AN- It has been awhile since I have updated this story. This is actually a chapter that has been written for awhile. Not my best writing, but I figured I should at least post the next chapter of this story. Hopefully, you will enjoy it.

Legend:

Speaking-"…"

Thinking-'…'

Point of view change-*…*

Chapter 7

*Kakashi's POV*

Kakashi had been driving for a few minutes now. He was trying to figure out the best way to ask Naru why she was so sad earlier. He also wanted her to tell him more about her past. He decided to start the conversation off on a light note. "Well, the small restaurant I am taking you to is about thirty minutes away from here. I know that is far away, but the food is worth it." Kakashi said. "I am going to hold you to that. If the food sucks, I will blame you for wasting my time for the long drive there." Naru said. Kakashi could tell she was smiling by the way she sounded.

"I know you probably don't want to tell me, but why were you so sad in my class earlier?" Kakashi said. He felt Naru looking at him. She was probably deciding whether she should tell him or not. "I'll tell you. I decided to listen to the stupid insults that people always say to me. One of them hit a nerve. I hadn't expected them to say anything like that. The insult just brought up some memories that I would rather not remember." Naru said. "Well, you are probably going to hate me for this then." Kakashi said. "I figured because we are all alone in this car, you would tell me more about your past." Kakashi said. He heard Naru begin to fidget with her seatbelt.

"I will tell you. You said in the coffee shop that you wanted to know the real me. My past is a part of who I am. No matter how much you may want to, you can't forget your past." Naru said. "Well, let's start with my parents. I told you they died when I was five. That is the truth, but it isn't the whole story. The truth is they were murdered. To be more specific, they were murdered right in front of me…" Naru said. Kakashi could tell that talking about her past was already getting to her. He was about to stop her, but she began to talk again.

"That is why when I was in foster care, I was sent to live with a bunch of different families. No one wanted the screwed up little girl that had nightmares of her parents being murdered every night." Naru said. "So, like I said in the coffee shop, I was sent to live in another foster home when I was ten. I stayed there until I was fourteen and reported what happened to me in the four years of living in that foster home to the police." Naru said. Kakashi saw her tighten her grip on her seatbelt.

"I can tell that giving you a vague overview of what happened isn't going to be enough, so I will tell you what happened in a little more detail. You won't get every detail of my screwed up life, but you will get more than I give most people." Naru said. "At first, living there was great. I finally had a father figure and he seemed to be very understanding about my nightmares. It took a couple of months before things took a turn for the worse." Naru said. "It just started with emotional and physical abuse. Everything I did was wrong and I would get slapped across the face for it. I was ugly, a waste of space, an idiot, and almost any other insult you can think of. As time went on, the physical abuse got worse. He would punch and kick me when ever I did the slightest thing wrong. He always made sure to not hit my face hard enough to bruise, so no one would find out I was being abused. The emotional abuse stayed the same, but it became even more frequent. The man didn't even use my name anymore unless someone else was around." Naru said. Kakashi heard her take a deep breath to get ready for what she was about to say next.

"I am sure you can tell that by this point, I no longer thought of him as a father figure. He lost that right the moment he first slapped me across the face. The reason I never told anyone was because he threatened to hurt my teachers. They were some of the only people that ever had any interest in me. I wasn't about to let anything happen to them if I could prevent it." Naru said. "When I turned twelve, I was beginning to develop like any normal girl would. The man took notice of this and decided it was time to add another type of abuse to my hell of a life. I was raped for the first time the night of my twelfth birthday." Naru said. Kakashi gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Well, I was emotionally, physically, and sexually abused until I couldn't take it anymore. On my fourteenth birthday, I ran straight to the police station and told the officer that was on duty a brief description of my life for the past four years. He asked if I wanted to press charges and I said yes. Social Services tried to come and take me back into their custody and I told the police that I would rather live in the street than go anywhere with them. That is when they brought up the idea of becoming an emancipated minor." Naru said. "Like I said in the coffee shop, I met my godparents when I turned sixteen. By then, I had tried to forget what had happened to me as much as possible. The man was in jail and I was getting on with my life. They had looked me up and asked me about my life. I told them about being in foster care and that I had been abused while in the system. They immediately had started apologizing for not being there. Like I told you earlier, they had been traveling. After that, I didn't have the heart to tell them all the details of my abuse. I just told them that I was physically and emotionally abused and I didn't really want to talk about it. As time passed, I told them more details about my abuse. I still didn't tell them about the sexual abuse though. They still don't know to this day. I just can't seem to find the words to tell them. They already know two-thirds of the story and feel terrible. If they found out the last part, I know they would only feel worse." Naru said. "During high school, I was picked on by everyone. The three people that pick on me now actually went to high school with me. It seems they never matured enough to stop insulting me." Naru said.

