Returning Home

Summary : Kakashi returns to Konoha after he escapes from a prison. His home has changed and its nothing like it was before.

The sky was covered by dark clouds and mist covered the land. Kakashi felt the cool air pass through his hands as he made his wait out of an escape tunnel. The guards were all in daze and drunk out of their minds. This was the only time he could escape successfully. He had tried before, but no luck. Guards were always around, shifting every few hours. But today was different. There had been a celebration of some sort leaving them confused, and dazed.

Although weakened by the ankle chakra restraints, Kakashi was able to emit a small burst of chakra letting him climb out the hole. The Mist Ninjas were no longer as aggressive, Kakashi took out a guard by the watch tower. Kakashi slowly dragged him into a corner. Kakashi took his hiti-ate and it around a wound. He took his vest, shirt and his pants as well. He stood up, activated a genjutsu and walked slowly towards his exit.

Hours of walking towards Konoha, he peered ahead with his eye. The restraits were already dead, he broke out of it. "Finally" Kakashi felt his chakra slowly regenerate.

" It's been a long time since I've last seen the gates." Kakashi thought. But something was different, he walked faster and faster. But something was not right. The guards looked emotionless.
Kakashi released his Genjutsu and walked to the gate.

The guards hadn't recognized Kakashi. How could they, he was a tattered and broken. He looked more like a beggar rather than the legendary copy-ninja.

"Hah, like your Hatake, he's been dead for a few years now, that's pathetic." The guard and his partner tried to intimidate him. "Who are you really?" They said. Kakashi sighed, "Has it really been that long?" he thought. "Your right, I am very sorry, I am just a mere rouge ninja from the Mist. I have come to help Konoha with classified information" Kakashi spoke diligently. The Guard eye brow lifted, he spoke into his headset. Kakashi could barely hear. The guards had led him towards the town center, closer the Hokages office. He didn't see anyone he recognized, it felt like a ghost town. Suddenly three Chunin appeared out of nowhere. They stared at Kakashi with cold eyes, one of them leaned forward and lunged for an attack.

"Shit!" Kakashi leaped out of the way. Quickly disappearing from their sight, he jumped onto a rooftop. He saw swarms of ninja's appearing below him on the ground. He had to get out of here. He hid behind a civilians home. "Hopefully they won't notice me here" Kakashi was still injured and could barely move. He moved behind a shed, which had probably been abandon.

"What happened, why would the Hokage do this…" he drifted into a slumber. A few hours later Kakashi had woke up alarmed, a dog had been barking at him, with a little boy alongside. The boy started crying. Kakashi quickly got up, the child parents came out and were In shock. "Get away from my son, you fiflty scum bag!" The mother angrily and in shock came out swinging a broom at him. Kakashi jumped away. "You must be the missing-nin they are looking for!" she yelled as he made his way onto another roof top. He hadn't realized but there were ninja's everywhere. A younger shinobi spotted, and yelled for others.

"They think they know Konoha more than me" Kakashi chuckled. He had to leave Konoha, this wasn't the same town as it used to be. He sprinted towards the gates. He looked closely. Ninja's were blocking his way, along with an ANBU Captain. He charged pass them as their leader stepped out of the way. They looked at each other, sensing some sort of familiarity. The captain blankly stared at him, and commanded his group to follow Kakashi. Kakashi used chakra to make his movement even faster. One had managed to keep up with Kakashi. The ninja lunged forward and reached for Kakashi's vest, but suddenly the ninja had flung against a tree. Kakashi slid against the ground, and whipped his head around. He saw fierce emerald eyes, he was in shock. The pink haired girl grabbed his collar, eyes angered and frantic. "Who are you!"

"Sakura-chan." He gasped. Her eyes widened and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She choked out words and a raspy word came out "Sensei."

Sakura led him to an empty area, which was a few clicks from the death forest. "Ah, I haven't been here in a while." Kakashi's eye crinkled. Sakura turned around brightly and smiled. Kakashi stared, something was different.

