Like I said, chapter four would come soon, and here it is. I can't make any promises about chapter five, however. Holy crap, I have barely started it…But I have started the chapter after it. I don't know if that is good or bad.

Anyway, quick replies. Anything you are confused about, or want to know more about, will most likely come in later chapters. As for my beta—she was just upset how the chapter ended, but it was most likely because she read this chapter right after. Ha. Foreshadowing? I dunno.

Disclaimer: Naruto and all it comes with does not belong to me. It's all Kishimoto. This is fiction, don't confuse.

Part I

Chapter 4

The entire area was barren of green, and the only thing remotely close were the charred skeletons of trees circling the battleground. Even the earth was scorched, and steam rose from the ground in thick curls. In the entire forest, for miles around the battle site, lay a thick fog that did not lift. The fog that just crept past through the bare branches of the surrounding trees evaporated almost immediately.

And it had been, just days ago, a small village.

Scattered about the area were various jounin and chunin from both Leaf and Mist, even Cloud. Examining, taking samples, whatever they wished or were sent to do, it didn't matter. To try to find traces of the techniques used was completely useless. The only evidence they could see were the severe burn remains. Any expert would say there is not such a high-level fire type jutsu they knew of to make such damage.

"Jesus Christ," The chunin next to Neji said. "It's still hot."

All around, those at the battle site focused chakra to their feet.

Neji, had it been his nature, would have said the same as his partner.

Neji had just arrived. He had been one of the assembled group by the village's emergency council to officially investigate the battle. Though officially he gathered information for the council, Neji was asked beforehand by Kakashi to be his eyes. Kakashi himself could not go, being tied to the emergency council, so he asked someone he trusted—someone Naruto had trusted, to go in his stead. He had wanted someone who could truly see. Traces. Remains—of what really mattered. That was why Neji was best for the job.

When Neji had questioned why this was necessary, Kakashi had told him flat out that he did not trust the council. People with their eyes on more than the village's safety, maintenance, and prosperity were gathering. The Sandaime's two advisors, who so looked for what was best for the village, even if they disagreed, were losing power. And Kakashi saw fit that there was some information that they need not know.

So a spy I am, Neji thought.

Standing at the edge of the clearing, he looked around with eyes that could see all.

The area itself was three times the size of the stadium at Konoha at least. It was hot as hell, and stank of burnt anything. And in the midst of it all stood the grand centerpiece; charred bones so big that it might take up the entire prerequisite hall. Perhaps larger.

It took Neji no more than a second to really see what was all around them. It was what gave you a chill once you stepped into the clearing. It was what made the ground most unbearable to walk on, and it was what made a curse slip from between Neji's lips.

Every charred remain was flaring with pure chakra, and in Neji's eyes, the trees looked afire. Even a layer of chakra covered the ground and rose softly with the steam. But these things were nothing compared the remains of what Neji assumed was the demon; it was the skeleton that flared blindingly with chakra, Neji had to strain his eyes to look at it.

Surely they could feel this? Neji thought. Surely those examiners felt the immense power radiating off of everything in the area. It put even the coolest of shinobi in a cold sweat. But they were not looking for the right thing…those of the Mist wanted traces of jutsu, and those of the Leaf wanted the source of all the power, thinking, perhaps, that it may be the Rokudaime. Or maybe they thought the power surrounding the bones were what was left of the demon's power.

But they did not know as Neji knew now, that these were just the scant remains of a monstrous power—and that power belonged to one person only; and that was the victor of the battle. It was power Neji knew. Familiar, and yet somehow different—transformed, or mutated. He couldn't quite figure how, but he knew to whom it belonged.

Neji saw no human remains in the area. That the battle was won was all Neji could uncover of the happenings. Beyond it was a mystery to his eyes, as Naruto had ever been.

Broadening his sight, he found for miles around, there were human bodies, dead, but not one was their leader.

Speaking to his partner beside him, Neji said, "Go organize a small team to investigate all villages within a fifteen mile radius. Report back in five hours."

+

Kakashi stood, leaning against a window, looking down at the village below. Hearing his door open and close, he looked over. The head of investigations now knelt before him, his longish raven hair sweeping forward as he shortly bowed his head. The man himself had volunteered for the job—few were willing to go beside the curious.

