A/N: Sorry for all this depressing stuff. I'm having to deal with my husband being away for almost two weeks now and it's really getting to me. Anyway #66 is related to #15. #67 is related to #s 5, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. #68 is related to #s 6, and 36. #69 is me being pissy and relating everything in general that has had to do with Kakashi in this whole thing.

66.) Teacher

Tsunade knew Naruto could lead in battle on a massive scale. That was already proven. However, that wasn't all there was to being a kage. One had o learn to get personal with those they lead, and, though Naruto could do this too, they had to be able to deal with snot-nosed brats. He had to deal with the brazen ones, the quiet ones, and the clowns, and she had just the kids for him to take on.

Their first meeting was to be at the school, in Iruka's room, the same as when he met Kakashi the first time. These were special cases, Iruka told him, just as he, Sasuke, and Sakura had been. All three of them were highly intelligent, all three were top-of-the-class in both knowledge and physical testing. They were also two-years younger than the rest of their class. Naruto was going to be training ten-year-olds.

At least he had a kid their age, himself. One year younger, to be exact, but his kid would have another three years before he graduated. Naruto had already worked it out with Kurenai-sensei. Although his son was top-of-the-class like these kids were, he wanted his kid to grow up first. He wanted his kid to have a childhood that he and Hinata were denied in different ways.

But, when he saw who it was sitting there waiting for him, Naruto froze. These weren't ten-year-olds. They were seven. They were Sakura's kids.

"Uncle Naruto? What are you doing here?" Mai asked.

Naruto held up a finger, "Excuse me. I have to talk with your teacher."

He turned right around and went straight to the staff lounge, knowing somebody had to be there that would know where Iruka was. He was blessed, instead, with finding Iruka already there drinking a cup of tea as he graded papers.

"You told me they were younger than their classmates by two years," Naruto walked in, accusing. "Those kids are five years too young to graduate!"

"No, Naruto," Iruka leaned back in his chair. "They were already placed in a class two years ahead. Yesterday, they tested out so well that I put them through a full testing. They're better than the rest of the graduates. I passed them. Considering your own experience with Sasuke who was held back like you're asking us to do with your son, I thought you should be the one to teach them. Having a parent as a Jonin leader is not an option, legally, otherwise I would have asked one of their fathers instead. You were the only person I felt they could be trusted with."

"Sakura doesn't even know yet!" Naruto belted out. "I just talked to her yesterday, she thinks they still have two or three more years!"

Iruka frowned. "I thought she did know they passed."

Naruto set his jaw, "I'm going to whip their little asses for this."

As he walked out of the door, and back down the hall towards the kids, Iruka followed discretely, curious about how Naruto would handle this, and perfectly willing to back him up on the disappointment factor. It was his understanding that all three parents had given consent for full testing and early graduation. It seemed at least one signature, probably all three, was falsified.

67.) Substitute

Due to a severe case of the flue affecting the whole Uzumaki family, Umino Iruka would substitute for Naruto on this mission. It was a D-rank escort mission meant only to deter potential thugs from attacking. Oftentimes, the simple presence of ninja was all that was needed. This time, however, things had to take a bad turn. Sometimes, life just messed with you in the worst of ways.

There was a mine field where once there was a road. The first rider was shredded meat. Everybody else held up. Attackers surrounded the small caravan. Strange popping, almost banging, sounds filled the air. Naoki was the first to fall. His shirt puffed out away from his chest for an instant, then blood followed. Kato rushed at the enemy, but was hit so hard with the invisible projectile that he was pushed into a tree where he collapsed. Mai was part-way into the mine-field, trapped as she watched her brothers fall. Iruka didn't have the speed required to take out all the assailants before she was hit in the arm, and he in the leg.

As he fell, something happened. Mai caught him. Later, she would tell him that, had he fell there, he would have hit a mine with his elbow. These mines were chakra-sensitive, and that is why she could see it, but how she saw it was a mystery.

It was a mystery only to her. Iruka saw her eyes. She had awakened the first stage of Sharingan.

The attackers weren't around much longer. They gained nothing. The kids almost died.

Iruka swore never to substitute in the field again, not for a Jonin leader, at least.

68.) Thirty Years

Aburame Shino was twenty-eight-years-old, head of his clan, father of two, a boy and a girl. Because his wife was also a head of clan, each of their children received a different surname. The elders' intent was to have the two clans remain separate, have separate heirs, but continue the good relations, as always. This was easily accepted by both sides of the issue. It would be easier on the two groups than trying to integrate since integration would mean moving one family to the other's, or, perhaps, both families to a new location as per the laws set down by the Second Hokage.

Shino was also terminally ill. Despite all the advances in medicine, and all the ways the medic-nin had to correct even the microscopic disturbances, there were still certain sicknesses nobody could heal. Someone he fought against had a blood disease. His bugs brought the pathogen into his system when he called them back.

He couldn't even kiss his wife's hand without her having to wash it off right away. Her fingers always had at least one little nick where the disease might find purchase. Any bodily fluid transmission was off limits, so he had his own bathroom, washed his own dishes every time he ate. He wore a white medical mask to keep from coughing and sneezing on others. He even slept apart from his wife just because she often wanted sex during the night, and they had no sex without kissing.

Aburame Shino was just barely thirty-years old when he died in the hospital from this illness.

