Kei-Kei Yuki: Here is a quick update with yet another chapter! Enjoy~! Also, thank-you for favoriting, reviewing, following, and reading this story!
Beta by: Ana-DaughterofHades
A/N: Featuring Genin!Naruko and Kakashi
Drabble Four
Kakashi: The Fox and the Scarecrow
There were some things that Kakashi preferred to keep to himself, like how in the middle of the night he would slip inside the open the window of a certain young jinjinchūriki's apartment. She slept so peacefully, unaware that there was somebody in her apartment going through her fridge, checking the expiration date of a carton of milk and other dairy products that she had stored inside of it.
Throwing them out if they were passed their expiration date, he later replaced them with updated ones that would not harm her stomach. There were some nights where he would just watch over the sleeping girl and think back on his deceased sensei and wife, the young girl whose parents died not only to protect this village but her as well.
They sealed the demon that had destroyed half of the village and claimed thousands of lives in their only child. Many lost someone precious on that tragic night, turning their scornful and hateful eyes onto the blonde child. This isolated her from the rest of the village that was supposed to see her as a hero, but they only saw her as a monster.
He had seen her around the village sometimes, making a ruckus with her pranks, laughing while a group of chunins chased after the cackling, troublesome girl. Even though her appearance greatly resembled that of her late father, she did have her mother's round face and inherited her mother's tomboyish, loud, and brash personality.
It seemed that the only one to ever get the girl to listen was a chunin who went by the name of Umino Iruka, who appeared to have formed some type of bond with the lonely child. She would often scold the girl for her wrongdoings, before making her apologize, and later treating her to ramen; it seemed to be their everyday routine. Kakashi could tell that the brunette would bring positive and good influence to the blonde's life and social skills.
Though, there was also the fact that he always spotted the smile that lit up on the little girl's face whenever she was with the older brunette. A little girl, who was deprived of any type of family love and was avoided like the plague, had a smile stretch across her face, filled with utter happiness that was also expressed in her large eyes. It made Kakashi vow to keep that smile, that could rival the burning sunshine, safe at all cost.
Kakashi might not have realized it, but this was the spark that ignited his overprotective-big-brother-instincts. He would also not remark on how he thought of the brown-haired chunin as cute when he spotted her smiling as she socialized with the animated and hyper-energetic child. From the day she was born, Kakashi always kept his distance from the child and retained his identity and presence a secret from her. Why? Maybe it was due to guilt, nervousness, or the pain he felt when he sometimes looked at her.
She made him think about all those whom he was unable to save. Kakashi was a man who has a father commit suicide, who lost his best-friend, who had to kill his other teammate, and who lost the life of his sensei. Some would call him a broken man who had nothing but death surrounding him.
So in reality, Kakashi didn't think of himself as a positive and a dependable role model, especially after the massacre of the Uchiha Clan that was done by the hands of his junior team member in the Anbu, Uchiha Itachi. Though, that stopped when the Third Hokage assigned him yet another team, after bringing him out of the Anbu. Not only was he assigned with the last heir of the Uchiha clan on his team but also with his late sensei's daughter.
After seeing his new team, expressing his own displeasure of meeting them and informing them to meet him upon the roof of the building, he started off first with introductions. When the pinkette asked him to clarify, he put forth an example by introducing himself, before gesturing towards Naruko who quickly jumped to her feet. "Name is Uzumaki Naruko, Konohagakure #1 Orange Prank Mistress! So please, save your autographs for later." She smirked arrogantly as if the nickname itself was an achievement. "What I like is instant ramen, Iruka-sensei, Hina-chan, and-Oh, the Ramen God...!" she exclaimed with star-sparkling wide eyes.
'Just who in the world is the Ramen God?' came the thought of all those in the area, minus the blonde herself. Only one clearly showed the confusion that was engraved upon her face, while the other two hid it well with a look of indifference or aloofness.
