-A/N-

Spoilers!

Dead serious, this chapter contains a hell of a lot of spoilers for Naruto. If you want to be spared of most of them Skip all scenes with Kakashi in it! One more thing...*flips table* why the flip are you reading this future Naruto story without finishing the original story!

I'm sorry, this chapter will honestly feel dull for some readers, but it is 100% necessary to me, so it's happening. There's a lot of answers the characters will get down the road as they give a...*ahem* Reflection on Heroes...Nailed it.

Chapter 28: Reflection on Heroes

Isami looked over his gear a final time before nodding. "Looks like the Land of Needles is pretty secure."

His group let out a sigh. The Land of Needles had been famous for its tailoring of extravagant cloths. Unfortunately, their planned route didn't traverse any major cities. Isami had utilized his byakugan to ensure the rest of the land was secure.

Asumaru yawned, looking over the map. "Looks like they're not planning to target the rich and fashionable."

Vin crossed his arms, turning to Nezero. "What do you think?"

Nezero shrugged. "I don't know; there's nothing significant throughout out all of history about this land. What's wrong with wearing the same clothes all the time anyway?"

Kankiri groaned as Tegun dipped in. "I don't think that's what he was asking. How about how fast we skimmed through this area, as if Isami and Asumaru already knew the answer?"

Nagi lifted an eyebrow, glancing over to Isami. "Can I ask why we even bothered coming this way?"

The group ducked their heads, prompting Isami and Asumaru to look at each other. Isami scratched his head in annoyance. "Well, money's a big part. You see, economics are what keeps the ninja system alive and well. The Land of Needles is swimming in money and famous performers, so naturally when the Daimyo hears of an attack near his borders, he's going to pay well for us to come make sure they're alright."

Hoshido scratched his head. "Why didn't they pay to have us go to the capital, or have us stay longer?"

Asumaru rubbed his legs before looking up to the sky. "Rich people and entertainers like to live as far away from conflict as possible. They aren't fond of having any kind of military force combing the streets, asking questions. As ordered, we're here to make sure their borders are secured and people safe. It's all rather troublesome."

The group nodded in understanding. Takeshi looked up. "We made it up here in pretty good time, all things considered. Are we going to head over to Taki before we call it a night?"

Isami looked everyone over very thoroughly. He eyed both Kankiri and Hoshido. "If everyone's up for it. The Land of Waterfalls is a little more entertaining than this flat, boring area." Hoshido sighed slightly, but nodded. Isami smirked. "It's only fifty miles away, so we can get there before sun down or earlier if you wanted to get some exercise."

Tegun pumped his fist. "Let's do it! We've been dying to pick up the pace, right guys?"

Takeshi and Nagi let out a sweat. The Hyuuga pulled him aside. "I don't disagree with him, but I'm sure not everyone wants that."

Takeshi peeked up with a nod. "Hey, how's everyone feel about that?"

Hoshido nodded. "I'm the slowest among the group, so if you all don't mind staying around me, I suppose it's ok." The boy tilted his head down. "But what if we got too distracted by the scenery? Surely I could trip over a rock, and that would cause…"

Isami slapped Hoshido hard on the back, catching him off guard. "That's the spirit!"

Tegun tilted his head. "Hey..."

-Team Hitomi-

Hitomi's team had been rather silent since the destroyed village. They had searched every inch of the area, but only ashes and rubble remained. There was absolutely no evidence of any significance to destroying it. This is how the team came to know a true slaughter.

Hitomi finally put her hand up and halted the group. "We've arrived at Old Oto." As if it was familiar, the group looked over the barren, abandon area. Hitomi spoke up. "It was lack of leadership and structure that collapsed this city. It was mostly comprised of thieves and wrongdoers anyways."

"Orochimaru." The group startled into a defensive stance as a familiar face materialized before them.

Hitomi felt sweat of nerves drip down her back. "K-kakashi-san! What are you doing here?"

The old ninja tilted his head over her way, putting a finger over his mask. "Let's be a little discrete now, shall we?"

Akiko ran over to him, crossing her arms. Kakashi smiled with his eyes, ruffling her hair. "Good to see you to, but now's not the time."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "We're honored, really, but why are you here?"

He glanced between the group, scratching his head. "Well, it's personal. I need to talk to you two in private for a while. Is that going to be an issue?"

Inora tilted her head. "What's so important that you need those two alone for?"

Hitomi looked between Hotaru and the others. The elder lightning nodded. "Don't worry; we're ahead of schedule as is. We'll secure the perimeter.

Kakashi pointed, pushing off at a good pace. Hitomi and Akiko followed suit, making sure to keep some distance. High on top of a plateau, he finally halted at the edge.

With superb timing, a messenger bird arrived with them. Hitomi read it in shock before tossing it aside. The bird and message puffed out in smoke, revealing Isami and Takeshi. The girls stared in shock. Isami coughed. "Yo, long time no see!" Takeshi nodded to the two. Isami rose his hands as Hitomi hugged him. "Easy now, these are just shadow clones after all."

