Chapter 20 Classroom

Kakashi was none too happy with his drunken guests, but with the Hokage present, he didn't really have any choice in the matter.

The two men both did as they pleased, and Kakashi didn't feel like he had any recourse.

Kakashi went back to bed, but took a quick look at his alarm clock before drifting back off to sleep. It was 2 in the morning, and he had a long day ahead of his tomorrow.

During Yama's absence for his interview, Kakashi had been considering his own position and strength. He found it sorely lacking. His plans were starting to come together, and he had a road map moving forward.

While the two old men were gone, Kakashi went into his bedroom and pulled a locked storage chest out from under his bed. Kakashi focused his chakra for a few seconds before summoning one of his ninja hounds.

A large Saint Bernard poofed into existence, and Kakashi addressed it.

"Pierre, I need the key."

The dog opened his mouth and dropped a key onto the floor. The key had apparently been hidden there and was of course, covered in dog slobber.

Kakshi didn't seem to mind though. He silently reached over and grabbed the key before wiping it off on his shirt.

Pierre stared at Kakashi with brown, somewhat cloudy eyes. Kakashi put the key onto his nightstand and rubbed the dog's head a few times before bringing his hand back.

The dog had tilted his head and leaned into the familiar touch. As soon as Kakashi had brought his hand away though, Pierre started to paw at him.

Kakashi sighed before reaching back over to pet the dog. However, Pierre rolled onto his stomach to dodge and left his paws in the air.

Kakashi obliged the dog and gave it a quick belly rub. The dog had been his father's companion, and had suffered some a few injuries early in Kakashi's ninja career due to covering for Kakashi's mistakes.

The dog had taken a few too many strong knocks to the head, and was never quite the same since. Kakashi still felt guilty about it, and couldn't really find it in himself to deny the dog anything.

Giving the key to the dog had simply been a sign of trust, and the ninja hounds were somewhat like normal dogs in that a task and a job made them happier than almost anything.

Pierre guarded the key for the child he had watched grow up, and he never let his guard down. Pierre was getting on in years, his eyes and nose declining, his thoughts slowing.

However, the Hatake clan still entrusted him to guard their valuable possessions, and that was enough for the Loyal Hound. Pierre was happy to oblige.

After a few more moments of petting, Pierre whined happily before getting up and jumping onto Kakashi's bed and taking a nap. Kakashi smiled ruefully, but he didn't unsummon the dog.

Pierre deserved every chance at rest he could get.

As the dog snored in the background, Kakashi took the key and unlocked the chest he had brought out. A seal soon spread across the chest, and Kakashi took out a kunai and made a small cut on his hand before placing the bleeding hand onto the locked box.

As soon as his hand was down, the seal disappeared and the box opened.

Kakashi had set the box up to require his blood as well as the key to open; that was how serious he was about protecting its contents.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself before flinging the top up and staring at its contents.

A grey, military style, wool blanket covered what was inside, and Kakashi in a painfully careful manner, pulled the edges back to reveal what the chest held.

The first thing he came across was a shattered tanto of silvery white metal. The short sword was in several pieces, but still shone. He diligently grabbed each and every piece and brought them out, arranging them on his nightstand.

He pulled back another layer.

A short white sleeve was revealed. It had red trim and prominently featured the crest of Uzushiogakure. His father was never without it, even at the moment of his death. Kakashi had recently started to understand his father.

Sakumo was disgraced in Konoha after failing a mission. He was unable to be a "proper" shinobi, and when the situation called for it, he did not sacrifice his teammates in order to complete the mission.

It was shameful. The village turned its back on it. Sakumo had fell from an exalted position to a dishonored leper who's name was only whispered with disgust. Kakashi's regret was that it took so long to understand him.

Kakashi would give anything to bring Obito and Rin back, but that was not the way the world worked. Had he the opportunity to do it all again, he would suffer any shame, any burden, and any disgrace if it meant the Obito and Rin were still alive to disdain him.

It took their deaths for Kakashi to learn that.

Kakashi picked up the sleeve and folded it before placing it onto the nightstand next to the broken remains of the White Light Chakra Sabre.

Below the sleeve was a letter. In his father's handwriting, it said on the outside.

"For Kakashi, should you ever understand or forgive me. "

Kakashi kept the letter in the chest before peeling back another layer of the wool blanket. Kakashi understood why his father saved his teammates over the mission, but he was yet to understand, much less forgive, the man for killing himself.

The next item revealed was Clan Scroll, detailing the techniques of the Hatake clan. Kakashi had placed it in here with the Chakra Sabre and focused on the Sharingan following Obito's death, but Kakashi could afford no such luxuries anymore. He needed as much power as fast as possible to protect the ones he still had left. He could no longer live in the past and drag it around with him, and part of letting go was to end his obsession with the Sharingan. He would still train and use it, but to focus solely on it was folly.

