Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
Zabuza's Seven
Chapter 14: Interlude: the Hidden Leaf Village
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was not having a good day. The wizened leader, known as the God of Shinobi and the Professor for his skill and knowledge, was for once at a loss to explain the unease and dread he had been feeling all day. A pipe was nearby along with some high quality tobacco from the Hidden Grass Village, but for once Sarutobi was in no mood to smoke.
It began at breakfast the day before when his favourite tea cup shattered. He did not consider it a bad omen, but the unease the day had brought him was making him reassess his superstitions.
The rest of the day, at least in regards to his tasks as the Third Hokage had started like any other. Sarutobi would use a few shadow clones to sort out the paperwork for the day and delegate the unimportant portion of it to his staff. Once he was finished with the remaining documents, Sarutobi would oversee the mission assignments for the day. After that would be a nice lunch, followed by appointments with various officials in the afternoon. Having completed his meetings, Sarutobi would retire for the night in his private quarters, which were also in the administrations complex.
It was while Sarutobi was re-tracing his steps to envision what could have happened this particular day to make a man of his experience feel ill at ease that he realized what was troubling him. The answer was so simple that he felt silly for not figuring it out sooner.
Uzumaki Naruto was not in the village.
The boy, now a recent graduate of the Hidden Leaf Village's shinobi academy, was a genin now and as a genin, partook in missions for the welfare of the village. His most recent mission was a simple C-rank bodyguard mission that would take him out of the village for a few weeks at most.
Once the concept that he simply missed Naruto's energetic presence was aware to him, Sarutobi thought he begin to feel well at ease. He re-imagined his day as if Naruto was still present in the village, but now by his side. He would show Naruto how to properly sort the various documents and paperwork at the beginning of the work day, explaining the property of shadow clones to pass on their experiences to their creator.
The Professor had merely believed Naruto, who was capable of producing hundreds, if not thousands of shadow clones, had merely been too focused on the task at hand to notice that property, given that he only used the technique in combat. Sarutobi gave Naruto the benefit of the doubt that he was intelligent enough to discover the full extent of the shadow clone technique's capabilities were he to use it in the right situation.
If he had the proper opportunity, Sarutobi would have explained the potential of the technique to Naruto, along with the risks associated with it as well. The Third Hokage was not as busy with leading the village as he made himself seem, so he resolved to take some time to help Naruto the next time he saw the boy.
Continuing his former train of thought, Sarutobi imagined them doing paperwork together. The frustrated face on Naruto as he realized just what the position of Hokage entailed amused the third man to hold the title. He felt a sense of pride when the imaginary Naruto did not let his disappointment deter him, but spur him to better himself in order to be worthy of his dream.
Once they were done, Sarutobi and Naruto would take their lunch break. The young boy would insist on having ramen from his favourite restaurant. The Professor felt a twinge of guilt at knowing that it may not have been the ramen that made the restaurant a safe haven for Naruto, but the company he had there. While Sarutobi knew every technique not exclusive to a shinobi clan in his village, he did not know how to change a person's beliefs once they were set in their ways.
Putting aside such unpleasant, or in the words of Might Guy, unyouthful thoughts, Sarutobi focused on the rest of the imagined day, which went smoothly. While Naruto may have been, and possibly still was, an uncouth lad, he possessed a boundless sense of optimism and an unbreakable spirit.
As a boy, Naruto may have been bored assisting Sarutobi with assigning missions or sitting in while the Third Hokage met with important dignitaries, but Sarutobi was sure those qualities would serve Naruto well once it was his time to lead the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto would be able to put the Hidden Leaf Village's clients at ease and assure them of what would someday be his village's professionalism while possessing a hardened strength of character to stand up to anyone from outside the village who would see it harmed.
Once their day was complete, Sarutobi would retire to his private quarters in the administrations building while Naruto would go home to his lonely bachelor apartment. The elderly Hokage held out a hope that someday, Naruto would instead go home to a large home with a wife and children that loved him as much as he would love them.
