"Daisuke-san..."
"Hm?"
They were in the kitchen for breakfast one morning a week after his first day at the Academy and his sister was still asleep, so Daisuke had fried some eggs while Echiko washed and cut up some fruit to eat for themselves. Echiko found he was still mulling over something the bullies had mentioned that day.
"Is there really... a secret war going on?"
His brother-in-law flipped an egg over the sizzling pan and glanced up. "Where did you hear that?"
"Oh... from school."
"Well," he transferred the eggs to a plate and set it on the table, "if I were to guess, it's not very 'secret' anymore, really."
"So there is a war going on?" Echiko's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes met Daisuke's plaintive gaze.
"Yes... yes, sadly there is, Echiko-kun," he said. They ate in silence before he was inclined to say more. "The countries are at each other's throats like it's the Second Shinobi War all over again. Even the smaller countries are involved. And for Konoha, in terms of military power and financial support, it looks like we could end up on the loosing side this time..." He stopped himself. "You're an Academy student, Echiko-kun. Don't worry about these things for now and focus on your studies and improving yourself! We'll need you when the time comes, I know it," and he smiled. "Information is a shinobi's best asset, I recall. We both should keep our eyes and ears open, eh?"
Echiko only nodded, numb. Is this really happening? Has war truly broken out on the borders between the countries, enough to put Konoha at a disadvantage? Why was everyone so nonchalant about it? They're all so used to battles and war that a whole new conflict looming over them was just another day in the shinobi world.
No wonder why all the poor border villages were scared.

Echiko took the long route to the Academy, a path his sister had shown him on one of their walks together. It was a beautiful road, passing through the old district and a grove of huge trees turning wonderful shades of red, orange, and yellow. His brace sounded a soft chink as he stepped on the dying leaves and wound around the park, hands in his pockets, contemplating.
Improve myself... Stopping, he pulled out his hands and looked at them like he always did when he was thinking. What can I do to make a difference in this world? Or is that even possible, being the way I am? He was getting more and more irritated with his unfeeling leg, now that he was training again. It's not because of the students' jokes or stares. He just can't conduct his chakra through that hunk of metal and wood, making him visibly imbalanced when he tries to dodge or attack in any way, shape, or form. It's just stupid.
He balled his hands into fists, pinching his palms with his nails. Pain. Was that the only thing he knew? How can one learn without pain? These other students... did they really know anything at all? They might seem strong on the school grounds, but they had no idea what life was like outside these walls. They don't know pain.
But this war... it will certainly get closer. And in a couple years they will be graduated and old enough to go on field missions. What then? Will we be sent onto the battlefield?
Echiko shivered. Daisuke was telling him to focus on his studies, on his training. He must know at some point in the war the young genin will be called up. But when? How much time is there left? Am I ready?
...No. He opened his palms to reveal red marks where his fingers had dug into. I'm not ready at all. Improve myself. That's what I must do, for Father, for Mother, for Emiko. For Kimi and her family. I can't let them down, not again.
A thought crossed his mind, arousing a question that had been there for some time. He bit through his finger suddenly and placed his hands in a peculiar set of seals, ending with the drawn blood on his finger across his palm. There was a puff of smoke.
What is this? You haven't called me in a while.
There in his palm rested a miniature form the size of a pigeon, but as it stretched its wings it wasn't a pigeon at all. The fabric of its gaping wings was like rubber, and the creature itself was covered in a skin of glossy scales as it raised its long neck, steam blowing out of its nostrils.
"Hello, Aizen," Echiko said, staring into the little dragon's black marble eyes. Aizen cocked its head.
That's interesting. You smell a little different than last time. The air is different too. Are we at a lower altitude? It twisted its neck around. We are at a lower altitude. I knew it.
Echiko shook his head. Some things never changed. "Aizen."
What? What is it? I'm listening. Really I am.
"...Can you find out something for me?"
Of course I can. Your wish is my command, Master.
"I need you to locate the Contract that was in Father's possession before the... before what happened."