There was one last layer before Kakashi reached the bottom of the chest. Kakashi took a deep breath and pulled it back.

Two Konoha Forehead Protectors, a pair of orange goggles, and a red bracelet on top of a picture of Team Minato.

Kakashi stared for a few seconds, and steeled his expression before dragging the blanket back over the items.

He repacked the chest, leaving only those items and the letter from his father.

After locking it, he walked over to Pierre, still napping on his bed, and he tried to shake to dog awake. Pierre however refused to budge or even crack an eye open.

Kakashi sighed before going back downstairs and starting on his dinner.

When he opened the fridge this time around however, it was full of fresh ingredients and healthy foods from his grocery trip with Yama.

Kakashi thought to himself as he prepared his food.

I should hit the ground running with my training. Literally, I can probably start exercising with Guy again starting at 0500, tomorrow.

That will last until at least 0800 or 0900 if we spar. At 0900, the Ninja Academy classes should start and I'll need to be there to observe Yama, however, he'll be locked in the house while I train with Guy.

From 09 to 15, I'll be observing Yama, but I'll be able to practice in the training fields as he finished his paperwork and prepares lessons.

That will keep him there until at least 17 if not 1900. He'll be back in the house by 2000 at the latest, which will leave me enough time to stretch and practice my chakra exercises until 2200.

7 hours will be necessary to recover fully each day, but only if my diet is strictly controlled.

With that his thoughts turned back to the food he was preparing.

His father had taught him how to cook at a young age to prepare him for when Sakumo was out on missions, and he had instilled good eating habits into his son.

Kakashi bought several different vegetables, providing a healthy mix of leafy greens and root vegetables, other than potatoes.

Sakumo had always been insistent on potatoes, something about green skin phytotoxins. Kakashi didn't really remember after all these years, but he was content with carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, turnips, and beets.

His groceries were pretty light on fruit, Kakashi kept them to small amounts of berries and treated them more as a reward after hard training, almost a dessert.

Other than that, he had stocked up on milk and eggs. His father had said that those two are both full of the nutrients necessary for growth, and it made some sense at a minimum.

Lastly, Kakashi had bought quite a bit of lean protein and nuts. He would be working himself hard and needed the protein for the recovery and the nuts for the healthier forms of fats.

He would be alternating fish and poultry most days, with a rare steak or pork chop. The milk would handle most of his needs however.

Kakashi eventually sat down at the dinner table and began to eat.

Today's dinner was salmon with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and onions, an arugula salad, and tall glass of milk. He shunned rice at most meals, preferring to eat more nutrient dense food, and it separated him from the rest of the village.

As he dug in, he noticed a new companion at the table, staring at him as he ate his food. Pierre had woken up and silently crept up to a chair at the dinig table and was now staring at the eating Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed before going back into the kitchen and grabbing another plate.

"I knew you would wake up for dinner. Never one to miss a meal, even after all this time."

The two ate in relative silence, and when they were both finished. Kakashi spoke again.

"I need you to hold on to the key for a bit longer."

Kakashi tossed the key to Pierre the Saint Bernard, who caught it in his mouth.

Kakashi unsummoned the dog and went to bed. It would be a few hours later that he would awoken.

It was a peaceful night until the two drunk old men came back, but Kakashi eventually fell back asleep.

His alarm went off at 0430, and he got out of bed and dressed himself for his upcoming training with Guy; He hadn't spoken with his friend in a while, but if Guy was no longer accepting of a training partner, then Guy was no longer Guy.

As he made his way downstairs, expecting to find the Sandaime and Yama still passed out drunk in the living room, but was surprised instead.

Yama was in the same spot he was usually in, meditating in front of the door leading to the courtyard. The Hokage was nowhere to be found.

Kakashi was puzzled and interrupted Yama.

"Where is the Hokage?"

Yama turned to face Kakashi.

"Hmm? Oh he left about half an hour ago. Days start early for people like him."

"Weren't the two of you dead drunk?"

"Handling alcohol comes with age. You should stay away from it though. You're still a growing boy."

Kakashi scowled and cut the conversation short. He was sure that he father had once said almost the exact same thing.

"You know you can just go into the courtyard right? Its the entire compound that warded, not the house. You won't set off the tracking seal that way."

Yama smiled.

"Great news that is my young friend. I was having a bit of trouble with the current situation."

Kakashi looked at him and waited for him to explain. Yama obliged.

"The animals. They really want to come inside, but I have to tell them no."

Kakashi muttered a thank you before preparing a small snack to fuel his morning training with Guy.

Great, he talks to animals, too. This guy must've hurt his common sense too when he was injured.

Eventually Yama spoke up again.

"Where are you going this early in the morning?"

