Well, I ended up getting this up a lot faster than I expected. I was hit with sudden inspiration in the middle of the night, and stayed up to write it until about one in the afternoon the next morning. ( Woo…dedication.)
This follows from Kakashi's brief reuniting with his father, onto a tangent all of its own. (Cause keeping up with Kishimoto all the way would completely drive Tsuki nuts.) Seems like a good place to start…coming back from the dead is usually seen as a rebirth of sorts.

To Build A Nest
By: Tsukiko Hoshino

Kakashi hadn't been surprised when he walked through the darkness after his battle with pain, nor had he been surprised at the sight of his old man sitting in front of the dim fire half choked by shadows. "It's been a long time." He greeted, with one raised hand, Kakashi could already feel his eyes creasing closed in a familiar smile. When Sakumo turned around to greet him with the same signature smile, Kakashi was once more reminded of two things; One, how much he'd missed that same smile, and two, just how much he'd gained from his father. He knew they had looked alike, but seeing him once again just made the reality hit even harder.

"Certainly has." Sakumo admitted, looking his son over. There was so much to take in. His boy had grown taller, and certainly more handsome, he couldn't help the bitter taste that filled his mouth. 'I should have been there to watch it all.' But, what was done was done. There were more pressing things at hand. "I've been waiting a long time…but to be honest I wouldn't have minded waiting a lot longer, perhaps when you were a wrinkly old man." He suggested, having finished his visual exam. The older Hatake couldn't help but smile, as his son gave a small laugh, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You know how these things are…People are usually complaining about how late I am for everything, not how early I am." Kakashi mused on an afterthought, his fingers stroked his clothe covered chin thoughtfully. It should have felt strange talking to his long absent father like this, but instead all Kakashi could feel was the familiar but long absent warmth he'd felt as a child; The one that bloomed whenever his father looked at him proudly, or shared some small snippet of manly wisdom.

Sakumo shook his head, his white hair swaying from the action lazily. "Death is the one date you always want to arrive late too…very late." He stated, his elbows resting against his knees. "There's so much I want to say…so much I want o know…I'm sure it's the same for you…" He trailed off into the darkness as Kakashi nodded his head.

"Why don't I start with what happened from where we last left off?" Kakashi suggest, taking a seat across from him. His sharingan eye caught the light of the fire, making it a bright scarlet. His father listened intently, leaning forward as his only child regaled him on how he learned the true value of teamwork the hard way. The loss of Obito and later Rin was poignant for them both, the two youths having taught Kakashi so much in the place of his father struck a cord in Sakumo. The feeling soon changed to pride when he learned his son had reached Anbu at a young age. The thing that topped the cake for him though, was learning just how the Yondaime had died, and what he'd left behind. To seal the Kyuubi in one's own son, it seemed almost extreme, even to him.

Finally, the culmination of Team 7 came into play. "I suppose it would be too much to say, that the reason I was blessed with Minato's son, was sheer coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidences like that, especially when there's more than one at hand. Teaching my Sensei's son, and one of the last Uchiha, the very clan that the boy who gave so much to me came from…" Kakashi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I always saw how they fit in with me…but the one I never understood was Haruno Sakura, how did she fit into the mix?" he wondered.

Sakumo's eyes widened as soon as the name was said. "A girl?" He wondered, his voice rising slightly. Kakashi arched a grey brow, his lazy expression remaining unchanged. "Of course, how many boys do you know named Sakura?" He wondered, amusement clear in his tone. His father simply smiled. Like his son, he did not believe in coincidences, but unlike his son, he knew exactly how Haruno Sakura fit into the mix. With the wave of his hand, he urged his son to continue, they were running out of time, faster and faster.

"I wasn't a very good teacher though, not like you, or Minato." Kakashi stated softly, his eyes lowering to stare into the fire. "I tried to teach Sasuke how dangerous his ambition was…but I failed, and instead I equipped him with a deadly tool. I spent so much time working on him, I failed the other two even more. In the end, it didn't even help, he ran off with Orochimaru, and almost killed Naruto at the valley of the end, even now, he's at large." A soft sigh floated out from beneath the mask.

