Hello, readers. After a long absence, I have returned! Here is my latest work, a DP/Naruto crossover, Konoha no Taka: Ririku; The Hawk of the Leaf: Takeoff. It's the first part of a possible trilogy that I will make as much time for as I can. I thank all of my readers that have waited for me to write again. This chapter's for you, truephan. Arigatō for reviewing my previous work. From now on, translations will be at the end of each chapter.

Flame only when necessary. Review all the time!

-

The hawk feels the wind

Sheering through down and feathers.

It calls; he takes off.

– Takeoff: a Haiku by Shadow

-

Another Chance

Subtitled: The End and the Beginning: The Journey of a Hero Begins!

What if?

What if it really had happened?

What if it hadn't been stopped, as it had been in another future?

What if Time had something else in mind?

What if…

…He'd been given another chance?

Would he accept it, or reject it?

How would his choice affect the future?

Would it destroy both timelines, or protect them?

These questions will be answered one by one as the saga unfolds, showing the fight of a survivor against numerous odds.

He will be given another chance…

…and the fate of two timelines will rest in his hands.

Now, it begins…

Exhaustion. That was the first thing he felt, followed by sharp pain where he'd impacted the cracked, concrete sidewalk and been hit by his older, evil self. He had used so much pure, raw energy in his last two attacks, pouring all of the energy he had into them. Even as he powered down and nearly collapsed to the rubble, only a part of the path of destruction in the wake of the battle's destruction, he knew it was over. Whoever won the fight would change the future.

A fist gloved in black clawed out of the rockpile, trying to get free. The rocky pile burst in every direction as the enemy of the future threw the broken concrete and stonework off of his body with one massive heave. His cold expression screamed murder as he turned his soulless red gaze to his younger counterpart.

"That's it, isn't it?" he spat chillingly in a deep, malevolent tone.

Danny's eyes flashed a dangerous neon green. "Time's up."

Taking the Fenton Thermos in hand and gripping it firmly, he aimed it at his evil future counterpart and activated it. As if in slow motion, the device's blue-white beam engulfed the monster, slowly, painstakingly pulling him into the trap. Just before he disappeared into the thermos, he spoke one last sentence. "They can't escape, and it's too late to save them." Then, he was gone.

The exhausted teen capped the device quickly and securely with practiced ease, turning as he summoned all the strength he had left in his weakened body, running, sprinting, toward his trapped family and friends. He tried to transform again but found he didn't have the energy to, only managing to bring up the blue-white rings before they vanished seconds later.

"I can't go ghost," he whispered in a frightened tone. He kept on running, trying to ignore the signs of tiredness in his body even as the edges of his vision darkened. There's no time to rest! Their lives are at stake! Come on, faster!

Even through the best of Danny's efforts, he could feel the need for rest creeping op on him. He could barely see through his blurred vision. The combination of exhaustion and loss of proper sight did its terrible work. His foot struck a projecting rock, and he fell heavily to the torn ground.

Mom! Dad! Jazz! Sam! Tucker! Then after a short pause, Mr. Lancer! "Nnoooooo!!!" The cry ripped out of the boy like the howl of a wounded wolf. He looked up, only to lock eyes with the people he had failed to protect. They held no accusation in them, but only acceptance. They forgave him, but he had failed to do what he had promised.

I'm sorry…

As he lay there helpless on the ground, the temperature gauge of the Nasty Sauce hit max. Just before unconsciousness claimed him and the Nasty Burger exploded, he closed his eyes, unable to watch.

I'm sorry. So sorry.

Then, darkness.

-

He woke up in a cold sweat. Hyperventilating, he took a frantic look around. It was night, and he was in a bed inside a clean hospital room, not lying in the parking lot of the destroyed fast food joint like he'd remembered. Then the events on the previous day crashed onto him in a wave that overwhelmed him. It was not a dream. It really had happened, and they were all gone. And it was his fault.

He buried his face into the covers, crying deeply and bitterly, berating himself for ever thinking to cheat on that test. Salt tears coursed down his face in watery rivulets as he remembered all of the events that had led to the night before. He cried until he had no more tears left to cry, every last crystal drop filled with emotions that he had known of but never truly felt. The feeling of loss and emptiness… he felt a tear in his heart where his family and friends used to be. It would be hard and painful to refill, but not impossible.

