Hatake Flower

03 { quality family fun }

It's been about a minute and her father still has yet to give a reaction besides a gasp. He's only staring now, obviously confused and maybe in slight awe. Or he could be trying to catalog the danger level of her eyes. Afterall, she's the only one in the world with eyes that consist of different colors and shapes constantly on the move.

Blinking, Azami reaches over to poke her father. She pulls away when he tenses, looking up to see him slowly blink down at her. She isn't really sure why her papa is only staring so shocked. Her eyes aren't that big of a deal. And it's not like she opened her eyes to show him one of the Kekkei Genkai she has. Just her colorful and moving eyes, the default.

Kakashi coughs, coming out of his stupor while still looking down at the girl. He's never seen eyes like her's, it's no wonder she covers them up. But that only confuses him. Her mother...who's her mother? Azami had said that the woman was dead, no sadness in stating the fact which most likely means the woman died during labor or just some time after. There's also the fact that Kakashi doesn't remember ever meeting with any woman during missions, or outside the village.

With a closed eye smile, he hides the suspicion in his gaze as he asks his next question, "What about your mother?"

Tilting her head, Azami places a finger on her chin. She could feel the suspicion in her father's chakra. She wanted to wait till they were at Konoha to tell him about her birth. Though, Azami guesses that at least while outside the walls she has a better chance of escape if she does become a prisoner. "Mama? Hm, I don't know much about her but Oji and Nii Chan do. Tried asking once, but got turned away," she pouts before brightening and turning to smile father with a hopeful gaze.

"I did hear them talk about her though! Called her 'Project No. 3749', dunno why, but Oji was sad that Mama died during labor because she was the only success? Something like that. He did say that it was good I survived though! Do you know mama?" She asks, leaning forward just slightly.

She doesn't miss the way her father's chakra completely stills along with him. He really is a prodigy if he figured it out that fast! Her papa's so cool!

Kakashi could and couldn't believe it. There is only one person he knows that's known for experimentation on other beings. It would explain her skills, mindset, eyes — everything really. It just doesn't explain one thing.

She's positive, happy, smiling, curious, Kakashi thinks as he shifts to better watch the girl, she acts like a child, she is a child but… She seems more like a weapon.

"Ah, I don't know anyone that could be her," he answers absentmindedly. He clears his throat, sitting up just a little straighter, trying to decide his next move.

Azami pouts, momentarily looking disappointed before smiling again. "It's okay! We just won't know Mama together!" She makes sure not to move to quick or slow, or sudden. Her father is a war veteran and she's just a four year old child. No matter how fast or skilled she is, a jonin can still beat her — sometimes chunin too, depending on their skill set.

"Say, where am I?" She asks, looking around for the first time. It's almost exactly the same as the anime from Caroline's memories. Only difference being the detail.

"Hm? Oh we're in the Land of Waves right now," Kakashi answers, deciding it would be best to have the Hokage meet her and from there decide what to do. If she really is an experiment of that snake, then it'd be best that they keep an eye on her.

"Waves?" She questions, looking back up at him. She's never been to Waves, only to the Land of Wind and Earth, some parts of the Land of Fire, and Water. "Oh wow! Hey, can I go explore? Please, please?"

She actually wants to go find Zabuza and Haku. Azami's ninety-nine-point-nine percent certain that it'll be a lot more fun around them. She doesn't really fancy meeting team seven at the moment, especially not after she almost broke Sakura's arm.

Kakashi looks down at her with a raised brow. Explore? She wants to explore? Has she not gone out before? Letting her out of his sight wouldn't be a good idea. He's still unsure of what her intentions are or how exactly she got caught up with his team.

"Don't worry, I'll wear my blindfold!" She assures, looking up at him pleadingly. "Pretty please Papa?"

He doesn't flinch, only tenses. It's an odd thing, to be called that. Even odder for the implications to start settling in. Somehow Orochimaru got a hold of his DNA to produce Azami, his … daughter. He's a father now. He, in a very indirect way, helped bring her into the world where she's been raised to become nothing more than a weapon.

Would have been raised, he amends, now seeing how meeting her when still young is the work of great luck.

"How would you explore if you wear your blindfold?" He asks, leaning back on the bed. "Also, I'm injured, need rest, and you can't go around alone."

"Papa's injured? Where, where!?" She gasps, backing away slightly. "I didn't hurt papa right?"

Kakashi quickly waves his hand, he really doesn't want to deal with a panicking child, "Ah, no no! I'm just really exhausted! That's all!"

She tilts her head in thought, calming down. "So, if I can carry you, then can I explore?"

"What." He deadpans, expression going slack. Carry him? She wants to carry him? A four year old, carrying a twenty-six year old. Is that even possible? Even if she's really strong from whatever was done to her, it shouldn't be possible for a child to carry a grown man.

