English is not my first language, betareading done by AkatsukiLover465.
When Fate Takes a Turn
Chapter 2
Lost Guardian Angel
-12 years ago, the third day after the Kyuubi's attack-
-Hokage's Tower, an unused room on the ground floor-
Kakashi felt numb. He just came back from the funeral where he bid the last goodbye to the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze and his lifetime partner Kushina Uzumaki, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. It was a simple and swift ceremony for the hero of Konoha, a bit more solemn than thousands of others going on for the second day in a row and still continuing further. After all, there were still a lot of people unaccounted for.
The young ninja knew that he should feel something: maybe a need to curl into a small ball and cry in despair till the end of time; maybe a desire to scream until his throat would become raw; or perhaps an all-consuming anger at the cruel fate that ripped everything and everyone away from him.
His father was gone, his teammates – Obito and Rin – were gone, Minato-sensei and Kushina-san were also gone forever. Kakashi had nobody left.
He felt empty. Like he was only a spectator to this horror show called Kakashi Hatake's life, like he had nothing to do with it, yet was stuck on watching it. Like if he closed his eyes, this nightmare would end and he'd wake up in a world where everyone was still alive and happy, where he wasn't all alone, where his every precious person wasn't cursed to die.
Kakashi shut his eyes for a brief moment and opened them again, holding his breath. However, the sight in front of him didn't change: the small room, bare of any furniture bar the lonely crib in the middle of it.
There was no Obito popping in with his stupid grin and exclamation of 'Surprise, Bakakashi!' because the boulders crushed his body and all that was left of him was a lone eye. (While Kakashi himself did not cry, his cheek under the Obito's eye was constantly wet from the moment he heard the news.)
There was no Rin smiling at him gently and patting his arm to calm him down because no one could survive a hole through their heart. (Kakashi was well and breathing as far as he could tell, even though he felt as if someone tore his own heart out and left him with a painful void in his chest.)
There was no Minato ruffling his hair in that annoying, yet affectionate manner because his body was already long since got cold and got buried. (In a fleeting moment, Kakashi thought that he'd prefer having a living sensei more than a dead hero, and instantly felt ashamed for Minato wouldn't agree.)
There was no Kushina grabbing him by his arm and dragging him to the market to shop for the dinner at their place, because the demon clawed its way out of her guts, extinguishing her very existence. (He never admitted how much he loved her homemade food, Kakashi noted absent-mindedly, and now he'd never have a chance to do so.)
They were his family. And his whole family was dead now, never again to be seen, or talked, or laughed, or trained, or...
And that thought finally shattered the remaining pieces of Kakashi's soul. Once the first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream, all the grief, loneliness, and despair swelling inside his chest, threatening to burst it open. The teenager clutched the frame of the crib until it left bruises on his palms, lowered his head and lost himself completely in his mourning.
Suddenly, before all that darkness could swallow Kakashi up, a clumsy slap over his knuckles snapped him out of it, and the ninja lifted his hunted gray eye and met the brilliant cerulean gaze that cut his breathing a little short.
A baby was staring at him with those wide innocent and so, so blue eyes, his tiny arms flailing around, searching to hold onto something. Without thinking, Kakashi carefully extended his own hand towards him. The newborn instantly latched onto his fingers and smiled at the teenager so wide and so bright, that it seemed to chase the encroaching shadows in the room.
"Naruto…" Kakashi whispered, sniffling as he wiped his running nose with a free hand, trying to rain in the storm of emotions within. "You're awake."
The baby squealed in delight as if overjoyed to be acknowledged, and the young ANBU couldn't stop the small smile curling on his lips. "You're awake," he repeated slowly. Suddenly he drew in a sharp breath, a comprehension dawning on him. "You're here."
"Come out, Kakashi."
The said boy grimaced under his ANBU mask and shifted uncomfortably in his hiding spot, but his gaze never wavered from a certain red-haired woman who was sitting on a porch bench overlooking the small patio garden.
"I know you're hiding somewhere around, keeping an eye on me," Kushina spoke again. After a minute, she huffed in annoyance and suddenly grinned like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. "Don't make me search for you, Kakashi-kun."
Kakashi shuddered involuntarily. The addition to his name sounded more like a threat than an affectionate affix. He heard a quiet snigger and turned sharply to glare at his fellow ANBU. He couldn't see it, but could feel the shit-eating grin plastered on the man's face when the latter mutely motioned towards the waiting Uzumaki.
"Alright then... I'm counting till three, 'ttebane." Kushina dramatically folded her arms over her chest, pursed her lips and closed her eyes with her head held high. "One… Tw–"
"I'm here, Kushina-san," words tumbled out of Kakashi's mouth in a hurry as he appeared next to the woman. He pushed his ANBU mask to hang at the side of his head. It was against the code to reveal your identity to the third parties, but the Yondaime made an exception and allowed Kakashi to do this in front of his wife, saving them both from the torture of experiencing the infamous Uzumaki tantrum.
Another smile graced Kushina's features, this time a placid and a motherly one, as she patted a spot on the bench next to her. "I want to show you something," she said after Kakashi had sat down. She put her hands on her swollen belly, and her smile grew wider. "Naruto is really going for it," she chuckled. "Just touch it, you can feel it too."
Kakashi suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights. "N-no, no... That's, uh, that's alright."
"No need to be afraid, Kakashi," Kushina assured softly. She took the boy's right hand and laid it on top of her belly.
