Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 39: The Scarecrow Returns

The Valley of the End, near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Sound

This valley had changed in the decades after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Before the world war officially ended, a deadly duel took place in the Valley of the End. This resulted in a large explosion and the giant statues of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha that once stood by the waterfall were both destroyed, leaving nothing but ruins in its wake. After the war, none of the Five Great Nations ever sought to rebuild what was destroyed. Instead, it would become a symbol of the results of conflict and hatred to all shinobi. From now on, it only existed as a normal valley, where the waterfall ran through without any statues by it's side.

As the moon floated over the pristine waterfall, someone was sneaking through the night, dressed in nothing but black and grey camouflage. It was a young ninja, who were carrying two war glaives on his back. The young ninja wore a hood and had his mouth covered. But surprisingly, he also wore glasses.

The ninja stood and looked around to make sure that nobody was following him. When he knew that he coast was clear, he immediately set foot for the other side of the valley. He immediately headed for the thick woods and jumped into the giant bushes.

While hidden from any potential spies, the ninja took off his hood and revealed his true face. It was the Sound genin: Noburu Yakushi. Apparently, he had run away from the Hidden Sound Village and was without a doubt headed towards the Hidden Leaf Village. The grey-haired boy watched through the small openings in the bushes, trying to spot any spies lurking around. Luckily, all was silent and Noburu was all alone by himself.

"I have crossed into the Land of Fire, but I shouldn't be celebrating just yet. There might be ANBU Black Ops operating here and they are not to be underestimated" he thought in his head while studying his environment.

Noburu began reaching for something in his pocket and took out a picture of him and his team. The four-eyed boy kept staring at it with neutral eyes, as if he was somehow sorry for running away from them. In fact, Noburu had felt some guilt for having his teammates disqualified from the Chuunin Exams, considering that they were helping him and his partnership with the Brotherhood of the Blue Moon. But these feelings only drifted in his head for a brief moment, as he put the picture back in his pocket. He also put on his hood and lifted up the cover on his mouth.

"Rei….Yuudai…Shinichi-sensei…I am sorry to abandon you….and I can understand that I disappoint you all. But I must fulfil something my own father could not" he noted in his head and quickly ran out of the bushes and jumped up on the many branches. He did that very fast, while watching out for any spies. Nevertheless, determination and anger got in possession of Noburu's mind. "It is time that I pay a visit to that damned Leaf Village. Me, my father and my adoptive grandmother have unfinished business…...with those idealistic fools who runs that miserable village" he added to his thoughts, thinking about what he actually was doing.

Next day, on the main street of the Village Hidden in the Leaves

The sun was going up and every villager was minding their usual businesses. But what most of the villagers noted was that a stranger dressed in messy and dirty clothes and a cape was wandering through the main street. Despite being given weird looks he was given, the stranger didn't seem to mind. From what people could see, he seemed to be old, as he had some wrinkles across his face. But he was actually as old as Kurenai Yuhi, who happened to be an old classmate of his.

"Ah, it's good to be back in the Leaf Village. Still hasn't changed last time I was here. Always filled with laughter and happiness" the stranger noted as he made his way towards the Hokage Tower.

But unbeknownst to him, a certain young jounn with a tint of black and blue hair had been watching him passing by the villagers. As she had just exited the grocery store, Bunko Mitarashi couldn't believe what she was seeing. The moment she saw the dirty and filthy clothes, she dropped her bag of groceries and ran away, perhaps heading to one of her friends' place. Why was she doing that?

When the stranger had arrived at the gates of the Hokage Tower, he could spot familiar faces being seen. In fact, he saw Naruto, Shikamaru, Kotetsu and Izumo standing there having a chat. This made the stranger muse and he approached them. The group of four eventually noticed his standing there.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes lazily. "What a drag. It looks like we have another drunken freeloader skulking around the village" he remarked annoyingly. The man with ponytail then looked at Naruto. "Naruto, do us a favor and make him go away. I swear, this guy must've been sleeping in the trash. I can tell it by just looking at him" he told the blonde-haired man, who obliged.

"Excuse me, traveler. But this area is off limits for visitors, unless they have an appointment with the Hokage" Naruto said to him in a formal manner. "I'm afraid you will have to go somewhere else" he added.

But the stranger only chuckled in return, causing Naruto and his friends to stare at him confused. What in the world was his deal? "Now, now, is that a way to speak to an old acquaintance?" the stranger said and began removing the filthy hooded cape he was wearing, revealing a very familiar face, that made Naruto and his friends stunned. "Or should I say a former teacher in your case" the man said, revealing his masked face and white, messy hair,

"No way….Kakashi-sensei!?" the blonde-haired man asked the elder man, who was closing his eyes while waving at him friendly. Naruto immediately smiled gleefully. "Holy hell, how glad I am to see you! I hardly recognized you due to that messy outfit!" he exclaimed and approached his sensei. Shikamaru and the others followed him suit.

Kakashi Hatake was only dressed in blue sweater and pants, as he had put away his jounin vest, wearing a black vest instead. But even so, he still wore a forehead-protector, although it was tied into his biceps. His hairstyle had changed, as he had let his white hair fall down, no longer being held up by a headband. He had retained the scar across his left eye, but both of his eyes were black and completely normal.

Both Kotetsu and Izumo smiled at their long-time comrade. "Man, you sure have changed since the last time I saw you" Kotetsu remarked, causing Izumo to laugh at what his buddy said.

