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Author: Slytherstein, Lehrain and Sirens of the Sea

Rating: T

Spoilers: All

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Main Character(s): Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Sai, and Haruno Sakura

Secondary Character(s): Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, and Nara Shikamaru

Ship(s): KakashixSakura, NarutoxHinata, SaixIno, ShikamaruxTemari

Summary: The Fourth Shinobi World War has ended. Peace has returned, and Team 7 is finally reunited. "A bit of time spent here might be good for him. A bit of time…at home." And Konoha would always be home. But no matter how much light radiated from his friend, how could things ever return to the way they were before?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, sole ownership goes to the creators.

A/N: A collaborated alternate ending to the events of Naruto Shippuuden. Please be sure to read and review! Enjoy!

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Chapter I

"A Bit of Fresh Air"

…

+ HATAKE KAKASHI +

…

Patches of sunlight streamed through the colorful leaves overhead, still clinging to the branches of the trees that lined the long, cobblestone walkway. Autumn was in the air. A gust of wind kicked up the leaves at his feet, and they crunched beneath his steps. In all directions, he picked up on the sound of laughter. They were all so carefree, so excited, so filled with perfect bliss. It was the sound of a hard-earned victory.

It was a far more welcome sound than the rustle of papers and the screech of the chair beneath him as he swiveled back and forth. That room had been getting stuffy, and he had decided that a bit of fresh air would do him some good. The autumn chill and the feeling of the breeze in his hair was a beautiful contrast to those harsh, office walls. Besides, the infinite piles of paperwork would still be there for him, waiting ever so patiently, when he returned. He was certain they would not mind being kept waiting, just a little longer.

Hatake Kakashi. The Sixth Hokage.

He was not sure he would ever get used to that. But then, it was only temporary. He was just here in the interim, to help pave the way for the Seventh. For Naruto. He was the future of Konoha. No…that was wrong. He was the future of the entire Shinobi World. They all owed it to him. This peace they were able to enjoy, this victory they were all drinking in, it would never have been possible without that person. His heart and his determination had seen them all through it, and it would see them all to an even greater future, one he was certain no one could even comprehend, right now.

If he looked at it like that, which he was, it was not so difficult to bear the title. And, besides…

It's what you wanted, too, wasn't it…Obito?

His feet carried him further into the center of the village. Here and there, some of the inhabitants offered him a smile, a bow, a wave, and he returned it, with an air of nonchalance. He was not fond of the extra attention this new position afforded him, but he supposed it could not be helped. In his wayward journey, he picked up on a distinct scent. It was familiar, carrying a floral smell to it, and within the next moment, he caught the sound of the accompanying voice, and his suspicion was entirely confirmed.

"I really think my hair is getting a bit long," Sakura announced conversationally, fingering the ends of her pink strands. "What do you think?"

Hm…he was beginning to feel somewhat exposed, standing in the middle of the street.

Well, can't be helped, he thought, closing his eyes as he smiled to himself, before turning and walking several paces in the opposite direction and then crouching down beneath a pair of barrels. They would conceal him entirely. For good measure, he suppressed his chakra, to ensure he would not be detected.

What fun would it be if he got scolded, and Sakura convinced him to head back to the Hokage chair early?

"It is," her companion, Ino, agreed.

It was no surprise to find Sakura with her on any given day, and this day was no different. The two were constant rivals for one another, in addition to being the best of friends. They had grown apart, but, ultimately, their bond had won out, and now they were inseparable again. Yes… It was like that for them, too…

"But, you know," the blonde kunoichi continued, "I think I like it this way. You should let it grow out a bit more. It's been awhile since you've had long hair, hasn't it?"

Sakura pursed her lips as she seemed to consider this. "I suppose it has…but I've grown fond of having shorter hair. It's so much easier to manage."

That made sense, Kakashi reasoned. Long hair did seem like it could be quite a hassle.

