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Chapter Text

When Kakashi first saw the files of the children who would act as his new Genin team, maybe his eyes should’ve been drawn to Sasuke.

Last Uchiha, a prodigy, aced the academy; it was only natural he’d be the priority.

But that’s not who Kakashi’s eyes focused on initially.

Instead, his attention was on a certain blonde-haired shinobi, the son of his old sensei. Naruto Uzumaki, host of the Nine-Tailed fox.

“I don’t understand…” Kakashi muttered out. “Why now?”

It made no sense to Kakashi. For the last twelve years he’d been forced to keep his distance from the child. To pretend like he didn’t know him or his parents. To pretend like he wasn’t practically family in Kakashi’s eyes. To pretend like he hadn’t already loved him.

Because he’d watched over a pregnant Kushina. And their unborn child was already in Kakashi’s pack from the moment he’d heard about the pregnancy.

It’d been traumatic enough, getting the news that Minato and Kushina died. But then to be told it was too dangerous, too risky to let Kakashi look after their offspring.

Granted, Kakashi had only been sixteen when Naruto was born, but that didn’t matter. To this day, twelve years later, Kakashi firmly believes he would’ve figured it out. He would’ve made it work. It would’ve been better than Naruto being sent off to an orphanage and then ultimately living alone with no one to care for him.

But Hiruzen refused to not look at the bigger picture. Refused to be biased, as he put it.

I have a whole village to think about, Kakashi. Those had been his words. The council has decided, Naruto cannot be under guardianship of a single person; it’s too risky. From now on, he’ll be under my jurisdiction.

Kakashi vaguely remembered acting very unlike himself that day. Going off on the Hokage as if he was just some average civilian. Screaming at him over the injustice of it all.

But no matter how much he pleaded, made his case, or shouted, it didn’t change anything. Kakashi wasn’t Naruto’s relative by blood; he was powerless.

And even worse, bound by an S-Rank law, forbidding him from sharing anything about Naruto’s parents. Hiruzen claimed it was for Naruto’s own safety, but Kakashi knew that was bullshit.

It was for the village’s safety.

And what’s one boy compared to an entire village?

Hiruzen sighed, having expected Kakashi’s question. “It wasn’t the original plan. Naruto wasn’t supposed to have passed, but there was…special circumstances.”

Kakashi’s eye narrowed. “Special circumstances?”

“He knows now, of the Nine-Tailed fox inside of him.”

Kakashi nearly fell over when Hiruzen dropped that bomb on him. He…He knew? Naruto knew now? Since when!? Was he okay? Kakashi couldn’t even imagine how much that was to process for a twelve-year-old kid.

Hiruzen clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his desk. “With him and Sasuke Uchiha graduating at the same time…the council thought it best if they were put on the same team, with you as their sensei.”

Those words caused a pit in Kakashi’s stomach. Ah. So that’s how it was.

It didn’t take long for Kakashi to piece it all together, and it just made him angrier when he did. “I see. Sasuke’s on my team because I have a Sharingan, and the council wants to make sure the Nine-Tailed fox is…properly secured. Did I get all that right?” He couldn’t help the bitter tone in his words.

Hiruzen nodded, knowing there was no point in sugar coating it. “The Sharingan can be used to stop the Nine-Tails, should it rampage. I see no reason Sasuke won’t develop the Sharingan as he matures. It’s good sense to have him on the same team as Naruto.”

Good sense. A team, designed with keeping the Nine-Tails down in mind, and not anything else.

“Who’s the third member?” Kakashi questioned, if only to keep himself calm.

Hiruzen opened the third file to show a picture of a young girl, Sakura Haruno.

Kakashi skimmed her file, and scowled behind his mask. “She’s from a civilian family. She has no special abilities. How is she supposed to keep up with them?”

Hiruzen eyed him plainly. “She probably won’t.”

She probably won’t.

Kakashi would never cuss out the Hokage (at least, not as a grown adult), but his internal thoughts sure were colorful. “This team is doomed to fail, you can’t seriously expect me to take them on.”

Hiruzen’s gaze grew stern. “Naruto must be put under supervision, Kakashi. Otherwise the council will push for solitary confinement, or worse. I don’t want that to happen, but this is the only alternative.”

Suddenly, Kakashi felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

It wasn’t fair. Why was this being put on him? Naruto’s entire future would be determined based on whether or not Kakashi passed the team?

If he passed them, they were probably doomed to fail anyways. A team designed purely for the village’s selfish reasons instead of what would make an optimal team…

But if he didn’t… what would become of them?

Sasuke was special, important to the village. They won’t want to waste time.

God forbid Root gets their hands on him…

The idea sent chills up Kakashi’s spine.

Sakura would probably go to another Genin team, or be forced back into the academy if there were no available team members or sensei’s. She was already at a disadvantage with her background, and being held back an entire year would greatly damage any possible ninja career she might have.

And Naruto…

Kakashi knew how the council felt about him. They were just waiting for an excuse to lock him up. He’d be treated like some secret weapon should Konoha ever go to war again. He’d exist to be used and abused, never knowing a life outside of being a tool.

If Minato and Kushina were around…if they knew…

They’d rip the entire village to shreds for putting their little boy in this position.

There was no winning in this situation. Not really. But there was a very obvious less of two evils.

Kakashi swallowed thickly, unable to believe the decision he was making.

“I…I accept.”

Not that he had much choice.

At least, that’s how it felt.

Kakashi didn’t know anything about teaching children.

There’s a reason he’d failed every other Genin team he’d been assigned previously. Partially because he’d been a bitter twenty-two-year-old with nothing to lose and if he was gonna be forced off ANBU and made an instructor, he was going to make it clear what a mistake that was.

But it was also partially because he had no idea what he was doing.

Growing up, it’s not like Kakashi had many parental figures to lean on, at least not for very long. His mother died giving birth to him, his father killed himself when he was five, and then Minato and Kushina died when he was sixteen.

What’s a boy to do without anyone to guide him and teach him? The closest experience he had to teaching was being an ANBU captain, and that was a completely different ball game.

He couldn’t strong arm these children into being what he needed them to be, they were twelve and in a time of peace, at least compared to when Kakashi was their age.

‘What would you do, Obito?’ Kakashi couldn’t help asking internally as he stood in front of the memorial stone.

If Obito were still around, he’d probably laugh his ass of at the idea of Kakashi teaching.

Bakashi? A teacher? Yeah right, he’s just gonna traumatize them!

And Rin would defend him, because she was just that kind, even though internally she’d be agreeing with Obito.

Now, now…I’m sure Kakashi will do just fine…he’ll just need a little help. And we’ll be there to give it.

Except that they weren’t. Kakashi was on his own. And for the first time since he was five years old, that scared him more than anything.

Kakashi took a deep breath, trying to calm the internal panic building up in his chest. Now was not the time to freak out. He only had a week or so before he’d meet his new team, he could panic later.

‘Minato-sensei, what would you tell me if you were still alive?’ Kakashi wondered as he walked home.

He’d probably say something vague and wise, like, I can’t tell you how to handle this, Kakashi. You need to figure out for yourself what works.

But Kakashi didn’t know what worked. What if nothing worked?

Was he making a mistake? Would these children be better off if Kakashi didn’t get involved?

‘No, I can’t think like that,’ Kakashi decided firmly as he arrived at his house. ‘There’s no scenario where refusing to take them in would be the better alternative. I’m the only chance they’ve got.’

The weight on his shoulders grew heavier.

“You don’t look well.” Pakkun said bluntly as he approached Kakashi. The rest of his ninken lazed about his house.

“Thanks for noticing.” Kakashi deadpanned, going over to the couch and collapsing down on it.

Pakkun hopped up onto his chest, ignoring Kakashi’s small ‘oof’. “So, what’s the damage? Is this because of your new team? Just fail them like the rest.”

“It’s more complicated than that this time.” Kakashi murmured. “This isn’t just any time. It’s Minato-sensei’s kid, as well as Sasuke Uchiha.”

Pakkun let out a kind of hiss noise, as if he’d been burned. “Yikes. All the more reason to fail them.”

Kakashi shook his head, and found himself explaining in more detail the weight of the situation. How his hands were essentially being tied, forced with a burden he had no business carrying.

When he was done, Pakkun looked troubled, deep in thought.

“Any advice?” Kakashi asked, only half-joking. Hell, he’d take any advice he could get at this point.

Pakkun took a deep breath.

“Pick up some parenting books, you’re gonna need them.”