Kakashi mused at this. "Thanks. I can say the same thing about you and Izumo. Well, expect for the fact that you seem to have gained a little weight, Kotetsu" he said with humor, causing everyone, including Naruto and Shikamaru to laugh. While everyone laughed, Kotetsu only gave Kakashi a dirty look, causing the white-haired man to shrug his shoulders. "What? I am humorous" he told him.

"Tch, what a charming jackass" Kotetsu muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, what brings you back here in the Leaf?" Shikamaru questioned him. "You probably don't know but we are only a few days away from the finals of this year's Chuunin Exams" he added with some info to Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded his head. "There's no need for you to fill me in. I know what is happening here" he told Shikamaru before turning his friendly gaze towards Naruto. "And by the way, congratulations on your daughter's win. I bet you and Sakura must be proud as parents" he told his former student, who only chuckled nervously.

"Eh, you know how Nashiko is. Very determined, much like Sakura and myself" Naruto said. "She probably doesn't recognize you, considering how long you've been gone" he added.

The white-haired man let out a deep sigh as he heard those words. In fact, hearing how Naruto was proud as a parent reminded him of some issues he himself faced, even to this day. But he stubbornly tried to keep those issues separate from what he really desired.

"Anyway, you should come inside the tower. Grandma Tsunade will be happy to know of your return, as will Shizune and Yamato" the blonde-haired man urged him, causing Kakashi to admit that his student was right.

"Yeah, I see no reason for me to decline this invitation" Kakashi said, but his eyes suddenly changed into that of seriousness. "But listen, I want to talk with the Hokage about something I have stumbled upon my recent journey. And I think it might have a connection to what has just happened recently" the white-haired man revealed to his student.

"Alright, then we better head to Grandma Tsunade's office. She will love to hear what you have found out, considering that you have ventured into places unreachable to even the ANBU Black Ops" Naruto remarked and he and the others led Kakashi to the tower.

Inside an apartment

Ayumu Sarutobi was resting on his bed, as he was feeling a bit tired. Yesterday, he and some other jounins had been going out for a drink. But it was not with Menma. Apparently, Isamu and Tadeshi had dragged him into hanging out with them.

But while having a hangover, he was still able to walk and talk properly. He had thought about paying a visit to Shikaien and Inojin individually. So far, he had learned that both fathers of his students had been training with them. The fact that Sasuke was training Inojin stunned him. Even so, he appreciated that the usually serious and unsociable father of Inojin contributed to the preparations for the finals.

"I'm okay with you training Inojin. However, I will keep a close eye on you…Sasuke Uchiha" Ayumu thought in his head while narrowing his crimson eyes. "Ever since the incident on the Train Mountains…no that time when I left him and his teammates to find their way out of the forest, I have been feeling more reluctant to let Inojin wander off on his own. But come on, he's not in trouble or something" he began wondering in his head.

Feeling himself confused by all these thoughts, Ayumu rose up from his bed and went towards a fishing tank he owned. Remarkably, he dove his face into the fishing tank, closing his eyes while feeling how refreshing it was to have water all around him. He thought of this as a way to get rid of the hangover.

But his refreshing moment was interrupted by the doorbell and he immediately raised his head and grabbed a nearby towel to clean his face and black hair. While cleaning, he wondered who was ringing at his door. While having the towel wrapped around his neck, he approached the door and opened it.

Ayumu was surprised by seeing Bunko standing in the doorway. "Oh, Bunko. Didn't expect you to be ringing my doorbell, no offense" he remarked while chuckling. But from what the young man could tell, she looked rather troubled and it made him confused. "Why the sour look on your face?" he asked her.

The young woman sighed deeply before replying. "I came to you because you are among the few people I can trust personally" she told him. Ayumu motioned for her to enter and she did so without hesitation. As the red-eyed man closed the door, he could see his longtime friend holding her right arm tightly. This indicated that Bunko was feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"Okay Bunko, just tell me what's bugging you? Are you upset with me about Shikaien's win?" Ayumu asked her, not knowing what else to ask, while putting a cigarette in his mouth as if he was chill about her problems.

The light brown-eyed woman immediately turned around to face him with outrage. "Don't be stupid, Ayumu! Like I would create drama over something I shouldn't even bother myself with!" she snapped at him, causing Ayumu to back down from his suggestion. Eventually, Bunko calmed down and decided to say the words out straight. "It's about my father…..he's returned home" she revealed to him.

Hearing this made Ayumu gasp so that he dropped the cigarette in his mouth. He also began sweating. "You gotta be kidding me…..are you telling me this for real?" he wondered, completely stunned by what he had just been told.

"I am positive about it. He was just passing through the main street dressed like some homeless vagabond. He always does that whenever he returns to the Leaf Village" Bunko insisted to him.

Ayumu smiled. "But isn't that great!? I mean, your dad is a famous shinobi for crying out loud! How can you feel so depressed about his return!?" he asked her while being filled with overjoy.

But the young woman only glared at him with irritation. "You always focus on what he famous for, yet you know nothing about who he really is personally" Bunko exclaimed with anger, causing Ayumu to stop feeling overjoyed. She eventually faced the floor, feeling downed. "Relations between my mom and dad have soured over the years, which is why they are divorced!" she told him.

Hearing this made Ayumu actually feel ashamed of what he'd just asked Bunko, so he tried to show some sympathy. "That's right, ever since your parents ended their marriage, your mom has specifically told you never to go search for him, let alone talk to him. But that's not right, she doesn't get to decide whether you want a relationship with your dad or not" he noted lowly and he could see that he had to support Bunko. "Listen Bunko, I understand what you are going through and I can help you with….." Ayumu was interrupted by the woman's outraged voice.

