This was a double upload! Don't skip the chapter that comes before this one! You will regret it! With that out of the way, read on!

For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

- Jesus Christ

Secrets Revealed

Spiky gray hair danced in the wind as Kakashi Hatake walked the streets of Konoha, the singular eye standing in contrast to the mostly covered face and oozing that familiar sense of laziness and calmness melded into one. To the outside world, the lazy, impassive glare signaled an inner calm, a rational shinobi mind that analyzed any situation and adapted accordingly, a mind that stood unshaken in the worst of circumstances. If only they knew how it was unraveling on the inside.

Slowly, the gray-haired head tilted downwards, staring at the two books that had just slid from under the armpit of the dark green Jounin vest. The sound of an uneasy gulp barely touched the air, a chill traveling through the fairly composed body and eliciting a silent shudder from the mask-covered lips. What knowledge rested in these weathered hands... Knowledge meant for the privileged, knowledge hidden from an entire generation, knowledge long forbidden.

Written in not so elegant lettering across the top was the title: History of the Uchiha. The dull black cover signaled its age and the faded red lettering completed the look. Near the bottom of the cover sat a single Sharingan. Quite disturbingly, it was the only part of the book that didn't look faded. It simply sat there in vibrant red, almost as if it were staring into your soul, waiting for the moment you dropped your guard to plunge you into a genjutsu so dark and deep you'd never escape its grasp. But that was its power, wasn't it? To entice and lure. The book hadn't even been on the agenda for today, but once it had been spotted, it couldn't be refused. The singular Sharingan taunted all who passed by with whispers of knowledge hidden within. Would you pass by a chance to discover the secrets of the cryptic clan, especially when you knew someone tormented by its secrets? Not a chance. The book had to be searched out and the depths of its knowledge plundered, and they had been.

A heavy sigh touched the air as the weathered hands shifted to the next book. It had a single word for its title: Jinchuriki. Unlike the previous book, the cover was plain, nothing but dull gold lettering contrasted by a dull black cover. Somehow that made it even more disturbing, almost as if the book had such deep, dark secrets hidden within that it wouldn't dare reveal any of them so easily. You would have to open it and take the plunge, and when you did, oh, the things you would find. Tales of creatures straight from myth and vessels made from men; proof that myth was very real and legend in the world.

Eventually, the gray-haired head lifted, and the books were tucked away into the sweaty crook of the armpit. Konoha was so hot nowadays. In the distance, the desired destination drew near. Almost there.

The scratchy footsteps slowed to a halt at the end of the dirt path, Sakura's house looming a few feet away. The single lazy eye looked up towards the second story, spotting her bedroom window. With a silent sigh and a quick leap, the gloved hands and sandaled feet stuck to the wall, a small stream of chakra making it easy to vault from the gutter to the window in one go. The half-finger gloves wrapped around the bottom of the dark green window frame and with a small grunt, it slid open, a silent squeak coming from the worn mechanism. A silent gust rushed into the room and, like any well-trained ninja, the nimble copy ninja slid in with it, passing through the tiny opening and landing perfectly on two feet. The single eye quickly flitted downwards, looking over the Jounin attire critically. Immediately, a gloved hand lifted to brush off the dust that had found its way onto the green flak jacket. The vigor hidden in every swipe showed slight annoyance at the inconvenience, but the single eye remained focused until the jacket was clean. Finally, it lifted to examine the room. When it did, it nearly rolled out of its socket.

There on Sakura's bed sat another Kakashi, his darkened form hunched over with his elbows on his knees. Despite the lights being off, his lazy stare could still be seen. The silence dragged on and on until, finally, the Kakashi that had come in through the window spoke. "Well, this is awkward..."

In his usual drab tone, the Kakashi sitting on the bed replied, "Impersonating a Jounin is a serious criminal offense."

The other Kakashi's single eye narrowed. "So is breaking into a girl's room."

"Your mom let me in."

The other Kakashi swallowed and there was a brief pause. "Well, I didn't," came the slightly sassy reply.

Awkward silence coated the atmosphere as one uncovered eye stared at another, a sort of lazy tension lingering between them.

