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"Home, sweet, Home," Sakumo says. He drops a duffel bag on the welcome mat, causing a small cloud of dirt to erupt. The bag is old and filthy with several rips in the fabric. He pulls out a key ring with over a dozen keys on it.
"Why do you have so many keys?" Kakashi asks. This is not the first time he does. He asks every time he sees his father's keyring. There is always a new key on it. "You have one house and one car. The car doesn't even need an actual key. You turn it on with fob, which transmits an electronic key to the car." He places his own duffle bag on the ground and flexes his hand. His bag looks a little better than his father's, with fewer holes. It is covered in patches, though, one for each of his travels.
Sakumo hums and tries one key. It doesn't fit. He moves on to the next one.
"We open the front gate with a passcode," Kakashi continues, because who carries so many stupid keys? Oh, yes, his father does. "Your office opens with an electronic card. Your desk is secured with a fingerprint scanner. Your laptop opens with the electronic card and a passcode that you change every other week."
The third and fourth key doesn't work. Sakumo hums again, this time in thought, and picks another key to try.
"Your secret safe…"
Sakumo pauses in trying key number five and looks at Kakashi. "How do you know about the safe?"
Kakashi gives him his best 'bitch please' face. It's impressive, despite still wearing the face mask Kakashi puts on before a flight. Sakumo smiles. "You opened it, didn't you?"
Kakashi rolls his eyes. He did, immediately after discovering the safe. There wasn't anything interesting in it, though. No money, no super-secret documents, or blackmail material. Just two pictures.
Sakumo laughs. He suddenly looks over and hums. "Huh. We have new neighbors."
Kakashi turns his head to see. Several houses down from their own, there is a moving truck parked on the curb. Last time they were home, the house had been empty, the windows dark and the front stoop covered in dirt and dead leaves from the plum tree growing in the front yard. Now, there was a woman there, directing the movers. The woman was short and comely, with long brown hair. A man with dusky skin and a stern expression walks out of the house and stands beside her. They exchange a smile. They look very happy.
Sakumo looks at them for a moment longer and then turns back to the door; the locked door. He tries key number six. "It's nice to have new neighbors."
Kakashi hums. Perhaps they feel eyes on them because the couple suddenly turns to look over. Kakashi and the couple stare at each other for a long moment. The air suddenly distorts behind them, like a heatwave, undulating into vague shapes. Something clicks in his mind and he gives them a little wave. The man and woman blink and they both smile widely at him, waving back at Kakashi.
Kakashi turns back to his father. "You should get rid of them."
"What, the neighbors? Why?"
"No," he says. "The pictures."
"I thought they were cute."
Of course, he did. The first picture was his mother making a funny face at the camera. She had looked incredibly young and her face was flushed, more than likely drunk. An equally drunk Sakumo was in the background, laying on a beach, it seemed, and passed out. Apparently, his father was a lightweight. The second photo was Kakashi as a baby, wearing the most ridiculous outfit. Kakashi swears the picture will never see the light of day.
"Anyway," Kakashi says, with a pointed look. "You need the right combination to open that safe. No key. Which brings us back to my point."
"What is the point, Kashi-kun?"
"Why so many freaking keys?"
Sakumo cheers when lucky number seven opens the door. He pushes open the door and leans down to grab his duffel bag. He steps to the side and gestures with a dramatic sweep of his arm for Kakashi to enter before him. "That, Kashi-kun, is for me to know and for you to wonder about for many years to come. "
Kakashi huffs as he passes by his father, his own duffle bag in hand.
"Yeah, whatever shitty old man."
The Hatake clan was weird.
Now, strange and otherworldly was expected of anyone that was a part of the supernatural community, but the Hatake took that to the next level, everyone agreed.
To begin with, they were magically powerful, to a stupid degree. Destroyer of worlds, they were called, harbingers of doom and total annihilation. There were other names, some less nice than the next, but most referenced the same thing: the Hatake's ability to perform awe-inspiring feats of magic.
Take, for example, Hatake Hotaru, the current head's great, great, great, great grandmother. She once destroyed an entire mountain, accidentally of course. She had been trying to kill a bee, and in her panic, she used her magic to not only blow away the bee, but the mountain nearby and, unknowingly, the large army encamped on the other side, waiting to invade the territory. There was a cousin, too, Hatake Hitoshi, who had once destroyed an entire island in a fit of temper. A pair of mischievous monkeys had stolen his glasses and sandals and well, there went most of the island (and the monkeys) all in one go.
