A Personal Matter

R. Winters

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't own a water buffalo.

Well, this should satisfy some of you who thought some things should be explained to Harry. The drastic differences between English culture and Konoha culture should be made a little more clear in this chapter, as well. And, hopefully, the time skip part near the end isn't too confusing... (If it is, let me know, and I'll try to find a way to do it more smoothly.)

The OCs in the beginning... will probably never be seen again. They may or may not make a brief camio appearance much later, but I'm not planning on it. The only thing I have to say about them is on their ages. Because of the war and the pressing need for more shinobi, graduation has been pushed forward to an average age of ten. Thus, ten-year-old Genin are in no way, shape, or form even remotely genius-esque. (Just want to make sure that's clear from the get-go.)

One more quick thing I almost forgot. Personal names, such as Kakashi and Harii are usually written in Katakana. According to Wikipedia, Kakashi's family name, Hatake, is written in Hiragana. (Which may or may not be completely accurate.) Also, Katakana and Hiragana are both considered to be "kana" writing systems.

Update: As EvilSpanker pointed out to me, in chapter 316 Kakashi mentions that most Jounin are able to manipulate more than two elemental natures. There has been a slight change to reflect this by adding the requirement to the test near the end.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Your comments are very much appreciated! If you're still in school, have a good MEA weekend!

Chapter 7 – Life's Surprises

A loud, unattractive bleating noise broke the silence in the mostly abandoned hallway outside room 135. The young man from which the noise had originated smiled a little, cheeks pink, as he hid a broken party favor behind his back.

The brown haired man leaning against the wall across the hall from him, frowned slightly, eyebrows lowering in annoyance. "Can't you be serious for just a few minutes?"

The first man straightened defensively, dropping the discarded toy to the floor next to him, "Come on, Moony! It's not the first time a woman's given birth, you know!" He rolled his eyes for good measure.

"Sirius, it's respectful to keep your voice down in a hospital," Remus pointed out testily.

The other male sighed, leaning his head back against the wall and staring up at the florescent lights affixed to the ceiling, "You need to relax, Remus."

Silence settled in the hallway when the other man didn't reply.

At last a short, plump man with dirty-blonde hair, who stood next to Sirius, piped up in a nervous tone, "But they've been in there for a while, haven't they? Does it normally take this long?" He turned his gaze from Sirius to Remus, obviously worried.

"... It's been noted to take longer," Remus said carefully.

"First-borns usually take the longest," Sirius added, "Mum always said Reg came a lot easier."

There was another lengthy silence.

Remus checked his watch, "It's been five hours already," he murmured impatiently, "It's already the thirty-first, now."

Sirius groaned, "We're going to have to change the decorations."

Remus shot him an irritated look, "Are parties and decorations all you can think about?"

"You—you don't think Lily's in danger, do you?" Peter squeaked fearfully.

"Lily's fine," Sirius retorted, "She's not going to let a little thing like having a baby hurt her—she's got more guts than you, Wormtail."

Peter lowered his head, twisting his hands anxiously.

"Don't start on him, Sirius," Remus groaned, "He's just worried."

"And I'm just saying he doesn't need to be," Sirius snapped, "This is Lily and James we're talking about! If Voldemort"—Peter squeaked in fright—"can't stop them, nothing can!"

"Sirius, please," Remus started in exasperation.

Their rapidly dissolving conversation was interrupted by the sharp cry of an infant in the other room, and all three males immediately turned silent, eyes locking on the door.


"Another D-ranked mission?!" A boy with rusty-red hair tumbling off his head in unruly spikes complained loudly.

The dark haired man walking in front of him did not seem amused. One black eyebrow ticked above a pair of glasses, "You lot should be grateful you're still allowed D-rank," he grumbled, "After the farce you made on your C-rank."

The children behind him shifted uneasily.

"It wasn't our fault, sensei," a second boy complained, this one with longer black hair and one dark, horizontal line of paint smeared under each eye.

"Really?" The man asked dryly, turning slightly to look at the ten-year-old dubiously, "Then who's fault was it?"

The boy was silent for a moment before bravely intoning, "It was those bandits! If they hadn't attacked, we would've completed it!"

"Yeah!" His rusty haired teammate agreed.

The man's eyebrow twitched again, "Is that what you all think? Eiko?" His gaze turned to rest on the third teammate, a young girl with chin length mauve hair.

The girl flushed a little under his scrutiny and rubbed awkwardly at the bandages still covering her shoulder and most of her left arm—a final safety precaution after she'd had the large, clumsy cast removed a few days ago. She looked anxiously between her teacher and her two nodding teammates.

"A-anô... Yes, Hiko-sensei."

The man's eyebrow ticked a third time.

"You idiots!" He roared, earning surprised and disapproving looks from the others that shared the street with them. His three students looked marginally chastised. "As soon as we're done with this mission, you three are going to run laps around the village until you figure out what's wrong with that conclusion!" He announced, pausing for a moment before adding, "Or until your feet bleed! Whichever comes first!" He had a sinking suspicion that it may be the latter.

