Sakumo was somewhat worried that his son was spending all his time holed up in his room or in the library. His wife would kill her if her little boy grew up to be an antisocial bastard.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

For his third birthday, Sakumo, in all his ever-ending wisdom, decided to throw his son a birthday party. He apparently invited almost everyone in the damn village, plus a few from some neighboring countries, with how full the compound was.

It was actually just a giant excuse for all the adults to get together and gossip, and to get their kids to socialize.

Kakashi avoided everyone after the polite conversations were out of the way, staying holed up in a room reading his books. Kids were so loud.

Eventually, after everyone went home, Sakumo dragged him out to meet one of his friends.

All Kakashi had to do was take one look at the white hair and red marks adorning him, before promptly burrowing under a table.

Sakumo was completely baffled at the behavior. He bent down to get a better look at the strands of silver hair peeking out from under the table, and called out "Kakashi, are you alright?"

Jiraiya just stood off to the side with a bemused expression on his face.

"I'm fine, tou-san," his voice responded. "Just looking for something." In fact, Kakashi was trying to keep control of his emotions. It was way too easy to break down and cry when one was a child.

"Okay..." Sakumo said, unsure. He turned to his lifelong friend. "Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him."

"I'm fine!" a scowling face popped out. "I just don't want to meet the old man." he stuck out his tongue at the surprised Jiraiya, before retreating back to his hideout.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately? I always knew Hatakes age young with the hair color they have." Jiraiya scowled and crossing his arms, completely unrepentant that he was arguing with a three-year-old.

"You're insulting Father, as well, with that," a muffled voice replied snarkily.

"Alright, you two!" Sakumo quickly intervened. "Honestly, it's like dealing with children."

"Referring to me as both old and young all in a few minutes. And, Father, I am a child."

"Brat, you should learn to respect your superiors-"

"I do. I respect Father."

"I meant me!"

"I'll never respect someone who writes porn for a living."

"Kakashi!"

"Hey, brat, how the hell do you know about that?"

"Jiraiya, language!"

"Yeah, ero-sennin. Watch your mouth!"

"..."

"..."

"You've corrupted my son!"

"This is the first time I have even seen him!"

Kakashi looked on as Sakumo and Jiraiya continued their argument, long since having climbed out from under the table. They had completely forgotten about him, now debating toads over dogs (an age old disagreement that Kakashi has heard numerous times, and occasionally, even participated in when in his old time). He quietly left the room, heading for outside. Maybe he could get some training done while they fought...

Sakumo sighed as he watched Kakashi train, throwing kunai (blunt, of course, he wasn't that bad of a father) at a target.

His little boy was growing up, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"He's getting better," The Toad Sage commented from next to him, also peering at Kakashi.

"Mhm," Sakumo grunted, still staring at his son.

He's very mature for his age."

"Mhm." Sakumo seemed to grow more despondent.

"...I'm leaving tomorrow." Jiraiya abruptly changed the subject, watching his friend's reaction. Sakumo didn't even blink at the non sequitur.

The White Fang finally turned to him. "I know."

"It's just for a bit, I'll come back in about two months," Jiraiya continued, noting that Sakumo didn't react. "I'll stay for a month, maybe more, and then I'm leaving for a few years."

"Why are you leaving for so short a time?"

"Eh, you know, business." Jiraiya waved it off but shot a lecherous grin at the man next to him that convinced Sakumo to not ask for more details. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"I could tell you the same."

They sat in silence, only stirring when Kakashi came back in.

"Kakashi, this is Yui Mashiba, my teammate. Yui, this is my son Kakashi." Sakumo gestured at a black haired man with dark skin crisscrossed with scars.

"Hello, Mashiba-san." Kakashi bowed, confused. He doesn't remember meeting this person last time. Just shows you shouldn't rely entirely on your future knowledge, he scolded himself.

"Just call me Yui, Kakashi-kun." Yui smiled. "Using my last name makes me feel old."

