A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews and to Allein, thanks for the information, i'm still a bit rough regarding suffixes and the relationships between people from Japan and I'll fix it... One day. Tatty and Dragon and kurocchi for your continuous support and review/comments :). So now we shall see how the Hatake Siblings continue on after their tragic loss? Can they change what's coming? Well you'll have to read to see now won't you?
The first bit of this chapter was inspired by the song Unconditionally by Katy Perry and Let Me Go by Avril Lavigne ft Chad Kroeger. Beautiful songs :'(
Kasumi age:8-9 (After slight time skip 10)
Kakashi age: 6-7 (After time skip 8)
Hiruzen waited calmly outside of the door to the Hatake Household as he hear shuffling from inside before it was open to Kasumi in her regular gear as she stepped aside and let him enter silently with his ANBU. He followed her silently to her father's office and nearly said something before he looked inside and found it spotless… There wasn't even any smell of disinfectant.
Kasumi sat in her father's chair as there was a file sitting on the desk and Hiruzen sat down in the opposite chair and waited.
"Thank you for coming Hokage-sama, I know my family and I have caused enough problems adding to the stress you already have on your shoulders." Kasumi said calmly as Hiruzen inclined his head politely… He didn't even feel like he was talking to an eight year old who had just lost her father to suicide right in front of her face.
"Not at all Kasumi-chan, everyone in this village is my family that I have to take responsibility for." Hiruzen smiled and Kasumi nodded, looking down at the desk… She looked so small in that huge chair but Hiruzen found it cute yet saddening at the same time.
"Everything in this file is my father's will, assets, mortgage, accounts and everything for what he wants me to do with his body. He wishes to be buried next to kaa-san as his last wish from last night." Kasumi said as a few tears did spring into her eyes but they stayed as she slid the file across the table and opened it as Hiruzen began reading through it. The office stayed quiet for a while as Kasumi wrung her hands and Hiruzen read through everything as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.
"His assets will be liquidised except for those mentioned and the inheritance split between you and Kakashi-kun for when you two turn eighteen as per your tou-san's wishes." Hiruzen said and Kasumi nodded as she held her hands by her mouth and tears well as her eyes as they dropped silently.
"What assets are those and what's going to happen with the house?" Kasumi asked in a shaky yet still firm voice.
"The assets are his tanto, wedding rings and his summoning scroll. The house is your decision since it'll be yours and Kakashi's by the time you two turn eighteen but I can change it if you two want to continue living here, both of you." Hiruzen stated and Kasumi nodded.
"The ninken asked if I could hang onto the summoning scroll until we're old enough. Kakashi can keep the tanto since he's been using it since everything started this year and the wedding rings… Kakashi can keep otou-sama's and I'd like to keep kaa-san's… Is that okay Hokage-sama?' Kasumi asked as Hiruzen just smiled at her.
"It's up to you how you two handle what has been given to you. Where is Kakashi, I'd like to discuss the house problem right now while I have time." Hiruzen asked and Kasumi nodded, sitting up in the chair before hopping off.
"I'll be right back, I had to drug him last night but I think they might have worn off by now." Kasumi said as she walked off and Hiruzen just nodded and waited.
Kakashi grimaced as he opened his sore eyes as he felt hands gripping his shoulder gently and shaking him gently.
"Hokage-sama has some business to discuss with us about what we do now… Can you come down stairs and talk?" Kasumi asked gently, leaning over him as he blinked into perception. Kakashi's voice felt sore and dry so he just nodded and sat up with some help from Kasumi as he made sure his mask was in place and a little bit acceptable as he entered the office and hopped up to sit on the desk while Kasumi took the chair again.
"The house is the only asset we need to talk about Kakashi. It'll be held onto until Kasumi is eighteen then you two can make a final decision about it but I need to know, do you two want to continue living here or do you want it to go under probation until you're older? It's a final decision until Kasumi is eighteen, keep that in mind." Hiruzen explained as Kakashi just seemed to stare at him lazily. Kakashi looked at Kasumi for her answer as they regarded each other closely.
