Present

Chapter Twelve: Full Circle

It was surprisingly soothing. To have the only noise fill her ears be the sound of the birds chirping in the distance and the faint rustling noise of the leaves. To have the warm sunlight peak through the covers of the trees, illuminating the path before her. To feel lifted with the knowledge that the war was finally over.

To feel completely and utterly free now that Rin was no longer under the Uchiha's control.

Yet her newfound discoveries weighed on her to the point where the first thing that she had done when the Senjus set her free was to run. Even if the Senjus weren't the source of her perpetual nightmare, being in that village only reminded her too harshly of the last decade of her fabricated life. Even as age-old enemies, both of their village structures were eerily similar from the layout to the exterior design. Even their holding cells were the same exact design, although Rin couldn't imagine holding cells looking any other way.

Being in the village constantly reminded her of the freedom that she could have had. Should have had. It was suffocating.

So she ran.

The solitude was comforting to the point where Rin never wanted it to end, but inwardly, she knew she was running out of time. She needed to face society at some point. She couldn't run forever.

Two weeks into her travel, Rin had already exhausted the list of places that she wanted to see. She took the opportunity to visit the landscapes that she read about so long ago in Daisuke's library. The descriptions in the books didn't do them justice, not when Rin finally stumbled on a waterfall for the first time. Standing underneath the heavy flow of water, she finally felt how powerful it was and even took refuge in the mini cave behind the waterfall.

The desert was as hot and dry as the books made it out to be, but there was nothing like experiencing the sun beating down on her head, the sand getting between her toes and pieces of her hair sticking to her cheeks.

And the plains. It was exactly as she remembered.

Her memory guided her to her childhood home, or what was left of it. Parts of the village remained, but it was mostly ruins. Weeds had started to grow in what she assumed was originally a pathway through the village. The buildings that still remained erect were half destroyed, the wooden structure rotting away under the conditions. Piles of rubble made of mostly concrete appeared everywhere, slowly eroding away with time. There was nothing left, but Rin couldn't help but walk down the path of memory lane.

Her memories replaced the rubbish with buildings that she often visited as a child. A faint voice in the back of her mind that sounded so much like her mother's would gently scold her as her child self would sprint into the candy shop. The abandoned patch of land was replaced with a sight of a park, where the grass was trim and green. Her child self and her friends - Rin couldn't remember their faces or names anymore - would streak across the patch of land as they played a game of tag. The boy in her memories fell down in the chase, but bravely got back onto his feet in an instance. Shrieks of laughter filled her head.

Rin trudged forward into the hidden path, now full of overgrown plants and weeds. Brushing the weeds aside, she continued on the path, feeling the familiarity in her actions. After all, her child self had walked this path so many times that she could have navigated it blindfolded.

The other kids never ventured this far out, but Rin had felt particularly bold that day. No one else knew of her adventure or the discovery that she made and that was fine with her. The large oak tree at the end of the path became her solace.

The tree was still there although its age began to show as the branches had sagged considerably since she remembered it. Yet the leaves were still green as ever. Nearing the tree, the tips of her fingers traced against the faint carving on the trunk of the tree. Her name that she had longed etched into the trunk when she claimed the tree as hers.

Rounding to the other side of the tree, Rin bent down, fingers pressing against the ground near the base of the tree. Once she found the hollow spot in the ground, she began to dig, pulling out the grass that had grown on top of the soil. Rin didn't have to dig very far - her child self would never have the patience to bury anything that deep.

Her fingers touched wood. Brushing the remaining soil to the side, Rin pulled out the small box, slowly flipping the lid open to reveal a necklace. To an outsider, it wasn't anything special, just simply a pendant of a heart at the base.

But to her, it was the only remaining item that she had of her mother.

Rin clutched the necklace tightly in the palm of her hand as the memory of her child self flashed through her mind. She feared that her father would sell the necklace in order to pay off their debt, so she had stolen the necklace and buried it in her secret place so her father couldn't find it. A few tears slid down her cheeks as she recalled that he didn't have to worry about paying the debt after all.

Two days later, the village had been destroyed. She had been taken away and never got a chance to retrieve the only belonging remaining.

The coloring of the pendant had long faded and there were hints of rusting on the chain, but Rin dutifully wore it around her neck as she continued to travel. She had only thought about returning for the sake of retrieving the necklace, yet Rin felt a sense of closure, like she could finally put it all behind her.

That feeling inspired her next destination. After all, there was another part of her life that she wanted to close.

