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Chapter Two: Roommates
"As a member of the First Squadron, you'll sleep and store your things here."
Care of Kakashi had been transferred to Kawe, a fellow member of the First Squadron, after Nok had left for the Hokage's meeting. Kawe gestured now to the room before him. It was, in simplest terms, a dorm room. There were six beds, four of which had various things strewn about them and were obviously inhabited, while two were neatly made and appeared not to have been touched. Another Anbu member was in one corner reading. He looked up and nodded in greeting as the two entered.
"Take your pick." Kawe held out a hand to the two available beds. Kakashi tossed his belongings down on the one nearest the door.
"Right. Let me introduce you to the crew." Kawe pointed to the other nin in the room. "This is Ashi, he spends most of his time reading schmaltzy romance novels and pays very little attention to anything else."
"Not true." Ashi looked up from his book once more, revealing a rather large and hooked nose. "I've already noticed that you're wearing Saki's shoes."
"Mine were eaten by that damn dog." Kawe replied sadly, "Besides, he won't notice."
"He'll notice." Ashi said with certainty, then turned to Kakashi. "Welcome to the fort, kid. This is where us poor people who can't afford to rent our own places live. What's your name?"
"Ro." Kakashi answered, catching himself before he said 'Kakashi.'
"No, I mean your real name. You're Hatake's kid, right? Kakashi, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"Ashi!" Kawe hissed, "You know we're not supposed to talk about real names. What if Captain Ichi's bugged the room?"
"You're such a worrywart, Nabaru." Ashi waved his hand dismissively, "There's no reason to bug the room."
Kawe paled, "Don't use that name!"
"Nabaru, Nabaru, Nabaru!" Ashi sang.
Before Kawe could retaliate, the door burst open dramatically.
"We're back!" there entered two more shinobi into the room. The first was short and had a small goatee on his chin, and the second was bespectacled and fair-haired. The short one caught sight of Kakashi first.
"Ooh, who's the new kid?"
"He's rather young, isn't he?" the second asked. His voice was quiet as he looked over Kakashi with an air of solemnity.
"I'm fourteen." Kakashi answered a bit defensively, "Fifteen next month."
"Yeah Saki, you were only twelve when you joined, remember." Ashi pointed out. "Took you long enough to get your growth spurt though. You were shorter than Tatsu for at least five years." He pointed to the short Anbu.
Saki did not reply, having noticed a more pressing matter.
"Kawe."
"Yes?"
"Why are you wearing my shoes?"
Kawe looked down at his footwear, seeming to notice them for the first time. "Oh, are these yours? I'm sorry I must not have realized when I put them on this morning."
"You've probably gotten them all dirty!" Saki fretted, "Give them to me – I'll have to clean them now. Good grief, Kawe, what kind of mud did you walk through today?!"
"You know, Saki." Tatsu rolled his eyes, "Most of us just walk on the ground like normal people instead of going through the treetops everywhere."
"Bark is much more forgiving than the ground when it comes to keeping one's shoes clean." Saki explained as Kawe returned his shoes.
Kawe glared. "I can't wait until Chi gets back."
"Chi?" Kakashi asked, partly because he wanted to know who Chi was, and partly to remind the others that he was still there.
"She sleeps there." Ashi pointed to the bed across from his, which was separated from Kakashi's by the empty bed.
The only word to describe Chi's living space was orderly. The bed was neatly made and there were few trinkets, only a small framed portrait of a smiling man on the windowsill.
"She's the only one who can keep these three in line." Kawe gestured to the men before him, "And right now she's on a mission in the Wave Country. Hopefully she'll be back soon."
"The longer she stays away the better." Ashi countered, reburying his overly large nose into his book again.
…..
"Ow!" Kakashi exclaimed, shaking the pain out of his shoulder as he leaped backwards. In the midst of a taijutsu sparring session, he'd taken a hit to the left bicep from Tatsu, his opponent.
Although Tatsu was short, squat, and not at all speedy by a ninja's standards, he was incredibly strong and quite versatile, never following a predictable pattern of attack. Already Kakashi had received several bruises that were ripening to a disconcerting purplish color. He'd also successfully hindered Tatsu to a degree, but had quickly realized that an Anbu opponent was much more challenging than a regular shinobi. But that was to be expected, he supposed, as he advanced once more.
After an exchange of blows and some fancy maneuvering on Kakashi's part as he avoided a strike to his knees, Tatsu was able to grab hold of Kakashi by the hair with a single hand. Quicker than greased lightning, Kakashi grabbed Tatsu's wrist in an iron hold as he pried the other nin's fingers away.
"Don't touch the hair, thanks."
The action resumed once more, Tatsu attacking with incredible strength and Kakashi countering with the speed and flexibility of a feline.
"You know," He heard Saki's voice talking to Kawe and Ashi quietly, "He's really quite good. It's amazing how he can move with such dexterity considering he's only using one eye."
Kakashi had been forced to keep his Sharingan covered while sparring on the grounds of it being unfair if he were allowed to copy every move of his opponent. Something he figured was fair, and besides it presented more of a challenge anyway.
"Well, you don't get into Anbu at that age for nothing." Kawe answered, crossing is arms. Suddenly, all four older ninja stiffened, and Tatsu was just barely able to stop Kakashi's foot connecting with his face.
"What's the matter?" Kakashi wondered aloud, the spar cut short by his roommate's unexpected reactions.
It was Arashi who answered in a hushed voice. "It's her!"