"I really don't mind Kakashi but we have to both live here." Kasumi said and Kakashi nodded.
"Put it into probation…" Kakashi said as he hopped off the desk and walked out and Kasumi sighed harshly.
"You heard his request… The house will go under probation until I'm eighteen. How long do we have to sort through everything?" Kasumi asked and Hiruzen nodded sadly.
"Forty-eight hours, until just after the funeral and I'll set up affordable apartments for the both of you. One apartment or two?" Hiruzen asked regretting how harsh his voice sounded.
"Two please but close enough to each other in case if that is possible… Is that all Hokage-sama?' Kasumi asked and Hiruzen nodded as they all stood up and Kasumi walked him to the door.
"I'm impressed by your skills and understanding Kasumi thank you for being calm about this even though you have every right not to be. Come and see me if you have any problems." Hiruzen said before he left and Kasumi closed the door, leaning her back against it as she sunk to the ground, putting her head in her hands for a second as she took a few deep breaths.
"Kasumi?" Kakashi called with worry as she looked up at Kakashi standing on the stairs and she just waved her hand as she brushed her hair back.
"I'm fine Kakashi. Otou-sama left his tanto and his wedding ring to you, they're in the study." Kasumi said as she took a deep breath and Kakashi walked past into the office. Kasumi stood up and walked upstairs of the quiet house as she headed to the end of the hall and took a deep breath, gripping the door handle.
Kasumi closed her eyes and shook her head as she thought about her father calling her his baby girl again and she grimaced as she shook the thought away and opened the door to the impeccable bedroom but the bed and this time Kasumi battled to fight back the tears as she just let them fall as she stepped into the room full of her parents comforting scent… It was going to take her the whole day to sort through everything in that particular room as she went to the closet and opened it and she bit her cheek…
She thought it was impossible to cry all over again about her mother and now about her father but now, even though her eyes and face were sore and tired, they still managed to produce stinging tears as if they were the first ones to be shed as soon as it sunk into her head that her parents were both dead.
She quickly sifted through the stuff in the cupboard while she could still see and hold her breaking sanity together just to sort through for anything breakable as she set it gently on the bed before she just closed the door and with a pained yell, she grabbed anything in the closet and ripped it out as she fell to her knees and cried out like she was the little girl she was.
A parent should never have to bury their children but children so young should never have to burry their parents. Kasumi somehow steeled her resolve once again as she shifted through the things on the floors, making different piles for boxes later but right now she was in no state to go and find anything out in public.
Kakashi fingered his father's ring as the tanto was a comforting weight against his back once again as he walked up stairs and froze when he heard Kasumi's yell and her cries, soul wrenching, heart clawing as Kakashi fisted his hand into his shirt over his heart as it became painful enough for Kakashi to slide against the wall and curl up against it as he fisted the ring in his other hand.
He heard her quieten down as she started to shuffle through stuff and Kakashi wondered why Kasumi was taking it so hard, so much harder than he was. He figured being the youngest he would be the most traumatised by books he had read. Hearing his sister, one who was always there for him, in a way he was closer to her than his own father… Just hearing her cries made an unimaginable pain begin in his chest and it made him want to crawl into a hole and die. Everything that happened the night before was like a blur to him in a way as Kasumi had worked her chakra on their father as he stood up from against the wall, putting the ring into his pocket for now as he opened the door to his father's room and watched as Kasumi barely glanced at anything as she threw it onto a pile.
Kakashi decided he never wanted to feel that pain again so he would distance himself from her… First by moving into his own apartment but things had to be dealt with first.
"Need some help?" Kakashi asked as he walked in and she looked up, wiping at her eyes and face as she nodded and he sat back to back with her in the pile of stuff and began throwing it into the piles with her as they leaned back against each other.
They didn't notice their breathing synchronise or their heart beats slow down to match but they knew at that moment they would both be fine and make it through because silent comfort like this was how Hatakes survive.
XXXXXXXXXX
Minato had his hands in his pockets as he walked with Kushina, her arm linked with his for slight comfort as they were dressed in their mourning attire and heading towards the Hatake household to see how the two youngsters were holding up and get ready for the funeral.