"Okay, Yui-san." Kakashi smiled tentatively back.

"Kakashi, Yui is going to teach you how to sense objects with your chakra," Sakumo explained. "He has some experience with people who, uh, lost their sight," he avoided the b-word, something that didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi. "So he'll be able to train you, added onto the training you're already going to get from me to improve your hearing and sense of smell."

"I see." Kakashi nodded, smiling more genuinely at Yui. "Thank you, Yui-sensei."

"Don't thank me yet, Kashi-chan." Yui smiled cheekily as the young boy twitched. "I've never trained someone so young, so I apologize if I'm a little harsh. That being said, I won't go easy on you. Don't worry, soon you'll be able to see just as well as anyone."

Kakashi's earlier irritation was dismissed as he smiled brighter, feeling inexplicably joyful at actually being able to see. He had already lost all sight in one eye and was rarely brought out of the compound.

Though, when he said training would be rough...how hard could it be?

Kakashi scowled, sweating and panting, as he was hit once again by an old shoe. Where his mentor was even getting these things, Kakashi didn't want to know.

They had started training the day after they met, and the time traveler was entirely certain that one of his old ANBU captains had traveled back with him and became Yui. Either that or the black haired man had a sadistic streak a mile wide.

They had started training off with an admittedly boring yet useful lecture on chakra sensing, containing more details than what Kakashi ever learned in the future, but also repeating stuff that he had learned in the Academy.

The most important lesson Kakashi learned was that everything had natural chakra, since everything was derived from the natural elements. Even 'man-made' objects had materials that came from something, whether it be metal, wood, etc. The more processed something was, the less natural chakra it had and the harder it was to sense.

Once that was down, and Yui had quizzed Kakashi on every bit of information, they got to actually spreading out one's chakra.

It was similar from what Kakashi would do to sense chakra signatures, just more complicated and requiring more chakra control. Usually, one would just look for the chakra that made a living being. For objects, it was like tuning into a different frequency; he just had to differentiate chakra signatures with differing amounts of spiritual and physical energy, as well as recognizing the variations and being able to classify it as a certain thing or person. Easy.

The first time Kakashi managed to spread out a strong and controlled enough chakra flare to sense more than Yui sitting in front of him, the rush dizzied him. All the chakra he sensed blurred together and gave him a pounding headache. Once he withdrew his senses he threw up.

When using his chakra sense, Kakashi could see different shades of blue chakra everywhere, swirling in and out of everything. It was incredibly disorienting; even the air had chakra, and to not be able to see next to anything to suddenly seeing a bright blue coloring everything, stifling him and taking his breath away, making him feel as if he was drowning...

Yui laughed at the evil look the young Hatake heir gave him after he came back from changing his clothes.

"I guess I forgot to say we'd need a sick bucket," Yui said gleefully. Somehow this too-mature-for-his-age boy's reaction was much more hilarious than any of his other students. "Sorry Kashi-chan. Why don't you go get one? The nauseous feeling only stops after the hundredth or so time...maybe."

Kakashi's expression dropped a few degrees, and Yui had to ward off the slightest shiver.

Weeks later, he was finally able to hold his lunch in his stomach after retreating his senses, and Yui jumped right into the next part of training.

Kakashi nearly wished that he still got sick afterward, because it would've been less painful than this. This being Yui throwing anything he could grab from his Hammerspace to throw at Kakashi, expecting him to sense it and dodge.

Maybe Kakashi was sick. He kept making mental references to things he's never heard of before. Probably Yui's influence.

So here Kakashi was, getting pelted by bits and odds as he ran for his life. He had managed to sense a brick and duck under it, his panic at getting another brick to the stomach overriding his dwindling determination. Better than the first few times he sensed something, being so shocked it was actually possible for him to sense that he froze and got hit anyway.