"Naruto and Sakura both found phenomenal teachers, both much better suited to them then I was…Sakura learned from Tsunade, and Naruto from Jiraiya…there really are no such things as coincidences." Kakashi mused, looking at his father's face once more. "I only wish I had done better." He watched his father's dark lashes lower over hazel colored eyes.

"We don't all get it right the first time around." Sakumo mused, the real meaning behind his words hidden from Kakashi. "I wasn't much of a role model for you the way I left…but I'm…I'm so glad you understand why I choose my teammates over the mission now." He admitted, looking down at his open palms as if they held something of great importance. "I'm sorry I left the way I did….you didn't deserve…and though I can't change what's been done, I hope that's enough."

Kakashi closed his eyes, and shook his head, his silver hair swayed gently with the movement. "We both made our mistakes…It was hard for you after mom died…and then the mission so soon after that didn't help. I was so angry at you when I was young, because I didn't understand, but I do now. The only person I'm angry at is me now." His eyes opened, and lowered shamefully, his fingers picked at the cloth of the mask. "For years I couldn't stand looking like you, or being compared to you…it was like a curse I couldn't escape from." There was a heavy sigh that heaved its way from his chest. "But now I have to wear this mask, because I don't deserve to look like you, not after I hated you so. I said a lot of hurtful things about you."

Sakumo's eyes slid closed, once more into cresents, the first sign that he was smiling. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you don't resent me anymore and you don't have to be ashamed, I never would have been angry at you for feeling like you had to cover your face then. You were just a boy left alone to be ridiculed in your fathers place, by people you didn't understand." He looked up towards the pitch black sky. "But I want to know more about the life you've been living…What lead you here?" He wondered, drawing his eyes towards his son's mismatched gaze once more.

"After Naruto and Sakura went off to learn from their new teachers, I was free to do the usual high class solo missions again. Not much to talk about, they hardly ever change you know. 'Go assassinate so and so.' Or, 'Go retrieve this and that.' You know the ones." Kakashi mused with a shrug.

"So, no ladies in your life then?" Sakumo mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. If Kakashi could only have picked up on his tone, he would have known his father was up to something, but he didn't.

"Nope." Kakashi scratched his cheek sheepishly as his father hummed quietly. He was thankful the old man didn't delve any deeper; unfortunately he dug his teeth into something worse. Much worse.

"You're not into boys, are you Kakashi?" Sakumo wondered, cocking his head to the side. The reaction he got out of Kakashi immediately. Even with the mask on, he could see the faint impression of Kakashi's dropped jaw. As politely as he could, he covered up his chuckles.

Kakashi shook his head roughly. "Of course not!" He could hardly believe his father asked that. "I read Icha Icha." He mumbled quietly.

Sakumo didn't really know what Icha Icha was, but he let it slide for the moment, in favor a placating his son's wounded pride. "I was just wondering….as you were saying?" He motioned for Kakashi to continue with his story.

"Well, just recently, the team was reformed, their all about fifteen and sixteen now." Kakashi stated thoughtfully. "You should see how powerful they are now, especially Sakura! She went from just about nothing, to being; 'If I hit you with my pinky, you'll be out for a week.' In just a few years." He vaguely realized it sounded like he was gushing, but brushed it off. "Tsunade was the right person to teach her." He stated. "And if you could just see Naruto, he looks exactly like Minato…the likeness grows day by day." Kakashi sighed. " I wish I could have seen his dream of becoming Hokage come true." He admitted, rubbing his face tiredly.

Sakumo reached out and grasped his son's shoulder, the small fire beneath his arm doing nothing to inhibit him. "You will." He smiled when Kakashi's head snapped up to look at him in confusion.

"But I'm dead…" The younger Hatake stated, motioning around them.

Sakumo shook his head. "Not quiet…already you're being called back." He ignored the wide eyed look Kakashi sent him. "You never looked into my will, or the clan affairs after I died, did you?" He questioned gently, only to be rewarded with a confirmation.

"No, I was…I was too angry, and when that feeling faded away, I was too ashamed." Kakashi admitted, his shoulders slumping.

Sakumo smiled in their trademark fashion. "When you wake up, do so…Konoha needs you and the Hatake clan. You don't have to be ashamed anymore." He announced lovingly. "The next time I see you, you'd better be old, wrinkly, and have lots of stories about your wife and children to tell me." He stated, drawing to his full height. "That's really my only wish you know; for you to live a nice long full life."

