Kakashi entered his class and yawned.
He really did need to find a solution to his two kids problem; he could not spend the entire year sleeping only three hours per night. Things would get worse when Sasuke's eyes finally activated.
Well, at least Naruto finally started to accept the notion that he could not spend every waking moment with him. Perhaps, when the kid trusted him more, he would be willing to save his phone number and call him when he needed help… if the boy would ever be willing to admit that he needed it.
Out of precaution, he walked to the third window and opened it. Hiding from Iruka… he would have to chat with him, wouldn't he? The boy deserved to have more than one person caring for him. Especially when that person was half wolf.
The door opened, and the blond kid stumbled in. He stood by the threshold, awkward and embarrassed, and knocked on the wooden panel.
Kakashi turned to face him with a smile. "Morning, Uzumaki."
The kid's cheeks turned pink. He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. "Morning, Sensei."
"Sit," he said and pointed to a chair near his desk. "Did you find your dog?"
"Yeah." Naruto sat and dropped his backpack. His body language was tense and cautious. "He came home, like you said." He swallowed and met his gaze. "How'd you know?" His blue eyes searched his.
I cannot lie to him, Kakashi thought. He senses when I do. "I have experience raising strays," he said. "Some like to stay with me, and some like to come and go. I suppose your dog likes his independence."
Naruto nodded. He leaned closer but dropped his gaze and clenched his jaw. "Yeah. He didn't like the food I got him." He hesitated. His eyes flickered toward Kakashi's.
Kakashi waited patiently.
Finally, Naruto gathered his courage and did not look away. "How can I get him to stay?" His voice wavered.
Kakashi drew a much-needed breath. Naruto had never looked at him like that before, with his eyes wide and soft and beseeching; he was actively asking for help. He had to tread carefully. "You can't," he murmured. "The only thing you can do is give him time. Time to trust you and get used to you." Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked away, his scowl dark and his knuckles white, so Kakashi added gently, "The wild is… frightening, at times, and addictive at others. Perhaps the wilderness is a part of him. Do you truly want him to give that up?"
Naruto swallowed with difficulty. "Guess not," he mumbled. "I just…" he hesitated again and clenched his fists, leaning back. "What'd you want?" he barked.
Well, it seemed that Naruto had reached his limit. That was as far as he was willing to go. Still, the kid revealed much that he would not have revealed in the past. He hoped he would be willing to let him in, just a little more.
"I got a call from the head of the math department at Konoha university," he said casually and turned on his computer screen. He knew Naruto tended to react strongly when he sensed he was rejected and that being watched agitated him further and caused him to close up and attack. Perhaps the kid would not flee if he looked away. "He was very impressed with your solution." He dared a smile in the kid's direction.
Naruto stared, dumbfounded, as his cheeks flushed. His eyes were wide and a tad too bright.
Kakashi returned his eye to the screen. "However, there's a bit of a problem with your GPA." He turned the screen in Naruto's direction. "You need at least 3.85 to get into Konoha. Yours is, currently, 2.3."
He could hear Naruto heaving. The kid grabbed his backpack and got up abruptly, knocking the chair off. He all but ran out of the classroom.
Fuck. Kakashi got up as well. "Uzumaki – "
"Fuck off!" the kid snapped, snarling. He reached the door –
Kakashi grabbed his shoulder, his grip hard and unyielding. "I'm not done."
The kid struggled, but Kakashi was stronger. He looked down. "Don't wanna hear it."
Yes, you do. "I spoke with him on your behalf. He really wants you to attend, Uzumaki, so he pulled some strings. If you declare math as your major, the administration is willing to look only at your senior year's GPA. They will not look at the rest," he said, his voice low and gentle and – hopefully – soothing.
Slowly, the kid relaxed under his touch. He eased his grip so his hold was no longer restrictive. "You will still need to get mostly A's, but – "
The kid shrugged off his hand. "There's no point, then," he muttered. "I'm only good at math." His voice was stark and dismissive, but Kakashi could read the burning disappointment leaking through the tense lines of his body and the soft blue of his eyes.
