A/N: Greeting, people who are my source of motivation to keep writing. As always Kakashi97 here with the latest chapter of my favorite story. Yes, I said 'MY' favorite story because although having 114 favs for this as writing this note, I'm not sure how many of you guys consider this 'your' favorite as well. Anyhoo, I think my apologies won't mean anything pretty soon if I do nothing but apologizing for my ever delaying update schedule without fixing it. Ces't la vie.

Redtaro, asonia99, Ky111, Carie Regun and Random Pudding- Thank you for your kind words, continued support and encouragement. Hope this story will continue to entertain you similarly.

777torn777- To each his own i guess. But i will try to see to that you feel differently about them in the future. Hope you enjoy your journey with this story.

RedHood1- Woah! That was a huge review and I can't thank you enough for that. It makes me so happy to see i'm able to get portray scenes and characters as i wanted to in my head. Hope this chapter too reaches your expectations.

Without any further ado, let's jump right in.

'4 days should be enough time, right?' Kakashi mused as he walked down an unusually vacant market street. On any other given day, this place would've been bustling with the people. Especially lecherous men trying to get a peek at the women inside the biggest public bathhouse located at the end of this road. But there was no sign of any such activity today. He wondered whether the bathhouse was closed for some reason. 'Should be enough.' he added as an afterthought paying no heed to the busted wooden door of the bathhouse as he passed by it.

It's been 4 days since the end of the preliminary round of the Chunin exams. Kakashi didn't know why he even thought of making his team go through the Chunin exams just 6 months after their graduation. 'Oh, right. Peer pressure. I have to stop letting it get to me like this.' He made a point to remember that for future references. He blamed Sesshoumaru for that. 'Speaking such profound words would definitely compel me to act. Wait...did he say those things in the bar that night knowing I would act after that?' Kakashi thought long and hard about that. But he didn't find any benefit that the blonde Yamanaka was gaining by tricking him into doing things.

He wasn't regretting his decision either. Sakura just proved to him and the others that she wasn't a pushover anymore. She lacked skills but not grit, or the 'will of fire' as the Sandaime dearly used to call. That was the best thing that happened to him as a sensei. Now he knew how he would deal with her.

Sasuke got his ass beat up but did manage to qualify for the finals by a technicality. Kakashi was surprised Sasuke even had the energy to land a perfect hit like that in his state at that time. He also realized there was something Sasuke was willing to fight for other than his revenge. He would be more than happy to exploit that. No matter the means, he was going to train his students better from now on.

All these days, he lacked the proper motivation and outlook while dealing with them. But the Chunin exams did provide a fresh bout of encouragement and perspective to be a better teacher. All these days, he thought he was stuck with a pink-haired girl who had zero intention of being a kunoichi, a revenge obsessed genius who works only towards his selfish ambitions and a talented emotionless foundation experiment whose allegiances were debatable at best and shady at worst.

But now, he was able to look past Sakura's fangirling annoyance and Sasuke's revenge obsession. He knew for a fact now that there is more to them than he initially thought. They just proved it. Now, it was his turn to prove himself as a worthy sensei to them. Sai was still an enigma and he highly doubted Sai even wanted any mentoring from him. After all, the pale-skinned possible spy dropped out of the exams when he was in a better condition than Sasuke. So for now, he would focus on people who really wanted and needed his mentoring, namely, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

He was on his way to meet one of them now. He left a note at her doorstep last night, mentioning the time and place with his signature. Although he had his doubts whether she would show up. After all, she did take a considerable amount of damage. He wasn't expecting her to be completely healed either. But it was his way of testing her resolve. He wanted to be sure she really did make a change and does have what it takes to make it as a Kunoichi and her determination back then wasn't a spur of a moment whim. If she showed up in her disheveled state, he can rest be assured that he was right in assuming-

His train of thought suddenly stopped when Sakura came into view. A pang of guilt passed through his heart as he saw Sakura smiling at him, waiting at the mentioned spot, in a wheelchair while her mother stood behind her. She had bandages all over her arms and legs, one on the left side of her forehead and another on the right cheek. Yet, she has a serene smile on her face.

But he refused to let himself feel bad about it. He can't afford to do that. The shinobi world was cruel and merciless, ready to exploit any sort of observable weakness. He already lost a team. He didn't want that to happen again. To that end, he can't afford to let emotions affect his decisions. Especially when there are lives at stake. On contrary, he would allow himself to feel proud. Proud that he has a student like Haruno Sakura.

He walked up to them and gave them his signature one-eyed smile. "Greetings Haruno-san. I hope you forgive me for bothering you and Sakura like this." Kakashi said to Haruno Mebuki.

