argument
Kakashi frowned as he gazed up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by. He lay stretched out on the lawn in the garden, pondering how best to tell Sakumo that Orochimaru was his sensei. Time was short—actually, there was none left. The day before, Orochimaru had sent him a message: he wanted to train with Kakashi. They were to meet in an hour. Perhaps having little time left was an advantage. His father wouldn't have much time to dwell on it.
Since his return from the mission, Kakashi had been putting it off all week. His father, on the other hand, had repeatedly tried to discuss the mission. It took Kakashi a while to understand why it mattered so much to Sakumo. His father thought it was Kakashi's first mission outside the village and the first time he was involved in real battles. He worried about how Kakashi would handle it.
When Kakashi was still a child and completed his first mission outside the village, it was Minato who talked to him about it. His father had already passed away by then. Kakashi had brushed it off back then, assuring Minato that he was fine, although the experience of killing his first person had deeply affected him. For weeks afterward, he dreamed of the man he had thrust a kunai into the chest of. Eventually, it became routine, and killing became normal for him. He was only six years old at the time.
Quickly pushing aside these thoughts, Kakashi needed to devise a strategy to talk to his father. At times, he wondered if he should say anything at all. After a long discussion, Kakashi finally managed to convince his father not to monitor him constantly anymore. But that came with conditions: he had to be home on time, stay in crowded places, and always carry a seal from Minato to summon him anytime.
However, the seal had been Kakashi's idea. He suggested it to calm his father down. Before their mission, Minato had given him one of his special kunai so that he could teleport to Kakashi if he got into trouble. Kakashi didn't need it, but he knew it would reassure Minato, so he accepted it. When he discussed it with his father, it proved to be a strong argument. Initially hesitant, Sakumo was shown how quickly Minato could be with Kakashi by sending chakra through the seal.
Promptly, his sensei appeared in the living room with a kunai in hand. The surprised faces of the two amused Kakashi, and he couldn't help but laugh. The subsequent scolding was worth it. After Minato explained how the seal worked, his father finally agreed.
Kakashi sat up, drew his legs in, stretched his arms upwards once, and then stood up resolutely. Convincing his father was the best option; he didn't want to break his trust. Because one thing was certain: Kakashi would never be able to hide it from Sakumo forever. Taking a deep breath, he set off, determined to get straight to the point.
He returned to the house and walked purposefully towards the office, where his father sat at the desk, absorbed in a scroll. Kakashi stopped in the doorway and gently knocked on the open door. For a moment, he considered pulling down his mask so Sakumo could see his pout—perhaps that would help persuade the older man.
Sakumo glanced up from his scroll, offering Kakashi a brief smile before looking back down. "What can I do for you, Kakashi?" he asked calmly.
Taking small steps into the room, Kakashi stopped in the middle. "I need to talk to you about something," he began, his gaze fixed on Sakumo.
His eyes flickered to Kakashi for a moment before returning to the scroll. "I'm all ears."
Kakashi took a deep breath before speaking. "I have a new sensei—besides Minato.”
"Another sensei?" Sakumo asked, surprised, as he looked at Kakashi. "Why do you need another sensei? I thought you were satisfied with Minato, and we still train together occasionally. Don't you think it might be too much?" Sakumo grabbed another scroll and began to unroll it.
Kakashi shrugged casually. "You can never train enough to become stronger faster. Besides, you once told me it's not wrong to learn from multiple shinobi. Everyone can teach something different that helps you advance."
A brief smile crossed Sakumo's lips as he glanced up from the edge of his scroll. "So, you did listen once," he remarked with a wink, then turned back to his work. "Let me know who your new sensei is."
"Orochimaru-sensei!" Kakashi stated plainly, standing a bit straighter.
Immediately, Sakumo let the scroll fall onto his desk and stared at Kakashi in dismay. He seemed speechless for a moment before finding his voice. "No!" His tone carried anger. "You stay away from him!"
Kakashi sighed inwardly. He knew Sakumo wouldn't be pleased. Sakumo had reacted angrily when he heard about Kakashi's mission. Minato had told him that he and Sakumo had gone to see the Hokage two days after the mission. Sakumo had made it clear he didn't want Kakashi operating on the border as a genin. But Kakashi knew if everything went as it did last time, he would be promoted to chunin soon.
