Announcement: UPDATED THE A/N (aka chapter 1) AND SUMMARY OF THE STORY
Also, I was listening to a GI Liyue OST relaxing music playlist whilst typing the first part (omoide). Highly encouraged to listen to this wonderful game's music :)
P.S. Extra long chapter as a late update apology!
Happy Reading!
Thinking
"Bijuu speaking"
Something Else
*Japanese (non-usual)
Kotonatta [異なった]
English Meaning(s) for 異なった
Different /Differed
異な("Kotona") unexpectedly
った("tta") it was
《Arc 2: Academy days: Enter, Genin!》
–Part 4–
Omoide "memories": Naruto (9 years old)
Waist-length blonde hair danced in the wind. A beam of sun fell over her eyes as blonde lashes fluttered open to reveal her crystalline bright blue eyes. For a moment, the child appreciated the peaceful singing of birds, the rustling of the leaves and branches above her head, and the few sunlight that filtered through her shade.
Shifting beside her, the young girl smiled as her fox friend snuggled deeper to her side. She lifted a small hand to gently pet Aki's soft fur.
"Naruto"
Hearing her godfather's voice calling out to her, she sat up, only to be met with a peculiar sight. A woman with long brown hair held the arm of a man wearing an ANBU mask. Beside them was another ANBU man who was heavily covered by a black cloak.
Gently standing to not bother her fox, Naruto stood up to meet up with her godfather and guests. As she stood beside the towering man with spiky white hair, she quietly observed the three unknown persons.
"These three are sense's newly drafted ANBU team— Gin", A hand on her head made her lookup to see the warm smile of Jiraiya. "Go on," he urged, "introduce yourself, gaki"
"Ah," blinking and blushing in embarrassment, Naruto gave the three a bright smile, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet ya!"
"I'm Haru, Naruto-chan" hearing the brunette woman speak with a warm voice, Naruto couldn't help but look at her in awe.
Such a warm smile and chakra.
Milky white eyes stayed empty.
Oh.
The blonde froze for a moment, and Naruto flinched as the woman gave her a sad smile. Blue eyes watched as the woman slowly moved towards her before kneeling, "does my eyes make you uncomfortable, Naru?"
The blonde child glanced at her godfather who remained stoic. 'Ah, I'm on my own', looking back to those empty eyes but warm smile and chakra, Naruto shook her head, "nah, your chakra is warm, neechan"
Haru gave her a smile, and Naruto blushed.
"I'm glad, Naru-chan" a slender hand gently patted her head, "over there are my friends. Kyo and Kitsune." As if it were a signal, the two masked men came forward.
And broke all of Naruto's expectations as a hand escaped the clutches of the black cloak to roughly ruffle her hair. A whine escaped Naruto's lips as she glared at the Kitsune ANBU.
"Hey, that hurts!"
"Sorry, brat, I was just too excited to say hi!" a laugh escaped the man
Naruto froze once more.
Because, for a moment, the laugh felt familiar.
"Naru-chan," the warm voice of Haru-nee shook Naruto away from her thoughts, "this silent one is Kyo, he's mute"
"Oh," mumbling, Naruto peered at the ANBU who was shorter than Kitsune but taller than her, "nice to meet you Kyo-san!"
Kyo only nodded.
She sweatdropped.
"Naruto," Jiraiya called with a grin, immediately catching Naruto's attention, "from today on, these three will be teaching you. I hope you learn well from them"
Brightening up from the prospect of having new teachers. Bowing her respect, Naruto beamed at the three, "please take care of me, Haru-nee, Kyo-san, Kitsune-baka!"
"Why am I baka?!"
"Because you are!"
That was the day Naruto met the Gin ANBU team.
*end of memory*
Chapter 22: Team
"You called?"
The door creaked open to reveal a disheveled twelve-year old Shikamaru. The boy paused as he took in the visage of his father.
The smile directed to Shikamaru despite the bags underneath the man's eyes. The stacks of papers on his father's desk. The mere simplicity of it all shook the regressor down to his core.
'I just want you to stay alive this time, Dad' a voice whispered, somehow sounding like his voice, within the depths of his mind.
"Son?"
Shaking his head, the Nara heir entered with a smirk. "You look tired, Oyaji"
His old man rolled his eyes, "maybe a certain son of mine would like to help his old man out"
Shikamaru snorted as he sat down on the chair across his father's desk, "heck no"
"I tried" the Nara head chuckled, before handing Shikamaru a folder
Arching a brow, the boy accepted before browsing the contents.