"Oh, It's perfectly alright Hatake-san. I'm just glad my daughter is the student of such a famous shinobi." The blonde woman brushed off Kakashi's apologetic words with a laugh. "And don't think about apologising for her condition either. I can see that look on your face." Mebuki said in a reprimanding manner, all in good fun of course, laughing at the irony of her words, given how Kakashi's face was mostly covered anyway.

Kakashi had a startled look in his eye, surprised at the retired kunoichi's assumption which was right on target. He did feel responsible for Sakura's state despite how he doesn't regret the outcome. He did wish he could've done a little more to put Sakura at least in a slightly better position going into that match. But dwelling too much on the past didn't seem like the most appropriate idea right now either. He came here for a purpose and he should focus on that for now. Mebuki's insouciant behaviour helped in solidifying Kakashi's intentions for today.

"Hai. I won't then. But I will make you a promise today, Haruno-san. This will be the last time you'll have to worry about her." Kakashi replied with a sincere bow.

It was Mebuki's turn to be taken back this time. She wasn't sure what exactly the silver-haired Jonin meant by his words but she felt like she could trust his words. There was an obstinacy in his words that made her involuntarily relax a little, both physically and mentally. She felt like she could ease up on the brave façade she was so desperately putting up for the world.

4 days ago, when she was informed that her daughter was hospitalized after her match, it took every ounce of her not to panic. She rushed to the hospital as soon as she could, providing no explanation to her husband, who had no clue what was happening. When she arrived at the hospital, it took every ounce of her not to cry as she saw her daughter's clothes dripping blood. When she laid eyes on Sakura's unconscious form, it took every ounce of her.

There she was, covered in bloody bandages from head to toe, her beautiful, confident, collected, sometimes bashful and at times unreasonable daughter, fighting for her life. Like any mother worth her salt, she broke down in a crying fit. All logic dictated she need not worry. After all, it's not every day that the world's best medic treats your daughter and assures you she's in no danger. But her instincts as a mother told her otherwise. They wouldn't let her a moment of peace until she could verify Sakura's state with her own eyes. Even after her daughter woke up and every possible medical evidence suggested her complete recovery in the next few days, she couldn't rid herself of the dreary thoughts of her daughter's bloody clothes. They would constantly pop up within her mind, reminding her of the possible danger Sakura could face in any given moment of her upcoming life.

But listening to people talk about how bravely Sakura fought despite the hopeless situation she faced did fill her up with pride. It also gave her a semblance of reassurance that her daughter was a fighter and she wasn't going down easily. Which put her in a tight spot. Her position on Sakura's future as a kunoichi was split. The part of her which pumped her full of dreadful thoughts couldn't help but oppose it while another part that filled her with a sense of pride wanted to support it. Her heart and mind took opposing stances in this regard. Kakashi's words strengthened her hopes that her daughter would continue being safe despite the perilous job.

"Alright then. I'll leave the professionals to figure out the semantics of your promise then. I'll be waiting by the bridge. Just give me a shout when you're done." Mebuki replied with an amused smirk on her face before walking away. Both Sakura and Kakashi nodded in response.

"How are you recovering, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, redirecting his focus onto his pink-haired student.

"I'm doing well, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura was quick to reply, looking optimistic. "Don't worry about the wheelchair. I was a little weak to walk by myself, you know, with the blood loss and all. So I asked my Kaa-san to tag along just in case I needed some support. But as always, she overreacted and insisted I remain seated in this gaudy wheelchair." She added, noticing the sceptic look and a questioning gaze towards the wheelchair in her sensei's eye at her initial response.

Kakashi nodded, satisfied with the explanation. If she was not willing to make excuses, then he'd simply admire and respect that dedication and won't insult her by probing into it too much. Sakura was surprising and exceeding his newly formed expectation with every action of hers.

"Good. I called you here today to discuss your future training, Sakura. I'll be honest here, my 1st impression of you wasn't great. Your grades were low. You barely managed to graduate from the academy. But I never took that into account while trying to get an estimate of you. I have my own criteria for measuring people. My perspective of good and bad is a little different from the others. That's what I use the bell test for."

"But I wasn't surprised as I hoped to. Your obsession over gaining Sasuke's attention was severely hindering your job as a kunoichi. You were too hung up on him to even evaluate your situation let alone deal with it properly. But at the end of the day, you 3 managed to work as a team together despite failing to achieve my preset objectives. That's the only reason I passed you 3 and accepted."

