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Chapter dedicated to Black Claided Cat!

Chapter 11

Six years later...

A surprising amount had changed in six years, but the outcomes had changed little from the original plot I hoped. Sasuke and Itachi were still the 'last' Uchihas left, but now they both resided and served for Konoha. The last time I saw Sasuke he was still hell-bent on revenge, but on Madara this time, even though he didn't know Madara's name. Poor sweet Naruto was still not accepted by the majority of Konoha, although he had started to worm his way into the hearts of a few more people. One Hyuuga heiress in particular. Today I was hoping that Naruto would finally get his hitai-ite. He was clever and knew everything to pass, I know that, I taught him that when he was home, he just still preferred to be the prankster. And as long as the pranks didn't harm anyone, I let him be.

Oh that's right! All the rookie generation were twelve or thirteen now, and I a woman of twenty-four. Twenty-four and still single. Azami was half inclined to boot me into the nearest club and just 'get laid' to loosen up, but I refused to do so. I was a Jounin for god's sake, for four years, I had self-control. I was in control of all my emotions, feelings and thoughts. I was a kunoichi at my best right now.

And my baby brother was no longer a baby.

Azami! Azami and Gai had tied the knot two years ago in an interesting ceremony, and were happily married. I imagined if they had children, their smiles could be a deadly attack all on their own, but after trying unsuccessfully for a while they took some tests at the hospital. The test for Gai came out fine, but Azami, she had been found to be infertile. She had been devastated, and had cried for weeks on end. It was so unfair on her. If there was one person on this planet that deserved children, it was Azami. But then came a chakra free little miracle.

Last year Gai had got his genin team, and Azami had met Lee. Oh she practically adopted him on sight, and her mood picked up steadily after their meeting. Sufficed to say, she now had to worry about one more person, but she didn't seem to mind that much. I could see her love for all of us, and she threw herself back into her work again. I thought it would have hurt her to work with babies knowing she couldn't have one, but she said that 'if we shinobi were working so hard, she would work just as hard too'. She was back to being Azami again, bad cooking and all, although Lee seemed to love her curry. Why? I had no idea, but that was now a frequent dish on the menu. I think Lee got a bento of curry once. And of course, the day Lee got his green spandex suit 'of Youth', both Gai and Azami had cried rivers of joy. They had been so proud. It had been a little weird, but sweet, a definition of their love.

I had as self-promised worked hard, and when I had demonstrated the control of the Yondaime's jutsu to Jiraiya last time he was in the village, he had said I was almost as good as the Yondaime himself. I also no longer worked at the bookshop to help pay the bills. I was earning enough money just being a kunoichi, and we even had some money spare. When Naruto started earning money we might even have enough money to move to a bigger house, but we were happy in the apartment. It was just the two of us. Maybe a few friends if they stayed over.

I was content.

But I wasn't happy.

I was filling out my latest mission report at home, Naruto wasn't home yet for some reason so I hadn't started on dinner, when I noticed the call for shinobi in the sky. Dropping everything I teleported myself to the Hokage's tower and arrived before everyone else. But only a few seconds later everyone else appeared from some place or another, and the Hokage faced us with a stern look.

"A Forbidden Scroll has been stolen, Uzumaki Naruto has been found to be the culprit." My eyes widened, that was today? I heard shouts and jeers at Naruto from behind me, but they all stopped when I turned and glared at everyone. I was a fairly formidably foe when taunted, especially about my baby brother. "You are to locate him and retrieve both him and the scroll. Dismissed!"

We all set off in scattered directions, but I trailed Iruka. I knew he would find Naruto, and I just wanted to be there in case things didn't go down as well as they should. I hid my chakra fully and followed Iruka, only a few metres away from him. Soon enough I saw and heard Mizuki and Naruto talking, and heard all the horrible things he was saying to my Naruto. I had half a mind to go out there and get him myself, and was battling myself internally over the need for him to grow, and the fact he was my baby brother and he was hurting.

