Academy Arc – A Dilemma

XXXXX

The Hatake household was quiet. It had been that way ever since its patriarch had died, and left the only surviving member of the Hatake family an orphan. It was large. It was grand. It was empty. It was cold. Kakashi hated this house. He hated the villagers. He hated himself. There was very little that Hatake Kakashi didn't hate. The few things he didn't hate? Well, that was a list that he couldn't bring to his mind as he roused himself for the day. The five year old sat up in his bed. When his father had been alive, the sound of breakfast cooking and his awful singing would fill the house. The smell of eggs, bacon, and perhaps fish if they were so lucky would also be present.

Two months since his father had committed suicide. Part of him was relieved. The old man was clearly suffering, and part of Kakashi hated that. The other part still hated his father. His father had foolishly placed his teammates lives before the mission, resulting in several deaths and a mess that would have to be cleaned up at a later date, if possible.

"Those who break the shinobi creed are trash," the young Hatake repeated to himself before he rose for the day. He reached over to his drawer, and pulled out his outfit, including a face mask. It used to be something he wore to be cool. To be different. Now it was to hide his shame from the world. The shame of having a father who betrayed the trust of his village. The cloth rested around his neck as he prepared himself for the day. The young man went downstairs to cook his own breakfast.

After eating and brushing his teeth, Kakashi gathered his things for school. It was the final week of the academy, and he'd already been approached by the instructors about graduating early. A prodigy, they called him. Only one in a generation. the last to have appeared was Minato Namikaze, a shoe-in for Hokage should he grow even stronger. That was his new idol.

A man who was strong. A man who was efficient. A man who followed the shinobi creed. He was truly what all shinobi should aspire to be like. An icon for the younger generations.

Kakashi left his house, for it wasn't a home, and walked towards the academy. His mask was already set upon his face; both the one made of cloth and the one he wore to hide his own emotions. This village was his home. This village was his home. This village was his home. How many times did he need to repeat that to himself?

As many times as it took for him to believe it.

This village, that pressured his father into suicide. This village, that cared nothing for its shinobi. those who break the rules are trash.

His fist tightened, and he felt himself draw a small amount of blood from his fingernails digging into his skin. This village. What was this village to him?

"Hey, you jerk!" the annoying voice of his classmate rang in Kakashi's ears. He did his best to ignore it. "I'm talking to you, you dumb jerk!"

"K-Kaeru, you shouldn't i-insult him so much," the much more reasonable voice also approached. Ah, Kenkin. Kakashi hid a sigh, and turned to face the duo. they were best friends, legendary in their classroom for being inseparable. One was an unskilled loser, and the other another genius, like himself. What those two were doing around one another so often was beyond most of the class, Kakashi included. Kenkin could do much better than that loser.

Like himself.

The Hatake ignored the passing thought. "Hyuuga. Nara," he greeted them as they approached. The three of them began to walk towards the academy together.

"Good m-morning Kak-kashi," Kenkin greeted him, offering a polite smile. "Are you f-feeling alright?" The girl was cute in a way. In a way that made Kakashi uncomfortable. He didn't have much experience with girls, though for some reason had an impromptu fan club made for him by some of his classmates. Girls were weird. Thankfully, Kenkin was nothing like that. She clung to Kaeru instead, anyway.

The jerk.

Once more, the thoughts were ignored. "I'm awake," he responded simply, hoping that would satisfy her question. It did, fortunately. It seemed that she got the hint.

Conversation stalled as they walked, and an uncomfortable silence descended between them all. Kakashi decided to observe his two new walking 'buddies', for lack of a better term. Kaeru and Kenkin were holding hands, as they always did. They also walked shoulder to shoulder, almost. Ever since a few months prior, they'd been extremely close. They'd become like that just before his father had-

Gone. Those thoughts were once more gone from his head. Fingernails dug into his skin. "Kakashi," Kaeru spoke up. The silver haired boy stopped, once more paying attention to his surroundings. The academy was in sight, but between them and the academy were two Uchiha clan members, both genin it seemed if the headband and lack of a flak jacket was anything to go by. Kakashi had almost run into them.

The silver haired boy looked at his classmates, and while Kaeru seemed calm, Kenkin had a glare on her face that would kill. She was gripping her best friend's hand extremely tight, however. "What is it you want, Uchiha?" Kaeru's voice was respectful, but there was an underlying aggression there that Kakashi had once thought only adults could manage.