"Because I believe teamwork more than anything makes up a team and individuals can always be mended. I hoped that as you continued travelling together with the team, you'd become increasingly exposed to the realities of the world and that would force you to re-evaluate your priorities. But you didn't. The land of waves escort mission was proof of how you were increasingly becoming a liability to the team and yourself."

"Chunin exams was the final opportunity for you in my eyes. I enlisted team 7 because I had faith in Sasuke's and Sai's abilities, but only hopes in your case. Hope that you really have what it takes to survive the shinobi life. After your last fight, few things became abundantly clear to me Sakura. Which is why I think it's best for you if you train under someone else."

Blood drained from Sakura's face at hearing those words. She had a shock addled look on her face. Those were the last words she was honestly expecting to hear from her sensei. Coming here today, she had a lot of expectations, optimistic expectations about her future as a member of team 7 and for good reason. Ever since she woke up from her unconsciousness, compliments poured over her, praising the guts and determination she displayed in her match against Temari. Somehow, word of her tenacious attitude managed to spread around her neighbourhood, prompting her neighbours, to drop by her house and check up on her while leaving more than a few words of appreciation. She managed to win over the hearts of many people in a very short amount of time with her newfound determination. To see her sensei and team wasn't among them disheartened her a little too much for her liking. But this wasn't the time to dwell on her feelings. She needed to act, right now.

"Sensei...Please don't say that. I...I'm changing. I will change. Don't kick me off the team, please." Sakura desperately pleaded, trying to get up from her wheelchair. Tears started to well up in her eyes, threatening to spill but she didn't want to show weakness in front of her sensei. That would reaffirm his opinion of her. She needed to show strength and determination. So would stand and beg for her place if she needed to. Her legs felt a little wobbly and she started to feel a little light headed when her feet touched the ground but she couldn't afford to take a back seat now. Her future was hanging in the balance.

"Sensei...I agree with everything you just said. I was a liability. I was hopeless. I was weak. I still am. And I'm sorry for that. But I'm the not same as before. I know I can't be like that any longer. I don't want to be. I want to get better. Stronger. I want to be a worthy member of team 7 too. I don't want to be looked down upon any longer. So please sensei, give me another chance. To get stronger. I just want another chance to prove my worth." Sakura proclaimed, struggling to achieve a solid balance but refusing to give in to her weaknesses anymore. She would stand here until she gets what she wants. She knows what she's doing isn't going to amount to much, but it was the best effort she could put in right now.

There was a defiant glare in her eyes despite the tears that streaked down her reddened cheeks. Kakashi simply placed both his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back onto her chair. He placed his right hand on her head and shushed her with his left.

"I like your newfound spirit Sakura, but you have to let me finish first," Kakashi said, silencing the girl. "1st of all, you shouldn't be the one apologizing. It's me. I was the one who wasn't a good teacher. I left everything to you and kept hoping for a change without making any real effort to induce that required change. A sensei's job is not just to teach some jutsus to their students and shake things off. We should nurture younglings like you, explore your hidden potential and enable you guys to exploit it to its fullest. And I failed to do that in your case. I was so hung up on what you were and became blind to what you could be. For that, I'm sorry Sakura."

"And as for strength, you were always strong. You were never weak, to begin with. You just...focused on the wrong things until now." Kakashi continued, scratching his jaw over the mask, trying to find the right words to convey his thoughts. "Now that you're ready to begin your real journey to be a great kunoichi, I decided to be objective and focus on ways I can be the best sensei you can possibly have. Skills can be drilled into you fast enough if you continue to hold onto your current level of diligence."

"As for being a member of team 7, the moment you decided to embrace this new version of you, you became a full-fledged member of team 7. All that's left is for you to continue down this path."

Sakura was stunned, no sign of her stubbornness visible on her face. She completely misunderstood Kakashi. She thought he was trying to get rid of her. She thought he still didn't see her for who she was trying to become. But in reality, he was waiting from the beginning for her to show him this side of her. She remembered what was probably one of the very few wise things her father said to her at that moment.

"Hope can't exist without belief."

She pursed her lips hard in an attempt to neither smile nor cry. There were a lot of emotions she was riding on right now. Comfort, relief, optimism and pure bliss, coming to the understanding that Kakashi never really disregarded her and held onto some hope. Hope that she'd change for the good. She thanked her lucky stars that despite all her idiotic behaviour in the past, her sensei didn't give up on her completely. She fervently nodded her head in response, gulping down the hitch in her throat.

"Now. Moving onto the actual roadmap for you from here on out. From my observations, I can tell you have a good amount of chakra control. Good chakra control is essential in learning ninjutsu and genjutsu. But your chakra reserves themselves aren't high enough to develop a high range of ninjutsu repertoire. So I'd recommend you work on that." Kakashi continued, not completely ignoring Sakura's emotional state. He felt it was best not to dwell on it for too long and turn it into a sappy moment.