"I know," Ino gave an easy shrug, but she lowered her hand to rest it on her hip. "But even still, I think you should at least give it a chance. It's not like you'll even need to wait much longer, with the rate it's growing, and then you can decide which you like better. If it's too much of a hassle, you can always cut it again."

"That's a really good point," Sakura raised a hand to her chin as she nodded. "I can experiment a little and compare how I feel about both!"

"Exactly!" Ino awarded her friend a wink. "Besides…," her tone shifted, and suddenly it sounded conspiratorial, "I think now is the perfect time to try out that long hair."

Because it's getting cold? Kakashi wondered.

Sakura's teal eyes lowered then, a distinctive flush coloring her cheeks. "We don't even know if that rumor was true, Ino. Sasuke-kun never seemed to notice the length of our hair in the past."

Hm…Sasuke had been behind her long hair? Was that true? The blush she was wearing did seem to confirm it. She really had always been thinking of him, hadn't she?

"How can you even know that for sure?" her friend questioned. "That rumor had to start somewhere. It very easily could have been true, and if it is, why wouldn't you want to look your best for him?"

"I guess there's no harm in trying…," Sakura murmured, as the self-conscious shade of pink darkened. "It would be nice if the rumor was true and I could actually do something for him."

Sakura…

Ino released a sigh at her, but a smile quickly returned and she patted her friend atop her head of growing hair. "Of course it would. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

The pinkette nodded, her friend's support seeming to restore her confidence. "You're right! I shouldn't get so down when I don't even have all the facts." A smile pulled at the corners of her eyes, then, as she held up a single, determined fist, "I need to be more positive!"

"That's the spirit, Sakura!"

Yes…it is, Sakura, Kakashi agreed with her friend, a smile overtaking his own features, and his eyes closed with it. Keep your chin up, and keep trying your best. That's all any of us can do.

With that, he rose to his feet and disappeared in the opposite direction, deciding to leave the girls to it. Their voices faded, along with that distinct floral scent. He began trudging down a different path, a different turn in the central hub of Konoha's shopping district, and he wandered on farther. However, even as his feet carried him, his thoughts lingered with Sakura.

Do you even realize everything she has done for you…Sasuke?

It hurt. It hurt him to see it. The way she carried her heart on her sleeve, and the way the tears rolled down her anguished face as she pleaded to him. As she pleaded for him. He had hurt her so deeply, and still she cared for him. She still loved him. What did it mean to him? Did it mean anything? It must, though. It must have… How could it not? Sakura was a truly precious person. She was precious to all of Team 7. To him, to Naruto, even to Sai.

And, to you, too…right? Sasuke?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a boisterous voice calling his name.

"Kakashi!"

His feet paused with his thoughts, and he turned, tilting his head to look over his shoulder, and he spotted the familiar figure of his lifelong rival. Only, he was looking…far less sprightly than Kakashi had ever known him to look. He sat in a wheelchair, bandages still wrapped around his head and his arm, and a cast over his right leg. His pupil Tenten stood behind him, pushing the wheelchair, and beside her, Lee was wearing a determined expression.

Gai…

Everyone had sacrificed something for this war. For Gai, it had been his leg—his walking—and his life as a shinobi right along with it. He would still continue to lead and guide his team, but they would go on, accepting and carrying out missions for the village, while Gai was left behind. Left behind in that chair. It was a noble sacrifice he had made, and, if not for a miracle, it actually would have been far worse. Gai had put his very life on the line, and for what he had done, for opening the Eighth and final Gate, the Gate of Death, it should have resulted in just that. His death. That was the true sacrifice he made, the true price of the Eight Inner Gates. His leg was a small price to pay, now, for his life.

It had all been thanks to Naruto. They owed him this, as well. Gai's very life would have been lost, if not for Naruto's own fighting spirit, and unwillingness to ever back down. It had seen him through, which, in turn, had seen them all through. Team Gai had lost one team member. It was fortunate that they had not lost two.

Kakashi would be forever grateful to his former pupil for this, on top of everything else.

