Too Young for This
When Izumi had opened her cerulean eyes that morning, allowing herself to first adjust to the bright morning sun before letting out a groan at having to leave the comforting space of her bed, she had not expected what was to come. At first, her day had begun like any other: with her parents she calmly ate breakfast, listening to her father's fact of the day with interest before getting ready to meet up with her team, and maybe get a mission to do.
Her usual routine was interrupted once Izumi alongside her team had reached the Hokage tower. Like they normally would, they made their way to the mission desk and requested a rank-appropriate mission, expecting to be handed a scroll with information and to then leave. Instead, as soon as they had arrived, Izumi had been called to see the Hokage.
"Huh?" She had answered stupidly when the Hokage's assistant came to pick her up.
"You heard me." grumbled the assistant in response, beckoning her to follow him.
Izumi let out a sign at the interruption, turning towards her team with a slight scowl. "I'll see you later then." With a wave she turned on her heel and followed the assistant towards the Hokage's office, mind running haywire trying to figure out what it was that he wanted to discuss. At the same time, she remembered that there was something she also had to discuss with him. Urgently.
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"Inoichi-oji," said Izumi in surprise, almost gaping at her uncle. "What are you doing here?"
The blond man in question let out a chuckle at the sight of his niece. "Nice to see you too, little one. I'm here to discuss something with you, actually."
Minato nodded, confirming the man's words.
"Usually when we want for someone to join the Barrier Team, we don't do that through the Hokage. But you are a special case," Again, Minato nodded in confirmation. "We usually offer a position from age 16 upwards and since you are underage, your application has to go through the Hokage to approve."
Izumi looked at her uncle with furrowed brows. "But I didn't hand an application in."
Inoichi let out yet another chuckle. "I'm well aware. I suggested you for the position since you made Jounin."
"This is quite the unusual case," began Minato to explain. "Usually the applicants hand in their own application."
"If we take things theoretically, I haven't handed in an application for her yet. This is merely an offer," said Inoichi, turning to look at his niece. "What do you say, little one? Would you be interested in an apprenticeship?"
"Apprenticeship?" echoed Izumi back.
Inoichi nodded. "It was Hokage-sama's suggestion. Usually, the position entails training first, but it would be best for you to start that a little later, when you are closer to the usual starting age."
"I understand …" said Izumi slowly. "An apprenticeship sounds nice."
The blond Yamanaka held back a snort at her choice of words. "Will you accept or not?"
"I accept!" replied Izumi immediately, nodding enthusiastically.
"Good," smiled Inoichi. "It's always good to gain more competent Shinobi from the new generation."
"I have to agree with Yamanaka-san. It is especially great to recruit those who made Jounin so early." said Minato.
Izumi couldn't help but feel the urge to frown at his sentence, her lips tugging down slightly. The topic she wanted to talk about with the man … Kakashi.
"Hokage-sama, I have to talk about something with you, in private." Izumi glanced at her uncle, who immediately understood.
Inoichi bowed in front of the Hokage respectfully before he turned on his heel and made his way out of the door. He did so but not without walking over to his niece and ruffling her hair affectionately, smiling at her. "Glad to have you on the team from now on, little one. I'll bring the papers to your parents, bring them filled out later to me then."
Izumi smiled back at her uncle. "Will do." Her confirmation was what he needed to leave, his niece watching him leave the office with the smile persisting.
Once Inoichi had left, Minato gave the brunette a small smile. "Please, Izumi, drop the honorifics in private. I would appreciate that."
"Yes, Hokage-sama, uh, I mean, Minato-sensei."
Minato rested his chin on his hand, giving the student in front of him his undivided attention. "Seems like both of us have achieved what we wanted, huh?"
Izumi nodded. "Seems like we did."
"Enough small talk," Minato shook his head for a moment, ending their small talk. "What is it that you want to talk to me about?"
The brunette took a breath before speaking. "Sensei, why did you allow Kakashi to join the ANBU?"