Takeshi turned towards Kakashi, who still stared out in the distance. The group remained silent, prompting Kakashi to proceed. "Not many people would find this battered, destroyed wasteland so important, but then again, not many people even know about it in the first place."

Kakashi put his hand on a hidden seal, uncovering logs for makeshift seats and a set up for a fire. Isami was first to sit down, lifting a hand towards an empty seat. "Judging by your tone, this isn't going to be too short of a tale. Please rest up from the travel here."

Kakashi nodded, shortly followed by the remaining group. "They wanted to be able to tell you personally, but your parents just didn't have the proper chance. Things like this are probably best left to me, anyways. I'm sure you'd get an entire novel from each party on their side of the story."

Akiko crossed her arms. "And we're not? You even have a fire ready even though there's a couple hours of daylight left!"

Kakashi chuckled nodding his head. "You're right. Perhaps you don't want to know the true story of Team Seven and how Naruto became known as the legendary Hokage." Akiko instantly silenced herself and sat still. Kakashi smiled once more before becoming more nostalgic. "I think it'd be proper to start from when I first met them. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura."

Hitomi tapped her finger. "With all due respect, shouldn't we be keeping it brief?" She stopped for a moment in thought. "Wait, what about Sai-san?"

Kakashi raised a finger in the air. "On the contrary, I believe it is questions like this that will extend the process. Don't worry; I know everyone here is a shadow clone."

Hitomi and Akiko glanced at each other, making Akiko smirk. "Not bad, old man. I assumed you were a fake if you couldn't detect that much."

-Kakashi's Tale-

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Right, I guess I should start with everyone's back story, depending on how much you know." Kakashi sighed closing his eyes. I'm sure they don't know about the Uchiha massacre or the harsh living conditions of Naruto. "This will be hard to take in, but bear with me and it will all be explained. You see, Thirty-eight years ago, the Village Hidden in the Leaves was suddenly attacked by the Kyuubi, the most powerful of all tailed beast. We didn't find out until later, but this was due to the former Jinchuriki-" Kakashi stopped himself. "That's what we call those who carry a tailed beast in their bodies. Anyway, The nine tails was able to break the seal due to how weakened it had become directly following child birth. A mysterious masked ninja had threatened the life of the Fourth Hokage's new born son and they were unable to both stop him and the nine tails from being released."

The group of ninja leaned in, never before hearing this tale of the Fourth Hokage, Isami and Yuuki's grandfather. Kakashi himself was able to put his side of the story in as well since he was a young jonin at the time. Kakashi dipped his head after some time. "In that moment, the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina protected Naruto from the villainous nine tails and the masked man. Although Minato had a small chance to live, he chose to seal the remainder of both their chakra's into Naruto to help protect him." Akiko and Isami dipped their heads, hearing the heroic fate of their grandparents.

Kakashi dipped his head as well. "He was my mentor and last remaining teammate. War and tragedy really removed those dear to me, and I could only stand there and curse fate." He looked up, seeing the somber looks around. Kakashi scratched at his left eye. "Don't suppose you know how I ended up with the sharingan, do you?"

The Uchiha's shook their head. Kakashi sighed. "I'll tell you that bit in a little while. First, I should discuss the fate of the Uchiha clan."

Hitomi and Takeshi leaned far in. "I knew there had to be a lot more at some point. Dad just would refuse to discuss any other Uchiha."

Kakashi covered his eye back up. "This is not going to be easy for me to tell you either. Did you ever hear mention of Uchiha Itachi?"

Hitomi made eye contact with Takeshi, both looking back to him. "Dad's brother right? I heard he was a true hero in my dad's eyes."

Kakashi sweat further. "Well, it's quite hard to understand how and why he could be a hero, but I don't believe your father's wrong. It was a very difficult time for the Hokage and the Uchiha clan in general."

After hearing the tale of the Uchiha massacre, Hitomi stared down in shock and Takeshi couldn't help but feel every muscle of his body tighten. How could anyone make a choice between the village and family? Takeshi shifted his head to the side. "Damn it all…"

Kakashi stopped him before they could react further. "Again, there's a lot to tell. You should reach out to your father on this subject. In any case, while all this happened, Naruto was treated as a no talent out-cast at best and at worse continually in danger of those who saw him as the demon himself. Admittedly, Iruka was the only one who went out of his way to protect him. Even I was among those who looked down on him, despite Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura being assigned to my team." Kakashi's expression beamed up slightly. "They were a joke at teamwork, and by all rights I should have failed them, but there was something about this team that made me want to give them another chance."

After all the horrible back-stories surrounding their families, the group leaned in, feeling more at ease. They were surprised his ties with Konohamaru went back so far. Kakashi went on to explain Naruto's oath and the Zabuza incident. Following through, he spoke of the chunin exams, fate of the third Hokage, and how Naruto triumphantly defeated Gaara to put an end to the conflict.