"You are looking as cool as ever today, my rival!" Gai declared, before animatedly flashing Kakashi a toothy grin. He white teeth shimmered in the sunlight. "And it's been too long since we had our last competition. We're still tied, you know, and it's time I came out on top again!"

"Are we tied again?" Kakashi questioned tonelessly.

"You are, Kakashi-sensei!" Lee chimed in. "Remember? Gai-sensei gained that last point during the war, and you were only one point ahead! So, now you're tied!"

"Hmmm…," the older shinobi lifted his dull stare to the sky as he pretended to consider this. "Is that so?"

Not that he could forget his score with Gai. Not for a second. And he certainly had never forgotten the last point his green-clad rival had earned. It had been quite the spectacle. Seems it's time to come out on top again. Can't very well let you get the lead, now, can I?

"It is so!" Gai closed his fingers into a fist, a determined gleam shining in his eyes as he pushed himself to his full height in the wheelchair and pointed a finger at his rival. "I challenge you to a hand-walking competition this instant!"

Hand-walking…?

"What a great idea, Gai-sensei!" the Jounin's pupil called in agreement, his own fist mimicking his elder's. "Kakashi-sensei could never best you at a hand-walking competition! You will definitely come out on top this time!"

Kakashi's dark eyes wandered over the bandage on Gai's arm, and he remembered the X-ray scans he had seen, of the man's broken ribs. This was an impractical choice, even for him. It was obvious he was thinking of the injury in his leg, and completely overlooking the rest of them. Any physical activity this early in the healing process could prove to be quite dangerous. He couldn't have that.

Suppose it can't be helped.

"Mm…some other time," the silver-haired shinobi insisted, his eyes falling closed as he began walking past the entourage and waved his hand lazily in the air. "Sorry. I'm trying to lay low right now, and a competition like that would draw too much attention."

A deep rumble erupted from Gai's throat as he released a hearty chuckle. "Kakashi, are you playing hooky?"

Kakashi smiled internally. Yes. He supposed that was exactly what he was doing.

"Something like that," he answered only.

"Oh, man…," he heard Tenten release an exasperated sigh. "Not even a month into his new position, and he's already at it."

"That's my rival!" Gai exclaimed behind him, overlooking Tenten's comment entirely. "Always so hip!"

Their animated—or, in Tenten's case, annoyed—voices dwindled the more distance Kakashi put between them on his stroll, and in what seemed no time at all, they had faded altogether. The scent of barbeque began to waft through the air, as the man took a turn into the village's eating center. The street was a little more sparsely populated than usual, but then, it was mid-afternoon, after all, so this only stood to reason. Everyone had likely already finished their lunch, and it was still not quite dinnertime yet. The worst time for business.

The shinobi's dark eyes scanned the streets listlessly, and he was about to continue in his aimless pace when something caught the corner of his field of vision. He immediately turned his gaze and honed in on it, and when he did, he felt a pleasant feeling of familiarity washing over him.

Seated comfortably on the rooftops, calligraphy pen in hand, sat none other than Sai. He seemed intently focused on something. Whatever it was he was sketching, perhaps?

Throughout the time the younger man had spent on Team Kakashi, the group's namesake had grown particularly fond of him. While it was true, he had once been one of Danzou's most trusted underlings, so much had changed since then. Though he had once been starved of all human emotion, suppressed and expunged within that darkness, Naruto had helped remind him of his former self. And, little by little, Sai had begun to pick up the pieces. He had come to cherish the bonds he had formed, and the ones he continued to form still, as the precious things that they truly were.

Yes…you're to thank for that, too, Naruto.

Curious what it was that had caught the young shinobi's focus, Kakashi leapt up from his stationary spot in the street, until he was settling into a crouched position on the building overlooking the place Sai had taken up for his drawing. From here, he had a nice, clear view of the canvas that the artist was bringing to life. Figuratively speaking, of course. This time, it was just a drawing.

