Recovery: Chapter 2

Summary: He became heartbroken and wallowed in his pasts, letting himself go. But on the return of a certain unpredictable Kunoichi, everybody believes that she will be the one to save him. Will she help? How can one girl bring about the aloof man and save him from himself? Just when she wanted was some peace in her life. Good-Sasuke. Akatsuki not really going to be used. Just pure Drama and Romance.

XXXX

It was the early mornings of Konoha with Naruto sitting peacefully beneath a tree somewhere in Konoha's forest. Managing to only get 4-5 hours of sleep before she gave up on try going to dreamland and got ready for the day extra early. Just watching as the rising sun seeped its rays through the canopy and onto her face. Warming her body up slowly.

The Kyūbi Jinchuriki inhaled all the forestry scents and exhaled in content. "I better go and meet up with Baa-chan soon." She muttered to herself and with an almost invisible flick of her wrist, she threw a kunai up at a branch. Only to have the kunai return and imbed itself next to her left thigh. "So much for peace." Grabbing the kunai and stored it away as Kakashi landed in front of her, looking at her carefully. Raising a golden brow in question.

Kakashi only moved so he sat next to her against the tree. Both sitting in silence for a few minutes before he broke the wind. "I know I've screwed up big time and I have a lot to make up for, just…how can I make it up to you? I at least owe you that."

"Three months, Kakashi-san. Three months." Standing up and moved away, hearing him call out to her.

"Is that it? You're planning on leaving me."

"No, you've got it all wrong, Kakashi-san." Naruto stopped and looked over her shoulder to him. "If you want to make it up to me, spend the next two months living with me. Then I don't have to worry about you drinking into a coma and so that I know you're at least eating something healthy. The other month, you can do as you please."

Kakashi sat shocked at her request and stood up slowly. Walking over to stand in front of her and lifted her chin so she would look at him. "After everything I have done to you, why would you help me?"

Naruto looked deep within his biological eye and answered honestly. "Because you deserve a second chance. Don't screw it up or else you'll lose everything." Swatting his hand away and began walking away once more. Throwing over her shoulder. "I expect you to be at my place in 2 hours, if you're late you can forget about ever being more than fellow shinobi of the leaf to me." Changing into the wind, already knowing that the man was going to turn up and morphed herself into the Godaime's office.

Taken back slightly as the Team leaders of Konoha 12 minus Kakashi for obvious reasons were in the office. Along with Tsunade and Jiraiya. The kage speaking up. "Good, you made it."

"What's going on, Baa-chan?" Naruto treaded carefully with her words.

Kurenai stepping forward and placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Nothing bad, Naruto. We just came here to talk about Kakashi's road to recovery." Gesturing to the crystal ball on the Hokage's desk making Naruto let out a quiet 'Ohh'. Allowing the Genjutsu mistress to lead her over to the desk with Gai and Asuma smiling fondly at her.

Jiraiya voicing. "So far in less than 24 hours, you've managed to enter the brat's house, clean, cook and bathe the man in a small time frame. Somehow managing to get him out of the apartment for the rest of the day and hasn't touched a drop of alcohol since you threw out his bottles. Not only that, but now you've convinced him to move in with you so you can keep an eye out on him."

Asuma saw Naruto's confusion and elaborated. "What Jiraiya-sama is trying to say, is that you've managed to pull Kakashi out of his drunken state with more success than any of us have tried. Katsumi really did a number on his emotional state and is still quiet raw. But with your bluntness and tough love, you might be able to save Kakashi from himself more than anyone else ever could."

Gai nodded his head furiously, with rivers of tears flowing down his face. "You are definitely the blossoming buttercup that has brightened the withering field. My eternal rival even engaged me with a brief conversation."

"Ehh, really? All that in one day?" Seeing the five nods and continued. "I was just trying to show and tell him that he was also hurting the people that care for him and used Baa-chan's forced retirement against him, so he would get his act together. But why me of all people?" tilting her head in confusion.

"That's because we and Kakashi himself all know how brutally honest you can be; and most of all when your angry at any of us, we do whatever we can to fix that." Tsunade supplied.

"But I'm really pissed at the man for not listening to my warnings, there were even signs that Katsumi didn't give a rat's ass about him and it's only thanks to the training from the Elder toads that I'm not castrating him right now with a hot knife." Throwing her arms out in a fit of rage. Closing her eyes quickly, taking a deep breath and clenched her fists. Opening her eyes slowly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to explode at you guys."

Kurenai pulled her into a side hug, squeezing her shoulder. "Its fine, Naruto. You have every right to yell at all of us, the only people believing you were Hinata, Shikamaru and Shino."

Naruto shook her head stubbornly and whispered. "That doesn't give me the right to yell at my senseis. You guys are really awesome and I look up to all of you." The team leaders feeling their hearts swell at the praise from the blonde with Asuma ruffling her hair.