I watched the events I had already seen unfold, Iruka standing up for Naruto, Naruto's escape, and Iruka's distraction. I waited until Naruto's fight with Mizuki was over and he was hugging Iruka after getting his hitai-ite before I went up to the bloody and beaten Mizuki. He was still conscious, just, and he cowered under my glare.

"You better feel happy that Iruka found you before I did." I growled out at him, before I picked him up and draped him over one shoulder. Nodding to Iruka so he knew I was taking Mizuki away to be properly arrested, I gestured to him to not tell Naruto I had been here. From this point on, I knew I was to take a back seat in Naruto's life. I couldn't be the big sister always ready to protect him, scaring off angry villagers and beating up anyone who messed with him. He was a ninja now; he would have to fight his own battles. And I would be his biggest fan. I heard Mizuki groan as I was running back through the trees, "You better shut up before I make you." He shut up, wise choice.

Maybe it was time to look at my life now... where was that club Azami had talked about?

The weight on my shoulders lifted, and I turned to my right to see another ninja helping to carry Mizuki. But it wasn't any random ninja... "Hatake."

"Uzumaki."

Not another word was spoken as we carried Mizuki to the Hokage, but I felt all the emotions I had literally bottled up and kept behind a ten foot wall crash. It was a tsunami of feelings in my mind. I was so happy he had started talking to me again, even if it was just one word. But I was angry at him for leaving, and angry at myself for being so pathetic over a guy. Then I felt sad, knowing he was probably just helping me on the Hokage's orders or due to his duty as a shinobi, not for me. And then I felt heart-broken again, remembering how I had felt about him before he left me, the memories of the first few weeks catching up to me again. Azami had been worried how emotionless I had seemed then, well they were all catching up on me now. I hope she's happy now.

Shake it off Natsuki, shake it off. You are a kunoichi, now act like it.

After depositing Mizuki in the Hokage's charge, I made my way to the hospital to find Azami and have a good long talk, which I imagined would involve a lot of 'I told you so's on Azami's side, and then her booting me into that aforementioned club after dressing me up. My plans however where squashed, when I found Kakashi strolling beside me, nose stuck in book. I found it strange, as for the past seven years he had seemed to do all he could to avoid any contact with me. Even running from my sight. At the start it was very hard to try and catch up to him, but now I had just given up. There was no point.

Which made me suspicious. Why the sudden interest? I moved down several alleyways, Kakashi following me all the time, just a few inches on my left. I was trying to lose him, but it wasn't working. Oh just tell him to bugger off. "Hatake what do you want?"

He didn't even look at me when he answered, "What makes you think I want anything?"

I growled at him, prick, "Fine, if you'll be excusing me then." I prepared to teleport myself to the hospital – the planned relaxing walk there was growing more stressful every step – when I was stopped by a hand on my arm.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh? I thought you didn't want anything?"

"I never said that, you assumed that. I simply answered your question with a question." Kakashi said, looking at me now with that smiling eye of his. Damn him, "Would you prefer to go somewhere more private?"

I ignored the fluttering in my chest, and nodded, suggesting a small bar and restaurant, Sachi's, close by. I knew the place well, a regular drinking spot for me – keeping alcohol in the apartment was not a good idea with Naruto – and since I knew the owners I would be guaranteed some privacy it I asked. Kakashi and I made our way there, his book tucked into his back pocket now, and his eye trained on the side of my face, making me nervous. I tried to ignore it as we entered Sachi's and I nodded to the bartender, asking to use the private booth table at the back. He gave me a nod and waved me through, looking curiously at Kakashi. When Kakashi and I were seated and had ordered our drinks, I rested my folded arms on the tabletop and waited for Kakashi to talk.

"So, how have you been since we last spoke?"

He couldn't be serious could he? "You mean you want to know what's happened for the past seven years?"

"Yes."

