SALVATION

Chapter 7

Sometime later, Kakashi sat crisscrossed in front of the Kage, his head hurting with all the new information.

"So ..." the time traveller pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Basically, there are only three jinchuuriki left alive, the villages joined an alliance, we have no information of our enemy and you decided to revive me with an improved version of the Edo-Tensei because of my knowledge. Oh, wait I forgot. Two out of the three jinchuuriki are currently in Suna and all the Kage are here. So, who's exactly protecting them?"

Orochimaru suppressed a smirk as A and Oonoki gritted their teeth.

"Naruto and Gaara are strong. They will be able to protect themselves," replied Minato awkwardly.

"Hmm," Kakashi muttered doubtingly. "If you say so."

Even though he wanted to believe Minato, he knew better than anyone what Madara and Zetsu were able to do. He didn't know how strong Team 7 had become.

Clapping into his hands, Yagura caught the attention of the others.

"It has been a long day, maybe it is time for you to get outside. Catch some fresh air, enjoy the sunset...meet your family again," said the small Mizukage friendly.

"...Perhaps..." agreed Kakashi unwillingly, though his face didn't betray the emotions he felt.

It was with much reluctance that the time traveller finally left the Hokage Office. The office had been his save haven, had sheltered him from the harsh reality, from the fact that he had truly died. It felt wrong to walk around, wrong to breathe and...it was simply wrong! He felt like an alien. He didn't belong here anymore!

Meanwhile, Orochimaru let himself finally relax. The exhaustion of using that jutsu as well as the shock of seeing not only the time traveller again but instead the real Kakashi Hatake, the one that had committed suicide in his first life, finally caught up to him. Sweat lined his already pale face as he closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Orochimaru?" his white-haired teammate asked hesitantly. "Will he be alright?"

The Snake Sannin knew exactly what Jiraiya meant. After all, he had to literally kick the time traveller out of the office in order to get him to leave. The question whether Kakashi would be alright had been constantly on his mind ever since he had first mentioned the jutsu. Hopefully, the others' reactions to the revival would be different than Anko's. Otherwise, he feared that they might lose the Hatake for good.

Who knew how the time traveller actually felt? How mentally stable he truly was after everything he went through? Kakashi had perfected his poker face decades ago, there was no telling what he felt or thought.

"I don't know," Orochimaru finally admitted after some time. "I hope so."

In another place in Konoha, one that had a special meaning to many, Itachi Uchiha stood motionlessly, his dark eyes firmly settled onto the delicate gravestone. A small bouquet of white lilies in his hands.

The young man had only just returned from his weeklong mission and was currently unaware of what had happened only hours before his return. The small damage that Kakashi's Susanoo had caused had caught his eye, but it was nothing that would have kept him from visiting his brother before reporting to the Hokage. It was a ritual of some sorts and one that he intended to keep by all means necessary.

Unable to stop himself his thoughts travelled back to a time full of laughter and happiness. One where he had everything he could have ever wished for.

~Flashback~

It had been a special day for young Itachi because his big brother would finally come home for a few days. The Third Shinobi World War had been going on for months now with no end in sight and even though he was incredible proud that his brother had become the youngest Commander in history, he missed him terribly.