A/N: This is my entry for the Once Upon A Time: A Kakashi X Sakura Fairy Tale Challenge at the KakaSaku LJ Comm. This has been adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale. I had a lot of fun with this one. Thanks to my super beta reader DarkSacredJewelXoX. I hope you enjoy reading this and good luck to the other participants! I'm eager to read them all.
-Deni

Konoha - the village hidden in the leaves, one of the most prosperous among ninja villages and one of the most lively in all of Fire. The village itself is beautiful in its traditions, in the earthy buildings and narrow streets. The joy and pride its citizens carry is evident in everything they do. Who wouldn't be proud to live in such a serene and well protected village?

Not only is it home to many great ninja, some of the most beautiful greenery, and a wide variety of shops; it also holds a secret, one I was lucky enough to find. If you ever find yourself in Konoha, seek out the song of the Nightingale. If you are lucky enough to hear her voice, then hold onto the moment and …

Kakashi shut the book, bringing it to his lips in thought. "Tenzou."

A shadow loomed over the desk. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"I thought I told you to drop that formality," he said in a teasing manner, looking over at the black uniform clad man and straight into the eyes behind the painted mask.

"Y-yes, senpai."

"So, what is this?" he asked setting the book down and sliding it toward him.

"A … book."

"It mentions a nightingale and her song. I've never heard it before."

The ANBU fidgeted in his spot. "I've never hear it either."

"Find someone who has, will you?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

"Tenzou."

"S-sorry … senpai. Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you."

In the blink of an eye he was gone Kakashi sat back eying the stack of documents that were awaiting his stamp of approval. Naruto couldn't finish his training soon enough in his opinion. He wondered, for a brief moment, of his blond comrade and his trip to Iwa. These treaty meetings were quite important, not just for Konoha, but all the ninja villages. For some reason, he was sure he was succeeding in his own way. He had a very unique charm to him. He was curious if maybe he had heard of Konoha's songstress.

Tenzou asked the other workers stationed around the Tower if anyone had heard of this girl or the song. He asked Academy teachers and even his current squad members, which earned him a few chuckles (he easily brought an end to them with a deep glare). This had to be some kind of joke or something. There was no way that these ninja hadn't been aware of a thing like that. He headed back to Kakashi's office and awaited entrance.

Kakashi ushered him inside and then stilled him with a rather bored expression. "So, what did you find out?"

"No one has heard it, Kakashi-senpai."

"At all?"

"No. You know, it could all just be a lie written to try to make our village seem more fanciful. I admit, it is rather generous, but it's still a lie."

"This came from the daimyo of Tea. Why would he lie about something like a song?"

"I suppose he wouldn't."

"Exactly. Konoha has been my home for more than thirty years, there's not a corner of it that's unfamiliar to me. I have to know about this song. Round up some men and find it for me."

"What?"

Kakashi grinned to himself. "If you have a problem with it, I can assign you to some special training with Gai."

He waved his hands in front of him. "Oh, no, really that's not necessary."

"Good. And tell your men the same that should give them some incentive."

"Y-yes."

"And this isn't an ANBU mission. You should show your face more, how else will you ever snag a woman?"

Tenzou dropped his head. "Right…"

Then he was gone once again. To say that Kakashi was intrigued was a bit of an understatement. How could everyone, except for him and his men, know of such a beautiful thing? He let out a heavy sigh and ignored the itch that was Icha Icha in his back pouch to settle into the newest work to cross his desk.

Tenzou and his group searched for a couple of hours, finding nothing at all, but perhaps they were going about it the wrong way. The first civilian he chose to ask, a little girl, knew right away of who he was inquiring about.

She nodded eagerly, her dark eyes shining as she replied to him, "Of course I know it! I know the song by heart and the woman that sings it." She paused to exaggerate with a sigh. "Her voice is so beautiful. Here, it goes like this."

He schooled the expression on his face as she began to hum and sing notes off key. "Um, that's nice, but can you tell me where you heard the song?"

"Oh, I hear it around the forest. Sometimes I sneak off to pick flowers before dinner and that's when I hear it. Not all the time though, but when I do … I-I usually get into trouble."

"Trouble?"

She nodded. "Because I'm late for dinner! I get so wrapped up in the song that I … forget."

