"What are you getting ready for this early? It's very unusual."
"I'm out for a mission, today," I said as I was putting on my sandals. "I'll try to finish it sooner just so you had someone with you. So stay here and wait for me. Behave and be a good girl until I get home."
"Be a good girl? Am I a dog?" She retorts. "And where on konoha are you going again for you to stay out of home, setting out early in the morning and stay out there until midnight?"
I let out a sigh and look down to her, here we go again. It'll be a long conversation.
She was standing in front of the door, blocking the doorway with a broom that she carries it in her shoulder and a hand on her hip. She looks like a strict nagging mother if you ask me.
"Do you remember what the Lord hokage said, right?"
"I don't need that nonsense chat farts. Just go away! Shoo!" She pushed me out of the house with the broom. "Don't bother coming back home, Kakashi! I'm severing ties with you from now on!" And with that, she closed the door, shutting it out.
"But this is my house." (─ ─ ")
"This is my house now!"
"Okay~! Take care of the house for me! I'll be right back after lunch or so!" I said then be on my way.
It's one of the usual morning routine.
It's better that way than what's the most usual morning routine where I had to deal with all the drama that you won't know what exactly you could do to make her stop crying before convincing her that I'm not abandoning her.─and I don't know how her brain even translated it that way.
And I resolved it somehow by leaving a shadow clone before that she slowly get adapted of learning to wait at home until I get back.
But even though I can leave her alone at home, I still worries about her if she still cries all day until I got home.
Besides, this two-bell exam I was suppose to give to my assigned team to take care of this year, that is if they'll pass, it will only last until lunch.
Her POV
I was home alone again.
"That Kakashi! Left the house again for me to do all the house chores all by myself!"─Narrator-chan: in reality, he cleaned the house, watered the plants, pulled the weeds in the garden, trimmed the bushes, cooked breakfast, cleaned the dishes, finished the two days worth of laundry, and also prepared her bento box for lunch and also some sweets. She was only looking for something to vent out and wanted to blame her father for making her suffer which it's superficial. She's just imagining things that she had a lot of work to do just to feel her father owe her something.
"Well, might as well check the fridge."
I lazily opened the fridge to check whatever it is to check. I don't even know why I thought of checking it.
I don't know what to do now that all I have to do was just wait til he gets home.
"Is this the house of Mister Kakashi Hatake?"
I went on the door as I tried to think if I knew the person behind it.
My father said that I shouldn't open the door when I'm alone and the person was a stranger. And whatever happens, don't talk to them either.
"This is where he lives. Do you have any business with him?"
Nahh.....didn't I just said lately this is my house now? My house, my rules.
"Did he left you alone again?"
That's how it is, but what should I say?
I don't remember he told me anything about where he's going.
"If you want to talk with my dad, come back again later after lunch. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The door suddenly burst open that my feet stuck on the floor, surprised and also panicked. I closed my eyes that got blinded by the light.
"That Kakashi was no good as a father!"
I totally agree with him, but let me process that in first. Who is he?
My eyes blinked as it adjusted with the light then a clear image of a man standing tall in front of me.
"Uncle Gai?"
But as soon as I can tell who was the person just busted in the house, I'm already off the ground and the whole feeling was like I'm flying.
"Uncle Gai, I don't object this, but isn't this what they call kidnapping? And when you stepped in the house without permission called trespassing?" I asked as everything in my eyes kept zooming in. "My father could sue you."
"Screw him! This is what we call abduction!"
"I see the point."
It's better this way anyway.
He stopped running as he carries me by one arm on his side, and it was his house.
"Alright, Miki. Since you're with me, first things first. Did you ate breakfast?" Uncle Gai asked. I nodded as an answer.
"Did you take a bath?"
I nodded again as my answer.
"Did you change your dress?"
I nodded again as an answer.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
I nodded once again as my answer to his question.
"Did you comb your hair?"
I nodded again as my answer to his question.
"Great!" He says with a sigh of relief. "I thought that Kakashi forgot about you." He reached out his hands to me and straighten up my collar. "Well then, how about having a cup of tea as you wait for me?" he asked.