Minato didn't know Sakumo very well but he knew him well enough to know he was a loyal and kind man and wouldn't do something on purpose to hurt anyone, he loved his family and with Kasumi getting stabbed and almost dying, perhaps it was the last straw for the man who just wanted to fade away with time.
Luckily it was their day off from missions so he didn't have to make an excuse with Rin and Obito and seem suspicious. They were missing their teammates, especially Kasumi but Minato had this sinking feeling the two wouldn't be returning as they were when they left. He knocked politely on the door as it was swung open with Kasumi being visibly shocked as she looked at each of them.
"Minato-sensei, Kushina what can I do for you two?" Kasumi asked as both of them smiled at her.
"We've come to attend the funeral with you two and to find out how you're both doing." Minato said as Kasumi stepped back to let them in. He looked around sadly at the empty house, boxes everywhere and sheets already over the larger assets and such.
"Well we're getting there I think but we can't promise everything will be back to normal after this sensei." Kasumi answered seriously as she closed the door. "Tea, coffee?" Kasumi offered as she walked through to the kitchen and Minato and Kushina followed.
"It's a beautiful house Kasumi… What's going to happen to it?" Kushina asked as she watched Kasumi put water onto the stove to boil and started setting out four cups putting coffee, tea and sugar into some.
"It's staying in probation until I'm eighteen then Kakashi and I will decide what to do with it. We're moving into our own apartments after the funeral and we'll be back at training tomorrow sensei." Kasumi explained as she poured the water into the cups and added milk if needed to it as Minato and Kushina sat down at the table.
"There's no rush to get back to things yet, if you need a few days, it's perfectly fine." Minato said as he graciously took his tea from Kasumi.
"It'll take our minds off of things and our apartments are pretty much set up already anyway." Kasumi shrugged as she picked up the last cup and headed upstairs. She came back down, followed by Kakashi holding the cup as he blinked with surprise.
"Sensei, Kushina-san?" Kakashi asked as he sat down with Kasumi with her tea.
"We came for moral support." Kushina grinned and Kakashi and Kasumi both looked down at the table, not a hint of a smile on their faces but hurt reflecting in blue and charcoal grey.
"Thank you, it is very kind and thoughtful of you." Kasumi answered after a while and the gloomy atmosphere rose up again just a little bit as they sat in silence for a while, sipping their tea/coffee. "How are Obito and Rin doing, I know she was worried with my wrist the other day?" Kasumi asked just to break the silence.
"Their usual selves but we haven't told them what happened. We just said Kasumi has been off with her wrist and Kakashi went down with a bad cold after your sparring with Gai-kun the other day. It's your choice to tell them or not." Minato explained and he saw Kakashi swallow and Kasumi shake her head.
"They don't need to know… Otou-sama will just fade like he wanted until someone actually approaches us about him…" Kasumi took a deep breath but flinched away when Kushina reached for her hand. "The people of Konoha knowing what has happened to him, taking his own life… He'll be remembered as a coward and otou-sama wants to be remembered the way he was before all of this shit happened just because he couldn't follow the rules." Kasumi said, almost sneering out the last few words as Minato noticed the changes in both of them and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
"We should get going, we have those last few boxes to drop off at our apartments before the funeral." Kakashi said, standing up as he collected the cups and washed them out quickly, placing them neatly in the cupboard and wiping the counters over one last time as Kasumi went upstairs. She came back down and passed Kakashi his bag as they picked up two boxes each and they headed out one last time, Kasumi pocketing the keys gently as they began to walk away from the lonely and darkened house.
They each had their own apartment in completely separate buildings and on different streets yet the were close enough, a few blocks away from each other and the apartment blocks were built in the exactly the same way so they both got equal looking new homes. As you walked in there was a step up into a basic kitchen with little low tables on tatami mats and led to another room and a bathroom which was all they needed for now.
