Destined: Chapter 1 - Breathe New Life

Training Grounds Seven – 12 years later

Naruto stood motionless in the middle of the lake, his eyes closed and his mind empty. He could feel the natural chakra around him, and he tried to manipulate it – to move it. He gathered tiny amounts in his body, and then released it. Then he gathered it again, and released it once more. The key was to keep the amount of natural chakra tiny – he didn't want to turn into stone anytime soon.

But his concentration was broken by the tiny splashes and ripples of water dancing around him. No, it wasn't the water that was dancing. It was the shadowy figure that was dancing, hopping on the water around him in circles. His feet barely touched the surface before his image blurred and he reappeared in another spot. The figure darted back and forth, taunting him: challenging him.

Let it be known that Namikaze Naruto was not one to back down from a challenge. He watched as the figure continued to move around him, looking for that pattern. He watched the way his feet moved, and how the water rippled with every jump. Predicting the next move, Naruto too, leaped to the side. This time, both of them landing together, one in front of the other.

Naruto could see the man's brown cloak, his hood hanging over his hidden face. He turned to move once more, and Naruto followed. Reality seemed to blur and fade away. No longer did it seem like they were hopping around a lake. Instead, it seemed as though they were the ones in place, and the lake was the one moving beneath them. The water, the hills, the trees, the entire world shifted sporadically as Naruto and the hooded man leaped in place.

The man suddenly dashed forward, spraying water to the sides, his fist aimed directly at Naruto's head. The blonde reacted, snapping his body to the side. He was bent backwards at the waist with only two feet keeping him above the water: a rather precarious position. The figure knew it, and spun around, delivering a kick downwards. If Naruto blocked with his arms, the impact would easily throw him underwater. If he didn't, the impact might break one or two ribs, and then throw him underwater. Win-win scenario.

Or at least the man thought. While it was true that the impact from the kick knocked the air out of him, – the breathless oof! rippling through the air, Naruto did not fall into the lake below. Instead, he grabbed the leg as it followed through, latching on and letting it drag him into a better position. Well, he couldn't exactly call it a better position. The way he grabbed it, and the way the man swung his leg made it so that Naruto was oriented head down, with his legs sticking up in the air.

Guess he had to make do with what he had. He pushed his arms onto the water, flowing chakra through them to keep himself afloat. He twisted his torso, wincing from pain as he did, and moved his leg in place. He then pushed off with all of his strength. The chakra being sent to his hands allowed for the water to act like solid ground, letting him push off and propel himself up as if he had popped up from a handstand. It was a strange kick that was completely unexpected. His foot moved closer and closer to the man's chin.

Smack! Naruto grinned as he heard the sound. He hit his target, or so he had thought. The man's hand flashed upwards and he rested it under chin. It effectively acted as a bumper, absorbing the shock and protecting his face. All he had to do now was push downwards and –

Splash! – Plunge Naruto right into the water. The blonde rose back to the surface, sputtering and gasping. It was difficult and painful to swim with a battered torso. A hand firmly grasped his collar and heaved him up, out of the water and onto dry land.

"Ouch. You know, I really thought I got you there for a second." Naruto grumbled as the man leaned him back on a tree trunk. The man pulled off his hood. "You know, mom's going to kill you if she finds out you broke one of my ribs."

"I was outright expecting you to block. And you're probably right, so I'm honestly hoping that I didn't. I didn't kick that hard." The Yondaime reached into his cloak and pulled out a first aid kit. He pulled out some bandages as Naruto lifted his drenched shirt. Minato began wrapping the bandages around his son's torso. "But I will admit, that was some stunt you pulled there. I didn't expect it at all."

"Yet you still blocked it. Would've been better if I actually hit you."

"Battle-honed reflexes, my son. When you've been through a war, you learn some new tricks, and you'll never fight the same." Those words brought Naruto back to all of his fights, and how he evolved through each one. From Sasuke, to Pein, to Madara.

