At the beginning

The shrill melody of his alarm clock shattered the morning silence, pulling Minato from his slumber. With a yawn, he sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes sleepily, and put an end to the alarm with a purposeful gesture. His gaze flickered over the clock – an early hour, yet he chose not to risk a single second. As a sensei, he certainly didn't want to give the impression of being late.

Without further ado, he swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Minato was a Jonin; naturally, he was ready for action when needed. However, in his free time, he also enjoyed staying in bed a bit longer and starting the day leisurely. Such days didn't necessarily come around often, but they existed. He was well aware that these days would become rarer now that he had a student.

Minato reached for a carefully prepared stack of clothing that he had laid out the night before. He leisurely made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Freshly and skillfully dressed, he then strolled into the kitchen.

There, he began preparing breakfast and also packed lunch for the break. Once everything was ready, he set the breakfast on the table and began to eat. His gaze wandered to the wall clock above the door. It was still early. He was ahead of schedule, but that didn't bother him.

In his thoughts, he went through what he had planned for the day once again. Overall, he was content, but concerns lingered. Minato assumed that Kakashi would tell his father about the day. At least, he thought children of that age would do so. Doubts arose about how Kakashi's father perceived his teaching methods. Doubts circled in his mind. After Kushina emphatically insisted that he must set aside his doubts, he tried. Truly, perhaps out of fear of getting more trouble from Kushina. In any case, risking it was not advisable; Minato was sure of that.

After finishing his breakfast and swiftly tidying up the kitchen, Minato grabbed his equipment. With careful precision, he checked if everything was complete. Then, he slipped into his sandals, secured his weapon pouches, and set off determinedly.

Leaving the house, Minato relished the fresh morning air. The training ground wasn't far away. As he pondered Kakashi, he casually slipped his hands into his pockets. Over the past week, he had contemplated what he knew about children. In the end, he concluded that children were loud, loved sweets, talked a lot, and were curious. He simply hoped he would get along with Kakashi and that they would make a good team.

Turning the corner, Minato could already see the training ground. It would be at least another hour before Kakashi arrived. So, as he approached the area, Minato decided to warm up a bit. Just as he was about to step onto the field, he paused. Quickly, he leaped onto a nearby tree. Crouching, he landed on a thick branch. His gaze shifted to the other side of the training ground. Under a tree, there stood a small boy with silver, unruly hair. The lower half of his face was covered with a mask. He had his arms crossed, leaning against a tree, staring into the sky. Minato frowned; there was no doubt in his mind that this had to be Kakashi. The Hitai-ate revealed it to him..

As he continued observing the boy, he wondered why he was already there. After all, they still had an hour until they were supposed to meet. Perhaps Kakashi was as excited and nervous as Minato. The thought eased some tension for Minato; it made Kakashi somehow endearing. With a smile, he leaped down from the tree, landing gently on the training ground. Smiling warmly, Minato approached the boy. Kakashi seemed to notice him quickly; the boy immediately stood upright, staring over at Minato.

As Minato got closer, he saw curious eyes locked onto him. Upon reaching Kakashi, he crouched down in front of him and extended his hand. "You must be Kakashi, right?" Kakashi's gaze shifted to his hand; he hesitated for a moment. Then, a small, gentle hand nestled into his. Joy swelled in Minato's chest.

"Pleased to meet you! My name is Minato Namikaze, and starting today, I'll be your sensei. I hope we get along well, and you're just as excited as I am."

Kakashi's gaze lifted again. "Nice to meet you, Sensei Minato. I'll do my best not to disappoint you."

Minato looked at Kakashi with a slight sense of surprise; he hadn't expected that. Slowly, he released Kakashi's hand and stood up. Kakashi looked at Minato with an earnest expression. As Minato straightened up, he examined the boy before him. Unlike what Minato had anticipated, Kakashi stood tall, appearing attentive and calm. Minato hadn't expected this from a five-year-old—more like a perfect little shinobi. Quickly dismissing the thought, Minato spoke again.

"Well then, I've planned out what we'll do today. First, I thought it would be nice for us to get to know each other a bit better."

Kakashi tilted his head and blinked up at Minato in confusion. "Do you mean we should showcase our abilities?"

Now it was Minato's turn to blink at Kakashi. He looked at him with confusion. "I was thinking more along the lines of what you like or dislike. What you do in your free time, what hobbies you have. Maybe something about your family. Anything you'd like to share." Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at Minato. This was not a look he expected from a child. It seemed he didn't like it, and Minato felt a bit uneasy.

