Lost and Found

Summary: 10th October: a day of mourning, sadness and anger, but also the time to remember the dead, the lost and forgotten, be it elder or child, shinobi or civilian. A day of loss. What if the events that night played out different? What if something, someone thought to be lost forever never was?

Actual timeline:

"…"– speech

'…'– thought

Flashback:

"…"– speech

'…'– thought


Chapter 1: Nightmare

He knew where he was. How would he not. The light colour of the round walls, the blue carpeted floor, the row of huge rectangular windows on front side, normally providing a great view on the village and a feel of welcoming for everybody who enters the door. One of the reasons he didn't mind the paperwork … that much. Regardless of how many piles there would be and of the day's current weather, one look from his desk to the window and all his sorrow and boredom would disappear immediately. Normally, but not today.

Today he didn't want to look out there. He didn't want to see the village, the state it was in, didn't want to hear the screams of horror anymore; he heard them long enough. But he couldn't avert his gaze, couldn't close off his ears. Against his will, his body moved. Automatically. Like a hidden power would guide him. He knew well enough he couldn't resist, but tried it nonetheless, like he always did. And like always it was in vein.

Slowly, he got up on his knees. He had been lying on the floor. He didn't know why, until a sudden pain on the back of his head reminded him, again. He had been knocked out, from an old friend, a person he trusted not to do something so utterly stupid. The voice of reason in the chaos. But now …Suddenly he stood before the window, not wanting to look away anymore in hope this time would be different … but it wasn't. Again, he saw nothing but destruction. No attack, no fiend, nothing was there anymore other than the desperate cries, the smell of blood and death, of burned flesh, once proud buildings reaching the sky now crumbled on the floor, holes and craters engulfed by the surrounding fires and the light of the night's full moon.

It was over. The sacrifice had been made, but the wrong one.

It should have been him; he was supposed to die, it was his responsibility to make the sacrifice … the sacrifice …

"NARUTO!!!"

Screaming he woke up, eyes wide open staring in the depth of the dark room, sweat running down his forehead into the already wet fabric of his cushion. His hand made its way to his eyes, forcing them to close only to have the darkness disturbed with pictures of a ruin soaked in blood that seemed to bleed out of the heap of rubble that was once part of the proud hospital of Konoha; a part, where once new life came into this world day after day, now turned into a graveyard for dozens of people, and one life that was never allowed to even try his luck in the world of the living.

A life that only existed in his memory anymore, a secret from the world. Had he know what would happen, he would have yelled in happiness from the Hokage Monument the moment he found out, like Kushina told him to do. At least that way he would be remembered by more than two people. But he had been afraid, afraid of what might happen to him, of the dangers his son would face once the world, and his enemies, would know of his existence.

Another memory made its way in his consciousness: A fiery red head, probably the most beautiful being he ever laid his eyes on, lying against the trunk of an old tree in the middle of a field of flowers. Her eyes closed, while her hands rested on her bulged stomach, caressing in with all the love she could give and summing a light melody that brought light in his heart.

He wanted to touch her, to tell her only once more how much he loved her, to lay one more time his hand on her stomach and feel the strong kicks of his unborn son and dream of a future, where the three of them would be in this same place again together. His wife watching and smiling while he and his son sparred and trained until their energy left and they would eat hot ramen to beat their hunger. A dream that would come every night for months, like a prophecy, only to suddenly be replaced by that horrible nightmare of a memory.

Letting out a deep sigh, he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for another day of paperwork, mission assignments and political games. He knew it was early, too early for any other to go to work, but was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep any longer, he never could after the nightmare, and without something occupying his mind more and more bad memories would torture him. That he had learned in the past five years. Since the day, where he lost the two people most precious to him.

And with a last glance at a photo on his nightstand and a silent prayer, the Yondaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, made his way out of the room, hoping once again to wake up one day and find the dream he once had coming true.


Cries of joy and happiness flooded the streets of Konoha. Dozens of shop owners going through their morning routine stopped to look around for the source, dogs began to bark in rhythm to the sound and the shinobi who were lying in bed after having had nightshift at the gate groaned in unison at their unfortunate luck. Why you ask? Because today was the most unfortunate date of the year to have night guard duty: It was the day a new generation of young shinobi hopefulls began their long awaited shinobi carrier by setting their feet in the Ninja Academy for the first time.

