"You're serious?" Naruto asked leaning back in his chair. "You want me to train you?"
Kakashi nodded his head. "You've done it before, I want to be in the tournament."
"Really?" Naruto asked leaning back in his chair. "I've been having every Jonin submit applications to compete."
"How many are allowed?" Kakashi asked sitting down in front of the desk.
"Four Jonins, three Chunins, and Three Genin." Naruto said searching for the applications he had. "And most of the Jonins applied already." Naruto said putting the papers down in front of Kakashi.
"You know I'm one of the best out there." Kakashi said crossing his arms. "You've seen what I can do and every ninja I've ever fought alongside can vouch for me."
"Why do you want to compete?" Naruto asked narrowing his eyes. "Every applicant had to answer that question, I'm going to give you rest of the day to figure it out."
"I want to fight." Kakashi chuckled.
"Not good enough." Naruto said calmly. "I taught you and Mirai why you should fight in a life or death scenario, it's another thing entirely to figure out why you're fighting in some tournament."
"Can you tell me why some of the others have decided to fight?" Kakashi asked pointing at the stack of papers.
"They're confidential." Naruto said quickly. "You have until the end of the day to figure it out." Without another word Naruto started on his paperwork again.
"Yes sensei." Kakashi said standing up and heading out the door.
"You didn't make anyone else answer that." Sasuke said walking out of a shadow in the room.
"Was wondering how long you'd stay hidden." Naruto said not looking up from his paperwork but still smiling.
"Can't hide from you." Sasuke said picking up a round desk toy Naruto had on his desk.
"Fair enough." Naruto chuckled. "Did you need me for something?"
"It's about Sarada." Sasuke said quickly.
Naruto felt the surge in Sasuke's chakra. It felt similar to when Sasuke would use the Susanoo in combat. "What about her?" Naruto asked setting the pen down.
"Kakashi thinks that someone is training her." Sasuke said taking deep breaths to remain calm.
"That seems to be going around." Naruto said crossing his arms.
"So I've heard." Sasuke said taking a breath. "Well I guess we can't complain too much, but Kakashi thinks something is wrong with Sarada."
"Like what?" Naruto asked leaning back in his chair.
"He says that she's displaying signs of abuse." Sasuke said not looking at Naruto but his Sharingan shifted to its Mangekyo state.
"Like bruises?" Naruto asked starting to get worried.
"Nothing like that." Sasuke said shaking his head. "He thinks she's being mentally abused by whoever it is that's training her."
"You don't think it's Kabuto, do you?" Naruto asked with the obvious question.
"No I don't." Sasuke said. "I've checked the record in the prison. I see where Minato visits, but not Sarada."
"So, who else could it be? If someone is training a Genin too hard when I didn't assign them as Sensei that's a problem." Naruto said trying to think of who in the village it could be.
"I'm planning on following her the next time she tries to sneak out." Sasuke said calming down.
"How are you going to make sure that she doesn't see you?" Naruto asked already aware of how effective the Byakugan is.
"It does have a blind spot." Sasuke told him. "Most people aren't aware of it, but Hinata has talked to me about it in the past hoping to overcome that weakness."
"And how small is that blind spot?" Naruto asked leaning on his desk.
"Small." Sasuke said now having calmed down enough to show his regular eyes. "I'm hoping she won't be paying that much attention anyway."
"Good luck." Naruto said fishing something out of his drawer. He tossed the item to Sasuke. "Just in case you need me there."
"I don't know what I'm going to do to this person Naruto." Sasuke said calmly making eye contact with his brother. "There's a chance that I may be in here again soon, and for very different reasons." He took another breath, "I need you to promise me you won't give me any kind of special treatment if that happens."
"What?" Naruto asked standing up. "I'm on your side Sasuke, why wouldn't I show it?"
"Because you're the Hokage now." Sasuke snapped. "You have to be better than all of us, especially me."
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked seeing the sadness in his friend.
"I'm not a good father Naruto, not like you are." Sasuke said looking away again. "I've already been given enough special treatment in my life because of our family and I can't let you do that anymore."
"You're being stupid." Naruto said his own chakra flaring.
"Am I?" Sasuke snapped back. "I just told you that I'm going to go out there and possibly kill one of your ninjas, and you're going to take my side. If it were anyone else what would you do, if it were Asuma protecting Mirai, don't tell me you wouldn't handle it differently."
