A/N - I do not own Naruto, if I did...

You know what, I'm not gonah even get into that. The rant itself would be enough words for an entire chapter, the backlash I would no doubt receive would be horrible and I'm pretty sure I'd have somebody out there hunting me down for being offensive. Oh well.

I'm gonah take a quick nip to the shop, get a Mountain Dew and start writing before I get a complaint.

Chapter Three - Making Our Foundation

One Year Later.

'Bored, bored, bored, so bloody borrrred.' It was yet another long day in the academy. If you assumed long meant that the day was going slow you were absolutely, positively wrong. If you assumed long meant sitting through Iruka-sensei's history lectures that he already knew, doing shuriken and kunai practise that he was already adept at and then finishing the day with chakra theory that had been drilled into his head after about a month, yeah then you were right.

The last year in the academy had been slow to say the least. Turns out the first year of the academy, the beginner year, was used for giving the students a background and knowledge of what being a Ninja is all about along with how to use the traditional basic tools that all Ninja will need to function, nothing more and nothing less, for an entire single head bashing year.

This is why currently he was cursing his addiction to history. He was yet again "listening" to Iruka's morning time lecture; this time it was on the formation of the hidden sand and how they managed to harvest water from the desert. He had known facts like that for as long as he could remember and yet he was still forced to sit through it all. At least he wasn't the only one going through this. He was pretty sure the Nara, Shikamaru if he remembered, knew it all considering he slept through the history on a regular basis. That being said, he would sleep through everything if he got the chance. Then there was the guy sitting beside him, Sasuke Uchiha.

'Self centred, arrogant, prick.' Needless to say, he wasn't the biggest fan of Sasuke. When everyone else seemed to worship the ground he walked for being the last loyal member of his clan, he just treated him as he normally did.

Just because some guy had been given a bad draw at the world didn't mean he was going to baby him like everyone else. He had been given a pretty bad draw himself to put it plainly.

That was what brought him to another recent irritation of his. Every day he would head to the back row of the class via stairs and head to what was known as Naruto's seat, the one to the very right beside the window. Sasuke had taken to using the seat beside him.

He wasn't the only one confused either. Anybody that heard their brief but profane arguments would think they'd hate each other, and they'd be correct. Some of the stuff that spewed out of their mouths when they were heated would make a pirate blush and that was no lie. There were no boundaries, no line that was too far. When they fought it wasn't the occasional insult, they went for each other's necks which never worked out to well for him, you see. Sasuke had a lot of fan-girls.

'Probably the reason he sits next to me so they don't bother him.' That brought him to his final and probably most frustrating problem; the fan-girls.

After his first day being a little bit of a douche to Kioshi he had settled down a little. Iruka was a good man and ultimately he did have respect for him so he tried to be good when possible. But there was only so much he could take before he snapped.

The cause?

Fan-girls...

Who would have thought that the hated orphan boy with nothing to his name would have a following when entering the academy, but thankfully it had come to a quick end.

If not, the class might have had a few missing students by the end of the year.

After a few days once they found out his name they of course went home to tell their parents, and for once he was glad of his terrible reputation. Within a week he had went from the cool, popular kid to the hated loser. None of the civilian kids would even spare him a glance let alone talk to him due to their parents. That being said, he did have a few acquaintances.

Choji, a typical brown haired, food loving Akimichi was pretty fair with him. He didn't judge him nor did his parents so they got on fine, the same could be said with Shikamaru. The problem there was that the two were already close friends and although he had played Shogi and spent some time with them he quickly got bored. All they wanted to do was Shogi, eat and watch clouds so although they remained friends, they didn't really have the same interests.

As for the other kids, it wasn't much better. Kiba was probably the one he was most akin to. They shared a wild nature, could crack a decent joke and enjoyed the same thing. The problem was Kiba's arrogance. In the first week he had unknowingly established himself as one of the better upcoming ninja. That along with the fact that he had a following of mindless female drones caused Kiba to name him his rival.

Apparently the wild appearance came with a similar personality as the Inuzuka desired that sort of thing, so immediately; despite his half hearted efforts he was considered the enemy. When he gave the mutt a beat down in a spar the boy had all but declared his dislike of him and that was the end of that. He had lost the fan-girls but the damage was done. It wasn't that Kiba didn't like him as a person, but the boy had decided they couldn't have a friendly rivalry.

'Damn Inuzuka and their freaky ways.' Was he really the only one to not find it weird that Kiba's mom had a talking dog and Kiba was perhaps one of the wildest looking Inuzuka he had ever meet. He gagged before shoving that thought into the dark creepy section of his brain, hoping for it to never be found. 'I'm really fucked if a Yamanaka decided to come at me.

Then there was Hinata and Shino.

He wasn't stupid, far from it. He knew that Hinata had a thing for him despite what her father thought of him. For that he respected her. She didn't let others around her cloud her feelings or judgement of other people which was a trait he really admired, however when he tried to befriend the girl she had been too nervous to act on her feelings.

That's what he didn't like.