Though he knew Pakkun had been joking, Kakashi actually thought it wasn’t the worst idea.

Sure, he wasn’t going to be these kids’ parent or anything, but being a teacher was kind of like being a parent extension. He was still in charge of them, still helping them to learn and grow.

And dammit, Kakashi was desperate.

So, here he was, in the Konoha library, skimming through the parenting section.

He glanced in a few of them, but the problem was most of them were for advice on babies, or much younger children then twelve-year-olds.

Kakashi did find one book more dedicated to advice on kids their age, but when he flipped it open all it took was seeing the word puberty for him to put it back and rethink all of his life choices.

‘This is hopeless.’ He decided. ‘I’m going to screw these kids up so badly, I might as well fail them. Let Konoha do what they will.’

He sounded so cruel, and made Kakashi’s insides feel hollow. But he didn’t know what else to do.

He turned the corner to exit out of the aisle, only to run into someone.

“Ah!” It was a young woman. She had long brown hair and red marks on her cheeks. Hana Inuzuka, Kakashi’s mind supplied. She dropped some of her books when they collided.

“Sorry, my bad.” Kakashi told her apologetically, kneeling down and picking up her books. He paused, seeing they were books some specific dog breeds; far more difficult to train breeds.

Hana smiled sheepishly as she took the books from him. “No worries. It happens.” She noticed his gaze was stuck on the books, and answered his silent question. “Ah, we found an injured, abandoned Rottweiler and he’s awfully aggressive; we think maybe he was abused. I don’t have much experience with that breed so I wanted some reference guides.”

“Reference guides…” Kakashi murmured thoughtfully. Difficult dog breeds, huh?

Hana blinked, tilting her head. “Is everything okay, Kakashi?”

Kakashi snapped out of it. “Oh, um, yes. Sorry, I have a lot on my mind right now. If you don’t mind me asking, what section of the library did you get those from?”

After getting the aisle number from Hana, and saying a few polite parting words, Kakashi made a beeline for the dog training section.

Okay, some might look at this and think it’s rude to think of twelve-year-old children as dogs, and prepare to train them as such. However, Kakashi was raise partially like a dog; as was the way of the Hatake.

If it was good enough for him, it was good enough for them.

‘But the question in…what kinds of tricks have these pups already been taught?’ Kakashi mused as he scanned the different book options.

It was time to gather some information.

Maybe it would’ve been less intrusive to give a notice, or to show up when someone was home, but if Kakashi was going to get the dirt on his new team, he needed to investigate when there’d be nobody around to sweep things under the rug and bury the bodies.

He started with Sasuke’s house. It felt like the easiest. It’s not like he’d have to worry about anyone wandering around outside and catching him in the act of snooping.

After the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke had been given the choice on his living situation. Which was crazy, considering he’d been a freshly traumatized seven-year-old, but Hiruzen wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

So, Sasuke opted to move back into his house after it was cleaned up. Kakashi couldn’t judge too strongly, given that he still lives in the same house where he’d found his father’s corpse 23 years ago.

But still, there was some difference. Kakashi’s house was still a part of the village, even if it was more on the outskirts. Sasuke’s house was deep in the Uchiha compound, empty and isolated. It wasn’t healthy.

Kakashi made it to Sasuke’s house, and found the front door unlocked. Well, he supposed Sasuke didn’t see much point in a lock, given the emptiness of the compound. The only people who’d break in are the ones who could do it whether there was a lock or not.

The house was incredibly clean, that’s the first thing Kakashi noticed when he stepped inside. Not a speck of dust in the living room or kitchen areas. He never pegged Sasuke for a clean freak, but it didn’t surprise him.

Kakashi spent many hours scrubbing his hands raw, trying to erase blood that he knew deep down wasn’t there anymore.

He went down the hall to the bedrooms and stepped into the closest one. It was obviously Sasuke’s room, given the ninja tools on the desk.

But, if it weren’t for those tools, Kakashi might’ve had a harder time telling if it was Sasuke’s room. He noticed a severe lack of personal items.

‘I guess when your entire family is slaughtered, you might not see much point in clinging to material items.’ Kakashi thought to himself.

Sasuke was very detached. He was already isolated due to his family’s massacre, but little things like this were only making it worse.

‘Hmm…okay, prepare items of emotional attachment for this pup.’ He’d need to get Sasuke items that he could latch onto. It would be a good step to getting him used to those feelings, and hopefully with time he’d be able to transfer those feelings of attachment to his teammates.

Though they had never been close, Kakashi knew enough about how Uchiha’s operated. With Obito having been his teammate, and then working with Itachi in the ANBU, he was bound to pick up on some of their mannerisms and behaviors.

And the one thing Kakashi had picked up on more than anything was this: Uchiha’s feel a lot.

When Kakashi read Sasuke’s file, it described him as being aloof, reserved, and not very sociable. And maybe that was true to an extent.

But Kakashi could tell from the moment he read the file that whoever wrote it obviously had almost no experience actually being around and communicating with Uchiha’s.

Hopefully, his past connections would give him an edge.

‘And if they don’t…this is going to be such a pain in the ass.’ He thought, already feeling exhausted.

Honestly, Kakashi had no clue what he was going to do about Sakura.

The girl was from a civilian family, had no special skills to her name and…well, she was female.

Don’t misunderstand, Kakashi knew women could be incredibly strong. There was kunoichi’s out there that could probably kick his ass.

But that wasn’t the issue. The issue was the academy had different expectations for boys and girls.

While boys were being taught how to throw shuriken properly, girls got put in flower arranging.

Flower arranging. How in the hell was that supposed to help girls become kunoichi’s?

Not only that, but they were also taught a lot more about seduction missions, harvest skills; things that, while important to know, should not have been the entirety of their education.

Sakura was taught the bare minimum of combat during her time, and it was going to take a lot of work to get her anywhere near the boys’ levels.

Sure, there was always the option of training Sakura to be a medic. That had been Rin’s path and she’d been an incredible asset. God knows how many times he and Obito would’ve died without her.

But becoming a medical ninja was a decision for the future. When Sakura was a Chunin at least, and she had time to experiment and decide what kind of ninja she wanted to be. The only reason Rin had become a medical ninja so early was because they had been at war. The moment Rin showed promise in the field, her path had been set for her by adults.

Kakashi wasn’t going to let that happen again. Not in a time of peace.

He slid open the sliding glass door of Sakura’s balcony, and stepped inside to get a glimpse of her room.

It was fairly large, but much like Sasuke, Sakura didn’t seem to hold many personal items. She had a desk with supplies for studying, a very large mirror, a properly made bed…and a robe on a mannequin that had fighting spirit written on the back. Her wardrobe was filled with bright pink, cutesy clothes that were definitely not suited for ninja work.

‘Given the clothes and the mirror, it’s obvious her attention is mostly on her looks…’ Kakashi dreaded the knowledge. This was going to be so much harder if Sakura’s attention was on such trivial matters.

Just then, Kakashi heard footsteps. He expertly hid away in Sakura’s closet, not making a single sound.

He watched as an older woman entered. Sakura’s mother, he assumed.

The woman grabbed dirty laundry from a basket, putting it into the basket she was carrying. Kakashi figured she’d just grab the clothes and go and that would be that.

But to his confusion, he watched as the woman hesitated, and then set the basket down. And then she started…looking around?

For a split second, Kakashi wondered if she sensed he was in the room.

But there was no way. This woman was a civilian, she’d need a miracle to be able to sense him.

He watched as the woman walked around, and started opening drawers. It was a confusing sight for Kakashi.

But it finally all made sense when the woman peeked under Sakura’s pillow and pulled out a soft, baby pink diary. It was covered in red, sparkly hearts and had a pen holder.

‘Oh great. A complete lack of boundaries in this house.’ Kakashi grumbled internally, watching with annoyance as Sakura’s mother flipped through the pages.

She landed on what Kakashi assumed was the latest entry, and then gasped and squealed. “On the same team with her crush? Oh this is so exciting.” She quickly hid the diary back under the pillow, grabbed the basket of laundry and headed out.

Kakashi didn’t even have to debate which of the boys Sakura might be crushing on. He’d bet his Sharingan eye on it being Sasuke.

And that was a problem. A big one.

A romantic attraction would be a huge distraction, and could cause a disbalance in the team.

It was easier with Rin. She’d cared about him and Obito equally. She was the peacemaker.

‘But this girl isn’t Rin.’ His mind bitterly reminded him. It would be unfair to compare them.