"Now, I am a college student. I work part-time to earn some extra money. College isn't cheap after all. I also help my super pervert of a godfather with his books. That is pretty much my life story. I mean, I left out some details here and there, but I think you get the idea that my life was far from great. I also think you realize that my life was screwed up in multiple ways." Naru said. "But, I have moved on for the most part. My bad memories still affect me sometimes, but I try not to let it keep me from living the life I want to live. I refuse to let the bad parts of my life overrule the good parts." Naru said.

Kakashi had not expected what Naru had told him. He had known it would be bad, but not that bad. He was sitting beside a victim of abuse and he had made her relive some of the worst parts of her life. Also, not only did her parents die when she was young, they were murdered and she witnessed it. No one should have had to go through that.

*Naru's POV*

Naru took a deep breath. She had just told Kakashi about her past in more detail. She didn't know why she had told Kakashi about the sexual abuse when she hadn't even told her godparents and best friend. She just somehow felt that she needed to tell Kakashi. She needed to know he accepted her despite her horrible past.

Naru looked over at Kakashi and saw that he was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. Naru reached over with her left hand and put it on top of Kakashi's right hand. She then said "It isn't the steering wheel's fault…" Naru knew it was a bad attempt at humor, but she had to do something to lighten the mood. The mood of the car was downright depressing.

She saw Kakashi loosen his grip on the steering wheel. "Sorry…" Kakashi said. Naru knew he wasn't pitying her and saying he was sorry for what happened to her. He was apologizing for gripping the steering wheel too tight. This made Naru smile. He still didn't pity her. She knew he was angry that she had to go through all of that, but he didn't pity her.

"Thank you." Naru said. "For what?" Kakashi asked. She could tell he hadn't expected her to say that by the look he was giving her. "Thank you for not pitying me after telling you all of that. When I told the police what happened, all of them looked at me with pity. The fact that you didn't is what I am thanking you for." Naru said. Kakashi nodded his head. "You're welcome. I would never look at you with pity, Naru. Compassion, but never pity." Kakashi said.

"So, anything sad happen in your life? I feel like I have earned at least one sad story about your life after my depressing life story." Naru said. "Okay, I will tell you about one of the saddest days of my life. Sound fair?" Kakashi asked. Naru nodded. "Okay, I was just twelve at the time. That would make you about two at the time…" Kakashi said. "You just had to mention the age difference…" Naru said. She saw Kakashi smile under his mask as he said "Yes, I did." "As I was saying before I was interrupted, I was twelve when one of the saddest days of my life happened. My friends, Rin and Obito, and I were swimming in the large pond near our houses. I am sure you met Rin. She is a professor at the University of Konoha like I am." Kakashi said. Naru nodded.

"Well, we had been swimming for awhile, when Rin and I decided to take a break for lunch. We tried to convince Obito to come with us, but he insisted on staying in the pond. When we got back an hour later, Obito was no where to be found. At first, we thought he had gone home, but then we saw his stuff was still there. We decided to go and check at his house anyways. His parents said he wasn't there and asked us what happened. We told them the whole story and they called the police. People searched everywhere for him while the police dragged the bottom of the pond. After what seemed like ages, they found our friend's body. Apparently, he had gotten his swimming trunks caught on something in the water and was unable to get free. He drowned. Both Rin and I felt so guilty, even after our parents and Obito's parents said that it wasn't our fault and there was nothing we could have done. I still feel a little guilty to this day…" Kakashi said.

