Author's Notes: So this is something I just thought of and I decided why not? I'm not sure if this has been done before, but there. This is my first Naruto fic so please be gentle and any pointers would be highly appreciated!
Just one thing before you start reading:
Kakashi is six years old and a chuunin. Sakumo died about six months ago (but Kakashi was six) and Minato has been taking care of Kakashi ever since.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!
~Hide and Seek~
"And eat well okay? I won't be gone very long, but if you need anything, I left some money in the usual place…" The blond-haired shinobi rattled on as he put the last of his things that he would need for the rest of the week in a backpack.
"Yes, sensei, I got it. Just go already! You're going to be late!" The silver-haired chuunin rolled his eyes as his teacher completely ignored him and reminded him to eat healthy for the umpteenth time. It's not like this is the first time I'm left alone… Since Konoha has lost a lot of manpower over the course of the Third Great Ninja War, the Yellow Flash was being sent more and more on front line missions. Which meant that the young Hatake was left alone, fending for himself until his guardian showed up?
"Oh, and don't forget that Jiraiya is out, so don't pass by his house if anything goes wrong… Hopefully, nothing will happen though, but if something does happen, go straight t-"Kakashi tuned out the rest of Minato's babbling. There's only so much a six-year old can take of nonstop talking until he lost interest, really. The little boy followed the older ninja on autopilot until they reached the door. The silver-haired ninja sighed inaudibly as Minato sat down and pulled on his sandals, "Anyways, she's really nice and will help you with anything, alright?"
"Yes, sensei, you can go now," Kakashi stated as he tried to duck under the hand that shot out to ruffle his hair affectionately.
"Well, I'm off now!" The blond exclaimed cheerfully with a bright smile, "See ya!" He waved back to the chuunin who did not respond, as usual. The Hatake shut the door and turned on his heel, enjoying the silence without his sensei's loud voice. 'But if something does go wrong,' Minato's words echoed in his mind. Who did he tell him to go to if he needs help? Pfft. Like that matters, nothing ever goes wrong and nothing ever will. Kakashi, then, decided that he would read a few scrolls, hopefully learn something useful, and after that, he would go out to the training fields. It was still fairly early, so he would have about three hours after breakfast for reading, meditate for about two hours; then, if he felt like it, have lunch and finally spend the rest of the day training outside.
"Well, breakfast it is…" he spoke to the air while he shuffled though the hallway to the kitchen.
-oOo-
Elsewhere in the village, a certain serpent has just returned from another frontline mission. After reporting to the Hokage, he was notified that he had about two days to rest before being sent out again. However, two days can be spent in better ways than to rest. He was that close to acquiring the immortality technique he could almost taste it! He could also find more candidates to his 'simple tests'. Frankly, he would rather work on the technique he spent so long on… but with few to none subjects left to experiment on, he could only go so far.
"I heard the Yellow Flash was sent out again…" he heard one of his fellow shinobi tell his friend. Orochimaru lingered around the corner and listened quietly.
"And Jiraiya-sama is out too. Poor Hatake kid. Gonna be left alone for some time now," his companion remarked.
"Poor Hatake kid? Are you crazy?! The war would be over if it weren't for that brat's disgrace of a father!" the first one remarked snidely, "Risking the success of a mission for the sake of saving his comrades! How honorable is that?"
"I think Hatake-sama was a true hero," A bored voice spoke from beside the two, "Or would you have rather let his teammates die. Correct me if I'm mistaken Amasawa-san, but wasn't your brother one of the people Hatake-sama saved by risking the success of the mission as you put it." The first ninja scrunched up his nose in anger and narrowed his eyes slightly whilst Shikaku Nara concealed a smug smirk. That certainly hit a nerve.
"If he didn't go back to save them, the war would have ended by now, Nara-san!" Takomi Amasawa bellowed furiously, "Much more lives have been lost and will be lost because of the Great White Fang's decision,"
"Even if that were the case, it was Hatake-sama's decision, not Kakashi-kun's. I suggest you don't blame the son for the father's choice," Shikaku commented as he walked on briskly, nodding towards the pale snake.
"Damn that Nara. Always standing up for that brat," Takomi said once he was sure the man was out of earshot, his lips twitched into a hideous snarl.
"But Nara-san has a valid point, Takomi; it's not the kid's fault!"
"Will you stop being so stupid, Tarano! All Hatakes are the same!" Orochimaru passed by the two and they both bowed slightly in respect. So Jiraiya and Minato are both on missions and little Kakashi-kun is left on his own. Interesting… His twisted smile was enough to send off most of the shinobi in his way to walk (more like run) in the other direction.
-oOo-
A yellow flash was all the enemy ninja got as a warning before all five of them dropped dead.
"Minato, I'm glad that you finally made it!" The white-haired man's voice boomed as he patted his student on the shoulder. The blond jonin smiled in response, but his smile quickly disappeared.
"So what are we up against here?" He questioned his master, quickly scanning his surroundings for any opponent in the area that he might have missed.
"Rock- nin again, I'm afraid. Our forces are vastly outnumbered. However, with both you and me here, this will hardly take more than an hour before we can move on to our next destination!" Jiraiya exclaimed cheerfully. Minato nodded, great, the sooner the better. I don't know why, but… I have a pretty bad feeling… I have to get back to the village as soon as possible…
"Well, shall we move on?" Jiraiya chuckled wholeheartedly and both, student and teacher, set out to battle.
