Chapter 17: Back in the Leaf. Life Goes On
"NOOO! KAKASHI!"
Anko fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollable. They had reached the village, and now Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto stood in the Hokage's office, Naruto covered in bandages, the necklace twinkling. They had just given Anko a ring made of gold with a big red diamond. Her sobbing increased.
"I… sob... would propose! I… I didn't… sob… even got to tell him… sob… that I'm pregnant. I … I carry his child!"
Tsunade sighed behind her desk, giving the young woman a compassionate look.
"No words can say how sorry I'm for your loss. Anko, if there is anything I can do, just say the word."
Anko wiped her tears away. "Thank you Lady Hokage. Now, you must have me excused. I need to get home. I… I will see you all later."
Tsunade nodded her approval. They had only been back for an hour and she had already told them about Hinata Hyuuga as they didn't seem to remember anything about Dracula, which she was glad for. The teenagers were very saddened by the news. But that was to be expected. Unfortunately, she still had sad news to relay. Especially for Naruto. She knew how close Iruka and Naruto had been. Tsunade sighed heavily, briefly wondering how many loses Naruto could handle before he broke completely. There was no doubt that he would need to see Inoichi, Ibiki or another with a psychologist education. She herself and Jiraiya had one, but she wouldn't have time for it right away. Especially now with the funerals and reconstruction of the village. And Jiraiya would leave the village soon to gather information, and past experiences told Tsunade that having many 'psychologists' to one man, or rather boy, was never a good idea. She sighed.
"I'm afraid I have more bad news."
They swallowed hard, not wanting to hear it but knowing that they had to.
"Iruka is…"
She didn't manage to tell them the rest as shouts could be heard from the corridor outside. Just as they were about to go check what the heck was going on, the doors burst open and in came…
Iruka, covered in bandages and hospital clothes, sitting in a wheelchair, two disgruntled and bewildered ANBU guards entangled in ropes a couple of feet behind him.
"THANK GOODNESS! NARUTO, YOU ARE ALIVE! Are you alright?"
Naruto stared at Iruka's form before throwing himself into a tight embrace.
"Iruka-sensei! You are still alive! The stranger was wrong!"
Tsunade was, to say the least, confused and surprised. Then it hit her. Dracula. Apparently they had some faint memories about Dracula. And Tsunade soon realized why she, Gaara and Jiraiya could remember everything. Gaara and she were leaders and apparently he more or less considered Jiraiya a leader too. But what surprised Tsunade the most was that Iruka had survived encountering the most deadly ninja ever to walk the Earth when he intended to kill. Just as she was about to ask how it was possible, Shizune dashed into the room, causing the ANBU guards to fall on their rear. Very displeased, although it didn't really show, the ANBU left the office without being dismissed. Pointing a finger at Shizune, Tsunade spoke. "Report."
Shizune took a quick glance at the two males hugging each other, her junior medic and the stoic boy, before starting.
"The civil war ended some days ago. A stranger came and put an end to it. We assume that he tried killing Iruka, but thanks to a new nurse, Iruka's life was saved. She swiftly closed the most critical wounds and started filling him with blood pills. After the stranger put an end to the war, he disappeared. We haven't found any traces of him. Anyway, right after that, I and some other medics were called to the hospital by the same nurse. After 8 hours of treatment, Iruka's condition was no longer critical. But…"
At this she trailed off, giving her master and the man in the wheelchair uncertain glances. Tsunade frowned slightly. "What? What is it, Shizune?"
Shizune sighed, gaining Naruto's and Iruka's full attention. "I'm afraid that… during the operation or even perhaps during the first or second attempt on Iruka's life, his nerve system was damaged beyond repair. He… he won't be able to walk again. His is paralyzed from the waist and down. Furthermore, he needs medicine to dull the phantom pains. Lady Tsunade, I'm afraid even you won't be able to heal this. You should know where this is headed… Iruka won't be able to carry out missions as a ninja or fight again."
Tsunade sighed yet again. But to her surprise, Iruka just chuckled, although darkly. "Well, don't worry about it. Paralyzed is better than dead. Hopefully I will still be able to teach the young ninjas in the Academy to some extent. Besides, I'm not into fighting and that kinda stuff. I will leave that to Kakashi-san. By the way, where is he?"
At this, Naruto turned away from Iruka, closing his eyes. Well, the left had been closed the whole time, but Iruka hadn't paid attention to that. However, the sharp intake of breath and Naruto turning his head away didn't go unnoticed by the chuunin. Gently taking a hold of Naruto's wrist, he spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
"Naruto… where is Kakashi?"
Suppressing his sobs and tears, Naruto turned around and opened both of his eyes. Iruka was at a loss of words for a second, before gasping out. "The Sharingan! But… that means…!" He trailed off.
Tsunade nodded once she and Iruka made eye-contact. "Yes Iruka. Kakashi Hatake was killed in action. He gave his life in order to save Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke from the Akatsuki. And once you have recuperated a little more, you will resume your teaching in the Academy. I hope to see you to the funerals the next three days. First we will bury all of them who fell in the war. Next will be a memorial ceremony for Kakashi at the Memorial Stone for all of them who want to show their last respect. Lastly will be Hinata's funeral at the Hyuuga compound. Friends and family only with the exceptions of Jiraiya, me and Gaara. Oh, and Naruto: You should cover that Sharingan or at least close your eye. We won't want you to die from chakra depletion."
Naruto merely mumbled. "Yes Granny Tsunade."
Shizune and Iruka left. When Naruto was about to follow them, Sasuke spoke up.
"Lady Hokage. I know that I probably shouldn't speak up right now, but do you know where to find this file or what it is: T7KHST?"
Tsunade shifted her attention to Sasuke. "Not at the moment. I suppose you can go look for it in his apartment, but don't expect to find it. One more thing before you can go: Once we're done with the funerals, there will be a hearing, Sasuke. Me, the Elders and the clan heads will judge you, based on what Ibiki and Inoichi report after interrogating you. You're dismissed."
The three teenagers nodded and left the room. As they walked down the corridor, they passed the Village Elders. Homura and Koharu frowned and scowled when they saw Sasuke walking around while Danzou just kept walking. Sasuke and Naruto merely glared back until the Elders rounded a corner and a door was opened just to be slammed. The trio had just walked out on the staircase when the shouting started, and although they couldn't hear what the voices shouted, there was no doubt who the one shouting the most was; Tsunade.
Not wanting people to assume they were eavesdropping, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura walked away. As they walked down the streets, they noticed people were repairing buildings, removing glass and debris or extinguishing fires. Occasionally crying could be heard as both ninja and civilians found bodies among the ruins, even after four or five days after the war stopped. The genins were running errands, while chuunin, jounin and ANBU were patrolling the rooftops non-stop or helping out with the fires and 'cleaning'. Every ninja they talked seemed rather disturbed. All of them talked about gates in the village that had crumbled as soon as the Hokage entered town. That explained the shockwave earlier, but it didn't explain why no one had found any remnants of them. Shrugging it off, they continued walking. The rest of their companions were with their families or keeping Chouji and Lee company in the hospital. None paid attention to the three teenagers as the walked. None of them noticed that Sasuke Uchiha was back in town or the bandaged up Jinchuuriki.
