The Hatake pup is crazy

“The Hatake pup is crazy,” is the new rumour going around the village. The good thing is that most people dismiss it as just that. A rumour. Because what could a five year old genin hopeful have done to a Jounin. Puked on his clothes?And yet everyday, there is a new victim in his vicinity.

Another druken sneer of a man near the Hatake compound that their neighbours had conviniently chosen to ignore. He hurls a broken glass bottle towards the compound and Kakashi lets it cut at his cheek bones, smirking. “Summoning Jutsu,” Kakashi’s lip wobbles deliberately. “Pa…Pakkun….bad shinobi san hurt me….he attacked the Hatake clan ground…..” he sniffles and Pakkun sees red.

He rips the man a new one. He has half a mind to tear the shinobi to pieces but settles on breaking of a few bones. He knows Sakumo wouldn’t approve murder of a comrade, even if it was to protect his own son.

“It’s not safe Kakashi kun,” Pakkun softly tells the boy. “Please do not loiter on the clan grounds post sun down. Have you eaten anything?” Kakashi nods, whimpering. “Do you want to touch my paw pad pup, it’s soft and supple,” Pakkun offers and Kakashi purrs as he lets Pakkun touch his face.”Come let’s take you to bed.”

“Where’s Sakumo?” Pakkun doesn’t ask. The man is probably passed out from too much sake and Kakashi kun doesn’t need to know that. Doesn’t need to see that. So he summons Bisuke and other pups and they sleep with Kakashi that night.Little does he know that Sakumo has been fed and tucked into bed. Kakashi has been giving him sleeping pills , to ensure that he doesn’t have to suffer from the bad dreams or cowards of the village at night.

Kakashi is training , atleast pretending to train on outskirts of the village when he hears a Kunoichi spat his Tou -san’s name. In no time, several kunai kinves are digging into her right arm and torso, barely missing vital points. She is a chunin , the war promotee kind. She isn’t particulary adept at combat. She wasn’t a sensor. She would be out of commission for weeks and would never know she was punished by a five year old, who wasn’t really five.Not until he wants her to.

She panicks, thinking it was an enemy attack and rushes towards the village hospital. Once discharged, on her way home, Kakashi greets her, his baby face scrunched in concern as he looks at her bandages. “What happened Kunoichi san. Who hurt you? ”, he asks and makes sure the villagers see him moved to near tears” I will not let anyone hurt my comrades!” he excliams loudly and the gullible people coo in awe. She explains to the bystanders that she was caught in a surpise attack and as they proceed to leave, Kakashi requests her to lean down“You shouldn’t blatantly talk about resepctable shinobis you could only dream of living upto,” he whispers and her breath hitches in her throat.She doesn’t even see him move as he disappears into thin air.

There’s another one buying flowers from the Yamanaka shop, speaking loudly of his Tou-san. He is a bottom, fodder tier Jounin. Kakashi doesn’t approach him. When he goes home though, his apartment is on fire.

Kakashi sees Sakumo’s team mates while grocery shopping and runs upto them on his little feet, bowing sincerely. “ Ryu san, Akio san, Kaito san. “ He looks at them with wide eyes and an even wider contagious grin, “Are you ok? I am so glad you came back with Tou-san.” They look like deers caught in headlight . “I am glad too,” Akio says and she can’t help but smile at the child as her team mates join in hestiantly. “Is Sakumo san doing ok?”

Kakashi looks at the ground, his smiley goofy face suddenly takes on a pained apperance. “He misses you all. He says he doesn’t regret anything. He made his choice and those who break the rules are scum in shinobi world afterall.” Kakashi nudges them deliberately. “He looks sad,” he adds, tears pooling at his eyes and the three shinobis can’t help but kneel down and murmur assurances to him. “That’s not true,” Ryo states staunchly, “Sakumo saved us. He didn’t abandon us,” he says, voice quivering with emotion.

Kakashi knows no one really condemns their saviour unless it’s out of fear. He knows they live in a cruel society that would disreagrd years of blood and sweat at a momentary mis-step.He hopes to channel his inner Naruto, hopes to make them abandon their cowardice.

