(Woowee, it has been a long wait for this sequel. Honestly I was thinking of not making a sequel, because I had been in such a dark place emotionally when I had written the end of last one, and I was worried about going back to that emotional place. However, the comments and messages I got from the fans of my last Kakashi book made me reconsider. I was having trouble deciding what direction I should take this, so one of my friends suggested I reread the first book and see if I got inspiration from that. And boy did I ever! I've been writing almost non-stop for a week now. I hope to make this book a much happier book, but to do that I will stray from the exact details of the original Naruto series a bit. This book will also be MUCH shorter than the first, possibly under 10 chapters. Once again, I don't own any of the Naruto characters.)

Kakashi POV

The sounds of machines whirring and beeping filled my ears. How long had it been that I had been coming to this hospital room? And what changes had come during that time? None. Even Tsunade hadn't been able to bring my sweet Uta back to me. I turned and looked at Tsunade who stood in the doorway. "Lady Tsunade..." Tsunade gave me her usual sad smile and moved over to where Uta laid. She lifted Uta's eyelid and shone a light into her eye. Even I could see Uta's pupil react normally. Tsunade sighed. I looked up at her, "Why? Shouldn't she have woken up by now? What could we be missing?" Tsunade sighed again, "By all rights, she should have woken up a long time ago. Her body is fully healed, and her brain and organs are functioning normally. But it isn't her physical condition that is keeping her like this."

Tsunade walked over to the window and looked out, "If her mind or soul were broken, then no amount of medical ninjutsu can heal her. The only one who can heal those kinds of wounds are her. And to do that, she has to be incredibly strong. But with how long it's been..."

"She'll do it. She has more strength than anyone I know. She WILL get better!"

Tsunade gave a tired sigh, "I hope, for your sake, that you're right."

Tsunade moved to leave the room, but paused in the doorway, "By the way, with the threat of the Akatsuki, we will be moving Uta, along with all of the other intensive care patients to the other location. Until the threat has passed, only medical personnel will be allowed in...will you be alright?" I clenched my jaw and gave a curt nod. I had no choice about it after all.

I smoothed Uta's hair back after Tsunade had left and I went back to telling her about all of the new events that had happened recently. Including Naruto going to Mount Myoboku to train in sage jutsu.

"He still believes that if he simply gets strong enough he will be able to convince Sasuke to come back. He and Sakura are still so determined. They don't have a single doubt in their minds that they can bring back the good old days..." I chuckled and idly twirled Uta's hair around my fingers, a smile playing on my lips, "I guess I can't really blame them, since I'm hoping for the same. You would think that I of all people would know better than to hope for a happy ending. But here I am, still coming to see you every day, hoping that when I open that door I'll finally see you looking back at me."

My smile fell and I leaned forward to press my forehead against Uta's cheek, "I miss you so much..."

