The Colour Red

A/N: I cannot keep to a schedule and I am really sorry about it! It's just been a really busy time the past month and though it won't get any better, I'll definitely try to at least cut down on my posting time. In any case, enjoy!

Chapter 3 – Redwood

Kakashi was not a man who liked to remember his past. With 30 years of memories and most of them bad, that was no surprise. He preferred to live in the here and now and because of that, most of his memories had blurred. His younger years were still vivid and clear in his mind, due to the constant visiting of the Memorial Stone. But what had happened after the war – his time with ANBU – hadn't really registered. And likewise, the time he led Team 7 wasn't that clear. It wasn't hazy per se, but not as graphic as he would have liked: a lot of details were missing.

It gave him a headache.

He groaned as his eyes returned to the desk in his room: papers with words and lines and diagrams were scattered across the surface. Kakashi had been up all night trying to remember every little detail about his past, his time with Team 7. The bridge builder would be arriving next week – maybe? It was a rough estimate – to ask for escorts to his home country. So he had until then to give his team adequate training to handle Zabuza and his protégé.

And, hopefully, get clearance from the council, his tired mind added.

He had gone through multiple training plans already but all of them had to be scrapped. There was just too little time to create a scheme that would fully prepare his students for the upcoming mission. At the end of the day everything led back to one basic problem he had failed to deal with in the previous timeline until much later.

Kakashi stared at the piece of paper in front of him. It was time to go back to the basics.

"Dead."

Sakura shrieked as the knife touched her neck. Her male team mates spun round, hands at their pouches and bodies lowered into a defensive stance. A chorus of frustrated sighs filled the air when the students saw Kakashi lazily sitting on the railing of the bridge with a humorous twinkle in his one visible eye. A kunai was in his grip, the pommel pressing against Sakura's neck.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called in outrage, "what was that for?"

"What?" Kakashi replied in mock confusion, "oh, this?" He gave a glance at the weapon in his hands and casually pocketed it.

Sakura exhaled in relief, her body sagging slightly after the tense posture she had maintained. She finally dared to move and turned around to look at Kakashi with some sort of insulted look in her eyes. The Jounin hopped down from the railing onto the bridge and leaned against it with folded arms, giving his students a challenging look. A silence elapsed over the four shinobi.

As always, Sakura was the one to collapse first under the heavy silence: "Kakashi-sensei, that really scared us," she tried carefully, but faltered once she saw the hard look in the Jounin's eyes.

"Yeah, why did you do that?" Naruto exclaimed, "you scared Sakura!"

Kakashi's lips twitched as he tried to suppress a smile: seeing Naruto act like this – as if frightening his crush was the worst possible thing someone could do – was kind of cute. He had really forgotten how his team was in the early days. Though, he couldn't say he really missed them being like this: Naruto was loud and obnoxious, Sakura was unskilled and completely unaware of things and Sasuke… he didn't really want to think about him.

"I think being scared is the least of your problems. If I had been a hostile ninja Sakura would be dead," Kakashi let the word hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "And this brings us to our first lesson: chakra control!"

The three shinobi stared back at him, not looking very impressed. Naruto was the first to speak: "What? Why are we doing more training? I want to go on missions! We passed your test, didn't we? Let's do some real ninja work!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I don't think you're ready for any missions," he lied smoothly. He couldn't tell them the real reason they weren't able to go on missions, after all.

"Why aren't we ready?" Naruto whined, ending his sentence with folded arms and a resolute pout on his face.

"Yeah," Sakura added, "we were the only team you ever passed for your test." She smirked slightly, as if proud of her observation.

"Yeah," Kakashi said in a clipped tone, "that might be true, however… you won't survive a day in the field. Weren't you paying attention just now? If I had been an enemy ninja, Sakura would be dead. You need a lot more skills before you're ready to even think about any missions. And that's why we're starting right at the beginning, with the basics."

Finally his students were silent, looking at least willing to follow his lesson. Kakashi gave a sharp motion with his hands towards the Third Training Ground, indicating they should move over there. As the shinobi started walking – Kakashi leading the pack and the Genin trailing behind – Kakashi thought about why he hadn't bothered to train them in the original timeline. It really had been quite lacking of him, going on a C-ranked mission with an unprepared team. He cringed at the memory.

"Alright, who can tell me about chakra?" Kakashi quizzed as he turned to face his students.

He watched patiently as Sakura waited a few seconds – giving the males by her side a quick look – before speaking, "Chakra is the elemental life energy a ninja uses in jutsu – it's the source of all their power. Now, this energy has two forms, physical energy, which exists in all the cells in the entire body, and spiritual energy, the primal source of power that is intensified through meditation and experience. These two types of chakra must be drawn out and work together in order to perform a jutsu. There is an interplay between physical and spiritual power – that's the key. Finally, hand signs focus and release the chakra."

