This one will be pretty heavy. Kakashi pov. incoming. The stories rated MA for a reason. (Suicidal tendencies)

Also in response to simp destroyer, nice name by the way, I decided that the MC would be two things: quick to anger and stubborn. These will be his flaws, don't worry, he'll overcome them. But he'll remain a serious and somewhat dour bastard. That snake bite is gonna fuck him up. I appreciate the review!

Also, Kakashi will be alot more proactive with things. It never sat right with me he was so nonchalant about his students training, even if he didn't really want to do it. Besides, Kushina was good friends with Makoto. Why wouldn't Kakashi care?

Onwards!

The wind blew majestically through Sasuke's hair as he gazed into the rising sun. At least he thought he looked pretty majestic with his arms and armor firmly secured across his person. With his forehead protector across his forehead and a faceplate that looked like a snarling wolf he truly felt like a badass samurai out for heads. It had taken a drastic amount of money to commission a partial set of armor for when he was thirteen, and another full one for adulthood, but that paled in comparison to the three swords made of mythical chakra metal. When he had made the purchases a couple years ago, he cried himself to sleep for several days thinking of the damage to his funds. So much money. But it was worth it to see the look on Naruto's face when he saw Sasuke in the full heraldry of his clan, the white-red fan painted intricately across his dark blue cuirass practically consuming the light of dawn.

"Holy shit Sasuke!"

Yes, yes. Replay the memory again. His wallet hurt less and less every time he did.

He was also wearing sunglasses like Shino did. The bug-user probably had his reasons as well which Sasuke couldn't ascertain, but he thought it was clever of himself to hide the Sharingan. Ugh, nothing against Shino but his power was disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Bugs. Sasuke shivered. He heard an impressed whistle. Kakashi had appeared, startling Naruto from the tree he was lazing in.

"Wow Sasuke-kun, neat get-up. Don't you think you went a little overboard? We are ninja, not samurai." Kakashi looked at him with a head-tilt and what seemed to be a bemused smirk. Sasuke shrugged.

"It is not a full set of armor Kakashi-sensei. It would be wasteful to spend so much on something I would have to abandon later."

"And the swords? They feel familiar." could he sense that they were chakra blades? Or could he sense that he had put his chakra through them? It made Kakashi seem much cooler in his book. Sasuke gripped the handles one by one, two strapped at his left side and one on his right revealing their names as he went.

"Blitzen, Donner, und Schein." oops, he hadn't meant to say und.

"Huh. Where is that language from?" okay he had something prepared for this. With an incredibly serious look on his face, as was per usual to be frank, he said: "Far, far from here. I don't even know if it still exists, but it's fascinating. To be honest I don't know much of the language."

"I never took you for the scholar Sasuke-kun."

"Oh I'm sure you'll become acquainted with my scholarly ways." he said with a smirk. Kakashi was seemed amused.

"And Naruto...are you really gonna fight in that?" even Kakashi had reservations about the vibrant orange outfit. Sasuke thought it looked good on Naruto, it's express purpose was to get the boy to stand out, but even he had to admit that if he had to choose between the dark blues of the Uchiha and...bright orange, he go for blue.

"It's my favorite color, ya know!"

"Maa, but..." Kakashi trailed off. "Where's Sakura?"

Just then the pinkette appeared on the path towards the training ground sprinting full tilt. When she arrived at their location they all noticed another thing about the late girl immediately. She looked awful. Her hair was a scraggly mess, she wasn't wearing any make-up as was customary for her, and when she stood still she bent over and vomited. Jesus Christ.

"I-i'm here…", hurl, "you were right Kakashi-sensei I shouldn't have eaten breakfast." She cast Sasuke a miserable look and he realized he had been the one to tell her to do so. Oh no. Naruto spoke up first.

"Wha-what happened Sakura-chan."

"I slept in."

Judging from the dark bags under her eyes Sasuke didn't need the Sharingan to tell that was a lie. Most logical assumption was that she cried herself to sleep and forgot to set an alarm…dammit body stop feeling bad! He was an idiot. A big foolish moron. He knew that he could really hurt her and he did it anyway. Now he must look upon the results of his own immaturity. A voice in his head whispered, Apologize. Later. He grimaced, later.

Kakashi looked at her with visible concern. He silently stood there for five whole minutes. Was he debating ending the test there?

"Sakura-chan do you feel-"

"YES!"