His musings complete, Sarutobi was sure that once he was gone, the Hidden Leaf Village would someday be safe under Naruto's leadership. Unfortunately, even that belief was not enough to relieve him of the sense of dread; it only seemed to make it worse now that he discovered the connection between it and Naruto.
What happened next would leave him wary of superstitions for the rest of his days. An ANBU, the shorthand for the village's Special Assassination and Tactics Squad, appeared before him.
"Sir, we have received an emergency message from Hatake Kakashi." The masked shinobi said.
Sarutobi then new that the day was only going to get worse from there on out.
As for the ANBU who drew the short straw and had to deliver the message, he was quite relieved that Sarutobi had heard that phrase, "don't shoot the messenger". That day though, another phrase became just as well known in the Hidden Leaf Village.
Never anger the Third Hokage.
ZzZzZzZ
The message Kakashi had sent saddened Sarutobi as much as it angered him. Any appointments for the day were cancelled, as Sarutobi was not in the best mood to meet with anyone he did not call into his office personally.
While he was professional enough as a shinobi to maintain his grandfatherly persona despite the circumstances, the God of Shinobi was convinced by his former team-mates, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who now served as his advisors, that he had earned a day off. It was the best advice they had given him in some time.
Homura and Koharu, not being as deeply affected by the unpleasant revelations of Kakashi's message, took over the mission distribution and meetings for the day.
By the next morning, Sarutobi was composed enough to return to his normal schedule. Inside though, while he would never admit it, he was dreading the day Team Seven, minus one member, returned. He may have been the God of Shinobi, but he was still an old man who just lost someone he loved like a grandson and the best hope he had for the future of his village.
ZzZzZzZ
Two weeks ago, Hatake Kakashi had sent word of the results of his mission by means of his dog summons. Two weeks since then, the remaining members of Team Seven completed their obligations to their client, Tazuna, and returned home.
When Team Seven did so, they were brought to the Hokage in secret, so no one would yet learn they lost a member of their team. One by one, each remaining member of team seven was interviewed by Sarutobi, his former team-mates, and even Shimura Danzo, the former leader of root and Nara Shikaku, the jonin squad leader.
Considering that all of the Hidden Leaf Village's leadership had been present for the mission report, with the exception of the ANBU commander, it was clear that what happened in Wave Country would have a drastic effect on the Hidden Leaf Village.
After the last member of Team Seven had been interviewed, the leadership of the Hidden Leaf Village stood in silence, each pondering the consequences of the mission.
Of all of them, Sarutobi mourned Naruto's death the most. As the Hokage, he felt he was to blame the most. If he had taken a more active role in the life of the boy he considered to be like a grandson to him, Naruto would have had the skills needed to survive.
Even more, if he had simply revealed the truth of Naruto's heritage, he likely would not have been the village pariah. He might have grown up spoiled, but he would be happy. Besides, the other leaders did not hide their children, and some were even power of human sacrifices like Naruto.
Nara Shikaku, the jonin commander, had a son Naruto's age who was even one of the boy's classmates. He was concerned with how his son and the others of Shikamaru's generation would take Naruto's death.
Utatane Koharu, one of Sarutobi's former team-mates turned advisor, mourned the loss of a potential Hokage candidate. She had faith in Hiruzen and trusted him that Naruto would grow to become a great Hokage like he had been. Now, like his father before him, Naruto's life had ended far too early.
Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi's other team-mate, was more concerned with the loss of power Naruto's death represented. Once the other villages learned they no longer had the strongest of the tailed beasts in their possession, tensions could begin to rise. There were no recorded incidents of a power of human sacrifice being used against another village, as each village had their own for use as a deterrent. The Hidden Leaf Village no longer possessed that deterrent, which made the idea of another great shinobi war all the more grievous.
Shimura Danzo was thinking along similar lines. He was a war hawk by nature and believed in crushing his enemies instead of forming alliances with them. It would only be a matter of time before relations began breaking down and he would be ready. The seemingly infirm elderly man started to make plans for preparations for war and possibly acquiring powers of human sacrifice from the other villages.