They took the high roads to the cemetery as Kushina and Minato stayed quietly behind them as they ran through the forest and towards the cemetery as they all looked up at the fire statue up at the head of the cemetery and noticed the Hokage standing with his ANBU guards at the familiar place as they made their way over and stood quietly as Kasumi handed the house keys over and nodded to the Hokage's comforting look as they stood in front of the two graves and gave their silent respects as one of the ANBU read Sakumo's death poem he left as tradition for seppuku.
The poem finished as Kakashi and Kasumi walked up to the graves and knelt down, bringing their hands together in prayer.
Hatake Nozomi
Hatake Sakumo
They opened their eyes and stepped back as the funeral was finally over. Minato had been steeling glances at the two the entire time and was surprised and worried to see not even a tear in their eyes or anything.
'They gave their father a proper shinobi's funeral.' Minato said to himself as he smiled slightly.
"Jiraiya sends his regards." Hiruzen said to them.
"Thank you." Kasumi and Minato said at the same time as they looked at each other.
"You know Jiraiya-sensei?"
"You know Jiraiya-ji chan?"
"Jiraiya-sensei? Jiraiya-ji chan?" Kakashi asked as Minato and Kasumi turned to him in confusion.
"The last time I saw uncle Jiraiya was when kaa-san was sick so of coarse you wouldn't remember him and I was hoping to never see him again but I guess with sensei now that's inevitable." Kasumi sighed as Minato laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.
"He was my genin squad sensei and my master… He's taught me a lot and still is. I wonder what he's doing right now?" Minato wondered… Somewhere in the vastness of the great lands, the frog pervert sneezed and thought of something kinky before he added it to his new book he was writing.
"Seems like it's a small world after all." Kushina said with a shrug.
"I have to be getting back to my work. Take care of yourselves." Hiruzen said before he walked off with his ANBU and a wind whipped around in the cemetery.
"I have boxes to unpack." Kasumi said after clearing her throat and Kakashi hummed.
"Me too. See you tomorrow sensei, at the bridge right?" Kakashi asked as Minato smiled at them.
"Same time, same place we'll start with something simple to get you two back in the swing again. Be careful with your wrist Kasumi, we want it healed properly before you get back to any sort of training again." Minato said as Kushina hooked her arm with Minato's and they began walking through the cemetery.
"Okay, that was completely weird." Kushina said as she shivered with the cold wind that had suddenly picked up, making her skin come out in Goosebumps and huddle closer to Minato who seemed like he wasn't effected.
"I half expected it from Kasumi but Kakashi…Sakumo said something to them on his last few minutes and it's shaken them up a lot to change their way of thinking so quickly. I know them, they would have stuck together in an apartment together and not have separate ones like now. I would have expected Kasumi to turn into this over protective sister like she's always been but now… I'm not too sure, but I didn't know those two kids standing there today." Minato said with slight anger to his voice as he scowled ahead with a clenched jaw.
"Perhaps they just need to be guided the right way again… I know it'll be tough on you trying to train them but they need something to show them again that life isn't always as cruel as it has been to them in their beginning so far. I believe you can do it Minato." Kushina said as she kissed his cheek and he grinned with a blush as he pecked her lips.
"At least someone does… Maybe I should write to sensei, it would be nice to see him again." Minato mused with a sigh up at the setting sun.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kasumi shut her door and turned the flickering lights on as she stood there for a few seconds. She had to consciously steer herself there and not naturally return to the big old house like usual. She put her keys in the bowl on the counter as she grabbed an apple and munched on it as she swung her legs over the step, sitting on the tatami mats and looked around.
It would never quite be like home but it was good enough to complete the tasks she used her home for like cleaning herself and sleeping and such… Maybe she should get a houseplant just to liven it up a little? She pulled out her triple chained locket and opened the new casing where her mother's wedding ring sat on one side in a glass case and then the picture of her family with her team picture on the other side of the flip then the engraving underneath on the back of the locket doors.
