Chereads / Hatake Naruto / Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Choosing the Teams

Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Choosing the Teams

Kakashi had just left Naruto and ran a hand through his long silver hair, it had been a long night and he hoped he would be able to get some sleep since he had a meeting tomorrow with the other Jonins about the teams. He mentally shrugged he could always sleep in at any rate there were some pluses to constantly being late and people expecting it. He was about to turn in when of course someone was at his door. He signed in irritation at who would come to their home in the dead of night and walked over and opened the door.

There stood Anko of all people which was a surprise for him.

"Hey Kakashi I-" She stopped dead in midsentence as her eyes widened a bit. She at first thought she was at the wrong house because the person that opened the door was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His face was practically perfect, a strong chin, perfect lips, flawless skin that almost made her jealous and even though one of his eyes were covered she could see someone that could make any woman's head turn.

"Anko what is it?" The man spoke.

It was then that she realised that this was Kakashi, he had his mask down and she was seeing his face for the first time in years. She had finally seen it and she was totally taken aback by it.

'Oh god he's gorgeous why the hell does he keep that hidden away!' She thought as she struggled to speak something. 'Oh god pull yourself together Anko this is Kakashi remember? You're friend and father to the brat? The guy reading those perverted books...who had the best looks in Konoha-snap out of it damn it!'

"Uh...mask," she managed to get out.

He looked at her confused and then his visible eye widened and he quickly went for his mask he had forgotten to pull it up with his little heart to heart with Naruto. He saw the slight blush on her face as she was pulling herself together and he signed. This was why he kept it covered although he never got what people saw in his face it was just a face after all.

"So any reason why you're here?"

"Huh?" Anko asked and shook her head, "Oh right I just wanted to know how Naruto was doing I heard something went down with that bastard Mizuki."

Kakashi sighed and let her walk inside they sat on the couch as he told her everything that Naruto had gone through including learning that he was adopted and of the fox. Anko by the end of it looked livid and ready to kill someone she was pacing the floor muttering all kinds of sadistic and disturbing things. Kakashi was impressed with her knowledge of the human body and wondered if some of the things she said were actually physically possible.

She was still in the middle of it when he heard more knocking on the door, he sighed and got up checking his mask just to be sure and found Gai there with Asuma and Kurenai.

"I guess you all heard as well?" Kakashi asked pretty much guessing from the serious looks on their faces including Gai and when he got serious you knew that he was taking the matter with a serious intent that was surprising. He let them in as they found Anko still muttering death threats.

"How long has she been like that?" Asuma asked him.

Kakashi shrugged, "She started on A and now it seems she's gone into the Vs...I didn't know there were that many torture methods and curses that started with that letter that's kind of impressive."

Kakashi pretty much retold them then entire story and by then Anko had calmed down enough to sit down again.

"I can't believe that he would do that to children no less," she finally finished her tirade if there was one thing she couldn't stand was children being lied to and used mainly because of her own experiences as a young genin. She didn't remember a lot but she had looked up to her sensei and then he had placed the curse mark on her and threw her away leaving her alone in the world. Naruto had become someone special to her like almost a family member and knowing how hurt he must be from everyone keeping that secret from him and not telling him had to hurt like hell.

"Naruto will pull through his fires of youth can never be undone," Gai nearly shouted standing up and pointing to the sky, everyone just sweat dropped at his antics and moved on.

"At any rate you think he'll be okay?" Asuma asked him.

Kakashi sighed and slouched forward feeling like a weight was put on his shoulders, he seriously hoped that he would be but he knew that this was something that Naruto would be dealing with for awhile now he wished he didn't have to but his son was growing up and with that he would have to deal with hardships. Hardships were part of a ninja's life and if he didn't learn to deal with this now then he wouldn't last long as a ninja.

Anko saw the look on his face (after years of knowing him she learned to read his face with the mask) and she felt sorry for him, she had seen how they were together and knew that Kakashi and Naruto were very close given they were the only family that each other had. She felt jealous at times seeing how close a bond they had and she couldn't remember having something like that in her life. But seeing him now she saw how worried he was with him.