ZzZzZzZ
Once they were finished giving their mission report, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura were escorted to a private facility. There the three of them were to remain there until they had been given permission to leave. Sakura was upset she could not return to her family, while Sasuke's opinion remained neutral. Kakashi however, was in a state of unrest, not that either of his students could tell.
They had been suspicious, of course. Neither understood why Naruto's death would require a potential cover-up, which was obviously happening if the Hokage did not want anyone to know of it. Kakashi however, he understood quite well why no one in the Hidden Leaf Village could learn of Naruto's death just yet.
They would learn of it eventually, of that there was no doubt. It was not a secret in Wave Country. Soon, traders from all over Fire Country will be making their way to the formerly impoverished nation. From there they could form a shipping port, and form a new hub of activity. In time those traders would return home, and bring back many tales with them. The death of Naruto and the liberation of Wave Country would surely be the most popular of them all.
Not only them, but anyone coming from Wave Country, either a local or someone who came from elsewhere and journeyed into Fire Country through Wave Country could spread the tale of Naruto's demise.
It saddened Kakashi to think that Naruto would finally obtain the recognition he yearned for, and deserved only after his death. Even worse, it would be from a foreign nation instead of his home village. The people of the Hidden Leaf Village would hear second-hand how the boy they scorned died a hero to help free another nation from tyranny. Thus, the leaders of the Hidden Leaf Village only had a short amount of time to prepare for whatever may result once news of Naruto's fate became public knowledge.
They were optimistic about it. None of them expected any riots or endless parties. This was a ninja village, and no one in it, no matter how disliked a member of it was, would have their memory disgraced in such a manner. Therefore, they steadily began preparing for the worst case scenario.
ZzZzZzZ
The day of Naruto's funeral had finally come. Since his remains were buried in Wave Country, the land he fought to save at the cost of his life, a service was being held at the memorial stone where his name would be its newest addition.
Because of the choice of venue, Kakashi was the first person to arrive. As usual, he was speaking to his former team-mates, this time to seek their forgiveness for letting Naruto die. When the others arrived, many of them were in shock at seeing how Kakashi, who was known for his tardiness, appeared to be early. Those who knew why he was frequently tardy were not surprised at all and gave Kakashi their condolences.
Might Guy was among them. He was here to support his self declared "eternal rival" in Kakashi's time of need. Guy also brought his students, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji and Tenten so they could learn to deal with the loss of a comrade and possible help Kakashi's surviving students as well.
Speaking of them, Sakura and Sasuke were also in attendance, dressed in their black funeral clothes. They had not come together though. Sasuke was one of the first to arrive after Kakashi and joined the man at his side. Sakura arrived later, along with her parents. They had reluctantly come with their daughter, who insisted on attending, despite her frail emotional state.
At first, Sakura was not sure how to deal with Naruto's death. So, as she usually did, she put Sasuke first before her own problems and tried to help him with his own grief. Sakura thought he was bottling his emotions and needed an outlet for them, as he had trouble expressing them, which could lead to showing them in a way he would regret. Unfortunately, Sakura had no idea she would be the one to make that mistake.
Her failure to get Sasuke to open up about his grief eventually caused her to snap and blame him for Naruto's death, an action she immediately regretted, as she realized Sasuke had felt he was responsible for it. The last loyal Uchiha obtaining the mangekyou sharingan as a result of the guilt he felt was proof of it. In addition, Sasuke had the memory of Naruto's death and his own defeat at the hands of the one who killed his blond team-mate permanently preserved in his memory by his blood-line limit, which would haunt his dreams for some time to come.
Sakura was right however in her assumption. Sasuke was bottling up his anger over not being able to save Naruto or defeat his murderer. To him, it was a sign he still had yet to obtain the power he needed to avenge his clan's murder at his brother's hands, and he may never become that strong, even with the mangekyou sharingan now at his disposal.
Needing an outlet for his anger, as he was still too weak to train himself to exhaustion like he usually did, Sasuke copied Sakura and verbally lashed out at her. He pointed out how she was just as bad as Naruto, neglecting her own training at times in favour of pursuing a relationship with him that he did not want while constantly rejecting Naruto. Sasuke had thought he had made it abundantly clear that he could not stand the idea of getting close to someone until he killed the man who took everyone he cared about away from him in the first place.