What, did you lose it, Master? It cackled, but stopped. Sorry. Touchy subject. Cough. Sure, I'll find where the Scroll is, pronto. Is that... all, Master?
"Actually..." he paused. "I was thinking I might start the training again."
...Echiko-sama! The bird seemed to glow, much to Echiko's amusement.
"But yes, that's all for now, Aizen. Thank you."
Right. Uh... Master?
"Hn?"
Glad to have you back.
Echiko raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Uh, yeah." The dragon extended its wings and shot up into the air like a lightning blot, fading into a speck in the sky as it soared off.
That's right. He hasn't used a summon in months. Watching Aizen disappear gave him a strange feeling of connection – to the past he's cut himself off from for so long, and the dragons of his family's heritage... Was he ready for this?
He sat down on his bench in the classroom, just before the teacher walked in and began to call on the student's names to see if everyone was present, like he did every morning.
"Today we're going to take a break from history and learn a few valuable skills that may save your life out in the field."
"Are we going to learn medic-ninjutsu like Tsunade?" blurted a girl in the first row.
"Medical-ninjutsu takes specialized training, something I don't have the qualifications for to teach you," the teacher responded. "Actually, we are going to learn the basics of trap-making, study fighting styles, and possibly some secrets on how to predict your enemy's plan of attack. Follow me outside, please. Single file."
"'Possibly?'" Echiko heard the feral boy next to him mutter as he shoved past him. "What kind of teacher says he'll 'possibly' teach his students?"
He had a point. Echiko tagged along at the end of the line, deciding he probably just misunderstood the Sensei's implication. Maybe it was they 'possibly' might not have enough time in the day to learn everything? Yeah, that had to be it. But really, Echiko was just distracting himself from the question that was nagging on his mind ever since he sent Aizen out. What will the dragon end up finding? Maybe it was destroyed. Or someone just looted his house and made off with it. But even so, the Scroll was important and he had to get it back. It was his duty now that his father couldn't take care of it.
"Hey, new boy, you're on our team. Get over here."
Echiko was startled out of his reverie and he looked at the girl who called him. She was tall, with straight redish-brown hair and brown eyes, a peculiar symbol drawn into the front of her skirt. However it wasn't any of those things that drew his attention. It was the irritated face she was making in his direction. There were two others standing by her as well, one boy and another girl, and he realized abruptly that he hadn't been listening to the teacher separate the group into teams. He scampered over, feeling embarrassed at his inattention, but the other kids just ignored him again. He supposed they were hoping he wasn't going to slow them down.
The day wore on. The teams were apparently for a competition involving setting up workable traps after they were taught the simplest forms in creating one. The team that caught the most clones the teacher sent out, won. Echiko's team was close on the heels of third place, more to the credit of the red-haired girl than anyone else on the team. For as lazy and irritable as she appeared to be, she was incredibly smart. The other two... well, they weren't important. But they did manage to catch a clone in each of their traps.
Echiko had learned how to create traps in the woods by their home with his father. They brought home meat all the time that way. It was how they managed throughout the harsh winters, and how he fed himself and old man Masahiro for a while. But he soon found the art of catching grown men was indescribably different than bagging a cautious doe or a small snow rabbit, because the snares needed for those were small and delicate. It was like asking him to snag a raging bear, which called for a much sturdier assortment of traps.
Such was his luck. And he thought he had found something the others could see he was good at. He sighed and sat down together with the class for lunch while listening to the teacher talk about food rations and how much was necessary to carry in your pack on missions.
Studying in fighting styles came afterward. Many clans had specialized techniques that made them excel in either close, mid, or long-range combat, and as the teacher explained, knowing the fighting style of your comrades and using their strengths in strategies greatly increases the overall efficiency of your team.
Echiko already knew he was a mid to long-range type. Though with his Clan's summons he could do all from long-range attacks to close combat and still maintain an impenetrable defense due to dragons' hard scales. Well... that is at least if he could summon anything larger than himself...
