Author'sNote:To help understand this chapter, the Star Wars Legends timeline is currently in the between the Swarm War and the Second Galactic Civil War (35 ABY - 40 ABY.) I will also say Naruto's timeline. Konoha Crush: August 1st, Naruto and Jiraiya search for Tsunade: August 11th (Hiruzen is still alive so they didn't need to search for her so early), Kisame and Itachi arrives at Konoha: August 20th, Present time: Late September. Sorry about this, I had to made some alternationsto correct some mistakes I made about when events should have happened such as Itachi showing up so late and the fact that Jacen didn't name a Star DestroyerAnakin Solo until 40 ABY. This is my mistake so I hope you forgive me.


Chapter Sixteen

Leia Organa Solo collapses to her bed exhausted. Ever since she has decided to formally join the New Jedi Order, her days have been like this. Of course she expected nothing less from her new master. She wanted to have the full experience that came with becoming a Jedi on her own instead of flaunting her status of being the daughter of the Chosen One Anakin Skywalker and the sister of the Grandmaster Luke Skywalker. Luckily Saba Sebatyne has accepted Leia's plea to become her master and is treating her no differently than the other Jedi in the order. When she closes her eyes for some much needed rest, Leia comes to find out that there will be no dreams for her tonight. Instead, she sees the ghostly blue figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi appearing before her in a starry black space with a long white path looking the same as he did when he saved her from the Inquisitors. "Ben?"

The lips on the Jedi Master slightly turn upwards, "Now that is a name you haven't called me since you were ten."

A smile forms on her face as well, "It's hard not to call you that when you appear to me in that dusty old form."

"Dusty?!" He looks down at himself for a moment before returning his attention to her. "It's not that bad. I figured it would be easier to appear to you in a familiar fashion instead of my old hermit look I do for Luke."

Leia shakes her head with a chuckle. "Well it's the thought that counts, Ben. So what can I do for you?"

"Why assume I need something from you? Maybe I just came to have a chat with an old friend." Obi-Wan tells her.

"Please, I was a career politician. I can tell when someone needs me to do something."

Obi-Wan then smiles nostalgically. "So much like your mother. Padmé would be proud to see her daughter had unknowingly followed in her footsteps. Well you are right that I am here for a reason. Come, I will explain along the way." He gestures Leia to follow him and she moves besides him.

"I hope I am able to help with whatever you are needing. Though I am surprised that you have chosen me instead of Luke seeing as he has more experience with the Force than I."

"Normally you would be right, but even with his immense power with the Force, he doesn't have what you have."

She cocks her head in puzzlement, "And what would that be?"

"A mother's love." Obi-Wan simply answers.

"A mother's love?" The Jedi apprentice asks, confused. "So this must be about my children, but I just checked on the twins earlier today and they were fine…" A lightbulb then goes off in her head as her eyes widen. "Anakin?!" A smile is what she gets for an answer. "I haven't heard anything about him in years. Is he in trouble?!"

"Physically he is fine. Your father has told me that he is being treated by the greatest healer that world has." The former council member assures her. "It's his mind that is troubled. I am not as knowledgeable as my apprentice is about that world, but I do know that they do have their own unique form of power that has nothing to do with the Force. I won't go into detail about it, but basically your youngest son got caught in a nasty mental attack and is unable to wake from it. It is our idea that if we can get people who have a close connection to him then he will heal from it and wake."

Leia nods in understanding, "I think I get the picture. Will the twins and Tahiri be coming along as well?"

He shakes his head, "No. It's taking a great deal of effort to bring you just as it is. This actually is our first attempt to create a long distance communication bond. Both Master Yoda and Qui-Gon are currently meditating intensely to create a path for you to travel the distance towards the galaxy your son is in through your bond with him. But," He points to a crack on their path, "It isn't easy. In fact, once we meet up with your father, I will join my masters in maintaining this space until your son is well again."

"So why isn't Va…" The princess of Alderaan struggles to not call her parent by his Sith name. Even after a decade of what he did to her on the Death Star, it is still hard for her to come to terms of looking past the armored lapdog of the Emperor and seeing the man her birth Mother fell in love with. She sometimes envies her twin brother for freely admitting and accepting the man for all the hurt he caused. "...Father the one taking me if you will be handing me off to him anyways?"

"Because he is picking up the only Force Sensitive person on the planet that has a bond with your son." Obi-Wan answers as he steps over another crack. "We thought it would be better if someone she knew be the one to guide her as I am you."

"He appeared to this person?"

"Yes, however that is not a story for me to tell as I was not present."

Leia clicks her tongue, but relents. They walk in silence for a bit before she breaks it once again. "So there is something I've always wondered about you."

Obi-Wan raises his eyebrows in interest, "Oh?"

"Why did you decide to call yourself Ben when you went into exile?" She asks.

He looks forwards in thought for a moment before sporting a sad smile. "Well I didn't just choose a name at random. The name Ben actually held meaning to me that only one other person knew, however by the time I took up the name she had already died."

Leia sensing the mood shifting started getting second thoughts about asking. "I'm sorry if it is a personal question. You don't have to answer."

The Jedi Master waves his hand, "It's quite alright young one."

"Young one?!" She exclaims. "If you haven't noticed, I have graying hair and I am in my fifties! My young days have long since passed!"

He laughs heartily, "Please, my physical age ended a few years short of sixty. Not only that, but I have watched over you and Luke many decades afterwards. To me, you will always be young." The former senator grumbles which makes him laugh again.

"But to answer your question, the reason for the name is not too personal not to share. You see, I am not the perfect Jedi everyone assumes me to be. Like your father, I too have loved a woman. And much like him, she was a political figure as well. Her name was Satine Kryze, and she once was the ruler of Mandalore." Leia's eyes widened in surprise. She has done her research on the history of politics while studying to become a senator and has come across the pacifist queen of Mandalore. "Well before she came into power and back when I was still a padawan, I spent a whole year as her bodyguard. It was just the two of us and we had to travel often to escape the bounty hunters. It was during that time feelings between us became romantic and she would often call me Ben as a nickname. But we never pursued our love as our duties required us to be apart. However my feelings for her were so strong that if she had only said the word, I would have gladly left the Jedi Order just to be with her. It wasn't until the Clone Wars that an incident occurred and we have admitted to each other how we felt, or I should say how we still felt about each other. If my duty as a General didn't call to me at the same moment then perhaps we could have talked more about each other." Obi-Wan then takes a breath on instinct despite not needing one as a ghost. "Sadly our love remained unexplored. A Sith Lord called Darth Maul assumed control over Mandalore with her becoming bait for me which I took. It only ended with myself getting captured and being helpless as I watched him kill her right in front of me. Whether it be the goodness of his cold heart or the evilness of it, he allowed me to rush to her side and hold her until she died. Her last word to me was: 'Remember my dear Obi-Wan, I loved you always. I always will.' I took the name Ben as it is a name that holds the greatest meaning in my life and that I knew no one would ever know."