He knew that she liked him; he knew that she would often spy on him thinking he was unaware. Although he understood she was shy and got a hard time from her pompous clan she had plenty of times to try and act on these feelings. Instead she preferred to watch him be treated like he was and scorned by the villagers. He didn't blame her for this, who would want to hang around with the village scapegoat? But no matter how much he tried he eventually began to resent her.

Maybe he was having a self centred moment but he couldn't understand how someone could watch a cherished one be scorned and hated without doing anything to help. As time passed he simply stopped caring so instead of trying to befriend her he did the usual thing. Whenever she would try and spy on him he would move and she was never fast enough to keep up.

Shino was an Aburame. There was nothing more to it. If he were to guess, Shino probably considered him a friend but they had maybe spoken a few sentences to each other at most. He was the silent type, very silent indeed.

Last but not least there was Sakura and Ino, or as he knew them; the banshee and the bossy one.

Sakura was a loud mouthed girl, strange pink hair and a fascination of Sasuke to boot; because of his...attitude... he had received quite a few beatings from the girl but he would always manage to get one right back, whether that would be an insult or to destroy her in the girl's pride and joy; Written tests. He wouldn't say he hated Sakura but he definitely disliked her. It was nothing compared to Sasuke though. The Uchiha hated the duo because of their constant pestering, for once, he didn't blame the fella. It was a horrid existence that he would wish on very few, sadly Sasuke was one of those people and it just so happened that Kami had answered his prayers.

As for Ino, the predicament was quite similar. Despite her feminine charms she was, to put it plainly, a bossy bitch. There had been a few times when he had clashed heads with her and he wasn't the sort of guy to back down when an argument started.

Ino didn't like him. People knew that he had no filter and if somebody started an argument with him they expected that no blow would be too low. In his mind it was the essence of being a Ninja. If he needed too, he had no problems distracting or silencing a target by using any means necessary, trash talking just happened to be one of them.

"Naruto! How many times do I have to tell you?" He looked around lazily for the source of the voice. "Don't sleep in class."

He lifted his head before a small lazy smile broke onto his face, "Sorry Iruka-sensei, won't happen again." His voice was one of tiredness and boredom. It probably didn't help that he finished in a yawn.

Iruka walked over to the board pointing at it dramatically. "That's what you say every time Naruto, you'll be staying behind today to learn what you missed."

Naruto's lazy eyes snapped open to that. No way was he staying behind after class. "I don't need too. Ask me a question and I'll prove that I already know it." He cracked a smile, Suna's history was simple. "If I get it wrong then I promise to never sleep in history again." When it came to history he didn't get it wrong if he took the time to learn it. The odds were that he had learned it.

"Hmm, never sleep again huh," the voice was thoughtful and considerate, as if weighing in his options. "Fine, but even you're not going to get it right Naruto. We hadn't covered Zuko Namikaze until today." A smile came to his face when he saw the Uzumaki's smile slip into a frown.

'Crap. He must've decided to move on to a different topic when I was blanked out.'

It just had to be Zuko Namikaze, the one guy that nobody seemed to know anything substantial about. He knew a bit about the man thanks to Hiruzen, he just hoped the vital stuff he knew was asked, not the less violent stuff covered in the academy. Like why the hell they had to learn what Hashirama Senju's favourite food was. 'Mushroom mixed soup thank you very much.'

"Now, Zuko Namikaze is remembered as one of the greatest Shinobi of his time, alongside the first Hokage and Madara Uchiha. What was the name of the Dojutsu that only he possessed?" He was unnerved to see Naruto's grin.

"The name of the Dojutsu is the Gatrogan, with it he was able to go head to head with both Madara and Hashirama. It is unknown how he got this Dojutsu or if it is unlocked, but many assume he was born with it due to a genetic mutation. The powers of the Dojutsu are unknown although it is meant to be similar to the Sharingan." His voice had no trace of glee or confidence. It was a textbook answer in a serious voice.

'Hmm, It's not too often you get to see him this serious unless he's sparring with Sasuke.' He didn't let his shock at the answer being correct show. "Very good Naruto, now, we all know how much of a fighter this legend was, but what about his personal life? He again smiled when Naruto's frown became significantly deeper. To be honest he didn't mind having to go over this with Naruto. It allowed him to hammer the information into the rest of the class and they always seemed to learn better with something less monotonous was going on.

At the moment they were paying abrupt attention between who would win the verbal duel.

"Everyone knows that Zuko had a son before he died, but who was his wife?"

'Aww shit.' It just had to be the personal questions. What was with people, he didn't understand why the village academy thought it was important to know every major detail or relative of somebody famous. He put up his hand, signalling to Iruka that he needed a minute to think. 'Okay, so I know that he had a son. His name was Bokuyo. I know a lot about him but what was the name of his mother? After their conversation that night he had made a point to check into the Hokage's office for more information on the trio. He couldn't get much more about them, but he found out a lot about their families and relatives.