He stayed in the background during that period, watching the teacher's demonstration with a few prominent clan heirs who had extremely obvious stances and fighting styles, like for example the Hyuuga Clan of whom were famous for their Gentle Fist techniques that use defense as an offense, or the Nara Clan who were more so mid-range combat type in using their Shadow techniques.
The red-haired girl from his team was asked to demonstrate a Nara technique. The symbol on her skirt must be the symbol of the Nara Clan, then, Echiko thought. The Hyuuga boy was easy to spot in the group because of his pale white eyes resulting of their dojutsu, or eye technique unique to their clan named the Byakugan. There were also kids who were Uchiha in his class too, just like that boy Obito, but none of them seemed to be able to use their dojutsu that was called the Sharingan.
Echiko hadn't seen any of these dojutsu before, so he had no idea how it worked or what they looked like. But it was interesting to learn. It was just like his Clan's Summons, where they all had special techniques that can only be used by their Clan.
The teacher looked at his watch. "We have some time left. Let's talk about a few scenarios where you're facing up against a hard opponent and you need to somehow find out what your enemy is thinking. How can you predict his plan of attack? Is he going to come at your from the left or right? What kind of fighting style does he have? Perhaps you can get in close if he's a long-ranged fighter..."

It was later that afternoon that Echiko wandered around the market streets, too stressed to go back to Kimi's house and study or go to the library. Most of the people he passed hardly noticed him at all as he kept his head down, chewing on his thoughts. That is, until he bumped into someone.
"Umph!" Echiko looked up, an apology written all over his face when suddenly he recognized the young man he had run into. "...Hijame-san?"
"Well if it isn't Echiko-kun," Hijame scratched his head. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Eh?" From Echiko's experience in traveling with Hijame, he certainly thought he couldn't be caught off-guard or distracted. He was always focused, even when he was exhausted, and nothing could break his concentration.
"How have you been holding up?" the man asked, drawing him over to a bench and out of the middle of pedestrian traffic.
I'd ask you the same, Echiko thought to himself. "...Alright. I started at the Academy last week."
"Oh yeah, that's right. How's that going for you?"
"Well enough..."
"Hm. I was sent on another mission and didn't get back til yesterday." He rested his chin in his palms. "Is Kimi-chan doing alright, and Senpai?"
"Yes... they're well. Are you coming over for supper?"
"Ah... not tonight. Perhaps tomorrow."
"Are... you alright?"
Hijame blinked at him. "Oh. Yes, I'm fine. Just... tired." He moved to change the subject. "Have you had any problems training with your leg?"
Echiko gazed at the crowds of people walking to and fro throughout the market. "I... I don't know if I can do this, Hijame-san." The young man waited patiently for him to continue. "I can't maintain my balance during spars," Echiko said. "...This – thing, throws me off and I can't control my chakra through it to help. I can't even climb a tree with this."
Hijame nodded, relaxing his position to lean against the back of the bench. "I was talking about it with Daisuke-san before I left. It is possible that we might be able to make you a new replacement with chakra-conducting metal. It will just take a while. Do you think you can hold out until then?"
But Echiko stared at him. "You mean... there's metal you can conduct chakra into?"
"Yes, there is," he acknowledged. "It is used to make certain types of weapons and shinobi tools. Actually my very own wakazishi are made from that metal. I will have to show you how it works sometime."
Echiko didn't know what to say. It almost sounded too good to be true. "There... is someone who can make this?"
"Daisuke-san and I will figure it out, but in the meantime you should practice what you can. You already know a lot more than most kids your age, and if you can master the basics with your old leg, then how much better will you be when it's replaced with one made from chakra-conducting metal?" He tapped Echiko's head. "Remember, your greatest strength is here. I know you can work through any difficulty you come to face with, you just have to be confident in your own skills. Though, Senpai can tell you I was extremely arrogant in my abilities when I was your age, so you don't want to go too far."
"Yeah..." Echiko was glad for Hijame's confidence in him, but he didn't feel like he deserved it. He didn't want to let him down. "I'm just... so weak."
