"So I just stick this leaf to my forehead and use Chakra to keep it there?"
"Pretty much."
"And I have to find the correct balance otherwise I'll repel the leaf or fail to have it stick in the first place?"
"Sounds right to me," Sakumo said as he perused the stalls in the market.
"But that doesn't help me with the how? I would need control in the first place in order to work on it. All I can do now is concentrate my Chakra in one place, which was long and tedious to figure out. I don't want to even think about how long it would have taken me if I wasn't a natural sensor, actually I know that answer, I'd still be trying."
"You're a natural sensor?" Sakumo said, looking at me.
"That's what the doctors told me."
"So you've always been sensitive to Chakra?"
"No. Just kinda popped up one day out of the blue. The doctors were all sorts of confused by that one, it seems I'm a bit of a medical anomaly," I say as I hold a leaf in my palm trying to repel it with no success.
"You from a clan?"
"No. Unless there's a Sozo clan that decided they no longer want me, why do you ask?"
"Clans typically have some kind of unique biological trait."
That's interesting.
"Who knows, maybe I'm the beginning of the great Sozo clan, the best sensors of the leaf," I say waving my hands.
"Maybe," Sakumo says with a small smile on his face.
Returning my attention to the leaf in my hand I tried to repel it again, I figured using too much Chakra would be easier than trying to find the balance but clearly I'm doing something wrong here.
"Well this is me," Sakumo spoke.
"Huh?" I said.
Looking up from my palm I see we are standing in front of a traditional styled house.
"This is my house."
"Oh… cool," I say feeling a little awkward for following him home, "thank you for answering all my queries."
"If you have any more questions or just need some help I'm free for the next week, after that chances I'll be busy," Sakumo said before entering his home.
Cool guy.
Turning around I reason I haven't a clue where I even am, picking a random direction I walk.
…
"So can I just purchase a weapon?" I ask the gruff looking man.
"You need an Academy ID."
"Do you know where I can acquire such an item?"
"No."
Well this wasn't helpful in the slightest.
"Shame… guess I'll be back when I get my hands one one," I say before leaving the shop.
Now what to do?
…
Knocking on the door to Sakumo house, I waited patiently for whoever was approaching to open the door.
The door slid open revealing a child wearing a mask.
"Wow Sakumo, I remember you being a lot taller," I say.
"Who are you?" He says completely ignoring me.
The two of us didn't get much of a chance to interact further as Sakumo appeared behind the child inviting me in for some tea. The kid, whose name is Kakashi, left the house to do whatever it is a Kakashi does, which if i had to guess involved crime.
"So what brings you here Akinori?" Sakumo said as he poured me some tea.
"I wanted to ask you a couple more questions."
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
"How would you describe your Chakra?" I ask, pulling out a little note pad along with a writing utensil.
Sakumo takes a few moments before suddenly smiling, "You're a sensor, how would you describe my Chakra," Sakumo said as his Chakra that was once hidden practically slammed into my senses.
Jesus.
"Umm… a bit much… calm? But not in the way a person is calm, rather a… storm?"
"Now how would you describe your own Chakra?"
"Distant… yet comforting, I can feel it flow through my body reacting to my every action, It's a strange and frightening sensation. My Chakra reacts to every little input, which is kinda annoying given I'm a sensor."
I end up spending a lot more time with Sakumo than I originally intended.
"Well this has been delightful Sakumo, but I should probably be on my way."
"Any time Sozo," Sakumo said as he walked me to the door.
As I was leaving Sakumo put his hand on my shoulder.
"Would you like to stay for dinner," he offered.
"Sure," I say entering his home again.
As I passed by Sakumo I glanced up to see him looking outside, before closing the door, his eyes never leaving the spot he was looking.
…
"So Kakashi, how's life?" Sitting across from me was Sakumo's brat, who wore a mask even when he was home apparently, or maybe because I'm here?
"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked, annoyed at my presence.
"That's quite the loaded question Kakashi, why are any of us here? I mean I should be dying in a hospital right now, yet here I sit across from you, against the odds. Throw in the odds I run into Sakumo in the market and the only explanation would be fate. So to answer your question, I am here because fate deemed it," the look on Kakashi face was priceless, even with the mask, "The chances that I not only survive but meet Sakumo are highly improbable, far more then you'll probably ever understand, and yet here I am. Tell me Hatake Kakashi, son of Hatake Sakumo, citizen of Konohagakure, densen of the Land of Fire, why are you here?"
We sat in silence as Kakashi tried and failed to formulate a response.
"To put it in simple terms, your dad is my only friend and source of knowledge on the ways of the Shinobi," I said, giving Kakashi a distraction from his own thoughts.
"So Kakashi are you going to follow in your father's footsteps and become a Shinobi?"
"Yes," Kakashi responded quickly without any hesitation.
Soon Sakumo returned with food, and we had a grand old time. Sakumo insisted I stay the night, bunking me up in Kakashi's room on a spare futon, which I found much more comfortable than a normal bed.
…
The passage of time is cruel, it waits for no one, and doesn't care that if you just had a little bit more of it everything would work out.
There's no negotiating with time… that I know of. It just occurred to me that I am in a completely different world, so far as I'm concerned the impossible is just something that has yet to be figured out. but bending time to my will dosen't sound easy... hmm... thoughts for later.
Begrudgingly I got up, hoping out of bed I go about my morning ritual. With plenty time to spare I'm out the door on my way to the Academy.
The trip was uneventful.
Arriving, I was ushered to a courtyard full of other potential Shinobi along with their respective guardians. It was also Kakashi's first day so he and Sakumo were present, today was also Sakumo's last day before he was back on active duty.
Which was unfortunate but I had the Academy to keep me busy so I'll survive.
"The Hatake's! What's it been like not even a day since I last saw either of you. Kakashi, you're the… same size, don't worry I'm sure you'll grow any day now. Sakumo, looking as young as ever," I say approaching the father son duo.
"Morning Akinori," Sakumo said.
Turning my attention to Kakashi I wait patiently for his greeting only for him to refuse to acknowledge my existence.
"Well said Kakashi," I say, wrapping an arm around him, "Together we shall topple the Hokage before bringing out a new regime with us on the top," I speak quietly to Kakashi.
In response Kakashi threw me off.
"Stay away from me," he spoke.
"Never."