It was time to put his mind to use; he retraced his steps taking in what he knew to see if he could think of anything more. 'So Bokuyo wasn't like his father. Growing up his life was hard, his father, Zuko, died three months before he was born and his mother died when he was five because of a disease. Due to this and growing up in times of war he disliked the life of a ninja. Although he excelled through the ranks and was known for his skills his dislike of killing cost his life on a solo mission; he died at a young age. Now, what were his skills? He was said to be very proficient with Wind but apart from that it's unknown...that's it.'

His eyes widened in realization before banging his fist off the table in triumph. This earned him strange looks and a few giggles but he paid no mind to it. He started his answer from the very start, making sure he got everything right, plus it might earn him a few bonus marks from Iruka. "His son, Bokuyo was expected to have the Gatrogan and was known for being put under a lot of pressure as the council wanted to make it a part of Konoha, similar to the Sharingan and the Byakugan. However, many years after his death it was found out that he did not have the correct genetic makeup for the Dojutsu as it was negated by his mother's gene. The only way a gene like that can be made passive is that if it has something at equal strength to it, another Dojutsu gene. This means that Bokuyo's mother, Zuko's wife was either a Uchiha or Hyuga and if I remember correctly, her name was R...Ray Uchiha? His voice became questioning towards the end but he was confident that he was right.

Although he was unaware, the majority of the class had their jaws dropped at his background information and logical answer. Iruka didn't, over the past year he had come to expect it.

"Very good Naruto, however it's pronounced Rei Uchiha. Although I haven't yet talked about Bokuyo, what you said is also correct. He was scrutinised by the some members of the council for not being able to awaken his father's coveted bloodline. His life was a trying one, he had nobody to guide him or help him and although he was treated like a prince by the majority of the village he held no love for his life as a Ninja. After his death it was thought that the Namikaze line had died out but it resurfaced a few years later in the form of our Yondaime Hokage who was his orphan son that he must of fathered some time before his death." He finished in a sad tone. The Namikaze truly were a cursed clan.

They popped out of nowhere during the warring clan error in the form of Zuko and then ended three generations later. Although he had a bad start in life, losing his parents to the Kyuubi attack, he had to say it had been a gift since then. He loved his job at the academy and passing on the will of fire to the next generation was a treat, that's why he truly pitied the Namikaze's. Despite the clans efforts it always ended giving itself up for the sake of the village. Zuko sacrificed himself to protect his friends, one of them being the first Hokage. Bokuyo lived the life of a Ninja despite hating it; even then he still did numerous high ranking missions before eventually succumbing to his death on a secret mission. Finally there was the Fourth Hokage, the last of the line and the best Ninja of his generation, the toad sage's student and the villages favourite Kage. Although he didn't have the power of the first he was certainly stronger than the Nidaime and the Sandaime, but where he really prospered was with the politics and the fineness that the other three admittedly struggled with. Under his short rule there was peace in the village and everyone respected his power. But as the saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end.' The Kyuubi made sure of that.

It was said that the Fourth was expecting a child, but he doubted it. 'Probably a rumour by some random housewife that caught fire.' Although the people didn't want to admit it, they knew the Namikaze line had died out, that was for sure. The Namikaze name wasn't like the Uchiha or Senju. When a member heard the name of an Uchiha or Senju they were cautious, they knew the power of those clans and any member from them was one to be wary off. The Namikaze was registered in a completely different league. There had only ever been one living at a time, but such was the fear of the Namikaze name even a child would be considered a threat. Before Bokuyo was even a ninja he had a bounty and was named a criminal by the other nations; that was the fear that the name caused.

During the academy teacher's thoughts, a certain blonde haired Uzumaki took the time to analyse his surroundings, one of the many perks of sitting at the back of his class. Choji, Hinata and a few civilians were looking at him in a strange way, he didn't really know what it was meant to mean as nobody had ever really looked at him like that. Shikamaru seemed to be studying him, as if trying to put something together. The rest were giving the usual scowls, trying to put him down after acing the test.

'Ahh, they never learn.' He leaned back on his chair making it swing before he set both legs on his desk with a loud thump, effectively leaning on its two legs. With that he closed his eyes and started whistling a jaunty tune. 'Oh how I do love me a pop quiz.'

If looks could kill, he'd be dead long ago.

He released a sigh, something that had been happening more and more recently. He was well into the latter years of his life yet he was still left with the seemingly never ending task of Hokage, and it was only getting harder. In the last year alone the Uchiha massacre had happened. That was a headache on its own but to think about that would only turn his sore head into a migraine.

He quickly forced it to the back of his mind.

Beside that he also had the constant hindrance of Danzo and his grunts. At the moment they were actually quite helpful to the village; being able to take on the dirty work that needed to be done was always helpful but he just hoped the man wouldn't push his luck like he did a few years ago. He was sure that if it was anyone else in his position the man would have been killed for treason.

Over the past year he had somewhat tamed the council, civilian and Shinobi side alike. While there was still a few outbursts it wasn't half as bad as what he had been getting before, however he was still being bombarded by the usual question, and it was one he was completely clueless on.

'Who will be your successor?'

