Binding with Noodles
-o-o-
Naruto wasn't particularly fond of the missions his team was assigned. Of course, he remembered the old man's rant -the same thing from Iruka would have been called 'lecture', but the old man being, in fact, an old man, ranted- about the importance of D ranked missions, but Naruto was convinced that he should be doing some much cooler ninja stuff.
He was ready, he had proved it well enough during the only higher profile mission his team had gone on. They had done a great work in Wave, both Kakashi-sensei and the Hokage agreed on it. But instead of getting other exciting tasks they were sent back to do these chores.
Despite all that, however, the blond couldn't deny he kind of didn't mind too much the one team 7 was doing today.
Sure, walking dogs was not what he expected to do once he graduated, but these animals weren't cold to him. They treated him like any other human being, and the brown little pup he was currently watching over had even licked his face earlier. Naruto guessed he could overlook that he was supposed to go kick asses and being generally awesome for his new furry friend.
He also idly wondered how would it be to have a pet.
When they were done and had to bring the dogs back he was almost sad. Another day with his team was coming to an end and soon he'd have to go back home. The thought didn't make him want to curl up and cry or latch onto his teammates and never let go like it used to, though. It hadn't done that for some time now.
Naruto, for all his naivety and ignorance, still knew that what he was doing was something really messed up. He was painfully aware that once he'll be back to his apartment he'll lie to himself putting up his little play. It was pathetic but he couldn't give it up.
There was, however, an instinctual understanding of what he could do to heal himself and stop that madness, even if he didn't consciously recognize his tries to spend time with real people for that. The fact he was more often than not denied that chance also didn't help and he was starting to slowly close in on himself.
He hadn't shut down completely yet, though, which is why, as soon as Kakashi formally released them from duty for the day, he turned with a smile plasted on his face toward his Sakura-chan.
"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, let's go eat ramen together, what about it?"
Sasuke was implicitly invited too, but Naruto didn't ask him directly because he didn't want to hear the insults that were likely to come, and he was sure Sakura would drag him too anyway. And if she didn't, well, than it'd be a date with her! It was a win-win situation, really.
"No!"
Blunt and to the point without the slightest hesitation, the pink-haired girl didn't even care to elaborate or adding an excuse before running after the already leaving Uchiha. She didn't even see Naruto's saddened expression.
The blond genin looked at the ground while planning to go and grab one bowl before going home, where someone will listen and will care about him for a change.
He took a step before an hand fell heavily on his left shoulder. Kakashi was standing there, behind him, even if the boy could have sworn his sensei had left in a puff of smoke like he always did after dismissing them. Naruto blinked at him, confused as to why the jounin had stopped him.
"You used to ask more times than just one, Naruto. And you used to ask Sasuke too."
The tone wasn't accusing, worried, judging or anything else. It was a simple statement of a fact.
Naruto shrugged. He hadn't really noticed how melancholic he was becoming, nor could he explain why Kakashi delaying him was making him upset. He just wanted to go home.
"The answer wasn't going to change anyway, at least not today. I can still try tomorrow."
A sensible answer, Kakashi had to admit as much. The problem was that he knew it wasn't born from his student's maturity, but rather by his growing desire to be alone with his family. It was a clear example of the steps one goes through when developing an addiction.
Not under Hatake Kakashi's watch.
"Mh-hm" Kakashi nodded as if to agree with him, "And what about your wonderful sensei? He is part of the team, is he not?"
Naruto blinked.
Kakashi waited.
The boy's mouth opened, remained like that for a couple of seconds, then closed.
Kakashi tilted his head and tried to ban the stupid thought that this was karma's punishment for always making others wait. It was a serious moment! The jounin made a mental note to work on Naruto's mental agility and have him do some exercises to help him thinking faster outside of combat situations too.
Finally his blond student grinned at him happily.
"Sure Kakashi-sensei! Let's go, to the ramen stand!"
Behind his cloth mask Kakashi smiled at the positive response he was getting, it seemed he was in time to keep Naruto from seeking isolation to live in his own world.
"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei?"
The copy-nin looked down at the boy pulling on his sleeve as if he wanted to sound a bell. He had half a mind to say "Dong. Dong." to see if Naruto would catch the joke and how he'd respond, but decided to act like a dignified ninja for a change.
"What is it?"
"What's your favorite type of ramen? I especially like miso, pork, and shrimp. Oh, and chicken. Ayame-chan keeps telling me I should eat the vegetable one more, but it isn't as tasty."
While his student continued his review of all the ramen known to man -and a couple previously unknown, born from a younger Naruto's experiments- Kakashi listened with a cheerful expression keeping to himself the fact he preferred tsukemen to ramen. He had the nagging feeling his cute little student would bite him otherwise. Or attack him. Or trying to change his mind.
"Hey, there it is, Ichiraku Ramen! Come on, sensei, I'm hungry!"
Kakashi blinked as two Naruto were pulling his arms while a third was pushing him from the back. When did the little urchin make those kage bunshin?
'I have to stop spacing out. Still, it's impressive how Naruto has completely mastered this jutsu.'
As they reached the ramen stand, both teacher and student hurried to take their seats and the two extra blonds poofed out of existence. Kakashi had rushed to a stool not because he was overly eager to eat like Naruto, but because the genin's copies seemed ready to lift him onto one if he didn't.
"Ayameee-chaaaaan, one extra large miso ramen with extra pork for me! What are you going to take Kakashi-sensei?"
"Naruto, I'm less than a foot from you, there's no need to be so loud. It's like someone stabbed my ear with a zanbatÅ." The silver-haired jounin said jokingly while ruffling his student's hair in a somewhat forceful way with his left hand while the right was holding the menu.