"I told you I'd help you, didn't I?" he said quietly. "I'm somewhat of an expert in fields other than math."
"I'm not a stray," Naruto snarled. He met his eye – his were defiant and fierce and hurt.
Oh, but you are. Kakashi sighed and leaned back, giving the storming kid room to breathe. "I didn't say that," he said quietly, keeping his voice soothing and soft. "All I'm saying is, if you need a tutor – "
"I can't pay you."
Kakashi tilted his head slightly. His eye darkened at the sound of the boy's aching growl. "I did not ask for money, Uzumaki," he said quietly.
His tone was, perhaps, too curt, because the boy flinched and looked away.
"What'd you want, then?" the kid mumbled, scowling.
Kakashi met his eyes and noted the distrust and hesitation. He was so young and yet so afraid to trust. He had to be truthful. And careful. "I have only been teaching you for about a month," he said slowly, "but I can already tell you have a brilliant mind. I'd hate to see your potential being wasted because of something idiotic like bureaucracy." He felt lost, talking to golden strands instead of shining blue eyes, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, I've said my part. If you want my help, you know where to find me."
He turned around and ambled back to his seat. He did not look back, even when he felt the kid's eyes boring into him.
Just like a stray who was once abandoned, he could not be forced to trust. That, Kakashi had to earn.
He closed Naruto's file and opened his book instead. Patience. He had to be patient.
He did not move, even when he heard Naruto shuffling closer. The kid stood beside the desk, glaring at him, and waited. When Kakashi still did not move, he picked up the chair he knocked down and sat it straight. He gulped, then mumbled, "Got a quiz in history today."
The hand that gripped the chair tensed and shivered.
Kakashi put down his book and looked up – just as the kid looked away. "About what?"
The kid shrugged, a dark scowl clouding his eyes. "Dunno. Mesopotamia, I think."
Kakashi hmmed and opened the teachers' website. He found the syllabus with ease and scanned the contents. "Sit," he said as he read the quiz announcement published by the history teacher. "I see. Well, let's review."
Naruto gazed up at him, hesitation still flickering in his eyes. "You know this stuff?"
Kakashi managed a short, semi-crooked smile. "Yeah. I did not know which position I would be asked to fill, so I mastered all of them." He decided to push – just a little; Naruto was so brittle, after all – and retrieved a box filled with onigiri, which he opened and placed between the two of them. "Start by telling me what you know."
Naruto stared. "Uh. Middle east?"
Kakashi blinked.
Naruto blinked back.
Kakashi couldn't help it. He chuckled. "I see. You're not wrong," he added when the kid turned tomato-red. "Let's start by reviewing the PowerPoints, shall we? Eat up." He pushed the food in Naruto's direction, opened the first power-point, and began explaining.
The kid listened intently. His eyes did not leave him. His hand, almost on its own, snaked toward the container and grabbed an onigiri. He ate quickly, Kakashi noted, and only when he thought he wasn't looking.
A dull pain ached in his chest. Still, he respected the kid's boundaries and kept his eye glued to the screen. He reviewed the material quickly and efficiently – and smiled when the kid dared to ask questions.
He kept encouraging him with a smile and a kind word whenever Naruto got something right and kept his expression neutral when he did not. It took him about an hour to get him to relax in his presence, but it was all worth it, he thought, when the kid grinned in response to a silly pun he improvised.
And he finished more than half of the onigiri Kakashi made. Good.
The bell rang, and Naruto flinched. His eyes flickered to the container and looked away as his ears colored red in shame.
"Good luck," Kakashi said. "Tell me how it went." He closed the box and offered it to the kid.
Naruto looked at the box, then at him. His eyes were wide and hesitant.
"Go ahead," he said quietly; kindly. "It seems you liked them."
The kid accepted the box. His breaths were quick and shallow, but he appeared lost rather than hurt. "Um," he breathed. "S'that really okay?" he mumbled. His voice hitched.