"You should probably turn on the lights," the Kakashi sitting on the bed said nonchalantly. The other Kakashi paused, then, with pursed lips, complied, walking over to the room entrance and turning on the lights with a flick of the finger.

"I must admit that seeing myself walking down the street today was an unexpected turn of events." said the Kakashi on the bed. "To think that someone would be gutsy enough to impersonate me of all people... Would've never thought it."

The other Kakashi remained silent for a bit then shrugged lightly, gaze wandering to the ground. "I had to try something..."

"Hm," Kakashi responded, his lazy stare lingering for a bit on his oddly crafty twin. Sighing, he continued. "Can you lose the disguise, please. It feels like I'm talking to myself. It's weird..."

Frowning, the imposter walked over from the light switch to the vanity and cleared a small area to set down the books. With a silent sigh, the weary arms lifted, and the gloved hands came together to form the familiar hand sign. Immediately, the transformation jutsu disappeared, a small puff of smoke filling the room. The sooner the transformation jutsu was gone, the sooner the pink bangs had returned, as had the soft skin and jade eyes. With her head lowered, she continued rearranging things, leaning on silence as her crutch.

"You've been busy," Kakashi said.

Her shoulders lifted in a light shrug. "Someone ought to be," she whispered. The pink bangs swirled lightly as she turned to him, voice silent but questioning. "What are you doing here anyway? You're supposed to be going after Sasuke."

"What are you doing impersonating me?"

Sakura's head fell towards the ground and she shifted her weight onto the vanity, leaning against the wooden piece of furniture and crossing her arms.

"No one would tell me what was going on." she finally said, one side of her lips curling down into a frown. "I tried to find out myself, but-"

"You didn't have clearance." Kakashi finished.

Her frown deepened and she nodded humbly.

"So your solution was to use a transformation jutsu to act like you were me?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said softly. "I thought it'd be simple, and it was." Vibrant jade met dark gray as she shrugged lightly. "I got what I wanted."

"And what was that?" he said, gaze shifting to the books on her vanity.

Her eyes followed his and she answered softly, "Info."

Kakashi's lazy stare returned to her. "And how does that feel?"

After thinking about it for a bit, her gaze fell downwards as if she was looking down into some faraway land. "Wrong," she said finally, looking up with her lips in a frown. "Like I put my nose where it didn't belong."

Kakashi's lips did something invisible under his mask.

"But I don't regret it." she clarified, the soft face hardening. "I did what I had to do."

"I see," Kakashi replied, lazy eye glued to her person. "What if Okina knew I was supposed to be out of the village?" he continued.

"He did."

Kakashi's single eye narrowed.

"He said he thought you were supposed to be out of town. I told him he shouldn't believe everything he hears."

"So you lied."

"No, I used my skills as a ninja to cleverly conceal the truth."

Kakashi's lips did another invisible motion under his mask and he continued eyeing her with his usual lazy stare. Continuing, he asked, "Do you have any idea what would've happened if someone noticed you weren't really me?"

There was a brief pause as she looked away, head facing downwards. "Yeah," she said softly. "It would've been bad... But," she said defensively, lifting her eyes to meet his. "You're the one always telling us to take calculated risks and leverage our strengths, that's all I did."

"So taking a calculated risk and leveraging your strengths means walking around the village disguised as me to steal information far above your rank?"

"Chakra control is my strength," she stated. "The chances of someone noticing something was off with me was low. All I had to do was avoid running into the people I noticed and avoid long conversations with the ones I didn't."

"And how exactly did you do that?"

"I just acted like I was too absorbed in that little orange book you carry around. With everything going on, I think most people saw you and thought you were trying to get away from reality." The pink bangs jostled lightly as she shrugged. "No one's gonna hold a conversation if they think you don't want one."

"What a great look for me. Detached and not in control of my emotions."

"I'm sorry," she said, face earnest. "But it was the only thing I could think of to convince people I was you."

Kakashi shook his head lowly. "You shouldn't have done that, Sakura."

"I had no choice."

"We always have a choice."

She stared at him for an inordinate period of time then nodded, pursing her lips. "Ok, then be honest with me. If I had come to you, would you have chosen to tell me the truth?"

"That's irrelevant."

Sakura scoffed lightly. "My team is falling apart and you choosing to tell me why is irrelevant?"