"Then we accept your apology, Naruto." Seeing her brighten up with Gai striking a good-guy pose on full blast. The two Sannin watching Naruto with fondness and pride.

Tsunade using handsigns to tell Jiraiya. You did a fine job raising her and you always said you'd make a bad godfather. The gamma-Sannin grinning widely at the Tsunade-like compliment.

"Naruto…" Kurenai began, gaining the attention of the room. "I've been wondering for a while now, but do you like Kakashi; as in a romantic way." Everyone's eyes then whipping over to Naruto as she looked at all of them passively.

"I'm…not sure." Naruto replied honestly with a tilt of her head. "Even if I was, I wouldn't take advantage of the state he is in now, unlike other women or men of the populace. If anything, I want Kakashi-san to heal so I can return to my life peacefully."

"Then you better leave, Naruto. Kakashi's 1¾ hours early." Asuma chuckled as he pointed over to the crystal ball to reveal Kakashi climbing up Naruto's stairs to her apartment with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Seems he's serious about this."

Naruto's eyes narrowed in on the ball and said. "Ne Baa-chan. When the first month is up, I'm taking Kakashi-san out to the lake house for a week…" rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. "Man, who would have thought that taking care a person would be harder than my awesome pranks. I have to plan things delicately, more than the time I dyed all the Hyuga's clothes pink…" Naruto muttered to her-self as the leaders looked to each other with respect for the blonde. It wasn't everyday an 8 year old could evade the Byakugan, then again Naruto had no idea how to fight against the gentle fist and that's what almost cost her, her match with Neji all those years ago.

All watching as Naruto left the office with a thoughtful expression as Jiraiya said. "I haven't seen her think this hard before. I guess Kakashi must be as important as her best pranks."

"At least I now know that Naruto cares for Kakashi on a more personal level, just as I suspected." Kurenai stated with a sly grin. "I wonder how long it will take before Naruto realises her feelings."

"Hah! That would take an intimate accident for that to occur." Jiraiya bellowed out in laughter before turning serious. "Then again, Naruto has unbelievable luck on her side it just might happen if she wants it to." Yet his face held a mischievous gleam along with Tsunade. The team leaders could only mentally wish Naruto good luck with these two and also wondered how she put up with the two.

XXXX

Naruto found Kakashi waiting outside her door and nodded at him as she moved past him and unlocked her door and deactivated the privacy barriers before she walked them in. "There's a guest room at the end of the hall to the right. My room is on the left. Bathroom is the first left." Walking into the kitchen and said. "I'll make some breakfast. Go get cleaned up." Gesturing to his room.

"Thank you, Naruto." Kakashi whispered and entered his room. He was surprised how small Naruto's apartment looked on the outside, yet inside it was quite large. 'She must've used Fūinjutsu.' She was clean, even in the guest room there was not a speck of dust.

Breakfast was quiet and a bit tense, yet Naruto didn't talk to Kakashi or looked at his face while he ate. She was planning on how to look after Kakashi for the next two months. 'This is going to be hard. Maybe I should start off with a bit of light training and see what happens.'

XXXX

Naruto palmed her face. Kakashi had slipped…majorly. "That's enough!" Naruto called to him as he was struggling to finish of his 15th lap around the training grounds she asked Baa-chan to give to her for the next couple of months. "You could do 15 laps within 2-3 minutes, Kakashi-san. What the hell was that!" Naruto hissed at the guilty Hatake. "It took you almost 15 minutes to do that. A minute per lap!" she cracked her knuckles with a dark look in her eyes.

Kakashi swore he saw his life flash before her eyes. Remembering a certain red head doing this to his blond sensei. He gulped. This wasn't going to be good.

"For the next 24 hours, I am going to run your ass into the ground, Kakashi Hatake. Prepare yourself." She grinned evilly as Kakashi whimpered. "Let's start right from the beginning. Conditioning." Magically pulling out some weights and quickly strapped them to his legs and arms before he could run away. Not that he'd get that far. "Well? Get to it! 100 of each. Squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, kicks for both legs, punches for the arms, sit-ups and knee-ups. You have an hour and if you're not done then it will be 10 minutes of a through beating by me before you do these all again. We're not stopping till you can do these conditioning within the set time."

Kakashi felt regret and dread wash all over him. He was never going to drink again. Not if Naruto was going to treat him like this. "You monster." Naruto only grinned with him running to a spot and started his workout. Dear kami! Naruto was trying to kill him.

"No chakra either." Naruto sang.

Kakashi cussed as his arms and legs were hard to move with the weights.

6 hours passed when Gai, Asuma and Kurenai all walked past the training grounds and saw a dirty, beaten, sweaty and bloody Kakashi pushing himself to do knee ups while Naruto was drinking a bottle of water before him with a bitten apple in the other hand. Hearing the blonde say. "You have 30 seconds left and 67 knees up to do, Kakashi-san. You better prepare yourself for another beating."

