Chapter 1: Interlude of Peace

It was a bright day of blue skies full of puffy white clouds. These were the kinds of white clouds which Shikamaru would love to watch if he had the chance. Shikamaru, like the rest of Konohagakure, however, was too busy to give more than an appreciative glance at the fine weather. Farmers worked hard on making the most of the sun, the field workers toted water, the housewives hung laundry, the Academy students sweated as they ran around the twentieth lap and somewhere, every ninja to be had was out on duty, hopefully completing their missions successfully.

It was on that kind of day that you could find, if you were lucky, the Hokage in the mission room. If not, perhaps the study would be a better place... Or lounging on the Godaime's stern head. On days like these, you wonder if it's too good to be true.

"Where's Naruto?"

Tsunade, jerking up from some paperwork which had been pillowing her head, blinked and scowled at the pink-haired medic standing before her. Sakura looked obscenely perky this morning - even more groomed than ever. Her black boots shone, her hitai ate affixed just so and her clothing as painstakingly ironed as usual. It hurt the eyes - not to mention the sensibilities. Tsunade's eyebrow twitched dangerously, knowing that she would fare much worse in comparison. The last of the Sannin had a sinking feeling that there was ink on her face again - and the headache she had hoped to avoid had returned tenfold.

Sakura sighed as she recognized the signs of her ex-teacher's hangover.

I thought we were through with this...

"How should I know?" barked Tsunade. "Like I ever see the outside of this room! What with Shizune whining and you bothering me and Naruto blathering on and on - the only way I am going to get released from this damned place is in a coffin, dammit!"

Her armchair's arm creaked ominously as the last Sannin gripped it alarmingly.

"Sorry, sorry..." Sakura sweat-dropped and backed away, waving her hands in a soothing gesture. "Never mind. I'm sure I can find him around somewhere... I just thought he might have popped in for some potion - he's still got a bit of an arm ache from the last time... So... I thought... he told me he'd be here..."

Inner Sakura screamed, "Look what trouble you got me into, you total idiot! When I find you, you're dead for sure! Hell, yeah!"

Tsunade groaned. "I don't remember hearing anyone."

Sakura bit back a snide remark about age, and smiled weakly instead, saying, "Well, maybe Shizune heard him."

"Yeah... ask her..."

Sakura crept out and wandered through a few more passages, trying to find the still ever-busy assistant Shizune. Long, white and shining, the laboratories of the new Konoha hospital were a thing of pride for the medical ninjas. It had been a well thought out process - with years of complaints brought to mind. Labour saving devices were bought as well as new technologies. However, the twisting passages made it more difficult to easily locate Tsuande's assistant. On days like these, the dark haired assistant had to be everywhere at once - trotting from room to room with experiments Tsunade was double-checking, filing pieces of information on almost long-forgotten medical jutsu - and ensuring that Tsunade's was not trying to escape her confines to get drunk at the tavern. After all, it was Shizune's mission to ensure that Tsunade kept on The Task.

The Task, as it was called, seemed weighty enough to get full honours. It has going to be a long, laborious project, which would not so easily finished. So, Tsunade spent most of her time here now finishing The Task - writing out copious memoirs.

For future reference, the Rokudaime had said. Years from now, medics will be able to draw on the font of knowledge that a life time of experience has given Tsunade-sama. It's something we should have done before as a village, seriously.

Tsunade couldn't say 'no' - not to the Hokage or the village Elders. So she was stuck, as usual in the basement laboratories, double-checking her work and editing her never-ending memoirs. Tsunade, Shizune...

And not Naruto... Sakura bit her lip. I was SURE he was here... What if... something's gone wrong? What could go wrong?

"Ah! Sakura!" Shizune's voice broke into the girl's thoughts. "You looking for Naruto?"

"Shizune! You saw him?" Sakura whirled around eagerly, coming face to face with a hot and sweaty Shizune carrying an overwhelming stack of papers.

"An hour and a half ago - around eight o'clock, he picked up some liniment and said he'd be out practicing some more jutsus."

"Did he say where?"

"I think he mentioned the practice grounds," Shizune said thoughtfully. "I think..."

"Thanks, Shizune! I'll look there!"

Bolting out of the hospital, Sakura sped towards the practice grounds, inwardly steaming at the realization her subconscious worries were for nothing. Of course, it was a simple matter of Naruto yet again slacking off on his ninja duties in order to get more jutsu underneath his belt.

"A Hokage has to be well-rounded, Neji says. So I gotta practice more with wind and start to use my other types of chakra," Naruto had told her, blue eyes serious and intense as always."I'm already kinda linked to water... I think..."

"Do you KNOW what your chakra types are?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"I think I talked about it a couple times with Ero-Sannin... and Tenzou-san... Ahhh... It was too long ago! But I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will help..." Naruto smiled smugly.

It had taken her all not to punch the idiot into next week as she watched her ever clueless teammate laugh. Truly, if she did find the two - the ever late Kakashi-sensei and the ever idiotic Naruto - evading their duties with jutsu practice, she'd... well... she'd do something drastic.

It's not like it was before where things were simple and all we had to worry about was completing the mission. Not that things were simple before either. There was Sasuke to worry about, there was Sound and the Akatsuki - and after that, more problems with Sasuke... Was it ever simple? Surely there was a time...

Sakura's thoughts were once again interrupted by a sound - not so much a sound as a blast which seemed to rock Konoha. She sighed as she realized that this was no doubt her teammate - as she had expected, slacking off when he was supposed to be meeting her at eight o'clock sharp in the mission room. In front of the Hokage. Dammit.

If Sasuke was here, Naruto surely would be on time. It would be a thing of pride to show up before the smug bastard. Still... Sakura sighed. I know Naruto is serious about becoming Hokage. He's gotta practice somehow... But he should know by now... We've got a mission to complete! It's not like I want to leave my studies with Tsunade either! That guy can be so thoughtless!

Landing in the glade, Sakura glared at Naruto through the wafting smoke of newly released Shadow Clones. Catching sight of his teammate's withering glare, the blonde ninja gulped in realization and dread.

"Sa-sa-sakura-chan!" Naruto laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"What do you THINK, IDIOT!" Sakura's yell almost blasted the young man back a few steps.

"Am I late for something again?"

"Are you late for something again?" Sakura's gentle voice seemed almost creepily unnatural. It was even more scarey than her screaming. "Are you LATE for something again?" Her voice cracked. "Do you realize it's nine-thirty? And we were supposed to be in the mission room at eight?"

"Ah..." Naruto's eyebrows scrunched for a moment and then he froze as he remembered. "Oh shit!"

"Oh shit is right! We gotta get going! Like yesterday! Do you have stuff on you?"

"I'm always prepared when I am practicing."

"Let's hope so - because we have no time to stop and pack up. I got packed - but if you didn't, it's your loss."

"Sakura-chaaaan... you could have warned me!"

"I did." Sakura stomped off.

"You did? When? When did you warn me? I don't remember that -"

"Last night," ground out Sakura in a dangerous voice.

Naruto wisely dropped it - and followed her lead - as Sakura cut across town over the rooftops towards the ever red tower of Konoha's most important offices. Below them, the townspeople teemed and chatted. A few of them proudly watching the ever visible back of Konoha's hero - late yet again for another important mission.

"Oi... you could try to be on time for important things, seriously," Kakashi noted half-heartedly, as he looked at the mission scrolls before him. Tipping his hat back, he looked up at his two ex-students and tried to look reproving.

"I'm sorry, Sen- ah... Hokage-sama," Sakura sighed.

"Bah! I refuse to apologize to the man who was late all the time when we were his students!" Naruto stuck his nose up and folded his arms stubbornly.

"HELL YEAH!" Inner Sakura agreed.

"Be more respectful to the Hokage, idiot!" Sakura glared at her teammate, shaking a warning fist already flaring with her powerful chakra.

"Now, now," Kakashi raised his hands placatingly. "I don't want to lose the back wall of this office again... The draft was depressing, seriously!"

"Why were you late anyway?" added Iruka who was also glaring at the Hokage. Iruka had a sneaking suspicion that Kakashi wasn't taking his role seriously. Although Hatake-senpai was a man renown for his abilities, the grey-haired Hokage seemed to be too laid back to be right...

Surely this man has to have some kind of fire... well, Sandaime, you did once tell me that the Will of Fire burns in every Konoha ninja's heart, but in Kakashi-sama... it's hard to tell...

"Well... we got lost on the road of life..." smirked Naruto.

"What the hell - I mean..." Iruka tried to bring himself back into control, as veins popped out on his bright red face. "What do you mean by that?"

Kakashi didn't seem to surprised by his assistant's radical changes in temperament - or Naruto's idiotic explanation.

Iruka wondered what kind of thing could ever get the unflappable Nanadaime flustered.

"Ah, yes. That kind of thing can happen," Kakashi shrugged philosophically. "Well... it's not like the mission had a time limit or anything. It is just that the earlier you start, the better chance you have to complete the mission in a week and get the weekend off. Well, I guess that's not happening now, is it?"

"Ehhh..." Naruto and Sakura glared at the Hokage. "What kind of thing are you trying to get us to do now?"

"Just a visit to Sand."

"Whatever for?"

"Read the mission scroll. Have a nice trip. And make sure you finish all the requirements of the mission. Seriously." Kakashi waved them away and went back to contemplating a scroll.

Iruka, the Hokage's newest assistant, as he watched his apparently unconcerned Hokage doodle a henohenomoheji on a document, wondered if this was what most likely turned Shizune a mature woman before her time. Taking care of a irresponsible Hokage put years on you. Trying to keep the cheerful, superficially bland Jounin better known as Hatake Kakashi in line would take everything out of him, he was sure. Within the first hour of service, he had had to drag the Hokage away from those horrible pornographic books... that alone had been a feat. He could just remember the conversation...

"No, really, Hokage-sama. It would not do for the customers or the daimyou to come in and see that you are sitting around reading porn!"

"It's not porn! It's classical drama! With a bit of romance parts yes - but, seriously, I mean what kind of book is it without -"

Iruka closed his ears and shut his eyes.

"Don't want to hear it!"

Opening them again, he found his Hokage had disappeared...

That had felt like a long day. In the end, they had compromised. Kakashi would be able to read his porn after four o'clock p.m. until the next morning at seven o'clock. The whole issue of punctuality had been another war altogether...

But, then, Sandaime. I too have the Will of Fire. Iruka shook his fist. I too can stand strong!

"Yo, Iruka... you need a rest or something? There's something about you - around the eyes..." Kakashi leaned forward, eyes intent and serious. "I think we could take the day off and no one would notice -"

Iruka stared at his Hokage in disbelief.

Will of Fire, Sandaime. Will of Fire.

Sakura waited outside and read the mission scroll while Naruto packed up. Naruto had never been strong on the reading and understanding part of life. As always, he struggled with the written word - and seemed more apt to remember by working with his hands. So, although Sakura rarely considered herself the leader of what had been Team Kakashi, the medic found herself more informed than most medics might have been. It seemed, superficially, to be a rather straightforward mission - with little to no chances for hostile contact.

Which is probably why Sai wasn't added to our number. Well, he's off with Tenzou for now... but when he gets back, I'm sure we'll be put on more complex missions. Until then... we've got some information gathering to do. Naruto won't like it - but at least that means he can meet up with Gaara...

At the sound of Naruto locking his apartment door, Sakura pocketed the mission scroll away carefully and turned to her teammate expectantly. He had packed fairly quickly and seemed to be full of good cheer.

A good sign.

"So what is it all about?" Naruto asked as the two Jounin made their way to the main gate. "Anything exciting this time?"

"Not really," Sakura paused to give a quick nod to Kotetsu and Izumo before continuing on her way. At Naruto's groan, she added quickly, "We'll get to visit Gaara."

Naruto perked up at that.

"So we ARE visiting Sand?" Naruto jumped up into the trees, followed by Sakura.

"Yes," Sakura frowned. "We got a letter yesterday by bird. Apparently there have been strange omens, strange natural disasters and other things happening in the Country of Wind - and the Hidden Village of Sand would like our opinion. So all we are doing is talking to people and looking at some specimens and gathering information."

"So... boring..." Naruto grumbled.

"Yeah, well, until Sai gets back, this is the kind of things we're gonna have to get used to doing."

"When's he going to get back?" the blonde Journin asked.

"You asked me that yesterday."

"I did?"

"Yeah, idiot. And I said, in a couple of days."

"So by the time we get back, Sai could be back?" Naruto looked excited at the thought of seeing the dark-haired young man again.

Sai was as ever, the oddball of Team 7 - although many would agree that the whole team was filled with oddball geniuses... Sasuke the last Uchiha. Kakashi with the Thousand Jutsus and counting. Sai with the mysteriously shrouded past and beautiful artwork. Sakura and her Tsunade-like abilities. Naruto and the Kyuubi... Sai fit nicely in the group - and yet stood out a little despite his earnest efforts at social self-education. Now that Kakashi was out of the game - being the Hokage was a 24/7 hour job - when four man team missions were required, the three boys and Sakura had had to learn how to get along. The tall young artist still had some learning to do when it came to social niceties, but Sai's smiles were a long way from his early times with Team 7.

One of these days, Sakura thought. He'll sweep some kunoichi off her feet...

Naruto continued on, thinking aloud, as usual.

"Good. I can't wait for him to get back and then we can all go on some crazy ass mission and kick some ninja butt and just be awesome - and I can practice my new jutsus - and get closer to my dream and -"

"Yeah yeah..." Sakura sighed. "You said the same thing yesterday. It's not even like you want Sai back - more you want a chance to get a higher ranked mission... so selfish!"

"Well... a guy can dream..."

"That he can..." Sakura sighed.

Sand, like Konoha, was covered by a blue sky - but without clouds. In the desert, it was rare to see such treasures filled with rain. Instead, a dry hot wind blew across the sand, swirling up to the large entrance of the Hidden Village of Sand. The front platforms of old had given way to a more cemented front with crenellated tops. War had devastated the countryside, all through the countries, and Sand had not been an exception. However, like Konoha, over the two years since the final battle, long hard work had resulted in better than new buildings and firmer foundations. The traditionally rounded buildings of Sand were now more gaily decorated with flapping flags and banners. Signs of prosperity in the contented villagers' faces. Low slung towers also ringed the city along the tops of the mountains which surrounded the village - a new improvement on Sand's defense.

Naruto and Sakura, arriving three days later, were swiftly ushered into the Kazekage's presence. Gaara, flanked by Kankuro and Temari, greeted them in his ever quiet voice.

"Naruto - Sakura - we've been expecting you."

"Yo, Gaara!" Naruto totally ignored the formalities and bounded forward to greet the Kazekage. "You know what? Know what? I got a new jutsu!"

"NARUTO!" Sakura's calm demeanor immediately melted away before the heat of her wrath - and Naruto froze.

"Sorry - sorry!" Naruto sighed. "Mission first. Mission first."

"Our daimyou is rather worried - so we thought we'd get some second opinions on the matter," Temari said. "However, I don't know if the idiot's opinion is so important... Why does this team have to be the ones who came?"

"Temari..."

"Someone with more strategy smarts or -"

"Temari," Gaara repeated mildly as Naruto and Sakura scowled at the blond ninja.

"Sorry for not being Shikamaru," growled Naruto. "But - at least let us have a look first, eh? It's not like I wanted to be here either you know..."

"Well, explaining won't help the idiot," Kankuro mused. "Let's just get out there and show him. I mean... the Daimyou said no time to waste!" He added hastily at the sight of Gaara's glance in his direction.

"Yeah..." Naruto grumbled, stomping out of the room, a picture of complete disinterest. "Let's get this over and done with."

Sakura sighed. Gaara smiled.

"It started a week ago," explained Kankuro, who led the way down a winding stair to the underground offices. Sakura wondered, as the atmosphere got chillier and damper, if they were going to end up in a laboratory or a dungeon. "With the death of our daimyou's brother-in-law."

"A death?" Naruto sniffed. "Was it murder or an accident?"

"It looked like an accident," sighed Temari, shaking her blonde head. "But there were some chilling details that made it look more and more like a murder."

"Like what?" Sakura asked.

"Well, for starters... how do you get a fairly well setup man, muscled and tall - willingly over the edge of a balcony - to fall to his death eleven meters below?" Kankuro smirked.

"What a minute," Naruto dropped his peevish attitude and frowned in thought, interest now perked. "A large, muscular man falls off a balcony to his death. Wasn't there a railing?"

"There was... a railing..." Gaara said in a deadpan voice. "And yet, he plunged to his death and his blood was spattered across the courtyard -"

"EWWW! GAARA!" Naruto jerked spastically, shivering at the image evoked by the Kazekage's creepy voice. "That's... so scary!"

"Now we know who shouldn't be telling stories around the campfire," Sakura laughter died away quickly as she considered the story. "But it does seem rather odd, seriously. If there was a railing - surely he should have noticed..."

"That and the fact that below his body - imprinted in the ground was a strange symbol - like the picture of an amulet or seal. Something we are not too familiar with..." Temari sighed. "We have a package of pictures for the Hokage and the investigators of Konoha."

It turned out to be more like a laboratory which looked like a dungeon. There was a chill in the dark underground places - lit weakly by lightbulbs which had seen better days. Sakura knew that time and money would help prosper Sand - eventually.

But everything takes time, I guess. Even our current Hokage has had to consider things like that as well... Sakura drew close to the table which Kankuro now stood beside. Boxes lined the table, each marked with a place and date. Inside the first box was a stack of photos and a file for Konoha. Sakura pocketed it carefully away in her backpack and looked at the original data. The medical files were quite straightforward, clear and detailed.

"Multiple contusions indicative of a eleven meter fall. Skull and brain damage... he probably didn't feel a thing - if he fell on his neck. There were some snapped bone in the -"

"Sakura-chan!" wailed Naruto, quivering beside her. "You're creeping me out..."

"It's death," Gaara stated bluntly. "You've seen it before."

"Yeah... but..." Naruto glanced around the dim, gloomy atmosphere and shivered. "Not in a place like this. It's like... spooky!"

"Naruto..." Sakura tapped her teammate on the head none too gently with the clipboard. "Grow up. It's just another mission. Like detective work."

"So the brother-in-law died," Kankuro interjected before the conversation could escalate. "We thought nothing of it -"

"There was no sign of genjutsu, hijutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu..." Sakura noted. "So it would be hard to pinpoint as a homicide, right?"

"Exactly," Temari nodded. "So nothing was said for a while. But then, to a village a few kilometers away to the south-east, there was rain. For a week. And further beyond... strange patches of plants began to grow..."

Gesturing to two other boxes, Temari continued. "The thing is... rain is uncommon - unseasonal - at this time of year. And the fungi is not a local plant."

Naruto and Sakura shifted through the bags of earth samples and plant samples. The medic considered it and wondered what her blonde teammate was making of all this. Naruto's face had the usual trademark clueless expression. Obviously, he was thinking hard but it was going over his head.

Admittedly, I don't understand much either.

"All of the conclusions from experimentation on the plant and soil samples are included in the file. Also our chronicling of the growth of other non-localized plants such as these red flowers..." Temari gestured to other boxes with even more plant and soil samples. "It's getting to be quite a mystery. At first, we thought it was a jutsu, but now, we wonder if it isn't some kind of strange climate shift brought on by the war... but surely that kind of reprecussion wouldn't happen so late after the war?"

"Good point," Sakura nodded. "You'd think the effects would be sooner..."

"Hey, hey," Naruto shook his head. "I don't get it. Explain it. Strange things are happening..."

"Strange things are happening Naruto," Sakura repeated slowly, enunciating every word as if talking to a child. "Things which should never happen. Things like flowers growing in the desert, fungi spreading... rain falling... and men jumping off balconies..."

"And... then there is the ghost..." Gaara intoned, holding up a blurry photo.

"AIYAAA!" Naruto quivered like a jelly fish behind Sakura. "Hey! Hey! Is that - a ghost?"

"It's a spirit drawing," Temari said quietly. "One of the young children in a temple on our borders painted that a week ago. The latest and last thing we've seen."

"It's a young boy..." Sakura peered at the drawing. "... I think... Here, Naruto - have a look - tell me what you think..."

"No - no - I'm sure you can figure that one out on your own," Naruto gulped.

"What... it's just a picture," Gaara murmured suddenly behind the blonde ninja.

"You can't quite make out the face..." Kankuro added.

"He's turned away - and rather obscured..."

"Well, he IS a ghost," Temari stated, enjoying Naruto's spasms. "Have a look -"

Naruto flinched as he received the picture. Looking down cautiously, while gingerly holding the painting between his thumb and forefinger, Naruto's eyes widened at the photo. It seemed... much different than he expected. He could almost feel the emotion of the subject -

The green grass seemed so real - the blue sky so familiar - and yet, the sand surrounding the artificially growing grass and the red-brown cliffs in the distance were distinctly Wind Country terrain. And the faded soul half-turned as if hesitating to go onward -

It's so sad and full of regret, Naruto thought. Sad, full of regret - and yet surely, there is some kind of meaning... What is the key to all of this?

"It's sad..." Naruto finally said. "Full of sadness..."

Temari's eyes widened a little, as Gaara nodded in agreement.

"I also thought that," Gaara mused quietly. "As if the ghost had something else to do that is unfinished here... Driven by some unnatural force, maybe. Out of sync with time..."

"The report here says that the young child put a message with the picture. Simply, 'Wish'. A message from the dead?"

Naruto nearly dropped the picture - but Gaara's sand caught it in time and lifted it gently to place it on the table.

"Like I said," Gaara repeated. "I think the ghost has been driven to complete something unfinished on this earth. It will not rest until that mission is completed. Time will tell the true meaning of these events."

"I felt rather useless," Sakura wrote in her report book, that evening before turning in. Watching the lamp flicker in the spare bedroom she was given for the night, Sakura considered all of the strange things that had been happening in Wind Country. "There is nothing I feel I can do since everything seems after the fact... Yet... there is something in the air that warns us all to be extra cautious. Perhaps the ghost or the forces at work here will not bring good fortune to us. Their ways are beyond our understanding."

Naruto and Sakura as they turned homeward fell under a thoughtful silence - their thoughts far away from each other - turning northward to the Wind Country and the ghost of the boy. It had been a while since the last war - time had healed some wounds - but there were others still waiting to be heal.

Some, Sakura thought, would never be healed.

What if this boy were a victim of our wars, Naruto thought. If he were to bring vengeance, wouldn't that also be something we should bear as those responsible for such pain? How much time must pass before we can forgive as well as forget?

After the third day, the large welcoming gates of Konoha hove into view through the trees. Naruto and Sakura, glad to finally return to the comforts of home, picked up their pace.

"Well," Naruto said, finally breaking the silence. "I'll be glad to talk to Old Lady Tsunade about this - and seeing Kakashi-sensei - I mean, the Hokage - react to this crazy news... I wonder how that will turn out." The blonde nin snickered gleefully.

"Oh... I can see it already," Sakura rolled her eyes, envisioning Kakashi's perpetual response - nonreaction. "I'm more excited about finally getting my soft bed back. Tree roots and Sand mattresses aren't that different - you notice?"

"Hmmm..." Naruto thought about his night. "Not... really... I'll just be glad to get back to Ichiraku Ramen... and Sai... and new missions," he ended on a more cheerful note. "Then I'll -"

Naruto skidded to a stop beside Sakura and stared, eyes wide and agape at Konoha's gate. Sakura leaped forward to join Izumo and Kotetsu who were pulling themselves off the ground painfully as if they had just been thrown back.

"What happened?" Sakura asked - eyes never leaving the dark swirling shield that seemed to surround the village in a dome of darkness.

"I don't know -" Izumo coughed. "One minute Kotetsu and I are checking something at the gate - the next, something cold passed through and then - wham! We were forced back - only a few minutes ago... or longer... I think I... blacked out... Kotetsu - you alright?"

"Somehow..." Kotetsu grunted. "I don't think we're going to be able to finish our shift for today..."

Naruto and Sakura gazed at the swirling shield with horror. Something was going on - and it looked like there was no way in.

Chapter 2: Temporal Spaces

It had started out like an ordinary day - but then, those epoch-making times of life always seem to start in an ordinary fashion, Kakashi thought whimsically as he considered the town lying below his feet underneath the ominous dome which cloaked the entire village.

One minute you are thinking about coming home to bed after a long day of training, next minute you find your father dead on his study floor, with a tanto blade in his gut. One minute you are thinking that this is going to be an ordinary day of missions, the next you find out you have been hijacked into yet another Genin examination day with three squirts who don't know up from down.

Behind him, the latest squads of ANBU were landing with reports ready. Kakashi had a feeling it was going to be a long day. Already, as the information began to pour in, half of his mind was already focussed on the problem at hand. The other half was wondering how this could have happened. And with so little warning!

Where the guards asleep? I can't believe that Kotetsu and Izumo would be so slack! And if it wasn't the problem of the guards - it must have come from above or from below - where did it come from? And why?

The 'why' was still a mystery - but ANBU reports had said that some kind of cold wind had reportedly blown in through the main gate, activating the dome and expelling Kotetsu and Izumo who had apparently been doing their jobs in the routine responsible kind of way - as in having a short, heated discussion with a farmer over tariffs.

Behind him, annoyingly like a buzzing fly or threatening bee, Iruka stood torn between freaking out and blithering like an idiot. The dark-haired assistant felt like he should be everywhere at once - and Kakashi hadn't moved a muscle yet. Was this normal? Were most Hokage supposed to behave this way?

Iruka stood there, poised - Kakashi could feel the emanations of worry radiating outward from the man like high-frequency radio waves. It's like the ninja was manufactured to worry, Kakashi sighed. Well, I think we can all safely say we are in an emergency state now.

"Declare us at Emergency State One," Kakashi said. "I want civilians below ground, or to start heading for the shelters. Chuunin and Genin stay with them. All Jounin on the alert."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the ANBU Captain stated tersely before disappearing. Two of his team remained as backup.