The little boy crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. "I don't understand what that's good for. Shouldn't we be training so I can get stronger and be useful to the village?"

Minato was momentarily speechless. Despite having contemplated children's behavior over the past week, he felt caught off guard by Kakashi. Minato had concerns, but there was no time for that. Kakashi was waiting for an answer, and Minato had to think of something. He wasn't prepared for this question.

"Well, we're supposed to become a team, and as a team, understanding each other is crucial. Good teamwork is important, especially for successful missions," Minato tried to explain.

Kakashi still looked suspiciously up at Minato but seemed to ponder the words and gave in. He nodded, letting his arms fall back to his sides. Relief washed over Minato. Perhaps things would go more smoothly from now on.

"Alright, let's sit down. It's cozier and makes it more comfortable to talk," Minato suggested. Still with a suspicious look, Kakashi sat beside Minato and glanced at him. Minato couldn't quite read his expression. "So, go ahead, Kakashi."

Kakashi furrowed his brow, seeming to ponder. After a moment of silence, he slumped a bit. "I don't know what to say," he mumbled eventually. Kakashi looked away, appearing slightly offended; it seemed uncomfortable for him.

Deciding to take the lead with minimal words, Minato began, "Okay, so I enjoy my girlfriend Kushina's cooking. She's an excellent cook, and I like spending time with her. I find joy in sleeping in, although it doesn't happen often. There's not much I dislike. In my free time, I like to read. As for my family, there isn't much to say – Kushina is my family, and I love her dearly. My biggest dream is to become Hokage someday. That requires hard training." As he finished, he looked expectantly at Kakashi. However, Minato quickly recognized Kakashi's impassive face. It wouldn't be easy. "Now, give it a try."

Kakashi huffed once, straightened up, and began to speak. "Well, I like my training and learning new jutsus. What I don't like is sweets and loud things. In my free time, I enjoy training or studying – it's fun for me. My father is Sakumo Hatake, and I'm very proud of him! I don't have a dream... well, maybe I do. I want to become one of the strongest shinobi in the village." Kakashi looked proudly at Minato, seeming content with himself.

Minato looked at Kakashi, surprise evident in his gaze. Kakashi was different – perhaps Minato had focused too much on the age and hadn't considered that a child who graduated at the age of five must be different. Kakashi behaved too mature for his age. It pained Minato as he looked at Kakashi, not fully understanding it in that moment. Despite his uncertainty, he dared to ask, "Do you do anything else in your free time, apart from training or studying? Maybe play with other kids or go to the playground?"

Kakashi frowned, raising an eyebrow. The question didn't seem to sit well with him. "That's something only kids do. I'm not a kid anymore! I don't see the point; it doesn't help me progress. It's not useful, and it doesn't make me stronger," he replied indifferently, shrugging.

Minato lowered his gaze. This child fundamentally differed from others. His behavior was more mature than it should be, and it weighed on Minato. In that moment, it didn't feel right to be teaching this boy. Before he could dwell on it further, Kakashi snapped him out of his thoughts. "Can we finally start? I think we've wasted enough time." Minato lifted his gaze, innocent eyes looking at him.

Minato was dissatisfied with the comments; Kakashi was testing his patience. He disliked how critically the boy spoke about his teaching methods. Originally, he had expected Kakashi to show more enthusiasm. For now, he swallowed down a retort; it wasn't in his interest to start an argument on the first day. He reminded himself that Kakashi was still a child, straightforwardly expressing what he thought. Minato slowly stood up and sighed. "Of course, let's begin." Immediately, Kakashi rose, looking at him expectantly. The upcoming part seemed to appeal more to the boy.

Minato led Kakashi to the training ground. When they reached the center of the field, Minato looked at Kakashi and spoke calmly, "Kakashi, today we'll start with basic exercises to assess your skills. I want to figure out where you stand and how we can improve your abilities."

Kakashi nodded solemnly and followed the instructions. Minato guided him through various techniques, attentively observing his progress. Time flew by, and Kakashi demonstrated remarkable skills. Minato couldn't deny that Kakashi had talent. For his age, he was highly advanced, displaying exceptional abilities. His chakra control was already impressive, though not yet perfect. His movements were fluid and precise, allowing for almost no errors. Slowly, Minato understood why Kakashi had already graduated. He surpassed children of his age and even older ones by far.

