Chapter 3: Rooftops
Yamato hadn't left him alone the entire day. Not that Kakashi was complaining exactly, it just, well, made him feel like a wounded puppy. Team 7's training had gone well, they had all gone to Ichiraku for a late ramen lunch after which the three youngsters had dispersed. Kakashi and Yamato successfully avoided two potential rivalry challenges from Gai, one unprecedented run-in with Tsunade, and almost got hit with a stray farmer's cart that had come detached from its mule before deciding it would be better to just spend the remainder of the afternoon on the roof of the library.
The roof of the library was one of Kakashi's favorite spots in the village. It had the best view of the village, being one of the tallest buildings, and rarely anyone came up here since it was technically off-limits (too many books had been thrown off it in mere frustration). There was also the distinct advantage of it being the library, so tea could be made inside and brought out; many wonderful books could be found inside and brought out, etc. Kakashi had a fondness for a multitude of books that did not solely include Icha Icha Paradise or other novels of similar nature. There were some librarians who suspected that the man had probably read more books that the library contained than even they had.
Yamato had also grown a particular attachment to the library roof. No one ever looked for him up here; the breezes reached them so much better and were somehow much more cooling on hot days; plus there was the fact that whenever he was up on the library roof, Kakashi had a tendency to be there as well.
"Do you ever get sick of reading Icha Icha, Senpai?" Yamato asked, yawning, but breaking their comfortable silence.
"Hmm?" Kakashi seemed to not be actually reading it, but more pulled out of his musings by Yamato's question.
"Well, you always read them on missions and while training, and you've done so for at least as long as I've known you, so that's almost 10 years of reading the same, what five books over and over again?"
"I don't really pay attention to them anymore. They're like chatter, brain chatter. Like how people talk and you listen, but you're not really listening? It's just enough to keep your mind from wandering in the wrong direction. So, I guess, no, I don't really get sick of them."
"Huh"
"Can't say I've ever honestly been turned on by any of them either."
Yamato sat up and looked at his senpai, slightly shocked that he was so blunt about it.
"Oh come on, I know that was your next question," Kakashi laughed.
"You never cease to surprise me," sighed Yamato rolling his neck to let the tension release from his shoulders, then standing to stretch his whole body.
"Going somewhere?" the copy ninja eyed his friend's standing and stretching as though he were about to leave.
"It's getting dark, so we should probably get going. I hate jumping down from here without going through the library and I'm sure they're closing soon."
Kakashi chuckled. "Aren't cats supposed to love jumping from tall buildings? Always landing on their feet? Nine lives?"
"Last time I checked I was definitely human, not feline." He was not biting at Kakashi's reference to his ANBU codename and mask reference as he knew from experience that would lead to some long-past argument or other.
Yamato walked to the door in the floor and yanked it open, holding it as Kakashi took his time to stand, stretch, stow away his book, and finally saunter over.