It's the steady drip drip of an IV that Kakashi wakes to.

An IV means that Kakashi's in the hospital, and being in the hospital signifies that he's injured. How badly did I get hurt? Naruto's not going to be-

Where is Naruto?

Color him clingy, but Kakashi's not used to waking up in the hospital without his husband at his side. It might be a bit ridiculous of him, he was just fine when Naruto was gone, but right now, he can't help feeling like there's something wrong-

Which brings him back to why he's in the hospital in the first place. He remembers waking up this morning (is it still the same day?), remembers Naruto kissing him goodbye on his way out the door for patrol duty, remembers summoning the hounds to check in with them…

And Naruto sent a clone to me.

What did the clone say? He knows he was in the middle of his own duties, and Naruto's clone said it was urgent… Was it about the exams? Had something happened during the exams, were their kids-

They were being attacked, he said they were in danger.

Naruto had insisted that they were in danger and sent Kakashi ahead of him because Kakashi was closer, and probably because he didn't want to leave Kakashi out of the loop. So he had gone into the forest of death to intervene only to discover that their genin were being attacked by-

Orochimaru, that's right.

Orochimaru, who was using their kids as bait to lure Kitsune into a trap.

A trap that we sprung by rushing in there.

Not that it could be helped. Obito had been on the opposite end of the village, there's no way he would have heard about it until after the fact, which means…

Focus. What happened next?

Next, Kakashi had been stabbed, only… he hadn't known it at first, and it wasn't until he heard the genin screaming that he realized. He'd been on the verge of passing out when help arrived, but-

"Help" had been… a glowing, flaming, four armed man? Is that even possible? Had it been some sort of pain-induced fever dream? Had he simply witnessed a fancy fire-style jutsu?

No. If he had, he'd know how to do it considering Obito's eye had recorded it for him. Whatever he saw, real or imaginary, it was no ordinary jutsu. Not even a kekkei genkai.

Besides, take away the glowing and the flames and the spare arms, and it kind of… looked like Naruto. Could it have really been Kakashi's husband underneath all of that? Does Naruto honestly have an ability like that? And if he does, why has he kept it such a secret-a secret from his parents, from Kakashi?

Is this why he stayed away for as long as he did? Why he kept away from the village for months at a time, even after he trained with Jiraiya and then returned, even after he removed his mask?

Is this the part of himself that he keeps contained, the part of himself that he's so careful to control for fear of hurting everyone around him?

Can it really be true that Naruto is barely even human?

Stop it, Kakashi, he thinks to himself, lifting one aching arm over his eyes. It's unfair to Naruto to assume anything right now, especially because-

Because if that was his husband, how did the fight pan out after Kakashi passed out? Did Naruto, in all of his glowing, fiery glory, defeat the snake sannin? Or did Orochimaru have something up his sleeve (down his throat?) that would render Naruto's abilities useless long enough for that man to capture him?

Naruto's clearly not with Kakashi right now. Is he injured, too? Is he even in the village? Is the fight even over, yet?

What about their genin? Had they made it to the tower? Had the medical ninja intercepted them to check them over?

I should have stayed unconscious.

Kakashi doesn't know how long he talks himself in circles before his eyelids grow heavy again; he's only able to fight off the exhaustion for a few more moments, hoping somebody familiar will walk through the door in that time.

But nobody comes.

/

"Well, kid, nothing's broken. Just a few scrapes and bruises that will heal on their own. Rest up while you can." The healer stands, turning away now that he knows Sasuke's alright. A few feet away, Sakura sits with another healer, the woman's hands alight with green healing chakra. Unfortunately, Sakura's injuries are a little more extensive than Sasuke's, but at least she has more energy than he and Sai do.

Speaking of Sai, the poor guy's still unconscious.

"-still alive?" her voice carries over to him during a fleeting moment where he's able to focus.

He's worried, too. Kakashi-sensei had taken too long to realize he'd been stabbed during his fight, and the iryo-nin had shown up and taken him away around the same time medics found him and his teammates. And Shikamaru.

So they didn't get to see what happened with either of their sensei.

