Chapter 18- Takeout

Kakashi sat at the counter of the ramen shop. He was dead tired, but he hadn't had a chance to eat since he woke up at the hospital. He slurped att his noodles without speaking.

He was loath to admit it, but this place was actually pretty good. That Yama guy was actually right about the rumors.

Kakashi finished his meal before walking home for the second time tonight.

If I'm going to take my training seriously, I need to overhaul my diet, too.

I've been wasting away recently, and I've probably loss over 10% of my weight since my peak physical condition.

The rations I have at home won't work. I'll have to get some good fresh food.

Isn't that what that Yama guy was talking about?

Dammit, its good for me and my plans, but I am not looking forward to babysitting this old codger.

Kakashi arrived at his house soon enough, and he opened the door to step inside.

He had hoped that Pakkun would take his job seriously, but no such luck.

In the living room, Yama was sprawled out on the couch. Pakkun was curled up and sleeping on his chest.

There was takeout all over the coffee table.

Kakashi's gaze wandered around the room, and on the top of the loveseat, a small, silver fox was perched, just looking at him.

Kakashi was officially out of patience.

"PAKKUN!"

The puppy wearily blinked his eyes and wiped with face with a paw.

'What's up boss? Why so loud?"

"SITREP, NOW!"

Pakun looked around him real quick. Pakkun looked down. Yama was still asleep, seemed like the guy slept like the dead.

"Well, Yama is here." and he gestured down below him, pointing to the snoring man on the couch.

"That's Ginou." and Pakkun gestured to the fox perched atop the loveseat.

"He's a friend of Yama's, he's not as nice as Yama, but he's an okay guy too."

The fox growled out a response.

"Silence, whelp. I need not your introductions."

Kakashi was on alert as soon as the fox spoke. Only a spiritual beast was smart enough to speak, and if that fox was a spirit beast, it was potentially dangerous.

Ginou noticed the stiffening of Kakashi.

"Oho, looks like I still command a semblance of fear? Tell me, brat, do I set you on edge?"

The fox focused his eyes on Kakashi and showed his teeth in a wild smile. Hints of killing intent wafted out.

Kakashi though tired, was now fully awake. He started reaching down for a Kunai when Yama woke with a mighty yawn.

"YAAAWN, Ginou, what the hell man? I was sleeping. Oh, hey Kakashi, what's up?"

Ginou's intent disappeared as if it had never been there, and Yama wanted to get up, but Pakkun didn't seem to want to move from his chest, so Yama laid his head back down.

Kakashi looked at Yama, the old codger, and he started the question him.

"Why is there a fox in my house?"

"Oh that's Ginou. He kinda comes and goes as he pleases. Don't mind him too much."

Kakashi's face twitched.

What the hell do you mean 'Don't mind him"? Its my fucking house!

Kakashi gestured to the food on the coffee table.

"What the hell is this?"

Pakkun spoke up.

"Oh, you said we couldn't leave the living room, and we couldn't eat your food, so we ordered takeout."

"I know that you don't carry money Pakkun, and Yama is a penniless vagabond, so how did you pay?"

"Oh, we just used the money we found around here."

Kakshi looked at the tray near the front entrance where he threw his spare change. It was empty, where it had been full earlier today, and he snapped.

"YOU USED MY MONEY?!"

Pakkun, though he was a dog, looked a bit sheepish.

"I thought it was money for the house?"

"IT'S MY HOUSE!"

Pakkun's head was down and he was averting his eyes from Kakashi.

Yama reached up to pet the trembling puppy.

"It's my fault Kakashi, don't yell at Pakkun."

Kakashi released the summoning jutsu, and Pakkun disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He confronted Yama.

'What the hell is your problem? You're treating this place like you own it.

Have you ever heard of boundaries or respect?

You use my kitchen, you spend my money?

You pet my dog? You invite a fox into my house?'

Kakashi was wildly gesturing around the room. It had been a long day, he was in pain, he was tired, and this fucking dickwad Yama was being a fucking douchebag.