"The teams, as I told you, have been settled. There will be three graduate genin teams this year. The rest will be put under the reserved corps," Shikaku reported, reclining in his chair as he sipped from his already cold coffee, frowning at his cold coffee, "team 7 under Hatake Kakashi, team 8 under Yūhi Kurenai, and team 10 under Sarutobi Asuma"
Ah.
The visage of a scruffy faced man lying down on the rooftop. Cold rain wrapping a deathly embrace— signifying what was to come. Whispered words. A proud smile…
The death of his teacher.
Shikamaru's first death.
"Shika?"
Shaking away his thoughts, the boy nodded to his father, face blank— his past hidden once more, along with his torrent of emotions. "Understood, how did the civilian council react to the new academic requirements?"
He watched his father sigh, fingers tapping on the wooden desk, "As planned, they didn't know. Hokage-sama had announced this to the Shinobi council, and was fully supported by all the heads, including the advisors. But the civilians has no idea that despite some of their children are graduating doesn't necessarily mean they'll be drafted in the main corps"
The academic change. A plan that Shikamaru had placed slowly into action as soon as he stepped foot into the academy. By his father's support, along with the Yamanaka and Akimichi heads, also known as his uncles, there was a drastic change in the academy from his current life rather than the disastricity of his past life.
All children of Konoha are welcome to enroll for the academy. But unlike his past life, the civilians are no longer favored, neither are the noble clan children honored.
This time, there is a fairer chance and less trauma for the children, starting with the graduating batch above him.
To join the Academy, one must take several tests— the tests are used to determine the state of the child. Unlike before, there are no failures on the Academy entrance test.
Leaving the Academy is another matter. Anyone can quit anytime, as long as the proper papers are submitted. Shikamaru did not hear any interesting quits after having entered their second year of the Academy.
Throughout the four years within the Academy, lessons and tests are given. These are used to accurately measure the growth of each student. This includes their current skill and potential. Which leads up to the final graduation test.
The final graduation test measures the overall competence of each student, along with the prior data, are used to team up each student and assign a proper team mentor, and if possible, individual masters. Unlike before, where students can only graduate the Academy by displaying the basics, and then undergo a "secret" genin test based on each team leader— this time, students that leave the Academy under their mentors are already full-fledged shinobis.
This means that, to graduate from the Academy, your results over the years already determine whether you graduate as a reserved genin— individuals that would most likely grow only until the Chunin level at most, or one of the elite shinobis.
It also means that people like Sasuke who displayed a constant strength in stealth may be recommended to ANBU in some years down the line. Or for Ino to be trained for the Intel corps, regarding her constant strength in gathering data. This includes Shikamaru who made a tactical and constant score of below average to display his intellect as something more than normal.
This time, those graduating are individuals that are ensured to be the elite and the potential.
Not surprisingly, it was the so-called "rookie 9" of his past life.
"How was Naruto tested, Oyaji?" Shikamaru asked, placing the folder back on his father's desk.
"Jiraiya-sama's constant reports and Naruto's annual tests under the Gin-ANBU team and Genma's team were compiled," the boy's lips twitched as he watched his father sigh in exasperation, "it was a hassle as the reports were as messy as the girl being tested"
"Of course," Shikamaru unknowingly smiled in a fond fashion, "it's Naruto. What do you expect?"
"Anyways," his father rolled his eyes, "you should go to sleep. Your ninjutsu test is tomorrow—"
A sharp knock interrupted the rest of his father's words. And before a prompt could even leave the Nara head's lips, the door opened with a wide-eyed and panting Kasuga, "Shikaku-sama, my apologies for my rudeness but you are needed by the Hokage immediately," panicked eyes turned to Shikamaru, "you too, Shikamaru-sama"
"Kasuga?" both Nara men stood up, surprised and confused
"It's Naruto," a dread dropped within Shikamaru's stomach, "Naruto stole the scroll of sealing!"
"What?!"
Before his father could even turn to Shikamaru, the boy had already summoned his Shadows. In the next moment, the room was only occupied by a surprised Kasuga and an anxious Shikaku.
His head felt heavy, his eyes were swollen, and his face was extra pale from the lack of sleep. The squealing banshees also known as his female classmates weren't making things better. If anything, all he wants to do is curl up in his bed and fucking sleep..
Damn that stupid blonde.
Damn that traitorous Chunin.
If it weren't for them, Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't be suffering right now.