"Well, yes," Kakashi leaned back and smiled. "I always appreciate a positive response to my cooking."
The bridge of Naruto's nose bloomed red – which was new – the kid nodded, shuffled his feet, and fled.
Kakashi's smile grew soft and fond.
Finally, something went right.
Naruto walked out of history class and wandered, dazed and aimless, to his favorite tree.
He sat down and leaned against the bark, closing his eyes and just breathing.
Sensei said he'd help him, and he did. He said he spoke to the math guy for him. He got him to pull some strings for him. He spent two hours teaching him history and did not make fun of his ignorance even once.
He gave him his food.
Naruto opened his eyes and gazed at the leaves dancing in the breeze. It started to get colder. He had two months before snow season, but this year, he's got a pile of cash, so maybe he'd fare better. Maybe he should look for a proper job and open a bank account. Maybe he should ask –
Naruto scoffed and took out Sensei's onigiri. Food was one thing, and school was another, but actual real-life stuff was a whole different matter altogether.
"You actually brought lunch today."
Naruto's gaze snapped up – meeting Sasuke's sharp eyes.
The dark-haired teen sat next to him unceremoniously, his eyes dismissive. "What changed?" He took out his own lunch and started eating.
Naruto cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um. Hatake gave it to me," he admitted. "'Cause I ate most of it already."
Sasuke blinked and scowled. "You don't make any sense. Hatake got you a bento?"
"No," Naruto hurried to explain before his cheeks started to burn, "we worked on some school stuff during zero period and he brought some food and then I ate most of it, so he gave me the rest. S'not weird, is it?"
Sasuke stared, then shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. He's a pretty weird guy."
"Who's pretty weird?" asked a new voice. Sakura. The girl sat next to Sasuke and opened her own bento. "Eh, Naruto! Those look so good! I didn't know you can cook!"
Naruto blinked in surprise. The girl was never nice to him in the past, but… he clenched and unclenched his fists, then offered her the box. "Hatake made them," he blurted. "Want one?"
Sasuke scowled at him, but Sakura was less reserved. She accepted one of the onigiri and bit into it carefully. "This is so good! Who knew Sensei is so talented!" She picked up a slice of Tamagoyaki with her chopsticks and offered it to him. "Here."
Naruto stared at the food, then at her. For a moment, he did not know how to react. "Are you sure?" he managed.
The girl frowned, confused, and tilted her head. "You offered me a bit of your lunch, so it's a common courtesy I give you something back." She sighed, smiled, and put the Tamagoyaki in Sensei's bento. "You're so silly sometimes, Naruto."
Naruto blushed, embarrassed, and stared at the food.
"It's also common courtesy to eat it, brat," she added, her tone teasing.
Naruto turned a darker shade of red. He grabbed the slice with his fingers and finished it with two wolfish bites. He licked his fingers – and noticed the girl staring at him in surprise. Fuck. "That's… really good, Sakura!"
Sakura blinked, then smiled. She brushed her dyed hair behind her ear. "Thanks! What about you, Sasuke?" Her cheeks turned slightly pink.
Sasuke finished his own lunch in silence. "Don't like sweet things," he said flatly. "What do you think about Hatake?"
Naruto tensed and looked away. He grabbed one of the onigiri and tried – and failed – to eat it slowly.
The girl tilted her head. "Is he who you were talking about?" She leaned back against the tree – the wind toyed with her hair, and suddenly, everything smelled like cherry.
Sasuke paled and leaned forward, covering his face and his nose.
Sakura did not seem to notice. "I googled his name, actually, when he tried to be all mysterious and stuff. He's actually a pretty famous researcher, did you know that? Got a ton of papers published under his name. Some were even published in Nature, y'know? Not some random-ass magazines."
Naruto's heart beat slightly faster. "Really? What about?"
Sakura shrugged. "Quantum physics stuff or something like that. He graduated high school when he was seven! Our high school! Can you believe it?"
No. No, that doesn't make sense. He said he wasn't from the area. He –
"How do you know all of this stuff?" Sasuke said, still leaning away from her.