"Well," Tsunade noted, suddenly landing on the roof. "It seems like you got everything in hand, Kakashi. As I expected of course. Your type never let anxiety get to them before time."

"Hmmmm..." Kakashi cocked his head, pushing his Hokage hat back. "Well... to say I'm not worried would be a lie... but a clear head in these kinds of situations can save lives. Speaking of saving lives - shouldn't you be with the civilians... or something?"

Kakashi petered off as he realized that he might have just said something very unwise. The reign of the Rokudaime would be a short one. Tsunade's face turned red with rage and her fist shook, veins pulsed on her forehead... but a strange crackling sound filling the dome immediately drew everyone's eyes upward. It was lightning alright - a strange kind of lightning which seemed to reach down in a very purposeful kind of way. Striking sideways it shifted through the streets as if searching - searching - and then bouncing upwards, it began to make it's way towards the Hokage's offices.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed grimly as his hands quickly formed the seals for a quick shielding. His hands raised upwards, soaking in the oncoming energy with his gloved hands. For a split second, Kakashi felt a sense of deja vu. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was holding off Hidan's attacks with my gloved hands... Tsunade bound forward to raise another shield as the lightning pushed the Rokudaime backward slowly.

"I might be old, but I'm not an old lady yet!" she roared, channeling her anger into her jutsu. "Why is it pinpointing us?"

"I don't know..." Kakashi squinted upwards. "But let's split up and see if it is a pinpoint attack or something more general."

Tsunade nodded and suddenly the ANBU team, Tsunade, Iruka and Kakashi split up. Kakashi headed for the sculpted Hokages, Tsunade towards the gate, Iruka towards the Academy and the ANBU towards the other parts of town. Leaping over the roofs, the ninjas slowed down as realization began to set in. The blonde Sannin turned in horror as she found herself alone in the ominous silence of the main road. Turning she looked back - and upward - as the lightning continued to ascend.

The lightning had a target. The target was Hatake Kakashi.

Once again, Kakashi was grateful for the daily exercises he forced himself to endure with Gai every week. Agility, flexibilty, speed and endurance were four musts for every ninja. The Hokage was no different. It would be poor showing for the Village if the Hokage of said Village couldn't even protect himself against something like...

Targeted lightning... Kakashi sighed. Why me? It's not like I was even ambitious for this job. Well... I guess one could say I was the obvious choice - even I should have seen it coming... perhaps I was too hopeful? It could be worse... My affinity is lightning... and to channel it wouldn't be such a bother... it's more like... a mystery.

Suddenly, beside him, Iruka was running, speaking rapidly into his static-filled headset.

"Yes, I made contact with the Rokudaime. He seems to be doing fine."

Kakashi sweat-dropped.

Fine? Is he crazy?

"Yes, yes... no... I don't know..." Here, Iruka turned to his Hokage. "Hokage-sama, have you discovered anything new about the source of the attack?"

"Other than the fact that it's -" Here Kakashi was forced to vault himself around a tower twice to avoid some tricky side-ways striking lightning. "- targeting me. No..."

The grey-haired nin tossed his Kage's hat aside and darted across the roofs, just a hair ahead of the lightning strikes. Iruka seemed to find it easier yelling at him across the way - as he followed at a safe distance to the side. In saner moments, Kakashi would have approved - but he really wanted, at that point, some time by himself to figure this thing out.

It wasn't a ninjutsu by the feel of it - but then... what if it was some kind of bizarre attack. Just fighting the Akatsuki let you know that the world was full of mysteries - and Kakashi was the first to admit that surprise was the first thing that could kill a ninja.

The real question wasn't so much the how. No, the how could be figured out if we knew the why... Why am I attacked? There are two reasons... either it is because I am the Hokage or... it is because I am Hatake Kakashi...

"Iruka," Kakashi motioned to the Chuunin, as the lightning retreated for a moment as if to regroup. "It seems to have pulled away - that means that this is not something natural - but rather, controlled. Also, the power source must be, in some way, limited. Which means that this dome will also disappear. Eventually."

"So, you think this is a limited kind of jutsu?"

"Jutsu?" Kakashi thought for a moment. "No. Not a jutsu. When I came into contact with it..." Kakashi stared at his finger tips thoughtfully. "There was something off. As if..."

Lightning streaked down again - but this time it was slower and Kakashi found it much easier to dodge. Iruka, watching the Hokage, slice at the lightning successfully a couple of time with the Chidori was once again filled with awe at the graceful, seemingly effortless way Kakashi moved. The Jounin's style of combat was beautiful in its economy.

Iruka knew that the rest of the village nins had to approve. But then, the ninjas of Konoha were said to be a head above the rest. He grinned, confidence suddenly restored. The ex-Academy teacher knew that he had to belive in the Hokage - as much as he believed in the power of Naruto.

It was his Will of Fire.

Kakashi, skidding backward along a particularly long roof of what he vaguely remembered as a block apartments, darted quickly, keeping ahead of the slowly weakening lightning. He had been practicing hard, but these precious seconds were what he needed the most - a chance to mold his chakra - and call upon something he rarely liked to use. It wasn't his most dire moment - but the Hokage knew that he had to get rid of the attack before any civilians were injured...

The lightning advanced - and several ANBU tried to hold it back while Kakashi darted off - buying him some time, he hoped. A few moments later, ready, he twisted in mid air during a particularly high jump, lifting his hitae ate, let the Mangekyou Sharingan form. Within a few seconds, his eye had a fix on the twisting lightning - sparks of it began to disappear into the small flaring black hole - but, another part of his eye began note something strange.

Lightning like this was not emanating from a body or normal chakra source. Kakashi, although he was not gifted with the insight of the Byakugan, had seen enough of chakra systems to know that the lightning was not formed from a person, but from the dome itself. His Mangekyou swallowed the remaining lightning and then released itself.

Landing on a light post, Kakashi turned, Sharingan following the swirling patterns of the whole dome to its origin. It was a surprising location - at the main gate it seemed. As the Hokage drew nearer, he could feel it - heavier and heavier - the sense of someone there. Unseen and yet very much present. Standing in the doorway - emanating -

With a careful eye, Kakashi followed the tracing of the chakra lines to a center swirling mass.

"What it is it, Ho-ka-ge-sa-ma?" drawled Genma, landing by Kakashi with Raidou tagging alongside. Somewhere Aoba was leaning forward as well. "Were you hit?"

"Ah... no..." Kakashi tilted his head and pointed. "Do you notice anything about the dome right about there?"

The Jounin looked down at the general area that Kakashi was pointing at - then at each other.

"We don't see anything out of the ordinary except for an out of the ordinary dome shield, Hokage-sama," Raidou said apologetically. "Your eye is telling you different?"

"Ahhh..." Kakashi's hand suddenly lit up with a chidori.

Genma's teeth clamped hard on his senbon. He had a bad feeling about this.

Standing in the wide road, sun at their backs, the group of ninja stood there puzzled. Izumo and Kotetsu had both tried two attacks on the dome - but it had withstood the physical attacks - even going so far as to electricute them in return. Sakura was dealing with their superficial burns calmly - but inwardly her mind squirreled around considering the possibilities.

The medic knew without asking what Naruto already wanted to try. The blonde nin hadn't said anything - but it was there in the stubborn tilt to his chin as he considered the possibilities. Just as she was about to open their mouth, they all turned at the sound of a step behind them. Turning, they blinked -

"Yo, Sakura. Naruto."

"Hokage-sama. Surely we could try something else first," Genma said laconically. "I understand you want to deal with this as soon as possible - but - getting one of the Hyuuga here first would be helpful."

"I don't know if they could add any more information - other than the fact that there is a concentration of chakra here," Kakashi shook his head.

"Then, shouldn't you be going to the other end of town and attacking its weakest spot?" Raidou asked.

"Well, that's what I thought when I realized it - so... I already sent a message to the other teams. You should be getting a call from them any moment now -"

Aoba checked his headset.

"Iruka-sensei - I mean, Iruka-san - says that the teams have been formed. They will time their attack at your word."

"Right." Kakashi nodded. "We'll see what this can withstand in less than a minute. I'll attack and as soon as I am five seconds away, the other team will also attack. Perhaps our joint assault will weaken it."

The Jounin nodded.

"If necessary, I would like each of you to prepare an attack in case mine needs a follow up," Kakashi eyes were serious - distant and yet focussed - as he eyed the swirling chakra mass.

We still have no idea why this kind of an attack has happened... why I was pinpointed - but the time has come for us to take up arms again to protect our peace. Even these fleeting precious moments and earthly places need us to fight for existence -

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Hey! Hey! Check it out! Konoha is in trouble!"

"No kidding, idiot," Sasuke turning his red eyes on the dome, surveyed the dark shielding. "It's some kind of shield that is energized by a mass of chakra - right there - in the middle of the gate."

Naruto's eyes followed Sasuke's pointed finger and blinked.

"So... you think we could hit it or something - weaken it..."

"We could try," Sasuke smirked. "Something like your Rasengan and my Chidori would do - probably."

"You guys!" Sakura huffed. "Are you even thinking this through? It has already repelled any genjutsu or taijutsu attacks. What makes you think it'll repell ninjutsu?"

"Nothing really - except that it seems to have a focal point. Attacking the focal point will get some kind of response, surely," Sasuke shrugged. "Sakura."

"Yes?" The medic stood up, green eyes firm.

"I'd like you to be ready for any backlash."

"Right!"

"It's troublesome, but if Hatake-sama says so... it's what we'll do..." Shikamaru sighed. "Chouji, then Kiba and then Neji and Hinata's attacks should do it. In case that doesn't work, TenTen and Lee can try to back us up. Listen to my signal." The laid-back Jounin spoke into the headset. "Aoba. We're ready."

Kakashi darted forward, the chakra in his hand flaring brightly with the force of his body generation.

Sasuke and Naruto, sliding down, tensed - and then darted forward.

Shikamaru slashed his hand downward.

Kakashi's strike struck through the barrier smoothly - almost as if it had been smoke. It was unexpected after the reports of the ANBU - it had repelled taijutsu and steel before. But then, the Chidori was meant to cut, if nothing else.

And whatever had been powering the thing has become weaker as if it is like the tide withdrawing...

As the thought remained unfinished, the Hokage's arm cut a clean strike through the wall - just missing two heads - blonde and black - who passed underneath him, their jutsu disappating through the shield as it disintegrated. The surprise pitched Kakashi forward, but he managed to twist in mid-air (Genma was said to have murmured, "Show-off") and turn just in time to see the strange chakra shield dissolve.

And from the lintel of the Gate a small square paper fluttered down. Kakashi landed by it, careful to not touch it - instead choosing to consider the character written on it. Naruto and Sasuke landed by him and looked down in surprise.

It wasn't a seal. It wasn't even a written jutsu. Just a character. A simple character.

Wish.

"It was the same attack as in Wind," Naruto hunched his shoulders feeling more than ever that something was looming over his shoulder. "I knew something strange would follow us back home - and look at it -"

"Don't be silly," Sakura rolled her eyes. "It would have come sooner or later. If you had any sense at all to look at a map - or at least think of a map - you'd have realized the phenomena was moving towards us. But whether the aim was Konoha or Kakashi-sensei is another matter entirely. ANBU is on it now. They'll figure it out."

"Yeah... I guess..." Naruto leaned back on the tiles of his apartment building and considered the stars above him.

"I know you want to do something about it - but at least wait for more information to come in," Sakura smiled. "Then you can go back to battle with it - with more preparation. Your experiences with Sasuke should remind you enough of that."

"Sasuke..." Naruto turned to look at Sakura. "Hey, Sakura-chan... what're you going to do, now that he's back?"

"What do you mean, what am I going to do?"

"Well..." Naruto's cheeks turned pink. "I know you liked him forever... so I was wondering if you and he were -"

"Idiot."

"Sorry. Never mind."

"No. To be honest... I'd be the idiot to take him back anyways. Sure he's making amends and is climbing a path of redemption and stuff... but you know... Sasuke has a lot of baggage - and he needs to find himself again. He needs to - I don't know - ground himself here."

Naruto watched his teammate watch the stars. Her eyes never met his - and her voice hadn't faltered - but Naruto knew from experience that Sakura had learned how to control her emotions much better than the early days they had spent as Genin together.

Back then, we were spiralling out of control - probably hormonal and confused. Most of us had no parents - or had parents who didn't understand. It's amazing we turned out normal in the end. Or close to normal. For Jounin...

"Well, getting his feet grounded will be difficult for Sasuke, maybe," Naruto shrugged. "He's been moving so long - abandoning all kinds of ties. These kinds of places - where your heart and soul become tied to the land - have become foreign to him you know."

"Well... there is beauty in the ephemeral and in the temporal," Sakura smiled. "He'll learn that. We'll help him..."

"Sai will help him with books, you'll help with cooking and such..." Naruto sighed. "I'm not sure what I can do there."

"Just be yourself," Sakura smiled, leaning forward to knock Naruto on the forehead. "That'll be enough, I should think."

Sakura and Naruto joined the other Jounin and Chuunin later on that evening at the Korean barbeque. The old Genin Nine had grown up now - dating, beginning the seeds of new families... And still holding onto the traditions they had made with each other. Even Sasuke had been pulled into the group meeting somehow - although he uneasily sat in the corner. On either side of the solitary Uchiha, Naruto and Sakura planted themselves, laughing easily with the rest at a few ribald jokes about Naruto's last perverted jutsu.

"But you know... today's attack..." Shikamaru shook his head while contemplating his sake. "That just didn't seem normal... So troublesome to worry over - but that kind of jutsu doesn't seem right."

"I don't know if what was a jutsu," Sasuke mused in the ensuing silence as everyone considered it. "It felt - how can one say it - ephemeral - as if it was not really on this plane of existence. Displaced. Without an anchor in this world. Masquerading as a jutsu - but in reality, that dome could have been a being..."

"It was difficult, to be sure," Neji nodded. "When I hit it, at first it resisted - but then it became nothing more than smoke - as though a Shadow Clone had disappated. Yet there were distinct lines of chakra in the shield."

"Well, I'm sure our Hokage will be the one worrying over it," Naruto grinned wickedly. "It's his job now - Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru will come up with something."

"Carefree idiot," Shikamaru grunted.

"Who are you calling idiot?" glared Naruto. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"GYAH! You take that - and -"

"Shut the hell up, NARUTO!"

"Sa-sa-sakura-chaaan! Sorry! Sorry! OW! Sorry!"

Kakashi, as he made his way home that night, smiled at the familiar sounds of conflict emanating from the restaurant. Something's never changed.

As it should be.

Chapter 3: Life Lessons

It seemed strange - and yet so familiar. Removed, and yet so concrete. Something remembered, and yet something forgotten. Those feelings of hopelessness as he fell to his hands and knees sobbing for the first time in his short life - in front of those he had hoped to at least protect - to impress - to lead.

Feelings of shame and inadequacy - those familiar feelings - so familiar as to be considered his closest friends. He could see it in the eyes of those surrounding him - watching him - measuring him.

You have been weighed and judged - and been found wanting.

Those eyes had followed him even more closely after his father's ignoble death. Even at the funeral, there had been the impolite whispers his keen ears had caught. But he had stared ahead as if he had not heard such things - and stiffened his back, like his heart, with iron. The mask he had loved to wear became a perfect shield against the people who seemed to find some life from preying on his vulnerability.

Age was against him to begin with, forget family problems. So, here he was - feeling everything come crashing down, just when he was beginning to feel in control and confident.

But then, Obito... he thought hazily. Isn't that what you taught me? The pride one gains through rules, jutsu and capability is nothing compared to the honour of dying for one's friends. You taught me that in such a physical way - laying there underneath the rock, knowing your life would never be fulfilled. What was your final wish, I wonder? What inner regrets did you face?

Kakashi's eyes flew open. For moment he sat there and then, raised himself slowly, wiping away moisture from his left eye.

Obito was crying.

Later on that day, nursing a headache, Kakashi interviewed the last member of the Uchiha Clan now returned home. There had been many meetings over the years as the Village wrestled with the practicality of receiving a blacker than black sheep back into the fold. There was a need for Uchiha, of course. The pragmatic ones saw this as a good thing for the long-term prosperity of the Village. Surely, with care, the Uchiha could become, once again a responsible help to the people of Konohagakure.

There were the nay sayers of course. They were the ones who remembered what the Uchiha had always been planning - what the Uchiha had stood for, time and time again. Surely that kind of doujutsu was meant only for the gods and therefore was an eternal curse on the Bloodline Limit.

Kakashi saw both sides of the argument. He also saw a student. Although he knew he had been far from the best of teachers, Kakashi knew that the deep down, he had worried and cared. How he had shown it...

I was lacking... but then, I'm sure even the Sandaime regretted Orochimaru to some extent, Kakashi sighed, flipping through the paper work, trying to formulate an adequate opening sentence as Sasuke patiently waited.

"It's been a long time," he finally said. "But I think it's been about time, right, Sasuke-kun?"

He added the suffix with a little glee - and got a frigid stare in response. But the Uchiha's tense shoulders relaxed a little and the chin came down a bit. One dark eye stared into the others', trying to fathom what was going on behind the impassive Uchiha face.

"It's going to be a long road. I know I said that two years ago, but I think I have to say it again," Kakashi sighed. "It's not like people can forget so easily. There are some things that can never be forgotten."

"I of all people can understand that," Sasuke nodded. "I'm not asking for acceptance -"

"Oh, but you are," Kakashi cut in abruptly. "You are... and in a way, you must. It's part of... well... to take an analogy which the Sandaime loved to use - It's part of the process of regrafting."

"Regrafting? As in becoming part of the tree of Leaf?" Sasuke gently snorted.

"Well..." Kakashi tipped his head, scratching his hair under his hat. "Something like that. Not something to be mocked either - because it is true. You have been uprooted for so long, you will have an interesting time relearning what it is like to become rooted in one place. To rub up alongside the people who will not always agree with you... Well... that's all part of life. Naruto could tell you more about this in detail..."

"You never had a problem with roots... huh..." Sasuke looked down at his hands.

"Hmmm..." Kakashi added noncommitantly. "Everyone has a time in their life when they feel isolated. The choice however ends up being yours. You can give up and give in to the darkness of living on your own strength - as Orochimaru did. Or, you can keep working to gain that acceptance through right living, and in doing so, remain in the light - as Naruto did."

"I'll try my hardest, Kakashi-sensei. But it's going to be hard."

"That," Kakashi chuckled. "Goes without saying. But then, you know, you can't have warmth without a little fire."

"I must say, you got this whole proverb, old man Hokage stuff down pretty pat, Kakashi-sensei."

"Eh? Who's calling me old? I'm not THAT old..."

"You're what... thirty? That's practically over the hill," Sasuke smirked.

"Wow... such respect..." Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Just you wait 'till you get there!"

Sasuke bowed as he rose.

"You think I will get there?"

"I think you have a Will of Fire, just like everyone of us, Sasuke-kun. I'm believing in you."

Sasuke snorted - but he was smiling a tiny bit as he turned away.

Sasuke was still smiling two days later when he wound his way down to his favourite restaurant in Konoha, bearing a large bouquet of flowers supplied by a giggling Ino. The Uchiha had a bad feeling everyone in the village knew his intentions - but there was no helping it. News traveled fast in a normal town, news traveled at light speed in a ninja village.

So, he had to bear with it. Besides which, if all turned well, he would have gained one of his many objectives since returning to town. There was nothing like seizing the day - and taking one's chances. Still, even as he knew his goal, a part of him worried - and a part of him wondered why he was worried.

Feelings are slippery things, he mused. Sometimes you don't even know what it is... I'm sure Kakashi-sensei has a proverb for that too.

Entering the restaurant, he felt a small breath of relief leave him as he caught sight of the pink hair he was expecting. Sakura was sitting at the table he had ordered (nicely esconced in a corner with atmospheric dim lighting) - and looking at a menu. Sasuke, however, had a feeling she knew the minute he had entered the restaurant. The kunoichi had become a powerful ninja in the years that he had left Team Seven.

He hoped he would make a good impression. The smile on her face buoyed his waning confidence - but the Uchiha had a feeling that the whole evening would feel like a roller coaster.

Sakura stared across at her dinner companion expectantly. Her green eyes were sharp as with each glance she gave Sasuke - but inwardly, calm had given way to questions. Not that any girl in Konoha would ask 'why' if the tall, dark-haired Uchicha asked them out to dinner - but Sakura had a sinking feeling about this.

Why does he ask me here for a dinner meeting when it so obviously looks like a date? Why not call it a date? If it isn't a date, then what does he want?

The pink-haired medic looked her companion over. He had made an effort with his best summer outfit: a dark, silver decorated yukata with black leggings and solid sandals. Sasuke's hair was groomed - and from the faint smell of fragrance, he'd just gotten out of a shower or bath. In other words, he had put thought into this meeting. This wasn't just another 'let's hang out and shoot the breeze'. But then, any conversation with Sasuke after his return to the Village wasn't going to be merely 'shooting the breeze'.

"So Kakashi-sensei talked with you already?" Sakura asked as she moved her rice around her plate and plucked at the fish a little with her chopsticks.

"You do it too..."

"Eh? Do what?"

"Still call him Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke considered his plate as well, as though it had some answer to the universe. "After all these years..."

"Well... Calling him Rokudaime... just seems... Well, I do that in public - with other people, but between Team Seven, we have so many memories and things we've learned together - how could we forget? The way we call him - is the way remember..." Sakura smiled softly as the memories came back to her.

The training field. The test. The rice boxes. Naruto's stupidity - and their acceptance into Team Seven. Kakashi had been so proud. Then there had been Haku, Zabuza... their first mission which had cemented their relationships. And then the Chuunin Exam which had torn everything apart.

Sasuke had left - his quiet 'thank you' still rang in her ears.

She had been young back then. Young and stupid and weak.

Now, it was different.

"But we've all changed now," Sasuke noted. "You too, Sakura. Before, you were..." The Uchiha searched for a tactful way to put it and failed. "Well... that you has become something much different - much stronger too."

"I can almost see your 'who would have thought' dangling off of their," Sakura hmphed. "I worked hard you know - after you left. Life becomes even more precious when you have a crazy teacher like Tsunade-sama..."

"Yeah. Strong... and, uh, grown up too," added Sasuke uncomfortably. His chopsticks aimlessly shifted through his rice bowl as well.

Sakura blushed.

"You think so? Well, for some girls, years only can make them more beautiful."

"Some," agreed Sasuke. "That's why I wantd to talk to you..."

"Oh?"

"About - well - us -"

"There's an 'us'?" Sakura blinked. "Since when?"

Inner Sakura screamed, "Hell yeah! It's time! Take that INO PIG! Way to go with the cool attitude, Sakura."

"Well, to be frank," Sasuke said, laying down his chopsticks. "I am returning to Konoha to stay."

"That's great, Sasuke! I'm so glad you've decided to settle down!"

Inner Sakura yelled, "Perfect chance to get to know each other !"

"Yes, well. I'm not getting any younger - and it's about time to settle down and make a family - have some kids - rebuild the clan... Now that my ambitions have changed, I need to start afresh. The whole clan afresh. It's what Itachi would have wanted, I think."

Sakura leaned back and frowned.

"So you want me to start a family with you - and have babies and stuff..."

"Well, not right away. We'd have to get married -"

"Of course," snorted Sakura sardonically.

"Then, I'd go back to working within Team Seven, I guess - with Naruto and Sai. You'd be busy with your things as well."

"Yes. My things," Sakura repeated flatly. "And then there would be babies."

"Well, of course," Sasuke frowned. "That's one of the most important things, right?"

"Yes. How could I forget?" The pink-haired medic glared at the candles which flickered uneasily on the table.

Sai made his way over to the favourite drinking spot of the Jounin - better known as the "Red Dragon". Not that the tavern ever saw a red dragon or would be a red dragon's favourite spot; however, it had been built in the aftermath of the War and had quickly become the new establishment for the coolest of ninjas to hang out and swap gossip and tips. He hoped that Naruto would be there - and upon pushing back the door, slipping in, followed by Tenzou, the so familiar loud voice of the blond nin could be heard somewhere on the upper floor.

Upstairs, a couple of nins were relaxing: Ebisu, Aoba, Shikamaru and TenTen. They gave a nod to the newcomers. Tenzou sat down by Ebisu and waved the waitress over. Sai hesitated. In one corner, Naruto and Neji were discussing the virtues of Rasengan versus Byakugan. Naruto's voice resounded around the room as he wildly waved his arms - Neji's responses were monosyllabic and muted.

How the two had actual discussions was beyond Sai's comprehension. Not that I know much of these matters. Looking at them I see some kind of antithesis. Like red paint beside blue...

Sai approached slowly and waved at the waitress with a small smile. A few moments later, his order placed, Sai watched with humour as Neji tried to impress on the clueless Naruto how the Byakugan was not a ready-made jutsu, but in fact needed years of practice to perfect.

But then, on the outside, looking in, to Naruto, our abilities may seem genuinely natural - but in reality, for everyone, nothing is achieved without hard work.

"It's troublesome, but someone has to do it," Sai tuned into the ever grumbling Shikamaru who had a more polite audience. "But then, I don't mind being the main liason with Sand. I guess, I've been in more contact with them than most people."

"I bet," grinned TenTen. "And I'm sure some of that coming and going has absolutely nothing to do with the Chuunin Exams and everything to do with a certain blonde-haired Jounin..."

"Ehhh..." Shikamaru contented himself with a tiny glare in TenTen's direction.

Sai smiled. As usual, the laid-back Jounin had been hand-picked by the Hokage to try to gauge from the information gathered where the strange entity or unknown person would attack next. Sai recalled his debriefing. He had asked after the Hokage's health...

"Oi..." The grey-haired Hokage had looked disenchanted. "I'm not that old... Not yet anyway..."

"I heard there was a tremendous battle," Sai said. "Between some unknown attacker and the Hokage... and the Village had been trapped in some sort of shield..."

"Yes, well... those things happened too," the Hokage sighed. "But that is something we will figure out with time and care. And intelligence. I'm sure it'll sort itself out. We've got Shikamaru on it now. So that helps."