Still, the point is, this crush would have to be addressed and quickly. Along with everything else.

Kakashi stepped out of the closet, and was about to leave through the balcony, when something caught his eye.

A stack of notebooks under Sakura’s bed.

Normally, Kakashi would’ve just ignored it. But the concept of books under the bed felt strange to him. Sakura had plenty of space in her room for notebooks.

The only explanation Kakashi could think of…was that these were notebooks people weren’t supposed to see.

He snagged one, looking it over. It was a soft baby blue. Could it be another diary? But it wasn’t very thick, or personalized in any way. It looked more like something someone might use for studying purposes.

Screw it. He came here for information.

Kakashi opened the notebook, and choked out a gasp.

It was numbers. Lots of numbers. And next to those numbers…were foods?

‘Are these…calories?’ Kakashi flipped through the pages.

This wasn’t a diary, and it wasn’t for studying either.

It was a food log. Of everything Sakura ate, day to day, with her weight at the bottom.

Kakashi felt a drop in his stomach as he saw Sakura’s weight dropping with every page turn. The number of foods listed seemed to get smaller and smaller.

Until there were days when the only thing listed was water.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt like an asshole. He’d been so judgy when he saw the large mirror in Sakura’s room. Figured she was just another girl who only cared about looks.

But it was so much more than that.

‘Obsessive dieting…possibly an eating disorder.’ That’s another thing he’d have to address. No wonder stamina was listed as Sakura’s weakest trait in her file; she was running on empty.

Did her parents know? Was he supposed to report this? Probably.

But he wouldn’t until he had the chance to speak to her directly and find out more. Her mother had been snooping around her room for a diary and didn’t bat an eye to those books, meaning she was either oblivious…or she already knew what they were.

Kakashi sincerely hoped it was the first thing.

‘This pup will need lots of treats…’

Admittedly, Kakashi had been avoiding going to Naruto’s apartment.

Maybe it was the guilt. The idea of facing the reality Naruto was forced into. Of knowing that, even though Kakashi had tried to do what he could, he’d been another person to let Naruto down.

Realistically, Kakashi knew there wasn’t anything he could’ve done, not legally anyways. And he’d been a kid too. So maybe, just maybe…

Minato and Kushina wouldn’t be disgusted with him.

The door, worn and dented, nearly broke off the hinges when Kakashi entered. It was so damaged, as if villagers had tried to break it down before.

That thought alone was troubling to say the least.

As for the rest of the apartment…

Moldy, beaten down, mostly empty, possibly some sort of insect nest in the corner… it felt like something out of a thriller novel.

In all fairness, it wasn’t just Naruto’s apartment. The entire area left something to be desired.

To put it frankly, the people who lived around here were either inches away from being homeless, or probably involved in some kind of criminal activity.

Naruto’s fridge was broken. Practically just a storage box. It seemed Naruto started to treat it that way as well, it was jammed packed with cup ramen.

‘No other foods, or condiments…’ Kakashi thought as he checked the cabinets. ‘But is it by choice…or because things really are just that bad?’

As much as Kakashi would’ve liked to believe Naruto just loved ramen that much, no reasonable person would live like this if they didn’t have to.

He checked the bathroom, and nearly gagged from the smell of mold. His sensitive nose did not like this place one bit. How had Naruto not been getting sick?

‘Probably from the Nine-Tailed fox’s healing powers…’ His mind answered. That did not make him feel better.

He tried the faucet, and there was running water. But the water wasn’t clear, it was murky and had this greyish tint to it.

Anyone else would’ve been killed from water like this. Naruto could only manage because of the fox.

This went beyond neglectful, this was a crime. Kakashi felt a white flash of fury directed at Hiruzen.

Did he know how bad it was? Wasn’t he the one who got Naruto an apartment in the first place? Why didn’t he ever check on him? Repair things? Why?

Why? Why? Why!?

Kakashi could stew on the whys all day, but it wouldn’t help anything.

The point is, Naruto’s place was a health hazard. He couldn’t stay here.

‘I could push for him to live with me… but would Lord Hokage ever approve?’ Hiruzen didn’t even like the idea of Kakashi being Naruto’s sensei, but it’s what the Elders deemed to be the safest option.

But there’s no way. Was there? And even if he could, Naruto had no reason to agree. He didn’t know Kakashi. He didn’t know anything.

None of these kids knew anything, and that was the problem.

Kakashi gnawed on his lip under his mask as he left Naruto’s apartment, a million thoughts and plans in his mind, trying to work out what he should do and what he could do.

‘Discipline and scolding won’t get anywhere with a pup that’s been hurt like this. Positive reinforcement is the way to go.’

Kakashi was tired.

It had been a long week of researching and planning, but no matter how much he planned and prepared, he did not feel ready.

A couple times he still second guessed himself. Wondered if it would be better to fail the team and let whatever happens to them happen.

But every time he saw the photo of his old team, he remembered why he couldn’t.

He couldn’t let that happen to them. This system had already screwed them over. The people who were supposed to care for them had done the opposite.

Kakashi wasn’t going to be another adult who let these kids, these pups, down.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. And maybe I’ll only make things worse…” Kakashi murmured softly to the framed photo at his bedside. “…But I have to try.”

He had too. Or these pups were as good as dead.

Chapter Text

Kakashi wasn’t ready for this in the slightest. But time doesn’t wait for anyone.

He waited for all of the other students to get claimed by their teachers first. He’d just feel more at ease without all those eyes on him.

As he approached the classroom, he saw the chalkboard eraser set up, a very childish prank that was obviously set up by Naruto.

He might have had to keep his distance from his blonde, but it’s not like Kakashi was oblivious to village news. Naruto was constantly pulling pranks, like painting the Hokage stone faces.

An impressive feat, actually. Naruto might be childish, but he was also fast, and sneaky. Great assets for a future ninja.

Still, that would come later. For now, there was something much more important for Kakashi to prioritize.

‘The first step to forming an efficient pack…is to establish dominance.’ Not in a way that made pups fear the older members, but in a way that demanded respect. He needed these kids to listen to him.

So, he opened the door, and caught the erase effortlessly in his hand.

He could see the disappointment on Naruto, and even Sakura’s, faces. Sasuke looked like he expected nothing else.

“Meet me on the roof in five minutes.” Was all he said to them. Firm, to the point, and showing he meant business.

He disappeared to the roof with a jutsu and waited.

A few minutes later, the three Genin were bursting through the door, likely feeling a bit rushed from Kakashi’s abrupt order.

‘But they listened. Good start.’ Kakashi thought as he watched them sit down in front of him, waiting for him to say something or give some form of direction.

“Okay, let’s start with introductions. I’m Kakashi Hatake. I like reading and cooking, I dislike people who are too rule driven, one of my hobbies is going through every recipe in a cookbook and rating them. And my dream for the future is to…well, make this team into something decent.”

He watched the three absorb the information, nodding a little as they hung on his every word.

‘Heh. They’re almost cute.’ He found himself thinking, imagining three little puppies that would tilt and turn their heads to follow a treat.

After a moment, he cleared his throat. “Okay, blondie, you’re first.”

“Right, I’m Naruto Uzumaki!” Naruto declared. “I like instant ramen, but I prefer ramen from Ichiraku. I hate the three minutes you have to wait when making instant ramen, and my hobby is trying different cup ramens and comparing them. And my dream is to be Hokage, so that the whole village will have to stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I’m important!”

Yeesh. Kakashi really did have his work cut out for him.

He could practically imagine Kushina’s look of mortification if she heard her son’s introduction.

“Hm…yeah okay. Pink hair, you next.” Kakashi suspected her introduction was going to be just as disappointing, but might as well check.

Sakura sat up straight. “I’m Sakura Haruno. What I like…or…well, the person I like…” She eyed Sasuke, blushing. “My hobbies are…” She giggled. “And my dream for the future is…” She squealed. Sasuke scooted away from her slightly, obviously uncomfortable. “And I hate Naruto!”

Okay, well, Kakashi was wrong. Sakura’s introduction wasn’t as bad as Naruto’s.

It was twenty times worse.

He did his best to ignore Naruto’s devastated expression and Sasuke’s discomfort and just moved on. “Right…and you?” He gestured loosely to Sasuke.

Sasuke tensed. “My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don’t like much of anything. My dream is more of an ambition. I’m going to restore my clan, and get revenge on the person who tried to destroy it.”

Sakura and Naruto looked disturbed, eyeing him warily.