-oOo-
Back in Konoha, Kakashi had finally finished reading some of the scrolls he found interesting and chucked the last one for the day back in the cupboard. Maybe I should skip out on meditation… just for today. He nodded to himself and packed a bento for lunch later that day. He put the sealing jutsu Minato taught him for the food to stay warm and proceeded to get a few water bottles and other things he thought he might need. When he was sure he was ready, the young boy made sure all the traps were set up (not that he thought that Minato-sensei would make such a mistake- but still) and locked the door behind him, securing the key in one of the bag's pockets.
Later, Kakashi was bounding off the buildings' roofs. After a few months of his father's disgrace, Kakashi was able to convince himself that he only used the roofs because it was faster to get to the training grounds that way. He felt a shudder rise up his spine just thinking about the real reason, but at the same time, it reminded him of a certain someone.
-Flashback-
Kakashi walked slowly through the stalls, not wanting to attract the attention of the villagers around him. However, with a tuft of silvery mess for hair, it was really hard to blend in. He couldn't help but notice that all the villagers either got out of their way to avoid him or purposefully slammed right into him, claiming that they didn't see him. Why can't these people see that he was not Sakumo Hatake? He was Kakashi, just Kakashi. The Shamed White Fang's son, but still Kakashi nonetheless. He was just trying to get to the training grounds. Maybe he should have taken to the roofs, if only to avoid these villagers' hateful glares. Well, anyways, too late now. He got enough scolding for jumping in the middle of the marketplace one too many times. Honestly, he didn't consider it fair since he saw many shinobi leap just the way he did before and told the ninja that followed him just that. Only to receive an enraged glare and another scolding for talking back. Before he could stop himself, Kakashi pointed out that the shinobi in front of him jumped too in order to give him a scolding and that it was hypocritical of him to reprimand him for doing something the ninja did too. To which the ninja responded by a violent punch and a snide a comment that he most likely didn't even know what 'hypocritical' meant before leaping off. Being as lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice a huge figure in front of him. Nor was he able to stop himself from making contact when he finally did realize that he was going to bump into someone.
"I'm so sorry…" the apology spilled out of his mouth even though he was the one who ended up on the ground for colliding with a man at least four times his size, considering that he was merrily five at the time.
"Well, brat. Apologizing isn't going to cut it!" The man shouted angrily as he gripped Kakashi's shirt and pulled him up to eye level, "I have had enough of you Hatakes! One shame after another, isn't that right?" The young Hatake was frozen in the man's huge fist, his feet dangling down as he was held much like a rag doll, "The Hokage should just eradicate you right now, if only to avoid another disgrace!" The man roared with laughter at his own joke. The crowd of people around them cheered the big man on.
"Maybe we should just do it ourselves, right here, right now!" One of the people around them bellowed.
"Yeah! Then, the Leaf Village will really be cleansed from the stained Hatake name!" Another agreed. 'I can slip through,' Kakashi thought as he watched the man lift his fist, 'block, punch, run!' his instincts screamed at him. Kakashi clenched his small fists, 'No, these are members of Konoha, I can't… I won't hurt them, they are the very people I will grow up to protect,' Thus, he grit his teeth and waited for the hit.
"Leave that kid alone!" A childish voice screeched at the group of people, "Aren't you the least bit ashamed of yourselves? Picking on a kid less than half your size!" A boy with black hair and wearing little orange goggles pointed at the crowd of people as if challenging them, "Pick on somebody your own size!"
"And that 'somebody', would that be you?" The huge man asked in amusement. The goggle-wearing boy gulped and muttered what suspiciously sounded like, "I didn't get to form that part of the plan…"
"You bet! Because I'm an Uchiha… the greatest Uchiha of all time. And Uchihas don't back out of challenges!" The boy continued in a much louder voice. The bulky man let go of Kakashi, who landed quite gracefully on his feet. He stared at the weird boy with the odd-looking orange goggles. The black-haired boy gulped but stood his ground.
"Let's just be rid of both the disgrace and the Hatake-lover!" the people surrounding the trio shouted to which the huge man responded to with a crack of his over-sized knuckles. Kakashi didn't move from his position either, still eying the Uchiha with an odd expression plastered on his face. The Uchiha finally met the Hatake's gaze and offered a small, genuine smile and the silver-haired boy responded with an even smaller smirk.
"Well, who should I start with first?" the man bellowed, taking a threatening step forward, "How about you brat?"
"How about neither?" the Uchiha stated boldly, grabbing a handful of smoke bombs from his pocket and throwing them on the ground. After a while… nothing happened.
"Huh? What's wrong with it?!" the black-haired boy yelled while the big man chuckled whole-heartedly and was soon joined by all the people surrounding them.
"That kid's an Uchiha?"
"I know right! He seems like a fraud to me!"
"What a joke!" The boy's eyes cast downward with each comment. His eyes watered as he heard the all-too familiar remarks. He removed his goggles and rubbed angrily at his eyes, refusing to let his tears fall in front of the group. Hadn't he heard enough of these nasty statements at home? Did he have to endure more of this torture everywhere? For a moment, he lost his resolve and let out a wail and the mean people responded all too kindly by laughing all the more. He wished he could just disappear right then and there. Somehow, his pleas had been answered because not a second later, he was practically dragged away from the now hidden- in -smoke crowd. He looked up and saw a flash of silver. A few minutes later, they were in a more secluded part of town.