Naruto-nii had arrived just as Kakashi-sensei hit the ground, but his outfit was different than anything Sasuke's ever seen before, and…

He'd been glowing? Flaming?

He hadn't looked totally human, and… Well, Sasuke's not sure, but he thinks Naruto-nii's eye might have been… red.

Do I even know him at all?

It wasn't red like the sharingan, either, but a deep, blood red, like the stories of the demon that Shisui told him about once when he was a little kid. He'd said it was a fox demon that stood taller than the tallest building in Konoha, it's blood red eyes housing pupils like slits.

Could it be… Could Naruto-nii be the fox demon?

But that's absurd, isn't it? Naruto isn't a demon. He's not even all that mean when he's trying to be, right?

"Sasuke?"

He shakes himself out of his thoughts, dumbfounded to find that his brother's crouching right in front of him and Sasuke hadn't even noticed.

"Nii-san…"

Itachi catches him when he shoves himself out of his seat and into his brother's arms. Sasuke can't help thinking that nothing is ever going to be the same. I don't want to lose everything that I've gained this year.

"I don't understand."

Itachi hums, resting his chin on the top of Sasuke's head. "What don't you understand?"

"Was that really Naruto-sensei?" Can he really turn into something like that?

A long moment passes while his brother thinks. "Naruto-senpai fought and defeated Orochimaru. Right now, the man who attacked you and your teammates is being taken to T&I for questioning, and Kakashi-senpai was taken to the hospital. He's in critical condition, but I'm sure that Naruto-senpai will see him as soon as he can. He probably wants to check on you four, as well, but unfortunately, he's being interrogated about the situation, too." Itachi runs a hand through Sasuke's hair, breathing out a sigh as he pulls away. "But I'm sure everything will work out, Sasuke. Now, the Hokage wants to talk to you and your teammates. Oh, and take Shikamaru with you, as well. Head to the end of that hallway behind us."

Sasuke glances toward the hallway his brother indicates, wondering what their Hokage will have to say.

Are we in trouble? We didn't get to finish the exam.

He turns away from Itachi's supportive smile, making his way to Sakura's side. "We've been summoned by the Hokage."

She frowns up at him as the healer walks away.

/

Sakura has seen one of her teachers gravely injured before, but watching it happen… is unnerving. There's nothing graceful about getting stabbed in the lung, apparently.

And Sai's hurt, and Shikamaru's barely functioning, and what if Sasuke has another crisis? What if he doesn't trust Naruto-sensei anymore?

She glances to her right, but Sasuke's face is blank even as he throws himself into Itachi's arms. Is he going to be okay?

"Excuse me," she says softly, and the medical ninja treating her broken wrist looks up at her. "I was wondering if you know anything about Kakashi-sensei. Is he still alive?"

"Ah." The woman smiles a little. "I heard that he's stable enough to be left alone for a few hours at a time." Her smile turns a little more genuine, a little less forced. "You should focus on your own wounds, that way your sensei doesn't have to worry about you and will worry about himself."

But Kakashi-sensei won't willingly rest until he knows that we're alright.

Eventually, Sasuke leaves his brother and stops at her side, just as her healer is getting up to leave after wrapping her wrist and looking over the rest of her wounds.

"We've been summoned by the Hokage."

Hokage-sama wants to talk to us?

The two of them wake Shikamaru up after finding him slouched over in one corner of the small waiting room they were taken to when they arrived. After he's filled in, they make their way to the room that Sasuke's brother had indicated, each of them lost in their own heads. Sakura's sure that Shikamaru's worried about his teammates, and she doubts it helps that he doesn't even know if they've made it to the tower, yet (she really hopes that they have).

And Sasuke, of course, is probably trying to understand the situation in its entirety. His feelings toward Naruto-sensei have been back and forth from the beginning, and Sakura can only hope that what they witnessed won't harm all the progress they've made in their relationship.

Naruto's too good of a man for Sasuke to push aside due to his… well, whatever they witnessed. She's still not sure exactly what happened.

He was really upset, though. Maybe he thought Kakashi-sensei was going to die, or that he was too late.

Sakura sighs, holding her injured arm to her chest as the three of them cross the threshold.

Please be okay, both of you.