Kakashi sighed heavily internally.

For a moment, Kakashi really did wish they were all dogs, so he could just grab them by their muzzles and correct their dumbass behavior.

“Well, those introductions were…hm…how can I put this?” Kakashi pretended to think. “Easily the worst introductions I’ve ever heard in my life.”

That seemed to do the trick. The Genin were thrown, and looked a bit embarrassed, if not confused, and maybe angry. It was kind of funny how many different emotions could cross their faces in a matter of seconds.

“What are you talking about!? You asked us to introduce ourselves!” Naruto protested.

“I did, and instead what I got was some half-assed, fake answers that don’t tell me anything real about you or who you are.” Kakashi replied simply.

Sakura’s eyes widened. “W-What do you mean!?”

Assert dominance. Get their attention and keep it.

“Before I met you all today, I did some investigating to learn more about you all as individuals.” He smiled innocently behind his mask. “So I broke into your houses.”

He saw the way they all froze, like deer caught in headlights. Even Sasuke paled slightly, probably distressed that somebody had managed to break in without him knowing.

“You…You did what?” Naruto asked quietly.

“I broke in, and I must say, I learned much more about all of you from that then I did from these introductions.”

The Genin fell silent. Kakashi could see the wariness and betrayal on their faces, which was a fair reaction. He’d violated their privacy, after all.

“I know. I’ve broken your trust before I’ve even earned it, but I need you three to understand something.” Kakashi leaned forward. “In the shinobi world, it’s merciless. And you’ll find yourselves in situations you’ve never even thought of before. If you want even the smallest chance of making it through, you need to learn to trust and rely on your team. And that means no secrets. I’m not going to lie to you, any of you, and that means learning truths that are going to be uncomfortable and difficult, but I do truly believe we’ll all benefit from it in the end.”

That got them thinking, still uncertain, but a bit more understanding of Kakashi’s motives.

“You don’t have to trust me right away, I’m not expecting you to. But I need you to give me more than that. I need you to give me something real. If you can’t do that, you aren’t ready to be a ninja. It’s your call.” Kakashi told them firmly.

Technically, it wasn’t. But Kakashi needed them to make this choice on their own without knowing what was at stake. If they’re going to work as a team, it has to be their choice.

The Genin seemed to glance at each other, and then at him, and then back at each other, as if having a silent conversation. That was good, they were already beginning to look towards each other when making decisions, at least a little bit.

“…Sensei?” Naruto spoke softly. “Can I…redo my introduction?”

“Me too?” Sakura asked hopefully.

Kakashi suppressed a smile.

“Very well. Same order as before. Naruto, you’re up.” Kakashi told him.

Naruto cleared his throat. “Right, um…I’m Naruto Uzumaki. I…I like training, and improving my ninja skills. I dislike people looking down on me. A hobby of mine is…gardening. And my dream for the future really is to be Hokage.”

Sakura and Sasuke looked at him, much more contemplative than before.

So far so good.

“Alright, Sakura?” Kakashi nodded at Naruto before looking at Sakura.

“Ah, I’m Sakura Haruno. I like…um…” Sakura hesitated, looking uncertain. “I- I guess I like reading too... and I dislike eating, and just…being at home.” Her dislikes got some questioning gazes from the boys. “My hobby…Um…I guess reading again?” She offered lamely, looking disappointed in herself. “And my dream is to be independent.”

Kakashi’s eye softened. This poor girl. Unsure of what she truly liked, and disliking things so essential…she was definitely going to need a lot of help.

He looked at Sasuke, who tensed. “…I stand by my first introduction.”

Naruto groaned and Kakashi even saw a twinge of annoyance on Sakura’s face, despite her attempts to hide it.

“Really?” Kakashi pressed. “You can’t think of anything you like? Or anything that you dislike more than other things? You have no hobbies?”

Sasuke looked away, defiant.

Kakashi internally sighed. Why did there always have to be a difficult pup in the pack?

“Do you want to make it as a ninja?” Kakashi questioned firmly. “Because if you can’t even handle something as simple as an introduction, you’re not going to get far, trust me.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, feeling challenged.

“We’ve barely begun and already both of your teammates are ahead of you. That doesn’t bode well for when we actually start training as a team.”

That did it. Sasuke’s nostrils flared slightly, pupils shrinking. The idea that he could be the weak link, the burden, that didn’t sit well.

Maybe it was a little mean to push him so far, but sometimes a firm hand was necessary.

“…My name is Sasuke Uchiha.” He started reluctantly. “I dislike people who don’t respect boundaries.” He bit out. “I like training. My hobbies are training. My goal for the future is the same; to get revenge on the person who destroyed my clan, and then restore it.”

It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it was better than before.

Kakashi nodded in approval. “Very good. See? Those introductions were much better. I feel like we’re getting to know each other more already.” He pretended not to notice the way Naruto practically preened at the praise. “Now, we’ll meet tomorrow morning at 5 am sharp. You’re all free to go.”

The Genin took off the moment he said those words, not wanting to stick around longer than they had to. This was going to be a very slow process.

He decided to talk to Sakura privately first, appearing on her balcony and scaring the crap out of her. She shrieked and scrambled to open the door. “S-Sensei? What are-“

“Sakura?” Sakura froze, hearing her mother calling from downstairs. “What was that scream? Are you alright?”

“I…” Sakura hesitated, looking at Kakashi. Kakashi held a finger to his lips, asking her to keep silent about his presence. “I thought I saw a spider, but it was just a shadow. Don’t worry mom!”

She stepped out onto the balcony. “Sensei, what are you doing here? I thought we were done for the day?”

“We need to talk. It’s about something I discovered in your room when I was investigating.” He explained firmly. He watched as Sakura tensed up. “I found your notebooks, tracking calories and your weight.” He softened his tone. “Can you…explain that to me?”

Sakura shifted uncomfortably where she stood, looking down. “I…I just…I mean, it’s a diet, you know? It’s important to keep in shape.”

Kakashi rested his hands in his pockets, leaning against her balcony and trying to keep an open stance. Body language was important, especially when raising pups. “Do your parents know that you diet?”

After a moment of hesitation, Sakura nodded softly.

“Was it their idea?”

Another nod.

“Do you think you’re overweight?”

The third nod broke his heart.

Kakashi bit his lip. “Alright…thank you for being honest, Sakura. I’m sure that was hard.”

She didn’t acknowledge that, rubbing her arm anxiously and keeping her head down.

“We’ll put a pin in that for a moment, that’s not the only reason I’m here.” Kakashi told her gently. He knew the food thing was going to be an uphill battle, and he didn’t want to push too much on her too fast.

She looked up at that, confused but relieved. “Oh?”

“We need to talk about this…affection you feel towards Sasuke.”

“…Oh.” She mumbled, looking down again.

Kakashi eyed her for a moment. “You know you’re coming on too strong.”

“I know. I just…” Sakura gnawed on her lip, swallowing hard. “Sensei can I be honest with you?”

“I hope so.”

Sakura fiddled with her hands. “It’s true I…I liked Sasuke. I mean, a little, I guess. When I was little, I thought…he’s cute, he’s strong…but it wasn’t anything more than that. But then…my mother, she…she found out. She was so excited. She kept going on about how Sasuke was from such a prestigious clan and how he was the perfect guy and all this stuff. Everyday she’d hound me, being all like did you talk to him yet? Or you should wear your hair like this so he’ll notice you and I just…” Sakura sighed heavily, exhausted. “I don’t even like him anymore. Not like that.”

Kakashi was surprised, but more than that he was relieved. Maybe this wouldn’t be as difficult as he initially thought.

“Then…why do you keep chasing him?” He asked curiously. “Is it just to make your parents happy?”

Sakura nodded. “I guess. It just felt like…what I was supposed to do, and…” Her eyes drifted off to the side.

“And?” He encouraged.

“…My parents have never liked the idea of me being a ninja. They were so skeptical about me being in the academy. I heard them debating if they should pull me out of it. When I heard that…I just had to do something.”

Kakashi’s face morphed into realization, and his eye softened. “…Like pursue somebody who was also in the academy.” He finished for her.

Sakura looked down guiltily. “I know it was wrong, and not fair to Sasuke…but when I brought up the argument that staying in the academy was the only way for me to be around Sasuke…they let me stay. So I pretended to like him, so that I could become a Genin.”

It made sense, as selfish as it was. Sakura wanted it so badly, and it was expected of her to pursue a boy, even from so young…

What was she supposed to do?