The Uchiha in front of them sneered, looking over all three of them. A cold shiver ran down Kakashi's spine. "We just wanted to make sure our favorite two students made it to class on time," the one on the left, who had longer hair, spoke first. "You've been late all the other times, after all." Looking back, they had been late on several occasions.

"Please move out of our way, Uchiha," Kaeru spoke again, and Kakashi stepped forward.

"Can we move past?" his voice was cold, as practiced. The Uchiha glared at him as well. "We have class in a few minutes and I don't want to be late, either."

"Yeah, we just wanna talk a little is all," the short haired Uchiha spoke this time. Kakashi braced himself. This was going nowhere. "Hey, back it up you little brat! I don't think you want us to hurt you!" Kenkin stepped forward, her Byakugan giving her an intimidating look.

"Get out of our way," she hissed, surprising the silver haired boy. Before he could ask what was going on, the Hyuuga lunged towards the boys. "Get out of my way!" She was fast. Faster than she'd moved in any of her spars. Apparently, this surprised the boys in front of them as well, since they narrowly moved in time to avoid her strikes at them. "I hate you!"

"Awww, is the little girl going to cry?" one of them taunted her. Kakashi could only watch in amazement. "Go ahead and cry like a little bitch!"

"AAAAAARGH!" the Hyuuga screamed in anger as Kaeru approached the Hatake's side. "Let me hit you!"

"You should help her," the boy told his classmate. Kakashi gave Kaeru a quizzical look. Kaeru's expression was... difficult to read. "I'm not strong enough to help her, but you could. These guys have been bullying her for a long time, and won't stop."

"If she's not strong enough to fight her own battles, then she's useless," Kakashi spoke matter-of-factly. The weak died. The weak had to be rescued by others. The weak were a blight on the village as a whole. Kenkin screamed as one of the Uchiha finally grabbed her by the hair, and Kaeru tensed.

"The only useless one here is you," he snarled. "Even if I'm weak, I care about my best friend. If you won't help me help her, then I'll do it alone anyway!" Kaeru ran into the fray, trying to land a hit on the genin who were now flinging Kenkin around like a rag. The girl was screaming and crying, and Kaeru was all but useless in trying to hit them.

Kakashi watched on for a few moments before he huffed under his mask. That idiot. Fine, if the Nara was even getting off his lazy butt to defend his friend, what would it make Kakashi if he didn't at least try to help his classmate?

Kakashi's fist slammed against the face of the boy gripping Kenkin's hair, forcing him to release his grip out of surprise. Kenkin, skilled as ever, only took a moment to realize what had happened and followed up with several strikes to the boy's midsection. Kakashi followed that with a kick to the face, that sent the genin tumbling. Both classmates stood side-by-side, watching as the other boy back off a bit.

"Y-You'll regret that!" the Uchiha shouted at them before he collected his kin, running off. Kakashi and Kenkin watched them, the girl breathing heavily, filled with anger and hatred. For a moment they stood there, before Kaeru interrupted and wrapped his arms around Kenkin. The little Hyuuga calmed herself, relaxing into her best friend's hug.

"You ok?" the Nara asked, getting a groan in return. Kakashi stared at the two. He and Kenkin had made a good team. "You ready to go to class?" The girl shook her head, her eyes closed. Kakashi frowned and looked off to where the two Uchiha had escaped. Just what the hell was going on?

XXXXX

Hiruzen sat across from Uchiha Iroshu, his son, Fugaku beside him. The scene that played out on the crystal ball of his had been a common scene ever since he'd been approached by the young Nara several months before. While the aging man rarely handled smaller domestic matters such as this, it gave him a much needed reprieve from the war for a smaller, simpler issue besides land disputes. Not to mention it involved the Konohagakure Police Force, something that was under his direct jurisdiction.

"II take it you know what is the cause of this altercation?" the Hokage went straight to the point. To his credit, Iroshu sat firmly without a trace of hesitation on his face. Of course, Hiruzen already knew of the cause. Kaeru had been brave enough to explain what was happening, and asked that he watch. They had been heckled by Uchiha shinobi for the past week or so, when the Hokage had been made aware.

