I'm finally continuing "Kakashi's choice". Hope you like the chapter.
--
Kakashi watched his students spar with each other and smiled. They seemed so happy and Kakashi was contented to sit back lazily and watch them. Sasuke seemed to be winning as he managed to hold both Naruto and Sakura back. But Naruto made a comeback by kicking Sasuke in the shin, causing Sasuke to fall. Naruto's cry of victory echoed through the training field.
"HAH! Take that teme," Naruto yelled. "I totally beat you! I am the best! I'm the best! I'm the – AARGH!"
Kakashi gasped in horror as he saw snakes start to coil around his students.
"Sensei!" Naruto screamed. "Help us!"
Kakashi got up quickly and made to run and help Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto. But before he could do so, a wire flew at him and latched his left hand to the tree that was behind him.
Almost immediately, another wire came out of nowhere and latched his other hand to the same tree. More wires were flung at Kakashi, securing his entire torso to the tree. His legs were also bound in a similar manner.
"Sensei! Help-" Naruto's cries were stopped as the snakes started to go around his head. Kakashi could only watch despairingly as he saw his students drown in a sea of snakes. Orochimaru suddenly appeared in front of Kakashi.
"Like what you're seeing Kakashi kun?" Orochimaru leered. Kakashi struggled violently with the wires that was restraining him, but it seemed that the more he struggled, the more tighter the wires became.
"Stop it!" Kakashi yelled at the snake sannin. "Please, call off the snakes!"
"Of course Kakashi kun," Orochimaru smirked. In an instant the snakes vanished, leaving behind Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. All three clearly dead.
"NOOOO!" Kakashi screamed.
Tears fell down his face as he saw the dead bodies of his new family. His students' unblinking eyes looked at him accusingly. Asking him why he couldn't save them. Why couldn't he save the others? Why? Why? WHY?
--
"No!"
Kakashi sat up n bed, his breathing coming out in short gasps. His body was drenched in sweat and his covers were a tangled mess around his feet. His outburst had woken up the nin dogs that slept around his bed. The dogs looked at their master with concern.
"I'm all right," Kakashi muttered to his dogs. "Just another nightmare. Go back to sleep."
The nin dogs raised a sceptical eyebrow. Their master was shaking and shivering and could hardly be counted as "alright".
"Really," Kakashi tried to assure his dogs, "I'm fine."
Kakashi rested his head on his knees. He caught sight of the alarm clock on his window sill. It was only just about midnight. And beside his clock was the team picture of Team 7.
Sighing, Kakashi closed his eyes. But try as he might, he simply could not get rid of the image of his dead students. Even thinking about it sent a shiver of fear down Kakashi's spine.
Without Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi would be alone. And he never wants to experience that kind of loneliness again.
With a groan, Kakashi got out of his bed. H emade sure not to step on any of the dogs as he went to put on his jounin uniform.
"Where're you going," Pakkun asked, opening one eye.
"Just getting some fresh air," Kakashi replied, pulling on his gloves.
"Nightmare scared you that bad huh?" Pakkun said acutely. Kakashi glared at the dog.
"Don't know what you're talking about," the elite jounin said shortly.
"You're going to check up on your students," Pakkun stated. "Make sure they're okay. You worry about them too much."
"I'm not worried about anyone," Kakashi growled. "I'm just going to get some air!"
And with that, Kakashi stormed out of the house.
"Stubborn kid," Pakkun remarked. "Exactly like his father."
The nin dogs around the pug all whined in agreement.
--
Kakashi visited Sakura first. He stepped up to her bedroom window and smiled as he saw the pink headed kunoichi sleeping soundly. Kakashi slipped through the window into the room quietly.
Sakura's room consisted of everything a perfectly normal teenager would have. Kakashi sometimes forget that Sakura was not an orphan like the rest of Team 7. She had a loving mother and father and had never known what it felt like to loose someone precious in your life.
