Naruto wasn't surprised to see Kakashi there. He had sensed him from the hallway. What he was surprised by was the bag in his hand,
"Is that.. Is that Ichiraku's?"
Kakashi rolled his eye at the anticlimactic intro and walked closer to the bed and held out the bag,
"Shikaku said you've been complaining"
A sad smile skirted over Naruto's lips as he took the bag. It was true he had mentioned it but to think the jerk would get it… Well best eat it fresh.
Opening it steam rolled out and he got a full whiff of the miso. He cautiously broke the complimentary chopsticks and with a courage he didn't know he possessed he plunged in taking out some noodles and popped them in his mouth.
And Kakashi watched as he was clearly ignored over a bowl of noodles. And his mouth dropped because as he watched the blonde chewing large baby fat tears rolled down whiskered cheeks,
"Soo….ooo G..g..ooood"
Naruto hiccupped in between bites. Kakashi didn't understand this mystery of a person but he was patient he had learned to be from the best after all.
-
And Naruto didn't take too long to finish not even leaving a droplet of broth behind.
"Sorry about that"
Naruto said wiping his eye as he finally acknowledge Kakashi's presence,
"I was just a bit overwhelmed, what's up? How's the eye?"
Kakashi was taken aback by the his casual nature like it was a book or household item and he was just asking to see if it was a good gift, not like it was a body part that he would never get back.
"It's… It's fine, Rin did a good job."
He muttered unable to look at the opposing blue eye.
"That's good, i know she's an awesome medic, you thanked her right?"
Now he felt he was talking to a grown man, he glared at the obviously younger male,
"Who and what are you?"
Naruto blinked owlishly at him then waved his hand carelessly,
"Besides that,"
He said nonchalantly brushing the question aside.
"now that you have a heart again how will you move forward?"
Kakashi didn't like being brushed off,
"Why you… don't…!"
"Your old mindset…"
Naruto continued not caring about Kakashi's personal pet peeves
"was kill your emotions for the sake of the mission, and Obito's is being emotionally invested."
"I struggled a lot with finding the right balance."
His back was facing him as Naruto sat on his kitchen bar stool, ever looking at important documents.
"Heart or stone. Kindness or killer."
He couldn't see his face but he saw the man chug down the bottle of beer like it was a ritual, and perhaps it was at this point. The mask went back up and he turned with those bone tired eyes he had more often than not,
"What did you decide?"
Maybe Kakashi didn't think he was paying attention because he looked genuinely surprised. The alcoholic influence seemed to fade and he seemed to innocently ponder the question,
"Can't remember."
Why did he even bother listening to the old man?
"But…"
Ah There was the alcohol again. The former teacher leaned forward into naruto's space not unlike how Naruto often acted in his younger days and with a fierce swing swept all the papers that he had been looking through off the bar top.
He had been looking for a reaction but he would be sourly disappointed and you could see it in the pained look that he couldn't seem to hide anymore.
"What does it matter anymore? all i'm doing lately is…"
"It's a difficult choice. But there must be a balance. Never forget that"
Naruto said his voice soft as a whisper as the younger Hatake stood in front of him listening
"Sometimes you'll have to close your heart but there will be times you have to hold out until the last second and keep believing in others."
This wasn't the talk of a child. An untrained person who knew nothing of being a ninja. This was.. This was too similar to how the war veterans would speak…
Like how his father would speak.
After a tough battle when he felt burdened with guilt and pain and he just wanted to make sure...Just make sure that his son didn't make the same mistake.
He blanked and didn't even realize what he had done until he saw that he had thrown himself at Naruto gripping the collar of his shirt as he was kneeled over the boy laying back on the bed. And if he was hoping to get a reaction; he didn't.
These weren't childish eyes. These..this eye was broken. Because Naruto was only half there somewhere in between reality and the past.
"All i'm doing lately…"
"Tell me what did you decide?!"
Kakashi couldn't help but yell,
"All i'm doing lately is…"
Naruto didn't answer but Kakashi knew from the look in his blue eye,
"All i'm doing lately …
Is looking for your heart."
THEM FEELS MAN! I reread this a thousand times (though there may still be grammical mistakes) and it hit me every time NARUTO!