The three ten-year-olds looked horrified.

"But, sensei, that's not fair!" The rusty haired boy complained loudly.

"I know it wasn't really the bandits!" The second boy insisted.

His teacher regarded him coolly as they turned up another street, "Do you?" He asked dubiously, "Then whose fault was it? Masao?"

The dark haired boy flushed slightly, "Eto..."

Hiko snorted and looked at the other boy, "Toshio?"

The rusty haired boy frowned in thought before asking, "Nobody's?"

The man rolled his eyes, "Eiko?"

"Anô..." The girl studiously avoided looking at her teacher's face, a blush coloring her cheeks.

Hiko let out a heavy sigh, "Idiots," he grumbled again, turning towards the apartment building they were approaching.

"Why do we have to baby-sit a six-year-old, anyway, sensei?" Masao asked moodily, "Isn't he kind of old?"

Hiko rolled his eyes and led the way to the stairs, "It's not babysitting," he corrected, "We're just checking on him."

"For what?" Eiko asked curiously, blush subsiding.

The man shrugged, "You know... to make sure he's still there... isn't starving himself... still has enough food... that kind of stuff."

"... Isn't he kind of old?" Masao repeated after a moment.

His teammates nodded their agreement.

Hiko sighed, "As I understand it, Hatake Harii is from a civilian village somewhere outside Fire Nation. He hasn't been home alone before and his guardians just want to be sure he can handle it."

"Oh," Masao said flatly, not looking entirely convinced.

"Here it is," Hiko announced, stopping in front of a door and knocking three times.

"Sensei," Toshio started hesitantly, "When you said Hatake before..."

"I remembered that, too!" Eiko gasped, looking up at her teacher with wide eyes, "Isn't he the guy who started the war? Hatake-something?"

Masao frowned, looking between his teammates with confusion. "Stupid," he said to the girl, "It was Rock who started the war."

"No, it was him!" Toshio exclaimed, "O-jisan told me! And he was Hatake Sakumo; I remember 'cause he killed himself afterwards."

"Yeah!" Eiko agreed.

Masao frowned in disbelief.

"Now, now," Hiko interrupted, "Sakumo-san didn't start the war, you guys. Actually, the war started because his team failed their mission, just like you guys that time."

The three Genin stared at him with disbelief and shock. Hiko knocked on the door again.

"But, sensei!" Eiko started in alarm.

"How could a whole war start just because of one mission?" Masao demanded, eyes wide.

"Mou... There had been a lot of fighting already," the Jounin admitted, "That mission didn't even start it, really. More like... it solidified it, you know?"

"But kaasan said—" Eiko started.

"This isn't the place to talk about it," Hiko interrupted sharply as he heard the lock scraping open, "Let's focus on completing our mission for now, got it?"

Reluctantly, the trio agreed, "Yes, sensei."

The door opened and a small, white haired child stared up at them blankly, an orange and white dog standing protectively at his side.

"That's him?" Toshio blurted in surprise—he looked nothing like Toshio imagined the child of a man who single-handedly started a war between to nations would appear.

Hiko suppressed the ticking of his eyebrow, "Harii-kun, may we come in? We were told to check in on you."

The boy stared up at him blankly, head tilting slightly in acknowledgement of his name.

"Anô..." Eiko started uncertainly.

"Is he stupid?" Toshio asked tactlessly.

"Moron, shut up!" Masao hissed at his teammate.

Hiko scratched his head in bemusement and slipped out the concise briefing they'd been given at the mission desk. He quickly scanned the contents again as the five of them stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Oh..." It was a small postscript hastily scribbled onto the bottom of the briefing. He'd failed to notice that small detail the first time he'd skimmed their orders.

"What?" Eiko asked.

"... It seems Harii-kun speaks a foreign language," the Jounin explained.

"Foreign language?" Toshio repeated dubiously.

"There are some people that don't speak the same language as us," Hiko explained uncertainly, "I think... I mean, there must be, that's what it says..."

The Genin still looked uncertain.

"Anyway," Hiko said, "It seems like we'll have to do more 'showing' than 'telling,' since he doesn't understand what we say." The man crouched down until he was about level with the small boy.

"Harii-kun," he started again to get the boy's attention. He spoke loudly and slowly, using as simple of words as he could and accenting them with motions of his hands that were meant to explain his meaning, "We. Are. Here. To. Help. You... May. We. Come. In?"

Harry blinked, frowning at the man.

Hiko stood, scratching his head and adjusting his glasses a little in bemusement. "We're here to help," he repeated helplessly, taking a step closer as he did so.

Harry stepped back quickly, moving out of the way of the incoming man.

The Jounin blinked in surprise, then smirked and led his team inside.

"See?" He asked them, "That wasn't so hard. Masao, you go check the kitchen for food," he pointed to the kitchenette on the left, then at a door on the right, "And Toshio, make sure the bathroom's clean."

The boy groaned and complained, but drug his feet in the indicated direction.

"You check his room, Eiko," the man added, pointing to the open door further back from the bathroom. He hesitated and looked down at Harry, "Yours?"