"Thanks!" the boy said as he smiled from ear-to-ear at the mask-wearing ninja, "So the smoke bombs eventually worked!"
"Not really…" Kakashi commented dryly, "You forgot to activate them before throwing them…"
"I did?! Ah man, I thought they were busted or something! At least that shop owner wasn't a crook after all!" the boy said in one breath, "I'm Obito, by the way! Obito Uchiha! And I'm six years old! What's your name? I know you're from the Hatake clan, but no one told me what your name is before! So what's your name and how old are you?"
"Kakashi… Kakashi Hatake… I'm five," the silver-haired kid responded much less enthusiastically.
"You're not a man of many words, are ya?" Obito remarked with wide, curious eyes. It was only later that Kakashi realized that the boy was waiting for an answer.
"Hn…" The black-haired boy nodded seriously.
"So what were you doing in the marketplace anyways?" the Uchiha asked conversationally.
"I was trying to get to the training grounds," he replied evenly.
"Cool! Your dad lets you train on your own!" Realizing what he just said, Obito's eyes widened slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… you know!"
"It's okay. It's not like my father is dead or anything,"
"Well, for what it counts, I don't think your dad is a failure. He did what he thought was right!" Obito's eyes sparkled, "He's a true hero! I think you shouldn't listen to all those people," he added for good measure.
"Well, I think you shouldn't listen to them either," Obito beamed happily at the boy and Kakashi found himself almost grinning back. Almost.
"So you were going to train?" Kakashi nodded, "Do you mind if I, you know, come with you?" Obito asked nervously while biting the inside of his cheek.
"Sure, come along," Kakashi said as he shrugged.
"Awesome!"
A few hours later found the two boys lying down on their backs, both panting lightly.
"That was fun!" Obito exclaimed cheerfully.
"Yeah," Kakashi said with a twinge of happiness tinting his voice.
"So you wanna do this again sometime?" Obito asked as he sat up to peek at his new friend's face. Kakashi nodded slightly. It would, in fact, be nice to have someone around. It would, also, immensely help him with his training.
"Awesome!" the goggle-wearing boy said before returning to his initial position and resume watching the clouds.
"Obito!" an annoyed voice shrilled through the otherwise tranquil atmosphere.
"Aw man…" Obito sulked as a furious Uchiha made his way to the two, "Sorry Kakashi, looks like it's time for me to leave," Obito stood up slowly and waved back at his friend, "See ya!" Kakashi sat up and held his hand in a half-wave.
"What do you think you're doing? Why are you hanging out with that Hatake?" the Uchiha muttered furiously.
"Why do you care? He's my friend!" Obito answered in kind, anger tinting his words.
"Lord Fugaku is not going to be happy…" Kakashi watched the duo and continued gazing at the direction they walked in long after their retreating backs were nowhere to be seen. 'He's my friend!' kept echoing loudly in his mind. Perhaps he made one that day too.
-End of Flashback-
Kakashi shook his head. That was the first and last time he had seen Obito. In his little walk down memory lane, Kakashi almost missed the gate of the training grounds he usually visited. He shook his head again once he was inside and started his warm-up.
-oOo-
Orochimaru sighed inaudibly as he made his way to the training grounds the Hatake usually occupied. He was not disappointed when he indeed found the boy punching the wooden dummy over and over again, each time sending splinters flying everywhere. The serpent shuffled noisily towards the Hatake who stopped his practice once Orochimaru stepped inside the training grounds.
"Hello Kakashi-kun," Orochimaru greeted politely in his sickly-sweet tone of voice.
"Hello, Orochimaru-sama," the kid responded while bowing slightly.
"I see you're training here on your own," the Hatake dipped his head slightly, "You won't mind if I join in, would you?" Kakashi froze. He remembered that Minato warned him and uncharacteristically ordered him to stay away from the pale-skinned shinobi. As a ninja of Konoha, he trusted that Orochimaru wasn't a threat to their village and that his sensei's worries were probably misplaced. However, as the six-year-old child that he actually was, he was inclined to believe that Minato is actually correct and that he has to find a way to leave without seeming too suspicious. Orochimaru watched the boy expectantly, still waiting for an answer.
"I…" actually was just going to have lunch, his child part screamed at him to say out loud, "don't mind,"
"Excellent!" The snake exclaimed, his expression turning even more eerie, "You just go on with your training, and I'll correct you if I notice any mistake. That way, you can surprise Minato-sensei with your flawless technique when he gets back," Kakashi shrugged in response. Anything to get stronger… I guess… his ninja part commented, Yeah! By breaking Minato-sensei's trust, and training with the very person he told you to keep your distance from! His child conscience responded.
Kakashi shook his head, dropped into a stance and threw punches and kicks with Orochimaru occasionally commenting on something or the other, suggesting a few changes and correcting some errors.
Approximately one hour later, the snake proposed to change the training technique and have Kakashi spar with him instead of the dummy or thin air. The silver-haired boy shrugged and did as he was told. Impressive… his level is truly outstanding for a six-year old… he could easily defeat a low-level chuunin, mid-level even! With the right preparation, he can become a well-known ninja… Just one more test before…
Orochimaru ordered a time out fifteen minutes into the fight.
