A Genius's Graduation Gift

Konoha Year 40, spring.

The Ninja Academy's graduation ceremony was held on the last sunny day of February. A simple wooden platform had been set up on the field, draped in red-and-white cloth that rippled into folds in the wind.

The parents stood in several rows below the platform. Some were formally dressed, while others had come straight from work in their everyday clothes. They all wore the same expression—starting today, their children were ninja. It was hard to say whether pride or worry outweighed the other.

Hatake Sakumo stood at the very back of the crowd, leaning against the trunk of the old camphor tree at the edge of the field. His silver-white hair gleamed blindingly in the sunlight, while his dark casual clothes had faded from washing but were neatly pressed.

The graduates filed out of the school building.

There were more than twenty children, all wearing identical dark uniforms and arranged in a line from tallest to shortest. The oldest looked eleven or twelve, while the youngest walked at the very end, more than a head shorter than those ahead of him. His silver-gray hair shone with a cold pale light under the sun, and he held his chin slightly high as he walked.

Kakashi Hatake.

Five years old.

The graduation ceremony was brief. The Third Hokage gave a speech, followed by the homeroom teacher and a student representative. Then, one by one, the graduates went up to receive their certificates.

Kakashi was the last.

His steps were steady as he took the stage, completely unlike the trembling strides of the nervous children before him. He accepted his graduation certificate, bowed to the teacher, then turned to face the audience. Raising the certificate high, he tilted up his chin, curled his lips into a smile, and his eyes shone.

People at the edge of the field applauded, laughed, and remarked, "That silver-haired brat sure looks proud." Sakumo leaned against the tree, and the curve of his lips rose just a little more.

After the ceremony ended, the crowd dispersed. Parents found their children—some lifted them up and spun them around, some patted their shoulders, and some crouched down to straighten the flowers pinned to their clothes.

Kakashi made his way through the crowd, his graduation certificate rolled into a tube in his right hand and his left hand tucked into his pocket.

He stopped before Sakumo and handed over the certificate. "Dad. I graduated."

Sakumo took it and glanced at it. A report card was tucked inside the rolled-up certificate. Sakumo pulled it out and looked it over. Perfect scores in every subject.

Sakumo folded the report card and slipped it into his pocket before returning the certificate to Kakashi. "Mm. Let's go. We're going home to eat."

Inside the Hatake Clan's courtyard.

Sakumo carried a stack of iron grills out from the kitchen and set them over a charcoal brazier. After fanning it a few times, the glow of the coals flickered across his face. Kakashi sat on the veranda with his legs dangling and swinging in the air, his forehead protector tied around his head and his silver-gray hair gleaming in the sunlight.

Bai Ye pushed open the gate and entered. Kakashi jumped down from the veranda and ran over to him.

"Big brother! Look!"

He pointed at the forehead protector on his head, nearly too excited to speak clearly. Bai Ye crouched down and studied it seriously. The metal plate had been polished brightly, and Konoha's symbol reflected the sunlight. He reached out and adjusted it. "It's crooked."

Sakumo called from the backyard, "Come help move the meat." Bai Ye headed over, with Kakashi following behind him.

The butcher had delivered a large crate of meat: pork belly, beef tongue, chicken wings, onions, and green peppers, all neatly arranged. Bai Ye carried the crate from the kitchen to the backyard, dodging aside when Kakashi tried to help.

"You're the star today. No work for you."

Kakashi pulled his hand back and stood on the veranda, watching Bai Ye and Sakumo lay the meat onto plates one by one. His lips stayed curled upward. He tried to press them down, but he couldn't.

Minato was the first to arrive.

He poked his head in through the courtyard gate. When Kakashi saw him, he called out, "Big Brother Minato!" Minato pulled a carefully wrapped box from behind his back. Kakashi opened it to find a full set of practice shuriken. Each one had been carefully selected to suit his current arm strength perfectly. Minato crouched down until they were eye to eye. "This was the first set of shuriken I used. Now they're yours." Kakashi hugged the box, grinning from ear to ear.

Fugaku was the second to arrive.

When he entered the courtyard, Sakumo was turning meat on the grill. Fugaku carried a long cloth-wrapped bundle in his hand and passed it to Kakashi. Kakashi unwrapped it and found a short sword. Its sheath was black and completely unadorned. The blade was much shorter than the White Fang, and it was light enough for Kakashi to hold in one hand, swing with both, and wield for long periods without tiring. The blade was made of ordinary steel.

"When you're old enough to use a chakra-conducting blade, I'll give you another one."

Kakashi drew the short sword from its sheath. The blade flashed blindingly in the sunlight, and he squinted at the reflected glare before smiling. "Thank you, Big Brother Fugaku."

