Sparks 26
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."-
Abraham Lincoln
I returned to look over Sasuke for a time. I didn't feel comfortable with just the Anbu there. I needed to know Sasuke was fine myself.
He still wasn't up. He probably needed the break; I couldn't imagine the toll he'd gone through. Talk was that he fought Orochimaru himself, and as did Naruto. I was so proud of them both. I just hoped that everything would work out. We just had to… had to make sure Sasuke realized there was nothing good about Orochimaru. At all.
Things were happening faster now - Kakashi and I shared a moment I never thought we'd ever have. For that moment nothing else existed. It was so freeing but entangled me even more to him alone. Knowing everything that was coming towards us was rather frightening. The Hokage's death meant Tsunade would be returning for the post. Orochimaru would be the villain, surely. Who knew what else lay before us. It would have been easier to leave and go home but…. I couldn't do that. To leave now would be like tearing my own heart out of my chest. I couldn't. Let alone the pain I would cause the others. Naruto would never see me again. And I'd never see him. I'd never see the man Sasuke would become. I would never - I'd never see the kind of Hokage Kakashi would become. Knowing him now, I knew he probably didn't even want the position. I couldn't imagine the original story. Kakashi had - he had dealt with so much thrown his way. It seemed Konoha was determined to have it's way with him, regardless of what he wanted. I looked down at Sasuke; I'd do my best to ensure neither him nor Kakashi would have to be tossed around like the wind. And I couldn't be there one to cause either of them more pain. I couldn't do it.
I sat down beside the bed. There were four Anbu there - standing guard like stone gargoyles. I stayed by Sasuke's side, ignoring the Anbu there. I did my best to not be doting. The little Uchiha could one day work with the men around me. I didn't want him to be teased. I knew Kakashi had been teased here and there. Because of me; our partnership (it didn't come up often, but there were times I heard whispers). Because of his Genin team. Because of a lot of things. I didn't want to make Sasuke go through the same.
I kept my head down - hoping to hear something. Anything. I hoped he wake soon.
When I heard a thunk my head snapped up. Ibiki stood there, papers in hand; he had a cunning grin on his face.
"He'll be fine." He said and gestured me to follow him. Without waiting he turned around and walked off.
I took one last look at Sasuke and the guards before following after. Surely, surely everything would be fine.
"We've been looking into that Kabuto fellow a little bit closer. You're right. Something's shady about him. The minute we sent someone to trail him after he dropped out of the preliminaries, he vanished." Ibiki said.
"And we've no idea where he is?" I asked.
"None. He's better than what we thought."
Grand.
"What else can be done?"
"Nothing. For right now, we're watching over the matches and making sure everything else goes well." He said.
"But I thought-" I cut myself off and studied him for a second. "Ah, of course you'd be watching."
Of course they would be. The preliminaries still displayed the strength other villages had, let alone the crazy situation that was going on. Intel was Intel. I was sure they were even curious about the Suna group. I certainly was.
He grunted at me and showed me back in. We walked into the large building where the preliminaries were being held. There was a door off to the side Ibiki took me to. Inside it had a ground view of the matches going on. There was a one way mirror, overlooking the entire arena. There were quite a few people in there, even some of my co-workers were inside; some of the other contestant's parents too. I could see Shikaku there as well as Choji's father. There weren't any other village members besides Konoha here. A little secret compartment to watch the matches.
Interesting.
I went over to stand by Inoichi - I knew him best. There was little other choice.
They were all watching the battles unfold. It looked like one had just ended. One between Sakura and Ino. I watched as Asuma and Kakashi bounded down to pick up their students. There was something about watching him move that put a new light on him. Although he was distant with others and his students at times, I could clearly see the concern he had when he picked up Sakura and took her back up. He hid it well. From his past, I knew he had to.
From the look of the aftermath, Ino had cut her hair mid-match and Sakura's hair was already sliced off. Inoichi was quietly mourning his daughter's new hairstyle.