It was her favourite picture. It had Minato grinning in the back with his hands on hers and Rin's shoulders as they hung around each of the boys with slight blushes dusting their cheeks, Rin over Kakashi looking annoyed like usual and Kasumi over Obito who was grinning anyway. She closed the precious memento and clutched it in her fist for a while before she turned off the lights and headed into the bathroom for a shower before she climbed into bed after inspecting her wrist… It would be completely healed soon with her extra work on it with her medical jutsu.
Maybe her life would fall into some normalcy for a while now that the drama was over with?
Kasumi woke up at her usual time of four am and was annoyed as she decided to get up anyway and slowly got her day going. Without having to check up on her father, make breakfast for everyone or even doing as much cleaning… Kasumi was board by six thirty, having eaten, gotten ready and even sat around doing nothing.
"Obito is going to be on time for once today… Clean slate." Kasumi decided with a deep breath as she pulled on her shoes and headed out. She was dazed for a second with direction before she snapped back and began making her way to the Uchiha compound. She knocked on the weather worn door after getting the usual 'outsider' glares from the Uchihas as she heard movement inside.
The door opened as black blinked with blue, still half asleep as Kasumi began to go redder and redder and her eyes kept dropping lower than his face and Obito just stood there, still half asleep.
"Uh… Um Obito…" Kasumi stuttered out before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Please put a shirt on and no you're not dreaming." She rushed out, willing her blush away as she heard him move away from the door and she opened her eyes with a sigh as she felt her cheeks cool down before Obito was back at the door.
"You said this isn't a dream?" Obito asked and Kasumi nodded before he wrapped her up in a hug and she tentatively hugged back as her cheeks heated up again. "Where have you been? Are you okay?" Obito asked as he pulled back and looked Kasumi over and inspecting her brace still on her arm.
"I'm good… Just needed a few days that's all. Did sensei drive you that much insane and worrying is Rin's job idiot." Kasumi said, a small smile coming to her lips for the first time in a few days.
"Sensei was killing us in training! And Rin wouldn't stop worrying over you and Baka Kakashi." Obito pouted and Kasumi smiled, ruffling his bed head hair.
"You guys really know how to make my otouto feel loved. Rin too much and you're on the opposite side of the scale of hate." Kasumi said and Obito grinned mischievously and Kasumi relaxed slightly, she missed that cute little grin on his. "So go and get ready so you can be on time for once." Kasumi said as she leaned against his door frame and her father's words played over in her head again as she growled and scratched at her temples.
Obito explained overzealously about what they had been doing for the past three days as Kasumi listened as her father's words played on her mind, yelling at her to forgo listening to her feelings after all of the hurt she had been put through… The mission comes first.
Kasumi was snapped out of her thoughts as Rin slammed right into her with a hug before pulling away and almost ripping her brace off as she inspected Kasumi's arm and Kasumi sighed as she nodded to Kakashi who was sitting on the railing as he nodded back.
Minato arrived soon enough as they got their mission which was gardening that Kasumi could help out with one hand before she was sitting in a tree, watching her team training since she had been banned from training until she could take the brace off in another week by the way she was healing it a little bit everyday.
(Slight time skip)
Kasumi took a deep breath as she woke up and stared at her ceiling… Finally the chunin exams had arrived once again and Kasumi was better than she ever was before. She got up and had a quick shower as she pulled out her uniform consisting of black shorts, knee high black sandals and a navy blue v-neck long sleeved t-shirt as she tied a black sash around it with the regular bands on her wrists and above her elbows and clipped her blue pouches on as she tied her now white hitai-ate into her hair and tied her long and stubborn hair into a high ponytail with her bangs framing her face.
She stretched properly in the small space in the kitchen and made sure she had everything in her pouches, including her medical equipment and anything for making seals if she needed to as well as the necessities of kunai, smoke bombs, paper bombs and flash bombs.
Kushina had taught her about some seals and Kasumi became interested learning that Hiraishin and Minato's specific shunshin was based on seals. Minato had also trained her a lot with Kakashi when it came to tracking and using their speed and quick reflexes, helping Kakashi to improve Chidori further even if it wasn't quite there yet.
