SALVATION

Chapter 2

~ Time skip 3 years ~

On a cold and rainy day Izumo and Kotetsu were lazily guarding Konoha's gates like usually. The weather had been catastrophic for a few days now, which was very strange for Konoha. It was as if it foreshadowed something terrible.

Three hooded figures walked calmly and chattering through the gate, ignorant to the curious glances of the two Chunnin.

Suddenly an aloof voice muttered from behind them: "Hn. Idiots, you should ask them for their name and business in Konoha. You two are on gate duty after all."

A high-pitched shriek escaped Izumo's lips at the sudden noise - something he would ferociously deny for the rest of his life if anyone asked - and both toppled over their chairs in shock. In the end they had pulled everything down with them resulting in a loud Bang.

Laying on their backs, they looked up to find the culprit that caused that shocked them but there was nobody. Nothing at all.

Slowly they got up again, still wary of their surroundings, when loud laughter caused them to look towards the three hooded people.

"Oi, what's there to laugh at?" grumbled Kotetsu and Izumo added annoyed: "State your name and what business you have in Konoha."

Still chuckling the three took down their hoods and were immediately drenched from head to toe.

"Stupid weather," hissed the one to the far left as strands of his long black hair stuck to his face and blocked his vision partly.

"O-Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama. W-Welcome back," stuttered the two Chunnin in sync when they realised that not only had they embarrassed themselves in front of the three legendary Sannin, but they had also snapped at them.

"Ah, it's good to be back. I don't think I could have survived another night with the two of you. A pervert and a weirdo," mussed Tsunade and smirked at her teammates.

"Hime!" whined the white-haired Sannin whilst Orochimaru glared at his female teammate angrily.

"And I wouldn't be able to deal with another one of your drunken gambles. You lost all of our money on the first day!" he whispered.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn't been as quiet as he had thought and now Jiraiya had to hold back a fuming Senju.

Bewildered, Izumo and Kotetsu watched the three shinobi who were feared in all nations.

"I forgot how they can be," whispered Izumo to his partner.

"Me too but it has been three years after all," agreed Kotetsu before he added thoughtfully: "Didn't they leave with three kids? The Silver Reapers' Children?"

The Silver Reapers' Children was a title that Naruto Namikaze, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha had gained when they were younger and somehow it just stuck. It had all started when rumours went around Konoha and the other nations, that the war legend known as the Silver Reaper had had a strange attachment to some new-born children. Some even said that he had cared so much about these children that he had sacrificed everything for their safety - like a father would for his children. Hence, the name Silver Reapers' Children.

It hadn't taken long for people to figure out just who exactly these children were. Kakashi hadn't been very secretive about his fondness to his youngest brother Sasuke and the civilian girl Sakura and then it had only been a matter of putting the clues together. The Jounin had - according to rumours - made the biggest sacrifice for them and it was a known fact that the legend had died in the Kyuubi Attack. The only new-born baby back then had been the Hokage's son, Naruto Namikaze.