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Legacy
kakashilvr(at)yahoo(dot)com

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Summary:
The Godaime happens upon a an old sealed mission report, that had been addressed to the Sandaime. Upon opening it, she realizes why the report had been hidden away for so long. What is written in it? What was so secretive that no one had bothered to read it? Kakashi/OC pairing.

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Author's Note:
A huge fan of Kakashi, and feel as of late, he hasn't been getting the attention in the series that he deserves. The filler eps are nice, but deep down wanting to see Kakashi Gaiden animated (if they ever) would be a dream come true. So, this is just my way of "filling" in my own way.

I adore Kakashi pairings, but of course, dont like yaoi pairings (sorry to those who do, I just can't stand when they are taken OOC like that). I follow all the Kakashi (hetero) stories posted, and like many of them, even the Kakashi/Saku ones; that is if they are well written and are "believable". But its also hard to take seriously that pairing because of the "age" gap. So here is my offering to plate. A Kakashi/OC pairing.

Appologize if my OC is a little bit of a "mary-sue", but Im not making her out to be "super-woman" or anything. Just bare with me, and I hope that you all enjoy it. Comments always welcomed.

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Prologue

Tsunade breathed in deeply as she poured over the pile of papers before her, trying to catch up with the reports from the Jounins and their teams over the missions they completed recently. Even after 2 1/2 years of recovery, Konoha was still without many skilled shinobi to take on the missions and some teams were going on back to back missions. But, with a larger number of recently graduated genin from their academy, she knew that her worries would be short lived.

"Here are more reports," Shizune stated as she entered the Godaime's office, placing a pile of scrolls and a couple of books on the table before her. "These should be the last of them."

Tsunade slowly nodded. "Its amazing how many missions our teams have accepted considering the small amount of available shinobi we have," she commented.

Shizune slowly nodded, then smiled. "It only shows, Tsunade-san, that there are those out there who still trust that we are doing the best job with the best of ninja's we can provide," she said. She then looked down at the books and fingered one lightly. "Oh, I almost forgot."

She lifted several books and pulled out a piece of paper that was folded into three.

"This was burried under some of the sandaime's personal effects," she said. "Though, it doesn't look like it was something that needed to be returned to his family."

"What is it?"

Shizune shrugged a little. "Its sealed with a wax seal, and seeing that it was for the Sandaime, Im assuming that it should be for your eyes only," she said.

Tsunade put down the paper she was reading and gently took the piece of parchment from Shizune. She turned it over and saw the bright red wax that held the paper closed, with the seal of the last Hokage, imprinted into the wax. She grabbed her letter opener from the side of her desk and slowly ran the small blade under the flap of the paper to break the seal, gently opening it.

"This is an old report," Tsunade stated as she looked over the writing on the paper. Quickly scanning it, her eyes widened as she looked it over.

"What is it?" Shizune asked noticing her sudden change in expression.

"Shizune, where exactly was this hidden?"

Shizune shrugged but pointed in the direction of another room. "It was with the other reports," she said. "The older ones that no one got to."

"Get me a messenger falcon as soon as you can," Tsunade said as she stood from her desk. "I need to send a message to the Hidden Village of Rain."

"Is there something wrong?" Shizune inquired.

Tsunade could only shake her head as she held the paper in her hands. "I cannot say, and until I can confirm what is written in this report, its best that no one knows of this," she said.

"I understand."

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Chapter 1

2 weeks later.

Kakashi stared down at the dark stone before him, as he did every morning for the last decade. Knowing he would find solace here, he would wake every morning, leaving the comfort of his small apartment, making his way to the memorial stone, he promised himself that he would do since their deaths.

Obito. Rin. Yondaime.

How could have they changed him so much.

"Life isn't about following the rules."

The Yondaime's words echoed as a reminder to the events that changed him over the last few years. It wasn't important until Obito made him see it.

"Oy, Kakashi, you're going to be late again."

The voice he echoed in his mind. The voice he had sorely missed of his best friend. And he realized how much Obito had meant to him when he was suddenly gone from his life.

The Yondaime and Rin were all that he had left during that time, and as his sensei moved on to be the next Hokage, he moved onto joining the ANBU and Rin...

Kneeling down before the memorial, he quickly found her name etched into the dark stone, among many that followed after her. It was that time in his life, he felt as if he failed his best friend again. And the Yondaime...

