Chapter Text
Kakashi stood stock still, his back straight and rigid, waiting for the Hokage to laugh and say it was a joke. The Hokage did not laugh, didn’t even give so much as a smirk. Instead he sat back and sucked on his pipe, his face half shaded by the Hokage hat.
"I don’t get the joke, Hokage-sama," Kakashi finally spoke when he couldn’t take the stifling air anymore and his hand itched to reach for Icha Icha.
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow while taking a long blow. "There’s no joke, Kakashi-kun." He gestured to the files he had put at the edge of his desk, one old and thick, and the other noticeably pristine and bare. "I have found a promising academy student with similarities to you, take a look for yourself."
Kakashi hesitated to reach out for it. After a moment he shook his head and picked his own file up and opened it. His own, young face stared back at him with lazy eyes, mask, and green scarf. Kakashi sucked in a breath, he’d been so young when he graduated, basically going in and out of the academy. Any memories from that short year were so insignificant and repressed he could barely recall them.
After having skimmed through his academy scores and bleak assessments Kakashi opened the other file, the weight light in his hands. His first thought was; pink. A small, pink-haired girl stared right into him with wide green eyes that were almost hidden from her bangs, and a small blush on her cheeks matching her color pallet.
Haruno Sakura, it read. Seven years old, soon to be eight, and top of her class in academics and theoretics. Her taijutsu and shurikenjutsu were deemed above average with perfect scores in marksmanship, and perfect execution in chakra control exercises and the academy three. Her stamina and physical prowess were average at best, but she was profiled as a shy but determined kid by her current teachers, so she could probably get stronger quickly with the right training. Hopefully. However, compared to her control, her reserves were predictably small considering she was from a civilian family. Sakura also had an affinity for identifying and disrupting genjutsu, which Kakashi could work with.
If it was war time, she would have graduated already and shipped off to be cannon fodder and hopefully live long enough for a replacement to be available. It churned in Kakashi’s stomach, her files were very similar to his own academy files: Solid chakra control, but average reserves, yet he was seen as a prodigy, and all she would have been seen as was a meat shield. But, Sakura was a kid in peacetime, so Kakashi could train her and mold her from the ground to make her a force to be reckoned with. Something more than just a life to be thrown away for the sake of someone ‘more important’.
Nevertheless,
"She’s above average," he finally answered the Hokage, ignoring the nausea he felt, "However, I’m not the fit to teach her."
I don’t want this little girl’s blood on my hand.
The Hokage nodded slowly as if considering Kakashi’s words. But Kakashi knew better than to hope for the man to change his mind. To fight for himself was futile, but there was no one to fight for Sakura to stay in the academy to have at least a couple more years of innocence. She was from a civilian family who likely didn’t know what an apprenticeship meant, or had the ground to fight the Hokage on why making their daughter the apprentice to such a failure of a shinobi and man was an absurd idea.
"I understand why you feel guilty over the Uchiha affair, Kakashi-kun," the older man hummed, an odd look in his eyes, empathy, maybe. "However, you can’t let the betrayal of Itachi stop you from doing what’s best for the village."
The mention of the renegade Shinobi shifted the tension in the room into something icy, and Kakashi could feel how some of the hidden ANBU altered their positions uncomfortably in the shadows.
"She is young." Kakashi said, to move on from the painful topic.
"Yes, she is," Sandaime agreed. "However, she shows great potential, and she has no other affiliations with the shinobi world that could compromise her loyalty." Sarutobi continued to peer into his eye until Kakashi finally nodded, his neck feeling stiff.
"This isn't a punishment." Kakashi nodded again. "The rest of Team Ro will be put on patrol duty for the next three months while you get your new charge into a rhythm, then I expect you to balance the two duties."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." If he didn’t do this, the girl was very likely to end up in the old War Hawk’s claws.
"Well then, be here tomorrow at 1000 to meet your new apprentice and sign the contract."
Kakashi took the dismissal and did a short bow of his neck with a low "yes, Hokage-sama" before walking out the door, trying his best to make it look like he wasn’t fleeing.
Just before he closed the door, Kakashi heard Sarutobi say one last thing, "This’ll be good for you." And Kakashi had to hold himself to not deny the statement.
Maybe he should go and find Itachi so that the missing-nin could put him out of his misery.
Sakura peered into her reflection in the mirror above her desk, her new hitai-ate awkwardly displayed on her forehead. Her bangs were unceremoniously pushed away from her face, leaving nothing for her to hide behind anymore. She worked her lip between her teeth, looking around her room for something to try and find a solution, but evidently came up loose.
"Sakura, come on down!" Mother called from downstairs in her shrill voice. Sakura sighed, glanced once more into the mirror and met her own slightly glazed eyes before taking her brand new weapons pouch and securing it at her hip.