"Don't worry! I can do it!" She exclaims happily, already tying on her blindfold and moving to grab him. He forcibly relaxes, not wanting to accidentally injure or even kill the girl, as she gets closer and touches him.

He promptly chokes and tenses when she raises him above her head, holding him from just his back making him curl to not fall or disturb her balance. What—what the hell!?

"Oh wow! Your really light papa!" Azami gasps in awe. "Hi-Oji-Chan is way heavier! Kaku-Oji says it's because he's fat and really stupid. So you must be really smart and not fat to be so light!" If her hands were free, she'd be clapping in praise and excitement.

"Okay! Lets go, lets go!" She shouts, rushing out the door, deaf to her father's words and shouts. She doesn't stop in her mad dash, jumping down the stairs and running past everyone in the dining room towards the front door. Azami doesn't hear the surprised shouts of Team Seven or the small family, only focusing on making it to the town.

"H-Hey! Kakashi-sensei?!"

"Sensei!"

"W-Wait! Come back!"

Azami doesn't even notice how Team Seven began to give chase.

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Instead of going into town, Kakashi was able to convince Azami to take them to a clearing in the forest. She pouted but obeyed, excited to witness Team Seven's training in person. Oh man, when they get older and more famous she'll get to brag on being in on their training! Everyone will be so jealous!

Kakashi warily watched as his...daughter giggled for no reason. Forcing himself to look away, he watched as his genin took a small step away from Azami. Understandable he supposes.

Curving his eye in pretense of a smile, he claps his hands to grab their attention. He's leaning against a tree, body still exhausted and having no crutches to support him. When they all turn to look at him, he pulls out three kunai and shoots them in front of his genin's feet.

"You'll be learning how to climb trees," he states, pointing to the forest around them. His students look to him confused and dubious while Azami is grinning.

"But sensei," Sakura speaks up hesitantly, "We already know how to climb trees."

"Oh?" He asks, amused while raising a brow. It doesn't pass his attention on how Azami's grin stretches and begins rocking on the heels of her feet. "You already know how to climb trees, you say? So if I asked you to climb that tree right there, you could do it? Without using your hands?"

His last questions stops Naruto from shouting his affirmation in frustration, Sasuke from glaring, and Sakura from looking at him in annoyance. It also makes Azami burst into giggles.

"What's so funny!?" Naruto shouts confused and annoyed.

"You're ninja but have no clue on what Papa is talking about!" She laughs before turning to her father. This a perfect opportunity to show off! She never got to show off with her uncles and brothers, they'll all just so much better and awesome! "Can I show them? Can I, papa?"

Kakashi blinks, a little put off on being called 'papa' in public. He can also only guess that she means showing the team what he means by climbing a tree without using their hands. "Sure," he says, a bit curious on how his team will react and how she'll perform.

She runs off to the nearest tree, not stopping as she runs up the tree vertically and onto a branch. She pauses for a moment, wondering if she should show off some more or preserve her chakra.

Didn't papa hang from a branch upside down, like a bat?, she questions trying to remember the scene she saw as Caroline before realizing something.

No longer hesitating, Azami walks around her branch to hang upside and curl into herself like a bat would. "I'm Batman," she states in a deep voice.

She resists the urge to grin at the confusion in her father's chakra and the surprise in the other three. She's Batman and Batman doesn't smile! He frowns like an old grumpy man with lots of money.

Kakashi stares up at Azami thoroughly confused. Who's Batman? What is Batman? And why did she say it in such a deep voice?

He shakes his head, dispelling his thoughts on the girl for the moment, before turning to provide his students further instruction.

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Azami twitches. After hanging off a branch like bat for almost half an hour, her father called her down starting to get concerned. Now she's standing next to him, swaying on the heels of her feet as he sits and reads. Well, she thinks he's reading. She can't exactly tell, with her blindfold on.

Either way, she's bored.

Feeling the falling chakra of the other ninjas was fun for the first twenty or so minutes, but now it's been an hour into their training and only one of them has gotten it. It doesn't help that something keeps brushing the very edge of her range. She isn't sure what it is since it's so far away but it's making her curious.

Curiosity killed the cat alright, she gripes mentally while falling back to lay next to her father. She twitches again as that something barely brushing her range once again.

Azami doesn't notice the way her father's chakra curls in confusion whenever she twitches, she doesn't feel the way his eye bores into the side of her head.

Kakashi had been reading his book for the first ten or so minutes of Azami being next to him. He stopped once he saw just how much the girl twitched and always towards the same direction. He found it odd that she twitched at random, so he opted to observe her, ignoring the frustrated shouting of his little genin.

He still has questions on the girl. Her motive, loyalty, skill set, mentality, and just about everything else. But he'll hold off on those until they get to the village.