Yama sat up and thought to himself for a few seconds.

This is the first time that Kakashi is meeting me. I am being a little bit unreasonable.

Everything he said was true. I'm definitely in the wrong here.

Yama sobered his expression before speaking.

"You're right Kakashi. I have been overstepping my boundaries. "

Yama bowed his head.

"Please forgive me. I will not make the same mistake twice.

Ginou, please apologize as well."

The fox snorted and looked away.

"I apologize for nothing, though I do suppose that it was rude of me to enter without announcing myself prior."

Ginou looked back at Kakashi before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Yama looked over to Kakashi.

"Sorry, but that's about the best you'll get out of him."

Kakashi was happy that the unknown element was gone from his house, and the apology would suffice for now.

"Is that your summon beast? I thought you said you couldn't perform any jutsu."

"Ginou is not a summon, he's a friend who's been watching over me, keeping me in line.

He's pretty much harmless, just don't get on his bad side.

He's actually a real softy once you get to know him."

Kakashi sighed.

"Look, I'm very tired. We can talk in the morning. The guest room is over there" and he pointed down the hallway.

"The house is warded and sealed, you won't be able to run. Also, hold out your hand."

Yama held out his right hand, Kakashi took it, and turned it to palm facing down. Kakashi then reached into a hip pouch and brought out a sealing tag.

Kakashi placed it on the back of Yama's hand and activated it. Kakashi explained.

"This tag will alert me when you stray too far away from me, try to remove it, and it also lets me track you.

Do you understand?"

Yama brought his hand back and scratched the back of his head with laugh.

"I couldn't run away even If I wanted to?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah, and we'll finish our discussion in the morning."

With that Kakashi left Yama to his own devices and trundled off to bed. Kakashi was dead tired and simply fell on top of the futon before falling asleep.

When Kakashi awoke in the morning, he was feeling a bit better. The sun was coming in through his window, and it fairly bright outside.

He checked the alarm clock on his nightstand. 1137, he hadn't slept in this late for a long time.

Kakashi walked over to the bathroom before taking a quick shower, brushing his teeth, and changing his clothes.

He walked downstairs to find Yama meditating.

Yama had opened the door to the courtyard, but had not left the house. He sat there in lotus position with his hands clasped in prayer and his eyes closed.

Kakashi was surprised to see the old man like this, he hadn't taken him for a religious or conscientious fellow.

Kakashi made his way to the kitchen and left Yama to his business. He took a quick look in the pantry, and true to Yama's comments from yesterday, there was nothing but rations,

When Kakashi opened the fridge though, there was a container of food with a note taped to the top of it.

For Kakashi-kun

With little hearts and a cute puppy and fox drawn on it.

Kakashi scowled and ripped the note off before crumpling and throwing it away.

He opened the food container to see what was in it.

Okonomiyaki, really? Is that all you can make?

And I told you not to use my kitchen, you old codger.

Kakashi walked back into the living room and woke Yama from his meditation.

"Hey, I told you not to use my kitchen.

What the hell is this?"

Yama didn't answer for a second, and with his back facing to Kakashi he spoke in quiet voice to himself.

"It's time to go little one, you can find me later, okay?"

And with that a chipmunk ran from somewhere in his arms and back out into the courtyard.

Kakashi stood there, watching.

What the hell? Does this guy think he's Buddha or some shit?

"Did you bring a chipmunk into my house?"

Yama grinned and scratched his head.

"Sorry about that, they sometimes come up while I'm meditating.

Oh yeah, that food is from last night, I made it when you left the first time. Didn't use the kitchen this morning at all."

Kakashi replied.

"So what did you eat today then? The rations?"

Yama looked at his with a perplexed face.

"Nothing? You said I couldn't use the kitchen, and I figured that extended to the food as well."

Kakashi was actually a bit taken aback. He hadn't expected Yama to actually listen to him or respect his boundaries.

Father would be mad that I let a guest go hungry for two meals in a row. I need to calm down a little, and let Yama know what he can and can't do.

