Why do I keep updating this?!
What sorcery is this?

This is you, reviewers, isn't it?! Prescripto13 and Copeland have landed a spell on me that makes me focus on this instead of writing my History essay and study for Statistics!

...No, seriously, this usually doesn't happen, what's going on?

I'm Not Like Them

Eight years old

He did his best not to frown when the blond told him they would 'finally' meet their 'precious' teammates, which would eventually lead to a 'cute, ever-lasting and perfect' friendship. Firstly because every time he frowned the man would insist he was pouting—which he was most definitely not—, and secondly because Minato was downright jumping for joy about the whole situation.

Kakashi, on his part, didn't get it. He was a chuunin and did not need more teammates. He and Minato could and had taken on every other mission on their own without problems, and two genin would only slacken and thwart their team dynamics.

Keeping these thoughts to himself, the short, silver-haired shinobi allowed himself to be pulled by Minato to the classroom where several boys and girls around Kakashi's age, some a little older, were waiting. The blond grinned at everyone, making no attempt to correct his chuunin's sour look.

"Team 12, meet me in the big tree out of here!" And then the jounin ignored Kakashi's flails as he picked the boy up and disappeared from the classroom in a whirl of leaves. When they got to where they were supposed to wait, cheerful cobalt blue eyes met annoyed onyx ones. "What?"

That only served to increase the intensity of the boy's glare. Kakashi then plopped down on the grass, followed closely by a baffled Minato, who kept looking over at him waiting for an explanation until the reminder members of their new team arrived and both excitedly and nervously settled themselves across from the other two.

The four stared at each other for a minute until the little girl—and Minato would forever love her for it— smiled kindly at the oldest male.

"Are you doing okay, sensei?"

The blond returned the smile while Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm doing pretty good, actually." Then the finally remembered what it was he was supposed to do, and cleared his throat, confidence regained. "My name is Namikaze Minato, I'm twenty-two years old, I enjoy reading and the thing I want to do in the future is become Hokage so that I can watch over all of the people in the village." He took a fleeting look at Kakashi, but seeing the boy made no effort to try and introduce himself, the blond turned to the girl. "Your turn."

She brightened immediately, her hand moving to take her brown hair out of her eyes. "I'm Nohara Rin, I turned nine a week ago…uhm…" she stopped, looking indecisive about her next words "I really like flowers a lot! Especially during the spring because there are so many different colors, and my dream is to become a medic and keep the people I like safe."

Minato smiled gently at her. It was a very nice dream to have, but with war approaching he could only hope the circumstances wouldn't dampen her spirits. He motioned to the black-haired boy with his chin. "You."

To the blond's surprise, the kid actually stood up, a grin plastered on his face. And began talking at such a volume he was sure he had seen both other children cringe. "I'm Uchiha Obito, ten years old, do remember that! I like ramen and blue and I dislike jerks and self-centered people!" Looking pleased with himself, the loudmouth sat back down on the grass, and looked at the reminding member of the team.

Rin and Minato followed his example, but Kakashi did not yield from his stare-contest with a blade of grass between his feet. The blond nudged him and the youngest member of the team sighed soundlessly. He reached into his kunai holster and pulled out a small notebook. Without opening it, he showed the cover to the other youngsters.

'KAKASHI' Was written in black, bold letters over the thin white cardboard.

They both stared, Rin with a smile and the Uchiha with a frown.

"What, can't you just say it?" The boy asked, earning a glare from the younger boy who then looked it their teacher almost as if saying 'I told you so'.

Minato was quick to intervene before the glare match that had begun became a quarrel. "Ah, no, Obito-kun. See, Kakashi here is mute. Don't worry, though, we'll teach you how we can communicate even in missions."

It was easy to notice the blush of embarrassment even with those ridiculous orange goggles covering the male genin's eyes. "Oh." He tried to meet the youngest's eyes, but they were clearly evading him. "Sorry."

The blond cleared his throat "Well, just to make his quicker, Kakashi is eight, a chuunin, and he… well … He likes dogs, I guess. He's allergic to cats so I assume he doesn't like them. And he told me once that his dream for the future was for me to stop babying him." He grinned, hopping to have lightened the mood (even if what he said was the truth). For the most part he seemed to have succeeded, but Kakashi's small fists tightened up as the boy glared at him.

Choosing to ignore this particular side-effect, Minato stood and dusted invisible dirt from his trousers. He informed the children they would be going to Ichiraku's to have dinner. The effect was immediate: two thirds of his team jumped to their feet and almost began pulling him to the stand while the other third caught up with them unenthusiastically.

As they walked, Obito lagged to attempt and apologize once again, an action fondly observed by the team leader. The older boy was about to open his mouth when he noticed something particularly odd. "Why d' ya have a red cloth in your weapons' pouch?" The Uchiha reached over, but had his hand slapped away by Kakashi.

The grey-haired child glared at the taller ninja and walked over to where Rin and Minato had stopped to wait for them. He didn't miss the "jerk" directed to him, but decided to just keep on walking.

Arriving at the stand, the jounin was quick to, quite unnecessarily, help all of his students to the high stools and allowed everyone to order before ordering a miso ramen for himself before falling on a pleasant, mostly one-sided conversation with the small chuunin sitting next to him.

But Kakashi lost the man's attention soon, the jounin having been captured by Obito's rant about something or the other which was quickly joined in by Rin. Having been his turn to peak in the conversation with Minato and not knowing what else to do, the Hatake pulled out the piece of fabric his new teammate had noticed earlier and waved it by his sensei's face.

Minato interrupted himself mid-sentence to glare at him. It made Kakashi go stiff; the blond had never, ever looked at him like that. The red cloth was practically yanked out of his hand, or at least it felt that way, and the eight-year-old didn't know what to do with himself. "Don't do that while I'm speaking, Kakashi."

Then the blond turned away from him again in favor of facing his two new students, and the chuunin's shoulders slumped. Not knowing if he felt angered or hurt, the boy turned his back to all three of his teammates, pushing his full bowl away and letting his hidden chin fall on the palm of his right hand.

After hearing Obito and Rin say their good-byes and leave, Kakashi went to do the same, only to be stopped by a large hand that held onto his shirt. The young chuunin looked up into his sensei's troubled eyes.

"What is it with you today? I was trying to have a conversation, you know? That was very rude."

Kakashi did shrink back a little at the scolding, but to his credit he returned the adult's angered stare. 'I'm sorry I'm not like them' He signed, glad to have had the patience of teaching the man enough sign language to have this little argument.

"What do you mean, you're not like them, Kakashi?!"

The boy yanked the fabric of his shirt of out his teacher's grasp. 'Could not even introduce myself. You wanted it to be quick. I'm sorry I'm slow to communicate.' And he turned, not willing to continue. He began walking until he heard his teacher's sigh behind him.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but it's not like you wanted to communicate in the first place." There was a pause "At least take the bandana with you!"

Frowning, the boy turned so his teacher could see what he was signing. 'Don't want it anymore.' He ran to his house as fast as he could, slammed the door behind him, and laid down on the couch, promptly falling asleep.

The next morning, Kakashi woke to find himself under the covers of his own bed, the red bandana resting on his bedside table.

So, here can see Kakashi slip into his bratty younger self.

... But still, Minato loves him in the end, doesn't he?

Anyway, as always, prompts open and stuff.

Yeah.