Possible M/M, F/M pairings. You are warned.

Summary: Genma and Kakashi are in the mist of battle before they are struck and are sent hurtleing into the past. Not wasting the chance they team up together to prevent the wartorn future, no matter the cost, all the while getting closer than ever before.

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The first thought that came to their minds was that they were trapped in Madara's Eternal Tsukiyomi, but that couldn't be true because they had clearly remembered that they had defeated the madman though at the cost of their lives...

-xXx-

The last thing that Hatake Kakashi had remembered was diverting the Uchiha's attention so that Sasuke and Naruto would have a chance to finally end the madness that the war had wrought. His eyes had been bleeding and he had felt tired and weary, but he had been determined not to fail in his mission.

He remembered being struck, a searing pain before darkness overtook him with the sound of a enraged shout and the cries of his comrades. The next thing he knews was that he was being jolted awake in a room he had not stepped foot in years, not since he had moved into an apartment during his ANBU years.

He had stared around the cold room in faint shock before he forced himself to action. Everything was the same, from the scarce phtographs to the books lining the shelves. Kakashi forced himself up, before staring around in befuddlement. His body felt stiff, tired, and felt like a chore to even try to move.

He had brought his hands in the familiar release sign and with a burst of chakra, waited for his surroundings to bleed in the sadly familiar rocky terrain littered with the bodies of shinobi. He became even more confused with a sense of desperation before he brought his hands up again.

"Kai!" He sent his chakra out again and when his surroundings remained the same he opened his right eye, having unconciously kept it closed out of habit. A sense of alarm shook him as his surroundings remained the same instead of the enhancement that came with the Sharingan.

'What in the world is going on? Isn't this a genjutsu?' The young Hatake thought. 'Is this... real?' His mind raced through as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. 'This can't be real.'

The Hatake raced to the bathroom as a feeling of sickness swept through him. Pale hands gripped the white porcelin of the sink tightly. He raized his eyes and a feeling of shock overtook him as instead of the familiar sight of an older, battle weary face was the fce of a prepubescent teenager. For a moment he stared in shock before he shook himself from his stupor.

His mind came to only one answer but he refused to belive it, because time travel was imposible wasn't it? He took in a deep rattleing breath before he raced back to his room, opening drowers left and right before finding what he was looking for.

He took the kunai in hand and without hesitation stabbed it through his hand. The sharp burning pain startled him before he shook it off from years of experience and practice. The pain cemented the idea in his head but he still had to make sure that his surroundings were real and not the result of his imagination or some twisted jutsu or genjutsu.

Taking out his medical supplies after taking a moment to try to remember, he wrapped his hand in bandages when he finished stitching the wound together. He hadn't stabbed his hand hard enough to go through completely but it went in deep enough to warrant some stitches.

The calendar resulted in some answers. He was far back enough when he was still on his team, before Obito sacrificed himself and gave Kakashi his eye, before he was taken by Madara, before Rin committed suicide by taking a lightning attacked through her chest, before Minato-sensei died at the hands of the Kyuubi and weaking at the hands of Tobi, before Kushina died at the claw of the beast...

It didn't matter to the weary shinobi that this might be a dream. He'd take his chances at trying to save his loved ones and try to better the future than doing nothing at all. The knowledge of the future was a heavy burden, he could already feel it, but it didn't matter. He'd gone through hell and back, fought through many battles, and faced Madara, Zetsu, and Kaguya.

No matter what it took, he was going to bring them down. Even if it cost him his life, sanity and happiness he'd make sure his loved one's came out unscathed.

-xXx-

Shiranui Genma had been right beside the famous copy ninja in the blood filled battlefield with his cutomary senbon in his mouth. His bandanna was soaked in blood, matting his hair and his body was littered in wounds. He was trying his damn best to try to keep the psychotic Uchiha's attention on him.

He may not have been a powerhouse like the Uchiha and Uzumaki but he was a dammed good shinobi and was an ex-ANBU. Besides, he hadn't been made into one of the Fourth Hokage's guard without the skills to back it off.