Chusei was exactly as she remembered it to be, a quaint village located right outside the borders of the Uchiha territory that had opted to remain neutral. It was the middle of the day, the market place was livelier than she had ever recalled. A brief thought flashed through her mind.

If she had run away back then, would the village even still be standing? Would it have ended up just like her childhood village reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble?

Rin was grateful no one spared her more than a glance. There were a couple of familiar faces in the crowd, but there was one person that she wanted to speak to first. She navigated the streets with familiarity, turning down a quick shortcut to avoid the large crowd. Rin emerged back onto the main street, passing by two more buildings before she stopped in front of the third shop.

The door was wide open, but Rin hesitated. She watched as another patron walked through the entrance without hesitation and she wished that she could feel the same way. Bits of their conversation floated out of the shop; Rin picked up a hauntingly familiar voice.

Inwardly steeling herself, Rin made the leap and stepped into the shop. It was only when she was inside the shop did a rush of emotions and memories flood her, a gasp slipping out of her mouth.

Nothing had changed. Rin hated how everything matched her memories because she couldn't stop the surge of feelings that welled up inside of her that reminded her this had been her home. It still felt like home.

When the other person left the shop, it was just the two of them. When Mikia finally noticed her, recognition dawned on her features. The towel fell from her hands. Mikia didn't even spare it a glance, her entire attention was riveted on Rin.

Rin wasn't sure how she would feel seeing the woman she once considered to be a precious motherly figure in her life who had turned out to have been an Uchiha informant, but feeling nothing hadn't even crossed her mind. So when Rin felt absolutely nothing, it was oddly disorientating. She had been so caught up in her own feelings that she barely registered Mikia moving towards her.

Mikia's arms wrapped around her. Rin didn't return the embrace; her entire body stilled as the sound of Mikia's sobs filled her ears. It felt like an eternity before Mikia pulled away from her, taking a few steps backwards.

"I'm so sorry." It hurt to hear the vulnerability and cracks in Mikia's voice. It hurt to see the continuous stream of tears that rolled down her face. It hurt to be here, in the place that Rin once associated with home.

The irrational part of her wanted to leave, to run away, to leave it all behind, but the rational part of her kept her grounded to that spot. She wasn't emotionally prepared for this, but she knew that she never would be.

Mikia continued to utter apology after apology. Rin wanted to reach out to the older woman, but she found the words remained lodged in the back of her throat. Truthfully, Rin wasn't even sure what to say.

Rin eventually found the courage to place a hand on Mikia's shoulder, effectively cutting off her stream of apologies. Mikia's watery eyes made contact with her brown ones. It was haunting and utterly lifeless. Her eyes were just like hers, when Rin was under Daisuke's control.

Mikia choked. "I'm so glad that you're safe."

Rin forced a small smile onto her face. "They wouldn't hurt me...after all, they needed me for my medical ninjutsu, right?"

Guilt overtook Mikia's features. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how I'll make it up to you, but they gave me no choice. It was either you or the village and I-"

"I understand," Rin responded softly. "If I were in your place, I would have done the same thing."

Rin paused for a moment, taking the time to access her surroundings, soaking in every single detail. "I'm glad that the village is safe. With the war that was going on, I feared that it would have been caught in the crossfire."

"How have you been?"

What a loaded question. Rin wasn't sure how to even begin, so she diverted the question with one of her own.

"Where's Aiko?"

Mikia shook her head fondly. "She's all grown up now. Maybe you'll be able to see her when she gets back." Mikia faltered towards the end of her sentence when it dawned on her that she was implying that Rin was going to stay.

Was she? Even she didn't know herself.

"I just want to know one thing. Did you ever care about me?"

There was no hesitation in Mikia's response.

"Yes."

Predictably, the first place that Kakashi visited after sneaking into the village was his father's grave. He felt like he owed it to his father, especially since he had used the memorial stone as a replacement for the actual grave. But now, Kakashi was actually here, in front of his father, carrying the status of being a Senju shinobi once more.

Kakashi knew his father was proud of him; that was what he wanted for him all along. Not defect from the village, get lost on the path of life, seek refuge with the Uchihas, turn into a Senju informant, and almost get himself killed in the process.

Kakashi didn't know how long he lingered in front of Sakumo's grave. Even when the sun beat down on him, resulting in beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, Kakashi didn't make a move to seek shade. He stood there, mentally apologizing to his father for making him worry.

