"Team seven 2.0."
Chapter 4
"Conceal. Don't feel."
If Kakashi wasn't so focused on getting those children as far away from Tsunade as possible, he might have seen through her plan. Fortunately for the Fifth, his brain was too occupied to sense the deception.
Not knowing he was walking into a deadly trap, the Copy Ninja helped the healed Rashiro to his feet and freed the remaining two from their seated prisons.
Immediately the girl, Aria, ran up to her injured teammate and proceeded with checking the arm Ibiki previously injured while the brown haired boy, Renoir, looked at Kakashi with barely hidden, newfound admiration.
"Relax, Aria." Rashiro smiled, gently pushing the girl's fingers away from his limb. "Gin-san healed it already. It doesn't even hurt, look." He said flicking his arm to prove his right. "See? No pain."
In response Aria let out a sigh of relief and turned to the observing Copy Ninja, with a large smile.
"Thank you for saving dear Rash-kun, Gin-san." The blonde-pink haired healer said, using the whiskered boy's nickname for him and bowed respectfully. "If it wasn't for you, that cruel ninja would have broken his arm rather painfully."
Kakashi was about to brush her of, when he was interrupted by Sasuke's mini clone.
"Yeah. I don't think even people that possess the Swift Kekeigenkai, can move as fast as you can." Renoir said, dark-blue eyes sparkling with awe and the Copy Ninja had to wonder if that's what Sasuke would be like, if Itachi ever killed their entire clan. "I didn't even see it happen. And I always see it happen."
That last sentence made the silver haired ninja, think. What did the kid mean by 'always see it happen'? Did he have a bloodline similar to the sharingan or the Byakugan? He should have, he was the youngest Uchiha's clone after all. But his eyes didn't match those of the sharingan and Byakugan bearers, being in the color of dark blue instead of black or silver.
Shaking his head Kakashi dismissed the thought, it won't be his problem to solve. Soon, he and the kids will part ways and he can forget the situation all together.
He wasn't ready for a new genin team and a new wave of mistakes on his part.
He still hasn't recovered from the first one and the old wounds stung furiously.
He knew, he wouldn't survive a repeat.
On the other hand, those children had been through enough trauma. They didn't need him to add more as a pathetic sensei and caretaker.
They needed a kind hearted spirit that would listen to their troubles and give wisdom in return. They needed somebody who would treat them like children and not like weapons. They needed somebody that wasn't him.
And he knew just the man.
"You three." He pointed his finger at each of the genin. "Are going with me." Without another word the silver haired ninja gently pushed the children out the door and through the halls, until they reached the entrance door. There, he took his hands of the small bodies and stepped up to move in front of them.
The Copy Ninja didn't have to clarify the fact that they had to follow him from now on, the squirts were in an unfamiliar territory and he was the first, and only, person to act kindly towards them. They wouldn't dare leave his side.
The walk was quiet, the silence only broken by a few shocked gasps from the villagers as they walked by. Kakashi couldn't blame them from being shocked.
He had the exact same reaction, when he saw the trio.
They looked too much like the team seven they knew.
Unfortunately Kakashi had a bad feeling that, that high resemblance will attract unwanted attention from locals and fellow ninjas. He sighted. Why did it have to be the middle of the day? The time when almost everyone is enjoying themselves outside or doing grocery shopping in the market?
This scene will definitely not go unnoticed. He though as he picked up his pace, wanting to get to his destination as fast as possible.
Soon enough he was proved right by a large crowd gathering around him and the younglings, whispering the names of his students in disbelief.
All that, however, didn't sit well with the genin. Not used to receiving so much attention, the young ninjas subconsciously walked up closer to him. As if wanting to hide in his long shadow.
"Why are they looking at us like that, Gin-san?" Rashiro asked, looking around at the shocked and bewildered villagers, pointing fingers at him while moving his right arm towards that of the taller man. Wanting to grab it for comfort like any normal child his age, would.
Kakashi ignored the boy's move towards his hand and focused on answering the question.
"You guys just remind them of somebody they know, that's all." He didn't bother to correct the genin when it came to his name. The nickname fit perfectly and he might even use it on undercover missions from now on.
"Who do we remind them of, Gin-san?" Renoir asked, dark-blue eyes sparking with curiosity as he looked up at his new hero.
The silver haired ninja was preparing for that question, but that didn't make reviling the answer any easier.
"My old team."
#In Konoha's Ninja Academy:
Iruka groaned under his breath as one of the weaker students made the same mistake for the fifth time this week.
"No, Yoshi." He said in the calmest voice he could muster. "Ox comes before Tigre, not after. When will you learn that, Hissme?" A part of him regretted using the boy's last name but the brat had a whole week to master the 'shadow clone' jutsu, and jet he probably did nothing but play outside with his friends. "We've been though that simple jutsu for days now. What is so hard for you to understand?" He asked, his voice gentler now.
The small boy flinched at the sound of his last name, his big green eyes sparkling with shame and embarrassment.
"I just…" He tailed of unsure if he could continue, his reason of not preforming the hand signs being incredibly stupid. "I just can't remember what comes first, the Ox or the Tigre." He explained, his ginger head hanging low. "I always get mixed up on that part."