One moment he was sending a barrage of senbon to the Uchiha's face befor ethey exploded. Of course they didn't do much damage, Madara backed away. Genma had been aware of Kakashi next to him. The Copy ninja had sent out a lightning attack and the ex-ANBU had taken a chance to throw his own justu in conjunction to help enhance the Copy-Ninja's technique and hopefully deliver a devastating attack that could provide the distraction for the other two to deliver their attacks.

A dragon made of water entwined with Kakashi's own ferocious dragon made of lightning, all the while giving a powerful roar of rage as it raced towards Madara who had been kicked towards it's path with a powerful kick from Sakura. Madara gave roar a pain as a bright light filled the area, blinding the tokubetsu jounin.

There was a blinding pain that overtook his torso but he still had the strength to smirk at Madara's enraged face before darkness took his senses with the faint cries of his comrades echoing in his ears.

Imagine his surprise when instead of waking up on the blood stained rocks or a shoddy medical tent, he wakes up in his apartment he had not been in years because it had been destroyed during Kyuubi's rampage.

'What the fuck?' was the first thing that went through his mind as he took in the familiar walls and items scattered around. There was no way that anyone could have replicated his room to the exact detail but he would take his chances and be cautious.

He raised himself out of bed with a groan mentally noting that it was four in the morning, an unholy time for anyone to wake up to but he had long gottenused to it as there was no luxuries in war. There was no sleeping in.

Pale hands raised in a familiar seal, he muttered a release with a burt of chakra and confusion raigned over him as his surroundings remained the same. His senses straigned to feel the web of chakra that usualy came with most genjutsu's but he sensed nothing.

Genma shook his head as he tried once again to dispel the genjutsu he must be in. When his surroundings remained the same he took off in a frenzy searching through his desk filled filled with scrolls and other items until his hands rested on the familiar feel of a kunai. Genma didn't even bother to take a moment to think before he plunged the blade of his kunai into his hand, easily cutting through the soft flesh.

He frowned at the biting pain that would have had most crying out at the very least, but pain was so dearly familiar to him it was sad. Amber eyes surveyed his surroundings before he muttered a curse.

Internally, his mind was racing at the possibilities. One idea stood out from the rest but he refused to believe it because such a thing was impossible, merely a ludicrous idea. Time travel was not possible... was it?

A mirror greeted him with the image of his younger self. His cheeks were more rounded out and he looked like exactly like his younger self. However young he looked, he couldn't hide the deep weariness in his face nor the haunted eyes that came from constant battle and despair.

Genma didn't know how long he stood in silence staring at the mirror, save for the sound of blood dripping from his hand. There was no thoughts going through his mind, only the feeling of disbelief filled him. After a few more moments the tokubetsu jounin took in a ragged breath.

He went through the familiar motions of bandaging his wounds before he sat down as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. It wasn't a genjutsu that much he could tell but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He'd exhaust all other ideas before he even bothered to ponder time travel, much less consider it.

A part of him knew it was stupid, to think that it was time travel, but he couldn't help but hope. It was just one nightmare after another, every single day. The live of his comrades, as well as his, were nothing battles against a neverending army and struggles. He couldn't help but want to end the cycle of despair that they were all trapped in.

If there was even a chance of it actually being time travel, then Genma was going to try his damn best to try to stave off that future no matter what. He had failed his Hokage horribly and it haunted him every night. There was nothing that he could do that could get rid of the hollow emptiness from inside him from loosing a precious person.

But now... He wouldn't fail again. He'd give his entire being to eliminate the threat against Konoha and those against the other hidden villages no matter what it took.

With that resolve in mind he went back to bed.

-xXx-

Genma woke up not even thirty minutes later. His mind would simply not let him rest. With a resigned sigh he threw the sheets off of him. He looked through his clothes before settling on black pants that tightened at the base, a black sleeveless wife beater, and forgoing his usual blue sandals for the black shinobi sandals that came up to his knees.

He went out the door with his hands in his pockets in his custamary slouch. With a swift jump he was on a neary rooftop and withought a second thought he went to training ground 44. He was happy to note that there was hardly a soul out, which was undertandable as the sun had not even risen yet.

