Unforeseen Consequences

Kakashi lay sprawled on the ground, his hands resting lightly on his abdomen, staring blankly with his signature lazy eyes at the heads of his three students.

"It's you guys..." he mumbled. "Did I fall asleep just now?"

Sakura and Sasuke, who were about to leave, paused in their tracks. Both had strange expressions, unsure of how to respond to their sensei. Meanwhile, Naruto just grinned and patted Kakashi on the shoulder.

"Yeah! You did, sensei! But why'd you decide to nap on the cold ground like that?"

Sasuke: …

Sakura: …

Despite Naruto's casual tone, his eyes couldn't help but glance at the strange powder beside Kakashi. It was what remained after the Totem of Immortality had worked its magic.

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura was particularly surprised by the totem turning to powder. After all, considering the other strange things they had seen recently, this was hardly out of the ordinary.

On the other hand, Starrk Uzumaki, one of Naruto's shadow clones, was busy recording the effects the totem had on Kakashi. To be honest, he was dying to ask Kakashi what it felt like to come back from the dead.

Kakashi eyed Naruto suspiciously, feeling like something was off. He thought back to the vision of his father, Sakumo, that he had just experienced. Had it all been just a dream?

He shifted slightly on the ground, finding a more comfortable position. Putting his hands behind his head, he stared up at the sky, lost in thought.

Obito... Rin...

How are you two doing in the afterlife?

Sakura, relieved that Kakashi was okay, couldn't contain her joy. Her heart raced with relief.

Thank goodness! Sensei is alive! Mom, Dad, I don't have to become a rogue ninja!

Satisfied that their teacher was alright, Sasuke gave up on his earlier thoughts of defecting. Instead, he casually walked over to where another of Naruto's clones, Starrk Uzumaki, was scribbling in a notebook.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Sasuke tried to peek at what was being written. Starrk noticed but didn't seem to mind. After all, Sasuke wouldn't understand any of it anyway.

The notebook was filled with dense numbers and symbols, making Sasuke's head spin. But after a few minutes, he found something he could read, and it struck him like a bolt of lightning:

"I have been walking on thin ice my whole life; do you think I can still make it to the other side?"

Sasuke read the line over and over in his mind, feeling a deep connection to it. Memories of the night of his clan's massacre flashed through his mind.

Walking on thin ice… he thought to himself. This... this is really profound.

He mumbled to himself as he walked away, leaving Starrk to watch him with a mix of confusion and amusement.

"Poor guy… Can't even understand what I wrote."

Naruto, satisfied that the Totem of Immortality had worked, found a quiet spot, pulled out a large iron door, and began practicing with it. After all, he wanted to master the use of his unusual weapon.

Meanwhile, Kakashi lay on the ground, his mind drifting through memories of his past teammates. He didn't know how long he lay there before he finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

The days passed like this, with Team 7's training progressing steadily.

Under Kakashi's guidance, Sasuke learned the Lightning Style: Chidori. Inspired by Naruto's earlier words, he even developed his own variations of Lightning Style, like Three Thousand Thunder Movements and Three Thousand Thunder Phantom Body.

With his newfound speed and lightning clones, Sasuke was almost a blur in battle. Kakashi couldn't help but be impressed, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Sasuke was drifting away from the more traditional paths of ninjutsu.

Naruto, on the other hand, was as unpredictable as ever. Whether it was his strange shadow clones or the bizarre, colorful door panels he used in training, he never ceased to surprise—or worry—Kakashi.

And Sakura? She was proving to be the most level-headed of the group. Not only had she mastered her chakra control, but she also learned a couple of Genjutsu techniques. Kakashi made a mental note to encourage her to pursue medical ninjutsu when they returned to the village.

Suddenly, Starrk Uzumaki, now shirtless and showing off his muscular build, approached Naruto, proudly holding a pair of fist blades.

"Check out my new weapon, Naruto!"

Naruto glanced at the fist blades, then back at Starrk with a puzzled expression. "Wait... Aren't you supposed to be Starrk Uzumaki? Where's your armor? You look like you're cosplaying as Uncle Wolf!"

Starrk ignored the jibe, crossing his arms and growling theatrically. "I am... Bateman!"

Naruto was stunned. "Bateman?! You look more like a mix of Uncle Wolf and Iron Man. What the heck are you even saying?"

Starrk smirked and tossed the heavy fist blades to Naruto. "Made from netherite. Stronger than anything Uncle Wolf has, but not enchanted. If it were, you probably wouldn't even be able to lift your arms."

Naruto struggled with the weight, imagining himself using the blades in battle. The thought made him wince.

"Yeah... these would definitely do more damage than my usual punches."

Kakashi, seeing his team's antics, closed the book he was reading and jumped down from the tree.

"Alright, everyone, pack up your things. We're heading back to the village to hand in the mission."