The Jashinist's Son (Naruto Fanfic)

'Only Human'

Third Person POV:

It was around 9am by the time team 7 arrived at training ground three, not surprisingly Kakashi and Takeo were nowhere in sight. Team 7 make themselves comfortable on the ground just as two voices can be heard in the distance.

"Come on Kaka-baka, we're going to be late!"

"We just got back, we should sleep and not pull an all nighter. I'm sure they'd still be waiting by the time we'd eventually get there." Replies a lazy voice, clearly identified as Kakashi.

The genin straighten as the voices get closer only to be met with a comical sight. Koneko was asleep on Takeo's head while the boy himself was dragging the lazy copycat ninja by his feet. Kakashi made no attempt to get up and walk, but instead let himself be dragged through the grass of training ground three.

Takeo continues dragging Kakashi's dead weight, smiling thinly as he lays eyes on the genin. He drops Kakashi with a snicker and darts over to his new friends, greeting them with a wave. "Hey guys, sorry we're late. We had a mission last night and Kakashi really wanted to sleep, but I don't like being late or to be kept waiting. So, I dragged him here." Naruto bursts out laughing, Sakura just smiles triumphantly in Kakashi's direction and Sasuke snickers.

"Serves him right dobe, anyways do you know what we were doing today?" Sasuke asks, already assuming that Takeo knew and he didn't disappoint. His strained smile falters back into a more serious expression, almost as if he can't properly regulate his emotions. "We will be splitting into pairs to go do various missions including-."

Kakashi finally pulled himself up and appears behind Takeo, "-scouting, collecting and generally assisting where ever possible. Orochimaru's attack has left the village ninja depleted and many were injured as you know." Takeo shivers at the pedo snake's name, not going unnoticed by Sasuke and Kakashi.

"What are the group's sensei?" Sakura asks hopefully, sneaking glances at both Sasuke and Takeo, making Kakashi smirk as he hands the latter the papers. "The pairs will be Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke and Takeo, I'll bring Koneko back to get some sleep while I pick up my mission from the Hokage. Dismissed." Takeo lifts the caracal from his head and carefully hands her off to Kakashi as the jounin disappears.

Takeo hands one set of papers to an ecstatic Naruto who drags a not so enthusiastic Sakura behind him. Sasuke moves closer to read their paper, "okay so we just get to patrol the village and pick up some medicinal herbs from sand ninja later this afternoon? Hn." Takeo stores the paper in his ninja pouch and quickly catches up to Sasuke to begin their patrol.

Sasuke scans the silverette out the corner of his eye realising that they're the same height, that in itself surprised the Uchiha as he thought the boy was taller than him. 'Maybe that's just because of his presence.' Sasuke wouldn't admit it but Takeo could be quiet intimidating, especially when he was with the Akatsuki, and hilariously awkward when he's being himself.

The two different side of the same boy intrigued the Uchiha immensely, although he couldn't fathom why. On top of that, his reaction to the Sannin Orochimaru wasn't all that positive. "Takeo do you know Orochimaru?" He asks bluntly, not sugar coating anything. Takeo's aqua eyes snap shut as another shiver ravages his body.

He reopens his eyes refusing to meet the Uchiha's gaze as he kicks a small rock angrily, "yeah I know that bastard-" Sasuke's step falters but quickly regains his balance, he represses a shiver from the hatred and venom in the former criminal's voice. "He's a horrid, selfish man who doesn't care for the lives he destroys as long as he benefits from their deaths."

Takeo's stance has become rigid but slightly slumped as a scowl dons his tanned face, his eyes glaring harshly at the ground as he stuffs his clenched fists into his pockets.