Kakashi was on his feet, fumbling for something to say. "W-wait!" It wasn't like him to be at a loss for words. Everything was happening so fast though.

"You're mothers calling me." Sakumo stated, looking off into the darkness. "And someone important is calling you now too." He stated, walking into the shadows. "Can't you hear her?" His voice echoed back to Kakashi.

"Kakashi!"

Yes. He could hear her now. She sounded so far away, it was hard for him to recognize the voice. She sounded so scared and alone. "Sakura!" He realized, his head snapping up. He was sprinting through the darkness now. Kakashi chased after her fleeing voice until its echo faded away, leaving him lost and looking around in confusion. "Sakura…" And then her voice was there again-

"Kakashi -Sensei!" The voice repeated, more upset then the last time. This time it was accompanied by hot blazing pain through his chest. Like electricity. He realized numbly. The darkness was turning white, just like the pain...And then for a while there was nothing.

The next time the pain hit him, he was up gasping like a fish out of water. It felt like all the nerves in his body had come alive at the same time, burning in unison. When his mind cleared enough, he noticed that he was missing his hitai-ate, in its place however, where white bandages. It made him cringe, when it reminded him of Danzo sporting a similar look.

With a start, Sakura was stumbling out of the chair she'd been dozing in and out of in. "You're awake." She sounded alarmed, as she rummaged through her med pack, before pulling out a vial and a syringe. Kakashi had no idea what she injected him with, but within moments, the raging pain became a dull ache at the back of his mind.

"What's the situation?" Kakashi asked weekly, taking in her own exhausted experience. She was covered in bruises and scrapes, and looked like she could use a few days of solid sleep. Vaguely, he felt the same to be true for himself.

Sakura's fists clenched the cloth of her medic's skirt, her eyes down casted. "You already know you defeated one of the Pain's, and the other went after Tsunade-shishou, fortunately Naruto arrived just in time to stop him….It didn't do much good, She's slipped into a coma." Those words came out as a whisper. "I don't really know what happened after that, but Naruto said he talked with the person in control of the Pain's before he died." She explained, hating the way her arms were trembling. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around him. 'Tsunade-shishou might as well be dead…and Kakashi-sensei might have been right along with her.' She bit her bottom lip roughly. "You need to rest…"

Kakashi shook his head. "How bad was the village hit?" He questioned, he had to know, if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to shut his eyes.

Sakura half wished they could talk about anything but this, it was enough to live through It and have to deal with it from the moment she woke up, to beyond the time she went to sleep."Almost all of the buildings have been destroyed." She sighed. "The ones that haven't are housing the injured, everything else is tent based."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly. "And the casualties?" He watched her expression.

"We don't know yet, most of them were revived, but there were ones who didn't make it do to extenuating circumstances.." Sakura pressed a hand against her forehead. She felt so tired. It was all so much, even for her…She was trained by Tsunade in a time of relative peace, and then out of nowhere It was a though there was no rest in sight. Just thinking about her mentor made her heart ache. It was like losing a mother. Sakura licked her dry lips slowly, a thought coming to mind. "Here." She held out a half full canteen to him.

Kakashi nodded his head and took it gratefully, taking a few long sips, before handing it back. He waited until she set it aside to grab her hand. "I'm no good at this sort of thing…" He trailed off, focusing on the ugly bruise that permeated his unclothed arm. 'Must have removed most of my clothes, to deal with all the injuries.' He noted 'that or because they were drenched in blood and grime.' Kakashi offered her a small smile from behind his mask. "But She'd be proud of you…I'm proud of you." He admitted, looking up at her face. "A lot of lesser people would be falling apart after everything they've seen. But you're still standing, a little worse for wear, but still standing." Kakashi reaffirmed.

For a moment, Sakura offered him a weak smile. "Thanks, you're just saying that because I brought you back from the dead." She joked half heartedly. By the time he'd been brought in from the battle ground, his heart had been well on its way to stopping from chakra exhaustion.

"Naw, I'm saying that because you couldkill me." Kakashi quipped back, relaxing into the makeshift bed. It was more like a blanket on top of a table, but to him it felt like a five star mattress.

"There's something else you should know…" Sakura trailed off, there was a nervous edge to her voice, and she hated not being able to hide it.