While they walked and took in the horrors before them, they suddenly felt like they were fresh out of the Academy. Even Sasuke. This brought back memories from the massacre back then, except that this time around, it wasn't just in one part of town but everywhere. He briefly wondered how things would have looked if they had returned earlier. But he quickly pushed the thought away as he shuddered- the decaying corpses' smell made him nauseous, even worse than the times with Orochimaru.
Sakura suppressed her feelings and nausea. Being a medic, she had seen a lot of grave wounds and other bad things. However, this was something else. Limbs appeared in the debris, without traces of the man or woman they belonged to. Of course there were also good things as when a survivor was found. She wanted to be at the hospital helping out, but Tsunade had refused to her and Ino go, saying that they needed rest. Now, Sakura was grateful for not having to be helping out. People were being still carried away on stretchers, missing arms and legs and stuff like that, their rattling breaths sending shiver down her spine.
'So this is what war is like? I hope I never have to see things like this again' she thought, but knowing that as a ninja and a medic one at that, the chances for that wish coming true were close to zero.
"I finally understand why Kakashi-sensei said we were just kids playing ninjas. Except for what he told us back then, we… we don't know anything about large-scale battle… or war for that matter. Reading about it in the books, hearing the older generations talk about it… you just don't know what is until you actually have been there yourself. Compared to this… our battles seem like a fight in a schoolyard."
Before Sasuke could open his mouth to say something to Naruto, they stopped and stared at a door. Without realizing, they had walked straight to Kakashi's apartment. Hesitating for a moment, Naruto reached out for the doorknob and twisted. The door opened and they entered their sensei's home. It was a small apartment with a little bathroom and kitchen. Sitting room and bedroom melted into one. There was a table, a bookcase and a chest of drawers, a chair and his bed. Glancing at the bookcase, they saw of course his collection of books. Taking a better look, they noticed items as well. A, to them weird looking kunai with three prongs and inscriptions on it lay shining beside a pair of orange goggles and a green earring. Paying little attention to those things, they soon found several briefcases. They took of them out, sat down on the bed and opened. Or rather, Sakura took it out and sat down while Sasuke sat down to her left and Naruto to her right. Giving in to their curiosity, they opened it. It was a portfolio, showing pictures of an infant Kakashi with a man with silver hair in a ponytail. He was sitting together with what must have been his wife in a couch somewhere else than here, seeing that the place was much bigger. Woman had long black hair, a happy smile adorning her face, making the grey eyes so much more alive as she sat with her son and husband. As they looked through the pages, then soon discovered it must have Kakashi's first home. When looking at the pictures more carefully, they had to assume that it was something like a really big house. They closed the portfolio and took out the next. Kakashi had turned three and was looking far from happy. They would soon found out why. Occasionally they saw familiar faces. The Third, Jiraiya and Tsunade, the Third, even Orochimaru, smiling alongside Kakashi's father. Kakashi was five and was standing proudly beside his father, some of the light having returned to his eyes. They all chuckled when they saw how cute he was as a kid with his mask on. This was far from the bad-ass sensei they had been taught by. By the age of eight, his eyes were once again dull as he stood beside a young blond man. Wondering why, they turned the pages. What they saw startled them a little. Kakashi, nine years old, standing between a boy and a girl with a scowl on his face. The girl had brown hair and was glancing at Kakashi while the boy had black hair and was glaring at Kakashi. Glancing on the picture of Kakashi's old team, they saw that it was the same boy and girl. Which meant the blond man must have been his sensei. Glancing at the picture of the old team 7, Naruto yelped together with Sakura.
"No way! Kakashi-sensei was taught by the Fourth Hokage? ARE YOU KIDDING?"
Naruto had forgotten everything about his conversation with the Nine-Tails and Fourth Hokage.
Sighing, Sasuke took a new portfolio. "What is so surprising about it? Even Kakashi-sensei was genin once. Although I'm a little surprised that he was genin for four years without a team. Here is another portfolio."
The next picture shocked them all. Kakashi was no more than 14 or 15, but his eyes made him look a lot older. Two different eyes. Once blackish-grey, the other was the Sharingan. Naruto rubbed his eye. So, when Kakashi was younger than them, he already had his Sharingan. When he was sixteen or seventeen, his eyes displayed one feeling: Loneliness. What they saw next almost made them choke. Especially Sasuke and Naruto. A young Itachi, 13 or so, was kissing Ayame, the ramen-stand owner's daughter. Going a little backwards, they saw several pictures with a young, smiling Itachi beside Kakashi and sometimes the girl or young woman from Kakashi first squad. When turning the next page, they saw both Kakashi and Itachi in their ANBU attire, Itachi holding a mask looking like a weasel in his left hand, while he tried getting out of Kakashi hold, although smiling greatly like he was having the time of his life. Kakashi was holding him around the neck with his left arm, wolf mask on the side of his head, while laughing his heart out as he ruffled Itachi's hair. Sasuke mumbled.
"This is from when Itachi became ANBU captain."
The others nodded in understanding, not believing how close the two Sharingan warriors had been. Well, Sakura knew, but kept quiet with her knowledge.
As they turned the page over to the last picture, they saw eight people, all in ANBU gear. The masks were on while they took up battle stances, their katana ready to strike. Well, except for Kakashi and Itachi. Kakashi had his mask to his right side, crouching down and holding two white shining swords at each side of Itachi throat, holding them as he was about to slice it. Itachi was sitting in front of Kakashi with his sword across his lap while the mask stood in front of him.
As they were about to close the portfolio, Naruto spoke up.
"Wait. There is something on the backside. I saw it due to the reflection from the leather."
Curious, the teenagers took out the picture and turned it. Indeed, there was some text.
7th ANBU squad, known as the Death Dealers.
Kakashi Hatake, alias Wolf, captain.
Itachi Uchiha, alias Weasel, lieutenant soon to be promoted to captain.
Shaka Nara, alias Hyena, lieutenant, missing, presumed K.I.A
Hinaki Hyyuga, alias Tiger, private, K.I.A
Saka Tobu, alias Bear, private, K.I.A
Horunji Hatoa, alias Cat, private, K.I.A
Nawakato Kolga, alias Wolverine, private, K.I.A
Santa Jingle, alias Seal, private, K.I.A
Flabbergasted, they looked at the animal masks corresponding took the last portfolio, curious and dreading at the same time to what they may find. What they saw made Sakura smile and giggle, Sasuke's mouth twitch into something that resembled a smile while Naruto's eye went wide and blush. Most of these pictures were of a little blond boy with whiskers on his face, playing, getting a bath or stuff like that with a smiling Kakashi. Sakura burst out laughing.
"Aww… CUTE!"
Naruto just stared at the picture with him sitting on Kakashi's shoulders. He couldn't believe it. Kakashi, his sensei, used to play with him? As they turned the pages, they saw Naruto when he was six, in a hospital after a very nasty beating, crying into the robes of a wolf masked ANBU, while the Third was seen in the background. The next picture was much more cheerful, at least for Sakura and Naruto. It displayed a very young Sasuke, trying to outrun a young Itachi as the latter wanted to give him a bath in the tub in the background. The next photo showed the two brothers in the tub, Itachi looking very disgruntled, still with his clothes on, as Sasuke tried escaping and Itachi to keep him there, while an amused looking Kakashi, in ANBU gear, laughed at the sight.
Even Sasuke had to smile at this, and soon they all burst out laughing.
"Having fun brats?"
