A/N: Different stories, different times, different characters. Not sure how many there will be...

A conversation that must have happened, at some point. Like seriously though. (Kakashi, Naruto, and Minato as the the proverbial elephant)

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"You knew this whole time. Why?"

"You know, you really have to be more specific. There are a lot of things I don't tell you."

"My dad. You always knew, but you didn't tell me."

Kakashi paused. He didn't think this would be the direction of the conversation when Naruto had asked to go to Ramen together, for old times' sake. They were supposed to talk shop, and maybe laugh about some of the antics of his genin missions. Light talk, not like this. "I did know. But knowing what you do now, do you think it would have been wise for me to tell you when you were younger?"

"But why-"

"You know what you were like as a kid. It would have been more dangerous for you to know. Also, it wasn't my place. You would have found out eventually and I think it was better the way it did happen."

"In the middle of a battle!?"

"From Minato himself."

"Fine, but you still didn't tell me anything, even after Pein."

"Tell you what?"

"That he was your sensei."

"He was." He chewed the inside of his cheek, buried under his mask. "But why would you want to know that?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You could have told me about him. What he was like when he was alive. You knew how much I wanted that."

Kakashi stared into his half empty glass of water, wishing that they had gone to a pub instead of this restaurant. "I…" He shook his head. "There are a lot of reasons I didn't tell you about him. Some of them are because you were too young, but some of them, I admit, were because I wasn't ready to talk."

"Tell me about him now."

"What do you want to know? He was dutiful, brave, and incredibly strong. There's a reason he was Hokage so young."

Naruto shook his head. "Tell me who he was to you. Anyone can tell me about the Fourth. I want to know about my dad."

"This is exactly why I've been avoiding this," Kakashi sighed. "I know you know who my father was." Naruto nodded. "And you know what happened to him." Naruto shifted his body a little, but nodded again. "I graduated from academy at a very young age, so I'm sure you can guess what Minato was to me."

"He was like a-"

"Don't say it," he interrupted, clutching his chopsticks slightly too tight. "It makes me sound terrible, doesn't it, to your eyes? Minato-sensei was everything to me when I was a kid. But when you were that age, when I could have returned the favor and looked out for you too, I was just like the rest of the village. I couldn't help but resent you, and so you grew up alone. I am so sorry…"

"You never looked at me like I was a monster though." Naruto said, more puzzled than angry. "I could always tell, when people saw me as just a container. You always saw me."

"You're right. I didn't stay away from you because of the Kyuubi."

"Then it was because my dad died?"

"He made a choice, Naruto. It was his decision so I should be angry at him." Kakashi felt like he was fourteen again, confused and so utterly alone. "He chose to protect the village, of course, but he also chose you. He put his faith in you, his son."

"That's dumb"

"What?"

Naruto stared at his teacher with surprisingly clear eyes. "You're stupid if you think he seriously chose me over you. If he really was who you think he was, he wouldn't abandon you if he could help it."

"But I abandoned you. Minato-sensei would have never- but I just couldn't. I will never be like he was…"

"But look at you now!" Naruto said grinning. "You're Hokage! Don't you think dad would've been proud?"

"He wouldn't – I'm sorry Naruto. I've failed you in a lot of ways as a teacher, but this is something that I really can never make up to you. Minato would never-"

"Oh, stop feeling like you messed up my whole life. You were there for me eventually, weren't you?"

Kakashi looked over his old student. Grown now, taller than him. "I'm not sure how much I really taught you."

"Ok, I have to admit you weren't the best sensei," Naruto snorted. "But you were there. You saw me."

"I did."

"Even if you didn't tell me about my dad."

"Naruto, we just went over this…"

"You didn't really tell me why. I still think I deserved to know."

"And I'm saying it wouldn't have been good for you."

"What does it matter if it wasn't good for me?"

"-Naruto think-"

"It was the most obvious secret in the village."

"-Naruto-"

"It isn't like you could forget."

"Maybe I didn't tell you so you wouldn't know what you lost!" Kakashi took a breath and turned away quickly. He couldn't take back the words; force the echoing sound away like nothing happened. The glass of water suddenly became interesting enough to warrant his full attention. He expected an outburst from Naruto. Like a cat's claws when it felt threatened, just a reaction. But his student surprised him when he answered quietly.

"Now I think I know why you paid so much attention to Sasuke when we were team seven. We never had the same sort of loneliness, did we?"

"Naruto I-"

"It's ok. I think I get it. Those years of me wondering who my parents were? I never actually missed them… I only wanted what I thought was the idea of parents, something everyone else had. Or at least used to have… Maybe it would have been harder if I knew them."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more." Kakashi swirled water around. "I'm sorry I didn't live up to expectation, live up to how I was taught. I should have been there, I could have done something…"

"Kakashi-sensei. Who are you apologizing to right now? Me or my dad?"

His heart hammered once in his chest and he thought for a moment before answering. "Both. I think."

Naruto just nodded.

"I can't tell you everything," Kakashi said slowly. "You have to understand. But I want to tell you about him. You deserve it… and so does he."

Naruto smiled, and Kakashi saw Minato in the younger man. Not in his hair, or in his build – not how others would see the Fourth. But in the glint in his eye when tilted his head at just that angle, and the curve of his lip. Maybe the way he could make it up to Minato, finally have his peace with his teacher, was through these interactions. It didn't have to be about shoving away those memories, but allowing them to exist. A different type of loneliness that didn't have to be so solitary.