With full stomachs, the kids walked out of the house. They were full of nervous energy, which Kakashi tried to quell, but there wasn't much he could say to calm them down. He gave them a pep talk, pounding the word 'teamwork' into their heads. Was it cheating to give them the answer? Probably, but they figured it out on their own in the previous timeline. What good was time travel if you didn't mess with the timeline a bit?

Standing on the porch, watching his kids walk toward another rough moment in their lives, all Kakashi could think about was the childish giggling Naruto and Sakura had done at the table and the way Sasuke tried to hide his smile behind the high collar of his shirt. They were so young and dealing with so much. Kakashi just had to trust that they would be okay. They survived against Zabuza and Haku, they could survive the chuunin exams.