Especially one young girl couldn't be more happy, as for her it was one step further to fulfil her biggest dream and ambition: to become the greatest weapons master the world has ever seen and a kunoichi comparable to the legendary sannin Tsunade.

"Good morning, sweety. How are you today?", a voice greeted as she entered the kitchen.

"Today the academy starts, daddy. I can't wait to be a real shinobi", she run up to the man and gave him a strong hug that he nearly fell over. "It's gonna be great!" The man began to laugh at his daughter's enthusiasm. The girl was already wearing the new ninja gear he gave her to her last birthday. A dark green top in Chinese style and brown tight shorts, with hidden pockets for senbon and a few bigger ones for a number of scrolls. Her brown hair was put in the usual two buns, like her mother always had always worn. Every time he looked at her he was stunned at how much the girl looked and acted like her, it made his heart light to see his wife left something of her in this world.

"I'm sure you'll do great, Ten-chan. But have some patience. It will take some years before you are truly a shinobi. Enjoy the time you have till then, ok?", the girl looked at him with big eyes, but then smiled and nodded eagerly.

The two sat soon at the table eating breakfast, while the girl happily talked about what she will do once she would be a shinobi, all the countries she would visit and new weapons she would find and create, not surprisingly as she was the daughter of a weapon shop owner and one of the best blacksmiths of Konoha. "And then I will surely visit Hidden Mist and meet the Seven Swordsmen and then I will fight them and their legendary weapons and I will kick their as … eh, I mean, I will win, no doubt about that and then …"

Her story was disturbed by a blond mob crashing into her and knocking her of her chair. Taking a deep breath to get over the shock, she raised her head of the ground only to see a little figure lying on top of her hugging her tightly. Her father's laughter sounded in the background, she just knew she surely wasn't going to live this down for a long time. Slowly she put her arms around the small bundle, holding it tight while sitting up on her knees.

"Morning, little brother", she said, running her hand through the blond boys hair. "What's up?"

Whimpering silently, the boy slowly raised his head to look up to her. "I-I don't want you to leave me alone, neechan", he answered, tears building up in his deep blue eyes, threatening to run down his face. "Stay."

"Ah, Hiro-chan, I will come back soon, you know. Academy starts today, but it will only be for a few hours, then I will be back. Come on, you are a big boy now, aren't you? Your dream is to be a shinobi to, right?" Here the sad face of the boy immediately change into a large grin. "Of course! I will be the greatest ninja ever and one day I will be the Hokage! Yeah!" Laughing at the little one, the girl looked him into the eyes. "Hokage, eh? But to become that you also will have to attend the academy, like I'm going to do now. And once you are a ninja you will also have to leave for a longer period of time, and not only this house and your family, but also the village. Dad and I can't always be there with you, you know."

The boy saw that his sister was right, but that didn't make it any easier. He nodded though and let his sister go, looking at the ground the whole time, not sure if he could look her in the eyes without breaking down again. He just didn't want to be alone. The girl could see the inner struggle of her little brother, smiling at that. She knew he would get over it soon. Taking him in her arms again, she whispered in his ear. "Hey, don't cry, little brother. I promise that when I am back, we will play together, ok. And if you want, I will also show you what I learned in the adacemy, then we can study together and you will be a great ninja even before you enter. How does that sound?"

"Really? Ok, I will be the greatest! Thanks Ten Ten. But then you better listen well so you can teach me everything, got it?" Looking at the stern expression on her little brothers face, Ten Ten couldn't keep her laughter, but she was joined soon by her brother and father too.

After they had calmed down, Ten Ten bit her little family goodbye and left for the academy, not before receiving a last hug from the little desperate boy.

"Don't worry, my boy. We will have a great day at the shop. Maybe I'll show how to forge a kunai today. What do you think? You like that?" The huge grin that appeared again on his son's face told the man that everything was alright again, crisis over. He knew his son couldn't be sad for too long, it just wasn't in his nature. In his live, he only knew a hand full people like his son, and this thought raised again a question he asked himself a lot in the past few years, though he never dared to try and find the answers to it.

'Who are you really, Hiro?'


Please enjoy!

Don't own Naruto.