"Oh Sakura, what are you wearing, child?" Mother asked when Sakura finally descended. She reached out and pinched her tightly fitted maroon training shirt with the Haruno’s family emblem on its back, and sent a distasteful grimace at the hunter green capris pants. "Go and put on your red qipao. This-" Mother gestured at her. "-is not proper clothes for meeting the Hokage."
Sakura flushed and bowed her head, wishing her bangs could hide her. She clenched her fists and steeled herself to talk back."But." She risked glancing up at her mother who stood with her arms crossed and staring back at her, the sternness that had taken Mother over since last week met her eyes. Sakura quickly evaded her look and focused her sight back on her feet. "Yes, Mother," she mumbled and turned around to trot back upstairs to her room.
The walk to the Hokage tower was quiet, Sakura walked slightly behind her parents, eyes roaming the ground before her, not looking higher than peoples knees. Her parents led the way, joyfully greeting their acquaintances in passing as they passed through.
They arrived at the Tower 1155, five minutes before the meeting, because the Haruno’s were nothing if not punctual. The receptionist with long pretty hair told them to sit down and wait, they peered curiously at Sakura as her mother ushered her towards a few chairs where they sat down and waited.
Sakura scanned the waiting room, it was a softly dampened rustle of people coming in and out, passing in a hurry, some of them carrying so many scrolls they almost toppled over. There was a plant right beside her, that Sakura thought desperately needed some water, the light from the windows along a part of the rounded walls hitting it making it look yellow and sick. It reminded her of the time she got really sick and had to stay at the hospital for a couple of days, her mother had told her she looked like a droopy plant. Sakura shuddered and banished the thought, now was not the time to think about that.
She glanced at her parents who had a hushed conversation beside her with furrowed eyebrows. She didn’t understand why they were there with her, she was legally an adult as of two days ago when she had graduated early with their permission, and with that also signed off their legal rights to her. They had no reason to be here with her, especially since they didn’t understand Shinobi business, or Sakura lately.
The door to the Hokage office opened and a Jounin and three Genin walked out. Sakura perked up and eyed them, the Jonin were clearly a Yamanaka with almost white hair in a low ponytail and blank blue eyes. The three Genin looked dead tired, dragging their feet and with big packs on their backs, they probably got back from a long mission outside the walls Sakura concluded.
"Hokage-sama will see you now, Haruno-san," the receptionist with pretty hair addressed, looking at her instead of mother and father. It made Sakura feel kind of giddy, no one usually spoke to her when they were around. She was about to smile at the receptionist, but she caught Mothers mouth tense into a straight line, and Fathers scowl, so instead she shuffled behind them and tried to become as unnoticeable as possible. The Chunin on guard outside the door glanced at her as they walked by.
Inside the large oval office the Hokage sat with a kind smile playing on his lips, the daylight from the windows behind him giving him some kind of angelic aura. It was her first time seeing the man in person, he looked older than she had imagined. Mother and Father bowed down, and Sakura followed.
"We thank you for your time, Hokage-sama," Father said.
The man waved his hand dismissively and Sakura once again followed her parents' example and straightened when they did. "It’s good to see you allowed Sakura-san to graduate, she has great potential," Hokage-sama smiled.
"Yes, we are very proud," Mother agreed with a subsided smile, lying straight through her perfect teeth. "The Shinobi that informed us about the early graduation and apprenticeship offer told us that it was rare, for a civilian born especially, to graduate so early."
Sakura’s parents had been very against it at first, thinking that she would grow out of her Shinobi phase and forget about it to join the family trade business. But Sakura had persisted, even arguing against her parents which was a big no-no. She got punished for it, but at least Mother and Father finally agreed, on the terms that if she wasn’t married by age nineteen, they would find someone for her, no matter if she was considered a legal adult or had an income of her own.
They said they cared about her and her future, that they didn’t want her to be alone, to have someone to fall back on if she failed, and Sakura understood that. They only wanted what was best for her and the least she could do was to comply with that, even if the thought of getting married to a stranger or someone she didn’t actually love was making her stomach turn and twist in an odd way.
"Hm yes, we’ll discuss the grounds today with Sakura-san and her new teacher, Hatake Kakashi. You two are of course allowed to sit in, Haruno-san." Sakura could feel the scowl on her parents' faces when the Hokage said that, but they still answered with a respectful "thank you, Hokage-sama".
"Ah, so you haven’t started without me," a lazy voice drawled, making Sakura startle.
On the windowsill behind the Hokage a man with a covered face crouched, the only visible feature being a single, hooded, steel eye focused on where she was hidden behind her parents. The shock of silver hair standing right up swayed lightly in the breeze outside, not really breaking from the electrified look.
"You can at least use the door for businesses like this, Hatake-san," Hokage-sama said with no real heat behind his words, his smile was rather fond, Sakura noticed.