So she got up and sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he looked at her and she gave him a weak smile, "Hey you know the brat, he's a tough little kid and he'll pull through."

Kakashi smiled under his mask and nodded, although Kurenai gave Anko a slight look wondering what prompted that and would ask her later. They stayed for a bit longer and eventually they had to make their leave, they all just wanted to check to make sure that Naruto was okay, the boy had a way of making friends and they all couldn't help but like the kid for various reasons.

Kurenai was walking with Anko when she had finally had to ask a question, "Okay what was that back there?"

"Huh?" Anko asked confused.

"Don't 'huh' me, I mean what was that back there with Kakashi?"

"Oh that," Anko blushed a bit but only for a second before grinning, "I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"It."

"It,what?" Kurenai said getting very annoyed at the moment.

Anko rolled her eyes, "It, it. I saw his face."

Kurenai stopped in her tracks hearing that, she had been trying to see under that mask for years and Anko said she had seen the famous face of Kakashi. She saw that she was being left behind and quickly ran up to her friend. "You're kidding!"

"Nope." She said smugly.

"Well what was it like?"

Anko thought back and the blush came back, "Oh god he's the most handsome man ever, why the hell does he have to hide that thing I mean it's a crime against all females that he should do that."

"You're exaggerating things right?"

Anko just shook her head they had all heard the rumours about the face they all heard all the stories from people who had claimed to have seen it. It was one of the reasons that there were many females trying to see what he looked like. It didn't hurt that he was famous, very skilled, and apparently a good father as well. So of course there were some females that would love to jump at the chance with him and she had seen him on a few dates but none seem to last.

She got the story out of Naruto one day that some of the ladies didn't seem to like him much and Kakashi pretty much dumped them after that, so apparently if they couldn't accept Naruto to Kakashi that meant they weren't worth his time. That was good since it showed that even though he was a bit of a perv at least it showed that his son came first.

Kurenai noticed how quiet Anko had gotten and in all the years she had known her she knew that a quiet Anko meant something bad was going to happen or she was really deep in thought about something. She also caught the blushing she had done thinking about Kakashi's face and somewhere she wondered if Anko was attracted to him now. Of course Kakashi even with the mask had this thing about him that was strangely attractive but she could never live with someone that read those filthy books.

Besides lately someone else had been on her mind but she pushed those thoughts aside, she knew that Anko dated now and then but nothing major ever came out of it. Usually one night stands or the guy just didn't measure up. Kurenai had a small smirk as she hoped that maybe she could push things along, after all both Anko and Kakashi were single and Anko already liked Naruto as well so why not?

Kurenai might also be mistaken and she planned on watching to see how the two interacted, if there was any indication that the two might be attracted to the other she would help push them together but if not then she would just let it go. She didn't want to mess things up between two friends after all.

"So you think he's good looking huh?" Kurenai asked.

Anko felt her cheeks burn again, "Okay yeah he's a stud but not like I can do anything about it."

"Too bad then, although I wish I had seen it since I've always wondered myself what he looks like." Kurenai asked and Anko went into a very details explanation about what she had seen. Kurenai was impressed that she remembered so much in such a short time but it made her wonder two things. Could Anko have started to crush a bit on the masked man and was Kakashi's face really that handsome?

-Hokage's Office-

The jonin were gathered inside of the office of the Hokage as well as Iruka as he was now the only teacher for this year's graduates as he was the one responsible for telling the kids their teams and giving any helpful insight he could into the children. So far the meeting had been going well they were discussing the kids and they were trying to form them into good teams. It wasn't until an hour later that Kakashi walked in with his book in his face of course. Everyone expected this since every team he had he had failed and they were either sent back or had quit being ninja all together.

Normally he just skipped this meeting and hardly ever came so it was a bit of a surprise to some that he even bothered to show up, but a few others knew that since his son was in this year's class he would come to the meeting this year. Most of the children were already picked and now it was down to Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi to choose their own teams as well as a couple of other jonins.

