Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
The Last Sunset
Once more, Hatake Kakashi was standing before the memorial stone. This time, there were two more names upon it. Two more people that he would visit each day, and share stories of how those close to them had been.
Might Guy.
Rock Lee.
The experimental surgery to repair the damage done to Lee's body during his fight against Gaara was not a success. As a man of his word, Guy kept his promise to Lee that if the boy should die, the master would die with his student. Rather then die a shameful death by suicide, Guy decided his last act would be a noble sacrifice. While mourning Lee's death and deciding what his last noble act would be, he received an answer in the form of an ignoble act.
Shortly after Lee's failed surgery, Uchiha Sasuke willingly defected from the Hidden Leaf Village. Under the protection of the Sound Four, Orochimaru's elite bodyguards, Sasuke made his way to the waiting snake handler. His reason for abandoning his home was to gain the power necessary to kill his older brother and avenge his clan as soon as he could, rather than stay safe in his home and patiently develop his skills.
A team led by newly promoted Nara Shikamaru was supposed to be sent out to retrieve Sasuke. Guy had not been informed or requested to participate as his emotional state was questionable. Guy however, was still a jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village, and had his own ways of keeping well informed of any important developments.
As soon as he learned which direction the Sound Four took off in, Guy was off on their trail, opening the eight gates to gain the power and speed to overcome and defeat them. Opening all eight gates might not have been necessary, but to Guy, his life was already forfeit.
In a short amount of time, Guy came upon the Sound Four and the captive Uchiha Sasuke. The Sound Four, recognizing Guy as a jonin, used the power of their cursed seals. Guy might have broken a sweat against them if he was not using the gates, but he was, and defeated them soundly. Even the last minute arrival of Kimimaro, leader of the Sound Four and last of the Kaguya clan, could not stop Guy. The user of the dead bone pulse proved a challenging opponent, but still fell to Guy's might.
His self appointed final mission had been accomplished. The last thing Guy saw before dying was Shikamaru and his team arriving on their official mission. He died smiling; knowing none of them would have to risk their lives today. In the eyes of the Hidden Leaf Village, one the life of one jonin was not worth that of several genin and a chunin who could, and as Guy believed, would, one day surpass him. His final words were to one of his surviving students, Hyuuga Neji, who kept them a secret, as it was a personal matter.
Shikamaru and his team, aided by Uzumaki Naruto's shadow clones, brought back Guy, Sasuke and the Sound Four, or Five, with Kimimaro. The Sound Four were turned over to Torture and Interrogation. Kimimaro's body was given to Shizune for autopsy, along with Guy's body. Sasuke had his chakra completely sealed up and was locked away in a mental ward, finally receiving help for all the damage his brother had done to him over the years.
In the end, a bitter victory was claimed by the Hidden Leaf Village. They had lost a strong jonin and a promising genin, while Orochimaru lost much more. His bodyguards were now prisoners of the Hidden Leaf Village, and two potential hosts were now completely out of his hands. It would only be a matter of time before the Hidden Leaf pressed its advantage and struck back at the snake handler.
A search of Guy's home found a note. Among other details written upon it was a request from Guy that Kakashi take on his surviving students as his own. Guy had always respected Kakashi for his emphasis on teamwork and not abandoning your comrades. He expressed his guilt for doing just that, and asked for forgiveness, hoping that Kakashi would teach Neji and Tenten well.
That brought Kakashi to his present train of thought. With Sasuke's future as a shinobi on indefinite hold, Sakura training with Tsunade and Naruto with Jiraiya, the future of team seven, which now included Neji and Tenten, was up in the air.
Shortly after Guy's funeral, after a grieving period, all four genin now assigned to team seven met with their sensei, as well as Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tenten was ecstatic over meeting Tsunade in person, while Neji was curious about meeting Jiraiya. After being beaten by Naruto, Neji had begun to question his belief in fate and predetermination. Jiraiya was just like Naruto, someone who started weak and remained in someone else's shadow, but steadily grew stronger as he aged.
Settling the team issue was difficult, but eventually accomplished. They eventually decided that while Naruto needed to be as strong as possible to prepare him for the Akatsuki (although they kept that a secret from the other genin) denying him a chance at being promoted with his peers would be detrimental to his self-esteem. If he was the first from his class to become a jonin while being the last to be promoted to chunin and even become Hokage someday, he would always have the stigma of being the dead-last from the academy. Therefore, Jiraiya would wait until Naruto became a chunin before taking him on as an apprentice.
As to who would be Naruto's team-mates, they decided that Sakura and Tenten would join him, just for the chunin exams while Neji took the promoted Shikamaru's place on Team Ten. Once they were all promoted and Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya was complete, he, Sakura, Neji and Tenten would become a four man call.
As to who would lead that cell, it would depend on whoever became a jonin first. Neji was the one most likely to do so, but Tsunade made a stipulation allowing Naruto to take solo missions on his training trip and be tested for a promotion to jonin upon his return.
Having settled the issue of team formations, everyone went back to their previous duties. Only now, Tsunade and Jiraiya had the added burden of dealing with their former team-mate once and for all. Kakashi now had to care for four genin, although Tsunade would train Sakura on occasion.
Now everyone was preparing. Naruto and his team-mates for the chunin exams, Jiraiya and Tsunade for Orochimaru and him in return, the Akatsuki for when they began to move out, and Uchiha Itachi for how to deal with his brother.
Author's Note: I got this idea while reading chapter 180 of Naruto. I've never seen anyone do a plot based on this, so I gave it a shot. I know it's just summary, but it's meant to be a plot bunny, not a full fledged story. I don't think I have the skill for the angst involved.
That said, this idea is up for adoption to anyone who hasn't already adopted and completed a plunnie of mine. Please give it a good home.
Edit: Changed the title, I noticed the original was too similar to another story's title.
