"Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy. But to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live. For me, it is a deep personal loss. So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne."

- Scar

Kakashi hadn't slept in days.

Months.

Years, even.

These days, from the moment he rose and headed out to face the day until he got back home to attempt to sleep, his movements were tired and lethargic, slow and sleepy. The eye that peeked over his mask drooped even more than usual and his posture had begun to slouch more and more with each passing week. The friends who had at first eagerly encouraged him to get out a little more had abandoned the cause. Even Tenzou, who Kakashi considered his best friend, had left him behind, saying that he loved Kakashi like a brother, but he'd become too much of a drag to hang out with.

Kakashi had convinced himself that Shikamaru had forced Tenzou to pass along that message.

Time passed slowly, even when it seemed impossible. It passed unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it did. Even for Kakashi. He was a man who liked to put up a front of invincibility. Like nothing ever got to him, which was why those who hadn't taken the time to get to know him considered him arrogant with a stone cold heart. But now that his entire world had been changed in the short span of just over three years, he was beginning to crack, and lately, he'd been hearing the hushed gossip of the girl who had finally broken through his tough exterior.

You never get used to it, the idea of someone being gone. Just when you think it's reconciled, accepted, someone points it out to you and it just hits you all over again. Kakashi knew this to be true more than anything else. Every day was a new start. Every day, despite how tired he was, he would go out into the world in hopes that it would be the day that he recovered from the crushing blow of Sakura's disappearance.

And every day, he would pass by a villager innocently whispering to their neighbor about their speculation on where the Haruno girl had gone.

And the cycle repeated.

Each morning was as dreary as the last, and each night wore on for an eternity. Kakashi supposed that was why, when he spotted the huge crowd circling around the Hokage's mansion, he jumped at the chance for something different. Remaining as casual as ever, he sauntered over to the ruckus and eventually found himself beside a very clearly angry Naruto.

"Yo," he said wearily.

The blonde didn't reply. Which would have tipped Kakashi off to something strange going on, if Naruto hadn't already been tense and shaking with fury. His eyes were wide and wild, pointed upward toward the top of the Hokage's mansion, the usual blue color fading away in favor of a dark, dusty shade of orange. Keeping a poker face despite the fact that his stomach had dropped quickly enough to leave a lesser man winded, he let his hand fall onto Naruto's shoulder before following the jinchuuriki's gaze.

Standing atop the tallest building in the village was a tall woman whose long, dark hair fluttered behind her with every passing breeze. She was surrounded by a handful of elderly men and women, all of them looking downward or away, as if ashamed or regretful. Kakashi's jaw tightened when he recognized these elders as the Elders. Most of them didn't venture out of their homes for anything less than a special occasion, and judging by the cloak draped over the woman's shoulders, today was their idea of a special occasion.

There was no mistaking the red and white design of the cape. Matched with the wide brimmed hat atop the woman's head, it was an ensemble intended for one person and one person only. The Hokage. Last time Kakashi had checked, his Hokage was a blonde woman with amber eyes, temperamental and demanding but with a warm heart buried beneath her many layers of authority. The girl who wore the Hokage's garb now was quite possibly Tsunade's opposite in regards to appearance. Dark, dark hair and cold green eyes put off an air of intimidation along with a 'bow down and fear me' attitude.

Most remarkably, surrounding her narrow, cat-like green eyes were unmistakable purple birthmarks, the likes of which had only been seen on one other person. That alone was enough to set Kakashi's stomach plummeting further, but for the sake of the wide-eyed villagers who had now become aware of his presence, he continued his calm facade.

Suddenly, in a voice that dripped with smug satisfaction, the woman burst forth with an announcement. She called, "Tragedy has struck." Immediately, everyone shifted uncomfortably. To them, the tragedy was obvious - an unknown and unwelcome stranger had waltzed into their pleasant village and seized power, but Kakashi could safely assume that wasn't the announcement the girl atop the roof had planned to say. In fact, most of the villagers could already guess what she was about to reveal. "Your poor, dear Hokage has suffered a heart attack and now lies dead."