"You know the saying 'All brawn and no brain?' Well you may be 'All brain and no brawn,' but it's the smart people who keep the strong guys alive."
Thanks for the comfort, Echiko laughed inwardly. But maybe he was right. Maybe he's been focusing too much on what he isn't when he should be improving what he already is able to do. It was the same thing Daisuke said that morning.
"Hey, I think someone is looking for you," Hijame said suddenly. Echiko followed his raised hand pointing to the other end of the street, where he glimpsed a black-haired boy with enormous goggles on his face squeezing through the crowd, bursting out with a huff when he caught sight of the two of them on the bench.
"Ah! Echiko! I was wondering where you went," Obito breathed. "I thought I saw you a couple streets back but then I got lost. Oh, Hijame-san! You're here too!"
"Hey Obito," the young man waved casually.
"Why were you looking for me?..." Echiko wondered.
"To hang out, of course! I promised we would last week, and Sensei said I could bring you over to our training area for a while, since that moron Kakashi isn't hogging it all today. When Sensei said you were a fire-affinity too I couldn't wait to do some training together! Are you busy right now?"
"Oh, ah... no." Echiko hesitated. He never really understood why this boy would go out of his way to hang out with him. Was this what it was like to have a friend? He added sheepishly, "Yeah... that sounds like fun."
"Cool! C'mon!" He grabbed Echiko's wrist. "I'll show you where it is!"
Suddenly pulled forward, Echiko barely managed to toss Hijame a farewell before he was dragged off into the crowd.
"So-so where is this training ground?" Echiko asked loudly over the din of the crowds as they ducked their way through the streets, winding throughout the district.
"Our's is actually over by the south-west wall, right up next to it. We have lots of privacy over there, not to mention enormous trees," Obito explained excitedly. "Kakashi and I spar every day, and we take turns sparring Rin though we try to be careful, you know, 'cause she's a girl." He bounced over a vendor's cart and brought Echiko through an alleyway. "Shortcut! Oh, anyway, and sometimes we go three-against-one with our Sensei! It's pretty fun, though Kakashi likes to show off and its so annoying."
"Ah," though Echiko couldn't say much else as apparently Obito liked running and talking everywhere he went.
In five minutes Echiko could see the walls looming over them, the miniature forms of shinobi on guard watching vigilantly from atop its heavy stone ramparts. The trees rose high forming a ridge around the walls like a second barrier of protection against invaders, their dense boughs the perfect place to ambush or defend from.
They were walking now, as they had left the crowds and market streets far behind, and the road was clear as the mid-afternoon sun beat down upon their heads. There was a tall fence with a gate that surrounded a large area, disappearing between the woods, with a sign that labeled it as "Training Grounds #32."
Obito opened the gate, allowing Echiko to enter. "Number 32, yep. We have free reign to use this place, isn't that cool? When you're a genin you'll get to have your own training ground too."
He led Echiko down the well trodden path into the trees only to end up in a clearing in the middle of the arena where several training instruments were scattered about, as well as large holes and scorched patches of grass sticking out all over the place as if someone had been practicing how to make something explode.
Farther from the wall was a knoll where a stream trickled down into the arena, and then he noticed the two figures crouched there, the smaller one in the water and the tall one with flashy yellow hair on the bank of the stream.
"Sensei! Sensei!" Obito trotted over to them, so Echiko followed, seeing his Sensei for the first time since he had met the three companions.
The man was a lot younger than Echiko expected him to be. Maybe in his mid-twenties, he had a genuine smile and sparkling blue eyes, so very contrary to the darker hair and brown eyes of most of the other shinobi in the village, not to mention his striking yellow hair. He looked to be instructing Rin in channeling her chakra through water before Obito burst upon them.
"Sensei! This is Echiko," he introduced loudly to his teacher, pulling Echiko by the shoulder so he stood in front of them. "And Echiko, this is Minato-sensei."
"Oh, hello there Echiko-kun," the man laughed lightly, his voice uncommonly soft. He held out a large palm and shook his hand. "Obito has told me a lot about you. It seems you two get along very well!"