Tenzou sat in thought. 'It could be some kind of genjutsu, trapping anyone who hears it. When released, all they can remember is the melody. It could explain why none of the men have heard it. The ninja responsible may be - no, that's not right; other people have heard it, like Tea's daimyo…'

The little girl tugged on his sleeve bringing him out of his daze.

"How about this," he started. "How about you and your family come dine with the Hokage? This mysterious Nightingale has been invited to sing for the Hokage himself. You would be more than welcome to attend as well if you could show me the way to her."

"Really? Okay, come on!"

The little girl beckoned them to follow her as she skipped off down the street. Tenzou and his group trailed after her through side streets and behind establishments, all the way to her house.

A dog began to howl and one of the men spoke up. "That can't be it. It doesn't sound very beautiful. Powerful, yes, but it sounds like … a dog."

The girl laughed. "That's because it is a dog. We still have a little ways to go." She looked around as they entered her yard and then she pushed two loose boards from the fence.

Tenzou looked back at the small group before giving the okay to continue. They walked in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of grass and leaves under their feet. Then, the chirp of crickets and frogs began to reach their ears.

"I hear something."

"It's like little bells or …"

"Or frogs," Tenzou deadpanned.

The girl could barely contain her laughter. "It's right up here where I usually hear her."

As if on cue, a very calm hum filled the air around them. Tenzou's hand went to his weapon's pouch, preparing himself to strike if necessary.

"It's so … lovely," one of the men commented.

"I've never heard this before! How have I never heard this?"

The girl snagged his sleeve again. She pointed up into the trees. "Look, there she is." They all followed her finger as they gazed upward.

"It's impossible …"

High on a branch, legs dangling from the side sat Sakura. A small basket rested at her side, her eyes were focused on the sky as the wind passed through her roseate tresses and carried her song away.

Tenzou shook his head. "I never thought such a sound could come from her."

"Miss Sakura! Hey, Nightingale Sakura!"

She looked down. "Nightingale?"

The girl nodded and continued, "The Hokage wants you to sing for him."

Kakashi. Her heart sped. "My pleasure." Then, she continued to sing. She scouted the area, her sharp eyes attuned to the surroundings, but could find no trace of him although that didn't mean that he wasn't there.

"I didn't know Haruno-san could sing like that."

"Me neither."

After the short serenade, Sakura stood and yelled down at them. "And where is our Hokage? I don't see him. Should I keep singing?"

"He's not here, but he would like for you to come to dinner and sing for him there."

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I feel so much more at ease doing it here, in nature."

The girl "ooh-ed". "You're not going to disobey the Hokage, are you?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at the child. If she only knew. She took up the basket and leapt from the branch, landing almost soundlessly on her feet. "No, if he requests me then I will come."

.oOo.

Kakashi was absolutely thrilled to hear the mysterious Nightingale woman had been found. He called all the ninja that hadn't heard of this song together and extended the invitation to their families to come and finally listen. The little girl's family was welcome as well.

They all sat, eager to hear the infamous songbird. The doors opened and in walked Sakura. Her hair was pulled back out of her face and her simple dress hugged her body. She worried her lip, suddenly very aware that she was not the most gorgeous person in the room nor was she ready for such a large reception.

"Sakura-chan, can I help you with something? Is there an emergency?"

She looked at Kakashi with a questionable rise of her brow. He obviously had not been told the identity of the songstress and her heart sank in disappointment. All this time and still …

"No, there isn't."

"Then, why are you here?"

She could feel her temper boiling, but instead of blowing her fuse she turned away from him and walked to the small makeshift stage. She picked up the microphone and shot a strange look over to Kakashi.

His visible eye widened. 'No way, it's … Sakura!'

"Thank you for inviting me, Hokage-sama."

He nodded, astonished, and then she turned back to the audience and began to sing, her earlier fear forgotten. She sang of hope and unrequited love with words and a tone so emotional, it moved many of the people in the crowd - even some of the most hardened shinobi .

Her song struck a chord within Kakashi, it was difficult to place and even more difficult to admit. A stray tear leaked from his eye which he hastily rubbed away in the guise of it irritating him. The sound of applause was warming and Sakura was touched by the audience's approval.

Kakashi approached her, his eye creased in the style she was accustomed to. "I had prepared a gift for the woman with such a voice. You know, there have been books and poetry sent to me about your song." He stated it like it was common knowledge, but the news was surprising to her.