Sakura on her part felt delighted to see Kakashi giving her a complete breakdown of his observations, analysis and recommendations based on the said observations. It was the 1st time she felt they both had a proper sensei-student dynamic and she only blamed herself for that. But she didn't want to keep criticizing her past actions and stay behind. She realized and accepted them. Now, it was time for her to push forward and make sure not to repeat her mistakes again. So she would listen to her sensei and absorb everything like a sponge. She had to make up for all the lost time she kept wasting till now.

"I still have to train Sasuke for the finals. I'm not sure he'll make it to the final round the way he is right now. I'll have to focus on him completely until the exams are done. In the meanwhile, how about you do this. A little bird told me that Tsunade-sama has taken an interest in you after your fight. Now, I didn't talk to her and ask whether if she's interested in mentoring you or not. I won't either. I want you to talk to her and convince her to take you on as an apprentice."

"Me? But sensei-" Sakura started but was immediately cut off.

"I know what you're gonna ask. Just show her the same tenacity you showed me before and you should be alright. And don't worry. You're still a member of team 7. We'll keep going on missions together and I'll train you whenever I can. But I think, you'll benefit more from learning from one of the legendary Sannin than me. What do you say?"

"I...I'll try," Sakura responded meekly, unsure if she could convince Kato Tsunade of all people to take her on as an apprentice. After all, all she had going for her was a determination to get stronger. Was that enough to convince a Sannin to overlook her past failures?

"That won't do it. Show me the real Sakura. The one you're trying to become. Not the one you were."

The amount of faith and belief Kakashi displayed in her gave her an enormous confidence boost. If a seasoned Jonin like him believes it's achievable, why shouldn't she? She had nothing to lose and everything to gain here. Might as well exploit the freedom that comes with being at the bottom. "I'll get it done, sensei." She proclaimed, with ferocity.

Dan could feel a headache was due by the time the meeting he was in right now was over. He was surrounded by what could be the worst possible combination of people he possibly wanted in the room. Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Shimura Danzo and Hyuuga Hiashi. The longtime councilman and councilwoman sat in the leather chesterfield sofa situated to the right of Hokage's table looking displeased as usual while the former root commander chose to stand in the far left corner of the room, only occasionally glancing towards the Hokage but no doubt focusing his attention on the ongoing proceedings. The current Hyuuga clan head was seated on the other side of the table, with a barely restrained frown on his face.

"I don't appreciate you involving yourself in internal clan matters, Hokage-sama. With all due respect, it's none of your concern." Hiashi spat, making it abundantly clear that his respect was limited to words and neither his tone nor actions.

"It becomes my concern when you abuse your position as a clan head to torment a child in the name of discipline, Hiashi-dono. I have no interest in involving in your internal clan affairs. But I won't idly sit back and pretend to be blind while you inflict suffering on a shinobi of Konoha for personal reasons." Dan shot back, polite only in tone. His eyes and demeanour left no reason for anyone to suspect he was being anything but authoritative.

"Personal reasons?" Hiashi looked appalled by the insinuation. "You think I disciplined Neji because of what he did to my elder daughter? Preposterous! My actions were that of a responsible clan leader. Not a petty father. That runt ran his tongue a little too much and disrespected our noble house in front of a crowd no less. It is my duty as the head of the clan to ensure that our reputation isn't sullied, especially by an ignorant knave. I wouldn't demean myself or the position I hold by acting for personal reasons."

"He only spoke the truth regarding your clan as far as I can tell. And you just proved his words right with your actions."

"Hokage-sama!" Homura and Koharu gasped in unison.

"Hokage-sama!" Hiashi roared, rising to his feet in a furious bout of rage, stumbling the chair. "It's not befitting of your position to insult our clan in such a manner. I won't tolerate such impertinence."

Dan mimicked Hiashi actions, rising from his chair, not backing away one bit. "And I won't tolerate any more of such persecutions either Hiashi. Do well to remember that. You can see yourself out of the office."

Hiashi didn't hesitate even for a second in making his exit. He promptly walked out of the door and slammed it back on his way out. The loud thud was the last noise that rung through the Hokage's office for a while before Koharu decided to break the silence.

"What you did was extremely foolish, Hokage-sama. You very well might have instigated the Hyuuga clan's wrath against you, and in association, the entire village administration."

"The Hyuugas are a proud clan of shinobi. You can't provoke the head of the clan because of some trivial internal clan issues, Godaime-sama." Homura added.