"...Yeah. I know what you mean..." Naruto quickly closed his mouth. He had said too much. Minato caught on, looking at Naruto with a skeptical eye.

"No you don't, but once you finally join a genin team, you might." Minato pointed to his headband. While Naruto easily qualified to be a genin, possibly even chunin, he had opted to stay a genin until the rest of his class graduated. Naruto had 'graduated' from the academy at the age of four, narrowly breaking Kakashi's record at the age of five.

Then again, it was almost like he was cheating. Being sent back in time with your memories intact was a bit unfair, and without Kurama's innate influence on his chakra pathways, Naruto's chakra control spiked exponentially. It was like learning to fight with a handicap, except now there's no handicap. Performing a bunshin was easy, as was the written exam. He probably knew more about history and the different countries better than the teachers, having talked to each of the Kages before in his past life. He even met face to face with Senjus Hashirama and Tobirama, the First and Second Hokages respectively. He doubted any of the teachers did that.

Passing the exam was a breeze, but Naruto didn't want to lose that connection with the rest of his classmates. After all, they were the ones who were the major factors in the upcoming future. He needed to stay with his generation, and work with them. That was why Naruto asked his father if he could remain a genin, but not be placed into a team for the next few years.

He had a reasonable excuse, and Minato agreed, letting Naruto remain team-less until the rest of his class graduated. That meant no missions, no homework, and extra training time. His father would teach him from time to time, but as Hokage, he was usually busy with work. Not that his less-than-frequent training sessions didn't help. In fact, they were some of the best, but Naruto couldn't wait until his parents were free to train.

Instead, he decided to train in the best way possible: fight the jonin of Konoha. His first engagement was with Might Guy. The man was at a bar with a few others, Asuma and Kurenai included. For some reason, Kakashi was never to be seen, even though Naruto remembered the silver-haired jonin would often spend his time at the bars, and reading his books. He disregarded the fact and went straight for Guy.

As he approached, the man smiled and waved. He wasn't expecting the eight-year old boy (at the time) to suddenly dash forward with the speed of a true ninja. In that moment of weakness, Naruto managed to both land a punch onto Gai's face, and shave off a single eyebrow with a razor he held in his hand. Needless to say, the loss of one of his bushy eyebrows was a heavy hit to Gai's 'youth' and the man proceeded to beat the living shit out of the blonde.

While Naruto saw each kick and punch being flung his way, his body was not strong enough to block them. Most of the time, his body would jerk to react, but his arms would only come up halfway in time, or his legs would just remain planted on the ground. Yes, he got hit almost every time, but he was happy that Gai didn't use even a fraction of his strength – just the speed. Had he not done so, Naruto would be nothing more than a pile of dust carried away by the wind.

After their little scuffle, which evidently resulted in Naruto being battered and bruised in almost every part of his body, Gai offered to give the boy some help. He could tell Naruto had talent – once again, a result of his time-travel. Naruto's perception and experience allowed his mind to register every hit. Now he only needed to train his body to be strong enough to dodge. More often than not, he pitted Naruto against his pupil, Lee in a taijutsu-only match. Naruto lost every time.

But taijutsu wasn't where Naruto excelled at. Yes, his hand-to-hand combat skills were good, especially after being trained by a specialist like Gai, but ninjutsu still remained his preferred weapon of choice. However, Naruto realized that his repertoire of skills was rather small. While he had many variations of the Rasengan, that and the Kage Bunshin were really the only few moves he ever used. Really, they were the only few moves he knew. Opting to change that, he decided to try and learn a few new techniques, and who better to learn them from than the Professor himself?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was a rather bored individual, being constantly nagged by his wife, Biwako. He was more than happy to help Naruto become a better ninja. He just never expected the sudden punch to the face as he opened the door.

