Love Triangle: Kakashi vs. Genma

22 | History

In truth, Kakashi was still interested. He had always had a thing for her, since their days in ANBU, if he was being honest with himself. Though she was four years his junior, it barely mattered to him. But it mattered that she was Asuma's younger sister, the Third's youngest child. There's no way he could go after her with that looming over him. Asuma would probably kill him (he almost killed Genma, looking back—and really, who's he kidding? Kakashi himself wanted to punch Genma). So really, Kakashi shouldn't even take that chance. He didn't really like her like that, right? It's fine.

But yet, peeking over the edge of his book and watching her spar with Kurenai drew up those feelings he swore he would never have for anyone again. The way she moved, the look of focus spreading across her features, the way she had so much self-control and thought through every move... she reminded him of, well, himself. It made him miss being in ANBU with her. Kakashi was eighteen at the time that she joined and he was concerned that they let her in when she was fourteen.

Of course, Kakashi had been thirteen when he joined, but it wasn't typical that they let them in so young. She had to be special or something. It wasn't until their first mission together that he realized what the Hokage was thinking, assigning her to ANBU. She was far more skilled than her brother had been at that age, far more dangerous. It was also then that he realized he had a thing for her, which he has undoubtedly refuted to himself time and time again since...

It wasn't until Asuma showed up and clapped him on the back did Kakashi realize he had been staring, lost in thought. Asuma laughed loudly before looking at Kakashi head on. "You know, you could always just go on and ask my sister out." Kakashi didn't know at first if Asuma was joking, but if he wasn't... well, he supposed that meant that Asuma wouldn't kill him after all, but that was one less reason he had now not to ask her out. Kakashi turned back to the women sparring before chuckling. "Perhaps I'll do that... you know, that given you won't try to punch me out like you did Genma... and as soon as you do the same for Kurenai."

Asuma tightened his lips, slightly glaring at Kakashi and hating the bitter taste of his own medicine. He could ask out Kurenai any time he pleased now. "Genma didn't ask her out at first. They were just... you know, don't you have somewhere to be? After all, we've all already met with our new students. Shouldn't you be on your way to meet yours?"

Kakashi yawned. "You're right. I suppose I've made them wait long enough. I'll see you all later then." And with a small wave, he left his friends alone. He walked slowly and calmly toward the academy building, half reading his book and half thinking over his new team. Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki. What a line-up. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how this team would fair. The same as every other team had gone probably—with none of his students being good enough to pass. He just wondered exactly how long they would take to fail out, maybe set a new record?

Kakashi knew he was a harsh teacher. Partly, he was still a bit bitter from having had to take this position as a jonin sensei, as a few of his former classmates had taken. He was twenty-two at the time and he thought he was perfectly fine staying in the ANBU black ops—until his friends had advocated to have him taken out of ANBU altogether, Asuma among them (also advocating to have [Y/N] removed from ANBU as well). In a way, Kakashi didn't think Asuma should've had any say, since he had been gone for almost five years, out doing who knows what.

Actually, that was the exact point [Y/N] had made when they pulled her out too. At nineteen, she was already a force to be reckoned with then. She was still angry at her brother for leaving in the first place and she was angrier still when he got back and (in her words) "shoved his nose where he had no business." Kakashi smiled at the memory.

She stood in front of her father, the Hokage himself, and fought it out with him as Kakashi and Asuma watched from the side. Of course, as the Hokage, his decision was the ruling one and [Y/N] and Kakashi were both booted from ANBU. [Y/N] went on to take a normal jonin role, taking mission assignments as they came while Kakashi was put into the sensei position. Now, three years later, he had decided that he was mostly fine with this too. After all, he had been doing this a while now, so why not?

He pushed all of that to the back of his mind as he went to slide open the classroom door and something hit the top of his head. Without looking up, he bent and picked up the chalkboard eraser. He listened to Naruto's laughter while Sakura scolded him and tried to apologize, and for a brief moment, he wondered what exactly he had agreed to with this bunch and weighed his options. He could just turn around and leave. He could yell at them. He could fail them now. He could just keep his cool and ignore that that had happened. After a quick debate with himself, he finally looked up at the three new genin in front of him. What a line-up indeed.