The orange clad genin ducked away indignantly and tried to... comb his hair back to the spiky mess they usually are, which didn't make much sense but was just adorable. Kakashi didn't tease him about that, though. Ayame's giggles were more than enough to make the young boy blush and pout anyway.
Speaking of the waitress, her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked at Kakashi for his order, and Naruto suddenly remembered something. Ayame had seen Kakashi's face! It was that time team 7 had had offered him lunch in a ploy to unveil the secret of "what's under Kakashi-sensei's mask" but then Ino Shikamaru and Chouji had distracted them just as the jounin ate...
But Ayame knew! She had seen it!
He'd just have to ask her when Kakashi wasn't paying attention and he would know too!
...But what was Kakashi-sensei doing? He was leaning over the counter and whispering something to Ayame... Oh no, he must have predicted Naruto's thoughts and was asking her not to tell him!
As Naruto despaired over the missed chance, Kakashi turned and eye-smiled at him. Luckily his student had been distracted planning god knows what while he talked to the brunette girl about how great it'd be if they could serve tsukemen too...
Better to start a conversation about something else before he got suspicious, though.
"So, anyway, I was thinking about giving you some materials to help you with tactical knowledge, strategy, and other mental aspects of being shinobi. In other words, something you can work on without me having to make sure you're not destroying anything or hurting yourself."
The blond turned a bit defensive at the comment.
"Hey, I don't do that! And what do you mean strategy and mental things? You know, I'm not stupid! And don't you remember when we met Zabuza the first time? I got a really good plan then, I'm good with plans too!"
Kakashi raised his hands in a calming gesture as he turned to answer.
"Of course I remember, and you're right, that was really good thinking on your part. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."
He lowered his hands and bowed his head slightly when he said the last sentence in a gesture that conveyed his thanks for having saved him. He would have voiced that, but he had never been really good with words, and just saying 'thank you' seemed stupid.
His student was perceptive enough to get the message behind his gesture, though, as he smiled widely and blushed lightly while scratching the back of his head. It was the same as when he praised him for his improvements.
"But the brain is just like a muscle," Kakashi continued, "you have to keep practicing, otherwise it'll just turn to mush."
There was also the fact that if he had some homework to do he'll be more likely to not use his kage bunshin to pretend to have a family like he did, but it wasn't time to tell him he knew of that yet. If Kakashi managed to help him like he planned then he'd never have to admit he know about that as Naruto would quit it on his own.
"But I don't like to read! It's sooo boring."
Kakashi assigned himself a golden star-shaped awesome point for being able to predict the most unpredictable ninja.
"Ma, ma, I didn't say I'd give you book, did I?"
With those words Kakashi took out a little bag and handed it to his student. Naruto took it, and opened it looking inside curiously. He then took out one of the numerous little objects that were inside.
"Ne, what are these, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Those, are mahjong tiles. There's also a little guide inside, with the rules for how to play solitaire mahjong."
The masked jounin smiled at his student who was squinting and observing the tiles as if they were some mysterious and arcane artifacts.
"Here's your orders, large miso with extra pork for Naruto, and shrimp for Hatake-san. Enjoy your meals."
-o-o-
It was only some hours later when Naruto went back to his apartment.
He went inside and sat down at his kitchen table where he emptied the bag with the tiles Kakashi had given him. The boy proceeded to look at all the tiles and then at the guide -solitaire mahjong for dummies- he was given.
After a couple of minutes, his head jerked up and he looked around the empty room. His hands twitched and a second later he did a basic ram seal and three kage bunshin appeared and transformed right away.
An old woman was sitting on the couch polishing some shuriken, while a younger girl in her middle teens -who looked really similar to one most male leaf ninja had previously seen naked and surrounded by strategically placed puffs of smoke- was lying on her stomach on the floor, reading the mahjong guide.
The third and final extra person was another woman. She had long brown hair, clear blue eyes and was sitting on a chair beside Naruto, smiling affectionately at him.
"I ate with Kakashi-sensei today. He made me pay because he said I invited him, but it was cool, 'cause he said he's gonna pay next time. And then he gave me these, and we talked and-"
As the young genin kept talking he became more and more excited and his expression turned happier with every word.
His "sister" and "granny" remained in the background, not really interacting, but more as if they were simply there to fill a space that would otherwise be empty and lifeless.
Kakashi, from his position on the roof of the adjacent building, was observing the scene through Naruto's window. He felt that he was making progresses already, there wasn't the same desperate attachment to the illusory family Naruto displayed the last time. His "father" wasn't even there and the only one the blond was really interacting with was the mother.
The jounin couldn't help but shiver as he watched her closely.
The resemblance was just unreal.
If he didn't know any better he'd swear that he was looking at Kushina Uzumaki. Granted, the eye and hair color were wrong, but that henged clone had the same face, the same body proportions, even the same motherly expression the deceased kunoichi had when she entered her pregnancy -before that she rarely displayed such affectionate and calm look-.
Compared to how different Naruto's "father-clone" looked from the truth, then, Kakashi didn't know what to think. Obviously it was lucky that Naruto didn't guess right when it came to his father's looks as that would cause a mess he couldn't hope to fix.
But how close his little charge had come to recreate a perfect copy of his mother really left him wondering. Maybe it was true that children instinctively knew their parents and people's true nature. He had always thought that was simply garbage fitting only in fairy tales, and yet he couldn't deny what was in front of him.
With a shake of his head, Kakashi turned and jumped on another roof. All it mattered was to help his student and show him he wasn't as alone as he thought, but that would have to wait till tomorrow when his team would meet again.
For now Kakashi felt like going back to see Miho. It was some years since he last visited his mother's grave. Her name wasn't on the memorial stone, neither was his father's, and it was since morning that he was thinking of passing by to say hi.