Kakashi remained silent.

"I'm sorry, Sensei, but I can't just follow the rules anymore. Not when it means I won't know anything about the people I care about."

Kakashi sat in silence after the statement, his single eye watching her lazily, or at least it looked like it was. With how impassive his face looked on a regular basis, she couldn't be sure.

"The Hokage already knows of your actions," he finally said, breaking eyesight and looking down. "She wants to speak with you as soon as possible."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You ratted on me?!"

He lifted his head. "Yes, Sakura. It's protocol."

The shock on her face could not be overstated. "How could you do that to me?!" she yelled. "I could lose my rank as genin!"

The silver hair fell as he lowered his head once more. "I'm sorry. It had to be done."

After those words, came a dead silence, the air in the room thickening with each passing second.

"You of all people?" Sakura finally breathed, the beryl eyes shimmering as a watery film slowly glazed over them. "Why?" she whispered. "Why would you do that?"

His frown was apparent. "I already told you it's protocol, Sakura. I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do."

"A-a-are you afraid I'm gonna turn into some kind of rebel like Naruto and Sasuke?" she asked, voice shaky. "T-t-t-that this is the start of some tumble down a dark path that ends with me abandoning the village?"

"No, Sakura."

"Then explain it to me!" came her outburst. "If anything, you should be proud of me! I basically took everything you taught me and put it into practice!"

"This isn't about what I taught you," he replied. "And it's not about making me proud. It's about the code. You can't use your abilities against your own village. You know that."

Sakura paused, then scoffed lightly, and looked away, arms crossed as she bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall. "You know, what exactly did you teach me? Last I remember you pawned Naruto off on Ebisu, left me out to dry, and focused all your attention on Sasuke, who happens to not even be here anymore!"

"Sakura," Kakashi said, sighing. "Calm down."

"No!" she said, stomping a foot. "You were one of the only people I had left and you ratted on me! How could you not see what that would do to me?! I already lost both my teammates and now I can't even trust you anymore!" At the end of her rant was a brief pause, then came the silent sob she had been trying so hard to hold in. "My own sensei..." she whispered, the pink bangs covering her face as she dropped her head.

Kakashi's single eye crinkled his pain as he watched the scene, the small girl's body rising and falling with each sniffle. Despite her tears, her cries were subdued, each sniffle barely touching the air. At her sides, he could see her fists balled, shaking ever so slightly. The lazy eye returned to her tear-streaked face and he sighed.

With a silent grunt, he rose to his feet, kneeling on one knee in front of her and softly holding her by the shoulders. "Sakura," he said silently. "I didn't say you were losing your rank as genin. And I didn't say you were some kind of rebel. All I said was the Hokage wanted to see you. Ok?"

"What's the difference?" she said.

"You won't know until you go see her," he replied.

The room fell silent at his words and the only sound to touch the air was the steady ticking of the circular clock on the wall. Despite the punctuated silence, she felt no pressure to respond. Instead, she kept her head bowed, and her gaze cast off to the side. It didn't matter how he tried to justify it, what story he tried to spin - she couldn't accept what he had done. For how many times he had given them a pass, taken the fall for what they did, bent the rules just far enough to let them get by, how could he just...turn her in? All of that trust just...shattered. Her heart ached and her stomach churned. Why was everyone she trusted letting her down? The tears came rushing back and she shut her eyes to stop them. First Sasuke, then Naruto, now this. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she didn't have anybody at all. She was sitting here making a big deal about this like it was some massive betrayal. It wasn't. It was just another bump in the road on her path to loneliness.

"Sakura," she heard Kakashi say firmly. At the sound of her name, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, the tired eyelids lifting ever so slightly. Still, she kept her gaze off to the side.

"Sakura," he said more firmly, gripping her shoulders. Her eyes drifted back to him involuntarily, reddish lines now stretching towards the emerald orbs. "You can trust me," he stressed. "Always."

