A/n: For those who read this, thanks a lot! I'm not much of a people's person and not much of a conversationalist so I won't be doing much Author's Note. But if you have questions, I'll try and answer it. And if you have suggestions, keep in mind I'll be reading them so please don't feel disheartened.
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This kind of afterlife isn't what he actually expected. Like he said before, he expected coldness and to be embraced by darkness. He expected nothingness. He expected loneliness. Not to be reborn in a world that was once fiction to him.
"Ren-chan~ it's time for school!"
There was nothing more annoying than this man's overly overjoyed tone. Every day he spent with this man made him see just how... unique Kakashi is. The man was actually moody. Moody. In his past life, he actually admires this guy because he was, well, awesome.
Now that he was here, living with the man that he idolizes before, he sees things the anime didn't show the viewers. The famed Copycat... is actually neat. His place is free from dust, everything was organized. Everything.
From what Ren remembers, Kakashi had been a pervert and is usually tardy to everything, except for emergency cases. Over the past few weeks, Ren gained weight that's now proportionate with his height and age. He had been a little underweight back at the orphanage.
There were just that many orphans in Konoha. For the most part, Kakashi is spoiling him. He was ANBU, and yet, when that man is around him, it's like he's a completely different person. Ren almost thought he has multiple personality syndrome.
Kakashi was not happy when Ren confronted him about it. He was actually quite offended by what the young boy said. Anyways, concerning the school, Ren is going to attend the Academy two years earlier. He was five and the usual age range to attend was seven or six, if it's not wartime.
Ren, however, was not pleased with Kakashi's choice of clothes for him. The sky blue shirt wouldn't go well with neon yellow. It's actually blinding. Wait... where did he even get those clothes? While the ANBU was preoccupied by something, the young Nohara went to his room.
He changed his blinding clothes with an olive colored shorts and a camouflaged shirt. Good. At least he doesn't look like a walking fashion disaster. Kakashi was kind enough to walk him to school, even though he didn't need to because he has to attend his ANBU duties.
He bets that the man just doesn't want to attend to his duties so early. "So, Ren-chan, what do you feel right now?" He was actually making an effort to start up a conversation, Ren mused. Usually, they would just walk in comfortable silence.
The curly haired boy shrugged his shoulders in response. He had been going to school in his previous life, this isn't any different, except that they have chakra lessons and the stuff that every ninja must know about. This wasn't any different.
He didn't want to make small talk actually, he was content with the silence. However, there would always, always be times when Ren would just think if he's dead or alive or all of these is just a figment of his imagination while in a coma.
"Um, well, here we are." Ren looked up with a slightly, just a slight amazed expression painted on his face. They were so close to the Monument and the Hokage Tower. Despite nothing to be energized about, Ren had a slight skip in his steps that amused Kakashi.
"I'll see you later, Hatake-san!" Without a second to waste, they waved at each other while Kakashi stays there a little longer, reminiscing about the past for a bit before leaving. He was glad he could help Rin, even if not directly.
Do you see how your clansman have grown, Rin? He's grown up to be an interesting brat, was his solemn thoughts before leaving. He may or may not have purposely enrolled the boy three months late into the school year.
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The door in front of him seemed to tower over his small frame. Honestly, he was a bit small for his age. So, this door that leads to his classroom and new — most probably bratty — classmates looks bigger than it should be in his perspective.
Ren appreciated the fact that Kakashi took the time to actually place him in a decent class. A class wherein there are notable children that came from noble clans. Because the first thing the young boy noticed was the abundant of clan children in here. It didn't escape his eyes how the Uchiha's were crowded on one side.
As if they were being cast aside. "Ah, you must be the person Hatake-san recommended. Come and introduce yourself." The teacher seemed relatively nice. Her voice had this melodic tone as she spoke, and the boy couldn't detect any ill intent coming from her.
Silence met him as he entered and he almost got drowned - ohmygodthewaterburnshelpmepleaseithurts- in his thoughts. There were a handful of civilians in the class and Ren thanked his guardian mentally.