Turning to the window, they saw Jiraiya looking at them. Sakura was the first to recover.
"Master Jiraiya? What are you doing here?"
Jiraiya glanced at Sasuke before responding. "I'm here to escort Sasuke to get some new clothes. He need it for the funerals and later anyway. Just so you know, the funerals have been postponed a day."
Sasuke merely nodded. Then Naruto spoke. "Pervy Sage… How was Kakashi-sensei as young? With his genin team and such. Where are some of those photos taking?"
Jiraiya glanced at the picture with his former student before sighing deeply. "First of all, the picture beside yours shows a jounin-sensei, one chuunin and two genins." Upon seeing Naruto's look, he sighed again and continued. "Kakashi graduated from the Academy at the age of five and became chuunin at the age of six. That picture is taking when he got assigned to a team. He is about nine there. The rest of the pictures, I suppose, are taking in the Hatake Estate."
They nodded their understanding, although they never had heard about Kakashi being a noble. Another question popped up in Naruto's head.
"Pervy Sage… in many of the pictures, Kakashi-sensei's eyes… they express loneliness, sorrow, anger and hatred although he is so young. How come?"
At this, Jiraiya lowered his gaze sadly, before speaking in a low husky voice.
"Can you blame him? His mother died when he was four in an enemy raid, his father committed suicide to save his last honour when Kakashi was eight; best friend died in the Third Great Ninja War when he was 13 and had been promoted to jounin. His sensei died when he sealed the Nine-Tails away; Kakashi was fourteen. When he was 16-17, his girlfriend died too. To make it all worse, lots of people shunned him and soiled the memories of those he held dear. Especially after the mission where his friend died and he got his Sharingan. The Uchiha clan demanded that he gave up the eye and claimed that he had been the mastermind behind his friend's demise. The exceptions being Itachi, and the boy's parents, Uruchi and Teyaki Uchiha.
As for how he was as young… until the tragedies started, he was a cheerful and normal happy kid, except for being a genius. But after the slandering of his father, he changed. He became cold, isolated and hellbent on following the rules, no matter the circumstances. He discarded all emotions from the age of eight. He became, what his father was not, and none of us who knew him wanted him to be, a tool. You see, his father abandoned a mission and saved his team-mates instead. The Leaf suffered heavy losses because of that. In any case, even his team-mates on that mission, Rake Uchiha and Surenji Kota turned against him, blaming him for the losses the village sustained. Think about that you three… the very people he saved, blaming him, saying that he should have abandoned them and completed the mission. The White Fang, Kakashi's father, who was put in the same high esteem as the Sannin, broke down until he only was a shadow of his former self. He barely left his house, barely had visitors. One year later, Kakashi came home. Do you know what he found?"
They shook their heads.
"He found his father in a pool of his own blood, a sword in his gut. When Kakashi's sensei and I found Kakashi, he was curled up beside his father, blood in his hair and on his clothes, refusing to let go. As a matter of fact, he punched me and his sensei as I carried him away. I suppose three days had passed since his father's suicide. After that, Kakashi was hellbent on following the rules. It wasn't until his friend was killed that changed, adopting many of his traits: tardiness, and lame excuses for being late. Although, Kakashi was late to your meetings and such since he was mourning. That's right kids… Whenever he was late, it was because he was mourning the deaths of his precious people. But aside from that, he had a happy childhood."
Sakura was heartbroken. She never imagined Kakashi having such a childhood. He grew up in a time of war, fought in a war and lost people in said war. She thought back to their bell-test after failing first round. How he told them how his friends' names were carved into that stone. That was how he grew up? Fighting in a war? They had seen the horrors of the aftermath of this civil war, but Kakashi had seen the horrors of war when he was younger than they were now, and been there when the fighting was worst. That and the things that had occurred to him when he was a child… it really put things into perspective. Allowing a few tears to flow, she looked at her team-mates.
Naruto was a pale as a ghost. His childhood compared to Kakashi's… they had been the same. Almost. The difference was that Naruto always had been despised by the villagers, while Kakashi had been it from the time his father saved his friends.
Sasuke couldn't believe it. Itachi and Kakashi being so close friends. Also, he felt disgusted with his clan. He looked thought back to the photo of the ANBU squad. There was ringing a bell in his head.
"Master Jiraiya… The Death Dealers… the ANBU squad. Why did they have that name? How were they killed?"
Shifting his attention to Sasuke, Jiraiya frowned slightly. Not because he was annoyed, but because he thought back. Then he sighed.
"The Death Dealers… the most famous and feared ANBU squad the Hidden Leaf Village has ever seen. Under Kakashi's command they performed several assassinations and missions no one ever would have thought possible, won countless battles and thus earned glory, respect and fear to nearly match that of the Sannin. No one could stop them once they set out. At a time, there was an order to flee on first sight of them. Something only accomplished by the Fourth Hokage and one I won't speak of. They were the elite of elites… the entire group made up of child prodigies, though Kakashi and Itachi being the youngest. Until one week after that photo was taken."
The teenagers' eyes went wide. Sakura was the one to voice their thoughts. "What happened?"
Jiraiya sighed sadly. "I don't know the details. One week after the picture was taken, Itachi was promoted to captain. An urgent mission came up, but Kakashi was out on a solo mission. Thus Itachi was appointed to lead that mission. It was a catastrophe. The whole group fell into an ambush and was slaughtered. One week after the mission was appointed to the group, Kakashi was seen carrying Itachi through the gates. I don't know if Kakashi heard of the mission when he returned two days after they set out or if he ran into them on the way back; but that is irrelevant. Itachi was covered in blood, armour torn and badly bruised with several broken bones, while Kakashi was fuming with fury. Later that day, after Kakashi had gotten Itachi to the hospital, a very pissed off Kakashi was seen and heard yelling at the Third. Something about being irresponsible and Itachi too young and inexperienced. I have only seen Kakashi so pissed once before that."
Jiraiya sighed.
"Soon people started saying that it was Itachi that killed the group since he was the lone survivor. But once the rumours reached Kakashi's ears, the village was once again faced with his anger. Soon no one dared to speak about it when Kakashi was in town, unless they wished to end up in the hospital."
Sasuke nodded and spoke in a low voice. "I remember that. Itachi came back from a mission that went terrible wrong. He locked himself up in his room, refusing to talk to anyone. Until an ANBU with a wolf mask came. My father tried refusing admission into our home, but the ANBU just growled at him, saying something like that he didn't give a damn about how proud the Uchiha clan was about having the only survivor from that mission. The only thing he cared about was seeing how his friend was doing. I never thought about it back then, but many from my clan said Itachi killed them. I didn't believe them back then. What about you, Master Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya thought for a moment. "I don't think Itachi killed them. I believe he was given a mission he wasn't ready to lead. I think they were ambushed. We will probably never know. What we do know is that good sninobi perished. One of them Hiashi Hyuuga's wife, the mother of Hinata and Hanabi Hyuuga. Kakashi found the corpses of the others, except for Nara. Kakashi only found a bloodied mask in a crater. He burned the others, just as the ANBU protocol says he should." Jiraiya sighed yet again. "In any case, Sasuke, we need to get going. Naruto and Sakura: I will suggest you two getting a move on too."
The three teenagers nodded and left, going their respective ways.