Her response was complete and utter silence, not because she didn't have anything to say, but because it was the only way to make sure she didn't say something she'd really regret in her rage. Leave it to that gray-haired buffoon to turn her in and then talk about "trusting him always". Right now, trust was the last thing on her mind. Heck, one part of her just wanted to turn away and tell him to get out. Why she didn't was a mystery even she couldn't figure out completely. It probably had something to do with her better half. You had better believe she was seriously considering it though... Instead, she settled for staring mercilessly into the dark gray eye, a small part of her wondering what it would be like to punch him right in his lazy-eyed face. She might have the guts to try it if she wasn't afraid he'd report her for assault. Add that to her rap sheet.

Sighing, she let her eyelids fall shut. Despite her angry mental ramblings, there was a small part of her that had heard what he had to say, and even though she didn't want to, she wondered if she should allow him the slightest bit of credence. Wordlessly, she turned away, pondering his words. 'You can trust me, always.' Could she? Could she really? Would she be a fool to believe? To think that there was somehow a silver lining or redeemable purpose in all this? Her jaw clenched as she eyed the familiar face, looking for a reason to trust him despite what he'd done. A snort nearly left her lips at the prospect of finding one in the present. That most definitely wasn't happening. Looking to the future was just as useless, seeing as it hadn't happened. Reluctantly, she turned to the past, trying to remember the sensei she had come to know and love.

Faint, hazy images flooded her mind. Images of the sensei that always had some stupid excuse for being late; the sensei that acted like he didn't want to pay for meals, but always picked up the tab; the sensei that gave her affectionate pats on the head; the sensei that knew the bond between teacher and student. Had he ever really been there? Was he simply an illusion? Had she fooled herself into seeing something she wanted to see, all the while missing the cold reality? In an attempt to find the answer, she fixed her gaze on the mostly covered face, trying to see past the mask and through the lazy exterior to the man beneath. It was hard to tell now. His face was closer than usual and it changed him. Near his eye, she could see a number of wrinkles she had never noticed before. And inwardly, she wondered if his singular eye was always so baggy. Had his singular eyebrow always been that sharp? They were such small things that they changed his appearance only so slightly, but she knew him well enough to notice. He almost appeared as one she didn't recognize...but she did. A little weathered, a little bruised, battered by the elements, worn out around the edges - but, yes, her sensei.

In silence, she dropped her head. Fine...maybe he wasn't a total fraud. With what he had done, it was hard to see him as anything else, but it seemed the sensei she knew was in there somewhere. Didn't mean she wasn't still a little ticked off though. Leave it to him to basically throw her to the dogs and then tell her to trust him. Such a Kakashi thing to do. She could practically hear his lazy voice boring into her skull. 'Hi Sakura, just gonna turn you in to the Hokage for impersonating a Jounin, who also happens to be me. Sorry, not gonna take the fall for you this time. Still your sensei though. Ja ne. (insert eye smile)' He was probably gonna pat her on the head for good measure. With a heavy sigh, she let her eyes fall shut. Leave it to him to turn a flat-out betrayal into...whatever this was. Frowning, she opened her eyes to face him, a hint of anger still apparent from how her eyebrows creased.

"Fine," she said silently. "I believe you."

The dark blue cloth curved at Kakashi's smile. "Good," he said softly.

"But do I have to go?" she pleaded. "Can't she just look over it or something?"

Kakashi smiled softly. "It's an official summons, Sakura. Either you go willingly or they send a very specific cat-man to come get you."

"A cat...man?"

"Yeah, trust me," he said, grunting as he rose to his feet. "You don't want it to come to that."

She remained silent for a bit, then whispered, "Whatever, I guess..."

Kakashi's single eye crinkled in that same gleeful squint she was used to and he gave her two pats on the head. "You're gonna be ok, Sakura."

There it goes, she thought, accepting them lowly. "You don't have to make it all mushy," she grumbled.

Smiling, he slid his hands into the pockets of the dark green Jounin vest. "Sorry, I'll try to bring it down a bit."

"It's fine, I guess," she whispered, wiping at her eyes.

Kakashi's smile faded and he turned his gaze to her vanity, the single eye returning to its lazy stare as he took a few steps forward. One hand slid out of his Jounin vest and he picked up the first of the two books, tilting it slightly. The single Sharingan stared at him in response. "How much do you know?" he asked.

Her gaze settled on the familiar cover and then fell to the ground. "Everything..."

"So you understand," Kakashi said, setting the book down softly.

"Yeah, I guess..."

