The group ran furiously after the lazy silver haired shinobi, shouting at him. He was quite obviously enjoying their frustration despite the fact that he was secretly glad they had read some parts of his journal. Maybe he should have let them read more, but there would hopefully be time for that later. It had been so long ago, so many things had changed, and yet they were still the same.

He summoned a few shadow clones into existence to keep the young brats occupied and sat back to watch them. Impromptu training had always been his favorite way to go and watching a certain blond boy still gave him a calm, warm fuzzy feeling in his heart. He settled into his perch in the tree, opened his favorite book, and listened to the sounds of his village.

The journal, on the other hand, lay forgotten amidst a pile photographs. Well, almost forgotten. Yamato hadn't really read that last entry thoroughly and he had a strange feeling that part might just be the most important. He glanced up at the goings on of multiple Kakashis tormenting the teenage shinobi, then smiled to himself and picked up the discarded book. Kakashi wouldn't write anything down if it wasn't meant to be read. He would've burned the journal if it were something he didn't want shared. He knew someone someday would find it and read it. The legend of the Great Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's Copy Ninja, Master of a Thousand Jutsu. He had meant this last page to be the most important.

So, Yamato took a deep breath and opened the journal to the very last page.

I stare at you and you just stare right back.

"So, you're back again, huh?" You say, I can feel the 'I told you so' feeling behind your spoken words. I shouldn't have to put up with this again. I don't respond. You sigh and tap your pen against your clipboard.

"How do you feel about being asked to retire from ANBU?" You ask, I can tell you're sick of trying to be gentle with me. After all the years we've known each other, you finally acknowledge that I really am just an ass. It's when I see the aggravation in your eyes and know that it's directed towards Sandaime for making you put up with me yet again, that I decide to its time to throw you for another curveball. Not because you did anything spectacular to deserve it, not because you're endlessly patient, not because you actually care for me, and not because we have some deep unspoken bond. Really it's mostly because I have to say it out loud and I know you can handle my bullshit. I'm going to tell you the truth.

"I wish I could say that finally they get it; that finally I'm right. But that's not true. I have the ANBU record for least number of casualties, I am considered the best captain they have ever had. My record is virtually spotless, I complete every mission; I do not fail. Tenzo will take my place, I have taught him well and he was already an incredible shinobi. I honed his leadership skills in order for him to be the best, I don't want that title. So, now they are making me a sensei. They want me to teach more students how to be just like me, I am the perfect tool because I won't let my village die. That is not what I had hoped for them to learn."

You stare at me, lost in shock. I smirk a little, I enjoy tormenting you a bit too much.

"What do you wish for them to learn?" You ask, recovering.

"That there is no such thing as a genius shinobi. Anyone who is smart enough to lead the troops is smart enough to understand there ought to be better ways in this world than killing people. Anyone with brilliance understands simplicity is a better way to live. It is those who are not confident in themselves who seek power, battles, and passion. The way of the shinobi is not about leaders, missions, and casualties. It's not even about strength, stamina, or competition."

"Then what is it about?" You are mesmerized and I can't stop myself now.

"It's about the opposite. Compassion. Not for solely your village, but for every living being. It's about friendship. Trusting so many that you don't need the knowledge of someone watching your back. Most importantly, it's about beauty. The small things, minimalism, watching a sunrise, hearing a heartbeat, smelling fresh wet soil after a rain, tasting real food that was grown and prepared with love." I stop, sigh, and shake my head. "That's what they'll never understand. They'll never admit. So, I will take on genin teams, but they have to pass my tests. If a team should pass, I will hope with all my heart that they will understand my views. I cannot tell them or force them to see it my way. That would lead them to follow blindly, subconsciously. I can't have that. It is that sort of thinking which caused this whole mess in the first place. If this idea is truly going to take hold and last, it will only do so as an unspoken epitome."

We stare at one another for a while.

"Kakashi," you murmur. I pull this journal out from my pocket. It is enveloped by an Icha Icha cover. I write down this conversation on the last page.

I will give it to you in a moment, so you can remember our conversation. So you can give it to Sandaime with a sigh. So you can apologize to him about what you failed to do with me. But, to give you hope, you didn't really fail. I am here. I understand my thoughts, I know what I strive for. I could never have done this without you. Without Obito, Rin, Yondaime, Tenzo, Gai, Sandaime, or you. My therapist. So, this is it. I hope this journal passes to those who need to know that they are not alone in striving for the goals I outlined above. Or perhaps that it will be burned so that no one will ever know that I, Hatake Kakashi, am in reality, a thoughtful and kind-hearted, simple-minded man underneath it all. I do have a reputation to uphold. And I am nothing if not stubborn, Yuujin.

A/N *yuujin translates to friend in English. I wanted this to be Kakashi's recognition that to anyone who read the entirety of this journal is considered a friend. Starting with his therapist and ending with wherever else the journal may end up. Also, to go with Naruto's ideals of every person treating one another like comrades, this is Kakashi's way of being nondiscriminatory in saying that anyone can/should be a friend.

There was a lot more that I had meant to do with this journal when I first started it, so I might be editing in more chapters in the middle as I go along... Or do a sequel story, like "The Lost Journal Chapters" or something. But I just felt that I could only drag their ignorance out so long, and once they knew it was him, I didn't want to get as personal as I had originally planned on...

But anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated!