Chapter 1:
Old life

"Hey Kashi-kun!"
The boy was just coming up the hill that led to the platform above the Hokage's heads. The girl who had called him stood on the slope and looked down into the village that they both called home.
"May ... what's wrong?"
He had known her for so long and just her voice told him that something seemed to be bothering her. She seemed worried.
"I've got a new order ... It's ..."
She turned to him and Kakashi could read everything in her eyes. She doesn't need to say a word. He knew what it was about.

"Don't look at me like that ... you can do it!" He said encouragingly and grinned at her.
She nodded slightly and a smile crossed her face. It was by no means an honest smile. So she turned back to the village.
She stood on the cliff for a long time and the wind blew around her, taking her hair with it in his direction.

Finally she turned completely to him and came up to him.When she was right in front of him, she had to look up to look him in the eye.

"Funny ... we used to be the same size ... and now ... you tower over me by almost two heads ..."
May giggled.
He hadn't seen her do that in a long time.
Then she reached back and opened her chain. She always wore it.
It was a delicate, silver chain with a silver medallion hanging from it. He had never seen her without the necklace.
But now she took it off and pressed it into his hand.

"But…?"
"Keep them until I'm back ..."

She smiled and this time it was her honest smile that made her whole face shine and that had been seen far too seldom on her lately.
The wind was now blowing harder over the high plateau and blew the fine strands from her face as she leaned over and breathed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"So I have a reason to come back ..."* ~ *

Kakashi Hatake startled.
He hadn't dreamed for a long time, but now ...
Then he pressed his hand to his face, recalling the dream.
She was there ... May.

He hadn't dreamed of her for a long time either.
Why now? Coincidence? Or was there a reason for it?
I put Kakashi on and grabbed the chain that hung around his neck. His lucky charm, her gift.
He had never taken it off.
The locket had even saved his life.

Finally he got up and went to the window. His gaze roamed through the part of the village that lay quietly below him and finally stopped at the stone face of the fourth Hokage.
For a long time he watched the face of his former master. Despite the darkness, he could see it clearly.

Then he sighed, turned and sat back on his bed.
He didn't understand why this dream troubled him so much. It wasn't his way.
Before he lay down again, he looked out the window again, where - to his surprise - the first snowflakes were just falling from the sky.Actually, they hadn't expected the first snow for the next few weeks. It was actually too early.

But Kakashi didn't care and lay down again. Naruto's training would take all of his attention again tomorrow.

~ * ~

At the same time, at the foot of the Valley of the end, four strangers entered the territory of the Fire Kingdom. They were wrapped in thick coats and no sooner were they in the country than they jumped off.
They were running late and would be expected in Konoha that morning.

"Everyone there?" Asked the leader of the group and got an answer straight away.
The team was complete.
They jumped through the forest at insane speed.
You really had to hurry.

Here and there a branch broke when they landed on it with too much force and then immediately jumped off again.
"Be careful ... You shouldn't be able to follow us!" Shouted the leader, who was at the head of the group and still had some speed ahead of the others.A few hours later, the sun had just begun to move over the horizon, they reached the nearby forest around Konohagakure and slowed their steps.
They wanted to calmly cover the rest of the way so as not to arouse suspicion.
At the moment you weren't very good at talking to strangers, no wonder when you consider what happened here a few years ago.

Soon they had crossed the forest and saw the huge gate that formed the entrance to the village.
The snowflakes were just beginning to fall on the already frozen ground and a cold wind came up, driving the flakes through the air.
Some of them got stuck on the steep slope in which the faces of the five Hokage were carved.
So Tsunade-heme's portrait had been added.

The small group stopped briefly in front of the gate and one of them took off his hood, which he had pulled down over his face beforehand.
The face of a young woman emerged, framed by her black hair.She reached out one of her hands and caught one of the snowflakes, which instantly melted from the warmth.
"You don't find a very suitable reception?", She smiled slightly and then directed her gaze towards the sky, where dark clouds were drifting around.
She hadn't been here for a long time. It had taken ten years.