"Nohara Ren. A pleasure to meet you." He knew he received quite curious looks from his new classmates, and especially from his teacher. "I'm Osamu Yura, but call me Yura-sensei, okay, Nohara-kun?" Her statement was acknowledged by a silent nod.
This might bore him, considering he was surrounded by kids (as if he wasn't a kid himself).
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Osamu Yura had already been wary of Ren's arrival, especially when this kid is recommended by that Hatake. Hatake Kakashi had once been in her class and she definitely dislikes him. Sure, he was a child prodigy an absolutely adorable but...
He was too mature. He's too cold-hearted and distant.There was just something wrong about that man. Alright, she admits, he makes the perfect shinobi because he follows every rule but he just won't make an effort to make at least one single friend.
Yes, there is something wrong with him. Upon Nohara Ren's arrival, she felt a familiar cold ambience that surrounds the young boy and she thought, Oh great, another Hatake. She definitely doesn't want to deal with another him.
She'd already have enough. Once she told him to introduce himself, she was honestly surprised. No, it's not because of his mature speech nor was it the way he held himself in front of the class.
It was because he said, A pleasure to meet you. The Hatake had been cold and direct when he introduced himself but Nohara Ren, he actually looks ecstatic. Well, not facially. She watched his eyes roam around the room. Was he going to make friends?
"I'm Osamu Yura, but call me Yura-sensei, okay, Nohara-kun?" He actually acknowledged her when she spoke. Yura quirked a smile. Maybe he wasn't so alike with Hatake after all.
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Class was absolutely... normal. It wasn't as boring as he had thought at first. So, maybe they were still learning the basics in all aspects but Yura-sensei somehow made it enjoyable. She was very artistic and creative, Ren noted.
He might actually like being here.
Now he said before that he wasn't a social butterfly, but he was actually befriended by a Nara, his seatmate. She was named Nara Shikanai. She was three years older than him so that makes her eight years old. Apparently, that moody Copycat put him in an advanced class with eight year olds.
It was around Lunch time when she talked to him. Ren, even though he's thirteen inside (now, eighteen if you count the years in his new life), doesn't really know how to make friends. He was an introvert in his past life. He only had a handful of friends.
He saw everyone grouping up and leaving the room to go to the yard. Ren kept shuffling in his seat, causing the older girl beside him to wake up. "Hey, why are you fidgety?" His hazel eyes widened as he turned his head to face his seatmate. She had been asleep this whole time so he didn't really know what her face looks like.
Now that he could see it, she resembles a certain Nara heir. "Oh, you're that new brat. I'm Nara Shikanai." She held out her hand for him to shake but he didn't take it. What was he supposed to do with it? Should he take it? Ren subtly flinched when she groaned.
"It's a handshake. You grab my hand and shake it." Oh, she was waiting for him to shake it. Most people back in his world would just take back their hand when he was about to shake them, so he was a bit hesitant to do so.
"Um, Nohara Ren. Pleased to meet you, Nara-san." Hazel eyes watched her wince. Did... did he do something wrong? "Quit the formalities. Those things are tiresome, okay? Just call me Shikanai." Oh, oh, so she wasn't angry. He didn't do something wrong.
That was... a relief. "Oh, um, okay, Shikanai-san." She groaned again. "That will have to do. But you have to lose the -san in a few weeks. Now, come on. You brought your own lunch, right?" He meekly nodded. "Let's go." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to who knows where.
He didn't have time to react but he knew she was nice.
She had dragged him to one of the many trees in the yard. He saw a pair sitting under one where they're headed. "Inoue, Chomi, sorry I'm late." Inoue was a tall boy, Ren could tell even when he was sitting down. He had shoulder length pale blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and had pale eyes.
Chomi was a... chubby individual with chocolate brown hair and black — a bit gray — eyes. They wore their family crest at the back of their shirts. "You're late, Shikanai." The Nara dragging him shrugged her shoulders in response.
