When Uzumaki Kuming returned to their campsite with the Mist Ninja girl, it was already the middle of the night. Their footsteps woke Kakashi Hatake, who was on watch.
Kakashi smiled happily when he saw Kuming emerge from the dark forest.
"Lord Kuming, you're back!" Kakashi kept his voice very low, afraid of waking Uchiha Itachi and the others, who had just fallen asleep.
"Who is this?" Kakashi noticed the girl walking beside Kuming. Her expression was mostly one of confusion. Kuming had brought her here out of nowhere, but she was glad that he hadn't asked her anything else about Kirigakure along the way. It had put her somewhat at ease.
The main reason Kakashi was curious about the girl Kuming had brought back was the Forehead Protector she wore. It belonged to Kirigakure—a village with a deep history of enmity with Konoha and with Kakashi personally.
If Kuming hadn't arrived in time back then, Rin would have died at Kakashi's hands.
Kakashi couldn't bring himself to show any goodwill toward the Mist Ninja.
"As you can see, she's a Mist Ninja. Come to think of it, what's your name?"
Only now did Kuming realize that he didn't know the girl's name. He turned to ask her.
The girl heard Kuming's question and pressed her lips together. She looked up at him, then lowered her head without answering. As an Anbu, she knew all too well that interrogations meant to break a captive's will always began with their name.
Kuming's question immediately put her on the highest alert.
"Don't overthink it. I'm only asking your name so I know what to call you. It has nothing to do with your village's secrets, so you don't need to be this wary."
"To be honest, I'm not interested in you personally,