Sasuke continued. "I left the village to join a traitor, I deserve the same fate as Kakashi Hatake for that, and because of you and Obito I got to come home. Home to a place that I've spent most of my adult life away from, and my son resents me for it and rightly so."
"Stop talking like that." Naruto said his fingers digging into his desk.
"Why?" Sasuke asked. "All of it is true. We both know that I got off easy for what happened, and that I've made so many mistakes with the twins and Hinata. It's my fault that she went to someone else."
"If you find them use that kunai." Naruto said coldly.
"Why?" Sasuke asked.
"Because if you're going down, so am I." Naruto said narrowing his eyes. "This village doesn't need me as Hokage, but you need me as your brother."
Sasuke looked down at the ground. "That's not how it works anymore Naruto, it's time we grew up." Without another word Sasuke turned around leaving the still fuming Naruto.
XXXX
"A reason to fight." Kakashi said sitting on top of a building. "What could he possibly mean by that?"
"I don't know." Mirai said leaning on the small wall beside him. "Maybe it's like that time he asked us to figure out our reasons for becoming ninja."
"That's what I thought too." Kakashi said. "But if we go by the choices we gave him then, it makes no sense in a tournament."
"Because there's nothing at stake?" She asked looking at him.
"Only our honor I guess, but that's not a Naruto Sensei answer." Kakashi said with a shrug. "It sounds more like something Sasuke would say."
"He's not looking for the 'Naruto answer'." Mirai corrected. "He's looking for the Kakashi answer." She said scooting next to him and poking him in the chest. "My dad's competing." She added.
"Really?" Kakashi asked looking at her. "Almost makes me not want to." He chuckled.
"Yeah." Mirai said. "He'd tear you to pieces."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence there teammate." Kakashi said dryly.
"Anytime." Mirai said stretching out and lying beside him. She tried to not blush at the proximity to her former teammate but laying down next to him was starting to get to her.
"Do you even think I should compete?" He asked barely noticing her next to him.
"It's not for me to say." She said turning on her side to look at him. "I'm not competing because I don't feel the need, but you do."
"Yeah." Kakashi said reaching his hand out towards the sky and making a fist. He looked over and saw the Hokage monument. "I wonder if my dad would've wanted to compete."
"From what Naruto sensei told us, I'd imagine he'd be the first person signed up." Mirai chuckled. "He'd probably even end up racing Gai to sign up first."
"Think he's going to compete?" Kakashi asked looking straight up again.
"Who knows?" She said looking up as well. "But if you compete, I'll be cheering for you."
Kakashi let out a quick chuckle. "Even if I'm against your dad?"
"Who doesn't like an underdog story." Mirai said laughing.
"Hey Mirai." Kakashi said looking straight up.
"Yeah?" She asked looking closely as her mind started to wander and hoping that he would confess how he felt the same way she did.
"You're an ass." He said smiling still.
"And you're a jerk." She said smacking his arm and standing up. "Besides, who wouldn't want to see the son of the Hokage prove himself to be better than the last generation?"
"You hear him?" Kakashi asked closing his eyes.
"Yeah and this time I might just kill him." Mirai said stretching her legs. "Hino!" She screamed as she heard a loud shuffling coming from the next building over. "You're dead when I catch you!" She screamed chasing after the blond Hyuga.
Kakashi stayed where he was and continued to look at the sky. "There it is." He said standing up and looking towards the Hokage monument. He extended his arm forward, "I'll make you proud." He said aiming his fist at his father's likeness.
XXXX
Naruto was about to put his pen down when the door opened and Kakashi walked in. "I know why I'm going to fight." He said calmly.
Naruto put the pen down and calmly looked at the Jonin in front of him. "I'm listening."
"I want to prove to everyone that I'm more than my father." Kakashi said quickly.
"What?" Naruto asked confused. In his mind Obito was still the greatest Hokage that had ever lived and ever would live.
"You're better than your father." Kakashi said quickly. "Sasuke is stronger than his father and brother were. Aunt Sakura is stronger than mom, I want to prove that I'm better than my father." He said pointing at his chest with his thumb. "And I also want to prove myself to someone else."
Naruto picked up a paper and stamped it before extending his arm out to Kakashi. "I look forward to seeing you surpass your father." Naruto said as Kakashi took the paper.
"Thank you Sensei." Kakashi said taking the paper that had his ninja I.D. photo on it and a stamp saying competitor.