"Is something the matter Azami?" He drawls, watching how she tenses before relaxing and turning over to him sluggishly with a pout. Kakashi would almost call it cute.

"Play a game with me Papa?" She asks instead of answering, sitting up to properly face him.

"Oh?" He questions, ignoring the way she addressed him.

"Yeah," she confirms a bit more enthusiastic while standing up. "You don't even have to stand, just move your arms is all."

"Hm, and what game is it that you want to play?"

"D.C."

"What?"

Azami huffs. How does her papa not know what D.C. is? Surely he's played before right? He must have! It's a basic Shinobi game! It's actually the most basic!

"You know," she starts out waving her hand around. "You throw things at me and I either dodge or catch them. I can't block them, only dodge and catch, D.C. Haven't you played before?"

Kakashi will admit he's a little amused how she sounds so confused and crosses her arms. Though he does know what she's talking about, however he never saw his dodging training as a game.

"Ah, you mean evasion training," he intones while placing his book to properly watch her. He blinks in confusion when she gives a scandalized gasp.

"How dare you," she whispers horrified, staring at him in utter betrayal (not that he can see the expression all that well). "To call it...training of all things! I..I don't even have words to express the horror of such a thing!"

Kakashi is thoroughly confused. Quite honestly, she lost him at 'play a game..'. And to think, he believed just taking on a genin team would be troublesome enough. What is his life anymore?

"I will pretend I didn't hear you say something horrible Papa, but next time I will not condone it," Azami states firmly with her hands on her hips and a tight frown on.

"Okay?"

She nods sharply before relaxing her muscles and moving to stand a good twenty or thirty feet away from Kakashi. She makes sure to stay away from where the three genin are training, not wanting to have a dodger kunai or shuriken accidentally hit them on their way down.

"Okay Papa!" She calls over with a wave before settling into a loose stance.

Amused, Kakashi decides to play along. Taking out a dull kunai, he throws it half heartedly by her feet. Azami doesn't even twitch as it lands next to her. Instead, she turns to look at it before grabbing it and looking back at him.

"That was weak Papa," she states flatly. "I know a grandma in River that can throw better. She hit me with a ladle. I was running, and she hit me with a ladle. She was half blind Papa."

Kakashi does not twitch, nor does he glare at her. Nope. Absolutely not. He's twenty-six, not a child and he's not going to fall for the taunts. He's above that. He's an elite Jonin, one of the best.

"And really Papa, dull kunai? What are you doing carrying dull kunai? I thought you were a famous, awesome shinobi," she grumbles the last part in slight disappointment. Kakashi hears it anyways.

Azami sways to the right, dodging a faster, and much sharper kunai. She grins, drops the dull kunai, and ducks down just enough to avoid another. She drops into a roll, avoiding three shuriken. Laughing, she turns her full attention on her father and sharp projectiles coming her way.

Now this was fun.

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Kakashi watched how Azami effortlessly dodged and caught weapons mid-air only to throw them back. The first time she did that, he was surprised and ready to actually start throwing weapons to incapacitate. As it was, Azami made her intentions to throw one back clear. She would slow down, make her movements clear and only ever aim to the area next to him, never at him. He realized later it was to make sure he never ran out of projectiles.

He noticed how his students slowed in their training to stop and stare, so he threw some at them too. He wondered briefly if he should have Azami help in their training, she is mostly capable. He also wondered what other "games" she knew and played (her 'hide and seek' game didn't sound too bad, he'd only have to tweak the rules so no one would die).

Kakashi also noticed how her head would tilt a little to the same direction she's twitch toward earlier and the small frown on her face every time she did.

"Something wrong?"

She turns to him but it's rather obvious her attention is elsewhere. If her eyes were uncovered, Kakashi is sure she'd be looking in the other direction. There's a prominent pout on her lips, slowly turning to a scowl of annoyance. She walks over sulkily, the game coming to a stop as she sits down in front of him.

"Papa," she begins and again he ignores the name. She pauses, seeming hesitant to say something, or undecided on how to say it. "...are there sensors in Konohagakure?" She questions but then shakes her head and sighs. Obviously every village has some form of sensors, that was a dumb question she tells herself.

"Uhm, no. Hm, can you sense, Papa?" She settles on, head tilting.

His eyebrow rises as he casually concedes, "A little. Can you?" He figures this is what she wants to bring up. Though the grimace on her face confuses him.

"Yeah, but my range is about a mile long, I don't know. Oji-Chan and Nii-Chan don't know so it's never been tested or worked on and I'm not too good with distances or anything that has to do with measuring as Saso-nii would say," she rambles, fingers twitching nervously.

Azami has never told anyone her capabilities. Has never needed to. Everyone has always kind of already known what she can or can't do. Her being a sensor is also something she's kept secret since her birth (creation?), wanting to have something all to herself about herself (being a reincarnation doesn't count since she doesn't feel like one. She's simply Azami, the evolution of Caroline, they are one and the same).