Isami chanted excitedly, pumping his fist out with a grin. "Hell yeah! Dad's basically a modern day hero, isn't he?"

Takeshi shushed Isami. "Oh come on! My dad did just as much as he did!" The two bickered between each other, making Kakashi chuckle once more.

Hitomi calmed the two before re-opening the floor to Kakashi. "So, what happened next?"

Kakashi scratched at his mask before continuing. "Right. You've already learned about how we found lady Tsunade and how Naruto helped fend off Orochimaru, soo…" He let out a sigh. "Itachi showed himself to Sasuke and really did a number on his psyche at this point." Takeshi and Hitomi gulped, allowing him to continue. "Sasuke was troubled, feeling that being too close to friends like Naruto was making him too weak to avenge his clan. After Sasuke witnessed the strength of the rasengan, he made the decision to abandon the village, casting aside Sakura to train with Orochimaru." Kakashi went into detail about the heroic effort Shikamaru's group went through, only to have Naruto get defeated by Sasuke. "It was at this time we decided it was best for the great sage Jiraiya to take Naruto under his wing once more to train for two years." Kakashi's lone eye smiled at the group before him. "Somehow, that sounds relatable, doesn't it?"

Akiko and Takeshi made eye contact before she looked back to him. "So, I assume we're moving two years ahead at this point?"

Kakashi sweat dropped. "Uh, yeah. Not much happened. In a nut shell, Gaara had reformed and taken the seat of Kazekage, the original group all became chunin, Sakura had become a great healer, and Naruto…he really did some growing." Kakashi delved deeper, explaining how Garaa was killed and revived, who Akatsuki was, and the information Sakura recovered concerning Sasuke. Kakashi's finger rose. "Ah! This is where Yamato and Sai came into play!"

Akiko piped up. "Were they always close friends?"

Kakashi sweat. "Well…your father was really stubborn. They were at eachother's throats from the get go." Akiko face-palmed. "In any case, this is when things went south. They were discovered by Kabuto and forced to attack. However, Naruto released four tails and proceeded to push back even Orochimaru. After the incident was said and done, Sasuke still refused to join them and declared his intent to kill Naruto if he interferes."

Takeshi crossed his arms. "Dad's starting to get on my nerves. He's not sounding anything like he was before."

Kakashi nodded. "You aren't wrong. Were it not for Naruto's desperate pleas, he would have been a marked-for-death criminal. Before long, Akatsuki's moves became bolder, and Shikamaru failed to protect his friend and mentor, Sarutobi Asuma. Naruto, who I'd just help learn about the shadow clone training method, was busy adding wind element to the rasengan, but joined his friends in the assault against the immortal Akatsuki." Kakashi fiddled with his head band. "Shikamaru personally dealt with his sensei's killer and Naruto managed to beat the odds and land his devastating new move on the immortal with five hearts." Kakashi coughed. "Of course, I took out three to his two."

The group seemed unimpressed with him. Akiko was busy looking at a rasengan in her hand. "Obviously! Add a nature to this shape manipulation and there's no doubt in my mind that's what dad used to douse the flames that day!"

Isami rubbed his nose. "So you finally caught on, eh? Lucky that you can handle that down the road; I can't afford to use that much chakra."

Hitomi rubbed her chin. "I never saw you use it though…"

The man jolted. "Well, yeah. I decided against learning it. If it's something I'd have to use in a desperate situation, I'd rather have a lot of options rather than one gamble."

Takeshi chimed in. "Sounds like it was too hard for you, Isami!"

The man pumped his fist. "Why you!"

Kakashi rubbed his head, watching in intrigue at the offspring of his surrogate family quarrel.

-Isami's Team and the Inn-

The true Isami halted, making the entire group follow suit. The look on Isami's face was well disguised to most, but Asumaru knew something significant had come up. Isami laughed, rubbing his head. "I'd say that's enough for tonight, right?" The sun was setting and no complaints were heard from the crowd. Isami pointed towards the southeast. "I know a great place to rest for the night! It's not fancy, but there's always good rooms and beds for rent. Come on, you guys earned that much after today."

Upon arrival, they noted the quiet inn was the only thing in a well cleared out area. As Isami entered, an old man waved, almost seemingly annoyed. "Didn't I tell you never to come back!?"

The group shot looks to Isami, who rubbed his head. "Come on, old man! You're making me look bad in front of my super important teammates!"

To everyones' relief, the old man cackled out. "Ehehe, you've got some on the greener side this time." The old man adjusted his glasses, looking carefully. "When are you going to bring back that lovely young lady? What was her name again?"

Isami shook his head. "There's no way I'm telling you, ya old pervert!"

Kankiri let out a sweat drop as the old man's only response was to bellow out more laughs. "Creepy."

The old man waved his hand around. "You've come at a great time. Oddly enough, buisness has been quite slow as of late. Get yourselves some rest, I'll get something cooking."

The group held a collective sigh of relief, putting an end to the long day.