"Trivial? Hyuga Neji was admitted to the hospital due to brain damage. Tsunade had to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. That's not trivial. Abuse of authority is NOT trivial." Dan shot back at the elders. "I've had enough of your useless dastardly advices."

"Please try to restrain your words, Hokage-sama. You're talking to the council of elders." Danzo stated, speaking for the 1st time in this entire discussion. "We exist for a reason. To help the Hokage navigate his responsibilities properly. Maintaining a proper relationship with the clan heads is one of the important ones at that. The Hyuuga clan form a considerable part of the forces in terms of both numbers and firepower. We can't afford to agitate them with the loss of the Uchiha clan still fresh."

Dan narrowed his eyes at Danzo's patronizing words. "The council of elders exist today simply as a tribute to honour the sandaime's legacy. Neither the Shodai nor the Nidai had a council bearing down their shoulders. The Yondaime was kind enough to respect his predecessor's traditions and bear with you people. I did the same. But don't presume that I need anyone to tell me how to do my goddamn job. I, as the Hokage, have the discretion to call for a vote to disband the council of elders. Don't forget that. As much as I appreciate your experienced inputs, don't try and push your luck too much."

Indignant by Dan's callous words, Koharu and Homura, like Hiashi, left the office in a similar fashion, scowls adorning their faces. Danzo, for his part, remained as impassive as ever and made his way out with a flimsy bow. As soon as he closed the door behind him, his lips curved upwards indiscernibly. ' An idealistic fool and an arrogant clod. This village will be doomed with such dunces at the helm.' he thought, as he made his way back to his residence. He had an arrogant clod to coax into his plan now.

"You did what?" Sasuke exclaimed in an unusually perplexed manner. He could feel his left eye begging to twitch at his brother's nonchalance while breaking the news. But the more annoying thing was the fact that Naruto took 4 days to tell him what happened that night.

Naruto just continued to fold his clothes neatly and stack them into his dresser while shrugging his shoulders in response. He wasn't sure why Sasuke was being dramatic about it. He thought his brother would simply hum in approval of his decision. As far as he was concerned, it was a pretty obvious choice.

"Oi. Don't ignore me. How can you simply say THAT and then not bother to provide more context?" Sasuke shot back, a frown creeping up his face. The last thing he imagined was his sibling dropping a bomb at breakfast, while folding clothes at that. This morning was already more unnerving than he would've liked.

Naruto huffed in reluctance and faced Sasuke with a passive look on his face, no different than usual. "What context do you need Sasuke? Sesshoumaru-sensei said he'd 'recommend' me to the ANBU if I was interested. The way he said it, it sounded more like an executive order than a recommendation. He wanted me to join the ANBU. So I rejected the offer."

Sasuke questioned his sanity for a moment after listening to Naruto's words. He was genuinely worried his ability to comprehend words was severely damaged after taking a beating at Naruto's hands. Too many hits to the head can result in that. He simply prayed that wasn't the case but the hesitation wasn't simply leaving him alone. Because he couldn't see how Naruto's reasoning made any sense. Either he lost his mind, or Naruto did.

Naruto noticed the incredulous expression on Sasuke's face and shook his head in response, resigning himself to elaborate his reasoning. "Look, you don't know Sesshoumaru sensei, but I do. That man is as complex as one can come. He's the type to always have an ulterior motive behind his every move. Usually, nothing bad but I'm not gonna fall for one of his traps, whatever it is." He replied, remembering the act his sensei put on their 1st real mission.

Naruto was pretty sure that must be the case. Why else would his sensei 'recommend' him to the ANBU out of the blue like that? Not only the act but the timing of it was odd too. A person would wait at least until the next day to act as such, witnessing how exhausting Naruto's day was. There was no way Sesshoumaru was oblivious of Naruto's ordeal that night and Naruto knew that as well. Sesshoumaru purposefully chose that time and place to act on his plan, whatever it was. That's the only logical explanation he could come up with.

Despite saying that rejecting the offer wasn't a big deal and acting as such, the truth was different. Naruto did consider the offer. For quite some time at that. That whole night as a matter of fact. It was only the next morning he let his sensei know about his decision to reject the recommendation offer. He still wasn't 100% sure what his sensei's motives were behind that but he had a strong gut feeling that he shouldn't take up on the offer. Normally, he wouldn't leave such a huge decision up to gut feeling but this time, it was different. For some unknown reason, the unease he felt while considering taking up the offer was enough to convince him otherwise.