Naruto stared at her in shock as she finished her barrage of words, all tumbling out of her mouth in quick succession.

"That's nice and all, but we're already using chakra in our jutsu," Sasuke noted with folded arms.

"You might be using it, but you haven't mastered it," Kakashi replied coldly, "each jutsu requires a specific combination of physical energy and spiritual energy. Up until now, you've merely guessed at these proportions. It's very inefficient – you waste so much chakra that way that you won't last long in a fight."

"So then… how do we learn not to do that?" Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"First," Kakashi held up a finger. "We're going to learn how to focus our chakra so that drawing out the energy becomes second nature to us. That way, you won't waste your energy when using a jutsu."

Sakura looked puzzled. "How are we going to do that?"

Kakashi spread out his arms. "You see these trees all around us? You're going to climb them. With your feet." He ignored the shocked and confused looks of his students and continued on. "This will teach you how to draw a precise amount of chakra to a precise point in your body. It will require a subtle mix of physical and spiritual energy. Also, the bottom of the feet are the most difficult part to focus chakra. This exercise will also teach you how to maintain your chakra. Losing your control in a battle can be deadly, that's why maintaining chakra must become second nature to you."

Naruto stared at him with a disappointed expression – perhaps the exercise didn't sound as exciting as he had hoped? On the other side, Sasuke and Sakura held some sort of interested gleam in their eyes as they studied the trees.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Here, you can mark your progress with these kunai," He tossed the weapons at their feet. "Now start!"

The three each picked a tree: Sakura waited until Sasuke had chosen his before taking the one next to it and Naruto decided on the tallest tree he could find. They all stood silent and Kakashi could feel their chakra sparking in their bodies, all of it streaming downwards towards their feet. He watched as Naruto was the first to place a tentative foot on the trunk, taking a breath before lifting up the other one and… falling back.

"You might want to try running at the tree," Kakashi noted, "it will help to have a little momentum before you start."

Naruto jumped to his feet. "And you're telling me now?"

Kakashi just simpered in reply and watched as his students jogged back until they were a good distance away from their trees. The scene played out exactly as it had in the original timeline: Sasuke used too much energy, Naruto too little and Sakura the exact right amount.

"Well done, Sakura," Kakashi praised, looking up at her smiling face.

She giggled and swung her feet back and forth. "This is fun!"

"Yeah, way to go, Sakura!" Naruto cheered, "I knew you were amazing!"

"Thanks, Naruto," she smiled, though her eyes were focused on Sasuke, probably watching his reaction. She frowned when there was none.

Kakashi waved at her. "How about you come down and try again? Let's see how many times you can go up."

Sakura nodded and made her way down to the ground. Kakashi took out his trusted Make-Out Paradise book and started to read while his three students ran back towards the trees. Though, it was kind of disappointing to read a book that had been read so many times before: Kakashi really craved a new addition to the series. Drowning out the frustrated cries and exhausted sighs, he made himself comfortable and turned back to chapter 1.

And the peace lasted surprisingly long: he had made it all the way to chapter 6 before he was interrupted.

"You done, Sakura?" Kakashi asked without looking up from his book. He was in the middle of a very exciting part where Erika would finally declare her love for Jira and he didn't want Sakura's loud footsteps to ruin the moment.

"I – yeah, sensei," she breathed when she finally stood before him, "I can't go up another time."

"How many times did you manage?"

Sakura hesitated. "Only six."

Kakashi stopped reading and looked up, snapping the book shut. That was surprising: he didn't recall Sakura having such low chakra reserves. Only six times, he repeated slowly, letting the thought sink in. He groaned inwardly. Though it could be fixed, the real problem was time. It was obvious that Sakura's physical strength was the reason for her low reserves and building up sufficient stamina could take a while.

Kakashi was silent for a long time while he mulled it over in his head. "Alright then, Sakura, I'm giving you an individual training programme," Kakashi began as he stood up, "you're going to run laps. Every morning you'll be here an hour before our scheduled meeting time and run laps until you can't run any further."

"But – sensei!" She looked outraged. "How am I supposed to follow your training when I'm completely drained from mine?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Not my problem. It's my job to prepare you for the real world, not to be nice." He swallowed slowly and guilt filled him when he saw Sakura's head lower. His voice softened. "Maybe you should ask Naruto and Sasuke for help – they are your teammates, after all. If you help them with their tree climbing, they might show you some exercises to improve your strength."