-Kakashi's Tale Part 2-

Kakashi continued his tale over a crackling flame. "So, hearing news of Itachi, Naruto and a team ran out to try and capture him. Instead, we ran into a masked man that bore the sharingan. He was incredibly goofy, and there was something unnerving about him that was able to catch me off-guard. However, as Sasuke told us, his newly formed team pressed Itachi and Sasuke began his epic duel. Having been pushed all the way to his limits, Orochimaru broke free, only to be sealed by Itachi. With his brother at a loss, Itachi could have snatched his eyes to create the most powerful sharingan, but instead, died of illness, implanting a move to attempt to slay the masked man."

Takeshi pumped his fist. "Justice! Now that dad accomplished his goal, the Konoha nin recovered him and he returned, right?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Unfortunately, the masked man found him first and told Sasuke the true tale of Itachi. Feeling shocked and betrayed, and realizing Itachi couldn't kill the one he loved the most, Sasuke blamed the village. His next goal was to destroy the leaf, not join it."

Takeshi crossed his arms, looking away. "This story is just getting more and more depressing for the Uchiha's, you know?"

Kakashi dipped his head further. "It gets worse for Naruto to. Upon returning, Jiraiya had fallen in combat against the Akatsuki member Pein."

Akiko judged Isami's reactions over all of this, noticing his lack of genuine shock. "How terrible. He sounded like a great man."

Kakashi pulled out a perverted book. "His legacy continues though."

Akiko kicked fire at him before returning her gaze to Isami. "Why does it seem like you know all of this, Isami?"

He rubbed his head. "Busted." The group looked over to him. "I've told you all, I've been everywhere and seen just about every book. I didn't know all the exact details, but I know most of this tale already." Kakashi dipped his head, prompting Isami to shake his hands. "No please, continue onto how dad became a sage!"

Kakashi sighed, continuing. "Shikamaru helped Naruto get out of his depression and he trained in the sage arts. However, Pein attacked and destroyed all of Konoha. I died in that battle, along with many great men."

Isami's face grimaced with the group. "Uhh, you sure you didn't make that dying part up?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nope, I definitely died and talked with the dead at a campfire sight."

Hitomi looked at the campfire and narrowed her eyes. "Are you even awake anymore?"

Kakashi waved his arms. "Forget about it. In any case, Naruto arrived and defeated almost every Pein. However, he was subdued by the final one, only being released when Hinata rushed to his aid and critically injured protecting him." The women in the group held stars in their eyes. Kakashi smirked, knowing how women were. "I'm told she even broke out of her shy shell and confessed her love to him on the spot." The two women flushed red, unable to hide their excitement. Akiko seemed a bit more composed about it though.

"That is the cutest thing ever!" Hitomi continued to fidget in giddy.

Kakashi sweat even more. "Riggght. And upon seeing her fall, Naruto unleashed hellish fury that put everyone at risk, going as far as to almost undo the seal of the nine tails and forever lose himself in darkness."

Hitomi shut up, dipping her head. Isami rubbed his chin. "Someone stopped dad, didn't they?"

The white-haired nin nodded. "Who else? The Fourth Hokage himself." The other three became floored, making Kakashi laugh. "Remember, he sealed his remaining chakra into Naruto. In this encounter, Naruto learned his father was the fourth Hokage and was told the masked ninja was the true threat. This was why the nine-tails was sealed in Naruto. Minato Namikaze fully believed his son was capable of changing the world. To finish up, Naruto defeated the last puppet pain and spoke with Nagato, the true Pain."

Akiko clenched her fist. "'Spoke'? How could even allow Nagato speak after all the terrible things he did?"

Kakashi explained Nagato's story, wrapping up with his two cents. "It's something only Naruto could do. He was poised with finding the answer to peace, and as much as it pained him to the core, he refused to kill Nagato, pointing out Jiraiya's book. Nagato was so moved he used the rinnegan to bring all those killed in the village back to life." Kakashi pointed at himself. "Nagato died after that, and that's how Naruto Uzumaki had become the Hero of the Leaf."

"Which leads to the war." Isami pointed out.

"Right after Sasuke attacked the five kage summit to try to slay Danzo." Isami pulled back with the group in shock. "Sasuke was a lose canon consumed by hatred. He teamed up with the masked man and fought our 'unofficial' Hokage, eventually succeeding. After hearing about Sasuke, Sakura ran off on her own, attempting to trick him and stab him with a poison knife. After she couldn't bring herself to do it, Naruto saved her, taking a scrape of the poison. While I had helped Naruto in a scuffle, the masked man ended the fight prematurely. This is when the war came in full swing."

He continued to talk about the elaborate planning, the people placed in charge, and the plan to isolate Naruto and Bee. "Naruto was having a rough time coping with his mixed feelings. In order to master the ninetails, he had to try to take all of its chakra. However, Naruto was almost lost once more. This is where he met his mother, Uzumaki Kushina." He raised a hand before they could interrupt. "Her chakra was also placed in Naruto at birth. Knowing the day would come when he would try to master the Kyuubi, she came to him when he needed her the most. I'm not sure what all they talked about, but Naruto really matured a lot after that fight."