"Alright before we go on there is something that the council wanted to be done," the Hokage sighed at this.

The council never usually bothered with this but this year was a special case as the last of the Uchiha clan would be graduating and he needed to be trained when his bloodline showed itself and there was only one man left in their village who could teach Sasuke what he needed to know. A few on the council had even 'suggested' that the boy be placed as a ninja without the standard test administered by the jonin sensei. Of course the Hokage put that down as he would have to prove himself like any other ninja regardless of his clan name.

Although the fact that Kakashi had failed everyone had a few on the council on edge and worried that he would fail Sasuke too but Kakashi might be tough with his bell test but it was a good test none the less.

"Kakashi the council wants you to train the last Uchiha so you get him," Sarutobi said to him.

Kakashi thought about it, "Hmmm, no I don't think so he's not my style."

The silence in the office was deafening as the Hokage's pipe fell out of mouth, "Kakashi you can't refuse this the council wants you to train him."

"I was under the impression we get to choose who our genins will be if that's not the case well I don't really see him passing my test," He paused long enough to let the hidden threat of failing him outright hand in the air at least just long enough for it to sink in, "or he could pass if I could team him up with a couple of students that could ensure his success."

The Hokage had to smile a little at the little game that the masked man was playing, he was deliberately trying to stack the deck in his favour for some reason, he had an idea but given the council would be very unhappy if Kakashi refused to train him or failed him as well...that just brought on too many unpleasant memories as it was. He might as well give the man what he wanted, Kakashi was good and he had never taken an interests in the selection of the genin before now so he was curious as to what he had planned.

"Alright who do you want to have him paired up with?"

Kakashi looked like he was thinking hard but he had been planning this for weeks now as he grinned under his mask. He had a feeling that the council would make him train the Uchiha boy and so he started to think up a plan. It was fairly simple really but he had to come up with a few arguments and counter arguments just to get his way. He was glad to see that the Hokage was playing along and Kakashi had a feeling the old man knew a little about what he had planned but Kakashi would bet a week's pay not all of it.

"Naruto Hatake and Sakura Haruno."

"What!?" several voices rang out as well as a few other shocked expressions.

"But you can't have Naruto he's your kid isn't there something against family in the same team?" one of the ninja's asked.

"That's right," a Kunoichi said with him.

"That's my offer take it or leave it," Kakashi shrugged.

"A bit unfair ain't it Kakashi?" Asuma asked with a smirk on his face, he had already liked the trio he had gotten figuring that he could remake the solid team that their parents had been after all. But this sounded a little overkill in his books. "You get the top two boys and the top scoring girl?"

"That's hardly fair to the other teams Kakashi," Kurenai stated to him.

"Are you two willing to give me someone in return then?" Kakashi asked them and both of them shared a look with each other.

Kurenai had a solid team that was going to be great for tracking and stealth missions, with the bugs of Shino Aburame he could track as well as be very dangerous in battle the same could be said for Kiba Inuzuka and his dog. With Hinata Hyuga she got the power of her eyes and together they made a very specialized team. She could let Hinata go but in all honesty she had met the shy girl through Naruto a few times and the young girl needed a mother figure in her life as well as someone to help her out.

The two boys she might be able to offer one but it would throw things off and she got the feeling that Kakashi was only willing to trade Sakura. Although the girl from the reports might be good for genjustu a team with two girls and one boy was usually a very odd mix. She sighed knowing that any trade would weaken what she had planned for her team.

Asuma was pretty much on the same train of thought he didn't want to give up any of his three that he got either.

"Kakashi this is highly unothadox you realise this?" the Third asked of him.

Kakashi nodded, "I know but I have my reasons you see I've had numerous kids try out and all fail, some had one that had talent while the others didn't have any or something akin to that. Now here we have a team of three of the top students and I ask you if any team can past my test what better team then those three?"

He asked the room and although many weren't happy he could see that a few found some logic in that.