Leia blinks away the water threatening to come from her eyes and smiles. "Well if you don't mind an outside opinion, I believe what the two of you shared is still a beautiful thing and I am honored that I am among the few who knows about it. I will also say that what you have told me only cements you being the perfect Jedi. You have faced a difficult trial, but unlike my father, you didn't fall to the Darkside and remained in the Light."

Obi-Wan then gives a natural smile, "I thank you for your kind words." They notice two figures also in a conversation. Leia easily recognizes her father, but the girl with pink hair is not. "I believe this is where I must take my leave, young one. It was wonderful speaking to you. I'll be sure to do it again sooner if it is alright with you." She nods. "Excellent. Remember to be strong as you will face many challenges training to be a Jedi, but I have no doubt that you will do nothing but succeed. May the Force be with you!"

"May the Force be with you as well, Ben." They bow to each other before he disappears to join his masters. She then looks to the pair in front who haven't yet noticed her. Leia takes a breath in. This is Anakin Skywalker, my father. It is not the Sith Lord Darth Vader. I named my youngest son after him to both help redeem the name of Anakin and to help me move on from the past to give my father a second chance. After the internal pep talk, the Jedi in training now has the boost she needs to talk to the man in front of her.

Skywalker then feels the presence of his daughter walking towards them and looks over. "Daughter, it is good to see you."

She puts on a smile, "Likewise Father." Leia then turns to the third. "And who is this?"

"Ah, allow me. Leia, this girl here is Sakura Haruno. Sakura, this is Leia Organa Solo, my daughter." He introduces each other.

The pinkettes eyes go wide. "You're Anakin-kun's other mother!" She then bows, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

Leia jerks her head back, "Other mother?" She looks to her father for an answer. "What does she mean by that?"

Skywalker scratches the back of his head. "That's a weird story, even for a Jedi. Basically when your son died, I grabbed his spirit before he became one with the Force. After I gave him an overview of what he is needed for, the Sage of the planet and I placed his spirit into a dying body whose age was eight as it was the only way we could send him there. However his spirit merged with the spirit of the dying boy and they became one, which in turn made the boy's parents on that world become Anakin's parents as well. He basically has two sets of parents now, although currently only you and the smuggler are the only set alive."

She pinches her nose, "And here I thought that I have seen and heard it all by now." Leia then notices Sakura is still bowed, "Dear you can right yourself and you don't have to bow to me. I had enough of that when being a princess of Alderaan meant something." She sent a quick glare to Skywalker before looking back at the girl.

"I'm sorry Solo-san, but I wanted to present myself formally to you in our first meeting." Sakura explains herself.

"What's with the 'Solo-san'?"

Her father answers, "They have a different language set on her planet. Basically the 'san' part is their way of saying 'Mr/Ms/Mrs'. They were also raised to use people's last names generally."

"Ah," Is all she said in response to him before looking back at Sakura. "You can just call me Leia, no need for anything else attached to it."

"Alright, Leia." Sakura corrects herself.

"Come on," Skywalker beckons the two. "You both can talk as we walk."

They follow step as Leia finds out more about her new companion. "So you know my son?" She watches as a smile and a blush comes on the girl's face.

"I do, perhaps better than anyone since he came to us. In fact, we are currently dating."

Leia nearly stumbles, but it is unnoticeable to the others. "Forgive me, but I may have something confused because you only seem to be barely even a teenager."

"I am. Thirteen, almost fourteen actually. Why do you ask?" Sakura asks, puzzled.

She sighs, "Well I don't know how they do things on your planet, but in my galaxy that would be considered illegal for him to be dating a minor."

This only confuses Sakura even more, "Why would it? He is the same age as me."

Leia holds out a hand and places the other on her face. "Hold on, you're saying he is only thirteen? But that would mean that he has only been there for five years."

Sakura places a finger to her chin before nodding. "That's right, it has. Why do you ask?"

"Because it has been over a decade since he 'died' on my end." The older woman answers. This only further confuses the two females.

Skywalker turns around and walks backwards. "Ah, that's another thing I forgot to mention. Time works differently for your two galaxies. Yours goes by faster than Sakura's. It's why it seems so long for me to give you or Luke an update about him."

Leia drags her hand down her face. "Oh geez thanks pops. That would have been nice to know beforehand." He shrugs and turns back around.

"If it is any consultation," Sakura begins, "Even if his Solo half retains his memories of being a young adult, his Uchiha half keeps him at thirteen both physically and mentally, since his brain is wired for a thirteen year old. Not only that, but once a ninja obtains this," She points to her headband, "We are considered adults and no one would bat an eye if we end up drinking or something."

The diplomat part of the older trainee makes her want to learn more about the younger's culture, "Even if I think it is wrong to think that, can you explain why your people think that way?"

The other nods, "We have a saying known to every ninja, 'Old enough to kill, old enough to drink and fuck'. However I have not partaken in either as of now."

Leia sighs into her hand, "I understand the concept, but I don't agree with it. Especially if thirteen year olds are out there killing."

"My world is cruel and we learn quickly that there is no room for innocence on the battlefield. It is a brutal kill or be killed world." Sakura tells her grimly.

The former senator studies the girl next to her for a moment. "I don't like it, but I am not in a position to challenge your beliefs as I'm sure they have kept you alive thus far. I also won't come between your relationship with my son. His situation seems really complicated and confusing. Just promise me that you will make him happy."

Sakura gives a grateful smile, "I didn't plan on doing anything less and I'm happy to have received your blessing."

"Of course." She accepts the thanks. "Knowing Anakin, he would have continued courting you even without it. I have found it best not to stand in the way of my children when it comes to their relationships."

The pinkette then gets mischievous, "So does this mean I should start calling you Kaa-san?"

"Huh?" Leia asks confused and hears her father snickering so she turns to him. "Why are you laughing? What does that mean?!"

Anakin burst out laughing harder. "Oh, that's funny. As a mother, you shouldn't worry too much about what it means."

"As a mother?" It takes a few more seconds for it to click and Sakura laughs at her expression. "You too are enjoying this way too much."

"Don't be bothered by it. She calls me grandpa as well." He assures her through fits of laughter.

She is left shaking her head with a small smile. "Okay calling you grandpa is kind of funny. And no Sakura, you don't have to call me Kaa-san."

Sakura shrugs, "Whatever you say Kaa-san."

Leia sighs, "This is too much. Are we almost to Anakin yet?"

This stops Skywalker from laughing. "Yes, in fact he is just ahead of us." He points in front of them to a person in a fetal position.