Kasumi wasn't quite interested in chakra natures just yet as her medical training was put on hold, even with Rin explaining some level two things to her so after the chunin exams she could speed through most of the stuff and catch up to Rin. After what happened nearly a year before, Kasumi found her hands shook uncontrollably as she tried using her healing chakra as images of 'that night' flashed through her head and so she pulled back on that side of things for a while until she could control herself again.
She had been looking into seals recently and found the most basic ones very useful like a storage scroll and paper bombs is where she got the interest and she knew the people just to teach her. Uzumaki's were master seal specialists and where else to learn it but straight from and Uzumaki? Kushina had been board since getting put onto the sidelines for the war at the moment and Minato usually let Kushina take Kasumi from training or even skip missions after her and Kakashi had been getting into fights a lot that even Rin and Obito stepped away each time.
The village air was cool as Kasumi headed to the bridge to meet Obito and Rin for the exams as she put her hands into her pockets and sighed quietly to herself. She was just so tired of everything, especially the nightmares every night and not enough sleep wasn't helping as she had to take sleeping pills and multivitamins just to keep her regular energy levels and alertness otherwise her tracking skills were going to suffer and she knew she was one of the best among her age group or near enough.
"Morning Kasumi." Rin called with a smile as Kasumi arrived and Kasumi gave her a small smile and a two finger wave as she leaned against the railing on the other side of the bridge.
"Morning Rin. Obito late like usual?" She asked and Rin just smiled sheepishly with a slight laugh and Kasumi sighed, staring up at the gloomy clouds. "Three, two, one…"
"Sorry I'm late! I ran into a kid's fight I had to break up on the way." Obito said as he slowed down by them and Kasumi nodded, standing up straight.
"Shall we get going towards the academy?" Kasumi asked as they both nodded and followed after her towards the academy and walked straight up to classroom 302. The room got cold as they entered it as silence ruled over everyone as they glared at them at the door as Kasumi levelled her gaze with all of them with a board face that could be taken as arrogance as they walked in.
"My eternal rival's sister!" A voice hollered and Kasumi groaned, dropping her face into her hand. Obito also glared at Gai as he came over with his team, Ebisu and Genma.
"Good to see you too Gai." Kasumi said with a sigh as she was trapped in a bear hug and picked up.
"About time our year's number one rookie showed up." Genma said with a nod at her and Kasumi nodded back coolly.
"Rin-chan, Kasumi-chan." Kurenai said as she walked over, dragging Asuma and Raidou over with her.
"Seems like we're all here again." Asuma mused as they looked around at everyone else.
"And a year lower." Obito mentioned, seeing some from their junior class there as well and Kasumi hummed as she crossed her arms.
"And some from the last exam who don't look to impressed." Ebisu mentioned as well as all of their eyes were darting around, noticing Ibiki, Anko and Hayate who were close to their ages as well.
"I wonder what they have in store for us this year?" Raidou hummed as some of them hummed too in agreement when there was a poof of chunin and jonins appearing at the front of the classroom.
"Alright settle down! I shall be taking the exam for this year, my name is Yamanaka Inoichi." Inoichi said as everyone settled down and the room became tense. "Come to the front when you're ready to receive your exam paper and allocated seat."
"Yay…" Half of them groaned as they got moving to get their exam and seat.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kasumi didn't even blink in the exam as she answered the whole paper without cheating but it cleared out most of the room, leaving ten teams left, including their own. They followed Nara Shikaku to the forest of death as the next round was explained to them, to begin the same day. Obito and Rin had stayed quiet and most of the other teams had avoided Kasumi after the little 'incident' in the exam room…
It seemed as though some jonin still held grudges against her father and she ended up having to deflect a kunai aimed directly for her hand and almost being kicked out of the exam until Inoichi ruled it and kicked the proctor out. There had also been whispers on the way to the Forest of Death and Kasumi just seemed to get darker and darker since then.
"Do you think Kasumi is okay?" Obito asked Rin as they stood at gate number thirty-four to enter the forest and Kasumi was sitting on the fence, playing with some dragonflies.
