Special thanks to AngloSaxonJackson for looking over the story and catching any mistakes I may have made as well as make some awesome suggestions! Please go check them out.

Also, I would like to clarify I am WittleRat on Ao3 and will be uploading here as well! If you don't believe me just ask me over on Ao3.


Fate never rests. As a child Minato remembered being taught the art of ending a life. As long as a ninja followed the rules, did as they were supposed to, and let go of regret, they would survive.

He used to repeat those lessons and rules to himself, the rules for survival. However, years of unrelenting wars that separated themselves by name and name alone didn't change their nature or how present both wars had been throughout his life. It was another fact of life, something mentioned in passing when there was nothing else to be said.

And the same could be said now.

With the current war flipping and turning as if unsure of what fate wanted, whether it favored Konoha or not — with the tides changing so much, it wasn't worth speaking of what lay ahead.

Although sometimes — even when out in battle as he fought for his and his comrades' lives during peace negotiations gone wrong or thwarted espionage missions — he'd forget just how present the war was. The feeling of hearing and seeing the helpless cries as the victors fought sucked him right back to reality; the world was cruel. It always had been..

It wasn't until he got a team of his own, a team of young freshly graduated kids, that he found a new perspective upon the 'script' he had been handed in life.

Within days of knowing them, his outlook on reality shattered. It wasn't the smell of iron that wafted throughout destroyed villages or the cries of nin as they begged for their mothers to save them. It was seeing the innocent eyes of his students— even when hardened with experience and knowledge, seeing as they looked to him for guidance and structure did he realize it wasn't just him fighting for the young, but they were too.

Rin and Obito, both yet to lose the gleam in their eyes, or the hopeful lilt that their voices carried around the training field as they asked for their next mission. Childish disappointment still marked their expressions upon learning that, once again, they would embark on another C-rank mission.


"'Even a B is better!" Obito insisted as he clumsily threw his kunai to the target ahead of him. Minato took note of the young Uchiha's relaxed posture; he seemed more focused on what he was saying than what he was doing, "We can do B grade missions all day, no sweat. C'mon, you gotta trust us!"

Rin, who was also throwing kunai, albeit a little bit more diligently, winced as her kunai didn't quite reach the marked target. She turned her attention to join in on the conversation. "I think we could escort a noble!" she added happily. "We've helped many civilians from nearby villages get home safely after all."

Minato would only smile fondly at them, going over to pick up one of the kunai that had fallen astray and handing it to Rin, who took it gratefully. "Sure, maybe someday," he'd say, a promise that, like many others, didn't quite sound as earnest as he'd meant it to be.

Obito would try to plead their case more as Rin stood nearby and nodded vigorously at all his arguments, but in the end Minato would only softly laugh it off.

Then there was his youngest student, albeit by a year, Kakashi. More experienced than his other two teammates and skilled in most things he attempted, a true prodigy. Kakashi held a coldness inside of him that neither Obito nor Rin possessed, dark eyes that observed the world with judgment and scorn — eyes that, like a hawk's, would see and point out any mistake made.

"You can't even throw a kunai correctly, and you want to do a B rank," Kakashi stated with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. "You'd benefit by actually trying to land your targets instead of blabbering about unnecessary topics," he said pointedly at his teammate as he sharpened the kunai in his hand, squinting at it with great concentration.

The young silver haired boy had no tact, instead choosing to state things as bluntly as possible to stamp out any unnecessary comments. No time would be wasted with him.

Minato recalled Obito turning red as he glared at his teammate, straightening from his kunai-throwing stance and squaring his shoulders. His hands stiffly curled around his weapons as he fumbled for the right words, while Kakashi continued to nonchalantly sharpen his own weapon. Frustration eventually got the better of Obito, and he lashed out.

Obito had a talent for losing his patience when it came to Kakashi, and vice versa.

"Yeah? Well at least I'm not wasting my time sharpening an already sharp kunai while sitting on a stupid rock doing nothing!" He snapped as he continued to glare at the other.