Kakashi looked up at her questioningly. "Oh?" He watched as the pink haired girl dropped into the seat she'd been occupying before.

"Tsunade-shishou is in a coma." She began, looking out the window. Sakura knew this had already been said. "And the Fire daimyo and the council have decided not to wait for her to wake up. They've named Danzo as Hokage." The bitter hint in her voice did not go unnoticed.

"I'm not surprised." Kakashi admitted rubbing his forehead. Not that he approved of the choice. Danzo was going to rule with an Iron fist, he would never accept the help of ally villages, making things even tougher for the people of Konoha.

Sakura shook her head. "There's more." She sated quietly, there was no point in telling him, that his own name had come up for the title of Hokage. "He's made Sasuke a missing nin, to be killed when ever possible." She had turned away, and was peering through the windows curtains. "He attacked Kumogakure."

Kakashi let out a sigh, his fingers running through his hair. "I see. Did the Jonin all vote Danzo in?" He highly doubted it. He wished there was something he could say to comfort her about Sasuke, but he was never good with things like that.

"No." Sakura admitted, glancing back at him. "They have voted yet… and when they do, it won't be him." She paused, flashing him a small smile. "I'll bet you no doubt."

For his part, Kakashi managed to look surprised. "Oho? I had no idea I was so popular." Well, make that was pushing it. He watched her roll her eyes at his comment.

"You'd make a good Hokage, and you know it." Sakura waved a hand at him. "Despite the fact you'd probably read porn all through the important meetings." She was rewarded with his trademark smile.

"That reminds me…where is my book?" Kakashi wondered looking around the room. Sakura opened a drawer, and pulled out a slightly worse for wear forest green book. She smiled at him sheepishly. "Go a little beat up." Kakashi's eye watered slightly. "My poor baby." He cradled the book, ignoring the way his companion rolled her eyes.

"You should get some rest." Sakura mused, glancing at her watch. "You've been asleep for the past three days, so you Chakra should almost be up to its regular levels. You came in pretty banged up though, so I'd say stay in bed for at least one more night. The last thing we need is you collapsing again."

Normally, Kakashi would have argued, but the exhausted gaunt look on her face put a halt to it. For once, he would stay put, no matter how much the room reminded him of a hospital. "Alright….shouldn't you rest too?" He arched a brow.

Sakura shook her head, pulling her medic pouch off the floor and clipping It to her waist. "I was sleeping before you woke up. Besides, you're going to want to eat soon no doubt… and it won't take long for me to do a quick look around the hospital before I go scrounge up some rations."

Kakashi nodded his head, draping an arm over his eyes. "Alright." Tomorrow when he was cleared to leave, he'd make sure she got some proper rest. Right now, the raging pain he'd felt from first waking up seemed o be coming back.

"I'm really glad you made it." Sakura stated quietly, she was half out the door.

Kakashi felt his lips pull into a smile, as if on their own accord. "Me too." He stated simply.

Sakura let out a sigh, as she shut the door behind her. She looked up and down the busy hall, watching as nurses and medics attended to the needy. There were other patients to visit, not only that but she had to see what progression was being made outside. No matter how tired she was, there was no time to stop and rest.

Though Nagato had revived those who he had killed, it didn't stop fallen buildings, or untreated injuries from finishing the job. Sakura sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time today. 'I want to check in on Tsunade-shishou before I go tell the others the good news.' She thought, opening the door that was a little further down the hall from Kakashi's. There were Anbu posted outside of it, but the paid her no mind as she slipped past them, shutting the door behind her.

Sakura knelt by Tsunade's bed side, sparing the sleeping Shizune a small smile. Just like her the Hokage's assistant was exhausted. "I wonder if you would be proud of me too...?" She murmured, brushing a few strands of honey colored hair out of her mentors face. It was hard seeing the woman who taught her so much like this, but Sakura steeled herself. Tsunade wouldn't want her to become a bawling child after she'd invested so much time into her.

Even though she'd posed a question, she was not surprised there was no answer. Sakura sighed and pressed her forehead against the crisp white sheets of Tsunade's bed. 'There's so much more I wanted to learn from you…So much I wanted to say….' Sakura was beginning to see just why It was so important to live without regrets. Being embarrassed because of something you said, or did lasted for a few moments, months at the worst. But regrets could last forever. 'I never got the chance to tell you just how much you've done for me.' She mused. This woman, no matter how callous she had been at times, was more of a mother then her own had been to her.