"Don't try putting me in the same category as you! You have no idea what it's like to live with your parents torn apart!" she said to him.

Hearing this made the black-haired man grit his teeth in anger and his eyes narrowed at her. "That may be true, but I never grew up with a father at my side, did I!?" he asked her with anger, causing Bunko to snap. "I only had my mother to hold onto! And as far as I know, you could've also done that if you weren't so conflicted!" he added to an explanation.

Bunko narrowed her light-brown eyes. But she had begun to calm herself, yet she still faced Ayumu with a bitter face. The black-haired man was doing so in return. But it didn't take long before Ayumu broke the silence between them.

"But look, if this bugs you every day, then you seriously need some help. My suggestion is that you either sought counsel from either Naruto-sensei or Sasuke-sensei. Come on, they were his students, so they gotta have something to say about this" the black-haired man came up with a suggestion.

"Sasuke-sensei is much as out of touch with us in the Leaf Village as my father is, so he is not helpful" Bunko immediately replied to his words. But the young woman began soften her tone. "Now that I think about it, there is something I need to do right now with mom. But I will think about more of this later. Thanks for hearing me out, Ayumu. Sorry for sounding so pissed at you. And believe me, you have had worse experience than me, so I shouldn't try trivializing my childhood" she added while expressing her gratitude, as well as giving him an apology.

Ayumu only nodded his head slowly, appreciating her expressing her gratitude. "You're welcome" he said lowly with a slight smile and watched as the young woman exited the door. But Bunko turned around one last time to look at him, showing Ayumu her beauty. Bunko smiled and closed to door for him.

Having just had a visit, Ayumu walked over to his bed and fell on it intentionally. He let out a deep sigh the moment he had his face stuck into the pillow.

"I really need to hang out with girls more often" he thought while thinking about Bunko. But was she the one he would go out with? There were other kunoichis to choose from, including Kazue. Yet Kazue was perhaps not the right choice in his mind. "Is Bunko the one I wanna date? I'm stuck with what to think" the red-eyed man remarked, feeling confused.

Inside the Hokage Tower

The Hokage and her associates were happy to see Kakashi enter her office, never forgetting the achievements he had contributed to the Leaf Village. Even Shizune and Yamato held him in respect. Naruto and Shikamaru had brought along Sakura to participate in this meeting. But as soon as reliving in the past was over, Tsunade wanted to know the reason why he came to her office, other than having a friendly chat with old friends.

"Kakashi, I know that you have chosen not to involve yourself in the village's affairs. But something tells me that you have something you want to share with us. Is that true?" Tsunade noted whiel facing the grey-haired man.

Kakashi nodded his head as a yes. "As a matter of fact, I do" he revealed to her and the others, making sure that everyone got what he was saying. "On this journey, I noticed something troubling involving our very own world, at the farther reaches of course" he told them.

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked him, feeling curious about this.

The white-haired man shut his eyes to reflect something he had personally witnessed during his journey. "The elements….they have grown out of control" he told them. "Fire, wind, earth, water and lightning, they live in disharmony" he added.

Sakura became puzzled at this, and so did the others, expect for Tsunade, Yamato and Sai, who seemed to have some understanding in the white-haired man's words.

"From what I can tell, you seem to have witnessed tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes and even earthquakes" Yamato noted grimly. "Just where in the world did you travel to?" he added with a question.

Suddenly, Kakashi began pulling off the sleeve of his sweater, showing everyone that his right arm had been bandaged completely. This shocked everyone, including powerful medics like Tsunade and Sakura.

"Oh my God….what happened to your arm!?" Sakura asked with great concern for her teacher.

"I was trying to use the Lightning Blade against boulders that were coming towards me and my companions while we were on a path by a cliff. Unfortunately for me, it was grey clouds in the sky and lightning struck down on me as I attempted to use it. But lucky for me, my companions managed to break the boulders and afterwards, they helped my putting on this bandage. But they recommended that I wear this at least a year from now on" he told them about how he got this injury.

Tsunade forced a chuckle. "Well, that can easily be cured, if you allow me and Sakura to do that for you" she suggested to him smugly.

"Lady Tsunade is right, Kakashi-sensei. If you let us treat that injury, your wounds will fade away faster" Sakura said, agreeing with what her mentor just told him.

Realizing how serious they were, Kakashi gave them approval with a nod. He knew that Sakura had grown into a powerful medic and was along with the Hokage, capable of healing serious and life-threatening injuries.

"We can fix my arm afterwards" Kakashi told the pink-haired woman before moving into more pressing matters. "But understand what I have told you. What if such cataclysmic atmosphere was to come over at this side of the world?" he asked everyone, making sure they heard him.

Shikamaru cooked an eyebrow. "I hate to disagree with you, Kakashi-sensei. But don't you think worrying about natural upheavals is a little bit…farfetched?" he asked the white-haired man. "I mean, recently, we have seen border villages being razed, as well as abandoned without a trace" Shikamaru pointed out.

"And not to mention how things have gotten out of hand lately, like the stealing of the Orb of Asura" Yamato added. "I believe you've also heard what happened in the Sand Village" he added to his comrade.

"Yes I have, and from what I hear, they sound troubling" Kakashi spoke up. "But believing that a Fifth Shinobi World War becoming real is twice as farfetched" he added his opinion.

Hearing his words caused Shizune to snap in outrage. "Many lives of shinobis have been lost because of those events, including that on the Train Mountains!" she pointed out to him. "And the ones responsible have officially declared war against the Five Great Nations! Yet, here you are pretending that it's not a big of a deal!?" she exclaimed towards him while slamming her palms on Tsunade's desk.