The older two instantly recognize the boy, but Sakura does not as it is not the form of Anakin of her world. However even with her limited teachings with the Force, she recognizes him. "Is that Anakin?"

Skywalker nods, "Yes this is Anakin as he was before his death. He keeps this form inside his head to help ground himself to the Force." He then stops and looks between the two women. "This is where I also must depart to join my Masters as well to keep this experimental bond holding. As you both are someone he treasures in both his lives, you can help break him out of this stupor and wake him up. However I should warn you that it will not be easy as what troubles him will try to stop you. Good luck and may the Force be with you." He then fades away as well.

"Alright so no pressure." Sakura comments before looking at her companion. "Come on. Helping Anakin-kun when his head is wrapped up around something is a thing I'm used to doing." They walk towards the young Jedi and then in a blink of a moment they are separated and each finds a figure blocking their path.

Leia is somewhat shocked, but narrows her eyes. "Jacen, please step aside."

"And why should I, Mother?" Jacen asks her darkly. "His selfishness of abandoning us is the reason for all of our pain and grief. He deserves to be punished for it."

"Even if you are an aberration, you should know I raised Jacen better than that."

He laughs dryly. "Raise me? Surely you jest. All you and Father did was send me and my siblings away to be raised by 3PO, hidden away from everything until we got too old which you then sent us away to Uncle Luke. There was no raising us."

"I only sent you away to protect you. We still had many enemies and if you recall the Emperor set his sights on obtaining Anakin to transfer himself into the baby's body." Leia explains.

"Nothing but excuses!" Jacen spits out. "Jaina and I have been captured even after you sent us away for protection'. You were only afraid of us, and our power as descendants of Darth Vader. It is obvious by you naming your youngest after him."

"He is named after his grandfather Anakin Skywalker, not the machine known as Vader." She corrects.

"Eh, same thing." Jacen shrugs off. "However I do think you were worried about the wrong child." She then watches as the area darkens and covers his face for a brief moment before glowing yellow eyes start to shine the darkness away.

Leia can only gasp, "That's not right. This is not who my son is."

"And how would you know Mother? If you remember, I was captured by the Vong. Who knows what I could have learned." He taunts with an evil smirk.

"I will not allow it!" Her eyes shift into determination as she takes out her lightsaber.

He laughs, "Please put that thing away. I am the best duelist of my generation and is only rivaled by Uncle Luke and my brother. You are neither and you are barely high padawan level at best."

"That will not stop me," She declares. "If love can save Vader, then it will do the same for my children!"

They stare at one another for what felt like minutes before Jacen breaks eye contact and shakes his head. "That is a fool's wish, but I can feel your resolve on this matter. Go, see how love truly works in the end." He then disappears and Leia finds herself back near a curled up Anakin, but no Sakura. "She must still be in her own fight. I can only hope she is as steadfast as she claims to be for Anakin." She puts her lightsaber away before thinking. However aberration or not, he does bring up a couple of good points. Jacen has indeed changed after his capture and has been making decisions that warrant lots of worry for his fate. When I get back I'm going to have to call for a family meeting (without Jacen at first) and address this issue. Worst case scenario could lead into Jacen falling to the Dark Side and starting a second galactic civil war.

Meanwhile Tahiri glares at Sakura. "So, you're the rebound girl. You don't look like much, perhaps that is why he settled with you."

She glares right back, "He didn't settle with me."

"Ah, that's right he didn't." Tahiri snaps her fingers. "You are the one who settled. Couldn't get the boy you wanted so you went with second best."

A tick mark grows on Sakura's head. "He is not second best! I will not have a fake talk about Anakin-kun that way!"

Her head tilts to the side, "Oh? And what will you do about it? As you said, I am a fake but who said a fake couldn't surpass the original?" Tahiri then ignites her lightsaber. "You have no power here. Give Anakin up. I will take good care of him. Go dumpster diving for your next obsession."

"I will never leave Anakin-kun! He is the half that makes me whole. My place is by his side and I will remain there until I die." She declares with her emerald eyes shines brightly.

"If that is your wish, then I will make it so!" Tahiri charges at her and leaps into the air with her lightsaber overhead, prepared to bring it down until the pink haired girl. Sakura remains true to her word and closes her eyes waiting for the inevitable strike. However it never comes and soon she opens her eyes to see the lightsaber inches from her face. She doesn't flinch as she stares at it until it deactivates. "I see your resolve remains unwavering and you do not fear what waits for you at the end of the road. Go, be at his side for as long as you can. No matter how fruitless it will be." She disappears and Sakura finds herself right by Leia once again.

"Good you made it. Now let's not delay any longer." The older tells the younger as they make their way to Anakin. Leia takes him into her arms and shakes him. "Anakin, my sweet boy. Wake up, I'm here."

He moans groggily as his eyes slowly open. "Mother?"

She smiles as she hugs him tightly and places a kiss on top of his head, "Oh my sweet baby boy. Yes it is me. I have missed you dearly!"

Anakin takes a moment to process what is happening before giving into the hug and returning it. "I've missed you too Mom."

Sakura does not want to interrupt the mother/son moment as she waits to the side. However Leia glances at her before grabbing her arm and pulling her into the hug. "Come here, you are family now. No need to be shy about it." Anakin notices Sakura on the other side of him and leans his head onto her. They remain like this for a while as none of them even worry about the time passing.

Anakin then finally releases the hug and they all pull back and sit in a triangle. "Mom, it is great to see you again. I cannot express how much I love seeing you once again."

"Oh I know dear," She cups her hand on his cheek as she says this. "No matter how much I missed you, seeing you now has made the wait worth it. And I see that you have not been alone." Leia glances towards him holding Sakura's hand.

He smiles and lifts his girlfriend's hand up. "Being alone is something you never have to worry about. I would not be here if I wasn't for her helping my mental state constantly."

His mother smiles at that. "As long as you are happy then I am content. However know that one day there will come a time where we will see each other in person once again. Everyone has been dying to see you and once we figure out where you are, you can count on us to come."

"Thanks Mom." He says with a smile equal to hers. "However know that I will remain here until my task is done, and even then, I may end up staying depending on how my life shapes out by then."

Her smile turns sad, "We can discuss that for another time. As for your task, we know of it well. In fact, many of us are concerned about the Sith still being alive and want to help in putting them down. It may take some time, but family will not abandon one of our own. Luke didn't for Vader, and I didn't for Luke when the Emperor forced him to become his new apprentice."

"Speaking of family," Anakin starts but Leia holds up a hand.

"I already know what you are about to say. I pieced it together earlier when I encountered the cause for your troubles. Focus on the Sith. Leave Jacen to us and we will help you afterwards." She assures him. He is a little relieved to hear it, but the worry still remains. Anakin isn't able to talk more about it as the three of them begin to fade away. "It seems as if our time here is coming to an end." Leia gives her child one more hug. "I love you son."