There was a moment of silence between the two after that. Sasuke had, after many years, finally opened up about his grief from losing his clan. Sakura just had her crush confront her about her faults. Neither had spoken to the other since then. Sakura learned she had to get over her own grief from Naruto's death and become a better person if she wanted to be Sasuke's friend and a trusted team-mate again, which was all she would be for some time. Sasuke learned he would have to stop keeping his pain to himself and accept help to overcome it.
The other two passing teams from their class were in attendance as well, as this was the first funeral for someone from not only their class, but from their generation. All of their parents, or at least those who still had both were with them along with their instructors.
In addition to the remainder of Team Seven, as well as those from Team Eight and Team Ten, their instructor from the academy, Umino Iruka was present. He was doing his best to console Ayame and Teuchi, the father and daughter duo that ran the Ichiraku ramen bar that he, along with Naruto, frequently ate at.
Several other regulars from the restaurant were also present. They had seen more of Naruto over the years then many others had, and held no ill will to him anymore. They all agreed that the little ramen stand would not seem as bright and cheerful without Naruto there telling stories of his latest pranks.
Speaking of his pranks, eternal chunin Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu were also paying their respects to Naruto, as they had heard of his antics and found them quite humorous. A few others who shared the sentiment and were fortunate enough not to be a victim of them were also in attendance.
Last, but not least, was Sarutobi Konohamaru, and his two closest friends, Moegi and Udon. They were being escorted by Konohamaru's private tutor, Ebisu, who was also here to pay his respects to the boy who had such a positive influence on his pupil.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was to give the eulogy himself, was pleased by the turnout. While he would have preferred that this be a task left to his descendants and not himself, the Third Hokage felt it was his responsibility alone to perform, and was glad there would be many here to see it.
'If only Naruto knew just how many lives he had affected, and how many are missing him right now.' Sarutobi lamented as he began the service.
ZzZzZzZ
Much later, once the eulogy was done, a moment of silence was held for Naruto's memory, where everyone gathered thought about how his loss affected them all. Sarutobi did not reveal Naruto's true heritage or the secret of his burden, preferring to wait so the revelation would not yet influence the views of those who would mourn his loss, but allow them to grieve for the boy as they remembered him.
'Naruto, I won't forget your final words to me, as it is a curse of your unexpected gift.' Sasuke thought as he tried not to relive Naruto's final moments once more, as he had done several times since his death. 'I will complete your dream as part of my ambition and become the Hokage you could not. More than that, I will kill the hunter-ninja who killed you as I become strong enough to kill my brother.'
On the other end of the assembled mourners, Sakura too was making a final prayer for Naruto that he would never hear.
'I am so sorry for all that I have done to you. I don't know if I could ever love you like I thought I loved Sasuke, but I would have liked to have been your friend. I don't think I can be even called that. If I could, I'd go back and we would be the friends we both needed for each other.'
Even Kakashi, who always wore a real and metaphorical mask, for reasons known only to a handful, showed deep remorse over Naruto's death.
'I'm sorry I wasn't closer to you. We should have been like brothers, but I felt I had been cursed to lose anyone close to me, so I kept my distance from you. Now, you are the first person since Obito who died while under my command.'
The guilt and shame Kakashi felt since learning of Naruto's death for not following his own credo had finally begun to lift at that point as the similarities between his deceased team-mate and student became apparent.
'You and Obito would have gotten along just fine. I wonder what he would say to me now if he could. I bet he'd tell me his death was not my fault and stop being so distant. He'd be right, of course, not that I would admit that to him. Still, there are some people, like Guy, who consider me a sort of friend despite the risks involved. Maybe it's time became closer to people who can handle the risk, even settle down someday. I already know what to name my first three sons, if I'm lucky enough to have any.'