The Hokage laid her right arm over Shizune's hands, motioning for her to calm down. By seeing this, the black-eyed woman immediately regretted her outburst. But Tsunade quickly refocused her view on Kakashi.

"It's not that we consider the natural upheavals less important, but it's about focusing on problems in our region. With the finals a few days away, we can't risk wasting energy on problems not related to our region" Tsunade told Kakashi reasonably.

Kakashi kept looking at her with his normal gaze, having been like that since the time he entered the tower. He looked over at Naruto, who was only watching him with a raised eyebrow. Surprisingly, the white-haired man gave him a friendly expression, something the blonde-haired man found mused about.

"Perhaps all of you are right. Maybe I am too naïve to think about natural disasters" Kakashi admitted with a gentle voice. "Nevertheless, it was happy to talk to every one of you standing here. I better go outside and say hello to the rest of the…." Kakashi was interrupted by a female voice.

"You finally show up, huh!?" everyone looked at the door to see Anko Mitarashi entering. The elderly woman was fixing her angered eyes upon Kakashi, who only viewed her with his normal glance. Being given this look only infuriated Anko. "You return to the Leaf Village, yet the first thing you decide to visit is the Hokage's Tower instead of me and Bunko!?" she asked Kakashi with great disdain.

Yamato knew that there was trouble brewing between his comrades, so he decided to step up. "Hey Anko, there's no need for you to get so upset. Kakashi needed to inform us about…" before he could continue, Anko interrupted him.

"About his journeys, I presume! Who the hell cares!?" she exclaimed and approached Kakashi, who was mostly relaxed by her angry mood. Naruto and the others stepped aside, while pleading the elderly woman not to take the aggression any further. "Look me in the eyes, Kakashi! You did it! You taught Bunko that accursed jutsu of yours, didn't you!?" she demanded from him.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked her, still as calm.

Anko gritted her teeth. "Don't play dumb with me! You taught her the Chidori, against my own wishes!" she exclaimed towards him. "During the third phase, she almost killed a genin by performing it!" she added, causing the white-haired man to widen in surprise.

"What? But I only agreed to teach her that so she could protect herself against stronger opponents, not small children!" he countered Anko's accusation. He then faced Shikamaru worriedly. "Your son didn't get killed, did he?" Kakashi asked the man with ponytail and goatee.

Shikamaru only rolled his eyes. "No, but he almost were. But that is just because he wanted to pull a good stunt on Bunko. You know how smart my son is, despite his punkish attitude" he answered the white-haired man, who sighed in relief.

"Thank God!" Kakashi uttered out the words. But he faced Anko, who was very upset with him at the moment. Kakashi knew that he still needed to defend himself. "But look, it was never in my intention to allow Bunko to perform the Chidori on children, that I can assure you" he assured her.

"But you are the one who taught her that jutsu, and without me knowing as well!" Anko hit back.

But everyone paused by hearing Tsunade making a strict coughing sound. The elderly lady seemed to find this bickering between Kakashi and Anko a nuisance in her office. She had even walked up from her seat and had begun moving towards them. The expression on Tsunade's face was strict.

"I have heard enough from you two!" she told the couple. "If you want to waste our time having an argument over your marital issues, you do so at home!" she added, not even regretting the tone she used in her voice. Knowing better than to argue with Tsunade, Anko immediately headed out for the door, saying nothing along the way. Kakashi only watched her leave, before turning to face Tsunade once again. The blonde-haired woman was still glaring at him. "You may also exit my office, Kakashi. Your time is up. But I will think about what you told us just now" she revealed to the white-haired man.

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "As you wish, Lady Tsunade" he said lowly and headed for the door. However, he looked over his shoulder to face everyone standing in the room. "All of you might think of me as being selfish for not staying in the village. But if I really was selfish….I wouldn't have returned to bring these warnings to you. I am what I am. Never forget that!" he said with a hint of bitterness before opening the door to exit.

Naruto and Sakura could only stand and watch their teacher leave Tsunade's office with concerned looks. A part of them wanted to follow him to cheer him up. But something told them to leave Kakashi alone, as this was something only he could solve. Sure, Kakashi had always been a great asset to them and Sasuke when they were together in Team Kakashi.

"Do you think he will be okay, Naruto?" Sakura asked her husband, who was unsure about this.

Even so, Naruto faced his wife with a reassuring glance and put a hand on her shoulder. "As much as I want to intervene, I know that it will not help" he replied to her and began facing the door. "I only hope that he and Anko can repair their relationship…for Bunko's sake" he expressed his thoughts.

At the Uchiha Graveyard, somewhere in the Village Hidden in the Leaves

Shunsuke was standing all alone in a place where members of the Uchiha clan were buried. He had been there before. When Shunsuke was a younger boy, Sasuke used to take him and Inojin out there to see the many Uchihas who died in the terrible massacre decades ago. This was to pay respect for those who had sacrificed their lives for the darkness that crawled around the Leaf Village at that time.

But among those buried were Shunsuke's paternal right now, the raven-haired boy was standing before the memorials of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. The sun was shining yet the winds blew in the air. Shunsuke never took his black eyes off the memorials and faced them with pity. Before the memorials laid two packages of flowers he had taken from home, with his mother's permission of course.

"Grandfather…grandmother…..I need your help" Shunsuke spoke up lowly. "Yesterday, I witnessed father taking out Inojin to have a talk with him. I was supportive of it at first, but I'm beginning to suspect that something is amiss. Neither Inojin nor father will tell me about it" he explained as if he was asking the spirits of his deceased grandparents.