"Sensei? Are you okay?", Asked one of the others and the woman nodded before she turned her gaze to the gate and waved to her former students, who now formed the team with her, to follow her.
At the gate, they were stopped by one of the guards and their papers checked.
The young woman had hardly taken the papers out of her coat and showed them when the ninja immediately apologized.

The woman just smiled thoughtfully and the four entered the village.
Another ninja appeared immediately.
"Tsunade-Hime, our Godai Hokage was already waiting for you ...", he said, bowed briefly and then led the group to the Hokage's house.It was not that easy to walk through the village, because the gentle, albeit cold, wind had turned into a storm that blew violently through the alleys.

Eventually the group reached the Hokage's home and the ninja let them inside.
The house was pleasantly warm and the four of them took off their coats.
When they turned towards the rooms they were shown, Tsunade came towards them.
"I was expecting you and I thank you for coming ..." she smiled.
It wasn't exactly her style, but she was really grateful.
With the loss of Asuma, they missed another ninja who made their village even more vulnerable than it already was.

"We are honored to be here," replied the young woman.
"My name is Rin Katakura," she introduced herself afterwards.
The three who were with her were her former students and teammates.
Takeru Honda, Hiroki Watanabe and Kasumi Aino.Each of the three bowed low to the Hokage.

"You must know that it was not easy to find support, because many villages are busy with themselves. Everyone is anxious to protect themselves, even if Konoha is in greater danger than most others ...", Tsunade told them when she asked the four into the "living room".
"We are all the more pleased that Yukigakure of all people came to our aid."

Rin smiled slightly.
It was ironic that she of all people had been sent here.
"There is of course a specific reason we need you. Not only did we lose many of our Jo-Nin ... we also have to guard the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed."

Rin understood.
So that was the real reason. They were supposed to protect Naruto, the kid Kyuubi was locked in.
Not an easy task considering the Akatsuki were after him. They already had three of the ghosts in their possession."I see. We will make sure that nothing happens to the Jinchiruuki.", Rin said and Tsunade smiled slightly.
"Thanks…"
Rin bowed slightly and then left the room with her three comrades.

They had been guests at Tsuande for a long time and the day was drawing to a close.

~ * ~

"You stay here. We won't start work until tomorrow. You are welcome to get something to eat, but please hold back. The more inconspicuous we behave, the better.", Rin explained to her three friends when they finally found a hotel had found.

However, she left the hotel herself.
She still had something to do.
She jumped quietly through the village, which was now falling into night.
She had a very specific goal.

Then suddenly she was standing in front of the property.
It looked old and deserted and you couldn't feel anything of the once so happy atmosphere that had prevailed here.
Rin jumped over the grille, which was locked with a thick chain and was supposed to keep intruders out.Behind the wall it landed in the fresh snow that covered the garden.
In her mind's eye she saw the garden in spring when the beds were full of flowers.
She walked towards the house on the snowy path.
She had closed her eyes. So she saw what it should look like.
But everything was different here.

She entered the house quietly, crept through the entrance hall and the hallway, all the way to the kitchen.
She had always sat here with her brothers, her parents.
Then she remembered the day ten years ago.
The scene appeared in her mind's eye, the walls freed themselves from the dirt of the years, the wall with a hole repaired itself.

And then there was her family.
Itachi was sitting at the table reading, her mother was at the stove preparing breakfast, her father was sitting next to Itachi.
And then she saw her little brother. Sasuke.
He looked at her and a smile lit up the little face.

But then he got sad.He jumped off his seat and came up to her.
"Why do you have to go away? I don't want you to go ..."
She went down on her knees and ruffled his black hair.
"I can't stay. I got an assignment."
She smiled at him and he pouted.
"Jobs are stupid. You don't have any time for me ..."
"Oh Sasuke ..."
"Do you promise me what? Do you promise me that you will come back?"
There was hope in his eyes.
She kept smiling at him and nodded.
"Yes ... I promise you. And when I get back, I'll tell you about my adventures that I've had."

Then his face lit up again and he laughed at her before turning around and running into his room, from which he