Caged Birds Lullaby

chapter 10

A strange feeling of foreboding ran through him. He shivered. This was so much like when Kushina had pranked him, Rin and Obito.

He closed his visible eye, standing still in front of the closed door.

What would Obito say if he knew he was getting another team to test. He had a slight feeling that this time, he would pass the team.

After all, his sensei's daughter was in it.

His best friend's nephew was in it.

A sigh escaped him as he ran a hand through his silver hair.

He always watched those two. Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Rivals who took every chance to jump at each other's throats, who insulted each other, not really realizing those were more endearing and friendly then hostile.

So much like him and Obito.

It pained him.

He always watched the boy walk alone after the academy, train till exhaustion, eyes filled with crazy malice. This wasn't good. The boy was drowning in revenge, and if something wasn't done with it, he would be lost.

He knew perfectly well that the three elders, along with that old coot, Danzo were planning to use Sasuke as a weapon of some sort. They wanted the Sharingan bred. It sickened him. He was even secretly given the task to train only him, effectively ignoring the two other gennin.

He had given them the cold attitude. He would never do that. He would be far to the kids, like Minato sensei was fair to him, Obito and Rin.

Last night he had been through their files. They were interesting. Sasuke excelled in taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu. The boy really was a genius, even I he still hadn't unlocked his doujutsu. He would be a force to be reckoned with, if trained.

But he lacked very important things. He lacked love, which was forcefully taken from him. What Itachi did, wounded the boy deeply, never to be reversed.

He sighed. He would try everything to make the boy see. It was just..he wasn't good at such things, he couldn't comfort people, heck he couldn't even be a good teacher to them, like the Fourth was to him.

Truth is he was afraid.

Apart from Sasuke, there was also Naruto, the yellow ball of never-ending sunshine and joy. She was the opposite of the young Uchiha. It was almost ironic, how their places could have been switched.

She always smiled, no matter what. She ignored the glares and the hate thrown openly at her. She was so optimistic, it puzzled him.

But still, he could still see the hurt she was keeping cooped up. Her eyes would sometimes have the faraway look, when she stared at parents interacting with their children.

But, the situation had changed.

A year ago, when he had gone to secretly check up on her after she had failed her exam the second time, he had arrived to see her smiling a real, genuine smile. And the determination in her eyes as she fell asleep reminded him so much of how Minato looked, when he made goals. It shook him to the very core.

Thus, he followed her.

He couldn't hide his surprise when he saw her interacting with the Hyuuga genius, who had already graduated.

He remembered that day perfectly well.

After all, Gai had joined him in the stalking. (No, Kakashi my rival! Stalking is such an unyouthful word! This is just..er..following and checking up on our students' welfare and brightly burning power of youth!".."She isn't my student, Gai.."…"Minor facts are unimportant!").