Two wise red eyes watched from afar as the boy cried himself to sleep under his watchful gaze. He knew what paths the boy would encounter, what trials and obstacles he would face. The ancient being floated over to the viewing screen and touched its surface gently. The image rippled and split into three futures, one of which his young charge would take. One showed the current future, filled with darkness and destruction; another showed a tragically emotionless life of hidden sorrow and depression; the last one was most hopeful, full of challenges, but happiness as well. The Master of Time smiled slightly. He, of all of the Ancient Ones, had been chosen to give one of the created a second chance. It was up to him to offer it, but the boy's choice would determine his own fate. After all, who ever said that destiny was set in stone? Truthfully, though the ancient knew the twists and turns in each path, he did not know which the boy would take. He would just have to help him make the right decision. Unlike one eternal Being, he would never completely know everything.

-

A week later, Danny finally recovered. He had been in the hospital for three days after the accident due to second-degree burns from the explosion and wounds from fighting his evil future self, but he had been released because of his fast healing. While recovering, he had gotten visits and cards from every other one of his classmates and their parents. He had learned that Mr. Lancer had been replaced by one Janice Foley, Tucker's mom. Sam's and Tucker's parents had filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Nasty Burger and had won tens of thousands of dollars as a result. Both had offered to help him with finances, but he had declined, feeling certain that he would not be staying around long enough to need it. At his family and friends' funeral, he did not cry. He simply had no more tears left. He just stared at the ground blankly as the last speeches were said. As he went home, he promised them that he would never let something like that happen again. He would leave everything behind and start anew.

Now, Danny was back at Fenton Works, cleaning everything from the basement to the OP center of dust that had collected while he was in the hospital. Setting the broom down against a lab table, he sighed.

"Why do I even bother doing this?" he mumbled. "What's next for me? I know I can't stay here, but I don't have many choices. Living with Vlad is definitely not an option since that thing will happen and their deaths will have been all for nothing, so what next?" He looked at a frame with a picture of his family and friends, ignoring the tightening in his stomach and water behind his eyes. "I can't live with my aunt, and I don't know if I have any other living relatives. I can live alone, but then I might lose myself. That should not be an option. It would be totally against what they would want for me. So what's next?!" the distraught teen banged his head on the wall, trying to come up with an answer to the impossible question. It was a question that would soon be answered.

"Time Out!"

Time stopped. A blue clock hand appeared in the room, spinning around rapidly to create a portal for the Master of Time to pass through. The wise ancient looked at his young charge and smiled in amusement. Danny had his fists in the air, head forward inches from the wall, with his mouth wide open in frustration. Clockwork floated over, picked him up, and turned him away from the wall. "Time In."

Still in motion, Danny hit the wall that was no longer in front of him. As a result, he lost balance and tripped because of his momentum. "Arghh! I know that the wall was here a second ago. Oh great, now I'm hallucinating."

Then, he sensed a ghost in the room. Shifting into a defensive stance instinctively, he scanned the room quickly. His eyes immediately lit on Clockwork in toddler form. Reflexively, he transformed upon sighting him.

"You!" Danny shouted, green eyes flaring angrily. "Why are you here? Did you come to gloat that everything you predicted happened, huh? Going to kill me with that scythe of yours like you were a week ago? Are you gonna –"

The time-protecting ancient interrupted him, raising a hand for silence while changing into his young adult form. "I did not come to gloat, nor did I come to kill you, Danny. I have simply come because you have been authorized to be given a Second Chance."

"Wait, what?"

The Time Master decided to be reasonably blunt. "A Second Chance is only given when a timeline is in extreme peril. There are two visible futures that you could take without it, neither of which are good for you or the timeline. However, I am able to give you an alternative, another chance. If you agree, you will be trained in the required arts for a year in the hidden areas of the Ghost Zone, and then you will be transported to its mother dimension to ensure that your current one is not destroyed like in that other future. This also gives the Ancient Ones and opportunity to align the adjacent timelines. The choice is yours."

"How do I know I can trust you?" he asked, crossing his arms suspiciously.

"Rest assured, I have absolutely no intention of endangering either timeline or your life. I have been commanded to become your guardian by the Council, so it must be so. Second Chances are not often given, for they alter Time itself. Because of this, one can only be given in the direst situation. So will you take it, Danny?"