Sasuke's confusion turned into annoyance after listening to his brother's explanation. That reasoning didn't seem like it was the whole story and he had an idea what it really might've been about. "Answer this honestly, Naruto. You refused to join the ANBU because...You knew you'd miss all that fawning from your fangirls, didn't you? You couldn't handle knowing that they'd forget your face once you put on the mask and gun for some other guy. That's the real reason, isn't it?"

Naruto's body stilled at hearing his brother's words. Naruto honestly didn't expect Sasuke would pick on it so soon. He hoped he could survive this conversation without this happening. He hated resorting to this. He stopped folding the pants in his hands and discarded them onto the nearby armchair.

"What are trying to say, Sasuke? Joining the ANBU would only make me more popular. I'd have more of them annoying me than I'd like. Looks like I really messed up your mind, huh?" Naruto replied with a wide smile on his face, despite the look in his eyes not matching his smile one bit.

Sasuke chuckled mirthlessly. "You're just saying that to feel good about yourself, Naruto. Stop living in denial. No matter what you do, there's no way I'd have fewer fangirls than you. Especially considering how half your face is already covered by your hair. I would do the same thing if I had a face like yours."

"You're the one in denial, Sasuke. I already have more fangirls than you. You want me to steal the others from you as well? It wouldn't be a difficult task either, as I take a closer look at your hairstyle."

Both Sasuke and Naruto were stood face to face, staring at each other until both of their lips broke into genuine grins. Soon, their grins turned into full-blown laughter. It has always been their go-to way of easing the tension between them when either of the ones notices it. Trash talk. When one initiates it, it means he noticed their conversation was becoming uncomfortable for whatever reason. It automatically compels the other to follow the lead and jump in. This routine was a tried and tested method of diffusing tensions between them.

Trash talk was something that they'd never do. Both of them know they're no good at it either. Maybe that's precisely why they do it.

Sasuke knew Naruto wasn't giving him the entire truth in regards to the decision he took. But he didn't seem to be lying either. Naruto was walking a fine line between lying and hiding the truth. Sasuke knew his brother's mentality well. Naruto was an honest person. Brutally at times. He didn't like lying. He never had any reason to either. He either spits the bitter truth on the face or simply avoids talking about certain things if he felt the other person was better off without the truth.

'Something's actually bothering him?' Sasuke thought, a tinge of concern creeping up his neck. His laughter slowly started to recede and return to his usual smirk while Naruto still had a coy smile lingering as he went back to pick up the discarded pants. Sasuke considered both of them perceptive and very shrewd individuals. While his brilliance shines in midst of battle, his brother's ingenuity thrives in reading people and social situations. So it surprised Sasuke that Naruto was bothered by a person other than Itachi.

Itachi.

The only person who shared a similar trait to Naruto. But before his thoughts could spiral into a hellhole revolving around his traitorous older brother, he heard a knocking sound.

He and Naruto turned their heads in the direction of the knocking to find an all too familiar silver spiky hair peeping into their apartment. Hatake Kakashi was waving his hand with his signature eye smile through the window.

Sasuke's grin instantly disappeared and a stoic look took its place. 'Why do these senseis have to be this annoying? Why can't he knock on the door like a normal person?' Sasuke reflected in his mind while making his way towards the window, realizing how Naruto wasn't the only one who's bothered by his sensei's actions.

Sasuke had a lot of respect for Kakashi as a ninja. He must be blind not to acknowledge his sensei's clout and more importantly, the power the man wielded. But that's as far as he could push himself in that regard. Kakashi's at times goofy and usual nonchalance felt unfitting for a man of his stature. But he was prudent enough to realise Kakashi's personality had nothing to do with his job. He wouldn't want anyone else as his sensei other than the copy ninja. But he did wish his sensei wasn't such a child sometimes.

He slid open the window upon reaching to see Kakashi read a pocket-sized orange book while standing on the roof tiles. 'That damn book' Sasuke thought, remembering the 1st time he laid his eyes on it. That book was a constant reminder of the insult he endured during the bell test.

"What is it?" Sasuke hissed, not withholding any animosity he felt for the book that was dangling before his eyes. He vowed he'd burn that book someday, preferably the day he surpasses Kakashi by beating him in a duel. That was a monumental task and Sasuke knew that better than anyone, witnessing how Kakashi lived up to his reputation against Zabuza, single-handedly salvaging the mission. Of course, he was no slouch either back then. But for his dream of avenging his clan by killing Itachi, he has to reach Kakashi's level.