"Why should I stay away from him? Orochimaru-sensei hasn't done anything wrong. At this rate, I might as well stay away from the entire village!" protested Kakashi, locking eyes with Sakumo determinedly.
Sakumo ran a hand through his hair, and Kakashi could still clearly see the anger in his eyes. "Orochimaru has a very questionable reputation. The rumors surrounding him are far from good. I don't want you spending time with him. How did you even come across him? It's hard to imagine he would want a student."
Kakashi shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head. "I don't know, he's a very talented ninja and one of the three Sannin. He can surely teach me a lot. Plus, I've already convinced him to be my sensei, and we're supposed to meet soon."
Kakashi could see the color drain from Sakumo's face. "You've convinced him and you're meeting him soon!?" Sakumo paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "That's out of the question! You stay here and stay away from him!”
"Don't be like this!" protested Kakashi. "You're judging him based on rumors alone! Have you ever seriously talked to him? Since when do you listen to gossip from others? You're usually the first to ignore such talk. At least give him a chance. Please, Dad!" Kakashi always admired his father for his sense of justice. Sakumo always trusted his own judgment, not what others said—a lesson he had taught Kakashi early on.
Sakumo leaned back relaxed in his chair. "Of course I've interacted and spoken with him," he began thoughtfully. A slight furrow appeared on his brow. "His demeanor doesn't sit well with me. He seems cold and merciless." Sakumo sighed softly, his gaze drifting over the desk. "I have a bad feeling about Orochimaru," he admitted finally.
"It doesn't matter that you've been on a mission with him before. You've probably never talked to him personally. Maybe you should just come to the training and see for yourself," Kakashi calmly suggested.
Sakumo raised his eyebrows and leaned forward slightly in his chair. "I stand by it, Orochimaru isn't the best company for you. Why does it have to be him of all people? There are plenty of other excellent shinobi you could learn from. If you want, I can inquire for you," he proposed calmly.
Kakashi let his arms drop and shook his head. "I don't want another sensei. None of the ones you'd choose for me would challenge me the way I need. If I'm constantly held back, I'll never become as strong as you."
His father flinched and looked at Kakashi for a moment. "You know you don't have to prove anything to me, right? I'm proud of you just as you are," Sakumo's voice was gentle, and there was a deep sadness in his eyes. At first Kakashi didn't understand why his father reacted so emotionally, until he slowly realized what was on his mind - the conversation with Danzo in the market. "What matters most to me is that you're happy and safe." Then Sakumo stood up, walked around his desk, and squatted in front of Kakashi. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that you have to prove yourself or that I'm only proud of you if you become a strong shinobi. That's not important to me."
Kakashi smiled broadly under his mask and shook his head. "You don't need to apologize, and you've never made me feel like I have to prove myself. It's my own ambition. I admire you and just want to be as strong as you one day," he confessed. Then he added pleadingly, "Please, give Orochimaru-sensei a chance. Come to the training and at least see for yourself. For my sake!" Kakashi put on his most charming face.
Sakumo regarded Kakashi for a moment before lowering his gaze. Kakashi sensed his father's uncertainty, clearly not entirely convinced. Yet at the same time, he seemed unwilling to ignore Kakashi's sincere plea.
Finally, Sakumo lifted his gaze and nodded reluctantly. "I'll come and check it out. But be warned, Kakashi, if I still hold my opinion afterward, there will be no further discussion!"
"Promise! But you'll see, he's harmless and a great sensei!" With those words, Kakashi turned around and hurried towards the hallway. Just before leaving the room, he glanced back. "Thanks, Dad! Please hurry, we need to leave soon." He swiftly made his way to the front door. In his mind, he earnestly hoped that Orochimaru would compose himself upon seeing Sakumo. But doubts gnawed at him. Now, all that remained was to see how the two would react to each other. Kakashi had a bad feeling about it.
**********
As they approached the training ground, Kakashi felt tension mounting within him. He couldn't predict how Orochimaru or Sakumo would react. Hopefully, Orochimaru wouldn't reveal that Kakashi had been standing alone at his door. After all, his father hadn't pressed further on how Kakashi ended up choosing Orochimaru as his sensei. Probably, Sakumo hadn't given it much thought.
Kakashi glanced briefly over his shoulder at his father, who followed behind with a contemplative expression. He hadn't spoken a word so far. Kakashi sensed his restless chakra, which he struggled to suppress. It was clear his father was genuinely concerned about the upcoming meeting.
