Kakashi's First Student

2. Dekiri Wanderer of the Leaf Village

Every breath he took felt like ice grasped his lungs. The burn that traveled in his muscles reassured him that he was alive; he would miss the traveling missions naturally brought. The freedom to think knowing that he is only perceiving himself will be a longed-for dream soon. Back to the chaotic bustle of the village, locking most of what made up himself away just so, he could suit the whims of others. He was an isolated house cat that had found out what was beyond the fence. He was being plucked back up to be taken behind the suffocating walls of his owner's home again. 

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The tranquil routine of preparing his weapons of choice for their subsequent encounters often left him drifting. It was a gift he had not known could exist until he met his sensei. He had not perceived that he could live a day without being dragged over the coals by someone else's emotions. When he had experienced his first drift he thought he had finally snapped. He had been scared out of his mind; the silence had disquieted him so much he had nearly fallen over.

Earthy scents flowed up to him as he dipped a cloth into the oil that sat beside his thigh. He hummed under his breath as he routinely laced his kunai with venom. This one had been a find he had stumbled upon in the land of Lightning. It had been in a forgotten part of a traveling merchant's cart.

Dekiri had been on the hunt for new ink to replace the ones he lost while finishing up a mission that morning. The iridescent tint of the substance had tipped him off with a glance. He had just to flash the leaf symbol tattooed onto his left wrist before the old man had all but shoved all sorts of rare this and that at him. He walked away with his original ink and poison eventually.

He wrapped pine green cloth around the handles. It would not be due for him to accidentally kill someone important. Poison was such a way to go he preferred it over the more bloody methods out there. Blood was something to get out of clothing. He loathed the clingy static that enveloped him when fear would hit another just over a little blood. The civilian population are usually the one's lining hidden village pockets. It's bizarre how they react to evidence of the actual act after the fact. He had never gotten it, and he probably never will.

He endured it reluctantly at best, molding himself to their ideas of safe just so the civilian leaders would not decide to do away with him like so many others before him.  They were the dogs to their sheep's herds after all. The people's protectors in one eye and attackers in anothe-

Huh.

He looked up intently studying the tree canopy above. The soft sound of wingbeats drew his attention to the tawny and white falcon gliding towards him.  He lifted his arm humming a low toon; he smiled as it was repeated cheerfully back to him. His arm swayed when she settled on his up arm. His rough fingers caught on her smooth feathers while he opened the scroll with the other. She chirped at him impatiently when his fingers stopped their motions, his smile slid off his face.

Travels always had an end, and it looked like Dekiri's would be starting now. He sighed bone wearily at the idea of returning sapping his remaining energy. Thistle whistled at him as she hopped up to his shoulder. (The falcon was an honourary Hatake she had been through thick and thin with him and Kakashi) He absently whistled back to her as he gathered his weapons and supplies. Time moved forward as he crossed through the mountains that gave the Land of Fangs its name.

Dekiri hoped for his sanity that whatever Kakashi needed was worth the effort that it took to cross the mountain range without using his chakra. Kakashi was the type to keep you on your toes and follow the whims of his fancy. The lack of a muted rose ribbon around Thistle's neck was his only comfort. That left everything else that could lead to Kakashi retrieving his wayward student.

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Thistle launches from his shoulder causing him to chuckle lightly when they get closer to the village gates. She's on her way to locate Kakashi and announce his arrival in her chaotic way of course. He swears on the spirit plains that they feed off each other's chaos. Nodding at the shinobi on guard duty was the first and last time he felt as close to weightless as he could be.

Invisible stings pricked along his skin the further he walked away from them. Hummingbirds tapped against the obsidian of his mental shields. His first stop will be the apartment then whatever training ground his sensei was terrorizing today. Minutes passed as he jogged past the worn buildings, greeting the occasional cat as he darted up the stairs to their apartment floor. He closed the door firmly behind him; turning on his heel he searched for the shelves spotting the familiar leather bands. The bronze-inlaid wolves were a welcome sight as he fitted them to his left arm. The highest one near his shoulder was his most treasured. The Hatake diamond is sectioned off neatly with squares holding within his birth clan's own symbol.

Kakashi's cold chakra washed over the unseen irritation that has befallen him since he step foot past the gates. He caressed the last of the watching amber-brushed wolves on his wrist. The door snapped shut behind him, the sweet spring breeze brushed through his curls as he thumped down the stairs. He rooted around in his pockets for his hair ties sparing the blonde in his peripheral a moment before moving on.

It would be his luck the blonde was somehow involved his instincts had pinged him before the others. He could parade as an optimist for the next few hours and pretend it never happened or he could prepare his future self for the chaos.

He hid a groan while he tied his hair back with a plain black strip of cloth. The kid needed a blanket and cookies for a start and some nice words daily. He had nothing to dislike him over just the fact he caused shockwaves in the village daily that left Dekiri aching for a reprieve.

He finally reached the tiny forest that made up the training grounds. Time to see what chaos Kakashi had put into motion this time.

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Hi, thank you for reading this chapter I'm not going to lie writing this was like pulling teeth. My summer evenings are now dedicated to Naruto just for this. I apologize if this chapter seems stiff I'm going to smooth them out after I get at least a few more done. Basic editing should be done though so no reading-ending mistakes should be in this. Polite criticism is welcome.

The original pairing was Gaara/Moc

I'm honestly not sure anymore so subject to change.

No, I will not be following Canon I have plans. I will world-build like crazy since that is where my strength lies. Please be patient with me this story's outline is currently in pieces due to most of it being my favorite of all the previous rewrites being knitted together to form this.