Naru didn't know what to say. She knew that saying she was sorry for his loss wouldn't mean anything. She decided to show him what she wanted to say through actions, not words. She grabbed Kakashi's right hand with her left hand and removed it from the steering wheel. She then held his hand for a second before lacing their fingers together. She knew it was an intimate gesture, but she had a feeling it was what he needed. He needed to know someone cared.

*Kakashi's POV*

Kakashi looked at his hand and Naru's. They seemed to fit together perfectly. He also realized how small Naru's hand was compared to his. He knew that Naru was showing him that she had listened to his story. She was also showing him that she knew that saying that she was sorry for his loss wasn't enough. She was showing him that she cared about him. He had never thought any woman could show him that much caring through one simple gesture.

Kakashi had been intimate with women before. He had never let them see his face though. He always had the lights turned off so it was pitch black. The women had never cared about him. They just wanted sex and that was fine with him because he didn't care about them either.

Now, here he was, caring about a woman whose face he had never seen and was his student and it seemed she cared about him too. Kakashi was beginning to realize that this was no longer a teacher-student relationship. It was much more. He wasn't sure if it was a really close friendship or more than that. Until he figured it out, he decided he would keep it as a friendship.

Kakashi saw the small Italian restaurant he was taking Naru to come into view. He pulled into the parking lot and parked his car. He then sat there for a minute to just enjoy the feel of Naru's hand in his. He then let go of Naru's hand and said "We are here and I promise that the drive was worth it." Naru and Kakashi got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. They were taken to a small table near the back of the restaurant.

*Naru's POV*

Naru was waiting for their waiter to come. What she hadn't expected was the chef to come out and greet them personally. The chef was a plump old man that looked like he had enjoyed his fair share of Italian food. "Kakashi, it's good to see you. You haven't stopped by for a couple months. I was beginning to think you died." The man said before he turned his attention to Naru. "You brought a guest? Now, that isn't like you Kakashi, but I am not about to complain about more business. So, what is your guest's name?" The man asked Kakashi. "Her name is Naru. She is my best student, so I decided to treat her to some of your cooking." Kakashi said. The man turned to Naru and said "It is a pleasure to meet you, Naru. My name is Tony and I am the chef here. I can guarantee you will enjoy the meal." The man said.

"Do you guys know what you want to eat?" Tony asked. "I think I will have a glass of water and your famous spaghetti." Kakashi said. "I'll have the same." Naru said. "You won't be disappointed. My spaghetti is the best in existence." Tony said as he walked away. Naru smiled as she watched him walk off. She then turned her attention back to Kakashi.

"How are you going to eat without me seeing your face? I don't think the menu trick will work this time." Naru said. "You are right. I am not used to eating with people. Normally I eat by myself. The mask issue is why Tony always sits me in the back where it is dark." Kakashi said. Naru began to think about it for a few seconds. "I know what I can do so you can eat, but it may cause me to be a messy eater. As long as you can excuse my bad manners, I am willing to do it." Naru said. "I will excuse your bad manners, but what are you going to do?" Kakashi said.

Naru grabbed on of the fabric napkins off of the table and put her head down. She then tied it around her eyes like a blindfold. Once she was blindfolded, she made sure her hood was still hiding her appearance. She then brought her head back up. "There. I can't see a thing now. It will make for a messy eating experience, but at least you can eat this way." Naru said. "How can I be sure you aren't lying just to see my face?" Kakashi asked. "You should know the answer to that. I hide my appearance just like you do. I wouldn't lie just to see your face when I know you have a good reason to hide it. I won't break your trust." Naru said. "Also, when the food gets here, you can watch me attempt to eat blindfolded before you take your mask off." Naru said.

A few minutes later, Tony came back with their water and food. He noticed that Naru didn't look at him. "What's wrong with her?" Tony asked. "She is blindfolded so that I can take my mask off to eat." Kakashi said. "Are you serious? She is willing to try to eat spaghetti blindfolded just so you can eat?" Tony said. "Yes, she is." Kakashi said. "Well, I wish you luck with that…" Tony said before he walked away.

