A/N: Guys, thank you so much for continuing reading this fanfic. I was really encouraged by the views stats. Special thanks for those who added my story in their favourites!

His train of thought was disturbed by a soft noise somewhere above his head. He immediately tensed and looked up to determine the possible source of the noise in this ghost town like district.

"Sensei?" Naruto flinched, looking up the nearby roof to see his mentor. He was almost back to Sasuke's home, so running into his teacher, who was also bound to return there, was not much surprising, still, deep in his thoughts - never mind that particular one about the ghost town and the chain of associations it triggered - he was startled none the less.

Kakashi chuckled to himself. It seemed that even after half a decade Naruto was easy to sneak up on. Perhaps the boy only allowed himself to let his guard down when inside the village, but a shinobi can never be too cautious. Actually wasn't what they drilled in you in the Ninja Academy? That is, if you weren't sleeping or skipping classes all the time. Kakashi signed. Somehow he felt he should sympathize more with Iruka. The next time he sees the Chuunin he should probably remark on him being too easy on his little ninja-wanna-bes. Good initial training and knowledge means a lot in the shinobi world, more often than not it actually means the life of the person in questions. One cannot allow himself to day-dream during a mission, absent-minded behavior leads to blunders, which cause casualties. Usually lives of the whole team are at stake. Team members are codependent on each other, to survive they have to trust their comrades with their lives, relying on their judgment on what action to take next or what strategy to use. Sometimes this decision has to be instantaneous, and that is exactly why everyone must always be on alert and quick to react.

"He's not out cold again, is he?" inquired Kakashi, asserting the two boys beneath him. If the older Naruto still have not learned to be observant, what one could expect from his younger counterpart.

"Nah, he just fell asleep." Naruto replied, referring to the younger boy, whom he was carrying on his back at the moment.

"I didn't think your speech could have been that boring." Kakashi smirked.

Even though the older blond seemed to have a carefree air about him, Kakashi could feel that if needed be the boy could be as attentive as anyone else. He saw it in his eyes, this instant change from his playful attitude to being deadly serious. Just like his late mentor Uzumaki Naruto always was there to protect his comrades, Kakashi was certain about this. Despite the fact that he still did not know everything about the person Naruto grew up into, he could already see the determination and strive to protect in his younger counterpart.

Kakashi jumped down, falling into step with his student. They continued walking towards the Uchiha mansion. The empty streets looked terribly unwelcoming and gloomy.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto protested, giving his teacher a half-hearted glare. "I didn't bore him to sleep. In fact I didn't even have the talk with him yet."

"Why so?" Kakashi asked, shifting a piece of folded skin-colored cloth in his hands.

"He wasn't really listening to me at first. Then we ended up talking about the past and I couldn't find the right moment to change the topic." Naruto explained. "At least it seems that I'm getting through to him. So, next I'll make him listen to what I have to tell about the future."

Kakashi heaved a sigh. Naruto's determination was bothering him a little. He had some time to think over Naruto's plan to stop his younger self from chasing his life-long dream. He could not deny that in a way this measure might help to alter the course of the future, still, though… It was painful to watch how the boy was trying to step on his own dream. Maybe Kakashi was not the best of the teachers, but as a teacher, as a mentor he firmly believed that his role lies in helping his students achieve their dreams, is it not? So he could not simply accept the fact that one of his protégées was going to sacrifice not just a dream, but his driving force, the very reason that made him wake up every morning, train, hone his skills, achieve respect from the villagers and shape himself into the person he is today. Was it really their only choice? With something as complicated as the concept time-travel jutsu and possibility to change the future was it even safe to meddle? Although Kakashi could not imagine anything worse than the complete annihilation of his home village along with the deaths of his comrades, as well as his own for that matter, he was still hesitant. Maybe he felt this way because he knew that it was not his place to make this choice, but on the other hand was Naruto from his time really unquestionably obliged to follow his older self's request? Today the smaller boy seemed pretty clear about his unwillingness to abide by this plan. And Kakashi could understand him. Though, the only one person who could completely understand the graveness of this situation was the older Naruto and him alone. He could see how tormented the boy was. This choice hung like a rope around his neck. It was cutting off his air, but he could not get rid of it. This rope round his neck – the danger – was no doubt real, so it could not just disappear with a 'puff' and a cloud of smoke, the only way was to cut it, but how could he do that when his friends were grasping the other end of the rope, hovering over the abyss?