"I can't believe she just did that." He said. He did sound a little proud of her too.
"Any girl who cuts her hair like that? Decisions were made." I said approvingly. Ino and I may not get along but I did appreciate watching her growth.
"Girls think about their hair like that?" One muttered behind me.
"We do." I admitted.
"Even hair dye?"
"Things went wrong. Real wrong. The more unnatural, the worse it is." I said; I knew from personal experience. There were always some exceptions, but - rule of thumb and all that.
Inoichi's gaze flicked to me before focusing back on the matches.
"How else do girls think?" One of the others whispered to me. He peeked over at me; he looked young. Maybe fifteen? He looked sweet, quiet even. He had dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes.
"Oh~ can't share. If I say too much we'll have to change the rules again. Can't have that." I said. I got a couple chuckles from that, but the kid looked disappointed.
"Maybe later, ah?" I tried.
He looked so disappointed, maybe he was hoping for information for a reason. Maybe he had a girl he was sweet on.
The next match displayed exactly why he was so curious.
The adorable Tenten was up against the Suna girl. Before the match even began I could see it. Tenten didn't have the confidence in her abilities to win. The smug look and assured stance of her opponent? The Suna girl did. I'd seen Tenten's skill myself. She was good. Excellent, even, at Taijutsu and welding weapons. She could win it, but just by looking at her she was playing it far too safe. In some ways, it was smart - but considering her opponent? She needed to step it up.
"She's going to lose." I murmured.
"You mean the Suna one, right? Temari?" The kid from before asked. I could see how he was watching Tenten. The awe, the concern; poor boy had a crush.
Cute.
"No."
"You can't know that." The kid said.
"She's right." Shikaku grumbled. "Guy's student already let the Suna girl under her skin."
The battle was short. Painfully short and cruel for Tenten. The girl tried to play in Temari's arena; kept her distance and didn't take out the fan. Had Tenten gotten into the thick of it, she may have had a chance.
The boy with the crush whined; he was incredibly concerned for her.
I should at least give him a tip; I'd find him later, help him out. It was rather cute after all. Maybe they could help each other.
The next match was a girl from the Sound village against Shikamaru.
Shikaku didn't say a word, only straightened up and watched on.
"Who will win this time?" The boy asked. I shrugged. It wasn't easy this time.
"Depends." I murmured.
"Don't you use sound, Tami?" Inoichi asked.
"Mm. In a way." I admitted, it wasn't quite the same.
I got a couple looks from that.
"I use my voice - ultrasonic." I said.
"Why aren't they?" Another asked, and I shrugged blithely. Who knew?
"She said the bells she has can cause all sorts of stuff. Is that true?" Someone else questioned.
I scoffed. Shikaku smirked.
"There isn't a sound on the face of the Earth that can make you do anything. The lack of sound can drive one crazy. Too much sound can do it too. But a bell at a certain frequency? Paralysis? Messing with the inner ear? Not a bell that could. Smoke and mirrors, luv. Nothing but. She's trying to play mind games." I explained. She was doing a good job too. It was a pity that they were working for Orochimaru. I wonder if they knew they were pawns in his scheme. I wondered if they were aware.
I kept an eye on Shikamaru - he was level headed; very quick. I could see the second it happened. The match was over before the girl even realized it. She was still playing her game while Shikamaru let her monologue.
"You've a clever boy, Shikaku." I said. The movement the man made clearly told me he already knew. He was a proud papa.
"How's he gonna win?" One questioned me.
I didn't know.
But I could tell it was about to happen.
Shikamaru laid out his cards, one by one. His shadow had already caught the girl. The boy was a bit of a gambler himself; he was about to - ah.
Cute.
Shikamaru was going to throw a shuriken and dodge it. He was going to force his opponent to-.
Ah, there we are. Now I knew what he was doing.
He forced her to practically knock herself out. He made a fool of her twice over.
Clever.
If there was anyone that I had seen that I'd like to sit down with and have a talk - that kid was it. It would be fun to just see how he thought, prod him with the proverbial stick. Kid was more clever than he let on. Probably lived the life of the lazy genius.
