A/N: Another POV. Whoo! This time it's Kakashi. Spoilers from the Gaiden, and from more recent chapters. Please note that this has not been beta-ed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, the story would not be as heavily influenced by the Sharingan as it currently is.
Revelations: Kakashi
"You're all idiots." When he looks at Sasuke, he sees Sasuke, he sees Obito, and he thinks that their personalities are all wrong. Obito should have been the genius, because he knew the true strength of being a ninja. Sasuke should have been the dead last, because his heart is twisted and black through the betrayal of his brother.
But hadn't Sasuke betrayed them all as well?
He wants to save Sasuke, from the rocks, from the Snake. He wants to see Sasuke's happy grin, his cool smirk again when he gets a new jutsu right. He doesn't want to feel the pain as he watches his best friend, his best student taken from him, again.
He underestimated Sasuke, and his drive for power. His drive for the Mangekyou Sharingan the final form of the eyes that he now has riveted upon them.
Orochimaru let out a menacing chuckle. "Ah, Kakashi-kun, I knew you would be upset at losing one of your students, but I didn't think you would be suicidal." It was mocking and it hurt, because he knew what Orochimaru really meant.
Orochimaru was saying that he had failed. Failed to save Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Obito. Failed to protect his team from those hidden in the darkness. He felt the disgust, disgust with the Hidden Rock nin, with Orochimaru, with himself. He felt the pain. The pain at seeing Obito crushed under the giant boulder that had been meant for him. The pain at seeing Sasuke lying unconscious in the middle of a ring of symbols after his curse seal had been sealed. He lifted his hitai-ate, revealing his Sharingan.
"And Naruto-kun," Internally, he winced. It seems that Naruto managed to gain the recognition of the Sannin, while on his own radar the boy had been almost invisible. Naruto had been swallowed by the Toad, long before he had realized that the boy knew Jiraiya, long before he realized it was too late to recognize him. Swallowed, just like Sensei. "I hope you're feeling well since the last time we met. My associates and I seem to have a habit of seeing you unconscious when we leave." From the records of the boy's encounters with the Snake-Sannin and his "associates," two of the three times he had nearly been killed.
When he looks at Naruto, he sees Naruto, he sees his Sensei, and thinks that the boy could be so much better, if only he had paid attention to Naruto from the start. He pictures Naruto telling Sakura, Rin, that she is intelligent and nice. He pictures Naruto lecturing Sasuke, Obito, that being an Uchiha is not everything. He still remembers the shock when he found Naruto, a gaping hole torn in his shirt at the shoulder, at the stomach, in the Valley of the End.
Luckily, the boy hadn't been dead.
He wants to save Naruto, from the seal, from the fox. He wants to see Naruto as he walks down the street, loved by the people as a hero, the Hokage, not loathed as a demon, the Kyuubi. He doesn't want to feel the pain as he watches his sunny Sensei, his sunny student seal away the fox at the cost of their lives and happiness, again.
He underestimated Naruto and his faith in his dreams. His faith in the hitai-ate that he is now tightening in preparation for battle.
"Don't forget Sakura-san, Orochimaru-sama." So, there were threats even to Sakura. The kunoichi, the medic-nin. The bond that held them all together, just like Rin. He had watched as Sakura was swallowed by the Slug, completing the philosophy of balance in this Jan-ken formation. He knew that it was necessary to let her go, though she did not have the enemies, the skills that the other two had. "She is here to fight us as well." They underestimated her, just like Sasori, which is good. That could be a kunoichi's greatest asset in a battle.
When he looks at Sakura, he sees Sakura, he sees Rin, and thinks that as a shinobi she will always be underestimated, because she is a girl. He pictures her telling Sasuke, Obito, that he shouldn't be so concerned over his Sharingan. He pictures her lecturing Naruto, Sensei, that eating ramen everyday is not a healthy diet. He believes that Sakura deserves the most credit on the team. She is the glue that holds them together, whether it be body with her healing chakra, or mind with her intuitiveness.
Intuition that she gained the night Sasuke left the village.
He wants to save Sakura, from the enemy, from herself. He wants to see her gentle smile, her fierce determination as she crushes the skull of an enemy with one punch. He doesn't want to feel the pain as he watches his soft-hearted friend, his soft-hearted student fight against enemies that are stronger than her, again.
He has underestimated Sakura, and her desire to be strong. Her desire to not be the one that holds the team back with the hands she is now covering with her gloves.
"Shall we begin?" Kabuto was stronger than her, more skilled than her.
"I'll take him." He wants to tell her to stop, that she's no match for him, but she is, and she knows it.
He watches as she surprises them when she rips the ground apart with one punch.
Watches as Naruto attacks Sasuke while the other boy was still in shock.
And he realizes that whatever others might think:
Naruto is not Sensei, is not Jiraiya.
Sakura is not Rin, is not Tsunade.
Sasuke is not Obito, is not Orochimaru.
They may have the strengths of those who came before, but they also have their own abilities.