"I had received word from one of my squads that the boy and girl had been set upon by a couple of ne'er doers from my clan some time ago," the clan head spoke in a dignified manner. "Their bodies were found mangled and bloodied. Hardly recognizable." Hiruzen let out a long breath from his pipe, smoke pouring out of it like a volcano. "Half of them were unclothed, and since then the girl appeared to have a burning hatred for my own clan members. I can only assume that what they attempted was... less than civil."

"What actions did you take in response?" the golden question was asked.

"I commanded that the two be left alone," Iroshu's voice held no hesitation. "The matters of two children are insignificant to my clan, even be they Hyuuga or born from a disgraced member. My force has enough problems, even without taking petty revenge for justice caused by a crime committed by my own clan members. It seems there are those that hadn't heeded my will."

The room was silent as the two powerful men stared one another down. The Uchiha's firm gaze softened slightly. "You know me and what I stand for, old friend. My ancestor's will is not my own, and I would not threaten my clan's placement in this village for such a petty matter."

"I believe you," muttered the Third Hokage. "I will leave it to you to discipline your clan and forces on your own. There are other matters I must attend to, and I simply wished to bring these altercations to your attention. Thank you for your time, Uchiha." the patriarch of the Uchiha clan stood tall and proud, the meeting having concluded. His son did the same. Both of the older men shook hands.

"Of course, Lord Hokage," Iroshu replied smoothly. The two Uchiha left the room, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts. As well as the three ANBU that frequented and guarded him when on duty. It was more of a cake job, easy and decently paying, but with little danger or action attached. The aging Hokage took another puff of his pipe, waiting patiently for his next meeting. As he waited, though, he gazed once more into his crystal ball. The scene inside showed Kenkin and Kaeru sitting inside class. Aged eyes narrowed as he stared at the duo.

The reports behind the girl's chakra increasing day by day was concerning. Normally, it would take time and experience to expand one's own reserves to such an extent. She, however, had the reserves of an experienced genin at only five years old. Kaeru, on the other hand, was far more cunning and brave than anyone else in his age group. His father, Shatone, seemed to have pride in the former and was unaware of the latter.

Most children approached the Hokage as a superior, despite his friendly nature towards children. They treated him with the respect and awe of a child. Kaeru approached him like an adult, and had been incredibly clear in his intentions; to protect his best friend at any cost. While such a desire was admirable, it left Hiruzen worried. Should anything happen to the girl, what would happen to the boy? He had enormous potential as a strategist, and was surprisingly active for one with the name Nara, but that also held within itself its own danger.

Hiruzen moved his jaw around, playing with the pipe in his mouth with his teeth. It was an old habit that helped him think. The boy that came from two very prominent clans was undoubtedly a genius of his own accord, thought fighting might not have been his strongest suit. Despite losing to everyone else in his class, he was surprisingly able to keep up with his best friend despite her superiority in every way.

Was he hiding his strength? Hiruzen wasn't sure. While with a normal child, he would have considered the idea ridiculous, Kaeru had proven time and time again both to his father and to his teachers that he was far from normal.

Three geniuses. Kakashi. Kaeru. Kenkin. The aging Hokage could feel a headache starting to form as he imagined the three children as adults and functioning shinobi. It was not a pleasing thought. He sighed once more before the door to his office opened. His next appointment had arrived. "Good morning, Uzumaki," he greeted the redheaded girl who entered. "Is there a reason you wanted to see me?"

"My village," the girl muttered. "They asked me to come back. It's an emergency."

XXXXX

Kaeru and Kenkin both sat underneath a tree that afternoon after classes. It had been a boring day, with the only notable event being that Kakashi had been announced as a genin, graduating early due to his skill and maturity into the shinobi forces. Students applauded, fangirls cried, and Kakashi looked bored as always. Still, Kaeru and the other boy had met eyes for a brief moment before he'd left. The Hatake would be fine. Now, to finish school and become a shinobi. Something simple to take care of.

Kenkin moved closer towards Kaeru as they both watched the colored leaves fall from the trees due to the afternoon wind. Classes would begin again in a few months when winter started, so they had plenty of time to just relax. It was something that Kaeru had encouraged in his best friend instead of actively doing something every day. She'd taken to it well enough.

