Chapter 3
Kakashi, as a trained Jonnin and ANBU captain, did not laugh at the terrified faces of the brats he'd been assigned to test, as he threw up a Genjutsu to make it seem like the sky suddenly got stormy and appeared like a reaper in front of them. "You three are one, huh..." He mumbled, threat heavy in his voice, though he managed to resist adding killing intent. That would probably be a bit much. He crouched in front of them, and finally smiled. ".. You Pass!" He chirped, genjutsu falling like wet paper.
"P-Pass? Why?" The pinkette -Sakura, he corrected, because if he was keeping these cute little gennin he should probably learn their names- asked, eyes focusing just over his shoulder on something he couldn't see or sense, though they kept trying to float back to him. He'd...probably have to deal with that at some point. Her file mentioned psychosis, though it also claimed she had moved past it. Problem for another day.
"The kid's I've had previously were blockheads who just listened to what I said." He bemoaned, as the last of the clouds faded away. "Shinobi need to think beyond the normal."
"In the world of Ninja, those who break the rules are scum-" He stated, words still bitter and familiar on his tongue, when he was interrupted.
"But those who abandon their friends are worse then scum, yeah Sensei?" Sakura finished quietly, looking over the memorial stone with a secondhand grief. Kakashi almost wanted to ask where she heard that, or where such grief came from when it wasn't anywhere in her file, but instead he just smiled and nodded.
"Very good, Sakura-chan." he praised, because he heard somewhere that praise was important with kids (probably from Gai), but she seemed to be spacing out again. "The training ends here. Everyone passes! We will start training tomorrow!"
"Yes sir!" Sakura nodded, attention snapping back to him again. Naruto was chanting excitement about his promotion, and even Sasuke was grinning in satisfaction.
"Let's go home." He commanded, walking off, Sakura and Sasuke fell into step behind him. He honestly wasn't sure he was ready to spend much time at all with Minato Sensei's son. All he could do now was put it off for as as long as possible.He was more then content to leave Naruto behind and come back for him later, if he felt like it.
That is, until Sakura twitched beside him and cleared her throat. "Um. I'm going to go cut Naruto down, if that's alright." She posited shyly, but did not wait for his order before she scurried off.
He gave a resigned sigh and muttered "I suppose.", even if she was no longer around to hear it. Sasuke huffed besides him, though he couldn't tell if it was annoyed or amused. Maybe both.
Naruto fell from the post with a groan from his stomach so loud that Kakashi and Sasuke could hear it, even from their position several feet away. Sakura brightened suddenly, hurrying Naruto over to Kakashi and Sasuke with a deceptively innocent glint in her eye.
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei?" She started, waiting for him to hum in acknowledgement before continuing. "Well, since you so rudely interrupted our lunch, I was wondering if you could take us out to eat? Please?" She requested, and Kakashi groaned as even Sasuke's stomach rumbled at the thought of food.
Well, he was an ANBU Captain of a suicide-mission squad that always came back alive and the sole scion of an old clan. He had more then enough money to buy his new team a meal. "Maa, when you say it like that Sakura-chan who am I to refuse?" He sighed. "where to?"
"Ichiraku's raman!" Naruto interupted, but Sakura nodded and Sasuke didn't protest, so Kakashi steered them towards the famous raman shop, ignoring the old nostalgic pain. He hadn't been here since Kushina-nee dragged him in the night before Naruto was born. She had absolutely insane and gross cravings, all to do with Ramen, and Kakashi had been more then ready to get it over with at the time. Nowadays, he'd give almost anything to almost throw up while Kushina scarfed down three bowls of chocolate-kiwi-miso pork ramen with extra seaweed.
"Oh, and Kakashi sensei? Make sure you eat too! You're all skin and bones. Raman is the cure to looking like a twig, I've heard." She demanded before she sat down. Kakashi only froze for a second as he recalled Kushina-nee saying something similar once, before he sat down a stool away from his students and let them order.
'Maybe,' he thought with uncharacteristic optimism, as he watched his Naruto tell Sasuke that he can totally eat more ramen then the Uchiha and Sakura smile like it's some sort of inside joke, 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Maybe they'll be fine.'