"I'm fine with just water," I answered.
"Okay, so care for some milk instead?"
I nodded. He went to the kitchen to get me a milk and I went to sat on the couch to wait for him.
He went back and gave me a glass of warm milk to which I accepted it with both of my hands with a bow of gratitude, "Stay here, Uncle Gai is just going to take a bath and get ready then after that we're going to a wonderful place!"
"A wonderful place?" I asked, slightly tilting my head in wonder.
"That's right." he replied with a nod. "And also, I want you to meet my precious and youthful students!"
"Got it. Miki will sit here and not going anywhere. I'll wait for you, Uncle Gai and let's go meet your....err...students."
"That's my child" he proudly says and showed me a thumb's up.
I stayed where I was, sitting on the couch swaying my legs down back and forth as I wait patiently for Uncle Gai.
After 466475950018163749 minutes of waiting ...
Kidding! Uncle Gai is actually so fast in taking a bath, like he didn't even get in there. He's a lot far faster compared to Dad who take a bath took him over a thousands of decades passed to finish a one time bath.
"Well then, let's hit the road!!"
One thing I always wish when I'm with Uncle Gai especially when dealing about speed. I can walk on my own. I can run on my own. And I think his students won't go anywhere else rather than wait on their meeting place.
But I admit, I kinda like the feeling of flying when he runs and carries me like a some reasons of ab package.
"Who is she, Gai-sensei?"
"She's so cute!"
Ha! I'll tell dad about this!
You heard it, right ? She said, I'm cute (^_^)
"Why you brought a kid here, sensei?"
"Before you ask for more questions, may I introduce you my youthful niece, Miki Hatake," says Uncle Gai, presenting me to his students.
"Is she Kakashi Hatake's daughter?" Asked the guy with a long hair and lavender eyes.
Uncle Gai nodded, "Yup! That's correct, Neji! You have a good eyesight indeed that you could even get to see through that!" Then he showed them a thumbs up.
I can tell that this Neji guy has a different eyes like a normal person has, but I doubt it could see through genetics, right? That's very exaggerated. I never heard something over powered like that.
Uncle Gai really haven't change a bit. ("⇀⇀)
"Maybe you mean, good sense of hearing," he said sternly. "You told us her name yourself and I just assumed that she is Kakashi's daughter or maybe a close relative," he retorts.
"but the questionable question is, how come that he is related to his rival? Calling his daughter as her niece?" The girl with a two buns on her head muttered, she got noticed that I was watching them from here silently as they argued for the very little thing.
"What's your name, little girl?" She asked smiling from ear to ear.
"Tenten, did you heard what Gai-sensei said? That her name is─"
"Hush, Lee! I wanna hear her talk!" she says, pressing her index finger vertically in front of her lips, immediately interrupting him on the middle of his sentence to the guy who look much like uncle Gai. He's like a mini-Gai version actually.
"Watashi no namae wa Hatake Miki desu."
[Translation: My name Is Miki Hatake]
"Kawaii~!" She says in her high pitched voice, much to my surprise. My eyes widen when she was about to reach for my cheeks probably going to pinch it judging to how her fingers act, I just moved backwards to keep the distance between us.
"Tenten, don't pinch her precious cheeks!" Yelled Uncle Gai at the top of his lungs as run as fast as he could having his way on his rescue. Tenten turned her attention to him and Uncle Gai stopped beside us.
"Don't...Tenten..Don't.." he managed to say as he were catching his own breath.
"Oh, if your say so. Sorry Gai-sensei."
"What's your name?" I asked simply, getting her attention back to me. She turned to look at me and smiled. "You too, what's your name?" The guy who's close enough to be look like Uncle Gai pointed himself, unsure if I was actually talking to him.
"My name is Tenten," she answered.
"My name is Rock Lee. Nice to meet your acquaintance, Miki!" Said the guy who looks like the mini-version of Uncle Gai with a bow of respect. A bow like the bow you'll give to your opponent before the match starts. That's very formal and I get the vibe that he'll do the same way his sensei treats me. That's scary!