Iruka smiled at the young boy before him. He reminded him much of Naruto when he was trying to learn the technique that would ultimately become his signature one.
"That's alright, Yoshi." He placed a hand on the younglings shoulder and the boy looked up. "Now that I know where the problem lays, I can think of a way to fix it." It didn't take long for him to figure out the best way to ensure the boy remembered the correct order of the hand signs.
"First of all you need to-"
"Imagine the situation in real life. A tiger always hunts down the Ox, it's never the other way around." The academy teacher was roughly cut off by the stoic, ever calm voice of village's most perverted ninja not counting Master Jiraya.
Iruka raised an eyebrow at the man standing in the doorway, with his hands placed protectively in his pockets and giving an eye smile in his direction.
Soon the classroom was filled with awed gasps and exited whispers, the children happy one of the most famous ninja decided to visit them at school.
"Really, Master Hatake?" Yoshi asked, his green eyes filled with wonder and hero-worship as he spoke.
Kakashi shrugged. "That's how I memorized it, when I was learning that technique." Iruka couldn't tell if what the masked man said was a lie or a truth. That guy was always hard to read with his face being so heavily covered up. Whatever it was, it had the desired effect.
A mare minute later Yoshi closed his eyes and the elder ninja could see his lips repeating the words of his idol, before preforming the jutsu perfectly.
"I did it! I really did it, Iruka-sensei!" The two clones and the original yelled happily and the teacher smiled.
"Yes, indeed to did, Yoshi." He reached out and ruffled the young man's ginger hair fondly.
The boy then ran up to the Copy Ninja and bowed to him respectfully, thanking the guy with all his heart for teaching him that valuable lesson. To which the silver head just rubbed the back of his neck nervously while dismissing the boy, quoting that 'it-was-nothing' cliché.
"Why do you always seem to be so good in solving other people's problems?" Iruka asked, his eyebrow raised in amusement.
This time it was Kakashi's turn to raise an eyebrow, but not in the same way the academy teacher did but in confusion.
"Did you just admit, you had no idea how to make sure the boy got the message?"
Iruka shrugged. "I've been trying for over a week now." He said. "Nothing worked and I was running out ideas to try. That kid is more 'focus-resistant' than Naruto was at his age."
The taller man chuckled. "And here I thought you can teach anyone anything, after what you went through with Naruto." Kakashi stepped farther in to the class and the teacher couldn't help but notice the three charka signals that didn't follow.
"Yeah, well…the world is full of surprises, Copy Ninja." His smile faded and he look straight into the dark-gray orb. "What brings you here, Kakashi?" Iruka asked, his tone serious.
The said ninja gave him an innocent look. "Do I really have to, have a reason to visit you and those lovely…children of yours?"
Iruka didn't fall for it.
"Yes. Now spill it out, Kakashi or I will make sure the Hokage knows you're ready for another genin team."
The lone eye widened.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me." He folded his arms on his chest.
Kakashi growled under his breath. "Fine. I have a mission for you." He grumbled before the chunin had a chance to respond, motioning for the three shadows behind the door to step up.
The figures obeyed, though reluctantly as one by one three…children, left the secure spot and walked up to the two elder ninjas.
Iruka's eyes widened at the sight of the little ones, barely old enough to leave the academy. They looked exactly like…
He turned his eyes towards the Hatake, the look in them questioning and demanding answers.
The Copy Ninja ignored the teacher's gaze and placed a hand on 'Naruto's' back.
"These kids here." He stepped behind the three genin, his second hand landing on 'Sakura's' shoulder. "Are Rashiro Arashi, Renoir Orewashi and Aria Kuroko."
"Why are they-"
But the jounin ignored him. "They are to be taken under your care until the Hokage finds the location of their village and contacts its elders." He said before giving a small salute and walking away.
"Kakashi I can't take them in, not now." Iruka said sadly, looking into the eyes of light, dark blue and green.
The Copy Ninja stopped midway. "What did you say?" He asked turning around, eye blazing.
The chunin sighted. "Kakashi the exams are just around the corner and, as you yourself can see, not every student is ready for them." He started, gently pushing the small group out the open door.
"But-"
"No buts, Kakashi. My students need to pass so that they can become genin and allow the new generation to take their places."
"But what am I supposed to do with-"
"Take them for a small walk around the village." The chunin sighted seeing the scared look in the Copy Ninja's eye. "Kakashi, I know you're scared of getting close to them and I can totally understand that. The minute the exam is over, I'll take those children under my wing. Until then, have fun playing caretaker." With that, Iruka shut the door in the silver jounin's nose.
The Copy Ninja was about to bang on the door but decided against it, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He sighted irritated and run a hand through his gravity-defying hair and turned to face the young ones behind him.
Dark gray met dark, light blue and green.
For a minute nobody said anything, the sound of a bird echoing above them in the distance.
"So…" Kakashi stated, his hand moving awkwardly towards his neck. God, it has been years since the last time he was taking care of children. "Ramen?"