This impossible choice was making the boy desperate, disillusioned. He was rushing to get out of this situation at lesser cost. In his case through self-renunciation. This was terrible. And Kakashi could not tolerate it, because he hoped against hope that there was a third choice. He wanted it to be that way and he was determined to discover it for the sake of his student. Besides, after all Naruto was also the legacy of his precious mentor, so it was the least he could do. That is what the 4-th Hokage would have try to do anyway.

"Should you really entrust him with such a burden?" Kakashi asked bluntly.

"What else can I do? I've told you what would happen if I became Hokage. I wasn't lying." Naruto said bitterly. "I don't want that future. I don't want the future where I have pushed my best friend to leave the village and become a missing ninja, the future where I let down my comrades and brought my village to its downfall."

Kakashi could feel how Naruto's words dipped with anger and desperation. The boy clearly blamed everything on himself, which from Kakashi's perspective was not a good thing to do. Maybe that was the key all along?

The future, can it really depend solely on the actions of one person? Actually it is quite selfish and even ignorant to assume so. The World, after all, does not revolve around one person. It is a wild combination of decisions and actions made by different people that can determine the course of the future. It is also fair to say that sometimes a great role is played by the chain of coincidences which some prefer to call fate. If something is destined to be could one person really prevent it? However much he struggles maybe this particular course of events just does not depend on him, thus it is not in his power to change it? At least if one is to be blamed for something he has to be directly involved in it, a real culprit to put it simply.

"I've been thinking about what you told me." Kakashi began. "I really don't understand why you keep on blaming yourself."

"Sensei…" Naruto stopped walking.

"No, just tell me this one thing." Kakashi also stopped and faced his student. "Did you destroy the village with your own hands? Or was it the Kyuubi perhaps?"

"Of cause not!" Naruto exclaimed, defending himself as well as the Nine-tailed Fox. "I've told you, it was Madara Uchiha and the Akatsuki".

"Well, then how come it's your fault?" Kakashi inquired.

"Because I was the Hokage. The leader of the village, it's protector! And who is to blame if not the leader of the village?!" Naruto hissed, still trying to control his voice, so that he would not wake his younger self up. "If I didn't become the Hokage than maybe…"

"Then what?" Kakashi mocked. "Would Madara reconsider attacking the village?"

"I doubt so." Naruto was caught off guard. He bit down on his lower lip.

"But maybe… what if there was a more suited man to become Hokage… Maybe he could have defeated Madara with fewer casualties…" Naruto contemplated, his voice sad and uncertain.

"But there was not." Kakashi deadpanned. "The title is not everything. If at the time there was such a man in our village, no doubt he would have defended the village. One does not have to bear the title of the Hokage to do it, he just has to love the village and possess the will to protect it."

Kakashi sighed, looking at his student who was seemingly lost for words. Kakashi on the other hand, was felt that he was about to grasp the answer, he just need to voice it himself to make it real, to see if it can be real. He proceeded.

"Let yourself off the hook for once. It wasn't because you were unsuited or anything. Actually our elders are pretty strict, so you probably had proved yourself worthy countless of times before they finally admitted it, right?" Kakashi suggested. "It is a scary thing to say, but maybe it was just inevitable?"

Naruto looked up, bewildered. "How could you say that, Kakashi-sensei."

The jounin just shrugged his shoulders.

"I think that at that particular time, the way all the events and decisions combined and formed that particular future, it became unavoidable." Kakashi reasoned.

"I'm just telling you, don't look back. What happened had happened and you cannot change it. The sole fact that you're here now means that the future, this particular future, would be at least tad bit different from the drastic one that you've faced. But it is a different future now. You can't overwrite it just by ordering your younger self what to do. The impact might turn out to be quite different from what you are expecting, so don't risk it." He looked Naruto in the eyes, putting his hand on the other's shoulder.

"Live it yourself, change it with your own hands. There are two of you here right now, and I believe, it's for a reason."

"I-", Naruto weighted his sensei's words. Maybe he really should be the one to act? Was he just running away all this time, trying to make up for his screw ups at the expense of his younger self? That was not like him! That was not Uzumaki Naruto! Because Uzumaki Naruto always fought for his precious things himself. Never wavering, never giving up. Especially not now.

He felt his younger self's gentle breathing on his neck. Right. You're not me yet. I can't make you suffer like I did. That's just selfish isn't it? That future, those mistakes… they are mine responsibility. Don't worry, I will make certain you won't have to face them.

"Sensei, I -" Naruto muttered, he could feel his eyes water. He finally saw it - the right path. "Thank you, I think I understand now, what really needs to be done. And I will fight for it, believe me. "

Kakashi smiled at him behind his mask.

TBC

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