After Naruto had left abruptly, no one knew just what was going on. Was the demon still coming? Had Naruto defeated it? Were they still in battle? No one had a clue, but prepared for the worst anyway. Children and those who were not shinobi where put in secure areas, lookouts were posted everywhere, roads were cleared and closed off, people warned, and they merely waited for the battle that may come.

Some hours after Naruto left, however, scouts were sent to follow Naruto's trail and report what was going on. Though the distance was far, it was not long before they returned and reported that the point where the two forces met up was destroyed. It was not long before they had found it had also been a village.

Now, some twenty days after the incident, the man chosen to lead the investigation of the happenings of the fight now stood before him.

"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked. Surely he should report to the council first.

"Insubordination, I guess." he said. "I want to tell you before anyone, Kakashi."

It seemed he was not the only one that did not trust the emergency council. Kakashi grunted.

"As you know, the demon is dead…definitely overkill." So Naruto, both thought. "The battlefield itself is maybe one to two hundred feet around…maybe more. Nothing remains of the village that was once there. And there is an immense power lingering…" Of course, Kakashi knew of these things from correspondence with his very own spy in the group. "I am withholding from the council whom I speculated that power belong to…though many think it belongs to the demon." He paused. "But what I really came here to tell you...we searched. Fifty miles around, and there was absolutely no sign of Naruto. Not even a trail left behind had he left elsewhere. But…there were bodies and another village. The entire village was decimated. No one in the area left alive. Absolutely no witnesses."

Kakashi sighed. He had feared it. That something like this would happen. "How troublesome for the council."

"Kakashi! Naruto could be dead," Even the thought made him feel a great heaviness in his heart. "The only thing one could assume is that he was burned along with the demon," Sasuke took a deep breath. "And the bodies…it looked to be the work of an animal—some were unrecognizable—but there is no reason for an animal to do such a thing. We were thinking it could have been the demon, but the demon is somewhat larger than the creature that attacked them. Some were burned, those we could assume was the demon's doing. But I don't know about the rest. Perhaps crazed animals…" Kakashi could tell it did not make sense to him.

Kakashi placed a hand on the man in front of him. "Perhaps. But it's good you came to me first, Sasuke. Tell the council it was the work of the demon," Kakashi pulled something off his person. "As you could not have come to any other conclusion." Pulling his mask down, Kakashi brought a cigarette to his lips. A habit he nearly never indulged in unless under stress. Bad for your health.

"Kinda like dèjá vu…" Kakashi pondered aloud to himself.

Sasuke's heart lurched. "What…what did you say?"

Sighing once more, Kakashi looked a little sad. "Nothing…just some unpleasant thoughts."

Ignoring what Kakashi just said, Sasuke looked at Kakashi imploringly as he could. "Tell me, Kakashi…there is something I am missing. I know there is something I don't know—that everyone else does not know. I know I don't understand. Make it so that I can understand." He glanced away, and back again. "You were always with him. So please, tell me…" Sasuke pleaded with Kakashi, not quite sure what he wanted to know.

The moments stretched as he waited for Kakashi to reply, almost afraid of the answer.

"What if," Kakashi began, "I said I don't feel like it?" Sasuke was confused, but waited for him to continue. "What if I said you don't deserve it?" Sasuke was taken aback, and tried to think of something to say, but Kakashi continued once more, flicking his cigarette, "Of course, I won't say that. I hold no grudge against my students, especially for their foolish actions." And there, Sasuke got Kakashi's opinion on what he had been doing these many months.

Sasuke turned his head away from Kakashi. He felt more that a little guilt and grief.

"I can't really tell you anything significant. It's not really my right to say." Sasuke whipped his head back up to look at Kakashi, who went on. He had turned from the window, and drew from his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Naruto was content. But I can't say he did not miss you, Sasuke." This time, Kakashi looked at him as he spoke. "He was lonely. He had achieved his dream, but few of his friends would see him. And time allowed such things even less."

"…I see." Sasuke would not say he regretted his actions, not aloud. But he was sure Kakashi knew, anyway. Taking a shaky breath, he readied to leave the room, but once again, Kakashi spoke.