Hatake-san hummed, jumping down onto the floor without a sound and the window was suddenly closed again. He stood to his full length and Sakura had to really quirk her neck to look up at him. "Hmm, so this is my supposed student," Hatake-san mumbled, still eying her every inch. It made Sakura want to squirm in discomfort.
"Yes sir, I’m Haruno Sakura," she gulped and twitched between standing straight and proud like the Shinobi she was, or following her upbringing and bowing deeply to the person who was to be her teacher. Her mother had drilled into her the importance of respect. But Iruka-sensei had told her when she retreated that "a Shinobi bows for no one except their Kage," so she felt a little conflicted about the rules now.
Sakura glanced at her parents who were looking meaningfully at her, promising a punishment if she wasn’t respectful to civilian standards. "Pleased to meet you, Hatake-san." She bowed.
"Mah, no need to be so formal, Sakura-chan," the man dismissed her and Sakura retreated from her deep bow of respect, eyeing the man before her again. His single eye curved up in what she interpreted as his version of a smile. "Kakashi-sensei is just fine."
Sakura tilted her head and looked at Kakashi-sensei more closely. After a moment, when she had deemed he didn’t try to trick her into being more casual with him only to punish her later, she gave him a curt nod.
Her new teacher was most likely an aloof character, Sakura thought, which her parent’s most likely wouldn’t approve of.
"With that out of the way, let’s discuss specifics of this apprenticeship, shall we Kakashi-kun, Sakura-chan," Hokage-sama smiled warmly at them, even though Mother and Father had twin disapproving scowls etched on their faces.
The girl was shy, Kakashi learned very quickly. Sakura during the rest of the meeting listened diligently to the Hokage and him, but not really putting in her own thoughts. He more than once caught her looking at him, but whenever Kakashi looked back, Sakura would look down at her hands and blush.
Sakura was also very small, although she probably was around average by her age group’s standards, but to Kakashi who had virtually little to no experience with kids, she was tiny. Miniscule. Could break at a gale kind of fragile. Was she eating enough? It looked like her bones would pop through her skin at any second. Sakura’s red qipao – which wasn’t really ideal training clothes – hung loose around her shoulders making her look even smaller. And was her cheeks looking a little hollow, or was that just the lighting?
Before Kakashi could work himself up into a frenzy about the girl and her eating habits – which most likely could be blamed on the parents if their carefully hidden disdained looks towards Sakura were anything to go by – Sandaime called for his attention. "Kakashi-kun, your oath and signature, on all three contracts, please."
Nodding, Kakashi slowly retrieved one of his kunai, so as to not spook the two civilians in the room, and cut his thumb to sign the contracts. Twin gasps were heard in the room nonetheless.
"I, Hatake Kakashi, swear by my blood, chakra, and honor to teach, guide, and protect Haruno Sakura as my apprentice until the day she is one of my equals." He signed all three contracts and retreated back, ignoring the horrified looks of the Haruno couple.
"Sakura-chan," Sandaime prodded, in his hand a kunai for the girl to take. Sakura looked up at him with wide green eyes. Slowly, she stepped forwards and reached for the kunai.
"Hokage-sama," Sakura’s father sputtered. "Surely Sakura doesn’t have to cut herself for this, she’s just a kid!"
Kakashi barely held himself back from rolling his eyes. "She’s not a kid anymore. Sakura is an adult in the eyes of Konoha law," he pointed out. "And it’s a minor cut that’ll heal within a day, she’ll live through worse as a Shinobi." Even Sakura had furrowed her eyebrows at her father. Shinobi healed faster than the average civilian, even without medical ninjutsu.
Both civilians’ paled at his statement, dragging a long-suffering sigh out of Kakashi. He looked heavenwards and wished this to be over soon so he could go to the memorial stone, and then a bar and maybe even find someone to spend the night with since Gai was out on a mission. He definitely needed some alcohol after this ordeal, Kakashi decided.
"It’s fine, Mother, Father," Sakura huffed, a determined look on her face.
Despite that, she still winced when she cut her thumb. "I, Haruno Sakura, swear by my blood, chakra, and honor to learn, follow, and obey Hatake Kakashi as my master until the day I am one of his equals." She made quick work of signing the contracts with a small pleased smile, so different from her parents' own expressions.
"I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, hereby bind Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura as Master and Apprentice, respectively. I swear to protect and lead Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura in exchange for their loyalty and fealty to the village and myself." Sandaime’s bloody signature joined Master’s and Apprentice’s own on the contracts.
And just like that, Kakashi officially had a student. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would fuck it all up like he did with Uchiha Itachi, and so many other’s before him.
Hatake Kakashi had never wanted to be a teacher, and yet, there he stood in the Hokage Office with an apprentice by his side and expectations pressing heavily on his shoulders.