"It doesn't help does it?" he asked silently.

Sakura's lips pursed downwards. "No, not really... It still hurts the same." There was a slight pause before she continued. "But at least I know they didn't leave for nothing." Lightly, her shoulders lifted, and she continued, voice soft. "What happened to them was messed up. Couldn't expect them to stay forever..."

"But you wish they had," Kakashi said, back still to her. "If only for you."

Sakura looked away, eyes on the ground. "Yeah...I do."

Without saying anything else, he slid his hand back into his pocket, eyes still on the worn book cover. "You asked me why I was here earlier," he continued, lips falling into a grim line as the silver brow furrowed. "One of our spies reported back to us. Sasuke is with Orochimaru now."

Immediately, her head lifted to attention, the jade eyes snapping over to him without missing a beat. The single word barely left her lips. "What?"

His eyes finally left the book cover and he turned around to face her. "Konoha has allies, Sakura. We got in contact with some of our friends near the Sound. They confirmed his arrival."

With those words came an unsettling silence, the air in the room thickening considerably. In the silence, Sakura could feel a nervous tingle on her skin, like that feeling you get when you can feel bad news dangling in the air. After a brief pause, she took a few steadying breaths and wet her lips, determined not to panic needlessly. "So, what does that mean?" she asked silently.

Kakashi eyed her for a little longer than usual, then let his gaze fall to the ground. "It means that Konoha has decided that Sasuke's retrieval is too risky to pursue at the moment. He's still a priority, but we aren't going after him while he's on foreign soil." There was a brief pause and Kakashi sighed. "Instead, we're gonna wait him out, see if..."

As Kakashi's words faded to garble, she could feel the blood rushing from her ears, a faint whir ringing through them as if an explosive tag had gone off just a few feet away. The world around her seemed to grind to a halt, and her mouth suddenly felt drier than Suna in summer. Awkward silence lingered for what felt like an eternity before she gulped silently, a shaky breath leaving her lips soon after. Slowly, she could feel her chest starting to rise and fall, every breath feeling a little shakier than the last. In her ears, she could hear the steady two-beat thumping of her heart starting to spiral out of control. Her stomach felt as if it had fallen to the floor. The jade eyes appeared as if behind a glossy film, her gaze lost and distant as if staring into some faraway land. The world seemed to blur into a whitish haze.

"Sakura?... Sakura?"

The constant repeating of her name lulled her back to reality and a series of rapid blinks sent the haze away. "So, wait," she said, brows pinching together. "That's just it? We're abandoning him?"

"We're not abandoning him, Sakura. We'll get him back, but when the time is right."

"What does that mean?"

"It means right now isn't the right time, and we have to wait until it is."

With a scoff, Sakura looked away, the jade eyes showing her inner turmoil. "Sensei, why do we always have an excuse for the messed-up things we do? Sasuke's clan? Naruto's whole life? Now, we're just leaving Sasuke to rot? Why do we always find a way to say it's ok?"

Kakashi was silent for a moment, then shrugged lowly. "I can't answer that for you."

Sakura let her eyes fall shut and exhaled deeply, her hands balling up into fists at her sides. "Why can't we just go in there and get him back?"

Kakashi's face remained unchanged. "When Orochimaru wanted to attack Konoha, he planned and waited for months, maybe even years. Why do you think that is?"

"Because he's a snake," she scoffed. "It's what he does."

"An attack on a hidden village isn't something you just do, Sakura. You avoid it at all costs. Plus, Konoha is weakened right now, even if most won't admit it."

"If we're avoiding it all costs, how are we ever gonna get Sasuke back?"

"We'll get him when he's on the move. That's what you do. You don't go through ten thousand people for one person, not when you can just catch that person alone."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again but stopped short, realizing it was no use. The decision had already been made. Kakashi was just letting her know what already was. As that realization set in, she could feel the water pooling in her eyes; her vision blurring once more. At first, she thought they would be tears of sadness, shed in mourning at the loss of her one true love - they weren't. If there was one word to describe what she felt, it was anger. If there was another, it was slighted. They weren't even going to try. They weren't even going to try... Slowly, she could feel that same sinking feeling settling in her stomach, that all too familiar feeling of her world crashing down and hitting her with full force rushing back. It wasn't alone this time. Right by its side was the raw feeling of hope dying a slow, painful death. The vague hope of Sasuke's return had been something she was stubbornly holding on to, but now it flickered like a singular flame on the verge of dying out. Kakashi was here to finish the job.