His eyes widening a fraction, Kakashi recognized it within a single glance: Konoha.

Sai was sketching the landscape. At least, as he could see it, from this high position. He had chosen the angle well. All the important structures were visible from here, from the Hokage building, to the hospital and the Shinobi Academy, and, if you squinted, you could even catch a glimpse of Naruto's apartment. And there, looming in the background, on the rockface overseeing the entire village, were those five great heads carved into stone. The Five Hokages.

And I'll be the Sixth, Kakashi thought to himself, as he felt, not for the first time, entirely unworthy of the position that had been thrust on him.

"Kakashi?"

Oh? It seemed he had been discovered. Within his own wandering thoughts, Sai had glanced over his shoulder and noticed the man lurking behind him.

"Yo," Kakashi awarded him a close-eyed smile in greeting, as he lifted a single hand to his head in salute.

The younger man nodded his head in greeting, a polite smile painting his face, before carefully closing the drawing pad in his hands and setting it aside.

"I saw you leave the office earlier. Already finished with your paperwork, Hokage?" Sai's clearly rhetorical question carried a knowing tone, indicating that he was, indeed, aware of Kakashi's true motivation for sneaking out through the window of the Hokage's tower.

"Mm…is there ever any actual finishing it?" Kakashi wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't know… But seeing as how you are the Hokage, and the Hokage is required to oversee everything happening within the village, it only makes sense that there's no end to it." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Unless Konoha came to an end, that is."

Is that the only alternative? the older shinobi wondered to himself, as he heaved an internal sigh.

There was an end, though. When Naruto was ready to step up and fill the position. Until the shining day came, it was his. His to ensure that Konoha most certainly did not come to an end. What sort of Hokage would he be if he let that come to pass? A true shame to all his predecessors gazing down at him from that rockface.

"I suppose that would mean an abrupt halt in paperwork," Kakashi offered, his tone all nonchalance as he gave a subtle nod in agreement.

Sai only gave a conceding hum, before letting a silence take over. His black eyes were currently glued to one stall in particular, located at the end of the street. It was a stall Kakashi was all too familiar with, and when he followed Sai's line of sight, it came as no surprise whatsoever when he recognized an unmistakable pair of vibrant orange pants. Only his lower-half was visible, the rest of him concealed behind the overhanging curtains, but his mentor would know him anywhere.

Naruto…

At Ichiraku Ramen.

Unpredictable though he was, Naruto was also one of the most predictably consistent people Kakashi had ever met. No matter what time of day it was, leave it to Naruto to stop in for a bite of ramen at his favorite establishment. His old sensei had trouble thinking of a time when the boy hadn't been up for a bowl of ramen. After taking a quick scan of the stall, he noticed a vacant seat to Naruto's right.

No harm in popping in for a bite, now that he thought of it. A bowl of ramen sounded like it might hit the spot.

Turning back to cast his fellow spectator a parting glance, he addressed him simply, "Sai."

"Sixth."

"See you."

He exchanged a close-eyed smile with the younger shinobi, before landing in the center of the street below in the blink of an eye. He rested both hands casually within the folds of his pockets, but just as he advanced a few sluggish steps toward the ramen stand, he immediately felt himself freeze where he stood. His dark eyes widened, and he found himself staring at the lone figure who had appeared around the corner and was now ducking beneath the curtain of the stall, only to claim the very seat he himself had been eyeing not a moment ago.

As he stared at the pair of them, he felt his gaze soften, and he relaxed in his stance. He released a silent chuckle to himself.

Of course. It seemed Naruto had been saving that seat, after all. It was quite a sight, looking at the two of them like this. Meeting up at Ichiraku Ramen, enjoying a meal together, talking away about everything and nothing. For this brief instant, as he stared at them, Kakashi could almost fool himself into thinking that no time had passed at all.

Since it's for you, Sasuke…I suppose I can give up that seat.

