A/N: As much as I love Kakashi (and I loves me some Kakashi *drools*) I'm not sure if all my "facts" about his life are correct. According to my beta they're right but if you catch something we missed PLEASE point it out so I can change it. Thanks always to xxtokidokixx for amazing spur of the moment betaing. The next chapter of my Gaara x Sakura WIP IS still in progress for those of you wondering if I've abandoned it or not. Sorry for the wait but writers block for that chapter is kicking my butt. *dies*

Hope you enjoy!

Kakashi stood in the center of the field of wild flowers, plucking the petals off an unfortunate blossom and ignoring the ominous grey clouds hanging low in the sky. A group of nine children burst into the clearing with shouts and laughs and he heaved a silent sigh at the loss of his solitude. He grabbed another flower, knowing that once noticed, most children would give him a wide birth if only for the reason that he was a stranger to them.

"I'm gonna be the greatest jounin ever," a young boy shouted and Kakashi couldn't help a small smile from forming at the child's similarity to Naruto.

"Whatever! You just barely passed your test today," another boy exclaimed.

"Iruka-sensei almost didn't give you your headband," a girl stated.

"No way," the young boy interjected. "I so had that!"

Kakashi blinked, realizing that graduation at the academy was today. He could remember when graduating from the academy had been the greatest success of his life. He felt his mouth twist into a bitter smile and plucked another unlucky flower to demolish. At the age of five graduating from the academy had been more of a game than an actual drive towards greatness. The achievement, to his still infantile mind, was just another thing to make his father laugh and his mother's mouth quirk into a wary smile. Never a hearty woman, she'd caught a chill that same year and had died a few short months later. The sound of his father's laughter had disappeared and his smiles became increasingly infrequent despite Jiriya-san's regular visits. He'd forged Sakumo's signature on a permission form and had tested to become a Chunin a few months after his sixth birthday, determined to make his father laugh again.

He'd flown through the written portion of the exam without the need for higher thought but had struggled a bit through the Forest of Death. Kakashi smiled a bit as he distinctly recalled his need to run throughout the forest for his shorter legs to keep up with his older team members. He could also clearly remember the look on his father's face when his name had been called for his first fight in the tournament. Sakumo's expression of horror and outrage was one he had cringed at and had been forced to put aside as his fights continued. It wasn't until his third fight that any real desire to succeed had risen in him as he'd heard the murmurs from the crowd and officials about his participation. "Unnatural", "Reckless", and "Irresponsible" were words he heard many times while waiting for his next fight. A comment from an official that he would never be promoted due to his age and size had hardened his resolve. Before his fourth battle Kakashi had managed to convince himself that the illusive "They" would have to pass him if he won the tournament and had been his driving force for his next battle. He'd held nothing back, ending the battle in under five minutes with the use of his father's stolen Tanto and the advantage of his opponent underestimating him. He'd crippled her early in the fight with an opening attack that had severed the girl's femoral artery and he'd left the arena in a hush only broken by the announcement of the next battle, the crowd more than a bit disturbed by the ruthless efficiency the six year old had shown in combat.

He'd won the tournament barely, tiny muscles wracked with tremors at being overextended and his chakra nearly depleted. He'd refused to show any evidence of this to the audience however, managing to bluff confirmation of being prepared for another scenario when he'd really been locking his knees to keep from falling over. In the end his logic had been confirmed and despite doubt from the crowd, Kakashi had indeed been promoted to Chunin status. The six year old had watched his father's face in the throng for several minutes as a range of emotions had passed Sakumo's face. Disbelief, joy, pain, sadness, and finally pride. Later that night, Sakumo had hugged his son hard and had expressed immense pride in his boy but had alternately threatened Kakashi on pain of death for doing something so reckless and stupid.

As a genius he was expected to have many successes in life but if he, Itachi, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji were to be taken as examples it would seem the status resulted in more failures than successes. He'd succeeded in becoming the youngest Genin in history but for all his genius he had failed to be able to use his intelligence to be of help to his mother as she lay dying. He'd succeeded in brightening his father's life for a time with his promotion to Chunin status but had ultimately failed in saving his life as Sakumo has slid deeper and deeper into depression. Kakashi had succeeded in reaching Jounin status by age thirteen but had failed to protect his Genin team or be of assistance to Rin or his sensei during the Kyuubi attack that had taken their lives. He'd succeeded in joining ANBU and even becoming a capitan in the organization but had later failed twice with his Genin team by not being able to prevent Sasuke's defection and practically ignoring Sakura. The only thing he'd seemed to have done right with Team 7 was to turn Naruto's training over to Yamato and Jiyria which could still be counted as a failure since it was not he himself who helped shape the man Naruto would become. It would seem that all a genius could hope for was to break even just like everyone else on the Success/Failure tally board.

"I'm so great a shinobi, I bet I can use the water jutsu my dad taught me to soak that guy over there," came the first child's voice from across the field, pulling Kakashi out of his musings. The boy's exclamation was met with objections from his group of friends.

"Are you crazy? You don't know who that is."

"You could hurt him!"

"Being a shinobi doesn't include picking on civilians."

"Ah, I'm not gonna hurt him," the first boy stated. "Just wet him up." The boy chuckled and began to try to move stealthily toward Kakashi. The elite ninja sighed and continued to mangle another flower. Was the effort of moving really worth dry clothes? The presence of his copy of Icha Icha in his back pocket was the deciding factor. He didn't feel like replacing the small volume due to water damage and just as the boy was ready to start his hand signs Kakashi went through his own in the span of a blink before disappearing in a puff of smoke and fallen leaves to appear behind the boy's friends.

"Hey-!" The boy got out before a water fall splashed down on him, seemingly from nowhere. His friends gasped, eyes wide.

"Three important Shinobi rules," he stated, fighting a grin as the remaining children whirled to face him in a panic, not having expected his appearance behind them. "Always assess your adversary before attacking. Know when to take on a stronger, more skilled opponent or avoid confrontation. And when and if you make a plan to attack, do so quietly so your quarry doesn't over hear you." The preadolescents nodded vigorously and Kakashi strolled away with his book in place. At least he'd succeeded in keeping himself dry. An ominous roll of thunder greeted his though and the first drop of rain in what promised to be an all night deluge struck his hand. Kakashi sighed. Make that failed.