The girl was definitely someone interesting. She would be beautiful when fully grown; he was sure of it. "Kaeru?" her soft voice spoke up, and she turned to look at the young Nara. The boy grunted in response. "Do you want to play ninja?" The boy took a second to contemplate it before he sighed and stood.

"Ok."

Kenkin stood up as well, and she offered him a light smile. "I'm gonna be the-" Kenkin paused, and immediately activated her Byakugan. "Look out!" Kaeru immediately moved, narrowly avoiding a barrage of shuriken that had been thrown his way. The girl quickly moved beside him, pulling out a dull kunai from the small pouch on her right ankle. She snarled. "Uchiha."

"Again?" Kaeru asked, exasperated. Hadn't they already gotten the hint? This was getting annoying with how persistent they were.

"It's different then before," Kenkin informed him, looking around with her visual prowess. "One of them is really strong."

"That would be me," a young voice announced itself in front of Kaeru. He stepped out from the treeline, dressed in fancy clothing of the Uchiha clan. "My name is Uchiha Fugaku. I've heard that you both have been causing a lot of trouble for my clan." Both children shivered; they knew who it was.

"Come here and say that to my face you-" Kenkin started before Kaeru cut her off.

"We don't want anything to do with you or your clan," the boy shot his best friend a firm look, making her shrink a little under his glare. "We just want to be left alone. Can't you do that?" The teenager pretended to consider his words before speaking again.

"Well, you see, I can't do that," was the very obvious answer. "As an outcast of my clan and as a Hyuuga, just letting the both of you go with a slap on the wrist would dishonor the name of our clan for what you did." Kaeru grimaced, while Kenkin remained silent. This was not an ideal situation.

"I-I don't know what you're talking ab-bout," the Hyuuga girl stammered, her fists clenched. "I've never done anything t-to you!" Fugaku simply tilted his head, an amused expression on his face.

"Does your father know?" Kaeru asked, wiping the smirk from the Uchiha's expression. "Does he know what you're doing right now?"

"My father has better things to worry about then the punishment of two incorrigible brats," the heir of the Uchiha clan spoke snidely. "A shame, too. If your mother wasn't such a whore and disgraced from the clan, I might have been willing to pass this-" the sound of a fist hitting flesh rang out from the clearing as Kaeru punched the arrogant bastard. "You fucking little shit!"

"Never speak badly about my parents or Kenkin," the boy snarled, glaring at his estranged cousin. "Or I'll make sure you regret it!"

"Touched a nerve, did I?" the smirking young man asked, his hair waving in the wind. "As expected from a bastard!"

"RAAAAAA!" the boy screamed as he tried to hit the Uchiha again, Kenkin watching with shock at the scene. "I'll make you regret those words!" Fugaku's Sharingan was active, with three tomoe in each eye. Kaeru's, however... His eyes glowed red, yes, but he only had a single tomoe in his right eye. Kenkin wasn't the only one to notice.

"You little shit," Fugaku growled at the sight. "That's a Sharingan! Only the Uchiha have the right to use such a gift! You little bastard!" His leg flew out, easily coming into contact with Kaeru's midsection despite the boy trying to avoid the hit. "I'll pluck those eyes right out of your skull, you brat!" Kaeru stumbled back as Fugaku tried to follow up his strike with another punch, but his hand was stopped by another. "What the hell?"

"You should probably leave these youngsters alone, Uchiha."

"Who the hell are you?" Fugaku snarled. "You should butt out of business that isn't yours, you know!" The man who had stopped the strike had to have been around Fugaku's age. His hair was a faded violet, and his hair was cut short and neat. He wore a hitai-ate (forehead protector) and a flak jacket, signifying him as a Chuunin. To have stopped the attack, though, he had to have been fairly skilled.

"Just a passing, concerned Konohagakure shinobi," the man replied, staring down the Uchiha. "With quite a few friends who don't take lightly to what you're doing."

"I thought it was just the pups in your clan," a female voice spoke up, entering the clearing as well. From the trees walked in some familiar faces. The feral yet warming face of Inuzuka Tsune, the stylish and handsome Yamanaka Inoichi, the elegant and refined Hyuuga Hiashi, as well as the tactful and stern Nara Shikaku. "But seeing you of all people harassing a bunch of young'uns? that's pissing me off!"