Before Minato could calm Obito down, Kakashi got up from where he had been sitting comfortably, wiped away the dust from his knees using one hand, and walked over to where Obito stood. Dark eyes metdark eyes as Kakashi took out two more kunai from his pocket, making it three in one hand.

Obito opened his mouth to say something before Kakashi drew back his arm, eyes still watching Obito as he flung his arm forward, hitting all three targets— including Rin's— squarely at the center.

Obito gaped at the throw. Kakashi shook his head, "you're only holding us back, you get it, right?"

Minato remembered well the exasperation that filled his mind as he went to try to mediate the ensuing fight between the two boys. Rin, who also usually helped Minato mediate, was much more focused on observing the kunai in mild shock and wonder.

Yet Kakashi had a lot more in common with his teammates than he could ever admit. Minato saw Kakashi, from the corner of his eyes, perk up at the question of what letter their next mission would be. He didn't miss how the young genin leaned in subtly to hear the details of their mission, nor did he miss the imperceptible drop in shoulders when the rank was announced.

A prodigy, as mentioned, as well as overly confident in himself. Kakashi was talented, even more so than many shinobi years his senior, somebody who prided himself in remembering the strict rules that ninja must follow. He was capable of so much, yet was left with the trauma of the death of his father - a suicide, something Minato had been briefed on from when he had met Kakashi for the first time as his student.

Minato knew if there was one thing he needed Kakashi to learn, it was that teamwork played a vital part in every mission —something he was sure Kakashi would insist wasn't a priority.

Kakashi considered Obito and Rin a hindrance to his own progression, an obstacle. This mindset led to frequent clashes between the two boys, given their wildly opposing views. Unfortunately, this meant Rin also had to fight internally, with supporting her much more bashful best friend, or backing her logically thinking crush. Yes, as if things weren't complicated enough there was a love triangle too, adding salt to the wound. Minato tried not to pay too much mind to it.

As it was, it had been months since the kunai training incident which resulted in a minor scuffle with Obito throwing (and missing) a punch to Kakashi.

Now Minato stood in front of his squad who all looked up at him with excited gleaming eyes. Kakashi and Obito still fought but there was some tenderness behind it, of course that's what Minato had hoped for at least because there was very little he could do to help their sour relationship (all the times he tried to get them on good terms while they did team bonding exercises have been utter failures.)

"Right, the mission I've been hinting at for the last few weeks has finally arrived!" He clapped both his hands together, giving them a big smile as they all anticipated what he'd say next.

Minato himself was tense with knowing he'd have to see as their faces fell from the eager grins they wore— in Kakashi's case he wasn't sure but he assumed he was wearing a similar expression— it hurt a little he'd have to break the news.

But he knew the disappointment would only be temporary. "We'll be patrolling outside of the village—"

Obito's eyes lit up as Kakashi's immediately dimmed. "Awesome! How far are we going out?"

Minato avoided eye contact as he recounted the information in his mind. "Just outside of the walls, not too far at all. We'll be walking along a marked out path with plenty of shade so the sun won't be blaring on our faces," he paused, racking his brain for anything important he may have missed, "oh! And Kushina will be bringing us lunch," he finished pleasantly.

He tried not to wince as even Rin deflated upon hearing this, nevermind the promise of food.

Once again he tried to remind himself that this would be a gift that someday they'd reflect on, a good memory.

"So it's a D-rank," Rin spoke slowly, her smile long faded as she looked up at her sensei.

This time Minato did wince as he confirmed the question with a nod. "Yes, it is."

Kakashi contemplated the revelation with folded arms, not looking at all pleased with the prospect of the mission. Minato couldn't blame him, or any of his students, they received the opposite of what they had been asking for. But in the coming months things would only get more difficult.

He knew that with the never ending war going on, things could either die down or escalate and with the patterns of history loud and clear things were more likely to end up as the latter rather than the former.