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Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke stood in black mourning clothes. Naruto was still bandaged up. They had a hard time believing it. Put together, almost a tenth of the Hidden Leaf's population had been killed. The Root had been good at removing their fallen, thereby giving an inaccurate assumption of the deceased. Naruto glanced to his left. Iruka was sitting in his wheelchair, with Konohamaru and his friends close by; the three kids with bandages too, and Naruto wondered how things got so much out of hands. He also wondered how many times Kakashi had attended to funerals like this. He only listened half-heartedly as Tsunade listed the names of the fallen. Men, women and children alike. The funeral was over before he realized it. He just walked home to his apartment, cleaned it, and got some food before heading off to the hospital to get his bandages changed and a check-up on his Sharingan. After that he went home, falling asleep.
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Naruto hung his head sadly. Once again, he was covered in black robes. He was standing in the front row, facing the Memorial Stone while Tsunade engraved the name 'Kakashi Hatake' into the stone and placed his headband and white flower in front of it.
Tsunade stood up, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. She gazed up in the grey sky before speaking in a low voice, although the first was to herself.
"Damnit Kakashi. You were supposed to be my successor. You were supposed to attend to my funeral as the Sixth Hokage. I know you would have protested and said that you couldn't and that you would say that I should choose Naruto instead. But he is too young right now, we both know that."
She sighed and spoke with a voice that trembled slightly, but still audible and intelligible.
"The ceremony for Kakashi Hatake, the Copy-ninja and Wolf of the Hidden Leaf Village will now begin. And seeing that Kakashi enjoyed making things special, we will do so too, in order to honour his memory. We will now listen to and sing one of Kakashi's favourite songs; Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton."
Just as she stopped talking, a low music came from all around the tree line. Then words came, and the attending people soon chimed in.
"Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way
Through night and day,
'Cause I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven.
Time can bring you down,
Time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart,
Have you begging please, begging please.
Beyond the door,
There's peace I'm sure,
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven.
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven."
Tsunade bit back her tears and sobs and began talking.
"Kakashi was born in a time of war. His grow was impressive. Genin at the age of 5, chuunin at 6, jounin when 13, ANBU when he turned 14 and ANBU captain one year later. His childhood and youth was filled with loss. But unlike so many others, he never broke down. He had a goal. He wanted to prove himself worthy to be acknowledged by this village, becoming the perfect tool of war. It was this pressure on him, people expecting him to be a tool that cost him his friend's life. Once acknowledged by the village, he stopped being a tool, if only partly. Tragedies kept hitting him. But he didn't break down. Not because he wanted to prove himself, but because someone needed him. He grew up too fast. As an adult, he started appreciating literature so much that no one went unharmed if they did anything to his books. He was very protective of them. And…"
At this Naruto more or less stopped listening. Glancing at Sasuke and Sakura, he saw their small smiles. He smirked a little, knowing that they were thinking the same as him. When Tsunade had mentioned Kakashi being protective of his 'literature', it brought back memories.
It had been shortly after their failure at seeing his face. Once recovered from that and back in the village, the three genins had put their heads together to find a way to see his face. Sakura had come up with an idea. Brilliant as Naruto and, more or less, Sasuke had put it. The idea: Blackmail! Face for book. Sakura and Naruto were to distract Kakashi while Sasuke was to sneak into his apartment and steal the book. Then they were to meet up in the forest on their first training ground. The first step of their plan was a success: they got the book and met in the forest after leaving a note for Kakashi that told him to meet his book 'captors' the next day. But from there anything went astray. Kakashi hadn't taken the news of his missing book very well. In fact he was pissed. In order to get the culprits, having a slight idea that this was one of Naruto's pranks, he summoned his dogs to sniff them out. He also enlisted Hinata's aid, claiming that Naruto was missing and might be in danger, causing her to search to the best of her abilities with her Byakugan. It had been late evening back then. When he found them, he was shocked to his very core. Setting in front of a fire, the three preteens were reading his book, having a small nosebleed. They hadn't been aware of his presence since they were so engrossed in his book. He had snuck up on them from behind. When he spoke, he had scared the living daylight out of them. Their shock caused them to, involuntarily, rip the book apart and toss it into the fire. Kakashi threw himself past them in order to save his beloved book, but it was too late. Devastated, he began crying anime-style. Sasuke had said that their plan had failed and they would do better to retreat while Kakashi was 'mourning'. Unfortunately, as they retreated backwards as they didn't want to face Kakashi at the moment, Naruto stepped on a twig that snapped. That alerted Kakashi and soon he had caught them and tied them to the poles. He had stood in front of them, cracking his knuckles, asking them how they thought they could redeem their actions. Not thinking their suggestions like cleaning the whole town for free were good enough, he gave them an ultimatum: Either they were to outrun some of his jounin friends in the Forest of Death or he could assign them to doing D-ranked missions of his choice, without being paid. Not wanting to face jounins in that area, they agreed to the latter. It couldn't be that bad, could it? No, it was worse. At least for them. After their missions, they were of the opinion that their 'missions' should be S-ranked instead. Naruto was to work in his favourite ramen stand for a week. At this he had just grinned. That is, till Kakashi told him that he wouldn't get any money for it from the owner. Nor was he allowed to eat there at all. And as a measure to insure this, he convinced Anko to be there. Sakura was to walk and bath his dogs for a week, every day. Sounds easy? Think again. Bull was far from fond and happy of the idea of being washed in a tub by a girl he could push aside any day he wanted and Runner enjoyed running into forests when they were out walking. As for Sasuke: To live with one of his fan girls and help them out with her chores; he could pick anybody he wanted but Sakura. After two days, they had had enough and told hm they would do anything else. At this he had laughed and said that they could have said sorry from the beginning, but now it was too late. So they had to endure the remaining three days.
Laughing inwardly, Naruto focused on Tsunade's speech once again.
"… gave his life for the people precious to him and the younger generation, hoping for a better future. His end was truly fitting for a true sninobi. Let his death be an inspiration for all of us who want to make a better future. Kakashi Hatake, may you rest in peace."
The ceremony ended. Tsunade walked away, closely followed by Gaara. The Sand ninja hadn't left since they wanted to pay their last respect. Well, mostly of them anyway. Knowing that his disappearance might have caused one heck of ruckus in the village, Gaara had ordered some to return to the village to inform them about his whereabouts. Besides, they also needed to arrange for their fallen to be transported back to their families. Glancing around he saw Temari holding hands with Shikamaru as they walked away, Anko walking away being supported by Gai. Yamato just stood in silence before walking away. Soon there was no one left except for him, Sasuke and Sakura. Moving a bit closer to the stone, they could clearly see Kakashi's name engraved. Sakura stood in the middle with Naruto on her left and Sasuke on her right. They stood there for a minute or two, thinking back to their time. Then Naruto started talking in a low trembling voice.
"Kakashi-sensei you idiot. Why did you have to sacrifice yourself like that? You once said that you wouldn't let your comrades die but… Damnit Kakashi-sensei! I never asked of you to risk your life for me! After all what you have done for me, you absolutely had to save me one last time! After Sakura and I got the bells from you, you said we were equals as team members. That means my life isn't more worth than yours, damnit! So you didn't need to sacrifice yourself! ARG! WHY AM I SO WEAK? SO USELESS!"
"I'm afraid Kakashi might have thought differently. As a matter of fact, I know he did. Just like I know that if he ever heard you talk like that about yourself, he would smack you into next month."