He continued. "Would you like to come and claim your gift?"

Her heart seemed to sputter from the look he pinned her with, yet she only smiled. "Your reaction was enough."

Before he could reply she brought the microphone back up and started to sing again. He sat back and took up his cup as he listened to her melody. He had no idea she had a voice like that, but who could blame him? The most he had ever heard of her was when she was yelling at the boys. He grinned to himself. After the song was over she was invited into the audience where the people showered her with compliments.

"I didn't know you could sing like that!"

"You're simply amazing, Sakura-san!"

"Will you sing for us more often?"

She was simply loved by so many for her voice just as much for her healing hands. As she was mingling with the people, Kakashi approached her once again. He pulled her to the side to speak privately and his first question caught her off guard. "Would you like to stay here Sakura?"

"I-I'm sorry I don't know what you mean."

"If I had known all it would take to win over other countries was a pretty girl with a prettier voice, I would have held auditions. Stay here with me."

"With you?"

"Yes. You can sing at dinners, entertain our men. You know how low morale has sunk since the last attack. You can dazzle ambassadors from the other countries, I hear travelers from Kiri are already quite taken with you."

She almost wanted to run her hands down her face in annoyance, make an ugly face and growl threateningly at him. Of course he hadn't really meant with him. It would take much more than a song to win him over.

"I have hospital duties, you know this."

"You can still do that, Sakura. I'm just asking you for … a favor."

"A favor huh?"

He nodded but the look in his eyes was serious. It was that same look she received from him when she was a genin and he wanted to show that he meant business. She pursed her lips to the side. "And are you really asking me or are you ordering me, Hokage-sama?"

She couldn't help the bite to her words. After he left, just like that, years ago; disappeared from her life when she thought she had finally (finally) gotten past his rough exterior. She thought that maybe, just maybe, he had seen her as a woman, not a child or a student, but fully grown and a dependable comrade - someone that loved him for all he was and yet he just left her. Until today, she had rarely heard from him. Today was the most she had talked to him in years.

"I am asking you, but I won't hesitate to make it an order if it means that it will make these transitions smoother for our village. People from all over, important people, love you. They are completely enamored by your voice. Why not give them what they want?"

"I am not some tool-"

"That's all we ninja are, Sakura, tools. I thought you lost that naivety long ago."

"Well, my naivety isn't the only thing I've held onto that I should've let go."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing Kakashi. I'll do it if that's what you order me to."

Mentally, he winced. Of course he didn't want to order her to take on this role, but she was leaving him little choice. What she did was so simple, but it made so many happy. He felt it was important. He stared her down. "I do. I'll make arrangements."

She stared after him, wide-eyed, as he turned and walked away.

Imagine Sakura's surprise when after the guests had left she was approached and fitted with a cuff around her ankle. She tried to fight against it, and was pretty successful until she was fixed by a hard stare. She knew that look, but from where?

"Please, don't struggle against me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yamato-taichou?"

"Sorry, Sakura."

She looked down at her foot and the small metal anklet that made her feel like a prisoner. Kakashi advanced toward her cautiously.

"What is this?" she demanded pointing angrily at the cuff.

"Security measure. You're valuable, I have to know where you are."

"If I run, you mean."

"If you're captured. I told you that you're free to take care of your hospital duties."

"And what about the other things I need?"

"You'll be needed here. Don't worry, you'll be compensated."

"I don't care about the money!"

"Just work with me for a little while, please."

"Fine."

That is how her life progressed over the following months. She spent her days at the hospital, patching up fallen soldiers and tending to Academy children who injured themselves during training. Her nights were spent singing and entertaining daimyos, ninja, ambassadors, and other Kages. She rarely had any free time to gather herbs or go out with Ino, and when she did she never missed the shadowed figures that kept a watchful eye on her. To her, they may as well have been carrying chains.

It was safe to say that she was not happy. It began to show in her music where she sang of breaking free and taking joy in simple freedoms, her voice carrying a tune akin to longing.

As Kakashi said though, having her there did seem to help the progression of peace treaties and alliances. News of her spread, and gifts arrived just as quickly, and she was performing for more and more visitors; all of them leaving with a wonderful experience and more stories to tell.