Kakashi dipped his head at the war. "That's when I really saw Naruto's impact on the world. Garaa was a well-spoken general, his fellow rookies fought admirably for the sake of his friends, and he even out sped the Raikage and earned his respect. After mastering the ninetails, Naruto practically saved our entire shinobi alliance and confronted Madara."

Takeshi couldn't stop himself from cutting in. "Where is my father in all of this? Is he still trying to kill Naruto?"

Kakashi scratched his chin. "Ah, I believe he teamed up with his brother to take out Kabuto. That was instrumental to our success. Although, since Madara Uchiha was among the resurrected, he managed to free himself..." Kakashi nodded, noting something important about Kabuto's defeat. "This saved my wife, getting rid of her curse mark to boot."

Takeshi's jaw went agape. "But why? It still isn't making sense…"

Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke had finally decided to find his own answer. He resurrected the four hokages and asked them personally how the leaf started. After the explanation, Sasuke allowed the everyone to fight against Madara, the masked man, and the Juubi itself."

Kakashi stood, now staring out to the cliff side. "The masked man…I knew him well." Kakashi pointed to his eye with his thumb. "He gave me this present when he 'died'. Obito Uchiha. A boy consumed by confusion, pain, and agony." Kakashi turned his head. "My story's for another time."

"So, this is the climax of the war, right?" Akiko tried to take in all the details.

Kakashi nodded. "Some might call it that. The first hokage fought Madara as Team Seven took the role of fighting Obito." Kakashi crossed his arms. "Sasuke revealed himself, claiming he would become the next hokage." Takeshi scoffed, crossing his arms. "Call me nostalgic, but I really felt as though they didn't miss a beat as far as teamwork went."

Isami tapped his elbows. "I guess it's true that rivals really do have the best chemistry. What about you and Obito?"

Kakashi nodded. "We had our conflict. A lot of healing for both of us happened there. In the end, Naruto's influence also helped him rediscover himself. Obito became our ally, defying Madara." Kakashi's head sank. "Madara was too powerful though. He took our eyes away and defeated everyone. Maito Gai was the only one capable of almost killing him, but he had to basically kill himself in order to do it. Something happened though…" He looked over to the group. "The sage of the six paths himself showed to Naruto and Sasuke. They had been the incarnations of his own sons himself. They gained powers I've never imagined." Kakashi covered his eye. "Naruto healed my eye. He helpped Gai survive a guaranteed death. He even managed to save Obito. Together, they were able to push Madara back."

Hitomi stretched. "Happy ending, right?"

Kakashi shook his head no. "Out of nowhere, Madara got torn apart from the inside. From him, Kaguya was born. The women who gave birth to ninjutsu. She was beyond powerful. She initiated the moon's eye plan, imprisoning everyone in the world except us." Kakashi scratched at his mask. "Were it not for Sasuke's eye power, we would have had nothing but a world of husk."

Takeshi arms were still crossed and his cheeks slightly puffed. "Doesn't change all the horrible things Dad pulled."

Kakashi chuckled. "You may be right." He coughed continuing the story. "In any case, Obito died after saving me. In that moment, I temporarily gained access to both sharingan. I used the chance to push Kaguya back and protect Sakura."

Kakashi let out a laugh, unsettling the group. "Naruto almost saved the day using 'that' jutsu."

Akiko raised an eyebrow. "There it is again. What is 'that' jutsu?"

Kakashi hardly composed himself. "It was a clone technique that produced a ton of different, good looking, and most importantly, nude guys; Reverse Harem Jutsu."

Akiko and Hitomi blushed, Takeshi's jaw dropped, and Isami began to roll in laughter. Akiko clinched her fist. "I'll…kill him for sure."

Kakashi raised a hand. "It worked enough to fluster Kaguya, but just before they managed to seal her, they were transported to another dimension." Kakashi scratched his head. "I don't even know how they managed to finally get back to us, but they did. We only had one shot left to stop her."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "Happy ending now?"

Kakashi kept his gaze out, pointing to an unambiguous spot of land. "There, I watched the kids who were nothing special five years earlier come together in a flawless execution of teamwork to catch Kaguya in the seal. Without Sakura, she would have escaped once more. She had managed to be useful to them, even as strong as they were." Kakashi turned to Takeshi. "However, our story doesn't end just yet."

The boy stared back to Kakashi. "Father again, right?"

Kakashi nodded, walking off. The group shared a look before jumping up and following him. "Sasuke had arrived at his conclusion. In order to bring peace to the land, he wanted to become immortal and purge the old kage system."

Takeshi tensed up, shouting in anger. "What kind of stupid answer is that! That's just…Damn it, what a fool!" Akiko put a hand on his shoulder, calming him slightly.