"I'm not gonna see him again, am I?" she said, swallowing lightly as her lips curved downwards.

Kakashi's pained frown could be seen through the dark blue cloth. "No, Sakura. At least not for a while."

Slowly, she nodded, biting her bottom lip. He was really gone, wasn't he? He was really gone...

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, the silver hair falling as he dropped his head. "I wish things were different."

"You know," she replied, the angry tears still resting in her eyes. "You once said something about those who abandon their friends... What are we?"

Kakashi stood silent for a moment, his single eye falling towards the ground. After a brief pause, he answered, gaze never lifting back up. "We're ninja, Sakura... We're ninja."

Sakura's frown grew. That wasn't the answer... Still, she questioned, "Then is it really worth it...to be a ninja?"

The essence of her question brought with it a heaviness that permeated the room, its weightiness punctuated by the lingering silence. In the end, Kakashi offered nothing but a light shrug. "That's for you to decide."

Another silent spell passed between them and Sakura looked away, the jade eyes falling towards the carpeted ground as she dropped her head. "What about Naruto?" she asked softly.

Kakashi lifted his head, sighing deeply. "No word yet from Jiraiya, but it's likely he's made contact by now. Hopefully, the two of them are on their way back."

"You think he caught him?"

"Hopefully, it didn't come to that. The best thing would be if he was able to talk some sense into him."

"You really think that's possible? I've known Naruto for a while and when he makes up his mind to do something, he doesn't stop." A silent huff left her lips. "Most times it doesn't feel like anything can stop him."

"If Jiraiya isn't able to talk him down then he'll capture him eventually. It's just a matter of time."

"You think he'll get to him before Ryoshi?"

Kakashi paused briefly. "I don't know. But what I do know is that it's a dangerous world out there, even for a jinchuriki. If Ryoshi is the one to bring him in, it's still better than him being out there on his own."

Sakura looked away silently, brows furrowing as her lips pursed downwards. "It isn't right that he's just out there on his own. It's our fault. All of this is happening because we weren't fair to him." Her gaze fell a bit more and she whispered, "I wasn't fair to him."

"Don't make it all about what you did, Sakura. No one was really fair to Naruto."

Sakura's lips pressed together, and her jaw clenched. The truth was so blatantly ugly that it made her stomach turn, yet no one had seen it before. Or maybe no one had the guts to do anything about it. Either way, it took a wake-up call in the form of him running away to finally get everyone's attention. It was sad. Over the years, treating him like absolute garbage had become so commonplace that it was basically the natural order of things. 'Oh, Naruto's sitting over there all by himself? Good, that's how he should be. Oh, look, Naruto's struggling, and no one's helping him? Nothing new here; do carry on.' Injustice had become so inseparably linked with his name that it was sick, and her blood boiled at the undeniable reality sitting before her.

"He has to come back," she said firmly, hopeful jade meeting impassive gray. "So we can make things right."

A little while after her statement, she could see Kakashi's head drop a bit, and the corner of the dark blue cloth curved upwards ever so slightly. At first, she thought he might be smiling, but the closer she looked, the more she noticed that his smile was faint and not anything like his gleeful squints. To the contrary, it looked like there was a certain sadness resting on his visage, at least the part she could see.

"What is it?" she asked silently.

He was silent for a spell then shook his head ever so slightly. "Normally, I would keep this to myself," he began. "I would convince myself that I was...protecting your innocence for just a little while longer, and maybe I wouldn't be lying. But I'm gonna share this with you because I think you've matured a bit, Sakura, and I think this is something you need to know."

The muscles in Sakura's jaw tensed.

"One of the things you're gonna learn in life is that the time to make things right is almost always in the past. Very rarely is it in the present. Even more rarely is it in the future. Thank God for the times it is, but otherwise..." His voice trailed off. "That opportunity is lost to us."

Her frown deepened and the jade eyes drifted to the floor, the room falling silent for the better part of a minute. Finally, she whispered, "I know things won't be the same..."