I'm sorry I won't be able to join you anytime soon. I still have some unfinished business to take care of.

Kneeling down next to the headstone, Kakashi absently grabbed a handful of weeds and tugged. Soil clung to the roots of the weeds; he shook them out before he tossed the batch of weeds forward. The clump landed some distance away from the headstone. Kakashi continued to repeat the action, relishing in witnessing the grave returning to a semblance of its former glory.

He had finally returned.

Soon, all the weeds were gone, leaving plain soil surrounding the headstone. Making a mental note to stop by the Yamanaka shop, Kakashi promised that he would plant carnations all around the grave, his mother's favorite.

Kakashi craned his head upwards, gaze fixated on one of the floating clouds.

Tou san, have you met kaa san yet? If you have, can you tell her that I wish I had gotten the chance to make more memories with her?

A gust of wind swept by, inciting goosebumps all over his arms. Kakashi smiled, inwardly knowing that his father had received his message. Gazing fondly at the headstone, his hand cleared off the dirt that had landed on top of the stone. His fingers lightly traced the kanji for Hatake.

I finally cleared the Hatake name.

Brushing the palms of his hands together, Kakashi cleared the dirt that clung to the sweaty hands before he stood up. Turning to leave, Kakashi stopped short when he came face to face with a man in a wheelchair.

He looked considerably older than he remembered, but time did that. The left leg of his pants dangled below the knee. Cheeks sunken in, eyes looking particularly lifeless. His mop of black hair had lightened into a shade of dark brown.

Kakashi would never forget him.

Arata Sarutobi.

Kakashi made a move to sidestep the older man. Although he would never forgive the man for being the spearhead of what drove his father to suicide, Kakashi wasn't in a mood for a confrontation. He had done well enough in his childhood to not give in to Arata's jabs, but he couldn't really say the same of his current self.

At this point in time, Kakashi no longer cared what others thought about him nor did he possess the same amount of patience that he once did.

Besides, Kakashi was a lot of things, but he wasn't the type to pick a fight with the disabled.

Yet when Arata opened his mouth to call his name, Kakashi froze. The tone of his voice lacked the maliciousness that Kakashi experienced when Arata had spoken to him in the past. Slowly, Kakashi turned around to make eye contact with Arata.

To his credit, Arata never faltered. "I'm sorry."

A cold tingling feeling appeared in Kakashi's chest upon registering Arata's apology. Kakashi took a deep breath while his mind flooded with all of the "what ifs." What if Arata had never tormented his father, would he still be alive?

All Kakashi knew at that moment was that it was far too late. At that point, an apology meant absolutely nothing to him.

"You're too late."

Arata nodded in agreement. "I know. It took losing a leg and hearing that you were a Senju spy for me to finally come to my senses."

Kakashi wasn't surprised. Of course the first thing that Minato would do when the war ended was to clear his name as a traitor, even though Kakashi technically hadn't always been on their side. Nonetheless, Kakashi appreciated the gesture as it allowed the Hatake name to be cleared, going from the one who failed a crucial ambush to end the war to the one who was a critical component to ending the war.

"I'm sorry for the way that I treated you too," Arata added. "You were just a child. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you; you had nothing to do with the incident."

"Incident?" Kakashi echoed. "Is that what they're calling it these days?"

Arata shot him a confused look.

"It was a mistake," Kakashi clarified. "I know my father made a mistake." Kakashi faltered when incredulity shone in Arata's eyes.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "You don't have to look at me like that. I might be biased since my father was involved, but I'm old enough to know who was at fault."

"So you think…" Arata paused, clearly struggling to find the right words. The lines on his forehead became even more prominent as Arata stared at Kakashi, like he was really seeing him for the first time. And Kakashi supposed he was; after all, he had been nothing more than the disgrace's son.

"You think your father was wrong?"

Kakashi nodded firmly. "Yes. I understand why he made that decision, but I know that he was the one who made a mistake. But so did you."

The corner of Arata's mouth lifted. "How is it that you are so much younger than I was back then more mature than I was?"

Kakashi didn't have an answer to that. He supposed that it had taken him almost a decade to finally come to terms with his father's death, to figure out his feelings towards the Senjus. Yet even now, Kakashi wasn't quite sure what to think about the Senjus. He swore that he would never return to the village, yet he felt no urge to leave. The voice in the back of his mind whispered that he didn't belong here, yet for the first time in years, Kakashi felt completely and utterly at peace.

Arata's appearance and change of attitude only added to his inner turmoil.

