Naruto The Orange book

-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N I'm writing this as a way to strike back at all the Kakashi haters. Well not really strike back but more like show a different depth of the man. While I will agree he is lazy and seems to be a bit of a pervert I just have this thing against completely hating a character, but I do have my exceptions. So this is my attempt at explaining the lost and lonely soul that is the Copy Nin Kakashi.

The Little Orange Book

Kakashi slowly stretched his arms out as the sun half blinded him awake. He quickly glanced over to his clock groaning as it displayed the time. He was up about four hours before he should be. He didn't even bother laying back down as he knew that he would never fall back asleep. He had been forcing himself to not think of the past more than normal in the last three days. Yet the yearning for what once was held on to him even stronger than normal. Yet here he was sitting in his bed allowing for the first time in close to thirteen years a glimpse of the future to grace his thoughts.

He knew that even with his slightly more or less slacker attitude that most of his fellow Jounin, most were slightly uncomfortable around him. He never truly bonded with anyone else after the last of his team died. He had allowed them to fill the silence that he preferred in the name of comrade ray. He knew to a certain extent a few of the newer Jounin feared him. His reputation, what he would leave as a legacy caused both fear in the hearts of his enemies and comrades. Since it was well known that he lead some of the most brutal campaigns that the ANBU had seen in close to fifteens years that didn't involve direct all out war. So brutal in fact that he was asked to step down from his Captaincy since many were worried about his mental condition. That and there were more than a few of the more technical members of the village that stayed away from him because he might steal their hard earned jutsu's. Yet he understood that the barrier they all perceived as unmovable obstacle to reach him other than the occasional night on the town was there by choice, his choice.

Kakashi got up and closed the blind on his window. He walked around his small apartment in complete darkness. He didn't even open his eyes as the layout for the room had not changed in close to fifteen years. He never allowed anyone over and he doubted that anyone other than Gai and a few of his still lingering fan girls and mask chasers would ever even dream of asking to be invited. He let the light from the fridge illuminate the room and her reached down and grasped the bottle of orange juice. He quickly turned and than let the darkness accept him as its own again before sitting down at the his small table. His meal of fruit and juice was quickly consumed and he left the table to dress for the coming day.

The first thing he placed on was his face mask. It had in many ways become a part of him. He had only ever taken it off voluntarily for four people in his life and that was how he was planning of keeping it. It was a divider for himself in a way to make those around him think that he didn't trust them since he never allowed anyone to see his features. In many senses of the word trust it was a very true statement that in another way it was his own superstitions. The only four people to have seen his face had all died. He had often wondered if it was a curse that was placed on his family many years ago.

After placing on the mask he lived his life in, he continued on slowly adding on layers of different flexible armors that helped pronounce his wiry frame. As he slipped on his flak jacket on he reached out for the last piece of his attire. In his hands lay a small orange book, depending on the person that you were talking to at the moment along with the gender of said person it was a book of deep admiration or deep hatred. Carefully placing the book in its pocket Kakashi gave himself a last look over in the wall mirror next to his apartment door. He allowed his looks of longing and sadness to slip from his only visible into one of false amusement and wisdom.

The walk down to the village streets below were quiet and calming. He knew that the village would not really be waking up anytime soon since it was only now coming closer to five in the morning. Only those that were forced to or forced themselves to would even come close to crossing his path. Kakashi slowly moved in and out of different alley ways and back streets to his destination. The training fields were coming up soon and he knew just where his students would stand waiting for him. So he decided to instead head over to a small grouping of trees and cast a quick genjutsu over himself and waited for more of the sun to rise. While most of his comrades thought himself to be constantly late. Kakashi simply was a person that ran on very little sleep and preferred to watch people over interacting with them. He closed his one visible eye and waited for the next two hours as his students would slowly come waiting for himself.

The members of squad seven slowly started coming into view. As he figured Sasuke was the first to arrive. The boy reminded himself of how he had once been, very driven, reckless, and stupid. Kakashi was positive that in the coming months the boy would be cursing his name as instead of allowing his distinct I'm better that you all attitude to shape the team Kakashi was going to attempt to humble the boy by showing the difference of a group goal and a fantasy that would never really happen. The boy would come to find that even alert at all times he could not defeat everything without assistance.

