Disclaimer: I own...! The drink in my hand, and the pizza on my plate. Life is strange. -.-

Chapter 2: Foreshadowing

Negate all emotion, accept the possibility of dying, and be prepared to kill...

Those were few of many shinobi rules to live by, commandments that Minato had unintentionally began questioning the moment Hiruzen had given him special orders to murder Obito if his pupil defected. Murder, Minato thought. I might have to murder my own student… but it's for Konoha—

"You aren't listening to me, dattebane!" Kushina snapped her fingers in front of him, her curious, grey eyes peering into his with a borderline haughty look. Her long, red bangs dangled low on either side of her face, carefully placed underneath the blue forehead protector she wore, and her high ponytail shifted when she tilted her head.

She was dressed almost identical to him, both wearing Konoha flak jackets and open-toe shoes. The only difference in their attire were their choice of form fitting shirts and pants—Minato's being blue and Kushina's coloring black. They also received several glances from villagers as they conversed on the small, wooden bridge, because it was rare to see the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero out and about in Konoha without cause, especially since they were usually so busy.

There was always something to do, especially with the war going on.

Minato gave her a sympathetic look, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Kushina," he spoke up. He felt out of his element, although anyone in his position would.

"You're leaving again?" Kushina asked. She already knew the answer, and it wasn't uncommon for them to barely have free time. They were shinobi, after all.

Minato agreed with a light hum, gazing down at the small stream below them. "I'll be leaving tonight, but..." This isn't a timed mission. "I don't know how long I'll be away." The sun would be setting in less than two hours, and he'd be gone by nightfall.

"But that's not what's bothering you, is it?" Kushina asked. She casually leaned over the railing of the wood, watching little Ayu fish swimming below with a small frown, and it was after she heard no reply to her question that she peered to her right to see him watching her with a small smile. "W-what?" Her embarrassment was about to get the better of her.

"You're upset," Minato noted, his soft smile unknowingly growing.

Kushina's cheeks turned as red as her hair and she scoffed. "I am not!"

He chuckled in spite of her antics, crossing his arms in a gentle manner. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, dattebane!" Kushina blurted out, quickly slapping her hand over her mouth. She sighed at her behavior, noticing that he didn't seem annoyed by her actions. His smile always remained intact, always loving, accepting even... "If I ever have a child," she spoke up, hand lowering. "I hope he, or she, won't have my bad speech patterns."

Upon hearing this, Minato shook his head, disagreeing. "I think another red haired shinobi with a short fuse would be entertaining."

Kushina gave him a playful, patronizing stare. "You would…" There was a growing grin on her lips. "Minato… do you think…?"

"Yes, I'd like children some day," Minato answered, causing Kushina's eyes to shine with hope. They'd been seeing each other since they were children, right after he'd rescued her, and their love had grown stronger as the days came and went. However, even as they grew older, they never had the opportunity to discuss raising a family until now. There was simply no time available for such a personal conversation until that moment, but both shinobi were stable enough financially to settle down and start a family. The only thing stopping them was the war… and for Minato, it was also an older Obito…

Minato decided to wait on asking Kushina to marry him in that moment. If fate's on my side, I'll ask her when all is said and done. He couldn't allow her to get false hopes in the middle of warfare. It was unfair to either of them, and it'd be heartbreaking to make all those plans, only to have one of them die in combat and be returned to the other in pieces…

Kushina's face was heating up again, but she didn't look away when he gazed down at her. "Y-you can't breed with me... Our child would be a troublemaker by default."

Minato chuckled lightly, leaning over the railing with her. As he gazed up at the sky, he said, "I don't mind," he admitted softly. "I'd love them anyway." He glanced to his left to see that see that Kushina's eyes were watering, and she had straightened up. He followed suit, and she immediately lifted her hand, waving it back and forth to stop him from asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine," Kushina said. "I'm happy…" She wiped her eyes, nodding to herself. "I'm really happy, Minato." He took her right hand in his, lips parting to tell her that he felt the same, but the bliss ended before he could speak when Rin came sprinting up to them.

"Minato-sensei!" Rin called frantically, coming to a halt. There were fresh tears in her eyes. "Obito and Kakashi are fighting!"

Minato quickly—and regrettably—released Kushina's hand, kneeling in front of his crying pupil while Kushina did the same. "Rin," he said, touching her left shoulder. "Please calm down."

Rin sniffled. "B-but, Obito and Kakashi are—"

"Where are they?" Minato asked, brows furrowing.