The boy stared at him blankly.

"Your room?" Hiko repeated more insistently, "Um... Harii-kun's?"

Frowning, Harry looked between the man and where he was pointing, then nodded, "Hai."

Hiko smiled slightly and urged his student on, "Go on, Eiko. I'll..." He looked at the six-year-old uncertainly, "That is, I'll try to talk to Harii-kun."

Crouching down, the man dropped to Harry's eye level again, "I'm Kimoto Hiko," he explained, then hesitated and repeated, "Hiko," a little louder.

"... Hiko," Harry repeated with an uncertain frown. Was he going to live with this man from now on instead of sensei and Kakashi?

Hiko grinned and nodded encouragingly, "Right, hai. And this is my team. Masao, Toshio, and Eiko." He motioned in the direction each student had disappeared in—Harry's head twisted around rapidly in an attempt to follow the man's gestures, then returned to the man, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"Right, well..." Hiko scratched his head, "Have you been eating well, Harii?"

At the boy's continued blank expression, he repeated, "Eating?" And accompanied the louder word with exaggerated hand motions.

Harry flushed and ducked his head, shifting awkwardly. After several seconds, he reluctantly nodded and offered a meek, "Hai."

Baffled by his response, the man nodded slowly and asked, "So... you have been eating? Yes?"

"Yes..." Harry confirmed again—Ryou-kun nudged at his arm for support and Harry instinctively scratched the dog's head in response, feeling a little better for it.

"Good," the man nodded, then smiled confusedly, "I don't really get you, Harii-kun," he admitted, "But it's good that you're eating, right?"

Harry stared at him uncertainly.

"The bathroom's fine," Toshio announced, emerging from the small room in a huff, "There's enough toilet paper and soap and stuff, too."

Hiko nodded and stood. "Good. How's the kitchen, Masao?" He called over his shoulder.

"I think there's enough food for a month," the dark haired boy decided, meandering back out.

Eiko emerged from the bedroom, as well. "It looks fine, Hiko-sensei," she reported, "His futon was still out, so I folded it up, okay?"

The Jounin nodded, "Does he have clean clothes?"

The girl hesitated, then nodded, "I think so."

"Good," Hiko said. He looked back down at Harry uncertainly, then reached down to ruffle his hair, "Looks like you're doing okay, Harii-kun."

Harry stared at him with a small frown of confusion.

"Well... we're done here," he moved towards the door, ushering his students in front of him. Harry trailed uncertainly behind him. "Make sure to lock the door behind us, okay?" The Jounin added, pausing in the doorway to look back at the small boy.

Harry stared blankly at him.

"The... lock," Hiko offered lamely, pointing to it on the door, "Okay? Got it?"

Harry gave no indication one way or the other.

Hiko scratched the back of his head again, "Goodbye," he offered awkwardly, pulling the door after him as he stepped into the hall.

"Sayonara!" The three Genin echoed just before the door closed.

Harry stared at the door dumbly for a moment, wondering what had just happened. At length, he stepped forward to slide the lock back into place. Once it settled, his hand lingered a moment longer.

"... Sayonara," he whispered forlornly before drawing his hand back and turning around.

Ryou-kun barked cheerfully, bounding to his side with his tail wagging enthusiastically. Harry smiled slightly and scratched the dog's head again.

Maybe they could go outside later—animals liked being outside, didn't they?


Harry frowned up at the building he'd been thrown out of twice now, Ryou-kun at his side. The first time had been by a rather gruff, tall and muscular man with one of those metal plates tied around his head. He'd spoken roughly as he escorted Harry out, and the six-year-old thought the marks from where he'd grabbed him were starting to bruise on his arm. The second had been a woman, and she'd been much nicer about it, speaking gently as she steered him back outside.

The more he thought about it, the more he thought Kakashi must be in there, and everyone was trying to keep him away.

He knew the older boy spent quite a bit of time there—the day he'd spent with him they'd been there half for hours. He couldn't figure out why everyone would want to keep him from Kakashi, but it was becoming annoying.

Sensei and Kakashi had been gone for a long time, Harry thought. Days and days—three, at least. He often found Ryou-kun staring out the window, and he was pretty sure the dog was watching for his master, so he thought they should have been back by now.

"Harii-kun?"

The six-year-old looked up at the feminine voice speaking his name, surprised.

Kushina had a surprised look on her face, and she was dressed similarly to sensei, in rugged black pants that ended around mid-shin, a tight black shirt with long arms that ran to just below her elbows, a large, bulky green vest and the metal plate that was becoming very familiar tied around her forehead. She smiled, still looking a little confused, and held a hand out to him.

Harry looked balefully up at the building he wasn't allowed in, and went to her, Ryou-kun pacing after him.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asked.

Closer now, Harry could see that she was very dirty. She smelled of mud and something unpleasant that he couldn't quite place. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he wasn't sure.

Harry frowned, thinking of how to communicate his concern to her. He raised his free hand and pointed up at the building, "Kakashi-niisan."