"How do you even know he joined the ANBU?" asked Minato, brows furrowed in confusion. "Did he tell you?"
When Izumi had first figured out that Kakashi, her best friend, had not only joined the ANBU but also avoided telling her of having done so, she had felt betrayed at first. What was it that kept him from telling her? Did he not want to, was that it? The next emotion she felt rather strongly was anger. Who was it to allow him to join? To allow him to subject himself to such a fate at such an age.
Izumi shook her head. "He didn't tell me. But how many ANBU are there who are not the tallest and have silver hair and one Sharingan eye. It was bound to happen that someone puts two and two together once they see him."
Minato blinked at her, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Good point, but I'm still unsure what it is you wanted to discuss."
"The fact that he is too young for this!" argued Izumi, raising her voice at the man.
The blond Hokage let out a sigh. "I admire that about you, Izumi. That you look out for your friend. But trust me on this."
"I'm not sure if I can, Hokage-sama." said Izumi firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Minato sighed at both her statements and the sudden use of honorifics. "Kakashi needs help to find himself again after Rin's death and-"
"The ANBU is the place for that?"
"Yes."
"Hokage-sama I respect you, but I hope you know what you are doing."
"I'm doing the best I can," He rubbed his face, obviously exhausted. The guilt was fully etched into his features, shining in his blue eyes. "Just like you want, I also want to help Kakashi."
"Hokaga-sama, please," Izumi cut herself off, taking a deep breath. "You have to promise me that he will be alright- I need to know."
Minato kept quiet, trying to formulate an answer.
"Minato-sensei, please." Izumi felt almost pathetic with the way she begged for her friend to be alright, for him to not be brought into a darkness that would consume her. His word would never be enough, she knew, but she needed the reassurance, so desperately, she craved the promise.
Yamanaka Izumi was so naive and allowed herself to be. Promises were words that agreed to something, a conditioning of the mind, singing the speaker into a sense of safety. To her, they were much more. They were a sign of trust, and something she could grip onto, a sense of reality.
"I just want the best for Kakashi." It was the answer Minato settled with.
"So do I," Izumi frowned at the man, at his active avoidance. "Put me in the ANBU."
Minato's eyes widened at the request. "Izumi, no, you just accept the position in the Barrier Team-"
"I refuse to let him do that alone, sensei. He's my friend! I know that's not a reason, but I just want him to be alright. So let me join." By now tears had begun in her cerulean eyes, threatening to stream down her cheeks.
The blond Hokage shook his head. "He'll be fine without you joining too, Izumi."
"Why won't you let me?"
"You are too soft for the ANBU."
Izumi scoffed loudly. "And Kakashi isn't?"
"He's a strong person."
"Unlike me?"
"Izumi, that's not the point."
"Sensei, the point is that Kakashi may be losing himself," A sob pushed past her lips. "He deserves so much better. All I want is for him to be happy, to not suffer."
"I want the same, Izumi," said Minato softly as he stood up from the chair behind his desk, walking over to her. "I want the same." He placed his arms around her frame, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Izumi did her best to wipe her eyes dry with her sleeve. "Then why isn't that possible?"
Minato gently rubbed the back of the brunette in a comforting motion. "Idealists like you want it to be, but sometimes it doesn't turn out as expected. But don't get me wrong, the world needs idealists and dreamers between all the realists."
"Why does it feel so wrong, then?" Izumi peeked up at the man, searching in his blue eyes for answers, for something.
"I wish I knew."
"Youhave to make sure he will be okay. I beg of you." In her position, she felt pathetic. Close to sobbing as her sensei, the Hokage no less, held her in an attempt to bring her some comfort.
Minato continued to rub her back. "I will do my best, Izumi." He himself was unsure how to help his student, what it was he could do in order to aid Kakashi.
There was a darkness beginning to consume the silver-haired and somehow, Minato had to make sure it wouldn't be able to.