/

Yondaime-sama smiles tiredly at Shikamaru and the others when they enter the room where he and Shikamaru's father are seated. His hat is abandoned on the table and there are dark circles under his eyes, a sure sign that he hasn't gotten enough rest this week.

"You were very brave today," he says kindly. "How are each of you coping with what happened?"

Shikamaru glances to either side, but neither Sasuke or Sakura speaks up, so he steps forward. "Hokage-sama, is Naruto-sensei a jinchuriki?"

The other two turn to him, but he won't be surprised if they don't know what a jinchuriki is-not many people do. But Naruto isn't a normal person, he's not even a normal shinobi, and it seems like the most viable explanation.

"Shikamaru," his father begins, but the Hokage chuckles.

"I see that your intelligence has passed on to your son, Shikaku. Yes, my son is the jinchuriki of our village. Years ago, on the night he disappeared, the beast escaped from its previous container, and the person who took my son away sealed the creature into him. As much as I don't like it, it saved the village from destruction."

"Um, excuse me? What is... a jinchuriki?" Sakura moves forward, too, cradling one of her arms against her chest.

Shikamaru's dad crosses his arms, looking resigned. "Jinchuriki are people who have chakra beasts sealed into them. There are nine known tailed chakra beasts in the world, and Naruto-kun is the jailer for the Nine-Tails, the strongest of the tailed beasts. What you witnessed today is what he explained is Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. I was told that he trained on an island with the jinchuriki of Kumogakure to perfect this ability."

"My son has done what no other jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails has done before," Yondaime-sama continues. "From what I understand, after a rather heartbreaking event outside of the village, he and his tailed beast became friends, and the Nine-Tails works with him instead of against him. You should know that Naruto is not a danger to you or anybody else unless they pose a threat to this village and the people in it."

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru assures. "Naruto-sensei is somebody that I myself have always looked up to, that's not going to change now. Is he okay?"

A nod. "He's fine."

A quiet moment passes before Sasuke joins Sakura and Shikamaru in line. "So, what happens now, Hokage-sama? We didn't make it back to the tower on our own."

"Ah, of course. However, the coordinators, clan heads, and village leaders have spoken, and we've determined that under the circumstances, each of you showed exceptional abilities in holding your own against an S-rank shinobi, and therefore, none of you will be disqualified. Shikamaru, you'll return to your teammates, who've been alerted to your situation, and once Sai regains consciousness, he'll reconvene with his teammates to wait for the next phase." The Hokage smiles at them again, waving a hand toward the door, but Shikamaru stays rooted to the spot until the others are out of earshot.

"Hokage-sama, I don't think I should be given another chance. I followed Sakura because I wanted to help when she said there was trouble, but I wasn't able to do anything at all."

Naruto's father studies him for a long time, his face almost impassive. "Shikamaru," he says softly, "is it true that you stayed behind to give your teammates a better chance of making it to the tower?"

He knows about that?

"Hai." Shikamaru straightens his spine, a little surprised.

"And is it true that you used the last of your available chakra to contain the beast blocking their path?"

"H-hai."

"But you still joined Team Seven in the event that you might be able to help them?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The man hums. Shikamaru's father crosses his arms.

"As your Hokage, I want to thank you for your bravery today, Shikamaru. You deserve to stay in the exams just as much as the others do despite not making it here with your teammates. From what they told me, you had every intention of meeting up with them before the end of the fifth day, so I don't think for a moment that you were going to give up. There's no reason you should give up now, is there?"

So, Naruto-sensei's like his old man, too.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru bows his head. "Thank you."

I guess I have to finish these exams, even if it is a pain.

Oh well. It's not a hand-out if I deserve it.

Thank you, Hokage-sama.

/

By the time Inoichi is finished interviewing Naruto about the fight (and about the last several years of his life), the sun is beginning to set over the horizon and Naruto has been away from his injured husband for far longer than he's comfortable with. His heart had done quite a skip-step when he sensed Kakashi's chakra flickering, and it hadn't helped that he was close enough to hear their genin's shouts of disbelief, was able to hear how their voices were thick with fear and grief and exhaustion.