"Not bad, little Kakashi-kun…" Orochimaru drawled, "I do have one last exercise before I leave you to your devices," Kakashi cocked his head to one side, silently questioning the snake-man. The snake schooled his expression to remain neutral.
"It's more of a game, actually," Orochimaru stated.
"A game?" Wild uncertainties were already wafting through Kakashi's mind. 'If something went wrong,' where did he have to go? 'go straight t-'.
"Yes, a simple game," he said, "However, it would really test your stealth and hiding abilities,"
"What is this game?" Kakashi asked intrigued.
"It's a game kids know as 'Hide and Seek', have you heard of it?" Orochimaru replied.
"I'm familiar with the rules," Kakashi answered.
"Excellent. We'll have lunch now. After that… you hide… and I'll seek," Orochimaru finished easily, "Since you're a child," Kakashi nearly rolled his eyes at that, "I'll give you a good five minutes before I start searching, and if you can last, uncaught, until the sun comes down, you will win the game," Kakashi glanced at the sun, it was about three hours past lunch time (six o'clock), and his stomach protested loudly when it realized just how much time had passed since breakfast. He figured he'd think of a way to fool one of the legendary sannin while he ate. Kakashi walked towards his backpack and unpacked his bento lunch as Orochimaru went about to get his own food. The bento tasted bland to Kakashi as his mind raced. Why had he agreed so easily to play this game with the sannin? Or better yet, why had he ever agreed to train with him to begin with? Hadn't Minato-sensei cautioned him and told him not to associate with the snake? But it's just a game, he reminded himself, it's not like I'll lose anything if I 'play' it with him… Orochimaru might have a point. Maybe I should work on my stealth for now. There's no harm in playing an easy game to attain that goal… Then why did he have such a sense of foreboding? He finished the last of his lunch just as the whitish shinobi returned, sporting an ugly, twisted smile. To Kakashi, he looked a little too excited to begin their game. Was there an ulterior motive for proposing this game of his?
"Well then, shall we begin?" Orochimaru asked, his hideous grin still plastered on his too pale face. Kakashi nodded briskly, but honestly, he did not know what he should go for when his time starts. He wasted most of his break on thinking about where Minato-sensei told him to go to and if there was anything erroneous with playing with the serpent… yet almost no time at all on devising a good plan of action once the time finally called for it.
"Your five minutes start now…" As soon as the snake's words left his mouth, he closed his eyes and the Hatake immediately masked his chakra and scent before taking off soundlessly towards the trees. Now that he thought about it, Orochimaru never mentioned rules in this game. The only one he spoke of was not being caught. This meant that it was okay for the kid to be seen, just not caught. He nodded to himself as he went through a series of hand signs which resulted in three clones to appear. He made sure he didn't let out any more chakra than it was needed to produce the replicas lest he notifies his opponent of his current position. The four Kakashis leapt off in different directions, only one of them leaving an obvious path behind him. Now Kakashi wasn't an idiot to believe that it would mislead Orochimaru, but he had another plan in mind. Once the real one was sure he was far enough, he settled to setting traps that would alert him if the snake walked past this place. One minute to go… He, then, proceeded to find a suitable place to hide for the time being. He squeezed between some rocks and ended up in a cooped up, dark cave. Great, he mused, this would do nicely for the second part of the plan.
-oOo-
Orochimaru waited for a good five minutes as promised before jumping off the ground not one second after they had passed. He kept on bounding from tree to tree until he reached a place where he could get a whiff of the boy. He probably generated a shadow clone to leave this path behind him… How typical… I thought that at least the Hatake prodigy would not underestimate a sannin. Orochimaru shook his head, no point wasting time on a shadow clone anyways… With that, he continued on his way, completely disregarding the visible track and hoping for a better challenge the next time he came across the boy. It was necessary for the kid to have a cunning mind to complement that grand performance he saw in the training grounds.
Orochimaru skidded to a stop when he heard movement from within a cavern. His snake-like eyes watched the inside of the cave intently. Through the darkness and somberness of the grotto, he could make out a hunched outline. He grinned as he made his way to what he was sure was the Hatake.
"Found you, Kakashi-kun," he purred, "You should work on your hiding skills. It's only been fifteen minutes!"
"Found me, huh?" Kakashi drawled, "Well, I did not expect anything less from one of the legendary sannin, but the game isn't over yet, right?" Orochimaru chuckled as he shook his head.
"You're right… I still have to catch you," he nodded his head, "I didn't think you would have been able to pick up on what I didn't say. Perceptive, aren't we?" Kakashi withdrew himself from between the rocks and dropped into a defensive posture in front of the snake.
"I won't make this easy," he said with determination. Orochimaru humored the boy and fell into his own stance as well. Orochimaru, then, waited for his adversary to attack, he would at least give the kid a chance to retaliate. The boy took a deep breath and launched into a sprint, attempting a punch. The snake, however, easily dodged the hit, but did not make any move to strike back. The Hatake did not hesitate and tried kicking his stronger foe. Again, all Orochimaru did was evade the attack altogether. Kakashi grinned. He pasted an exploding tag to the older man's arm as he whizzed due to his momentum. The silver-haired chuunin made good use of the smoke and chose to escape while the pale ninja was distracted. Nonetheless, he did not get to go any step further before he found a tremendous weight pressed down on his scrawny frame. He did not need to look at his captor to know that Orochimaru had yet again avoided his attack. He didn't expect anything less from a sannin to say the truth.
