Kakashi walked down the streets of Konoha aimlessly, heading to nowhere in particular. It was an unbelievably slow day, and he did not know what to do with the rest of his time.

He had nothing more to do after Minato had asked him to tell Naoko that there was no training that day.

His eyes drifted from stall to stall, scrutinizing the goods that were being sold in the marketplace. There were a variety ranging from cheap accessories, toys and daily necessities to expensive jewelries and weaponry.

His pace slowed down, until he stopped in front of a bookstore's large window. A certain book that was displayed caught his attention, and he immediately went inside to take a closer look at it.

Once Kakashi was inside, he picked it up and read the title. It read:

The Legend of the Seers

To say that he was interested about the book was an understatement. And so, Kakashi went to the store owner and paid for the book.

"Oh-ho? What a good find you have there, boy," the store owner looked at him with an impressed glint in his eyes.

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, as he waited for the older man to continue. The man leaned over the counter, as if he did not want anyone listening in to their conversation.

"You know, it was said in the legend that there are people who can predict the future." The store owner said in a hushed voice.

Upon seeing the distrustful expression on Kakashi's face, the man grinned. The young Hatake then figured that it was not a good thing to believe everything what the man says.

A ninja must see what's underneath.

And soon, he found himself on his way home. When he got inside and slipped his sandals off, he saw his dad rushing back and forth inside their humble abode.

"Dad, I'm home," he greeted, as he padded across the hallway and into their living room.

It was a bit small, but it had a low, rectangular table in the center and cushions where guests could take a seat comfortably.

A few seconds later, Sakumo's head popped out of one of the rooms-his bedroom-as he smiled at his son who just pulled out his new reading material from its packaging.

"Welcome back, Kakashi. Why are you home early? No training?" He asked, as he walked out of the room with a ton of scrolls gathered in his arms.

The older Hatake laid it all on the table, and opened a few of the said scrolls. Some were empty, and some had writings in weird sequences that he barely recognized as a seal of sorts.

"Minato-sensei had to go see the Hokage," Kakashi replied, although a little delayed since he had been watching his dad stuff his things inside his pockets.

"Are you off on a mission again, dad?" Sakumo nodded at his son's question, as he shot him an apologetic smile.

Kakashi paid no heed to it though. He was already used to it. Plus, he looked up to his dad's dedication to his job as a ninja of Konoha, and he hoped to be like him someday.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. But I'll spend more time with you when I come home again." The Hatake patriarch stood up in his full height, as he smiled at Kakashi who had began reading his new book.

It caught his attention and upon reading the title, it made his eyes widen a tad bit before he smiled-although more to himself.

He ruffled his head fondly as he made his way to the front door of their house. Sakumo stopped his actions when he opened the door halfway, as he turned his body slightly.

"Aren't you going to see me off, Kakashi?" He saw his younger carbon copy setting his book down and walked towards him.

"Have a safe trip, dad." Kakashi said, his eyes curving into crescents that indicated he was smiling up at him.

"Be good, alright? I'll hear from Nao-chan if you're behaving badly," Sakumo's expression turned into one of mock sternness, while Kakashi's smile immediately dropped at the mention of his female peer's name.

The younger Hatake certainly did not like the way his dad had made it seem as if Naoko was close to him. Although, after their sparring, he did not seem to mind her so much in a negative way like when they first met.

Actually, the Higanbana girl was not too shabby herself-appearance-wise and skill-wise. What he did mind most of the times was her ability to get on another person's nerves, whether in a joking manner or in a offensive manner.

"Well, I'm off now. I'll see you in two weeks, son." His father waved at him as he left the house, leaving him all alone to fend for himself for the next two weeks.

Kakashi closed the door, then went back to what he was doing before his father convinced him to see him off. He sat back down on the cushion in the living room, as he re-opened the book and continued where he left off.

It wasn't even the second page yet when a certain passage had made him stop halfway from reading. He read it again just to make sure that he had clearly understood the words written in it.

His dark gray eyes narrowed. His hands which held the book lowered slightly as he tried his best to stay calm and digest what he had read.

