[33] Progress

'Today, I will do it.' Kagami stares at her new found enemy.

Shikamaru's stairs. These stairs had a total of eight steps, non-carpeted. It's currently five in the morning, and she knew that no one in the house would be up yet. She had an hour to wander before the three got up, and she intended to use it well. 

She steps slowly onto the first step, her leg aching at the action. Yet, Kagami continues on, waking slowly but surely down the stairs. She gets to the third last step and suddenly realises something, what if she can't make it back up the steps. 

She shakes her head lightly and continues on. When she finally steps onto the floorboards she almost sighs in relief, but keeps it to herself. She slowly makes her way to the kitchen, noticing a large fruit bowl. Taking two she makes her way to the table and quietly sits down in one of the four chairs sat around their small kitchen table. 

Kagami takes a quick glance around for anyone before pulling her mask down and munching on the apple. Her eyes widen slightly, the apples tasted different, better. She glances out the window into the large woods around the property, Nara land. They've owned it for generations, according to Kagami's knowledge, they protected the deer. Or at least they try their best. 

She takes her time surveying the land. It is a pleasant change to the village center where large buildings tower over you at every turn. She noticed some fruit trees to the side of the tree line. 

'Must be where the apples come from,' 

"They are home grown if that's what you're wondering." Kagami whips around quickly, pulling her mask up and grabbing a knife off the counter. Shikaku is standing in the doorway, looking at her slightly amused. 

Kagami slowly puts the knife down and nods at him, not knowing what to say to him. He sighs and walks over to stand next to her chair, also looking out the window. 

"It was burnt down a few years ago." Kagami looks up at the man skeptically, wondering where he was going with this. "Someone burnt 60 percent of the trees and land, the wildlife survived luckily." 

Kagami looks back at the trees, now noticing the black branches here and there, but you'd never be able to tell that it was that damaged. 

"Your brother helped rebuild it. Him of course has copied some earth Jutsus over his time and brought most of the trees back to health." This time Shikaku looked down at the girl next to him. "I owe your brother, so don't feel like you are intruding." 

Kagami nods, taking a deep breath. 'If only you knew.' 

"Know that that's over with, it's time to make breakfast before everyone gets up." He slowly shuffles to the stove and pulls out all sorts of ingredients. 

s.h.o.u.t.

Yoshino decided that Kagami must eat breakfast with them today, saying that 'who is in this house, is family.' 

Kagami didn't know what to talk about, she would nod along or reply to some questions but didn't actively try to start a conversation. Yoshino is going to change that. 

"So Kagami, tell me about yourself. What do you do while you aren't being a Kunoichi." 

Kagami stares blankly at the woman, stumped by the question. "I. . . ." The girl looks at the two males in the room before looking back at Yoshino. "I'm always on duty Yoshino-san."

The woman gives her an odd look, "what?"

Kagami glances around again before pushing her food around. "I'm an Anbu for the Foundation as well as the Black Ops. Plus I take care of the Genin teams and the Interrogation Unit. I'm never off duty. My life is being a nin." Kagami is beyond uncomfortable. She didn't want to speak, but for some reason, a reason she couldn't think of, she didn't want to be rude. 

"Well that's no good, you need to recover, you can't be doing all that work. Plus you are only a kid, why have they got you working so much?" Shikaku visibly stiffens at the question, he knows why but he isn't sure if she does. 

"I'm not the only one, there are countless other shinobi who work harder than me. I'm nothing out of the ordinary." 

Shikaku lets out a breath he was holding unconsciously. 

"Did you say Interrogation Unit?" Shikaku snaps to his wife, not believing what she was saying. Shikamaru watches him curiously. "That's where Shikaku works!" 

"I am aware." 

'Back to your usual cold self Kagami,'

'Back to your usual annoying self Masaru,' 

'How original Kagami,' 

'It won't be originality when I force you to sleep with the cat.'

'You would not make me sleep with Yusi.'

'Oh I would.' 

"Do you work with him at all?" Yoshino continues with her onslaught of questions.

"No I do not. I work in the torture unit, not the information unit."

"Oh! So you work with Inoichi and Ibiki! I should have guessed when they came the other night." 