She wasn't bothered by death or gore, as a medic you had to be prepared for that sort of thing. It was the scale of it all that shook her. Not knowing how much more she could do before she gave out, not knowing if the people she loved were getting adequate care. Although she hadn't seen much battle this time around, it was a painful lesson in life for her, one that she would never forget. Sakura got to her feet, and pressed her lips against Tsunade's mark less forehead briefly, making her way out of the room to check on a few more patients.

Sakura had no idea, how she would have copped if she lost both Tsunade and Kakashi. Though he hadn't taught her as much as the hokage; Kakashi had a special place. He was more than just a teacher, he was a friend. She rubbed the back of her neck idly. 'Enigmatic and infuriating, but still a friend...' For the life of her, Sakura would never understand the reasoning for reading porn in public.

When she'd finished her rounds through the makeshift hospital, Sakura made her way out side, glancing up at the dusk colored sky.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, waving his arm energetically. He was in a much better mood now, than he'd been the day before. Sakura was thankful for that. "Hmm…?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side as she studied him thoughtfully.

"Is Kaka-sensei up yet?" The whiskered boy wondered, looking back towards the hospital.

"He was up for a little while, but I told him to rest until tomorrow. He's free to leave then." Sakura mused, walking along the dirt covered path, on her way towards one of the relief tents set up for rations. Naruto hummed and followed after. "I guess you told him about Sasuke then." He stated quietly, earning a nod from his companion.

Sakura chatted idly, with one of the relief workers, grabbing two Ceram wrapped foam trays. "Here." She handed over to nature. "You can carry that one to the hospital for Kakashi." She stated, unwrapping hers and tossing the clear plastic into a trash bin.

Naruto looked at her thoughtfully; watching as she gracefully ate her meal and walked. "Hey…What's you're father like?" He wondered, thinking back to his conversation with the Yondaime. Naruto had never asked about her parents before, he couldn't even remember seeing them. 'I'm pretty sure I would remember seeing a clan with pink hair running around.' He mused.

"My father…?" Sakura trailed off, stopping in her tracks. "He died when I was little…" She stated. It'd been a long time since she'd thought about the vibrant haired man. The near mention of him sent her mother into fits.

"Ah, sorry for bringing it up!" Naruto waved his hands in front of his face in a placating manner. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about her pummeling him, or sobbing. But Sakura did neither, instead she smiled at him, and took a seat on a battered old bench.

"Its fine…is just been a long time since anyone asked me about him." Sakura leaned her head into the palm of her hand. For though for a moment, looking for the words she wanted. "My father, was a someone to be proud of." She stated, sitting up straight. "He was the type of person who looked at this village like it was his family." Her eyes slid shut. "I won't forget the words he said to me, before he left for his last mission. I'd just told him, that I wanted to be a ninja like him…and he smiled at me, and said; "No, I know you'll be a better one."

Naruto smiled, remembering his own father's words. "Why did you want to know?" Sakura wondered, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Because I saw my father…I wondered if they were all like that." Naruto stated, looking towards the sky, a serene look encompassing his face. "Anno…I definitely think Sakura-chan is making her father proud."

Sakura heaved a sigh. "I hope so. My mother certainly isn't." She stated, finishing her food, and tossing it into a waste bin.

"She's not?" Naruto frowned at her. It suddenly hit him, just how little he knew about Sakura.

Sakura shook her head, and raised her arms above her head in a stretched. "My mother can hardly stand the sight of me…After my father died; she wanted me to put aside my ambitions of being a Ninja. Obviously I refused, and when I took Tsunade's apprenticeship…well things went further south from there." She flashed him a small smile, when she took notice of his uncomfortable disposition. "Being teammates, is also about sharing your pain with others, right?" She wondered, hoping to make him feel comfortable.

Briefly, It occurred to Sakura, that she hadn't checked up on her mother's own status. 'she might be a bad mother….but I'm an even worse daughter.' She thought guilty, as soon as she got a free moment she'd have to rectify that.

"Yea…I just wish I had asked these things about Sakura sooner." Naruto mumbled. "I went three years without knowing anything about her family." He shuffled outside the makeshift hospitals steps guiltily, until she grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the building after her.