A package arrived one day addressed to the Hokage. One simple word labeled the box: Nightingale. Curious, he opened it and was stunned at what lay inside. He carefully lifted the ornate golden bird modeled after the creature Sakura gleaned her nickname from. It was a sight indeed, with emeralds for eyes and other tiny precious jewels patterned across the chest and wings.

Inside was a small strip of paper, coming from the Tsuchikage. Written on it was: Iwa's Nightingale is pale in comparison to Konoha's. Please enjoy this gift.

Kakashi grinned to himself as he wound the tiny key. Iwa had been one of the last few remaining nations that had been holding out and it seemed they were finally coming around. When the bird's beak opened a most beautiful melody poured from within. He was surprised by the sheer quality of the sound. It must have taken quite a skillful person to craft this - and he didn't even want to consider the amount of money it required.

Kakashi displayed it on his desk proudly. It was proof that plans were coming along nicely. It was a reminder of Sakura. She would be happy to see it, especially if it meant that she was that much closer to not being needed for her extra job anymore. Perhaps when this was all over, he'd thank her properly and maybe seek out some forgiveness.

Throughout the day, as ninja and civilian alike passed through his office, Kakashi found himself winding up the bird to let it sing. Everyone that saw it fell in love with it. More than one even jokingly mentioned a duet with Sakura would be in order. He wondered how she would feel about it. Well, one way to find out.

She was shocked and a little appalled when the trinket was brought on stage that evening. Nevertheless, she sang along to one of its programmed songs; and while they both sounded lovely they did not harmonize well.

The guests marveled over the bird, requesting to wind it up and let it play again and again. Sakura saw this as her opportunity. While everyone was fawning over the golden plaything she snapped her cuff in two. She glanced toward Kakashi who was busy talking to some big shot from Kiri to notice what she had done - or even if he did, he couldn't get away. She whispered a goodbye and then made her escape through the open window.

Some time had passed before Kakashi's thoughts returned to Sakura. He supposed she should sing something - she was the initial reason why people came after all. Only when he looked, she was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the room, resting on the open window and the cuff she had worn discarded on the floor.

.oOo.

No one seemed to mind that Sakura just up and quit. Kakashi thought it was odd that she didn't at least come to him first, and trying to figure out the reason behind her move was something he still did - even nearly a year later. He had been kept busy in the recent months; Ame was still heavily supportive of their position; opposed to a unity of any kind. Many are still suffering from the last Great War and are in no hurry to shake hands and play nice.

He had tried to seek out Sakura a few times in the beginning, but either his age was catching up to him or she had become that much better of a kunoichi - she was nearly impossible to track down. Some people were even going as far as to say that Sakura was ungrateful for what he had given her and that the jeweled bird was far prettier to look at anyway. Some even claimed that the bird had better songs, but Kakashi wasn't sure if he could wholeheartedly agree.

Sakura had indeed been keeping low. She rarely did anything outside of work, there was nothing worth doing that could call attention to her. She had been next in line to take over the hospital and she didn't want to ruin any chances she had, but the fact that he didn't even come after her … hurt more than she would like to admit.

Kakashi was kicked back in his office, feet propped on his desk, Icha Icha held loosely in his grasp - but for the life of him it wasn't enough to keep his mind occupied. His eyes kept straying from the text to the bird and that in turn triggered thoughts of Sakura. He set his book down and picked up the heavy creature dragging a finger over its beak before winding the key. It began to play and he closed his eyes.

He had been so surprised to find Sakura was the songstress all along. He remembered things he had tried so hard to forget, but those jade eyes always came back to haunt him.

Suddenly the notes from the bird warped. His eyes shot open and he took his feet from the desk and planted them firmly on the floor. There was a whiz, a crack of a spring, and then a whirring sound as the music came to a halt. His hands fluttered over the golden bird. What did he do? Of all the things he was capable of doing - he had no idea how to fix the mechanics of such a complex music box.

Early the next morning a watchman came to look at the bird, he was the closest repairer in the village. After a few hours of work he was done, confirming it was indeed a fine piece of machinery and indeed very complex. While he was able to fix it, he hadn't been the original craftsman, so unless he wanted to send it back, this was all he could do. He advised Kakashi to play it sparingly unless he wanted it to be broken beyond repair.