"My goal... is to become the next Hokage, so then everyone will acknowledge my existence. No matter what, I'll make my dream become a reality! Dattebayo!" grinned the blonde girl, wearing a loud orange jumpsuit with a jacket that was left open to indicate a blue shirt underneath along with a pair of orange shorts. She still sported the same pigtail hairstyle since she was young, having her forehead protector tied around her neck. Despite none of them saying anything about her speech, the shimmering determination in her cerulean eyes was something to be admired.
Kakashi for a brief moment was reminded of the image of a red-haired woman who used to invite him over to dinner all the time. 'Remember Kakashi, once the baby is born you're going to be a big brother. So make sure you watch over our little Naru-chan.' The woman softly patted her large pregnant stomach, fondness in her eyes. 'She is going to grow and be a strong kunoichi one day just like her mother, Dattebane!' exclaimed the woman wearing the same grin as her daughter, despite how the girl's appearance resembled that of her father. In that instant, she was almost the mirror version of her mother.
'You really are a lot like your mother.' Kakashi had to conceal the small smile that was threatening to appear on his face. He scolded his features before pointing over to Sakura, who he found out was more into a fairytale romance than being a true kunoichi. He wasn't that surprised when he got to the last Uchiha heir, already expecting everything the other had to say. The only one that actually made an impression on him was Naruko.
It was one day after completing a low-rank D-mission that was to help repaint the fence of one of the local villagers, that Naruko sought out Kakashi. It was right after Sakura had run off trying to talk Sasuke into going on a date with her, though not before refusing Naruko's offer of friendship once again. It was only the two of them, sitting on top of the Hokage monument. Despite her being the one to call him up here, she had yet to say a word to him. Both of them watched the sun stretch across the horizon as it was starting to set.
"Kakashi-sensei." Her voice was different from its usually loud cheerfulness, taking on more of a serious tone that he never heard from Naruko before.
"Mm, Naru-chan. Is there something you wish to talk to me about?" inquired Kakashi, reading over a paragraph in his favorite Icha Icha Paradise book.
"It's about Sasuke-teme. I didn't actually pay attention to it during our team introduction, but lately, every time I look into his eyes... I fear for him." This caught Kakashi's attention, quickly closing his book and putting it away. Giving Naruko his undivided attention, he glanced over at the blonde and saw a conflicted look of emotions clouding within her eyes, but most of all, deep concern.
"His eyes? Why would you say that?" Kakashi asked, wondering why such a question would pop up out of the blue from the blonde.
"The eyes speak to me. You can tell a great deal about a person by looking into their eyes. Since we've been in the academy, I never actually got a good look in his eyes before, but today, I was finally able to see it. There is a powerful sense of darkness lurking deep within them, and I fear that one day... we may lose him, Kakashi-sensei, and even though the guy is a complete jerk, girly, and an asshole... I don't want to see that happen.," confessed Naruko, fist balling uptight as she gritted her teeth, eyes narrowed. "No. I will not let that happen!" The blonde stood on her feet. "Never! I can't have anything happen to the bastard until I defeat him fair and square!" she exclaimed determinedly. Her words were an absolute promise.
"So how are you going to save him?" inquired Kakashi.
Naruko said nothing, but the wide smile that spread across her face told him that she definitely had a plan. "I know what I must do. See ya, later Kakashi-sensei! And how many times do I have to tell you to stop adding -chan to my name!" Naruko exclaimed angrily before leaving the smirking jounin behind. Though, after she was gone, he was no longer smirking but held a contemplative look on his face as he thought over what Naruko had said.
It was no secret of how the last Uchiha's thirst for revenge was to hunt down and kill his brother who was responsible for massacring his entire clan overnight, though what surprised him the most was that Naruko was able to pick up on this. It seemed that other than her mother's loud, stubborn, and brash personality, the child also received her father's perceptiveness.
"What a daughter you two created," he muttered, before taking out his book.
End of Drabble Four