Kakashi gestured to Yama with a Come Along wave.

"I need to get some groceries, Come with me, I'll need the extra pair of hands."

Yama obliged, and the pair walked off to the store as they talked. Yama was somewhat inquisitive it seemed.

"So you're a jonin, huh Kakashi? Pretty impressive for someone your age."

"I had good teachers."

Yama laughed a little but had a sad look on his face.

"Yeah, me too, sadly I didn't live up to their expectations."

"Yeah, me too."

Kakashi was cursing himself as soon as he said it. Why was he always getting caught up in this old guy's pace?

He always ended up losing his cool or telling him something he didn't mean to.

This guy makes me feel like a child, always oversharing or being overemotional.

Gotta keep my guard up a bit more.

Yama noticed that Kakashi was lost in thoughts for a second, and reached over to pat him on the shoulder.

"They're more proud of you than you think. I guarantee it."

Kakashi was bit startled at the human touch, but kept his cool.

"What makes you say that?"

Yama sighed and looked up.

"Call it intuition of the years, I guess?

You'll get a feeling for things like this if you live long enough."

Kakashi snorted.

"Not much chance for me then."

Yama whipped his head to stare at him, and when Kakashi looked over to meet his gaze, he finally noticed something

His eyes are exactly like Minato-sensei's.

Yama looked the most serious that Kakashi had seen him in their limited time together.

"You don't mean that."

Kakashi wasn't able to continue meeting his eyes; he averted his gaze and replied.

"I'm a shinobi. We don't live long lives."

Yama reached out and forcibly grabbed Kakashi's shoulder to turn the boy to face him.

"Not with that attitude you don't."

Kakashi roughly brushed Yama's hand from his shoulder and snapped at the man.

"What's it to you? Why the hell would you care?"

Yama withdrew his hand and sighed as he looked off elsewhere.

"I suppose you're right."

Kakashi cursed under his breath.

Fuck, this guy keeps getting to me.

The pair walked through Konoha and finished the grocery shopping in silence before returning to the Hatake Clan Grounds.

Kakashi and Yama carried the groceries in through the front door. Yama stuck around and helped Kakashi unload the stuff in the kitchen.

Kakashi broke the silence that had come over the two of them at the beginning of their errand.

"You said you want to be an Academy teacher, right?"

"Yeah, it might be the only thing these old bones can do. I don't know how much I can teach the kids, but I'll try.

Kakashi gave the man glance from head to toe. Nothing about him seemed like a ninja, but Kakashi is aware that this man had fought in at least one Great War, if not more judging by his age, even if he was a genin.

To survive one if not multiple wars of that scale while at the level of strength was impressive either way.

"You'll have something to teach the kids, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so, Kakashi?"

"Yeah, after all, most shinobi don't grow old, much less the unskilled ones."

Yama seemed pleased with the compliment. Kakashi continued.

"Just hang around here. I'm gonna go pull some strings and see if I can get you the job."

"Much appreciated, Kakashi."

And with that, Kakashi walked out and left Yama unsupervised in his house without a second thought. Kakashi would be upset had he realized his own behavior.

Kakashi slowly made his way to Hokage Tower. The first person he would have to talk to was Shikaku, the ANBU commander, and hopefully he would be the last one.

The Hokage Tower was hectic, as Kakashi would have expected, as the village was simultaneously dealing with the Fourth's injury and rebuilding from the Kyuubi attack.

Kakashi almost bumped into six different people frantically rushing around by the time he made it to the top floor.

Kakashi had overheard some of the conversations as he made his way to the Hokage Office. The Sandaime had taken over in the interim while the Fourth was injured.

The old man was probably pissed as hell that his retirement was interrupted.

Kakashi knocked on the door to the Hokage Office.

"Come in."

and Kakashi entered.

As he suspected Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shikaku were both in the room, swamped with paperwork.

Kakashi bowed deferentially to the Third Hokage.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Hokage-sama, but I have business with Shikaku-senpai."