“I understand. And I don’t judge you for doing what you had to do.” Kakashi told her gently. “But things are different now. You’re a Genin, and that means legally you’re under my jurisdiction now. Your parents couldn’t revoke your Geninship even if they wanted to.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Really?” She whispered. “But…But I still live with them.”

“Do you believe they would kick you out if you stopped pursuing a man?” Kakashi asked curiously; concernedly.

Sakura fell silent for a moment, and then weakly, “I…I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think so, my parents don’t seem to believe I can take care of myself,” She muttered bitterly. “so I doubt it. But it would definitely disrupt the peace.”

“Is that peace worth your own unhappiness?” Kakashi questioned.

Sakura froze, mouth opening slightly but no words came out.

Just then, Sakura’s mother called her down for dinner, and Kakashi decided to wrap things up.

“Just…think about it, alright?” Kakashi told her gently. “Not just for your sake, but for Sasuke’s too. He deserves better than to be stuck on a team with somebody constantly breaking his boundaries.”

He left Sakura with that, disappearing before she could give a reply.

Sasuke was a lot like Kakashi was when he was a child.

And that was utterly horrific.

If he couldn’t get Sasuke to adjust his attitude, their team was in massive trouble. Sasuke was already operating with the mentality that his teammates were beneath him and useless, and Kakashi couldn’t even blame him. His whole life, he’d been taught to believe he was elite and special because of his clan.

Obito was a little like that. Always insisting how great he’d be once his Sharingan arrived.

‘And he was great. I only got to see him in action that one time…but we were unstoppable.’ Kakashi thought to himself longingly. The teamwork between him and Obito once Obito unlocked his Sharingan…Kakashi firmly believed that if Obito had survived, they would’ve been a duo to be feared by nations.

But it took a lot for Kakashi to accept Obito. Too long. He couldn’t let Sasuke repeat his actions.

“Yo.” Kakashi greeted casually. Sasuke startled, probably not expecting to hear anyone speak in the Uchiha compound. He spun around, kunai ready to protect himself.

But when he saw it was Kakashi, he huffed and put the kunai away. “What?” He snapped.

Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I wanted to talk to you before tomorrow. May I come in?” He asked innocently, knowing damn well he wasn’t really asking.

Sasuke knew it too, because he begrudgingly lead Kakashi to his house and let him inside. “Do you want tea?” Sasuke asked plainly.

It was kind of funny. Sasuke was so closed off and rude, but he still had this need to be respectful to authority; probably something drilled into him from childhood.

“That would be great. Thank you.” Kakashi told him cheerfully.

Sasuke grumbled at his cheeriness but moved to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

While the water boiled, Kakashi decided to get down to business. “First of all, I want to apologize to you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“For breaking into your house and invading your privacy. As someone who puts a lot of value in privacy, I understand what a massive violation that was.” Kakashi explained.

Though he still didn’t seem thrilled, Sasuke just nodded. “Is that all you came here for?”

“Afraid not. I want you to know…I talked to Sakura, about backing off a bit.”

That made Sasuke pause, looking at Kakashi with genuine surprise that he couldn’t disguise.

Kakashi smiled slightly behind his mask. “For somebody so aloof, you’re not too good at setting boundaries, are you?”

Sasuke tensed, knowing that was true. He turned back to the kettle. “I’m an Uchiha, it makes sense people are fascinated by me.”

“But that doesn’t give them the right to treat you like something on display.” Kakashi finished simply.

Sasuke scoffed a little as he poured the water into two cups with tea bags. “Tell that to the whole village.” He stated grumpily.

Kakashi tilted his head. “I guess a lot of girls bothered you in the academy?”

He got another scoff. “They were the least of my problems.” He muttered. “At least they were just annoying, and my age. I’m talking about civilians.”

Kakashi’s eye widened. “…You’ve had civilians bother you?”

Sasuke turned and set Kakashi’s tea down in front of him, giving him this judgmental gaze like he thought he was stupid. “I’ve had everyone bother me. I just want to be left alone, and all I hear everywhere I go is how great I am, or how great my clan is, or how I’m just adorable for my age. It’s exhausting.”

And concerning. But Kakashi didn’t say that part out loud.

He knew Naruto faced issues with the villagers, but he had no idea Sasuke suffered from the same thing, just on the opposite end of the scale.

One is overly beloved, and the other overly hated.

What a pain.

Kakashi waited for the moment Sasuke blinked to take a sip of his tea. He could see the slight pout on Sasuke’s expression when he didn’t get to see his face. “I see. Well, if it happens again you should report it to me. I’ll deal with them.”

Sasuke snorted, sipping his own tea. “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can. But you’re on a team now. Teams rely on each other.” Kakashi told him.

“My team is going to hold me back.” Sasuke snapped. “I’m not like Naruto and Sakura.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “Is that right? Based on what?”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “Based on- I’m far stronger than both of them. I’m from an elite clan. I aced the academy.”

“Hmm, well, I hate to break it to you, Sasuke, but I’m afraid you’re not as gifted as you think.” He knew this would be a tough conversation, but he needed Sasuke to understand.

“Excuse me?” Sasuke hissed.

Kakashi shrugged. “You had the highest grades in the academy overall, but you’re not the only one who aced the exams. Shikamaru Nara, and Sakura, both also got perfect scores on all of their written exams. So academically…you’re no better than them.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth at that.

“As for being stronger than them…I’ll give you that right now, you’ve probably trained more than them. You had an advantage with the academy prioritizing you and also getting early training back when your clan members were around; but the fact is…Naruto has far more chakra than you.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened, breath hitching.

“And if clan heritage is a factor towards greatness, Naruto is from the Uzumaki clan. A clan almost completely wiped out as well, but they were known for their sealing techniques. So, you aren’t the only one from an elite clan, as you call it.” Kakashi explained.

“That’s…” Sasuke scowled. “I’m still stronger! I’m more prepared for the battlefield than they are. I had more training, you said so yourself!”

“And that makes the other two worthless? Because they didn’t start combat training as early as you did?” Kakashi questioned. “I seem to recall an eight year age difference between you and your brother-“

Sasuke’s pupils shrunk. “I don’t want to talk about Itachi. Don’t bring him up again.” He bit out warningly.

“Fine. But my point still stands.” Kakashi told him firmly. “Sakura and Naruto are just as capable as you, and can catch up quickly, but only if the team works together, and that won’t happen if you’re fighting against it every step of the way. Instead of wasting their time and mine by looking down on them, why don’t you help them to improve and get stronger?”

He obviously was against it. Sasuke’s body language was closed off and angry, almost like a stubborn child. Or a defiant pup.

“You know what the biggest lesson you’re going to learn on the battlefield is, Sasuke?” Kakashi leaned and rested his arms on the table, giving Sasuke a firm stare. “You can’t do everything by yourself. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can start making this team into something incredible.”

Sasuke hesitated, looking down and glaring at his tea.

“If you can do that. If you can work with us, show up tomorrow. If you can’t, don’t bother. At this rate, you’re going to be the one holding us back.”

He decided to leave Sasuke with that, knowing it would be best to let him stew and digest all he said. Hopefully, he pushed just enough, and not too far.

Going back to Naruto’s apartment willingly was hard. If Kakashi had it his way, he’d never step foot in it again. And he sure as hell wouldn’t let Naruto in there again either.

But that was a battle for another day, for now…

It was time for dinner.

“Ah!” Naruto startled when he got out of the bathroom to see Kakashi in his kitchen cooking something. “W-Wha…What are you doing here, sensei!?”

“Making dinner, obviously.” Kakashi answered nonchalantly, in the way he knew made people want to smack him because he was being a smartass.

Naruto’s face puffed out irritably. Kakashi had to bite back a smile behind his mask; the expression reminded him so much of Obito. “Okay…why exactly? And hey, next time knock! Ya, know!?”

“I did knock, nobody answered. Have a seat.” Kakashi insisted simply.

Naruto grumbled, but his stomach also grumbled and the stomach won. He sat down, watching Kakashi skeptically.

Kakashi finished the miso soup and poured it into their bowls, setting Naruto’s down in front of him before sitting across from him.

The two spoke out their thank yous before digging into the soup. Naruto tried to get a glimpse at Kakashi’s face, but Kakashi was an expert at taking bites when people weren’t looking or when they shut their eyes, even more a moment.

The silence only lasted about five minutes, before Naruto couldn’t stand it anymore. “Sensei…why did you decide to come here and make me dinner?”