Sai smiled to himself. Danzou had never made it a habit to discuss the Village with his underlings - but, whenever the name of Hatake had cropped up, Danzou had always cautioned care. A man who, to some degree, carried a bloodline limit doujutsu successfully was something to watch out for, in Danzou's opinion. Plus, there had been rumours in ANBU about a certain White Fang of the Hatake Clan. Sai assumed it was before his time - a long time ago during the Great Ninja Wars... but legends could be passed down. In the end, Danzou had not been able to hold onto the mantle of Hokage for long. Not even close - and the unexpected survivor had taken his place.

Sai was sure Danzou was somewhere spinning in his grave. The thought made him chuckle to himself.

"Oi, Sai... what's with that creepy look on your face?" Naruto grimaced. "It was... well... unnatural..."

"I was just thinking," Sai smiled at Neji and Naruto, accepting his long-awaited sake. "About how funny the way things turn out."

"Funny like how?"

"Hmmm..." Sai tipped his head in thought, watching the sake swirl around in the small cup between his white fingertips. "How Danzou thought he would finally take charge and turn things around - how we thought we knew the grand mission... but in the end, Danzou is dust and a totally different kind of Hokage is in charge now... and I was thinking that he surely must be mortified at the thought..."

Neji nodded solemnly, "That is rather amusing - to consider how the things we consider to be set in stone are so often affected by the winds of change."

Naruto blinked. "Who? What? Who's mortified? What do you mean winds of change?"

"Never mind," Neji sighed. "It's nothing."

"No - I'm sure you just want to hide something," Naruto pouted, folding his arms and glaring at his friends. "You never explain these crucial things to me."

"Naruto," Sai smiled. "Sometimes there are things idiots can never understand no matter what winds of change are happening."

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Naruto's eyes grew harder as his weak logic skills fastened on the one word that stood out to him.

"Perhaps," Neji smirked. "Hard to say though..."

"Neji! Sai!" Naruto's whine was cut short by a sandaled foot connecting with his head and smashing his face onta the table.

"Naruto..." A familiar deadpan voice said coolly. "The only idiot I can hear out on the street would be you. I'm sure even Gaara heard you in Sunagakure!"

"SA-SU-KEEEE... You bastard!" Naruto leaped up ready to do battle - but Sasuke had already seated himself by Neji and had called the waitress over.

Everyone watched with interest as the Uchiha ordered three bottles of the finest sake. Naruto sat down suddenly, becoming aware of the general feeling emanating from the Uchiha. Annoyance, anger and...

Dissappointment? Shame?

The bottles were delivered swiftly. Neji made no comment as the Uchiha proceeded to down the first one without further ado. There were times in the ninja life that one had to process certain hard facts of life - and some did it with the aid of the bottle. Others with jutsu practice or smoking. Some ended up reading high class porn. The Hyuuga couldn't judge the man. Obviously something traumatic must have happened. Even though Sasuke's face was impassive and hard to interpret when scrutinized, the Byakugan user could glean some clues from the hard eyes, the tense hands gripping the bottle and the stiff shoulders.

He's... undergoing some sort of shock to his system. Since he's well-groomed - and smells of flowers -

Neji's musings were broken by Shikamaru approaching with a indolent 'yo!'.

"How did the date with Sakura go, Sasuke?" asked Shikamaru lazily, as though he wasn't aware of the bomb he had just dropped.

Naruto's jaw dropped and squeak emerged. Tenzou coughed rather roughly on his sake. TenTen's eyes widened. Neji blinked. Sasuke's grip on the bottle cracked it in half. Everyone winced. And took a step or two back. In the case of Neji, the Hyuuga merely shifted to the right a little. Naruto, of course, with his trademark cluelessness wasn't afraid to go where angels feared to tread.

"D-d-d-date! DATE? DATE! With Sakura?" Naruto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, as the blonde Jounin tried to get his words out coherently. His voice went up several octaves in his usual shriek of surprise. "You went on a date? When? Where? Why?"

"Sasuke was interested in Sakura?" Sai blinked. "I had no idea."

"Neither did I," TenTen stared at the Uchiha evaluatingly. "I'm not sure she knew that either..."

There was an awkward silence.

"It's not like that..." Sasuke grunted as he began to make his way through the second bottle.

There was another awkward silence as everyone tried to interpret that vague statement.

"It's not like what?" Naruto asked. "You don't like Sakura but you asked her out on a date? Wow... That's... I don't know... lame... Did she get mad at you or something? Bust the place up?"

"Ah..." Sasuke finished the second bottle.

Shikamaru sweat-dropped as he watched the Uchiha sigh. Like some in the Village, the lazy Jounin had taken the news of the Uchiha's return with pragmatic calm. There had been an assumption on many Jounin's parts that the dark-haired young man would return one day to rebuild his clan. Of course, Konoha could choose to remember the war crimes the youth had commited, jail him or execute him... but then there was the whole matter of the Sharingan and the rarity of such an item. To lose a chance at rebuilding an important clan - seemed rather short-sighted.

The more pragmatic ones didn't care. But Shikamaru understood, as a child learns early - that playing with fire, you can get burned. And the Uchiha clan had played with fire - that he too had become a part of the victims in the larger sense of the picture. He had laid his life down to bring Sasuke back - and Shikamaru had a feeling he wouldn't be getting a thank you for that abortive attempt.

Well, it's not like we don't make mistakes. I guess it's just the size of them - Sasuke is going to carry that heavy weight on his back all of his life. To choose to forget him would make him a hardened criminal - but to choose to remember and repent every day is a heavy existence... It's troublesome, but he is going to have to make a space for himself here now. And you can't say he hasn't learned his lesson... now it's just a matter of him justifying his existence... And of course, Sakura was his first choice... hmmm... I wonder if it is more a problem of presentation and less of a problem in regards to the heart... Ah. Look at me. Thinking about thinking on this kind of a problem is dangerous. And troublesome to ask the questions.

"Hey, hey..." Naruto leaned forward, elbows on the table. "So, you went on a date? How did it go?"

Sasuke merely gave Naruto a look. The blonde gulped.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well, these things happen," Neji said diplomatically.

"Not to me they don't," Sasuke objected sullenly.

Naruto cackled with glee.

"Sasuke got turned down! Sasuke got turned down!"

"Why?" TenTen wondered aloud.

Sasuke turned a glare in her direction and the weapons specialist shut up quickly.

"I bet he came on all 'I'm the hero and I'm making my clan and you're going to have my babies!'..." Naruto laughed, puffing out his chest and looking all suave.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Naruto's surprisingly accurate portrayal of the Uchiha pride and poise. Sasuke ground his teeth and wished he had gone home to sit in the dark.

"Well, Naruto," Sai said. "It's not like you have much chance with her either. Out of the bunch of us... I'd say Sasuke has the highest chance -"

"Who are you calling Sasuke?" growled the Uchiha, glaring at the dark-haired artist.

"- thanks to his superior breeding," continued Sai smoothly. "I read a long time ago that calling someone by the first name brings people together, right, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto flapped his hand at his teammate and focussed on his other friend. "Sasuke - it's not over, you know. You can always have a second chance. I can talk to her and calm her down... and Sai and I will help you get her... but you know..." And here, Naruto's face became very serious. "Sakura-chan is an amazing woman... She strong, kind and the best healer - for real! Old Granny Tsunade said that one day, Sakura would become stronger than her! So... I think Sakura-chan needs to be treated like a - a - a treasure, you know? She has choices now. Lots of guys like Sakura-chan. I once liked her a lot too. Lee... others..."

"I know she's changed..." Sasuke rolled his eyes at his two teammates who sat there staring at him with serious, firm eyes over the table filled with sake cups.

"Then treat her like you don't know her," Sai nodded. "As if she were a totally gorgeous woman who deserves the full treatment."

"She IS a totally gorgeous woman who deserves the full treatment," corrected Naruto.

Tenzou wondered if it would be creepy if he agreed.

"That means you need to take her on real dates - and not do whatever you did tonight." Naruto paused in thought. "What DID you do this evening?"

Sasuke thought about his pompous speech on his ambitions and what he had thought their life would look like together. He blushed. The Uchiha in him had assumed a 'yes' answer, but Sai and Naruto were unfortunately right. Sakura wasn't like most young women. She was a person who was now more interested in judging the heart, beneath the beneath. She obviously wanted more than a superficial life. In his rush to talk about what he needed, he had never thought about what he was going to offer her - nor what she wanted in the beginning.

Winning her heart is going to be more difficult than I thought...

With that depressing thought, he downed the third bottle and banged his head on the table blearily.

What do you want anyway, Sasuke? Do you even know if you'd want to spend the rest of your life with her? Is she the one you want to depend upon forever?

It was too much really.

"We need more... sake..." Sasuke said with a heavy sigh. "I'll think on it tomorrow."

"Sure..." Naruto's blue eyes, full of concern, turned to his friends with a 'what can we do?' expression.

Shikamaru summoned the waitress. Neji phlegmatically ordered the drinks. It was as it always had been. A time to learn and a time to just let go.

"It's alright, Kakashi... I don't think... I'm gonna make it..."

There was something about the tang of blood falling into the soft earth - soaking into the dirt - bathing the landscape in the tide of war. It seemed like there was so much blood now - on his hands. On his hands. They were before him now - held out and shaking. He wanted to say it wasn't his fault. That he meant well. That he was sorry.

But that's ridiculous, he thought hazily as he drifted through the black dream. I already said farewell. I already said sorry and received forgiveness.

But the voices were still there. The voice.

You have been weighed and judged - and found wanting.

"I think you're a great Jounin..."

You have been weighed...

"Take care of Rin."

... and judged...

"Obito!"

... and found wanting.

Kakashi woke up in a sweat, panting heavily - hand over his eyes as his Sharingan brimmed with unshed tears. The voice had sounded so familiar - as if it were only yesterday. It had been there - so close to him. Standing over him. Just there.

Obito...

The morning passed uneventfully, but after a quiet lunch, Kakashi, lounging on the head of the Godaime watched with interest as an unfamiliar bird flew into the message tower. A few minutes later, a red-faced Iruka burst out of the Hokage building calling his name. By the time his assitant arrived, Kakashi had composed himself, ready for the news.

"It's the Village of Hidden Stone," Iruka gasped. "They came under attack last night! And - there was a message... left for you... Hokage-sama... Kakashi - a message." Here, he came to rest at Kakashi's sandaled foot.

Kakashi tipped his hat back and ruffled his hair underneath with a heavy sigh.

"Finally..."

Chapter 4: Carpe Diem et Memoriam

A day later, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Sai found themselves headed out with Shino, Kiba and Hinata. Hidden Sand apparently thought that the attack was serious enough for some outside help. Many of the older ninjas had felt uneasy about the concept - but then, Kakashi thought, it's not like we haven't reached out a hand to Sand... and Hidden Stone should be no different.

Still, Kakashi knew that the open-minded hearts of the younger generation, free of the biases which might skew the judgement of older Jounin, would be a better match for the mission. Besides which, the task force he was sending out could be considered overkill. Between the Kyuubi, an Uchiha, an ex-Root ANBU, a Hyuuga and an Aburame (never mind the skills of Kiba and Sakura)...

For other missions in the past, we would have dreamed of having teams like these, Kakashi thought, shuffling through his papers yet again, before turning to stare out at the blue sky. Unreachable, it seemed to taunt him, boasting of a freedom he could only dream of. They'll be okay, he reassured himself. I think...

Of course, he was not allowed to accompany them - nevermind the fact that he was the source of all the trouble lately. Or so it seemed. Kakashi wondered what the message would be. Apparently the Hidden Village of Stone considered it to be too delicate to send via bird.

It fustrated the Copy Nin - to sit in the Hokage's seat and let others deal with his problems for him. Not that the problem wasn't also the Village's... but still...

The incredibly private nin didn't like the idea of his affairs - whether past or present being aired in such a public way. When he found out whoever targeted him, he'd seriously...

Imagination failed.

Shit would hit the fan, he was sure of it.

Until then, he would have to be patient and wait. And hope that everyone would come back in one piece with his message.

"I am sure Naruto will be fine," Iruka said suddenly, out into the blue - as though he had sensed Kakashi's inner worry. "They'll all be fine. With such a large, capable group, any attacker would have to be soft in the head to think he'd succeed."

Kakashi stilled himself - it would never do for Konoha to have a jumpy Hokage - not to mention, it would ruin his image as the super cool Copy Nin. Still, Iruka's awareness unsettled him. Since when does he have psychic awareness? The Hokage's eyebrow twitched.

"I wasn't worried about anyone managing to wipe out the two teams," Kakashi said. "Although it's not good to get cocky. Seriously. The moment you let your guard down..." He let the sentence hang ominously. "Well... it's not so much outside issues that I anticipate - as inner team conflicts."

Iruka considered the alpha male tendencies of Shino, Kiba, Sasuke and Naruto - and sweatdropped.

"Yes... there is that..."

"What do you mean you're going first?" Naruto glared at Kiba who lolloped beside him astride Akamaru. "You'd make way to much noise with your big dog and all!"

"Ha!" Kiba snorted. "As if Akamaru and I could be noisier - than your big fat mouth!"

"N-naruto-kun! K-ki-kiba-kun!" stammared Hinata.

"Shut up, the both of you!" Sakura's eyes were just as scary as her fist full of flaming chakra - yet again shaking in their direction.

"Kiba's nose is the obvious choice to put at the front, Naruto," Shina said quietly, suddenly too close for Naruto's comfort. The tall Jounin's hoodie seemed to cast the young man's face into deeper shadow, if possible. "Kiba and I will be adequate backup for sensing the enemy... but you, Naruto..."

Behind Shino, there was a tell-tale, cut-off chuckle from the Uchiha. Sakura sighed.

"Don't try to explain to the idiot," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just get back here, Naruto, and keep in formation."

Naruto dropped back - only to shout at Sasuke.

"Who's the idiot, idiot!"

"I'm talking to him," Sasuke replied stoicly. "Just be quiet and focus on the mission -"

"Like you're the one to talk!" Naruto sniffed. "You weren't too happy with your spot either!"

Sasuke bristled. Sai smiled.

"Now, Naruto," Sai said. "I'm sure everyone back here will feel useful once again. Besides, I think we do great together, don't we? I've been thinking we need some more one-on-one time..."

Sakura was definitely giggling by now - as Naruto edged away from the dark-haired artists. He grimaced at the thought of Sai and him alone - Naruto shivered.

"Sai... you..." Naruto dropped back unwillingly beside his teammate. "You're just too creepy... when you say that..."

"N-na-naruto-kun..." whispered Hinata. "It's okay. Being in the back is - is an important job, t-too."

Naruto turned to look at the rearmost guard - the quiet Hyuuga.

"Ah! So there you are, Hinata!" The hyperactive ninja smiled at the quiet girl. "Why... HEY! WHAT THE HELL is WRONG with you, SHINO! Putting Hinata in the back all by herself!"

"Oi, Naruto, keep your voice down," Sasuke frowned. "Stealth - oh, never mind..."

"It - it's okay," Hinata blushed. "I get to be with you..."

"Ah... that's right..." Naruto nodded. "Yeah... well... I'll take care of you, Hinata. No problem! We'll stick together, right? It's a promise!"

Hinata nearly ran into the next tree, her face beet red.

"That's the spirit," Sai nodded. "When we share -"

"No sharing!" Naruto glared at Sai. "I'm not into that kind of stuff."

Hinata nearly brained herself on the next tree branch - as her foot slipped.

No sharing~! Naruto-kun...

"You know, though," Sakura turned to scold Naruto. "Hinata is Hyuuga. She's got the Byakugan, right? So she's the perfect rearguard because she can see almost a three hundred and sixty degrees!"

"Oh... Oh yeah! Right!" Naruto nodded, suddenly remembering his fight with Neji. "That's what's so cool about the Byakugan! Hinata is so awesome..."

Face bright red with blush, Hinata nearly fainted mid-air - but Sai's hand at her elbow steadied her. Giving her a small smile, Sai nodded serenely.

"Be careful, Hinata-san."

Hinata nodded and tried to take a deep, calming breath. Making a fool of herself in front of Naruto would be the worst!

"You know Naruto," Sasuke noted as the boys were taking a bathroom break among some bushes. "I think Hinata really likes you."

"No kidding," Kiba snorted. "She's liked him from day one!"

"Really?" Naruto blinked.

"She's been watching you all this time - growing and becoming a great man," Shino added. "And because of that, she has pushed herself beyond what anyone thought would be possible..."

"Somehow... you make it seem really creepy..." Naruto edged away from Shino. "I don't know what you are talking about... but Hinata's a great girl. You know - she put her life on the line to save mine when we went up against Pain."

"Really?" Sasuke turned in surprise. "You failed to mention that particular detail last time you talked about Pain... Well... You know, girls always go for the hero..."

"Except Sakura, apparently," Sai smiled. He leaned over to glance at Sasuke before the Uchiha could button up his pants. "I can see why she wasn't impressed."

Sasuke gave Sai the evil eye - which didn't phase the artist one bit. Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in horror. Shaking a finger at Sai, his voice raised to his usual shriek, Naruto yelled, "Sai! What kind of pervert are you - looking at Sasuke like that!"

"Ehhh... Naruto-kun..." Sai's eyes slid away and then he looked upward at Naruto with well-feigned innocence. "I had no idea you cared... so much... about Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, he turned, swiveled and walked coolly away.

If I stay there one more minute... my brain is going to explode from the stupidity of this... Just walk away, Sasuke. Walk away...

By the time Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai showed up at the border of Hidden Stone, Sakura had had to heal four of her teammates from injuries inflicted by her. Five altercations had broken out between Kiba and Naruto, three between Naruto and Sasuke and two one-sided arguments between Naruto and Sai (but Sai still ended up with facial bruising). There were two "cold wars" brewing between Sai and Sasuke, as well as Kiba and Shino.

Hinata, torn between her care for her teammates and her love for Naruto, found herself busy dispensing liniments and salves, while Sakura discovered that she could reach new heights of disgust as her teammates constantly failed to meet her expectations.

It was a wonder they hadn't been pegged by any attackers before arriving at Hidden Stone - their progress being highly erratic and easily marked. Not to mention, the Country of Rock would soon discover some newly formed terrain thanks to Sakura's fist and her teammates' jutsus. Sakura wondered if that would damage the inter-nation relationships. What the Hokage would think of their performance was anyone's guess. Part of her was thankful that Tsunade wasn't in charge. They would have had been skinned alive, otherwise.

Kakashi-sensei... I wonder how he will react. Well, not that he's quick to respond to things. He's probably going to go down in history as the most laid back Hokage ever... Even during the War, in the most panic-filled moment, he had this cool exterior...

Her ruminations ended as several Hidden Stone ninjas appeared cautiously out of the brush. For a few moments, there was an awkward silence as the ninjas from both countries sized each other up. Looking at the plan blacks and browns of Hidden Stone, Sakura had to admit that the Konoha ninjas were perhaps the most flamboyantly dressed ever seen.

Naruto bound forward eagerly and waved a hand at the Hidden Stone in a friendly, unassuming manner. His blonde hair bounced up and down with his eagerness - and his blue eyes brimmed with good cheer.

Yeah... that's our number one surprising Ninja, sighed Sakura. You never know what's going to happen next when he's around...

The Hidden Stone nin were remarkably close mouthed as they led the Konoha nin to the village which needed investigating. For a short period, Naruto, Sakura and Kiba had tried to make some sort of small talk with the youngest nin there - a tall, skinny teenager with shaggy hair and a dour demeanour. Monosyllabic and slow of speech, he answered to the name Daisuke and thought the weather had been unseasonably hot recently. That was it.

Sakura figured that Hidden Stone culture, having gone through a tough time in the past wars, were still struggling to survive. In those kinds of places, like Sand, social niceties and the more relaxing parts of culture were difficult to cultivate. Daisuke, probably, had grown up with strict rule, regulations and tough training in order to survive against the other Villages' ninjas - Konoha being among them.

"Hey, hey... Sakura..." Naruto sped up to whisper to Sakura. "What's with them being all tough and not talking to us and stuff?"

"I'm not sure..." Sakura hesitated. Sasuke turned a little, catching the conversation. "But I think they are more suspicious because it's harder for them..."

"Ehhh..."

"Idiot," Sasuke grunted. "I'll explain it only once to you. But... my father once told me that Hidden Stone and Konoha fought each other a while back - when our parents were still young - and we weren't born yet."

"So?" Naruto blinked. "Isn't that in the past?"

"The past isn't so easy to forget," Sasuke shook his head. "Not when blood has been spilt. There is always a sense of grudge and shame - and maybe anger or bitterness."

"Yeah..." Naruto's blue eyes slid downwards in memory.

Sasuke's voice when he talked about the man he had to kill... when we had passed the Academy Examination Test... and we were introducing ourselves to Kakashi-sensei... his voice was so hard - like stone... And Granny Chiyo - all those years and she remembered Kakashi's dad... She couldn't forget because her family died.

Naruto sighed.

I guess, there are so many histories behind us all - and they never fully leave us... It's too bad though. I think Daisuke could be a cool guy...

"Our Kage arrived two hours ago," Daisuke's team leader, who had introduced himself as Kakumaru, announced as the three teams finally landed in a clearing in front of a village entrance. At least it looked like it had once been a village entrance - but the beams for the gates seemed to have been tilted and driven into the ground as though someone had tried to nail the wood into the earth.

Beyond it, were glimpses of wooden buildings and piles of debris and bracken which had once upon a time been a peaceful and no doubt prosperous village. The Konoha ninjas' eyes widened at the mass devastation. They could see that reconstruction had begun - but the troughs bored deeply into the earth - the smell of burnt skin and flesh which hung in the air gave the whole scene a forbidding atmosphere.

Hinata shivered. The hurt and pain around her made a deep impression on her - but she knew that she could not step in willy-nilly. Each Village preferred to care for their own wounded - as a wild dog would lick its own wounds in privacy. It reminded Hinata of Konoha's near-misses during the War, beginning with Pain's attack. Sure everyone had "walked away" from it more or less in tact. However...

There's an impact on the soul which one can never quite forget. That these civilians had to undergo such a terrible attack...

Hinata glanced at the other kunoichi in the group. Sakura's eyes were hard and serious - and the Hyuuga knew that the medic in Sakura was probably already tallying up the injuries. Still, they were not here on a mercy mission.

We can only investigate...

"You had best lead us to him, then," Sasuke was saying, taking the role of leader smoothly. His air of calm authority settled their nerves and Shino didn't object, knowing, no doubt that foreign ninjas would be more likely to respect a Sharingan than a less well-known Konoha clan."If we are to investigate, the sooner the better - before the evidence is destroyed. Perhaps, we could split up our task force to better facilitate the process," Sasuke continued. "That way, we can ask our questions and reconnaisance with our Hokage sooner - and be on our way quicker - and you will be able to begin reconstruction in earnest much more easily."

Kakumaru grimaced in what could have been a smile.

"That would be best. Thank you," he agreed.

Sasuke turned and surveyed the group.

"We're going to split up," he said. "Sakura and Hinata, as Team One, I would like you to talk to the villagers - and try to get an idea of what they experienced. You can also research the more physical and medical side of the attack. That may include doing some healing work if they would like some aid in that area."

"Right!" The girls nodded with determination.

"We'll also have a surveying team - Team 2." Sasuke continued. "Sai, if you could do some reconnaisance from above, that would be helpful for mapping the size and scope of the destruction. Shino and Kiba will cover the more detailed parts of the ground. Use your hunting skills to sniff out any clues, Kiba - Akamaru. Perhaps your beetles will be able to find any remainds of jutsu or other signs of the attackers, Shino."

The three boys nodded. Kiba raised a fist with enthusiasm and roared, "Yeah! Akamaru! Let's check it out!"

Sai began to pull out his favourite scroll and pen.

"What about me?" Naruto asked, now suspicious since Sasuke had left him to the last. "You just are being mean, wanting me to wait!"

"Not really," Sasuke replied calmly. "You and I are going to talk with the Kage. We'll need to get his investigation reports as well. It appears as though they got a message for Kaka- that is, the Hokage - so we need to get that as well. I guess, because our Hokage seems to attached to this mysterious attack - and considering the past couple of days... It would be best for us all to be ready to share our results. Which means, we must keep an eye out for even the smallest of details."

Ensuring that Naruto had no further objections, the Uchiha let out a deep breath.

"Okay, let's go then," he said and lowered his arms.

The new teams scattered - Sasuke and Naruto turned to the waiting Stone Nins and nodded. Without further ado, the two Jounin were led into the center of the village, where it seemed the center of the blast had left a jagged crater. On the edge, a small squat building had been erected, around which several Stone ninjas were on guard. Within, the dim room, the Tsuchikage was seated, looking through various scrolls and papers - a seen which Naruto was associating more and more with Kakashi-sensei over the past year.

For a slight moment, Naruto wondered if he would be able to do all the reading. Perhaps he could foist it off on his assistant - whoever his assistant would be... Shikamaru would be the smartest choice - but there is something wickedly awesome about the idea of making Sasuke do all the hard work - thinking-wise that is...

" - but by the time we got there, the damage had been done. There was no sign of the attacker - if there was one. No prints - no sign of an intruder..."

Naruto suddenly zoned into the conversation, as the lead investigating ninja finished his summary report. The man seemed rather weary - as if he had stayed up the whole night before - he probably had. It's been a night and part of day since it happened - so they probably are worried as more time goes by and there has been no solution. Naruto cast a look at the stoic profile of his teammate. What Sasuke thought of the whole mess was a mystery... but he was sure the Sasuke would try to get as much as he could out the investigation...

"It is not the attack which is so disturbing, of course," the Tsuchikage noted. "These kinds of things are an everyday part of shinobi life. Rather, the feeling that this was a merely a message to Konohagakure's Hokage."

"Yes," Sasuke nodded curtly. "That is main thing we have come for."