Arata's question jolted him out of his thoughts. "Did you leave because of me?"

"I didn't want to grow up in a toxic environment." Although, Kakashi supposed he would have never found out what the village's reaction to the Hatake name was following his father's suicide. Would they have continued to drag him through the mud by association or would everything have returned to the way it was?

Kakashi regretted many things, but he didn't regret not sticking around to find out the answer to that question.

Arata shot him a pained smile. For the third time, Arata apologized. "I'm sure your father is proud of who you have become."

"He is," Kakashi agreed.

There was nothing more to say after that. The two of them had nothing more in common than being associated with the same village. While Kakashi walked away, he peered over his shoulder to watch as Arata wheeled himself to Sakumo's grave. Contrary to his last memory of Arata standing in front of his father's grave, there were no traces of animosity. Instead, Kakashi saw Arata bow his head in respect, murmuring something that he was too far away to hear. Yet from the few words that Kakashi could make out from the movement of his lips, Arata was asking for forgiveness.

That was all Kakashi needed to see. Deep down in his heart, Kakashi knew that his father would forgive him. His father was just that kind of person. It was a shame that his kindness had been the source of his downfall too.

The chances that Kakashi would run into Arata again were small, yet he still felt the need to whisper the words "I forgive you." Although the words were swept away by the wind and would never reach his ears, Kakashi felt the heavy weight on his heart disappear.

And for once, Kakashi genuinely smiled.

Kakashi avoided the villagers like a plague. Whenever possible, he would always opt to take the back routes or travel by rooftop if it meant he could avoid a run in with them. The logical part of his mind told him that he couldn't avoid them forever unless he left the village, but he found that he wasn't quite ready to leave the village, just like he wasn't ready to know what the villagers thought of him.

He dropped down from the rooftops into one of the alleyways. When the sole of his feet touched the ground, Kakashi felt the urge to race back onto the rooftops when his ears picked up on the sound of children laughing. The laughter was getting louder, which meant they were getting closer, but Kakashi found himself rooted to the spot.

A shadow was visible where the alleyway ended and connected to the street. Not a second later, a boy and girl came into view. In his mind, Kakashi desperately wished that they wouldn't look his way, but of course, luck wasn't on his side.

The laughter died when the boy spotted Kakashi lurking in the shadows. He reached over, lightly pulling on the girl's arm to gain her attention. Both of their eyes continued to widen as they slowly took a few steps towards him.

Every instinct in his body yelled at him to move, but Kakashi remained frozen stiff.

They were just children, Kakashi tried to console himself. They probably won't even recognize him. They weren't even alive when his father killed himself. There was no way they would even know-

"You're Kakashi!" the boy exclaimed, running excitedly towards Kakashi. Before Kakashi could even react, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his upper thigh as he wasn't quite tall enough to reach his torso. Every muscle in his body went rigid; his arms dangled stiffly at his side as his brain tried to comprehend what was going on. Mentally, he warred with himself that he didn't even notice the girl coming up to him, tugging his hand lightly.

With wide eyes, Kakashi stared down at the boy and the girl, inwardly panicking as his mind began to conjure all sorts of scenarios of how he was going to be accused of holding these kids hostage. His fears only intensified as he saw another shadow loom at the entrance of the alleyway; this time, an adult.

Right before the person appeared, the boy pulled away from him, taking a few steps backwards. Awe was written all over his face as the boy stared at him.

Kakashi's eyes flickered to above the boy's head when the person emerged. A female, who looked strikingly familiar. The first train of thought had been that she was one of the villagers that scorned him a decade ago, before it finally clicked where he had seen her before.

The medic at the hospital that worked under Rin. A spy just like him? Kakashi didn't have time to figure out all the details as the boy started babbling.

"I can't believe I got to meet you in person. Minato sama said that you don't appear in the village very often, but you were the reason why we won the last war. You're the village's hero!"

Whoa. Kakashi never thought he would hear his name associated with the label "hero" ever. Not when he certainly didn't feel like one.

Besides him, the girl nodded in affirmation at the boy's statement. Both of them looked at him expectantly, like they were waiting for him to say something, but Kakashi was completely speechless.

"Uh...thank you?" The kids didn't pick up on his hesitation. Instead, they launched a series of questions, badgering him for war stories or to show them his cool jutsus or a tale of his time at the Uchihas.

The medic girl saved him for having to answer their questions. "Hey, don't bombard him with all those questions. Come here."