"What happened?" Kakashi said with a serious tone, clenching an reopened wound. She looked straight ahead, "You'll see" She whistled and made a unique hand sign. Out of the blue, a genjutsu was released. Familiar ninjas were appearing along with wooden structures.

"Sakura-chan! Whos that with you!" Ino called out, others were gathering around Sakura and Kakashi. "Everyone give him some space, he needs to attended to. Hinata! Get the bandages." Two other ninjas led him into a small building

"Sakura! What happened, damn it! I don't need this right now! Why aren't you telling me anything!" Kakashi trashed around, away from the other ninja's grips. "Kakashi! Just wait." Sakura looked desperate, her eyes saddened. Kakashi slumped onto the table.

"Don't remove my mask" Sakura rolled her eyes. Kakashi sighed removing his shirt. Sakura scanned his body. It looked weakened and tattered with wounds. A green aura appeared over her hands and the open wound started to heal. Kakashi stared at the ceiling, peering away from Sakura's cold stare. "Please tell me what happened." Kakashi kept on staring.

Sakura sighed, "Where to begin?" "I have a question. Sensei, do you know how long its been?" "I don't know, a year maybe?"

Sakura sighed once again, "Its been four years, you've been dead for three years."

Silence

"Four years…I can't believe it. How was I even confirmed dead? Why are you separated from Konoha? Where's our team? Wheres Naruto? "

Sakura turned away from Kakashi. "A lot of things has happened as you know. A few months after your mission, things went crazy. Tsunade-sama had suddenly retired and didn't even say anything to myself about it, but she's been missing since. The Rokudaime was placed into power, but no one knew much about him. I think the elders did it, their controlling him. "

"The Hokage disappeared…that's a bit odd. Then why have you all separated from Konoha? I'm sure that Naruto was eligible and he'd be a pretty damn good one too."

"You didn't hear about have you?" Sakura sobbed quietly. "Everyone thought that Tsunade-shishou was resigning because she thought that Naruto was ready. We were all excited even the citizens didn't look down upon him. Naruto was brightly excited thinking he was the next one. But he wasn't. He went on rampage, accusing the council of harsh accusations. Everyone couldn't believe it. The new Rokudaime, Akira Shimizu, sent him on a mission…" She looked at Kakashi with mixed emotions.

"It was supposed to be just an S-Class mission but it turned out to be a suicicde mission." She slammed her fist on the table and tears began rolling . "Why the fuck did he do that! Tell me sensei! Why!"

Kakashis eyes widened in shock. "I don't know…"

"Now do you understand why were all here!" Sakura's voice got louder and louder. "Many of us have left the village and some were condsider traitors to Konoha. We're missining nins! The nation we've been protecting our whole lives has betrayed us!"

Yamato entered quietly into the room. "Sakura-chan settle down. Everyone can hear. Kakashi is that you?"

"Yes" Kakashi replied somberly. He could barely process what happened. How did he not hear of this. "Sakura-chan, I'm sorry…" Kakashi couldn't say anything. Sakura didn't reply.

Silenece

Sakura left the room abruptly, "Your done for now."

"A lot of us had left the village Kakashi, you do realize this. Most of us believe that something or someone is manipulating Akira. We're not sure. But I have a plan. I haven't disussed this with the others. But for now, I'll show your new room. You okay?"

"Yeah, go ahead, I'm fine." Kakashi said emotionless. "So who else knows that I'm here?"

"Uh, Hinata, Ino, and myself. I'm not sure if the others recognized you." Yamato led him through an underground passage. "I see."

"So here it is, you look worn out." Yamato said "You should rest"

"Yamato, can you tell me more? How could Naruto have died? I don't understand. None of this is making any sense."

"I'll tell you later, in exactly four hours you can come to meeting, and by the way, don't tell anyone you're here. Their might be a mole here." Yamato said as he was leaving.

"I understand." Kakashi couldn't get through him either. He would have more questions later.