By now his sight was almost completely gone, and he had started to memorize the route around his house. He also had to resort to touching people's faces in order to see what they looked like (and wasn't that awkward), though his improved sense of smell and hearing were very helpful.

Once he was able to dodge things (sort of)and catch things (even less sort of) and nine times out of ten did not run into walls, Yui proceeded onto identifying the object/person and its characteristics.

This exercise was just as harsh as the last one, with Kakashi having to shout out the name of the object before dodging, or else he would be poked with a chakra enforced stick (when did Yui get the time to make these things?).

At first, Kakashi guessed based on shape and size of chakra, resulting in hits and misses. When Yui noticed him doing it, the man took him aside.

The jounin explained how to actually look at the chakra, observe it, and memorize the distinct differences that make a leaf a leaf and a brick a brick. Once Kakashi realized how that worked, he came home with considerably fewer bruises.

"How do you even know this stuff, sensei?" Kakashi once asked curiously. "You can see fine."

"After a fight, I was rendered temporarily blind. Temporarily meaning a year or so," Yui explained. "I learned it from another sensei (but one that was definitely as awesome as me) and since even after I sometimes relapsed, I kept it up. Now, no more questions, they're annoying. Go back to throwing kunai and failing horribly."

Sakumo also had started teaching him chakra control exercises. He shifted the focus of his sessions from building strength and endurance to situational awareness and the best ways to incapacitate someone since he was already extremely athletic for his age.

Kakashi's adult mind was glad for the excessive amount of training; it was hard to find proper simulation while in the body of essentially, a baby. It was bad enough that despite his training he still slipped up and occasionally dropped whatever was in his hands. At least he still had his brains, even he did have to constantly dumb himself down.

Apparently, he wasn't doing too good of a job, because soon after the introduction of his chakra training, he overheard an incriminating argument between Yui and Sakumo.

"It's obvious he's a prodigy," Yui was saying heatedly. "No normal three-year-old would be able to understand even a percent of what we've been training him to do, much less actually accomplish it. He does both and the best way to cultivate that is to send him to the Academy."

Kakashi froze from where he was at the top of the staircase. He ducked out of sight and listened carefully. He couldn't see it, but he imagined Yui waving his hands around like he does during especially passionate lectures. Yui had the weird quirk of staying so still that Kakashi sometimes wondered if he was a statue, but if you get him to talk (which was definitely not hard), he'll be pacing, gesturing, practically bouncing as he chatters about this or that.

"It's too early," Sakumo responded firmly. "Kakashi should be able to enjoy his childhood, not be thrust into a war."

"We're not at war."

"Who are you trying to fool?" Sakumo sighed, sounding wearier than Kakashi had ever heard him. "No matter what any of the heads say, we are at war, and sooner or later they are going to declare it officially."

"All the more urgent that you send him!" Yui near growled. "Konoha needs his genius-"

"They'll destroy him!"

Realizing he was going in the wrong direction, Yui switched tracks. "He needs to be able to protect himself. You are oppressing him, keeping him from reaching his full potential. As a ninja, he'll have the protection of his sensei and his teammates, even more so due to his young age. That's more than you ever could while out on the field."

Kakashi flinched slightly at the harsh words, but Sakumo just sighed warily.

"...You're right. I'll send him next term, once he's turned four."

"I'm always right. And good."

So here Kakashi was, dragging his feet as he walked to the Academy.

Vaguely, he remembered the horror of it from last time. Since he was so young, there had to be some cliche bullies, a problem that only worsened with how well Kakashi did. It actually got slightly better as he moved up since they babied him more than anything (still, so infuriating). Then it all went to hell again in his final months as he was moved to the graduating class and was mocked and envied.

Right foot, leeeft foot, riight foot- oh wait, that foot was a bit too fast, let's go back and try again.

'Hurry up, brat!" called Yui, meters ahead and tapping his foot impatiently.

Kakashi deliberately went even slower, and Yui scowled, before dashing back and grabbing him by the arms.