"Nice to... meet you," Echiko replied, caught off guard by his casual form.
"Konoha is blessed to have the Nakayama heir within her walls," Minato added. "I heard about what happened. Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah..."
"Well feel free to come here anytime you want. We've been on mission a lot lately so the grounds haven't been utilized as much as it used to. Oh-uh, Obito – Rin is practicing her chakra control, please don't bother her," he said, noticing Obito was asking her a bunch of questions while she sat in the stream, though she had a pleasant smile on her face. She seemed to always be smiling to Echiko, even when she was hard at work.
"Are you two going to spar?" Minato asked. Obito nodded when he rejoined them. "Yeah, and I was wondering if I could borrow your bells."
The teacher searched his back pocket and handed him two small, silver bells tied together with a string. "Don't lose them."
"I won't!" He began trotting down the knoll. "C'mon, Echiko!"
Echiko ventured back down the hill, careful not to go too fast knowing he'd slip with his metal foot-piece, and stopped where Obito held up the bells in the middle of the assortment of training dummies. "So we'll play a game Sensei did with us when we became genin," Obito explained. "It's really fun and simple too. But it's not easy. You have to try to get one of these bells off me, and in order to do that you have to come at me like you mean it. No rules so you can use jutsu and whatever else you've got on you. Though I'd prefer no explosive tags. Sound cool?" He handed him a leather pouch that was attached to his belt, grinning. "I have two, so you can borrow this."
Echiko felt the pouch in his hands, opening it to examine the contents. Inside he found a few kunai, a handful of shuriken, wire, tags, even some tetsubishi or spikes, and a small medical kit organized neatly.
"Alright," Echiko said at length, strapping the pouch to his own belt behind his left elbow where he could reach for it easily. Obito dropped the bells into his back pocket.
"Okay when I say start... Sta-!"
"What are you doing?"
Obito glared at the voice that interrupted him. "Go away, Kakashi!"
Echiko swung around to see the white-haired boy siting on a boulder a stone's throw away by the knoll. "You're doing the bell test with him? Shouldn't you be training, idiot?"
"This is training! If you don't like it you can go somewhere else."
"Actually I have a better idea. Since the two of you are practically at the same level, it'd be more of a challenge if you handed me the bells."
"Like I would do that! You always think you're better than me, but you're not!" Obito huffed, turning, but Kakashi was much faster, seeming to appear directly behind his teammate in half a second.
"Well then prove it by getting the bells from me." He raised his hand, jingling the bells in Obito's face that was scrunched up with emotion. Echiko watched, impressed with Kakashi's speed, though he felt the same as Obito.
"Hey... Obito." Echiko walked forward, getting their attention. "Why don't we do it Kakashi's way? It will be... two against one. I'm not very strong, but... I bet we can work together and get those bells." By the time Echiko finished Obito was grinning again.
"Aright! You're on, Kakashi! We'll show you the power of teamwork!" He jumped back, readying his stance.
Echiko breathed. This will be hard, but, he had an idea on how this might work. So far he knew nothing of either boys' strengths or weaknesses, however, Obito has been sparring with Kakashi since forever so Echiko figured he'd follow his lead and support from the side. That, and watch carefully.
As soon as Kakashi gave the signal, Obito rushed forward in an attempt to keep his teammate out in the open, assaulting him with a series of kicks and punches.
Kakashi was fast, that was a given. He also doesn't hesitate, while though Obito acts tough he hesitates before he deals any real damage, leaving an opening for his opponent to counterattack. However against Kakashi he was just too slow. Kakashi swept aside his hits and flipped over his head, pressing a palm to the back of his head and spine, slamming him face down into the ground. He abruptly ducked, narrowly missing a kunai thrown in his direction from Echiko, and rolled to his feet now aware of both of his opponents.
Echiko didn't pause, sending another kunai mixed with two shuriken at him as Obito quickly sat up with a determined frown, seeing Kakashi catch the shuriken and deflect the kunai, bouncing it off course to his left.