Like Gai, the man known as the God of Shinobi passed down his knowledge down to those who were willing to accept it. Now that Naruto's chakra control was exceptional, he could finally learn jutsu like a proper ninja, or at least, as proper as Hiruzen would let him. The Sandaime would tell him to stay his ground, and fire off small weak elemental jutsus, and have Naruto counter each of them with the corresponding element. Whenever he failed, his eyebrows would be singed, his clothes would be wet, his face would be covered in dirt, his arms and legs would be covered in cuts, or his hair would stand on end. It was almost like torture, but not quite.

However, in time, Naruto did manage to pick up the key elements to being proficient at ninjutsu as he worked and fought with and against Hiruzen for the next few years. It took him a while – his intellect never really changed – but he eventually managed to increase his repertoire with a horde of new jutsus. He would only wait until the right moment to use them.

That essentially took care of his ninjutsu and taijutsu, however genjutsu was another story. He knew he was hopeless at casting illusions, preferring to go in headfirst and win, rather than skirt around with tricks. Even though he could've asked Kurenai to give him pointers, he decided not to. Instead, he spent that time regaining old skills in this new body: meditating and trying to play around with Senjutsu. He didn't want to turn into stone, so he only manipulated very miniscule amounts, just to get his body accustomed before asking Jiraiya for help in the future. It was what he was doing before his father interrupted.

His father interrupted him once more, this time snapping him out of his train of thought.

"Then in commemoration for your new genin team, and as an apology, and as a bribe so you won't tell your mother, I'd like to teach you this."

Minato held out his palm and let his chakra build into a swirling ball at the center of his palm. The Rasengan, next to the Hiraishin, was Minato's signature moves. It's a shame it was still incomplete. Minato had only begun to incorporate elemental chakra into the Rasengan. While it took a few thousand Naruto's a few months, Namikaze Minato had been working on this his entire life. But Naruto wasn't going to tell his father that he knew that technique, nor would he say he could take it a step further. That would damage his father's pride.

"The Rasengan."

"Correct. It's my own creation, and incredibly versatile. It should suit you well once you've mastered it." Naruto was glad his father had decided to approach this on his own. The boy was more than happy to be able to use one of his old skills again. Up until now, he had to keep his knowledge of it secret. How many questions would be thrown around if he suddenly showed up with a perfect Rasengan at the age of ten? What about showing up with a Rasenshuriken? Naruto mentally laughed. It would be so worth it, even if the Rasenshuriken would shred his own arm to bits..

"Then I'm ready to start."

"Good. However, this is an A-rank technique, so I believe this will take some time. It took me months to get it down myself." Minato then pulled out a water balloon from his coat pocket, and threw it at Naruto. "Catch."

Naruto caught the flying water balloon. He knew this trick. It was the same exact thing Jiraiya had done. 'Peace of cake.'

"Now watch me." Minato held up another water balloon in his hand. Not even a second later, multiple bulges appeared on the surface, and the balloon exploded. "Now you try."

Naruto grinned. This was such an easy task it was almost ironic. He wanted to see his father's face when he 'wowed' him. Naruto held up the water balloon with one hand, and with the other, began spinning the chakra. Multiple bulges began appearing on the surface, but before it could explode, Minato grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" Naruto looked at the water balloon. The water inside had stilled. That was not the reaction he was expecting. Where was the 'wow?'

"Uh, making it pop?" Minato rolled his eyes.

"If that's what I wanted you to do, I'd have given you a needle. You've got the right idea, but why are you using two hands?"

"Well, it's easier that way." Minato could only shake his head.

"Just because it's easier doesn't mean you should do it. In fact, the easier path is also the path that leads to more problems. Never take shortcuts. Do it completely, and to the best of your ability. Okay?" Minato let go of Naruto's hand. "Using the Rasengan with two hands limits what you can do. Against me, it would be as if you only had one arm. It's a handicap you don't need to give, and honestly, it's one you can't afford."

