Chapter Nine: Tiny Terror

He could understand wanting praise.

He could understand admiring attributes like strength, intelligence, and resourcefulness.

He could understand wanting to prove yourself.

What Kakashi couldn't understand was his classmates. Some would tell him how impressive he was and a few complained how it wasn't fair.

It wasn't that Kakashi thought of himself as incompetent, he dutifully trained, but there was a large gap between basic competency and noteworthy skill. Of which, Kakashi thought he was still training in the realm of basic competency.

For example, the praise he received when Toshi-sensei asked to see Kakashi perform a clone and he made a dozen shadow clones wasn't earned. Sensei hadn't specified how many, so creating that many clones was an assurance to demonstrate he knew how to create clones and that no it wasn't a fluke in order to instill trust in his sensei that he was fully capable of one of the shinobi basics.

Clones.

Transformation.

Replacement.

Clones was for decoys and alibis. Transformation was for deception and integration. Replacement was for evasion. The core necessities of being a shinobi. The jutsus hadn't always existed but when they were developed they were implemented into the curriculum as a baseline. As a baseline, Kakshi grouped clones as basic competency.

If his classmates were impressed by something that basic then they needed to train more because it really wasn't that hard. If anything, it was impressive was that Kakashi had enough chakra to make that many shadow clones, even if he felt his energy drain quickly for those few moments. No one commented on his chakra though, so there was no compliment to bathe in.

Instead, people like Mai introduced a new flower to a circle of girls every week. People like Atsushi complained to Gai about Gai's endless energy telling him there's more to life than training. Ironic considering Atsushi's name meant 'compassionate warrior'.

Ninjutsu had been a part of the entrance evaluation and therefore Kakashi knew most of his classmates were capable of it.

At first he thought it was just a way to get attention. Complain so that others would try to support them. Then he tried to reason that a few of the girls seemed to have crushes at it was their way of trying to talk to him. As the weeks passed it became clear that there may be another reason. A reason that he hadn't been able to place together.

Therefore, Kakashi couldn't understand his classmates. It bothered him to not understand, but it didn't affect his own capabilities so let it be.

Obito walked into class. The normally energetic boy seemingly having his life force drained from him. Obito took a seat and plopped his head down fast enough that a thump could be heard.

"Didn't work out?"

Obito's head whipped upwards. "Be quiet, Shiro! It was your idea."

Shiro raised his hands in defense. "I only said Kakashi has a sister. I didn't tell you to use her to spy on him."

"I wasn't going to use her!" Obito defended. He liked to help people. Using people sounded bad. "I just…wanted to know something Kakashi isn't good at." Anything! He needed to know Kakashi was human and not some alien because while it was cool at first it was increasingly frustrating and bad for his self-esteem.

Speaking of Kakashi…

"Hey Kakashi, what are you doing?"

Kakashi didn't look up to answer Obito. This was the first time he was being addressed, but their conversation hadn't been quiet. "Just something I'm working on. You wouldn't understand."

Obito was irritated. That sounded like a challenge. Raidou was sitting next to Kakashi, so he tried addressing his serious, but much more approachable, classmate. "Raidou, can you take a peak and tell us what Kakashi's working on?"

Kakashi watched as Raidou looked between Obito and himself to determine what to do. He didn't mind sitting next to Raidou. He took things seriously even if he was clumsy.

Kakashi slid the notebook towards Raidou while he flipped the loose pages over making the decision for him.

Obito looked on expectantly and even Shiro seemed to look over in excitement, though that may have been from anticipating that they would receive feedback that Obito wouldn't like.

"Ah…" Raidou flipped through a few pages. "Maybe something math related?" His voice raised.

"Maybe?" Shiro interjected. "Is it or isn't it?" He was prepared to make fun of Obito but now he felt just as lost.

"Just give it here." Obito got up to look at the damn book himself.

He shouldn't have.

Like really shouldn't have.

"What's this jiberish?!" Obito couldn't even begin to comprehend. Was this some kind of practical joke? He didn't take Kakashi as the type, but it literally didn't make any sense. Kakashi's words echoed in his head, haunting him.

