Chapter 34

Beta'd by Black Sparrow

Suffice to say that Shiori's suggestion had a pretty big impact.

Kakashi came back on the next day and the moment he had kissed both his wife and daughter he walked over to the living room wall and started to hit his head against it.

Shiori looked up alarmed from her paperwork on the dining room table and asked tentatively, "Anata?"

"You were right, they understood NOTHING of the things I tried to convey," the silver haired man said exasperated while he inwardly begged Kami-sama for patience.

The black haired civilian burst into a short laugh before she stood up and gently pried his head away from the wall, "So?"

"I sat the brats down and plainly told them about the reasoning for teamwork, certain basic workouts and speed training. The three stared at me for some time before finally getting it… well at least the blushes were pretty entertaining. I also took Sakura aside and gave her a pretty stern talking about her lack of training outside team meetings and the possible consequences for that. She burst into tears… I had to send her home because she wouldn't calm down… Shiori I have no idea how to deal with that!" at the last part Shiori could see how desperate Kakashi was getting.

She tried, she honestly tried to stay serious but in the end it was a losing battle and she burst into loud laughter while she tried to comfortingly pat his hair.

"See it as training for Hinako's teenage years," she couldn't help but say.

"Dear god, no, no, not in a million years. My baby girl is NOT going to be a fangirl!" tried to deny the horrified father.

"Oh I don't know… it will depend on the cuteness of the boys in her class," Shiori couldn't help but tease him further.

The strangled yelp and wide eyes of her husband made Shiori smile mischievously; teasing Kakashi like this was absolutely delicious. Then the black haired civilian turned somewhat serious, with Kakashi really putting some effort into teaching Team Seven this world had already changed massively and she had no idea how big the repercussions were. Hell the moment she entered his life this world had changed from the canon she knew. Should she make even bigger waves? Or should she stay as far away from Kakashi's Genin as possible. Another miserable sigh from her husband made her look up; Kakashi really had no idea what to do with his Genin now. Oh well in for a penny, in for a pound.

"Bring them to the house Kakashi, I know you would like to wait longer but I think you guys need a translator, you don't speak quite the same language," the black haired woman said while she shook her head.

"Are you sure? I haven't had them for more than a week yet and they ARE brats," Kakashi answered.

"Yes, don't worry about it," Shiori reassured before she returned to her paperwork.

Selling her desserts to the Akimichi had nearly doubled Mariko's production and income and she was now scrambling to find not only more suppliers but also contemplating hiring one or two trustworthy employees that would help her take on the additional administrational tasks and the massive amount of paperwork.

Going back to her contemplation about what had tripped up Team Seven in canon Shiori snorted inwardly, of course it was communication problems between Kakashi and his team that had led to such a disastrous ending of Canon. Well that wouldn't happening here, she had no intention of leaving Kakashi's team to the same fate.

Even while she thought that something in the back of her head was spreading doubt, was she really prepared to mess with a timeline from which she could assume that it would turn out well? Of course she couldn't be quite sure because the manga series hadn't been finished yet when Eliza died, but the hero always won didn't he? Unsure her eyes wandered to the window and the red swing that could be seen through it. It had been set up on one of the thicker branches only a weekend ago by Hayate. But what if Masashi Kishimoto altered the story to have a happy ending? Or what if the original path the people of this world had set out on had led to complete destruction? Shiori didn't know and the more she thought about it the more anxious she became about the what if's and what could be's.

Shiori's worried musings were interrupted by the loud shriek of Hinako outside in the front yard. Kakashi was throwing her up in the air and then catching her while chuckling warmly and smiling at the little girl in his arms. And suddenly Shiori's anxiousness was gone, this was her life.

Yes maybe there had been a story about a timeline in which she hadn't been born into, but THIS was HER world and she would give her damnest to help her loved ones and Kakashi NEEDED for his Genin team to be a success if she ever wanted him to believe that even he could have happiness and contentment.

Furthermore Shiori knew that she couldn't tell ANYONE about her knowledge, not her husband, not their acquaintances and especially not the Hokage. It would get her locked up far away from her family probably for her so called 'protection' and she wouldn't risk it, for nothing in the world. But she could give them nudges in the right direction, advice and a second opinion had never hurt anyone and probably wouldn't change anything if the person refused to take it.

Satisfied with her decision Shiori smiled a secretive smile before she returned to the last few pages of the supply agreement and listened to the happy sounds of her family.

