True Potential | A Naruto Fanfic

The elders.

Three days before the Chunin Exams.

Konoha was buzzing with noise. Tourists from all over the world were scattered across bars, restaurants, and some even in Gentlemen's clubs while their wives were distracted by the various shops in the village. Over at Ichiraku Ramen sat 14 people, taking all the stool spots and making Teuchi have to set up tables behind the Group for Tourists. It appeared as if they had just regrouped from their training.

Naruto looked much more mature, and was a clear copy of his father and grandfather, with his grandmother—and father's— beautiful blue eyes that seemed to attract so many people and say so many things, yet remain caged between self constructed walls at the same time. During his training with Bee he had learned how to properly control and mask his emotions, and aside from those had become a much calmer figure, radiating a calming aura to everyone.

Sasuke hadn't changed much, except the fact that he and Daichi had become good friends and had helped each other reach new heights with the common goal of...protecting their loved ones from the shadows. It seemed as if Kakashi made a great decision with making Daichi train with Sasuke. The boy's intelligence and calmness always seemed to remind Kakashi of a certain weasel-masked ANBU Captain that used to be in fact like a little brother to Kakashi in the ANBU, the latter being the only one who believed in the young Uchiha from the start.

"Oh Itachi...if only I talked to you longer that day...if only I asked you what was wrong...please forgive me." Kakashi thought as Naruto turned his head to his Aniki, who was sitting on his left, while Ino to his right.

"His chakra seems distressed...worried...depressed...but he's not showing anything..."

Meanwhile, the flashbacks ran through Kakashi's head and hit him like a WWE Diving Elbow to the throat.

Flashback.

Kakashi sat on the edge of Yondaime Hokage's head, staring out at the village that with time had become so alien to him. The only people he cared for that remained were Naruto, his teacher's legacy, Tenzo (Yamato), his Kōhai and Uchiha Itachi, his little brother figure. Speaking of, a swarm of crows gathered next to Kakashi, before they materialized into Itachi.

"Hello Kakashi-senpai, how are you holding up?" Kakashi tried to smile, but it just wouldn't seem real, especially to an ANBU. Embracing the truth, Kakashi leaned on his hands and sighed.

"To be honest, I definitely could be better Itachi, and please drop the suffix, I've told you that I think of you as a brother and comrade, not an inferior." He tried to change the subject in the end, however couldn't ignore the weird gut feeling he was getting. Maybe it was years of experience, but he felt like something terrible was going to happen tonight, that could perhaps overshadow the Kyuubi attack.

"I'm sorry Kakashi. And...why's that?" Itachi asked, genuinely worried for the Hatake in his late teens who had not only showed, helped and trained him, but the man was really what Itachi could think as a brother figure.

"I just have a bad gut feeling. It feels like something bad ought to happen, but eh it's probably just paranoia." He laughed sheepishly, before taking a basket that was on his other side.

"You want some Dango?" Kakashi, asked, and upon Itachi glancing at the small basket as if it was a holy artifact, chuckled audibly.

"Please." Itachi actually chuckled along and ate 2 skewers of Dango quicker than usual, before burning the sticks to a crisp with his Fire style. However the boy still seemed troubled. Something in him just kept him from relaxing, and Kakashi understood that feeling all too well. The moment he was about to ask if something was wrong, Itachi's voice beat him to it.