A/N: This was written...long, long ago...back in the dark ages...of 2006. And...for this reason, this was written before most of what's currently considered the Naruto series had been released. This fic was most definitely released before the Yondaime's name had been revealed and we found out he was Naruto's dad and before the time skip, Sasuke retrieval arc, Yamato, Sai, Madara, before Danzo became Hokage...before Tsunade kinda went freakin' comatose...yeaaaaaaah...

Let's take ourselves WAYYYYYY back to when Team 7 was... tiny and original. The times when no one had matured yet and their abilities were still developing.
Kakashi, the perverted, supposedly apathetic sensei we all knew and loved. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto...all thirteen years old. :3 Oh noes~
Ahhhaha. I'm revamping all five chapters so I can start work on this again.
I will NOT change the plot or main idea of ANY chapter. I wouldn't do that to you people. Lol.

WHAT AM I CHANGING?
I'm fixing Minato's name now that it's been revealed.
I'm fixing my childish sentence structure and immature word choice.
I'm changing all ooc-moments to in character.

If you see the name Kayaku anywhere in there, I mean Minato. I'm attempting to fix all that as I dedicate all of today to rewriting these first 5 chapters.

"Yo..." Kakashi grunted as he spontaneously appeared from thin air, reading his usual fetish series.

"YOU'RE LATE! AGAIN!" Naruto screamed, pointing at his sensei with frustration.

"I know, I know... I actually have a good reason this time..." The jounin growled, putting the second book of Icha Icha Paradise away. Sakura and Sasuke took a hint something was off. The aura about their sensei was more dismal than usual.

"Kakashi-sensei, um... Everything okay?" Sakura inquired, apprehension dripping from her syllables.

"Yeah, yeah... Just had a little run-in with Gai..."

The three genin knew that was their cue to change the subject. But, surprisingly, Kakashi beat them to it.

"Ah, but enough about that. I have a mission for you all." Taking out a scroll and unrolling it, the three genin crowded around it and scanned the ebony kanji scrawled down the page.

Naruto's eyes lit up and he grabbed the scroll.

"Well, let's go! What're we waiting for? We've got ground to cover!" As the blonde began to bound off, Kakashi grabbed him by the collar, pulling back.

"Woah. Not yet," He stated calmly. "I have to give you a briefing first." Naruto groaned, but listened nonetheless when Sakura gave him a glare fitting of her inner self.

"Now. Seeing as how we'll be delivering these two very important documents-" He held up two rather large heterochrome scrolls. "-to Iwagakure-" Saying that village's name sent a shiver down the man's spine. Flashbacks of Obito skipped through his brain, sending a pang to his heart. Pausing to allow a sigh to pass his lips, he suppressed the feeling and continued, voice remaining tainted by apathy as it had been before. "-we're going to have to be on full alert and keep to the middle roads where others can see us."

"Wasn't the point to not be seen?" Sasuke breathed gently, slight annoyance piquing his vocals as he attempted to sound more knowledgeable than their sensei. Kakashi eyed him professionally. He had dealt with kids like Sasuke before and he wouldn't take that kind of attitude from anyone.

"Yes, it usually is," The jounin huffed. "But we're going to stay in plain sight for this mission because, basically, we're playing a fallacy. In other words, we're going to make people think we're there for alternate reasons. We must play our cards carefully with this mission. And we absolutely cannot afford to lose these scrolls. Now..." Kakashi scanned his students, meeting the intense gazes of each, then continued once more. "We'd better reach the village before nightfall, so let's get going."

With that, team seven set off through Konoha's gates.

"WOW!" Naruto exlaimed, dashing between an array of colourful shops lining the dirt roads of Iwagakure. Kakashi paid no heed to the rambuctious notions of his student. This village, everything he remembered about it, had changed. When he had last laid eyes on it's grounds, it was a battlefield, not a peaceful civilization.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The jounin snapped back to reality at the sound of his name. He looked down to see all three genin slightly ahead of him, staring back in confusion.

"Ah... coming, coming..." He waved a hand haphazardly as he took one last look around, then caught up.

As they made their way to the outskirts of a forest near the eastern border, Kakashi paused and called his students to attention.

"We'll set up camp somewhere around here. We can't make it to the center before morning, so we might as well stop now..."

"WHAT? Oh, come on! I could keep going forever!" Naruto yelled loudly. Sakura hit him over the head, anger boiling her blood.

