Aurora's View:

I know father told me he wasn't affected by the seal, that he cared for me no matter what, but I still wondered. We were a family, I think...but...what made a family? I had to find out. Dad was busy at the missions desk today and father was off on a short mission. This left me time to ask others what made a family. I explored the village to see who I could find.

First, I ran into Sakura-chan. She and Ino were at a tea shop, sitting outside to enjoy the sun. They were very cheerful when I came up to them.

"What makes a family?" Sakura repeated. "Hm...well, I guess a mom and a dad make up most families." She wasn't understanding what I meant, but she at least tried.

"And of course unconditional love." Ino added. Neither answered my question, but I thanked them anyway. They wanted to go shopping with me, but I told them I had things to do. I didn't feel like trying on a ton of dresses today.

I ran into Choji-kun next in the square, but he didn't have an answer I understood. He told me some analogy on food and parenting, but it only confused me. Something about how food and love went hand in hand. Shikamaru ran into us, looking for the larger man.

"There you are, I thought you'd be at the restaurant already." He told Choji. "Ah, I see. What are you up to, Aurora?"

"Shika-kun, what does it mean to be a family?" I immediately asked him.

"Huh? A family...well I guess it has to do with the bonds you make in life. Why? Did something happen?" He was worried father did something again.

"Danzō said father wouldn't have taken me if if it hadn't been for a seal that made him want to protect me." Both the guys looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

"Danzō...you mean that old guy that's always in the shadows?" Choji asked. I nodded, but Shikamaru seemed to understand it more than he did. I think he knew of the old man.

"Did he hurt you?" Shikamaru asked, sounding like father had when he rescued me.

"He did something to the seal and took some blood…" Shikamaru sighed, not liking what I told him.

"Let me guess, he made you doubt your father huh?" He gave me a soft smile and ruffled my hair. I didn't get why everyone did that to me. "Look, I can't really explain how it all works, but...love comes in different forms. Your father does love you, no seal could mimic that. Just because you aren't blood related doesn't mean he cares any less about you."

"So...family doesn't have to be blood?" I sort of knew that, but now it was becoming more clear what it all meant.

After talking to Shaikamaru, I think I figured out what it meant to be a family. It was nothing to do with blood, but something about the bonds Shika-kun was talking about. Did that mean everyone eventually would feel like family? I didn't get to think much more when an explosion sounded in the distance. I looked up to see a giant monster was crashing through town. I ran the other way, avoiding a building from falling on me.

People started running away, nearly crushing me when I tripped on a broken concrete barrier. I felt someone grab my arm and pull me out of the way. They pulled me in front of them to look at me.

"Dad!" I hugged him tight, but he made me let go.

"Are you ok?" He looked me over quickly before taking my hand and running again. "Come on, you need to go to the shelters with the others!" But before we could move, another nearby building came crashing down, forcing us to break away from the crowd.

"H-help!" I heard someone call, turning around to see a man was pinned in the rubble. Dad of course went to help, but I felt a dark chakra suddenly appear next to us.

"Where's the nine tailed beast. Tell, or I'll kill you." The man with the purple swirl eyes told him. He didn't feel right, he felt stiff, but the chakra around him...it was almost like it was taking the air out of me.

"Dad!" I called, making the scary man look at me.

"Then, I'll go for her." I suddenly couldn't breathe.

"I won't tell you anything…" Dad glared, refusing to give up Naruto-nii.

"I see…" I watched in horror as the man took out a long, sharp pole from his sleeve and aimed right for dad's head. In that second, a familiar flash of chakra appeared, grabbing the pole.

"So that was just a distraction...so you could search without being noticed."

"K-Kakashi…" Dad was as shocked as I was he appeared. Father looked at me, but I didn't understand the look he gave me. I never got the chance to ask. He then looked back to dad with a similar look.

"Take the injured man and go. Aurora, go with them." There was no room to argue, I followed, feeling the chakra around the strange man becoming more suffocating.

Dad dropped the man off at the infirmary in the supposed safe area. He told me to stay, but I didn't want to stay here. Something was wrong, it didn't feel safe anywhere. The chakra of the purple eyed man was everywhere, coming from all directions. Everyone's chakra here wasn't right either, it was either fading away or completely undetectable.

I sat in a corner, away from all the injured people where dad told me to. He said someone who was evacuating children would be by so to take us all to a safe zone. Sakura had come to check on me, but she was quickly called away to help others. I was alone here.

"Hey there, you're me Iruka's kid, right?" I looked up to see Kotetsu kneeling in front of me. I remembered him being dad's friend, but hadn't really met him outside of the missions room. I nodded, taking the hand he held out. "Come on, we're going to get out of here." He held my hand, thankfully not carrying me like a child.