Interlude: Team Seven

Kakashi sighed while he leaned against the tree furthest from his students, it looked like Shiori had been right, the three were so oblivious it was nearly painful. What the hell had happened to the potential his graduation class had had? Kakashi could remember that none of them had particularly liked him because he had been five at that time, but none of them had complained after they were paired off to run deliveries to certain outposts and he had proved that he could keep up. Sure they were somewhat hostile to his person in private but they had all concentrated on the mission and suppressed their grudges for the time being.

These kids had no idea what acting professionally meant even when Sakura liked to pretend like she did, not to mention about working together to achieve the goal of the mission.

Kakashi sighed again and prayed that they would be soon finished with weeding. God why did those D-Ranks have to be so boring? Thankfully after another mind numbing hour they were finished.

"Right, come on guys we have to discuss something," Kakashi called cheerfully and led his team to their normal training grounds.

With a sigh he told them to sit down before he joined them in the grass.

"So can anybody tell me after a week of D-Ranks some of the reasons for them?" he asked his team.

"Somebody has to do them?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"Naruto, Sasuke. What are your opinions?" Kakashi prodded further.

"They are so mind numbing boooring that's what they are," Naruto complained and didn't answer the question and Sasuke just hhned.

For the first time they heard the sensei sigh before he said, "Oh dear." And looked up into the sky as if he was praying for something, "Okay, you really didn't get the hidden message in them. Damn Shiori was right."

"Hidden message?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"Yes, D-Ranks have numerous purposes. Firstly they are given to newly formed teams so that you can get to know each other, your tempers, your skills, your way to approach a problem. Secondly like this you learn a diverse set of skills that normally only civilians do, which could later be used to infiltrate a town or even a ninja village. Thirdly it gives the Jounin-sensei, a way to assess problems in the teamwork or skill set so that they can fix it before they happen on a more important mission. The fourth reason is that they are here to reassure the civilians that we are more or less harmless, it wouldn't do us any good for them to be too scared of us. After all we need them to take care of the village as well as a source of income when they ask for our help," Kakashi started to explain while he kept a close eye on their faces.

He now had the full attention of all three of them and he could clearly see how they frantically absorbed the information and then became embarrassed, the pink cheeks and the way they avoided looking at him was pretty telling. Good, Kakashi thought vindictive that showed them to underestimate a Jounin. In the beginning he had found it quite amusing that they dismissed him like that but in the last few days it had become annoying and worrying, he had already become invested in them and disregard of what he had to say was irking him somewhat fierce! Furthermore it could get them killed outside of the village if they underestimated an enemy.

"… Soooo who can tell me why Genin are in three man cells and why Konoha is so set on teamwork?" Kakashi continued cheerfully.

"Be-because the more there are the more likely the mission is a success?" Sakura asked tentatively.

Wow, Kakashi actually felt a bit lost at the moment. What the HELL was being taught in the Academy nowadays?

"Right. That certainly is one way of looking at it but no Sakura, that's not the reason. Sasuke? Naruto?" Kakashi sighed.

Both boys looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders before Naruto tentatively said, "Because they can do things I can't?"

"Exactly. A team is put together to compensate for the weaknesses of the individual ninja." Kakashi nodded satisfied, well at least they weren't completely hopeless.

At that Sasuke looked as if he wanted to protest but Kakashi continued without heeding it.

"And don't tell me that you are perfect at everything. There is a reason why specialists get preferential treatment over jack-of-all-traits. Yes with time you can get well rounded in everything but it's more often than not a specific skill that gets you promoted. Furthermore Konoha is famous for its teamwork and that isn't without reason, it's what made us win or at least end the last three wars in our favor."

"COOL!" Naruto bellowed at that.

"So we just overwhelmed our opponents with teams, isn't that dishonorable?" Sasuke asked somewhat sharply.

"Honor has no place in a war Sasuke. You either survive or you don't and I never said that it was one ninja against one. The sides were most of the time equal in strength, we just knew our comrades and their talents better to combine our strengths and compensate for our weaknesses." Kakashi said in a dead serious voice, "Furthermore we are no Samurai, I'm not sure who has told you about this honor crap, there is chivalry and loyalty between ninja, even enemy ones but most will take an opening when it presents itself."

"But in the Academy we were always called out when we did something underhanded," Sakura interjected.

"What? Are you serious?" asked Kakashi incredulous, "Is that the reason why the number of saboteurs that graduated in the last few years is so small?"

"Saboteurs?" Naruto now asked intrigued.

"It's a field of expertise in which you could specialize. I will start you on a specialized skill in a month or two when I know you better and you have mastered teamwork… Right, let's leave the rest for tomorrow. Sasuke, Naruto I want you two to spar. Sakura come with me."

All three Genin nodded and did as they were told.