Kakashi peeked in to see Iruka with Naruto and Sasuke. He stared at Iruka awkwardly.

"Kakashi" Iruka said in a funny tone. "What brings you here?"
Kakashi took a good three seconds before replying "I was looking for Naruto".

The only seat was the one next to Iruka since Sasuke was sitting in the corner. So Kakashi sat down next to the chunin and gave his order.

The awkwardness seemed to double.

Naruto looked at Sasuke as if he was seeing something different about him. Once again he thought. Do I...like-'

'NO!' I- I can't' his mind argued. 'That's just...'.

His mind was so occupied that Sasuke happened to look at him. He noticed that Naruto's cheeks were tinted pink. Somehow it made him stare at the boy.

Next to Naruto was Iruka. He looked at Kakashi. He seemed to be looking better today. But Iruka couldn't shake off the feeling of wanting to know what was troubling him.

As he was looking Kakashi looked back at him feeling his gaze.

Iruka's heart jumped. He quickly broke eye contact. He then fiddled with his chopsticks nervously.

Kakashi noticed his behaviour and smiled under his mask. 'He's so adorable' the jonin thought.

Slowly, they began chatting amongst themselves. Though, Naruto & Sasuke never spoke directly and neither did Kakashi & Iruka.

Kakashi talked to Naruto about his safety, considering that he possessed the nine tails.

"Oh wait. You don't know about Naruto possessing the nine tails do you Sasuke?" said Kakashi.

"I already told him a while ago sensei" said Naruto.

Kakashi was surprised. 'He's already told him? Sauske hasn't shown any difference in his behaviour towards him though' he thought. 'I never expected Sasuke to accept him so easily'

Iruka was also slightly surprised. But he was glad that Sasuke could accept Naruto despite his nine tails. He was happy that Naruto had someone he could trust.

Iruka then added to Kakashi's explanation and also talked about how Sasuke might also one day be targeted for his sharingan.

"So be careful and don't fool around" Iruka finally said.

"Yeah yeah. We get it sensei" Naruto said lazily. "You know you're starting to sound like the old Hokage gramps"

"Don't call him gramps" Iruka said with a sigh.

As they went on arguing Kakashi gave a small laugh. "Now now Naruto. You should make a habit of listening to your senseis" he said.

Naruto scoffed.

"So how're you feeling? Has anything strange or unusual happened lately?" Kakashi asked Naruto.

"What do you mean by-" Naruto began.

"St-ran-ge" he said slowly. Naruto was then reminded of the times when he had passed out.

And of course that time he and Sasuke-

Naruto blushed hard all of a sudden. 'WOAH! Can you not think about that?!' he told himself.

'I don't think you can' said the other voice in his head.

Seeing his nervousness Sasuke answered instead. "He passes out sometimes"

Naruto gave him a look as if to say 'No, no no, no, no. Don't you dare tell them!'

"And?" Kakashi questioned, sensing that there was more to it.

"He- turns into a fox like beast. He's harmless though" Sauske quickly said. He bit the inside of his mouth as he began feeling some kind of unknown nervousness. He stirred his noodles for a while as he remembered all the times Naruto had turned into a beast.

Kakashi observed him and then asked Naruto. "Is that so?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke curiously. Up until now he had never actually been told what he actually did when the nine tails chakra controlled his body.

"Naruto?" said Iruka.

"Uh, yeah" Naruto replied, occupied with staring at Sasuke.

Both of them were silent after this.

"Anything else?" Iruka asked.

"No" they both replied quickly.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. 'They're both unusually nervous today' he thought.

Kakashi looked at them thinking 'What're they hiding?'

After they were done they all decided to head home. When they walked out of Ichiraku night had fallen.

"I'll be going" Sasuke said. He felt the need to be alone so that he could deal with his thoughts.

As he turned around he felt someone grab his hand.

Sasuke turned around. His heart leapt as he looked at Naruto.

Naruto clutched his hand and looked into his eyes. "See you tomorrow" he mumbled.

"Yeah...Good Night" Sasuke replied softly. He caressed Naruto's hand. He then grasped it firmly.

The two looked into each other's eyes and instinctively smiled.

Sasuke finally let go. Then he said goodbye and walked towards his house.

Naruto watched him go and didn't take his eyes off of him until the boy finally rounded a corner. He said goodbye to his senseis and then made his way home.

Now there was only the two of them left.

"Those two..."Iruka began saying.

Kakashi sighed. "They'll figure it out eventually" he said.

Iruka glanced at Kakashi who looked back at him.

"Iruka. I-I'm sorry" said the Hatake. "About...how I've been"

"It's okay. I'm sure that there are some things that...you can't get over yet. I understand that feeling all too well" said Iruka. He paused and took Kakashi's hand in his own.

"Whatever it is or...whoever it might be. If it's causing you pain, I just want you to know...that you don't have to face it alone" Iruka said.

Kakashi's heart warmed at his words. He smiled. "Thank you" he said and caressed Iruka's hand softly.

Iruka smiled as well which made Kakashi's heart explode. 'So cute...' he thought.

He then took his other hand and covered Iruka's eyes. Iruka was confused for a moment, but then-

A soft kiss came on his lips.

"Good Night" Kakashi softly whispered in his ear.

When he let go and Iruka opened his eyes Kakashi was nowhere in sight.

Iruka blushed and gave a small laugh. He then made his way home thinking about Kakashi.

As Naruto went to bed, his mind gave him endless thoughts to ponder over.

'Sasuke...Sasuke's a guy...do I like him?... He's really handsome...Wait...What?! No, no that's stupid...but...I mean it's true...'

"Arghh!" he shouted holding his head. "What's wrong with me?! I can't stop thinking about him!"

Naruto hugged his extra pillow and stared out of his window. 'I wish I could go to his house...'

When Sasuke arrived at his house he went straight to his bed. He lay down on it and stared to the side.

An image of a peacefully sleeping Naruto hugging his pillow surfaced in his mind. He smiled.

It was strange...He seemed to have gotten used to having the idiot around.

The girl took off her black cloak as she went inside. She folded it and put it nearby, then went to the room on the other side.

There she crouched down under the bed. She took out a box from underneath one of the floorboards and carefully opened it.

She seemed to take something small and put it under her long hair, on the back of her neck.

Afterwards she put the box back to its place.

She got up and sat on the bed. She took out her scroll, ink and brush and began writing.

About an hour later she put down her brush. She grabbed some towels and went to take a shower.

...

As she dried her hair in the bathroom she sighed. "This is getting so troublesome" she said. For a long time she had found that her hair was getting in the way too much. She stretched her hand to the nearby shelf and took out a kunai.

She stared at her reflection. "I kinda liked the silver though" she said with disappointment.

She bundled her hair and then brought her kunai to it.

With one swift movement she slashed her hair.

Her hair now barely reached her shoulders. She threw away the bundled hair.

"Dyeing my hair is so troublesome" she said.

"Well. As long as I can fool them" she said.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I can't let them find out. Or I'll lose everything"

Her hair was now a jet black colour, with not a single strand of silver.

A/N: Chapter 26 is coming in about two weeks!