"I love you too Mom," He replies back with tears filling his eyes.

The former senator then addresses the third. "Take care of him for me."

Sakura gives her a sure nod and grips Anakin's hand tightly. "Of course Kaa-san!" The world then fades away fully.


Anakin slowly opens his eyes and finds himself in the hospital once again with a beautiful blonde woman with a diamond mark on her forehead by his bed looking at a clipboard. The blonde notices him waking and places the clipboard down. "Hey, you're finally awake. Now maybe the brat can stop pestering me about when you will wake up."

Anakin studies the woman, finding her kind of familiar. He thinks of where he saw her from until he remembers the time he helped Naruto find out who his mother was. "Ah, you're Lady Tsunade."

She smirks at his proclamation. "Good to know the younger generation aren't ignorant of who I am." Before she can say anything further, the door bursts open for Naruto rushing in with Hinata and Sakura walking behind him. Tsunade flicks the younger blonde away. "Calm down brat, he just woke up!"

He rubs his forehead, "Geez Baa-chan. You didn't have to be so hard."

A tick mark forms on her head. "Stop calling me that."

"It's what you are!" Naruto protests before turning to Anakin. "Are you alright?"

Anakin pounders his current state for a quick second. "For the most part, yes. Though I am feeling worn out."

The medic snorts, "That's not surprising after hearing what you and Kakashi were put into. I may be called the best medic, but even I can't help with issues caused by a power I don't understand. Honestly I'm more surprised you awoke sooner than I expected."

Sakura comes forwards at that, "That is something I can help explain. His grandfather pulled both myself and his mother into an experimental Force bond so that we can help wake him up."

Tsunade scrunches her lips, "I have no idea what you are talking about, but all I know is that my patient has finally opened his eyes and that's good enough for me at the moment. However, later I would like to know more about this 'Force' thing." She looks at Anakin. "From what I heard from the brat, you used that power to heal the wounds of your clanmate during the chunin exams. If possible I would like you to teach us how you did that."

"I can see about teaching you, but finding someone with Force sensitivity is like finding a needle in a pile of nails. Plus it is not something that can be taught overnight, but a skill that will take months to heal just a scratch." Anakin answers truthfully.

She places a finger to her chin, "That is a troubling thought as I hoped it would have been a good alternative for medics."

"Well if it helps," Anakin adds on to relieve her worry. "Masters of the technique are able to heal fatal injuries whether it be external or internal and I've heard about some who are able to restore functions to destroyed organs and revive dead tissues or in extremely rare cases dead people within a certain time frame. So while I may not be able to teach everyone, the ones who will be able to use it will no doubt be one of the best healers in the village."

"Reviving dead people…" Tsunade trails off in thought for a moment before shaking her head and giving him a smile. "I appreciate the feedback. Once you have been discharged and have some free time I would like you to go through and see if any of the current staff would be able to learn it."

"Oh come on Baa-chan," Naruto complains. "You're not even Hokage yet and you are already giving him orders!"

"Tsk, Brat if you got nothing better to do but yell then I'm going to have to kick you out. Your voice is no doubt giving my patient a headache and prolonging his stay."

Naruto is about to say something else, but Hinata snakes her arm around his. "Come on Naru-kun, let's get some ramen. Anakin needs some rest, "She then whispers in his ear, "And Sakura is secretly waiting for some alone time with him."

Naruto looks at the girl in question and notices that his girlfriend is indeed correct. "Alright, I'll go for now since I know that Anakin is alright. I'll come visit later!"

"Okay see you two!" Anakin waves at them as they leave.

Naruto however says one last thing before the door closes, "Bye Baa-chan!"

Tsunade sighs in her hand, "Why can't the brat call me by my name instead?"

Anakin answers this, "I've known him for the better part of five years now and he tends to give people nicknames if he thinks suits them, but he does it with endearment for the most part."

"And what is endearing about calling me granny?" She asks snidely.

"That probably has something to do with your standing." The medic arches a brow waiting for a further explanation. "Well see awhile back when we were researching the Uzumaki clan for figuring out who his parents were, we saw that you are part Uzumaki on your grandmother's side. So with the rest of the clan pretty much dead or scattered about, you are his only living blood family member in the village. Although even if he calls you 'granny', I have no doubt that you'll become a much needed mother figure for him."

Her expression softens immensely at the words. "The cheeky brat. That line of thought goes both ways as I only came back to the village just for him. Even if we are distant relatives, he is my only family as well." Tsunade picks up the clipboard and goes over it again. "I guess I should go update this chart since you're awake. I'll be back, don't the two of you do anything that will produce a problem nine months later." She leaves the room and leaves the couple stunned by the comment.

"Why does everyone assume we're that physical with each other?" Anakin asks his girlfriend.

Sakura comes over to him and climbs in bed beside him. "I can't tell you that. Although what I am doing doesn't help the case at all."

"It doesn't, but I don't care enough to dissuade you from doing otherwise." He snakes his arm around her. "So how long was I out this time?"

"A month," She tells him coldly. "I'm mad that you ended up here again, but also not surprised anymore. You rival Naruto with the amount of times you both get booked for a room. However I'm not going to make a big deal about it this time as it led me to meeting your mother."

"That was a shock," Anakin comments. "I didn't expect to actually be able to speak to anyone on that side for a long while yet."

"Well Kaa-san seemed to be nice and accepting of me at least. That was something I was worried about for a while." Sakura admits.

He smiles as he pulls her close. "Yeah that's something I love about them. Family is important to us and we accept others who come into our group. It took a while for Aunt Mara to get accepted by my parents because of her past, but Uncle Luke's love for her literally changed who she was and opened her eyes to the lies she was told by the Emperor. Though when my parents did come around to her, it is hard to imagine what it would be like without her. Then there is Aunt Ashoka and Uncle Galen, who are Grandfather's apprentices and they are also considered family even if they didn't hang around much."

"I'm happy to be a part of your family now as well," She says tilting her lips upwards towards him with her eyes closed.

"As if you wouldn't be," Is all he said as Anakin meets her lips with his.


A couple of days later after Anakin leaves the hospital, he along with Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru stand in front of the Hokage's desk with their respective jounin behind them. Jiraiya and Tsunade stand on either side of Hiruzen as he addresses the genin before him. A woman named Shizune stands with Tsunade. "I'm sure you are wondering what I called you here. I called you because there is a matter that has been left unresolved after the attack on our village. The Chunin Exam results. If you already didn't know, Tsunade here will be taking over as Hokage for me and I've gone over potential candidates with her. This means that this will be my last act as Hokage before giving the reins to her." The four genin hardened themselves as this was something they were wondering about for a while.