Moving closer to Sakura, Kakashi saw that she was gripping an object tightly in her hand whilst she slept. Kakashi was surprised to find that it was the Team 7's photo that she was holding. Kakashi felt a rush of affection at the girl he considered as a little sister.
He pulled down his mask and brotherly kissed Sakura on the forehead. Sakura stirred slightly but did not wake up. Kakashi left as quietly as he came in.
--
Kakashi visited Sasuke next. He was disappointed to see that Sasuke was still wide awake. The genius Uchiha was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling above. Kakashi landed into Sasuke's room loudly, causing the black haired teenager to jump and sit up in surprise.
"You know, if you keep dreaming about getting revenge on Itachi like this, you're going to get insomnia." Kakashi remarked.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked angrily.
"I have my reasons," Kakashi shrugged. "Now go to sleep."
"I don't need you to tell me what to do," Sasuke said, somewhat childishly.
"As your sensei," Kakashi reminded Sasuke, "I have every right to tell you what to do. Now, seriously get some sleep."
Sasuke grumbled but obeyed the order. Kakashi cheerfully switched off the light and left.
"Who's he to tell me what to do," Sasuke grumbled. "Stupid jounin, always turning up late and giving lame excuses just because he can, that…"
The ranting about his sensei carried on but inside, Sasuke smiled. At least someone cared about him.
--
Naruto was the last on Kakashi's list. He crept into Naruto's room easily as the window was wide open. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto was deeply asleep.
Naruto was lying a little too close to the edge of the bed and his blanket was tangled around his feet. The boy was snoring lightly and Kakashi noticed that Naruto had forgotten to remove his dirty shoes before going to bed.
Kakashi almost laughed at the way Naruto was sleeping. He slept exactly like Kakashi's former sensei. Living with the 4th Hokage as a child, there were many times at which Kakashi had been woken up by the sound of his sensei falling off his bed.
"Baka," Kakashi sighed as he approached Naruto. He gently lifted Naruto and put the sleeping boy in the middle of the bed. Naruto muttered something about Ramen and did not wake up. Kakashi then opened Naruto's shoes and put them by the boy's bed.
It was only after Kakashi covered Naruto with his blanket did he smiled again. Naruto was still so innocent despite all the things he had been through in his life. Naruto was able to see goodness in everyone he met and sometimes able to bring out the goodness in the person.
"Silly kid," Kakashi grinned and affectionately ruffled Naruto's hair. Naruto muttered something under his breath. Kakashi caught the words "defeat" and "Sasuke".
Kakashi was a genius but it did not take a genius to work out what the blond kid was dreaming about.
Kakashi closed the window as he left. After all, an open window increases the risk and potential danger to a ninja.
--Orochimaru's lair--
"Your chakra amount is more than anyone else's Orochimaru sama," Kabuto said after examining his master. "Not only have you got more chakra, but you also have a mixture of different variations as well."
"It would seen so Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed. "I've got water chakra, wind chakra, earth chakra, fire chakra and even pure lightning chakra. But you know that there is another type of chakra I want."
"Yes Orochimaru sama," Kabuto nodded. "You want the chakra of a tailed beast."
"The chakra of a tailed beast is so powerful that as long as one have the knowledge, anything can be achieved." Orochimaru said, the greed plan in his eyes. "I want that chakra."
"The only way to get that kind of chakra is through a jinchuriki," Kabuto said. "And the chakra has to be given willingly. How will you convince a jinchuriki to give you their chakra?"
"It's easy Kabuto, once you know the way the person's mind work," Orochimaru smirked. "After all, didn't I get that brat Kakashi to give me some of his chakra? Anyone will do anything to save the ones precious to them."
"Which jinchuriki will you use?" Kabuto asked, though he already knew the answer.
"I've picked an easy prey," the snake sannin smiled. "Uzumaki Naruto."
--
Sorry if you're disappointed that there is not enough action. I just felt that I needed to emphasize the bond Team 7 has and how important Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are to Kakashi.
This chapter is set just after Tsunade's been announced as the 5th Hokage by the way.
PLEASE REVIEW!!
RNR!!