When he had arrived at the entrance to the dangerous forest he was taken aback to see that there was someone was already there. The silver hair stood as a stark indicator as to who it was and as he came face to face with the other person, he could only stare.

"Kakashi..." he said cautiously as Genma took in the sight of young Kakashi with two darkr grey-blue eyes staring back at him. "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi only stared back curiously as his mind raced. Had Genma ever trained at the training grounds? There wasn't much that the Copy Ninja could recall as he had not spent much time with others during his youth as he had been so focused on training and going on missions after he had lost his loved ones. He hadn't been very socialble but during the war he had grown closer to many people as they had been comrades and had to work together to take down a common enemy.

Genma though... Kakashi could remember as he got older bonding more with the other man as they had both lost a shared loved one. Minato's death had been a sore spot for the both of them. Though the subject had never been discussed, as both weren't close enough at the time, it had brought a sense of comradeship.

"I could ask you the same thing." Kakashi asked coolly, as he took in the difference in wardrobe though he wasn't one to talk as he was dressed similarly as the other. He was dressed in a black tank top, black pants that were taped at the bottom, and black shinobi sandals. On his arms were black finger-less gloves that ended at his elbows and he had his customary mask on his face.

Both shinobi assessed each other in silence. They were different than what they were before and both of them knew it. After years of fighting, the battle hardened shinobi were never the same and it was hard to hide it because it was who they were now. There was no longer a shred of innocence in their eyes and instead were the eyes of a veteran of war.

"You seem... different." Kakashi said cautiously, his gaze analytical.

Genma sighed as he bowed his head, brown hair clouding his vision. His hands itched for a cigarette. "Yeah... well, I just had fucking nightmare is all." He took out a senbon and without a second thought put it in his mouth.

"A nightmare?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow. Kakashi hesitated, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Genma smiled bitterly and Kakashi was struck on how out of place it was on such a youthful face. "It was about a rabbit in the moon. Stupid right?" He laughed darkly .

Kakashi froze. A rabbit in the moon? For a brief moment he thought that maybe he had been found out, that maybe this was a genjutsu... Kakashi steeled himself and he took a chance, "...Kaguya?"

The next thing he knew he was there was a kunai at his throat but he had his own out as well pointed at the other's stomach. Genma didn't even seem to care or notice as he stared at him with cold amber eyes.

"How do you know that name!?" Genma demanded.

Kakashi kicked the other away from him and Genma neatly back flipped and landed on his feet. They assessed each other and they stood in silence for a brief moment before Kakashi sighed deeply.

"It was... in my nightmare... It was about an eye in the moon..." Kakashi said cautiously. Genma stared incredulously before he took the chance and he put away his kunai.

"...Kakashi? Kakashi of the one thousand jutsu? Of the..." Genma hesitaded before he continued, never mind the fact that he might sound insane. He could play it off as being sleep deprived. "Sharingan?"

Kakashi could only stare for a moment before he dropped his kunai from shock. Was there actually someone else with him? The young Hatake could hardly belive it. He shook his head for a moment before he surveyed his surroundings, making sure that they were truly alone.

"...Genma? Of the Fourth's guard platoon?" Kakashi replied cautiously.

Genma eyes the other wearily before taking a leap of faith. "... Does the name Madara mean anything to you?"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he took in a deep breath. "You came back too? This isn't a dream... a genjutsu?!"

"Kakashi..." Genma said in a breathless whisper and before Kakashi could stop the other, he was envoloped in a desperate hug. After a moment Genma broke the hug, hands on Kakashi's shoulder all the while staring intently at the other's face. "You remember? You know about Madara? Abou the Akatsuki? Zetsu? Kaguya?"

Kakashi merely gave a sigh of relief. It opened up new opportuneties that was for sure and now the shinobi-out-of-time was sure that the future looked far less bleak than it did before. Kakashi gave their surroundings a glance over again before nodding towards the direction of the dark forest.

"Not here."

Genma gave a nod of understanding and soon they were sprinting through the woods on the limbs of trees. They went in deeper than most would ever have dared to and they stopped when they reached a clearing deep in the heart of the woods. There was a far less chance that anyone would come across them now as there was hardly a soul that came anywhere near training gorund 44 save for Anko but she was just a kid right now.

