Glimmer of Hope
Kakashi packed his gear for the upcoming training session. With skilled hands, he carefully filled his weapon pouch and meticulously checked that he had everything he needed. After ensuring that everything was in place, he fastened the weapon pouch to his side and left his bedroom, ready for whatever might come.
His first glance fell on the closed door to the study. His father had probably retreated there again. They hadn't exchanged a word since their argument a week ago. Kakashi felt the fear and gnawing guilt that tormented him. His words had deeply hurt his father, and the guilt weighed heavily on him.
He quickly turned away and went to the kitchen. There, he hastily packed his lunch for the training session. Going shopping had become increasingly difficult for him. Their money was still sufficient—thanks to the numerous missions Sakumo had completed, they had enough wealth to last for a while. But Kakashi was increasingly worried about their future. His father was no longer going on missions and earning no money. Kakashi’s missions didn’t bring in much money either; at the moment, he was only doing D-rank missions.
He always paid attention to where and what he bought to manage their money sparingly. But a few days ago, he had noticed that a shopkeeper had charged him more than necessary. Kakashi had carefully calculated the cost of his purchases beforehand, but at the checkout, he had to pay almost double. At that moment, Kakashi decided to say nothing. He didn't want to cause trouble and silently accepted the injustice.
After packing everything, he went back to the hallway and put on his sandals. He grabbed the doorknob and turned around one more time. "I'm leaving now, see you later!" he called into the house, fully aware that there would be no response. Nevertheless, he repeated this ritual every time, hoping to eventually hear a reply.
Then he left the house and headed for the training ground. His hands disappeared into his pockets as he leisurely strolled along the streets. Kakashi deliberately chose a secluded path to avoid the villagers' gossip, even if it meant taking a detour. He didn't want to endure their curious glances and whispered comments.
Kakashi felt his stomach tighten with nervousness as he approached the training ground. He knew it was wrong to lie to Minato about the conversation with his father, and now he regretted it. His sensei did so much for him and always supported him, but Kakashi couldn't tell him the truth. He wanted to hide the argument with his father. To maintain his little white lie, he planned to ask for a day off today. To avoid raising Minato’s suspicion, he would pretend that the picnic was actually happening.
It was no longer the right season for a picnic, but he would claim that they simply had it at home. Minato should believe that his father was taking care of Kakashi and didn’t need to worry. Kakashi wanted to give the impression that he had everything under control and could manage on his own.
Upon arriving at the training ground, Kakashi immediately began his warm-up exercises. As usual, it didn’t take long for Minato to show up. Kakashi had just finished his exercises when Minato approached him with a friendly smile. But Kakashi quickly noticed that his sensei seemed tense.
"Good morning, Kakashi!" Minato greeted him as he came to a stop in front of him. "Are you doing well?"
Kakashi nodded. "Good morning, Minato-sensei! I'm fine." He hesitated for a moment, then looked down at the ground. "I have a question.”
For a moment, there was a tense silence until Minato cleared his throat and broke the stillness. "What do you want to ask, Kakashi?”
Kakashi looked up at Minato uncertainly, guilt gnawing at him. "I wanted to ask if I could have the next few days off. My father wants to make up for the picnic with me.”
Minato raised an eyebrow but kept his smile. "Of course, that can be arranged. But I have some news to share with you. You won't have much free time in the near future," he explained to Kakashi with a mysterious undertone.
Kakashi looked up at Minato questioningly, his curiosity piqued. "What news is that?"
Minato rummaged through his bag, pulled out a piece of paper, and held it up. "This is your registration!"
Kakashi frowned. "My registration? For what?"
"For the Chunin Exams!" Minato announced with a beaming smile.
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise as he took the registration form that Minato handed him. His eyes scanned the paper, absorbing every detail. Then he looked back at Minato. "I get to participate in the Chunin Exams? But don't I need a team for that?"
Minato crouched down in front of Kakashi and nodded in confirmation. "Exactly, you do. For the Chunin Exams, you will be assigned to a team."
Quiet doubts began to rise in Kakashi. The idea of being placed in a new team made him hesitate. What would they think of him? The fear of being judged because of his father gnawed at him. But he remained silent. Minato couldn’t change that anyway. Kakashi would have to deal with it alone. Yet another question burned on his tongue.
Kakashi looked at the registration again, his expression thoughtful. "Does that mean we're no longer a team?" he asked quietly. Kakashi was excited to participate in the exams and prove himself. But at the same time, he longed to remain part of Minato's team. His sensei was the only one who stood by him unconditionally at this moment. Even if he didn't show it openly, Minato had become important to him.
A reassuring hand rested on his shoulder, and Kakashi looked back up at Minato, who gave him an encouraging smile. "We’ll still be a team, don’t worry. This change is only for the Chunin Exams, and I’ll be with you the whole time. You'll meet your new teammates in the next few days and train with them," he assured him. Then he added quietly, "I won’t leave you alone."
Kakashi felt the hand on his shoulder tighten briefly before Minato withdrew it. For a moment, Kakashi looked him directly in the eyes before nodding resolutely. "I won’t disappoint you, Minato-sensei!" he assured with a determined look. His hands gripped the paper a bit tighter as his eyes rested on it again.
It wasn’t just an opportunity to prove himself, but also to redeem his father's failed mission. Kakashi saw it as a chance to bring the name Hatake back into a positive light. It was an opportunity to help his father, and Kakashi knew he had to try especially hard.
"You won’t, Kakashi!" Minato pulled Kakashi out of his thoughts, and he looked back into Minato's serious eyes. The expression on his sensei’s face was determined. "Listen to me carefully now!" Kakashi nodded resolutely in response, and Minato continued. "No matter how the exam turns out or what happens there, you could never disappoint me!”
Kakashi looked at Minato, speechless for a moment, feeling a slight blush of embarrassment on his cheeks, luckily hidden by his mask. He quickly turned away. "Sensei!" he protested. "Stop it!"
Minato laughed heartily and patted Kakashi on the shoulder before standing up again. "Then let’s get started! We’ll show the others what you’re made of!”
Kakashi looked back at Minato, a broad smile spreading across his lips as he nodded in agreement. A wave of confidence washed over him, and he was sure that, with Minato’s help, he would master the exam. He would do everything to make everyone proud and help his father. For Kakashi, this moment, after weeks of struggle, was a small glimmer of hope that everything might finally turn for the better.