Sakura lifted her head back up and Kakashi noted a small spark in her eyes. He watched her nod and turn around, running back towards the trees. He saw her call the two boys, saw their curious expressions as they moved towards her and saw Sakura launch into an explanation, complete with gestures and hand movements – typical. He smiled.

Pocketing his book, Kakashi walked over the group just in time to catch Sakura's explanation.

"… that's what you're doing wrong. Chakra requires spiritual energy, so if you get all anxious and frantic it doesn't work. You have to relax and totally focus on the tree – that's how you get a steady chakra flow to the bottom of your feet." She stared pointedly at Naruto until he nodded before she turned to Sasuke. "I'm not sure what you're doing wrong. You seem calm enough, so I think the problem is your focus – you keep getting distracted. And you're using too much strength, which keeps breaking trees-" Sakura flushed and clasped her hands over her mouth.

"No, keep going, Sakura," Kakashi ordered, startling her, "it's good to give each other feedback. How else can you improve?"

"Oh…" She nodded quietly. "Well, I was done anyway. Naruto, you need to relax more. And, Sasuke… you need to find a better balance – your physical energy is overruling your spiritual energy."

Kakashi paused when she said her last words. "Hmm, I think you've just given me an idea, Sakura." He turned to the boys. "As it turns out, Sakura is lacking in physical strength and you two are lacking in spiritual strength. I've already given Sakura a personal training schedule for the mornings, but I think it will be a good idea if you were to join her."

"What kind of training?" Sasuke questioned, folding his arms.

"Yeah, are they going to run laps too?" Sakura added.

Kakashi ignored the unimpressed look in Sasuke's eyes. "No, running will only help to increase your physical strength," he explained patiently, "so, in order to gain more spiritual strength, you two will be meditating."

"Meditating?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"Meditating," Kakashi stated firmly, "and I've got the perfect exercise in mind." He smiled behind his mask and bent down to pick up a small leaf from the ground. He held it in his opened palm and showed it to the two boys. "You've probably heard of this exercise before – or practiced it in the Academy – but I'll explain it anyway. You see this leaf? Your job is to put in on your forehead and keep it there using your chakra." Kakashi gently pressed the leaf against his own brow and sent a small chakra stream to it, keeping it in place. After a few seconds he stopped and let the blade twirl down to the ground.

"So it's just like the tree climbing?" Sasuke was staring down at the leaf. "I do remember this from the Academy, but it didn't really help back then so I don't see how it's going to help now."

Naruto was silent, looking back and forth between Sasuke and Kakashi. It was weird not having him remark on the training – it was characteristic of Naruto to be greatly opposed to anything that did not involve some hands-on action. Yet he was quiet and listening intently… weird, Kakashi decided.

"The basics are pretty similar to the tree climbing, however… this is much easier. The forehead is one of the easiest places to gather chakra, unlike the feet. It won't really improve your chakra control to be honest, but it will improve your concentration and, in turn, your spiritual energy." Kakashi stared into Sasuke's eyes to assess his reaction to the explanation. It took only a few seconds before he had to look away.

"And we're doing this in the mornings?" Sasuke asked in a tone that suggested acceptance.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. Every morning one hour before our meeting time, you will meditate with the leafs. Understood?" He looked at the boys. "You too, Naruto?"

The blond nodded in a way that unnerved Kakashi – it was so serious. It reminded him of the Naruto he had left behind in the other timeline, someone who meant business and knew when to take responsibility, someone who was tainted by betrayal and many hardships. So why did this young and innocent – for lack of a better word – Naruto have those eyes?

Kakashi sighed, trying to shake it from his mind. "Alright, I think it's time to head back. You've been at it for a few hours now and I don't want to risk you guys using up too much chakra. So go home, get some rest and I expect all of you to be here at 6AM sharp to start off your individual training."

And with that, Kakashi turned on his heel and headed back towards the bridge that led into the village. He heard three sets of footsteps follow behind him. As he walked, he realised this really was the perfect plan: Sakura would increase her physical power; Naruto and Sasuke would raise their spiritual power; they would all be training at the same time so they could get used to each other and build bonds and – the best thing about this plan – this would all happen while Kakashi stayed in bed. He grinned and mentally patted himself on the back.

"Hey, Sasuke," a nervous voice said behind him, "I was wondering if you could show me some moves to help me – um – increase my strength." A beat of silence. "I could help you with your spiritual chakra control." More silence. "I mean, we're a team, we'll work better if we're all stronger."

Finally, Sasuke replied, "I guess we could spar sometimes."

