Hatake Kakashi was a busy ninja … Despite no longer being part of the darker ANBU and despite no longer waiting for his death by ninja … Konoha still needed him for missions …

  There was something to be said about recognition.

  Fame was a selling point of a ninja after all, body guard for nobility was one of the most well-paid jobs out there and Kakashi was one of the V.I.P choices Konoha offered.

  Kakashi, as a good-looking body-guard … He enjoyed the luxury of being V.I.P … A few extra perks came with the high price tag ... like the occasional, shall we say, personal request from a lonely Daimyō's daughter …

  Kakashi turned a page on his orange book of erotic fiction, calmly walking towards the Academy only a mere few hours late …

  ***

  Kakashi thought back to the reports he received about the Team he was supposed to take …

  [Kakashi] “Sakura Haruno, the runner up from the civilians this time around … Anxious little thing with a temper, but dedicated and with enough talent to take the top kunoichi spot … validation seeker and acknowledgement starved … imprinted on one of her teammates …”

  Kakashi shook his head, normal kid with talent and some extra pressure to exceed, nothing outside the norms …

  [Kakashi] “Sasuke Uchiha, the best of the clan batch … practically no competition for his top spot … consistent, disciplined, talented … plain Uchiha pride and prodigy … the Uchiha stoic prince this time around … also he is my Kouhai’s brother, I'll have to tease Itachi-kun about his little brother later … if he passes my test of course … “

  Kakashi smiled, remembering his time leading the other Uchiha Prodigy before thinking back on the wild card …

  [Kakashi] “Jay Uzumaki … formerly Naruto Uzumaki … Why did you reject your parents name ? …”

  Kakashi had to shake his head when remembering Minato sensei and Kushina … even after all these years the wound was still fresh …

  [Kakashi] "Masterfully exploited the academy’s loopholes to self-train and self-study … consistently superior to his peers … observant, investigative …”

  The reports from the Academy were thin, they painted a picture of a prodigy that cared not for merits, preferring to improve at his own pace … nothing outside the norms, Kakashi did the same during his time, except Kakashi made sure to advance as quickly as he could instead of taking his time with the Academy …

  [Kakashi] “While the Academy reports are thin …”

  The reports from outside the academy were anything but thin … not many individuals received this level of vigilance, but being Minato's and Kushina’s kid would already make him an object of focus … the fact that the kid was also Konoha's jinchuriki with an untested prototype seal … Well, every moment of his life was documented …

  [Kakashi] “ Uncanny genius and maturity, lack of true pain responses, emotional management that borders on apathy … extremely insightful and ingenious … notable chakra control, chakra understanding … jutsu creator … Shadow Clone Variant … “

  Kakashi had to keep on reading Minato's son's life, going so far as to talk with his friend Guy to try and figure out who Jay is …

  Any picture that Kakashi drew about the kid came out wrong or missing an important piece that he just couldn't quite see …

  Especially since Kakashi was a bit more ‘personaly’ involved than he would have liked …

  There was something underneath the underneath about the Kid, but no one has any idea as to what …

  Well, it matters not, he would be tested as normal …

  *** *** ***

  [Sakura] - Two hours, two hours passed already … -

  Sakura was already pissed with her day … she woke up bright and early to go to the Academy and meet her Jounin instructor …

  She waited in the emptying classroom as every other classmate was called and left the room …

  She waited as the classroom became empty and minutes kept on passing with no Jounin in sight …

  Sakura conquered her top spot … Sasuke conquered his top spot … Jay was Jay … why was their instructor the only one late ?! Why were they being treated like this ?? They were the best ones around, shouldn't they be chosen first ?!?

  As the lateness stretched on, Jay got up and left the class, despite her and Sasuke's warning …

  Sasuke was also fuming at her side, they didn't even have anything else to talk about as the annoyance grew with their instructor's lateness and Jay's absence …

  When the classroom doors opened, Sakura's hope soured as Jay walked in with a bowl of dumplings on hand …

  The smell made Sakura's and Sasuke's bellies rumble …

  [Sakura] - Where have you been ?! Our instructor could arrive at any moment ! -

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  Jay just looked at Sakura with a plain face and gestured to his bowl.

  [Jay] - I was buying food obviously … -

  Sakura stammered at the response before Sasuke sighed, chipping in on the conversation.