The stream of self-destructive thoughts (because that was the same hand that went through Rin's chest and sometimes Kakashi could still see the blood on it, regardless how hard he tried to wash it away, and the murderer's hands shouldn't even get close to such an innocent, pure, untainted things–) screeched to an abrupt halt as a faint kick from the inside of the womb hit his hand.
That was the most amazing and absolutely breathtaking feeling.
"This one was strong…" Kushina mumbled, furrowing her brow in slight displeasure, but as soon as she noticed Kakashi's expression of utter awe and admiration, she completely cracked up. "You should see your face, Kakashi!" the redhead exclaimed gleefully between her fits of laughter. "You look so cute!"
With a bit of red dusting his cheeks, the young ANBU spluttered in indignation, "Am not!"
Uzumaki only laughed harder, causing him to blush even more. Good thing that most of it was hidden under his cloth mask.
"Is it that fun to tease my elite ninja?" a new voice came from the doorway into the house and soon the Yondaime stepped onto the porch with an amused smirk on his face.
Kushina only snorted and opened her mouth to retort something, but all of a sudden her face twisted in discomfort and she cried out, "I swear to gods, Minato! Naruto is already practicing taijutsu in there, 'ttebane!"
The blond chuckled as he approached his sitting wife, crouched down and tenderly caressed the belly. "You doing great, son," he murmured quietly in a tone full of mirth. "Just keep practicing."
Kushina smacked Minato over the back of his head none too gently with an irritated, "Hmph!" The man laughed softly while rubbing a sore spot.
Kakashi observed the family in front of him, feeling like an intruder in their happy idyll. Sadness settled over him as he realized that once the child would arrive they wouldn't have time for him. He was damaged goods, after all, and nobody in his right mind would allow someone like him near their kid. That was alright though. The child of these amazing people deserved all the world's care and adoration. Naruto was lucky to be part of such a loving family.
Minato's hand landing on the top of his head caught the young ninja off guard. "Ready to be a big brother, Kakashi?" the Yondaime inquired cheerfully, ruffling the boy's silver hair.
A look of annoyance briefly flittered across Kakashi's face. Not that he minded the small affectionate action from his sensei, but he occasionally wondered why Minato opted to do that so often after Rin's death. He counted till three in his mind and got ready to swat the blond's hand (as much as he liked the warmth of it, he was not a child, dammit!) when the meaning of his sensei's words finally caught up with his brain. He froze and his eyes widened. "…What?" he asked in disbelief. "Big brother? Me?"
Minato and Kushina seemed confused by his reaction. "Yes," the Yondaime confirmed. "Unless you don't want to, of course." He smirked proudly. "I'm pretty sure that our son will be quite a handful."
"No, it's just– I'm not– I thought you– That you will–"
"Kakashi," Minato called sternly, lowering a hand to rest on the teenager's shoulder. The latter's lone eye snapped to look at him, and the blond furrowed his brow at how frightened it appeared. "You know that we consider you part of our little family, right?"
"But…" Kakashi gulped nervously. "I'm not–"
"Oh, you silly boy!" Kushina grabbed him by his arm and pulled him into the tight hug. "You think that we're gonna leave you out?" Kakashi was stiff as a board in her embrace, and her heart broke for him. "Like Minato said, want it or not, you're part of our family now, and this family never abandons their own," she said softly, smiling as the boy started to relax. "I'm sure that Naruto will be proud to call you his niisan."
Kakashi leaned on the crib's frame and gazed at baby Naruto for a while. His eyes were of the lighter shade of blue, but the silver-haired ANBU deduced that their color should deepen into the familiar azure with age. His few hair strands seemed to be blonde too, but he had a strange faint scarring on both of his cheeks that reminded of whisker markings – probably the influence of the Kyuubi's chakra while the infant was still in his Jinchuuriki mother's womb.
The baby giggled, kicking his legs restlessly. "That's right, Naruto, you keep practicing," the ninja approved with a small smile etched on his face. He slowly moved his hand around, watching in amusement how the kid appeared to be fascinated by it, but he still didn't let Kakashi's fingers go, gripping them tightly with his tiny palm.
"Just you and me, Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. "We're the only ones left, and this family never abandons their own." He poked the baby's belly causing him to squeal with joy again. "So you're stuck with me, little guy."
"I see you're still here, Kakashi."
The young ANBU almost jumped in surprise. He was so tired and so deeply boiling in the emotional turmoil that allowed someone to enter the room without his knowledge. The boy quickly swiveled around, unconsciously moving slightly to his left, so that he'd stand directly in front of Naruto and in a path of whoever came in if they turned out to be hostile.
"Sandaime-sama," Kakashi exhaled in relief, turning back to the crib where he could hear telltale sounds of starting baby wail.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let a small smile pass his lips at the protective gesture as it didn't go unnoticed by his keen eyes. He approached the crib, studying the young ninja.
Hatake was wearing his ANBU uniform with the mask hanging at the side of his head, fully geared up and ready to fulfill his duty – Konoha needed any able ninja in this hard time. But the expression the teen exhibited was nothing like a ninja committed to do his job. He seemed lost, without a purpose, as though the ground suddenly dropped from under his feet. And that was probably true.
"I heard people talking," Kakashi started with a careful undertone, "that Naruto is the Kyuubi itself, but… that's impossible, right?"
