The Genius Puppy

I have now added another first day of school to my list. I never thought it would be at a ninja academy, but oh well.

"We will be starting class tomorrow, so be prepared. Dismissed." Hiroto-sensei said, and everyone grabbed their stuff.

I packed my bag quickly, but I went to the window instead of heading to the door. Thankfully the window was unlocked. Hoping over the wall and through the window, I landed on the grass outside. I'm polite and close the window behind me. Pulling out my book, I read as I walk around the school to get to the gates. Just as I reach the front of the Academy, where a few students are coming out, a bell starts to ring loudly, and screaming comes from inside the Academy. Looking up, I watch the first kids get pushed and shoved by a stampede of multicolored students and teachers, all dripping with paint.

"Someone got balls to pull a prank on the first day of school," I commented softly before immersing myself in my book.

Even as I walked away from the academy, the noise seemed to get louder behind me as kids cried or complained. The adults that came to pick up their kids were either laughing or downright furious. It was funny, but I couldn't laugh, or I would give up my cover as an innocent bystander.

The best thing about being in this world was that I could do stuff like this and get away with it. Without being able to spidey crawl on the walls and ceiling, I couldn't have pulled off this epic prank.

"Nice job, Kid." Daichi ruffled my head as I finished restocking the first aid section.

"I haven't done anything special." I let him ruffle my hair, giving him my Cheshire smile.

"Of course, you didn't." He smirked at me, pushing me to the back as a customer entered.

Months passed, and I was a diligent student in my studies. I don't use chakra when physically training to keep people off my case. Being in the lower end makes my average mid-class nothing special. In other words, I made myself into the ideal paper pusher. Not the most exciting job, but it would keep me in shape and the village. One of my classmates, though, is never going to get a relaxing job as a paper pusher.

Itachi Uchiha was a strange child. Not only did he not have any other face than emotionless, his social skills were non-existent. The kid was like a brick wall.

I've been watching him and the other kids while pretending to listen to the repeating lessons. It's odd how the children gave him a lot of space but wouldn't even stop talking about him. Mostly it's about his skill and looks. Never would they speak to the kid. I probably would have been angry at the kids, but I know they're just doing what their parents do and don't know better. Still irritates me a bit.

Laying low should be my top priority, but just because kid logic annoys me doesn't mean I want to be alone for the entire time here. At least, that's what I reason to myself. I was just bored.

I sat next to Itachi the following day under the big tree in the academy yard. Everyone stared at me, but I ignored the looks and read my book as I ate lunch. Besides looking at me, Itachi sat there and ate while I believed he was reading my book over my shoulder. No greeting or anything relating to manners in my book. Not like I was doing it either but still. Every kid should have some.

"Hello, I'm Kaida Akiyama. Do you mind if I sit here during lunch for the foreseeable future?" I should probably set an example if I want him to show me some manners.

I'm staring the kid down, and all he does is tilt his head a millimeter and then look away. That's supposed to be Uchiha language for 'Yes, you may bask in my presence, you peasant'. I mean, I understood what he meant, but to other people, that's a brush-off.

"Sorry, I don't speak Uchiha. You'll have to use your words instead of some face spasms." Could I have said that nicer? Yes, yes, I could have. Did I want to? No, no, I did not.

The gasps from the other kids in the yard at my rudeness to the Uchiha heir were loud. I was more interested in the microexpressions on the little heir's face than in being labeled a brute in school.

Itachi seemed surprised at my words but considered them instead of being offended. After barely a minute of meeting this guy, I think I liked him better than anyone else I've met besides Daichi. Of course, the lunch bell rings before I get an answer.

I didn't get an answer until later that month when it started to get cold enough to stay inside for lunch. Once again, I was reading my book and eating while sitting next to the broody Uchiha.

"Hello, Akiyama-san. I'm Itachi Uchiha. You can sit here as long as you like." I blink at the sudden introduction.

"We have to work on your timing." I pulled out the cookies I baked the previous day, handing them to the socially stunted boy.

He even let me pat his head while he munched on the cookies. He reminded me of a puppy.

The puppy similarities grew as the months went on. Instead of going home immediately, he followed me to the shop or a training field. With enough training and repetition, I got him to initiate physical contact. I mean, it's just the brush of an arm or hand pressing his side to mine, but it works. It took a lot of side hugs, head pats, and weekly sweet treats.

But alas, the day I have been dreading has come. Itachi has invited me to study at his house! Oh, the horror.

"No offense Itachi but have you been hiding me from your parents? I would have guessed that if they knew about me, they would have ordered me to come sooner." Of course, this only applies if they are wholly entitled, but it's the feudal era, so that's a definite yes.

"I didn't keep our companionship a secret. They never asked." I really should feel bad about my horrible influence on this child.

"Right. So I thought you tell your parents I won't meet them and I will be anywhere else." Before I could escape, he grabbed my arm in an iron grip pulling me toward his clan compound.

"It's more polite to tell them in person, right?" His smile creeped me out.

"Itachi. Come on!" I struggle for a bit before letting him drag me to my doom.

We get plenty of attention as we go to the compound. Some people gossiped as they watched a Uchiha drag some non-clan-affiliated child. I'm sure that first thing tomorrow, the clan will have a reputation for kidnapping kids for brainwashing.

"This isn't going to end well, you know." I must admit the nerves from meeting Itachi's parents are almost frightening.