Although, I did wonder about the Sound nin. One was out, the other was above in the scaffolding and the third…?
I glanced over at Ibiki.
"The third sound member - where is he?" I asked.
"Hospital. Shino did a number on the kid."
"Mm. I wonder if he's tired of being a pawn, don't you?" I stared at him meaningfully.
"That's a dangerous game." Shikaku said.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Even a chat would reveal more." I said in a conversational time.
"There's agreements in place. We can't detain or question participants." Ibiki said.
"Mm. Too bad." I murmured. He grunted in agreement. It will have been nice to speak to them; any of them.
The next match was up. Naruto and Kiba were fighting.
Naruto could do it. I was sure. At least I had hope. I saw the men around me glance over. I really hoped he would behave. Naruto struggled at first but did well. It would have been great if he didn't fart in the other boy's face. I covered my face with my hand, wishing I could find a hole to crawl in. Some of the guys around me were laughing
"Learn that from you, Walker?" Ibiki asked. I groaned, facepalming.
Naruto, if you could just not…
I didn't even know how to finish the thought. I was proud of his growth, but I hoped as he grew he'd be a little bit more poised. Just a bit. Hopefully.
The next match-up was Hinata and Neji. The little girl had quite the spunk hidden in her. She fought well but… but Neji still won. He had to be held back from killing her. The rage he had? Horrible. Understandable, from the sounds of things. He could have had unlimited potential. But because he was born in the wrong line - he had to be supressed. All of the Konoha Jounin team leaders had to leap in to stop him - even the proctor did so.
It looked like they all were on guard, waiting last second to interfere. I hoped that mindset would work well for them. I hoped so.
However, it wasn't until that red-haired boy was up against Lee that I became worried. Gaara. His name was Gaara. There was something unsettling about the boy. His face would twitch just so, his face showed aggression, intent to kill - this one wasn't happy, despite the word love tattooed to his forehead.
I didn't like the feeling I was getting.
Lee was going to fight.
Guy was letting him fight.
I couldn't explain it. Maybe it was the fixed, merciless gaze of the Suna boy. Maybe it was how I knew Lee wasn't the sort to be as dark. There was a level of danger in the air. Malice, even.
I ran from the room.
I needed to talk to Guy. It took a minute for me to get up to the second level to where the teams stood. A little longer to find the right room. I slid in, and went right to Guy.
I saw surprise flash in the eyes of remnants of Team 7. I ignored them for a moment.
Lee was still fighting. He was doing well, but I knew it wouldn't last. Lee wasn't the type to be merciless. He was a sportsman. He was so very much like Guy, but with a level of sweetness added in.
"You need to call the match." I told him.
"Lee is fine. He will do well." Guy said assuredly.
"There's something wrong with that Suna boy. Call the match." I continued.
"I won't do that to Lee." Guy said. "Watch. He's doing very well."
"That boy will have no mercy on Lee. I can see it in his eyes." I insisted.
"It's fine, Tami-chan. Lee-san can keep up." Naruto spoke up.
"That's not the problem." I said, but Kakashi put a hand on my shoulder and encouraged me to step away.
"Let him deal with this." He said to me quietly. The look he shot Guy, though - Kakashi wasn't happy about it either.
That was when the match turned. I couldn't look any more when Lee cried out. I could hear a sickening crunch. I could feel Kakashi squeeze my shoulder.
"Naruto, don't - don't go against that one. Please." I said. I couldn't imagine what that Suna boy would do to Naruto. How fast he would be torn apart.
"Forget that! I'm gonna fight him. Gonna get back at him for hurting Lee-san like that!" Naruto said; there was a fire in his eyes.
"Why don't you go check on Sasuke-kun." Kakashi suggested.
"I'm fine." I said.
"I'll meet you there." He said.
"Kakashi, I'm not-" I stopped, I wasn't compromised.
"I know." He said. "Go with them. I'll find you later."