Kakashi shook his head. "As close minded as it was, it probably would have worked. He was beyond strong. Only Naruto could stand his own against him. He would show himself once a generation and give the world an enemy to unite against. However, Naruto wouldn't ever sit by and watch. The two of them took off, ready to fight to the death." Kakashi stopped, pointing over to rubble. "See this scared land?" The group nodded, seeing a river in the distance, but nothing more of note. "It was once the valley of end. A fitting scene where the first hokage and Madara fought, and where Sasuke and Naruto fought the first time as ninja. I don't know much about this fight, but they both put their all into it. By the time we arrived, they were barely alive and both were missing an arm. However, Sasuke and Naruto got their chance to talk. I could tell by Sasuke. All his coldness, all his anger, and all his loneliness had vanished. It was like a healed version of the friend they'd loved from the get go. Sasuke was pardoned by the highest Leaf official at the time…" Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Oh, that was me! With that, the story goes on, but that is truly for your parents to tell."

Takeshi put his hands in his pockets, sighing. "Not that much of a good ending if you ask me. So much terrible stuff happened in their life."

Kakashi nodded his head. "That's why they are extraordinary. Believe it or not, Naruto and Sasuke were a lot like very many people in history. They were like brothers destined to fight and kill one another. However, they finally broke the chain. Naruto himself never killed a single person in his ninja career. Sasuke, believe it or not, was fairly innocent himself. Honestly, only corrupted souls fell at his hands. These two combined have paved twenty years of peace; a feat not accomplished since ninjutsu was established by Kaguya herself."

Isami crossed his arms with a smirk. "Guess we've got some big shoes to fill. Things could be worse, huh?"

Akiko clinched her hands. "All the more reason we have to prevent Hell's Phoenix from causing anymore destruction. This is a new generation, their reaction from fear can trigger a reaction that would kick start the chain once again."

Takeshi looked over to her. "Don't worry too much about Hell's Phoenix itself. We'll get to the bottom of them. Just be careful around Guden, would you?"

Hitomi rested on Akiko. "Guden's got a lot to answer for. You know I'm good at making people own up to everything." She put on a more serious face. "He better hope it's the right answer, that's all I'll say."

Kakashi looked wide eyed to the kids, shaking his head. "No, I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore."

Isami tilted his head. "What?"

Kakashi raised a hand. "It's nothing. I should go, it's late."

Takeshi called out. "Kakashi-san!" The man looked back to the boy with his good eye. Takeshi bowed to him. "Thank you for that. It really opened my eyes about a lot."

The old man smiled with his eye before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Isami gave him a look before looking back Hitomi. "We better get back. The other's are counting on us." Isami looked at his hands. "Hearing how strong Dad and Sasuke were in the day pumps me up!"

Hitomi hugged him. "You're mother was romantic herself. I'll be stronger than both our mothers and fathers combine!" Isami laughed, hugging her back.

Akiko looked at Takeshi, nodding. "I was certain that I knew what I was doing, but now I know exactly what needs to be done." She crossed her arms, smiling. "You're the same, aren't you?"

Takeshi poked his chest with his thumb. "If something bad wants to happen, it's gonna have to go through me first! I'm going to get strong enough to not only protect those I care about, but those who are misguided to!"

Akiko laughed. "That's just like you." Takeshi extended his hand, shocking Akiko slightly. She smiled warmly. "I kinda get the feeling we would have had something like that relationship our fathers. I'm glad they broke that chain of hatred." Akiko took his hand. "Just imagine how powerful that bond can be when it's pointed in the same direction!"

The two matched grins for a while. Isami wrapped his arms around the two. "Now multiply it by two! We're going to be the vanguards of peace, how's that?"

The group collectively nodded.

-Kakashi's Tale over-

-Team Hitomi Camp-

Hitomi and Akiko jolted, noticed by Hotaru. "Sheesh, it's so late. Must have been important." The girl yawned, stretching her arms. "You two are just in time for your watch."

Lili walked over to Datsu with her arms crossed. "Hey, bonehead. Get up already." With a marginal response, she cocked her foot back and gave him a hard kick to the side. However, it only served to hurt her own foot. "Damn it!" She hopped around.

Datsu yawned, rolling up. "Lili, what the hell are you doing?"

She blushed turning away. "Not bad, luring me in and raising your defenses to catch your opponent off guard. Perhaps I've underestimated you." Datsu face deadpanned in confusion.

Inora stretched herself. "Thanks for taking the long shift you two. I feel bad for not helping out."

Hotaru shook her head. "No, it's fine. Like I said, we're familiar with this area. It's just as fast with the two of us then if one of you were here to help."

The lightning nin settled in, allowing Hitomi and the others to prepare. Hitomi glanced over to Datsu and Inora. "Hey, whatdya say Inora and I go on patrol while Datsu and Akiko stand guard?"

Akiko looked between her friends and shrugged. "That's fine by me. Don't hesitate to signal for help though."