Next came his little fan girl. She would be the hardest to reach out to in his mind. She already was overly focused on the prospect of marriage and settling down. Kakashi doubted if the girl in her small frame and obvious lack of any kind of mental edge had quite grasped what she had dedicated her life to. He frowned as a quick glimpse of Rin danced through his mind. He was positive that the pink haired kunoichi would soon find out what she had allowed herself to become a victim of. Kakashi hoped that in some small way that the girl never lost her obvious happiness in life after her first kill or in the realization that ninja are tools used to destroy and create at the whims of people willing to pay. He also gave out a small whisper for forgiveness for when she came to the conclusion that he was the whet stone shaping her.

Finally the last member came in a slow walk obviously still half a sleep. Naruto was still in what most of the ninja in the village called his come shot me outfit. Kakashi smirked at the pure brazen attitude of the boy. Kakashi could see a lot of potential in the boy and at the same time knew that he could have very little to do with constructing the boy into a above average member of the village. The next few months were most likely to be cursed by the blonde much like by his resident avenger. Both all three had a way to go before he would ever call them decent shinobi. Yet out of all of them he knew that Naruto was the future. He would be the one leading the charge for his generation even if it was not because of his strength, but just simply his presence.

Deciding he had waited long enough. Kakashi quickly shunshined a ways down the path so that his students did not realize that he was ever there at all. Slowly walking up the path he prepared himself for the usual scream. "Where have you been?" The words were carried over in two distinct voices.

"I was simply lost on the road of life." He knew that his response would infuriate them. It infuriated almost everyone. Kakashi let his thoughts wander again on how quickly the teens in front of him were willing to leave behind their peaceful lives for danger and more than slightly high chance of an early death. He knew that almost all ninja are like this at the age where they have very little experience to realize just how lucky they were to still have a certain innocence around them.

Kakashi was brought out of his mental wanderings by the sounds of Naruto being hit more than likely for annoying Sakura. "Alright team lets had over to the Hokage's office and receive today's mission. " He watched as Sasuke walked of first ahead of his other team members. He heard Sakura chase after his with hearts in her eyes and similar words of courtship that she had just cobbler Naruto over coming out of her mouth. Than finally Naruto followed behind them slowly rubbing the back of his head where Sakura had hit him. Kakashi reached into his front pocket and slowly pulled out his customary orange book. For the first time in at least a year he turned to the front of the book and stared at the inscription with in the cover.

_My dearest son,_

_I know that this could never truly be used as a replacement, but I hope that one day it at least brings you a small form of comfort and calming. These are while they may not be seen as precious or worth anything such as family jutsus or even accounts that hold gold or other things of monetary value. Inside this book is the things that truly make a person strong and help you over come obstacles of immense size. This is something that has been passed down from family member to family member in our family each being required to add at least one more reason to reach out and tackle life for all its worth even if in the end that means giving up you life for that same cause. I hope that one day even if I have not been around to explain it better to you, you will come to understand it. Just know that Naruto I loved you. That your mother loved you and that we will always be with you. _

_Love your Father_

Kakashi shifted the book in his hand slightly so that he could turn the page easier to the last page with anything on the pages. One the left page lay a picture of his old team and his Sensei's wife. If was a rare picture with his mask off. Kakashi noticed that he even had a smile on his face. At the top of the picture was a single sentence. This is my family. Kakashi than glance over to the right page. And a single picture of a small blonde boy with his stomach glowing red and his fists raised high as if ready to strike out at the world. The picture had no caption.

Kakashi looked up at the three before him before singling out the grinning blonde in front of him. He allowed himself a rare smile. He knew that in a few years it would be time for him to pass on the book to his closest living family member. Staring intensely at the blonde again Kakashi let go the breath he had been hold for a few minutes and closed the book before hiding it back in his jacket. *Yes, he will be the one that makes the biggest difference out of the current generation. His father would be so proud if he could see just how well he had grown on his own.*

A/N Okay while it traveled down a different path than I originally strived for I hope you all enjoyed it. Please if you disagree tell me. I love to hear reactions to this tale as well as any of my others. It was a thought that bounced around for a few days before it came out. So any feedback welcome, later everyone.


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