"Game over…" Orochimaru said with what sounded like a disappointed sigh.
"Don't you still have to catch me?" Kakashi asked before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"That was a clone?" Orochimaru asked the thin air before a gruesome smirk made its way to his lips, "All the more fun!" He looked at the sky and noted that twenty minutes had passed since the start of the game. One hour and forty minutes left…
-oOo-
Kakashi nodded his head when the clone's memory was added to his own. The clone did not fare well against the sannin, and it was the truth that the clone was indeed just a copy that saved him from the snake's clutches. Now, he had to avoid being seen in order to evade getting caught. He didn't know why exactly, but he had this strong urge to win the game at all costs. Two more clones… and then just me… There was no way he could make any more clones since if push came to shove, he had to have some chakra left in order to get away from Orochimaru… if he ever found him that is. Kakashi steadied his feet and quieted his breathing. It wouldn't do to get caught now. His plan still wasn't complete.
-oOo-
Minato and Jiraiya fought their way through the ranks of their enemies. Since the Yellow Flash joined the battle, it was obvious that the Rock-nin had an immense disadvantage. Their numbers were dropping rapidly whereas the Leaf ninjas were losing few to no shinobi in this fight.
"Watch out, Minato!" Jiraiya bellowed as he saw a ninja almost slash through the unsuspecting jonin. However, the blond-haired shinobi woke up from whatever trance he was in because not a moment later, the attacking Rock-nin fell lifelessly on the ground, his corpse followed by three others, who saw him in danger and came to help.
"What's the matter with you, kid?! Keep your head in the battle! And once it's done, you can think about the pretty lady you were mulling about just then!" Jiraiya shouted, genuinely concerned for his student's weird attitude. He could not remember a time when Minato just froze up in a fight. Not even when he was still in-training. He would always bottle up everything and cry it out when he was back home, safe behind their village's gates.
"Jiraiya-sensei… I have a really, really bad feeling," Catching his former sensei's questioning gaze, he continued, "I don't know how to explain it, to be honest… but my gut tells me something terrible is going to happen… I can't help but worry that something is heading our way… the village, to be more exact," Instead of the seriousness he expected, Jiraiya's only reaction was to laugh wholeheartedly at his student's worrying.
"There's nothing to worry about, Minato! You know Sarutobi-sensei would never leave the village unprotected, and we can take care of ourselves!"
"Who exactly is in the village that you think it would be safe until our return?"
"Orochimaru is. As well as a few unsent ANBU squads and jonin. I think that's more than enough to defend the village until the mission is over," Jiraiya blinked when Minato's face seemed to darken. Orochimaru, Orochimaru, Orochimaru, Orochi- his mind chanted over and over again. Orochimaru… in the village… Kakashi… alone… Jiraiya sent on a mission… I'm not there either…
-Flashback-
"You should come and watch Kakashi and I train, Jiraiya-sensei! He's becoming stronger and stronger everyday! I'm starting to contemplate recommending him to the chuunin exams soon!" Minato exclaimed in an excited talk about his beloved student.
"I'm sure Kakashi's come a long way, if your proud speeches are any indication," Jiraiya commented whilst grinning cheekily. Minato's face reddened slightly.
"Well, Kakashi is a prodigy, you know!" Minato yelled over his sensei's annoying sniggers.
"Is that so?" A sickly-sweet voice asked as its owner made his way to the table the duo was currently occupying in the dango shop.
"Ah, Orochimaru! Nice to see you!" Jiraiya greeted cheerfully, waving his former teammate over, "Have a seat!" he invited as Minato watched the snake take the offered chair. He shot his sensei's friend a respectful nod and a smile.
"So, please do tell me more about that student of yours…" Orochimaru stated, completely ignoring Jiraiya's attempt at making light-hearted conversation.
"Oh, you mean Kakashi?" the whitish man nodded, "Well, there's a lot to tell!" Minato exclaimed proudly albeit foolishly telling Orochimaru about Kakashi's progress. He finished talking about the young Hatake and ended his speech by saying that he wanted to recommend Kakashi for the chuunin exam.
"Sarutobi-sensei said that I am to partake in the preparation of the chuunin exam this year. Thus, if you would allow me, I would love to watch the boy in training. That way, I can tell you if he's chuunin material," Orochimaru said, "He is still five,"
"He's six actually," Minato corrected, "And I think he needs this chance, whether you approve or not, because of Sakumo…"
"Nevertheless, I would love to watch how his training goes, I may be able to better prepare him for the test," Orochimaru offered. Just as Minato opened his mouth to protest, Jiraiya answered for him.
"That would be nice, ne Minato?" he nodded as he ruffled the jonin's hair.
"Excellent! When you want to train with the boy, just send me a message and I'll be right over. Be sure to include your whereabouts," Orochimaru said as he stood up and exited the place.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" Minato whined much like when he was still a genin.
"Please Minato," Minato froze at Jiraiya's tone, "You've seen how Orochimaru's been acting lately. I just thought that doing something he wants to do will remind him of what is truly important," A too somber look overtook the usually happy face of the white-haired shinobi, "Just let him watch. I'm sure he won't interrupt your training,"
Minato could only nod and mutter an "Okay, Jiraiya-sensei," before the atmosphere took a sharp turn from serious and desperate to joyful and calm in a matter of seconds.
