(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't happy with how Face Our Fears was going, which is why I wasn't writing all that much. So I ended up rewriting it and decided I wanted to start off Hatsuko's and Kakashi's story with them being young. I like the idea of writing their growth into fully grown shinobi and wanted a challenge as well. So I am sorry for this inconvenience but I hope you stick with me and continue supporting me! Here is a rewrite of the first chapter! Please enjoy how long it is! Much love!)

Age 5

"Make the clan proud Hatsuko."

My father's words repeated in my mind as I walked toward the Ninja Academy. Littered in front of the large building were my new classmates and their parents. I glanced back at father and mother who walked a few feet behind me. Mother looking regal with a wide smile on her face and father looking stoic and serious as always. I nodded at them in recognition of what my father had said before I had left the comfort of mother's side. My eyes scanned the crowd for Takemaru Ikeda. A mop of blonde hair caught my eye, and I quickened my pace to tackle my friend.

"Takemaru!"

"Ooof, Hatsuko you almost knocked me out!" he groaned as he rubbed his head.

"Sorry," I giggled as I helped him up.

Takemaru was my best friend. As cliché as it sounds, we became friends when we met at the park, and he declared that he wanted to be my 'bestest friend in the whole world'. Naturally, I was thrilled. Being the daughter of the leader of a clan didn't help me make friends.

Takemaru's father, Daisuke Ikeda, walked up to us with another man and a boy by his side. The older man had spikey silver hair, dark eyes and a kind smile, while the boy next to him mirrored his features, well...his hair and eyes anyway. A mask covered much of his face.

"Takemaru, Hatsuko meet Sakumo Hatake and his son Kakashi. He is your age and starting the Academy as well. Sakumo and I have been on many missions together."

"Hi there Kakashi! I'm Takemaru and I am going to be a strong Shinobi one day!" I grimaced at the pitch Takemaru transmitted.

Kakashi nodded at him and then turned his attention to me.

"I'm Hatsuko Uchiha, nice to meet you Kakashi," I bowed my head in respect just like how I was taught. I felt the presence of my parent's behind and my father's firm hand resting on my shoulder.

"Uchiha huh?" The young boy considered her for a moment and then glanced at Takemaru who was still beaming. He chuckled slightly and scratched the back of his head, "hey, you wanna be friends? Maybe we will be in the same class."

I smiled wide at the thought of having a new friend. After all, I didn't have many. "Sure!"

Takemaru came up between us and wrapped his arms over our shoulders. "Dream team right here!"

~Third person POV~

Kakashi, Takemaru and Hatsuko laughed with pure glee while the four parents watched with pride. Mikoto was elated that her daughter made another friend. Hatsuko was a quiet, obedient child. Always did what her father asked and never complained. Fugaku on the other hand silently prayed that she would pass her classes and exams. Upon being accepted into the academy, he had been teaching her some taijutsu and a few ninjutsu. She would become the next Uchiha leader when she came of age and all he wanted was for her to be strong just like him. Maybe even stronger. Don't get him wrong, he loved his daughter...in his own way, but he had to raise her with a firm hand. A successor cannot be coddled.

The doors to the Academy opened wide and the children waiting at the front waved to their parents one last time and piled in. Hatsuko, Kakashi and Takemaru followed suit. Takemaru became even more hyperactive when finding out he was in the same class as Hatsuko and Kakashi.

"Shall we then?" Kakashi asked his new friends.

Hatsuko nodded and grabbed both boy's hands as she led them to their class and to what would become a very interesting life.

FF Age 6

The time between becoming Genin and now entering their Chunin exams was eventful. Hatsuko, Kakashi and surprisingly Takemaru had top grades and were looked up to by their peers. Their trio grew exponentially too. Hatsuko befriended Kurenai, a beautiful little girl with black hair and ruby eyes and that friendship brought along Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage. Kakashi formed a friendship or a friendly rivalry with Might Guy, who was self-assured and precocious. One boy became jealous of the silver haired ninja. Obito Uchiha. Hatsuko knew him from the clan and knew he was lonely and without a family, besides his grandmother. When she would talk with him, she could immediately sense the jealous vibe. The jealousy only grew more when Kakashi and Obito were placed on the same team. Their third member was a girl named Rin, who fancied Kakashi and Obito fancied her. Who didn't fancy Kakashi? He was very smart and had good looks for his age. No wonder he steadily grew a fangirl following.