Like Sakura, Kakashi would need time to overcome Naruto's loss, but not as much, as he was, quite sadly, more experienced with doing so. There was another however who, while closer to Naruto and also, sadly experienced with the pain of loss, also wished he had been closer to him.
'Was I a good teacher to you, Naruto?' Umino Iruka asked while he debated the answer with himself. 'If only I could have moved past my initial dislike of the Nine-Tails to get to know the real you.'
Even Iruka, the first person Naruto truly cared for, felt deep regret for his past treatment of him. Like the others though, he learned from his mistakes in order not to repeat them.
'I swear I'll be a better teacher from now on, so no one else will endure what you had to go through. I won't just be a better teacher, I'll be the best there ever was, believe it!' Iruka thought, finishing on a line of his favourite student's for good measure.
Naruto would have been proud of Iruka, just as he was of Konohamaru.
'Big brother Naruto, I won't forget our dream. I'll become the best Hokage ever, and I'll do it with the technique you taught me! No will ever dare mess with the Legendary Sexy Hokage!'
Yes, Naruto would be proud indeed.
ZzZzZzZ
Once the moment of silence was over and each person had left a single white flower before the memorial stone, the assembled mourners gathered together in groups to discuss their memories of Naruto.
One such group consisted of the younger members of Team Eight, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba, who stood closest to the memorial stone while their instructor, Yuuhi Kurenai, spoke to their parents.
"Are you okay, Hinata?" Kiba asked her.
She did not reply, but continued to stare off at the memorial, as she had been doing for quite some time.
"Would you like to pet Akamaru?" Kiba asked again, holding up his nin-dog.
Hinata still did not reply.
Kiba shrugged, not knowing what he could do to make Hinata feel better. Turning to his other team-mate, Aburame Shino, Kiba noticed him gesturing to speak in private, as Hinata's father, sister and cousin were all present, keeping a distant eye on her.
"I don't get it. I know Hinata is upset, but I don't know what to do about it!" Kiba said to Shino, venting his frustrations.
Shino did not reply either.
"Oh don't you start with the silent treatment now!" Kiba yelled at his other normally silent team-mate.
A ghost of a smirk appeared on Shino's face before disappearing. Kiba caught it, and the thought registered that Shino allowed him to see it, which, under the circumstances, only slightly angered him.
"I am glad you are not so consumed by our comrade's death that your fundamental character has changed. Why? You are the emotional balance to my logic in our team, the so called heart of Team Eight. However, while your concern for Hinata is admirable, have you considered the thought that it may not be up to you to help her, or that there may not be anything we can do to help her now until we help ourselves?"
Kiba blinked and Akamaru just tilted his head, as neither had yet become used to Shino's manner of speaking. That is, normally being silent but then making long explanations or profound statements.
"I suppose you're right." Kiba said, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "I've been so caught up in worrying about how Hinata is feeling I keep forgetting about how I feel. Naruto was my friend once, and while we fell out, we could have been better friends if we hadn't."
"I agree. You and Naruto are much alike." Shino said.
Under the circumstances, Kiba took that as a compliment.
"That said, now you can begin to understand what Hinata is feeling." Shino continued. "You feel regret for not being closer friends with Naruto. How do you believe she is coping, considering her feelings for the him?"
A widening of his eyes from Shino's revelation and a sigh were Kiba's initial responses to that question.
"Oh man, but is there anything we can do for her?" Kiba asked, his primary concern still Hinata's wellbeing.
Shino stayed silent, pondering another topic.
'Yes, his heart is in the right place. At first, I had my doubts about his emotional tendencies, but his priorities seem to be in the right place. There seems to be a future for our team after all.'
"Not at this time, no." Shino said a moment later. "Why? She will not express herself to us. Perhaps Kurenai-sensei could help Hinata, as she may be more expressive with someone she considers a role model. Until she does respond to us again, we can only do what is expected of us as her team-mates. For now though, we can still help each other. Tell me, how did you and Naruto have a falling out?"
"I'll tell you if you tell me how you're handling his death." Kiba responded, grinning in a fashion that displayed his fangs.
