Star Pupil [[Kakashi Hatake]]

Chapter One

I watched as one-by-one, students walked out of the testing room wearing shiny new headbands with our village symbol on them. So far, I'm the only failure... Just like last year.
Once class was over, we all walked out of the academy building. All the other students ran to their parents, showing off their achievement.
I sighed.
That headband is the whole reason my mom is dead. Not that I can blame them. It's every child's dream to be a great ninja and save the world and be a hero... They just don't realize that the price could be their life until it's too late. Not like it's my problem though.

I shook my head, walking passed each kid, a look of disdain on my face. It's not that I have a problem with ninja, just that these kids, though they're no older nor younger than myself, understand what being a ninja really means. They don't get it...

"Seiko Sutāsākuru..." I turned to see a tall blond man with bright blue eyes.

"Minato!" Instantly, my bad mood was forgotten. "What are you doing here?"

"Decided I would come to see how you did" he grinned at me and ruffled my hair. "So?"

"I failed again"

Minato sighed and shook his head. "Seiko... I don't understand."

"I'm just not cut out for being a ninja, Minato."

He stared at me for a moment, and I could see the pain in his eyes. Finally, he shook his head and ruffled my hair again.

"You are, you just need to keep practicing. And you can't do that on an empty stomach, can you?"

A grin found its way to my face once again as I followed Minato to the Dango shop.