To Hatsuko's delight, her and Takemaru were on the same team along with another girl named Anko Mitarashi. Her sensei, however, was a little weird. Orochimaru seemed to favor her and Anko over the blonde boy. He would often show them how to use some of his signature jutsu. The sensei was even more interested in the young Uchiha's sharingan.

At the end of the year when it was finally time to take the Chunin exams, Hatsuko, Kakashi and Takemaru passed with remarkable valor. Minato Sensei was very proud of his young students. It wasn't common to achieve Chunin rank at their age. Orochimaru grew more fascinated with Hatsuko and continued training the girl.

FF a few months

"TAKEMARU NO!" Hatsuko cried as she watched her best friend jump in front of her and take several kunai to the chest. The two ninjas had been assigned with another fellow Chunin on an escort mission to accompany a rich man toward the Village Hidden in The Mist when they were ambushed by rogue mist ninja. At first, Hatsuko was relieved when her sensei appeared out of nowhere. Thinking he was there to help her; she dropped her guard to attend to Takemaru. But she was so very wrong because Orochimaru summoned multiple snakes to attack Takemaru.

"W…w..why sensei?!" she screamed as she caught her friend and gently placed him on the ground. Orochimaru just chuckled. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes burned as her Sharingan turned into Mangekyo Sharingan.

"He was holding you back my dear Hatsuko. Without me, you would've never awakened the second stage of your Kekkei Genkai. You should be thanking me."

Rage furiously rippled through her body as she felt her chakra bubble to the surface.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Bright, searing blue flames left her mouth as she aimed at the man she once respected.

"Brilliant jutsu manipulation," Orochimaru mumbled as he dodged the flames with only a small portion of his uniform getting burnt in the process and disappeared into the trees.

The anger soon turned to worry when she remembered Takemaru. She pulled him into her lap and brushed the hair away from his face.

"Please don't leave me," she whispered as she felt tears running down her face. She placed a pale hand on his cool face as his dulling emerald eyes squinted up at her. She lowered her hand to his chest and tried forcing out some chakra to heal him. Knowing it was futile, he placed his hand over hers and pushed it away.

"You don't have enough chakra Suko, you need to use your strength to get out of here," Takemaru choked out as blood began to drip from his mouth. Hatsuko shook her head and kept trying to heal him, but he would just keep pushing her hand off him.

"Suko, stop."

"No, I will heal you, just let me heal you," she said with fierce determination in her voice that was fighting the shaky words laced with her sorrow.

"I am dying. You are still breathing. The mission wasn't a mission at all and now you need to leave and report this. That is your job as a ninja. Suko, please." His voice cracked as he looked up at the breaking girl he once knew to be so strong. It killed him to see her this way. "tell my father I love him. And Suko, I will always watch you over you. Thank you for being my friend." His eyes started to close much to Hatsuko's anguish. She leaned down and kissed his forehead as he died in her arms.

"What a waste of a life," The voice of Orochimaru came from somewhere hidden in the trees. She stood up and scanned the forest looking for any sign of the traitor. She would die trying to get her revenge.

"Come out and face me you coward! You want to fight, fight me then!"

The trees swayed ominously as a breeze brushed the long brown hair from her face. Her eyes narrowed as her attempt to find his chakra flow failed. A quick swoosh of wind brushed against her back causing her to flinch.

"Peek-a-boo," came her sensei's voice from behind her before a sharp piercing sensation pierced her neck. She gasped as an intense burning sensation of the bite filled her body. Hatsuko dropped to the ground in agony as she held onto her neck where he bit her. Her body writhed and sweat dripped down her face as she screamed from the pain. "I will see you soon my dear."

Through her blurred eyes, she could see two tall shadows stand over her before she finally passed out.

