The Toughest Lesson

Problems

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful for Naruto.  Friday night was just a blur...he remembered seeing Kakashi at the bar, and he remembered talking to him, but he didn't really remember what was said.  He felt vaguely uneasy about that, but shook it off.  He worked on the double homework Kakashi-sensei gave them for the weekend, "Dick." Naruto mumbled under his breath as he scratched answers on the paper.  He talked with Sasuke on the phone.  He Facebooked with Jiraiya, who was in Paris getting some "prime research" done.  Naruto rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but miss the old guy.  Saturday he went to the party and met some cool people.  Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata, and Choji were the ones he could remember.  He played some video games.  And of course, he ate.  Ramen, pizza, and of course, more ramen.  He had forgotten all about Friday by the time Monday came around.

Walking up, he was heading towards Sasuke when he noticed Sasuke was talking to that dark haired guy, Orochimaru.  Stopping short, Naruto didn't want to interrupt a potential romance.  Turning, he just went on into the school, sitting down in his seat and getting ready for the day.  A few minutes later, their sensei walked in.  He gave Naruto a dispassionate look, but continued putting away his papers.  Once the bell rang, Kakashi took roll and then surprised the class.

"Pop quiz!" Kakashi said, almost gleefully in Naruto's mind.  Groaning, the students put away all their books, only keeping their pencils out.  As Kakashi passed out the papers, Naruto's stomach tied in knots.  "You will have twenty minutes to answer these twenty questions.  Begin."  Naruto started, frowning as he gnawed on his bottom lip.  He tried, really he did, but it just seemed that he was a C student, and a D test taker.  At the end of the twenty minutes, he had finished 13 questions.  Kakashi collected the papers and went about class.  All in all, it was a typical Monday...pretty shitty.

************

Tuesday morning Naruto sat down.  He hadn't slept well.  Kakashi returned the quizzes...a big, red, angry F on Naruto's.  Sighing, Naruto knew what was going to happen before Kakashi opened his cloth covered mouth when the break bell rang.

"Mr. Uzumaki, a moment?"  Kakashi stated as other students made their way out.

Naruto sat there, head on his fist, looking bored at Kakashi.  After everyone left, Kakashi looked at him.  "You will come in early and retake the quiz.  I do not believe that exemplifies your effort."  His tone left no room for argument.

"Of course."  Naruto said angrily under his breath.

"Detention instead."  Kakashi said.  Naruto just glared, saying nothing.

***********

When Detention rolled around, Naruto stayed sitting.  The rest of the class was getting used to this by now, so no one said anything, Neji just shaking his head on the way out.  Kakashi handed a clean sheet to Naruto.  "Now, pay attention this time."  Kakashi said, pulling out a book and reading it while Naruto took the pop quiz again.  When he was done, he stalked up and put the paper on Kakashi's desk before going and sitting down, pulling out homework.  He noticed that his sensei was reading his godfather's book.

Kakashi put the book down.  Grading the quiz, Kakashi sighed.  "Mr. Uzumaki, are you trying to get more detention?" he asked wearily.

Naruto looked up, genuinely confused.  "What?  No, of course not.  Why?"

Kakashi handed back the paper.  Naruto did worse this time.  Kakashi shook his head, pulling up a chair.  "I guess we will have to go through these one at a time."

Naruto glared, but said nothing.  "Alright, Mr. Uzumaki, let's start with question one.  Please read it."

Naruto nodded, reading it silently.  "Okay."  He said.

Kakashi looked oddly at Naruto.  "No, I meant read it out loud."

"O...oh."  Naruto was suddenly uncomfortable.  "Well...uh, I read better silently."

Kakashi sighed.  "I am not expecting an award winning performance, please just read the question out loud."

Naruto frowned, but did as he was asked.  "When the fourth Hokage of the Leaf was a young nam..man what man was he called?"

Kakashi looked at him, saying nothing.  "And the answers?"

Naruto labored them out.  Picking D, he did get the right answer this time.

Kakashi studied him.  "The next one."

Again, more labored reading and answers.  At the end of the quiz, Kakashi asked, quietly,  "Do you have dyslexia?" 

"What? No, I don't know what you're talking about."  Naruto crossed his arms defensively.

Kakashi laid a gentle hand on Naruto's arm.  Naruto looked up, eyes wide.  "Mr. Uzumaki, I'd like for you to take a test to determine if you do.  Based upon your reading of the questions, combined with ... other factors, I believe you may have dyslexia."

Naruto didn't know what to think.  He'd always had a difficult time reading, and he always just did average in school, even if he struggled to do homework.  He figured he was just a dummy.  For this man to actually care and want to help him...it shocked Naruto.  As did the warmth from his hand on Naruto's bare skin.  Mutely, Naruto nodded.

"Come in early tomorrow and I will have the test ready."  Kakashi offered.  Naruto nodded again.  Standing, Kakashi adjusted the desks back in order.  "You're free to go for today."

Naruto left, his head swirling, confusion clouding his brain.  Dyslexia?  Could that be the answer to his problems?

************

The next morning, Naruto was at the school an hour early.  Walking to class, he somehow wasn't surprised to see Kakashi already there.  Man what he wouldn't give to see what sensei was hiding beneath that mask...

"Mr. Uzumaki, good, you're here.  Please, take a seat."  There was a laptop sitting at Naruto's desk.  Sitting down at his desk, Naruto looked up at Kakashi.  "Now, there is a test.  I will have to sit by you to record some answers."  Naruto nodded as Kakashi pulled up a chair.

The test took about thirty minutes to complete.  Kakashi collected the computer when he was done, excusing Naruto.  Naruto walked outside, sitting down on a bench to enjoy the air and some outside time before having to go back into the school.  Pulling out his phone, he started playing a game.

Kakashi sat staring at the results.  Dyslexia.  Well, that explained it.  That definitely explained the boy's poor scores.  Looking back at Naruto's school records, he kicked himself.  He should have seen it sooner, even though it was only the second week.  Kakashi was a perfectionist, and he didn't appreciate that he messed up.  Sighing, he would have to make this right.