"For a Village such as yours," another shinobi grunted, lip curling, "you shinobi seem to be overly concerned about this message..." He spat and turned to the Tsuchikage. "A six man team - I still say we demand some kind of information from them in return for ours!"

"Well, Uchiha," the Tsuchikage's eyes met the cool young man's. "What can you say to that?"

"I've never seen anything like it before," Kiba reported to Shino and Sai. Somewhere above him, a shadow passed over - familiar - broad and white with black outlines - Sai.

For a short moment, there was no response and then: "Yes. The devastation is widespread and radiates outward..." Shino paused. "However, the mystery is as deep and as deceptive as the face of pond. Underneath, who knows what lies?"

"Oi, is it time for spouting proverbs?" Kiba growled. "Am I the only one who's doing all the work here, bastards?"

"Well, you've got to be useful for something," Sai's calm voice crackled over the headset in his usual annoyingly calm way.

"BASTARD!" shrieked Kiba waving a fist at the sky. "Just get yourself down here and you can find out what I'm the BEST at!"

"People," Shino's voice cut in. "Let's regroup and discuss what we found in detail. I think I got something -"

"I as well," Sai replied smoothly. "But we might need to wait for Kiba-kun. I don't know if he's got anything good yet..."

"Just get down and I'll show you!" hollered Kiba. "C'mon Akamaru," the young man turned to his white-furred companion and grinned. "Let's show 'em something else!"

"These burns, Sakura..." Hinata whispered as Sakura surveyed the remaining wounded. Around them pallets were spread in rows amidst another clearing in the bracken. Above them, a few Hidden Stone shinobi were attempting to successfully rig a large tent. Rising from the bedside of a small boy, the pink-haired medic sighed.

"The survivors will live - but..." She tilted her head. "It will be a long slow process. The medic nin teams seem to know how to deal with it after a fashion - but we can offer some of our own medications to speed the process. As Hidden Stone, they probably have more affinity to Earth, Wind and Water jutsu - Lightning wouldn't be their forte, I should imagine."

"Lightning Jutsu can be so damaging, long-term..." Hinata's Byakugan were surveying another young woman's chakra system as the glow of her chakra enveloped burned arms. "Even if we were to alleviate the burns - the neural damage will take years to heal, don't you think?"

"Yeah..." Sakura said slowly, remembering the rumours of Kakashi being attacked by targeted lightning. "Lightning. Just like in Konoha..." The medic stirred. "We need to let Sasuke know immediate..."

Between the Konoha nin and the Hidden Stone shinobi, there was a tense silence for all of a minute - before Naruto, finally fed up, bounded forward, arms waving. The Tsuchikage's eyebrow rose, while Sasuke sighed.

"Wait! Wait! I don't get it! Didn't you guys ask us to come?" Naruto's blue eyes, full of sincerity were puzzled. "We're trying to help you here, you know! We've got problems too! I don't get this - but can't we be on the same side in this? I mean, whatever did this to you - we gotta stop it! And the best chance we have is if we work together and don't hold anything back!"

The Hidden Stone nins leaned forward intrigued suddenly. It was rare for large Villages to admit weakness before another. It was surprising to hear something like this -

Sasuke sighed - but he made no move to stop Naruto, instinctively feeling that the personable ninja would be able to somehow bridge the gap between the two people groups. There is that kind of magic, it is said which he has - to make friends instantly - to be able to communicate his heart so clearly. How can others say no, realizing the sincerity of his desire to make friends - to have peace? The Uchiha smirked as the Tsuchikage leaned back, chuckling a little.

Naruto blinked at the sudden release of tension - the abrupt change from tension to relaxation. Of course, Sasuke thought, he still has no idea of what kind of power he has. Idiot.

"Oh ho," Tsuchikage waved his men aside. "Well, if you must know, my young nin, many opinions make up the village. Kotaro has just one of many differing opinions. So, you can imagine our surprise when so many talented ninja show up. One can see how we would begin to doubt your intentions..." The old man paused, then smiled up at Naruto, who slammed his fist down on the table. "So, what do you have to say then to that?"

"I say, to hell with that -"

"Naruto."

Sasuke's voice froze the blonde ninja who gulped and subsided.

"Tsuchikage," Sasuke nodded respectfully. "Naruto's feelings are strong on this matter - because recently, we ourselves received a direct attack - from perhaps the same force which destroyed this village. Our Hokage was targeted specifically - so we fear that whoever is attacking may have some personal grudge against the Hokage."

"Hatake Kakashi? I don't see how anyone could have a grudge against him," Kotaro sneered sarcastically. "Oh wait. I remember something about him being responsible for the lives of so many -"

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei was just doing his job! I'm sure that whoever is doing this is just misunderstanding -"

"Naruto."

Once again, at the sound of his name, Naruto subsided reluctantly. Sasuke stepped forward to stand with Naruto, looming over the table.

"Whether our Hokage is at fault or not, remains to be seen. However, I have been given permission by the Hokage - by Hatake Kakashi - to be sure to give you all our data and information, the better to arm yourselves against any attack which may reoccur." Here, Sasuke pulled out an envelop from his backpack and set it on the table. "This also includes information from Sunagakure which also came under attack. It is the hope of Konoha to come alongside Hidden Stone and aid it in any way it desires. We are unable to remain here, but if you seek aid, this is the first we can offer. If you do wish for us to welcome you to our team of investigators on this issue, then we will send other shinobi to stand ready for liaison and information."

Nothing stirred for a few seconds - but after awhile, Naruto stirred, turning to Sasuke and laughing softly.

"Ah... Kakashi-sensei got me again!"

"You thought he would just stand by and do nothing?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "After all you know about him?"

"Well... I don't know..." Naruto shrugged and scratched his hair sheepishly. "I guess I figured that he would let himself get tied up with the Village Elders on this one. He's kind of laid back, you know?"

"When push comes to shove, he can be surprisingly stubborn and firm. There are times and places - and things - that our sensei won't budge on. The safety of those whom he is called to protect is one of those things. For that alone, he would move mountains... You should know - you fought alongside him in the War."

Naruto laughed.

"Yeah... there was that. But you know... the Elders are going to be pissed!"

"Ah..."

Without a word, the Tsuchikage searched in his brown robe's sleeve for a bit before pulling out a small scroll and placing it wordlessly before Sasuke on the table. Without a word and a small nod, Sasuke took it and stored it away safely.

Their job was done.

"We wrote up our reports, Sasuke," Sakura said, as everyone regrouped together at the edge of what was left of the Village. "Hinata gave our findings to that Kotaru guy - man... he looked kinda dazed. Did... Naruto do something stupid again?" The medic ended her question with a glare at the blonde Jounin.

Naruto snorted. "Whatever. I was totally fine, right, Sasuke?"

"Well... More or less."

Everyone smiled at Sasuke's grudging praise, knowing how much it cost the Uchiha to admit how much he needed Naruto's help.

"We received the message for the Hokage - which we need to deliver as soon as possible," Sasuke noted. "And of course, we will have to collate our reports into one big one - so that Shikamaru and the others will be able to strategize based off the new information... I'm assuming there is new information?"

"Indeed," Shino nodded. "To the Hidden Stone, it may have seemed totally uncoordinated, surprising and incredibly mysterious. However, because of our unfortunate previous experience, we were able to make some new discoveries concerning the blast."

"Such as?" Sasuke asked, folding his arms. "The short version."

"And simple," Naruto added. "So we can all understand."

"That's too difficult, idiot," Kiba waved a hand.

"Who's an idiot, furball for brain?" Naruto pointed a finger at Kiba. "In fact, Akamaru might be more intelligent than you!"

"BOYS!" Sakura's voice silenced the two young men. They had to content themselves with glaring while everyone turned to Shino was now fuming over the fact that, once again, people had forgotten his importance.

"It appears," Shino said after a few seconds of flashing his sunglasses," as though all natural life forms - that is to say, creatures such as insects and animals - evaded the attack by leaving the area several hours before the attack."

"What does that suggest?" Hinata asked nervously.

"It means that before an attack of this size, there are natural indicators."

"I don't think that there were reports about animals behaving oddly before the attack on Konoha..." Sakura frowned.

"Ah... well... that attack wasn't meant to destroy the Village - merely to attack or test Kakashi. That is all," Shino shook his head. "The level of this attack was such that there must have been some kind of atmosphere change. That or the presence of the attacker frightened them off."

"Animals react to attackers?" Naruto blinked.

"Well, yes," Kiba nodded in agreement. "Akamaru, of course, reacts to different kinds of people and chakra types. Like... in the Chuunin Exam, he felt scared in the presence of Gaara - I think it was because Gaara was... well..."

"Freaky back then - a total nutjob," Naruto supplied helpfully.

"You could say that," Sasuke snorted. "So you think the animals may have reacted to something like Gaara expect on a larger scale?"

"Perhaps," Shino shrugged. "Also animals react to spiritual presences. So it could have been anything."

"Besides which, during the attack on Kakashi," Kiba noted. "I reported that Akamaru and the other clan dogs said that the attacker was not something that was present in the flesh there - that is, the attack was coming from something that was more supernatural than physical."

Everyone shivered a little at the thought of an unseen force coming after the Village again. Naruto laughed nervously and wondered what kind of paper seals he could be able to buy to protect himself with. In his opinion, when it came to spiritual or supernatural forces, Naruto felt you could never be too cautious...

"Well, although the exact origin is unclear, these kinds of omens will be useful - increasing our survival chances. Such obvious actions would be good signs to go by - as warning to villages." Sasuke nodded, satisfied. "Good work."

"I also found something," Sai added, spreading out a scroll which had a map on it. The map shifted in several colours - the outlines of the village pre-attack and post-attack. Lines radiated outward showing the lines of the blast. Watching the colours move across the scroll, Naruto looked at the shape of the explosion with fascination.

"It radiates outward -" Sasuke nodded.

"But the edges are more jagged," Naruto added slowly. "See there and there... It's almost forked at the ends... like..."

"Like electricity exploded outwards - sideways across the terrain and the village," Sakura pointed out. "That would agree with our findings. We worked with the wounded survivors. Hinata..."

"Ye-yes, Sakura," Hinata nodded, stepping in a little to give her bit. "When I treated the patients, I used the Byakugan to watch their chakra flows. It was very disturbing and painful to see - but it is as if they received some kind of spiritual shock to their systems - which burned the chakra within their bodies. Those who were perhaps more imbued with chakra more than likely exploded with electrical like attacks throughout their system."

"Those who survived recieved second or third degree burns along the entire length of their bodies," added Sakura. "Healing was painful for them because our methods require us to insert our chakra into their systems to realign their chakra. However, thanks to the attack, their chakra points and system had been so damaged, to force open their systems was too painful. As such, I will, on arriving in Konoha, have to send back non-chakra insertive-based medicines so they may be able to recover with less pain."

Sasuke shook his head in amazement.

For the little time I worked with Madara and the Akatsuki, I came to realize that the abilities of individuals all around the world can continue to amaze and astound me. Naruto was good at that too... and perhaps to Naruto, so was I. But, this - brings the truth home again to me... You never know what is around the corner...

The Hokage was on the Godaime's head - watching his face being hewn out of rock beside her stern face. It was an odd sensation to see the face he had tried to hide so long behind a mask, be plastered onto the side of the large escarpment.

Life is ironic like that, the Kage shook his head and flipped the page of his ever favourite book: Make Out Tactics. They promised to put a mask on me... but now... with a profile like that... the cat's out of the bag... seriously. I'm going to be badgered now about it... and teased...

It made him once again consider resigning - but what with the fact that three-quarters of his face had been hewn out already... It's probably too late. Not too mention, Tsunade would find me and kill me - after Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had found me and dragged me back.

Looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, Kakashi wondered if there was ever a time when he was not bound by obligation to someone or something.

For as long as I remember, there has always been the mission. Well, my father didn't know how to raise a son - and I guess the Academy seemed only natural considering I grew up among ninja pups and shuriken... Well, Father... look where it's ended... Hope it makes you happy...

But Kakashi knew his father couldn't hear him - he had moved on long ago. Somewhere, Kakashi knew White Fang had found his long-lost wife. Reunited in the afterlife, Sakumo would finally find the rest he deserved.

Kakashi couldn't grudge him that.

Three hours later, Iruka showed up, panting hard and looking as red as usual from over-exertion. Kakashi wondered if he should say something about staying fit - but then decided to hold his tongue. There was a limit to how far he could push the deceptively mild-mannered Jounin. That he had found out pretty soon after taking office. It made him wonder if Iruka ever scolded the Sandaime. Kakashi had tried to visualize it for all of three seconds before discarding the idea as improbably and impossible.

No. I'm probably just the special case... No respect around here... Seriously...

"Well... What's it now? Some kid doesn't like their assignment? The damn lady's lost her cat again? The Elders have stopped sulking and want to yell at me some more?" Kakashi asked, lazily while flipping through his book as if unconcerned.

"Ka-ka-shi-"

The Hokage raised his head at the utterance of his first name. Iruka using his first name was never a good sign.

"What now?" Kakashi rose swiftly, pocketing the offending reading material out of sight (and hopefully out of Iruka's mind). "I don't have all day, seriously."

"That's. My. Line!" Iruka gasped, finally, getting his wind back. "I've been searching for you for half an hour!"

"You should have known I'd be here," Kakashi said reproachfully.

"I thought you'd be at the meeting you were supposed to have attended, an hour ago - you know about the new Correction Facility Policies."

"Ah yes. That meeting."

"Yes," Iruka said barely managing to restrain his sarcasm. "That one."

"The one that was canceled."

"The one that was - what? Canceled? Who? Did you cancel it?"

"What do I look like?" Kakashi blinked hurt. "I wanted to get it over and done with... but no, it was Anko... not feeling well or something. Maybe she overate those dangos..."

"Kakashi... I don't want to know," Iruka sighed, giving up on the matter.

"I thought you would," Kakashi scratched his head. Bending over, he picked up his Kage's hat, placed it on his shock of grey hair and turned to look at his assistant gleefully. "And what was it that had you running all over Konoha?"

"The teams are back. From Hidden Stone. You said we were to alert you as soon as they arrived but the minute they show up - where are you? Nowhere to be fou-"

Iruka turned - and jumped. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

Damn.

Kakashi entered his office nonchalantly. Casually. As if he were just strolling around and not using a transportation jutsu for speed sake. Using transportation jutsus because this was the news which he had been waiting for. He had been waiting for it intensely, sleeping lightly and feeling as though some kind of clock was ticking by the hours. This message could be the clue he needed to find the bomb which seemed to be hidden in his past. Uncovering it, he would finally be able to do his job. And maybe be able to actually have much more peaceful nights sleeping...

"Ah... Everyone's got back. Already. I am impressed by the speed - and I am guessing by your excited faces you've got some new intel?" Kakashi sat down and took the file offered him by Sasuke. Opening the file, he perused the reports quickly. He looked up. "There's a lot here..."

"Well, in a nutshell," Sasuke shrugged, "the Tsuchikage, on Naruto's insistence and thanks your message, gave us full access. We were able to affirm the attack was similar to the attack on Konoha. However, unlike Konoha, the target was not a single person but the whole village. The explosion was meant to inflict widespread damage, radiating outward - forked like lightning - and in the center, a massive crater. Survivors have serious burns and microcellular chakra damage. There was no sign or warning other than a disturbance among the fauna of the area. Animals and other life forms attempted to leave the vicinity a day or so before the attack."

"And the message?" Kakashi asked casually.

"Here," Sasuke, reached into his inner pocket and drew out the small scroll. "Still unopened for security reasons."

"Thank you," Kakashi nodded, folding his hands over it serenely. "I'll have a more detailed look at your reports, everyone. I look forward to it. Thank you for the good job. You can go and relax now for a few days - until I've assessed what we need to do next."

Everyone smiled back - but their good cheer was muted. Kakashi guess as much. If the pictures were any indications, the village must've looked like a hell hole. Fifteen minutes after their departure and five minutes after sorting through the files, Kakashi understood a little better. It was if the whole village took a chidori to the gut, he thought, as he sorted through the pictures which were now spread over his desk. And of course they wouldn't be prepared for that kind of thing... A shame...

His fingers paused over the scroll. Kakashi knew that for all his impatience to get to the bottom of the mystery, there was some sort of subconscious dread unfurling in his stomach. The fear that, after all this time, it would be his fault, somehow. Still, it sat there - the scroll, needing to be opened. The truth, to be confronted.

Without further thought, he pulled the tassels away and unrolled it. Several minutes passed by, as the Rokudaime sat there frozen.

As I promised...

It was stunning. Startling. Surprising beyond belief.

... I have seen...

It was impossible. Improbably. Fantastical.

... your future with you...

It was disturbing and almost incomprehensible.

... now, the time has come...

Kakashi rose, eyes blank and looked out, searching the silent heavens for an answer.

... to pay the price.

He didn't see the village spread out before him, the new buildings which had gone up under his careful administration. The streets once again busy with customers, visitors and the new families which would supply the future generations of ninja. Somewhere, down below, he knew, Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai would be soberly celebrating the success of yet another mission - but what rose foremost before his mind was an unmoveable rock crushing a newly formed friend. Rin was crying behind him.

The rock wasn't budging under his small hands and he cursed his helplessness, vowing never to be caught in such a situation - so weak and useless. He didn't have all those abilities yet - only able to hone his lightning chakra... but that would change too.

I have seen your future with you, now the time has come to pay the price.

Obito... you...

Chapter 5: Infinity of Memories

News traveled fast in Konohagakure - and everyone waited with bated breath for the Hokage's response to the "message" from Hidden Stone. Two hours after the teams' debriefing, Tsunade, beneath the hospital, wondered - what the hell was taking that brat so long.

"It's not that I expect him to come running to me everytime," she said, bending over some medicinal scrolls to inspect some characters for a summoning. "He is the Hokage... and he's been a ninja for an obscene amount of time. Since he was three? Four? He was, what, Genin at five?"

"Right, Tsunade-sama," Shizune nodded, across from the blonde-haired Sannin. "And Chuunin at six - or so the rumour says."

"I wish it was..." Tsunade rising, cricked her neck and then sighed. "Too young, too old, too early... Well... You know, he doesn't need me to hold his hand. Maybe the message held a really good clue and he dispatched the ANBU already."

"He hasn't," Sakura's voice preceded the young medic as she entered the room, Naruto, Sasuke and Sai hot on her heels. "And it's got us worried."

Tsunade, glancing at the barely simmering worry in Naruto's eyes - and the deceptively calm gazes of Sai and Sasuke, rolled her eyes. Folding her arms, she glared at the young Jounin and raised an eyebrow.

"So you are bothering me for what?" she asked. "You can see I have a lot to do. What with all these interruptions in life -"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto flapped a hand lazily. "You'll leave in a coffin, blah blah, take you so long... Kakashi-sensei slaving you to death... Elders so nasty... Whatever. I think it's more impo-"

Naruto's sentence ended with Tsunade's fist buried in his cheek. Prying himself out of a small crater in the laboratory room's wall, he growled, "What gives old Granny?"

Tsunade's blonde eyebrow twitched dangerously. Naruto didn't back down, placing one fist on his waist and pointing at the retired Kage accusingly.

"It's not like you aren't worried too!"

Everyone held their breath as Naruto's words sunk into Tsunade's brain - seeping through the rage and settling in uncomfortably. It was awkward then to turn around and fold one's arms - but Tsunade didn't know what else to do. She hmphed and glared at the scroll and then heaved another sigh.

Damn Naruto.

"He's not contacted any of you?" she asked, giving Sasuke a particularly hard glare.

Unfortunately, the Uchiha was immune to most pressure - including the promise of violence in the Sannin's eye. Except Tsunade was neither a Sannin nor a medic for nothing - and there were those small tell-tale hints of the Uchiha's unease. The way his hand restlessly clenched the hilt of his blade. The way his eyes roamed the room and the the slight furrowing of his twin black eyebrows.

Sai was another matter. A sphinx - but then, even now, after years of practice showing facial emotions, Sai in his more relaxed state, at best, looked exanimate. Some would have described him as aloof, still, calm and serene - and even now... who knows what really lies beneath?

Sakura's reaction was, of course, obvious. Like Naruto, her worry seeped through her body language and her green eyes looked to Tsunade for direction.

Well, as Godaime, it's expected for them to come running to me. Still... isn't it a little early for that... That brat - causing so much worry... Kakashi...what are you thinking?

"He's not in the office," Sai leaned into the room. The others pushed him forward in order to see for themselves. If the Copy Nin had managed to hide his presence from the ex-Root ANBU member, he definitely would be discovered by the pack of Jounin now poking through his stuff. Tsunade stared down at the large desk now covered with maps and photos and mission notes. Whatever had disturbed the Rokudaime enough to disappear him did not immediately jump to the eye.

Worse luck.

"Maybe he's on your head," Naruto said.

"You mean the Godaime's head?" Sasuke asked.

"Duh," Naruto rolled his eyes. "Obviously, anyone can tell I'm not talking about Old Granny's head."

"Well, you'd never know..." Sasuke lamely responded.

Their small spat petered out as Iruka burst in, red-faced with anger and exhaustion. The Jounin's dark chocolate eyes were filled with worry (a seemingly constant mental state for Iruka these days) - and, as his eyes landed on the group, he smiled tiredly.

"Have you seen the -"

"No," was the in chorus response.

Iruka sagged.

"Not again... I've been checking everywhere."

Tsunade frowned. "Where is everywhere?"

"Well..." Iruka ticked off the places on his fingers. "I first checked this office, then the Mission Office, then your - er - that is, that Godaime's head -" Here, Sasuke nudged Naruto meaningfully, but got no response. "- then, the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, then the memorial, then the training grounds, then his apartment, then back to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, then the Red Dragon and then finally here."

There was a dead silence after Iruka's long-winded list as everyone tried to process this information. After a moment, Sakura stirred and looked upward in thought.

"So, he's nowhere?"

"Shit," Tsunade erupted. "What does that brat think he's doing? What did the message say? Is it on the desk? Did he take it with him?"

Sai and Sasuke were already back at the desk by now sorting through the Kage's papers, trying to find anything that looked like the scroll which the Uchiha had carried back with him. They found it eventually, buried under the maps - open, revealing the mysterious message within:

I have seen your future with you, now the time has come to pay the price.

"'I have...' what?" Naruto squinted as Sasuke's voiced died out.

"I have seen your future with you, now the time has come to pay the price," the Uchiha repeated slowly for the 'idiot's' benefit. "Who is 'I'? And who is 'you'?"

"It was for Kakashi - that's what the Tsuchikage said," Sakura frowned. "But how - how did they know? Isn't it kind of... vague?"

"Another spirit message, no doubt," Tsunade sighed heavily. "Have you ever been at one of those things? It's... well... something that even science can't explain - which I would rather leave alone, thank you."

Naruto shivered, remembering the photograph in Gaara's hand - the picture of the unknown boy, shadowy and blurred - who was turned away in eternal regret.

"I have heard of such things," Iruka murmured, his brown eyes and restive air just seemed to add to the unsettled atmosphere of the room. "Sensitive children raised in temples by monks and nuns - knowing nothing of the outside world... Able to understand the things we cannot see - and pass on messages from the dead. Ahh... but surely, this message isn't from the dead... is it?"

"It came from a temple," Sai affirmed, raising another report. "A young child there heard someone talking, they said. Someone..." Here, the dark-eyed boy glanced at a quaking Naruto. "...who was not of this world."

"S-s-so... Kakashi-se-sensei got a message from a DEAD PERSON?" Naruto shrieked, trying - and failing - to look calm.

"Not surprising," Tsunade's eyebrow rose. "Considering..."

"Considering what?" asked Sakura, nervously eyeing her shishou.

"Considering that the most important people to him are dead."

Everyone considered this fact for a second - but the silence was broken by protest from Naruto. As usual.

"But - but -" Naruto shook his head in disagreement. "We're here now - there are many people who care about Kakashi-sensei... Aren't we -"

"Well," Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's inability to think straight thanks to his hot-headed emotions. "I think Tsunade-sama is exaggerating, for sure. There are some people who remain. I would think that many of the older Jounin and we, his team, have bonds... but Naruto... some bonds, which are older and longer, have an inexplicable pull on our lives."

The Uchiha paused then lifted his head, letting the message drop to the table. For a moment, Sasuke had a clear picture of a dark-haired boy left alone one too many times to bitterly recall his past - only to make a costly decision which would mark him forever.

"We need to find him now. More than ever."

He wasn't sure how he ended up here. It was almost as if some kind of external force had guided him to the most unlikely spot imaginable. Far from his normal haunts, the Rokudaime wondered what kind of peace or resolution he thought he would find here - at the Hatake family shrine. He dug around in his ever present survival kit, which hung in a comforting way on the small of his back. There was a box of matches - but of course, no incense sticks. Those he found in one of the side-rooms of the sprawling mansion - dry, stale sticks which threatened to disintegrate in his hands.

In fact, the whole house is dry and stale, Kakashi wrinkled his nose at the old, tired smell of aged wood and slowly rotting fabrics. When was it last opened - much less, looked at?

Standing in the empty living room area, which opened out into the garden and the family shrine, Kakashi could feel it looming in the back of his mind. His mind, he fancied, probably looked a lot like a dam with large iron locks - holding back a flood. For so long, he had held those memories at bay, the weight seemed almost a part of him.

Before it threatened to overwhelm him, he left. A part of him knew that the problem at hand would warrant another look through the old family house of the Hatake. Still, there was time for reflection surely. Reflection was the only coping mechanism he understood. It had been in those quiet times of thought that life had managed to make sense in some kind of way.

For many immature children, one coped with death and loss in the family by isolation, escapism, bullying, revenge - or one just ended up twisted like Orochimaru. Kakashi, old beyond his years, had understood the futility of it all. It settled into his bones - the cynicism and the quiet melancholy. He had refused to call it despair.

