[19] Cats

"Hey! Hey! I'm meeting up with Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino for BBQ want to join? Believe it!" Naruto asks his team as they walk back from the training ground.

"I don't see why not, what about you Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looks over at the raven haired Uchiha.

"I'll come." He says shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What about you Kakashi-sensei?" She asks tilting her head back to look at him.

He smiles at her and pats her on the head.

"I would love to join." He replies.

Kagami stays silent hoping she can disappear from the group and get out of it. But it seems her brother is thinking otherwise.

"Kagami you're coming." He says not looking at her.

"No I'm not." She says back not looking at him either.

"Yes you are."

"Says who?"

"Say me."

"You can't force me."

"I can, and will, drag you there."

"You wouldn't."

"Yes I would. You are going."

Kagami stays silent at her defeat.

"It looks like we're all coming." Kakashi says happily to his team.

The group stare at the two, confuse but happy that their silver haired teammate is finally going to join them. She had gotten out of going to every single team gathering with or without other team's members present.

When they arrive at the restaurant it seems the others had the same idea as both genin teams along with jonin are present, making Kagami more uncomfortable than she already is. She is seated between the wall and Shikamaru with Ino in front of her and Azuma next to her.

"So Kagami, do you like anyone?" Ino asks, resting her cheek on her palm.

This attracts the attention of the table. No one really knowing her any better then the next person, including her brother and teammates. Kagami shakes her head.

"We are taught in Root that all emotions are not needed and are to be concealed and forgotten as they may jeopardise the mission." She tells the blonde.

Though, Ino seems intrigued at the new topic.

"Oh so you are a part of the Root Anbu?" She asks sitting up straight.

Kagami shakes her head.

"I was moved from Root Anbu to Anbu Black Ops just before I was placed in Team 7. The Hokage wanted me to be around more people of my age instead of going on dangerous missions with people up too 15 years older then me." Kagami replies.

She doesn't know why she was telling her this. Something inside her just told her it was the right thing to do.

"I mean, that's kind of smart. So you can learn to show emotion again." Ino says leaning forward again with her chin resting on her open palm.

Kagami simply nods and looks at her palms in her lap.

"Oh and you have the wolf summoning, Masao- Msau-"

"Masaru," Kagami smiles a little at Ino.

"I met him when I was three and made a contract with him."

"Wow that's young for a summoning, and aren't wolves one of the hardest?" Ino seems to really enjoying the conversation with the usually mysterious and unknowing girl.

Kagami nods at her again, looking at her palms once again.

"It's kind of funny. He can get really over protective of me sometimes. This one time I was egged in the streets with I was 5, so he sat out the front of my room for two days and didn't let me out or anyone in until I said I was okay.

"Masaru was the one that taught me that sometimes we shouldn't suppress emotion, but embrace it. He was the first person to care for me. To really know and take care of me." Kagami smiles under her mask.

"I didn't know you thought that of me, Kid."

Ino screams and Kagami flinches so much she bangs heads with Shikamaru making the pair hold their heads in pain and groan.

"Masaru I thought I told you to stop doing that," Kagami says looking at the wolf who is now sitting next to her.

"I know, but it's fun. I did it to your brother once and he fell off the couch in fright." He says back.

Kakashi chuckles scratching the back of his neck.

"It's true, he can be really surprising." Kakashi says to the group.

"How many people have you done that to?" Kagami asks the wolf.

Masaru thinks for a moment.

"Probably everyone on this table." He says glancing at them all.

Kagami stares at the wolf.

"How? You are my summoning. You should barely know the people on this table," she glances at him. "Let alone be scaring them."

"Oh you know. I appear and answer their questions about you. And tell them the stories of your mission with Miwa and Akin."

Kagami starts to choke and her knife goes through the table until only the hilt is showing.

Masaru pats the girl on the back, his face bored as if it has happened many times before—surprising the group on how human like he was.

"You did what?" Kagami asks after recovering, her voice as cold as ice.

"Geez I'm only kidding. I know them since I am a registered Shinobi of Konohagakure, the Hokage gives me missions with the other genin teams. But I'm mostly carrying wounded or extra equipment since I'm not allowed to attack anything since I might scare the genin." Masaru says, shocking the teen a little.

Kagami looks away from him, forcefully pulling the knife out of the table, everyone noticing the glint of the blade.

"Masaru by the way you kill you could scare the Kages into not sleeping," she says to him.

"Hm, what are you saying?" Masaru asks her.

"I'm saying maybe you should trying killing people with a method that doesn't involve ripping peoples insides out with your teeth."

"Well I don't have thumbs so I'm sorry I can't pick up a kunai like you humans."

"You could carry one in your mouth."

"My mouth!" He barks.

"Yes your mouth."

"That would damage my pride. Along with yours."

"Masaru we both know I have little pride for myself." Kagami says leaning back.

"Yeah you have a massive ego instead," he says back.

"The only person with a ego that defines the word massive is you."

"Yah, yah, yah. I've heard it all before."

"Yet you continue to bring it up, Masaru."

"Shut up!"

Kagami is about the say something back when Yua speaks up.

'Wait a couple seconds Child. This will be quite funny,' Kagami does as said and watches her wolf carefully.

Suddenly a white long haired cat jumps onto Masaru's head.

"Ah your back!" He says looking at his head in annoyance as the cat lays down with its head in between his eyes and it's arms stretched either side of his head in front of his ears.

The cat just puts at him.

"Who is that?" Sakura asks staring at the cat.

"This cat walked into my bed in the middle of the night and fell asleep on me." Masaru says sounding offended beyond belief.

This makes the table laugh a little.Suddenly the cat looks up and stares at Kagami. It jumps into her arms and she freezes not knowing what to do.

"What do I do?" She asks not looking away from the cat that was running its face against her hand.

"You pat it. Like this." Shikamaru sighs and pats the cats head lightly.

Kagami hesitatingly does the same and pats it's head. The cat purrs loudly and climbs up her shoulders into her head. It lays down just as it did on Masaru making the table laugh at the displeased face of the young girl.

The cat looks around the table in interest.

"Hello," it says.

Masaru looks mortally offended.

"You can speak?!"

"And he forgets me again," the cat says in a clearly feminine voice.

"Who are you?" Azuma asks, intrigued by the cat.

Kiba is currently trying to stop Akamaru from jumping across the table the eating the cat whole.

"I am Yusi. I used to travel with Masaru about 15 years ago." Yusi says politely while eyeing Akamaru.

"No!You're a wolf! Not a cat!" Masaru says standing up and looking the cat right in the eyes.

"Meh, I like being a cat better. I can bite people and they don't get angry at me." The whole table sweat drops at the logic of the cat.

"I mean, it's also less likely for people to notice I am a trained ninja as well. And I get free food." Yusi says happily to the group.

"This is unreal." Is all Masaru says before sitting back down.

The rest of the dinner everyone conversed happily. All of them happy with the new information about the younger Hatake and her new partner. They spent the night talking about funny situations in missions, much to Ino, Sakura and Hinata's dismay since they were the centre of most of them.

Yusi eventually goes and sleeps on Masaru and he too goes to sleep, too tired to kick the cat off.

Kagami was happy that she was able to blend in and have conversations with this group. She was happy that she could smile at the people without them staring and pointing at her saying it's unusual.

s.h.o.u.t

~shadow