New arrivals were something of a rarity in a Hidden Village. Those that didn’t come by means of an attack, espionage, or capture were even rarer; and those that came directly out of the farmlands with a strong jounin recommendation standing right behind them had to stop by the registry on the other side of the village on a freakishly hot summer day. The place was a patched up structure trying to keep some dignity despite being more than a little worn around the edges (and in the paint job) and obviously woefully underused.
An hour past noon, the kid slouched out of the building with the papers rustling in his hands. The ninja lounging against the peeling wall looked up and tipped his head.
"Done?"
"Think so," the kid said, handing them to him. "These what they’re supposed to look like?"
The man took them and looked them over, scratching his chin and nodding, "Yup. All set. Ha-ta-e Kakashi, you…" he waved a finger, and gave the boy a teasing poke on the forehead. "Are now a citizen of the Hidden Leaf Village. We’ll just get settled into your place--"
"Place?"
"…Yes," the ninja said with a slightly puzzled look, lowering the papers. "The one the village provides for you? In return for your future services…"
"Oh. That," Kakashi shifted on his feet. "I don’t have one."
"You….Don’t have one." The frown deepened. "They didn’t assign you one?"
"Nope."
The man was looking increasingly confused. He leafed through the profile again, turned the papers upside down, bringing them almost to his nose as he squinted at them, "It should say somewhere here-"
"I told them not to bother."
He was running a finger along the middle line of the fourth sheet. "…Let’s see maybe—Eh?" Both eyebrows shot up, and he stared at the boy. "…What?"
"I told them not to bother," Kakashi repeated in that same tired tone.
Suddenly, the man felt fanning himself seemed like a very good idea. "So," he said slowly. "You told them you don’t want a place to stay."
The boy sighed. "No. I told them I had a place to say." "…Er, where?"
Kakashi pointed.
"With you," he said simply.
The ninja almost fell over.
"/What/?"
"I didn’t really understand what they were talking about, with this whole ‘ward of the state’ thing," Kakashi continued, patiently. "And you weren’t there to ask. So," he shrugged. "I just said I was staying with you." And he looked up at the adult with an exppressioned that should have belonged to someone that was at the very least over twenty. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Well, I uh…No, no, not really, it’s just my place well, it isn’t that big and not very good for…kids and well…Jeez," he ran a hand through his hair, lips twisting. "You knew exactly what ‘ward of the state’ meant, didn’t you."
"Yup."
"I explained that the first day we were on the road."
Kakashi folded his arms behind his back and smiled, "And I remember every bit of it."
"Heh," the jounin rested the heel of his hand and the rumpled papers against his temple and grinned ruefully. "Wanted to live me that badly?"
"No."
"No?"
"You went and got lunch without me."
The man blinked. "Oh. Huh. Well, yeah. Guess this’ll work as a fitting punishment, hmm?" He ruffled the kid’s hair. "You could’ve just asked you know."
"Hmph. Can we go now?"
The ninja waved an arm. "Sure, sure," he said, leading his ward along the back road and out of the heat. "I’ll get you into Academy tommorrow. And I’ll buy you lunch. How about that?" And then, he added in a mutter. "Looks like I’m clearing out my bookshelves."
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Settling in
An hour past noon, the kid slouched out of the building with the papers rustling in his hands. The ninja lounging against the peeling wall looked up and tipped his head.
"Done?"
"Think so," the kid said, handing them to him. "These what they’re supposed to look like?"
The man took them and looked them over, scratching his chin and nodding, "Yup. All set. Ha-ta-e Kakashi, you…" he waved a finger, and gave the boy a teasing poke on the forehead. "Are now a citizen of the Hidden Leaf Village. We’ll just get settled into your place--"
"Place?"
"…Yes," the ninja said with a slightly puzzled look, lowering the papers. "The one the village provides for you? In return for your future services…"
"Oh. That," Kakashi shifted on his feet. "I don’t have one."
"You….Don’t have one." The frown deepened. "They didn’t assign you one?"
"Nope."
The man was looking increasingly confused. He leafed through the profile again, turned the papers upside down, bringing them almost to his nose as he squinted at them, "It should say somewhere here-"
"I told them not to bother."
He was running a finger along the middle line of the fourth sheet. "…Let’s see maybe—Eh?" Both eyebrows shot up, and he stared at the boy. "…What?"
"I told them not to bother," Kakashi repeated in that same tired tone.
Suddenly, the man felt fanning himself seemed like a very good idea. "So," he said slowly. "You told them you don’t want a place to stay."
The boy sighed. "No. I told them I had a place to say."
"…Er, where?"
Kakashi pointed.
"With you," he said simply.
The ninja almost fell over.
"/What/?"
"I didn’t really understand what they were talking about, with this whole ‘ward of the state’ thing," Kakashi continued, patiently. "And you weren’t there to ask. So," he shrugged. "I just said I was staying with you." And he looked up at the adult with an exppressioned that should have belonged to someone that was at the very least over twenty. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Well, I uh…No, no, not really, it’s just my place well, it isn’t that big and not very good for…kids and well…Jeez," he ran a hand through his hair, lips twisting. "You knew exactly what ‘ward of the state’ meant, didn’t you."
"Yup."
"I explained that the first day we were on the road."
Kakashi folded his arms behind his back and smiled, "And I remember every bit of it."
"Heh," the jounin rested the heel of his hand and the rumpled papers against his temple and grinned ruefully. "Wanted to live me that badly?"
"No."
"No?"
"You went and got lunch without me."
The man blinked. "Oh. Huh. Well, yeah. Guess this’ll work as a fitting punishment, hmm?" He ruffled the kid’s hair. "You could’ve just asked you know."
"Hmph. Can we go now?"
The ninja waved an arm. "Sure, sure," he said, leading his ward along the back road and out of the heat. "I’ll get you into Academy tommorrow. And I’ll buy you lunch. How about that?" And then, he added in a mutter. "Looks like I’m clearing out my bookshelves."
"What?" Kakashi said.
"Oh, nothing."
Re: Settling in