"Hatake if this is your idea of a joke it isn't funny! Drink your drink, pay your half, and go."

"Why would you think I was making a joke?"

"What interest am I to you that you would have nothing to do with me for all those years? If you had cared, you would have asked sooner. Or avoided me less. Don't think I didn't see you scurrying away the moment you caught sight of me. You don't care for me, so quit whatever you're doing."

Kakashi watched me a little while I waited for him to leave. It hurt that he would toy with me like this. "I was trying to apologise."

My eyes bugged out, "If you were trying to apologise, say sorry first then!"

"I'm sorry."

"..."

"What?"

I sighed, massaging my temples, "What are you sorry for Hatake?"

"You know."

"It doesn't matter if I know or not!" living with Naruto had taught me patience, but this was getting frustrating, "You say what you're sorry for too."

"Okay." Kakashi said with a sigh, "I'm sorry I ignored you for so long, it was wrong of me, you were a friend and I abandoned you. Please forgive me?"

"You have to say it like you mean it."

"Why? Weren't you listening."

"Damnit Kakashi! If you aren't going to mean it when you're sorry, don't bother saying anything at all." I stood up, leaving my drink untouched, and slammed some notes on the table, "That should cover it. Good day Hatake."

Kakashi's hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist, "Wait, please. I'm not used to apologising, out loud anyway, to another person." He pushed me back into my seat, where I sat and waited, looking down at the tabletop. "I am sorry about leaving you like that. I was dealing with something a little difficult at the time, but I shouldn't have treated you like that. Can we start over?"

"You want to be friends again?"

"Very much."

I sat there in thought for a while, before downing my whole bottle of sake in one large gulp, "Fine. But you're on probation mister, one step out of line and... you can forget about being friends. I'll leave this time."

"Deal."

"Ok."

"So... you're a Jounin now?"

I laughed at his attempt at conversation, work. He needed to work on his social skills, he looked so awkward, not at all as relaxed as he had seemed so many years ago, "And your back to being a Jounin. What happened? ANBU not exciting enough for you?"

"Maa, it wasn't my thing."

"And what is? Other than that book you seem permanently attached to."

"My friends."

I raised my eyebrows at him now, "Flattery, you learn fast. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work on me."

"Even if I told you that I have yet to meet a more beautiful woman as you?"

I blushed a little now, I could really use a mask right now, "Yeah yeah, whatever. But seriously, why not stay with ANBU? I always thought of joining-"

"Don't," Kakashi said, grabbing my wrist again, "It's not as good as people make it out to be. You're alone a lot of the time. At least I had my book, what would you have to pass the time?"

"I still have the book you lent me."

"Have you read it?"

"I won't say."

"So you liked it," Kakashi I think was grinning behind his mask, "You little pervert."

"I never said that! And you're the pervert Hatake!"

"Fine, I'm sorry for calling you a pervert." He was still smiling though, but it was a nice smile, I think... it was difficult to tell behind the mask.

"Good, now I have to go to the hospital. You want to come?"

"Are you ill?"

"No, I'm going to check on Naruto. He's probably fine, just some cuts and scrapes probably." I saw him nod and we left the restaurant together. I held my hand out to him, "Come on, we'll get there faster if I teleport us."

Kakashi nodded his head, but didn't grab my hand. Instead he pulled me into a one-armed hug, keeping his arm around my shoulders as he pulled out his book again. I would have rolled my eyes, but I was too focused on convincing myself that the fluttering in my middle from his arm around me meant nothing to me. Concentrate Natsuki, hospital. I visualized it in my mind and quickly felt the sealed kunai I had left there, allowing me to teleport to the hospital at anytime from anywhere. I also felt Kakashi drawing patterns onto the shoulder his arm was resting on. They sent shivers through me, but I tried to hide it by shuffling on the spot a little.

A second later Kakashi and I were in the hospital, and his arm was no longer around me. I need to talk to Azami tonight.