Still A Scarecrow

Chapter 6 | Hey Boss

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HE'D GOTTEN ALONG SPLENDIDLY WITH AIZAWA. In time the man even allowed him to call him by his first name, Shouta. And from that point on, as far as the Hatake knew, his claim was staked.

They saw each other quite a lot, whether it was them choosing to hang out together or just a 'coincidence', it was nice. The Hatake couldn't even deny that he was attracted to the man. Aizawa, with all his lazy "Please End Me." exterior, was a very passionate person.

Shouta was a hero first and foremost and a teacher second but he'd seen the look on the man's face after his first day at school, the start of the school year, the man looked annoyed, annoyed at his new students, he guessed. After a bit of probing and lot of "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you" Shouta told Kakashi what had transpired at his school.

"I expelled the entire class." Ah? What the fuck? Wow, he was getting more attracted to the man every time they had a conversation. He remembers the time when he'd done the exact same to multiple Genin teams, only to pass his last one in the end. "I don't know if I should be impressed or worried. Were they that bad?" He was curious, Shouta wouldn't expel an entire class for no good reason.

"Whatever you're thinking of, they were worse." Shouta had a frown on his lips as he said that, fortunately the corners quirked up for a moment as he said, "The brats had no potential, zilch. They wouldn't make it as Heroes." Ah so soft.

The man grew on him so quickly, so easily, like mold. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"You did the right thing, stop worrying about it so much." Aizawa told him about his old friend Oboro, who passed away during a patrol gone wrong, and the faults he saw with the Hero system ever since. He only wanted to save people, of course he knew the risks that came with it, but he never imagined not making it through their years ahead together with Oboro. "You're quite literally saving them. You're the expert, Shouta. They would only become a liability as Heroes, had they gone on. Isn't that right?" The man looked at him and nodded his head slightly. He didn't look convinced yet, so he went on. "Maybe the next batch won't be as bad, and when they come, you'll teach the kids everything they'll need to become a proper Hero. Teach them the way you wish you were taught." Because that's really the best he could do.

The man groaned and flopped his head into his folded arms on coffee table he was sitting next to. "Somehow, you always know what to say. Fucking Hatake." Rude much? "Hm– Is that a thank you I hear? You're welcome Shouta–kun." Aizawa only sighed and moved his head, peering up at the Hatake through his eyelashes.

Gah! Combo attack.

"Ahh not that face please." Kakashi waved his hands in front of his face trying to shield himself from the man in front of him. "What face? What are you talking about stupid Hatake." The man muttered under his breath, looked away from him and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Over the course of the many months they'd become close friends and Aizawa opened up to him, a lot, about the things he went through, and even the way he felt most of the time. Kakashi knew he could trust the man, he could smell it, but he never had anyone to open up to. He was still a war torn emotionally constipated brat when Minato was someone he could talk to, so he wasn't able to talk to people about things like... his feelings. Ever.

Gai was a constant in his life, but apart from the rival business, they didn't talk that much. He wasn't close with most people in his and Gai's age group and he didn't feel like opening up to his kouhai, Tenzo. With the looming threat of Danzo hanging around Tenzo had enough shit to deal with already.

The man, Aizawa, didn't hold it against him. Sweet thing that he was, told him to take his time and open up when he felt he was ready.

The Hatake appreciated that, though he didn't know if he'd ever be ready.

::

Fuck. Fuck. If this didn't work, he'd either break down in front of Aizawa and spill all his darkest little secrets or become distant while wallowing in self pity and fuck up one of the only genuine friendships he'd ever had.

No pressure.

"Fuck it..." He bit his thumb and drew blood, then slammed his thumb on the ground and muttered "Summoning Jutsu."

Relief. Only relief flooded through him as he saw a cloud of smoke, and then his pack. His pack. Right here, in his apartment. Ah, were his eyes sweating?

"Yo boss."

::

While of his ninken took to wandering around his apartment, others decided to crowd around their slightly downtrodden summoner. Pakkun made Kakashi play with his paws as Bisuke playfully bit at his free hand.
He had Shouta to thank for his current mood, for this overwhelming sense of home he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt as if he'd gone and acquired something that filled a hole in his chest.

Pakkun wasn't quite satisfied with his summoner's momentary silence, he had multiple questions, mind you, such as where the fuck they were at and why the fuck everyone he could sense at the moment had civilian level chakra reserves. There was no way they were in a reclusive village, he could sense more than 50 people living on the same floor as his boss.
Apartment complexes like these, big enough to host many, were made for the Shinobi Corps. The fact that none of those 50 people were above civilian level said a lot.

The air was also polluted as fuck.

Though none of those things mattered more than what was going on with his boss at the moment, the stupid pup smelled different, and it wasn't in a failed Genjutsu way. He smelled content and of another man.

His boss. His emotionally constipated boss smelled of someone else.

Suddenly their location didn't matter anymore. The pup was content, wherever they were at could wait. Pakkun was elated, though he didn't show it, and started with "So boss, you've went and got yourself a friend huh?"

Uh oh, it seemed the ninken had smelled Shouta on him, better to change the conversation while he could. "Maa Pakkun, aren't you more interested in our current situation?" The Hatake smiled at the other. No tact. Pakkun only huffed and chose to go along with his summoner's silent request to steer away from that topic. For now.

"I'll tell you everything from the start."

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hi guys <3
tell me if you think i'm moving the story too quickly lol i'm thinking abt doing the usj after this but idk i have to sleep on it cause i wanna do a lot