No. There was just no way that this book was true, nor the people being described in it. There was no way that people who can see the future exists, right?

Kakashi's young mind swirled with unanswered questions. Was there anyone who knows the truth aside from what was being told in this book? Was there anyone whom he could ask to satisfy his burning curiosity?

He plopped down on the hardwood floor of their living room, holding the open book over his face as he read once more. He swept away all his thoughts regarding the matter that he was mulling over for the meantime.

Word for word, he took it all in and did his best to understand everything what was written down on the pages. It wasn't until later on in his life, that he would know the reality of it all.

Kakashi walked lifelessly, his eyes devoid of any emotions that she had gotten used to for almost half a year now. No signs of irritation. No smart-Alec comments. No nothing. It made her uneasy, to say the least.

Minato had decided to approach him first, upon seeing the state he was in. Clearly, he, too, had felt that there was absolutely wrong with the way one of his precious students was acting. He put a gentle, yet firm hand on his shoulder.

Naoko saw her silver-haired fellow pupil stiffening under their teacher's touch, before shaking his head at something that Minato had said to him in hushed voice. Seriously. This behavior was so unlike him.

He may be and might act indifferently most of the times, but he was not this... this—this walking corpse before her eyes! His dark gray eyes looked so somber and she feared that he'd disappear any moment.

Then, her eyes widened at a sudden thought that went through her mind. He had been lifeless a few weeks prior, but not this much. They just paid not a single ryo on it since they figured that he might just be having a hard time with something.

She did try to ask him one time. However, all she got from him was a scathing remark about it as 'none of her business'. The way he had said those words were much harsher than when the time after she had set him up against his father for a harmless prank.

Also, even if he was silent most of the time, he will make sure that he'll get the last word in no matter what the circumstance. The two of them had built a friendly relationship, in which they show that they get along with each other through sarcastic banters.

Which is why, she is wondering why he had been so silent for the past few weeks aside from being tensed and impatient. There would always be an expression on his face as well that she couldn't quite point out, which scared the heck out of her.

Again, it bothered her. It felt like seeing herself in the mirror all over again when she first arrived at Konoha. But this time, instead of pale red orbs gazing back at her; instead of the ruby-red hair flowing past her shoulders; and instead of the girlish features—it was the very image of Kakashi.

It was a Kakashi who looked as if he had could disappear at any moment. It was a Kakashi who looked like he had been suddenly taken a plunge in the deep waters with no way back to the surface. And it was a Kakashi who looked as if his very world was pulled out beneath his feet.

A Kakashi who looked just like Naoko when she had lost everything important in her life.

She barely heard what he said when she came over to console him and it made her freeze on her spot. But hearing what he said just confirmed her assumptions, and her heart just broke in a million pieces for him. And for herself.

No, there's no way she that what he said is true. There's just no way!

"No way," Naoko croaked, suddenly feeling something had been in her throat.

"There's no way that happened..." Her eyes watered as she repeated Kakashi's words in her head.

Sakumo was strong. He wasn't the type of person who would succumb to that kind of... abstract reason. The uncle Sakumo she knew was kind—always so gentle with her. The uncle Sakumo that she knew was always happy and glad to see her and his son getting along well.

So, why? Why did he have to leave her and Kakashi behind?

"Kakashi, tell me it's not true," she clutched onto his dark-colored shirt, clenching it tightly in her hands and hoping that he was only pulling her leg just like always when they were messing around with each other.

Tears flowed down her pale, rosy cheeks. Her nose slowly turning pinkish in color, as she sniffed and looked Kakashi who stared back at her dully.

"Please, Kakashi," she pleaded. Her voice had been barely a whisper, but she was sure that he had heard her.

"...ao?"

A far-away voice suddenly echoed in her head. Her tear-filled eyes looked up, and searched for the source of the voice but found nothing.

"Nao?"

The same voice called out to her, and still, the person was nowhere to be found. When she turned to look at Kakashi again, she saw that he was missing as well.

"Kakashi?" She called out, but no one answered her.

Naoko looked left and right, and her surroundings suddenly seemed to become distorted until she was in an empty room with white walls and floors.

"Nao!"