The woman blinked and her smile softened, "Did Kakashi-kun go in there, Harii? Are you looking for him?"

Harry stared at her—he recognized Kakashi's name, but wasn't sure what she'd said about him. He pointed and reaffirmed his previous statement a little more emphatically, "Kakashi-niisan."

"We can go in and ask the Hokage about him," Kushina suggested, stepping towards the building with his hand in hers.

Harry smiled a little, sure that she'd understood, and went with her. She was always nice to him, and he was sure she wouldn't let any of those mean people throw him out again.

People greeted the woman as they entered, a few eyes lingered on Harry, but he was ignored for the most part. He preferred it that way. If they were ignoring him, they couldn't be yelling at him or trying to get rid of him.

She led the way upstairs, where Harry had seen Kakashi go a few times before. Ryou-kun trailed after them. Harry waited impatiently for them to be allowed into the office.

"Hokage-sama," Kushina acknowledged. Harry watched her salute, belatedly remembering he was supposed to bow.

The Hokage looked her over, then to Harry at her side with a single raised eyebrow, before turning his attention back to the woman, "Kushina-san, I have been expecting you."

"It took a little longer than planned," the woman replied wryly, dropping Harry's hand to pull a scroll from one of her pockets and hand it over.

The Hokage gave the scroll a cursory look before returning his attention to the pair, "And you've found Harii-kun already, I see."

"He was waiting outside when I arrived," the woman supplied, dropping a hand on the boy's messy white hair with a bemused smile, "I'm not sure, but I think he thinks Kakashi's here."

"Ah... Kakashi and his team are on a mission right now," the Hokage supplied, looking at the boy thoughtfully, "They should be returning today or tomorrow; certainly very soon. I believe Minato-san is hoping you will watch Harii-kun until his return."

"He's been left alone?" The woman asked with surprise, "How long have they been gone?"

"We've had shinobi out there to check on him," the Hokage assured her, "And, as you can see, he was not left entirely alone. This will be the fourth day since their departure."

Kushina still looked unhappy, but she reluctantly dismissed it. Harry was living with two very important shinobi, he would have to get used to being left alone. Besides, he didn't look much worse off—he looked better than the last time she'd seen him, in fact—if she ignored how forlorn he appeared as he searched for his brother.

"I'll look after him," she relented. She turned to the boy, "Harii, Kakashi-kun isn't here right now, do you understand?"

The boy stared at her blankly, head tilted slightly in question.

"Kakashi is with Minato-san on a mission," the Hokage explained carefully, addressing the boy in his own language, "He'll be back soon."

Harry frowned in confusion, "Mission...?" He repeated.

The Hokage nodded, "Kakashi and Minato are two of my important shinobi," he explained, "They go on missions to protect the village."

"Oh..." Harry said, still looking a little confused.

Ryou-kun stood, tail wagging as he barked. Blinking, Kushina looked at the dog. At least one of them had understood.

"They are coming back, though?" Harry asked uncertainly.

The Hokage smiled, "Yes, they are," he confirmed, "They'll probably be home by tomorrow."

Harry thought a moment longer and nodded. He could wait another day for them.

The Hokage turned back to Kushina, "I believe Harii-kun now understands the situation, to some extent," he said, "It seems he was worried they would not be returning. I have explained things to him."

The woman smiled slightly and bowed briefly to the man, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

He nodded and she took hold of Harry's hand again, leading him from the room.

Bemused, the boy allowed the woman to lead him from the building again, absently listening to her speaking to him, tone light and friendly but words foreign.


Harry looked up from the scroll he was writing on when the door opened. Ryou-kun was already at the door, tail wagging like it would break off his body at any moment, and Harry's face lit up with excitement as the older white haired boy stepped through the doorway, patting the dog absently on the head and tolerating its exuberant welcome.

He looked like he hadn't slept in several days, his hair was much more bedraggled than usual, plastered down and stained with mud in some places, and dark circles stood out against his pale face under his eyes. His clothes were even worse, muddy and disheveled and even torn a little.

"Kakashi-niisan!" Harry called out excitedly, running over to the older boy before stopping short as he remembered Kakashi's aversion to physical contact.

"Tadaima," Kakashi responded tiredly, patting the boy's head absently as though he were another dog.

Behind him, Minato encouraged him further into the room so he could enter as well. He grinned at the tired boy and ruffled his hair—for once Kakashi didn't protest—then did the same to Harry with a warm greeting.

"Welcome home," Kushina put in as the pair began dropping their bags and vests beside the door.

Minato looked up, his tired grin widening at the sight of the woman, "Kushina-san, I'm glad you made it back safely."

"I always do," Kushina retorted, "You look terrible."

The blonde laughed breathlessly, "At least I don't look as bad as I feel, then."

Kushina laughed. "Welcome home, Kakashi-kun," she added, turning to the younger shinobi.

Kakashi grunted a response, already moving towards his room.

"Harii-kun was looking for you down at the Hokage's Tower," she said, "I think you really had him worried, running off like that."

Kakashi grunted again, hand on the door.