She shouted with pleading eyes. It was apparent he was about to ask if she was okay to continue. For the first time in this new life, Sasuke admired Sakura for something other than her intellect. That took some resolve. Kakashi closed his eye with a sigh and took out two bells.

"Alright then, listen up. The first two students to catch these bells will become genin. The student who doesn't get a bell will…", he legitimately looked like he dreaded what he was about to say for its probable effect on Sakura,"...be sent back to the academy."

Sakura squeaked in utter terror. Naruto cringed as he looked at Sasuke mumbling no way. Sasuke himself struggled to keep his face even, but realized he had it completely covered and gave way to the repentant crinkling of his features. Not a lick of this felt great like he thought it would.

"The test starts now and lasts until midday." He set a timer on a training log and clicked it, making no other movements save for attaching the bells to his waist.

"Naruto, go hide Sakura away and return promptly. She's in no condition to fight." Naruto looked like he was seriously conflicted, but took a glance at Sakura and nodded with a defeated expression.

"W-wait guys, please don't. I-i can fight, please." Naruto looked at her with a pained expression and said nothing.

"Please."

"Sakura!" she flinched at the sound of Sasuke's voice and looked at him in dread, trembling. That hurt. "We're not abandoning you. I'll give you my bell after we're done. You will not fail because of me, I swear it."

If anything that made it worse. It seemed she did not wish to be the cause of his own failure thinking it would make him hate her more than she already thought he did.

"NO!" she tried to turn and run into the forest but Naruto was much faster. And had shadow clones. Huh, so that's how you did it. "Alright Sasuke you take the lead, but I ain't leavin' ya alone, ya know!"

Four clones popped into existence beside him. Kakashi didn't even blink. Sakura wailed one last time before disappearing into the forest. Well this was seven shades of fucked.

"Ma, Ma so you decide to sacrifice yourself while your comrades flee. Admirable." he was stone cold serious, like the amusement had simply drained from him.

"It's only a sacrifice if I die in the act."

"Well, you better come out with the intent to kill or you're never getting these bells." he reached into his flak jacket ominously. Sasuke had been waiting for this, when he pulled out his legendary copy of the orange covered Icha Icha-paradise, Sasuke pointed with a gasp.

"You too, are a man of culture?" Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks.

"Huh?"

"Huh!?"

"Huh?!"

"Huh!"

Even the clones had been surprised, but Sasuke was not daunted. He pulled out from underneath his cuirass a book that, for all its smut, was actually pretty good.

"I love the series, tell me; Paradise, Violence,or Innocence? Which is your favorite." Kakashi was caught completely off his guard. He turned an interesting shade of red. Sasuke pressed on. "Personally my favorite scene is in Violence when Setsuna does that thing with the whi-"

"Stop!" Kakashi held out his hand outstretched and out of position. Perfect. He threw three shuriken in an instant and leapt towards Kakashi barking for the clones to follow. Kakashi deflected the first two shuriken easily, sliding into focus like water, but was shocked when his kunai slid through the third. With a grunt he realized that at some point Sasuke had put a Genjutsu on him that hid the actual trajectory of the third and it had just dug itself into his flak jacket. That had taken some serious work, Kakashi's mind was like a fortress. As Saskue and the clones slid into position around a momentarily disabled Kakashi, Sasuke struck first with a blindingly fast Iaido draw from the hip. His blade bit through wood. Substitution.

"Below!" he guessed, but it proved correct as Kakashi burst from the ground in an attempt to complete the headhunter technique. The clones scattered from Kakashi. As Sasuke sailed a few feet into the air with strength he didn't know he had, he unsealed the shortbow that was within his left hand and knocked an arrow from the quiver on his back. He pulled back the string and let it loose, the twang a familiar reassurance from his training. His eyes ensured he was never off his mark. Kakashi caught the arrow with one hand, kunai in the other. Sasuke gave a frenzied smile.

"Boom!"

Kakshi's eyes visibly widened as he dropped the smoking arrow and flung himself back in a single motion. He wasn't quick enough and was tossed back by the dome of fire that appeared from the arrow, singed by the flames of the exploding tag. Kakashi flew straight into two of the Naruto clones clearly dazed. One went to attack him but was swiftly dispelled by a twisting maneuver that Kakashi pulled off mid-air, his knee firmly planted in the clone's jaw. The other clone swiped at the bells with a kunai, but missed, and got an elbow for its trouble. Kakashi landed eye scanning the battlefield as two more Naruto flung themselves at Kakashi with exploding tags in their hands while Sasuke fired another arrow as he landed on the ground. Kakshi dispelled both the clones with a simultaneous double punch, probably guessing the tags were fake, and when the projectile soared into his arms length he split it in twain with his kunai. The arrow hit the earth with a thud and exploded far behind him. Sasuke couldn't help it. Maddend laughter echoed through the clearing as the adrenaline fueled his bloodlust. It must have been the Sharingan. Yeah keep tellin' yourself that.

