Dark Kakashi

When he heard Umino Ikkaku's reason for Uchiha Obito's lateness, the corners of his mouth twitched.

Had the kid really gone to help someone?

Looking at Uchiha Obito, who was panting hard, Umino Ikkaku nodded. What a good kid.

"Head back to your seat. Just don't be late next time."

"Yes!" Uchiha Obito took a few deep breaths at Umino Ikkaku's words, then promised, "I won't be late again!"

"Pfft~" Yuki Yuichi couldn't help laughing at Uchiha Obito's words.

The whole class turned to look at him.

"Sorry, sorry."

"I'm professionally trained. Unless... I can't help myself..."

Yuki Yuichi glanced at him, and Umino Ikkaku sighed. Trouble-makers, all of them.

This class was full of trouble-makers.

Back at his seat, Uchiha Obito glared viciously at Yuki Yuichi.

Just you wait. One day, I'll accomplish great things!

Uchiha Obito silently thought to himself, I'll make sure every ninja remembers my name!

I'll become Hokage!

"Yuichi, why were you laughing just now?" Yuhi Kurenai leaned toward Yuki Yuichi and whispered. She also glanced up at Umino Ikkaku, who had his back to them, afraid he'd notice her little move.

"I just have a feeling Uchiha Obito's the kind of guy who'll always be late," Yuki Yuichi whispered back.

"How do you know?" Kakashi's voice suddenly came from in front of them.

To keep from being bored like he had been yesterday, he'd taken a seat in the back today.

Kakashi wasn't the only one. Every student who could extract chakra and read had moved to the back.

Umino Ikkaku didn't stop them. These students really weren't suited to learning this stuff.

But there was nothing he could do. It was part of the curriculum, and they couldn't move on until everyone had extracted chakra and learned to read.

That was the main focus of the first-year curriculum.

Chakra extraction, however, usually took only about a month.

Students who still hadn't extracted chakra after a month generally had little talent and would be dismissed.

After a month, they would still be taught these things, but they'd no longer be the main focus.

That was when lessons on the Will of Fire and other theoretical subjects would begin.

That was why Yuhi Shinku had said their first-year curriculum was a waste of time.

A few real fights were all it took to learn this stuff.

Kakashi Hatake turned around to look at them, still wearing his usual dead-fish eyes.

"I just have a feeling," Yuki Yuichi said.

At his words, Kakashi Hatake glanced thoughtfully in Uchiha Obito's direction.

"An Uchiha wouldn't be late all the time, would he?" Kakashi Hatake said uncertainly.

"Uchiha Obito's a little different."

Yuki Yuichi was just about to explain when a piece of chalk came flying from Umino Ikkaku.

Yuki Yuichi thrust both hands forward and caught the fingernail-sized piece of chalk between his index and middle fingers.

He caught it, but Kakashi wasn't so lucky. With his back to Umino Ikkaku, he didn't sense the danger until the chalk had already hit him in the back of the head.

The nerve! What a nerve!

Umino Ikkaku hadn't seen such shameless students in a long time.

He wouldn't have said anything if they'd merely turned around to talk, but Kakashi and Yuki Yuichi were speaking so loudly that the students in the front row could hear them.

And Uchiha Obito, the very person they were talking about, was still staring at the two of them.

Umino Ikkaku pointed toward the door and barked angrily, "You two, get out there and stand!"

Yuki Yuichi and Kakashi Hatake exchanged a glance, then both stood and headed outside.

Before leaving, though, Yuki Yuichi leaned close to Yuhi Kurenai and whispered something that left her looking startled.

After saying it, Yuki Yuichi left with Kakashi.

Umino Ikkaku raised his voice as he continued teaching, apparently hoping the two of them could still hear him outside.

Yuki Yuichi noticed and couldn't help remarking, "Teacher Ikkaku really is a good guy. He's even worried we won't be able to hear him out here."

Kakashi nodded beside him, looking as irritating as ever.

"Yeah, but I don't really need that..."

Yuki Yuichi's mouth twitched. Young Kakashi seemed a little different from the one he remembered.

He shook his head and headed outside, waving as he went. "I'm taking off. See you this afternoon."

The moment Umino Ikkaku told him to go outside, he'd decided to skip class.

These lessons were genuinely torturous.

Watching Yuki Yuichi walk away, Kakashi froze. Then he glanced back inside, before tiptoeing after Yuki Yuichi and leaving with him.

Walking down the street, Yuki Yuichi looked at Kakashi helplessly. "Why are you following me?"

"I don't know where to go," Kakashi said matter-of-factly.

"Then don't follow me."

"Following you is better than having nowhere to go."

"But I don't know where to go either!"

After Yuki Yuichi said that, neither of them knew what to say for a while.

After a long silence, Kakashi finally managed, "Then why skip class?"

Yuki Yuichi replied just as matter-of-factly, "Because I don't want to stay at school."

They fell silent again. They looked at each other, then spoke at the same time. "How about we go train?"

They both froze after saying it.

Yuki Yuichi grinned and slung an arm around Kakashi's shoulders. "Wouldn't have guessed you were so diligent."

"Not bad. I approve."

Kakashi was speechless at his words.

"Don't talk to me like you're some grown-up, you jerk!"

Yuki Yuichi waved it off and asked, "Since we're going to train, do you know a good place?"

"Somewhere quiet, preferably. Then we can skip class and train there in the future without Teacher Ikkaku catching us."

Kakashi thought for a moment, then said, "There's an open clearing in the forest behind Kage Rock. I saw it before."

"We can go there."

"Nice one, Kakkoshi!" Yuki Yuichi praised him with a thumbs-up. "That's my guy!"

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched at the nickname. "You jerk, don't call me Kakkoshi!"

"Fine." Yuki Yuichi didn't seem bothered. "If you don't like that nickname, I'll call you Dark Kakashi from now on!"

As he spoke, Yuki Yuichi made a gesture like an Ultraman firing a beam.

"I... you... sigh..." Kakashi wanted to curse at him, but eventually gave up.

"Just call me Kakkoshi."

Compared with Dark Kakashi, he'd realized he could live with being called Kakkoshi.

"Then let's head over now." Yuki Yuichi's mouth curled up at Kakashi's words.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll go back and get my Ninja Blade first."

"You can grab your ninja tools too."

"We'll meet up on top of Kage Rock."

"No need." Yuki Yuichi shook his head. "I don't have any ninja tools, and I don't use them."

"I'll come back with you."

Kakashi considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. We can head straight there afterward."