“I wanted to talk to you before we all meet tomorrow.” Kakashi explained.

Naruto tilted his head.

Kakashi internally sighed, knowing he had to rip the bandaid off. “…I know you’re the Nine-Tailed Fox host, Naruto.”

What happened next almost seemed to happen slowly, but Kakashi knew it all happened in like two seconds.

He saw Naruto process his words, then saw his eyes widen, then he saw the unwavering fear and horror, and then…

Naruto was bolting out his window.

He’d moved so fast, he knocked his chair over, spilled the soup, and nearly broke the window when he threw it open.

This time, Kakashi sighed out loud.

‘Well…at least I know he’s got speed.’

Kakashi disappeared from his seat, going after him.

Admittedly, Kakashi had a harder time tracking Naruto down than he thought. He thought the blonde would be at Ichiraku, or maybe Iruka’s house, or even in Hiruzen’s office.

Instead, he found him on top of the Hokage stone faces, knees to his chest, anxiously looking around, hoping he wouldn’t be caught.

Kakashi felt bad for scaring him, but what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t keep this from Naruto. It was important they were on the same page, especially when they start training.

“You’re a quick one, you know.” Kakashi spoke up, heart clenching when Naruto flinched and looked at him with alarm. “That’ll be beneficial during training.”

Naruto shakily took out a kunai, eyeing him warily.

Kakashi held his hand up to try and show he meant no harm. “Easy, easy. I just want to talk, Naruto.”

“Why should I believe that?” Naruto bit out, like a cornered dog that only growled and would bite because it was scared.

Kakashi crouched down to be on his level. “If I wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I would’ve poisoned you with the soup? Or kept the information to myself and just attack you?”

Naruto still looked nervous; he didn’t lower the kunai. “Maybe you want to torture me…make me hurt.”

God. This kid was going to just tear off little bits of his heart piece by piece, huh?

“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now.” Kakashi told him simply. “But I don’t.”

“Why not? Everybody else does.”

Jesus Christ.

Kakashi struggled to figure out how to explain. How could he tell Naruto how much he cared about him? That he knew his parents so well and was practically family?

After some debate, Kakashi decided to remove his pack of ninja gear. He gently threw it over closer to Naruto, who eyed it hesitantly.

“There. I’m unarmed. Now can we talk?” Kakashi asked gently.

Naruto bit his lip, but slowly lowered his kunai.

“Thank you.” Kakashi let out a breath of relief, before continuing. “…Now, Naruto, you’re no stranger to secrets…right? I mean, the Nine-Tailed Fox is a secret.”

Naruto frowned and then nodded.

“Well…the village has a lot of secrets. A lot of things we’re not allowed to talk about, even if we want to.” Kakashi told him.

“…Okay?” Naruto offered, unsure where he was going with this.

Kakashi lowered his tone. “I’m gonna tell you a secret, but it has to stay between us, okay?”

Though wary, Naruto couldn’t deny his curiosity and nodded, leaning closer.

“…The Nine-Tailed Fox…had a previous host.”

Naruto gasped softly. “It…It did? I thought it just appeared in the village? Went on a rampage…”

“I can’t tell you everything, unfortunately.” Kakashi confessed softly. “But…I knew the last host. They…They were important to me. Somebody I cared about.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Kakashi nodded. “That’s why I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t think of you differently. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just a normal kid, who’s been given a very serious burden.”

He could see the awe in Naruto’s eyes, and then the glimmer of hope. Hope that maybe someone didn’t hate him.

“But this burden doesn’t have to just be a burden, Naruto.” Kakashi added.

Naruto’s awe morphed into confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You have copious amounts of chakra, and natural healing regeneration. You could learn a lot of very powerful jutsu.” Kakashi explained.

“Really? More than Sasuke!?” Naruto asked, getting excited.

Kakashi resisted the urge to chuckle. “Well…yeah, actually. But hey,” He started sternly before Naruto could get worked up. “Sasuke’s still your teammate. It’s okay to have a rival, but at the end of the day you two need to be able to rely on each other.”

“But he’s so…” Naruto started stubbornly, cheeks puffing out.

“I know, I know, and I’m working on it. But I need your help. You have to do your part, and try to be nicer to him too. Do you think you can do that?” Kakashi asked, but kept his tone firm.

Naruto grumbled, head ducking down. The idea of being nice to Sasuke was…annoying.

But, at the same time, Naruto felt the faintest twinge of…hope. A hope he’d buried a long time ago, back when he was just a little kid. A hope felt by a little kid who saw a young raven-haired boy his age and wanted nothing more than to talk to him and maybe get to know him and actually be friends.

“…You won’t let him pick on me?” Naruto asked quietly.

Kakashi nodded softly. “You have my word. I don’t intend to put up with Sasuke’s current attitude towards his teammates and other people. We’re all on this squad, we’re all going to do our part.”

Naruto hummed, and finally lifted his head, giving a determined nod. “Okay, sensei.”

“Thank you, Naruto.” Kakashi smiled lightly behind his mask. “Why don’t we get some dinner? Since the miso soup was abandoned and probably cold.”

“Ah, sorry about that…” Naruto offered sheepishly, before taking out his wallet, hesitating. “Um…I’m not sure I can really afford-“

“It’s my treat, Naruto.” Kakashi insisted. “Let’s go to Ichiraku.”

Naruto’s eyes all but sparkled, Kakashi wasn’t sure if it was because he was paying, or because it was Ichiraku.

But either way, they found themselves going to the little ramen shop, and Kakashi wondered briefly if this is something an uncle and nephew would do.

Chapter Text

Okay, not that Kakashi would ever admit it out loud…but he was kind of sweating bullets.

What if he pushed them too hard? What if they didn’t show up?

Kakashi was confident Naruto would show, he was a determined soul and he and Kakashi had a nice dinner at Ichiraku. He was a safe bet.

It was the other two he was worried about.

Sakura…would probably show up. She’d been willing to make an intricate lie about liking Sasuke just so she could stay in the academy, he really doubted she was going to give up her dream that easily.

Sasuke was hit or miss. Fifty-fifty. And Kakashi was terrified.

If all three of them didn’t show up, the squad would be finish. He needed all of them to comply.

But he also couldn’t put that pressure on them either. They had to make the choice for themselves without outside interference. All Kakashi did was lay the cards on the table. It was up to them to decide if they wanted to play.

As expected, Naruto showed up first, yawning and struggling to stay awake. He muttered a lazy good morning before plopping down on the ground and trying not to fall asleep.

‘One down. Two to go.’ Kakashi had debated pulling his being late schtick, but there was a lot riding on this and the last thing he wanted was for one of them to show up, see he wasn’t there, and give up before they even started.

Though five minutes later, Sakura also arrived. She looked tired, and weary. Definitely skipped breakfast and possibly dinner last night.

‘That’s two…’

“Good morning sensei, Naruto.” Sakura greeted softly as she sat down as well.

“Morning, Sakura.” Naruto greeted back.

This was it. Kakashi would give Sasuke fifteen minutes. If he didn’t show up…Kakashi would have no choice but to assume he wasn’t coming at all.

Five minutes passed, and nothing.

‘Come on…’

Another five minutes.

‘Dammit…’

Four more minutes passed.

Kakashi felt any semblance of hope shrivel up and die. Naruto and Sakura were looking confused and worried that Sasuke wasn’t there yet, and Kakashi let out a heavy sigh of defeat.

So much for team seven.

But then, just when Kakashi was about to tell Naruto and Sakura to just go home, they saw him. A reluctant Sasuke slowly making his way towards them, keeping his stare down at the ground.

Kakashi could’ve collapsed with relief.

“Good. You’re all here.” Kakashi noted kindly. “We can get started.”

Naruto looked at Sasuke, and resisted the urge to give some sassy remark about him being late. He’d promised Kakashi he’d try, after all. And besides, Sasuke looked uncomfortable as is.

“Um…sensei…what are we doing today, anyways?” Sakura asked hesitantly, trying to break the tension in the air.

Kakashi took out two bells from his pocket and held them up. “Your goal is to get these bells from me before noon. By any means necessary.”

“Huh?” Naruto frowned. “That’s it? Get bells?”

“That’s right. This is an assessment of your current skills.” Kakashi explained. “Get a bell before noon and I’ll buy you whatever you want as a reward.”

That made the three perk up.

“Anything? Like- Like Ichiraku ramen!?” Naruto asked excitedly, as if they hadn’t just eaten that together yesterday.