He doesn't ever remember feeling such blatant anger before. All he could think was how dare you. How dare you hurt my family.

Of course, the medics had been hot on his tail, so they evacuated the kids and Kakashi while Naruto dealt with the threat, but then others had shown up to help and stumbled across Naruto having a bit of tantrum. The truth is, Orochimaru had been done for the minute Naruto reached the clearing, and at this point, a piece of himself that was thirsty for revenge was at the forefront. It had taken a moment for him to calm down and turn the sannin over to Interrogation.

Which is why Inoichi had felt the need to interview Naruto, as well. To check his mental state. Which is understandable.

But it took so long, what if something happened with Kakashi and they just didn't want to tell me because they thought I would go on a rampage?

This is why I didn't want anybody to know.

It's worth it, though. Revealing his secret, that is. If he hadn't, would Kakashi even be alive right now? Would their genin be alright?

Naruto skids to a stop, his trek toward the hospital interrupted by a pair of dark eyes. "Itachi," he hears his own voice greet, hoarse and crackling.

His friend watches him for a moment, unreadable, and then glides forward, graceful as ever, to bring Naruto into a hug. "You need to calm down," he murmurs, one hand on the back of his neck. "Kakashi-senpai is still stable, and the genin are all okay, but you're no help to anybody if you run yourself into the ground."

And Naruto can only bury his face in Itachi's neck and choke on all the emotions he's been ignoring for the last several hours, because surely this is all his fault? Why had he forgotten about Orochimaru? If he hadn't, the man could have been dealt with before he ever became a jounin sensei, before his mission to Wave and his marriage and all of it!

This happened because of me.

But Itachi is a pillar of strength in a weak moment, and Naruto doesn't know how to thank him, can only hold on a little tighter, lean on him a bit longer. "Living is hard," he admits brokenly. He wonders if he can ever repay Itachi, Shisui, all the people who helped him when he didn't know how to free himself from the chains he'd brought upon himself.

"It's worth it, though, don't you think? All the people who love you and that you love, they make it worthwhile." Itachi eases away, his own eyes sparkling in the dimming light. "You have a husband to heal, right?"

"Ah." Naruto stops before he makes it far, turning to Itachi once again. "You both know that I love you, right?"

And Itachi smiles, pressing a hand to his heart. "We love you, too."

Naruto feels a little lighter by the time he slips through the window to Kakashi's recovery room, but seeing his lover looking so pale and ill brings up some uncomfortable memories of another night spent in this hospital when Kakashi was hurt and Naruto could only blame himself.

Of course, he'd only been three at the time, but who cares about the details?

He sighs, leaning over to press both hands over Kakashi's chest, already lit with healing chakra. Like most aspects of his abilities, his kekkei genkai is pretty unexplainable. His mother doesn't know where he got it, neither does his father. He's done research here and there, but so far, he hasn't read anything conclusive.

He'll take the miracle, though, if it means saving the one he loves tonight. Along with every other night he has healed-or will heal-Kakashi of fatal wounds.

I would heal the kids if that didn't mean giving them an advantage in the exams.

Naruto feels well and truly drained by the time Kakashi's lung is as good as new. A part of him wants to wake his husband, to let him know that he's not alone and that everything is okay, but Naruto loves watching him sleep, and could probably use some shut eye for himself, too.

We should be able to join the kids for the preliminaries tomorrow.

Naruto sags into the chair beside the bed and rests his cheek against his hand, letting himself doze while he has the time.

("Do my eyes deceive me?" The sannin leans forward, the point of his bloody sword pressing into the dirt. "The Kitsune is Yondaime Hokage's little son?" He laughs, delighted. "Oh, but what is this mysterious power of yours? It can't be… is this the power of a jinchuriki? Can you be your mother's successor, little Kitsune?"

Naruto hates him, and Kurama feeds on that feeling despite being on good terms with Naruto. It's so rare for Naruto to feel such a deep disgust that his partner relishes in the darkness for a moment.

It's too bad he's such a serpent-lover. If he didn't smell like a snake, I'd want to eat him.

Shut up, Kurama.

Be careful, kit. This one has had it out for you for quite some time.