Gasps echoed throughout the crowd. Most of them had already deduced that Tsunade had died, otherwise nobody else would be wearing her cloak. But to hear the announcement put so bluntly and unsympathetically was a harsh blow to all who had ever looked up to the woman. Even Naruto, who was trying to maintain an infuriated appearance, couldn't stop the single thin tear that slid down his cheek. Next to the strange woman that was addressing the whole of Konoha as if she had every right to do so, Kakashi could just barely make out Shizune's trembling form. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, her head hung low as her shoulders shook violently. She looked as if she was about to collapse. If Kakashi hadn't known her to have more dignity than that, he might have thought she would give into grief and drop to her knees right then and there.

He briefly contemplated the pros and cons of visiting her later at her apartment and comforting her in her time of sorrow, but he'd never been a very sympathetic guy, and he knew the conversation would eventually come down to Sakura's whereabouts. On top of what was already proving to be a stressful day, he was positive such a discussion would not sit well with his mental health.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it, as the mysterious girl had begun to speak again. "I know what you're all thinking," she said, and when she locked eyes with Naruto, Kakashi was sure she knew exactly what he was thinking. With her cold, unrelenting gaze still matching his raging one, she continued, "What right do I - as someone who is quite clearly related to the man who is quite possibly the most despised traitor this village has ever known - have to be addressing you all about so serious an issue?"

"Do fucking tell," Naruto muttered.

The pale woman then tore her gaze from the blonde's and swept her gaze over the whole crowd as she explained, "I know it's hard to believe, but once upon a time, your former Hokage and my father were friends. They had each other's backs, and I fully intend to carry out that camaraderie by doing what I only believe is right and just."

When she touched the brim of the hat atop her head with the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, Naruto shuddered almost imperceptibly and hissed, "No..." With a wary glance in his direction, Kakashi also caught a glimpse of the Hyuuga girl who had recently become his fiancee and noticed that, for someone who already had remarkably pale skin, her face was even pastier than usual, if not a little green.

His eyes snapped back to the rooftop when the sinister voice finished, "I have spoken with the Elders and we have come to the decision that I will take over duties as your new Hokage." All of the mentioned elderly seemed to flinch when they were credited. It seemed not even they were immune to the daunting weight of their poorly made decision. As if anyone had a choice, she added, "My name is Kuragari. Won't you join me, Konoha?"

As if on cue, Naruto lunged forward, his eyes flaring with a fury Kakashi had never seen from the boy before. Immediately, the crowd parted with a gasp, all of them scurrying to clear out of would surely become his path of destruction if Kakashi was dumb enough to let him continue onward. Instead, the Copy Nin curled his hand around Naruto's wrist, effectively restraining him and holding him back.

"She can't do that!" Naruto cried, his teeth clenched together as hot, angry tears slipped down the sides of his face. His eyes were blazing like nothing Kakashi had ever witnessed before, even when faced with the Kyuubi's devastatingly powerful chakra.

"Would you think for just one moment, Naruto?" Kakashi snapped.

"You're going to let her get away with that?" Naruto demanded. He turned his gaze to his former sensei, and as he saw the stern look his superior was giving him, a bit of blue seeped back into his eyes. With the change of color, Kakashi could more easily see the pleading expression upon the boy's face. This was an expression unlike any wide eyed puppy dog pout Kakashi had ever been tortured with. This was a pure, unadulterated cry for understanding.

When Kakashi considered it safe to do so, he relaxed his grip on Naruto's wrist, though his fingers remained closed around the joint. He sighed, "No. But you can't just jump at her like that." He turned his eyes upward at the woman in question and immediately glanced away when he realized she was staring smugly right at them. "You don't know her strengths, her weaknesses. In other words, you don't know what you're up against."