Kakashi and Genma both faced each other and the differences in each other were glaringly obvious and out of place, that is from the view of otehrs but to each other it was like greeting an old friend.

Wordlessly, Genma laid on his back as he satred at the darkness of the woods all the while listening to the sound of life in it. Kakashi, after a moment, sat next to him while leaning back on his hands to look at the sky.

"All I remember was sending an attack towards Madara," Kakashi muttered, eyes closed as he replayed the last few moments he remembered from the battle before he lost consciousness.

Genma nodded as he sighed. "You sent Lightning Release: Thunder Dragon Bullet. I remember." He comfirmed as he idly chewed on his senbon, not minding as it drawed a bit of blood.

Kakashi continued, "Then... you were next to me I think and you sent your own jutsu, right?"

"Yep. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet. I figured we'd have a better chance at hitting the bastard. That, and I was trying to buy some time for Uzumaki and the Uchiha brat." Genma faltered a bit. "But I don't know whether they got him or not... I blacked out... The last thing I remember was getting hit I think." Genma said softly as he sat up, the lower right side of his stomach echoing in pain. He idly raised his shirt a bit before his eyes widened.

There were scars decorating his skin and he recognized them all too well. As he raised his shirt more he became certain that all the scars that he had gained throughout his career as a shinobi had come back... even the most prominent ones and how he had not noticed them before he had no idea. Maybe it was the fact that he had accepted them a long time ago and didn't even think twice about them as they were a given in their profession.

"This might might be a problem." Kakashi observed as he idly checked for his own scars. His hand touched his face and he could feel the one that went over his eye and could already feel the questions that would arrive.

"Tell me about it. Tch." Genma grumbled before giving a resigned sigh. "It'd be a hassle to hide anyway though." He pointed out and the copy ninja gave a nod of agreement. "If they ask just say it was an accident or that we got it in training or something... If they ask about the more, ah, serious ones just don't answer..."

"It's none of their business anyway but we'll just make sure to cover the worst of them to avoid the hassle. For now though..." Kakashi got to his feet and walked towards a tree. "We should check what level we're at. I can feel that I have much more chakra than I remember at this age."

With that said, he concentrated chakra to his feet and very lightly touched the trunk of the tree... only to be thrown several feet back as the trunk exploded into splinters, leaving a sizable whole but not quite all the way through.

Genma whistled lowly at the amount of damage that was caused as he helped the groaning ninja to his feet. "Well your control is shot and Ii bet mine is too."

"Want to test that theory?" Kakashi muttered as he brushed off chunks of wood.

"Why not." The tokubetsu jounin walked to a tree before he took a deep breath and concentrated chakra to his feet and very carefully planted his foot on the trunk... only to get the same results as the copy ninja but he managed to stay on his feet at the last moment.

"Well that's discouraging..." Genma said as he scratched at the back of his head as he surveyed the damage done to the tree. It wasn't bad as Kakashi but his control was just as shity.

"By the way what are we going to do about Madara? The Akatsuki and all those other psychos? What's our plan?" Genma asked.

"Lets see what we know first."

Both shinobi sat down next to each other.

"Madara's the true leader of the Akatsuki, not Pein as we all thought. He's been alive for a lot loner than anyone thought... In fact he's been alive since his fight against the First Hokage and it was during the Kannabi Bridge mission that things really start going downhill." Kakashi said, face somber and serious.

Genma nodded solemnly. "And that's when he gets Obito right? He brainwashes him and makes him believe in that you..." Genma stopped, knowing that it was a sore spot for the copy ninja but Kakashi surprisingly just nodded.

"That I killed Rin." Genma noddded and Kakashi just nodded it off. "I accepted her death a long time ago when Obito died trying to help us." He answered at the inquiring look.

"Pein was really Uzumaki Nagato. He had created the Akatsuki in hopes of creating peace, along with Konan and a friend named Yahiko. Yahiko sacrificed himself in order to save both of them from Hanzo. Madara was the one who twisted their dream and Akatsuki's goal was changed completely."