"Yoshino," Shikaku starts to tell his wife to stop but she keeps going, ignoring the man.

"And why do you work for the Anbu?" 

"I was promoted, so I work there." Kagami started to notice a pattern with her questions.

"But you don't have to, what's the appeal?" 

"I can't tell you anything, it's confidential." 

Yoshino pouts and shrugs, continuing to eat her breakfast before looking up again. 

"What's it like working with the Genin?" 

"Mum!" 

"Yoshino!" 

s.h.o.u.t.

"Kakashi, I think I'm going to die." 

The said man snaps his gaze over to his sister, worried that her wound had reopened or the 'mark' was activated again.

"Yoshino likes to chat." 

Kakashi sighs in relief and sweat drops. They were currently sitting in Kagami's current bedroom. Her stay was coming to an end at the Nara's since she was mobile and no longer collapses after long periods of being up. Kakashi was grateful to have her moving back in with him. Not only had it been unusually lonely but Masaru and Yusi cause quite a racket when left alone. Along with this, Sakura would ask if she was okay everyday, Sasuke would also listen in, though he pretends not to. 

Naruto would be coming back soon, and he knew that if Kagami hasn't moved back in by that point, his serenity would be over. Hopefully he doesn't come back until later tomorrow. 

"Maybe you should chat more Kagami, warm up to people." Kakashi looks down at his sister, who returns he gaze with a horrified look in her eyes. 

"Kakashi, you may be my brother but that will not stop me from thinking badly of you." 

Kakashi chuckles lightly. 

"Apart from Yoshino's chatting, how has your stay been?" Kakashi sits down on the end of his sister's bed, careful to avoid her feet.

"It's been okay, they have been very generous to take care of me." Kakashi nods along with what his sister is saying, thinking of all the times Shikaku had helped himself with criminals in the units. 

"Shikaku says he owes you, that you helped with the forest." Kakashi nods at his sister, glancing out the window at the green trees swaying back and forth.

"Five or so years ago someone set fire to the trees, intent to scare not kill from what I could tell." Kakashi mumbles, remembering the day. 

"I know," Kagami looks at her brother. 

"What?"

"The day it happened, the Root were assigned to guard the area but not to come in contact with anything." 

Kakashi nods at his sister, glancing back out at the trees. Suddenly an idea pops into his head. 

A brilliant idea in his eyes, but it won't be in Kagami's. 

"You are coming on social outings with me after this." 

"I am not," 

"Yes you are," 

"Says who?" 

"Says me." 

"You can't force me."

"Yes I can, and will drag you." 

"I'm not going." 

"You are coming." 

s.h.o.u.t.

"Kagami! We are going out for dinner with Inoichi and Choza, are you coming?" Yoshino's voice bombards Kagami's alone time. 

Dinner? Kagami didn't have dinner very often, she would survive off chakra pills and watch ever she had eaten for breakfast and maybe lunch once in a while, but dinner never really seemed like something she would incorporate into her day. She worked quite late most days, a few days a week she wouldn't get to bed until the early hours of the morning, dinner doesn't fit in. 

Kagami thought she would ask Kakashi about adding dinner to their schedule, but she doubted that it would make much difference to her day. But that's not the task at hand. It is, of course, whether she will go out to dinner with the Nara family. 

Kagami believes this has pros and cons. She will be participating in a new experience, that experience being dinner, but she would also have to socialise with people she strictly knows as work comrades and she was at risk of revealing her face. Plus, Shikaku Nara. 

"Shikamaru go up and ask her." 

"Troublesome." 

Shikamaru makes his way up the stairs for what seemed like the 100th time that day and knocks lightly on Kagami's door. 

She replies with a quiet 'enter.' Shikamaru swings the door open and looks over at his house mate. Kagami seemed to be in deep thought.

'Maybe that was why she didn't hear mum.'

"Kagami, you want to come out for dinner?" Shikamaru's gaze focused lazily on the girl. 

"No." She replied bluntly.

"Why not?" Shikamaru wasn't normally one to question, but today he did.

