Neonn: Kk, I wrote the first little scene, thinking just to end it there, but found myself literally haunted by the whole undying Naruto thing. I don't think this chapter is as dramatic as the last one, the mood didn't come as quickly, and it seemed to drag on a little. And, to make it clear, Naruto stopped aging in his late teens/very early twenties. So he still looks way young.

xXx

Naruto leaned against the hard, cool stone. "Kakashi-sensei, I saw Sasuke today. He recognized me." Naruto laughed depreciatingly. "Not that difficult. It's not like I've changed much..." Tears threatened to spill onto his cheeks.

"Kakashi-sensei...you still aren't listening. You never do. Always reading your perverted books...I don't know why I bother, I really don't." He paused for a moment. "Why do I do it, Kakashi-sensei? I just keep coming back. It's like I'm some sort of masochist or something." He had gotten control of his tears now, closing his eyes. "You can understand why I did it, don't you? I couldn't keep it up forever...they were already getting suspicious. Who am I kidding? They've always been suspicious and skeptical! And, of course, you're still giving me useless advice. 'Look underneath the underneath,' honestly! There's no 'hidden meaning' to any of this!"

"You remember Shikamaru, right? I saw him, too. I visit him occasionally, though not often. It's...difficult, Kakashi-sensei."

"Oi, Shikamaru! I brought you a birthday present!" Naruto shoved a basket in front of his friend's face. "It's your favorite—mackerel and kelp!" He smiled proudly, glad he had remembered, feeling lucky he had even shown up on the correct date.

"Do I know you?" the man asked curiously, words slightly slurring. Naruto's face fell. Shikamaru didn't remember him? Of course not—he couldn't even recognize his wife these days, courtesy of the interrogators of Iwagakure. Deciding to take these sorts of things in stride, Naruto smiled again. "Of course you do! It's me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Naruto...?" there was a spark of recognition, but only a spark, quickly lost again in the haze that was now Shikamaru's mind.

"Never mind, Shikamaru! I know, let's play a game! We could play shogi! You like shogi, right?" The other man nodded eagerly. "I like games!"

Naruto smiled indulgently, "I know, Shikamaru. I know." Naruto had never been very good at strategy games. Even so, it took everything he had to make sure Shikamaru won.

Naruto's keen, demoniacally enhanced senses picked up the sound of footsteps. Someone was coming. He moved away from the memorial stone, into the surrounding trees, where he could watch and listen without being disturbed. It was an old man, wearing the traditional robes of Hokage, and a little orange-haired boy. The man, despite the age, looked familiar.

"You've never been to the memorial stone, have you?" the man asked, looking down at the young boy. He sounded familiar, too...Konohamaru?

"No, ojiisan. What is it?" Ojiisan? Naruto raised an eyebrow. Staring at Konohamaru and his grandson, Naruto wondered exactly how many years had passed since he had seen him. Twenty? Thirty? More? Naruto knew his sense of time differed from that of a normal human. When had Konohamaru become Hokage?

"Well, here is engraved the names of the heroes of the village—the ninja who died for it," said Konohamaru sadly. He was silent for a moment. "'Nii-chan's name is there." He pointed to the name engraved on the stone. The boy looked at his grandfather in surprise. "Nii-chan? You have a brother?"

"Yeah. He died before you were born. Uzumaki Naruto. He...he was supposed to be the Sixth, but a few days before the Fifth stepped down..." Konohamaru didn't continue. Naruto was surprised. DAYS? He had missed out on his dream by mere days? Konohamaru muttered something under his breath. His grandson didn't hear, now engrossed in the list of names, but Naruto heard it clearly. "Damn you, Naruto. You were supposed to be Fifth, not me." Naruto had heard enough.

"I'll be back later, Kakashi-sensei," he waved to the memorial, the name of his teacher engraved on it, and left.

xXx

Neonn: Well, what do you think? Yes, I'm still probably going to just keep writing as a series of little scenes, which may or may not be in chronological order. I'll try to keep it chronological, but...yeah. I actually have the next part figured out, I just have to type it up! Yay, me! And I still can't believe I killed off Kakashi. And poor Shikamaru...