At the start it had offended him that he was even being asked that, however after a sitting down with the Nara clan head, Shikaku he had been politely told their reasoning. Every old man was stubborn and he was no exception. He didn't want to believe he was past his prime, although it drained him the life of a ninja was all he had ever known and trying to accept that he was getting weaker as the years went by was a daunting task. He had given up his title once but in that case there couldn't be a more suitable candidate. Even if Minato didn't take the title, Orochimaru would of made a great Kage.

However now was a different case? Since then Konoha had fallen far; there reputation for producing skilled Ninja was as high as ever but keeping them ninja had proved difficult. Back in the golden age Konoha was powerful, no village could match them and for obvious reasons too. The Uchiha clan were at an all time high in terms of power, each year they were producing Ninja that would make great Jounin if not Chunin. They also had the likes of Sakumo Hatake, Minato Namikaze and the Legendary Sannin in their forces.

It wasn't like the village was currently low in power, they had recovered well from the attack and it was clear that they could go head to head with any village if need be. The problem was that they didn't have that extra something that they were known for; not the one man army Ninja that if needed, could take any situation and turn it in the villages favour. He could do that once, but age had took a factor on him, he would be surprised if he won a fight with any of the other Kage in the state he was.

That was where his problem lay. There wasn't any one person, one perfect candidate that he could pass the title too. Due to the events of the massacre, the two Shinobi that he would have considered were no longer viable. One was dead and the other was a missing nin. He could always pass the title to Hiashi Hyuga, but the man did not have the respect and power needed for the position, another detergent for this was the control his clan had over him. He was not suitable.

Another option would be the man that alerted him to this problem, Shikaku Nara. Being the Nara clan head he definitely would have the intellect, in fact he would probably be the wisest Hokage the village had seen; power wasn't a problem either. With the use of his clan techniques and cunning he would pass himself, however the problem here was that a Nara never took interest in the title. They were admittedly lazy and would do as little as possible to succeed, only ever coming to action in the tough times. He was a viable option, but not one that he or the man wanted.

This meant he was only left with two other people that were suitable for the job, his students and what's left of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya or Tsunade Senju. He again let loose a sigh as he dragged his hand over his face. Those students of his were the cause of a lot of headaches. He hadn't spoken to one in years and yet she still managed to drag him into problems of hers.

The perfect option for the job and the one he'd most like to succeed him was Jiraiya, the last loyal Sannin. He had the power, the fame and respect needed as well as the intelligence. He was experienced and knew how the world worked as he had lived a long and mostly successful life. However there was a reason why Jiraiya couldn't take the title. Aside from the fact that he would outright refuse it, something that he had tried and failed to talk him out of - he was also too important to the village. The spy network that he ran was unparalleled to anything the other villages had, letting them always be one step ahead. If the man didn't run it then Konoha wouldn't have the constant advantage that they'd become accustomed to.

Such was his loyalty to the village that he even neglected his only living relative to attend the matter. Blood related or not, the man cared for the boy but despite his pestering he would refuse to spend time with him, insisting he had important matters to deal with. He couldn't tell whether the Sannin simply didn't care for him or he was afraid of being rejected by the boy for not being there for him in his youth.

He truly didn't know.

Tsunade was a completely different problem. She acted on impulse, she had a very bad temper, she had an alcohol problem and could probably bring Konoha into a recession within a year of her term; something he definitely wouldn't put past her. The reason he considered her was simple, it would bring her back. There wasn't a better medic alive and having her influence back in the village wouldn't just be benefitting, it would strengthen them tenfold. Being able to have one out of every ten active Ninja in the village a medic was one of his long time goals and now that an era of peace had ensued he wanted to make that happen, but for the first time in history Konoha was without a world class healer. Bringing her back would be influential and she would adapt to the role of Kage, and then that's where he hit the next dead end. She wouldn't come back.

She had lost loved ones in the last war and never recovered, she let depression take a hold of her and like that she left. If it was anyone else they would have been declared a missing nin, but he couldn't bear to cut bonds with another of his students.

That's what brought him here; waiting to see if his invited guest would make an appearance so he could solve this situation. Or he could simply end the elusive game that the reluctant man was playing.

"Kakashi." With that one word, a tall silver haired figure dropped from the ceiling, quickly getting into a kneeling position as was accustomed of Anbu before responding with a 'Hai.' With gravity defying hair, slanted forehead protector and a black facemask the only visible part of him was his single black eye. Just returning from yet another mission the man was wearing the standard Anbu uniform, the only anomaly being the stain on blood running up his right arm and a cracked dog mask hanging by his hip.

"Rise." The man wordlessly did so, as expected of any and all Anbu.

The stern and tense atmosphere wasn't one of any great importance; again, it was accustomed for Anbu to act like this and for standard mission reports to be done quickly and professionally. After all, a Kage's had plenty of chores to attend to daily and an Anbu had to be doing missions or training for the next one. It was as simple as that when on duty.

His hardened eyes locked with the man before his cold appearance grew a warm smile. "No need to be so formal Kakashi. I assume you know why I called you here?" Kakashi was the exception in these Anbu laws.