"Would you just shut up for once?"

Minato yawned as night blanketed Iwagakure. He had been on the way back to his apartment at that time, disguised in his daily genjutsu to be certain no one would discover his lie of an existence. When he had faked his death thirteen years ago, he had fled to Amegakure, hoping to find somewhere suitable to live and hide. Reaping no reward for his search, the man had sighed and moved on. Clever as he was, he had begun his treck to his least favorite place in the world: Iwagakure. Who would ever suspect him there, the place that would pain him most?

"I'll never make it back at this rate..." His voice was light on the wind as he paused, looking up to the star-bitten sky. "Hm?" The sound of voices escalated, causing the blonde to glance to his left, pondering the source.

"Honestly..."

"What!? I didn't do anything, I was just saying-"

"Well, SOME of us want to rest so we can continue the mission on full alert like Kakashi-sensei TOLD us to be, Naruto!"

Minato perked up immediately at the mention on his former student's name and his son's name. "It couldn't be... not here..." The blonde whispered to himself. Taking a step back, the man followed the sound of their voices and jumped into a tree nearby. The man idled himself into a branch overhanging the clearing team seven was currently stationed in and lowered his chakra to an unreadable level, cautious not to be caught eavesdropping

Both eyes shot open at the recognizable spiky silver hair and mask of the jounin walking casually toward his three genin after scoping out the surrounding area.

Kakashi-kun... He thought, astonishment unhinging his jaw. So, it is him...

"NARUTO, YOU JERK!"

A loud smack rang through the forest, birds fleeing at the alarming sound.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"For being ignorant!" Sakura hissed, fists balled at her side as she turned to set up her sleeping bag further away from the males.

Defeat pulled at the corners of Naruto's lips. "What'd I do, dattebayo..."

"Dobe..." Sasuke growled as he descended on his sleeping bag, sitting there with a scowl.

"Sasuke-teme, you little- oof!"

"Now, now... Could you two possibly get along for even just this mission?" Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the shirt collar casually and yanked the little genin backwards. Naruto immediately spun around and squinted at his sensei for as long and as hard as he possibly could, attempting to get his point across.

"What?" Kakashi cocked his head slightly, raising a brow.

"You've been acting differently ever since we got into Iwagakure!" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusatory finger in Kakashi's direction. The jounin blinked, brows furrowing with confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kakashi-sensei, I noticed it too..." Sakura piped up from a bush nearby. She walked out of it, having changed into her sleeping attire. Both emerald eyes stared up at the man with a hint of puppy-dog mechanics. Kakashi then understood what they meant.

"Ah, well... that's a whole other story. Why don't you three go to sleep?" He swiftly attempted to change the subject.

"It's nine in the evening!" Naruto reprimanded.

"Ten." Sasuke corrected quietly, rolling over on his sleeping bag so to tell them he would now be ignoring them.

"Whatever." Naruto yelled, piqued. He turned back to Kakashi. "You're avoiding the subject!"

"Avoiding, am I?" The jounin merely leaned against a tree with a relaxed and aggravated sigh and took out Icha Icha Paradise. "Yes, I suppose so..."

"GAH!" Naruto lunged at Kakashi, who instinctively pinned him to the ground on his stomach, pulling his hand backwards across his back.

"I'll tell you this and only this. Iwagakure isn't the place I'd prefer to be in. It...brings back some painful memories." Kakashi completed and allowed Naruto freedom. He stood back and sighed, an almost pained look in his one visible eye as Naruto twisted his body to look at his sensei, confusion ridden on his face.

Minato sighed at this, closing his eyes as he recalled the fateful day. He could see the tears daring to burn their way out, but knew Kakashi had more restraint than that. He looked to Naruto, noting the familiar look of the boy. He looked exactly like...himself. Could he be...? His contemplation was soon interrupted, a shock jarring his heart.

"Whoever is hiding, you can come out now." Kakashi sighed professionally, snapping his book closed and looking towards the spot where Minato had skillfully positioned himself. Naruto, and Sakura followed his gaze, eyes widening at the realization. Sasuke rolled over, brow furrowed at the sudden accusation their sensei had made. Minato gulped, now realizing he had had to keep some chakra sensible to maintain his genjutsu of fabricated appearance.

"Damn..."

A/N: I hope that's at least a little better than what it was and not so ooc as it was...lmao. I apologize for the long A/N at the beginning. I'll cut back on that after this chapter, I promise.