"Hmph. Very well." Shino acquiesced, as he began to express himself as best he could on the matter.
Both Kiba and Shino had concerns they would have a hard time co-operating due to their widely different personalities. After this day, neither one had any worries that they would not get along.
As for the other member of Team Eight, Hinata was one of the few who were profoundly hurt by Naruto's death.
'I was such a coward. If only I had spoken to you sooner, told you how I felt, would you still be here with us, with me?' Hinata thought as she gazed non-stop at the memorial stone, not even blinking or taking notice of anything else around her. 'If only things had been different…'
The words "if only" had been thought many times that day as just about every person asked themselves, "What could I have done differently?"
'No, I can't go on thinking like this. You never gave up, so I won't either.' Hinata vowed to herself. 'I'll change and become stronger even if it kills me.'
Life could be cruel like that.
Having made her decision to change, no matter what the consequences may be, Hinata finally turned away from the memorial stone and approached Kurenai, who was now talking with Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi. Her mind was now made up. For her first act as a new person, Hinata would stand up to her own father.
While one girl made a life changing decision that led to her most courageous act to date, an event that all those who were fortunate to witness it agreed was a spectacular sight they would never forget, there were others, like the members of Team Ten, consisting of Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino, who would also come to acknowledge their faults and change for the better.
"Choji, I can't believe you're eating at a time like this!" Ino said to her team-mate, who was rapidly consuming a bag of potato chips.
"I can't help it." The rotund boy answered. "I thought I wouldn't feel like eating either from being so depressed, but when I feel like that I always eat to feel better. Besides, I don't think Naruto would have wanted me to feel bad." Choji finished, getting an agreeing nod from Shikamaru.
Ino huffed, conceding the point as she did not know Naruto as well as her team-mates did.
'That doesn't mean I'll let you two get away with being lazy just by saying "it's what Naruto would have wanted".' Ino thought, making a mental note to herself.
Ino also noticed that while Choji was coping with Naruto's loss in his own way, Shikamaru had been silent and appeared to be in deep thought. He was still aware of his surroundings though and noticed Ino's gaze settling on himself. Sighing, he spoke up.
"Have either of you heard the chunin exam motto?" Shikamaru asked his team-mates.
"No." Ino replied immediately, then shot a glare to Choji, who swallowed his chips first before responding.
"No." Choji said, then resumed his comfort snacking.
"Well, it goes like this. If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared. If you lack earth, run in the field, seek advantages." Shikamaru explained.
Ino and Choji nodded along, wondering where he was going with this.
"Basically, it's about covering your weaknesses. Heaven refers to knowledge and earth to physical strength and stamina. For example, I could benefit by training more since my low stamina is my weakness." Shikamaru continued.
"Wouldn't that be too troublesome for you?" Choji joked to lighten the mood.
Shikamaru just shot him a serious look.
"When it becomes a matter of life or death, nothing is too troublesome."
That line drew shocked looks from Shikamaru's team-mates, who now understood the gravity of the situation and gave him their full attention.
"What I'm saying is, what happened to Naruto and his team could happen to us. We need to be prepared. Choji, you are the brawn of our team while I'm the brains, so from now on we should spar and hit the books together more often." Shikamaru said, gesturing to his oldest friend.
"I guess that makes me the beauty." Ino said, pleased when Shikamaru and Choji nodded and smiled in agreement, not that they would say otherwise right in front of her. "Seriously though, how does this "heaven and earth" philosophy affect me?"
Shikamaru sighed again, as he hoped the seriousness of the discussion and agreeing with her being pretty would make Ino more receptive to what he was going to say next.
"You have a good balance of each quality. Your academy grades are proof of that, having the best overall grades even though Sasuke was rookie of the year." Shikamaru said to her, making Ino beam with pride.
It was a matter of pride for her to be the second highest ranked student in her class. Ino did not mind Sasuke beating her scores in the ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu categories, but her rivalry with Sakura meant she did like it when the pink haired girl not only beat her on every written examination, but was placed on Sasuke's team, leading to many people mistakenly believing Sakura to be the top kunoichi from her class. Now, Ino was not so sure she would have fared better than her friend-turned-rival on her ill fated mission.