"Ah, does this have to do with you being twitchy since the morning?" Kakashi asks and Azami folds into herself a little.

Of course he would notice, Azami thinks feeling ashamed at having let down her guard a little. She can't help it though. He's her father. She's always wanted a father. She loves her uncles and brothers but...it's not the same, never will be. Caroline was a little selfish when alive so Azami is too and she really, really wants this to work out.

With a small sigh and grimace she nods to her father's question. "There's...something. It keeps brushing just the end of my range," she pouts, making her annoyance known. "Can I go to town?"

That...wasn't what Kakashi expected to be honest. He fully expected her to ask about checking out what was at the end of her sensing range. Also, a sensor? Those are very rare and to have a range that far at such a young age means she has great potential. It's quite scary at what Orochimaru has in his hands — had in his hands. Though, if she is to be believed, apparently her sensor abilities are unknown to the traitor. It begs the question of why. Why doesn't he know? Why did she not tell her 'uncle'? Why is she telling him?

He grunts as he picks himself up, bringing the crutches closer to him. Azami tilts her head up, following the sound his clothes make and his breathing. She stands up with him confused, searching for the other three signatures. The others are still practicing, though it seems like Sakura is lagging a bit, so why is her father getting up?

"Keep training," he calls out as he begins to walk out of the clearing, Azami following. "Just be back in time for dinner."

The two make their way back to the house. Azami is confused but thankful to be far enough away that she can't feel the thing that would brush her senses. Kakashi is silently trying to think of what he's going to do. He glances down at the girl walking just in front of him so he can see her but still lead. How thoughtful. He's confused about her being so willing to turn her back to him. He may, biologically, be her father but he's still a stranger. Shouldn't she be more cautious?

Kakashi is very much confused and doesn't know what to do. Hopefully they can go back to Konoha soon and then he can just leave the Hokage to deal with her. Yes, that's what he'll do. He just needs to put up with her until then.

Satisfied with himself, Kakashi leads Azami back to the house where Azami finally meets Inari. She tilts her head to the side, staring at the boy just a few years older than her behind her blindfold. Kakashi watches apprehensively from his seated position at the table. He doesn't exactly have a good reading of the girl's personality so this encounter can go either way. Hopefully no dies in the process.

Smiling, Azami carefully offers her hand. "Hi," she greets shyly, "I'm Azami." She's never met someone so close to her age before. Oh Kami, she hopes she's doing this right. It's so much easier dealing with people older than her. They usually always see her as a brat so she can just annoy them to have fun.

Kakashi is completely bewildered. Azami — the girl that brazenly picked him up and ran through the house, the little girl that can use chakra, can effectively and effortlessly dodge kunai flying at her while blindfolded — is shy?

Kami, this is going to be even more complicated than he thought, isn't it?

He watches, carefully appearing apathetic, as Inari stares at Azami confusedly. The boy takes her hand hesitantly, saying his own name in reply. Then her smile brightens and she relaxes, Kakashi only now realizing she was tense. He sits back in wonder.

"Why are you wearing a blindfold?"

He sits back up, rigidly. Of course the child would ask that. He carefully looks for any signs of offense or defensiveness in Azami. She's tense again, hands clasped tightly behind her back. But she's still smiling. His fingers twitch against his book (when'd he pull that out? He can't remember) for a kunai instead.

Azami hums in thought, unsure if she should answer sincerely. She can feel her father's wariness and winces inwardly. She probably shouldn't answer sincerely then.

"To practice," she answers vaguely with a smile, silently reveling in the two male's confusion.

"Practice what?" Inari demands with a pout.

"Being blind, of course," she says as if it was obvious, pouting in turn. Kakashi inwardly concedes that it is obvious but keeps his silence.

"Why?" Inari hisses, quickly getting annoyed with the girl younger than him.

Azami crosses her arms and huffs. "I'm gonna be an actress when I grow up, obviously. I wanna play the role of a blind granny."

"What? Why would you play that role?" Inari asks, unknowingly taking in the change of topic.

"I have the hair for it, don't I?" She asks back.

"You're weird."

"You smell like fish!"

"What's that got to do with anything?!"

"It doesn't!"

"Ha!?"

"Be an old grandma with me."

"What? No!"

"Aw, but I want to be the grandpa! Come on, be the grandma!"

Kakashi turns away, holding back a laugh. It seems Azami has his tendency to mess with those around him. He shakes with contained laughter, watching as Azami and Inari go back and forth. His amusement only rises as Tazuna and Tsunami walk in, confused and bewildered respectively.

Perhaps, he thinks while sitting back comfortably, this won't be so bad.

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It's been so long and I'm sorry, but do understand this is a side project more than anything and not on the top of my priority list. Thank you.