When they finally reached the training ground, Orochimaru was already there, arms crossed, deep in thought. His face darkened as he caught sight of Sakumo. Kakashi stole a quick glance at his father. His expression had also changed, and Kakashi felt the tension escalating.
"Sakumo," Orochimaru said slowly, snorting in annoyance. "I should have known you wouldn't leave your boy here alone."
Sakumo placed a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder and positioned himself beside him. "Orochimaru," he greeted coolly. "I'd like to observe the training," he replied calmly, and Kakashi was relieved his father didn't start an argument.
The Sannin's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed firmly on the elder Hatake. Then his eyes shifted to Kakashi. "I told you your father wouldn't be thrilled. I'm not keen on having my work observed."
Kakashi smiled reassuringly at Orochimaru. "My father will just watch," he assured him, giving Sakumo a stern look.
Sakumo's eyes alternated between Kakashi and Orochimaru. "I won't interfere; I'll just watch from the sidelines," he reassured.
Orochimaru regarded the two suspiciously for a moment before addressing Kakashi. "You're lucky you have talent, or I would have left already," he said sharply. Then he turned to Sakumo. "As long as you keep quiet, I'm fine with it. I have nothing to hide."
Kakashi glanced at his father and signaled for him to step back. Sakumo understood immediately and left without saying another word. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Orochimaru, anticipation in his eyes. "What's on the agenda for today?”
Slowly, Orochimaru's gaze turned towards Kakashi. "I want to spar with you again, but this time, I want you to fight at full potential, holding nothing back until the end."
A slight furrow appeared on Kakashi's brow. Orochimaru had indeed noticed that Kakashi had held back in their first bout. Kakashi nodded in response. Orochimaru moved away from him slowly. As Kakashi also turned and moved away from the center, he bit his lower lip. He had to be careful not to show too much skill, especially to keep his father from becoming suspicious.
"Can we start slowly?" Orochimaru hissed from the other side. Kakashi took a deep breath, turned around, and nodded to the Sannin. He assumed his fighting stance and waited for Orochimaru to make the first move.
Hardly prepared, Kakashi was struck by Orochimaru's lightning-fast kick with impressive speed to his side. He lost his balance and was thrown to the other side. Skillfully, he landed on his feet and immediately took up his fighting stance again. Compared to their last fight, Orochimaru had picked up the pace, but despite the force of his kick, he had been careful not to injure Kakashi.
But Kakashi had no time to think as the Sannin was already in front of him again, striking. He swiftly parried the subsequent attacks and kicks, considering a new tactic. The trick from last time wouldn't work again. He weighed his jutsu options, searching for a surprise for Orochimaru. Kakashi knew many possibilities, but making the right choice was crucial.
With a smooth evasive maneuver, Kakashi dodged Orochimaru's next attack. His mind raced as he weighed his options. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
He gathered his chakra and quickly formed the seal for the jutsu. "Doton: Doryūsō no jutsu!" Kakashi caused large stone barriers to rapidly rise from the ground in front of him, moving swiftly towards Orochimaru. The massive barriers of solid rock were difficult to evade, forcing Orochimaru into quick evasive actions.
While Orochimaru dodged the incoming barriers, Kakashi used the precious time to strategically reposition himself and plan his next moves. Swiftly forming more hand seals, suddenly a shadow clone appeared beside him. With lightning speed, the clone rushed towards Orochimaru.
The shadow clone threw several kunais, prepared with explosive tags. Orochimaru effortlessly dodged them, and they struck the ground, exploding and kicking up dust. In the chaos, Kakashi seized the opportunity to stealthily hide among the stone barriers and the remaining smoke cloud.
Orochimaru leaped out of the dust cloud, a kunai firmly in his hand, his piercing gaze sweeping over the training ground. Simultaneously, Kakashi's shadow clone emerged from the smoke and attacked the Sannin. Exploiting this distraction, Kakashi skillfully moved quietly through the stone barriers and the remaining smoke cloud to the other side of the field. His plan was clear: launch a surprise attack from behind and corner Orochimaru.
With a powerful kick, Orochimaru struck the shadow clone, causing it to dissipate. Brief surprise flickered in Orochimaru's eyes, and Kakashi immediately seized the opportunity. Armed with a kunai, he leaped out of hiding and charged towards Orochimaru, a victorious smile on his face as he flew towards the Sannin.