"Ah... I suspected that there was a leak of information about Naruto to the general populace," the newly reinstated Hokage sighed, suddenly looking so much older and wearer, crushed under the weight of responsibility of leading the village in this time. "He is definitely not the Kyuubi, but he contains it within himself. Minato… He sealed it in him to protect Konoha. Naruto is our new Jinchuuriki."
Kakashi whipped his head to stare at the Sandaime. "Then we need to tell that to the people!" he exclaimed, before glancing to the baby to see if his yelling had disturbed him. Naruto was contentedly gurgling while holding onto the older boy's fingers. The teen looked back at Hiruzen and hissed, "He is the child of Minato-sensei and Kushina-san! How can they say such things about their heroes' son? Naruto should also be hailed as one for holding the demon!"
"I agree, but there's nothing worse and more dangerous than a crowd with a wrong idea. I will speak to the people of Konoha and try to clear the misunderstanding, but I fear that it might be too late…" the Sandaime trailed off, watching Naruto with sad eyes. "We also cannot reveal his lineage."
Kakashi blinked. "What? Why not?"
"It may reach the ears of Minato's enemies. We might not be able to protect him, especially now when Konoha is weakened. That's why I have already decided to place him under his mother's maiden last name," Sarutobi stated with an authoritative finality. "It will be easier to protect an orphan Uzumaki than the son of the infamous Yellow Flash and the Yondaime Hokage."
The teen glared at the old man for a moment, but then deflated, the fight leaving him altogether. He knew that this was probably the right solution. The time was still unsettling after the war, the peace treaties – uneasy and unstable, and none of the former enemy nations fully trusted each other. Iwa-nins still bared their teeth at even the mention of the Konoha's Yellow Flash; they would gleefully try to assassinate or kidnap his orphaned son.
"I want to raise Naruto."
Whatever Sarutobi expected to hear, that was not it. "Raise Naruto?" he echoed in surprise.
"I'm supposed to be– They said that–" Kakashi frowned, trying to figure out how to word it. "I have only Naruto left… I need to keep him safe."
The Sandaime understood, he really did. The boy in front of him was on a brink of breaking irreparably. If he didn't latch onto something to ground him, he would either go insane or slit his own throat. The man hated to decline such an honorable wish, but there was no choice in a matter. "I'm sorry, Kakashi, but everyone knows that you are Minato's student, and such a young man suddenly adopting a baby would draw too much unwanted attention," he said. "Not to mention, that you are still a child yourself, you do not possess the knowledge of how to properly care for an infant."
In his long life, Hiruzen had seen many people losing their hope, but never so lost, so helpless, and so dejected as Kakashi after hearing his statement. As though the sky together with the sun and moon followed the ground from under his feet and tumbled into the bottomless pit to never be seen again.
The teenager turned at the now sleeping baby, and when he looked back there was a fierce fire blazing in his eyes. "In that case, I want to continue the last mission appointed by Minato-sen– by the Yondaime Hokage."
Startled by such an unexpected change of attitude, the old Hokage searched his mind of any information about what was the last mission Namikaze gave to Kakashi, but came up empty. "What kind of mission?" he inquired curiously.
"I was tasked to lead the ANBU team to guard Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze and her unborn child from anyone and anything that might have wanted to harm them. The primary subject might be gone now, but her child survived, and I wish to express my desire to continue the given task to guard and protect Naruto Uzumaki." Kakashi paused and then added a bit more uncertainly, "And once he'd become a genin, I want to be appointed as his sensei."
The Sandaime was pleasantly stunned because this ninja right here now had a purpose and was driven to achieve it at any cost. He smiled, feeling a concern over the young Jinchuuriki that was heavily weighing his shoulders being lifted. He couldn't find a better protector even if he tried. "Permission to continue your previous mission granted," he announced, and Kakashi gave a quick affirmative bow. "Guard him well, Dog."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the ANBU operative intoned, slipping his mask into its proper place.
-present time-
-Hokage's Tower, Hokage's office-
Hiruzen glared at the scroll, lying on his desk in front of him, willing to incinerate the offending string of words, written neatly at the very end.
Considering all the stated facts, the Ninja Psyche Value Committee does not recommend appointing Kakashi Hatake as one of the jounin sensei for a new genin team.
The Sandaime breathed out heavily and rubbed his forehead. The scowl made a permanent place on it from a few days back, from the night of Mizuki's betrayal.
And now this.
Sarutobi leaned against the back of his chair and fixed the silver-haired ninja, standing idly in front of his desk, with a hard stare. "Are you sure about this, Kakashi?" he asked. "Once another jounin will be appointed as Naruto's team sensei, there will be no coming back."
The man's dark gray eye wandered down from where it stared through the window to meet the eyes of the elderly Hokage, and he shifted his weight from one foot to another.
Hoping that that was a sign that Kakashi was reconsidering, the Hokage pushed, "You were talking about becoming the boy's sensei from the day he was born. It's the last chance to change your mind about this." He motioned at the scroll in a quick, rather disgusted jerk of his hand.
Kakashi shifted again, putting his hands into the pockets of his pants. He was a picture of calmness and aloofness, but Sarutobi always was proud of his observation skills – he wouldn't be a good ninja and a good leader if he couldn't read others – and thus a slight tremble of those gloved hands and well-hidden tension in the whole posture wasn't overlooked.
"I'm well aware of that, Hokage-sama," the Copy-nin said in a tired voice. "But those kids will be safer without me anywhere near them."