He felt his eyes wandering, then. To the folds of the sleeve hanging limply from Naruto's right side, and the cloak that concealed Sasuke's left. It was perhaps the clearest indication of all, of exactly how much time had passed between them. A grim reminder of their complicated history, but also…of yet another sacrifice that had been made. Naruto had given his dominant hand, and in exchange, his friend had been returned to him. And just as had been the case with Gai, he, too, was fortunate it had not cost him his very life to do it.

Naruto had held out hope, even after Kakashi had given up. But that was just the sort of person he was. It was exactly what would make him the greatest Hokage…no, the greatest Kage the Five Great Nations had ever known. And perhaps…even the greatest they would ever know.

Following Kakashi's own appointment as Hokage, he had taken great strides toward securing Sasuke's release, which had been helped tremendously by his former pupil's actions at the end of the war, and, of course, Naruto's unwavering testimony in his favor. Naruto had gained the trust and respect of every leader within the Five Nations, and that included the higher-ups here in Konoha. They knew he was good for his word, and he had stood obstinately beside his friend every step of the way.

His closest friend and lifelong rival.

It was a beautiful thing, to see them like this. Naruto had remained stubborn in his argument, and he had ultimately won out in convincing Sasuke to remain in Konoha. Kakashi sympathized with the Uchiha's stance, the need for atonement, after all the misdeeds he had committed while he had stumbled through the darkness, but he also agreed with Naruto. A bit of time spent here might be good for him. A bit of time…at home.

The Sixth Hokage felt his feet carrying him farther along down the street, until he was within earshot of the pair. However, just as he was preparing to listen in on whatever bits of the conversation he might be able to catch, he was suddenly caught off guard by the return of a familiar and rather stern voice.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Withholding the sigh that caught in his throat, Kakashi found himself feeling mildly annoyed with himself for getting so distracted. It seemed the very encounter he had tried so hard to avoid had been inevitable, after all. He turned then, toward the owner of that voice, and he saw Sakura marching up to him, hands clenched into fists at her sides and a deep frown that reached her teal eyes.

"What are you doing wandering around right now?" the kunoichi demanded, coming to a stop in front of him and crossing her arms. "I saw the stack of paperwork this morning and not even you could have finished it already. You don't have time to dawdle around the village like this. Your responsibilities as Hokage come before your laziness."

Even I need a mental break from all of that, from time to time, he noted internally, but outwardly, he only awarded her an offhanded shrug of his shoulders.

"Right, right," he waved her words off, as he began walking past her and down the street, back the way he had come. "I was just heading back. Why not grab some ramen for yourself, Sakura?"

"Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry…," Sakura trailed off, but not a second later, he heard her release a frustrated growl. "No, that's not important right now! Don't think you can trick me so easily, Kakashi-sensei! I don't believe for one second that you're actually returning to your office."

As she spoke, the kunoichi stalked closer to him and proceeded to firmly grab his wrist, and his eyes widened a fraction as she forcefully tugged him forward. Was she actually planning to pull him there, the entire way?

"If you won't go back on your own, then I'll just have to walk you there myself," she insisted.

So much for that plan…, he lamented.

"This seems a little excessive," Kakashi forced an easy laugh. "I told you I was heading back, didn't I?"

"You told me a lie," Sakura returned, glancing at him over her shoulder so he could catch her eye roll. "I know you better than that. You're too stubborn to return without my excessive intervention."

"On the contrary, I had every intention of returning," the man casually disagreed. Nevertheless, he offered no resistant.

This might well be for the best, after all. He had been dawdling long enough, and those papers were still waiting for him, still stacked up in those neat piles. He had a responsibility, she was quite right, and he had taken enough of a mental break from all of that dull work, enough to start anew at somewhat full capacity. It was not as though those piles would be getting any smaller, while he was away.

His eyes wandered once again to those stone monuments, to the faces watching over them. He paused when his eyes landed on the Fourth, and he felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I can't very well let the rest of you down, can I?