As if waiting to be given the go ahead his straightened form and tense posture relaxed into a slouch, he leaned against the near wall before pulling out a small orange backed book giving it his utmost attention. To the untrained eye it would look like the silver haired man was paying him no heed, as if ignoring him. However that was untrue. If there's one thing he had learned about Kakashi over the years, it was to never underestimate him.

Being the son of the late Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi had a natural talent for all things Ninja. Being the only surviving student of the Fourth Hokage as well as boasting over a thousand Jutsu in his arsenal, the man had a lot to offer, but more importantly, he could offer more.

That was the meaning behind this conversation, hopefully.

What he was going to do would be considered lunatic by many and would no doubt annoy the man but he had to play his cards right. Kakashi had cunning and lots of it, he could manipulate any conversation to his liking without his target knowing. Hell, the man was like a Uchiha, the only difference being you didn't have to make eye contact before you found yourself doing his will. No Genjutsu, no tricks. Just simple, basic bending someone to his will.

The man's response to his question cut him from his thoughts. "Yes Hokage-sama. You want my mission report?" He wasn't given time to answer. "As expected, the rumours were true. Kiri have entered into a civil bloodline war. Being tasked to kill a few of Yagura's general's was tough but-"

"You have no need to tell me this Kakashi." He cut across the Anbu's report. "I assume their dead?" He received a simple nod.

To be perfectly honest, he was sick of routine and he knew Kakashi would succeed, for one he was alive, that was proof in itself and the second was that Kakashi didn't fail missions. The man was a machine.

Seeing that Kakashi was about to take his leave a tired smile returned to his face, "Not so fast Kakashi." He gestured to the seat in front of his desk. "I have an important matter to solve and I need your help."

The last remnant of the once great clan took the seat, allowing a look of confusion to come to what little of his face was exposed. "I'm happy to help, but I don't see myself being able to solve any problems you can't."

He only shook his head to that. Reaching into his desk he pulled out his pipe, "Kakashi, this conversation were about to have won't make you happy. But I warn you now, let me get my point across and try to understand." If his words affected the Shinobi in any way it didn't show.

He put some tobacco into the pipe and set it into the corner of his mouth, "These thoughts of mine, the ones that lead me to this started a few years ago, but quite recently these thoughts became real enough to provoke an action, and this is where we are now." As usual, Kakashi preferred to remain silent, choosing to find out more about his situation rather than make a comment.

He lit his pipe with a wordless fire Jutsu before blowing out a puff of smoke. "The night of Orochimaru's escape has haunted me for my weakness. Because of my indecisive actions and my failure to act it has caused distasteful events and actions to happen that could have been prevented. However on that night I wasn't the only one to fall short." That sentence got a reaction, whether it was suppressed anger or surprise, he couldn't tell.

"I assume you know what I'm talking about, Kakashi-kun?" Hiruzen continued smoking, unfazed by the look on the man's expression.

"I do." Kakashi's glare wasn't directed at his questioner, but instead the floor. "I understand that I messed up that day, but I was still young, I had not received the advanced Anbu training that I have now."

Hiruzen just shook his head. "I refuse to believe that. You were stronger, faster and fought with purpose back then. Now you have mellowed, you have bottled your emotions about Obito, Rin and Minato so much that you can't move on from the past and ultimately, you are depressed; that night allowed me to realise many things, one of them being what made you tick; anger. If you weren't so good at killing I'd have removed you from Anbu by now."

Kakashi stood up after hearing that, letting the first of his emotions show. "Well what did you expect," His voice raised, "I was in over my depth, I was hunting him under your orders and when I had the snake trapped I froze. I wasn't ready." He felt like punching something, anything to relieve this anger.

"You're angry?" He questioned. "You never get unfazed; you rarely show emotion in the midst of a fight let alone a stale conversation about the past?" He was working the man up, but he had too if he hoped to achieve his goal.

Kakashi was now pacing the room, "Don't act stupid with me, I know where this is going." He wasn't shouting, he wasn't even showing that much rage. What the man was showing however was something far worse; anxiety.

He had spent years of blocking out and forgetting his past, this was causing him harm and needed to be fixed, thus this conversation was happening.

The Kage remained seated, unfazed by his Ninja's actions. "I'm not acting stupid. You had Orochimaru trapped, cornered and all it took was to finish him; you had the hard part done... That in itself isn't the problem." Those words made Kakashi stop pacing the room, turning around to look at him in shock. "I didn't expect you to kill Orochimaru; he was an experienced Ninja, one of the Sannin. You had just become a man; the problem was how he stopped you. When you had the snake caught, the method of execution in place he was able to stop you with just a stare. The malice in his eyes was enough to stop you dead in your tracks, with that he escaped."

Kakashi remained silent. He had nothing to say to that or argue back for it was true.

"We'll come back to that point later." He was putting everything into picture for Kakashi, letting him know exactly what he was thinking and why he came to this conclusion.