The Sandaime was quiet for a moment, mulling over what the ex-ANBU had said and struggling to understand the reasoning behind it. He narrowed his eyes. "Is this because of that unfortunate accident from four years ago?"
"That too," came an apathetic answer.
Hiruzen sighed. He was there to pick up the pieces after that incident, and so he knew that what Kakashi was feeling was far from apathy or indifference. "You know that Naruto does not hold any grudge for what happened?" he inquired softly.
Kakashi gave a rigid nod. "You told me that many times, Hokage-sama."
"He blames himself and thinks that you hate him."
"He's not the one to be blamed, I… I bring misfortune to those I consider family."
The Sandaime was taken aback by the jounin's pleading tone. He sounded desperate – desperate for his words to be accepted as a truth.
"Naruto will be safer without me."
"That boy misses you, Kakashi," Sarutobi insisted. "He keeps asking about you and I keep telling him that you are away on a long term mission. Though, I believe he suspects that I'm lying."
A twitch under the cloth mask betrayed a smile. "Naruto was always very observant."
"Incredibly so," the Sandaime agreed. "When he wants to," he added with a bit of thought. "It does not change the fact that he knows that I'm telling lies to him." The silver-haired man stiffened, but didn't lower his defiant gaze from his Kage. They stared at each other for a moment. "Alright, Kakashi," the older man finally conceded with a world weary sigh. "I cannot understand your reasoning, but I can respect it. Do not come to regret it," he cautioned. "You are dismissed."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," the ninja said quietly and dipped his head before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Hiruzen watched the wisps of smoke slowly hovering in the air until it vanished. He put a hand over his eyes and sat like that for a while. However, he had no time to wallow in his own sentiments.
"Minato, your boys will be the death of me…" he grumbled under his breath, throwing the offending scroll into the drawer and starting to flip through the list of available jounin. There were only three days left until team placements, and one team just lost their potential sensei.
The Hokage had his work cut out for him.
Kakashi dragged his feet through the village towards his apartment. The Hokage's words 'Do not come to regret it.' circled his mind in an endless loop. He was already regretting his decision, even though he believed it being the right one. The incident four years ago cemented his belief that he was cursed, that he destroyed everything he touched. He couldn't put the only person he still considered his family to danger. That bright ball of sunshine was worth so much more than this life had given him.
The jounin could still remember that night when the mob of civilians cornered the four years old boy and assaulted him. He could still feel that overwhelming fury coursing through his veins because of their actions and stupidity. Kakashi would have slaughtered them all, if not for a terrified child who watched everything unfolding in front of him with those wide, innocent, and, oh, so blue eyes. So, he had to take solace in the execution of mob's leaders after Naruto was safely tucked in for the night.
Kakashi could still recall how Naruto reacted to a simple hair ruffle – the kid stared at him like he hung the moon and the stars, like it was the first time someone touched him without malice. And maybe it was, making it so wrong and so unfair because the child of Minato and Kushina deserved to be loved and adored, not shunned, glared, and hated.
There was only so much the lone ANBU could do. Whilst he could swiftly get rid of any spy and enemy ninja intending to harm the small Uzumaki before they even came into contact with him, he was powerless to shield Naruto from all the glares and whispers. Kakashi himself once experienced such treatment, although it was only for a brief time and a glare here, a whisper there, never at the scale of the whole village.
But he tried, by gods, Kakashi tried. Every harsh action against the blond was returned tenfold. There weren't many civilians, especially among vendors and shop owners, who hadn't been on the receiving end of the staggering KI coming from Naruto's protector hidden in the shadows. People even gave him a name – the Demon's Guard Dog. And, somehow, Kakashi was completely okay with that title.
But then, his curse finally caught up with him as he ran a blade through the chest of the person he swore to defend at any cost.
It didn't matter that it was an accident – Naruto jumping in front of his blade, trying to stop his Dog-nii from attacking a person whom he'd considered a friend. A person who actually was an enemy ninja with the sole purpose to abduct Konoha's Jinchuuriki. It wasn't even that hard. She used a few honeyed words and that worked miracles on a child deprived of attention and love that others took for granted.
The familiar phantom feeling of something wet, and warm, and slick on his hands made Kakashi's breath hitch in his throat. He didn't dare to look down at them as he knew what he would see – blood. The blood of Obito, the blood of Rin, sometimes even the blood of Minato and Kushina, but mostly the blood of Naruto. The image of the small blond boy impaled by his own tanto, and so, so much blood everywhere, haunted the silver-haired ninja's dreams and thoughts for four years now.
Kakashi immediately took to the roofs, hoping to avoid the civilian traffic, and sped towards his apartment. He more stumbled than entered inside in a rush, making a beeline to the bathroom and, more precisely, the sink. Like all the previous times, he scraped his hands raw – but the sensation of red thick liquid dripping through his fingers didn't want to leave that easily.
After a while, it dulled out to the manageable level. Kakashi exited the bathroom and went straight to the small terrarium sitting on his desk. "Hey, Fuwa," he greeted the tarantula that had its front legs sticking out of the little coconut house.
The jounin pulled a small scroll from one of his vest's many pockets, unfurled it and with one simple hand flick sent a sliver of chakra into a storage array inscribed on it. A small glass container puffed into existence, a cricket inside. "I brought you dinner," he said, dropping the insect into the terrarium. He smiled at the spider that instantly moved towards the poor, unsuspecting thing with a predatory grace. "Enjoy your meal."