The girl reluctantly let go of his hand, the bottom of her lip jutting outwards as she retreated to the medic's side. The boy wore a sheepish expression.

"Sorry about them. The news that you are the village's hero spread, so they're quite excited that they ran into you," the medic stated, while she held onto the girl's hand. "My name is Emi. It's nice to meet you."

Kakashi didn't mention that it wasn't the first time they met or the fact that she was just like him, risking her life to sneak into the Uchiha's ranks. It had taken one look and mutual understanding passed through them.

"It's an exaggeration. I'm no hero…"

"Yes you are." Kakashi expected that insistence to be from the children, yet he was thoroughly taken aback when he realized those words had come out of Emi's mouth. There was nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

"Not many people could have done what you did. You had enough courage and resilience to follow through with it. I heard that you had to undergo the abuse from the Uchihas for being an outsider before you made your way up the ranks. You were prepared to die for us; very few can say the same. So yes, you are a hero. You might not feel like it, but just know that we're grateful for all that you've done."

It was slightly disorientating to hear such a candid admission from her.

"You know," Emi continued. "The village is still waiting to welcome their hero home. You should stop hiding."

Kakashi couldn't help but to doubt it. "Are they?"

Emi nodded. "Nobody thinks about your father when they hear the Hatake name. They think of you and all of the things that you have done for the sake of the village. For the sake of the future. It's thanks to you that my younger siblings don't have to understand what war is."

When the three of them left, all Kakashi could do was stare at their retreating backs. He failed to tell Emi that she had done the exact same thing that he did and she was courageous too, in her own way.

Thank you.

The internal conflict subsided a bit by the time Kakashi reached the doorsteps to Minato's home. His sensei had given him the location of it a long time ago, but it was oddly disconcerting that he was actually there. It would also be the first time he would get to meet Naruto and also the first time that he would have to face Kushina's wrath.

Kakashi didn't know what propelled him to take those few steps and knock on the door. By then, it was too late to back out. It felt like an eternity before the door swung open, the telltale sound of the creaking filling Kakashi's ears, revealing the person on the other side of the door.

Kushina.

She was exactly as Kakashi remembered although it was strange that he was towering over her now. Rather than having to look up to see her, Kakashi looked down. Her mouth parted as her eyes swept him from head to toe. They stared at each other for a solid ten seconds before Kushina bursted into tears. Her arm reached out to grab him, jerking him close to her body.

This time Kakashi didn't freeze. He returned her embrace, silently listening to Kushina chastising him for being so reckless. Normally, he would have shied away from her touch, but it had been far too long since Kakashi felt the comfort of a family. He allowed Kushina to hold him for as long as she wanted.

Eventually, Kushina pulled away and Kakashi felt the immediate lack of warmth. Pulling on his arm, Kushina guided him into the house before shutting the door behind him. She looked him up and down, a smile slowly forming on her face.

"You're all grown up. Minato told me all about how grown up you were, but it's nothing quite like seeing it in person, ya know?"

Kakashi silently agreed with her.

"We've been waiting for you," Kushina confessed, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "Ever since the end of war, we waited and waited, but you never came. Minato never gave up on you; he still believed that you would come back. He'll be in for a surprise when he gets home."

"But now that you're here, you're staying for dinner," Kushina stated sternly.

Kakashi didn't protest; he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

He stayed the entire afternoon, catching Kushina up on the last fourteen years of his life. There were a lot of interruptions during his recount; Kushina was never the type to wait until the end to ask her questions, but Kakashi didn't feel an ounce of annoyance as he normally would have. There was a lot of scolding on Kushina's part each time she felt that he made a reckless decision. Despite that, Kakashi didn't omit any details.

He missed this. He missed the familiarity when Kushina would often scold him for overdoing his training or picking at his food when Sakumo left him in her supervision.

It wasn't until he felt Minato's chakra signature and another that was a mix of Minato and Kushina's approaching the house did Kakashi realize how much time had passed. Kushina was still in the kitchen, transferring the ramen from the pot into the bowls so Kakashi was left to fend for himself.

Five. The chakra signatures had gotten closer.

Four. Kakashi readied himself to face them, both mentally and emotionally.

Three. All he could hear was the sound of his heart beating rapidly.

Two. He couldn't breathe.

One.

The door opened, revealing two figures. Minato was laughing at something that Naruto had said, the two of them hadn't noticed the extra figure in the house. Naruto wanted to step into the house, but Minato pulled him back by the collar of his shirt, ordering him to take off his sandals. With a pout, Naruto did as his father requested.