Kakashi could practically hear Sakura's smile spreading across her face. "Awesome! When do you want to start?"

"If you're not too tired after a double training, then we'll give it a shot," Sasuke chuckled and Kakashi almost stopped walking; he would never get used to that.

They soon reached the bridge and Kakashi turned back once more to face his team. Sakura's face was split into a large grin and she stood close to Sasuke, her arm almost brushing against his. Naruto was lagging behind a bit, with an expression on his face that suggested his mind was elsewhere. Kakashi frowned at the team dynamic: it was so… different.

"Well, see you all tomorrow!" The Jounin gave a small wave before flickering away in a swirl of leaves, deciding to leave his doubts behind.

"No, don't leave me, please!"

The shrill sound cut through his body all the way to the bone. He wanted to turn around and say something like 'it will all be okay' or 'I'll fix it', but he had already said those words a lifetime ago. It had been lies then, it would be lies now. And he couldn't bear to lie to her again.

A dark chuckle tore him away from his thoughts and he finally allowed his eyes to look up. The man – for he could hardly be called a boy anymore – was smirking at him. Kakashi wanted to punch him, to launch himself at the man and slam a fist into that pretty face of his. Back then, he had tried to forgive him, tried to chase after him, but that was all in the past. They were in a different time now. And now, Kakashi would not allow him to walk away.

"Please…" Sakura cried out. All the strength had gone: she knew there was only one way this could end.

"You wouldn't understand," the man said, "you're too weak to understand. Staying in this village… what a ridiculous idea! There is no reason to play make-believe shinobi with you weaklings! If you're strong, there is nothing here for you anymore…"

Kakashi felt the heat course through his body. His fingers twitched and the kunai in his pouch was so close – all he needed was one small movement of his hand and then he could stab the knife into the man, end it all, end it now. His fingers started moving-

"I guess I should thank you, sensei."

- and stopped. What?

"I owe all of this to you. Without your training, I would never have gotten where I am today – I would still be a nobody. You made Team 7 the strongest team this village has ever seen and for that I owe you. So thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi stared at the man. This was wrong, this was all wrong. This should not be happening… not like this. Even as the thoughts entered his mind, the image before him was changing, moulding, into something horrible. Kakashi tried to speak, but only a guttural noise left his throat. Before his eyes, the black hair turned to blond, and the red eyes turned blue, a cold blue, a dead blue.

"Naruto," Kakashi rasped.

"Kakashi," Naruto replied.

And then he was gone. He had flickered into the darkness, leaving no trace behind to indicate he had ever been there. Sakura's cries were getting louder and they were making it hard for him to concentrate. Kakashi just kept staring at the spot were Naruto had stood, some hopeful – and stupid – part of his brain believing he would come back if he could only stare hard enough.

"Why didn't you stop him?" It was barely a whisper. "Why did you let him get away?"

"Sakura," Kakashi managed, looking at her broken figure, "I… everything will be alright-"

It was like someone had possessed her, like that word had triggered some horrible inner demon from the back of her mind. "No, it will not be alright! Naruto's gone, Sasuke's blind," she screamed, pulling at her hair and scratching her scalp, "you're the worst sensei ever! This is all your fault!"

Kakashi extended a hand, trying to reach out to her, but she slapped it away. Kakashi cringed when she did. He didn't understand what was happening… she couldn't mean this, Sakura would never say this, she was just mad and sad and confused. He looked into her eyes: the sparkling green was dull and full of malice, all directed at him.

"And you…" Something glinted in her hands. "You killed me."

The kunai swept through the air and a squashing sound rang out, reverberating through him all the way to his core. Kakashi looked down. The blood was already seeping through his clothes and he could feel a numbing cold wash over his body. He looked back up, staring into Sakura's eyes pleadingly.

She smirked and twisted the knife.

Kakashi panicked. Fear slammed into him like a cold hand squeezing his heart. He lurched upright in a tangled mess of blankets, cold sweat on his forehead and a sour taste in his mouth. He hugged his arms around his stomach – it had seemed so real, he swore he could still feel the pain. Kakashi's mind was reeling and for the first time since he had come back to the past, he felt genuine fear. There was a reason time travel scrolls didn't exist: it was something that shouldn't be tampered with. One tiny change could undo a lifetime of work, erase countless memories… change people.

And Kakashi wasn't sure anymore if he was making the right choices.

A/N: Not the most exciting chapter, a lot of talking and not much action, but it's necessary. Kakashi has introduced his training methods and is finally starting to realise that changing the past can have consequences that you can never predict beforehand.

Probably one or two more chapters before the Wave Mission starts and we get into the main plot!