Fugaku's lips twitched. He sat down beside Sakumo and helped turn the meat. Bai Ye noticed that Fugaku was dressed casually today.

More people arrived in the courtyard. Asuma came with Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in a child-sized ninja outfit without a forehead protector. He had not graduated yet. When he saw Kakashi's forehead protector, his eyes held a mixture of envy and resentment. Hiruzen Sarutobi remained at the courtyard gate instead of coming inside, merely having someone bring in his gift: a pair of goggles.

"The Third Hokage said Kakashi would need them for missions later."

Kakashi put the goggles on his forehead, pushing his forehead protector down slightly. The two items were squeezed together, making him look a little ridiculous. Might Guy was the last to arrive. He charged into the courtyard like a gust of wind, blowing charcoal ash from the grill straight into Asuma's face.

"Kakashi! I heard you graduated! Fight me!"

Kakashi leaned against a veranda pillar and looked Guy up and down. "You're not even a genin yet."

"That's why I have to fight you! Once I get into the Ninja Academy, I'll definitely surpass you!"

"Oh." Kakashi adjusted his forehead protector. "Talk to me after you get into the Ninja Academy first."

Guy's face flushed bright red. Asuma laughed beside him, only to receive a glare from Guy.

Sakumo divided the grilled meat onto everyone's plates. The heat from the charcoal fire left everyone's faces slightly red. Kakashi picked up a slice of beef tongue, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed.

"I'm going to become Hokage someday."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Then Asuma laughed. "Do you even know what the Hokage is?"

"I do. The Hokage is the strongest person in the village."

Asuma pointed at himself. "My dad is the Hokage. He's the strongest person in the village." Kakashi looked at him. "You don't even have a forehead protector." Asuma's laughter caught in his throat, while Guy burst into gleeful laughter beside him.

Bai Ye looked at Kakashi, and his lips twitched. Five years old and saying things like that—children really did say whatever came to mind.

As he helped turn over the meat on the grill, Minato teased, "Kakashi, the Chunin Exams are next year."

Kakashi's eyes lit up.

"If you work hard, you might pass next year. Work a little harder, become a jonin in three to five years, and aim to become Hokage in ten!"

Kakashi stood up. "I can pass next year even without working hard."

"Oho!" Guy was the first to jump up. "Kakashi, you're way too arrogant!"

Asuma slammed his knife and fork onto the table. "Kakashi, don't be so confident. The Chunin Exams aren't school tests. They test actual combat and leadership ability. You're only five."

Kakashi looked at Asuma. "How old are you planning to be when you graduate?"

Asuma opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Minato smiled and rescued Asuma. "With Asuma's ability, he can graduate next year too. The two of you can take the Chunin Exams together then." Kakashi gave Asuma a look that plainly said, You'll see how strong I am then. Asuma snorted and turned his head away, the tips of his ears red.

After dinner, Guy started doing push-ups in the courtyard. "I'm doing five hundred! No, a thousand! I'm definitely going to surpass Kakashi!"

Kakashi crouched beside Guy and watched him lying on the ground.

"Guy, if you want another challenge, you're welcome anytime. But you'll have to work harder. Work hard for a hundred years, and maybe you'll manage."

Bai Ye leaned against a veranda pillar as he watched the scene, his smile never fading. He suddenly remembered many years ago, in this very courtyard, when he had first met Kakashi. Kakashi had only been a few days old then, a wrinkled little bundle who had peed all over him. When Bai Ye had said the child was a Water Release genius, it had not been flattery. He had truly believed the child would have a promising future. But he had never expected that "future" to arrive so quickly.

Everyone in the courtyard burst into laughter. Sakumo looked up from the kitchen and glanced at Kakashi. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but he said nothing and lowered his head to continue cleaning up.

The sky darkened. Guy lay on the ground, finishing who knew how many hundred push-ups. Asuma dozed against a veranda pillar. Minato and Fugaku sat in the shadows at one corner of the courtyard, speaking quietly about something. Kakashi sat beside Bai Ye, his head drooping lower and lower. He mumbled something no one could make out, probably talking in his sleep.

Moonlight spilled through a gap in the clouds and shone into the Hatake Clan's courtyard.

Bai Ye helped Kakashi up, carried him inside, and laid him on the bed. Kakashi rolled over and hugged the blanket into a ball, mumbling, "Big brother." Bai Ye stood by the bed and watched him for a while before pulling the blanket from his arms and covering him with it.

He left the room. Sakumo was sitting on the veranda, wiping down a short sword. Bai Ye sat beside him and glanced at Kakashi's window. The curtains had not been drawn tightly, and moonlight slipped through the gap, falling across Kakashi's pillow. Kakashi slept deeply, his forehead protector and goggles neatly placed beside the pillow.