Chapter Text
Kakashi stepped out of his front door into the cool afternoon sun. The house he lived in, owned by his adoptive parents, was larger than average, with yellow siding and white trim. He had lived here for almost 3 years now, with Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki legally adopting him shortly after his father's passing.
He tried not to think about that though, as his new life with his new family was more than enough to keep him feeling loved. A few months ago, he even was added onto Minato's team of genin. The hardest part of all of it was learning to address his new father as Sensei instead of simply calling him by his first name.
Today, Kakashi was going to train. Since he was training by himself, he didn't feel any need to wear armor, so he wore a simple black shirt with some black pants. His mask, as per usual, was attached to the top of his shirt.
Kakashi was grateful for Minato and Kushina. They had to make a number of changes for him when he first moved in, and he wasn't exactly the best child. Being only 9 at the time, he just didn't understand why he couldn't continue living on his own in the Hatake compound. The first time Kushina washed his clothes, Kakashi was sick for days. He fixed his mask in its usual position and at his first inhale his stomach was trying to expel everything in it. Kushina had used a very strong lavender detergent, and Kakashi's strong sense of smell couldn't handle it. Eventually, all the strong flower or fruit scented candles, teas, and chemicals were out of the house. Replaced with calmer scents like vanilla or honey.
Another thing the new parents didn't know they had signed up for was the dogs. Kakashi had his eight dog summons and enjoyed treating them like family. They adapted once again, and had treats and food bags stashed away in many places.
They were the loving parents Kakashi never knew he needed, and they loved him dearly. He wasn't sure how, seeing as he had been such a little asshole when he first got there. They had to deal with everything from shuriken traps, arguments, and broken possessions, to him simply running away. Four times Minato had to chase him through the streets of Konoha when he had been missing for too long after an argument. He would corner Kakashi eventually and pull the young boy into a hug. Affection and stability was all Kakashi really needed… he just didn't know it until he had already put Kushina and Minato through four months of misery.
The night was full of Kakashi yelling and screaming at the young couple. He told them they were terrible people. He threw kunai, laid traps, and smashed vases in his fit before running out the door. When he hadn't come home long after dinner, Minato went searching.
The young silver-haired ninja had been hiding out in his family compound. He had been hiding away in his father's room, crying on the floor. Kakashi didn't feel the older man's presence until he was only a couple feet away from him.
Minato spoke quietly. "Kakashi… are you okay?"
"WHAT DO YOU EVEN CARE?" Kakashi screamed at him through tears. He buried his face down into his arms and sobbed.
Minato moved closer and sat on the floor beside him. "Kushina and I care about you Kakashi. You are very special to us both."
Kakashi didn't speak for a few moments. In between sobs, his trembling voice was barely above a whisper. "Why do you keep coming after me? Why don't you go have a REAL family?"
Minato let out a small sigh. He was barely holding back tears of his own. His heart was breaking for this poor hurting child. He would give Kakashi up for good if it meant the boy could go back to his father. It just wasn't possible.
Almost a year ago, Sakumo Hatake had killed himself. It was an act Minato could understand… if he hadn't left poor Kakashi to fend for himself.
The eight year old boy had been left on his own for seven months before Kushina finally got approval for the adoption. By then, Kakashi had already closed off. He didn't want family or friends. He just wanted his father back.
Minato took another deep breath and ran his hands through his unruly blonde hair. He moved himself over towards the boy until their legs were touching. "We may not be your real parents, but you will always be family to us. It doesn't matter how many shuriken I have to pull out of my shoulder. I'm always going to come looking for you. And when I find you, I'm always gonna bring you back home where Kushina will be waiting by the door watching for you. We love you, Kakashi. No amount of fighting and running away will ever change that."
That moment was when Kakashi knew he needed family. He looked up into Minato's bright blue eyes for a moment, trying to find the words to say to the man who just wouldn't give up on him. A weak "thank you" was all he could manage before bursting into sobs again. Minato put his arm around the boy's small shoulders and pulled him into his side. The child looked even smaller than usual as he curled up into a ball and cried some more.
Back then, Kakashi was afraid. Now, he knew he always had Minato and Kushina to watch over him. As he stood on the porch reflecting, he inhaled through his mask to take in the wonderful scent of the outdoors, once again thankful for unscented detergent.
"Kakashi!" He heard from inside as Kushina opened the front door. He turned to look at the redheaded woman just in time to catch the brown paper sack thrown to him.
"Sweetheart if you are gonna train you need to make sure to eat!" She said with a smile.
