SUMMARY:

The Akatsuki organisation has painstakingly plotted a way to get the Jinchuriki they need – Naruto. It's a clever and sly plan, designed to work. But they didn't plan on Naruto's silver haired sensei to interfere. Kakashi might have been able to save Naruto but would he be able to save himself from the Akatsuki.

This is my first Naruto fanfiction and I hope that you will like it. It also has a small flashback of Kakashi's life in every chapter as well. This story takes place shortly after Tsunade heals Kakashi and Sasuke. It's when Team 7 is still a team.

Enjoy!

Kakashi was teaching Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura the art of meditation when the news arrived. Sakura had grasped the process well enough but Naruto and Sasuke were still struggling. Kakashi sighed as he watched Naruto and Sasuke try to best each other again. He had been trying so hard to get his team to work together and though sometimes, they did work together reasonably well, they were still more like three individuals than like a team. Sometimes, Kakashi could even see the resemblance to which his current team had with his previous team.

Naruto was so much like Obito, always wanting to surpass his rival, bursting out into short random speeches at random times and even occasionally tripping over his feet just like the Uchiha used to.

Naruto was also so much like his father, Kakashi's deceased sensei. Naruto had the same sprit as his father and not to mention, both of them had the same love and passion for ramen.

It was almost unnerving to see Sakura act so much like Rin. Though Sakura was definitely much more headstrong and rebellious than Rin, both of them shared the same concern for their teammates. Sakura's obsessive crush on Sasuke was so similar to Rin's love for Kakashi. She, like Rin, was also the most level headed one of the team- the peacemaker.

As for Sasuke, it sometimes scared Kakashi to see how much Sasuke was like his old ten year old self. Sasuke had the same intent to learn more and become a powerful shinobi, not to mention being the heart throb of many girls as well.

Kakashi had never though that he would ever be in his sensei's position but then again, a lot of things changed through time and Kakashi had never thought that he would ever have to loose his beloved teacher.

"Kakashi senpai!" a Chunin came to a stop at where Team 7 was training. The Chunin was out of breath and gasping for air. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura looked at the Chunin curiously.

"Yes?" Kakashi asked lightly, jumping out of the tree branch at which he had been resting on.

"The Hokage sama wants to see you right now! She says if you come late, she'll come looking for you and you'll wish that you were dead," the Chunin said, looking apprehensively at Kakahi as he delivered the last part of the message.

Kakashi merely raised his eyebrow while Naruto sniggered at the Chunin's apparent discomfort.

"Who else does the Hokage sama want to see?" Kakashi asked.

"She wants to see all the jounins and ANBU members as well," the Chunin said. "At the Main Pavilion!"

Kakashi's lazy eye widened slightly. The Main Pavilion was only ever used for very urgent emergencies. In fact, the last time the Main Pavilion was used was during the Kyuubi attack. Kakashi's heart clenched in remembrance.

"Hai, I'll go now," Kakashi told the Chunin. He then turned towards his students. "Continue meditation for half an hour and then you can have your lunch."

Kakashi smiled at them before disappearing off. The Chunin remained, staring curiously at Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Everyone in the village had heard about the Copy Ninja's students which involved the Jinchuriki, the last surviving Uchicha (except for Itachi), and the talented pink haired medic nin who had a fierce temper.

"Don't you find him a bit strange sometimes?" the Chunin asked them. "You know, a bit scary?"

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, thinking about all the times their sensei had been mysteriously late, the way that though their sensei always acted lazy and relaxed, Kakashi was always on alert, the way their sensei would sometimes stare at them sadly as they argued (Naruto vs Sasuke, and Sakura trying to stop them), the way the one eyed jounin could change into a merciless killing machine and then back into their carefree, smiling sensei again.

"No," the three of them said loyally.

By the time Kakashi had reached the Main Paviolion, the place was packed with jounins and ANBU members. Everyone was tense with curiosity and anticipation. There was no sign of Tsunade sama, Kakashi relaxed slightly but immediately tensed up again as he heard someone's rather loud voice.

"HAH! My eternal rival has arrived. I was her before you, Kakashi, so that's another point to me!"

Gai was strolling proudly towards him with his chest stuck out. Behind him, Asuma and Kurenai ware walking with Gai, shaking their heads in despair. Kakashi smiled at in greeting as the older jounins joined him.

