She paused at the sight of him. "Kakashi-sensei."
He gave her a tired nod. "Hey."
The silence between them wasn't awkward—just raw. Fragile.
She walked down the steps and stood beside him under the pale evening sky. "Is it true?" she asked quietly. "Naruto... he's really..."
Kakashi's jaw tightened. He didn't answer with words, only a slow nod.
Sakura lowered her head. "I should've done something. I just froze. I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream."
He looked at her, really looked at her. The guilt in her voice was too familiar. "I know how that feels."
She glanced up, startled. "You do?"
Kakashi nodded. "I watched my best friend die once. Then I watched it happen again, and again, to the people I loved. Sometimes you freeze. Sometimes you fight. Sometimes… you survive. And sometimes, you're not sure which one is worse."
Sakura's expression twisted. "But Naruto—he was always the one pushing forward. Even when we didn't believe in him, even when we didn't understand him, he just kept going. He wanted to be Hokage. He wanted to protect everyone. And I—"
"Failed him?" Kakashi offered gently. "We all did."
A breeze stirred the garden, rustling the leaves.
Kakashi let out a breath. "You remind me of someone."
She blinked. "Who?"
"Rin," he said. "She was kind. Smart. Driven. She didn't have the raw strength of some of us, but when it counted… she always showed up."
He looked away. "I never appreciated how much she held our team together. Not until she was gone."
Sakura's throat tightened.
"You have that same spirit," Kakashi said. "But I'll be honest with you, Sakura—kindness and spirit aren't enough anymore."
She tensed at his words, bracing herself for criticism.
"I need your help," he continued, tone low. "Sasuke needs your help. If we're going to bring Naruto's killer to justice, we're going to need more than brute strength. We'll need resolve. Intelligence. Precision. You have the potential for all of that."
Her eyes widened. "You mean… you want me to fight?"
"I mean I want you to become a shinobi in more than name," Kakashi said. "No more excuses. No more hiding in the shadows of the boys around you. If you're ready to put in the work—real work—I'll make sure you're prepared."
She hesitated, breath shaking. "Do you think I can be that strong?"
"I think you already are," Kakashi said, turning to leave. "Now you just have to prove it."
Sakura watched him walk away, the weight of his words settling deep in her chest. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But for the first time since the mission in the Land of Waves, the fog of helplessness began to clear.
She would train. She would grow. She would fight.
Not just for Naruto.
But for herself.
For the team.
And for what came next.
Unknown Location
Far from the smoldering aftermath of the Land of Waves and the grieving silence of the Hidden Leaf, two figures stood in the bowels of the world—a place no sunlight reached, where roots twisted like veins and the earth itself whispered secrets long forgotten.
Obito emerged from the gloom like a phantom, his lone Sharingan glowing dimly beneath the mask. Beside him, something stirred—part man, part plant, part… something else. Zetsu.
The creature tilted its head, voice splitting into dual tones. "You killed the boy."
Obito didn't look at him. "There was no need to wait any longer. The Fourth isn't here to protect him. The Nine Tails will reform in time."
"Some would say it was reckless," Zetsu murmured. "Killing the jinchūriki before we had a vessel prepared. A bit... premature."
"It was necessary," Obito replied, voice low and unflinching. "He was a variable. The kind that only becomes harder to control the longer you let it live. He had his father's blood… and that was dangerous enough."
Zetsu grinned, jagged teeth flashing through the gloom. "Mmm. A shame. He had spirit. Would've made a fine pawn—eventually."
"I'm done underestimating Konoha," Obito said sharply. "No more games. No more waiting for children to grow strong enough to defy us. This world's balance is already beginning to tilt. With the Uchiha broken and the Leaf still licking its wounds… soon, there will be nothing left to stop us."
He turned, the swaying cloak of the Akatsuki brushing against the cave's damp stone.
"The Nine Tails will return," Obito muttered. "And when it does… it and the rest of the tailed beasts will be mine to take"
Zetsu chuckled. "Oh?"
Obito's eye burned crimson. "I'm going to see Nagato. It's time to mobilize the Akatsuki"
First I want to thank everyone for tuning in to my story. I've been a member of FFN for nearly 13 years now, consuming hundreds of stories. I even tried to write my own stories a few times in Naruto, DBZ, or Pokemon but never got through them (and they were garbage generally lol). However, I've had this idea in my head for probably 8 or 9 years now, since the NarutoFanfiction Reddit page was created. In the early days of that group there was a story ideas thread of people dumping their ideas out for others to write/critique. This idea, the poster having long since deleted their account, was grabbed from there and I have wanted to write it since.
I will NOT be abandoning this story- my biggest pet-peeve in fanfiction. In fact, as of today, the story is already 60% complete. By the time chapter 2 is posted, it will probably already be done. My outline is 100% complete already with a proper ending. My goal is to do weekly friday releases, and I truly hope everyone enjoys something I've put basically a decades worth of work into.