Sakura stared at herself in the mirror. "Why weren't you there? You could of done something…" She lied down on her bed. She curled into a ball and tried to sleep. A picture dropped from her hand.

Kakashi woke up in sweat. Kakashi focused and got out of his bed. "Shit…" Kakashi sighed, walking into a bathroom. He washed his face and scrubbed his face. How could I have let this happened, he thought. He looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't stand the sight of himself. He backed against the wall and grabbed his head. Kakashis eye brows furrowed. He curled his hand and punched into the mirror, it shattered into pieces.

"Damn it all" He grabbed a shirt that was left in a closet , and went outside. It was dark, and a fog covered the base. Kakashi spotted Yamato outside along with Sakura. Yamato waved Kakashi over and handed him something.

"Wear this Kakashi, just cover your face for now." Yamato smiled. Sakura looked like she had been having nightmares as well.

"Its not like I'm not used to it" His eye crinkled. Sakura stared at him but turned around and headed toward a secluded area. "Lets go taichou, sensei."

Kakashi quietly followed them through the hallways. "This place is pretty big."

"Yeah, here we are." Yamato knocked lifted a panel, pulled a lever and a door suddenly lifted up.

Everyone began to greet each other. Kakashi recognized some of the people in the room. Genma, an old friend, his hiti-ate was scratched. Exiled. Shikamaru and his father were there too. Next to him was the Hyugaa Princess, Hinata. Along with the other jounins, Ino and her father, even his long time rival, Gai and his protégée Rock Lee was there.

"Ah! Whos this man over there. Hes new isn't he. Doesn't look quite youthful." Gai smiled brightly. Even he looked weak willed.

"Hes our secret weapon, I think we finally caught a break everyone." Yamato stated. " This is wonderful news." Gai smiled gleefully.

The senbon ninja replied "Eh, tell us the plan then. We need something uplifting." Genma smirked.

Kakashi said nothing and shifted in his seat a little. He continued facing downwards, a secret weapon?, he thought.

"We haven't exactly told him yet. But please listen everyone. We'll decide through a vote." Sakura was leaning onto the table.

"If anyone has any other better ideas then this please state it after ours. So we're going to use him as a mole. He'll be able to relay information back to us and tell us whats been happening on the inside.

"This seems to trouble some." Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Hes right you know, why would they let him in." Genma fiddle with his senbon.

Kakashi turned his head towards Sakura. "Because he's a dead hero." Kakashi simply sighed and lowered his hood down.

"No way!" Genma's senbon fell out of his mouth.

"That can't be!" Gai's widened.

"I still have no idea who that is." Ino remained calm. Others quietly

"Oh, I didn't think I looked that bad. I even washed my face." Kakashi frowned slightly.

"Oh…Kakashi Hatake? Your alive!" Ino was in disbelief.

"It seems so." Kakashi closed his eye.

"My eternal rival has returned from the dead!" Gai exclaimed.

"Gai, quiet down. We were surprised as well. Sakura had spotted him outside of Konoha." Yamato noted. Kakashi shifted his weight.

"So I'm assuming their possibly might be a mole in the base, and that's why I cant reveal my identity to others. I've done infiltrations before but I'm not exactly sure if I should do this one. I'm not even sure if anyone had recognized me in the village."

"What happened in the village, I never got a chance to ask you." Sakura replied.

"Well, as I tried to stroll in casually. The guards had stopped me. Normally they would recognized me instantly, and let me pass. They were strange also. They seemed emotionless and very dull. They then led me through the village, and I was suddenly ambushed by a bunch of shinobi but I managed to escape." Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.

"Did you see anyone you recognized?" Sakura questioned.

"Hmm…" Kakashi pondered and tried to remember. "Ah yes, their was an ANBU captain, who seemed oddly familiar but I could not recognize due to his mask of course."

"Hinata-chan, do you suspect?" Sakura turned towards her.

