[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.