"YES! MORE! THIS IS GREAT!" Kakashi looked at him like a stranger, perhaps thinking that he had inherited too much of the Uchiha's lust for battle. With a howl Sasuke dashed forward Katana at the ready. "KILL IF YOU LOVE THE GODS, FEUER."

His blade lit up in a brilliant orange flame. Kakashi dashed forward at an incredible speed that Sasuke barely, by the smallest of margins, kept up with. Sasuke was impressed with himself when he deflected the first kunai blow. He was resigned when Kakashi continued to whirl and landed a devastating kick to the side of his temple. His last thoughts were: That was fucking badass.

"Urrghfuuck." the sun beamed into his eyes and his head pounded like Kakashi from Naruto had…wait, that did happen. Holy shit was this what a concussion felt like?

"Okay Sasuke, how many fingers am I holding up?" his vision blurred as he tried to concentrate.

"Two, no three."

"Yikes."

Kakashi came into perfect clarity again as Sasuke activated his Sharingan. He wasn't out of chakra yet, just beaten the hell up six ways to Sunday, but he flinched when he realized Kakashi had been holding four. Also, his glasses were gone. Thank fuck he ordered thirty pairs

"Good news everyone, you passed!" Kakashi said with a level of cheer that none of the three preteens felt. Okay, scratch that Sasuke was practically beaming from the first "real" fight he had participated in. The thrill of combat was nothing like he imagined. The fear, the adrenaline, the copious amounts of fire and explosions preserved in his memory for the remainder of his life. Epic. Naruto and Sakura just looked tired and worn out lain flat-up against the logs.

"How?" Sakura asked in a small voice. Kakashi actually flinched at that. Had she done that poorly?

"Well, the moment Sasuke willingly sacrificed himself so his teammate could get to safety was when you succeeded in the test. All along the goal of this exercise was to get you guys to work together, which I must say you did admirably. It didn't hurt that you and Naruto put up a good show in the forest." he said with a kind smile.

"You mean Naruto put up a good show." Kakashi visibly sagged from the weight of her insecurity.

"Oh, Sakura, that Genjutsu almost worked. It was very clever to use the dispelling of a clone as cover but I'd already been trapped in one, and you know what they say. Fool me once." it was dead silent in the clearing. Yikes.

"A-anyway congratulations team seven!" Naruto actually looked like he was about to jump up and cheer but thought better about it when he saw that Sakura's moroseness hadn't changed a whit. Kakashi and Naruto both turned to Sasuke with pleading expressions on their faces. He gave a silent, shit what am I supposed to do, gesture and they replied with an expectant and equally silent, something please. Then it hit him and he gritted his teeth. Just cheer up the little girl you sour bastard.

"Oh geez, I sure have worked up an appetite. Hey Sakura," she looked at him with eyes that were slowly gaining hope, "would you like to go to this little ramen stand Naruto showed me? The food's great."

Immediately, as if she had consumed a tablet of Pervitin she jumped up and shouted with great vigor.

"YES! I mean…if you really want to." Sasuke nodded his assent. Kakashi looked on with that eye thing he did while Naruto actually grumbled. He'd feel sorry for the boy if he didn't know he'd end up with Hinata. Who actually admired Naruto for something beyond "being cool". And who grew up to be way hotter than Sakura. Incontestably.

"Hey, why don't we all go?" Kakashi suggested surprisingly. He seemed pretty distant in the manga so Sasuke didn't really know what was up. Naruto visibly perked at the suggestion. "And don't worry Sakura, we won't interrupt you two lovebirds."

Whatever reservations about Naruto and Kakashi coming along that Sakura had were thrown out the window when Kakashi said lovebirds. She was all a titter. Sasuke distinctly heard her wonder if this was a dream aloud. How could this simple act make her so happy? Infatuations were scary. As they left the training ground Sasuke realized that suddenly, everyone was in a good mood except him. A complete inverse of the prior situation. Fate and karma could suck his dick.