Kakashi replied.

"Training with a friend."

"That's nice. Can you be back by 0800, Sandaime said that he's sending me some paperwork to assign me to the academy effective immediately later this morning, and I'd rather not be late for my first day.

Kakashi agreed and left the house. He ran towards the training grounds to warm himself up. As he got closer to training ground 5, he heard the distinct rhythmic sound of a fist impacting a log.

Might Guy was an easy person to find if you knew what you were looking for.

As Kakashi stumbled back into his house, beat up and exhausted from Guy's enthusiasm, he started making himself breakfast and looked out the window into the central courtyard of the estate.

Yama was there, apparently meditating. They guy seemed to have no real hobbies to speak of, but it wasn't that unusual of behavior for someone essentially under house arrest.

Kakashi ate quickly and walked out into the courtyard.

It was a fairly typical Japanese garden, but his father had designed it, and Kakashi had maintained it. He didn't have a good reason to, but he just couldn't find it within himself to change anything.

Large rocks were placed here and there, some acting as decorations, others as stepping stones. A small koi pond graced one of the corners, and next to it was an old weeping willow that kissed the surface of the water.

Yama sat with his back up against the tree, and when Kakashi found him, he was actually asleep, not meditating. Kakashi woke him up.

"What happened to not wanting to be late, old man?"

Yama opened his eyes and rubbed them for a few seconds.

"Many thanks Kakashi, but I probably would have woken up in a few minutes."

Kakashi shrugged. Probably?

"Did you get that letter from the Sandaime?"

"Yep, official instructor now."

Yama held up an envelope sealed with the Hokage's mark in red wax.

"However, he said that I have to get out of these civvies before I start teaching, gotta be a good role model for the kids I guess?"

Yama pinched at and pulled on his clothes, true to his word, they were definitely for civilians. Kakashi had no idea where the man had acquired the ensemble, but that specific shade of orange was atrocious.

The two made their way to the academy, and Kakashi explained to Yama that he would remain under observation.

"I will remain hidden the entire time, and I will be in charge of determining if you are sabotaging the students or not."

"Not so fast there Kakashi, you should read the letter too."

Yama held out the letter and Kakashi snatched it away.

Kakashi's face grew darker and darker as he read it, eventually a frown that was visible even through his mask crossed his face.

Yama put both his hands behind his head and whistled innocently.

"I might've been a little drunk last night and asked the Hokage to make you my teaching assistant, considering that I can't teach ninjutsu or genjutsu.

I didn't think he would take me seriously, but there it is.

Please treat me well, coworker."

Kakashi couldn't believe it. Everything was proper, the order wasn't faked, and it even had the seal on it. It was just...

What the hell is the Hokage thinking? Is this guy under observation as potential enemy or is he an honored guest?

Kakashi and Yama made it to the academy by 0830, and they had a quick meeting with the actual principal this time.

His name was Heguri, and he was a stern fellow of few words.

He silently read the letter proffered to him by Yama before saying a few words.

"Welcome to the Academy, you are in charge of class 3. Their instructor died in the Kyuubi attack and there are six of them.

As for the Hokage's request for you attire, you may use anything from the supplies.

Class starts at 0900 and lasts until 1200. Lunch is thrity minutes, and from 1230 to 1500 is physical education.

Lesson plans and standards can be found in teacher's office. Here are both of you keys.

Dismissed."

With that, Heguri turned back to the paperwork on his desk, and waved Yama and Kakashi away.

Kakashi turned to walk away, but Yama paused for a second before speaking.

"Do you happen to know a child named Ebisu?"

Heguri waved his hand again, this time more forcefully.

"Of course I know my son, and I said 'dismissed'."

Yama and Kakashi left, with Kakashi heading towards the teacher's office to prepare for the day's lessons, while Yama headed to the supply closet to change.

The two met back up outside classroom 3 at 0855.

Kakashi looked the man up and down.

Yama had changed into a new outfit. Kakashi did a quick double take, Yama almost looked presentable as ninja. If Kakashi didn't know better, he might even say the man looked dangerous.

He had replaced his previous shoes with the standard shinobi sandals. His pants were ankle length, and fairly baggy. He didn't have the customary leg drop holster, but he had two hip pouches, one on the back left and the other on the back right of his belt.

He was wearing a standard Konoha flak jacket, though it was dull and faded. Over top of that, he wore a jacket. The jacket was woven of coarse and rough cloth, and it remained untied, with either end of the belt used to tie it together left hanging. The sleeves were wide and it had a large square pocket on the outside of either side, and a small one on the inside left.

The pants and jackets were the same shade of heather blue, and both were obviously faded and worn. Kakashi noted that the more tight fitting uniforms of Konoha had started about 40 years ago, meaning that whatever it was that Yama found was probably as old as the man himself.