"Shikamaru Nara," He calls the first genin to step forwards. "What you displayed in the exams is a level of tactical genius that can rival even the strongest of jutsus. Even though you did forfeit, you did so after ending up in a winning condition. Not only that, but you did also know where your limits are, which is actually a trait that few will acknowledge. That alone is enough to justify a promotion, however your contributions during the attack have also been considered. Holding off a whole squad of chunin level ninja and a jounin by yourself for your comrades cements the promotion. Come collect your jacket," The Hokage pulls out a chunin vest from a seal and hands it to him.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbles, which puts a smile to the others having not expected anything else from his reaction. Asuma pats his shoulder in pride when he returns.

"Hinata Hyuga," The girl comes forward hesitantly, not expecting to be called. "Your upset against what most would consider an instant win for your cousin has caused everyone to reconsider your actual skill level, both physically and mentally. The latter of which being the key reason for your win as you made the prodigy of the Hyuga clan lose himself and provide an opening for you. Psyching out your enemies is surprisingly not a trait seen too often and even less than that actually being effective. You also provided excellent medical support to your teammates when it came to stopping the One-tails from destroying our village. I see little reason to not grant you the rank of chunin."

Tsunade chimes in on this as the girl grabs her vest, "I've both heard and read the report about this. Your skill in medical jutsus is amazing and the control of your chakra is what is expected of a Hyuga clan member. If you are interested in joining the medical core, I will offer to personally take you under my wing and train you as my apprentice."

Hinata can't help but blush from all the attention she is getting. "O-of course T-tsunade-sama! I-I would love to!"

The medic grabs the Hyuga by her hand and shakes it with enthusiasm. "Great! I've been dying to have someone with the Byakugan to become a iryo-nin! Once I have settled into the role of Hokage, I'll have Shizune call for you to begin your training." Hinata is left speechless as the only thing she can do is nod and make her way back to the others who all congratulate her.

"Naruto Uzumaki," The Third calls out next. "You have grown much since the day you left the academy. Your unpredictable nature makes you a dangerous foe for anyone who dares challenge you, as you have proved with your… unique 'one thousand years of death' technique." Everyone shares a quick look to the masked ninja who looks away sheepishly. "There was no doubt in my mind that if the match was uninterrupted then you would have won. I also have no doubt that your mother would have been proud of you as well. The Uzumaki Chains isn't an ability many of your clan got, but Kushina must have guessed that you would one day unlock the secrets for it. From what I read from the report, it was because of the chain's unique power over the bijuu, and some muscle from Gamabunta, that caused the One-tails' failed rampage to die the moment he was released. It is with great pride that I grant you this vest."

Naruto's face lights up as he rushes forwards and grabs the vest. He removes his orange jacket and puts the vest on. "Thanks Gramps! I'm now one step closer to being Hokage! How does it look?"

Hiruzen shares a chuckle. "It suits you, however I suggest finding something less orange to match it as the green of it heavily contrasts against it."

"Aw, but orange is my favorite color!" He pouts.

Hinata pulls him to her, "You can still wear orange. It wouldn't be a bad idea to swap the wrap of your headband to orange or add some orange stripes to the vest. We can go shopping if you want and I'll help you pick something out."

"You mean like a date?" She nods. "Alright I can do that." Naruto takes his position in front of Kakashi who ruffles his hair with pride.

The Third then looks at the last remaining genin. "Anakin Solo-Uchiha, please step forward." The teen does as asked and stands at parade rest. The Professor takes a quick drag off his pipe before speaking. "Where to start with you. Out of everyone in your class, your glow up is the most surprising. You graduated not able to mold a single chakra to achieving sage mode and creating a skeletal Susanoo. You took complete control of your match with Sasuke, and instead of killing the heir for what he did to Sakura (which most would have in your situation), you simply gave him a fair beating and moved past it to create a clean slate with him. Then there is the attack on the village. I have numerous reports of your efforts in eliminating enemy ninjas and quickly taking leadership of your fellow genin. Not only that but you used a Force technique with Sakura to give the Leaf shinobi a boost both physically and mentally, which saved many lives. There's also reports about you being instrumental in being the reason Manda and his fellow snake underlings were defeated so quickly. As if that wasn't enough, you also assisted myself and Jiraiya in our fight against Orochimaru and his Edo Tensei of the Hokages and Sidious. I'd say that you are more than deserving for the rank of chunin." He holds out the last vest for him.

Anakin walks to the desk and accepts the promotion with a bow. "Thank you Lord Hokage. Not only for the promotion but for everything you've done for me."

"You are quite welcome. Gaining someone with your abilities into our ranks is much worth the effort I've put into you." Hiruzen tells him with a smile.

Anakin joins his fellow chunin with a smile and a fist bump with Naruto. Kurenai takes him in a quick hug, "I'm proud of you. I knew I had a good eye on you the first time I saw you practicing with the Force when you were still in the academy."

The old man then gains everyone's attention with a quick grunt. "Now normally I would leave you all with your genin teams to help prepare you for leading a team, however since there are four of you becoming chunin at the same time I think it might be beneficial to group you all into a team instead. You will all alternate in leading all while also getting you all used to being paired with different people since there usually isn't a set in stone team once you make chunin. Kakashi, I'm assigning you to be watching over them and giving them advice when it comes to leading."

Kakashi's face is left unreadable with most of his face covered, but he at least isn't buried in a book. "Ah, yeah sure that's fine. But what about Sasuke? He won't have a team if you do this."

Horizon gives a knowing snort with his pipe in his mouth. "I was about to get to that. I haven't decided this on a whim. Sasuke will be placed onto Team Ten with Asuma. It'll break off the Ino-Shika-Cho team, but as I stated it will help them get used to being paired with other ninjas. Though I will still allow you to keep training both him and Anakin with their sharingans as that is an asset we shouldn't neglect." He then looks to Kurenai, "I also haven't forgotten about the missing member of your team and I know just the genin. Kiba is currently without a team since both of his teammates quit being shinobi after the chunin exams. He should be able to fill the gap of being the heavy hitter on your team with the absence of Anakin." Kurenai is looking much more accepting of the genin she got then Asuma who takes out a cigarette and takes a long drag off it.

"That is all from me. Now those of you not standing next to me but Anakin please leave the room." The occupants of the room have shrunk down to just Anakin, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune. The Hokage activates the seals around the room before speaking once more. "I'm sure you have probably guessed that what we will discuss is not to be spoken to anyone not present, however I have something to give you that I have no doubt will be one of two things that is exempt form that rule." Hiruzen reaches under his desk and pulls out a box. "After the fight with Sidious, I had a chat with your grandfather. While we spoke of many things, he wanted you to have this whenever I promote you."

"What is it?" Anakin asks as he approaches the box. He can feel the Force radiating from within, and he is surprised when he can identify that the object in the box is tainted with the Dark Side.

