Chapter 36
Beta'd by Black Sparrow
It didn't take them longer than a few moments to fill out the first page and then they started to contemplate the second one.
"So… should we put down the ninjutsus we know?" Naruto asked confused.
"And everything else you learned… or what you think is important," Shiori answered before she stood up, stretched and then ambled back to the playing pen.
"Start with the Taijutsu styles you know," Kakashi interjected.
All three of the Genin wrote down the 'Little Leaf' style that was practiced in the Academy and Sasuke also wrote down 'Swift Paw' style underneath it.
"How much do you know about 'Swift Paw' Sasuke?" Kakashi asked interested, that was an Uchiha only style after all.
"Only the basics," Sasuke finally grunted in frustration.
"Hhm, I will give you some help with that later; I had an Uchiha on my Genin team," the silver haired Jounin explained surprisingly open. "Now what of the Academy E-ranks can you do?"
"All of them," both Sasuke and Sakura supplied.
"… I can't use the stupid Clone Technique," Naruto grumbled.
"But you are using clones now in massive amounts," Sakura said confused.
"That's because Naruto has a lot more chakra than you guys, as a result his control is not very good and so he can't do the simple Clone Technique. What he is using is the chakra expensive Jounin version," Kakashi answered in his student's stead.
"Oh… I always wondered. But wait Jounin technique? Naruto has enough chakra for using a Jounin technique nearly constantly?" the pink haired kunoichi said incredulous while she stared at her teammate who looked sheepishly to the side and rubbed his neck.
"Yes but he is an exception to the rule so I don't want either you or Sasuke to try yet. There is a reason why Genin aren't taught Jounin techniques. You DO know why that is, don't you?"
When all three shook their heads, Kakashi closed his eye for a second before breathing in deeply.
"It's because you would at best collapse and be unconscious for a day or more or the worst case scenario would be that the chakra drainage kills you," Kakashi said dead serious while he looked at his students.
His three kids looked suddenly very pale and gulped while they stared at their sensei, no they hadn't known that.
"What about your trap techniques?" the silver haired sensei continued.
"Only the basics," Sakura said after some thinking.
"Up to the medium hard ones," Sasuke followed up.
"All of them!" Naruto crowed in delighted, "Haha take that Sasuke-teme!"
After all making traps was one of his greatest talents and not something that he just couldn't help like his chakra capacity. He had used more than one of them in his pranks for the ninja corps.
"NARUTO! Stop being rude to Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched out of reflex while Sasuke just tsked.
"Sakura," the oldest Hatake's voice held something dangerous in it because all three of the Genins snapped to attention, "I thought Shiori told you about Hinako-chan's and my enhanced hearing."
"Ah… Go-gomen Kakashi-sensei," the fangirl stuttered mortified.
She had listened yesterday and today and really wanted to change herself but habits were so hard to kick.
"Furthermore I don't think that Sasuke needs you to defend him, he can speak up for himself," Kakashi continued while he looked seriously at his female student.
The girl now looked crushed and close to tears.
"Kakashi-sensei, don't be so mean to Sakura-chan," Naruto tried to interfere.
"She has to learn that such behavior is not acceptable as a kunoichi. Better she learns it now than when a superior has to reprimand her on a mission and she gets written up for it. Such a mark could seriously impede a promotion." Kakashi answered calmly.
He hadn't thought about it until now but he really shouldn't have let this behavior continue so long, it would only hurt Sakura in the future because people always chose to work with the person that had a clean record instead of the one with a reprimand.
Sakura really looked she would start to cry any minute now, so to let a bit up on her Kakashi turned to Naruto and said, "The same concerns you Naruto, you aren't a student anymore. You are a ninja of Konoha and are expected to act like one. Pranks were fine up until now but you really should carefully consider what you do from now on. The shopkeepers can sue you for property damage now that you are considered an adult and this can get quite expensive and if you can't pay the fine they can even have you put into jail."
Both Sakura and Naruto looked horrified at that, even Sasuke's eyes became wide. None of the three had really acknowledged that from now on they were accountable for their actions like any other adult in Konoha.
"And lastly Sasuke, I know that you are not a natural sunshine and that's not the problem but your stoicism and pride more often than not looks like arrogance and that could seriously offend others. So be careful how you act around people, be it clients or comrades."
"B-but Sasuke-kun is so cool like that," Sakura gasped out.
"Cool or not it's bad for business and in the wrong company it can cause a whole lot of problems. The moment you guys pass the Jounin exam this changes again, people will even expect some eccentricities but right now you are still lowly Genin so remember that," Kakashi's voice brook no argument.
The silver haired Jounin would have loved that piece of information before he had entered ANBU. Until then Minato-sensei had shielded him from the backlash of most of his actions. In ANBU his behavior had landed him on a lot of fucked up missions during the first few months until he had built up such a reputation that his superiors grudgingly respected him. The reputation was what had made them back off and this had probably saved his life because no matter how good he was, one day the load of those grueling missions would have killed him. This was also why he had changed his attitude in public, of course Obito' death had also played a big role but his laid back attitude originated mostly from the hard earned lesson in ANBU.