'I can't believe I let your father talk me into this," Yui muttered darkly as he dragged Kakashi alongside him, despite the boy's protests. "'Oh, sorry, the Hokage requested me for a quick mission,'" he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "'So if you could take Kakashi to school on his first day it would be great, thanks. Bye, now!' The damn bastard...I bet he knew you would act like this!"

"Watch out for the rock," Kakashi called out dryly, listening to Yui's complaints with amusement.

Without skipping a beat, Yui neatly jumped over the rock, pulling his charge over with him. "Why the hell is there such a huge rock here in the first place, huh?" he shot a glare over his shoulder at said rock. "I bet it could kill someone…"

"What?"

"Nothing, you need to worry about, Kashi-chan," His tone suddenly changed from irritated to sickly sweet. "Now why don't you hush up and go to sleep for your morning nap? That way you'll be well rested for the day."

Kakashi didn't even deign to respond because he knew it would only spur Yui on. Instead, he satisfied himself with squeezing tight onto the hand that was dragging him, digging his nails in. The only sign of discomfort Kakashi saw was a tightening of the face, yet Kakashi smirked triumphantly. Usually, he couldn't get a reaction at all.

They did eventually reach the Academy, only a few minutes late. Apparently, few minutes was enough to get the receptionist to glare at them before directing the pair to the place where the Sandaime gave his yearly look-you-are-all-going-to-become-ninja-so-you-better-act-properly-and-stay-loyal-to-Konoha-and-this-a-honor-and-good-luck speech.

Kakashi zoned out for most of it, only stirring from his staring competition with a squirrel when Yui's hand gripped his shoulder.

"Okay," Yui began in a voice that seemed like he was attempting to sound mature. "It's fine to be nervous-"

"I'm not nervous." Kakashi cut in. And he wasn't. He had already done this before, after all.

"Yeah, yeah," Yui dismissed, before continuing. "This is your first step to being a ninja, a shinobi of the Village of Leaf-"

"I already know that." Kakashi deadpanned.

"-and it's an honorable duty you must take seriously-"

"I just heard this from the Hokage."

"-will be a difficult path, but I'm sure you'll do-"

Kakashi sighed, giving it up as a lost cause. He stood up and let himself be swept in by the wave of Academy students.

"And- wait, Kashi-chan?" The man looked around at the empty courtyard. "Man, your father is going to kill me!"

The first day of school was rather boring.

The other kids were mainly concerned with themselves, and barely bothered Kakashi past looking at him strangely. The teachers were either wary, skeptical, or worst of all, caught up in the notion that he had a horrible father that forced him into ninja life early. All it took was a glare to shut them up.

Kakashi wasn't sure how many of the teachers knew he was blind. The students were oblivious and hopefully would stay that way.

Kakashi did receive Braille texts, which he had started to learn how to read a few days after the revelation of his lack of sight. He was also learning how to read normal kanji with Yui since ink had a different chakra signature then paper. It was extremely hard, though, and Yui said he expected that Kakashi wouldn't get it for a few more years. Right now he was working towards reading large characters.

The kid sitting next to him would sometimes peer over at his paper, obviously trying to cheat. He went back to his own paper confused and indignant, with a chalk mark on his hair.

Other than the few discrepancies due to his blindness and noticing more and more indoctrination techniques then he had thought to be there, the Academy was banal at best. He didn't purposely limit himself past going slower than usual since he had breezed through Academy last time. And he couldn't even go to school late unless he wanted to be tortured by Yui...

Sakumo smiled at him with each passing grade but also sent more worried glances when he thought his son wasn't looking. Kakashi didn't know what to think of those.

The weeks seemed to blur together, the only things sticking out being training with Yui and Sakumo. His father also started to take missions again, apparently having been on parental leave before. At first, they had only been simple escort missions inside of Konoha, leaving Kakashi alone for a day or two before Sakumo and Yui (who was his teammate) came back.