"N-near the w-waterfall," Rin answered, pointing with her right hand while she used her left to cover her tear stained face. They're trying to kill each other... It wasn't like Rin to be upset over the duo's arguments. She'd seen it all before, but somehow this one seemed to genuinely concern her.

Blue eyes darted towards Kushina's.

"You go on," Kushina said, standing. She gave him a smile, leading a tearful Rin away. "Hopefully, we'll be doing this a lot in the future, dattebane!"

"Hopefully," Minato answered softly, agreeing. He gave her a firm nod, secretly wishing that their conversation hadn't been cut short, but he jumped up, nonetheless, dashing over the rooftops of several buildings.

"Cheer up, Rin," Kushina told her. "Boys will be boys."

"Did Minato-sensei ever act this way at our age?" Rin asked as they walked off the bridge.

Kushina casually placed her right arm over the girl's shoulders. "Nope. I even thought he was a wimp back then because he was so nice."

Rin gave her a strange look. "You thought sensei...?" Her tears had ceased. "But...?"

Kushina placed her left fingertips over her mouth to hide her smile. "That's another story for another time..." At least she's calmed down now. That's all Kushina wanted.

"I'm stronger than you," Kakashi said from where he stood on the cliff. "You won't win this battle." They'd been fighting since they left the Kage tower.

Obito, who'd been standing on the other side of the cliffs, glared at him. The large current of the waterfall divided them, foreshadowing a broken friendship from two shinobi of the future, who had yet to take a breath of life.

Obito tried his best to keep his composure, not wanting to be intimidated by Kakashi. I can't lose, he thought. Not to him… he's so… Ugh! Doesn't he care about anyone at all anymore?

I won't lose to him, Kakashi thought. He hasn't even gotten his sharingan yet... He raised his father's blade at Obito. "This mission hasn't even started, and somehow you've already screwed things up," he said, tone even. "So, who's this relative of yours in the mask? They must be pretty close to you for sensei to look so worried. Why else would he tell only you about him?" Kakashi already had multiple theories, and his last was one that he wasn't too keen on believing, opting to keep it at the back of his mind.

Obito stiffened, body tensing as if he'd been gutted. The words from the third Hokage entered his mind."Go inform your other teammates about the mission. Leave out who we are after, for your own sake. If they should ask, tell them it's one of your relatives. Your name will remain unknown to them, unless your older self reveals it during the mission."

I can't tell them, Obito thought. He and Rin wouldn't understand like sensei… "He's... my... my cousin," Obito lied, glancing away.

Kakashi grew suspicious of the statement right away, and he never lowered his blade. "Your cousin…?" He shrugged indifferently. "That means he must be a fellow shinobi around here." He tilted his head. "What's his name? Show him to me. We can end this mission right now, so it won't have to start again in the future."

Kakashi would probably try and kill me if he knew... He'd do anything to complete a mission, even murder his own teammates... "He's…" Obito gazed back up, frowning. "I don't care what anyone says! He's a good shinobi!" I'm a good shinobi! "And sensei said that we're not killing him because he's not a traitor yet, so it's not fair to him!"

Kakashi scoffed. "He's a traitor by default now."

"Shut up!" Obito yelled. He blindly charged forward, rage in his dark eyes as he readied his three kunai.

Kakashi started to do the same, until he felt a presence to his left. Immediately, he darted his eyes towards the direction of said intruder, not forgetting that Obito was still preparing to assault him. Skilled hands easily blocked the weapons thrown at him, and Kakashi jumped over Obito at the last second, attacking him from behind. The counterattack would've succeeded, right into Obito's back, had Minato not grabbed Kakashi by the wrist.

The action had caught the silver-haired boy off guard.

"Cool off," Minato said sternly, throwing his pupil down the waterfall. He gave Obito a disappointed look as Kakashi made an awkward splash into the water down below. "What have I told you two about teamwork?"

"But Kakashi's incapable of working with other people, sensei!" Obito protested. "And he was talking about... killing..."

Minato's eyes softened momentarily, before they hardened again. "Obito, for this mission you need to maintain your composure. You promised..."

Kakashi looked annoyed as he climbed back atop the water, standing to glower at Obito from where his rival stood with Minato higher up. I hope he's not babying him, the silver-haired boy thought, running back up the cliff. Once he'd dashed up quickly and landed beside his sensei, he saw the severe gaze that Minato was giving them, slightly surprised by his sensei's look. Obito and I always fight, but this one seems different... I really wanted to end him for sticking up for a traitor... That makes him just as much a rogue ninja as our target... doesn't it?

