Ok, so here's the next chapter ^.^ This is just a sort of build-up for when the action starts going a bit more, starting from the next chapter- but please remember to review this one anyway, and tell me what you think!

Oh yeah,

Disclaimer: I think it's pretty evident I don't own these characters. I'm not Kishimoto… otherwise we'd see a lot more of Gaara in the series, trust me!

Gaara: Pervert

CANARYwolf: And what? –raspberry- I can't help it if I want to see your chest a little more-

Gaara: I'll shut her up. Enjoy the chapter!

Kakashi: Aged 4

"Can't you even do that, Kakashi?"

"His father's the White Fang, you know?"

"Well he doesn't have any of his dad's talent!"

"I can't believe the teachers think we should have a classes with a kid like this."

"I heard they're going to expel him."

"Hey, you lot!" A teacher hurried over to the growing crowd of taunting children surrounding the young Hatake, "Break it up!"

"Sensei, what do you think about Kakashi, then?" A boy of around six turned to the teacher, "Is it true that they're going to get rid of him?"

How do they hear these things? the teacher mused, and raised an eyebrow,

"Kakashi's education might be postponed until he has reached the typical Academy entrance age." She stated,

"So he is getting kicked out, then?" A girl asked, innocently enough and the teacher frowned,

"That's not what I said. Now, get away from him." She found the four-year-old cowering at the centre of the circle, and pulled him up, "You can't always let them bully you, Kakashi." She scolded, and brought him through the crowd into the cool corridors of the Academy, "You stay there." She commanded and disappeared into the staff room.

Kakashi's eyes roved innocently over the displays surrounding the windows as the thick walls muffled the children's cries in the playground. Before long, the teacher appeared back, bringing Naoki with her.

"What's this I hear about you getting bullied again, Kakashi?" He crouched down to face the child, who merely stared at him without answering, "Don't you think it will make your dad upset to hear you've been letting them do that again?" Kakashi said nothing, "Remember you need to be trying very hard right now to show us that you deserve to stay here," No answer, "Have you been practising?" Nothing. Naoki turned helplessly to the female teacher,

"We're just going to have to call Sakumo in," She shrugged, "We can't let this kid sit at the back of the classes not learning anything. You know he hasn't displayed even one jutsu in this whole year?"

Naoki shook his head slowly,

"I'll deal with Sakumo." He muttered, and the other teacher sighed thankfully,

"Rather you than me." She said and left the two alone in the corridor again. Naoki looked thoughtfully at Kakashi, who was still eyeing him with the same emotionless gaze,

"You are clever, Kakashi, I know that. You just have to show it sometimes. That's all." As he expected, the boy didn't reply, and Naoki took him into an empty classroom to await the arrival of his father.

Konoha's White Fang burst into the classroom in white-hot fury,

"Naoki, don't you dare tell me they're kicking Kakashi out!" He roared, and Naoki stood up, a hand on the boy's shoulder,

"Sakumo, unless he displays some form of potential today at the mid-year exams, he's just going to have to go. We've been getting grief from the other parents recently, you know. They think that it's unfair a child should have such preferential treatment, Sakumo, just because of your position in the village." Sakumo seemed to deflate, "I'm giving you the opportunity now to take him out now. It will save him embarrassment later, for the exams."

"Has he really not shown you any jutsus?" Sakumo asked quietly,

"None. Why? Has he used any at home?" Naoki's voice was eager, but Sakumo dispelled his hope with one shake of his head,

"Kakashi," Sakumo turned to his son, "What do you want to do?" The boy stared at him as quietly as ever, and his father sighed, "So he's in one of these moods? Maybe I should just pull him out."

"No." Both his father and his teacher stared in surprise at the little boy, who blinked, "I want to do the test."

"… Are you sure, Kakashi?" Naoki murmured, fixing his eyes on the boy, who nodded. Naoki looked to Sakumo and shrugged,

"It's your call. If he wants to do it… well, I'll leave it to you to decide."

"Are you sure, Kakashi?" Sakumo watched his son nod again, "Even though you can't do jutsus?"

Kakashi looked at his father, emotionless again, and his father threw his hands up in the air,

"He knows what it means if he fails. If he wants to do, let him. It'll teach him how he should have progressed, anyway." Sakumo threw his arms up in the air, and then bowed to Naoki, "I'll be back to collect him. Good luck, son." He ruffled Kakashi's hair pensively and disappeared. Naoki regarded Kakashi,

"It's just putting off the inevitable, you know, kid." He sighed, "If only you knew at least one jutsu." He looked up at the sound of the bell, "But now the tests are starting. Kakashi, do your best!"

Kakashi stared after the teacher's retreating back, and began to wander towards his classroom.

Sakumo couldn't contain his nerves as children, laughing, began to trickle out of the Academy with their proud parents. He paced up and down outside the gate, then wondered why; Naoki had made it pretty clear what his son's chances of passing were. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching and saw Naoki's pink face as he dragged Kakashi along behind him,

"Sakumo! Sakumo! He passed! He did it!"

Hearing these words, Sakumo's eyes sparkled and he just stood and stared, as Naoki got closer,

"They said, he only needed to do one jutsu, and asked him to do whatever he wanted. So he took one look at the examiner and did a perfect imitation of what the last kid had just done- and that kid was in the highest year, by the way- it was a perfect clone!" Naoki had reached his friend and stood in front of him, panting, "He passed right away!"

Sakumo could only stare at his son, who stared back,

"Why didn't you do something before now?" He shouted angrily, but Naoki could see the happiness that lay under the surface, "Why did you make me worry so much?"

The young boy's face broke into a rare smile,

"Sorry, father." He said, in a voice that was not remotely sorry, and bowed,

"Yes, well, can you show me it now?"

"Do I have to?" Kakashi asked sullenly and Sakumo hit him round the head,

"Honestly! One minute you're hardly responsive and the next you're being cheeky!"

The child cast his eyes down, and Naoki rolled his eyes,

"Don't be hard on him, Sakumo! Seriously, he wasn't expected to learn a jutsu of that sort for at least another few years. Even the examiner was shocked."

Behind them, there was a small poof and they turned to see Kakashi's clone. The child then made it disappear and bowed again,

"There, father." He said quietly, "Sorry for being cheeky."

"He's just proud, isn't he?" Naoki grinned, but Kakashi had quickly gone back to being unresponsive and did not answer the smile. Sakumo sighed,

"So much stress! Well, Naoki, sorry for his obstinacy before now. I trust this has quietened those other parents."

"Pretty well, I think. Anyway, see you tomorrow, Kakashi!" The man sped back into the Academy, and Kakashi stared up at his father, who rolled his eyes,

"Why did you do something like that?' He sighed, but even Kakashi could see the pleasure in his face, as he took him by the arm and began the walk home.