Kakashi watched Fuwa for a few more moments before turning to leave again. A memorial stone beckoned him to come, and he desperately needed to talk to someone. And who were better listeners than the dead?
-three days later-
Naruto entered the classroom, nose buried in a book, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Not even yelling and loud arguing suddenly coming from right behind him attracted his attention from his reading.
Two girls squeezed through the door at the same time and stumbled inside. Before they could crash into their classmate's back, the blond immediately stepped aside.
"I'm the one who's gonna sit with Sasuke-kun!" Ino proclaimed, wildly flailing her arms around.
Not lifting his gaze from his book, Naruto ducked under one of her appendages as he passed the kunoichi, avoiding an embarrassing slap in his face. "That makes no sense…" the boy mumbled, furrowing his brow before his expression brightened up. "Scratch that, it makes a complete sense…" he kept murmuring to himself at the same time smoothly sidestepping a stray elbow from Sakura when he rounded the girls to reach the stairs between the aisles.
"Okay, that was pretty cool! Where did you learn to do that, Naruto?!"
Someone yelling out his name finally got a reaction from the orange-cladded genin. He lifted his head and blinked only now noticing how almost every person was staring at him. A confused "Eh?" left his mouth before suddenly Sakura collided with Naruto when Ino pushed her.
Trying to regain his balance, the boy flailed his arms like a giant chicken attempting to fly causing the class to roar into laughter. The book slipped from his grasp, and Naruto's eyes widened, panic instantaneously twisting his gut into a painful knot. This was one of the mom's books, the textbook on the basics of Sealing Techniques taught in Uzushiogakure. He couldn't damage it, not to mention – lose it. The blond reached for it without thinking… and promptly tumbled down the stairs with a yelp.
Sasuke snatched the book from mid-air, as it sailed straight above his head, flipped it over and looked at the title. His eyebrows drew together like he tried to solve a riddle. Whatever he expected, the book about sealing wasn't it.
"Ah! Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm sorry! You okay?"
The Jinchuuriki groaned, already pulling himself into sitting position, rubbing a sore spot on his back. "Yeah!" he replied, slapping a fake grin on. "I'm gonna live!"
"Why are you even worried about that idiot, Forehead?" Ino commented flippantly.
Sakura scowled at her. "Because it was my fault he fell, Ino-pig."
Naruto massaged the painful spot for the last time and got ready to stand up, then a hand entered his line of sight. His gaze followed it up to the face of its owner and with a small genuine smile, he accepted the offer for help. "Thanks, Hinata," he said once he was upright again.
The lavender-eyed girl smiled shyly. "You sure you're alright, Naruto-kun?" she inquired softly.
"Yeah," he repeated while looking around. "Did you see where my book fell?"
"I have it."
Naruto turned to look at the speaker. Sitting in his usual spot at the window, Sasuke watched the blond intently, his onyx eyes drilling into his blue ones. The Jinchuuriki's gaze flickered to the book in the raven's hand and he frowned. It didn't seem that the boy was willing to give it back.
They were could have been called friends once. With some prompting from Weasel-nii and seeing that the small raven appeared as lonely as Naruto felt, the blond approached the other boy during the launch break in the Ninja Academy. Of course, that was before the older Uchiha heir went crazy and slaughtered his whole clan leaving Sasuke as a sole survivor and before Dog-nii and Weasel-nii – the two most precious people for Naruto and his only constant companions – left and never came back. Wallowing in their own misery, they drifted apart and never reconnected.
"What are you doing here, dobe?" the last Uchiha asked in a neutral tone, his expression blank. "You failed the graduation exam."
The class tuned in their conversation. Others were wondering the same thing, but the usually clumsy blond's extraordinary dodging skills made them temporarily forget about it.
"He said it was a field promotion," Sakura chimed in gleefully. She shot a smug glance at Ino – she knew the answer to her crush's question while the other girl didn't – and got a disgruntled look back.
The new genins started whispering among themselves until Kiba suddenly out-voiced them all with a loud and brash, "Bullshit!"
"I was sick during the exam. Once I got cleared out of the hospital, I retook it and passed," the lie rolled easily off of Naruto's tongue. "So, now you know." He extended his hand towards the raven. "Can I get my book back?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his dead-last ex-classmate, regarding him with suspicion.
"Hey, hey, Uchiha!" one of the boys called him from the other side of the classroom. "Let's have some fun with the loser! Pass that book here!"
Naruto tensed, but lowered neither his steely gaze nor his hand. The two new genins stared at each other for a moment.
"Like I'd do something that childish," Sasuke said coolly and then put the book into the waiting palm of the dobe.
Fangirls squealed in the delight of coolness of their idol. The bully muttered, "Tch, spoilsport…" and settled down.
Naruto beamed at his former friend, his wide grin up in all its megawatt glaring glory. "Thanks, Sasuke!"
"Hn." The raven turned away to stare through the window again as stoic and collected as ever, and the blond slid into an empty seat next to Hinata on the opposite aisle.
"I'm glad that you got your book back, Naruto-kun," the dark-haired girl said quietly. When Naruto nodded, she added, "I'm also happy that you successfully graduated."
Another grin spread on the blond's features. "We're finally ninjas, Hinata!" he exclaimed excitedly.