  [Sasuke] - Do you know anything about our instructor ? -

  [Jay] - I took a look at some of the documents Itachi-sensei had to deal with, one of those was the jounins available to teach this year … I didn't know who took what team, but after the delay, I'm pretty sure of who is our instructor … -

  [Sakura] - Couldn't you have told us that sooner ?! -

  [Jay] - Would it change anything or would you still diligently wait in class ? -

  [Sasuke] - Stop, just … Who is he ? -

  [Jay] - Elite Jounin Kakashi Hatake, one of Konoha's notable ninjas and most important to our current situation, he is at least two hours late for anything he considers unimportant … -

  [Sakura] - … What ? -

  [Jay] - He is an asshole with no respect for anyone's time, because he is generally the most important person in the room … -

  Sakura bashed her head on her desk.

  [Jay] - Want a dumpling ? -

  Sakura raised her head slightly as Jay offered her a dumpling … so that's why Jay went out … he was sure their Jounin instructor would be very, very late …

  Sasuke took one dumpling out of the bowl and Sakura decided to do the same …

  *** *** ***

  When Kakashi was making his way towards the Academy, having helped an old lady with her groceries to walk home, and having to take the long way around after crossing a black dog … Kakashi didn't know if a black dog was as unlucky as a black cat, but he made sure to not tempt fate either way … Kakashi was surprised to find himself precisely two hours late … or as Kakashi liked to call, ‘fashionably late’ … for his meeting with his cute little genins …

  Opening the classroom doors, his first impression was … they were eating out of a bowl with dumplings while playing cards …

  [Kakashi] - Well, good to see that my cute little genins are well rested and well fed … My first impression of you three is … you're annoying … meet me at the rooftop … -

  And then, Kakashi let his clone disappear into thin air, giving the impression that he teleported to the rooftop.

  *** *** ***

  At the rooftop, Kakashi kept turning the pages of his book … his genins were already there, seated on the ground looking at him … so he turned the page …

  [Jay] - Yeah, this isn't going to work, sorry about that guys … -

  Jay got up from the ground and dusted his clothes off …

  Kakashi looked up from his book.

  [Sakura] - Where are you going Jay ? -

  Sakura asked, slightly unsure … Sasuke narrowed his eyes …

  [Jay] - Home -

  As Jay turned to walk back …

  [Kakashi] - You know that you're not a genin yet … -

  [Jay] - Yes I am, already registered, being part of class A-1 means we get the privilege of being taught by a Jounin, basically fast tracking our career, but as you showed, you have no respect for my time, so I ain't giving you any more of it … -

  There was a small pause as neither Sakura nor Sasuke knew what to say …

  [Kakashi] - So you will just abandon your teammates ? -

  [Jay] - If they wanna keep wasting their time with this nonsense, that's on them, I have better things to do -

  [Kakashi] - You know I can fail you, right ? -

  [Jay] - So ? -

  Sakura immediately got up.

  [Sakura] - So ?! What do you mean ?!? I can't have this kind of mark on my record -

  [Jay] - And how is that my problem ? -

  [Sakura] - You're in a TEAM WITH ME ?! -

  [Jay] - Yeah, and that's his fault -

  Jay pointed to Sasuke, still quietly observing the situation.

  [Jay] - Besides, he … -

  Points to Kakashi.

  [Jay] - … is clearly pulling rank on us to excuse him of being a decent professional, and I'm not having it, better to waste a year than to deal with his bullshit … -

  [Kakashi] - … And every time you have to work with someone you don't like you will just walk away ? … -

  [Jay] - If I have to, sure, but you know what the beautiful thing about this situation is ? I don't HAVE to work with you, and given the choice, I won't, so if you excuse me, I prefer not to waste even more time of my day … -

  Kakashi closed his book, releasing a sigh and a small amount of his chakra.

  [Kakashi] - Sit down genin Jay, that's an order from your superior … -

  Sakura felt her spine straightening up as the pressure coming from Kakashi made her feel like she was suffocating …

  Sasuke was better at keeping his composure, but there was a slight hint of trembling in his limbs.

  Jay didn't seem to be affected by it, but Sakura could see his expression changing to genuinely annoyed ...

  [Jay] - Pulling rank already ? … As you command Jounin-san … -

  Sakura saw Jay sit in a perfect seiza and give Kakashi a very annoyed look … but they could see a small smirk on his face …

  The pressure around them disappeared and Kakashi gave them a smile that was almost visible through his mask …

  [Kakashi] - So … looks like we started on the wrong foot … How about we introduce ourselves ? Starting with you pinkie -

  Kakashi pocketed his book and sat more comfortably.

  [Sakura] - Introduce ourselves ? … What do you mean by that sensei ? … -

  [Kakashi] - Just the normal stuff, Likes, Dislikes, Hobbies, Dreams … the general … -

  Sakura opened and closed her mouth for a bit.