"I wouldn't have told anyone back then, even if they asked." Sakura admitted. Until now, the subject of her family had been a sore subject for her. In the academy, she often pretended that her family was the average type, a housewife mother and a workaholic father who liked to nag their only child. It let her ignore the reality. "Besides…You and the others are my family now." She stated, flashing him a smile. Sakura meant every last word, she even considered that idiot Sai as family.

There was a moment of silence that forced Sakura to look back at Naruto. They were standing just outside of Kakashi's door now. "Y-you mean that?" Naruto wondered, his eyes wide. He had always considered hem his family, but knowing that she did too, struck his heart in the most wonderful of ways.

Sakura smiled and nodded her head. "Yea." With that, she opened the door and shooed the boy in.

Kakashi was laying down, having woken up when he heard their familiar voices. He couldn't help the smile that had dominated his face. It seemed as though the members of team seven only seemed to grow closer with time. 'With the exception of one member….' He thought. There were so many what ifs; what if Sasuke had never left? What if he'd been a better teacher…but then, if things hadn't of worked out the way they had, they would not be the people they were now.

"Hey." Kakashi greeted the blonde, setting his book down. "I see you come bearing gifts."

Naruto arched a brow. "If you mean stuff that tastes likes cardboard…then yea, I come baring gifts." He handed the Styrofoam over.

"Not everything can taste as awesome as Raman." Kakashi joked, studying him for a moment. " I heard a little bit about what you did…I can't tell you how proud I am." He stated, his eyes creasing closed into a smile. "I'd tell you I was amazed, but I would be lying. I knew you could do it."

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…you know…" He was at a loss for words; he didn't take his eyes off Kakashi however, watching the man unwrap the meal. 'Maybe I'll get a glimpse.' He leaned forward watching the older man like a hawk.

Kakashi grinned underneath his mask. His father had said he didn't need to feel ashamed anymore…and though he took those words to heart, the amusement he gained from the flimsy cloth made it all worth while. "O…oi!" He pointed towards the window. "W-what is that?" He was an incredibly good actor, because as soon as he'd said it, both the occupants of the room looked out the window.

"I didn't see anything…" Naruto turned back to face his teacher. "H-hey!" He cried in outrage, noticing the empty plate.

"Oh?" Kakashi wondered innocently. "I thought I saw a dinosaur." (1)

Sakura covered her laughter at that, moments like these made all the weariness melt away.

"Those are extinct Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto fumed at being tricked again. 'Damnit!'

Kakashi tipped his head, looking thoughtful. "So they are…I must be delusion then. …" He drawled in an authoritive tone. "What do you suggest for people who suffer from illusions?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, a devious look striking her pale green eyes. "I suggest a series of painful injections, in a very tender place. Shall we get you started on treatment?" she wondered innocently, looking at her nails.

Kakashi laughed nervously waving his hands dismissively. "No no, that's quiet all right." He leaned back on the pillows behind him. "So what are Sai and Yamato up too?" he wondered.

"Yamato-tachiou is working on reconstructing the important buildings." Sakura mused. "The hospital is up, but it needs to be outfitted before anyone can be moved in, hence why we're in a comandered appartment building...and your laying on some poor families kitchen table. "

Naruto leaned back in his chair. " I haven't seen Sai in a few days." He admitted. "I think Danzo is keeping him for something or another…I think he'll be back soon though."

Kakashi nodded his head thoughtfully, all things aside; he knew that although the battle with pain was over, Konohagakure was no out of the woods. 'Tomorrow I'll see for myself how things are going.' He glanced at Sakura. "Did Choji and his father make it?"

The pale pink haired girl nodded her head. "Thanks to you and Tsunade-shishou." For Kakashi, it was a relief to hear that.

Naruto looked out the window, his eyes a darker shade of blue then before. "Do you think things will ever be the same?"

Sakura didn't have to inquire what he meant. Instead she raised her chin resolutely, and looked out the window as well. The last rays of sunlight were disappearing behind the Hokage's carved faces. "No, they'll be better. Maybe not right away…but things will be better than they were before." Somehow she just knew it.