"That said though, Ino, to be perfectly honest, your performance doesn't match the data." Shikamaru finished, making Ino shoot a darkened glare at him.
"What did you say?" Ino quietly growled, not wanting to make a scene at a funeral.
"I said you should be much better than you really are. Based on the facts, you should be able to defeat anyone here except Sasuke, but I'd bet that if you fought Sakura, you would only tie her at best."
Ino continued to glare at Shikamaru for a bit before sighing as well.
"You're right, as usual. So what do we do about it?" Ino asked.
"We train and grow stronger, study and become smarter, and above all, we stick together, always." Shikamaru said.
"Yeah, always." Ino added.
Choji had a mouth full of chips, so he just nodded, feeling the same.
Nearby, Asuma stood with their parents, secretly listening in on his students.
'I think they'll be just fine. Maybe even better than they were. I just wish their wake up call didn't come in such a matter.' Asuma thought of them.
ZzZzZzZ
Long after the funeral was over, only Sasuke and Kakashi remained. The youth was still coming to terms with another loss, while the elder of the two had finally decide it was time to move on from his.
"Sasuke," Kakashi began, stirring his student from his mourning, "I think it's time I told you how I received my sharingan."
The last loyal Uchiha remained silent, but looked towards his instructor, curious about the tale.
"You could call it a gift for my promotion to jonin from my team-mate and best friend, Uchiha Obito. It went like this…"
For the remainder of the day, instead of reliving the day Obito died and he received his sharingan, Kakashi told the tale to Sasuke. When it was done, he told more stories about his time as a student of Naruto's father and their old team with Obito and Rin.
ZzZzZzZ
Elsewhere, Sarutobi had retired to his office so he could ponder what to do now that the boy he hoped to one day succeed him was dead.
"Jiraiya, you might as well reveal yourself. I knew you were here the moment I entered the room." Sarutobi called out to the shadows.
A second later, a shimmer of light appeared and disappeared, revealing the Toad Sage.
"You know, you and the princess are the only ones who can detect me when I use my transparent escape technique." Jiraiya said. "I know the princess is just incredibly paranoid about me peeking on her," he said, crossing his arms, "but I've never figured out how you manage to always do so."
"Experience, of course. While there is no prouder day for a teacher than that of their students surpassing them, I would not be the Hokage after all this time if I was not still in my prime." Sarutobi explained with a proud smile.
"Still in your prime. I can't believe that. I mean I can, considering how good I still am." Jiraiya said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I mean, if I were to face my younger self, even with his younger body, I know enough tricks to make me, uh, him look like a rookie genin."
"That is the beauty of being a shinobi. Aging doesn't make us weak and frail; it provides us with knowledge from our experiences that keep us from making the same mistakes twice."
"Yeah, mistakes." Jiraiya said softly.
"So why exactly are you here?" Sarutobi said, his previous joyful manner from speaking to his student replaced by a serious and grim tone.
"I admit I have made many mistakes and bad decisions in my life. I hope this next one is not one of them. This village needs me now, so I am going to be here for it." Jiraiya responded in a serious manner as well. "I wasn't there for Naruto, and that is one of my greatest failures." He admitted, slipping from the solemn tone for a moment. "I am not going to make any more mistakes, nor am I going to leave a legacy of failures behind when I die. I am going to make up for everything I have done. That is why I want to, no, will succeed you and become the Fifth Hokage."
ZzZzZzZ
A few days later, Sasuke made his way to team seven's usual meeting spot for their first meeting since Naruto's funeral. Before, he would arrive first, followed by Sakura who would ask him for a date and he would just shrug and dismiss her. Then Naruto would arrive and ask Sakura out only to be refused as well, but much less politely. Now, it was just Sasuke awaiting Kakashi's arrival.
For once, Sasuke did not have to wait for long. In a break from his normal habits, Kakashi arrived at the normal scheduled meeting time. The last loyal Uchiha was tempted to use his sharingan to make sure it was his instructor and not an impostor, but the look in the Copy-Ninja's visible eye was one of holding back immense grief that assured Sasuke it really was Kakashi.