The girl giggled, an amusement dancing in her pale eyes. "Your niisans must be very proud of you."
Naruto's smile faltered. "Yeah… If they were here," he pouted, stretching his arms over the desk and plopping down on them, opening his book again.
Almost seven years old Naruto kicked the small stone and sighed. He was bored. So, so bored. There was only that many games and that much time a child could play by himself until he lost his interest and had to find something else to occupy himself.
A brilliant idea hit the young Uzumaki and he rushed forward through the park with a new plan in his mind.
He would go into the village, find a spot where he could see a stream of people flowing by and observe them. People watching, Dog-nii called this game as he showed how to play it, and Naruto took a fancy to it. The rules were easy – just watch people going about their way, see what they were up to, guess or simply make stories of what they were doing and why.
Naruto was getting better at it with each day, noticing more and more details and subtle hints. After all, with everyone avoiding him, he had a lot of free time to practice. Of course, he was still the beginner and couldn't even hold a candle to Dog – the man could read the person like an open book, perceiving the most inconspicuous things and making the boy go wide eyed every time as well as admire his big brother figure even more than he already did.
Or maybe his niisan just had the wildest imagination to ever exist, Naruto was not sure.
The small blond was almost at the edge of the park, then suddenly he heard several voices laughing. He skidded to a halt and pricked up his ears. He could hear a quiet crying too. With his curiosity piqued, Naruto followed the sounds. Hiding behind the tree, he peeked into the small clearing.
There was a girl about his age with short dark hair kneeling on the ground, surrounded by three older boys. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry!" she muttered an apology after an apology, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks and dropping on the soil, but her tormentors only laughed cruelly.
"Hey, quit it!" Naruto yelled as he jumped from behind the tree and faced the three bullies.
The boys looked up at him and frowned in confusion.
"And who might you be?"
"Oh, hey," one of them elbowed his friend. "He's that! The good-for-nothing who everybody hates!"
"Oh, that!"
"Yeah, that."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "I'm not that or it, 'ttebayo! The name of this brave ninja is Naruto Uzumaki!" he announced, jabbing a thumb at his chest. "Better remember it because one day I'm gonna be your Hokage!"
The older boys stared at him before bursting into laughter. "Hokage? You?"
"What an idiot!"
"A brat like you can't even become a ninja!" sneered one, winding his arm for a punch.
Uzumaki saw it coming and therefore successfully ducked it, backpedaling a few steps. His lips twitched into a smug smirk. "You wanna fight, you're gonna get it. Don't go crying after– huh?" The blond trailed off in surprise as the three bullies suddenly paled, their eyes bugged out and their jaws dropped open. A split second later, they all fled the clearing like a devil itself was on their heels. The boy scratched his cheek, completely puzzled by their strange behavior, but then grinned. "Run, cowards!" he exclaimed after them even though not even their shadows could be seen any longer. "You better remember my name, 'ttebayo!"
Naruto turned to the girl who was still on the ground. "Hey, you alright?" he asked. He frowned as she didn't reply, instead just kept staring at him. No, not him, behind him. He looked over his shoulder and blinked at the sight of two masked ninjas standing there.
The taller one waved two fingers at him, letting out a cheerful, "Yo!"
"Aaaaah! Dog-nii! Weasel-nii!" the small blond screeched, pointing an accusing finger at the two. "That was you! You messed up everything!"
"Messed up everything?" Dog echoed while the other ANBU cocked his head slightly to the side with a quiet and perplexed, "Weasel… nii?"
"Yeah! I wanted to save the princess on my own!" Naruto stated loudly, oblivious of the girl who turned beet red at his words. "Like that brave ninja in the book Weasel-nii gave me to practice my reading! And you messed it up!"
"Hahaha," Dog laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, sorry."
The blond huffed, folding his arms in front of him and shifting his glare at the second ninja.
A pregnant pause. "…My apologies, Uzumaki-kun."
The boy seemed to think, humming dramatically. "I'll forgive you!" he declared. "That's because it's you and… andyou'retheonlyfriendsIhave…" Naruto breathed out jumbled words, a hue of red spreading throughout his whiskered cheeks. "But Weasel-nii must start calling me by my name, 'ttebayo!"
"Maa, lucky us," Dog slapped a hand over his comrade's shoulder blade, "that little Naruto is so forgiving."
Another moment of intense silence ticked by. "…Naruto-kun."
Naruto grinned brightly, his embarrassment already forgotten. He wasn't completely satisfied, but his name with an affix was an improvement over his last name with an affix. With that settled, he turned back to the girl. "Hey, you alright?" he asked again, taking in her flushed face with a scowl. "You don't look too good. You hurt somewhere?"
Dog chuckled and instantly got a death glare from Naruto, which would have been rather intimidating if it wasn't coming from the six years old kid, but the ninja put his hands up in a mock surrender nonetheless.
"I-I'm f-fine," stuttered the girl. "Thank you." She gave a small bow, then faced the ANBU operatives and made a deeper one. "Th-thank you."
A grin threatened to split the blond's face in two then he exclaimed, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you!"
"Hinata Hyuuga… N-Nice to meet you, too."
"So, what those jerks wanted?" Naruto questioned. "Why did they attack you?"
"I… I don't know," the girl replied quietly, tears starting to roll down her cheeks anew. "I'm weak, and everyone expecting of me to be an excellent ninja, a-and I'm trying, b-but– it's just– I can't–" She was hiccupping from her crying, her slender form shaking uncontrollably. It's seemed that once she started talking, the dam burst open and all her grievance won against her control of emotions as she started to ramble non-stop.