Naruto begged, "Maybe, but I do know that she has no right to-"

"Look around you," Kakashi whispered. After a moment of hesitation, Naruto obliged, turning his head to each side to scan his surroundings. Upon doing so, he noticed that everyone was looking at him. Everyone. Every villager he'd ever met, and even those who didn't know him personally. Each and every one of them, men and women, adults and children, high-ranking and low-ranking was staring at him as if he held the fate of the world in his very hands. Their future was his to do with as he pleased. "Worst case scenario," Kakashi said, "you get into a fight with her and you die-"

"Best case scenario, I win." Naruto's tone had lost a lot of its fire and hostility and his eyes were almost completely blue now, probably due to the sudden realization that everyone had placed their hopes and fears upon him.

"Listen to me," Kakashi said. "Right now, you're the only hope this village has left. If you die, there's nothing. No hope, no future. You'll bring her down, and you'll have everyone behind you all the way when you do. But give it time." At his own words, he dropped the younger man's wrist and let his hand fall down to his side. He shoved his own hands deep into his pockets.

Time. How often had Time betrayed Kakashi in the past? Whenever he tried to take his time with something, whether it was by his own choice or by the command of his superior, his world had gone straight to hell. He'd taken the search for Sakura slowly, and look what that had gotten him. Not a trace of her in just over three years.

That was enough to make anyone hopeless.

However, the fact remained that none of the villagers surrounding Kakashi and his student knew of Sakura's intended future. All they knew was that the boy they'd all assumed would take the throne had just lost it to a pale brat who shouldn't even exist. She'd ripped it right out of the jinchuuriki's hands, and now it was her will to do with it as she pleased.

Still, as much of a demon Time was, it was their best bet. With Time, they could learn all the things that made Kuragari tick. What she was best at, and what really threw her off. With that information in Naruto's hands, the girl would be doomed. He was decent enough when he knew nothing about his opponent, but if he knew everything about them, he couldn't be beat.

Until then, the inhabitants of Konoha would have to keep their eyes pointed toward the future while surrounded by a world of confusion, misery, and most likely death. A tyrant had taken over, and nobody knew how long she would stay in power. It was not a hopeful world they lived in now.

Life was awful. It made him want to catapult himself at a brick wall going sixteen thousand miles an hour most of the time. Even with so many terrible things going on at once, all Kakashi could think about was how Sakura had left him. Or had he metaphorically left her? Or perhaps they were always leaving each other because they were never really together. Either way, he felt about to faint of grief.

Or maybe he was just hungry.

"Yo, Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto's voice barely managed to break through Kakashi's thought process. The boy was looking at him expectantly, his eyes two parts curious and one part concerned. Even Hinata had tilted her head to eye Kakashi warily, as if he'd just woken up from a year-long coma and the two of them were merely wondering if he could still speak. With a glance around, Kakashi noticed that most of the crowd had dispersed, probably heading home to recount the morning's events to the few who hadn't been around to witness it. Those that remained in the area were either still frozen in shock or planning assassination attempts. Coming out of his daze, Kakashi said to his student, "Sorry, what?"

"I said do you wanna go get some ramen or something?" Naruto shrugged, as if they hadn't been discussing the village's fragile fate only moments ago. "I mean, if there's nothing I can do for Konoha now, I might as well eat."

The young man had a lot to learn about logic, but Kakashi didn't say anything about Naruto's bizarre reasoning. Instead, he glanced in the direction of Naruto's favorite ramen stand, calculating the distance it would put between him and the home he rarely made it out of these days. If he was being honest with himself, he really didn't want to be making conversation with anyone who might bring up painful memories (but then again, who did?). But with one look at Hinata's pleading gaze, Kakashi knew he really had no choice in the matter. If he wasn't doing it for his former student, he was doing it for the Hyuuga heiress who looked like she might pass out at any moment - due of hunger or something else, Kakashi couldn't be quite sure. So he mumbled, "Sure, sure."