Kakashi thanked him and sat at his desk. It would be rude to return the gift, especially after a year of use and in a poor condition. Now, it wouldn't be fair to try to bring Sakura back, not after the first time. He had messed things up and now, perhaps, she'd never know how foolish he felt for it. So, he did what he could, placing the bird atop a shelf and dived back into work looking forward to when he would hear it sing again.

Time had never passed so slowly - or so quickly- before. Four years had come to pass when suddenly the village was attacked. Ame had rounded up all the rogue ninja they could find, banded them together for a single purpose and infiltrated Konoha in one massive surprise attack. The damage was unbelievable. In the height of battle the Hokage stepped forward, just like those before him had, and put his life on the line to protect his people. In the end, the Leaf was victorious but it came with a heavy price.

So, Kakashi lay in a makeshift bed set up in his office, or at least what remained of it. Under the moonlight, his skin was pallid, sweat dotted his brow, his torso was wrapped in bandages and blood dried and pulled at the skin around his left eye. He refused treatment; he had far outlived his expected expiration date.

'Great, now I'm comparing myself to milk,' he mused.

Naruto was ready to take up his position, he knew it. Kakashi had set them off to talk with the council; the sooner he was appointed the better. He slipped in and out of consciousness, traveling the line between a simple nap and eternal slumber …

During the night he found it hard to breathe and was roused from sleep. His eyes widened, horrified, as none other than Zabuza sat on his chest, wearing his Hokage robes and hat - his father's prized tanto in his hands.

"Zabu-za? How …"

"Do you not like this form? I can take another if you wish." The voice changed to match the new face as his form shifted. Kakashi shut his eyes; he'd rather look at Zabuza again instead of meeting Sasuke's hardened, blood-red gaze.

"No good?" the apparition asked with a grin.

"Who are you?"

"I have many names: Thanatos, Grimnir, Yama, Enma. I'm a Shinigami, the Grim Reaper," he paused, his teasing stare fell to his face and he smiled, "or simply, the Angel of Death. Whichever name you prefer is fine with me."

"W-why …"

Peeking from under Kakashi's robes on Zabuza's body was a goggled face.

"Obito?"

"Do you remember the day I surpassed you? For a moment, I was better than you. Do you remember?"

"I do."

Then another face slowly emerged from the shadows. "Kakashi."

"Rin!"

"I loved you so much," she whispered, her voice sad.

"I know."

"Why couldn't you love me back?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm proud of you Kakashi."

That voice. "Father?"

"Look at you now, my son ..."

Other faces slowly appeared - the people he had loved, enemies he had slain; faces of horror, pain, regret, adoration, happiness - all questioning him at once. His eyes wildly glanced about the room looking for some kind of salvation when they rested upon the musical bird. If only he could slip away listening to that beautiful melody once more instead of the voices from his past.

"Please … please sing for me. I've tried to do all I could for you. I'm sorry I ignored you after all this time! I've … loved you -"

But there was no one there to wind the key and a machine, no matter how wonderfully crafted, could not replace the real thing. He looked away, running a shaky hand across his forehead. "Sakura …"

The weight on his chest bore down on him and when he opened his eyes, Zabuza was nearly nose to nose with him. "Your robes look pretty damn good on me. What do you think Hatake?" He chuckled. "Let's go."

A breeze fluttered through the open window and with it came a song. Kakashi hadn't felt so relieved in quite some time. Both he and Zabuza turned their heads to look out. Sitting on a branch just outside was Sakura. She had heard that Kakashi had been gravely injured and came to tend to him, whether he wanted it or not. There were still too many things that had yet to be said. She smiled at him and continued to sing and once she was done, she had completely captivated the apparition that had come to claim Kakashi.

Zabuza cocked his head to the side as he studied her. "You must sing again."

She met Kakashi's gaze for a brief moment before she entered through the window. "I will sing another song if I can have that hat."

He willingly handed it over to her and she sang another tune. Kakashi couldn't explain it, but hearing her voice seemed to ease his pain.

Once she finished the song, Zabuza asked for another. She bartered for his robes and for his family's tanto and once his belongings were in her possession she began to sing again. Kakashi listened in awe and he knew the place she was singing of almost immediately, after all he did spend a lot of time there. She described the cenotaph beautifully; the way the stone looked bathed in moonlight, the soft grass kissed by mourner's tears, and the sweet scent of flowers. He could picture it clearly.