Obito looked absolutely crestfallen. "I think I'd prefer to search for that stupid cat Tora," he wailed, "Sensei, you know we're capable of doing more advanced stuff! What you're asking us to do right now is basically a nature walk."

And if somehow the planets and the stars aligned Kakashi nodded in agreement, huffing as he put a hand to his side. "We're not Genin. I'm fully capable of protecting us if needed."

A shining example of a team player Minato thought rather dryly. He'd expected as much, the reactions and pleading as well as the compromises, but he was already determined to follow through with his plan. Minato was not budging.

"I know you're all disappointed with the current mission, but I assure you all it'll only be for today," Minato said to his team patiently, "now I suggest we get a move on before we end up being late."

And with only a few groans and solemn nods they left for their assignment.


Minato had hoped that his team would lighten up at some point, join him in appreciating the beauty and peace of the forest as they walked. The gentle whispers of the trees swaying in the breeze, the warmth of the sun on their backs and the smell of summer air filling their lungs. It was a far cry from war. But he could see that was looking to be a hopeless venture. Be it Rin and Obito's dejected and downcast trudge through the dirt path, eyes set to the dirt wishing to be on the front lines, or Kakashi's alert focus on the trees adhering to years of training that taught him to expect death around every corner. None of them were at peace.

In their eyes his choice of mission for them was probably a slap to the face even if he saw it as a gift.

With a look of forlonging, he spared the bright green trees and shining blue sky a final glance, turning away as a shadow fell over them.

"I'd like to apologize," Minato said with a purse of his lips as he cast his gaze away from the horizon, forcing himself to look down at the dirt path below. Slowly his students went to face him.

"I know it might not seem like it but I'd like the three of you to know that I truly believe you're all capable shinobi. As your Sensei I was worried about the future, your futures. With how the war was going I thought— well I hoped I could distract the three of you from it. I see now that was a mistake."

A look of relief, recognition and hope passed between his three students, Rin cracking a smile as Kakashi shook his head— although even with the mask he was wearing anyone could see a smile through it. Obito's eyes lit up as well, "so you think we're talented!"

Minato choked back a laugh. So that was all he got from his little speech? He looked over at his student fondly. "Of course!"

They were talented. Minato felt silly as all the doubt and worry left him slowly, the anxiety that had been building up over the past few months becoming lighter and lighter.

They were his students, and they were talented, and they would help fight alongside their village to carry on the flame of hope that someday a new generation wouldn't need to feel burdened over the threat of war.

They had each other and that was all that mattered most—

The air seemed to vibrate around them, a humming noise growing louder with each breath as the clouds merged into darkness.

The gentle wind around them started to howl.

Minato tensed up immediately as suddenly everything came flooding back, his worries, his anxieties and the fear of losing everything again— he looked towards his students as they looked up at him suddenly alarmed, tense but ready to fight—

A loud crack ripped through the air as a bolt of blue lightning shot down from within the rolling clouds and thundered into the sea of trees just ahead of them. The impact sent a wave of air and debris crashing towards them, forcing them to use chakra to brace against it.

Minato grit his teeth as he glared at the site of the explosion. The sky continued sparking and cracking, as if the heavens themselves were trying to stop itself from splitting in half.

"Sensei?" Came the hoarse voice of Kakashi as he followed his teacher's gaze to where the blue bolt of lightning had fallen. The thick forest now a clearing devoid of life and littered in rubble.

It seemed that fate was determined to never let the world rest.

Squaring his shoulders and narrowing his eyes at the sight, trying his best to ignore the hammering of his heart against his ribcage— the last of any lightness within him leaving— "We are to investigate the sight of the explosion. Stay close to me and keep silent," Minato spoke with a steady voice before flickering away.

His mind raced, attempting to explain what had happened. Even in battle, he'd never seen anything like it — the atmosphere changing in an instant, the skies on the verge of tears, and that persistent rumbling sound.

It seemed that the D-rank wouldn't stay as a simple D-rank any longer Minato couldn't help but think rather dryly.