The teen scrunched his face in thought. "I think he means it. What do I have left here? Two unpleasant futures, an arch nemesis, and one person that I barely started calling friend two weeks ago. Valerie would be the only person in this world that I would miss. Since Clockwork seems to care about this place, the ghost problem would have to be fixed or he wouldn't ask me right now. Valerie can be the new protector, just like she always wanted. She and her dad can live in Fenton Works, and everything will be as if I never lived here. If I took it, I might actually get a chance to set everything right and live like they would want me to. If I refuse, I might never get an offer like it again. I have nearly nothing to lose, and almost everything to gain. So…"

"I accept," His firm tone echoed throughout the nearly-empty basement. "On one condition. That I can have some normal form of contact with this world just as if I was still here."

Clockwork nodded, changing into young adult form. "It can be done." He pulled a time medallion from his cloak and tossed it to Danny. "Before you ask, you are going to Japan, specifically their hidden shinobi villages. I am quite certain that you have mentioned wanting to become a ninja no fewer than three times less in your lifetime than you have mentioned wanting to become an astronaut. When you feel absolutely ready, pour your energy into this medallion and you will be transported to Kieruhagakure, where you will learn the language and train for the year. Make sure you take everything you need, because you will be gone for a long time. Goodbye, Danny." He waved, and then disappeared in a blue swirl of light, just in the same way as he came.

"…" Danny blinked. And gaped. And blinked again.

"I'm going to be a ninja?!"

-

After getting over his initial surprise, Danny decided that he would comply with the Time Master's obvious suggestion to go to these hidden villages and leave his dimension. As the wise being had not told him when to arrive, he decided to give himself four days to get ready and to say goodbye to the few people left who he still had connections with in his world. Truthfully, it wasn't as hard to leave as he'd originally thought. He didn't feel any big regrets on leaving, nor did he feel a great need to stay. After explaining to his friends' parents, the Foleys and Mansons, who had taken temporary guardianship of him, they consented and offered to pay for his trip. He told them that their money wouldn't be needed, as everything had already been paid for. Rather, there was no need to pay.

In talking with Valerie, the black-haired teen debated with himself if he should tell her his secret or not. In the end, he decided not to tell her directly but instead give her some strong hints. He didn't need to pour salt into old wounds. He gave her father full ownership of Fenton Works and all mechanisms inside, as well as everything that his family had owned. He figured that since he'd be gone for who knows how long, he wouldn't need anything from his world for a while. Damon was extremely grateful and offered to leave a room of the house unused for him should he ever want to return. Danny gave his thanks and complied.

Before he left, he took Valerie aside. "Fenton, Wha –?" Danny put a finger over his lips to stop her question. He looked her in the eye, showing her that what he would say would be serious. "Valerie, you already know that I'm leaving tomorrow. Where I'm going, you won't be able to visit as far as I know. You won't be seeing me for a long time, and I don't know if I'll be able to visit you either. Since that means there won't be any true ghost hunters around, I'll put it on you to train yourself to be one. I have a stash of weapons hidden in my room. If you can find it, you can use it."

"Y-you mean, you hunted ghosts too?"

He nodded somberly and half-turned, head down. "I will never truly live in Amity ever again. Once I leave, the more powerful ghosts will leave too, but you will be needed in my stead to continue in keeping the city safe just in case. There's just one thing left for me to do." He turned back to her and held out his hand for her to shake. He clasped his fingers around her wrist firmly and raised his head, locking eyes with his only living friend in this world for the last time in an unknown length of time. She gasped. His eyes were an intense blazing green. "I hope that you are more successful than I was as the new protector of our city, Red Huntress, Valerie, my friend. Goodbye." Then, he vanished before her eyes.

Danny ran off invisibly, not bothering to see her reaction. He only returned to visibility when he reached the hotel in which he would spend his last night as a true resident of Amity. The only possessions he had bothered to bring were several changes of clothes, his toothbrush and toothpaste, some snacks, several photo albums, and some small items to remind him of the people he was leaving. He sat on the side of the bed and checked the time.

6:45 P.M.