"I don't have anything to wear." Kagami thought that would be the end of it, thinking she had one and she could have the house to herself for a couple of hours.  Shikamaru sighs leaning out into the hallway and calling down to his parents. 

"Mum! Have you got any clothes for Kagami to wear?!" 

Kagami's stays stonily still, but on the inside her eyes widened. It would seem she is participating in a new experience. Dinner. 

"I think I have another dress in the cupboard." At this sentence Shikamaru looks back at the girl, she had no reaction to his mother's comment, not that he had expected one from the emotionless girl. 

'A DRESS?! THIS IS GOING TO BE AB-SO-LUTE-LY FANTASTIC.'

'Yua. . . Have you turned into Masaru?' 

'I HAVE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO GET YOU INTO A DRESS! THE DAY HAS COME!'

'Yua I think you need to calm down,' 

'Oh how the tables have turned once again.' 

'Masaru. . . . . .'

'Kagami . . . .  .'

'. . . . . . .'

'You don't know how to answer that, do you huh?'

'. . . . . . .'

'Still speechless.'

'. . . . . . .'

'Masaru I think she's cut us off.'

'Yeah I'm getting that vibe as well Yua. Bit rude since you've spent the last 4 days healing her,' 

'Let's enjoy the show shall we?' 

'Indeed,' 

Yoshino walks into the room, holding a black kimono. It was short sleeved and had red stitching from around the next line that carried down the sides to her ankles. It has a little stitching pattern from her chest to hips along the original stitching. For  flare maybe. That's okay for Kagami, she can do red and black, but if she had to wear pink or yellow , she would definitely stay home. 

Kagami nods to Yoshino and Shikamaru in thanks before closing the door.

s.h.o.u.t.

"How long do you think it may take for her to get the dress on?" 

"It's a form fitting kimono Shikamaru, they can take a while to get on." 

Shikamaru gives his mother a look, he supposes that he has never asked or wondered about traditional dress, he's never had to wear it apart from to funeral and he hasn't been to one of those in a while. 

"Does it actually take this long?" Shikamaru looks up at his father. 

"I would suppose we should account for the fact that Kagami isn't practiced at putting a kimono on. She spends most of her time in an Anbu uniform." Shikaku shrugs and leans against the wall. 

Suddenly Yoshino turns to her family, looking horrified. 

"What if she has never put a dress on before?" 

Their eyes widen, "I never thought of that." 

"I have." The three turn to see Kagami standing calmly next to them, she had silently made her way over to the family and had caught the end of their conversation. 

Yoshino brightens, 'so she has had some time to enjoy herself, hm?' 

"I've had to wear a dress for missions before."

The woman's face drops.

'I stand corrected,' 

"Here, I'll do your hair, stand still." Kagami doesn't move, having become used to her antics. Though Kagami had never put much thought into her hair, since it was a dull silver and only attracted negative attention. 

It was long though, passing her hips slightly. Which could be why Yoshino is having trouble putting her hair into a bun at the back of Kagami's head. 

"You can do two plaited buns, up the top of my head." Everyone was surprised by Kagami's mention, she could tell. "Traditionally Hatake's wore two buns, they stayed in longer when fighting."

'Ah, it makes sense now.'

'Kakashi-sensei has a tradition other than reading pervy books?'

'I can get Kakashi into traditional clothing?'

"All done! Actually wait, I think I have red bells here somewhere. . ." Yoshino  rummages through some draws.

"Mum, stop being troublesome, she doesn't need to look that accurate. Dad and I aren't even dressed up." Shikamaru rubs his face.

"Well I am, and I'm quite enjoying having another girl in the house to dress up." Yoshino continues to dig around. 

"Mum, y—" Shikamaru looks back at Kagami, who has grabbed his hand. 

"Just let her," Shikamaru stares at her, surprised by her being nice, "Yoshino probably wanted a daughter anyway." 

Once again, Shikamaru sweat drops and realises that Kagami has not changed a bit. 

"Here we are!" Yoshino ties the red ribboned bells around Kagami's buns and declares that now they can go out for dinner. 

s.h.o.u.t.

slowly but surely. make sure to like.

question of the chapter:who do you think Kagami will end up with? 

~shadow