I'd just like to thank my two reviewers!! Arigatou gozaimasu:-

Wordsplat

(And last but not least)

Googledi

Please, please, please, please … if you read this fanfic then review!! Even if you just say I've read it!! Reviews make me write faster ^_^

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2:: He's just a clo … A good friend!! Naruto's Realisation!!

"Well Yamato, what now?" Yamato muttered under his breath, his head slightly inclined and his eyes fixed on the single white rose. "Any moment …"

"Oi! Yamato-taichou!"

Yamato sighed, and then raised his head and saw Naruto and Sai walking towards him. He'd been about to say, any moment now, Naruto, Sakura and Sai would arrive. And there they were, however, to his surprise, minus Sakura.

"Uh … Naruto-kun?" Yamato said shakily when they were in earshot.

"Nani?" The blonde-haired shinobi asked cheerfully.

"Where's …. Where's Sakura-chan?"

Naruto frowned slightly, "naze?"

"Uh … well … oh, never mind." However, Naruto continued to stare quizzically at him, forcing Yamato's cheeks to turn a bright shade of red. This was ridiculous! In ANBU he had been as emotionless as Sai. But now look at him! He'd have to ask Tsunade-sama if he could be transferred back into ANBU after Kakashi-senpai had recovered. However, that would have to wait until later. "Shall we go and visit Kakashi-senpai, now?" He asked reluctantly.

"Hai!" Naruto exclaimed, and turned on his heel and led the way into the hospital. One by one, they signed in at reception and then they made their way to Kakashi's room, Naruto muttering cheerfully as they walked.

However, Yamato paid him little attention. His heart was pounding and his hands were trembling, He was a nervous wreck! Thankfully, Naruto and Sai hadn't noticed, but still, he needed to regain his composure before they arrived at … Too late. Naruto had already knocked on the door to Kakashi's room.

"Douzo o-hairi kudasai."

(Translation:: Please come in.)

Naruto then slid the door open and they entered the room. Kakashi, who was sat up in bed, closed the Make Out Paradise book he'd been reading and placed it on the bedside cabinet.

"Ah, Yamato-san, Naruto-kun and Sai-kun. How nice of you to stop by. Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Tsunade no baa-chan asked Sakura-chan to help her with some paper work," Naruto replied, now eyeing the large basket of fruit on the bedside cabinet.

Kakashi followed Naruto's gaze and then smiled, "you can have an apple if you want."

"Really?! Thanks!" And without another word, Naruto strode over to the bedside cabinet and grabbed an apple.

And then Kakashi turned to Yamato. "Is that for me?" He asked conversationally.

"Uh … hai!" Yamato replied nervously, almost forgetting about the white rose he'd bough for Kakashi. "I'd better …"

"Sai-kun, would you get a vase and fill it with water please?" Kakashi asked, interrupting Yamato.

"Hai!" And Sai teleported out of Kakashi's room.

Yamato swallowed hard. Don't send Naruto away … Please don't send Naruto away … he thought, his heart pounding.

And then Kakashi smiled slightly behind his mask. "Yamato-san, you know white roses signify marriages, don't you?"

At that moment, Naruto stared at Yamato, who turned a bright shade of red.

"But they're also a symbol of honour and admiration, Kakashi-senpai!" Yamato exclaimed.

"Yamato-taichou …" Naruto began, but Yamato glared at him.

Kakashi's grin broadened. "Relax, Yamato-san. I was only teasing you. I love white roses. How did you find out?"

Yamato hesitated a moment and then stared at his feet. "Well … uh … I met Asuma-san outside the florists the Yamanaka family run. And he told me you liked white roses."

"Sou ka …" Kakashi muttered under his breath.

However, at that moment Sai returned with a vase filled with water.

"Arigatou, Sai-kun." Kakashi said cheerfully. "Yamato-san …" And Yamato raised his head and almost mechanically took the vase from Sai, unwrapped the single white rose and placed it in the vase, before handing the vase to Naruto to put on Kakashi's bedside cabinet. Yamato really didn't want to be here anymore. He loved his ANBU superior, but it was just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! No-one would ever respect Kakashi again, and Yamato would get the blame for it.

"What's up, Yamato-san?" Kakashi asked conversationally.

Damn Kakashi! He'd always been able to read Yamato like a book. "Nani mo." The stand in captain for Kakashi-han replied as calmly and casually as possible.

"Yamato-san …"

Why can't I fool you?! Yamato screamed inside his head. It was so frustrating. "Really, Kakashi-senpai. Nothing's wrong." He replied, trying to act casual. "Anyway," he said softly, "it's about time Naruto-kun, Sai-kun and myself left you alone. You need your rest."

Kakashi frowned slightly, "you're leaving so soon?" And then he sighed, "how could I have been so stupid. You have a date, don't you?"

Yamato's eyes widened and his heart started to pound. Where had Kakashi got that idea from?! "No!" Yamato exclaimed. "I honestly think it's best if we leave and let you get some rest! And besides, I've got a lot of paper work to get through at …"

However, at that moment, he realised Naruto was staring at him once more, his apple placed, half eaten, on Kakashi's bedside cabinet.

And then his expression softened, a mischievous grin spread across his face.

Kuso … Yamato thought miserably. His life would never be the same again.

"We'll come and visit you tomorrow Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said conversationally. "Sai-kun and myself need to ask Yamato-taichou a few questions, before he heads home to start on his paper work."

Kakashi frowned slightly, "and what exactly are you going to ask Yamato-san?"

"Err … well … err … nothing much!" And he laughed awkwardly. Naruto … you idiot. Yamato thought miserably. And then the blonde-haired shinobi grabbed hold of Yamato. "Come on, Yamato-taichou! Sai-kun!" And without another word Yamato was dragged out of Kakashi's room.

"De wa mata!" Yamato called out, just as Sai slid the door shut. However, Naruto continued to drag Yamato away from the room, until the blonde-haired shinobi was sure that they were far enough away from Kakashi's room.

And then Naruto rounded on Yamato. "You like Kakashi-sensei, don't you?!" He exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!" Yamato snapped. "And, for your information, Kakashi-senpai's a clo … a good friend of mine." However, Naruto wasn't convinced. "Alright, alright! I like Kakashi-senpai … no, I love Kakashi-senpai. But, this is to stay between us, is that clear?"

"Hai!" Naruto replied, smiling broadly.

However, Sai frowned slightly. "If you love him, Yamato-taichou, why don't you tell him?"

"Because, well … I don't know. No, that's not true, I do know. But it's complicated." He studied their curious faces for a moment and then sighed. "To put it simply, I don't know how to tell him and if I did, eventually everyone would find out and Kakashi-senpai would lose the respect everyone has for him, and then I'd get the blame. I don't want Kakashi-senpai to hate me for the rest of my life."

"Why do you think everyone would stop respecting Kakashi-sensei? You can't help who you fall in love with."

Yamato sighed. He couldn't believe Naruto was giving him relationship advice, considering the fact that Naruto had never been in a relationship. Yamato's life was doomed …

"Then why don't we help you?" Sai's voice interrupted Yamato's thoughts.

"Nani?! Iie! Please don't help me! I don't …"

"You do need help Yamato-taichou." Naruto replied, a mischievous look in his eye. "Just leave it to us!" And with that Sai and Naruto strolled away from Yamato.

"Kuso …" Yamato muttered under his breath.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3 coming soon!!