Smoke and Lightning (A Naruto Fanfiction) [Complete]

Chapter Six: The Rivalry Game

The three drenched and shivering genin sat and regarded their new sensei with rather cautious eyes. His smile was still bright, but they were now rather certain that there was a sadistic edge hidden behind that man’s smile. Why else would he have broken up their test by using a water jutsu to silence the bickering that had sparked between Hisoka and Hikari? The two culprits had since been pointedly ignoring each other, neither one of them willing to admit that it might have been partly their fault that the team was now effectively facing the possibility that Kenshin would send them back to the Academy.

His smile seemed entirely too bright.

“I like you,” he declared suddenly.

The genin stared at him as if he’d just grown a third arm. If anything, Kenshin just grinned even further as he laced his hands behind his head.

“You won’t be boring,” he explained. “I really don’t like boring or serious. I get enough of that with my brother. Ah, you met Niisan. He’s the one who hit me this morning.”

This time, the genin looked at each other in shock. Not only had they learned that they hadn’t failed the test, but that the scary jounin that they’d met earlier that day had been Kenshin’s brother. It made sense, however, seeing as the man seemed to have very little patience for the easy-going Kenshin.

“Since I’ve decided to pass you,” Kenshin continued, drawing attention back to him. “I will lay down ground rules. These are inarguable. I will not forgive someone ignoring these and acting as they see fit.

“One: we are a team. You can argue, you can hate each other even if you’d like, but you don’t abandon your teammates. They’re as good as your family, if not better. You trust that they’ll have your back? Enable them to feel the same, otherwise we’re as good as dead.

“Two: I am your team leader. You may not always agree with my decisions, but you will follow them. I know what I’m doing or I wouldn’t have the position I do in the first place.

“Finally,” Kenshin paused, meeting their eyes. “If anything ever happens to me on a mission, you’re to take care of yourselves. The thing I hate the most is a hero who doesn’t have the skills to back it up.”

Silently, the teammates exchanged apprehensive looks. They’d been right, there was more hidden behind that simple, easy-going smile than they’d initially thought.

“Everyone understand?”

 

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As time passed, Hatake Kakashi began to notice something strange. Whenever he was walking down the street, whether he was with someone or not, he would occasionally glance behind himself. A feeling akin to disappointment had begun to form when he’d look behind and see nothing but empty air. This feeling was something he’d yet to manage to unravel the reasoning behind.

“Kakashi-senpai? What’re you looking at?”

Shaking his head, Kakashi turned away from where his eyes had settled on empty air and back to his companion. Tenzo’s questioning expression drove in the fact that his action had indeed been strange.

“Nothing.”

A small frown worked it’s way onto Kakashi’s lips behind his mask. His hands, which had been loosely hanging at his side until this moment, formed slightly clenched fists. It shouldn’t have been surprising that there was no one behind them, there was no reason for a person to be behind them. In actuality, there never seemed to be a reason for there to be someone behind him any of the times he’d checked.