The Third leans back as he blows out smoke, "All he told me to tell you is 'If Darth Vader can find redemption, then so can his weapon'."

The chunin stops his hand reaching forwards in shock as he immediately realizes what is in the box. "By the Force…" He takes a gulp and resumes his progress in opening the box. As he suspected, inside lies the black cylinder hilt of Darth Vader's lightsaber. He hesitantly grabs the saber and is surprised that the kyber crystal inside is quick to accept Anakin as its new owner. With a firm grip, he holds it before him and hits the ignition switch for a red blade to come out of it. Having a lightsaber not swung at them, Hiruzen and Jiraiya are captivated by the elegance of the Sith weapon along with Tsunade and Shizune. Not only that, but something in the air makes them feel as if both the weapon and the wielder complete each other. Anakin takes a couple swings of it, noting how weirdly right it feels, but also how dark and cold it is at the same time. Satisfied, he deactivates it and clips it to his belt. "Thank you Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen breaks from his trance and gives a smile. "No thank you. From what I heard from your grandfather, a lightsaber is more than a weapon for a Jedi. What I just saw just now proves him right."

"What exactly is a lightsaber?" Shizune asks with interest as for some reason she can't help but feel drawn to the weapon.

"Its meaning differs depending on who you ask. A Sith will just call it a powerful tool to be used however as a Jedi, I will tell you that it is an extension of a Force user. I know a lot of weapon fanatics will say the same, but I can tell you that Jedi don't say that lightly." Anakin brings the lightsaber back out and closes his eyes. The saber lifts in the air and starts to disassemble in mid air to reveal the red crystal inside. "This here is called a kyber crystal. It is what powers the saber and is connected to the Force. Normally one gains a kyber crystal by passing some sort of trail within the Force where the crystals are located. The crystal will bond with the user and can feel to an extent what the user has." He opens his eyes and grabs the crystal with his other hand. "This kyber however has been stained red from bleeding. See the Sith aren't able to gain a kyber crystal the same way Jedi are and are left with two options. They can either create an artificial kyber crystal through deep meditation in the Dark Side and a lot of materials. Or they can take one from someone else and pour negative emotions into it. My grandfather seemed to have done the latter and poured all of his hatred and pain into it as that is what I am feeling from it."

"That's…" She trails off. "I couldn't imagine using hatred for much at all as a medic, let alone as a power source for such a thing."

"No one does," Anakin tells her. "However the Dark Side can and will twist a person to the point where that is all they will survive off of. It whispers to a person with a promise of power then gets them hooked on it like a drug."

"And you're okay with carrying something that was imbued with it?!"

"Not really. However I have been trained to resist whatever temptation it would use against me." Then a thought comes into Anakin's mind about the medic's reaction to seeing the crystal. "Lord Hokage, if you would humor me for a moment, what feelings come to you for this kyber crystal?"

The Third thinks about it for a moment before answering. "I feel a faint power coming from it, however I am unable to feel what you describe what empowers it."

"And the sannin?" Both elite shinobi answer the same as their teacher. Anakin then directs his question to Shizune. "If you wouldn't mind playing along, it would better answer a theory I've just developed. What are your thoughts?"

The assistant for the Slug Medic goes along with it as her answer is different from her peers. "Honestly, I'm a bit baffled that Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama, and Jiraiya-sama aren't able to detect the dark feeling coming from the crystal. To me at least, the room has gotten a little colder after you took the weapon apart. There's such a noticeable feeling of pain and sadness that seems to seep into me as I look at it."

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions." The lightsaber then starts to rebuild itself and clips onto Anakin's belt as he answers Tsunade's curious gaze. "It seems already I have found the first candidate for what you asked for."

This peaks the Senju Princess's interest. "You mean Shizune is Force sensitive?"

He closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force to double check the woman's capability. "Yes, I can feel it. It's low, but she has enough of a connection that a bit of training can help that issue. However, whether or not she wishes to be trained is up to her."

All gazes fall on the woman in question as she fidgets at the attention. "This is a lot to take in and I'm not sure I'm able to provide an answer at the moment. Especially since I'm going to be busy enough helping Tsunade-sama as her assistant both as a Hokage and as the top medic on top of helping train Hinata when she will be too busy."

"That's alright, you don't have to answer at the moment," Hiruzen tells her. "Because Anakin will have a very busy schedule for the foreseeable future."

Anakn tilts his head at that, "Is this about all the secrecy."

"Partly," He tells the boy before taking another drag from his pipe. "But mostly you will be too busy between mission training to worry about much else."

"Training?" Anakin asks, confused. "Training with everyone doesn't seem to take too much of my time."

"Heh," The Hokage snorts. "Not that kind of training. In fact, you won't be training with the others anymore other than with Kakashi for your sharingan."

"Then what training am I going to have?"

"The kind that will prepare you for your inevitable fight against a Sith Lord." The Third answers before leaning forwards. "Sidious has shown me just how powerful the Sith truly are. He blew through most of the Leaf forces in a matter of minutes. Not only that, but even with myself, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Guy combining forces was able to fully stop him. It took your grandfather personally intervening for us to finally defeat him. That was my wake up call to take the threat seriously, so I got any and all information from him about the Sith. It's with this knowledge that after I pass the hat, I am taking you as my final student."

Anakin's eyes grow wide, "You mean you are going to personally train me?!"

The Professor nods, "I am. The attack on the village made me realize that I am no longer in proper shape to defend the village. I will teach you as much as I can to prepare you for the upcoming battles. The training will be grueling, but the end results will make it worth it."

Anakin thinks it over for a moment before coming to an answer. "Well if you insist then I accept the offer to become your apprentice."

He snorts again, "I wasn't really giving you a choice in the matter. However, it makes it easier teaching someone who is welcomed to it."

"Oh does this mean I have a kohai?" Tsunade teases coming forwards and pokes his cheeks. "I finally am able to have a cute little kohai to dote over."

Jiraiya joins in on the teasing by ruffling Anakin's hair, "Don't be shy about calling me senpai whenever you see me, you here?"

A tick mark forms on the chunin's head and both sannin freeze when they hear a low humming noise. "What's wrong, Senpais? Don't you want to dote on your cute little kohai?" They are quick to back away as a red blade comes into view. It turns on and the lightsaber is placed back on Anakin's belt. "That's better."

The Hokage coughs into his hand. "Moving along, taking you as my apprentice is the only other thing that is allowed to leave this room as it is also a political move that will also relieve some of the stress the civilians may have on the current state of the village. Now for what cannot leave this room. Jiraiya, if you will."

Jiraiya leans on the side of the desk. "When Sensei told me to keep a lookout for anything that Sith related, I didn't really expect to find anything about it since I have never heard about them through my entire spy network. That was until shortly after your encounter with Itachi. See Itachi is a part of an organization known as the Akatsuki, a group that is slowly rising in popularity. They apparently wish for peace but their actions prove otherwise. They are after all the buji which is a horrifying thought for one group to be in possession of the most powerful beings in this world."