Kakashi continued where Genma left off. "Their goal was to gather all of the tailed beasts to create a tailed beast weapon that would threaten all of the Elemental Countries and that it would unite them in which everyone would know the true meaning of pain."

Both remained silent for a moment.

"That's what Naruto told me anyway... But there's also the matter of Danzo." Kakashi said, face evoid of emotion except for the fire in his eyes at the tought of all the atrocities that the man had done.

"Not to mention Kabuto... We need to get rid of him as soon as we can. I don't fancy fighting the corpses of my comrades. And the Uchiha massacre... They've been getting distant from the village ever since the Kyuubi's attack from the village. We need to find a way to prevent that. I don't feel good letting Itachi put up with all that shit. We should find a way to blame it on someone else or something..." Genma's hand itched to have a cigarette but substituted a senbon instead.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "And Orochimaru. We need to find a way to keep him in the village."

Genma looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Kakashi's brow furrowed in thought. "I've always gotten this vibe that if Orochimaru had someone there for him, he wouldn't have left or ended up the way he did. From what the Third would tell me, Orochimaru had basically been left behind by his teammates. Tsunade because of her lover's death and Jiraiya because of staying in Ame. Not to mention he didn't have any family. They died years earlier and with his teammates gone and the Third being busy as Hokage, he was left all alone at the mercy of others. They couldn't do anything to him, sure, but he was basically a pariah in the village with how different he was from others. People hate what they don't understand."

Genma pondered what was being said. Personally, he had never known the Sannin but if they had a chance of converting someone to their side, it would be one less enemy to fight... "Naruto rubbed off you, didn't he?" He said with a smirk and Kakashi just chuckled.

"I guess he taught me a few things..." Kakashi sighed. "I'm pretty sure there's more but I can't remember right now. We should just train and get our control back. I can't face my team like this." Kakashi winced just at he thought of seeing them again. He didn't know how he'd react.

Genma seeing the uncertainty on the others face just clasped his shoulder. "It'll be fine. Anyway, I have some time off. We should meet here and train together. I don't have to meet my team until way later on. My sensei's on a mission."

Kakashi nodded. "Me too."

-xXx-

They spent the next few days in the same manner. They spent hours upon hours training and sparring with each others. They always woke before the rise of the sun and made their way to the Forest of Death.

Kakashi and Genma would try different methods to try to regain their control of chakra such as meditation to fighting on the waters of a rushing river. They desperately needed the control as it seemed that the reserves that they had as adults had gone with them. It was both a blessing and a curse but slowly and surely they were making headway.

Both of the shinobi had decided to wear weights in the form chakra bracelet that increased in weight with burst of chakra. They worked to regain their reflexes and train their bodies to increase in speed, stamina, strength and so on. It was a long process but it was worth it as they needed to be absolutely prepared.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Genma took in a deep breath and he let it out in the form of a fireball a bit more larger than average but it was better than the great fire ball of doom that he had earlier.

Kakashi's hands swiftly went through seals at an incredible pace that would have left genins looking green in envy. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" A snake like dragon roared as it flew towards the fireball and the result was a great explosion of steam that clouded the area.

The clearing was so silent that even nature seemed to have held its breath. Zabuza would have been proud because it would have been perfect for the Silent Killing Technique that he loved to employ just before asking his victim of which the eight vital spots on the human body to hit.

The silence was temporary however, as Kakashi's blade was soon exchanging blows with Genma's own kunai. Their movements were swift and to the untrained eye would seem like the blur and the only indicator of where they hit would be the sound of blades clashing and sparking.

Kakashi gave a roundhouse kick towards Genma but it was blocked by the tokubetsu jounin's forearm. Genma retaliated by giving a series of swift punches towards Kakashi's torso but each blow was blocked. It continued in the same manner for a while. Each side attacked fiercely but was also blocked just as well and it seemed that they were locked in a stalemate, almost hitting but not quite yet. It didn't seem to matter to the shinobi however as they continued, determined to be the victor.

The sudden ringing of an alarm startled the both of them enough that the clock met its unfortunate end with many kunai embedded in it.

