OKAY HELLO. I'm not dead no I've just been really busy... But anway here is my first Naruto story. I wrote it one day cause I was bored and couldnt stop writing after that. Just to let you know I'm a hardcore fan so yes I've seen every single episode subbed and dubbed and yes I've read the manga and am up to date with it. I've also seen the movies, though just recently so yes this is like the movie 'The Will Of Fire' but only a little bit * innocent face*
Also tha cover for the book was drawn by me ^_^ Lol damn chuffed.

The Man Who Died Twice...

Sakura, Naruto and Sai stood waiting impatiently at Konoha's main entrance.
"Late. Always late." Sakura sighed.
Naruto groaned, kicking the dusty road for no reason.
"But this time he's MEGA LATE!" Naruto shouted so that if Kakashi was near by he could hear and feel guilty.
"Yeah now that you mention it... He is later than usual." Sakura said, half to herself.
"EXACTLY!" Naruto moaned. Sai chose not to intervene on the matter because he'd read in books that you shouldn't interfere with other people's personal affairs- even though this wasn't really personal.
"Okay. Let's go." They all jumped with fright as Kakashi appeared behind them.
"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "You were mega late this morning! What's up with that!?"
Kakashi looked down then turned on his heels. "I said, let's go!" He said it almost bitterly, and it was hoarse.
Sakura and Naruto exchanged glances. Kakashi didn't usually get this agitated- or talk like that to anyone- something was up.

"Uh... Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto dared to ask while they were walking in silence towards the mission.
"Hm?" Kakashi kept his eyes on the road.
"... Uh... Well..." Naruto stammered, trying to find the right words. Kakashi cleared his throat.
"What? Are you okay, Naruto?" He turned on his heels again and looked at Naruto up and down.
"Uh... Yeah I'm fine, I was actually gonna ask you the same thing." Naruto said. Kakashi didn't even flinch he just stared blankly at Naruto.
"Huh?" Was all he said.
"Yeah, Naruto's right. So, what is it?" Sakura pushed for information. Kakashi turned to look at her blankly as well.
"C'mon what is it? Is it girl problems Kakashi-sensei? Is it? Is it?" Naruto grinned goofily. Kakashi laughed dryly.
"There's never anything wrong with me. So I don't know what your worrying about."
"That didn't answer our question." Sakura stated. Kakashi stood for a moment standing in his usual position, back hunched just slightly, hands in his pockets. Then he laughed heartily.
"I'm fine look at me!" He gestured to himself. "I'm tired, that's all." He offered a smile. Naruto took a breath of relief but Sakura still wasn't convinced. He
was quite pale come to think of it and his eye was more sleepy than usual so maybe he was just tired. Though as a medical ninja, she couldn't shake the feeling something was going on. He turned back around and she stared at him watching for any signs of... Well, anything.
"Stop glaring at me like that Sakura." Kakashi said, even though he had his back to her, he knew.
Then they all walked on with a hyper Naruto back in business.

"What are we doing anyway?" Naruto questioned.
"Just a basic mission, nothing big. An investigation." Kakashi replied.
"About?"
"About, the disappearance of the Earth Style users in the our neighbouring villages." Kakashi pointed to the ground.
"Oh... Borrrriiinnnggg." Naruto droned.
"Oh, shut up Naruto!" Sakura punched him to shut him up.
"Ouch... C'mon Sakura!" Naruto pouted angrily. Sakura scowled a scowl that said, shut up or I'll kill you. So Naruto retracted and dragged his feet across the path.
Kakashi sighed and walked on. His type of students were hard to find anywhere else. His team, he had thought back then of it as... Normal, happy and with talented Genin. Now it's just turned into one big mess and it was only HIS team. Yes, his students were very powerful but the only reason they got this far was because of 1 person alone.
Sasuke.
Sasuke drove them to train harder until they were strong enough to bring him home from the darkness. Yet, as strong as they are... They've failed once. It reminded him of how he couldn't save his teammates when he was younger, even with HIS power and how he didn't want the same mistake to happen to them.
"Kakashi sensei I'm talking to you!" Naruto shouted snapping Kakashi out of his thoughts. Sakura stared at him once more.
"Will you give it a break already." He said getting strangely agitated. He was never like this, Kakashi himself knew something was up but he would never admit his weakness to anyone unless he had to, he'd always been like that. Then he shot off into the trees leaving the 3 alone.
Sakura and Sai stood getting weapons ready in case this wasn't the real Kakashi sensei that they'd been following. Naruto stood bewildered.
"Wh... Why did he do that?" Naruto blinked. "What the hell Kakashi sensei!" He shouted and decided to go after him.
"Naruto! No!" Sakura called after him but it was too late.

Kakashi had escaped to breath some air. This wasn't like him, his chest was clenching and his palms were sweaty. He got annoyed easily today an he was extremely tired. Was it just lack of sleep? He had seemed normal in the morning. He sat on a branch of a huge tree in the forest and rested back against the trunk. He closed his eyes. No, he really should get back to his students, what an idiot, he thought. But he couldn't help it something was wrong with him. But nothing's ever... Wrong with him...