"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke asked, thinking Kakashi would know, as while they were still not on speaking terms, he was curious about what had become of her since the funeral.
"Sakura will not be joining us again for some time. She is on a leave of duty until she has come to terms with Naruto's death. I informed her of someone who could help her overcome her grief so Sakura will be in her company until she is ready to return to active duty. That is, if she is ever ready to do so." Kakashi explained.
Sasuke nodded in understanding. Unlike Sakura, he spent years overcoming the loss of his entire family where she had never experienced the loss of someone she knew. While he had yet to completely overcome his own grief, Sasuke had an easier time dealing with Naruto's death.
"By the way Sasuke, that is an interesting look for you." Kakashi commented.
Instead of his old clothes, which consisted of a blue t-shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back with white shorts and arm warmers, Sasuke was now dressed just like Uchiha Obito. He had found some clothes of his deceased cousin and had a tailor make more just like them. He even wore a pair of goggles, to help protect Naruto's dying gift, the mangekyou sharingan.
As Obito, who was similar in personality to Naruto, had helped changed Kakashi like Naruto had done for him, Sasuke decided a change of wardrobe was needed. He was not comfortable wearing an orange jumpsuit, but found Obito's style to be a nice blend of Naruto's and his own.
"Alright, let's get started." Kakashi said, changing to a more serious tone. "Now that you have unlocked the sharingan, it is imperative that you master it."
'After all,' Kakashi thought to himself, 'we only have nine years to prepare for its return…'
ZzZzZzZ
While Sasuke was resuming his training with Kakashi, now becoming the man's apprentice, Sakura was seeking help of her own. She had been advised by Kakashi of someone he used to know who could help her overcome her pain, as this person experienced and therefore knew exactly what she was going through.
Said person though lived in a cabin deep into the woods outside of the Hidden Leaf Village's main wall, leaving Sakura on her own to seek out the mystery acquaintance of Kakashi.
'Why would someone want to live out here?' Sakura wondered as she fought to make her way through the woods, as they lacked a beaten path. 'They would be completely cut off from society. Is this why Kakashi-sensei sent me out here? Was he worried I'd turn out like whoever lives out here?'
When she finally made it to the door of the cabin, Sakura cleaned up her appearance as best as she could, and then knocked gently on the door. The inhabitant was a former chunin, and may have detected her presence already.
"Come in, I was told to expect you." A voice called out from inside the cabin.
Sakura entered, and after making a brief examination of the residence, her eyes met the gaze of its owner. Unlike what she was expecting, the occupant was a young woman with short brown hair and matching eyes. Her most striking feature was a pair of violet rectangles that appeared to be tattooed on her face, which Sakura thought may have been clan markings.
'There's something familiar about this woman; I feel like I've seen her before…' Sakura wondered.
"My name is Rin, just Rin." The woman said.
With that introduction Sakura realized why the woman was familiar. She had seen her once before, in an old photograph in Kakashi's apartment the time her former team had been there. Rin was Kakashi's only surviving team-mate.
ZzZzZzZ
Author's Note: Here's a random observation. If Kakashi considers himself cursed in that all those close to him die, does that mean in all those bashing fics where he favours Sasuke, Kakashi actually hopes the curse will kill him too? Or, if Kakashi really does favour him because of Obito, what would happen if Sasuke disliked Obito for being a disgrace to the Uchiha and being too similar to Naruto and told Kakashi as much? Food for thought.
Also, I'm aware the chapter is sparse on details in certain areas. I'm still considering doing another story centering on Sasuke's side of the events taking place with him as the main character, so that story, should I write it, will contain the bulk of the details concerning events in the Hidden Leaf Village and those who reside there. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to start with Sasuke's side, just to keep Naruto's survival a major plot twist.
Also, since I've been out of contact with my beta for so long, I need a new one. If there's anyone who's an experienced writer and editor willing to help on not just this story, but my other existing stories and future projects, let me know.