Suddenly, Orochimaru spun around and dissolved into a cloud of smoke - another shadow clone! Kakashi landed gracefully on his feet, but before he could think further, he sensed something behind him. Swiftly whirling around, he saw several kunais flying towards him. A slight smile played on his lips. Indeed, Orochimaru was the perfect training partner.
Just as he was about to initiate an evasive maneuver, Kakashi suddenly felt strong arms grab him firmly. For a moment, he squinted his eyes shut, then quickly opened them and looked upward. Sakumo held him tightly against his chest, his gaze angrily fixed on the forest. Kakashi immediately began to squirm, and slowly Sakumo let him slide down to the ground. Kakashi fixed his father with a stern look, while Sakumo continued to stare fixedly into the woods.
"What was that supposed to be!?" growled Sakumo, his voice filled with discontent. At that moment, Orochimaru casually strolled towards them, though Kakashi could clearly see the anger in his gaze. A heavy lump formed in Kakashi's throat – this situation could escalate quickly.
Orochimaru stopped in front of them and locked eyes with Sakumo. "That's what I should be asking! Didn't you say you would stay out of this? Then why did you intervene?!" His voice was cold and controlled.
Kakashi felt Sakumo's tension rising, his hands clenched into fists, his chakra visibly simmering. "Why did I intervene? Because you nearly impaled my son with those kunais!"
Kakashi's eyes widened in horror. Hadn't his father noticed that Kakashi had the situation under control? While the kunais were threateningly close, Kakashi had already been in a defensive posture. As an experienced shinobi, Sakumo should have recognized that. Even during their fight, Kakashi had seen that Orochimaru also had everything under control and never initiated lethal attacks, even if they were tougher than Minato's attacks during his practice fights.
Orochimaru chuckled amusedly, a dark determination gleaming in his eyes. "Did you really watch the fight? The boy had everything under control, he would have dodged the kunais," the Sannin hissed threateningly. "Stop seeing with the eyes of a father and start seeing with the eyes of a shinobi. Then you would have realized everything was under control. I'm surprised you didn't intervene after the first strike!"
For a moment, Sakumo seemed to hesitate, his fists slowly loosening. He bit his lower lip, still glaring at Orochimaru with a dark expression. Kakashi watched the two men intently, amazed to see his father rendered speechless.
Orochimaru seemed not done yet and pressed on. "Kakashi clearly has talent that even you cannot deny. But if you constantly coddle him and don't nurture it, he'll amount to nothing. We're on the brink of war, and with Kakashi's talent, he'll soon need to be on the front lines. Or do you really think Sensei will keep him a genin forever with these skills?" His words carried a mocking undertone.
Sakumo flinched briefly before regaining his resolve. "I've made other arrangements with the Hokage. As long as Kakashi remains a genin, he stays in the village and takes on only light missions," he retorted sharply.
This information was news to Kakashi; he had no idea about this arrangement. Now the question arose whether it had been in place from the beginning or if it was effective only after his last mission.
But before Kakashi could ponder further, Orochimaru began to laugh grimly. "Come on, Sakumo!" His voice carried anger. "Do you seriously think he'll remain a genin until he's an adult? Maybe it's time for you to face reality! He'll definitely participate in the next Chunin exams. He's already at Chunin level, and I'd even argue he's approaching Jonin level. Perhaps the boy just lacks experience," he stated coolly.
Sakumo gritted his teeth, his gaze piercing as he fixed it on Orochimaru. "You're arrogant, Orochimaru. Kakashi will have his time to develop without being pushed too hard."
Orochimaru took a deep breath before continuing with an intense voice. "You were the one who allowed him to graduate at five years old, and now you refuse to acknowledge that fact. Just like Minato, you're responsible for soon visiting him at the cemetery!"
Sakumo's anger surged as he menacingly stepped closer to Orochimaru. "You have no idea!" Sakumo growled, his chakra flaring intensely. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, considering how he could defuse the situation, but he sensed it was better not to intervene.
Orochimaru stood unfazed, silently staring at Sakumo. Then he turned away, glancing back over his shoulder. "Then I can't help you."
Sakumo clenched his fists, his anger still burning within him. He stared fixedly at Orochimaru, while Kakashi looked back and forth between them with concern. The tension was palpable, and he felt the situation was on the brink of escalating.