"Training. We leave in 10." Kakashi replied with composure, albeit a little confused over Sasuke's snarkiness. He was used to Sasuke's indifference and irritation when something tremendously stupid happens, like Sakura or Sai screwing up, which he has to admit, can get on to the nerves. But for his little Uchiha student to scowl at him at 1st glance was definitely new for him. He couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke's palpable irritation was somehow connected to what happened in the hospital 4 days ago.

Sasuke's annoyance abated at the brief reply and he merely nodded in response. As he was about to get his gear ready, he heard Kakashi speak again.

"Tell Naruto that Sesshoumaru-sensei is training Kato Nao and won't have time for losers like him." Kakashi added, a chirpier than usual tone.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glared back at Kakashi, his face instantly darkening at the insult thrown at his brother's way. Sensei or not, nobody insults Naruto that way and get's to walk away free.

"His words, Sasuke. Not mine. You're getting mad at the wrong person." Kakashi immediately added, seeing Sasuke's face. Kakashi prefered not to have his student try and kill him while he was trying to mentor him in return. The Uchihas already have a nefarious reputation for going berserk with the slightest of pushes. He had no intentions of testing whether Sasuke was capable or not, though deep inside, he already knew the answer for that. That's one of the things he was trying to change within Sasuke.

Kakashi knew Sesshoumaru was only trying to use him in this wicked game. He usually wouldn't have said those words either, realising what was going on. But he didn't know what was going on. Not entirely at least. So it got him curious. He was confident that this had something to do with Naruto rejecting the ANBU draft offer. A good decision if you ask him. The curious thing was why was the blonde so fixated on Naruto's rejection? That pulled him into this mess as well.

Kakashi's excuse did little to help Sasuke's anger. But before he could let his anger out, he heard Naruto speak from behind him.

"Message received. Thanks for letting me know, Kakashi-sensei. Probably saved a few hours of searching for me." Naruto grumbled and walked back to finish folding his leftover clothes.

"No problem, Naruto." Kakashi beamed, glad Naruto took it so well. He wondered whether Sesshoumaru knew this would happen and still asked him to do it. What was the point of trying to rile up someone knowing they wouldn't?

Sasuke was left baffled. 'When did they get so chummy with each other?'

Nightfall couldn't have come sooner for Danzo, as he waited in thick lush forest gardens atop the Hokage monument. He had a busy day arranging the meeting he was about to have and ensuring the necessary preparations are in place should his meeting go well. 'Should' sounded too pessimistic here. Danzo was more than confident the meeting was going to proceed exactly as he was expecting it to. After all, he did possess the ability to manipulate people at will. But he doubted he needed that against whom he was to meet. No point in humbling himself when the truth speaks otherwise. The sooner, he executes his plan, the better. Konohagakure deserved a better leader at its helm sooner rather than later.

He signalled for the only root member he brought along as a guard. A man with a white Anbu mask and red markings near each eye hole appeared at Danzo's feet in an instant, already kneeling.

"Hyo, go back to HQ and dispatch the message to 'North' and 'Sky'. It's to happen exactly as agreed in the last meeting. No changes." Danzo spoke while keeping an eye out for his visitor and future accomplice. He didn't want to scare the dunce clan head right away. He needed to act with prudence and precision to bring the muscle required for his grandest scheme to succeed without a hitch.

Hyo wondered why Danzo was sending away his only guard. He was chosen for a purpose, that is to protect the man who's keeping this village safe from the shadows from any possible threats. But he didn't need more than a second to realize it was laughable to even think someone could harm his master. There was a reason Danzo was as successful as he was. Apart from the shrewdness he possessed, he was an incredibly strong shinobi. A pillar of strength as well as wisdom. There's no reason to concern himself with Danzo's safety. Hyo simply bowed in response and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. He got his orders and it was his responsibility as a proud protector of Konoha to see Danzo's wishes fulfilled.

Danzo almost smiled. Everything was falling into place perfectly. 'Just as I expected it to. I have a legion of loyal soldiers who are willing to die at my command. I'll soon have enough manpower to enact my plans perfectly. If those two, play their part as planned, this will flow smoothly. It's about time this village realised its true potential under competent leadership. The world shall soon bear witness to the true might of Konohagakure.' Danzo thought as he waited for his final pawn to arrive and fall in line.

No sooner than his thoughts ceased, Danzo could see two silhouettes approaching him. One Hyuuga Hiashi accompanied by a guard of his if the old warmonger had to guess. Danzo would've scoffed if it wouldn't be too obvious. What's the point of having a single guard? If he really intended, even 10 guards would be a child's play. He was right in estimating the current Hyuuga clan head to be a dunce. All pride and no real brains. Danzo slightly bowed his head when Hiashi was close enough, receiving a similar gesture in return.