Standing before the shrine, Kakashi inhaled the gentle smoke of the incense as it wafted upwards into slowly rotting rafters. A part of him knew he should have offered at least his respects long ago. During the war with Akatsuki, Kakashi had forgiven his father - but now, he could remember those who had passed before him - his clan, his friends, his sensei - Father, Mother, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei... Jiraiya... Hayate... the faceless ANBU who had called themselves team members... even his old enemies - Zabuza, Haku... Hiruko... Their sad faces filled his memories.

Kakashi wondered how many of them were filled with regret as they lay there dying, some of them alone and unable to voice their fears into the night.

Mother died in childbirth, Father told me, Kakashi thought, lighting another incense stick. Father died alone in his study - I wonder if he had regrets as his blood stained the tatami mats... Kakashi almost felt like he was that small child, opening his father's study door...

"Father," he called. "Are you coming in for something to eat?"

The stillness in the room was ominous. Outside, the rain clouds rumbled with lightning - and temporary light filled the dark room, outlining the hunched corpse of his father. He had just stood there, slightly stunned and he knew that soon shock would set in. When Kakashi's small hands began to shake, the uncomfortable feeling that he had done something irreversibly wrong filled him. It was the first time he had showed up late for practice with Minato-sensei. The blonde nin found the small white boy sitting unmoved on the veranda, while medics and the aged family members dealt with the mess.

Jiraiya and Tsunade hovered a little in the background, but in the end, it was Minato's voice who had broken the fog surrounding Kakashi's mind.

"C'mon, Kakashi," he had said gently. "Pack your things."

Then there was Obito's death which replayed in his mind over and over again since "that day". Somewhere out there, Obito's body had long decayed under the pile of an Earth jutsu - and against all odds, Kakashi still carried on. With no one, it seemed, to remember with him.

"Is Kiba in town?" asked Naruto, turning to his eternal pain-in-the-ass teammate, Sasuke.

The Uchiha's response was a mere grunt - as Sasuke's eyes roamed their surroundings searching for their ex-sensei's chakra. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, considering that there was a shift change going on - and most ninjas were now headed to rest, relaxation and for the lucky ones - home. Now, the lights slowly flickered on, the shops and bars opened for business and the ramen and dumpling shops were now full of customers yelling for their evening meal.

Sasuke merely pointed down the street where Sakura and Shizune were standing, looking defeated and perplexed as they searched the crowds.

"Sakura!" Naruto sped towards them. "Have you found them yet? We haven't..."

"Idiot!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, not far behind the ninja. "Of course they haven't or they wouldn't be looking."

Sakura shook her head, looking even more worried than ever, if possible. Looking upwards, the search teams could see Sai's birds criss-crossing the sky.

"Ahh... Sai's a lucky bastard," grumbled Naruto. "Able to sit around while his birds do all the work."

"Naruto..." Shizune waved her hands. "I'm sure he's working as hard as he can. Come on, we need to find the Rokudaime - and fast!"

It ached - the realization that he had been unable to fulfill all those promises. There was the promise to take care of Obito's heart - Rin - but she had died in yet another fruitless skirmish on the borders years later. By that time, Kakashi had begun to moonlight as ANBU, following his sensei's death. There was that too: the Yondaime on the night of the Kyuubi's attack.

"I've got to go, Kakashi," he had said, his bright eyes gleaming in the night. Blonde hair rustled in the wind which had stirred up thanks to the bijuu's powers. "It's my way of the ninja - my duty as the Hokage. You understand?"

The tiny Copy Nin had nodded 'yes'. Yes, I understand. Yes I know the reality of the ninja life - and the duties we all must carry. I'm a grownup and I understand.

Kakashi, recalling that day, wondered what he had been thinking. I was only fourteen and was treated like an adult... but in reality, it was something no one should have asked of a child, no matter how mature they seemed to be. Still... it happened.

"Kakashi," his Sensei's eyes were intense as though he weren't going to come back again. As if these were his last words -

Kakashi had a feeling that he would never see his Sensei again - but he tried to look cool and nodded his head.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Take care of yourself - and Konoha - okay? Remember to keep an eye on Rin for me."

"I will," Kakashi had replied firmly. "I promise."

But the Yellow Flash was already gone and Kakashi's words flew out into the air unheard.

"Should we be saying anything to the Village Elders?" Iruka asked Tsunade as they researched the training grounds. "They'll want to know the situation as soon as possible. It would be worse for us, especially if it turned out that our Rokudaime has been -"

"Iruka," Tsunade turned to stare at the Jounin. "If Kakashi had died or been kidnapped it would have to be a bigger bang than that."

"Ehh..." Iruka knew that it would be dangerous to disagree, so he politely made a noise of uncertain agreement.

"You should know by now that the position of Kage is a position of great responsibility - and Kakashi is a very responsible person. All of his life... so..." Tsunade darted away, Iruka following close behind. "If the Village needs him to be Hokage, despite his unambitious ways, the brat will do his best. And that means that he will protect it - and himself - with his whole will and might. Remember that!"

Iruka cheered up at the thought.

Standing before the aged shrine, Kakashi sighed, closed his eyes and recalled the sight of the waving tails and the wild roars of the Kyuubi as it tore up the forests. The next day, the young Jounin had heard that the Kyuubi had been sealed in Yondaime's child. The Sandaime returned to his position of Hokage and one of the first pronouncement was to never talk about the event in public. Kakashi, now overwhelmed in the aftermath of so many deaths, found that he just couldn't care.

Years later, he ended up with the Jinchuuriki as a student, but unlike the rest of the village, he hadn't seen Naruto as "that monster". Unfortunately, maybe. Challenged, yes. Challenging and puzzling, very much so. Rather stupid, obviously.

But deep down, Kakashi knew that part of him had been afraid to get to close to the person who was a product of his Sensei's love. Another part of him had a feeling that he was going to let everyone down again.

And I did. I failed as a teacher. Hmm... I got some important ideals across... but that's about it. Still, even if I did fail Obito and Sensei... there is still that the promise to take care of Konoha -

Kakashi's eyes drooped as the message flashed before his eyes.

I have seen your future with you, now the time has come to pay the price.

Seems like my promises are going to broken yet again... Sensei. It seems like the past has caught up with me - and it's targeting the people I swore to protect...

The incense was dying now, as the sun set behind him. Somewhere, in Konoha, he was sure Iruka would be tearing around trying to find him. Maybe the ANBU would be called out by now... but Kakashi knew he had to think this through. This decision was his alone - but the consequences would affect the whole village. It would have to be a choice that would not only remove the threat - but also would not bereave them too soon of Konoha's newest Hokage.

Obito... I thought the last time I saw you surely you had reached a place of rest. You smiled and showed joy at our brief meeting... you seemed so peaceful... What could have gone wrong?

Sai, flying above the Village considered the reports. It would have been best, he thought, to get one of the Hyuuga in on the search. But then, it wouldn't be wise to stress the village people out if the Hokage were merely meditating or going for a walk. Although, for Kakashi-san, it does seem like a very long walk... I wonder if he left the village. I know that Iruka said his things weren't taken, but who knows?

The bird smoothly coasted along, glowing orange and red in the rays of the setting sun. Now, it had gotten quieter below him. Sai, looking down, noticed that the bird had slowly but surely arrived at the less visited part of town where all the clan complexes had been built long ago and then rebuilt in the aftermath of Pain's destruction. The Hyuuga still lived there quietly - and some of the remaining Sarutobi. There were others - but the newer clans (such as the Akimichi and the Inuzuka) were more apt to live on the other end of town with the newer houses.

Few of these large, sprawling mansions remained empty, most were retaken by newer, growing clans. Uchiha Sasuke, it was said, opened up the Uchiha estate recently. Sai had been there when Sasuke, with the help of Sakura and Naruto had unlocked the main house's front door and forced their way inside. The sliding doors had stuck.

"We should just use a nicely timed Ransagen and -"

"IDIOT!" Sakura punched Naruto through the rickety sliding doors. "You're going to damage his house!"

"Sakura..." Sasuke sighed - pointing out gaping hole in the door she had just created from her fit of temper. "The doors... Ah... well... nevermind..." He sighed. "I thought I'd get them replaced anyway... but there's going to be a draft... So... it'll be chilly at night. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I could always come over," Sai smiled. "Company is the best. We could huddle together and bond -"

"Sai..." Naruto shuddered at the thought of Sai and Sasuke warming each other up under the same blanket. "You know... that's kind of... creepy..."

Sai stared at his teammate's who didn't seem to be as into the idea as he had thought they would be.

Aren't they into team-building activities? This is so confusing...

"I'm going to say 'no'," Sasuke bluntly stated, stepping into the main living room of the house - now getting a nice airing out thanks to the Naruto-sized hole in the doors. "But the thought is..." Sasuke found himself unable to end the sentence.

Now, flying over the Uchiha estate, Sai couldn't help but smile to himself at the fond memory. Whenever he was around Team Seven, he was never bored. Black roofs of another complex spread out underneath him now. It was an even older estate than the Uchiha's buildings and further out from the center of the city. Thanks to its secluded spot, most of the buildings survived the blast. However, a few of the smaller houses had collapsed - whether due to seismic shock or disuse was unknown.

It has been in disuse much longer, so it seems older... Sai corrected himself. And the style and size meant that once upon a time, it must have been beautiful. The gardens alone seem to be wildernesses of flowers that no one has tended in a long time. A decade or even more... judging by the size of the stray trees... but...

Sai paused at the familiar sight of grey bush. He nearly fell off his bird in surprise - but thankfully no one was there to witness the fact that Sai could be surprised. Once in a millenium.

Smoothly the ex-ANBU ninja circled the garden before landing. Once his feet touched the ground, sinking in the knee-deep long green grass, Sai paused. there was something about the quality of the air. Rather, he paused to think on it, the atmosphere of the garden...

It was like the feeling he had when he visited the graves of those few friends he had connected with during the War. It was the feeling of his pictures when he thought on the memories of his brother. It was the weight of memory and regret. There was age in the place which would never be forgotten.

He approached the Rokudaime carefully, quietly and respectfully. The man's head was tipped forward a little, his hands placed together in an attitude of respect for the dead. Reading the faded characters which ran along the columns of the wooden structure, Sai realized he was looking at a family shrine. An old family shrine. The Hatake family shrine.

"Hokage-sama," Sai's soft voice fell into the silence like a heavy stone plops into the still waters of a pond. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

The grey-haired Kage stirred at his name and dropped his hands before turning.

"Ah... I guessed as much... Tsunade's probably going to kill me."

"More than likely," Sai smiled smoothly. "And Naruto and Sakura too. And maybe Sasuke and Iruka -"

"Oi..." Kakashi sweat-dropped. "I've not been gone that long, have I?"

"It's been almost four hours, Hokage-sama," Sai tried hard to keep reproach out of his voice.

"Time flies when you let the memories come, I guess," Kakashi sighed. "Well, I had better return then... Who knows what Tsunade and Naruto would get up to without some common sense between them."

Sai gestured to his bird and Kakashi jumped up lightly, thankful for the ride. The Rokudaime hoped by the time he returned to his office, he would have had his thoughts collected and already formulated a plan. Kakashi knew that Tsunade would be less than pleased to find out he wasn't in trouble (that would at least have adequately explained his absence), but she would be pissed to find out that the Kage didn't even have a game plan to deal with the problem.

And I don't know if I even want to talk about it, Kakashi's eye drooped in depression at the thought. It's rather... personal... Well, I guess there's no use resisting. She'll want to know... and as Kage, I'll have to explain it all. But I need to have an idea... I need to be able to show them how I'm going to fix it - when I don't know...

Kakashi, watching the Village spread out below him, couldn't help but notice a bunch of people calling his name - there was a distinct orange and pink below. Naruto and Sakura - no doubt. Across the way, Iruka was also hollering his name. The Rokudaime sighed.

I'm dead.

He straightened, suddenly getting serious at the memory of the lightning searing across the roofs of the houses, aiming for him.

Well... I'm dead anyways...

"So, Kakashi," Tsunade finally ended her long tirade, in which she castigated Kakashi, Kakashi's bad habits, what she wanted to do to him but couldn't thanks to his position and a few other things which Sakura covered Naruto's ears for. The last thing the pink-haired medic wanted to do was explain the meaning of some less than well-chosen words on Kakashi's anatomy. "I am assuming you know what the situation is about."

Kakashi, slouched in his seat, glaring at the papers spread out before him, sighed and shifted.

"More or less..." Kakashi shuffled the maps together, then clipped the written reports into a pile and rolled up the scroll.

"I have seen your future with you, now the time has come to pay the price." Tsunade quoted. "What the hell does that mean? Don't make me drag the Village Elders in here!"

Kakashi refused to answer right away. Instead, he folded his hands together and then separated them with a sigh.

"I myself can't understand it - but... Obito seems to be behind it. Somehow."

"Obito?" Tsunade's brown eyes hardened as her rather fuzzy memory of a short, loud-mouthed, black-haired kid rose up before her mind's eye. She couldn't remember the boy's face off-hand, but she knew that he had, once upon a time, been the Rokudaime's teammate. Back then, she had been too busy as a medic in the war to pay attention to the comings and goings of the Genin. That Hatake-san's kid had become a Jounin had been a by-word in the Village - but not much fuss had been placed on it, thanks to the emergencies of war.

And Obito didn't see past that day, either. It is said that Rin placed the Sharingan eye into Kakashi... that child, I do remember. But then, most medics from that generation came under my tutelage once in a while. For a short time, she attended my seminars - but not for long. Back then... time was short - and we had too little of it...

"Wasn't he... Uchiha?" Tsunade frowned. "And isn't he... well.."

"Dead?" Kakashi finished tersely. "Yes. Very. At least, so I thought. In fact, I am sure of it."

"A hundred percent sure?"

"Yes." Kakashi said softly, remembering the rocks falling back and down - as Rin grabbed his hand and leapt to safety. He had no time to watch the rocks closing in on his friend's face. It made him wonder - a part of him hopeful -

Did you make it, somehow, Obito?

"Kakashi!" Tsunade's harsh voice broke into the Rokudaime's thoughts. "Hey!"

Her fist, landing on the table, rocked it - the inkpots, papers, photos and scrolls jostled dangerously. Without a word, Kakashi glanced up at the Sannin, his hand steadying his desk - and Tsunade quieted under his stare.

"When I took this job, well, I guess I should have known it would be something beyond what I can do. I am not the best at leading, you know," Kakashi sighed. "I always hoped that Asuma could do it - or someone from the other clans. After my brief foray into working as a teacher, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that jutsu are my specialty - not people... Well... I couldn't say no though to the village. When they asked, I took the responsibility, whether I liked it or not. In a pinch, I guess, I am supposed to save everyone - but somedays - on days like these - I wonder... How can I save a village if I couldn't save my teammates? If I couldn't save Team Seven from so many problems?"

Tsunade drew back, surprised at the depth of emotion - however muted - within the soft voice. It was a side to the grey-haired genius she had never thought to see.

"Well, if it is Obito - or whatever - it's still clear to me that the Village is targeted because of me," Kakashi rose, leaving the marks of his station on the chair. "As the Rokudaime, I know what I must do. Until the mystery is solved, I am going to re-elect you as interim Hokage. Welcome back, Godaime. I've already set up the lists of surveillance teams necessary for protecting the village against any attacks. There are certain signs both Shikamaru and I have designated as "warning markers" for an impending attack. If the Village is vigilant, I am sure that the measures we have laid out will sufficiently protect everyone until outside aid is required. Meanwhile, I have to go and deal with problem alone."

"Oi, Kakashi!" Tsunade sighed. "You can't just go running off anymore. As the Rokudaime -"

"As the Rokudaime, I am responsible for the Village, so as the Rokudaime, I am protecting it by dealing with this matter personally. Once I get to the bottom of it, solve it - then I will return." Kakashi's hard voice brooked no disagreement and Tsunade glared back at him.

For a moment, neither said anything, then the blonde Sannin sighed.

"Now more than ever, you remind me of Sakumo," she walked around the table, her glare still menacing. "Stubbon as always. Standing strong for what you think is right - and then ending up an emotional wreak later on. Maybe there could have been a better Hokage out there for us - but you were the only one left whom we could depend on. Don't underestimate your importance because of your weaknesses!"

Kakashi returned the glare, then gave up and sighed.

"Now, now... One thing, I'm not my father. Haven't I proved that over and over? Whatever issues any of us Hokages had are always subsumed for the cause... but my father's weaknesses are not my own." Kakashi paused and then smiled a little, sadly. "I am a survivor - if nothing else..."

Tsunade sat down in his chair behind the desk, not relishing the familiar weight of responsibility which slowly shifted onto her shoulders as she took office once again. At least the chair was better padded - probably the better for Kakashi to read his porn with. Iruka, of course, would NOT be amused.

"You know that the Village Elders are going to kill you, right? Homura and Koharu are gonna have a field day with this one. Especially Koharu," Tsunade grinned wickedly at Kakashi's discomfort. "She's never been happy with your election... I always thought her reaction to your initial nomination rather... interesting... Perhaps that old hag got Danzo in the sack -"

"Well," Kakashi interrupted Tsunade's speculation smoothly, certain he'd mentally combust from envisioning such a - No. No... not going there... "It's true that I am not her favourite... even as a Jounin. I'm not sure which of my bad habits she dislikes the most though -"

"Or perhaps it's the fact you're Sakumo's brat - she could never get his attention the way she wanted to - well, no one could top your mother for grace. Even worse, she wasn't a kunoichi, really - your mother, that is - and I guess Koharu thought she'd give Sakumo a better time. Still, you gotta say, your father had standards -"

Kakashi wondered if he could escape now. Age old gossip like this could give one the chills - thinking of things like one's parents sleeping around Konoha with the least expected people. Some of those people he met on a daily basis - and some of them, he had to at least be able to keep a straight face in front of. Koharu-san especially.

Well, one day, I guess, we will also have these kinds of memories. I will be able to embarass and annoy the new children of Konoha with stories about Asuma and Kurenai always "going out for a walk" together... heh heh heh... or how Tenzou tried to woo Yuuhi-chan...

The Rokudaime turned to his fellow Hokage and paused.

"Of course, Sarutobi-sensei wasn't much better than Jiraiya back in the day. Once, Jiraiya and Sarutobi-sensei got Sakumo to join them - you can bet your mother didn't let Sakumo forget the mistake of THAT. But then, your mother and I were quite popular too! We could be choosy! Did I ever tell you about the time your mother, and... I guess it was... Tsume... when we went out to -"

Kakashi fled.

Chapter 6: Sands of Time

One thing was firm in his mind, against all wishes to the contrary, he had to go back. There were a few times in his life that he had had the opportunity to return to the 'site'. Kakashi had avoided the area for obvious reasons - it was still uncomfortable territory. The name of the Hatake within Rock Country wouldn't make friends even years after the wars. No matter how many decades passed under the bridge, the Copy Nin knew that there were other Chiyo-baa-samas out there wanting him to pass by, ready for his blood.

Most of it could hardly be laid at his door - he had just been a child, but his father was also responsible for the deaths of many shinobi. Kakashi knew that the resemblance to his father could be fatal.

So he had avoided the more populated routes in the Rock Country in the past when he had a mission in the area. However, now, the Rokudaime would have to delve deep into the heart of territory he had so carefully avoided before.

Well, I guess the time always comes when you have to face those things in life you fear the most... Kakashi sighed. Who would have thought, Sensei... that Obito would cause so much trouble in these days of peace after such long years of turmoil... Hopefully there will be a clue there, that would tell me what has happened.

The restaurant and dango shop along the high road which lead to Grass Country - and then Rock far beyond - had rarely had so many distinguished visitors - if you went by the gossip swirling through the small village which stood on the border of the two great countries. A couple days ago, a lone traveller had suddenly appeared on the road, dusty and a little worse for the wear from what appeared to be a gruelling journey.

"Would you like some sweet dangoes and green tea?"asked the tiny, aged proprieter, her grey hair pulled tightly back into a bun with a few hair fasteners cocked at absurd angles. "We've got a small sale! And a place to rest your weary feet!"

For a moment, the sun was eclipsed above her head by the woven hat which was pulled low over the tall visitor's face. A black gloved hand with a familiar metal guard across the back raised the edge a little to reveal a dark mask and a cool eye. It was a Konoha shinobi, that was for certain - but she was sure she should know this one. Well, it wasn't like she was up on all the shinobi news... One had so little time for that on the borders.

Still, she smiled toothlessly up at her new customer, gave him a favoured spot under the light awning of her shop's porch and made sure the waiting girl would be attentive. However, nothing exciting was forthcoming - no attackers or (even better) juicy gossip from Konoha . The unknown, yet familiar, shinobi finished a small meal of rice, vegetables and meat with accompanying cups of tea and a few dango.

When he left, it was as silently as when he came - and instead of pausing to browse the wares along the main road, disappeared into the brush. The old lady shook her head. Shinobi were incomprehensible. That was all there was to it.

"What do you mean Kakashi has left?" Naruto screamed in horror, his usual theatrical self not able to withstand the shock quietly. "Was he fired? I knew that Baka-sensei wasn't doing his job correctly just sitting around -"

"Oi, Naruto..." Iruka's interjection was ploughed over.

"Or - wait..." Naruto paused to think (which surprised everyone in the room). "No. There'd be a bigger dustup and that horrid old lady would totally be laughing at him right about now..."

"Are you refering to me?" Tsunade asked, warningly.

"AHHH!" Naruto waved his finger at Tsunade, who sat, elbows planted firmly on the mission desk, looking affronted. "You sent him on a mission! Hey! Hey! Is this some kind of thing where Tsunade wants her position back as Hokage - so she doesn't have to do her medical journal?"

"You mean a coup d'etat?" Sasuke asked, wondering if it was worthwhile following Naruto's train of thought. "Hardly."

"Cope duh what?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Is that what it is - old Granny?"

Tsunade barely restrained herself from smashing Naruto's face in the back of the office wall. The Rokudaime would complain about the draft and go wandering off who know's where (again) and put Iruka in the grave early with cardiac arrest.

Oi... Kakashi... What were you thinking leaving me with such an onerous task? Is this your whole concept of revenge for me nominating you for Hokage? Hmm... Earlier in the War, right about when I woke up that one time, he warned me he wasn't cut out for Hokage... That guy can't be getting me back for that... could he?... Well, it serves the brat right. I'll show him...

"Naruto," Tsunade settled for twitching her eyebrow. "This is the Mission's Office, so at least TRY to act the professional. I didn't call you guys for some simple mission."

Sakura, glancing at the other shinobi who were now trickling into the room, felt at once confident that things would turn out okay - and also a little anxious. Next to her, Hinata, Sai, Tenzou, Sasuke and Naruto were lined up, more or less at ease, but still attentive. Respectively speaking. Naruto was still grumbling to himself about Old Grannies causing trouble.

If so many people were coming along, surely that meant that Kakashi-sensei was in big trouble? Well, he was the type to play down issues... but even if he's Hokage, he's not invincible -

Here, Sakura briefly thought of the Third, the Fourth - even Tsunade-sishou had become comatose after Pain's attack... She'll probably want us to go for back up - and knowing her... Tsunade hasn't told Kakashi-sensei that... So... She'll give us a tracker...

Sakura's eyes turned to the pale eyes of the Hyuuga Hinata, who stood next to her at attention. Beyond Hinata, Sai turned and waved with a slight smile.

"Thanks to the reports from our neighbouring countries, our Rokudaime has possibly discovered the source of our mysterious attacker and has left to deal with it on his own. Before he left last night, the Rokudaime reinstated myself as Hokage for emergency measures." Tsunade's voice cut through the babble which arose at the 'has left to deal with it on his own'. Several Jounin who had been loitering around the mission room, disappeared - no doubt to spread the shocking news. "Tenzou. Sasuke. Sai. Sakura. Hinata... and Naruto! The mission is to locate and provide back up for the Rokudaime - if he needs it. Otherwise, let him carry out his investigations as needed without interference."

More Jounin fled the room - and Tsunade wondered if she should have assigned a few more shinobi to the more mundane tasks of repairing on farms, erecting the newest onsen's fences or catching a few stray pets. Within a few hours, even she could gamble on the hundred percent possibility of the Village Elders coming to scold her and to threaten vengeance on the absentee Rokudaime.

Well... I don't know what's worse - being here to hear Koharu's rant on willfulness - or being here to hear Koharu rant at the brat on absenteeism... Tsunade smiled at the thought of Kakashi getting a dressing down from the ancient woman. It's amazing how someone with a foot in the grave can be so vehement... Heehee.. I hope this is worth it for you, Kakashi~

He had been waiting there in the darkness for so long it seemed like time had lasted forever. In this etherworld, where the physical seemed so malleable, he had fed off the energies of those past - those who had surrounded him. Blind, mute and deaf, he had lain there feasting on those few scraps of memories.

White chakra, a short blade breaking and a Sharingan eye. Earth closing over him. And a flash of white with the high-pitched chirruping of an unknown jutsu. Earth closing over him.

Earth closing inwards - downwards - burying the past.

But he was that memory which would always stay alive.

Three days later, the restaurant-dango shop had additional rare visitors. These spent a little longer in the village, stocking up on non-perishables and other easily obtained food for what seemed like a long journey. One particularly loud-mouthed shinobi - a garishly dressed shinobi in a bright red and black jumpsuit with a shock of blond hair - seemed to raise the largest ruckus. A few of the older villagers said that he must be that Jinchuuriki kid who was the son of the Fourth - if the rumours were correct.

Either way, the bunch gathered at the restaurant, clamouring noisily for food and dangos and tea - which kept both of the staff members (only two of them) and even the old lady busy for a good hour.

"Ahhh... I know it's important to stock up," whined the yellow-haired terror. "But staying here is going to be a waiste of time. For real! We'll never catch up with Baka-sensei!"

"Bu-but, Naruto," Hinata had to point it out. "If we don't take our time to get more food, we'll be hungry out there... and if we lose our strength - we won't be able to help Hokage-sama when the time comes!"

"Ahhh... Hinata..." The boy subsided, obviously not wanting to hurt the girl's feelings.

