Roses {Kakashi Hatake}

4. Distant

A few weeks passed, in which Akahana kept training with Shikaku, got to know Inoichi and Chouza and still failed to convince the Academy sensei and Kakashi.

Sakumo still hadn't returned yet, which was troubling the girl. Yet, she believed he would come back, the White Fang was not an easy person to take down.

"Akahana!" the teacher yelled at her, "If you don't pay attention, you better leave this classroom now," he stated, "It's not like you've got something to lose."

Akahana let out a sigh, "I'm not leaving," she said, "and I'm sorry you refuse to believe ordinary children can be shinobi. If you can't bring up the faith you should have in your students, you should be fired."

Her remark surprised pretty much everyone, the usually polite and kind girl insulted their sensei right in front of everyone.

"Detention," he simply said, "You can't even bring up the respect I deserve."

"I can do that," Akahana retorted, "I just don't want to. Nara-san agrees you're a terrible sensei."

The man was growing angrier at every single word she spoke. This talentless girl was taunting him in front of everyone, her respect for him was nowhere to be found and how the hell could she know Shikaku?

"How can you be so certain?" he asked.

"He's my senpai," she replied with a closed eyes smile, "He's a better teacher than you."

"Sugoi!" Gai commented as they walked out of the building, "You're awesome, Aka-chan!"

"Arigatou, Gai-kun," she said, "I bet even Kakashi-chan didn't see it coming!"

"Baka," the said boy sneered from behind her, "You shouldn't have done that."

"It was worth it," she mused, "Tou-san would be proud."

"He's your superior, you should respect him," Kakashi said.

"In a few years, he won't be," she said, "I'll be a chunin by then."

"Hmpf," Kakashi grunted, "I doubt it."

Akahana gave him a wide grin, "What'ver helps you sleep at night, Kakashi-chan."

Kakashi looked at the girl, the grin still plastered to her freckled face. He despised her attitude towards him and the authority, yet it intrigued him in some strange way. He was not going to try and find out more about that, though, he stood above that. "Stop calling me that, Flower Girl," he simply said before he got ready to go home, "and I suggest you go to detention."

"That's next week, Kakashi-chan." She then walked away from him with Gai walking beside her. She lived nearby, only a few blocks away. She didn't have training sessions today, since today was one of those days she was going to help in the shop.

***

Sakumo walked through the streets of Konoha, on the way to his home. He had just reported his mission, which didn't end very well. In order to save his teammates lives, he had forsaken the mission, which resulted in failure.

Shinobi looked at him like a failure, he was no hero. He hung his head in shame as he walked as fast as possible, not wanting to stay out here for too long, he wanted to be away from all those judging eyes watching him.

Not all of them looked at him like that, though. Caught up in his own sulking, he hadn't realised a five year old girl and her friend were approaching him.

"Hatake-san! You're back!" He looked up and saw Akahana in front of him, standing next to Dai's son, "I see you kept your promise."

He let out a tiny smile, the girl was able to brighten up his day, even if it was just a tiny bit, "Of course I did," he said, ruffling his hands through her red, shoulder-lenght hair, "Why wouldn't I?"