Chapter Twelve: Thinking of you

Gai's Pov

Gai was worried about Kakashi, ever since he had returned from the failed mission in which his teammate, an Anbu codenamed Tenzo, died Kakashi had become withdrawn. He had blocked contact with everyone, though they could all see his bruised fists, and the deprived state he walked through the city in.

Kakashi was recklessly throwing himself into training. Gai knew that other ninja thought he trained himself into the ground, but Gai didn't. At least not with the abandon that Kakashi was training with anyways. If this kept up his friend would end up hurting himself.

Gai sighed from his spot as he noticed Kakashi pass out after using his chidori one to many times. Leaping down he picked up Kakashi and took him to his home to sleep off the chakra exhaustion.

Taking him to the hospital would be asking for a disaster to happen. The next morning Gai let himself into Kakashi's apartment and made tea for his friend. Kakashi soon groaned and stirred from his sleep. His friend gave him a nod in gratitude as he sipped the tea. "I'm worried about you," Gai spoke softly wanting to try and get Kakashi to relax in his frantic training a bit.

Kakashi sighed and his fists clenched, "I know Gai. It's just, if I had been stronger he would have survived, he wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself to save my life. I won't let his death go in vain. I refuse to allow another person to die for me." his voice was determined and Gai realized that his friend wouldn't change his mind.

So instead he offered to spar with Kakashi. If he started to challenge Kakashi more often, no one commented on it, if people noticed that Kakashi accepted them without complaint, they didn't speak about it.

No one else tried as hard as Gai to reach out to Kakashi, and so years later, it was no surprise that Kakashi was a loner with only Gai as his friend. Gai watched as over the years Kakashi became closed off to others, how he stopped trying to be polite about how weak he found the other jounin. Kakashi became cold and harsh, yet with Gai he could see bits of the old Kakashi, the one who was laid back and relaxed.

When the Hokage assigned Kakashi a team to test, Gai had been excited that his friend would be getting charges to care for. He was sure that if his friend had a team to look after it would do him good. Yet, he failed the team. Gai winced when he heard how Kakashi tore into them for their lack of teamwork. The girl had instantly started crying, one of the boys looked shocked. And the last was completely still, his face a sickly white.

Kakashi gave them his second chance and they didn't feed the sickly white one who had been tied up. Later that week the girl was reported dead, she had killed herself over what Kakashi had said.

When he asked Kakashi about this, the man had paused a strange look coming over his visible eye that Gai couldn't decipher. Kakashi ended up promising to try and be less harsh in the future. Year after year he failed kids and tore into them, though he held back a bit. Still even with him being on a more mild criticizing some of the kids still tried to kill themselves over what he had said.

A lot of the jounin and others hated Kakashi for that, and other reasons, seeing him as an evil bastard. No one except him knew that Kakashi had a small stone in his apartment that had the names of each of those genin carved. They didn't know that after the first student it was Kakashi preventing the kids from killing themselves. That it was him to help them from the shadows. Never allowing anyone but the kids and Gai to know what he was doing.

Kakashi wasn't a monster.

Hiruzen's Pov

He was worried for Kakashi, the man had become distant and cold after Tenzo's death. Even before he never really interacted with his fellow ninja, but at least he had seemed to tolerate there presences.

Hiruzen had to admit that he was aware of the high possibility of Kakashi going rouge if Konoha ever did anything to threaten his last connection, which was Gai. Even if Gai died on a mission Kakashi might leave to do his own thing. So Hiruzen needed some way to get Kakashi closer with the village, something to tie his loyalties further to the leaf.

It was a shame he couldn't trust Kakashi, the man was strong, but he was at a razors edge right now. Danzo had even tried to get him to execute Kakashi before the man could become a threat. Hiruzen had been able to stop Danzo from trying to assassinate the man. So in order to tie Kakashi closer to the village he decided to give Kakashi a genin team.

Unfortunately the plan failed, and Kakashi's blunt and harsh words cause his female member to kill herself. He had witnessed through his crystal ball how Gai had spoken with Kakashi, how the man seemed apologetic. How Kurenai had accused him of trying to have the girl kill herself. And Kakashi reacting to her coldy.

Rumours swelled about Kakashi, who ignored them all. The massacre happened and Hiruzen hated that Danzo went behind his back to have Itachi massacre the clan. He was also suspicious about what happened with Shisui, and the boys apparent suicide. But the matter resolved itself, and so reluctantly he allowed Danzo to get away with his actions, though he did scold the man for acting behind his back.

Once more he decided to try and give Kakashi a team. The man still failed them, and drove them to tears, but Hiruzen watched as Kakashi kept an eye on them, and prevented the child from killing themselves. How Kakashi, while not really offering comfort, explained his actions in an almost apologetic way.

It was often these genin when they took the tests next year that passed and became stronger for it. So he kept sending Kakashi teams, even if the man's methods seemed cruel to others, the genin that had interacted with him were always a curb ahead of the rest.

Now though it was time to graduate the class with Sasuke Uchiha, the last loyal Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchuuriki of the nine-tails.

Naruto had managed to graduate when he learned the Kage bunshin from the forbidden scroll, and he had learned about his burden. Both of these boys had the potential to be strong, but only if they could survive Kakashi, it would be cruel, but the two boys and even the girl need a wake up call.

Sasuke Uchiha was arrogant of his own power and believed that interacting with others was a waste. He was also a pyromaniac and an explosion lover, Hiruzen often had to send a suiton user to put out the fires the boy started. Kakashi would be able to get the boy to work with others, even if it was only his teammates.