Kakashi growled at her and picked up the pace as his lungs and heart burned. He had his ass whipped by Naruto for too long. He was tired, dirty, hungry and thirsty. This blonde was a fuckin' sadist. He wasn't going to lose to her this time and pushed his body further as she was wasting the water that ran down her chin.

'92…93…94…95…96…97…98…99…' Kakashi thought and hit 100 when he tackled Naruto to the ground and took the apple and water from her and wolfed it down as she laughed beneath him. Panting heavily when he cussed her out. "Y-you…fuckin' s-sadistic…b-bitch…"

Naruto only laughed and awkwardly patted his slick hair and asked. "Can you get off me? You stink, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi only snorted and wrapped his arms around her. He wanted a nap. Naruto was brutal.

The three team leaders looked at each other with a fond smile with Kurenai saying. "She's doing well. I've never seen Kakashi look this bad before."

The men nodded with Gai adding. "Do you believe Naruto-chan will be open to a relationship with our youthful comrade?"

Kurenai answered. "Actually, I think that those two are too clouded to see the attraction they both share with one another." The men looked confused and that made Kurenai sigh. "Seriously. Not once did Naruto hang out with all of us whenever Kakashi brought along Katsumi and not once did Kakashi pay Naruto any attention when she briefly went out with Kiba. She and the Inuzuka only lasted a week before Naruto beat his ass after a comment he made Hinata and her large boobs. They weren't compatible anyway. Neither were Kakashi and Katsumi."

Asuma and Gai nodded in understanding as the former said. "Well this will be an interesting to watch those two grow with one another. Legends of the Hatake clan say that their ancestor was half-human and half-wolf after being bitten by a cursed wolf. After a century of being alone, he found a beautiful woman that saw past his looks and fell in love with his soul. The Wolf-Man died when his mate died and had 7 children. Thus the Hatake clan was born. This is just a legend though."

Kurenai snorted. "For some reason I believe Kakashi would make a decent wolf. His hair, attitude and everything just screams abnormal."

Gai nodded and added on. "Kakashi once told me that he could not bond with Katsumi no matter how hard he tried. I guess the legend might be partly true."

The three watched as Naruto massaged Kakashi's stiff shoulders as she managed to sit up with Kakashi curled in her lap like a dog and enjoying her ministrations. The three laughed quietly and left. Kakashi was just like a dog. Loyal and very affectionate. Katsumi lost a good man. Naruto gained a good man.

15 minutes passed when Naruto pulled on Kakashi's cheeks. "Oi! Time to get up now. It's past lunch time and you need to sleep in a proper bed or you'll get sick."

Kakashi grumbled. "I thought this was going on for 24 hours."

"Nope. It was a mild punishment for your shitty laps, Kakashi-san." Naruto replied as she hauled the tired Kakashi onto her back. She didn't care if he was embarrassed. "We will keep doing this everyday till you can do the exercise in under an hour before I move you onto some training then D-ranks missions."

Kakashi groaned. "Stupid Uzumaki." He bit out.

"Call it karma, Kakashi-san." She chuckle a little as they slowly made it to 'their' apartment. Placing Kakashi down and pointed to the bathroom. "Clean up…again and I'll make some lunch."

Kakashi only groaned as he forced his limbs to move.

"Ah that's right." Naruto muttered and snapped her fingers as the weights on Kakashi's body dropped. "Now go and I'll put them back on later."

Kakashi groaned more yet sighed in relief and entered the bathroom. Stripping his uniform off and placed it in the hamper before he placed himself under the hot water that soothed his aching body. 'I've never seen Naruto so brutal before. I've really screwed up this time. I have two months to make it up to her and the extra month to make sure I don't fall back. I can't disappoint her as much as I have. She'll never talk to me again if she has to make me retire and I'll never forgive myself if she does. Kami, Naruto. What would I…no…what would Konoha do without you?'

Kakashi hopped out of the shower and dried his body before he realised that he didn't bring any clothes with him and sighed. Grabbing a hand towel and wrapped it around his face and a towel around his hips as he opened the door and warned Naruto. "I'm not decent. Don't look."

"Too late." Naruto snickered as she was outside the door with amusement in her eyes as she held slips of paper in between her fingers.

Kakashi's sole eye widen as he knew what those were and tried to run from Naruto when she quickly slapped a piece of paper on both wrists, ankles and the back of his neck. "Kai." Naruto muttered with the seals on the paper seeping onto Kakashi's skin. She smirked when Kakashi paled more than usual. "Much better than Taijutsu weights. Now I can add or lessen the weight whenever. Isn't this great, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi felt his limbs grown heavy as he hissed at the blonde hostess. "Sadistic kitsune."

"Ah Kakashi-san. Your words a too kind." She mocked flattery and walked down the hall towards the kitchen area. "Lunch is ready. Go get changed before you get sick."

Kakashi just pouted behind his covered face and stormed into his room.

Naruto shook her head in amusement. "He's like a big teddy bear."