"Do you, Sakura? Do you really?"

The timbre of his voice gave her pause, and she was silent in response. Eventually, her gaze fell to the ground, the emerald orbs lost as she tried to figure out the answer to that very question. The truth was she had no idea, and that scared her, probably more than she cared to admit. It was already enough to deal with the fact that Sasuke wasn't coming back, but to think that Naruto could come back and be so different from what she knew him to be that she didn't recognize him...it was terrifying. If that was the case, it would basically mean she still lost him...at least what she thought he was. And that led to another question. Did she ever really know him at all? Her brows furrowed in thought and the corners of her lips turned downwards. The more she pondered it, the more she realized she didn't like the answer.

Had she ever even seen him? she wondered. The real Naruto? Had he ever popped up somewhere between the class clown and the determined ninja? Faint, blurry images of times past shuffled through her mind as she searched her memories, trying to recall all of their interactions from the first time she noticed him giving her the googly eyes in class up until that fateful night when he left. Among all the memories, there was only one such time where she believed she may have glimpsed the real Naruto, and it was one of the few memories with him that she refused to live through again. Instead, she held on to the memories of that kid who laughed an obnoxiously loud laugh; or the prankster who dropped erasers on teachers' heads; even the side of him that absolutely fawned over her had become somewhat endearing. But the Naruto she had seen on that night...no. That drained husk that barely smiled; he was too distant, too cold, too different. She refused to believe that was who he truly was. Even through all the pain, there had to be some of the old Naruto in there...didn't there? But what if you're wrong? She shut her eyes in stubborn defiance, determined to silence the whisper that echoed so loudly in her mind. Still, it nagged at her, lurking as a constant reminder of what may come. In an attempt to put it to rest, she tried to hold on to the memories of the Naruto she knew. Somehow, they eluded her. They had been so bright and vivid before but now that she was trying to hold on to them, they appeared a distant memory, fading away into blackness. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to will them to stay; they scurried away even faster. Much like the feeling you get when you're trying to remember something that's right on the tip of your tongue, they drifted just out of reach.

Kakashi's voice jerked her back to reality unapologetically. "Not so sure anymore, are you..."

Her brows pinched together at his words, and her eyelids fluttered open, the green irises never leaving the floor. "No..." she whispered after a pause. "I'm not. I just..." Her voice trailed off and her head lifted, shoulders shrugging lightly. "I guess I'm not really sure what to expect anymore."

Kakashi nodded slowly, then spoke after a brief pause. "Good."

Her head lifted and tilted ever so slightly. "...Good?"

"The Naruto we knew was a facade, Sakura." His shoulders shrugged in a way that said those were simply the raw facts. "Better to go into it not knowing what to expect. Easier to adapt that way."

"Oh," she said, eyes drifting to the left after a short pause. "I guess I see your point..."

"Don't get me wrong," Kakashi said. "I'm not trying to put you in a bad mood or make things seem hopeless, but I also don't want you to get blindsided because you think he's gonna be the same. In all likelihood, he won't."

At his words, her brows pinched in thought, eyes appearing a dark green as they settled on the ground. An uneasy silence passed between them before she finally lifted her head, the beryl eyes filling with a mixture of sadness and apprehension. "But somewhat?" she questioned silently.

He gave a light shrug and one corner of his lips turned upwards. "Maybe."

A fleeting moment of silence passed then the jade eyes slowly returned to the floor. "I hope he is..." she whispered.

Kakashi's faint, sad smile returned. "We all hope, Sakura, but it's exactly what you said it is - hope. We also have to be ready for the other possibility."

She nodded lowly. "Yeah, I guess we do."

"What will you do?" he asked. Her head swiveled upwards. "If he's not anything like what he used to be?" he finished.

Her eyes lingered on the carpeted floor for a short while and then she looked up, resolve settling in the emerald orbs. "I'll be there for him anyway...because that's what friends do."

Kakashi eyed her for a brief moment, then nodded. "I sincerely hope you can live up to that."

"I will."