Kakashi Hatake opened his eyes and instinctively glanced at his father's blade which hung on the wall.

Do it.

He shook away these morning thoughts and made himself ready for the day. He gave his adorable little students the day off, but he had been told by the Hokage to prepare an oral and written report about team seven's performance in the bell test. Though if the rumors floating around the old man were true than he had seen the whole thing anyway. He mused that perhaps the old coger simply wanted a different perspective on things. Gazing out his window he surmised that it was probably eight, exactly 8:04 a.m., and he stepped out in a single Shunshin. He soared over the rooftops of Konoha to his least favorite place in the village. Where he could experience the pain he deserved for failing every single person he knew and loved as if it were fresh. And with the Sharingan sometimes it was. Rin's face flashed through his mind, crystal clear as life left her eyes. Failure. She whispered on dead lips. His father's dagger gleamed in the dark.

Do it.

There was a surprise at the memorial stone. The third Hokage sat cross legged in front of the large obelisk that jutted from the ground, his own eyes lost in memory. If ever there was a man who lost more than he. The curse of age, seeing all your friends die or turn on you. He had more in common than he liked to admit with the man than people his own age. The Hokage greeted him with a puff of smoke and a small smile as Kakashi joined him in front of the stone.

"You should really stop coming here, Kakashi. It does you no good."

The warm smile of the Hokage hurt his soul. It amazed him that someone who had seen so much could still care so deeply about the ninja underneath him. Kakashi had seen the way other Kage treated their ninja. It was…bad out there. But he keeps you from death.

"Protect her Kakashi…"

Do it.

He closed his eyes.

"Maa, Hokage-sama. I have many people to pay respects to." the Hokage blew out another puff.

"Tell me about them." Kakashi sat down beside his leader.

"They'll make a good team. Naruto thinks cleverly, he uses his clones as if they were an extension of himself. A few exercises in strategy and tactics and the boy could be a small army on his own. Likely he's received a lot of supplementary help from Sasuke in this regard." the Hokage nodded, most likely expecting as much. "Though he's a bit immature."

The Hokage snorted. Obviously an understatement.

"He reminds me so much of his mother." in that they were in agreement. It was painful. In a flash, his mind drew forth another unwanted memory. A blond man being lowered into a grave as the sky poured down its grief. A single letter clutched in Kakashi's hand. It was only two full sentences.

"My boy's name is going to be Naruto Kakashi! You'll make a great older brother."

Do it.

The Hokage motioned for him to continue.

"Sasuke is an enigma. Cool, collected, sharp as a tack. He came prepared and immediately took the lead following Sakura's clear distress and ordered Naruto to simply remove her from a situation he knew she couldn't handle. He's strong and he knows it, but he knows his limits. He went into that fight without any expectation of succeeding fully intending on covering for his allies and worked excellently with Naruto's clones to that effect, but…" the Hokage sighed. Kakashi took this as a signal to continue. "No child should exhibit such bloodlust and mania for battle. When he's aggravated he swears, but this was beyond that. It was rage and hatred, tempered by a will to kill and an excitement for blood. His first will be messy." The Hokage sighed once again, but more deeply.

"Anything else?" Kakashi gulped.

"He said he wanted Itachi's head on a pike outside the gates of the Uchiha district." the Hkage looked at him, just looked at him. Kakashi couldn't even begin to tell what emotion was going through the other man's head.

"Itachi created just what he wanted, a killer." Kakashi quickly rode to his students' defense.

"But he isn't without emotion, much as he's probably tried to kill it, he showed clear care for Sakura and obviously regretted what he did to her two days ago. On an emotional level, he's extremely mature. He seems-"

"Wise beyond his age, like an adult trapped in a child's body." Kakashi simply nodded. The Hokage set his pipe aside and put his hands into his face.

"Fugaku, Makoto. Forgive me." Kakashi heard his leader mumble. Without conscious thought memories of his own surged from deep within his soul. A smiling redhead and a cheerful black-haired woman wishing him happy birthday, showering him in gifts and affection he had never known. He thought of two lonely boys, one fair haired, one with locks as black as night that he should have been there for. That he should have looked after. That he shouldn't have failed.

Do it.

"And…Sakura?" Kakashi really wished he didn't have to say what he thought. Sincerely, uttering the truth caused him visible pain.

"She is completely unready for the realities of a shinobi. On her first real mission, if she does not get serious help, she will die." Kakashi could see the Hokage cringing as he pressed his fingers to his nose.