Kakashi shrugged. "I said you wouldn't understand." Kakashi didn't really understand it either but they didn't need to know that. In retaliation to Yuina ditching him during lunches, he stole her notes. He had copied them into a notebook of his own and put it back on her shelf before she ever noticed. At least he thought she didn't know he stole them. He was sure she would have voiced her anger otherwise.

He only had the time to copy two notebooks so far but that included some of her early notes which were written normally. He was referencing the early notes with the coded research hoping to find a duplicate of her ideas so he could break down the components of the code but no such luck so far.

Obito returned the notebook, returned to the seat he had been sitting at, and placed his head on the desk once more using his arms to shield his head to which Rin tried to cheer him up but failed.

Sensei entered the room and started class which quieted the class down.

"I don't want to." Nara Momoe complained as they practiced basic chakra exercises following the lesson. "Kaa-san makes me practice at home and my control is still sucks. Kakashi-kun, you're lucky. You make it look so easy."

"I practice at home too." He wasn't lazy. Kakashi may not be learning family hidden jutsus, but that didn't mean he lazed around like Atsushi.

"You give up too easily, Momoe." Raidou looked at Gai practicing katas in the corner instead of practicing with everyone else.

Momoe's eyes followed Raidou's and she pouted. "Just talk to him already. You always overthink things. Gai would be your friend if you ask him."

"I can't." Raidou's voice cracked as he whispered his response. "He's too cool."

Kakashi's eyes bugged out. He would never put Gai and cool in the same category.

"You're cool too Kakashi," Raidou added believing Kakashi took it as slight against himself, "but Gai has spirit you can almost see."

Sensei made his rounds to help those who needed extra attention.

"Sensei." Kakashi called as the man approached their group. Momoe and Raidou gapped because Kakashi never asked questions.

Even Toshi-sensei seemed surprise. "Yes Kakashi?"

Maybe getting the answers Yuina seemed so desperate to answer before her would be the best revenge. "My chakra affinity is lightning. What's the best way to manipulate my chakra to use the other elements?" Using other elements wasn't on the top of Kakashi's priority list. He only knew one minor lightning jutsu so it made much more sense to explore that more first.

Sensei seemed unprepared for the question, and for good reason. A good chunk of the class was still getting comfortable with their chakra. Kakashi wasn't the only student who could reliably control their chakra or wanted to learn more, but this was a much different question than when Rin asked how she should go about learning medical ninjutsu. "Do you not like lightning?"

"Lightning is good, but Sandaime-sama can use the five elements." Sensei didn't seem impressed with Kakashi's knowledge. He repeated a phrase he heard many time before, "If the molecular compounds of what make my chakra lightning aligned then it can be broken down and manipulated into other elements. Even more than the standard five."

Raidou and Momoe seemed absolutely lost, but that was nothing new. Momoe seemed scared of effort and Raidou was better at reciting information than exploring information.

Toshi stared at Kakashi. Sakumo's kid had proven himself again and again as some kind of intuitive genius, but he had no answer for this. While technically possible it was extremely, extremely rare. To the point he assumed there was some bloodline component that people just weren't aware of. Kakashi needing to use the Hokage as an example wasn't helping him think otherwise.

Also, what did Kakashi mean when he said 'more than the standard five'. Toshi's first thoughts was on the infamous long-lost Wood Release, but that was silly. No, please. Tell him that his first-year genius student wasn't somehow trying to recreate wood release. Kakashi already commented on the Third Hokage's abilities so why would he discount the First's.

Toshi felt an oncoming migraine.

He should start sparring soon or something. Something to draw Kakashi's attention elsewhere because otherwise he might lose his sanity.

"How about I get more information about lightning jutsu for you." Toshi had a fire affinity and didn't usually teach elemental jutsu, but drastic measures meant containing the danger. Kakashi would probably be good for Konoha one day, but for now it might be best to try and get Kakashi to slow down.

"That doesn't answer the question, Toshi-sensei."

No. No it doesn't.

This was going to be a long year.