Deciding that he would want an early start, he sighed deeply and flopped over onto his back, wrinkling the covers. Rolling over, he draped the blanket over himself subconsciously and closed his eyes. The emotionally tired boy drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep as dark clouds began to cover the sun like giant, ominous birds of prey sparring in the sky, shadowing his young face. Thunder rumbled softly on the horizon as jagged blue bolts raced through the atmosphere. And the heavens wept for those that had been lost.

-

5:03 A.M.

It was nearly dawn. Streetlights still remained on, showing the way to early pedestrians and drivers. A faint red glow was visible in the distance, penetrating clear summer skies, the sun barely showing its rays over the earth's curve. A youth with a bag slung over his shoulder trudged quietly through the streets of Amity, walking steadily toward his destination: a cold, silent cemetery.

Approaching a particular monument solemnly, he knelt carefully on the damp, newly dug soil, placing a few flowers beneath the engraving on the hard granite that marked his family and friends' final resting spot. The words 'Gone, but not forgotten' were carved into it, right over the dates of their births and deaths. He brushed some dirt off of it, whispering to it as he did.

"I can't believe you're all gone. I just can't. It's so hard to accept that whenever I wake up, you won't be there. You supported me and gave everything you had to keep me going. Mom, Dad, even though you hunted me, you were doing what you thought was right to protect Jazz and me. Even in the embarrassing moments, you were trying to help in the ways that you thought were good. You achieved your dreams, letting nothing stand in your way, no matter how many people thought that you were crazy. I don't know if you would be proud of me for keeping my other half a secret from you. You would probably be beating yourselves for not noticing sooner.

"Jazz, I know that you were always overprotective of me. I'd always wondered what life would be like without an annoying older sister, but now I regret ever thinking that. If you were still here, you'd most probably be blaming yourself for causing this mess because I got jealous of your test scores. What would my life be like if I'd told you my secret? Would you have become more protective? Supportive? A part of our team?" he shifted his eyes down the stone to his former teacher's name.

"Mr. Lancer, I really didn't get to know you at all, even if you were my teacher. Yeah, you weren't exactly my favorite teacher, but you tried to help my grades and make me a better student, even if you were unknowingly unfair in giving me some of those detentions. I truly think that you were thinking about what was best for me, and I'm sorry that my absences tested your patience so much. If you're worrying about who will take your position, you don't have to anymore. Tucker's mom took over for you, surprisingly. Wherever you are, wish all the luck in the world on her. She'll need it to keep her patience like you did.

"Tucker, Sam, you guys must be yelling 'I told you so' from wherever you are. You told me not to cheat, but I did anyway. That was the mistake that cost you your lives. You are the best friends that I could ever have. All those things we went through together… through all those times you helped me, saved me, but in the end, I couldn't save you. I know that you want me to move on. I'll try, but don't ever expect for one second, Tucker Foley and Sam Manson, that I'll ever forget about you guys. You are part of my life, the reason why I'll keep going. Tucker, you were like a brother to me. Sam, I'm sorry I never told you how I felt about you. I love you."

The soon-to-be ninja trainee stood up carefully so as not to disturb the freshly turned earth. Stooping slightly, he planted a kiss on her name. "I'll never forget any of you or what you did for me. I swear that even if I wasn't able to protect you, I'll protect everyone I find that is precious to me with the rest of my life. If any of them die, it will be because I wasn't there, or they killed me first."

The sun's edge was now visible, showing a clear blue sky tinged with gold and pink, a great contrast with the stormy skies of the night. Like a giant, colorful dragon flashing its scales, a full rainbow in all its glory gradually appeared above the teen. Looking up at it, he reached around his neck and pulled the time medallion over his head. Holding it out in front of him, still facing the monument, he concentrated his energy into it. After a few seconds, it began to glow. Glancing at his hometown for the last time, he smiled slightly.

"No matter what happens, I won't break that promise. I can't change the past, but I can change the future."

With a flash of blue-gold light, he disappeared from the sight of the known side of the world. They would not see him again… for one year. But as time runs at different lengths in different dimensions, that was, in his new world's perspective, technically untrue.

Those who live by traveling across the dimensions are very rare…

…Alone, they can only hope to stay alive, but with help, they might survive.

Here, not only will one survive, he will live.

From now on, the journey of the survivor begins.