'Fuck my head,' he inwardly groaned. He just wanted the announcement of the team done and over with so he could sleep. 'Fuck, I sound like the Nara'
If only he didn't trail after Naruto, the idiot.
Honestly? Sasuke didn't mean to trail after the dumb blonde.
He was going back to his empty apartment after eating dinner. It was one of those days that he indulged by actually going to a restaurant to eat something on his own. As he was returning home, he felt the painfully familiar chakra of the blonde just as said blonde dashed towards the direction of the forest.
Sasuke wasn't supposed to follow, until he saw a man trailing after the blonde.
A familiar chin-length silver haired man.
"Mizuki?" the young Uchiha mumbled in confusion.
Sasuke knew it wasn't his business. But an annoying itch told him to follow. Henceforth, the next thing he knew, he was already trailing behind the two.
At some point, Mizuki got lost.
Not Sasuke.
It was with a bitter sigh that he knew where the blonde was going, and headed towards the said direction without the Chunin instructor knowing.
Which led him to his current situation.
The moon's position told the Uchiha that it was late. It was already past midnight. But the blonde continued to read through the giant scroll, sometimes writing down on a notebook that he pulled out sometime ago.
It was odd that Sasuke continued to watch the blonde, fingers resting on his holster, eyes bright red and twitching, on guard for any intruders.
'Why do you guard the same individual that you loathe?'
Why indeed, Sasuke wonders bitterly to his inner voice. He didn't know, but his instincts were telling him to secure the blonde's safety.
...and despite reminding himself over and over of how much he hates the blonde… he finds himself staying rooted on his spot.
When Iruka arrived, Sasuke was ready to pounce at the sudden arrival, but had refrained. He listened to Naruto's explanation that Mizuki had urged Naruto to steal the scroll of sealing with promises of extra credits to surely pass the graduation exam.
"Idiot," Sasuke mumbled with a frown, "you should have found that off rather than following through"
Before Iruka could even respond, weapons flew through the air— but Sasuke was faster. The Uchiha had already blocked each weapon, throwing it back to their caster, and landing squarely before the blonde and their Academy teacher.
"Suke?!" "Sasuke?!"
Ignoring the surprised calls behind him, he narrowed his family's eyes at the Chunin Instructor who froze.
The laugh that escaped the man that had attacked immediately told Sasuke that something was off.
The sudden gazes that surrounded them made Sasuke click his tongue in annoyance.
There were fifteen, at least.
"Hah. Sorry Uchiha Sasuke, but you should leave this demon alone. You too, Iruka" Mizuki called out, a crazed smile on his lips
"What are you doing, Mizuki?!"
Sasuke scowled, as the two men talked, his mind whirled in thoughts to get out of here. Glancing towards the blonde, blue eyes looked back to him.
A brief nod from the blonde made Sasuke pause.
Just like before, the two already knew what to do with a single glance.
Ignoring the strange emotions that roused within him, Sasuke eyed the direction he would charge.
"—the reason you're hated, Naruto?"
The words made Sasuke freeze.
"Don't you want to know why you were taken away from Konoha? The very reason why your beloved village despises you?"
The reason why Naruto left?
Sasuke eyed the blonde who hid his face under the shadows of his bangs. Iruka was shouting at Mizuki but the words were muffled in Sasuke's ears. His eyes were trained on the blonde's fists that were shaking, along with the rest of his body.
"Let me tell you, Naruto! Let me tell dear Sasuke too!"
The blonde suddenly snapped his head upwards, blue eyes filled with fear— directed towards Sasuke.
He… doesn't want him to know?
Scowling, the Uchiha rooted himself on the spot, ignoring the pleading look of the blonde, Sasuke looked at Mizuki who still had a crazed look.
"The reason is simple" a laugh of a madman echoed within the forests' clearing, "you, Naruto, on the day you were born—"
"Mizuki shut up!" Iruka charged forward, but Sasuke only watched as the men that surrounded them stopped him and held him captive
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto's scream echoed in Sasuke's head
Mizuki started to laugh once more. Just as the blonde started to charge forward, Sasuke moved. The Uchiha grasped Naruto's wrist, and the blonde whirled back, snarling.
"Sasuke, let go" blue eyes narrowed
"Yes! show the Uchiha who you are"
Naruto froze.
Sasuke only stayed, watching as panicked blue eyes dashed everywhere before pausing as red met blue.
"That you, Uzumaki Naruto, is the Nine-Tailed Fox!"
Mizuki's crazed grinning face shifted into a purple-haired female banshee with heart eyes.