"With all due respect," Hiashi spoke up as he approached in front of the rest, "I and my brother have been watching your clan for some time now. Always assaulting my youngest sister as well as her friend. Children, no less. I will not take kindly to any further altercations."

"Same with my cousin's brat," Shikaku spoke after, passing Kaeru a firm smile. "I'm pretty proud of you, kid. Not bad for a little brat, I think. though you and I will have to have a talk about those eyes of yours." Fugaku scowled, but took a step back after freeing his hand from the first man's hand.

"You're all fools!" the young man sneered at them, before taking another step back. "My clan will make yours see how important we are to the village! We won't bow to anyone! Not the Uchiha!"

"Get out of here before I decide you must be punished for assaulting academy students," Inoichi told his former classmate. "I might only just be learning the basics in the Torture and Investigation branches, but I'm sure I can have my father speak with yours about this." The Uchiha frowned and spat on the ground towards the others, before moving quickly away from the overwhelming group.

With the main threat gone, the tenseness within the clearing dispersed. The teenagers then turned their attention to the academy students. "Big brother," Kenkin was tearing up, looking at her eldest sibling with admiration. "T-Thank you!"

"I saw that bastard Fugaku heading this way with intent, so I grabbed whoever I could to come follow," the mystery man smiled at the children. "The name is Haruno Kisashi. I hope you two kids have been keeping out of trouble!"

"Ease up on the pups, you idiot," Tsune nudged the man to the side, sending him to the ground with her unintended strength. "You kids alright? Nobody is hurt?"

"I just got kicked in the side," Kaeru replied calmly, getting a concerned look from the young adults. "Kenkin does worse to me in spars. I'm ok."

"You have quite some courage to face up against a clan heir," Hiashi noted aloud. there was some form of surprise in his tone, though his expression remained flat. "Perhaps my brother is wrong about you. You fought for the sake of my sister?"

"I'll protect her no matter what," Kaeru told the older boy, getting a hug from his best friend after he stated those words. "E-Eh? Kenkin?"

"You should relax, you troublesome brat," Shikaku chuckled and ruffled the boy's bowl cut hair. "Yo and have some fun. We'll take care of Fugaku if he starts acting up, alright?" For a moment, an understanding passed between the two Nara. The heir's eyes widened slightly with intrigue.

"Ok, thank you all," Kaeru replied after the split moment, bowing to the clan heirs and Kizashi before he took Kenkin's hand. "Let's go, ok?"

"O-Ok!" the girl replied, bowing as well before they left. Inoichi glanced at his teammate.

"What did you see?"

"That brat is a lot smarter than he lets on," Shikaku told the others, grabbing their attention. "I can see why my cousin is so proud of him. The kid has the eyes of a full grown man."

"Really?" Tsune scoffed at the idea. "A pup is a pup, no matter what. They might bark loud, but that doesn't make them like adults, you know." Shikaku shook his head, crossing his arms as he tried to think. "Shika, you saw how he reacted to his mom being insulted. Hell, I would've done the same thing."

"Except he didn't," Inoichi noticed aloud. "Any other kid would have continued to try and fight the bastard. Little Kaeru stopped as soon as he realized someone else had stepped in for him. He didn't even look all that angry, after."

"Then we will keep an eye on him," Kizashi suggested easily. "Who knows, maybe he's a genius in the making? Just like that Kakashi kid that I'm mentoring, you know?"

"Perhaps," Shikaku concluded. "We'll talk about this over dinner or something. Speaking of, I need to go and visit Yoshino tonight. She'll probably kick my ass if I don't come back and visit her after a week, the troublesome woman."

"Heh, if there was ever a thing to shake you up," Tsune smirked as she spoke. "Hard to believe she was the one who cut your cheek up when you called her a raging bitch!"

"Can... we not?" the Nara asked, flustered.

"Oh, right, what was your official story?" Inoichi teased his friend. "I remember! It was a Suna nin that used his puppets on you, and after a full day's battle-"

"I'll tell your girlfriend that you hate her makeup," the Nara heir threatened, but only received laughter from his friends in return. "Troublesome bastards."