When the missions finally progressed to weeks at a time, Kakashi was understandably reluctant to let them, especially Sakumo go.

"Why do you have to go?" Kakashi frowned at his father, who looked completely out of his element at this new side to his previously independent son.

"I have a mission assigned to me by the Hokage," Sakumo explained wearily for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "They are my orders."

"What about me?" Kakashi persisted.

Yui, who was decked out in shinobi gear and waiting at the door, interjected, seemingly fed up. "Damn Kashi, shut up. You'll do fine on your own, mister I-can-go-to-the-market-by-myself." Sakumo didn't bother to scold Yui on his language.

"I only do that because you can't cook for anything," Kakashi pointed out dryly. "I'd rather not be left with burnt rice every time Father has to go on a short-" he looked pointedly at his father. "-mission."

"You'll be fine," Sakumo tried to reassure, though Kakashi's words were making pricks of doubt in his mind. oh, Kami, what if this was really a bad idea? Anything could happen to a defenseless kid like Kakashi, and- He noticed his son's smug look and tried to staple his confidence. "Anyway, I'm I asked a friend to check up on you every so often, since Yui can't."

"...I don't want you to get hurt." Kakashi's voice was small, and Yui had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying something scathing and inevitably earning Sakumo's wrath.

"Don't worry, Kashi," Sakumo knelt down to his son's level. "I'll be fine, and when Yui and I come back, we can all go out and eat ramen, okay?"

Kakashi nodded reluctantly, and Sakumo barely resisted a sigh of relief. He smiled instead, and they parted with no more ceremony.

Kakashi met his caretaker (he refused to think babysitter) a few days after Sakumo and Yui had left. Those few days Kakashi spent alternatively reading, training, really training, and planning for the future-past-future-past (also attempting to figure out the paradox of his future-past-future-past itself). The planning didn't get very far, as every few steps he would be struck by how much he, oddly enough, missed his old world.

He missed seeing his students' smiles (Sasuke didn't count). He missed his Icha Icha. He missed drunken nights with friends formed through years and years of playing card games and gambling each other's money and screwing the other over in missions. He missed Konoha as he knew it, strengthened through many more years of war and strife and brought together by one Jinchuuriki.

It wasn't the same being here, and he guiltily found himself reaching for books on dimensions rather than history. Usually, doing that meant he was foggy headed enough to take a break, and he would either train or plot for ways to get a certain orange book.

He had gone out to eat, ignoring any strange looks he got and turning killing intent on the condescending lady at the stand (Oh, the woes of being a kid). Immediately after entering the Hatake compound, he sensed an unknown signature at the door.

Instantaneously he suppressed his chakra to a minute degree. Cautiously, he crept forward, sticking to the shadows. Sakumo wasn't supposed to be back for another week and a half.

A few feet behind the person, he accidentally stepped on a branch. Stupid blindness making him into an amateur. He cursed himself again as the person turned around, then had to stifle a gasp.

"Who's there?" The white-haired man with red stripes down his face suddenly smirked. "You can come out, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi reluctantly stepped out, hiding his trembling hands behind his back. "Hello, Jiraiya-sama," He greeted cautiously.

"Hm...you recognize me, kid?" He walked forward and looked down at the boy. "You are Sakumo's brat, right? I could've sworn you'd be taller..."

Kakashi didn't react, instead choosing to open the door and walk in, not bothering to check if the Sannin was following. Putting his groceries into the kitchen, he called out "Tea?"

"I'm fine," Jiraiya watched with an unfathomable expression as Kakashi busied himself with putting the perishables in the fridge. Once finished, he came back to the sitting room and plopped down on the couch.

"How long and how often will you be coming?" The boy cut right to the chase.

"Every few days," Jiraiya eyed him. "You'll be fine, right?" Kakashi nodded. "I'll keep coming until his mission ends, maybe a few weeks or so..."