"Did I really make such a huge mistake in loosening the physical requirements for graduation?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"...That was rhetorical Kakashi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." the Hokage gave him a wry grin as he picked up his pipe and continued smoking.

"Suggestions?" he asked through a cloud of tobacco smoke.

"Haaah, well…" Kakashi sat back staring at the sky wondering what he could say that would improve his pink haired pupils' abysmal state.

"She needs a role model. Someone she could emulate and learn from that would give her the skills to succeed in the field. Perhaps multiple, preferably kunoichi. She won't learn much from me." the Hokage seemed to be seriously considering it.

"Anyone in particular come to mind?"

"Kurenai-san would be excellent for teaching her a few more supplementary Genjutsu. Anko-san might give her the kick she needs to improve physically, or perhaps Yugao-san; or even her own mother who probably doesn't know how bad her child really is. She seems to have stellar chakra control on her record, so most of all I would suggest letting her delve into healing techniques to keep her off the front lines. Honestly, if Tsunade-sama wasn't out of the village I'd just immediately give Sakura to her. I have a feeling." the Hokage chuckled. Even shinobi trusted their gut sometimes. If Naruto and Sasuke would make good fighters, with Sakuras seemingly innate, as it was put in her file, understanding of chakra would make her a good medic.

"Hmm…medics are, however, most often a priority target."

Failure.

"I know."

The Hokage smoked his pipe for a while, lost in thought. Kakashi didn't mind. There wasn't anyone who would be missing him. Finally the man rose with an agonized groan. It took some time, as if something dragged him back down to the earth. Perhaps it was his own sins and failures.

"Go do something Kakashi. Talk to someone. I hate seeing you like this. That's an order from your Hokage. Perhaps, Anko-chan?" Kakashi stiffened.

"Maa, she doesn't like me."

"I don't know. From what I've heard she's been asking if a certain scarecrow is around between missions. Something about a, ahem, debt?"

"We played poker once, I didn't have the ryo on me. Besides, we're completely different people." there was an infuriating twinkle in the old man's eyes.

"Come now Kakashi, opposites attract, I've seen it many times. Look at young Naruto and Sasuke. Already the best of friends. Besides…" a knowing look formed on the Hokage's face. "You both share more than you know."

Kakashi remained silent.

"Kakashi…" he looked over to the Hokage, but was violently disturbed by what he saw. In the place of the resolute leader of the village, the pillar of the leaf that had weathered all three shinobi world wars, the man who had taught every single generation of Konoha shinobi after the first; was an aged, desperately tired old man. For a single moment Kakashi thought he saw the shinigami himself hovering his blade above his kage's throat. The god of death peering just over his shoulder.

"I've seen so many of my friends die. My friends' sons and daughters die. Their grandchildren die. Let this old man see the disciples of his disciples be at least good friends. Make a connection with her. Do it for an old fool." he gaped at the Hokage. Struggling with the wrongness he felt from seeing the Hokage lay bare his weakness for him to see.

"I-i'll…give-, g-please Hokage-sama. Thirty minutes." Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him an understanding smile. Without any great pomp, he began along the path back to the village. Kakashi let out a breath he had been holding in.

Had the Hokage really just guilted him into fraternizing with Anko? Then again, the fourth always did say he was easy. He missed him so much. He missed them all. Everyone. Even…Kakashi closed his eyes to stop it. But he could not.

He slid open the door to his father's room. He'd been shut in there for days, and he was beginning to feel worried.

"Father?"

What he saw next changed his life.

Sakumo Hatake, the white fang of Konoha, looked at him with a pained face as he slit his own belly open. His eyes further widened when he realized who had opened his door.

"Kakashi-" he spat out a glob of blood and began coughing viciously, the scarlet ichor spilled everywhere. Kakashi was rooted to the floor. No. No, No, No ,Noninononononokojonj.

"PAPA!" he rushed to him. His father made no more movements, heaving heavily as Kakashi rushed to his side. He looked searching into his eyes. Begging for reassurance. He found none.

"I'm sorry Kakashi-" he hacked up gallons of blood. His eyes were losing their shine. "My sweet boy."

Kakashi begged him not to die, not to leave him alone. But his cries fell on deaf ears. What were the whims of a child before death?

"Kakashi." it came out as a whisper before the mournful sobs of his son. "Live past this."

Kakashi looked into his fathers eyes as he uttered his last word.

"Live."