"Besides I want to make a special squad," Kakashi continued on, "I want to make a team that could be a front line strike force, a team that goes into the thick of things and shatters the enemy force for the rest of us. A team that can go in, get the job done and get back out alive."

The Third was interested in that those types of teams were rare in fact the last team that had been like that was the legendary trio the Sannin made up of his former students. They had been an awesome force before they had been shattered apart, one went to the side of darkness for power, the other lost her will of fire with the deaths of the two closest to her and the last seemed lost with no direction anymore. It was sad what had happened to his students but when they had been together they had been a legendary team that could not be beaten.

He looked at Kakashi wondering if he could remake such a team, they were at peace but he knew that war would one day come again although he didn't want to live long enough to see it happen again, he had lost much in that time and he didn't want to see his people suffer through that again. But if war did happen a new trio such as that would be needed. He gave it much thought before rising his eyes to Kakashi's.

"Very well you have your team Kakashi but I expect great things form them," he told the smiling jonin.

-Naruto-

Naruto went to see Hinata today they had the day off so he wanted to see how she was doing at least that was the plan. He just kept walking around and around the outside of the compound since every time he tried to get close to the entrance he couldn't bring himself to enter. So he just kept circling the place over and over again he just didn't know if he could face Hinata or her family. He stopped and sighed wondering what he should do, he wanted to see her but he was afraid of seeing her as well.

'Damn it why do things have to be so hard?' He thought to himself. 'I mean first I find out about a stupid demon stuck in my gut, that I had another dad and mom, that it was that father that put this thing inside of me and I might have just pissed off my best friend's family by putting her in danger.'

'I either have the worst luck in the world or I'm cursed.' He looked up to see the faces of the past Hokage's on the mountain and looked at the face of the Fourth. He had always been fascinated by that one for some reason and he guessed now he knew why. He had been thinking about this all the time, how many people knew who his father really was, who knew about the demon within him, all the lies and half truths that people told him his entire life it was hard to know what was real and what had just been an illusion.

"Are you going in or not Naruto?"

He jumped at the voice that sounded slightly annoyed and jumped to see Neji there on the wall sitting down looking at him.

"How long have you've been there?" Naruto demanded.

"I've been watching you with my eyes for at least four walks around the compound and so before I got dizzy I decided to see why you haven't come in to see my cousin since I know that's why you're here." Neji replied to him.

Naruto case his eyes down to the ground, "I wasn't sure I would still be welcomed I mean aren't you pissed about what happened?"

Neji of course heard the story from his father and he had talked to Hinata about events to see what had happened. He was a bit disappointed that Hinata and Naruto would do something so foolish and would have fallen for that but they were both just out to please their parents. Neji had been guilty of that himself from time to time, he supposed it was something all children tried to do at some point to please their parents.

"Naruto you made a mistake but did you learn from it?" Neji asked him from his place on the wall.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Yeah don't trust adults."

Neji's mouth actually quirked a little trying a bit of a smile at that but remained serious, "At any rate all you can do is learn and Hinata is worried about you so you better go and see her."

Naruto watched him leave and he guessed he shouldn't worry Hinata and he was about to move when he stopped himself. "Okay...Five more minutes and then I'll go."

While Naruto was gathering up his courage Hinata was in her room staring at her ceiling. She had been feeling pretty low lately and there were a few reasons for it, she placed a hand on her throat where it still hurt a bit from the bruises from Mizuki's hold on her. She felt pathetic that she hadn't even fought back but it had been the first life and death situation that she had been in, well that wasn't entirely true she still had vague memories of her kidnapping attempt but as a ninja this had been her first life and death fight and she froze.

She had panicked and lost consciousness as well, she didn't know how but Naruto had saved her life again. She wished she could have helped and not have been such a burden to him, she wanted to be stronger but she couldn't use any of the skills in that scroll they were just too powerful and she didn't have the chakra reserve to try and use it. She remembered a few of them and wrote them down when she woke up in her room, she might not be able to use them now but with training she could master them when the time was right.