Naruto nodded. It was true. Having to wield the Rasengan with both hands meant limiting his actions. While he charged the technique, his opponent could be recuperating, or trying to kill him back. In the end, all it did was limit his options, and during a fight, having options was the key to victory.

The only reason he learned the Rasengan with two hands was because it was adequate enough for Tsunade's bet, and from that point forward, he never needed to learn it with one hand. He was able to blame his tenant for his chakra reserves and consequent lack of control, but now was no longer the case. Kurama was not sealed within him, and while he was naturally blessed by his mother and father with an incredible pool of chakra, it was nowhere near comparable to that of a tailed beast. If he could learn to control his chakra with a pool as large as Kurama's, then he had no excuse not to brush up and learn precision techniques – the one-handed Rasengan included.

He tried popping balloon again, this time allowing only his single hand to create he necessary rotations. The water in the ball began to move, but only in one direction. The water balloon swirled from side to side in a counterclockwise fashion. It was just like how it looked when he first started.

"Great! Now that's what I like to see! You'll get there, I'm sure. Tell me once you're done, and we'll move onto phase two." Minato stood up and took of his cloak, revealing his Hokage's robes underneath.

"Back to the office?" Naruto nodded towards his father as Minato put on his hat. It looked strange on the man. It didn't fit well. Perhaps it was the man's youth.

"Yup. Paperwork doesn't sign itself, you know. And please. Before you come home tonight, go to the hospital. I beg of you. Do not let your mother find out. Please."

"Yeah, sure. I got it. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Ok. Sorry about it. Good luck, and keep practicing!" Minato disappeared in a flash. Naruto smiled. It was still simply breathtaking and amazing, seeing his father's Hiraishin. As his father left the area, Naruto leaned back and closed his eyes, focusing only on the water balloon. If an onlooker was to see him, it would look like a young boy resting in the shade. If they looked a little closer, perhaps they could see the convulsions of the balloon as it swirled underneath the summer sun.

By the end of the day, Naruto had made progress. The water balloon in his hand rotated slowly, first in one direction, and then a single bulge appeared as he created another rotation. Then a third, then a fourth. Every few steps, another bulge appeared on the surface of the water balloon until it eventually exploded, splashing water all over his hand. Naruto smiled.

The secret was not to focus on many rotations at once, but layer them on one at a time. His original tactic was the simultaneously create multiple rotations, however he soon realized that path led nowhere. It was impossible to create multiple rotations at once. Trying to push and pull his chakra in two different directions would only counteract the process and leave him with nothing. Instead, he would create a single rotation, and let it stabilize – the chakra would flow in that single path by itself after Naruto had already put the energy into spinning it. Once that had occurred, he could create a second rotation in a different direction and let it stabilize as well, each 'ring' of chakra independent. He piled on many more.

It was a relatively methodical process. Step 1, step 2, step 3. One, two, three, and repeat. Eventually, he could get so used to the one-two-three process that it would seem instantaneous – just like how his father and Jiraiya had done. And so Naruto continued to practice on the route home.

He had already visited the hospital and had the medic-nin heal his wounds. He was lucky his father didn't use all his strength and that a rib hadn't broken. It was times like these when he missed Kurama. Even when the fox wasn't in Naruto's mind nagging him about his weakness and failures while simultaneously helping him improve, Kurama worked in the background, keeping his body in perfect condition.

Broken bones would be mended within a day. Sore muscles in a few hours. Bruises and cuts would fade within minutes. Nowadays, he had to wait a few days for the bones to truly heal – medical assistance included. Sore muscles would stay the night, and bruises and cuts would slowly fade over the weeks. His lack of regeneration was different.

While he understood it was a clear advantage that only he had – minus the select few other jinchuriki – he had not realized life as a regular human being would be this difficult. No longer empowered by a tailed beast, he had to rely only on himself and his own natural abilities, and it was proving to be harder than he expected.

