Turn Over A New Leaf
written by monochrome.julia
Chapter 2.
-OoO-
Hatake Kakashi had expected this.
Ever since he had heard about the children graduating, he had known.
In the past, all the teams he had sent back to academy were given a bell test, which they all failed. However, with this team—with these genin,—a test was useless.
Uzumaki Naruto—his father was the Yondaime, and more importantly, Kakashi's sensei and last team member.
Sasuke Uchiha. Even though he was not on good terms with the Uchiha clan, if there was a sensei from outside of the clan they'd prefer to teach their child, that was the Copy-nin.
Higurashi Kagome. There weren't many things known about her, and just as every Higurashi, she had went through academy without forming a lasting impression.
So many things written by Iruka lead him to believe that this team will be as his team—the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, and how Kagome seemed to always be in the middle. Just as him, Obito and Rin used to be.
Never before had he bothered to research on the genin's backgrounds, for he always knew they would fail. And he wouldn't research this time—he knew things about Sasuke and Naruto—if it weren't for Kagome. He had to know more about her than her grades and lack of distributive attention.
Determined to fill the gaps, he headed towards the Higurashi compound.
-OoO-
"Kagome's sensei—really? We thought that. . .—who are her teammates?"
He had arrived at their door—the Jōnin had presumed that the biggest house was Kagome's—and he had been greeted by a teenage girl—Kagome's sister—who had invited Kakashi inside as soon as she found out that he was Kagome's soon-to-be sensei—"Oh, do come in!"—and so, the copy-nin was now standing in a living room.
"I would like to discuss things with Kagome's parents," the copy-ninja said.
"Then, you should know that most Higurashi are away during daytime, Hatake-san."
"Being Kagome's sensei, I must know more things about her."
-OoO-
Kakashi carefully slid the door, expecting for the worst. However, there was silence. No surprises.
Three pairs of eyes watching him.
The blonde was the closest, sitting at the teachers desk in a bored position, staring at him with a blank look.
A blue-eyed girl was sitting in a first row desk, with her head on her hand, slightly glaring at him.
And the last one, the black haired boy way analyzing him with a critical eye, as if Kakashi wasn't worth to be his teacher—but they have yet to see anything.
You're late, Obito.
This wasn't anything like his team.
Well, there was an old woman who needed help and—.
Even the genin he had failed, they shouted at him, throwing angry glances.
"You're late."
It was the blue-eyed girl who spoke. All the tension disappeared as Kakashi smiled sheepishly.
"I got lost on the road of life," he lied.
Obito, stop lying!
"And now what? Do you know the purpose of your life, or are you going to get lost on this road all the time?" The black haired boy. His words were full of sarcasm and venom.
The Jōnin leaned on a wall next to him, "What about we introduce ourselves?"
"Why?" The blonde shifted in a more comfortable position and was now fully facing him.
"To know each other better."
"We've been in academy together for six years," the girl said.
Oh yes, Kakashi was the stranger here.
"Okay, I'll start. I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies. . ."
"I can't understand how somebody like you can be my father's student."
"Or bear the Sharingan."
He didn't saw his team in them.
"My name is Higurashi Kagome and I am not an open book."
It seems that his introduction gave them ideas.
Kakashi saw three kids that didn't know what they were getting into.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke and the rest is irrelevant," he smirked as if he was victorious.
Three kids that didn't know what being a ninja involved.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I am a ninja of Konohagakure," the blonde emphasized this by touching his hitai-ate.
"That's what I was meaning to tell you. You're not Konoha genin yet."
Even though their faces almost didn't change, their eyes told everything. There was a hidden confusion and a straw of panic. Kakashi was an expert when it came to reading faces. There were emotions he had become familiar during his years as an ANBU.
"Out of all the graduates, only nine will become genin. That means only three teams. The rest will go back to Academy." There was a thick silence between them. "So what makes so believe that you'll pass?"
Kakashi's smile had disappeared and for the three genin it was hard to even imagine him smiling after being so solemn. So serious that he didn't seem to be a smiling late idiot, but a real ninja—a ninja that fought and killed when needed. And that could only remind them, that they weren't real ninja. That they didn't deserve that title.
Behind the glares, Kakashi saw innocence.
"Uchiha. Higurashi. Uzumaki. Do your names make you strong—special? Believing that they do would only make you weak. Pathetic."
The words hit them like a tidal wave. How many times did their parents had said to them to respect and be proud of their last names? Who was right? What was right?
Confusion.
"Tomorrow, at seven o'clock, at 14 training ground. Don't bring your last name and don't eat. You might vomit."
A poof and he was there no more.
The first to get up was the blonde who exited the classroom without a second glance. Hesitantly, the girl got up and left too. Lastly, the black haired boy jumped from the window and headed towards his home.
They were nothing like his teammates. And Kakashi couldn't figure if this was a good thing or not. It wasn't. If they would have been the same, in his mind, the genin could replace his team. But with all the differences, the genin did nothing but to remember him of them. How he failed them.
There was a shinobi rule; a ninja never does the same mistake twice.
Never.
-OoO-
"Come on, Sasuke, you have to eat," the woman's voice echoed through the training field.
"Leave him, Mikoto. You must understand that Sasuke tries to make the chances of passing higher," the Uchiha head said to his wife.
"But, Fugaku—!"
"I'll eat later, mother," upon seeing her doubting look, he added, "I promise."
And with that, he went back to his training.
-OoO-
"Kagome, throw more arrows and you'll suffer from a bad case of chakra depletion."
"Kikyō, be serious. Me—chakra depletion? And I must perfect my chakra control!"
"There's enough time ahead you. But now, you must rest."
The blue-eyed girl threw her sister an exasperated look, but put down the bow and went towards the house.
She'll sneak outside when everybody would be asleep.
-OoO-
"Mom, I want more food!" the blonde shouted through all the kitchen.
"Naruto, don't you think you've had about enough?" his father asked looking at the piles of dishes he'd have to wash later.
"No! Kakashi said that we couldn't eat in the morning, so I have to get," he rubbed his belly, "my stomach prepared."
"What about preparing your mind?" Minato asked.
"My mind is prepared for kicking ass, dattebayo!"
Kushina then came in, adding another dish to the pile.
Minato will never understand the appetite of Uzumaki, and never know the length of their stomach—it seemed endless.
Why did he ever agree to wash the dishes?
AN:
As you can see, the chapter was from Kakashi's perspective, and I have changed almost the whole introduction thing. I am still deciding whether there will be a pairing or not, therefore you can make your own suggestions, but keep in my mind that this will be ultimately my decision.
I am also looking for a beta reader, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to give me a PM or email me. (my email adress can be found on my profile).
Thank you my reviewers, it is you who brought this chapter so fast.
Next: The Bell Test.
Edit 2: If you get two mails, I accidentally uploaded this chapter twice. ^_^.
~monochrome.julia