  [Sakura] - I … could you show us how to do it sensei ? -

  [Kakashi] - Sure thing my cute little genin … I'm Kakashi Hatake, Konoha's elite jounin, I like some things, and I do dislike some other things, sometimes even the same thing if you can believe it, my hobbies consist of things I like to do on my free time and dreams … hum … sometimes I have those when I sleep, yeah, now you go -

  Sakura was left with her mouth hanging open while Sasuke and Jay tried their best to not roll their eyes far enough to see their own brains.

  Kakashi on the other hand, made sure to keep their reactions in mind … apparently, the reports on Jay were a little bit scarce on how confrontational he could be … the kid even knew he won their little exchange if his smirk is anything to go by … he made Kakashi act like a professional, even if for just a bit …

  [Kakashi] “ He also didn't seem to be affected by the little bit of killing intent I let out … “

  Kakashi thought to himself as Sakura stammered into a presentation.

  [Sakura] - I … You … You told us nothing !? -

  Sakura almost huffed in annoyance when Kakashi just shrugged off her complaint …

  [Sakura] - … I'm Sakura Haruno, I like reading and trivia, I dislike unfairness, my hobbies are doing the weekly cryptography puzzles on the Konoha's jornal and my dream is to become a recognized kunoichi like Senju Tsunade-sama -

  Sakura said, crossing her arms and daring someone to disagree with her.

  [Kakashi] - Good, good, now you grumpy -

  Kakashi pointed to Sasuke, who released a small grunt.

  [Sasuke] - Sasuke Uchiha, I like tomatos and to learn my clan's techniques, I hate natto, sweets that are too sweet and wasting time, my hobbies are training with my brother, my dream for the future is to bring great honor to my clan -

  [Kakashi] - Good, good, now you go blondie -

  Kakashi gave the boy an eye smile that only made Jay smirk more, there was a glint in his eyes as he opened his mouth …

  [Jay] - I'm Jay Uzumaki, because that's the name I chose for myself, as the other name meant nothing to me, as no actual family ever came to visit … -

  Kakashi forced his smile to not waver despite the barbs … Kakashi could see Na…Jay didn't actually care about what he said … this was a verbal lash … but all the more confirmation that he knows who his father is … not that it was all that hard to uncover it …

  [Jay] - … I like to learn and improve, no particulars about it, I also dislike wasting my time and people that make me waste my time … -

  Kakashi had saw the boy not so subtly gesturing his way.

  [Jay] - My hobbies are to research history and chakra, my dreams for the future are to become the imortal god emperor of the heavens … -

  Jay smirked as everyone did a double take at his answer.

  [Jay] - … Or have a big family with a hundred wives and a thousand children … -

  Sakura had a vein popping in her forehead.

  [Jay] - … Or just become a renomed researcher that discovered godhood on a pill, whatever comes first -

  Jay shrugged and Sasuke huffed a laugh.

  [Kakashi] - Now that was … let's go with interesting … that was an interesting set of dreams to have, so, now that we all know each other a little better, I have some news … -

  Kakashi clapped his hands.

  [Kakashi] - Tomorrow morning at dawn, we will do a little testing, see if you all meet the standards to learn under me … I can already see that we will have to work on your patience some more, but there is hope yet for you all … -

  Kakashi dug into his pocket, removing a folded piece of paper out of it.

  [Kakashi] - Here is the notes about the test, where you need to be, what you need to bring, that kind of thing … read carefully … -

  Kakashi tossed the note to Sakura, who immediately took it and started to unfold It before either Sasuke or Jay could say anything …

  [Jay] - … Don't … -

  [Sasuke] - … Wait … -

  They both said at the same time but it was too late, as soon as Sakura unfolded the paper, it was revealed to be … a Flash bang tag …

  A few moments after their eyes stopped being blinded and their ears stopped ringing … Kakashi was no where to be seen and they still had no idea what their test was about.

  Sakura was left fuming and Sasuke was contemplating walking away like Jay proposed … but backing out like that wasn't something a Uchiha would do …

  Only Jay didn't seem surprised …

  [Sakura] - … Sorry … -

  [Jay] - I told you he was an asshole … now we have to find out where we need to go and what we need to do … -

  Sasuke turned to him …

  [Sasuke] - Information gathering ? … -

  [Jay] - We are already being graded apparently, Kakashi Hatake may be an asshole, but he is one of Konoha's elites after all … -

  [Sakura] - … But how can we know where to go ? … -

  [Jay] - Training grounds have to be booked in advance, he did give us a time, We can check for his name … -

  [Sasuke] - … He gave us a time and not much else, we don't even know if the test will be on a training ground … -

  The three genin looked at each other and groaned together …

  [Jay] - At least we already had lunch … -

  ***