Chapter 2
"... What do you mean there's going to be a literal five-year old on my team?!" Minato slammed his hands on the desk. "A five year old?! No way, there's no way I'm turning a five-year old into a shinobi that's not-!"
"Minato Namikaze, lower your voice." Hiruzen Sarutobi went calmly.
"No, no! I'm not going to lower my voice! Teaching 8-9 year olds murder techniques is bad enough, now you want to train five-year olds?!"
"Minato Namikaze."
Minato shut his mouth but he didn't look happy. At all.
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, this particular child has talent and strength beyond his years. Believe me, I wouldn't move him up without a reason."
"There is not one reason in this entire damn world that can make you look like less of an as-"
"Minato."
"... Make you look like less of a terrible person who supports sending five-year olds into literal war." Minato finished.
"I thought you knew how to hold your tongue."
"I thought you wouldn't go this low." Minato shot back easily, but he straightened himself up and gave a respectful bow. "But, I assure you, I'll think about it Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen silently slid the file over to him, and Minato left the Hokage's office.
Kakashi was at his father's grave again. He didn't know why. Every time he came here, it was where his father was, but he was never there.
His father may have broken the rules, his name disgraced, and spoken with disgust from everybody, but Kakashi could remember the kind, honorable person his father had been. The way his name was spoken with pride and joy by everybody.
It was confusing. What did everybody else see in his father that he didn't?
His father risked everything to save his comrades. To save lives is what Konoha is all about, right? Yet, even when he did that, he was dishonored and hated even by the people who he saved.
And because of all that, his father decided to swallow a bottle of pills and leave Kakashi behind.
He hated him for it. He knew he had a child, yet he still decided to die without even saying goodbye to Kakashi.
But even through all that he wanted to be with his father. Yet, he was never truly there and would never be again.
The graveyard became a place where Kakashi was quiet. Enough to take a break from all the unfairness of it all and feel the summer heat warm him up.
It was a nice escape from it all.
Then, the yellow-haired guy came.
He was quiet as a mouse when it came to walking. If Kakashi hadn't seen something bright yellow in the corner on his eye, he would've never spotted him.
Yellow had a big smile and he didn't seem hostile at all. He let Kakashi watch him put flowers on the graves with no complaints, and didn't scowl at him like the other adults did when he told them about his family situation. Or non-family situation.
The Yellow was weird. But what was even weirder, was that he knew where Kakashi lived. Which is how we got here.
"... So.... Can I come in?" He laughed nervously, and Kakashi squinted at him.
"How do you even know where I live?"
Yellow silently handed Kakashi a folder, and Kakashi flipped through it before freezing.
Yellow was Minato Namikaze. An elite jonin and prodigy trained personally by the legendary Sanin Jiraiya?
"Oh." Kakashi mumbled.
"Yeah. I wanted to meet my team individually before I meet you guys together." Yellow Minato smiled.
Kakashi nodded and opened the door to his small apartment. It was clean and empty, probably because he was too busy training to decorate.
Luckily, Sakumo had made sure to teach Kakashi manners, even if he didn't use these teachings 70% of the time.
"Would you like something to drink Yellow-sama? I don't think I have anything but I have to ask anyway."
"Yellow?" Yellow Minato echoed with a smile. Kakashi froze.
"Er- Your hair is yellow. And since I didn't know your name it seemed appropriate. Sorry about that."
"Nah, it's fine. I kinda like that nickname actually. Sounds cute."
Kakashi was mildly taken aback by this. 'Sounds cute? I thought he was a jonin?'
"I am a jonin. I just like cute things, that's all. Like puppies and flowers and stuff." Minato supplied. "I've been called girly so many times, it's not even an insult anymore."
"... How-?"
"You said that out loud."
"Oh."
Minato slid into one of the seats at the kitchen table, and Kakashi sat across from him.
"So, you graduated the Academy, right?"
"Yes."
"And you know that you're very very young to have graduated, right?"
".. Are you going to say I'm not strong enough? Because I assure you I am."
"No, I know you're strong. Your performance stats on the file are incredible. I wouldn't expect that from an 8-year old, much less a five-year old."
"Okay."
"I'm here because honestly, I don't want to teach a five-year old. Training 8-year olds murder techniques is bad enough. I hate the fact that we have to train children to put their lives on the line when it's the adults that's supposed to be protecting them. Children should grow up happy, not being taught how to kill and having to deal with the psychological weight that war brings."
"We're not in war though."
"Things with Iwagakure and Kumogakure don't look good. Plus, the elders from Sunagakure hate our village. I don't know why, but they do." Minato looked at Kakashi "Things are going to get much, much worse before they get better. There's going to be a Third Shinobi World War, you can count on it. And no matter how much of an as- er- terrible move it is, Hiruzen Sarutobi will not hesitate to send children into war. I don't want you to get hurt."
"You just met me. Why do you care?"
"Because caring for others never let me down before. And I hope you'll at least reconsider joining my team, but I won't stop you. After all," Minato gave him a bright smile "You must've worked hard to graduate at five years old."
"... I'll think about it Ye- Minato-sama."
"Y'know, you can call me Yellow if you'd like. It's a nice nickname."
"Okay."
Minato stood up. "Well, I'll be going now. I've got two other students to visit after all. Make sure you think about it."
"I will."
And with that, Minato left. Kakashi closed his door and sat on the floor for a few moments.
'Well, what am I going to do? I want to join, but you're supposed to take a shinobi's words into consideration, especially a strong one like Yellow-sama.. If I join, who says he's not going to scale back the work? Hmm...'
"HELLO MY ETERNAL RIVAL! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I CHALLENGE YOU!"
The doorbell ringing repeatedly snapped Kakashi out his thoughts, and he sighed.
"I'm not here!"
"YES YOU ARE I CAN HEAR YOU!"
"No you can't!"
Kakashi carefully crept towards the back of his house.
"YES I CAN! OPEN UP OR I WILL KICK THE DOOR DOWN IN THE NAME OF YOUTH!"
"Okay do it then. I'm not here."
"OKAY IF YOU INSIST!"
Kakashi fled out the window and bolted into the woods as the person behind the door kicked it down.