I pulled away; it might be a good idea. I glanced over at them each. I breathed out slowly and nodded.
"There's only one match left. We'll join you soon." Kakashi said. Naruto grinned up at me.
I quietly left to join Guy and Lee. From the news? Lee might never be able to be a ninja after the attack Gaara dealt him. The boy's left arm and leg were shattered.
Guy sat outside Lee's room, his head in his hands.
"I shouldn't have taught him that move. I should have pulled him when you said to." He said quietly.
I'd never seen Guy like that. So down, so withdrawn. I sat down next to him. I didn't quite know what to say. But I had to try.
"Hindsight tends to do that." I softly said. "There isn't a doubt in my mind if you knew - you would have pulled him out."
Guy let out a sigh, and rested his face in his hands.
"It'll work out. I'm sure. Both of you are far too optimistic and chipper to be down for long." I said. I didn't know anything. One again; I wished I did.
Guy managed a small smile and bowed his head. I sat with him for a time, just being there with him. It was then when I knew I'd been away from Sasuke for far too long. I needed to check on him.
I patted his shoulder.
"I'll be back, ah? Just want to check in on Sasuke." I said. Guy nodded.
I needed to see if Sasuke was okay still. I headed over, but was quickly intercepted by Owl. He walked up to me and grabbed my arm.
"Come on. We need to get you somewhere safe." He said.
"Ah? Why's that?" I asked.
"Kabuto is looking for you." He said simply.
"Is that so?" I said. He must have figured out I told Ibiki to keep an eye on him. "I do wonder what he's up to."
Although there was something odd about Owl. His walk was different. And he never did grab me before. It could be concern, or something else. He was leading me to an empty part of the hospital. It looked like the ward we were going to was closed. Something was off.
"Do tell, did you ever pick up that Labyrinth book I suggested. Quite the read, wasn't it? Chapter five was amazing." I said lightly.
Owl chuckled.
The transformation dropped in a second. With no warning at all, he was behind me; an arm wrapped around my middle. He already had a kunai on my throat.
"You're quicker than I thought." He said.
"And you're up to no good. That's the gamble you take impersonating a friend, ah?" I said. I should have just ran and gotten distance first. But I had hoped...
"You even start gathering chakra, and I'll slice you from ear to ear." He told me.
For once I kept my mouth shut. No use in talking yet. He'd tell me what I needed to know soon enough. First Orochimaru and now Kabuto - it had to be related. It had to be. I didn't believe in coincidences.
"I wasn't ready yet to leave that identity yet. There were things I needed to do." He snarled into my ear.
"Pity. Best work on your acting, luv. Rather poor job." I told him. He gripped me harder and the kunai at my neck got closer.
"So that's how you knew? My acting?" He mumbled, "you know, you're in a rough place. I should kill you. Maybe next I'll kill Sasuke so you're not alone."
Ah, so Sasuke was part of his plot. But he wanted him dead? Why? Maybe the two weren't working together.
"Will it spare me the monologue?" I asked.
"You're not afraid to die?" Kabuto asked. I turned to look him in the eye as best as I could.
"Why? I've done more living than you've ever had. Tell me; do you even know what you want? Or are you just a puppet for others? Orochimaru clearly wants Sasuke; I thought you were working with him, potentially, but who else wants Sasuke dead?" I told him with a grin; keep acting girl. Ignore the kunai.
He had to be working with Orochimaru. He had to be. There couldn't be more than one plot going on here. Why else would Kabuto be so upset?
He smirked.
"You guessed by my acting alone. I'm telling you nothing." He said firmly.
"Oh? Then riddle me this; just came all this way to hold a woman and whisper in her ear? Is that the only action you can get?" I asked. He looked absolutely disgusted and distracted for a second. I screamed loud, sans the chakra and with him cringing I jumped away.
I backed away, pulling out my own kunai. He chuckled, and inserted a pinky into his ear, wiggling it.
"You're not going to win any match against me." Kabuto stated.
