Second Time's The Charm

Shippuden Chapter 5

.

"You're being too hard on them."

One of Kanoko's closed eyes twitched. The Nara was sitting crisscross on top of one of Konoha's empty mountain sides with her hands pressed together and her eyes closed. Her intent was to mediate some of her frustrations and anxieties away before her mission – away from the people that were slowly driving her insane.

Kakashi apparently didn't get the memo.

"I'll start reading Jiraiya-sama's new book out loud." Kakashi whimsical tone with a threatening smile under his mask, "I assure you, it's his best work yet!"

Kanoko's frown deepened in growing irritation before letting out a breath and speaking lowly, "You do not have the perseverance. You will fold to your own insecurity of another overhearing you. I will simply need to outlast you."

Kakashi paused for a second – placing his finger on his chin in thought before giving his student a joyous grin, "Then I suppose I'll just have to sing the words out loud! Takashi~ looked at Ka~go~me~ and-"

"ENOUGH!" Kanoko snapped in a deep voice, her eyes snapping open to glare openly at her sensei, "You will never do that again. Ever."

Kakashi stopped singing and gave Kanoko a victory smile before letting his happy expression drop slowly.

Kanoko's eyes narrowed before she turned her head with a scoff, "Say your piece and then leave me be. You have distracted me enough as it stands."

The silver haired shinobi sighed as he slid his book into his back pocket, "It's not every day a shinobi – one obsessed with rules and regulations – blows up at the jounin commander, yelling about how unfair the system is and how the Hokage should just solve her own problems – common sense be damned."

Kanoko's eyes narrowed dangerously again, "I am not the infant you portray me as."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms and leaned back on a nearby rock, "Is that so?"

"It is." Kanoko grounded out before closing her eyes and posing her body to continue meditating, "I don't expect a shinobi indoctrinated by this new, supposedly selfless ideology to understand my utter disappointment."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose even higher, "That's a bold statement – especially coming from the only Leaf nin who will openly dress down a fellow Leaf nin, in the middle of a busy street, if their hitai-ate is in poor shape without an acceptable reason as to why."

Kanoko just huffed lowly in response and mumbled, "You put someone in their place – rightfully so – once and no one will let it go..."

Kakashi let out a slight, low chuckle before turning serious again, "Kanoko..."

The Nara in question let out an annoyed murmur before turning her head slightly and shifting her eyes up towards Kakashi. Frowning deeply Kanoko let out a gruff noise before speaking in a firm tone, "Do you know why this village was formed? The ideology behind its creation?"

Kakashi gave Kanoko a long stare before speaking, "You think your father – the clan head of one of wisest and long standing clans, not to mention your father – and Tsunade-sama – the granddaughter of the First Hokage – don't?"

Kanoko paused for a second before looking out towards the horizon and responding, "They have forgotten." Kanoko's eyes closed as the wind blew gentle pass her, "And for too long, I have failed to remind them." The former Hokage paused a moment further before locking her reddish-orange eyes with his one black on and speaking again, "But you did not answer my question, Kakashi-sensei."