"Kakashi-niisan!" Harry called out excitedly, having retrieved his scroll from the table and now wheedling his way up next to the older boy to show him it.

Dully, the twelve-year-old's eyes lowered to see what the younger boy was holding aloft. He stared blankly at the poorly shaped hiragana and katakana that, despite the poor penmanship, clearly spelt out familiar names.

Hatake Harii was written several times, and Kakashi was written a few more times below that.

"I thought he should at least know how to write his name," Kushina said by way of explanation for the boy.

"Hmm," Kakashi grunted before moving into the bedroom and shutting the door for a little privacy before stripping off most of his clothes and collapsing on his futon almost before he'd rolled it out.

Harry stared at the shut door in mute surprise for several seconds after it closed, then he looked back at the two adults, confusion evident in his expression. They smiled at him.

"Kakashi-kun's just tired, Harii-kun," Minato explained with a yawn of his own. When the boy showed no sign of understanding, he tried again, "He's tired," he emphasized, "Had to go to sleep."

"Sleep," Harry mused, recognizing the word, "Kakashi-niisan... tired?"

Minato grinned, "Right, he's tired, so he has to sleep. Show him again in the morning."

The boy stared at him for a long moment before nodding and taking the scroll back to his table. Minato turned to Kushina, "Think he understood any of that?"

The woman smiled and shrugged, "I don't know," she replied, "He's doing much better though, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Minato agreed, watching the boy thoughtfully, "Ever since he spent that time alone with Kakashi..."

"Oh?" Kushina asked, turning to him curiously.

"The rest of us went on a mission while Kakashi stuck around to finish off some details for his test," he explained, "So I left Harii-kun with him for the day. The next morning he was talking and everything, I just wonder what Kakashi did to get him to break out of his shell."

"I guess Kakashi-kun is better with kids than we thought," Kushina said thoughtfully, "It's cute that Harii-kun calls him niisan. Does he know what it means?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Minato replied with a shrug, "I guess Kakashi must've taught him to say it, though." He grinned, "When I asked him about it he wouldn't answer one way or another, but it's not like Harii-kun could have heard it anywhere else."

"I think it will be good for both of them," Kushina said, "To have real family again."

"Yeah," Minato agreed absently.


He felt a familiar warmth radiating from nearby as his body slowly began to rouse. Something touched him, rough and wet against his face. His instincts would normally jolt him awake at finding someone so close to him, but the feeling was familiar in a comforting way and his barely conscious mind soon identified the perpetrator.

A cold nose prodded at his neck and his eyes shut more tightly in protest. One arm snaked out from under his covers to pat the dog on the head, then scratch behind his ear. Ryou-kun made an appreciative noise, instinctively leaning into Kakashi's fingers. A moment later he remembered himself and pulled back, grumbling deep in his throat.

Kakashi's eyes blinked open at last and he frowned slightly in confusion as he looked up at the dog. Somewhere in the back of his mind he recalled forgetting to release him when he'd returned the day before.

The dog growled again and Kakashi's expression sharpened, frown hardening and eyes sharpening as the lingering effects of sleep and exhaustion left him. He sat up.

"What?" He demanded of the Ninken.

The series of low growls and sharp barks that followed would have been baffling to most humans. In fact, the noises themselves did little to assist the young summoner in understanding the dog's story at all. The understanding took place on a deeper level, somewhere within his being—in every molecule of his blood, which he'd used to sign a pact almost seven years before. It was an old and mysterious link, and while it was sometimes questioned, it had never been fully explained.

Kakashi's expression darkened, then turned blank as the dog fell silent. His blood boiled inside of him, but the twelve-year-old kept his face carefully schooled.

"Ryou-kun," he said at last, "You should not have attacked him."

The dog barked in protest, hair raising on his back and very much in tune to the emotions below his master's cool exterior.

"For some people, all they can do is talk," Kakashi retorted coolly, "We've heard it all before." But for some reason, he couldn't help but feel more irked than usual. Comments of that nature—regarding his father, and him, to some extent—were less and less frequent these days, so he could accord it to the months it had been since the last one he'd heard. He knew intrinsically that that wasn't the reason it bothered him so much, though.

He was brutally honest to himself as he admitted that it was only because the nin had said it to Harry. His brother, Harry, who knew nothing of the shinobi way and was ignorant to the dishonor that sullied their father's name. He didn't know why—it certainly could be no misplaced loyal ties to his late father—but he had no desire for Harry to find out about the White Fang's fall from glory. In fact, he had every desire to prevent it.

It wasn't a logical line of thought; if anything, he should welcome Harry's discovery of their sire's downfall, as a lesson and a warning. And it frustrated the young shinobi to realize that the emotions he wasn't supposed to have were getting in the way of his logic.

Ryou-kun whined, pressing his nose into the unresponsive boy's hand and breaking Kakashi from his thoughts.

The boy's eyes focused on his dog once more and he felt a second spark of annoyance—accompanied with a cruel satisfaction that Ryou-kun had attacked the nin. Chances were, he wouldn't be saying things like that around his brother again.