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

~~~Uta's POV~~~

"No I'm serious! He is just like you used to be! The only difference is his overwhelming desire to be Hokage!" Uta narrowed her eyes as Usa howled with laughter. How many times was he going to laugh at her comparing Naruto to him? Uta jutted her bottom lip, "See, this is what I'm talking about! Naruto would've been just as obnoxious with his reaction!" Usa slapped the log he sat on, the ever burning fire in front of him flickering in response. Uta had gotten used to this strange place. The empty darkness spread out in all directions with nothing to give her a chance to orient herself. The endless darkness should have a shinobi like herself feeling on edge, but this place felt oddly comforting, even if it also felt like the place held immeasurable sadness.

Usa wiped his eye, his mirth having made him tear up, "I'm sorry Uta, it's not the comparison that makes me laugh. It's your expression! To see you look so fond of someone, but also so incredibly annoyed with them, is amazing! You always used to be so blank with your expressions, worse than Yamato if I recall right. So the fact that Naruto makes you show such a great face makes me happy." Usa sighed and leaned back on his arms, looking up to wear the sky should be. His grin softened, "Yeah...it makes me happy...but not as happy as the expression you wear when you talk about how Kakashi makes you feel." Uta swallowed the lump in her throat and copied Usa's position. "My only regret with Kakashi is that I ended up dying and leaving him behind..." Uta saw Usa give her a sharp look. He always looked like he wanted to say something when she mentioned her own death, but he either couldn't say it or always chose against it.

A bright green streak of light shot overhead. These strange lights were the only light other than her fire that existed in this strange place, always heading in the same direction. She wasn't sure why, but she always felt a little sad to see the green lights pass her by. Before long, more and more green lights began to streak by. Usa let out a low whistle, "Yikes, seems like some shit has gone down over there..." Uta raised an eyebrow at her brother. Usa's leg bounced and he fidgeted, looking like he wanted to jump up an follow the lights. He always got like that when the lights appeared. And just like always, he reached out and touched Uta's hand. She turned her hand to hold his and gave a gentle squeeze.

Her eyes drifted back up to the lights, "What is over there?" Usa chuckled, "A nice place." Uta hummed and turned her head in the direction that the green lights usually vanished, "And over there?" Usa sighed airily, "A nice place..." Uta furrowed her brow. Usa was always a bit vague when he talked about this place. But he always sounded like he longed to go to either place. "Should we go and check those places out?" Uta was sick of this place. She felt stuck here, and all those lights streaking by had her becoming anxious about being stuck. Usa chuckled and shook his head, finally lowering his gaze from the lights, "What, you don't like hanging out with me here?" Uta lowered her gaze to his and crinkled her nose, "Honestly...."

Both siblings let out a laugh, but Uta glanced at the lights again. One of the lights seemed to be curving down before the others. No light had ever curled like that. Uta watched it lazily, "No...I love spending time with you...but I kinda feel stuck. Like I've overstayed my welcome in this place. And I feel like because I'm stuck here, you are too. I'm holding you back from being where you are supposed to be, aren't I?" Usa was watching the single falling light with an intense gaze. His shoulders were slightly tense, but his smile was gentle, "I wouldn't say you're holding me back, since I chose to stay here with you." Usa turned his intense gaze on Uta, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "But you are right to feel like you've been stuck. You have been. Two things have been tugging you in either direction, resulting in you being here..." The falling green light landed where the ground should be. Uta leaned forward, a sense of excitement gripping her, Usa's words not registering. Uta began pushing to her feet, but Usa moved to hold her down. "You can't go over there..." Uta's eye staying locked on where the light had landed. The green had faded, but there was still a light. It wasn't that far away. She could easily go over there.

Usa grabbed her face and forced her gaze away from the new light in the distance. His face was serious when she looked at him, "You CAN'T go over there."

"Why not? It's so close." Usa bit his lip and hesitated before speaking, "You can't, or they might have to stay." Uta's eyes darted back to the light, "But it's something new! Don't tell me you aren't simply itching to go and check it out!" Usa shook his head slowly, "No. The consequences are too severe..." Uta snorted and ducked her head away from Usa's hands, "Since when do you care about consequences? C'mon, let's just take a peek..." Usa shook Uta by her shoulders, "YOU CAN'T!! Or do you want whoever it is to get stuck here like you did!?" Uta tensed up. She looked up at the lights going overhead, then at the small fire in the distance, then finally at her brother's tense face. "Are you telling me those lights are actually...people?" Usa nodded, "The souls of those that have left the world of the living."

Uta covered her mouth with her shaking hands as she looked up in horror at all the lights streaking by. Those were all people! People that had died! Something horrible was happening in the land of the living!

Usa pulled her into a tight embrace. She pressed her face to his shoulder, trying to block out the now mortifying lights. Usa held her for a while, soothing her by petting her hair and making calming sounds. Uta took a shuttering breath and shifted so that she could talk, "So that's why you always seem to want to follow those lights. They're going where you should be." Usa squeezed her a little harder, "Yeah...but it looks like I can go there soon. Look." Uta shifted to see Usa staring up at the sky. Uta hesitated, but eventually looked up. Her eye widened in surprise. A sea of slights was travelling across the sky, but they were going in the opposite direction. They never went in that direction. Even the little fire in the distance became a green light and shot off to follow the others.

Usa gripped Uta's shouders and pushed her to arm length, "Uta, you need to make your decision right now!"

"My decision?"

Usa nodded urgently, "Yes quickly, before this one chance passes you by!" Uta shook her head, "What decision?!"

"Where you go!"

Uta shook her head again. Usa shook her again, "Are you going to pass on or are you going to return to Kakashi?" Uta froze. Return to Kakashi?! Was that an option? But she had died. Died a while ago. There was no way she could return. But...if she could....

Uta's eyes darted between the sky and her brother. Her dear brother. If she went back to Kakashi, he would be alone...

A thought suddenly hit her, "Why am I suddenly able to choose? Wasn't I stuck here just a few minutes ago?" Usa nodded, "Yeah, but the tie binding you to the land of the living got severed when those souls began leaving the land of the living. And the only tie binding you to the land of the dead is your guilt over me. But you getting to see me laugh and be completely fine on this side has helped you to sever that tie. Now you need to choose! Whatever has reversed the flow will make you returning so much easier!"

Uta bit her lip and hesitated. An impossible choice! On one side, her brother, her twin, her literal other half. On the other side, Kakashi, her love, her happiness, the one she missed so dearly.

Usa watched her hesitation and let out a nearly disgusted sound. "Tell me you aren't debating about it. Go back to Kakashi, idiot!" Uta gripped her brother's arms, "But you'll be alone if I go back!" A grin split onto Usa's face, "Yeah, but I'll finally get to move on. And I hear that the after-life is one hell of a party. So get going back to Kakashi. I'll still be there for you later, waiting to hear all the hilarious stories about your students, Kakashi, and your kids."

Uta knew the Usa was right, her heart already decided, but she still opened her mouth to argue. Usa laughed and pushed Uta backwards. Her legs hit the log behind her and she toppled back, but before she hit the ground she felt warmth envelope her and her vision filled with green. The last thing she heard was Usa whistling happily.

(Wow, marathon first chapter! I guess I just wanted to give signs of hope right off the bat...and maybe wanted to make up for how long the readers of the first book had to wait for this. Hope you all enjoy this story. Missed you all!)