The next day found Minato and Kakashi in the training grounds.
"What are you doing, Minato-sensei?" The impassive boy asked as he approached his teacher.
"Just writing a letter," Minato mumbled absent-mindedly.
"To whom?" the young boy asked as he glanced at the letter, he could make out the words 'Training Ground 7' before Minato rolled the scroll and summoned a frog that happily skipped away to deliver its master's message.
"Orochimaru," Kakashi's normally stoic features scrunched up in confusion, "He's here to watch you train…"
"Oh," Kakashi raised up an eyebrow, "How come?"
"It's a long story, and we don't have the time," Minato responded before plastering a false yet welcoming grin on his face.
"Ah, hello there Minato, Kakashi-kun," Orochimaru greeted with mock politeness as he walked through the gates. The two answered in kind, each bowing respectfully before the snake sat on a rock and they resumed their training session. The session passed on without anything major happening. Minato dropped in here or there to correct a mistake he had spotted, and Orochimaru added his two cents whenever he thought he saw a flaw. Once the sunlight was starting to drift away and leave for darkness to take hold, the practice ended ad Minato was starting to think that he had unjustly judged Orochimaru. This training session was rather enjoyable… and Kakashi definitely benefited immensely from it.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-same for joining us today," Minato said as he nodded his head and smiled amiably.
"Thank you too for allowing me to drop in. It has been rather… educational," Orochimaru replied as that smile that made Minato's skin crawl crept up his face, "So long," Once the snake was nowhere in sight, Minato ushered his student closer.
"Hey Kakashi," Minato said as his face held a look of utter confusion and concern, "Promise me you won't go anywhere near that guy if you can help it, okay?"
"Why?" Minato gave the kid a pointed, stern glare, "Okay, I promise…" Kakashi answered; there was no kidding when Minato had that look on his face. Minato nodded his head in acceptance.
"Well, then, how about some ramen?" And just like that, the stern attitude was dropped altogether.
-End of Flashback-
"Let's keep moving," Minato heard Jiraiya demand and the Leaf-nin all took off as one to their next target. I hope he is keeping his distance from Orochimaru… I have to get back as soon as I can. Once I'm sure they don't need me anymore, I'll bolt right back. Minato internally nodded and sped up.
-oOo-
Kakashi held his breath and closed his eyes as he heard footsteps falling on the soft grass. One hour had already passed from the start of the game. He was actually surprised that he had lasted this long against the sannin. But then again, Orochimaru had already found and dissipated two of his clones, and according to the second one's experience, he was way too close to the real Kakashi's place than he would have liked. He hoped the last clone can divert the snake's attention for long enough for his plan to initiate. However, considering that Orochimaru spent fifty minutes of the last hour on searching the land for him and barely ten minutes on dispersing the clones, his hopes were not high. The remaining clone must buy him at least thirty minutes since his plan of attack would only hopefully restrain his adversary for about thirty minutes, perhaps even less. He snapped his eyes open and focused on the newcomer. Just a rabbit… he let out the air in his lungs slowly and noiselessly. His eyes narrowed when he felt one of his traps setting off. Since he laid his traps to go off when a living person walks close to them, he was positive that this time, it wasn't a rabbit or any other animal for that matter. He fought the urge to grasp a kunai as that would undoubtedly alert this person that there was movement inside the confinement of rocks, and if the movement was not enough, the glistening blade would certainly catch his attention. False alarm again… It was just a ninja from Konoha. An ally who was doing his job in protecting the village by rounding around it and well past its boundaries every couple of hours. He watched the shinobi as he continued his round. He decided to talk to the Hokage about this. The ninja did not search the cave Kakashi was currently in, thinking it was uninhabited. This could be easily used as a hideout for enemy-nin who come across this well-hidden place. Fifty minutes to go… Excitement was bubbling in the child's chest although nothing showed on his face. He was that close to winning and he won't back out now!
-oOo-
Orochimaru, contrary to popular belief, was a patient man. Well, at least he was whenever he had something to get out of waiting. But right now, his patience has already worn thin and his anger has started leaking out at this child. He was going around in circles, he just knew it! But then again… figuring out if he had enough sneakiness to match that brain and strength was the whole point of our little game. He thought he saw a strike of silver rushing on his right. Orochimaru grinned and took chase after the miniature Hatake.
Kakashi ran as fast as he could past Orochimaru and smirked smugly when he heard him follow. Tricking this guy was way too easy. He just never learned. The boy jumped on a higher branch then switched to the left. He leapt to a lower twig that barely held his weight for the second it took to jump off again. He was disappointed when his stalker did not get affected by the change of direction nor the weak twig. He jumped higher again and was now bounding off the tree tops rather than the branches and still Orochimaru followed. He threw a number of kunai at his follower followed by a bigger number of shuriken, but of course none of them were able to hinder the older, more experienced shinobi. Nevertheless, he continued throwing random weapons at the snake. Orochimaru was getting too close to him for his liking. When Orochimaru was less than arm's length away, Kakashi stopped, ducked and turned on his heel, running again in the other direction while Orochimaru regained his footing from jumping over him. Sometimes it did pay off to be so small. He noticed that this time, Orochimaru was coming with a lot more vigor and a lot faster than a moment ago.
