Sakumo Sensei?

"Awfully bold of you to ask a man you just met to train you," Sakumo said with an amused grin.

"I've nothing to lose and everything to gain," Katsu said with an unfaltering look.

Since his arrival in this world, the most considerable hurdle for Katsu has not been his lack of knowledge, below-average shinobi skills, questionable amounts of courage, inability to afford basic necessities, or even his homeless status. Rather, it has been his lack of guidance. He's taught at the academy, sure, but not to the extent that he's an especially capable shinobi. He's the bare minimum — the bar to reach. Not someone who would last very long in a war.

If Katsu could acquire himself a teacher, someone to teach him outside of academy hours, he could pull ahead of the other civilian kids.

Which, by the way, Katsu realized a few days into the academy that basically his entire class was filled with civilian kids. Apparently the C in class 3-C stood for civilian. Katsu's source for that information? He made it the fuck up, but it seemed to be true from what he could tell.

Sakumo seemed to sink into thought as he scrutinized Katsu carefully.

"I'm going to be honest, Katsu," Sakumo said, "You lack a great deal of talent-"

Katsu was neither shocked nor hurt having heard the honest truth. He had no false delusions of grandeur. He knew that he was not someone special, and he respected that Sakumo was willing to be upfront about it, rather than telling him everything he wanted to hear just because he's a kid.

"-your senses are very poor — I was able to get right behind you without your notice. Your will to fight is incredibly frail-"

'Harsh, but true,' Katsu thought while nodding his head in understanding.

"-you're slow to react, fail to predict your opponent while remaining predictable yourself-" Sakumo furthered.

'Ah, maybe you can stop now,' Katsu thought with a little annoyance. His head had stopped nodding.

"-are physically slower than other students your age, fail to use what tools you have at your disposal-"

'What tools!' Katsu thought, glancing at his single kunai.

"-and generally have poor stratagem when battling unknown enemies," he finished.

'The standards I am being held to do not seem to be very fair. I will be complaining to corporate,' Katsu thought while staring dead-eyed at Sakumo's brutal evaluation of his half-baked shinobi skill set.

Before Katsu could give a bitter reply, Sakumo said, "But you are not unworkable."

Katsu's eyes lit up at that simple remark. If he could gain Sakumo Hatake, the infamous White Fang, as his sensei, his chances of survival were far more promising.

"However, I am afraid I cannot dedicate myself to fully training you."

Katsu's eyes dimmed a bit.

'Wait, only fully? So does that mean…' Katsu thought with hope.

"Rather, I would train you at my own discretion in between missions. It would be days or even weeks between our lessons. Furthermore, and I know this may sound harsh, I will not sacrifice what little free time I have with a kid I just met over my son, who I already barely get to see."

It wasn't the answer Katsu wanted, but he understood. Family is everything, that he could absolutely attest to. He would choose the life of his mother over every life in Konoha in a heartbeat — without a shadow of a doubt.

"I understand, Sakumo. Family is most important," Katsu said with an agreeing tone.

'Huh, I thought he would be disappointed. Also, I'm surprised an orphan understands the bonds between family so well,' Sakumo thought, 'I like this kid.'

"I will train you when I can and or am willing… under three conditions," Sakumo led on.

Hearing that, Katsu's hope did a one-eighty. "Name it."

"You must help take care of Kakashi while I'm away on missions, complete various household chores around the clan compound at the discretion of my maid, and return that kunai you stole — along with an apology of course."

'Help take care of Kakashi? Doesn't his wife do that? Ah, wait, I'm pretty sure she's dead if memory serves. Probably best not to ask about it,' Katsu thought.

"I accept," Katsu said resolutely.

"Good then," Sakumo said with a smile.

"However, I'm curious to know why'd you entrust me with such a personal task. You've only known me for an hour or so?" Katsu asked, tilting his head.

"I can tell that you're a good kid at heart, ignoring the mishap with the old woman. My maid will remain mainly responsible for Kakashi's well being, and she's a former kunoichi — a good one at that."

'Was that a concealed threat?' Katsu wondered. Sakumo was a kind man from what he could tell, so he was genuinely unsure.

"When's our first lesson?" Katsu asked curiously.

"Return the kunai first, then come find me at the Hatake compound," Sakumo said before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving Katsu enamored.

"I've definitely got to learn how to do that," he said in awe, "Wait… where is the Hatake compound exactly?"

~~~~~

Sakumo reappeared a few hundred meters outside of Training Ground Seven with a body flicker.

Creating a shadow clone, he looked at it and ordered, "Watch the kid. Once he returns the kunai, dispel."

The shadow clone nodded and disappeared into the trees.

It was a small test, but Sakumo wanted to be certain that he was letting a genuine person into his household. You can never be too safe when it concerns family.

Sakumo returned to the Hatake compound ten minutes later and immediately found his maid, Ayaka.

"Good morning, Sakumo-sama," she said while bowing.

Ayaka was an older woman in her mid-fifties. Her prime had long past her, which is why she took up the job of a maid for Sakumo, who paid her quite generously. She had long, brown hair that was tied to the back and pinned.

She wore a red floral kimono with a white sash tied around her waist, though her getup was merely a ruse to her true profession. Under her dress were weapons of various make and utility that were intended to kill or incapacitate intruders.

Ayaka doubled as a maid and guard.

"Morning, Ayaka. Just a head's up that we'll be having a new guest arrive shortly — so don't attack him. He will be assisting you in your duties," Sakumo said.

"Are my abilities in doubt, Sakumo-sama?" Ayaka asked, though she was merely being sarcastic.

"Haha, of course not. You'll see," Sakumo said before entering the compound's inner courtyard.

"Hmm, I'll see, indeed," she said to herself as Sakumo vanished behind a sliding door.