The Poor Scarecrow

Ayumi thought about her family as they walked. She loved being so near to a friend, but it was nothing like living with her real parents and brother...She tried to hold back the tears as she remembered their faces. (I failed. I failed in keeping them alive.)

She glanced at Kakashi. He was stilling ignoring her, but he seemed to get along with everyone else fine. Ayumi scoffed. (He's so strange! It's almost cruel!) Then she thought about her behavior from before. (It wouldn't hurt to apologize...Just, how do I approach him without making a fool of myself?)

She couldn't stop her mouth from moving as she ran up to join the group. "Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry for my behavior," she looked at the ground, knowing the others watched her. "You're not...mad, are you?"

Kakashi blinked at her.

"Mad? What made you think that, Ayumi-san?" he asked calmly.

"You're so...cool."

She could see him grin slightly under the mask. "Why thank you."

"I didn't mean it like that!" she amended hastily.

"Then please do tell us what you mean."

Ayumi flushed angrily.

"I meant that you're acting very cold to me and nice to everyone else."

Kakashi focused on her, visible eyebrow at a challenging angle.

"Do you?"

"Yes I do."

"Then let me ask you something. When one has nothing to say to someone, are they considered cold and uncaring for not speaking?"

Ayumi chewed on that for a second. "It depends on the context, I suppose."

"That's a good a answer as any."

Isumi raced on with the rest of the group. "To get s scroll doesn't need a five man squad."

Kakashi looked at him.

"If to deliver a scroll was all that was needed, nija most likly wouldn't have been called to prefore the task. Am I right?"

Ayumi had been listening to the conversation, being so near to Kakashi-sensei already.

"Unless...there's the risk that we may run into enemies? Or is this just a test to see what a five-man sqaud can do?"

Ayumi thought she saw Kakashi smirk beneath that mask. She couldn't help but be curious. (Why does he hide that left eye and wear that mask?)

"At any rate, we're on it, so let's not throw the sunshine away," remarked Kisa.

"That's right." said Kakashi, still smirking. "And if we do run into trouble...I'm sure her Katon-ou will save us."

Ayumi flushed again, irritated.

"You like picking on me?"

"Maybe."

Ayumi was about to snap back when Emi's hand grabbed ahold of her shirt.

"At least be glad we have a sensei with a sense of humor." she whispered imploringly.

Ayumi glared a Kakashi, "I don't find him funny."

"We don't need hostilities amongst the squad. We're a team." Emi looked at Ayumi with eyes that told her she meant it. "Remember that."

Ayumi nodded slightly.

Okay peoples, I can't be the only one writing on this thing.....

((Heh, sorry, Emi, but one of my keyboards is malfunctioning...I'll write something now, though I was waiting on pie))

Kisa and Isumi, both walking ahead, got into an argument about squads.

"Okay, guys, what's the hubbub?" asked Kakashi.

"Specially trained individuals versus multitudes of half-wits," snapped Isumi. "Safety in numbers."

"You're a shinobi, you know that an individual can wreak much more havoc then a lot of fools," replied Kisa, annoyed.

They both turned to Kakashi.

"What's your opinion, sensei?" they asked in unison.

Emi watched as Kakashi was taken by surprise. He then thought about it.

"In my opinion," He said, "I say a team is better than going alone. Strength is important, but having a team with you has its advantages."

Emi noticed she was nodding and stopped abruptly. "So you're saying that with a team, you can accomplish more than going at it on your own?"

"Not exactly. There are things you can accomplish on your own and things you need a group to do, I just think a team is more efficient and safe."

Emi didn't really see it that way. She had agreed with Kisa earlier, and she still couldn't find the difference in group or individual mission-work.

"Souka...." said Kisa. "There's also the factoid of rank and abilities..."

Kakashi, Ayumi and Emi sweatdropped as Kisa and Isumi continued to argue animatedly.

"I think they just like debating," said Emi under her breath.

Kakashi smiled.

"Actually, I think they get along rather well, they just have opposing viewpoints. We'll be stopping for a quick break in a few minutes, minnasan."

"So soon?" asked Ayumi, who barely felt tired.

"Yeah, we want to give the last Genin time to catch up, neh?" asked Kisa, breaking away from an argument. "Who is he, anyway, sensei?"

Kakashi sighed.

"A jerk...I met him the other day at the Godaime's office."

"Say, sensei," said Isumi suddenly, "is it true that the Hokage is resigning?"

(((Emi and I can't do this alone, y'know ))

"Yeah, I heard that too, but if she does..." Ayumi shrugged, "that's her choice. I just hope we don't have a fool come to the office."

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "That would be troublesome."

Ayumi persued the topic of the other ninja. He was supposed to be with them, wasn't he? What was holding him back? She picked at her fingernails in agitation.

"What's taking the other ninja, anyway? And who exactly is he?"

(Where's piepiemann22? Isn't he supposed to be writing, too?)

(~) Since pie isn't posting (~)

Emi turned to Kakashi-sensei, "You said he came down sick. Is he fit enough for this mission?"

There was a gust of wind and a loud BOOM behind Emi. She turned to see a boy with sandy-brown hair, and his forehead protector on backward, standing in a plume of smoke, a triumphant smirk on his face. Emi gawked at him. Was he nuts? Who in the world would approach other ninja that way? They could have easily been an enemy squad and he wouldn't have had a chance of hiding.

Everyone stared at the boy, but Kakashi just sighed and shook his head.

"The HOT-HERO HAS arrived," announced the newcomer. "No need to fear, ladies, I have recovered fully. Thank you for giving me room to breathe." he bowed.

Kisa and Emi were frozen in disgust.

"Oh....my...Gawd...." said Kisa, wrinkling her nose.

"That's him...Takasato Seikyou." Kakashi visibly grimaced under his mask.

Ayumi, just as appalled, said, disgusted, "you've got such a big head, how can you nin-jump?"

Seikyou vanished and appeared next to her, leaning against her in a way he obviously thought was sexy.

"Do you like my bigness, darling?" he purred.

"Oh...my...Gawd..." said Emi and Kisa in unison, again.

"Okay, Seikyou, cut it out." said Kakashi, still grimacing.