Sasuke looked outraged for a moment before he became more contemplative and then hhned thoughtfully before giving Kakashi a reluctant nod.
"So what? We have to be all serious and stuff like that?" Naruto said somewhat disgruntled.
"Not really, I don't want you to change your personality. I just want you to think before you do something," Kakashi placated the blonde before him.
"Oh… okay I will try Kakashi-sensei," the Kyuubi container said somewhat appeased.
His pink haired teammate also quickly nodded, though she still looked uncomfortable with the situation.
After that had been cleared up somewhat Kakashi continued to help them sort through the knowledge they had acquired throughout the Academy time and the more he heard the more frustrated he became. Those kids, HIS Genin hadn't even a fraction of the education he had received during his time, during the ONE year he had spent in the Academy. If this continued like this he really would have to go to the Hokage and bring up the fact that they seemed to have learned next to nothing that could one day save their lives. Instead they had amassed a ton of useless information that they probably would never need again as well as some very bad habits that were going to be a lot of work to correct.
Kakashi sighed while he once more prayed for patience; this was going to be a right chore no matter how he looked at it. The silver haired Jounin smiled somewhat bitterly, was that karma that struck him now that he himself was a sensei? No matter, he already had become invested in his knuckleheads and he would prepare them as thoroughly as possible for their shinobi career. He just hoped that on the way to that he didn't fuck up big somewhere.
"Okay guys, I think this covers the major parts for now. I now want you to think about your strengths and what you think you should learn to facilitate them," the Jounin sighed while he stretched somewhat.
Kakashi had sat down beside the three teenagers sometime after explaining their most obvious flaws and looked now and then over their shoulders to read what they had written down.
After the oldest shinobi had stopped talking Naruto looked a bit confused at what Kakashi had said. Facilitate? What the hell did that mean?
"I mean what skills would support your own," the silver haired Jounin clarified while he ruffled the blonde hair in reaching distance.
As a result Naruto pouted but quickly started to concentrate on the task on hand.
They were immersed in a discussion about the different specializations when Shiori called them for lunch. The kids still looked unsure about how they should react to her but readily enough followed her instructions of washing up. When they entered the living room again after cleaning their hands their path was obstructed by a determined Hinako who toddled to them and then demanded nonverbally to be lifted up by Sasuke. Said dark haired Genin didn't know what to do and looked with somewhat big eyes at Shiori who giggled at them behind the kitchen counter.
"Come on, teme. I'm sure she doesn't bite," Naruto goaded his teammate while he grinned at the cute silver haired toddler.
The only direct contact with younger kids that Naruto had was with Konohamaru and his friends as well as the one disastrous babysitting mission two days ago that had ended with him being covered with baby powder from head to toe. Now that he thought back, Kakashi-sensei had been strangely adept at fixing the mistakes they had made; he probably had more than enough practice back at home. Returning to the situation at hand Naruto grinned and watched very interested in Sasuke's dilemma.
Hinako was annoyed; the pretty black haired boy kept staring at her with a nearly helpless look and didn't DO anything. So with a sigh that her mother always used when daddy or her uncles did something they shouldn't the toddler pouted up at the pretty boy and tugged at his shorts once more.
She finally had enough and said, "Carry me," in her most commanding voice.
Until now that tone had never failed to get her indulging smiles and whatever she wanted from her uncles. And just as she had predicted the dark eyed boy lifted her somewhat awkwardly up and into his arms. Hinako moved a bit to test how much wriggle room she had before she wrapped her arms around his neck and contently sighed. Secured like this she started to take in the scent of the male that was carrying her. It was a curious mix of salt, metal and something earthy underneath. The blue eyed little girl also noted that the metal scent wasn't as strong as the one of her daddy and uncles, and that the overall mixture was pretty pleasant to her nose. Hhm, she would probably keep him, Hinako decided generously while she petted his soft black hair that was defying gravity on the back of his head.
Behind an out of his depth Sasuke a sniggering Naruto leaned against the couch and tried to suppress the belly laughter that tried to make their way out of his body. Sakura seemed to be torn between being entranced by the scene and jealous of the attention Hinako was receiving from Sasuke.
"Hajimemashite," the toddler carefully pronounced but still stumbled over a few syllables, "I'm Hinako-chan."
Sasuke's mouth twitched while he greeted back and even in full sentences, "Hello. My name is Uchiha Sasuke. It's nice to meet you too."
After another moment of staring at his features Hina-chan stated with a happy smile on her face, "You are pretty."
Behind them Naruto finally lost it and was crying tears while he still tried to suppress the peals of laughter that escaped him. The braying noises made Hinako's eyes become even wider while she unconsciously tried to hide in Sasuke's neck. Said Uchiha's cheeks had turned light pink while he bemusedly petted his sensei's daughter's hair.
Girls were confusing no matter the age, was the only thing that went through his head. Beside him Sakura squawked horrified, she was now getting competition from a toddler!
The whole scene was watched by a very amused Shiori who hid her own laugher in her husband's chest. She could feel his chest shudder with amusement while his arms went around her waist and he kept his eye on his daughter and Genins antics.
This was undeniably the start of a very entertaining relationship.