Sakura toyed with her hair. "After I googled his name, I got curious, so I searched the school records to see… like, why he came to our school, y'know? Instead of splitting atoms in Kumogakure. Turns out he was a student here for one year. And he got his first degree when he was twelve! No wonder he only likes you two. I mean, he's practically a genius."
Naruto blinked. He had no idea Sensei was this amazing. How could a man like this look at him and think he has a brilliant mind? He swallowed and shook his head. "S'not true, though. He said he wants to inspire the entire class to like math n' stuff."
Sakura and Sasuke both turned to look at him.
"When did he tell you that?" Sasuke demanded. "During your one-on-one session today?" His tone was snappy.
"What one-on-one session?" Sakura asked, curious. "I thought you hated school."
Naruto flinched and looked away. Somehow, he felt that telling them that Sensei gave him a ride home would not end well. "I still do, but," he ran his fingers through his hair, "I gotta get my grades up. For college. He said he'd help me."
Sakura stared. "I didn't know you were planning on going to college, Naruto! That's good," she quickly added when Naruto glared at her, scowling. "I can help you too if you want." She leaned back and giggled. "Unless you want more private time with Mr. Hatake." She wiggled her eyebrows.
Naruto burned red. "I'm not a girl!" he objected hotly. "You're so weird!"
Sakura still smiled mischievously, but Sasuke scowled. "He is… he's not trying anything weird, is he?" he asked carefully.
Naruto met his eyes with a frown. Sasuke was serious; his eyes were intense. "No," he said slowly. "Why'd you ask?"
Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away. "He's got a weirdly protective attitude when you're involved," he admitted. "It's weird," he repeated.
Sakura stared. She swallowed and paled. "Sasuke… are you jealous?"
"Of course not," he hissed, ears bleeding red. "Naruto just attracts trouble, that's all."
Naruto also stared. Lost, his hunger forgotten, he leaned closer to Sasuke. "What are you talking about," he rasped.
Sasuke met his eyes – just for a split second – and looked away. "I'm saying you don't have any sense of self-preservation." He picked up his bag and started walking away.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "What – "
"It's time to go to class, asshole," Sasuke replied, as coldly as before. "No wonder you're always late."
"But the bell – "
Just then, the school bell rang.
Sakura packed her bag and shrugged. "You coming?" She turned to look at him.
Naruto stared, as lost as before. Somehow, he managed to pack his lunch and join Sakura's side. So – Sasuke knew something about him but would not tell him what, Sensei was a lying genius, and Sakura was actually nice when she wanted to. Nothing made sense anymore.
He entered the class and immediately turned toward the back –
"Not there, silly." A hand grasped his – Sakura's hand grasped his – and led him to sit next to Sasuke. She chose the seat next to him and smiled mischievously when he stared at her, baffled and slightly pink. "Sitting next to Sasuke can't be that bad, can it?" she teased.
Naruto promptly sat down and stared at nothing. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him and hear Sakura's laugh. Damn it.
Sensei entered the class, carrying a stack of papers with him. Two girls, blushing and giggling, ran up to him and took the documents from his hands, then started handing them out.
Sensei smiled at them, so Naruto scowled.
Sakura giggled.
"All right," Sensei said, his voice obviously tired and disinterested. "Let's start. Any questions about the homework assignment?"
The door to the class burst open. " Naruto!" Iruka burst in. His eyes were furious. "Come with me. Right now."
The class stilled, silent and shocked.
"Hmm? Is something wrong, Iruka?" Mr. Hatake looked up from his book.
Iruka looked up – and blinked. Twice. "Oh. Kakashi. Didn't see you there. Hi." He sounded flustered; his cheeks turned pink.
"Well, it is my classroom," Mr. Hatake said casually. "How about we step outside for a minute and you tell me what's going on?"