"Maybe, but I'm not sure, Neji didn't come with us, for some reason my whole family had been pardon. A lot of others were exiled but not our family." Hinata said timidly.

"Neji, I may not know him personally but maybe he had recognized me. Why did you leave then, you probaly would leave th-" Kakashi cut himself off. Hinata looked towards the ground. "Never mind that." Kakashi desperately searched for someone else to continue. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, fixing his posture.

"Ah I see, so about that plan." Kakashi spoke. "I know I am the only one here who is able to do this, so…I accept." Kakashi turned towards Shikamaru.

"But we need a good plan, I can't go in there without any information. Konoha is now a threat to me as well. We need to find out whats going on. Do you know any information about their policy on foreign nations?"

"Well, lately it seems that they've been getting on exceptionally good terms with the Rock and Mist village." Yamato stood up and retrieved a few scrolls from a cabinet. "We've haven't been just sitting around doing nothing you know." He smirked slightly.

"You should read up on these scrolls. This contains information on several ninjas which are still in Konoha." Yamato rolled out a map. He swiftly placed metal pins throughout it. "These are nations that are allied with Konoha."

Kakashi peered over the map. Rain, Rock, and Mist were pinned along with some minor villages.

" I don't think that the Mist are a good ally of Konoha. I've been there for a long time. I never seen any Konoha ninjas there. Maybe it was more of a cease fire." Konoha sighed.

"That's odd, It seemed like they were friends of Konoha. They probaly tried just keeping you as a bargaining chip." Genma twirled his senbon. "Maybe we should just let him rest, I mean hes just got back and all."

"No I'm fine. " Kakashi peered over towards Genma. "I'll just rest later don't worry."

Sakura looked warily at Kakashi. "I'll read up on these scrolls for the rest of the night. We need to take back Konoha, doing this mission won't be easy, but It's the least I can do."

"I understand sensei. Lets just call it a night." Everyone left the room except for Kakashi and Sakura.

Kakashi gave her a weak smile through his mask, "Sakura-chan…I'm sorry. I wasn't there for any of you."

Sakura gave him apologetic look "Its fine, it wasn't your fault. Lets get out of here." She lifted another panel and they exited the room.

"Sakura, we'll return. Don't worry. We'll take back our home." Kakashi said entering his room.

"Good night."

"Good night, sensei"

Naruto was running through the forest, closely followed by Sakura.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, we finally found him!" Naruto laughed gleefully.

Sakura couldn't yell back.

"We're really close now! Lets go" Naruto sped up.

They ended up on a nearby mountain.

"Heh, I think I'm ready to return now dobe." Sasuke smirked.

"I knew you'd return, everyone gave up on you, but we never did!" Naruto grabbed something out of his pouch. It was a leaf head band.

"Right Sakura-chan?"

No response, she smiled. Sakura couldn't control herself. 'Whats going on?' she thought.

"Its nice to see you again Sakura-chan." Sasuke stated. Naruto handed him the hiti-ate.

"See Sakura-chan he wants to come back on his own, it will be like the old times." He turned around towards Sakura. He hugged her tightly.

"Just like the old times, eh Naruto." Sasuke voice it was cold. Swirls of the curse marks formed on Sasuke. His eyes became dark and his hair faded into white.

Sakura's eyes widened, her mouth formed into various shapes but nothing came out. 'NARUTO!'

"Goodbye." Sasuke pierced his sword through Naruto's heart. Naruto dropped to his knees, blood coming out of his mouth. "Sakura-why…"

Sakura shot out of her bed. She woke up in sweat. Tears were falling down her face.

All of them are gone. But he returned.

"I'll take back Konoha, Naruto, for you. Me and Kakashi, we'll do it together." She clenched the photo of team 7.

Kakashi awoke from slumber. He washed his face in the sink. The mirror had still been cracked on the ground. Their was knocking on his door. He didn't want to talk to anyone now, but he had no choice. He muffled his voice in the towel. "Yes?" His voice sounded raspy. "It's me." Sakura's voice chimed through the door.

