Show me the way

XXXXI: A New Future

"I thought I'd find you here." Kakashi said, sitting down next to Shizuka on a bench atop the Fourth Hokage's head.

"Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to keep myself away from it all today." Shizuka answered, staring over Konoha looking nostalgic. Kakashi was glad to see no negative emotions on Shizuka's face. This place was associated with Shizuka being in turmoil to Kakashi, seeing the times he had found Shizuka here, Shizuka had been upset over something or another. But this time, Shizuka looked content.

"What's today?" Kakashi asked, following Shizuka's gaze.

"My graduation." Shizuka said, turning his attention to Kakashi and giving him a grin. "It was also the day I found out I'm a Jinchuuriki, but I guess that's going to be a little different now. Or at least, I hope so." He sighed and turned his attention back to Konoha, in the direction of the Academy.

For a moment, Kakashi studied his face. It seemed like Shizuka was actually able to see across the village and see what's going on at the Academy, but Kakashi knew not even Shizuka had that kind of power. Shizuka was remembering his past and didn't seem too bothered by it this time. "I think Jiraya might make enough of a difference for the same thing not to happen again. Things will be different. They already are. And if it does go as it did, well, then Iruka-sensei will be there for Naruto too." Shizuka smiled again. It might not have been the most pleasant way to find out about certain things, but it was the moment he gained a true bond with Iruka-sensei. A bond he'd hold dear for the rest of his life. Despite everything, it was a happy memory for Shizuka. He wondered if Naruto's relationship with Iruke-sensei would be the same as it had been for him. Probably not, but Jiraya was there to fill in the role, possibly even in a more significant way.

Shizuka suddenly turned to Kakashi, mirth playing in his eyes. "That should also mean, you're going to be a sensei starting tomorrow, aren't you?" There was enthusiasm sparking in Shizuka's eyes as he waited for Kakashi to confirm his statement.

"I don't know about that, but I will be testing some graduates. And up until now, I've never let anyone pass." Kakashi said almost proudly. Shizuka chuckled at how convinced Kakashi looked that this year would be the same.

"Have they announced the teams to you yet?" Shizuka hadn't really told Kakashi anything about the way Naruto and his team started out, or what their dynamic was like. He felt like it would change too much and things within the team would go differently. Shizuka still didn't want to meddle in his own past. He had done enough as it was. After all, they needed this to discover what they were capable of on their own, their own strengths and weaknesses and the way they would learn to work together.

"They have. Uzumaki Naruto, dead last, Haruno Sakura, top kunoichi and Uchiha Sasuke, prodigy and last-surviving of the Uchiha clan." Kakashi said. "An interesting team."

"That means Naruto didn't fail the exam, right? Or the team wouldn't have been announced yet. It would have been a lot later." Shizuka said, more to himself than to Kakashi.

"He did. Barely. I must say, I did not expect you to have been such a bad student. You aren't dumb by any means and the way you poured over those books in the library, I thought you would have been studious. So what changed?" Kakashi said.

"Nothing. I still have trouble focussing on books for longer periods of time, but I've learned to channel my energy differently. I'm a practical learner." Shizuka answered. Kakashi must have read the reports from the academy on his soon-to-be-students. "Besides, I'm not Naruto. I'm Shizuka. You can't treat Naruto as though he'll become me one day because he won't. We're not the same. We can never be the same again. The things I've done, we have done, have changed too much. I can't be Naruto anymore and Naruto can't become Shizuka anymore." After a moment of silence, Shizuka shrugged. "So I won't be. That's fine. I'll be Shizuka, and I think I can be happy like that."

Kakashi nodded. "I guess you're right." He stood up and stretched. "You know you don't have to hide up here, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but I like it here. It's peaceful." Shizuka said, following Kakashi's example and standing up. He stepped close to Kakashi and wrapped an arm around his waist. Kakashi put his arm around Shizuka's shoulder and for a moment, they stood side by side staring out over the village.

"So, what happens now?" Kakashi asked.

Shizuka smiled and leaned a bit heavier against Kakashi. "A few loose ends, like Itachi and the eyes I collected from Danzo. I hope to bring him back to the village, or at least, make the truth about what happened known and clear his name, and the eyes will play a big part in that. The rest of the Akatsuki won't be any direct trouble with Tobi gone, but we'll still need to deal with them..." Shizuka took a deep breath. "And after that... I have no idea what else will happen in the future. I guess I can live as anyone else after that, not knowing the future and still wanting to be a part of it."

Takashi hummed in agreement and after the conversation fell quiet. The silence between them was comfortable. The chattering of the village below echoed up to their private spot but didn't seem to diminish the feeling of privacy and seclusion. Shizuka was right, Kakashi found. It was peaceful up here.

"I finished moving all my stuff into your apartment." Shizuka said after a while, drawing a smile to Kakashi's face.

"So I now have a dying plant and a stack of mutilated books on sealing in my apartment?" Kakashi asked smirking.

"Yes." Shizuka answered seriously. "And also a fair supply of instant ramen cups, and a gloriously orange kimono. But don't worry, I didn't just dump it all in your apartment. Everything is in its place. I did need to throw out some of those weird books you had to make room for mine, though." Shizuka grinned as he stepped back towards the edge. Kakashi's face morphed into horror at learning his precious books might have been literally thrown out the window. "Race ya home!" Shizuka almost yelled, before stepping off the edge, laughing at Kakashi's reaction.

It took less than a moment for Kakashi to get over the shock and follow Shizuka, enjoying the sound of Shizuka's laughter at their game of cat and mouse.

The End

This is it, the end. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all for making it till the end, the support and the comments along the way. They really meant a lot to me and helped me through more than you might think.

It's amazing to see this book, which was originally going to be 10 short chapters with a dramatic ending, has become what it is, and I couldn't imagine the story going any other way. I'm proud of it. I hope to see you again in one of my other books, or maybe in a brand new story yet to be written! Thank you for reading!