Anakin has a thought, "Wait, if they are going after all the Tailed Beast, then that means they'll be after Naruto!"

The Toad Sages nods at the assumption. "You catch on quick. They have already tried and failed to capture Naruto during our search for Tsunade. Though I doubt they'll attempt such a thing again for another few years as they don't have the resources for it. However, the reason I brought them up is because one of my spies for the group told me that there is a man and a woman in the group who have been seen using the same powers you do. They didn't name drop them being a Sith, but given that you are currently the only other person fully trained with the Force, it's safe to assume that they might be the ones you are looking for as from what I heard, they seem to act somewhat similar to Sidious."

The Jedi rubs his chin in thought. "A man and a woman? That's concerning. One is bad enough as it is. This Akatsuki group, do you know their endgame for the biju?"

The man shakes his head, "Other than for the power, nothing else at the moment."

"The Sith obtaining the power of just a single biju would be enough to scare most Jedi shitless. But two of them with the power of all nine? This is a threat that would put what Sidious did to the village to shame." Anakin pounders darkly.

"Not only that, but who is to say that there won't be more Sith later down the line?" Tsunade chimes in.

"That is luckily something we don't have to worry about. The Sith operate on the 'Rule of Two'. One to embody power, and one to crave it. The system is set up with the mind that the student will eventually become stronger than the master and kill them before gaining an apprentice of their own and repeating the process. This way each new Sith will grow stronger and stronger with each generation." Anakin explains with a furrowed brow. "However that also means that they will be that much harder to beat if we are to confront them. I'm going to have to take Sakura's training to a new level if I wish to at least match the Sith in power."

"Already you are counting us out?" Hiruzen asks, half joking and half serious.

Anakin shakes his head. "It's not that. I don't doubt that your help will be useful, but if the Akatsuki have shinobi like Itachi among their ranks then you will be too busy dealing with them to be of any help. That's not even considering how our own forces will be at that time and on who's turf. If they attack the Leaf, then we will obviously have more ninja available but also have to worry about our civilians. On the other side of the coin, if we attack them then we won't be able to send that much on the front lines without leaving our borders open to attack from the other villages."

"You make a good point on both ends," He agrees. "I can at least say with certainty that we won't have to worry about the Sand village attacking us again as I have worked out an alliance with them once again. They will answer our calls for manpower when needed and we will send a generous stream of food and water out to them so that they can focus their money elsewhere. It may sound harsh, but as the 'winner' of our last conflict I was in the position to make a demand. However I am not stupid enough to squeeze them out of their own basic need, else that would cause them to try and attack us again. The resources I am 'generously' sharing to them will be insurance that they keep our alliance this time around."

"That's fairly devious," Anakin comments with a knowing smirk. "Guess the saying about 'fearing an old man in a profession where young men die' is true when it comes to you."

"Don't think buttering me up like this means I'm going to take it easier on you during training." The Hokage replies back with a wily smile. "However, what you have mentioned about the strength of the Akatsuki also raises another good point. As we have also confirmed that Kisame from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist is Itachi's partner, and before that Orochimaru was also briefly a part of their members. So it is safe to presume that it will be made up from the strongest missing-nin of various villages. It'll be an uphill battle to protect Naruto."

Jiraiya nods in agreement. "I'm already cooking up a plan to take the brat on a training trip for a few years to not only temper the Kyubi's chakra, but to protect himself from-"

"If I may Lord Jiraiya," Anakin stops him. "Naruto isn't the type of person who would be contempt on being protected. In fact I have no doubt that he will break out of protection and take the fight head-on. If anything, only training him to protect himself would only hurt our chances of being able to protect him. I would rather suggest that you train him to be able to be on par with the Akatsuki and maybe even harness the Nine-tails' chakra for himself. From what I hear about the Mist, the Mizukage is also a jinchuriki and has control over the Three-tails' chakra."

The Toad Sage frowns, "You would allow the risk of the Kyubi, the strongest of all the other bijus put together, to free himself on the chance of Naruto slim possibility of controlling its power? That fox is a demon and there is a reason both of the previous jinchuriki kept it locked up tight and never used its power."

"I would argue that the benefits outweigh the risk."

"Oh really now?" The Hokage comes in with his own thoughts. "I hope you know that the risk would be the death and destruction of Konoha. The last time the Kyubi broke free, part of the village was destroyed. The only reason the village survived is because of the Fourth Hokage, and last I checked, he died stopping its last rampage. So what would be your solution if the Kyubi broke out again?"

Anakin tilts his head with a look that says 'isn't it obvious?' "We have all we need to nip the fox in the butt if it tries anything. I read over the report of the attack and the only reason it was so destructive was because key players were either sidelined or unavailable. The first thing is the Uzumaki Chains. Now I know Kushina was dealing with the birth of Naruto at the time so of course she wouldn't have been able to subdue the Nine-tails at the time. Luckily, Naruto is able to use those same chains and he can utilize it if he tries anything. It would also work like training wheels as well where he only allows small bits of the Nine-tails' chakra at a time. There's also the fact that Jiraiya is our best seal master and is personally training him and can seal the chakra away if it is too much for Naruto to handle."

Tsunade's lips twitch upwards for a brief second. "With the way you are talking, one who never thought you were only a genin minutes ago, even more so that you are thirteen. Are you sure you're not a Nara?"

Hiruzen takes another drag off his pipe. "At this point, it wouldn't surprise me. Any time I turn around Anakin has something new about him. First he wakes up not being dead anymore, then says he is from a different planet, then has a power I never even knew existed, etc. I have to mentally prepare myself any time I have a conversation with him now."

Jiraiya however isn't yet convinced with Anakin's idea. "Even though I appreciate the fact you have so much faith in my sealing skills, I am not skilled enough to stop a fully powered escape attempt. Unless you have one more deterrent, I'm not going to entertain the idea any time soon." Even though the Hokage had an Anbu member in mind for this, he holds his tongue as he is interested in the boy's answer.

"The sharingan," Anakin then answers. "Madara was able to control the Nine-tails with his eyes. And although there is no one near his level, we do have three sharingan users in this village that could suppress it during any sort of training." The Third is conflicted by it and Anakin is able to pick up on the reason why since the older man isn't really shielding his mind that well. "It's been five years since the massacre and most people have already forgotten about the suspicions and rumors of my clan's involvement in controlling the Nine-tails attack thirteen years ago."

Any sort of amusement leaves Hiruzen's face as he quickly takes up the serious Hokage side of himself as he fears that the cover story for the clan's extermination will get out. "And what do you know about the Uchiha's supposed involvement?"