"He is the person that understands you best. And though it may be the same for you, it seems there are still a few secrets between the two of you."

When Kakashi did not elaborate, Sasuke turned and left, feeling no better than before, cursing that he had not put up more of a fight when he last saw Naruto, or even gone with him.

Sasuke now gone, Kakashi turned back to the open window. His cigarette was dangling delicately between two fingers of his curled hand. Blue smoke drifted out the window, and carried away with the breeze. Lids heavy, he swayed a little. Out of half-lidded eyes he looked to the horizon, where the sun stained the sky red and orange, and the clouds gold.

"Naruto…" Kakashi mumbled to the wind. "I just can't think of you in a past tense…"

+

Placing his hand on the marker, Kakashi traced the newest addition to the list of names. The obsidian stone was cold to his touch, and the one name amongst so many, too cold as well. Many a time he had thought that, as every name he knew stood out. It was too cold; too meaningless to bunch the people he loved and cared for with all the rest. Even if all the rest were heroes such as they.

He rested his palm on the stone, blocking off all the names to the left of that one name, making it look as if it were the only one there.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Kakashi wondered if it had been Sasuke who carved it there. With love and perfection.

Probably not, he thought, Sasuke probably feels the same way I do.

To speak of Naruto, saying 'he was this,' and 'he was that,' just did not feel right. As if he had truly gone, and Kakashi didn't feel it. He was sure Sasuke did not either. Even Iruka and Sakura.

Kakashi had been there, to tell Iruka the news. He had gone, feeling a sort of obligation to the man who was the figure of stability in Naruto's life—the man who had been there no matter what, and was ever the teacher and brotherly influence. Why should that man hear third-hand? Or even lower. He certainly cared for Iruka—for so long Naruto had been their only link, and still was a bit, even now, but for a while now they had met outside of Naruto, and could even carry on a conversation that was not centered on him. But at the time Kakashi had gone to Iruka's home late at night to tell him the "news", Naruto had been the subject.

Iruka's immediate response had been, "I don't believe it."

Which had been what Kakashi felt when Sasuke spoke the thoughts he did not imagine to put to words. Something he and Iruka could not fathom, and Sasuke had been the one to go on that investigation team, and had been forced to think that Naruto might just have died. Cold and indifferent facts shoved in his face, thing he did not want to believe.

How could the young boy, the young man, the sun in many a life, who had survived so much…die?

Kakashi had been there, standing next to Iruka as he skipped out on the ceremony held in Naruto's honor. Going instead to that place Kakashi went when he was troubled. The place where both his and Iruka's loved ones from long ago had their names carved into noble stone.

The place he was at now.

Pressing his head to the stone, his forehead felt feverish to its lack of heat, the stone cool in the evening. He closed his eyes and thought of a time where Naruto had been young and ever foolish. A day where he had said he wanted his name to be carved on the very stone Kakashi now leaned on—the day after he had first met those three. Never had Kakashi fathomed he would be sitting here, in front of this marker he had placed the fourth's and his dear Obito's names onto, seeing one of his own student's names there.

This stone, which was ever present in Kakashi's life, made his death seem a little more real.

A teacher should never see his student die. Words from the past. He remembered asking is it any better for student to watch their teacher die?

Ha. He had also said he never let his comrades die.

Flipping around and leaning his back on the chilling stone, Kakashi sat, legs sprawled, and thought of Naruto for a while…until the new volume of Come, Come, Vengeance in his back pocket swept his attention away, and he brought the book up to his face to read.

The damned book had been burning a hole in his pocket…he wanted to know what would happen next.

Kakashi read, and had only just begun, it seemed, as a shadow fell over him. He did not bother to look up.

"You still read such lewd novels?"

Shaking his head, but eyes still riveted on the book's words, Kakashi said, "Ah, ah, ah…this is not so bad as the others. Note, different title, yet the same author. But a different genre." Action and drama, a little romance, Kakashi thought, so riveting. And so different from the more lecherous Come, Come, Paradise and Come, Come, Violence.

"No matter, we have important business to discuss."

Narrowing his eyes, though not removing them from his book, Kakashi said, "Yes, I suppose we do."