Kakashi smiled back, ever-thankful for this fiery woman who forced him to take care of himself. "Thank you Kushina!" He said with a wave as he set out to the training grounds.
~
The sun had barely entered the morning sky when Kinoe left the foundation barracks. He was one of the few members of ROOT allowed to leave the premises without being on a mission. The other members refused to speak to him because of it, since they thought it was favoritism. The truth, however, was simply that Kinoe wasn't fully able to practice and perfect his jutsu unless he was in the forest. He had been with the foundation since he was four, and his boss, Danzo, trusted him completely.
Kinoe was an exemplary member of the foundation. He was an excellent tracker, fighter, and spy. He could sense anyone. Not even Danzo could sneak up on him anymore. Kinoe also was the best at hiding his emotions. Danzo's only qualm with the boy was that even though he could hide his emotions so well, they were still there. The ideal soldier had no emotion what-so-ever.
The young boy, now twelve years old, left the barracks wearing discreet clothing that wouldn't tie him to the foundation if he was seen. Black t-shirt, standard issue pants, and his happuri forehead protector. His mess of brown hair was cut short, though he had worn it longer in the past.
Kinoe took the back roads to the edge of the city and disappeared into the forest for training.
~
Kakashi finally made it to his favorite training field. It was a grassy field with a few logs for shuriken training. He liked it best because it was mostly secluded. The small clearing was the farthest away from the hub of the city, and was partially surrounded by the forest. The air was fresh out here, and Kakashi enjoyed every second of it. If he took a deep breath, he could smell the sweet smell of wildflowers that were spread sporadically through the grass. Another breath, and he could smell his favorite scent by far; the wonderful pine trees mixed with the slightest hint of dirt. The air wasn't tainted here like it was in Konoha. His sensitive nose didn't pick up random bits of food, or the human that was eating it. Here, he wouldn't be cornered into talking to anybody. It was just him and the wildflowers.
Kakashi trained with his shuriken for a while, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn't need the practice. The main reason the silver-haired child came out here was to relax in peace and quiet.
When he had his fill of training, Kakashi walked over to his favorite tree to lay down in the shade. The large maple tree had a sweeter scent than the average pine tree, but the shade it provided was the best. The young ninja sprawled out in the grass, his deep gray eyes watching the clouds pass by.
It was here he would come to think about his life. His past, with his father, was a common starting point. But as the hours passed him by he would think about Minato and Kushina as well. In all honesty, he viewed Minato as a father to him. He even thought about calling him "Dad" several times, changing his mind last second. He loved them, and he wished he knew how to show it.
Aside from them, he often found himself thinking about his new team. Team Minato. In his opinion, the two other people on his team were pretty lackluster. Rin was okay for a kunoichi, but her skills weren't anywhere up to par with Kakashi's. Obito was another story. He was always late, and didn't have any impressive skills. Plus even being a member of the Uchiha clan, he still hadn't managed to awaken his sharingan, and Kakashi doubted he ever would. Minato tried to make them get along, but it just wasn't something Kakashi was capable of doing. Rin and Minato both were constantly stepping in between the two of them, and Kakashi often was in trouble once he returned home.
The young shinobi stared into the bright green underside of the tree. He hated disappointing Minato. The man meant more to him than anyone ever had in the past. He just couldn't think of a way to fix it.
In the distance, Kakashi heard a large thumping noise; like a tree falling. He quickly jumped up and scanned the tops of the trees for any clue to what he heard.
After another minute or so, he saw it. Above the tops of the trees, a new tree grew taller than all the others. Kakashi stared, wide-eyed. What did he just see? What that even possible?
Pulling his chakra in close to conceal himself, he jumped down and walked into the forest.
The trees were thick, and the young boy had to watch his steps very carefully to avoid tripping over any roots. Thumping noises echoed through the otherwise silent forest. If it hadn't been for Kakashi's excellent hearing, he may have gotten lost in the echoes.
After at least 20 minutes of slowly navigating towards the noise, Kakashi was coming up on a clearing. He slowed himself down, and watched as he crept forward.
The clearing was relatively small. Surrounding it were all sorts of large flowering plants he had never seen before. All of them were gorgeous, though some looked extremely poisonous. On the left side of the clearing was a boy. Kakashi stared at the small person who had to be around the same age as him. Even though the kid's back was turned, He was sure it wasn't anybody he would recognize. Could he really be the one causing all this racket?
The boy was small, much like Kakashi. He was even dressed somewhat similar. But where Kakashi had his leaf headband across his forehead, this kid was wearing a happuri. He wasn't moving. The kid seemed worn out, and was taking deep breaths.