Rin hesitated as Kakashi went to follow their Sensei, Obito pausing to look at her with furrowed brows. "Is something wrong Rin? Did you get hurt?" He asked with a small jump in his voice as he combed over her frantically.

Shaking her head slowly she looked up at the clouds with confusion, the sparkling of the lightning reflecting from her wide brown eyes as the sky continued to rumble. "I'm not hurt, but I— what happened?" She whispered.

Obito gestured to the sight of the crash. "Whatever happened we might get a clue over there," he said gently before smiling at her, "if you're scared just know I'm here for you!"

A sweet sentiment, however— "have you ever seen…well anything do something like that before?" Rin asked in a rush, "I mean sure maybe it's just a lightning style jutsu or many lightning users, but it felt different! It didn't feel like normal chakra."

Obito paused to look at her, see the bewilderment written across her face.

"I mean I've healed many shinobi and civilians before, and nobody's chakra has felt anything close to what I feel right now— do you feel it too Obito?"

The Uchiha stiffened at the question as he truthfully wasn't sure how to respond. The wind swept over his face and the calm of the forest to him felt normal, at first at least, because once he focused too much on everything something felt wrong, off, and he wondered if that was what Rin was talking about. It both felt familiar and unfamiliar— an echo of reality, or maybe reality was an echo of it? He shook his head, shoving the thoughts down. "I…think I do," Obito said hesitantly, and then he offered Rin one final smile, "once we're able to let's discuss it with Sensei,"

Rin pursed her lips, but eventually let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Yeah.." she responded, looking almost dejected.

Obito felt himself panic a little at this. He felt bad but he wasn't able to sense things the same way Rin did, he didn't know what was supposed to feel normal or not— if only he had his Sharingan, maybe he'd be able to see what was going on properly— confirm to her that she was right—

"Let's get going then," Rin said with a smile of her own as she flickered away to follow Minato-sensei and Kakashi, leaving Obito to contemplate his thoughts alone.


The debris had still been fresh when Minato arrived, the earth lifted in small mounts around him, sharp edges jabbing at him and dust caking his face in a thin layer.

The remnants of tree roots uplifted into the static air below him as he stepped over them cautiously, motioning to Kakashi— who happened to be the only student of his there— to follow close.

Whether a natural disaster, or more realistically an enemy attack, he could never be too careful, now wasn't the time to be lenient.

The blue lightning had been odd, it reminded him of his flying raijin jutsu— in what way? Minato couldn't truthfully tell you, but whatever it was it had certainly made a mess of itself. Yet the energy that blew past them was something that felt new, unfamiliar and completely and utterly unique. He knew immediately that whoever caused the blue lightning storm and the explosion had to be somebody powerful.

So far there had been no signs of any enemy shinobi nearby, Minato put a hand against a large boulder from next to him, crouching as suddenly Rin and Obito appeared. Glancing at them as they returned sheepish grins, Kakashi shook his head in disappointment.

Minato was about to open his mouth to say something before he paused, eyes whipping around to one particularly dusty area, the center of the small crater that lightning had made. There came an energy, the same unfamiliar energy he had vaguely identified earlier radiating strongly from where the crater was— how hadn't he felt it before?

Whatever it was, it was good at concealing its chakra as well, at least until this very moment, as the strange chakra signature only became stronger, like a fire lit in the deep darkness.

Rin's eyes went wide as she stared at the crater, inching closer as her eyes were trained on the spot, it seemed that she also sensed the strange energy.

"The crater is the only place where I'm sensing a chakra signature," Minato paused as he glanced over at his students, "it's very powerful, distinct, whoever is there may very well be the one to have started the thunder."

With tense nods they made their way over to the small crater where the initial blast had landed, the dust now mostly cleared. Minato slid down the crater and squinted towards the dip in the ground, concentrating on the glimpse of color he caught.

Being this near he could now sense that the chakra definitely belonged to a somebody rather than a something, and upon seeing a figure through the dust despercing, he paused, his students still.