However, that wasn't going to stop him from becoming one of the greatest ninja, Kurama or not. There was a world that needed saving, and he would do it with his own strength. Protect his loved ones with his own hands, that was his nindo, his ninja way.

Naruto strolled down the streets the next morning, greeting people as he passed by. Every step, he heard his shirt ruffle over the bandages. The doctor had vehemently protested any form of strenuous exercise, training included, which is why Naruto found himself here. In front of a gate.

He pushed it open, and walked inside, letting the metal hinges creak at his entrance. While he couldn't train, he might as well visited someone who did.

"Mornin' Sasuke!" Naruto smiled as he waved to the Uchiha situated over the lake. The boy was practicing his clan's signature fire jutsu. At his greeting, the raven-haired boy merely turned and glared.

"Namikaze. What do you want?" Sasuke only nodded once as the blonde approached.

"Rude. I simply came to visit."

"And I am in the middle of training. I believe you're the one interfering." Sasuke turned back towards the lake, blowing out another fireball. After the flames died, he panted heavily. "Damn. It's still not strong enough, or hot enough."

"Obviously it won't be. You're exhausted." Naruto pointed towards Sasuke's shirt which was drenched with sweat. The boy had been practicing for quite a long time. "Take a break."

"My brother won't offer me a break." Sasuke turned to try again, but Naruto grabbed his arm before he could finish the hand seals.

"Yeah, but I'm not your brother." Naruto held on as he stared at Sasuke. He didn't let go until the Uchiha let his fingers relax, breaking the seal and technique altogether. Sasuke looked displeased, but Naruto didn't care. He wasn't about to let Sasuke fall into that hole again.

Knowing that the future was daunting. The pressure of knowing when and where certain people were going to die hung over Naruto like bodies being hung from the gallows. It was almost disgusting. The first time Naruto realized he should have acted, using his knowledge for the greater good, was during the Hyuuga incident.

Kumo had accepted the treaty his father created, and the years-long skirmish finally ended. A parade was held, just like before and even though his father was alive and the village was being run differently, it seemed as if it were an insignificant ripple in the river of time. Kumo had still tried to steal the Hyuuga heiress, Hiashi still slayed the offender, and Neji would still grow up with a hatred for the main branch.

And then the Uchiha Massacre happened. And once again, Naruto sat on the sidelines, watching as Sasuke was spared from death, becoming an avenger, hellbent on killing his brother. He could do nothing. As an eight-year old child, he did not have the influence to affect Konoha politics. As much as he wanted to, he could not reveal Fugaku's coup any earlier, lest his secret be revealed. The only option was to wait for Itachi to carry out his mission, and carry them out he did.

He wasn't about to let something like this happen a third time. No, he vowed to save whoever could be saved. Regardless of the consequences and how it would change time, Naruto wasn't about to let people who he knew die when they could have lived.

"I'm going back." Naruto snapped out of his mind as he watched Sasuke stand up. Had it already been that long? "I've rested enough."

Naruto didn't stop him as the Uchiha took his position once more at the shore of the lake. Sasuke channeled his chakra through each of the seals, one by one before blowing out a stream of fire. The flames cascaded, forming a large fireball that floated over the lake, but even then, Naruto could tell Sasuke was not satisfied.

"Still not enough. It's too wide. Itachi's was more focused, and hotter." Sasuke bent down and punched the ground in frustration, not bothering to care that his knuckles were now bleeding. The blonde thought for a moment before getting up. He thanked Hiruzen for teaching him the elements. Naruto only walked up slowly before lightly tapping the Uchiha's shoulder. Sasuke glared at the blonde.

"Do it again." Naruto said before taking a few steps back. Sasuke only stared as Naruto waited.

"What? There's no point. It's pathetic. I'm going inside."

"I said to do it again, and I will show you just how wrong you are." Sasuke ran up and grabbed Naruto's collar, bringing them face to face. Naruto remained impassive.