"And this guy," Tenten pointed someone behind her, the guy with a long hair and a has pair of lavender eyes.
"His name is Neji Hyuga."
No wonder why his eyes looks notable and different from an average person has. It's a doujutsu, they were born with it, and he's from the Hyuga clan. It's kind of a unique gift by flesh and blood called kekkei genkai.
I've just heard about the Hyuga clan's byakugan from dad, telling me about it like an additional knowledge. And said that maybe someday when I enter the academy I might encounter a member of the Hyuga clan possessing those eyes too. But this is the first time I've seen a real deal of a byakugan by my dark colored eyes.
"Gai-sensei, you told us that we're going to have training today," says that Neji, bringing up their top priority.
"Gai-sensei, can you move the training even just today? Can we hangout with your niece?" Asked Tenten, making Neji glare at her but she didn't seem to noticed it.
Uncle Gai grabbed his chin to think of it.
"If I were a burden to any of you, I'll just go head home."
"Good girl," said Neji glanced at me with a smirk.
Why does everyone talks to me like I'm a dog?(ー_ー )
"But Kakashi's probably still not home, especially when he has the habit to come late like doing it on purpose. That's why I kidnapped you!"
"Why does it sounds like you're so proud of that? You can be sued, you know that sensei?" Says Tenten popping in the background.
"So, why not join us train?" Asked Uncle Gai, totally ignored Tenten as if she didn't said anything.
"Maybe, you mean is, watch us train?" Neji corrected firmly.
"Don't underestimate the daughter of my rival! Speaking of Kakashi, he's a genius and that goes to her!" He defended as he points at me, before turning his back to us. "This way I might get some clues on how long Kakashi gone so far since the last time we clashed." He whispered to himself as he rubs his chin.
Is that the reason why he abducted me in the first place? (￣ ￣|||)
"If you guys are indirectly speaking of wanting to teach her to be a ninja, then send her to the academy and let those jounin who were assigned to teach basic jutsu do the teaching. That way she'll be a full-pledged ninja and be a genin if she luckily passed, not by staying here and teach her how to become a ninja-wannabe," Neji says bluntly.
Very bluntly, it was scary.(￢_￢;)
"But I see nothing wrong with it," says Lee back at him.
You guys can argue all day. I wanted to go home and talk to myself all day. (ー . ー ")
"Alright, that's enough! She's coming with us! Besides, I took her with me that I won't let her go home by herself without Kakashi. And I promised it!"
"Gai-sensei! you're so kind!" Says Lee behind his teary eyes, it was sparkling with admiration to which Tenten watch him getting weird.
"I don't remember hearing any form of promise such as that," I said, but I think they didn't heard me.
He wiped all his tears before pumping his fist in the air, "Alright then, let's show her the power of youth, sensei!" He shouted, punching his fist up in the air.
"That's right, then this will prove to her that I'm better than Kakashi!"
I think I'm getting the thought that the reason why I'm going with them in training that is to be their judge on 'which is who'. Oh well, It's not like I got a lot of options.
I don't even know which road to take to walk myself home.(¯ ¯٥)
"Let's go!"
Tenten asked for my hand to which I accepted it then I let them lead the way, following them. Marched with them going to the training grounds.
We went all the way to their training grounds and well....I didn't think this is what they're gonna do. They did the opposite of what I expected.
"Miki, what is this?" Asked Tenten showing me a ninja tool.
As soon as we arrived here, they started to teach me about Ninja tools, as asked by Uncle Gai.
"I thought we came here to train, not to teach her." Complained Neji who's obviously in a very bad mood.
"Shuriken" I answered. Ignoring what Neji says, concentrating on Tenten.
Well, I agree with him, but I can't just let Tenten talk and answer her own question, right?
"Excellent! As I expect to my greatest rival's daughter!" Praised Uncle Gai, making me sighs mentally. I just don't like how he said that, I am Me. My father doesn't have anything do to with this!ーexcept for teaching me.
Tenten pick another ninja tool for her to ask me what it is and I'll have to answer.