"Good job, Ryou-kun," he muttered, "You can go back now."

The dog sat back and barked once, tail flopping around a few times, before disappearing in a small cloud of smoke. Kakashi coughed, waving his hand in front of his face—at least Ryou-kun could have moved back a little before disappearing. Annoying dog. His eyes rose to the door as it started to shift, and his teacher looked in through the crack before pulling the door the rest of the way open, grinning.

"I see you finally decided to wake up," the man said in an amused tone.

Kakashi scowled and got out of bed, automatically moving through the mundane process of folding his futon up properly. "What time is it?" The question came out a little sharper than he intended.

"Almost eleven," Minato replied, "We were going to wake you up for lunch soon if you didn't get up by yourself."

Standing, Kakashi looked around with a slight frown—he'd had to move most of his clothes from his drawers to make room for Harry's things, and that which he didn't had been packed for the mission. He turned to his teacher, frown still in place.

Minato chuckled at the dark look, "Harii-kun and I brought our uniforms to the cleaners earlier," he stated, "I'll get something for you to wear in the meantime."

Ten minutes later, Kakashi emerged from his room in loose black pants that he'd tied down around his ankles with white tape, and a light blue top that felt stiff because he never wore it. He was adjusting the collar of the gi unhappily as he stepped into the main room, a spare mask he'd found in the bottom of his bag clashing with the otherwise traditional outfit.

"You know, you didn't have to wear the mask," Minato commented with amusement upon seeing him, "We have the day off."

Kakashi scowled underneath the material, "Always be prepared, sensei," the boy said derisively, "That's the first shinobi law."

The man raised an eyebrow, still looking amused, "I've memorized the same code as you, Kakashi, I think I know which tenet you're referring to."

The boy stared back at him dubiously before taking a seat at the small table, irritation practically radiating from him. Harry, apparently, didn't notice.

"Kakashi-niisan," the younger boy started—the paper he had been working on the day before was still out. He carefully put down the brush he'd been practicing with, "Here."

"Look, I think is what you mean, Harii-kun," Minato offered helpfully, moving to the opposite side of the table, "Look."

The boy stared at him blankly for a moment before turning his attention back to the older boy, "Here, Kakashi-niisan."

Minato sighed exasperatedly, but a smile remained on his face.

Kakashi reluctantly turned his eyes to see what the younger boy was going on about, putting a tight lid on his simmering temper.

Harry proudly held out his scroll for the other boy to look at. Beside the kana, he'd written his own name in romaji, though the letters were still a little crudely formed.

Kakashi stared dully at the scroll, not sure what he was supposed to be looking at. Uncertainly, he glanced at his teacher.

Minato raised an eyebrow, "Harii-kun's been learning how to write his name," he said carefully, "Don't you think he did a good job, Kakashi-kun?"

Kakashi looked back at the paper, frowning slightly—it certainly wasn't anything to brag about, even his calligraphy was better than that.

"It's good, don't you think?" Minato prompted again.

"Aa," Kakashi said unenthusiastically. Today wasn't turning out to be much better than yesterday had been.

Harry frowned, looking up at the older boy unhappily. That was it?

"Kakashi," Minato started with a frown.

The Chuunin stood, "I'm going down to the training grounds, sensei," he said, already moving around the table to the door. He would imagine his training target was Sanoda.

"Kakashi," the man said again, rising to his feet and following, "You need to have something to eat first."

"I'll pick something up on the way," Kakashi dismissed.

"Don't you think you should say something to your brother, first?" The blonde demanded, "He was worried while you were gone, remember?"

Kakashi shot the adult an annoyed look over his shoulder before looking back at Harry. "Sayonara, Harii-san," he said blandly before continuing out the door, adding "Ittekimasu" needlessly.

Minato sighed, walking back over to the table and the disappointed looking six-year-old. He worked up a smile, "That's Kakashi for you," he commented lightly, "You can never really tell what he's thinking, can you?"

Harry didn't seem at all comforted.

"It's nothing personal, kid," Minato added, smile softening a little, "Kakashi's just like that... he doesn't let people in close." He chuckled dryly, "He hardly even lets me in close. Give him some time and he'll come around."

Harry made no response.

"In the meantime," Minato's smile blossomed into a grin, "What do you say to some ramen?"


Team Yellow Flash had earned a little time off. Their teacher made plans to take the three of them—plus Harry—to a nearby hot springs as reward for a job well done. Kakashi was relieved when the morning they were supposed to leave, Minato was called in for an urgent mission and the trip was delayed. Indefinitely, with luck.

Kushina had a few more days off, as well, and Kakashi took full advantage of her fondness towards Harry, leaving the six-year-old in her care while he got in some much needed training. He still had no idea when his next test would be, but it had been two weeks since his last, and he could only assume his turn would be coming up very soon.

"Kakashi-kun," Kushina's voice interrupted the twelve-year-old on his way to the door. Reluctantly, the boy stopped and looked back.

"Hai, Kushina-san?" He acknowledged politely.

