Pre-Academy Arc: Enough

Sakumo occasionally wondered if he did enough as a father.

He liked to believe so. He spent ample time with them. He let them know they could always come to him, and they never shied away from talking to him. He was kind, but established firm rules. He taught them skills to survive.

Misbehaving and whining were rare occurrences. When they happened, it was usually because they were getting ahead of themselves.

Sakumo heard stories from other parents about the chaos some of their children brought. He would even get comments about how well behaved Kakashi and Yuina were and how envious they were of him. He thought their words were too much. He was proud, but he could see where they needed more growth.

His kids never went out of their way to spend time with other kids. Sakumo worried about their seclusion. He had unceremoniously dropped them off at the park several times with mixed results. He even tried to vanish and watch from afar when he recognized his presence was a distraction, but it didn't make a difference.

Kakashi picked up training lessons as fast as Sakumo had in his youth. Sakumo was happy to see Kakashi take an active interest in learning and bettering himself, but his tunnel vision was obvious when it came to the shinobi arts. Sakumo would display bits of skill to demonstrate their gap in capabilities, so Kakashi wouldn't become complacent. However, his son treated him like an exception, meaning the lesson hadn't sunk in.

In contrast, Yuina loved learning about the world and had a special interest in chakra. She understood people better than Kakashi, but she was less certain of herself. He also noted that she would constantly compare herself to Kakashi and himself, expecting to learn everything even faster. She didn't even take pride when she could do something faster than Kakashi. Yuina certainly learned kanji faster and could break down complex subjects. It was at a faster rate than even himself in his youth. Sakumo had tried to address it. That she could learn at her own pace. That there was time to learn everything she wanted. It all fell on deaf ears as she pushed herself more.

Raising them felt like an eternity and a quick flash simultaneously.

Soon enough, they would join the academy and their worlds would grow. Sakumo was confident their skills would allow them to pass the entrance exam, but he continued to wonder if he had done enough. If there wasn't something else, he could offer them. What would Juuri have done?

The time was approaching. No matter how much he looked back that wouldn't change the present.

Sakumo passed the sheets of paper across the table to both children.

"Academy application?" Yuina looked at the form. She hadn't given it much thought. She had assumed people could simply enroll if they wanted to. In hindsight, it made sense people needed to apply. Some people simply weren't fit for active duty. More than that, the village had a large pool of potential with limited work. Better to limit admissions than run people broke.

It had to be better than the old system. She heard when the academy was first built it was a three-year program and people entered at three. Now acceptance began at age four or five, kindergarten age, but extended the program to five years. Still too young, but how many years and how many deaths did it take to even draw it out that long?

She hated it.

Still, the day felt like it came all too fast. It would be a few months before classes began in spring, but that wasn't long.

Yuina never wanted to forget her last life, but she wondered if she would have assimilated better if she had forgotten.

She was alert. She was always on edge, waiting for something to happen. The talks of tension and hatred never vanished. There had been multiple incidences, internally and externally. It was like a ticking time bomb. It was inevitable, but waiting around for things to combust might have been worse than simply dealing with a horrible situation.

Yuina wondered what the world looked from Sakumo's and Kakashi's eyes.

She looked back down at the application. Five years to learn as much as she could to protect herself. That was longer than the life she had lived thus far. Her fingers dug into her pants before reaching for the pencil.

Was she even good enough? Would they let her in?

Kakashi had already filled in his form and handed it back to Sakumo before she could even write her name.

"What's wrong?" asked Kakashi. He figured her out without her saying anything. He spoke in the deadpanned voice he always used when he thought something was obvious. "Of course, you'll get in. You're my sister."

His words did nothing to boost her confidence. She was barely keeping up with Kakashi. If she could barely keep up with him, how would she keep up with a group of ninja? If affiliation was all it took, then most of the village would be shinobi – active or not. Even clans were happy to brag about their own kin, who made it in or became notable.

Sakumo placed his hand on her shoulder and offered a soft, tender smile. "You're talented, Yuina."

Sakumo's words were more reassuring than Kakashi's. If she was a normal child she would have probably brimmed with joy. Yuina couldn't rule out that at times parents say things to boost their kid's egos rather than tell them the truth. It was difficult to tell when Sakumo was being sincere and when he was trying to boost her mood because his tone always sounded genuine.

A ninja's deceptiveness at its finest.

"Mm." They were the only people Yuina had in this world. In the past she had thought about avoiding the academy all together, but she would always fear the world if she didn't become strong. She would feel disconnected if she chased another career path. She didn't even know if there was another career path – many jobs were hereditary. She couldn't imagine feeling better by waiting in an empty home hoping they come back each time. She had Kakashi for now while Sakumo left. She didn't think she could handle being alone.

Logically, she knew those outcomes were possible even if she joined, yet her emotions overruled her logic.

She didn't want to be scared.

She didn't want to be alone.

She wanted to stay by their sides for as long as they would allow her.

They were her family.

Her friends.

They were her world.

Her life in this world was nothing without them.

She couldn't bare to disappoint them.

Yuina filled in the application.

Kakashi couldn't understand Yuina's hesitancy.

He didn't understand how someone smart could be so dumb. She should have been assured of her abilities. It should have been no different than breathing – a given action that required no conscious thinking.

They may not have any fancy bloodline or hidden family techniques, but they'd been training for this. She's shown her capabilities for taijutsu, ninjutsu, and some bukijutsu. What reason could there be to deny her entry?

Kakashi wrote down a list of reasons explaining why she would be accepted into the academy. Things ranging from physical abilities to information gathering to her uncanny ability to blend into the background.

He held the list tightly as he barged into Yuina's room, startling her from the book she had been reading. Kakashi waved the sheet in front of her face.

"Look at it every day if you need to. It's because you're Hatake Yuina that you're guaranteed to get in. It's not a starting line. It's not a stepping stone. It will be a mere footnote to your life."

Yuina was still frazzled as she grabbed the list. Kakashi walked off unwilling to hear whatever feedback she had. She smiled. The only reason Kakashi knew what a footnote was because of her ramblings. After a certain amount of time, she always assumed he tuned her out.

The list wasn't a bad one. She was reluctant to admit how clear and to the point it was. If any other name was attached, she would believe it was worth a shot. The only way to find out was to participate. Okay, she admitted it. The list was touching. Everything on the list were qualities he saw in her. How could it not be endearing?

Kakashi had been keeping an eye on her just as she had done for him. There was no way that wouldn't warm her heart.

Ah, dammit.

She really loved her family, and she would follow them anywhere against all reason.

Chapter Management