Her eyes shot wide open. Pale, red orbs studied the face before her. She immediately recognized the light hair and bluish-green eyes that stared right back at her.

"I-Inori... sensei..." Naoko breathed out, while tears continued flowing down her cheeks.

Yamanaka Inori's expression was filled with concern towards the mental state of his student, as he watched her gasp for air.

"I-I have to go..." The child muttered, as she scrambled to get up. Her knees buckled at the sudden movement and Inori caught her by the arm.

"Naoko," he called out in a stern tone which made the young girl halt as she looked at him.

"First, calm down." He told her, as he searched her face and eyes, and continued. "Tell me what happened."

"I-I..." Naoko stuttered, as she was forced to take a seat in front of one of her teachers.

"I-I had a dream..." She started, while looking down at her fiddling fingers.

"But it wasn't the usual dream or nightmare that I get. I-It's... It's more like a bad premonition," her breath hitched slightly, as she forced the last words out of her mouth. Her fists clenched tightly on top of her lap.

"What happened? In that dream of yours." Inori asked, his tone gentler than the one he used earlier.

"N-No..." Naoko shook her head, as she hastily wiped her tears away.

"I-I have to go, sensei. I need to tell uncle Sakumo to not go anywhere today!" She said, her voice raising by a few octaves and slowly becoming hysterical.

"Dear? What's happening?" Inori's wife, Kaori, asked as she walked into the sitting room after hearing the commotion.

A gasp could be heard as she saw the little girl crying. Her facial expression morphed into one of concern as she approached Naoko in order to comfort her.

Inori sighed, as he combed his fingers through his light tresses out of frustration. He knew what was happening to Naoko, and what her recent dream entailed to everyone. And he had the gut feeling that it was anything good, going by the girl who broke down, crying in front of him.

"You have to tell me first why you have to go meet Sakumo." He finally said, after he waited for a little while for Naoko to calm down.

His wife patted her small back rhythmically, and the former shot him an 'explain what's happening' look. Inori waved his hand subtly, before turning back his attention to the Higanbana child.

"I-I'm not sure how... And I know you won't believe me," he heard Naoko mutter under her breath.

'Oh, believe me when I say that I'll believe you,' he thought, and motioned her to continue.

"I don't exactly know how it happened but in the dream that I saw, I met Kakashi and Minato-sensei for our usual training and..." Naoko trailed off, as her eyes looked as if she was staring at something into the far-off distance.

"Kakashi was not acting like his usual self—no sarcastic comments and the like. He was just... so lifeless." The child took a deep breath, before her pale, red orbs focused in on Inori, which slightly startled the older man.

"It was as if seeing myself, when it finally sunk in to me that I had no family left," she mumbled, clenching her already tightened fists and she could feel Kaori's grip on her shoulders as well.

Inori waited for Naoko to continue, but all he got in the end was a short statement that made him shiver at how solemn it sounded from her.

"And what Kakashi said to me, I think you already know what happened, Inori-sensei," was what she said.

[A/N]: Hiya! Rui here. (/◕ヮ◕)/

Dark Rose Charm - I'm glad I was able to give the fighting scene some justice. I had to make use of my experience in Taekwondo and re-imagine Naoko's fighting style. It was hard! But I'm happy that you liked it. *grins*

lovinurburks - I can't wait to write it as well! /slapped. And more fight scenes to come too!

LPWomer - Aww, thank you so much! *wink wink* Of course! I have a lot in store for Nao. She hadn't even met half of the characters yet. *insert evil laugh*

Vixen of Mischief - Oh, don't worry! That, she did. Hihi. I think Kakashi's pride was hurt—but Kakashi is Kakashi so... /bricked. Yaaay! Thank you for waiting!

I'm very sorry for the late update, but here's the next chapter! I have been kinda busy the past few days.

*whispers* And I've been into playing Mobile Legends as well, which is why I got a little too preoccupied. Tee-hee! (ﾟ3ﾟ)～

Anyway, I hope you liked the latest update. Drama commences from this chapter onward... probably. But yeah, that.

Thank you for all the love and support that you give to this story!

—Rui ( ิ◕㉨◕ ิ)