(Author's note:)Italics throughout the story is used for a major time or story shift. Think of them as additions, windows to understand the story more deeply.

'testing testing one two three'- thought

"testing testing one two three"- speech
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…Saikai Story- Reunion story…

Chapter one;

Winter Snow

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"It has been a long period of time… since we first met." A smile appeared on the weather-beaten face crisscrossed with scars. "Has it not, Haruno?"

The man beside him stared distantly at the sky, his eyes seeing the misty remnants of past scenes. The sun glinted on his coppery red hair, once a fiery blazing halo of fire, now dulled with age and time.

"Twenty seven years today… Remember, Hatake? Since that day we first became chuunin together…" Haruno said after a long moment. The white haired man beside him raised his head to gaze at the sky also.

"Twenty seven years… is a long time…" Hatake said.

"…It is." The red-haired man answered simply. For a while, the two old comrades sat side by side, staring vaguely into the sky.

"Haruno." Something about Hatake's tone caused Haruno to turn in order to see the other man's face. Hatake only continued staring up at the blue sky. "…I… am afraid…" Haruno's eyes widened. Never, in their long friendship had he heard Hatake say those words out loud.

"Why would you-"

"I am afraid of the future." Hatake continued. By now, a faint line had appeared between Haruno's eyebrows. "There… is something… something darkening the light in my dreams." Hatake said quietly, closing his eyes. "For the past month, the same dreams… over and over… and a growing uneasiness in my heart… I… I cannot place my finger on the reason why, but I am afraid of what is to come."

"……" Haruno swallowed. "What… what do you think will happen…?" He asked, his hand clenching unknowingly into a fist. Hatake opened his eyes.

"…… I'm not sure… but I sense pain in my dreams… so that is what I am expecting." Hatake turned and caught Haruno's slightly bewildered and worried looking expression.

"Haruno…"

"……"

"This may be an aging man's delusions," Hatake managed a rueful grin, which quickly faded. "But… by chance… if something does happen…" His gaze locked onto Haruno's steadily.

"…?"

"Promise me… that you will watch over my son, as I would do for any children of yours." Hatake said seriously. Haruno smiled.

"You need not fear of that. I would have done that without your asking it." The bright warmth the sun provided vanished as a cloud drifted over the celestial orb, blocking its life-giving rays.

"The future… the mysterious power it holds over our lives…"

"…… And we are powerless to stop it…"

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"Hatake… Hatake!"

A silver haired man halted, and turned to see a familiar figure struggling towards him. It had been snowing nonstop for the past week, and only today had the sun finally decided to show itself. Now, the sun's bright rays glinted off the pristine snow on the ground and buildings. He watched, mildly curious, as the brown-haired figure reached him.

"Yo…" He greeted as the man stopped in front of him. "Long time no see, Iruka." Iruka let out a sigh, which condensed into small puffs of vapor in the cold winter air.

"Kakashi… Thank god I caught you…" He said in a relieved manner. Kakashi's pale eyebrow rose. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Ah… You were looking for me…?"

Iruka brushed Kakashi's comments aside.

"I need you to do me a favor…"

"That would depend on how much effort it would require on my part." Kakashi remarked, his eye straying to a nearby window displaying the latest issue of Make out Paradise, a special winter edition. Iruka frowned.

"Hey, I'm serious." He rubbed his temple. "You probably know there's going to be another skirmish along the borders of the snow country… apparently, they've refused to return the ninjas they've captured, even after negotiations..." Iruka said, watching for a reaction on Kakashi's placid face.

"Mm… I've heard." Kakashi said vaguely.

"Well, I've been put on the eighth squad." Iruka said abruptly. That got Kakashi's attention.

"What?"

"Yeah… I'm finally gonna be fighting in the war, first-hand in the battle scene." There was a suppressed air of excitement and nervousness in him. Kakashi's visible eyebrow lowered, remembering the feelings of anxious anticipation he'd felt before his first major battle. Despite the fact both men were jounin, in terms of experience and skill, Kakashi was among the best.

"The novelty wears off after the first week or so of fighting for your life and being covered in blood and gore." Kakashi said drily. Iruka smiled slightly.

"I know." Iruka turned his head to look at the snowy mountains in the distance, where he would most likely be fighting for his country and life in a few days' time.

Kakashi watched him, the slight frown he wore covered by the black mask he wore over his lower face. "The difference between you and me, is that you're a veteran on the battlefield… and compared to you, I'm just a scared, untried little puppy." Iruka admitted.

"Yah… I've probably been in more battles than the number of women you've ever known in your life." Kakashi drawled. Iruka's eyebrow quirked.