"Those two haven't been right since she broke her wrist and Kakashi came down sick and there's tension between them since they've moved out and away from their tou-san and each other… I wonder what really happened?" Rin said with a sigh as Obito hummed. They discontinued talking as it was time for them to enter the forest as they walked in calmly.
"What do you guys suggest we do for the five days we have?" Kasumi asked as she turned around and faced them, hands on her hips. Obito kept unusually quiet and Rin fiddled with her light purple yukata with shuriken pattern on it, looking down and Kasumi frowned slightly. "Have I done something wrong?" Kasumi asked and it made them both look at her and Obito sighed.
"You're being very much like Baka Kakashi and the relationship between you two… Well it's been a little uncomfortable around either of you two." Obito said plainly as he crossed his arms and scowled under his orange goggles. Rin watched as Kasumi's eyelids fell slightly as pain, confusion, anger, annoyance, sadness and so many other things passed over her friend's face before she levelled her gaze back with them with a deep, silent breath.
"I'm sorry you feel that way… I just couldn't keep a fake charade up anymore, actually I refuse to." Kasumi said calmly, explaining it to them, allowing a little of her thoughts through and her old demeanour coming through seemed to relax them slightly as they looked at each other and smiled back at Kasumi with a nod.
"So back on topic…" Obito said awkwardly as he mused his hair and Rin smiled and looked at Kasumi for guidance and Kasumi smiled slightly.
"All right… Here's what we'll do…"
XXXXXXXXXX
Kakashi groaned as he heard the knocking at his door and rolled over, pulling the blanket up over his head.
'Go 'way." He groaned but the knocking continued… If it was Gai, he was going to tie him up without his clothes and put itching powder on the ropes. He angrily threw the blankets off and stalked over to the door, fixing his mask into place and swung the door open angrily.
"Morning Kakashi… I never took you as a late sleeper?" Minato smiled and Kakashi blinked, anger fading away automatically.
"Sensei?" Kakashi blinked up at him and Minato grinned. Kakashi forgot that it was the start of the chunin exams that day and Gai would be entering again.
"I want to take you for some one on one training today if you're not busy." Minato said and Kakashi nodded.
"Of coarse… I'll get ready straight away." Kakashi said, turning as Minato followed him inside and stood by the door, looking around… It hadn't changed since he moved in. "Shouldn't you be watching the chunin exams?" Kakashi called from his room as he got dressed.
"The first round is exams again and the second round only begins late in the afternoon… I have no doubt Kasumi will push the team right through until the final round." Minato said as Kakashi came out of his room wearing his usual uniform of a blue t-shirt with white strips on the middle of the sleeves, on his arms he wears blue armoured sleeves that come over his hands and held on by two bands then the two leather straps over his shoulders, holding the tanto on his back.
"She would have made chunin earlier if she wasn't determined to hold herself back, of coarse she'll do it this time." Kakashi said, some defence coming into his voice as he followed his sensei out, locking up his apartment.
"I think Obito and Rin will make it this time as well, they've been working hard." Minato mentioned as well, watching Kakashi as he hummed and put his hands in his pockets, walking down the roads towards the training grounds. "Kushina says she should be a jonin at her skills, what do you think Kakashi?"
"She can do as she pleases." Kakashi said placidly as they stood, readying themselves in a fighting stance across from each other.
"You two have been fighting a lot lately… Any particular reason?" Minato asked as Kakashi made the first move and Minato blocked as they kept exchanging blows.
"We are our own people and we have differences just like everyone else sensei." Kakashi said as he dodged a punch from Minato, flipping backwards. Minato caught more defence and anger in his student's voice as he pressed on with his attacks.
"You two use to be two peas in a pod, enough to know each other's moves… What's happened?" Minato asked.
"Grief changes people in different ways sensei." Kakashi said as he blocked and dodged Minato's fast melee attacks.