Sakura Haruno was a fangirl with suppressed violent tendencies. She would make an amazing medical ninja or genjutsu user due to her excellent chakra control if she ever took training seriously. Kakashi would be able to break her of her fangirl habits and help her become stronger in general until she picked what she choose to study.

Naruto Uzumaki was a brash naive child who loved to see the best in people, and always argued with Sasuke. He would be a powerhouse with Ninjutsu, but the boy was horrible at chakra control. Hiruzen had to admit though, the boy was a natural at fuinjutsu. Kakashi would be able to train the boy and get rid of some of Naruto's nativity.

That was if the team managed to pass, if not then he would still at least manage to make a dent in them, still even a dent would be helpful for whatever jounin did get them.

The results came and Hiruzen was pleasantly surprised when the team passed. As he suspected Kakashi trained them hard. He would have stepped in, but as he watched with his crystal ball he saw how satisfied the three genin seemed to be, so he left it. So long as the genin were fine with the harsh training, than who was he to interfere?

A week later and he dismissed the report Kurenai gave him. When Team Seven requested a C-rank, he allowed it. The team was obviously ready.

Yet when the returned with a near dead Sasuke and caused panic throughout the village he sighed, perhaps he had been to hasty in thinking they were ready.

He twitched in annoyance as Kakashi didn't immediately report after he sent the Anbu, but he knew that the man was watching over Sasuke, so he waited. Hours later and Kakashi finally showed up, "Report."

"The mission turned out to be an A-rank mission," Kakashi said immediately. And then he went into details. Hiruzen was impressed when he heard that Sasuke managed to unlock his Sharingan.

Still as the report ended he felt Kakashi was leaving something out, "How did Naruto kill all of Gato's mercenaires and the man? Was it the Kyuubi?"

Kakashi paused, "No, it wasn't."

Hiruzen looked at the man, "How did Naruto kill them Kakashi?"

He watched as Kakashi seemed to debate internally for a moment before he nodded, "Please dismiss your guards Hokage-sama. I will only inform you."

His eyebrows raised up but he dismissed his guards. Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment before nodding, "Were alone, Naruto unlocked his bloodline."

"The Uzumaki chain bloodline? That is indeed impressive," He said as put his pipe in his mouth and lit it. Though he didn't understand why Kakashi had him dismiss his guards just for that.

Kakashi shook his head and the man's eye glinted, Hiruzen just knew that the young jounin was smirking, "No. His Mokuton bloodline."

The pipe clattered to the desk as he gaped. "Mokuton!"

The leader of team seven nodded. "How is this possible?" Hiruzen mused out loud, he didn't think that Kushina or Minato was related to the Senju clan. Now he understood why Kakashi wanted the extra secrecy.

Kushina didn't know her parents, but she came from Uzushiogakure before it was destroyed. Minato also didn't know his parents and was an orphan. So honestly it could be completely possible.

He dismissed Kakashi and sighed, he had a feeling things were about to become a lot more complicated.

Mission Report

Rank: A Rank

Mission Parameters: Trail and observe Team Seven

Mission Members: [Redacted]

Date: [Redacted]

Members of Team Seven include:

Jounin:

Kakashi Hatake - Copy Ninja Kakashi, Kakashi of the Sharingan, Hero of the Sharingan, Cold-Blooded Kakashi, Friend-Killer Kakashi, Lightning Demon of the Leaf. S-rank Bingo book threat.

Genin:

Sasuke Uchiha - The Last Uchiha. C-rank threat with activation of Sharingan.

Naruto Uzumaki - The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Predicted C-rank threat with Kyuubi's chakra.

Sakura Haruno (Disowned) - Civilian girl. E-rank threat.

7 Am

I have begun to tail Team Seven, it seems they wear strange uniques clothing different from what academy reports say. Sasuke Uchiha seems to be the least different, though oddly all of them wear a face mask similar to Kakashi Hatake.

8 Am

I believe I was spotted by Genin Sakura, but it was so quick I am unable to tell if it was a trick of the light or not. I noticed she said something to her team, but I had no chance to read her lips.

Genin Naruto responded by shouting about "Ramen being the best food!" I believe that Ramen is some type of broth and noodles dish.

12 Pm

I do not understand, team seven is acting unlike what previous reports have stated. Genin Naruto is loud and brash and keeps speaking about ramen and calls Genin Sakura, "Sakura-chan." and Genin Sasuke "Teme."

Genin Sakura acts unlike a proper Genin, in that her demeanor is that of a fangirl and she constantly announces her "Love" for Genin Sasuke.

Genin Sasuke has an arrogant demeanor and seems brash. He ignores his fellow team members unless it is to call Genin Naruto "Dobe."

While this aligns with reports received back in the academy, after they had been on a team under Jounin Kakashi they had seemed to change.

Jounin Kakashi is perhaps the most concerning of all, unlike all reports that says he cares about the team and trains them harshly, he appeared aloof and ignored his Genin in favor of read a book called "Icha Icha Paradise," written by Jiraiya of the Sannin.

5 pm

As the day progresses I am not able to tell why this is an A-rank mission and not a C-rank. Team Seven seems to be worthless ninja, and I believe that reports of Jounin Kakashi must be greatly exaggerated.

7 pm

The day drew to a close and I was sneaking away when suddenly team seven surrounded me, all previous observations are incorrect as it seems that Genin Sakura did notice me. Jounin Kakashi's killing intent is truly a fearsome thing, and I do not wish to come across it again.

Mission Failed

A/n: Hope you enjoy! I'll try to update this again soon, but not promises.