Naruto doesn't care how long this guy has wanted to collect him, he only cares that Kakashi is on his way to the hospital with a fatal wound, and if this fight takes too long, Naruto may not reach him in time to save him.

It's time to kick some ass, Kurama.

Very well. Let's do it.

Naruto grins, unleashing all of his fury in a move that downs several of the nearest trees. He'll probably regret it later, but for now, he wants vengeance.

"You're going to pay for what you've done!")

"Naruto-chan~, if you sleep any longer, we're going to miss the preliminary fights. I don't know about you, but I'd like to see how the kids do."

Naruto hums, adjusting his arms under his head. "Five more minutes, Kashi?"

A sigh above him, one warm hand ruffling his hair. "I suppose I can give you five more minutes, but I think I deserve some sort of explanation on the way to the tower, don't I?"

Explanation? Confused, Naruto lets his eye open just a fraction, taking in his surroundings. He's obviously not in bed-he's not even at home. And if he's not at home, where…

The hospital?

Why are they at the hospital?

Idiot child, don't you remember using me to pummel that snake sannin?

Naruto's spine goes ramrod straight of its own accord, letting out an uncomfortable popping sound at the abrupt movement. Kakashi had been hurt.

But his husband smiles at him under his mask, Obito's eye hidden beneath his headband. "Good morning."

Forget that!

He doesn't realize he's thrown himself into Kakashi's arms until his lover drops a kiss against his temple. "I'm alright, it's alright."

But it doesn't feel alright, because none of this would have happened if Naruto had simply remembered that Orochimaru was still a threat. "It's my fault, Kakashi, he was after me."

Kakashi's arms tighten their hold on him. "Actually… We've been tracking his movements for years. We didn't think he'd attack during the exams, or we would have told you he was a threat."

What?

"So really, even though he's been stalking you, it's our fault for not telling you that he was a problem. Unfortunately, we believed we could deal with him without getting you involved. Apparently, we were wrong."

Hold on a minute… "Who's 'we'?" He presses his forehead against his husband's collarbone, breathing him in while processing this new bout of information.

"Well Obito and myself. And Sensei, of course." He goes on to explain that Obito has been following Orochimaru's movements ever since he abducted Naruto nine years ago, and how Kakashi got involved in the mission after Naruto returned from his trip with Jiraiya, before he'd known that Kitsune and Naruto were the same person, because 'there was just something about you that reminded me of…, well you'.

But after explaining all of that, Kakashi insists that they really will miss the preliminary fights if they don't leave soon, which spurs Naruto out of his arms so that he can finish getting dressed.

Naruto's anxiety returns, though, when he remembers that they get to be with their students during the preliminary fights. Is Sasuke going to start hating him again, after seeing what he saw? After being attacked because of Naruto?

And Sakura, will she be afraid of him now? Will Sai, will Shikamaru, now that they've seen what he can become?

Surely Shikamaru has figured out his secret. Is he coping okay with everything he's learned? Does he regret letting Naruto talk him into taking the exams?

Will his genin ask him to step down as their sensei? Will they ask him to stay away?

Will I lose them now?

"Naruto?" Kakashi's hands settle on either side of his neck, one thumb tipping Naruto's chin until their eyes meet. "What is it?"

He feels silly, being so scared to face the children now, but Kakashi has never judged him. He breathes in, leaning into Kakashi's hands. "Do you think they're afraid of me now?" He doesn't know what he'll do if they are, doesn't know how he can possibly make amends for traumatizing them the way he probably has.

His husband pulls him closer, pressing their foreheads together. "Naruto," he murmurs. "They'll understand. How can they fear you when you did what you did to protect them-protect me? I don't fully understand what happened, either, but I'm not afraid of you. I never have been."

Naruto inches closer, kissing masked lips, before pulling away. "I'll explain, but we're going to be late, right?" He's still anxious and scared, but at least he has Kakashi (and his parents, Obito, Itachi and Shisui, Rin, Gai, Jiraiya, etc.).

/

Kakashi lets Naruto shunshin them to the tower. His wound may be healed, courtesy of his loving husband, but he's still a bit tired and it's nice to have somebody to lean on.