Two black-haired boys who seemed to be very aloof towards each other - polite like cats, they were, the old granny thought - made some disparaging remarks to the yellow-haired one. Fights ensued - and were dispelled quickly but violently by a pink-haired girl who seemed to find some kind of relief from knocking her friends about. The oldest member of the group - a man with curious metal face guards merely gave the team a look - and they all subsided to focus on the food.

"We aren't supposed to interfere," the man said calmly into the silence. "So, there is less immediacy -"

"Excuse me, excuse me!" the yellow-haired kid asked, his eyes scrunched up in puzzlement. "What's 'immediacy'?"

"It means we don't need to hurry, idiot," one of the black-haired kids snorted.

"So, there. Is. Less. Immediacy," continued the brown-haired man coolly, which once again silenced the whole group. "That means we can focus on tracking and keeping fit while we are on his trail. Besides, our pace has been gruelling, so we should be getting there quicker than a lone shinobi who most likely will be travelling with more care."

"Do we know he passed this way?" asked the pink-haired girl.

"Hmm... There's a rumour someone with his vague description dropped in three days back. But I'm sure we'll pick his trail up again outside the town. It's not like he's trying to hide his tracks. I am guessing he thought Tsunade would send someone after him, after some time..."

"If you are talking about a tall-ish man with grey hair, a light-gold sedge hat, a mask and only one eye showing, he did pass by this shop three days ago," the old lady said wearily, as she set yet another bowl of ramen down before the yellow-haired boy. "Didn't talk much - just ate and left - jumped into the bush he did - just behind the restaurant. I guess he was in a hurry -"

The brown-haired man smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your help. It's imperative we pick up his trail quickly."

"Oi..." the blond said around a mouthful of noodles. "I fought oo faid phere'th -"

"Idiot!" the pink-haired girl smacked him, causing him to choke on the noodles. "Don't talk with your mouth full, pig! You think people want to see that stuff?"

"Sorry, sorry," the young man with no etiquette blushed, turning to the quiet, dark-haired girl with pale eyes. "I won't do it again! It's a bad habit... I gotta work on it, for real!"

"Hey! Dammit! Why are you only apologizing to Hinata?" The violent girl, looming over the blond, was pulled back suddenly by the two black-haired young men.

"Don't pay attention to the idiot," said one of them - who kind of looked like the Uchiha renegade. "It'll only infect you..."

"So-sorry, Sakura-san," the shy girl whispered.

"Now you're freaking Hinata out, Hag," the paler dark-haired one interjected coolly. "Just -"

Another dustup ensued, ending with the brown-haired leader making everyone apologize and chip in to pay for the meal and any damage to the furniture. The group left as they had entered - arguing loudly - hiding an undercurrent of worry. The proprietress of the store shook her head looking at the mess and wondered if all shinobi had to be this way.

It was eerie. Standing there among the young trees which had grown in the small glade. Somewhere behind him, a kilometer or so back, he had passed the stream they had crossed as young shinobi. All of them, serious and trying to make the best of a bad situation - their poor teamwork skills barely held together. Kakashi's 'genius' had made up for many of the lacks in the team - but when push had come to shove - they had lost Rin anyways.

Kakashi, long ago, had wondered whether the situation would have turned out the same if his attitude had been different. Even now, a grown man and Hokage of the Village - on bad days, this fact still came as a surprise to him - he couldn't say for sure. All he knew was that regret never could mend the past.

Time goes on, and when I am an old man, I probably will still wonder. That's something I can't fix - but this problem...

The Copy Nin's careful eye perused the glade. The trees had grown up to the hump of earth which swelled out of the ground like an abnormal swelling. Time had brought grass, weeds and flowers to the glade - and there was something softer about the small hill which had buried his friend. The old trees surrounding it were empty of enemies - and now bore the signs of life: bird's nests and small chittering animals.

Judging by the untouched undergrowth, Kakashi had a feeling that no one came here often. It certainly was an out of the way neck of the woods - and had no real value for anyone - he supposed. In the future, perhaps, as populations swelled, the rotting skeleton of Obito would be uncovered before the inexorable process of development.

Or maybe not.

There's something here... Kakashi could almost feel it. Something off. Something that seemed to stand at the corner of his eye - never quite there, but something...

Jumping upwards, Kakashi carefully surveyed the perimeter. Turning left and then right, he stood there trying to put his thumb on the undercurrents he could sense - Slipping his hitae ate up, the Sharingan eye widened at the sight of swirling chakra. It probed outward along the edges of some kind of barrier. Jumping back, Kakashi's brows frowned at the sight of a slowly decaying seal which had been attacked to the trunk of a tree further back.

It was a wide kind of spiritual barrier. Not physical - otherwise he wouldn't have been able to enter - yet, this barrier had been placed there, judging by the condition of the seal, a long while back.

Why? What could possibly be here? Kakashi frowned. Surely it couldn't be... Obito? Or someone else? So many people died here that day - I remember blacking out - and then waking up... Sensei was above me telling me that he had teleported thanks to the seal on my kunai...

All those nins, Kakashi had been surrounded by, had died - he had always supposed. Now, years later, the Copy Nin wondered what happened to them. Did they also join Obito? It was ironic to consider how such enemies would find the same resting place together.

But then, everyone turns to dust - enemy or comrade, Kakashi sighed. Except for this... this thing... this entity - whatever it is - judging by the state of the seals and the weak barrier... Well, it looks like some of it has been leaking out - which explains why there was a limit to its power... I wonder when the seal will give - and what will happen when it is freed. I can't tell the origin of the seal - it probably was a Rock Country monk who applied it... Ah... this is going to be problematic, seriously, if we don't find another way to seal it in...

Night fell slowly - and as the last glimmering rays spread over the deep valley of thick trees and tall fungi, Team Tenzou finally drew to a halt. Ignoring Naruto's complaints, the team made camp, building a fire quickly and efficiently while Sai and Sasuke were forced to team up as aerial reconnaisance with the map and a flashlight. With those boys out of the way, Tenzou teamed up with Naruto to set up some simple barriers - and after assuring their security, Tenzou, under increased nagging from the young people, erected one of his wooden houses.

"That's the best thing about traveling with Tenzou-san, Hinata," Naruto told the Hyuuga girl with a bright smile. "He offers the best accomodations, really. Have you gone on a mission with him before?"

"N-not extensively, no," Hinata admitted. "But his jutsu is so rare, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, there's that. But his houses are the best. Hey, Tenzou - did you make us some beds this time? Sleeping on the floor is so uncool..."

"Oi, Naruto," Tenzou sighed. "I'm not a hotel..."

"A table would be nice too," Sakura added. "I think I'd like to whip up a few medicinal packs for everyone - just in case -"

"Sakura... you as well..."

The girls had left for their "bedroom" - no doubt, Sasuke thought, to talk about the boys' bad behaviour throughout the day. It annoyed him to admit that he was probably going to be one of those 'boys' as well. Sasuke didn't want to be caught glaring at Sai like an Academy student - but sometimes it was all he could do. Not that it really helped him feel better - still...

On top of that, Sai was able to smugly show off a new jutsu. An Earth-type jutsu - something that could make a nice baked-clay fire pit. As the usual teammate for Tenzou, Sai obviously had thought of a way to bring the fire indoors without burning the house down. The young men huddled around, warming their hands and comparing past missions to the current one. Naruto was wondering if he would be able to try a new jutsu out - much to the annoyance of the other young men.

"I wonder if Hinata will be impressed," Naruto wondered.

"I wonder," Sasuke repeated ironically, feeling like he was further from impressing Sakura than ever. "Do you seriously think jutsus will win a girl's heart over?"

Naruto sobered up, thinking on it - and for a moment, the guys had a shared wish that getting one's girl could be as easily conquered as a simple jutsu. Life would probably be much easier -

But winning girls' hearts over takes more than jutsu practice, surely, Sai thought. There was that one book I read - perhaps I should skim through it again. It had a lot of useful information...

"I read a book once," Sai began seriously.

"If I could get a penny for every time you say, 'I read a book once'," Tenzou asked. "I would be a millionaire. But okay - what did you read?"

"It was not a usual book," the artist continued in his deadpan voice. "There was a time when I wondered what girls were really thinking. So I thought I would look beneath the beneath and become a spy as it were in enemy land..."

"Oi..." Sasuke sweatdropped. "Do I want to know what you did?"

"Ehhh..." Sai gave everyone a cool stare. "I didn't think all of you were such pussies... It was only a girl's book on the subject of dating. After that, I never thought of the whole process the same way..."

"Is that how you managed to attract all those girls?" Tenzou stared at the aloof boy. "Not a bad idea..."

"Sai has girls? Since when?" Naruto wailed. "I thought he was - you know - an idiot and all... when it came to girls."

"Like you should talk, Naruto," Sasuke grumbled. "I would never want to go out on a double date with you either."

"Well, Sai seems to have a handle on it - more or less," Tenzou pointed out. "Believe it or not, he has a girl to come back to every time a mission is ended. More or less."

"Well, it can be hit and miss..." Sai said modestly.

Sasuke and Naruto stared at the young man pole-axed as their minds tried to wrap around the concept of Sai enjoying the rewards a relationship with a woman could bring.

"Free sex... he gets free sex..." Sasuke was heard to mumble incoherently.

"WHAT?" Naruto's voice reached a new crescendo. "Sai! You gotta be kidding me! Well, Sasuke, if that's all you want - I'm sure Sai could set you up. He has gotten better... I guess reading does pay off... Besides, he's got this mysterious, artistic side to him as well - which many girls enjoy too. You might want to hear what he's got to say..."

"What kind of a desperate life do I have?" Sasuke wondered aloud morosely. "To end up getting dating tips from losers?"

"Whose the loser?" Sai asked. "I'm the one getting laid."

"I can't believe we are discussing this," Tenzou sweatdropped. "What if the girls hear this?"

"Isn't it normal?" asked Naruto. "I thought guys talked about it all the time. Well... we never heard Kaka-sensei talk about it..."

"He's quiet that way," Tenzou agreed. "But then there are those books he reads... all the time. And you gotta wonder... Sexual repression is never a good thing."

"Ugh... just thinking about Sensei and repression makes my brain hurt. What are we thinking? Besides, it's neither here nor there," Sasuke sighed. "I just need a way to win Sakura over. One thing that I learned in the past year is that Sakura is the only girl who has held onto me for the longest. She has tried the hardest to understand me - and all she wanted was for us to return to a time when we were working together as a team. When I went to see her, I thought she would say 'yes' - so easily. Because of her - well, you know - she liked me since... well the first day since academy..."

"That we all knew," Naruto nodded glumly. "We really had no chance."

"But then she said 'no'... and it was such a shock. Why would she say 'no'? Doesn't she like me? Whenever we talk, I feel like she's giving me signs..."

"Well, if you approached her too roughly, she would say 'no' out of self-preservation, you must understand," Sai shrugged his shoulders. "She's a strong girl and knows what she wants - but she also wants to be treated like a flower. You know, if you own a flower, you need to water it, give it sunlight and tend it well. It will die if you pluck it from the ground..."

"Perhaps, Sasuke needs to learn how to take care of a flower first," Naruto suggested. "Then when he can take care of little things, he can move up to the bigger things in life..."

"Oi... Naruto," Tenzou said uncertainly. "I think Sai was being metaphorical... You don't literally think he should grow flowers? Do you... Sai?"

"Well," Sai smiled sweetly. "It wouldn't hurt... but then..."

"It wouldn't help either," growled Sasuke, glaring at his teammates. He wasn't sure if they were pulling his leg or not. "Take this seriously."

"We are, idiot," Naruto frowned at his dark-haired teammate. "If you went to her with the whole 'I need to make a clan and you need to make my babies', of course she's gonna turn you down. Who wants to be locked away in that musty house? What about her job and her life?"

"You will need to meet her equally," Tenzou agreed. "There was this time, I met someone on the battlefield - sometime after Pain - and they were a person who had been independent all of their life. Even worse, for a long time, this person loved someone else, so -"

Tenzou stopped as he realized that the three boys were not even listening to him, but were huddled together whispering. From behind Naruto and Sai's hands, whispers filtered through:

"Yuuhi, wasn't it?"

"Most definitely. The only one to catch Captain Tenzou's eye."

"Totally understandable, eh, Sai?"

"She is very beautiful."

"Is she the one with short brown hair?"

"No, Sasuke, you know - the long, purple-haired ANBU who was dating Hayate-san."

"Hayate... that name seems familiar..."

"The coughing Chuunin Examiner, you remember from way back when..."

The three stopped at the sound of another kind of coughing which sounded more ominous. They turned slowly - to meet the dreadful gaze of Tenzou. Flickering shadows fell over his scary eyes, making Tenzou's impassive face seem even more ominous. Sasuke, Sai and Naruto shivered and fell back, as the ex-ANBU operative loomed over them.

"You thought my story was boring or something?" asked Tenzou. "At least tell me so to my face... Or is it something else?"

"N-n-no, Tenzou-sensei," Naruto weakly disagreed. "You can go ahead. We're listening - right, guys?"

"Right..." Sasuke quickly answered.

"Where was I?" Tenzou scratched his brown hair.

"At the part where you met an independent but beautiful person," Sai replied calmly. "The problem was that she had been in love with someone else."

"Right - so, this person I fell in love with was still in love with a person who had died. And because this person had died a hero, trying to save the village - it was hard to live up to that kind of a love. For a while, I thought, it was all about me. I wasn't the one who was trying hard enough. I did lots of crazy things..."

"Like..." Naruto began and then stopped. "Never mind."

"But in the end, all I had to do was show her that I was thinking about her welfare - and wanted her to be happy. It wasn't just about me."

There was a long moment of silence broken only by the fire quietly crackling.

"And?" Sasuke said shortly. "So?"

"That's all," Tenzou smiled. "It's a heart-warming story, isn't it?"

"Like hell it is," Naruto yelled. "I mean - what kind of ending was that? We don't even know if you got together with her! How is that encouraging? How's that going to help Sasuke?"

"If you don't like it," Tenzou's eyes started to transform. "Why don't you talk about your success with Hinata-sama?"

"Ehhh... You've had success?" Sai asked. "So soon?"

"N-no well... it's complicated, okay?" Naruto glared at them all.

"How is it more complicated than anyone?" Sasuke asked. "Spill it."

"Well, you know, everyone tells me that she's been watching me all this time - but for me, it's taken awhile to see her good sides. I knew she was cool - when she fought Neji at the Chuunin Exam. How she held onto her ninja way - that was the best thing ever to see. That's when I realized that she was a girl who was really strong inside. There were so many missions we had together..." Naruto blushed. "I was really dumb... but when we went against Pain... I kinda got smacked upside the head in a real way. It came out in the open - how much she really cared. After that, it's been kinda hard. I mean, after the war, I talked to her - but it has become kinda complicated what with her family and all..."

"Her father?" asked Tenzou. "He shouldn't have a problem with his daughter marrying the future Hokage. Or has he got someone else in mind?"

"Well, there was Shikamaru - he comes from a good clan - and he's plenty smart."

"I thought Temari has got him," Sasuke blinked. "Weren't they together just the other day, walking down the street?"

"Now, that's a whole Asuma-Kurenai thing, isn't it?" Tenzou laughed. "A kind of open/secret relationship that is surprisingly deep. Walking through the streets, those two - it's kind of nostalgic. And of course, I think the Rokudaime likes to poke fun at them and watch them squirm. Haha..."

"No, no. Shikamaru is out of the question. But if Sasuke's name wasn't so black, I'm sure the twisted old geezer would try for that kind of alliance - or... with Kakashi himself... or... with someone like Neji."

"Isn't that incest?" Sai asked. "Well, I guess, the Hyuuga want to be picky about who marries the clan head - the clan head being a girl. But what has Hinata said about it?"

"Hinata is standing firm," Naruto smiled. "Quietly, but firmly. We don't talk about it too much - but Neji is pretty cool with it too. Which is great - because we need all the help we can get."

"Just make Hokage and you'll be fine," Tenzou smiled.

"Or you could elope," Sai shrugged. "Whatever works."

Naruto shook his head.

"No, when I am with Hinata, I want it to be an honourable thing. And it will happen at the right time, when it should happen. Until then, I just gotta show her that I am still waiting. And that's what you need to show Sakura, Sasuke. That you are thinking about her interests as well and can wait until she's ready. And you should start out small - helping her with missions, bringing lunches -" Naruto suggested.

"- or paying for lunches -" Tenzou added gloomily thinking of his failures in the kitchen.

"- or buying her flowers. She likes flowers," added Sai.

"- or finding out what kind of hobbies she likes and joining her in them," Naruto nodded.

"There are lots of things you can do, Sasuke," Tenzou smiled at the dark-haired Uchiha. "I am sure you will succeed if you put your heart into it. Good luck. And remember, we're here - right behind you - watching your back!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Sasuke sighed.

Kakashi opened his eye to the dawn light filtering murkily through the leaves of the exotic trees overhead. He had hidden himself well the night before - and felt rested. More rested than he had in years, he had to admit to himself.

Well, it's not like surviving yet another world war and becoming the Hokage are the most easy things to achieve in life, the Copy Nin thought morosely. Still... one would have thought in this time of peace, that there would be rest... Ironic that only here - among the memories of those slain can I find a good night's sleep. I wonder what my resident psychologist Iruka would tell me that means... Well... if one grows up in this kind of ever frenetic feeling, it's no wonder that I am more comfortable here on the field than at home.

After stretching, re-checking his surroundings and his seals, washing his face and finishing up a little breakfast, the Copy Nin returned to the empty glade and checked the seals. They seemed to be the same as they had been the night before. However, Kakashi didn't think they were going to last for long.

What I need is someone to tell the nearest temple about this situation - and get some kind of a seal-ing type ability monk here. New seals should do it - and maybe an attempt at an exorcism. And I can't leave this place - with it so volatile... so... After a long moment of thought, the Copy Nin summoned his favourite dog, Pakkun.

"Yo, kiddo," the short squat pug dog raised a paw in greeting. "What's going on?"

"I need you to send a message back to Konoha for me," Kakashi replied seriously, as he finished his message - knowing that Iruka would have something long and tiresome to say about his scrawl. "It's important."

"What else is new?" Pakkun replied, letting Kakashi insert the small note into the dog's leg bandage. "You in trouble again?"

"Well... I don't know yet," Kakashi smiled a little. "I'll let you know if I am."

"Small mercies."

"Now, now..."

"You still owe me for last time. This is gonna be worth two bones now."

"Sure, sure."

"That's what you always say. Who would've thought that the new Hokage is a skinflint?"

"Hey..." Kakashi sweatdropped. "I'm not that bad, seriously."

"Well, I'm off. Do you want this delivered to anyone in particular?"

"To the closest shinobi who will be following my trail," Kakashi replied after a moment's thought. "They might tell you to pass the message onto Tsunade as well. She's the interim Hokage right now..."

"Things that bad, huh?"

"I don't know, Pakkun," Kakashi sighed. "I thought my past would stay dead - like everything else. But I guess, that's not to be."

"Fill me in later, okay. Take care, pup!"

"I will..."

Kakashi watched as his childhood friend disappeared into the bracken and then turned with set shoulders to look at the situation before him. He would figure this out - it was his duty.

"What were you guys up so late for?" Sakura frowned at her unusually quiet teammate, Naruto. The blonde had seemed full of good cheer - but like his other male comrades, there was a subdued air about him - thoughtful and quiet. It was nice for a change, but the pink-haired medic couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"We were just talking," Naruto shrugged. "You know... Sakura?"

"Yeah. What?"

"You know how people make mistakes sometimes, right?" Here, the blond-haired shinobi dropped his voice discreetly.

Discreetly... Sakura blinked at rare sight of Naruto being serious. She had seen Naruto sober up and take charge every now and then. In those minutes or seconds (however long they lasted), the medic wondered if she was seeing the future Hokage of Konoha. And maybe a picture of what Naruto's father had been like.

"Yeah..." Sakura wondered what had gone wrong now.

"Well, it's kind of normal for everyone to make mistakes - the question is really whether we can get up from them and try again. And the people around us have to understand, right?"

"Sure..."

"And you know, Sasuke is a great guy - he means well. It's just that, I think, his life has been so messed up and complicated - that... he has a hard time understanding others much less himself. So things come out wrong..." Naruto scratched his nose. "He's a lot more like Sai, you said that... once..."

"Hmmmm..." Sakura tried think what Naruto was really saying - and failed. The roundabout vague way in which Naruto was talking made for a puzzle. "Are you trying to say... Oi... Naruto... what are you trying to say?"

"Well, I heard lately that Sasuke kinda blew it with you. And I just wanted to ask you to give him another chance."

Sakura frowned. The concept of people talking about her "date" with the Uchiha wasn't surprising - but still, disturbing. But then, she reminded herself. I do live in a ninja village. It shouldn't be surprising...

"Okay..." she agreed slowly. "I guess..."

"Awesome!" Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up and dropped back, sharing a wink with Sai - and gave Hinata small smile.

The dark-haired Hyuuga girl smiled back softly, glad that their plan had worked, yet again. Now they had to figure out Shino...

One second, it was a beautiful day with blue skies and puffy white clouds. The same kind of clouds Shikamaru would have liked to watch. Every now and then, the genius strategist would pull himself out of the planning offices and sit on the Godaime's head with the newest Hokage. Sometimes, a shoji game would be involved. On days like those, one wondered how anything could go wrong.

One second, it was mid-morning - the next second, the sky disappeared behind a dark grey swirly dome, encapsulating the nin and the glade in darkness. Kakashi stood there, stunned as he realized that once again he was sealed away. But this time, it was stronger and thicker - the original source's chakra pulsing through the air like a living thing. This time, he was alone.

For a moment, Kakashi thought of Pakkun and was relieved. That feeling was short-lived however as a familiar crackling sound echoed around the dome. When lightning formed above his head and shot down from the top to target him, Kakashi wondered if he was going to survive the day. There was nowhere for him to hide - and more than ever, he wondered if this could truly be the work of Obito.

And if it was Obito, how would he be able to battle his oldest friend - and the guilt which had accumulated since that day?

BONUS:

How the Boy's Conversation Really Ended

Hinata's pale eyes gleamed in the moonlight as they flew open at the raised voices which emanated from below the two kunoichi. For a moment she lay there, then turned, trying to find some soft spot on the wooden floor. Hinata considered making her sleeping bag a bit more padded in the future. And maybe buying some ear plugs wouldn't be amiss either.

"Those idiots," Sakura's voice spoke into the darkness a few seconds later.

Several minutes passed as the two girls tried to find sleep - and failed. The voices were steadily rising... and then lowered, unexpectedly. The two kunoichi sighed with relief. By what seemed like only a few seconds later, Sakura's light doze was broken by someone yelling - she thought it was Naruto.

Her eyebrow twitched.

"I'm going to kill them," she muttered.

Hinata had to agree. Sakura raised her foot.

Below, the boys were berating Sasuke's lack of appreciation for their hard work - when their argument was broken by an ominous thumping sound which cracked the wooden ceiling above them.

"I think we should go to bed, boys," Tenzou said nervously.

"Yeah..." Naruto hastily slid onto his sleeping blanket. "She'll be pissed if she doesn't get her beauty sleep."

Another thump sounded and the boys fled to bed. A pissed off Sakura was the worst travel companion!

Chapter 7: Faces of the Past

"... they shall not enter his rest..." (Bible)

Sitting on his haunches, back to the heap of rock now covered in small soft grass and moss, Kakashi cocked his head upwards and glared at the shielding. Although many had lauded the man as a genius, at the moment, the latest Hokage of Konoha felt anything but. There didn't seem to be anything for him to do except dodge.

He was thankful for his arrangement with Pakkun. There were many faults Kakashi could pinpoint within himself - and one had always been to rely on himself. This had been particularly true as a young shinobi. Kakashi's run in with Itachi had retaught him that lesson the hard way. Not to mention that Gai's continued bragging ("My rival would have died if I hadn't stepped in! That's why, Lee, you must never be too proud to call for reinforcements!") was a little grating...

Pakkun, he was sure, would be quick to find reinforcements as soon as possible. Then luck would have to be on his side and between he and his rescue team, they would both attempt the same move as last time - hitting a weak from both the inside and outside. There was a few problems to the whole scenario, however. Kakashi hoped the group would come to the same conclusions as he had.

Perhaps my luck will be really good and Shikamaru will be one of my reinforcements... ah... but that's impossible... he's away on the border - sent there by my order. Kakashi sighed. Well... one could hope that whoever backs me up will notice the same problems...

Kakashi's ears caught the warning telltale sign of the lightning coming his way. It seemed a little slower this time - at a more human pace - but the strength was strong, and now at close quarters, a little unnerving in its familiarity.

It's like being targeted by a chidori... A weak one - but one nevertheless... I just need to avoid it though - until the other team shows up. If they recognize the same issues, we might be able to figure it out... Kakashi once again reviewed the situation as he darted around the rock again. This is different from last time because we are at the original site - so the strength of the attacks and defense is totally different. As in, stronger. Albeit, it is less quick - which means that perhaps before, the attack was more general and more guess work. Here... It seems a bit more... human... if possible... Plus the shielding is a bit more solid than before and being smaller has no real weak points... at least none that jump to my eye...

Kakashi mentally added a Hyuuga to his dream reinforcement list.

Tsunade... I hope you will be your usual unreliable self and send some after me in a fit of pique. From here on out, I just need to avoid the attacker and keep my chakra in reserve as much as possible.

Underneath the certainty, he stifled slowly wakening anxiety.

"Something's coming up, Naruto," Hinata's Byakugan widened. "It's -"

Everyone halted on their respective tree branches and waited tensely - a few drawing weapons as the bushes rustled ominously. Then, suddenly a brown patch of fur sprang out of the undergrowth, hurtled towards Naruto's head, twisted and landed awkwardly by the Hyuuga girl who jumped back a little. Tenzou relaxed immediately at the familiar chakra signature.