Naruto took the lead with Hinata clinging faithfully to his arm. The way she carried herself was, for lack of a better word, odd. It seemed as if she was stepping with more care than what might have been considered necessary, as if it was especially important that she refrained from tripping over something. She also kept casting wary glances in all directions, and every time she made eye contact with someone other than Naruto, she cringed away from their gaze.

Even when she tried to sneak a small peek behind her at Kakashi, and he reciprocated her look with feigned happiness, she frowned and hid her face in Naruto's shoulder. Hinata was known for being shy, but even as someone who didn't know her very well, Kakashi could say she was being jumpier than usual. He brushed her bizarre behavior aside, figuring it was probably just a result of the startling announcement that had just been made.

Thinking on that, he looked around and couldn't help but be surprised at how quickly the village had gotten back into the swing of things. Anyone who had stopped in front of the tower to hear the news had now gone about their daily business, almost as if it had never happened. Stores and restaurants were opening back up after having been closed for a short spell and people were carrying on with their lives. Like there wasn't someone incredibly strange and dangerous not only lurking within the village walls, but controlling everything held within those walls as well.

When they reached the familiar ramen stand, Kakashi noticed that Ayame had carefully plastered a pleasant smile to her features, though the tension throughout the rest of her body revealed just how nervous she was. Even Teuchi, a man who was known for being perpetually cheerful, looked a little somber as he headed towards the back of the small shop to prepare some more food for the new customers.

Nevertheless, Ayame took their orders, albeit with a little less zeal than she usually did. By the time the three patrons had settled down in their seats - Naruto in the middle with Hinata on his left and Kakashi to his right - their food was done and Ayame was coming out of the back with two steaming bowls in hand, her father tailing her with the last. They politely wished their customers a good meal before disappearing once again to the back of the store where they began to murmur about something Kakashi didn't really care to hear.

They ate mostly in silence, with Naruto attempting (and failing) small talk every few minutes and Hinata occasionally whispering something in the blonde's ear, then shyly turning her blushing face away. Then, the silence was officially broken when Naruto asked, "Does it ever go away, Kakashi-sensei?"

Without thinking, Kakashi replied, "Does what ever go away?"

"The worrying. The concern. And don't say you never cared about her, because that's a lie!"

Kakashi couldn't contain his wince. Most people knew the subject of Sakura was touchy, especially when in Kakashi's presence. He was still not accustomed to the idea of being without her and any reminder of her absence was as painful as the first realization that she was gone. For that reason, many people chose not to discuss the missing kunoichi with the man who had once been her sensei. Naruto, however, was not one of these people. This was not the first time he'd brought her up in conversation, and Kakashi doubted it would be the last. With that in mind, he guessed it wouldn't do any more damage to just talk it out with the boy. Maybe if he got his fill of conversation today, he wouldn't feel the need to bring it up again tomorrow.

Doubtful, but worth a shot anyway.

After a long pause, Kakashi shook his head and answered, "No, Naruto. It doesn't go away."

Quite suddenly, Kakashi's appetite left him. With a sigh, he set his chopsticks down next to his half-full bowl and made a silent apology for wasting the small shop's food. In his peripheral vision, he saw Hinata leaning up towards Naruto's ear to whisper something Kakashi couldn't be bothered to strain his ears to hear.

As it turned out, there wasn't any need to eavesdrop. The moment Hinata pulled away, Naruto told Kakashi, "She says she misses Sakura, too."

Hinata's entire face flushed a soft shade of red and she tilted her eyes downward while she addressed Kakashi. "We were not the best of friends, but she means so much to Naruto-kun. I know it makes him miserable that she has been gone for so long and it kills me to-"

"See him unhappy. I know. Believe me, I know." Never in a million years did Kakashi think he would ever be able to relate to the remarkably shy Hyuuga. She was bashful as could be where as Kakashi was significantly bolder and where she credited her improvement to the boy she currently sat beside, Kakashi credited his own skill to years of practice, hard work, and just a bit to his single Sharingan eye. But it seemed that they were similar in at least one respect - they both regarded their loved ones in the same light. Their happiness depended a great deal on the happiness of their significant other.