"Who said I'm trying to?" I asked.
He grinned at me suddenly.
That was when my world went dark.
.
.
.
It was the beeping that I heard first. The gentle hum of machinery. Whatever I was laying on was soft. I could smell cleaner in the air. Knuckles gently brushed my cheek, slowly dragging themselves down the side of my face. I didn't quite know how I was so exhausted, but I was. I fought through the haze and opened my eyes. Kakashi sat there in a chair, looking down at me lazily over the edge of the bed. It took a moment to realize I wasn't home; a second more to know I was in a hospital bed. He looked tired himself. There were lines under his eye, a new sag to his figure. I turned to look him straight on. I pushed myself up and brought my hand over to brush the hair from his face. There was a small uptick seeing his eyes but I could still see the wariness in them.
"I was late." He said.
"Or right on time." I said but he scoffed at me.
"You were right about Kabuto. He's in league with Orochimaru." Kakashi said.
"Oh? I only guessed he was up to something. Nothing like that." I said. He hummed and dropped his head.
"Is Sasuke…?" I hoped he would be fine. He had to be.
"Sasuke-kun is safe. You've been out for a few hours. I found you after Kabuto attacked you. I got there when you screamed. When you fell, I-." He stopped talking, looking away.
"I'm fine." I said; I even wiggled my toes to prove the point to myself.
"You need to up your training." He said.
"I do." I agreed.
We shared a look. There was more I wanted to say. Same as him. But considering how everything was happening at once…. It was best to let it be. I didn't know when to tell him that I didn't think I could leave. I didn't know if I could vocalize it yet. Our first kiss only happened this morning. Even though it felt like forever ago, it wasn't. Not really.
He cleared his throat and looked down at the bed between us.
"I'm going to be leaving for the month, training Sasuke-kun. Jiraiya showed up not too long ago; he said he'd train Naruto-kun. Last I knew they left." He explained, "can you… are you sure it's necessary?"
"It is. I don't think I can… I want you to know it all- before you make a final decision." I said.
"Everything." He said.
"Exactly." I agreed.
"Will you come by? Check in on his progress?"
"I'll have to. Make sure you're not tossing him from trees." I teased, to which he groaned at me.
"Tami-chan-!" He grumbled. I giggled at him, finding his hand and intertwining our fingers and squeezed his.
"We'll have to wait… for Jiraiya." He said softly
"Mm."
"Another month."
"I don't want you to regret your decision." I told him. It was his turn to squeeze my fingers.
"I'm not changing my mind." He said.
We'll see. I thought to myself. It was nice; to think he would still be around. Maybe not? Who knew how he'd react to it all.
"Whatever you say, my love." I said.
His brow knit together for a moment before he looked back at me in shock. It even looked like his jaw fell open. I couldn't help it. I moved over and pressed a kiss to his temple right below his headband. I got an adorable blush from that one. He clearly wasn't used to affection. I did my best not to follow that train of thought; knowing what I knew, he had reasons.
He wasn't able to stay much longer and I no longer needed to be there. We parted some time after, checking on Sasuke as well. The little boy was well, the posted guard still stood. When we finally did part Kakashi made me swear to not be alone for the month while he was away. I agreed.
I was under no illusion that I was particularly safe. I'd have to find someone to hang out with. Kurenai would be busy training Shino, Asuma would be training Shikamaru and Guy would be training Neji.
I'd have to figure something out. Then again, if either of them wanted me dead - Kabuto would have just done it. No talking, no tricks. He wanted something.
Thinking back on it - he wanted to know how I knew he was up to no good. He wanted to know what else I knew - the limits of my knowledge. Unfortunately, I played right into his hand. He knew I knew nothing but he was acting off. That was both good news and bad. It meant he no longer had to toe an invisible line. But it also meant I wasn't top of their list any more. I might be on it, but I wasn't a priority. I supposed I might turn to Ibiki. Between the both of us, it was the reason Kabuto was after me.