"Danzo-san. What's so vital that you insisted we meet today and at this ungodly hour at that?" Hiashi said, cutting straight to the point. He didn't know why he was here but he had a hunch it was related to the morning's meeting with the Hokage and the elders.

"Of course, Hiashi-dono. That's why we're here, aren't we?" Danzo replied and assessed Hiashi's response to his words. Hiashi simply frowned in confusion in return, something that didn't surprise Danzo one bit. After a small pause, Danzo continued, staring at the village's view rather than meeting Hiashi's gaze any further.

"Tobirama-sensei always used to say this Hiashi-dono, that a prosperous village always had three qualities. A working population who strives for a better future, a younger generation that endeavours for ingenuity and an able leader who upholds justice. Those were the principles that the founding Hokages built this village on. They expected their successors to ensure our village thrives by following those doctrines of governance."

"But unfortunately, it wasn't the case. Starting with Hiruzen, the founders' vision gradually blurred as the torch continued to pass on. But today, I had to witness what was probably the biggest insult to my sensei's legacy. Wouldn't you agree, Hiashi-dono?"

"I'm not sure where you're going with, Danzo-san. Please get to the point you're trying to make before my patience wears thin. I have more important things to do than listen to you reminisce about your past." Hiashi shot back, clearly irritated by Danzo's cryptic implications. But his hunch came true.

Danzo held back his scowl. He doubted Hiashi's words. 'Bastard wants me to openly declare my intentions. Fine. Not like it will change anything too much anyway. But if he thinks he's the only one who can tighten the screws, he's more foolish than I presumed.' he thought before turning back to face Hiashi directly again.

"I believe it's not within the Hokage's prerogative to involve himself and dictate the terms of the internal clan affairs. The founders left such matters to the clan head's discretion for a reason. Not abiding by those rules is a blatant disrespect to the previous Hokage. Such abuse of authority is unfitting for a man of his position. But more importantly, he tried to veto your decision as the clan head. He thinks he knows better than you about administering your clan. He undermined your authority not only as a clan leader but also as an individual. It won't be long before these isolated instances of abuse of power get out of hand." Danzo replied, firm and unwavering in both looks and voice.

"And what of it? He outranks you, me and everyone else in this village, as a matter of fact. He has powers and laws insulating him from any sort of legal or militaristic actions granted by the Daimyo himself. There's no way anyone or any number of people can veto the Hokage's orders. So what exactly are you suggesting, Danzo-san? If at all you're suggesting something that is. Like I said before, get to the point or we're done here." Hiashi said, remaining stoic despite understanding where Danzo was heading towards with this conversation.

"You're right, Hiashi-dono. It's exactly for those reasons that we must act now. I, for one, can no longer turn a blind eye towards the besmirching campaign of Tobirama sensei's legacy that's been going on led by the previous 3 Hokages anymore. And I believe you, both as an individual and the head of one of the three noble clans shouldn't either. And to restore the status quo, I'm proposing an alliance of the Root and the Hyuuga. Together, we must bring down the curtains on this horrendous play that has been dragged on for far too long."

Silence reigned the forest gardens for a minute after Danzo's declaration. Hiashi, after a minute of trying to comprehend Danzo's motives, spoke, in a low yet pronounced voice. "Are you suggested a Coup d'etat, Danzo-san?"

"Yes, Hiashi-dono," Danzo replied. He could feel the tension creeping up Hiashi's body when he said those words. Fear. Something that lords over almost the entirety of humanity and Hyuuga Hiashi was no different. One should be crazy to suggest something like usurping the Hokage's position openly to a person with unknown allegiances. Unless you're Shimura Danzo. He was confident Hiashi would accept his offer. It was in the Hyuuga's best interests he does.

Danzo did consider the scenario where Hiashi might not have the guts to follow through with this plan and turn against him in the middle of it or even before that. That's why he had no intentions of getting his hands dirty. Should Hiashi rebel against him, he would simply make it look like Hiashi was the one who tried to usurp the Hokage's seat while he stayed in the clean. He had planned for every possible scenario where plans for this coup d'etat might be thwarted. And he had a contingency for every scenario. No matter how this plays out, he either comes out on top or slides away unscathed.

"Alright. I'm assuming you already have a plan in motion since you so openly approached me?" Hiashi replied, with a steel cold look in his eyes.

Danzo allowed himself to smirk this one time. After all, everything did play out just like he planned.

E/N: That's scene. Please leave a review if you liked the chapter. Reviews are a writer's encouragement. Seeing people enjoy our works only makes us want to improve what we do. Thanks for the patience and have a good day. Until next time.