The woman looked a little concerned, "Kakashi-kun, I'm leaving for another mission tonight."

"Hmm," the boy responded in disinterest.

"Minato-san isn't back yet," the woman added.

Kakashi didn't respond—his teacher had left several days before with hardly a word, presumably on a high class mission. He'd barely been home for one whole day at the time. The boy's expression darkened slightly. He was up for his Jounin test; he'd make it this time, then he'd be the one going on the high class missions.

"You're going to have to keep charge of Harii-kun," Kushina pointed out.

Kakashi turned back towards the door, "I'm busy right now."

Kushina frowned, "Kakashi-kun..."

"I'll ask Rin to watch him," the boy excused.

Kushina's frown deepened slightly, "Kakashi-kun, he's your brother. You shouldn't push him off on others unless you absolutely need to."

"Half brother," the boy grunted.

"Kakashi-kun," Kushina said again.

"Ittekimasu, Kushina-san," Kakashi said as he opened the door, leaving without another look back.

Kushina sighed and turned to Harry who had ignored Kakashi's brief passing. She smiled, ruffling the boy's untidy hair affectionately, "Kakashi-kun does care, Harii-kun," she told the boy softly, "He just doesn't know how to show it. Remember, he left Ryou-kun for you, didn't he?"

The boy looked up at the mention of the dog, a small smile on his face, "Ryou-kun."

"See? Kakashi-kun was just as worried about you as you were about him," the woman said.

Harry stared at her, not appearing to get the point. Kushina sighed—it would be so much easier if the boy could understand what they were saying.


"Kakashi!"

The white-haired boy didn't look up from the tree he was brutally pummeling with Taijutsu.

"Kakashi, I have something for you!" Gai's boisterous voice was a little breathless, but Kakashi still didn't acknowledge him. "It's from Hokage-sama!"

That made the boy pause. Frowning slightly, he stilled, turning so he was half facing away from his target, looking at the green clad boy expectantly.

With a grin, Gai bounded across to him, a small scroll in one hand, "I have finally found you, my rival!" He held out the scroll, eyes serious, "Hokage-sama stated that it was urgent for you to receive this."

"Aa," Kakashi commented without interest, taking the scroll from the other boy's hand and calmly breaking the seal. He unrolled it, sharp eyes taking in the brief message written there.

"What is it?" Gai asked curiously, fighting the temptation to lean in and read over his rival's shoulder.

"The next portion of the test," Kakashi said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Tomorrow at 0800." He paused, then rolled the scroll back up, "In the stadium."

"The stadium?" Gai repeated, sounding confused, "That's where the Chuunin exams are held."

Kakashi didn't respond, slipping the small scroll into a pocket.

"What are you going to do?" Gai asked eagerly, "Is it a fight?"

Kakashi still made no response.

Gai's eyes suddenly burned with determination, "Even if it is against the Hokage himself, I believe in you, Kakashi! Fight with all your strength, my rival, and know that I will be cheering you on! Nothing can stand in our way for long!"

"... Please don't do that," Kakashi said dryly, looking crossly at the arm the other boy had draped across his shoulders as he was moved by his own speech.

Gai jumped back as though burned, "As cool as ever, I see, Kakashi."

Kakashi stared balefully at him.

"But one day you will surrender to my manly devotions!" The black-haired boy insisted. He thrust a finger in the other boy's face, "Whether or not you accept me, Kakashi, you are my rival and we are destined to be so for eternity! After all, isn't the score only 15-16?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes—again with that score.

"Is that contempt?" Gai demanded, getting himself riled up, "Right here, right now, Kakashi! Even if you soon become a Jounin, I will show you that there is no replacement for the mighty power of Maito Gai!"

"... I don't feel like it," Kakashi said simply before disappearing in a leap.

Gai frowned after him, musing aloud, "There is something different about you, Kakashi. What is it that has been changing you?"


"I'm sorry, Kakashi-kun, but Rin isn't here right now," the woman replied apologetically, "She's at the hospital for her lessons."

Kakashi frowned. If she was taking lessons right now she probably wouldn't be happy about him trying to send Harry to her. He glanced across at the younger boy, debating what to do.

"I'll tell her you stopped by, though," Rin's mother was saying.

"Don't bother," Kakashi said. He bowed slightly, "Thank you for your time, Tanaka-san. Harii-san, let's go."

Harry trailed behind him obediently as he turned from the house. It would be tight, but he was pretty sure he'd be able to make it over to the Uchiha complex and back before the test started. Nodding to himself, he picked up the pace, calling over his shoulder for Harry to hurry up.

Kakashi ignored the stares sent their way as they entered the Uchiha complex—outsiders hardly ever went inside unless they were on important business for the Hokage. He'd been to Obito's house once before and led the way unerringly, straight to his teammate's front door. He knocked twice and stepped back, waiting for a response.

A woman with long brown hair opened the front door shortly. She stared at the boys for a moment before connecting their faces to her memories, and smiled. "Ah, Kakashi-kun, right? You're Obito's teammate." Her eyes hesitated on Harry, "Who's your little friend?"

