He sits cross-legged in front of his old teammates' grave, face wistful. The zephyr caresses his silver hair and sends shivers up his spine, but Kakashi ignores those trivial things as he sits in front of his old teammates' grave, Obito and Rin's grave. As his lips pry open, Kakashi wonders what to say, but in the end he decides for something simple.
"I met my new genin team today."
No reply.
"They seem like interesting brats," Kakashi continues, undaunted by the silence he all but receives. "Rin, like you, Sakura comes from a civilian family, and like you, she has a lot of promise. Sasuke... he's an Uchiha like you, Obito, though nothing like you. Then there's Naruto. That kid is loud and obnoxious and wants nothing more than to defeat Sasuke... just like when you wanted to defeat me, Obito."
The words tumble out in sharp somersaults before he can stop himself.
"They remind me of us."
Kakashi doesn't know why his eyes are focused on their graves. Perhaps he is waiting for a reply. A laugh, or a scoff. But in the end, he shakes his head. There is never a reply.
Minutes pass by, and if Kakashi had taken his mask off, the whole village would have heard his frustrations.
Instead, it comes in the form of a muffled cry.
He sees his old team in that genin team. Kakashi almost breaks down the moment he meets them, because really, they are too alike. Sakura is like Rin with her infatuation for Sasuke—Sasuke, for Kami's sake, reminds Kakashi of his arrogant, uncaring self, and it pisses him to no end.
But what hits him really hard is that demon child, Naruto—Naruto, the child of his sensei, the child who Kakashi hadn't the fucking guts to approach, the child who reminds him too much of Obito, and it hurts, it hurts, it hurts—because he sees his old team in that genin team, and the prospect of teaching them sends torrents of fear towards Kakashi, because what if he screws up? What if he doesn't do a good job at teaching this team? What if—
What if history repeats itself again, and Rin—Sakura—gets herself captured, and he—Sasuke—doesn't spare another glance at her while Obi—Naru—fuck—nags him to come and save her, then spouts that same camaraderie speech Obito had? And while this is happening, Kakashi is somewhere else in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What then?
Kakashi thinks this is a joke. Why, of all the genin teams he could've been assigned to, this has to be the one? This team has to be the one that reminds him of the people he's failed, the people he's given the cold shoulder to, the people who are dead because of him.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi instinctively checks the air for chakra signatures—a precaution he was taught in ANBU, and a habit he can't get rid of—but when he detects three familiar signatures, his chest tightens like a knot. Kakashi swivels around and meets the three different pairs of eyes staring at him. Naruto and Sasuke loiter behind Sakura, who looks more concerned than the other two. "What?" he asks.
He was not expecting them.
Sakura starts, but the words must have died on her tongue because she says nothing. She tries again, and forces out a small sentence. "We heard a scream."
He looks at her flatly. "So?"
This bewilders her, but Sakura presses on. "Sensei..."
Sensei.
Kakashi internally grimaces.
There is no way he can be their sensei. There is no way Kakashi will wake up everyday to face a constant reminder of his failure. He might as well teach a trio of graves engraved with an OBITO and RIN and KAKASHI—yes, KAKASHI, because guilt killed him a long time ago, although Kakashi thinks he's still holding the blade to his heart, afraid of plunging it through layers of his flesh.
No matter how much he wants to forget, he's still afraid of letting go.
But what if he needs to let go? Here was a golden opportunity for redemption, and if he plays his cards right, Kakashi can give these kids the future his old team never had.
What would you do, sensei? he finds himself asking.
He is surprised to hear Minato's voice from the graves around him.
Teach them.
Kakashi contemplates. Can I?
Minato replies not a second after.
Can you?
He wants a definite answer, but Kakashi doesn't get one. Beggars can't be choosers. He bites his lip and sighs.
"Just what's wrong with you?"
Unexpectedly, Naruto's voice snaps him from his thoughts. The orange-clad ninja is scowling at him, hands on hips as if Kakashi was the brat. But Kakashi knows better, so with a bored gaze he says, "Nothing."
This angers Naruto, who indignantly turns to his pink-haired teammate. "See, Sakura-chan? I told you he was just being lazy. Let's go, I gotta train for our test tomorrow!"
"I have to agree," Sasuke says before walking away from the group. Squeaking, Sakura immediately runs after him.
"But Sasuke-kun!"
"He's not worth your time, Sakura-chan! Just come train with me~!"
"Tch, dobe."
"WHAT WAS THAT, BASTARD?!"
"Hey, calm down you two!"
As he watches them, Kakashi quirks a brow in surprise.
"But Sakura-chan!"
"I don't want to hear it!"
"I don't have time for this. I need to train."
"Yeah?! Well, I'll kick your ass tomorrow, Sasuke-teme! Believe it!"
"I–If Sasuke's going to train hard, I will too!"
As he watches them, Kakashi cannot help but laugh.
"Um... why is Kakashi-sensei laughing?"
"I dunno, maybe he's gone crazy!"
"I refuse to believe he is our sensei..."
He sees his old team in that genin team.
What would you do, sensei?
Teach them.
Can I?
Can you?
There is no safety net to catch him if he falls. There is no manual to tell him how to manage brats, either. But Kakashi is a grown man. He doesn't need Minato to decide for him. He is going to be a sensei, after all.
I can.
Team 7's sensei, Hatake Kakashi.
I'm going to be the best fucking sensei ever.
This is my first try at present tense, so if anything sounds wrong, I apologize. Dedicated to my buddy E3-FantasyandReality! ;3