Iruka shook his head. "There is no need for that. Naruto graffitied the school. Again. I told you there'd be consequences," he exclaimed, directing his gaze at Naruto. "Why do you – "
"I didn't do it." Naruto's heart hammered in his chest. His hands became fists. "Why do you always think it's my fault? I didn't do anything!" he cried. His eyes searched Iruka's and met a wall of judgment and distrust. He got up and slammed his hands against the desk, adrenalin coursing through his veins, and met Mr. Hatake's one eye. "I didn't!"
The man, just for a second, clenched his jaw. "He said he did not do it, Iruka," he said calmly, then turned to gaze at the principal. "Step outside with me for a moment."
"You're new here, Kakashi, so no wonder you believe him," Iruka dismissed him. "I saw Naruto arrive early today, and lo and behold, the spot he always hangs out at is vandalized. Naruto, stop making a scene and – "
"Uzumaki arrived early today per my request. He spent period zero here, not graffitiing school property." Sensei closed his book with a snap. "Outside – "
Iruka still did not listen. "But – "
"– Mr. Umino."
For some reason, the formal address caused Iruka to blush, confused and dejected. He opened his mouth, closed it, and finally stepped outside.
Mr. Hatake placed his book on his desk. "Excuse me for a minute," he told the class and left after Iruka. He closed the door behind him.
The class was still quiet. Everyone was looking at him.
"Someone is in trouble," came the teasing, sing-song voice of Kiba –
"Shut up, idiot! I want to hear what they're saying!" Ino silenced him and tip-toed to the door. The rest of the class, as if on cue, did the same.
Naruto did not move. He remained rooted to his spot. Heart trembling, he sat down.
"…I'm talking about a history of pranks and misdemeanors – "
"Which is irrelevant to this particular case. You've decided his guilt before you heard what he had to say. This is cruel, and cruelty is unlike you, Iruka."
Silence, and then, "It's not cruelty. The kid needs a strong hand to stop him from getting into trouble – "
"How is a strong hand, as you said, going to help when he did not even cause said trouble?"
"He signed his name, Kakashi."
"Did he. Now I am even more convinced he is innocent."
"Just look." A moment of silence. "See? 'Naruto, King of the Triangles.' I mean, what does that even mean? Obviously – "
"Iruka," Hatake cut him off, "how long have you been teaching Uzumaki's class?"
"Um, oh, probably… ten years? Maybe eight…."
"Far longer than I have, and you still cannot tell this isn't Uzumaki's handwriting."
"Well, I assume handwriting is different when you spray instead of write…."
"Not really."
Silence again. "You mean, you know who did this?"
"I do."
"And… it's not Naruto."
"Obviously."
Iruka groaned something his ears did not quite catch. Naruto listened intently, desperate and nervous, focusing on Mr. Hatake's voice.
"Well, we do not need to go search for him." The doorhandle tilted –
Everyone ran, quite loudly, to their seats –
Mr. Hatake entered the class. He gazed at them, especially those he had caught red-handed, with a cocked brow. "Does anyone here have something they want to confess? Take off their chests? Who knows, perhaps Iruka will be more lenient if you stepped forward."
The class stared, silent and baffled.
Naruto could not take his eyes off his sensei, even when the man looked away. He could barely breathe.
"No? How about you, Inuzuka?"
Everyone immediately turned to look at him instead of Naruto.
Naruto felt no relief. Nothing made sense. Sensei defended him… from Iruka. He swallowed with difficulty. Iruka used to be the one protecting him, and now…
"I didn't do it!" the kid claimed. His words felt like a lie. "Why do you believe that idiot and not me?!"
Iruka entered the classroom. "Inuzuka, that language – "
And stopped because Mr. Hatake raised his hand. "You have paint stains on your shoes, your pants, and your fingers. Pack your bag, Inuzuka."
Kiba flushed, raging and defeated. "But – "
"I told you, I will not tolerate bullying in my classroom." Mr. Hatake's voice was cold, quiet, and piercing, like the blade of a knife. "Now."
Kiba scoffed. Naruto did not look, but it sounded like he kicked his chair against the wall. He stomped his way out of the classroom and shut the door behind him.
Iruka sighed, mumbled a stuffy 'carry on,' and left right after he aimed a short glance at Sensei.