It was something Kakashi was not entirely proud of. To have his mood rely completely on another person's was not only difficult, but also very dangerous. It meant, if she so chose, Sakura could easily manipulate him into bending to whatever her wicked will might be. Of course, she wasn't around to do so. But without a doubt in his mind, Kakashi knew he would break every rule for her if that was what her heart desired.

Ayame suddenly appeared before him, staring at him curiously. He shook himself of his troublesome thoughts and looked up at her, prompting her to say what she'd probably already repeated a few times. "Are you done with your meal, Hatake-san?"

Too emotionally exhausted to give a verbal reply, Kakashi responding by nodding. Normally, he would consider such an action offensive and rude, but he guessed that it wouldn't be the first time that day that someone had opted out of polite speech. It was an odd day, indeed. She took his dish away without complaint and left his bill on the table before him.

Had it been any other day, Kakashi would have disappeared in a curl of smoke and stuck Naruto to pay for his meal, but it just didn't feel like the right thing to do at that particular moment in time. So he fished some money from his wallet, plopped it down on top of the bill and stood from his stool.

Before he could wave goodbye and depart, Naruto spoke again, avoiding all eye contact. "I just wish I could do something."

The hopelessness of his tone plucked at Kakashi's heartstrings. He wished he had something better to say, but all he could think of was a dismal sounding, "I wish I could do something too." Then he was gone, leaving a small white wispy cloud in his wake.

Shizune balanced a heap of paperwork in one hand while she attempted to jiggle her front doorknob into submission with the other. Just as she was about to give up and just kick the damn door down, it swung open with a loud, high-pitched creak. She huffed and stepped inside, kicking the door shut behind her. She would need a new door sometime soon, or she'd at least have to oil the hinges. But currently, she had other things on her mind.

The first thing she did upon arriving home was slam all the documents she'd brought with her onto the worn coffee table in the center of her living room, completely oblivious to the small envelope that drifted out of the pile and onto the ground. It was not unusual for Shizune to arrive home with a large collection of paperwork to complete, but for her to return to her house with almost everything she could carry from the office? Bizarre. Not to mention illegal. She'd assured Kuragari that she'd only taken old, outdated mission reports and had even slapped a quick, sloppy henge on the documents to make them appear as such when the new Hokage had given them a once over. It was a shoddy job at best but it wasn't as if the brat knew anything about Konoha documents, so she let it slide.

Now that the henge had been dropped, the papers were revealed for what they really were. Top secret information, ANBU correspondence, news from allies. The kind of thing Shizune wouldn't dare let Kuragari lay her manicured claws on. She knew enough about the village already, there was no need for her to learn Konoha's best kept secrets. If it came down to needing the information for the village's safety, Shizune would take care of it. Kuragari may hold the master key to the administration tower, but Shizune held the only thing that mattered in the eyes of the villagers.

Respect. They respected her. Over her many years of service and hours donated, not only to Tsunade but to the advancement of Konoha's hospital facilities, the townspeople had come to view her as somewhat of a saint. She was trustworthy, loyal, and she'd stick around for as long as she was needed. That's why Shizune knew if it came down to a mass exodus from the Hidden Leaf, her fellow villagers would choose to follow her straight into the unknown rather than hang around with a strange new leader.

That wasn't to say Shizune expected the situation to get so out of hand. She didn't think anyone would ever have to leave Konoha, especially not all at once in a large group. If she could lead Kuragari to believe she was doing all the work, while Shizune pulled strings and mended frayed ends and worked behind the scenes for a solution, then eventually, everything would turn out fine. Right?

She sighed. If only that were true. Even if she worked her fingers to the bone and her mind to insanity, she'd never be able to fix the wrong that had been done to the village. She was going to do her best to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible in Sakura's absence, but in the face of her current trials and tribulations, Shizune knew she didn't have the kind of motivation required to save the village from the girl that had begun to slowly destroy it from the inside out.