"C'mon you two, this is pathetic. At this rate you'll never get the bells from me."
"Just you wait!" Obito was on his feet, about ready to charge again when Echiko rushed to his side and grabbed his sleeve.
"Charging won't help," Echiko quietly tried to say. "We need to corner him between us and use jutsu to distract him."
"Ok!" Obito hopped to his left, readying himself to create hand seals. As Echiko predicted, Kakashi flashed forward to get close to Obito to prevent him from completing his set. But Echiko had already set up his next attack.
"Fire Flare Jutsu!" A small reflection of light hinted Kakashi to the wire between him and Obito, and he skid to a stop as a thin stream of fire swept down the wire and flared up into his face. He moved back but there was a heated wire behind him as well.
Obito had finished his seals. "Great Fireball Jutsu!" A huge ball of fire broke through the strip of flames and it looked as if Kakashi was engulfed in it. Until he disappeared into a puff of smoke.
"Darn it! A clone!" Obito noticed the wires and saw they were attached to the kunai Echiko had thrown earlier. "I never thought of setting up a trap with heating wires. That was a good idea!"
The wires, of course, were ruined now. But that didn't matter. "...How can we find Kakashi?" Echiko didn't like standing in the open while their opponent was hiding somewhere in the grove of trees, watching. Obito just placed his hands on his hips.
"He's good at stealth and has probably rigged the trees with traps. If we separate it will be easier for him to take us down one by one, but if we don't it will be harder to find him," Obito formulated thoughtfully. Echiko was surprised. This is the first time he's said something decently smart since he met him. As long as he's not distracted by Kakashi's taunts, they should be able to find a way to sniff him out...
That's it!
"I'll go in first and you try to keep track of me," Obito was whispering. "If I get caught in a trap, hide. Kakashi will most likely be close by and will try to capture both of us. Just watch out for his clones." He darted into the woods, and Echiko waited a second before he slipped in after him, ducking under a bush and quickly biting his finger. A bubble of blood formed and he completed a set of hand seals, swiping the blood on his right palm and softly planting his hand to the earth with his concentrated chakra. The smoke dissipated, revealing a snake-like dragon the size of a cat, its split tongue hissing as it wrapped its flexible body around Echiko's arm and seemed to lick the blood on his hand.
This type of dragon had an extraordinary sense of smell and could track almost anything if given a slight whiff of its target's scent. In his hand was a strand of Kakashi's white hair, taken off of the first kunai he had thrown that flew past the boy's head. The dragon's thin tongue wrapped around the hair and its head snapped up. It got the scent. Echiko moved his arm to the pouch Obito had given him, allowing the dragon to familiarize itself with his scent as well. He needed to know where both of them are.
The dragon slid from his arm and shot into the underbrush, Echiko slowly crawling behind. Because of his connection with the dragons, he could always sense where his summons were within a certain distance. He breathed. Attune to his surroundings like he did back in the forests by the rice village. See everything. Blend in with the long shadows cast by the rustling leaves. Sunlight was fading early because it was winter, and the increasing darkness aided him.
The snake dragon returned to his hand, its tongue on his palm the only way it could communicate. He immediately became aware of Obito's presence about thirty yards away, and there were three Kakashi's in the vicinity. One was right above Obito, one maybe ten yards to his right, and the other uncomfortably close to himself just a stone's throw away in the branches of a particularly twisted tree. He needed to eliminate that one first before he could aid his comrade.
A kunai and a paralyzing tag. The target had not moved, and he gauged his trajectory and wind resistance before thrusting the weapon over his head. It lodged into the wood at the target's feet, sending an electrical current through the air and zapping him. He disappeared.
"A clone," Echiko whispered to himself and picked himself up. He was glad he learned about clones in his first week at the Academy, having not been familiar with that technique as it wasn't something his father taught him. But apparently when a clone is attacked and disappears, the main body receives all the knowledge the clone collected, including its position and from where and how it was attacked if the clone saw it. The basic clones were just illusions, but the clones Kakashi could make were real and therefore were all the more deadly. So Echiko's place was compromised, and he moved quickly to avoid detection.