Blond. Familiar and bright blond tarnished in deep red engulfed his eyesight and it immediately reminded him of his own, although blond hair wasn't uncommon, the particular shade was a near match to his, albeit a shade or two lighter. The blond hair sticked to a whiskered face, looking pale and sickly, and upon closer inspection Minato saw that the two whiskers were marks rather than actual whiskers. A distinctive feature. The person in the crater looked young, not too much older than his own students and Minato felt sick, he looked near death, leg twisted in an odd angle and cuts littering the surface of his skin.

Yet blood wasn't the only thing that was smeared across his forehead as Minato's eyes landed on the stark line that slashed through the symbol of his village. A rogue ninja?

Had he been struck by the lightning? A failed attack? Too many questions filled his mind.

Even with the distinctive marks on his cheeks Minato didn't recognize anyone in the bingo book matching his description, especially someone so young.

Despite the many alarms in his mind going off, he took the many questions swarming his judgment as a confirmation that whoever laid injured in front of him was a danger and should be treated as such.

"Rin, I need you to treat his wounds. Kakashi, Obito, stay on guard in case he awakens," Minato said tersely, his gaze settled on the slash across the symbol of his forehead protector. Didn't do much protecting, he thought with some mirth. Yet distantly Minato felt a feeling of regret seeing someone so young having become a rogue, a rogue of the hidden leaf no less.

As his students neared, he heard a breath drawn as Obito's eyes landed on the rogue's forehead protector, looking surprised. "Is…is that a rogue?"

Minato nodded with pursed lips. "It appears so. He may be unconscious but he is no less a threat than any conscious shinobi," he reminded his team as Rin stepped forward, going to remove the forehead protector.

Kakashi stared down at the rogue with tense dislike, something Minato could see painted clearly across the other's face despite the attempt at indifference.

"Why are we even treating his injuries? Isn't he a rogue? Shouldn't we—"

Whatever point Obito was trying to reach was cut short as a the rogue had suddenly startled awake, hand flying to Rin's wrist as her hand hovered above his forehead, blue eye looking delirious and wild as he stared at her.

Rin for her part kept calm despite the flinch. Both Obito and Kakashi had drawn out their weapons, Obito looking a little more willing to use it as he angrily let out a yell. "Let go of her!"

But just as quickly as he had awoken, the blond's grip on Rin's wrist relented as he fell back into the embrace of slumber, falling into the rubble with a small thump.

Minato watched on passively, a frown set on his features as the situation settled itself before turning to stare at Obito, "we treat the enemy's injuries in order to get information from them later on. They have no use to us if they're dead. Besides, we don't know who this rogue shinobi is, there's no telling if his forehead protector got scratched—"

"But!—" Obito tried to interrupt but Minato raised a hand to silence him.

"We must always give them the benefit of the doubt," Minato said. A part of him wanted to agree with his young student however, to leave this young man to fend for himself, to fight for his own will to live, let a potential threat simmer out and die before they become unpredictable. But that wasn't right. He wouldn't let a war push him to commit such a heinous act such as losing empathy.

Obito looked between the body of the rogue and Rin as she healed the blond, only glancing at Minato one final time with wide dark eyes, causing Minato to look away, a burden he silently accepted. "He reminds me of someone," Kakashi mumbled as he stared at the rogue.

Minato glanced over at him curiously, almost alarmed, "you've seen him before? Is he in the bingo—"

Kakashi shook his head, "no, he just…" Kakashi was silent as he contemplated the rogue, before slowly looking up to meet his Sensei's eyes, "he reminds me of you, Sensei."


Thank you so much for reading! I might be a little slower to update the story here but I will try my best ()

(also funny story, as I was dusting off this account to upload this story I went to go delete an old chapter from a past work. Except, what I didn't expect to happen was that the story would update itself, like what story updates itself after a chapter gets deleted? Anyway on the off chance the two guest commentors read this, I'm sorry for disappointing you both. ?)