"You say I'm wrong? I've been training this technique for years. This is one of the few things that I have left of my family. I know its power. I know its strength. I know that what I have right now is not good enough, so don't come here telling me that I'm wrong." Sasuke seethed through his teeth. He knew there was something inferior about his fireball. Itachi's was concentrated. All of that chakra was condensed into a single burst of flame, radiating intensely with heat and power. It would turn water into steam, and trees to ash. That was a true Great Fireball. Sasuke's chakra was dispersed, creating a much wider blast of fire. Naturally, that also meant his fireball was less powerful. The flames would stretch far, and his chakra would be distributed throughout; his fireball didn't pack the same punch as his brother's.

"Please." Naruto pulled Sasuke's hands off, and took a step back. "I'm asking you. Please do it again."

"Why?"

"Because I wish to show you why you are strong. You believe yourself to be inferior, but I can see otherwise. All I ask is for a chance. One time."

One time. Sasuke spun around. He hated doing this technique. Everyday, he would try and try but it would never reach the level of his brother's. It was like a reminder of how he was weak. That was why he couldn't save his parents. That was why he couldn't save his family. His failure of a fireball was a testament to that weakness. But despite that, Sasuke molded his chakra and decided to do it one more time. Even though he hated it, and even though it brought bad memories, he would do the technique one more time.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke took in a deep breath and expelled a stream of flame. He watched as the flames spread wide and thin. He could feel the warm heat from his technique. Whereas his brother's would cause people to avert their eyes from the light and the heat, Sasuke's was a dull warmth that covered the lake. There was no steam. There was no ash. And for a second, Sasuke believed himself to be a failure again. Then he heard a voice from behind him.

"Futon: Daitoppa!" A sudden gust of wind came from behind as Sasuke's clothes flew forward. He watched as the flames lit the air, creating a torrent of fire that Sasuke had to cover his eyes. He felt the waves of heat blasting his face as drops of sweat began streaming down his head. He could see a torrent of fire, moving across the lake as if it were a wall of flames being carried by the wind. Steam quickly rose as the heat evaporated the lake below, making it difficult to see. The technique died as it reached the end of the lake, singeing the nearby grass and trees.

"What was that...?" Sasuke could not turn around. He only stared as the mist began to clear, remembering the intensity of the heat that was on his face. Such power. It rivaled his brothers. No, in fact it surpassed his brother's.

"That was a combination. Your fire jutsu, and my wind jutsu. Your wide fire jutsu is able to catch the wind. A small concentrated flame like your brother's would likely be smothered out."

"You..." Yes, its power may have surpassed his brother's but it wasn't the Great Fireball technique the Uchihas loved and admired. It was a cheap trick that desecrated that technique. "I never asked for your help."

"Yeah? Well you're going to get it anyways. We can work together. Your brother doesn't stand a chance against both of us."

"No! You will do nothing, Namikaze. You will not offer your help. What you are doing is hindering my chances at avenging the Uchiha clan. You don't have the same drive – the same ambition – that I do, so I suggest you stay out of Uchiha business."

Sasuke walked back to his house, slamming the door as he entered. Naruto could only stand on top of that hill and wonder where in the world he screwed up.

Hokage's Office

"Hokage-sama. You called?" An ANBU appeared beside Minato, just as he finished the last of his paperwork. With the academy's graduation exam coming to an end, the offices were swamped trying to organize and allocate resources for the next genin teams.

"You know, you don't need to wait outside my door until I finish my work." He could sense the other ninja outside the door. The ninja waited until two small bursts of chakra came from the ANBU stationed in the darkness before coming in. "And you two. A small burst of chakra to indicate that I'm done? Subtle, and well done. Was this planned?"

"No, Hokage-sama." The two ANBU stepped out of the shadows of the office and bowed in apology.

"Then I applaud you. You have good subordinates, captain. But I'm going to have to ask for a private conversation." Minato nodded towards the two ANBU guards. The captain nodded, and without a word, both ninjas disappeared. "Now, really? That wasn't planned?"