But while he had been curious about that, he himself had noticed that Nashiko had been hanging a lot with Konohamaru lately. From what Menma had told him, the brown-haired man had agreed to help train Nashiko. When asked about whether he would want Konohamaru to train with him, Shunsuke politely declined. The raven-haired boy knew that besides seeking guidance from his teacher, he would have to seek out a way of training on his own.

"Ever since my brief confrontation with Inojin on the Train Mountains, I have started to actually fear that I may be put up against him in the finals" he admitted, still talking to his grandparents. "It's true that I want to defeat him in a match…..but I am growing wary about brother's power" he added.

For some reason, Shunsuke began smiling as he faced the memorials. He had seen old pictures of his grandparents before. He was stunned by Mikoto's beauty, while having mixed feelings about Fugaku's neglected expression. Sasuke had told him how they were, and Shunsuke could not help but to wish they were still alive. What if he could ever meet his grandmother and see her kindness? Or what if he could witness a different Fugaku than the one he heard from Sasuke. Shunsuke sometimes wondered if his father had similar wishes.

But the young boy had been told of everything that led up to the Uchiha Massacre, including the sacrifice made by his late uncle Itachi. From what Shunsuke could tell, his father held Itachi in a higher regard than his parents. For what reason, he didn't know. The young boy closed his eyes to feel the winds.

"So this is where you have been all day?" Shunsuke snapped as he heard the voice of his twin brother, who was standing a few meters from him with his normal glance. Inojin shifted his gaze to the two memorials while crossing his arms. "Why are you visiting their burial site? You know that they will never come back" he pointed out.

As much as surprised Shunsuke was, he tried to compose himself, especially in front of his brother. "But I can still ask their spirits for guidance" the raven-haired boy replied to him. "They may no longer walk among us, but their spirits will never die. The Hokage and Nashiko's father told us that once, remember?" he reminded Inojin.

Inojin shrugged his shoulders as if those words didn't matter. "Whatever. In my opinion, communicating with the dead seems flawless" he remarked, but could see his twin brother sticking to his own views. This made Inojin sigh in annoyance. "Fine, go ahead and believe in that stupidity" he said.

The raven-haired boy with ponytail began walking away. "Hey Inojin" hearing Shunsuke's voice caused him to stop in his tracks. Inojin turned around to face him. He could see how Shunsuke wanted to know something from him. Surprisingly, he seemed confident. "I don't know what you and dad are doing, but it won't change my desire to combat you" Shunsuke told him.

Facing his twin brother with his unamused glance, Inojin scoffed at him. "What we're doing has nothing to do with me training to defeat you. It has something to do with me preparing for stronger opponents" Inojin told him, before taking off, waving his hand in the process.

As he could see his twin brother leave, Shunsuke took his time to reflect on what he was just told. Did Inojin not necessarily consider him to be a worthy opponent? With this question crawling in his head, Shunsuke knew that he couldn't think about this all day. He gave the memorials of his grandparents a respective bow before following Inojin to their home. A confidential smile crept on his face.

"It looks like I'm just gonna have to do what dad used to when he was younger. Train harder, because that will make me just as strong as my brother" Shunsuke thought in his head. "I better go see Menma-sensei" he added to his thoughts.

In the local park, Village Hidden in the Leaves

Kakashi was sitting by himself on a bench. Ever since his unpleasant confrontation with Anko at the Hokage Tower, the white-haired man had spent his time sitting all alone. In fact, he was actually reading a book, but a different one from those he used to read during his younger days. Rather, it was all about war and strategy. Having participated in the previous world war, Kakashi was a perceptive and militarily genius, something even his students and comrades had taken notice of.

"Tch…Fifth Shinobi World War my ass….what good is there in wasting innocent lives for terrorism?" he wondered in his head while reading. But as he read, he lost concentration, as his thoughts drifted away. "All I can say is that the previous world war was the worst of them all. Have every nation forgotten about the casualties? And what about the crisis that happened in the war's aftermath? It also nearly cost this world's life" he added, but Kakashi didn't want to think about such things. Trying to find his inner peace, the elderly man gazed up to the sun, shutting his eyes to feel the ray of sunshine touch him. After sitting like this for about two minutes, he opened his eyes and returned his focus on the book. "There…much better. I'm glad that I've decided to move on and forget about the hardships of the past" he said after letting out a deep sigh.

While reading, he could notice someone approaching him and he checked it out by watching sideways. Kakashi was stunned by seeing who was approaching him, and his eyes widened. Standing from his left side was Bunko, her brown eyes staring at him with displeasure.

"Bunko, so nice to see you again!" Kakashi exclaimed as he rose up to give the young woman a hug. Surprsinlgy, Bunko did not return the hug, but the white-haired man didn't seem to care. He let go of her and faced the young women with an open-minded face. "How have you been, girl? I heard you were assigned to going undercover during the first two phases of the Chuunin Exams. Must've been a tough job, if you ask me" he told her.

The blue-haired woman only sighed in annoyance. "Dad…just cut it out!" she blurted out her words, causing her father to stare at her confused. Bunko could eventually catch a glimpse of the bandaged that were covering his right arm and she pulled up her father's sleeve. The young woman was mortified. "What the hell…did you almost get yourself killed again!?" she demanded from him.

"It was just a little fluke. I managed to accidentally get hit by a lightning, but the injuries will heal in time, coupled with a little help from Lady Tsunade and…" Kakashi was interrupted by Bunko's angry voice.

"Damn it, dad! When are you gonna stop putting yourself in dangerous situations like this!?" she demanded from him.