"Sasuke-kuuuuuuuuun~!"
Shuddering, he was forcefully pushed out of his memories— and the chance of sleep— from the high pitch scream. Groaning, he pushed himself out of his chair. With the washroom as his destination, he mildly wobbled towards the direction of the door. 'Maybe I should wash my face—'
The taste of Ramen forcefully woke Sasuke up that day… along with something soft underneath him.
"You know, you're being an idiot"
Naruto could feel the red eyes boring into her soul. Ignoring her friend's words, she scowled as she turned, continuing to lie down on the wet floor of her sealing chamber.
"You shouldn't be lying down on the floor like that"
A groan escaped her lips, "Rama, do you have to be so noisy?"
"I'm just saying it, kit" A blonde brow twitch in annoyance as she could clearly hear the smug undertone, "I don't know why you care so much for that damn Uchiha"
"That damn Uchiha," Naruto rebutted, jumping up to her feet, her index finger pointed accusingly to her caged conversation partner, "is my friend!"
Kurama stared at her, and Naruto felt her face flushed with the feeling that said Nine-tailed fox is mocking her. "By the way, you're late"
"Late?" Blinking owlishly, Naruto felt dread as she watched the smirk appear on that furry muzzle
Blue eyes opening erratically to find herself in her room within the Nara estate, her eyes targeted the clock that sat peacefully atop her bedside desk.
8:06am
"FUCK IT I'M LATE!"
The chuckle emitting within her made her scowl. As she rushed to grab all her things, she ran out of her room through her window. But a glint made her pause.
Above her bed sat a metal plate with the symbol of konoha preciously carved on it. The plate was sown on a long black fabric that had the Uzumaki symbol stitched in bright orange at the edge.
Picking it up, a smile rose on her face, before she dashed away once more. The ends of the long black fabric of her Hitai-ate easily trailed after her as she jumped through the roofs. The glint of the sunlight caught her attention, and her blue eyes swept to the four great stone heads that looked over the village.
Naruto paused, eyes focused on the fourth.
"Dad, I'm a shinobi now," she softly said, smiling sadly
"..."
Rolling her blue eyes, she turned away from the statue, 'I can hear your pity, Kurama'
"If you don't want me pitying you, then don't do something pity-able, brat"
Grinning, she inwardly reassured her friend to not do something pity-able again. Despite the events of last night, she was honestly excited about finally being a Genin. 'I'm one step closer to my dream. After that, I can accomplish your dream, too, Rama'
"Tch. It's not my dream, kit. Focus on your own dreams" hearing the great being's grumbling voice made her laugh out loud.
As she was too busy being distracted, she realized too late from her perch outside the window, that Iruka was already about to enter the classroom. Panicking, since she'll officially be late once her sesei enters before her.
Dashing to the window to her classroom, she pushed it open— ignoring the screams and gasps of surprise from her classmate, she leaped in—
Completely forgetting that she was using chakra at the soles of her feet, and therefore, launching further than her designated landing point that was originally beside Ino and Choji.
An "oof" escaped her lips as she felt her body colliding against something, before something warm pressed against her lips, 'oddly, it tastes like... tomato?'
She heard Kurama snort, "Brat, you might want to open your eyes"
Blue eyes fluttered open, and upon meeting coal black eyes, it took a moment to realize what was happening. The sound of enraged screaming pierced through the stunned silence, before the boy above Naruto was all but thrown away, and the Uzumaki found herself at the back of the room, beside Shikamaru and Choji, and dozens of shadow tendrils surrounding them.
She blinked. Once. Twice. Then her eyes widened as her cheeks flushed a deep red, "did I… just kiss 'Suke?"
The windows shattered as the room plunged into darkness.
Guffawing laughter filled the Hokage's office upon Kakashi's arrival. Bewildered by the fact that everybody was ignoring his appearance, and rather, laughing either silently or loudly— specifically a man with a scruffy beard, who laughed so hard, he ended up falling on the floor.
Appearing beside the Third Hokage's side to peer down at the source of the room's confusion and laughter, the last Hatake was stumped to see it was coming from the crystal orb being used to stalk the newly Genin graduates, the same reason as to his appearance in the room.
A flash of gold within the orb made him freeze. 'Sensei?'
But just as he saw the flash of gold, his leader had already turned the orb off. Kakashi turned a focused look to his superior— he wouldn't usually be this disrespectful (okay, that's a bold-face lie BUT) somehow, Kakashi knows that the Sandaime was hiding a very important detail, specifically hiding it from him.