"Bring that with you the day of the tournament." Naruto said standing up. "Now I need to get home to a very stressed out family." He said draping his Hokage jacket over his chair and leading the Uchiha out of the room.
Naruto locked the door behind himself and pat Kakashi on the back. "And I'd be more than happy to train you." He said a smile finally growing on his face. "You have no idea how much smack the Raikage was talking about how her daughter is going to clean house."
"The Two Tails?" Kakashi asked to clarify.
"Yup." Naruto said happily. "This tournament is going to be so exciting." He said clapping his hands.
"Same old sensei." Kakashi said with a smirk.
XXXX
Sasuke sat in a tree away from Sarada wearing his old Anbu mask from when he used to work with Hinata. The mask shown in the moonlight giving his face an eerie gleam. He didn't use his Sharingan because of her tendency to pick up on the spike in chakra.
She was standing in front of a tree and nothing was happening. She crossed her arms and shivered from the cold. She started to look around at each tree hoping her secret teacher would reveal himself.
She let out a depressed breath before she saw something growing out of the tree. "Were you followed?" The half white half black tree man asked in an angry gruff voice.
"No Master Zetsu." Sarada said shaking her head quickly.
"Liar!" Zetsu barked quickly. "You little freak you've betrayed me!" Zetsu screamed feeling the extra chakra nearby. "And you brought him of all people." He growled staring down at the girl.
"Please forgive me!" Sarada shouted louder than she had intended to. "Please don't leave me." She begged. "Whoever it is I'll get rid of them."
"Be sure that you do." Zetsu said as a smile formed on its face.
In a blur the masked man moved in front of Sarada holding a sword out at the tree man. "Handle this you white eyed freak, and no using those sick things either!" Zetsu screamed as he formed back into the tree. "Or else I will leave you just like your father."
Sasuke's eyes widened behind his mask and before he realized it he had been struck multiple times in the back.
He jumped away and looked at his daughter that was staring him down with her Byakugan not active. She narrowed her eyes at him and charged ahead moving faster than Sasuke was aware that she could.
He dodged a palm strike still caught off guard at her strikes. She moved with an efficiency that would've quickly disposed of him at the same age.
He spun around and looked at the tree as the monochrome man grinned before fading back into the tree. He felt the sharp kick to the top of his head.
"I won't let him leave me too!" Sarada shouted as she formed hand signs and lightning chakra spread around her hand. "Chidori!" She screamed charging forward.
Sasuke let out a breath and took his mask off and stared at his daughter. Her jutsu stopped just before it hit her chest and she was staring up at him in shock. "Daddy?" She asked as tears started to fall from her eyes.
The older Uchiha looked down at her with his Sharingan active. "Are you going to do it?" He asked over the sound of her jutsu. "At your age if our situations were flipped I'd have done it."
"Daddy." Sarada said the jutsu still going. "I don't know what to do." She said looking up at him as the tears continued to fall.
"I failed you." Sasuke said. "It's all my fault so go ahead." He said not looking away from her. "Serve your new master." He said coldly.
"What?" She asked taken back.
"Just tell me what he offered you." Sasuke asked his face showing no emotion.
After a sniffle Sarada said, "He told me that he'd never leave me like you did."
Sasuke closed his eyes and a single tear fell down his cheek. "I understand." He said opening his eyes again and looking at her. "Now the rest is up to you." He said showing no emotion again.
The jutsu in her hand died and her hand fell to her side as she looked to the ground and fell to her knees. "I'm so sorry!" She screamed at the ground. What she wasn't expecting next was to feel arms wrap around her.
"No, I'm sorry." Sasuke said holding her tightly and openly crying. "I failed you as a father, but I promise you, I won't leave you."
"Daddy!" Sarada cried throwing her arms around her father. "I'm so sorry, please don't leave me again!"
"I'm not going anywhere." He said still holding onto her.
XXXX
In the distance Zetsu still watched the interaction taking place. "What do we do now?" The calm white half asked.
"We still have the other brat." The angry black side said.
"Oh yeah, my friend." White Zetsu mused. "He should be perfect."
"The Uchiha will never expect us to use the other one." Black Zetsu said as the two disappeared into the tree.
AN: Sorry for the late update, but I lost track of time and ended up getting dinner with the family. As you can see things are gearing up for the tournament and I'm revealing some of the competitors that Kakashi will be up against.
As Always thank you for reading and please review. Those things are like crack to me.