There was a long silence in the room, it was clear that Hiruzen was waiting for Kakashi to speak, to comment on what he had just said. "So what," his voice was back to normal, this being monotone. "Where are you going with this? You aren't mad at me failing to kill him as you couldn't either, so what is the meaning of this conversation?"

It was the first time since the conversation started that the Hokage let out a chuckle, albeit a dry one, devoid of any humour. "We Kage are looked upon foremost as Ninja, then as protectors and finally as a symbol. Our Shodai was a symbol of peace, Nidaime was a symbol of wisdom and I, a symbol of the will of fire. However what everyone forgets, whether it be the highest ranking Anbu or the simple civilian, it's that we are people too." While speaking he had got up and walked over to the pictures of the previous Kage, Kakashi was hanging onto his every word.

He looked at each picture with fondness in his eyes before hardening his gaze, "A Kage has to bear an awful burden, one that I would wish on nobody. However when I die I need somebody to take this position off my hands, somebody that I trust, somebody I respect and most importantly, somebody young, that isn't afraid to make a change." He was still looking away from the man but he could feel his body shaking, Kakashi knew where he was going with this.

He let out another puff of smoke, "I practically raised three students to take this position off my hands. Jiraiya would rather die than take it, he is too free spirited, and I don't think I need to explain the other two to you. One would probably maim me if I even asked her and the other would kill me before I got the chance. That's why I called you here."

Before he could say anymore the Anbu captain cut across him. Uncharacteristically his voice was frantic. "You know I would do anything you order me too, but the position of Hokage? I'm not deserving of it. I've never been able to do anything right with my life... It was my fault Obito died; I couldn't even keep his dying wish." He had to stop to settle his voice, "Even after all that I thought I had changed, I thought I was stronger - I could still only watch as Minato-sensei lost his life. Even now I can't be the friend to his legacy like I promised I would." Finishing his sentence Kakashi slumped back into the chair, a feeling of nausea coming over him due to the strong negative feelings.

Hiruzen turned around to look at him, silencing any other words that could escape his mouth with the severity of his gaze. "What's done is done Kakashi, and don't get ahead of yourself either, in the state you are in you wouldn't be fit for the position. You have spent the majority of your years depressed, every time you look to be recovering a loved one has been tragically taken from you. Since Minato's death you have turned into a hermit, you haven't made any progression and instead have spent your free time reminiscing about the past, preferring to live in it than the present day." He let his words sink in, making it clear he didn't improve. "Gai tells me he barely sees you anymore, and Tenzo simply doesn't see you-"

"Hokage-sama, you know all too well that I have been working for the village, doing mission after mission to protect it."

Hiruzen's stern gaze scrunched, silencing the retort. "I don't believe a word of it. I don't mind that you do missions, I find it warming that you feel so strong towards serving the village," his voice was laced with sarcasm, "What I do mind is that you have cut all bonds with your friends; and before you start I warn you to not. There is no excuse to breaking those bonds, especially how you have treated them over the years.

Kakashi just leaned back in his chair. He didn't appreciate being spoken to like a child, but he knew it was true. He had all but cut his bonds with his friends, preferring to spend the little time between missions at the memorial stone or locked in his house. "So you want me to spend more time with those around me?" His eyes widened as the cogs in his brain put two and two together, "If you want me to become a Jounin for the simple reason of friendship, I decline. We agreed that I would stay in Anbu a few more years." In all honesty it wasn't like he had meant to cut his bonds, he just did. He took mission after mission for months. Those months turned to years and before he knew it he was here. The reason for this was simple; being focused and adrenaline fuelled, something that only missions could provide, numbed the memories of the past.

"Let me tell you exactly why I brought you here, and why I have told you everything that I have." He waved his hand signalling for Anbu in the room to leave, he wanted to keep the rest of this private for Kakashi's sake. "You were a child when you became a Genin," His voice was mellow and low, "Not a year later you made Chunin at six. It would be another six years you spent your time training hard and shattering every record there was until you reached the rank of Jounin at twelve. I'm sure you remember the talk of the village? You were her poster boy, the people loved you." A small smile came to his face, "I particularly remember being awoken when you decided to train near the Sarutobi compound. We were at least five minutes' walk away but you could still hear your group of fans."

He noticed the small smile behind his Kakashi's masked face before continuing. "No matter who it was, be it Danzo or a civilian everyone expected great things from you. The last Hatake, the prodigal son of Sakumo, you had already begun to pick up reputation nicknames when your friends were fresh Genin or newly made Chunin... and then it went all downhill. Obito died then Rin and finally Minato. Each time you got over one another fell and by the last of it you were but a shell of your former self, ability wise and in personality. This finally brings this long, boring and in your case emotional talk full circle."

He was getting to the end of this discussion, this next bit would be hard but it was for his own good. "Now let's take a step back and look what we're left with. An old man past his prime and in over his head at a job he's no longer qualified for, and a young man who is a shell of his former self, he has all the ability in the world, but no longer has the motivation and is lost in his memories. We are very similar Kakashi, although you don't know it, we are weary, tired and we both have underachieved in our life. But unlike me, you still have time in this world, you are twenty three, the world is yours to shape. You have the intelligence, cunning and there has never been a more skilled Ninja to come through our Shinobi system... and for that reason I'm placing you on leave." With that he turned his back to make his leave, in his mind the conversation was over.