*Kakashi's POV*

Kakashi watched as Naru felt around for her glass of water. He pushed it towards her hand. He watched as she picked it up and took a sip. She then went to sit it on the table, but she almost put it in her spaghetti. Kakashi stopped her just in time and took the water from her. He then sat it down on the table. Kakashi now completely believed she was blindfolded. He watched as she felt around for her fork. Her fingers went right in her spaghetti. He then watched as she looked around for a napkin. He handed her his napkin.

"Thanks." Naru said. "You're welcome." Kakashi said as he pulled down his mask. He then picked up Naru's fork and handed it to her. He then began to eat his spaghetti. While eating, he watched Naru attempt to eat. By the time he was finished eating, Naru had only had four bites of food. Thankfully, none of it fell on her.

Kakashi took a sip of his water and wiped his mouth off with his napkin. He then watched as his dinner companion struggled to eat blindfolded for a couple more minutes. Finally, he took pity on her. He pulled his mask back up and said "I am done eating. You can take the blindfold off." He watched as she reached up and untied her blindfold. He noticed how careful she was to make sure her face was hidden the whole time. Kakashi watched Naru sit her napkin to the side and begin to eat normally.

A few minutes later, Tony decided to come to the table. "So, I see she was able to take the blindfold off after you finished. You should be thankful. If I had asked my wife to do that, she would have told me to wait until she was finished. You are lucky to have such a nice student, Kakashi." Tony said. Kakashi nodded his head in agreement. He knew for a fact Rin would have never done that for him and they had been friends for years. That was actually the reason he never ate dinner with Rin.

"So, how was the food?" Tony asked. "Delicious as usual." Kakashi said. He then saw Tony look at Naru for her answer. He watched as Naru finished chewing and said "So far, it has been delicious. This is definitely the best spaghetti I have ever had." Tony smiled a huge smile and said "Kakashi, you have to bring this girl again. She has great taste when it comes to food." Kakashi nodded his head. He knew that if he said no, Tony would only bug him until he agreed. Once Tony took a liking to someone, there was no way to stop him from seeing them again. "Here is your check. Pay on your way out. It was a pleasure to meet you, Naru. I hope to see you both again very soon." Tony said before he sat the check on the table. Tony then walked away.

Kakashi waited for Naru to finish eating. Once she was done, he grabbed the check and walked toward the front door. He knew Naru was following him. He paid the woman behind the cash register and walked out of the restaurant. He held the door open for Naru. Once she was outside, he let the door close. "Who ever said chivalry was dead obviously didn't meet you." Naru said as she walked towards his car. Kakashi unlocked his car and got in. Naru got in the passenger side. "So, was it worth the drive?" Kakashi asked Naru as he started the car. "Definitely." Naru said as Kakashi pulled out of the parking lot.

Kakashi turned on the radio and they listened to music until they got close to the university. "Okay, so where do you live?" Kakashi asked. "Drive to the coffee shop we met at and keep going. I will tell you when to stop." Naru said. Kakashi followed Naru's directions and before he knew it, they were in front of Naru's apartment building.

*Naru's POV*

Naru looked at Kakashi and smiled. She knew he couldn't see it, but she had a feeling he would know she was smiling. "Thank you for treating me to dinner, Kakashi" Naru said. She didn't know when she decided to drop the honorific, but she liked just saying his name with no sensei attached. "It was my pleasure, Naru. I will see you next time we have class." Kakashi said. "Definitely. Good night, Kakashi." Naru said as she opened the car door and got out. "Good night, Naru." Kakashi said right before Naru closed the door.

Naru walked into her apartment building and went straight to her apartment. When she got into her apartment, she turned the light on and looked out the window just in time to watch Kakashi drive away. Naru smiled to herself. She then went to take a shower and get ready for bed. Even though she didn't have Kakashi's class tomorrow, she still had to go to school.