"You're braids swish when you walk, sensei," he said proudly. Kuma's face had gone blank again. At another time, Kakashi might have admired the man's ability to mask his emotions when ever he needed to.
"I'll remember that for next time. You're spent, Kakashi-kun."
Kakashi shook his head stubbornly. "Not yet."
"Have it your way. Taijutsu is after lunch. Get out of here." He wasn't able to hide the frustration in his voice.
Kakashi concentrated on keeping his legs from trembling as he walked out, barely remembering to grab his bento before he did. Everyone would be outside eating and playing. He usually ate alone since he felt uncomfortable joining any of the groups the class always broke into, but today he would have to attempt it. There was something he needed if he was going to survive the afternoon. He grinned faintly when he realized that joining the groups would also count towards his father's order to make friends.
He was scanning the groups, looking for the person he wanted, when one of the girls called out to him.
"Hey! Kakashi-chan! You survived. We were worried." Taki was a tall, dark-haired girl with excellent grades. Kakashi had wondered why the way she and her friends treated him annoyed him almost as much as Suzume's bullying, when he finally realized that she tended to treat him a lot like his father treated his dogs. If he did something good they patted him on the head, or gave him treats, and they babied him whenever possible. He often overheard them talking about how adorable he was.
"Why were you worried?" he asked.
"Kuma-sensei was choosing random students and putting them under a genjutsu in addition to the usual test. He got a few of us." She gestured to the other side of the field where those who had already failed were commiserating. "Be careful around, Ichimaru. He's pissed because the genjutsu almost got him." Kakashi glanced over at the brawny boy, who was resolutely throwing his kunai at a tree over and over again.
"Okay."
"Come join us," she offered, and Kakashi followed her back to her group, wanting to eat his lunch as quickly as possible. "So," Taki said as she played with the end of her long braid, "did he get you?"
"No. I dispelled the genjutsu before he could fail me." There was no point in mentioning how close to exhaustion he was.
It was like they all let out a breath they had been holding.
"That's just like you, Kakashi-chan!"
"Have a cookie, Kakashi-chan."
"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
"Oh, I've got chocolate if you want it. Please take some."
They always tried to feed him. He didn't like sweets all that much so he usually refused, but today he took whatever they were offering, knowing the sugar might give him some of the extra energy he needed. He devoured the bento and sweets quickly.
"Do you know where Kai is?" he asked.
"We never know where Kai is," said Taki dismissively before going back to her conversation about the latest gossip.
Kakashi quietly slipped away. No one could find Hamato Kai if he didn't want them to, but his twin, Kenchi, just might know where he was. He found the boy begging food off of one of the girls, claiming he had forgotten his lunch. Kakashi assumed he'd already eaten his and was now trying to get more. It was just the way Kenchi was.
"Kenchi," he said, once the boy had flopped down next to his friends, newly obtained sandwich in hand.
"Hey, chibi. You all right?"
It was too much. "Does everyone think I'm going to fail?"
"What do I care? I was only asking because you look like you're about to fall over."
"Oh." He really wasn't good at this friendship thing. "Do you know where Kai is?"
"Yes, but why should I tell you?"
It took Kakashi a moment to think of a reason. "So I won't tell Kuma-sensei who split the blackboard in half last month."
Kenchi gaped at him. "You weren't even in the room!"
Kakashi shrugged. There were other ways of getting information, and he wasn't going to mention that Kuma likely didn't care who had broken the board at this point.
"Fine." Kenchi grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "See the third tree from the left? That's his favorite tree. If he wants to talk to you, he'll come out when you call him." He gave Kakashi a rough push in that direction, almost causing him to fall. Kakashi didn't bother to thank the other boy.
When he reached the tree, he walked around to the other side, and sat down against one of the roots. It felt good to be sitting, even if he wasn't sure he'd be able to get up again. "Kai-san? Can I talk to you?" he asked the air.
Kai wasn't the best student in the class. In fact, he was about average in everything except for one small thing. If Kai didn't want to be found, he never was. Not even by their teachers. His stealth capabilities were above a chuunin's, if not higher.