Why was it that anyone he got close to, they were suddenly ripped away?

"Kakashi, get going!" the voice nagged.

Coming to stand again, he looked up seeing the faint signs of the morning sun start to illuminate the sky. With a heavy sigh, he quietly left the memorial stone, promising to visit as he always did every morning.

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Tusnade breathed in deeply as two jounin from Rain stood before her. She leaned forward in her seat, resting her arms on the desk before her. She eyed them closely, regarding the female jouning carefully. She was tall, slim, wearing a simple dark blue tunic over a mesh covered shirt, that covered 3/4ths of her arms. Black leather gloves adorned her delicate hands, emblazened with the symbol of Hidden Rain Village on the metal plate that covered them. She wore her long black hair tied back, braided to just before the end, where small tendrils hung lazily at her waist. However, as strikingly beautiful that she was that Tsunade noted, the woman's only uncovered eye stared at a point just above her, as she held tightly to a staff at her side, suppporting her. A pale purple was the color of her exposed right eye, as the hitai-ate she wore covered the left side of her face.

"I appologize for requesting your presense here, Kie," Tsunade stated. "But Im sure, you would have found an excuse to come to Leaf, in light that we are hosting this year's Chuunin Examination, and several of your genin teams are here."

The woman smiled, slowly nodding her direction. "I always knew that one day, I would be asked to return, Hokage-sama," the woman said. "After all, I took the Chuunin Exam here as well, despite those who were against my taking the test."

Tsunade nodded. "I have cleared it with your Amekage, that we shall retain your services through-out the examination, and then ask that you stay on with us for a least a year," she said simply. "As you know, we have one gennin from Cloud that is taking the examination, and would like your expertise on the matter."

"I'm assuming that the gennin also shares my handicap?"

"Yes, and we have received word from his Jounin sensei that he is a little aprehensive about taking the test with his teammates," Tsunade stated.

The woman smiled and nodded. "I will be more than happy to work with him prior to the start of the examination," she said. "However, for the rest of my stay here?"

Tsunade slowly nodded. "Since you are a trained medic-nin, we have received word that there are special techniques developed by your Village to aid in the healing and curing of certain ailments. I would like to work with you closely, on how we can learn to use your techniques to aid us."

Kie smiled. "I'd be more than happy to," she said. "Im not the strongest of medic nins from Rain, however, I do know many of the new techniques that have been developed."

Tsunade smiled. "We have arranged a small apartment for you in our Jounin Complex, and I will assign a jounin to help you through your transition here," she said. She then pulled out a piece of paper and slowly stood to walk over to her. "This is the gennin team that I wish for you to work with, from Cloud. Just a couple of days, which is why I asked for you to come early before the tests began. Once the examinations begin, I may call upon you to do some small missions to acquaint yourself with the way things are done here."

"That'll be perfect," the woman stated.

Tsunade then turned to the Jounin who escorted her here. "Please see that Hashiba-san, meets up with her teammates, and finds her apartment," she said. "I would like to meet with you tomorrow morning, Kie. I can introduce you to those who work at our local Hospital so you can get a feel of things over there."

Kie nodded. "I thank you for your hospitality, Hokage-sama," she said with a bow. "Im sure that there will be lot that we can learn from each other."

"Yes, I believe that there are."

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Kakashi landed quietly on the wooden post that spanned the red bridge that he used as his meeting place for his team. He was surprised to see that Naruto and Sakura were already there, speaking with a team of gennin and their jounin from the Hidden Village of Rain.

'Ah, they are here for the Exam as well,' he thought to himself. He remembered that he was to tell Naruto that he would be joining Ebisu's team to round out the three that would take the exam together, and needed to get their permission papers to the exam room, two days from now.

He was about to make his presence known, as he had done for the past few years, when he was suddenly startled by another voice near him.

"Kai-sensei!"

He slowly turned to his right, to see a young woman shinobi standing on the farside of the post he was on. He studied her for a moment seeing that she was also from Rain, as she jumped down from the post she was on, and moved to join the Genin team.

"Hashiba-sensei!" one of the Rain Genin exclaimed.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he then heard Sakura's high pitched yell, waking him from the daze he was in. Why hadn't he had sensed her? And she was standing so close.