"You're actually staying for that long?" Kakashi asked. At the Toad Sage's questioning look, he added, "Father complains."

"Damn brat," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Language. Just how old are you anyways?" Kakashi returned, not missing a beat as he got up and attempted to reach the top shelf of the nearby dresser for a book.

"Oh, not that again!" Jiraiya groaned coming up behind him and grabbing the book by reaching over the boy's head. At Kakashi's questioning look, he explained. "You did the same when you were younger. Probably don't remember. And what kind of book is this?" He asked incredulously, flipping open the cover of Chakra Natures for Shinobi, a book Kakashi had gotten from the library a few days ago.

"The book kind," Kakashi said flatly, grabbing the book from Jiraiya's hands. "What do you mean I did the same?"

"When you were three or somethin'," Jiraiya elaborated. "Really stiff brat, and decided making fun of my beautiful hair was necessary."

Kakashi refrained from answering that the man had done the same to him despite his age, and instead said, "That's because you're old."

Ignoring the splutters behind him, Kakashi put the book on the nearby table, intending to read it later (he's pretty sure he already know everything in the pages, but it wouldn't hurt to check, and at least it built up an alibi of him being studious).

He turned back to Jiraiya, then hesitated. "Can I..." He swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. "Can I touch your face?"

Jiraiya frowned, opening his mouth before abruptly closing it. His signature seemed to soften, and Kakashi almost felt like squirming. Kami, this was awkward.

"Sure, kid," He nodded. "Just don't poke out my eye."

"As long as you guide my hands, it shouldn't happen," Kakashi reassured. He reached out with his hand, and larger weathered ones enveloped them, gently pushing them to Jiraiya's face.

Once done, Kakashi sat back with satisfaction. While he had a general idea of the Toad Sage's chakra signature due to training with Yui, it was always good to have an idea of what the person looked like for reference. And, though Kakashi would never admit, it offered a sort of closure after hearing about the man's death in his old timeline.

"Is it noticeable?" Kakashi asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He couldn't ask Sakumo this question, as the man would most definitely deny it no matter what, and Yui always answered with a blunt remark about his clumsiness.

"Your, ah, blindness?" Jiraiya shifted. "Not really...you've got a sort of blurry red tint to your eyes, but it's barely noticeable since they're dark. And you're not running into walls or anything, so overall..."

Kakashi nodded his thanks.

"Don't worry, it still looks nice for the girls." Jiraiya winked.

The Hatake stared at him blankly. "I'm three." He pointed out.

Jiraiya shuddered. "And you act much older kid, much older." He shrugged, then leered. "Besides, no one's too young."

Kakashi snorted and missed the sharpening of the man's eyes. "Ero-sennin."

"Oi!"

In between the Jiraiya's visits, Kakashi worked on his chakra control and sensing. He soon was able to tell the most basic features of a person (mainly their body shape and sometimes skin color, but that was mainly through inference). He also worked to increase his chakra control, finding that he could barely do anything more than a Replacement jutsu without getting tired.

If Jiraiya ever was suspicious of his depleted reserves, he didn't say anything.

He went to school more out of obligation and the chance to catch up on sleep than anything else. He had already skipped a year, baffling teachers with how someone who slept through their classes scored perfectly on tests and starting rumors of a new Hatake prodigy.

The next two weeks went by quickly. Kakashi probably would've been able to enjoy them more if a chuunin hadn't dropped by to let him know that Sakumo was going to be running late. By a week.

Instead of getting the distressed child the chuunin probably expected, the door was slammed in his face.

Jiraiya came by later to tell the news if not already heard and, apparently, annoy the boy. He left with newly dyed purple hair and a grumpy expression.

When Kakashi was in a bad mood, he pranked (he also blamed Naruto).

The day that Sakumo was previously expected to return passed without incident despite Kakashi spending his time hanging around the compound in a half-hopeful state (he figured he could be clingy considering his situation). Jiraiya hadn't come that day, so Kakashi didn't bother to eat much. He'd eat when his father came home safe and sound.