In the sudden disturbance, the sound of their harsh breathing echoed loudly in their ears with adrenaline surging through their veins at the intensity of their fight.

"Well, I'd say that this is going to continue for a while." Genma laughed as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

"Our power is equal but I gotta say... You almost cut it close." Kakashi said good naturedly and dodged the swat that Genma aimed at him.

Genma could admit, to himself that is, that Kakashi was right. The Hatake was a at a different level than himself but he could proudly say that with each spar and he was getting better and more efficient. With the way they were now it would be safe to say that when they reached adulthood their power and skills would be at a different level than originally. Their chakra was still growing after all.

They've been training together for quite sometime. Its been a couple of weeks since they awoke in the past and they've long accepted that this was reality.

"I have to meet my team tomorrow." Genma said after a brief moment of silence.

"Me too." Kakashi said quietly.

Genma knew that Kakashi would have a harder time than him in adjusting, after all, he was the one that lost his entire team. He didn't know how he would do if he was in the Hatake's shoes. Genma didn't loose his whole team but he had lost the Fourth and he could say that while his team did mean a lot to him, the Fourth Hokage was like family to him. Genma had been proud to have been on the Fourth's Guard Platoon but he had often wondered what the use was to be in it if he could hardly even keep up with the man. Knowing that he had failed in his duty in protecting the man he cared so deeply about - because he was family and that shit mattered - left a sour taste in his mouth and caused a deep ache in his chest.

Kakashi had lived with the guilt of being the sole survivor of his team. He had just barely accepted their deaths not too long ago and seeing them alive and well again, not knowing of the dangers that lied ahead was like ripping open a healed wound. It hurt. Obito was the one that had taught him so much, taught him how to care and be more human and gave him a great gift and when he had to fight against him, it took all of his power not to give in. Rin had lived with the guilt as well, because Obito died trying to save her and it hurt that instead of living on in his stead she had decided to die. It was true that she had been trying to save the village because of the plot that the Kiri shinobi had in motion but couldn't she have tried something else? Her death had haunted Kakashi for years, especially in his dreams where he would often wake up paralyzed and feeling like he was bathed in her blood. Then Minato-sensei... Loosing the only remnant of his team as well family had completely broken the shinobi where it sent the shinobi into a spiral of depression and in an effort to feel useful threw himself into work like no one's business. He gambled with his life mission after mission and killed with an efficiency that startled many. He had become a perfect soldier, a perfect killing machine and weapon.

"What are you going to do?" Genma asked softly, eyes staring forward as he threw kunai at a tree with a target attached. All hit its target dead center.

Kakashi threw his own kunai and they each reached its target. "Face them of course. There's nothing else to do... besides, I can't avoid them forever."

Genma hummed as he stood up and reached towards his bag that laid towards the base of the tree. He carefully took out a box and handed it towards Kakashi who gave him an inquiring stare.

"I figured that you might like it. It's nothing like what your father gave you but I it'd get its job done for sure but I tried my best anyway. I also made sure to do a few modifications." Genma chewed on his senbo as he watched Kakashi open the box to reveal an elegant katana. "It's made out of reinforced steel with a chakra conductive blade. The hilt is etched with seals to make sure that you're the only one that could wield it. They also work as storage seals, to store anything you might need but also chakra."

Genma took out his own sword. It was beautifully made, all black with a sheath that was engraved in an elaborate gold pattern in the form of a dragon winding around it with red accents. With ease that came from long practice and wielding of such a weapon, Genma unsheathed it, the sound of metal echoing in the field and slashed down horizontally. The results were devastating as a torrent of water ripped through the ground cut a path through the trees that spanned many feet. Thankfully, they were deep in the woods, so it would not be noticed as easily.

"Depending on your chakra nature, you'll get different results." He smiled as he heard Kakashi whistle lowly at the destruction it left behind. "But if you want to do that then you have to remember to store some chakra in it. It'll come in as a surprise if you're ever cut off from it, somehow. Anyway, the blade also has seals etched into it to prevent rust, wear and tear and all that jazz. Basically makes it indestructible to most things. I'm not too sure what it can withstand yet but I know it won't break all willy nilly, these are my best work yet. You should be honored that you'll be the first I share my creations with."