The Yellow Flash of the Leaf was usually composed, and on mission-less days so caring and genuine, so it was strange to see him so angered.

I wonder if sensei is close to Obito's cousin, Kakashi thought, placing his hands in his pockets. He didn't mind the small droplets of water that dripped from his wet hair, or his soaked clothes while he stood there watching them. That must be why this mission is effecting him… but shinobi can't have emotions during times like these. It's not the ninja way. He had a strict 'follow the rules' policy, one that would cost him more hardships than he'd ever be able to fathom... in more ways than one.

"Working together doesn't qualify as maiming each other," Minato stated, a serious edge in his tone. He sounded lethal, a contrast to his usual tranquil voice. "You're part of a team, meaning you work as a unit to form one moving formation." He touched the right side of his temple, rubbing it with a shake of his head. "I don't understand how a shinobi could attack his own teammate." And then the thought of an older Obito crossed his mind, making him eye the two boys with a sudden awareness.

Blue eyes stared at them with vigilance. I see… maybe it's a rivalry that caused it? It's too early to jump to conclusions.

"He's incompetent," Kakashi said, rolling his shoulders.

"You think just because you graduated early means you're better than me?!" Obito asked, taking a step forward.

"No, there are other factors to easily prove that." Kakashi gave him a lax stare. "Your emotion is what makes you weak."

Obito disagreed with that statement. Emotions are what make us strong; blocking them out makes you weak. "I don't believe that," he retorted.

Kakashi glanced away, uninterested in the conversation. "Believe what you want, but having emotions will kill you in the long run."

Obito drew his fist back. "Why I outta—"

Minato grabbed them both by their collars, sighing to himself before either could strike the other. Suddenly having children has lost my interest… That thought only entered his mind whenever Obito and Kakashi were arguing. Rin gave him hope that perhaps he was best suited to raise a girl… "What is it going to take for you both to—?" Minato paused, his grip loosening until he slowly released his pupils.

An intruder was nearby.

Just one, Minato suspected from the small sound of a twig breaking while his brows furrowed. Is that you, Obito…?

"Your hand is bleeding," Kakashi told Obito. I don't know how he managed to do that when I didn't even hit him. Kakashi was thankful for the distraction, hoping that Obito wouldn't ask his sensei why he'd suddenly become alert.

Obito gasped at the amount of blood pouring from his hand, not realizing he'd accidentally slashed himself while trying to attack Kakashi. He shrieked. "Sensei! Am I gonna die?!"

"Stop waving it around!" Kakashi ordered, taking a step back when some blood splashed on his clothes.

"Kakashi," Minato spoke up. He reached into one of his pouches and handed the boy a small, grey box. "Help him bandage his hand. That's a lot of blood." He pointed to his wrist. "Tie something around here to stop the bleeding first." Let's not have him die of blood loss… although it would end the mission sooner—wait. I can't think like this. This is Obito... he's still my student, my teammate... This mission would be the death of his sanity.

Both boys grumbled at the command, but they agreed with matching scowls. In the moment that Minato had given them that order, he threw one of his custom made Flying Thunder God kunai in the direction of the intruder. It missed, hitting the tree beside him when the intruder stepped to the side, but Minato still used it as a teleportation device, disappearing from his students.

Kakashi and Obito were left arguing amongst themselves, not noticing that their sensei had left until a few seconds later, when Kakashi had started reaching for a white bandage in the box. Both shinobi paused, eyes darting around. Sensei, Kakashi thought.

"It's you," Minato whispered further off in the forest, voice even. His kunai was at his former students throat, and he took in the height difference, noting it had vanished. They were eye level, but all Minato could see was Obito's orange, spiral mask that shielded his face from view, and the black cloak that covered his hooded form.

Minato had made the mistake of hesitating to kill his former student in that instant, but Obito didn't take this opportunity as the time to strike his superior. Instead, Obito watched him, taking in his form with a remorseful smile that was hidden behind his mask.

I want to remember you as you were, Obito thought. Not as Hokage… but as Minato-sensei... "Sensei," he spoke up, greeting him in a civil manner.

"Obito," Minato said, caution lacing his serious tone. Why hasn't he moved yet? He was waiting for an assault.

Obito shook his head, ignoring the nick he received from the blade on his adam's apple. "I don't wanna fight you anymore than you wanna fight me, Minato-sensei." It's not you who I want to destroy...