"No sir."

"'Sir. Hokage-sama. Yes sir, no sir, may I have another sir.' Drop the formalities Kakashi. It's just the two of us." At his sensei's words, Kakashi took off his porcelain mask.

"Just the two of us. How ironic. Sorry, Minato-sensei." Kakashi looked down. While his face was covered, Minato could tell the man was having bad memories. 'Just the two of us.' He was referring to Rin and Obito.

"No, it is I who should apologize for reminding you of the past." At that, Kakashi nodded in thanks. "Now down to business. Kakashi, why are you in ANBU?"

"What?" The silver-haired ninja wasn't prepared for such a question. Was his sensei doubting his loyalty? "I'm not sure I understand."

"The question is, why are you here? For what purpose?"

"Because you are here."

"Only dogs follow through blind loyalty, and I know that you are more than your ninken. Do you truly wish to stay in ANBU?"

"...It is as you say. It's 'just the two of us.' As long as you are still here, Team Minato still exists. I am here as your guard to ensure that it stays that way." Minato smiled.

"So then you hold onto the memories of your friends. I am the last living thing on this world that reminds you of our past. Is that what you're thinking?" Kakashi bit his lip before nodding. He wasn't one to lie to his sensei, or cover up his intentions. He wasn't in ANBU for Konoha, or to protect the village. The only thing he truly wanted to protect was that memory of his friends – the ones who sacrificed themselves so that the world might be a better place.

"I'm sorry to say it is."

"And Itachi?" That name struck a chord in Kakashi's mind. He remembered going to the compound the night of the massacre and seeing all of the corpses left in his friend's wake.

"...A friend I failed."

"I see. Then I, Namikaze Minato, 4th Hokage of Konohagakure, hereby relieve you of your service."

"What?" Kakashi was shocked, stunned even. He only stared at his former sensei in confusion.

"You have been in service for far too long, my friend. I applaud you for your superb work in the ANBU forces, and as my personal guard, but I believe it is time you found a different purpose in your life. Let the dead rest in peace."

He had been in ANBU for over a decade, going on missions, butchering enemies left and right. And while he was one of the best, each mission chipped away at his heart. He had become disillusioned and yet remained in service for his sensei's sake. Even after his friend's betrayal, he stayed not for himself, but for his friends. Perhaps this was an opportunity for him to find his own purpose again, instead of fighting to keep the dead alive.

"Very well. My thanks."

"Don't thank me yet. It's not like you won't have anything to do around here. I'm appointing you as a jounin-sensei."

"A team? You want me...to take on a team?"

"I believe it will be a good experience for both you and the students. You've been a solo operative for far too long. Shinobi turn off their emotions in order to protect themselves. You and I are no different, but these new rookies have yet to experience that. Perhaps they can give you a little of your humanity back. Likewise, they will flourish from your experience." Minato held out his hand and Kakashi returned his mask. He wouldn't be needing it any longer. "The three-men cells were for more than just training the next generation of genin. Old ninjas are renewed, while new ninjas are born. Let this experience reignite your will of fire."

Minato pulled out a slip of paper from his pile and slid it over towards the now-Jounin.

"This is your new team."

Namikaze Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke

Hey, thanks for reading the next chapter. Yes, I kept Team 7 the same however they will not act the same. Naruto might seem kickass for a genin, but he gets stomped on an every day basis by the jonins, so don't worry about him being ridiculously broken. He's got a long way before that happens.

As for Kurama, somebody said an Uzumaki was needed to seal it. I'm not sure where it says that, because I had no clue, but it doesn't matter. Kurama will appear again later on in the story, and I assure you, Kumo has ways of keeping a leash on their beasts. Even if there are...complications.

Anyways, favorite/follow if you like the story, and please leave a review. Any comments/criticism is much appreciated.