69.) Loneliness

Kakashi had lived alone most of his life. Even when friends asked him to join them on outings, he usually had refused them. After the war, however, he made an effort to be more sociable. He came to the weekly gatherings that shifted from location to location. He spent more time with his team outside of work and training. He actually put some effort into the challenges Gai came up with, talked with Naruto about Minato, told Sasuke more about Obito, commiserated with Itachi, and helped Yamato try to track down his sister. He posed with the rest of the team for Sai to paint them; Sai was doing this for all the people who made it through the war.

Slowly, he started to understand why he generally found himself staying at Sakura's apartment in the evenings, timing his grocery shopping and other errands to coincide with hers, and making other excuses to see her, like extra taijutsu training. He loved her. She had traits of Rin and Kushina that he liked, but she was also uniquely Sakura. She took great care in tending his battle wounds, offered to be there for him emotionally should he need it, and found little ways to show everyone she cared.

She bought Naruto more clothes than he'd ever had before. It was only two more sets of pants, three shirts, and some underwear, but Naruto was so happy he almost cracked her spine when hugging her in thanks.

She encouraged Sai to start using color in his paintings, going as far as to buy him more canvases to practice on, and a muted palate of paints to start with. It was the first time ever Kakashi remembered seeing Sai reach out to hug someone instead of reacting to a hug someone gave him.

To Sasuke she gave a starter kit for tomato growing. His only reply was a small smile and, "You remembered."

For Yamato, Sakura bought him architecture books from around the world, telling him to study up and show her what he could do with it. He eagerly accepted the challenge. He promised to build her a house one day and use inspiration from all the books.

Kakashi, however, received her shoulder, her laugh, and her trust. Obito may not have had much time with her, but he had enough time to tell her about Kakashi's past. She had made it her mission to slowly break him in to having someone around, to having consistent company, to being secure enough in the thought that people he loved weren't cursed by his affections. He could love again. He could love his friends. He didn't have to keep everyone at arm's length.

So, when she gave him a small kiss on the cheek after a long hug one night, he wondered if it was an invitation. The next night, though, he could see her pressed up against her front door, arms wrapped around Yamato as he explored her mouth with his. Perhaps her affection for Kakashi was only platonic?

He bought her shoes, paid for meals, and did his best to convey his tentative wants to her through staying close all the time. Sakura didn't let Yamato inside that night, but she did invite him to the breakfast Kakashi had offered.

At first, Kakashi was pissed that the other man was there, already more intimate with Sakura than he was. The stab of loneliness was sharp in his chest when Sakura grasped Yamato's hand in greeting. Then she kissed Kakashi's cheek again, just above the mask this time. That was the day they all came to terms with the relationship they would have from then on.

He didn't expect it, but Kakashi found himself drawn to Yamato as well as their little triangle progressed. He wasn't interested in having sex with the man, but he did love him almost as deeply as he loved Sakura. He had a comfortable relationship with him, Kakashi thought.

Five years after the kids were born, Tsunade handed over the title of Hokage to him. He missed the children all the time, being stuck in the office. Considering he was Sakura's and Yamato's boss now, things started getting tenser at home, too. Both inside and outside the village, his basically polyamorous relationship was called into question many times. He wasn't seen as responsible enough to settle down and have a real family. The extra drama at home could compromise his ability to lead.

He and Yamato talked it over. Outwardly, Sakura would marry Yamato. She would be faithful. Kakashi would have to move out, go to his childhood home which was mercifully left intact other than the damage done through time left vacant. Sakura would still visit him. He would still visit them. He would still have time with his son and the other kids. He wouldn't always be alone.

It still meant plenty of lonely nights for him. Sakura only came to stay with him when Yamato was away. After a while, she stopped making-love to him, too. By the time two years had passed, she had told him that she would be loyal to hr husband.

There came a time when Yamato stopped paying her as much attention as she needed, though. Sakura learned what it meant to be lonely. Kakashi kept his distance, though. He hoped the two would fall back in-love with one another.

Then came the attack.

It always happened at least once every year or two. Someone would try to take down a kage. This time it was Kakashi's turn. He was signing the papers for Sarutobi Konohamaru to take some time off, the man's wife was almost ready to give birth. Said wife was in the room at the time, and the attackers went straight for her, intending to use her as a hostage. It didn't work.

The attackers were defeated, but Kakashi ended up near death anyway. He had used Obito's eye again, this time to quickly banish the idiot holding a knife to the pregnant woman's belly. Konohamaru was trying to get to her, but there were far too many people in the enclosed space for him do do so safely.

The things Sakura said when he was recovering... It seemed Yamato had left her far more lonely than Kakashi believed. He made it a point then, that when he got out of the hospital, he would hold her. He would love her again. He would tell her the things she needed to hear, touch her the way she needed to be touched. He would also tell her husband to straighten his act up with her. Sakura was ready to leave him.

Two months later, he heard her complain about her period being late. They hadn't been together in over a month, but she still wasn't with Yamato in any way but name yet. Kakashi brushed it off. That happened sometimes. She was probably going through menopause.

That same week, he gave up his position as Hokage, handing the mantle to Naruto. Two months after that, Sakura was dead, an unborn child inside her body had died from lack of oxygen as well. Blood testing showed it to be Kakashi's. At first, the news caused a fist fight between Yamato and Kakashi. They avoided one another for almost a week after.

The loneliness was eating away at him again. He knew Yamato was supposed to be working the whole night, so he decided to break in through the bedroom window and curl up in Sakura's spot on the bed. Yamato found him there, and let him stay. It seemed they both were ready to let go of anger. Though he stayed a few days, Kakashi understood he had to go home again. People were starting to talk as if it was Yamato, and not Sakura, that Kakashi had been lovers with.

Being alone really was his lot in life.