Chomi was the first to notice his presence. "Oh, who's he, Shika-chan?" Chomi, if Ren could describe her with one word, is nice. The was she looks, the tone of her voice and the way she carry herself, she radiates kindness. Shikanai and he sat in front of them, Ren hiding behind the Nara a bit.
"He just arrived in class. Apparently, he was recommended by some famous Jounin." Ren curved a brown eyebrow in curiosity. "How do you know that, Shikanai-san?"
"When your presence is practically nonexistent when you're sleeping, the teachers won't notice you even if they're talking something privy." She actually looks proud of it, even though her face isn't showing it.
"Anyways, the girl on our left is Akimichi Chomi and the fool on our right is Yamanaka Inoue. They're in a year above us."
"Who are you calling fool, Nara?"
Ren quirked an eyebrow. Their genders were opposite to the canon Ino-Shika-Cho trio. "I'm Nohara Ren. Pleased to meet you, Aki—" he stopped. He felt a nudge on his side. When he looked at Shikanai, she was looking at him a 'What-did-I-tell-you' look. Quit it with formalities.
"Um, Chomi-san, Inoue-san."
"How old are you, Ren-chan?" Chomi was slow with her words. "Er, I'm four. I'm turning five in December thirty first." Now the he thinks about it, Naruto was actually kicked out at age four. Inoue gave him an incredulous look. "And you're in an advanced class with eight year olds?" Ren merely nodded. What was so surprising about that? As if they haven't seen any pro—
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Was he being... did Kakashi think he might be a prodigy? Oh god, this will be terrible. He doesn't like attention. Why did it only cross his mind NOW?! Now that he thinks about it, whatever he did back at the orphanage, it might have been considered advanced.
A two year old being more responsible than a ten year old?! Why didn't it cross his mind THEN?! "Guess you're a prodigy then. Oi, are you alright?" This can't be happening. This can't be happening. He's no prodigy! He's just an ordinary kid! What if Danzo caught wind of this?!
He didn't want to leave Kakashi! He didn't want to get separated!
NonononononoNONONONONOnonoNoNOnOnONothiscantbehappeningnothiscantbehappingwhyisthishappeninghewasafool!!!! "K-Ka-Kaka... shi..."
"Oi, Ren!"
"Ren-chan!"
"Brat!"
And everything went black.
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When he came to, he could see a tuff of silver hair obscuring his vision. "Are you okay, Ren?" The boy strained his ears, he couldn't hear him quite clearly. The world was still blurry in his eyes. What happened?
Oh, right, he had a panic attack. Ren buried his face in Kakashi's neck, taking a deep breath and sighing in relief. "Hatake-san, you won't let anyone have me, right? I'll always be by your side, right? You won't give me away, right?" The Jounin stopped walking, he felt.
Because whether Ren likes it or not, he actually grew fond of this man. He didn't want to be separated from him. His sight blurred once more before he feel asleep again. He was tired. Mentally exhausted he is.
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Kakashi looked at the boy he was carrying on his back with a wide eye. He had stopped walking when he asked those questions. The boy looked so vulnerable, so fragile... so... much like a child he is.
From the reports he received from the orphanage, he thought Ren was somehow like his child self. He was wrong. Absolutely, entirely wrong. He was stupid. Why would he think a child like Ren would be like him? He was foolish to think so.
Ren was his own person. Kakashi just can't think the boy is like him and make him go to the Academy with eight year olds in an advanced class. Ren wasn't like him. He wasn't like Kakashi. Ren is Ren. Why didn't Kakashi see that? He feels so terrible now.
He should confront Ren tomorrow morning. Ask him if he's okay with the arrangement Kakashi did for him. If not, then Kakashi respects Ren's decision. Rin, I'm a jerk, aren't I? He was an ANBU captain, yet, he couldn't see something as simple as this.
He'll make things right.
Someway or another, Ren is now his precious family.