The current head of the Hatake clan, Hatake Sakumo, and his son, Kakashi, were not an exception. Both father and son were every bit as ridiculously powerful as their ancestors. Known as the White Fang (for some reason, don't ask him why the name), Sakumo mastered his power at a young age and devoted himself to helping people. He travels around the world, helping revitalize crops and barren lands, protecting homes from imminent danger and cleaning the waters of pollution. On one such trip, he shielded a village from being washed away by a great tsunami. It had been a sight to see.
Kakashi, too, has mastered his power at a young age, younger than even his own father. In many ways, Kakashi was a genius and has managed to learn branches of magic no other Hatake has ever done before. Yet despite all of this, he has yet to perform his own ridiculous display of power. Which is a shame really, but not unexpected considering he has yet to unlock his true potential.
This leads to the other reason that makes the Hatake clan weird -- they had soulmates and they were the key to their devastating power.
"So how was your trip?" Genma asks. "Where did you go again?"
"Mexico," Kakashi says. He watches as Genma kicks a pebble toward a crumple up aluminum can. The pebble misses by several centimeters. "And it was okay, I suppose. We were able to break the curse on the land."
"Nothing exciting happened, then?" Genma lines up and kicks his foot out. He ends up kicking the can. Kakashi rolls his eyes. So much for being the number one football player. Genma aims again and kicks the pebble this time. It skips and hits a housewife on one of her feet. She shots Genma a dirty look. Kakashi looks away as they pass by her. Genma blushes and ducks his head in apology. They are quite for a few moments, just until they move away from the lady. He can feel the glare burning into the back of his head.
"Well," Kakashi picks up the conversation; "I don't know if you would call it exciting but it was pretty interesting."
"What?"
"We saw a witch," Kakashi says. At the end of the street, he spots Gai waiting for them. Gai must have seen them, too, because he starts waving his arms like a fool. He and Genma are the only people on the street (besides the scary housewife). It's not like they can’t see Gai standing there.
"Like Kiki's Delivery Service? That type of witch?"
Kakashi eyes his friend. Genma puffs up. "What! I have a kid sister. She watches that shit."
Yeah, like Kakashi was going to believe that. "Sure. I know you're a Studio Ghibli fan."
Genma huffs. "Just tell me what the witch looked like."
"I can't say," Kakashi says, "I mean, she was a ball of fire at the time, so who knows what she actually looked liked underneath that."
"Wait, what?"
"My friends!" Gai says, loudly and with open arms. "Good morning!" Kakashi deftly moves out of reach and neatly shoves Genma into Gai's arms. Genma squawks as Gai crushes him into his chest.
Kakashi doesn't stop walking. Behind him, Genma curses creatively while Gai laughs.
"Kakashi, you shit! You do that every time!" Genma shoves Gai roughly away. He looks frazzled and the bandana he insists on wearing on his head is pushed back, revealing one fuzzy ear.
"Because it works every time," Kakashi says. He dodges Gai again and moves until Genma is between him and Gai. Genma glares at him as he fixes his bandana.
Gai beams at him over Genma's head. "Kakashi-kun, it is good to see you again! How was your trip abroad?"
Kakashi shrugs with one shoulder. "Good."
"He said that he saw a witch," Genma says. He hitches his bookbag over his shoulder properly. "And they turn to fireballs."
"Truly!" Gai looks surprised. "I did not know they could do that. Is that something witches can do?" He is suddenly pulling out a notebook and pen from his bag.
Kakashi watches him with amusement. Gai is half-human and still getting used to the supernatural stuff. "In Mexico, they learn to manipulate their powers differently. The basic rules of transformation still apply, but the end product is different."
Gai nods. "I see, I see." He opens his mouth to ask another question when they suddenly hear a shout.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!"
From around a corner, a guy comes running at a full sprint. The man looks equal parts terrified and panicky as he runs toward them. He is wearing some kind of work uniform, though he is moving too fast for Kakashi to tell from which company it belongs. In his arms, the guy is carrying a purse, which he knows does not belong to him. How could it since it has a leopard print. The guy suddenly ducks low and it is then that Kakashi sees him.
A boy, around his age, chases after the man and he is truly a sight to see. Later, Kakashi would be ashamed of the way he just stood there and gawked like an idiot. Now, Kakashi can't help but freeze in place as the boy practically flies toward him, three beautiful kitsune tails waving behind him. Time slows to a crawl and all he can see is the boy. The boy's smooth skin glows golden under the sun and his dark brown hair is pulled up into a ponytail. The boy has a scar running across the bridge of his nose, underlying his eyes that shine an electric blue with his power.