"Then why are you here?"

Obito lifted his left palm, shrugging. "Why haven't you killed me yet?" he countered. "It's the number one assignment on your mission, isn't it?"

Minato made a 'tch' sound, a crease forming on his forehead while he pressed the kunai further into Obito's neck. He wasn't mentally prepared to kill his former student, knowing that his hesitance was justified. Anyone in his position would question their actions.

"It's okay, sensei," Obito spoke up. "I'd prefer not to kill you either…"

"But there is someone you're after?" Minato asked suspiciously.

When Obito chuckled, it sounded hollow and cruel—a sign of his future misfortune. "Yes. I've the intent to kill, the motivation to alter, and the urge to complete… but I need my younger self to do that."

"Obito—"

"It's the only way I can do this," Obito stated, voice menacing. "It's something I have to do…" If Minato had taken off Obito's mask, he'd of been able to see the anguish that resided in his eyes. "However, before I do that, I need to show him what's incomplete."

Minato jumped back when he heard a sound, and he dodged an attack from a sudden enemy who appeared out of a flash of red chakra. The Yellow Flash slashed the nameless shinobi in the chest as he maneuvered past him in a spiral motion, landing a few yards away beside another tree. The nameless ninja fell to the ground easily, his last breath of life taken the moment Minato had struck him in the heart.

"And yet, you don't mean to kill me," Minato said, giving his former student a harsh glare. He felt betrayed.

Obito grabbed the Flying Thunder God kunai out of the tree, shrugging Minato off. "If you're in the way, it can't be helped." He'd spoken this like one would if they were discussing small-talk, casually, as if it were commonplace.

Minato kept his eyes transfixed on him. So, it was a ploy to get my mark...

Obito examined the kunai briefly, nodding to himself as he lifted the weapon up and down slightly to feel it's weight. "You know, I collect these?"

Minato remained silent, brows knitted at his contemplative student. His emotions had gotten the better of him, a first for the Yellow Flash, and he didn't use his teleportation jutsu to return to his weapon. He only wished to restore his students honor, not kill him. What do I say to avoid this mission? What can I do to bring my student back...? It was a troublesome thought to murder a comrade.

"I figured we could play a game," Obito spoke up. He tossed the weapon up in the air, observing the way it flipped twice before he caught it with ease. "You remember the bells test, right?"

Minato narrowed his eyes, right brow arching.

"Well, this game is similar to that," Obito explained. He raised the kunai up a little, gesturing it around. "Except you'll be retrieving these."

Minato tilted his head. "Retrieving them for what?"

"To find me," Obito said simply. "I won't always be there, but I'll be around—or maybe I'll already be gone…" His body began to glow a deep shade of red. "During the bells test, you said the first thing to do was 'remain hidden from your enemy.'" He spread his arms, bowing his head slightly as the chakra engulfed him. "So come and find me, sensei." Bring Obito to me.

"Just what are you trying to make Obito see?"

"What's incomplete," Obito answered again before he vanished. "What's been destroyed." There was a bit of distortion in his voice.

Minato inwardly scolded himself. He didn't have the heart to kill Obito, even after his student had been mere yards away—just within reach of ending this entire mission…

What have I done? Minato began doubting his skills as he raced back to his students, but he paused his internal ranting when he saw Obito sitting on the cliffs. Rin was sitting beside him, healing his hand with a concentrated expression, and Kakashi was standing beside them with his arms crossed.

Minato gave them a soft smile as he watched the way their faces lit up upon seeing him. He could tell what they were all thinking just by that one look: Minato-sensei!

They were adorable, and even Kushina gushed about them whenever she saw the way they gave him that look—gazes of admiration. When they're quiet, I consider having a boy more, Kushina… "Looks like you'll make a full recovery," Minato stated, pacing over to them.

Obito grinned, giving Rin a grateful glance. "Looks like it."

Rin pouted at him, her eyes still puffy. "I can't believe you two were fighting," she scolded them. "We're a team."

Upon hearing this, Minato nodded. "Please remember that on this mission." He folded his arms as Obito and Rin stood, eyeing his three students. "Speaking of the mission, report back here in one hour. We leave to hunt down our target then." The sun was close to setting.

"But how do we time travel?" Rin asked. "And who's Obito's cousin? Do we know him?"