Datsu patted his arm. "If anyone crosses my path, I'll take 'em out in one blow." Akiko crossed her arms, making Datsu sweat nervously. "That is if you don't get to them first…"

Inora relaxed her arms behind her head. "You couldn't even take that annoying fly out in one blow earlier."

Datsu pointed in defense. "That fly was a master of deception!" He crossed his arms. "I'm sure you'll run off with the first guy you see on patrol."

Inora fanned her arms out. "Beats dealing with someone like you all day."

Datsu clinched his fist, preparing a comeback. Instead, he smirked. "Hey, I'm serious though. Be careful you two."

Akiko jumped back while Inora turned with a smile. "Same goes for you. Don't try to be heroes, alright?"

Hitomi and Inora nodded, finally departing. Akiko and Datsu took position near the fire, relatively out of ear shot of Hotaru and Lili. She crossed her arms. "So, you and Inora seem to be pretty close."

Datsu looked at her confused before his eyes bolted open. "No, it's not like that!" Akiko smirked, prompting him to finish. He looked up with a smile, which she didn't expect. "It's really odd; I've never had a sibling before, but somehow, I know that's what it'd be like. I've been looking out for her and she's been looking out for me."

Akiko rubbed her chin, looking to the fire. "You two haven't been around each other that long though…"

Datsu nodded, adding in details. "Well, it's kinda like this…" He patted his arms, looking to her. "A few years ago, I was short and weak." He shifted around nervously. "When I mean weak, I mean skinny as a rail and pretty prone to injury."

Akiko raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising to hear. The great Datsu was just some weakling?"

Datsu waved it off with a laugh. "Yeah, it's true!" He clinched his hands a few times. "I was always way ahead of my time with ninjutsu, so that's what kind of ninja I decided to settle for."

Akiko rested her forearms on her knees after a quick survey of the area. "But, that doesn't change the fact that you loved fighting and wanted to be close in on the action, right?"

Datsu pulled back, finally chuckling and rubbing his head. "Yeah, that's right." He looked away, almost bashful. "I lied when I said I'd never lost a fight before…"

Akiko peered over at him, surprised once more to find a more delicate side to Datsu. "Is that how you met Kaito?"

Datsu smiled warmly, as if reflecting on his memory. "Sure is." He lifted his hands, showing life in his words. "You see, even though I was a weakling, I never lost out-right against others. They always looked down on me and it made it really easy to beat them." He pumped his fist. "Then Kaito showed up, asking for a match."

Akiko rested her chin on her fist, staring at him. "So, what happened? I'm guessing Kaito stomped you."

Datsu nodded his head. "He really got to me. No matter what I did and what I hit him with, he just kept coming at me." Datsu rubbed his head with a bit of a somber face. "I sort of had a breakdown in our fight. Kaito has a weird way of bringing people to confront their deepest fears and worst qualities."

Akiko smirked. "So, you blamed your weak body for the loss, cursing your fate. Something like that?"

Datsu laughed heartily. "Something like that." He faked a teary face, mimicking his younger self. "It's not fair! You have that big sword and strong body. I get it already; I can't be a great ninja like this!" Both parties laughed as Datsu settled down. "Kaito looks all scary, and his intensity pushes people away, but he understood me. After that, I talked with the old man and focused all of my training on pushing my body to the limit." Datsu rubbed his nose. "I grew into a lot of it. I think I was worked up for nothing, but I'm glad I did it!"

Akiko felt warmth radiating from Datsu and took a moment to just observe it. "So, how did that translate to your relationship with Inora?"

Datsu rubbed his head. "Well, she's a whole different type of person. In our fight, she really helped me notice that no matter how powerful I was, I can't take every burden on by myself." Datsu crossed his arms. "She's got her problems to! Inora felt like she had to prove how strong she was and tried to bury her fear of her own weakness with more effort." Datsu stuck his arms out. "I remember the shock and anger I heard the horrible things she had to say about her 'weak' body."

Akiko tilted her head. "Is that what you two were talking about that day you were training on genjutsu defense?"

Datsu shifted his eyes around, blushing. "Look, she came to me about making her body tougher."

Akiko raised an eyebrow, catching the flow of the conversation. "Wait…are you saying she switched bodies with you?" Datsu flushed harder, prompting Akiko to start laughing. "Wow…" She opened one eye. "How'd it feel playing for the girls' team?"

Datsu waved his hands, dismissing her taunts. "I didn't even think about that kind of crap, idiot!" Datsu crossed his arms in embarrassment. "I didn't like it, but when I saw the side of her that hated herself, that's when I got mad."

Akiko raised her hand. "Oh, of course! So she kicked her own ass using your body."

Datsu shook his head, patting his bicep once more. "Not so fast! I used my past experience to show her that even a weak body can beat a tough opponent with the right determination."

Akiko showed surprise. "You mean you were able to fight as her without chakra and still put yourself down?"

Datsu laughed even more, rubbing his head. "Well, yeah I got through to her. She didn't go down until I kicked myself in no-mans land though!"

Akiko tried to hold her laughter in, but just bust out. "Your…such an idiot! Kicking yourself in the down under. What were you trying to prove?"

