Beyond Death

A/N: A modern alternate universe, people.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

He was in a forest surrounded by tall, almost familiar trees, a mix of knobby old deciduous and conifers. Unbidden, a soft sigh escaped him, a misplaced feeling of heartache and homesickness stealing his breath away.

"Oh my-!" Suddenly, a wispy figure materialized in front of him, staring at him as if seeing for the first time. Almost as if in a trance, the young man reached out to touch him but stopped at the last moment, hands a hairbreadth away from his shoulders. "Shit! Sensei, is it really you?"

"I…No." He was startled and so defaulted to a defensive glower, arms crossed. "Who the heck are you?"

The first time he manifested his powers was when he was twelve.

He managed to stall the busy New York subway system for three hours with his accidental stunt.

It was also the first time he came in contact with him.

"Sensei."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

Taken aback, the blond adolescent with the sky blue eyes regarded him softly, sadly.

"That's 'cause you are."

It was because he saw an erratic shadow inch along the concrete walls, independent of the dim flickering subway lights. It was because he could feel an otherworldly fear claw down his throat as he stared, bright-eyed, with his breathe sealed deep in his lungs.

It was because he knew (he knew but he didn't know why he knew) that if he inhaled any louder the shadow will deviate towards him, interested in why a pitiful, pitiful mortal could see it.

But because he didn't breathe. Because he didn't twitch. Because he didn't bat his eyes. Because, because, because.

"I'm not sensei."

The ghost, because (because there's no way-!) it had to be a ghost, looked at him in a stern manner. "Yeah and the sky is fricken green."

When he glared at his transparent company, mournful grey eyes flashing dangerously, the laid-back blond actually flinched.

"I don't know you." The mortal looked to the side, refusing to watch the nervous blond twiddle his fingers.

Letting out a sombre sigh, the apparition rubbed the back of his neck. "You're the one who called me up here sensei, so deal."

He held his breath again, processing those words, before easing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah. And that's okay. Y'know. We have time, I think." A genuine smile appeared again, a wistful little grin. "I thought I'd never see you again. Everyone did." The spirit admitted, "I'm kinda ashamed that I gave up hope. Forgive me sensei."

The mortal repeated, "I don't know you."

"Geez. One track mind much?" The sunny blond laughed. "That's okay. It's good to see you again even if you don't remember. Welcome home."

The blond waved abstractedly at all the familiar trees and sunlight and bushes and flowers and just nostalgic nature that took up their surroundings. Home. A home hidden in the forest of leaves?

Darkness pressed down on him. Malevolence permeated, a stench that feasted on his natural instinct – the fear of a greater enemy.

The concrete walls suddenly felt stifling as he stood waiting for the subway train to arrive at the platform. He could feel sweat beading into his palms, dripping into the grooves of his lifeline and collecting at the tips of his fingers.

He saw the unnatural shadow dance closer to a woman standing at the edge of the station, one small step away from the drop into the tracks…

In self-defense as he tried to find equilibrium, he lashed out in a 'normal' twelve-year-old manner, sneering, "I told you that I don't know you so stop acting so buddy-buddy."

"Okay. Fine." The blond pouted briefly, lip jutting out, before he puffed out his chest and placed a semi-solid hand between them. "So my name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you."

A grey eyebrow rose as he ignored his antics. "Okay?"

"And you're sensei." The ghost named Naruto, withdrawing his hand at the failed handshake, nodded firmly before smiling, as if the world just righted itself again. "You're Kakashi Hatake."

"What?" His name wasn't 'Kakashi', no matter how much it felt like it should be and how it almost fit him like a well-worn glove. "You're wrong."

"You sure about that?" Naruto smiled knowingly at him, eliciting the strangest urge to ruffle the spirit's hair until he cried uncle.

The shadows formed into a humanoid figure, demonic red grin in place as claws reached out to push the woman into the tracks of the oncoming train…

"NO!"

His voice echoed up and down the subway station as he flung out his right palm instinctively and a searing light flashed outwards, dispelling the shadows.

After a lengthy pause, Naruto continued, "So anyway, you summoned me and now I'm gonna haunt you."

He gave him a flat glare. "Go away."

"Aww, you don't mean that, do you sensei?"