It had been… relieving to wake up and find Naruto passed out next to him; to move freely, tired but no longer injured, and brush Naruto's hair out of his face; to note that his lover was no longer glowing or on fire or both.

"So, were you actually glowing, or did I imagine that?"

The question does what he intends and makes his husband smile, some of the worry leaving his face. "Uh, that was real. For the other jinchuriki, they can transform into their tailed beast, but with Kurama, the chakra cloak is a bit different, though I'm not sure why. It works for me, though. I don't know if I'd like being four-legged." They appear in a large chamber with the other jounin-sensei just before the next proctor begins his speech.

"Oh good," Hayate notes. "For a minute, I thought you weren't coming." He turns to the students, beginning his speech, but Kakashi locates his genin to check on them, surprised to find their eyes all locked on Naruto and him instead of their proctor.

There's another boy whose eyes are fixated on them, too. Or, more specifically, on Naruto alone. He's smaller than average, with red hair and such dark circles around his eyes that Kakashi wonders if he ever sleeps. On his forehead, he bears the kanji for 'love'.

"That boy is a jinchuriki," Naruto murmurs. "I can sense the One-Tail in him. I wonder if I can talk to him after the preliminaries are over."

It's unusual for villages to send their jinchuriki outside their walls. This one being the exception because Naruto was on his own.

Like that, the preliminary duels begin. Kakashi follows Naruto to Hayate's side while he explains what he learned, but ultimately, unless something really awful happens, they agree there's no reason to stop the genin from dueling.

On the upper level, their genin rush to their sides. Sakura and Sasuke pull them both into their arms, and even Sai inches close enough for Kakashi to bring him into the group hug.

Sakura seems to be attempting to explain what happened after they were brought to the tower, but in between her sobs and little gasps of air, Kakashi has a hard time making out what she's saying. Sasuke is quiet, but his hold is just as tight.

Kakashi pretends he's unaffected, but he doesn't think they believe it.

"RIVAL! IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU MOVING ABOUT!"

He groans, leaning all of his weight on the kids and Naruto, but a part of him really is glad to have a friend like Gai. "I don't know what you mean, the children are holding me up."

"Sensei! You're heavy!"

He gasps, falsely affronted. "How rude!" But he readjusts so that he's the one holding them up, turning to face Gai. "Thank you," he adds to his friend. "I'm only here because my husband loves me. Otherwise, I'd be having a very boring day in the hospital."

The genin groan, squished together as they dangle from his arms. "Sensei!"

Gai nods, understanding the things Kakashi doesn't say, before turning to Naruto. "And Of Course, I Must Thank You For Taking Care Of My Rival!" His expression is softer than his words, though, and Naruto's spirits lift just a little more. Kakashi lets the kids down while Gai distracts his husband.

"Ducklings, how are we feeling?"

They share a look with each other before Sasuke steps forward. "We're glad you're okay, Kakashi-sensei. Hokage-sama told us you would be, but it's not the same as really knowing."

"And we're just relieved Naruto-sensei didn't get hurt, too, or you'd both be in the hospital!" Sakura adds, glancing over at him. "But is he… okay?"

Kakashi eye-smiles for them. "He's going to be. He was a little worried that he scared you guys, though."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

He turns to see Shikamaru standing a few feet away, his teammates and Asuma leaning against the railing a bit further down.

"Naruto-sensei would never hurt us, so there's no reason for us to be afraid of him. Besides, there aren't a lot of people who can defeat a sannin easily. From what I understand, Naruto-sensei trained with Jiraiya-sama, so he had two distinct advantages in facing Orochimaru." He sounds confident, but his hands fidget in his pockets. "Anyway, I'm glad you're okay, Kakashi-sensei."

This kid… really isn't like any other.

"Thank you, Shikamaru."

Yeah, he thinks. They're going to be just fine.

Suddenly, he feels Naruto pressed against his side, also crouching to be eye-level with the genin. "You guys ready for this?" he asks, cheery despite his anxiety.

"Hai!" each of them agrees with a firm nod. Shikamaru inches closer.

"Naruto-sensei," he says, "thank you for saving us."