Kakashi still couldn't breathe. The ten year old boy was a spitting image of his sensei. The small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he had missed the majority of Naruto's childhood. He wasn't there when he was born. He wasn't there when Naruto was first learning how to walk. He wasn't there when Naruto entered the Academy. He wasn't there to teach him shuriken throwing tricks when his father was too busy to train with him. He wasn't there, at all.

He didn't deserve to be here.

Kakashi stood up from the couch. The movement caught Minato's eyes, who faltered in the middle of asking Kushina if dinner was ready as his blue eyes clashed against his black eyes. Naruto was attempting to get his father's attention, but failed.

"Kakashi," Minato whispered, almost like he couldn't quite believe that he was standing in front of him. Naruto's eyes followed his father's. Two pairs of identical blue eyes were staring at him.

Kushina had chosen that moment to pop her head out of the kitchen. "Minato, your brat is home."

Home. That was a word that Kakashi hadn't heard in a while.

A grin donned Minato's features. "Naruto, this is Kakashi. Remember when I told you about him?"

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion, but that made him seem even cuter. His eyes darted back and forth between his father and Kakashi as his mind raced to make the connection.

"Kakashi was my student. You didn't get a chance to meet him because he hadn't been in the village for a while."

Recognition dawned on Naruto's features. He raced to stand in front of Kakashi, pointing a chubby finger at Kakashi. "Where have you been? Tou san says you're my nii san; you're supposed to come visit me!"

Kakashi gulped. "I was on a really long mission."

"Is it finished?"

Kakashi nodded.

"So that means you'll be in the village now, right?"

Again, Kakashi nodded even though he hadn't made up his mind about his future plan. Well, he supposed that staying in the village wouldn't be all that bad...right?

"Good," Naruto said, latching onto his hand and dragging him to the dinner table. Much like the kids Kakashi encountered earlier, Naruto pestered him about the details of the mission and asked to hear some war stories.

Minato put that to a stop by flicking him lightly on the forehead. "You know the details of the mission are classified."

Naruto rubbed his forehead, pouting at his father's answer. "But I bet it was really cool! You're the leader of the village so you get to know the details and I'm your son, so why can't I?"

There were a lot of reasons, including the fact that not even Minato knew what Kakashi had been up to over the years. Kakashi simply watched in amusement at the father-son interaction.

Dinner was a lively affair. Kakashi only managed to sneak in a few bites of ramen when Naruto wasn't looking. His sensei and Kushina had known him long enough to look away to give him some privacy to eat, but Naruto wasn't the same. For the majority of dinner, Naruto's attention was on him, pestering him with all sorts of random questions. The ones that he could answer, he answered, while deflecting the ones that touched on heavier subjects.

Minato never asked him why he left a second time. Kakashi was sure that he figured it out once Minato caught wind that he was rotting in the Uchiha's holding cells; after all, his sensei had a particular knack for being able to figure him out.

As Kakashi sat at the dinner table, he noted the interaction between the three of them. The secret glances that Minato and Kushina shared. The way Minato laughed at everything Naruto said, even if it wasn't funny. The way that Naruto would cower when Kushina shot him a glare. The way mother and son scarfed down their ramen as if it was a competition to see who would finish first. The cheeky grin that Naruto shot at his mother when he finished first. The way Kushina scolded Naruto for spilling a bit of broth onto his shirt.

Kakashi felt like that piece of puzzle whose edges had been damaged so that it didn't quite fit like the way it used to.

They tried to include him in everything, but Kakashi felt so misplaced and out of the loop that his head was spinning as he tried to keep up. In the end, he came to one resounding conclusion: even if he was home, he didn't belong.

Something was missing.

A/N: Hi again!

One more chapter to go. This was originally the last chapter but I got carried away writing the ending because there were too many loose ends I wanted to tie up, so I split the ending into two parts. The favorite scene that I mentioned last chapter was Kakashi's homecoming, especially the scene with kids calling him a hero. :) Despite everything he says, Kakashi still returned home.

I would love to hear from you all before this story ends. Any remaining questions? Final thoughts? Likes/dislikes? Expectations for the sequel?

The Quincy: I understand, I feel the same way when I'm the reader, but ironically I had to go and write one myself lol. Thanks for diligently leaving reviews for most of the chapters - I really appreciate it! It helps knowing that I'm not posting into a void. :)

Thanks for reading! Until next time (the last time!)

-MM