Sakumo didn't come and Kakashi woke up the next day with a growling stomach and a sore neck from leaning on the window sill.

The weekend after came with an interesting discovery.

Kakashi had finished all his training early because of trying out a new chakra exercise and emptying out his reserves. He didn't feel up to reading more about time traveling and alternate dimensions (mainly because he was aching too much to walk all the way to the Shinobi Library from here).

Deciding to meditate for a while, Kakashi sat with his back against the couch and closed his eyes, trying to slip into a tranquil state. Unfortunately, being reverted back to a child apparently brought some kind of hyperactivity to Kakashi, and he couldn't sit still. Either he would start to itch, or the way his legs were folded felt uncomfortable, or he felt the sudden urge to drum his fingers - whatever the case, it irritated him to the point of shifting, utterly breaking his concentration.

When the third twitchy arm kept him from meditating, a surge of anger hit Kakashi. He jumped up, kicking the couch and cursing darkly when he nearly jammed his toe. Meditation was his getaway whenever he couldn't read Icha Icha and was on a mission. Why couldn't he do it now?

Glaring at the offending couch and his toe for throbbing Kakashi started pacing. He winced as his toe twinged. He'd take a twisted ankle any day- and why is this bothering him so much?

Sneering at his foot and stomping it for good measure, Kakashi proceeded to punch the nearby wall, nearly cracking it when he unintentionally pushed chakra into his fist.

Stupid meditation and stupid couch and stupid toe and stupid mission and stupid father for leaving and stupid eyes and stupid feet tripping and stupid stupid stupid-

Kakashi froze, anger dying away surprisingly fast. The boy took a deep breath, calming himself, before glancing at the crack in the wall. He'd fix that later.

Heartbeat back to normal, Kakashi wandered over to the couch, plopping down with no qualms about his toe.

Was this puberty coming early? He was definitely not supposed to get this angry. In fact, wasn't he known as the calm, laid-back Kakashi who barely reacted to anything? A side effect of being reincarnated/time traveling/whatever had happened to him? Or...was someone influencing him? With that thought, Kakashi spread out his chakra sense. Immediately pushing aside the feedback from the countless other chakra saturated objects, Kakashi didn't find anyone nearby.

Deciding to put the matter out of his mind for now, Kakashi slid down to the floor. He closed his eyes, resolving to try at least one more time.

Soon he was able to feel the pool of chakra in his body and reached out to it in order to sink into the depths of his mind.

Suddenly, a strange burning sensation enveloped him. Usually, this would cause him to break his concentration and check it out, but this feeling seemed to come from inside him. It was like chakra exhaustion but was less...exhausting.

Curious and not just a little wary Kakashi poked and prodded at the feeling, trying to figure where it's coming from. Frowning subconsciously, Kakashi cautiously reached out his senses to that place in his chakra coils, somewhere near his sternum.

The instant he touched it, a swirl appeared in mind's view, and Kakashi felt all the molecules in his body be pulled at from an unknown source, creating the sensation of being sucked into a vacuum.

Panicking, he tried to withdraw his senses only to find something blocking him. It felt like an invisible wall, yet it was all in his mind. And it was tinged with a familiar chakra...almost animalistic.

As if called by his thoughts, a ringing voice vibrated through the air. Kakashi clutched at his head, the loud volume being a hundred times worse in his head.

"Hatake Kakashi," The voice intoned. "Dimension-hopper."

So, uh...this was pretty long (whopping 5500 words!) so...

Don't expect the next one until I've got Ch 4 done and edited. 3 is near ready, but 4 has about 100 words written.

I'm assuming there is some equivalent of Braille in the ninja world...so just imagine that it just happened to be also called Braille.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed; it really meant a lot! Love you! You guys literally give me buckets of strength to keep doing this.

(Also: anyone else see Black Panther?)