When I did go to Ibiki he was blessedly understanding. He promised he'd have someone keep an eye out. I figured I'd spend the night with Kurenai until things blew over - she was fine with it, thankfully.
When I went home late that night to get my things when I found someone was there waiting.
Kakashi stood in the middle of my living room, pocketing a small scroll into his vest. It was him; I could tell just by the way he stood there. The very slouch that was so very him.
I frowned playfully at him, "you could have warned me."
He almost scared me!
He only gave me an eye-smile. The cheek!
"Are you leaving soon? For training?" I asked.
"Yeah. I won't be back until after." He said.
That didn't leave us with much time. I pushed my hair behind my ear. He stepped over to me; I might have done the same.
"Be safe. Please." I said glancing up at him.
"You too." He said.
"I won't… I'm not going to…." I said - I didn't know how to phrase that I was probably going to stay. That I would stay.
"I know." He said with such confidence. Had he already guessed? Did he already know I planned to stay? The pad of his thumb caressed my cheek and he gave me another eye-smile.
"I'll see you soon." He promised. He left shortly after.
I stood there, watching him go. I was lost in the new feelings of love when I realized my apartment was missing something.
All of the scrolls Jiraiya had sent me were gone. I remembered that Kakashi had a scroll in his hand that he put in his jacket. He must have sealed them away!
That man stole my scrolls!
I laughed to myself, shaking my head. We both knew it wouldn't stop me if I wished it. By now I remembered each imperfection on those scrolls, their contents seared into my mind. Him taking them was a formality - a reminder not to go until he returned. I promised but he wanted insurance. It didn't bother me like it should. I'd heckle him about it later. Tease him. The little thief.
For the next month I did my best to remain busy with others close by. I often spent the night with Kurenai. I may have even joined Guy in his morning runs (the first few days I thought I would die. The man didn't believe in breaks or breathers. If one stopped another hundred laps were added). I checked in on Sasuke and Kakashi from time to time; I would bring rice balls and different snacks (even a couple square rice balls for laughs). I did manage to tease Kakashi about his sticky fingers. He pretended to not know what I was talking about - his gaze shimmered with playfulness. I even convinced that boy with the crush on Tenten to offer to help train her. It took some time though.
"I don't know…. She never…." He said. His name was Jun - he was a cute little thing.
"Are you good at welding weapons?" I asked.
"Well, kinda."
"Taijutsu?"
"Yeah."
"Go for it. You're a Chunin. She'll need a stronger peer." I told him. "I could introduce you?"
"No… no, I knew her from the orphanage. She just… didn't notice me." He explained. I hummed, cute and sad at the same time. I hadn't quite known she was an orphan, or him for that matter.
"Great way to reintroduce yourself. Pop on by, see how she is since and maybe invite her to train together." I said simply.
"Yeah, but- what if-"
"Can't live a life of what ifs."
It took ages for the kid to finally ask. It was kind of adorable, him having no idea how to deal. Same, honestly.
It was cute.
I was able to check in on Naruto and Jiraiya at least a couple times. They were off on their own. I was able to stop by and talk to Jiraiya about - about our talk later. I found them near a picturesque waterfall and stream. Jiraiya and I sat there on the ground watching Naruto train.
"I came by to see, if- if, ah…" I stuttered. Ugh! It felt like I was asking an Uncle to approve of a boyfriend. That made no sense. Not for a man like Jiraiya.
"Yeah?" He asked, his eyebrows raised at me.
"I was hoping that maybe you could help me explain to Kakashi about… about how I got here. Maybe even the book thing." I said lightly
"What?" Jiraiya said, "why would you want Kakashi to know anything about your past."
I cleared my throat and looked away. I didn't quite know why I couldn't put it into words yet. Not for others. I could see him slowly lean back, staring hard at me.
"You're kidding." He started.
I didn't look at him, instead I watched Naruto closely.
"Him?"
I pushed my hair from my face.
Jiraiya shot me a look, evaluating me.
"You know he's a fan of my work." He said
"I'm aware."