Naruto grew anxious with every passing second, hovering nearby uncertain how to react. He never had to comfort anyone. In most cases when he was upset, especially after waking up from a nightmare, Dog-nii would be there, ruffling his hair and speaking softly things that made him feel better.
The boy reached for those dark bangs and gave a quick, awkward ruffle. Big, dewy eyes of pale lavender color snapped up to gawk at him in shock.
"You might be weak now, but you can get stronger," the blond started. "Like Weasel-nii said to me: nobody's gotta learn, everybody's born knowing!" He frowned at his own words. "No, wait, that's not it."
Dog sniggered while Weasel sighed. "It's the opposite, Naruto-kun."
"Eh?"
"The saying. It's the opposite. Everybody's gotta learn, nobody's born knowing."
"Well, whatever," Naruto brushed it off like a speck of dirt from his clothes. "What I want to say is that you need to give your all, 'ttebayo! And if that's not enough, try harder! And if that's still not enough, then even harder than that!" He whipped his fist forward, his mouth stretching into a lopsided grin as he gazed at the girl, the blue eyes like two crystal clear pools shining with conviction. "But never give up."
Hinata stared at the boy, taking his every word into her heart and feeling something shifting inside her. Maybe, if she could muster that kind of confidence, perhaps she could do it. Tentatively, she lifted her own fist, bumped it into Naruto's, and whispered, "Never give up." The words felt foreign on her tongue, but she liked the sound of them. A small, shy smile appeared on her lips.
After a few silent moments, seeing that the girl calmed down, Naruto inquired, "So, you're ninja too? Are you joining the Academy this year?"
"Y-Yes."
"Hey, me too!" Naruto beamed. "We can be ninjas together!"
Hinata opened her mouth, but a new voice cut her answer, "Hinata-sama!"
Naruto's good mood instantly flittered away. Wearily watching an approaching unfamiliar adult, the boy retreated back until he was standing right next to Dog.
"Hinata-sama, are you alright?" the man asked, crouching down and quickly sweeping over the girl's body with his eyes, looking for any kind of injuries.
"Yes."
The man stood up and nodded to two ANBU. "Please, accept my gratitude for keeping Hinata-sama safe, ANBU-san," he said politely. When he glanced at the small blond boy, his expression hardened into a cold stony façade. "But, please, make sure that… the boy stays away from her."
Dog felt a tug on his pants. A glimpse down revealed Naruto gripping it with a guarded and broken expression that shouldn't really belong on the face so young. The ninja looked back at the Hyuuga. "Hm? You said something?" he inquired nonchalantly.
The man stiffened, unsure how to take that kind of behavior from one of the Konoha's elite.
"Did he say something?" Dog asked his partner. "I might have misheard him."
"He said that he's grateful for Naruto-kun for protecting the heiress of the Hyuuga clan," Weasel deadpanned in his usually stoic and collected tone.
"Aha! Always thought that your ears are better than mine," the taller ninja stated. "You heard that, Naruto?" He ruffled the boy's blond mop. "You're a good kid. Right, Hyuuga-san?"
The man didn't reply, his face not betraying any kind of emotion. After an intense stare down between pale eyes and hidden eyes of the ANBU, the Hyuuga scowled, took the girl's hand and dragged her away without saying a word.
Naruto watched them go. Once they were out of his sight, he looked up and stared at one white mask, then at another. "Why don't you hate me?" he asked in a small voice. "Other grown-ups seem to hate me. Except you, Jiji and the people at the ramen stand. Why?"
Children often asked questions of why, but this? No one should be forced to even think about someone hating them, definitely not six years old kids. Six years olds should be happy-go-lucky, selfish brats, shielded from any form of hate; they should get worried only about bruised knees and petty squabbles between themselves, not to wonder why only a handful of people didn't hate their guts.
Dog squatted down to be at the same level as the boy and was silent for a moment. "Because you're special, Naruto," he said quietly. "Nobody else just noticed it yet."
A frown worked its way between the blond's eyebrows. "Is being special a good thing?"
"Of course."
"You remind me of someone," Weasel chimed in suddenly.
Naruto's frown deepened as he glanced up at the second man. "Someone precious?"
"Without a doubt."
The corner of the boy's mouth twitched up. As Dog stood, he ruffled his hair again. The smile widened into a content grin, such a stunningly genuine and an unbelievably vulnerable curve.
"Hey, Weasel," Dog called, pulling out a scroll and offering it to the other ninja. "Can you drop this to the Hokage?"
Weasel took the scroll with a clipped, "Understood."
"Eeeeeh? You're leaving already, Weasel-nii? But I haven't seen you for a few days!" Naruto whined, reversing to the lively six years old he really was. "You promised to tell me your adventures before you left, 'ttebayo!"
The ninja waved him over and as soon as the small blond came into his arm's reach, he poked his forehead. "Maybe some other time, Naruto-kun."
Naruto pouted, rubbing the offended spot and glaring at the man through his bangs.
"You two are really similar," Weasel muttered, amusement easily distinguished in his voice. "Captain," he nodded to the taller ANBU, then spun on his heel and leaped into the tree.
"So, Naruto, what you were doing before you'd jumped in bravely to save the princess from those evil adversaries?" Dog asked cheerily.