Outside was worse than earlier and getting closer to the hospital. A small group of kids were already gathered outside with another chunin and ready to go. Both men nodded to one another, signaling they were ready.

"Alright, stay close." The other man, who I recognized as Izumo as we got closer, told everyone.

We rounded a corner, and I saw how bad it really was. People...bodies, were everywhere. One of the bodies made me freeze for a second. I run off from the group, Izumo chasing after me.

"Dad!" Tears pricked at my eyes as I ran to him. "Dad, no!" Dad moved at least, but his chakra was fading fast. He was pinned under a bunch of rubble, his lower body looked liked it was crushed. His eyes opened at little, but he wasn't happy to see me.

"N-no...g-get out...out of here…" He tried to move towards me, but his legs were trapped. Before I got to him, I felt someone grab me around the waist and pull me away.

"Iruka…" Izumo looked shocked and in dispare.

"Go...it's too dangerous...get them...t-to safety." Izumo nodded to dad, taking a better hold of me.

"No! No, let go!" but I couldn't use any of my power. It felt like my chakra had been turned off. "Daddy!" Izumo put me over his shoulder and carried me away.

Iruka's View:

The last thing I wanted was to see Aurora's crying face at the end. At least I know she's safe...Now I understood what my parents had felt. They hadn't wanted to make me go, they wanted to stay with me, but for my safety they forced me to leave. I understood her pain too, all too well. She'd be ok, that's all that mattered.

"Daddy!" I heard her cry, looking up to see her face. My vision was blurred, but her face was clear to me. She was crying as she was pulled away, the pain of knowing I wasn't going to see her again hit her hard. I gave her the best smile I could right now.

"It's going to be ok…" I told her, hoping she heard as Izumo took off. I collapsed once she was out of sight, my injuries from the building collapsing on me were too much. As I blacked out, I felt someone's chakra surround me, pulling me back from the brink of death.

Kakashi's View:

The feeling of dying wasn't as painful as I thought it would have been. It was like falling asleep, but I felt like I was floating. My last thoughts of my friends and sensei floated around me, like they did just before going to sleep.

"Forgive me...for not being there like I promised...be good, Aurora. Obito, Rin, sensei...I'll be there soon." That was my last thought. I felt the last breath leave me, feeling oddly at peace.

"Is that you, Kakashi?" I looked around, the only thing that wasn't shrouded in darkness was light from a fire. There, a man sat in front of it, watching the flames. I walked over to sit by him, recognizing his voice.

"So...this is where you've been?"

"Will you tell me about yourself?" He asked, looking up to me as I sat down.

"Yeah...it'll take some time, but I want to tell you everything." I had wanted this for so long, it felt like a dream.

"Alright…" He smiled softly.

"So, dad…" I smiled, feeling my chest swell with so many different emotions.

Aurora's View:

We were pushed inside a nearly packed room with other children, all of them crying for their parents. I wanted to cry too, but for a different reason. I could have used my ice to help, even as a distraction, but something was blocking my chakra again. The mark wasn't burning, but when I lifted my sleeve it was glowing a soft orange. I glared, knowing who was doing that.

"Aurora-chan?" I heard a soft voice and turned to see Yuri. "It is you!" She hugged me, even though she knew I hated random hugs. "Iwassoscared." She sobbed.

"It's ok…" I patted her back, knowing she didn't understand what I was going through. "Where's your mom?"

"Out there with dad and onii-san…" I knew she had other siblings, only having met her oldest brother once. "What's going on?"

"Dad said Akatsuki are attacking." I told her, seeing other kids were listening now. "All I know…" As I spoke, the ground started shaking, making everyone scream in panic. Yuri and I held each other, hoping it would end soon. When it stopped, the sound of crumbling buildings could be heard in the distance along with shouts of injured people.

A numbness set over me, the sudden loss of all the chakra sources overwhelming me. The world was suddenly quiet and too still. The noises from the battle sounded through the room, echoing off the walls, but it was the loss of lives that made it feel so quiet.

Kakashi's View:

I told dad everything that happened after he died, about my time spent in the darkness. As we talked, he put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I nearly cried again when I told him of Rin and Obito, which led up to the death of my sensei. The pain of it was still raw, even after all this time. "It...wasn't all so bad. I have a daughter, Aurora." He smiled.

"Really? You married?"

"Well...no." I had no idea if Iruka wanted that or not. "I adopted her…" I told him her story, how she was brought to Konoha by her birth parents for protection. After I told him, I realised, she was the same age when I lost him. My heart ached.