They went straight to the point. "Homura and I, we realize our influence in waning," Koharu said, with a note of resignation in her weathered voice. "As we watch, those of the council—their eyes are turning inwards, instead of over the Leaf."

So they know, Kakashi thought. He had hoped they were not going senile.

Homura's hoary voice spoke up, "We realize it is not a comforting thought, but it has been far over a month, and the Sixth has yet to return. Evidence shows there was no way for him to have survived, Kakashi. And due to Koharu and my troubles, we need a leader we can count on, and not a shifty council to govern the Leaf until someone comes around."

Kakashi said nothing.

"A trustworthy leader is needed," Homura spoke again. "Though we have not discussed it with the emergency council, we have decided it to be you."

Koharu completed the thought; "It is a natural conclusion. Hatake Kakashi, you have always been an excellent shinobi, a disciple of the Fourth. There is also that you were council advisor to Naruto, so you would continue what he began. Were you to come forward and say that you wished to be our next leader, there would be little to no objections—with any base."

Heaving a great sigh, Kakashi dropped his book to his lap and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. I should never have gotten involved in politics, Kakashi thought. I should never have taken up Naruto's offer. "I suppose I have no choice…what with Tsunade and Jiraya running off fast as they could…" Placing his book in his jacket, Kakashi stood. "Very well…I'll do it."

"A wise decision." Both nodded their heads. "We will bring up the matter. But do speak with the committee soon." Both bowed slightly and walked slowly from the clearing.

Not quite sure why he stood, Kakashi plopped back down, back to the stone marker. With like thoughts in mind, he whipped his book out. He was glad those two had been short and to the point; Kakashi was not one for flowery conversation when it was not needed.

Now he would think on Naruto every day—as if he weren't already—him being the Hokage succeeding his student.

Cracking open Come, Come Vengeance, he licked the ball of his thumb and turned the page. "Seven always was my lucky number…" Kakashi mumbled to himself.

+

Walking through the field towards his small home village, Mugutsu Takeshi swore never again would he take a shortcut coming home from the capital. He had tried to cut through the forest than ran alongside the main road, trying to cut southeast to get home faster, but it only ended up taking more time. Now, he was no more than a twenty minutes form home, and he could almost sigh with relief at the thought.

As he cut through the familiar field of tallgrass he found strange tracks, depressed marks in the grass where it looked as if a heavy creature stumbled through. Deciding to follow, it wasn't long before he found a dark body lying in a heap amidst the grass.

His pulse picked up as he neared. Kneeling, he rolled the body over, gasped and scrambled back at what he saw.

It was boy. A beaten up and dirty, if not for the rosy color to his cheeks, he did not look alive. But the most terrifying thing was the blood. There was blood everywhere; encrusted in his palms and nails, up his arms, in his—what would be golden—hair, it covered his clothing, it was all over his face…and in his mouth. Layers on layers of blood…yet he could scarce see a wound on the boy.

Blood of a thousand, was all he could think. Demon!

His instincts told him to run, but something stopped him. What if this demon was to curse his village? His family? Crawling forward, he placed his hand just over the mouth…he could feel no breath. Slowly, he moved his hand to the wrist, pressing his thumb at the base…no pulse. Sighing in relief he sat back. Thinking, he brought his pack to the front, and fished out his spade.

It would take a while, but he would dig this boy-demon a proper grave. This would be his homage, and the demon may be satisfied so as not to bring ill tidings to him, or his village. He would bury this boy where he fell.

Digging did take a while, two hours at least. But it was a deep grave, a good one. Standing and dusting his hands, Takeshi stood and moved toward the boy, and crouching down, rolled the body over into the grave, not wanting to touch it too long. As he bent over the grave to straighten the body, something fell from the sling on his side, landing in the grave, on the boy's still stomach. One of the suou nuts he bought in town. Well, if it wishes to grow here, he thought, I am not going to remove it. He did not want to go down there, anyhow.

Standing once more, he began to bury the body, shoveling the dirt into the grave with his hands.

Much later, he pat the dirt firmly over the filled grave. Then, wiping his hands on his breeches, he headed toward home.

Never again, he thought, will I take a shortcut.

++

And there you have it. A quickie before I do things that I ought to do…

Comments? Please. Please!