She was certain there was only one thing that could solve their problems now, and if Kakashi didn't get his damned ass out of town soon on a hunt for the girl he'd left alone for far too long, there wasn't a hope for salvation. If Sakura never returned and took back her rightful place as Hokage, there wasn't a doubt in Shizune's mind that Konoha was doomed to hell.

She rubbed at her eyes as she suddenly felt the unwelcome sting of tears. To make matters worse, when she dropped down onto the sofa and lifted her eyes to the wall opposite the plush piece of furniture, her gaze fell on a photograph of herself and her former master, posed and smiling eagerly for the camera. It had been taken on the day Tsunade had first taken up office as the leader of Konoha, and while the blonde had at first been hesitant about accepting such a huge responsibility, her first day as Hokage had been a day full of beaming grins and laughter. There had been a positive atmosphere in the office all day and for the next few weeks that followed.

The sight of a smile she would never see again made the crack in Shizune's heart grow deeper. Wiping away the few tears that had managed to fall from her tired eyes, she looked up toward the ceiling and whispered, "What would you do in a situation like this? I need your help."

Then she dropped her gaze down to the floor and caught sight of the envelope that had slipped out of her pile of documents earlier. With a shrug, she hauled herself up from the couch and picked the letter up from the ground, running her eyes over it. She wondered if she'd ended up with it by mistake - the curving script on the front side of the envelope quite clearly read Sakura in slanting, cursive lettering - but then she flipped it over and found that a note had been paper clipped to it. The note was addressed to Shizune.

Pulling it from the clip's grasp, she rubbed the bleariness from her eyes and focused on the writing.

Shizune

I'm bossy, and controlling, and I don't deserve you at all. You are too good of an assistant for me, and a better person than I ever expected would put up with me. I'm sorry I'm always demanding favors of you, but this will be the last one. I promise.

Deeming Sakura as my successor is, I'm sure, the best decision I've ever made. Whether she realizes or not, she's got the mental and physical chops to carry out a position of such authority. And with you by her side, she'll be one of the best leaders this great village has ever known. I'm sure of it.

That said, she might need a bit of a pep talk from her good ol' shishou when the time rolls around for her to take my desk. In the event of my passing, would you kindly hand this envelope to her? I know you'll give her a damn good boost of courage yourself when the time comes, but I'm thinking she might need a little bit more than your words of wisdom - no offense.

Tsunade

Shizune sniffed as the dull ache of tears left unshed pounded behind her eyes. What she wouldn't give to just let loose and have a good, hour-long cry right about now. Unfortunately, the note she'd just read was a painful reminder of how much work she had left to do.

What strange luck Tsunade had. She'd never been good with gambling and almost always - no, definitely always lost any bet she dared to enter. Shizune had always believed her master's unlucky streak existed only in the realm of gambling and casinos, but as it turn out, the tendency toward misfortune extended far beyond that.

Tsunade had expected Sakura to sit back and take the position like it wasn't a massive burden for a young woman. Hell, Shizune had almost expected it herself. Both she and her boss had wagered that Sakura's loyalty would beat out her reluctance. And they'd both lost. Sakura was gone, Tsunade was dead, and Shizune had no way of getting the Godaime's letter to her apprentice. It would probably be in Shizune's best interest to dispose of the note before she could lose sleep over it, but she didn't have the heart. If not to maintain the hope that Sakura would one day return, she kept it for the sentimental value. It was probably the last document Tsunade had signed.

She shuffled into her bedroom and slipped the note into the drawer of her nightstand. A dull pain settled in her chest as she closed the drawer and allowed darkness to close in on the remains of her composure, and when the deed was done, in spite of her better interest, she allowed herself to cry freely.

A/N: I wanted to focus a lot on Kakashi this chapter to show that he's not as unbreakable as people seem to think. I hope I succeeded. As usual, don't hesitate to let me know if I've made any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. And please feel free to leave me a review! Thank you for reading, everyone~. :)