"You're late!" Naruto finished for her as Kakashi jumped down from his post and slowly approached them, not bothering to offer his latest excuse for his tardiness. All he could do was notice the four strangers as they greeted the young woman.

"I see you've made some acquaintances, Naruto," Kakashi stated as he joined his two students.

"Um, sensei," Naruto said as he turned to them. "These are the Gennins from Hidden Rain who will be taking the Exam. They said they were waiting for their companion, and we just started talking about what to expect for the examinations."

"I see," Kakashi stated.

Sakura slowly led her teacher over to the small team and bowed slightly, smiling as she greeted them. "Sensei, this is Rika, Hikaru and Kenji, and their jounin sensei, Kai," she introduced. She then eyed the young woman who joined them. "Im sorry, but I didn't get your name."

The young woman turned to them and smiled as she tilted her head a bit, as if she was trying to hear clearly what was being said.

"I am Kie Hashiba," she said with a smile. She then slowly kneeled before them. "You are from this village?"

"Yes," Naruto immediately answered.

The woman smiled at his apparent enthusiasm. "And you are?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," the young boy stated as he huffed his chest and winked. "I am going to be the next Hokage, and no one is going to stop me."

The woman smiled. "Im sure you will be able to do so," she said. "May I?"

Naruto watched as she slowly took of the gloves she wore and then reach out toward him.

"Its alright, Naruto," Kai stated. "Hashiba-sensei just wants to know what you look like."

"Look like?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, Hashiba-sama, is blind," Sakura whispered into his ear.

"Eh?"

Kie quietly laughed to herself. "I know its quite strange, Naruto-san," she said. "But this is the way I can see people; to know what they look like," she said. "I promise, it won't hurt, maybe tickle a little."

Naruto stared at her for a moment, then slowly took a step forward and he watched as her hands came to rest on his collar, and slowly moved over his neck then come to rest on the sides of his face. Her touch was cool against his skin, and he felt a slight tingle wherever the tips of her fingers touched. She smiled as she then moved one her left hand away, and with her right hand, slowly let her fingers glide over his forehead, near the edge of his hitai-ate, down over his nose and then come to rest at his chin. She leaned in for a bit, breathed in deeply.

"Too much, Ramen isn't good for you, Naruto-san," she said with a smile. "I hope you're varying your diet to take in vegetables as well."

"How...how did you know?" Naruto stammered.

"Soup stock, the smell of won ton, char-siu," she said. "Im sure your sensei is also keeping close tabs on your diet?"

"Oh, Hashiba-sama, this is our sensei, Kakashi--"

"Hatake?" the woman finished as she slowly stood, slowy pulling on the gloves she had taken off. "Its a pleasure to meet you. Your reputation precedes you."

"Pleasure to meet you, Hashiba-san," Kakashi stated. "You're the medic nin that the Hokage had summoned for?"

Kie slowly nodded. "Yes," she said. "I'll be overseeing one of the gennins from Cloud until the examination starts," she said. "Then will be offering my service to Konoha until the Hokage feels that I've done what I can."

"Im sure we will benefit from your service, Hashiba-san," Kakashi stated. He then turned to Naruto as he handed the boy the familiar permission slip. "Naruto, you are to meet up with Ebisu's team so you can train for the next two days with his gennins. They will be rounding out your team for the exam."

Naruto slowly nodded.

"Remember, you must be there 2 days from now, by 3pm to hand in your slips," Kakashi stated. "Dont be late. I have to meet with the Hokage now, but if you need help, just let Ebisu know and I will be there to help your team."

"Im sure we can handle it, sensei," Naruto said.

"Good," he said. "Sakura, if Naruto has any questions, please also help in this matter. Im sure some things have changed since the last exam he took."

Sakura nodded.

"I'll see you both later," he said. "Pleasure."

Without another word, Naruto and Sakura watched as their sensei disappeared, and the Rain team stood in bewilderment.

"Is your sensei always that weird?" Rika asked aloud.

"You dont know the half of it," Naruto stated.

Kie smiled to herself as she closely listened to the conversation between the young boy and her teammates. She then followed them as they walked toward the village, as her thoughts keeping her busy as followed their voices.

'Hatake,' she thought to herself.

How that name meant so much to her.

TBC