"P-pa-pa-PAKKUN?" Naruto yelled in recognition. "What are you trying to do - kill me and Hinata-chan? You need to be more -"

Naruto's mouth connected with Sakura's fist as the medic dusted off her hands and turned to the small pug dog.

"Never mind the idiot," she glared.

Pakkun sweatdropped at the site of Naruto imbedded in a tree several meters off. Hinata had already ran over to apply salve, followed by Sai whose motives were more than likely less sincere.

"I wasn't really..." the small pug dog settled down on his branch and side. "I don't have time to play with you today. Kakashi has sent me to Konoha - or to find his reinforcements who should be headed his way."

"We ARE the reinforcements," Tenzou sighed.

"Well, that's just great..." Pakkun sighed. "Now the pup is in trouble, surely."

"What are you complaining about?" Naruto had returned back to his spot accompanied by a worried Hinata and smirking Sai. "We're the best!"

"Oh yes," Pakkun agreed. "But for this situation... it's a little delicate."

"Tell us, and quickly," Sasuke urged. "Time is running short I should think."

"It's in the message."

Pakkun held his paw up - and Tenzou, jumping forward, extricated it to read the scrawled message.

"His handwriting hasn't gotten much better..." Tenzou smiled. "But... I think I get what the problem is. We'll carry it out - you'd better go on to Konoha and let Tsunade know."

"Okay. See you guys later, then," Pakkun jumped off with the message reattached. "Take care of the young pup."

"Will do. Okay, we need to regroup quickly," Tenzou nodded. "The situation has gotten a little more interesting than we suspected."

"And?"

"Naruto. Just let me finish. Kakashi-senpai - I mean, the Hokage -"

"Whatever," Sakura flapped a hand. "He's still Baka-sensei to us."

The rest laughed a little, relieving the tension and then sobered up quickly.

"Okay, here it is. He says he went back to the original site of Obito's death. Which he gave the coordinates for. No problem getting there then. Well, apparently, there were seals around the area in a circular pattern - no doubt sealing something in. But over time... for some reason, they have begun to decay and lose their power and ability to hold whatever was inside in."

Naruto nodded, remembering the fox demon's seal on his stomach. That too would eventually fade with time as his chakra and the fox demon's melded together. Until then, though... Naruto shivered. The supernatural was never an easy concept - even for a ninja.

"Kakashi-senpai fears that the seals will blow totally. He is still not is sure how this is tied to lightning or why Obito would be involved in this - but it IS at the same site of Obito's death..."

"So what does he want us to do?" asked Naruto.

"Well, he suggests one thing - more of a command - but I'm going to make some changes."

"Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura and I are going to go ahead to Kakashi's coordinates. Sai and Naruto, you two are to go in search of a temple in Rock Country."

"Whatever for?" Naruto glared. "Why can't I just go with you and blast it all away - I've got this new -"

".To..."

Naruto shut up at the combined glare of Tenzou and Sakura.

"Okay. Sure."

"What you'll need to look for is -"

"A priest - or monk to redo the seals so that the effect of the spirit will be lessened." Sai nodded. "Understood. We'll fly there and back in no time. I'll just need the coordinates."

Within minutes, the two parties split up, their eyes sober and serious as they considered the facts before them. No doubt - Kakashi would attempt to reconnaisance - and they would have to back him up. They just hoped they would get there in time...

It wasn't Obito. It wasn't...

Kakashi, panting on the other side of the mound, refused to believe it.

It can't be. The level of malevolence is something he could never summon. He was bright like the sun - loud and outspoken with everything... Although there were moments where he could feel incredibly depressed. I guess, he was mercurial in everything he did - like Naruto...

But this - this can't be him - and yet - the lightning seems to be something like the chidori - which he saw that day...

Kakashi frowned as he contemplated the mystery - the seals - the forest - that day so long ago.

Unless... what happened that day in the glade... woke something that had been sealed there. Even though we battled there for a short time... Perhaps in the battle between Sensei and the other shinobi, the seals were weakened... and whatever was here before we came woke up... Obito's death - the death of those other people could have affected the spiritual plane in some kind of way... and it's working through -

Kakashi's eye widened as the lightning began to form into a more coalescent thing - spikey hair - goggles - and a body half-crushed...

"What about over there?" Naruto pointed at a large dot on the map. "It's close and it looks bigger. With that population size, they'll have to have a temple."

"I see you have learned how to use a map key," Sai smiled appreciatively. "It's nice to know that you have grown a bit more -"

"Oi..." Naruto glared. "I could read maps before, you know."

"I didn't think you could - you always end up in the strangest places on a mission - I assumed that either you had no sense of direction or just couldn't read a map..."

"It's luck, luck, you know." Naruto snorted. "You wouldn't know about things like that! It's part of my life as a Jinchuuriki - ending up doing things normal people wouldn't do!"

"Yes, well," Sai replied, knowing that the blond would be irritated. "At least you know where you are now..."

"SAIII!"

The bird swooped low over the trees to land in the lower portion of the city. Shinobi and civilians stared as the blond jumped at his black-haired companion, missed and fell off the bird and face-planted in the dirt.

"SAI! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"After the mission," Sai replied. "Right now, we need to find the temple. Or should I give you a dowsing stick and let your famous luck decide?"

All bets were called off.

Ting. A distant bell vibrated -

A familiar dark presence closed in on her and she reveled in the call. It was the voice she had been trained to recognize - and then, she sensed it - An ancient enemy she had been disciplined to defeat.

Ting. The bell vibrated again -

The air, tinged with the scent and taste of burnt ozone - lightning sparking as it met lightning - and an unfamiliar face formed with chakra raising a hand upward - against a masked man -

Ting. Her eyes sprang open.

The time had come.

"We are here looking for an experienced sealer to aid us," Sai was saying smoothly to a non-plussed Temple Guardian. "Perhaps there is a monk who would be able to decipher and create seals -"

"You'd have to talk to the Kunijo..." One of the guards said, stroking his chin. "Or perhaps, Sukiharu..."

"HEY!" Naruto interrupted, loudly. "We don't have all day! Our sensei is in trouble - and we just need someone to help us help him! If we don't get -"

"It is said that 'patience is the key to joy, but haste is the key to sorrow'," an old creaky voice cut softly into Naruto's tirade silencing the rising grumble of the guards. "With time, a solution will be found - but not before it is too late - or too soon... It appears that you need a monk with the ability to seal... Hmmm... the one we normally send out is away on another errand to the North and will not be reached in time..."

"I can go, Old Man!" A strident young voice interrupted both the aged monk and a rising 'What?' from Naruto.

Sai's and Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of a monk - and then froze in shock as they realized that the monk wasn't so much of a monk as a -

As a -

"Hey, hey... Sai..." Naruto whispered out of the side of his mouth. "What is that?"

"It's not a 'that', Naruto," Sai murmured. "It's a she. I think."

"Can girls be monks?"

"No..."

The black-haired artist had to admit to being a bit confused himself. He was sure that this temple had been a Buddhist monastary... There had been no mention of nuns at the gate...

"So what are girl monks called?"

"Nuns..."

"So she's a nun..."

"Oi. She is not a nun!" The girl snorted. "She is right here. She can hear you - and she's gonna kick your ass - if you don't shut up."

The girl wasn't so much a girl, the boys saw - as a young woman. Neither tall nor short, neither too skinny or too fat, the girl monk looked more like a young man than a boy. Her hair...

"Hey - hey..." Naruto whispered again, now more freaked out than ever. "Is it okay for girls to have no hair? And isn't she a bit flat-chested for -"

Sai's black hair lifted gentle as Naruto flew past him. Once again, Naruto found himself plastered into the road's opposing fence way - across from the temple door - with a familiar red patch across his nose. The dark-haired artist didn't react to the violent chakra steaming before him. Merely he smiled and waved a gentle hello at the young-woman-not-a-nun-but-not-quite-a-monk.

"We'll take anyone we can get," he said, now more than ever, careful with his words. "We just need an experienced monk who would be able to seal a potentially violent spirit away. This same spirit has been attacking countries at random and causing various natural disasters. It would be best if we could get someone this very minute."

"Well, Chiriko is one of our best. Raised as a young girl, by her father, one of our fellow monks -" Another monk nodded and glanced at the aged monk. "Our Temple priest, Father Hiyuu, was her father's teacher and has led us all in the way of -"

"Monks can have kids?" Naruto interrupted, waving a finger at the girl. "What kind of monastery is this?" He had extracted himself from the now decimated wooden fence and was limping over.

Sai sighed, "Naruto... nobody is born a monk. They choose it - or do not... so what if a man decides to live the rest of his life in a peaceful way -"

"Just seems shady to me - I hope they can help us..."

"I'm just the monk for you then," Chiriko smiled lethaly, brandishing her staff. "I have successfully sealed spirits that would keep you awake, nights on end, for fear of them -"

Naruto said nothing, considering the thought of having a handy ability like exorcising. It would mean that he wouldn't get so creeped out by missions like these...

"Well," he shrugged. "If you're the one, we need to hurry."

"You're the one to talk," Sai murmured - but he drew up a bird without a word and within a few minutes, the two ninja were lifting up and away, a strange monk at their side.

It was confusing to contemplate such a thing - such a person. It was a friend - an enemy - a bit of both and also neither. Death had brought clarity and confusion, multiplicity in meaning and also simplicity. There was no right or wrong now, perhaps - only a knowledge of what must be done. And the goal had come - the final task to complete.

It would be difficult - even inside oneself there was a war between the memories of all who had lain in the forest and died there. The indifference of the animals, the hatred of Stone, the warmth of Obito and the cold memories of the original chakra - Together, they spiraled - hundreds of voices lightly held in sway.

"IT'S A PITY." The mouth of the nebulous form didn't move but the spectral voice now seeping out of it continued on as if nothing was amiss. "A PITY... I THOUGHT YOU'D BE, WELL... DIFFERENT..."

There was a pause.

"OLDER? YOUNGER?... WELL, IN THE END, IT DOESN'T MATTER DOES IT?"

Another pause.

"OR DOES IT?... I DO NOT SENSE IT IN YOU, HATAKE..."

"Sense what, exactly?" Kakashi asked softly and carefully as he edged back from the creepy, shifting aura - the loosely formed chakra sculpting a forbidden memory.

It was Obito - but now, Kakashi knew, it couldn't be - not fully. The face hadn't changed -although the colours were all off. The face was much more monochrome and faded - and the body was shifting, transparent one minute, solid the next. The eyes of Obito were dead - the eye - the empty socket of the uncrushed face seemed to suck the life out of its surroundings. Like a small blackhole. And then, there was the name - 'Hatake'. Obito would never have called me that.

"YOUR CHAKRA..."

"What about it?" Kakashi edged back, avoiding two probing fingers which were reaching towards his head. He jumped upward and looked down at the slowly turning embodiment. "Not much has changed from that day, you know -"

"YOUR CHAKRA..." repeated Obito. "IT'S NOT WHITE ANYMORE... IT USED TO BE WHITE... WHAT HAPPENED, HATAKE?"

"This and that," Kakashi replied evasively. "What do you want?"

"YOUR CHAKRA - OR RATHER, NO - FIRST, YOUR EYE AND THEN YOUR CHAKRA -" The spirit paused then, as though there was some kind of inward struggle. "DOES IT HURT, KAKASHI?"

Kakashi blinked in surprise then - not just at soft utterance of his name but at the question. It is Obito then? Or partly? Or some kind of active memory... something...

"No," Kakashi shook his head. "It doesn't..." He cocked his head then and scratched his grey hair. "You need my white chakra for what?"

"YOU'VE FORGOTTEN YOUR HERITAGE, HATAKE... PERHAPS IT IS YOUR FATE TO DIE IN IGNORANCE."

Without warning, the body disappated and lightning reappeared - striking downwards at the Hokage. Kakashi, remembering his technique earlier that month, let the lightning run its course and he channeled it along - but this time it was different -

Something's wrong -

The ground was opening up at his feet - a large dark rectangle holding a coffin.

What - No - Obito!

"Well..." Chiriko said, when she caught sight of the purple-black sealed dome. Sai's bird settled by the rest of the team who were standing there, watching it. There were several small craters in the ground nearest to the dome - signs of Sakura's detonations, no doubt. Hinata, in a tree, was standing watch, her Byakugan activated and trained on the shield. Naruto, without a word, hopped down and ran over to Sakura's side. The pink-haired medic looked anxious.

"We can't get in," she said.

"It's not just that," Sasuke said. "Being smaller, the shielding is thicker. Not like before. So we can't just cut through it."

Tenzou added, "So we'll need to get some kind of a monk to redo the seals and maybe we might be able to draw the power off of the shielding enough to break it with ninjutsu - Any luck there?"

Naruto jerked a thumb at Sai and Chiriko who approached them.

"It's been a while since I've seen something like this," Chiriko said softly, her hands just hovering over the purple-black. Her voice seemed to be filled with awe.

Naruto shivered, creeped out. Why can't I just meet normal people on a mission - just once? Is it too much to ask? And why do people have to get so fascinated by this stuff?

"You've seen this happen before?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, here in fact," the woman-monk smiled coolly. "It's a common enough hotspot. There's someone trapped inside, I guess?"

Tenzou's eyes hardened - and he glanced at Hinata. The young Hyuuga woman nodded minutely.

"Yeah. The Hokage," Sakura was saying. "Can you help him?"

"The Hokage, huh?" Chiriko paused then. "The HOKAGE?"

"Yes," Sasuke sighed. "The Hokage. You might find it unbelievable, but he is the type to have a more hands-on approach when it comes to personal problems."

"The Hokage of Konoha, otherwise known as the Copy Ninja Kakashi?"

"That's the one," Tenzou nodded carefully, his hand resting casually on his kunai holster. "The one and only. Which is why we need to get him out -"

"THAT Copy Ninja Kakashi," Chiriko's face was now darkened with outrage. "Otherwise known as the infernal dickhead, whom I'd like to -"

At that point, Sakura covered Naruto's ears.

"We've got a problem," Sasuke had said, watching as Chiriko sat on a particularly high branch on one of the surrounding trees. She was chewing on some kind of oat snack and looked particularly relaxed as she watched the purple and black swirl together.

It had taken Hinata, Sasuke and Tenzou to pull first Naruto and then Sakura off the woman-monk. A particularly hard thing to accomplish when Chiriko had calmly stated that she would have paid an arm and a leg - and half of Stone, too - if it meant she could get front row tickets for the Copy Nin's death scene. When the obnoxious woman had withdrawn, Hinata returned to her perusal of the shield, looking out for any weak spots or signs of life inside. The rest regrouped.

"We've got a problem," Sasuke said.

"That's an understatement," Sakura replied sweetly.

Inside, Inner Sakura was screaming as atomic bomb-sized explosions detonated: HELL YEAH! THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCREW UP SINCE OUR FIRST CHUUNIN EXAM! HOW COULD SAI AND NARUTO PICK THE WORST MONK-NOT-MONK OUT OF THE WHOLE BUNCH? SERIOUSLY! KAKA-SENSEI IS SO DEAD! THAT NARUTO!

"What are we going to do?" she asked Tenzou.

Tenzou looked thoughtful. "We'll have to send Sai back for another monk. The rest of us will have to wait. Wait and see."

"WHAT?" Sakura and Naruto yelled, scaring a flock of birds from the tree.

"He has a point," Sasuke agreed.

His calm voice caught the two hot-headed nins' attention and the dark-haired Uchiha snorted. For a moment, the three of them were reminded briefly of the old days - the good ol' days when Sasuke, the more rational one, had to calm down his teammates - while Kakashi read his book in the tree. Things were different now - but in some small ways, Naruto thought, they haven't changed. Like how Sasuke is always figuring out the answer first...

"I mean..." Sasuke shrugged. "Kakashi-sensei IS our Hokage. He's no slouch. If he can't take care of it by himself, he's not fit for the job. Besides... he wouldn't be really happy with us if he found out that we were interfering with what he thought was his personal business."

"He's got a point," Sai said.

Naruto glared at the equally cool artist and turned around to point up at the unconcerned face of Chiriko.

"I'm not done with you yet, bitch!" He screamed. "Our Hokage is gonna come back and totally kick your ass - and if he doesn't, I will!"

"Yeah, whatever," Chiriko flapped a hand. "It's not like he didn't ask for this. I mean, duh, this is Stone. Between White Fang and Copy Nin... it's shouldn't be surprising. I mean, look at what they did to us. It's been a long time coming - and you know, if you knew anything, you'd know that we aren't the ONLY ones..."

"It was war," Tenzou replied mildly. "And it was a long time ago. After all, against the Akatsuki, we fought together and bore no grudges. Why should past deeds return to haunt us now?"

Chiriko shrugged and then smiled, "I've no grudge against you all. Everyone will remember the name and face of Naruto. And his friends in Konoha. But... that was because it was for the greater good - for our benefit. Now... in times of peace, we can remember and regret and hate again."

"That's just... dumb," Naruto rolled his eyes. "I mean... you should know better. As a monk - or whatever. And you're... old... what about being mature and setting things aside? I'm going to be Hokage one day and if you don't show me your goodwill now - then I might think twice before coming to the aid of Stone in the future."

Sakura, Sai, Tenzou and Sasuke looked at the blonde-haired nin as though Naruto had grown two heads.

This is new, the Uchiha thought. He's actually thinking things through on a political scale. Interesting. There's hope in the world.

I must be hallucinating, Sakura thought. That's it... the stress...

Well, it's valid argument, Tenzou nodded in agreement to himself. It's showing more mental maturity than I would expect. But that's Naruto for you - as Kakashi-senpai always said - the number one ninja for surprises!

I thought he'd go for the Harem no Jutsu... Sai thought. But this works...

Chiriko said nothing for a long time in response and then she sighed.

"If I was one of those perfect priests you read about, it might work, pip-squeak."

"I'm not a -"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke said absently, watching the woman-monk carefully as Chiriko rose to her feet.

"But I'm not. And I can't help it. There are my reasons - which you can't ever understand."

"I wouldn't be so hasty," Sasuke said then. "It would be strange for a young person such as myself to give you a lesson about the dangers of revenge... but if you want..."

"Calm down," Chiriko rolled her eyes at the group. "I'll help your oh-so-lofty Hokage - when I am sure he absolutely needs my help," she said. "Not a moment sooner. So don't forget that, future Hokage."

"I promise I won't," replied Naruto, his blue eyes more serious than normal. "And Konoha will thank you -"

"Blah blah," Chiriko shrugged, sitting back on her branch to watch the purple and black shield. "I can already sense I'm gonna regret this..."

"WE'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR YOU, HATAKE."

The darkness was up to his armpits now, pulling him down, inexorably as though he were being sucked into some kind of eye genjutsu. A long time ago, a teacher had once told Kakashi that far away in the sky there were holes of nothingness which undid the very fabric of matter. Black holes.

Kakashi had up close and personal encounters with those as well. His eye genjutsu, after all, as a kind of space and time disruption. Tsunade had found it very interesting, but Kakashi, citing work, had escaped her experiments. And just looking around him, he knew that this was some kind of genjutsu - but one so strong even his eye could not see through the fabric.

He was in the darkness, his fingers the last to linger in the light and then he was nothing but white lines, transparent and incorporeal. And he felt it - as much as he felt the darkness - the depression and the despair that weighed them all down as the years passed on. Trapped in the seals in the niche of time. Timeless and yet so aware of it.

"WE WANT TO BE FREE. WE WANT TO LIVE."

The Copy Nin's arms were becoming animal paws. and his face was unfamiliar and awkward. Black ice and waters spreading under his feet showed some kind of a mirror - shapeless and horrendous in its mutation. It wasn't his face. It was some man who had been a Stone shinobi long ago (guessing by the outdated uniform). The paws were shrinking.

"WE JUST WISH WE COULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME WITH EVERYONE."

Rocks caved in down on him, trapping him on his back - his back to the formless waters which lapped up coldly against his white-line skin. His nonexistence. He was looking upward at the disappearing faces of friends - wondering what life would have been like given a chance - regretting - wanting just a few minutes more to know the new Kakashi. To have another chance with Rin.

Rin.

Kakashi thought of her - holding her limp, cold hand, unable to cry. Obito's eye wet his hitae ate - for Rin, for his broken promises, for the Yondaime, for the devastation of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

It made his heart ache all over again with regret as Kakashi remembered and relived it again and again.

"IT'S A SHAME..."

Regret.

"YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO SAVE HER, AFTER ALL, WERE YOU?"

No, I wasn't able to save her, Obito.

"DID YOU EVER SAVE ANYONE, IN THE END? DID YOU EVER LIVE UP TO THOSE EXPECTATIONS?"

I don't know, Obito. I'm sorry...

Rin's hand in his - her eyes now empty. She had died looking up at him, still so very much in love. And he had never been able to return it.

He had failed.

Kakashi lay there, floating above the face of the waters. Incorporeal arms now made real pulling him down and under. Binding him in soft layers of regret. And in the dark, two fingers searched for his eye - searched for him. Searched for a chance to transform in the power of the legendary white chakra.

Chapter 8: Eternal Luminescence

It is amazing how fragile the lines of life can become - as the senses fall into blackness and the delineations of "I" blur within reality. Body becomes nothing - and the spirit floats in the ether, surrounded on all sides by softness that is nothingness. One is surprised because surely it should be cold here - but it isn't - it is comforting like a mother's womb - it is a return to the beginning - it is outside of time. Instead, there is only emotion - and Kakashi, for the first time, could not hide behind the physical - what he had never really fully faced came toward him - sadness, loneliness, shame, and lingering traces of regret...

"Regret, Kakashi?" he could almost hear his Sensei's voice - it seemed so odd hearing it in this place of nothingness it startled him to some kind of wakefulness - no - awareness. It was if the slowly fadingness of his existence had strengthened...

It was a memory - a press of chakra on his body - his sensei's presence. The tightness of his sensei's hand on his arm, pushing Kakashi's body back down onto the hospital bed. Sensei's light voice seemed to bind him - relax him - and he floated there, releasing the tension for a moment - until he turned his head.

"How could I not?" Kakashi sighed. "I was a fool - an idiot - how can I face the village the Hokage - you know what they will say -"

"Since when did you care about that?" asked the blonde-haired Jounin. "I will not speak to you as a student, Kakashi - for you are a kohai now - a fellow Jounin - young, foolish, perhaps - but one who has been through more in one day than some of us have experienced in a lifetime... Listen, there are some burdens we are not meant to carry."

"Regret?"

"Regret is one. Perhaps the eye you now bear is another. The shame of your clan, too. Whatever it is you read in the eyes of those who look down on you. When you agree with them, when you feel that regret, you - and you alone are the one who is pulling a burden onto your own shoulders."

"A burden, hm... Sensei has had regret too?" asked Kakashi.

"Of course, it is part of life," was the calm reply. "And there will be more regret even in the future - but I will try my hardest to make the best choices - so I can die with the least amount of sadness."

For a moment, the two of them sat there - Kakashi in the hospital bed, still recuperating from the battery of testing to ensure that his chakra system wasn't going to rebel against his new implant. His sensei had made a point to visit him everyday - as well as Rin. At first, Kakashi had tried to behave nonchalantly - often going so far as to encourage them to relax at home and not take the trouble to ease his passing hours of hospitalization. Rin protested and Sensei had given him a look.

"We can't come in for a full day, of course," the blonde-haired Jounin had said quietly. "Konoha will have to work hard to recuperate against such disaster - but we still want to visit you for a short time. Relax and get better so we can help Konoha with more missions."

"Right," he had sighed in response.

So now he sat, deep down, enjoying the presence of his sensei - wishing that he could be as wise when he grew older. In the future, he thought lazily, drifting off to sleep, will I still be carrying these burdens which Sensei talks about?

"It takes a strong man to take responsibility," Sensei was saying. "But it takes an even stronger man to let go of whatever he controls and forgive. Even yourself."

Kakashi's eyes closed and then opened to the darkness. He could feel them - the half-alive, half-dead memories coelescing around him.

"There are some things I regret, Sensei. Like, you, Obito. Perhaps, there are some that will weigh me down - but they won't burden me. No, they will fuel me - memories of those lost will keep the flame burning inside - a desire to never lose the ones I hold precious again."

"YOU HAVE HOPE THEN, HATAKE?"

"Well... sort of..."

"THEN YOU ARE TRULY IGNORANT -"

"Not as ignorant as you," Kakashi said softly. "To assume that I would believe that this is Obito. I am not sure who you are - but this I know - this isn't the one who said farewell to me so many years ago."

A memory flashed in front of him - he was falling back, rocks moving towards him - crushing him, and two faces - and there was regret -

I just wish...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF ME? OF WHAT I DESIRE?

I just wish I could have spent more time with everyone...

"It was a wish," Kakashi replied. "But not born out of selfish wants. Obito wouldn't wish anything else but love and a desire to see us happy - all of us together... not like this - Isn't that right - Obito? You loved Rin - didn't you? You just wanted another chance - but you know, you're with her now - and you are happy, aren't you?"

There was silence.

I KNOW THE BOY'S TRUE HEART, AFTER ALL, I HAVE BEEN PART OF HIM FOR SO MANY YEARS, HERE IN THE SILENCE...

"But only a part of him," Kakashi repeated stubbornly, his grey eyebrows drew downward in anger. "And you mock his memory. Obito - you know the truth, right? Even more than yourself, you wanted the best for Rin and I remember you together in the end -"

Silence. Then... Dropping like stone into a still pond - the ripples widening, widening, brushing up against his face...

"Kakashi... I..."

Before him - with each word, Kakashi saw it - an approaching light. A familiar presence - a shock of dark hair, googles strapped across the head, and the Uchiha symbol on a shirt sleeve. And he could feel it - his hand and his body slowly materializing. Without thinking, his hand reached for his tanto blade, drawing it swiftly, and laying it with his chakra. The light was behind him - Obito's presence beside him - and the darkness flickered and pulled back, shrieking.

"Hey, hey! What's happening! Look at the dome - it's warping or something!" Naruto waved a finger.