Kakashi vaguely realizes that the boy's arm is cocked back, poised to deliver a punch. Experience tells Kakashi that he can't dodge the hit; the boy is too close and the fist is coming in too fast for the boy to pull back or redirect. All of this Kakashi notes distantly. Mostly he is mesmerized by the electric blue of those eyes. How the color swirls, seems to ebb and flow like the sea. Yeah, the sea at night, with waters that glow with bioluminescence.
Simply put, it was beautiful.
The fist connects and the world goes dark.
The concept of soulmates was something the majority of humanity did not subscribe to, and it was a sentiment shared with its supernatural counterpart.
Of course, there was that small percentage that believed, though that was more about compatibility than divine predetermination.
The Hatake, though, were staunch believers and the proof was in their family history. On the day Hotaru blew up the mountain, she had met a lovely man in the market. She had convinced him to visit the countryside. When the bee came, she had intended to use a stray breeze to gently steer it away. Her magic, however, acted up and in her growing panic, allowed it to surge through her like never before.
Similarly, Hitoshi became flustered when a handsome man complimented him, so much so he accidentally teleported himself to an island filled with (stupid) monkeys.
Lastly, on the day of the tsunami, Sakumo had visited a beach on a whim and met the woman who would later become his wife.
There were countless other stories in the family grimoire and all of which supported the idea of soulmates. Each new generation was taught the stories, made to recognize the signs.
And today, Kakashi would finally join the ranks of his ancestors.
"Are you sure we shouldn't take him to the hospital?"
"I didn't hit him that hard!"
"Yeah, I'm with Gai. Something must be wrong with him if he got knocked out with such a weak-ass punch."
"Oi! You want some of this, feral cat!"
"Bring it, sleazy fox!"
Kakashi opens his eyes and quickly regrets it when sunlight practically blinds him. He raises a hand to shield his eyes, the action catching everyone's attention. Suddenly, three shadows loom over him. He recognizes Gai and Genma. He blinks and the third shadow turns out to be…
Kakashi feels his eyes widen as they stare up at the boy; at the very pretty fox-boy.
"Oh, you're more gorgeous up close," Kakashi says. He watches a blush spreads across the boy's face. The boy sits back on his heels and looks away. That is when Kakashi realizes that he is flat on his back. Kakashi sits up slowly.
Gai tries to stop him. "Wait, Kakashi! You may have a concussion."
He doesn't. Kakashi has had a concussion before. This is only a minor headache, more than likely the result of hitting his head on the asphalt. However, he does feel strange. He feels like…he's full, practically brimming. He looks at his hands and tiny sparks shoot off his fingertips. Interesting, Kakashi thinks, but he pushes that to the side. There are more important things to worry about like….
"What's your name?" Kakashi asks, the question sounding more like a demand. The boy blinks at him and mutely points at himself in question. Kakashi nods.
"Um," the boy begins, darting a look at both Gai and Genma, who both shrug. He focuses back on Kakashi. "I'm Umino Iruka."
"Umino Iruka," Kakashi repeats. He likes the shape of the name, how it tastes on his tongue, the very sound of it in his ears. He was right to think of waves in Iruka's eyes; very fitting. He sees another blush steal across Iruka's face. He smiles at him, practically leers. "I liked it. I like you. A lot."
"Er…"
"I'm Hatake Kakashi," Kakashi says. He pushes himself to his feet. He looks around. He doesn't see the man with the purse. He turns back to Iruka. "What happened to that guy you were chasing?"
Iruka gives him a peeved look. "He escaped. Your stupid face got in the way."
"Right." Kakashi rolls his shoulders. "How about I help you find him? My way to apologize."
Iruka sighs, his shoulders slumping. "It's impossible. He could be anywhere by now. I'll just have to tell the nice lady I couldn't find her purse."
Kakashi places a hand on Iruka's shoulder, making him flinch at the static shock he receives. Oops. "You have me now, Iruka-chan! And I'm not going to let my future husband down." Iruka stares at him gobsmacked. Kakashi turns away from the cute sight and gathers his power. Electricity sparks off of him, making Gai, Genma, and Iruka jump back in alarm.
The three boys watch as Kakashi vanishes in a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. They are silent for a long moment. Then they turn to each other.
"Well, that was a thing that happened," Genma said. He glances at the boy, Umino, and smirks. "So…when's the wedding?"
That jolts Umino into action. He sputters and turns red in the face.
"What…?! That bastard…! Who does he think he is? Husband…?
"I am no one's husband!"
END