(A/N: I'M BAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Hey all! Lady Hiran's inda hizzeh! Apparently, one of my stories was in violation with Fanfiction policy and someone reported me anonymously ((Bastards)) Oh well. I'm over it. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!)
"Soooo…what's up?" Kakashi asked after Hotaru had dragged him outside.
Hotaru sighed heavily, and looked up at him.
"Kakashi…" she said slowly, a small smile on her lips, "You already know how I feel. Whether or not you believe that, however, is an entirely different story."
"No. No." Kakashi said, reddening slightly, "I understand just how you feel!"
"Better than anyone." Hotaru said smoothly, "On a level comparable to that of Hajime. And that's why you already know that I-"
"-can never…see you-a-gain…" Kakashi trailed off.
He stared at Hotaru as she smiled up at him, no trace of sadness on her face.
"Exactly." She beamed, "Me and my brother have interfered with the time stream far more than we should have. There will be reprocussions if we continue this way."
"I knew from the beginning it would never work out." Hotaru said hopping up on to the bridge railing she had previously had been leaning against, "But it's funny. Now that we're parting ways, I don't feel the slightest bit sad."
She spread out her arms and began walking along the handrail like a balance beam.
"It's like…" Hotaru mused aloud, "It's like I know that somehow we're destined to meet again! Strange huh?"
Kakashi could find no words as she hopped back of the railing and began walking back towards the examination building.
"Ciao, Kakashi-perv!" she called, waving back-handedly over her shoulder, "See you when I see you."
Kakashi watched, stunned, as she left him there.
"…see you when I…see you." Kakashi muttered, smirking beneath his mask.
"Hey, Hi-chan!" Hajime shouted, "You ready to go yet or what?"
"One quick thing first!" Hotaru smiled, extending her hand to her brother, a black bundleinher arm.
"Right!" Hajime said, something dawning on his face as he took his sister's hand.
-FFFFFFFN-
…
"It's been almost four days!" Kisame cried, "Where could Itachi-sama be?"
"You don't suppose he's been killed, do you?" Sasori asked worriedly.
"DON'T EVEN SUGGEST IT!" Kisame snarled.
-FFFFFFFN-
-fyuuuu…-
-BMMMMM-
"OWWWW! MY BACK!" Deidara howled.
"Itachi-sama!" Sasori and Kisame cried joyfully.
-FFFFFFFN-
…
-FFFFFFFN-
-TP-
"Okay!" Hotaru smiled, "Now I'm ready!"
"Finally." Hajime growled.
"Bye guys!" Naruto sniffled, his arm around a blushing Hinata's shoulders.
"Take care now!" Sakura said, smiling because her beloved Sasuke was holding her hand.
"See ya!" Hajime smirked.
"Have fun growing up!" Hotaru grinned.
The twins clasped hands again and disappeared.
"Hokay." Hayate drawled, "Now that all applicants are present, let the Chunin Exams commence."
Back In Present Day Japan…
-FFFFFFFN-
-TP-
"Whew!" Hajime cried, "Good to back! ACK! Just in time too! I'm gonna miss The PBR Bull Riding Finals if I don't hurry!"
Hotaru snickered as her younger twin dashed out of the entryway and into the Living Room.
She walked down the hallway and into her temporary bedroom, flipping on the radio.
"Yeah…" she murmured, listening to Gary Jules's Mad World, "…we will meet again…all of us."
2 ½ years later…
"Hajiiiimeeeee!"
An eighteen year old Uzumaki Hajime, several inches taller and hair cut fashionably short now, turned to the owner of the voice.
"Kanna!" he said with a smile as his girlfriend of several years took his arm.
Hajime and Kanna were still attending Yuzurihayama for the college program; both were studying for their Bacheor's Degree's.
Hotaru had decided to study abroad in America; she was currently attending Yale.
"Sorry I'm so late! Computer Lab was murder!" Kanna said sheepishly.
"Really?" Hajime said in mock surprise, "Wow! A real live zombie! Wait…that last statement's an oxymoro-"
Kanna was now laughing so hard she couldn't speak.
Hajime gave her a moment to recover.
"Haaa…" Kanna sighed happily, "It's moments like these that I remember why I fell for you!"
"You mean you tend to forget?" Hajime asked innocently, "Might I suggest ginko biloba?"
Kanna started laughing again.
"So, how's Hi-chan doing?" Kanna asked (after regaining her speaking ability)
"Good." Hajime smiled, "Just got'n email from her t'day."
"Nice to here those Yankies are treating her right!" Kanna said smilingly.
"PFFFFFT!" Hajime snorted, trying unsuccessfully to stifle uncontrollable laughter, "Y-yankies? Kanna, nobody says that anymore!"
Kanna pouted, puffing out her cheeks.
"Don't make fun of me!" She whined.
