“I’m home!” Rei said as she took her shoes off.

“In here!” Her brother shouted back. Rei walked into the kitchen to the sight of Gem wearing a frilly pink apron and a serious expression, looking at the stove. Peaking over his shoulder, she could see him carefully trying to center an egg yoke in a hole in a slice of bread. The hole was cut out in the shape of a flower. “Did you meet your teammates?” He says without taking his eyes off the egg.

“Yup, Iemitsu and Moko.” Gem’s face contorts with confusion, trying to picture who the two are until Rei helps her brother. “They were first and second place in academic tests.”

Gem plates the egg and bread slice and hands it to his sister while he eats a small flower-shaped piece of bread. “You got sixth place in sparring, right?”

“Yep.”

Gem stares at the floor, thinking, his eyes darting around. “Two academic types. You are good at sparring, but…Who’s the team leader?”

“Our sensei is Amon,” Rei says with her mouth full.

“The Paper Lantern! Yeah…I heard he would be getting a team. We'll at least you will be safe.”

“Don’t feel that safe.” Rei comments. She still remembers the “Test” she just went through.

“I guess he will be focusing on medical and fuinjutsu. Shame, I don’t think your strengths lean to those fields.”

“I’m plenty good at that medical stuff. Princess Tsunade is good at stuff like that, right.”

“Best in the world, but I heard Amon’s not bad either. Hopefully, you can learn that stuff. When do you guys meet next?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Careful, he will most likely test you guys. Try to go over some first aid notes from school tonight.” Gem said as he turned around to make more food.

“We already took a test today.”

“Oh,” He said, not looking forward to hearing how bad she did on an academically heavy test. “Don’t worry, he probably was just seeing where you guys were, baseline speaking.”

“The questions were simple, but…he gave off something called ‘killing intent.’ It was difficult, and I could barely move.”

“But you passed, or are you returning to the academy?”

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“I passed. I had to tell him why I wanted to become a ninja.”

“Ah, did you say you wanted to take after your parents, Or maybe you super cool older brother?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, as long as you passed.” Gem talked about how his own team was doing, but Rei was looking at a picture frame on the wall with herself, her brother, and her parents posing in front of their house. Her parents’ dented and scratched headbands were in a frame next to them, and even though she had cleaned them multiple times, she felt like she could still see specks of blood on them.

=====

I was working in the courtyard of the Hatake estate. Drawing on the ground with a stick, some math problems with a bunch of paper and sticks scattered on the ground all around me. “I really should just leave this to a mud clone to solve.”

“Why is my father looking for me?” A voice spoke to me from behind.

“If you are trying to scare me by sneaking up on me, then I am afraid I will disappoint you. Your father trained me too well.”

“You didn’t sense me.”

“True, but you father would sneak up on us all the time when we where a team, my bandages help me keep a good poker face.”

Kakashi emerged from the shadows in his Anbu uniform. He made for an intimidating figure, and I couldn’t help but think about how this was the last thing many people saw. “Why is my father looking for me?”

“To talk.”

“About.”

“The weather.” Kakashi doesn’t respond as he looks at me with his fox mask. I can’t see his face, but I know he is doing that dead fish-like expression of his. “I imagine he would also talk to you about other stuff. If I had to guess, emotions and teamwork.”

“Hmm. I’m doing fine.” He says while he himself remains as still as a statue.

“Really, that’s great to hear. I thought you would be upset with how your teammates are all dead, one of them by your own hand.”

“Tch,” Kakashi clicked his tongue at my crass words, but I didn’t stop.

“I was worried that you would lash out at people and throw yourself into your work. But I didn’t know you were “Fine.” Next time you go to their graves, make sure and tell them that.”

“You and Dad don’t need to talk to me.”

“ “Need”, no, want to? Yes. I would love the chance to talk to my favorite godson about…stuff, maybe about the weather.” I said, leaning closer to him. Kakashi took a step away and turned his head. Where a cold-blooded killer once stood now was just a teenage boy who is having a hard time adjusting to everything happening around him. I leaned back, giving him some room. “Ask me what I’m working on.”

“Huff, do I have to?”

“Yes, ask.”

Kakashi's shoulders slumped in defeat. “What are you working on?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I should tell you, it’s kinda a secret.” The glare I imagine I’m getting puts a smile on my equally hidden face. “But if you are going to shamelessly beg, then I can’t deny you.” I turn to gesture to the scattered paper and twigs, “The village's 50th anniversary is coming up, and I’m working on performing a show for everybody. But no peaking. I’m not done planning yet and have to do some difficult math problems.”

“There, we talked. I have work I need to do. Can I go now?”

“No, your dad is coming back with fish. We can make him nervous about how much he caught with you being here.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Then you can watch me and your dad eat while you stare at us. Come on, we can ask you about work, which you will answer that you can’t answer. Then I will have free rain to talk about my new students and why the dojo smells like vomit.”

The gate opened to reveal Sakumo entering with two large fish over his shoulder. “Why is their paper scattered on the ground? Stop making such a mess, Amon.” Sakumo finally notices his son standing behind me. “Oh Kakashi, I didn’t know you where coming, are you staying for dinner. I can go to the store and pick up another.”

“No, Dad, I-I’m not staying.”

“He can’t stay too long. He will have to eat fast. You know how demanding Anbu's life is.” Kakashi spun his head towards me and glared. I whispered to him, “If you are going to keep glaring at people, maybe lose that mask. It makes it hard to tell.”

With a huff, Kakashi stayed for a quick dinner, which he didn’t leave until I made him promise to return to have dinner with us again.