Kakashi had a lot of respect for the other boy, even if they'd never talked to each other before, and he knew something about Kai that most didn't. He smiled a little when Kai appeared before him without a sound. The other boy was short with a stub-nose. He had numerous pouches tied bandolier style across his chest and waist, and wore a particular shade of brown that blended in distractingly with the trees behind him.
"You're good," said Kakashi, belatedly remembering to make conversation. Kai shrugged off the compliment, and sat down next to Kakashi. When he wasn't fighting with his brother, Kai was nearly as quiet as Kakashi. Kakashi wondered if maybe Kai didn't know how to talk to people either.
"I need a favor."
"What is it?"
"A soldier pill, if you have one." Kakashi yawned and resisted the urge to close his eyes. There could be no falling asleep.
"What makes you think I have one?"
"A good shinobi is always prepared," said Kakashi solemnly, then continued on in an excited tone. "You have everything in your pouches! Kenchi mentioned it one day, and he's right, though I still don't know why you carry around a frog."
Kai shrugged. "It's good for kawarimi no jutsu, and sound camouflage since I've trained him to croak. But mostly I carry him around to freak out our older sister." He shared a grin with Kakashi. Their amusement was broken by Kakashi yawning again.
"I'll pay you back for it," said Kakashi, now that he was certain the other boy had one.
Kai snorted. "I'm not my brother. You can have it for free."
"Really?"
"Mmm." Kai reached into one of the pouches at his chest, and pulled out a small container, inside which were a few pills. Kai hesitated. "They're meant for adults."
"I need to pass today." Kakashi readied the last of his energy to grab the pills, but Kai abruptly grabbed his hand and placed a pill in it. Kakashi took it with some water from the flask he carried. It would be a few minutes before it had any effect.
They sat in silence. Kakashi hadn't forgotten his father's order to make friends, but he couldn't think of anything to say. It was a bit of surprise when Kai spoke first.
"Kuma-sensei's not as calm today."
"He's trying to fail me," admitted Kakashi. It sounded even worse when he said it out loud.
"Mmm."
It wasn't much of a response, but Kakashi felt like the other boy was actually listening. "He's going to pair me with the best fighters. Probably Ichimaru, or Bunta-kun."
"Or Aki-san."
Kakashi thought of the tough, older girl, and nodded.
"I guess we won't be fighting each other then," said Kai.
"No. Not unless Kuma has another plan."
"Mmm."
Kakashi could feel his energy coming back. He held his hand in front of his face, and was pleased to see he could hold it there without trembling. "I'm too small," he said, thinking out loud, "but that means I'm harder to reach. And I'm fast."
Kai chuckled. "You also fight dirty."
"What?"
"You do. Your average fighter instinctively focuses on a few target areas – head, chest, and stuff. You aim everywhere and don't care where you hit so long as it causes pain. You broke Hima's kneecap your first week."
"He wasn't guarding his knee," said Kakashi, a bit petulantly.
"Mmm."
Kakashi decided to stand up. His legs supported him with no trouble. In fact, he felt as if he'd just woken from the deepest sleep of his life and was now ready for anything. He threw a test punch at the air, and nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for the pill, Kai-san."
"Mmm."
Lunch was almost over. Kakashi was going to leave, but then he paused, building up his courage. Kai was still sitting against the tree, staring at the ground.
"Do you want to be friends?" Kakashi asked. Kai met his eyes in surprise, but at least looked like he was considering the offer.
"I don't think I'll make a very good friend," said Kai slowly after a moment. "I hide too much." It was a warning.
"I don't know how to be a friend," confessed Kakashi, "so I wouldn't know if you were doing a good job or not."
"Hmm. Okay. We're friends then." He leapt back into the tree, disappearing immediately, leaving a bewildered Kakashi.
"Good luck with your exam, Kai-san," he finally said, then turned to go.
"You too!" called the other from somewhere above him, and Kakashi grinned. Mission accomplished.
A/N: Taijutsu next! I love writing fight scenes.