Datsu scratched at his face nervously. "Well, I was so caught up in my speech on how everybody has a weakness that I sort of over reacted." As the laughter calmed down, he smiled once again. "After all of that, both of us seem capable of understanding what the other is thinking. I guess even if it was for a short period of time, our bond was like a magnet set up by the tournament match." Akiko awed at him slightly, remembering the story about her father and Sasuke. He turned to her with a smile. "I felt the same way with your father." He rubbed his nose. "You and Takeshi, however, are my rivals. I can clearly distinguish the bond."

Akiko nodded, looking back around her area. "You know, Datsu?" He looked to her with a confused look. "The reason we were gone was because my fathers old sensei told us the true story behind team seven. You remind me of him, in a way."

Datsu leaned in, extremely excited. "Please, please!" Akiko pulled back slightly, looking at his starry eyes. "I want to know how great he was!"

Akiko looked around, smiling once more. "He was amazing, but not fully like one would expect." Akiko leaned in, starting from the beginning. Mostly focusing on the details surrounding her father and Sasuke. Datsu was attentive the entire time, showing emotional responses from the highest ups to the lowest downs.

Over near the camp area, Hotaru and Lili sat up, listening in the whole time. Hotaru watched Lili, almost in as much awe as Datsu was, but trying hard to cover it up. "Idiots…don't they know we can't sleep like this?"

Hotaru chuckled. "It's no big deal. We're used to not getting much sleep." Lili nodded as the story continued. She looked over them, not withholding a smile. "The Sixth Hokage really was great, huh?"

Lili nodded, smiling herself. "I can't put my finger on it, but he sounds just like someone I know…"

Hotaru looked to Akiko, who had been riddled with laughter after talking about the sexy jutsu attack against Kaguya. "The leaf nins seem to always have that spark of light inside them." She remembered back to her chunin exams. "Then again, there was one of them every time. Isami and Hitomi were both so dynamic that it helped me want to be less like my over cautious dad."

Lili turned to her. "You still can't shake that when you're trying to be helpful though. Hoshido is even worse, you know."

Hotaru smiled brightly, finally alerting Lili to the fact that she really hadn't seen her sensei so happy in a long time. "I think Akiko is who you were thinking about." Lili jolted, scoffing once she recovered. "Not more than a few months goes by as a ninja and she already made friends with three different nations." Lili loosened up, looking back at her 'sister'. Hotaru relaxed to a resting position once more. "She's got a magnetic personality, but in a different way. She's confident in every situation and appears to always have the answer. On top of that, she really cares about what's important to others." She laid her head down after a yawn and giggled. "She's really just like you, minus the tendency to push others away."

Lili flipped her hair, laying her head down away from Hotaru to hide her blush. "Good night, sensei." Lili took the time to stare into the woods. Just like her? Can I really be like that?

OoOo

Inora scratched her head. "Man, your dad was pretty scary, huh?"

Hitomi laughed nervously. "Honestly, he's still scary." She once again scanned her surroundings before nodding. "The only thing I respected more than Isami's mom in the story was my own mother's tenacity in getting his attention." Inora watched Hitomi chuckle, relaxing her arms behind her head. "I've always butted heads with my mom, but she really might have been the one who kept dad sane for his whole life."

Inora smiled, noting the slight brightening of the sun. "Shall we head back?"

Hitomi nodded laughing a little. "Sorry about the misunderstanding between you and Datsu."

Inora waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's like I said; I feel like I'm around Chojiko when I'm around him. He's stuck in the friend-zone for me."

As they arrived, everyone in the camp was limber and ready to go. Hitomi put her hands on her hips, ready to move. "Aren't we a lively bunch today?"

Datsu pumped his fist. "You bet! I'm going to train extra hard when we get to the lightning village!"

Inora shook her head. "Honestly, you should at least try to enjoy being in a new village for a bit…"

Lili spoke up, flipping her hair. "Just remember, you're a representation of your villages. Try not to cause too much of a commotion."

Akiko crossed her arms. "Well, let's not waste any time. I'm getting anxious myself."

Hitomi crossed her arms, nodding in agreement. "There's still plenty to work towards once we get settled in. Don't get all distracted from the here and now though. I feel like if we drop our guard, Guden won't." The group looked in as she raised her fist. "Team Hitomi, moving out!"

-End-

-A/N-

I'M SORRY! Yes, perhaps you felt like this was a stalling chapter, but this is a very important thing for these four to hear. That's especially true for Hitomi and Yukkiko after the discovery of the slaughtered village. (Did I just add more confusion to her character :p)

I tend to be confident in the time-line of Naruto, since I've dealt with it for so long, but if there is a detail out of place or missing (Team 7 Only), please leave a review or PM me and tell me to get my shit together!

Double release!~ish Next Chapter will be coming anywhere from this Friday...night, and Sunday night. With that, only one chapter will remain of the Burning Leaves...part one ;)