The dome, around which the teams had placed themselves, was indeed swirling at a higher rate. Instead of curving upward calmly, the circular shape began to pulsate as though huge currents were racing through it like waves - upward and around - dashing against each other. Bizarre bubbles were begin to grow along the outside, popping outward and then disappating.

"Yeah," Sasuke snorted. "We can see that - but it's still holding."

He flicked out his katana and, layering it with chakra, tested it's electric edge against the dome. It was like hitting a wall - although, for the first time, there was no outgoing response to his attack.

"See, still strong - but... weakened, I think," the Uchiha said. "My eyes tell me that there are conflicting masses of chakra in there right now - which is why the dome can't attack us..."

"A chance for us to mount an assault?" Tenzou asked.

"Perhaps."

"Kaka-sensei..." Sakura glanced upward at Chiriko who was staring with interest at the dome - her expression furrowed, eyes intense. "I hope you're going to be alright."

"I'm sure he will be," Tenzou said. "He is, if anything, a survivor. Besides - I have a feeling he's sorting it out now - you know him - taking his time to figure things out."

"It's that whole, 'gotta be cool' persona, isn't it?" Naruto huffed. "Sakura-chan, you should never worry about people like that."

"N-na-naruto-kun," Hinata stuttered. "I'm not sure..."

"Well, it looks like the Hokage isn't going down without a fight," Chiriko said, landing beside Tenzou gracefully. "I'm impressed."

"Whoever decided to tussle with him is going to regret it," Tenzou said.

"Hmmm..." Chiriko paused and then sighed. "I guess I should help the poor thing."

"Poor thing?" Sakura glared. "Who's the poor thing?"

Inner Sakura: Are you dissing my sensei, bitch?

"I'm talking about the spirit," Chiriko said. "I've got to seal it before it gets destroyed."

"Whaaat..." Naruto yelled. "What are you? Some kind of freak sympathizer?"

"Now, now," Tenzou said. "As long as she is doing her job..."

"Interesting sense of timing," Sai murmured, glancing at the young woman who, after seating herself crosslegged, pulled out a long scroll and began to chant to herself.

It was a repetitive mantra but none of the ninjas could make out the exact wording. Halfway through, Chiriko pulled out a small jar from the recesses of her monk's habit and opening the lid, she continued the phrases she had obvious memorized by heart from early childhood. Chiriko suddenly did seem like the best kind of monk-lady-person to have around. Naruto sniffed.

People like her were annoying - being obstinate one minute - and all helpful the next. It just didn't seem natural. There was probably something up her sleeve. The dome was now flickering dark and then light - obviously some kind of massive fight was happening - judging by the chakra flares, it must be serious, thought Tenzou.

"I'm sensing three people!" Sakura said, turning to Hinata. "Are there people in there?"

"I don't see any specific body," Hinata replied, her Byakugan trying to penetrate the flickering shield. "But I don't know if it's the shield or not. Plus - the only real body signature I'm picking up is Kakashi-sensei's!"

"GHOSTS!" Naruto shivered. "It's not ghosts is it?"

"Who knows?" Sasuke grinned at the Jinchuuriki's discomfort. "What are you, a scaredy cat?"

"It's no joke, Sasuke," Naruto said seriously. "Ghosts are serious shit. I wouldn't want to be around here if it was a ghost. You missed out on all the creepy photographs and Genma's story-telling techniques."

"I am kind of wishing I was there," Sasuke said.

"Me too," Sai smiled. "It would have been interesting to see how dickless ninjas respond to old wives tales."

Sasuke's eyes hardened and Naruto growled.

"Sai! I'm gonna -"

"Sai..." Tenzou's voice cut into the beginning of Naruto's diatribe, turning on the young man. "Now isn't the time to be cracking jokes - as I am sure you know. If you find find yourself on the run from the Rensagan or the Chidori instead of the Hokage, I'm sure you can explain your actions to the village's Elders why the Hokage was held up..."

"Right, right... sorry guys," Sai said airily. Very obviously unrepentant.

"Hatake Kakashi?" Bright, yet dark eyes met dead pan ones. "Hatake - who are they? Hey, I'm Uchiha Obito, nice to meet you! I hope we can work well together right? Aren't you excited! First mission! I'm gonna kick ass!"

Kakashi, feeling short and awkward, had no idea what to say to that. He was still trying to decide if "Hatake - who are they?" was impolite. Should I take umbrage at that? It's not like we are super important really... and he's an Uchiha. Which means that we will have some talent in our group - so that's great - no useless baggage to slow us down... I wonder if that girl is any good... her name isn't ringing a bell...

The young Chuunin, meeting his group for the first time, wondered if this was really going to be okay. Turning to his sensei, he quirked an eyebrow.

"Now, now, Kakashi, we talked about how this would eventually happen," Minato Namikaze, student of the great Sannin Jiraiya - and sensei of the Hatake brat, laughed easily. "Obito and Rin are going to be our new teammates - so we can go on missions -"

"But we've gone on lots of missions before," Kakashi objected. "And we did just fine."

"Well, yes," the blonde-haired Jounin agreed. "But those had to be tailor-made for us - now we can do the full range."

"Nice way of putting it," was the laconic reply.

"So that means we get to guard a princess, huh?" Obito jumped up, fist in the air. "Fight off the bad guys and save the day! Kick some evil ninja's butt and learn new jutsu!"

"I don't think that's how it's going to go," Rin shook her head. "I talked to my dad. He says it starts out easy. With smaller missions, right? Rank Cs and Rank D stuff..."

"Like cat catching," Kakashi said. "And gardening, dog walking, fixing fences..."

"No way!" Obito looked horrified. "How are we gonna look awesome doing lame stuff like that? We will never grow to be great ninja!"

"All ninja endure such things before given the chance to become great. If you are responsible with small duties, you can grow to be responsible with great duties," Sensei's eyes were serious as he stared at the energetic Uchiha. "If you can't learn to have good attitudes about 'boring' duties, you won't become a good teammate - and you may end up caught off guard when things don't go the way you planned, right, Kakashi?"

"Yes, Sensei," Kakashi stiffened even more, trying to look like the serious, responsible soldier he had been trained to be.

"Kakashi could tell you tons of stories that began with a 'simple' scouting mission which went totally haywire because people had bad attitudes, got bored and slacked off."

"But, Sensei..."

"Besides," Kakashi said. "I've heard some rumours that there is a war brewing - which means that very soon, Uchiha, we will be all wishing for a more peaceful time."

"Kakashi's right, Obito-kun. Right now, we need to focus on trying our hardest to improve - and then we can worry about the big missions."

"Okay..." Obito glared at the white-haired Chuunin. "Don't worry, Kakashi, one day, I'm gonna be the best Uchiha ever! You watch!"

"I'm not worried," was the world-weary reply.

How we rubbed against each other, eh, Kakashi?

"Obito..."

We had a hard time seeing eye to eye - but this kind of thing - whatever has come between us here - it needs to be stopped before anyone else is harmed.

"Obito..."

Together, I'm sure we can kick it's ass and get back home - just like the old times!

"Just like the old times, eh..."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as the darkness coalesced, as the dome shrunk, rising slowly. His tanto blade swung forward, striking into its heart - and over his shoulder, Obito's hand reached forward sending forward pure light - together, they moved in tandem - as they had done in the past. Finishing his swing through the shadow, Kakashi turned away followed by sparks of electricity. Obito ducked down, his white hand gripping a kunai firmly and moved forward - invisible to the entity's eye at first, thanks to Kakashi's guard, and then he jumped forward -

Ri-na-tan-sha-ku-chirin-raku-rau-ron...

The dark spirit was pulling away - but Obito pursued inward, not letting it go -

Ri-na-tan-sha-ku-chirin-raku-rau-ron...

Kakashi pursued Obito, and jumping up, swung his blade down, cutting through the shadow's shoulder and down the chest. It sunk in and for a moment stuck - electricity and shadow conflicted - roaring up and around the combatants. Kakashi held on grimly and Obito leaned forward for another attack - from behind this time, pinning the enemy between them.

Then, just as before - Kakashi could feel it - see it -

Two men in the glade. It was familiar and yet strange - it was the glade he was in - but years and years earlier judging by the early stages of growth. The trees were young and bent in the wind, the grass plentiful and the stream more visible through the thin foliage. Two men in the glade, shifting uneasily as they sized each other up. One had long white hair pulled back in a ponytail -

Kakashi knew instinctively that it was - Father? - and the man opposite, wore a Hidden Stone hitae ate. A man who stared at his father in disappointment and disbelief.

"We were - are friends, aren't we?" he asked, voice filled with anger. "How could you do this?"

"It's my job, Shion," was the tired reply. "You know it. I might say the same to you two weeks back. You don't think I can't recognize your jutsu signature during that border raid. I was part of the clean up crew."

"So it's to be this way," Shion said softly. "As all of the ones before us."

"I'm sorry," Sakumo sighed. "We can choose to walk away from this, hoping never to meet again - or we can make battle with respect."

Shion, a dark-haired, green-eyed ninja, better known for his sealing techniques, smiled then, widely like a shark finding his prey.

"Then we must make battle - revenge and respect - whatever it is."

For a moment, Kakashi's father didn't seem to respond, but then he nodded, pulling his favourite tanto blade from his sheath and swung it easily before settling into the usual stance he took for offensive-defensive moves. White chakra flared along the blade and his eyes were set with resolution.

"However it ends, then, we can end it as honourable friends -"

"Friends?" Shion spat. "Even if I were to die here, my ghost will search for you and bring about your ruin."

"You give yourself no chance for any kind of peace," Sakumo said. "That is only madness."

"It is justice."

"I am truly sorry, friend," Sakumo said. He darted forward, knocking back Shion's shuriken easily. The two men drew close, Shion's kunai fending off Sakumo's blade.

Kakashi could feel Shion's desperation. Stopping Sakumo meant saving Stone's newest encampment on the other side of the mountain. Sakumo was no doubt sent on some kind of an assassination attempt, since an important general was recently placed there. This wasn't just for himself - there was his family and his clan honour - there was his wife and his unborn child. He hoped it would be a boy.

Almost reflexively, pushing away the unwanted emotion – the Copy Nin jerked back, pulling on the blade up and out of the shadow. The memory faded. He stood there, feeling clammy – gasping a bit – as though he had been dowsed in freezing cold water and had been pulled out at the last minute. Beyond, Kakashi could feel Obito's attack pressing forward – the shadow was twisting and writhing – trying to escape.

Ri-na-tan-sha-ku-chirin-raku-rau-ron...

Kakashi heard it – the steady thrum of an inexorable call. It was an exorcism – they had found a priest after all.

Ri-na-tan-sha-ku-chirin-raku-rau-ron...

Obito wasn't letting it go though.

Kakashi... this thing cannot be allowed to live. It must be laid to rest forever.

Without any verbal response, Kakashi's chakra-layered blade slashed through the shadow as it pulled forward to the priest.

Ri-na-tan-

It was cackling with joy in victory -

-sha-ku-chirin-

It was screaming for release -

-raku-rau-ron...

It split in two and then disappeared into a small clay jar set before the crossed legs of the priest. For a moment, there was a stunned silence – and then an ominous crack cut through Naruto's first words "Kaka-"

CRACK! CRRR-ACK!

The lid was trembling violent – everyone backed away, including the priest. Kakashi blinked. Or not a priest at all. A woman? Who was dressed as a monk? What...

Before he could say anything -

BOOM!

For a moment, the world went white, and he could hear the anger, the pain, the force of the spirit released through the wilderness. Winds whipped up, bending the younger saplings down, roaring through the large trees. Obito was there beside him – he could feel his friends familiar presence -

Kakashi... I'm so glad we could work together, one... last... time...

And then he, took was gone.

When everyone opened their eyes again, the forest looked exactly the same – the grassy hill which had been created by a Stone jutsu long ago, the surrounding thickets of bush and tree, the birds who slowly swooped back to their nests – and the shinobi who got to their feet, dusting themselves off.

"Holy crap, what was that?" Naruto yelled. "It's that idiot priest lady again!"

"Hardly my fault, idiot child," screamed back Chiriko. "You have to blame your Hokage for that one!"

"Now, now," Kakashi said.

"Don't 'now, now' me!" Chiriko snarled, obviously not at all impressed by the fact that the Hokage had just defeated a ghost. "You just showed severe disrespect to the dead! Those who guard the Underworld aren't going to be happy with what you did!"

"Before this," Tenzou sweat-dropped. "I would have just brushed her off – but you know, Hokage-sama, you might want to listen to her. She's a little... strange for a monk, but defeating a ghost -"

"That was a ghost!" Naruto turned pale. "Baka-sensei! What are you doing, pissing someone off like that. He'll totally come back to haunt you!"

"I can write up some talisman's no problem," Sai smiled.

"Yo," Kakashi frowned. "You guys are totally losing your cool. I'll be fine, seriously." He turned to look at the hill of grass, set his hands before him in a short prayer and bowed his head in thought, This was obviously a kind of person who had died long ago – who had targeted me thinking I was my father – and it didn't help that Obito had died her long ago with a whole bunch of Stone – thanks to the Great War... this place... it's been filled with too many ghosts – now... it can have peace.

"Kaka-sensei?" Sakura asked. "You aren't worried that he's going to come back?"

"Your Hokage certainly seems to be the overconfident type," Chiriko snorted. "Typical of the Hatake Clan men."

"I wouldn't say that Kakashi-sensei is overconfident," Sasuke said coolly. "Rather, he understands, more than we do, what situation he is in right now. He was, after all, the one inside the dome."

"Ha! And you know what they say about pride before a fall."

"Perhaps it takes one to know one."

"What does a squirt like you know anything about this kind of thing?'

"You'd be surprised," Sasuke said softly.

"Eh? Tongue-tied?"

"Nevermind the blabbing hag," Sai shrugged. "I know these types."

"What type is that?" Chiriko's fist was shaking in a warning kind of way. Sai wasn't fazed at all. His eyes widened a little – but then he tipped his head and the offered his trademark smile.

"The type that get you all scared and and stuff and then charge extra fees for their service."

"Really?" Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Why?"

"Fees, Naruto-kun," Hinata repeated. "Money."

"It's about making money? FRAUDS! Chiriko-san is a fraud! KAKA-SENSEI! Can't we fire her or something?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the woman. "Get back our money?"

"You gave her money already?" (Sakura, several veins popping.)

"Idiot." (Sasuke, shutting his eyes and turning away from the unseemly sight.)

"What money? I didn't get any money from you!"

"You so did – when we donated at the temple gate!"

"That was just an ordinary offering! Skinflint!"

"Fraud!"

"I'll show you fraud, incompetent ninja!" Chiriko was head to head with Naruto now.

The grey-haired Copy Nin raised his head and sighed.

Forgive them, Obito, for being so noisy...

"Boys – and, uh, Chiriko-san. Let's go now."

"But Kaka-sensei – Chiriko-san said..."

"I understand now what it is all about," the Kage picked up his battered straw hat and slung it off his neck. "It was a matter of old disputes which should have stayed dead – but, I think, now the ghosts have laid to rest, there will be peace. This place, after all, has been the site of so much death, it is no surprise that ghosts would remain here."

"But the ghost -"

"Is long gone," Kakashi said finally.

"How do you know?" Chiriko's dark eyes fastened on the Kage's face. "How can you be so certain?"

"Because it was destroyed. That is why the jar broke. Not because it was weak – but because the spirit was already in the middle of implosion when it was placed inside. What happened today was an absurd string of events – an anomaly." He turned away from the mound and jumped upward onto a nearby tree. "I was dead for a short while – when Pain attacked the village – so I met some people – I met a few who had already passed over... and... well, I know that those who have passed on, remain so. They are happy where they are – and have found the ultimate peace."

"Wow..." Sakura blinked. "I never thought about it that way..."

"Hey, hey, so Kakashi died and came back to life... is he... a zombie? Sort of?" Naruto asked.

"Hardly," Sasuke snorted. "Idiot."

"I'm not an idiot! It's a fair question."

"Well, it's not a nice question to ask – seeing as half the village was in the same position," Sakura glared at Naruto. "Besides, he is totally healthy – as far as he can be..."

"What's that supposed to mean," Kakashi said, leading the rest back to Konoha.

"Your lack of energy, for one. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't something physiological – maybe a kind of mono or thyroid –"

"You're over thinking it," Sasuke interrupted abruptly. "Trust me."

"Still... I don't see how Kakashi's death helps him understand..." Naruto complained. "Someone explain it to me!"

"Naruto," Hinata finally said. "I-I think what Ho-hokage-sama is s-saying – is that he think that what happened today was only a build up of chakra at a certain place – fuelled by the death of some important ninja long ago..."

"Oh."

"So since the ninja is dispelled – no one will come back to harm anyone." Hinata paused and thought and then added, "Even Stone. That attack – I think it was meant to put division between the new allies."

"Oh."

"Hinata understands, Naruto," Tenzou added, "... that our new treaties are still very fragile. It would be very easy to cause trouble between everyone – so it's a good thing that we were able to stop it in time."

"I see."

Naruto looked up ahead at the man they now called Hokage. The sun was now lower in the sky – casting longer shadows – and watching the shadows rise and fall across the Jounin up ahead, Naruto couldn't help but remember. It had been a red-gold day when the unwilling Hatake had been (more or less) forced to swear the oath – to protect the Village – to be the Hokage. Kakashi's initial laconic attitude had annoyed Koharu, amused Tsunade, enraged Iruka and reminded everyone that no matter what happened, there were some things that never changed.

But when the ceremony started, Naruto mused, he became serious – and well – solemn because he knew what it meant. Really knew what it meant... And, even though he wouldn't choose it of his own free will, Kakashi had known that he was the current best man for the job – since others had died in the war. The Nara, Hyuuga, Akimichi and Yamanaka had made that decision knowing all of that... which tells you that... everyone understood the importance of doing their duty... For me, becoming Hokage is natural – it's something I worked towards all my life – and when I finally achieve it – I will take it as a gift... but it will also be a duty – a responsibility...

"Wow, he sure is quiet," Chiriko's voice broke into his thoughts. "Wait – I think he's thinking!"

"Oi," Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Shouldn't you be – I don't know – going back to whatever temple you come from?" He turned to Tenzou, who had come up beside him. "Where did you get her from?"

"The closest temple – but she doesn't look like she's headed home anytime soon... I think she has a thing for you –" Tenzou shook his head.

Kakashi glanced at the woman-who-was-a-monk – now brow to brow with Naruto. She was a fine young woman (although her yellow-orange garb was a little off-putting) – probably closer to his age – but, unlike him, hard as Stone (which considering that she IS Stone, shouldn't be a surprise, he thought). Inflexible. Strong. Maa, I'm stubborn, too – but it'd be awkward if she stayed with us the whole time, seriously.

"By thing, you mean..."

"She hates you," Sai said helpfully. "Enough to sit back and watch you die – I think she said something about buying a ticket for the front row seats."

"Great," Kakashi sighed. "Great... If she hates me so much, can't she just – leave?"

"I have to keep an eye on you," Chiriko said suddenly, leaving Naruto behind nursing a throbbing head from Sakura. "Just in case something comes back. It's what you call after-care service."

"What care?" Kakashi quipped. "Seriously, go home. We will be fine."

"No, no," Chiriko shook her head. "This is best. I had business in Konoha at any rate – it's not all about you, you know."

Kakashi sighed. It didn't seem like this day was ever going to end.

When the whole group finally limped into Konoha – Sakura had been quite liberal with her blows as much as she was with her medication – everyone couldn't wait to get alone. Although many of them had been looking forward to travelling with their old sensei again – Chiriko's presence added a tension none of them wanted. With the boys on edge – and more than willing to respond to the monk-woman's provocations, Sakura had her hands full. Kakashi seemed to find more amusement from the whole situation then she thought appropriate – and Tenzou followed his senpai's lead.

And I think he's a bit of a sadist too... huffed the medical kunoichi. Jounin are just nuts...

But they got home – and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Chiriko sped off with a vague, "I gotta visit the temple, 'kay, bye!"

"Finally, we can have some peace and quiet around here," Sakura sighed. "At last."

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded. "It was getting tense there, seriously."

"You should talk, Baka-sensei," growled the kunoichi. "You were totally useless!"

"Now, now, I just want you guys to learn how to deal with diplomatic situations. It'll come in handy when you three lead this village."

"Keep buttering them up," Tenzou smiled. "They might believe you some day."

"Hah! Unlikely!" Sasuke sniffed. "I'm going home. See you all tomorrow."

Sakura and Sasuke left at the same time, jumping off in different directions to get home and take a shower (Tenzou had flat out refused to add a bathroom to his night lodging). Naruto walked Hinata home -

"Just so see that she gets back safely," he said. "There are people around I just can't trust –" Here, he glared down the street at Chiriko who was coming out of a souvenir shop. "Going to the temple, my foot! C'mon, Hinata," he turned to the dark-haired Hyuuga heir, offering an arm. "Let's get you home!"

Hinata felt like she was going to expire from the sudden attention Naruto was giving her – but (and here, her eyebrows furrowed with determination), I'm going to make the best of this opportunity! It's the chance of a lifetime!

So the two walked off at a sedate pace – Naruto keeping up a running commentary with an occasional word from Hinata. Kakashi had a feeling, watching them slowly make their way down the street, that things might work out for the better sooner or later. Not that he was into match-making for real – but there were those times he had enjoyed slyly needling Asuma about Kurenai when the couple went for their "long walks".

The Sandaime would be pleased, he thought... Although, I'm sure the Hyuuga will have a thing or two to say about it – and then I'll just get nagged by Koharu to do something... and I'll have to tread lightly...

By then Sai and Tenzou had also disappeared for a drink, inviting him along – but he knew that somewhere out there in Konoha, a certain dark-haired Chuunin was waiting for him to show up, so the Copy Nin declined with a sigh. Relaxing at the Red Dragon would be something he could have enjoyed back in the day.

But now, as Hokage, some things change.

Poking his head into the office, Kakashi knew right away that the scarred Chuunin wasn't there. Iruka's presence always stood out. There was something fiery about the man – mercurial – and vital...

I know he would have enjoyed being Naruto's right hand man – and I'm sure he is waiting eagerly for the day. Thinking about it that way – it makes sense that he's disappointed a little with having me in charge. I'm not the kind of Hokage everyone would want...

After leaving some of his notes secured, Kakashi disappeared out of the room and found his way to the carved faces of the Hokage. His was in the works – not time for him to sit on his uncomfortable hair... yet. But in a year, it would be – right up next to Tsunade and his old Sensei. The sculptors had come to him with their plans – and, Kakashi had a feeling, an unspoken desire to show the Copy Nin unmasked. It amused him.

Even now after all these years... things never change.

He sat back on the Godaime's head – and thought about the future. Thought about Naruto and Hinata – and what their kids would be like. Sakura – would she one day make a choice? Or would she always be free spirited? Sasuke, too – one day, I suppose, he will settle down and become the solid foundation of Konoha he was meant to be... Sai and Tenzou too – never quite normal – but okay with it...

And I...

I will be immortalized in rock – mask and wild hair and all... and people will walk by and point and say, "Oh yes, that guy beside the Shichidaime? He's the Rokudaime... Yes... yes... Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Nin of a Thousand Jutsus... Lazy bastard..."

Looking across the village, now brightly lit as the Sun sank behind the hills, stretching long shadows across the trees and the buildings, Kakashi enjoyed the quiet moment. Beside him, a pair of feet appeared out of the corner of his eye.

Iruka.

But for the first time, Iruka didn't scold him – yell at him – grumble at him – or say anything. He just stood there by the Copy Nin and took in the view. Perhaps there was something about the way Kakashi sat. They watched as the darkness slowly fell until the Sun was a mere sliver of a glimmer on the horizon – and now the shops were lit, the crowds noisy and relaxed after a long day – Naruto was leaving Ichiraku Ramen shop – judging by the shouts of some nearby Chuunin. And then the Red Dragon erupted as everyone settle down for a night of socializing...

"Success," Iruka finally said, sitting down by the Copy Nin. "I heard the mission went well. That's our Hokage!"

"Haha..." Kakashi laughed and then sighed. "Yeah... I guess..."

"You can annoy me, senpai," Iruka said suddenly, leaning back on his hands to look up at the slowly emerging stars. "But not even I would doubt your abilities."

"Thanks."

"You shouldn't feel so bad."

"I'm not."

"Oh."

"Why do you say that?" Kakashi glanced over at his subordinate – friend... "I don't look sad or pathetic, do I?"

"N-no," Iruka scratched his nose and then glanced up at Kakashi uneasily. "Just... more thoughtful than usual."

"I guess it was a long day – and really... hard to grasp sometimes... you think things are okay – that something was settled... you think you put it behind you and that you have grown as a person to overcome it... but then, the past raises its ugly head and reminds you of how vulnerable you are... how fragile life is..."

Iruka glanced at Kakashi's dark profile against the lights. On a usual day with full aid of sunlight, the Copy Nin was often more difficult to read. Here, in the shifting shadows, it was impossible. Still, Kakashi's voice was reflective and thoughtful – not depressed, so Iruka guessed the Copy Nin would be alright.

"So, sitting here, watching my... well... head being carved in the rock – knowing what my place is here in Konoha, becomes more meaningful. In the end, it's as it should be, against all expectations," he ended, feeling lame.

"Hmmm..." Iruka nodded. "Missions like that, I come home and look at Konoha... and I feel... like... I don't know... there are so many words to describe it... coming home to be surrounded by friends..."

"I get what you mean."

So the two men sat there, and looked over the village, just letting the feeling remain – unspoken but shared.

It is a bright day of blue skies full of puffy white clouds. Shikamaru has found some time to sit back on his favourite bench with Chouji to watch them pass by – while he still can escape Temari. The farmers, housewives, students and ninja continue their daily lives, working and playing under the sun.

It is on this kind of day, that you can find, if you are lucky, the Hokage in the mission room... But no, judging by Iruka's raised voice, he's lounging on the Godaime's stern head.

On days like these, you wonder if it's too good to be true. But it isn't – because you are home. And you are not alone.