Sakura's wall clock ticked through the silence for a few seconds before Kakashi rubbed at the back of his neck, a silent groan leaving his lips. With a tilt of his head, he cracked the stiffness away, rubbing near where the pop had occurred. "Well," he said. "I guess that's a wrap." With a smirk that was gone as quickly as it came, he turned away, walking over to the window. A low grunt left his lips as he mounted the windowsill with a quick hop, sandwiching himself between the top and the bottom. Before he left, he looked back at his pink-haired student, face serious. "Take care of yourself, Sakura. Get some sleep."

Her face remained stern and she nodded. "You too, Sensei."

"Don't forget to go see the Hokage."

"I won't."

The silver hair spun around swiftly as he turned his attention back to the world of Konoha, the wind blowing the gray strands lightly as his head sat out in the open air. With a grunt and a leap, he left her windowsill, making his way down to the familiar village road.

Sakura watched him silently, eyes faintly taking in the buildings and monuments in the distance. The room sat void of his presence for more than a minute; still, she couldn't move. Her legs felt heavy, and the rest of her body followed suit. In the middle of the room, she stood alone, the sunlight gently kissing her porcelain skin. Her lack of movement was mainly due to the fact that she had no idea what to do next. Silently, she huffed. What could she do? After finding out all of the things she had found out recently, she didn't have the faintest clue. Sasuke's entire clan had been murdered when he was eight? Naruto was in all probability the Nine-Tails jinchuriki? What do you say to that? What do you do? Do you do anything?

Sighing, she walked over to her bed and collapsed onto her back, eyes staring at the white ceiling overhead. Quite naively, she had thought that finding the answers she was looking for would somehow lead to her being able to come to terms with all that had happened. In a sense, she was right. Finding out what Naruto and Sasuke had endured made their actions more understandable, but it didn't leave her feeling any better about things. It just led to a different string of questions. How did they ever manage it? How do you live any type of normal life when your entire family and clan are murdered by your brother? It's unfathomable. And how do you keep going with a smile on your face when everyone hates you for something that's not even your fault? How? She wondered. How did they do it?...

Looking up at the ceiling, she suddenly felt small. Like she was unworthy. Here were Naruto and Sasuke living with blistering pains and hidden horrors, and her greatest concern most nights was what her mom was cooking for dinner. It was so childish, so juvenile, so...pampered. A loving mom, a caring dad, a place she could call home - it was so...normal. But for Naruto and Sasuke, those things had been nonexistent. How did they ever make it this far? The question jostled around in her mind until she realized there was only one answer. The two of them were much stronger than she'd ever given them credit for. Sasuke's reputation as a dark, moody kid was amazing seeing as his entire family had been brutally murdered. It was a wonder he ever even smiled at all. And Naruto was something else entirely. He was literally smiling almost all the time. Yet it wasn't real; he was simply limping along in his sad facade, a reality she realized had started to manifest itself when he was with her on the night he left. With a silent huff, she acknowledged their plight, her eyes filling with a newfound sense of respect towards the both of them. She had one day hoped to catch them in strength, to not be left behind, but it seemed they were stronger than her in ways she had never even imagined.

Rolling around, she turned to her nightstand, glancing at the clock. 6:55 PM. With an exhale, she turned her gaze back to the ceiling. Now that the secrets were revealed, one question remained – what would she do now? Was there anything to do? Was it time to wait? To hold on to the faint hope that Naruto would come back and she'd be able to welcome back one of her friends in some way, shape, or form? As her gaze traced the swirly paint patterns on the ceiling, she realized she had no idea.

Sighing to herself, she sat up briskly, the bed squeaking lowly as her weight shifted. Best to figure it all out later, she decided. In all likelihood, she'd have a lot of time to think about it so why rush? Right now, there was something else that needed to be taken care of. Namely, a meeting with the Hokage to take care of whatever mess Kakashi had managed to get her into. She was still fairly mad at him, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt...for now. Hopefully, her faith would be rewarded. Losing any prospects of a ninja career would be the nail in the coffin right about now, the final slam to shatter her world; but still, she hoped. She wasn't sure how and had no clue why, but still, she hoped.

Hope you all enjoyed this installment. The focus was on Sakura and Kakashi, but it was necessary for where I'm trying to go with this story. If you want more of Naruto, don't worry, he'll be coming out of your noses next chapter. Until then, stay safe my friends, and I'll see you all in the next one.