"People watching."
"Oh? Have you been practicing?"
"You bet, Dog-nii!" A smug grin cracked up, brightening the boy's whole face up. "One day, I'm gonna be better than you, 'ttebayo!"
The ninja chuckled. "One day, squirt, but not today. Now, come," he said as he grabbed the kid and threw him on his shoulders, ready to take off. "I'll show you a new good spot for people watching."
"Hey, Naruto."
The blond turned around to look at Choji with a raised eyebrow.
The chubby boy's hand with a potato chip stopped near his mouth and he asked, "How did you do that?"
Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "Did what? Fell down the stairs?"
"The dodging."
"The dodging?" The orange-cladded genin was even more confused. "What dodging? What are you talking about?"
Hinata giggled while Choji stared at him like trying to decide if he was telling the truth, making fun of him, or avoiding the topic on purpose.
Shikamaru, who was sprawled on his desk and napping, lifted his head and leaned it against his arm as if it was too heavy to hold without support. His half-lidded eyes observed the blond sitting one row lower with startling sharpness. "Well…" he drawled in a lazy slur. "I'm more interested in how did you truly pass the exam, Naruto."
The blond's expression blanked out. "Me not passing the exam on the first try…" A smirk graced his lips. "Let's just say that was my last-ditch effort to secure the bottom position on the student list. I won, Nara."
The apple-haired boy scowled, but to keep it was asking for too much energy, so Shikamaru let it go and closed his eyes. "Troublesome…" he muttered.
Choji's jaw dropped. "You two competed for the last position?" he asked in disbelief, even his chips forgotten.
Shikamaru clicked his tongue, yet didn't comment. Naruto gave a one shoulder shrug, but also said nothing, neither confirming nor denying the stated fact.
One of Nara's eye fluttered open into a slit as he heard his orange loving peer flipping through the pages of his book. "What are you reading?" he inquired after a moment.
"The basics of Sealing Techniques."
The second eye opened, indicating Shikamaru's curiosity piqued. "Finally found where to use that brain of yours?" he asked with a hint of amusement.
Before Naruto could reply anything, Ino butted in with a scoff, "What brain? I'm pretty sure there is nothing in that skull of his. The idiot stays idiot no matter what!"
Naruto turned towards her. "Hm? You said something?" he asked nonchalantly, perfectly channeling his inner Dog-nii's persona.
The heir of Yamanaka's cheeks heated up when the class burst into laughter. "You!" she roared. "You're gonna pay!" The blonde jumped from her spot, ready to pounce on the smug looking Uzumaki, but then the door opened and Iruka walked in.
"Alright, kids, settled down!" he yelled out, sternly glaring each student down before they all sat in places and shut up. Iruka's gaze softened and he smiled. "I just want to tell you how proud I am of all of you. Beginning today, you're all real ninjas–"
Naruto buried his nose into the book again during the teacher's speech and put it down only then he heard Iruka announcing his name.
"Next, team Seven under the jounin sensei Jiro Yoshida: Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki. Next, team Eight under–"
The Jinchuuriki glanced at his new teammates, but none of them were paying any attention to him. Sakura was still cheering for being put on the same team as Sasuke, and the latter was glaring at nothing in particular.
Naruto sighed, continuing his reading. He wished that this team would work out. Dog-nii had always insisted that teamwork was a key to a success, and Weasel-nii had emphasized the importance of friendship too.
Naruto glanced at his team once more time, and a quiet sigh escaped his mouth again. He guessed that all would depend on their jounin sensei and the way he would handle their team. He hoped their teacher would be a good man and an amazing ninja. Just like Dog.
Naruto spent the lunch break in the classroom, absorbing as much information as he could from the book. He decided to ask Jiji about the parts he didn't fully understand later, and maybe to pester him about Dog's and Weasel's whereabouts one more time. The old Hokage told him the truth about his parents, perhaps now he would be more willing to talk about his big brother figures too.
When the break ended, all the prospective genins returned to the classroom to wait for their team's sensei.
They didn't have to wait for long. Soon, an unfamiliar ninja, a tough looking, well-muscled middle-aged man with black hair and sharp brown eyes, entered the room, a wide grin plastered on his face. "Team Seven?" he asked as his gaze wandered the rows of the aisles. "My name's Jiro Yoshida, your jounin sensei."
Naruto had to suppress a scowl when his new sensei's eyes briefly stopped on him. Something was off with this guy. His grin sent the already familiar warning alarm throughout the boy's mind for as bright as it was, the friendliness was certainly faked, hiding something behind. That something wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't good either. Mizuki gave the same vibe. The Jinchuuriki ignored it, and look what happened.
Naruto couldn't and wouldn't ignore his gut feeling this time – his new sensei was not to be trusted.
A/N
I can already see the negative reviews flying my way because of so many flashbacks in this chapter, but I'm actually very happy and satisfied with it. Although, I haven't planned Kakashi to gobble up almost the whole chapter, he simply grabbed the plot and ran away with it. He even dragged Itachi in :D Buuuut, as I'm still world-building, you needed to know what he is up to, what kind of relationship he has with Naruto, why and how it is like that. So, now you know. Also, who doesn't like some good ol' Kakashi's angst, right? Right.
Pretty sure no one has expected the twist of Kakashi not being the Team Seven's sensei. Ha! Many more twists are still waiting eagerly to be revealed, so fav, follow, and review! ;)