They all turned around and saw Jiraiya standing right behind them. He sighed.
"Look Naruto, I knew Kakashi longer than you did. He wasn't the type who would sit on his ass and let others do the fighting if his precious people were in danger. He wouldn't' be able to live with himself. Besides, he always wanted to die on the battlefield, hoping to make a difference like his team did. Also, Kakashi always said that you meant everything to him. And may all of the deities help those who would assume different. Just ask Iruka about that."
"I would rather they didn't. It is a very bad memory."
They all turned to the left. Iruka was sitting in his wheelchair, dressed in black. Sakura was the one to ask. "Iruka-sensei… what happened?"
Iruka groaned and scowled slightly at Jiraiya. "I guess you need to know. Please, don't get the wrong impression of me and Kakashi. We were both upset and angry."
Then he began his story.
-Flashback start-
Iruka was staring at the sleeping Naruto, all bandaged up. The sun was setting. Kakashi had returned with Naruto on his back, but after making sure Naruto was treated, he hadn't been seen in the hospital. Muttering under his breath, Iruka left.
Five minutes later, he was knocking violently on Kakashi's door. Two minutes later, Kakashi opened the door. He didn't look pleased.
"Iruka? What do you want?"
Not waiting for Kakashi to let him in, Iruka pushed his way inside. Kakashi shrugged, closed the door and went into his kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink Iruka?"
"No thanks Kakashi-san. I came to talk."
Kakashi returned. "Talk? About what?"
Feeling his anger rising, Iruka spoke in a low voice. "Naruto."
Kakashi looked puzzled for a minute. Then he frowned slightly. "Has something happened to him?"
Iruka felt his anger rise even more. He practically shouted "Has something happened? You know something happened! He fought Sasuke to bring him back! And how was it that Sasuke reacted… oh yeah, he almost killed Naruto. It doesn't make it any better that it was with a jutsu you taught him! A jutsu used for assassinations. Do you have anything to say?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment. Then he spoke. "I taught Sasuke that jutsu because he needed it to protect himself from Orochimaru. I'm fully aware of what you told me. The only thing I can say is that I'm sorry for what happened. I thought my words got through to Sasuke back then, but I was too naïve. I was…"
Kakashi didn't finish as Iruka cut him off. "AN IDIOT! AND YOU STILL ARE! THAT IS THE WEAKNESS OF ALL GENIUSES: ARROGANCE! DO YOU… NO, HAVE YOU EVER CARED FOR NARUTO? ANSWER ME!"
Kakashi was silent with a perplexed expression for a while. Until Iruka's words sunk in. Then his expression changed and he narrowed his eye dangerously. His voice was cold as he growled like a wolf.
"How dare you… how dare you accuse me for not caring? I would…"
"BECAUSE IT'S TRUE! AND IF YOU CARE, YOU SURE AS HELL HAVE A STRANGE WAY OF SHOWING IT!"
Kakashi moved fast.
-End flashback-
Iruka sighed. "The next thing I knew was pain and being in freefall. When I looked up for a second, it became clear that Kakashi had hurled me through his window without opening it. To make things worse, I landed on Izumo and Kotetsu. And… perhaps it's just a trick my mind played on me… but I think I saw a black cloak with red skies in a nearby tree. Also, Kakashi and I never made peace with each other after that."
The teens stared at Iruka like he had grown two heads. Especially Naruto. Naruto didn't know what to think and do. One side of him wanted to punch Iruka the other wanted to curse Kakashi's very name. But then he remembered what Iruka had said before he told his story. A medic showed up a little later and took Iruka back to the hospital. Jiraiya left too and soon the teenagers followed suit.
000000
The sky was grey with the sun breaking through here and there which seemed awfully out of place as they stood in the Hyuuga compound, once again, dressed in black. Sasuke was there too, although he was surrounded by four ANBU to secure his safety before his trial. Sasuke stood in the back with his guards, regretting what he had done. Therefore, he didn't blame the Hyuuga members for glaring at him with eyes that wanted to kill him. He glanced around and saw Gaara in the front row, while Naruto and Sakura stood in the third or fourth row.
Naruto suppressed his tears, not knowing what to think. He thought back to last time he saw Hinata and remembered what happened. That incident had brought out feelings he only thought he had for Sakura: Love. He loved both of them, but now one of them was gone. Tears started to flow, whether he wanted or not.
Sakura just stared as they began lowering Hinata's glass coffin into the grave. She clutched her and pinched her sides, hoping this was all just a nightmare that she soon would wake up from. She gazed at the glass and saw that it would soon disappear into the ground with Hinata in it in her white silk dress. She pinched her sides again and felt something. It was very little. Putting her left hand inside her clothes and finding it, she clenched her hand and pulled it out again. She opened her hand and stared at the thing in her hand. It was a little syringe with blazing dark-green or black chakra combined with red and a little blue. The white was gone. She had, for some reason, always kept this syringe with her wherever she went. Then she remembered Kakashi's words.
"extract of my chakra…Too much of this chakra, and even the dead would be put aflame."
Staring at the little syringe, she notices how the green-black chakra has taken over. It almost filled the entire space in the syringe. Thinking about Kakashi's words one more time, she came to a decision. Her voice didn't even reach the level of a whisper.
"It's worth a try. Please… let this work!"
She stormed forward just as Hinata's coffin was about halfway down, but Hinata was still above ground level. As she ran, she accidentally hit Sai in the balls, making him fall to the ground. None stopped her as she ran, being too baffled to think.
CLLLIIIRRRRR!
Sakura smashed Hinata's coffin to pieces with one punch and grabbed Hinata before she fell into the grave and jumped. She landed five feet on the side of the grave and injected the contents of the syringe into Hinata. Five seconds later she felt a couple of strong hands pull her back by her hair and into a kneeling position. When she looked up, she saw Hiashi Hyuuga with Byakugan activated and several others Hyuugas with murderous intent rolling of them in waves. Neji was by Hiashi's side, also blazing with fury. Even Tsunade and the others stared at Sakura with venom and disgust. Well, except for Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara. Hiashi let no doubt that he meant every word he said as he spoke, his voice filled with fury.
"What you did… is unforgivable! How dare you desecrate my daughter's coffin like that! You will pay for this… with your life!"
Just as Hiashi raised his hand to deliver a fatal blow without anyone moving to save Sakura, it happened.
FUUUOOOMBLIIISZZZ! The noise and flash of light went unnoticed as the sound wasn't loud enough to drown the roars of "Kill her!" totally; and all were focused on the pink-haired teen about to get killed. However, the ear piercing shriek was.
"ARGGG! IT HURTS! IT BURNS! SOMEBODY… ANYBODY… PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! ARGGH!"
The Hyuugas deactivated their Bloodline Limit and turned around. So did everybody else. Their mouths fell wide open in shock. Green flames roared all over Hinata's body as she cringed in agony, but without burning her. Then they began seeping into her as she felt limb in the process, although she still screamed in pain. The flames became more concentrated as they went into her body. All of them had now disappeared into Hinata and she fall quiet. Neji was the first to recover from the shock and activated his Byakugan. What he saw startled him. The flames were now raw green chakra running through Hinata's chakra network. Then it was gone. Just as he was about to deactivate his Byakugan, it happened. Hinata's heart gave a violent beat as the green chakra reappeared once again and began spreading slowly through her body. His eyes went wide. The chakra was kick-starting her organs; slowly but surely. Also, as the green chakra had spread through her entire system, it slowly turned normally blue, beginning from the heart. And soon her chakra was back, although on a minimum, and her organs were working.