Sensei did not look at him, either. He picked up his book and sat on his desk, slouching as he did before. "Now then, where were we…."
"Are you a detective, Sensei?" exclaimed Ino. "How'd you know all that stuff?"
"Hmm?" Mr. Hatake gazed up, unimpressed. "Just common sense and logic, that's all. Well, if no one has questions about the homework assignment – "
"Do you recognize our handwriting, too?" asked Sakura. "Does it really not change, even when we use different tools?"
"What does my handwriting mean, Sensei?" asked Choji.
"Are you and Iruka dating?" cooed Ino.
"All right, that's enough." Mr. Hatake ran his fingers through his hair. "I get it. You are all imaginative and silly. Sadly for you, I am under no obligation to satisfy your curiosity."
"You're no fun, Sensei," Ino complained.
"I am very sorry to disappoint," Mr. Hatake deadpanned. "You are welcome to leave the class if you have something more interesting you want to pursue." He smiled.
The students stopped murmuring. Ino scoffed, cheeks slightly pink.
Mr. Hatake started teaching and the class, though still unsettled, hurried to take notes and ask questions.
Naruto could not listen. Mr. Hatake's voice melted into a soothing white noise that his ears could not decipher.
He protected me. He stood up for me.
He could not listen, but he could not look away. Everything about him was mesmerizing. Every movement was composed and precise, every gesture emotive, and his eye…
Shit.
Mr. Hatake was looking straight at him. He leaned closer. "Uzumaki, are you listening?"
Naruto blushed. "Um. No."
Sensei's eye held his, just for one moment longer, and looked away. "Anyone else wants to try solving this question? Hyuga, how about you?"
Hinata mumbled an answer while Naruto, still red, buried his face in his hands. Fuck.
Something sharp poked his skin. He looked up.
Sakura handed him her notes. "You can copy them and return them to me tomorrow," she whispered. "It's pretty straightforward."
Naruto stared at her, then at the notes. Everything was perfect, legible, and colorful. "Thanks," he mumbled.
He never took notes during math class, so he just read them instead. Sakura was right – the proofs were not too complicated. Still, he found it hard to focus. He felt like his head was about to burst from all the thoughts running back and forth through his mind.
He could not wait for the lesson to be over.
Fuck.
When the bell finally rang, Naruto still could not move. His mind was buzzing with an energy he did not understand. He only knew that he wanted to get out and away – away from Mr. Hatake, away from the rest of the students, away from everything.
"Oi, you coming?" Sasuke's voice tore through his anxious reverie. "I'm going to the library."
Naruto nodded. He got up and threw everything into his bag – except for Sakura's notes, which he handled with care – and followed Sasuke mechanically. His body burned with agitation when he walked next to Mr. Hatake, so he quickened his pace.
Fuck it. Fuck everything.
He walked next to Sasuke in silence.
"I can explain it to you."
Naruto blinked. He found himself at the school gate. "What?" he asked, wondering how much of the conversation he missed.
"Today's lesson. I know you didn't listen." Sasuke's voice was detached, but his eyes were concerned. "What got you all bothered? Kiba's an idiot. Finally, someone had the sense to see it."
Naruto scowled. "Yeah…." He remembered Kiba's sister grabbing his neck. "I don't know. No one… he really stood up for me." Naruto rubbed the back of his own neck. "It's weird."
"It's his job, honestly. Not your fault that Iruka is a shit principal." Sasuke rolled his eyes with a scoff.
"Thought you said he's weird," Naruto countered.
"He is. You don't owe him anything, is all I'm saying." Sasuke shouldered his bag. "You don't need to thank him."
Naruto blinked. He could, though. He could thank him. His agitation slowly subsided. "That's… that's a good idea. I'll meet you at the library!" and ran back to school.
"Oi! Naruto, I said you don't need to – are you listening?!"
But Naruto did not listen. He ran back, rushing up the stairs, and – ran right into Iruka.