However, it was nothing to fret about. He was not the real Kakashi, anyways.
-oOo-
Forty minutes to go… Kakashi thought as he continued preparing the 'second part of the plan' like he had been doing for the last hour and twenty minutes. It helped that he wasn't able to move since getting this particular attack ready required him to be completely still for a while. Moreover, since he wanted this to last for thirty minutes (preferably more); it will take him even longer than usual to properly put it in order. I need about ten more minutes… and then I'll launch it!
-oOo-
Orochimaru was starting to get bored. No, that was an understatement. For the last ten minutes, the kid did nothing but run, hide, throw various ninja weapons and run some more. He thought that enough was enough. It was finally time to end this little chase.
The clone heard Orochimaru quicken his pace. I guess it's best if I can get him as far away as I can now that he has finally lost his patience. He veered yet again from his original direction and sped off, willing his small legs to carry him even faster than they could. Thus, he got farther and farther away from the original. Nevertheless, the kid's body could only take so much, and his legs were starting to tire. His pace was slowing down and his breathing was becoming more labored. I have to buy some more time! With that thought in mind, he put his exhaustion and pain at the back of his mind and tried to make up for his lost speed. He turned around and almost toppled over when he saw how close the snake was now. He swallowed uneasily. That foreboding feeling from before returned, yet it was increased ten-fold. His heart thumped loudly, he was sure that if Orochimaru listened carefully, he would be able to hear it. He wondered if his anxiety would be equal to a physical blow and dissipate him on the spot. It didn't help that the gaining serpent was sporting a daunting smirk, terrifying the freaked out clone all the more.
The clone took a deep breath to steady the irregular beating of his heart and his suddenly fried nerves. Maybe it was the memory of the stern face of his sensei that had him feeling this way. Or perhaps it was only the fear of this supposed ally and what he can do to him now that he was all alone and well past the village's borders. His frantic mind pushed his body past its limits and made his legs forget how to feel pain as it fed the boy with creepy thoughts and panic. What the kid did know, however, was that he has never once run this fast in his entire life.
-oOo-
Twenty minutes and it's all over. The real Kakashi told himself, and yet this attack's not ready yet. Maybe I should have gone for something that wouldn't take as much time. But Minato-sensei swore that if I ever found myself in a sticky situation with a strong shinobi like Orochimaru, this was the jutsu to use.
-Flashback-
"Congratulations 'Kashi!" Minato cheered as he approached his young student and adopted son, "I knew you could do it! I never doubted that you couldn't become a chuunin!"
"Thanks Minato-sensei," The Hatake replied politely.
"Well, to say the truth, I was going to get you a gift, but then I thought that you wouldn't like a toy, and you already have too many scrolls, so I figured a book was out of the question. So I have decided to teach you a new jutsu!" Minato said as he smiled a too bright smile, "What do you think?"
"Yeah, that would be good," Kakashi answered.
"Well, before we start working on it, I have to tell you that it is easily S-ranked, okay? So don't use it unless you absolutely have to! It will practically suck the energy and chakra out of you so be careful when using it," Minato informed, "Also, it can help you against stronger shinobi, like Orochimaru, for example!" he continued in a hushed whisper. Kakashi nodded in understanding, "And since your elemental affinity is electricity, we're going to have to tweak it a bit so you can use it. Also, it will be a while before you can create it quickly, so take it easy for now," Kakashi nodded again.
"Now that we've cleared that up, let's get started!" he said as he clapped his hands twice.
-End of Flashback-
Once the attack is ready, Kakashi will let out a bit of chakra in order to lure Orochimaru to his hiding place. Then, he would unleash the jutsu and win the game fair and square.
-oOo-
Kakashi's copy was not having such an easy time. Every time he looked back, he found that his follower had somehow gotten even closer to him despite his increased speed. And each time he rediscovered that fact, his mind became even more terror-filled. Come on, Kakashi, get a grip! He screamed at himself, control your emotions. Orochimaru is a Konoha of the ninja. I mean, Orochimaru is a ninja of Konoha. He's an ally. He means you no harm. However, even as those soothing words overcame the panic, one look back and the fear would rise up his throat, making him choke. At last, and after twenty minutes of the start of the chase, the clone was shot down by a kunai that wouldn't have hit if the kid were in his right mind.
"So that was a clone too," Orochimaru stated, unsurprised, "Twenty minutes to go. Where could that brat be?" Orochimaru pressed his lips into a thin line and decided to return to the place he first caught Kakashi's scent. It wouldn't take him more than five minutes to get there if he ran there at top speed.
True to his speculations, the snake made it to the place in record time. He sniffed the air yet again and followed the trail he had neglected earlier that day. It was smart to leave an obvious trail after the real one while I chased clones for the last one hour and forty-five minutes, he thought angrily.
"Come out now," he called out in a sweet tone. Kakashi nodded to himself, the jutsu was working and was finally ready. He focused on the ball of blue chakra dancing in his hands. He took a deep breath, trying to will the odd feelings the clone brought with it away and leapt up from his hiding place. He diverted his attention to his adversary and sped off towards him once he touched the ground. Once he was close enough, he struck Orochimaru with the Rasengan-look alike.