He could not describe what he saw happen in her body, but he didn't need to. He only let three words escape his lips as he whispered in a husky voice.
"She is alive."
He was quite right. Hinata began trembling as she sat up. Sakura was by her side immediately.
"Hinata… are you okay? No, don't try to force yourself. Your body is still very stiff. Take it easy for a minute."
Before Hinata could respond, she found herself being hugged by her father, Neji and her sister. However, the first thing she noticed was Naruto staring at her with his right eye while the left was hidden behind his headband. Ignoring Sakura's advice, Hinata forced herself to stand and shouted as loud as she could.
"Naruto-kun, forgive me! I love you!"
Sakura stood up beside Hinata, supporting her slightly. She looked at Naruto.
Naruto was a loss for words, for once. Here he stood, looking at two beautiful kunoichies who had admitted their love for him. However, remembering his talks with Kakashi while the latter still was in the hospital, and imagining Kakashi's face and laughter if he told him of this predicament, was too much. He couldn't handle it.
"Sakura-chan… Hinata-chan… I… I love you both. But… I can't choose between the two of you. Not now… I'm sorry!"
With that he took off at full speed. Hinata and Sakura managed to take five steps in their pursuit before a small wall of sand rose from the ground and a calm voice spoke.
"Let him go for now. The loss of his sensei is still affecting him. He will come around… with time."
Both girls looked over their shoulders and weren't surprised to see Gaara looking at them, his face emphasizing his point. Sakura nodded in understanding. She turned to face Hinata and saw her worried look. She sighed.
"Hinata… Kakashi-sensei was killed during the rescue mission, giving his Sharingan to Naruto. His death is still affecting Naruto, me and partially Sasuke." Before Hinata could ask, Sakura nodded.
"Yes. Sasuke-kun has returned to the village."
Hinata nodded. "I see."
Sakura looked warily at Hinata. Then she spoke in a low voice. "Hinata… we both love Naruto-kun. Obviously, only one of us can be his girlfriend. At least at a time. So… rivals for love?"
Hinata looked warily at Sakura for a moment. Then her face lit up in a grin.
"Rivals for love. May the best woman win."
They laughed before all the other present bombarded them with questions, both Sasuke and Sakura's desecration completely forgotten. When Sakura told them what Kakashi had told her about the syringe, they all gasped. Well, except for Jiraiya and Tsunade. They shot each other a surprised glance that was replaced with a knowing look.
-Two weeks later.-
All of the Sand ninja had returned to their village and the Leaf was almost rebuilt.
Sakura and Naruto were sitting in Kakashi's apartment. It had been their daily meeting point for the past two weeks. Right now, they were waiting for Sasuke. They had been there for about one hour when he entered, wearing clothes similar to those he had when he was twelve and thirteen. Looking at him with worried eyes, Naruto spoke.
"So? How did it go?"
Sasuke was silent for a moment. Then he smiled.
"Better than I thought it would. I'm not allowed to leave the village for a year. I will be kept under surveillance by ANBU while I train. I'm also to check in on the hospital once a week for a year and report to the Hokage by nightfall. Not too bad, since the Elders wanted me executed."
When he saw their faces, he laughed a little.
"Danzou and the two advisors wanted me executed, but the clan heads put an end to that idea. It seems that they haven't forgotten Danzou's part in the civil war, regardless of whether or not he was under genjutsu. Also, since it has been proved he was under genjutsu, he won't be held responsible for his action during that time, as it can't be proved how much he did was of his own will and how much was the will of the one who put him under genjutsu. And neither will his men. So since they won't be able to put before a court, they thought that agreeing to the Hokage's suggestion was the best way to punish him and the two advisors as they had suggested him being Hokage during the war. And before I forget, I'm also banned from the clan council for one year."
They nodded in understanding before jumping up and giving him a hug. Catching his breath, Sasuke spoke again.
"One more thing: I'm not to live alone for six months. And since I don't want to live with some complete stranger, I was wondering: Can I stay with one of you?"
Before either of them could answer him, an ANBU showed up. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno: The Hokage has requested your presence in her office."
With that he left. The three teenagers looked at each other before leaving. As they walked through the streets, they heard several women talk about how Kakashi had seduced them and slept with them. What startled Naruto was how even girls his age admitted how they had had a crush on the Copy-ninja, ninjas and civilians alike. As they walked they saw Sai, who finally walked remotely normal. They reached the Hokage office five minutes later.
When the teenagers entered, they saw Tsunade sat behind her desk with Shizune behind her, while Anko sat on a chair. The trio took a seat too. Tsunade nodded and took forth a document.
"Very well. We have found this document: T7KHST. It appears to be an abbreviation for: Team 7, Kakashi Hatake's Testament. I will cut all the unnecessary things.
Anko: He leaves you 15 millions ryo and permission to live at the Hatake Estate. On two conditions: The first is that you mustn't live there alone and that you won't sell or demolish it. You can leave."
"Yes, Lady Hokage."
As Anko left, Tsunade continued.
"Now things get a little more complicated. Two things are the same: each of you inherit 10 millions ryo and to live at the Hatake Estate. The same conditions Anko got apply to you too. And…"
Naruto interrupted. "Wait a second. All that money and permission to live at Hatake Estate? How can that be right? Kakashi-sensei sure as hell didn't have that kind of money or such a house. Otherwise he wouldn't live where he did."
A low chuckle could be heard from the window. "Wrong kid. Kakashi came from an extreme wealthy family. And as the last legal heir of the Hatake clan, he inherits all of the money and the household."
Looking to their left, they saw Jiraiya. Tsunade nodded when she saw Naruto and Sakura's confused faces.
"Before the villages were founded, the clans were used as mercenaries. The two most powerful were the Senju clan which were lead by my grandfather, the First Hokage, and the Uchiha clan lead by Madara Uchiha. However, what most people tend to forget or don't know, is the Hatake clan. Unlike the other clans, they didn't fight. They were travelling salesmen with specialty in weapons and, back then, technology used in war. You didn't found any swords that were better than those made of the Hatake clan. But just because they weren't used as soldiers don't mean they couldn't fight. They could, as both the Senju and Uchiha clan learned the hard way. If I remember correctly, and I only heard it from my grandfather, both clans tried stealing the Hatake clan's secrets. You can possible imagine Sarutobi-sensei's feelings when Kakashi's granddad came and asked if he could join the village. It would be a huge asset to the village to have a Hatake living in it. Kakashi's grandfather was permitted to live in the village. He built the Hatake Estate outside the village. Of course it lies within the walls by now, near the western forests. It is quite huge with a lot of land. The building itself is white and, unlike any other mansions, build in stone and marble. It's kept safe by genjutsu and special ninjutsu; no one will be able to enter without a Hatake's permission or the mansion's current residents. My guess is, when all of his cash from his inheritance alone and house with lands and interior, Kakashi was good for about 150-200 millions ryo. And then comes the small income from missions pay."
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke sat with their mouths reaching the floor. Chuckling slightly at their expressions, Tsunade continued. Although more serious now.