Suddenly, the strange child threw his hands together for a jutsu and a large pine tree shot out of the ground.
Kakashi's jaw dropped as he looked on, his eyes as big as saucers. He had never seen anything like that in his life. He hadn't even known that to be possible. As far as he knew, the first Hokage was the only one in history to EVER be able to grow trees and control wood.
Kakashi continued to gaze slack-jawed into the clearing as the boy put his arms down for a breather once more.
"I know you're there. You can't hide your chakra from me. You can come out." The stranger's small voice reached out to him hidden in the trees.
Kakashi practically jumped at the intruding sound, but came to his senses and crouched down. He must've been talking to somebody else, he thought as he glanced around.
When his eyes moved back to the front, he was shocked to find the child staring back at him, even through all the trees.
With a sigh, Kakashi stood up and walked into the clearing. It was, after all, just some kid. What did he have to worry about?
The strange kid had no expression at all on his face when he walked up. It was oddly unsettling.
"What's your name?" The stranger spoke like it was an interrogation.
"Kakashi Hatake. What's yours?" He replied nonchalantly, with his posture relaxed and hands in his pockets.
"Why are you here?" The boy asked, ignoring Kakashi's question entirely.
Kakashi wrinkled his nose at the inherent rudeness of the kid, but relaxed his face again before answering, deciding to go with the truth. "I was training on the grounds back there and heard a bunch of noise, so I came to see what was happening." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Well now you know, so there isn't much reason to stick around." The kid replied, his face still showing Kakashi nothing.
Kakashi chuckled. Somehow, he thought the kid was funny. He had a deep feeling in his chest, like he wanted to know this kid. He walked to one end of the clearing to a large flat rock, pulled his favorite book out of his back pocket, and sprawled out in the sun. "Don't mind me. I won't bother you." He replied before catching a confused look, however brief, on the strangers face.
The kid was hesitant, Kakashi could tell. He inhaled deeply, trying to catch his scent. To his surprise, he couldn't smell anything other than the natural smell of the forest. Odd, he thought to himself, as he pretended to read his book. After a minute of silence, the kid turned back around. Kakashi expected another tree to sprout from the ground. Instead, a large pile of wildflowers grew from the green grass.
That explains all these strange flowers, Kakashi thought as he moved to an upright position. He placed his book on the rock and pulled his lunch sack out of his small pack.
The kid was watching him again. He could feel his gaze as he pulled a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out of the small bag. He removed one from its bag and quickly took a bite under the bottom of his mask, before he looked up towards the stranger. The kid wasn't staring at him. He was staring at the sandwich.
Kakashi laughed lightly and gave his best crinkle-eyed smile before holding out his second sandwich as an offering. A flash of surprise showed on the kid's face, and he looked down to the ground in thought. After a few seconds, he slowly walked up to Kakashi and grabbed the spare sandwich. The silver haired ninja scooted over and patted the empty space on the rock next to him, but the child backed up instead. He placed his small hand to the ground and produced a small wooden chair. Kakashi almost forgot to replace his mask as he gaped in shock, his eyes as wide as saucers.
To reduce the risk of spooking the kid, Kakashi said nothing as the kid sat down and eyeballed the sandwich. He smelled it first, then pulled the bread apart to look inside. Satisfied nothing was wrong with it, he spoke. "What is this?" He said while holding up the sandwich.
"It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." Kakashi replied with a shrug.
"Peanut butter and jelly?" The kid said, visibly confused as he stared down at the food in his hand.
Kakashi took a few quick bites as the kid looked down in his hands and watch as he finally decided to taste it. His first bite was excruciatingly slow, as if he either thought it was a trap or had never heard of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He entertained the thought that maybe the kid was homeless, but dismissed that thought quickly as it was clear the kid at least showered frequently.
When the stranger was finally chewing the sandwich, Kakashi watched as a bright smile spread across his face. The smile was infectious, and he found himself returning a smile of his own.
"Kinoe. My name is Kinoe." The boy said with a smile.
"Kinoe, huh? That's an interesting name." Kakashi replied as he climbed down the rock, took a step forward and offered his hand for a handshake. Kinoe stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it.
"Well Kinoe, I guess this means we're gonna be friends now." Kakashi spoke with a smile.
"Friends? I'm not allowed to have friends." The small brunette replied.
"That's nonsense. No one can tell you if someone is your friend or not. That's something you feel with your heart." Kakashi rebuked.
Kinoe looked down at his sandwich, clearly contemplating what Kakashi had said.
"Okay." He nodded with another dazzling smile, "Friends."