"I wonder…she sounds different. Happier?" Kakashi put on a black t-shirt that was left in a wooden closet. Kakashi pondered.

"One sec." Kakashi tossed his towel onto the bed. He opened the door. Sakura looked tired, she wore a dark red t-shirt with beige shorts. "Is something wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"No, let me come in please."

"Maybe." Kakashi smiled teasingly. Sakura shoved him out of the way. "Not funny sensei. Their is coffee outside if you would like some."

Kakashi frowned. "I'm fine. You can sit if you want." He patted a spot next to him on the bed. She sat next to him. There was an awkward silence. "So…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Did you want to talk about something?"

"Sensei…" Sakura chirped.

"There's no need for the formality, I haven't been your teacher in years." Kakashi crinkled his eye.

"Okay, Kakashi, I kno-" Sakura spoke and mumbled her words.

"Slow down"

Sakura inhale and then exhaled loudly. "I wanted to catch up with you. But I'm not sure we should." She sighed.

"Well I think that would be fine, but I don't think I could leave my room often." Kakashi stated.

"I know, we might not have enough time though. When are you going on the mission?"

Kakashi clamped his hands together and leaned into them a little. "Don't worry, I won't be leaving for another few weeks. We'll spend as much time together as possible. I haven't read up on the scrolls yet either. I'm a fast learner, so no need to worry about that either."

Sakura let out some sort of laugh, more like a scoff. "I know …We didn't really get a chance to catch up."

"It seems so…" Kakashi inputted.

"Yeah, I know I've been saying this a lot but I haven't been very clear about it." Sakura sighed.

"Hmm what's that?" Kakashi knew what she was going to say but pretended to know nothing.

"You missed a lot when you were gone. After Tsunade-shishou had left, things went crazy. Not all of us left because of him you know…it was only Hinata, myself, Yamato-taichou, and even Sai. I was surprised to see him the most you know." Sakura looked towards Kakashi.

"It was scary at first, but then others followed us. Most of us don't even wear the head-band anymore. We had felt betrayed. I know you weren't there, but do you understand? The new kage was a tyrant, not many people saw him. He was sending people to their deaths. Even the villagers feared him."

"I don't understand this at all though…how could of this happened. I should have been there damn it!" Kakashi pounded the side of the building leaving a crack.

"Its not your fault, so don't blame yourself." She smiled at him.

"I should of tried harder. I should have been out sooner." Kakashi sighed into his hands.

"What was it like…I've never been in such a long term situation before. Except- Oh never mind that."

"It was hard at first. I went through a lot I suppose. It sort have made sense. I was just suppose to do a stealth recon mission. Steal some plans, you know the usual. At the time they were enemies to our nation. Though it was a long term mission, I should have been back after a year and a half…I was capture though, its like they knew my plans." Kakashi pushed up his hair and left his hand there.

"Wait a minute…"Sakura gasped realizing what Kakashi meant.

"After I had left, when did Tsunade leave? A few months after I left for the misson then the new kage, Akira, took over. During my mission I was captured after 7 months. I hadn't received anyword back after I sent a letter to Tsunade of my location…damn. I was set up by the kage…but why wouldn't he want me to return…"

"I can't believe this…he did this to all of us. I saw everyone dying around me…team 7…they were gone. He took them away…He set you up. Only if you were here...This is his fault" Sakura began to tremble in fear. Her eyes widened at the realization of the treachery. "Why…Kakashi..why"

"Its okay Sakura…I'm here for you now, and I won't ever abandon you again…" He put his arm around Sakura holding her close to his body.

Hello everyone, Bubble here...I just wanted to let you all know that this is my first story I just wrote this out in 2-3 days on my computer. So please give me advice and all. I've been lurking around here for a few years and I've decided to post a story finally.

1. Please comment and review!

couple I know :D

gonna hater aren't they ? :P

and Enjoy!