Kakashi tilted his head momentarily, before his eyes slid shut into a smile. "I agree." He'd been listening to the nurses speak of the welcome home Naruto had received from every one almost all day.

Naruto's eyes softened and melted back into their dodger blue shade. "Yea…" If they believed, then so would he.

"Besides, you're going to be Hokage someday….If you don't think things are okay, you'll find a way to fix them." Sakura announced surely, casting Naruto a brilliant smile. "I believe in you."

For the first time, Kakashi noticed just how much she had grown. She wasn't a child anymore, and at this moment she didn't even seem like a teenager. She was like an adult; Beautiful, vibrant and sure. If he didn't know any better, he'd say his heart had skipped a beat. He glanced away quickly, pushing the thought aside. In an instant, his father's requests came back to him. Thankfully most of Konohagakure's important documents were kept underground. That includes the housing for bank goods, such as money and safety deposit boxes. 'Just another thing to add to my to do list.' He mused.

Kakashi resigned himself to the fact that life was going to be pretty hectic for quite a while longer. Sakura glanced at the two boys in the room with her, before smiling. "I've got to go check on some things. I'll see you tomorrow morning Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi waved a hand at her. "You two don't need to call me that anymore…we're comrades now." He corrected Sakura as she made her way out the door.

"I know, I just like to bother you." Sakura teased. "Bye Naruto." She gave him a short wave, before shutting the door behind her.

Naruto waited for a few moments, before turning to Kakashi. "Hey…did you know Sakura's father was dead?" He wondered, it would make him feel even worse, if he was the only one who didn't know about Sakura's domestic affairs.

"That would explain why I've never seen him around…but I don't really run in the civilian circles." Kakashi admitted. There weren't many Haruno's to begin with, but it was a pretty large village. He'd always assumed her parents were civilians.

Naruto shook his head. "He was a ninja." Naruto corrected. "She said she doesn't get along well with her mother either." He stated quietly. It hurt him to think that maybe, all this time, Sakura had been lonely too. Kakashi frowned, and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder comfortingly. "It's just, I wonder if all this time Sakura-chan has been hurting more than just because of Sasuke…and I never even noticed." The blonde explained.

"Mm." Kakashi heaved a sigh. It seemed Sakura had pulled one over on them after all, even he, a master of looking at the underneath never thought anything of the silence she kept regarding her home life. "We can only tend to the things we're aware of." He smiled. "Besides…we're her family now too, right?" She'd said so herself. "And it's a family's job to pry into the lives of their loved ones. If something's wrong, We'll find it." He patted the boys shoulder.

Naruto grinned slowly. "Yea, but you get to take the blame, if she gets mad about it." He shuddered, at the memory of Sakura's rock pulverizing power. "Since it was you're idea and all!" He didn't wait for a response, instead he tore out of the room, shouting a good bye as he went.

"I think I was just tricked." Kakashi stated with a sigh, draping an arm over his eyes melodramatically. If only the poor Jonin knew what was lying nestled for him in that safety deposit box bearing his fathers name.

Time for an A.N! The title of this story is a reference to two things. 1, the rebuilding of Konoha, and 2, the ritualistic building of a nest some male birds go through in order to attract a mate. Although Kakashi is more dog like then birdlike, I liked the title, so yeaa. And yes this is Loosely based on my one shot Itawaru.

(1) This is like the funniest thing I've ever seen…I watched it like five times in a row *laughs* I totally had to hint at it! Just delete the spaces: http: // www . youtube . com/ watch?v=WitFf06hJBs&feature=related

A note on why Tsuki doesn't think Kakasaku is as farfetched as some people think: In just about every story you read, people make a big fuss about the 14yrs older, and he was her teacher thing. Not to say there wont be a little bit of grappling with the issue, but it will not be taking center focus

So i decided to point this out...in Japan the society is much different, if you've ever read Card Captor Sakura, You'll notice that one of Kinomoto Sakura's class mates is engaged to their 20 something teacher o.o and I think their only in elementary school!
Then, there's also the fact that they're ninja's...in that kind of life, i don't think anyone cares who you marry, or having sex with, as long as you pop out some gifted baby ninja's.

More importantly, at a time like this, where Konoha has taken a major blow, one concern will probably trying to build their ranks.

That's not saying that it's ever going to happen, BUT it's not all that strange either.

Long first chaper, ne?