This chapter should be…well, you'll just have to read it to find out!!!


Last time in the story:

Naruto…..

As he was bought out of his musings by the cry of some birds, he realized it was getting late. He stood up, backing away from where he set moments ago and turned to face the stone outcropping. "Alright, guys," he said to the four stone faces. "I'll be back tomorrow. Please remember to watch over me."

And so our story continues…..


As Naruto nears his rundown home of an apartment, he is surprised that the usual riff-raff that seems to come out of the woodwork whenever he's out, isn't bothering him today. 'This is just too weird. I ask, beg, and hope to be left alone and now that I have it, well it's a little…' he was on his mind at the moment. His musings were cut short by the sudden cough from the ninja standing before him. "Damn, just my luck. I get past civvies without a problem and then run smack-dab into a Jonin. I am so screwed," he mumbled to himself.

"I heard that, brat. Besides, what's wrong with me?" asked the still untrustworthy nin (well, at least in Naruto's eyes).

Not wanting another possible beating or worse, he immediately replied, "Absolutely nothing, you look fine. I have to go. Please let me pass, my family is waiting for me." Naruto knew the last part was but had hoped this guy didn't.

"Well that's interesting. I was told you were an orphan and lived alone," said the still unidentified nin.

'OK. Think. Path home blocked, check. Path blocked by a Jonin, check. Jonin who seems to know too much about me, big check. Time to be worried, really big check,' was Naruto's current train of thought.

"…" No response.

"…" Still no response.

"Kid, are you listening? I said my name is Hatake Kakashi and-," the nin now identified as Kakashi had tried to say before being interrupted.

"OK, so what do you need from me? I have some things to do before it gets dark and-," now it was Naruto's turn to be cut short.

"Uzumaki Naruto, by order of the Hokage you have been sentenced…." 'Just my luck, now the Hokage is having me imprisoned or executed for whatever reason,' thought Naruto…. "to be under my guardianship until you come of age or reach the rank of Chunin, whichever may come first," said Kakashi.

A now flabbergasted (look it up if you don't know what it means) stood there doing a perfect imitation of a fish out of water. As much as Kakashi liked the look of someone being left dumbfounded, he and Naruto had things to do. "Do you understand what I just told you, Naruto? I can understand-" once again, Kakashi found himself interrupted.

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Why, what?" was Kakashi's reply.

"Why are you doing this and what do you get out of this?" Naruto asked in an agitated manner.

'Crap, I hope he isn't going to be like this the whole time or he's gunna drive me frigging nuts!' was the start of Kakashi's train of thought after that question. 'Kami (Japanese word for god), I hope this kid isn't a little emo, that'd really frigging SUCK!' "OK, I'll tell you. 'Why?' I was ordered to do so. 'What do you get out of this?' I get to be around your winning personality and way to cynical outlook on life for someone your age." Kakashi coughs to keep from laughing while watching the many facial expressions Naruto was going through. He continues, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. The look on your face just now was priceless. OK, now seriously, I get the same things you do. I get a roommate, you know, someone to come home to after training or doing missions that isn't a pet or a plant. And as a side note, the being ordered to part, I really won't mind having company."

"Fine," Naruto said, knowing that the Hokage would not change his mind over this new change of events. "Let's grab a bite to eat. I like the idea but…"

"But what?" Kakashi asked.

"But as good as that sounds, I still really don't trust you. I just think that it would be better to see the Hokage about this just to see if it's legit. You understand, I just don't take things at face value. It's safer not ," says a cynical Naruto.

'I see,' Kakashi thought to himself. 'Someone must to have to had done the same thing before to him. No wonder all the skepticism.' "Alright, I see no problem with that. I think that idea was a very wise idea indeed . Who knows, I could have been a ninja from another village. So, do you want to walk there or have me teleport us there?" Naruto had been asked.

"Walk. Teleporting really sounds questionable to me still, especially after what you just said. Who's to say all of the stuff you told me wasn't just to lower my defenses so you could strike as soon as we were alone? So let's walk," was the astute reply given by the youngest of the pair.

'Wow, so young yet so jaded. What in the hell has he been through?' thought Kakashi before he said, "Sure, it's not far and if that's what you want to do, we'll do it."

"Alright, let's go see the Old Man. He's always so nice to me," Naruto said.

TO BE CONTINUED...


AND CUT!!! Cliffies good. Muwwahhahah!!!

Sorry but got a lil writers block and all.

Tune in next time for some more OOC and such.

PEACE OUT Y'ALL!!