Hearing this made Kakashi not forget what Anko had told him, so he faced her strictly while crossing his arms. "Listen, I know what you're trying to pull here, Bunko. There's no point in changing the subject or trying to deflect blame. Your mother has told me of what you did in the Exams" Kakashi revealed to his daughter, his voice as stoic and serious as it was during his younger days. "I specifically told you never to use the Chidori against a minor. And I also told you never to let people know of you mastering it! Do you realize the consequences?" he added strictly.

But Bunko stood tall amid this scolding. "I was just trying to teach that little brat some damn respect! Besides, he could've prevented me from performing it, but he took it to his advantage and placed me in a trap. And for the record, my Chidori wasn't even at its fullest, so it wouldn't so much as created a hole on his body" the young woman countered her father's criticism.

"That doesn't matter. Now that you mother knows it, she's gonna take all her frustration and anger out on me" Kakashi pointed out. "And you know that she's not someone to have a relationship with so easily" he added.

Bunko's brown eyes narrowed. "If that's the case then why did you marry her in the first place!?" she asked him. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at what she just asked him. "Or maybe I should've asked this: if you were not gonna spend much time in the village, why did you even bother conceiving me in the first place!? Were you and mom fucking each other while being drunk!? Had you forgot to put on a condom!?" she began asking such vulgar questions while anger flared her mind.

"Bunko, calm the hell down! You're making too much noise!" Kakashi shushed her while trying to make sure nobody was watching them. "What's gotten into you, coming up with such ridiculous questions!? Is this something your mother has told you?" he asked lowly and angry at the same time.

Seeing this, made Bunko grit her teeth in anger. "Actually, I was gonna ask you the same thing!" she told him.

Kakashi sighed irritably at her. "Look, you and I have been through this before many times. Our marriage just didn't work out. It's normal for married couples to file for divorce if they don't feel romantically attracted to one another. It happaned between your mother and me" he tried to explain to her.

"Oh yeah, but it's not normal to do such things when you have a child together!" Bunko hit back.

The white-haired man put his hands on each of her shoulders, trying to look into her eyes. He did that as a father. "Bunko…you know that I love you as my only child, even if I'm not with you all the time" Kakashi tried to make her see what he was talking about. "Think about it. Despite that your mother keeps telling you not to see me, you're still coming to me for answers and advice. You haven't forgotten that, am I right?" he asked her.

Bunko was facing the ground, never looking up to his father's gaze. To his disappointment, she loosened himself from him and turned around to walk away. But she did look over her shoulder to see him one last time. "No dad…..I haven't forgotten those times. But I still can't bear living such miserable life!" she said before walking away.

Kakashi was unsure of how to react to this. But he sat down on his bench and continued to read, trying his best to forget what just happened between him and his daughter. He even banged his book into his face, filled with frustration.

"Damn it! I sometimes hate myself for the bad choices I've done in the past" he cursed.

At the outskirts of the Hyuuga Mansion

Takeda was on his way home, having just taken a walk with Arata. He really felt like it, especially since he wanted to take it easy before watching his teammates in the finals. As much as he wanted to go see how they were doing, Takeda felt that both Nashiko and Shunsuke had to undergo their ways of training on their own. Even so, he supported them both, regardless of the outcome.

But since returning to the mansion from the hospital, Takeda and Minami had barley spoken to each other. This indicated that there was still animosity between them after what happened in the Hokage Monument. But Minami was more mostly outside to train, leaving him all by himself with their mother in the mansion. Takeda spoke with both Hinata and Kiba, but rarely did so with his aunt or maternal grandfather. However, things had begun to rebuild in his relationship with Hanabi.

"Well, we're almost home. It's good to be home after taking a nice walk in the noisy streets, don't you agree, buddy?" he said to his canine partner, who paced beside him happily. But as their neared the entrance to the Hyuuga clan's property, the young boy and his dog stopped once they could hear clashes happening in the woods not far from them. This caused the long-haired boy to focus his bright eyes on there, with Arata following suit. "Talk about being noisy, what's happening in the woods?" he wondered, his dog just as curios as he was.

Takeda activated the Byakugan and narrowed his eyes to get a better look at what was going on. The moment he could see who was skulking around over there, he immediately ran for the woods. Arata was caught off guard by this, so he chased after his tamer as fast as he could.

The young brown-haired boy panted as he ran towards his destination. "You gotta be freaking kidding me!" he uttered out words while panting. "Is that what I think I'm seeing?" he added with a question in his head.

As Takeda and Arata arrived, they were surprised by seeing Minami and Riko, training with both Hanzo and Hikari. The young was stunned, but became even more stunned once he caught a glimpse of Himawari leaning against a tree. She was probably watching the training from the sidelines. Eventually, the brown-haired girl with ponytail noticed Takeda and Arata's presence, and she smiled.

"Takeda! Arata! Boy am I glad to see you two!" Himawari exclaimed and ran up to them, embracing Takeda in a tight hug, which he reluctantly returned. Eventually, her siblings also noticed his presence, so they left their training with Minami to go meet him. "This must be the first time we see you since being released from the hospital. I'm glad to see that you are still breathing" the young woman added, her smile never fading away.

Takeda only nodded his head before speaking up. "Yeah….I was only in there for a couple of days. But I'm still alive and kicking!" he exclaimed while his partner barked in agreement. He then began facing his cousin with long, black hair. "Hey Hanzo, it's been a while since we last talked" he greeted him.

Hanzo shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you know. Mom and grandad are constantly up my ass ordering me to impress them. As a result, I am kind of stuck with them" he told him with sarcasm. "But hey, I'm still socializing with others, even though I have only few friends" he added.