"You not to much but Kasumi has… Why don't you try to get through to her, do you know what she went through before your father…"
"I know exactly what she went through sensei!" Kakashi snapped angrily after a hard hit against his face from Minato who froze at the anger in his charcoal black eyes. "After you and the Hokage left, we went to bed and I asked her about some things tou-san said to us… She's the reason he lived so long besides, she completely blocked me out since then as have I…" Kakashi said with annoyance on his voice as he held a hand to his cheek and stared down to his right with angry furrowed brows. "I'm going home… I don't appreciate being interrogated during training." Kakashi said sulkily as he turned around and walked back towards Konoha as Minato just stood there.
He watched his young protégé leave and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He really didn't like prying into his student's minds or pasts but when it affects the team's work and safety he has no choice like right then. Kasumi avoided the questions while Kakashi just flat out refuses to say anything and Obito and Rin had no idea either as Minato promised to keep quiet about their father's death.
"Minato-san, you are required to go to the tower in the Forest of Death as the first exam is coming to an end." A chunin said, arriving into the training grounds and Minato sighed.
"I'll be right there." Minato said as the chunin nodded and left again and Minato jumped up into the trees towards Training Ground 44. Teamwork would come straight after the chunin exams but for now he needs to watch his team and make mental notes on improvements they would need to make.
"So nice of you to join us Minato." Hiruzen said with a smile as Minato smiled sheepishly as he entered the room with the other jonin senseis and they all turned to the screens and waited as the beginning was announced and the participants rushed into the jungle where the waiting game began.
"Hey Minato, isn't that your team?" Someone called as Minato perked up and headed over to the screen where everyone was gathered. Two squads face each other, Team 7 against a much older genin squad who looked cocky about this fight and Minato took a step closer to watch. Both teams raised their scrolls, Kasumi's team having the heaven scroll while the other team had earth and they three boy's faces lit up with a sick smirk and Minato held his breath as they put the scrolls away and the other team moved in for an attack right away, this time Obito's fireball was a success and not just a fireball but a grand fireball as it forced the other team to scatter.
Next was Kasumi's set of expertise as she stepped forwards and looked around with calm eyes and sniffing the air as they all looked at each other and nodded, Obito and Rin jumping in one direction while Kasumi took another. The bushes rustled as Obito jumped out with one of the older teens over his shoulder and Rin right behind as they dropped him onto the floor, unconscious. Kasumi appeared with the other two boy's collars before she threw them over with their other teammate and the jonins began to laugh and comment.
Rin retrieved the scroll from the main boy's pack and gave it to Kasumi as she handed the other one to Obito and Kasumi passed two other scrolls to Rin as she transformed each of them into the heaven and earth scroll before putting them away and headed back through the forest.
"I'd never want to go up against those two Hatakes or even Minato's team." One of the jonin in the room laughed as did others.
"I have no doubt that Kasumi-chan would pass this time around like her brother the last time." Another person commented in the room as Minato listened tensely. He was broken out of it by a comforting pat on his shoulder from the Sandaime as he smiled at Minato.
"They're slowly breaking out of their father's shadow Minato… Don't worry about them so much." Hiruzen smiled and Minato's shoulders relaxed slightly as he sighed and nodded.
"I know but I feel like they've missed out on so much because of what they've faced… Plus team dynamics have taken a nosedive since… Well you know." Minato said and Hiruzen scowled slightly.
"Between Kakashi and Kasumi?" Hiruzen asked as they moved away from the screens to find some empty seats for them to sit in. Minato nodded and sighed once again and Hiruzen watched in concern. "What is their main problem?" Hiruzen asked.
"They refuse to talk, work together and they're constantly arguing… Worse than Kakashi and Obito ever had and it makes the atmosphere around them constantly tense and unpleasant that it's affecting our performance." Minato explained and Hiruzen hummed.
"And trying to rectify this?" Hiruzen asked Minato who leaned back in his chair tiredly.
"I've spoken to them, verbally and through our fists, together and apart and sometimes it works for a while before it builds up again and then after training Rin and Kasumi have to heal herself and Kakashi then it stays quiet for weeks again." Minato explained and Hiruzen sighed.
"Sibling rivalry and jealousy." Hiruzen said tiredly as he stared across the room at the screens.