Back at the village, Kakashi was training with Rin and Obito while their sensei was sent out to assist in a mission. A few hours into training something caught his eye. His sensei and his father came running through the gates of the village, each man holding a body. His sensei, carrying a bloodied blonde body and his father, to his dismay and horror, the body of Hatsuko. The three young ninjas ran after the two men towards the hospital.

Kakashi's POV

It had been hours since sensei and father brought my two friends to the hospital. Shortly after they arrived, Lord Third, Takemaru's father and Hatsuko's parents showed up. I paced the lobby, a million thoughts running through my mind. I couldn't lose my two friends, I just met them last year!

"Father what happened?!" I whisper yelled as he came from down the ICU hall to where we were. "The receptionist won't tell us anything."

There was a somber look on his face, and he furrowed his forehead. He sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder as he knelt in front of me.

"It looks like an ambush. According to Lord Third, their mission was a set up. How he found out, I don't know but there was no rich man needing to be escorted. He sent Minato and me out to track them and when we got there, bodies of Hidden Mist ninja were scattered everywhere. Their teammate was dismembered, Takemaru was already dead, and Hatsuko was screaming in pain. She passed out soon after us arriving. Other than that, we know nothing until she wakes up."

I couldn't believe what he was telling me. Why did this happen? Why her team? I should have been there. I clenched my fists as a feeling of helplessness washed over me. I sniffled as tears betrayed my will to hold them back. My father must've noticed because he pulled me into a strong embrace and rubbed the back of my head. Two sets of small arms wrapped themselves around me as Rin and Obito joined in on the hug. Eventually I calmed down, with one goal on my mind. I had to see her. I broke away from the group hug and took off running down the hall that my father came from.

"Kakashi, no!" he called after me, but I refused to stop. Room by room I searched for my friend until I came to a door that was slightly open. The mumbled voices of the Hokage and her parents affirmed her location. Quietly, I snuck over to the door and listened carefully.

"But what does this mean for my baby Lord Hokage?" her mother asked, tears evident in her voice. Lord Third 'hmmmed' and sighed.

"Unfortunately, I can't say for sure. We don't know what he plans to do with her or why for that matter. It's lucky that she even survived the marking."

A gruff voice came from the opposite side of the room. "He must be after the Uchiha power. Surely, she awakened her Mangekyo Sharingan after he murdered the boy in front of her." Fugaku was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and head bowed slightly. "It makes sense, why he always trained her harder than the others."

"If that's true, then she must be prepared in case his followers come after her. Fugaku, you know what you must do. I will attempt to seal the curse mark, but we won't know how long it will hold for."

A large hand clamped down on my shoulder causing me to yelp which alerted the adults in the room. The door swung open to reveal Lord Hokage.

"Ah young Kakashi, come to see your friend?" he said with a knowing smile. I nodded with a 'yes sir' and looked over to where Hatsuko was laying on the hospital bed. She was attached to a machine that was helping her breathe.

"Come over here dear," her mother said with a kind smile as she motioned for me from her spot next to her daughter. I looked back at my father who nodded.

"I will come back later for what we discussed," Lord Third said before exiting the room.

I walked over to her bedside, bowing my head to her father as I passed him. Her mother got up from her spot and let me sit down. Scratches littered her face and her upper body was wrapped in bandages.

"H..hey Suko. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. But I promise, I will never let anyone or anything hurt you again. No one will dare try. So, wake up soon ok?" I gently placed her bandaged hand in my mine as I rested my head on the bed. Exhaustion overtook me soon after laying down.

Mikoto's POV

I giggled as I watched the young Hatake declare himself her protector and ended up falling asleep.

"Aw look how cute that is honey," I gushed as I wrapped my arms around my husband's. "Looks like our daughter has a little boyfriend."

Fugaku huffed, "She's too young for boyfriends. Not until she's 40."

"Oh Fugaku, that's too old," I sighed.

"Ok fine, until she's 37. He better keep his promise though Sakumo," he said, addressing the elder Hatake.

Sakumo laughed and shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that Fugaku. He always keeps his promises."