"However, we found out something more slightly disturbing. When Sakura injected that chakra into Hinata, she was brought back to life. Only one clan is known for such powers: The Vampire clan. We got this from the Raikage a couple of days ago." She handed them a second scroll.
"It is Kakashi's family tree. If you go back till about 210 years ago, you see how a woman named Selene 'Vampire' Nica married Sakumanto Hatake, Kakashi's great–great-great-grandfather. Selene was, according to legend and rumours, related to Lycan Vampire. You understand now? Kakashi was the last direct heir of the, most likely, oldest lineage in history. That explains how he survived the battle with the Akatsuki member in the woods, how his attacks were increased in strength, how his chakra brought back Hinata. Of course, since it's so long time ago, the Vampire's Bloodline Limit has probably weakened as it was mixed with the Hatake clan and down to Kakashi through generations. Therefore, it's doubtful if Kakashi's kid would inherit that ability too. Also, since the Vampire clan's power would decrease, I assume that the Nine-Tails chakra helped there too. And no, Kakashi never knew about this."
Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto stared at her dumbfounded. On one hand it didn't made any sense, but on the other it did. Then Naruto asked something that had been bothering him for a while.
"I still can't believe Kakashi-sensei was this wealthy. Why would he want to live as a sninobi with all of that? Why would he live in the apartment when he had a mansion? I don't get it. Anyway, what I don't understand is how he could have some of the Nine-Tails chakra."
Jiraiya sighed. "Why he choose the life as a ninja is easy enough: He wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps; or at least did for a while. Why he didn't leave in the estate: Too many bad memories I guess. As for the Nine-Tails' chakra, I think I can answer that."
-Flashback start
SMACK!
Minato stumbled backwards as he was hit square in the face. The one who did it: Kakashi. The teenager was seething with fury.
"Minato-sensei, Lord Hokage: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR SON? USE ME INSTEAD!"
Slowly getting to his feet, Minato smiled. "I've to do this Kakashi-kun. Trust me… I know what I'm doing."
His words didn't calm Kakashi down. "LIKE HELL! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WILL BE PUTTING YOUR SON THROUGH, HUH? HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO A CHILD, YOU OWN SON NO LESS! HE WILL BE LONELY, SHUNNED FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T DO! DO HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW THAT FEELS, HUH? NOW, DO YOUR PREPARATIONS FOR THE SEALING ON ME!"
Minato looked thoughtful, but when they heard the Nine-Tails roar again, he came to a decision.
"All right Kakashi-kun. Off with your shirt. We need to do this quick. But once we are done here, you need to head for the battle field, okay?"
That did it. Kakashi calmed down instantly as he removed his shirt. Minato frowned slightly when he saw some of the old scars but said nothing. Biting his thumb and index, he started drawing signs on Kakashi's chest. Then he spoke in a calm voice. "Sealing jutsu: Guardian of Evil!"
He thrust his right palm into Kakashi's chest, making all the signs move, forming a circle right in the middle of his chest. Pulling his shirt back on and prepared his leave. he spoke calmly, even though he probably soon would face his death.
"Minato-sensei… Pervy Hermit… Old man Third… till we meet again."
Kakashi took off through the window.
Jiraiya, holding a baby with blond hair frowned deeply.
"Minato… you didn't do what I just think you did? That seal…"
Minato rubbed his face as he stood back up. "I did. I will seal some of the Nine-Tails chakra into Kakashi-kun, but I can't seal all of it. The seal is set so that if Kakashi-kun ever comes in contact with the Nine-Tails' chakra again, the part of it in him will begin increasing and he will be able to use it. Of course he won't know this, and I would like it to stay that way. Likewise, people won't be able to see it after an hour or so"
Minato winced when he rubbed a spot beside his nose. "Ouch. Damn, the kid knows how to pack a punch. And he packs it heavy."
At this Jiraiya snorted. "You deserved it. And believe me, if I wasn't holding this kid, I would follow Kakashi-kun's example. Anyway, aside that I and Kakashi are going to be Naruto's guardians, what did you want to tell Sarutobi-sensei and me?"
Minato sighed. "What I'm about to tell you mustn't reach the ears of Danzou, the Elders or Orochimaru. It's about Kakashi's Bloodline Limit."
The Third looked at Minato, puzzled. "What do you mean? They already know about his white chakra."
Minato shook his head. "No, not that. Kakashi… well, he is of a bloodline much older than Uchiha and Senju." Another roar. "I have to go. Promise me you will take care of Kakashi and Naruto okay?"
They nodded and Minato left with Naruto in his arms.
-End flashback-
Jiraiya sighed heavily. "Sarutobi-sensei and I always wondered what the Fourth Hokage meant. It never occurred to us that he referred to the Vampire clan. But back to the Nine-Tails chakra. My guess is that the Fourth Hokage's seal worked as it should; if I remember correctly from the reports, Naruto, during the mission to rescue the Kazekage, you fought one Akatsuki member, right? During that time, you grew two tails. Kakashi suppressed the Nine-Tails' chakra by the seal I gave him. My guess is that it was there the Fourth's seal set to work as some the Nine-Tails' chakra might have touched Kakashi, increasing and refining the Nine-Tails' chakra within Kakashi, enabling Kakashi to use it. And no matter how you look at it, he was a genius, so I guess he figured out what his sensei did."
The teenagers nodded their understanding. Tsunade took the word. "In any case, we need to get going. Kakashi left more for you. But this time he sealed it away by blood sealing."
"Blood sealing?"
Tsunade sighed. How much did those kids need to be taught? "Yes Sakura. Simply put, it's a measure to make sure that no one, aside from the one who is supposed to get the message, can read it"
She handed them a scroll with their names on it. Upon seeing their looks, she gave a small sigh.
"Bite your finger like you would do to summon."
They did as they were told, and as the blood was smeared across their names, one scroll came from the circle beneath each of their names. Or in Naruto's case, two: One green, the other blue..
Tsunade nodded. "You can go now. I'm sure you would want to read it in private."
They nodded and left.
000000
Now back in Kakashi's old apartment, the trio sat down on his bed. They opened their scrolls simultaneously, Naruto the blue one first. They began reading.
Dear Naruto,
When you read this, I will be dead. First I want to tell you how sorry I'm for not being there when you needed me. I failed your father, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and my sensei, as I promised I would protect you. Paying for your food and other necessities weren't enough. Also, I'm sorry that you had such a rough childhood. Jiraiya and I agreed that it would be better that you lived at the orphanage until you could take of yourself. We also decided that it would be better to give you your mother's maiden name, Uzumaki, since your father, Jiraiya and myself had, and still have, a lot of enemies that seek to harm us. We wouldn't want to endanger you anymore. If I had known the full extent of your suffering, I would have adopted you no matter what the Elders and anybody said. While I remember it, your mother was Kushina Uzumaki from the Whirlpool country. Don't go looking for family, the country was destroyed years ago. For more information about your father and mother, ask Jiraiya or Tsunade. As you perhaps can figure out by what I said earlier, Jiraiya and I were your guardians. Jiraiya is more. He is your godfather. As Tsunade should have told you by now, you have permission to live in my childhood home, the Hatake Estate. Aside from what I have told you now, I only have one more gift.