Then Orochimaru turned to Kakashi. "I told you I'm not interested. Find yourself another sensei." With those brief words, the Sannin began to move away.
"Orochimaru-sensei!" Kakashi called after him, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop him. Now anger was rising in Kakashi too, mixed with frustration. His father was in the process of ruining his plan to get Orochimaru's help. Determinedly, Kakashi turned to Sakumo, whose anger had slightly subsided as he thoughtfully watched Orochimaru leave. "What was that about? Why did you have to react like that?"
Sakumo's eyes immediately turned to Kakashi. "What do you mean?" he asked in a calmer tone.
"Orochimaru is right! You have to stop seeing me just as your son. I'm a shinobi, and you allowed it when I became a genin. Before my poisoning, you didn't care what I did either. You were always on missions and never interested in what was going on with me! In the end, you would have left me alone anyway!" Kakashi screamed in frustration.
Even though he knew he was exaggerating and dredging up old issues, his emotions overwhelmed him, and he couldn't hold them back. The frustration that his plan to help Orochimaru was on the brink made him lose control.
"Kakashi, I didn't know..." Sakumo whispered, then fell silent abruptly.
Kakashi felt shame rise within him as he realized how childish his reaction had been. Yet, he was still too angry to speak reasonably with his father. He turned away and began to slowly leave the training ground. Gradually, reason returned, and he realized it was unfair to take out his anger on his father and make accusations that he had long forgiven him for.
"Kakashi, please stay and let's talk!" his father called after him.
Kakashi paused briefly. "Please let me have a moment alone," he said, skillfully leaping away through the trees. He just needed a moment for himself.
***********
After calming himself at the memorial stone and having time to reflect on everything, Kakashi set off. Instead of going straight home, he decided to visit Minato first. Although he had somewhat calmed down, he still felt frustration and anger. His father's reaction continued to bother him. He realized that he was to blame for his father's protective behavior. Kakashi's poisoning and the near-fatal outcome had left deep wounds in Sakumo.
Yet Kakashi couldn't understand why his father couldn't see that everything had gone well during the training. Orochimaru's accusations had some validity, even if they were harshly worded. Sakumo needed to confront the harsh reality that he couldn't protect Kakashi from everything. The burden on his father's shoulders was palpable, especially since he seemingly failed to protect Kakashi once before.
Kakashi was also angry at himself. He had overreacted and behaved like a little child. Perhaps the change in his body and the time travel had indeed affected his mind. Kakashi earnestly hoped that wasn't the case. He definitely didn't want to revert to being an immature child again—it was burdensome enough that his body matched that of a child. To calm himself, Kakashi attributed his exaggerated reaction to the extraordinary nature of the situation.
However, Kakashi knew he needed to calm down quickly and reconcile with his father. The accusations he had made were unfair. His father didn't understand the true significance, and Kakashi couldn't explain it to him either. A conversation with him was urgently needed, but not today. It would be better if both could first think calmly about everything. After that, he would set about talking to Orochimaru. Perhaps he could calm the Sannin down again and convince him to remain his sensei.
Trying to push aside his thoughts, he finally arrived. Determinedly, he knocked on the door and didn't wait long before Minato opened it. Minato looked at Kakashi confusedly. "Kakashi!? What brings you here?"
"I had a fight with my father, he's so stubborn!" Kakashi burst out directly, pushing past Minato into the apartment. Without paying further attention to Minato, who closed the front door again, Kakashi began to take off his sandals. "He's ruining my whole plan to help Orochimaru."
"Um, Kakashi, maybe..." Minato began cautiously.
But Kakashi ignored him and simply cut him off. "The worst part is, I behaved like a little child and threw things at him that are long in the past! And it's also my own fault that my father is so protective!"
"Kakashi!?" Minato called out urgently.
"If I hadn't poisoned myself, things wouldn't be so complicated!" Kakashi exclaimed frustratedly, stood up, and noticed Minato's shocked face. Minato had directed his gaze past Kakashi.
Kakashi flinched and turned around immediately, his color draining from his face as he saw Kushina standing there, looking at him bewildered and horrified. "Kakashi? What are you talking about?" Her gaze shifted to Minato. "What's going on here, Minato?"
Kakashi swallowed hard, his day was getting worse, even though he thought it couldn't get any worse. He was facing a problem.