There was also the Replacement Jutsu, which Kakashi could have used instead of a clone in the first encounter to replace himself with a piece of wood or some other object. But since he used clones, it meant he already prepared his strategy before Obito first attacked him. He was extremely smart.
Now that Obito's signature was closer he could hear the boy yelling. "Damn it, Kakashi! Let me out of this! Come and fight me, you coward!" Did he get himself caught in a trap already? Or did he do it on purpose to allow Echiko to sneak in undetected? Even if it wasn't intentional, the noise he was making covered the noise of his approach. He closed in, the dragon on his shoulder as he determined the position of the two remaining Kakashi's.
The one above Obito had to be a decoy, as the other one was nowhere to be seen. That meant he knew Echiko was coming, and probably had a way to find out where he was. He figured as much, so as he had made his way through the trees he set up his own little traps using the contents of the pouch Obito had so graciously lent him.
Just as he was calculating his next move, the trap closest to him sprung and his dragon hissed a warning. He raised a kunai and blocked two kunai aimed at his head from the foliage above him, and another one cracked into the wood of the trunk behind him. That was a distraction as the boy himself jumped to land atop him, only Echiko rolled out of the way just in time. The snake dragon expanded its slender wings and latched onto Kakashi's masked face, squalling and hissing. He staggered back, trying to pull it off but only managed to rip his mask in doing so. The dragon held on.
There was a thud behind them, and Obito scrambled into the picture still untangling the rope around his body, and he stopped as he witnessed Kakashi struggling with a lizard attached to his head.
"Haha! Look at you!" He mocked, only to be hit on the head by the other Kakashi he hadn't noticed.
"You're such an idiot," Kakashi said, rolling his eyes as he dismissed the clone still trying to pry off the dragon to no avail. The dragon hit the ground and slithered into the brush.
"Hey, Echiko, I've got your ally as a hostage," he called out, holding onto Obito like glue. "Forfeit and I'll let him go."
"No way would he forfeit!" Obito exclaimed, pulling on Kakashi's unwavering grip.
"Do you want to die?" he replied, a kunai dangerously close to his throat, voice cold. Obito gulped. But suddenly Echiko emerged from the trees, arms crossed.
"Actually... I was going to ask you to forfeit," he said calmly, no hint of humor in his expression. He was dead serious.
"Why would I do so?" Kakashi asked cautiously. He knew he still had both bells, and he could sense nothing else beside the small boy standing in the open. That and the winged lizard atop his shoulder. "I see you used your dragon summons, very clever."
"What? Dragon summons?" Obito looked wide-eyed at the creature. "That lizard's a dragon!? Why didn't you tell me he could summon dragons, Kakashi?"
"Stupid," was all Kakashi said, focused on his remaining opponent.
Echiko made himself appear relaxed, though really he was on edge, waiting. Kakashi had doubled his awareness but both his hands were occupied with Obito, so he still had a chance. Just... a little longer!
The cold edge of a blade pricked the skin of his neck, and he became aware of its presence one millisecond too late. He had missed a clone.
His summon burst into smoke. "You're caught, Echiko," Kakashi smirked. "I guess I win."
"What?" Obito whined.
But Echiko wasn't quite finished. He had one more thing up his sleeve. His feet shot back to trip the clone, allowing the knife to graze his neck before he grasped the clone's arm and twisted it behind him with a sound snap. It was enough of a distraction, he thought.
The real Kakashi reflexively reached for his back pocket and pushed Obito forward, glancing abruptly toward the sky to see a camouflaged form cross the distance between them, bells singing in its claws. Echiko had managed to snatch the bells.
Kakashi's clone dissipated and he straightened his back. "You were able to summon two dragons at once."
"I'm still surprised you can summon dragons at all!" Obito added, a bit wounded. "I thought they were just myth. Kakashi, you should've told me-"
"Sensei explained it to me. It's a unique summon only the Nakayama Clan are entitled to." He looked at Echiko. "I'm impressed. You did well considering you're only an Academy Student. Much better than bird-brain over here."