Slowly lifting his head after looking nowhere but the ground, Kakashi appeared to be unaffected by the news, however his shaking voice suggested otherwise. "What is the meaning of this? What are you trying to do?"

The Hokage didn't stop walking but did respond, his voice suggesting that what he had just done was as mundane as a D-Rank. "You have three years Kakashi. In that time you are to make amends to the people of the village. You are to repair the bonds that have been broken and you are to train. You are strong but you haven't even scratched your potential. I don't care what your motivation is or what you decide to train for, whether it be to protect your friends, the village... or to become what everyone thought you would What Obito, Rin and Minato-kun thought."

This time Kakashi did react, eyes widened and a gleam in his eye that had not been present for years. "Then what, what after the three years are up?"

The Hokage had opened the door, but stopped to answer. "After the three years are over I will test you, personally. If you pass, you will take this title off me. You are my choice Kakashi; I will choose you to surpass me just like I chose your sensei." With that he left the room, well aware of how much scrutiny he would receive for removing arguably the villages best Anbu.

He sat still, plastered to his seat, not trusting his legs to carry him. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders, for the first time since his sensei's death he felt as if he had a purpose, like he had something to work towards.

It was time to become the Shinobi he was meant to be.

'It's about time I got a rematch, although it's always a little nerve wracking going up against Sasuke,' Naruto thought to himself as he was stationed in the centre of the training field in the standard academy defensive stance. It had actually been an enjoyable day so far, sitting beside Sasuke was a lot more fun than anyone else for the simple reason that he was left to himself. Come to think of it, that was probably why Sasuke chose to sit beside him, he was the only one that didn't fuss over the Uchiha and because he didn't try to engage in conversation he was easily ignored.

That was another thing, he knew it was his time to fight the Uchiha again, he had been keeping count and he was well aware that his adversary was doing the same. Despite not admitting it, they both looked forward to this.

Sasuke was the only one that challenged him, and the same could be said for the Uchiha. Some of the others could keep up, but never push them.

He had his left foot far forward and his right foot behind him. His loose fists mirrored this while he was facing sideways. Breaking his locking eyes of Sasuke he noticed that his arms were shaking. He always did get excited before a fight like this. He could tell Sasuke's were to.

"Are both fighters ready?" Iruka was standing at the sidelines with the other students. He was well aware that the majority of them were anticipating the fight with eyes peeled. Any other fight, any other match-up there was always cheers and encouraging shouting, when he and Sasuke matched up it was silence, the only thing heard was the sound of flesh meeting flesh or the name of a Jutsu.

Naruto let a small smirk come to his face. Sasuke mirrored the smirk only adding a nod.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha! Hajime!"

As the fight started the atmosphere only got tenser; both fighters refusing to make the first move, sizing each other up and not giving anything away.

As if on an unspoken command both he and Sasuke sprung forward. Meeting in the middle of the field Sasuke threw a fast punch forcing him to dodge before rolling to the side evading a kick that was centimetres from making contact. "You've gotten faster, but so have I." Naruto pushed off the ground closing the already short distance at blinding speed and punching Sasuke directly on the throat, the force of the hit pushing him back.

If Sasuke experienced any pain he did a good job hiding it. Barely coming to a stop before hitting the student spectators he immediately dashed towards him going with a sliding kick forcing him to jump over it. While sliding under him he reached up grabbing his ankle and twisting, sending a sharp pain through his leg and pulling it with his momentum it didn't take him to long to kick free and he returned with a vicious kick directed to his still crouched face. Although blocked it bought him time.

He gave his leg a few kicks trying to get the pain out of it. Out of the two he was probably faster, but it was only slightly. Sasuke however made that up in his technique and reflexes. He could turn every situation against his opponent delivering blows that would wear them down if not cripple them in a real fight. He was lucky to avoid these so far, his speed being the only thing saving him as he could kick out before the majority of damage was done. He smirked, "So, were going all out straight away, huh? I'm fine with that." The smirk turned to a wicked smile.

He wasted no time kicking off at top speed, none of the other students could track him, effectively losing sight of him before he reappeared before Sasuke, delivering a fist to the face, he followed up with fast punches and swinging kicks all of them being aimed at the upper torso and head but Sasuke had composed himself, blocking each one with a rigid arm or dodging. He kept this up, pushing the Uchiha back until Sasuke ducked under a uppercut before effectively landing his own.

Naruto stumbled back, open legs keeping him on his feet.

Not being given any time, Sasuke responded with his own combination of attacks, preferring to aim punches to his head and kicks at his lower body. "All it takes," he rolled forward, dodging under the blonde's punch, "To stop a fly." He pushed the back of Naruto's leg, bringing him to his knees, "Is... to... remove... the... wings." Each word was backed up with an elbow to his right leg.