"She'll be alright...this fire isn't just a fire. In this world, it allowed me to watch over you...though not all the time." So he had been watching over me, even after death. "You can too...if you wish." I wanted him to see her, since he'd sadly never be able to meet her. I focused and slowly a picture appeared in the flames. Dad smiled softly at the image of Aurora, though she looked scared.

"A red head. I bet she's a little spit fire." He joked.

"You have no idea." He paused for a moment, looking back into the flames.

"You've had your share of trouble too, but...I never thought we'd die so young. Though not as young as your mother." He always felt guilty of her death, but how was he to know my birth would cause her end.

"Regardless of what happened...you did your best." I understood what it took to take care of a child so young, raising them on your own as a full time ninja. If it weren't for Iruka, I would have failed. "I understand now...you broke the rules for our sake. I'm proud of you now." I also learned that people's lives are more important than missions. My dad looked down, smiling at the fire.

"Thank you…" It's what he needed to hear, to be forgiven for what happened. I was going to tell him that he inspired me later in life, when a light surrounded me, pulling me backwards.

"Wha…" I looked back to him, but he didn't seem worried. I wasn't done talking to him, I wanted to know more about mom.

"Looks like it's not your time yet. You still have some things to do, Kakashi. Take care of that little girl of yours...never thought I'd be a grandfather." He smiled, finally looking happy again.

"Dad…"

"Thank you, for forgiving me. Now I can move on...and see your mother again."

I awoke with a jolt, breathing in air with desperation. Choji and Choza were there, shocked to see me alive. Honestly, I was shocked to.

"W-what happened?"

Aurora's View:

The fight had ended in Konoha, Naruto-nii apparently went off to finish it. The villagers we all excited, apparently the ones who died came back. I ran off from the group of kids, not able to wait any longer to see if dad and father were alright.

The village was destroyed, no buildings were left standing and mostly reduced to rubble. I couldn't tell if I was close to the street where I had seen dad last, but I could feel his chakra nearby. I ran towards it, seeing a crowd gathered near where the gate used to be.

Kakashi's View:

I was filled in on everything, hearing that Naruto went off on his own to find Nagato. As tired as I felt, I had to push on to find him.

I found him, struggling to keep on his feet and caught him as he fell.

"I got ya." I told him, letting him hitch a ride on my back.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hold on." I told him as we headed back to the village. "You did a good job, Naruto." I was proud of him for taking out the enemy, for saving the village.

As we approached, he saw the gathered crowd that was waiting. Tsunade's slugs had told the village what happened, allowing everyone to gather before he returned. Everyone cheered, lifting the boy into the air to cheer for him. Deciding he didn't need me for the time being, I went off to find Iruka and Aurora. I hope they made it through ok…

Aurora's View:

I couldn't find dad, the crowd was too big and everyone was cheering too loudly. I looked up to see that Naruto was being celebrated for winning his battle. I wanted to cheer him on too, but I needed to find my dads first. I had to know if they were ok.

Finally, I saw father coming towards me. He didn't see me yet, but seemed to be looking for me.

"Father!" I cried out, pushing past people and ducking between them to get to him. "Daddy!" He finally heard me, making a few people move for me to get through easier. He spun me when he picked me up, his chakra feeling a bit lighter than normal.

"Thank gods you're alright…" He held me close, never putting me down on the ground. I held him tightly too, never wanting him to leave like that again. I now understood the look he gave me, he was telling me he might not make it and that he loved me. Father died too, just like dad, but was now back.

"I'm sorry…" I sobbed, finally letting it go.

"What for?" He rubbed my back soothingly.

"I questioned if we were a family or not...a-and then…" then they both died. It was my fault for questioning it.

"Maa...you didn't do it. It's alright." He told me, taking me with him towards where Naruto was. "Of course we're a family. You, Iruka, Naruto and me…" He said fondly, letting me set back in his arms to look him in the eye. "Never forget that."

Kakashi's View:

Aurora's purple eyes shined with elation up at me. Had I known she was questioning what family meant still, I would have explained better. I pressed our clothed noses together, an expression of my affection I'd given her since she was small. How she'd never caught on to that, I wasn't sure. She giggled, just like she always did when I did this.

"Kakashi!?" We were pulled from our bonding time when Iruka called to us. We watched as he made his way through the crowd. "Aurora!" He embraced both of us when he got to us.

"Dad!" Aurora was crying again, this time Iruka was here to join her.

"Thank goodness…" He kissed her temple, putting their foreheads together. "I'm sorry...you weren't meant to be there." Iruka explained that just before Kotetsu and Izumo led the kids that were left to the safe area, a building was hit and came down over civilians. He was able to save them, but in the process got trapped in the rubble. The internal injuries he had sustained were too much to heal.

"You're here now…" I reminded them how lucky we'd gotten.

Hoped you enjoyed! Please R&R