"Need some salve?" asked Kai quietly, his eyes on the next fight.
"I don't think so." Kakashi appreciated the offer.
"Ichimaru next, I think," said Kai, musing out loud.
"You're fighting Ichimaru?" asked Kenchi.
"Kakashi will be."
"You can't know that!" said Kenchi.
"I do."
Kakashi tuned them out as they began to argue again. He was still full of energy thanks to the soldier pill, so it was an effort to sit still and watch the remaining fights. He had fought Ichimaru before, so he already knew the older boy's weaknesses. For a ten-year old, he had a lot of muscle and the extra bulk made his reactions slow. Ichimaru also wasn't very clever in his fights. He stuck to the basics, and rarely improvised. The only reason he was the best fighter in the class was because he was very good at those basics and had the strength to back up his straightforward tactics.
The fights passed quickly due to the time limit. Kai won his fight with Kenchi, while Ichimaru slaughtered his weaker opponent, Inoue. She was lucky to walk away with a bloody nose and a few bruises. Taki won her fight, and Kakashi couldn't help some malicious satisfaction when Suzume lost hers.
Kakashi kept moving his arm to make sure his shoulder didn't stiffen up, and waited impatiently for his name to be called again. The second rounds started, and everyone watched intently, knowing this would be the final chance for many of the participants. Kenchi fought one of the girls and won. Suzume won against Hima with a vicious left hook that knocked him out cold. Kai lost to Bunta-kun after only a token effort on his part. Kakashi was beginning to suspect that Kuma was going to make him wait until last again, when his name was finally called along with Ichimaru's. There was a rush of whispering as the class realized Kakashi was going up against another brilliant fighter.
Ichimaru looked disgruntled when Kakashi approached. Their fights before had had varying outcomes, though none had been just taijutsu fights. Ichimaru was probably trying to decide how much of a challenge Kakashi would be.
"Begin!"
Ichimaru dropped into a basic stance, while Kakashi stood there. He was ready, but he didn't want Ichimaru to get any information from his posture. If he was going to win this fight, he needed to avoid being overwhelmed, and he needed to control the fight itself.
With that in mind, he waited patiently for Ichimaru to throw the punches he obviously wanted to throw. When they finally came, he danced backwards, timing it so the punches came within inches of his face each time, goading the other boy to keep trying. Once both of them had gotten into a rhythm, Kakashi abruptly broke it. He ducked under the final punch, which brought him close enough to hook his heel against the other boy's heel. Ichimaru was still stepping forward, so Kakashi's foot pulling against his meant that his weight was coming down on a foot that was no longer flat against the ground. He slipped, landing in a painful looking split.
Kakashi was behind him in a second, bringing one arm around the other boy's neck while using the other to put more pressure on his arm. Even a five-year old could strangle somebody if they were in the right position.
That should have been it. Kuma-sensei should have called out that Kakashi was the winner. Time passed, and nothing happened. Kakashi applied as much pressure as he could, but he was only managing to restrain Ichimaru who had started struggling as much as possible. Finally, the other boy simply pulled back and punched Kakashi in the face. The blow didn't have much force because of their positioning, but it was enough to make Kakashi let go.
They broke apart, each panting heavily. Ichimaru's face was red from the near strangling. Kakashi spared a glance for Kuma, who was standing patiently to one side. At the moment, he hated the man. There was no time for anything now though. He would have to defeat Ichimaru in such a way that Kuma couldn't cheat.
His attention went back to the other boy. Ichimaru was angry. The older boy had a tendency to lose his cool whenever he was close to losing. This could also work to Kakashi's advantage.
Kakashi deliberately relaxed, allowing his arms to hang loosely at his sides. "Are you going to attack yet?" he asked.
"I'll attack when I'm ready," said Ichimaru, his face turning red from anger this time. He had more self-control than Kakashi remembered.
"We are running out of time," Kakashi politely pointed out. The other boy didn't move. "You could forfeit to me if you're worried," Kakashi taunted.
Ichimaru was a blur, but that was okay because Kakashi was already moving. He side-stepped a kick, and blocked a right punch. When a left punch came, he slipped past it, crouching low so that Ichimaru's fist and arm were blocking Kakashi from his view. It was one of the few advantages to being small. When Ichimaru began to pull back in confusion, Kakashi braced himself against the ground, then punched up into Ichimaru's chin with all the strength he could gather. Ichimaru's head snapped back, and he fell backwards. Kakashi didn't even have to think before he took the opening in front of him and slammed his knee into Ichimaru's crotch.