"This is Harii-san," Kakashi answered concisely, "Is Obito here?"

"He's here," the woman replied, "But I'm afraid I can't let you visit him today, Kakashi-kun. Obito has come down with a cold."

Kakashi stared at her blankly—how much worse could his luck get? Rin was studying at the hospital and Obito was useless with a cold.

"It's been going around the kids for a while now," the woman explained, "One of them probably picked it up at the Academy. But Obito is contagious right now, so you wouldn't want to see him."

"I see," Kakashi said, "Thanks anyway, Uchiha-san," he added with a brief nod before turning to leave again—he had to hurry to make it to his appointment on time, "Harii-san, quickly."


"Hmm... where is that boy?" The Hokage muttered to himself, glancing at a golden watch connected to a long chain. There were still a few minutes before the set time, but it wasn't like Kakashi to cut it so close.

"Harii-san, hurry!" Kakashi's voice cut through the otherwise quiet of the waiting shinobi. A moment later he was in view, running through the open doors of the stadium grounds, Harry ran in behind him, breathing hard.

Kakashi stopped in front of the Hokage and hastily bowed, "I'm very sorry, Hokage-sama," he apologized quickly, "Kushina-san left on a mission last night and I've been trying to find someone to watch after Harii-san."

The Hokage smiled, his earlier impatience forgotten, "I take it you didn't find anyone."

The boy shook his head apologetically, "Iie. Rin is busy today and Obito is sick, I didn't have time to ask anyone else."

"It's quite alright," the Hokage assured him, "Harii-kun may remain with me for the duration of your examination."

Kakashi's eyes flashed briefly with surprise before it was covered. He bowed again, "Thank you very much, Hokage-sama." He shot a pointed look at the younger boy, but Harry just stared blankly at him.

The Hokage smiled slightly, "Now, Harii-kun and I will vacate the grounds. Nanjiro-san, I leave it to you to explain to Kakashi-san."

A man with long, dark brown hair tied up behind his head, nodded in response, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Harii-kun, come with me, please," the Hokage added, pausing to look across at the boy.

Harry looked uncertainly between the old man and Kakashi. Kakashi's expression was blank and he didn't even look at the younger boy. Hesitantly, Harry followed the man.

"This will be a formal demonstration of your prowess, Kakashi-san," Nanjiro started formally, voice projecting loudly into the nearly empty stadium. "The requirements of promotion to Jounin are fifteen Ninjutsu consisting of at least two distinct elemental natures, ten Taijutsu, and five Genjutsu, with at least thirty techniques minimum. Also required for promotion is one technique belonging to any of the three categories which is original and created by you. This technique will not count toward the requirement of thirty known techniques. Understand?"

Kakashi nodded, dark eyes hard and determined. He could do that.

"Forty targets have been placed around the field," the Jounin continued, face stony, "Begin when you are ready, Kakashi-san."

With another nod, Kakashi flashed into motion.


"Psst—hey!" Harry blinked at the soft voice coming from behind him. He frowned, reluctantly turning when a hand shook his shoulder—down in the stadium below, Kakashi was doing things he'd never even dreamt possible.

When he looked the familiar blonde waved happily at him. Harry looked away again, returning his eyes to the other white-haired boy, so far below. His shoulder was shaken again.

"Hey, come on!" The whispered voice was insistent, "We need to get busy, Harii-kun! Let's go."

"But... Kakashi-niisan," Harry protested weakly as his arm was seized and he was pulled from his chair.

"We'll see him later," the man insisted, "Now, come on, if we make too much of a scene he might notice!"

Harry wanted to protest, but the man seemed determined, and he knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't be easily dissuaded.

"Thank you for this, Hokage-sama," the blonde added, tugging on Harry's hand to get the reluctant boy through the door at the back of the balcony.

"Of course," the Hokage replied with a small smile, eyes never leaving the field below, "Have fun, Minato."

With another grin, the blonde disappeared through the door, Harry close behind. With the distraction of Kakashi's demonstration out of the way, the pair made quick time out of the stadium. Out front, Rin and Obito were waiting for them.

Minato grinned, "Are you guys ready?"

Rin nodded.

Obito crossed his arms with a scowl, "I don't see why we have to do this, anyway."

"It'll be fun," Minato assured him. "Rin, you'll take charge of decorations, and Obito, you get the food. Harii-kun and I will get presents."

Obito sighed, resting his hands behind his head, "He's going to kill us when he finds out."

A dangerous gleam entered the man's eyes, "For the last three years I've been trying to throw that brat a birthday party—this year we're going to do it! If you don't take this seriously, he's going to find out and we'll fail. Do you want to be beaten by Kakashi again, Obito?"

The black haired boy scowled—that was a low hit. "I'm only agreeing 'cause I know it'll bug Kakashi," he grumbled.

"That's the spirit!" Minato encouraged—Rin sweat-dropped. "Okay, team, let's move out! Operation: Birthday Surprise, go!"

The three nin scattered, Minato dragging behind him an unfortunate Harry.