Her father had been both worried for her and disappointed that she had tried something so foolish, all she wanted was to please him and she had made him both a little distraught and disappointed again. She felt like she couldn't do anything right and she was a failure as a Hyuga. She was supposed to take over the clan and here she was failing to live up to her clan's way of excellence. She was just staring up at her ceiling wishing that tomorrow would come earlier so she could get on her team and start missions to help her to make up for this.

She was lost in thought when she heard something tap against her window she looked and nearly gave a startled cry seeing Naruto there tapping on her window. She sat right up in bed quickly and looked at her door glad to see it closed the last thing she needed was her father to catch her with a boy in her room that thought alone made her blush deep crimson.

She quickly opened the window as he looked a little uncomfortable.

"Uh...Hey Hinata-chan are you doing okay?" Naruto mentally winced at how lame that sounded but he honestly couldn't think of anything else to say to her at this point.

"I-I-I'm doing fine," she said back to him, "Are you doing okay?"

Naruto put on one of his huge smiles which somehow always seemed to translate through the mask somehow, "Yeah I'm fine."

Although the truth was he was far from it but he really didn't want to worry her about things, he was still dealing with some issues anyway and he wasn't up to talking about it with someone about it at the moment. First he would deal with Hinata and then he would start to deal with that huge load that had been placed on him last night.

Both looked away for a moment in silence unsure what to say next until they both couldn't stand it anymore and at the exact same time they blurted out how sorry they were and both looked at the other in confusion because they thought that they had been the one to blame not the other.

"What do you mean sorry I'm the one that made us do that stupid thing," Naruto spoke first, "Just because I wanted to show up Sasuke and you got hurt because of it and all the trouble as well. Not to mention I bet your dad is kind of pissed at me for putting you in danger like that."

"N-no it's not like that," She quickly told him, "He's n-n-not angry he knows that it was M-M-Mizuki's fault but I'm just sorry that I couldn't help you. I-I-I just froze and I was useless, I thought I was stronger than that but I'm just weak."

"You're not weak!" He said to her making her look up at him, "You're one of the strongest people I know you have one of the most caring and understanding people I know as well. You were just surprised so was I, you did nothing wrong after all he was a chunin."

"But you were able to beat him."

"I...got lucky," he said hoping she would buy it he didn't want her to feel like telling her he used one of the moves he got from the scroll she seemed to be having enough troubles as it were. "Anyway I guess we both messed up, but that shouldn't stop us. We're ninjas now and we just have to learn from this and get better and stronger."

Hinata smiled at his words, he always had a way of inspiring her and others she wasn't sure why he had such an ability but it was one of the reasons she cared for him so much. He also made her feel stronger and more confident as well. She was about to say something where there was a knock on her door she jumped and the sudden realization that Naruto had snuck into her room. She was in enough trouble and if her father learned that she had boys sneaking into her room (even if this was totally innocent) it wouldn't look good.

"Naruto you have to h-hide," she said quickly blushing deeply as she pushed him into the closet. He didn't know what the big deal was he had been in her room before but then she explained it and his face grew a little red himself. He hadn't thought of it like that and it would be a little awkward seeing as he did come through her window avoiding everyone in the home.

"C-Come in," Hinata called out.

Hanabi walked in looking around wondering what all the noise had been about that she had heard. She had knocked several times and she had gotten curious what her big sister had been up to. She had on a small smile as she walked into the room making a point to look around making Hinata's sweat a little.

"It is going to be lunch soon as I was told to tell you that it would be in the main dinning hall today," Hanabi said.

"O-okay I'll be there," Hinata said even more nervously than usual.

Hanabi was about to exit the door when she stopped and smiled, "Oh and I hope you don't start hiding boys all the time since I doubt the father would like them much and wouldn't like the idea of one of his daughters doing something inappropriate, right Naruto-nii-san?"

There was a sudden sound of someone face falling in the closet and Hinata's mouth hung open like a fish by the time her little sister left the room trying not to giggle at the reactions.

Next up Chapter 23: Team 7