She had intrigued this otherworldly spirit disguised as Zabuza. He claimed he must go see this place and without further hesitation he exited out the window in a little puff of smoke.

Sakura knelt beside Kakashi, he quickly found her hand. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Just be quiet, please."

"You came back, even after I ordered you to do something you didn't want to do, even after ignoring you and treating you how I-"

"It's alright. Now quit talking before you change my mind."

"You saved my life, Sakura, you literally conned Death away from my side. What can I do to repay you?"

She pressed her hands to his abdomen and began to work. "You've already rewarded me. I'll never forget the expression on your face when you first heard me sing. You have no idea how much that touched me."

"But-"

"Sleep, get some rest and get strong again. Don't worry, I'll stay here with you."

"Will you sing to me?"

"Of course."

She placed one hand alight with chakra to his head and as she began to heal his wounds she sang lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

When Kakashi awoke in the morning, he was surprised. He truly didn't believe he would ever open his eyes again. More shocking than that, he felt no pain. His bandages had been changed and he was in a fresh set of clothes … and Sakura was still there, singing. She sat at the windowsill, the beginnings of dawn falling across her face.

He carefully sat up and the sound of him shifting caught her attention. She smiled warmly at him. "Good morning."

"Sakura, you-"

She nodded. "You were delirious when I found you."

"Was I-"

"You were talking to someone, er, a few people actually. I was really worried."

"But you came back."

"Yes, we did manage to go over that detail."

He chuckled, but then winced at the sharp pain that shot up his side. She went to him, wrapping am arm around his shoulders. "Be careful."

He raised his hand to cup her cheek, catching her by surprise. "Sakura, will you stay with me?"

"I-"

"I did it all wrong. You could come and go as you pleased and you wouldn't have to sing for everyone…"

"Only you?" she questioned teasingly.

"If you'd like," he replied with a grin. "I'll even trash that fake bird."

She shook her head. "Don't do that. That bird did the best it could for as long as it could. It wasn't all bad was it?"

He thought of all the times the golden bird brought memories of Sakura to him and he scratched behind his ear. "I suppose not."

"See." She offered him another small smile, one that made his breath hitch and gave him a mental slap. What had he been doing all this time when she was right there all along?

"Stay with me."

As long as she had been waiting to hear those words, it was heartbreaking to deny him. "I can't. People need me and besides, I'm not going to stick around doing C-rank missions because you worry about me."

"I hope you don't really think I'd do that."

"No, but still, I can't. There's too much that needs to be done right now, people to tend to and a village to rebuild. But knowing that you're there … I'll still come to see you when I can. I'll even sing to you some more. I'll sing about the people and hope," she paused to look up at him, "and love. I'll tell you about everything that's going on and who knows, maybe I'll tell you some things you don't even know about."

He knew it was useless but something in him spurred him on. "I am Hokage Sakura, I could-"

"No. Don't you know that I love your heart more than your rank? I could never accept such an offer. I have a duty to the people."

"I know, but I had to try."

She stood and he just knew that she was going to leave. She worried her lip for a moment. "Will you promise me something?"

"Everything."

Her lips twitched upward. "Only one. It would probably be for the best if no one knew that I am the one who will be telling you all of these things."

He nodded. "I'll just say a little birdie told me."

She couldn't stop herself. She felt compelled to rise up onto her toes, hook her fingers into his mask and peel it down to press their lips together. She pulled away with a blush, quickly turned around with a wave and then leapt out the window. He lightly touched his lips and then smiled.

.oOo.

Tenzou opened the door and slowly entered the room flanked by four other ninja - one being Naruto. The group froze in their tracks, astounded by the sight of a fully robed Kakashi standing, alive and well.

"Y-you're okay! Kaka-sensei!"

"Hokage-sama!"

"Yo." Kakashi threw a wave up in the air, giving one of his patented eye creases.

Tenzou's eyes were still wide in disbelief. "I can't believe it! We thought you were done for … the way you looked and … and-"

He clapped him on the shoulder. "No worries my friend." Then he turned to look at his former student, bright blue eyes brimmed with tears. "So, I hear there's work to be done."

Naruto grinned. "You bet."

A/N: Sorry for another one here, but be sure to check out my profile for an important message