Guardian

It's always dark before the glorious sunrise

Present day

Menma stands in a forest clearing with the Scroll of Sealing unrolled beside him. He makes a plus sign with his index and middle fingers and shapes his chakra. A cloud of white gas forms and quickly dissipates, revealing an identical copy of himself standing in front of him. He approaches, examining it as he circles around. Satisfied with his investigation, he picks up a nearby rock and nails the clone in the head, poofing it away.

"You're kidding." He says, almost no emotion in his voice. "All that work and the damn thing can't survive being hit by a rock. Let's try it again." He huffs.

The next three clones produce the same result and growing increasingly frustrated, Menma closes his eyes and meditates. In his meditative state, he feels a chakra that's familiar but distinct and on focusing on this chakra, finds himself in a bright yellow landscape. The sound of a clone forming snatches him from the trance and he opens his eyes to see…a girl the same age as him in identical clothing. The only thing that separates the two, aside from the obvious, is the girl's red hair and three black whisker marks on either cheek.

She extends a hand and Menma reaches for a shuriken, finding nothing. "Name's Tōgarashi, nice to meet cha."

He looks at the scroll then back to Tōgarashi, confused. 'It says clone, right?'

"Well don't be rude, gimme your name!" Tōgarashi demands, hands on hips.

"Menma. You're supposed to be a clone."

Tōgarashi gives the scroll a once over with a smug grin. "Well how long have you been using that jutsu? Do you know everything about it?"

"No, but-"

"Exactly. Now, we can be friends or I can leave but just know if you throw that rock at me, I'm gonna break your nose, got it?"

"I'd love you to try." He mumbles, packing up the scroll.

"Where we headed?"

"We aren't headed anywhere. I don't know you."

"You said I was a clone right? You made me, so I'm more or less obligated to stay."

"Fine. But we're not staying here and don't expect me to be sociable."

"Fine by me."

The two continue on their journey and unbeknownst to them, are watched by someone hidden in the trees.

Back in The Leaf Village, Team 7 returns from a mission, splitting up to perform their various duties in different places. Sakura runs off to the hospital, Sai says his goodbyes and flickers away and Sasuke and Kakashi part ways. Kakashi eventually finds himself in a lively conversation with Might Guy and Sasuke wanders down a long forgotten road leading to the Uchiha compound, a significant distance from the village itself. The buildings are rotting and abandoned, the stone walls covered in moss, the paper windows and doors overwhelmed with mold. Sasuke moves to the back of the place, where the graveyard is. Hundreds of headstones jut out, long grass growing over them and blocking the names from sight. He finds two graves; marked with the names of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. Hearing someone approaching, Sasuke quickly wipes away his tears.

"What do you want?" He says, trying to keep up his stoic exterior but his shaky voice betrays him.

"I figured I'd see what you were up to." Kakashi responds, joining him.

"I don't need you to watch over me." Sasuke protests, sniffing.

Kakashi says nothing and hugs him, holding back his own tears as Sasuke sobs into his chest.

The two eventually head back into town, having dinner at a restaurant and eventually heading to their respective homes. As Sasuke lays in bed, staring through the open window at the bright moon, he wonders what tomorrow will bring and eventually falls asleep.

He wakes to a knocking on the door and grumbles his way out of bed, opening the door to Kakashi reading his book.

"Morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke yawns. "Morning. What are you doing here?"

"I figured since the three of you are officially Genin and the discount event is still ongoing, I'd take you three out to breakfast, my treat." He smiles.

Sasuke gets dressed and the two meet up with Sakura and Sai at a restaurant. They order their food and as they wait, Sakura sparks up a conversation. "Sai, was it?"

Sai nods.

"Tell us about yourself. We're on a team so it's best we get to know each other."

Sai seems to think of something to say. "There's not much to say."

Sakura scoffs. "There's always something to say, even if it's only a little bit. What about your drawing jutsu? And how come we've never seen you in class?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

A muffled voice from outside the restaurant interrupts their one sided conversation. "There she is!"

Seconds later and Ino Yamanaka enters the scene, followed by a reluctant Shikamaru and a passive Choji.

"How's it going, forehead?" The blonde says, much to Sasuke's confusion.

Sakura smirks. "Nothin much. How about you, pig face?"

"You want me to kick your ass this early in the morning, huh?"

"I'd love you to try."

To nearly everyone's shock, the two laugh it off and hug, going about their gossiping.

'Strange.' Sai thinks, observing the girl's conversation. 'Despite their previous hostility, they seem to be friends. Is that how friendship works?'

The day goes on and after more training and a few C and D rank missions, Team 7 goes their separate ways. Sakura goes with Ino to her family's flower shop, Sai disappears and Kakashi leads Sasuke to an empty training field, the latter convincing the former to join him under the promise of learning a secret jutsu.

"It's called the Chidori." Kakashi explains. "It's essentially a Rasengan with lightning release added."

"Rasengan?"

Kakashi nods, holding up his hand, palm up and holding his arm with the other. Sasuke mimics him, watching intently.

"Now, funnel chakra through your arm and into your hand. Then, spin your chakra and form into a sphere." Kakashi forms a sphere of chakra in his hand, the silvery white ball creating a flurry of wind.

Sasuke follows his instructions, focusing on the spinning purple chakra in his hand as it forms a circle.

"Good." Kakashi continues. "Now try to form it into a sphere."

Sasuke spins his chakra faster, hoping it would eventually form a sphere but the momentum breaks it apart, startling him.

Kakashi smiles. "That's alright, you've got plenty of time to learn."

Elsewhere in the village, in a room carved out inside of the mountain, Sai kneels, giving a report to his superior. "Sasuke has potential to be powerful and his relationship with Hatake-sensei seems to be improving. He could, however, prove a significant threat if he defects."

A voice responds. "Keep an eye on him for now and don't do anything drastic. Just keep your distance until further notice."

"Yes, Lord Danzō."