"Hey!"
Echiko laughed uncertainly and dismissed the camouflage dragon. "Not really..." But he was glad. He learned a lot just from this challenge alone and there was much training he still had left to do to reach their level. Kakashi was amazing, and Obito could be skilled when he wanted to be. Plus he had compassion, and put his comrades above himself. He liked that about Obito.
"Gah I'm starving!" Obito said suddenly. "The sun's almost down. Who wants to bet Minato-sensei will treat us to ramen tonight?"
"Please not ramen again..." Kakashi sighed.
"Woo! Let's go!" He bolted back into the clearing and up the knoll as if all his energy had returned, while Kakashi stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked. He stopped when Echiko didn't move.
"You know you don't have to ask to join us," he said. "Actually Sensei might kill me if I don't drag you along so he can feed you. That's just how Sensei is. So are you coming or not?"
Echiko blinked at him, a strange feeling warming his bones. "Oh... I guess. Thanks..."
"By the way, you're still bleeding."
...

I panted at the top of the steep slope, searching the sun-bleached rocks with squinted eyes. "Emi? Emiko, where'd you go?"
"Come check this out, Echi!" came a girly voice from behind a boulder. I followed it to find my twin knee-deep in a puddle of water, pulling up glistening stones from underneath the boulder where the water seemed to drain under.
"Emi... we shouldn't be up here," I said, looking at the mid-morning sun almost completely crowded out by dense storm clouds, and a strong gale almost pushed me over. "It's going to rain."
"I know, just gimme a second," she replied, climbing up the boulder and sliding off the other side. She thrust her hand in the small hole at its base on that side, feeling around with her fingers. "I saw something in here."
A crack of thunder startled me, and I was growing nervous. "You're going to get us in trouble again," I complained.
"Don't worry, Echi, we're fine!" She suddenly jerked backwards. "Ow! That rock was sharp, yeah." She fished in there again, sticking her tongue out in concentration. "Almost... got it!" She pulled out her arm and opened her fist, smiling. "Lookie what I found, Echi!"
I peered into her hand. "It's a shuriken."
"Yeah, an old shuriken! Its gotta be from the First Shinobi War!" She hopped up, barely missing my head with hers, her short black braid bobbing up and down and then stopped short. "Hey, its sprinkling!"
I looked to the dark sky, feeling a tingling sensation on my skin. "Yes... we better go."
"Aw but we only just got here," she whined. "I haven't explored this place yet, yeah?"
"Mother expects us to be home right now, Emiko," I tried forcefully. "It is dangerous up here when it's wet."
She sighed, giving me puppy-dog eyes, but I avoided her gaze and grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her with me back down the mountain path that we climbed earlier in the morning. Because it was a rest day Father didn't make me train, so Emiko wanted to go explore. But the clouds rolled in so suddenly I didn't realize it'd be pouring rain by the time we made it to the house and slid open the door, tumbling inside, completely soaked.
"Haha! That was fun!" Emiko laughed, clinging to me so she wouldn't fall as she threw off her soggy shoes. We both froze when Mother's voice echoed through the entryway.
"Goodness, you two! How many times have I told you not to play outside when it rains?" She stood in the doorway frowning, before snatching our shirt collars and pulling us into the bedroom to get us changed into dry clothes.
"Look what I found, Mother!" my twin exclaimed, holding out her discovery as Mother dried our hair with a towel. "Think it's from the First Shinobi War?"
Mother paused and looked at the rusty shuriken, shaking her head. "I don't think so, love. Though you can ask your Father."
"Does Father know everything?" Emiko pondered.
"Your Father knows a lot of things," Mother said, "But he can't know everything. That's what books are for." She got Emiko to giggle and turned to me, making sure I had my clean yukata on right. "Wash your hands and come help me set the table now, you two," she added after re-tying the tuft of hair on the right side of my face with a colourful band and kissing my cheek. "I love you both very much."