"How about this?" she asked, showing me a metal needle with a point in both ends.
"Senbon," I answered.
"You know very well that whatever tools you show to her, she could manage to name what it is. Why not explain it after you name it? That'll be more interesting," says Neji in a bored way.
"That's because Tenten just asked her just to name it?" Lee answered, not even sure if that's the case.
"Senbon are metal needles with a point at both ends. They often serve a medical purpose, being used to strike acupuncture points. They have little killing power, but can be thrown with great accuracy.
A user with proper medical knowledge often use it. However, it can effectively use senbon in battle to incapacitate or even kill their target when they aim for vital spots. To make these needles more effective, the user can poison the tips of the senbon. An added benefit of throwing these at the enemy is that these are smaller than a kunai or a shuriken, making it harder to see and dodge. Does that explain it?"
I don't know why, but they were staring at me like I've did something I should've have done.
I just told them what I knew, I don't even know if what I said is right. But if I'm wrong, I couldn't careless. I'll blame it all to my genius father who taught me.
"Very good!" Mused Tenten with a clap.
"She's a genius!" Said Lee. Neji? He just scoffed as a comment.
"All right, we're done with her little lesson for a day. We better go back to our training. It's only more or less than month to go and the chunin exam will start," said Neji, reminding them with a straight face.
I don't know, but I get the feeling that he stands as a leader on their team, even more superior to Uncle Gai.
Uncle Gai turned to look at me like he's asking me what will he do, and what will I do, "Its okay, uncle Gai. I'll just sit down there and watch all of you train to prepare for the chunin exams. I'm not going anywhere," I said, reassuring him that I'll be okay on my own.
"Okay, let's get started!" He announced excitedly, and me, I walk towards the boulder rock shaded by the shadows of the tree to take a better view to watch them train.
I felt myself getting bored every seconds pass, and they were training with all their best, throwing their violent moves toward their sensei who train them, fighting him all at once. I find those moves of them amazing, but the warm breeze of the wind making me want to sleep. And I'm sitting here and do nothing, making me easier to fall asleep.
I stand up and came to where they are, then pick up one of the ninja tools on the ground which I recalled this is one of Tenten's tools.
"Miki, you should not hold those, they're dangerous." She said jumping down from a tree to the ground, leaving her training. I just ignored her, focusing my attention on the tool I picked up. I felt that she didn't turned her back on me, despite that I ignored her.
I turned look at her without any expression on my face like I heard nothing and waited for her to say something else. I know she's being so kind to me but she should mind her own business or their leader Neji will rip my head off for being a distraction on their training again.
I know that this tool is dangerous, but I could take care of myself. I know she's just worried about me, but what's the point of becoming a ninja if one will not step out of the side walks? Such as, holding a kunai knife despite knowing it can be dangerous and also could kill someone accidentally.
And besides, I picked this tool with a purpose.
"Kunai," I said, naming the tool that I picked up.
She forced a smile to me, "Yeah, that's a kunai and I know you know that. But you shouldn't handle those, it's pretty dangerous."
"can I try?" I asked, ignoring her once again.
"Try what?" She asked, blinking her eyes in question. I simply pointed the training post with a target board on it which was in front of her, but in my case, the post was on my left side. She closed her eyes and shake her head probably saying to me that it's a "no".
"No, you can't."
"But Iー"
"It's dangerous."
"But I'm bored!"
"You're too young to hold those, one mistake of it, you might hurt yourselfー"
She was cut out in mid sentence when she heard the thump of the kunai I threw on the target board as my eyes stuck on starring back at her eyes, waiting for her to end her speech. But things changed, just like what I've expected.
"Can you let me now? I'm bored sitting down there and doing nothing," I said, informing her directly about my complaints on my boredom and I was suffering by it, as I point the boulder rock where I sit and watch them train.
She turned her head to look at me, her eyes were wide in surprise. I blinked my eyes, trying to recollect things back in my mind to get the answer why she was looking at me with those eyes.
I didn't do anything wrong. So why will even guess what's on her head.