His husband smiles, reaching out to squeeze Shikamaru's shoulder. "Anytime, Shikamaru." He glances at Sasuke. "Just say the word." (Sasuke smiles at this, and Kakashi wonders why. It must be something significant.)

When the kids are finally content, he and Naruto step back, Naruto with an arm around Kakashi's waist. He drapes his own arm over his lover's shoulders, pressing a kiss to his temple.

"Thank you for saving me." He whispers the words, knowing that Naruto will hear them. Kakashi figures they have all the time in the world for explanations and demonstrations, and he really doesn't care about getting answers as long as he can hold Naruto like this. As long as Naruto will hold him like this.

Hopefully, Obito isn't guilt-tripping himself… That's just something we'll have to worry about after the preliminaries are through. We'll have an entire month to work with the kids on their strengths, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to sit down and talk some stuff through with him.

"Naruto, is there anything else you can do that you haven't mentioned?"

"Well…" He frowns. "Did I mention I met the Sage of Six Paths during my fight with Madara?"

The… Sage of Six Paths?

"Sorry?"

"Oh, he's the reason we have tailed beasts in the first place. Apparently, I'm the reincarnation of one of his sons. Anyway, he passed on his abilities to me, so on top of sage mode and Kurama mode, I'm also a Six Paths Sage… Well, and I can use Kurama mode with Sage mode… Hey, hold on a second. I wonder if..." He leans up, pressing a kiss to Kakashi's cheek before forming the hand signs that carry him away in a small burst of smoke.

Naruto is only gone for a few minutes, though. He returns shortly after he leaves, the match going on below having barely escalated since he left.

His grin is much brighter than it was before, bright and warm and one of the multitudes of things Kakashi loves about him. "I'm amazing~," he sings softly, tucking himself under Kakashi's arm. If Kakashi didn't know any better, he'd even go so far as to say Naruto is smug about something with the way his eyes are sparkling.

Wait a minute… Eyes? As in plural?

Kakashi's hands move of their own accord, cupping Naruto's face so that he can gaze into Naruto's right eye, studying the scar running through it, an echo of his own injury from so long ago.

"How?"

Naruto beams. "Well, I had forgotten that Six Paths Sage gave me power until I told you about it, and then I started wondering what that power entails."

/

Their genin make it through the preliminaries. Even though Sakura's wrist is broken, and Sai has a minor concussion, the three of them make it into the final round of the exams. Naruto heals their injuries and sends them home to rest up for a couple of days with the promise to kick up their training on Monday.

Despite being tired, Kakashi decides to go with Naruto when he heads toward Shisui and Itachi's apartment, because I'm curious to see how this works.

Shisui lets them in with a smile, even if he does seem a little suspicious. "I assumed you'd be with your genin. How well did they do?"

Kakashi answers, following Naruto into the apartment with an eye smile. "All three of them passed, so we sent them home to recuperate until Monday."

"And of course we're happy for them, you know it! It's just that there's something I was hoping you'd let me do!" Naruto inches closer to the Uchiha in front of him, almost nose to nose, and resolutely ignores the light dusting of pink on Shisui's cheeks.

"W-what are you...?"

Naruto leans back and lets his eyes fall shut, focusing on his chakra in order to go into Six Paths mode. It's not as easy as slipping into Kyuubi mode, but that's probably because he's had plenty of time to get used to Kurama's chakra. Maybe, the more he uses Six Paths mode, the more he'll get used to it. Although, he won't complain if he doesn't need to use those powers for anything…

He opens his eyes as the chakra settles over him, two gasps echoing in the otherwise quiet living space. Shisui's expression is pure confusion (and maybe a little awe).

"Don't move," Naruto tells him before placing his hand over his friend's eye. As he had with himself, he just tries to get a feel for the flow of Shisui's chakra, and then molds it with his Six Paths chakra to rebuild Shisui's ruined eye.

Smiling, he pulls away, letting the Six Paths mode drop. "Okay, Shisui, try to open it."

The Uchiha makes a face, but he does what Naruto tells him, jaw falling open when his eye complies and opens. "How did…? Wait, your eye! Naruto, how-?"

