Well, folks, this is the last batch of White Fang, Lightning's Howl: The Secret of the Hatake. But, just in case, you're wondering, right now I'm working on the epic life of Kakashi's last 'lonely' year and a bit. So... for those wishing to see Lightning's Howl in action and the reaction of fellow shinobi - well, tune in for the sequel - more on that later.
Thank you, crazy-antman and Rockfox for your kind encouragement!
Mommy-rogers - I'm glad you enjoyed it! The chapters ARE small... basically I write on the bus and on breaks at work - and type it up at home so I can't go lengthy. :-( However, my sequel's chapters, so far, have been crazy long... something to look forward to, I guess.
May-Veggiegirl1 - Thanks for the review and the tips to your friends! That is SO much appreciated! I'll try to increase my flashback qualities (I'm known for being too vague at times...)
Kaki-kun - I'm glad you're encouraged to write. Oh, by the way, my computer seems to be blocking 'pop ups' so I'm taking the time to say, update your Kakashi fanfic. It's really cute - and we can't have too much of those, can we?
I do not own Naruto or else it would have been called Kakashi!
White Fang, Lightning's Howl: The Secret of the Hatake
Inauguration
The next day, Kakashi was walking down the main street, he was accosted by Tsunade coming down to the town tavern.
"You're early!" she said, glaring. " A couple of weeks early!"
Kakashi sighed.
You can never make them happy, I guess…..
"Well," he said. "I needed to be here for the exams…. Sakura…"
Tsunade stepped back and folded her arms, schooling her face so as not to look too shocked.
He came for Sakura? He came…… Sakura?
"I see," Tsunade said, cocking her head at the tavern they stood in front of and leading him to her favorite booth.
They were given two small cups of sake, at her order.
"So," she said, taking a sip. "Will you be getting back to work now?"
She looked up.
"Is your training complete?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said. "I guess I'm ready for anything now."
"Hmmmm. That's the best news I've heard for a long time, excluding Sakura's triumph," Tsunade said with a snort.
"You don't – you can't – know how much you were missed," she laughed at his surprise. "Within a week, Genma, especially was more than ready for your return. Lazy bastard! Raido's spoiled him."
Kakashi chuckled.
"Ahhhh! That explains his kiss."
Tsunade raised her brows in enquiry.
"…………"
Shouldn't have said that, he sighed.
Tsunade shrugged and finished her cup. She stood.
"Come to me, tomorrow," she said. "I'll have an S-rank or something for you."
Kakashi nodded. She turned and walked away, he pulled down his mask and drank the small cup of sake quickly, pulling up the mask afterwards.
Just in time.
Gai, Asumo, Kurenai, Genma, Raido and Kotetsu came in. Descending on the silver jounin, they slapped him on the back, gave him sideways hugs and pinned him into the booth, while chiding him about his long absence.
Gai was especially curious as to what Kakashi was training in.
"Hey, Kakashi, as your eternal rival, I at least ought to know about this training of yours. Myself, I've been training extra hard for your return – but now, to look at you, I see perhaps you haven't changed much at all – except for perhaps more muscle tone. But then, as I always say, youth is a season of life that quickly passes. Eh, Kakashi?" Gai gave Kakashi a sly sideways grin, flashing his teeth.
Kakashi cocked his head, lazily.
"Eh, what did you say again, Gai?"
"Gaw!" Gai yelled, bursting into flame. "You're still responding in a very hip way and it still pisses me off!"
Genma intervened.
"I, for one, still can't believe it's you!" He said. "You're so early!"
"Maybe it's Itachi hiding in a complicated genjutsu," Asumo said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Kakashi sweated. "Really, you guys!"
Kurenai looked thoughtful.
"Seeing as you're early, aren't you going to Sakura's inauguration?"
Kakashi's eyes widened at the memory.
"Eh? Don't tell me it's today?"
They all nodded solemnly.
"When? Did I miss it?" he asked, jumping up and trying to extricate himself from the now packed booth.
"It'll be starting at…. Um…." Kurenai thought hard, enjoying the normally imperturbably jounin's anxiety. "Let's see…. At 1030 am."
"That'd be…. 10 minutes ago," Raido said, taking pity on the jounin.
