Shay made a funny sound and handed her plate back to Naruto who took the dish of half eaten eggs over easy, bacon, and toast and set it on the coffee table next to him and looked back at her as he picked up the cup of orange juice (the second one, since he had broken the first) and held it out to her.
Shay took the cup with both hands and took a sip or two before handing it back. "Is that all you want to drink?" Naruto asked with a frown as he took the glass and set it aside too before turning his full attention back to Shay.
Shay nodded her head and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was still exhausted. "I'm too sleepy to eat or drink any more right now." She said as she scooted herself down a little bit and soft of flopped her head back on the pillow behind her head and looked pitiful as Naruto's lips curved up in a small smile and he shook his head in amusement.
She was cute like this. Pitiful. But cute never the less.
"Are you planning to go to sleep on me honey?"
"Mmmm. Thinking about it."
Naruto nodded his head and reached out and brushed some of her dark hair back from her face then asked. "Do you mind staying up just a little bit longer? I want to talk to you about Kakashi-sensei's offer."
Shay looked at him and frowned. Why in the world would Naruto want to talk about this with her? Now of all times. She was ten seconds from sleepy town land. "Better make it fast, Naruto. I think I see sand man fairies."
Naruto blinked and looked around the room in an effort to figure out where she saw sand man fairies. Then the thought occurred to him that he didn't know what the hell a sand man fairy was, period. He looked back at her and made a mental note to ask her later what a sand man fairy was and then reached out to shake her shoulder when he noticed that she was like two seconds from snoring and she jerked under his hand and opened her eyes and looked at him like she'd like to see his head burst into flames.
"I think you should say yes to Kakashi's offer." As much as he hated the thought of having to share her with another person, he felt and knew that having her say yes, would be in her best interest in the long run.
After all, he had his missions and she couldn't stay in the village by herself. Unprotected.
Kakashi was old enough for his twenty five years, and had served the village as a shinobi for eighteen or nineteen years. Chances were fairly good that he would retire once Shay said yes so that he could shift his attention from protecting the village to protecting her. Inevitably he would even marry and have children. But not before he found a decent match for Shay and saw her married and with a kid on the way first.
"Why?" Shay asked, wanting to know why exactly being adopted by the man would be such an honor. She still knew so little about the village and how it worked.
"Because his name has a lot of pull. He's just as powerful as the Hokage, and his name is just as respected. If he claims you as a long lost relative or something, then no one would dare dispute his claim. Not only that, but he would spend all of his time and efforts trying to be a good brother to you..."
"I've never had a brother or sister before Naruto. What if I get on his nerves?"
Naruto chuckled at the innocent and childlike question. Shay could no more get on Kakashi's nerves than Naruto could. The man was nothing but patient. "He'll adore you and spoil you outrageously."
"Because he wants to honor me?"
"No. Because he's never had a family. His mom and dad both died when he was really little so he doesn't really remember them. That's why, I think having you take his offer would make him really happy. So happy that he'd want to give you every piece of unconditional love that he's kept locked away in his heart all this time."
"But..." Shay started to argue and Naruto shook his head and put his index finger against her lips to silence her.
"Look at this from my point of view Shay. Your staying with the most feared and hated man in the village. This makes you a target to all sorts of unsavory characters. Serial killers, rapists, people who would like nothing more than to tear you apart just to hurt me. And the fact that I care for you so much just makes them want to get their hands on you even more. Kakashi can protect you in ways that I can't. He'd act as your shadow. Anyone stupid enough to try and fuck with you would pay dearly for it. If you couple that knowledge with the money and properties that he intends to give to you, you would be able to live your life very comfortably."
Shay frowned at him. He had some very valid points, but the truth of the matter was that people with such power and wealth were often hated by others with similar power and wealth. Saying yes to Kakashi's offer may give her a more comfortable life, but at the same time it would make her more of a target too.
And not just from kidnappers and killers. But from the other clans in the village too.
Anyone wanting connections to Kakashi's clan would see her as a means to an end. They would attack her, kidnap her, blackmail, and bully her. They would beat her to break her will and force her into marrying someone in their family for political reasons. And there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone could do about it.
But if Naruto felt this strongly that it would be a positive thing, then she supposed that she could trust him enough to trust his judgment.
"If you really think I should..."
"I do. But I want you to sleep on it for a night or two before you answer. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. Just don't be too surprised if Kakashi shows up early in the morning to fix you breakfast." Naruto said as he got up off of the coffee table and leaned over her and kissed her cheek before turning around and gathering the dishes and walking away.
Leaving her with far too much to think and worry about.