The entire thing makes Naruto feel openly giddy, because he's doing something good for someone he loves.

A little more than an hour later, Naruto hunts Obito down-it's not as hard as one might think, but it's still rather troublesome since he's pretty sure Obito's avoiding them. It's strange, too, because Kakashi has been unusually silent ever since they left Itachi and Shisui's apartment.

His emotions don't seem disturbed, though, but when Naruto asks him if he wants to go home and rest, Kakashi declines, saying I'm curious about Obito's eye. It's in my skull, you see.

Which raises the question, will Obito's eye simply transfer places, seeing as it's still a working organ? Or will he technically have three eyes?

Man, I didn't think about that part. Will I have to give Kakashi a new eye? Will he be upset if he loses Obito's eye?

What a pain…

Oh well, it's not like I can stop now! Besides, Obito's eye really drains Kakashi's chakra. It might be nice if he's freed from it.

/

It's late by the time they make it home.

It's late, and Kakashi's tired, but he's learned a lot in the last several hours. Particularly about his husband, his husband's abilities, and his husband's oversized heart. Sure, Kakashi had known that at one point, Uchiha Shisui had briefly attempted courting Kitsune (that is, until he'd learned that Kitsune was Naruto, because he'd known that Naruto was already engaged), but he hadn't realized that Shisui still harbors feelings for his husband.

And it hadn't ever occurred to him that Naruto might share those feelings.

In fact, while Shisui had been testing his Sharingan on Naruto, Itachi had come home to witness the new developments, and his expression held such open affection that Kakashi was… well, not quite floored, because he thinks that everybody should love Naruto as much as he does, but perhaps a little frustrated that Naruto hasn't just asked.

To be honest, Kakashi doesn't mind sharing his husband, not so long as his husband is treated well by the other people he's involved with. Naruto spent so much time alone, so much time away, Kakashi wants him to know how much he's loved.

Besides, it isn't as if Kakashi doesn't trust both Shisui and Itachi.

Ah, but how to bring it up? Straightforward? Abrupt? With tact?

What if I just end up upsetting him? I don't want him to think I don't want him.

It slips out when they're half asleep, curled around each other underneath the duvet, Naruto's cold toes tucked against Kakashi's calves. He simply can't stop thinking about it, so it's no wonder that his tired mouth just talks. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hmm?" His lover nuzzles into Kakashi's chest, his grip on Kakashi's shirt nearly slack.

"That you love them," he clarifies. He tries not to laugh when Naruto's eyes slide open just a fraction (and it's glorious, being able to look into both of them, all of his heart right there to see in those eyes).

"Ahh, because I didn't think it was important... It's not like I'm going to ask you if I can be with them. I wonder… does keeping that a secret make me unfaithful?" He tenses up in Kakashi's arms. "Am I a bad husband, Kakashi?"

Damn.

"Naruto, I'm trying to say that I don't mind. I love you and I want you to be happy, and I know that those two make you happy."

Naruto sits up, pulling Kakashi with him. "What are you saying? You aren't… you aren't telling me to leave you, right? You wouldn't do that, right?"

Dammit…

Kakashi shifts, tugging Naruto into his lap, kissing him for emphasis. "Of course I don't want you to leave me. I'm simply pointing out that I don't mind sharing your time."

Naruto shakes his head, sliding his hands along Kakashi's bare jaw. "I mind. Kakashi, you make me happy. Yes, I have feelings for those two, but there is nothing in the world that I want more than to be at your side. I want to spend my time with you, we've already missed out on so much." Their noses brush. "Do you understand?"

Kakashi can only bring his husband closer, slotting their mouths and holding on for dear life. Naruto never fails to bring him to the brink of destruction with his words, his devotion, his faith.

I'll bring it up again in a few years, then.

After all, Kakashi can't think of anything that will be able to tear them apart (he really hopes he doesn't jinx himself with that thought).

It's almost like a happily ever after, if such a thing can exist in the shinobi world. It's as close as they can get, he thinks.

I love you, he taps out against Naruto's spine, heart skipping a beat when Naruto's legs wind around his waist.

Yeah. I'd like this for forever, please.