Kakashi was wondering why the uniformed man gave him a sense of unease. He quickly put his finger on it.

Its the age. Everything about the man says that he is old and worn, like a katana that has been sharpened over and over again until it starts to become thin.

It may not be strong or tough in the usual sense, but it has been around a long time, and it has seen a lot.

In a career like shinobi, not many people make it to old age. The fact that this man has done so as a genin says that he's got more than a few tricks up his sleeves.

Yama, however, was quick to break the illusion.

"Why are you young guys always wearing all that skin tight crap? Look at this stuff I found, its so comfy, nice, loose, and soft."

The man took a sleeve of his jacket and wiped it on his face.

"Feels like a well worn blanket."

As he did so, Kakashi saw a little bit of his forearm. It was armored.

Yama noticed the look and pulled back his sleeves to show his arms.

"Hiruzen swears by these things, says he wears them at all times. I figured I'd give it a try."

Yama was wearing hand a forearm protectors that covered the back of his hands and the outside of his forearms down to his elbows.

The areas that weren't covered by plates were covered by a finely woven steel wire mesh.

Yama then pulled on his pant leg, revealing more wire mesh, and then stretched open the collar of his flak jacket and outer jacket, revealing that the wire mesh suit covered his full body.

It had been standard during the open fields of battle during the First and Second Shinobi Wars, but as the wars had evolved more towards subterfuge and sabotage, the full body armor had fallen out of favor due to its weight.

Only older veterans, like Hiruzen, and apparently Yama, would favor being in armor at all times.

Kakashi reevaluated the man.

Maybe he's survived so long because he gets his enemies to underestimate him?

If I take everything I know about him and throw it out, I would think that he's an extremely dangerous ninja.

Old and experienced.

Wide sleeves and pants to hide his movements. Soft cloth to hide the sound.

Could be making hand seals or holding weapons without being seen due to the size of the sleeves

Full body armor, in addition to extra protections for his core and arms.

Flak Jacket, wartime production. Extra pockets compared to modern ones for additional supplies.

Scarier yet, he moves like he is completely uninhibited. he shows no burden to his movements.

He's either extraordinarily strong, or extremely used to carrying such a heavy kit. He might be wearing eighty to a hundred pounds of armor alone, and without the active use of chakra.

I'm starting to think that maybe him being a genin was more of an administrative decision than a strength based decision.

I'll keep my eyes a bit more open on this front. Best not to leave my guard down, and I really need to purge the impression that he is harmless.

Yama and Kakashi walked into the classroom together at 0900 sharp.

Several of the six students were loudly talking to each other, and even though they registered the entrance of their instructors, they did nothing to quiet their discussions or pay attention.

One of the children was face down on his desk in the corner, while the other five were talking to each other.

Yama walked up to the podium at the front of the classroom and picked up the attendance sheet that had been left at the lectern.

He scanned through the names quickly before freezing for half a second.

Kakashi noticed and wondered what had shaken the man.

Yama spoke to the class. he didn't raise his voice, and for a few seconds he was ignored, but old habits died hard and the students slowly fell into silence and went back to their seats and listened to the new instructor.

Yama introduced himself.

"Hello all, I am extremely sorry to hear about your former instructor.

I have been appointed by Heguri to take over this class. My name is Yama, and this is Hatake Kakashi. He is a subject matter expert on ninjutsu and genjutsu, and I will only be referring you to him when necessary. He's very busy."

Kakashi was surprised that Yama was insulating him from the kids, and was silently appreciative. Indeed, he did not want to be involved in this at all, but couldn't fragrantly flout the Hokage's orders.

Some of the kids were grumbling among themselves.

"Hatake's not that older than us, how can he be an expert?"

"Is this old geezer serious?"

"Man, why'd we get stuck with this old guy? he looks like hes gonna keel over any day."

Yama didn't pay attention to the voices but continued by calling roll.

"Aburame Shimiko"

"Present." A kunoichi raised her hand.

"Akimichi Domaru"

"Here."

"Hyuga HIkaru"

"Here."

"Tsubaki."

"Here."

"Mizuki"

"Present, sir."

"Umino Iruka"

The child that had his head on his desk did not look up nor speak. The other students gave him a few stiff glances and looked awkward.

Kakashi recognized the family name. He had worked with the kids parents before, and he was sad to hear that both of them had died in the Kyuubi attack.

Kakashi gave a concerned look towards Yama, and hoped that the man wouldn't make things hard on Iruka, who had just been orphaned, but still showed up to school.

Yama met Kakashi eyes and waved him off.

"You can go now Kakashi. I'll be able to handle this for now."

Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke as he shunshin'ed away from the room. However, he didn't go far. he simply erased his presence and waited outside the room, listening to what went on inside.