Watching Ichimaru curl up on the ground in pain, Kakashi reflected that Kai might have been right when he said Kakashi fought dirty. He turned towards Kuma, and saw that his eyes were widened in surprise, though that was quickly replaced with his usual calm look when he noticed everyone watching him. Ichimaru showed no signs of getting up. Kakashi's eyes were ice cold where he stared at his sensei.
"Kakashi-kun wins," said Kuma stiffly after a long moment. Kakashi thought he should be feeling happy, but he just felt relieved and tired. He was out of the Academy now. His father would be proud, and he could wear a mask. Those were the important things.
He was quiet for the rest of the exam, hardly noticing the awkward congratulations his classmates threw his way. Mostly, he was left alone since those who had passed were too excited at their own good fortune to bother with anyone else. In the end, everyone went back inside and sat excitedly, waiting for their names to be called. One by one, they went forward and accepted a shining new hitaeate and a blank registration ID. Their parents were already waiting outside, so Kuma allowed everyone to leave once they had their hitaeate. Kakashi was so lost in thought that he didn't notice he was last again.
"Kakashi-kun!" Kuma had come to him, placing the headband down on the desk so that the leaf symbol glinted in the late afternoon sun. They both stared down at it. Kuma didn't look at him as he spoke. "I told myself if you could pass when everything was against you, then maybe I was wrong. And, yet… I don't think I was. The ninja world is a horrible place, and the thought of you being out in it at such a young age chills me."
"I won't fall without a fight," said Kakashi, looking defiantly up at his teacher.
Kuma gave him a bitter smile. "It's the fact that that's all you're worrying about, that worries me."
Kakashi, for all his genius, had no idea what his sensei was talking about. He hated it - how people didn't make sense no matter how hard he tried to understand. He picked up the hitaeate to cover his confusion. Kuma sighed, and surprised him by taking it out of his hands.
"Let me," Kuma said, and tied it expertly around Kakashi's forehead. The metal plate was wider than his forehead, and it didn't stay very well. "You'll have to adjust it later. Good luck, Kakashi-kun."
"Thank you, Kuma-sensei," said Kakashi, wary of any other tricks.
"You better get home."
"Yeah." Kakashi grabbed his things, and slipped out the door. He avoided the crowd of proud parents and children outside. His father hadn't picked him up from the Academy since his first day there. It was Kakashi's responsibility to make it home, and on time.
He knew when he got there that the house was empty. There was no note left for him, so his father was probably out on a short mission. For longer ones, he would be left a note with an estimate of the mission's length, and some money for anything he might need.
Kakashi used a mirror and a nearby table to bend the hitatate so it fit a bit better, filled out his registration ID, then went out back to train. Despite how tired he felt mentally, the soldier pill had left him enough energy to run through several of his training exercises without feeling tired. He was careful to avoid any that put any strain on his still aching shoulder.
His father found him in the middle of a set of fifty sit-ups.
"Kakashi."
He jumped up, the sit-ups forgotten. "Father!"
Father pulled down his mask to reveal that he was smiling. "I see you graduated. People I don't even know were congratulating me in the street."
"It's not any of their business," said Kakashi. While he liked the attention sometimes, being talked about all the time was annoying. "I made a friend today," he declared.
"That was quick. Who?"
"Hamato Kai."
"Hamato… I've worked with his father before." He didn't say anything else, but that wasn't surprising. Father only talked about missions if he was trying to teach Kakashi something. "I have something for you." He held out a small, rumbled package, wrapped in brown paper.
Kakashi took it, eagerly tearing it open. Inside, three stretchy, dark blue masks were folded neatly in a pile.
"Try to keep them clean and undamaged. It was difficult to find masks in your size."
"I will!" Kakashi was already pulling off his hitaeate so he could put a mask on. Father didn't say anything, but took the mask from him and pulled it easily over Kakashi's head. Kakashi tugged it impatiently up over his nose, reveling in the strange sensation. His headband was tied back on, and he stood their anxiously under his father's gaze.
Father ran two of his fingers along the metal plate, then smiled again. "You did well today, Kakashi."
Kakashi grinned broadly under his mask. Nothing made him happier than his father's praise, and nothing ever would.
A/N: Yondaime in the next chapter. I'll try to get it up soon:) Oh, and thanks to everyone for their reviews!
Patty: Aki's way of showing respect was that she's willing to fight him again in a few years when he's bigger/older.