"Well, you don't have to impress me or something, cuz. You are what you are" Takeshi replied, causing Hanzo to form a chuckle and smirk at the same time.

"Thanks for the compliment, Takeda. I'll admit that I have missed you" Hanzo said before embracing him in a cousinly hug. This time, Takeda gladly returned it. "The clan hasn't been the same without you, that's for sure" he added after breaking up the hug, much to his cousin's amusement.

Takeda could spot Hikari carrying Arata in her arms, the young girl cuddling him while the dog felt somewhat annoyed by this. The young girl faced Takeda with a smile. "I am glad that you managed to stay alive during the entire Chuunin Exams. While you and Minami were on the Train Mountains, we were all worried about you" she admitted.

But the short brown-haired girl could see that Takeda was currently looking beyond her. He got in direct eye contact with his twin sister. Hikari and her siblings could notice how the way they stared at one another. But Takeshi seemed very moderate, whereas Minami was filled with displeasure.

"Hey sis" Takeda finally spoke up, catching his sister's attention. "If you're really that determined to make it to the finals, then you better start getting serious. Prove to me that you can accomplish something by winning" he told her.

Hearing this made Minami's bright eyes widen. But the expression on her face quickly changed into that of suspicion. "Why the sudden change? You, who have always kissed dad's ass and has kowtowed to Hiashi whenever you had the opportunity to make a stand for yourself! What made you decide to say something like that?" she asked him sternly.

Takeda sighed deeply before replying. "Because you're my sister, Minami" he answered. "Fighting with you made me convinced that you were determined to make it to the finals. As such, all I can do is to respect your decision" he admitted while giving her a respectful nod.

Himawari and her younger siblings watched the words exchanged between their cousins. So far, it seemed to them that Takeda had no ill feelings towards his twin sister, despite the fact that she had him hospitalized during the third phase.

"Hey Takeda, are you saying this because you actually mean it?" Hanzo suddenly asked the brown-haired boy who smirked at him in return.

"If I didn't give a crap then I wouldn't even say those words" he answered and faced his twin sister. "But look, Minami. If you wanna follow this path so desperately then I won't stop you from doing so. The only thing that bugs me is whether you want this yourself or not" he told Minami.

Being told this made the bluenette feel somewhat grateful to her brother. For the first time, he was actually on her side. But then again, he only said that he wouldn't stop her from following the path she was choosing to walk on.

"Anyway, don't come at me crying if your path is screwed up" Takeda suddenly said to her.

The young girl only huffed in return, trying her best not to show satisfaction over her twin brother's support. "I know what I'm doing. And I will prove to you at the finals" she said determined. Takeda only shrugged his shoulders, never taking Minami's stubbornness for granted.

"I am glad that you two are still on good terms, despite the unpleasant match between you" Himawari suddenly told Takeda.

"It's nothing. Besides, we couldn't predict such match. At such duels, it's all or nothing" the brown-haired boy replied to his cousin. But he began facing Minami once more. "But you better watch out for who you're up against. I'll bet Nashiko can easily beat you to a pulp!" he encouraged while taunting her at the same time.

Minami fumed with anger over hearing this, but she chose not to throw tantrums over this. Rather, she returned to her training. Hanzo saw this and he joined her in combat. Himawari was about to join them, until she and the others could hear someone entering the forest. As they all turned around, Takeda smiled by what he saw and run up to the person.

"Hey Takeda, mind if I drop in for a second?" the voice belonged to Masajun Inuzuka, as he and his adult black and white-furred dog Shiromaru appeared, the black-haired man grinning as usual. Arata began sniffing the taller dog, which seemed very gentle, despite his ferocious appearance. "Hello, Arata. How have you been? I thought about bringing along Shiromaru so that you and Riko could play with him" he told Arata as his own dog leaned to sniff on the young pup. Arata was eventually joined by Riko, who seemed just as enthusiastic to meet him

"What brings you here, cuz?" Takeda asked Masajun happily. Immediately, the black-haired boy reached for something in his pockets and held it out for the young boy to see. Takeda was filled with surprise. "Woah…is that a necklace made of teeth?" he uttered out words.

Masajun nodded. "Yeah, me and Yume was thinking about giving this to you, but we completely forgot it. These teeth belong to all the valuable and finest dogs the Inuzuka clan has ever had. Hell, even Akamaru's tooth are among those" he told him and Takeda quickly snatched the necklace from him, but soon bowed to him with respect. Masajun only chuckled by seeing his reaction. But he soon noticed Himawari standing before him, so he changed focus. "Oh Himawari, good to see you!" he said nicely.

The brown-haired girl was fixing a worried expression on her face, while she looked the woods. "It's best if you're not seen here, Masajun. My grandfather and the clan elders does not like un-Hyuugas skulking around the property, unless they are respected figures" she suggested him.

Her friend only stared at her bewildered. "What? We're standing in the outskirts of the Hyuuga clan's property. Is your grandad really THAT totalitarian?" he quizzed Himawari and Takeda.

"He's more than that" the voice came from Minami, who was now approaching her eldest cousin from her father's side of the family. She had already formed a deep frown with her mouth, indicating that she was upset. "He's only a selfish fool without a slight of remorse for his actions!" she expressed her distaste, while Masajun and the others watched her.

Hanzo and Hikari grew concerned about her behavior. "Woah, slow down, Minami" the long black-haired boy told her. "If he ever caught you saying that, you would be dead for sure" he added.

Minami faced him sternly. "I'm aware of that. But I could care less what he thinks!" she told him in return.

