Kakashi didn't leave his room until early the next morning, and he was stoic as ever. Rather than tell me where he was going, he simply scratched a few words on to a piece of ripped, tattered paper and taped it to the refrigerator door, as if I weren't seated on the same spot on the couch where he'd left me the previous night.

I hadn't moved from my place on the couch since he'd stormed to his room; sleep deprivation had been inevitable, I suppose. I'd gotten maybe two hours, maximum. My muscles were stiff and aching from lack of movement, but I didn't notice it all that much. Nothing seemed to matter, except for the choice splayed in front of me: leave my friends- what had come to be my family- behind, or move on to someplace new and begin again.

As I pondered the fork in my path of life, I forced myself up from the couch and trudged to the fridge, where I examined Kakashi's short letter.

Going training.

Will be at the grounds if you need anything.

Don't drink the milk, it went bad three days ago.

-Kakashi

My lips twitched up at the edges, shaping into a small smile as my eyes flicked over Kakashi's hasty scrawl several more times. I reached up with gentle fingers and tugged the note off of the door. When the tape came with it, several small pieces of paper fluttered softly to the floor, and my eyes widened in surprise as I realized that they were all notes from over the past few days.

He was telling me where he would be in case I came back while he was gone, I realized, a guilty lump rising in my throat. Slowly, almost as if I were afraid the notes would dissolve if I touched them too quickly, I kneeled beside the small pile of scratch paper and read through one after the other.

Unknowingly, tears rose in my eyes and began to slide down my cheeks. He had left these notes for me, in case I returned. He had left these notes, knowing that it was possible that he would never see me again.

They told the story of Kakashi over the last few days. Most of the notes just said he was going to the training grounds to practice his chidori, but one said there was a team meeting he was attending, another that he was leaving for Ichiraku's. The most recent, I assumed, was the one that explained that he was going grocery shopping. A small laugh rose in my chest as I read the apology for not knowing exactly what to get but that he would do his best.

By the time I'd finished reading the letters, I realized that I couldn't just leave these people behind. Since my family was dead- or would be dead soon- my team was my family, and though Kakashi wouldn't admit it, it was the same way for him.

My mind made up, I leaped to my feet, swiped away the tears, and leaped for the door, determined to catch Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" I yelled, seeing the familiar electric white-blue light of his chidori. "Kakashi!"

The light dimmed, revealing a scratched up, panting boy. His dark eyes were hardened, his eyebrows furrowed, whether in frustration or concentration, I couldn't tell.

"Kakashi," I panted, slowing to a walk a few feet from him. "I found all those notes that you left. I found them, and I realized something when I read them. I realized that you're... you're all my family now. My family is dead, and now you guys have taken their place, and I would be stupid to leave you and Obito and Rin and Minato sensei behind, all for a new beginning, because you are my new beginning." My emerald gaze met his charcoal one, and I saw hope roiling deep in the slate of his eyes. "If this is where you are, then this is my home. I won't leave my home behind, not when this is where I belong."

My teammate remained silent, eyeing me quietly for several minutes. Finally, he sighed and reached up to scratch his head. "Sensei needs to test your chakra nature. I'd suggest you go find him."

I laughed, knowing this was his way of saying I'm glad you're staying.

"Do you know where he is?" I questioned, though I already figured I knew where he would be.

"The Hokage's office was the last place I saw him."

I nodded, thinking, That's what I suspected. This was good, I could kill to birds with one stone since I needed to inform the Hokage of my decision to stay. "What is he testing our chakra types for?" I wondered aloud, tilting my head in thought.

Kakashi chuckled. "Obito, Rin, and I have been learning jutsu specific to our chakra nature, hence the chidori for me. I'm a lightning type. Rin was earth, and Obito was fire, which wasn't surprising considering his blood line."

I nodded in understanding, remembering the characteristic trait among the Uchihas. Obito always seemed the fiery type anyway. Thinking of Rin and Obito, I blurted, "Where are they, anyway?"

"Who?"

"Rin and Obito."

He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "Rin has been focusing more on healing jutsu than anything, so she's probably at the library reading about it. My best bet for Obito is that he's goofing off somewhere or eating at Ichiraku's."

That would be just like him, wouldn't it? I laughed internally, pivoting my body to signal my departure for the Hokage's office. My hand raised instinctively in a half-wave as I walked calmly away, a small smile on my face.

This was where I belonged.

"Ah, Aoi, good to see you!" Lord Hokage said cheerfully, a welcoming smile spread over his face. I waved half-heartedly.

"Old coot," I muttered in return.

"I trust you've come to a decision about whether or not you are going to remain within the village?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, fiddling impatiently with a loose string along the hem of my shirt. Minato sensei wasn't here. "Yeah. I'm staying."

"Excellent!" the Hokage cheered. I resisted the urge to shudder. I'd never met someone so happy in my entire life, and it was utterly irritating.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled dismissively. "Where's Minato sensei? He's usually around here somewhere."

The Hokage grinned a little. "Oh, you were looking for him? He just left. I believe he said something about going to check on you, actually. If you hurry, you might be able to catch him before he gets to your apartment."

I nodded in thanks. "Yeah, okay. See you later, old fart." I was out the door before he could reply to my remark.

I found Minato sensei just outside the door to Kakashi's apartment, appearing to be pondering the door. Suppressing a laugh, I crept up behind him and pressed a hand over his mouth, kidnapper style.

Reacting the way only a trained ninja would, he reached back over his shoulder to grab my arm, flipping me over his shoulder. I twisted in the air to land easily in front of him, a triumphant smirk on my face.

"You shouldn't let me sneak up on you like that, sensei," I scolded him teasingly, and he grinned good-naturedly.

"Yeah, I suppose not, huh? I was just wondering where you were, since you weren't inside."

One of my eyebrows arched up to my hairline. "You were inside?"

Minato scoffed. "Of course not, I don't just barge into people's houses." Right. "Your chakra signature just wasn't anywhere near here, and I have a blind spot behind me."

"Right, right," I laughed. "That's why you couldn't tell that I was standing right behind you."

"It's true," he pouted, reminding me of Ayame when she didn't get her way. I suppressed a teasing remark and decided to get down to business.

"Alright, so Kakashi mentioned something about a chakra nature test?"

Minato nodded. "Yeah, I tested the others awhile ago, but I'd forgotten about needing to test you until just a little bit ago."

I frowned in thought. "What's the test? Do you draw blood, or do I need to focus my chakra somewhere special?"

"No, it's much simpler than that," he laughed, pulling a sheet of paper and holding it out to me. I studied it apprehensively, noticing that it was blank.

"What's that?"

"Just take it. It will tell you what your nature is."

"How?"

The blond man huffed irritably. "Take the paper, Aoi."

Reluctantly, I reached forward and grabbed the paper, reaching out with my chakra to try and read what was so special with the paper. When the paper went limp and became damp, dripping water over my fingers, I recoiled in surprise and dropped the paper into a soaking wad on the ground. Perplexed, I stared at Minato sensei.

"What was that?"

My sensei grinned. "Water."