He didn't want to train those kids.
He wasn't even sure what he was thinking, allowing them to pass. They were his first students to ever take on; everyone else had failed. Hell, they should've failed as well. And they did, at first.
He wasn't sure what made him give them a second chance. They were dysfunctional. They didn't get the bells, they didn't work as a team. They didn't even work together when he explained exactly what he wanted from the test.
But he saw so much in them.
Of course, they were their own people. Naruto, with his passionate determination. Sasuke, and his cool calculation. Sakura, and her desire to stay by Sasuke.
Naruto was probably the worst. He looked like Minato. He had Kashina's spirit. He acted just like Obito, all reckless abandon.
He saw Rin, every damn time he looked at Sakura. With her gentle hands and calming presence. In the way she looked at Sasuke, adoration evident.
He saw himself, in Sasuke's silence, in his battle to stay detached. Sure, he was an Unicha and whenever Kakashi met his gaze it was Obito staring back but damn him a thousand times over for seeing himself.
It was like they were beside him the entire time.
'Naruto's a fiery one, isn't he, Minato-sensei?' Rin grinned.
Minato laughed, loud and boisterous. Loud and alive. 'What else do you expect from a child of Kashina?'
'Get him, Sasuke!' Obito cried. 'Go for his left! Now! Use your fireball, you idiot! You are an Unicha! For the love of God, don't lose to Kakashi!'
'You tied my son up?'Minato glared at him.
Kakashi kept his expression as emotionless as he could, even with the maks covering half his face. Obito bent double, wheezing. 'Power move of the century! The student's been the teacher, all right.'
Rin giggled from his side, one hand over her mouth, the other on his shoulder, holding herself up. 'Oh, poor Naruto,' she sighed. 'I hope you didn't go easy on them, Kakashi.'
Obito scoffed. 'Kakashi? Easy? Please.' He grinned. 'He'll probably fail them for kicks.' He elbowed him in the side, all play.
Rin shook her head. 'Don't fail them.'
'Yeah, that's Minato-sensei's son you've got there.'
Rin glared at Obito. She reached out and smacked him upside his head. 'No. Because they've got potential. This is exactly how we were, way back then.' She sighed. 'Minato-sensei took a chance on us, even though we barely passed. And look at us now.'
Kakashi swallowed thickly.
Dead.
Dead.
Haunted.
He had passed them. He had smiled and ignored the ghosts leaning against his shoulders. He ignored Rin, all bright smiles. And Obito, all tease and over-confidence. He ignored Minato and Kashina, glowing with pride.
'A jonin now,' Kashina would sigh. 'And a jonin-sensei no less. Who would've thought?'
'Not me!' Obito would crow.
Minato would drop a hand to his head and ruffle his hair in the way that he used to. Way back then. 'Bring my Naruto up well.'
I'll try my best.
Rin squeezed his shoulder, hugging him tightly. 'I'm so proud of you, Kakashi-chan.'
I miss you.
He didn't even want to train those kids. He already had enough ghosts clinging to his ankles, he didn't need physical incarnations of them in front of him, every day.
Because it was Obito he saw in Naruto. And Minato-sensei and Kashina-san.
It was Rin, his wonderful, pure Rin, in Sakura. His Rin that was too good for their world. Too good for him.
And himself and all his failures, all of his shortcomings, all of his mistakes, in Sasuke.
But maybe he could do something about it. Maybe he could give Naruto the same guidance that Minato-sensei had given him. Protect Sakura in the way that he had failed to do for Rin. Keep Sasuke from making the same mistakes he had.
Maybe he could do better for them. Be better for them.
All of them.
He still didn't want to train those kids.