"I'm glad that all the Jounin had gathered today," the man spoke out with a warm smile, wise brown eyes twinkling in an amusement that wasn't visible to Kakashi. "You will all be meeting your future students later today, I hope that you treat them well and teach them the will of Fire"
The sound of the bell rang in the air, and as the Sandaime smirked at Kakashi's direction, the last student of Namikaze Minato felt dread. "Everyone," the old man spoke, evilness radiating behind that warm smile of a facade, "good luck."
If Kakashi said that he immediately went to meet his students, that would be a bold-face lie. Instead, he trailed after Sarutobi Asuma, following him to the older man's meeting point with his student.
Unlike before where the sensei will pick their prospective students from their classroom, the head teacher, in this case, one Umino Iruka, would announce for the students to go to a specific location to meet with their sensei. But of course, Kakashi decided that attaching himself to Asuma would be better entertainment than meeting some snot-nose kids.
The Sarutobi only took one look at Kakashi's eye-smile, sigh, and continued to walk. The Hatake arched his brow when he noticed they were going to the rooftop of the Hokage's office. "And here I thought I was lazy," he commented nonchalantly
Asuma grinned, pulling out a cigar and lighting it with ease, "it's called being practical. Also, unlike you, I don't plan to undergo my students with a test immediately"
The sound of bells jingling filled the air, "it's tradition," the sensei of the future team 7 commented easily, and Asuma looked down to the silver bells tied to thin red threads.
The sound of footsteps entered both elite shinobi ears.
"...fuck"
Kakashi, whose ears were sharper, grinned under his mask as he heard the familiar grumbling.
"Shikabaka?" a sort of familiar female voice asked, bewilderment obvious within the voice
Asuma rolled his eyes, jumping away to hide, leaving Kakashi to be the lone figure on the roof.
"I forgot Asuma was our sensei"
With that comment, all three children appeared before Kakashi. The silver-head shinobi was met with varying degrees of confusion— of course, except Shikamaru who met his eye, deadpan on his face.
"Hatake?" the Nara heir asked, "aren't you supposed to be with Naru?"
'Na...ru?'
Kakashi's lone eye widened at the question. Naruto was okay? She's back in Konoha? How did he not know?!
Shikamaru arched a brow at the ex-ANBU's visible shock face, mask be damned, it was obvious. 'Don't tell me he didn't know Naruto was back?' He wondered. But before he could even comment, Hatake disappeared…
...followed by a soft thud behind them.
"Is there a problem if I'm your sensei, Shikamaru?" a painfully familiar voice questioned, amusement thick in his voice. The scent of smoke and ashes whiffed through his nose, and as Ino and Choji choked, Shikamaru could only clench his fists.
"...fuck," muttering under his breath, the time traveller turned around. He knew Asuma would be younger than what he remembered, but to see the youthfulness that he missed. To see his dead sensei alive, okay, breathing.
It took almost everything to not burst into tears like when he first saw his dad.
"Alright. Let's introduce ourselves, shall we?"
After the initial first impressions, Shikamaru found himself sitting with his teammates, facing their sensei just like back then. As Ino started speaking, Shikamaru could only stay silent and stare at his sensei.
It was easy, too easy to ignore that Asuma was alive all these years since he came back. Afterall, the man was in the Capital, serving his time as a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He knew he couldn't hide from his sensei forever, but Shikamaru still didn't feel ready—
A sharp nudge to his side brought him out of his spiraling thoughts, "Shikabaka, hey!"
"Uh?" he unintelligently questioned, looking at Ino who was glaring at him unamusedly
"It's your turn, idiot" the lone female of the team huffed, "get your head out of the gutter"
"Are you okay, Shikamaru?" Choji asked, brows furrowed in worry
"Ah," nodding at Choji, Shikamaru turned to Asuma before pausing for a brief moment. "I'm Nara Shikamaru. Heir to the Nara Clan." pausing, Shikamaru looked at the Hokage faces that was just above their heads, specifically focusing on the last head, he smirked, "and my goal is to make Uzumaki Naruto a Hokage Konoha will never forget"
Kakashi felt like he stopped breathing as he dashed to training ground three, the same place he told Iruka he would meet his future team. As he ran, his mind ran faster. Images of a tiny blonde girl with vibrant blue eyes and a smile as warm as the sun.
The same golden child unconscious, being carried away from him.
The same child he had failed multiple damn times.