Very few people knew that Kakashi was in actual fact, four years younger than the jounins. Kakashi still remembered the first time he had met them.

--------------------------FLASHABCK------------------------------------------

"Where could sensei be?" Kakashi thought to himself. "Flirting with Kushina again probably,"

Kakashi sighed and leaned against the large oak tree behind him. He was in a shaded position and as people wandered past him, none of them noticed a young masked, silver haired boy. Kakashi relaxed slightly but immediately tensed up again as he heard someone's rather loud voice.

"My amazing power of youth has detected a little boy trying to be invisible by the tree! HAH!" a ten year old boy wearing green spandex and with a shiny black hairdo came striding up to Kakahi. Behind him was a beautiful girl and a boy chewing on a piece of stick. Both of them looked about the same age as the spandex wearing boy.

"Leave the kid alone Gai," the stick chewing boy said, with an apologetic smile at Kakashi. Kakashi made no attempt to smile back at him, not appreciating being called a kid.

"I am Kurenai," the pretty girl introduced herself, "this is Asuma and this is Gai,"

"Hi" Kakashi said shortly, still leaning on the tree.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for my sensei,"

"What! You're too young to have a sensei, kid," Asuma pointed out. Kurenai and Gai nodded their agreement.

"That's what youthink," Kakashi retorted, "I graduated from the Academy bout a year ago. I'm going to take the Chunin exams soon."

Three disbelieving snorts greeted Kakashi's statement. The masked boy scowled up at them.

"The Konoha's White Fang is my father," Kakashi said proudly. "I am going to grow up to be just like my father and my sensei!"

Kakashi looked up superiorly and was not expecting the kind smiles that he received.

"Aw, he's so sweet!" Kurenai said to Kakashi's mortification. She ruffled Kakashi's hair, causing him to blush indignantly.

In just a second, Asuma, Gai and Kurenai found themselves hanging upside down from the oak tree. Kakashi smirked up at their shocked and surprised faces.

"Told you," Kakashi said simply, leaning back against the tree again. Gai's eyes were wide with surprise.

"No one had ever tied me upside down to a tree before!" Gai yelled.

"Really?" Kakashi was bored.

"From now on, you shall be my Eternal Rival!" Gai declared impressively (or as impressive as one could get from hanging upside down from a tree). Gai's wild movements caused the unfortunate genins tied up with him to slowly turn around.

Kakashi seemed slightly surprised at Gai's speech but replied with a lazy "Whatever"

At that moment, there was a sudden gust of wind and suddenly, a blond haired man was standing next to Kakashi. Asuma, Kurenai and Gai's eyes widened as they recognised the "Konoha's Yellow Flash"

The man ruffled Kakashi's hair fondly and started as he noticed the three hanging genins.

"Making friends?" he asked Kakashi.

"Already made an "Eternal Rival" apparently," Kakashi said lazily ducking out of his sensei's hand. His sensei smiled at Asuma, Kurenai and Gai before releasing them from Kakashi's rope.

"You're his sensei" Asuma asked incredulously, rubbing his head.

"You bet! Kakashi's taking the Chunin Exams soon, so come and watch him in the Third Round!" Minato said, putting his arm around Kakashi proudly.

Asuma and Kurenai exchanged surprised glances before nodding and disappearing off in a puff. Gai's exit was more…dynamic.

"I will come and watch you my Eternal Rival!" Gai said loudly before heading after his teammates.

Minato laughed at the surprised look on Kakasi's face before ruffling his student's hair fondly again.

-------------------------------

"Wonder what's so urgent?" Asuma asked, scratching his beard thoughtfully. Kakashi shrugged and Gai gave his rival a dazzling smile.

"Hokage sama has called all of us here because she is in need of Konoha's most elite ninjas!" Gai declared.

Asuma frowned at Gai.

"You're not an elite ninja though," he said. Gai looked as if he was about to strangle Asuma when Tsunade sama appeared.

"Please stand to attention!" the feisty Hokage barked out. Behind her was Jiraiya, who was looking both smug and worried at the same time.

All jounins and ANBU lined up separately in military positions. The Hokage looked at her soldiers gravely before starting her statement.

"An army of 150 missing ninjas are heading to attack Konoha," she said.

I only recently discovered Naruto and this is my first piece of fanfiction for it. Kakashi is without doubt, my favourite character and this story will mainly evolve around him.

Please can you review and tell me what you think of it?

PLEASE REVIEW!