Leaving Team 7

"Look here, I'm being forced to work on missions but I'm not getting a lot of money at all. I'm getting even less now that I'm going on missions with my students. I just want to lay back, make money, and enjoy life like a scumbag. Oh, and I'm going to enrich Konoha's economy too, isn't that great? Come on, let me quit." 

"Sighh…." Hiruzen let out a long sigh before saying to Kakashi: "I will let you quit being Team 7's teacher. However, your request to quit being a ninja is DENIED." 

With Kakashi's persistence, Hiruzen had no other choice than to remove him from being the jonin in charge of Naruto's team. And like Kakashi had said, he is going to replace Kakashi with Yamato, aka Tenzo.

However, Hiruzen made sure not to retire Kakashi as a Ninja, because he was a valuable asset to Konoha. He had wondered what had happened to Kakashi, to cause him to behave this way towards him and the people of the village. 

"Tsk, as long as I don't have to go out on constant annoying missions," Kakashi said as he felt a little liberated. 

"But I have another matter for you," Hiruzen suddenly said with an evil smirk. 

"What now???" Kakashi was baffled by this sly old man. He just escaped one annoying thing, and now he's being assigned to another?? This crook really did want to work him down to the bones. 

"Look at this file. You will be in charge of this person here. She won't be leaving the village soon, so you won't have to go out on annoying missions like you wanted." Hiruzen grabbed a scroll and handed it to Kakashi. 

"Urgh," Kakashi groaned and accepted the scroll. He read it over and suddenly paused. 

He had been assigned to a new assignment to Kakashi to train Yakumo Kurama, a failed student of Kurenai. 

… 

The news of Kakashi being removed as the jonin in charge of Team 7 was quickly delivered to the members who were nearby. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke received it with mixed feelings when they heard it.

Naruto was extremely sad, because even though to them Kakashi was a bit eccentric, he had helped them improve their skills, and had even taught them new jutsus. And fed them to stupor.

"The One thousand years of death jutsu?" Sasuke had sneered, when Naruto was being emotional about the matter.

Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't know what to feel about Kakashi leaving the team. Sure, he had played a huge role in helping him awaken his sharingan, but he had done things that questioned his character as a shinobi many times. Especially the day they had fought Zabuza and Gato's thugs. The one thousand years of death thrown at the asses of the thugs were still fresh in his mind.

Sakura was pleased. It meant that she wouldn't get to see him anymore. She could even fight him back now, if he tried to make sexual advances at her. 

She knew she would still miss his touch, but she knew she had to draw the line this time.

As Kakashi left the Hokage's office, he ran into Guy, who had claimed that he was Kakashi's eternal rival. "Kakashi, what the hell happened?," he asked, folding his arms.

"I wanted to retire," Kakashi said, putting his hands into his pockets, "I don't believe that anything is wrong with that,"

"Everything is wrong with that!" screamed Guy, as he held Kakashi by the shoulders, shaking him.

"What about the team you had abandoned? The villagers you were supposed to protect? This is ridiculous, you were never this selfish… How could you throw away your youth like that!?"

"I want to be able to live my life for myself and be a degenerate!" Kakashi responded and yanked Guy's hands from his shoulders.

Guy was taken aback by Kakashi's outburst. Kakashi turned and left for his apartment room, holding the file the Hokage had given him about Yakumo Kurama. 

He had walked an incredible distance, when Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura appeared in front of him.

"Hello, you all. It's nice meeting you here," He flashed a wide grin and greeted the trio casually. 

Sasuke and Sakura's faces said otherwise. 

"Kakashi sensei!! How could you do this!?" Naruto burst into tears, running into Kakashi-sensei's arms.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the scene.

"So, you ditched us?" Sasuke asked, folding his arms.

"Yes, I ditched all of you noobs," Kakashi said flatly, matching Sasuke's scolding tone.

"How could you do that, Kakashi? That is rather uncool of you," Sasuke replied defiantly.

"I thought I had taught you a lesson earlier about how to speak to me,"

"You are not our Teacher anymore," Sasuke said, while raising his voice. Kakashi was mad, but what happened next shocked everyone.

Kakashi squinted and really prepared to bring out his kunai. He wanted to teach this kid a lesson once and for all. But… 

Naruto raised a hand and punched Sasuke in the face, sending him flying across the street.

"Naaaruuuto!" Sakura screamed, before rushing over to Sasuke to check if he was okay. She shot him an angry look.

"Why do you two have a thing against Kakashi-sensei? Sakura may not say much, but I sense the tension coming from her each time she's around him. And you Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei took it upon himself to help you activate your sharingan, to two tomoe. He's fed us and had fun with us!"

Kakashi stood there, amused by the scenario. Naruto was almost like a faithful disciple to him right now, and he almost laughed. Yes, he really did do all those things, but not really for reasons Naruto is trying to paint it for.

Sasuke hissed in pain, and got up. Sakura followed suit.

"You are defending a sensei that single handedly wrote his resignation later. He abandoned us," Sakura called out, very angrily and thought inwardly. Not to forget that he took away my innocence.

"I know he's the one that did it himself. But I kind of understand why. Everyone has their own life and a path they want to follow! If Kakashi sensei deems that this path is good for him, he should follow it! It's harsh on us… but it's not like we can't continue to learn from him!"

Kakashi clapped his hands, in an attempt to end the argument. "I don't give two shits about you three, believe me. But stop the bickering. I'm too lazy to listen to it."

The three of them stopped to look at him.

"Naruto is right, you can always get scummy advice and lots of sweet foods from me still. I don't withhold my knowledge, I just don't want to do missions. They're too boring," he said and grinned, his eyes crinkling.

"Now, who wants a feast?"

Sakura and Sasuke didn't budge to Kakashi-sensei's idea of having a feast, for no reason. For all they knew, it could be loaded with poison. Their experience in the land of waves couldn't leave their minds.

Kakashi couldn't help but find the situation hilarious, and he laughed out loud occasionally, using Naruto as a lab rat to prove the food was safe this time. 

It took a while before they had believed, with Sasuke insisting he would eat thirty minutes into the time they began feasting.

Naruto ate like he wouldn't meet Kakashi ever again, and could barely move by the time the feast was over. They had made jokes and laughed so hard, till their stomachs were hurting.

They parted ways, and Kakashi ordered Sakura to help him choose out flowers for Kunerai, to apologize for being a dick to her, since she apparently gave him the best ride of his life the previous day.