"I'm not your sensei."

"You keep tellin' yourself that." The blond grinned brightly. "Now that you're here, with us, we'll try and get your memories back too."

"And man, I really can't wait to see the others' faces once they see you again!"

His heart beating to the rhythm of a rabbit pulse, the world around him slowed to a snail's crawl. He could see the light weaving into a tapestry of runes before a lithe figure garbed in white flew through the portal and landed onto the cement platform.

Heartbreakingly familiar blond hair swayed in the wind as the spirit leapt and sunk a blue swirling ball of energy into the shadow.

"Rasengan!"

The demonic shadow dispelled behind the woman.

He saw the faint glimmer of shocked ocean blue eyes before he fainted.

"I'm going crazy."

"Baby steps, sensei." The blond gave him a cheeky grin. "You're definitely not going crazy. You're just unique."

'Kakashi' crossed his arms tightly, unease eating away at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you see, you kinda inherited powers to bend the spirit world. It's okay. We think it's just a side effect of how you originally…uh…passed on 'cause the Sharingan is kind of, what this era would call, 'hacked'." Naruto chortled. "Understatement of the past few centuries though."

Seeing the guarded but confused look that ramble garnered, Naruto reassured him, "Sensei. Don't worry. I've got your back now."

He repeated firmly, much to Naruto's annoyed amusement, "I'm going crazy."

"No you're not." The spirit smiled. "And I'll prove it."

He was suddenly awake.

When he opened his eyes, he was alone in a dingy New York hospital bed, or, he thought he was alone until…

"Hi sensei!" called out a chipper voice to his left. "How you feelin'?"

"But you-" The twelve-year-old was taken aback when he saw the transparent figure of the spirit. "…You're not real."

"I'm seriously real. The real deal. The real Naruto Uzumaki. So you better believe it."

He ran a hand through his flyaway hair. "I'm too old for an imaginary fri - whatever you are."

"You think I'm imaginary?"

"You are."

"No I'm not!" Naruto grumbled. "You're seriously one stubborn kid, sensei."

"Whatever." 'Kakashi' shifted under the covers of his bed. "Go away."

"No way! Now that you've awakened those powers and I found you there's really no way-"

"Leave."

"Make me."

"Stop being so immature." The child glared at the blond petulantly. "You're supposed to be older than me."

"That's the thing – I'm not supposed to be older."

"…Well I don't want you here."

"Well that's too bad."

"What part of go away do you not under…stand…?" Flinching when the light by the window flickered, 'Kakashi' became unnaturally still and Naruto paused.

The spirit started, "Those shadows…"

The boy paid attention to him.

"Those shadows. They're gonna bug you now since you tapped into the powers." Naruto had to go about this delicately. "You're going to see things that not-so-unique people won't see."

'Kakashi' furrowed his eyebrows as he thought, mind racing; it was an expression that would be similarly pulled off by his past self, not that he was aware of that little tidbit of information yet.

Naruto waved at the boy to get his attention again as he reassured confidently, "But don't worry, like I said before, I got your back. And I'll help you remember and y'know, even after you remember, I'll still fight by your side. Always."

The orphan curled his hands into the hospital blanket, silent. Seconds ticked by. Seconds became minutes and minutes elapsed into a half hour. Naruto took that time to patiently wait, only because his sense of time was now irreversibly skewed thanks to death.

When 'Kakashi' finally spoke, he allowed himself to ask a strangled, "…Why? I don't understand why you want to…help me. I…summoned you and…you saved me. But, why?"

Naruto gave him an odd look before it smoothed over, replaced with a warm, sad smile. "That's 'cause you're one of my precious people, sensei. And I promise you, I won't abandon you this time."

The words were echoed softly. "This time."

"This time." Naruto nodded solemnly, in oath. "So let me stay. Please don't send me away."

More minutes ticked by before he relented. "…Fine." 'Kakashi' ignored the gleeful look, eyes averted again. "You can stay."

It was unspoken. You can stay only because sending you away felt like losing a long lost sibling.

End.

A/N: Wrote this in a strange mood. T'was an idea that won't leave me alone, about strange afterlife superpowers and Naruto and Kakashi in reversed mentee-mentor roles. Thanks for reading.

~Phoenyxx