"Women? Or females?" Iruka said with a grin. "I'm surrounded by females all the time… they love me, I'm telling you, they can't get enough of me!" He said cockily.
"I assume you're referring to the little pipsqueaks you teach in the academy." Kakashi taunted.
"Taught." Iruka corrected. "And some of them weren't what I would call little pipsqueaks." Kakashi's eyebrow rose.

"Oh?"

Iruka sensed the conversation starting to drift.

"Wait a minute… I'm not here to get in a perverted conversation with you." He mumbled, rubbing his hands distractedly to warm them. Kakashi heard him.

"Ah… what are you here for, then?" Kakashi teased. Iruka ignored him.

"Anyways, I need you to do something for me."

"You act like it's a given… But I already told you, it depends on how much effort it takes from me." Kakashi pointed out. The other man acted as if Kakashi hadn't even spoken.

"If I'm gonna be gone for who knows how long, I'm not gonna be able to train my cell-"

"Duh."

"-So I want you to train them in my stead." Iruka finished, beaming. Kakashi's one visible eye widened at this unexpected suggestion.

"Come again?" Kakashi asked, dumbfounded.

"It's only while I'm gone," Iruka went on. "And they're not bad, once you get to know them, I mean, they've matured a lot-" Kakashi interrupted.

"Hey, where's my say in all this?" He demanded, dismayed. "What you're asking requires way to much time, energy, and effort from me." Kakashi said, frowning. Iruka reached out and patted him gratefully on the shoulder, as if to a obedient dog.

"Great, so you'll do it?" Iruka flashed another happy grin. Kakashi started to speak, but was once again cut off. "I'm gonna be gone starting 3 days from now, so you can start then, alright?"

"Wait-"

Iruka started off, waving back as he called,

"Thanks, I really appreciate this, Hatake!" He jogged off, leaving Kakashi standing as though he'd turned to stone. As Iruka disappeared from sight, Kakashi roused himself from his stupor.

"That guy… is unbelievable…"

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Iruka sighed with relief as he glanced back, seeing Kakashi making no move to run after him. He slowed to a more leisurely pace. Now that he was out of Kakashi's immediate strange rang, uninvited thoughts crept into his mind.

'Maybe… that wasn't such a bright idea…' Iruka thought, his brows furrowing. 'I had a hard enough time getting my cell to like me… how will they react to him?'

Iruka's mind recalled their first meeting, in which one of the kids had rigged up a prank that involved having a chalk-eraser dropped on his head. The brown-haired man was struck by an ominous feeling.

"……" Iruka groaned. 'I should've asked someone else…'

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Hatake Kakashi slowly laid the bouquet of white carnations on the untouched snow in front of the monumental stone. Straightening, he noticed how effectively the petals of the flowers faded into the snow-covered ground. If it hadn't been for the verdant green of the flower stems, he would almost have lost sight of the carnations.

He sighed, causing a delicate stream of vapor to appear in front of his face. He idly watched it fade back into invisibility.

"I haven't been here for a while…" Kakashi said aloud, his voice falling flat in the soundless and nearly monotone surroundings. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, more out of habit than to keep them warm. For a long time, he simply stood there, not worrying about the past or present or future, not thinking about the mundane matters a person faced throughout their life.

He allowed his mind to integrate itself with the quiet ambiance of the winter setting, feeling each strand of time and fate linked inexplicably to him slow until he felt a strange quality of being nothing and everything at once..

If only life was as simple as this single moment...

The lone call of stray bird brought him sharply back to the present, jolting the wheels of time back into action. Kakashi stared uncomprehendingly at the engraved mass of stone in front of him for a moment. Then his eye caught a name engraved deeply into the stone, and he seemed to remember himself. The tall jounin stared at that one name, with an expression that few had ever seen on his face.

"Funny, isn't it?" Kakashi said quietly. "War, I mean." His eyes stared distantly past the smooth surface of the stone now. "War is what tore our lives apart… yet, it's what brought us together." Kakashi smiled slightly, remembering. He closed his eyes and stood there for a moment longer. Then, he turned and walked swiftly out of the clearing without a second glance back at the monument.

As he walked out, a slight frown marred his usually placid face. Only the trees and unanswering snow heard his soft comment.

"I wonder what war will bring this time…"

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To be continued in chapter two;

Stay tuned! In chapter two, Kakashi finally meets cell 7!

(Author's note:)For those who haven't read my works before, please note, my stories may move slowly at first. I take a lot of time developing the climax of the story, so the first few chapters are build ups, introductions, etc.

Don't worry… I do have the plot worked out. (Yes, it has a plot. Surprising? Ha ha. (That was sarcasm, by the way.))

Please remember, reviews are entirely welcome; I read each and every one of them.

Until next time then!