"You might be able to survive their anger, if you hurry," Genma said, also standing up, setting his cup down and making for the door.
"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be there?" asked Kakashi.
Genma rolled his eyes and his senbon.
"Yeah." He said, laconically. "I'm dead meat."
Kakashi looked at his grinning fellow shinobi with suspicion.
"You guys better not be joking with me."
"I wish I was," Genma said, walking out the door.
"You'll wish we were," Kotetsu smirked. "Tsunade-sama angry is a sight to behold – but only from the sidelines, so to speak."
"Good luck," they called, as Kakashi disappeared.
Poking their heads out the tavern window, they could hear Genma and Kakashi as they ran toward the Kage's office.
"Get your ass moving, you lazy bastard!" Genma yelled.
"Genma, you need to wash out your mouth. It's seriously disturbing."
"THAT'S RIGHT!" bawled Iruka. "Talking like that in public is disgraceful! Especially in front of the kids!"
"Are you talking about yourself again, Iruka-sensei?" shot back Genma, as he passed Iruka and Izumo, walking slowly down the street.
"Geez, his sensing skills are shot," Izumo said loudly. "No wonder he couldn't cope with all those S-ranked missions."
"Now, now, Izumo-san, I think that's taking it a little too far…" Iruka gasped, as Kakashi passed him overhead.
"You're dead!" shrieked Raido, glaring in mock-anger at Kotetsu, who started to sweat.
"He's dead!" Genma growled.
"Well, Izumo's got a point. This street is crawling with kids – I guess Iruka must be going over Ninja Concealment in Foreign Villages."
"It's interesting to know you always seem to be aware of what Iruka is doing…" Genma murmured with a leer.
Kakashi glared. Genma looked at him with an 'I'm-only-an-innocent-senbon-sucking-jounin' look.
"What now?"
"Don't 'what now' me!"
"Well –"
"You were inferring things.
"Well –"
"You know how I hate it when people infer things."
"Yes, but –"
"And here I thought I was Mr. Nice Guy for not punishing you for that kiss."
"Now, that –"
As they entered the kage's main office bickering, they stopped as the air of official-dom brought them the reality they were late.
"Late AGAIN!" Tsunade frowned as Genma scurried over to his spot beside Ibiki and Anko.
"Some habits die hard…" murmured Shizune trying to calm the Hokage down.
"Why expect anything?" asked Sakura, matter of factly. "Look at his FACE! He is a shinobi without a face of enthusiasm."
The four women surveyed Kakashi with annoyance/ disgust as he rooted around, found and opened his perennial romance book.
They all sighed.
"He's hopeless!" wailed Tsunade.
"Now, now!" Shizune said. "Let's get this thing going before ceremony is totally thrown out of the window."
Throughout the ceremony, Sakura was in the state of seventh heaven.
But as she considered this day of celebration, sadness pervaded her heart. She could not celebrate with a team.
She would not be congratulated or toasted. Sasuke would not be there to see how strong, smart or beautiful she had become. She would not experience his dismissiveness or silent acknowledgement. Naruto would not be there either. She would not experience his shrieks of approval, his avowal to beat her nor his continual pestering for a date.
Sakura knew her friends would be waiting downstairs, ready to take her to the Ichiraku Ramen shop but in the evening, when most teams celebrated in an intimate fashion, she would be alone.
She couldn't expect Kakashi to do anything. He was a teacher for the first (and last) time in his life. She knew he never really followed the rituals of other team leaders. Camaraderie at Ichiraku Ramen shop or anywhere else was rare.
Sakura and her teammates learned quickly that there was a definite line between his public teaching life and his private life.
So he never treated them out, rarely gave them anything, never gave gifts or hugs and never hung out for fun.
I guess, sometime in his life he must have reached a point where losing another friend close to the heart was just suicidal. He probably is afraid to let anybody come close.
No. Tonight no doubt would be spent in her room despondently looking at her Team 7 photograph.
Before she knew it, the ceremony was ended and after giving her bows, the three examiners – Genma, Ibiki and Anko fled – before Tsunade could think up any duties for them.
Genma, Kakashi thought, no doubt is going to drag them off to the inn – and looking at Tsunade, I'd better follow suit – or else, I won't survive the next hour., Kakashi thought,
Kakashi, smiling at Sakura, disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