"Don't get so loud. We must not make too much noise here" Himawari urged her. "Maybe you're being a little too judgmental on our grandfather, Minami. I know that he's not a perfect role model, but maybe there is a different kind of….." the young woman stooped and quickly turned around to see who was entering the woods this time. She and her siblings froze as they could see who it was.

Standing in the clearing with his arms crossed was Hiashi, his elderly, bright eyes filled with displeasure. "Tell me this is not what I think I am seeing! Have you three completely forgotten what I told you not to!?" he spoke up with an unpleasant voice while facing Hanabi's children. "You are not supposed to train for the presentation, not waste your time with those imbecilic cousins of yours!" he added with anger.

"Grandfather, you misunderstand. We were only trying to…" Himawari's defense failed miserably as Hiashi interrupted her.

"Do not presume that I am a fool, Himawari! Once again, you have let me down!" he replied and began facing Masajun, who was only giving him a displeased look, much to the elderly man's irritation. "I thought I smelled a mutt and his aberration skulking around the property. Haven't your elders ever taught you not to waltz into our clan's territory uninvited?" Hiashi began asking him.

Despite being talked to like that, Masajun remained calm, while Shiromaru began growling at the elderly man, even though Hiashi completely ignored the dog's threats. In fact, the young man began musing at the clan head's earlier sentence. "Weird. I didn't know that these beautiful woods were part of your property, considering the fact that the elders of the Hyuuga clan spend most of their days inside their mansion" he told him with the intention to actually mock him.

"Masajun, what are you…" Himawari was completely dumbfounded by what she heard.

"Insolent Inuzuka! How dare you take that tone against me!?" Hiashi demanded, but Masajun suddenly stepped aside to let Minami and Takeda be given the spotlight.

"Don't forget that Takeda and Minami are Inuzukas too" the black-haired boy reminded him. "Frankly, I don't get why you're so distrustful against other clans" he added while expressing his opinions about Hiashi.

The elderly man was not amused. "Why are you here? And what is that abominable necklace Takeda has around his neck?" he began asking.

This time, the long brown-haired boy began replying to his grandfather's question. "Oh, this is a necklace which is made of teeth from the best dogs of the Inuzuka clan. Masajun came here to give it to me" he replied back as gentle as he could.

Hiashi only snickered in disgust by hearing this. But he could spot Minami trying to hide behind her twin brother. Apparently, the young bluenette had not forgotten that her grandfather had almost tried to kill her after she brought up a very sensitive subject for him to hear. By seeing the young girl like this, Hiashi knew that she somewhat feared him, despite her rebellious attitude.

"Hey Minami, I see that you have made it to the finals. But do you think you are capable of facing your opponent?" he asked her as if he wanted an answer.

Minami snapped by hearing her name being mentioned. But yet, she faced his stern glance and tried to resist the intimidation she received from him. "My capability is none of your concern, old man! I know what I'm doing!" she hit back, yet with a hint of frustration in her voice.

Hiashi's bright eyes only narrowed further, showing everyone his anger over Minami's attitude. In fact, he began taking a few steps towards the group, only for Masajun to stand in his way. Himawari and her siblings gasped by what they saw. A young man like Masajun dared to stand before one of the strongest clan heads of the Leaf Village. As much as Himawari wanted to interfere, she knew that her grandfather would not heed her pleas.

"Step aside, Masajun Inuzuka!" the elderly man demanded.

The young man did not cave into his order and remained firm. "You leave Minami alone. Being her grandfather gives you no right to treat her the way you do!" Masajun told him

"Do as I say!" Hiashi spat out in frustration. In fact, he got so frustrated that he was about to use his arm to forcibly shove away the young man. And by that, he would use everything, even the Gentle Fist style.

But before he could even reach him, someone had already grabbed his arm and held it tightly. The elderly man snapped in outrage, as he could feel the grip tightening around his wrist. He and all the others were surprised to see who it was that had arrived. It was Tsume Inuzuka! The elderly woman faced Hiashi with dead serious eyes.

Masajun was dumbfounded. "You gotta be kidding me! Grandma?" he wondered.

Even Minami was surprised. "Is she sticking up…for us?" she wondered while seeing this.

Tsume grit her teeth, not taking it kindly from what she had seen. "Don't you ever put your arrogant hands on any of my grandchildren, Hiashi Hyuuga!" she warned him coldly and never let go of her grip on his wrist. "If you do what you did to Minami again, I will personally come to your goddamned mansion and mop your arrogant ass on your lawn for your elders to see!" she added, this time giving her voice more savagery.

Despite being pride and confident of his abilities, Hiashi knew better than to underestimate Tsume. With great reluctance, he eased himself and gave her a respective nod. "I apologize for my outburst, Tsume Inuzuka" he said and the elderly woman let go of his wrist. Hiashi only turned around to walk away, but not before giving some information to everyone. "Himawari, Hanzo and Hikari, you and your delusional cousins will be coming back to the mansion. You have all done enough. And as for you Inuzukas" he said as he looked over his shoulder to give both Tsume and Masajun a threatening glance. "Leave my property before I lose my patience!" he told them.

As much as she wanted to just punch Hiashi in the face, she knew better than to give in to her anger. Therefore, she motioned Masajun and Shiromaru to follow her and she quickly disappeared. Her eldest grandson and his dog followed her.

Having been given this order, the grandchildren of Hiashi reluctantly followed him to the mansion, not wanting to see the true anger behind his elderly mask.

To be continued…

Author's note: Chapter 39 is complete. Kakashi has returned! I hope you were glad to see him again. Many of you probably wondered what he had been doing. We will soon get to the start of the finals. What will be the results? Stay tuned.