Masks

"I could have killed you. Remember that."

Kakashi remembered those words, the first words the Mist ninja ever spoke to him. They had met when he was 15. She had stunned his whole ANBU team before knocking him to the ground and standing over him. After these sentences, she had vanished, only to return a few days later, appearing abruptly in his room. She looked ver different and revealed that she wore special masks that she created herself so she could disguise herself. Amaya had sought solace in his arms, believing he would, of all people, understand the numbness she felt as a result of hiding behind her masks.

When Amaya came downstairs, she looked rough, bruised and battered. Her hair was shorter, no longer falling gracefully to her waist but now went only to a little above her shoulders and choppy.

"How are you?" Kakashi asked, standing up.

All Amaya said was, "Eh." Sakura's mom offered her tea and Amaya gratefully drank. The warm liquid soothed her scratchy throat after days without water.

"That was stupid." Kakashi said bluntly.

"No," Amaya smiled. "Stupid is jumping off a waterfall into shark infested waters covered in blood. This plan was downright retarded."

Someone knocked and Naruto entered a few seconds later. "You. Have you found Sasuke yet?" He demanded, pointing at Amaya.

"By the Gods, what, am I the only person looking for him? He probably just went for a walk, hell." Amaya snapped, rolling her eyes.

"If he's not back by tonight we'll all go out. For now, the grown-ups have grown-up matters to discuss." Kakashi said to the genin, leading Amaya outside.

"You're an ass," Amaya told him as they walked to the Hokage's office, "you know you can't treat them like kids forever."

"I can try. Besides, they're only 12, Maya. Maybe not to you or me, but they are still just kids." Kakashi reminded her.

"So young..." Amaya sighed, thinking back to when she was their age. "I had already been covered in blood, my own, my friends'...my family's, countless times by that age."

Kakashi rubbed her shoulder. "Come on, you're being stared at."

"Of course I am. Everyone stares like they've never seen a Mist ninja before." Amaya sneered, narrowing her eyes at a shop owner.

"That would be because most people haven't, and those who have seen a Mist ninja only saw said Mist ninja finding more creative ways of killing someone." Kakashi pointed out. "That tends to leave a bad image in people's minds."

Amaya smiled at him, revealing abnormally sharp canines, and said, "Leave us alone. It's the only thing we're good at."

Both of them laughed the rest of the walk to the office.