"I believe you said that the only way to know how something goes is to do it." Itachi pulled me through the front entrance of the clan head house.

It was exactly like I thought it was going to be. Japanese style with a thick layer of privilege everywhere. Following Itachi's example, I take my shoes off and follow him further into the house. Technically I didn't get a choice since he still had an iron grip on my arm to keep me from escaping.

"Itachi!" Said child pulled to the side just before a red blur grabbed him, suffocating him in a hug.

My freedom didn't last long since he wiggled out of her grip and grabbed my arm again. The red blur turned out to be a woman with hair the color of camellias. It was pretty and eye-catching. Made me wonder if it was as soft as it looked, but I wasn't about to risk touching it in case there was a surprise there.

"Aw. Itachi brought a friend home. What's your name, little one?" She bent down to be the same height.

"Lady, it's not polite to ask for someone's name without giving your own." If Itachi had enough emotions to facepalm, he probably would have instead; he just pulled me further into the house.

"Welcome home, Itachi. Your father is with Minato in the sitting room." A raven-haired woman greeted us from the hallway further into the house.

"Thank you, Mother." The butthead let go of me and escaped further into the house.

"So you must be Kaida." The Raven-haired woman bent down to my height, giving me a sweet smile.

"And you must be Itachi's mother. You seem a lot more human than I thought you were." There are a lot of conclusions she could come to on that comment, but I don't think she will automatically believe that a six-year-old just insulted her on purpose, especially when I give her my cutest smile."Thank you for inviting me to dinner."

Their confused smiles were so satisfying that I almost wasn't mad about getting dragged here. Almost.

Following the two women into the house, I shiver at the bare home with nothing out of place. It was creepy. I know that as the Main family of a clan, they have to be perfect and set some kind of standard, but I hate that. I'm hoping that at least their rooms have some personality. Otherwise, I can't say this isn't why Itachi is so socially stunted.

"Uchiha-san, can I use your bathroom?" Time to check things out.

"Of course, Kaida-chan, it's down the hall; take a right, then a left, and it's the first door on your right." They just leave me there and disappear into the house.

"Yeah, no." Shaking my head, I ignore her directions and return the way we came.

Everyone was so sure I would stay inside that they didn't even think I would leave. I mean, I just walk right out of the house. Itachi's passiveness has spoiled them. He is a genius therefore hasn't given them the taste of what an actual child is like. There is no way I'm eating dinner with those people. Ever. Even if I must bribe Itachi with sweets to keep him from dragging me. Leaving a six-year-old alone in a strange place, brilliant Uchiha's.

During a shift at the store, Minato comes in with a rather gloomy disposition about him. With the war over, the shop has gotten less busy. Usually, that wouldn't be good, but even before the war, we had loyal customers that were creatures of habit. Now we don't have people coming in like crazy, which works better for our environment. Of course, having a depressed customer in a weapons shop, it's a good thing for business.

"Oi! Namikaze. Stop staring into space and get over here." I'm glad it was closing time since he started and knocked over a shelf of storage scrolls.

"Sorry! I'll clean this up." Sighing, I ignored him and started closing the shop while he mindlessly cleaned his mess.

When I was done, he was once again stuck in his head. Instead of walking over and touching him, I called out his name until he heard me.

"What?" He still wasn't all there, but enough to follow simple commands.

"Come upstairs, Minato." Using his first name felt more natural than calling him by his last name. That's one of the things I can't adapt to in this culture using titles with terms.

Daichi was out with some old friends of his, so I was alone in the house till later, but he trusted me enough to close the shop. Thankfully that gives Minato some privacy for his episode.

I tell him to sit on the couch when he follows me upstairs. I hate this crap. Ninja just doesn't even care about their mental health. They only do the bare minimum to function. I thought that Minato was different, but I guess I was wrong.

"Minato, tell me what happened." At this point, making him start a routine wasn't going to be helpful, so working through this is the top priority.

Minato took a few more minutes to register the order before deciding to talk.

"My team got promoted a few weeks ago to Chunin. Kakashi had just gotten to Jounin as well, so we were sent out on a mission. The kids had a different objective than my mission, but it was in the same direction, so we traveled for a bit. An encounter with an enemy showed that Kakashi wasn't ready to lead a team, let alone fight on his own. I thought that they were ready and capable after a breakthrough." He paused, and I had to get him back on track. "Rin got caught, and the boys went after her. Some Iwa-nin had her in a cave. They saved her but got caught in a trap. Obito got crushed when the cave collapsed. I was too late to get to them, and by the time I got there, Obito was gone, and Rin and Kakashi were about to be killed. They call me the yellow flash, but it seems I'm too slow for the important things."

"Drowning in your regret isn't going to bring him back. But ignoring your failure and saying that there isn't anything you could have done is bullshit. We are human, and we make mistakes, but we can always do better the next time. When doing the missions, most of the time it doesn't matter how you do it, just that it gets done. You're the Yellow Flash, be faster so you can be there for them. If you don't know if they need help or are in trouble, give them a way to contact you to tell you." Kicking his leg, I get up and grab a piece of paper from my school bag along with a pencil.

"How?" Some of the fog lifted at my prompt.

"You're a Seal Master; figure it out." I handed him the paper and pencil. "Some advice Minato. Always be over–prepared. Doubt isn't your enemy, it's a reminder life gives you. Now go home before Daichi gets back."