With the war that had wrought the land, many shinobi had aquuired many different skill sets that they thought might be useful towards the war effort. In Genma's case, it was blacksmithing. He had spent many months training under the Higurashi's clan careful tutelage and it was clear that he had a proficiency in the craft. In the months into the war, weapons were being made by the masses and with the way they were being used, they were in high demand but most often than not made in lower quality because of the time constraints. In Genma's eyes, it was a useful skill to have as one could make a trustworthy weapon and not have to worry about having a faulty weapon.

Seals were also a proffession that Genma had taken up. In an effort to try to catch up to the Fourth and atone for his mistakes, he had taken an avid interest in seals. The Fourth had taught him a bit but not enough in the little time that he had. He wasn't as great as Jiraiya and he was no Uzumaki, but he did display an understanding and a better skill than most did on average.

Kakashi didn't say anything for moment, merely admiring the gift he was given before nodding at the other. "Thank you." Was all that he said but it was all that the tokubetsu jounin needed to all, the copy ninja wasn't a man of many words. The jounin hesitated for a moment. "Do you want to come to the compound? You know to get cleaned up a bit before you meet with your team?" He motioned towards Genma's dirty clothes and face.

The other blinked for a moment before giving a small smile. "Sure."

With that said both shinobi gathered their belongings and made the trek towards the Hatake compound that for the first time in a long while would be having visitors.

"You know, we should build a base over here..." Genma said as he folded his he stretched his arms behind his head. "Like a tree house or something."

"A tree house?"

"Yeah. It'd be awesome. Just think about it. I mean we could have it as a hide out in case something happened and have some supplies here and..." The two continued to talk, walking with an air of companionship.

-xXx-

When they arrived at the compound, Kakasho pointed Genma towards a bathroom and showed him where all the supplied were gathered. "Everything you need is in this cabinet." He pointed to the bottom of the sink. "Take your time and I'll leave some clean clothes at the door."

Genma thanked him and soon enough he was left alone to his own devices. For a moment he stood stll in silence. Genma, weirdly enough, felt apprehensive in being in someone else's home. He wondered if it was just him or if everyone felt the same when being in someone else's house.

He went through the motions of removing his clothing and without them in the way, he could already see the changes brought from his extensive training with Kakashi. He could see that his musles were more defined and the baby fat was quickly disappearing. However, he could also clearly see the large amount of scars that covered his skin. He didn't particularly care for them. They were just there for him and he knew each one but it could be worrisome how someone would react at seeing them on a mere genin. The small ones one could understand but the more prominent ones?

'As if I'd tell them anything anyway. I don't owe anyone answers.' Genma thought as he quickly and efficiently went through the motions of washing himself and he was out just as quickly as he went in. He dried off and dressed quickly in the clothes provided for him, black pants and a black wife beater. Absently, he ran a hand through his long hair to try to tame it a bit. Soon enough he was out and looking for Kakashi.

-xXx-

Kakashi was found in the kitchen sitting atop the sink, his face set in perfect stoicness as he read a scroll in his hands. With a small nod in Genma's direction, Genma's prescence was acknowledged.

"There's a team meeting." Kakashi said as he threw the scroll aside. "With all the genin teams."

Genma looked at him in surprise before he exploded. "All of them?!"

Kakashi nodded resignedly. "They want to try a group exercise at training ground 3."

They both sat in silence, both contemplating how this was going to end. They were both strong shinobi and they've been through a lot but they were't really prepared for this but they would do their damn best to try to reign in their emotions. They didn't want to get caught after all.

"Let's do this." Genma said as he stood to retrieve his weaponry. Kakashi nodded and soon followed him to gather his own tools. Both shinobi fastened their swords to their backs and made sure to have their weights on. Without a glance back

How'd they do, they didn't have clue. This was the type of thing one couldn't react to without trying it out first.

That's it. So yeah. Review? Flamers, back button. I don't know all the facts some of its not right but its a story.