"He's a drag sometimes."
"He's insightful and quite clever."
"Just because we tell him anything doesn't mean he'll like you." Jiraiya said. My eyebrows raised and I turned to him finally. This was the second time someone guessed that. Was it so unheard of that Kakashi might care for someone?
"Why do people think he couldn't possibly like me?" I asked dryly.
Jiraiya squinted at me.
"You're kidding." He said.
"I'm afraid not." I said lightly.
"I was sure-" he eyed me warily, "how?"
I turned away and shrugged. I didn't even know. It just happened. All those little moments we had, added up together.
"I haven't a clue. We… we seem to be on the same page. I don't know when it happened. For me, though…. He just…. He's a good sort. He acts like he doesn't care but he does. Deeply. He's barely even had the chance to truly be, and yet he's as strong as he is." I explained.
"Well he is a good Shinobi." Jiraiya said.
"I wasn't talking about his skill in battle. Or his career." I said simply. Was that all others saw him as? Besides his friends, it was as if that was all they could see. His book reading, his relaxed nature, his skills - all they cared about.
Jiraiya bowed his head in thought. He suddenly raised his head, still looking away from me.
"Sure. When this is over, I'll stop by. You owe me though." He'd glanced over at the Hokage monument again. One of these days I'd investigate that. But now? I had my hands full with this mystery.
"Ah? And what would you want?" I asked. There was no way I'd agree without knowing. Who knew what Jiraiya would want.
"I'll keep it for now. I'll keep it within sense." He said, eyeing me critically.
"Thanks." I said.
"You know, you'd be a lot more beautiful if you acted more feminine." He said, his arms crossed over his chest. He peeked over at me; I knew he was playing. I scoffed loudly and tossed my head.
"You'd be a lot more handsome if you acted more masculine." I said. He glared at me for that.
"I liked you better when I didn't understand you." He grumbled. I dissolved into laughter.
I left soon after - work to get back to and such.
I promised Naruto I should visit as often as I could.
Sometime within that month between the training and running, I finally figured out how to get home. I had a bolt of inspiration one night, my mind finally piecing the puzzle together.
Of course. The second I knew I couldn't bear to leave - I figured it out. It was a mix of a handful of the jutsus Jiraiya had sent me. A unique mix of space, time and dimension; it was lengthy and not something I could easily achieve on my own. It required more than I could do. But it was possible. It was something.
Perhaps….
Perhaps I could send Uncle a letter. Just so he knew I was safe. I could enlist some help.
Slowly the day of the finals approached. You could feel it in the air that something was about to happen. The Hokage was shifting things; there were already orders for the children to hide in the monument as the exams took place. Every available Anbu was required to be in attendance. The last time I visited Kakashi and Sasuke I knew it would be down to the wire. My old partner was doing his best to teach his only self made jutsu to his student. I knew - I knew it meant more than words could express. There was something about that particular jutsu that meant something to Kakashi - beyond the Rin incident. It was as if he was trying to teach Sasuke a lesson Kakashi had learned the hard way. Instead of interrupting them I left what I had for them for when they needed their break. I'd see them soon enough. I didn't want to bother them more than necessary.
I had heard one of the Sound nin were murdered. Lee was almost on that list had it not been for Naruto and Guy. Nobody had seen Kabuto. I don't know if he was still in town or if he was hiding out wherever Orochimaru was.
When the day of the exams finally came… I didn't quite know if I was ready for it yet.
But, time waits for no man.
An/: here we are! I hope you guys liked this. Something simple and kinda quick. I'm having fun with my family but I couldn't stop myself from writing at least a little bit. I'm having way to much fun to stop, tbh. Again, a short chapter but... Oh well. Things are starting to happen.
Thank you guys, so much for the love - as always! I appreciate it and hope you enjoyed this installment.
Also; if you're so inclined to a short "what if" story, there another chapter in the outtakes that have Oliver be for Kakashi what Tami was for Sasuke and Naruto.