"Lightening Rasengan!" he yelled as he willed the last of his strength into the attack. He allowed himself a triumphant grin as the sannin fell in shock. Nonetheless, he could not dwell on it any longer since once the snake hit the ground; he was substituted by a wooden log.
"Well done, young Hatake," Orochimaru praised from his place on a nearby rock, "But you still lose, there are five minutes left," Kakashi grit his teeth. This wasn't supposed to happen! His Lightening Rasengan was supposed to knock the lights out of him! Now is not the time to think about that… he reminded himself, there must be a way to win this thing… Even with my dwindling chakra! Four minutes left, and the sannin hasn't initiated an attack yet. Unless… unless the attack has already started. He thought with wide eyes. His suspicions were confirmed not a moment later when the ground beneath him began to grumble loudly. He jumped upwards, the huge snake missing its target by a hair's breadth. He used his momentum to spin backwards and land farther away from the pale man. His instincts screamed at him to roll sideways. Never one to deny his gut feeling, he hurriedly rolled to one side, another giant snake missed the moving boy. Three minutes left… Kakashi leapt to the trees and ran as if his life depended on it, and it really did. Why else would Orochimaru be using his snakes to attack? He cursed himself for getting that far away from the village. Two more minutes… He kept on jumping on the trees, only realizing how terrible that idea was not a moment later. Snakes can after all climb trees and strike their prey. Not to mention spray poison. Kakashi shuddered involuntarily as he tried his hardest to push his chakra exhausted and pain-filled body forward. He almost missed a small, brown snake on a branch. However, just before he jumped down on the branch the snake was currently occupying, he forced his body to stop forcing itself forward which provoked him to fall gracelessly on the ground. His already drained body started throbbing even more agonizingly. He almost gave in to the need to lie down and sleep it out.
However, he was not out of his opponent's clutches yet and wouldn't be for another minute. Thus, he picked himself up and forced his body to stop swaying. It was a good ten seconds before the follower casually strolled towards the aching boy.
"Game over, Kakashi-kun," he said while letting out a sigh. Not yet… Kakashi thought. He threw two kunai at Orochimaru, both completely missing their intended target. Orochimaru shook his head in disappointment. Kakashi took a deep breath and pulled. The wires he previously attached to the kunai brought the blades back down and almost pricked Orochimaru if it weren't for the snake's quick reflexes. Orochimaru merrily brought out his own kunai and blocked both. He turned around to a grinning kid.
"Time's up," Kakashi stated, his eyelids drooping in exhaustion. Orochimaru pursed his lips when he realized that the boy was telling the truth.
"Let's go back to the village," And so both sannin and chuunin made their way to the village's gates. They made it back an hour after sundown, mainly because the kid was having trouble keeping up and refused to be held in the snake's cold hands. Once the two made it back, Orochimaru left and Kakashi trudged back to the safety of the Namikaze estate. He unlocked the door, got in and shut the door behind him. He almost fell when the door closed, but he forced himself to stay awake and lock the door before shuffling noisily to his room.
-oOo-
"Jiraiya-sensei," Minato called out, "We've already cut through the Rock-nins ranks and all. And I was just wondering if… you know,"
"Go back to the village, Minato, you're not much help anyways in that apprehensive state of yours," Jiraiya said as he waved the jonin off, "Besides, the other ninjas and I are more than enough for now,"
"Thanks!" Minato said before he flashed away. Minato reappeared inside the confines of his own house.
"Kakashi!" Minato called. No response, "Kakashi!" Again, not a groan, not a grunt… no nothing. His eyes widened. Where is he? He kept on calling the boy over and over… not once receiving an answer. He looked in the living room and Kakashi's room. Yet he could not find the young Hatake.
"Kakashi, if you can hear me, please tell me you're here!" Minato didn't care if his statement sounded ridiculous. He could not find his student-no, his son, anywhere. He searched the kitchen and rechecked both the living room and bedroom. The only room left was his own. He hoped beyond hope that Kakashi was indeed in there. And not with a certain snake. He turned the knob of the door and peeked in.
For a moment, all was silent… but then, he could hear soft snores coming from his bed.
"Kakashi?" he called again. He quickly shuffled towards the young ninja and ruffled his hair, "You okay?"
"So… tired…" a sluggish voice replied as the form started to shift to a more comfortable position.
"What've you been doing all day?" Minato frowned as he noticed scratches on the normally pale skin.
"Trai…ning," the same exhausted voice answered, now muffled by a pillow.
"Well, okay, you go to sleep," as long as you're okay. Minato decided that since he returned earlier than what was expected, he owed the Hokage an explanation for his actions. Therefore, he ruffled Kakashi's hair one last time before walking to the Hokage's office. On his way to the office, he was stopped by none other than the person he was trying to avoid.
"May I help you Orochimaru-sama?" he asked politely.
"You've got quite a kid there, Minato. He's got a strong will and the potential to become strong. Do train him for me, will you?" Orochimaru commented leaving Minato narrowing his eyes in confusion. What just happened? Minato shook his head when he finally realized that the whitish man was gone and he hurried off to the office. Half-way there, however, he started putting two and two together. That boy… he thought fondly, is gonna get one hell of a scolding tomorrow!
Author's Notes: Finally done! Please read and review! Advice will be greatly appreciated and please forgive any OOCness XD Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Do you think I should write more Naruto fics, or am I walking disaster?