"What's going on there, Tenten?" Asked uncle Gai, having his way to us. Tenten still looking down at me with her shocked face and me was looking up on her. Actually, my neck kinda ache on looking up on her right now.
"Gai-sensei, she hit the target without looking at it. Look!" She informed like a reporter as she pointed the target board.
Uncle Gai turned and look at there then not that long, he turned his attention back at me again, now he looked so surprised. More surprised than Tenten.
"You actually did that, Miki?" He asked.
I just turned my eyes to look at the other direction.
Is their first time seeing something so shallow as that? I bet their great Neji of the Hyuga clan could do better with their byakugan with three hundred sixty degrees vision. What I did that took me blood, sweat and tears to practice it with great accuracy, was just a piece of cake to them.
"You must be dreaming, Tenten. A kid didn't came from the academy doesn't know anything," said Neji.
"Believe me, I swear! I saw it with my very own eyes that she did that. You believe me right, Gai-sensei?" She asked.
"Maybe it's possible, because she's the daughter of Gai-sensei's rival. That means she's a genius too," says Lee, thinking deeply as he rubs his chin, And just a split second, he stand straight with a proud stance, "In that case, I should get training in order to surpass Neji!" he stated with a punch in the air before running out of the scene and stopped by the nearest training post then he started punching it with all his might and counted his every punch. "If I didn't make it to five hundred punches, I'll do two times of five hundred push ups!"
That similar dedication was all point directly to uncle Gai.
The also looked alike, maybe they are father and son?(¯ ¯٥)
If they aren't related at all, maybe Lee was Uncle Gai's long lost son?
Well, who knows? We live in a world full of secrets.
"Miki, who taught you how shuriken jutsu works? Is it Kakashi?" Asked uncle Gai.
I was snapped out on my wondering thoughts about who lived first, whether the chicken or the egg.
I turned towards him looking up at him for a second then turned away at him by looking down at my feet, getting the feeling that there's a possibility that I could have a stiff neck anytime for having too much looking up. My mouth opened, I have to say something, ready to say something useful, butー
"In that case," he muttered, and suddenly he points his index finger at me, "you're also my rival from now on!" He says.
"I should double up my training, if I fail doing a six hundred push ups after an hour, I'll do four hundred sit ups!"
I followed him by sight as he ran vanishing in a thin air, stepping in the training grounds, but is he going to be okay? Six hundred push ups in one hour? Does he really going to make it? That's a bit over the top.
And all of that happened just because I happened to be able to throw a kunai in the target board. If I was in my normal thinking, I may feel special for giving them inspiration to work hard in their training. But I, myself, contradicts to it and feels everything was weird here, and I'm sure that I'm thinking normally.
Wait a sec, did he just said that he considered me as his rival? But what did I do?
I asked him before about why he always challenging Dad and always mentioning to me that he is Dad's greatest rival, that is when back on their chunin exams. He and my father faced on the finals and had a heated battle, but in the end Dad won and he lost, earning my father to be promoted to chunin. That's why he considered that Kakashi was his rival. He believes that someday, there will be a person that will beat him, and then he proudly announced that the person who'll kick the Great Copy Ninja's ass that is no other than Might Gai, The Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey.
But now, in my case, why did he call me his rival? I didn't do anything!
but still, How kind of him telling me stories about the two of them back on the old days, right?
I turned to look up at her when she started talk, "Don't mind him Miki, he's always like that. It'll be weird on your first encounter but, you'll get used to it," says Tenten
Uncle Gai sometimes coming by at the house play with me and he's also challenging Dad for a match which he sometimes refused to accept his challenge.
But I've never seen this side of Uncle Gai's. You can call me a devil, but I really see this attitude of his as 'childish'. Sorry, guys. (ーー ")
"Sensei, its almost lunch. I suggest that we should take a break first," reminds Tenten, calling their attention.
"I almost forgot!" he immediately stand up from his pushing up on the ground, dusting off his hands and his attire. "We had Miki here, maybe she's already tired of watching us train. What do you want for lunch? Uncle Gai will buy it for you!"
"Anything is fine? As long as it's called a food?"