Oh, that's right, Minato thought. They don't know it's… "That's confidential out of respect for that shinobi, but leave the traveling to me." Before they could protest, he gave them a firm nod. "Report back here within the hour."

"Right!" Rin and Obito said. They dashed off to gather items, and to go say goodbye to loved ones, while Kakashi remained standing there, a brief flash of… was that hurt in his eyes?

Minato tilted his head, giving him a wary glance. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?" Minato asked, knowing Kakashi no longer had close family. "Who knows how long we'll be gone...?"

The boy shook his head, feigning indifference. "No." I have no friends. In truth, Gai was his friend, whether he'd admit to it or not. They'd never really spoken 'goodbye' when leaving for missions, though, nor did Kakashi speak to the other graduates whom he had classes with at the academy. There was a wall built up to defend himself from public relations.

"Kakashi," Minato spoke up. He waved for the little shinobi to follow him as he walked towards the edge of the cliff. "Come with me." The superior knew there was someone eager to say goodbye to both of them.

"I'm glad you two came," Kushina admitted, hugging Kakashi on her front porch. Her small, wooden, traditional-styled house was in a secluded area of Konoha, surrounded by forest. She'd been living there with caretakers ever since she first arrived at Konoha.

Even though the silver-haired child didn't return the embrace, Kakashi felt thankful that she cared. It was rare for anyone to do so, and the blush on his face, which was a contrast to his annoyed glower, had been an indication of his gratitude in some odd way. Affection wasn't his strong suit.

Kushina peered around Minato, expecting to see his other students standing behind him on her large porch.

Minato gave her a shrug as he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning. "It's just us…"

"Oh..." Kushina gazed down at Kakashi, leading him inside. It was obvious she loved children. "Well, two is enough, dattebane," she said. "I'm gonna miss you guys!" Her excitement overflowed.

"Jiraiya-sensei and Mikoto will still be here." Minato followed behind them in the house, a warmth washing over him as he closed the door behind himself. The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero always put him at ease, and he could tell that Kakashi had a sense of tranquility around him, too…

The state of calm stayed with them, even after they'd both left her home nearly thirty minutes later, and now they walked in silence towards Kakashi's apartment. The younger was walking beside Minato with his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead, while Minato peered down at him. Kakashi had completely quieted at Kushina's place, like he'd never experienced a real family setting. Perhaps growing up with a genius who killed himself would cause problems such as these.

"There are a few more things I need to gather," Minato said once they'd reached Kakashi's street. "I'll see you soon, Kakashi."

As he turned, Kakashi said, "Minato-sensei…"

Minato paused, waiting for his pupil to speak.

"...Nothing." Kakashi rushed off, and Minato watched him go with a content expression. That was Kakashi's way of saying 'thank you.'

Once Minato had completely gathered his belongings—and stocked up on is special kunai—he returned to the spot on the cliffs, right on time. Kakashi and Rin were already there, but Obito hadn't arrived yet.

"Late again," Kakashi stated.

"No, I'm here!" Obito shouted, running towards them. He lifted his right hand, catching his breath. "It was the grannies, I swear!" Rin giggled while Kakashi groaned.

"You use that excuse every time," Kakashi said.

"Let's get moving," Minato cut in, giving his students a wearisome smirk. He took out one of his Flying Thunder God kunai, stabbing it into the rock. When he stood, he said, "Oh, right." He took his brown backpack off, searching for several items. It took him a moment to gather them, but he pulled each of them out, handing them to his students. They were four, white fox masks, with red lines on the cheeks and forehead areas. "We'll be wearing these for the duration of the mission," he explained. "And these..." He handed them thin, black head wraps that covered their hair and neck, but left their faces visible. "And we might have to buy some new ones along the way to fully blend in."

They all placed their gear on, and Minato placed his palm out in front of him. "Take my hand," he instructed. Let's see if what Obito said about my kunai was true. My teleportation jutsu...

Petite hands slowly clasped his large one, squeezing it in surprise as the scenery around them began to change. Everything looked familiar, yet foreign. The civilians wandering the market streets of Konoha weren't the usual passers, and the items they bought looked about as updated as the shops they purchased from, save for the food. It was a very busy section of Konoha, so Minato didn't find it odd when they were overlooked as if their shinobi appearances were commonplace.

Minato gazed down in search of the kunai, noting that it wasn't there. The indent that it'd left in the earth was still fresh—as if it'd just been pulled out—causing a blond brow to arch. Does this mean you're nearby, Obito?