“Sure, if that’s what you want.” Kakashi nodded.

Sakura hesitated. “Or…or a book?”

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. “Absolutely.”

“Or new weapons?” Sasuke questioned.

“That…is also an option.” Kakashi sweat dropped. “If you get the bell, you get your reward.”

Naruto suddenly tensed. “What if…what if we can’t get a bell?”

“No punishment. You just won’t be rewarded. Don’t worry.” Kakashi assured. Punishment wouldn’t work with these three, especially not Naruto.

Praise the good, ignore the bad.

Sakura frowned. “Wait a minute, there’s only two bells. That means it’s impossible for all three of us to succeed.”

“Correct. But of course, all three of you could fail to get a bell too.” Kakashi reminded innocently.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, taking that as a challenge. “Can we get started?”

Kakashi suppressed a chuckle as he clicked the button on the clock he’d set up on the log beforehand. “Sure. Strike whenever you like, however you like. Ready? GO!”

The trio scattered, going to hide and plan, most likely.

Kakashi leaned against one of the logs set up for shuriken practice and took out Icha Icha Paradise.

‘Well…time to see if they have any teamwork instincts.’

Sakura hid in the bushes, watching Kakashi for a while as he read. ‘I guess he’s just going to wait for one of us to strike first…’ She frowned and looked around, trying to get a beat on where Naruto and Sasuke were.

She spotted Naruto hidden in bushes not too far from her, and Sasuke was up in a tree, all observing and waiting for someone else to make a move.

‘But Kakashi-sensei’s a Jonin. There’s no way any of us could take him on by ourselves…’ Sakura bit her lip. ‘We could team up and go against him, but then somebody would lose out on the reward…I had my eye on that encyclopedia of Genjutsu but…it’s gotta be more important to complete the test than to obtain a bell, right? I’ll offer to work with the boys and agree to give up my bell, it’s the only way.’ She thought determinedly.

But by the time she made that choice, she saw Naruto had decided to fight Kakashi head on.

‘Is he crazy!?’ She freaked internally.

Despite his best efforts, and a very impressive Multi Shadow-Clone Jutsu, Naruto couldn’t land a blow on Kakashi. Every time he tried, Kakashi would simply dodge or use a substitution jutsu.

Eventually, he caught Naruto in a rope trap, and went to go find the others.

‘He got caught so fast because he tried to do it alone…’ Sakura thought grimly. ‘At this rate, we’ll all be beaten. We’ve gotta at least try.’

After some debate, Sakura waited to make sure the coast was clear before hurrying out towards Naruto. “Need some help?”

“Huh?” Naruto startled, surprised to see Sakura. “Ah, Sakura. Um…no, I can get out by myself!”

Sakura grew exasperated. “Come on Naruto, just let me help, okay?” She took out a kunai.

Naruto didn’t look thrilled, but fell silent as Sakura reached up and cut the rope, letting him fall to the ground.

“Hrm…thanks, Sakura.” He sighed, a bit annoyed he’d needed help in the first place. “Do you know where Kakashi-sensei went?”

“Probably looking for Sasuke.” Sakura reasoned. “Listen, Naruto, I think…we should all try and work together.”

Naruto did a double take. “Huh? You…wanna work together?”

“Think about it, we can possibly beat Kakashi-sensei at our skill levels. He’s a Jonin. If we combine our forces, we might be able to get the bells.”

Naruto hummed, thinking it over. And then he smiled and nodded. “Alright, yeah, yeah let’s do it!”

Sakura beamed. “Great! Now we just need to find Sasuke-“

That wiped the smile off Naruto’s face. “Huh? Sasuke? I’m not working with Sasuke!”

“Huh?... but…you just said…” Sakura trailed off.

Naruto crossed his arms grumpily. “I’ll work with you, I’m not working with that bastard. Besides, there’s only two bells!”

Sakura groaned. “Oh come on, Naruto. We’re supposed to be a team! We need to work together, all three of us. I’ve already decided I’ll give up on having a bell, I just want us to pass this test, okay? You and Sasuke can have the rewards.”

But that just made Naruto even more suspicious. “How do I know this isn’t a trick? Maybe you’re planning to get the reward for you and Sasuke and leave me with nothing!”

“Do you seriously think I would do that?” She snapped.

“Of course I do! You hate me, and you love him.” Naruto retorted stubbornly, looking away. “Why wouldn’t I think that?”

His words made Sakura hesitate. She felt a rush of guilt at the reminder of her first introduction, when she’d been so cruel for no other reason other than she thought that’s how she was supposed to be.

Everyone else hated Naruto, including her parents, she didn’t want to risk being the odd ball.

She…just wanted to fit in.

But at what cost? How much longer would Sakura continue to use others to achieve her own goals?

“…You’re right.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Sakura looked down. “I did say that…and even though I didn’t really mean it, that’s not an excuse. I…I shouldn’t have said it in the first place.”

Naruto’s eyes widened, shoulders beginning to relax as he uncrossed his arms.

“I…I’m sorry, Naruto.” Sakura told him sincerely. “For those terrible things I said, and for…being another person who treated you so badly.” She looked up, gaze determined. “But that stops now. We’re teammates and we should act like it, even if we can’t be friends. So please…” She held out her hand. “Work with me and Sasuke, and help us get the bells. I promise, I won’t betray your trust.”

Naruto stared at the outstretched hand, too stunned to speak. It was already weird to hear somebody apologize to him, but to actually want to work with him…

‘What if it’s a trap…? But what if it’s not?’

Naruto thought back to Kakashi’s words from yesterday. His vow to try.

‘I have to be willing to do my part.’

Naruto took Sakura’s hand in a firm shake and smiled. “Let’s go find that bastard.”

Sakura smiled slightly in amusement.

It took a lot for Sasuke to even show up today. He’d hardly slept, stewing on Kakashi’s words and trying to figure out what he wanted.

All his life, he’s heard how superior he is. The Uchiha were held to such a high standard. Back when his family was alive, and Itachi was still a good person, he held the burden of being the best. Everyone put all of their expectations on him. It was all Sasuke could do to try and catch up to him.

Now, he stood alone. Carrying the weight of representing an entire clan on his shoulders. And he had to work even harder than Itachi. The clan was dead, they couldn’t exactly protest or defend themselves should anyone look down on them.

It was up to Sasuke to keep his clan in that elite status.

And that meant being better than everyone else. How was Sasuke ever supposed to keep the Uchiha name looking good if his teammates were only going to drag him down and hold him back?

‘You don’t know that though.’ The reasonable side of his mind supplied.

As much as he loathed to admit it, Kakashi made a good argument yesterday. Naruto and Sakura had things about them that could actually make them assets to the team.

But it’s not like Sasuke had any reason to believe they’d work hard and actually get to his level. Sakura spent the last six years harassing him in the academy, and Naruto…

He failed every exam, he never won a spar, he was a complete and total loser.

‘Could he really have more chakra than me? Can he really do a forbidden jutsu?’ Sasuke gritted his teeth at the thought.

That Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu he saw Naruto use earlier on Kakashi; Sasuke was no fool. He knew a forbidden Jutsu when he saw one.

So how did Naruto learn it? When did he learn it? He couldn’t even make a simple clone in class…

‘Because he has too much chakra for such a simple jutsu.’ The thought was infuriating.

While Sasuke was stewing and trying to debate, he hid in the bushes away from the starting point at the training grounds. Last he saw, Naruto had just gotten hung up by rope in a silly trap.

‘He’ll probably make quick work of Sakura and come after me next.’ Sasuke noted, trying to figure out what strategy he should go with.

That’s when he heard rustling behind him and spun around, kunai ready.

“Ah!” Naruto yelped, nearly getting stabbed with it. He stumbled back. “Hey, watch it!”

Sasuke frowned, lowering his kunai when he saw Sakura was with Naruto as well. Probably not a transformation or a trap then. “Don’t get so close. Go find your own hiding spot.” He snapped.

“Actually…we were looking for you, Sasuke.” Sakura started hesitantly.

Sasuke bristled. Great. Just what he needed. Two irritating leeches that would only give away where he was.

“We want to work together.”

What?

Sasuke’s eye all but twitched at the idea. He’s not sure what was more absurd, the idea itself or that Naruto was the one to say it.

“Me? Work with you two?” He scoffed.

Naruto instantly got defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean, bastard!?”

“Naruto, wait!” Sakura pleaded, holding her hands up to try and keep some space between them. She looked at Sasuke. “If this is about the reward, I…I already agreed to give it up. You two can have the rewards, okay?”