He stifled the pain in his voice, "Or you can just squash it!" He drew his arm back and with all the strength he could muster, lunged forward, the initial force of the punch sending Sasuke smashing through a training dummy before coming to a stop along the ground, a small shallow trench in his wake.

They both rose again to their full height. Naruto now supporting a limping leg and Sasuke having his face covered in blood from the nose down. "Give up Naruto," the voice wasn't one of ignorance or superiority, just confidence in his ability to win. "You can't beat me, not without your speed."

It was true, Sasuke had targeted his main asset, when he was in hand to hand combat with the Uchiha they were matched in strength, but when Sasuke advanced in technique, he made up for in speed. That didn't mean he was a one trick pony though.

He pulled out two kunai, one in each hand before inspecting himself. It's wasn't as bad as it looked, he could still move pretty fast although it would hurt. Responding in his own way he decided to dash forward in a zigzagging pattern, his unchanged speed catching Sasuke off guard. Before he got too close he jumped high into the air throwing both kunai to the left and right of Sasuke. He could tell he was about to get another taunt but his smirk must of gave his plan away. Knowing better Sasuke moved directly back and not a second later, where he stood was sliced down by at least an inch leaving a clean cut between the two kunai.

He landed gracefully, biting down a groan at the pain in his leg from the small fall. He made a loud clicking noise, "You're not the only one that can use Ninja wire.' Although it was a little bit of an extreme move, there had been worse in previous spars between the two. Last time Sasuke had actually pulled the exact same move on him and he didn't dodge, he was pretty sure he was still feeling pain from somewhere because of it.

Standing at the side Iruka could only let out a sigh. 'Why is it that every time they fight they have to try and at least maim each other?' It had gotten to the point where he was considering banning the two from fighting one another; there fights always got out of hand and sometimes had to be intervened. It looked like today was going to be another one of those days.

There was a thin sheen of sweat running down Sasuke's back after that last attack. He had forgotten all about using it and never suspected the blonde to copy him. He scolded himself for the mistake. Naruto was a ninja through and through. He wasn't above fighting dirty, he wasn't above stealing another's Jutsu, and yet if one were to ask, you would say he liked to rely off his own power. Ultimately however, he just cared about winning, he somewhat agreed with that mentality but he wouldn't be winning today. 'He's still fast and it's too much off a gamble for Taijutsu, it could go either way, looks like it's time to bring out the Jutsu.'

Sasuke charged forward, while running he went through hand seals before shouting, "Fire release: Grand Fireball Jutsu." Ignoring the shock of the crowd, Iruka included he kept up his barrage by throwing numerous Kunai and Shuriken through the ball of flames. It wouldn't kill his opponent but it would definitely hurt.

There was no doubt in his mind that he had ended the fight, he had been practising that one for a while now, making sure that it was right. For his first time using it in combat it was a good size. The shocked look of Naruto before he fired the Jutsu told him everything he needed to know, thus he came to this conclusion.

He turned around to walk away, 'The dobe was in over his head, although he was a good challenge at first.' Unknowingly a small frown was present on his face.

"Sasuke you stupid prick! You don't know how much shit you've just got me in because of that." He had really messed up; he should have let the fireball hit him and dealt with the pain. Now the Hokage was really gonah get angry with him.

When he saw the fireball approach him he was shocked, he didn't know Sasuke could do any Jutsu, bar the standard academy ones; so when he saw a fireball of that size roaring towards him his mind had turned off and his reflexes kicked in.

That's why a perfectly unharmed him came into view of Sasuke and the rest of the crowd with a reinforced sealing tag floating in front of him.

Needless to say, his skills in Fuinjutsu had progressed since the Hokage let it slip; he was always making tags, trying to get better and more experienced with them so it was a normal thing for him to be carrying one.

Sasuke turned around, a full smirk now adorning his face. "Oh, so the orphan wants more!" He had never been so thrilled for a spar. He didn't get too just cut loose anymore like he could when the clan was around, to fight until he could fight no more. If he kept going like this his ambition would no doubt be achieved.

Naruto responded with a smile, one that was true. "Time to kick your ass and get a promotion! Bring it mommy's boy!" With that he threw the used tag behind him causing it to blow up in a ball of flames.

He was a sucker for dramatics... and apparently making faulty tags.

A/N - Last chapter was setting up the story and this chapter was a little bit more of that. It only skipped forward one year as I needed to get Kakashi set up because his actions and viewpoint regarding certain things need to be changed and ultimately explained. I don't want things to happen for no reason in this story, because damn it, it just doesn't work like that.

Don't fret, Kakashi's character won't be OC, it will just allow me to do things later that make more sense which is needed for this story.

Oh, and don't get things wrong. Sasuke and Naruto don't like each other, they just see one another as tools to get them stronger. There like rivals who see the benefit of fighting.

Now that I've got what I want explained and sorted, next chapter I can get into Naruto's personality and show him off a little more rather than just the one liners and short conversations, there will also be a time skip to graduation and from there you can assume that the story truly starts, progression wise.

PM me, review and do whatever else you wish, I'm outa here!