Naruto sprinted through the tree's calling his sensei's name. What was seriously up with him today!? Well, he was sure as hell gonna find out! He searched until he spotted silver somewhere, standing out against the browns and greens of the forest.
"Kakashi!?" Naruto shouted, sprinting towards him. When he got to him his eyes were closed.
"Damn it." Naruto cursed. He shook Kakashi and said his name but he wouldn't wake up. He stood and looked around for a possible enemy to be nearby. Who could've done this? Or was it just lack of sleep like Kakashi had said? Well there was no going back to the leaf village it was too far away by then.
Naruto crouched beside his sensei. "Isn't it ironic that after all the time's I've fallen from too much work you were always there to catch me, and now I'm here to do the same for you. Even though I was too late to catch you..." He picked his sensei up, though it was hard carrying a 30 year old man when your only 16.
When Naruto made it back Sakura pointed a kunai at him.
"What!? Who's here? I knew there was an enemy around!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura stared for a moment then withdrew.
"That's Naruto all right." She sighed but stopped when she saw Kakashi in his arms.
"What happened?" Sakura asked, sprinting over to them, Sai followed.
"I found him like this. Sitting on a branch of some tree." Naruto answered looking down at his sensei.
"Lay him down there, we'll camp here for tonight." Sakura pointed to a grassy spot under a tree. Naruto obeyed and they set up camp. Then they moved the camp behind the tree so no one could see them at first glance.

When it was night Sakura sat in her sleeping bag, chatting with her comrades around a small campfire. Kakashi still hadn't woke so she kept a close eye on him.
She noticed Naruto put his hand up. "Know what we should do?" A sly smirk spread across his face. "Nows the chance to see what's behind Kakashi-sensei's mask!" He edged toward his sensei.
"Don't be so disrespectful!" Sakura said, seeming to be angry but in reality she was all for it. Sai agreed with Naruto and edged closer and Naruto reached for the mask. Sakura sat restlessly watching Naruto but then she couldn't help it. She scooted beside Sai and watched.

Just as Naruto was about to grab the mask, Kakashi's hand shot up, grabbed Naruto's wrist and threw him against the tree beside them. Sakura and Sai jumped back in surprise.
"HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Naruto shouted.
"That wouldn't have happened if you were on your guard." Kakashi's hoarse voice remarked. He sat up and held his head. After a bewildered silence, he said, "I'm sorry about earlier."
Sakura blinked at the Naruto still lying on the floor moaning and the Kakashi that had just woke up.
"You just woke up!" Sakura shouted. "How could you just throw Naruto into a tree like that."
Kakashi smiled. "Cause I'm rested. Thanks for finding me by the way Naruto." He looked over to Naruto and poked him with his foot. Naruto immediately sat up, putting off the over-dramatic act.
"How d'you know it was me?" Naruto blinked.
"Well... Just a guess." Kakashi stood up and wobbled a little.
"I'll be back." He said and with that he disappeared.
"HUH!? YOU CAN'T JUST RUN AWAY CASUALLY LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG WITH YOU I WAS JUST GETTING TO THE POINT!" Naruto went to follow him but Sai grabbed his arm.
"I read in a book that it's important to give people their personal space when they need it or after a traumatic event." He stated. Naruto shook his head.
"But we're in the middle of a forest!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Sai's right." Sakura sighed.
"Aw c'mon Sakura you as well? What if something happens like last time?!" Naruto said.
Sakura ignored him and lay down in her sleeping bag. "We should all just get some sleep."
Sai agreed and lay down in his, letting go of Naruto. Naruto sighed and did the same using all he had to stop himself from going out and following his sensei.

Kakashi just wanted to get out so he could find out what was wrong with him. He hadn't been using his Sharingan so it wasn't that. It's weird, he thought, it feels like I'm being pulled... Controlled almost.
He stopped himself. His students had a right to worry, he was worrying himself. He decided to head back to camp.
When he arrived there, his companions were all asleep. He smiled. It was nice to see them all sleeping happily, even Naruto. He chuckled lightly and sat back against the tree. He put the dying fire out and fell into a restless sleep against the tree.

"Kakashi sensei." Naruto prodded at Kakashi's arm to wake him up. "Shouldn't we get going?"
Kakashi squinted at the sun shining on him through the trees. He shot up and pulled his Jounin jacket on.
"What's the time?" He asked shaking the sleepiness out of his head. He bent down and grabbed his headband from his belongings.
"I dunno like 10:30." Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"It's actually 10:34." Sai remarked from behind him. Naruto groaned and mimicked Sai. Sakura punched him for being annoying. Normal morning.
"All righty then." Kakashi said, packed in a flash. Naruto blinked.
"Are you not going to have anything to eat?" Sakura asked. Kakashi glanced at her and said:
"What? Oh I'll eat later." He waved her off. In reality he actually wasn't feeling all that good so he wasn't hungry but he couldn't tell her. She's go on a manic rampage of questions and he was in no mood to answer them. Kakashi plucked one of his books out of his weapons pouch and walked forward. His students went on a rampage packing the remaining things into their backpacks and hurrying after him.

This is just an intro btw we get down to the depressing stuff later, then the plot twists and epic rap battles... I mean battles...