XXXXX

Kakashi walked home for the day, exhausted after his first day with Haruno Kizashi. The young boy sighed under his mask, moving towards a familiar stall within the market district. Ichiraku's Ramen stand, a place where he could have a good meal at a cheap price. Not his favorite place to eat, but it was definitely cheaper to eat than anywhere else of the same quality. Inside, he sat on a booth and waited for his order to be taken. He'd, of course, order a pork ramen with extra menma (bamboo shoots), but perhaps something else would catch his attention while he waited.

This stand had been one of his favorites to go to with his father. The noodles and broth were always perfectly cooked, and something about ramen was comforting when eating with family or friends. Now it was just another reminder of his shame. His father's shame.

"What's got you looking so down, young man?" Teuchi asked behind the counter. It seemed that he was done serving his other customers. "Hey, you've got a headband now. Pretty young to be a shinobi already, aren't ya?"

"I'm a genius," Kakashi stated, as if that explained everything. Teuchi didn't seem to mind, and ignored the arrogance dripping from the boy's tone.

"Well, congrats, kid," the kindly shop owner told his customer. "So, what can I get ya as a celebratory meal, huh? First bowl is on me."

"Pork ramen with extra menma," was the immediate response.

"Coming right up!" The sound of humming filled the stall as Teuchi worked his magic. It was almost enthralling to watch him cook; he seemed to passionate about it and worked his kitchen like an artist of some sort. Kakashi almost didn't notice the girl sit beside him. Almost.

"Hey, old man!" the girl shouted. She was about Kakashi's age, but had to have been younger. She was definitely built well as if she trained often, but he'd never seen her at the academy. "You got any beef ramen there?"

"Ah, Anko!" Teuchi laughed as he greeted the girl. "How's my favorite little customer? You're heading into the ninja academy next semester, right?"

"Mhm!" the violet haired girl replied, a wide grin on her face. "I'm gonna go in and kick major butt!" Kakashi couldn't help but scoff, getting the girl's attention. She frowned at him before her eyes rested on his headband. "Wow, you're a ninja, aren't you?"

"I am," the boy replied. She was like Obito, but even worse. "What's it to you?"

"That's super cool," the girl exclaimed. "You're probably my age and you're a ninja!" Kakashi did his best to ignore the small, excitable girl, but she wouldn't stop. "How'd you do it, huh?"

"Heh, Kakashi here doesn't really talk much," thankfully, Teuchi covered for him. "Give me a moment and I'll get your ramen made, Anko. Then you can tell me all about your day today." Kakashi's and Teuchi's eyes met, and the kindly man shot him a discreet wink. Kakashi nodded his appreciation.

"Oh! It was so cool!" Anko began to start regardless. "I was out training and..." Kakashi allowed her voice to fade from his focus, and instead watched as the bowl containing his meal slid onto the counter in front of him. The noodles, pork, egg, menma, and naruto (fishcake) all created a perfect dish. It had been his father's favorite.

Kakashi glanced around and ensured nobody was looking before he ate, only taking a few moments to eat everything from the bowl, broth and all. "Thank you for the food," he thanked the cook, getting a smile in return. Kakashi left the stall silently, allowing anko to talk to the cook.

The moon was already in the sky, and the sun had departed, leaving the streetlights and lanterns as the only source of light in the village's roads. The walk home was chilly and lonely. The Hatake house was near the corner of the village, and winter was quickly approaching. While it was just the end of summer, fall brought with it colder air than it had been prior. It seemed fitting to the silver haired shinobi. The world, as it was, was a very cold and unwelcoming place. A world that Kakashi had joined. A shinobi completed the mission above all else. A shinobi was a tool for his village. Those who broke the shinobi creed was trash. No exceptions. Not even for the widely famed, late Hatake Sakumo. Widower. Father. Friend. Shinobi.

Tomorrow would begin Kakashi's first mission as a tool for his village. He would not follow in his father's footsteps.

XXXXX

Kakashi loved his father, and I always imagined that he never hated the man immediately. I believe that came with time, as well as war. Firsthand experience on what compassion did on the battlefield, and what the costs would be. Also, some clan heads come to the defense of our lovable duo! Yet they as well as the Hokage have some suspicions about the kids and some weirdness about them. Also, Anko! Fuck yeah, the snake waifu of Konoha makes her debut as an annoying little brat! Next chapter, Anko, Kenkin and Kaeru meet for the first time and a rivalry is birthed!

Anyways, that's it for this week. Seeya!