"This is... the future, sensei?" Obito asked, gazing in awe. He felt slightly saddened, knowing the old elderly from his time had probably passed. One of the nearby shops, now owned by someone else, used to belong to one of the grannies he'd greet every morning. Minato squeezed Obito's shoulder when he saw the boy fixated on that shop, already knowing what he was thinking.

Keep calm, Obito, he thought.

"Well, this is kind of a let down," Kakashi said. He released a surprised hitch of breath when he saw a man with slanted, silver hair and a mask similar to his own pacing further down the street through the crowd. There was an explicit orange book in his hand that engrossed him, and he ignored everything, and everyone, as he seated himself down at a ramen shop next to an older Gai, who was planning on challenging him.

Minato was glad that his smile wasn't visible, and he wished he could take Kakashi's mask off to see the boy's expression as he took in the sight of his older self. Rin and Obito, however, were chortling amongst themselves, clearly humored.

"I don't think this future is a let down at all," Rin said. As she giggled, she began covering the mouth area of her face mask, appearing to have forgotten that her face couldn't be seen.

In response, Kakashi folded his arms. "Whatever."

Minato felt eyes on him from where he stood, and when he glanced around in search of the possible enemy, he saw no one. He felt positive that the person watching him had his kunai. No, he thought. They're lower…? What in the world? His foe must've been extremely short.

Minato adjusted his viewpoint, ducking his head to inspect the lower half of the adults walking by for his hidden enemy.

Blue eyes widened in amusement when he'd located his target.

Farther off, peering around the street corner while holding the Flying Thunder God in his petite hands, was a little boy. He appeared to be no more than four or five, and he had spiky blond hair, blue eyes, and three whisker marks on each cheek. He was wearing a plain, white shirt, some tan shorts and a pair of black sandals. Minato was so engrossed by his presence that he failed to notice the way the villagers gave the boy a cautious, disdainful look, almost as if the child were a walking sin that was sentenced to be eternally damned.

He's precious, Minato thought, his hidden smile growing. He carefully started to approach the child, weaving through the non-caring crowd. However, the boy had other ideas. This child liked games, although no one bothered to play with him. The spirited lad took off down the street, a bright, teasing smile on his face as he glanced over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Minato.

It was Team Minato's turn to chuckle at their flabbergasted sensei, who paused mid-step, wondering if what he'd just witnessed had actually happened. He'd never dealt with children of that age before, but no one had ever stuck their tongue out at him—ever.

That happened.

Kushina, Minato thought. I hope we have girls—only girls… It seemed every male child he wandered around gave him a headache.

"He's a cutie," Rin said once she'd stopped giggling. Obito rolled his eyes at her statement.

"He's a brat," Kakashi said, clearly annoyed.

Minato shook his head, snapping out of his shock. "Well, we need to capture that brat—boy," he corrected quickly, eyes widening at his slip up. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing at his growing migraine. "It's like the bells test. Retrieve the kunai, but don't harm the child. On my mark." This should only take a second, but I'll give the kid a head start...

Minato waited for a while, lifting his index and middle finger together. When the boy had ran onto another street, he lowered his fingers in the direction the child had went. "Mark."

Team Minato took to the rooftops, running in a box formation, and the swift action caused an older Kakashi to become alert.

Kakashi lowered his book as Gai babbled to him, seeing a flash of yellow. Was that really…? The theory of ghost crossed his mind. But there were four... He stood, ready to pursue the strangers.

...

A/N: While writing this, I remembered a few episodes where Sasuke challenged Naruto when he and Sakura visited him at the hospital-that scene where they fought each other with the chidori an the rasengan, while Sakura ran between them and she started crying afterwards. And also the waterfall episode in which Naruto and Sasuke battled again and the mission where Naruto slashed through his hand to get the poison out. I wanted to foreshadow all of that so that when Team Minato sees it (or whichever of the four gets to see it *hint, hint*, they'll understand that whole saying about history always managing to repeat itself), hence the chapter title. ;)

My word count for this is going to be high, just letting y'all know. Short chapters make me feel cheated, so I write long ones (and I don't have time to get lost into a read with short chapters). Maybe it's just me who feels this way…?

And I just want to say thanks to all the visitors that clicked on this! I was seriously surprised by the alerts and favs too because I wrote this on a whim, and jotted down a quick story board thinking no one would want to read it so…

THANKS Y'ALL! You're welcome to leave a comment, or click a button if that's your heart's content. I don't mind in the least bit. :)