“Are those who abandon comrades worse than those who break rules, Ryo san. Are those who condemn other shinobi really the weak ones?” Kakashi asks them tone oh so innocent and stares satisfied as the realisation dawns on them. They drop the pup to Hatake compound and assure Sakumo that he did the right thing. That they will stand tall with him and face any coward of a shinobi that dares disgrace the white fang.

The word spreads slowly but surely, speaking ill of the white fang is a bad omen. The whispers start dwindling and Kakashi hopes the adults have enough sense to not admit losing in combat to a psycotic five year old.

He puts too much hope in people’s common sense sometimes he decides as he and Sakumo are summoned to Hokage’s office. The man from the night is rambling on about how Hatake pup had set the ninja dogs on him. There are two other kunoichis and a chunin with him, complaining that a five year old had attacked them. Thankfully for Kakashi, they are complaining to the Sandaime Hokage and the Sandaime is an emotional idiot.

“Kakashi kun,” he says as sets the pipe down on table. “Did you do all of that?” Tears pool at his eyes in an instant and he sniffles. “How could Kakashi had hurt them Hokage sama,” Sakumo interrupts , “He’s five. Please do not punish him for my mistakes, please…” there is a desperate edge to his request.

Sandaime smiles at his friend. “I know Sakumo, but it’s my job to ask,” he says. The complaining shinobis grunt in anger. “We seek justice Hokage sama, irrespective of the age….the boy attacked his comrades, it's treason! And it runs in the family....”

“Silence…” the Sandaime commands.

“Kakashi kun…please come here” he says expectantly as he picks up the boy’s small body , as tears rain down and dampen his navy mask, he notices a deep cut on his cheekbone, just above the mask's outline. “How were you hurt,” he asks and Kakashi pretends to look away in fear.”You may speak freely. I am the Hokage, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Kakashi sniffles some more and grips at the Hokages cloack with his pudgy , small hands. “Shinobi san said bad words about Tou-san and he…he threw a bottle on the clan ground so Pakkun went to check,” he said. “ They are saying bad things Hokage sama, “ Kakashi says, his voice trembles. “But Tou-san says that the Hokage protects everyone and…and he says…..Ryu san says that those who break shinobi rules are scum but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum,” Kakashi singsongs, pulling off the hurt puppy gig to perfection.

Sandaime is furious at the imprudence of full fleged shinobis attacking a child. He warns them that they were lucky to get away with a few broken bones. He issues a gag order on anyone further speaking anything disgraceful of Sakumo’s mission, a village wide order by Hokage to tell the people to shut the fuck up. The next morning, those idiots will have mission summons in their hand, for a long and tedious infiltration mission they probably won't survive.

Becuase Kakashi’s puppy eyes had teased at Sandaime's will of fire and he couldn’t fault Sakumo after what the pup had said and couldn’t allow him to be dragged into all of this. As the cowardly scum shinobis are dismissed, Hiruzen shares a cup of sake with this old friend and Kakashi goes home to a warm , safe compund, his pudgy hand holding on to his father’s jacket as he is perched on top of his shoulders.

“Thank you Kakashi,” Sakumo says silently, and Kakashi attempts to act as if he doesn’t know what his Tou-san’s talking about. “But it’s my job to protect you pup, please don’t meddle in adult affairs again.”

“What is this about,” he tries to sound innocent.

“I know it was you. You shouldn’t have..”

Kakashi pouts and huffs. “Pack protects pack,” he says and Sakumo smiles a small weak smile ,wondering when did his pup grow up so much. “Still you are important, you need to be safe” he says. “So are you….I love you so much Tou- san,” he says and knows how much Sakumo needs to hear this…”Promise you will never leave me?” Kakashi asks, his serious ,soft baby voice holds a weight that shouldn’t belong to someone his age.

Sakumo’s voice quivers as he musters all the conviction he can and answers “Pinky Promise!”