The Hokage wordlessly waved his hand, so Kakashi turned to Shikaku.

"I have a request with regards to my current mission. I'd like to cash in a favor."

Shikaku perked up, he owed quite a few favors to the young ANBU, but never once had the kid requested something of him. Shikaku set his paperwork down and looked up at Kakashi.

"What can I help you with? It's very rare that you come to me asking for a favor."

"It's like this Shikaku-senpai, the man that you have me observing wishes to become an instructor in the Ninja academy, and I wish you to allow him."

"You want me to let a foreign shinobi under ANBU observation teach our kids the fundamentals of being Ninja? Why?"

"I wish to increase my training following Sensei's injury and his position at the academy would allow me to do that since I can utilize their training grounds while observing him.

Furthermore, I have been informed that his interrogation prior to the memory walk revealed no hostility nor negative intention. Due to my limited time with the man, I also agree with this assessment."

Shikaku hummed and thought for a second before opening his mouth to speak, but the Third Hokage interrupted him.

"Are you serious, Kakashi? I couldn't help but overhear, Shikaku can you brief me, please."

The Hokage set his pen down and lit up his pipe as he looked at Shikaku and Kakashi. Shikaku spoke up. Hiruzen's stern and aged face peered at him to take everything in.

"After the Kyuubi attack, a man named Yama entered the village claiming to be a former, yet crippled, shinobi, a veteran of the previous war for a minor village that got destroyed.

We interrogated him, and his story was airtight, and we detected no falsehoods. However, when Inoichi-san went to check his memories, the man revealed that he was subjected to immense psychological torture following his capture in the war.

When Inoichi-san performed the Memory Jutsu, the torture flared to life and incapacitated Inoichi-san.

Thus, we could not complete the interrogation."

The Hokage frowned.

"Doesn't that jutsu have an explicit function to shield the user from negative experiences?'

'Yessir, however, it allows approximately 10% of the residual through."

"And that incapacitated Inoichi-san?"

"Yessir."

"How?"

"We do not know sir, but it is at a much higher level than we have ever seen before, and are currently reevaluating our anti-interrogation schemata.

We suspect that one of the other 5 villages has devised it, and currently consider all ninja MIA as compromised and adjusting as necessary."

The third Hokage sighed before blowing a smoke ring in the air.

"So you're telling me, Kakashi, a foreign, veteran, shinobi, who has experienced torture at a level we've never seen before, wants to work with our children, and you support him?"

"Yessir."

Hiruzen pinched his brow with his free hand and sighed.

"Why?"

"First, he was only at genin strength while active. Second, he is crippled to the point that he has no chakra within him. Third, his interrogation revealed no hostile intention. Fourth, I will be there to observe him. Fifth, if you meet him you will understand."

"I will understand what exactly."

"I do not claim to have as much wartime experience as you Hokage-sama, but I am willing to bet my life that this man Yama is harmless."

The Hokage thought to himself for a few moments.

"I will meet this man myself later tonight, for now though, Kakashi, help Shikaku with his paperwork."

Shikaku looked at the Third Hokage like he was his savior, and Kakashi grumbled before sitting down next to Shikaku and starting on the paperwork.

By dinnertime, the three of them had finished all the paperwork in the office. The three stood up and looked at each other.

Shikaku spoke first.

"I'm actually gonna make it home in time for dinner tonight. If you excuse me, Hokage-sama."

"You're are dismissed, enjoy dinner."

"Many Thanks, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi and Hiruzen walked out after Shikaku, who had rushed off home to his wife and newborn child.

Hiruzen chuckled a little bit at the sight.

"One day, you might be like that Kakashi-kun."

"Hopefully, Hokage-sama."

"Alright, let's go meet this foreign shinobi. Don't tell him who I am, As far as he is concerned, I am the prinicpal of the academy and interviewing him."

"Yessir."

The two made their way through the streets of Konoha, chitchatting and making some small talk, as they approached the Hatake Clan grounds.