A contract with my nin-dog. Usually, having two contracts would be considered an insult towards the summons and no of them would come if called upon. However, since you're the first human to sign this contract and are its keeper, no one can object. You will be able to summon both toads and my dogs. Just write your name like you did with the toads, just with the other hand, and you will be able to summon Pakkun and the others. Of course you will have to practise in order to be able to summon them separately or all at once. Oh, and before I forget: All of my belongings in the apartment are to be taken to the estate. There is a basement there for personal stuff. It has been an honour teaching you. Live well.
Yours sincerely,
Kakashi Hatake, guardian, jounin-sensei and hopefully friend.
Naruto felt tears pool in his eyes yet again, and wiped them away. He took the other scroll and opened it. Quite right, eight names were written across it, with spaces for a human to write his or her name. He bit his left thumb and started writing his name with his left hand. Then he formed seals and slammed his hand onto the floor. "Summoning jutsu!"
Sakura was just done reading her scroll when a shout was heard in the apartment. "Summoning jutsu!"
A cloud of smoke later, and the apartment was suddenly very cramped. Or at least the floor as the eight dogs appeared. Pakkun spoke.
"Yo. What is up Kaka…"
He trailed off when he saw Naruto. "Where is Kakashi?"
Naruto merely removed the headband and opened his left eye. Pakkun sighed.
"So he is dead then and you're now our new master? Well, in that case, what is your command?"
Naruto closed his eyes, before opening the right. "Nothing for now really. I just wanted to see if Kakashi-sensei really was right when he wrote that I would be able to summon you and the toads."
At this all of the dogs growled. Bull voiced their thoughts. "Kakashi knew what he was doing. Don't question that."
Naruto merely nodded. Then Sasuke spoke up. "Pakkun: I have just read what Kakashi-sensei left me. Please answer this: How much did the Uchiha clan resent him for having a Sharingan?"
At this all of the dogs snarled fiercely and raised bristles. Pakkun snarled the most, his contempt and fury evident.
"Resent? Resent? Boy that was the understatement of the year. They loathed him for having it. The exceptions were Itachi, your uncle and aunt, Uruchi and Teyaki. I don't suppose you know this, but it was their son who gave Kakashi the Sharingan in Naruto's left eye when he died. The Uchiha clan tried assassinating him countless times, even after he saved Itachi's life by cutting that lightning bolt with his Chidori. Now, if you don't mind, we will take our leave. Goodbye."
They all stared in shock as the dogs disappeared. Then Sasuke spoke, his voice filled with anger and contempt. "Damn the Uchiha. Damn the Uchiha!"
When he saw his friends faces, he growled as he handed them the paper. "Read."
They read it, they eyes widening.
Sasuke,
If you read this, it means you have returned to the Leaf Village and I'm dead. Except for the money and permission to stay at my childhood home, I have a gift for you. Behind my chest of drawers is there a little room in the wall. In that room you will find a sword. I have forged it according to the Hatake clan's way. The blade will react to your chakra nature when you channel it through the blade. Itachi has one too. I made the sword to you at his request. It was supposed to be a gift or something like that. Another thing I will tell is the truth. The truth about what happened the night Itachi murdered your clan.
He wasn't alone. A man called Madara Uchiha helped him. Or rather forced him to. You will probably say that Madara is dead, but I'm afraid he isn't. Madara gave Itachi an ultimatum: Kill the clan or the Leaf Village would perish. Itachi chose to kill the clan; except you. My guess is that he loved you too much and hoped that by making you hate him. You would grow strong enough to take down Madara. I know all of this because I talked with Itachi before he killed them. He made me promise that no matter what happened, I would keep you safe, train you and never tell you about this. But I believe you have the right to know at least some of the truth. The Uchiha planned a coup d'état when Itachi killed them. The only ones who seemed to object against it were your uncle and aunt. In any case, Itachi wanted to spare them so that you wouldn't be completely alone, but Madara killed them as soon as Itachi no longer could stop him. Sasuke, you need to understand that Itachi did what he thought was best for you. That's why he wanted you to hate him and why he fled from the village. He wanted to keep you safe. If you still are hellbent on killing Itachi, so let it be for the right reasons, not revenge. I've seen countless people walk down that path. Not one of them lived and died happy and content.
A thing I should mention is that the Uchiha and me never was on really good terms. Especially after my friend gave his Sharingan to me when he was on the brink of death. They claimed I was the one who killed him and took his Sharingan. When the Third closed the matter, they tried killing me instead. Many from your family would protest against this, but it was one with a Sharingan who killed my girlfriend when I was 16-17. But well, I don't want to drag you into the hatred between your clan and me. Live well and think carefully before you choose.
Yours sincerely,
Kakashi Hatake, jounin-sensei
Naruto and Sakura looked at Sasuke with worried faces. Naruto spoke the teenagers' thoughts.
"So… What are you gonna do, Sasuke?"
Sasuke took a deep contemplative breath before replying. It had been on his mind since he read the scroll the first time around.
"I still want to kill Itachi… but not for revenge. I will kill him because he is a threat to my precious people. I still want to restore my clan, but first I must restore its honour. I will take all of the clan secrets with me and live in the Hatake Estate for a while. Once I have removed everything I want from the Uchiha complex, I want it burned to the ground and rebuild."
He took a calming breath.
"So? Would you come and live with me at the estate? Besides, Sakura: What did Kakashi-sensei leave for you?"
They both nodded that they would be living with Sasuke. At his question about what Kakashi left for her, Sakura blushed. Then she smiled and motioned for them to stand up. Once they were of the bed, Sakura tilted it slightly and asked for the boys to hold it for her. As they complied, Sakura removed a couple planks that had been hidden under the bed and a blanket. She pulled out three items: An old medical bag, a book and a dress. The medical bag was smaller than the standard bag, but it full with herbs, bandages and other thing. The dress was green with blue streaks down the sides. As Sakura held it up in front of her, they saw it would fit her perfectly. She smiled sadly.
"The bag was one he got from his girlfriend on his first mission as commander. The herbs should still be fine. The dress is the one his girlfriend at that time wore on their first date. Kakashi-sensei wrote… that she and I are a lot alike. The book is about alternative healing methods, in case the medic-nin runs low on chakra. Apparently it was a gift from Kakashi to his girlfriend."
The two boys nodded. After a little trouble with the chest of drawers, Sasuke found the room with the sword. The sheath and hilt were black leather decorated with a red thread sewed into it. Unsheathing it, Sasuke found that the blade was perfectly balanced. Putting it back into the sheath, the three friends left the apartment, taking their gifts with them.
-Three days later.-
Naruto stared at the place he was going to live. They had heard of it from the old rookie nine and Team Gai as they had helped them moving their stuff. But Team 7 had yet to see it for themselves. The Hatake Estate was fabulous. As Tsunade had told them, it was built in white stone and marble. The lawns were huge and green with trees here and there, and the estate had a forest on its borders. Both could be used as training grounds. Several marble statues of dogs and wolves surrounded the entire estate, and on the parapet. It was about three storeys tall and had big windows, allowing a lot of sunshine to enter the house itself. He glanced at Sakura. None of them had moved completely out of their former homes. All three teenagers looked over their shoulders: they could see smoke rising from where the Uchiha complex used to be. Naruto looked at his two friends, smiling a little.
"Are you two ready?"
The two others just nodded. Smiling, and shoulder by shoulder they entered their new quarters, life and future. Together.
The End.
Sequel will be up soon