"About the same as everyone." The Jedi lies as he places the best poker face he has. In truth, his and Sasuke's investigation has revealed a lot that has been hidden from the public eye. Even though Anakin trusts the Hokage, he also understands that the man under the hat will not hesitate to remove any threat that may come out to hurt the village whether it be physical or its reputation. "Everyone knows that the Uchihas were never anywhere near the Nine-tails when it attacked and that their district was completely unharmed as well compared to other parts of the village."

The Third is not convinced with that answer. "Anakin, I can tell you know more than you are letting on. While it is natural to wear a poker face to prevent anyone from suspecting, it can also be a double edge sword as you bring more suspicion to yourself by having it on in the first place."

He has a point. Can't believe I didn't think of that. Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to mix a little bit of truth in it to the lie so it is more believable. The young chunin then lets his poker face slip on purpose to help sell his case. "Well, there is something. I do remember overhearing some of my Father's conversations with Mom when I was younger about how he wasn't allowed to help fight the Nine-tails because you ordered the Uchiha's to stay away, but I didn't get to hear the rest as they found out I was out of bed on a school night."

The hard Hokage facade fades a bit as he deems the answer to be good enough. "That wasn't something I did lightly, however Danzo's concern over the Uchiha possibly taking the Kyubi for themselves was something I couldn't ignore. I do hope that you would forgive me for agreeing to such a rash concern that I later realized was a bad move."

"I am in no position to comment on it as I personally wasn't affected by your actions and I don't wish to speak on behalf of my fallen clan." Anakin says diplomatically. However both of them knew that the former reason was false as the outcome eight years later changed everything.

Jiraiya decides to bring the topic back on hand. "You bring up good counter measures for Naruto in controlling the Kyubi's chakra. I will at least consider what you have said over the next few months as I have no plans to take the brat on such a trip so soon after the last one ended. I have to check up on my spy network, so it'll give him some time to gain some experience on being a chunin."

"That is all I ask," Anakin tells the Toad Sage. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss as I am here?"

The Third shakes his head. "Not officially other than the fact that I am obligated to inform Tsunade every single secret one has to know about being Hokage. Which means yours as well, including the method of you… existing. She wouldn't be a very good Hokage if she doesn't know everything."

The boy holds back the urge to sigh. "I would say that is alright other than the fact that I would rather it stay between three people."

"Three?"

"You, Inochi-san, and Sakura-chan."

Tsunade chimes in her own thoughts. "If it helps, I'll keep it to just myself and ask Shizune to not be there for it if it is something you would rather keep secret."

Anakin is somewhat relieved to hear this. "Thanks Tsunade-senpai." She gets a smile at the new title. "This is not a fact I'm completely comfortable having people know as it still plays heavily on my mental state." Anakin has come to prefer to continue telling people he was completely reincarnated rather than him ending up in someone's body. Or did he end up with the memories of a Jedi after the massacre? He shared this concern with Sakura before. Perhaps he should bring it up in his next therapy session with Inochi.

The Hokage then releases the seal in the room. "That is all from me for now. You are dismissed."

Thank you Hokage-sama." He then tilts his head again, "Or should I start calling you Master Sarutobi?"

Hiruzen chuckles and waves the question away. "As I am retiring as Hokage, for the second time, that title is no longer necessary. Also you don't need to address me by my last name as we are familiar with one another to be so formal."

"In that case, thank you Master Hiruzen." Anakin says with a bow as he leaves the office. Silence stills the office for a moment before Tsunade says what is on both her and Jiraiya's mind.

"You're training him for more than just the Sith aren't you?"

He cleans out his pipe as it has burned away the tobacco inside into ash by now. "And whatever do you mean by that?"

"There are many capable shinobi within the village that would be able to take Anakin on as a student. Kakashi being the most obvious choice." The Senju woman states. "I know you well enough that taking him as your apprentice is very different from taking Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and I on as your genin team. You're wanting to turn the boy into a 2.0 version of yourself, which includes the chair you sit on."

"I see him becoming a very prominent figure by the time he is an adult," He confesses. "Already he has offered some welcomed council and changes within the village since he has been here. With the expectation of the main Hyuga house, both the shinobi and civilians of the village already admire him and treat him with respect after his actions during the exams and the attack. And when I take him on as an apprentice, that will raise his popularity and political gain greatly. Not only that, but he has a power that could quite literally save the world against the Sith. Between him and Naruto, it doesn't matter who claims this hat as the other will serve as a shadow Hokage figure and the village will prosper either way."

"That's all well and good, however there is one thing that can ruin all those plans. What really happened five years ago." Jiraiya warns his sensei.

"What do you mean by that?" Shizune asks.

"I'm afraid that is a high S-class secret that I cannot inform you about." The Third states. "It's not even something I'm comfortable telling Tsunade even with the highest level of privacy seals as it has the power to ruin this village by getting out." He sighs as he shoves out any thought about it getting loose to the public. "I will tell him, but only when he is ready to understand it."


Author's Note: Both a lot happened and nothing happened this chapter. First, I haven't fully disregarded the Star Wars world in this story. No, the Galaxy Far Far Away still has a role even if it is in the background. After all, Anakin Solo was supposed to appear to Jacen as a Force ghost a few times after his death in Legends, however since he still is alive it will change a couple things in that universe. This story will primarily stay within the Naruto world, but I may occasionally add a few scenes from the Legends' world like I've done this chapter and what I done in an earlier chapter with the flashback of Luke. Also yes I know the Force bond scene isn't how communications work with Force bonds, but given both worlds are galaxies apart, simply talking to others in their heads at that distance is not something I can see them accomplishing without some major training. That's why I decided to go with this route for now. The other thing to address is the rate of speed of which each timeline is going. As I said, I had to make alterations since my stupid past self didn't bother to fact check the timelines. Though I will say that we are almost to the point of where this story will start to diverge a lot from Naruto's canon timeline. I'll be sure to let y'all know when. Lastly, there is the chunin promotions. Shikamaru is obvious. Naruto however, with Hiruzen still alive I believe he would have promoted him after the report comes in with how he handled the One-tail. A feat that is not to be scoffed at as I doubt anyone under jounin would have stopped the One-tail once it fully emerged. Hinata made most of her waves in the chunin exam itself as she outplayed Neji who everyone would have thought would have won. As for Anakin, I doubt I need to explain that.

DS2010: I may have went overboard, but the thing with visions is that they can sometimes drive the person insane. The main example of this is Sifo-Dyas. His visions of a war drove him mad and he was removed from the Jedi Council because of it. But we all know what it lead to in the end.

Masteria: I'm glad to see you enjoying the story! It's comments like this that made me glad I finally did something with my imagination other than daydreaming!

Well that is all from me! Thanks for reading and I'll talk at y'all next time!