Disclaimer: If you know my work by now, you should know that I don't own Naruto. If not, then to clear everything up, I do not own Naruto. Only this story.
It bugged him, it really did. No matter what he did, it didn't go away. He'd been told to watch that Uzumaki kid, but when Naruto went into Ichiraku, he went towards the Hokage monument. He hated ramen and yet the kid ate it religiously. Pakkun sighed as he sat down, remembering his conversation with Kakashi that morning.
"Not that I'm complaining, but why must I watch the kid?" Pakkun said.
"Because," Kakashi replied. "Hokage-sama wants someone to keep an eye on him, but she doesn't want him to know."
Pakkun looked down at the visages of the current Hokage, Tsunade, as well as the previous four. "Namikaze, what would you do?" he said, looking up at the clouds passing by.
The boy was depressed about something, he knew that much. Thinking back, it had not been that long since the Leaf had brought Gaara of the Desert back to the Sand, perhaps that was it.
Knowing that the boy would probably be in Ichiraku a while, Pakkun poofed to the Sand. Perhaps some news of the red head would lift the blond's depression.
Pakkun walked up to the gates of the Sand as a blond girl and a boy with kabuki face paint came out. Temari and Kankuro, he dimly remembered.
"Huh?" Temari looked down at him curiously.
"Hey, it's Kakashi-san's mutt!" Kankuro cried.
Temari's fan came crashing down on his head.
Pakkun sighed. "Yes, I am the main summoning of Hatake Kakashi."
"Why're you here?" Temari asked politely. "Is something wrong?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps not," Pakkun said after a time. "Is there a way that I could speak to young Kazekage-sama?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Temari said and she led Pakkun to the Kazekage's office. After knocking and being told to enter, she opened the door, allowing Pakkun in before saying, "This is Pakkun, summoning of Hatake Kakashi. He wishes to speak to you."
Gaara nodded and Pakkun heard the door snap shut. "Has..." The red head seemed hesitant. "Has something happened to Naruto?"
"No," Pakkun replied. "I was told to keep an eye on him, but I've noticed that he seems to be a tad depressed. Perhaps he is eager for news about his red headed friend, the Godaime Kazekage-sama." Pakkun couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a flicker of concern pass over the red head's face, and perhaps a bit of relief.
"Very well," Gaara said after a few minutes of silence. "I'll send a message by you, then, shall I?"
Pakkun nodded. "Do as you will. I'll wait," and he settled himself down in that spot as he heard the Kazekage pull out a scroll, as well as a pen and ink. Twenty minutes later, Pakkun heard the scroll roll up and he rose and walked over to the Kazekage's desk.
Gaara placed the scroll in the pouch before setting a hesitant hand on the nin-dog's head and muttering an almost silent "Thank you," before going back to his work.
Pakkun nodded before poofing back to the Leaf. So the red head had been wondering as well...
After walking into Ichiraku and crinkling his nose, Pakkun leaped onto a stool beside Naruto.
"Oh!" Naruto jumped. "There you are. I was wondering where ya went."
"You know I don't like this place, kid."
"Sorry," Naruto mumbled, staring back into his ramen.
"Kid," Pakkun said. "There's a scroll for you in the pouch."
"A scroll?" Naruto said in confusion. "Who's it from?"
"Just look," Pakkun replied.
So Naruto obliged, pulling the scroll from the pouch and opening it to begin reading it.
Pakkun waited. It seemed the nonverbal red head truly had a lot to say, or perhaps the blond was simply reading it over.
Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Pakkun. It means a lot that you went through all that trouble just to cheer me up."
"Think nothing of it, kid," Pakkun replied as he leaped to the floor. "Oh, and just between the two of us, I believe the Kazekage-sama worries about you just as much as you do him, kid." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