The man stumbled down. "No running! N-Naruto!" He looked up, surprised. His eyes looked guilty.
Naruto got up and ran around him.
"Naruto, wait!"
He did not wait. He ran and ran and ran straight into Mr. Hatake's classroom –
Which was empty. The man wasn't there.
Fuck.
"Oi, Naruto – " Iruka limped to him, massaging his side. "Don't run – wait –"
"Where's Mr. Hatake?" he demanded. His tone was cold and angry. He had no time for him.
"Kakashi? Uh, I don't – Naruto!"
Naruto did not wait for him to finish talking. The hallway was blocked by Iruka's hunched figure, but if he ran up to his favorite spot, he could scale down the roof and avoid the man easily. He ran up the stairs with ease, adrenalin and experience rushing him ahead, and –
"What the hell do you know, huh? You come here out of fucking nowhere and think you can change stuff? Fuck you!"
That was Kiba. Kiba's voice. And the person he was yelling at… Naruto snuck closer and peeked through the partially opened door.
Kiba was kneeling in front of the vandalized wall, a sponge in his hand and a bucket near his feet. Naruto was familiar with that part. When he was young, he used to do the same – kneel in front of his graffiti and clean it up.
He grumbled and hated everything and everyone back then.
Sometimes, Iruka would visit him, bringing a snack and offering comfort. Before he…
Naruto turned slightly – and found the figure Kiba was yelling at. Leaning against the wall, reading his book, looking detached and bored as usual. Sensei.
Naruto's heart chose that exact moment to stumble.
"I will not tell you what I know. I will tell you what I suspect. I suspect you are jealous."
"Jealous?" Kiba laughed humorlessly. He was all but baring his teeth. "Of who? Uzumaki?! That idiot got nothing on me. I don't know where the hell you got the idea that he's a genius or why you're so into pampering him – "
"Careful, Inuzuka," Mr. Hatake muttered, his voice quiet and dangerous. "You are overstepping the line."
Kiba scoffed and looked away. He scrubbed furiously with a thunderous scowl.
Mr. Hatake sighed. "Uzumaki's got nothing to do with you. Whether he is smart or not, that also has no effect on you. You cannot change him and make him lesser than he is. You know this is true." He lowered his book. "Putting him down won't change you, either. It won't make you better, cleverer, or more talented."
"The fuck you're talking about," Kiba growled. He scrubbed less furiously, however.
Naruto leaned closer. His heart was still racing.
"You train dogs, don't you?" Mr. Hatake tilted his head. "You think of the class like a pack. As long as you keep Uzumaki at the bottom of the hierarchy, you are one step above. That strategy, however, does not help you better yourself. If anything, it keeps you at the bottom."
Kiba scoffed again. He looked down.
"However, humans are not like dogs, in the sense that there is more than one type of talent that is valued." Mr. Hatake exhaled. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and kind. "Uzumaki's math skills don't cancel your skills, Inuzuka. You need to find what you're good at and push yourself up by bettering yourself, not by pushing others down."
Kiba did not scoff, this time. He stopped scrubbing the wall. It looked as if he was listening.
Mr. Hatake pushed himself away from the wall. "Think about what I said. If you need help, you know where to find me."
He walked toward the door.
Naruto flushed. He ran back down –
"Oi, Naruto!"
And straight into Iruka.
He jumped, hitting the wall, and landed – hard – on his feet. He fell, cursed himself and Iruka and everyone – got up and ran.
"Naruto!"
So he wasn't the only one Mr. Hatake offered to help.
He wasn't special.
Notes:
So finally, the Kiba problem was dealt with – only to create a new problem. In his defense, Kakashi thought offering Kiba help would make him seem more approachable to Naruto. In Naruto's defense, he just offered to help an old bully, which is kinda insensitive. Get it together, Kakashi!
Anyways, the next chapter will be Kakashi & Sasuke heavy, with a hint of Iruka. Hopefully, most of your guys' questions about the Sharingan will be answered then ;)
What'd you guys think? I'd love to hear your thoughts! See ya next Friday! ❤