As noon approached, Minato called Kakashi over. He immediately ran towards him, and Minato gave him a gentle smile. "You did well. You've impressed me, Kakashi. I'm proud of you."

Kakashi nodded in response. "Thank you, Sensei!"

Minato gestured to the edge of the training ground and said, "Let's take a break and have something to eat first. After that, I'll show you what I can do, and then I thought we could have a little spar." Kakashi nodded but made no move to join Minato. Confused, Minato looked at him, inwardly sighing; he knew something was bothering Kakashi again. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi gave Minato an inscrutable look and said, "I don't need a break; I'd rather continue. After all, we've wasted enough time sitting around this morning." Kakashi impatiently gazed at Minato.

Minato closed his eyes, without giving it another thought, it burst out of him – his patience had run out. "Kakashi, I explained to you this morning why it wasn't a waste of time. I don't want to hear any more about it, understood? If I think it's important, we'll do it. I'm the sensei, after all. I didn't expect to have to explain to you why breaks are important. So please come now and eat your lunch!" After uttering the words, he cursed himself internally. Maybe he had expressed it too harshly, but he had had enough. He was still young, a teenager himself. Of course, he was a jonin and had good control, but Kakashi managed to test his patience.

Kakashi himself stared at Minato with wide eyes, then avoided the older one's gaze and said ashamed, "Hai! I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll behave from now on." Then he ran off, grabbed his food, moved away from Minato's spot, and sat down in the grass. Minato sighed, went to his bag, took out his lunch, and sat down in the grass too. They ate in silence. Kakashi had turned slightly away, showing Minato his back. Minato left it uncommented and simply continued eating. No one had told him how challenging it was to be a sensei. Doubts rose in him about whether he was even fit for the role.

The remaining training, Minato was relieved to find, proceeded without further incidents. Minato showcased his techniques and skills to Kakashi. He thought he saw respect in Kakashi's eyes as he teleported across the training ground with remarkable speed. However, since lunch, Kakashi had been notably quiet and spoke only when prompted. Minato's guilt grew larger with each passing moment. Perhaps he should talk to him and explain himself. He was well aware that his tone had been too harsh. But he couldn't bring himself to admit it; it embarrassed him. After all, he was the older of the two and should have enough understanding to discuss such matters sensibly.

After Minato finished, they both stood up and began their sparring session. It became clear to Minato once again how talented Kakashi was. Of course, the boy stood no chance, but he held his own. Minato was impressed that Kakashi didn't give up and kept going. He seemed quite ambitious, which Minato liked. He decided to push Kakashi to his limits and see how far he could go. When he realized Kakashi had reached his limit, he ended the fight.

Proudly, he observed the young genin. Exhausted, Kakashi knelt down, taking deep breaths. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his face had a slight rosy tint. Minato briefly felt a twinge of concern if he had gone too far, but in the next moment, Kakashi rose and reached for his water bottle. Minato himself was far from reaching his limits – Kakashi had much to learn to keep up with him. However, Minato had no doubt that this day would come. And in a strange way, he was already looking forward to it.

Minato decided to end the training since Kakashi was too exhausted to continue, and it was already late. He turned to Kakashi, smiled warmly, and said, "Let's call it a day for now. You did a great job today!" Kakashi looked at Minato, nodded, and began packing his belongings. While Minato gathered his own clothes, he observed Kakashi closely. Despite Kakashi's attempt to conceal it well, Minato recognized his exhaustion. Therefore, he chose to safely accompany him home. It didn't feel right to leave him alone. Perhaps, this also provided an opportunity for a conversation between them.

Determined, he turned to Kakashi after collecting everything. "Come on, I'll take you home." Minato observed Kakashi's reaction attentively, though the latter remained unreadable.

Kakashi turned slightly away and waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright, Sensei. I'm not a little kid anymore; I can find my way home."

Naturally, Minato should have known better. Kakashi would never allow himself to be casually escorted home. He sighed and said wearily, "Kakashi, let me accompany you, please. I'd be happy to do that."

Kakashi sighed, apparently too tired to continue protesting. "Do what you must. Just don't take too long." Then Kakashi walked away without glancing back at Minato. Minato considered it a small success and followed Kakashi. Perhaps an opportunity would arise to discuss their conflict – he should apologize.

It would definitely become very interesting. Minato became aware that being a sensei was not as easy as he had imagined; he had envisioned it being simpler. But everything was different than expected. They would surely find a way to get along. It just took time. Minato needed to be patient.