"Yankee…pffft!" Hajime snorted as they walked along.
Meanwhile, Across The Globe…
"Uzumaki? Could you file these in the main office for me?"
"Not a problem."
A now eighteen Uzumaki Hotaru,much curvier (an inch or so taller), with her hair (down to the small of her back now) and bangs (the longest of which, barely reaches her chin) parted stylishly down the middle, strode out of the counseling center, several folders tucked under her arm.
Ever since she had parted ways with the past, she had felt the need for change.
Yale was about as big a leap you could get.
While many of the American students attending were vying for her attention, she was still waiting for him.
He had yet to reveal himself.
"Phweee…" Hotaru sighed, quickening her pace as she made her way to her next class, "Naruto certainly wasn't kidding about him always taking his sweet time."
She opened the door to the lecture hall and quickly took the first available seat, right up front.
"God…talk about the worst luck possible." She griped internally, "Now I have to deal with Mr. McDowell's creepy looks for three hours!"
"Hotaru! Yo, Hotaru!"
Hotaru turned around to face one of her American friends, Rochelle Thomas.
"Mm? What is it?" Hotaru asked in easy English.
"Didja hear th' news?" Rochelle whispered excitedly, "We're getting a new teacher! McDowell flew off th' deep end!"
"No way!" Hotaru gaped, "Sure, he was a little unstable but-"
"It's true!" another of Hotaru's friend, Adrian Barajas, said eagerly, "He tried to take a copula other prof's with'em! It was totally wicked!"
"Does anyone know what the the new prof's like?" Hotaru asked.
"Well…supposedly he's young." Rochelle said, smiling suggestively, "Reeeeally young. The youngest prof at Yale!"
"And I heard he's uber hot t' boot!" Amelia Miles (another friend) said smiling in an all too knowing way.
"Uh…guys?" Hotaru interrupted, "Not to be a downer or anything, but class started over fifteen minutes ago…and the' prof's not here."
"…"
Twenty Minutes Later…
"URRRGH! WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS?" Peter shouted.
"If ever does get here, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." Rochelle snarled, cracking her knuckles threateningly.
"Lousy, rotten-!" Amelia growled.
Hotaru merely ignored them and continued to write down notes from what was supposed to be today's lecture.
Because of her current training level and previous battle experience, she found her friend's threats laughable (tho' she would never tell them that)
The door swung open.
"ABOUT DAMN TIME YA LAZY ASSHOLE!" Rochelle, Amelia and Peter roared.
"Sorry! Sorry!" a friend, male voice chuckled, "I just got lost on the road of life!"
"CHYEAH RIGHT!"
"…the road of life…" Hotaru muttered in shock, lifting her head.
There stood a man of about twenty two in a pale blue dress shirt, the top three buttons unbuttoned.
He wore dark blue fittedjeans and had a comfortable slouch.
His pale gold tie wasleft undone and hung casually about his neck.
He had very light, mouse brown hair (ya know that silvery, sepia brown?) that hung stylishly in his eyes.
His left eye was a perfectly normal dark brown, almost black.
The right, however, was pale yellow and had a thick scar running through it.
"My name isKyosuke Hatake!" the man smiled, "Nice to meet you all…I think. Now that I'm here, let's get started, shall we?"
Hotaru's jaw dropped.
That eye…sure, it was a different color, but...
But that attitude!
That name!
That scar!
There was no way it could be anyone else.
Hotaru's friend Dane Pieronni noticed how sheintently shewas lookingat the new Art Professor.
"Yo." he whispered, poking her in the back of theneck with his mechanical pencil, "You know this guy?"
"Huh?" Hotaru replied dazedly, turning slightly to face him, "...n-no..."
"Took you long enough…Kakashi-perv." Hotaru thought, eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Well, I assume you're all here because you're pursuing a career in the arts." Kyosuke smiled brightly, "Or Forensics. Either is fine."
"Geez." Rochelle whispered, "Whadda dim bulb."
"Is he for real?" Peter mumbled.
"To begin with, I suppose I should say a few things about myself." Kyosuke said, "As I already stated, my name is Kyosuke Hatake. My hobbies?...well...I don't really feel like talking about my hobbies. My likes?...there're none of your business really. Dislikes?...I dislike many things. And I suppose that's it."
"He didn't give us ANYTHING!" Dane cried.
"Ho-yeah." Hotaru sighed, "If your not Kakashi-perv, I'm Barbara Streisand!"
"Now then..." Kyosuke smiled, "Let's begin...shall we?"
(A/N: Kakashi has returned so it seems, but does he remember Hotaru? And what about the rest of the Shinobi from Sunagakure and Konohagakure? Were they reincarnated like Kakashi as Hotaru prophosized? And what happens that has Hajime and Kanna on the next plane to New Haven, Connecticut? R&R baby! I'm out!)