Sasuke’s gaze darkened. “I don’t want or need you to hold back. Go for a bell or don’t, I couldn’t care less.”

“Augh, you aren’t listening! We’re supposed to work together, ya know!? I’m not happy about it either but, dammit, we’re a team now and team’s work together!” Naruto snapped.

“I’m only here cause I have to be.” Sasuke bit out. “Kakashi-sensei didn’t tell us we had to work together, so there’s no reason to. I’ll get a bell myself and that will be that.”

Sakura gritted her teeth. She felt a familiar headache coming on. And it wasn’t a normal headache, not to other people. But it was one she knew quite well. It only seemed to show up when she got especially angry or upset.

A vein started to pop out of her temple. “And you really think you can get a bell by yourself? Kakashi-sensei’s a Jonin, or did you forget?”

Sasuke’s nostrils flared. “What did you say?” He hissed, giving her one of his glares that would normally have her backing off, but Sakura showed no signs of being intimidated.

Naruto looked over at Sakura in slight surprised, noticing her dark expression.

She looked mad. No, it was more than mad. She looked ready for violence. Her eyes were narrowed and dark, they had this glint to them that the boys had never seen before. She scowled, almost growling.

“I said, sensei’s a Jonin. He’s way better than some stuck-up Genin who can’t even do something as simple as working with his teammates. Get it together, Uchiha.”

Sasuke and Naruto’s mouths fell agape, unable to process what they just heard.

“S-Sakura?” Naruto stammered.

Sakura looked at him, still irritable, but more contemplative. “Hmph…sure, whatever.” She set a hand on her hip; her stance was far more casual than it had been before. “Call me that if you must. Makes no difference to me.”

The boys were baffled. Something had changed in the last minute or so, and they weren’t sure what.

Sakura was stood in front of them but…it was almost like they were talking to a different person.

“Now listen up, we’re a team, it means we gotta rely on each other and work together whether we like it or not. Anyone who can’t is a burden and annoying.” She sassed Sasuke, who instantly scowled. “So get off your high horse and do you part and help us get the damn bells.”

Naruto whistled softly. “Um…” He looked at Sasuke for his take.

Sasuke watched Sakura warily. What the hell happened to the whiny, doormat girl from the academy?

But just as quickly as the change happened, the boys could almost see a shift back. Sakura let out a sharp breath, and her eyes had that normal, soft look again. She kind of stared for a moment, almost like she was trying to remember what she was doing.

Finally, she cleared her throat. “So…will you work with us? …Please?” She asked softly, looking down at the ground.

Dammit. Why was he even considering this?

“You can’t do everything by yourself.” Kakashi’s words from yesterday rang in his mind.

It felt like a weakness to admit. But somewhere, deep down, Sasuke feared he was right.

No person was meant to know every jutsu, or have every skill. Ninja are put into squads for a reason. Different people learn different things. The Uchiha all tended to stick to the same fighting styles, same jutsu…

‘But what will you do if you run into a problem you don’t have the power for?’

Maybe it wasn’t a weakness at all.

Maybe true power was knowing and accepting when you didn’t have it.

Sasuke let out a small huff. “Alright. Fine. Let’s do this.”

Naruto and Sakura’s eyes widened, not expecting him to agree. “You…You mean it?” Naruto breathed.

He nodded firmly. “I do. Here’s the plan.” He gestured for them to come closer, and when they did, he explained the strategy.

Kakashi sighed as he shut his book. His pups were taking far too long. Not one of them had made a move yet?

He’d decided to go easy on them and just wait for them to come to him, but it would seem that wasn’t happening.

“Oh well. I guess it’s time to go finish this.” He mumbled.

But right when he was about to move, Sasuke appeared before him.

“Oh, I was beginning to wonder if you’d given up before you even tried.” Kakashi noted innocently.

Sasuke smirked slightly. “You wish. Let’s do this.”

“One on one, huh? I can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m still disappointed.” Kakashi admitted. He’d hoped Sasuke would’ve learned a thing or two from his speech yesterday, but it looks like they’d still have a lot of work to do.

“I told you, they just hold me back.” Sasuke insisted.

Kakashi sighed heavily. “Well, let’s get this over with. Hit me with your best shot.”

Sasuke jumped back, making some more distance between them, and then weaved hand signs.

Of course, Kakashi knew those signs anywhere, and his eye widened. ‘The fireball jutsu? At his age!?’

“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” Sasuke declared before inhaling largely and letting out a giant fireball.

Kakashi leaped backwards, doing a few flips until he was out of range. Smoke filled the area. “Not bad, but it’ll take more than that to get me.”

Sasuke just smirked.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt limbs wrapping around his arms, legs, back- “W-What the!?”

A dozen Naruto’s were gripping onto him. They all grinned at him. “Hey sensei!”

‘I didn’t even smell him…’ Kakashi gasped as he realized. ‘Of course, that’s why…he made smoke in the air so I couldn’t track their scents!’

He struggled against the Naruto’s, but with so many of them all at once, it was a bit futile.

And then, emerging from the smoke, charging right towards him, was Sakura. She shot her hand out, determined to grab the bells.

Kakashi was in awe. ‘They actually…worked together? As a team!?’

Maybe he could’ve used a substitution, or used his full strength to break free from the clones.

But in that moment…Kakashi decided to just let them have this.

They’d already passed the test anyways.

Sakura snagged the bells from him, just as the timer rang, signaling it was noon.

“WE DID IT!” Naruto cheered as he got rid of his clones, running over to Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura beamed, eyes sparkling as she held up the bells. “I can’t believe it! Sasuke your plan was brilliant!”

“Hmph.” Sasuke didn’t say anything and looked away, but Kakashi swore he saw the faintest pink tint on Sasuke’s cheeks.

“Oh man, that was great! And that fireball was huge! And then you just dove in so fast, Sakura…” Naruto rambled excitedly.

Sakura laughed. “Me? What about you!? You made twelve shadow clones! Twelve! I didn’t even know that was possible!”

While the trio were celebrating, Kakashi slowly approached them. They fell silent and looked at him, a little anxious to hear what he had to say.

“It’s true. You worked together and got the bells. Congratulations. Very impressive teamwork.” Kakashi praised kindly. “Now there’s just the matter of the reward.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. She looked down at the two bells in her hand, and then her eyes softened. She held them out to Naruto and Sasuke. “Here. I promised, didn’t I?” She insisted kindly.

But the two boys hesitated, staring down at the bells.

And then they looked away. “Um…you know, I don’t really need anything. You guys should get the rewards.” Naruto insisted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I don’t need anything either.” Sasuke muttered. “You two take it.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Ah, but…guys, the deal was you two get the bells.”

“Yeah but…but…” Naruto finally groaned, pouting. “We all won the bells together!”

“It’s not fair if only two people get a reward.” Sasuke snapped. “We either all get something, or not at all.”

Sakura’s eyes softened, trying not to tear up. “Guys…” She swallowed hard, feeling a rush of gratitude.

She turned to Kakashi and held out the bells. “Here, sensei. None of us are taking the reward.”

During the entire exchange, all Kakashi could think about was his own bell test.

Back then, they’d managed to get the bells by using teamwork too. But Kakashi knew his heart hadn’t been in it. He’d used them for his own gain and Minato merely took it as teamwork.

Looking back, Kakashi was always ashamed of that behavior. He hadn’t earned his bell, or Minato’s respect.

‘But these three…’ Kakashi’s eye softened as he took the bells from Sakura. ‘They’re on their way already. Do you see this? Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei?’

He was so proud of them, and this was only the beginning.

“You’ve all passed with flying colors.” Kakashi announced warmly, making their eyes widen. “The point of this exercise was to see if you could work as a team, and you did, even more than you had to. Missions, material items, all of that will come and go, but you can never replace somebody on a team. Not really.”

The three looked at him in awe, taking in his words, and then glancing at each other.

“Never abandon your comrades, and never forget the importance of working together. That is how legends are made.” Kakashi finished firmly.

He saw the flicker of fire in his pups’ eyes. Taking in his words and carving them into their hearts.

“Now then…” Kakashi smiled behind his mask. “Let’s go get those rewards.”

Their eyes widened. “Ah, but, sensei-“ Sakura started.

“Everyone is getting rewarded, Sakura. You’ve all earned it.” Kakashi insisted.

The trio beamed, a glimmer of excitement on their faces as they followed Kakashi away from the training grounds.