He came to a sudden halt on a tree. Three children lounged around the memorial stone. A pinkette who was reading a book. A ravenette asleep under the shade of a tree…
And a blonde child painting seals, a furry red fox curled up beside her.
Kakashi slunked against the tree he was on. His eyes visibly wide as he continued to stare at the blonde child. 'Why did she come back? Wasn't it safer away from the village that caused her so much harm? Away from me?'
Much more importantly. His fists clenched. 'Hokage-sama didn't tell me about this development. I refuse to teach sensei's child.'
"I didn't tell you because I knew you would run away"
Whirling around, Kakashi growled under his breath as he faced his leader. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with a sad smile, Jiraiya frowning just a few paces away.
"Speak freely sensei," the self-proclaimed pervert said, picking his ear nonchalantly, "I sealed this place so no one can sense or hear us"
"I had a right to know. You only told me that Sasuke was to be my student." thrusting out a hand to wave towards the direction of the waiting children, Kakashi narrowed his eye, "never did you talk about sensei's child"
"Hatake Kakashi."
The sudden pressure made him bow his head. Hands shaking, he clenched them tightly as he focused to gasp for the sudden loss of breath. Gritting his teeth, his eyes closed tightly. 'I've gone too far'.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, the killing intent faded away, and Kakashi met the kind, grandfatherly eyes of his leader once more. "Kakashi, I understand you feel guilty for not being able to protect Naruto when she was younger," he flinched, "but you must understand that I'm entrusting Naruto to you because I trust you. Minato trusts you."
'Sensei… trusts me?' Frowning, he shifted his gaze to the blonde that found her way beside the pinkette female, both conversing animatedly, 'but my dream…'
It would have been easy to say that the source of Kakashi's fear was the fact that he had failed to protect the Namikaze heiress several times in her childhood. But if he were to be honest, that wasn't the only reason.
Kakashi closed his eyes, and with a shift of his chakra, found himself in the clearing, stared by surprised gazes of his future team. Glaring down at them with an indifferent eye, he held his hand out, and the clinking sound of the silver bells captured his audience's attention.
If Kakashi can't quit being their sensei…
"My name is Hatake Kakashi," eye smiling, he raised his killer intent, "Trust me when I say I will do everything in my power to have you quit my team"
"You have until sunrise. Capture these bells from me or suffer the consequences." Pointing in the direction of Konoha, he smirked under his mask, "best for you to know that this test has no limitations except for the time." He gave them his signature eye smile, "good luck."
Kakashi left his gaping students and unamused leader with a cheery wave of his fingers.
...Then he'll just have to make sure to let them quit being his students.
A/N:
Apologies for the late post! Been helluva busy with work and sideline work… And I have to admit I was also busy with reading Manhuas. Anyways, as stated above, I've decided to update the "first page" of this fanfic as it's past a year already. I hope to update the next chapter ASAP.
I also want to give a big thank you to those who have been with this story since a year ago :) Thank you! And I hope everyone will continue to support this fic.
Reply/s:
Yochan123 I'm glad you love this chapter :D Fluff is the best, and shadow hugging is basically back hugging but better! Hehe. I might actually consider posting in Ao3 and Wattpad, but I haven't had the time yet. Might do it soon, though!
Skorpina18 I love ShikaNaru fluff too :3 About Naru catching the messages… well, Naruto's still as dense as ever so we shall see :3 Yes! Sakura will be different because she has so much potential it's a waste ;w; Thank you for enjoying and your wonderful comments! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations.
HyakinthosP Thank you! Also for the grammar mistake, I apologize as I didn't notice it right away. I hope you continue to enjoy this story!
Alexiewinters I'm glad! Thank you for your heartwarming comments, and I hope you continue to support this story, too!
Nikolailantsox this is just a sneak peak of the interaction with their senseis ;) expect more in the near future!
DreamSlytherin17710 Thank you! The confusion is sometimes deliberate, hope it wasn't too confusing though! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :) Please continue to support this story!
yukihime88 I'm thankful for your desire to still read this story even after my long hiatus! Thank you for your encouraging words and I hope that you'll continue to support me and this story!
Next Chapter Preview
"...you're…"
"You become Naruto's sensei, Kakashi, but… she dies on her sixteenth birthday"
…
"Naruto-san?"
"Urk!"
"...Sasuke-kun?"
"Hn?!"
"...What the heck?"
…
"Naru…"
"I'm okay, Shika, just a lil' tired"
…
"Kitsune!"