks before she turned her head back.

The orange-haired girl stopped in front of Dawn, panting heavily with her hands on her knees. "Sorry for screaming like a maniac— ah, don't mind me... I'm kinda really out of breath, man I am unfit as hell." She wiped off the layer of sweat on her forehead.

"Anyways, Dawn! Nice to meet you again friend, even though we aren't that close and you don't know me that well and think I'm some annoying chick who keeps bothering you. I thought I'd look around for you and try to get to know you better. But then, I couldn't find you anywhere and that's when I realised, wait a minute, you had one of those ninja hair accessories which must mean you're busy with your ninja duties and so... being the kind person I am I baked you a cake for your services towards the world!"

Dawn blinked, her expression flabbergasted. She baked her a cake? A cake? Without even knowing who she was?

"Ninja hair accessories?" Dawn muttered in confusion.

"Yes!" Hitomi yipped, her honey-brown eyes sparkling as she jabbed her finger at her headband. "That thing- right there!"

"You mean my headband?" Dawn raised her eyebrow.

"Headband-shmeadband. Same thing." Hitomi waved off. "I hope you don't think I'm annoying. But then again, everyone thinks I'm annoying. Everyone meaning my nana because I don't have friends since most people don't like me that much."

Dawn frowned. Hitomi seemed too much of a bubbly, nice person to have people disliking her.

"Well... same." Dawn admitted.

"People don't like you?!" Hitomi exclaimed loudly, causing a few villagers to scowl their way. "How could anyone not like you! You're like a ball of sunshine and you have a cute scowl on your face, surely that isn't the reason why you have troubles befriending people."

"Cute?" Dawn scowled, but stopped, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm not cute."

"You're right." Hitomi nodded seriously, before a mischievous smile crept on her face. "You're adorable!"

The blonde felt her pride deflate. She didn't keep up the emotionless facade only for a random girl to call her adorable. Why was she even prolonging the conversation further? She should go to the training grounds with Jiro, ask him what's wrong and disappear the night away. There was no time to waste, yet she willingly stalled and even agreed to attend the dinner party. Was she growing soft on these people? Was she allowing her obsidian walls she'd spent years on constructing to tumble down by miniature wrecking balls who profusely insisted on getting to know her. She didn't want to be known, once she slipped away from the Village she'd merely be a ghost of the past.