Thirty minutes passed in a moment. If Kakashi's eyes looked red, he joked that he was trying to awaken a second Sharingan.

No one could tell that his laughter rang hollow.

Sasuke looked up from his painting. He had heard another knock on the door. He put his utensils down and discarded his magnifying glasses. He very much enjoyed having the ability to perfectly replicate images on the canvas, years of doing so allowed him to draw normally from imagination as well, so he hoped that whomever had darkened his doorstep had good reason. If it was another one of his tenants come to ask why being nice to Naruto was included in the contract he'd kick their ass. Some of these people were animals.

"Yo! Sasuke-kun."

It was Kakashi. Why was he here?

"Hello, Hatake-sensei."

"Oh, you don't have to bother with that. Just call me Kakashi." he waved at Sasuke lazily, eye-smiling all the way. Well at least he was in a good mood.

"What brings you here sensei?"

"Well, I simply thought I should check on my adorable little students. May I come in." Sasuke held no deep secrets within his home, so gladly let the copy-cat ninja cross the threshold. If Kakashi was surprised when he saw the sculptures, paintings, sketches, and all manner of arts and crafts he didn't let on. Instead he stopped at one and looked closely at it.

"This is quite good Sasuke, but isn't this…"

"Ah, yes. Ayame-chan from Ichiraku's."

Kakashi made a curious noise and simply nodded. The painting was quite lavish, she was adorned in swirling colors of fetching silk and gazed out at the world with a warm smile.

"You should have been there when I gave it to her. She was such a scarlet hue, heart all a flutter." they both chuckled at the image, which for Sasuke was more than merely conjured. Kakashi looked around at all the different artworks. There were paintings of important figures in the daimyo court. There was a painting of the third Hokage in his prime which he had given to the delighted man. There was even a painting of Tsunade and Jiraiya, and a picture of them both together that he also gave the third Hokage for whom Sasuke swore brought wetness to his eyes. But Kakashi's eyes seemed fixed on a red nobori banner that held the Uchiha crest in all four corners.

"Hesitation is defeat?"

"My motto."

"Does the other side say the same thing?"

"No. Peace is a lie, war is eternal."

Kakashi's head turned to him quickly. He looked at him with an expression of equal parts confounded and equal parts horrified. Suddenly the golden eagle which adorned the top of the pattern seemed so much more viscous as Sasuke said those words. There was perhaps no greater refutation of the Will of Fire. A declaration that love was not the way to peace, for it did not exist to begin with.

"But Sasuke, surely-" Sasuke cut him off with an upraised hand and a shake of the head. He gave him an understanding look, that in itself was filled with mournful reality.

"Were it so that love prevailed, I'd gladly cast the rag into the fire. But it is not. There is no peace amongst the stars Kakashi-sensei. Within the hearts of men, only darkness. Weak men think of the loss in war. Strong men end it quickly. For there is no greater evil than war, and no greater burden for the strong than to protect the weak. What is left is power, and what you choose to do with it."

Kakashi looked at him in mute shock. If he was expecting such a well reasoned argument, he didn't look at it. Kakashi let loose a tired sigh.

"Is there any child that is still within you Sasuke?" Sasuke flinched at that. Perhaps he had been coming on way too strong now that he was a ninja. And the first excuse which came to mind would not be pleasant for the man to hear. It pained him to have to shatter the man's belief in his innocence. But Kakashi needed to know that Sasuke would do what needed to be done. That he was reliable, capable, but most importantly not a simple child. Sasuke didn't think he could handle any more coddling.

"He died sensei. That night the child Sasuke died." Kakashi looked saddened at the answer he probably had already come to, but moved on from it quickly.

"Well, about the bell test…what was that?" Sasuke caught on quickly, and for the first time put upon himself a bashful smile.

"I like fighting."

"..."

"I really like it."

"Seriously?"

A disbelieving smile formed underneath Kakashi's mask. They both broke out into chuckles and continued to talk well into the evening. Kakashi had similar discussions with both Naruto and Sakura over their own flaws. He asked Sasuke his opinion and it was given freely. He said he agreed that Naruto could be a little childish, and that he didn't hate Sakura, only her weakness. Kakashi told him that cutting loose in training was fine, but that on the mission such behavior would be unacceptable. Sasuke merely nodded seriously. Other than that they had more pleasant conversations as Sasuke finished his painting. Kakashi's eyes shone with delight as he received the portrait of team seven, all smiling within. As he left through the door Sasuke had but one thought.

That was pleasant.